Secrets from the Spirit World

[IrishAngel]

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6

Secrets from the Spirit World (edited for length)
by Michael C. Wells

In today’s society, we are bombarded from all sides with the supernatural. It has become such a prominent part of our everyday life that it is beginning to be accepted and not seen as a danger as it was in times past. . We hear of “good” and “bad” witchcraft, and we wonder, where did all this come from?

Paranormal experiences seem to be on the rise.  I believe that it is important to understand just where this is leading and who is behind all of it. Spiritualism is nothing new to society; it has been around for 6000 years. The occult has always been connected with satanic rituals and practices, yet in the last few years it has received quite the face- lift. Now people do not see the evil of it, but are enthralled with the wonder of it all. Despite the change in our society, the Bible continues to condemn sorcery and those who practice spiritualism. “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers , idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21: 8.

Extraterrestrial Intervention Spiritualism is rooted in paganism, which is the worship of idols and gods other than the God of heaven. In the days of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar trusted magicians and sorcerers as his “guide,” but the God of heaven showed just how little they truly knew. (See our booklet Why Hitler Lost.) All wisdom is God given, but there are spirits out there that are not from God. I believe firmly in spirits. The Bible tells us that God’s angels are ministering spirits. (Hebrews 1: 13,14.) As we study about the angels of God, we find that there is more than one type of angel. In Genesis 3: 24, we see one kind called cherubim. “So He drove out the man; and He placed a cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword, which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” We also see in Isaiah 6: 1– 2 another kind of angel called seraphim. These type of angels seem to have specific duties in the temple of God.

God is ever interested in His people, and sends His angels to protect and guide them through their daily walk. Maybe you have wondered where these magnificent beings came from? Colossians 1: 16 says, “For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Jesus is the Creator of all. He created these celestial beings for service and praise. The Apostle John writes, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing! ’” Revelation 5: 11, 12.

The Source of Mysticism We can see that God sends His angels to help mankind, but where do the psychics and sorcerers, and magicians get their information? Do the dead go to heaven and come back to give us insight into personal and world events? Where do these spirits come from that we hear so much about in today’s society? To find the answer, we must again go to the Book of Inspiration. We read in Colossians 1: 16 that Jesus created all things . He has made all things invisible as well as visible, and made all principalities and powers. Yet we also read that God will destroy those who dabble in sorcery and magic. Did He also bring evil into the world?

The Lord God is a God of choice and free will. He does not rule out of fear but out of love. Each of His creatures is a free moral agent, meaning they have the right to choose which path they will follow. This is not only true with men but also with angels. Before the world was formed, a leading angel, the covering cherub of God’s throne, rebelled against His authority in an attempt to exalt himself to equality with God. His desire was to be part of the inner counsel of the Godhead. He sowed the seed of discontent in the courts of heaven to gain sympathy from other angels who admired him because of his beauty, wisdom, and position. But Lucifer perverted his wisdom and allowed pride to enter into his heart. God had created him perfect and had given him a high position, yet this was not adequate for his prideful heart.

The Lord, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, described Lucifer in this way: “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.” Ezekiel 28: 14,17. Because of Lucifer’s sin, God called him Satan (the adversary and accuser) and cast him from heaven, along with all that followed him. “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12: 9.

Satan was cast to the earth and went out to deceive the whole world. He accomplishes this through beguiling methods. Remember that he and his angels are still very powerful beings and have powers that you and I do not have. He employs these powers to misdirect people’s minds, thoughts, and deeds. He is the author of deceit, and the father of all lies. (John 8: 44.) He is ever watching for ways to cause us to be deceived and lose the path to righteousness that only God can give. He also uses earthly agents. Through kings, governments, and even churches, he works out his evil plan. He is the one who is behind the work of the occult. Though he can not foretell the future, for only God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46: 9,10), he notes our character flaws and our weaknesses. He leads men’s minds, if they are not fixed on God, to fulfill his desires and accept his counsel.

100% Accuracy The so- called fortunetellers and psychics derive their knowledge straight from the bosom of Satan. The Bible says that a true prophet of God will be correct 100% of the time, yet psychics boast of their knowledge and are wrong more times than not. Jean Dixon, a famous psychic, claimed to be led by the same spirit that worked through John the Baptist. She also uplifted the work of Nostradamus, a 16 th Century wizard, and claimed he was a man of God, yet she violates almost every test of a true prophet of God. Ms. Dixon was never correct on any prediction, of any consequence. If someone is led of God, they will be correct all the time.

As for Nostradamus, people have tried to promote his many prophecies, yet they go directly against the Bible prophecies of former prophets. The Bible says to this: “To the law and the prophets! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8: 20. In the 1550’s, Nostradamus’ main source for his magical inspirations came from a book called De Mysteriis Egyptorum— a book on ancient magic from the spiritualists of Egypt.

There are many other well- known psychics, who we could name, that did not derive their knowledge from God, but from another “spirit.” Psychics feel they are doing well if they are accurate at least 20 to 30 percent of the time. God’s standards are much higher. How would you like to base your life on horoscopes, fortunetellers, and psychics that are wrong more times than they are right? Hundreds of thousands do it everyday. Satan is in control of their minds making it look like they are having great success. The Bible says, Beware! The devil is like a roaring lion looking for whom he may devour. (I Peter 5: 8.) His deceptions are so clever that in the very end times he will send his angels to impersonate the apostles themselves, and he will come as an “angel of light.” (II Corinthians 11: 13,14.)

cont`d

[IrishAngel]

Secrets of the Spirit World cont`d

A Christian writer stated: “Spiritualism is the masterpiece of deception. It is Satan’s most successful and fascinating delusion,— one calculated to take hold of the sympathies of those who have laid their loved ones in the grave. Evil angels come in the form of those loved ones, and relate incidents connected with their lives, and perform acts which they performed while living. In this way they lead persons to believe that their dead friends are angels, hovering over them, and communicating with them. These evil angels, who assume to be the deceased friends, are regarded with a certain idolatry, and with many their word has greater weight than the word of God. Thus men and women are led to reject the truth, and give ‘heed to seducing spirits. ’” The Signs of the Times, August 26, 1889, by Ellen G. White.

More times than you would think, these evil spirits use religion to deceive the masses of the world. They play on the senses and the emotions of the people. They will use “miracles” to awe and fascinate the mind. What people see, they believe. These evil angels, that fell from heaven with Satan, perform wondrous signs that seem to prove they are who and what they say they are. However, the Apostle Paul warns of just such a deception in 2 Thessalonians 2: 8. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.”

“Spiritualism is about to take the world captive. There are many that think that Spiritualism is upheld through trickery and imposture; but this is far from the truth. Superhuman power is working in a variety of ways, and few have any idea as to what will be the manifestations of Spiritualism in the future. The foundation for the success of Spiritualism has been laid in the assertions that have been made from the pulpits of our land. The ministers have proclaimed, as Bible doctrines, falsehoods that have originated from the arch- deceiver. The doctrine of consciousness after death, of the spirits of the dead being in communion with the living, has no foundation in the Scriptures, and yet this theory is affirmed as truth. Through this false doctrine the way has been opened for the spirits of devils to deceive the people in representing themselves as the dead. Satanic agencies personate the dead, and thus bring souls into captivity. Satan has a religion, he has a synagogue and devout worshipers. To swell the ranks of his devotees he uses all manner of deception. Ibid., May 28, 1894.

Paul was ever warning the people in his day about these great deceptions. He feared they would be caught up in the snare of Satan. He tells the Corinthian church: “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it.” 2 Corinthians 11: 3,4. Paul was afraid of the very thing that we see happening today. People are accepting “another Jesus,” one who preaches liberalism instead of obedience. They are accepting a different “spirit” who entices the senses instead of convicting the heart, and today we see people accepting a very different gospel than the one that the Bible portrays as the gospel of Jesus. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14: 15), but the spirits of today’s gospel say, “Just confess that you love me and you will be saved. There is no need to try to follow all that the Bible says.” This is the great deception!

Do the Dead Speak from the Grave? God gave the Apostle Paul insight through revelations and visions. He saw, that in the future, Satan would pervert the true gospel of Jesus. He reproves the Galatians, and us today, in Galatians 1: 6– 9, when he says, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven , preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Paul emphasizes that even if someone comes saying that they are the apostles brought back to life (or anyone else for that matter), or claim to be an angel from heaven, do not believe them! They are evil spirits impersonating the dead. Believe them not!

How could Paul make such a profound and definite statement about such things? Have not dead loved ones come back to talk to their relatives? I am sure you have heard of many cases where just such a claim is made. Why was Paul so sure that these were not human beings that had died and come back to give information of the future? The Bible is very clear that we should have nothing to do with those who claim to be able to bring back the dead. (In Bible times those who practiced this craft were called mediums.) In Leviticus it says, “Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19: 31. “A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.” Here we see how severely people were punished, in Old Testament times, who claimed they could bring back the dead. The question remains, though, are they really bringing back the dead?

The answer, when we look at the Scriptures, is quite simple, really. We find that these apparitions of dead loved ones, or the impersonations of apostles, are not really dead humans, but evil angels impersonating them. We hear so much about the visions of the “Virgin Mary” and the information that “she” seems to be imparting to mankind, yet this could not really be her because of these plain statements from the Bible. “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them (their remembrance of things) is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun .” Ecclesiastics 9: 5,6. Psalms 146: 4 says it even more clearly: “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that day his thoughts perish.” (KJV)

A Dreadful Deception These sightings are not truly our dead loved ones returning to us, but evil angels impersonating them. God has put a vast gulf between the living and the dead. This has been done purposely that mankind would not ever be fooled by evil spirits claiming to be dead loved ones.  And yes, the impersonation is very good. These evil beings know all about us. They know our names, our likes and dislikes, they know our mannerisms and our habits, and they can impersonate our looks and voices perfectly. The Bible predicted in I Timothy 4: 1, that in the last days, some would give heed to seducing spirits and the doctrines of demons. We must flee from these counterfeits to God’s truth.

As the world turns more and more to paranormal phenomenon, ESP, magic, hypnotism, and horoscopes, we find that we must guard against these devices of Satan. Flee for your lives, says the Lord of Hosts. Anyone can be deceived by these enticing delusions. When we put ourselves in a position to have contact with Satan, we are putting ourselves on very dangerous ground. If we are to be saved from these devices, we must seek the Lord and be drawn into the safety of His arms. There is no power that can separate us from God, for He is mightier than all the mystics and psychics of the world. He is a God that cannot lie, and His truth stands forever. Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17: 17.

Jesus gave us a warning of the destruction that will befall us if we do not love His truth and abhor the entrapping doctrines of Satan. “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Timothy 2: 11,12. We must take a stand against the devil and flee from his devices. We must avoid his pleasures and lies as if dealing with a plague. If we are to be on God’s side in the great controversy between right and wrong, if we are to be called children of God, if we are to live in heaven with the King of kings and Lord of lords, we must be purified from the heathen practices of the occult. It is not just enough to say you will not deal in mystical arts, we must not watch, listen, or participate in any form of Satan’s delusive game.

Today we must make choices for eternity— decisions that have life and death consequences. We must seek God and His righteousness, and He will be our guiding light. King David writes these words from the Lord for our consideration and admonition: “Come, you children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the souls of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” Psalm 34: 11– 14,21,22.

[Mr. 5020]

That was edited for length?  

[longdog]

Seems to me you are using one religion to judge another, a process which works both ways of course.

You're not going to brow-beat anyone away from 'spiritualism', 'paganism' or anything else with quotes from the bible. If they don't believe in it you may as well be reading from a Tom Clancy novel. It will have about as much effect.

There is a prevailing attitude on these boards that simply quoting scripture is some sort of substitute for reasoned debate. If I want to know what the bible says I'll have a look, I want to know what YOU think.

[IrishAngel]

hmmmmm

I was merely sharing what I think is a very well written article... but seeing as how you seem to be looking for something to protest...

Do christians believe that the Bible is the only complete and final authority pertaining to our lives? I do, so referring to the Word as just another "religion" thats judging another does not apply here.

Oh and the Word doesnt "brow beat" , it cuts the heart asunder like a two edged sword      I agree with one thing, those who choose not to believe will not, thats not my problem now is it.

Is there a *ahem* prevailing (or merely yours) attitude that one should`nt include scripture in a post on christian message board?  

Seems to me longdog you got a craw in your hat?

Now you know what I think, and if you want to debate with me go for it.    

[Mr. 5020]

There is a prevailing attitude on these boards that simply quoting scripture is some sort of substitute for reasoned debate. If I want to know what the bible says I'll have a look, I want to know what YOU think.

Well, as Christians (forgive me if I am making an incorrect assumption that you are a Christian, longdog), may I ask, what other guideline do we have to determine what is correct or incorrect?  How do we determine right from wrong?  It is impossible to determine it without a guideline, in this case, the Bible.  Even if I believed Tom Clancy's books were holy and inspired, I would judge the world according to Tom Clancy's writings.

I hope my point was clear.  For some reason, it was hard to express.