Psychic abilities - good/bad?

[DavinMochrie]

OKay... this may be a controversial topic.

Hypothetically.

Are psychic abilities an evil thing? or is it what you use it for?

I guess the bible is against divining and tarot cards and all that. Which I totally understand. I see so much delusion around people who give and recieve psyhic readings etc??

We have a sub-forum here where people talk about visions. Visions to me are based on clairevoyance. That is a psychic ability.

And the men in the bible who predict future events etc.

As a modern day Christian, where do we stand on this issue?

If someone has psychic abilities are we going to stone them and condemn them to death etc?

 

[Digit]

I would really hope that we don't condemn or stone anyone to be fair.

I'm not really the best person to answer this, as I've only just looked into spiritual warfare, and I rank this alongside, as it is something that I find very hard to grasp and believe in. I think visions are different, as they do not predict future events from my understanding. They are visions of things and people with a hidden meaning. Unless someone has had a vision of something happening to a close friend or relative.

My stance currently would be to treat them carefully. I have no problem with personal experience and I don't doubt that to the people that have them are very real, yet I thought we don't have prophets with us now in this time, and if that's true then I would beware of people claiming to be so.

Hows that for a very - *shrug* answer?

Cheers,
Digit

 

[ContentInHim]

Visions are different. And the whole premise of prophecy and visions is calling people to return to God! Not to predict the future.

The prophets spoke what God told them to and that sometimes included what would happen if the people did not mend their ways. Modern day Christian prophets are pretty much bunk and should be taken with a grain of salt. One, Kim Clement, says that Christians are going to get rich soon and that everyone's going to be happy. But in the Bible, generally the false prophets were saying "peace, peace" but there was no peace. The true prophets were warning of hard times. The current crop of prophets generally prophecy good times for all.

I was fortunate to have a small vision in the early days of my belief. It was of Jesus' hand writing in the sand. I was so blessed by it and am still unsure whether it was a dream or a vision. Whichever - it has encouraged me mightily.

Don't strive for the "cool" stuff - go for the foundational stuff. The cool stuff will happen!

 

[restore]

I have the same question,
and I have practised a few fortune teller etc,
I v been trying to figure out more , too
Look here
http://foru.ms/t6152614-what-is-the-difference-from-prophecy.html

 

[JoshuaM]

OKay... this may be a controversial topic.

Hypothetically.

Are psychic abilities an evil thing? or is it what you use it for?

I think the problem with "psychic" abilities is by claiming something is psychic, it is attributing the power to man and taking God out of the picture.

I guess the bible is against divining and tarot cards and all that. Which I totally understand. I see so much delusion around people who give and recieve psyhic readings etc??

demons can manifest an ability too. Revelation mentions the Beast will have many demons in it and will perform "wonders" etc.

We have a sub-forum here where people talk about visions. Visions to me are based on clairevoyance. That is a psychic ability.

again that is giving self the glory for something that is either coming from God or Satan.

And the men in the bible who predict future events etc.

for one, men such as Isaiah were spoken to by God about certain things, and another frequently His Holy Spirit was with them. so no, "men" were not predicting the future. When it was demons, such as fortune tellers, if the demon was cast out, the ability was gone, such as when Paul did that. So, when we read something is revealed by the Holy Spirit, or somebody was a fortune teller possessed by demons, then we say the "people predicted the future" we are completely ignoring what the Bible says about the source.

As a modern day Christian, where do we stand on this issue?

If someone has psychic abilities are we going to stone them and condemn them to death etc?

we should test spirits. these things are not from the flesh but from the spiritual world.

 

[CShephard53]

OKay... this may be a controversial topic.

Hypothetically.

Are psychic abilities an evil thing? or is it what you use it for?

I guess the bible is against divining and tarot cards and all that. Which I totally understand. I see so much delusion around people who give and recieve psyhic readings etc??

We have a sub-forum here where people talk about visions. Visions to me are based on clairevoyance. That is a psychic ability.

And the men in the bible who predict future events etc.

As a modern day Christian, where do we stand on this issue?

If someone has psychic abilities are we going to stone them and condemn them to death etc?

It depends on two things:
How you define psychic ability.
Where you think that psychic ability comes from.

If you define a psychic ability as a Spiritual ability given to you by God to determine things that cannot be determined outside of God, then yes, they exist. Otherwise they come from Satan and are bad. It takes discernment to know..

 

[ContentInHim]

I have the same question,
and I have practised a few fortune teller etc,
I v been trying to figure out more , too
Look here
http://foru.ms/t6152614-what-is-the-difference-from-prophecy.html

Any psychic who says he's a Christian (John Edwards comes to mind) has obviously never ever read the scriptures. I believe I read that he's no longer Catholic and now is much more New Age which is where this belief belongs. Channel away!

 

[DavinMochrie]

Otherwise they come from Satan and are bad. It takes discernment to know..

Satan grants so many folks - abilities?

 

[bethrow]

My brother has some psychic abilities. He sees things the rest of the family doesn't see for some odd reason.
He was really into it for a while...even the Ouiji board and strange things were happening all over our house. My mom finally told him to stop and get rid of whatever he brought into our house. He did and things have been fine since except for a few minor things. He's a Christian now and doesn't see any reason for making his abilities known.
I think some people have a gift, but I don't think they should be making money from it.
I was watching that psychic from Montel and used to think she was really cool, but after watching episodes from a few years ago and seeing her predictions were way off I was skeptical. I think she has psychic abilities, but I do not like how she talks about how everyone is happy on the other side. So there is no hell? I didn't like how people would treat her as if she was God when they asked about their loved ones. That is what I see wrong with psychics...they portray themselves as powerful and somewhat almighty and people believe and have faith in them. Where does God fit into all of it? He doesn't because psychics make it all about what they can see, hear, or understand...and they make money on it.

 

[DavinMochrie]

That is what I see wrong with psychics...they portray themselves as powerful and somewhat almighty and people believe and have faith in them. Where does God fit into all of it? He doesn't because psychics make it all about what they can see, hear, or understand...and they make money on it.

Exactly!

That is a problem I see with people giving 'readings'. Even if the abilities are true, there is a certain amount of deception involved and certain amount of delusion by the person getting the reading.

 

[restore]

Isn't the whole world a big "delusion"?
each day I just feel so
even myself is "delusion"

 

[CShephard53]

Satan grants so many folks - abilities?

Satan has power and uses that power. It's not greater than God's, but there is power. Surely you cannot deny that, and surely you see that is what I'm getting at (at least now you do)?

 

[DavinMochrie]

Satan has power and uses that power. It's not greater than God's, but there is power. Surely you cannot deny that, and surely you see that is what I'm getting at (at least now you do)?

Actually I understand what you say to a point,

but what I am talking about is abilities.

I don't think most people understand what psychic abilities really entail.

We often think they are like powers of super heros etc, but from what I see they are linked to the brain and mind and are not that special.

More like a sixth sense.

Most are born like this, and it does not empower their life, in fact because of their 'difference' they find it difficult to fit into everyday life.

 

[Digit]

Curiously, does scripture mention this at all?

Cheers,
Digit

 

[salida]

As long as these abilities are within scripture.

For example, yesterday I had a brief dream that my dog was coming home in detail - he was running behind a close neighbors house. Well, this was happening in real life as I was dreaming it. Fifteen minutes after the dream he was at our house eating as he was missing for 12 hours.

This dream is obviously from God and isn't the first time I have had them. God talks to me in dreams about details using animination.

Another time we rented this house that had brown recluse spiders in it. Well, I had a brief dream that one was walking across the floor in a certain part of the rental house. Yes, I told my husband after I woke up and he got up and killed it immediately.

The sixth sense is the Holy Spirit if one is born of the Spirit.

These occurrences among many were for my protection and information on things I have been praying about. This is from God -not from witches, etc.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

It depends whether or not it's from the Holy Spirit...
Sorry I don't know much about 'psychic abilities'

 

[DavinMochrie]

What if like some of these things are just the way God made us?

Like how he made us in his image, and maybe some people have wierd side effects in their brains.

Like how we have diversity, some are smarter than others etc.

Have you guys heard of 'genetic memories'?

A christian friend of mine proposed that perhaps all these folks having dreams etc of 'past lives', are simply tapping into genetic memories of their ancestors of what-not. Then the people confuse this and think: Oh I am reincarnated or whatever. They get delusional about it.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

Maybe who knows. I think it's alright...but we should seek God's will after events like that to make sure there isn't any demonic influence (not saying there always is..just to be careful).

 

[DavinMochrie]

Maybe who knows. I think it's alright...but we should seek God's will after events like that to make sure there isn't any demonic influence (not saying there always is..just to be careful).

Has anyone seen a demonic experience? What criteria are there to recognise what that is?

What are the bibles thoughts on this?

Did Jesus give guidelines on idetifying what it is?

Or is most of this stuff, just people's interpretations?

Myself I think it's good to identify exactly what's going on. Remember when they thought epilepsy was demon possession centuries ago?

 

[MoNiCa4316]

Has anyone seen a demonic experience? What criteria are there to recognise what that is?

I've never seen one, and that's a good question...hmm

What are the bibles thoughts on this?

It seems to be something along the lines of:
1. the fruits of the Spirit...what effects does the experience have on you? Does it bring you closer to God? What are the fruits, are they like in Galatians 5: 22...
2. if it's a prediction or something, does it actually come true?
3. "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit." I don't really know how to apply this to 'psychic abilities' but just keep in mind that if anyone or anything denies Christ or that He died and rose again, is not of God.
God does not contradict Himself.

But I'm not really sure what you mean by 'psychic experiences', so what I just said is pretty general and can be applied to anything spiritual.

Did Jesus give guidelines on idetifying what it is?

Not as far as I know...but maybe someone more qualified can answer this question better.

Myself I think it's good to identify exactly what's going on. Remember when they thought epilepsy was demon possession centuries ago?

haha...yes. Well you can also try praying about it and ask God to show you...if you feel convicted that it's wrong afterwards, it's probably the Holy Spirit.