Joshua’s Cape Rants, raves and insights from the kid who loved his cape.

Friend or Foe?

I listen to AM radio at night. Not during the day - I don't care for political commentary. I like the weird stuff that comes on at night. The shows about the paranormal and aliens and anything weird that well-adjusted adults don't want to hear on their way home from work.

I was listening to a show with a 'medium' on it the other night, and it got me thinking.

The Cat-Missile is ALWAYS foe.

When I pray, particularly over groups, very occasionally I will get an impression from the Holy Spirit that something very specific needs to be addressed. Usually, if I'm not obedient to that, it eats me up, and I feel like someone missed out on something because of me. When I'm obedient to it, it is indeed powerful. People will recognize a specific message directed to them and huge bounds can be made in the midst of corporate prayer.

This 'medium,' as he calls himself, takes calls and 'connects' with people's dead relatives. Now, he doesn't do it on request, that is to say, if you call him and say 'Hi. Can I talk to Grandpa Joe?' he can't do that. Grandpa Joe may however choose to 'come through' [to use his vernacular.] As I was listening to this, several parallels drew in my mind.

1. The way the Holy Spirit speaks during prayer can (if abused and not respected) be said to imitate 'clairvoyance.'

2. God used a medium at least once in the Bible to scare the bones out of someone. (more on that in a moment)

3. It would be painfully easy for a 'spiritual' Christian to buy into this phenomena that is peddled by radio and TV hosts.

Which brings me to the title of this post. Friend or Foe?

In 1 Samuel 28, Saul has kicked all of the mediums and spiritists out of the land. So he called for a medium to be brought to him. I find this to be one of the most comical scenes in all of the Old Testament. Saul calls for this medium, and she knows that Saul himself has banished all of her kind from the land. Saul is all dressed up in a disguise, so she doesn't know its him. She makes him swear an oath that she won't get in trouble, then asks who he wants to see. Then it gets good.

11 Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"       "Bring up Samuel," he said.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
13 The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?"       The woman said, "I see a spirit [a] coming up out of the ground."
14 "What does he look like?" he asked.       "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said.       Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
15 Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"       "I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."
16 Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. 19 The LORD will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."

This straight up freaks the medium out. She was NOT expecting to pull up Samuel and have him talk to Saul. I'd imagine she was gonna pull something very generic out of her little crystal ball and send Saul on his way. Then she gets handed this.

This is one of my favorite stories in the whole Bible for two reasons.

It's hilarious.

Anyone who reads this story and doesn't think God has a sense of humor afterward clearly wasn't paying attention. Here you have God using the very thing this medium pretends to do scaring the living curdles out of her. (I think I just coined a new phrase. 'Scared the curdles out of her.' Feel free to use that.) This proves that she really hasn't ever had a genuine experience with this stuff, and that she was basically stealing people's money.

It's real.

There is genuine fear, and genuine power in the Holy Spirit shown here. This is a real, tangible experience Saul and this medium had. We don't really know what happened to the medium after this, but I believe that things changed for her dramatically.

I also believe however, that the impressions she 'got' from 'spirits' were real to her. And this is where the danger lies, and hopefully where this post comes together to a point.

The guy on the radio genuinely believes he's helping people. He really believes this is happening. To him he isn't pulling vague words out of the air, he is genuinely in contact with spirits.

Is he?

No.

At least, not with the spirit of Grandpa Joe. Friend or foe? That's the question. Who is he talking to out there? Grandpa Joe, or one of satan's demons, tasked with confusing and consternating otherwise Godly individuals?

Sounds dramatic huh? It is. It isn't drama for the sake of drama, however. When the door to these kinds of things is opened, (pardon the expression) all hell can break loose. It only takes one little invitation for things to start happening.

So really, what's my point here?

Be careful.

If you give the Enemy an inch, he'll take a mile. Constantly check your perception. Where are you looking for comfort? In the ethereal voice of Grandpa Joe, channeled from beyond the grave, or in your Heavenly Father?

When you feel guided to give advice, or lead someone, check yourself. Is it Biblical? Does it line up with what Jesus spoke and what His word speaks?

If you don't bother to check, you can't know who's on the other end of your inspiration.

Friend, or foe.