Satanism is not without consequence. A friend of mine is arranging for me to visit David Berkowitz, “Son of Sam”, the serial killer from NYC. He murdered six innocent people at random and was later caught and convicted of those crimes. During his incarceration he came to know the Lord and now is a born again Christian completely devoted to Jesus Christ. (Lest you think his jailhouse conversion is a ruse to get out of prison, he refuses to attend parole hearings, because he doesn’t want to put the families of his victims through it and has vowed to never try to get out of prison.) His sentence is over 300 years.
He is someone who chose evil as their religion. I’m ashamed to admit that I was involved in it for some length of time too, as related in my book, Miracle on Luckie Street. I practiced black magic, and was just as miserable and full of hate as one might imagine and I could have ended up being a Son of Sam forty years ago had it not been for the intervention of Jesus Christ.
When someone is that twisted with hate, it seems only natural to choose to worship satan and become evil through and through. Berkowitz’s involvement in the occult initially led him down a path of destruction. He said he began receiving verbal messages from his neighbor’s dog to go out and kill people. No doubt a demon was using that vehicle to order him to commit those horrible crimes and he obeyed.
I don’t know what your beliefs are regarding the occult, but the Bible is full of warnings to stay far away from it. If you notice your kids or grandkids wearing pentagrams or black clothes, beware! I’ve never heard God’s voice first hand, but during an incantation one time while I was attempting to conjure up a demon to do my evil bidding, I did hear the horrible voice of a satanic spirit. It scared me beyond comprehension and I will never forget it.
I’ve seen witchcraft work with my own eyes and it’s nothing to scoff at or play around with. Regardless of what anyone might tell you, those who engage in it are evil and full of hate. They need a good dose of God in their life or bad things will happen.
The good news is that God’s love can cleanse a David Berkowitz and change him or anyone from a “Son of Sam” to a son of Jesus as evidenced by the following chapter in Mark. I feel akin to the man He delivered at the tombs and the instructions that Jesus gave him in the last three sentences . . .
Mark 5:1
When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man — and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.