Disclaimer: This article’s overarching views and research are based on a biblical worldview. The intent is not to damage anyone else’s beliefs but to consider the alternative to the reality you presently believe.
In the book of Acts, Chapter 16, verses 16 through 18 from the Bible, the reader is shown the account of an “unclean spirit” that is empowering a fortune-teller’s fortune-telling ability. Paul’s belief and confidence in Jesus Christ empowered him to cast the demon out. The following excerpt is from the English Standard Version:
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
When I first heard this narrative, I immediately thought about popularized mediums in media: Long Island Medium, Crossing Over with John Edwards, and Sylvia Brown.
From my observation, networks that host shows with mediums play to the curiosities of people who crave to understand the supernatural and unknown. Most psychics and mediums seem to have sound intentions. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, I know the desperation to speak with them just once more.
For those people who believe mediums can communicate with dead human beings suggesting that their ghost is still lingering post-death, a question arises:
Who are they speaking to based on the above biblical account?
We witness talk show hosts and audience members gush and adore these spiritual wonders. Before becoming a Christian, I desired my behind-the-veil fascination to be tickled.
Are you a TL;DR type of person? Fear not. There is a video adaptation of this article. Watch it here.
In 2007, before I earnestly sought God, I casually sought a fortune teller. I was with a former girlfriend then, and we were “wildflowers”: very open to experiencing everything life had to offer, even if it meant engaging in activities that spat in God’s face.
My family background provided me with the decorum of belief. My Dad would instill in my brother and me several tenets.
“Don’t Play with God!”
“Do not get tattoos or you’re desecrating the skin God blessed you with.”
[Side Note: This sounded more serious because he used the word “desecrating,” I knew in my ignorance I had to be serious to God. To this day, tattoos never happened.]
Here’s a good one told to us as a middle school children when we wanted to stay home playing video games rather than stretch our necks over peacock church hats:
“God don’t like when you put those games before him!”
These fire and brimstone statements weren’t much, but they offered some form of restraint when we weren’t around our parents. However, as the world got a hold of me, these things would wear off as I considered getting a tattoo and even labeled myself spiritually agnostic.
Since the Simpsons’ portrayal of Christianity through Ned Flanders, lovely ladies who only had church bake sales, and spiritually strict elder black women who appeared never to have any fun, I thought Christianity was for chumps and cornballs.
My Ex-girlfriend was ALWAYS down to disrespect the faith (she once shared with me that she, ahem, “did it” in a church bathroom just to show how much God meant to her).
The reason for this isn’t uncommon: her belief was severely damaged by what appeared to be God’s lack of involvement in her life when she lost her father in 1998. So yes, any chance to launch a loogie in God’s face was fair game.
If my memory serves me correctly, I believe it was a warm summer night, August. It was a date night, and I, NOT HER, wanted to try something different.
I received a reading into i̶m̶p̶e̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶d̶o̶o̶m̶ future based on Tarot cards and the lines in my palms. I was surprised by the Zoltar outcome.
“You’ll meet a mysterious man who will mentor you on business. You will become rich and famous.”
Yeeeesssss! But wait! I then asked her about my relationship with my ex.
“Hmm…I don’t have anything to tell you.”
So I guess I’ll have.
My ex and I broke up at the top of 2008. I was a cheater and didn’t necessarily see a maritally blissful future with her. I saw it coming from a mile away.
When we left, I wondered, “who told this lady this?”
Was it God whispering in her ear or merely a good spirit?
I adopted a universalist belief dependent on “good person” theology: in death, I will be rewarded for my good deeds and efforts aligning with my good person definition. It’s so much fun to play god.
I drove home that night feeling elated but bothered. Could I trust in who or what she trusted?
Are You Familiar with Familiars?
The first time I encountered the use of “familiars” was when I played Castlevania Symphony of the Night back in 1997. They are entities that followed Alucard, the son of Dracula, around, aiding in his quest to destroy his father.
When I heard the term as a Christian, I recalled Castlevania: SOTN and the familiars in the forms of an imp, a spiritual sword, a fairy, and a floating ghost specter (a blue flaming skull head, more specifically).
I thought about what they were and how they operated: they followed Alucard around.
I know that the game possibly pulls from what we consider myths and wives’ tales. Yet I still have to ask: could it be that there are spirits who follow us around, taking note of every little detail of our lives?
In the Easton’s Bible Dictionary from Blue Letter Bible online, the word “familiar” is from the Latin familiaris, meaning a “household servant,” and was intended to express the idea that sorcerers had spirits as their servants ready to obey their commands. These mediums were identified as “necromancers,” which conjured the dead to answer questions. The Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines spirit as an “inspiring demon.”
One most notable account of this occurs in 1 Samuel 28:6–19. When God turns a blind eye to King Saul’s cry for help, in his desperation, King Saul consults with the witch of Endor, seeking answers about his upcoming confrontation with the Philistines.
And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, “Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.” And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, “I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.” — 1 Samuel 28:6–8
In the Hebrew translation, this woman was identified as an “owb” or “ ‘ob,” which translates into “leathern bottle,” for “sorcerers were regarded as vessels containing the inspiring demon” (Eastons Bible Dictionary). Could our modern mediums be nothing more than necromancers with a fresh coat of paint? The narrative continues.
Then said the woman, “Whom shall I bring up unto thee?” And he said, “Bring me up Samuel.” And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, “Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.” And the king said unto her, “Be not afraid: for what sawest thou?” And the woman said unto Saul, “I saw gods ascending out of the earth.” And he said unto her, “What form is he of?” And she said, “An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. — 1 Samuel 28:11–14
The surprised reaction of the witch “endorses” the fact that deceiving spirits are initially communicating with her. She beheld the literal spirit of Samuel AFTER the Lord intervened, allowing Saul to see that real human spirits are not the ones communicating with witches, mediums, etc.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we are warned not to seek the counsel of seducing spirits as God wants to be our only source of guidance and instruction.
Ghosts in the Shell
Selena Gomez appeared on Jimmy Fallon back in 2015. She demonstrated an app that supposedly could collect the white noise of spirits and ghosts wherever you’re located.
Chris Hudson from the Forerunner Chronicles YouTube channel addressed that moment brilliantly with scriptural support in the same vein I am striving to do now. You can see it below.
0:37 — Selena Gomez clip starts
3:38 — Chris Hudson analyzes what is happening on the set of the show
In the following video clip of America’s Got Talent, Mike Super was invited to perform with what AGT identified as his “imaginary friend,” Desmond. In the video’s comment section, Mike Super reinforces that Nick Cannon’s involvement was not scripted and even jokes that “you can’t have Desmond without ‘m’ and ‘e’ and if you remove the ‘s’ and ‘d’, it gets scarier…”
This video further cements that the spiritual realm is not a game or a figment of someone else’s extraordinary imagination. Mike Super’s life experience would be a prime example of a “familiar” being involved in his life.
What power then does Christianity have when dealing with unclean spirits? And if people such as Mike Super can manipulate reality through that of a suspicious spirit, how are Christians empowered? To whom are we communicating also?
The Power of Real Christianity
Below I have retrieved three accounts of men practicing witchcraft and satanism. In their conjuring or spell casting, they experience unexpected roadblocks when encountering true-believing Christians.
Stephen Dollins, a former high priest satanist, discusses how one person’s steadfast belief in Jesus Christ repelled a demon summoned by him.
In 2012, CBN released the testimonial of John Ramirez, who speaks on his experience with Santeria. In the clip below, he talks about “astral projecting” from his body, flying over neighborhoods speaking curses into them.
Yet there was one area where people praying utterly nullified his attempt.
Finally, Bill Schnoebelen, a man who held many high-ranking positions throughout many pseudo-religions, recalls a woman who wrote, “I’ll be praying for you in the name of Jesus,” on a check he was about to deposit to the church of Satan.
He wasn’t ready for what was to happen next in his life.
When true believers exercise their belief and faith in Jesus Christ, the reality of the Bible will manifest at scale. At a minimum, people have a sense of a higher power existing, whether it’s the right higher power or not. James 2:9 reads, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
The only variable separating the believer from the non-believer is the blood of Jesus Christ over our lives. Christians still have the same struggles, but with the blessed hope in Jesus Christ, we have a resource that allows us to change before the eyes of men despite still being physically contained in sinful flesh.
What Counsel Will You Seek and Follow?
There is a consequence when you interrupt a person’s perception of reality. Whether right or wrong, if the truth is presented that threatens the fragility of what they know, you will be in harm’s way by default. This is the walk of a Christian.
This is hardcore when that same truth dares to destroy one’s source(s) of legal or illegal income. Acts 16, verses 19–21, excellently illustrates the behavior of people when you interfere in their dirty hustle:
But when her owners saw their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”
Once that unclean spirit departed the fortune teller, she lost her ability to bring fortunes to her supposed pimps. These guys wanted to revenge in the worst way canceling Paul and Silas through lies and false accusations. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Maybe you consulted a fortune-teller as they predicted that you would become a millionaire, and it came to past. Or you’re a person who “talked” to a loved one you have been grieving over for quite some time through a medium. The assumed supernatural conversation bought you closure as to the hereafter.
Sinful activities are perceived as innocent because they make us feel good or appear to have benefitted our lives. Then here comes this article challenging those real experiences you had. You may feel like those same con artists are ready to cancel me after reading this expose’.
I understand if you are upset, yet I’m praying you have read this with an open mind to do your research.
And we are sinful beings, naturally from the womb. Pslams 51:5 reads, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Since Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, we left one origin to accept another. We’re not born as good little boys and girls, no matter how beautiful and untainted we appear as babies. It takes proper teaching and correction to redirect us on the path God wants us to eventually become born again (to return to our intended origin).
Jesus Christ wants to be our wonderful counselor making our steps righteous while we’re here. When our time is up, who do you think you’ll be speaking to or become in the afterlife?
Last time I checked 2 Corinthians 5:8, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”
No matter how friendly the paranormal may seem, there are no Caspers here. What’s out there is the God we refuse and the deception we accept behind the veil.
