The death of a loved one often produces intense grief, as celebrity chef Guy Fieri experienced when his father passed away in January. "It screwed me up ... a few days of, 'I don't want to talk to anybody. I don't want to see anybody, just leave me alone," Fieri said.

Imagine Fieri's surprise when a friend who is a medium told him, "Your dad is blowing me up ... Your dad is all over me about you. He just wants you to know he's..." The medium began sharing information that "nobody in the world" would have known other than Guy and his family. "I mean it is goosebump city what I'm telling you," Fieri explained.

Did this celebrity chef actually receive communication from his deceased father? And is such a thing even possible?

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In order to learn about what happens after death, we must turn to our Creator and His inspired Word. While the realm beyond the grave holds many mysteries, there are certain aspects surrounding death that God has clearly addressed in Scripture.

For example, God forbids His people from consulting with mediums who claim to communicate with the dead. The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy ... Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.'" (Leviticus 19:1,31)

God commanded His people: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 18:10-13).

Each one of these occult practices invites the presence of demons into your life, even if you are merely dabbling with the occult out of sadness, curiosity, or the genuine desire to help others.  

The biblical teaching about mediums in no way calls into question Guy Fieri's deep love for his father, or Guy's genuine desire to receive communication from his father through the medium. Many people have attempted something similar after the death of a loved one. But what most people do not realize is that demons can impersonate those who have died as they attempt to lure those who grieve into occult activities. And when a person takes the bait, the demons gain significant access to that person's life. The devil and his demons are always scheming in an effort to control people and lead them astray.  

Elizabeth Smith worked as a psychic medium for over a decade. Elizabeth "would sit in a darkened room with other mediums in a seance and allow spirits to possess her body. 'We believed we served the 'light' and brought healing to people and the Earth,' she says until she discovered the dark side, and realized Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life."

Like every other psychic medium on the planet, Elizabeth had been deceived by evil spirits. "In my ignorance, I never considered myself to be a witch or an agent of the devil...in February of 2020, Jesus opened my eyes to the deception I was under." "I was like the man in the cave in Luke 8:26 — full of demons! Because of His amazing grace, Jesus set me free, gave me a new life, and an identity in Him. Jesus comes after the one who is lost."

In similar fashion, Jenn Nizza is an ex-psychic who "spent years doing readings and communicating with what she believed were the dead loved ones of her clients - until she had an encounter with Jesus that changed everything." She said, "There is no good spirit talking to a psychic ... They masquerade as your deceased loved ones." Scripture reveals that "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). 

As a former medium, Jenn Nizza believed she was "communicating with the dead, but now acknowledges the spirits she once channeled were demonic." Jenn said, "When I was 36, I first cried out to Jesus. I was at the lowest of the low, the lowest moments of my life — one of the darkest moments ... my soul, my spirit, knew to cry out to Jesus. I needed Him ... the Gospel is what saves."

Interestingly, Nizza felt that as a psychic she was actually helping people through her "abilities." "While many Christians might assume these individuals have diabolical plans, most believe they're assisting others." Guy Fieri's friend is presumably seeking to help people while claiming to receive messages from deceased loved ones. In reality, the voices he hears and the messages he receives are actually demons pretending to be someone's deceased family member.

As for deceased people themselves, it is clear in Scripture that people on Earth cannot communicate with those in Heaven or Hell, no matter how badly a person may wish to do so. Demons plot to exploit those who grieve by coaxing mourners to seek communication from the dead.

Meanwhile, the Lord's position on this dangerous occult practice is unequivocal: "I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people" (Leviticus 20:6).