None of Us Are Indispensable

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone..."(Matt.8:4)

Sometimes referred to as the "Messianic secret" Jesus often told people He had healed to hush up about it. In this case, Jesus had tenderly reached out, touched, and healed a leprous man. He did instruct the healed man to follow Jewish law and see the priest, but He insisted on his not broadcasting what Jesus had done.

Why the insistence on silence? Miracles did attest to the veracity of Jesus Messianic claims, but He was concerned about drawing a crowd that was simply and solely interested in being wowed by signs and wonders. Also, wrong notions abounded regarding the nature of the kingdom Jesus was establishing. He was not a crowd seeker , nor was our Lord a crowd pleaser.

Boy, I wish many of today's Christian leaders, as well as para-celebs, would take this to heart. It seems to me that drawing a crowd is all many (certainly not all) of them are concerned about. With egos as big as their church campuses, some of have actually begun to believe they are indispensable...which is a big mistake.

A long time ago someone set me straight when he said (in reference to the pastoral ministry), "None of us are indispensable." I have never forgot their words, though I long ago forgot who said them.

It is important to understand what that means, as well what as what it does not mean. The latter first. In 1 Cor.12 and Rom.12 (and elsewhere) the bible insists that there are NO LITTLE PEOPLE in the kingdom. There is no hierarchy of importance when it comes to spiritual gifts...and when one hurts, we all hurt. The person who has the gift of hospitality is just as important as a missionary or pastor. In other words, we all have a significant role to play in the church.In that sense we are ALL indispensable. Each person is equally precious and equally needed for the proper functioning of the Body of Christ.

BUT.. if we ever get the notion that our personal ministries are necessary for God to work and expand His kingdom, then we are in trouble. When we think that WE have to be personally and actively involved all the time or it won't get done...if we begin to think in terms of "this is MY Facebook site" or "this is MY blog or MY church or MY outreach (fill in the blank)"--then we need to repent. We need to humble ourselves before God, before He does it for us...which is usually much more painful.

Please don't misunderstand me...each of our ministries/callings are very important to God. It is when we get filled with an inflated sense of self-importance, that problems arise.

Or when we forget the principle of sola scriptura. For example, I personally do not think that mothers of young children should be deliverance ministers (based on the principle of focusing on the home). I am ignorant of many things, but I do know something about the repercussions of being involved in a ministry that expels demons from people and places...they retaliate. Saying that you trust in God to protect you and your family is tempting Him, not trusting Him. There are plenty of meaningful ways to be involved in support ministries, until your children get older. Your role as a mom is indispensable to the children God has blessed you with.But the exorcism ministry of God's kingdom will carry on with or without any of us.

After a run of several dozen successful cleansings in a couple of years, they suddenly became more difficult. And shortly, I faced my most challenging case ever. Afterwards, the "running spicket"of cases abruptly shut off. Nobody contacted me. But, thank God, I remembered...God does not NEED me in order to continue His work of delivering people from demonic oppression. There are plenty of other people more godly...more gifted than I...And the fact is, I needed a break. If we are burned out, we are not good to anyone, ministry wise. Are you open to God shutting doors for your sake?

The Gates of hell will not prevail against God's church.

"I am the Vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. But part from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5) GOD is indispensable in our lives and ministries if they are to bear fruit pleasing to God.God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ARE indispensable. ONLY the Father could send the Son, ONLY the Son could accomplish redemption for us, and ONLY the Holy Spirit can apply this redemption to people's hearts.                                                        


Pride...especially spiritual pride, is ugly to God, and it inevitably will bring His hand of discipline.

Are we involved in ministry because of the need to be needed? Please do not gloss over that question. To some extent, I think we all wrestle with that.

God does not care if we accomplish great things, but He does insist on excellence in relationships--especially within our families.(see the last verse of Malachi)

Lastly, we can show our sense of "indispensability"...our humility, by encouraging other folks involved in similar ministries to our own. We have to fight pride and selfishness here. However, I cannot exaggerate the importance of the ministry of encouragement. I know that when someone takes the time even to comment on something I have written, it makes my day. We are not to be man-pleasers, but man, it sure is pleasing when someone says an encouraging word.

The Ransom Was Paid

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 19:45)

"...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19)

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.

Let's Start Having A Healthy Obsession With Angels (A Little Angelology)

Hello my para beauties! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas/holiday season and welcome to the year of 2014! Wow...Can you believe it? 2013 came and went so quickly. It just seems like a few months ago I was preparing for Halloween 2013. As we get older the years sure do go by faster.

I'm wanting to discuss the unhealthy obsession with the demonic side of the field that is taking over the movies, tv' sand in some cases peoples lives. It's almost being shoved down our throat to a certain extent. Watching these types of movies and TV shows/documentaries for entertainment here is ok. And even for educational purposes is fine, but someone who isn't mentally healthy or someone who happens to become a little too interested in it can really open themselves up. I'm sure many disagree and that is fine, it's my humble opinion that it can open one up inadvertently.

We need to put the focus on the Lord's Angels! Who are 100 times more powerful than any demon or devil, I can tell you that right now. Why not put the word out on these good angels and not just fallen angels? There is so much comfort and solace there, no fear. Below are some verses and examples of what I mean about Angels of The Lord. We need to praise God for his loving mercy daly.

Angels bring assistance in time of need

The LORD, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and from the land of my relatives, and he solemnly promised me that he would give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel before you, so that you can get a wife there for my son. (Gen 24:7)

He answered, 'The LORD, whom I have always obeyed, will send his angel with you and give you success. You will get for my son a wife from my own people, from my father's family.
 (Gen 24:40)

Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared.

Angels fight against God's enemies

That night an angel of the LORD went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. At dawn the next day there they lay, all dead!

The LORD sent an angel that killed the soldiers and officers of the Assyrian army. So the emperor went back to Assyria disgraced. One day when he was in the temple of his god, some of his sons killed him with their swords. (2Ch 32:21)

An angel of the LORD went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 soldiers. At dawn the next day there they lay, all dead! (Isa 37:36)

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; (Rev 12:7)

For My Angel shall go before you and bring you in to the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
(Exo 23:23)

Angels provide Protection

His angel guards those who honor the LORD and rescues them from danger. (Psa 34:7 GNB)

God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones. You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous snakes. God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as LORD. (Psa 91:11-14 GNB)

Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? (Mat 26:53 MKJV)

[Note: A legion is seven-thousand]

Angels bring Comfort and Strength

 Elijah walked a whole day into the wilderness. He stopped and sat down in the shade of a tree and wished he would die. "It's too much, LORD," he prayed. "Take away my life; I might as well be dead!" He lay down under the tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, "Wake up and eat." He looked around and saw a loaf of bread and a jar of water near his head. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The LORD's angel returned and woke him up a second time, saying, "Get up and eat, or the trip will be too much for you." Elijah got up, ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to walk forty days to Sinai, the holy mountain. (1Ki 19:4-8 GNB)

Then the Devil left Jesus; and angels came and helped him. (Mat 4:11)

Then again one like a man in form came and touched me, and he made me stronger and said, O man greatly beloved, do not fear. Peace to you; be strong; yes, be strong. And when he had spoken to me, I was made stronger, and I said, Speak my lord, for you have made me stronger. (Dan 10:18-19)

We are not to worship angels

We are to honor them but not worship them. Only God is to be worshipped. I feel the same about the Virgin Mary. Too many claim to be guided by "spirit guides". Are they really sure? How do they know they are not being deceived by a demonic spirit? They are taking a big chance when they don't have much experience in this.

Do not allow yourselves to be condemned by anyone who claims to be superior because of special visions and who insists on false humility and the worship of angels. For no reason at all, such people are all puffed up by their human way of thinking. (Col 2:18 )

 I, John, have heard and seen all these things. And when I finished hearing and seeing them, I fell down at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things, and I was about to worship him. But he said to me, "Don't do it! I am a servant together with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all those who obey the words in this book. Worship God!"

We must have a personal relationship with Christ and have The Holy Spirit within us at all times. In today's times so many are hurting. I hate to say it but many of you wouldn't know it if some of your closet friends and family were hurting as some hide it so very well. The fear of judgement and many other things keep many from reaching out. So it's easy to turn to the wrong place for help. Many are seeking someone who cares, seems genuine. It's easy to turn to the wrong people or cult. Let's show more love and NON JUDGEMENT and be examples of children of Christ.

 Written By Jennifer L Auld

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":

Mark 16:14-20 NASB

14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 He who believes and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.

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.

Our goal is not to forget a hurtful event or trauma, but to receive healing for that event, where the Holy Spirit removes the arrow from it. When we look to the past upon a healed wound, we can see it in a different way, because it has been healed and is no longer painful to look at.

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 significant detail in their conversation at this point is that the man was so focused on the problem of not being able to get into the water before someone else, that he never even considered placing a demand on Jesus to help him and to get him healed. Like this man, many believers today desire to be healed, yet they have not willed to be healed. What’s the difference?

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)

Sometimes we have to Let God be God, as he may have allowed the illness or death to occur for reasons we could not foresee. Still we are to pray until God let’s us know to stop.

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.

Beware of False Prophets! In all things we do, we must pray and ask God for discernment. I know of some people who claim to be “Demonologist” and use hypnosis in their method of casting out demons and provide healing. I know of others who are talking the talk, but in real life do not walk the walk. Some that yearn to be a Pastor, but do not have their personal lives in order. We can NOT have permanent success with Healing and deliverance unless we ourselves are right before God. Bottom line, just be careful and do not just jump in without testing the waters. PRAY!

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

How Was the Bible Put Together...Apocrypha

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice.....My sheep hear My voice..." (John 10:4,27...emp. added)

The bible's fundamental view of itself is that it is God's personal words to us. It is communication from Persons (tri-personality of Trinity) to persons, via the medium of human language. That would make it more precious than all the gold and diamonds in the world times infinity...because the Word of God is divine, as well as human (much like Jesus) We have the Incarnate Word and the inscripturated Word.

 How do we distinguish between words that are merely human, and those that are from the very mouth of God? God did not want that left to guesswork, so He intended all along to give us the bible.What books comprise the Word of God are an issue of canon. Canon refers to the body of writing that God has given to guide and rule the church...the constitution of His covenant community.

Recently there has been much controversy concerning books that were rejected from the canon. I read this on Facebook often, "Certain books were rejected due to church politics, but they should be included." This is not an option for Christians due to the fact that it is unthinkable that God was unsuccessful in communicating effectively to us a permanent and specific record of His personal words to us.

 I am not going to discuss the historical process of how the canon was established (as interesting as that is, and how we can see God's providential Hand), because this inductive approach can never lead to certainty. Rather, let us look at the bible itself and see what it says that would be relevant to questions of canonicity. God's intention was to speak personal words to us that would govern our use of all other knowledge. We have to have a canon so that we can know which words are divine and which are not. "...no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." ( 2 Peter 1:20-21)

God spoke personally to us from the outset (Adam/Eve), but it was not until later that He began to inscripturate His Word.

When God started the process, the words given to us were to be kept as a permanent record. Some say (Brunner, Barth, ect) that we should not see the Word as an objective canon, because this causes the personal-ness and subjective aspect of the communication to be lost. That is hogwash because the Word has to be objective first, before it can have a subjective affect.

At every stage of Israel's history there was a canon--a definite body of divine writing to guide His people. The first canon was the two tablets of the covenant--written by the very hand of God. (Ex 32:16)..later Moses added more (Deut. 31:24)...and then more via Joshua (Joshua 24: 25-28) As the OT progressed, later writers quoted earlier ones....because they had access to this precious deposit. In order for the canon to be preserved it had to be written. This Book of the Covenant was placed in the holiest place on earth--in the Holy of Holies, and deposited in the ark of the covenant, and were the basis of the covenant relationship  between God and His people..

And Jesus quoted from  the OT often...showing His belief in the divinely inspired nature of the canon of His day--which is the exact same as what is in our OT. Jesus and His opponents disagreed about many things but they never argued about which texts in the OT were authoritative. The Pharisees got that right!

God will not let His people walk in darkness, and so He made sure His personal words were put in a public place, like the tabernacle and the temple. That is, salvation depends on our access to the words of Jesus (John 6:68) and the gospel preached by the apostles (Rom. 1:16; Gal. 1:6-9; Eph. 1:13) However, in the NT the church is the temple (Eph. 2:21) But guess who the foundation is for this living temple? The prophets and the apostles! ( Eph. 2:20...this is key for understanding how the canon was formed, as we shall see)

The early church struggled with numerous controversies (the Person of Christ, the Trinity), but there was remarkably little squabbling over which books were canonical in the NT. In A.D. 367 Athanasius published a list of accepted books, and there was no clamor. From that time on,  Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestants all agreed on the NT canon.

How did this happen? (this is key) Jesus' people heard His voice! (John 10:4,27) It is self-attesting...That is, the Holy Spirit illumined the texts so that God's people recognized their divine quality. There was a supernatural element to canon formation because it is a supernatural book. How can we be sure the voice is God? Again, the answer is primarily supernatural. When God speaks, at the same time He assures us that it is He who is speaking. When it comes to the canon, our ultimate assurance is supernatural.Just as when the Lord spoke to Abraham, He assured him that it was God who was speaking to Him....same with canonicity. The Good Shepherd speaks in the prophetic and apostolic writings in such a way that is unmistakably discerned as His voice. The sheep in the early church knew when an epistle/letter was from their Shepherd because they could distinguish His voice from that which was merely human.If you are one of His true sheep, then you too can sense the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit while reading the bible--you will hear the unmistakable voice of Your divine Shepherd. I have experienced this countless times while reading God's Word--there is a singular, unmistakable sense of hearing God Himself speak. Other religious books are insightful, but they lack this quality.                                                                                                                            

There was an objective criterion as well--in the OT it had to be written by a prophet, and in the NT it had to be written by an apostle, or from the apostolic circle--certified by the apostles (e.g. Mark, Luke-Acts, and Hebrews...though I think Paul wrote Hebrews, regardless of vocabulary and stylistic differences). Mark was a close associate of Peter, Luke traveled with Paul, and James and Jude were blood brothers of Jesus and leaders in NT church). When inspired by the Holy Spirit they spoke as Jesus' plenipotentiaries...Jesus spoke with His full authority through them. "whoever receives you receives Me." (Mat.10:40)

Here is another crucial point--the canon does not rest on the authority of the church. For example, Roman Catholics claim that the authority of the canon rests on the church's pronouncement. But the unanimous church's conviction (since at least AD 367) precedes any RC statement by pope or council.Also, God intends to rule His church by a book, and not on a church's authority. THIS IS KEY...the authority of the church rests on the authority of the canon, not the other way around. That is why the apostles are referred to as the foundation of the church, with Jesus as the cornerstone. The church simply recognized what was patently obvious; the canonical books were those which had unique, intrinsic authority. They recognized what was already true, so they did not create the authority of these books. God forbid, because He rules over us through His Book, and not us over His Book! The apostolic word gave birth to the churches (Rom. 1:15-17;10:14-15; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23-25)

From the outset, God communicated to us as people communicate. We should not doubt that God's intention to provide a written revelation was successful.We can be sure that the 39 books of the OT and 27 books of NT are God's personal words to us.

As the redemptive work of Christ was once for all, so the words of Christ through His apostles and prophets is once for all. For God to add more books to the canon would be like His adding to the finished work of Christ, something which the bible says cannot be done. God Himself will not add to it, and humans dare not add to it. Though the canon is closed. God continues to speak to us through Scripture day by day. These 66 books are the pastures to which Jesus' sheep from many folds continually come to hear their Shepherd's voice and to follow Him.

Application...remember that God's intent is that the bible act as the church's constitution; we are to be ruled, guided, and spiritually fed by a Book. Since the absolutely sovereign God has given His covenant community its constitution, then it creates an absolute ethical obligation in us. All other knowledge (paranormal or otherwise), all other experience, all of our gut-feelings or intuition or inclinations of our hearts, and all other truth-claims must be subject to the sacred deposit that our Lord has entrusted to us...the Holy Bible.Christians who are involved or interested in the paranormal often get tripped-up here due to the overwhelming power of the immediacy of direct encounters with the supernatural. But it is the sacred canon, and not our experience, which has the final word. And any experience (or interpretation of it) we have that runs counter to the Word, must be corrected in its holy light.

Despite claims to the contrary, I think that many (if not most) professing Christians who are paranormally involved, invoke their personal experience as having primacy over the clear teaching of God's Word. "When my mother died, she appeared to me a couple days later and assured me that she would be with me constantly...appearing from time to time to encourage me when needed." Uuummm, NO! Something like this is being said all the time, and it shows the dire need for Christians to realize that we have a canon which rules and overrules when needed.

THE APOCRYPHA

As originally used by Jerome (400 AD), the Apocrypha essentially meant "highly esteemed, though uncanonical. (lit. "hidden") The Jewish canon did NOT include these books (15 books written after the close of the OT canon). Around 400 AD, Jerome translated the bible into Latin and he included the apocrypha because it was useful for study, but he was careful to point out that they were uncanonical. Slowly over time, it became more and more accepted, until at the Council of Trent  (1545-1563) put it on same par as inspired OT books. The reasons for this are:1. Rome's exalted doctrine of oral tradition, 2.it's view that the church creates scripture, 3. its acceptance of certain controversial ideas (esp. the doctrines of purgatory, indulgences, and works-righteousness as contributing to justification) that were derived from passages in the Apocrypha. This Council was part of the counter-reformation, and it supplied support to the replies to Martin Luther and the other reformers. I should point out that the Council of Trent officially damned to hell anyone who believed in the notion of justification by faith alone. Indeed, it damned the doctrine itself to eternal perdition.

The Apocrypha is useful in a number of ways: early understanding of the OT, understanding of ancient customs, and history of what happened after close of OT (Malachi).They were all written after the close of the OT, written between 3rd cent BC and first cent AD. Considered individually, there are 15 apocryphal books. The following are doctrinal errors gleaned from some of the apocryphal books.

1. In Tobit 12:15 seven angels are said to stand before God and present the prayers of the saints.
2. In 2  Maccabees 15:13-14 a departed prophet is said to pray for God's people on earth.
3. In Wisdom 8:19-20 and Sirach 1:14 we are told that the righteous are were given good souls at birth.
4. In Tobit 12:9 and Sirach 3:3 we are told that our good deeds atone for our evil deeds.
5. In 2 Maccabees 12:40-45 the reader is told to pray for the sins of the dead to be forgiven.

Babylon the Harlot, Part 1

Hello my parabeauties. I trust you had a fabulous weekend.

Now the subject I am getting asked the most revolve around the book of Revelations. Revelations is a VERY difficult book to understand and comprehend. It's interpreted many ways. So this again is just my humble opinion on how I see it according to Biblical views but let the Holy Spirit guide you when you reading the Lords Word.

Babylon the Harlot or the Religious Babylon is Destroyed. 

Babylon the Harlot

Archaeologists tell us that Babylon is the cradle of civilization. Located on the shores of the Euphrates River, the ruins of this city have revealed some of the most ancient documents of past generations.

This city begun by Nimrod, who was a rebel before the Lord, authored some of the greatest evils ever to fall on humankind. Two of these evils will be destroyed during the Tribulation period. Revelation 17 is the destruction of the religious Babylon that takes place about the center of the seven years after the Antichrist declares himself to be God and no longer news the One World Religion.

In chapter 18 we will read about the destruction of the commercial, political Babylon when takes place at the end of the Tribulation.

In ancient days Satan seemed to make Babylon the capital of this evil operation. From this headquarters was started false religion, humanity's attempt for self-government in defiance of God's will and city dwellings for commercial and social purposes contrary to God's command to "be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." (Gen. 1 v.28)

These great evils, which have damned the souls of millions by substituting counterfeit solutions to natural human problems that would ordinarily lead a person to God, will all be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation period. Chapter 17 describes the coming judgment of God on the religious system that has enslaved the human race in superstitious darkness for centuries.

The woman is a great city: "The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 17 v.18) Many have taken this to mean that the woman represents the capital city of Antichrist's kingdom, but his cannot be, for Antichrist himself rules over the kings of the earth.

If, then, the women is not the Antichrist, what other possible explanation can we have for such unanimous world dominance? The only answer is the one system before which all kings, dictators, and nations have been forced to bow down throughout history, that is, the Babylonian religion of idolatry. One cannot go anywhere in the world without being confronted with some semblance of the idolatry.

No system in the world's history has enslaved more people than this awful religion. It should not take us by surprise that this prostitute woman, the religious system, is referred to as a city. When used symbolically, a woman is always intended throughout the Scripture to signify a spiritual or religious movement. If a good woman, it is "Jehovah's wife" or "the bride of Christ". If an evil woman, such as "a prostitute," it represents the evil religious.

Spirit of adultery

Since the woman who rides the beast gets her authority from the beast, the Holy Spirit uses this description to show how religious Babylon and governmental Babylon are so intertwined they are presented together. However, they are destroyed at different times. The prostitute (religious Babylon) is destroyed by "beast and the kings of the earth," who "hate the prostitute" and kill her.

This clears the way for Antichrist to fulfill the lifetime dream of Satan to get people to worship him. She is destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation; Babylon the governmental system will be destroyed at the end, when commercial, political Babylon is destroyed (Rev. 18). With "Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Prostitutes" out of the way, "all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast, all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world". (Rev. 13 v.8).

The Vision of the Woman - Ten details describe this woman:

The great prostitute Who sits on many waters With her the kings of the earth committed adultery. The inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries. A woman sitting on a scarlet beast Dressed in purple and scarlet Glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. On her forehead: Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abomination of the Earth. 10. Drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus Even before we come to the angel's interpretation of this vision, it is clear that we are not dealing with a mere human being, for no one woman can commit fornication with the kings of the earth, nor can a woman be "drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus." Chapter 17

17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

This "whore" here is not a literal woman. In Hosea, his wife (who was a whore) was speaking of Israel. Here, this "whore" is speaking of the idolatrous church. Mystery, Babylon the Harlot

This statement "sitteth upon many waters", speaks of large groups of people. This is not the true church. This is the apostate church. God calls it the harlot church; the church that is not faithful to God, the church that is worldly. This church, while claiming to be Christian, finds many reasons to conform to the beast and the evil world system. This will be the one world religion which will appear which the church (Christians) have been raptured. 

One World Church

This, without question, is the part of the church that has compromised with the world and is no longer a chaste virgin in the sight of God. I truly believe that a large portion of the church falls into this category today. Worldliness has crept into our churches. The sad thing is that if she would repent, God would take her back, but she will not repent.

To be continued next Sunday.

Written By Jennifer L Auld

What About Visitations After a Loved One Dies?‏

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

What about people who claim that when their loved one died, they were visited by them? Does God ever allow a deceased believer to say "goodbye"? This poses a particular challenge for a number of reasons: there are a fairly large number of people who say they had this experience; and some of the most vocal opponents of the notion of ghosts do allow for this exception. Also, it arouses intense emotions, especially in those who are earnest Christians, who "swear" it was their mom (fill in blank). Frankly, I was so intimidated by the topic, that I purposely did not mention it in my book! (of course I justified to myself by saying I had enough material as it was!!) For good or ill, I am no longer as reticent to address this issue. In fact, it NEEDS to be addressed.

Let me define what I mean by "visitation". It is not merely a sixth sense or intuition that something bad has happened. That is a distinct phenomenon which I do not know how to explain. I am referring to a visible manifestation...something akin to what we call an apparition.This "person" appears out of the blue, says goodbye, and is gone. Not just odors, sounds, or feelings.  Blinking lights at the time of death,, and similar phenomena, are not what I am analyzing now. I wanted to make sure that was clarified.

First, I have lost alot of loved ones to death. (all grandparents, both parents, and four adult age siblings) The deaths of my bother and sisters were all terribly tragic. So, I do know this issue experientially...at the deepest level imaginable--and beyond.

Second, there is no record in the bible of a recently deceased loved one saying "goodbye" enroute to heaven.Okay, all the references you may be considering do NOT fit the criteria of a recently deceased person's soul coming back to family to comfort them. We saw recently that the Samuel incident was singular and must not be used as data to support anything...other than the reality of divine judgement. I can assure you there are NO examples of this occurring in the bible. We will return to this in #4.

Third, closely related to this, don't you think that if it were a legitimate phenomenon that the bible would have either recorded it or mentioned it in the epistles--when it deals with death and the Intermediate State? The doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17) implies that God has given us all the divine words we need to understand and deal with death. Why would God be silent regarding such a significant issue if it were true? If visitations were part of God's occasional agenda for mankind, surely he would have prepared us.

Fourth, there are hundreds of deaths recorded in the bible and a sizable number of recorded experiences of a person dying (e.g. Jesus, 2 criminals next to Him, Stephen, and numerous others) In Acts 7 we have the poignant account of the stoning death of Stephen, which would seem to be  illustrative of any/all believers death experience. Jesus rises to greet Him, and Stephen cries out--echoing Jesus--"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit....Lord, do not hold this sin against them." (Acts 7:59, 60) I do not know the exact number, but there are quite a few death/dying episodes in the bible, but no recorded "visitations" afterwards. What we actually see happening with Stephen is precisely what Paul taught regarding death and the Intermediate State (Phil. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:8) IMMEDIATE...(no interruptions or pit stops), presence with the Lord after death.

Evidently, all of the apostles but John were murdered, but none "visited" the fledgling church. If ever a visitation might have been helpful, it was then. However, the reality is that it did not happen, and certainly that is a significant.

Actually, some who believe in "visitation" may agree with all I have said thus far, but point to their experience. "Mine was a divine exception...I KNOW it was my husband by "discernment".

Well, did it occur before or after their personal judgement (Heb.9:27)? So, there seems to be some difference as to whether the deceased soul was sent from heaven or stopped at their earthly home enroute to judgement.

Questions

1. Why is it that folks from all belief systems experience this same visitation phenomena, with equal certainty of the person's identity and comfort?  That is seriously problematic....I seriously doubt God is going to allow a hell-bound unbeliever to say "goodbye." This is a particularly significant argument, in my opinion.The only plausible explanation would be demonic mimicry.
2. We must ask this--are demons not capable of mimicking a person immediately after they die? Certainly #1 would seem to be examples of that. I am sorry if this offends anyone, but this issue must be raised.
3. I have been wanting to ask this question for some time....am I the only "demonologist" (not like label) who does NOT have the gift of discernment? According to Rom. 12 and 1 Cor. 12 God sovereignly gives gifts as He pleases for the health of the Body. The gift of discernment (ability to distinguish or sense the presence of demonic--discern between Holy Spirit and unholy spirits) is only given to SOME people.I am convinced that most folks who think they have the gift of discernment, do not have it. Am I saying they are lying? NO!!! Am I saying they are experiencing a demonic counterfeit of it? NO!!! It is a purely psychological phenomenon--the person is sincere, but sincerely wrong. In certain circles everyone is told they must speak in tongues. However, Paul is very clear that only some have that gift as well.Those who "speak in tongues" but do not have the gift, are simply having a psychological experience.

I mention this because of how convinced many Christians are that they were visited by a deceased loved one. But remember that the gift of discernment was not given to discern if a "visitation" has occurred....not given to discern between human and demonic spirits, but between Holy Spirit and unholy spirits. (1 John 4:1-3) This is the touchiest part of the whole discussion--people's experience and their interpretation of it.. Just on an emotional level, it is hard to argue with a sincere Christian who says that they were certain that it was their deceased dad they saw.

4. Have you come to grips with just how filthy and cruelly inventive demons are? Dare I say this...is not the death of a loved one a perfect time for pure evil to seek advantage? We are traumatized and in weakened condition--just what the prowling lion is looking for.They cruelly target abuse victims, and even handicapped children as objects of their hateful oppression.
They have NOT given Satan any "legal rights"...he is supreme opportunist and the death of our loved ones fits that MO. Nothing is beneath them, as far as cruelty goes.

5. Has anybody who has experienced a "visitation" rebuked it in the name of Jesus to see what would happen? Perhaps some have, but usually the confidence level is so high  (sense of love, light, and goodness present) that they are understandably overwhelmed with joy and even worship of God. I say this tenderly,but that wretched Satan can project a heavenly ambiance that would fool even the most experienced, especially while in deep grief.
6. When we allow for "visitations" then we have stepped on a very slippery slope. How long after death is a "visitation" to be allowed? An hour after death? A day? A week" A month? Year anniversary? 10 year anniversary? I have heard stories which expressed all of the above. And how many "visits" are allowable before we should be concerned?
7. The most difficult "visitation" to question is immediately after death and is singular...never repeated.
8. I have devoted my life to understanding death, dying, and the demonic through God's eyes, and the singular significance of this deception of ghosts grows within me each passing day. Would Satan mimic a recently deceased loved one just once? I hope that by now that to ask the question is to answer it. I mentioned the slippery slope above....how many folks who have had this experience, have also had their views toward the notion of ghosts "softened" or made them more "open-minded" to other post-death human appearances? I have seen it happen..... it is certainly not beneath these filthy wretches to do an "angel of light" maneuver at the moment of greatest vulnerability. Is it not a rule that, when we are weakened and emotionally distressed, that demons tend to lurk like vultures?
9. With all the death I have experienced, I have never been visited.
10. God has given us the bible, the Holy Spirit, and loving friends/family to comfort us in times of grief.
11. last, but certainly not least, GOD WANTS US HOME. We cannot be in two places at the same time--in His loving presence in heaven and visiting family here. God wants us home. When we die, like Stephen, we make a bee-line for Jesus.

In conclusion, the argument for visitation is based entirely on experience and our interpretation of it. I wish with all my heart that I could see my brother and sisters again. But knowing what I now know regarding demons, if one of them did appear, I would (while weeping) rebuke them forcefully in the precious and holy name of Jesus.

The Lordship Attributes in a Biblical Worldview

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"Turn fuzzy and dull into clear and bright..... no matter what conditions you are in, you will see clearer." Such are the words advertising some "night-glasses" in an email I received today. This reminds me of the purpose of pursuing a biblical worldview. A worldview is the framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world. The more your worldview beliefs align with the Word of God, the more the distortions, fuzziness, and dullness in your perception of reality will give way to a clearer and brighter perception of reality AS IT REALLY IS! A worldview is like spectacles through which we view God, the universe, and our relationship to both. Clear and bright spectacles which illumines the entire landscape.

We live in a post-Christian culture...one in which there has been a radical paradigm shift, which is just another way of saying that our culture has experienced a radical change at the worldview level. George Barna discovered through polls that very few  bible-believing Christians have even an inkling of a biblical worldview. What we are doing in this series is extremely important and will equip you with a tool for discernment that very few pastors have. This series can and should change your life...and I find that exciting!

Last time I mentioned that our beliefs about God (Ultimate Reality) is by far the most crucial aspect of our worldview...it  effects everything else. Let me put it this way: suppose there is a house in which there is extreme paranormal activity. Two people investigate, at different times,this "paranormally alive" house. They see basically the same phenomena but one believes FIRMLY that Ultimate Reality is the God of the bible, and the other believes that Ultimate Reality is matter/energy. As Thomas Kuhn pointed out in his ground-breaking book, "The Structure off Scientific Revolution" (1962)....how one CONCEIVES reality will affect how they PERCEIVE that reality. According to Kuhn (and Scripture) these two investigators are steeped in two radically different theories of reality, which will cause them to view the same phenomena differently...THEY WILL SEE DIFFERENTLY. If this is not taken into consideration, the two investigators (and us) will end up talking past each other. In addition, the two will have radically different expectations of what they will encounter once inside.

One way of summarizing the bible is thus--the OT teaches that God (Yahweh) is Lord, and the NT teaches that Jesus is Lord. Since the nature of God is so crucial to laying the foundation for a biblical worldview, let us look at THREE LORDSHIP ATTRIBUTES. (control, authority, and presence). When we say that God/Jesus is Lord, these three attributes help us to understand the richness of what that pregnant phrase means...."Jesus is Lord!"

God is Lord--control. The bible sees God as Absolute or Infinite Personality. His tri-personality sets Him apart from other false monotheistic religions. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been in loving communication for backwards eternity, and will be forever. Hence, God did not need to create due to lonliness. But the Trinity is absolutely sovereign over every molecule in His cosmos...the Earth being the palace of the Great King.

He has sovereignly decreed everything that has occurred and is in control of all things.. (Eph.1:11; Acts 17:26) We cannot break His sovereign will (which is  enshrouded in mystery) but we can and do break His moral and affective will all the time.

God is so much in absolute control that He can bend the wicked actions of wicked men (or demons) to accomplish His will. The most obscene, unjust, and evil act in history was the murder of the sinless Lord Jesus, and yet the Lord used it to bring about the most wondrous display of His love and holiness. "...this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men."(Acts 2:23; cf  4:27-28) His control establishes human responsibility...Astronomers estimate that there are 10 billion trillion stars in the universe. In Isaiah 40:25-26 the Lord is said to have created every one and has a name for each.."...because of the greatness of His might not one is missing." Behold your God!

God has infinite power and knowledge. He controls and sustains every inch of the natural and the supernatural realms.(Col. 1:16-17) From the smallest sub-atomic particle to the  nations and  entire universe, God ordained from all eternity all the has or will occur. If He merely "permitted" some things, then He could not deliver on Romans 8:28. In SOME SENSE God is in control of everything. Every thought of Satan was decreed from eternity past...just as the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. The Lord is particularly concerned that we know that He created the heavens and the earth, and is in control of the flow of human history--which can be summarized...Creation--Fall--Redemption. God is infinitely more powerful than Satan and in absolute control over his every action. He is a consuming fire....Our God reigns!

Lordship as authority--when Jesus ascended and sat down at the right hand of the Father, He did not sit in a lounge chair; He sits upon the throne. As Lord, that means He has full authority over all aspects of His creation. In what we call the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me...." His Person to person communication in the bible has divine authority that creates absolute ethical obligation in us. His Word has normative authority, which must be recognized by individuals and nations alike (Psalms 1, 2). We prevail over the demonic in Jesus' name because He is the Divine Messiah who wrought our redemption in order that the captives might be set free. Darkness flees from the name of Jesus because His name entails all of who Jesus IS and DID. Behold your God!

Lordship as presence--the movement of the drama of redemption is towards "dancing Adam's steps backwards." (Rom. 5; 1 Cor.15) As Adam walked with the Lord in the Garden, the goal of redemption was Immanuel--God with us. In the Incarnation, God the Son took on our humanity, forever. To say that God is Lord, means that He dwells intimately with us.In the same text regarding the Great Commission, Jesus tell us, "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." The Holy Spirit indwells all true believers. As His beloved sons and daughters, He has promised to never leave or forsake us. (Heb. 13:5)  In heaven we shall see Him face-to-face, and all tears shall be wiped away. Behold your God!            

What does God as Lord mean for our understanding of the paranormal and "trapped spirits"? Consider our two investigators. The one with a worldview with matter/energy as Ultimate Reality will expect to see "residual energy" displays as well as intelligent human spirits. With his blurred glasses, that is precisely what he will "see". (what we conceive is what we will perceive) However, the investigator who fears the Lord, will know that "residual energy" is utterly repugnant to God's laws of science (please see my series on this topic), and his clear spectacles will enable him to discern the presence of supernatural evil in the form of demons mimicking the dead. He will know that the notion of trapped spirits does violence to a biblical worldview in a thousand different ways. It vandalizes the control, authority, and presence of the Lord, and diminishes the perfection of the singular honor and dignity of the Person and Work of Christ.

He will know that Jesus is Lord--His power, authority, and presence. The notion of trapped spirits is an insult and dishonoring to the absolute control of God over all His creation. His authority, as expressed in His normative Word, commands him not to attempt necromancy..and to realize that all supernatural events are not from God. Lastly, the Lordship of God in His presence, reminds this investigator that God is our ultimate environment, and not a host of foul spirits. Wherever he goes, God IS...and in Jesus name, the miserable shadow figures shrink back into the shadows. This investigator realizes that God is God....that Jesus is Lord in His control, authority, and presence. He is comforted and emboldened by the fact that God is nearer and dearer to us than our own breath.

Does The Scripture Stipulate Anything About Lucid Dreaming, Sleep Paralysis And Demons Possibly Connected?

I have been researching Sleep Paralysis for 2 years and 11 months intensively due to my two experiences that prompted me to see a Dream Doctor and ask quite a few questions. Many people over the years have asked me questions that are very important and need answers if that is even at all possible.These nightmares can be extremely disturbing, but is there any spiritual significance? In Genesis 20 God spoke to Abimelech, warning him not to touch Abraham’s wife, Sarah. Other dreams include Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28), Joseph dreamed that his brothers would serve him that led to his captivity in Egypt (Genesis 37), as well as his dream about Pharaoh (Genesis 40-41) that led to his being made the second most powerful man in Egypt. The Lord or His angel appeared to others in the Bible, including Gideon (Judges 7), Solomon (1 Kings 3), Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2), Mary (Matthew 1), Joseph (Matthew 2), and Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27). None of these dreams, however, with the possible exception of Pilate’s wife’s dream, can really be called a nightmare. So it would appear that God does not usually speak to people through nightmares.

Some people think it's a form of Demonic Visitation and I feel the same. 97% of people say they felt a very malevolent presence and many see shadow people?. A gentlemen once told me he witnessed a dark shadow crawl up the walls and disappear. I have heard similar stories for the last 20 years. Why is it that 97% of people feel the same thing..Evil presence or attacks? Satan and demons are infiltrating our minds during nightmares, but there is nothing in the Bible to substantiate this very common issue. There are no biblical incidents of demonic forces communicating with people during dreams or nightmares. Nightmares are said to be nothing more than the brain’s way of contending with our fears and concerns as it continues to function during sleep cycles. If a Christian experiences continual, frequent nightmares that are interrupting sleep and causing emotional disturbance on a regular basis, then it would be prudent to seek medical attention. But, remember as in all things, prayer is our never fail weapon against any kind of spiritual distress. Christ gave us victory in His name! The war has been won my friends! One of the last things Christ said before leaving earth to be with the Father was "I leave you with the power of The Holy Spirit so you may cast out demons in thy name." Praise God! Praying for just 10 minutes prior to sleep as I feel is the most effective way to calm the mind and prepare for restful sleep.“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Next week I will discuss the Incubus/Succubus that seems to be a big topic as well as a problem for many. At times our minds can play tricks on us when discussing things that can seep into our subconscious.The Enemy is always on the prowl, make no mistake.

If anyone has any questions, needs, or would like me to discuss a certain topic or have any prayer requests contact me at biblicaldemonologist@gmail.com or 1Demonologychic at Twitter. You're never alone, I care. We all care. These blogs are just my humble opinions on said subjects. God Bless you all and have a fabulous week.

Written by Jennifer L. Auld

Is It Arrogant to Speak with Certainty Regarding the Paranormal?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"And When Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." (Matt. 7:28-29) 

Is it arrogant to authoritatively assert that ghosts are demons, and that the bible does not have any wiggle room on this? I thought this would be an appropriate way to pull together and apply all that we have been saying about the attributes of Scripture...its authority relative to paranormal matters. I have been known to be quite assertive and certain in my comments--this has not always gone over very well....It seems that an amount of confidence is okay, within "reason", BUT to speak with utter certitude is deemed cocky and arrogant. "This is the mystery realm...we revel in diverse opinions." And what about the folks who are suffering?


Suppose God Himself appeared to you. Further, suppose He said this to you...face-to-face: "I want you to tell everyone you can about how Satan, and those filthy demons, are deceiving my beloved people by pretending to be ghosts. When people die, I immediately send them to heaven or hell. I love you--now go!" Suppose you had such an encounter--would you have any problem with following His command? Would you hem and haw when the topic of ghosts came up in conversations? Would you worry about sounding arrogant when speaking with winsome certainty? Certainly not! So, why is there such a small band of brothers/sisters addressing this vital issue? And even less with convincing, loving certainty?


Jesus did not hem and haw; He spoke with utter certainty on a wide range of topics, and the crowds marveled..And we learned that the written Word of God carries with it all the authority  of God's divine voice and the oral words of Jesus. That authority can be nothing less than ultimate and absolute. We have learned that when we read the bible we are not just reading verbiage...or just inspired sentences. WE ARE HAVING AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE REAL PRESENCE OF GOD HIMSELF!


We have repeatedly noted that the bible is 100 clear and emphatic that alleged ghosts are really demons


Let me give you this illustration from church history. The great reformer Martin Luther was engaged in debate with the learned Roman Catholic scholar Erasmus. What they were discussing was of immense importance, and this caused Luther to argue with great earnestness and zeal--the gospel was at stake! Well, being the gentleman and scholar that he was, Erasmus complained that Luther needed to show more humility and not be so dogmatic in his assertions. Uh oh...wrong thing to say! After thoroughly demeaning Erasmus (which Luther should not have done), he stated: "the Holy Spirit is NOT A SKEPTIC..." (Back in the day, the philosophical Skeptics debated everything and believed nothing) Luther's point is that it is not a sign of humility to hem and haw on a subject that the Holy Spirit has inspired and made clear. It is actually arrogant to NOT be assertive about subjects the bible is clear about because it implies that you are not trusting in its authority...autonomous thinking  In other words, being utterly certain and confident in one's assertions regarding the bible's teaching (providing it is clear and done winsomely) is a sign of submission to the Lordship of Christ. Remember our hypothetical encounter...how certainty regarding our message would be the only reasonable response.


The paranormal receives a great deal of attention in the bible--explicitly or implicitly. Because of the amount of detail, it is crystal clear. Below is just a small list of some of the topics the bible is crystal clear about

1.God is the sovereign, holy creator and redeemer
2.The instant we die, all of our souls stand before God in judgement and we are sent to heaven or hell...Judgement Day is simply public pronouncement
3 The paranormal realm is Satan's temporary home
4. Attempting to speak to the dead is an occultic sin
5. There are no trapped spirits on earth
6. Virtually all paranormal activity is demonic
7. Identifying entities in the spirit realm is a theological issue and not a scientific issue.


It seems to me that the paranormal community will gladly receive opinions, no matter how farfetched, based on a false notion of paranormal unity. Hence, any antithetical assertions--A is right and B is wrong--is considered judgmental and closed minded.


To assert with winsome certainty that ghosts are demons is NOT arrogant...it is humbly agreeing with God--seeing ghosts through His eyes. The essence of wisdom is to fear God, and trusting that His word is more sure than life itself. What the church and world needs are folks who will speak with prophetic certainty regarding this doctrine of demons.

God has ORDERED US to get out and tell folks all that Jesus commanded...that is the Great Commission...which has become the Great Omission when it comes to telling the liberating truth to those confused by the paranormal or oppressed by the demonic. How can we blame so many folks for believing this Satanic lie when so few are obeying God's personal call to YOU AND I TO GO? Go, and assert with certainty!

Peer Pressure Affecting Your Walk?

By Stephen Piersall

God's Preservation Ministry http://sfprs.org/

God is so good! Recently, I have had a closed MRI for my back and being 6’3”, 260 pounds and claustrophobic; they shoved every ounce of me in this tiny crawl space about the size of the old torpedo tubes submarines used years ago. I normally would start with my panic attacks and anxiety getting the best of me days before, but it was done in 18 minutes, and I spent the whole time eyes closed and praying to God for everybody I could think of. I had a root canal done with NO PAIN for the first time during my life. Yes, I spent every minute in prayer with that too. I also gave birth to my first (and hopefully never again) Kidney Stone. Ouch! Yes, they are as bad as the stories you might have heard, and the prayers that days were in desperation. LOL. Lastly, completed a pre-surgical physical, and the results show I am the healthiest I have been in years.

Since our ministry is growing and helping many other people with Christian Deliverance counseling, and still attending classes at our local church and Internet courses, it has brought closeness to God that one can only cherish. So intimate, that when I wake up, the first thing that comes to mind is God and my personal prayer list of those who have needs. It is the same at night when taking our two dogs out for the last time before bed; looking up to the sky, talking to God, and thanking him for all he is doing in my life. The late Walter Payton, NFL, Chicago Bears running back was nicknamed “Sweetness." With God beside me, it is pure “Sweetness."

Leaving the hospital, passing many people and the Holy Spirit within me must have turned up the volume on my ears. Hearing couples arguing over petty things, gossiping all around, my ears were just buzzing. This doctor is no good, and this neighbor all the time complains about different highly public viewed clergy on TV. Yikes, jumping back into the MRI machine where it was safe and just praying to God in peace, (except for the LOUD MRI noises) seems like a great idea.

One of the pet peeves of mine is a person talking bad about others behind their backs. Here recently I have had two discussions with some of our staff about what they were doing if it gave them a good reputation with God and their business and family life. They both accepted the discussion in a Christian attitude, and I praise them both for their walk with God. What about the others I mentioned, is peer pressure affecting walking with God? This rather reminds me of back in Junior High School all over again.

The Bible says that the tongue is full of deadly poison. The tongue is like a sword. It can cut and slice apart its victims. Proverbs 21:23 states, "Whoso keepeth his mouth, and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles."

Why must we speak about what version of the Bible that someone reads? Why must we talk about clergy members who have Internet talk shows? Why must we talk badly about how someone does deliverance differently than what you believe? Jesus commands we remove evil, but no particular checklist for us to follow in doing so. There are many methodologies, and if it works, Glory to God! Why are Christians not acting like Christians? Why are some of you reading this not Christian at all?

Christian Bible thumpers as we sometimes are called, will keep trying to win souls for Jesus because that is our number-one job. Jesus proclaimed that in his Great Commission among other things. You can go through all of these biblical steps with a right heart and spirit, and the other person may still choose to respond in a negative or fleshly way. Some people have a contentious spirit and do not want peace. On the other hand, some people will agree with you to your face and make no change whatsoever. At this point, you cannot get bitter and angry. You must leave it with the Lord. Romans 12:18 states, "If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men."

 

Did you know that of all the sins that God sees in us, they are, even so, to him except one? The sin of not accepting Jesus as your Savior is above all other sins. When you die and bow before him, and he says, “I do not know you”; your destiny in Hell will reign forever.

Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire, so then; you will know them by their fruits.

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

That has happened to me also, where someone thought, I was speaking of them, when I was not. However, what this says to me, it is the Holy Spirit convicting that person's heart. Instead of leaning toward the Spirit of the Lord, they get very defensive. What we see as very immature behavior in some really can be brought back around to the enemy causing trouble in the Body of Christ, as you are making clear.

It is too late to accept Jesus as your Savior once you die. There is no purgatory or earth bound spirits or ghosts where you can pray someone to heaven or have a medium cross over someone for you. Believing in any of that is Satan’s trap to lure you. Beware of false prophets, Satan and his demons are the master of disguises! Read the Gospels and follow the teachings of Jesus.

This YouTube video will answer some questions perhaps you have. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB9J7NEv2qM

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God's Forgiveness

By Stephen Piersall,

God’s Preservation Ministry, sfprs.org       

     

Here are an amazing prophecy and promise from Jeremiah, a humble minister of God who had to watch the Babylonian captivity take place before his own eyes. God is speaking to sinful Israel (and speaking to you): "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). God Remembers Our Sins No More! Is God absentminded? Does he have heavenly Alzheimer's disease? If God is omniscient, how could he lose track of data like this? The answer is that God chooses not to remember our failures (a feat; we are not capable of). He can indeed forgive and forget.

You know all about the reluctant way we "forgive" one another and "Well; I'll forgive, but I can't forget!" Since we cannot forget, ugly memories keep coming back and draw out our inclination to forgive. This is one of many sins that we do so often and do not realize we are inviting evil into our lives. It is called a Legal Right. Clergy, Exorcists, Demonologists, and those in the Deliverance Ministry cannot no matter how many times they command it removed in the name of "Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!" ONLY YOU can remove this. You allowed it in your life through an invitation, and you are the one that can give the command to cast it to the abyss.

I can tell you the number-one reason for removing a huge burden in my life. It was when I forgave someone who has wronged me or perceived to have wronged me. I can give you a list a mile long; ex-wife, children, clergy, parents, friends, family, and the biggest one of all…ME! It is difficult at times to forgive, but know God commands it. It hurts when you forgive someone, say through an email, text message and the person does not even reply. If that is the case, then that person has now sinned against God. Jesus has taught us in the Gospels, of how we should treat each other. That is why I cannot read the Gospels enough times throughout the year. Even old dogs like me can learn new tricks; I always learn something every time I read them.

Do not pray about this with expectations God will bless you. Pray about this and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what you need to come clean about in your life. Just to have that burden lifted from you will help you have a healthier lifestyle. Pray about it right now.