The Spirit World from a Christian Perspective

Perspective

Copyright

The Spirit World from a Christian Perspective

Copyright © 2020 Johan Putter

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781716093388

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at: E-mail: Spiritworldchristian@gmail.com

About the Author

Johan and his wife Doret are living in Mbombela, South Africa. They have been married for 40 years and have three children and three grandchildren. Johan served as a Pastor for many years. Johan and his wife are involved in prayer ministry, healing God’s world, one life at a time.

Contact Details

If you have any enquiries, you are welcome to contact the author at the following e-mail address: Spiritworldchristian@gmail.com

Symbolism of the Tree on the Cover Page

In various Bible verses, people who trust in the Lord are compared to flourishing trees planted by water (Green part of the tree). In contrast, the wicked or people who turn away from the Lord, are compared to a bush in the wastelands or to chaff that the wind blows away. (dead part of the tree.)

From this imaginary a relationship with God is of the utmost importance in our lives. (See Psalm 1). This does not mean that God will take away all our problems, sickness, and poverty right now. He will do so in future when He creates the new heavens and earth.

God’s blessing can show in material and earthly welfare. But far more important are the spiritual blessings: Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ (Ephesians 1:3, AMPLIFIED BIBLE).

Authorization

The picture of the tree on the cover page is printed with the written consent of Dreamstime.com LLC, 1616 Westgate Circle, Brentwood, TN 37027, United States of America. The proof of license is available on request.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all believers who have read the Bible book of Hebrews Chapter 6: 1-3 and wondered: If the elementary teachings about Christ, is about repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, teachings about baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, then what are the advanced Biblical teachings all about? May your thirst for more, be satisfied through the guidance of God the Holy Spirit.

Acknowledgement

This book is about the Ruler of the Universe who in His mercy, reveals Himself to man as God the Father, God the Son, Jesus the Anointed One, and God the Holy Spirit.

This book is a testimony about an indescribable merciful and powerful God, who in His mercy, reached out to a broken human being and through many acts of grace, healed and restored him. All the glory belongs to God! To Him I will proclaim: O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. (Isaiah 25:1) (NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION BIBLE.)

Bible texts are quoted from the following Bible translations, with permission:

Amplified Bible, 2015. The publisher is: The Lockman Foundation, Post box 2279, La Habra, CA 90632-2279, USA.

Amplified Bible Classic Version: Publisher: The Lockman Foundation, Post box 2279, La Habra, CA 90632-2279, USA.

Community English Bible: Published by Rev. Alberto Rossa, a Claretian missionary in the Philippines. 1986.

Good News Bible: Publisher: Bible Societies, Harper Collins, 1976, Copyright American Bible Society, USA.

International Standard Version Bible: Copyright: © 2011 The ISV Foundation: Publisher: Davidson Press LLC.

King James Version Bible:  Copyright Public domain due to age, publication restrictions in the United Kingdom: Published in 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

New Life Version Bible: Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc. 1969.

The Holy Bible, New International Version®, Niv. ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®

The Message Bible: Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

I would like to acknowledge and thank my wife, Doret, who has spent countless hours with me on this project. We have been together on this amazing adventure with God, for the past 45 years. She has been a part of many testimonies that you will read about in this book.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank my brother in Christ, Mitch.  We have shared many amazing experiences. Mitch also assisted with the publishing of this book.

Foreword

I am honored to give my opinion of this book and to share my view on it. It is such a needed book for the body of Christ!

Jesus Christ says in Matthew 6:33. (Amplified Bible) But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

We read about the Kingdom of darkness in Colossians 1:13: (Amplified Bible) For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.

There are two Kingdoms but many sincere believers in Christ are ignorant about this. We do need to know more. Therefore, this book is imperative in helping us to understand the spirit world and how to interact with it, under the guidance of God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ says in Matthew 13:11: (Amplified Bible) Jesus replied to them, To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted."

This book is about some of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is very important for us to grasp and believe that we have been granted authority by Jesus Christ to stand against the wiles of the enemy, as promised in Luke 10:19. (Amplified Bible) Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.

Restoration is for those who see, hear, understand, and apply the Kingdom principles.

The spirit world and how it operates in our lives, is clearly, empathetically, and simply explained in this book. It is a must read for all believers. 

My prayer is for everyone who seeks more knowledge of the kingdom of God, to come to the full knowledge and to comprehend how we as Christians, can have a life of abundance.

Thank you, Johan for your insight to advance the Kingdom in and through your book. To God be the Glory!

Elize van Deventer: Director of Restoring the Foundations (RTF) South Africa.

Chapter 1: Introduction

We are in a time where more and more people are becoming interested in the spirit world. People become involved in the spirit world out of curiosity and ignorance. While socializing, one friend suggests: Let us have a séance and call up a spirit. Is this innocent or not? Students decide to go to a fortune teller to hear what the future holds. Is this a problem or not?

It also happens that people are affected by spirit entities without having sought them out. This causes confusion and leaves them with questions. Some of us have the view that we do not want to know anything about spiritual matters. Is this a good idea? 

The church of Jesus Christ has a responsibility to provide a Biblical perspective to guide believers. The purpose of this book is to contribute to the provision of a Biblical perspective. I trust that this book will enlighten believers and that God the Father, God the Son Jesus the Anointed One, and God the Holy Spirit, will become a greater reality to you. This will change your life!

During the past forty years, I have learnt many things about the spirit world. These things have brought me and many other people closer to God and changed our lives in a positive way. This made me realize that man is destined for much more than living on earth for a few years and dying. We are spirit beings in a physical body. We have a spiritual purpose and should leave a legacy.

I have been a pastor for many years and ministered to many people on a spiritual level. In the process, I have gained practical experience about the spirit world. This is the information I intend sharing with you. I discovered that the Apostle Paul was correct when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:20, that the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.

You will hear information that will probably surprise you. I am going to give practical examples of things you might not think were possible. This information could change your life.

I know many believers who know our Heavenly Father on only a cognitive level. They know about God, but do not know Him on a personal level. It is like hearing about an important person. You see him on television and read about him in the newspapers. However, you do not know him personally. My hope is that after reading this book, you will start knowing God on a personal level.

The contents of this book could increase your awareness of what is going on around you. This is immensely powerful. It is essential that you do not believe everything on face value. It is your responsibility to judge everything according to God’s Word, the Bible.

I am a student of life and will share with you, what I have learnt and experienced. I do not claim to know everything about spiritual matters. Neither do I possess the whole truth.

The first fifteen chapters contain the contextual framework or foundation of the building on which I intend to build.

We will then illustrate the framework with practical examples:

Father can use us on a spiritual level, to perform miracles to honor Jesus Christ and build other people's faith.

The Holy Spirit can supernaturally intervene in our world and causing people to renew their minds.

Evil and unclean spirits can live in a specific place for example a house, from where they can try and influence people.

We will discuss topics such as: manipulation by evil and unclean spirits, sinful trends in families, spiritual prisoners, and spiritual brokenness, more than one personality in the same body, spiritual flaming arrows, judgments, and curses.

Spiritual attacks on people.

Spiritual maturity.

Spiritual authority.

How does believers come in a place where God the Holy Spirit can use us, to do the same miracles and more, as that what Jesus Christ has done on earth?

There are many perspectives about the spirit world. I am going to write about the spirit world from a Christian perspective. Please note that I am going to share one of many Christian perspectives. 

This information is intended to broaden believers' knowledge of the spirit world, to build their faith in God, and to equip them for ministry. It is important that you do not use the information to criticize or judge other people and institutions.

I trust that you will enjoy the book. May God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit be glorified!

If it were not for our Heavenly Father's undeserved favor in my life, this book would not have been compiled. All the honor and praise belong to God.

Chapter 2: Who is God?

To gain a proper understanding of the spirit world, we must first consider the question: Who is God? We cannot talk about the spirit world, without an understanding of who God is.

It should also be noted that when Christians use the term God, we think of God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. In other cultures, the term God, means an important person or an important spiritual being. 

I will share my understanding of who God is in this, as well as the next two chapters.

Who is God?

Let me clarify the following:

We cannot qualify and quantify God with our intellect. This means that we cannot start a science project and after completing our investigation, declare: This is God.

I do not think we can explain God through academic studies alone. Study is good, but the best we can do through this tool, is to learn about other people's perspectives, about God.

God reveals Himself to us on His terms. You can perceive Him with your senses if He allows it.

I do not have a complete revelation of God, nor do I have a full understanding of Him.

There are four popular answers that people give when they try to answer the questions: Where does God come from? Who is God? In my opinion, three of these answers are incorrect. I will briefly discuss the three opinions with which I disagree. Then I will share my opinion about who God is.

Opinion 1: God Has Been Invented by Man

According to the first view, God and religion are a product of the human intellect to:

Help man cope with the pressures of daily life. You can take your stress and fears to God. If your circumstances on earth are not too good, you can have hope for something better in life by believing in God. Should something happen that you do not understand, you can declare that it is God's will and go on with life.

Religion is a set of philosophical and moral values that help man get through life with the least trouble. It promotes love, responsibility, and tolerance.

According to this view, religion is a philosophy that acknowledges no spirit world. This view implies that one cannot stand in a personal relationship with a supernatural, living, almighty, immortal, and omnipresent Being. I believe one can. To me, the spirit world is a reality. I do not agree with this view.

Opinion 2: God is a Visitor from Another Planet

The second view is that God is a visitor from another planet. Many years ago, beings that looked like humans, came from the planets Nibiru and Sirius. They did genetic manipulation with different monkey species, and the result was humans. The primitive man of that time regarded these beings as gods, and the result