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A question derived from one of ray's papers.
skydreamers:
In 1Samuel 28, Saul seeks out a medium to bring up Samuel from the dead, which she does. Now since the rest of scripture shows that the dead are sleeping in the ground, and are indeed dead, then the source of the apparition must have been of the supernatural, specifically the darker powers. The scripture here doesn't specifically say this is sorcery or witchcraft, but to be consorting with a "familiar spirit" was just as much forbidden. It all comes from the same dark source.
So I think that this event in Samuel is more proof that the existence of sorcery is real, that the darker powers can be used to manifest strange things in our realm. I wouldn't want to mess with it.
Peace,
Diana
Deborah-Leigh:
God uses Satan over the nations as He wills Satan to will, not as Satan himself “free wills.” God uses the nations themselves to will as He wills the nations to will, not as the nations themselves “free will.” If we are to believe the Scriptures rather than the heresy of men, where does Satan or any of the nations possess “free will?” LOF Part 15C
Only God can use evil for good. Can any man use evil, RANK STARK EVIL, for good? I don't think so.
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
Kat:
Hi Arcturus,
As you brought out, it is Satan whom God uses by His will/purpose in this present evil age. Mankind is so nieve in what they do, thinking they have a 'free will' in using the power of evil (magic-sorcery) for their benefit. Jesus said that satan wanted to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31), I think that is happening to a lot of people.
1John 3:8 He who practices sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might undo the works of the Devil.
Here this from Ray's no. 2 paper in LOF series. It goes into how Satan is working in this world, I think magic and sorcery is one of man's (with satan's help) ways of going against God, as He intends them to do.
http://bible-truths.com/lake2.html ------------------------------------------------------------
And so it is that neither man nor Satan can do anything contrary to the intention of God. God has a will that includes a final destiny of total perfection of His whole creation. God has set man and Satan (his very name means adversary) AGAINST HIS OWN WILL for a period of time. But during this period when everyone goes against God’s will, God INTENDS them to do so. And when God no longer "intends" for there to be any more adversaries or enemies opposing Him or His will, He will remove all such opposition (See I Cor. 15:21-28). ALL OF GOD’S WILL, WILL THEN BE DONE!
You are of your FATHER the DEVIL [the GREAT DRAGON, OLD SERPENT, the DEVIL, and SATAN {Hebrew for Adversary -- I Pet. 5:8} Rev. 12:9], and the lusts of your father ye will do... He was a murderer FROM THE BEGINNING, and abode not in the truth [from the beginning], because there is no truth in him [from the beginning]. When he speakes a lie, he speakes of his own: for he is a liar [from the beginning], and the father [the beginner] of it" (John 8:44).
"Now the SERPENT was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD GOD had MADE..." (Gen. 3:1) God "made" this serpent which TALKED with Eve as an articulate, intelligent, creature. Satan did not possess this serpent of the field, Satan was this serpent! Satan doesn’t possess snakes! Satan himself was CREATED A SERPENT. Even Paul acknowledges that it was "the SERPENT" that deluded Eve, and not some other creature possessing a snake (II Cor. 11:3).
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between THY SEED and her seed, it shall bruise thy heel, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15).
This serpent that shall bruise the heel of Eve’s seed (singular seed -- Christ) is clearly Satan the Devil who also has seed, "thy seed." Jesus said, "Your are of your father the Devil...?" (John 8:44). Satan the Devil has "seed"; he is a "father": a father has children and followers of like nature. No literal snake ever produced a seed that bruised the heel of Jesus. Snakes do not "eat dust" but Satan dines on mankind "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour [Greek: (lit. or fig.) gulp entirely, swallow up] I Pet. 5:8). And he seeks to devour mankind who are "dust" of the earth ("...for dust thou art...." Gen. 3:19).
"By HIS SPIRIT He hath garnished the heavens; his HAND has FORMED THE CROOKED SERPENT" (Job 26:13). God garnished the heavens by His SPIRIT, because they are a thing of great glory, beauty, and splendor. But the crooked SERPENT God formed by His "hand" -- at ARMS LENGTH. Thus indicating it was something necessary, but not of His HEART AND SPIRIT! Satan is called "the crooked serpent." This word crooked comes from a Hebrew word that is not translated "crooked" anywhere else in the Bible. The word in Hebrew is bariach, and it means "a fugitive," Strong’s #1281. And "fugitive" is from the Hebrew word nuwa, Strong’s #5128, among its several meanings are: "to [go] up and down," and "to and fro," and to "sift." Remember that God names things according to what they are and what they do:
(A) "And the LORD [is this a high enough authority for everyone?] Said unto SATAN [not a heretofore archangel], Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, ‘From going TO AND FRO in the earth, and from walking UP AND DOWN in it" (Job. 1:7 and 2:2).
It is the "crooked [fugitive] SERPENT" SATAN who goes "TO AND FRO" and "UP AND DOWN" in the earth! God created Satan for this purpose.
(B) "And the LORD said [is this a high enough authority for everyone?], Simon, Simon, behold, SATAN [not a heretofore archangel] hath desired to have you, that he may SIFT you as wheat" (Luke 22:31).
It is the "crooked [fugitive] SERPENT" SATAN who "SIFTS" men like wheat! God created Satan for this purpose.
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mercy, peace, and love
Kat
DuluthGA:
To Gudazdead and Sorin, to clarify my position, ALL evil is given from God. It is real to the extent that God gives it to be real, to include witchcraft, etc., etc. I didn't list at least 17 verses from the Word of God in my previous post regarding God and His evil if it wasn't REAL/ACTUAL/DOES EXIST per Him. I suggest you copy and paste them and print them out and stick them somewhere where you will access them readily.
I didn't mean to make light of it by siting a children's art book that tells a picture story of how this might have come to pass in fictional terms. [This book, easily flipped through in ten minutes is still a great tool for presenting God's sovereignty and that He WILL save all to reach those who are not ready to hear scriptures.]
But I still ain't afraid of no "ghosts" (there ain't none, period) or evil because... well, just because... it would be really silly at my station in life... very silly. ;D [The One Who is in me is greater and has already conquered the world, 1John 4: 4] ;)
With love, Janice
Deborah-Leigh:
Hi Kat
Thank you for the addition. What you say : Jesus said that satan wanted to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31), I think that is happening to a lot of people.
For me it follows that Satan buffets too! If we consider the teachings from Ray’s – PAULS Splinter in the flesh http://bible-truths.com/splinter.html This teaching makes it pretty real!
Janice : I found this explanation on the web that further clarifies what is real and what is not. I have taken the liberty to edit out the ideas in the text that do not align with what we understand here in BT. Also if you read the teaching through Ray on just what was the splinter in the flesh of Paul, you might reconsider your views. ;D
From the web on familiar spirits I quote:
Question: "What are familiar spirits?"
Answer: The term familiar refers to a relational aspect of association--servitude. In the Old Testament we find that familiar spirits are mentioned more than a few times: Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; 1 Samuel 28:7-9; 2 Kings 21:6, 23:24; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Isaiah 8:19, 19:3, 29:4. A familiar spirit, then, is a demon who identifies itself with another person. We also see similar demon-human relationships in the New Testament: Matthew 9:32, 12:43-45, 15:22, 17:15-18; Mark 5:1-20, 9:17-26; Acts 16:16-18, 19:15-16; 1 Timothy 4:1.
In the above mentioned verses, the Bible speaks very clearly regarding familiar spirits. They are demons…..They use people to spread lies and deceit,………. Knowingly opening oneself to the work of demons is an evil thing: "For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is an object of horror and disgust to the LORD," (Deuteronomy 18:10-12a).
Some avenues through which demons, a.k.a. "familiar spirits," are given entrance to a person's life are: divination, transcendental meditation, visualization, necromancy, witchcraft, drugs, and alcohol. These are all activities that believers are exhorted, commanded even, to avoid. Instead, we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, with love, with joy, and with the fullness of life that comes from Jesus Christ. We are also to be on guard, "For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms," (Ephesians 6:12).
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
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