WHAT DOES YOUR FUTURE HOLD?
Deep within the human heart, there is curiosity, and a deep desire to know about the future in this present life, and whether life exists beyond the grave. If it does exist, in what form and manner? And can we gain information about that life? Can we legitimately obtain guidance from those who have passed from this life to the next?
The Bible provides us with very clear instruction on how to live our lives on earth, that there is life beyond the grave, and how to prepare for that life. It also gives glimpses of life beyond the veil we call death. Only one person arose from death to testify first hand of victory over death and the grave. We usually ignore what He has to say because of our prejudices. Acknowledgment of His Word leads to accountability.
Jesus' words to His followers on life beyond death were unequivocal: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:11‑3
WHAT OF TOMORROW?
This age‑old desire for knowledge and predictions of future events has spawned a range of psychic alternatives to lure the indifferent, the curious, and the sincere seeker. These include Astrology; Horoscopes; Channelling; Clairvoyance; Divination (including water dowsing or water witching); Seances; Fortune‑telling; Numerology; Ouija Boards; Palmistry; (Christian) Spiritualism * or Spiritism; use of a Pendulum; and the reading of Tarot cards, Playing‑cards, Auras and tea‑leaves. *Note:- Christian Spiritualism is an oxymoron, it is neither Christian or Spritual.
The Bible is clear regarding all occult practices. Deuteronomy 18:9‑15 records "When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who uses divination, or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium, or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and it is because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out the nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him" (Jesus)
The New Testament confirms “the (Holy) Spirit clearly says that in latter times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." 1Timothy 4: 1, 2
ASTROLOGY
The featuring of horoscopes in normally reputable newspapers and magazines tends to give credibility to the "science?" of astrology. Astrology teaches that the positions and configurations of the celestial bodies, ‑ the sun, moon, planets and zodiac ‑ as they were at the moment of birth, and as they move over time, have an effective and real influence on a person's personality and circumstances. Many people compare star‑signs in their initial contacts in an attempt to ensure compatible relationships. Many people use horoscopes to plan their lives, relationships and business activities, and allow their lives to be dictated by its forecast. Astrologers also seek to present an understanding of human personality and character but they fail to comprehend the fallen state and nature of mankind. Astrology participates in the sin of divination because it seeks to throw light on the future without the wise counsel and covering of God.
God does allow mankind glimpses of the future through anointed prophetic ministries, and intends man to seek guidance and direction through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word, (the Bible). He shows contempt and condemnation for Astrologers and their followers as found in Isaiah 47:11‑14 "All the counsel you have received has only worn you out. Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame." Isaiah 47: 13
FORTUNE TELLING and DIVINATION
The Bible acknowledges that fortune‑telling powers do exist. Acts 16:16 records the Apostle Paul and his companions' encounter with a slave girl possessed of a Spirit of Divination who earned her owners a great deal of money by her predictions. She loudly harassed them over many days, until eventually Paul became greatly annoyed, turned to her and cast out the spirit of divination, causing her to lose the ability to tell fortunes, and depriving her owners of their source of income. The Power in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ set the woman free from the demonic forces that controlled her.
Many different methods of fortune telling or divination are used. These may include clairvoyance; reading of tea‑leaves, playing cards or tarot cards; palmistry; use of a crystal ball; use of divining rod, wand, or pendulum to variously locate water, oil, metals, lost items; Scrying (peering into reflective sources, e.g. liquids, mirrors, etc.). The use of a strand of hair of a mother‑to‑be (or a thread) tied to her wedding ring as a pendulum to predict the sex of her unborn child. Whether the pendulum swings too and fro, or in a circular path is said to determine the gender of the child or children. Agreeing to submitting a point of contact with the fortune‑teller, dowser, etc. (eg. personal items such as a photograph, jewelry a set of keys, a flower, etc.) or simply agreeing to have one's future foretold using occult practices e.g. palmistry, or as listed above, will undoubtedly provide spiritual gateways and openings for an unwanted psychic legacy or spiritual oppression.
The person operating this "psychic gift" may have received it from generational heredity; through a family member; through some previous occult or psychic contact or experience; or through specifically seeking the "gift of divination". They may be seeking to cultivate the "power of divining" without realising the source is demonic and comes out of witchcraft and sorcery and is not from God. (Note: This is not the "gift of Discernment of Spirits" mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:10)
SPIRITUALISM / SPIRITISM
It is necessary to establish whether there is such a thing as Christian Spiritualism. These groups have presented themselves with traditional Christian formats, furnishings and hymns, but their practices are neither Christian nor Spiritual. Their beliefs and practices are of spiritisrn or mysticism and their origin is the kingdom of darkness. They do not believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God, the fall of man, the existence of hell, the Divinity of Christ, His atonement on the Cross-, or the Power of the Blood of Christ. They believe that there is no judgement after death, but a passing over to "the other side", where the departed spirits can make contact with the world of the living through mediums, psychics or channellers. The Bible calls this communication necromancy and condemns the practice and it’s practitioners.
Clairvoyants and channellers frequently operate through séances or circles usually in semi‑darkness, where they may lapse into trance‑like states. Spiritists in common with many eastern religions believe that through reincarnation, the spirits of men and women are moving through continuing lives toward perfection. Scripture does not support reincarnation, but teaches rather of our personal accountability to God in response to either accepting or rejecting the redemptive and substitutionary work of His Son, Jesus Christ in redeeming and perfecting the sinner. (Hebrews 9:27)
Spiritists seek the counsel of familiar spirits" and "spirit guides" and selected mystical and religious writings including limited Bible references, to establish their beliefs and doctrines. These spirit guides and “avatars’ or "ascended Masters" are presumed to be disembodied souls at advanced stages of reincarnation or enlightenment but in this the spiritists and channellers are deceived.
The Bible is explicit in its teachings regarding the practices of mediums, etc., and of the punishment awaiting both the practitioners and those who seek their counterfeit advice. We are warned: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph. 6:12
Mediums, clairvoyants, etc., are not providing contacts between the spirits of the dead to the living as they claim. They are unwittingly communicating with evil spirits, or demons that are masquerading and impersonating the deceased. Scripture is clear. "For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." 2Cor.1 1:14
The mediums, spiritists and channellers have been deceived and allowed themselves to be subjected to the control of spiritual forces of demonic origin, and to progressively lose their own identity to that of the spirit entities to which they yield. The Bible calls this consulting the spirits of the dead Necromancy and it is strictly forbidden.
It is only by receiving the truth of God's Word, acknowledging, repenting of and renouncing their sin, that there is any hope for those people involved to escape.
It is as a result of repentance and release from my personal involvement in spiritism, occult practices and from trans-generational occultic legacies that I am qualified to speak.
OUIJA BOARDS
A Ouija Board consists of a Board or Planchette containing the letters of the alphabet: the numbers 1-9 and 0: the words ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. A glass is inverted on the board and participants touch the glass lightly with a finger, and questions are asked of the “spirit of the Ouija” and answers are spelt out.
Far from being a harmless amusement or game made of cardboard and plastic, the Ouija board is particularly dangerous because it is sold to the naive as just a party game. The power behind the movement of the glass around the letters and numbers spelling out answers to questions put to the "spirit of the ouija" is a demonic spirit. It is dangerous, and is considered so by spiritists, occultists and witches. If one is in either your or your family's possession it must not be given away, but must be destroyed. Nightmares, psychic disturbances, mental illness and even insanity can be the costly legacy of such occult involvement.
IN CONCLUSION
If as either a Christian or non‑Christian, you have sought information or guidance, or participated in any of the previously mentioned areas, you need to repent and confess and specifically renounce the area of your sin even though involvement occurred through ignorance. This is regardless of how recently or how long ago it may have occurred, and needs to be renounced with someone who is a mature Christian. Scripture directs "Confess your faults one to another, pray one for another that you might be healed" James 5:16 The Amplfied Bible puts it this way;
"Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]."
Occultic involvement by previous generations in the family line, eg. parents, grand‑parents, etc. can bring upon the successive children an unwanted spiritual inheritance for which they can be held accountable "even to the third and fourth generations." (Deut.5:9) This requires acknowledging any violations, and asking the Heavenly Father's forgiveness and release through the Lord Jesus Christ from the effects of generational iniquities.
God's Word states, “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1John 1:6,7,9
Neither psychology, psychiatry, nor medication can cure occultly disturbed people. Only genuine repentance and specific prayer through experienced Christian ministries, drawing on the authority and power of the resurrected Christ can set these captives free. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." 1 John 3:8
If you need specific prayer, assistance, or further information, contact the author at the address under Contact Us.