WINNER OF THE NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE 2015 Paranormal Awards. Many Evangelical and Fundamental Christian writers (I would call them theologians but with many it is quite evident that they have not had training in Biblical Scholarship past Sunday morning Bible School) claim that the popular concept of a ghost and spectral hauntings are unbiblical. Many Catholic theologians would agree with this view. But in the whole of Christianity, these beliefs vary quite broadly. Christian cynics condemn ghost hunters by supposedly relying upon scripture in the Old Testament. They use Leviticus 19:31, that according to Christian critics reads as follows; "Do not resort to ghost and spirits, nor make yourselves unclean by seeking them out. I am the Lord your God." Christian critics also quote Lev. 20:6, which the quote as; "I will set my face against the man who wantonly resorts to ghost and spirits, and I will cut that person off from his people." This is not true at all. In the King James Version, this verse reads as; "And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." Many people who argue against ghosts as unbiblical also point to verses 6-8. "When we are dead, we are with God in heaven." So according to this view, there can be no such thing as a real haunting because the soul and spirit are in heaven at the point of death. The term 'sleep' is a euphemism for death in Christian Scripture (John 11:11-14). The writer for all of these books is the Apostle Paul, so rather than supporting the idea that when we die we are with God in heaven he states that those who die 'sleep'. What does this mean? It refers to the body, not the spirit or soul. The body sleeps at death until it is changed into a new supernatural one at the end of days. So what happens to our invisible part, the spirit or soul after death? Can the spirit still roam the Earth after death? The Bible does talk about ghosts, and the spirit of the dead returning to the Earth. But what about the New Testament? A lot of theological concepts evolve between the testaments, such as Grace, Forgiveness and a host of others. What about the concept of a ghost? Does this evolve as well after the teachings of Jesus? Almost everyone has heard the story of Jesus walking on water, and if you ever went to Sunday school as a kid I am sure you additionally heard about Peter attempting to do the same and failing. This tale of trust and faith has been used for millennia to teach and encourage Christians. But just before the text talks about Peter's attempt to come to Jesus on the water the text tells us something unusual: Matthew 14:25-27 "Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." The disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. And they were afraid. Now if ghostly apparitions are all demonic presences as some Christians report, why were the disciples afraid? They were afraid because Jesus had taught them that there are such things as Human spirits. If not, then Jesus should have automatically rebuked them for their transgression in such an outcry and blasphemy. But he did not. He instead, comforted them. Saying fear not, it is I; do not be afraid. By saying this, he confirmed the existence of human spirits. It is this and many other examples I shall show you in full detail in this book that human spirits do exist and how man has change many stories and meanings to suit themselves into roles of power and destroying God's real message to man.
WINNER OF THE NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE 2015 Paranormal Awards. Many Evangelical and Fundamental Christian writers (I would call them theologians but with many it is quite evident that they have not had training in Biblical Scholarship past Sunday morning Bible School) claim that the popular concept of a ghost and spectral hauntings are unbiblical. Many Catholic theologians would agree with this view. But in the whole of Christianity, these beliefs vary quite broadly. Christian cynics condemn ghost hunters by supposedly relying upon scripture in the Old Testament. They use Leviticus 19:31, that according to Christian critics reads as follows; "Do not resort to ghost and spirits, nor make yourselves unclean by seeking them out. I am the Lord your God." Christian critics also quote Lev. 20:6, which the quote as; "I will set my face against the man who wantonly resorts to ghost and spirits, and I will cut that person off from his people." This is not true at all. In the King James Version, this verse reads as; "And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." Many people who argue against ghosts as unbiblical also point to verses 6-8. "When we are dead, we are with God in heaven." So according to this view, there can be no such thing as a real haunting because the soul and spirit are in heaven at the point of death. The term 'sleep' is a euphemism for death in Christian Scripture (John 11:11-14). The writer for all of these books is the Apostle Paul, so rather than supporting the idea that when we die we are with God in heaven he states that those who die 'sleep'. What does this mean? It refers to the body, not the spirit or soul. The body sleeps at death until it is changed into a new supernatural one at the end of days. So what happens to our invisible part, the spirit or soul after death? Can the spirit still roam the Earth after death? The Bible does talk about ghosts, and the spirit of the dead returning to the Earth. But what about the New Testament? A lot of theological concepts evolve between the testaments, such as Grace, Forgiveness and a host of others. What about the concept of a ghost? Does this evolve as well after the teachings of Jesus? Almost everyone has heard the story of Jesus walking on water, and if you ever went to Sunday school as a kid I am sure you additionally heard about Peter attempting to do the same and failing. This tale of trust and faith has been used for millennia to teach and encourage Christians. But just before the text talks about Peter's attempt to come to Jesus on the water the text tells us something unusual: Matthew 14:25-27 "Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." The disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. And they were afraid. Now if ghostly apparitions are all demonic presences as some Christians report, why were the disciples afraid? They were afraid because Jesus had taught them that there are such things as Human spirits. If not, then Jesus should have automatically rebuked them for their transgression in such an outcry and blasphemy. But he did not. He instead, comforted them. Saying fear not, it is I; do not be afraid. By saying this, he confirmed the existence of human spirits. It is this and many other examples I shall show you in full detail in this book that human spirits do exist and how man has change many stories and meanings to suit themselves into roles of power and destroying God's real message to man.
