The Dead Have No Light to Shed!

“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instructions and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this Word, they have no light of dawn.” (Isaiah 8:19,20 NIV)

Consulting psychics through “whatever medium” they advertise is a waste of time and money. Why do people believe other people more than they believe God? Human nature has a tendency to only believe what they can see, touch, or smell–use of their five senses, but we have another avenue to journey through the guidance and direction of Holy Spirit who knows all things. And that is the problem for some–they think people know more than God and when they act on what they think, they ignore what is right before them–God’s Word.

Now, there may be some people who have been gifted with discernment and unfortunately, they choose to use God’s gift-given to promote Him, to promote them. We know that God’s gifts are without repentance–He won’t take them back once given, but we will suffer the consequences of our actions when we misuse or misrepresent Him and the gifts He has given.

When people “supposedly” consult those who are dead for any reason, we can tell they didn’t understand God’s Word because we are told, “the dead know nothing.”

At the same time, those who claim to be “seers” or capable of predicting the future are simply trying to bring glory and honor to themselves because if they could predict the future, they would be in a better position in life so they wouldn’t have to “fleece” people with their lies.

I’ve never understood anyone calling 800 numbers to speak to a psychic when they could open their Bible and consult God’s Word. I’ve never understood how anyone could have faith in “tea leaves” and any patterns they form when they settle in the bottom of a cup. I’ve never understood how the lines in a person’s hands or face could represent anything other than what they are–skin cell formations. And I certainly have never understood how “Tarot” cards could do anything, but perpetuate more nonsense in superstitious environments.

If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we must let go of all the darkness and dark things that keep us living in the light. The dead have no light to shed upon anyone or in any situation. The dead cannot speak, hear, see, or smell. They cannot advise us–who are yet living–about anything pertaining to life–lived in the light.

The truth of the matter is that some people would rather hold onto their superstitious traditions that to allow Holy Spirit to guide them. These are the people who do not know or understand how God the Father, came down to earth in the person of God the Son, and after being resurrected, sent His spirit back as God Holy Spirit so we would never be without wise counsel, comfort, and guidance in all things. It’s sad when unbelievers don’t understand this, but even sadder when Believers engage in superstitious nonsense–thinking the dead have any power. God’s not dead–He’s yet alive and He lives in the heart of every Born Again Believer who trusts Him.

So when I see people promoting “psychic” engagement to Believers–I know they are simply preying on human nature’s fallible need to have hope in something other than themselves. But God will have the last word in everyone’s life–judging their deeds based upon what their mouths confess. We cannot profess to Believe God and believe we can consult the dead or “psychics” about anything pertaining to holiness and righteous living. If we do, then we are truly living in darkness and not in the light of day.

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Why Faith in God? Part 4

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV) “…so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (I Corinthians 2:5 NIV) 

We have all been given a “measure” of faith by God with the admonition that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3 paraphrased). And because we have been given a measure of faith, we develop means and ways to exercise what we have faith in. Some only have faith in themselves and what they are capable of doing. Some put their faith in other people when they are too insecure to have faith in themselves. There are more who put their faith in things–astrology charts, Tarot cards, beads, crystals, statues, etc.–all man-made. Still more, believe and have faith in luck–which is happenstance and has nothing to do with God and they with this luck, they have faith in their ability to gamble.

Faith in God, as Paul tells us, comes from hearing the message–the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the redemptive work on the cross, and the love of God towards us all. This is the message that increases our faith in God when we are continually hearing The Word as an exercise of practicing what we believe. The more we “hear” The Word (aloud), the more our faith should increase because we are increasing knowledge and learning to operate more in faith in Him than us.

To make sure we don’t understand why we should hear The Word, Paul tells us through his letter to the church at Corinth that we should not have faith in the limited wisdom of man, but in the power of God. Human wisdom, whether we want to admit it or not, is limited by our experiences and exposures. Since most of us will not experience exposure to all there is to know in the universe, we can never claim (truthfully) to know more than God. It is because of God’s love for us that He inspires men to discover things through their efforts to understand the whys and hows things, He created, work.

This is not a put-down of science–I’m totally grateful to science, but what some people don’t recognize is that scientists have not “created” anything from “absolutely nothing” but have discovered how to use elements in the earth already created to arrange and rearrange their usefulness. Scientists are not God and those who truly understand their limited ability, acknowledge their success in discoveries is because of God. Thank God those scientists are listening and if they continue to listen and seek His wisdom, life should be better for us all.

The measure of faith we have been given is the foundation of faith on which we build by hearing the word. We take the little and increase it to much, giving God the glory for all we have and know, not attempting to take credit for doing anything ourselves, apart from Him.

Part 5 tomorrow