No substitutes, no additives

I heard a saying a few days ago; "If you don't believe in something, you will believe anything,".

I think that saying really resonates with my topic of choice for today.

I am reading through the book of Isaiah and I came across a verse in Chapter 8, it says this; "And when they say to you, 'Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,' should not a people inquire of their God?  Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?" (Isaiah 8:19).

A few months ago my wife was at a ladies church tea and overheard a conversation from some of the women who attend our church.  They were talking about their houses being haunted by ghosts and/or spirits. This trend is not uncommon, we always have debates in Youth Group about ghosts and haunting and such.

Frankly this whole argument makes me utterly sick to my stomach.  Not because I am afraid of ghosts, my view is quite the contrary.  I CANNOT believe that people who claim to follow Jesus would give any kind of credit, credence, or acknowledgement to such things.  I apologize but this is one of those subjects where I will get on my soap box and scream.  It is completely appalling to me to believe in ghosts, ghouls or haunting in any capacity.

Now that is not to say that there is no such thing as a Spirit real or world, if you like, the bible is clear that such a matter exists.  However let us look at this logically.  We humans are a Spirit with a body.  When the body stops working and we die, what happens to our Spirit.  The book of Hebrews says that it is appoint for every man to live once, then judgement.  The word judgement here is referring to how we spend eternity (spirit world after our bodily death).  We either spend eternity with God or apart from God, there is no other option.  So ghosts or spirits being on earth is impossible in that sense.

We know that in the Spiritual realm there are such things as angels and demons.  The bible makes it clear that demons try to pull us away from the truth of God's word and angels are sealed for God's work.  So following this logical patterns, angels can only do what God tells them but demons try and turn us away from God's truth.

So my question is why when something strange in our house happens we automatically think it must be a ghost and revel in such things.  When those women were talking they were eating up the stories that were being told.  That kind of talk and subject does not glorify God, quite the opposite!!

My point to this rambling is, if we are going to claim to believe in Jesus, let us believe in Jesus, 100%.  No additives, no other beliefs.  Belief in ghosts is a great way of ripping you away from the truth of God's word.

If you claim to believe in Jesus, believe in Jesus.  No substitutes, no additives.

John 14:15- "If you love me you will keep my commandments." Jesus speaking!

may our LORD be with you
Josh