Psychic Friends or Spiritual Gifts?

Psychic Friends Are No Friends At All

Unclean spirits are happy to expose themselves through psychic connections. Many teenagers have not had the benefit of Messian discipleship, and, as a result of their innocent curiosity, have become terrorized by demons the rest of their lives.

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Charisma’s Bible Handbook on the Holy Spirit
Prayers for deliverance and cleansing

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Spiritual Housecleaning: Protect Your Home From Spiritual Pollution  Alice & Eddie Smith

 

Acts 16:16-18 (SEV) Once we were going to the place for prayer. A slave-girl met us. She had an evil spirit in her. This spirit gave her the power to tell what would happen in the future. By doing this, she earned a lot of money for the men who owned her.  17.  This girl followed Paul and us everywhere. She said loudly, “These men are servants of the Highest Elohim! They are telling you how you can be saved!’’ 18.  She continued doing this for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, “By the authority of Yahshua Messiah, I order you to come out of her!’”  At that moment, the spirit came out.  (This is read in the course of the message.)

 Prayer for Justification

 Now, Father Yahweh, I ask you to restore a right spirit within me.  I do invite and accept the spirit of Yahshua Messiah, your Son, my Savior and Master, into my being. And I ask you to fill all the empty places in my life with your Holy Spirit, that I might no longer sin against you. Thank you for saving me from the evil one. Thank you for delivering my soul.  Thank you for protecting my loved ones, my church and me.  Thank you for loving me despite myself. Now I praise you for all you have done for me this day.  In Yahshua’ precious name. Amen.

   Once upon a time I left the Lay Leader in charge of a Sunday night service to go into my office, which was in the church.  There I found two teenagers, members of the church, using my office phone.  I listen out of sight for a while to discover whom they were talking to.  To my horror I learned that these young men were using the church phone during worship hours to call their “psychic friends” network. One of the young men was the son of the Lay Leader, who was in charge of the service in the room next door.  The parents all thought it was cute; but such behavior, especially among church members and Messians, can bring serious consequences in the form of demonic attacks, targeting both the vulnerable church members, like children and the elderly folks.

   Perhaps like at no other time, people in the United States are interested in the supernatural. They find easy access to “the world beyond” through seemingly innocent practices like astrology, fortune telling, Ouija boards, séances, psychic connections, and role-playing games. Mardi Gras Coming is coming up next month, the ‘Christmas’ of the occult.  Already we see cashiers and clerks cursing themselves by wearing Mardi Gras necklaces, which are, in reality, Voodoo beads.  The attitude many have concerning these occult practices is that they can’t hurt; they might even help. Or, they’re “for entertainment purposes only.”  At any rate, they’re harmless. But their appearance of fun and innocence is a deception. The devilish realm of demons, ghosts, spirits and psychic delusions is real and really dangerous. There is an incredible amount of power in this evil realm. And the Bible concurs 100% with my opinion.

Psychic Connection in the Bible

   For instance, in 1 Samuel 28, Saul, the prophet of Yahweh and king of Israel, visits his “psychic friend,” the witch of Endor, commanding her to bring the prophet Samuel back from the dead so that Saul can get advice about his future.

The psychic witch tells Saul she sees “a spirit rising from out of the ground.” This demon possesses her, and it begins to speak to Saul through her mouth. The evil spirit, who is not Samuel but identifies itself with him, says, “Saul, tomorrow you will be with me in hell.” By defying Elohim and going to a psychic, Saul opened himself up to a demon of death name Samuel. He is so fearful that he fulfills the evil spirit’s prophecy himself. He takes his entire family into an ambush the next day and every member save one is killed. The moral of this Bible parable is that evil will surely befall a believer who utilizes demonic power.

   St. Luke writes about an encounter he and St. Paul had with a demon possessed psychic in Greece in Acts 16:16-18:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling. This girl followed St. Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High Elohim, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally St. Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Yahshua Messiah I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

No matter what they may say (and many say their power comes from “God,” whoever that is), psychics derive their power from evil spirits masquerading as their friends.  When St. Paul cast the evil spirit out of the slave girl, she no longer could tell the future. This infuriated her masters, who had made big money with her power. And now just as then, psychics and astrologers use demonic powers to prey on the pocketbooks of the perplexed. When a believer uses a psychic, a witch or a spell, Yahweh’s protection is made null; a spiritual door opens right up for the entry of demonic forces.

Occult Practices Forbidden

   The Bible states clearly that all occult practices originate with the devil.  For their own protection and the protection of their churches, such things are not allowed.  People who dabble in astrology, card reading, the voodoo of Mardi Gras or psychic phenomena, link themselves with evil spirits. Such involvement always without exception leads to demonic oppression, sometimes to possession, and occasionally to the loss of one’s salvation.

   Occult practices are strictly forbidden in the Bible:

Deuteronomy 18:10-13 (JHS) There must not be found anyone among you who sacrifices children, tells fortunes, interprets signs, hypnotizes, is a witch, casts spells, channels spirits, or is a medium, or one who consults the dead. For anyone who does these things is detestable to Yahweh, and anyone who does these detestable practices the Yahweh will drive out....

Occult practices are detestable because they originate in idolatry -- the worshiping of demons.  To go to demons is a betrayal of the one who saves you.  You think you may crucify him again, but his mercy will only extend so far.  In the spiritual realm, it compares to leaving the comfortable, clean heavenly home to moving in with swine in a filthy, manure-filled sty. Although we were created to live in the cleanliness of godliness, instead some choose to leave to wallow in filth. This is why occult practitioners are “detestable” in Yahweh’s sight; the unclean enemy controls them. Heavenly children must never seek direction from the unclean. If we do, we commit mortal sin, deadly to the spirit, unhealthy to the body, jeopardizing our eternal life. As St. Paul so rightly stated, “You can not eat at the table of Elohim and at the table of demons.”  No one gets away with it.  Who would want to try?

Experimenting in the Occult

   Unclean spirits are happy to expose themselves through psychic connections. Many teenagers have not had the benefit of Messian discipleship, and, as a result of their innocent curiosity, have become terrorized by demons the rest of their lives.

   Psychologist Ken Olson recounts a conversation he had with a fourteen-year-old experimenter:

One day I wanted to see if I could conjure up a demon from the earth, so I made a circle in my back yard. I started chanting, commanding a demon to appear. It worked! A huge demon appeared in the circle and I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do with him. I believe now I have demons in me and I’m really scared.

Notice how innocent the play seems and how serious the consequences. The boy felt that he was invaded by demons, and it turned out that he was. And just a few words led to his oppression.

   When I was seventeen, I had a similar experience. I was a Messian, but went to Chicago on a visit and bought a book called The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft in an occult bookshop. I read about all the demons, including one named Asmodeus that manifested as a large, black dog with shining white teeth. Soon after I was awakened one night when Asmodeus ran into my bedroom and jumped on the bed.  The demon was masquerading as a huge, foul black dog.  The demon howled and jumped on top of me in the bed.  It drew its evil face with its shining teeth close to mine. I could smell it’s horrid breath.  Like the other boy, I was terrified, but I knew enough to command it out by the blood of Yahshua Messiah. Asmodeus fled at the very mention of Yahshua’ blood, tail between its legs. I wasn’t dreaming. The next day, I burned that witchcraft book, because, though only paper and ink, it originated in ungodly power. 

Astrology and Witchcraft

   Many newspapers and magazines today run astrology columns. In every phone book, there is a publisher-sponsored phone number to get a free astrological reading. Practicing astrology in the form offered today leads to demonic oppression, fear, physical illness, and loss of eternal security. This is because astrology and horoscopes originate in the worship of angels. In the ancient world, it was believed that stars in the zodiac (zohar) were alive and ruled the universe. Stars were worshipped as gods.

   St. Paul refers to astrology as “the worship of angels,” and warns against consulting astrologers:

Do not let anyone who delights in ... the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions (Col 2:18).

The prize that may be lost is eternal life. Is it worth it?

   Organized witchcraft and Satanism has been a bane to believers and has destroyed churches.  Witch covens and satanic groups are very organized and widespread these days, and their mission is to destroy churches and members.  Aside from praying to Satan against local churches, placing curses and harassing members, covens will often send a witch or warlock into the church to become an active member, and thus begin the process of destroying the church from within.  I have personally known several such ‘plants’ in the church.  If I’ve of their secret membership, then I shudder to think of the number who goes unnoticed within the congregations of our churches, disrupting and destroying.

Video Games

   Children, teens and some adults are enthralled with video games.  Some of these are very addictive.  Many of the more popular games are either centered around warfare or occult fantasy worlds.  Some games are specifically written to addict the player to the fantasy world created in the game.  These worlds are very realistic and full of demonic creatures and graphic violence.  I’m not saying that playing video games is wrong at all.  What I am saying is that after hours in front of the screen in the game, it will install itself in the player’s subconscious, and he won’t be able to get away from it anymore.

   An adult I know was so addicted to computer video games that he told me he could no longer get away from the evil characters in the game.  They had installed themselves in his mind and now every time he shut his eyes he would graphically see these fiends coming after him.  He saw the game play out on the backs of his eyelids when he went to bed and he dreamed that he was in the game just about every night.  He was trapped.

   Fortunately, there is relief from this kind of oppression.  Unfortunately, for this generation, these games have become the same pacifier and surrogate that television was for my generation.  The difference is that video games are interactive and television is not.  One can become influenced by their supernatural pull much, much quicker.

Holidays of the Occult

   There is another strong influence for the occult that seems very innocent and in which many people are involved: occult holidays: I’m primarily speaking of Halloween and Mardi Gras.  Messians who participate in these holidays must not be aware of the quantity of prayer Satanists devote to them during these seasons, else they would give them up. 

   Mardi Gras has become more and more popular through the south.  Some think that Fat Tuesday is a Messian holiday because it precedes Ash Wednesday, but it always has been a voodoo festival.  The object of voodoo worship is to open one’s self up to evil spirits so that worshipers can appropriate their power to get what they want, no matter whom they hurt.  Traditionally during Mardi Gras, worshipers of evil spirits drink, take drugs, have wild parties, dance and do unmentionable things in order to open themselves up.  They have parades with ‘floats’ to attract the evil spirits connected with what the float represents.  Individuals wear beads to attract the demons from the floats.  During the Mardi Gras season, while Messians are having fun at parades, catching beads and moon pies from drunken men and women in “mystic societies,” Satanists the world over are praying for our downfall.

Elohim Gave Us Spiritual Resources

   Are we then as believers forbidden to use supernatural power?  The answer is no!  Although Yahweh’s law forbids we use the powers of darkness, he has provided us with supernatural access and knowledge through the authority of his Son, Yahshua Messiah. We can become qualified to use his spiritual resources to overcome every evil, including fear of the future. The experience the Bible calls “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” is the portal to his arsenal.  A listing of the ten (not nine) supernatural resources is found in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. They are:

1. Wisdom - inspired insight into any situation;

2. Knowledge - knowing things you’ve never learned;

3. Faith - believing for every need;

4. Healing - curing diseased or broken bodies;

5. Miraculous powers - ability to suspend natural laws;

6. Prophesy - inspired speaking;

7. Knowing spirits - being able to discern intentions;

8. Tongues - speaking languages never learned;

9. Interpretation - understanding languages never learned; and,

10. Love - empathy toward all and charity for the needy.

In the next few messages, we will be exploring these wonderful resources, beginning with the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and its fruit. There will be opportunities to receive these gifts and graces, and teaching as to how we can use them for the sake of righteousness and holiness.

Seeking Answers from the Occult

   Having been provided such incredible powers, why would anyone who belongs to the Holy Spirit want to seek the spiritual power or experience from the adversary?  Because such is the broad way that leads to destruction.  Once one is involved with the occult and has opened themselves to devilish powers, it is impossible to get free without a miracle of grace.  Father understands if somebody seeks answers from the occult if they don’t know it’s forbidden.  But woe to those who, despite knowing His goodness, seek what’s evil.  The letter to the Hebrews speaks of these poor folks:

It is impossible for those who have once ... tasted the goodness of the word of Elohim and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because ... they are crucifying the Son of Elohim all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

   The writer isn’t speaking here of simply backsliding, he means to warn those who are dabbling in “the powers” of occult spirituality.  The believer who knowingly uses occult methods is testing Father’s mercy and crucifying Yahshua again.  Church members who work in the occult bring down evil upon the entire congregation.  When these teens, who were active church members, contacted their psychic friends on the church phone, they brought a backlash upon the church from which members still haven’t recovered.

Renouncing

   If we are to be overcomers, we become such as the Bible teaches, not by the slippery slope of the “New Age” or occult practices.  Yahshua came to destroy such things.  And he can destroy them through you.  When people become believers in the Father through the life of Yahshua, they may renounce the enemy openly then invite the Holy Spirit in to clean up the mess.  The Holy Spirit will destroy all the power of the enemy, if the believer will allow it.  The Holy Spirit will never usurp the authority of one’s free will, but when one gives over her will to the Clean Spirit, foul spirit and their residue are vanquished.

   We are to be agents of this kind of ‘deliverance.’  We are to acquire the spiritual power of Yashua so that we can open prison doors and set captives free like he did.  Through us, Yahshua may yet bring goodness and order to a world corrupted by occult powers. We have a serious responsibility to the Creator and the creation:

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of Elohim to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of Elohim. (Romans 8:19-21)

   If you have been involved in seeking wisdom from astrology, fortune telling, role-playing games, psychic phenomena, tarot cards, Ouija boards, palmistry, roots or leaves, séances, channeling, spiritism, witchcraft, casting spells, Satanism, ritual abuse, demonic games, voodoo, or any of the so-called New Age Religions at any time in your life, whether you were a willing party or not, you must renounce these practices and the devils that operate them, and ask Elohim to forgive you and restore wholly.

  We can’t qualify for The Holy Spirit’s resources unless we’re done with evil. If you have been involved in the occult, then you must seek now to get out, get free and get clean. We are now going to pray that the Lord free you, deliver you from oppression, and restore you to righteousness.  {See Spiritual Prayers}

Prayer for Freedom

   Father Almighty and All Powerful, Yahweh Elohim, today I confess my interest and involvement in the occult. I realize now that I have been involved with demonic and unclean spirits who have deceived me, stolen from me, and blinded me. Yet I know that you are greater than all these powers that oppress me.  I call upon you now to deliver me from any and all bondage to the devil and his devices.  I thank you for the authority through Messiah Yahshua to be the agent in my own deliverance.

   This day I renounce any and all involvement in occult practices, false religions or psychic phenomena.  I break any curse that has come upon me through my own dealings in the occult, or any dealings of my ancestors.  I cut any ties to the dark world of the devil with the sword of the Spirit. I plead the blood of Yahshua over me and over my house, that we might be protected from the revenge of Satan. 

Prayer for Protection

   Father Yahweh, I ask you to protect my family [or mention names] from sickness, from all harm and from accidents.  If any have been subjected to curses, hexes or spells, I declare these curses, hexes or spells null and void in the name of Yahshua Messiah (or Yahshua Messiah).  If any evil spirits have been sent out against us, I decommission you in the name of Yahshua Messiah and I send you be his authority into the underworld pit.  Then, Father, I ask you to send your holy angels to guard and protect all of us.  Through Yahshua our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

Cleansing Prayer

   Father, I thank you for sharing with me your wonderful ministry of healing and deliverance.  Thank you for the healings of the past and those I have experienced today.  But I realize that the sickness and evil I encounter are more than my humanity can bear.  So cleanse me of any sadness, negativity, residue or despair that I may have picked up.

   If my ministry has tempted me to anger, impatience or lust, cleanse me of those temptations and replace them with love, joy and peace.  If any evil spirits have attached themselves to me or oppress me in any way, I command you, spirits of earth, air, fire or water, of the netherworld or of nature, to depart now and go straight to Yahshua Messiah, for him to deal with as he will.

   Come, Holy Spirit, renew me, fill me anew with your power, love and joy.  Strengthen me where I have felt weak and clothe me with your light.  Fill me with life.

   And Father, through the Lord Yahshua Messiah, please send your holy angels to minister to me and my family, and to guard and protect us from all sickness, harm and accidents (and guard me on a safe tripe home, and grant us a peaceful night’s rest).

   I praise you now and forever, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amein. 

 July 19, 1992: January 12, 2002; May 1, 2004