J____,

This is an email I received that I wonder if it is scripturally correct:

It is called “experience.” These diviners, psychics, discerners, so called witches and what have you have been doing what they do for so long that they already know what the average person goes through in life. They are just like preachers. They become so good at what they do, that after a while everything is an automatic thing for them. Most of these ‘psychics’ have dealt with so many similar guess work in people’s lives, that they pretty go on the information given to them by those who seek them for help.

I once called a psychics 1-800 number and I was asked by the woman: “What is your name?” I responded with: “You’re the psychic, you tell me.” Also, people who claim that God showed them something about someone, like a psychic, they usually gather information from the person before they go into their power of suggestion guess work. They need to do a little fishing before they hook the person and sucker them mentally into believing that they actually received a revelation from a spirit or the Spirit about what’s going on in the life of that person.

Interesting enough, a lot of these so called diviners charge you money for what they do, but they never really have a solution for your ongoing problem. So what they recommend is that the person keeps coming back for more sessions, and what the person doesn’t realize is that they are not only wasting their money, but they are also being affected emotionally and fear begins to develop that much more in their lives to the point that later on they end up seeking professional help or spiritual help because they think they have a spirit or some voodoo may have been put on them.

Anyway, I can go on and on about this. But from the stand point of a religious experience, those who claim that they have the gift of discerning of spirits and believe that God or the Holy Spirit is always showing them something about other people, are no different from many of these other psychics and what have you. It is all about suspicion, trying to mind other people’s business, guess work and the power of suggestion. 2Co 10:3-6. The Holy Spirit is always showing me things about people, and this are some of the many things that He shows me. Are you ready to read what He shows me?

The Holy Spirit shows me that because Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, that in God’s eyes everyone is righteous, holy, without spot, blemish, nor wrinkle. Regardless of the condition of a person, their position in Christ does not change in God’s eyes. People may continue to do crazy things, belong to weird things and be the most evil person on the face of the earth, yet as far as God is concerned, Jesus died for them all. Now, compared what God thinks about you and knows about you, to any of the things that all of these so called psychics, diviners, witches and religious discerners full of guess- work tell people?

There is no comparison. In fact, you will find more peace of mind in what God knows about you and Jesus thinks about you and the Holy Spirit has already revealed to you, than putting any stock in all the divination religious trash that these groups continue to boast about and brag about. Thank God for the grace of God. For if it weren’t for God’s grace, the law of Moses commands that witches, diviners and what have you, all be stoned to death. Like preachers and other religious nuts, all of these groups of people are after your money, mind control and making a name for themselves. Paul said: believe them”. For whatever the mind believes, the mind conceives (gives birth to).

Just simply keep believing that no matter what anyone thinks about you, says about you, guesses about you and thinks they see in you, what really matters is what God has already declared of you, thinks of you and how much He unconditionally loves you. For where sin abounded and where psychics, diviners, discerners, witches and preachers abound, GRACE ABOUNDS THAT MUCH MORE! Now, that is something to be all psyched out about. Don’t you think? It doesn’t get any better than this. Whenever I get one of these so called and self promoted psychics, diviners, spiritualists, new age or old age, puffed up in their imaginations, jokers, telling me what they see in me, I just let them know what God sees and thinks about them.

“You are holy, righteous, completed in Christ, full of grace and peace. Without spot, blemish nor wrinkle. A high priest before God. A child of glory. Full of grace and mercy. Unconditionally loved and forever residing in the presence of God’s goodness and forgiveness. You were created for Him and you are in Him, and He proved Himself when He cried out on the cross IT IS FINISHED! The guess work and divination is over. God had the final say so and the final guess work, and there’s only one thing that He now discerns about everyone…

“It is Christ, Minus You, Plus Nothing.” Thank You Jesus! It is Finished! God only see the good in us all. Do you believe that?

Grace N Peace

E____

Hi again J___,

I read E____’s e- mail. While he is certainly on the right track so far as the psychics are concerned, he fits right in with Carlton Pearson and his ‘Christ did it all for you’ crowd, when it comes to his understanding of ‘grace.’

According to him there is no pressing need to make any change in your lifestyle after you come to know Christ.

“The Holy Spirit is always showing me things about people, and this are some of the many things that He shows me. Are you ready to read what He shows me? The Holy Spirit shows me that because Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, that in God’s eyes everyone is righteous, holy, without spot, blemish, nor wrinkle. Regardless of the condition of a person, their position in Christ does not change in God’s eyes. People may continue to do crazy things, belong to weird things and be the most evil person on the face of the earth, yet as far as God is concerned, Jesus died for them all.”

That is exactly what Jude was talking about when he mentioned “turning the grace of God into lasciviousness .”

Jdg 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

When you deny that Christ changes your life, you are denying Christ! Christ makes us “free from sin.” He does not make us ‘free to sin.’

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [ in the likeness] of [ his] resurrection: Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Rom 6:7 For he that is dead [ to sin] is freed from sin.

I do not know E____. I imagine that if I were to meet him I would enjoy his fellowship as long as we did not discuss the purpose and function of grace. But I discern a spirit of lasciviousness in E____. It comes right from his own mouth:

“… in God’s eyes everyone is righteous, holy, without spot, blemish, nor wrinkle. Regardless of the condition of a person, their position in Christ does not change in God’s eyes. People may continue to do crazy things, belong to weird things and be the most evil person on the face of the earth, yet as far as God is concerned, Jesus died for them all.”

Are these not the very words of Korah just before the earth opened its mouth and swallowed him and all that pertained to him?

Num 16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took [ men]:
Num 16:2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
Num 16:3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, [ Ye take] too much upon you, seeing all the congregation [ are] holy, every one of them, and the LORD [ is] among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

It is the same today. Anyone who as I do, points to Tit 2:10-12 and exhorts his fellow Christians to “forsake ungodliness and live godly lives in this present world” is accused of self- righteousness and trying to ‘earn his own salvation.’

Isn’t it interesting that the same people who tell you that you cannot take credit for the fact that you believe in Christ, cannot see that neither can you take credit for the “good works that He hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

I am grateful that you seem to see through this most insidious lie about what ‘grace’ is and what it does in the life of the believer.

Now lets put a little scriptural meat on E____’s teaching about psychics.

Exo 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Isa 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because[ there is no light in them.

Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Deu 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
Deu 18:14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

Here is the best scripture of all on these matters:

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

The only way you can detect a false prophet is to be familiar with the word of God.

I am not familiar with the ‘Gospel Of Grace Ministries.’ If they believe that the book of Revelation was fulfilled in 70 A. D., they simply do not know the Christ or His Word which “is, was and will be.” As I have said before, Preterists know only one third of the Christ of the book of Revelation.

I hope this has answered your questions,

Mike