Mental Illness and Demonic Possession

"Can you please explain how you can tell the difference between mental illness and demonic possession? Also, would you handle the situation the same way if you met someone with similar symptoms today? At what point, if ever, would you seek medical help?"

I think that the definition of "mental illness" isn't very clear. Could someone be called insane because they said that the earth was round when science knew that it was flat? Is it someone who denies the theory of evolution? Some would say so. Who is it that defines someone who is mentally ill? Would it be a registered psychiatrist? Who says that they are sane, and what is the criteria for sanity? How do you know that you are sane, because someone who is mentally ill more than likely thinks that they are quite normal?

Now to your question, of how to tell the difference between someone who is mentally ill or is demonically possessed. It's clear that the way to tell if someone is demonically possessed is that they will almost certainly want to stay away from the light of the gospel.

I am not an expert on this subject (I don’t chase it--both the incidents I related happened in the mid 1980’s). I have only had one or two incidents since that time, and I do handle it differently.

I don't spend time allowing the demons to speak. I tell them to be quiet (see Mark 1:25 and Mark 1:34), then speak directly to the person, sharing the gospel with him. I go through the Ten Commandments to show him what sin is, preach the cross, and the absolute necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus. Sin gives permission for demonic possession. True repentance closes the door (see James 4:7).

If the person looked as though they would do themselves bodily harm, I would call some sort of medical expert. However, that would be secondary. Although I visit doctors and believe in the use of medicine, my experience is that often mentally ill people are given drugs that don't deal with the problem. Straight-jackets are no longer needed because powerful modern drugs make these people zombies. The symptoms are merely masked. Repentance and faith in Jesus goes to the root of the cause.

Continued from Friday...

Two weeks later she called to say that she was experiencing more blackouts. I told her to come and see me right away.

Twenty minutes later her friend yelled for me from the top of the stairs leading to the center. Jane began to experience a demonic manifestation halfway up the stairs. When I got down to her, she was leaning against the wall, stiff and motionless. I managed to get her up another ten steps, but as soon as she turned the corner, she ran ahead and threw herself headlong over the balcony.

I automatically ran after her, grabbed her and screamed for help. Two friends who were in the center rushed to assist me. I held Jane by her legs, while the rest of her dangled over the twenty-foot drop to the floor below. I knew that I had her life in my hands! I don’t know how I hung on, as her body weight was over the point of balance, and with everything she had, she was trying to fall. We managed to pull her back and carried her to my office.

As soon as we began to pray, Jane grasped her fairy necklace. She held it so tight that the blood drained out of her knuckles. It took me about thirty seconds to loosen it from her hand. I walked across to the other side of the office to an eight-inch-long piece of railway track that sat on my desk (at that time I was still making a few leather jackets for people, and I used the metal as a base to hammer domes onto jackets).

Jane was in a blackout state behind me. Two people stood between her and me. I had my back to her, so there was no way she could see what I was doing. I took the ornament and smashed it with a hammer. God is my witness -- the second the hammer hit the necklace, the demons in her screamed. I hit it five times, and each instant the hammer came down upon it, the spirits in her screamed in terror. It was like something out of a horror movie! I picked the pieces up and threw them out the window to the ground five stories below.

Over the next few hours twelve spirits named themselves and came out of her. The first one to leave called itself "Joseph Smith." Jane apparently had contact with Mormonism, and had even been baptized by them. The other spirits named themselves as Mocking, Lying, Deceit, Schizophrenia, False Tongues, Music, Affliction, Soal, Marinda, Strength, and Lucifer (which I would think was a lying spirit). The two that had the greatest stronghold were Strength and Marinda. I commanded, "Marinda, what is your function -- what do you do?"

"I cause blackouts!" Jane had been having blackouts since her early teens.

During this time, Jane writhed across the floor, screaming, groaning, and choking. The spirits tried constantly to afflict her. On three occasions she grabbed lamp cords and tried to strangle herself. It took all the strength of four of us to hold her down.

She kept hitting her head against the wall or the floor, and she would pull her hands free and attempt to gouge her eyes out (I heard of one young man who actually did so recently, while being held in a police cell).

At one stage I noticed that she, in a total blackout state, put her hand down her blouse, pulled a safety pin off her clothing and with incredible dexterity undid it with two fingers and attempted to swallow it.

As I ripped it from her fingers the spirit said, "I’m going to kill..." I replied that it couldn’t harm us because we were Christians. It spat out, "Not you. Her!"

Jane lay in the corner in a blacked out state. Every time we prayed she would scream, and Strength would reveal itself by making her very strong. We found that if we named the spirit and commanded it to relax, it would obey our command. (Jesus said, "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven"-Luke 10:20, emphasis added.)

For no apparent reason she began sucking her thumb like a baby. So I said, "Jane, I want you to answer, not Marinda. Marinda, you must stay relaxed-you must obey! Jane, tell me what happened to you when you were a baby."

She writhed in anguish. "They’re taking me away from my mother. No, no!"

Jane, who was adopted, then spoke in a clear voice about her scarred childhood. She told us of her father who didn’t love her. She talked about a séance at school, in which a spirit was manifest who said that Jane’s friend would die in a car accident. The girl, aged twelve, was terrified. She became afraid to even get into a car. She was killed at the age of fourteen, when one struck her as she stood on the sidewalk. This left Jane completely filled with fear.

I always believed that hypnotism was delving into the spirit realm, but something happened during this time to confirm that fact. Even the snap of my fingers (as done by hypnotists) could either put her under or take her out of a blackout state.

She then spoke of different pains that she had suffered throughout her youth, including the physical pain of an ear operation. I asked her what significance her fairy necklace had. She said that it gave her a feeling of power over people, saying that as she held it, it caused her to "freak out."

I asked her about the card that she sent me. I said, "The Scripture reference that you gave me, in Psalm 58..."

Jane interrupted, "Not Psalm 58-Psalm 56:9."

We turned to it and read it aloud, "When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me."

The moment that Scripture was read, Marinda manifested with Jane screaming in terror. It became clear that Marinda and all her works needed to be renounced and turned from, by a conscious act of Jane’s will. Jane then verbally renounced Marinda and everything associated with the demonic realm, and freely confessed that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (see 1 John 4:2,3).

The next day Jane came into the center and said she was totally set free -- and this time she was. Although she was bruised, she didn’t remember a thing after reaching that halfway point on the stairs.

From, Out of the Comfort Zone (Bridge Logos Publishers).

Welcome to The Atheist Church

"And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them" (Luke 4:38,39).

Simon's name was changed by Jesus to "Peter." Simon not only had a wife, but he travelled with her (see 1 Cor. 9:5). The Catholic tradition of celibacy wasn’t practiced by the papacy until around 1200 AD.

The Catholic church not only believes that Peter was the first "pope" (something I don't believe), it also believes that the Church is built upon Peter. But he was never head of the Church, and he refused even the slightest homage (see Acts 10:26). The Bible says that the Church is built solely upon the rock of Jesus Christ, and Him alone (see 1 Cor. 3:11).

The verse used to try and justify that Peter is the rock upon which the Church is built, says no such thing. The "rock" upon which the Church is founded is the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. When a sinner repents and acknowledges the deity of Christ, he or she becomes part of the true (invisible) Church (see Romans 10:9-10).

Another teaching of the Catholic church is that we obtain salvation through eating the actual flesh of Jesus Christ. However, when Jesus held the bread in His hand and said that it was His body, it couldn't have been His literal flesh, because He was physically standing there with His disciples, and they weren’t eating Him:

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body" (Mathew 26:26).

The words He spoke were "spiritual" (symbolic), something Jesus Himself said (see John 6:63). When we are born of the Spirit, we "taste and see that the Lord is good" spiritually.

Another teaching of the Catholic church is that Mary is still a virgin. Although Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus, she later had at least five more children, according to the Bible:

"Is not this the carpenters son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?" (Matthew 13:55).

See also Mark 6:3, and John 2:12. These were not His cousins, as the Catholic church maintains. So she is no longer a virgin, nor is she sinless (see Romans 3:10), as the Catholic church believes.

It was the Catholic church that carried out the bloody Crusades in the name of God, the horrific Inquisition against true believers--Jesus warned that the time would come when those who killed Christians would do so, thinking that they were doing God a service (see John 16:2), and the famous persecution of Galileo.

These thoughts will no doubt stir up some demons, and I will be accused of being a Catholic-hater, but I'm not. I am against any deception when it comes to how to get the Heaven--because there is nothing more important. You and I can either trust in the traditions and teachings of men, or we can trust in the Word of God.

Whether you were born Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Gentile, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or atheist--you must be born again or you will not enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that, I didn't (see John 3:3-6). That means that you simply confess your sins to God, forsake them (through repentance), and trust alone in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation (without works--see Ephesians 2:8-9)…and you will come to know Him "whom to know is life eternal."

I hope you have a great week.

Pic. Christ and Peter upon the sea. Matthew 14:28-33, Illustrated by Gerard Hoet (1648-1733),

Throwness

Demonic Possession--continue from yesterday...

The second incident happened after I had been preaching in the Square in New Zealand. Two girls approached me and said they wanted to talk about something personal. I asked if it was about demons. Surprised, they said that it was. One of the girls was having continual blackouts. For no apparent reason, she would black out at various times of the day. The blackouts became so frequent that the girls suspected something spiritual was involved. I told them to come to my office at 2 p.m. that afternoon. (This was while Sue and I were running the Drug Prevention Center in the Dome of the Regent Theater Building).

The girls arrived at precisely 2 p.m. Frankly, I was surprised they showed up. I ushered them into my office and began to question the one with the problem. Besides the blackouts, she was having suicidal thoughts and, after some probing, I learned that she hated her father. At that point someone came into the Center, so I said I would pray for her after I served the customer.

As I stood at the counter, suddenly her friend burst from my office in tears and blurted that the young lady was writhing on the floor. The customer left rather quickly. I raced back to my office and found her crawling on her hands and knees, groaning, screaming, and making animal-like noises. I commanded the spirit to manifest and name itself, so that I would know how to pray.
"No, no!" it screamed.
I persisted. It shrieked, "Hate, Hate!"

I named the spirit of hate and commanded it to leave. (If you find this hard to believe, consider how I felt. You are only reading about it. I found myself right in the midst of something supernatural, illogical, and irrational, but I couldn’t deny its reality). Another spirit identified itself as "Suicide."
I said, "Those are personalities-what is your name?"
"Soal," it screamed.
"How long have you been in this person?"
"Twelve years."
"How did you gain access?"
"Easily!"

During the manifestation, the spirits referred to the teenager as "her," that is, they were separate from her personality.

Finally, after I prayed for about an hour, she came to herself and seemed free. I told her (we will call her "Jane") to become a Christian, or she would end up in a worse state than she had been.

I began to question Jane about her past. She told me that about twelve years ago, at the age of seven, she began talking with a "friend." This friend was invisible, but was very real to Jane--so real, in fact, that she asked her mother if he could come to dinner. He used to tell Jane stories. They were bad ones that started off good if she was in a good mood, and good ones if she was in a bad mood.

A few days later, I received a card from Jane, thanking me for praying with her. She said that she now felt free. On the card, she gave a reference for a Bible verse that she said meant a lot to her. We turned to it, and it didn’t make sense as it was about the wrath of God. This remained a mystery until sometime later.

I advised her to get rid of everything that gave her contact with the occult. She was wearing occult bracelets, which we knew had some sort of demonic influence, and around her neck she wore a silver fairy, which I told her she should destroy. Unfortunately, as I found out later, Jane didn’t heed my advice.

To be continued Monday...

From, Out of the Comfort Zone (Bridge Logos Publishers)

Demonic Possession

After the recent study of Luke chapter 4, there has been a lot of talk about demonic activity. The Bible is filled with stories of people being demon-possessed, and continually speaks of an evil spiritual force headed by "principalities and powers." Scripture says that the battle that Christians face is not against human beings, but against these spiritual powers (see Ephesians 6:12). Over the next few days I’m going to share some of my experiences with this realm. No doubt it will stir up a few demons...

Allow me to share a couple of hair-raising experiences with you. Because I know that no liar will enter the kingdom of Heaven, the following incidents, which are only two of a num­ber of similar experiences, [except for the name of "Jane"] don’t have even a tinge of half-truth or exaggeration. They are the "gospel truth," exactly as they happened.

While I was the speaker at a church youth camp, an eighteen-year-old named John stepped into my cabin late at night and told me he was having problems.

After talking with him for a while, I told him that we would pray about his troubles (depression, a feeling of inferiority). As I began to pray, he slumped off the bunk bed on which he was sitting onto the floor. Then he groaned, rolled onto his back, arched his body, and began pushing himself backward across the floor.

In the Book of Mark, Jesus said, "These signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons," so I began to use the name of Jesus in what is called "exorcising prayer." The demons in John screamed, hissed, and manifested with such velocity that saliva from his mouth hit a chest of drawers eight or nine feet from where he lay.

With the help of God, I cast the spirit of rebellion from him, then asked a friend, who had come in to see what the noise was about, to get John a drink of water. When John came back to himself, I asked him what he had been in­volved in that got him into such a state. It turned out that he had been listening to occult-based heavy metal music and drinking blood. He and his girlfriend, under the influence of mar­ijuana, would get a cup of blood from the local butcher and drink it in a satanic rite.

The essence of Satanism is rebellion against God. Those who give their wills over to occult influences will find a compelling urge to rebel against everything wholesome and good, against everything for which the kingdom of God stands. That’s why their ceremonies include blood-drinking rituals. God says that blood is sacred, so they desecrate it. God loves little children. That’s why they have child sacrifices. God says the human body is to be covered. That’s why their ceremonies are often conducted completely naked, etc. [Adapted from, Out of the Comfort Zone, Bridge Logos Publishers].

To be continued...

Not a Bad Choice...

"You seem to suggest that a Christian only commits 'small' sins after a hard fought battle. I see no reason why that hard fought battle can not end in murder. In addition, your doctrine makes little distinction between small and large sins. It is entirely possible that Chapman had his battles with sin, and still planned the murder. You see Ray, good and evil deeds just come down to a simple choice. 'Sin' is just making a bad choice." MollyKnits

To try and justify a cold-blooded murderer, all you have to do is change the definition of "sin" to suit yourself. This is similar to the mentality of someone who says, "I believe that the sun is made of ice, therefore it is." Personal belief doesn't change reality.

Sin is not a bad choice. It is violation of God’s Law (see 1 John 3:4). Sin is lying, stealing, adultery, hatred, murder, fornication, blasphemy, greed, ingratitude to God for life, idolatry (making up a false God), dishonor of parents, and failing to put God first in your affections. God wrote the Commandments in stone. They are eternal. Changing the definition doesn't do anything to change the Commandments.

You may be thinking that if God turns out to exist, atheism was simply a bad choice. However, it is in truth a violation of the First and Second of the Ten Commandments. Smoking cigarettes is a bad choice. It will destroy your body and eventually leave you in a 24 hour panic, gasping for every breath, until you suffocate. Death will eventually bring relief. But the ultimate consequences of the belief of atheism are far worse. The foolish thought that nothing created everything (the only alternative to believing that Something created everything) will cause you to die in your sins, and receive the fearful Justice of a holy God. From that there will be no relief.

I Couldn't Care Less

As I looked at the sad picture of a well-known atheist who was dying of cancer, I couldn’t help but admire his humility. He didn’t mind his photo being taken when he didn’t look his best. But as I thought about it, it wasn’t this man’s image to ever look his best. He always did seem to have the physical appearance of "I couldn’t care less about what anyone thinks of me."

It reminded me of a friend who would spend a long time in front of the mirror each day, making sure he looked a mess. His humble "I don’t care what people think about me" image, was rooted in an inflated ego.

I suspected that the same was the case with this high-profile atheist. He warned that if rumor got out that he had converted to Christianity on his deathbed, no one should believe it. His words revealed that he was a very proud man.

There is a very bad side to pride. The proud man would rather destroy his marriage through divorce, than humble himself and seek reconciliation. That is the sort of proud person that God resists. The Bible even says that everyone who is proud of heart is an "abomination" to him (see Proverbs 16:5).

This poor dying atheist had such an inflated ego that he considered himself to be a valuable trophy for theists. In truth, he was just another guilty sinner among billions. If he would rather keep his pride and go to Hell than humble himself to go to Heaven, that’s his terrible choice. Such is the way of the proud.

Mmm

The Invincibles

Eight people were tragically killed at a California car race recently, when a speeding truck veered off course and ran into the crowd of mostly young spectators. The "California 200" was held in the Mojave Desert, 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Footage of the incident showed spectators lining close to the track, with no safety barriers. Standing that close was said to be part of the excitement of the race. Such excitement came at a terrible cost.

Graveyards are full of people who thought that excitement was worth the risk. Twisted parachutes, bad heroin, alcohol overdoses, fatal sexually transmitted diseases, and the excitement of a fast-moving car have taken many young people to an early death.

One of the main reasons young people are recruited for war, is that they think they are invincible. They are risk-takers. Yet for every young war hero, there are a thousand body-bags.

But that invincible-attitude tends to change with life’s painful experiences. I’m sure the tragedy in the Mojave Desert has matured many young minds about human vulnerability, and about what really matters in life.

Of course, some won't learn the lesson. They will keep taking risks as they age, because they don't value the precious gift of life. That's why the Bible says, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, 'I have no pleasure in them'" (Ecclesiastes 12:1 (italics added).

For the piranha bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster#p/u/164/pfwKEZLkklY

Welcome to the Atheist Church

"And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with you, you Jesus of Nazareth? Are you come to destroy us? I know thee who you are; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold your peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spoke among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about" (Luke 4:31-37).

The hearers of Jesus of Nazareth were astonished at His doctrine. They were in awe at His words because He didn’t speak like any normal human being. This was because He wasn’t a normal human being. He was pre-existent. He came down to do God’s will by destroying the power of death. His words were "spirit and life", and they were so powerful demons manifest through some of his hearers. Never be surprised to find a demon inside a synagogue or church, either in pews orr in the pulpit. Godless men and women can easily put on Godly robes and do the will of the devil.

Demons (or "devils" as the old KJV calls them) are spirits--fallen angels that inhabit this earth. They are "unclean" spirits that give unclean and blasphemous thoughts to the ungodly, and the ungodly love it. They are antithesis of God. The demonic realm has access to humanity’s thoughts, blinds the minds of the unsaved, and afflicts with disease.

Of course, the skeptic doesn’t believe in demons. But he does their will, loves their works, preaches their doctrine, is a slave to them. How Scripture perfectly predicted this generation:

"Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:1-2).

So many who profess to be atheists and embrace the fairytale of evolution, were once in "the faith." They gave themselves to spirits of seduction and now live without a conscience, pointing a holier than thou finger at everyone but themselves.

These demons knew that Jesus had come to destroy them. He was the Holy One of God. They also knew that Judgment Day is coming for them and humanity, so get rid of your demons, before they drag you to Hell. And give God control of every area of your life, through repentance, and faith in the Savior.

Do it today, but realize that to do so you will have a real battle on your hands.

Illustration: Figures de la Bible (1728), Gerard Hoet (1648-1733)

P.s. Some have asked why I post this on a Saturday. It is because this blog is received in other countries, and many are in different time zones--for example, New Zealand is 19 hours ahead of the United States (PST).

The Christian Murderer

"So Chapman was 'obviously' not saved because he shot a man in the back and then read a book? Are you saying that no "saved" Christian has ever been angry at someone behind their back, and then sat down to do some menial task as if nothing had ever happened?" Lurker

Every Christian falls into sin. However, a true converts never "willfully" sins. He has a daily battle with things that he knows are wrong. He is torn this way and that way by sinful enticements, and what the Bible calls the "works of the flesh." But a true Christian fights the battle, and if he loses a skirmish, he is quick to get onto his knees and ask God for forgiveness.

The difference between the true and the false convert is that the Christian falls (against his will) into sin, while the hypocrite dives (willingly) into sin. If I get up on a Monday morning and say to myself, "Today I plan to sin," then I need to seriously examine myself and see if I am truly saved.

Chapman planned the murder of another human being. He harbored hatred. He prayed to the devil for help. He was filled with self-pity and guilt, and fed his mind on a book that was filled with blasphemy and sexual sin. He was a devious, hate-filled, jealous, cowardly, bitter, calculating, cold-blooded murderer who shot a man who had just shown him great kindness, in the back. And then he calmly read his favorite book while he waited for the police. He was a hypocrite of the worst kind. Mark David Chapman’s "I converted to the Lord at 16," stated years after the murder are evidence of his shallow understanding of the Christian faith.

For the Piranha Bowl
http://www.youtube.com/thewayofthemaster#p/u/165/GhKtWzZ_4IQ

Important Video

Http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=0861ff3eabea1ceb73e4

I am sure that some atheists will miss the point of my posting this clip. So be it.

Random...

u-smile in space

shamantis Music

and

NASA Video

LA Car Chase and Dogs

An ex-atheist once wrote, "You will have noticed that most dogs cannot understand pointing. You point to a bit of food on the floor; the dog, instead of looking at the floor, sniffs at your finger. A finger is a finger to him, and that is all. His world is all fact and no meaning. And in a period when factual realism is dominant we shall find people deliberately inducing upon themselves this doglike mind."[1]

How true are his words. Evolution believers dumb themselves down, believing that they are simply apes that have evolved a little more than their animal brethren. But man isn't slightly brighter than the animals. He outshines them in the area of arts, creativity, music, the preparation of his food, an appreciation of his being, the study of his history, language, speech, God, and in many other complex facets of life.

However, one area where he completely outshines the animal kingdom, is the area of law. No animal comes anywhere near man’s desire to see that justice is done. The most primitive of us (foul-mouthed white men with ugly tattoos and gaping holes in their ears) believes in retribution. Snatch his beer from his clasping hand, and it’s payback time. This is because those of us who are still sane are moral beings, made in the image of Him who is called "the Habitation of Justice."

You may stare at the pointing finger if you wish, and make out that the intuitive morality you have isn't God-given, but we all know what the issues are. Some of us just admit it, that’s all.

Pic. Los Angeles Police care enough about justice to send 30 squad cars after two lawbreakers.

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/163/GhKtWzZ_4IQ

________________________________________
[1] C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (reprint: New York: HarperOne, 2001), p. 114.

Perfect Books for Believers

"Among biologists, paleontologists, and other professional scientists in related biological fields, over 99.5% of them said they support the theory of evolution. If you don't believe in evolution, then I suggest you read a book such as 'Evolution For Dummies' or 'The Greatest Show on Earth.' The evidence for evolution is overwhelming and unambiguous." Debunkey Monkey

Ms. Monkey, could you please give the source for your 99.5% of professional scientists in biological fields supporting evolution? That's an amazing statistic. No offense, but I think you are making it up. I will humbly apologize if you come back with a credible source.

The reason I suspect that you made it up is because you don't seem to be familiar with the rules of evolution. You are not supposed to use the word "believe" in the same sentence as the word "evolution." This is because believe is what "believers" do. That means that they have some sort of faith. That means they are believing in something that is unseen. Which you do. Evolution is unobservable.

I think that the two books you suggested are perfect to describe the theory of evolution. It is for dummies, and it sure is one big circus...the greatest show on earth.

http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster#p/u/164/06HGc_jb6tk

Adolf, Albert, and Atheists

In one sense, Adolf Hitler was no different than any other human being with an imagination. He created his own image of Jesus Christ. This is very common among the unconverted, and was never more epitomized than with the popular question that asked, "What would Jesus do?"

To many both within and without the Church, "Jesus" became a synonym for the right thing to do. Books hit the market asking what would Jesus eat and what would He drive? The question sounds legitimate, but it is so open-ended, it is easily abused. It doesn’t confine itself to the safety of Scripture.

"Jesus" can be shaped into any image the fertile imagination wants Him to become. He could be just a great teacher or a great leader. Or He could be merely seen as a great historical figure.

This was John Lennon’s mistake when he said in an interview of the Beatles, "We're more popular than Jesus now..." He didn’t see Jesus as who He is--the Creator of the universe in human form.

Albert Einstein had a wonderful image of Jesus. He said, "No man can deny the fact that Jesus existed, nor that his sayings are beautiful. Even if some them have been said before, no one has expressed them so divinely as he." Yet there is no record of him calling Him "My Lord and my God."

Even the great literary genius, Mark Twain, had his image of his own Jesus. He said, "If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be -- a Christian."

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/165/sGs3VJB1rhE

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[1] Brown, Peter. The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles. McGraw Hill; 1983., p. 222
[2] See Colossians 1:13-21.
[3] “What Life Means to Einstein: An Interview by George Sylvester Viereck,” The Saturday Evening Post, Oct. 26, 1929, p. 17.
[4] Mark Twain / 1835-1910 / Notebook

Welcome to The Atheist Church...

...giving atheists something to do on Sundays.

Today's Sermon is from Luke 4:

"And he said to them, You will surely say to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country. And he said, Truly I say to you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But to none of them was Elias sent, save to Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way" (Luke 4:23-30).

What was it that turned these religious Jews from wondering about the gracious words that came out of the mouth of Jesus, to a point of trying to murder Him? It was because He referred them to the Scriptures to make a point that they didn't want to hear. They had obviously heard about some sort of healing miracle that Jesus did in Capernaum, and He was saying that the reason they wouldn’t accept Him as a prophet was because He was from their home town of Nazareth.

Then He made the point that went straight to the heart of their religious prejudice. He said that Elias (the Greek form of the Hebrew word "Elijah") was a prophet, and he was sent by God to a Gentile, and that Elisha was sent to Naaman, another Gentile. When they heard that "they were filled with wrath" because they considered themselves to be chosen by God as His own holy people, and the Gentile world was cursed. They believed that they were pure and the Gentiles were unclean.

Jesus said contra wise, and He backed it up with Scripture. He had a habit of doing that, and that’s why religious people tried to kill Him ten times before He went to the cross. Despite the fact that they took Him to the edge of a cliff to throw Him off, He walked through their midst. This is because it wasn’t yet His time to die. He had three years of teaching and miracles to do, and His death could only happen in God’s timing. God always has His way. Always. So make sure you are on His side.

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/166/G9P5S00PENs

Lost

Intersoup Berlin

Intersoup - Serving up shit in bowl and music and staff are worse. If
you own this place you should realy consider not reproducing. Actully
in this case I would support forced sterlization.

Atheists--Poor Bible Students

"The bible does a fine job of creating a fictional monster in the Old Testament, so non-believers are saved the trouble. If you want to worship a God who demands a man sacrifice his beloved son, kills everyone He created save one family, tortures a pious man to win a bet with Satan, and commits genocide against a people who are inconvenient to His chosen people, Ray's religion is right up your alley.” T

If I was such a poor student of what the Bible actually says, I too would be a cynic. Your lack of study is seen in your limiting of your blasphemy to the God of the Old Testament. The New Testament God is the same Person as the Old.

In the New Testament He killed a husband and wife because they told one lie. Jesus (New Testament) spoke of Him casting the wicked into Hell. In the Book of Revelation (New Testament) we see that He is the same holy Creator, whose wrath-filled justice will be unleashed against every transgressor of His Law. You may choose to pretend that He doesn't exist, but you still have to face Him on Judgment Day, and the Bible warns that it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (New Testament).

God told Abraham to offer Isaac (his only-begotten son) as sacrifice, and when Abraham went to actually sacrifice him, God stopped him. That incident is called an "antitype," and it speaks to the future--of the time when God would give His only-begotten Son as a sacrifice for the sin of the world.

In case you didn’t know--when the Bible speaks of Jesus being God's "Son," it means that "God was in Christ bringing the world back to Himself." Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (see 1 Timothy 3:16).

Instead of accusing God of killing the whole of humanity in the Noahic flood, you may as well accuse Him of killing all of humanity. God, the Judge of the Universe, justly proclaimed the death sentence upon the entire human race because of our sin. You will die because you have sinned against God. Death is your earned "wages" (see Romans 6:23).

In regard to God "torturing" Job. Read the book, and you will see that it was Satan who smote Job, and not God.

He who is filthy with sin and has the gall to stand in moral judgment over a morally perfect God, has delusions of grandeur indeed. On the Day that your "multitude of sins" are exposed, it will dawn on you as to who is the real monster.

For the piranha bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/167/rNMNxiFpcCI

A slip of the tongue...

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/inside-the-giraffe-4308/Photos#tab-Videos/07902_00

Romans 1:18-19

God's Behavior

"But how do you know that you're saved Ray. Looking at God's behaviour in the bible, it wouldn't be the first time that he's changed the deal. He might just change his mind the second after you've died and decide to throw you in Hell just because he could. If there were a God, especially your God, I wouldn't trust him." Andy Duchemin

The Christian knows that he is "saved" because God has written His Law upon his heart. That is the biblical way of saying that God made him completely new on the inside, through the experience of the new birth. This isn’t a change of mind, or a change of heart, or a new way of living. It is the radical experience of being made a brand new person--someone who didn't think about God for a moment, to someone who loves God with all of his heart' and this can only come through repentance and faith in Jesus. The unseen Creator of the universe gives the sinner His Holy Spirit, forgives all of his sins, gives him new desires, and "seals" him as one of His.

If I was to ask you the question, "How do you know that you are alive?" how would you answer? You would probably say that you are conscious of that which is around you. You can see, touch, taste, smell and hear. You feel. You have emotions and appetites. You experience life. Yet all those evidences are subjective. Your life may be a dream, or you may be delusional. Still, they are the most compelling evidences you have.

The same applies to my life in Christ. You can shoot it down as being subjective, however, I have some sweet icing on the cake of subjectivity. It's God's Word. The Bible is more than an historical book. It’s a book that gives me the written promises of the Creator. It tells me that it is impossible for God to lie. I believe that. You don't. Neither do you trust God. I do. I trust Him because I know Him. You don’t, because you refuse to know Him. That’s your choice, but it will tragically be to your eternal detriment.

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/168/YQvZXlnwqdc

The Superfluity of Worms

"You assert that there are no transitional forms between species, when you do not even seem to know what species are. You assert that all animals have both males and females, when some have neither, some have hermaphroditic individuals, and some have only females. You even assert that Satan tempted Jesus to commit suicide, when the very text you are expounding on states that Satan assured Jesus that angels would protect them (in which case, jumping off the pinnacle of the temple would not be a suicide attempt -- though, depending on how reliable the angels were, it might still be lethal). Oh, and John Lennon was not a conventional theist -- or if he was, he hid it very, very well. You're wrong, with depressing consistency, concerning matters we can check; why should we assume that you have accurate insights into hidden matters?" Steven J.

First, let's pin down what "species" means. A species is a group of animals that are capable of reproducing after their kind. When we speak of "endangered species," we are speaking of a certain "kind" of animal--a lion, an elephant, or a horse. Lions don't mate with other species. Neither do dogs or cats. Every animal species brings forth after its own kind, as the Bible says. There is no evidence in the fossil record or in existing creation of any animal species transitioning from on kind to another. Any beliefs that there are animals that crossed from one kind to another, are not backed by any observable evidence.

Your second point is my assertion that all animals have male and female. It’s obvious that a very small part of God’s creation are hermaphroditic, and so it is superfluous for me to have to each time I say that to have to put in brackets: (excluding worms, slugs, and some flowers). It's self-evident.

As regards your point about Satan tempting Jesus to take his own life. If you ever hear a voice in your head telling you to jump off a building, and not to worry because God will catch you, don’t listen to it. Shakespeare was right when he said, "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose." Satan is the "father of lies," so make sure you doubt his word, and believe the Word of God.

John Lennon was obviously a theist, but his concept of what or who God is was an idolatrous "image." He imagined that there was no Heaven and Hell, and the god he believed in was also the product of his imagination...a graven image within his mind.

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/168/YQvZXlnwqdc

Nah denn..,

More mehr...

Plausible Deniability

"I realize you typed that first sentence to maintain your plausible deniability about 'never calling an atheist a fool' but it's still disingenuous on your part. You are calling atheists fools, so just own up to it. Jesus was never passive-aggressive like this in his remarks." Reality

Jesus, speaking about calling a Christian brother a "fool":

"But I say to you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (Matthew 5:22).

Jesus, speaking to those who ignore their eternal salvation:

"But God said to him, You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall those things be, which you have provided?" (Luke 12:20).

Jesus, speaking to religious hypocrites:

"You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?" (Matthew 23:17). "You fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?" (Luke 11:40).

Jesus, speaking to those who refuse to believe the Word of God:

"Then he said to them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24:25).

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/169/kiDqJrkEUUk

Am See

Welcome to The Atheist Church

Today’s sermon is from Luke chapter 4:

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

Jesus was empowered with the same Spirit that brought creation into being "in the beginning." He would now begin his three years of miracles. The same Spirit that created the waves and the wind would calm the waves and the wind. The same Spirit that gave life to man in the beginning would bring life to the dead, through the voice of the Son of God. However, on this particular day he went into the synagogue and opened up the book of Isaiah to read a passage about the Messiah. The prophecy spoke of the Spirit of the Lord being upon the Messiah and God’s purpose in His manifestation.

He would preach the gospel to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, deliver the captives, give sight to the blind, and release those who were bruised. These are "spiritual" statements. It is only those who are "poor in spirit" that respond to the Gospel. Those who think that they are rich "and in need of nothing" have a closed ear. Jesus came to heal those who were broken-hearted by their own sinful heart, to deliver those who were captive to the devil, blinded by sin, and those who were “bruised” by the Law of God.

After Jesus had read from the Scriptures, He sat down and every eye was on Him. Then He said that this day this prophecy was fulfilled. He was saying that He was the Messiah. Yet, there was no offense at this point. It was what He said after this that made them try and kill Him. Instead, they were amazed at His gracious words, and asked, "Isn’t this the son of Joseph?" He wasn’t. He was the Son of God.

Thanks for being here.

John Lennon and the Future

God dwells outside of the realm of time and space. He dwells in eternity. You and I have to wait for time to pass, but the Bible tells us that God created "time" and that He Himself isn’t subject to its restrictions. We are held within its dimension, but God is not. He can whisk through time and tell us what is going to happen in the future.

John Lennon at least once tried to do that. In a recording session with record producer Phil Spector :

Lennon: "What are they gonna do, play jazz with Jethro Tull?"
Spector: "No, Elton John, probably."
Lennon: "Elton is good friend of mine."
Spector: "Well, it's good. He's got the same name as you, only you spell it in front and he spells it in the back. And you both go to the same place."
Lennon: "No, no, no, no, I refuse. Elton's gonna die young. I'm gonna be a ninety-year old guru."
Spector: "Okay I make history, you make guru's."
Lennon: "Phil; I'm gonna write your history, so be careful."

Lennon was obviously messing with Spector, but there's an irony to his words. Despite his bouts with depression and an attempt to kill himself, Elton John made it through to his 60’s, and Phil Spector went to prison for murder. This was history John Lennon didn’t live to see. We can sometimes guess the future with the accuracy of a weatherman, but only God can perfectly predict it. It is proof that He is God.

It is because of this that we have no excuse for rejecting the Bible. Those who do so because they are offended by the judgments of God or they believe that Scripture is full of contradictions, have never humbly searched the Scriptures to see how the uniqueness of this amazing Book, especially in the area of prophecy.

It is a trait of human nature to think that death is something that happens to other people. We somehow think that we are immortal, or at least we put it off as something that will come so far into the future we needn’t be concerned. John Lennon was no different. He thought that he would live to be in his 90’s. The very day he was murdered, he said "I consider that my work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried, and I hope that's a long long time."

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/169/ztdFlOU0M_U

Tragic Irony

A heavy metal rock group called Early Graves lost one of their vocalists in a tragic accident recently. Another member of the group fell asleep at the wheel while driving their vehicle, killing him and injuring another band member. None of the passengers were using wearing seat belts. It seems that the lyrics to one of their songs was prophetic:

"I've seen this road a thousand times and I can't,I'm not looking back.
This is so unfamiliar; death is no man's friend.
Yet I'll stay here until I hear him roar.
Death is screaming my name but I refuse to listen to him.
The choices I've made will lead me to an early [expletive] grave."

It's wise to wear a seat belt, and it's also wise not to drive when you are tired. Most people don’t realize that the sleeping process has a pattern. The brain shuts down before the eyes close. That means that you will never be conscious of the moment you fall asleep. One minute you are so in control you don't even bother to put on a seatbelt, and the next moment you wake up dead.

The sleeping process is similar to atheism. The brain shuts down before the eyes close. That means that an atheist can look at creation and not see the Creator, such a no-brainer that a child can see Him. The Bible calls such a person a "fool," and I believe the Bible. Daily I blog to fools in the genuine hope that they will use their brain and see. There are eloquent fools, ignorant fools, repetitious fools, and some friendly fools. Nevertheless, they are fools, and a fool cannot be reasoned with. What's more, they hide behind the skirts of science and profess to be wise...just like that ancient book, the Bible, says they would (see Romans 1:21-23). It even exposes their motive as being one of love for sexual sin (see Romans 1:24).

When the heavy metal vocalist went to an early grave, their forum fans were shocked. One said "Oh wow people are just dying." Oh wow indeed. People are dying all around us, and it doesn't always knock gently on your door. It can come through your wall like an out-of-control 18-wheeler and in an instant, take you out. You won't even know what hit you.

Early Graves thought that it was death that was screaming their name, but it was actually the Law of God. It calls for capital punishment. Yet the Judge is rich in mercy to those who will think, see, and listen. God says to leave the room before the vehicle hits. To do that, you simply have to repent and trust the Savior.

"O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this" (Psalm 92:5-6, NKJV).

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/170/JkgEs_pBCnM

Nothing Changed...

"A field near Gretna in Dumfriesshire might not be an obvious place to find the world's oldest living creatures, but a team of scientists has done just that. Two colonies of a prehistoric shrimp that evolved when the dinosaurs ruled the Earth have been found alive and well in the Caerlaverock nature reserve on the Solway coast. The discovery has led experts to think there could be more of the little crustaceans, which are listed as endangered species, elsewhere in the area. The ancient creatures, known as Triops cancriformis or tadpole shrimps, are thought to have the oldest pedigree of any living animal. Fossil evidence suggests they have hardly changed in the more than 200m years that they have been around."

In other words, after "200 million years" of evolution, no evolution has taken place--just like in the rest of creation. Dum-friesshire indeed.

From:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/29/rare-tadpole-shrimps-found-scotland

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/171/SXdFkAh6kVQ

John Lennon and God

John Lennon once said, "People always got the image I was an anti-Christ or anti-religion. I'm not. I'm a most religious fellow. I was brought up a Christian and I only now understand some of the things that Christ was saying in those parables."

Most people believe in God's existence. It's hard not to, with creation staring us in the face. Still, there are some who deny their God-given common sense and believe the unscientific thought that nothing created everything. Atheists can't have their cake and eat it too. Either something made everything, or nothing made it.

Lennon was no such fool. He knew that something made everything and that "something" he believed was God. He even called himself a "religious fellow." He not only believed in the existence of God, but he had gained some sort of understanding as to the meaning for the parables of Jesus. He said,

"I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong."

His perception of "God" being "something is all of us" is easy to understand. Human beings are not like animals, or birds, insects and fish. Sure, animals, birds, insects and fish all have eyes, a mouth, blood, a stomach, an appetite, and will to live, and we all bed down at night. But there is something absolutely unique about the human race. We are moral beings. Fish don’t have court systems. Neither do animals insects or birds.

If one of their kind transgresses some moral law, they don't seek retribution. They don’t have a judge and jury and punish a guilty one of their kind. But man certainly does. He will go to the ends of the earth and spend billions of dollars to bring the guilty to justice. This is because we are made in the image of God. We have His likeness engraved upon us in that we know right from wrong. Lennon therefore understandably expressed this uniqueness as being "God" in all of us. He said,

"We're all God. I'm not a god or the God, but we're all God and we're all potentially divine-and potentially evil."

He didn't mean that we were the Creator, or that we were even a lesser god. He was saying that we have the propensity to do good and evil, and we have a God-given inner knowledge of when moral boundaries are crossed.

The Bible explains this as the "work of the law" being written upon our hearts (see Romans 2:15). This is a reference to the moral Law (the Ten Commandments). This work of the Law is the echo of the human conscience. None of us can plead ignorant as to the basic issues of right and wrong. Rather than say that it is "God" within us, the Scriptures tell us that it's His divine stamp rather than His divine presence.

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/0/TCSUKIhjevo

You cannot fault the Bible

After God had created the heavens and the earth, the Bible says, "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished" (Genesis 2:1).

The original Hebrew uses the past definite tense for the verb "finished," indicating an action completed in the past, never again to occur. The creation was "finished"—once and for all. That is exactly what the First Law of Thermodynamics says.

This law (often referred to as the Law of the Conservation of Energy and/or Mass) states that neither matter nor energy can be either created or destroyed. It was because of this Law that Sir Fred Hoyle's "Steady-State" (or "Continuous Creation") Theory was discarded.

Hoyle stated that at points in the universe called "irtrons," matter (or energy) was constantly being created. But, the First Law states just the opposite. Indeed, there is no "creation" ongoing today.

It is "finished" exactly as the Bible states.

For the Piranha Bowl:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thewayofthemaster?blend=3&ob=4#p/u/172/LA8PGWQ_wtg