Spiritualism 02

2. Spiritualism: Is It All Trickery?

By Jim Allis

Although much that passes for spirit manifestation is proved to be trickery as Houdini found there are real communications with the spirit world. If this were not so there would be no need for warning against trying to do so. The Bible in a number of places warns against such experimentation.

The destiny of a king who called up the spirit of the dead (1 Samuel 28;7ff)

We read in the Old Testament about Saul the first king of Israel, a God fearing man, who at one time killed all the witches and sorcerers. However, when he did wrong, God turned His face away from him. When Saul wanted to fight with the Philistines, he sought God's counsel, but He did not answer Saul.
Instead of soul searching and repenting from his sins in the presence of God, Saul asked a woman (sorcerer) to call the spirit of Samuel (who was a great prophet of God, and was dead at the time). The woman called Samuel's spirit for the king to counsel. When Samuel's spirit was called, he said: Why have you called and distressed me? (This false spirit was an evil one that had showed himself as Samuel's spirit.) Mediums or sorcerers absolutely have no access to call the spirits of dead people, any manifestation belongs to evil spirits and their job is deceiving the people and bringing them under the curse of God to get control over them and their offspring.

This wrong doing was the reason God turned His face from Saul, took away his kingship and gave it to David. Saul died in his sin. Isaiah 8:19-20 couldn't be any clearer warning us emphatically of the danger to our souls “And when they shall say to you, Seek to the mediums and to wizards who peep and mutter; should not a people seek to their God, than for the living to the dead? To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because no light is in them”. So the question is “what is the attraction which is hard to resist?”The main attraction, for many, is the professed ability to contact the dead. Many spiritualists are normally acting out of genuine motives and feel they are doing good by helping those who are grieving by putting them in touch with their departed loved ones.

People are often amazed at the supernatural display of information that is channelled through the medium about the departed person whom they have sought to make contact with. The supposed spirit of the departed, speaking through the medium, will give intricate details of the persons life and have access to details that only dead relative could have possibly known. This is enough for some people to convince them that they really are speaking to a departed loved one. Because people are so desperate to be in the company of the person they miss, many do not question that there may be another reason for the things that they are hearing and experiencing.

The Bible describes a supernatural world that is inhabited by many spirits, which do indeed have contempt for humanity: "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." (Eph. 6:12) The truth is that messages that are meant to come from the dead are actually from deceiving spirits who are familiar with the departed. Indeed, Isaiah 29:4 calls such a spirit a "familiar spirit" (KJV).

These spirits are highly intelligent manipulative beings that have supernatural knowledge of events and people. They are able to impersonate anyone they so desire. Many grief stricken widows and widowers in their lonely agony have sought comforting help through mediums. They are naturally looking for peace and comfort they are promised by spiritualists they will receive after making contact with their dear dead relatives. They often little realise they are tampering with things forbidden in the Bible. As previously said they do not make direct contact with their dead relatives but from demons (fallen angels) impersonating the dead relatives they yearn to hear from them to make sure they are safe ‘on the other side’.
However these demons are described in our Bibles as “deceiving spirits’. Did not something similar taker place in the Garden of Eden when Eve was DECEIVED by Satan, the Commander in Chief of evil spirits. From that time to this present day their character doesn't change. Many are deceived today into believing they actually make contact with their loved ones. It happens in séances and necromancy. Coming up tomorrow: Part 3 - What Happens In A Séance?

** Disclaimer: The author of this article, Jim Allis, is a guest podcaster and Partake Ministries may or may not agree with his opinions and writings, either in their entirety or part thereof.

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