Yearning for a Word from the Other Side

Reverend Mark Hunnemann

As far back as one can go, there is evidence of people who have a visceral longing for spiritual reality—and invariably this is connected with a yearning for communication from “the other side”.  In 2009 I saw my first ghost hunting show and I almost fell off the couch when I first saw indisputable evidence of supernatural activity; I understand the magnetic pull and fascination….. Most investigators will say that at least part of the reason they are investigating is curiosity regarding the afterlife. We intuitively know that for there to be any transcendental meaning/purpose to life, then it is somehow connected with receiving communication from the other side. Hence, some form of mediumistic oracle is present in every culture, from ancient times to today..

Perhaps the most famous of oracles is the Oracle of Delphi, which is in Greece-folks from all over came to hear wisdom from “beyond” regarding all sorts of matters. In ancient Greece, the Oracle of Delphi was a center-piece of their culture.May I suggest that deeply prominent in all of our hearts is a yearning for communication from the other side? Have you ever stopped to think that bible is the preeminent oracle? Listen to these words of King David:

Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,

The oracle of the man who was raised on high,

The anointed of the God of Jacob,

The sweet psalmist of Israel.

The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;

His word is on my tongue.

The God of Israel has spoken;

The Rock of Israel has said to me…(2 Samuel 23:1-3)

What we instinctively long for is at our very finger-tips! Pick up your bible, as I just did, and raise it up in the air, and give praise to God for His, true oracle!  The Hebrew word for oracle, used twice by David, has up-to-the-second relevance for us. It is emphatic in accenting the divine origin and authority of what he spoke. It almost gives the picture that David is non-existent (or at least passive), and just the pure word of God is being uttered. In a very restricted sense, David was indeed a medium through which the Living God spoke, and continues to speak to us. Perhaps calling David a medium is harsh on your ears, but he is the one who insisted that his words were oracles. As he says a verse later, the Holy Spirit was speaking through him! When asked what advantages the Jews had, Paul said, “First and foremost, they were entrusted with the oracles (logoi) of God,” (Rom. 3:2) It is an awesome thing to hold a bible in your hands!

Seeing the bible as the true oracle is a point of contact with our culture that has become enamored with mediums. “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Jesus stated. Let me be clear: I am NOT saying the bible is merely the best oracle—it is the ONLY true oracle inspired by the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 1 John 4:1-4 is emphatic that unholy spirits are the origin of other non-biblical oracles (like Delphi).. Where our culture has become so naive and spiritually gullible is in not being aware of supernatural evil.  May I suggest that a watershed issue in our society today is over the nature of oracles? Is not an EVP seen as an oracle--a word from beyond? Are not the words of mediums seen as oracles? Is not ascending the consciousness ladder seeking an oracle? Isn’t quantum jumping oracle seeking? And so on…It is all a mystery unless we have a sure word from God. I have said numerous times before that science is unable to give any definitive understanding of the identity of paranormal entities. That is a theological/biblical issue.         

Pagan spirituality sees mysteries as CONCEALED, except to initiates, but the purpose of the biblical oracle is to REVEAL mysteries—the gospel--to the entire world!Depending on how much was paid, the Oracle of Delphi could utter anything from cryptic to clear prediction of victory in battle. Usually there was a cryptic element.. The beauty of the biblical oracle is that it makes crystal clear what was partially obscure before.(Col.1:26-27)  I find it not surprising that often EVP’s have a cryptic feel about them.

 It is in the oracle (bible) that God speaks to us. Please listen carefully—prayer is when we speak to God, it USUALLY is not when He speaks to us. If we approach prayer in the same manner and expectation in which we approach reading the bible, we are going to get into real trouble…or at least disappointed. There are exceptions, which I do not have time to enumerate. This is an expansive topic, but the Holy Spirit inspired the bible so that it is the very words of God. Prayer is not meant to be an oracle from God to us—it is meant to be communication from us to God. I have heard more miserable heresy come from well meaning people who are addicted to “getting a word from the Lord.” You want a word from God? Read your bible!! If God in His sovereignty chooses to give you a vision, then that is wonderful—just be careful because Satan can mimic very well..

While I am being controversial J. angels are not oracles. Do they speak in the bible…sure they do! However, it is the Holy Spirit’s role to be the agent of an oracular utterance.(see David above) 1 John 4:1-4 contrasts the role of the Holy Spirit revealing truth, while unholy spirits reveal lies and deception. In John 14 and 16 the Holy Spirit is predicted as being the author of the New Testament—secondarily these verses apply to us. The reason I emphasize this is the growing tendency to look to angels or spirit guides to be personal oracles—ANGELS DO NOT DO ORACLES!!!  They serve us as ministering spirits.(Heb.1:14) How many books, teachers,  and mediums/psychics claim authority for their teaching because it is being revealed by their angel??!! We have more people visiting heaven and hell with the help of an “angel” than you can shake a stick at!

The Ultimate Oracle is Jesus Himself (Heb. 1:2) The final and most perfect revelation from the “other side” is a Person—the Second Person of the Trinity. Satan has always done the diabolical mirror image thing. He takes that which is good and holy (God’s oracle) and churns out a million counterfeit oracles. I think it is time we joyfully praise and thank God that, in His kindness and love, He has spoken to us in the bible. It is the answer to the yearning of our hearts..

Weird & Wacky Paranormal News - February 7, 2013

By Kirby Robinson

Weird and wacky paranormal news headlines from the news that leaves you wondering what the heck is going on in these people’s heads???

Would Jesus heal in this way

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2013/Jan/23/faith-healer-burns-2-year-old-with-cigarette-buts-to-cure-him-71.asp

Psychic should’ve seen the police coming after her!

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/01/23/san-bernardino-county-psychic-charged-with-embezzlement/

The war on skeptics

http://www.examiner.com/article/why-be-a-skeptic-hint-it-isn-t-for-the-popularity

More cult activity at the Crystal Cathedral!

http://www.ocregister.com/news/cathedral-409279-schuller-church.html

Life inside a hate cult…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2269567/I-pray-people-die-Woman-escaped-hate-cult-Westboro-Baptist-Church-finds-peace-new-life-freedom.html#axzz2K961s3Cf

James and Lynn VanPraagh--2 fake psychics [psychos?] in the family = a crazy lawsuit \

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ghost-whisperer-lawsuit-article-1.1250374

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Issue 104 – Supernatural Sisters a/k/a Super Silly Sisters

By Kirby Robinson

The EYE ON THE PARANORMAL wants you as a blogger!

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My Stomach is Turning While Paranormal Credibility is Rapidly Sinking

If Paranormal State and Long Island Medium ever had a child, it would look like Supernatural Sisters.

There isn’t much that will make my stomach turn in the realm of fake para-reality TV shows due to the fact that I’ve watched the good and the [mostly] bad ones. However, Bio channel’s recent addition to this genre really hits rock bottom.

The show has made a lame attempt to cash in on the Long Island Medium craze and it misses the mark. Yes, it features the same fake crap that PRS took part in, and the same rigged cold readings trickery that Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium, specializes in.

The program features a psychic-medium by the name of Cathy Roller whose claim to fame is being a phone psychic. Like many others, she really tries to embellish her talents, claiming to have worked on criminal and missing persons cases, yet no proof is offered. Cathy states that she is accurate, but again offers no proof.

As I’ve stated before, you can’t trust the accuracy of phone readings. Why? Because the so-called psychic can do an Internet search and a record search to find data on you. The phone reading we see in this episode, we have on good authority, was staged for the show.

The show is loaded with reality TV standard features:

- Cathy’s sister, Laura Johnson, has been psychic all her life and just now decides to use it.

- Cathy’s family, [husband Marty and adult children Melissa and Frank] discuss Cathy’s feistiness. The young adults love their mom when the camera’s rolling and they appear to  reluctantly be part of the ghost hunting team.

- They present themselves as an ordinary/yet extraordinary family due to Cathy’s psychic abilities and the ghost hunting angle.

- The show serves as a good warning to watch how much bleach you use on your hair as it does influence your thinking ability. Breast implants might be cool when you’re younger but as you age they really don’t hold up too well.

The first part of the show features a ghost hunt. Cathy is so psychic that she has to ask, “Is this the house?” A few seconds later, she claims that there is a lot of activity around the house.

- While the sisters interview the couple notice how things appear and disappear from the table. Papers appear and disappear; items are rearranged in different cuts as seen in this segment.

- When the team goes into the attic nothing happens while the lights are on. Yet as soon as the lights go out things start to hop.

First Cathy Roller offers us a glimpse into the law of psychics for dust as she claims that dust floats only up and down-- never sideways. As they view a video of an orb floating through the house it’s either dust or a bug, but it is not paranormal.

We then have the next bit of deception when they claim that it had to be a ghost that closed the door on a closet. Notice that when Cathy and the client swing the door back and forth, how much free play there is in it.

They claim cold spots in the house yet with the entire range of ghost hunting tools we aren’t shown any proof of temperature fluctuations.

Just like the old [and maybe new] spiritual church, it’s much easier to fake things when the lights are low or out. [We’ve been told the son was sitting on a heating pad to get the sweating effect going].

- We’re offered the same high jinks that Chip Coffey took part in during his gig on Paranormal State.

~ Something is over there!

~ Something just put his hand on me!

~ I’m feeling that the spirit doesn’t want us here.

Do ever see anything? No. Not even an EVP. Why? Because no one is saying anything.

-  We then get more psychic double talk. Cathy claims that a spirit doesn’t have to depart if you tell it to leave. Yet she claims that by lighting a stick of sage and doing some type of cleaning ritual she can drive it out.

- Notice when Cathy starts her dance with the sage she shimmies around the room. Has she worked as an exotic dancer in the past? Apparently, she’s hoping that dollar bills would come flying out of the darkness.

- The team looks as if they can’t wait to leave the home--watch as they rush away with the clients chasing after them. In just a few words, they tell the client some mish mash explanation and leave.

- The next day they look at footage taken from their investigation. More orbs [dust or bugs] are caught on film with an out of focus body. This means it’s a staged photo and more false paranormal claims are made.

- We finish this fiasco of a show with a staged reading in a restaurant. Going by reports from the set and folks that happened to be inside everything was well rehearsed beforehand.

Will the show be picked up?

Personally, we would love it as it gives us a chance to expose even more fakes.

Here are some early comments about the show and the stars: http://getglue.com/tv_shows/supernatural_sisters

If go by the lack of reaction to the show from the Facebook page [only 350 Likes] the public will be kept from seeing more of the super silly sisters. On Melissa Roller’s Twitter page, her February 4th Tweet reads: “thank you so much :D my mom has 94 readings lined up already and people are still calling, she became famous over night!”

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Politics and Environment: An Interview with the Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama: In general, I feel that laws should serve as guidelines for the proper use of human initiative, creativity and ability.

Fabien: Do you think that democracy is helping laws to evolve in this way?

Dalai Lama: Yes, in democratic countries, legal systems should work that way and generally do. Bur these laws nevertheless partially contradict the Buddhist principle of interdependence, since they do not include "democratic rights" for the environment and the animal realm. Most legal systems refer only to human rights and do not consider the rights of animals or other beings that share the planet with us. Laws that protect human rights and values and indicate proper ways co use human ability are not in contradiction with karma or causality - not in the Western sense where the same causes have the same effect, but in the Buddhist sense where each effect proceeds from a cause that also needs to be considered.

In reality the problem is that for most "powerful" people there is a difference between the principle of the law and its application almost all legal systems condemn killing. This notion occurs in most countries of the world. Yet in practice, powerful people treat killing as they treat lying. For politicians, small lies are prohibited, but large lies are accepted. For a Buddhist, this is a very obvious Contradiction. The same applies to killing. When a man who is desperate kills another person, this small act is defined as murder. It is wrong. But the man who kills or gives orders to kill thousands of people is a hero! That is very unfortunate.

Most religious systems condemn murder, rape, and theft. In my opinion, religious principles are based on natural human attitudes and feelings. Their essential function is to inspire human beings to develop basic human qualities. Thus it seems logical that most laws would be consistent with the principles of positive karma. But in order for both religious and secular laws to conform to the principles of interdependence, we need to widen their perspective to include protection of the environment and the animal realm. This is how we can apply the Buddhist view of interdependence to a broader vision of law and order.

Dalai Lama: [...] In any case, all the natural resource specialists with whom I have spoken warn me that this gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" should be reduced. At present there are around 5.5 billion human beings on earth. If the living standard of the southerners were raised to 'the level the northerners are presently enjoying, what would happen to the world's natural resources? This situation would not be sustainable. China, for example, has a population of 1.2 billion. If each family were to have two cars, the environmental damage would be unimaginable. Nine hundred million people live in India.

The Western concept of increasing the GNP each year must change, and fast. The principle itself contradicts all natural and logical laws.

Fabien: Do you think Westerners should also have fewer cars?

Dalai Lama: Certainly. They need to develop a sense of contentment and more consideration towards others. Things should be done in a more just, equal manner. In the meantime, the birth control question must also be addressed. The southern countries must curb their population growth.

Fabien: Efficient birth control mainly depends on standard of living. The more access to education women have, the fewer children they 'produce, statistically speaking. So, education seems to be the best way to curb the population explosion.

Dalai Lama: That's very good. But what education? To tell you the truth, I think the first thing the southerners must do is recognize the negative consequences of the present Western concepts of life and economy. We have to correct or remould this erroneous belief in, the value of an ever-increasing GNP.                    
Likewise, although some factories and industries are now adopting, new ways to protect the environment, the northerners are inflicting a lot of damage on the world's environment. This prompts me to say that from a global point of view the money produced by the northern world is still insufficient.

[. . .] In the early part of this century, everyone foolishly thought that natUre's resources were limitless and at the disposal of humanity. Today ecological ideology even influences political parties. All these changes stem from the experience we have acquired as human beings. In the same way; the concept of human rights, whether individual or general, such as die right to self-determination for a given group, has evolved. These ideas are now universally recognized. Such progress gives me hope for the future.

Fabien: Do you think that one individual can change the world?

Dalai Lama: Yes.

Fabien: In that case, the best thing to do is to start trying to improve oneself.

Dalai Lama: It seems quite simple. First, it is important to realize we are part of nature. Ultimately, nature will always be more powerful than human beings, even with all their nuclear weapons, scientific equipment, and knowledge. If the sun disappears or the earth's temperature changes by a few degrees, then we are really in trouble. At, a deeper level, we should recognize that although we are part of nature, we can control and change things, to some extent, due to our intelligence. Among the thousands of species of mammals on earth, we humans have the greatest capacity to alter nature. As such, we have a twofold responsibility. Morally, as beings of higher intelligence, we must care for this world. The other inhabitants of the planet - ­insects and so on - do not have the means to save or protect this world. Our other responsibility is to undo the serious environmental degradation that is the result of incorrect human behaviour. We have recklessly polluted the world with chemicals and nuclear waste, selfishly consuming many of its resources. Humanity must take the initiative to repair and protect the world.
   
Of course, when we say, "humanity" or "society", it's obvious the initiative must come from individuals. It is wrong to expect our governments, or even God, to give us any guidance on these matters.

[...] Actually, I'm quite optimistic. Take the example of environmental problems. The scientists and associations that defend the environment have repeatedly informed us about the ecological problems now facing the earth, like global warming and widespread pollution of our water and air. Now, awareness is growing worldwide. New techniques are evolving so that we can avoid pollution without changing the process of industry or the economy. During a recent visit to Stockholm, my friends told me that ten years before the fish had practically disappeared from the nearby river. Now they are regenerating, simply because the industrial plants along that river have made some efforts to protect the environment. In other words, they managed to improve the situation without destroying the industry. I was recently in the Rohr region of Germany, a centre of industry. One large company showed me a film on the different means they were raking to reduce pollution and recycle waste material. Without changing their entire structure, they were causing much less damage to the environment.

Concern for ecology grows with the proper and widespread dissemination of information. People have gradually become convinced what the situation is serious and what we must take care for our planet. I've noticed that now, in some hotels, we are asked to not waste electricity or water. This is a good start. Likewise the media must speak of the importance of altruism in every human activity. It must be discussed again and again, in newspapers, in the movies, on the radio, on TV. I think there is plenty of momentum to do this. Medical and scientific fields should support the theory of altruism. Ecologists will support it, as the peace movement, providing the educational systems are also improved so that children become less violent. Then, even the police force will change. and everyone will gradually begin to think and act with more kindness, altruism, and compassion.

Excerpt from the book Imagine All the People: A conversation with the Dalai Lama on Money Politics and Life as it Could Be, Wisdom Publications, Boston. 

Bad Bad Thing Award Goes to TV Evangelist Joseph Prince

By Kirby Robinson

Joseph Prince,
TV Evangelist

It seems that fake teachers and preachers on TV and off have really fallen off the deep end with the current crazy teaching that if you’re Christian you’re also Jewish. This is totally crazy. What Christians should do is double their efforts to convert Jews to accept Christ as their Savior and Messiah. Had the Jews done this when Christ was walking the earth, Millennial Reign would have started back then.

So few pastors really have very little faith in the power of the blood of Christ -- and even less understanding in the message of the cross.

For example, many churches across this nation don’t have services that teach the message of Christ -- people could be healed, demons cast out and maybe a few of the dead could be brought back. Apparently, having a Super Bowl party is much more important.

Not sure if Pentecostal Preacher Joseph Prince is planning to join in, as he might be busy thinking up even more wacky teachings. Below are some of the ridiculous “teachings” he’s promoting:

1 There was no sand on earth until Abraham was born.

2 If you accept Christ you become Jewish in not only your spiritual walk but you will be a Jew.

3 If you could count all the grains of sand on the earth that would equal the total number of Jews/Christians that will be on the face of earth for all time.

4 If a Jew starts a business it won’t fail.

5 The reason that Facebook is so great is due to a Jew, Mark Zuckerberg, starting it.

Now this isn’t the same teaching but he did say this in a different teaching:

According to Joseph Prince, once you accept Christ there is no sin in the world. When you accept Christ, you don’t have to confess that you are a sinner, because Christ washes your sins away.

Joseph Prince is a Word of Faith teacher, but he’s also a member of the so-called Grace Movement on steroids. He teaches that it’s okay to keep on sinning after we accept Christ because at some point Christ will help us address our sins and if He doesn’t, then you can just go on sinning.  

He recently taught that we have to become like slaves and that at some point like those slaves in the time of Exodus, you’ll be going to Egypt to help build public buildings. Additionally, you’ll have to wander in the desert for 40 years. Looks like you’ll be like a doomsday prepper, so start stocking up on your food, water and sunscreen. This continues in his ridiculous teaching that tries to lump Jew and Gentile together.

Here are some links that will show you what sort of a bad pastor he is. And for that reason, Joseph Prince receives the Bad Bad Thing Award.

Basic information on this cult leader:

http://www.forgottenword.org/joseph-prince.html

More in-depth:

http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-Christian/2420727

Great video on his teachings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tsjcGFI_B0

Do you know of a para-celeb, psychic, ghost hunter, demon chaser or false teacher who’s eligible for the award? You can take part by sending us a name and why you think they should receive the I DID A BAD BAD THING award. Contact freeallspirits@live.comfor more information.

Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal

EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of NEVER MOCK GOD: AN UNAUTHORIZED INVESTIGATION INTO PARANORMAL STATE’S “I AM SIX” CASE [also in paperback!], INVESTIGATING PARANORMAL STATE, PARANORMAL STATE EXPOSED and PARANORMAL TEACHINGS: THE BEST OF SHEDDING SOME LIGHT and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the linkhttps://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Bad Bad Thing Award Goes to Psychic Medium Joanne Brown

By Kirby Robinson

Bad Bad Thing Award
Joanne Brown

We can finally make it public…Joanne Brown psychic to the clueless and  the confused  beats out fake teachers, fake mediums, fake demon hunters and even a  paranormal conference that features mostly fake para-celebs.

If you want to know the whole story visit the blog featured here at the Eye on the Paranormal or over at Scifake: http://scifake.com/pilot-fish-a-tale-of-psychic-medium-joanne-brown/

Had Joanne Brown’s gifts been real they would have warned her every step of the way.

1 When she agreed to give the reading her mind should’ve seen the disaster to follow.

2 When she accepted payment through PayPal she should’ve heard a loud voice telling her not to accept it.

3 In the process of blowing off the client and only giving a 3-minute-long reading, [while wasting 42 minutes on Facebook talking to friends] that voice should have told her it wasn’t a wise thing to do.

4 When the client contacted her asking for a refund, her guides should have warned her that a failure to do so would lead to worldwide negative PR.

5 After the publication of the original blog, her guides should have spoken up and told her to admit wrongdoing and give a refund. If not, this will show people on the WWW that she’s not remotely psychic. Guess after Joanne ate five platefuls of fried chicken and a plate of sweets, her alleged psychic connection was blocked.

6 After throwing online temper tantrums, her guides should have warned her she that she was looking very silly to the world.

I’m always amazed when dealing with fake psychic-mediums that when it comes to their life it seems they never see things taking place in their future. Maybe she needs to start paying for readings from herself to warn her of dangers ahead.

People should take this as a warning that when they seek advice they should see a licensed professional. Need help from the spirit world? Turn to God. He knows who you are and won’t put you on hold or post comments on Facebook while your time is running out.

Psychics don’t care about helping people. For the most part, they care about lining their pockets, increasing their fame and duping the public.

When we presented this award in Los Angeles, it didn’t go unnoticed as a big fan of Mrs. Brown rioted in the streets of L.A.!

Joanne Brown's chicken fan

And this song is for you Ms. Brown:

Tomorrow, read about a False Christian teacher who says:

1 There was no sand on earth till there were Jewish people.

2 Facebook has to be great because a Jew started it.

3 We become Jewish when we accept Christ!

Do you know of a para-celeb, psychic, ghost hunter, demon chaser or false teacher who’s eligible for the award? You can take part by sending us a name and why you think they should receive the I DID A BAD BAD THING award. Contact freeallspirits@live.comfor more information.

Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal

EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of NEVER MOCK GOD: AN UNAUTHORIZED INVESTIGATION INTO PARANORMAL STATE’S “I AM SIX” CASE [also in paperback!], INVESTIGATING PARANORMAL STATE, PARANORMAL STATE EXPOSED and PARANORMAL TEACHINGS: THE BEST OF SHEDDING SOME LIGHT and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

Saul, Samuel & the Medium of En-Dor

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

1 Samuel 28:1-25 (PLEASE READ…TOO LONG TO INCLUDE HERE)

“So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” (1 Chron. 10:13-14)

This unique text has often been scrutinized for it’s details regarding what it has to say about human nature and the after-life. May I suggest that this is missing the Holy Spirit’s main intent for this text?  Every text of Scripture was inspired, in the first place, to expand our knowledge of God, and that every inch of the Old Testament points to the perfection of the Person and Work of Christ. When we read any passage of the bible, our primary question should be—what does this teach me about God? And then we can make personal application…We tend to be anthropocentric (man-centered) in our approach to this text, while it is meant to viewed theo-centricaly (God-centered).

The text above from 1 Chron. is an inspired interpretation of this event. Hence, it should be the spectacles through which we view it. I’m not saying that discussing the finer points of the passage is inappropriate, but rather let us not miss the forest for the trees. .Put bluntly, how can we even think about using this text to support spiritism (belief in, and communicating with, trapped souls), when we are told that our holy God killed Saul for that very practice? (please see text above)

. Let me put it this way: if the sovereign majesty, glory, and holiness of God were grasped, we would not be having this discussion regarding whether ghosts exist or not. The very notion of trapped spirits is monstrous in light of God’s absolute sovereignty and the glorious perfection of the Person and work of Christ. Our theology affects our anthropology—if we have a deficient view of God’s greatness then we will have a deficient view of human nature, and what happens when we die. The dearth of truly God-centered preaching today is the primary reason the notion of ghosts has blossomed…along with pastors refusing to come to terms with its significance.

This episode with Saul and the medium comes at a crucial juncture in the drama of redemption— (establishment of the monarchy and the Davidic covenant).  The inauguration of each stage was crucial and was often attended by unusual occurrences. Saul was the first king of Israel, and he would be replaced by its greatest king (David), and this is where we find ourselves in this text—THE DAY BEFORE SAUL DIES. In the flow of biblical history, or the drama of redemption, this is a key moment…THAT EXPLAINS WHY WE HAVE THIS UNIQUE AND EXTRAORDINARY APPEARANCE OF A DECEASED PROPHET. As first in a long list of kings, Saul figures prominently for that reason—and for that reason we have God doing something extraordinary…nowhere else in scripture do we have a disembodied soul talking to another human (excluding Jesus with Moses and Elijah)…the oddities during Jesus/apostles day were resurrections from the dead, and not disembodied spirits.…

The specific context of this unique text is Saul’s. terrible fright due to the impending battle with the Philistines. He desperately wanted and needed the Lord’s wisdom and guidance, but the Lord was not answering his prayers (v.15.). Hence, he secretly (and very sinfully) approached a medium to see if she could contact Samuel, who he thought would be able to guide him. It seems that King Saul believed in the end justified the means…It is similar to, “since I am trying to get guidance from a godly deceased prophet, it is okay if I look to a demon inspired medium.” Is that so different from “I can get assurance that there is an afterlife, if only I can speak to my deceased mom.”? Is not our motive for being fascinated with the paranormal—fear of death or curiosity about the future—often quite similar to Saul’s? Please do not misunderstand me—curiosity regarding the supernatural is one thing, but what we do with that curiosity is another thing altogether! It was entirely proper for Saul to feel fear and to desire supernatural insight, but for believers, the end never justifies the means! (Prov. 3:5-6) He knew it was wrong in that he had previously expelled the mediums and necromancers (v. 3)

The woman that Saul found was similar to the mediums that practice today—she was not a witch as we understand it. (‘ob…according to The Theological Wordbook of  the Old Testament means medium) No, in v. 7 Saul told his servants to seek out a medium,and in his initial request in v. 8.—“…divine for me by a spirit….”  This phrase is often overlooked, but it reveals why Saul had earlier banished mediums…they used a spirit (demon) in their attempts to contact the dead. Saul knew that he was trafficking with the demonic in order to contact Samuel. It is said that desperate people do desperate things, but what Saul did wittingly (consciously communicate with demons) was extremely foolish—but don’t we do the same foolish thing unwittingly?.

Doubtless the medium did her usual ritual in order to bring the trance-like state in which she brought up the individual asked for with the help of her collaborating demon.The text is silent regarding any misgivings she might have felt regarding contacting the holy prophet. It is obvious she had been down this road many times, and  I’m confident that her demonic accomplice was always eager to deceive everyone that  it was the soul of a deceased person it was impersonating.

However, the whole occult practice was cut short when the real Samuel makes a grand entrance, which terrified the medium   She screamed in fear when it became apparent the God Himself had taken over and brought in the spirit of Samuel.. She rallied long enough to answer Saul’s inquiry as to who it was….Samuel. Any way you slice it, this was a unique and extraordinary occurrence which our Lord caused for His purposes at this crucial juncture of redemptive history. Saul was about to be killed by the Lord, and David anointed king—the Davidic covenant and many of his psalms looked forward to the coming of king David’s greater Son.—the Lord Jesus. Because of the sovereign in-breaking of God on the proceedings, can you see that the first question that should occupy our minds is NOT who is this masked man, but rather what kind of God cold do this? Theology precedes anthropology.

V.16 dispels any doubt as to who this mystery man really is: the inspired narrator says it was Samuel. The following verses either state explicitly or imply that this was Samuel: 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20…Moreover, since it is obvious that the disembodied soul was delivering a true message of judgment from the Lord, and refers to himself as the prophet, then that really settles the issue.

Here is the rub though—the hallmark of a ghost is that they are trapped souls due to traumatic or premature death—right? But Samuel’s soul was anything but trapped! He complained that Saul had disrupted his tranquility.(v.15).That one detail immediately disqualifies this text as evidence of the existence of ghosts. In addition, it is obvious that Samuel’s soul was not resting in what we think of as the paranormal realm or second heaven. Whatever else it may mean, coming up from the ground indicates that Samuel was not existing in any realm we have access to via EVP’s. To use this as an example of an earthbound spirit is to do violence to the text, and is a grievous example of scripture twisting.. .

At a crucial point in the flow of the unfolding drama of redemption, our sovereign God completely nullified the medium’s wicked attempt at necromancy, and instead raised up His deceased holy servant to bring His message of judgment upon Saul. That disembodied souls exist after death is a biblical notion, What is un-biblical is the notion that souls of deceased humans can get trapped here. This text does not support that idea at all—quite the opposite. This where we must drop idle curiosity and remember to look at this text from a God-saturated perspective...       

Sadly, the bible reveals that Saul, and his sons, died in battle the next day. We are not left to our own interpretation of this turn of events. In 1 Chronicles 10:13-14—(above) we are given an inspired theological and theo-centric interpretation of Saul’s death. God the Holy Spirit tells us that He put Saul to death for two reasons: not obeying His command to utterly slaughter the Amalekites, and for attempting to speak to the dead.(v.13) Please note that in  Lev. 20:4-6 we are told that the Lord detests attempts to speak to the dead (necromancy or spiritism) so passionately, that is was punishable by death. However, He goes even further: if the covenant community fails to kill those caught speaking to the dead, then He Himself would hunt them down and kill them. .As  I said in another newsletter, I know of no other list of sins in which God makes this threat—and the text in 1 Chron. tells us that God killed Saul for seeking out the medium of En-dor. Is that not both sobering and instructive?   

 The New Testament does not change God’s character, nor does God begin to love or accept what He hated with such a singular passion in the Old Testament. Because we are not a theocracy, spiritism is no longer a crime, but it is still a heinous sin. How can we avoid that conclusion if we have an ounce of respect for the authority of holy writ? What is spelled out so clearly in Deut 18 and Lev. 20, is ILLUSTRATED in this episode and in Saul’s subsequent death in battle.

Recently I was on Dave Schrader’s popular radio show Darkness Radio, and he agreed that every investigator he knew was experiencing paranormal activity, and/or many were sick and dying—or already dead. Our Lord killed Saul for attempting to speak to the dead. What a dreadful madness or demonic delusion has blinded our dear friends. From the depths of my heart, I beg you to stop, and to persuade others to stop. .Can God hurt people today? You bet your neck He can…and is. We must repent..or perish...

Breaking God’s commands and seeking guidance from the prince of this world brought Saul under God’s curse. However, it was Saul’s death that transitioned the monarchy to David, and ultimately to Christ the King. Because we all disobey God’s commands everyday, and look in all the wrong places for guidance, Jesus took all of this upon Himself—He became a curse for us. Jesus experienced every temptation that Saul did, and yet was without sin….His blood can wash away all occultic sin. Hallelujah, what a Savior!!