Dead Wrong!

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices divination, or conjuring, or fortunetelling, or sorcery, or one who charms magic spells, or a medium, or a wizard, or one who calls up the dead.  For all who do these things are an abomination unto Jehovah, and because of these abominations Jehovah your God is dispossessing them before you.”  Deuteronomy 18:10-12

 

Apparently we have fallen so far in apostasy that what should be clear lines regarding God’s Truth and the things of Satan, have been so blurred that there is now so-called ‘christian’ psychics.  The first I heard about such a thing was in our local newspaper in Kalispell, Montana.

 

I had seen the advertisements, the large signs pop up locally for a couple of buildings where psychic readings are being given out.  Now in our society, such things are not a surprise, but when I saw a local write-up in the newspaper, I was shocked to hear that such things are considered to be Christian by some.

 

The psychic, while holding what appears to be Tarot cards, claims that the gift that she has is from God.  She proclaims to hold to Christianity, praying for every meal, and makes known that she does not believe she can abuse the gift that she claims God has given her, or else He will take it away.  This abuse seems to be related to self gain, rather than so-called helping others.

 

“You believe that God is One. You do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder.”  Jacob (James) 2:19

 

Some Bereans have wrote about the dangers of spiritualism, satanism, etc., creeping into the churches throughout the years.  Not too long ago I saw an advertisement for ‘christian’ yoga locally.  I wish that the yoga was more true to its nature, like another venue that we have that promotes it as it is, occultic.   What people need is God, what they need is to repent and by faith believe into the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

 

We could go on and on about psychobabble and the numerous things related to it, but the reality is this: many of the problems in people’s lives are due to sin.  I did a quick search on google regarding so-called christian psychics and found that this is fairly common and there are a lot of people out there who engage these so-called mediums.

 

This article is not going to dwell into whether or not these so-called mediums can garner accurate information of not, but rather whether these things are appropriate, according to the Word of God.  Are Believers allowed to visit a psychic?  Are Christians supposed to be dabbling with mediums and the mystic?  God’s Word is not silent on these and in a nutshell, absolutely not.

 

“You shall not turn to mediums nor seek out fortunetellers, to be defiled by them: I am Jehovah your God.”  Leviticus 19:31

 

“You shall not allow a sorceress to live.”  Exodus 22:18

 

“And the soul who turns to mediums and fortunetellers, to commit adultery with them, I will set My face against that soul and cut him off from his people.  Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am Jehovah your God.”  Leviticus 20:6-7

 

“A man or a woman who is a medium or a fortuneteller shall be executed to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.”  Leviticus 20:27

 

“And when they say to you, Consult the sorcerers and fortunetellers who peep and mutter; should not a people inquire of their God, rather than the living of the dead?”  Isaiah 8:19

 

What we see nowadays is more clearly the fruits of the apostate church.  As we have more and more false christians everywhere, those who claim to know Christ, but have not repented and by faith believed into Him, we are going to continue to see the fruits of their errors. 

 

In fact things will likely get worse.  We know that during the Tribulation (‘time of Jacob’s trouble’ (Jer. 30:7)) that people will not repent of their sorceries.

 

“And they did not repent of their murders nor their sorceries nor their sexual perversions nor their thefts.”  Revelation 9:21

 

Make no mistake about it, Christians and psychics do not go hand in hand.  If ever there was an oxymoron, this is one of them.  God deals with such people quite harshly who dabble in the occult, the things of Satan.  Certainly if one has done so, they should quickly repent for doing such things.  My hope would be that those who know Christ would never get involved in these things, even a bit.  Rather they should turn and run the other way.

 

The Bible clearly predicted that times like these would come before the Rapture of the Church. 

 

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, being devoted to corrupting spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be partaken with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”  1st Timothy 4:1-3

 

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unyielding, slanderers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.  For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning, but never able to come to the full true knowledge of the truth.”  2nd Timothy 3:1-7

 

“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and without blemish; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the unlearned and unstable twist, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware also that you not be led away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your own steadfastness.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”  2nd Peter 3:14-18

 

“Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together to Him, we ask you not to be quickly disturbed in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the Day of Christ has come.  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is unveiled, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is honored, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, declaring of himself that he is God.  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  And now you know what is restraining, that he may be unveiled in his own time.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He is now restraining, until it is raised from out of the midst.  And then the lawless one will be unveiled, 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, and with all unrighteous deception among those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  But we owe thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you through our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, brethren, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.”  2nd Thessalonians 2

 

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you sorrow not as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shouted command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together at the same time with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”  1st Thessalonians 4:13-18

 

While the world might not know the difference, we should take a look at what happen to Saul when he visited a medium. 

 

“Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the fortunetellers out of the land.  And the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa.  And when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.  And when Saul inquired of Jehovah, Jehovah did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.  Then Saul said to his servants, Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.  And Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, Please divine for me by necromancy, and bring up for me the one I shall say to you.  And the woman said to him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and fortunetellers from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my soul, to cause me to die?  And Saul swore to her by Jehovah, saying, As Jehovah lives, no punishment shall befall you for this thing.  Then the woman said, Whom shall I bring up for you? And he said, Bring up Samuel.  And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!  And the king said to her, Do not be afraid. What have you seen? And the woman said to Saul, I have seen a god-like one ascending out of the earth.  And he said to her, What is his appearance? And she said, An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped with a robe. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed down with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.  And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, either by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, to make known to me what I should do.  Then Samuel said: Why then do you ask me, seeing Jehovah has departed from you and is your enemy?  And Jehovah has done for Himself as He has spoken by my hand. For Jehovah has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.  Because you have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah nor executed His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you this day.  Moreover Jehovah will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. Jehovah will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.  Then Saul quickly fell full length on the ground, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.  And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was exceedingly terrified, and said to him, Behold, your handmaid has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you have spoken to me.  Now therefore, please, also listen the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.  But he refused and said, I will not eat. So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice; and arose from the ground and sat on the bed.  Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it.  And she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose up and went away that night.”  1st Samuel 28:3-25

 

Clearly such things were forbidden, even Saul, though he rebelled in various ways and had much sin in his life, he clearly knew enough, that such actions were worthy of death.

 

We certainly live in a world where good is called evil and evil good.

 

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”  Isaiah 5:20

 

For those of us who know Christ, stay far away, God hasn’t changed His mind.  For those who don’t, consider well that these things are an abomination before your Creator. 

 

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”  Luke 13:3

 

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has established a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has appointed. He has given assurance of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:30-31

 

“And I heard another voice from Heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you not share in her sins, and so that you not receive of her plagues.”  Revelation 18:4

 

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into the city.  But outside are dogs and sorcerers and prostitutes and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and produces a lie.  I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify these things to you, to the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who hears say, Come. And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take of the Water of Life freely.  For I testify to everyone who hears the Words of the Prophecy of this Book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add upon him the plagues that are written in this Book; and if anyone takes away from the Words of the Book of this Prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this Book.  He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”  Revelation 22:14-21

 

Amen!