There’s a growing fascination about life after death. Thousands of so-called psychics around the world claim to contact the spirits of the dead. And online, people can visit with psychics, spirit guides, and experts in reincarnation. There are nearly 16,000 witchcraft sites, 13,000 reincarnation sites, 12,000 psychics sites, and more than 1,000 sites dedicated to talking with the dead.
God told Moses to warn Israel that deliberate involvement with contacting the deceased was forbidden by Him (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:9-14). Talking to mediums, seeking spirits, practicing sorcery and divination to try to contact the dead was forbidden because these practices prevented Israel from being a peculiar people—a people who would be a blessing to all nations (Leviticus 20:6-8). How could she influence her neighbors if she was imitating their evil behavior? So, why did people attempt to contact the dead? They were:
• desperate for guidance (1 Samuel 28:3-15)
• disobedient to God (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)
• deceived (2 Corinthians 2:10-11; 11:3)
For believers, these practices are forbidden as well. These practices are not motivated by the Spirit, but are the fruit of the sin nature (Galatians 5:19-21). Any believer who seeks out psychics, horoscopes, and mediums, for the purpose of contacting the dead, is choosing to follow Satan. They aren’t being peculiar and cannot please God.
Instead of having a fascination with contacting the dead, we should initiate loving contact with the living. That way we can tell them about God who—through His Son—loves them and can secure their eternal life.
More:
• Leviticus 19:31
• Isaiah 8:19-20
Next:
As you seek answers to life’s questions, what can you do to protect yourself from deception? What can you do to make loving contact with the living for the purpose of sharing the good news about Jesus?
Nathanee on March 5, 2010 at 5:31 am
Thanks Marvin for sharing an important message. It is true we see some people going to whichcraft doctors to find solution of their problems and it hapens sometimes they are taken to see the dead people.
May question to ODJ family is : What do we say on some of our christian denomination who go to the tombs to pray for the daed? Hope this is in connection with your presentation. Any one to comment on that?
Nathan
marvin williams on March 5, 2010 at 7:10 am
Nathan, this message is relevant for everyone, even if it is a church denomination. If they are violating God’s word, then we have to call them on it. The message of Luke 16:19-31 is one of my answers to this question. We have the responsibility to pray for the living, that they come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
fieldlily on March 5, 2010 at 8:57 am
So true! As I was reading, I was put in mind of all the fads that people follow. During the 70’s people were really into horoscopes (What’s your sign as a pick up line). In the 30’s and 40’s Ouija boards were big and today it is psychics. People fall into these practices because the want to fit in and also because there has always been a fascination with the “other” world, especially for those who don’t Christ and the peace of going to heaven for eternity. They are afraid, they don’t know where they or their loved ones will be, they don’t know what death holds for them.
But, what I loved most about what you said was that God wanted Israel to be “peculiar”. He didn’t want them to fit in, He wanted them to be different.
God wanted them to trust Him, to follow Him not the world. In our world today to be “peculiar” is not “cool”. But, have you noticed that all the ways that used to be looked down on are now “cool”. But we are to be “peculiar” because we belong to God and need others to see Him in us. Thank you for this reminder that we should be seeking the living not the dead.
Daren on March 5, 2010 at 10:12 am
This is another tool of Satan to get us off track. Those that have passed on can do nothing for us so, why even try to get in “contact” w/them. For those of who are here & living we should try and contact the spiritually dead and get them on the right path.
bethanyF on March 5, 2010 at 10:22 am
The Lord is so good. This devotion really spoke to my heart I am waiting for God’s calling or an answer from someone about something and I know that God has his own timing and just because I haven’t heard anything yet I should jump to conclusions. I am thankful that the Lord provides Chritian writers to help guide me in the right way, like Our Daily Journey does.
Soldier4Christ on March 5, 2010 at 11:40 am
Bethany, you are a blessing to me. You post to this site most days and so many of the things you post I can relate to. The one thing that I have learned this year is that everything happens in God’s time and not our own, for His time is perfect in every way.
I pray that God will deeply bless you in all you do, keep up the good fight.
Gary4orphans on March 5, 2010 at 10:40 am
Nathanee: While I suppose there could be Christian denominations who go to pray for the dead at graves, I suspect you are actually referring to a well known cult. It is officially part of their teaching to do that and they are NOT a Christian denomination. I know they say they are, but they are a cult. My pastor often uses a saying, I don’t know if it is original on his part or if he got it somewhere else but it goes like this: “Going to church doesn’t make one a Christian any more than going to a coffee shop makes one a cop.”
But all of that aside, be this group a Christian denomination or a cult, is really not the point. We are to follow the teachings of the Bible and if the teachings of people (denominations or otherwise) are contrary to the Bible, it is automatically wrong and should be avoided. The teaching of the Bible is clear as stated above, Christians don’t pray to or for the dead. The fate of the dead was decided on this side of life, whether they came to know Christ as Savior or not and once they pass, it is no longer an issue for prayer. They are where they are, one way or the other.
inthehollar on March 5, 2010 at 10:44 am
This is really interesteing to me in a way that doesnt fall in line with the rest of the comments. I have been reading this site daily for about 3 weeks now. I love the devotions and enjoy all of the comments.
I have never been one to pay any attention to any of these things mentioned here today.
The thing that makes this so interesting to me is the amount of reader comments this devotional inspired. I read each day at nearly the same time and today there were several more comments than normal. I wonder why? I am not in anyway speaking bad about it or suggesting anything. Just wondering what makes this topic so interesting to the ODJ readers.
thecandis24 on March 5, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Personally I just about this site the week before last and everyday I read, but I don’t always comment. I can be a very argumentative person so I am trying to learn when to speak and when to listen for me learning this means that I grow in wisdom. Maybe many people are reading and not commenting:)
Soldier4Christ on March 5, 2010 at 11:36 am
It’s amazing to me the length that people will go to find out what their life could be, what they should be doing in life, or what happened in a past life. They allow themselves to be deceived by those that claim to see the future or the past instead of going to the One that holds the future. We should be looking to Jesus Christ for He is the answer. We may not know what the future holds but we do know who holds the future.
Predestined4him on March 5, 2010 at 12:05 pm
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (HEB 9:27)
There is nothing more we can do for those who has passed on. Those who died in Christ will live again with him in salvation and those who did not will live to eternal damnation.
keep in mind and comfort one another with this
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
3Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.
18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. (EX 22:18)
“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God. (Lev 19:31)
“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. (Lev 20:6)
16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching [6] among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? (Isa 8:16-19)
These verses clearly indicate that his people should have no dealings with sorcery, mediums, necromancers, fortune tellers or any such people.
it’s in the word and the word is truth. Let him who has ears hear!
thecandis24 on March 5, 2010 at 12:10 pm
I really admire the way you get your point across. It is very assertive how do you do that?
thecandis24 on March 5, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Amen Gary4orphans I love what you said. The truth is I have met many people who say they are Christians, but they don’t believe in Jesus or they don’y believe in a triune God1 Corinthians 8:4; Isaiah 45:5 , or they are for gay marriages. Jesus says that we will recognize good people by their fruit.Mathew 7:18-20 Jesus was very clear about putting tradtitional practices over what is actual Christian living and he rebuked many people for doing so. Mathew 15;1-9
“Then some Pharises and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked.Why do your disciples break tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat! Jesus replied And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, Honor your father and mother and anyone who cursed his father or mother must be put to death. But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, whatever help you might otherwise have recieved from me is a gift devoted to God, he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.The worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”
Paul G on March 5, 2010 at 9:32 pm
In Matthew 13 Jesus described the kingdom of God from the time of His death until He returns – it is a time when good and evil will be closely entwined. Consider the parable of the tares and the wheat – it is often difficult to tell them apart but when they mature you can tell them by their fruit. I fear there are many in our churches who claim to be Christian but are in fact the tares in the kingdom og God