[AI translation] In this concluding part of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, it is about this unfortunate man in the torments of hell, when he sees quite clearly how he has ruined his life, he has gambled away his salvation, he is too late to ask for and receive mercy, when he thinks with horror that there are still five brothers alive on earth, and that they too should not be brought to this terrible place of torment, he has a very strange thought. May God send Lazarus back from the afterlife to those in the earthly world. After all, his brothers knew him, and they would believe what he told them about salvation and damnation. What a shocking effect it would have if someone from the dead came back to them! Surely they would repent and be saved from eternal torment! So someone from the dead. Let the soul or spirit of one who has long since died give word to those on earth of the things of the afterlife.A strange thought indeed. It almost shakes one's soul. But the strangest thing is that it is a thought born in hell! A thought from hell! Can anything good come from hell?! Lazarus can think of no such thing, only a damned soul! And yet, many unsuspecting people entertain the idea that the spirits of the dead can be summoned, can be consulted, and can be informed of the things of the afterlife! The danger of this idea is only increased by the fact that astonishing phenomena do indeed occur at such spiritualist gatherings. For example, the glass moves through the letters of the alphabet and spells out the answers to the questions asked. Or a barely touched table rises up and bobs one of its legs. Certain persons, the so-called mediums, fall into a trance and in this semi-conscious state begin to speak as if they were the instrument of the spirit being summoned, and answer questions as if the spirit of a dead person were actually contacting the people there! I have had someone say to me, "Please, I am convinced that it was my husband's ghost who appeared at the séance, because he was talking about things that no one in the world knew about except him and me." So is it possible for someone from the dead to come back to them?
Well, let me say with all the authority of Jesus' words, no! No such thing! It may be that someone from the afterlife goes to them, but it is not the spirit of the dead person who is being summoned, but someone else entirely! Here again, it is precisely the rich man's suggestion that someone from the dead should come to them. Twice he rapes, and twice he is met with the most emphatic prohibition and refusal. And Amah said, Not so, my father, Abraham: but if any of the dead come to them, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one of the dead rise again." Our deceased loved ones are in God's hands. It would be a challenge against God to call a soul to report from His presence and force him to confess, to give evidence of his condition. Those whom God has called out of this material world cannot be called back by occult practices!
How, then, can we understand the phenomena in which spiritualists believe that spirits from beyond the grave appear, and which, by their authentic communication, seem so probable? Well, there are two parts to all such occult phenomena. One part is based on purely psychological facts, namely the mysteries and effects of man's unconscious world. So it is not the spirit of a dead person that appears through the medium, but certain effects, intuitions, indications, that emerge from the subconscious world of the medium. For this subconscious spiritual world of the medium is connected with the subconscious spiritual world of one of the others who are there, and from the subconscious of that other person the medium perceives and sees memories, impressions, experiences which that other person has stored up in himself in connection with one of his dead relatives. He talks about it in such a way that the person sitting there recognises the dead person! It is a psychological phenomenon. But that's only one part of it. That in itself would not be dangerous.
But there is another part of the whole thing which is extremely dangerous! It is that the participants - or at least the medium - are doing all this with the intention of establishing contact with the spirit world beyond death. And this contact is actually being established, not with the ghosts of the deceased relatives, but with a completely different kind of spiritual power: the infernal and demonic powers of Satan! It is precisely the evil, demonic powers that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 6, when he says: "For we wrestle not against blood and flesh, but against principalities, against powers, against the judges of the darkness of this life, against the spirits of wickedness which are in high places." I speak relatively little about Satan, because I know how much misunderstanding he gives rise to. But here I must warn you in the strongest possible terms: in all such occult practices, the mysterious powers of Satan are at work! And these hellishly dangerous occult practices include not only spiritualism, but also such things as card playing, palmistry, divination, the wearing of amulets, table knocking, and all superstitions. The Word of God mentions such dark things in a breath, "Let no one be found among you who leads his son or daughter through the fire, neither a soothsayer, nor a conjurer, nor an interpreter of divination, nor a diviner of omens, nor a sorcerer; neither a conjurer of charms, nor an inquirer of devils, nor a diviner of secrets, nor a conjurer of the dead." (Deuteronomy 18:10-11)
Take deadly serious note that to participate in any of these dark things is to open a door in one's soul to the messengers of Satan's headquarters. He is breathing the air of hell, he is under the demonic spell of the underworld! The previous verse, where these occult practices are listed, continues. Such a strong expression, that the Lord hates someone, is only found in the Bible in connection with this sin. Why "hate"? Because the one who does such things, instead of seeking counsel and help from the Lord, turns to the Lord God's enemy, Satan and his forces for help and counsel! No wonder he is so firmly forbidden by God in His Word. Whoever, in spite of God's clear prohibition, enters into these things: he is exposing himself to the powers of Satan, to the forces of chaos. In the words of a psychiatrist: "It upsets the whole psychological structure of man, and can result in a great deal of neurosis, fear complexes and even suicidal tendencies."
So all these superstitions, like divination, necromancy, wearing amulets, etc.: playing with the devil! But it doesn't matter whether it's out of ignorance, or curiosity, or in jest, or with serious intent, that someone opens the gas tap on themselves, does it? The result is the same! Corrie ten Boom describes a very instructive case. She was talking to a young, intelligent French girl. She told him that she had a great longing in her heart for peace, but that every time she wanted to make up her mind to accept Jesus as Lord, something seemed to stop her. Corrie asked, "Tell me - think back in your life - haven't you ever been to a fortune-teller?") "Do you know," continued Corrie, "that all such things are almost a blockade on the way to God, so that one cannot repent?"-The girl smiled and said, almost mockingly, "Years ago I did let myself be persuaded to go to a fortune-teller. But I didn't believe in it at all, it was more of a joke on my part. We laughed a lot about it later. I'd forgotten about it, but now that you ask, I remembered. But to be honest, nothing happened and I thought it was silly!" Corrie replied, "Look, if a soldier in war goes on a reconnaissance mission and happens to wander into enemy territory and falls into enemy hands, does it help him to say, 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come here, I just happened to get lost'? Even though you don't know it, this enemy, a demonic power, is now watching over you, guarding you and not letting you go back to God. You don't know the peril you are then in!"
Oh, so many people are like that: they have attended a séance sometime in the past, just out of curiosity, or for fun, or they have gone to a fortune-teller in Old Buda. Maybe they never did it again, just once. They've forgotten about it. They didn't take it seriously then either. Well, anyone who has ever done such a thing knows that he opened a door in his soul then, and that door has remained open ever since, and through that unopened door satanic influences are still pouring into his soul! Not satanic influences that would lead him to all kinds of evil deeds, fornication, deception, lying, but that would simply blockade his soul, his heart against Jesus, so that he cannot receive Jesus. He has no real peace of mind, he feels insecure in his faith, in his salvation. He is restless, perhaps tormented by fears, inexplicable fears, suffering spiritually, and he doesn't know what!
Is it not for this reason that you are still unable to convert, to become a man surrendered to God, to become a man rejoicing in the certainty of salvation, a man set free? Is it not because a door was left open some time long ago? You say in vain, but you have never done so since! For look, if I have once spilled a bottle of ink on a white tablecloth, it is in vain for me to say that it was a long time ago, and I have never done so since! That old ink stain will stay there until some effective cleaner gets it out. If there is such a cleaner in the world!
Well my brethren: there is! There is such a cleanser that will cleanse the most satanic infection from the human heart and soul! Thus it is written in the Bible, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin!" That is the only one! The blood of Jesus Christ! This is the Word that Corrie ten Boom quoted to that young girl and said to her, "In the certainty of this promise, that the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin, in the certainty of this promise, tell God the sin that you have committed, ask forgiveness for it, thank Him for the forgiveness of sin, and then that door will be shut and you will be freed from the spell of Satan! You will no longer be under demonic influence!" The girl was set free and happily found in Jesus the peace she had long desired.
So there is deliverance even from satanic bondage. No one need remain under the spell of the dark powers as a victim of superstition. Jesus triumphed over Satan and all his hosts on Calvary! In His name, with His help, you too can be victorious! Whoever wants to be saved: do not hide it any longer, confess it honestly to the Lord, in the presence of a believing brother or sister. I beg you very much: do not spare yourselves this sin, do not be afraid to expose it before someone! Tear out of your hearts without mercy every superstition and deny it! And if you have any horoscopes, talismans, amulets, spiritualistic writings, predictions at home: fire away! This is the only place worthy of such rubbish! Not only to put aside, not only not to read any more - that's not enough! Burn it! So confess, deny and burn! This is the radical break! And the sin so put away is always forgiven on Jesus' merit, and the forgiveness so received always completely cleanses from all sin so put away! It sets you free!
My dear Brothers and Sisters, whoever among you has ever been infected with spiritualism, divination, or any occult, hellish thought, practice - whether out of curiosity, or play, or in earnest - who has ever done it, or is practicing it now: deny it! So there is a solution! There is: Jesus! Jesus alone!
You know, it's not such a bad idea that "if one of the dead go to them, they will be converted!" I believe everything about the afterlife, salvation, damnation, only to the one who came to us from beyond death. But there is only one: Jesus! He's the one who walked that road twice, from there to here. First, when he was born on this earth - for he came from there - and second, when he rose from the dead! He came back from the dead! What He says is authentic. And only what He says is authentic! And He says what Moses and the prophets, that is, the whole Bible from beginning to end, always says: "God so loved this world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!" Whoever does not listen to this will not be convinced if someone from the dead comes back to him! Where heaven and hell are separated, Jesus hangs on the cross. There he died for you and for me! This is a sign that the way to eternal life is still open to us, that the time of grace is still open, that the moment in which Jesus is looking for us has not yet passed. Our Father is still waiting for us! Jesus is here!
Amen.
Date: 18 June 1967 Evangelization