THE SECRETS BEHIND CARNIVAL. #idolatry #spirits #evilspirits #carnival

LaMar shares what Carnival is about and what really happens in the Festival.
#idolatry #spirits #evilspirits

TRANSCRIPT:

This week is Carnival in Brazil, one of the largest festivals in the world. However, beneath the Orixás lies a deeper spiritual reality—one that involves demonic worship. Hands are raised, spiritual blessings are invoked, and music and dance serve as acts of devotion.

For Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, such as Candomblé, these elements are not mere entertainment but expressions of worship. Over time, this worship has been concealed within the festival, disguising the ceremony as a party.

The rhythmic drumming follows secret patterns meant to summon spiritual entities or demons. Worshippers sing and dance in agreement with the orixá (spirit) they seek to invoke.

As the drumming and chanting intensify, the atmosphere shifts. Men and women form circles, dancing and singing for hours, awaiting a response from the spirit world. As the ritual peaks, the atmosphere shifts to a dark spiritual energy.

Then, suddenly, the Orixás arrive. They possess certain worshippers, overtaking their bodies and voices. Those possessed writhe, shout, and lose control, overtaken by the entity inhabiting them.

They are then led away to return transformed—dressed to reflect the identity of the spirit that now claims them. These worshippers, devoted to (can-dough-blay) Candomblé, carry on traditions brought to Brazil through the transatlantic slave trade centuries ago. Their image is altered in this transformation - that is what the costume symbolizes.

But here is the deception: Carnival involves idolatry, immorality, and spiritual deception. In this Afro-Brazilian tradition, worship is directed toward spirits rather than God.

The Bible is clear that we are to worship only Him: "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) When people engage in these rituals, even unknowingly, they are inviting spiritual forces that are not from God but from the kingdom of darkness.

Another issue is the spiritual deception behind it. Many don’t realize that these ceremonies’ drumming, chanting, and dancing aren’t just cultural expressions—they’re meant to invoke spirits.

The Bible warns us against engaging with spirits, sorcery, or anything linked to the occult (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). What might seem harmless can be a way for the enemy to keep people blind to the truth.

Beyond that, Carnival is often associated with excess—drunkenness, immorality, and indulgence in sinful desires. While God isn’t against joy or celebration, He calls us to holiness and self-control.

Titus 2:12 reminds us that God’s grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions. Instead of following the ways of the world, Romans 12:2 urges us to be transformed by renewing our minds in Christ.

The real problem isn’t just the festival itself but the spiritual forces behind it and how it can pull people away from God and enslave them to darkness and addictions.

God desires a relationship with us, and anything that promotes idolatry or sinful indulgence leads in the opposite direction.

That’s why, as believers, we’re called to be light in the darkness (Matthew 5:14). Rather than conforming, we pray for people to see the truth, be set free, and encounter the love of Jesus.

More than anything, I pray that God opens people’s eyes and leads them to true freedom in Him.

I encourage you to pray, asking God to break the spiritual blindness of those caught in deception. I know Christians are witnessing and worshiping God during Carnival or Mardi Gras. Let’s pray their witness and worship will significantly impact them because we know worship and the word of God drives out darkness.

We pray for you and your loved ones who might be entrapped in darkness or addiction. Freedom in Jesus' name.