On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:22:40 GMT, The Lord is Alpha and Omega wrote:
> Spiritualism.
>
> The ministration of holy angels, as presented in the Scriptures, is
a
> truth most comforting and precious to every follower of Christ. But the
> Bible teaching upon this point has been obscured and perverted by the
errors
> of popular theology. The doctrine of natural immortality, first borrowed
> from the pagan philosophy, and in the darkness of the great apostasy
> incor****ated into the Christian faith, has supplanted the truth, so
plainly
> taught in Scripture, that "the dead know not anything."
?????? Check out Jesus' story about Lazarus and the rich man, NOT a
parable, but a true story (no marks of a parable). 2 Cor 5:8 We are
confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be
present with the Lord.
The dead know nothing is from an earthly point of view, not a heavenly
point of view.
Multitudes have come
> to believe that it is the spirits of the dead who are the "ministering
> spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation."
> And this notwithstanding the testimony of Scripture to the existence of
> heavenly angels, and their connection with the history of man, before
the
> death of a human being. {GC88 551.1}
>
Agreed, these ministering spirits are unique spiritual creations of God,
not dead human beings.
> The doctrine of man's consciousness in death, especially the belief
> that the spirits of the dead return to minister to the living, has
prepared
> the way for modern Spiritualism. If the dead are admitted to the
presence of
> God and holy angels, and privileged with knowledge far exceeding what
they
> before possessed, why should they not return to the earth to enlighten
and
> instruct the living? If, as taught by popular theologians, the spirits
of
> the dead are hovering about their friends on earth, why should they not
be
> permitted to communicate with them, to warn them against evil, or to
comfort
> them in sorrow? How can those who believe in man's consciousness in
death
> reject what comes to them as divine light communicated by glorified
spirits?
>
Scripture plainly teaches consciousness in death, separation from the
body.
The linking of these to the ministering spirits is a grave problem. Why
would they not return? God will not let them. See again the STORY of
Lazarus and the rich ruler. Abraham would not send Lazarus back to the
ruler's family and the ruler was likewise prevented from escaping his
torment to warn them.
> 552
> Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the
> accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding
appear
> as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the
living
> into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his
> bewitching influence upon their minds. {GC88 551.2}
>
> He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed
> friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the
tone,
> are reproduced with marvelous distinctness. Many are comforted with the
> assurance that their loved ones are enjoying the bliss of Heaven; and
> without suspicion of danger, they give ear to "seducing spirits, and
> doctrines of devils." {GC88 552.1}
>
True. These are deceiving demons of Satan, familiar with the dead in hell
and paradise.
> When they have been led to believe that the dead actually return to
> communicate with them, Satan causes those to appear who went into the
grave
> unprepared. They claim to be happy in Heaven, and even to occupy exalted
> positions there; and thus the error is widely taught, that no difference
is
> made between the righteous and the wicked. The pretended visitants from
the
> world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be
> correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that
directly
> undermine faith in the Scriptures. With an appearance of deep interest
in
> the well-being of their friends on earth, they insinuate the most
dangerous
> errors. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to
> foretell future events, gives to their statements an appearance of
> reliability; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as
> readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred
truths
> of the Bible. The law of God is set aside, the Spirit of grace despised,
the
> blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing. The spirits deny the
divinity
> of Christ, and place even the Creator on a level with themselves. Thus
under
> a new disguise the great rebel still carries forward his warfare against
> God, begun in Heaven, and for nearly six thousand years continued upon
the
> earth.
>
Yes.
> 553
> {GC88 552.2}
>
> Many endeavor to account for spiritual manifestations by
attributing
> them wholly to fraud and sleight of hand on the part of the medium. But
> while it is true that the results of trickery have often been palmed off
as
> genuine manifestations, there have been, also, marked exhibitions of
> supernatural power. The mysterious rapping with which modern
Spiritualism
> began was not the result of human trickery or cunning, but was the
direct
> work of evil angels, who thus introduced one of the most successful of
> soul-destroying delusions. Many will be ensnared through the belief that
> Spiritualism is a merely human imposture; when brought face to face with
> manifestations which they cannot but regard as supernatural, they will
be
> deceived, and will be led to accept them as the great power of God.
{GC88
> 553.1}
>
Yes, demons, fallen angels, have power to deceive.
> These persons overlook the testimony of the Scriptures concerning
the
> wonders wrought by Satan and his agents. It was by Satanic aid that
> Pharaoh's magicians were enabled to counterfeit the work of God. Paul
> testifies that before the second advent of Christ there will be similar
> manifestations of Satanic power. The coming of the Lord is to be
preceded by
> "the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and
with
> all deceivableness of unrighteousness." [2 THESS. 2:9, 10.] And the
apostle
> John, describing the miracle-working power that will be manifested in
the
> last days, declares: "He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire
come
> down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them
that
> dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to
do."
> [REV. 13:13, 14.] No mere impostures are here foretold. Men are deceived
by
> the miracles which Satan's agents have power to do, not which they
pretend
> to do. {GC88 553.2}
>
Yes, not illusion. Satan and his demons have real power. After your flase
teaching that the dead are unconsious you are basically correct. The dead
are either receiving punishment or enjoying Heaven now that Jesus is
resurrected. 2 Cor 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be
absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
BTW, what is GC88?
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