Seeking Psychics: Consumers Look to Outside Help for Financial Advice

Which is worse? To receive counsel and trust in financial advisers like Bernie Madoff or to listen to the counsel of fortune tellers, soothsayers, mystics, or, as they are now called, “Intuitives?” When it comes to your finances and the financial decisions you make in this world’s system, you better choose neither choice, at least as a Christian and follower of Jesus!

While this article does not disclose the actual numbers that are turning to using these “Intuitives” it does present some startling information of how much they are used. From companies and corporations enlisting the services of Intuitives for $10,000 a day, to Intuitives building large companies that can support over 150 employees and have “sales” increases that average 7 1/2 percent year over year – MUCH better than most of the corporations that are struggling just to stay open and afloat during this economy! Their customers could describe them with words like “boost” givers, anxiety relievers, life-direction givers, confidence instillers, life coaches, advice givers, and even counselors.

While many will find encouragement and direction, we have to be clear about whom Intuitives are and what the Bible says about them. First of all, an Intuitive, by definition is someone having the “power” to discern the true nature of a person or situation. A synonym that could be used is to call them instinctive, which, by definition, is acting or happening without apparent forethought, prompting, or planning. Notice that they are void of involving God, His Word, Jesus, or in seeking the Holy Ghost regarding anything. Everything they advise on comes from them – in some cases, we may call them their own gods.

So what does the Bible say about these Intuitives? Jude, the brother of James warned the body of Christ about these people and even reminded us of them that had been marked before! In Jude 1:4 (New Living Translation), Jude calls them out:

For us, as Christians, we must watch those that come into the body of Christ that have nothing to do with Jesus and then proclaim to be able to help direct our lives and show us the things they “instinctively” know about us. Do not be convinced nor deceived into believing things that the Word of God does not even speak over you! Only the God Himself knows this. He has already told us in Jeremiah 29:11:

Who else would know more than the Lord God Almighty?

Jude goes warning Christians in Jude 1:17-19 (The New Living Translation):

Notice what Jude said here – they are out to satisfy their own desires! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, if these people had your best interest in mind, would they not offer up their “gifts” to HELP the body of Christ as we, as Christians are called to, without looking to be paid for it? The body of Christ is to operate in similar Gifts of the Spirit to edify and help everyone with giving them leading, direction, guidance, edification, and building each other up in faith, without any need for payment!

Even further, notice what Jude says in verse 19 – “They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.” Sounds exactly like the “Intuitives” or “Instinctive” ones described in the article. As a result of this, what happens when these people get into the body of Christ or begin to influence one of Christ followers? Jude calls it out clearly at the beginning of verse 19 – “These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you.” This is what causes people to be double-minded or following both Jesus and God’s word, while trying to listen to their “Intuitive.” You cannot follow two different words that oppose one another or contradict each other – that is called confusion and has lead many to mental distress and even to not knowing who or what to trust.

So what are we to do? Let’s let the word speak for itself – Jude 1:20-25 (The New Living Translation):

If you encourage, build up, and use the Gifts of the Spirit that God has imparted to you, who have Jesus living in and through you, this is how we keep each other safe in God’s love! The love of God being shed abroad in the body of Christ’s heart is how we can receive all that we may think we need from some Intuitive. No Intuitive can give what Jesus has given! But notice here too, that the same love that keeps us safe is the love we are to extend to those that have waivered or are wavering and allowing this stuff to contaminate their lives that believe and choose the word of an Intuitive over the Word of God. Pray for them to know The Truth and to not be destroyed by the choices they make now, but to be saved by and through the choice the make for New Life! Stay focused on this Truth in verse 25 – “All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” That sounds like a future and a hope that can only be delivered by one person and that is the Lord, Master and King, Jesus!

And that is The Truth!
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Buffett says US in ‘economic Pearl Harbor’

Let me quote Timberly Ross’ article and more specifically Mr. Buffett’s comments:

This particular article really struck me as interesting and got my Spirit stirred up. Here is Warren Buffett – financial guru who is on top of everything and when asked about economic and financial decisions is quick to reply with his knowledge and understanding of what it takes to generate the numbers for businesses and money to make money. Yet, during this time of his interview, when questioned about this world’s economy, his response is in regards to a simple, yet life changing word – FEAR!

Now, any non Christian person will tell you that the life of fear is the last kind of life to live! People that live in fear are constantly looking over their shoulder. They worry, fret, and get concerned about the littlest things. They have no peace, no rest, and definitely cannot allow anything or anyone to handle any of their affairs for them. A person in fear is not their own and does nothing but live in the shadows of what COULD happen or what MIGHT happen. Nothing is ever positive and if anything ever positive drops in their laps, they never enjoy it for fear that it will turn negative.

So, as Mr. Buffett indicates, what happens to people living in fear is that they stop living in, doing things in, and acting on this life. They begin to breed fear. And if they do not have fear now, they begin to fear for lack of fear.

As Christians, we are to stop that madness and get our hands off of fear. Paul said in Romans 8:14-15

If we are Christians that truly believe that Jesus not only saved us and took away our sins but also freed us from all bondages, including the bondage of fear, are we to continue to live in the old way of bondage to sin and fear or are we to live free from that junk in Jesus’ finished work? We should have received a new life through the one Jesus Christ! When something is made new, restored, and redeemed, it means that the old things have all passed away and something new has been created and brought forth! Those old things are dead and gone and exist no more! Hence, as Paul says here, we did not receive fear as part of our newness of life from Jesus, so why are we accepting it and allowing it to have any place in our life? Why are we agreeing with the world and allowing fear in?

Faith and fear cannot operate together! When you are in fear you are not trust in Jesus and believing in The Truth of His Word! We must allow faith to remove fear from our lives. How do we do this – by walking in the command that Jesus gave us: that we walk in the love of Christ that has been shed abroad in our hearts!

Why is walking in love so important to our faith? Looks at 1 John 4:17-19 in the Amplified say:

Now, more than ever, love must be perfected in the hearts of Christians! Where there is His love, there is no fear! This is perfect love and that is why it casts out fear! You become perfect in love through receiving Christ’s love for you and then, in turn, giving His love to everyone and through everything you do! Look at what Jesus gave us – 2 Timothy 1:7:

So, what does love look like when it is manifest through us in what Jesus gave us? – 1 Corinthians 13:3-8:

Love has its perfect work when all of the “no-love-fruit” is gone! That means we must stop being impatient and unkind toward all. Jealousy and envy for others has no place in a person who gives love. Being selfish, prideful and rude must leave your attitude. Allow love to have its way in your life means that you are not provoking others to anger and you are not devising evil thoughts and plans. And love definitely does not have fun doing grossly immoral acts. Love is filled with joy in The Truth! And when this love is perfected, it never, ever fails, because Jesus IS LOVE!

Mr. Buffett is right to say that we are in a cycle of fear, if we define this current fear as one that has us blinded to The Truth of the love we were given through Jesus! We must take responsibility to deal with the fear – cast down all fear and take up faith and what God’s Word has to say – Hebrews 13:6(Amplified):

Pray, in Jesus name, this verse of Scripture (Hebrew 13:6) over you, your family, and any situation where fear tries to rise and believe that the perfect love of Jesus has cast out all fear. As you do, fear will have to release its grip on those areas and the peace and joy of the Lord will return!

And that is The Truth!
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