I Ain't Afraid Of No Ghost!

By: Min. Angela Lee Price

There's something strange happening in the 'hood.  Who you gonna call?  Ghostbusters!  Well, not so fast! You might want to try Jesus first.  He ain't afraid of joblessness, high crime rates, low graduation rates, abandoned buildings, and He ain't afraid of no ghosts, either!  The only other time I recall blogging about "ghosts" was in the 2007 post, Imus and The Ghost of Racism On Jesus Saves Live.  Racism still haunts us, that's for sure, but today, I want to blog about so-called "real" ghosts, the one's that are "earth bound" and haven't "crossed over to the other side," at least that's how it was explained to me on the television show, Medium the other day.   

My church sent me and several staff members to an all-day conference about a month ago at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  I took a class listed under the evangelism tract on New Age Spirituality.  The instructor Don Metcalf was teaching a class later in the day on Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal that I could not attend.  I asked him if he would share the course material and he did.  I was surprised to discover that there are over 40 different ghost hunting groups in Kentucky.  There is a popular tourist site right here in Louisville that is supposedly haunted called Waverly Hills Sanitorium.  Check out Don Metcalf's website, http://www.biblical-discernment.com/.  

The following links are from a nifty website called GotQuestions.org. I pray you will take the time to peruse these one-page fact sheets on ghosts and related topics so that you will become better eqipped to defend the faith.  More Christians, it seems, believe in ghost and the paranormal due to all the ghost hunting shows on television, and in the movies and because they just don't know what the Word of God says about this subject.  My bible tells me, absent from the body is present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).  I ain't afraid of no ghosts either.

What does the Bible say about ghosts / hauntings?

Answer: Is there such a thing as ghosts? The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.” If the term means “spirit beings,” the answer is a qualified “yes.” If the term means “spirits of people who have died,” the answer is “no.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt” the living.

Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” That is what happens to a person’s soul-spirit after death—judgment. The result of this judgment is heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23) and hell for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). There is no in-between. There is no possibility of remaining on earth in spirit form as a “ghost.” If there are such things as ghosts, according to the Bible, they absolutely cannot be the disembodied spirits of deceased human beings.

The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings who can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess.

The closest biblical example of a “haunting” is found in Mark 5:1-20. A legion of demons possessed a man and used the man to haunt a graveyard. There were no ghosts involved. It was a case of a normal person being controlled by demons to terrorize the people of that area. Demons only seek to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). They will do anything within their power to deceive people, to lead people away from God. This is very likely the explanation of “ghostly” activity today. Whether it is called a ghost, a ghoul, or a poltergeist, if there is genuine evil spiritual activity occurring, it is the work of demons.

What about instances in which “ghosts” act in “positive” ways? What about psychics who claim to summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them? Again, it is crucial to remember that the goal of demons is to deceive. If the result is that people trust in a psychic instead of God, a demon will be more than willing to reveal true information. Even good and true information, if from a source with evil motives, can be used to mislead, corrupt, and destroy.

Interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost-hunters,” who for a price will rid your home of ghosts. Psychics, séances, tarot cards, and mediums are increasingly considered normal. Human beings are innately aware of the spiritual world. Sadly, instead of seeking the truth about the spirit world by communing with God and studying His Word, many people allow themselves to be led astray by the spirit world. The demons surely laugh at the spiritual mass-deception that exists in the world today.

Recommended Resource: The Truth Behind Ghosts, Mediums, and Psychic Phenomena by Ron Rhodes.

Did the witch of Endor really summon Samuel from the dead (1 Samuel 28:7-20)?What does the Bible say about praying for the dead?
What does the Bible say about praying to / speaking to the dead?
What does the Bible say about channeling?

Source:  GotQuestions.org Home

 Remember, it is not Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves.  Jesus saves!