Hello my para beauties! I trust everyone has had a wonderful weekend and a blessed Sunday. I pray everyone special to you and who you love is healthy. I've been receiving so many prayer requests from all over as many are struggling with sickness or struggling dealing with the loss of a loved one. May God bring you peace in these terrible times. When I lost my father I felt like part of me died too. In these times we must seek God's face for peace of mind. It's part of life and they are now with Jesus Christ in Heaven. It takes time but mourning a death does become more tolerable.
Now let's discuss the book of Revelations in general.
This is a summary in the best format I can offer. Or rather bits and pieces so it's not so overwhelming or puts the brain on overload. From my point of view. I am certainly not stating this is it, no o other views are correct. This is just my humble opinion. The name of the book, Revelation, is a translation of the title in the original New Testament Greek, Apocalypsis the origin of the other name by which the book is now known, the Apocalypse. The Greek term denotes an unveiling or uncovering—thus, a revelation. A very interesting title with very interesting events to come as we are warned.
Many ask why was this book written? Well, as I mentioned above, the book's very name means to reveal —to unveil, to open to understanding what otherwise could not be comprehended. Yet most people believe that this final book of the Bible cannot be understood at all, that its language and symbols are too confusing to make sense. I can understand why. It's very intimidating.
The author of the Book of Revelation is John, who is an exile living on the island of Patmos. Many of the early church fathers believe that he was the same person as the apostle John. However, some believe the writing style of Revelation suggests that the two are not in fact the same, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, although it is possible that the author of Revelation was an apostle of John.
The Book of Revelation's apocalyptic and symbolic language has resulted in a vast array of interpretations. The events depicted are often considered to be an illustration of the early Christian persecutions, but the symbolism is also interpreted quite literally, suggesting that the Book is really about the end of the world, and that the events it describes will occur. Some Christians do not accept the Book of Revelation as canonical, and the decision to accept it in the final list of canonical books was highly controversial, according to the article "Meander Travel: Book of Revelation."
The Vision Of The Worlds End
Revelation is a book written to reveal the future, and Jesus Christ is the One who does the revealing: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place … Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him” (Revelation 1:1,7).
Here is the theme of Revelation—the time of the end of the age and the return of Jesus Christ to establish God’s Kingdom on earth.
John explains where he was when he received this vision of the end time: “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet” (Revelation 1:9-10).
The Lord’s day (also known as “the day of the Lord” or “the day of Christ” throughout Scripture) is the time of God’s intervention in human affairs when He establishes His Kingdom. (Plainly in this context it does not refer to a particular day of the week for worshipping God. To better understand which day God has set aside for rest and worship, please download or request our free booklet Sunset to Sunset: God’s Sabbath Rest.)
The apostle Paul, referring to this same time, says: “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).
In another epistle Paul calls it “the day of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The reason is that Jesus Christ, the Lord, intervenes in a powerful way at this time to take over the world. This is why this end-time period is called the Lord’s day.
John’s vision of the Lord’s day begins in Revelation 4: “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne” (verse 2). After describing the scene in heaven, John focuses on a scroll God holds that lists end-time events. “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals” (Revelation 5:1).
Only Jesus Christ, called the Lamb, is worthy to open the seals and unleash these end-time events. When God the Father determines the time is ready, He authorizes Jesus to initiate the events written on the scroll. They include the terrifying end-time occurrences prophesied throughout the Scriptures to take place during the 3 1⁄2 year period.
The seven seals describe the events before and during Christ’s return to rule the earth. “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels …saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’” (Revelation 5:11-12). Here Jesus Christ is being authorized to unleash the final events and then establish His Kingdom.
The first seal (Revelation 6:1-2) represents widespread deception by a false Christianity that began in the days of the apostles (Matthew 24:4 – 5). The second seal (Revelation 6:3-4) refers to the increasing devastation caused by war as the end approaches (Matthew 24:6-7). The third seal (Revelation 6:5-6) represents increasing hunger and famines (Matthew 24:7). Other consequences of war and famine are represented by the fourth seal (Revelation 6:7-8)—such things as disease, plagues and civil unrest that kill many people (Matthew 24:7).
All of the events in the first four seals have been occurring, with varying frequency and intensity, from Christ’s time to our day. But they have greatly intensified over the last century and will grow even worse in the suffering mankind will have to endure nearer the end.
The fifth seal (Revelation 6:9-11) brings us directly to the time of the end. It acknowledges the past persecution and martyrdom of God’s servants and announces they will have to wait “a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed,” before God avenges their deaths.
In The book of Matthew 24:9 Jesus tells His followers this will be a time when “they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” He also describes it as a time of “great tribulation
THE SIXTH SEAL
The next seal describes how “powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29) after the end-time tribulation and martyrdom of the saints has begun but before God’s wrath is unleashed in “the day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31). These heavenly signs announce the beginning of the Day of the Lord.
Terrifying heavenly signs announce Jesus Christ’s direct intervention in world events to save mankind from itself. This shows that, while God has permitted the previous end-time disasters, Satan has been their driving force. Now God begins to demolish Satan’s kingdom, pouring out His wrath on a rebellious and insolent world.
“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (Revelation 6:12-17).
Jesus described this sixth sign in His Olivet Prophecy: “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption [rescue] draws near” (Luke 21:25-28).
Consequently, in the latter part of the 3 1⁄2 years of Satan’s wrath, God will intervene, first with signs and wonders in the heavens, then by orchestrating His final punishments before Jesus Christ’s return.
Finally the seventh seal is opened (Revelation 8). It describes seven other aspects of end-time events, each announced with a trumpet blast. In the first four of these plagues God strikes the earth and mankind’s environmental support systems. The fifth trumpet’s plague inflicts great pain on those refusing to serve God. In the sixth trumpet plague, God permits an unimaginably destructive and all-out worldwide war to begin (Revelation 8-9).
With the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the Bible reveals that “the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7).
This mystery of the end time was briefly alluded to in the Garden of Eden and its meaning glimpsed by the patriarchs and prophets. John writes: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15).
God is in control. Every prophetic detail will be carried out according to His time frame.
As Christ concluded His Olivet Prophecy in Luke 21:34-36, He warned His disciples who would live during the end time: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Written By Jennifer L Auld
Saturday, February 1, 2014
The Book of Revelations
Friday, January 31, 2014
Is This The End?
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
Suppose a leading candidate in an election year, who espoused all the main convictions you hold, suddenly announced that he supported a return to the practice of segregation--blacks and whites,"separate but equal". Further, it was uncovered that he was (for certain) an active member of a KKK group that had lynched a dozen black men over the years, but justice had never been done (no witnesses). Would he have any chance of becoming president in the 21st century? Would you vote for him? "None....and hell no!" are most certainly your collective reply. The media would rip him to shreds.
Some facts simply disqualify a man for office, right?
Remember.... in my own lifetime, we DID vote folks in office who espoused segregation. Why was it stopped? Because it was patently abusive and unjust.
While not minimizing the seriousness of segregation policies, would we all not agree that murder is worse than abuse or shaming people by making them drink from a different water fountain? There are gradations of sin, and murder is more serious in God's eyes than public shaming--as horrible as that is. (I did an entire blog on gradations of sin).
"I thought this newsletter/blog was about the paranormal?" you may be thinking. Okay, if in your backyard there is massive oak tree upon which dozens of black folks were hung and murdered 100 years ago, do you not think that that spot almost certainly is "haunted"...an intense demonic presence? And if we did something similar, or worse, today, then wouldn't that shed light on why overt demonic activity has skyrocketed? I WANT TO KNOW WHY WE ARE EXPERIENCING SUCH AN EXPLOSION OF OBSERVABLE DEMONIC CARNAGE!
For those of you who do not know me personally, I am a gentle guy....a man of peace who dislikes arguing....I have a deep aversion for TV preachers who are mean-spirited. I cling to grace and know that Jesus showed His most tender compassion for folks deeply mired in horrible sin and guilt.Truthfully, I am so damaged by past cruel realities in my life that most days I have trouble putting one foot in front of the other. But God won't let me just lie down.....especially regarding one or two particular issues.
January 22 marked the 41st anniversary of Roe V Wade...55 million unborn babies have been killed in the US alone since then. In Russia, abortions outnumber live births (no wonder that it is such an oppressive country in every way). Where is the outrage? If we would be offended by segregation...and especially lynching, then why not with the killing of the most defenseless? The bible SCREAMS in its insistence that life begins at conception, as does biology and common sense. The second the Holy Spirit caused the virginal conception of our Savior, Jesus was both fully God and fully man. From conception, He was God incarnate..Don't you think Satan was feverishly trying to abort that Baby, only to be smacked to the ground by our sovereign King? While only a few months along in her pregnancy, Elizabeth's baby (John the Baptist) leaped in joyful worship of his cousin, The King who had created him! Read Psalm 139...personally knit together in mom's womb, and every page of the bible. An important early Christian document, The Didache (AD 81-110) states, "You shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born." This is not just my humble opinion....God says it, that settles it, I believe it. Let me quote from RC Sproul, one of my theologians.
"I'm convinced that the matter of abortion facing the American public right now is the greatest wickedness in our nations history. It makes me almost ashamed to be an American. I'm ashamed of the medical profession, but I'm most deeply ashamed of the church for its failure to scream literally, "Bloody murder" about abortion. Abortion is a monstrous evil, and if I know anything about the character of God, I am totally convinced that this is an outrage to Him. ...(pg.451 Now, That's a Good Question)
I have been thinking lately about what could possibly occur to indicate that Satan was loosed and that we were in the last days of demonic delirium. The text is too long to quote here but read 2 Thess 2:1-12...In God's sovereignty, He will temporarily drop the restraints and all hell will break loose before Christ's victorious return. It made me feel physically ill to realize that we are likely experiencing the most wicked time in the history of mankind. Due to technology advances, we can slaughter more infants, with more efficiency. Nearly 60 million babies (just in US) in 41 years, plus the many millions worldwide, is a feat of evil unparalleled in human history.
There are other reasons (this is a series) why I think Jesus' return is near, but how our love has grown cold to the plight of the unborn is sickening and indicative that we are far more advanced in evil than many of us suspect. We are waiting for the hammer to fall on Christians before we take seriously that the lion has been loosed. I think that is a mistake.
The issue of abortion on demand is distinct from the issue of exceptional scenarios, which I cannot address. The vast majority of abortions don't involve any real threat, so I am tired of this being thrown out immediately and used to water down the urgency and seriousness of the issue.
My heart aches for the women reading this who have been scarred by abortion. Please accept God's full forgiveness. Like Adam hiding behind Eve, I think the men are most at fault, but hide....But only a demonic logic would force us to keep quiet out of fear. What of the children? Indeed ,by keeping silent, we have prevented men/women who are riddled with guilt from feeling the full weight of their guilt, and to then to experience the full beauty of real forgiveness. We have done nobody a favor by remaining silent.
I recently read War by war correspondent Sebastian Junger, in which he chronicles his days with an Army outfit that was engaged in the most vicious fighting of the ongoing Afghan war. Some of you may have seen the documentary based on these events called, Restrepo...named after a beloved medic who was killed in an ambush. Junger mentions the importance of knowing the terrain in effective warfare, and that he who occupies the highest hill has the military advantage. You're shooting down...I am convinced that the killing of unborn children is the "highest hill" for Satan in his destruction of our country.
He has captured the hill of "truth" by relativizing it.....the hill of worldview, which was once Christian in general, has been overrun by the occult/New Age/Gnosticism..... The hill of academia has been napalmed by post-Christian and post-modern deconstructionism....... Even the hill of the spirit realm--considered the forbidden zone for millenia--has fallen into enemy hands, as we rush headlong into it. But the highest hill of them all is the profound sacredness of human life., made in God's image. It, too, has been overrun.
If we lined up 55 million people today and slaughtered them, do we not think there would be a HUGE effect in the spirit realm? There is a cause and effect between the natural and the supernatural. Our actions here give demons a foothold...I know the history of abortion, and that it has always existed. However, in the fullness of time, ours is the first generation that has had the means to surgically destroy so many babies...so easily...and so cheaply.....and supposedly so safely.
The highest hill...we (humans alone) are made in God's image from conception through the grave and unto eternity. If demons are drawn to cemeteries and battlefields because the blood soaked land, and moldering remains draws them like flies to honey....due to their sheer, irrationally intense hatred of us--then what of abortion clinics? There is a demonic darkness that surrounds these places. I know--I was arrested at one 30 years ago along with 2 other seminarians, and some others as well.
One of the main signs of the imminence of Jesus' return (see Matt.24) is the INTENSIFICATION of evil. Nothing really new, just old evil (apparently) accelerated by the use of modern technology. That is where we are--right now.
We are rightly repulsed by images of infants being laid in the white-hot, outstretched arms of the demonic god Molech. Unto the demonic god of selfishness we have killed 55-60 million precious babies. We have opened the floodgates for the lawless one to come. I am sick to my stomach, as I contemplate this monstrous evil in our midst, and we hardly give it a second thought. What in the hell is wrong with us?
What do we do? Pray that this holocaust will end...and ask God how you personally can help. Preach and teach on it. Call your local crisis pregnancy center and get involved. Google "National Right to Life" and get on their mailing list to be educated, as well as World magazine which reports news from a biblical worldview. The first step is overcoming this monstrous silence and talking about it. We have the most pro-abortion president ever in office. There is a time for a righteous anger....and if we as individuals and as a church will not take a stand for human life, what will we stand for?
Forty years ago, the young adults of our nation resonated to the lyrics of "four dead in Ohio", but our generation of the summer of love is a bunch of hypocrites --we are so focused on the pursuit of happiness and personal fulfillment that the right to life has died. I think the end is near. (next week, Jews and Jerusalem).
Thursday, January 23, 2014
How Satan Supports Christians
By Lisa Grace
Many Christians hate the idea that they have actions that support and promote Satan, but they do. Satan, who is smarter and has been around the block longer than any living Christian, uses the Bible to twist messages about God's love and judgment.
His greatest tools within the church are:
- Denominationalism
- Judgment
- Misunderstandings caused by man-made added words,concordances, and incorrect translations
- Not understanding Hebrew traditions, customs, mores, and early Hebrew language (even the Greeks misunderstood and made up words to describe some Hebraic Torah concepts.)
- The devil is always working and succeeding by tempting us into judgment
- Getting us to think "actions" will make us more righteous: "If I do this or get others to do this, then I'm a better Christian" Our righteousness is as filthy rags and we can not "earn" our way into salvation.
How can we guard against allowing the devil to use the very word of God against us?
It's simple:
- Remember we are all sinners saved by His (God's) grace (Eph 2:8-9)
- Remembering the basic saving message: We are all sinners, Jesus' blood is what covers our sin, repent( means turn away) from our sin, ask Jesus (Yeshua) into our hearts, claim him as our personal Savior.
Everything else we do to honor Him is a fruit of our faith, and those practices should not be used to condemn others if they do not practice them themselves.
Let God be the judge at the time of judgment. All Christians have a hard enough time just keeping the Ten Commandments, which again God knew we couldn't keep, but they are to act as a mirror to show us our sinful selves, and remind us as to why we each need the gift of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. He paid it all.
I pray we can all work together, to bring others into a personal relationship with God, through Jesus. If we work at this basic truth, there will not be the interest in the paranormal that exists today, as a personal relationship with our Creator trumps seeking after a relationship with perverted fallen angels, demons, witchcraft, i.e. all other forms of the supernatural.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
The Ransom Was Paid
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
Only God knows exactly the full price of the ransom that was paid....
On the one hand, Christ paying the ransom price to liberate us from enslavement to sin, Satan, and death (which is the heart of the gospel) is the ugliest, most obscene act ever committed. The infinitely pure, precious, and morally beautiful Lord of glory was brutally beaten and shamefully murdered--and that is just the tip if the iceberg, as we shall see.On the other hand, the self-humiliation involved in this Ransom was the most beautiful act of love ever committed.
Some folks have this notion that Jesus was the one who persuaded the reluctant Father to "let" Him come and save us.You know, the "mean/vengeful" God the Father of the Old Testament..... No! Who sent the Son? According to John 3:16 the Father did! "God (the Father) so loved the world that He SENT..."
In John 17, from eternity past, God the Father and God the Son joyfully agreed between them that the Father would give the Son a gift......a gift the Lord Jesus eagerly anticipated--A Bride!
But "curious" gift....His Son would have to pay for it...and what a price indeed.( Please see vvs 2,6,9,12 for wonderful truth of the Father giving the Son a gift!)
They agreed that Jesus would pay the ransom for those who hated them. This is holy ground upon which we now stand, and I pray for the words to express such indescribability.
Ransom, as defined in my dictionary, "something paid or demanded for the freedom of a captured person...to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price." The Exodus from enslavement in Egypt is a picture of the Greater Exodus--where the ransom is paid to liberate us from bondage to sin, Satan, and death.
Scripture repeatedly speaks of us being sold into slavery to sin, Satan, and death. Starting in Genesis 3 (where all 3 are introduced) to Revelation, we see God dealing with that triad of captors, and overcoming all three.
Before we talk about WHAT was paid, let us look for a moment to WHOM the ransom was paid. A number of early church fathers, and up through the medieval times, many thought that the ransom was paid by God to Satan. The so-called "Ransom to Satan theory of the atonement", was based on the notion that the death of Christ constituted a ransom paid to Satan, in order to cancel the just claims Satan had on man.
How awful!! Thankfully, Anselm and others saw how incongruous this notion was with the bible and the nature of God. The clarity of thinking and teaching of Luther and Calvin rediscovered the pure gospel after the gospel itself was in chains for 1,000 years. Satan was to be pummeled, not paid, in this grandest of ransoms.God is the Creator of the entire cosmos and its owner and sustainer. God, not the Evil One, is the aggrieved party, who owns all...and God is the One that we have committed cosmic treason against.
That God did not provide a ransom for fallen angels, as He has for fallen humans, surely indicates that His redemption of us was/is entirely of grace and mercy (grace--receiving what we do not deserve, mercy--NOT receiving what we do deserve, eternal damnation) Both God's love and justice are at the heart of His ransom of us. In .Deuteronomy 9 Yahweh reminds us that His choosing of Israel was entirely gracious. And He loves us, not because of any good He saw in us (we were His enemies Rom. 5:8)) but because He chose to love us. Why? Because He loves us. Why? Because He freely chose to love us....we cannot go back any further! We can only bow before the Lord in worship.
However, once the Holy Lord freely chose to redeem and save us,He faced a divine dilemma His nature NECESSITATED the shedding of His infinitely precious blood. That is, I say with respect, God was faced with a dilemma--He is all-powerful but that does not mean He can do everything. He cannot just wink at sin. His perfectly holy nature made the atonement absolutely necessary...there was no other way. Don't you think He would have done so if it were possible, given the horror and dread Jesus felt in the garden, in anticipation of the unspeakable horror of the cross?.
Perhaps you have heard the phrase, "a kings ransom." Simply a colorful way of referring to a whole lot of money! But suppose a king had been taken hostage. The more power, authority, and dignity the person has, then the higher will be the ransom price for his release. Thus, a kings ransom is required to pay the ransom of a king. Jesus is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords...the God/man.We sinned against the King of Kings, and the blood of goats and bulls would not suffice.
THE RANSOM WAS PAID FOR US, and it WAS PAID BY GOD, AND IT WAS PAID TO GOD. He wrote the check to Himself, as it were. What does that mean? In order to free us from bondage, He had to pay the penalty FOR US....TO GOD. .Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension paid the ransom, which He did not owe, and which we could not pay.
What kind of "currency" did God use to ransom us?
1. Jesus lived a perfect life FOR US...He paid the ransom by earning heaven for us.
2. He paid the ransom by taking our sins upon Himself
3. The most costly aspect of the cross/ransom is what is often misunderstood the most....the primary ransom that had to be paid was the punishment for all the sins committed by all of God's people. While on the cross bearing our sin, the unmitigated wrath of the Father was poured out upon His dearly beloved Son. Human language is inadequate to adequately covey the cursed, hellish misery Jesus experienced FOR US, as our substitute. He paid in currency we shall never fully understand.
The Father punishing the Son to satisfy the demands of His holy character and holy law, is known as "propitiation"...a word every Christian should know. hilasterion--in the Greek, conveys this pacifying of God's wrath by pouring it out upon His Son. Remember it is TO GOD that our ransom must be paid--He was the party offended against, and we became slaves. We could put the propitiation, and how it relates to our ransom, this way...
God Himself, punishing Himself, in order to save us from Himself. (That is the heart of the ransom paid for us)
The cross saved us from many things--GOD'S WRATH BEING THE WORSE.
God Almighty could not have given anything more precious or costly to Himself, than what He did give, in the propitiatory death of the Lord of Glory. He gave His Son to be a "burnt offering"..He gave EVERYTHING....paid the ultimate king's ransom.
The ransom was exceedingly high...infinitely higher than any ransom ever paid by man. Captivity to sin, Satan, and death was paid for by the infinitely precious blood of the Lamb of God. The true price that was paid is known only to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
That is crux of why we must confront and oppose this notion of ghosts.The captors were specifically targeted.(sin, Satan, and death)...then the full ransom price was paid.--FOR EACH OF GOD'S CHILDREN. Is it not unthinkable that after the Lord paid such a high ransom to defeat death, we turn around and act as if nothing had happened? Death is supposed to usher us into the immediate presence of God--that was the intention in paying the ransom...that we would be reconciled with God.
"...through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (Heb. 2:14-15)
"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:14)
"The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15:26)
Physical death is the common lot for believers too, but it is transformed from being the "king of terrors" into being the gateway into the presence and rest of God. Physical death is abnormal, as it is the result of the fall. Like sin and Satan, believers still have to struggle with it, but as we breathe our last breath, we are done with the presence of sin, Satan and death. What God intended to be anticipated as the hope of certain reunion with Him, has been corrupted into an ongoing monster...as if the ransom had never been paid. What a wretched idea this notion of ghosts is. It belittles and denies the blood soaked Ransomer and His infinitely precious Ransom.
You've heard the truism, "You get what you pay for." The blood of Jesus is infinitely precious. Thus, we have throughout the bible, the centrality and certainty of hope.However, the notion of ghosts is a hope-killer.It belittles the heart of the gospel itself. It is a negation of the perfection of the Atoner and the atonement.
What will it take for us to take notice and make a stand? It was the realization of how "trapped spirits" threw into doubt the perfection of the atonement (the ransom did not accomplish our liberation from death) that, more than anything else, opened my eyes to how seriously dangerous this notion is...and how grievous it must be to the Holy Spirit--and why we must confront it. Thank you Lord for paying the ransom to free us from bondage to sin, Satan, and the grave.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Issue 145 – Theresa Caputo & Other Psychics are Spiritual Predators
We know you're out there and we can help.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Trapped Spirits and the Loss of Hope
Friday, January 3, 2014
Healing Failures
By Pastor Stephen Piersall
God's Preservation Ministry http://sfprs.org/
Healing is one of the most controversial subjects in the Bible. Not that God is confused, but we and our many different denominations and religions have various interpretations as well as translations. Let us first read "The Great Commission":
This is the commandment that Jesus left us with upon his ascending into Heaven. It is by far one of the most dynamic and prominent areas of any church deliverance ministry. While casting out demons, it is just as significant, to minister to the impassioned wounds. Rousing wounds are one of the most common reasons that deliverance can fail or demons seem to keep coming back and regaining inhabitation within the person.
The Holy Spirit within you is the one that HEALS! The believer who has already accepted the gift of Salvation from Jesus must stand in faith 100%. The Holy Spirit responds to your level of faith and every divine healing that ever took place happened with the Holy Spirit when the believer acted on God’s word. What about when healing fails? What went wrong?
It is important to understand that God has not failed you, and He is not short on healing power. When demands are made on the power of God, the healing virtue of Jesus Christ will flow into a person’s body and make it whole. In John 5, the story is told about a man who had an infirmity for 38 years. This story, perhaps, gives us the best picture of the obstruction that even today’s believers face when it comes to wanting to be healed, and yet, not being able making it happen when we want it, and need it, the most. We read that day after day the invalid man lay by the pool of Bethesda hoping somehow to be the number one person in the water after the angel stirred it, because if he was the first to make it in, he could be healed. But then along came Jesus. He asked the man, “Do you want to become well?” The invalid answered saying, “Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool…”
The difference is that willpower is what makes a demand on the power of God. After all, God has sent His Word, and according to that Word, healing has already been purchased by the blood of Jesus. So, the rest is up to us. We must act on this new blood covenant to get the results we desire. Still, for those times when it seems God’s healing power has somehow been hindered, and it just is not flowing through our lives. The Bible points out some problem areas that may be the reason for this lack of healing or health. Some of those problem areas include:
• Failure to forgive others (Mark 11:25-26)
• Failure to keep the commandment of love (John 13:34)
• Lack of knowledge and lack of vision (Hosea 4:6); Proverbs 29:18)
• Lack of discernment of the Lord’s body when taking communion (I Corinthians 11:23-32)
• Lack of integrity in your heart (Psalms 25:21)
Since we know there is no failure with God, it is obvious that when believers do not receive their healing, the problem must lie elsewhere. Keeping this in mind, we need to realize that healing largely depends on a firm stand on the fact that your prayer has been heard, and that it has been answered. The challenge, then, comes in not wavering from God’s Word.
These two websites will shed some more light on the subject of why healing may or may not work:
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/inner_healing_101.php
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/healing_gods_will.php
The Beauty of God
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
Aesthetics is that branch of philosophy which deals with theories of beauty. At the beginning of 2014 I want to try and paint a picture of God's unspeakably infinite beauty.
I think it is safe to say that we all know beauty when we see or hear it, but it is a bit more of a challenge explaining what beauty IS. For example a beautiful sunset, a beautiful song, a beautiful woman, a beautiful novel, and so on. What is it that all representations of beauty seem to have in common?
When our children were young, we took great delight in the simple beauty of their stick figures. They somehow learned instinctively that symmetry was part of their goal to make the picture "pretty for mommy". I remember my children's stick figure drawings with much fondness, as I'm sure you do.
Consider other expressions of beauty. Normally, the more complex the beauty, the more intense it is. There is simple beauty and their is complex beauty...the more complex, the more beautiful it appears. For example, we marvel at the extraordinary wonderment of Michelangelo's "David". Or we think of Rembrandt and how his balancing of light with dark was genius and the result was complex, intense beauty.
Think of music...in a symphony, the more instruments you have playing in sync with each other, the more extraordinary the beauty. Personally, I am more into classic rock. My favorite band is the Allman Brothers. Most bands have one lead guitarist and one drummer (in addition to a bassist and others), but they were blessed with two of the best guitarists--the late Duane Allman and Dickie Betts. Their guitar inter-play was almost transcendental at times--to me anyway! Have you ever had the experience of listening to music that affected you so profoundly, that you forgot you were listening, and were transported up into the music itself?
The key is taking all the disparate elements and bringing them ultimately together--resolution. A simple but beautiful floral design is made more intensely beautiful by adding more color and intricacy to the design. A really good movie (the Hebrew word for good and beauty are from same root) or beautiful play or novel is where all these sub-plots are intricately woven together and resolved by the end....leaving no loose threads or irresolution.Symphony and not cacophony! Twice in the Song of Solomon the same Hebrew word for beauty is used that is in Psalm 27:4 for God....and both lovers describe the traits that make the other so beautiful and desirable. Notice the focus on symmetry in their descriptions.
Asymmetry sticks out like a sore thumb.I am thinking of Satan now as "pure ugly"...his soul is misshapen and assymetrized.
What happens when you have infinite complexity and symmetry? This where it gets exciting--there is INFINITE BEAUTY. That kind of beauty would certainly blur the distinction between sight and sensation!
Some of God's attributes seem so polar opposite,making Him appear at first glance, as asymmetrical. (e.g. wrath/hatred and mercy/love) "Note then the kindness and severity of God..." (Rom.11:22) However, when put together, there is infinite,complex beauty! Like a rainbow, here is a list of some God's attributes...which taken together are astonishingly beautiful!
God is transcendent and immanent
infinity and immensity (all of God is everywhere)
immutability and His emotions.
unity (one God) and His tri-personality as Trinity
omniscience, omnipotence, wisdom, truth
goodness, love, grace, mercy, hesed, holiness, righteousness, justice, and glory
sovereignty of God and our moral responsibility
heaven and hell....blessing and cursing.
All these traits are in perfect balance...symphonic symmetry in infinite complexity and intensity.God's beauty is primary and all human beauty is derivitive from Him.
ON THE CROSS, JUSTICE AND MERCY KISSED
In Rev. 4--5 Jesus is revealed as a Victorious Lamb, but who has the scars of having been slain. We blink, and this Lamb is now the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah. Such is the incredible complexity of the Person and Work of Christ.
So that is why the beatific vision has always been considered the most wonderful experience of heaven...seeing Jesus face to face. It seems that human language is not adequate to convey the infinitely complex, infinitely intense beauty of our ascended Savior!
Every experience of beauty here on earth is momentary, and reflects a longing for heaven. As we gaze upon the infinitely complex intense beauty of God, every pore of our being will dance with sheer pleasure and delight. It will be ravishing and unending delight.
The next time you experience the pleasure of beauty, let it turn your heart in contemplation of the beauty of God...and worship Him!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Spare The Rod Spoil The Child And Risk Raising A Killer?
Hello my para beauties. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas/ Holiday season. The new year will be here in 2 days, my gosh where did the time go? It's just mind boggling to think. Celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ tends to be out shadowed as it seems the main objection is what gift to buy for the people we love. Children handing over lists of toys or electronics they expect to receive and many folks are already very limited on funds and struggling in this awful economy will go broke and say"Well Christmas is about giving." Not completely. Nor is it about receiving gifts. It's about the Birth of Christ if you are of the believing faith. Of course this does not all apply to everyone.
I've had 12 requests to discuss what the Bible says regarding the title of this article/blog. They feel that many people have and are raising children to feel the world revolves around them and what they want when they want. And can they really create a poltergeist when in chaos or anger. From what I know it's possible. And even grow up to be criminals. Way too many people are having kids at such a young age and are unable to care for them properly. And many have no patience it requires nor willing to give up their life in order to raise the child. They realize everything revolves around this dear child and they often neglect and sometimes kill their own children. They didn't ask to be born in interrupt anyone's life.
It appears that we are seeing on the news many stories of minors killing each people, either, their siblings, their parents etc...more and more teens are having children and are not properly raising them. They are told no but never been made to accept it. It's doing a disservice to the innocent children by not setting reasonable boundaries and rules. And follow thru with punishments they are told is the consequence of not following rules. Even the bible tells us this.
What Does The Gospel Say About This? Here are a few examples...
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Colossians 3:20-24 ESV Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (21) Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. (22) Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, (24) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Leviticus 20:9
For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.
Proverbs 30:17
The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
In my humble opinion "Spare the rod, spoil the child," or, in more complete English, "If you spare the rod you will spoil the child." The general meaning is that parents who don't discipline their children are going to create spoiled children. Some feel they should take a more literal approach, and say that parents must physically discipline their children, because "the rod" here means "to beat your child with a stick." There is much debate about whether it is okay or good for parents to spank, slap, or otherwise discipline children through minor physical pain such as a pop on the rear end for disrespecting adults. That's just one example.
A friend of mine was talking about this very subject at bible study. "I was not spanked as a child. When I became a teenager I became very rebellious. I had no fear of consequence, no respect for my parents, or any authority. It is by the grace of God that I am not dead or jail. I am saddened that this is not the outcome for many who have never been taught as a child that life has consequences." More and more children receive no consequences for ill behavior much less ever have been made to accept the word "No".
Of course this subject could go on and on. I wanted to try my best at discussing this at both point of views. I think you have to do what you feel is best for your situation. There is a huge difference in dicipline and beating a child. But when there is never any consequences your taking a big chance and creating undue stress and a disservice to the child. They only know right from wrong from what the parents teach them.
Written By Jennifer L Auld
Friday, December 27, 2013
Was Cindi Lauper Right?
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
Remember Cindi Lauper's hit "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."? It was actually a re-do of a song Robert Hazard had written, with with a few approved changes. I think it is a most suitable anthem (for both sexes), as far as what drives many people. When I wrote the "Fifty Shades of Mommy Porn" blog, my goal was to analyze what is happening across our culture in general that is concurrent with, and perhaps feeding into, this lust for the occult. Long before I got "zapped" by the paranormal, I was interested in viewing the flow of intellectual and pop culture through a biblical worldview...for nearly 40 years. I enjoy analyzing the inter-connectedness of different aspects of culture and the flow of history. The paranormal juggernaut has tendrils that weave far and wide into the fabric of our society--it wasn't born in a cultural/spiritual vacuum and it does not exist now in a vacuum. Understanding certain habits of the heart are essential to deciphering the how/why of this historically unprecedented fascination with the spirit realm.
Why now? Why is our generation the first in human history to rush headlong into the spirit realm without the community safeguards of a designated mediator... a shaman, imam, rabbi, priest, or minister?
Answer...it's fun!
FUN...nothing wrong with it (per se), and so many things right about it. I wanna have fun! And according to online dating site profiles, so does the millions of folks looking for marriage...only this lust for fun has become seriously idolatrous.
About 13 years ago, I went through a biblical divorce, but simply could not (for several reasons), seriously consider dating and re-marriage. The experience damaged me to the core, and I am still broken in many ways. But, like Adam, I was lonely for companionship. So, eventually I tried some reputable dating sites.
Off and on for a few years I have visited a few appropriate dating sites. I even joined one or two for awhile in order to give it a try. There are horror stories and there are beautiful success stories--my experience has been some where in-between. However, there is one aspect of it that has gripped me lately, that is germane to our topic. And I can't shake the sense that there is a strong connection to the how/why of the mushrooming growth and influence of interest in the paranormal.
The vast majority of women on these sites designate their faith as "Christian". However, in the profile section where you introduce yourself--telling the most salient facts about yourself and what you desire in a mate--95% of the professing Christian women do not mention the Lord at all. (I don't read the guys profiles but I suspect it is worse for men). I have read thousands of profiles, so this is a rather large sampling..which makes this all the more disturbing.
However, there is one word that IS found in 99% of the profiles (Christian or not)...FUN. Yep, that word is ubiquitous in dating profiles. It is THE common denominator found amidst all the diversity in the various profiles.
Before I proceed, I need to say that there are more than a few wonderful exceptions to what I am about to say. There are some very godly men and women on those sites who make it crystal clear that God is number one to them, and a shared belief is THE priority to them. In addition, in painting with a broad brush, I run the risk of making it seem that FUN is the only thing most folks discuss--it is NOT. The longing for honesty, communication, trust and respect are but a few of the laudable traits often mentioned by most people. Having said that, it is the centrality...the primacy given to fun, that I have found so troubling.
The issue is not whether having fun is appropriate or important as A desire., (Heck that is a desire of mine as well) Rather, the issue is: what is the significance that having fun (or a man with a good sense of humor, likes to laugh, and so on) is the dominant trait that so many men and women are longing for in a mate? How are these fun-centric profiles, and the people behind them, related to what is happening supernaturally? .
On some sites, at the top of the profile section, you can even summarize in a sentence, your search in a nutshell. This is typical--"Adventurous and love to have fun and laugh... looking for same." I read that and it makes me want to weep.
In a profile, you have the opportunity, in a few hundred words, to express who you are. When a professing Christian does not even mention Jesus, that speaks volumes. Fun, fun, fun... It is the absence of Jesus and the prominence of having fun, that concerns me. And, as I did with the popularity of "mommy porn", I wonder what its significance is--especially with regards to the explosion of interest in the paranormal? Jesus said that what we say expresses what fills our hearts. According to these dating profiles, SELF-fulfillment through shared fun, is what the majority of people long for most. FUN HAS BECOME A DEMONIC IDOL IN AMERICA. As one author put it, we are amusing ourselves to death.
We have mentioned repeatedly about the disturbing trend towards the primacy of experience over reason and divine revelation. I think that this fixation on FUN, is an expression of that trend...as well as an indicator of how empty our lives are. If it would be "fun" to have sex before marriage, then why not--since girls/boys just wanna have fun? If it would be fun, exciting, stimulating, expansive, spiritually invigorating (the list goes on and on) to mess with the occult, then why not? If fun is our dominant life value, then we are spiritual casualties waiting to happen. If Satan knows how to do anything, he knows how to make sin look/feel FUN. What happens when our new husband/wife hits a "bump in the road", and he is not as fun or humorous as before? Divorce him/her, I suppose, is what many would do.
Like "Fifty Shades" of experiencing pornography (it is amazing how many women list that trilogy as the "last book read", with many more not mentioning it out of embarrassment), I think this fixation on fun is both an expression of, as well as a cause of, a dying, paganized/occult culture. We continue to consign God to the margins of our lives, and thus God is marginalized in our culture as well....and we do so with a big grin because we are having fun! Christiandom has become so anemic in our society it has lost its ability to be salt and light. Hence, America is becoming increasingly pagan with each passing day...truth is rotting in the streets, and the dust of death and dark shadows are descending upon us. God is laughing, but it is not a fun laugh (see Ps. 2).
1 John 4:1ff tells us to be discerning of the spirits. But by fixating on the experience of fun and laughter, then we are fertilizing the soil for the continued growth of the noxious weed of of spiritism.
These very same folks who long for fun and mirth, are opening the doors to a satanic lie, which will cause many to experience a wide-awake nightmare of demonic oppression...and perhaps eternity in hell....where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I do NOT want the last quarter of my life to be a wasted by fixating on trivial pursuits. I can't say everything in a blog, but the Reformation/biblical view of play is that it is as holy/meaningful in God's eyes as preaching or prayer. However, our time here is so short, and we live in such a dark and broken world, that we must seek God's kingdom priorities. We are called to daily die to self and live for God's glory....which is not always fun. We bring God glory by loving Him above all else and by bearing as much fruit as possible-- drawing as many as possible out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God's dearly beloved Son.
We must remember that joy is experienced primarily as a by-product of focusing on loving our dear Lord. It is deeper than happiness or fun...which is difficult to consistently maintain in a world which is so tragically bent, broken, and fallen.
A husband and wife are to accelerate each others love for the Lord, as well as help each other bear more fruit for Him together than they would apart from each other. I hope your fun-quotient does increase in 2014, but much more, I pray that we would become increasingly God-intoxicated, and more passionate about holiness than happiness.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Special Christmas Essay ~ We're All Little Drummer Boys
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Saturday, December 21, 2013
What Is Spiritual Warfare?
Hello para beauties! I hope everyone is well and everyone you love is healthy. I know many are also preparing for the holiday and have family in and out of town and have hardly a moment to sleep. Some of us have no one. Let's pray for anyone that might be suffering with depression and feelings of loneliness. This time of year especially, brings about a lot of human emotions. A lot of us hide this and I ask that you turn to God. Please open your heart to his and ask him to give you peace again and no more torment. It is a spiritual battle to be faced everyday however, we already know who wins. Fear is not of God. Perfect Love casts out fear.
Spiritual warfare is an activity by Christians whereby satan and demons are fought, using a variety of methods and prayers depending on the group, mostly a lot of prayer and fasting. From a biblical point of view, spiritual warfare is the cosmic war of good versus evil: its battles are fought daily between God and Satan; between the Christian Church and the world fueled by our spiritual enemy; and within every child of God, between the Holy Spirit and the lusts of the carnal flesh. The clear meanings of good and evil, as defined by God rather than man, are revealed within the verses of the Holy Bible and the life of Jesus Christ. The Book of Daniel, chapter ten, provides one of the most striking examples of spiritual warfare found in Scripture. Remember when Daniel was held in captivity in a foreign land due to a great spiritual conflict, which led to the conquest of Israel and Judah. He resorts to intense prayer, which includes fasting, to seek guidance from God, verses 2,3. He receives a miraculous vision and word, verses 5–9 (which introduce. 10–12), from one having the appearance of a man (cf. verses 16,18), who may have been an angel, but whose description in verses 5,6, seems to match that of Christ in Revelation 1:13–16. Daniel’s earthly conflict extends to the heavenly realm, as the spiritual messenger was delayed by a demon, until being assisted by an archangel, verses 12–14. Strong resistance was met due to the importance of the answer to Daniels’s prayer, as it is a prophecy on Satanic activity in the end time.
Do we have a say in the matter?
When a person becomes converted and receives God's spirit they immediately enter into a war-like struggle against two large opponents and a lot of it consists in the mind. They will have to fight these two powerful enemies every day of their life until they die. The first major opponent Christians face is themselves. They must battle their own human nature with its self-defeating, sinful and destructive tendencies. The apostle Paul referred to this constant battle of the mind Christians face in his book to the Romans. The second lifelong opponent true believers must face is the devil and the world he has deceived into thinking and acting like he does (Ephesians 2:2, 1 John 5:19, Revelation 12:9, etc.). Jesus, in his prayer to the Father before his crucifixion, reveals the ultimate attitude of those who do not believe God against those who do. I have given them (the disciples and all Christians by extension) Your words, and the world has hated them. . . (John 17)
Paul tells us, in no uncertain terms, that believers do not fight a carnal war that is so familiar to the world but rather one that is on a spiritual plane. Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual power of wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6)
Now that we know how to create armor to protect ourselves, what other ways can we stop the enemy from influencing us? We have to avoid all evil influences in our life. We can find these influences through music that we listen to, the TV shows and movies that we watch, and activities that are tied to the occult that we can find ourselves silently drawn towards or introduced to via our acquaintances and friends. We don't realize how the little things we do can open up doors and allow legal rights for demonic influence in our life. I'm so guilty of this myself. None of us are perfect nor are we expected to be. Remember Jesus Christ died for our sins.
While the fallen angels have no control over your Free Will, they do have some preternatural abilities to influence your thoughts. They will silently tempt you, often to impure thoughts, or into dissuading you from some good effort. Construct a mental picture of Our Lord Jesus Christ during His Passion. Focus on His pierced hands or feet, or maybe His carrying of the Cross, or concentrate on His crowning with thorns or scourging at the pillar. You will be amazed at how fast the evil thoughts will flee.
The dark forces pull out all the stops to trick us out of our good intentions, and it is only by our soul's determination to succeed and by the grace of God's assistance that we can get back on track.
Without your spiritual armor on tight (the light of God sealed around you), it's easy to fall prey to a spiritual attack.
These so-called attacks don't have to be very in-your-face. In fact they work better when they aren't obvious, because you're less likely to do anything about it. Cunning and subtle methods cause us to accept an intrusion into our world as 'the way things are' or 'just part of our personality'.
It's important to recognize when we need to call to God to take care of that negative energy. Praying for discernment is key, as well as just simply practicing.
Spiritual warfare is really one of the greatest blessings we have. We don't have to wallow in the darkness, we can call for spiritual protection from the forces of light and they will fight back and raise us out of whatever negative state of mind or being we are in.
Written By Jennifer L Auld
