Grace Light Ministries
THE GHOST OF MR. CARDINAL
By Kelly Grōth
A Taste of God Prints
As stated in the welcome letter of the premiere issue of Wild Prints Magazine, our vision (there) is to focus primarily on wildlife, with the subtheme of experiencing God in the great outdoors. However, we have added this deeper spiritual article to that premiere issue as a taste (for those who have a hearty spiritual appetite) of what we will be providing in this online companion publication, God Prints.
Bon Appétit!
“Do you believe in ghosts?” a coworker asked. She likes to joke around; but, with that, I could tell she was not joking. For that reason I answered her question. That was about ten years ago. And just a few weeks ago (from when I began writing this), the topic of ghosts came up in two separate conversations (by two different co-workers) on the same day. Everywhere I turn, it seems, people are engaging, experiencing, or asking about the spiritual. Some are afraid; some are curious.
While Amber and I were showing some of our wildlife photos at a juvenile detention center for boys, an image of a beautiful male Cardinal came up. A boy said, “There’s my grandpa!” “What?” I asked. “Yes! Whenever I see a Cardinal, I know it’s my grandpa!” That was the first time I’d heard that perception of Cardinals. Since then this belief and similar beliefs about Cardinals have popped up multiple times in various ways: the Internet, a bookmark, a keychain, a Christmas ornament, etc. Perhaps you or someone you know is asking: “Do you believe in ghosts?”
THE QUESTION OF GHOSTS
What happens to people after they die? Do they come back and visit, or send us a messenger? Are there actual haunted houses? What are these spiritual experiences that people are reporting? Are they real? As a follower of Christ, I believe there is a spiritual realm; and I do not believe God has left us in the dark regarding these kinds of questions.
It is no wonder we seek to understand the spiritual, it is, after all, at the center of who we are. We tend to think of ourselves as physical beings who happen to have spirits; while in reality, the opposite is true: we are spiritual beings who happen to have physical bodies.1 As my wife puts it, “These bodies are our earth suits”. And one day, if we remain faithful in Christ, we’ll shed these bodies for something far better.
“While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.” (2 Corinthians 5:4 NLT)
This shorter weaker life is an important dress rehearsal for eternity. For now, our consciousness is made to function in and through these fragile bodies. Life, in these vessels of clay, teaches us our utter dependence upon God. It is when we ignore this weakness that we’re left vulnerable. Many are keenly aware of the spiritual realm, but how are they to make sense of it? A woman I know said that she goes to an “angel whisper” to connect with her deceased sister. Is that the right thing to do? Where are we to go for answers?
MAKING SENSE OF THE SPIRITUAL REALM
The young lady who asked, “Do you believe in ghosts?” was experiencing paranormal activity in her home. It wasn’t just her; her fiancée was experiencing it with her. They were scared. One of the co-workers, who brought up the topic, said that when he was a child a ghost had chased him. Now, as an adult he’s curious, thinking that there are good ghosts and bad ghosts. But are these ghosts, truly, friendly?
As long as I can remember, I have believed in God. But as far as other spirits in the world, as a child, to me they were just . . . well . . . “ghost stories”. It wasn’t until my teen years, as I began reading the Bible, that I really began learning about angels and demons. Then, shortly after high school, during a revival that took place among some youth at a church I attended, those spirits became very real to me. There was an evening when several of us were praying and someone spoke a prophetic message: “Someone is about to be delivered of demons”. I’d never witnessed anything like that; so those words didn’t really sink in. That was about to change.
I was sitting on the floor against the door of the office we were praying in. Just after that prophecy had been given there was a knock at the door. As I stood up and opened it, I felt an intense heaviness in my chest, a “burden” (an intuitive sense of deep pain and compassion) for the friend at the door. Without giving him a chance to speak (with great urgency) I said, “We need to pray!” and I led him down the hall to a small chapel, where I began fervently interceding for him. As I had often done before (in the midst of praying), I said, “I rebuke satan in the name of Jesus!” When I said those words, instantaneously, the young man fell to the floor, curled up in a ball, and began violently screaming. Interestingly, to me, I was not afraid. Rather, in that moment, I felt a supernatural peace that began in my belly and moved upwards until it reached my lips, where the words “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus; I rebuke you in the name of Jesus…” began powerfully, and repeatedly flowing out of my mouth. As those in the room, where we’d been praying heard the commotion, they came running. They, then, took over in delivering the young man from spiritual (demonic) bondage.
I used to shy away from sharing stories like that; but I’ve come to believe these stories need to be told. There is a spiritual realm; and people need a healthy understanding of what it is and how to navigate it. There are some who have opened doors to evil spirits and they are in need of deliverance and an understanding of how to walk in true spiritual freedom.
SAFELY NAVIGATING THE SPIRITUAL
Experiences like the one above are teaching me the importance of taking great care to accurately discern the spiritual. As stated earlier, God has not left us in the dark regarding this spiritual world around us. He’s given us the survival guide of His Word, the Bible.
While it may seem innocent enough to view a Cardinal as a manifestation or messenger from a deceased loved one; that kind of thinking naturally leads to a desire for more. After all, who wouldn’t want to see, talk with, or hear from a family member they so desperately miss? Yet, the Bible warns against seeking those kinds of experiences. Is God trying to keep us away from something good? No. God in His wisdom knows what’s best. He warns:
“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:31)
“And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isaiah 8:19)
“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you … anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, …” (Deuteronomy 18:9-14)
Notice what God says concerning those engaging in, or seeking out, the above kinds of experiences: 1. In doing so, they make themselves unclean (Leviticus 19:31). 2. They are inquiring of the dead (those who do not have the Spirit of the Living God) on behalf of the living (Isaiah 8:19); and they are an abomination before the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). These passages use the words unclean, dead, and abomination to describe reaching out to those who have passed. Why? Those three words rightly describe the demonic. The idea that there are good ghosts (in the sense of people who have passed) is a trap. The Bible states: “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) At that judgment the physically dead are assigned to one of two locations, and it’s not here. (Read Luke 16:19-31) In other words, the human spirits of our deceased loved ones are not lingering around with “unfinished business”. There’s something else going on.
Aside from the times God has overridden the natural order of physical death through a miracle of resurrection, once a person’s body has “passed the point of no return” (i.e., being embalmed, cremated, or buried) that person has crossed over. They’re no longer accessible to us. There is a divine purpose in that separation. Again, God knows what’s best.
I don’t deny that the experiences people have with “angel whisperers” or mediums seem compelling; but—please hear me on this—we’re in a spiritual war. These experiences are manifestations of fallen angels (demons) assigned to that family and his or her loved ones. Yes, there is a spiritual realm. Demons, also, have knowledge of the people who have passed on before us and are able to mimic them. But as the Lord Jesus states: “He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) So, if you are going to turn to an unseen spirit, turn directly to God, Himself! If you don’t know Him, seek Him out. “You will seek me [God] and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
HEALTHY GRIEF VS AVOIDANCE
With all that’s been said, it is very important to recognize another trap, the avoidance of grief. There’s no getting around it; the loss of a loved one is traumatic. Release and expression of the negative emotions stemming from this kind of trauma are vital in the healing process.
I’ve heard people say, “When I die, don’t cry. Celebrate! Throw a party! I’ll be in a much better place!” Celebrating does sound better than mourning; but ignoring the trauma caused by the loss of a loved one is very harmful.
I have a dear friend who, as a teenager, celebrated the passing of his father like that. At the time, he told others how wonderful the passing of his father was. He celebrated and did not grieve. The results were horrible. He began experiencing severe psychosis, to the extent that (without the help of wise counsel) he wouldn’t have made it through college. It wasn’t until he allowed himself to grieve the loss of his father that he, finally, found healing.
So what are we to do when the person we most desperately need to express something to is no longer with us? Since we can’t speak with them, what are we to do?
First, the best thing we can do, is to get to know and talk with our loving Heavenly Father. He, Himself, gave His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus, to die a brutal death in our place—He understands. He is referred to in the Bible as the God of all comfort:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Second (relating to the second half of the above passage), it is very important to seek out healthy relationships (fellowship) with people who have been in the same boat.
Third, understanding the separation of death (that your loved one is no longer accessible in this life), it is okay to express words as if you were speaking to that person. Expressions like that can be very helpful.
Several years ago, in grieving the loss of a dear friend, I expressed my own grief and joyful memories of him in writing. In that celebration of life, there were instances where I wrote as if I were speaking directly to that friend. Those were simply expressions. In no way did I ever expect that loved one to hear me; nor do I believe God was in any way obligated to pass along my messages to him. But I found it very helpful to myself to express my heart.
Amber and I have a family member who says that when she starts her day, she will walk by a photo of her deceased son and say, “Good morning!” She says, “I know he doesn’t hear me; but it feels good to say it.” That kind of expression is healthy and normal. It’s our way of saying, “I miss my loved one.”
But, most importantly I think that in times of grief, the best thing we can do is turn to our Heavenly Daddy and tell Him, “Please help me through this, I am really missing ________.
Is God’s arm too short to comfort us? No. The ultimate question is, do we have an authentic relationship with Him?
Do you know Him?
If you would like to deepen or enter into a relationship with God, you may like to read “Back to Paradise”.