Praying to Dead Saints or love one

Sunday, 1 November 2009

Praying to Dead Saints or love one

Do you know where you stand on the subject of speaking to the dead?

"Some 'Christian' denominations teach that you can pray to your loved ones or to saints who have died and that they will hear you. Hmm do they really? You may argue that you do not pray to them but talk to them only, so what wrong with that?

Someone with deep problem went to consult a pastor for support and guidance. Unsatisfied of the result, he left to visit his father's grave and spoke to him. I few days later his problem was resolve, everything turnout well. On all saint day, in his message, the pasture explained that there was nothing wrong with that.

This, usually happen when someone teaches the tradition of man instead of the doctrine of God. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ," Colossians 2:8.

In Deuteronomy, 18:10-11 teaches to stay away from medium and of consulting the dead. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead".

Now, you may retort by saying that he was not consulting a medium that he was talking to his decease dad. It only shows how much he misses his dad. You would tell me "What right do I have to judge him and why should I not leave him alone?" It is his grief and his problem.

Did you ever experience talking to a friend on a cell phone only to find out that the signal was cut off and you only notice it a few minutes later? All that time you were talking to nobody. This is actually what happen when you talk to the dead, there is no one listening. That is explained in Ecclesiastes 9:5 "For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten".

Now what proof do I have that the dead cannot help us or communicate with us? If you are not a Christian, outside from the word of God I have no proof to argue the contrary, but for a Christian who talks to love one decease, I have a few arguments.

What would be the purpose of a resurrection if the dead keep on living on the other side? So Christian did ask that question in 1 Corinthians 15:12 "Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" Please read the following commentary title, "The Resurrection Gospel."

There is a resurrection and this is the sequence on how it will happen. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

Source

You may argue that while they await for the resurrection nothing stopping them to help their close one still alive and you may argue that the dead saint intervene on our behalf, after all they are closer to God then us. By saying this, you are showing your doubt on the present of Jesus in your life. He is never too busy, and too tire to listen to you and to help you. Jesus continually invites us to rest in Him. It pleases Him that you trust Him and that you wait for Him.

Being saved by believing in Jesus does give us eternal life, yet the dead who are waiting for the resurrection have no power and no authority to help anyone.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." As a Christians, are we not called to trust in Him for all our needs? We are invited to be in fellowship with Him and the Father. That is the reason Jesus die for us, to close the gap (sin) that was separating us.

Jesus instructs us to stay away from those who intervene in our behalf and from those who encourage doing so. Leviticus 19:31 "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. God consider adultery those who talk to the dead." Leviticus 20:6 "And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people."

Source

Jesus does not want you to be deceived by false spirit as Saul was. Saul sought advice for a coming battle against his enemies. 1 Samuel 28:7 "Then Saul said to his servants, find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, in fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor."

Now again, you will argue, that the person who spoke to his decease father got his prayer answered since his entire problem went away. There is the proof that his dad heard him. This is the greatest deception. He was draw away from God instead of being draw closer to God. Satan is the one that causes the problem. That is Satan device. He wants to make man turn away from God. Isaiah 8:19 "And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?"

This man first seek advice from his pastor, and since the answer of his pastor was unsatisfied; he went to his decease father grave. Satan accomplishes his goal by taking away the problem that he had caused in the first place. This man is not any closer to God and to salvation.

Jesus describe Satan in this manner; John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." Revelation 12:9 "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

Do not talk to the dead, even the love one that you miss. Tell the Father in heaven that you miss them. Follow the real example of all the saints who are waiting for the resurrection, they trusted in Him and prayed to Him only. By the way, whoever believes in the One that God had sent are also considered saints. God sanctified you. He make you righteous in His present, you are therefore saint.

Make the right choice. Leviticus 20:6 "And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people."

Follow this link to know more: Spiritualism: Answering the Hard Questions