Ghost and Demons
The dead, ghosts, the devil and Halloween, are all part of October, but in Cambodia it is called "Pchum Ben". This is a fifteen day holiday where Cambodian Buddhists must visit 15 temples in 15 days. It is a time to remember your ancestors by presenting food offerings to one's dead relatives, or, as many Cambodians fear, their ghosts will 'get you'! If misfortune falls upon someone, they will often invoke a monk, or shaman, to find out how to placate and cast out the angry spirits. How do we deal with this as a Christian Church in Cambodia?
Many modern Christians don't believe that the devil and demons even exist. It is true, you don't have to believe in the devil to be a Christian. And, often, church leaders simply believe that demons, or evil spirits, are a metaphor for mental illness. And ghosts? Well? They just don't exist! Right? You don't believe in them; you're just afraid of them! The problem is that, even in sophisticated America, a recent USA Today poll found that 45% of the people believe in ghosts. That's the same percentage of people who claim to be born again. In Cambodia, most of the people believe in ghosts. Many have seen ghosts, so, are they crazy? As Christians we should realize that witches, shaman, and anyone who dabbles in contacting the dead, are working for the dark side, and should be avoided (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). We don't laugh at this, because there are many active shaman in Cambodia who specialize in deliverance. We have a more effective method, through the power of Jesus Christ. FCOP has seen thousands of people set free of evil spirits. And, because it "freaks out" most of the world, it is a little talked about key to church growth in Cambodia. I am not saying that all mental illness is demonic, but when we encounter something that is? We cast those demons out. It is a lot less expensive, and more efficient, than counseling or psychotherapy. And ghosts? Well? We need to address them seriously to have credibility in Cambodia. Ghosts can be demons, maybe, occasionally, angels, or some other undefined spirit entity. But, good, bad or ugly, we simply know that, in Jesus' name, as believers we have authority over the demonic type (Mark 16:17).
FCOP teaches that ghosts are spirit beings, as are demons and angels. We are not sure whether ghosts are a disembodied apparition of the departed, or a spiritual deception, or demonic, or sometimes angelic? But, we do know that Samuel's ghost appeared to Saul. Jesus was thought to be a ghost in Matthew 14:26. And, Jesus had to prove He wasn't a ghost to His disciples in Luke 24:39, on Easter morning. In neither case did he tell His disciples they were stupidly superstitious? And, the angels that appeared to the shepherds on Christmas eve seriously scared them. We also know that when Peter was broken out of prison by an angel (Acts 12) and showed up at a church meeting, the people thought it must be his "angel" (spirit being). So, what do we know? Angels are good spirit beings sent to help us (Hebrews 1:14). I don't believe they are often mistaken for ghosts. Demons are evil spirits sent to harm us (Luke 8:26-30). Satan can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). We need to test the spirits (1John 4), and have the authority to deal with the evil ones (Luke 10:19). So, don't be afraid of ghosts. Boo!
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