(A True Story by Joe Rose)
I grew up in a little coal mining town in Pennsylvania, called Scranton. Horoscopes, astrology and tarot cards were the accepted way of predicting things to come. At night, my mom and grandma would have seances in our living room. They would read tarot cards, and talk to the spirits of those who had died years before. Mom and grandma said they would "get messages" from spirits. Sometimes I would hear knockings, other strange noises, and even actual voices of the spirits, in our living room. One night my grandma said she saw "Lucky Lucy" going down. The next morning we read in the paper that a plane named "Lucky Lucy" crashed shortly after my grandma said she saw it go down. We saw spirits materialize, tables levitate, and spirits talk through people in trances.
FRIEND, CAN WE REALLY TALK TO THE DEAD?
CAN WE REALLY TELL THE FUTURE BY READING TAROT CARDS AND COMMUNICATING WITH SPIRITS?
ARE THESE KINDS OF THINGS FOR REAL?
What I have learned by studying scripture is this: In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a beggar. "There was a man who always dressed in fine clothes and was so rich that he was able to feast and party every day. One day Lazarus, a diseased beggar, was laid at his door. As he lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham in the place of the righteous dead. The rich man also died and was buried, And his soul went into hell. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham. `Father Abraham,' he shouted, `have some pity! Send Lazarus over here if only to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in these flames.' But Abraham said to him, `Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted and ou are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us, and anyone wanting to come to you from here is stopped at its edge; and no one over there can cross to us.' Then the rich man said, `O Father Abraham, then please send him to my father's home-- For I have five brothers-- to warn them about this place of torment lest they come here when they die.' But Abraham said, `The Scriptures have warned them again and again. Your brothers can read them any time they want to.' The rich man replied, `No, Father Abraham, they won't bother to read them. But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.' But Abraham said, `If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even though someone rises from the dead'" (LB).
In this story, Jesus clearly tells us that neither those in hell or in heaven can return to earth and communicate with us, but that we have Moses and the prophets in the Bible, which is God's Word.
In Deuteronomy 18:9-12, the Bible says, "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do 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 practices 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 because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you" (NIV).
In 1986 I realized that necromancy (attempting to talk to the dead), consulting with familiar spirits (devils), predicting the future by tarot cards, reading horoscopes, are all abominations to God. Jesus is calling each one of us personally, into a relationship where we look to HIM for direction and guidance. We don't need to ask familiar spirits (devils) what we should do. We have a loving and all powerful God, who is Jesus Christ the Lord. We can ask Him for wisdom and He will never hold back, if we ask in faith (James 1:5-7). God is calling you to accept Jesus as your personal Saviour, repent from your sins and receive eternal life (Rom. 6:23, 10:13).
Please consider calling on Jesus to be your personal Lord and Saviour. He will give you eternal life with Him in paradise (Rom. 10:9-10). He will also give you the Holy Spirit (Lk. 11:13).
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Tract No. 25
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