Which Door Will You Choose?

By Pastor Bob Rasmussen

Good morning and hello to those watching online – Facebook, YouTube, and our website – welcome!

In case you missed the announcements this morning, we are inviting you to our Chili Mix on November 7^th, here at the church at 5 PM. If you want to enter our contest for best chili before we mix it all up, please do. If you just need a meal, please come; you do not need to bring anything but yourself.

I love this time of year. The weather is perfect for me. I have been driving all over Wisconsin this last week, and the trees are gorgeous. It is harvest time, seeing bales of hay; it is just a nice season for me.

People have mums outside; there are pumpkins and gourds, and signs in their yards.Some people are decorating a different way. They are gearing up for Halloween. I looked at some of the stuff people are buying, and it can get pretty expensive. For only $249, you can have a reaper in your yard. For $177, a flying witch.You can even decorate your door, a door that you choose, a door to your home and family with these witches and evil spirits from Amazon for $13.99

Now, I am not going to be the old man yelling get off my lawn when it comes to Halloween. But it raised a concern that I need to speak about and this seems the right time to do that.

We live in a culture that seems to be fascinated with spiritual experiences. There are people all around us who are going through some very emotional and trying things in their lives and they are seeking healing; they are seeking guidance and comfort through psychics, mediums, and seances.

Some turn to occult practices; some choose astrology or spirit guides; and some choose new age spirituality. I see this more and more in people – how they speak and what they believe.

The New Age movement, according to various sources, teaches that we have everything in ourselves necessary to achieve fulfillment. The self is the highest good. We exist to guide ourselves, heal ourselves, and fulfill our own destinies.

Many who embrace New Age practices believe in karma and reincarnation. As in Hinduism, the ultimate goal in the New Age movement is to achieve oneness with the divine.

What is very prominent is that these “believers” reject the biblical doctrines of the fall, the sinfulness and depravity of man, the need for an atoning sacrifice, who is Jesus, and the need for a mediator between God and man.

They say the universe is opening up, or karma made the way, blah blah blah blah.

The bible is pretty clear.

1 John 4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

When it comes to the occult and this new age stuff, it saddens me that they believe this stuff, and the door they are choosing is a door to nowhere.

The Lord calls His people to seek God and God alone, amen?

When people seek spiritual truth apart from God, they are opening themselves to deception.

The purpose of this message is not to attack individuals specifically, but rather to exalt Jesus Christ and His sufficiency. God provides us with wisdom; God gives us direction; He comforts us; and praise the Lord, salvation through His Word and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Exodus 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

God is very clear here, isn’t He? He repeats this command in the following scripture.

Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights and the enemy showed up and challenged Jesus twice. That is where we will pick up the exchange.

Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Only God. Only Jesus is who we are to worship. Anything else is going to point to the other guy, amen?

And I get it. People have lived through trauma, pain, and whatever the case may be. Maybe in the past, along the way, they were hurt by someone or even the church, but Jesus is the only way.

John 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

You might ask yourself, what is the harm in it? It doesn’t mean anything. I use astrology; there is nothing inherently wrong with it. It’s just a séance. I only go to the psychic once in a great while. It’s fun!

No. And the bible warns to stay away from these things. There was a King in the Bible; his name was Saul. Saul was not a great King, and he had been disobedient. He was struggling; he wanted to hear from God, but he did not get a response.

So rather than praying and fasting and giving God a minute, he decided to seek out a quick solution.

1 Samuel 28:7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

In my study bible, the person is described as a necromancer. A necromancer is a person who practices necromancy, a form of magic involving communication with the dead—traditionally by summoning spirits to foretell the future or gain hidden knowledge.

You can read for yourself what happened to Saul; he died. Saul’s demise did not begin at the witch’s house. It began when he stopped seeking and listening to God.

1 Chronicles 10:13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

I want to encourage anyone who is seeking wisdom and guidance outside of God to stop playing. Stop playing with fire; it will not end well. You may say to yourself, maybe I’ll stop next week. Tomorrow is not promised! Neither is the day after. Stop playing.

I went to Woodman’s on Saturday to do some grocery shopping, a typical Saturday thing that I do. I kissed Diana goodbye, and I jumped on the interstate.

As I was driving, I saw a car coming up fast. It was driving 5 miles per hour on the interstate in the right lane. Not on the median. Luckily, I responded quickly and was able to stop and follow slowly. I immediately turned on my hazard lights. I figured since the vehicle was smaller than mine, I could protect them and anyone else. But it can happen that quickly, my friends. We should treat every day as an opportunity to serve the Lord and obey His Word. Don’t be a Saul, be a Paul!

Many of these so-called psychics claim special insight into the future. People long to know tomorrow what tomorrow will bring. They want certainty about their finances, their health, their relationships, and their future.

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

The past, the present, and the future belong to Him.

Psychics promise answers, but believers already possess a greater source of guidance. Psychics promise a path.

But all of those things are already promised by God, and He is faithful!

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

For me, God does not reveal exactly what will happen step by step. He gives me enough light for the next step, and for me, that is enough.

Trusting psychics or whoever is outside of God diminishes our confidence in God’s wisdom and leads us toward sources He has forbidden.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

As Christians, we are to walk by faith, not some fortune cookie, an astrological sign or a horoscope, or a word from some random person on YouTube or Facebook.

Some people participate in séances because grief has left them vulnerable. They desperately want one more conversation with a loved one. While the pain is very real and the pain is understandable, and the pain is overwhelming, Scripture never instructs believers to seek communication with the dead.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

God’s design does not include séances as a source of comfort or any other of these sorts of things. Instead, we find hope in God’s promises.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Any attempt to contact spirits places a person on spiritually dangerous ground. We are called to pray, we are encouraged to trust, and to wait faithfully upon the Lord.

So during this fall season and I think about Halloween and all of these other gateways, I fall back to the Word for my guidance.

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Believers must exercise discernment. That is what reprove means: to expose, to point them out, to bring them into the light.

But today, our culture often celebrates darkness, fear, death, witchcraft, and occult symbolism as entertainment. It weaves its way into many aspects of our lives.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

As followers of Jesus, we are children of light. We should carefully evaluate every activity, asking whether it glorifies Jesus Christ or takes us somewhere else.

One reason many people seek forbidden spiritual practices is that they believe Christ is not enough. Jesus stands at the door, but they want things now. They want things quick.

That is what our society is constantly moving towards. We needed coffee; we have to have our coffee. I ordered it yesterday, and it was delivered to my doorstep at 5:55 AM today.

When you take a moment to think about it, it is kind of wild. All the technology in my phone, the internet used from my home, their servers, and their affiliate locations. The instant exchange of money. The order that was generated in a warehouse. The employees who were hired, trained, and paid. The product that was purchased, shipped, stored, and then loaded up. The vehicle purchased, maintained, and charged, then delivered to my doorstep. Amazing.

When I heard them deliver, or rather when Max heard them, I looked at my watch and thought to myself, well, they’re a little late.

But in this world, it moves so fast but we do not want to give God a minute. People say that God is not talking to them; well, maybe they need to shut up, open the Word, and read. Maybe they need to be quiet and open the Word and pray. Maybe get down on their knees and just listen.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

What a powerful truth. We are complete in Christ. We do not need secret knowledge because Jesus is the truth. We do not need spirit guides because Jesus is the Good Shepherd, he will guide us. We do not need mystical revelations because God has given us His Word. We do not need other mediators or advocates because Jesus is our Great High Priest. Everything we truly need is found in Him.

You know, as Christians we should exercise discernment regarding philosophies and spiritual things that originate outside biblical revelation and are presented as pathways to “spiritual enlightenment”.

My concern is not medicine itself, medical treatment, exercise, nutrition, or health care. The concern arises when people embrace spiritual concepts rooted in other religious beliefs as substitutes for biblical truth.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Whenever spiritual healing methods or practices teach people to look inward rather than upward, to trust cosmic forces rather than the Creator, or to seek enlightenment apart from Christ, believers must proceed carefully.

Jesus never told us to discover hidden divine energy within ourselves. He called us sinners to repent and follow Him.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

And as I was thinking about this, the temptation in Eden began with a conversation. A conversation with the enemy. A conversation that led to the great fall. Eve listened to the serpent’s questions. Curiosity opened the door.

Countless people enter occult practices the same way. A horoscope seems harmless. A psychic reading appears entertaining. A spiritual game looks innocent. Yet Satan rarely begins with obvious bondage. He starts with small compromises. Satan understands that what captures attention often gains influence.

Proverbs 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

So in this crazy world, how so we measure, how do we test things that we may be introduced to?

The bible says that we are to test the spirits. How do we do that? Firstly, we compare every other teaching with Scripture.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Second, examine whether the teaching honors Jesus Christ. If it doesn’t, get away from it as fast as you can.

Finally, the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. False spirits, false ideologies, and bad teachings all ultimately distract from Him.

If it goes against Scripture, you need to throw it out.

We have psychics and new age folks here in Janesville. This is from one of their websites; I won’t name them because they are blasphemous. “A soul coach acts as a spiritual guide, helping clients find purpose, heal inner wounds, and live authentically through practices such as meditation, energy work, and guided self-discovery.” And she is passionate about exploring the paranormal, uncovering the truth, and giving voice to those who have passed.

No, just no.

Instead of psychics, we have prayer.
Instead of fortune tellers, we have Scripture.
Instead of spirit guides, we have the Holy Spirit.
Instead of occult wisdom, we have divine wisdom.
Instead of séances, we have the promises of resurrection.

We don’t talk to dead people.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

I have one final scripture. The Lord is not surprised by all of the things that are here in this world today. The same enemy that has been wandering the earth for centuries is still here, until the Lord Jesus comes back.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.