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Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?
The Third Man by Angela Sheffield is based on a true story. Read chapter one now!
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¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried
Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.
Scripture of The Day - St. John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6
Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.
Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6
Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!
The Christian Bible on Spirits of the Deceased, Necromancy, and Seance - Part I
Download or listen to our less-than-five-minutes Manna Minutes podcast to learn the biblical truth about spirits of the deceased among us. Then, if you would like to delve deeper into the topic, read our eye-opening article below.
Many people believe that spirits of the deceased can return to the presence of the living to haunt places and even objects. These spirits are often referred to as ghosts, but they are sometimes simply called by the name of the deceased person they are believed to be. These beliefs embrace the idea that spirits of the deceased have the freedom to return among the living whenever they choose to do so. These spirits are believed to return freely unless they are called up during a seance, which can be accomplished by use of an Ouija board or with the help of a necromancer. Necromancy is defined as the practice of communicating with spirits of the deceased in the hereafter.
Does God Not Control Spirits of the Deceased?
There are several problems with believing that spirits of the deceased have power to return, at will, to the presence of the living. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 says, "Or eve the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." This same scripture in the Living Bible Paraphrased reads, "Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel is broken at the cistern; and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
We learn that the physical body, which is dust, returns to the earth when it dies. Spirits of the deceased return to God the Creator. If they can return to Earth to haunt places, then they would have to be sent by God or have the power to leave God at will. Knowing that the spirit returns to God after death, we know that a spirit’s ability to haunt the living is under God’s control. To believe that departed spirits come and go from the living as they please is to deny that God has power over them.
No Help and No Harm from the Hereafter
Ghosts or spirits of the deceased have been said to return to the living to advise and rescue family and friends. Real life accounts have also been told of the ghosts of enemies visiting the living to do them harm. What does scripture from the Christian Bible say? We read in Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, "For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy are now perished for ever in any thing that is done under the sun (in this present world of the living)."
Neither the love of a relative or a friend nor the hatred and envy of an enemy can be acted out to help or to harm one of the living from the hereafter. The word of God says that love, hatred and envy perish when the person perishes. How then do we explain things like people receiving help from a ghost with the appearance of a deceased loved one? Remember that the holy angels of God are ministering spirits in service to those who are to be heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:13-14). Note: to minister is to aid. Also important to remember is that angelic beings can take on the appearance of people. This is why we are told to be careful how we behave with others. We read, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares(unknowingly)" (Hebrews 13:1).
Not all angelic beings are holy in service to God. Some are evil and are in service to Satan; demons and other evil spirits are also angelic beings. Revelation 12:7 speaks of the war that took place in heaven between Lucifer, Michael (acting in obedience to God) and the angels that sided with each. We read, "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his ANGELS fought back." There are more scriptures in the Christian Bible that refer to demons and devils as evil angelic beings. Just as holy angels of God can take on the appearance of man, unholy angelic beings, sometimes referred to as "changers," can take on the form of man and appear as spirits of the deceased. Again, whether holy or unholy, angelic beings have certain powers.
Would an unholy angelic being ever take on the appearance of a deceased loved one to rescue one of the living? Why and how would an evil being do good? We may be forgetting that the word of God warns, "...Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness..." (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
How then would we know whether an entity is from the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan? Testing Messages from Angelsanswers this question and other related questions. Continue this study in The Christian Bible on Spirits of the Deceased, Necromancy, and Seance - Part II
Edited by Heather Payne
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
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