There's been a lot of talk lately about an old subject, that of communicating with the dead. This is, to say the very least, an incredibly dangerous activity because people who are hurting and desperate are willing to believe almost anything, especially convincing messages from dead loved ones. Because of the emotional involvement of the living person to whom the messages are being relayed, most often they will find themselves willing to do anything that their 'dearly departed' asks of them.
The person who is acting as the 'medium' or 'channeler' is allegedly in contact with spirits of the dead. These people are more properly referred to as Necromancers: Those who attempt to or pretend to communicate with the dead. God takes a particularly dim view of this kind of activity and other similar activities:
Deu 18:10-12 "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."
The scripture makes it clear that God does not want people attempting to communicate with the dead, or with any other spirits. The only spirit that we are to be involved with is the The Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Living God Himself, the very Spirit of Life. If God has not sent these spirits, then they are not from Him, and are not carrying out His will. We are not to be consulting or communicating with just any spirit that comes along. Demonic spirits will masquerade as heavenly ones. If a person is not able to tell the difference, they will be lied to. These lies will often contain portions of truth, but with enough deception in them to lead the person who listens away from God and into lots of trouble.
2 Corinthians 11:14, "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. "
We are, in fact, warned to be sure that any spirit that we come into contact with is from God:
1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
God knows that the demonic spirits will use any opportunity to deceive and attempt to convince us that they are saying something that God wants us to hear, or that dearly departed Uncle Harry is happy in heaven . . . never mind that Uncle Harry never accepted Jesus as Lord of his life. Deception is satan's primary tool, and he will use it in every way imaginable:
John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
The one thing that satan can be said to have 'created' is the lie. He started out by saying that he would elevate his throne above God's, something that by definition is not possible since God is the "Most High". Nothing and no one can ever be higher. Since satan first lied to himself and the one third of the angels that followed him, he has been lying ever since.
When someone claims to be able to communicate with the dead, there are only two possible explanations:
1) They are lying. Crafting a carefully worked out presentation that either relies on foreknowledge and research, or paying close attention to clues in the speech and mannerisms of the person whose dead loved one they are pretending to communicate with.
2) They are being lied to. While communicating with a spirit, it is a demon. This demonic spirit is taking advantage of both the person who sincerely believes that they are speaking with the dead, and the person who is seeking contact with a dead loved one.
In either case, deceased humans are not being contacted in any way. Any advice, instructions, pleadings, or whatever from such a source should NEVER be acted on because it is coming from a source that is working toward your destruction.
It is very easy to understand that grief over the death of a loved one can ruin a person's life or cause endless feelings of guilt and even worry over the state of the loved one in question. Consulting with a necromancer is not the answer. Prayer is the only answer.
A few years ago my father died. He spent the majority of his life denying God, adopting an atheistic outlook on life. He would be the first to attempt to convince you that there is no God. In the last year or two of his life he did seem to mellow some, but even though he actually attended a few church services, no one knew if he had accepted Jesus as Lord before he died.
I spent quite a lot of time being very concerned about this, naturally not wanting to think that my father would never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Finally I spent quite a bit of time praying about it, and while God did not outright tell me that dad is in heaven, He did let me know that whatever dad's fate, he is now beyond my ability to do anything about it. God did, however, give me one thing that I really needed the most . . . Specifically, He gave me peace. Specifically he gave me the peace of mind that I did not have to be worried over dad's place in eternity. He let me know that I had to concentrate on being sure of my own place in Heaven and reaching as many people as will listen to His Good News.
A medium, necromancer, channeler, psychic, astrologer, or whatever else could not have given me that. Only God could give that reassurance.
It is a sad day when network television airs a program that features someone claiming to communicate with the dead. Sad because many will be deceived into believing it. Sad because those who come to believe in this will spend great amounts of time, money and effort pursuing a lie. Sad because these people who choose to believe this lie could instead get their answers from the one true God, the source of all life. Jesus is the only way we can enter heaven. He is the only life that we need. He is the truth personified, the Word of God made flesh.
John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
When you stop to think about it, it really seems rather silly to try to get answers from the dead when The Life is standing there waiting to give you all you need. Don't go to the dead, go to the source of Life.
