Many homosexuals' claim that...
They are made that way.
Homosexuality is of no harm to the participants or to anyone else.
If it feels right to those involved, it is nobody else's business.
Homosexual relationships and heterosexual relationships are equally valid. (Some even claim that the Bible condones homosexual relationships.)
Made that way?
Since other groups who have been discriminated against (such as women, blacks and the disabled) have been given equal opportunity, homosexuals claim that they, too, should be liberated. However, as one Christian expert has said...
"Gender, race and impairment all relate to what a person is, whereas homosexuality relates to what a person does."1
In contrast, homosexuals claim that scientific studies have shown that there is a biological basis for homosexuality.
Three main studies are cited by "gay rights" activists in support of their argument2—Hamer's X-chromosome research,3 LeVay's study of the hypothalamus,4 and Bailey and Pillard's study of identical twins who were homosexuals.5
In all three cases, the researchers had a vested interest in obtaining a certain outcome because they were homosexuals themselves. More importantly, their studies did not stand up to scientific scrutiny by other researchers. Also, "the media typically do not explain the methodological flaws in these studies, and they typically oversimplify the results".6 There is no reliable evidence to date that homosexual behavior is determined by a person's genes.
To the extent that biological or social factors may contribute to a person's bent toward homosexual behavior, this does not excuse it. Some people have a strong bent towards stealing or abuse of alcohol, but they still choose to engage or not engage in this behavior—the law rightly holds them accountable.
The final report of the Baptist Union of Western Australia (BUWA) Task Force on Human Sexuality states 'that a person becomes a homosexual ultimately by choosing to be involved in same-sex activity... This is in contrast to innate characteristics such as gender and ethnicity.'7 The report affirms that 'the Bible is clear that sin involves choice, and it unequivocally condemns homosexual behavior as sin'.7
The foundational teaching on marriage and sexual issues is found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. When Jesus was questioned about marriage, He referred to these 2 chapters (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12). Genesis teaches us that 'male and female He created them' (Genesis 1:27). We were created to a plan—male and female complementing each other. That is, God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, nor Madam and Eve.
Genesis also teaches that God instituted and designed marriage between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:18-25). There are a number of reasons why He did so.
The complementary structure of the male and female anatomy is obviously designed for the normal husband-wife relationships. Clearly, design in human biology supports heterosexuality and contradicts homosexuality.
The combination of male and female enables man (and the animals) to produce and nurture offspring as commanded in Genesis 1:28—'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth'. This command is repeated to Noah after the Flood (Genesis 8:15-17). But procreation is not the only reason God made humans as sexual beings. The BUWA report affirms 'that sexual intimacy between husband and wife is good, and is intended by God for bonding, pleasure and procreation.'7
Thirdly, God gave man and woman complementary roles in order to strengthen the family unit. Woman was to be the helper that man needed (Genesis 2:18). However, the woman's role as the helpmate is certainly not an inferior one. The enterprising God-fearing woman in Proverbs 31:10-31 is an inspiring role model.
No harm?
Andrew Lansdown points out that 'homosexual activity is notoriously disease-prone. In addition to diseases associated with heterosexual promiscuity, homosexual actions facilitate the transmission of anal herpes, hepatitis B, intestinal parasites, Kaposi's Sarcoma and AIDS.'1 Research on the life expectancy of a group of homosexual men in Canada in the early 1990s indicated that they could expect 8-21 years less lifespan than other men.8
Effect on others
Secular psychologists assure us that 'children raised in lesbian and gay households are similar to children raised in heterosexual households on characteristics such as intelligence, development, moral judgments, self-concepts, social competence and gender identity'.6 The humanists have, however, forgotten one important ingredient.
'Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it' (Proverbs 22:6).
You cannot faithfully teach God's Word to your children while living a lifestyle specifically condemned by God's Word. All Christians are sinners forgiven by God's grace, but living in a homosexual relationship constitutes habitual, unrepented sin.
Nobody else's business?
Gay activists claim that homosexual activity is nobody's business other than those involved in the relationship. However, this is not true. God, our Designer and Creator, has authority over all aspects of our lives. He makes the rules, and He quite specifically forbids homosexual behavior.
'You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination' (Leviticus 18:22; see also Leviticus 20:13).
Disobedience of such a clear command indicates rejection of God's authority.
Some people argue that the Old Testament law (including Leviticus 18 and 20) was superseded with the coming of Christ. However, we should at least consider as binding those aspects of the law that are renewed in the New Testament. The teaching of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 was certainly reaffirmed in the New Testament.
Equally valid?
Some people claim that homosexual behavior was only condemned in the Bible because it was associated with idolatry (e.g. 1 Kings 14:24). However, it is clearly condemned apart from idolatry as well (e.g. Leviticus 18:22). It is described in Scripture as an unnatural, immoral perversion.
'For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another...' (Romans 1:26-27).
The Greek word arsenokoitai used in 1 Timothy 1:10 literally means 'men who sleep with men'. It is the same Greek word used for 'homosexual offender' in 1 Corinthians 6:9, variously translated as 'abusers of themselves with mankind' (KJV), homosexuals (NASB) or homosexual offender (NIV).
Some people claim that the sin involved in Sodom was rejecting hospitality customs or selfishness rather than homosexual behaviour. Certainly, the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their reported sin was grievous to God (Genesis 18:20). God sent angels to Sodom and...
'Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have sex with them”' (Genesis 19:4-5).
"While it is true that the Hebrew word yadha does not necessarily mean 'to have sex with,' nonetheless in the context of Sodom and Gommorah, it clearly had this meaning. ...It means 'to know sexually' in this very chapter when Lot refers to his two daughters not having 'known' a man (19:8)."9 You would not offer virgins to appease a mob if their sin was lack of hospitality, but only if their desire was sexual.
Although Ezekiel 16:49 condemns Sodom for its selfishness with regard to poverty etc., this does not contradict its condemnation for homosexual practices. "The very next verse of Ezekiel (v. 50) calls their sin an "abomination". This is the same Hebrew word used to describe homosexual sins in Leviticus 18:22."10
It is also used in Scripture to describe such things like the practice of offering children to Moloch, but never such things as mere selfishness or lack of hospitality. Even in legal parlance, the word used to refer to one aspect of homosexual practice is 'sodomy'.
Another argument is that Jonathon and David were homosexuals as 'Jonathan “loved” David (1 Sam. 18:3), that Jonathan stripped in David's presence (18:4), [and] that they kissed each other (20:41)'.11
However, 'David's “love” for Jonathan was not sexual (erotic) but a friendship (philic) love. And Jonathan did not strip himself of all his clothes, but only of his armor and royal robe (1 Sam. 18:4).'12 Also, a kiss was a normal greeting in that day, such as when Judas kissed Jesus. In several cultures today, men normally greet each other with a kiss, too. Further, David's love for his wives, especially Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11), clearly reveals his heterosexual orientation.
Isaiah 56:3 states that eunuchs will not be excluded from God's presence ('my temple'), but practising homosexuals are not eunuchs. Eunuchs have no sexual relations at all.
Other scriptural arguments for homosexuality can similarly be easily refuted. It is clear that heterosexual marriage is the only form of marriage sanctioned in the Bible and that homosexual practice is always condemned.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Monday, July 18, 2005
Truth Behind Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
What is really behind its Mask?
What does Mardi Gras mean! In French, Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday. This is a day to gorge and over indulge oneself before the seasonal religious practice of fasting, abstinence and denial. It is not surprising that the symbol for Mardi Gras is the "Bouef Gras"...... The fatten bull.
During the 12 days preceding Mardi Gras, more than 60 parades and hundreds of private parties, dances and masked balls are annually scheduled in the metro area.
Mardi Gras is an Ancient Greek and Roman, Ancient Greeks would sacrifice a goat, cut its hide in to strips and run naked through the fields while their pagan priests lashed them with the goat-hide strips. This was a part of their spring fertility rite to insure a productive harvest for their fields and increase the fertility of their flocks and women. The custom was degenerate even by pagan standards, being a time of sacrifice, lewdness, immorality, drunkenness and revelry and was associated with the worship of the Greek god "Pan".
Pre-Christ:
Pagan priests accompanied by the idol, shower the crowds with spring flowers, herbs, grain and coins. Both good fortunes, spells, and curses were shouted, including the calls to the idol god to grant favor and blessings.
In The Roman celebration "lupercalia" a fertility festival, the worship of Lupercus involved cross dressing and masquerading to promote sexual orgies.
Who is Pan: Pan", besides being the Greek god of fields and pastures, was even more closely associated with cattle, flocks and herds than with agriculture. He was a fertility god and therefore always represented as crude, wanton and lustful. He took the form of half goat and half man, having the legs, ears, and horns of a goat (the goat is the ancient symbol of satan), but the torso, arms and face of a man.
Today:
The parade: is a worship of false gods (Greek origin) are worshiped by exalting an image above the assembly.
The celebration of Centaur exalts the same spirit of revelry and wanton abandonment, drunkenness, homosexuality, nudity and brawling all still exist today.
The church: The fixing of Easter allows the unscriptural religious celebration of Lent and ash Wednesday to follow Mardi Gras. Instead of resisting the ways of the pagans.
Lent: The word Lent has an obscure origin, and is probably a corruption of similar terms in ancient Anglo, Saxon, and Germanic languages, all of which referred to spring, new life, and hope. Although it is generally considered to be a time of mourning and repentance, it is also designated as a time of new life and hope because by means of the death of Christ, we receive new life.
The bull is the old testament symbol of Baal. 1st Kings 12:28 ---- 19:18 Exodus 32. Baal the bull is symbolic of strength and fertility. God condemns the production and worship of idols.
Steeped in Egyptian, Grecian, and Roman fertility rites. Half of the parades celebrate and honor false gods. The rest promote sex and drunkenness.
What’s behind the mask: "Masks are a way of being anonymous, and if you wear a mask, ' you take on a different persona.' Among the early tribes, men who wore masks were considered crueler toward their enemies than those who did not.
King Cake: In each cake is a small plastic baby. In New Orleans, popular custom holds that whoever receives the slice that contains the baby must purchase the next cake and throw a party.
Krewes: Mardi Gras organizations are non-profit clubs called krewes and many are named after mythological figures such as Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, Pegasus and Thor. Each krewe is completely autonomous and there is no overall coordinator of Carnival activities. The secrecy with which some of the older krewes cloak themselves is part of the mystique of Mardi Gras. Several do not reveal the theme of the parade until the night of the event, and the identity of their royalty is never publicized.
About a dozen organizations dating from the 19th century use the Carnival ball as the highlight of the debutante season, as daughters of the socially elite members are presented at the city's Municipal Auditorium.
The Mistick Krewe of Comus coined the term “krewe” in 1857. In ancient mythology, from which many New Orleans krewes derive their names, Comus is the son of the necromancer Circe and reveler Bacchus.
Beads and trinkets: Beads and other trinkets, known as “throws,” have been tossed from floats since as least 1910 — transforming parades into a participatory experience, as spectators beg and scramble for treasure. Beads became part of an exchange ritual involving flashes of bare flesh — a phenomenon that stoked the market for more eye-catching, fancily designed necklaces. The flashing for beads the “primary ritual paradigm or worship of the gods is a form of “ceremonial exchange” that is not simply unstructured hedosm but rather a “ritualized enactment.
Can we claim his lordship and still be involved in this demonized activity? It is the same spirit that has contended against God for the souls of man since we were created. That same spirit, Satan, works to turn man away from Holy God, and towards these false gods.
What is really behind its Mask?
What does Mardi Gras mean! In French, Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday. This is a day to gorge and over indulge oneself before the seasonal religious practice of fasting, abstinence and denial. It is not surprising that the symbol for Mardi Gras is the "Bouef Gras"...... The fatten bull.
During the 12 days preceding Mardi Gras, more than 60 parades and hundreds of private parties, dances and masked balls are annually scheduled in the metro area.
Mardi Gras is an Ancient Greek and Roman, Ancient Greeks would sacrifice a goat, cut its hide in to strips and run naked through the fields while their pagan priests lashed them with the goat-hide strips. This was a part of their spring fertility rite to insure a productive harvest for their fields and increase the fertility of their flocks and women. The custom was degenerate even by pagan standards, being a time of sacrifice, lewdness, immorality, drunkenness and revelry and was associated with the worship of the Greek god "Pan".
Pre-Christ:
Pagan priests accompanied by the idol, shower the crowds with spring flowers, herbs, grain and coins. Both good fortunes, spells, and curses were shouted, including the calls to the idol god to grant favor and blessings.
In The Roman celebration "lupercalia" a fertility festival, the worship of Lupercus involved cross dressing and masquerading to promote sexual orgies.
Who is Pan: Pan", besides being the Greek god of fields and pastures, was even more closely associated with cattle, flocks and herds than with agriculture. He was a fertility god and therefore always represented as crude, wanton and lustful. He took the form of half goat and half man, having the legs, ears, and horns of a goat (the goat is the ancient symbol of satan), but the torso, arms and face of a man.
Today:
The parade: is a worship of false gods (Greek origin) are worshiped by exalting an image above the assembly.
The celebration of Centaur exalts the same spirit of revelry and wanton abandonment, drunkenness, homosexuality, nudity and brawling all still exist today.
The church: The fixing of Easter allows the unscriptural religious celebration of Lent and ash Wednesday to follow Mardi Gras. Instead of resisting the ways of the pagans.
Lent: The word Lent has an obscure origin, and is probably a corruption of similar terms in ancient Anglo, Saxon, and Germanic languages, all of which referred to spring, new life, and hope. Although it is generally considered to be a time of mourning and repentance, it is also designated as a time of new life and hope because by means of the death of Christ, we receive new life.
The bull is the old testament symbol of Baal. 1st Kings 12:28 ---- 19:18 Exodus 32. Baal the bull is symbolic of strength and fertility. God condemns the production and worship of idols.
Steeped in Egyptian, Grecian, and Roman fertility rites. Half of the parades celebrate and honor false gods. The rest promote sex and drunkenness.
What’s behind the mask: "Masks are a way of being anonymous, and if you wear a mask, ' you take on a different persona.' Among the early tribes, men who wore masks were considered crueler toward their enemies than those who did not.
King Cake: In each cake is a small plastic baby. In New Orleans, popular custom holds that whoever receives the slice that contains the baby must purchase the next cake and throw a party.
Krewes: Mardi Gras organizations are non-profit clubs called krewes and many are named after mythological figures such as Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, Pegasus and Thor. Each krewe is completely autonomous and there is no overall coordinator of Carnival activities. The secrecy with which some of the older krewes cloak themselves is part of the mystique of Mardi Gras. Several do not reveal the theme of the parade until the night of the event, and the identity of their royalty is never publicized.
About a dozen organizations dating from the 19th century use the Carnival ball as the highlight of the debutante season, as daughters of the socially elite members are presented at the city's Municipal Auditorium.
The Mistick Krewe of Comus coined the term “krewe” in 1857. In ancient mythology, from which many New Orleans krewes derive their names, Comus is the son of the necromancer Circe and reveler Bacchus.
Beads and trinkets: Beads and other trinkets, known as “throws,” have been tossed from floats since as least 1910 — transforming parades into a participatory experience, as spectators beg and scramble for treasure. Beads became part of an exchange ritual involving flashes of bare flesh — a phenomenon that stoked the market for more eye-catching, fancily designed necklaces. The flashing for beads the “primary ritual paradigm or worship of the gods is a form of “ceremonial exchange” that is not simply unstructured hedosm but rather a “ritualized enactment.
Can we claim his lordship and still be involved in this demonized activity? It is the same spirit that has contended against God for the souls of man since we were created. That same spirit, Satan, works to turn man away from Holy God, and towards these false gods.
Breaking Curses from Masonic in Your Life!
Effects from the curses of Freemasonary
Was your family involved in Freemasonry or Eastern Star?
Masons are connected with Rosicrucians, and Knights Templar. There is an immense amount of cross-pollination between the Illuminatti and Freemasonry. Masonry is connected to witchcraft in a spiritual pyramid. The Devil takes the weak and ignorant. Pre-marital sex, abortion, illegal drug use, and dabbling in the occult and satanism by children of Masons is a by-product of their parents following idolatry.
Masons are present day Druids. Worship of the phallus is indicated by circle and point within circle.
Square and compass symbolize the human reproductive organs, locked in coitus.
The origin of Masonic Oaths is identical to Hindu Temple worship.
When you take an oath, you come under a great deception and are blinded.
At the first degree level which is as far as many masons get, they call upon themselves and their families terrible curses.
The Masonic occult religion depends heavily upon Kabbalism, which is Jewish occultism that flowered during the Middle Ages (thirteenth century AD). Even the famous Mason Albert Pike confesses that “the Kabbalah is the key to occult sciences” and he claims that “all Masonic associations owe to it [Kabbalism] their Secrets and their symbols.”
Those within Freemasonry whether known or unknown, actually perform occult rituals when they invoke the gods of pagan religions (which are actually demons according to I Cor. 10:19-20). Therefore, the gods of the Hindu, Egyptian, Muslim, Buddhism religions are in fact demons. And when you dabble in the occult with the symbols and ritual, you invoke demons to your aid.
Rosicrucians - The Rosicrucians are a legendary and secretive order dating from the 15th or 17th century, generally associated with the symbol of the Rose Cross, which is also used in certain rituals of the Freemasons. Several modern societies have been formed for the study of Rosicrucianism and allied subjects, but in no sense are they directly derived from the "Brethren of the Rosy Cross" of the 17th century, though they are keen followers thereof.
First Degree
Renounce Hoodwink - and its effects on emotions and eyes, including all confusion, fear of the dark, fear of the light, and fear of sudden noises. Hidden meaning: A blindfold which is a symbol of secrecy; mystical darkness. "Hood" goes back to old German and Anglo Saxon, in which it referred to head covering, as in hat, hood, helmet, etc.; "wink," in the same languages, meant to close the eyes, "wench," "wince," etc., being similarly derived. A hoodwink was therefore a headdress designed to cover the eyes. The popular use of the word is believed to go back to the old sport of falconry, once so popular, in which the falcon had a hood over its eyes until ready to strike at its prey.
Renounce Noose around the neck - the fear of choking and also every spirit causing asthma, hayfever, emphysema, or any other breathing difficulty.
Renounce Compass point, sword, spear or poignyard, held against the breast - the fear of death by stabbing pain, and the fear of heart attack. Meaning: A mathematical instrument for dividing and drawing circles; an instrument indicating the magnetic meridian.
Secret word BOAZ – it causes a person mixing and mingling of truth and error. Meaning: Comes from the Hebrew meaning "in strength." The name of the left-hand pillar that stood on the porch of King Solomon's Temple, and adopted into speculative Masonry because of its symbolic meaning. It was broken to pieces by the Babylonians and carried to the city of Babylon.
Pray, In the name of Jesus Christ, I now pray for healing of the throat, vocal chords, nasal passages, sinus, bronchial tubes, lungs, heart, eyes, and any other parts which may have been or may become effected. I pray for healing in the speech area, and the release of the Word of God to me and through myself and members of my family.
Second Degree
Renounce The Oaths taken - curses on the heart and chest.
Renounce the secret words of SHIBOLETH & JACHIN – Shiboleth’s meaning: An ear of corn; a test word; a watchword; slogan. A word used by followers of Jephthah to test certain of the Ephraimites who sought to escape across the Jordan after having refused to fight in the armies of Israel was Shibboleth. Because of their Ephraimite dialect, they pronounced it Sibboleth. Jachin’s meaning: He doth establish. Comes from two Hebrew words meaning "God will establish." Jachin is a combination of two words, Jah, the poetical name of Jehovah, and iachin, meaning establishment. The full significance of the name is, therefore, "With God's help to establish," the symbolical meaning given to in the work of Freemasonry. The two great pillars of Solomon's Temple supporting the Great Porch, known as Solomon's Porch, were called Boaz and Jachin, Jachin being the right hand pillar .
• cut off emotional hardness,
• apathy,
• indifference,
• unbelief, and all anger, especially deep anger, from myself and my family
Pray for the healing of all areas mentioned in this degree, including, but not limited to, the chest, lungs and heart area. Also pray for the healing of my emotions, and ask to be made sensitive to the Holy Spirit of God.
Third Degree
Renounce Oaths taken - curses on the stomach and womb area
Renounce secret word TUBALCAIN, MAHABONE, MACHABEN and MACHBINNA
Renounce the cable tow - cable tow is a rope or line for drawing or leading. A compound word of Masonic coinage combining cable (a rope) and tow (a rope for pulling). Symbolically, it represents the covenant by which all Masons are bound; the tie by which the candidate is bound to his brethren; and can control its candidate.
Renounce Spirit of death from the blows to the head. Meaning: The Masonic idea of death is accompanied with no gloom, because it is represented on as physical sleep for an unknown period of time, from which there will be an awakening of the body and a resurrection of a spiritual body capable and fitted for eternal life. From beginning to end, the rituals of Freemasonry teach and symbolize the doctrine of man's immortality and repudiate every iota of the doctrine of annihilation at death. In Masonic philosophy, death is the symbol of initiation completed, in which the resurrection of the body will be its final consummation.
• enacted as ritual murder,
• the fear of death,
• false martyrdom,
• fear of violent gang attack,
• assault, or rape, and
• the helplessness
Renounce the falling into the coffin - coffin, involved in the ritual of murder.
Renounce the false resurrection – mockery of Jesus Resurrection. Meaning: From the beginning, Freemasonry has been built on two cardinal beliefs: A belief in God, and a belief in a Resurrection to a future life. This later belief assumes faith in the immortality of man in his soul or spirit life, and recognizes the need of Redemption or Salvation from sin through Divine Grace. Throughout the rituals and symbolisms of Freemasonry, and in all of its mythical teachings and legends, belief in these truths is exemplified and demanded.
Renounce the blasphemous kissing of the Bible – blasphomy
Effects of the curse from 3rd Degree: It effects the stomach, gall bladder, womb, liver and other organs.
Pray to cut off all spirits of death, witchcraft, and deception. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Pray for the healing of all those parts affected by this degree, including, but not limited to, the stomach, gall bladder, womb, liver, and other organs.
Pray to release of compassion and understanding over yourself and your family.
Holy Royal Arch Degree
Renounce and forsake the oaths taken and the curses involved in the Holy Royal Arch Degree especially the especially the oath regarding the removal of the head from the body and the exposing of the brains to the hot sun.
Renounce the Mark Lodge, and the Mark in the form of squares and angles which marks the person for life.
Renounce and reject the jewel or talisman which may have been made from this mark sign and worn at lodge meetings
Renounce the passwords leading to the Holy Royal Arch Degree, especially the blasphemous use of the Hebrew words by which God is sometimes known, namely AMA RU AMAH, meaning "I AM THAT I AM".
Renounce the false composite secret name of God, JAHBULON and all that these secret words mean in Freemasonry.
Renounce the false communion or Eucharist taken in this degree, and all the mockery, scepticism and unbelief about the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Break the effects of these curses: cut off all these curses and their effects on the body and mind, including, but not limited to, the head, brain, neck and other areas, from myself and my family.
Eighteenth Degree (Rose Croix).
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses the Most Wise Sovereign Knight of the Pelican and the Eagle, and the Sovereign Prince Rose Croix of Heredom
Renounce and reject the Pelican witchcraft spirit, as well as the occultic influence of the Rosicrucians* and the Kabbala in this degree
Renounce the claim that the death of Jesus Christ was a "dire calamity", and also the deliberate mockery and twisting of the Christian doctrine of the Atonement.
Renounce the blasphemy and rejection of the Deity of Jesus Christ, and the secret words IGNE NATURA RENOVATUR INTEGRA and its burning
Renounce the mockery of the communion taken in this degree, including a biscuit, salt and white wine.
Thirtieth Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the Grand Knight Kadosh and the Knight of the Black and White Eagle.
Renounce all the passwords, particularly STIBIUM ALKABAR, and all they mean in Freemasonry.
Renounce the false journeys, the blasphemous crucifix and, most particularly, the inscription, in blood, of the secret name on the cube of white marble in front of a human skull.
Renounce the drinking of a toast from the cranium of a human skull.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and my family.
Thirty-first Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the the Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander.
Renounce all the gods and goddesses of Egypt which are honoured in this degree, including Anubis with the ram’s head, Osiris, the Sun god, Isis, the sister and wife of Osiris and also the moon goddess.
Renounce the soul of Cheres, the false symbol of immortality, the Chamber of the Dead and the false teaching of reincarnation.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and my family.
Thirty-second Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the Thirty-second Degree of Freemasonry, the Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.
Renounce Freemasonry'’ false trinitarian deity, AUM, and its parts; Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.
Renounce the deity of AHURA-MAZDA, the claimed spirit or source of all light, and the worship with fire, which is an abomination to God, and the drinking from a human skull in some rites.Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and all my family.
Seventh Degree / Royal Arch
When a Mason takes the Royal Arch oath or "obligation" to subvert and pervert justice, he is swearing to act in concert with Masonry's highest authority, whose corrupt ethics are inherent in the oaths. This means that they have to cover up and give favor to other people who are masons that commit crime. Our Judges and lawyers who are masons do this.
Does anyone believe that the "All-Seeing-Eye" upon the Mason to whom Manly Hall claims the Mason is exclusively accountable, is someone other than Lucifer ?
York Rite
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the York Rite of Freemasonry, including Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, Royal Master, Select Master, Super Excellent Master, the orders of the Red Cross and the Knights Templar degrees.
Renounce the secret words of JOPPA, KEB RAIOTH, and MAHA-SHALAL-HASHBAZ.
Renounce the vows taken on a human skull, the crossed swords and the death wish of Judas of having the head cut off and placed on a church spire.
Renounce the unholy communion and especially of drinking from a human skull in some rites.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and all my family.
Shriners. USA only – does not apply in other countries).
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses and penalties invoked in the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
Renounce the piercing of the eyeballs with a three edged blade, the flaying of the feet, the madness, and the worship of the false god Allah as the god of our fathers.
Renounce the Hoodwink, the mock hanging, the mock be-heading, the mock drinking of the blood of the victim, the mock dog urinating on the initiate, and the offering of urine as a commemoration. Its hidden meaning: A blindfold which is a symbol of secrecy; mystical darkness. "Hood" goes back to old German and Anglo Saxon, in which it referred to head covering, as in hat, hood, helmet, etc.; "wink," in the same languages, meant to close the eyes, "wench," "wince," etc., being similarly derived. A hoodwink was therefore a headdress designed to cover the eyes. The popular use of the word is believed to go back to the old sport of falconry, once so popular, in which the falcon had a hood over its eyes until ready to strike at its prey.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and all my family.
Thirty-second Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses involved in the thirty-second degree of Masonry, the Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret I renounce the secret passwords, "PHAAL/PHARASH-KOL" and all they mean.
Renounce Masonry's false trinitarian deity AUM, and its parts; Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer.
Renounce the deity of AHURAMAZDA, the claimed spirit or source of all light, and the worship with fire, which is an abomination to God, and also the drinking from a human skull in many Rites.
Curses: It opens you up to the false light.
Thirty-third Degree – basically become illuminati or illuminated at the 32nd degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the Thirty-third Degreee of Freemasonry, The Grand Sovereign Inspector General.
Renounce and forsake the declaration that Lucifer is God.
Renounce the cable-tow around the neck. The cable-tow ritual symbolizes the soul tie of the Masonic Brotherhood
Renounce the death wish that the wine drunk from a human skull should turn to poison and the skeleton whose cold arms are invited if the oath of this degree is violated.
Renounce the three infamous assassins of their grand master, law, property and religion, and the greed and witchcraft involved in the attempt to manipulate and control the rest of mankind.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and my family.
Side Note: He {the Mason} ... must cease to consider Freemasonry solely as a social order only a few centuries old. He must realize that the ancient mystic teachings as perpetuated in the modern rites are sacred, and that powers unseen and unrecognized mold the destiny of those who consciously and of their own free will take upon themselves the obligations of the Fraternity.
All Other Degrees
Renounce all the other oaths taken, the rituals of every other degree and the curses invoked. I Renounce all other lodges and secret societies such as Prince Hall Freemasonry, Mormonism, The Order of Amaranth, Oddfellows, Buffaloes, Druids, Foresters, Orange, Elks, Moose and Eagle lodges, the Ku Klux Klan, The Grange, the Woodmen of the World, Riders of the Red Robe, the Knights of Pythias, the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, the Order of the Good Templars, the women’s Ordsers of the Eastern Star, the International Orders of Job’s Daughters, and of the Rainbow, and the boy’s Order of De Molay, and their effects on myself, and on my family.
Renounce the pagan teaching and symbolism of the First Tracing Board, the Second Tracing Board, and the Third Tracing Board, used in the ritual of the Blue Lodge.
Renounce the pagan ritual of the ‘Point within a Circle’ with all its bondages and phallic worship.
Renounce the occultic mysticism of the black and white mosaic chequered floor with its variegated or indented borders and its tesselled corners, also the five pointed blazing star in its centre.
Renounce the symbol ‘G’ and its veiled pagan symbolism and bondages.
Renounce and utterly forsake The Great Architect of the Universe, The Grand Geometrician of the Universe and the Most High who are revealed in the higher degrees as Lucifer, also his false claim to be the universal Fatherhood of God.
Renounce the false claim that Lucifer is the Morning Star and Shining One and I declare that Jesus Christ is the Bright and Morning Star of Revelation 22:16.
Renounce the All-Seeing Third Eye of Freemasonry or Horus in the forehead and its pagan and occult symbolism.
Renounce all false communions taken, all mockery of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, all unbelief, confusion and depression, and all worship of Lucifer as God.
Renounce and forsake the lie of Freemasonry that man is not sinful, but only imperfect, and so is able to redeem himself through good works.
Renounce all fear of insanity, anguish, death wishes, suicide and death, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Renounce all anger, hatred, murderous thoughts, revenge, retaliation, spiritual apathy, false religion, all unbelief, especially unbelief in the Holy Buble as God’s innerent Word, and all compromise of God’s Word.
Renounce all spiritual searching into false religions, and all streiving to please God. I rest in the knowledge that I have found my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and that He has accepted me.
Pray and break off:
• Unbelief
• confusion and depression
• all fear of insanity,
• anguish,
• death wishes,
• suicide and
• death
• anger and hatred,
• murderous thoughts,
• revenge,
• retaliation,
• spiritual apathy,
• false religion,
• all unbelief, especially unbelief in the Holy Bible as God's Word, and all compromise of God's Word.
• spiritual searching into false religions
Close off the Seeing Third Eye of Freemasonry - false communions taken, all mockery of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Why Close the third eye. One of the stages of the Palladian Rite has elements common to a broad spectrum of occult traditions, evidently accounting for the reference to addiction to occultism which was made. It defines spiritistic Illumination.
More on the third eye. Illumination: through drugs and occult techniques of the Seers, the so-called Third Eye would be opened, not just partially (as in psychics) but completely. This "eye,"... is felt to be the point of contact between humans and Lucifer-consciousness. It is supposedly located in the forehead, above and between the two visible eyes. To "open" the eye a little bit is to experience psychic powers. To open the eye completely is to have your brain flooded with the "pure" consciousness of Lucifer himself. This is why one of the Masonic symbols is the "All-Seeing Eye." It is a symbol of Illumination.
... In it, you acquire a "personal relationship" with Lucifer. You begin to think his thoughts and see with his eyes. You begin to look at humans the way he does. It is not a pretty experience!
Break the power of Kundalini serpent, or snake: The occult ancient wisdom offers so-called "redemption" by being bitten at the base of the brain by Lucifer, The kundalini serpent force passes upwards through the body into the brain to produce spiritistic "illumination." Manly P. Hall also made the occult "tradition" reference to the serpent doctrine when he wrote, "Through him {the initiate Master Mason} passes ... the great snake ..."
That "energy" is identifiable as the "Force" which Albert Pike identified as Satan. In fact, the kundalini force is identified as a serpent force which travels up the spinal cord in mystical techniques such as in kundalini yoga. Howard clearly identifies the illumination of the brain of the occult tradition as occurring under the auspices of Lucifer, the Devil.
The power of the Kundalini - The process begins with the candidate in the "human form" and the process of illumination ends with a "risen Master," the incarnation of the disincarnate Lucifer-associated spirit "permeating the brain-mind" of the human body, resulting in the "Master" discarnate demon "rising" in the flesh, or as some would put it, on the physical plane. The substance of Masonry's re-incarnation is that the gradual, step by step, degree by degree take-over of a person by Lucifer-associated entities or spirits incarnates the demon-spirit in the flesh of the human, and it is the demon-spirit which lives on when the human's subverted body is no longer capable of being sustained. 33rd degree, had a very interesting comment in this regard, as to what happens when the human organism dies which has been thoroughly "transmuted" or taken over. In other words, the invading spirit which drives the "brain-mind" evidently imparts those thoughts which it wishes to the human vehicle and a process of co-option follows. The human serves as a "host" to a discarnate demon entity which survives the death of the host human body.
What appears to be far more sinister than the conventional "possession" of a person by a demon spirit is the Masonic gradualism involved in the transformation and imprinting of the human brain by the transforming force of the demon, and a further transmutation of the person by means of a step by step development of "co-consciousness" with the Luciferian spirit and potential take-over. This appears to differ significantly from cases where, for example, a person might be victimized by demon possession and later return to consciousness while lacking recollection of what took place. Thus, the "evolution" which spirit guides facilitate through humans by "opening" the "psychic eye," whether in association with the Masonic Lodges or other association, represents the sinister process of corrupting the individual with consciousness of Lucifer-associated spirits. The co-operative process of using one's own mind to further the process as a "bridge" is how Hall referred to it.
Masonry, ruled by the Super Rite in which Lucifer or other demon spirit entities "flood" the initiate's consciousness, demonstrates direct influence and control by Lucifer, the god of Masonry, over the Masonic organization and machinery. If a judge in an American court does not belong to the Illuminati, he can, nevertheless, be very useful to the Masonic "machinery" having taken the Royal Arch Degree oath in which he has sworn to obstruct or pervert justice, if need be. If a judge, as a 33rd degree Mason, has sworn his highest allegiance to the Supreme Council, he is no less useful. The Masonic Machine functions such that both Palladian Luciferians and those who are not, act in concert.
90 & 96 Degrees (Europe)
The hidden mysteries of Nature and Science. 90 degrees which its ritual comprised 68 were already included in the French system. The rite of Misraim is interesting and instructive, but many of its degrees are too abstruse to be popular. The initiation is a reproduction of the ancient rite of Isis, and represents the contests of Osiris and Typhon, the death, resurrection, and triumph of the former, and the destruction of the latter. there are 90 degrees divided into four series - symbolic, philosophical, mystical and cabalistic, and again divided into seventeen classes. The traditions of this system are full of anachronisms, historical events and characters, separated by hundreds of years, being made to figure on the same scene at the same time. The work entitled "De l'Ordre Maconnique de Misraim," published at Paris, in 1835, by Mons. Marc Bedirride, purporting to give the history of the Order, is a mere romance, and full of puerilities. Nevertheless, many of the degrees are highly interesting and instructive.
Illuminati (there are different levels and are below the great brotherhood)
"The great strength of our Order lies in its concealment; let it never appear in any place in its own name, but always covered by another name, and another occupation. None is fitter than the three lower degrees of Free Masonry; the public is accustomed to it, expects little from it, and therefore takes little notice of it. Next to this, the form of a learned or literary society is best suited to our purpose, and had Free Masonry not existed, this cover would have been employed; and it may be much more than a cover, it may be a powerful engine in our hands.
Prayer
Now, Dear Father God, I humbly ask for the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, to cleanse me of all these sins I have confessed and renounced, to cleanse my spirit, my soul, my mind, my emotions and every part of my body which has been affected by these sins, in Jesus’ mighty name!
I renounce every evil spirit associated with Freemasonry and Witchcraft, as well as all other sins, and I command, in the name of Jesus Christ, that Satan and every evil spirit be bound and leave me now, touching or harming no-one, and go to the place appointed for you by the Lord Jesus Christ, never to return to either myself or to my family, through all generations. I call, on the name of our Lord Jesus, to be delivered of these spirits, in accordance with the many promises recorded in the Holy Bible.
I ask to be delivered of every spirit of sickness, infirmity, curse, affliction, addiction, disease or allergy associated with these sins I have confessed and renounced.
I surrender to God’s Holy Spirit, and to no other spirit, all the places in my life where these sins have been. I ask You, Lord, to baptise me in Your Holy Spirit, now, according to the promises recorded in Your Word. I take to myself the whole armour of God in accordance with Ephesians Chapter Six, and rejoice in its protection as Jesus surrounds me and fills me with His Holy Spirit. I enthrone You, Lord Jesus, in my heart, for You are my Lord and my Savioure, the source of eternal life. Thank You, Father God, for Your mercy, Your forgiveness and Your love, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen and Amen.
Side note on their beliefs:
" This super-rite, which is masonic luciferian spiritism, must not be confused with the machinery of high masonry. ... High masonry is a supreme administration involving an organization much more highly developed than Palladism whose secret leaders, some of whom are not luciferian, act in concert and accept a superior central authority in order that their work may be the more effective."
Thus, even 33rd degree Masons who are not engaged in Palladian luciferian practices act in concert with those who dominate over Freemasonry through that diabolical Rite.
The "operative" masons of midevil Europe built and subverted towering cathedrals with silent subversion. The "speculative" Masonry which spread from England provided a well-oiled machine or vehicle for revolution for the Illuminati's "ultimate secret society" to rule the world by a "New Hierarchy." Guidance by "Secret Orders of initiates" of pagan mystery religion has been shaping not only their immediate domain of secret societies, but has been steering a monstrous Plan which ultimately has every individual at "ground zero" of the conspiracy. The third stage into which Masonry is classified is that which 33rd degree Mason Foster Bailey reveals as "spiritual masonry," put to writing in 1957 in his book, The Spirit of Masonry.
Having in mind the horrifying "spirituality" or "masonic luciferian spiritism" which rules Freemasonry at the highest levels, one has more than a clue as to the substance of what the third general phase, or "spiritual masonry" involves.
... a "Golden Age," ... but in virtue of which men were once in conscious conversation with the unseen world and were shepherded, taught and guided by the "gods" or discarnate superintendents of the infant race, who imparted to them the sure and indefeasible principles upon which their spiritual welfare and evolution depended.
The Masonic philosophy that "man is a god in the making" translates to the Hierarchical objective that the body of man or woman is the object of a god in the incarnating.
Man is a god in the making, and as in the mystic myths of Egypt, on the potter's wheel he is being molded. When his light shines out to lift and preserve all things, he receives the triple crown of godhood, and joins that throng of Master Masons who, in their robes of Blue and Gold, are seeking to dispel the darkness of night with the triple light of the Masonic Lodge.
First, please remember that the Illuminati have SIX branches of learning, and the spiritual (where the sacrifices are done) is only ONE part of what they do.
The celtic branch of spiritual believes that power is passed at the moment between life and death. They will do rituals with children, or even older adherents, where the person is tied down, and an animal is bled to death on top of them. The belief is that the person receives power from the departing spirit, which "enters" the person. It is also highly traumatizing and horrible to have an animal go through its death throes on top of you. Throw in a few threats that "this will happen to you if you ever tell," and a quite strong impression is made on small children.
Opening portals and dimensions. High level masons and Illuminatis believe in spiritual dimensions, and that to pass into them, first a major sacrifice is done to "open a portal", usually several animals. I have also seen animal sacrifices done to protect from the demonic, or blood used to "close a circle" so the demonic cannot penetrate it.
There are children as young as three and four being used in pornographic films, beaten black and blue if they refuse to comply. There are toddlers being forced to watch brutalities, then given a stick and told to go over and hit the victim themselves, or they will be beaten. The child hesitates, it doesn't want to, and the adults hit the child, until the child goes, tears streaming down its face, and unwillingly does what the adults tell it. This is cruelty beyond belief.
Was your family involved in Freemasonry or Eastern Star?
Masons are connected with Rosicrucians, and Knights Templar. There is an immense amount of cross-pollination between the Illuminatti and Freemasonry. Masonry is connected to witchcraft in a spiritual pyramid. The Devil takes the weak and ignorant. Pre-marital sex, abortion, illegal drug use, and dabbling in the occult and satanism by children of Masons is a by-product of their parents following idolatry.
Masons are present day Druids. Worship of the phallus is indicated by circle and point within circle.
Square and compass symbolize the human reproductive organs, locked in coitus.
The origin of Masonic Oaths is identical to Hindu Temple worship.
When you take an oath, you come under a great deception and are blinded.
At the first degree level which is as far as many masons get, they call upon themselves and their families terrible curses.
The Masonic occult religion depends heavily upon Kabbalism, which is Jewish occultism that flowered during the Middle Ages (thirteenth century AD). Even the famous Mason Albert Pike confesses that “the Kabbalah is the key to occult sciences” and he claims that “all Masonic associations owe to it [Kabbalism] their Secrets and their symbols.”
Those within Freemasonry whether known or unknown, actually perform occult rituals when they invoke the gods of pagan religions (which are actually demons according to I Cor. 10:19-20). Therefore, the gods of the Hindu, Egyptian, Muslim, Buddhism religions are in fact demons. And when you dabble in the occult with the symbols and ritual, you invoke demons to your aid.
Rosicrucians - The Rosicrucians are a legendary and secretive order dating from the 15th or 17th century, generally associated with the symbol of the Rose Cross, which is also used in certain rituals of the Freemasons. Several modern societies have been formed for the study of Rosicrucianism and allied subjects, but in no sense are they directly derived from the "Brethren of the Rosy Cross" of the 17th century, though they are keen followers thereof.
First Degree
Renounce Hoodwink - and its effects on emotions and eyes, including all confusion, fear of the dark, fear of the light, and fear of sudden noises. Hidden meaning: A blindfold which is a symbol of secrecy; mystical darkness. "Hood" goes back to old German and Anglo Saxon, in which it referred to head covering, as in hat, hood, helmet, etc.; "wink," in the same languages, meant to close the eyes, "wench," "wince," etc., being similarly derived. A hoodwink was therefore a headdress designed to cover the eyes. The popular use of the word is believed to go back to the old sport of falconry, once so popular, in which the falcon had a hood over its eyes until ready to strike at its prey.
Renounce Noose around the neck - the fear of choking and also every spirit causing asthma, hayfever, emphysema, or any other breathing difficulty.
Renounce Compass point, sword, spear or poignyard, held against the breast - the fear of death by stabbing pain, and the fear of heart attack. Meaning: A mathematical instrument for dividing and drawing circles; an instrument indicating the magnetic meridian.
Secret word BOAZ – it causes a person mixing and mingling of truth and error. Meaning: Comes from the Hebrew meaning "in strength." The name of the left-hand pillar that stood on the porch of King Solomon's Temple, and adopted into speculative Masonry because of its symbolic meaning. It was broken to pieces by the Babylonians and carried to the city of Babylon.
Pray, In the name of Jesus Christ, I now pray for healing of the throat, vocal chords, nasal passages, sinus, bronchial tubes, lungs, heart, eyes, and any other parts which may have been or may become effected. I pray for healing in the speech area, and the release of the Word of God to me and through myself and members of my family.
Second Degree
Renounce The Oaths taken - curses on the heart and chest.
Renounce the secret words of SHIBOLETH & JACHIN – Shiboleth’s meaning: An ear of corn; a test word; a watchword; slogan. A word used by followers of Jephthah to test certain of the Ephraimites who sought to escape across the Jordan after having refused to fight in the armies of Israel was Shibboleth. Because of their Ephraimite dialect, they pronounced it Sibboleth. Jachin’s meaning: He doth establish. Comes from two Hebrew words meaning "God will establish." Jachin is a combination of two words, Jah, the poetical name of Jehovah, and iachin, meaning establishment. The full significance of the name is, therefore, "With God's help to establish," the symbolical meaning given to in the work of Freemasonry. The two great pillars of Solomon's Temple supporting the Great Porch, known as Solomon's Porch, were called Boaz and Jachin, Jachin being the right hand pillar .
• cut off emotional hardness,
• apathy,
• indifference,
• unbelief, and all anger, especially deep anger, from myself and my family
Pray for the healing of all areas mentioned in this degree, including, but not limited to, the chest, lungs and heart area. Also pray for the healing of my emotions, and ask to be made sensitive to the Holy Spirit of God.
Third Degree
Renounce Oaths taken - curses on the stomach and womb area
Renounce secret word TUBALCAIN, MAHABONE, MACHABEN and MACHBINNA
Renounce the cable tow - cable tow is a rope or line for drawing or leading. A compound word of Masonic coinage combining cable (a rope) and tow (a rope for pulling). Symbolically, it represents the covenant by which all Masons are bound; the tie by which the candidate is bound to his brethren; and can control its candidate.
Renounce Spirit of death from the blows to the head. Meaning: The Masonic idea of death is accompanied with no gloom, because it is represented on as physical sleep for an unknown period of time, from which there will be an awakening of the body and a resurrection of a spiritual body capable and fitted for eternal life. From beginning to end, the rituals of Freemasonry teach and symbolize the doctrine of man's immortality and repudiate every iota of the doctrine of annihilation at death. In Masonic philosophy, death is the symbol of initiation completed, in which the resurrection of the body will be its final consummation.
• enacted as ritual murder,
• the fear of death,
• false martyrdom,
• fear of violent gang attack,
• assault, or rape, and
• the helplessness
Renounce the falling into the coffin - coffin, involved in the ritual of murder.
Renounce the false resurrection – mockery of Jesus Resurrection. Meaning: From the beginning, Freemasonry has been built on two cardinal beliefs: A belief in God, and a belief in a Resurrection to a future life. This later belief assumes faith in the immortality of man in his soul or spirit life, and recognizes the need of Redemption or Salvation from sin through Divine Grace. Throughout the rituals and symbolisms of Freemasonry, and in all of its mythical teachings and legends, belief in these truths is exemplified and demanded.
Renounce the blasphemous kissing of the Bible – blasphomy
Effects of the curse from 3rd Degree: It effects the stomach, gall bladder, womb, liver and other organs.
Pray to cut off all spirits of death, witchcraft, and deception. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Pray for the healing of all those parts affected by this degree, including, but not limited to, the stomach, gall bladder, womb, liver, and other organs.
Pray to release of compassion and understanding over yourself and your family.
Holy Royal Arch Degree
Renounce and forsake the oaths taken and the curses involved in the Holy Royal Arch Degree especially the especially the oath regarding the removal of the head from the body and the exposing of the brains to the hot sun.
Renounce the Mark Lodge, and the Mark in the form of squares and angles which marks the person for life.
Renounce and reject the jewel or talisman which may have been made from this mark sign and worn at lodge meetings
Renounce the passwords leading to the Holy Royal Arch Degree, especially the blasphemous use of the Hebrew words by which God is sometimes known, namely AMA RU AMAH, meaning "I AM THAT I AM".
Renounce the false composite secret name of God, JAHBULON and all that these secret words mean in Freemasonry.
Renounce the false communion or Eucharist taken in this degree, and all the mockery, scepticism and unbelief about the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Break the effects of these curses: cut off all these curses and their effects on the body and mind, including, but not limited to, the head, brain, neck and other areas, from myself and my family.
Eighteenth Degree (Rose Croix).
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses the Most Wise Sovereign Knight of the Pelican and the Eagle, and the Sovereign Prince Rose Croix of Heredom
Renounce and reject the Pelican witchcraft spirit, as well as the occultic influence of the Rosicrucians* and the Kabbala in this degree
Renounce the claim that the death of Jesus Christ was a "dire calamity", and also the deliberate mockery and twisting of the Christian doctrine of the Atonement.
Renounce the blasphemy and rejection of the Deity of Jesus Christ, and the secret words IGNE NATURA RENOVATUR INTEGRA and its burning
Renounce the mockery of the communion taken in this degree, including a biscuit, salt and white wine.
Thirtieth Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the Grand Knight Kadosh and the Knight of the Black and White Eagle.
Renounce all the passwords, particularly STIBIUM ALKABAR, and all they mean in Freemasonry.
Renounce the false journeys, the blasphemous crucifix and, most particularly, the inscription, in blood, of the secret name on the cube of white marble in front of a human skull.
Renounce the drinking of a toast from the cranium of a human skull.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and my family.
Thirty-first Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the the Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander.
Renounce all the gods and goddesses of Egypt which are honoured in this degree, including Anubis with the ram’s head, Osiris, the Sun god, Isis, the sister and wife of Osiris and also the moon goddess.
Renounce the soul of Cheres, the false symbol of immortality, the Chamber of the Dead and the false teaching of reincarnation.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and my family.
Thirty-second Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the Thirty-second Degree of Freemasonry, the Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.
Renounce Freemasonry'’ false trinitarian deity, AUM, and its parts; Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.
Renounce the deity of AHURA-MAZDA, the claimed spirit or source of all light, and the worship with fire, which is an abomination to God, and the drinking from a human skull in some rites.Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and all my family.
Seventh Degree / Royal Arch
When a Mason takes the Royal Arch oath or "obligation" to subvert and pervert justice, he is swearing to act in concert with Masonry's highest authority, whose corrupt ethics are inherent in the oaths. This means that they have to cover up and give favor to other people who are masons that commit crime. Our Judges and lawyers who are masons do this.
Does anyone believe that the "All-Seeing-Eye" upon the Mason to whom Manly Hall claims the Mason is exclusively accountable, is someone other than Lucifer ?
York Rite
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the York Rite of Freemasonry, including Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, Royal Master, Select Master, Super Excellent Master, the orders of the Red Cross and the Knights Templar degrees.
Renounce the secret words of JOPPA, KEB RAIOTH, and MAHA-SHALAL-HASHBAZ.
Renounce the vows taken on a human skull, the crossed swords and the death wish of Judas of having the head cut off and placed on a church spire.
Renounce the unholy communion and especially of drinking from a human skull in some rites.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and all my family.
Shriners. USA only – does not apply in other countries).
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses and penalties invoked in the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
Renounce the piercing of the eyeballs with a three edged blade, the flaying of the feet, the madness, and the worship of the false god Allah as the god of our fathers.
Renounce the Hoodwink, the mock hanging, the mock be-heading, the mock drinking of the blood of the victim, the mock dog urinating on the initiate, and the offering of urine as a commemoration. Its hidden meaning: A blindfold which is a symbol of secrecy; mystical darkness. "Hood" goes back to old German and Anglo Saxon, in which it referred to head covering, as in hat, hood, helmet, etc.; "wink," in the same languages, meant to close the eyes, "wench," "wince," etc., being similarly derived. A hoodwink was therefore a headdress designed to cover the eyes. The popular use of the word is believed to go back to the old sport of falconry, once so popular, in which the falcon had a hood over its eyes until ready to strike at its prey.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and all my family.
Thirty-second Degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses involved in the thirty-second degree of Masonry, the Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret I renounce the secret passwords, "PHAAL/PHARASH-KOL" and all they mean.
Renounce Masonry's false trinitarian deity AUM, and its parts; Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer.
Renounce the deity of AHURAMAZDA, the claimed spirit or source of all light, and the worship with fire, which is an abomination to God, and also the drinking from a human skull in many Rites.
Curses: It opens you up to the false light.
Thirty-third Degree – basically become illuminati or illuminated at the 32nd degree
Renounce the oaths taken and the curses invoked in the Thirty-third Degreee of Freemasonry, The Grand Sovereign Inspector General.
Renounce and forsake the declaration that Lucifer is God.
Renounce the cable-tow around the neck. The cable-tow ritual symbolizes the soul tie of the Masonic Brotherhood
Renounce the death wish that the wine drunk from a human skull should turn to poison and the skeleton whose cold arms are invited if the oath of this degree is violated.
Renounce the three infamous assassins of their grand master, law, property and religion, and the greed and witchcraft involved in the attempt to manipulate and control the rest of mankind.
Pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the effects of all oaths and promises be cut off from myself, and my family.
Side Note: He {the Mason} ... must cease to consider Freemasonry solely as a social order only a few centuries old. He must realize that the ancient mystic teachings as perpetuated in the modern rites are sacred, and that powers unseen and unrecognized mold the destiny of those who consciously and of their own free will take upon themselves the obligations of the Fraternity.
All Other Degrees
Renounce all the other oaths taken, the rituals of every other degree and the curses invoked. I Renounce all other lodges and secret societies such as Prince Hall Freemasonry, Mormonism, The Order of Amaranth, Oddfellows, Buffaloes, Druids, Foresters, Orange, Elks, Moose and Eagle lodges, the Ku Klux Klan, The Grange, the Woodmen of the World, Riders of the Red Robe, the Knights of Pythias, the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, the Order of the Good Templars, the women’s Ordsers of the Eastern Star, the International Orders of Job’s Daughters, and of the Rainbow, and the boy’s Order of De Molay, and their effects on myself, and on my family.
Renounce the pagan teaching and symbolism of the First Tracing Board, the Second Tracing Board, and the Third Tracing Board, used in the ritual of the Blue Lodge.
Renounce the pagan ritual of the ‘Point within a Circle’ with all its bondages and phallic worship.
Renounce the occultic mysticism of the black and white mosaic chequered floor with its variegated or indented borders and its tesselled corners, also the five pointed blazing star in its centre.
Renounce the symbol ‘G’ and its veiled pagan symbolism and bondages.
Renounce and utterly forsake The Great Architect of the Universe, The Grand Geometrician of the Universe and the Most High who are revealed in the higher degrees as Lucifer, also his false claim to be the universal Fatherhood of God.
Renounce the false claim that Lucifer is the Morning Star and Shining One and I declare that Jesus Christ is the Bright and Morning Star of Revelation 22:16.
Renounce the All-Seeing Third Eye of Freemasonry or Horus in the forehead and its pagan and occult symbolism.
Renounce all false communions taken, all mockery of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, all unbelief, confusion and depression, and all worship of Lucifer as God.
Renounce and forsake the lie of Freemasonry that man is not sinful, but only imperfect, and so is able to redeem himself through good works.
Renounce all fear of insanity, anguish, death wishes, suicide and death, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Renounce all anger, hatred, murderous thoughts, revenge, retaliation, spiritual apathy, false religion, all unbelief, especially unbelief in the Holy Buble as God’s innerent Word, and all compromise of God’s Word.
Renounce all spiritual searching into false religions, and all streiving to please God. I rest in the knowledge that I have found my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and that He has accepted me.
Pray and break off:
• Unbelief
• confusion and depression
• all fear of insanity,
• anguish,
• death wishes,
• suicide and
• death
• anger and hatred,
• murderous thoughts,
• revenge,
• retaliation,
• spiritual apathy,
• false religion,
• all unbelief, especially unbelief in the Holy Bible as God's Word, and all compromise of God's Word.
• spiritual searching into false religions
Close off the Seeing Third Eye of Freemasonry - false communions taken, all mockery of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Why Close the third eye. One of the stages of the Palladian Rite has elements common to a broad spectrum of occult traditions, evidently accounting for the reference to addiction to occultism which was made. It defines spiritistic Illumination.
More on the third eye. Illumination: through drugs and occult techniques of the Seers, the so-called Third Eye would be opened, not just partially (as in psychics) but completely. This "eye,"... is felt to be the point of contact between humans and Lucifer-consciousness. It is supposedly located in the forehead, above and between the two visible eyes. To "open" the eye a little bit is to experience psychic powers. To open the eye completely is to have your brain flooded with the "pure" consciousness of Lucifer himself. This is why one of the Masonic symbols is the "All-Seeing Eye." It is a symbol of Illumination.
... In it, you acquire a "personal relationship" with Lucifer. You begin to think his thoughts and see with his eyes. You begin to look at humans the way he does. It is not a pretty experience!
Break the power of Kundalini serpent, or snake: The occult ancient wisdom offers so-called "redemption" by being bitten at the base of the brain by Lucifer, The kundalini serpent force passes upwards through the body into the brain to produce spiritistic "illumination." Manly P. Hall also made the occult "tradition" reference to the serpent doctrine when he wrote, "Through him {the initiate Master Mason} passes ... the great snake ..."
That "energy" is identifiable as the "Force" which Albert Pike identified as Satan. In fact, the kundalini force is identified as a serpent force which travels up the spinal cord in mystical techniques such as in kundalini yoga. Howard clearly identifies the illumination of the brain of the occult tradition as occurring under the auspices of Lucifer, the Devil.
The power of the Kundalini - The process begins with the candidate in the "human form" and the process of illumination ends with a "risen Master," the incarnation of the disincarnate Lucifer-associated spirit "permeating the brain-mind" of the human body, resulting in the "Master" discarnate demon "rising" in the flesh, or as some would put it, on the physical plane. The substance of Masonry's re-incarnation is that the gradual, step by step, degree by degree take-over of a person by Lucifer-associated entities or spirits incarnates the demon-spirit in the flesh of the human, and it is the demon-spirit which lives on when the human's subverted body is no longer capable of being sustained. 33rd degree, had a very interesting comment in this regard, as to what happens when the human organism dies which has been thoroughly "transmuted" or taken over. In other words, the invading spirit which drives the "brain-mind" evidently imparts those thoughts which it wishes to the human vehicle and a process of co-option follows. The human serves as a "host" to a discarnate demon entity which survives the death of the host human body.
What appears to be far more sinister than the conventional "possession" of a person by a demon spirit is the Masonic gradualism involved in the transformation and imprinting of the human brain by the transforming force of the demon, and a further transmutation of the person by means of a step by step development of "co-consciousness" with the Luciferian spirit and potential take-over. This appears to differ significantly from cases where, for example, a person might be victimized by demon possession and later return to consciousness while lacking recollection of what took place. Thus, the "evolution" which spirit guides facilitate through humans by "opening" the "psychic eye," whether in association with the Masonic Lodges or other association, represents the sinister process of corrupting the individual with consciousness of Lucifer-associated spirits. The co-operative process of using one's own mind to further the process as a "bridge" is how Hall referred to it.
Masonry, ruled by the Super Rite in which Lucifer or other demon spirit entities "flood" the initiate's consciousness, demonstrates direct influence and control by Lucifer, the god of Masonry, over the Masonic organization and machinery. If a judge in an American court does not belong to the Illuminati, he can, nevertheless, be very useful to the Masonic "machinery" having taken the Royal Arch Degree oath in which he has sworn to obstruct or pervert justice, if need be. If a judge, as a 33rd degree Mason, has sworn his highest allegiance to the Supreme Council, he is no less useful. The Masonic Machine functions such that both Palladian Luciferians and those who are not, act in concert.
90 & 96 Degrees (Europe)
The hidden mysteries of Nature and Science. 90 degrees which its ritual comprised 68 were already included in the French system. The rite of Misraim is interesting and instructive, but many of its degrees are too abstruse to be popular. The initiation is a reproduction of the ancient rite of Isis, and represents the contests of Osiris and Typhon, the death, resurrection, and triumph of the former, and the destruction of the latter. there are 90 degrees divided into four series - symbolic, philosophical, mystical and cabalistic, and again divided into seventeen classes. The traditions of this system are full of anachronisms, historical events and characters, separated by hundreds of years, being made to figure on the same scene at the same time. The work entitled "De l'Ordre Maconnique de Misraim," published at Paris, in 1835, by Mons. Marc Bedirride, purporting to give the history of the Order, is a mere romance, and full of puerilities. Nevertheless, many of the degrees are highly interesting and instructive.
Illuminati (there are different levels and are below the great brotherhood)
"The great strength of our Order lies in its concealment; let it never appear in any place in its own name, but always covered by another name, and another occupation. None is fitter than the three lower degrees of Free Masonry; the public is accustomed to it, expects little from it, and therefore takes little notice of it. Next to this, the form of a learned or literary society is best suited to our purpose, and had Free Masonry not existed, this cover would have been employed; and it may be much more than a cover, it may be a powerful engine in our hands.
Prayer
Now, Dear Father God, I humbly ask for the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, to cleanse me of all these sins I have confessed and renounced, to cleanse my spirit, my soul, my mind, my emotions and every part of my body which has been affected by these sins, in Jesus’ mighty name!
I renounce every evil spirit associated with Freemasonry and Witchcraft, as well as all other sins, and I command, in the name of Jesus Christ, that Satan and every evil spirit be bound and leave me now, touching or harming no-one, and go to the place appointed for you by the Lord Jesus Christ, never to return to either myself or to my family, through all generations. I call, on the name of our Lord Jesus, to be delivered of these spirits, in accordance with the many promises recorded in the Holy Bible.
I ask to be delivered of every spirit of sickness, infirmity, curse, affliction, addiction, disease or allergy associated with these sins I have confessed and renounced.
I surrender to God’s Holy Spirit, and to no other spirit, all the places in my life where these sins have been. I ask You, Lord, to baptise me in Your Holy Spirit, now, according to the promises recorded in Your Word. I take to myself the whole armour of God in accordance with Ephesians Chapter Six, and rejoice in its protection as Jesus surrounds me and fills me with His Holy Spirit. I enthrone You, Lord Jesus, in my heart, for You are my Lord and my Savioure, the source of eternal life. Thank You, Father God, for Your mercy, Your forgiveness and Your love, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen and Amen.
Side note on their beliefs:
" This super-rite, which is masonic luciferian spiritism, must not be confused with the machinery of high masonry. ... High masonry is a supreme administration involving an organization much more highly developed than Palladism whose secret leaders, some of whom are not luciferian, act in concert and accept a superior central authority in order that their work may be the more effective."
Thus, even 33rd degree Masons who are not engaged in Palladian luciferian practices act in concert with those who dominate over Freemasonry through that diabolical Rite.
The "operative" masons of midevil Europe built and subverted towering cathedrals with silent subversion. The "speculative" Masonry which spread from England provided a well-oiled machine or vehicle for revolution for the Illuminati's "ultimate secret society" to rule the world by a "New Hierarchy." Guidance by "Secret Orders of initiates" of pagan mystery religion has been shaping not only their immediate domain of secret societies, but has been steering a monstrous Plan which ultimately has every individual at "ground zero" of the conspiracy. The third stage into which Masonry is classified is that which 33rd degree Mason Foster Bailey reveals as "spiritual masonry," put to writing in 1957 in his book, The Spirit of Masonry.
Having in mind the horrifying "spirituality" or "masonic luciferian spiritism" which rules Freemasonry at the highest levels, one has more than a clue as to the substance of what the third general phase, or "spiritual masonry" involves.
... a "Golden Age," ... but in virtue of which men were once in conscious conversation with the unseen world and were shepherded, taught and guided by the "gods" or discarnate superintendents of the infant race, who imparted to them the sure and indefeasible principles upon which their spiritual welfare and evolution depended.
The Masonic philosophy that "man is a god in the making" translates to the Hierarchical objective that the body of man or woman is the object of a god in the incarnating.
Man is a god in the making, and as in the mystic myths of Egypt, on the potter's wheel he is being molded. When his light shines out to lift and preserve all things, he receives the triple crown of godhood, and joins that throng of Master Masons who, in their robes of Blue and Gold, are seeking to dispel the darkness of night with the triple light of the Masonic Lodge.
First, please remember that the Illuminati have SIX branches of learning, and the spiritual (where the sacrifices are done) is only ONE part of what they do.
The celtic branch of spiritual believes that power is passed at the moment between life and death. They will do rituals with children, or even older adherents, where the person is tied down, and an animal is bled to death on top of them. The belief is that the person receives power from the departing spirit, which "enters" the person. It is also highly traumatizing and horrible to have an animal go through its death throes on top of you. Throw in a few threats that "this will happen to you if you ever tell," and a quite strong impression is made on small children.
Opening portals and dimensions. High level masons and Illuminatis believe in spiritual dimensions, and that to pass into them, first a major sacrifice is done to "open a portal", usually several animals. I have also seen animal sacrifices done to protect from the demonic, or blood used to "close a circle" so the demonic cannot penetrate it.
There are children as young as three and four being used in pornographic films, beaten black and blue if they refuse to comply. There are toddlers being forced to watch brutalities, then given a stick and told to go over and hit the victim themselves, or they will be beaten. The child hesitates, it doesn't want to, and the adults hit the child, until the child goes, tears streaming down its face, and unwillingly does what the adults tell it. This is cruelty beyond belief.
Why Christians Should Not Read Harry Potter Books - Exposing The Truth
THE FIVE UNDENIABLE FACTS
ABOUT
HARRY POTTER AND J. K. ROWLING
1. Witches that went to the Harry Potter movie with reporters stated that although the presentation was whimsical they treated witchcraft credibly.
2. Warner Brothers (the producers of the Harry Potter movies) claimed the first movie was an accurate portrayal of witchcraft.
3. This is the first time in literature of a wide distribution that you will find a story in which children are being taught the specifics of witchcraft and then using what they have been taught.
4. Rowling correctly presents the principles of witchcraft. Any child can put the book down and then read some non-whimsical version of witchcraft and realize what they are reading.
5. God finds the practices of witchcraft an abomination and considers that His children should do the same. If we are not moved by that which God declares an abomination, we are not seeking His will.
Harry Potter?
What Does God Have To Say?
I am writing this urgent message because I was once a witch. I lived by the stars as an astrologer and numerologist casting horoscopes and spells. I lived in the mysterious and shadowy realm of the occult. By means of spells and magic, I was able to invoke the powers of the "controlling unknown" and fly upon the night winds transcending the astral plane. Halloween was my favorite time of the year and I was intrigued and absorbed in the realm of Wiccan witchcraft. All of this was happening in the decade of the 1960’s when witchcraft was just starting to come out of the broom closet.
It was during that decade of the 1960’s, in the year 1966, that a woman named J.K. Rowling was born. This is the woman who has captivated the world in this year of 2000 with four books known as the "Harry Potter Series." These books are orientational and instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the format of entertainment. These four books by J.K. Rowling teach witchcraft! I know this because I was once very much a part of that world.
Witchcraft was very different in the 1960’s. There were a lot fewer witches, and the craft was far more secretive. At the end of that spiritually troubled decade, I was miraculously saved by the power of Jesus Christ and His saving blood. I was also delivered from every evil spirit that lived in me and was set free. However, as I began to attend fundamental Christian churches, I realized that even there witchcraft had left its mark. Pagan holidays and sabats were celebrated as "Christian holidays."
As time went on, I watched the so-called "Christian" churches compromising and unifying. I also watched with amazement as teachings from Eastern religions and "New Age" doctrine began to captivate congregations. It was a satanic set-up, and I saw it coming. Illuministic conspirators were bringing forth a one-world religion with a cleverly concealed element of occultism interwoven in its teachings.
In order to succeed in bringing witchcraft to the world and thus complete satanic control, an entire generation would have to be induced and taught to think like witches, talk like witches, dress like witches, and act like witches. The occult songs of the 1960’’s launched the Luciferian project of capturing the minds of an entire generation. In the song "Sound Of Silence" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, we were told of seeds that were left while an entire generation was sleeping, and that the "vision that was planted in my brain still remains."
Now it is the year 2001. All of the foundations for occultism and witchcraft are in place. The Illuminists have to move quickly, because time is running out.
It was the Communist revolutionary Lenin who said, "Give me one generation of youth, and I will transform the entire world." Now an entire generation of youth has been given to a woman named J.K. Rowling and her four books on witchcraft, known as the Harry Potter Series.
As a former witch, I can speak with authority when I say that I have examined the works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and act like witches by filling their heads with the contents of these books. Children are so obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.
The first book of the series, entitled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone", finds the orphan, Harry Potter, embarking into a new realm when he is taken to "Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." At this occult school, Harry Potter learns how to obtain and use witchcraft equipment. Harry also learns a new vocabulary, including words such as "Azkaban", "Circe", "Draco", "Erised", "Hermes", and "Slytherin"; all of which are names of real devils or demons. These are not characters of fiction!
How serious is this? By reading these materials, many millions of young people are learning how to work with demon spirits. They are getting to know them by name. Vast numbers of children professing to be Christians are also filling their hearts and minds, while willingly ignorant parents look the other way.
The titles of the books should be warning enough to make us realize how satanic and anti-christ these books are. The afore mentioned title of the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone", was a real give away. The second book was called "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", while the third book was entitled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Sadly enough, this blatant witchcraft has been endorsed by well-known and respected "Christian" leaders have proven themselves to be modern day Judas Iscariots. Nothing could be more obvious than that Harry Potter books are pure witchcraft and of the devil. The "Christian" leaders, however, defend them by saying that good magic always wins and overcomes evil magic.
This is the oldest con game ever hatched out of hell. As a real witch, I learned about the two sides of "the force." Apparently, so do many "Christian" leaders. When real witches have sabats and esbats meet as a coven, they greet each other by saying "Blessed be", and when they part, they say "The Force be with you." Both sides of this "Force" are Satan. It is not a good side of the force that overcomes the bad side of the force, but rather it's the blood of Jesus Christ that destroys both supposed sides of the satanic "Force."
High level witches believe that there are seven satanic princes and that the seventh, which is assigned to Christians, has no name. In coven meetings, he is called "the nameless one." In the Harry Potter books, there is a character called "Voldemort." The pronunciation guide says of this being "He who must not be named."
On July 8 at midnight, bookstores everywhere were stormed by millions of children to obtain the latest and fourth book of the series known as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." These books were taken into homes everywhere with a real evil spirit following each copy to curse those homes. July 8th was also the 18th day (three sixes in numerology) from the witches’’ sabat of midsummer. July 8th was also the 13th day from the signing of the United Religions Charter in San Francisco. Now we have learned that the public school system is planning to use the magic of Harry Potter in the classrooms making the public schools centers of witchcraft training.
What does God have to say about such books as the Harry Potter series? In the Bible in the book of Acts, we read the following in the 19th chapter, verses 18 – 20: "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed."
As parents, we will answer to God if we allow our children to read witchcraft books. The Word of God will prevail mightily in your life only if such things of Satan are destroyed. This tract has been prayed over, and I hope it has helped you. If we may be of further assistance, please contact us.
ABOUT
HARRY POTTER AND J. K. ROWLING
1. Witches that went to the Harry Potter movie with reporters stated that although the presentation was whimsical they treated witchcraft credibly.
2. Warner Brothers (the producers of the Harry Potter movies) claimed the first movie was an accurate portrayal of witchcraft.
3. This is the first time in literature of a wide distribution that you will find a story in which children are being taught the specifics of witchcraft and then using what they have been taught.
4. Rowling correctly presents the principles of witchcraft. Any child can put the book down and then read some non-whimsical version of witchcraft and realize what they are reading.
5. God finds the practices of witchcraft an abomination and considers that His children should do the same. If we are not moved by that which God declares an abomination, we are not seeking His will.
Harry Potter?
What Does God Have To Say?
I am writing this urgent message because I was once a witch. I lived by the stars as an astrologer and numerologist casting horoscopes and spells. I lived in the mysterious and shadowy realm of the occult. By means of spells and magic, I was able to invoke the powers of the "controlling unknown" and fly upon the night winds transcending the astral plane. Halloween was my favorite time of the year and I was intrigued and absorbed in the realm of Wiccan witchcraft. All of this was happening in the decade of the 1960’s when witchcraft was just starting to come out of the broom closet.
It was during that decade of the 1960’s, in the year 1966, that a woman named J.K. Rowling was born. This is the woman who has captivated the world in this year of 2000 with four books known as the "Harry Potter Series." These books are orientational and instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the format of entertainment. These four books by J.K. Rowling teach witchcraft! I know this because I was once very much a part of that world.
Witchcraft was very different in the 1960’s. There were a lot fewer witches, and the craft was far more secretive. At the end of that spiritually troubled decade, I was miraculously saved by the power of Jesus Christ and His saving blood. I was also delivered from every evil spirit that lived in me and was set free. However, as I began to attend fundamental Christian churches, I realized that even there witchcraft had left its mark. Pagan holidays and sabats were celebrated as "Christian holidays."
As time went on, I watched the so-called "Christian" churches compromising and unifying. I also watched with amazement as teachings from Eastern religions and "New Age" doctrine began to captivate congregations. It was a satanic set-up, and I saw it coming. Illuministic conspirators were bringing forth a one-world religion with a cleverly concealed element of occultism interwoven in its teachings.
In order to succeed in bringing witchcraft to the world and thus complete satanic control, an entire generation would have to be induced and taught to think like witches, talk like witches, dress like witches, and act like witches. The occult songs of the 1960’’s launched the Luciferian project of capturing the minds of an entire generation. In the song "Sound Of Silence" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, we were told of seeds that were left while an entire generation was sleeping, and that the "vision that was planted in my brain still remains."
Now it is the year 2001. All of the foundations for occultism and witchcraft are in place. The Illuminists have to move quickly, because time is running out.
It was the Communist revolutionary Lenin who said, "Give me one generation of youth, and I will transform the entire world." Now an entire generation of youth has been given to a woman named J.K. Rowling and her four books on witchcraft, known as the Harry Potter Series.
As a former witch, I can speak with authority when I say that I have examined the works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and act like witches by filling their heads with the contents of these books. Children are so obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.
The first book of the series, entitled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone", finds the orphan, Harry Potter, embarking into a new realm when he is taken to "Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." At this occult school, Harry Potter learns how to obtain and use witchcraft equipment. Harry also learns a new vocabulary, including words such as "Azkaban", "Circe", "Draco", "Erised", "Hermes", and "Slytherin"; all of which are names of real devils or demons. These are not characters of fiction!
How serious is this? By reading these materials, many millions of young people are learning how to work with demon spirits. They are getting to know them by name. Vast numbers of children professing to be Christians are also filling their hearts and minds, while willingly ignorant parents look the other way.
The titles of the books should be warning enough to make us realize how satanic and anti-christ these books are. The afore mentioned title of the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone", was a real give away. The second book was called "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", while the third book was entitled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Sadly enough, this blatant witchcraft has been endorsed by well-known and respected "Christian" leaders have proven themselves to be modern day Judas Iscariots. Nothing could be more obvious than that Harry Potter books are pure witchcraft and of the devil. The "Christian" leaders, however, defend them by saying that good magic always wins and overcomes evil magic.
This is the oldest con game ever hatched out of hell. As a real witch, I learned about the two sides of "the force." Apparently, so do many "Christian" leaders. When real witches have sabats and esbats meet as a coven, they greet each other by saying "Blessed be", and when they part, they say "The Force be with you." Both sides of this "Force" are Satan. It is not a good side of the force that overcomes the bad side of the force, but rather it's the blood of Jesus Christ that destroys both supposed sides of the satanic "Force."
High level witches believe that there are seven satanic princes and that the seventh, which is assigned to Christians, has no name. In coven meetings, he is called "the nameless one." In the Harry Potter books, there is a character called "Voldemort." The pronunciation guide says of this being "He who must not be named."
On July 8 at midnight, bookstores everywhere were stormed by millions of children to obtain the latest and fourth book of the series known as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." These books were taken into homes everywhere with a real evil spirit following each copy to curse those homes. July 8th was also the 18th day (three sixes in numerology) from the witches’’ sabat of midsummer. July 8th was also the 13th day from the signing of the United Religions Charter in San Francisco. Now we have learned that the public school system is planning to use the magic of Harry Potter in the classrooms making the public schools centers of witchcraft training.
What does God have to say about such books as the Harry Potter series? In the Bible in the book of Acts, we read the following in the 19th chapter, verses 18 – 20: "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed."
As parents, we will answer to God if we allow our children to read witchcraft books. The Word of God will prevail mightily in your life only if such things of Satan are destroyed. This tract has been prayed over, and I hope it has helped you. If we may be of further assistance, please contact us.
What The Bible Says About Body Piercing?
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
Many of the young people in our society here in the USA are embracing a dangerous "little fox" or seemingly "little thing" that may seem harmless. The young people are saying that it is a "trendy" thing to do. Many of them are showing off multiple ear, nose, tongue, eyebrow and navel jewels and rings attached to their pierced flesh. Some even have this done on unspeakable parts of their bodies. These are abnormal and unnatural.
As many people are not aware of the spiritual dangers in such practices, this article is not meant to condemn any that may already have this done. However, we would urge you to seek the Lord as to any further involvement in this practice. The Lord loves everyone, no matter what we are currently doing however, His desire is to show us a better way.
The Bible warns us against cuttings in our flesh in Leviticus 19:28 which says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord."
Our young people do not realize what they are doing has its roots in witchcraft and the practices of false religions. Those that have made trips to other parts of the world have viewed the bodies of those who have not only pierced and tattooed their bodies but have gone further, with mutilating their bodies. It is repulsive to see someone deform the body that the Lord made in perfection. The Lord admonishes us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
If we are to glorify God in our bodies, how do body piercings glorify Christ?
In 1 Kings 18 we find the story of Elijah contesting the evil prophets of Baal (a false god of that day whose followers practiced witchcraft). The prophets of Baal worked themselves into a frenzy trying to get their god, Baal to show himself mightier than the true and living God. However, the God of Elijah proved to be the true God. During the frenzy of the Baal worshipers they began to disfigure their bodies as we see from this scripture in 1 Kings 18:28, "And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them."
Another scripture that warns us not to disfigure our bodies is Deuteronomy 14:1(Amp.): "You are the sons of the LORD your God: you shall not cut yourselves, or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead."
When it speaks here about doing this in relation to the dead; this was a witchcraft rite done to mourn or remember their dead, so cutting, piercing and tattooing have its origin in witchcraft practices. The verse below reveals a connection between foreign gods and earrings.
Genesis 35:2: "Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem."
Perhaps a more well known scripture having to do with earrings is the record of the children of Israel falling into rebellion and worshipping the golden calf while Moses was up in the mount with God receiving the Ten Commandments. Here we find they took their earrings and cast them into the fire and make a golden idol out of them which greatly displeased the Lord.
Exodus 32:2-3: "And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron."
There is one specific verse in the Old Testament which uses the Hebrew word, "lachash," which is a word specifically associated with witchcraft. Here, the jewelry is used as an amulet to cast a spell.
Isaiah 3:18-23: "In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 21 The rings, and nose jewels, 22 The changeable suits of apparel,and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils."
This is what makes it spiritually dangerous for people. People not realizing this opens the door for Satanic attack because they
have a mark or opening which allows the enemy entrance in their lives. Today this practice is growing because of false religions and pagan influences infiltrating the church.
Many of our young people are getting body piercings and tattoos out of a spirit of rebellion against their parents advice. Many men are also wearing earrings to make a statement of their rebellion by showing that they are "macho" or homosexual. Because the youth of our day are despising and rebelling against their parents this is very displeasing to the Lord as one of the Ten Commandments in the Bible is to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee" and Colossians 3:20: "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.")
Some complain and say that most of the women today in our society wear pierced earrings and they attempt to use this as an excuse for the bizarre body piercings they are flaunting. The Lord always judges what we do by our motives as He looks on the heart. It is a different matter when women wear pierced earrings as a custom, without the rebellion and pride attached to it. However, this could even be wrong if women are filled with vanity and pride over their appearance. Remember God looks at our heart attitudes. In fact, the Bible speaks of a generation of women that will be alive at the coming of the Lord that will be judged severely for their flirting and their haughtiness. Let us look again at the prophecy in Isaiah 3:16-24 (NIV):
16 The LORD says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with out stretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the Lord will make their scalps bald."
18 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,
19 The earrings, the bracelets and veils,
20 The head dresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms,
21 The signet rings and nose rings,
22 The fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses
23 And mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.
24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth: instead of beauty, branding.
25 Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle.
We are living in a day that the Bible speaks of in 2 Timothy 3:1-7:
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
If you have been one that has been led away by lust or have been rebellious against your parents, you can come to the Lord and repent and He will give you a new start and a desire to live a holy and obedient life unto God. We should remove anything that portrays rebellion and ask the Lord to forgive us and give us a submissive spirit. Jesus does not condemn us, but rather, will help us. He loves us and invites us to a wonderful life in Him.
One note of warning to the church on this subject of body piercings. We have a generation now of young people that love the Lord yet do not understand all of His ways. Soon we are also going to be seeing a great revival among the youth of the world. The youth of this day want a real cause to live and die for. Most have not seen true Christianity. However, when they do come to Christ many will be bringing their tattoos, dress, music and old habits with them right into the church. We must be sure that we do not despise them nor look down on them, but rather welcome and love them and gently teach them the ways of the Lord. We are called to love and pray for them and help them avoid making some of the mistakes we have made in our own walk with the Lord. We need to be true mothers and fathers to them. Yes, we must speak the truth in love, but let us make sure we are loving them and not condemning them. On the other hand, we must not accept all that they would desire to bring with them that would harm them and compromise the Word of God. We will all need God's grace to bridge the generation gap. We would recommend a great article written by a young Christian on this very subject. Click here to read "Bridging the Generation Gap."
Bottom line in regard to body piercings would be to ask the popular youth slogan, "What Would Jesus Do?" I don't believe we will ever see Jesus with any body piercings that He placed on Himself. I can't imagine Jesus with a tongue ring or a navel piercing. The only scars on His body are the nail pierced hands and feet put there by the evil men that crucified Him. They were not self inflicted. Overcomers will put away the "little foxes" that lead to bigger compromises.
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are including a testimony of a former Hindu who knows only too well that body piercings and tattoos are a form of witchcraft:
I am from Malaysia and I truly enjoy the Overcoming Life Digest. Although I enjoy reading all the articles, I find the Little Foxes enlightening and informative. Last Friday, when I entered the GCN chatroom, they were discussing about tattoo and piercing (tongue). One of the believers there was telling them it was wrong for Christians to have tattoos. Since I was formerly a Hindu, I know tattoo is from Hinduism and also witchcraft. Also, Hindus pierce their tongue with small spears and prick the entire body with little hooks and go in trances. I have witnessed this personally. But praise God, I never took after any of these rituals even when I was a Hindu. Praise God, I managed to convince a few about the evil of tattoo. One of them asked me for scripture verses which I promised I would send. But during the weekend, I was busy and also, I couldn't find the relevant scriptures. I prayed to the Lord to help me. Then He reminded me of an article I read in your Digest last year. So I send them your article instead. Praise God for the articles in Little Foxes. Keep up the good work. Karen
Why Christians Should Not Participate in Easter - The Roots Behind It!
Easter and Christians
The first thing we must understand is that professing Christians were not the only ones who celebrated a festival called "Easter."
Easter
"Ishtar", which is pronounced "Easter" was a day that commemorated the resurrection of one of their gods that they called "Tammuz", who was believed to be the only begotten son of the moon-goddess and the sun-god.
In those ancient times, there was a man named Nimrod, who was the grandson of one of Noah's son named Ham.
Ham had a son named Cush who married a woman named Semiramis.Cush and Semiramis then had a son named him "Nimrod."
After the death of his father, Nimrod married his own mother and became a powerful King.
The Bible tells of this man, Nimrod, in Genesis 10:8-10 as follows: "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad,and Calneh, in the land of Shinar."
Nimrod became a god-man to the people and Semiramis, his wife and mother, became the powerful Queen of ancient Babylon.
Nimrod was eventually killed by an enemy, and his body was cut in pieces and sent to various parts of his kingdom.
Semiramis had all of the parts gathered, except for one part that could not be found.
That missing part was his reproductive organ. Semiramis claimed that Nimrod could not come back to life without it and told the people of Babylon that Nimrod had ascended to the sun and was now to be called "Baal", the sun god.
Queen Semiramis also proclaimed that Baal would be present on earth in the form of a flame, whether candle or lamp, when used in worship.
Semiramis was creating a mystery religion, and with the help of Satan, she set herself up as a goddess.
Semiramis claimed that she was immaculately conceived.
Easter Egg
She taught that the moon was a goddess that went through a 28 day cycle and ovulated when full.
She further claimed that she came down from the moon in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River.
This was to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the spring equinox.
Semiramis became known as "Ishtar" which is pronounced "Easter", and her moon egg became known as "Ishtar's" egg."
Ishtar soon became pregnant and claimed that it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to conceive.
The son that she brought forth was named Tammuz.
Tammuz was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they became sacred in the ancient religion, because Tammuz was believed to be the son of the sun-god, Baal. Tammuz, like his supposed father, became a hunter.
The day came when Tammuz was killed by a wild pig.
Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit.
Ishtar, who was now worshipped as the "Mother of God and Queen of Heaven", continued to build her mystery religion.
The queen told the worshippers that when Tammuz was killed by the wild pig, some of his blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree, and the stump grew into a full new tree overnight. This made the evergreen tree sacred by the blood of Tammuz.
Lent
"Lent." Where did "Lent" come from?" Is it the past tense of "to lend"? Is it something found in one's navel? Lent is not found in the Bible!
She also proclaimed a forty day period of time of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz.
During this time, no meat was to be eaten.
Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, `in the spring of the year,' is still observed by the Yezidis or pagan devil-worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent of forty days was held in the spring by the pagan Mexicans, for thus we read in Humboldt [Mexican Researches, v. i. P. 404] where he gives account of Mexican observances: `Three days after the vernal equinox…began a solemn fast of forty days in honor of the sun.' Such a Lent of forty days was observed in Egypt, as may be seen on consulting Wilkinson's Egyptians. This Egyptian Lent of forty days, we are informed by Landseer, in his Sabean Researches, was held expressly in commemoration of Adonis or Osiris, the great mediatorial god"
Easter Cakes
Jeremiah 7:17-20 - "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
"Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched".
Worshippers were to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of Baal and Tammuz, and to make the sign of the "T" in front of their hearts as they worshipped. They also ate sacred cakes with the marking of a "T" or cross on the top.
Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, a celebration was made.
Rabbits and Eggs
It was Ishtar's Sunday and was celebrated with rabbits and eggs.
Ishtar also proclaimed that because Tammuz was killed by a pig, that a pig must be eaten on that Sunday.
By now, the readers should have made the connection that paganism has infiltrated the contemporary "Christian" churches, and further study indicates that this paganism came in by way of the Roman Catholic System.
The truth is that Easter has nothing whatsoever to do with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We also know that Easter can be as much as three weeks away from the Passover, because the pagan holiday is always set as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.
Sunrise Services
Now, notice the biblical reference to sunrise services: "Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz" [Nimrod; the sun god].
"Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
"And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east." The sun is in the east at its RISING! This is nothing less than a "SUNRISE" service—sun worship at the dawning of the sun!
"Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger…Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them" (Ezekiel 8:13-18).
This is the only place in the Bible where men are described as turning their backs on God's temple, facing the SUN at its rising, and worshipping the sun!
The true Passover and pagan Easter sometimes coincide, but in some years, they are a great distance apart.
So much more could be said, and we have much more information for you, if you are a seeker of the truth.
We know that the Bible tells us in John 4:24, "God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
The truth is that the forty days of Lent, eggs, rabbits,hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon.These are all antichrist activities!
Satan is a master deceiver, and has filled the lives of well-meaning, professing Christians with idolatry.
These things bring the wrath of God upon children of disobedience, who try to make pagan customs of Baal worship Christian.
You must answer for your activities and for what you teach your children.
These customs of Easter honor Baal, who is also Satan, and is still worshipped as the "Rising Sun" and his house is the "House of the Rising Sun."
How many churches have "sunrise services" on Ishtar's day and face the rising sun in the East?
How many will use colored eggs and rabbit stories, as they did in ancient Babylon.
These things are no joke, any more than Judgement day is a joke.
We will be glad to help you by providing more information and by
praying for you.
These are the last days, and it is time to repent, come out and be
separate.
The first thing we must understand is that professing Christians were not the only ones who celebrated a festival called "Easter."
Easter
"Ishtar", which is pronounced "Easter" was a day that commemorated the resurrection of one of their gods that they called "Tammuz", who was believed to be the only begotten son of the moon-goddess and the sun-god.
In those ancient times, there was a man named Nimrod, who was the grandson of one of Noah's son named Ham.
Ham had a son named Cush who married a woman named Semiramis.Cush and Semiramis then had a son named him "Nimrod."
After the death of his father, Nimrod married his own mother and became a powerful King.
The Bible tells of this man, Nimrod, in Genesis 10:8-10 as follows: "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad,and Calneh, in the land of Shinar."
Nimrod became a god-man to the people and Semiramis, his wife and mother, became the powerful Queen of ancient Babylon.
Nimrod was eventually killed by an enemy, and his body was cut in pieces and sent to various parts of his kingdom.
Semiramis had all of the parts gathered, except for one part that could not be found.
That missing part was his reproductive organ. Semiramis claimed that Nimrod could not come back to life without it and told the people of Babylon that Nimrod had ascended to the sun and was now to be called "Baal", the sun god.
Queen Semiramis also proclaimed that Baal would be present on earth in the form of a flame, whether candle or lamp, when used in worship.
Semiramis was creating a mystery religion, and with the help of Satan, she set herself up as a goddess.
Semiramis claimed that she was immaculately conceived.
Easter Egg
She taught that the moon was a goddess that went through a 28 day cycle and ovulated when full.
She further claimed that she came down from the moon in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River.
This was to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the spring equinox.
Semiramis became known as "Ishtar" which is pronounced "Easter", and her moon egg became known as "Ishtar's" egg."
Ishtar soon became pregnant and claimed that it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to conceive.
The son that she brought forth was named Tammuz.
Tammuz was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they became sacred in the ancient religion, because Tammuz was believed to be the son of the sun-god, Baal. Tammuz, like his supposed father, became a hunter.
The day came when Tammuz was killed by a wild pig.
Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit.
Ishtar, who was now worshipped as the "Mother of God and Queen of Heaven", continued to build her mystery religion.
The queen told the worshippers that when Tammuz was killed by the wild pig, some of his blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree, and the stump grew into a full new tree overnight. This made the evergreen tree sacred by the blood of Tammuz.
Lent
"Lent." Where did "Lent" come from?" Is it the past tense of "to lend"? Is it something found in one's navel? Lent is not found in the Bible!
She also proclaimed a forty day period of time of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz.
During this time, no meat was to be eaten.
Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, `in the spring of the year,' is still observed by the Yezidis or pagan devil-worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent of forty days was held in the spring by the pagan Mexicans, for thus we read in Humboldt [Mexican Researches, v. i. P. 404] where he gives account of Mexican observances: `Three days after the vernal equinox…began a solemn fast of forty days in honor of the sun.' Such a Lent of forty days was observed in Egypt, as may be seen on consulting Wilkinson's Egyptians. This Egyptian Lent of forty days, we are informed by Landseer, in his Sabean Researches, was held expressly in commemoration of Adonis or Osiris, the great mediatorial god"
Easter Cakes
Jeremiah 7:17-20 - "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
"Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched".
Worshippers were to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of Baal and Tammuz, and to make the sign of the "T" in front of their hearts as they worshipped. They also ate sacred cakes with the marking of a "T" or cross on the top.
Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, a celebration was made.
Rabbits and Eggs
It was Ishtar's Sunday and was celebrated with rabbits and eggs.
Ishtar also proclaimed that because Tammuz was killed by a pig, that a pig must be eaten on that Sunday.
By now, the readers should have made the connection that paganism has infiltrated the contemporary "Christian" churches, and further study indicates that this paganism came in by way of the Roman Catholic System.
The truth is that Easter has nothing whatsoever to do with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We also know that Easter can be as much as three weeks away from the Passover, because the pagan holiday is always set as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.
Sunrise Services
Now, notice the biblical reference to sunrise services: "Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz" [Nimrod; the sun god].
"Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
"And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east." The sun is in the east at its RISING! This is nothing less than a "SUNRISE" service—sun worship at the dawning of the sun!
"Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger…Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them" (Ezekiel 8:13-18).
This is the only place in the Bible where men are described as turning their backs on God's temple, facing the SUN at its rising, and worshipping the sun!
The true Passover and pagan Easter sometimes coincide, but in some years, they are a great distance apart.
So much more could be said, and we have much more information for you, if you are a seeker of the truth.
We know that the Bible tells us in John 4:24, "God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
The truth is that the forty days of Lent, eggs, rabbits,hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon.These are all antichrist activities!
Satan is a master deceiver, and has filled the lives of well-meaning, professing Christians with idolatry.
These things bring the wrath of God upon children of disobedience, who try to make pagan customs of Baal worship Christian.
You must answer for your activities and for what you teach your children.
These customs of Easter honor Baal, who is also Satan, and is still worshipped as the "Rising Sun" and his house is the "House of the Rising Sun."
How many churches have "sunrise services" on Ishtar's day and face the rising sun in the East?
How many will use colored eggs and rabbit stories, as they did in ancient Babylon.
These things are no joke, any more than Judgement day is a joke.
We will be glad to help you by providing more information and by
praying for you.
These are the last days, and it is time to repent, come out and be
separate.
The Hisotry of Halloween and Why We Should Not Participate as Christians
THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN
"Mom, can I dress up like Casper this year? Dad, can we carve a jack-o-lantern and put it on the porch?"
Halloween...costume-clad, children happily skipping from door to door shouting "trick or treat," expecting to fill their bags with candy, gum and other goodies...houses decorated with jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, witches with broomsticks and black cats. These are the most common of the celebration of Halloween. They are all make-believe...or are they?
Each year at Halloween, parents are faced with the delimma of what the world calls harmless fun and their own concerns about the spiritual significance of this holiday. While we all have to hear God for ourselves concerning these decisionse, we thought the following history might be helpful to you and your family.
Halloween, which directly stems from Irish, Scottish and British folk customs, was celebrated as the Druids' autumn festival. The Druids were an order of priests who worshipped nature. This holiday was originally celebrated to honor Sambain, lord of the dead, on October 31 (the end of the summer). The Druids believed that on this date, Sambain called all the wicked souls which had been condemned within the last year to live in animal bodies. He was believed to have released them in the form of spirits, ghosts, fairies, witches and elves.
According to Druidic tradition, these souls of the dead roamed the city on Halloween night and returned to haunt the homes where they once lived. The only way the current occupants of the house could free themselves from being haunted was to lay out food and give shelter to the spirit during the night. If they did not, the spirit would cast a spell on them. That is where the phrase "trick or treat" comes from: They would be tricked if they did not lay out a treat.
The jack-o-lantern was also a part of this belief system. The carved pumpkin symbolized a damned soul named Jack. According to the tale, Jack was not allowed into heaven or hell. So, he wandered around in the darkness with his lantern until Judgement Day. Fearful people hollowed out turnips (and later pumpkins in the United States), carved an evil face on them, and lit a candle inside to scare him and the other evil spirits away.
The Druids had other outlandish beliefs which have also turned into tradition. For example, they were afraid of black cats because they believed that when a person committed evil, he would be turned into a cat. Cats were thus considered to be evil. To scare them away, the Druids decorated their homes with witches, ghosts and the like. They also decorated with cornstalks, pumpkins and other goods of thanks and praise to their false gods.
In addition to being Halloween, October 31 was also the New Year's Eve of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. To celebrate, they built huge bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits, and often offered their crops and animals to the evil ones as a sacrifice - sometimes they even offered themselves.
Some people believe that the only significance of Halloween was as All Hallow's Eve, the evening before All Saint's Day. But All Saint's Day was originally celebrated by the Catholic Church in May. About A.D. 83-4 the Romans conquered the Celts, and moved All Saint's Day to November 1. The celebration remained the same, except for minor additions. The Roman Harvest Festival was then held in honor of the goddess Pamona, the goddess of fruit and trees (the practice of bobbing for apples derived from this). They also wanted to honor the newly overpowered descendants of the Druids in Germany and Scandanavia. Therefore, All Saint's Day and Halloween became unified, because of the same ties to reverencing the dead.
The combination of these customs eventually became the traditional celebration we call Halloween.
More Issues for Christians:
What the bible has to say about Body Piercing and Tatoos and why we should not do it?
Why Christians should not participate in Yoga
Why Christians should not listen to Rock Music
Why Christians should not participate in Dungeons and Dragons and other fanasy games?
Why Not to have your children play with Pokemon
"Mom, can I dress up like Casper this year? Dad, can we carve a jack-o-lantern and put it on the porch?"
Halloween...costume-clad, children happily skipping from door to door shouting "trick or treat," expecting to fill their bags with candy, gum and other goodies...houses decorated with jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, witches with broomsticks and black cats. These are the most common of the celebration of Halloween. They are all make-believe...or are they?
Each year at Halloween, parents are faced with the delimma of what the world calls harmless fun and their own concerns about the spiritual significance of this holiday. While we all have to hear God for ourselves concerning these decisionse, we thought the following history might be helpful to you and your family.
Halloween, which directly stems from Irish, Scottish and British folk customs, was celebrated as the Druids' autumn festival. The Druids were an order of priests who worshipped nature. This holiday was originally celebrated to honor Sambain, lord of the dead, on October 31 (the end of the summer). The Druids believed that on this date, Sambain called all the wicked souls which had been condemned within the last year to live in animal bodies. He was believed to have released them in the form of spirits, ghosts, fairies, witches and elves.
According to Druidic tradition, these souls of the dead roamed the city on Halloween night and returned to haunt the homes where they once lived. The only way the current occupants of the house could free themselves from being haunted was to lay out food and give shelter to the spirit during the night. If they did not, the spirit would cast a spell on them. That is where the phrase "trick or treat" comes from: They would be tricked if they did not lay out a treat.
The jack-o-lantern was also a part of this belief system. The carved pumpkin symbolized a damned soul named Jack. According to the tale, Jack was not allowed into heaven or hell. So, he wandered around in the darkness with his lantern until Judgement Day. Fearful people hollowed out turnips (and later pumpkins in the United States), carved an evil face on them, and lit a candle inside to scare him and the other evil spirits away.
The Druids had other outlandish beliefs which have also turned into tradition. For example, they were afraid of black cats because they believed that when a person committed evil, he would be turned into a cat. Cats were thus considered to be evil. To scare them away, the Druids decorated their homes with witches, ghosts and the like. They also decorated with cornstalks, pumpkins and other goods of thanks and praise to their false gods.
In addition to being Halloween, October 31 was also the New Year's Eve of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. To celebrate, they built huge bonfires on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits, and often offered their crops and animals to the evil ones as a sacrifice - sometimes they even offered themselves.
Some people believe that the only significance of Halloween was as All Hallow's Eve, the evening before All Saint's Day. But All Saint's Day was originally celebrated by the Catholic Church in May. About A.D. 83-4 the Romans conquered the Celts, and moved All Saint's Day to November 1. The celebration remained the same, except for minor additions. The Roman Harvest Festival was then held in honor of the goddess Pamona, the goddess of fruit and trees (the practice of bobbing for apples derived from this). They also wanted to honor the newly overpowered descendants of the Druids in Germany and Scandanavia. Therefore, All Saint's Day and Halloween became unified, because of the same ties to reverencing the dead.
The combination of these customs eventually became the traditional celebration we call Halloween.
More Issues for Christians:
What the bible has to say about Body Piercing and Tatoos and why we should not do it?
Why Christians should not participate in Yoga
Why Christians should not listen to Rock Music
Why Christians should not participate in Dungeons and Dragons and other fanasy games?
Why Not to have your children play with Pokemon
Why Christians Should Not Listen to Rock Music!
Why Christians Should Not Listen to Rock Music
First, we have to look at the history. You said you are not a Christian so I will try to explain this to you. First, before man was ever on earth, there was an angel called Satan was created a beautiful musical creature: "...every precious stone was thy covering,...the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou waste created" (Ezek 28:13). Since music was built into his very nature are we foolish enough to assume that he will not use it to deceive and enslave today?
As you read the history of rock and roll, observe how Satan brought in his rock music in the 1950's and slowly degenerated it to it's present level of baseness.
The New Testament has much more to say about the activity of Satan. In fact, all the biblical authors make some reference to the devil. He is called the evil one, the tempter, diabolos (the slanderer), the serpent, the dragon, and the prince of the powers of the air. The prince of the powers of the air! Does that mean the airways and such? Could that mean musical influence to pull people or keep people away from the Lord?
The Scriptures recognizes music as a means for praise (Acts 16:25; Rom 15:9 [originally sung]), a means of expressing joy (Jam 5:13), thanksgiving (Psa 92:1-3), sorrow for sin (Is. 16:10), a means of prayer (1Co 14:15; Psa 72:20), and a means of teaching and spiritual communication (Col 3:16; Eph 5:19). Biblical music makers are professional (1Ch 15:22; 25:7; Is. 5:11-12; Ez. 33:32), as well as nonprofessional (Psa 100; 1Ki 1:39-40; 1Co 14:26; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). There are those who direct music (Psa 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, etc.; Neh. 12:8) and teach music (1Ch 15:22). The people of the Bible overflow with music in every circumstance, including cultural uses placed in positive (1Sa 18:7) and negative terms (Eze 33:32). Music sounded in every aspect of life--work, play, celebration, and even war (Is. 16:10; Jer 48:33; Mat 11:17; Luke 15:25; Gen 31:27; Exodus 32:17-18; Ecc. 2:8; Jdg. 11:34-35; 2Sa 19:35). Jewish musicologist Abraham Idelsohn says, "As many references in the Bible to the music performed in secular life testify, Israel enjoyed life through music both vocal and instrumental, and associated music with dance and wine in which men and women participated.
Other Christian Issues:
History of Halloween and why Christians should not participate
What the bible has to say about Body Piercing and Tatoos and why we should not do it?
Why Christians should not participate in Yoga
Why Christians should not participate in Dungeons and Dragons and other fanasy games?
Why Not to have your children play with Pokemon
First, we have to look at the history. You said you are not a Christian so I will try to explain this to you. First, before man was ever on earth, there was an angel called Satan was created a beautiful musical creature: "...every precious stone was thy covering,...the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou waste created" (Ezek 28:13). Since music was built into his very nature are we foolish enough to assume that he will not use it to deceive and enslave today?
As you read the history of rock and roll, observe how Satan brought in his rock music in the 1950's and slowly degenerated it to it's present level of baseness.
The New Testament has much more to say about the activity of Satan. In fact, all the biblical authors make some reference to the devil. He is called the evil one, the tempter, diabolos (the slanderer), the serpent, the dragon, and the prince of the powers of the air. The prince of the powers of the air! Does that mean the airways and such? Could that mean musical influence to pull people or keep people away from the Lord?
The Scriptures recognizes music as a means for praise (Acts 16:25; Rom 15:9 [originally sung]), a means of expressing joy (Jam 5:13), thanksgiving (Psa 92:1-3), sorrow for sin (Is. 16:10), a means of prayer (1Co 14:15; Psa 72:20), and a means of teaching and spiritual communication (Col 3:16; Eph 5:19). Biblical music makers are professional (1Ch 15:22; 25:7; Is. 5:11-12; Ez. 33:32), as well as nonprofessional (Psa 100; 1Ki 1:39-40; 1Co 14:26; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). There are those who direct music (Psa 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, etc.; Neh. 12:8) and teach music (1Ch 15:22). The people of the Bible overflow with music in every circumstance, including cultural uses placed in positive (1Sa 18:7) and negative terms (Eze 33:32). Music sounded in every aspect of life--work, play, celebration, and even war (Is. 16:10; Jer 48:33; Mat 11:17; Luke 15:25; Gen 31:27; Exodus 32:17-18; Ecc. 2:8; Jdg. 11:34-35; 2Sa 19:35). Jewish musicologist Abraham Idelsohn says, "As many references in the Bible to the music performed in secular life testify, Israel enjoyed life through music both vocal and instrumental, and associated music with dance and wine in which men and women participated.
Other Christian Issues:
History of Halloween and why Christians should not participate
What the bible has to say about Body Piercing and Tatoos and why we should not do it?
Why Christians should not participate in Yoga
Why Christians should not participate in Dungeons and Dragons and other fanasy games?
Why Not to have your children play with Pokemon
Why We Are Not to Participate in Dugeons and Dragons or Other Fantacy Games?
WHY NOT PARTICIPATE IN DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS or OTHER FANTACY GAMES?
Dungeons and Dragons may seem to be harmless and very entertaining and it is entertaining, but far from harmless. I have had friends that have experienced the game and they now know know the effects of the game. For the majority of those that play it becomes a way to escape reality. It is a way of letting tension and anxieties loose. And that is good. But subjecting the mind to the amounts of violence involved isn't. It is far more bad than it is good. Especially to a young mind. And an 18 or 20 year old still has a young mind. Its effects are both mental and physical. It is in comparison to drugs, alcohol or tobacco. It is very possessive, addictive and evil. Evil may sound wrong or peculiar to explain a game, but there is no other way to describe it. It is a device of Satan to lure us away from God. It is an occult.
An occult you say? What is an occult? Defined in American Family and School Dictionary, a publication based on the American College Dictionary, prepared by Random House, Inc., it is: beyond the bounds of ordinary knowledge; magical; supernatural; mystical. Staying on the same subject let's define occultism: the doctrine or study of the supernatural, magical, imaginary, etc. Stated concisely it is the participation or involvement in any way with fortune telling, magic practices, spiritism, or false religions cults and teachings. Within that category is using a ouija board, ESP, telepathy, horoscope, a seance, yoga, remote influence of the subconscious mind of others, self-hypnosis, following astrology and Dungeons and Dragons. They are all connected with an occult or are considered occultism practice. All such occults are condemned by God in the Scriptures, being an abomination to Him and are under His curse. To quote a passage from an article written by Dr. Hobart E. Freeman, I write the following:
"The Scriptures condemn all forms of occultism as sorcery and warn that.... they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21), but ".....are an abomination unto the Lord" (Deut. 18:12), and ".... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 21:8).
From earliest times God forbade occultism as spiritually defiling (Lev. 19:31), and made participation in it punishable by death (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 20:27), and cause for rejection of that soul by God (Lev. 20:6).
Dungeons and Dragons is based on magic and the supernatural. There is, in fact, a hard bound book entitled "Deities and DemiGods" for the sole purpose of informing you of the "gods" that are involved in the game. It gives complete details of the "gods" and it expects you as a player character to pick a "god" to worship him/her. To pray to, to sacrifice to, to obey. And to die for if necessary.
Not only is the game based on the supernatural and magic it involves violence. Serious violence! The type of violence not allowed on TV. There is hack and slash murder, rape, thievery, pillaging and terrorism. And in the game it is natural and expected for a character to do those things. A character must, at least, murder and rob in order to survive. And it is the object of the game to survive. To do whatever you must, to anybody or anything, in order to survive and become more powerful and wealthy. The more you do those things the longer you live. The longer you live the more powerful you become and usually with power comes wealth.
You may be saying, "All of that may be true, but what does that have to do with me (or my children)? It has everything to do with you (or your children) if you (or they) are involved in the game. As I have repeated several times the game is played or imagined entirely in the mind. Totally and only in the mind. The conscious mind experiences these visions as reality while playing. And if it is played, let's say, 3-5 times a week, 4-8 hours each time, the conscious mind becomes accustomed to such acts of violence. Then when the person is finished playing for that day, it is all pushed back to the subconscious supposedly. But it is known that the mind is very powerful and unexplainable. It is very possible for the sub-conscious mind to "overpower" the conscious mind. Suddenly you are no longer in total control of your mind. The "fantasy game" becomes a "reality game". You begin to live it for real. Everything you do, or say, involves or associates to the game itself. You no longer play the game for enjoyment, you play it because you feel you have to. You must have it (play it) just like a person on drugs, alchohol or tobacco must have them. It is an addiction. And your mind is under the control of the game. It is possessed by the game.
Now, you're probably saying that won't happen to me (or my children) because I won't let it happen or I'm too smart for that to happen. Believe me, it happens! And it happens to anyone. Being a deliverance minister, I have done deliverance on people that have participated in D&G. It has happened to my friends. It has happened to many college students that have committed suicide or have done some serious bodily harm to themselves and or others. It has happened to many younger teenagers, 13 and 14. The destruction it can cause to the mind and soul is incredible. It's rather unexplainable. I and many others have had some very bad experiences because of the game and I am writing too, on their behalf to warn or make you aware of the game. It is dangerous and against God's command.
There are as I've said numerous recorded accounts of teenagers 13 to 19 and some older persons that have had some troublesome experiences. Many have committed suicide due to the game. Another good many have either caused serious harm to themselves or other individuals. And some have caused the death of a friend or family member by accident, but because of the "game", they took the "game" one step too far. "Playing" it for real one time too many. For some it was the last time they played it or any other game. Many were lucky, but you may not be.
And the fact is, that you don't even have to be playing the game at the time. The mind is continuously "playing" the game. You could have played it 2 or 3 days prior, but your mind is still playing.
So, please for your own safety and salvation and the safety of others don't play the game anymore. If you don't play it now, don't even start. It is more dangerous than I can fully explain. Don't play with your physical life that way and don't condemn your soul to hell by participating in the game.
I know you said you are not a Christian. I’m surprise you are on this board asking such a question. You must of experienced something very negative or maybe you have had Christians telling you it is wrong. I’m telling you what I know cause it can lead to problems. I hope this helps answer some of your questions. Cause the more you play the more you become a SLAVE to it. It is very addictive.
I hope to hear from you to your feelings to what I’ve written. The Lord loves you and died for you. He became a curse for the world so that we could be His children and rescued from darkness. Brother/sister, you are in darkness. The end times is about to start and there are two places people will go when it is all said and done. Either heaven or hell. Think to what I said. The Lord Jesus died for you so that you could have eternal life of peace and not eternal life of torment and hell. I thank you that you became vulnerable to ask such a question.
Other Issues:
History of Halloween and why Christians should not participate
What the bible has to say about Body Piercing and Tatoos and why we should not do it?
Why Christians should not participate in Yoga
Why Christians should not listen to Rock Music
Why Not to have your children play with Pokemon
Dungeons and Dragons may seem to be harmless and very entertaining and it is entertaining, but far from harmless. I have had friends that have experienced the game and they now know know the effects of the game. For the majority of those that play it becomes a way to escape reality. It is a way of letting tension and anxieties loose. And that is good. But subjecting the mind to the amounts of violence involved isn't. It is far more bad than it is good. Especially to a young mind. And an 18 or 20 year old still has a young mind. Its effects are both mental and physical. It is in comparison to drugs, alcohol or tobacco. It is very possessive, addictive and evil. Evil may sound wrong or peculiar to explain a game, but there is no other way to describe it. It is a device of Satan to lure us away from God. It is an occult.
An occult you say? What is an occult? Defined in American Family and School Dictionary, a publication based on the American College Dictionary, prepared by Random House, Inc., it is: beyond the bounds of ordinary knowledge; magical; supernatural; mystical. Staying on the same subject let's define occultism: the doctrine or study of the supernatural, magical, imaginary, etc. Stated concisely it is the participation or involvement in any way with fortune telling, magic practices, spiritism, or false religions cults and teachings. Within that category is using a ouija board, ESP, telepathy, horoscope, a seance, yoga, remote influence of the subconscious mind of others, self-hypnosis, following astrology and Dungeons and Dragons. They are all connected with an occult or are considered occultism practice. All such occults are condemned by God in the Scriptures, being an abomination to Him and are under His curse. To quote a passage from an article written by Dr. Hobart E. Freeman, I write the following:
"The Scriptures condemn all forms of occultism as sorcery and warn that.... they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21), but ".....are an abomination unto the Lord" (Deut. 18:12), and ".... shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone" (Rev. 21:8).
From earliest times God forbade occultism as spiritually defiling (Lev. 19:31), and made participation in it punishable by death (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 20:27), and cause for rejection of that soul by God (Lev. 20:6).
Dungeons and Dragons is based on magic and the supernatural. There is, in fact, a hard bound book entitled "Deities and DemiGods" for the sole purpose of informing you of the "gods" that are involved in the game. It gives complete details of the "gods" and it expects you as a player character to pick a "god" to worship him/her. To pray to, to sacrifice to, to obey. And to die for if necessary.
Not only is the game based on the supernatural and magic it involves violence. Serious violence! The type of violence not allowed on TV. There is hack and slash murder, rape, thievery, pillaging and terrorism. And in the game it is natural and expected for a character to do those things. A character must, at least, murder and rob in order to survive. And it is the object of the game to survive. To do whatever you must, to anybody or anything, in order to survive and become more powerful and wealthy. The more you do those things the longer you live. The longer you live the more powerful you become and usually with power comes wealth.
You may be saying, "All of that may be true, but what does that have to do with me (or my children)? It has everything to do with you (or your children) if you (or they) are involved in the game. As I have repeated several times the game is played or imagined entirely in the mind. Totally and only in the mind. The conscious mind experiences these visions as reality while playing. And if it is played, let's say, 3-5 times a week, 4-8 hours each time, the conscious mind becomes accustomed to such acts of violence. Then when the person is finished playing for that day, it is all pushed back to the subconscious supposedly. But it is known that the mind is very powerful and unexplainable. It is very possible for the sub-conscious mind to "overpower" the conscious mind. Suddenly you are no longer in total control of your mind. The "fantasy game" becomes a "reality game". You begin to live it for real. Everything you do, or say, involves or associates to the game itself. You no longer play the game for enjoyment, you play it because you feel you have to. You must have it (play it) just like a person on drugs, alchohol or tobacco must have them. It is an addiction. And your mind is under the control of the game. It is possessed by the game.
Now, you're probably saying that won't happen to me (or my children) because I won't let it happen or I'm too smart for that to happen. Believe me, it happens! And it happens to anyone. Being a deliverance minister, I have done deliverance on people that have participated in D&G. It has happened to my friends. It has happened to many college students that have committed suicide or have done some serious bodily harm to themselves and or others. It has happened to many younger teenagers, 13 and 14. The destruction it can cause to the mind and soul is incredible. It's rather unexplainable. I and many others have had some very bad experiences because of the game and I am writing too, on their behalf to warn or make you aware of the game. It is dangerous and against God's command.
There are as I've said numerous recorded accounts of teenagers 13 to 19 and some older persons that have had some troublesome experiences. Many have committed suicide due to the game. Another good many have either caused serious harm to themselves or other individuals. And some have caused the death of a friend or family member by accident, but because of the "game", they took the "game" one step too far. "Playing" it for real one time too many. For some it was the last time they played it or any other game. Many were lucky, but you may not be.
And the fact is, that you don't even have to be playing the game at the time. The mind is continuously "playing" the game. You could have played it 2 or 3 days prior, but your mind is still playing.
So, please for your own safety and salvation and the safety of others don't play the game anymore. If you don't play it now, don't even start. It is more dangerous than I can fully explain. Don't play with your physical life that way and don't condemn your soul to hell by participating in the game.
I know you said you are not a Christian. I’m surprise you are on this board asking such a question. You must of experienced something very negative or maybe you have had Christians telling you it is wrong. I’m telling you what I know cause it can lead to problems. I hope this helps answer some of your questions. Cause the more you play the more you become a SLAVE to it. It is very addictive.
I hope to hear from you to your feelings to what I’ve written. The Lord loves you and died for you. He became a curse for the world so that we could be His children and rescued from darkness. Brother/sister, you are in darkness. The end times is about to start and there are two places people will go when it is all said and done. Either heaven or hell. Think to what I said. The Lord Jesus died for you so that you could have eternal life of peace and not eternal life of torment and hell. I thank you that you became vulnerable to ask such a question.
Other Issues:
History of Halloween and why Christians should not participate
What the bible has to say about Body Piercing and Tatoos and why we should not do it?
Why Christians should not participate in Yoga
Why Christians should not listen to Rock Music
Why Not to have your children play with Pokemon
Truth BeHind Pokemon
Be Aware...Be Very Aware....
'My people perish for lack of knowledge...' Hosea 4:6a
Know exactly whose side you're on. There is a division. There is a difference between truth and lie. Do not be fools and succumb (willingly, that's worse!) to the devil's wiles. He knows his time is short and thus he's like a lion, seeking whom he may devour. Avoid him and flee. (read 1 Timothy)
This is an interesting article by Doris Wagner* (wife of Peter Wagner) who was here in Singapore in June. She specialises in casting out demons. Here she shares four current concerns - Halloween, Pokemon, Harry Potter, and TV programmes like Buffy.
Pokemon
Just another "fad"? Read on! C Christian perspective...
By Brett Peterson Preacher4truth@earthlink.net
Pokemon - the true power behind Pocket Monsters Pokemon games and Pokemon cards
This is the experience of one family:
"Our firsthand experience with 'Pokemon', specifically the 'Red' and 'Blue' Gameboy Versions, involved William, our 8 year old. A Christian friend gave William the video game for his birthday. Our review of the packaging and the very scanty instructions provided with the game did not raise any red flags, so William began to play the game. The game involves a very intricate journey with fights between little creatures at each step, with the goal of capturing all of the Pokemon. The game created an addiction and anxiety in the child, which made me uncomfortable, but as we had only just purchased the 'Game Boy' toy itself, I figured it was just the nature of video games in general.
Two months into playing the game (it takes about four months to finish), William came to me one morning asking what 'channeling' was. He emotionally spilled out that there were bad spirits and ghosts in his Pokemon game, that channelers were calling forth the spirit of a dead Pokemon's mother, that it was very scary and that he thought it was bad and he should get rid of the game.
William also brought to my attention:
• Sabrina, a character who bends a spoon with her mind
• Leader Koga, who William, says is a warlock
• A girl who roams around asking players if ghosts are real. If the player answers "No", the girl replies "Oh, I guess that white glove you're wearing isn't real". If the player answers "Yes", the girl 'freaked out' according to William.
• The way to increase your 'power' in the game is to drain the life of another 'Clefairy' character who bows down to worship a moon stone.
Only later did I learn that William had been having a recurring bad dream. The morning he came to me, he said he had wakened up from his dream knowing that he had to tell me about what was in the game and that he had to get rid of the game. He never had the dream again. I later studied the official Pokemon guide, a $12 magazine that is purchased at video stores and did indeed find that in the "Pokemon Tower" portion of the game, the Pokemon creatures cannot 'fight' with the game's characters because they are possessed with evil spirits. In fact, the text "I can't fight now, I'm possessed", actually appears on the Game Boy screen. We thank God that he made up for our sloppy parenting! We also thank Him that He has given William a heart for what is right and the ability to discern when power is not coming from the One True God."
This article talks about the occult and many Pagan philosophies and practices - please do not read if this type of discussion scares you - and please pray about what you let your children play with and watch.
What is Pokemon? Sometimes cute little creatures that battle each other. My son and I were trading the cards and playing the game - I observed groups of children role playing the Pokemon characters for a period of four months. I watched the anime (cartoons or japanimation) and I did extensive research into the subtle influences on the whole Pokemon world before I wrote this paper. It is out of much prompting that I finished this and I pray it helps many of you make an informed decision about whether or not Pokemon is a game that you want your children playing with.
Pokemon is the result of influences that are completely mystical. These are just to name a few:
Buddhist Mysticism, Hinduism meditation rituals, Egyptian book of the Dead, Book of Tao, the Analects of Confucius, the Gita, the I Ching, the Tibetian Book of the Dead: All these philosophies influenced Pokemon!
C.G. Jung summarizes all these philosophies in his theory of 'collective unconsciousness', and assures his followers of the congeniality with occultic energy sciences and the evolutionary sciences with the occultic practices and tapping into the water energy, fire energy, leaf energy and wind energy you can achieve spiritual enlightenment and success - all of which are incorporated in Pokemon. Jung draws upon Oriental conceptions of consciousness to broaden the concept of 'projection': Not only the 'wrathful' demons/monster (pocket monsters) but also the 'peaceful' deities/spirits (pikachu's) are conceived as animal projections of the human psyche - the fundamental religious teaching and game play in Pokemon!
Colour energy cards:
In the Tibetan tradition, life is a sort of 'game', and they state that each level of game-existence is associated with a particular colour and also certain geographical symbols. Note the energy cards in Pokemon have colours and elements that also refer powers and positions. In Tibetian teaching, each person (trainer of projections) has to learn to decode his own internal road map. The Tibetian indicators may be used as a starting point. The purpose is clear: one should follow the signs of the three higher types and shun those of the three lower. One should follow light and pleasant visions and shun dark and dreary ones. Look at the Pokemon cards - both are represented and role-played by our children.
Recently, I observed a group of children who were role-playing Pokemon. They were making evil faces and chanting their Pokemon character names over and over! One three year old was chasing another boy almost trance like in expression saying in a deep raspy voice, "Bulbasore attack, Bulbasore, Bulbasore".
Shinto teaches that all such natural features were felt to have a god behind their power. Many Shinto beliefs were incorporated into Japanese Buddhist practices after its introduction in the 6th century. Just as they believe in evolution and re-incarnation, these ideas are manifest in Pokemon. Some of the cards show creatures associated with Satan (dragons, ghosts, wizards etc) and are typical examples of the dark side of Pokemon. Haunter, an evolved spirit, can hypnotise and has 'dream eater' power (powered by the purple Pokemon energy cards which is the psychic energy). This power lets him drain the energy from his opponents. Some eastern and New Age philosophies teach this principle and call spirits that can do 'energy vampires'. This is just the tip of the iceberg! The Pokemon game contains many typologies manifest in the cards that reflect the philosophies of Shinto with mystic Buddhism, in addition to many other beliefs.
Evolving
In Pokemon, the monsters actually die to their old self and evolve into the new, more powerful Pokemon. This is the teaching of eastern mystery religions and is spelled out in the Egyptian book of the Deed and other occult religions.
The Pokemon evolve and take on new characteristics and one (Evee) can evolve into one of two completely different Pokemon. Children are subtly being indoctrinated in the theory of evolution and mysticism in the Pokemon game. What other influences are evident in Pokemon? It gets more unbelievable and shocking as you read on! Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, Satanism, 'New Age' and other occultic influences influence Pokemon. Wicca, or Witchcraft is a popular and fast growing religious practice all over the world today. Most witches/warlocks consider their practice something that is learned by experience not by books. They go through many incredible rituals to become powerful in, the 'craft'. Pokemon trainers must go through a lot of training and ritual type actions to become 'Master Trainers', with the ability to control the Pokemon and their powers.
In Pokemon, trainers summon one of their Pokemon to battle other monsters and they use them as guardians. In Wicca, guardians known as Watchtowers, are called. These spirits (and sometimes animals) are called by them to protect them from 'evil' spirits while they open themselves up to these spirits during rituals - the circle, the pentagram, etc all provide a 'safe' area to practice. (In Pokemon, the monsters are held in a Pokeball until the master summons them). In witchcraft, these spirits are summoned and called to stay in the circle until needed to fight off bad spirits. These guardians in Pagan practice are often the spirits with whom a person feels comfortable, with and has developed some form of a relationship with (in Pokemon the trainers befriend their 'pocket monsters' and develop trusting and advise seeking relationships with them). Possible guardians might be one of the Ancestors, a "spirit guide!' or other spiritual entity (including animal spirits and even real animals - like typical witches black cat) with which the person is familiar.
This is what occurs in Pokemon play - the pocket monsters are captured, trained and summoned as needed.
Most Pagan and earth based religions and philosophies find power in the Four Elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. These are the energy cards in the Pokemon game!
What we are allowing to come into our homes! The elements in Pokemon are foundational to many earth religions and mystic rituals. We draw our power from God, not the earth!
One last example of occultic practices and Pokemon.
In Paganism and the Occult there are spirit guides, messengers and elementals or artificial elementals. They can be summoned to do things for the 'trainer' or practitioner'.
They can:
1. Watch and tell the trainer what it sees
2. Guard the trainer
3. Fight with other spirits or elementals
4. Carry out assignments given by the trainers.
Pagans can capture free elementals (much like Pokemon trainers capture pocket monsters) and build relationships with them for use oust like Pokemon trainers). Witches, shamans etc, recommend only master practitioners do this because you are not masters of the elementals, just like Pokemon trainers are not masters of the pocket monster - and they warn that they can be hard to get rid of and may require an exorcism to become free of a bad one.
Please pray and do what the Lord instructs you to do - it is time to take a stand for God and protect our children from the influences of the enemy! My son is six and we had a whole book of Pokemon cards - after praying about it he made the decision to get rid of his cards, because he could see they were evil!
I am not about to 'abolish the wickedness of Pokemon' - God had me write this paper to alert individuals to the occultic influences and the potential for instilling false beliefs.
My son and I both were enjoying collecting the cards - I made up a cool binder and it was fun trading the Pokemon. Everytime he asked me about the occultic powers, I shrugged and said, "As long as you know that it is from the enemy, God's power is better and different".
Then they began saying some stuff that is my close to the terminology used in occultic rituals - and they somehow got it from Pokemon. So, all I did was research the game and compare it to various religions. There are, as you read, some very clear connections.
In game play, you can open yourself up to a very real power that has one goal - your emotional instability, self-seeking powers, the occult and eventual death.
Yes, Pokemon is cute, fun and the anime cartoon is refreshingly simple - but it is also subtly occultic, and can influence young people to follow the wrong path. Anything that has this potential should not be part of a Christian home.
Other Issues:
History of Halloween and why Christians should not participate
What the bible has to say about Body Piercing and Tatoos and why we should not do it?
Why Christians should not participate in Yoga
Why Christians should not listen to Rock Music
Why Christians should not participate in Dungeons and Dragons and other fanasy games?
Prayers to Break Satanaic Deducation and Covenants
Breaking Satanic Dedication and Covenants
I renounce ever signing my name over to Satan or having my name signed over to Satan. I announce that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. I renounce any ceremony where I may have been wed to Satan, and I announce that I am the Bride of Christ. I renounce all satanic assignments, covenants, pacts and dedications that I made with Satan, or that were made for me. I announce that I am a partaker of the new covenant with Christ.
I reject and renounce all curses and assignments made for me or by me for the service of Satan. (Stop here and renounce any specific pacts remembered.) I trust only in the shed Blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. I look to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
I renounce all guardians and surrogate parents assigned to me by Satanists.
I renounce all baptisms, rituals or teachings by Satanists.
I announce that I have been baptized into Christ Jesus and my identity is now in Christ.
I renounce and reject all demons and familiar spirits attached to any part of me, by Satanists.
I reject all spirit guides assigned to me.
I announce that God is my Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit is my guardian. By this, I am sealed until the day of my redemption.
I accept only God's assignment for me. In Jesus name. Amen.
Used by permission
from http://home.datawest.net/esn-recovery/dee_rp/dee.htm
BREAKING SATANIC DEDICATION AND BLOOD COVENANTS
Counselor's note:
Take every person through this prayer, regardless. Everyone may not be ready to go through this prayer in the first few visits. With ritual abuse survivors, it would be wise to first build a relationship with the person. Ritual survivors usually have been betrayed by every person they ever trusted and you are no different from the rest. It will take time for them to trust you, little by little. They are also feeling a tremendous amount of shame and guilt for what they have done so go very slow and let them lead. Follow the Holy Spirit's guidance. With ritual abuse survivors, you need to get the support of as many internal alters as possible before taking the host or any part through this prayer. You can explain to the internal system why it is necessary to go through this prayer, if you have a relationship with the system. If not, have the host go inside an explain this to the internal system. The host can ask the helper parts to protect the little ones or take them to a safe place. Then they can take steps to ensure the safety of the internal system and the child alters.
You may have to bind any spirits that can cause flashbacks of the rituals. One indication of a problem is when they start to pray, flashbacks start. It should be noted that a flashback can be caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and can occur in abuse, trauma and war survivors. This can also be from an alter that is afraid or from an evil spirit. Take time to investigate what is happening. Read the book listed on MPD.
It is important to know what is causing the problem so you can stop it. You want to stop it but not do any damage in the process. You will need to pray for discernment.
You may have to do some spiritual warfare and pray the "Rule of the Victor" prayer before proceeding. Details about the" Rule of the Victor" prayers are found in notes to Prayer No. 9.
Note, spiritual warfare or binding spirits does not always have to be done out loud. It is effective if done very low or even spoken internally. If the person does not have a problem with binding spirits and spiritual warfare, then by all means do it aloud and have them agree. Most ritual survivors are multiples, (people who have Multiple Personality Disorder). The term Multiple Personality Disorder has been changed to Dissociative Identity Disorder and may be a better term to use with the counselee.
Those with Multiple Personality Disorder or ritual abuse survivors, require special care. Caution is always the way to go in all these cases. An alter personality is a split in the mind and NOT a DEMON. If you don't know the difference between an alter an a demon, then check with someone who has experience with multiplicity and dissociation. If you continue trying to cast an alter out of a multiple, much damage can result and healing is hindered for some time. Their trust will also be damaged. The message to them is that the Church doesn't understand or care. Also, if you know the person is a ritual abuse survivor and you are not sure exactly what to do, then consult with someone experienced in that area. Most non-ritualized survivors of sexual abuse usually do not have a problem with this prayer. Satanic dedications can happen to anyone with or without their knowledge, often as a baby or young child. Most people do not know what took place in their lives as very young children. Someone in the family or relatives may have said evil or occult prayers over him/her when they were babies.
Often, cults are part of the family heritage and have gone on for generations. The family does not see any problem with "passing on the heritage." However, this sets the child up for demonic attack and entanglement later in life. Someone may have made a financial agreement in exchange for some of the baby's blood or dedicated the baby to a false god or Satan. There may have been a dedication before the child was born. Some are cultural rituals as with the American Indians, Pennsylvania Dutch "pow-wow" healers, Spanish Santeria cults, etc. They pray or make dedications to demonic spirit powers.
There are many initiation rites and ceremonies in secret societies that bring curses on people. It is believed that initiation into Mormonism has pacts and vows that can hold a person in bondage and open them to demonic attacks. These need to be renounced and repentance made. Some believe they are actually making a dedication to the Lord God, Yahweh, but they are deceived.
Some parents will take their children to psychic or occult healers when doctors fail them. These methods of healing are satanic and call upon demonic powers for the healing. Satan never gives anything away. He will take off physical sickness and give them mental torment. This often does not show up until some time later.
Children make a blood packs or cut themselves in play, becoming "blood brothers or sisters," copying what they have seen on TV. These activities can have a lasting damaging effect on the participants and their descendants. You can tell the counselee that it is best to be safe and pray this prayer, just in case someone has prayed over them without their knowledge. They don't want to leave any unknown doorways open through which Satan can attack. Explain that only one part of this prayer may apply to them, but we don't know which is the part for them, so have them pray the entire prayer.
Blood pacts, vows and oaths must be renounced and broken. These activities place curses on the participants and open them to torment by evil spirits. Many times, this is done "just for fun" or "it really didn't mean anything." Satan takes a different view of coming to his kingdom for help and will use it as an opportunity to gain evil control over a person. The Lord GOD, Yahweh, also takes a different view of taking part in these activities, see Exodus 20:3-4 and Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
Counselors can have the person pray, renounce and cancel the effects of these curses and dedications. This process is crucial for freedom. After the person has prayed, have them command all spirits that came in with the curses, pacts or dedications to leave in Jesus' name. Afterwards, the person can submit all those areas of themselves to God for cleansing by the Blood of Jesus. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill all places where the spirits were.
Prayer No. 7
THE PRAYER TO BREAK SATANIC DEDICATION AND BLOOD COVENANTS
I RENOUNCE ever signing my name over to Satan or having my name signed over to Satan.
I ANNOUNCE that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
I RENOUNCE any ceremony where I may have been wed to Satan, and
I ANNOUNCE that I am the Bride of Christ. I RENOUNCE all satanic assignments, covenants, pacts and dedications that I made with Satan, or that were made for me.
I ANNOUNCE that I am a partaker of the new covenant with Christ. I now REPENT for ever cutting myself or giving my blood for any assignments, ceremonies or covenants with Satan. (Stop here and renounce any specific pacts remembered, like childhood cutting and mixing of blood with your best friend to be brothers or sisters.)
I RENOUNCE any taking of or use of my blood for satanic rituals before I was old enough to be aware of it.
I CONFESS and RENOUNCE all blood pacts or covenants. I REJECT AND RENOUNCE all curses and assignments made for me or by me for the service of Satan. I trust only in the shed Blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. I look to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
I RENOUNCE ever eating of flesh, or drinking of blood, for satanic worship. I eat only the flesh and drink only the blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ, in Holy Communion, which I understand by faith and was commanded by Jesus to do in remembrance of Him and His sacrifice for me. (Luke 22:17-19).
I RENOUNCE all guardians and surrogate parents assigned to me by Satanists. I RENOUNCE all baptisms, rituals or teachings by Satanists.
I ANNOUNCE that I have been baptized into Christ Jesus and my identity is now in Christ.
I RENOUNCE and REJECT all the demons and familiar spirits placed in me or attached to any part of me, by Satanists.
I REJECT all spirit guides assigned to me.
I REJECT and COMMAND all these evil spirits to leave now in Jesus' name. Father, I ask You in Jesus' name, to send Your holy angels to take these spirits from me and take them to their destiny, which You have ordained.
I ANNOUNCE that God is my Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit is my guardian. By this, I am sealed until the day of my redemption. I accept only God's assignment for me.1 Amen.
1 Part of this prayer is taken from: Neil T. Anderson's video tape entitled "A Counseling Procedure for Leading People Through Steps to Freedom in Christ," and "Steps to Freedom in Christ," Freedom In Christ Ministries, 491 East Lambert Road, La Habra, CA, 90631, 1990. Used by permission.
I renounce ever signing my name over to Satan or having my name signed over to Satan. I announce that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. I renounce any ceremony where I may have been wed to Satan, and I announce that I am the Bride of Christ. I renounce all satanic assignments, covenants, pacts and dedications that I made with Satan, or that were made for me. I announce that I am a partaker of the new covenant with Christ.
I reject and renounce all curses and assignments made for me or by me for the service of Satan. (Stop here and renounce any specific pacts remembered.) I trust only in the shed Blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. I look to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
I renounce all guardians and surrogate parents assigned to me by Satanists.
I renounce all baptisms, rituals or teachings by Satanists.
I announce that I have been baptized into Christ Jesus and my identity is now in Christ.
I renounce and reject all demons and familiar spirits attached to any part of me, by Satanists.
I reject all spirit guides assigned to me.
I announce that God is my Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit is my guardian. By this, I am sealed until the day of my redemption.
I accept only God's assignment for me. In Jesus name. Amen.
Used by permission
from http://home.datawest.net/esn-recovery/dee_rp/dee.htm
BREAKING SATANIC DEDICATION AND BLOOD COVENANTS
Counselor's note:
Take every person through this prayer, regardless. Everyone may not be ready to go through this prayer in the first few visits. With ritual abuse survivors, it would be wise to first build a relationship with the person. Ritual survivors usually have been betrayed by every person they ever trusted and you are no different from the rest. It will take time for them to trust you, little by little. They are also feeling a tremendous amount of shame and guilt for what they have done so go very slow and let them lead. Follow the Holy Spirit's guidance. With ritual abuse survivors, you need to get the support of as many internal alters as possible before taking the host or any part through this prayer. You can explain to the internal system why it is necessary to go through this prayer, if you have a relationship with the system. If not, have the host go inside an explain this to the internal system. The host can ask the helper parts to protect the little ones or take them to a safe place. Then they can take steps to ensure the safety of the internal system and the child alters.
You may have to bind any spirits that can cause flashbacks of the rituals. One indication of a problem is when they start to pray, flashbacks start. It should be noted that a flashback can be caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and can occur in abuse, trauma and war survivors. This can also be from an alter that is afraid or from an evil spirit. Take time to investigate what is happening. Read the book listed on MPD.
It is important to know what is causing the problem so you can stop it. You want to stop it but not do any damage in the process. You will need to pray for discernment.
You may have to do some spiritual warfare and pray the "Rule of the Victor" prayer before proceeding. Details about the" Rule of the Victor" prayers are found in notes to Prayer No. 9.
Note, spiritual warfare or binding spirits does not always have to be done out loud. It is effective if done very low or even spoken internally. If the person does not have a problem with binding spirits and spiritual warfare, then by all means do it aloud and have them agree. Most ritual survivors are multiples, (people who have Multiple Personality Disorder). The term Multiple Personality Disorder has been changed to Dissociative Identity Disorder and may be a better term to use with the counselee.
Those with Multiple Personality Disorder or ritual abuse survivors, require special care. Caution is always the way to go in all these cases. An alter personality is a split in the mind and NOT a DEMON. If you don't know the difference between an alter an a demon, then check with someone who has experience with multiplicity and dissociation. If you continue trying to cast an alter out of a multiple, much damage can result and healing is hindered for some time. Their trust will also be damaged. The message to them is that the Church doesn't understand or care. Also, if you know the person is a ritual abuse survivor and you are not sure exactly what to do, then consult with someone experienced in that area. Most non-ritualized survivors of sexual abuse usually do not have a problem with this prayer. Satanic dedications can happen to anyone with or without their knowledge, often as a baby or young child. Most people do not know what took place in their lives as very young children. Someone in the family or relatives may have said evil or occult prayers over him/her when they were babies.
Often, cults are part of the family heritage and have gone on for generations. The family does not see any problem with "passing on the heritage." However, this sets the child up for demonic attack and entanglement later in life. Someone may have made a financial agreement in exchange for some of the baby's blood or dedicated the baby to a false god or Satan. There may have been a dedication before the child was born. Some are cultural rituals as with the American Indians, Pennsylvania Dutch "pow-wow" healers, Spanish Santeria cults, etc. They pray or make dedications to demonic spirit powers.
There are many initiation rites and ceremonies in secret societies that bring curses on people. It is believed that initiation into Mormonism has pacts and vows that can hold a person in bondage and open them to demonic attacks. These need to be renounced and repentance made. Some believe they are actually making a dedication to the Lord God, Yahweh, but they are deceived.
Some parents will take their children to psychic or occult healers when doctors fail them. These methods of healing are satanic and call upon demonic powers for the healing. Satan never gives anything away. He will take off physical sickness and give them mental torment. This often does not show up until some time later.
Children make a blood packs or cut themselves in play, becoming "blood brothers or sisters," copying what they have seen on TV. These activities can have a lasting damaging effect on the participants and their descendants. You can tell the counselee that it is best to be safe and pray this prayer, just in case someone has prayed over them without their knowledge. They don't want to leave any unknown doorways open through which Satan can attack. Explain that only one part of this prayer may apply to them, but we don't know which is the part for them, so have them pray the entire prayer.
Blood pacts, vows and oaths must be renounced and broken. These activities place curses on the participants and open them to torment by evil spirits. Many times, this is done "just for fun" or "it really didn't mean anything." Satan takes a different view of coming to his kingdom for help and will use it as an opportunity to gain evil control over a person. The Lord GOD, Yahweh, also takes a different view of taking part in these activities, see Exodus 20:3-4 and Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
Counselors can have the person pray, renounce and cancel the effects of these curses and dedications. This process is crucial for freedom. After the person has prayed, have them command all spirits that came in with the curses, pacts or dedications to leave in Jesus' name. Afterwards, the person can submit all those areas of themselves to God for cleansing by the Blood of Jesus. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill all places where the spirits were.
Prayer No. 7
THE PRAYER TO BREAK SATANIC DEDICATION AND BLOOD COVENANTS
I RENOUNCE ever signing my name over to Satan or having my name signed over to Satan.
I ANNOUNCE that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
I RENOUNCE any ceremony where I may have been wed to Satan, and
I ANNOUNCE that I am the Bride of Christ. I RENOUNCE all satanic assignments, covenants, pacts and dedications that I made with Satan, or that were made for me.
I ANNOUNCE that I am a partaker of the new covenant with Christ. I now REPENT for ever cutting myself or giving my blood for any assignments, ceremonies or covenants with Satan. (Stop here and renounce any specific pacts remembered, like childhood cutting and mixing of blood with your best friend to be brothers or sisters.)
I RENOUNCE any taking of or use of my blood for satanic rituals before I was old enough to be aware of it.
I CONFESS and RENOUNCE all blood pacts or covenants. I REJECT AND RENOUNCE all curses and assignments made for me or by me for the service of Satan. I trust only in the shed Blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. I look to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
I RENOUNCE ever eating of flesh, or drinking of blood, for satanic worship. I eat only the flesh and drink only the blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ, in Holy Communion, which I understand by faith and was commanded by Jesus to do in remembrance of Him and His sacrifice for me. (Luke 22:17-19).
I RENOUNCE all guardians and surrogate parents assigned to me by Satanists. I RENOUNCE all baptisms, rituals or teachings by Satanists.
I ANNOUNCE that I have been baptized into Christ Jesus and my identity is now in Christ.
I RENOUNCE and REJECT all the demons and familiar spirits placed in me or attached to any part of me, by Satanists.
I REJECT all spirit guides assigned to me.
I REJECT and COMMAND all these evil spirits to leave now in Jesus' name. Father, I ask You in Jesus' name, to send Your holy angels to take these spirits from me and take them to their destiny, which You have ordained.
I ANNOUNCE that God is my Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit is my guardian. By this, I am sealed until the day of my redemption. I accept only God's assignment for me.1 Amen.
1 Part of this prayer is taken from: Neil T. Anderson's video tape entitled "A Counseling Procedure for Leading People Through Steps to Freedom in Christ," and "Steps to Freedom in Christ," Freedom In Christ Ministries, 491 East Lambert Road, La Habra, CA, 90631, 1990. Used by permission.
Astral Projection and Diviination and Renunciation
ASTRAL PROJECTION AND DIVINATION - Below are Renunciations
Astral projection: Instructions for those involved in astral projection or divination
ASTRAL PROJECTION or soul travel is an occult practice, an out of body experience produced through meditation or witchcraft. It is an occult practice and powered by evil spirits. Once a person takes this soulish control over his/her spirit, they can enter the spirit realm any time and talk to demons. We are to be under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit. These people need to repent and be in godly meditation on Scriptures.
DO THIS AFTER TAKING THEM THROUGH THE PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM OCCULT SINS:
Those who have been involved in astral projection should be instructed that astral projection is accomplished by demonic powers. These people have yielded their bodies to Satan's use. This ability is not from God no matter how pleasant the experience. On the back of their heads at the point where the top of the spine and the base of the skull meet is the place where the astral projected body or soul body leaves the physical body. Bind all spirits that came in to help this person or give them power to accomplish soul travel. Command these spirits to leave in Jesus' name. You need to get their permission to anoint them on the back of the head and close this opening. Explain to them that when you anoint this spot, they will no longer have the ability to astral project. When they are ready, anoint the back of their head, then COMMAND that opening sealed, never to be opened again, in Jesus' name.
PLEASE NOTE!!!: Astral projection is a conscious use of soul power empowered by forces of darkness. Out of body experiences due to trauma, accidents or near death experiences are not occult practices. Out of body experiences caused by trauma, are usually not under the person's control. Leaving the body in trauma is called dissociation. This is caused by severe stress or trauma. Dissociation occurs when a child or person is being hurt and the pain is too great to bear. They believe they are going to die. This is a stress coping mechanism. Most abuse survivors are unaware of how they leave their body. Refer to Dr. Friesen's book on Multiple Personality Disorder for an excellent explanation of dissociation and Multiple Personality Disorder. See introductory notes for title.
There is a chart in Dr. Friesen's book giving the criteria for determining if a person has Multiple Personality Disorder. This book also contains ways to distinguish between MPD alter personalities and demons. Dissociation or splitting of the mind is a survival ability built into humans, a coping mechanism. It can be dysfunctional if it is used to cope with every stress that comes along rather than facing it. This opens the door for demonic attachment. There is always a chance for an evil spirit to slip in while a person is unconscious and out of control of his/her mind or body, because of an accident. This has nothing to do with the person sinning. There was simply no control or protection over their minds. Demonic attacks of the mind can also happen when mind altering drugs are used and the person loses control over his/her mind. We are instructed in Scripture to guard our minds. If a person tells of trouble or torment starting soon after being unconscious from an accident, then a spirit may have taken up residence there. Have them renounce the spirit that came in from the accident and command it to leave, in Jesus' name.
You can instruct people who are going to be put to sleep for medical reasons to protect their minds from demonic attack by pleading the Blood of Jesus over the minds. It is always a wise practice to have Christians praying for them during such procedures.
Evil spirits often gain entrance during times of sexual, ritual abuse and torture. Some rituals are done specifically to place demons in the person. When evil spirits are found, they should be bound and cast out. The person did not invite them in and it usually was not the result of a sinful action. A curse usually binds the demon in a person who is a ritual abuse survivor. The person may or may not know anything about the curse. This is done so the person cannot get free. It is only with the power and revelation of the Holy Spirit that these curses are found. Anoint them and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to them, information concerning the curse or demons that entered or were placed in them. The curse binds the demon to the person. This gives the demon a legal spiritual right to stay and torment. Curses that are found have to be broken before the demons will leave. Simply have the person renounce the curses in Jesus' name and command it to be broken. Then, command any spirits that came in while this person was unconscious, tortured or abused, to be bound and leave, in Jesus' name. You can also command the demon not to tear the person as it leaves. Sometimes, there are familiar spirits that have come down family lines or have been with the person for a long time and are very familiar with them. You can also command these familiar spirits to leave. I have found it very useful at times to ask the Father, in Jesus' name, to send an angel to come to take this familiar spirit to its destiny.
Counselor's notes on divination
Those who have been involved in divination, fortune telling, or have the ability to see into the spirit realm any time they choose, probably have a spirit of divination. They have opened the occult "third eye." The "third eye" is a supernatural eye that is on the forehead between the natural eyes. This is how fortune tellers, astrologers, witches and mediums get supernatural knowledge and can see into the future. The occult "third eye," used to look into the supernatural realm operates by demonic powers. If there is something God wants to show a person, then He will reveal it to them. In this case, it will be at His direction and under His control for a specific time or task. The ability to see into the supernatural realm has to be under God's control and direction because Satan will seduce mortals into the sinful use of this power. God does not want us to have anything to do with occult or psychic power. See Deuteronomy 18:10-13. Explain to the person that the source of this power is from the devil and not God. As you can see from Deuteronomy, God is not pleased with those who practice this. See also Exodus 20:3-4.
People who can see into the supernatural realm may be resistant to giving up this ability. They must give up this ability if they want to be free and have peace with God. The person has to renounce this practice and repent. It is always their choice. If they resist or argue about giving up this practice, they are not ready for ministry so stop until they can give it up. This is a rebellious spirit, not a humble spirit of someone who is truly sorry for dabbling in the occult. Explain to them the results of their making this decision, with gentleness and love; always being ready to help them when they are ready. Sometimes, teaching is necessary. Have them read God's Word and pray about this matter. God promised to deliver us from our enemies, not our friends.
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Renunciation Prayers for Astro Projection and Divination:
Counselor:. Bind all spirits that came in to help this person or give them power to accomplish soul travel. I bind all witchcraft demons that might interfer with this session of renuncation. I command the angels of God to hold back any interference from the demonic realm outside of this person or inside her. I break all .....
Person Being Ministered to:
I renounce and repent for participating and allowing Satan and all all his demons of occultism to use my body for Astro Projection willingly and unknowingly.
Counselor: I bind, the spirits of astro projection and occultic spirits that came in to help this person or give them power to accomplish soul travel. I Command, break the power and cast out these spirits to leave in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. NOTE: You need to get their permission to anoint them on the back of the head and close this opening.
In the name of JESUS OF NAZARETH, I CUT AND BURN ALL UNGODLY SILVER CORDS AND LEY LINES attached to this person.
-----
I renounce the spirit of disociation and renounce the spirits of Dissociative Identity Disorder.
I renounce the spirit of Dissociation to cope as a false pathway to peace.
Counselor: I command and cast all spirits of dissociation, spirits of identity disorder to leave now in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth.
I renounce all spirits of fear, tormenting spirits and spirits of insanity that came in through trauma and through familiar spirits of iniquity back to adam and eve on both sides of my family. I repent for agreeing with fear and allowing fear to rule my life instead of trusting in God and having the lack of faith in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Counselor: I command, break and cast out the spirits of fear and all its underlings, the spirits of torment, victimization spirits, projected fear of the future, fear of tomorrow, fear of punishment, fear of evil spirits, fear of God or fear of man, fear of insanity. I cammend and cast out all spirits of fear that create flashbacks to bring torment of the mind in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. I break and cast out all programming, record and replay spirits and all triggers in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
I repent and renounce and ask for your forgiveness for allowing my body to be used sexually and in rituals. Lord, I also forgive all that sexually abused me in all forms or fashion, or tortured me. I forgive all I know _____________ and everyone I don't know from my heart. I ask you to forgive me for my bitterness, unforgiveness, Resentment, Anger/Wrath, Hate, Violence and Murder, Programming, Record and Replay.
Counselor: I cammend and cast out of you evil spirits, curses, vows, judgments that have legal rights and familiar spirits back to Adam and Eve on both sides of _____________, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. I commend the spirit of Bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, anger/wrath, hate, violence and murder, programming, record/replay to leave now in the name of Jesus of Nazareth by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
I renounce, take responsibility for me and my generations back to Adam and Eve on both sides of my family (birthed or foster parents) and I repent for me participating in occultism and all my ancestors back to adam and eve with the spirits of divination and occultism and the power demons that came in me to give me this power in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
I also renounce, take responsibility and repent for "All spirits of darkness and divination.
The counselor "I break, I command and cast out the spirits of darkness, divination and occultism to come out of (person's name) and leave and never return, in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth." NOTE: Do this until the person has peace in their minds.
I renounce and seal the "third eye" opening to the spirit realm. I command by the spirit the seal or close the "third eye, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
counselor:I command, break the power and cast out the spirits around the open eye, communication demons and spirits of occultism and all its underlings and networking demons. I anoint the center of the forehead I command that "the third eye" permanently closed, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth who has anointed me with power through the HOly Spirit to close the third eye to never be open again in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Astral projection: Instructions for those involved in astral projection or divination
ASTRAL PROJECTION or soul travel is an occult practice, an out of body experience produced through meditation or witchcraft. It is an occult practice and powered by evil spirits. Once a person takes this soulish control over his/her spirit, they can enter the spirit realm any time and talk to demons. We are to be under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit. These people need to repent and be in godly meditation on Scriptures.
DO THIS AFTER TAKING THEM THROUGH THE PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM OCCULT SINS:
Those who have been involved in astral projection should be instructed that astral projection is accomplished by demonic powers. These people have yielded their bodies to Satan's use. This ability is not from God no matter how pleasant the experience. On the back of their heads at the point where the top of the spine and the base of the skull meet is the place where the astral projected body or soul body leaves the physical body. Bind all spirits that came in to help this person or give them power to accomplish soul travel. Command these spirits to leave in Jesus' name. You need to get their permission to anoint them on the back of the head and close this opening. Explain to them that when you anoint this spot, they will no longer have the ability to astral project. When they are ready, anoint the back of their head, then COMMAND that opening sealed, never to be opened again, in Jesus' name.
PLEASE NOTE!!!: Astral projection is a conscious use of soul power empowered by forces of darkness. Out of body experiences due to trauma, accidents or near death experiences are not occult practices. Out of body experiences caused by trauma, are usually not under the person's control. Leaving the body in trauma is called dissociation. This is caused by severe stress or trauma. Dissociation occurs when a child or person is being hurt and the pain is too great to bear. They believe they are going to die. This is a stress coping mechanism. Most abuse survivors are unaware of how they leave their body. Refer to Dr. Friesen's book on Multiple Personality Disorder for an excellent explanation of dissociation and Multiple Personality Disorder. See introductory notes for title.
There is a chart in Dr. Friesen's book giving the criteria for determining if a person has Multiple Personality Disorder. This book also contains ways to distinguish between MPD alter personalities and demons. Dissociation or splitting of the mind is a survival ability built into humans, a coping mechanism. It can be dysfunctional if it is used to cope with every stress that comes along rather than facing it. This opens the door for demonic attachment. There is always a chance for an evil spirit to slip in while a person is unconscious and out of control of his/her mind or body, because of an accident. This has nothing to do with the person sinning. There was simply no control or protection over their minds. Demonic attacks of the mind can also happen when mind altering drugs are used and the person loses control over his/her mind. We are instructed in Scripture to guard our minds. If a person tells of trouble or torment starting soon after being unconscious from an accident, then a spirit may have taken up residence there. Have them renounce the spirit that came in from the accident and command it to leave, in Jesus' name.
You can instruct people who are going to be put to sleep for medical reasons to protect their minds from demonic attack by pleading the Blood of Jesus over the minds. It is always a wise practice to have Christians praying for them during such procedures.
Evil spirits often gain entrance during times of sexual, ritual abuse and torture. Some rituals are done specifically to place demons in the person. When evil spirits are found, they should be bound and cast out. The person did not invite them in and it usually was not the result of a sinful action. A curse usually binds the demon in a person who is a ritual abuse survivor. The person may or may not know anything about the curse. This is done so the person cannot get free. It is only with the power and revelation of the Holy Spirit that these curses are found. Anoint them and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to them, information concerning the curse or demons that entered or were placed in them. The curse binds the demon to the person. This gives the demon a legal spiritual right to stay and torment. Curses that are found have to be broken before the demons will leave. Simply have the person renounce the curses in Jesus' name and command it to be broken. Then, command any spirits that came in while this person was unconscious, tortured or abused, to be bound and leave, in Jesus' name. You can also command the demon not to tear the person as it leaves. Sometimes, there are familiar spirits that have come down family lines or have been with the person for a long time and are very familiar with them. You can also command these familiar spirits to leave. I have found it very useful at times to ask the Father, in Jesus' name, to send an angel to come to take this familiar spirit to its destiny.
Counselor's notes on divination
Those who have been involved in divination, fortune telling, or have the ability to see into the spirit realm any time they choose, probably have a spirit of divination. They have opened the occult "third eye." The "third eye" is a supernatural eye that is on the forehead between the natural eyes. This is how fortune tellers, astrologers, witches and mediums get supernatural knowledge and can see into the future. The occult "third eye," used to look into the supernatural realm operates by demonic powers. If there is something God wants to show a person, then He will reveal it to them. In this case, it will be at His direction and under His control for a specific time or task. The ability to see into the supernatural realm has to be under God's control and direction because Satan will seduce mortals into the sinful use of this power. God does not want us to have anything to do with occult or psychic power. See Deuteronomy 18:10-13. Explain to the person that the source of this power is from the devil and not God. As you can see from Deuteronomy, God is not pleased with those who practice this. See also Exodus 20:3-4.
People who can see into the supernatural realm may be resistant to giving up this ability. They must give up this ability if they want to be free and have peace with God. The person has to renounce this practice and repent. It is always their choice. If they resist or argue about giving up this practice, they are not ready for ministry so stop until they can give it up. This is a rebellious spirit, not a humble spirit of someone who is truly sorry for dabbling in the occult. Explain to them the results of their making this decision, with gentleness and love; always being ready to help them when they are ready. Sometimes, teaching is necessary. Have them read God's Word and pray about this matter. God promised to deliver us from our enemies, not our friends.
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Renunciation Prayers for Astro Projection and Divination:
Counselor:. Bind all spirits that came in to help this person or give them power to accomplish soul travel. I bind all witchcraft demons that might interfer with this session of renuncation. I command the angels of God to hold back any interference from the demonic realm outside of this person or inside her. I break all .....
Person Being Ministered to:
I renounce and repent for participating and allowing Satan and all all his demons of occultism to use my body for Astro Projection willingly and unknowingly.
Counselor: I bind, the spirits of astro projection and occultic spirits that came in to help this person or give them power to accomplish soul travel. I Command, break the power and cast out these spirits to leave in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. NOTE: You need to get their permission to anoint them on the back of the head and close this opening.
In the name of JESUS OF NAZARETH, I CUT AND BURN ALL UNGODLY SILVER CORDS AND LEY LINES attached to this person.
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I renounce the spirit of disociation and renounce the spirits of Dissociative Identity Disorder.
I renounce the spirit of Dissociation to cope as a false pathway to peace.
Counselor: I command and cast all spirits of dissociation, spirits of identity disorder to leave now in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth.
I renounce all spirits of fear, tormenting spirits and spirits of insanity that came in through trauma and through familiar spirits of iniquity back to adam and eve on both sides of my family. I repent for agreeing with fear and allowing fear to rule my life instead of trusting in God and having the lack of faith in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Counselor: I command, break and cast out the spirits of fear and all its underlings, the spirits of torment, victimization spirits, projected fear of the future, fear of tomorrow, fear of punishment, fear of evil spirits, fear of God or fear of man, fear of insanity. I cammend and cast out all spirits of fear that create flashbacks to bring torment of the mind in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. I break and cast out all programming, record and replay spirits and all triggers in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
I repent and renounce and ask for your forgiveness for allowing my body to be used sexually and in rituals. Lord, I also forgive all that sexually abused me in all forms or fashion, or tortured me. I forgive all I know _____________ and everyone I don't know from my heart. I ask you to forgive me for my bitterness, unforgiveness, Resentment, Anger/Wrath, Hate, Violence and Murder, Programming, Record and Replay.
Counselor: I cammend and cast out of you evil spirits, curses, vows, judgments that have legal rights and familiar spirits back to Adam and Eve on both sides of _____________, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. I commend the spirit of Bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, anger/wrath, hate, violence and murder, programming, record/replay to leave now in the name of Jesus of Nazareth by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
I renounce, take responsibility for me and my generations back to Adam and Eve on both sides of my family (birthed or foster parents) and I repent for me participating in occultism and all my ancestors back to adam and eve with the spirits of divination and occultism and the power demons that came in me to give me this power in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
I also renounce, take responsibility and repent for "All spirits of darkness and divination.
The counselor "I break, I command and cast out the spirits of darkness, divination and occultism to come out of (person's name) and leave and never return, in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth." NOTE: Do this until the person has peace in their minds.
I renounce and seal the "third eye" opening to the spirit realm. I command by the spirit the seal or close the "third eye, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
counselor:I command, break the power and cast out the spirits around the open eye, communication demons and spirits of occultism and all its underlings and networking demons. I anoint the center of the forehead I command that "the third eye" permanently closed, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth who has anointed me with power through the HOly Spirit to close the third eye to never be open again in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Silver Cords and Lay Lines
SILVER CORDS AND LAY LINES
Lay (ley) lines is the term used by witches, etc, to communicate with each other telepathically. Don't really know which spelling is correct, but the demons understand when you cut them, in the name of Jesus.
The silver cord is the term they use for their out of body experiences (astral projection) when they pop in on you to spy on you or cause you harm - visibly or invisibly. If someone or something materializes in your home, cut the silver cord, in the name of Jesus. They will disappear immediately.
Just say this, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I CUT AND BURN ALL UNGODLY SILVER CORDS AND LEY LINES.
Another meaning of LEY LINES -
Satanic Sacred Geography has drawn "Ley Lines" throughout the earth, and South Africa has many of them. What are Ley Lines? Satanists believe the earth is pulsating with a rhythmic electrical current -- called "Earth Energies" -- and that this current follows lines that are known as "Ley Lines". Listen to one explanation:
"Ley lines are underground geodesic force lines, which often run under megaliths such as Stone Henge, or in the case of South Africa, under ancient Monoliths ..."
"Ley-lines are subtle energy paths across the Earth's surface ... maps have been created showing a veritable spider's web of ley-lines connecting Neolithic sites."
For many centuries, occultists of the highest attainment have followed the ley lines around the world, and have even drawn their location all over the world. While the term "Ley Lines" is fairly recent, the concept is many centuries old. Occultists believe that certain Ley Lines form Portals or Vortexes which allow inter-dimensional travel and transfer. ["The Planetary Grid,Ley Lines,Vortexes & Interdimensional Portals".
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I CUT AND BURN ALL UNGODLY SILVER CORDS AND LEY LINES.
Lay (ley) lines is the term used by witches, etc, to communicate with each other telepathically. Don't really know which spelling is correct, but the demons understand when you cut them, in the name of Jesus.
The silver cord is the term they use for their out of body experiences (astral projection) when they pop in on you to spy on you or cause you harm - visibly or invisibly. If someone or something materializes in your home, cut the silver cord, in the name of Jesus. They will disappear immediately.
Just say this, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I CUT AND BURN ALL UNGODLY SILVER CORDS AND LEY LINES.
Another meaning of LEY LINES -
Satanic Sacred Geography has drawn "Ley Lines" throughout the earth, and South Africa has many of them. What are Ley Lines? Satanists believe the earth is pulsating with a rhythmic electrical current -- called "Earth Energies" -- and that this current follows lines that are known as "Ley Lines". Listen to one explanation:
"Ley lines are underground geodesic force lines, which often run under megaliths such as Stone Henge, or in the case of South Africa, under ancient Monoliths ..."
"Ley-lines are subtle energy paths across the Earth's surface ... maps have been created showing a veritable spider's web of ley-lines connecting Neolithic sites."
For many centuries, occultists of the highest attainment have followed the ley lines around the world, and have even drawn their location all over the world. While the term "Ley Lines" is fairly recent, the concept is many centuries old. Occultists believe that certain Ley Lines form Portals or Vortexes which allow inter-dimensional travel and transfer. ["The Planetary Grid,Ley Lines,Vortexes & Interdimensional Portals".
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I CUT AND BURN ALL UNGODLY SILVER CORDS AND LEY LINES.
Renunciation of the Mormon Church
Prayer of Renunciation of the Mormon Church
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son. I admit that I was involved in false teachings in the Mormon Church and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for your blood that cleanses and sanctifies me. Thank you for your word that is the truth, and that the truth sets me free.
I renounce my faith in the book of Mormon, compiled by Joseph Smith, based on a meeting with the angel Moroni. I admit that I have sinned by adding this book to the word of God. I renounce my belief that this book of Mormon is the verification and witness of the Bible, and I sever myself from all of Joseph Smith’s false teachings. I renounce the two prince spirits that rule over the Mormon Church, namely Moroni and Manasseh. I cut myself loose from these two spirits in the name of Jesus.
• I renounce the teaching that the godhead is three separate units.
• I renounce the teaching that God has a body of flesh and is thus limited to one place at a specific time.
• I renounce the teaching that Jesus is the first born of God’s children and that His position as God is attributed only to His obedience.
• I renounce the teaching that Jesus’ work of reconciliation is not for the salvation of souls, but to save earth from death.
• I renounce the teaching that Jesus died only for Adam’s sin.
• I renounce the teaching that our sins can only be washed away through baptism.
• I renounce the teaching that The Holy Spirit is limited to one place at a specific time only.
• I renounce the teaching that the Holy Spirit is the purest and most refined of all substances, a godly liquid.
• I renounce the teaching that every person is a god over his spiritual subordinates.
I confess that God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, although they function as separate personalities. I confess that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. His sacrifice was perfect and complete! I renounce the teaching that the fall of man has no effect on mankind and that every person will pay only for his own sin.
I renounce the teaching that the fall of man brought eternal joy and happiness. I admit that according to the work of God, we are conceived and born in sin and that without repentance the wages of sin is death.
I renounce the book of Mormon as false scripture and I renounce my belief that this book is the verification and witness of the Bible. Father, your word declares in Rev. 22:18-19 that cursed is the person who adds, takes away or cancels your word. I now ask your forgiveness for these practices and ask you to release me from the following curses:
• That you will lay upon me the plagues, afflictions and calamities recorded in the book of Revelation
• That You will cancel and take away from me my share in the tree of life
• That You will cancel and take away from me eternal life in the city of holiness.
Thank you for setting me free and for breaking these curses over my life. I sever myself from all of Joseph Smith’s false teachings. I declare that I have eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ and that I can partake of the tree of life.
Furthermore I renounce my baptismal covenants and all priesthood blessings I received. As a former temple Mormon I renounce all temple oaths and covenants that I have made. I also renounce the temple marriages as sin. I renounce my patriarchal blessings as the sin of mediumship.
Using the sword of the Spirit I now cut myself off from the strongmen:
• Mormo, God of the ghouls and the dead
• The spirit of Moroni
• The spirit of priestcraft
• The spirit of bishopric
• The religious spirit
• The false prophet in the heavenlies
• The perverse spirit
• The spirit of error
• The spirit of confusion
• The spirit of whoredoms
• Spirits of lies and deception
• The seducing spirit
• All doctrines of demons
• The spirit of divination
• The beguiling spirits
• The spirit of mind control and occult mind control
• The spirit of the false Christs and the anti Christ
• All familiar spirits
In the might and all conquering name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Amen!
I renounce the teaching that through baptism I receive eternal life.
I renounce the lie that the living may be baptized on behalf of the dead. I confess that baptism by submission is a step of obedience and not a requirement for salvation.
I renounce the teaching that there is a highest heaven where the most exemplary believers shall live and reign over the other believers in the same relationship that God the Father has with us.
I renounce believing that there is a second heaven where backslidden believers, those who did not accept God and those who did not abide by the law, shall live. I renounce believing that there is a place (perdition) prepared only for Satan, His fallen angels and those who committed unforgivable sins.
I confess that there is a hell where Satan, His fallen angels and those who did not accept Jesus Christ, will stay for eternity.
I confess that there is a heaven where the saved souls shall live until God has created the new earth and New Jerusalem.
I renounce the principal of bigamy and polygamy and the implication that the number of wives is an indication of the level of spirituality. (The more wives, the greater his reward in paradise!)
I renounce the teaching that no woman can obtain heavenly splendor without her husband, likewise can no man obtain it without having at least one wife.
I renounce the two principal councils that form the church, namely Aaron’s priesthood and the order of Melchizedek. I acknowledge that God’s word teaches that every believer is a priest, a prophet and a king.
I renounce the sin of priest craft. (Males only)
I sever myself from the Mormon Church in the name of Jesus. Thank you Lord. I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony! (Rev. 12:11) I confess that I have been involved in false teachings and I ask forgiveness for worshipping demon spirits.
I further renounce every teaching of the church of the Latter Day Saints, because it is a false religion.
I renounce Joseph Smith as a false prophet.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son. I admit that I was involved in false teachings in the Mormon Church and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for your blood that cleanses and sanctifies me. Thank you for your word that is the truth, and that the truth sets me free.
I renounce my faith in the book of Mormon, compiled by Joseph Smith, based on a meeting with the angel Moroni. I admit that I have sinned by adding this book to the word of God. I renounce my belief that this book of Mormon is the verification and witness of the Bible, and I sever myself from all of Joseph Smith’s false teachings. I renounce the two prince spirits that rule over the Mormon Church, namely Moroni and Manasseh. I cut myself loose from these two spirits in the name of Jesus.
• I renounce the teaching that the godhead is three separate units.
• I renounce the teaching that God has a body of flesh and is thus limited to one place at a specific time.
• I renounce the teaching that Jesus is the first born of God’s children and that His position as God is attributed only to His obedience.
• I renounce the teaching that Jesus’ work of reconciliation is not for the salvation of souls, but to save earth from death.
• I renounce the teaching that Jesus died only for Adam’s sin.
• I renounce the teaching that our sins can only be washed away through baptism.
• I renounce the teaching that The Holy Spirit is limited to one place at a specific time only.
• I renounce the teaching that the Holy Spirit is the purest and most refined of all substances, a godly liquid.
• I renounce the teaching that every person is a god over his spiritual subordinates.
I confess that God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, although they function as separate personalities. I confess that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. His sacrifice was perfect and complete! I renounce the teaching that the fall of man has no effect on mankind and that every person will pay only for his own sin.
I renounce the teaching that the fall of man brought eternal joy and happiness. I admit that according to the work of God, we are conceived and born in sin and that without repentance the wages of sin is death.
I renounce the book of Mormon as false scripture and I renounce my belief that this book is the verification and witness of the Bible. Father, your word declares in Rev. 22:18-19 that cursed is the person who adds, takes away or cancels your word. I now ask your forgiveness for these practices and ask you to release me from the following curses:
• That you will lay upon me the plagues, afflictions and calamities recorded in the book of Revelation
• That You will cancel and take away from me my share in the tree of life
• That You will cancel and take away from me eternal life in the city of holiness.
Thank you for setting me free and for breaking these curses over my life. I sever myself from all of Joseph Smith’s false teachings. I declare that I have eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ and that I can partake of the tree of life.
Furthermore I renounce my baptismal covenants and all priesthood blessings I received. As a former temple Mormon I renounce all temple oaths and covenants that I have made. I also renounce the temple marriages as sin. I renounce my patriarchal blessings as the sin of mediumship.
Using the sword of the Spirit I now cut myself off from the strongmen:
• Mormo, God of the ghouls and the dead
• The spirit of Moroni
• The spirit of priestcraft
• The spirit of bishopric
• The religious spirit
• The false prophet in the heavenlies
• The perverse spirit
• The spirit of error
• The spirit of confusion
• The spirit of whoredoms
• Spirits of lies and deception
• The seducing spirit
• All doctrines of demons
• The spirit of divination
• The beguiling spirits
• The spirit of mind control and occult mind control
• The spirit of the false Christs and the anti Christ
• All familiar spirits
In the might and all conquering name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Amen!
I renounce the teaching that through baptism I receive eternal life.
I renounce the lie that the living may be baptized on behalf of the dead. I confess that baptism by submission is a step of obedience and not a requirement for salvation.
I renounce the teaching that there is a highest heaven where the most exemplary believers shall live and reign over the other believers in the same relationship that God the Father has with us.
I renounce believing that there is a second heaven where backslidden believers, those who did not accept God and those who did not abide by the law, shall live. I renounce believing that there is a place (perdition) prepared only for Satan, His fallen angels and those who committed unforgivable sins.
I confess that there is a hell where Satan, His fallen angels and those who did not accept Jesus Christ, will stay for eternity.
I confess that there is a heaven where the saved souls shall live until God has created the new earth and New Jerusalem.
I renounce the principal of bigamy and polygamy and the implication that the number of wives is an indication of the level of spirituality. (The more wives, the greater his reward in paradise!)
I renounce the teaching that no woman can obtain heavenly splendor without her husband, likewise can no man obtain it without having at least one wife.
I renounce the two principal councils that form the church, namely Aaron’s priesthood and the order of Melchizedek. I acknowledge that God’s word teaches that every believer is a priest, a prophet and a king.
I renounce the sin of priest craft. (Males only)
I sever myself from the Mormon Church in the name of Jesus. Thank you Lord. I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony! (Rev. 12:11) I confess that I have been involved in false teachings and I ask forgiveness for worshipping demon spirits.
I further renounce every teaching of the church of the Latter Day Saints, because it is a false religion.
I renounce Joseph Smith as a false prophet.
Renouncing Specific Cult/Occult Strongholds
Confession and Deliverance From Specific Cult/Occult Strongholds(to be prayed outloud)
Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You to renounce all sinful, practices and idolatry of seeking information, knowledge, healing, comfort, identity or power from any occult, cult, psychic or secret source. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me from any areas where I have allowed Satan to enter my life.
I renounce being involved in or in contact with secret lodges or societies such as Freemasonry and their organizations, the Eastern Star, Rosicrucians, Edgar Cayce's teachings and readings, Erhard Seminars Training (EST), Scientology, Eastern mysticism, Spiritism, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, Unitarians, The Way, Unification Church, Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, Intercontinental Church of God, Living Church of God [name any other Armstrong group you were in], the New Age and its practices or any religion or organization of an occult nature.
I renounce ever reading books about the black arts, parapsychology, magic, satanic rituals, including the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, the Satanic Bible, books on false religions, books written by Herbert W. Armstrong, Gerald Flurry (mention any other leader of Armstrong splinter you were involved with that has claimed special revelation from God) and other satanic books and writings.
I renounce all sins of divination, including: palm reading, fortune telling, tarot card reading, tea leaf reading, the crystal ball or crystal gazing, candle gazing, Ouija Board, ESP, telepathy, horoscopes, automatic hand writing or spirit writing, astrology, water divining, the rod and pendulum.
I renounce trance channeling, consulting familiar spirits, clairvoyance, communication with the dead, séances, consulting counselors from the spirit realm, consulting wizards, ascended masters, spirit guides, wise masters, cult leaders, fortune tellers, witches, shamans, mediums or spiritists.
I renounce all demonic, occult or psychic healing practices, including pow-wow healing, charming to heal, pendulum healing, magic healing, psychic healing, magnetism or Mesmerism.
I renounce all use of occult power, casting spells or witchcraft, voodoo, black and white magic, Santeria and other forms of local witchcraft.
I renounce magical or occult hypnosis, metaphysics or mind science, yoga, transcendental meditation, sorcery, astral projection and soul travel, table lifting or levitation, using pyramid power, mind control or mind manipulation, amulets and charms, power crystals and religious medals.
I renounce heavy metal music, satanic rock and black rock, watching occult movies and all demonic role-play games, such as Dungeons and Dragons.
I renounce all secret oaths to pagan (false) gods as part of initiation ceremony into organizations, fraternities, sororities and other organizations, which practice these ceremonies.
I renounce and repent of ever taking part in any of these practices or organizations.
I ask You Father, to forgive and restore me, in Jesus' name. Amen
Prayer of Cleansing for Participating in the Occult
(to be prayed outloud)
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess all occult sins of seeking from Satan, the help that should come only from You.
I repent of all these sins of occultism, idolatry and any oath I may have made to any false gods and ask to be forgiven.
I repent for seeking aid, knowledge, power or comfort from the kingdom of darkness.
I repent and renounce those occult sins and idolatry that I cannot remember. I close all doors or openings in my life to all occult and psychic practices and spirits of darkness.
I ask You, Heavenly Father, to seal them with the precious shed Blood of Jesus Christ, never to be opened again. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You to renounce all sinful, practices and idolatry of seeking information, knowledge, healing, comfort, identity or power from any occult, cult, psychic or secret source. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me from any areas where I have allowed Satan to enter my life.
I renounce being involved in or in contact with secret lodges or societies such as Freemasonry and their organizations, the Eastern Star, Rosicrucians, Edgar Cayce's teachings and readings, Erhard Seminars Training (EST), Scientology, Eastern mysticism, Spiritism, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, Unitarians, The Way, Unification Church, Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, Intercontinental Church of God, Living Church of God [name any other Armstrong group you were in], the New Age and its practices or any religion or organization of an occult nature.
I renounce ever reading books about the black arts, parapsychology, magic, satanic rituals, including the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, the Satanic Bible, books on false religions, books written by Herbert W. Armstrong, Gerald Flurry (mention any other leader of Armstrong splinter you were involved with that has claimed special revelation from God) and other satanic books and writings.
I renounce all sins of divination, including: palm reading, fortune telling, tarot card reading, tea leaf reading, the crystal ball or crystal gazing, candle gazing, Ouija Board, ESP, telepathy, horoscopes, automatic hand writing or spirit writing, astrology, water divining, the rod and pendulum.
I renounce trance channeling, consulting familiar spirits, clairvoyance, communication with the dead, séances, consulting counselors from the spirit realm, consulting wizards, ascended masters, spirit guides, wise masters, cult leaders, fortune tellers, witches, shamans, mediums or spiritists.
I renounce all demonic, occult or psychic healing practices, including pow-wow healing, charming to heal, pendulum healing, magic healing, psychic healing, magnetism or Mesmerism.
I renounce all use of occult power, casting spells or witchcraft, voodoo, black and white magic, Santeria and other forms of local witchcraft.
I renounce magical or occult hypnosis, metaphysics or mind science, yoga, transcendental meditation, sorcery, astral projection and soul travel, table lifting or levitation, using pyramid power, mind control or mind manipulation, amulets and charms, power crystals and religious medals.
I renounce heavy metal music, satanic rock and black rock, watching occult movies and all demonic role-play games, such as Dungeons and Dragons.
I renounce all secret oaths to pagan (false) gods as part of initiation ceremony into organizations, fraternities, sororities and other organizations, which practice these ceremonies.
I renounce and repent of ever taking part in any of these practices or organizations.
I ask You Father, to forgive and restore me, in Jesus' name. Amen
Prayer of Cleansing for Participating in the Occult
(to be prayed outloud)
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess all occult sins of seeking from Satan, the help that should come only from You.
I repent of all these sins of occultism, idolatry and any oath I may have made to any false gods and ask to be forgiven.
I repent for seeking aid, knowledge, power or comfort from the kingdom of darkness.
I repent and renounce those occult sins and idolatry that I cannot remember. I close all doors or openings in my life to all occult and psychic practices and spirits of darkness.
I ask You, Heavenly Father, to seal them with the precious shed Blood of Jesus Christ, never to be opened again. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Confession and Deliverance from Occult Sins
CONFESSION AND DELIVERANCE FROM OCCULT SINS
Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You and RENOUNCE all sinful, occult practices and idolatry of seeking information, knowledge, healing, comfort, identity or power from any occult, psychic or secret source.
I RENOUNCE ever reading books about the black arts, parapsychology, magic, satanic rituals, including the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, the Satanic Bible, books on false religions, and other satanic books and writings.
I RENOUNCE all sins of divination, including: palm reading, fortune telling, tarot card reading, tea leaf reading, the crystal ball or crystal gazing, candle gazing, Ouija Board, ESP, telepathy, horoscopes, automatic hand writing or spirit writing, astrology, water divining, the rod and pendulum.
I RENOUNCE trance channeling, consulting familiar spirits, clairvoyance, communication with the dead, séances, consulting counselors from the spirit realm, consulting wizards, ascended masters, spirit guides, wise masters, fortune tellers, witches, shamans, mediums or spiritists.
I RENOUNCE all demonic, occult or psychic healing practices, including pow-wow healing, charming to heal, pendulum healing, magic healing, psychic healing, magnetism or Mesmerism.
I RENOUNCE all use of occult power, casting spells or witchcraft, voodoo, black and white magic, Santeria and other forms of local witchcraft.
I RENOUNCE magical or occult hypnosis, metaphysics or mind science, yoga, transcendental meditation, sorcery, astral projection and soul travel, table lifting or levitation, using pyramid power, mind control, amulets and charms, power crystals and religious medals.
I renounce heavy metal music, satanic rock and black rock, and all demonic role play games, such as Dungeons and Dragons.
I RENOUNCE all secret oaths to pagan gods as part of initiation ceremony into organization, fraternities, sororities and other organization which practice these ceremonies.
I RENOUNCE being involved in or in contact with secret lodges or societies such as Free Masonry and their organizations, the Eastern Star, Rosicrucians, Edgar Cayce's teachings and readings, Erhard Seminars Training (EST), Scientology, Eastern mysticism, Spiritism, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, Unitarians, The Way, Unification Church, the New Age and its practices or any religion or organization of an occult nature.
I RENOUNCE and REPENT of ever taking part in any of these practices or organizations. I ask You Father, to forgive and restore me, in Jesus' name. Amen.
At this point, stop and the counselor will ask you to repent for occult involvement: Stop here and have the person name and renounce each occult sin or contact. You can anoint them and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to them any occult contact. Have them say, "I renounce (name the occult sin), I repent and ask to be forgiven, in Jesus' name." Do this for each occult contact. Stay here until they have renounced all the occult sins that they can remember. When they have repented of all the occult contacts, have them pray the following prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You and RENOUNCE all sinful, occult practices and idolatry of seeking information, knowledge, healing, comfort, identity or power from any occult, psychic or secret source.
I RENOUNCE ever reading books about the black arts, parapsychology, magic, satanic rituals, including the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, the Satanic Bible, books on false religions, and other satanic books and writings.
I RENOUNCE all sins of divination, including: palm reading, fortune telling, tarot card reading, tea leaf reading, the crystal ball or crystal gazing, candle gazing, Ouija Board, ESP, telepathy, horoscopes, automatic hand writing or spirit writing, astrology, water divining, the rod and pendulum.
I RENOUNCE trance channeling, consulting familiar spirits, clairvoyance, communication with the dead, séances, consulting counselors from the spirit realm, consulting wizards, ascended masters, spirit guides, wise masters, fortune tellers, witches, shamans, mediums or spiritists.
I RENOUNCE all demonic, occult or psychic healing practices, including pow-wow healing, charming to heal, pendulum healing, magic healing, psychic healing, magnetism or Mesmerism.
I RENOUNCE all use of occult power, casting spells or witchcraft, voodoo, black and white magic, Santeria and other forms of local witchcraft.
I RENOUNCE magical or occult hypnosis, metaphysics or mind science, yoga, transcendental meditation, sorcery, astral projection and soul travel, table lifting or levitation, using pyramid power, mind control, amulets and charms, power crystals and religious medals.
I renounce heavy metal music, satanic rock and black rock, and all demonic role play games, such as Dungeons and Dragons.
I RENOUNCE all secret oaths to pagan gods as part of initiation ceremony into organization, fraternities, sororities and other organization which practice these ceremonies.
I RENOUNCE being involved in or in contact with secret lodges or societies such as Free Masonry and their organizations, the Eastern Star, Rosicrucians, Edgar Cayce's teachings and readings, Erhard Seminars Training (EST), Scientology, Eastern mysticism, Spiritism, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, Unitarians, The Way, Unification Church, the New Age and its practices or any religion or organization of an occult nature.
I RENOUNCE and REPENT of ever taking part in any of these practices or organizations. I ask You Father, to forgive and restore me, in Jesus' name. Amen.
At this point, stop and the counselor will ask you to repent for occult involvement: Stop here and have the person name and renounce each occult sin or contact. You can anoint them and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to them any occult contact. Have them say, "I renounce (name the occult sin), I repent and ask to be forgiven, in Jesus' name." Do this for each occult contact. Stay here until they have renounced all the occult sins that they can remember. When they have repented of all the occult contacts, have them pray the following prayer.
Renounciation of Buddhism
Renounciation of Buddhism
If you have been in Buddhism, then you need to repent and renounce because Buddhism is a false religion.
“Father God, creator of heaven and earth, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Your son. I come as a sinner seeking forgiveness and cleansing from all sins committed against you . I honor my earthly father and mother and all of my ancestors of flesh and blood, and the spirit by adoption and godparents, but I utterly and completely turn away from and renounce all their sins. I forgive all my ancestors for the effects of their sins on me and my children. I confess and renounce all of my own sins, iniquities and transgressions. I renounce and rebuke Satan and every spiritual power of his affecting me and my family.
I renounce and forsake all involvement in Buddhism or any other mystic eastern religion that forsakes the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. I renounce every form of idolatry, blasphemy, false religion, mind control, secrecy, bondage, seduction, death and deception of Buddhism at every level. I renounce the Anti-Christ spirit and the spirit of python and religion, ritual and tradition, and the curse of every doctrine, teaching or enlightenment within Buddhism.
In the name of Jesus Christ I renounce and forsake the path to Nirvana which is the state of releasing the flames of desire for ultimate ecstasy.
I renounce and reject worshipping the idol Buddha and the white elephant.
I renounce and reject the TATHAGATA, the truth winner and BHAGARA, the lord or VISHNU and all that they mean. I worship only the ONE TRUE LVING GOD, YAHWEH and HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
I renounce and reject the use of the divine eye and the BUDHI wisdom tree and all that they mean. I accept Jesus Christ as the only source of wisdom and enlightenment.
I renounce and reject the Eight Fold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the Middle Way and the DHARMA or doctrine of Buddha and his followers and all that they mean. I accept and affirm that Jesus Christ is the ONLY source of truth and knowledge and the Holy Spirit only leads me to all truth.
I renounce and reject the KARMA as a path for my life and all that this word means. I accept and affirm that Jesus Christ is the only direction and guide for my life. I accept that God the Father has a divine plan for my life and I accept His Will for my life.
I renounce and reject the EIGHT STEPS OF SALVATION and all that it means. I acknowledge that the ONLY ways to be saved from my sin is through the blood of Jesus Christ and by grace I have been saved through faith in only HIM.
I renounce and reject the RAJA YOGA and all that it means, implies and does. I renounce and reject all forms of self control and mind control within Buddhism.
I renounce and reject the ARAHATSHIP the 37 precepts and all that they mean. I renounce and reject the brotherhood of Sangha, the 4 progressive stages of awareness, the TRIPITAKA being the three baskets of truth and law and all that they mean, implies or does for my life.
I reject and renounce the two major schools of Buddhism the THERAVADA, the way of the elder and the HINAYANA, the lesser way and all that they teach and mean. I also reject and renounce the MAHAYANA, the greater vehicle and all that it means.
I renounce and reject the TANTRIC, the use of sexual power through ritualistic intercourse and all that it means, implies, does or teaches. I break any and all soul ties in the name of Jesus Christ, between me or anyone that I have had sexual or spiritual contact within this use of demonic power. I renounce and reject all forms of self enlightenment through symbols, visual images, repetition of sounds, prescribes movements and breath control.
I reject and renounce of forms of the MATRAS and all that it means, implies or does to body, souls and spirit. I renounce and reject any words said in repetition that brought me to a higher state of being. I renounce and reject the words “OM”, and the phrase, “OM MANI PADME HUM” and all that it means. I reject and renounce the claim of Buddhism that the MANTRAS are the way of liberation and freedom. I Accept and affirm that Jesus Christ is the ONLY freedom from sin and that His blood only washes to liberate me from sin and iniquity.
I reject and renounce, the MANDALA, the mystic diagram and all that it means, implies or does. I reject and renounce the use of TM, TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION and the use of an alternate state of being and the trance for relaxation or any effect including astro-projection or travel. I affirm and accept that the Bible states that I must cast all of my cares, worries and anxieties on Jesus Christ for HE cares and loves me.
I renounce and reject the SHAMBHALA, the imaginary kingdom of enlightenment and all that it means, implies and does.
I renounce and reject the BARDO, the dreamlike realm and all that it means, implies or does. I renounce and reject the TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD and all that it means, implies or does. I affirm and accept the Biblical concept of death. Death is not a void nor is it a rebirth. The Bible says that when I die once, I face God in judgment (Heb. 9:27). Therefore, I accept God the Father’s judgment for my life and I accept and affirm that Jesus Christ has bought me with a price through His own shed blood . Thus, I am pardoned to enter into eternity in heaven as a child of God.
I renounce and reject, REINCARNATION of LAMA and BODHISATTVAS and all that it means, implies or does. I renounce and reject BUTSU-DAN, the Japanese altar to Buddha and the worship of the ancestors along with offerings and sacrifices and all that it means, implies and does.
I reject and renounce the TIBETAN and ZEN forms of Buddhism and all that they mean, imply and do. I reject and renounce the word ZAZEN and the KOAN and all that they mean, imply and do. I reject and renounce the ROSI and MONDOS and all they mean.
I renounce and reject the teaching of ZEN Buddhism of monism meaning as one essence and all that it means, implies and does. I acknowledge that this teaching is a blasphemy and contrary to the teaching of the Bible that there is One triune God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I also reject the claim of the SATORI that reality is really one and all that it means.
I renounce and reject any and all curses brought upon me or my family line due to participation of Buddhism and I accept Jesus’ pardon and release from the curse for my life. I renounce all anger, hatred, murder, revenge retaliation, spiritual apathy, false religions, and I renounce all unbelief, especially unbelief in the Holy Bible as God’s Word and all compromise to God’s Word. I renounce all spiritual searching into false religions and all striving to please God. I rest in the knowledge that I have found my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that He has found me.
Father God I ask that Your Son Jesus Christ’s blood wash and cleanse me from all these sins. I have confessed and renounced , to cleanse my body soul and spirit, my mind will and emotions and every part of my body which has been affected by these sins. In Jesus… Name Amen.
I renounce every demon, or evil spirit associated with Buddhism and all forms and all other sins. I command in the name of Jesus Christ for Satan and every evil, vile unclean spirit to be bound and leave me now! I expel you from my body, soul and spirit. You shall not touch or harm anyone, never to return to me or my family. I bind you with a three strand cord that cannot be broken, cut or taken off. I dip the cord into the blood of Jesus. I command you to leave me now in Jesus’ name!
I call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be delivered of these spirits in accordance with the many promises in the Bible. I ask to be released of every sickness, infirmity, disease, and from every curse affliction, addiction, or allergy and headaches associated with these sins that I have confessed and renounced. I surrender to God ‘s Holy Spirit and no other spirit. I ask the Holy Spirit to baptize me in your presence right now. I take to myself the armor of God in accordance with Ephesians 6 and the fruits and powerful gifts of the Spirit. I worship you Lord Jesus and I thank You for setting me free this day. Thank You Father God for Your mercy and grace, Your forgiveness and LOVE. In Jesus name I thank you. AMEN
If you have been in Buddhism, then you need to repent and renounce because Buddhism is a false religion.
“Father God, creator of heaven and earth, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Your son. I come as a sinner seeking forgiveness and cleansing from all sins committed against you . I honor my earthly father and mother and all of my ancestors of flesh and blood, and the spirit by adoption and godparents, but I utterly and completely turn away from and renounce all their sins. I forgive all my ancestors for the effects of their sins on me and my children. I confess and renounce all of my own sins, iniquities and transgressions. I renounce and rebuke Satan and every spiritual power of his affecting me and my family.
I renounce and forsake all involvement in Buddhism or any other mystic eastern religion that forsakes the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. I renounce every form of idolatry, blasphemy, false religion, mind control, secrecy, bondage, seduction, death and deception of Buddhism at every level. I renounce the Anti-Christ spirit and the spirit of python and religion, ritual and tradition, and the curse of every doctrine, teaching or enlightenment within Buddhism.
In the name of Jesus Christ I renounce and forsake the path to Nirvana which is the state of releasing the flames of desire for ultimate ecstasy.
I renounce and reject worshipping the idol Buddha and the white elephant.
I renounce and reject the TATHAGATA, the truth winner and BHAGARA, the lord or VISHNU and all that they mean. I worship only the ONE TRUE LVING GOD, YAHWEH and HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.
I renounce and reject the use of the divine eye and the BUDHI wisdom tree and all that they mean. I accept Jesus Christ as the only source of wisdom and enlightenment.
I renounce and reject the Eight Fold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the Middle Way and the DHARMA or doctrine of Buddha and his followers and all that they mean. I accept and affirm that Jesus Christ is the ONLY source of truth and knowledge and the Holy Spirit only leads me to all truth.
I renounce and reject the KARMA as a path for my life and all that this word means. I accept and affirm that Jesus Christ is the only direction and guide for my life. I accept that God the Father has a divine plan for my life and I accept His Will for my life.
I renounce and reject the EIGHT STEPS OF SALVATION and all that it means. I acknowledge that the ONLY ways to be saved from my sin is through the blood of Jesus Christ and by grace I have been saved through faith in only HIM.
I renounce and reject the RAJA YOGA and all that it means, implies and does. I renounce and reject all forms of self control and mind control within Buddhism.
I renounce and reject the ARAHATSHIP the 37 precepts and all that they mean. I renounce and reject the brotherhood of Sangha, the 4 progressive stages of awareness, the TRIPITAKA being the three baskets of truth and law and all that they mean, implies or does for my life.
I reject and renounce the two major schools of Buddhism the THERAVADA, the way of the elder and the HINAYANA, the lesser way and all that they teach and mean. I also reject and renounce the MAHAYANA, the greater vehicle and all that it means.
I renounce and reject the TANTRIC, the use of sexual power through ritualistic intercourse and all that it means, implies, does or teaches. I break any and all soul ties in the name of Jesus Christ, between me or anyone that I have had sexual or spiritual contact within this use of demonic power. I renounce and reject all forms of self enlightenment through symbols, visual images, repetition of sounds, prescribes movements and breath control.
I reject and renounce of forms of the MATRAS and all that it means, implies or does to body, souls and spirit. I renounce and reject any words said in repetition that brought me to a higher state of being. I renounce and reject the words “OM”, and the phrase, “OM MANI PADME HUM” and all that it means. I reject and renounce the claim of Buddhism that the MANTRAS are the way of liberation and freedom. I Accept and affirm that Jesus Christ is the ONLY freedom from sin and that His blood only washes to liberate me from sin and iniquity.
I reject and renounce, the MANDALA, the mystic diagram and all that it means, implies or does. I reject and renounce the use of TM, TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION and the use of an alternate state of being and the trance for relaxation or any effect including astro-projection or travel. I affirm and accept that the Bible states that I must cast all of my cares, worries and anxieties on Jesus Christ for HE cares and loves me.
I renounce and reject the SHAMBHALA, the imaginary kingdom of enlightenment and all that it means, implies and does.
I renounce and reject the BARDO, the dreamlike realm and all that it means, implies or does. I renounce and reject the TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD and all that it means, implies or does. I affirm and accept the Biblical concept of death. Death is not a void nor is it a rebirth. The Bible says that when I die once, I face God in judgment (Heb. 9:27). Therefore, I accept God the Father’s judgment for my life and I accept and affirm that Jesus Christ has bought me with a price through His own shed blood . Thus, I am pardoned to enter into eternity in heaven as a child of God.
I renounce and reject, REINCARNATION of LAMA and BODHISATTVAS and all that it means, implies or does. I renounce and reject BUTSU-DAN, the Japanese altar to Buddha and the worship of the ancestors along with offerings and sacrifices and all that it means, implies and does.
I reject and renounce the TIBETAN and ZEN forms of Buddhism and all that they mean, imply and do. I reject and renounce the word ZAZEN and the KOAN and all that they mean, imply and do. I reject and renounce the ROSI and MONDOS and all they mean.
I renounce and reject the teaching of ZEN Buddhism of monism meaning as one essence and all that it means, implies and does. I acknowledge that this teaching is a blasphemy and contrary to the teaching of the Bible that there is One triune God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I also reject the claim of the SATORI that reality is really one and all that it means.
I renounce and reject any and all curses brought upon me or my family line due to participation of Buddhism and I accept Jesus’ pardon and release from the curse for my life. I renounce all anger, hatred, murder, revenge retaliation, spiritual apathy, false religions, and I renounce all unbelief, especially unbelief in the Holy Bible as God’s Word and all compromise to God’s Word. I renounce all spiritual searching into false religions and all striving to please God. I rest in the knowledge that I have found my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that He has found me.
Father God I ask that Your Son Jesus Christ’s blood wash and cleanse me from all these sins. I have confessed and renounced , to cleanse my body soul and spirit, my mind will and emotions and every part of my body which has been affected by these sins. In Jesus… Name Amen.
I renounce every demon, or evil spirit associated with Buddhism and all forms and all other sins. I command in the name of Jesus Christ for Satan and every evil, vile unclean spirit to be bound and leave me now! I expel you from my body, soul and spirit. You shall not touch or harm anyone, never to return to me or my family. I bind you with a three strand cord that cannot be broken, cut or taken off. I dip the cord into the blood of Jesus. I command you to leave me now in Jesus’ name!
I call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be delivered of these spirits in accordance with the many promises in the Bible. I ask to be released of every sickness, infirmity, disease, and from every curse affliction, addiction, or allergy and headaches associated with these sins that I have confessed and renounced. I surrender to God ‘s Holy Spirit and no other spirit. I ask the Holy Spirit to baptize me in your presence right now. I take to myself the armor of God in accordance with Ephesians 6 and the fruits and powerful gifts of the Spirit. I worship you Lord Jesus and I thank You for setting me free this day. Thank You Father God for Your mercy and grace, Your forgiveness and LOVE. In Jesus name I thank you. AMEN
RENUNCIATIONS OF THE PAGAN
The renunciations and prayers that follow deal with ancient civilizations’ foundational idolatry and allegiance to other "gods which are not gods", as detailed in the Old Testament. The Scriptures have been used to compile these specific items and practices for purposes of confession and renunciations. Another source used for this purpose is an academic paper done by Gloria J. Wiese, entitled "A Study of the True Cosmic Mountain of Yahweh, with Emphasis on The Prophecies of Ezekiel."
It is strongly suggested that these renunciations be done in the presence of an informed counselor, therapist, or intercessor if there is any possibility that you are a survivor of Satanic Ritual Abuse and/or have been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder.
It is also suggested that you ask the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace, protection, and comfort necessary to allow you to read through and renounce completely the list that follows. Invite the LORD to bring up in you anything He wants addressed specifically, according to his timing. You might also consider confessing these practices and sins on behalf of your forefathers, and on behalf of any children and future generations.
Zephaniah 1
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
Any worship of Baal and all "remnants of Baal." Micah 5:13 I ask your forgiveness LORD, and covenant again that I worship only you, the One True God of Israel.
All names of the pagan and idolatrous priests in me or on me, and any other representative of any other "god", and their accompanying demons. I ask you to forgive me LORD and to wash me in the Blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I declare that your name, Jesus Christ, is what I will be known by.
All worship of the starry host, by any name. Please forgive me LORD and cleanse me of this idolatry.
The practice of bowing down to and swearing by the LORD Almighty, along with bowing down to and swearing by Molech. (See Zephaniah 1) Please have mercy upon me LORD, and forgive me of this wicked practice. Please cleanse me and restore me. In the name of Jesus Christ I choose to re-connect with any part still trapped in Molech worship and please set me free, so that I, as a whole person can worship only you.
Turning back from following you, LORD and the sin of not seeking you nor inquiring of you. Please forgive me for looking to my own wisdom, the instruction of others, or the influence of demons. Please cleanse me of this sin. Show me how to seek you and give me the courage to pursue you.
The foreign clothes of any pagan or idolatrous religion, affiliation, position, family, or anything else. Please forgive me for taking any pleasure or comfort in being the son or daughter of any earthly king. Please exchange the pagan clothes of any part of me with the holy garments of your family, LORD, and show me my position as a child of the LORD God Most High.
Being a builder of altars or one who sets up sacred stones or Asherah poles. Please forgive me in leading in these detestable practices, and wash me with Jesus’ blood. Show me how to be a builder for the Kingdom of Righteousness.
LORD, I desire to be of your true remnant, the remnant who has a true heart for you, and is willing to do whatever it takes to purify the land of my heart. Please give me a heart of humility and repentance, and one that worships only you. Please forgive me where I have joined the oppressors, and in the times I had no remorse for doing the things that grieve you. Please cleanse me completely and heal me completely. Purify my lips that I may call only on your holy name.
Ezekiel 13
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
Any role in unrighteousness as prophet, or seer, and any prophecy given out of unholy imagination and foolish pride. I renounce any building of walls and any deceit or delusion to cover up those walls. I renounce the lie to others that their walls will stand and that there is "peace", when the LORD is not saying "peace." Please forgive me LORD for being a spokesperson for anyone but you, the Holy God of Heaven. Please wash me and have mercy upon me. Please allow me to reconnect with and set free any part of my humanity trapped in any wall so that I may experience the freedom that You promise in Isaiah 61.
The use of magic charms, or any other object, practice, or power for the ensnarement of any other person. I renounce the lies I have told, which have killed those who should have been spared, and have spared those who should have been killed. Please forgive me, LORD, and cleanse me from all accompanying demonic power. Please give me words of life and truth to give to others, and show your mercy, love, and justice through me.
The act of disheartening the righteous with lies, and the encouragement of the wicked. I renounce the false visions, and practice of divination to ensnare your people. Please forgive me, and remove all unholy words. Please set your Word in my heart and in my mouth. Please give truth to all persons to whom I have ever lied.
Jeremiah 23
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
The spiritual adultery of the words I have spoken as prophet or priest of wickedness, while holding myself out to be a child of the Almighty God, Creator Yahweh. I repent of living this lie, and of strengthening the hands of the evildoers, so that no one then turns from his wickedness. I renounce the ungodliness I have spread as I have spoken visions from my own mind, and not from the mouth of the LORD. I repent of not standing in your counsel, to see and hear you. Please forgive me, and show mercy to me. Please put only your words in my mouth and give me a new heart to be solely in allegiance to you, forsaking all other gods and all other visions and dreams.
II Kings 22, 23 & II Chronicles 34,35
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
All articles made for Baal and Asherah and for all the starry hosts. I ask God Most High to help me to reconnect with all of my humanity trapped therein, and then to destroy these articles. I ask forgiveness and cleansing for this sin against God Most High. Please have mercy upon me.
All pagan priest positions, shaman positions, all appointments, and anointings conferred upon me by my forefathers for the purpose of burning incense to Baal and to the sun and moon, and to the constellations, and to all the starry hosts. I ask the LORD of Hosts for forgiveness and cleansing for this wicked practice against you. I declare that I will be only a King-Priest, as He declares, in the Kingdom of Yahweh.
All Asherah poles, and those demons appointed to guard them. I ask you LORD to remove any of my humanity therein, and then to destroy the Asherahs and the demons and help me to reconnect with all parts of my humanity that has been caught in the worship of the Asherah poles. Please cleanse and forgive me of my worship of and participation with them.
All places used for prostitution, though it be in the temple of the LORD, and all places used for the weaving for Asherah. I ask you LORD to remove all demonic forces, and to cleanse each place. I dedicate these places to be for your holy use. May each part of my humanity functioning as a prostitute or a weaver be rescued, shown truth, and healed. Please help me to reconnect with these parts of my humanity. Please forgive me of these sins against you and cleanse me.
All places dedicated to and reserved for the burning of incense to gods, which are not gods, according to Yahweh. I renounce all places dedicated to and reserved for use as shrines to any wicked god. LORD, please remove all demonic guards and empowerments, and replace them with your holy Presence. Please forgive me for participating in this sin, and cleanse me from this wickedness.
All places in me called Topheth, or the Valley of Ben Hinhom, or the Valley of Gehenna, or the Valley of Slaughter, used for the sacrifice of children to the fires of Molech. I renounce the spirit of death, the spirit of Molech, and the spirit of unholy fire. LORD, will you mercifully remove these spirits from every part of me, and wash me of this terrible wickedness. Please forgive me and apply the Blood of Jesus Christ to my heart.
All objects, actual and phenomenological, dedicated to the sun, especially those that are placed at the entrance of the temple. I renounce the horses and chariots, and all the accompanying power and meanings that were placed there by the kings of the earth, or by anyone claiming to represent the True LORD Jesus Christ.
All altars perceived to be in my systems, above my systems, above my view in the heavenlies, or in the dimensions that have been built in me, around me, for me, or on me by the kings of the earth, or by anyone claiming to represent the True LORD Jesus. I also renounce and denounce any and all altars set up in my Christian heart for the purpose of profaning the holy, or for any other purpose. Please remove any part of my humanity from these altars, and then please destroy them LORD. Please forgive me and cleanse me for my participation with these altars. Please fill me with your holy Presence.
All places within me designated as high places, especially any called the Hill of Corruption. I renounce and denounce the vile goddess, Ashtoreth, the vile god of Moab, Chemosh, and the detestable god of Ammon, Molech. I ask you to remove these spirits LORD, and to forgive me and cleanse me, and fill me with your Spirit.
All sacred stones, and their meanings, assignments, and accompanying demonic power. I repent of any use of the unholy "sacred" stones. Please forgive me and cleanse me and take me out of these demonic constructs.
All places in me, with any accompanying altar, called Bethel, or "House of God". I ask you to rescue any of my humanity from these places and set me free. Please remove all demonic power around these places. Please forgive me for mixing the holy with the unholy. I ask you to inhabit all these places now.
All medium or spiritist positions held and their attendant demons. I renounce any and all "household gods" , idols, or any other detestable thing and their attendant demons. LORD, please forgive and cleanse me.
LORD, please destroy and remove these "gods which are not gods" from within me. Please help me to recognize your command to turn my whole self to you, and to live my life before you with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength according to your laws.
Let me celebrate the True LORD Jesus, the True Lamb of the Passover—Jesus Christ of Nazareth as the ONLY One to whom I will give honor, worship, loyalty, allegiance, and love. O LORD, keep me clean.
Pride renunciations
Isaiah 25: 11,b, 12
In the Name of the True Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
...I renounce all pride- spiritual, fleshly, intellectual, and otherwise, brought about by the cleverness of my own hands or thoughts. I renounce the high-fortified walls and ask you to bring them low, even down to the very dust of the ground. I repent of building these walls, and of the pride that built them against you, O LORD. I ask you to forgive me, O God, and to wash me of the pride and help me to seek humility. Please help me to reconnect with any parts of my humanity trapped in these walls or cloaked in pride. Please show forth the beauty of humility by the light of the face of the True LORD Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 14
In the Name of the True Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
Any ascendancy to any throne on any sacred mountain or to a places above the stars of God or above the tops of the clouds. I renounce wicked and haughty pride that I believed entitled me to do such things. I renounce the receiving of the spirit of pride through any means, any bloodline, any ritual, any torture, or by the receiving of any symbol of it. I renounce Satan, the author of pride, and all his demonic emissaries who embody and advocate it. I submit myself fully to the True and Sovereign King of Heaven, the True LORD Jesus Christ, and prostrate myself before him. True LORD, I ask that you would forgive me of all wicked pride and forgive me for choosing to attempt to ascend over you. Please wash me and cleanse me and put a new spirit within me...a spirit of humility and righteousness. Please free any of my humanity from within any throne, from the heavenlies, or from any symbol of pride. Please take from me all representations of pride and seal me with the blood of the True LORD Jesus Christ.
In the name of the True Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
Any pride at being forced to do penance for the sins of Satan. I renounce any way that I have been clothed with the slain in place of satan in any ritual, Is. 14:19. I ask you to forgive me, O God and wash me of the blood of the slain and help me to reconnect with any parts of my humanity trapped in this ritual. Please free me from any belief that I must pay for anyone’s sin, In the Name of the True Lord Jesus Christ.
Renunciation of Nimrod
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth; I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
all connection to King Nimrod and his spirit. I renounce and lay down before you LORD Jesus, all love for, loyalty to, affection for, and marriage bonds with Nimrod and his spirit. I renounce all bloodlines emanating from Nimrod, and all accompanying generational spirits. I renounce the spirits of scientific and intellectual pride and haughtiness. I renounce the role of "hunting down men" for the purpose of snaring their minds and intellects. I ask for all unholy bonds with those I have snared to be cut off now, in the Name of Jesus Christ, and I ask that you would free their minds and intellects to see You, LORD and to know their need for You. I renounce and denounce all pursuits for ascendancy over the Most High through any means, especially through the building of any towers like that of Babel. I renounce the use of any and all languages to confound anything that the LORD Most High says is simple.
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ, I humbly bow and ask for your forgiveness. I repent from all of these unholy activities, from any connection to Nimrod, or from the pursuit of men for unholy purposes. I place in your hands any and all symbols or objects given to me to represent Nimrod, any relationship with him or any of his power that was given to me. Please forgive me LORD and wash me from all ungodliness. Please free any part of my humanity from any construct or lie that has to do with these wicked things. Set me free to praise You and to lead men to the Truth, which is found only in You.
A Study of the True Cosmic Mountain of Yahweh…
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
All physical, spiritual, and cosmic connections with all so-called sacred sites, or mountains, all ziggurats, pyramids, high places and specifically, Mount Zaphon and the center of the world. I ask for forgiveness for participation in any rituals, sacrifices, desecrations, or worship at any of these sites, whether spiritually or physically. I ask you LORD to cleanse me from these acts and from any demonic power gained at these sites. Please rescue any of my humanity trapped therein and bring them out with the truth of your Word.
All pursuits of becoming a god, demi-god, or "becoming one" with any god. I give over to you any title, position, power, clothing or entitlement that was received while in this pursuit. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me from these acts.
All access to travel to or through, the occupying of, or use of "portals" to the gods or heavens, in connection with so-called sacred sites. Please remove all demonic guards, gatekeepers, or escorts around and in these portals. Please rescue any parts of my humanity that may be trapped within. I ask your forgiveness for these acts outside your plan for my life. I ask you to cleanse me with the blood of the Lamb, Jesus.
The spiritual "stargate", the fourth Dimension, cosmic zones, the "Zone of absolute reality", or any other dimension. I ask for your forgiveness for my participation with seeking and traveling to or through these portals and planes. Please allow me to reconnect any part of my humanity trapped in these places.
Any penetration into cosmic levels, any spiritual or cosmic "ascent", and any contact with the starry hosts. I renounce all so-called "divinity" achieved by this attempted approach to "gods, which are not gods". I renounce all unholy sexual interaction, all spiritual and intellectual communions and all worship in cosmic realms. I renounce all unholy ritual marriage and any status of deity obtained thereby. Please forgive me and wash me of all bonds and demonic power. I offer to you any identity, status, or position obtained. Please cleanse me, LORD, and sanctify me by your Name.
All sanctuaries in any ziggurat—the one at the top and the one at the bottom, as well as the staircase. I ask for you forgiveness LORD, for participating with these spiritual places of satanic worship and for treading upon this ground. Please remove all demonic power connected with these places, and that which was deposited in me. Please allow me to reconnect with any of my humanity trapped in the ziggurat or in any mirror images of it. Please wash off the wickedness of these places.
The spiritual union of my human spirit with the spirit of Osiris and Isis, for the formation of the spirit of Horus. I renounce their singular and joint power, the all-seeing eye, the eye’s place in me, and all of the plans for the future that utilize Horus’ power. I renounce the pyramid and all its power. I ask you Heavenly Father, for forgiveness for the activity in and around it. Please wash me of all the thrones, guards, connections, and demonic power. Please allow me to reconnect with and set free any of my humanity trapped in any pyramid, and especially in the pyramid on top of the pyramid in the heavenlies. Please remove the lies and set me free.
All connections to and assignments for Baal-Zaphon, the residence of Baal. I renounce and extinguish by Jesus’ blood all power I hold to bring about Baal’s re-birth and re-building of his temple on Mount Zaphon, or in the heavenlies. I renounce any role as a warrior towards these ends, or as a follower of Baal at any level, in any role. Please forgive me LORD, and wash away that which is unholy. Please allow me to reconnect with any of my humanity trapped in Mount Zaphon in Baal’s temple or in any other construct related to Baal.
Any and all sexual-fertility rituals for the purpose of power for the bringing in of Baal’s re-birth or temple or of satan in any form. I renounce the performance of these rituals in the pursuit of Baal’s "blessing" in any form. I ask for your forgiveness, LORD, for the uncleanness and the violation of your holy laws. Please forgive me and wash me of all I have touched and all that has touched me. Please allow me to reconnect with and set free any part of my humanity trapped in any ritual, in sexual frenzy, or in orgasm.
All allegiances formed and powers received through death-ritual covenants. I hereby extinguish, with Jesus’ blood, all "passages", "risings", resurrections, and "ascensions" to the heavenlies and otherwise. I ask you LORD to forgive me for interacting in this plane, and that you would wash me of any powers received. Please break off that which came with the allegiances sworn. Please allow me to reconnect with any of my humanity trapped in these rituals, covenants, and planes and set them free to see truth.
LORD, you have heard my confessions and renunciations of all that is contained herein. I ask you again, to cleanse me from all that is defiled and to re-unite me with yourself through Jesus Christ and transform me spiritually at every level of my being. I ask that you will mercifully teach me your laws, and give me power of the Holy Spirit to obey you. May I go only to your throne and your holy mountain (Mt. Zion, Heb. 12:22 worship you and you alone and to hear the decrees you issue. God’s decrees are found only in His Word (Psalms 119). Please give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name and praise you and enjoy you forever. Amen.
The renunciations and prayers that follow deal with ancient civilizations’ foundational idolatry and allegiance to other "gods which are not gods", as detailed in the Old Testament. The Scriptures have been used to compile these specific items and practices for purposes of confession and renunciations. Another source used for this purpose is an academic paper done by Gloria J. Wiese, entitled "A Study of the True Cosmic Mountain of Yahweh, with Emphasis on The Prophecies of Ezekiel."
It is strongly suggested that these renunciations be done in the presence of an informed counselor, therapist, or intercessor if there is any possibility that you are a survivor of Satanic Ritual Abuse and/or have been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder.
It is also suggested that you ask the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace, protection, and comfort necessary to allow you to read through and renounce completely the list that follows. Invite the LORD to bring up in you anything He wants addressed specifically, according to his timing. You might also consider confessing these practices and sins on behalf of your forefathers, and on behalf of any children and future generations.
Zephaniah 1
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
Any worship of Baal and all "remnants of Baal." Micah 5:13 I ask your forgiveness LORD, and covenant again that I worship only you, the One True God of Israel.
All names of the pagan and idolatrous priests in me or on me, and any other representative of any other "god", and their accompanying demons. I ask you to forgive me LORD and to wash me in the Blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I declare that your name, Jesus Christ, is what I will be known by.
All worship of the starry host, by any name. Please forgive me LORD and cleanse me of this idolatry.
The practice of bowing down to and swearing by the LORD Almighty, along with bowing down to and swearing by Molech. (See Zephaniah 1) Please have mercy upon me LORD, and forgive me of this wicked practice. Please cleanse me and restore me. In the name of Jesus Christ I choose to re-connect with any part still trapped in Molech worship and please set me free, so that I, as a whole person can worship only you.
Turning back from following you, LORD and the sin of not seeking you nor inquiring of you. Please forgive me for looking to my own wisdom, the instruction of others, or the influence of demons. Please cleanse me of this sin. Show me how to seek you and give me the courage to pursue you.
The foreign clothes of any pagan or idolatrous religion, affiliation, position, family, or anything else. Please forgive me for taking any pleasure or comfort in being the son or daughter of any earthly king. Please exchange the pagan clothes of any part of me with the holy garments of your family, LORD, and show me my position as a child of the LORD God Most High.
Being a builder of altars or one who sets up sacred stones or Asherah poles. Please forgive me in leading in these detestable practices, and wash me with Jesus’ blood. Show me how to be a builder for the Kingdom of Righteousness.
LORD, I desire to be of your true remnant, the remnant who has a true heart for you, and is willing to do whatever it takes to purify the land of my heart. Please give me a heart of humility and repentance, and one that worships only you. Please forgive me where I have joined the oppressors, and in the times I had no remorse for doing the things that grieve you. Please cleanse me completely and heal me completely. Purify my lips that I may call only on your holy name.
Ezekiel 13
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
Any role in unrighteousness as prophet, or seer, and any prophecy given out of unholy imagination and foolish pride. I renounce any building of walls and any deceit or delusion to cover up those walls. I renounce the lie to others that their walls will stand and that there is "peace", when the LORD is not saying "peace." Please forgive me LORD for being a spokesperson for anyone but you, the Holy God of Heaven. Please wash me and have mercy upon me. Please allow me to reconnect with and set free any part of my humanity trapped in any wall so that I may experience the freedom that You promise in Isaiah 61.
The use of magic charms, or any other object, practice, or power for the ensnarement of any other person. I renounce the lies I have told, which have killed those who should have been spared, and have spared those who should have been killed. Please forgive me, LORD, and cleanse me from all accompanying demonic power. Please give me words of life and truth to give to others, and show your mercy, love, and justice through me.
The act of disheartening the righteous with lies, and the encouragement of the wicked. I renounce the false visions, and practice of divination to ensnare your people. Please forgive me, and remove all unholy words. Please set your Word in my heart and in my mouth. Please give truth to all persons to whom I have ever lied.
Jeremiah 23
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
The spiritual adultery of the words I have spoken as prophet or priest of wickedness, while holding myself out to be a child of the Almighty God, Creator Yahweh. I repent of living this lie, and of strengthening the hands of the evildoers, so that no one then turns from his wickedness. I renounce the ungodliness I have spread as I have spoken visions from my own mind, and not from the mouth of the LORD. I repent of not standing in your counsel, to see and hear you. Please forgive me, and show mercy to me. Please put only your words in my mouth and give me a new heart to be solely in allegiance to you, forsaking all other gods and all other visions and dreams.
II Kings 22, 23 & II Chronicles 34,35
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
All articles made for Baal and Asherah and for all the starry hosts. I ask God Most High to help me to reconnect with all of my humanity trapped therein, and then to destroy these articles. I ask forgiveness and cleansing for this sin against God Most High. Please have mercy upon me.
All pagan priest positions, shaman positions, all appointments, and anointings conferred upon me by my forefathers for the purpose of burning incense to Baal and to the sun and moon, and to the constellations, and to all the starry hosts. I ask the LORD of Hosts for forgiveness and cleansing for this wicked practice against you. I declare that I will be only a King-Priest, as He declares, in the Kingdom of Yahweh.
All Asherah poles, and those demons appointed to guard them. I ask you LORD to remove any of my humanity therein, and then to destroy the Asherahs and the demons and help me to reconnect with all parts of my humanity that has been caught in the worship of the Asherah poles. Please cleanse and forgive me of my worship of and participation with them.
All places used for prostitution, though it be in the temple of the LORD, and all places used for the weaving for Asherah. I ask you LORD to remove all demonic forces, and to cleanse each place. I dedicate these places to be for your holy use. May each part of my humanity functioning as a prostitute or a weaver be rescued, shown truth, and healed. Please help me to reconnect with these parts of my humanity. Please forgive me of these sins against you and cleanse me.
All places dedicated to and reserved for the burning of incense to gods, which are not gods, according to Yahweh. I renounce all places dedicated to and reserved for use as shrines to any wicked god. LORD, please remove all demonic guards and empowerments, and replace them with your holy Presence. Please forgive me for participating in this sin, and cleanse me from this wickedness.
All places in me called Topheth, or the Valley of Ben Hinhom, or the Valley of Gehenna, or the Valley of Slaughter, used for the sacrifice of children to the fires of Molech. I renounce the spirit of death, the spirit of Molech, and the spirit of unholy fire. LORD, will you mercifully remove these spirits from every part of me, and wash me of this terrible wickedness. Please forgive me and apply the Blood of Jesus Christ to my heart.
All objects, actual and phenomenological, dedicated to the sun, especially those that are placed at the entrance of the temple. I renounce the horses and chariots, and all the accompanying power and meanings that were placed there by the kings of the earth, or by anyone claiming to represent the True LORD Jesus Christ.
All altars perceived to be in my systems, above my systems, above my view in the heavenlies, or in the dimensions that have been built in me, around me, for me, or on me by the kings of the earth, or by anyone claiming to represent the True LORD Jesus. I also renounce and denounce any and all altars set up in my Christian heart for the purpose of profaning the holy, or for any other purpose. Please remove any part of my humanity from these altars, and then please destroy them LORD. Please forgive me and cleanse me for my participation with these altars. Please fill me with your holy Presence.
All places within me designated as high places, especially any called the Hill of Corruption. I renounce and denounce the vile goddess, Ashtoreth, the vile god of Moab, Chemosh, and the detestable god of Ammon, Molech. I ask you to remove these spirits LORD, and to forgive me and cleanse me, and fill me with your Spirit.
All sacred stones, and their meanings, assignments, and accompanying demonic power. I repent of any use of the unholy "sacred" stones. Please forgive me and cleanse me and take me out of these demonic constructs.
All places in me, with any accompanying altar, called Bethel, or "House of God". I ask you to rescue any of my humanity from these places and set me free. Please remove all demonic power around these places. Please forgive me for mixing the holy with the unholy. I ask you to inhabit all these places now.
All medium or spiritist positions held and their attendant demons. I renounce any and all "household gods" , idols, or any other detestable thing and their attendant demons. LORD, please forgive and cleanse me.
LORD, please destroy and remove these "gods which are not gods" from within me. Please help me to recognize your command to turn my whole self to you, and to live my life before you with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength according to your laws.
Let me celebrate the True LORD Jesus, the True Lamb of the Passover—Jesus Christ of Nazareth as the ONLY One to whom I will give honor, worship, loyalty, allegiance, and love. O LORD, keep me clean.
Pride renunciations
Isaiah 25: 11,b, 12
In the Name of the True Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
...I renounce all pride- spiritual, fleshly, intellectual, and otherwise, brought about by the cleverness of my own hands or thoughts. I renounce the high-fortified walls and ask you to bring them low, even down to the very dust of the ground. I repent of building these walls, and of the pride that built them against you, O LORD. I ask you to forgive me, O God, and to wash me of the pride and help me to seek humility. Please help me to reconnect with any parts of my humanity trapped in these walls or cloaked in pride. Please show forth the beauty of humility by the light of the face of the True LORD Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 14
In the Name of the True Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
Any ascendancy to any throne on any sacred mountain or to a places above the stars of God or above the tops of the clouds. I renounce wicked and haughty pride that I believed entitled me to do such things. I renounce the receiving of the spirit of pride through any means, any bloodline, any ritual, any torture, or by the receiving of any symbol of it. I renounce Satan, the author of pride, and all his demonic emissaries who embody and advocate it. I submit myself fully to the True and Sovereign King of Heaven, the True LORD Jesus Christ, and prostrate myself before him. True LORD, I ask that you would forgive me of all wicked pride and forgive me for choosing to attempt to ascend over you. Please wash me and cleanse me and put a new spirit within me...a spirit of humility and righteousness. Please free any of my humanity from within any throne, from the heavenlies, or from any symbol of pride. Please take from me all representations of pride and seal me with the blood of the True LORD Jesus Christ.
In the name of the True Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
Any pride at being forced to do penance for the sins of Satan. I renounce any way that I have been clothed with the slain in place of satan in any ritual, Is. 14:19. I ask you to forgive me, O God and wash me of the blood of the slain and help me to reconnect with any parts of my humanity trapped in this ritual. Please free me from any belief that I must pay for anyone’s sin, In the Name of the True Lord Jesus Christ.
Renunciation of Nimrod
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth; I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being:
all connection to King Nimrod and his spirit. I renounce and lay down before you LORD Jesus, all love for, loyalty to, affection for, and marriage bonds with Nimrod and his spirit. I renounce all bloodlines emanating from Nimrod, and all accompanying generational spirits. I renounce the spirits of scientific and intellectual pride and haughtiness. I renounce the role of "hunting down men" for the purpose of snaring their minds and intellects. I ask for all unholy bonds with those I have snared to be cut off now, in the Name of Jesus Christ, and I ask that you would free their minds and intellects to see You, LORD and to know their need for You. I renounce and denounce all pursuits for ascendancy over the Most High through any means, especially through the building of any towers like that of Babel. I renounce the use of any and all languages to confound anything that the LORD Most High says is simple.
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ, I humbly bow and ask for your forgiveness. I repent from all of these unholy activities, from any connection to Nimrod, or from the pursuit of men for unholy purposes. I place in your hands any and all symbols or objects given to me to represent Nimrod, any relationship with him or any of his power that was given to me. Please forgive me LORD and wash me from all ungodliness. Please free any part of my humanity from any construct or lie that has to do with these wicked things. Set me free to praise You and to lead men to the Truth, which is found only in You.
A Study of the True Cosmic Mountain of Yahweh…
In the Name of the True LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I renounce and denounce, at every level of my being;
All physical, spiritual, and cosmic connections with all so-called sacred sites, or mountains, all ziggurats, pyramids, high places and specifically, Mount Zaphon and the center of the world. I ask for forgiveness for participation in any rituals, sacrifices, desecrations, or worship at any of these sites, whether spiritually or physically. I ask you LORD to cleanse me from these acts and from any demonic power gained at these sites. Please rescue any of my humanity trapped therein and bring them out with the truth of your Word.
All pursuits of becoming a god, demi-god, or "becoming one" with any god. I give over to you any title, position, power, clothing or entitlement that was received while in this pursuit. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me from these acts.
All access to travel to or through, the occupying of, or use of "portals" to the gods or heavens, in connection with so-called sacred sites. Please remove all demonic guards, gatekeepers, or escorts around and in these portals. Please rescue any parts of my humanity that may be trapped within. I ask your forgiveness for these acts outside your plan for my life. I ask you to cleanse me with the blood of the Lamb, Jesus.
The spiritual "stargate", the fourth Dimension, cosmic zones, the "Zone of absolute reality", or any other dimension. I ask for your forgiveness for my participation with seeking and traveling to or through these portals and planes. Please allow me to reconnect any part of my humanity trapped in these places.
Any penetration into cosmic levels, any spiritual or cosmic "ascent", and any contact with the starry hosts. I renounce all so-called "divinity" achieved by this attempted approach to "gods, which are not gods". I renounce all unholy sexual interaction, all spiritual and intellectual communions and all worship in cosmic realms. I renounce all unholy ritual marriage and any status of deity obtained thereby. Please forgive me and wash me of all bonds and demonic power. I offer to you any identity, status, or position obtained. Please cleanse me, LORD, and sanctify me by your Name.
All sanctuaries in any ziggurat—the one at the top and the one at the bottom, as well as the staircase. I ask for you forgiveness LORD, for participating with these spiritual places of satanic worship and for treading upon this ground. Please remove all demonic power connected with these places, and that which was deposited in me. Please allow me to reconnect with any of my humanity trapped in the ziggurat or in any mirror images of it. Please wash off the wickedness of these places.
The spiritual union of my human spirit with the spirit of Osiris and Isis, for the formation of the spirit of Horus. I renounce their singular and joint power, the all-seeing eye, the eye’s place in me, and all of the plans for the future that utilize Horus’ power. I renounce the pyramid and all its power. I ask you Heavenly Father, for forgiveness for the activity in and around it. Please wash me of all the thrones, guards, connections, and demonic power. Please allow me to reconnect with and set free any of my humanity trapped in any pyramid, and especially in the pyramid on top of the pyramid in the heavenlies. Please remove the lies and set me free.
All connections to and assignments for Baal-Zaphon, the residence of Baal. I renounce and extinguish by Jesus’ blood all power I hold to bring about Baal’s re-birth and re-building of his temple on Mount Zaphon, or in the heavenlies. I renounce any role as a warrior towards these ends, or as a follower of Baal at any level, in any role. Please forgive me LORD, and wash away that which is unholy. Please allow me to reconnect with any of my humanity trapped in Mount Zaphon in Baal’s temple or in any other construct related to Baal.
Any and all sexual-fertility rituals for the purpose of power for the bringing in of Baal’s re-birth or temple or of satan in any form. I renounce the performance of these rituals in the pursuit of Baal’s "blessing" in any form. I ask for your forgiveness, LORD, for the uncleanness and the violation of your holy laws. Please forgive me and wash me of all I have touched and all that has touched me. Please allow me to reconnect with and set free any part of my humanity trapped in any ritual, in sexual frenzy, or in orgasm.
All allegiances formed and powers received through death-ritual covenants. I hereby extinguish, with Jesus’ blood, all "passages", "risings", resurrections, and "ascensions" to the heavenlies and otherwise. I ask you LORD to forgive me for interacting in this plane, and that you would wash me of any powers received. Please break off that which came with the allegiances sworn. Please allow me to reconnect with any of my humanity trapped in these rituals, covenants, and planes and set them free to see truth.
LORD, you have heard my confessions and renunciations of all that is contained herein. I ask you again, to cleanse me from all that is defiled and to re-unite me with yourself through Jesus Christ and transform me spiritually at every level of my being. I ask that you will mercifully teach me your laws, and give me power of the Holy Spirit to obey you. May I go only to your throne and your holy mountain (Mt. Zion, Heb. 12:22 worship you and you alone and to hear the decrees you issue. God’s decrees are found only in His Word (Psalms 119). Please give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name and praise you and enjoy you forever. Amen.
Renunciation of Baha'i Involvement
How To Pray Effectively For Baha'i Involvement
The first matter to understand is that the battle is spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 says "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (your relative/friend) but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." We are not fighting your loved one. They are in spiritual bondage. We are going to deal with the demonic spirits which blind and deafen them to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, and which prevent them from responding to Him.
Make sure there is no unconfessed sin in your life. If so, get it right with God. Then know your authority in Christ to overcome all the power of the evil ones. "I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions (demons), and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven," (Luke 10:19-20).
If possible, ask another Christian believer to agree with you in prayer. "...If two of you agree on earth concerning anything you ask, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven," (Matthew 18:19). What if you are alone, and have no one to agree with you? Lorri MacGregor (a former cult member who now heads up a Christian ministry to reach people in cults) recommends you ask Jesus or the Holy Spirit to agree with you. Then pray to God in the name of the Saviour Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit directs you.
Bind the principal demonic strongman, "The Spirit of Deception," in the name of Jesus Christ. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven..," (Matthew 18:18). There will be other demonic spirits which need to be bound, so ask the Holy Spirit for the names or effects caused by these and other demonic spirits, and how to remove their influence from your loved one.
Ask God to release and loose your relative/friend from these demonic spirits and all others which control them. "...Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven," (Matthew 18:18).
Ask the Lord to release your loved one's emotions, which have been held in fear and bondage for so long. The Holy Spirit will do this gently and lovingly, so that the person comes to understand who they really are, and how much Jesus really loves them. Ask the Lord to sovereignly fill your loved one with His precious Holy Spirit.
Be assured that God is now at work in their lives to release them from their bondage. Pray for their salvation, in faith. If the person is a family member, God's promise to you is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household," (Acts 16:31). If they are not a family member, God gives another promise for you to appropriate in prayer for them. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise... but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance," (2 Peter 3:9) and "God our Saviour... desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," (1 Timothy, 2:4). God's Word is plain, He doesn't want your relative/friend in the Baha'i to perish, to be wiped out on Judgment Day. God wants them saved, and we have a commission from Him to do the job in prayer, and to find out how.
Keep on praying in faith for your loved one. Experience shows that perseverance produces the best results, so don't be discouraged if there are no positive signs for a while. Ask the Lord to make His word alive to them, to show them the truth, even from their Scriptures.
Prayer of Action and Renunciation
If you have ever held religious studies with Baha'i members, or attended any of their buildings or temples, then you will need to repent of these involvements before God, ask His forgiveness, plead guilty without excuse, then "...Confess with your mouth (out loud) that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead," (Romans 10:9). Then ask Jesus to come in and be Lord of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you, removing all traces of the deceptions of the Baha'i, to help you understand the Bible the way God wrote it, and to help you build up your relationship with Jesus every day.
In the name of Jesus Christ, bind the spirits listed above and cut them off from you and your family. Find Bible-believing Christians and spend time with them. Please explain to them you are coming out of deception and need their encouragement and support at least until you are firmly on your feet. If some disappoint you (probably through not understanding your need) don't be put off, there are caring Christians around who can and will help.
This prayer is taken from: "Unmasking the Baha'i Faith - An Impossible Oneness?" by Russell J. Moore, (ISBN 0 9583417-7-X) published by Jubilee Publishers, PO Box 36-044, Wellington 6330, New Zealand.
The first matter to understand is that the battle is spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 says "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (your relative/friend) but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." We are not fighting your loved one. They are in spiritual bondage. We are going to deal with the demonic spirits which blind and deafen them to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, and which prevent them from responding to Him.
Make sure there is no unconfessed sin in your life. If so, get it right with God. Then know your authority in Christ to overcome all the power of the evil ones. "I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions (demons), and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven," (Luke 10:19-20).
If possible, ask another Christian believer to agree with you in prayer. "...If two of you agree on earth concerning anything you ask, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven," (Matthew 18:19). What if you are alone, and have no one to agree with you? Lorri MacGregor (a former cult member who now heads up a Christian ministry to reach people in cults) recommends you ask Jesus or the Holy Spirit to agree with you. Then pray to God in the name of the Saviour Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit directs you.
Bind the principal demonic strongman, "The Spirit of Deception," in the name of Jesus Christ. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven..," (Matthew 18:18). There will be other demonic spirits which need to be bound, so ask the Holy Spirit for the names or effects caused by these and other demonic spirits, and how to remove their influence from your loved one.
Ask God to release and loose your relative/friend from these demonic spirits and all others which control them. "...Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven," (Matthew 18:18).
Ask the Lord to release your loved one's emotions, which have been held in fear and bondage for so long. The Holy Spirit will do this gently and lovingly, so that the person comes to understand who they really are, and how much Jesus really loves them. Ask the Lord to sovereignly fill your loved one with His precious Holy Spirit.
Be assured that God is now at work in their lives to release them from their bondage. Pray for their salvation, in faith. If the person is a family member, God's promise to you is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household," (Acts 16:31). If they are not a family member, God gives another promise for you to appropriate in prayer for them. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise... but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance," (2 Peter 3:9) and "God our Saviour... desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," (1 Timothy, 2:4). God's Word is plain, He doesn't want your relative/friend in the Baha'i to perish, to be wiped out on Judgment Day. God wants them saved, and we have a commission from Him to do the job in prayer, and to find out how.
Keep on praying in faith for your loved one. Experience shows that perseverance produces the best results, so don't be discouraged if there are no positive signs for a while. Ask the Lord to make His word alive to them, to show them the truth, even from their Scriptures.
Prayer of Action and Renunciation
If you have ever held religious studies with Baha'i members, or attended any of their buildings or temples, then you will need to repent of these involvements before God, ask His forgiveness, plead guilty without excuse, then "...Confess with your mouth (out loud) that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead," (Romans 10:9). Then ask Jesus to come in and be Lord of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you, removing all traces of the deceptions of the Baha'i, to help you understand the Bible the way God wrote it, and to help you build up your relationship with Jesus every day.
In the name of Jesus Christ, bind the spirits listed above and cut them off from you and your family. Find Bible-believing Christians and spend time with them. Please explain to them you are coming out of deception and need their encouragement and support at least until you are firmly on your feet. If some disappoint you (probably through not understanding your need) don't be put off, there are caring Christians around who can and will help.
This prayer is taken from: "Unmasking the Baha'i Faith - An Impossible Oneness?" by Russell J. Moore, (ISBN 0 9583417-7-X) published by Jubilee Publishers, PO Box 36-044, Wellington 6330, New Zealand.
Renuncation of Jehova's Witness
How To Pray Effectively For Jehovah's Witnesses
The first matter to understand is that the battle is spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 says "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (your relative/friend) but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." We are not fighting your loved one. They are in spiritual bondage. We are going to deal with the demonic spirits which blind and deafen them to the truth of the Gospel of God, and which prevent them responding to Him. Make sure there is no unconfessed sin in your life. If so, put it right with God, and if possible with anyone else involved. Know your authority in Christ to overcome all the power of the evil one. "I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions (demons), and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven," (Luke 10:19-20). If possible, ask another Christian believer to agree with you in prayer. "...If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven," (Matthew 18:19). What if you are alone, and have no one to agree with you? Lorri MacGregor (a former cult member who now heads up a Christian ministry to reach people in cults) recommends that you ask Jesus to agree with you. Then pray to God in the name of the Saviour Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit directs you. Bind the principal demonic strongman, "The Spirit of Watchtower Deception," in the name of Jesus Christ. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven..." (Matthew 18:18).
Other demonic spirits which need to be bound include; Antichrist, Unbelief, Error, False Doctrine, Confusion, Legalism, Hardness, Harshness, Guilt, Fear of Watchtower Authorities, Fear of Armageddon, etc. (Ask the Holy Spirit for the names or effects caused by these and other demonic spirits, and how to cut off their influence on your loved one.)
Ask God to release and loose your relative/friend from these demonic spirits and all others which control them. "...Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven," (Matthew 18:18). Ask the Lord to release your loved one's emotions, which have been held in fear and bondage for so long. The Holy Spirit will do this gently and lovingly, so that person comes to understand who they really are, and how much Jesus really loves them. Ask the Lord to sovereignly fill your loved one with His precious Holy Spirit. Be assured that God is now at work in their lives to release them from their bondage. Pray for their salvation, in faith. If the person is a family member, God's promise to you is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household," (Acts 16:31).
If they are not a family member, God provides another promise for you to appropriate in prayer for them. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise... but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance," (2 Peter 3:9), and "God our Saviour... desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," (1 Timothy, 2:4). God's Word is plain; He doesn't want your relative/friend in the Watchtower Society to perish, to be wiped out at Armageddon, or on Judgment Day. God wants them saved, and we have a commission from Him to do the job in prayer, and to find out how to share Jesus with them effectively.
Keep on praying in faith for your loved one. Experience shows that perseverance produces the best results, so don't be discouraged if there are no positive signs for a while. Ask the Lord to make His word alive to them, to show them the truth, even from the corrupted New World (mis) Translation.
In the very second Witness "Bible Lesson" people are taught that the Devil will try to oppose their study of the Bible with them. When family and friends find out what the person is doing with the Witnesses, most people usually know it is wrong, even if they don't know why. If you jump up and down loudly condemning the Watchtower as cultic, the Witnesses will have been proved right, and your family member/friend will be confirming this in their minds. You will be known as an "Opposer," and will have lost your right to speak on matters of religion etc. to your friend. It is highly likely you will be cut off, as though you were dead, and never permitted to communicate with them again.
Try very hard not to make statements, such as "Leave the Watchtower alone, they will screw your mind up," (even if it is true). Instead, try asking gentle questions so they think they are teaching you. They are being programmed not to listen to "criticism." For example, the material in this booklet is "Apostate," and because of the increasing mind-control used, your friend will soon know they are not permitted to read it. Trying to make them will only succeed in cutting you off as a friend. If you force them to make a choice between you and the Watchtower, or even the Bible and the Watchtower, they will almost always choose the Watchtower.
It is most important to prevent people studying with the Witnesses in the first place, because getting people out can take years and much heartache. Seek expert help as early as possible whenever a close friend or family member shows an interest in the Witnesses. Pray for God's wisdom, which He gives to those who seek Him. I was told by a former Witness they would never have joined the Watchtower if they had been shown this booklet early enough.
Prayer of Renunciation
If you have ever held Bible studies with Witnesses, or attended a Kingdom Hall, or been baptized by the Watchtower Society, etc., then you will need to repent of these involvements before God, ask His forgiveness, plead guilty without excuse, then "...Confess with your mouth (out loud) that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead," (Romans 10:9). Then ask Jesus to come in and become Lord of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you, removing all traces of the deceptions of the Watchtower, to help you understand the Bible the way God wrote it, and to help you build up your relationship with Jesus every day.
In the name of Jesus Christ, bind the spirits listed above, and cut them off from you and your family. If you have difficulty doing this, then please contact the ministries listed below, or a competent Christian leader near you to assist in your liberation from deception.
Find Bible-believing Christians and spend time with them. Please explain to them you are coming out of deception and need their encouragement and support at least until you are firmly on your feet. If some disappoint you (probably through not understanding your need) don't be put off, for there are caring Christians around who can and will help.
Letter of Resignation
If you have ever become a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society) or been baptized by them, it is important that you send a letter of resignation and cut off the spiritual ties which you had brought on yourself and your family. I suggest you send your letter to the national office of your country, and a copy to the world headquarters. You could also send a copy to your local Kingdom Hall elders. They also need to know about the real Jesus Christ.
Please use your own words in your letter. You may care to mention you have discovered that Jesus is Jehovah God; that you are now certain of your salvation; that the Watchtower Society and publications had misled you because they contained false prophecies and doctrines; and you can no longer accept the polytheism the Watchtower teaches.
This prayer is taken from: "Unmasking The Watchtower - Who are the Jehovah's Witnesses?" by Selwyn Stevens, (ISBN 0 9583417-9-6) published by Jubilee Publishers, PO Box 36-044, Wellington 6330, New Zealand.
The first matter to understand is that the battle is spiritual. Ephesians 6:12 says "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (your relative/friend) but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." We are not fighting your loved one. They are in spiritual bondage. We are going to deal with the demonic spirits which blind and deafen them to the truth of the Gospel of God, and which prevent them responding to Him. Make sure there is no unconfessed sin in your life. If so, put it right with God, and if possible with anyone else involved. Know your authority in Christ to overcome all the power of the evil one. "I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions (demons), and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven," (Luke 10:19-20). If possible, ask another Christian believer to agree with you in prayer. "...If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven," (Matthew 18:19). What if you are alone, and have no one to agree with you? Lorri MacGregor (a former cult member who now heads up a Christian ministry to reach people in cults) recommends that you ask Jesus to agree with you. Then pray to God in the name of the Saviour Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit directs you. Bind the principal demonic strongman, "The Spirit of Watchtower Deception," in the name of Jesus Christ. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven..." (Matthew 18:18).
Other demonic spirits which need to be bound include; Antichrist, Unbelief, Error, False Doctrine, Confusion, Legalism, Hardness, Harshness, Guilt, Fear of Watchtower Authorities, Fear of Armageddon, etc. (Ask the Holy Spirit for the names or effects caused by these and other demonic spirits, and how to cut off their influence on your loved one.)
Ask God to release and loose your relative/friend from these demonic spirits and all others which control them. "...Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven," (Matthew 18:18). Ask the Lord to release your loved one's emotions, which have been held in fear and bondage for so long. The Holy Spirit will do this gently and lovingly, so that person comes to understand who they really are, and how much Jesus really loves them. Ask the Lord to sovereignly fill your loved one with His precious Holy Spirit. Be assured that God is now at work in their lives to release them from their bondage. Pray for their salvation, in faith. If the person is a family member, God's promise to you is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household," (Acts 16:31).
If they are not a family member, God provides another promise for you to appropriate in prayer for them. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise... but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance," (2 Peter 3:9), and "God our Saviour... desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," (1 Timothy, 2:4). God's Word is plain; He doesn't want your relative/friend in the Watchtower Society to perish, to be wiped out at Armageddon, or on Judgment Day. God wants them saved, and we have a commission from Him to do the job in prayer, and to find out how to share Jesus with them effectively.
Keep on praying in faith for your loved one. Experience shows that perseverance produces the best results, so don't be discouraged if there are no positive signs for a while. Ask the Lord to make His word alive to them, to show them the truth, even from the corrupted New World (mis) Translation.
In the very second Witness "Bible Lesson" people are taught that the Devil will try to oppose their study of the Bible with them. When family and friends find out what the person is doing with the Witnesses, most people usually know it is wrong, even if they don't know why. If you jump up and down loudly condemning the Watchtower as cultic, the Witnesses will have been proved right, and your family member/friend will be confirming this in their minds. You will be known as an "Opposer," and will have lost your right to speak on matters of religion etc. to your friend. It is highly likely you will be cut off, as though you were dead, and never permitted to communicate with them again.
Try very hard not to make statements, such as "Leave the Watchtower alone, they will screw your mind up," (even if it is true). Instead, try asking gentle questions so they think they are teaching you. They are being programmed not to listen to "criticism." For example, the material in this booklet is "Apostate," and because of the increasing mind-control used, your friend will soon know they are not permitted to read it. Trying to make them will only succeed in cutting you off as a friend. If you force them to make a choice between you and the Watchtower, or even the Bible and the Watchtower, they will almost always choose the Watchtower.
It is most important to prevent people studying with the Witnesses in the first place, because getting people out can take years and much heartache. Seek expert help as early as possible whenever a close friend or family member shows an interest in the Witnesses. Pray for God's wisdom, which He gives to those who seek Him. I was told by a former Witness they would never have joined the Watchtower if they had been shown this booklet early enough.
Prayer of Renunciation
If you have ever held Bible studies with Witnesses, or attended a Kingdom Hall, or been baptized by the Watchtower Society, etc., then you will need to repent of these involvements before God, ask His forgiveness, plead guilty without excuse, then "...Confess with your mouth (out loud) that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead," (Romans 10:9). Then ask Jesus to come in and become Lord of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you, removing all traces of the deceptions of the Watchtower, to help you understand the Bible the way God wrote it, and to help you build up your relationship with Jesus every day.
In the name of Jesus Christ, bind the spirits listed above, and cut them off from you and your family. If you have difficulty doing this, then please contact the ministries listed below, or a competent Christian leader near you to assist in your liberation from deception.
Find Bible-believing Christians and spend time with them. Please explain to them you are coming out of deception and need their encouragement and support at least until you are firmly on your feet. If some disappoint you (probably through not understanding your need) don't be put off, for there are caring Christians around who can and will help.
Letter of Resignation
If you have ever become a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Bible & Tract Society) or been baptized by them, it is important that you send a letter of resignation and cut off the spiritual ties which you had brought on yourself and your family. I suggest you send your letter to the national office of your country, and a copy to the world headquarters. You could also send a copy to your local Kingdom Hall elders. They also need to know about the real Jesus Christ.
Please use your own words in your letter. You may care to mention you have discovered that Jesus is Jehovah God; that you are now certain of your salvation; that the Watchtower Society and publications had misled you because they contained false prophecies and doctrines; and you can no longer accept the polytheism the Watchtower teaches.
This prayer is taken from: "Unmasking The Watchtower - Who are the Jehovah's Witnesses?" by Selwyn Stevens, (ISBN 0 9583417-9-6) published by Jubilee Publishers, PO Box 36-044, Wellington 6330, New Zealand.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Should We Pray To Mary and The Saints?
Should we pray to Mary and the "saints"? Absolutely not!!!
This will cover why it is not scriptural to pray to Mary and other saints and even praying to the dead.
this will cover when certain rituals, items and additions added to the catholic church
Deliverance Prayers
Last will be how the catholic church came about.
To be blunt, when a person prays to Mary or any of the "saints" they are praying to the dead, which is necromancy. And according to the Doubleday dictionary, (Doubleday and Company, Inc. 1975) necromancy is defined as: "Divination by means of communication with the dead. Black magic; sorcery." By definition, seeking communication with the dead is equated with sorcery and black magic, and is an abomination before God.
In the Old Testament, God had crowned Saul as the first earthly king of Israel. However, God took the kingdom of Israel from Saul and gave it to David because of Saul's disobedience to God's commandments, and later destroyed Saul and his sons because he had sought to communicate with the spirit of the prophet Samuel who had died shortly before.
Saul had sought an answer from the Lord concerning a battle which he was about to fight with the Philistines, and when the Lord wouldn't answer him he said to his servants,
I SAMUEL 28:7
“7 Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, 'Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.”
Saul had previously driven the wizards and those that had familiar spirits out of the land in accordance with God's commandment,
LEVITICUS 20:27
“27 A man or a woman that has a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: Their blood shall be upon them.”
This was commanded by God in order to prevent demonic spirits from corrupting Israel as they had the Canaanite peoples before them. As such, Saul had to disguise himself when he went to the woman, so that Israel wouldn't know what he was doing, and so that the woman
wouldn't hide for fear of him. She called up a demon disguised as Samuel (not Samuel himself) who foretold that Saul and his sons would be killed the following day by the Philistines, which indeed happen. The Bible records;
I SAMUEL 31:1-6
“1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. 3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. 4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.”
There has been quite a bit of speculation as to whether the spirit that the witch called up was indeed Samuel or not, and the issue is put to rest in I Chronicles, which says,
I CHRONICLES. 10:13-14
“3 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]; 14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.”
I underlined and italicized part of the text to show a point. Saul, seeking information from the dead prophet Samuel had instead enquired of a familiar spirit (a demon) NOT the spirit of Samuel. Saul was deceived in that both he and the witch thought that the demon WAS Samuel. God would not allow the spirit of Samuel to be called up by anyone living, especially a witch!
Manasseh, son of King Hezekiah, one of the worst rulers of Judah ever recorded in the Old Testament also dealt with wizards and a familiar spirit,
2 CHRONICLES. 33:6
“6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”
God plainly states with these examples that if the living try to communicate with the dead, they communicate with familiar spirits, which is necromancy. The dead cannot communicate with us, neither can we communicate with them. And any such attempts to communicate with the dead is direct disobedience to God's commandment.
But isn't that an Old Testament law? Wasn't that taken away with the New Testament? Actually, no. Jesus said,
MATTHEW 5:18
“18 Until heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law until all be fulfilled.”
(Jots and tittles were marks used in the Hebrew language used to change the meaning of a letter or word.) The parts of the Law concerning sacrifice and ritual cleansing have been fulfilled since Jesus' death, but many parts of the old Law still hold true, as they have not been fulfilled yet.
Jesus reinforced the point of communication with the dead in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Note: He never said it was a parable. I believe that it is a true story. The story goes like this;
LUKE 16: 19-31
“19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Here Jesus says plainly that the dead are not allowed to communicate with the living. In no place in Scripture does it ever say that the dead work on the behalf of the living for any reason. Nor does it state anywhere in Scripture that we should ever seek to the dead for help in anything. We seek to Jesus because He was dead but was resurrected and is alive forevermore and is Himself God. The dead to us however, are still dead and will be until Jesus resurrects them.
As the story of the rich man and Lazarus shows, the dead have no knowledge of what is happening to the living, and therefore cannot intercede for us in anything. Therefore, as Abraham told the rich man, let the living hear the words of the Scriptures, rather than seek to the dead.
Even when Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration, they spoke to Jesus alone, not to Peter, James and John who were with Him. The Bible records,
LUKE 9:28-35
“28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment [was] white [and] glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three
tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
Here is an excellent case in point. Moses and Elijah, considered to be two of the reatest men in the Old Testament appeared to Jesus, speaking to Him about His coming death on the cross. The purpose of their appearance was to show Jesus to be the fulfillment of both the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah).
But note also, they only spoke to Jesus, not to the three frightened men who were with Him. And when Peter, apparently recognizing the two figures, wanted to erect tents of worship for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, God the Father told them to listen to Jesus, directing their attention to Him, rather than the persons of Moses and Elijah, who, even while appearing in glory, are still dead.
Scripture is abundantly clear on this issue. The dead do not communicate with the living, nor are the living to try communicate with the dead. Period! Any such attempts by the living to do so is in direct disobedience to God. And if you have prayed to Mary or the "saints", please repent before the Lord, confess your sins of necromancy and ignorance to Him. He is faithful and will forgive you. Ask Him to also cleanse and close any doorways into your spirit that Satan has gained access to by this sin. Then bind any demons in your life who have entered because of sin, and cast them out.
I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing Scripture! If you sin in ignorance, you are STILL accountable for that sin!
NUMBERS 15: 27-28
27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. 28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
Granted, we no longer have to sacrifice for our sins nor confess our sins to a priest as people did while under the Law, but we ARE still accountable for ignorant sins. For more on confession to a priest, please see the study on the question "Should I confess my sins to a priest?"
God gave us Scripture so we would know exactly what is right and wrong in His sight. And as we have the Scriptures readily available, we have no excuse before Him for not knowing what is right and wrong in His eyes.
Remember, we will not be judged before God by the traditions, rituals, and doctrines of the church, but from the Scriptures! And as I have said before, so I say again, if you cannot find Scriptural backing in context for a tradition or doctrine, you should be wary about teaching or following it!
There is no sin in asking your church leaders to provide Scriptural backing for doctrines of the church you are attending. But if they cannot support their doctrines from Scripture, in context, or they start talking about tradition, writings of the 'fathers', Magisterium (authority) of the church, or some such thing, I would be suspicious.
Too many churches fall into this error, coming under the condemnation
of;
MATTHEW 15:8-9
“8 This people draweth nigh to me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain to they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Church leaders also are warned;
HOSEA 4:6a
“6a My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: therefore because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee......”
Add to this the fact that Jesus never glorified Mary nor directed the disciples to her for any reason. He instead directed all worship and glory either to the Father or Himself, which is proper. Man (or woman) is never to be worshipped, as man is not God, simple fact.
In fact, Jesus always used the term "woman" whenever He referred to Mary, so as to cause her to remember her place, and to show that she did not hold any special place higher than anyone else in His eyes. If we were to call our earthly mothers "woman" they would be highly insulted, and with good reason.
God Himself also set the rules for the place of women in the scope of things, when Scripture records;
GENESIS 3:16
“16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
The word "rule" used here is the Hebrew word "mashal", which means "have dominion, have power". Women were not to be accounted as rulers or have authority over men in a household.
Mary fully understood that she was a chosen vessel serving a purpose, and she was indeed honored and blessed that out of all of the millions of women of Israel, God had chosen her to be the vessel that gave birth to the physical body of the Messiah. But she also knew she was a sinner, as her own words attest;
LUKE 1:46-48
“46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: 48 for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”
Mary understood that she needed a Savior, just as much as any human. And while the Catholic Church teaches that Mary was born without sin (the Immaculate Conception) her own words refute this false doctrine!
And for those who may not believe that the Catholic Church supports this awful doctrine, here is a portion of the text of the papal Bull by Pope Pius IX regarding this teaching; "The doctrine that sustains that the most blessed virgin Mary was preserved immune from any stain of original sin in the first moment of her conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in foresight of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, this doctrine revealed by God should be firmly, and constantly believed by all the faithful." (Bull "Ineffabilis Deus" December 8, 1854)
Remember, this was an "infallible declaration" by an "infallible" Pope! Therefore all believers in the Catholic Church, including all subsequent Popes are required to believe this false doctrine.
Mary was born sinless? This doctrine was revealed by God? As we have already shown, Mary's own words refute this idea. Also when Jesus was born, Mary was ritually unclean because of the birth process. As Scripture records,
LEVITICUS 12: 1-8
:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. 3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. 5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days. 6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: 7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This [is] the law for her that hath born a male or a female. 8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”
LUKE 2:22-24
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord; 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Note what God Himself says here! Mary was unclean for 40 days after the birth of Jesus according to the Law of Moses. She was required to remain separate from everyone, was not allowed to touch any holy thing nor allowed to come into the sanctuary before the Lord until she had been cleansed of her sin of blood issue! And as Scripture records, Mary knew she was unclean according to God's word as written in the Law, and faithfully followed the requirements of Law concerning her cleansing and atonement for sin. Mary was a sinner, and knew it.
Also the fact is recorded in Scripture that she had at least four sons, and an unknown number of daughters, so she was unclean in sin after the birth of each one!
Mary also was born under the Law, which made her a sinner from birth, for the Scriptures state that all of the works of the Law were under the curse.
GALATIANS 3:10-12
“10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.” And;
GALATIANS 3:22
“22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
The apostle John, who was commissioned by Jesus to care for Mary after His death, wrote the following Scripture, and it is reasonable to assume that Mary was still alive when he said;
I JOHN 1:8-10
“8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
If Mary had been preserved from sin, John certainly would have excluded her from this Scripture!
And if Mary had been designated as worthy of worship, the apostle Paul would certainly have known about it. Yet he says;
I TIMOTHY 2:5-7
“5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, [and] lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.”
There is only ONE mediator between God and Man, and that is Jesus Christ. To say that anyone else is a mediator is to call Paul a liar, would make God's Scriptures false, and would demean Jesus' atoning death on the cross.
Peter, after healing a man lame from birth, when addressing a gathering crowd of Jews, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and boldly proclaimed;
ACTS 4:8-12
“8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Note Peter's own words in verse 12! The is NO OTHER NAME GIVEN AMONG MEN WHEREBY WE MIGHT BE SAVED. Jesus, and only Jesus has the power of salvation. There is no other.
Jesus Himself said;
MATTHEW 11:28-30
“28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.”
JOHN 6:37-40
“37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Jesus says come to Me! He NEVER said to go to anyone else! Jesus is God's Man and Man's God. There is no other mediator ordained between God and Man as per Scripture! And the doctrine of Mary being a mediator between God and Man contradicts Scripture, and is therefore patently false, and was NOT revealed from God!
ROMANS 10:8-13
“8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. S1For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The requirements of salvation are simple! Believe in Jesus, believe that God raised Him from the dead, confess Him before men, and you shall be saved. No mediators, no penance, no sacraments, no priests or popes required.
Answer me this. The Romans considered deceased Caesars as gods and prayed to them, and we condemn this as a pagan practice. And yet people pray to deceased "saints" and Mary, asking them to intercede with God for their requests. And as most dictionaries will tell you, prayers are offerings or requests made to a dity (god) or deities. Thus praying to
Mary or the saints makes them gods. Is that any different from the paganism of the Romans or many eastern religions which teach people to pray to their ancestors?
This also brings up an interesting point. If God says "No," to a request, do you think that anyone is going to change His mind? And if He says "no", shouldn't that be good enough for us? Are we wiser than He? Jesus never said we should take our prayers and requests to an intercessor. Jesus Himself said,
JOHN 14:13-14
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
Nowhere did He say, "If you ask anything in Mary's name, or in the name of a saint or an apostle, I will do it." And sometimes God says no, and for good reason. He sees the end of a thing before it happens, and to protect us from harm will sometimes refuse our requests. We must be satisfied with that, believing that He is omniscient (all-knowing) and knows what He is doing.
But asking "saints" or Mary to intercede for us before the Throne is an insult to the Holy Spirit who DOES intercede for us, and infers that Mary and the "saints" have inside influence with God. The Scriptures plainly state that God is no respecter of persons; in other words all men and women are considered equally before Him, as the following scriptures show;
II CHRONICLES 19: 5-7
“5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, 6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who [is] with you in the judgment. 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do [it]: for [there is] no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
ROMANS 2:11
“11 For there is no respect of persons with God.”
EPHESIANS 6:9
“9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them (your servants), forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.”
I PETER 1:17a
17a And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear:
If God is no respecter of persons, then Mary and the "saints" are no better in His eyes than anyone else. Jesus called Mary "woman", treating her with the same title as He did with the woman of Samaria who had had five husbands, and was living with a man who was not her husband, or the woman caught in the very act of adultery. In both cases He addressed the women as "woman". Mary was equal with any other sinful woman in Jesus' eyes.
Anyone who believes that Mary has inside influence with Jesus, should read the following Scripture;
MATTHEW 12:46-50
“46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, [his] mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
By that very statement, Jesus demonstrated the place of Mary in relation to all elievers. She was no different than any disciple, neither is she greater than any disciple in His eyes. Elevating Mary as co-redeemer and mediatrix makes her equal with God Himself, which is blasphemy. And to say that God singled her out to be free of original sin goes against His Scriptures, which say that ALL of mankind is sinful;
ROMANS 3:9-20
9 What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: 14 Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.”
Paul wrote the above passage in Romans more than 20 years after Jesus' death and resurrection, and knew of no promise to Mary that she would be free of sin. Mary was born under the Law and followed the dictates of the Law, including those of sacrifice, which meant that according to the Law, and in the eyes of God, she was a sinner. And since we have seen that God is no respecter of persons, He could not have preserved Mary from sin from birth, for if He had He would have violated His own Scriptures, and made Himself a liar.
As far as intercession, Mary and the "saints" cannot intercede with God for us anyway, for as the author of Hebrews states,
HEBREWS 4:10
“10 For he who has entered into His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” In other words, those who enter Heaven rest from working. Their time of
labor is finished. They no longer care or worry about what happens here on earth, but await the resurrection at the return of Jesus, the King of Kings.
God is also very explicit concerning others using their righteousness to intercede with Him when He spoke to the prophet Ezekiel;
EZEKIEL 14:12-20
“12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, 13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off
man and beast from it: 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they
should deliver [but] their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. 15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: 16 [Though] these three men [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. 17 Or [if] I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
18 Though these three men [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. 19 Or [if] I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: 20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall [but]
deliver their own souls by their righteousness.”
Again, God is no respecter of persons. Period. And no one's righteousness can save anyone else. Ever!
In summary, praying to Mary or the "saints" is accounted as necromancy which is sorcery, and such practice is accounted as an abomination before God. And praying to the dead for intercession with God insults Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and is in direct disobedience to His commandments. Mary and the "saints" are not to be exalted as they were sinners as
much as we are, and not worthy of worship. Jesus nor the apostles never held Mary in any kind of reverence, nor do the Scriptures ever refer to her as anything but a woman chosen by God to bear the physical body of the Messiah. Her own words attest that she needed a savior as much as we.
Mary was a child of the Law, and as such was under the curse of the Law, which meant that she was as sinful as anyone else under the Law. And according to the Law, she was ritually unclean for 40 days after the birth of Jesus and all of her other children, and offered two turtledoves for the cleansing of her sin of blood issue for each one.
Jesus never held her in any higher respect than any of the other disciples, and even used the term "woman" whenever He addressed her, to show that she was not to be esteemed more than any other woman in history.
We will be judged by the commandments of Scripture, not by the commandments and doctrines of men, or the "Magisterium" of the church. And sinning in ignorance is no excuse before God. After all He gave us the Scriptures to show us what is pleasing in His sight.
And if we lack wisdom in understanding the Scriptures the apostle James says,
JAMES 1:5-8 “5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
[men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord. 8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways. In other words, God will freely grant you wisdom if you ask Him in faith, and He will not rebuke (upbraid) you.”
But note that James says "ask of God", not of Mary or the "saints".
You who read this are now responsible for the truth of this matter. I have provided numerous Scriptures that forbid praying to the dead, and reasons why this is forbidden. I have also proven from Scripture that Mary was just as much a sinner as we are in God's eyes, and that no one can use their righteousness on behalf of another before God, as God is no respecter of persons.
The Catholic Church is rife with doctrines that are opposed to Scripture, which is why I challenge people to check doctrines of the church against Scripture. If there is no Scriptural backing, in context, then I would be very wary of it. Too many man-made doctrines are given the authority of Scriptural commandments, and following man-made doctrines will not grant you access to Heaven, no matter how pious or holy the teacher
of them may seem.
If you choose to reject what I have written here, I am free of your blood before God as I have written what He has instructed me to write. I take God's warning to Ezekiel very seriously, in which He said;
EZEKIEL 33: 8-19
“8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked [man], thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins [be] upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his [righteousness] in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, [that] he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 [If] the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
We have a responsibility to teach the truth to all who will listen. Jesus taught those who would listen, and those who rejected His teachings will bear their judgement.
I sincerely pray in Jesus' name that the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit whom He has sent will open the eyes of all who read these words, and bring the light of truth into their hearts, and that He will confirm that what I have written here is the truth. Do not pray to the dead for intercession with God, when you can go directly to Jesus Christ His Son who is Himself God. Remember His words!
JOHN 14:13-14
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it]. Go to Jesus, the living God, not to the dead!
List of dates when traditions, rituals and other practices entered the Roman Catholic Church that is not scriptural but put in place by man:
310 - OF ALL THE HUMAN TRADITIONS taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, which are contrary to the Bible, the most ancient are the prayers for the dead and the sign of the Cross.Both began 300 years after Christ.
320 - Wax Candles introduced in church.
375 - Veneration of angels and dead saints.
394 - The Mass, as a daily celebration, adopted.
431 - The worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the use of the term, "Mother of God", as applied to her, originated in the Council of Ephesus. The Mother of God" was a title given to Nimrod's mother well before Christ ever came. In fact, the priest's of Babylon wore a "costume" - if you will - that resembled a fish complete with the open mouthed head of a fish like head dress. It was a long flowing
garment that spanned form the wrist to the floor close to the feet.
500 - Priests began to dress differently from the laity. Look to the Bishops of today to see the same outfit. They also kept a feast to the goddess Ishtar in the spring during which such things as rabbits, crosses, crucifixes, eggs, and rosaries were used in this fertility rights ceremony, as she was the goddess of fertility.
To be fair though they are not the only Christian based religion that puts forth a counterfeit Christianity which is contrary to scripture.
593 - The doctrine of Purgatory was first established by Gregory the Great. The Latin language, as the language of prayer and worship in churches, was also imposed by Pope Gregory I. 600 years after Christ
The Word of God forbids praying and teaching in an unknown tongue. (I Cor. 14:9).
600 - The Bible teaches that we pray to God alone. In the primitive church never were prayers directed to Mary, or to dead saints. This practice began in the Roman Church
(Matt. 11:28; Luke 1:46; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-18)
610 - The Papacy is of pagan origin. The title of pope or universal bishop, was first given to the bishop of Rome by the wicked emperor Phocas
This he did to spite Bishop Ciriacus of Constantinople, who had justly excommunicated him for his having caused the assassination of his predecessor emperor Mauritius. Gregory 1, then bishop of Rome, refused the title, but his successor, Boniface III, first assumed title "pope."
Jesus did not appoint Peter to the headship of the apostles and forbade any such notion. (Lk. 22:24-26; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18; I Cor. 3:11).
Note:-- Nor is there any mention in Scripture, nor in history, that Peter ever was in Rome, much less that he was pope there for 25 years; Clement, 3rd bishop of Rome, remarks that there is no real 1st century evidence that Peter ever was in Rome."
709 - The kissing of the Pope's feet
It had been a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors. The Word of God forbids such practices. (Read Acts 10:25-26; Rev. 19:10; 22:9).
750 - The Temporal power of the Popes
When Pepin, the usurper of the throne of France, descended into Italy, called by Pope Stephen II, to war against the Italian Lombards, he defeated them and gave the city of Rome and surrounding territory to the pope. Jesus expressly forbade such a thing, and He himself refused worldly kingship. (Read Matt. 4:8-9; 20:25-26; John 18:38).
788 - Worship of the cross, images and relics was authorized
This was by order of Dowager Empress Irene of Constantinople, who first caused to pluck the eyes of her own son, Constantine VI, and then called a church council at the request of Hadrian I, pope of Rome at that time.
Such practice is called simply IDOLATRY in the Bible, and is severly condemned. (Read Ex. 20:4; 3:17; Deut. 27:15; Psalm 115).
850 - Holy Water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest, was authorized.
890 - The veneration of St. Joseph began
965 - The baptism of bells was instituted by Pope John XIV
995 - Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV
Every believer and follower of Christ is called saint in the Bible. (Read Rom. 1:7; I Col. 1:2).
998 - Fasting on Fridays and during Lent were imposed.
Imposed by popes said to be interested in the commerce of fish. (Bull, or permit to eat meat), some authorities say, began in the year 700. This is against the plain teaching of the Bible. (Read Matt. 15:10; I Cor. 10:25; I Tim. 4:1-3).
The Mass was developed gradually as a sacrifice; attendance made obligatory in the 11th century.
The Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Christ was offered once and for all, and is not to be repeated, but only commemorated in the Lord's Supper. (Read Heb. 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10-14).
1079 - The celibacy of the priesthood was decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII
Jesus imposed no such rule, nor did any of the apostles. On the contrary, St. Peter was a married man, and St. Paul says that bishops were to have wife and children. (Read I Tim. 3:2,5, and 12; Matt. 8:14-15).
1090 - The Rosary, or prayer beads was introduced by Peter the Hermit, in the year 1090. Copied from Hindus and Mohammedans
The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is expressly condemned by Christ. (Matt. 6:5-13).
1184 - The Inquisition of heretics was instituted by the Council of Verona in the year 1184. Jesus never taught the use of force to spread His religion
1190 - The sale of Indulgences, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a permit to indulge in sin.
Christianity, as taught in the Bible, condemns such a traffic and it was the protest against this traffic that brought on the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
1215 - The dogma of Transubstantiation was decreed by Pope Innocent III, in the year
By this doctrine the priest pretends to perform a daily miracle by changing a wafer into the body of Christ, and then he pretends to eat Him alive in the presence of his people during Mass. The Bible condemns such absurdities; for the Lord's Supper is simply a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ. The spiritual presence of Christ is implied in the Lord's Supper. (Read Luke 22:19-20; John 6:35; I Cor. 11:26).
1215 - Confession of sin to the priest at least once a year was instituted by Pope Innocent III., in the Lateran Council
The Bible commands us to confess our sins direct to God. (Read Psa. 51:1-10; Luke 7:48; 15:21; I John 1:8-9).
1220 - The adormtion of the wafer (Host), was decreed by Pope Honorius
So the Roman Church worships a God made by human hands. This is plain idolatry and absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. (Read John 4:24).
1229 - The BIble forbidden to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by the Council of Valencia
Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read by all. (John 5:39; I Tim. 3:15-17).
1287 - The Scapular was invented by Simon Stock, and English monk
It is a piece of brown cloth, with the picture of the Virgin and supposed to contain supernatural virtue to protect from all dangers those who wear it on naked skin. This is fetishism.
1414 - The Roman Church forbade the cup to the laity, by instituting the communion of one kind in the Council of Constance
The Bible commands us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. (Read Matt. 26:27; I Cor. 11:26-29).
1439 - The doctrine of Purgatory was proclaimed as a dogma of faith by Council of Florence
There is not one word in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. (Read I John 1:7-9; 2:1-2; John 5:24; Rom. 8:1).
1439 - The doctrine of 7 Sacrmnents affirmed
The Bible says that Christ instituted only two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Read Matt. 28: 19-20; 26:26-28).
1508 - The Ave Maria, part of the last
It was completed 50 years afterward and finally approved by Pope Sixtus V, at the end of the 16th century.
1545 - The Council of Trent, held in the year 1545, declared that Tradition is of equal authority with the Bible
By tradition is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way, and Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by teaching human tradition, they nullified the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7:7-13; Col. 2:8; Rev. 22:18).
1546 - The apocryphal books were added to the Bible also by the Council of Trent
These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church. (See Rev. 22:8-9).
1560 - The Creed of Pope Pius IV was imposed as the official creed 1560 years after Christ and the apostles
True Christians retain the Holy Scriptures as their creed. Hence their creed is 1500 years older than the creed of Roman Catholics. (Read Gal. 1:8).
1834 - The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX
The Bible states that all men, with the sole exception of Christ, are sinners. Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Psa. 51:5; Luke 1:30,46,47).
1870 - In the year 1870 after Christ, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of Papal Infallibility
This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy and of the anti-christ predicted by St. Paul. (Read II Thess. 2:2-12; Rev. 17:1-9; 13:5-8,18).
Many Bible students see the number of the beast (Rev. 13:18), 666 in the Roman letters of the Pope's title: "VICARIVS FILII DEI." -- V-5, I-1; C-100, I-1; V-S, I-1; L-50, I-1; I-1; D-500, I-l -- Total, 666.
1907 - Pope Plus X, in the year 1907, condemned together with "Modernism", all the discoveries of modern science which are not approved by the Church
Pius IX had done the same thing in the Syllabus of 1864.
1930 - In the year 1930 Pius XI, condemned the Public Schools
1931 - In the year 1931 the same pope Pius XI, reaffirmed the doctrine that Mary is "the Mother of God"
This doctrine was first invented by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431. This is a heresy contrary by Mary's own words. (Read Luke 1:46-49; John 2: l-5).
1950 - In the year 1950 the last dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pins XII, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
CONCLUSION
What will be the next invention? The Roman Church says it never changes; yet, it has done nothing else but invent new doctrines which are contrary to the Bible, and has practiced rites and ceremonies taken bodily from paganism. Some scholar has found that 75% of the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Church are of pagan origin.
Note:-- Cardinal Newman, in his book, "The Development of the Christian Religion," admits that ... "Temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, holidays and season of devotions, processions, blessing of fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests and monks and nuns), images ... are all of pagan origin..."
HERESIES are those doctrines and practices which are contrary to the Bible. They are also called "human traditions" or "doctrines of men". Both Peter and Paul predicted and warned that in the later times "false teachers" would rise within the Church and bring in "damnable heresies" and "doctrines of devils". (Read II Peter 2:1-3, and I Tim. 3:2-5). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, for they transgressed the commandments of God by keeping their traditions. "in vain," He said, "they worship me by keeping for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:3,9).
The real heretics therefore, are the Roman Catholics and the true orthodox are the Evangelical Christians.
It is not commanded nor even suggested that we should celebrate His birth nor is the date of His birth given. Surely if God wanted us to keep it as an observance He would've told us when it was. Then there is the keeping as a memorial of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, again it is not admonished that we do so.
What is taught by Christ is to celebrate His death which is the purpose for which He came! He Himself observed it, even to the end/death for what was the so called "Last Supper", it was Passover! This He commanded to be kept in Ex.12:1-6. These verses point to the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". They show
exactly when He would be killed, even who would do it. No, you needn't think it an attack on the RCC, most all of Christendom is guilty of the same!
BRETHREN! The Word of God commands us to get out of Babylon, saying: "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4). All true Christians will remain faithful to the religion of Christ as taught in the Bible, and heed the warning of the Apostle Paul, who said: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:8).
Deliverance from being involved with the Catholic Church
First – clean house - Cleaning Your House - The first requirement for the Christian being DELIVERED is for him to remove from his house (or his room if it is not his house) all Catholic objects, symbols, medals, statues, pictures, holy cards, Catholic bibles, rosaries, crucifixes, missals, Catholic hymn books, relics, votive candles, shrines, sentimental Catholic mementoes, etc. If an object is not his to remove, the person can anoint it with oil and bind its powers from him. If the person does not clean his house, DELIVERANCE will be only partial at best, because these things give legal grounds for demons to stay.
Renunciation of Catholic Church - We have found that people who are not yet ready to give up ties to Catholicism, but are willing to be DELIVERED in other areas, can receive some DELIVERANCE. However, for DELIVERANCE to be most effective, a sincere renunciation of the Catholic system is necessary. An example of such a prayer is the following: Heavenly Father, I renounce and repent of my participation in the (Roman, Greek or Russian) Catholic institution. I cancel the effects of all promises made to, oaths taken and rituals performed in the Catholic system by me, my parents, my husband/wife and their ancestors on both sides of the family. I renounce and cancel my allegiance to the Pope as head of The One True Church and to the Vatican as the Holy See. I renounce all false doctrines of the Catholic system:
1. The false doctrine that Mary is our mediator between man and God rather than His Son, JESUS - the Bible says in I Tim. 2:5, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man CHRIST JESUS." Also see John 14:6.
2. The false doctrine which glorifies Mary more than CHRIST - the Bible says in Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Also in Eph. 1:21, "His Name is above every other Name, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come."
3. The false doctrine which makes Mary the Gate to Heaven instead of CHRIST - the Bible says in Jn. 10:1,7,9, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber...Then said JESUS unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep...I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." In Jn. 14:6 "JESUS saith unto him; I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Also see Acts 4:12.
4. The false doctrine which gives Mary the power of CHRIST - the Bible says in Phil. 2:9-10. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." Also in Heb. 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
5. The false doctrine of praying to the dead - the Bible says in Deut. 18:10-11, "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." (A necromancer is one who talks to the dead.) Verse 12 says, "For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord:..."
6. The false doctrine of salvation through works - the Bible says in Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye save through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."
7. The false doctrine of praying to angels - the Bible says in Col. 2:18, "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind..." And in Rev. 22:8-9, "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, see thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the saying of this book: worship God."
8. I renounce and repent of all these false doctrines and all of the other false doctrines of the Catholic system, in the Name of JESUS CHRIST."
Breaking Curses And Soul Ties - At this point, it would be a good idea to pray the Soul Restoration Prayer if it has not been done so during this DELIVERANCE session. Then the person being DELIVERED can continue:
1. I break curses put upon me and my family by the Knights of Columbus or any other Catholic society. I cut all ties and holds between me and the strong man, Jezebel, Queen of Kingdoms, and the Great Harlot.
2. I declare to be broken any bonds, ties, or bindings that hold me to the Catholic system because of my Water Baptism, First Holy Communion, confirmation rituals, marriage vows or sacraments.
3. I break evil soul ties between me and the saints for which I was named. (Catholic people can be DELIVERED of evil spirits that are called by the person's specific baptismal and confirmation names. Call these spirits out using the saint's names and expect a manifestation, specifically, on each name.)
4. I break evil soul ties between me and the saints to which I have prayed. (Call out these evil spirits, using the saint's names.)
5. I repent of bringing Catholic statues or other abominable things into my home, as they come under the category of idols and accursed things. I have removed them from my person, home, car and place of work. (Call out spirits from the person because they had these things. Example: "Any spirits that came in because of these things in the house of (name the person) must come out.")
6. I repent of Baal worship, which is one of the ancestors of the Catholic system. (Call out spirits of Baal, Priests of Baal, Shedding Innocent Blood, Ashtaroth, goddess - mother and wife of Baal, etc.)
7. I repent of idolatry, worship of statues, veneration of statues and relics, and possession of same. (Call out spirits by these names.)
8. I repent of calling priests, Father, for Mat. 23:9 says, And call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven. (Call out evil spirits having priest's names.)
9. I break all evil soul ties with all priests and nuns with whom I have had contact or have held in high admiration. (Name the ones the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance and call spirits out by these names. Also call out Fear of Priest and Nuns. If the person wanted to become or did become a nun, call out False Bride of CHRIST and Bride of Satan. Call out Guilt if the person felt they should have been a nun or priest but didn't become one. Also call out Guilt For Leaving The Mother Church.)
10. I renounce praying to Mary and break all curses on me because of this. I cancel any dedication to Mary which may have been done in my behalf. (Call out spirits of Mary from the following: Madonna, Holy Mary, Our Lady, Notre Dame, Mother of God, Dei Mater, Deipara, Theotokos, Mater Dolorosa, The Sorrowful Mother, Queen of Heaven, Regina Coeli, Queen of Angels, Regina Angelorum, Star of the Sea, Stella Maris, The Virgin, The Blessed Virgin, The Black Virgin, Sacred heart of Mary, Hail Mary, Lady of Lourdes, Lady of Fatima, Lady of the Snows, (Other Ladies), The Virgin Mary, The Virgin Mother, Sancta Virgo Virginum, Holy Virgin of Virgins; Virgo Sponsa Dei, Virgin Bride of the Lord, Virgo Clemens, Virgin Most Merciful, Virgo Gloriosa, Virgin Most Glorious, Virgo Potens, Virgin Most Powerful, Virgo Praedicanda, Virgin Most Renowned, Virgo Sapientissima, Virgin Most Wise, Virgo Veneranda, Virgin Most Venerable, Hortus Clusus, Immaculate Conception, Mariology, Mariolatry, Queen of Peace, Queen of Righteousness, Queen of Martyrs, Mother Mary, Queen of Hell, Sovereign Mistress of the Devils, Fayy Fatima-Vexxa Myya (creates a very deep loyalty to Mary), Mariology, Mary Worship, Loyalty to the Church of Mary to the Death (occult in nature and practice), Sodality Fellowships (solidarity in Mary), Mary Seed of Wisdom.
11. I repent of the sins of my fathers during the Inquisition in Europe from 1200-1800 A.D. when millions of people were tortured, maimed and killed as heretics because they owned Bibles and obeyed what was in the Bible instead of the church tradition. As the Catholic system has never repented of this, I do so now. I renounce these actions as sin, and repent of them for myself and my family. (Call out spirits of Mental Torment, Murder, Burning, Torture and all kinds of Infirmities.)
12. I break the curse of Jesuit intrigue and deceit over me; CHRIST became a curse for me. I renounce and repent of any association of myself, parents or ancestors (or husband/wife) back on both sides of the family from the beginning of the organization of the Jesuit Order. (Call out spirits of Political Intrigue, Lying, Religious Lying, Pieytheas, Deceit, Subterfuge, Treason, Manipulation, Murder, etc.)
13. I renounce and repent of saying, 'I was born a Catholic and I'll die a Catholic!' I break that curse and call out a Spirit of Death. We do all this in the Name of JESUS CHRIST. (Call out spirits of Death which can include Death and Hades, Osmodeus, Appolyon, Premature Death, Death by Overdose, Death by Terminal Illness, Death by Accident, Death by Drowning, etc. Also call out Destruction Spirits, and Promises to Saints and Mary.)
Break the vow of poverty.
Loose spirits of Truth, DELIVERANCE, Adoption, Counsel, Might, Wisdom, Understanding, and Revelation Knowledge of the Word, life, etc. upon the person DELIVERED. (I Isa.11:2)
How the Catholic church Came about
Christian or Pagan?
The Roman Catholic Church, headquartered in Rome, Italy, has its own
powerful City-State, the Vatican, and claims over 968 million members
worldwide and 60 million in the U.S. and Canada (as of 1996). (Catholic
membership figures are considerably misleading, though, in that they
count as members every person who has been baptized Catholic, including
millions of people who were baptized as infants but who are not practicing
Catholics.) The Roman Catholic Church, in its pagan form, unofficially
came into being in 312 A.D., at the time of the so-called "miraculous
conversion" to Christianity of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Although Christianity
was not made the official religion of the Roman Empire until the edicts of
Theodosius I in 380 and 381 A.D., Constantine, from 312 A.D. until his
death in 337, was engaged in the process of simultaneously building pagan
temples and Christian churches, and was slowly turning over the reigns of his
pagan priesthood to the Bishop of Rome. However, the family of Constantine
did not give up the last vestige of his priesthood until after the
disintegration of the Roman Empire -- that being the title the emperors bore as heads of the pagan priesthood -- Pontifex Maximus -- a title which the popes would
inherit. (The popes also inherited Constantine's titles as the self-appointed civil head of the church -- Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Bishops.)
Prior to the time of Constantine's "conversion," Christians were persecuted
not so much for their profession of faith in Christ, but because they would
not include pagan deities in their faith as well. Then, with Constantine's
emphasis on making his new-found Christianity palatable to the heathen
in the Empire, the "Christianization" of these pagan deities was facilitated.
For example, pagan rituals and idols gradually took on Christian meanings
and names and were incorporated into "Christian" worship (e.g., "saints"
replaced the cult of pagan gods in both worship and as patrons of cities;
mother/son statues were renamed Mary and Jesus; etc.), and pagan holidays
were reclassified as Christian holy days (e.g., the Roman Lupercalia and the
feast of purification of Isis became the Feast of the Nativity; the Saturnalia celebrations were replaced by Christmas
an ancient festival of the dead was replaced by All Souls Day, rededicated
to Christian heroes [now Halloween http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/hallow/> ]; etc.).
A transition had occurred -- instead of being persecuted for failure to
worship pagan deities, Christians who did not agree with the particular
orthodoxy backed by the Emperor were now persecuted in the name of
Christ! "Christianized" Rome had become the legitimate successor of pagan Rome!
This is the sad origin of the Roman Catholic Church.
Below are the highlights of what Catholics believe concerning their
source of authority; God, Christ, and Mary; salvation and the sacraments; and
heaven and hell. So much more could be said concerning not only the
items listed below, but also concerning other areas of Catholic teaching
(such as the claims of the Roman priesthood and its supposed origin in the
Apostles; the nature of the pope's alleged infallibility and the supposed origin
of his office in the Apostle Peter; the nature of the Confessional; the
doctrine of penance/indulgences; practices concerning rituals, ceremonies,
and relics; the doctrine of Celibacy; policies on marriage and divorce;
the role of the parochial school; etc.). Excellent reference sources for a
thorough treatment of Catholicism's origins, beliefs, and practices would be
Roman Catholicism (466 ppgs.) and A Woman Rides the Beast (544 ppgs.).
1. Source of Authority. With respect to the Bible, Catholics accept the
apocryphal books in addition to the 66 books of the Protestant Bible.
They also accept tradition and the teaching of the Catholic Church as
authoritative and at least equal to that of the Bible (cf. Mk. 7:8,9,13;
Matt. 15:3,6,9; Col. 2:8). With respect to papal infallibility, Catholics
believe that ecumenical councils of bishops and the pope are immune from
error when speaking ex cathedra about faith and morals (i.e., "from the
chair" -- by sole virtue of position or the exercise of an office).
(And by "infallible," Catholics mean much more than merely a simple, de facto
absence of error -- it is positive perfection, ruling out the
possibility of error. For more on infallibility, see notes on Vatican II below
i.e., it teaches that the Roman Catholic Church produced the Bible and
that the pope is Christ's vicar on earth. Catholics also maintain the belief
in sacerdotalism -- that an ordained Catholic priest has the power to
forgive sins (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5).
2. Jesus Christ. Catholicism teaches that Christ is God, but they, nevertheless, do not believe that Christ's death paid the full penalty for sin; i.e., they believe that those who qualify for heaven must still spend time in purgatory to atone for sin (cf. Jn. 19: 30; Heb. 10:11,12).
3. Mary. The Catholic Church gives honor and
adoration to Mary that the Scriptures do not; she is readily referred to as
"holy," the "Mother of God," and has been dubbed the "Co-Redemptrix," thereby
making her an object of idolatrous worship (e.g., the rosary has ten prayers
to Mary for each two directed to God). In 1923, Pope Pius XI sanctioned
Pope Benedict XV's (1914-1922) pronouncement that Mary suffered with Christ,
and that with Him, she redeemed the human race. And Pope Pius XII officially
designated Mary the "Queen of Heaven" and "Queen of the World."
Catholics claim not only that Mary was perfectly sinless from conception, even as
Jesus was (doctrine of Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in
1854), but that the reason she never sinned at any time during her life was
because she was unable to sin (cf. Lk. 1:46,47; Rom. 3:10,23; 5:12;
Heb. 4:15; 1 Jn. 1:8,10). Catholics also believe that Mary was a perpetual
virgin (cf. Ps. 69:8; Matt. 1:24,25; 13:54-56; Mk. 6:3; Jn. 7:5), and that she
was assumed, body and soul, into heaven (doctrine of Assumption of Mary,
declared ex cathedra by Pope Pius XII in November of 1950 -- that Mary was
raised from the dead on the third day after her death, and anyone who
refuses to believe this has committed a mortal sin). The consequence of
all this veneration of Mary, in effect, establishes her authority above
Christ's -- Rome says, "He came to us through Mary and we must go to Him through
her." All this is so obviously idolatrous, one wonders why Catholics take
offense when their religious affections are called cultic
.
4. Salvation. Catholics teach that a person is saved through the Roman
Catholic Church and its sacraments, especially through baptism; they do
not believe that salvation can be obtained by grace through faith in Christ
alone, but that baptism is essential
for salvation. Catholics believe that no one outside the Catholic Church
can be saved (Unum Sanctum) (cf. Jn. 5:24; Eph. 2: 8,9; Gal. 2:21; Rom.
3:22,23). (See also The Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism and the New
Catholic Catechism (paras 819 and 846.) They also believe that one's
own suffering can expiate the sin's of himself and of others, so that what
Christ's suffering was not able to achieve, one can achieve by his own
works and the works of others (Vatican II).
5. Sacraments. Catholics have seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation,
Eucharist (mass), penance/reconciliation (indulgences), extreme unction
(last rights), marriage, and orders (ordination). Although not even
formally decreed until the Council of Florence in 1439, the Council of Trent
later declared all to be anathema whom do not hold Rome's position that it
was Christ Himself who instituted these seven sacraments! (The idea behind
the sacraments is that the shedding of Christ's Blood in His death upon the
cross is of no value unless it is somehow dispensed and applied "sacramentally" by the Catholic priesthood.) Although Catholics believe that the first five sacraments are indispensable for salvation (because without any one of them, a mortal sin has been committed), baptism is considered the most important. Catholics believe that a person enters into the spiritual life of the Church through baptism; i.e., baptismal regeneration -- that a person can be saved through baptism (actually, 'on the road to salvation,' because Catholics never know exactly when they are saved). They
practice infant baptism because they believe baptism erases original sin (cf.
Jn. 3:18).
6. The Mass. Unknown in the early church, the mass did not become an official doctrine until pronounced by the Lateran Council of 1215 under the direction of Pope Innocent III, and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent. The Church of Rome holds that the mass is a continuation of the sacrifice that Christ made on Calvary -- in effect a re-crucifixion of Christ over and over again in an unbloody manner (cf. Heb. 9:22; 1 Jn. 1:7). They believe that by this means Christ offers Himself again and again as a sacrifice for sin (cf. Heb. 7:27; 9:12,25,26; 10:10,12,14,18), and that this sacrifice is just as efficacious to take away sin as was the true sacrifice on Calvary.
Catholics thus teach the doctrine of transubstantiation (meaning a change of substance) -- that the bread and wine (at communion) actually become (by the
power of the priest!) the body and blood of Christ, which is then worshiped
as God Himself! Indeed, the sacrifice of the mass is the central point of
Catholic worship, as evidenced by the fact that those abstaining from attending mass are considered to have committed a mortal sin.
7. Purgatory. Though of pagan origin, the doctrine of purgatory was first
conceptualized in the professing church in the second century; the Roman
Church proclaimed it as an article of faith in 1439 at the Council of Florence, and it was confirmed by Trent in 1548. The Catholic Church teaches that even those "who die in the state of grace" (i.e., saved and sins forgiven) must still spend an indefinite time being purged/purified (i.e.,expiated of sins/cleansed for heaven). (Technically, this "purging" can occur in this life rather than in purgatory itself, but as a practical matter, purgatory is the best the average Catholic can hope for.) Some Catholics will admit that the doctrine of purgatory is not based on the
Bible, but on Catholic tradition (which, by Catholic standards, is equally
authoritative) (cf. Jn. 5:24; Lk. 23:43; 1 Jn. 1:7,9; Phil. 1:23). (Others
teach that it is based upon the interpretation of several Scriptural texts
-- 1 Cor. 3:15; 1 Pe. 1:7; 3:19; Matt. 12:31.) They teach that those in
purgatory can be helped by the prayers and good works of those on earth
(which would include the "purchase" of masses and/or other indulgences), but
they are not certain how these prayers and works are applied (cf. 2 Pe.
1:9; Heb. 1:3; Jn. 3:18; 19:30; 2 Cor. 5:6-8).
8. The Church Councils. There have been three major Roman Catholic Councils:
Council of Trent (1545-1563), Vatican I (1869-1870), and Vatican II (1962-1965). The last Council, Vatican II, offered no new doctrines nor repudiated any essential teaching of the Roman Church; it referred to Trent dozens and dozens of times, quoted Trent's proclamations as authority, and reaffirmed Trent on every hand. Even the New
Catholic Catechism (1992/1994) cites Trent no less than 99 times! There is
not the slightest hint that the proclamations of the Council of Trent have
been abrogated by Rome. At the opening of the Second Vatican council, Pope
John XXIII stated, "I do accept entirely all that has been decided and declared at the Council of Trent," and all of the Catholic leaders who attended Vatican II signed a document containing this statement. (The current pope, Pope John Paul II, has even cited the Council of Trent as authority for his blasphemous position on Mary.):
_____
Council of Trent -- The Council of Trent was held in an attempt to destroy the progress of the Protestant Reformation; it approved many superstitious and unbiblical beliefs of the Middle Ages (all to be believed under the threat of "anathema"):
(a) Denied every doctrine of the Reformation, from Sola Scriptura to "salvation by grace through faith alone";
(b) Pronounced 125 anathemas http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Cults/Catholicism/catholic.htm#anchor63
9480> (i.e., eternal damnation) upon anyone believing what evangelicals
believe and preach today;
(c) Equal value and authority of tradition and Scripture (in actuality, tradition is held above Scripture);
(d) Scriptures for the priesthood only (prohibited to anyone in the laity
without written permission from one's superior -- to violate this was [and
still is in most "Catholic countries" today] considered a mortal sin);
(e) Seven sacraments;
(f) Communion by eating the bread only (not drinking the wine);
(g) Purgatory;
(h) Indulgences;
(i) The Mass as a propitiatory offering.
Vatican I
(a) Defined the infallibility of the pope;
(b) Confirmed Unum Sanctum (no salvation outside of the Catholic Church).
Vatican II -- made no new doctrines, nor did it change or repudiate any old
ones; Trent and Vatican I stand as is (i.e., Vatican II verified and validated all the anathemas of Trent). Vatican II reaffirmed such Roman heresies as papal supremacy; the Roman priesthood; the mass as an unbloody sacrifice of Christ; a polluted sacramental gospel; Catholic tradition on equal par with Scripture; Mary as the Queen of Heaven and co-Redemptrix with Christ; auricular confession; Mariolatry; pilgrimages to "holy shrines"; purgatory; prayers to and for the dead; etc. (Although the restriction against laity reading the Scriptures has been removed, it is still a mortal sin for a Roman Catholic anywhere to read any Protestant version of the Bible. That the real attitude of the Vatican toward the Bible has not
changed is shown by the fact that in 1957 the depot of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Madrid, Spain was closed and its stock of Bibles confiscated and burned.)
(a) Reaffirmed the infallibility of the pope (and even when he does not speak ex-cathedra, all Catholics must still give complete submission of mind and will to what he says);
(b) Divided Catholic doctrine into that which is essential core of theology,
and must be received by faith, and that which is still an undefined body of
theology which Catholics may question and debate without repudiating their
essential Catholicism;
(c) Established 20 complex rules concerning when and how any indulgence may
be obtained, and condemned "with anathema those who say that indulgences are
useless or that the Church does not have the power to grant them ... [for]
the task of winning salvation." [Back
_____
A Sampling of the Anathemas of Trent:
If any one shall deny that the body and blood together with the soul and
divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore entire Christ, are truly,
really, and substantially contained in the sacrament of the most holy
Eucharist; and shall say that He is only in it as a sign, or in a figure, or
virtually -- let him be accursed (Canon 1).
If any one shall say that the substance of the bread and wine remains in the
sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, together with the body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall deny that wonderful and singular conversion
of the whole substance of the bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood, the outward forms of the bread and wine still remaining, which conversion the Catholic Church most aptly calls transubstantiation -- let him be accursed (Canon 2).
If any man shall say that Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is not to be
adored in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, even with the open worship of
latria, and therefore not to be venerated with any peculiar festal celebrity, nor to be solemnly carried about in processions according to the praiseworthy, and universal rites and customs of the holy Church, and that he is not to be publicly set before the people to be adored, and that his adorers are idolaters -- let him be accursed (Canon 6).
If anyone shall say that the ungodly man is justified by faith only so as to
understand that nothing else is required that may cooperate to obtain the
grace of justification, and that it is in no wise necessary for him to be
prepared and disposed by the motion of his own will ... let him be accursed
(Canon 9).
If anyone shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in
the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ's sake, or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified ... let him be accursed (Canon
12).
This will cover why it is not scriptural to pray to Mary and other saints and even praying to the dead.
this will cover when certain rituals, items and additions added to the catholic church
Deliverance Prayers
Last will be how the catholic church came about.
To be blunt, when a person prays to Mary or any of the "saints" they are praying to the dead, which is necromancy. And according to the Doubleday dictionary, (Doubleday and Company, Inc. 1975) necromancy is defined as: "Divination by means of communication with the dead. Black magic; sorcery." By definition, seeking communication with the dead is equated with sorcery and black magic, and is an abomination before God.
In the Old Testament, God had crowned Saul as the first earthly king of Israel. However, God took the kingdom of Israel from Saul and gave it to David because of Saul's disobedience to God's commandments, and later destroyed Saul and his sons because he had sought to communicate with the spirit of the prophet Samuel who had died shortly before.
Saul had sought an answer from the Lord concerning a battle which he was about to fight with the Philistines, and when the Lord wouldn't answer him he said to his servants,
I SAMUEL 28:7
“7 Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, 'Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.”
Saul had previously driven the wizards and those that had familiar spirits out of the land in accordance with God's commandment,
LEVITICUS 20:27
“27 A man or a woman that has a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: Their blood shall be upon them.”
This was commanded by God in order to prevent demonic spirits from corrupting Israel as they had the Canaanite peoples before them. As such, Saul had to disguise himself when he went to the woman, so that Israel wouldn't know what he was doing, and so that the woman
wouldn't hide for fear of him. She called up a demon disguised as Samuel (not Samuel himself) who foretold that Saul and his sons would be killed the following day by the Philistines, which indeed happen. The Bible records;
I SAMUEL 31:1-6
“1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. 3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers. 4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. 5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.”
There has been quite a bit of speculation as to whether the spirit that the witch called up was indeed Samuel or not, and the issue is put to rest in I Chronicles, which says,
I CHRONICLES. 10:13-14
“3 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]; 14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.”
I underlined and italicized part of the text to show a point. Saul, seeking information from the dead prophet Samuel had instead enquired of a familiar spirit (a demon) NOT the spirit of Samuel. Saul was deceived in that both he and the witch thought that the demon WAS Samuel. God would not allow the spirit of Samuel to be called up by anyone living, especially a witch!
Manasseh, son of King Hezekiah, one of the worst rulers of Judah ever recorded in the Old Testament also dealt with wizards and a familiar spirit,
2 CHRONICLES. 33:6
“6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”
God plainly states with these examples that if the living try to communicate with the dead, they communicate with familiar spirits, which is necromancy. The dead cannot communicate with us, neither can we communicate with them. And any such attempts to communicate with the dead is direct disobedience to God's commandment.
But isn't that an Old Testament law? Wasn't that taken away with the New Testament? Actually, no. Jesus said,
MATTHEW 5:18
“18 Until heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law until all be fulfilled.”
(Jots and tittles were marks used in the Hebrew language used to change the meaning of a letter or word.) The parts of the Law concerning sacrifice and ritual cleansing have been fulfilled since Jesus' death, but many parts of the old Law still hold true, as they have not been fulfilled yet.
Jesus reinforced the point of communication with the dead in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Note: He never said it was a parable. I believe that it is a true story. The story goes like this;
LUKE 16: 19-31
“19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Here Jesus says plainly that the dead are not allowed to communicate with the living. In no place in Scripture does it ever say that the dead work on the behalf of the living for any reason. Nor does it state anywhere in Scripture that we should ever seek to the dead for help in anything. We seek to Jesus because He was dead but was resurrected and is alive forevermore and is Himself God. The dead to us however, are still dead and will be until Jesus resurrects them.
As the story of the rich man and Lazarus shows, the dead have no knowledge of what is happening to the living, and therefore cannot intercede for us in anything. Therefore, as Abraham told the rich man, let the living hear the words of the Scriptures, rather than seek to the dead.
Even when Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration, they spoke to Jesus alone, not to Peter, James and John who were with Him. The Bible records,
LUKE 9:28-35
“28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment [was] white [and] glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three
tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
Here is an excellent case in point. Moses and Elijah, considered to be two of the reatest men in the Old Testament appeared to Jesus, speaking to Him about His coming death on the cross. The purpose of their appearance was to show Jesus to be the fulfillment of both the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah).
But note also, they only spoke to Jesus, not to the three frightened men who were with Him. And when Peter, apparently recognizing the two figures, wanted to erect tents of worship for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, God the Father told them to listen to Jesus, directing their attention to Him, rather than the persons of Moses and Elijah, who, even while appearing in glory, are still dead.
Scripture is abundantly clear on this issue. The dead do not communicate with the living, nor are the living to try communicate with the dead. Period! Any such attempts by the living to do so is in direct disobedience to God. And if you have prayed to Mary or the "saints", please repent before the Lord, confess your sins of necromancy and ignorance to Him. He is faithful and will forgive you. Ask Him to also cleanse and close any doorways into your spirit that Satan has gained access to by this sin. Then bind any demons in your life who have entered because of sin, and cast them out.
I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing Scripture! If you sin in ignorance, you are STILL accountable for that sin!
NUMBERS 15: 27-28
27 And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. 28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
Granted, we no longer have to sacrifice for our sins nor confess our sins to a priest as people did while under the Law, but we ARE still accountable for ignorant sins. For more on confession to a priest, please see the study on the question "Should I confess my sins to a priest?"
God gave us Scripture so we would know exactly what is right and wrong in His sight. And as we have the Scriptures readily available, we have no excuse before Him for not knowing what is right and wrong in His eyes.
Remember, we will not be judged before God by the traditions, rituals, and doctrines of the church, but from the Scriptures! And as I have said before, so I say again, if you cannot find Scriptural backing in context for a tradition or doctrine, you should be wary about teaching or following it!
There is no sin in asking your church leaders to provide Scriptural backing for doctrines of the church you are attending. But if they cannot support their doctrines from Scripture, in context, or they start talking about tradition, writings of the 'fathers', Magisterium (authority) of the church, or some such thing, I would be suspicious.
Too many churches fall into this error, coming under the condemnation
of;
MATTHEW 15:8-9
“8 This people draweth nigh to me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain to they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Church leaders also are warned;
HOSEA 4:6a
“6a My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: therefore because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee......”
Add to this the fact that Jesus never glorified Mary nor directed the disciples to her for any reason. He instead directed all worship and glory either to the Father or Himself, which is proper. Man (or woman) is never to be worshipped, as man is not God, simple fact.
In fact, Jesus always used the term "woman" whenever He referred to Mary, so as to cause her to remember her place, and to show that she did not hold any special place higher than anyone else in His eyes. If we were to call our earthly mothers "woman" they would be highly insulted, and with good reason.
God Himself also set the rules for the place of women in the scope of things, when Scripture records;
GENESIS 3:16
“16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
The word "rule" used here is the Hebrew word "mashal", which means "have dominion, have power". Women were not to be accounted as rulers or have authority over men in a household.
Mary fully understood that she was a chosen vessel serving a purpose, and she was indeed honored and blessed that out of all of the millions of women of Israel, God had chosen her to be the vessel that gave birth to the physical body of the Messiah. But she also knew she was a sinner, as her own words attest;
LUKE 1:46-48
“46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: 48 for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”
Mary understood that she needed a Savior, just as much as any human. And while the Catholic Church teaches that Mary was born without sin (the Immaculate Conception) her own words refute this false doctrine!
And for those who may not believe that the Catholic Church supports this awful doctrine, here is a portion of the text of the papal Bull by Pope Pius IX regarding this teaching; "The doctrine that sustains that the most blessed virgin Mary was preserved immune from any stain of original sin in the first moment of her conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in foresight of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, this doctrine revealed by God should be firmly, and constantly believed by all the faithful." (Bull "Ineffabilis Deus" December 8, 1854)
Remember, this was an "infallible declaration" by an "infallible" Pope! Therefore all believers in the Catholic Church, including all subsequent Popes are required to believe this false doctrine.
Mary was born sinless? This doctrine was revealed by God? As we have already shown, Mary's own words refute this idea. Also when Jesus was born, Mary was ritually unclean because of the birth process. As Scripture records,
LEVITICUS 12: 1-8
:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. 3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. 5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days. 6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: 7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This [is] the law for her that hath born a male or a female. 8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”
LUKE 2:22-24
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord; 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Note what God Himself says here! Mary was unclean for 40 days after the birth of Jesus according to the Law of Moses. She was required to remain separate from everyone, was not allowed to touch any holy thing nor allowed to come into the sanctuary before the Lord until she had been cleansed of her sin of blood issue! And as Scripture records, Mary knew she was unclean according to God's word as written in the Law, and faithfully followed the requirements of Law concerning her cleansing and atonement for sin. Mary was a sinner, and knew it.
Also the fact is recorded in Scripture that she had at least four sons, and an unknown number of daughters, so she was unclean in sin after the birth of each one!
Mary also was born under the Law, which made her a sinner from birth, for the Scriptures state that all of the works of the Law were under the curse.
GALATIANS 3:10-12
“10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.” And;
GALATIANS 3:22
“22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
The apostle John, who was commissioned by Jesus to care for Mary after His death, wrote the following Scripture, and it is reasonable to assume that Mary was still alive when he said;
I JOHN 1:8-10
“8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
If Mary had been preserved from sin, John certainly would have excluded her from this Scripture!
And if Mary had been designated as worthy of worship, the apostle Paul would certainly have known about it. Yet he says;
I TIMOTHY 2:5-7
“5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, [and] lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.”
There is only ONE mediator between God and Man, and that is Jesus Christ. To say that anyone else is a mediator is to call Paul a liar, would make God's Scriptures false, and would demean Jesus' atoning death on the cross.
Peter, after healing a man lame from birth, when addressing a gathering crowd of Jews, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and boldly proclaimed;
ACTS 4:8-12
“8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Note Peter's own words in verse 12! The is NO OTHER NAME GIVEN AMONG MEN WHEREBY WE MIGHT BE SAVED. Jesus, and only Jesus has the power of salvation. There is no other.
Jesus Himself said;
MATTHEW 11:28-30
“28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.”
JOHN 6:37-40
“37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Jesus says come to Me! He NEVER said to go to anyone else! Jesus is God's Man and Man's God. There is no other mediator ordained between God and Man as per Scripture! And the doctrine of Mary being a mediator between God and Man contradicts Scripture, and is therefore patently false, and was NOT revealed from God!
ROMANS 10:8-13
“8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. S1For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The requirements of salvation are simple! Believe in Jesus, believe that God raised Him from the dead, confess Him before men, and you shall be saved. No mediators, no penance, no sacraments, no priests or popes required.
Answer me this. The Romans considered deceased Caesars as gods and prayed to them, and we condemn this as a pagan practice. And yet people pray to deceased "saints" and Mary, asking them to intercede with God for their requests. And as most dictionaries will tell you, prayers are offerings or requests made to a dity (god) or deities. Thus praying to
Mary or the saints makes them gods. Is that any different from the paganism of the Romans or many eastern religions which teach people to pray to their ancestors?
This also brings up an interesting point. If God says "No," to a request, do you think that anyone is going to change His mind? And if He says "no", shouldn't that be good enough for us? Are we wiser than He? Jesus never said we should take our prayers and requests to an intercessor. Jesus Himself said,
JOHN 14:13-14
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
Nowhere did He say, "If you ask anything in Mary's name, or in the name of a saint or an apostle, I will do it." And sometimes God says no, and for good reason. He sees the end of a thing before it happens, and to protect us from harm will sometimes refuse our requests. We must be satisfied with that, believing that He is omniscient (all-knowing) and knows what He is doing.
But asking "saints" or Mary to intercede for us before the Throne is an insult to the Holy Spirit who DOES intercede for us, and infers that Mary and the "saints" have inside influence with God. The Scriptures plainly state that God is no respecter of persons; in other words all men and women are considered equally before Him, as the following scriptures show;
II CHRONICLES 19: 5-7
“5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, 6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who [is] with you in the judgment. 7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do [it]: for [there is] no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
ROMANS 2:11
“11 For there is no respect of persons with God.”
EPHESIANS 6:9
“9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them (your servants), forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.”
I PETER 1:17a
17a And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear:
If God is no respecter of persons, then Mary and the "saints" are no better in His eyes than anyone else. Jesus called Mary "woman", treating her with the same title as He did with the woman of Samaria who had had five husbands, and was living with a man who was not her husband, or the woman caught in the very act of adultery. In both cases He addressed the women as "woman". Mary was equal with any other sinful woman in Jesus' eyes.
Anyone who believes that Mary has inside influence with Jesus, should read the following Scripture;
MATTHEW 12:46-50
“46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, [his] mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
By that very statement, Jesus demonstrated the place of Mary in relation to all elievers. She was no different than any disciple, neither is she greater than any disciple in His eyes. Elevating Mary as co-redeemer and mediatrix makes her equal with God Himself, which is blasphemy. And to say that God singled her out to be free of original sin goes against His Scriptures, which say that ALL of mankind is sinful;
ROMANS 3:9-20
9 What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: 14 Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.”
Paul wrote the above passage in Romans more than 20 years after Jesus' death and resurrection, and knew of no promise to Mary that she would be free of sin. Mary was born under the Law and followed the dictates of the Law, including those of sacrifice, which meant that according to the Law, and in the eyes of God, she was a sinner. And since we have seen that God is no respecter of persons, He could not have preserved Mary from sin from birth, for if He had He would have violated His own Scriptures, and made Himself a liar.
As far as intercession, Mary and the "saints" cannot intercede with God for us anyway, for as the author of Hebrews states,
HEBREWS 4:10
“10 For he who has entered into His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” In other words, those who enter Heaven rest from working. Their time of
labor is finished. They no longer care or worry about what happens here on earth, but await the resurrection at the return of Jesus, the King of Kings.
God is also very explicit concerning others using their righteousness to intercede with Him when He spoke to the prophet Ezekiel;
EZEKIEL 14:12-20
“12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, 13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off
man and beast from it: 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they
should deliver [but] their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. 15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: 16 [Though] these three men [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. 17 Or [if] I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
18 Though these three men [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. 19 Or [if] I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: 20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall [but]
deliver their own souls by their righteousness.”
Again, God is no respecter of persons. Period. And no one's righteousness can save anyone else. Ever!
In summary, praying to Mary or the "saints" is accounted as necromancy which is sorcery, and such practice is accounted as an abomination before God. And praying to the dead for intercession with God insults Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and is in direct disobedience to His commandments. Mary and the "saints" are not to be exalted as they were sinners as
much as we are, and not worthy of worship. Jesus nor the apostles never held Mary in any kind of reverence, nor do the Scriptures ever refer to her as anything but a woman chosen by God to bear the physical body of the Messiah. Her own words attest that she needed a savior as much as we.
Mary was a child of the Law, and as such was under the curse of the Law, which meant that she was as sinful as anyone else under the Law. And according to the Law, she was ritually unclean for 40 days after the birth of Jesus and all of her other children, and offered two turtledoves for the cleansing of her sin of blood issue for each one.
Jesus never held her in any higher respect than any of the other disciples, and even used the term "woman" whenever He addressed her, to show that she was not to be esteemed more than any other woman in history.
We will be judged by the commandments of Scripture, not by the commandments and doctrines of men, or the "Magisterium" of the church. And sinning in ignorance is no excuse before God. After all He gave us the Scriptures to show us what is pleasing in His sight.
And if we lack wisdom in understanding the Scriptures the apostle James says,
JAMES 1:5-8 “5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
[men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord. 8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways. In other words, God will freely grant you wisdom if you ask Him in faith, and He will not rebuke (upbraid) you.”
But note that James says "ask of God", not of Mary or the "saints".
You who read this are now responsible for the truth of this matter. I have provided numerous Scriptures that forbid praying to the dead, and reasons why this is forbidden. I have also proven from Scripture that Mary was just as much a sinner as we are in God's eyes, and that no one can use their righteousness on behalf of another before God, as God is no respecter of persons.
The Catholic Church is rife with doctrines that are opposed to Scripture, which is why I challenge people to check doctrines of the church against Scripture. If there is no Scriptural backing, in context, then I would be very wary of it. Too many man-made doctrines are given the authority of Scriptural commandments, and following man-made doctrines will not grant you access to Heaven, no matter how pious or holy the teacher
of them may seem.
If you choose to reject what I have written here, I am free of your blood before God as I have written what He has instructed me to write. I take God's warning to Ezekiel very seriously, in which He said;
EZEKIEL 33: 8-19
“8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked [man], thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins [be] upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his [righteousness] in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, [that] he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 [If] the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
We have a responsibility to teach the truth to all who will listen. Jesus taught those who would listen, and those who rejected His teachings will bear their judgement.
I sincerely pray in Jesus' name that the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit whom He has sent will open the eyes of all who read these words, and bring the light of truth into their hearts, and that He will confirm that what I have written here is the truth. Do not pray to the dead for intercession with God, when you can go directly to Jesus Christ His Son who is Himself God. Remember His words!
JOHN 14:13-14
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it]. Go to Jesus, the living God, not to the dead!
List of dates when traditions, rituals and other practices entered the Roman Catholic Church that is not scriptural but put in place by man:
310 - OF ALL THE HUMAN TRADITIONS taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, which are contrary to the Bible, the most ancient are the prayers for the dead and the sign of the Cross.Both began 300 years after Christ.
320 - Wax Candles introduced in church.
375 - Veneration of angels and dead saints.
394 - The Mass, as a daily celebration, adopted.
431 - The worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the use of the term, "Mother of God", as applied to her, originated in the Council of Ephesus. The Mother of God" was a title given to Nimrod's mother well before Christ ever came. In fact, the priest's of Babylon wore a "costume" - if you will - that resembled a fish complete with the open mouthed head of a fish like head dress. It was a long flowing
garment that spanned form the wrist to the floor close to the feet.
500 - Priests began to dress differently from the laity. Look to the Bishops of today to see the same outfit. They also kept a feast to the goddess Ishtar in the spring during which such things as rabbits, crosses, crucifixes, eggs, and rosaries were used in this fertility rights ceremony, as she was the goddess of fertility.
To be fair though they are not the only Christian based religion that puts forth a counterfeit Christianity which is contrary to scripture.
593 - The doctrine of Purgatory was first established by Gregory the Great. The Latin language, as the language of prayer and worship in churches, was also imposed by Pope Gregory I. 600 years after Christ
The Word of God forbids praying and teaching in an unknown tongue. (I Cor. 14:9).
600 - The Bible teaches that we pray to God alone. In the primitive church never were prayers directed to Mary, or to dead saints. This practice began in the Roman Church
(Matt. 11:28; Luke 1:46; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-18)
610 - The Papacy is of pagan origin. The title of pope or universal bishop, was first given to the bishop of Rome by the wicked emperor Phocas
This he did to spite Bishop Ciriacus of Constantinople, who had justly excommunicated him for his having caused the assassination of his predecessor emperor Mauritius. Gregory 1, then bishop of Rome, refused the title, but his successor, Boniface III, first assumed title "pope."
Jesus did not appoint Peter to the headship of the apostles and forbade any such notion. (Lk. 22:24-26; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18; I Cor. 3:11).
Note:-- Nor is there any mention in Scripture, nor in history, that Peter ever was in Rome, much less that he was pope there for 25 years; Clement, 3rd bishop of Rome, remarks that there is no real 1st century evidence that Peter ever was in Rome."
709 - The kissing of the Pope's feet
It had been a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors. The Word of God forbids such practices. (Read Acts 10:25-26; Rev. 19:10; 22:9).
750 - The Temporal power of the Popes
When Pepin, the usurper of the throne of France, descended into Italy, called by Pope Stephen II, to war against the Italian Lombards, he defeated them and gave the city of Rome and surrounding territory to the pope. Jesus expressly forbade such a thing, and He himself refused worldly kingship. (Read Matt. 4:8-9; 20:25-26; John 18:38).
788 - Worship of the cross, images and relics was authorized
This was by order of Dowager Empress Irene of Constantinople, who first caused to pluck the eyes of her own son, Constantine VI, and then called a church council at the request of Hadrian I, pope of Rome at that time.
Such practice is called simply IDOLATRY in the Bible, and is severly condemned. (Read Ex. 20:4; 3:17; Deut. 27:15; Psalm 115).
850 - Holy Water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest, was authorized.
890 - The veneration of St. Joseph began
965 - The baptism of bells was instituted by Pope John XIV
995 - Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV
Every believer and follower of Christ is called saint in the Bible. (Read Rom. 1:7; I Col. 1:2).
998 - Fasting on Fridays and during Lent were imposed.
Imposed by popes said to be interested in the commerce of fish. (Bull, or permit to eat meat), some authorities say, began in the year 700. This is against the plain teaching of the Bible. (Read Matt. 15:10; I Cor. 10:25; I Tim. 4:1-3).
The Mass was developed gradually as a sacrifice; attendance made obligatory in the 11th century.
The Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Christ was offered once and for all, and is not to be repeated, but only commemorated in the Lord's Supper. (Read Heb. 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10-14).
1079 - The celibacy of the priesthood was decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII
Jesus imposed no such rule, nor did any of the apostles. On the contrary, St. Peter was a married man, and St. Paul says that bishops were to have wife and children. (Read I Tim. 3:2,5, and 12; Matt. 8:14-15).
1090 - The Rosary, or prayer beads was introduced by Peter the Hermit, in the year 1090. Copied from Hindus and Mohammedans
The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is expressly condemned by Christ. (Matt. 6:5-13).
1184 - The Inquisition of heretics was instituted by the Council of Verona in the year 1184. Jesus never taught the use of force to spread His religion
1190 - The sale of Indulgences, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a permit to indulge in sin.
Christianity, as taught in the Bible, condemns such a traffic and it was the protest against this traffic that brought on the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
1215 - The dogma of Transubstantiation was decreed by Pope Innocent III, in the year
By this doctrine the priest pretends to perform a daily miracle by changing a wafer into the body of Christ, and then he pretends to eat Him alive in the presence of his people during Mass. The Bible condemns such absurdities; for the Lord's Supper is simply a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ. The spiritual presence of Christ is implied in the Lord's Supper. (Read Luke 22:19-20; John 6:35; I Cor. 11:26).
1215 - Confession of sin to the priest at least once a year was instituted by Pope Innocent III., in the Lateran Council
The Bible commands us to confess our sins direct to God. (Read Psa. 51:1-10; Luke 7:48; 15:21; I John 1:8-9).
1220 - The adormtion of the wafer (Host), was decreed by Pope Honorius
So the Roman Church worships a God made by human hands. This is plain idolatry and absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. (Read John 4:24).
1229 - The BIble forbidden to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by the Council of Valencia
Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read by all. (John 5:39; I Tim. 3:15-17).
1287 - The Scapular was invented by Simon Stock, and English monk
It is a piece of brown cloth, with the picture of the Virgin and supposed to contain supernatural virtue to protect from all dangers those who wear it on naked skin. This is fetishism.
1414 - The Roman Church forbade the cup to the laity, by instituting the communion of one kind in the Council of Constance
The Bible commands us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. (Read Matt. 26:27; I Cor. 11:26-29).
1439 - The doctrine of Purgatory was proclaimed as a dogma of faith by Council of Florence
There is not one word in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. (Read I John 1:7-9; 2:1-2; John 5:24; Rom. 8:1).
1439 - The doctrine of 7 Sacrmnents affirmed
The Bible says that Christ instituted only two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Read Matt. 28: 19-20; 26:26-28).
1508 - The Ave Maria, part of the last
It was completed 50 years afterward and finally approved by Pope Sixtus V, at the end of the 16th century.
1545 - The Council of Trent, held in the year 1545, declared that Tradition is of equal authority with the Bible
By tradition is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way, and Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by teaching human tradition, they nullified the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7:7-13; Col. 2:8; Rev. 22:18).
1546 - The apocryphal books were added to the Bible also by the Council of Trent
These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church. (See Rev. 22:8-9).
1560 - The Creed of Pope Pius IV was imposed as the official creed 1560 years after Christ and the apostles
True Christians retain the Holy Scriptures as their creed. Hence their creed is 1500 years older than the creed of Roman Catholics. (Read Gal. 1:8).
1834 - The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX
The Bible states that all men, with the sole exception of Christ, are sinners. Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Psa. 51:5; Luke 1:30,46,47).
1870 - In the year 1870 after Christ, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of Papal Infallibility
This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy and of the anti-christ predicted by St. Paul. (Read II Thess. 2:2-12; Rev. 17:1-9; 13:5-8,18).
Many Bible students see the number of the beast (Rev. 13:18), 666 in the Roman letters of the Pope's title: "VICARIVS FILII DEI." -- V-5, I-1; C-100, I-1; V-S, I-1; L-50, I-1; I-1; D-500, I-l -- Total, 666.
1907 - Pope Plus X, in the year 1907, condemned together with "Modernism", all the discoveries of modern science which are not approved by the Church
Pius IX had done the same thing in the Syllabus of 1864.
1930 - In the year 1930 Pius XI, condemned the Public Schools
1931 - In the year 1931 the same pope Pius XI, reaffirmed the doctrine that Mary is "the Mother of God"
This doctrine was first invented by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431. This is a heresy contrary by Mary's own words. (Read Luke 1:46-49; John 2: l-5).
1950 - In the year 1950 the last dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pins XII, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
CONCLUSION
What will be the next invention? The Roman Church says it never changes; yet, it has done nothing else but invent new doctrines which are contrary to the Bible, and has practiced rites and ceremonies taken bodily from paganism. Some scholar has found that 75% of the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Church are of pagan origin.
Note:-- Cardinal Newman, in his book, "The Development of the Christian Religion," admits that ... "Temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, holidays and season of devotions, processions, blessing of fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests and monks and nuns), images ... are all of pagan origin..."
HERESIES are those doctrines and practices which are contrary to the Bible. They are also called "human traditions" or "doctrines of men". Both Peter and Paul predicted and warned that in the later times "false teachers" would rise within the Church and bring in "damnable heresies" and "doctrines of devils". (Read II Peter 2:1-3, and I Tim. 3:2-5). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, for they transgressed the commandments of God by keeping their traditions. "in vain," He said, "they worship me by keeping for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:3,9).
The real heretics therefore, are the Roman Catholics and the true orthodox are the Evangelical Christians.
It is not commanded nor even suggested that we should celebrate His birth nor is the date of His birth given. Surely if God wanted us to keep it as an observance He would've told us when it was. Then there is the keeping as a memorial of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, again it is not admonished that we do so.
What is taught by Christ is to celebrate His death which is the purpose for which He came! He Himself observed it, even to the end/death for what was the so called "Last Supper", it was Passover! This He commanded to be kept in Ex.12:1-6. These verses point to the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". They show
exactly when He would be killed, even who would do it. No, you needn't think it an attack on the RCC, most all of Christendom is guilty of the same!
BRETHREN! The Word of God commands us to get out of Babylon, saying: "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4). All true Christians will remain faithful to the religion of Christ as taught in the Bible, and heed the warning of the Apostle Paul, who said: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:8).
Deliverance from being involved with the Catholic Church
First – clean house - Cleaning Your House - The first requirement for the Christian being DELIVERED is for him to remove from his house (or his room if it is not his house) all Catholic objects, symbols, medals, statues, pictures, holy cards, Catholic bibles, rosaries, crucifixes, missals, Catholic hymn books, relics, votive candles, shrines, sentimental Catholic mementoes, etc. If an object is not his to remove, the person can anoint it with oil and bind its powers from him. If the person does not clean his house, DELIVERANCE will be only partial at best, because these things give legal grounds for demons to stay.
Renunciation of Catholic Church - We have found that people who are not yet ready to give up ties to Catholicism, but are willing to be DELIVERED in other areas, can receive some DELIVERANCE. However, for DELIVERANCE to be most effective, a sincere renunciation of the Catholic system is necessary. An example of such a prayer is the following: Heavenly Father, I renounce and repent of my participation in the (Roman, Greek or Russian) Catholic institution. I cancel the effects of all promises made to, oaths taken and rituals performed in the Catholic system by me, my parents, my husband/wife and their ancestors on both sides of the family. I renounce and cancel my allegiance to the Pope as head of The One True Church and to the Vatican as the Holy See. I renounce all false doctrines of the Catholic system:
1. The false doctrine that Mary is our mediator between man and God rather than His Son, JESUS - the Bible says in I Tim. 2:5, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man CHRIST JESUS." Also see John 14:6.
2. The false doctrine which glorifies Mary more than CHRIST - the Bible says in Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Also in Eph. 1:21, "His Name is above every other Name, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come."
3. The false doctrine which makes Mary the Gate to Heaven instead of CHRIST - the Bible says in Jn. 10:1,7,9, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber...Then said JESUS unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep...I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." In Jn. 14:6 "JESUS saith unto him; I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Also see Acts 4:12.
4. The false doctrine which gives Mary the power of CHRIST - the Bible says in Phil. 2:9-10. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." Also in Heb. 7:25, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
5. The false doctrine of praying to the dead - the Bible says in Deut. 18:10-11, "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." (A necromancer is one who talks to the dead.) Verse 12 says, "For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord:..."
6. The false doctrine of salvation through works - the Bible says in Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye save through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."
7. The false doctrine of praying to angels - the Bible says in Col. 2:18, "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind..." And in Rev. 22:8-9, "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, see thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the saying of this book: worship God."
8. I renounce and repent of all these false doctrines and all of the other false doctrines of the Catholic system, in the Name of JESUS CHRIST."
Breaking Curses And Soul Ties - At this point, it would be a good idea to pray the Soul Restoration Prayer if it has not been done so during this DELIVERANCE session. Then the person being DELIVERED can continue:
1. I break curses put upon me and my family by the Knights of Columbus or any other Catholic society. I cut all ties and holds between me and the strong man, Jezebel, Queen of Kingdoms, and the Great Harlot.
2. I declare to be broken any bonds, ties, or bindings that hold me to the Catholic system because of my Water Baptism, First Holy Communion, confirmation rituals, marriage vows or sacraments.
3. I break evil soul ties between me and the saints for which I was named. (Catholic people can be DELIVERED of evil spirits that are called by the person's specific baptismal and confirmation names. Call these spirits out using the saint's names and expect a manifestation, specifically, on each name.)
4. I break evil soul ties between me and the saints to which I have prayed. (Call out these evil spirits, using the saint's names.)
5. I repent of bringing Catholic statues or other abominable things into my home, as they come under the category of idols and accursed things. I have removed them from my person, home, car and place of work. (Call out spirits from the person because they had these things. Example: "Any spirits that came in because of these things in the house of (name the person) must come out.")
6. I repent of Baal worship, which is one of the ancestors of the Catholic system. (Call out spirits of Baal, Priests of Baal, Shedding Innocent Blood, Ashtaroth, goddess - mother and wife of Baal, etc.)
7. I repent of idolatry, worship of statues, veneration of statues and relics, and possession of same. (Call out spirits by these names.)
8. I repent of calling priests, Father, for Mat. 23:9 says, And call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven. (Call out evil spirits having priest's names.)
9. I break all evil soul ties with all priests and nuns with whom I have had contact or have held in high admiration. (Name the ones the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance and call spirits out by these names. Also call out Fear of Priest and Nuns. If the person wanted to become or did become a nun, call out False Bride of CHRIST and Bride of Satan. Call out Guilt if the person felt they should have been a nun or priest but didn't become one. Also call out Guilt For Leaving The Mother Church.)
10. I renounce praying to Mary and break all curses on me because of this. I cancel any dedication to Mary which may have been done in my behalf. (Call out spirits of Mary from the following: Madonna, Holy Mary, Our Lady, Notre Dame, Mother of God, Dei Mater, Deipara, Theotokos, Mater Dolorosa, The Sorrowful Mother, Queen of Heaven, Regina Coeli, Queen of Angels, Regina Angelorum, Star of the Sea, Stella Maris, The Virgin, The Blessed Virgin, The Black Virgin, Sacred heart of Mary, Hail Mary, Lady of Lourdes, Lady of Fatima, Lady of the Snows, (Other Ladies), The Virgin Mary, The Virgin Mother, Sancta Virgo Virginum, Holy Virgin of Virgins; Virgo Sponsa Dei, Virgin Bride of the Lord, Virgo Clemens, Virgin Most Merciful, Virgo Gloriosa, Virgin Most Glorious, Virgo Potens, Virgin Most Powerful, Virgo Praedicanda, Virgin Most Renowned, Virgo Sapientissima, Virgin Most Wise, Virgo Veneranda, Virgin Most Venerable, Hortus Clusus, Immaculate Conception, Mariology, Mariolatry, Queen of Peace, Queen of Righteousness, Queen of Martyrs, Mother Mary, Queen of Hell, Sovereign Mistress of the Devils, Fayy Fatima-Vexxa Myya (creates a very deep loyalty to Mary), Mariology, Mary Worship, Loyalty to the Church of Mary to the Death (occult in nature and practice), Sodality Fellowships (solidarity in Mary), Mary Seed of Wisdom.
11. I repent of the sins of my fathers during the Inquisition in Europe from 1200-1800 A.D. when millions of people were tortured, maimed and killed as heretics because they owned Bibles and obeyed what was in the Bible instead of the church tradition. As the Catholic system has never repented of this, I do so now. I renounce these actions as sin, and repent of them for myself and my family. (Call out spirits of Mental Torment, Murder, Burning, Torture and all kinds of Infirmities.)
12. I break the curse of Jesuit intrigue and deceit over me; CHRIST became a curse for me. I renounce and repent of any association of myself, parents or ancestors (or husband/wife) back on both sides of the family from the beginning of the organization of the Jesuit Order. (Call out spirits of Political Intrigue, Lying, Religious Lying, Pieytheas, Deceit, Subterfuge, Treason, Manipulation, Murder, etc.)
13. I renounce and repent of saying, 'I was born a Catholic and I'll die a Catholic!' I break that curse and call out a Spirit of Death. We do all this in the Name of JESUS CHRIST. (Call out spirits of Death which can include Death and Hades, Osmodeus, Appolyon, Premature Death, Death by Overdose, Death by Terminal Illness, Death by Accident, Death by Drowning, etc. Also call out Destruction Spirits, and Promises to Saints and Mary.)
Break the vow of poverty.
Loose spirits of Truth, DELIVERANCE, Adoption, Counsel, Might, Wisdom, Understanding, and Revelation Knowledge of the Word, life, etc. upon the person DELIVERED. (I Isa.11:2)
How the Catholic church Came about
Christian or Pagan?
The Roman Catholic Church, headquartered in Rome, Italy, has its own
powerful City-State, the Vatican, and claims over 968 million members
worldwide and 60 million in the U.S. and Canada (as of 1996). (Catholic
membership figures are considerably misleading, though, in that they
count as members every person who has been baptized Catholic, including
millions of people who were baptized as infants but who are not practicing
Catholics.) The Roman Catholic Church, in its pagan form, unofficially
came into being in 312 A.D., at the time of the so-called "miraculous
conversion" to Christianity of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Although Christianity
was not made the official religion of the Roman Empire until the edicts of
Theodosius I in 380 and 381 A.D., Constantine, from 312 A.D. until his
death in 337, was engaged in the process of simultaneously building pagan
temples and Christian churches, and was slowly turning over the reigns of his
pagan priesthood to the Bishop of Rome. However, the family of Constantine
did not give up the last vestige of his priesthood until after the
disintegration of the Roman Empire -- that being the title the emperors bore as heads of the pagan priesthood -- Pontifex Maximus -- a title which the popes would
inherit. (The popes also inherited Constantine's titles as the self-appointed civil head of the church -- Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Bishops.)
Prior to the time of Constantine's "conversion," Christians were persecuted
not so much for their profession of faith in Christ, but because they would
not include pagan deities in their faith as well. Then, with Constantine's
emphasis on making his new-found Christianity palatable to the heathen
in the Empire, the "Christianization" of these pagan deities was facilitated.
For example, pagan rituals and idols gradually took on Christian meanings
and names and were incorporated into "Christian" worship (e.g., "saints"
replaced the cult of pagan gods in both worship and as patrons of cities;
mother/son statues were renamed Mary and Jesus; etc.), and pagan holidays
were reclassified as Christian holy days (e.g., the Roman Lupercalia and the
feast of purification of Isis became the Feast of the Nativity; the Saturnalia celebrations were replaced by Christmas
an ancient festival of the dead was replaced by All Souls Day, rededicated
to Christian heroes [now Halloween http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/hallow/> ]; etc.).
A transition had occurred -- instead of being persecuted for failure to
worship pagan deities, Christians who did not agree with the particular
orthodoxy backed by the Emperor were now persecuted in the name of
Christ! "Christianized" Rome had become the legitimate successor of pagan Rome!
This is the sad origin of the Roman Catholic Church.
Below are the highlights of what Catholics believe concerning their
source of authority; God, Christ, and Mary; salvation and the sacraments; and
heaven and hell. So much more could be said concerning not only the
items listed below, but also concerning other areas of Catholic teaching
(such as the claims of the Roman priesthood and its supposed origin in the
Apostles; the nature of the pope's alleged infallibility and the supposed origin
of his office in the Apostle Peter; the nature of the Confessional; the
doctrine of penance/indulgences; practices concerning rituals, ceremonies,
and relics; the doctrine of Celibacy; policies on marriage and divorce;
the role of the parochial school; etc.). Excellent reference sources for a
thorough treatment of Catholicism's origins, beliefs, and practices would be
Roman Catholicism (466 ppgs.) and A Woman Rides the Beast (544 ppgs.).
1. Source of Authority. With respect to the Bible, Catholics accept the
apocryphal books in addition to the 66 books of the Protestant Bible.
They also accept tradition and the teaching of the Catholic Church as
authoritative and at least equal to that of the Bible (cf. Mk. 7:8,9,13;
Matt. 15:3,6,9; Col. 2:8). With respect to papal infallibility, Catholics
believe that ecumenical councils of bishops and the pope are immune from
error when speaking ex cathedra about faith and morals (i.e., "from the
chair" -- by sole virtue of position or the exercise of an office).
(And by "infallible," Catholics mean much more than merely a simple, de facto
absence of error -- it is positive perfection, ruling out the
possibility of error. For more on infallibility, see notes on Vatican II below
i.e., it teaches that the Roman Catholic Church produced the Bible and
that the pope is Christ's vicar on earth. Catholics also maintain the belief
in sacerdotalism -- that an ordained Catholic priest has the power to
forgive sins (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5).
2. Jesus Christ. Catholicism teaches that Christ is God, but they, nevertheless, do not believe that Christ's death paid the full penalty for sin; i.e., they believe that those who qualify for heaven must still spend time in purgatory to atone for sin (cf. Jn. 19: 30; Heb. 10:11,12).
3. Mary. The Catholic Church gives honor and
adoration to Mary that the Scriptures do not; she is readily referred to as
"holy," the "Mother of God," and has been dubbed the "Co-Redemptrix," thereby
making her an object of idolatrous worship (e.g., the rosary has ten prayers
to Mary for each two directed to God). In 1923, Pope Pius XI sanctioned
Pope Benedict XV's (1914-1922) pronouncement that Mary suffered with Christ,
and that with Him, she redeemed the human race. And Pope Pius XII officially
designated Mary the "Queen of Heaven" and "Queen of the World."
Catholics claim not only that Mary was perfectly sinless from conception, even as
Jesus was (doctrine of Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in
1854), but that the reason she never sinned at any time during her life was
because she was unable to sin (cf. Lk. 1:46,47; Rom. 3:10,23; 5:12;
Heb. 4:15; 1 Jn. 1:8,10). Catholics also believe that Mary was a perpetual
virgin (cf. Ps. 69:8; Matt. 1:24,25; 13:54-56; Mk. 6:3; Jn. 7:5), and that she
was assumed, body and soul, into heaven (doctrine of Assumption of Mary,
declared ex cathedra by Pope Pius XII in November of 1950 -- that Mary was
raised from the dead on the third day after her death, and anyone who
refuses to believe this has committed a mortal sin). The consequence of
all this veneration of Mary, in effect, establishes her authority above
Christ's -- Rome says, "He came to us through Mary and we must go to Him through
her." All this is so obviously idolatrous, one wonders why Catholics take
offense when their religious affections are called cultic
4. Salvation. Catholics teach that a person is saved through the Roman
Catholic Church and its sacraments, especially through baptism; they do
not believe that salvation can be obtained by grace through faith in Christ
alone, but that baptism is
for salvation. Catholics believe that no one outside the Catholic Church
can be saved (Unum Sanctum) (cf. Jn. 5:24; Eph. 2: 8,9; Gal. 2:21; Rom.
3:22,23). (See also The Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism and the New
Catholic Catechism (paras 819 and 846.) They also believe that one's
own suffering can expiate the sin's of himself and of others, so that what
Christ's suffering was not able to achieve, one can achieve by his own
works and the works of others (Vatican II).
5. Sacraments. Catholics have seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation,
Eucharist (mass), penance/reconciliation (indulgences), extreme unction
(last rights), marriage, and orders (ordination). Although not even
formally decreed until the Council of Florence in 1439, the Council of Trent
later declared all to be anathema whom do not hold Rome's position that it
was Christ Himself who instituted these seven sacraments! (The idea behind
the sacraments is that the shedding of Christ's Blood in His death upon the
cross is of no value unless it is somehow dispensed and applied "sacramentally" by the Catholic priesthood.) Although Catholics believe that the first five sacraments are indispensable for salvation (because without any one of them, a mortal sin has been committed), baptism is considered the most important. Catholics believe that a person enters into the spiritual life of the Church through baptism; i.e., baptismal regeneration -- that a person can be saved through baptism (actually, 'on the road to salvation,' because Catholics never know exactly when they are saved). They
practice infant baptism because they believe baptism erases original sin (cf.
Jn. 3:18).
6. The Mass. Unknown in the early church, the mass did not become an official doctrine until pronounced by the Lateran Council of 1215 under the direction of Pope Innocent III, and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent. The Church of Rome holds that the mass is a continuation of the sacrifice that Christ made on Calvary -- in effect a re-crucifixion of Christ over and over again in an unbloody manner (cf. Heb. 9:22; 1 Jn. 1:7). They believe that by this means Christ offers Himself again and again as a sacrifice for sin (cf. Heb. 7:27; 9:12,25,26; 10:10,12,14,18), and that this sacrifice is just as efficacious to take away sin as was the true sacrifice on Calvary.
Catholics thus teach the doctrine of transubstantiation (meaning a change of substance) -- that the bread and wine (at communion) actually become (by the
power of the priest!) the body and blood of Christ, which is then worshiped
as God Himself! Indeed, the sacrifice of the mass is the central point of
Catholic worship, as evidenced by the fact that those abstaining from attending mass are considered to have committed a mortal sin.
7. Purgatory. Though of pagan origin, the doctrine of purgatory was first
conceptualized in the professing church in the second century; the Roman
Church proclaimed it as an article of faith in 1439 at the Council of Florence, and it was confirmed by Trent in 1548. The Catholic Church teaches that even those "who die in the state of grace" (i.e., saved and sins forgiven) must still spend an indefinite time being purged/purified (i.e.,expiated of sins/cleansed for heaven). (Technically, this "purging" can occur in this life rather than in purgatory itself, but as a practical matter, purgatory is the best the average Catholic can hope for.) Some Catholics will admit that the doctrine of purgatory is not based on the
Bible, but on Catholic tradition (which, by Catholic standards, is equally
authoritative) (cf. Jn. 5:24; Lk. 23:43; 1 Jn. 1:7,9; Phil. 1:23). (Others
teach that it is based upon the interpretation of several Scriptural texts
-- 1 Cor. 3:15; 1 Pe. 1:7; 3:19; Matt. 12:31.) They teach that those in
purgatory can be helped by the prayers and good works of those on earth
(which would include the "purchase" of masses and/or other indulgences), but
they are not certain how these prayers and works are applied (cf. 2 Pe.
1:9; Heb. 1:3; Jn. 3:18; 19:30; 2 Cor. 5:6-8).
8. The Church Councils. There have been three major Roman Catholic Councils:
Council of Trent (1545-1563), Vatican I (1869-1870), and Vatican II (1962-1965). The last Council, Vatican II, offered no new doctrines nor repudiated any essential teaching of the Roman Church; it referred to Trent dozens and dozens of times, quoted Trent's proclamations as authority, and reaffirmed Trent on every hand. Even the New
Catholic Catechism (1992/1994) cites Trent no less than 99 times! There is
not the slightest hint that the proclamations of the Council of Trent have
been abrogated by Rome. At the opening of the Second Vatican council, Pope
John XXIII stated, "I do accept entirely all that has been decided and declared at the Council of Trent," and all of the Catholic leaders who attended Vatican II signed a document containing this statement. (The current pope, Pope John Paul II, has even cited the Council of Trent as authority for his blasphemous position on Mary.):
_____
Council of Trent -- The Council of Trent was held in an attempt to destroy the progress of the Protestant Reformation; it approved many superstitious and unbiblical beliefs of the Middle Ages (all to be believed under the threat of "anathema"):
(a) Denied every doctrine of the Reformation, from Sola Scriptura to "salvation by grace through faith alone";
(b) Pronounced 125 anathemas http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Cults/Catholicism/catholic.htm#anchor63
9480> (i.e., eternal damnation) upon anyone believing what evangelicals
believe and preach today;
(c) Equal value and authority of tradition and Scripture (in actuality, tradition is held above Scripture);
(d) Scriptures for the priesthood only (prohibited to anyone in the laity
without written permission from one's superior -- to violate this was [and
still is in most "Catholic countries" today] considered a mortal sin);
(e) Seven sacraments;
(f) Communion by eating the bread only (not drinking the wine);
(g) Purgatory;
(h) Indulgences;
(i) The Mass as a propitiatory offering.
Vatican I
(a) Defined the infallibility of the pope;
(b) Confirmed Unum Sanctum (no salvation outside of the Catholic Church).
Vatican II -- made no new doctrines, nor did it change or repudiate any old
ones; Trent and Vatican I stand as is (i.e., Vatican II verified and validated all the anathemas of Trent). Vatican II reaffirmed such Roman heresies as papal supremacy; the Roman priesthood; the mass as an unbloody sacrifice of Christ; a polluted sacramental gospel; Catholic tradition on equal par with Scripture; Mary as the Queen of Heaven and co-Redemptrix with Christ; auricular confession; Mariolatry; pilgrimages to "holy shrines"; purgatory; prayers to and for the dead; etc. (Although the restriction against laity reading the Scriptures has been removed, it is still a mortal sin for a Roman Catholic anywhere to read any Protestant version of the Bible. That the real attitude of the Vatican toward the Bible has not
changed is shown by the fact that in 1957 the depot of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Madrid, Spain was closed and its stock of Bibles confiscated and burned.)
(a) Reaffirmed the infallibility of the pope (and even when he does not speak ex-cathedra, all Catholics must still give complete submission of mind and will to what he says);
(b) Divided Catholic doctrine into that which is essential core of theology,
and must be received by faith, and that which is still an undefined body of
theology which Catholics may question and debate without repudiating their
essential Catholicism;
(c) Established 20 complex rules concerning when and how any indulgence may
be obtained, and condemned "with anathema those who say that indulgences are
useless or that the Church does not have the power to grant them ... [for]
the task of winning salvation." [Back
_____
A Sampling of the Anathemas of Trent:
If any one shall deny that the body and blood together with the soul and
divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore entire Christ, are truly,
really, and substantially contained in the sacrament of the most holy
Eucharist; and shall say that He is only in it as a sign, or in a figure, or
virtually -- let him be accursed (Canon 1).
If any one shall say that the substance of the bread and wine remains in the
sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, together with the body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall deny that wonderful and singular conversion
of the whole substance of the bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood, the outward forms of the bread and wine still remaining, which conversion the Catholic Church most aptly calls transubstantiation -- let him be accursed (Canon 2).
If any man shall say that Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is not to be
adored in the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, even with the open worship of
latria, and therefore not to be venerated with any peculiar festal celebrity, nor to be solemnly carried about in processions according to the praiseworthy, and universal rites and customs of the holy Church, and that he is not to be publicly set before the people to be adored, and that his adorers are idolaters -- let him be accursed (Canon 6).
If anyone shall say that the ungodly man is justified by faith only so as to
understand that nothing else is required that may cooperate to obtain the
grace of justification, and that it is in no wise necessary for him to be
prepared and disposed by the motion of his own will ... let him be accursed
(Canon 9).
If anyone shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in
the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ's sake, or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified ... let him be accursed (Canon
12).
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
New Age Alternative Healing
NEW AGE ALTERNATIVE HEALING
Medicine and the way we treat sickness is changing. The future has come or maybe its the past. Spirituality has met science and has become our new advancement for medicine. Its the best of both worlds. the new age movement speaks of a planned influence starting in the education branch to the political and the medical. Dick Sutphen a New Ager and promoter of this change says one of the biggest advantages we have as New Ager's is once the occult metaphysical and new age terminology is removed we have concepts and techniques that are very acceptable to the general public and open the new age door to millions who normally would not be receptive.
The Church is not exempt from this planned influence and we need to know what our doctors are practicing or recommending. In some ways we are naive to the Spiritual influences that are contrary t a biblical world view. If the terms and names are changed we can end up participating without ever knowing what it is we are participating in.
CNN /Time poll states that 30% of the US population has tried some form of unconventional therapy. Last years therapies were a 30 billion dollar industry and is continually growing. The concept promoted by these new alternative therapies are to replace the drug use its side affects and our dependency on pharmacy. So who can argue about that. Instead of pain killers it may be acupuncture, instead of getting a minor operation its a need to balance energies. This may sound far fetched but it as become the norm in our society.
The concept behind all this is simple, there is an intelligence that pervades the universe, when we become unaligned with it we become sick. Claims from new age practitioners are that our health problems are a result of misalignment of the latent natural energy within. To have perfect health, emotional spiritual as well as physical this energy must be aligned with various techniques that are unknown to general practitioners but used by those who have trained in new alternative ways to heal. We need to treat not only the body but the mind and essentially the Spirit.
LIST OF ALTERNATIVES: HOLISTIC HEALTH, ACUPUNCTURE, ACUPRESSURE, ROLFING, APPLIED KINESIOLOGY, IRIDOLOGY ,REFLEXOLOGY, POLARITY, CHIROPRACTOR, AURIC BALANCING, REIKI REBIRTHING, BIOFEEDBACK, BIO-RYTHYMS, TRANSPERSONAL COUNSELING METAPHYSICAL COUNSELING, GROF, SHIATSU.
1) HEALING WITH SOUND --- EACH ORGAN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE A CORRESPONDING VIBRATION ATTACHED TO IT . LIKE IN MANTRAS OR SACRED WORDS BEING USED TO PENETRATE ONE'S PSYCHE AND ALIGNING THE ENERGIES THAT ARE OUT OF BALANCE FROM UNNATURAL SOUNDS SUCH AS: REFRIGERATOR MOTORS, CAR SOUNDS, AND HUMAN SOUNDS OF PAIN. NEW AGE MUSIC--- (STEVEN HALPERN-IASOS) IS WELL KNOWN FOR THIS TYPE OF MEDITATIVE MUSIC TO SOOTHE THE SOUL). WHILE MANY NEW AGE MUSIC CAN BE ENJOYABLE THEIR ARE SPECIFIC TAPES TO BRING ONE INTO A ALTERED STATE FOR HEALING OR VISITATIONS OF SPIRITS, ONE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS BEFORE OPENING THEMSELVES UP TO THIS.
2) HEALING WITH COLOR --- COLORS ARE USED IN HEALING IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO THE WAY NUMBERS ARE USED IN NUMEROLOGY. COLORS AND NUMBERS ARE COMPLETELY NEUTRAL, BUT WHEN PLACED INTO AN OCCULTIC SYSTEM THEY BECOME TOOLS FOR OCCULT USE. USING COLORS TO CORRESPOND TO THE AREA THAT IS SICK THE SUBJECT PLACES THEM NEAR THE AREA OR CAN VISUALIZE THE COLOR. THEY ALSO WILL EAT FRUIT THAT HAS HEALING COLORS AS WELL AS WEAR MATCHING CLOTHING TO INITIATE OR HELP THE HEALING PROCESS.. THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC HAVE THEIR OWN COLORS THAT CORRESPOND TO THE ANATOMY ALSO. THIS ALSO IS USED TO INCORPORATE A SPEEDY RECOVERY.
3) HEALING WITH CRYSTALS --- PLACING CERTAIN STONES OVER THE CHAKRA POINTS AND OTHER POINTS OF IMBALANCE OR BLOCKAGE TO REALIGN THE BODIES ENERGIES. THERE ARE DIFFERENT STONES FOR EACH ENERGY CENTER AND ORGAN. (Crystals)
4) BIOFEEDBACK --- YOU ARE HOOKED UP TO A PASSIVE MONITORING MACHINE THAT IS USED TO EXTEND THE 5 SENSES CREATING A NEW SENSE OF AWARENESS, BY OPENING UP YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS TO THE INTEGRATING OF THE MIND AND BODY AND PROCESSES WHICH CANNOT BE TAPPED THROUGH NORMAL CONSCIOUSNESS.
IT PROMOTES RELAXATION, CREATIVITY AND INTUITION. YOU BECOME IN CONTROL OF YOUR BIOLOGICAL PROCESS, THIS IS DONE BY FEEDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCESS OBTAINED FROM THE MEASURING INSTRUMENT BACK TO THE PERSON.
USING THIS MACHINE BY RESPONDING TO IT'S INFORMATION, YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR MUSCLES AND EYE MOVEMENT, BRAIN WAVES AND LEARN TO GO INTO ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS. AFTER YOU ARE TRAINED, YOU NO LONGER NEED THE MACHINES INPUT. (THIS OUT OF ALL THE ALTERNATE TREATMENTS HAS THE MORE PRACTICAL APPLICATION, YET THERE ARE STILL ELEMENTS THAT ARE UNKNOWN AND CAN BE DANGEROUS)
5) BACH FLOWER REMEDIES --- EDWARD BACH WAS A PRACTICING PHYSICIAN IN LONDON, WHO GAVE UP HIS PRACTICE TO FIND REMEDIES, AND TO PERFECT HIS METHOD OF FLOWER HEALING.
THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THIS HEALING IS THAT BY TAKING THESE FLOWER REMEDIES, THE SUFFERER WILL BE ABLE TO OVERCOME WORRY, FEAR, OR DEPRESSION AND THAT WOULD ENABLE THE PHYSICAL ILLNESS TO DISAPPEAR. IN OTHER WORDS, OUR STATE OF MIND CAUSES ILLNESS AND WHEN PEACE AND HARMONY RETURN TO THE MIND, HEALTH RETURNS TO THE BODY.
THESE FLOWERS ARE COLLECTED FROM WILD PLANTS, BUSHES, AND TREES. AN EXAMPLE OF THESE REMEDIES IS ROCK ROSE WHICH IS FOR EXTREME TERROR. THERE ARE 4 OTHER REMEDIES FOR FEAR, AND 33 ADDITIONAL REMEDIES TO HEAL OTHER EMOTIONS, WHICH WILL ENABLE THE BODY TO HEAL ITSELF.
6) MASSAGE THERAPY--POLARITY THERAPY, SHIATSU AND REFLEXOLOGY AND OTHER TYPES OF ENERGY BALANCING MAY ALL BE USED BY MASSAGE THERAPISTS AND POSSIBLY CHIROPRACTORS-IT'S GOOD TO ASK THEM WHAT THEIR BELIEFS OR PHILOSOPHY IS ABOUT THEIR THERAPY AND WHAT THE TECHNIQUE IS CALLED THAT THEY WILL BE TREATING YOU WITH SO THAT YOU THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE TO REFUSE THE TECHNIQUE OR FIND ANOTHER THERAPIST.
SWEDISH MASSAGE IS JUST THE MASSAGING OF THE MUSCLES TO BRING RELIEF FROM TENSION AND SPASMS--BUT THEY MIX IT WITH MANY OTHER TECHNIQUES--SO ASK QUESTIONS.
7) POLARITY THERAPY--THE FOUNDER OF POLARITY THERAPY, DR. RANDOLPH STONE, WAS A MEMBER OF THE OCCULT RADHASOAMI SECT AND AUTHOR OF THE OCCULT ORIENTED MYSTIC BIBLE.
THIS METHOD BALANCES THE PLUS AND MINUS ENERGY POLARITIES BY GENTLE MASSAGE, LOVE, THOUGHT AND ATTITUDE, MANIPULATION, EXERCISE AND DIET. THEY BELIEVE THAT DISEASE BEGINS IN THE MORE SUBTLE FIELDS OF MIND AND EMOTIONS. BY NEGATIVE THINKING, WE CREATE OUR OWN PROBLEMS.
THE LAYING ON OF HANDS FOR THE ENERGY ~ EXCHANGE OCCURS-THIS CAN SOMETIMES LEADS TO PSYCHIC EXPERIENCES WHICH VALIDATES THE PROCESS..
EXPLANATIONS HANDS WILL ALWAYS BE PLACED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BODY TO STIMULATE SPECIFIC POINTS—THEY’LL LIGHTLY TOUCH SO THEY CAN FEEL THE PULSE--MOST TIMES THE PULSES ARE DIFFERENT--AND THIS MEANS ENERGY IMBALANCE AND THEY'LL HOLD THOSE POINTS UNTIL THEY ARE BEATING AT THE SAME RATE.
AT THE END OF THE TREATMENT THE THERAPIST WILL SHAKE HANDS TO RELEASE ANY NEGATIVE ENERGY THEY MAY HAVE ACCUMULATED FROM THE OTHER PERSON.
8)AROMATHERAPY--- THE ART OF HEALING BY INHALING THE ESSENTIAL OIL FRAGRANCES OF FLOWERS, HERBS, AND AROMATIC WOODS TO BRING THE BODY, MIND, SPIRIT INTO BALANCE.
9) ASTRAL TRAVEL --- SOUL TRAVEL---(ECKANKAR) --- LEARNING TO BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR DREAM STATE. BEING FULLY AWARE OF TRAVELING IN THE SPIRIT REALM TO OTHER SPHERES, PLANETS, OR DIMENSIONS. PEOPLE WILL USUALLY SEE A LIGHT, AND HEAR CELESTIAL MUSIC AND EXPERIENCE MEETING SPIRIT GUIDES.
10) READING AURAS ---BELIEVED TO BE AN EGGSHELL ENERGY FIELD AROUND THE BODY, CONFORMING TO THE BODIES SHAPE. DIFFERENT COLORS WILL SHOW YOUR HEALTH, ATTITUDE, AND CONSCIOUSNESS. GREY IS ASSOCIATED WITH FEAR AND DEPRESSION, ORANGE PRIDE, AND AMBITION, DEEP FLASHES OF RED SHOW ANGER. BY READING ONE'S AURA, SICKNESS WILL BE SHOWN BEFORE IT IS PHYSICALLY MANIFESTED. ALSO KARMA CAN BE READ AS A LIFE READING. CLEANSING AND ALIGNING THE AURIC FIELD IS COMMON PRACTICE IN THE NEW AGE MEDICINE. THE PRACTITIONER WILL SHAKE THEIR HANDS AFTERWARD TO RID ANY NEGATIVE ENERGIES.
THE TEACHING IN THE OCCULT SAYS, EVERYTHING IN THE MATERIAL UNIVERSE IS VIBRATING, HAS SOUND, COLOR, A NUMBER AND FORM ATTACHED TO IT.
TO SEE INTO THE SPIRITUAL REALM, ONE NEEDS TO BE PSYCHIC, THEY NEED TO AWAKEN THE 6th SENSE, THE THIRD EYE, THE ALL SEEING EYE. THIS IS CALLED THE EYE OF HORUS, AND THE EYE OF THE ILLUMINATI.
The hands are powerful tools used in occult healing. "It is an occult fact that the hands of a disciple ... become transmitters of spiritual energy" (Alice A. Bailey, A Treatise On White Magic, 6th ed., p. 576).
Just because a practice is Occultic does not mean it has no power or will not work, it can bring results. But because it works does not always mean it is beneficial . To participate in any of these to greater or lesser decrees is dangerous and can bring deception and oppression. All this psychic and occult healing is done in the name of whatever god one believes in (usually one of forces).
Spirits (demonic) when involved can masquerade as agents of healing and health for the purpose of diverting our attention from the Lord who is the great physician. Unfortunately the people practicing the occult arts are disciples of deceit deceiving others, hopefully not you.
The Universal Energies of the New Age Movement
The UNIVERSAL ENERGIES Of The NEW AGE MOVEMENT
The UNIVERSAL ENERGIES Of The NEW AGE MOVEMENT
The New age concept of energy is the same as the Occult worldview. They believe there is an energy that flows through all things (which they believe is God as a force) and it is in man as well. This energy needs to be channeled and balanced for it to function in its optimum level. this is the basis fro Pantheism as well as panentheism.
PRANA-~-FROM ANCIENT HINDUISM, BELIEVES THAT THE UNIVERSAL ENERGY FLOWS FROM THE AIR WE BREATHE. PRANA IN SANSKRIT IS THE WORD FOR "BREATH". MANY OF THE YOGA PRACTICES PLACE MUCH EMPHASIS ON PRANA YAMA. THESE CONCENTRATE PRANA FROM THE AIR AND DISTRIBUTE IT THROUGH OUT THE BODY. MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT YOGA IS A SERIES OF EXERCISES FOR IMPROVING FLEXIBILITY AND MUSCLE TONE--BUT THEY ARE INTENDED TO PRODUCE ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS. THE WORD YOGA IS THE SANSKRIT TERM FOR "YOKE" OR UNION WITH BRAHAM THE GOD OF HINDUISM. THE POSITIONS ARE NAMED AFTER HINDU GODS-AND ARE ACTUAL POSITIONS TO CONTACT DEMONS.
KUNDALINI --- WITHIN THE SPINAL COLUMN IS SAID TO EXIST AN ENERGY CONDUIT. IF PRANA IS CHANNELED THROUGH THIS CANAL, FROM THE BASE OF THE SPINE TO THE BASE OF THE SKULL, ONE CAN EXPERIENCE THE RISING OF THE KUNDALINI. THE KUNDALINI IS A GODDESS AS WELL AS A SNAKE THAT LIES IN COILS IN HER CAVE (KANDA) AT THE BASE OF THE SPINE. NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE ENERGY COILED AROUND THE SPINE AS SNAKES. AS ONE DOES CERTAIN TECHNIQUES THEY ARE ABLE TO RELEASE THIS ENERGY AND HAVE IT TRAVEL UP THE SPINE TO GIVE ONE ENLIGHTENMENT.
IDA AND PINGALA--MOON AND SUN (PRACTICED IN YMCA-BOY SCOUTS, SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES). THE PURPOSE OF KUNDALINI YOGA IS TO ROUSE THE SLEEPING KUNDALINI SO THAT SHE STRETCHES, HISSES, AND WRITHES HER WAY UP THROUGH THE SUSHUMNA CHANNEL. BY SUPPRESSING THE PSYCHIC ENERGIES ON EACH SIDE WE FORCE THE SERPENT POWER TO RISE UP TO THE TOP OF THE HEAD WHERE THE LORD SHIVA, THIRD GOD OF THE HINDU'S THREE MAIN GODS ABIDES. SHIVA REPRESENTS PURE CONSCIOUSNESS AND KUNDALINI IS A POWER OF THE GODDESS SHAKTI, THE AIM OF KUNDALINI YOGA IS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE UNION OR MARRIAGE OF SHIVA AND SHAKTI.
CH'I~--ENERGY CONCEPT IS DERIVED FROM THE ANCIENT CHINESE MYSTICAL PHILOSOPHY KNOWN AS TAOISM. THIS INVISIBLE LIFE ENERGY IS SAID TO FLOW THROUGH ALL LIVING ORGANISMS. CH'I IS SUPPOSEDLY INHALED WITH AIR AND EXTRACTED FROM FOOD AND DRINK. ONCE INSIDE THE BODY, IT FINDS ITS WAY TO THE TWELVE INVISIBLE CHANNELS CALLED MERIDIANS. It flows through the body through 12 invisible channels called meridians 10 of which are associated with known organs, the other two are named for non existent organs (circulation and triple warmer). CLAIMS ARE THAT ILLNESS OCCURS WHEN THE FLOW OF CH'I THROUGH THE BODY IS OBSTRUCTED OR EXCESSIVE IN ANY AREA. Chinese medicine teaches that illness occurs when the chi’ is blocked disrupting the balance of the yin and yang. When the flow of chi’ is regulated and balanced yin and yang are restored and healing occurs.
MANA--- IN POLYNESIAN CULTURE UNIVERSAL ENERGY IS CALLED MANA AND IS THE FORCE USED BY POLYNESIAN SHAMANS (KNOWN AS KAHUNAS) IN THE PRACTICE OF "WHITE AND BLACK" MAGIC. SOME HAVE PRAISED KAHUNAS AS BEING HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED, BEING IN TOUCH WITH A COMPREHENSIVE METAPHYSICAL SYSTEM--IT IS ALSO SPIRITUAL AND LEAVES THE DOORS OF CONSCIOUSNESS WIDE OPEN FOR CONTACT WITH SPIRITS.
THE KAHUNA TRADITIONS HAVE A COMPLEX SPIRITUAL BODY INVOLVING A SEPARATE INVISIBLE "ETHERIC" BODY FOR EACH OF THREE SELVES: THE LOW, MIDDLE AND HIGH.
LOW SELF: PRIMITIVE--CONTROLLING APPETITES AND DESIRES. IT DIRECTS ENERGY WHICH CAN MOVE PHYSICAL OBJECTS. MIDDLE SELF: CONSCIOUS AND RATIONAL--THIS BODY IS THE FORM WHICH ONE'S SPIRIT SURVIVES AFTER DEATH.
HIGHER SELF: RESIDENT GOD, OR GUARDIAN ANGEL--KNOWING PAST, PRESENT, AND MUCH OF THE FUTURE. THIS BODY USES A HIGH POWERED ENERGY CALLED MANA LOA, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL MIRACULOUS EVENTS.
Mary Coddington's book In Search of the Healing Energy correlates a variety of these energy concepts, including the Huna (Polynesian shaman) energy called "Mana," (life force), Mesmer's "animal magnetism," Cayce's "psychic energy," Hahnemann's homeopathic "vital force," D. D. Palmer's chiropractic theory of "innate intelligence," Reich's "orgone energy" and the energies in kundalini yoga, and psychic healing. By whatever name it is called "the healing energy always displays a remarkable similarity" and is frequently portrayed as having an intelligence of its own.
Some of the practitioners claim this energy has intelligence but in practice it is the opposite. We are in control, so if it does have intelligence it is not a high degree or at least not as high as mans. If it does have a high intelligence and is divine as some claim, then it is surrendering itself over into man’s control, a lower life form. This would be equivalent to man putting himself into the hands of an animal to dictate how he is to act. What we need to ask is where does this God energy come from? What is its source, since it is in everyone and everything. While it first appears to be controlled by the one dispensing it, nothing could be further from the truth.
Further, this energy can act independently, display intelligence, enter a person, and cause the development of psychic powers, radical occultist personality transformation, and spirit possession. Ankerberg and Weldon document quotes in numerous texts such as Swami Muktananda's spiritual autobiography, Play of Consciousness (187), or Da Free John's Garbage and the Goddess (188).
For example, ACUPUNCTURE-is based on the Chinese tradition that one’s body functions are controlled by the flow of life energy called Chi’ that runs through the body. Disease and pain are traced to one having either excessive or restricted blockage. Acupuncture tries to restore the free flow of the Chi by stimulating specific points on the body by inserting needles or with small electrical charges to stimulate the energy. Also high and low frequency sound waves are used or a low powered laser.
Acupressure- Is based on the same principle except this is done by finger pressure. Other names of this type of acupressure are Myotherapy, which uses what is called trigger points. Orgonomy uses sexual orgasm to free the flow of chi’. Reflexology uses pressure points on the hands and feet that correspond to the internal organs of ones body. Rolfing-manipulates Chi’ by intense massage techniques. Zone therapy manipulates pressure points on the body.
Those offering these teachings are practicing Occultists or adopted this practice unaware of its metaphysical connection. They are teachers who may never have thought through the implications of the practices they advocate. They are unaware of the similarities between certain aspects of positive confession and Occultic practices of affirmations and tapping into the spiritual to bring something physical. When someone who is a Christian gets involved in the new age world view they start to believe it is the Holy Spirits working to align energy. But His work has never changed, it is still to convict man of sin and give one understanding in the word.
John Ankerberg's issue of News and Views, (June 1988, p.1) reports that these words are used in religious rituals to influence both the spirit world and the material world. Quoting Occult magician David Conway discussing the power of magical words to affect these worlds:
"Unseparable from magical speculation about words is the theory of vibrations, which supposes that certain sounds have a powerful acoustic impact on both the spiritual and astral worlds. Like the spiritual world and astral plane can in some circumstances be affected by sound, so that verbal magic may be said to derive its power not only from the idea contained in certain words, but from the peculiar vibrations these words create when spoken" (Magic: an Occult Primer, pp. 74-75).
THE NEW AGE AND OCCULT ENERGIES USED IN HOLISTIC HEALTH ALL TEACH THAT SICKNESS IS A RESULT OF THE MISALIGNMENT OF THE LATENT AND NATURAL ENERGY WITHIN. TO HAVE PERFECT HEALTH-EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY, THIS ENERGY MUST BE REALIGNED THROUGH TECHNIQUES SUCH AS: ACUPUNCTURE, REFLEXOLOGY, VISUALIZATION, POLARITY THERAPY, APPLIED KINESIOLOGY, AND SHIATSU.THIS UNIVERSAL ENERGY IS THE KEY TO HOLISTIC HEALING, AND HISTORICALLY IT HAS ALSO BEEN THE KEY TO THE OCCULT AS WELL.WHEN YOU GO TO A NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR, HIS SYSTEM OF HEALING WILL INCORPORATE VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND THOSE ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS. HE WILL USE THESE AND MANY OTHER METHODS TO ATTEMPT TO STIMULATE, AND ENHANCE THE NATURAL HEALING POWERS THAT BALANCE THE BODY TO PROMOTE HEALTH. JUST AS WE WOULD GO TO A REGULAR PRACTITIONER, A NEW AGER WILL GO TO A NATUROPATH OR TO ANOTHER HEALER SPECIALIZING IN ONE METHOD OF HEALING.WHAT IS THIS ENERGY THEY ARE BALANCING? IS IT SPIRITUAL? THEY BELIEVE IT TO BE GOD'S ENERGY. DR. BILL GRAY M.D. SAYS: THE LIFE FORCE DOES THE HEALING AND STATES IT HAS MANY NAMES: CHI, PRANA, SPIRIT. SOME REGULAR M.D.’s ARE ALSO ACCEPTING THE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AS A VALID ALTERNATIVE NOW.WHAT WE NEED TO ASK IS, WHERE DOES THIS GOD ENERGY COME FROM? HOW DID THE PRACTITIONER TRAIN AND LEARN TO MANIPULATE WHAT THEY CANNOT SEE NOR WHAT SCIENCE HAS NOT PROVEN? WHAT IS THE SOURCE, SINCE IT IS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE EVERYONE? THIS IS PURE ENCHANTMENT AND WIZARDRY. THEY ARE RELYING ON THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND IF IT IS A GOOD EXPERIENCE IT MUST BE FROM GOD BECAUSE ALL HEALING IS FROM GOD--RIGHT?--WRONG! MANY OCCULTISTS ARE HEALED WITHOUT BELIEVING IN GOD OR MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE GOD OF THE BIBLE.THIS IS A FORCE, AN IMPERSONAL GOD THAT IS NOT ONLY WITHIN THEM, BUT PERVADES EVERYTHING. TAPPING INTO OURSELVES FOR HEALING MIGHT WORK FOR SOME, BUT AS CHRISTIANS, WE CAN DISCERN THIS IS NOT FROM OUR GOD.
The fact that explanations for how these non-traditional therapies work always comes back to the fact that they are so closely connected to this elusive "spiritual" energy force.
THE QUESTION TO ASK IS: WHEN DOES ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE BECOME OCCULTIC?
Answer: WHEN IT NO LONGER IS A PHYSICAL TREATMENT AFFECTING THE PHYSICAL BODY. INSTEAD, A SPIRITUAL MEANS AND METHOD IS USED TO TREAT THE PHYSICAL BODY.
Reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation seems to be a prevalent view in our society today. Mankind has continually searched for answers about life and the afterlife, and there are various religions that promote differing views. Hinduism, which is one of the oldest in the world, has influenced our culture more than any other, with the exception of Christianity. Its view of pantheism, that theirs is a god who is nature itself and lives in all things, the trees, the water, the air. He's not a personal being, but an encompassing all. This is called monism, all is one.
Yet it is one of the basic tenets of Hinduism. Within this framework of the religion of Hinduism, which over 1/5 of the population adheres to, we have practices such as meditation, yoga, mantras, and spiritual teachers, that have been readily accepted in the American society. With all this comes the view of reincarnation, which is a re-embodiment of the soul, life after life, until it finally self-realizes who it once was, it repays back all its karma. It is then free to go back to the source from which it came from, which they claim is god.
What we hear today is that the dead are with us, they exist in another dimension, that they sometimes visit us intentionally or even unintentionally. We find this promoted on the talk shows. They're just filled with people's testimonies of deception. They tell us there is nothing to be concerned about, that death is to be welcomed as a friend, it's all part of life. Many claim visitations from spirits of deceased friends and loved ones and these spirits tell them of the peace and beauty they are now experiencing on the other side of life. Their claim is that the universe is teeming with life, other spiritual beings. And, of course, we hear this from the UFO's, that they are unanimously promoting reincarnation and karma.
With the promotion of this new spirituality it has become confusing to say the least. Where does one turn the find the truth of the afterlife? All these spiritual opinions can be put into two main categories; we find karma and reincarnation and then the biblical view of resurrection. This becomes a tug-of-war for the mind and souls of the populace by subscribing either to Hinduism unintentionally or to the biblical account, which is one life and then there is a heaven for reward and a hell for punishment.
The word reincarnation means to come again in the flesh Re-in= to come again, carnate= in the flesh. This is the successive embodiment of the soul in a series of mortal bodies.
I will lay out a premise of both views and I'm going to quote the Scriptures from the Bible that they use to substantiate their view of karma and reincarnation. And I'll give the reasons why the biblical view is the only one that is the logical and true one.
Today we have 30 million Americans that believe in reincarnation. There's recently been a pole done that states that 58% of Americans believe it is a distinct possibility. This, like many other beliefs, did not come overnight, but was a consistent promotion by TV, books, and Hollywood stars that gave the society that we now live in the paradigm shift. I'm sure you've all heard some one say at one time or another that something good has occurred, well, that's good karma. With this view, God is an impersonal being existing in all creation. What follows is all is good since all is God, in essence all is part of God. So Hinduism's solution is reincarnation. For anything we do wrong, that's going to be the making up for the things we have erred in. What happens is a man who's an independent personality needs to achieve oneness through various techniques that alters ones consciousness such as yoga and meditation.
Classic reincarnation is the successive embodiment of the soul in a series of bodies which may not consist of only human. Hinduism claims that the soul, which is of God, finds its beginning and end in God, and we are told that it chooses embodiment for learning and progressing. As one enters the physical realm it will take numerous lifetimes, maybe millions, to progress back to the source and understand who they really are. The soul is entrapped in what is called the wheel of birth and rebirth and this is what is called karma; one must come back to pay off their debts in the next lifetime. Ones present condition on earth was determined by their previous actions in their former life.
Real reincarnation in Hinduism is what's called transmigration. It is the belief that the soul not only progresses but can digress, that in spiritual evolution we can go upward from an insect to a tree to a vegetable, an animal and a man and eventually back to God. However, in classic reincarnation we can also go backwards, something to consider before buying into this mythical philosophy.
One of the most famous people to give spiritualism and reincarnation a huge boost was a man named Edgar Cayce, who was known as the Sleeping Prophet. While Cayce claimed to be a devout Christian, he clearly departed from his Christian beliefs, by practices and the teachings that he was learning from spirit guides. Cayce would go into a sleep-like state, a trance state and give readings on individuals who could have been hundreds of miles away, people he had never met. He'd be able to explain and diagnose exactly what was wrong with them in their sicknesses, this consisted of spiritual and medical matters, and much of his diagnosis was uncannily correct.
He stated his experiences had given him new insight into the Bible and helped clarify and explain the Bible to him. He considered the Bible the greatest record of psychic experiences. During his trance he would have an entity who would speak that was clearly different from himself. Much of what was communicated went against his own beliefs and a process began which, in time, had him abandoning his own Christian beliefs for the new spiritual information that his spirit was giving him. In 1932, he awoke from a session and was told in that session that reincarnation was a reality and throughout his career he received such information on subjects as planetary journeys, past lives, how they related to someone's current karmic past, and even about the Akashic records, which was an invisible blueprint in the ethers that held all that was ever said or done by mankind.
Now, here's an interesting statement from Cayce, who all along was gaining all this new information, yet still wondered if it was correct. He suspected demonic influences with his revelations. "That's what I always thought and against this I put the idea that the Devil might be tempting me to do his work by operating through me when I was conceited enough to think God has given me special power. If ever the Devil was to play a trick on me, this would it."
Reincarnation is not a teaching from God, but from the same serpent that said to Adam and Eve you shall not really die way back when in the garden, and continues to be a good lie to promote to the public because no one really wants to die
Another man named Levi Dowling who tapped into the same so-called Akashic records, used automatic handwriting to pen what is called the "Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ". He, too, was taught that reincarnation was true and he combined Christianity with Hinduism and came up with an occult view of Jesus.
In the concept on reincarnation we have the teaching of karma. This is what they call universal law. If bad things happen in one's life it is an outworking of bad karma, if good things happen in one's life it is an outworking of good karma. Karma refers to the debt that a soul accumulates. This debt is because of either good or bad actions committed during one's life now or from their former past life. If one accumulates good karma from doing mostly good deeds, they'll be reincarnated in a desirable state, a higher, more pleasant position in life, and if one accumulates bad karma they'll be reincarnated in a less desirable state, having a lower lot in life.
A number of years ago, I tuned in to the Oprah Winfrey Show and she had on Marilyn Ferguson, who's a prominent promoter of the New Age Movement, one of the key people in it, and a panel of numerous occultists, a Unity pastor, and they were all explaining many of the New Age concepts, one of which is reincarnation. When asked about the Holocaust, and what happened, it was almost unanimous that they claimed this was a cause and effect, that people were getting repaid for their past lives. Of course, logically, this means that they all re-embodied in a certain race of people in which the universal law was going to repay them in spades.
In Shirley McLain's book ( Out on a Limb page 233) she states, "Reincarnation is like show business, you just keep on doing it until you get it right." So it shouldn't surprise us that Hollywood seems to embrace this kind of spiritual philosophy. Since they're already into acting, and, hopefully, they'll get a good review at least in the end.
In reincarnation life is an illusion, yet, all our ills and phobias are from a past life, so if one is afraid of water, they might have drowned in another life, at least this is what the past-life hypnotherapists tell us. Now we can be hypnotized to go beyond our birth to past lives. One hypnotist claims he has documented over 25,000 cases of people in supposedly their past lives. He hypnotizes the individual to go back to where the trauma apparently occurred to relieve that person of the effects that are not surfacing in their life presently. It can be manifested as a disease, or a mental imbalance, or fears. This is his way of curing them, by bringing them back to where this first happened maybe a few lives before or hundreds of lives before. We are told the subject does not have to believe in past lives to be helped by this type of therapy. If Edgar Cayce could only see now what he started.
There are many influential people that have believed in this philosophy. We have Sylvester Stallone, and Linda Evans, whose channeler, J. Z. Knight, states that she has a 35,000 year old spirit guide, a Lumerian warrior named Ramtha and is promoting this teaching that we are immortal. We have Stephanie Kramer, of the series Hunter, and a numerous other Hollywood stars that practice many different religions, seem to adhere to the idea of karma and past lives.
Here in Hawaii, we have Mike Gabbard who crusades against same-sex marriage and the homosexual agenda. He claims to be a Christian yet, his Guru Jagad Guru teaches that Jesus and Christianity are complimentary to the teaching of reincarnation. He says you can learn about your dreams, your déjà vu and everything else that might be relative to his Hindu philosophy. He says in his publication, Lifeforce you can make it so that your tendencies are not controlling you, and you can learn how not to follow those tendencies. That is the process of Bahkti Yoga and spiritual life , this is the only path to actual freedom and happiness. In the same magazine, in a question and answer column, he tells us that "we shouldn't fear death because once we know we are eternal it's OK and he quotes the New Testament where it says ‘O death, where is your sting "? To everybody death does have a sting but not for those who continue to exist, who know they are eternal. Those who are in a state of meditation are fully protected." Time will soon give him a revelation on this one.
Someone wrote in to the paper and asked about him being a Christian, since his approach was strictly Eastern and he states, Jesus was from the East and spent a long portion of His life in India. This is the typical lie we hear from the gurus, that Jesus learned much of His teachings from the gurus in India. Nothing could be further from the truth. While some people have embraced this teaching unintentionally, others are very much aware of its implications and claim they are Christians, such as Mike Gabbard does.
The law of karma, the natural process of reincarnation has eternity as a wheel on which one side is life, the other side is death and neither is intrinsically bad. Swamis and gurus have taught this philosophy for centuries. Let me give you a couple of quotes from some of the current gurus. Rajneesh said, "To kill, murder, fully conscious, knowing no one is murdered and no one is killed", basically saying it's OK because no one really is murdered because death is just a process of life Yet, the Bible states, 'Thou shall not kill" Then we have Swami Vevikananda, who taught that mother god is Kali, is all, and all is one, "Who can say that God does not manifest himself as evil as well as good, but only the Hindu dares to worship him in the evil. How few have dared to worship death or Kali. Let us worship death." Now I hope you find that disturbing, I certainly do.
And as far-fetched as it sounds, when people teach that death is a friend to all, there's nothing to fear, that it's just the other side of the coin, they are celebrating on an equal basis, evil. Jesus said death was an enemy and it would be the last enemy destroyed and He will eliminate it. Yet, in the Hindu philosophy, death is Maya, it's an illusion and it's as much a part of existence as life is itself, we are to embrace it.
When we hear that death is a friend and we are to embrace it, when we look at this philosophy and we see the reality in life, we find the very opposite. If this were true, why does something inside us move with compassion when we know someone has died or is grieving over death? Why, when we are faced with death, do we fight tenaciously to preserve our life. This is a God-given instinct. Even the animals act to preserve their life rather than just give it up.
Let’s go into some of the scriptures that the gurus, and the spiritualists, and the New Agers use to validate their position, for instance, the term born again in John 3:3. As a New Ager, before I became a Christian, I selectively edited and interpreted the Bible, and at the time when I was involved, I believed the term born again meant to be born again and again and again. That's exactly how many of the gurus reinterpret this scripture as a cyclic rebirth in the body. When Nicodemus asked, can I go back into my mother's womb, we find Jesus saying NO, we can’t. He's stating that we're in need of a spiritual birth from God's Spirit, not another physical birth. The Greek term born again actually means from above.
Many New Agers believe that reincarnation was purposely edited out of the Bible. Marilyn Furgueson on the Oprah Winfrey Show, stated At the Council of Niacea this was done so that people wouldn't think they could put off repaying until later, so they would repay their debts now. Others blame the fifth ecumenical council or even later in Constantinople in 533 A.D. with Justinian.
One can read numerous metaphysical books with this kind of rhetoric, but it can't be proven from history. The Occultists can’t even agree with themselves where this occurred. The Council of Niacea has been blamed for just about everything in the world, they brought in what's called the pagan trinity, and numerous other things, and now it's being blamed for eliminating reincarnation, yet, none of these things are true. The Trinity was taught long before the Council of Niacea, and reincarnation was never eliminated for the simple reason that it was never included. It was never discussed at any of the councils.
The Bible never talks about reincarnation, but, it does talk about resurrection. These are two diametrically opposing philosophies which can never be integrated. For one to claim to be a Christian and a believer in reincarnation would mean that they have to deny Christ rose from the dead, and this would deny also the Incarnation, which happened only once.
The resurrection is the third point of the Gospel. It is essential to the Gospel itself, yet, we find in numerous books in Christianity, there are people that hint toward this and even openly state this. Let me give you an example, the author Hanna Hurnard, a famous author who's written Mountain of Spices, and Hind's Feet in High Places, states in the book, The School of Birth Experience, "The Lord, in the clearest possible way, confirmed His own belief in the Old Testament teaching concerning the necessity for human souls to visit the earth's school more than once. Jesus did accept the current belief concerning reincarnation and said that congenital and hereditary diseases are connected with experiences and behaviors in an earlier lifetime."
She's probably referring to the man that was born blind in the book of John. Jesus never did teach this, and this certainly is her own insertion. We need to discern wheat from chaff in books we read, and in the movements that come to the church that claim spirituality. It's very important to be discerning these days and know when to reject something an author might be stating and not believe that everything that's in a book is the gospel truth.
When we do look at India, and we find a nation that has practiced this type of religion for centuries and yet, we find people dying on the streets and we're not allowed to help them because if you do you might interfere with their past lives, their karma and you might end up taking karma on yourself. The whole country has become bankrupt. Recently, reading about India, we find that people are now searching outside the religion of that country, where almost a billion people are Hindus. They are now looking in other areas, because it seems they are seeing that the religion that they've held so for long is bankrupt, and has not helped the country at all.
When we look at the past in the church, we find the earliest reference to reincarnation in a passing remark by Justin Martyr in150 A.D. in his Dialogue with Trypho IV. In this he reveals his thoughts on the reincarnationists of his time. "Therefore souls neither see God nor transmigrate into other bodies; for they would know that they are punished, and they would be afraid to commit even the most trivial sin afterwards".
Not many years later Irenaeus in his refuting the Gnostic heretics criticized this belief of reimbodiment in his (Against Heresies. Tertullian on the Soul Chpt.23-24, 29-35) had a very unfavorable opinion. Numerous others who were what we would call evangelists for the faith spoke against this belief. Aenobius (Against the Heathen II Chpt.16) Lactantius (The Divine Institutes Book III Chpt. 18-19) Gregory of Nyssa (On the making of a man Chpt.29) Augustine (The city of God book10 Chpt.30).
The church father most quoted to prove reincarnation is Origin, who was one of the early, pre-Nicene church fathers. A brilliant man who had a lot of theological speculations among his apologetic scholarship, almost to the state of heresy. Obviously, he wasn't right on all his doctrines, but I find this an interesting statement and I think we can take it to learn what they were dealing with back then. He states, "We do not allege any re-embodiment of the soul or any fall of the soul down to the level of the irrational creatures and so it is, that if we abstain from animal food it is not for the same reason as Pathagorus that we do not eat the flesh of beasts." (Against Celsus VIII. 30) And then he addresses the concept of Elijah coming back to earth as John the Baptist, which a number of people, even today, who claim to be Christians believe. He states, "I do not think that means that the soul of John the Baptist was the soul of Elijah, lest I should fall into the doctrine of re-embodiment, which is alien from the doctrine of the church of God. It is not the tradition of the apostles, and it does not appear anywhere in Scripture." He then goes on speaking in detail of numerous more re-embodiments which would never end and then neither would there be an end to the ages which goes against sinners being surprised by a final catastrophe.
Origin actually believed in a pre-existence of the soul before a physical death, but only a single embodiment not continual incarnations. He didn't hold this view all of his life, but was influenced by certain philosophies of the day, so, with all these church father writings, we do need to read them with a grain of salt. Go to the Scriptures and see what's right and wrong . we have a person who claims to be a Christian, he's a Oneness Pentecostal on TV, Elishua Reed, who states, John the Baptist was actually Elijah reembodied, yet we find when the angel Gabriel, came to Zachariah, he told him that his son's name would be John. In Luke 1:17 he states that he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah which is synonymous for the same type of ministry one of reconciliation. Turning the hearts of the fathers turn to the children and the children to the fathers. To claim that John the Baptist is Elijah is to teach reincarnation, plain and simple. The premise is that a spirit in a former body comes back to be born in another body. At the very least it's transmigration. In Matt. 11:13, Jesus states, "For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John." So He calls him John, not Elijah. We find him appearing on the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses, and we find the Apostles all recognizing Elijah as Elijah. You don't hear anyone saying, look, it's John. No, they saw him as Elijah and Jesus called him Elijah and he called John, John. So, the two can never meet.
Malachi predicted he would come before the Messiah's appearing and this would be before the Day of the Lord, and that's the Day of Judgment when Elijah would actually come back. So, how do we understand that John the Baptist came back in what's called the spirit and power of Elijah and how Jesus said he is Elijah if you willing to accept it? We find that when the Jews were sent out they sent out the priests and the Levites to investigate John's ministry and they asked him if he was the Christ and he states emphatically, no. Then they ask him if he's not Elijah, why does he baptize. We find that John the Baptist is not suffering from a temporary memory loss that Jesus has to correct later. Actually, we find the Scripture telling us that he carried out his ministry in the spirit and power of Elijah. That he operated in the Spirit and power like Elijah. Now, the question is, what does that mean? It means that he had a similar ministry as Elijah, he had functional similarities. Not that he wasn't Elijah himself. One of the strongest testimonies that John is not Elijah is on the Mount of Transfiguration. Elijah and Moses appear and Jesus and the Apostles recognize him as Elijah being in his original body. No one calls him John the Baptist. We must concede they're two different people, or John the Baptist turned into Elijah again. This would promote reincarnation or transmigration of a spirit going from one body to another. If we look at it more carefully in II Kings 2:11 Elijah never experienced physical death so for him to come back in another body means he reincarnated not only in Spirit but in body too. And the Bible never teaches either one of these.
Also, the question would be, in the resurrection, which body would he get. Either way death would not be conquered because one of the bodies would not be raised, and the whole purpose of resurrection is to conquer death.
It's obvious, when He spoke in Matt. 11:13-14 concerning John being Elijah who is to come, He was not speaking in a solid literal sense. Jesus was metaphorically comparing two different things that also shared some similarities. He came in the ministry of Elijah.
The Jewish scriptures always taught resurrection not reincarnation. Each person is given one body to live in and will be given that same body in the resurrection. When one takes the whole body of Scripture instead of isolating verses we find the consistent teaching that refutes any kind of concept of Elijah becoming John the Baptist and then changing back to Elijah again.
When we look at the teaching of reincarnation we find an enormous amount of people throughout the world believing in it. In America, we find that almost 1/3 believe that reincarnation is a fact. When we look at the world, has it progressed, has it learned its lessons according to the reincarnation theory? If you look at the country that has had this in practice longer than any other, for centuries, or thousands of years, do we see it as a model for others? The country where reincarnation is taught the most suffers the most from it. If it was factual and a spiritual truth knowledge the opposite would be true, this in fact would bring progress. Just look at what this philosophy has done for India. People are left suffering on the streets. Others who are more fortunate from their good karma are encouraged not to interfere lest they need to be paid back in a future life time. Compassion, love in action is deterred because one is practicing Hinduism and according to the law of karma, it's wrong to take a starving person off the street and nurse them back to health. There is no alleviating pain, this is a cold, unfeeling, and unforgiving spiritual view. If we apply this to America and the recession that we're all in, it's all bad karma. The homeless, the sick, are all subject to this fatal philosophy. I don't think that those who believe in this concept would ever go that far in their consideration. And do we really want to resign ourselves over to fatalism?
It was Gandhi who stated about this system that he himself was born into, that reincarnation is a burden to great to bear. He saw the fruits of this practice around his country. All abroad was hopelessness, despair and gave no answers to life. So as one is going through the wheel of suffering, or what called Samsara, yearning to break free of this cyclic wheel, becomes much like the hamster in a cage on their exercise wheel.
There is a solution to erasing your debt and escaping and that's called yoga, achieving a higher consciousness and becoming one with the Brahman (The Ultimate Reality) Since we are all part of God, so they say, and we have forgotten who we really are, yoga and meditation will bring us back to the source so we can all merge as a little drop of water in the eternal ocean, the sea of forgetfulness, called nirvana in Buddhism. This is going to erase our bad karma.
There are some logical problems with this practice and some questions that need to be answered. If it erases our bad karma wouldn't it also erase our good karma, since in Hinduism there is no real good or evil, especially when we look at Zen Buddhism, everything just is. If there is no good or bad, everything is just amoral. Who determines what is good or bad? We are told that we ourselves do, however, there is no universal standard. So why would someone call their deeds bad if it will make them come into a lower life form? Are we really that just in our judgment after we die? If we are not that just now when we're alive why would we be later in death? Reincarnationists have a Jesus, but we find that he's not the same Jesus of the Bible. While the Jesus of the Bible believed and died for sins, the reincarnation's Jesus is a way-shower, a perfect master, an ancient guru who is a learned mystic and learned secrets and meditated his way to enlightenment. And he shows us how to become one with God so we, too, can be like him.
Those who believe in this, use the same Scriptures as New Agers, such as the kingdom of God is within you, yet, when we look at the actual text it literally means that Jesus was the kingdom of God, and He was standing within their midst. So wherever God is that is where the kingdom will be. When one taps into this kingdom by spiritual, psychological techniques, going inward, it's supposed to reveal the universe. As a philosopher Hermes Trismigustus stated, "As without, so within, as above, so below." Man is supposed to be a microcosm of the universe and his ignorance to divinity is the closest definition of sin that they can come up with.
To accept reincarnation can certainly change a person's world view. We need to ask, where did karma come from and why? If one were God and chose to be put into a body to learn, where did wrong or evil come from? According to the Hindu tradition, the three Gunas, which are qualities of the god-head, were in perfect balance in the void and something happened which caused an imbalance (the Prakriti) and manifestation began. This brought the illusion which we are all experiencing as the universe. So bad karma actually was found in the source of the god-head and permeated the universe. There is no escape, whether one practices yoga or not, all becomes in union with a faulty god-head.
We find there aren't any real answers from the Hindu side. If we all come from the source and we did something we wanted to perpetuate or coming back, isn't this like a biblical definition of sin, falling short of perfection? The problem is, that they claim it started from God. How does one get off the wheel of rebirth when there's absolutely no real way of stopping their bad karma?
Since reincarnation means all souls progress through different forms of life, even insects and animals, we must not kill these forms inadvertently. What about germs and bacteria? Aren't they alive, also? Are they not on the same wheel of progression? Eventually, we would have to be paid back for their elimination, also. Even the gurus who become monastic in a cave have to deal with affecting life in this way. Again, there's no real solution.
One woman's testimony explained how this philosophy affected her life. She said, "Gradually, I became increasingly disillusioned. The fruits of Krishna-consciousness proved to be a bondage of deception. There was no love or peace, which is what I was seeking. It was especially hard to bear as a woman because only a man can attain Krishna-consciousness. I could hope that if I built up enough good karma, that in some future life, I would be born into this world as a man." That's interesting, because Plato taught if a man lived a cowardly life he would be reincarnated as a woman. And if a woman lived a cowardly life she would be reincarnated as a bird. This woman says, "It was a great relief when I learned that Jesus Christ died for my sin and would accept me just as I was if I was willing."
That's God's solution to alleviate man's ills. Most people hold today to the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is adopted from the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus. This concept has been changed to karma to gain God's favor: If I do good, it comes back to me by living the Golden Rule, I'm doing right and I'm accepted, that one's good deeds outweigh their bad, therefore it will work out in their favor in the end. Nothing could be further from the truth.
God gave man a standard, but it was not to receive a pardon or a credit in their life. The Bible states we were given commandments to bring us to a Savior, they show us we can't be good enough The rules of living were a tutor, they pointed us to a Savior. There are signposts along the way pointing to the architect of life. Nothing man can do merits God's forgiveness or favor. It was God Himself who did it for us. The system of karma and reincarnation has no answers because it actually perpetuates evil. If I murder someone in this lifetime, in the next life that person is obligated by the law of karma, to murder me. If I save two people's lives today it can't make up for the one person I murdered yesterday. I would still have to be paid back for the evil done and it would keep on repeating itself. So karma actually perpetuates evil, it's a continual punishment. There is no forgiveness in this system. Can one learn from their mistakes from each lifetime? No, we can't remember them because of the forgetfulness in our consciousness, so we keep on repeating them. Is it fair to be punished for something we can't remember and are doomed to repeat?
Reincarnation is punishment not a learning process. By contrast, the God of the Bible offers forgiveness for our sin. It's once and for all and we don't have to depend on ourselves for a solution. Even if our future good deeds could atone for our past sins, the philosophy of karma makes no sense, because one will always have to be reincarnated. So no one is perfect, not even the guru Maharaji or Sai Baba, who claimed this for themselves.
Is there evidence that the world is actually progressing morally or spiritually from this system? Are we really getting better? No, actually the human race is worse off today than it ever was. Evil has increased, so I guess we've all been bad in our past lives, or the other alternative is that it's what the Bible has said all along, we're sinners following our fallen nature in need of being reconciled to our Creator, to Christ the only God/man
The God of the Bible is just and must punish rebellion and the sin of man. And, yet, He's also merciful and willing to forgive. To those involved in this philosophy, there is no grace.
It's dependent on themselves to fix all the wrongs that they did. Imagine that Hitler has to come back to pay for his crimes. That's something we could all really look forward to. What makes us think he would have a change of heart, he can always get it right the next time. Actually, all the evil people who were ever born have to keep on coming back, so this view actually would perpetuate evil instead of erasing it. I don't think that's any improvement. Even with this senseless philosophy, which has hopelessness entwined in its curriculum, it's still winning adherents by the millions in the U.S., and we find psychiatrists that practice hypnotherapy, regressing people back beyond their childhood, back to when they were once apes, lizards, and pollywogs. I'm surprised someone hasn't won an award for doing this, proving evolution is true. This has as much validity as the current trend of evolutionary proofs and will probably go the way of the dinosaur. And while people claim that hypno-regression has brought them into a cure, it's actually brought them into a bigger lie than when they first visited the psychiatrist. They become a free-style Hindu. Now, everything that happens is explained in light of a past life or déjà vu experiences. They also become repelled by the Christ of the Bible and sin is unable to be dealt with eliminated from their life in a conscious rejection. so remedies of one's ills become a future life to live. We find the forgiveness and the power of Christ becomes, at best, just one of the many choices for those who are self-enlightened in post-Christian America.
Evidence for this belief almost always comes from experiences of the occult, meditation, astral travel, drugs and hypnosis. All are altered states of consciousness.
Looking at some of the contradictions in the system of reincarnation, karma, which is the law of perpetual cause and effect, cannot be violated, so how can the use of enlightenment suspend it for a lifetime? If ignorance of reincarnation or a real spiritual life is true and ignorance is what hinders our spiritual progression, why would the soul, prior to its inhabiting a body, cause itself to forget what it did in the past and hinder the very progress its trying to attain. To me, this is like studying for a test to do you best and when it comes time to take it, you purposely forget everything you studied. In karma we are free persons, yet, we resign ourselves to a law of nature which takes away our own choices. This philosophy is fatalistic. It can only be put in the same category as astrology, that the stars and creation rule over our future and we have our whole lives charted out for us. This identifies the Occult connection. While, in America, we have westernized the view of spiritual evolution, real incarnation is what is called transmigration. We can go backwards, also.
So, before one buys into this circular philosophizing, they need to consider whether, logically, this is acceptable to the reality of life we all know. There is no spiritual or mutual ground between reincarnation and resurrection. They are opposites, mutually exclusive. Satan, who opposes God, always attacks the resurrection because death is the penalty for sin. For a reincarnationist, death is the natural process that leads one on to a higher plane of existence, in a new body and a better spiritual condition, and this is universal for all.
The Bible presents death as a disaster that was brought in as an enemy to mankind. It is a judgment from God that was pronounced on Adam and Eve and consequently passed down to all mankind. We all die because we are all sinners in a fallen state. The Bible tells us resurrection is what will conquer physical death. If there is no resurrection there is no victory over death. Christ said this would be conquered as the last enemy defeated. As it is stated all those who love death hate me ! Reincarnation doesn’t defeat death, it only promotes it.
The resurrection of Christ is the evidence that the penalty of sin has been paid. He, being the first to conquer death and live life eternally in a body, and he promises the same for all of us. However, where one spends their eternity in their body will depends on their choice of accepting or rejecting Christ and His work for them.
Reincarnation is not compatible with the Bible. If we live a hundred lifetimes and the resurrection day comes, which body do I rise in? I can only get one so 99 are left in the ground and death is not conquered. Resurrection is applied only to the body. We never see a soul or a spirit resurrected because they continue to exist, while the body decays. We find the Bible teaches us everyone lives once. Resurrection is a transformation of a persons own mortal body to an imperishable, immortal one. It is a one time final event that the sovereign God is in control of.
Jesus' resurrection disproves reincarnation. He did not take up another body, but the same one in which He lives forever. The word for body is soma and always refers to a physical body. It is a one time final event and everyone will experience this, Christian or not. Hebrews 9:27 tells us it appointed to man to die once but after this the judgment. According to this scripture Christ would have to die again for man to be reincarnated. Since their is a relationship to man dying once and Christ being sacrificed only once. Each person receives one life in which they will choose whether to bow their knee to God, submit to His Lordship, or they will bow their knee to God in the resurrection and face the judgment of eternal separation from God.
In the later part of this verse in Hebrews 9:27, it says "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many." If the philosophy of reincarnation is true, Christ would have to die again, since there is a relationship to man dying once and Christ being sacrificed only once.
Each of us live once and face the judgment. There are no second chances to come back. 2 Corinthians 5:8 tells us at death the believer immediately goes into the presence of the Lord to rest from his labors. I think if one were to chose either of these alternatives, even if reincarnation were true, certainly, only once is enough and to be accepted into paradise with the architect of the universe is a grander offer than the enlightenment that false Hinduism offers. Why try to perfect yourself through your own handiwork when the truth is, Christ did it all? The incarnation of the God/man is better than trusting the reincarnation of man. Christ died for our faults, our shortcomings, our sins. It works because it's the truth and it's the truth that will set you free. It's by God's grace and mercy, a gift given to us freely, not by our own hands. As for me, I'll choose mercy, I need it and I certainly appreciate God's free gift.
Reincarnation seems to be a prevalent view in our society today. Mankind has continually searched for answers about life and the afterlife, and there are various religions that promote differing views. Hinduism, which is one of the oldest in the world, has influenced our culture more than any other, with the exception of Christianity. Its view of pantheism, that theirs is a god who is nature itself and lives in all things, the trees, the water, the air. He's not a personal being, but an encompassing all. This is called monism, all is one.
Yet it is one of the basic tenets of Hinduism. Within this framework of the religion of Hinduism, which over 1/5 of the population adheres to, we have practices such as meditation, yoga, mantras, and spiritual teachers, that have been readily accepted in the American society. With all this comes the view of reincarnation, which is a re-embodiment of the soul, life after life, until it finally self-realizes who it once was, it repays back all its karma. It is then free to go back to the source from which it came from, which they claim is god.
What we hear today is that the dead are with us, they exist in another dimension, that they sometimes visit us intentionally or even unintentionally. We find this promoted on the talk shows. They're just filled with people's testimonies of deception. They tell us there is nothing to be concerned about, that death is to be welcomed as a friend, it's all part of life. Many claim visitations from spirits of deceased friends and loved ones and these spirits tell them of the peace and beauty they are now experiencing on the other side of life. Their claim is that the universe is teeming with life, other spiritual beings. And, of course, we hear this from the UFO's, that they are unanimously promoting reincarnation and karma.
With the promotion of this new spirituality it has become confusing to say the least. Where does one turn the find the truth of the afterlife? All these spiritual opinions can be put into two main categories; we find karma and reincarnation and then the biblical view of resurrection. This becomes a tug-of-war for the mind and souls of the populace by subscribing either to Hinduism unintentionally or to the biblical account, which is one life and then there is a heaven for reward and a hell for punishment.
The word reincarnation means to come again in the flesh Re-in= to come again, carnate= in the flesh. This is the successive embodiment of the soul in a series of mortal bodies.
I will lay out a premise of both views and I'm going to quote the Scriptures from the Bible that they use to substantiate their view of karma and reincarnation. And I'll give the reasons why the biblical view is the only one that is the logical and true one.
Today we have 30 million Americans that believe in reincarnation. There's recently been a pole done that states that 58% of Americans believe it is a distinct possibility. This, like many other beliefs, did not come overnight, but was a consistent promotion by TV, books, and Hollywood stars that gave the society that we now live in the paradigm shift. I'm sure you've all heard some one say at one time or another that something good has occurred, well, that's good karma. With this view, God is an impersonal being existing in all creation. What follows is all is good since all is God, in essence all is part of God. So Hinduism's solution is reincarnation. For anything we do wrong, that's going to be the making up for the things we have erred in. What happens is a man who's an independent personality needs to achieve oneness through various techniques that alters ones consciousness such as yoga and meditation.
Classic reincarnation is the successive embodiment of the soul in a series of bodies which may not consist of only human. Hinduism claims that the soul, which is of God, finds its beginning and end in God, and we are told that it chooses embodiment for learning and progressing. As one enters the physical realm it will take numerous lifetimes, maybe millions, to progress back to the source and understand who they really are. The soul is entrapped in what is called the wheel of birth and rebirth and this is what is called karma; one must come back to pay off their debts in the next lifetime. Ones present condition on earth was determined by their previous actions in their former life.
Real reincarnation in Hinduism is what's called transmigration. It is the belief that the soul not only progresses but can digress, that in spiritual evolution we can go upward from an insect to a tree to a vegetable, an animal and a man and eventually back to God. However, in classic reincarnation we can also go backwards, something to consider before buying into this mythical philosophy.
One of the most famous people to give spiritualism and reincarnation a huge boost was a man named Edgar Cayce, who was known as the Sleeping Prophet. While Cayce claimed to be a devout Christian, he clearly departed from his Christian beliefs, by practices and the teachings that he was learning from spirit guides. Cayce would go into a sleep-like state, a trance state and give readings on individuals who could have been hundreds of miles away, people he had never met. He'd be able to explain and diagnose exactly what was wrong with them in their sicknesses, this consisted of spiritual and medical matters, and much of his diagnosis was uncannily correct.
He stated his experiences had given him new insight into the Bible and helped clarify and explain the Bible to him. He considered the Bible the greatest record of psychic experiences. During his trance he would have an entity who would speak that was clearly different from himself. Much of what was communicated went against his own beliefs and a process began which, in time, had him abandoning his own Christian beliefs for the new spiritual information that his spirit was giving him. In 1932, he awoke from a session and was told in that session that reincarnation was a reality and throughout his career he received such information on subjects as planetary journeys, past lives, how they related to someone's current karmic past, and even about the Akashic records, which was an invisible blueprint in the ethers that held all that was ever said or done by mankind.
Now, here's an interesting statement from Cayce, who all along was gaining all this new information, yet still wondered if it was correct. He suspected demonic influences with his revelations. "That's what I always thought and against this I put the idea that the Devil might be tempting me to do his work by operating through me when I was conceited enough to think God has given me special power. If ever the Devil was to play a trick on me, this would it."
Reincarnation is not a teaching from God, but from the same serpent that said to Adam and Eve you shall not really die way back when in the garden, and continues to be a good lie to promote to the public because no one really wants to die
Another man named Levi Dowling who tapped into the same so-called Akashic records, used automatic handwriting to pen what is called the "Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ". He, too, was taught that reincarnation was true and he combined Christianity with Hinduism and came up with an occult view of Jesus.
In the concept on reincarnation we have the teaching of karma. This is what they call universal law. If bad things happen in one's life it is an outworking of bad karma, if good things happen in one's life it is an outworking of good karma. Karma refers to the debt that a soul accumulates. This debt is because of either good or bad actions committed during one's life now or from their former past life. If one accumulates good karma from doing mostly good deeds, they'll be reincarnated in a desirable state, a higher, more pleasant position in life, and if one accumulates bad karma they'll be reincarnated in a less desirable state, having a lower lot in life.
A number of years ago, I tuned in to the Oprah Winfrey Show and she had on Marilyn Ferguson, who's a prominent promoter of the New Age Movement, one of the key people in it, and a panel of numerous occultists, a Unity pastor, and they were all explaining many of the New Age concepts, one of which is reincarnation. When asked about the Holocaust, and what happened, it was almost unanimous that they claimed this was a cause and effect, that people were getting repaid for their past lives. Of course, logically, this means that they all re-embodied in a certain race of people in which the universal law was going to repay them in spades.
In Shirley McLain's book ( Out on a Limb page 233) she states, "Reincarnation is like show business, you just keep on doing it until you get it right." So it shouldn't surprise us that Hollywood seems to embrace this kind of spiritual philosophy. Since they're already into acting, and, hopefully, they'll get a good review at least in the end.
In reincarnation life is an illusion, yet, all our ills and phobias are from a past life, so if one is afraid of water, they might have drowned in another life, at least this is what the past-life hypnotherapists tell us. Now we can be hypnotized to go beyond our birth to past lives. One hypnotist claims he has documented over 25,000 cases of people in supposedly their past lives. He hypnotizes the individual to go back to where the trauma apparently occurred to relieve that person of the effects that are not surfacing in their life presently. It can be manifested as a disease, or a mental imbalance, or fears. This is his way of curing them, by bringing them back to where this first happened maybe a few lives before or hundreds of lives before. We are told the subject does not have to believe in past lives to be helped by this type of therapy. If Edgar Cayce could only see now what he started.
There are many influential people that have believed in this philosophy. We have Sylvester Stallone, and Linda Evans, whose channeler, J. Z. Knight, states that she has a 35,000 year old spirit guide, a Lumerian warrior named Ramtha and is promoting this teaching that we are immortal. We have Stephanie Kramer, of the series Hunter, and a numerous other Hollywood stars that practice many different religions, seem to adhere to the idea of karma and past lives.
Here in Hawaii, we have Mike Gabbard who crusades against same-sex marriage and the homosexual agenda. He claims to be a Christian yet, his Guru Jagad Guru teaches that Jesus and Christianity are complimentary to the teaching of reincarnation. He says you can learn about your dreams, your déjà vu and everything else that might be relative to his Hindu philosophy. He says in his publication, Lifeforce you can make it so that your tendencies are not controlling you, and you can learn how not to follow those tendencies. That is the process of Bahkti Yoga and spiritual life , this is the only path to actual freedom and happiness. In the same magazine, in a question and answer column, he tells us that "we shouldn't fear death because once we know we are eternal it's OK and he quotes the New Testament where it says ‘O death, where is your sting "? To everybody death does have a sting but not for those who continue to exist, who know they are eternal. Those who are in a state of meditation are fully protected." Time will soon give him a revelation on this one.
Someone wrote in to the paper and asked about him being a Christian, since his approach was strictly Eastern and he states, Jesus was from the East and spent a long portion of His life in India. This is the typical lie we hear from the gurus, that Jesus learned much of His teachings from the gurus in India. Nothing could be further from the truth. While some people have embraced this teaching unintentionally, others are very much aware of its implications and claim they are Christians, such as Mike Gabbard does.
The law of karma, the natural process of reincarnation has eternity as a wheel on which one side is life, the other side is death and neither is intrinsically bad. Swamis and gurus have taught this philosophy for centuries. Let me give you a couple of quotes from some of the current gurus. Rajneesh said, "To kill, murder, fully conscious, knowing no one is murdered and no one is killed", basically saying it's OK because no one really is murdered because death is just a process of life Yet, the Bible states, 'Thou shall not kill" Then we have Swami Vevikananda, who taught that mother god is Kali, is all, and all is one, "Who can say that God does not manifest himself as evil as well as good, but only the Hindu dares to worship him in the evil. How few have dared to worship death or Kali. Let us worship death." Now I hope you find that disturbing, I certainly do.
And as far-fetched as it sounds, when people teach that death is a friend to all, there's nothing to fear, that it's just the other side of the coin, they are celebrating on an equal basis, evil. Jesus said death was an enemy and it would be the last enemy destroyed and He will eliminate it. Yet, in the Hindu philosophy, death is Maya, it's an illusion and it's as much a part of existence as life is itself, we are to embrace it.
When we hear that death is a friend and we are to embrace it, when we look at this philosophy and we see the reality in life, we find the very opposite. If this were true, why does something inside us move with compassion when we know someone has died or is grieving over death? Why, when we are faced with death, do we fight tenaciously to preserve our life. This is a God-given instinct. Even the animals act to preserve their life rather than just give it up.
Let’s go into some of the scriptures that the gurus, and the spiritualists, and the New Agers use to validate their position, for instance, the term born again in John 3:3. As a New Ager, before I became a Christian, I selectively edited and interpreted the Bible, and at the time when I was involved, I believed the term born again meant to be born again and again and again. That's exactly how many of the gurus reinterpret this scripture as a cyclic rebirth in the body. When Nicodemus asked, can I go back into my mother's womb, we find Jesus saying NO, we can’t. He's stating that we're in need of a spiritual birth from God's Spirit, not another physical birth. The Greek term born again actually means from above.
Many New Agers believe that reincarnation was purposely edited out of the Bible. Marilyn Furgueson on the Oprah Winfrey Show, stated At the Council of Niacea this was done so that people wouldn't think they could put off repaying until later, so they would repay their debts now. Others blame the fifth ecumenical council or even later in Constantinople in 533 A.D. with Justinian.
One can read numerous metaphysical books with this kind of rhetoric, but it can't be proven from history. The Occultists can’t even agree with themselves where this occurred. The Council of Niacea has been blamed for just about everything in the world, they brought in what's called the pagan trinity, and numerous other things, and now it's being blamed for eliminating reincarnation, yet, none of these things are true. The Trinity was taught long before the Council of Niacea, and reincarnation was never eliminated for the simple reason that it was never included. It was never discussed at any of the councils.
The Bible never talks about reincarnation, but, it does talk about resurrection. These are two diametrically opposing philosophies which can never be integrated. For one to claim to be a Christian and a believer in reincarnation would mean that they have to deny Christ rose from the dead, and this would deny also the Incarnation, which happened only once.
The resurrection is the third point of the Gospel. It is essential to the Gospel itself, yet, we find in numerous books in Christianity, there are people that hint toward this and even openly state this. Let me give you an example, the author Hanna Hurnard, a famous author who's written Mountain of Spices, and Hind's Feet in High Places, states in the book, The School of Birth Experience, "The Lord, in the clearest possible way, confirmed His own belief in the Old Testament teaching concerning the necessity for human souls to visit the earth's school more than once. Jesus did accept the current belief concerning reincarnation and said that congenital and hereditary diseases are connected with experiences and behaviors in an earlier lifetime."
She's probably referring to the man that was born blind in the book of John. Jesus never did teach this, and this certainly is her own insertion. We need to discern wheat from chaff in books we read, and in the movements that come to the church that claim spirituality. It's very important to be discerning these days and know when to reject something an author might be stating and not believe that everything that's in a book is the gospel truth.
When we do look at India, and we find a nation that has practiced this type of religion for centuries and yet, we find people dying on the streets and we're not allowed to help them because if you do you might interfere with their past lives, their karma and you might end up taking karma on yourself. The whole country has become bankrupt. Recently, reading about India, we find that people are now searching outside the religion of that country, where almost a billion people are Hindus. They are now looking in other areas, because it seems they are seeing that the religion that they've held so for long is bankrupt, and has not helped the country at all.
When we look at the past in the church, we find the earliest reference to reincarnation in a passing remark by Justin Martyr in150 A.D. in his Dialogue with Trypho IV. In this he reveals his thoughts on the reincarnationists of his time. "Therefore souls neither see God nor transmigrate into other bodies; for they would know that they are punished, and they would be afraid to commit even the most trivial sin afterwards".
Not many years later Irenaeus in his refuting the Gnostic heretics criticized this belief of reimbodiment in his (Against Heresies. Tertullian on the Soul Chpt.23-24, 29-35) had a very unfavorable opinion. Numerous others who were what we would call evangelists for the faith spoke against this belief. Aenobius (Against the Heathen II Chpt.16) Lactantius (The Divine Institutes Book III Chpt. 18-19) Gregory of Nyssa (On the making of a man Chpt.29) Augustine (The city of God book10 Chpt.30).
The church father most quoted to prove reincarnation is Origin, who was one of the early, pre-Nicene church fathers. A brilliant man who had a lot of theological speculations among his apologetic scholarship, almost to the state of heresy. Obviously, he wasn't right on all his doctrines, but I find this an interesting statement and I think we can take it to learn what they were dealing with back then. He states, "We do not allege any re-embodiment of the soul or any fall of the soul down to the level of the irrational creatures and so it is, that if we abstain from animal food it is not for the same reason as Pathagorus that we do not eat the flesh of beasts." (Against Celsus VIII. 30) And then he addresses the concept of Elijah coming back to earth as John the Baptist, which a number of people, even today, who claim to be Christians believe. He states, "I do not think that means that the soul of John the Baptist was the soul of Elijah, lest I should fall into the doctrine of re-embodiment, which is alien from the doctrine of the church of God. It is not the tradition of the apostles, and it does not appear anywhere in Scripture." He then goes on speaking in detail of numerous more re-embodiments which would never end and then neither would there be an end to the ages which goes against sinners being surprised by a final catastrophe.
Origin actually believed in a pre-existence of the soul before a physical death, but only a single embodiment not continual incarnations. He didn't hold this view all of his life, but was influenced by certain philosophies of the day, so, with all these church father writings, we do need to read them with a grain of salt. Go to the Scriptures and see what's right and wrong . we have a person who claims to be a Christian, he's a Oneness Pentecostal on TV, Elishua Reed, who states, John the Baptist was actually Elijah reembodied, yet we find when the angel Gabriel, came to Zachariah, he told him that his son's name would be John. In Luke 1:17 he states that he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah which is synonymous for the same type of ministry one of reconciliation. Turning the hearts of the fathers turn to the children and the children to the fathers. To claim that John the Baptist is Elijah is to teach reincarnation, plain and simple. The premise is that a spirit in a former body comes back to be born in another body. At the very least it's transmigration. In Matt. 11:13, Jesus states, "For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John." So He calls him John, not Elijah. We find him appearing on the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses, and we find the Apostles all recognizing Elijah as Elijah. You don't hear anyone saying, look, it's John. No, they saw him as Elijah and Jesus called him Elijah and he called John, John. So, the two can never meet.
Malachi predicted he would come before the Messiah's appearing and this would be before the Day of the Lord, and that's the Day of Judgment when Elijah would actually come back. So, how do we understand that John the Baptist came back in what's called the spirit and power of Elijah and how Jesus said he is Elijah if you willing to accept it? We find that when the Jews were sent out they sent out the priests and the Levites to investigate John's ministry and they asked him if he was the Christ and he states emphatically, no. Then they ask him if he's not Elijah, why does he baptize. We find that John the Baptist is not suffering from a temporary memory loss that Jesus has to correct later. Actually, we find the Scripture telling us that he carried out his ministry in the spirit and power of Elijah. That he operated in the Spirit and power like Elijah. Now, the question is, what does that mean? It means that he had a similar ministry as Elijah, he had functional similarities. Not that he wasn't Elijah himself. One of the strongest testimonies that John is not Elijah is on the Mount of Transfiguration. Elijah and Moses appear and Jesus and the Apostles recognize him as Elijah being in his original body. No one calls him John the Baptist. We must concede they're two different people, or John the Baptist turned into Elijah again. This would promote reincarnation or transmigration of a spirit going from one body to another. If we look at it more carefully in II Kings 2:11 Elijah never experienced physical death so for him to come back in another body means he reincarnated not only in Spirit but in body too. And the Bible never teaches either one of these.
Also, the question would be, in the resurrection, which body would he get. Either way death would not be conquered because one of the bodies would not be raised, and the whole purpose of resurrection is to conquer death.
It's obvious, when He spoke in Matt. 11:13-14 concerning John being Elijah who is to come, He was not speaking in a solid literal sense. Jesus was metaphorically comparing two different things that also shared some similarities. He came in the ministry of Elijah.
The Jewish scriptures always taught resurrection not reincarnation. Each person is given one body to live in and will be given that same body in the resurrection. When one takes the whole body of Scripture instead of isolating verses we find the consistent teaching that refutes any kind of concept of Elijah becoming John the Baptist and then changing back to Elijah again.
When we look at the teaching of reincarnation we find an enormous amount of people throughout the world believing in it. In America, we find that almost 1/3 believe that reincarnation is a fact. When we look at the world, has it progressed, has it learned its lessons according to the reincarnation theory? If you look at the country that has had this in practice longer than any other, for centuries, or thousands of years, do we see it as a model for others? The country where reincarnation is taught the most suffers the most from it. If it was factual and a spiritual truth knowledge the opposite would be true, this in fact would bring progress. Just look at what this philosophy has done for India. People are left suffering on the streets. Others who are more fortunate from their good karma are encouraged not to interfere lest they need to be paid back in a future life time. Compassion, love in action is deterred because one is practicing Hinduism and according to the law of karma, it's wrong to take a starving person off the street and nurse them back to health. There is no alleviating pain, this is a cold, unfeeling, and unforgiving spiritual view. If we apply this to America and the recession that we're all in, it's all bad karma. The homeless, the sick, are all subject to this fatal philosophy. I don't think that those who believe in this concept would ever go that far in their consideration. And do we really want to resign ourselves over to fatalism?
It was Gandhi who stated about this system that he himself was born into, that reincarnation is a burden to great to bear. He saw the fruits of this practice around his country. All abroad was hopelessness, despair and gave no answers to life. So as one is going through the wheel of suffering, or what called Samsara, yearning to break free of this cyclic wheel, becomes much like the hamster in a cage on their exercise wheel.
There is a solution to erasing your debt and escaping and that's called yoga, achieving a higher consciousness and becoming one with the Brahman (The Ultimate Reality) Since we are all part of God, so they say, and we have forgotten who we really are, yoga and meditation will bring us back to the source so we can all merge as a little drop of water in the eternal ocean, the sea of forgetfulness, called nirvana in Buddhism. This is going to erase our bad karma.
There are some logical problems with this practice and some questions that need to be answered. If it erases our bad karma wouldn't it also erase our good karma, since in Hinduism there is no real good or evil, especially when we look at Zen Buddhism, everything just is. If there is no good or bad, everything is just amoral. Who determines what is good or bad? We are told that we ourselves do, however, there is no universal standard. So why would someone call their deeds bad if it will make them come into a lower life form? Are we really that just in our judgment after we die? If we are not that just now when we're alive why would we be later in death? Reincarnationists have a Jesus, but we find that he's not the same Jesus of the Bible. While the Jesus of the Bible believed and died for sins, the reincarnation's Jesus is a way-shower, a perfect master, an ancient guru who is a learned mystic and learned secrets and meditated his way to enlightenment. And he shows us how to become one with God so we, too, can be like him.
Those who believe in this, use the same Scriptures as New Agers, such as the kingdom of God is within you, yet, when we look at the actual text it literally means that Jesus was the kingdom of God, and He was standing within their midst. So wherever God is that is where the kingdom will be. When one taps into this kingdom by spiritual, psychological techniques, going inward, it's supposed to reveal the universe. As a philosopher Hermes Trismigustus stated, "As without, so within, as above, so below." Man is supposed to be a microcosm of the universe and his ignorance to divinity is the closest definition of sin that they can come up with.
To accept reincarnation can certainly change a person's world view. We need to ask, where did karma come from and why? If one were God and chose to be put into a body to learn, where did wrong or evil come from? According to the Hindu tradition, the three Gunas, which are qualities of the god-head, were in perfect balance in the void and something happened which caused an imbalance (the Prakriti) and manifestation began. This brought the illusion which we are all experiencing as the universe. So bad karma actually was found in the source of the god-head and permeated the universe. There is no escape, whether one practices yoga or not, all becomes in union with a faulty god-head.
We find there aren't any real answers from the Hindu side. If we all come from the source and we did something we wanted to perpetuate or coming back, isn't this like a biblical definition of sin, falling short of perfection? The problem is, that they claim it started from God. How does one get off the wheel of rebirth when there's absolutely no real way of stopping their bad karma?
Since reincarnation means all souls progress through different forms of life, even insects and animals, we must not kill these forms inadvertently. What about germs and bacteria? Aren't they alive, also? Are they not on the same wheel of progression? Eventually, we would have to be paid back for their elimination, also. Even the gurus who become monastic in a cave have to deal with affecting life in this way. Again, there's no real solution.
One woman's testimony explained how this philosophy affected her life. She said, "Gradually, I became increasingly disillusioned. The fruits of Krishna-consciousness proved to be a bondage of deception. There was no love or peace, which is what I was seeking. It was especially hard to bear as a woman because only a man can attain Krishna-consciousness. I could hope that if I built up enough good karma, that in some future life, I would be born into this world as a man." That's interesting, because Plato taught if a man lived a cowardly life he would be reincarnated as a woman. And if a woman lived a cowardly life she would be reincarnated as a bird. This woman says, "It was a great relief when I learned that Jesus Christ died for my sin and would accept me just as I was if I was willing."
That's God's solution to alleviate man's ills. Most people hold today to the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is adopted from the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus. This concept has been changed to karma to gain God's favor: If I do good, it comes back to me by living the Golden Rule, I'm doing right and I'm accepted, that one's good deeds outweigh their bad, therefore it will work out in their favor in the end. Nothing could be further from the truth.
God gave man a standard, but it was not to receive a pardon or a credit in their life. The Bible states we were given commandments to bring us to a Savior, they show us we can't be good enough The rules of living were a tutor, they pointed us to a Savior. There are signposts along the way pointing to the architect of life. Nothing man can do merits God's forgiveness or favor. It was God Himself who did it for us. The system of karma and reincarnation has no answers because it actually perpetuates evil. If I murder someone in this lifetime, in the next life that person is obligated by the law of karma, to murder me. If I save two people's lives today it can't make up for the one person I murdered yesterday. I would still have to be paid back for the evil done and it would keep on repeating itself. So karma actually perpetuates evil, it's a continual punishment. There is no forgiveness in this system. Can one learn from their mistakes from each lifetime? No, we can't remember them because of the forgetfulness in our consciousness, so we keep on repeating them. Is it fair to be punished for something we can't remember and are doomed to repeat?
Reincarnation is punishment not a learning process. By contrast, the God of the Bible offers forgiveness for our sin. It's once and for all and we don't have to depend on ourselves for a solution. Even if our future good deeds could atone for our past sins, the philosophy of karma makes no sense, because one will always have to be reincarnated. So no one is perfect, not even the guru Maharaji or Sai Baba, who claimed this for themselves.
Is there evidence that the world is actually progressing morally or spiritually from this system? Are we really getting better? No, actually the human race is worse off today than it ever was. Evil has increased, so I guess we've all been bad in our past lives, or the other alternative is that it's what the Bible has said all along, we're sinners following our fallen nature in need of being reconciled to our Creator, to Christ the only God/man
The God of the Bible is just and must punish rebellion and the sin of man. And, yet, He's also merciful and willing to forgive. To those involved in this philosophy, there is no grace.
It's dependent on themselves to fix all the wrongs that they did. Imagine that Hitler has to come back to pay for his crimes. That's something we could all really look forward to. What makes us think he would have a change of heart, he can always get it right the next time. Actually, all the evil people who were ever born have to keep on coming back, so this view actually would perpetuate evil instead of erasing it. I don't think that's any improvement. Even with this senseless philosophy, which has hopelessness entwined in its curriculum, it's still winning adherents by the millions in the U.S., and we find psychiatrists that practice hypnotherapy, regressing people back beyond their childhood, back to when they were once apes, lizards, and pollywogs. I'm surprised someone hasn't won an award for doing this, proving evolution is true. This has as much validity as the current trend of evolutionary proofs and will probably go the way of the dinosaur. And while people claim that hypno-regression has brought them into a cure, it's actually brought them into a bigger lie than when they first visited the psychiatrist. They become a free-style Hindu. Now, everything that happens is explained in light of a past life or déjà vu experiences. They also become repelled by the Christ of the Bible and sin is unable to be dealt with eliminated from their life in a conscious rejection. so remedies of one's ills become a future life to live. We find the forgiveness and the power of Christ becomes, at best, just one of the many choices for those who are self-enlightened in post-Christian America.
Evidence for this belief almost always comes from experiences of the occult, meditation, astral travel, drugs and hypnosis. All are altered states of consciousness.
Looking at some of the contradictions in the system of reincarnation, karma, which is the law of perpetual cause and effect, cannot be violated, so how can the use of enlightenment suspend it for a lifetime? If ignorance of reincarnation or a real spiritual life is true and ignorance is what hinders our spiritual progression, why would the soul, prior to its inhabiting a body, cause itself to forget what it did in the past and hinder the very progress its trying to attain. To me, this is like studying for a test to do you best and when it comes time to take it, you purposely forget everything you studied. In karma we are free persons, yet, we resign ourselves to a law of nature which takes away our own choices. This philosophy is fatalistic. It can only be put in the same category as astrology, that the stars and creation rule over our future and we have our whole lives charted out for us. This identifies the Occult connection. While, in America, we have westernized the view of spiritual evolution, real incarnation is what is called transmigration. We can go backwards, also.
So, before one buys into this circular philosophizing, they need to consider whether, logically, this is acceptable to the reality of life we all know. There is no spiritual or mutual ground between reincarnation and resurrection. They are opposites, mutually exclusive. Satan, who opposes God, always attacks the resurrection because death is the penalty for sin. For a reincarnationist, death is the natural process that leads one on to a higher plane of existence, in a new body and a better spiritual condition, and this is universal for all.
The Bible presents death as a disaster that was brought in as an enemy to mankind. It is a judgment from God that was pronounced on Adam and Eve and consequently passed down to all mankind. We all die because we are all sinners in a fallen state. The Bible tells us resurrection is what will conquer physical death. If there is no resurrection there is no victory over death. Christ said this would be conquered as the last enemy defeated. As it is stated all those who love death hate me ! Reincarnation doesn’t defeat death, it only promotes it.
The resurrection of Christ is the evidence that the penalty of sin has been paid. He, being the first to conquer death and live life eternally in a body, and he promises the same for all of us. However, where one spends their eternity in their body will depends on their choice of accepting or rejecting Christ and His work for them.
Reincarnation is not compatible with the Bible. If we live a hundred lifetimes and the resurrection day comes, which body do I rise in? I can only get one so 99 are left in the ground and death is not conquered. Resurrection is applied only to the body. We never see a soul or a spirit resurrected because they continue to exist, while the body decays. We find the Bible teaches us everyone lives once. Resurrection is a transformation of a persons own mortal body to an imperishable, immortal one. It is a one time final event that the sovereign God is in control of.
Jesus' resurrection disproves reincarnation. He did not take up another body, but the same one in which He lives forever. The word for body is soma and always refers to a physical body. It is a one time final event and everyone will experience this, Christian or not. Hebrews 9:27 tells us it appointed to man to die once but after this the judgment. According to this scripture Christ would have to die again for man to be reincarnated. Since their is a relationship to man dying once and Christ being sacrificed only once. Each person receives one life in which they will choose whether to bow their knee to God, submit to His Lordship, or they will bow their knee to God in the resurrection and face the judgment of eternal separation from God.
In the later part of this verse in Hebrews 9:27, it says "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many." If the philosophy of reincarnation is true, Christ would have to die again, since there is a relationship to man dying once and Christ being sacrificed only once.
Each of us live once and face the judgment. There are no second chances to come back. 2 Corinthians 5:8 tells us at death the believer immediately goes into the presence of the Lord to rest from his labors. I think if one were to chose either of these alternatives, even if reincarnation were true, certainly, only once is enough and to be accepted into paradise with the architect of the universe is a grander offer than the enlightenment that false Hinduism offers. Why try to perfect yourself through your own handiwork when the truth is, Christ did it all? The incarnation of the God/man is better than trusting the reincarnation of man. Christ died for our faults, our shortcomings, our sins. It works because it's the truth and it's the truth that will set you free. It's by God's grace and mercy, a gift given to us freely, not by our own hands. As for me, I'll choose mercy, I need it and I certainly appreciate God's free gift.
Crystals
CRYSTALS
The New Age belief is that the crystals attract negative energy from the wearer or channel good energy to them. The crystals are used to collect the negative energy that either they give off or someone gives to them. It absorbs this energy transferring it from the person and this negative energy then needs to be cleansed in salt water.
Crystals also are believed to help channel the power in the air to the wearer. It is Placed on energy points, (chakra's) they meditate with it, which helps channel the power to the wearer. Medical Practices of many ancient cultures included wearing talismans and amulets around the neck. Specific stones were worn to bring healing for the ailment.
Crystals have become a billion dollar industry. Crystals can be used in natural settings but once we use them for spiritual means (such as healing) it is a New Age practice. Crystals sell usually for $5 to $20 and some up to $10,000 or more. There are many different types of stones that are used in the occult for healing and transformation. Stones have a history of being powerful objects in the hands of wizards, witches, shamans, and others who practice the mystic arts.
Crystal work is a bridge to both ancient and modern shamanism. This was part of the medical treatment in pagan religions. In native American healing, the shamans will utilize stones as a method of both diagnosis and treatment; the crystal is believed to be a vehicle through which the healing nature spirits work.
In occult history much is written of legendary civilizations with advanced sciences that used crystal power for many physical and practical purposes, as well as healing. The Pyramid in Egypt was supposedly once capped with a giant crystal on top to assist in the utilization of cosmic forces. It is taught that the legendary continent of Atlantis was destroyed was because sacred knowledge was abused and the power misused. Before Atlantis was destroyed, the wise uncorrupted ones had preserved the knowledge the higher race had achieved. They did not want to risk transcribing this knowledge into books and risk they're being lost by the earth's cataclysmic changes. So they programmed certain crystals with the information and rematerialized them into the earth.
The power of talisman in precious stones is associated historically with astrology: "The influence over human fortunes ascribed by astrology to the heavenly bodies is conceived to be strengthened by wearing the gem appropriate to certain planets or signs, for a subtle emanation has passed into the stone and radiates from it" (85:339 Can you trust your Doctor by John Ankerberg and John Weldon).
There have been religious superstitions in history Kings in ancient India were advised to collect the very best gems to protect themselves from harm. (We see this portrayed still in the movies or comics where men search for stones of power and influence) Ancient works on astrology, written in Sanskrit ( 400 B.c.) describe the Power of stones. In those days astrologers advised people struck with misfortune to wear different kinds of stones to counteract the negative effect of the planets.
For example in Astrological trinities ...Green, rose, quartz has the astrological sign of Taurus and develops love. Amethyst is related to Pisces and the third eye it helps surrender ones mind to their higher self. the color Black in Obsidian is related to the sigh Scorpio and the planet Pluto, it awakens dormant unmanifested potential.
As with all of the occult systems they are interconnected to the Zodiac and have hidden powers for healing the body as well as the emotions and spirit.
Crystals also help identify those in the NAM, although not everyone who wears a crystal is doing so for this reason. many point to the Bible for its validity. The breastplate of the priest garment was filled with precious stones. It is recorded in Exodus in the Bible that a breast plate made of twelve precious jewels (Urim and Thummim?) combined specifically together in four rows of three, and worn over the heart would endow Aaron with knowing the will of God.
Interestingly Satan had crystals too, being a priest of the angels. Ezek. 28:14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers; Ezek. 28:13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
Ezek. 1:22 "The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads."
In the Bible Heavens sea is like crystal. Rev. 4:6 "Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. "
Rev. 21:11 "having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal."
Rev. 22:1 "and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb."
New age crystal healing is a minor variation upon ancient occultic themes from different cultures. Throughout history, these items have been associated with the spirit world, and because of this, are believed to possess magical abilities. This is why metaphysical traditions from East to West use these magical stones to assist in their occult work.
Here are only a few examples from the book Crystal Enlightenment Selenite "white is the color vibration associated with the crown chakra (the occult system of energy centers in the body)...is an important contributing member of the mineral kingdom and can be used as a touchstone for mental clarity and for developing telepathic Powers, as well as appreciated for its inherent beauty" (Crystal Enlightenment by Katrina Raphaell p.151).
Sodalite is one of the awakeners of the third eye which prepares the mind to receive the inner sight and intuitive knowledge...This is a good stone to carry, hold, meditate with or place upon the third eye area to gain intellectual understanding of one's self or a situation. (Crystal Enlightenment by Katrina Raphaell p.153
MALACHITE
I am Malachite, the green fire, septor of the fourth ray. I am the dragon, satan fear, the lizard, the serpent, the frog, the dense; you know me in your modest dreams.
I am the wheel, the hub-the unfolding universe. I am the black void, density in manifestation. I am the womb of creation.
I am what is yet unknown, uncreated, unmanifest within you
I am old, you have known me since time began. I am the original thought, the original purpose....
There is no part of your body that remains untouched by me, for I am creativity, the essence of alterability within you.
My mask is blackness, my purpose is creation, I am the womb, the mystic pool.
Do not seek in total to understand me, my essence is unfathomable. I am the deepest yearning in your heart, the deepest fear in your mind, the ultimate process of experience-CREATION.
Use the power of the I AM wisely. I am malachite. (Written by Gary Fleck p.143 Crystal Enlightenment by Katrina Raphaell)
What needs to be answered is what the real source of power behind New Age crystal healing and crystal work? If one were to ask those who use it in the past, it would be the same source of power today, the spirit world. Most crystal healers believe that the crystals themselves contain magical powers, the truth is that the crystals have no power and are merely vehicles through which spirits may choose to work to enhance spirit contact. At best this is all superstition at worst it can be an open door to the spirit realm which we are forbidden to seek and certainly not equipped to traffick in.
Iridology
IRIDOLOGY
Science or magic in the eye
IRIDOLOGY WAS STARTED IN EUROPE.A HUNGARIAN PHYSICIAN, IGNATZ VON PECZLEY, IN 1881 WHERE HE FIRST PUBLISHED CHARTS OF THE IRIS BASED ON MANY CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS. HE BASED THESE ON HIS EXPERIENCE WHEN AS A CHILD WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY BROKE THE LEG OF HIS PET BIRD AND NOTED A DISTINCT CHANGE IN THE BIRDS IRIS.
IT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE U.S. IN 1904 BY HENRY LAHN, M.D. AND BECAME INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED IN 1952 BY THE WORK OF DR. BERNARD JENSEN WHO IS CONSIDERED THE LEADING AUTHORITY IN AMERICA. In the book iridology science and the practice in the healing arts it is reported that Jensen believes in reincarnation, astral travel, psychic development and what would be considered other occult techniques.
THERE ARE 10,000 PRACTITIONERS IN EUROPE AND THOUSANDS IN THE U.S..
IRIDOLOGY STUDIES THE IRIS, THE COLORED PORTION OF THE EYE WHICH CONTROLS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT ARRIVING AT THE RETINA. THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE IRIS CONTAINS ALL THE BODY PARTS, AND THAT , IT'S LIKE A MAP EVEN AN XRAY OF THE WHOLE BODY AND WE CAN SEE THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE STATE OF OUR HEALTH IN THE IRIS. THIS IS CLEARLY OCCULTIC IN PRACTICE. In Jensen's book its stated, the iris of the eye can show acute subacute, chronic, and destructive stages in the body. many other factors are also revealed such as organic and functional changes... it FORETELLS the development of many conditions long before they have manifested into disease symptoms.
DR. JENSEN BELIEVES THAT THE OPTIC NERVE SERVES AS THE FINAL MESSENGER BETWEEN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE IRIS.AND CAN WARN OF FUTURE ILLNESSES.BY LOOKING INTO THE EYE AND SEEING CLOUDED OR SPOTTED AREAS, WE CAN SEE THE HEALTH OF OUR ORGANS AND DIAGNOSE DISEASE BEFORE IT TAKES PLACE.
THE OPTIC NERVE HAS BEEN SHOWN WITH OUT QUESTION TO BE ONLY A "ONE WAY" MESSENGER, CARRYING INFORMATION FROM THE RETINA TO THE BRAIN AND NOT IN REVERSE.
SO ACCORDING TO THESE STUDIES, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE IRIS TO BE THIS WINDOW TO OUR BODY--THEIR THEORY IS BASED UPON THE EXPERIENCE OF IT'S PRACTITIONERS RATHER THAN CONTROLLED STUDIES IN SCIENCE.THIS HAS BEEN SEEN IN ANCIENT CHINESE PRACTICES WHICH RELATE TO ASTROLOGY.IT APPEARS ALMOST EVERY OCCULT SYSTEM HAS THE INTERNAL ORGANS RELATED TO THE STARS.SINCE ALMOST ALL ARE BASED ON A UNSEEN ENERGY PERMEATING THE UNIVERSE AND OUR BODIES.
The danger is progression of a serious illness that iridologists missed or misdiagnosed that can lead to serious illness and even death.
The idea that the eye is connected with the central nervous system allegedly Permitting detailed information from the internal organs and illustrate the health that is not visible by normal medical practice is unfounded.
"Iridology remains unproven scientifically, but theories have been advance explain how it might work. ... According to the precepts of iridology, the eye reflects different stages of disease - ac chronic and destructive" (The Illustrative, Dictionary of HOLISTIC HEALTH--PAGE 10).
This is the same teaching found in reflexology. similar Practices can be seen in ancient Chinese practices related to astrology.
Applied Kinesiology
Applied kinesiology
Applied kinesiology founded in 1963 by Chiropractor George Goodheart.
He invented a method of both diagnosis and treatment Using his own methods with oriental practices combining chiropractic, muscle-testing, nutritional evaluations, and incorporating other methods for preventive and health maintenance.
He invented a method of both diagnosis and treatment Using his own methods with oriental practices combining chiropractic, muscle-testing, nutritional evaluations, and incorporating other methods for preventive and health maintenance.
“Applied kinesiology uses the application of muscle testing to diagnose physiological conditions, and anatomical problems of the human body. (accomplished by) ... identifying the links between the energy pathways known to the Chinese as meridians and specific sets of muscles. ...” Once the problem is pinpointed by muscle testing, energy-rebalancing therapies can be given which will begin to reverse the process, and allow vital body energies to flow normally again within the distressed system. This brings energy to the organ, strength to the related muscles, and relief from symptoms” (The Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine and Self-Help, Malcolm Hulke, editor, p. 29-30).
Kinesiology claims to evaluate and correct problems of the nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, even musculature, and “meridian systems by treating the muscle imbalances thus maintaining health. Its practices are believed to permit the even flow of cosmic energy throughout the body, thus nurturing individual organs and systems with the proper supply of chi energy.
This is how it is conducted -- One puts out their left arm laterally and lets their right arm at their side. The doctor then pushes down on the left arm to see how strong it is. Then the patient is asked to repeat this process with a certain food or product held in his right hand at his side. The doctor then pushes down on his left arm to see if it is weakened or strengthened. By this he knows whether this food or product is beneficial or not for that person. They claim the energy is absorbed just by touch. This becomes sheer wizardry, much like holding a crystal over food to see if it circles around or goes side to side. Some have the person ingest the food and do the testing to diagnose if it is good for your body. But food can take at least a half hour if not hours to be absorbed into the blood stream, so there is no validity to this testing either.
We all touch things in our everyday life. If energy transference was a reality as we are told, by handling something poisonous even with gloves or a closed container we would all either be sick or dead and probably the later. Think of all the cleaning fluids that are toxic or even ones toothpaste that if taken internally can make you sick. If by handling it the energy is absorbed we could not do any of the normal functions we are accustom to each day.
As with the other new age therapies that claim to manipulate or diagnose energies and their flow. This likewise helps to bring what is not good or unbalanced into its proper order. When does medicine or healing become occultic? When a physical method is used to heal the spirit; or when one uses a spiritual method to heal the physical. Real medicine is physical working on the body. These techniques are working with an energy that science has not proven to exist nor works the way practitioners claim.
Reike
Reiki a universal energy technique to Heal
Reiki is known as spiritual energy, like its counterparts it is based on a pantheistic worldview.
Ray Yungen reports that in 1970 there were ½ million Reiki channellers now there are 1 million Reiki channellers in Germany and there are 2.6 million web pages on Reiki. So in the 90's it grew significantly.
Reiki is the Japanese word for Universal Life Form Energy. The definition for Reiki is universal, transcendental spirit, power, and essence. The Rei and ki are broken down into their two component parts, (Kanji Japanese alphabet) it is described as the vital life form energy similar to the Chi of Chinese acupuncture. In the Encyclopedia of Alternative Health Care, author Kristin Olsen says Reiki is “an energy healing system based on ancient Tibetan knowledge discovered by a Japanese theologian.” Many people have commented on the ecumenical aspect of Reiki. Supposedly it was founded by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Christian minister in Kyoto, Japan, in the mid-1800s. When one of his students challenged his belief that Jesus Christ healed people with His hands, Dr. Usui began a quest for proof that this type of healing actually did exist.
Dr. Usui began a journey of many years looking for a way to heal through the 'light of God' which is the way Jesus had healed. Studying first at Christian schools in the US, he had no results. He studied Buddhist writings at a monastery in the Orient he still could find no answers. Usui learned the ancient language of Sanskrit and began to read the sutras, the ancient books of esoteric Hindu religious teaching.
The story goes that after discovering this healing in the sutras, Usui told the monks of this monastery he intended to fast and meditate for 21 days on a nearby mountain in Japan. If he did not come back they should come and get his body.
He went to the mountain and gathered 21 stones with which to count the days. Each day he would throw away a stone and in this way count the time. On the 20th day no revelation had come and he threw away the last stone saying “Well, this is it, either I get the answer tonight or I do not.”
On the final day of his meditative quest, at night on the horizon he could see a ball of light coming towards him. The first instinct was to get out of the way, but he realized this might just be what he was waiting for, so he allowed it to hit him right in the forehead. As it struck him he was taken on a journey and shown bubbles of all the colors of the rainbow in which were the symbols of Reiki, these were the very same symbols in the Tibetan writings he was studying but was unable to understand. Now, there was total understanding.
After this experience he began back down the mountain and from this moment on was able to heal. This first day this new power proved itself to Usui when he stubbed his toe and was able to heal it, his own starvation, an ailing tooth and the Abbots sickness which was keeping him bedridden. These are known as the first four miracles.
Thus was discovered was the healing knowledge he termed “Reiki.” The name comes from the Japanese words rei, meaning “boundless and universal,” and ki, meaning “vital life energy force that flows through all living beings.”
Wanting to use these abilities to help others, he spent the next seven years in the beggar section of Tokyo healing the poor and sick.
How Does It Work?
Reiki is a “laying on of hands” healing. Reiki today is an energy technique that is passed along from Reiki masters to initiates. According to Olsen, these Reiki masters themselves don't understand how it works. They can only describe it as a linking with the cosmic radiant energy, an opening of chakras, or an attunement with universal life energy. Proponents say, these can be applied to the practitioner himself, to plants, or to animals and can even heal long distance!
Reiki is drawn through the channel, not sent. By laying hands on the person you supposedly draw appropriate amounts of energy to whatever areas of your body need it. The energy centers, also known as charkas (found in Hinduism), are opened to enabling the person to channel higher amounts of universal Life Form Energy. Their claim is that “recipient” does do not take on an any of negative energy or blocks from the practitioner it is claimed Reiki passes through a purified channel in their body and by this process, each has a treatment. Proponents say the technique can be applied to the practitioner himself, to other people, to plants, or to animals.
“Once the chakra is opened the universal energy is chanelled to flow freely and in higher amounts Reiki is never sent but drawn through the channel The energy enters through the crow chakra of the healer it passes through the upper energy centers, the heart and solar plexus then passes throughout he arms and hands to the recipient. So the practitioner and the patient both are treated. They teach that we all have the reiki energy and that anyone can learn to lay their hands on another to help accelerate the healing process by transferring magnetic energy” (Paula Horan Empowerment through Reiki May, 1990 Calendar of Events, Hawaii newspaper)
Reiki treatments consist of a series of three or four sessions lasting about an hour each. The practitioners do not claim to diagnose. The 'words' spoken mentally or verbally during the healing session is of great importance to them. The symbols drawn with the healers palms over the patient should be correct as the light energy is brought through the healer. During a Reiki session, the practitioner supposedly draws energy and focuses it through his hands, thus providing a link between himself and the patient. Some Reiki teachers have described this connection as “lighting up.” The practitioner's hands are held at twelve basic positions, for five minutes each. A practitioner allows his or her own intuition to guide the placing. Over problem areas, the hand is held twice as long. Some Reiki practitioners claim to heal at long distances.
We are told that we all have Reiki energy (Universal Life Form Energy) and anyone can lay the hands on another person and help accelerate their healing process by transferring this energy (many claim that this is how Jesus healed using these various techniques). One needs to go through the attunement (the initiation) process which the student experiences in the various Levels of Reiki classes. With practice, they say they can detect energy responses from the body that often give clues to the site of an organic problem and its seriousness.
Most believe they are helping people with this undiscovered but ancient energy balancing new age techniques. So they believe they have discovered tools for reawakening, higher levels if of conscious, creating better health.
Again like other new age practices this energy is manipulated by techniques learned by the initiate. This is no different than many of the other prana, chi, Ki techniques. It has nothing to do with a Christian worldview and actually opposes it.
Labrinth
Enter the labyrinth
Is it godly or not!
Walking the labyrinth has become a popular spiritual exercise across the country and around the world. I first read of it in Leadership Magazine, a Christian publication and became a bit concerned, since looking into it further I’m definitely concerned.
Labyrinths are said to been used for over 3000-3500 years (depending who you ask), accurate dating has been difficult. We are told by those who promote their use that Labyrinths are ancient and have been a part of the sacred landscape through human history. Those who use the labyrinth describe them as a pattern with power and a purpose. They are called “divine imprints,” that symbolize an archetype of wholeness. The Labyrinth is said to encourage healing, clarity, and peacefulness. There are claims of profound experiences as they affect the people who use them by connecting them with the deepest part of themselves. Labyrinths can often have a particular “specialty” in healing, improving ones health or alleviating symptoms of certain diseases.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia--Labyrinth is a complicated arrangement of paths and passages; or a place, usually subterraneous, full of windings, corridors, rooms, etc., so intricately arranged as to render the getting out of it a very difficult matter.
The Romans adopted the symbols as a floor pattern. In modern times the labyrinth can be traced to Catholic cathedrals of the Middle Ages. In the European cathedrals they were used traditionally as a site of pilgrimage. A promoter and authority on the modern Labyrinth, Rev. Artress, states in her research there were actually 22 Labyrinths in the 80 Gothic cathedrals that went up during the Middle Ages throughout Europe. Some of them were pilgrimage cathedrals. Chartres was one of the major pilgrimage cathedrals. Early Christians took a vow to visit the Holy City of Jerusalem at some point in their lives. During the middle ages the Crusades made travel to Palestine unsafe, so they used other means to honor their commitment.
Labyrinths were used as a substitute pilgrimage experience for the holy land. Adopted by the Roman Catholic Church Labyrinths were offered to the congregation as a way of fulfilling their vow to visit the holy land and nicknamed the it, “New Jerusalem.” Christians using it as a symbol instead made their pilgrimages to the cathedral cities of Chartres, Rheims or Amiens. Geometrical designs were composed from various pieces of coloured marbles set in the floors of the European Cathedrals. In Chartres Cathedral in France there is an intricate 40 foot diameter labyrinth of tile imbedded in the floor of the central area of the church. “With an emphasis on rationalism in the 16th and 17th centuries, however, labyrinths fell out of favor and were looked upon as child's play or distractions. As a result, many were torn out of the cathedrals. Chartres' survived, but for a time was covered with chairs so that it could not be walked on. Indeed, until recently, the cathedral was better known for its stained-glass windows than for the labyrinth on its floor.” (Scripps Howard News Service)
http://www.reporternews.com/1999/religion/lab0918.html
However its use is not just found in middle age cathedrals, we find that the origin of Labyrinths are from pre-Christian days. This is what we need to pay attention to, what were they used for before the Roman Catholic Church adopted it for their contemplation and pilgramage substitute to the Holy land.
Labyrinths predate Christianity by over 1,000 years according to an article posted on the Web site of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco “Pathfinders: Walking Medieval Labyrinths in a Modern World.” And the purpose of this article is make Christians aware that Labyrinths are not in any shape or form a Christian practice.
Because they are ancient, various interpretations of the Labyrinths of today may not agree with the same concept of the labyrinths in ancient times. We can assume they did not mean the same to all the cultures and religions that built them, since there are various different concepts of life and religion within these cultures.
Yet many feel there is a common origin of the Labyrinth because they are found in many countries and the major religious traditions in the world: India, France, Egypt, Scandinavia, Crete, Sumeria, America, the British Isles, and Italy.
There is evidence of the existence of labyrinths that can be traced back as far as 3500 years. The labyrinth as a symbol has been found in Europe and around the Mediterranean. Many labyrinth carvings are found on boulders, tombs, religious buildings (in cathedral pavements). Many clay tablets, mosaics, manuscripts, stone patterns, hedges, patterns woven into baskets and fabrics and pottery fragments throughout Europe seem to bear the same motif. They are also found carved in rock from the mountains in Arizona to caves in Spain. A Labyrinth-inscribed clay tablet from Pylos, Greece, could possibly be one of the earliest examples (approx. 3200 years old). Some equate the Mayan pyramids and Celtic, and Stonehenge as magical geometric forms that define sacred space. Prehistoric labyrinths have also been found carved on rock faces at Pontevedra, Spain and at Val Camonica in northern Italy, these latter ones are attributed to the late Bronze Age. The Rocky Valley labyrinths in Cornwall, England, are supposed to be from the Bronze Age. The labyrinth is found etched into the sands of the Nazca Plain in Peru, in use among the Caduveo people of Brazil and scratched on boulders and rockfaces in Northern Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona.
Because the labyrinth’s have been built by various cultures around the earth some claim they represent a universal pattern in human consciousness. Native Americans had them, and continue to be used in the sacred ceremonies of the Hopi. The Hopi Indians called the labyrinth the symbol for “mother earth” and equated it with the Kiva (called it Tapu'at, or Mother-child.)
The Labyrinth as an architectural term derives its name from the famous ancient or mythical labyrinths of Crete and Egypt. The most famous Labyrinth from ancient times was the Cretan one, associated with the legend of the Minotaur, the monster half-man half-bull which dwelt in the heart of a labyrinth on the island of Crete. It was at the centre of the Labyrinth that the Minotaurdevoured unsuspecting humans. Theseus was able to get to the centre of the Labyrinth, slay the Minotaur with the aid of Ariadne and her spool of thread, and found his way out again by following the thread he had trailed behind him on the way in. Some say this story has caused confusion because clearly the Minotaur's lair was a maze that you could get lost in, whereas a Labyrinth has only one twisting path that weaves its way to the centre and back out again. There is only one entrance and exit, no dead ends, and no crossing of paths with a choice of which way to turn.
Turf labyrinths still exist in England, Germany and Scandinavia; these are thought to be linked with local feminine deities and fertility rituals.
“The labyrinth has its origins in ancient pagan rituals, most famously at Knossos in ancient Crete, where one was located in the basement of a palace where the mythic man-eating Minotaur was said to roam. According to ancient lore, the hero Theseus journeyed through the labyrinth to slay the evil Minotaur. Theseus' doubled-headed ax was called a 'labrys,' from which the word labyrinth was derived. Ceremonies re-enacting this myth as a ritual labyrinth walk are still performed today. Other labyrinths have been tied to fertility rites and goddess worship (M. Tooley, September 2000). Modern disciples of the labyrinth propose that ancient Christians used the labyrinth as a means of spiritual meditation. Scholars insist there is absolutely no evidence of labyrinth walking by Christians (M. Tooley, September 2000, Maze Craze. http://www.touchstonemag.com/ ).
So if these were practiced by other religions and cultures that are of a non Christian origin, what kind of value would they have to offer a Christian who is supposed to have all that he needs in Jesus Christ according to the Scripture?
We find the use of this design is put to smaller patterns that are a non-walk though spiritual practice. The patterns of the labyrinth are similar in design and conception to the mandalas of South Asian Buddhism, that are supposed to be physical representations of the spiritual realm designed to aid in meditation. Mandala means - circle: it is a circular design, which is used to focus in on and bring one into a meditative state. We are told that true meditation occurs when the physical brain has been calmed or neutralized, a mantra or a mandala is used to bring calmness so the mind is then freed and can then discover new truths it normally was not open to find.
Labyrinths have become so popular that there is a Labyrinth Society, based in Connecticut which is a national network of labyrinth users. We are told there are an estimated 1,000 labyrinths created across America, Grace Cathedral Labyrinth Project, the St. Louis Labyrinth Project, St. Charles Episcopal Church Labyrinth, the Labyrinth Project of Alabama.
The foremost promoters of it are Jean Housten http://www.JeanHouston.org/ and http://www.gracecom.org/veriditas/index.shtml Grace Episcopal Cathedral. Dr. Jean Houston is the past president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology and is one of the premiere New Age promoters and speakers in North America. Jean Houston called The Starseed Transmissions, channeled by “Raphael” through Ken Carey” “perhaps the finest example of `channeled knowledge' I ever encountered.” She states “The very best way and perhaps for the present the only way [of contact with these entitles] is within the context of an altered state of consciousness” (Robert Masters and Jean Houston). One cannot underestimate the connection between her influence on Artress and her bringing the Labyrinth to Grace Cathedral who is open to New Age concepts.
One of the major initiators in reviving the labyrinth in our time is Rev. Lauren Artress. After meeting Jean Houston Rev. Artress brought the form back to the Grace Cathedral of San Francisco, CA in 1992. Over one million people have walked this labyrinth to date. People from all different backgrounds and religions are using it. Jews, Buddhists and even Christians use the institute's labyrinth. If one visists Grace Cathedrals web site you find it being inclusive, they offer every conceivable item, from New Age holistic to interfaith to the Koran. They are church that is not holding the Christian distinctive at all.
A labyrinth is unicursal - this means there is one open, unobstructed path the walker follows into the center and back out again. A labyrinth has only one path leading to the center and back out again with no dead-ends. There are three basic designs being used--the seven circuit, eleven circuit, and twelve circuit; the seven circuit is the most common design found today. It is described as you roam back and forth, turning 180 degrees each time you enter a different circuit. As you change your direction your awareness changes from right brain to left brain. They are right brain activity enhancers. So the claim is that the labyrinth can induce different states of consciousness. Others say It also helps balance the charkas, spiritual energy centers described in Hinduism. One would think from statements like these it’s about as close to God as one can get. Lauren Artress writes “The path that guides us deeply into the psychological and spiritual center is the same path that takes us back out again into the manifest physical world in this way it is interpreted as a tool for personal, psychological and spiritual transformation. Archetypes that help us group the experience of unity and wholeness. The labyrinth is an archetype of wholeness that helps us rediscover the depths of our souls.”
They are found in many sizes and shapes, and made from just about any natural material. They are built in a permanent fashion from stones, cut into turf, formed by mounds of earth, or imbedded designs in the floor of buildings.
pictures of Labyrinths- http://www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/interactions/labyrinth.shtmlToday
Pictures of people walking the labyrinth- http://www.sacredsteps.com/walks.html
We are told that the labyrinth is a tool useful to people of all religions or no religion. Each person's walk can be interpreted differently each time to the same individual. From some of the quotes I have read one can assume life is one big labyrinth. This experiential walk is spiritualized to have meaning. “We are not human beings on a spiritual path, but spiritual beings on a human path” (Labyrinth, Walking a Sacred Path Reverend Lauren Artress). Labyrinths are being used for reflection, meditation, prayer with various interpretations of what these mean. Some see it as a metaphor of the path of life, a journeying to God. Some ask forgiveness on the way in and empowerment on the way out. The participant can ascribe their own spiritual meaning to this ritual walk, the theory is that by walking the labyrinth one partakes of a spiritual journey of self -examination and enlightenment. What happens to everyone may not all be the same, but many claim to receive a spiritual transformation.
R. White writes,“Walking the labyrinth supposedly promotes spiritual awakening and deeper inner knowledge. Followers testify to arousal of feelings (good and bad), renewed creativity, brain re-mapping and energy production. Labyrinths have taken their place next to sacred circle dances and sweet-grass ceremonies taught as rediscovered ancient practices to enhance spiritual growth”(White, R. Aug. 15, 2000. Walking the Labyrinth: New Age Fad or Traditional Technique? http://www.christianweek.org).
What are Labyrinths used for; the explanations come from those using it. The Rev. Sarah Bentley of New Life Institute, a center for counseling, education and spiritual growth related to the Austin-area United Methodist churches, said she introduces labyrinths to people as a form of meditation. They are training the participant in a walking meditation.
Meditation is the process of quieting the mind, various methods can be used to bring a consciousness change so that you still your mind, you become uncontrolled conscious. Mediatation is a spiritual practice of many eastern religions. We are told that by clearing a space within the mind, and allowing yourself to experience whatever emotions or thoughts surface during your walk you come out with a labyrinth experience. Your questions can be answered. People while they walk ask questions such as when, what or where about their life and find it is answered. Many others tesify when you get to the center you find- Self, answers, illumination, God, Goddess, just about anything. As they walk, meditate and pray healing can occur.Here is an example: “When word got round the close-knit labyrinth community, two bodyworkers-proficient in reiki, the art of healing touch-immediately came to help.” “I was in a lot of pain, because I really landed hard.” she says “But I actually experienced the pain moving right out my body. It was a phenomenal experience” (Quote from Theater of Enlightenment By Colleen O'Connor)
Stories of angels or spirits are common as well. Renee Gibbons, a long time labyrinth walker, relates the story of her first experience on the labyrinth: “When I got to the center of the labyrinth, I got a really strong message that said 'send an angel to your sister Fiona.' My sister Fiona had not spoken to me for four or five years at that time.” After sending a gift to her sister, she waited. Although a miraculous new relationship did not develop, she says, “I saw that a lot of my resentments dropped when I did that.”
New Ager’s and those mystically inclined are especially attracted to this kind of subjective experience. One said to ask your deity of choice, or your higher self to walk with you. Some go as far as to say that self realization can occur, where you discover the divine that is within us all, bridging the separation of us from our own truth, from the Creator. “In every culture there are ideas that promise spirituality to the seeker. sometimes couched as finding the god or goddess within. Artress describes the labyrinth as a large, complex spiral circle that is an ancient symbol for the divine mother, the God within, the goddess, the holy in all creation.” (Artress, L. 1995 Walking A Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool.)
Many have various ways to explain the Labyrinth. Artress may not be pouring her own interpretation into this as we find the Labyrinth was used in ancient pagan cultures. In Dr. Lauren Artress’ book about the labyrinth, “Walking a Sacred Path,” she states, “The web of creation has been thrown out of balance.” So they see it as a pathway to gain connection with the Earth Mother, uniting with all her creatures and absorbing the energies that help bring balance. Despite these New Age concepts being used, it may not be so far from the truth of how it was orginally used.
“The labyrinth awaits our discovery, for it will guide us through the troubles of our lives to the grand, mysterious patterns that shape the web of Creation. It will lead us toward the Source and eventually guide us home” (Lauren Artress Author of Walking a Sacred Path).
“The space and the experience of walking it become powerful and help one feel a greater sense of Oneness. It is a tool for people of all beliefs to come together for a common spiritual experience.” From the new age outlook: We are told these are sacred places. There is power incorporated in the design. The Labyrinth “Is truly a tool for transformation, a crucible for change, a blueprint for the sacred meeting of the psyche and the soul, a field of light, a cosmic dance, it is a center for empowering ritual.” (Lauren Artress)
It becomes apparent that although this is taking place inside some churches, it really is a non-Christian practice. Many new Agers claim they are not into religion, but practice spirituality. With these type of descriptions, one may wonder what does this have to do with Christianity? The answer is Nothing.
They attribute huge responsibility to the creation of man. “Perhaps the labyrinth will continue to be the great bridge between people - crossing the abyss that we create with our own prejudices and fears. And perhaps one day the labyrinth will bring us all back to the place of our original innocence.” (http://www.gracecathedral.org/labyrinth/articles/visions/index.shtml) In Biblical terms original innocence would mean prior to Adam and Eve's sin. With all these wonderful statements one would think they found some secret way to solve almost all of mankinds problems.
“For many, the labyrinth has become a Grail, meaning that it meets people where they are and gives them what they need for spiritual transformation. My passion for this work has always been to birth the creativity in all people”(Lauren Artress http://www.veriditas.net/circle/index.htm)
Prior to the year 2000 Artress' goal was to have 1,500 labyrinths established in time for the new millennium and is hoping to have people walking simultaneously on them at the millennial turn with the intention of bringing peace and healing to the planet. http://www.reporternews.com/1999/religion/lab0918.html
If we are to believe all these claims of healing and transformation maybe we could get terrorists to walk through it, this may bring them an attitude adjustment. If everyone could walk a Labyrinth New Agers would no longer have to visualize world peace. Unfortunately we cannot just walk for peace to take place.
Artress states in the Zions Herald interview “And then it gets called “New Age.” I look at the definition of “New Age” with great interest because they couldn’t be further wrong. It’s just their ignorance. If you’re going to say anything, better say “Middle Age.” The labyrinth was put in Chartres Cathedral in 1201!”
Unfortunately she seems to equate new age with something modern and not ancient, as we have already seen, the labyrinth is ancient and used by other religions besides being adopted into some churches in the middle ages.
Most trace the modern resurgence of labyrinths to Lauren Artess. If she is the authority on it, and brought it to the church, then we should listen carefully to what she is saying to see if it is a true spiritual practice.
Lauren was aware of labyrinths as a child. In her visit to Chartres in1991 she talked to Jean Huston and worked with her and went through a labyrinth. Then she went home and said, “Wow, something important happened there.” I remember walking around the room yelling, “What is it?” And then the idea came through - put the labyrinth in the cathedral.” (Zions Herald interview with Lauren Artress). In 1996 Artress created Veriditas, a non-profit dedicated to introducing people to the healing, meditative powers of the labyrinth.
Artress says that “You walk to the center of the labyrinth and there at the center, you meet the Divine.” (Lauren Artress, “Q and A with Lauren,” Veriditas, Vol. 1, no. 2, Summer 1996, p. 18) She explains that: “The labyrinth is a large, complex spiral circle which is an ancient symbol for the Divine Mother, the God within, the Goddess, the Holy in all of creation,” she wrote. “For many of us the feminine aspect of the Divine has been painfully absent from our lives, our spirituality, and our Western culture.” (Rev. Lauren Artress)
The Bible has nothing to say about a feminine aspect to the divine mother, a Goddess, so this shows this cannot be related to Christianity but paganism.
She describes her discovery of the labyrinth as one of the “most astonishing events of my life.” For her, the labyrinth is a “spiritual tool meant to awaken us to the deep rhythm that unites us to ourselves and to the Light that calls from within.” Veriditas promotes walking through the labyrinth as a way of discovery, to find healing, self-knowledge and continuing to weave the Universal Web of Creation.” An important fact to know is that geomancy and other occult arts are often incorporated in the building of labyrinths. Charles Gilchrist a labyrinth promoter states it has a direct connection to “Sacred Geometry,” a powerful potential as an oracle. And there are other “oracle systems” that are related to Sacred Geometry, Astrology, Numerology, I Ching, Rune Stones, and the Tarot.“Veriditas is the non-profit organization that has grown up around the labyrinths at Grace Cathedral. They are dedicated to teaching people the history, use and potential of this spiritual tool. Veriditas Project founder Lauren Artress promotes the labyrinth as a way to connect with the divine feminine, the god within.” (Penn, September 1999 The New Age movement in the Episcopal Church).
In Leadership Magazine a christian publication it was written “Graceland artists recreated the Labyrinth with a kit we purchased” [the Prayer Path Group Publishing, $79.99] (reference in Leadership Magazine p.38, 2002). Dan Kimball who wrote the article further writes “It was joy to see so many people on their knees communing with God through the experiential prayer elements.” In this article the author mentions how they found themselves at the center of the Labyrinth where they sat on cushions and were given communion elements as the narrator read scripture telling them how near Jesus is. How unfortunate that they thought that by doing this it made the experience a Christian one.(Dan Kimball pastors Graceland, a postmodern worship service at Santa Cruz Bible church in Santa Cruz California)
The Reverend Alan Jones, Dean of Grace Cathedral states, “The Grace Cathedral Labyrinth Project is committed to addressing the spiritual hunger of our times.” Lauren Artress still travels with the original canvas labyrinth she designed in 1991 to workshops and conferences around the globe to share the message of this ancient tool of healing and transformation. Lauren Artress and the others at Veriditas are hoping it will become a more common aspect of society in the 21st century, through the use of spiritual tools like the Labyrinth. “Body, nature, and a sense of place-the Theater of Enlightenment is rich with these three elements, which experts say are essential to global transformation in the 21st century.” (Quote from Theater of Enlightenment By Colleen O'Connor)
Clearly this is a New Age observance with practices for global tarnsformation which has a long history of being the goal for the New Age movement.
http://www.religionnews.com/press02/0321_1.html March 11, 2002 The World-Wide Labyrinth Project featured three people.
Chartres, France - In 1999 The Reverend Canon Lauren Artress established “Let Us Walk With Mary,” a unique and enlightening program for pilgrims seeking spiritual growth.
China Galland - Long-time student of Buddhism and Christianity, teacher, and author of “The Bond Between Women: A Journey to Fierce Compassion,” “Tara and the Black Madonna,” and “Women in the Wilderness”
The Very Rev. Alan Jones - Dean of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco and author of “The Soul's Journey: Exploring the Three Passages of Spiritual Life with Dante as a Guide,” “Exploring Spiritual Direction,” and “Passion for Pilgrimage.”
Chartres Cathedral is the only cathedral built fully for Mary. When The Rev. Lauren Artress reopened the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral, she emphasized that it would be in the name of Mary. Promoting the Divine feminine, as found in “Walking a Sacred Path.”
Dr. Artress states, “The labyrinth provides a sacred space where the inner and outer world can commune, where the thinking mind and the imaginative heart flow together... a space to listen to our inner voice of wisdom”. She goes on to speak of the experience of walking the labyrinth in the following manner: “Walking the labyrinth is a spiritual discipline that invites us to trust the path, to surrender to the many turns our lives take, and to walk through the confusion, the fear, the anger, the grief that we cannot avoid experiencing as we live our earthly lives. The labyrinth is a place where we can open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. We can ask for guidance and pray for ourselves and our loved ones.”
Certainly one is able to do this without a Labyrinth, the early church did not depend on this vehicle to help them with their spirituality. Jesus already instructed us how to be open to his leading and his answers so why do we need to use this other religious device? Religious syncretism is probably the most dangerous we can involve ourselves in because we can put a label on something and call it something it essentially is not. These are two different religious, spiritual systems. Starhawk, a practicing witch and head of a coven, celebrated New Year 2000 by walking the Labyrinth on her San Francisco area Ranch.
Psychotherapist Dr Lauren Artress says, “To walk a sacred path is to discover our inner sacred space: that core of feeling that is waiting to have life breathed back into it through symbols, archetypal forms like the labyrinth, rituals, stories, and myths.” This has nothing to do with practicing Christianity and everything to do with other spirtual practices that Bible tells us not to participate in.
In the article Mystical paths for contemplation 5/18/2002 Artress recently talked about the popularity of this practice as she prepared to conduct workshops and tours of labyrinths in Europe.FaithLinks: What kind of Christian is typically attracted to labyrinth spirituality?Artress: The labyrinth attracts people from all walks of life. Many Christians come to it when they are in a dry period spiritually and feel like their daily prayer life is not working for them. They may also come on the eve of surgery, bad news about a sick friend, or the loss of a job. The labyrinth is a path of prayer for everyone. To those who feel they don't know how to pray, I simply say “write a letter to God.” It is especially attractive to the seekers who long for a personal relationship with the Divine. These folks have done their homework by studying other traditions as well. http://www.faithlinks.org/viewarticle.asp?ID=346
I have got a better idea, read God’s letters to you, all 66 of them found in the Bible for your spiritual renewal.
What does the God of the Bible have to say?
Can one seek or come to know God by a Labyrinth walk? It may be the latest fashion in spirituality touted as a spiritual tool of meditation and prayer but is it for a Christian? We are told in Colossians 2: 8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Some are trying to justify this as a Christian tradition. In fact it couldn’t be, not just because it is not found in the Bible, but because it goes against everything the Bible and Christianity teaches for one to practice true spirituality. Walking through the Labyrinth is not a rediscovery of a lost form of Christian spirituality but pagan spirituality. Though it may be reformed and repackaged to our modern times, we can be assured it has nothing to do with Jesus who gave man the true spiritual way of life.
I don’t think one can Christianize this practice, nor justify its use. Especially with what we have already discovered how it is being used. Is it pleasing to God that we walk labyrinths when He has told us not to take up pagan practices? Divine feminine, earth energies have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and the truth He has delivered.
There are already a number of Christians who are practicing the various types of contemplative prayer promoted by Richard Foster, Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, and others. A good portion is being promoted through the Catholic contemplative prayer movement. Many of these same people are open to or already doing labyrinth walks as a meditative practice.
Walking mediation and stopping to quiet oneself is not promoting prayer. Not all that is claimed to be spiritual, is good or from God. We are told as Christians to test the Spirits. Do we now need experiential prayer elements? Did Jesus look for a Labyrinth to teach people to pray? What happened to going into our rooms to pray quietly (Matthew 6:6)?
Inclusiveness is the goal of the New age movement, and they have their light bearers influencing churches that are not discerning by the Word of God. With an open-minded approach, certain Christian church’s can certainly embrace foreign religious practices to their own ruin.
Artress does not withhold her rejection of the straight and narrow way found within Christianity. She explains the labyrinth is more forgiving and leads its followers forward in a flawless path. God’s word states you cannot walk the wide road and claim to follow Christ who says HIS way is the narrow road and has nothing to do with a Labyrinth. In Matthew 7:13 Jesus tells us the only way to practice a spiritual life is to enter into life through the narrow gate because the wide and easy road leads to destruction. This does not mean entering a labyrinth to walk its path.In 2 Timothy 3: 16 we are told: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” It is God’s Word that we are trained to know and follow for a true spiritual transformation. It is objective, we are not to seek subjective experiences using other religious methods. The New age teaches experience for self- transformation and discovering the god within is not from the same source. The very reason people end up using labyrinths and other such methods to find their spirituality is because they are not holding and promoting the word of God which is all one needs to be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Though it is currently fashionable for “Christians” to participate in walking Labyrinths along with other religions, it is a clear sign the Word of God is not being upheld but is being replaced with subjective feelings, through New Age spirituality. Despite testimonials from those who do not know the word of God, it is essentially using a pagan religious practice.
This cannot have any spiritual benefit for a Christian, but one can possibly have a relaxing time as they enjoy the walk, but then, getting away into the outdoors into a new environment with the least amount of concentration will relieve you of your stress as well.
There is no basis for those who practice Biblical Christianity to embrace the labyrinth as an acceptable tool for meditation and prayer? It is inherently New Age, let them have it.
This article is from http://www.letusreason.org/NAMdir.htm
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