Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Do You Believe In Ghosts? Should A Christian?

Even though the Christian community continues to let me down, I am still a Christian. Its my opinion that I don't have a choice to believe. For me, just speaking for myself here, the proof my mind required to believe in something I can see has been done. 
Having said that, what about ghosts? Are they real? Or are they inventions of our subconscious mind to explain sights and sounds we can't immediately identify? Our brains are powerful analytical machines, able to process thousands of pieces of data simultaneously. Does that mean that there isn't supernatural entities? 
I haven't spent much time thinking about this, mainly because its always been a taboo subject. Are ghosts not people, but demons? I don't know for sure. That's why I haven't thought about it with any seriousness. Until today.
This morning in prayer it came to me that I should be cognizant of spiritual things and my emotions. How do I feel when I know the spirit world is active? All good questions I'd say.
Ghosts, entities, spirits...whatever you refer to them as are real in my opinion. As a man who believes the Bible there are minimal references to entities interacting with flesh and blood, but there are instances. If you read where Saul consults the medium and demands she bring up the prophet Samuel. Samuel was ticked off he was disturbed but was there talking nonetheless. Another instance is when Jesus encountered the Legion of demons. They spoke to him and entered swine as an alternative. Another instance of spiritual beings, good or bad, interacting with flesh. 
I think that as a Christian we have to believe that ghosts are real. Now, whether or not we should interact with them, that's the part that confuses me. If a ghosts or whatever invades my space or I unknowingly encounter one what should I do? Pretend its not there? Will I hurt its feelings if I ignore it. I imagine a simple old man who's been haunting his home for one hundred years and in come visitors, how rude it would be to not be polite!
On a more serious note, the very fact that we know little about the Spirit world other then it exists is reason enough to not meddle in things not understood. The Bible has been clear to leave them be, psychics and mediums are not to be used. God has given the gift of being able to interact with the spirit realm to some people. So we can't deny the validity of them. After all, if the Bible warns of using them to tell your fortune, there must be a reason. Its not because they aren't genuine. 
Why meduims exist is beyond me. I know that I don't believe they are demonized. They aren't villains to be eradicated or used as whipping posts for Christians to feel better about themselves. Perhaps God made them to confound the wise or the learned. A little wrench to show us all that God can do what He wants. We don't know everything. I'm OK with that. You know what my job is?

To love. Genuinely and legitimately love. Not point out faults, or what I perceive to be a fault in another. Even a ghost. Even of the ghost is a demon, remember the angel Michael? When he encountered Satan? Even he didn't judge him. Love all. Period. Leave the judgement up to the Big Guy.

With Love
Jeff Utnage

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