James Van Praagh EXPOSED

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." -2nd Peter 2:1

James Van Praagh is a false prophet according to the Bible, God's Word! We are plainly warned in 2nd Peter 2:1 that false prophets would privily introduce false teachings which would damn their victims into Hellfire for all eternity. The word "privily" comes from the Greek pareisago and means, "to introduce or bring in secretly or craftily." Craftily means "in an artful manner." Hence, false prophets are con-artists, literally. They swindle people's souls for the sake of money... "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not" (2nd Peter 2:3).

James Van Praagh is a wolf in sheep's clothing, who rejects the idea that Jesus is the unique, virgin-born Son of God, the second person of the Godhead. According to Mr. Praagh, we are all gods...

Heal people? Help people grow? No, you are leading them into Hell by steering them away from the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ... Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." James Van Praagh does NOT believe the Bible, and rejects the good news of Jesus Christ crucified. You'll never heard Mr. Praagh speak about SIN, because Modernists avoid the subject completely. Van Praagh, a former Catholic, states...

There can be NO salvation without the Law of God. We are all guilty sinners, deserving of Hellfire (Romans 3:19; 6:23). There can be no true healing of the soul apart from Jesus Christ... "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). It is Christ's work of redemption, i.e., His precious blood that washes away our sins and makes us whole.

It is no longer necessary for cons to be so crude as to directly ask for money or prey upon the elderly. People are literally waiting in line to give money to those who give hope that a dead loved one will communicate with them.

And might I add--false hope! It's become a lucrative billion-dollar-a-year business. Hundreds-of-thousands of people are attending these psychic meetings, each of whom pays $25 to $50 for the chance to connect with a lost child, spouse, or parent. It's all a big scam!!! These mediums are practicing witchcraft. In it's most basic sense, witchcraft is seeking power or guidance from any spiritual source other than God's Holy Spirit. A familiar spirit is any spirit that's not the Holy Spirit! Charismatics speak of having "the spirit" as they bark, fall down, roll on the floor, and make utterances like madmen. This type of falsehood is of a demonic spirit, and not of the Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit ALWAYS works in perfect harmony with the Word of God. Psychics are of the Devil, and do not obey the Bible. They borrow terms such as prayer and Heaven, and exploit them to dupe the naive out of their money. Let's face it, there's a lot of dishonest people in this world who have learned how to exploit Christianity to get rich.

False prophet, John Edward established himself as the first clairaudient to have his own show that featured deceased loved ones contacting audience members... Crossing Over with John Edward on the Sci-Fi Channel. Edward has been described as a fraud by James Randi [Skeptic, v. 8, no. 3] and Leon Jaroff [Time, March 5, 2001], but to no avail. He may be a fraud, but he is an attractive and impressive one. This is what 2nd Peter 2:1 means when it warns of false prophets who would "privily (or craftily) sneak in damnable heresies. According to an Amazon.com editorial review of PRACTICAL PRAYING, by John Edwards...

Mr. Edward is extremely dangerous, a necromancer who sinfully attempts to communicate with the dead; yet, he has written books on how to pray and be spiritually enlightened. Clearly, he is putting himself forth as a Christian. People who are ignorant of the Word of God are easily conned by such false prophets.

Van Praagh has developed his own form of occultism, automatic writing (or spirit writing). According to Mr. Praagh...

Carefully notice the sharp contrast between the demonic spirit writing of Mr. Praagh, and the Words of 2nd Peter 1:21... "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Van Praagh blatantly denies the God of the Bible; yet, he seeks to connect with "spirit." This is a familiar spirit, i.e., demons. Automatic Writing is Satanic and should never be practiced by anyone, especially professed Christians. Automatic Writing is equal to using an Ouija Board to invoke demonic powers. The key thing to remember is that there are only TWO sources of spiritual power in this universe: God or Satan. Any spirit that is not the Holy Spirit is demonic. The easy way to distinguish the difference is by shining the Light of God's Word upon everything. James Van Praagh is quickly exposed as a liar and an antichrist by 1st John 2:22... "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." The question is... Do you believe that the Bible is God's Word?

Psychic mediums are of the Devil, and so is John Edward and James Van Praagh. The Word of God vehemently condemns such wickedness. Please don't allow the Devil to poison your soul with demonism. A "familiar spirit" is any spirit that is not the Holy Spirit of God. Here is what the Word of God has to say concerning familiar spirits...

The people who are making John Edward rich, are victims of demonism, they are being defiled. Familiar spirits are demons! If a spirit is not of God, then it can only be of the Devil. The penalty for such sin in the Old Testament was death...

The Word of God condemns witchcraft, psychics, fortunetellers, soothsayers, Tarots, astrologers, horoscopes, palm reading, Astral projection, Wicca, magicians, sorcerers, wizards, spiritualists, necromancers, yoga, and every other form of demonism that taps into Satan's power. The only acceptable power is the Holy Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6), and the Word of God (Hebrews 4:2). There is NO controversy if you believe the Bible.

The Nature of God vs. Human Nature —

“First of all, I do believe in God. In fact, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE ALL GOD.”

SOURCE: James Van Praagh, Talking to Heaven: A Medium’s Message of Life After Death (New York: Dutton, Penguin Putnam, Inc.,1997), p.27,191. (capitals added for emphasis)

Van Praagh has a perverted concept of God. He believes that human beings are all God. Thus, in order to discuss his view of God, we must simultaneously discuss his view of human nature. Praagh sees god and man as interrelated. Such false teachings are inherent to New Age philosophy, i.e., that man ultimately becomes his own god. New Age philosophy is advanced Humanism (or humanism on drugs...lol). The Bible teaches that mankind is sinful, rotten, and prone to self-destruction... Romans 3:10-18, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes." Does it sound to you, from the Bible, that men are all god? No, we are all Hell-deserving sinners, guilty of sinning against God, and worthy of the Lake of Fire (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8). Thank God for the blood of Jesus Christ that washes men's sins away!

In his book, Reaching to Heaven, James Van Praagh states...

“Each dawn we can move one step closer to comprehending our own divinity.”

SOURCE: James Van Praagh, Reaching to Heaven: A Spiritual Journey Through Life and Death (New York: Dutton, Penguin Putnam, Inc.,1999), pp. xiii.

Blasphemy!!! Mankind will NEVER be divine. Christians will one day receive new incorruptible bodies, and enjoy the blessings of Heaven; but we will never be equal with God. It's important for the reader to notice that ALL psychics, witches, and occultists today follow the SAME New Age false doctrines: reincarnation, the deity of man, no literal God, a rejection of Jesus Christ as the Savior, a belief that god is energy in nature, a feminine side of the god force, etc. This explains why so many New Agers and Wiccan witches are heavily involved in the environmental movement. They believe that the forces of yin and yang (female and male deities), are the forces behind all of creation, including the earth and man. Thus, goddess worship is extremely popular in witchcraft and the occult.

Van Praagh goes on to state...

“I found something much richer and deeper to believe in—God. IT WAS NOT THE GOD WHO SAT ON A THRONE IN HEAVEN OR THE SON OF GOD WHO HUNG ON A CROSS. IT WAS THE GOD OF LOVE THAT RESIDED IN ME.”

SOURCE: James Van Praagh, Talking to Heaven: A Medium’s Message of Life After Death (New York: Dutton, Penguin Putnam, Inc.,1997), p.28. (capitals added for emphasis)

It's hard to imagine that so many people today are flocking to this man for spiritual guidance. Oh! how sinful and foolish are MOST people today! This man blatantly denies the God of the Bible and yet people are standing in line to give him their money! Are people just stupid? No, many brilliant people are being deceived by these Modernists. So then why are they so gullible? The answer is found in 2nd Thessalonians 2:10. We are told that the masses of this world will be DECEIVED by the Antichrist ... "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." I'm sure you've notice all the drug ads on TV lately. It's really amusing. The drug companies tell people upfront how dangerous the drug is, and all the potentially serious side-affects; yet people continue to take the drugs, and die, because of the smiling happy people in the commercial, dancing joyously in a pleasant grassy field, etc. The truth is right there in their face about the risks and dangers of the drug; yet people can't seem to get enough of them. Why? Because people only see what they want to see. It's psychology. People look at the Bible and only see what they want to see. The Word of God confirms this in 2nd Timothy 4:3, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." People nowadays refuse to listen to the truth, so they pick and choose imposters like Joel Osteen or Robert Schuller to only tell them what they want to hear.

Here's another blasphemous statement by Mr. Praagh from his book:

"You leave the waterfall and feel a whole new and wonderful BEING inside yourself. You are excited about your new self. You look at your clothes. They have been replaced by a beautiful spirit robe. You put on the robe as a reminder that you are invincible. You are truly GOD!"

SOURCE: James Van Praagh, Talking to Heaven: A Medium’s Message of Life After Death (New York: Dutton, Penguin Putnam, Inc.,1997), p. 191. (capitals added for emphasis)

Humanity... gods? In the following quote, Mr. Praagh sinfully claims humanity to be "perfect":

“The beings who are evil are perhaps the furthest from that which is God. God is perfection in everything. God is creativity in all things. EACH OF US IS PERFECT if we would only seek our divinity.”

SOURCE: James Van Praagh, Talking to Heaven: A Medium’s Message of Life After Death (New York: Dutton, Penguin Putnam, Inc.,1997), p. 27. (capitals added for emphasis)

Reincarnation —

Van Praagh states...

We are on an endless journey between here and heaven. . . . The truth is that we have taken the journey many times before and will take it many times again.”

SOURCE: James Van Praagh, Reaching to Heaven: A Spiritual Journey Through Life and Death (New York: Dutton, Penguin Putnam, Inc.,1999), p. 46.

This is typical New Age teaching. It's very interesting, and incriminating against the Devil's gang, that MOST today are following New Age doctrines. Whether it be Wiccan witches, psychics, or Freemasons--reincarnation is a common denominator. Of course, the Word of God doesn't teach reincarnation. Once we pass away from this earth physically, our eternal destiny is sealed. It cannot be changed. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 plainly WARNS, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." You see friend, there is no reincarnation. If you die in your sins without Jesus as your Savior, then you WILL burn in Hellfire forever, "...for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." Revelation 20:15 WARNS, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Oh! Listen friend, don't be a fool by listening to unsaved people who reject Christ, the Bible, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. You must give account of yourself to God on judgment day (Romans 14:12). Don't follow Mr. Praagh into the fiery depths of Hell.

New Age Witchcraft

New Age holds the belief that the ultimate reality is energy. Energy is composed of molecules in vibration. In the physical realm we normally experience, molecules vibrate at a slow, but constant speed. This makes everything appear solid and dense. In the spiritual realm; however, James Van Praagh claims that these molecules vibrate at a much higher rate. Mr. Praagh states that he can feel these vibrations and energies around him as they shift and change. Praagh professes to be a medium with the gift of clairsentience, i.e., he can sense the presence of spirits that are nearby. He also claims to be able to communicate strong feelings and emotions from spirits to the sitter (victim). Praagh also claims to be clairvoyant, i.e., able to see things, events, and spirits which others can't see.

I've been watching The 700 Club lately, analyzing it, and I see Satan at work. I see them as borderline psychics, who exploit Christianity to make money and con people. On the show, Gordon Robertson and Terry Meeuwsen regularly join hands in a prayer segment, which is then followed by a psychic type reading, where they specify details of who is being healed in TV land. It's creepy! Are The 700 Club hosts, Pat Robertson, Gordon Robertson and Terry Meeuwsen, psychics? On a recent show, Gordon and Terry prayed while holding hands, and then claimed that the following healings had taken place as a result of their prayers on TV ...

Someone with an "abscessed right tooth," has just now been healed.

Someone with "twisted intestines" has just been healed.

Someone paralyzed on the right side, particularly the right side of the face, has just been healed.

A man with a plate in his skull is having continual problems, and the doctors just don't know what to do. Terry said she saw the bone reforming around the plate and the man's pain was gone, he was now healed.

These are the crazy and absurd claims of these so-called "Christians." As I listened to their bizarre claims, I wrote them down, as listed above. How can they claim to see such healings? Folks, this is CLAIRVOYANCE (i.e., Apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses), and is exactly what the Satanic psychics do!!! How in the world would Gordon Robertson and Terry Meeuwsen know who is being healed? How can you see someone's bone reforming inside their head? The Word of God never teaches any such demonic practice. I dare you to show me from the Bible, where God said he would give us some mystical power of being able to see or know what is going on in someone else's body. It is extremely dangerous to dabble in familiar spirits. The hosts of The 700 Club are leading the public to believe that they have some special power with God, the ability to see who is being healed. They do not! It is a psychological scam to seduce suffering people into giving The 700 Club more money. And it works! The Christians Broadcasting Network (CBN) took in $160,000,000 in 2005 alone!

Clairvoyance is of the Devil, whether it is being performed by James Van Praagh or The 700 Club. None of the Apostles in the Bible had such powers. Only God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. Nowhere in the Scriptures are we ever directed to seek or expect clairvoyant experiences. Clairvoyance is an occult practice, like astral projection or astrology. This is all New Age witchcraft, seeking spiritual power from sources other than God. Those who claim to have such powers in the name of God are liars. These are children of the Devil, Modernists who appear to be Christians, but are not. Remember, even Adolf Hitler claimed to be a Christian...

"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” –Adolf Hitler (Mein Kampf)

James Van Praagh is a practicing warlock, i.e., male witch, whether he realizes it or not. All psychics are practicing witches, as they are invoking Satanic spirits--powers from the Devil.

Communication with the Dead?

James Van Praagh, as Jonathan Edward and Sylvia Browne, claim to have the power to communicate with the dead. But do they really? No, not according to the Word of God. There is not one example of anyone in the Bible ever communicating with the dead except for the incident involving Saul, the witch of Endor, and Samuel. God condemned Saul for doing so... 1st Chronicles 10:13 says, "So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it." One of the reasons for which God permitted Saul's death was witchcraft. Saul sinfully sought the advice of someone who dabbled in demonic spirits, i.e., familiar spirits, and God punished him for it. Did God allow Samuel to speak with Saul? I believe so, to pronounce judgment upon Saul and to show once and for all that it is a horrible sin to seek communication with the dead. The Bible makes no provision for communicating with our dead loved ones, and the only people offering such practices today are ALL Christ-rejecters who dabble in demonic spirits!

Veneration of the dead has been practiced for centuries by the Satanic Catholic church. People have been continually lied to by priests, misled to believe that they can relieve a suffering dead loved one, by praying and giving money to the church. Nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. Nothing we say or do can help someone who has passed into eternity in their sins, without Christ, and bound for Hell. 1st Thessalonians 4:13 plainly states that the wicked have NO HOPE once they're dead. Unfortunately, Pope John Paul II is burning in Hell this moment because he died in his sins.

Now, the Bible states in Hebrews 12:1 that we "are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses." Some think this to mean that our loved ones are watching down from Heaven; but it doesn't mean that here. The Greek word for witnesses here is martus, meaning those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death (SOURCE: Enhanced Strong's Lexicon). Thus, the word "witnesses" is referring specifically to those Christians who were martyred at the end of Hebrews chapter 11... and others (Hebrews 11:36-40). In other words, many Christians throughout history have been murdered for their testimony; therefore, we ought to at least do our best to serve God to the fullest of our capacity. So then the question arises, can our loved ones watch us from Heaven? I believe so... Jesus said in Luke 15:7, "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." So evidently the inhabitants of Heaven are aware of what is happening on earth. I know if I were in Heaven today that I would want to know about my loved ones still here on earth, and I don't think Heaven would be very enjoyable if we were kept in the dark about such things. This is speculation of course, but I do believe we'll be able to follow the lives of our loved one's, and the events taking place upon the earth, from Heaven.

We should never attempt to seek guidance, or help, from a departed loved one, even if they went to Heaven. Isaiah 8:19-20 makes this matter very clear... "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." This is very interesting. Isaiah the prophet warned the Israelites about psychics, clairvoyants, and necromancers (those who communicate with the dead). Isaiah warned the people to avoid anyone who told them to seek God through familiar spirits or the dead. This is exactly what James Van Praagh, Jonathan Edward, Char Margolis, and many others are doing today. They claim to hear messages from Heaven, offering people false hope, and rake in hundreds-of-millions of dollars in profits. The reason why is because the average person today is WOEFULLY ignorant of the truth of God's Word, and they don't want the truth if you offer it to them. Many people today are willingly ignorant (2nd Peter 3:5). The human psyche is an amazing thing. It's amazing how the truth can be so blatant and obvious; yet people act like they're as blind as can be. Is this not exactly what the Scriptures declare concerning people? ... "Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?" (Mark 8:18). It is the sinful pride and stubbornness of mankind that blinds him to the truth.

Conclusion

All psychics, astrologers, fortune-tellers, tarot card readers, palm readers, horoscopes, zodiacs, crystal balls, Chinese zodiacs, Ouija boards, angel boards, potions, spells, charms, sorcery, séances, astral projection, automatic writing, levitating, pentagram circles, etc, etc, etc... are of Satan because they seek his powers. There is a great deception in demonism--because the people practicing it often don't realize that they're entertaining demons. Acts 16:13-16 is a good example, "Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." You see, those unsaved boys didn't realize that they were dealing with demons. That one demon-possessed man overpowered all SEVEN of them and beat the dickens out of them! When you consult with psychics and mediums, you are indirectly asking Satan for guidance.

James van Praagh denies the deity of Jesus Christ, and thus rejects the God of the Bible. Mr. Praagh denies the consequences of sin, the guilt of humanity, and the reality of God's judgment. I did not write this article to be unkind, nor to attack anyone; but rather, to contend for the faith using the precious Word of God, the King James Bible. To those who believe, no explanation is necessary; to those who believe not, no explanation is possible. Do you believe that the Bible is God's inspired Word? There is NO controversy if you believe the Bible. Who are you going to follow, men or God? The Bible is God's Word! Modernists today speak about heaven, love, and peace; but THERE IS NO PEACE, SAITH THE LORD, UNTO THE WICKED (Isaiah 48:22).

"John Edward’s focus in spiritual teaching is now being spotlighted on his own path of religious and spiritual enlightenment, and he is now sharing it in this book, PRACTICAL PRAYING: Using the Rosary to Enhance your Life."