By Pastor Michael Frisbee, DD/DM
When one does a search of paranormal research and investigations, watch the several different ghost hunting shows on cable television, or searches for books of these same topics, the subject or ability of mediums inevitably surfaces. Without a doubt, people claiming the ability to sense the presence and communicate with the dead grows each passing day. There are para-celebrity mediums like John Edwards, Sylvia Browne, and James vanPraagh, lesser known mediums that are making a name for themselves on shows like Paranormal State, The Dead Files, etc, and then your unknown mediums, the people who claim this ability that attach themselves to Paranormal Investigative Teams.
Within this group of mediums, you have the fakes (cold and warm readers with no real ability) and those with an actual gift. The fakes, their problems lie in the deceptions that they are conducting for which they will have to atone when they pass. They will be surprised by whom they will be atoning to. The reason I mention the particular three celebrities above is because they are FAKES. They have all been tested and observed, and it has become apparent they are using these “Mentalist”-style techniques to gather information and feed it back to get a “reading”. You can do a search on Google to find the various debunking sites that lay out the facts and truth behind these para-celebrity readings. From “studio plants”, bugging a holding room for audiences, doing research and pumping production people for information before readings, to mind-play tricks, all of them have been found to be fakes, yet millions seeking answers from beyond continually suspend their beliefs and logical thinking to accept these frauds and their fake abilities as the real deal.
Now, there are mediums out there that are connecting with the spiritual world, but unfortunately, it is not our dead relatives or the previous residents of a house that have passed into the spiritual realm. In my first blog and on my first radio show for “The Paranormal Christian”, I presented scriptures that proved that when we die, we receive our judgment from God immediately, and move on to the reward (Heaven), or punishment (Hell). In last week’s blog presented by Reverend Mark Hunneman, my co-host on the radio show and author of “Seeing Ghosts Through God’s Eyes” (www.seeingghoststhroughgodseyes.com), explained quite well how the concept of Purgatory, held by the Catholic Church and getting integrated by many people’s beliefs to explain why human ghosts would be here on earth for us to get evidence of, is not supported by the Scriptures. On the show that followed this past Saturday, I presented listeners with even more information, from the Catholic Church’s own history, which they have not always held the belief of Purgatory and that it was not presented until 593 AD by Gregory the Great. In fact, there was no Pope until after Gregory the Great. Here’s a link to give you a full run down on the changes to doctrine and dogma through the past two millennia by the Church that “never changes”. There is corresponding scripture as to why it goes against God’s Word. http://bit.ly/uymGpg .
The Bible is quite clear about contacting the dead (Using New American Standard Bible).
Deuternonomy 18:10-12 - There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.
Isaiah 8:19-20 - When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
Those are just a couple of scriptures related to this topic specifically. So there is a great danger for those who practice and serve as mediums. That danger is very apparent when you add in the fact that there are no human ghosts here on earth for them to communicate with. So what are they connecting with?
Ephesians 6:10-12 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Satan is the ruler of the dark spiritual forces of this earth, of the rulers, the powers. This encompasses the demonic, the fallen angels that rose up against God with Lucifer (Satan) that are now demons that prowl all around us, seeking to destroy us.
1 Peter 5:8-9 - Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
So when mediums – truly “gifted” mediums – connect with a spirit, they are connecting with the demonic, whether they are doing it knowingly or not. Demons are fallen angels, so they can appear as “beings of light”, and they have witnessed the life of every human being that has and is living on this planet. They can present themselves as these people, with all the knowledge of their lives, and even their “secrets”. This also applies to spirit guides, guardian angels, etc. True angels, they work unseen in our lives, at the command of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. They do not communicate directly with us, for that goes against scripture. Demons do it because they are in rebellion, and seek to separate us from God and God’s Word.
There is only one spirit we will, as Christians, ever have direct communication from, and that is the Holy Spirit, which is of God. When we are born again in Christ and our sins washed clean by His precious Blood, we now have a direct line spiritually through Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us those gut feelings when we come witness something not of God’s Word, or we come across doctrines and activities that are not of God. There are gifts of the Holy Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12 – you can look up that one ;)
When dealing with the spiritual realm, be sure to test the spirits. If it doesn’t glorify God and His Word, or align with it, then you can be assured, you are dealing with the demonic. Be sure to tune into tomorrow night’s (12/10/11) at 7 pm EST when we deal with Mediums, Channelers, and Reiki. Click here: http://bit.ly/vwVuxM
