"A house divided against itself cannot stand" (may you all have peace!).
I just wanted to clarify something about "mediums" if I may - thank you, all! A medium is one who can communicate with those in both the physical and the spirit worlds... including the dead... and they are not myths. If they were, there would have been no need for a prohibition against them and what they do. They can do pretty much what I am permitted to do: hear/see spirits; however, they do more by acting as a kind of go between (i.e., they communicate both ways; I do not, because it is not permitted by the One who granted me the gift and thus is my "authority" as to how I am to use it). The main difference is that they do so by some "authority" other than God through Christ; thus, they CAN communicate both ways (from the spirit realm to the physical realm, and vice versa), but really are "breaking in." I am only permitted to communicate from the spirit realm (excluding the World of the Dead) to the physical realm. And I am only permitted to communicate what I hear from my Lord... or one appointed by him. I cannot communicate from this realm to that one, however; rather, I am to direct the one who wishes to make such communication to do so for himself/herself because that direction (here to there) is "blocked" for me: when someone asks me to "ask" something for them/or their behalf, I cannot. It just won't, well, "go through" is the term that comes to mind. It won't happen and I know this without even trying it. I digress...
Please note that some do do what they do by means of the same authority as I, initially; however, once they realized they could realize monetary gain (and there is the potential for a LOT of money!!), they began to abuse the "gift." Rather than "give free" what they "receive free," they see opportunity and so lift themselves up, seat themselves in Moses "seat"... and use the gift either to make money or enslave. The latter (enslave) is even more desirable than the first (money)... because power is almost always more valuable than riches. Which is why some seek high religious position versus commercial or monarchical wealth. With religious position, you often get both: power AND wealth. Again, I digress...
I understand that some believe, based on the supposed logic of the physical world, that the phenomenon is false, that such persons are charlatans, all of them. Including me, perhaps. And I would be lying if I didn't say that for some time, early one, I didn't want the gift (I have such times still... but push past them. I am still flesh with its blood, and so still subject to fear and doubt (certainly early on myself)... and lack of patience. Earthling man can be quite... well, let's just say that I understand why David asked that God judge him, rather than man, and what Jeremiah meant when he said he wouldn't speak of things to Israel any more. I can identify with them both.
But that really is not true (and after my stint in the WTBTS the ONE thing I vowed is that truth would reign in my life, regardless of what others thought, said, or did... and so I would ALWAYS tell/deal in/ask for the truth). The TRUTH... is that those who can hear (if not see) spirit beings do exist.
That is NOT to say that some "mediums" are not false. Many (if not most) are indeed false. They have absolutely NO ability... or authority... whatsoever, whether from God or some other source, and merely make up stuff (which, very truthfully, given the gullibility of earthling man as a species, isn't really all that hard to do). Some of these do realize that they will answer for their deceit one day (but live for "today" and so do not concern themselves with "tomorrow"); some are atheists (as, truthfully, are most religious leaders) and so do not believe there will really be any real consequences - it is merely just another way to make money off the masses... who, majorily, really wish to BE misled (advertising, PR, some business, and the leaders of most religions KNOW this!!).
As for "Samuel" and the woman, they really were both real and it was Samuel's spirit that was awakened. The woman was chagrined with Saul, however, for having her call up Samuel because she knew the prohibition against it. Calling up someone else wouldn't have been a problem because, in her mind, how really would the Most Holy One of Israel know of it? But when she realized it was Samuel who was called up, she knew the jig was up for her. Because THAT particular "spirit" belonged to the Most Holy One of Israel... and there is no way He wouldn't have known.
Again, I bid you all peace.
A slave of Christ,
SA
