Abba: "The Visitors"

What a song this is. People with anxiety sure relate to the fear of somebody at their door. I certainly feel anxious at Halloween as I don't want to promote evil through celebrating it.

Listen to this song here.

Halloween, for many, is just for fun. But spiritism is a dangerous thing to mess with. As Isaiah 8:19 (Bible in Basic English) reminds us, "And when they say to you, 'Make request for us to those who have control of spirits, and to those wise in secret arts, who make hollow bird-like sounds;' is it not right for a people to make request to their gods, to make request for the living to the dead?"

We ought to pray for the salvation of such deluded people who want to lead us astray. Look at what Proverbs 28:10 (BBE) says about their fait. "Anyone causing the upright to go wandering in an evil way, will himself go down into the hole he has made; but the upright will have good things for their heritage."

xFurthermore, it's for our protection that we mustn't play with wicked spirits through the Ouija board, tarot cards, and by visiting fortune tellers. As God told his people through Moses in Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (BBE), "Let there not be seen among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter go through the fire, or anyone using secret arts, or a maker of strange sounds, or a reader of signs, or any wonder-worker, Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for directions. For all who do such things are disgusting to the Lord; and because of these disgusting things the Lord your God is driving them out before you."

But some folks will say that playing with the Ouija board is just a game. Oh? Look at Leviticus 19:31 (BBE). "Do not go after those who make use of spirits, or wonder-workers; do not go in their ways or become unclean through them: I am the Lord your God."

Let our visitors be those beloved siblings in Christ who follow him. We read this in 1 John 1:6 and 7 (BBE). "If we say we are joined to him, and are walking still in the dark, our words are false and our acts are untrue: But if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, we are all united with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son makes us clean from all sin."

If our beloved Master hasn't visited us by Monday, I hope to post about a science fiction song from a group not known for that genre of music.

Saturday Song: Iron Butterfly, "Filled With Fear"

This song points out the danger of messing around with occultic invocations. The person in the song called up a power too big for him to handle. That's why he asked in the song why did he invite it here.

Listen to this psychedelic rock band's song here:

One trick Satan uses to enslave people is to make the occult seem harmless. My sister's friend had a game called Kabala which let children communicate with the dead. When one of us asked a poorly-phrased question, the spirit using the board asked, "Who?" That convinced all of us that this was no mere game but something potentially dangerous.

We didn't know then but it's a sin to use occult arts. In Deuteronomy 19:31 (BBE), God warned the descendents of Israel, "Do not go after those who make use of spirits, or wonder-workers; do not go in their ways or become unclean through them: I am the Lord your God."

Neither should we, who trust in Christ, attempt to communicate with the dead. Isaiah 8:19 (BBE) warns, "And when they say to you, Make request for us to those who have control of spirits, and to those wise in secret arts, who make hollow bird-like sounds; is it not right for a people to make request to their gods, to make request for the living to the dead?"

Like the person in the song, people who play with demons are in for a rude shock. Acts 19:14-16 (BBE) tells the consequence of not being protected by Christ. "And there were seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew and a chief priest, who did this. And the evil spirit, answering, said to them, 'I have knowledge of Jesus, and of Paul, but who are you?' And the man in whom the evil spirit was, jumping on them, was stronger than the two of them, and overcame them, so that they went running from that house, wounded and without their clothing."

Jesus and his disciples were able to cast out demons from people because of God's power. As Matthew 12:27 (BBE) shows, "And if I by Beelzebub send evil spirits out of men, by whom do your sons send them out? So let them be your judges."

On Monday, I'll post about faith and if it can exist apart from works.

Do Spirits and Mediums Prove More Than Two Destinations at Death?

Many people, including some professing Christians, believe in ghosts and other paranormal phenomenon. They hear so many ghost stories that they actually believe in hauntings.

Others want to hear from dead relatives so they spend plenty of money on mediums who supposedly contact the dead. What many folks don't realize is that talking to the dead is forbidden by God.

Isaiah 8:19( KJV) plainly states, "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto  them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and  that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living  to the dead?" Shouldn't we who have Christ in our lives do likewise?

When Israel was under God's direct rulership, consulting with the dead was a capital offence. Leviticus 20:27 (KJV) commanded his people to do the following: "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them."

Furthermore, God includes consulting mediums and other ways of supposedly communicating with the dead with idolatry. Look at what 2 Kings 23:24 (KJV) plainly states. "Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD."

But how do we know that the dead can't communicate with the living? The parable of Lazarus and the rich man demonstrates the uncrossable void between life and the afterlife.

The Bible in Basic English renders the words of Christ this way. "Now

    there was a certain man of great wealth, who was dressed in fair clothing of purple and     delicate linen, and was shining and glad every day. And a certain poor man, named     Lazarus, was stretched out at his door, full of wounds, Desiring the broken bits of food     which came from the table of the man of wealth; and even the dogs came and put their     tongues on his wounds.

    And in time the poor man came to his end, and angels took him to Abraham's breast. And     the man of wealth came to his end, and was put in the earth. And in hell, being in great     pain, lifting up his eyes he saw Abraham, far away, and Lazarus on his breast. And he     gave a cry and said, '"Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he     may put the end of his finger in water and put it on my tongue, for I am cruelly burning in     this flame."

    But Abraham said, "Keep in mind, my son, that when you were living, you had your good     things, while Lazarus had evil things: but now, he is comforted and you are in pain And in     addition, there is a deep division fixed between us and you, so that those who might go     from here to you are not able to do so, and no one may come from you to us."

    And he said, "Father, it is my request that you will send him to my father's house; For I have     five brothers; and let him give them an account of these things, so that they may not come     to this place of pain."

    But Abraham said, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them give ear to what they     say."

    And he said, "No, father Abraham, but if someone went to them from the dead, their hearts     would be changed."

    And he said to him, "If they will not give attention to Moses and the prophets, they will not     be moved even if someone comes back from the dead."

So it's clear that communicating with the dead is impossible. In many cases, fortune tellers are merely saying what their clients want to hear. In other cases, demons use people to fool naive seekers that they're talking with their deceased  loved ones.

I'll be writing much more on this topic in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Christians need to realize that attempting communication with the dead is no game but a deadly and serious sin.