Just this past week I was teaching a Bible study, addressing various trends in our culture.  One of these trends is the prevalence of the occult.  We are a society beguiled and fascinated with witchcraft, sorcery, vampires, ghosts, zombies, paranormal powers and psychic phenomena.  This is a very perilous trend.  The Bible is explicit in its condemnation of all forms of the occult belief and practice.  There are scores of verses that address this matter.  The most comprehensive is found in Deuteronomy 18:9-14.  Here God expressly forbids His people from any involvement in the occult.

After my lesson was over, a lady came up to talk to me.  She was very concerned about a friend.  Her friend is an elderly woman who is a devout Christian believer, and has served the Lord for many years.  However, she has begun experiencing a new kind of spiritual experience.  This woman claims that the spirits of dead people have been visiting her, and communicating with her on a regular basis.  She talks with them, and they relay all sorts of information to her.  Indeed, in this woman’s neighborhood she has become somewhat of a celebrity because of this.  Someone loses their keys, they consult her—and she asks some spirit to reveal the keys’ whereabouts.  Someone has a problem, the spirits give counsel and advice through their matronly channel.  The woman has become the resident local medium for all sorts of help from the spirit world. Continue reading →