Divination as entertainment.
Spiritism is trendy. Psychics are crowding the commercial and public television programs. Through the internet people can obtain online ‘readings’ 24 hours a day and in numerous trendy magazines the ‘old’ horoscopes are replaced by extensive ‘personality and risk analyses’. In a world full of insecurities, problems and stress, a ‘redeeming’ word from ‘the other side’ can bring some relief. It’s big business, good for the viewer numbers and if on top of that it also creates emotional scenes as in ‘Char’ or in the ‘Ghost Whisperer’, then there is no one left who asks for the truth. Due to the increasing diversity and secularization of our country, the churches seem to have no answers when it comes down to life issues, decisions and the future. Spirituality is trendy, but it’s focused on the need of the autonomous, egocentric, western man who ultimately ‘wants to have a grip’ on everything. In the deceptive and deceitful world of fortune telling, the father of all guiles and deceit, Satan, seems to benefit the most from it. People are becoming more and more alienated from life in dependence on the living God and allow themselves to be guided by demons and guiding spirits that respond to their deepest desires and that ultimately bring about their destruction. In this article I’d like to describe some trends and test them biblically.
What do people look for in diviners?
There are twenty forms of divination. The technique often changes, but the spirit and the powers behind it remain the same. The best known forms are astrology, horoscope reading, explanation of dreams, (hand) palm reading, iridology, chart reading (i.e. tarot cards), psychometrics, mirror mantis, dowsing rod communication or pendulums and many attributes of psychics. The most famous programs on radio and television in recent years have been Char, the sixth sense Astro-television (different canals), the new Uri Geller, the Ghost whisperer. Furthermore, the offer of diviners on the internet is huge. Deep in the human heart lies the desire to lift the veil that covers his life and future. And let the ‘lifting of the veil’ just be a specialty of diviners!
People do ask questions as: What will tomorrow bring? How will the surgery or the exam go? Which decision is to be made in a private or in a work situation? Which profession, which life partner should I chose, how are the missing family members and how is it going with a dead loved one? The natural man often doesn’t want to walk the way of surrender, obedience and childlike confiding prayer, in which God wants to guide His children step by step and wants to give them further and further light on their own lives, work and future. What God doesn’t uncover, He intends to cover it (yet) to us in His love and wisdom because of certain reasons.
The natural man is however not satisfied with what God reveals through His Word and Spirit. Man wants more, therefore he chooses the other way. Satan gives what God refuses, he speaks where God is silent, but not all for free of charge as we shall see.
Divination as entertainment
Television shows in which the dead speak, are not only watched by people who believe in Spiritism. Some viewers don’t believe in a world of spirits, but do believe that some psychics would have certain gifts in themselves and some others are only interested in the emotions of the participants of the séances. The programs fit seamlessly with the emotion television that has been on the top of the list of the best viewed programs for years in the Netherlands like ‘Spoorloos’. The advantage of the divination programs compared to emo-programs like this is that they don’t need to do research and investigative work. The ‘dead’ will show up immediately as their names are mentioned and they don’t bother about the fact that the psychic and television executives make a lot of money out of it. There is no evidence that people are looking for the objective truth in the program. Do the psychics receive advance information, but from whom and to which extent? For example, through the internet people can often obtain all kinds of information if they know a name, a profession or an address. Everyone who has ever been involved with a television production knows that there’s a lot of snipping and editing in the recordings. More than 50% is not broadcasted, and in this way bloopers, side tracks or other weak passages can be deleted. A snipped recording of a help seeker can sometimes validate the helpful psychic later on, without the viewer even noticing that connection. Television viewers can barely calculate properly how striking or relevant certain answers are, because they have no information about the person who consults the psychic. The intention of the producers of such television programs is certainly not to deliver reliable evidence material for the existence of psychic phenomena, but to gain high view numbers.
Barnum effect
In 1948, the psychologist Bertram Forer discovered that people often recognize themselves in vague and general personality descriptions. This so-called Barnum effect is increasing the more the people involved, are strongly convinced that the description is custom made for them. Statements like “You have a strong tendency to criticize yourself” or “You sometimes doubt whether you have made the right decision” are indeed recognized by everyone and then personally filled in by the advice seeker, with which the psychic can continue.
Also statements in which a characteristic is combined with the opposite are very effective: “You are very helpful and quickly ready to help others, but if you’re honest, there are also situations wherein you detect a selfish trait in yourself.” Or: “You are optimistic most of the time, but you also have depressive moods”.
When it’s filled in further by the client, the psychic pretends that it is feedback or as if it’s her discovery. Also flattering statements often do come across very personal. Everyone does notice something in the claim that he or she is more cooperative, more sincere, more creative, smarter, more sympathetic and more honest. In an article on the website of Skepsis, some of the Barnum statements are elaborated. When a client admits to have much self-criticism, the statement can be magnified: “You’re often your worst enemy, you always search for things that you didn’t do well”. When the claim doesn’t seem to resonate, it can be diminished: “It is no negative self-criticism, but constructive self-criticism: “You are well aware of things that didn’t go well and you’ve learned a lot from it. You don’t let yourself be discouraged by small imperfections”. It’s important for a psychic to first explore in general terms, for that creates more ways to remain open and in that way he can adjust the feedback of a client, whereby the psychic gives the impression to head straight for the goal. Also general memories of one’s youth have a high chance to hit: “Did you play a musical instrument in the past, or did you have an artistic or creative talent which you did not continue with?” Or: “Did you have a secret address?” And: “Did you have a kind of collection?”
Cold reading
Cold reading implies that the psychics cannot prepare a ‘reading’ (consultation). It is very important for the psychic to gain as much information as he can from the patient during the conversation. They are often masters in reading a person’s body language such as mimics, body posture, involuntary gestures, a trembling lip, a changed breathing or a certain intonation in the conversation. The power of conviction of a psychic increases the more a person radiates self-confidence. Many people go to fortune tellers to be calmed down. The psychic must first gain confidence and if he succeeds, he can give all kinds of advices with more ‘authority’. But as mentioned already, the feedback of the client is the wheel of the psychic. When a psychic asks: “Do you have a dog?”, then there is yet always a way of escape in the sense of “Do you have an acquaintance or a family member that has a dog?” or “Did you have a dog in the past?”, or “Do you know a dog that you caress once in a while?”, the psychic continues to persist until the dog is ‘found’. As a psychic, you should never admit that you have been mistaken about something, you’d rather lay it on the client in a way that he/she will remember it later on. Many psychics continuously ask questions to the client, so that they can gain more information: “Who do I see carpentering?” Or: “With which period of your life does it connect?” “What does it have to do with your circle of friends?” When a client then gives an interpretation to a ‘blank’ from the psychic, the latter claims it as a predicted direct hit. Questions are carefully defined, also to give the impression that certain images are coming up, such as “We’re receiving something from the world of artists”. If this is verified by the client in one way or the other, the medium can magnify it by making the images more tangible. Char always gives herself double chances by mentioning at least two possibilities: “Is there a J or a G?”, “Living or dead?” The latter is of course always a hit. Sometimes Char traces a row of living ones before she meets a ghost. Which combination of letters should continue as a hit? Ian Rowland, the author of Cold Reading wrote down some tips to unmask cold readers. You can say: “Now, tell me something or ask me information? Which Ian do you mean? What relationship are you talking about?” He who wants to continue, can fool the psychic by giving false information. According to Rowland, it is amusing how a psychic builds a whole story around it. At the end of the conversation you can claim the unmasking by asking: “There is still one thing I don’t understand. How is it possible for you to receive messages from family members that I just made up?”
Guiding and deceptive spirits
Should we narrow down the whole phenomenon of divination to cold reading, artfulness, plain deception and emotional entertainment? Certainly not. It has become apparent that one of the major effects of such programs is that the public’s interest in the paranormal and the occult increases.
More and more people are looking for answers and guidance in the occult, not only in divination and psychics, but also in paranormal healings such as Iridology and Reiki. Via the popular divination programs they come into contact with a deceptive spirit that loves to hide behind the tricks and artfulness of the psychics. In America, the increase of the interest in the occult is mainly ascribed to popular talk shows of Oprah Winfrey and Larry King, who do have a great impact on big parts of the population. In the Netherlands it has not been much different in recent years with programs like Jensen, RTL Boulevard, Jack Spijkerman, etc. There are numerous examples whereby a psychic first has to come in an altered state of consciousness and in that way are actually open to the fallen spiritual world. This is possible by drugs, rituals, meditations and (self) hypnosis. These psychics have to rely not only on trickery and deception, but they have trained themselves in opening themselves to spiritual powers, that surely are a reality and not all exist in the fantasy of these people; they are a Biblical reality. Because there are no limitations for spirits with regard to place and time, people surrender themselves to deceptive powers that pretend to be dead spirits of loved ones, but in reality they are being deceived themselves, because they make contact with deceptive and guiding spirits.
In Isa. 8:19-20, this searching for dead spirits is explicitly forbidden. “When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should a people not consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? …. If they do not speak in accordance with this word, it is because they have no dawn”.
In the New Testament, in Luke 16:19-31, the story of a rich man and Lazarus is told. After their death they arrive at different places in the realm of the dead. In verse 26 it is explained that there is an impassable gap through which it is not possible to make contact between the living and the dead. Because men has been created with a spirit, they are able to make contact and communicate in the spirit realm; however, via paranormal and clairvoyant diviners they come into contact only with demons. The Bible provides touchstones (e.g. in 1 Jn 4:1-6) to make a difference between the Holy Spirit and fallen angels, thus demons.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus, is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1Jn 4:1-6)
The evil spirits also know the past and the present and they are able to imitate the voice, the shape and habitus of the dead. In Spiritism we have to do with deceptive spirits and 1 Tim. 4: 1-2 is being fulfilled in a special way:
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.”
Consequences of spiritism and divination
Edgar Cayce, a former spiritist healer who received this "gift" transferred from his grandfather and father, felt that he was further and further dragged away from his original Christian faith. He sometimes asked himself whether his psychic gift might have come from God. And a couple of times he wanted to stop and promptly lost his voice. Cayce felt more and more like a puppet that was manipulated by invisible fingers. He became frightened. Several times fires broke out in his home, a child died, he filed for bankruptcy, he was struck by diseases. His spirits promised him healing. The theologian dr. Koch, one of the most experienced researchers of occult contacts, confirms from his great experience that most of the clairvoyants endure suffering because of their gift and want to get rid of it. Especially the providing of deaths are torturing them. Besides, he notes that many people sense physical weakness and a nervous exhaustion after their paranormal observation. Prophecy and divination come from totally different sources. A prophet of God is someone who speaks, inspired and driven by the Holy Spirit. A diviner is someone who speaks, inspired and driven by spirits of ‘divination’ and deception from the realm of the darkness. The Bible often calls false prophecy (i.e. from one’s own heart, without a command from God or it’s from the wrong spirit) in one sentence with divination (Jer. 14:14; Eze. 13:1-9; Micha 3:11; 1 Jn. 4:1). Intuition and demonic-suggestive influencing are according to Dr. K. Koch both the components of divination. He who openly speaks up about his need and seeks (and expects) help and advice from a diviner, is unconsciously inwardly prepared to accept and believe everything what he says. This inward openness is a gateway for demonic deceptive spirits and a fertile ground for the fulfilment of divination. Being guided by the forecast of the diviner means being guided by demonic deceptive spirits that use the diviner. The result is that people come under the influence of these powers and become slaves of the divination that has been acquired. There is a so-called force of fulfillment in the sense of: ‘It shall be done for you according to your superstition’! People come under the spell of the ‘soothsaying’ deceptive spirits and under the spell of the divination that become stronger the more they visit the diviner and believe in him and his word. Everyone who seeks help here, receives not the revelation of the future he/she is looking for, but demonic suggestive influencing for the future. It is actually no fortune telling, but deception telling. Compare Zech. 10:2; Isa.44:25; Jer.29: 8,9. It is really the work of Satan, the father of lies. He turns the truth into a lie and a lie into the truth! Whoever refuses the Truth, which is Jesus Christ and His Word, shall become a slave of these deceptive spirits (2 Thes. 2:10-12). No wonder that all of this brings about such serious consequences in both spiritual and physical area. There are diviners that are not aware of these backgrounds and consequences and who even believe in their means and methods themselves. Clairvoyant Peter Hurkos, a famous psychic confesses: “I sometimes thought that I was crazy, I sometimes desired to be crazy. I couldn’t focus on anything. I was somebody that was possessed by demons. The gift that I possess is amoral, it can be used to gamble and to steal.”
Self-fulfilling prophecy
A self-fulfilling prophecy is, in principle, a mistaken definition of the situation that raises new behavior which makes the originally wrong concept “true”. The alleged validation of the self-fulfilling prophecy causes a sequence of mistakes. The predictor will cite the actual sequence of the events as an evident to prove that he was right from the beginning. The application in the world of the mantic is: first of all, there’s the danger that the one who got his future foretold, couldn’t resist the temptation to fulfill it him/herself (in itself influenced by deceptive spirits again). Some examples are to be found on the website of Gerard Lentink:
a) In an English prison a woman is incarcerated. Her son was mentally ill and an astrologist had foretold her that he would never be healed. In order to help him out of his misery, the woman killed her son. Of course the astrologist was at liberty. Because many predictions involve adverse things, people can also fall into the grip of fear.
b) At the age of 12, a girl was predicted by palm reading that she wouldn’t reach the age of 31. Since then her life became one piece of ever increasing anxiety. There was especially anxiety of going out on the street and then be taken to the hospital. Her whole nervous system got unstable and disrupted.
c) It often happens that the spirit that’s guiding the fortune teller, contaminates the client. A woman had been visiting a diviner regularly for some time, who later appeared to be a female satanist herself. After this contact, the woman appeared to have all kinds of complaints: she fell unconscious on the ground regularly, she had bursts of hatred and she tried to commit suicide several times.
Evil spirits spoke out of her mouth. There was mention of demonic bondage.
Time and again it turns out that people who had their future foretold, automatically enter into the world of spirits and in that way draw demonic powers to themselves. Spiritism and divination are, like magic, extremely dangerous, because it brings people in direct connection with the powers of darkness and their horrific spell. Visiting a séance or tolerating it in one’s home alone brings people under a spell, just like watching and cooperating with spiritist movies, theater performances, television broadcasts and reading spiritist literature. Also praying for and unto dead persons (e.g. ‘saints’, Mary) belongs to this category. It’s a way of opening up to and coming into contact with the unseen world, through which deceptive spirits (can) creep in. Biblical supplication is bringing living persons in God’s sight, through Jesus Christ alone. The Bible knows only prayers to the Triune God. He is also the only One, who can hear and answer the upright prayers and prayers by faith. Praying to the dead, ‘whether born again or not’ sinful creatures, is anti-Biblical and is exclusively answered by suggestion and/or demons. The consequences are serious: immunity from God’s Spirit and God’s Word, an undermined nervous system, psychological disorders, depressions, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism and other addictions, a heavy death bed or tragic end of life, etc. But particularly: God turns His face away. In the Old Testament there was a death sentence on Spiritism (Isa. 8:19; Lev. 20:6,27).
God has explicitly warned us against it and has forbidden it to us (Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:11,12). By the way, I also experienced it ten years ago with a client who by way of ‘pastoral prayer’ received the ‘prophecy’ that she would get seriously ill after 15 years, and if she would walk rightly with the Lord, she would get healed. The person in question got psychological complaints for years and finally she had to be freed from this curse that was transferred by a brother in the ministry.
Cleansing and deliverance
Divination is a serious issue in the Bible! In Dt. 18:9-14, the people of Israel are seriously warned when they finally arrived in the Promised Land. It is stated: “When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God is going to drive them out before you. You are to be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations, which you are going to dispossess, listen to soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.”
We have a jealous God! This warning is given to us by God, not to limit us but to protect us against the murderer of men, the liar from the beginning who is behind the beautiful façade of divination. Because the deliverance from the consequences of divination has many sides, I would like to insert a section of an article related to this that I wrote in 2000. It is an example of every form of deliverance from spiritual, psychological and physical bondage. Of primary importance is not the wishes of someone who is bound with the desire for deliverance from all complaints and pains or a satisfaction of all needs, but what are the Biblical targets?
Reconciliation with God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” (Eph. 2:8). See also Rom. 5:1, Rom. 8:4. “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). This is Biblical life in contrast to the Biblical death. The main purpose is not the deliverance of man from demons (although it’s very important in itself), but reconciliation by grace with God by the life of Jesus Christ.
A change in our entire being, not only the dismantling of demonic complaints, but a change according to the image of Christ. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved (brothers and sisters), let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 7:1). See also sanctification and change in: 1 Jn 3:3; 1 Thes. 5:23, 1 Thes. 4:3, Col. 1:22. A de-transformation should be taking place from the image of Satan into the image of Christ (Eph. 4:17,18; Rom. 8:2).
Fight to live. “For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace”; “So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom. 8:6,12,13). See further Phil. 2:1-5. Confidents are often no longer prepared for war and think that God does all changes by a ‘magic stick’.
Life is connected to suffering. “And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom. 8:17). See also Phil. 3:10, 1 Pet. 4:1,13,16,17.
There’s a prevailing culture of death (consider pleasant near-death-experiences, euthanasia, abortion, the adoration of saints). Many Christians do not realize that suffering is a part of the life of Christ. People give up the fight quickly. Christians ought to be able to live with shortcomings and weaknesses (Phil. 4:12-14; 3: 8). We’ll enumerate some possible consequences of divination. That doesn’t mean that everyone who comes into contact with a form of divination should exhibit these consequences. In reverse it is by no means the case that every symptom mentioned, is a proof of occult bondage. The most serious and at the same time the most underestimated symptoms that prove occult bondage, are the very effects of deterioration of the spiritual life. The spiritual consequences that besides the physical and psychological consequences that are mentioned here, weigh the most in order to consider occult bondage. At the same time it is also the most underestimated effect! People who had not already have developed a rich spiritual life before they had contact with diviners, will less notice the deterioration of this spiritual life than people who live close to the Lord Jesus. In case a combination of consequences is found, then the suspect of a real occult bondage become increasingly great, certainly when an occult contact is already recognized.
Possible consequences on spiritual area
1. Fierce resistance against Christ (Mk 1:24, 5:7; Mat. 8:29; Lk. 4:34, 8:28; Isa. 8:21).
2. Resistance against fellowship with Christians (e.g. the celebration of the Lord’s Supper).
3. Resistance towards the Holy Spirit (insensitivity, numbness, 2 Thes.2).
4. No resistance against sin (seared in the conscience), inwardly cursing, blasphemous thoughts, love for mockery, spiritual pride, legalism, fanaticism, religious mania, a hardened heart towards the judgment of God.
5. Difficulty with prayer. No desire for prayer, no ability to concentrate, a sleepy spirit when praying.
6. Resistance against faith. Stubborn unbelief, no growth in faith and faith disturbances, no peace, joy, anger towards others who convert. Disturbance at reading unmasking literature about occultism.
7. Lack of discernment towards spiritual movements of this time, spiritual blindness, openness for all kinds of unbiblical ideologies, religions, false doctrines, mysticism, Gnosticism and modernism (Ex. 20:1-6;1 Cor. 10:20-22).
8. Resistance against believers (Mocking, walking away, the scolding of believing caregivers).
9. Sometimes resistance occur against religious objects such as a cross, Bible, book of hymns, etc.
Possible physical symptoms
Here also first a warning. One should certainly not conclude bondage or indwelling on the basis of some of these symptoms alone. Only if many symptoms, also in other areas, are revealed, in addition to the already mentioned criterion of the confrontation with (the life of) Christ, then the Holy Spirit can give discernment on this matter!
1. A striking physical strength (Mk 5:3 vv; Acts 19:16).
2. Disturbances in organic functions, e.g. by mute or deaf spirits (Mk 9:17,25). Convulsions, hysterical cramps, nerve tremors (Lk 9:42; Mat. 10:1; Mk 1:23).
3. In families where much superstition and occultism occur, many pastoral caregivers often observe miscarriages, childlessness, deformed children, periodically ongoing accidents and death cases, hereditary burdens that physicians cannot explain, abnormal seizures of epilepsy, tightness around the heart area.
4. Many non-specific, general malcontents
5. POSSIBLE characteristics: severe sweating and terribly stinking, physical fulfillment and neglect, heavily bad smelling from the mouth, a changed blink of the eye, another voice, speech and phrasing, self-chastisement, tremors or trembling, provocative sexual exhibitionism.
Possible psychological effects
1. Self-injuries and suicide attempts (Mk 5:5, 9:22)
2. Aggressiveness towards others (Mk 1:23, 5:7, 9:18-20)
3. Fear (1 Sam. 18:10-11, 19:9-10; Isa. 8:19-21; 2 Tim. 1:7).
4. Despair (Isa.8:20), wandering in isolation (Isa. 8:21), distress and darkness (Isa. 8:22), phobias, delusions, compulsive thoughts, nightmares, great selfishness, madness, kleptomania, temper tantrums.
5. Rebelliousness and insubordination (1 Sam. 15:23).
6. Lawlessness (2Thes.2:3-12).
7. Sexual perversions, addictions, Necromancy (Isa. 8:19, Deu. 18:11).
8. Depression, quarrelsome, belligerent in family.
9. Seeing demons. Light and lights, nightly visits of demons, hearing voices, abnormal reticence, lying spirit, love for vengeance etc. etc. etc.
Possible para-psycho distinguishing marks
1. Speaking through someone from a person who has an indwelling spirit (Mk 1:24, 34; 3:11, 5:7,9-12; Mat. 8:29; Lk 4:34, 41; Lk 8:28; Acts 16:17, 19:15).
2. Clairvoyance, Clairsentient, clairvoyant (Mk 5:7-8) interpretation of omens (Deu. 18:10)
3. Divination (Isa. 8:19; Deu. 18:10-11; Acts 16:16-18)
4. Sorcery (Deu. 18:10; Acts 13:6-10)
5. Bondage to ancestry, not as a punishment but as legal entitlement in effect (Eze. 18:17-20)
6. Mediums (Psychics) (Lev. 3:31, 20:27; 1 Sam. 28:3-25)
7. Idolatry (Exo. 20:1-6; 1 Cor. 10:20-22)
8. Going through the fire (Deu. 18:10)
9. Dowsing and Pendulation (Deu. 18:10)
10. False prophecies (Deu. 18:22)
Deliverance from bondage
Pastoral counsel regarding bondages on occult area doesn’t belong in the hands of young people or young believers. A profound pastoral counsel can only be provided by him or her who is spiritually mature, experienced and called by God. Only he or she who’s prepared to face demons with the holiness of God Himself, who leads a godly and purified life, who confesses every conscious sin (1 Jn 1:9), who draws near to God and submits him/herself to Him (Pro. 18:10), who doesn’t even give the devil a foothold (Eph. 4:27) and has an intimate relationship with God through prayer and fasting (Mat. 17:21) is able to provide it. It’s not always necessary for a caregiver to be present. The Only One who can provide deliverance is Jesus Christ, who certainly is able to do it without the help of a caregiver!
Yet it should be recommended to cooperate as a team with other brothers and sisters who meet the above-mentioned conditions (e.g. in a local church), where also an assessment can take place of each other and every step that is to be taken. It is also recommended to have contacts with a Christian psychiatrist (who has insight in these matters), who can be consulted. Certainly in those cases where it’s about the difference in psychiatric diseases and demonism. Thus, hallucination also occurs in frequent and severe fasting, fierce stress, tortures, freezing death, being locked-up for a long time in dark rooms, etc.
Not all kinds of magic formulas or exorcism formulas have the power to break ties, but only the blood of the Lamb (Col. 2:13-15). Demons are expelled or exorcised by the Spirit of God (Mat. 12:28), by faith (Mat. 17:20), by praying and fasting (Mat. 17:21), by prayer (Mk 9:29), by God’s finger (Lk 11:20, cf. Exo. 8:19), by singing hymns (1 Sam. 16:23), by the Name of Jesus Christ (Mk 16:17) and by the power given by Jesus (Lk 10:19-20).
When it appears that there is unconfessed idolatry, superstition and/or occultism in your life, and you recognize many of the symptomatology mentioned, first read 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn 3:8 and Col. 2:13-15. “So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” (Jn 8:36; see also verses 31 and 32).
The way to a full redemption in Christ
1. DO YOU WANT TO BE FREE?
This is the question that Jesus asked a man at Bethesda. God doesn’t force anyone, in contrast to Satan who forces men and takes them in captivity. If bystanders only desire that a person be delivered, it is often not enough. Ultimately, this person will have to be WANTING to let himself be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Of course it is true that this willingness in those who are captured is initially very weak and “volatile”, but every path begins with appealing the willingness by the Holy Spirit and the Word. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. “So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” See Jn 8:31,32,36.
2. BIBLICAL INSTRUCTION
What does the Bible say about occultism? What are contemporary “modern” forms of occultism? Which religious and scientific manifestations are there that such a person has come into contact with? Connection and ignorance are certainly the polished weapons of Satan (Jer. 8:7b; Hos. 4:6). God’s Word is the only measure, the only mirror, the only light on our path (Ps. 119:105, 130; read your Bible prayerfully, (1Cor.15:34).
3. REGENERATION
Conversion and regeneration are absolute conditions for deliverance from demonic influences! Only in Christ these powers are conquered. He who is not in Christ, CANNOT be delivered. Sometimes it is very difficult to discern this in the deliverance ministry. Someone who desperately wants to be delivered, but doesn’t want to surrender his life to Jesus, will absolutely have no chance. Surely it is the indwelling Holy Spirit in a believer who, based on the blood of Christ, can cleanse.
4. SELF EXAMINATION
As it is said: forgetfulness about occult contacts in the past CAN be an occult symptom. Prayers in which the Holy Spirit is asked to bring in everything in that sense, is very urgent. Often it is better that there is a caregiver involved with above-mentioned qualities (Jn 11:44).
5. REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION
It is necessary that all occult contacts are mentioned and confessed one by one before God (1 Jn 1:9; Jam 5:16,19): a full confession of all contacts, also those that have happened in ignorance! Also collective guilt, e.g. by hereditary bondages (Exo. 20:5, 34:7; Num. 14:18; Lament. 5:7; Isa. 65:6,7; Jer. 2:8, 9:14, 16:10-23). Christ has ransomed us from inherited results and from unforgiven guilt of ancestors (1 Pet. 1:18,19). Likewise from collective guilt of a nation or church, family (Neh. 1:6, 9:16-37; Ezra 9; Dan. 9:16).
6. BREAKING AND PUTTING AWAY
All contacts with occultists must be radically broken, also as objects and literature concerned, they must be removed or be burned (Acts 19:19; Jude 23; Deu. 7:25, 13:12-18; Gen. 35:2-4; 2 Kgs 23:4, 20,24). Also letters, talismans or amulets are to be removed. This is the only way a person can convert from the devil and idols, to the Truthful God (Acts 14:15, 26:18; 1 Thess. 1:9). "One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, but one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion” (Pro. 28:13).
7. Areas
Only, when after the previous steps the bondage seems to be too strong, demons can be commanded in the name of Jesus to go out of the person in bondage (Mk 9:25). This has got nothing to do with charisma or apostolic signs!
8. RENOUNCING
In some situations a pact or an agreement has been made with Satan, or certain promises has been made and commitments has been made with occult persons, e.g. vows and promises at the death of a family member.
9. FAITH
Faith in the forgiveness and cleansing and the accomplished work of Jesus Christ (Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:13-15; 1 Jn. 1:7-9, 2:2, 3:8; Lk 7:48-50). After the previous steps, the person should also believe, based on God’s Word, that God will remember this sin of occultism no more (Ps. 103:3,12; Isa. 1:8, 43; 43:25; 44:22; Jer. 31:34; Micha 7:18 vv).
10. BUILDING UP THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
a) Satan will try to regain the lost territory. Therefore it is necessary to pay attention to the restoration and the healing of the man according to spirit, soul and body, both in his relationship with God and with his fellowmen.
b) A returning spirit is a real danger (Mat. 12:43-45). Building up the spiritual life by accepting the spiritual armor from Ephesians 6; especially by praying, Bible reading, contact with fellow believers and fellowship in a church.
Let your body, soul and spirit be at the service of God; which is the spiritual service and worship (Rom. 12:1-2). Serve the Truthful God with diligence (1 Thess. 1:9,10). Become a witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Pet. 2: 9, 3:15; Rom. 10:10).
“NOW MAY THE GOD OF PEACE HIMSELF SANCTIFY YOU ENTIRELY; AND MAY YOUR SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY BE KEPT COMPLETE, WITHOUT BLAME AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST” (1 THESS. 5:23).
by Gerard Feller
November 2008
Translated by Ursula Moestapa
Notes
· Cold reading by Char and other television psychics, written by Rob Nanning (www.skepsis.nl)
· Rowland, Ian (2002). The full facts book of cold reading London: Ian Rowland Limited
· J.Price, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Jan. 1976, cited in Koch OKkultes ABC p.295 v
· http://www.gerardlenting.nl/occultisme/Les-8.html