Serving the Body of Christ for Over 50 Years

Charles Carrin

Soon after I began my traveling ministry and was teaching congregations how to recognize the difference between works of the Holy Spirit and the occult world’s counterfeits, a young man came to my hotel room seeking advice about a troublesome, “spiritual message” he had received. It was this: On a specific, named day of the week, he was told that his wife and baby would be killed in a car wreck. He was even told the city where it would occur. The message, which claimed to be from God, further warned him not to tell anyone--not even his wife. When he reluctantly shared that frightening information with me, I immediately explained that he had received a psychic-prophecy. It was not God's "word of knowledge" but a demonic counterfeit, such as fortune-tellers and clairvoyants experience. I explained that genuine "words of knowledge," I Corinthians 12:8, are always in harmony with the Covenant of Grace. No where does the Covenant provide for car wrecks, mangled bodies, and broken homes. Read it for yourself. Jesus came to "heal ... liberate captives ... restore sight ...free the oppressed, etc." Luke 4:18,19. Such psychic-initiated disasters as this husband was told are the works of Hell. I Peter 5:8,9. Satan came to "kill, steal, and destroy" and frequently does that through deception. John 10:10. Jesus brings life "more abundantly."

Since this young man, like many other Christians, was uninformed about the treachery of such a message, his wife and baby were in very real danger. As with most of us, he had probably looked at horoscopes, played with a Ouigi Board, had his palm read, or done other things that left an occult shadow over him. Without wasting a moments time, I laid hands on him and took total, absolute, unconditional authority over that prophecy in the Name of Jesus Christ. As a believing disciple, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and speaking the Word of God from my mouth--and not in any ability of my own--we canceled the devil's forecast. I declared it null and void, powerless and impotent by the blood of Jesus. Do I actually believe disciples have that power? Absolutely. Jesus taught it, the Apostles confirmed it, you and I had better learn it. Mark 16:17,18. Luke 10:17-20. James 4:7,8. II Corinthians 10:3-5. Matthew 10:1. Mark 6:13. Revelations 12:10,11.

As this young man talked, I remembered my own wife's tragic automobile wreck in which she had 13 broken bones and fractures, a collapsed lung, concussion of the brain, and so many injuries she could not be moved. That disaster followed a month-long psychic foreknowledge I had which was identical to this young husband and father. But, unlike him, no one told me how to stop it. I told him of a youthful Baptist pastor in a similar hotel room several years before who wept out the tragic story of a father in his congregation who dreamed a certain individual would be killed. A short time later the person died tragically. Soon after that, the man dreamed again; this time it was his son who would be killed. He was told to warn the boy about his impending death. The father ignorantly submitted to everything the dream demanded and two weeks later the boy died in a tragic automobile wreck. The church and family were emotionally destroyed and spiritually devastated.

During our visit, I recalled the time in Atlanta when another precious Christian brother was killed in a car wreck within ear-shot of my house a few hours after his wife foolishly obeyed a "message" to make his funeral arrangements. At the time, he was in robust health. Obediently, she carried out every detail of notifying the pall bearers, selecting the soloist and songs, informing the two ministers who spoke--I being one of them--and choosing the Funeral Home. She left nothing unfinished. Without realizing it, she cooperated with Hell and in-effect told the devil, "Go ahead." He immediately did.

Another Christian family came to mind; a mother, father, two grandmothers, who were swept away in a flash flood after a relative had a psychic "warning" she ignored. Nothing was done to resist the disaster. As a result, lives were lost and children orphaned. That absolutely is not the will of God. It violates every provision of the Covenant. Later, the person, who had the "warning," received another. She dreamed that her daughter called in the night, shouted her husband's name into the telephone and said, "He's dead!" Again, the omen was ignored; no authority was taken in the Name of Jesus. Soon afterward, the mother's phone rang in the night, exactly as she had been fore-warned, her daughter shouted her husband's name into the receiver and said, "He's dead!" The man had just been murdered. He was shot in his office, behind his own desk. Again, there had been no exercise of Jesus' authority against the psychic prophecy. As I stood at that man's casket, I wondered, "God! What does it take to wake up people to the reality of spiritual war?! How long will the church continue its’ stupid fight against spiritual gifts?!" I am still waiting. But I am not waiting silently. Nearly ten years ago God took me from pastoral work, sent me into the field, and said, "Go wake up my church!"

Before her death in the Paris car-crash, Princess Diana was told by her psychic that "Happiness will always be snatched away from you." In submitting to that horribly-oppressed Medium instead of God, Princess Diana surrendered her life to Hell's agenda. The night of the crash, her new engagement ring lay beside her on the floor of the bloodied car. It was not even on her hand when she died. Instead, "happiness had been snatched away" from her. "Life and death are in the power of the tongue." Proverbs 18:21.

Soon after my return to Delray Beach, Florida, in 1978, a friend and I went to a Psychic Fair at the local Mall, set up our own booth, and distributed tracts entitled Is It Dangerous To Consult Psychics? The leaflet contained Scripture quotations expressing God's warning against those who practice and those who receive divination. Deuteronomy 18:10-12. II Kings 17:17,18. Isaiah 47:12-15. Ezekiel 12:24. I Samuel 15:23. II Chronicles 33:6. Exodus 22:18. Galatians 5:19-21. Acts 16:16. Understandably, the psychics were outraged, they called the police, reporters and photographers descended on the scene. My friend and I were portrayed by the newspaper articles as the real villains. Later, the man in charge of the Fair approached me privately. He had read the tract, was genuinely concerned, but defensive for the fortune tellers. "I've worked with these psychics for eighteen years," He said, "and I know what they say frequently comes to pass." I agreed. Pointing to the parking lot, he explained, "Suppose a psychic tells you that tomorrow at this same time there will be a green car in that spot, a white one next to it, and a red truck speeding by." I listened. "She tells you that a child runs out from between those cars and is killed. You come here tomorrow and it happens exactly like she said ..." I stopped him. "I know what you are saying is true. Psychics frequently tell things that really happen," I said, "But you don't understand--the psychics are not merely predicting them--they are causing them. Through their evil prophecies, they fulfill the devil's will." When I said that, truth stabbed him like a knife. He slumped, turned slowly toward me, wide-eyed, mouth open. I will never forget his stare or the terror in his eyes. "How do I get out of this?!," He asked. "You need to be saved," I answered. "How?!" "Ask Jesus to forgive you. Tell Him you want to be born-again," I explained, "Commit your life to Him." Standing there in the entrance to the Mall he did exactly that, humbly, sincerely praying the salvation-prayer.
Someone asks, "How can sincere Christians, such as the ones I have described, experience such dark dreams and devilish messages?" The answer is that our minds and bodies have not yet been through the Resurrection. Our "corruptible has not put on incorruption, nor has our mortal put on immortality." I Corinthians 15:53,54. Until that happens, we are engaged in constant, unending spiritual war. Ephesians 6:10-18. Our regenerate spirit is immune to demons, yes, but soul and body, mind and flesh, remain their public battleground. If unprotected, these areas can be penetrated by powers of darkness. Scripture and common sense confirm this fact. Luke 9:55. II Corinthians 11:4. People with histories of psychic premonitions need deliverance. Such patterns frequently exist for generations in a family.

Someone asks: Does not the Holy Spirit’s “word of knowledge” warn us about dangers? Absolutely. Several years ago, a visitor at Central Baptist in Chattanooga warned me about a tragedy awaiting my airline flight that afternoon. I was instructed to “take authority” over the problem when I boarded the plane. Believe me, I did that! I laid-hands on the aircraft as I entered, spoke the power of Jesus’ Name on the equipment, personnel, circumstance, and everything relative to it. Later, when we tried to take off, an engine failed, the flight was canceled, and everyone ordered out of the plane. But the devil wasn’t through. Within days after that, on a different flight, we were ready to take off when a passenger saw fuel spilling from a broken gas line. Again, at the last minute, the flight was canceled and tragedy aborted. Our battle with powers of darkness is ongoing, endless.

The difference between a psychic premonition and the Holy Spirit’s word of knowledge is that God always provides a way of escape. His “word” comes with mercy and grace; Satan’s word is always one of unchangeable, inescapable death and disaster. If you ever receive a dream or message such as those I described, do not accept it. It may destroy you or someone you love. God gave you the authority to cancel its effect in your life. Romans 16:20. Luke 10:17-19. Mark 16:17-20. I Peter 5:9. Revelation 12:10,11. Be alert! Be informed! Most importantly of all, be victorious! Know the difference between God's "words of knowledge" and the devil's "psychic deceptions." Your life depends on it! Don't become another victim of Hell's deceit!