CAN WE COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD?

Pastor Bill Marks, Christian Fellowship, Potchefstroom (018) 293 1608 or 082 260 5965 Today witchcraft is enjoying immense popularity in the minds of millions of children around the world. They have been deceived into believing that good witchcraft overcomes evil around the world. They have been deceived into believing that good witchcraft overcomes evil witchcraft, and they begin to identify themselves with good wizards. Mark 9:42 reads: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." We also see a great emphasis whereby people are becoming interested in psychic phenomena. "The Spirit clearly states that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). Spiritualism is forbidden by God. "A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist among you, must be put to death" (Leviticus 20:27). SAUL AND THE WITCH OF ENDOR "Saul then said to his attendants: ‘Find me a woman who is a medium’" (1 Samuel 28:7). He turns back to a pagan practice that he himself had previously outlawed. Mediums are those who deal with ancestral and familiar spirits. When we lose our loved ones, the temptation often becomes strong to seek communication with them, and well-meaning people are led into spiritualism in this way. Those who indulge in spiritualism, open themselves up to demons who pose as being the loved ones. WHAT WAS THE DOWNFALL OF SAUL’S LIFE? Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the Word of the Lord and also because he consulted a medium (1 Chronicles 10:13). The Bible commands us not to seek the dead on behalf of the living. Whoever dabbles in spiritualism at all enters the devil’s territory and disobeys the most explicit commandments of God (Isaiah 8:19). CAN WE COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD? Spiritualism maintains that the living is able to communicate with the dead. The Word of God clearly states that a person has no contact with the departed loved ones and should not endea-vour to do so. It is clearly not possible for one in paradise to reach one in hell or vice versa (Luke 16:26-31). Abraham said that if they did not believe Moses and the prophets, they would not be persuaded by one returning from the dead. This proves that it is not God’s will for us to make contact with the dead.