Monday, December 29, 2014

Dalai Lama Preaches Peace, Compassion in Boca Raton Talk

Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 24 February 2010 (By Michele Dargan, Palm Beach Daily News) -  His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, spoke Wednesday about compassion and the benefits of positivity to 3,000 people at Florida Atlantic University's Arena in Boca Raton.

"Out of compassion brings inner peace, and out of inner peace comes world peace. Without inner peace, we cannot have world peace," he said.

His Holiness said everyone has the same capabilities for inner peace and compassion. If a person is always in constant fear and suspicion, that's "very bad," he said. Everyone has the same capacity for kindness, he said.

"To me, the audience is brothers and sisters — no difference," he said. "Emotionally, mentally and physically we are the same. Negative emotions — anger, fear suspicion [are the] same. Other hand, we have the same potential for compassion. Compassion is the seed of inner peace. We all have the same potential."

Showing compassion to an enemy helps to achieve inner peace, he said.

"Neighbors with jealousy never get peace," the Dalai Lama said.

Smiling often and genuinely is another key to finding compassion and inner peace, he said.

The more positive you are, the better you feel, he said.

"Scientists begin to realize — for physical health — reduce blood pressure, reduce anxiety, reduce fear .... calm is very, very important," the Dalai Lama said.

An additional 2,500 students, faculty and staff viewed Tenzin Gyatso, the 74-year-old exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader, by simulcast in the auditorium.

A total of 873 public tickets were sold to the event.

People began filing into the arena at 8:30 a.m., with doors closing at 9:30 a.m.

Everyone in the arena stood up as His Holiness entered the stage at 10:05 a.m. He shook hands with dignitaries and waved to the crowd.

The Dalai Lama spoke for nearly 45 minutes and took questions prepared by students, faculty and staff for 15 minutes.

In helping to achieve inner peace, the Dalai Lama said meditation works best for him. He rises at 3:30 a.m. and recites a Buddhist prayer to begin his day.

A necessary component for compassion: intelligence.

Looking at situations only from only one angle brings worry and frustration. But looking at things from different angles "brings new opportunities," he said.

FAU's Manjunath Pendakur, dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, said, "This is a major boost to work harder .... in the cause of peace. This is a momentous day in the history of the university. We are humbled and enriched by it."

John Pritchett, FAU's interim president, welcomed everyone to this "historical event."

Pritchett called the Dalai Lama "a living example of all the good that can be accomplished in this world by one person — a person with courage, a person with conviction to raise his voice for peace.

original link: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/501-dalai-lama-preaches-peace-compassion-in-boca-raton-talk

Saturday, December 27, 2014

The Fall Of Lucifer And His Limited Powers Not Equal To God's

Hello my beauties. I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas/Holiday season and are ready for the upcoming new year 2015. Wow! Can you believe it? 2015. I swear the older we get the faster time goes. I really do. Grrrr

This isn't a subject that's easy to write or blog about and I will try my best to make it as understandable as possible. Again it is just my humble opinion and how I interpret the Bible to say. I want to make that clear now so we have an understanding that I am not claiming to know this to be gospel and fact.

Although Satan appears frequently in the Scriptures, there isn't a whole lot of information in the bible about the fall of Satan and his angels. The term "falling from heaven" is a Near Eastern way of saying that someone has suffered defeat, and it was also used in ancient non-biblical literature to describe the fall of gods from power. It is similar to our expression "falling from grace." Falling from heaven, then, means to lose one’s role or power. 1 Timothy 3:6 indicates that pride caused Satan’s downfall. For many Christians the verse is one of the few that speaks directly about the fall of Satan.

Because I'm coming from a biblical point of view any religion  or doctrine that promotes that God and Satan are equal in power is not something I'm going to agree with. The Bible is clear in telling us that Satan was originally created by God as a angel called Lucifer who's was Gods most beautiful angel. After Satan rebelled and wanted to be all powerful like God, he was cast out of Heaven and a certain amount of angels followed him. Many refer to them as fallen angels. Satan thought he would one day rise up and be God, but since God holds all power Satan was unable to do so and was cast into hell. Isaiah 14:12-17and Ezekiel 28 will tell you about the fall of Lucifer.

Isaiah 14: This passage refers to the king of Babylon as “falling out of heaven.” We know that none of the Babylonian kings ever literally fell from Heaven, but Satan clearly did. This king of Babylon thought he could “ascend into heaven” and usurp God’s throne. These are the exact thoughts that Satan had.

Ezekiel 28: This passage makes reference to the ruler of Tyre and in doing so gives us several hints that it is talking about Satan. First, it says that the “king of Tyre” was ‘created’ and not born. We know for certain that Satan was created by God. The “king of Tyre” is also known as the “cherub” and the cherubim were the “inner circle” of angels who had the closest access to God and guarded his holiness. “

Satan is not omnipotent.
He has great power—more than any man and most angels—but he is not anywhere near the equal of our God. As mentioned, he must seek God's permission before he can even do certain things.

Satan is not omniscient.
He has a powerful intellect and knows many things from experience (far more than people), but only God is all-knowing.

He is not omnipresent.
Satan is an individual personality, so he can be in only one place at a time (as seen in Job 1:7). So when we say that the devil is personally tempting us, more than likely it is his power working through his network of demons.

God’s Word tells us in 1 John 4:4 that the God Whom we believe in and the God Who dwells in us is greater than Satan. This verse says: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” This verse shows us that between God and Satan there is no dualism. Evil is no match for good. God, who represents good, is the most powerful force in the universe. Satan was not and never will be able to win vs. God because evil is not all-powerful.

We should keep as much distance between us and the devil as possible. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). We do this by avoiding things that will drag us down spiritually. Disobedience and persistent waywardness provide the enemy grounds from which he can attack and influence the Christian. This is why Scripture reminds us to not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27).

You will never win this spiritual battle in your own strength. You will only be successful when you draw your strength from the power base, God Himself. There you will find the strength and stamina to "stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).

Satan's Nature- it is the nature of a man that causes him to act as he does. The same principle exists as we try to better understand Satan. John identified the devil as the originator and chief practitioner of sin (1 John 3:8). He further described Satan as “that wicked one” (1 John 5:18). Jesus called Satan a liar (John 8:44) and thief (John 10:10). The evil acts of Satan are a natural expression of his evil nature.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). The apostle Paul recognized the destructive nature of Satan when he wrote, “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4).

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Special Christmas Essay ~ We're All Little Drummer Boys

By Kirby Robinson
Copyright 2011-2014

Are we starting to forget what the season is all about? Turn on the TV and can you really tell it's the Christmas season? Outside of commercials pushing the latest holiday trends. What about all the great Christmas specials like the old Andy Williams or Jim Nabors variety shows—where have they gone? Does your favorite sitcom or one hour drama even acknowledge that it's Christmas? How many times has Ben-Hur or The Greatest Story Ever Told played on your local channels? Sales clerks nowadays feel uncomfortable wishing you a Merry Christmas and simply blurt out, "Happy Holidays." Are we losing the lessons this day should be teaching us?

Take a moment out of your busy schedule and think about the gift the Lord is offering us. That night 2000+ years ago that saw the birth of a Child from a deity that is offering His one and only Son to be born not into a royal family but to a couple made up of an old carpenter who scraped by on a small income with a very young wife. The Child was born under the threat of being killed. They had to sneak the Child out of Bethlehem to Egypt so they could safely return to Israel. The Child grows knowing that at some time at the peak of adulthood He must die. Not just any ordinary peaceful dying in your sleep death, but a pain filled death. He had to suffer all the deaths of mankind past, present and future. Every sin, every illness, every wound had to descend on His being so that our debts could be fully paid.

My favorite Christmas song is "Little Drummer Boy." Every time I hear it, no matter who's the singer, this song always makes me stop and think that in some way we are all little drummer boys.

We're all little children in God's eyes. And the message has always been sent to one and all to come to Him. Not to the birthplace necessarily but that image of the Child born that night is always there. The beginning of the Greatest Story Ever Told here is truly a newborn King. He will always be the only true King. There are other men of power and other kings but they have no real power in life and are forgotten in death. And what are our finest gifts to bring before the newborn King? Our love, compassion, understanding, empathy, faith, wisdom, and forgiveness.

No matter the status of wealth, fame, and power who come to Him they honor Him. We don't have to travel to His house or to an image of Him. We just have to simply gaze into the eyes of a child, witness the blooming of a flower, and bask in the brightness of the sun. We see Him, we draw closer to Him, and we honor Him.

Quite often we feel cut off from Him because we view ourselves as poor in some way. This imagined poverty might be materialistic or spiritual. At times we feel as though we don't have anything of value to offer Him. 

But if we search our souls we find something to give Him: a prayer, a word, an act. That shows Him how we feel towards Him. That shows Him and us that we're not truly poor. 

Because whatever that act is it brings joy and happiness to the heavens. When you honor Jesus you honor all the martyrs, saints, all the angels, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit, and God. We might find that fear might accompany us at first but keep offering the gift and fear will disappear.


Jesus Christ will smile upon you and your act and your courage and your faith. It might not be from the manger but from the heavens. It might be in the face of a stranger or a person that you go out of your way to help. Just as with the boy who had his drum who was called to view a newborn King he felt worthless and unworthy. And offered the only thing that he had which was his drum and a simple little song. So worry not what you have to offer Him. It's the offering that counts. And don't forget that we're all just like that little drummer boy.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Dalai Lama: "We Need One-ness of 7 Billion People"

Speaking at a session organised by the Ananta Centre, the Dalai Lama said "it is our collective responsibility to ensure a compassionate humanity." The 79-year-old also said, "I have been a refugee for over 50 years, but have never given up hope or determination." Watch his entire speech here.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/we-need-one-ness-of-7-billion-people-dalai-lama/346051

Here are the highlights:

We need to create the one-ness of 7 billion human beings.

I am nearly 80, I am still studying. Your whole life, remain a student.

Real transformation of India must take place in rural areas, not with more buildings and shops in Delhi and Bangalore.

The South Indian brain is something special, I think because they drink so much coconut water (laughs). So I also drink it.

I love President Bush as a human being, he was warm and informal not ceremonial.

Serving humanity is the best form of serving God, of worship.

Use education. It is best way of removing the differences that divide us. Teach secular ethics in schools.

In over 55 years of being a refugee, have never given up hope or determination.

It is our collective responsibility to create a compassionate humanity.


Sunday, December 21, 2014

What Is Dangerous About Ghost Hunting Tools Connected To Demons?

What is a Demon? A demon, daemon or fiend, is a supernatural, often malevolent being prevalent in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology and folklore. The original Greek word daimon does not carry the negative connotation initially understood by implementation of the Koine δαιμόνιον (daimonion),[1] and later ascribed to any cognate words sharing the root.

Again, let me say this is just my humble opinion on the subject of EVP's. I've witnessed serious consequences from someone having a unhealthy obsession and doing those a lot. I pray before each one I have to do for a case or investigation however, that is the only time I resort to EVP's.  I'm aware this subject has been discussed and many feel they are harmless. Maybe these cases I speak of just had bad luck but it's no different than attempting communication via ouija board or automatic writing. Just because you left a location with nothing going wrong doesn't mean all is well. Demons are very patient and I can assure you they will make themselves known at the worst possible time in your life. This is pure evil, why would anyone risk this? I had a case where said person was constantly doing these. She lost her friends and some family as she only seemed to care about was doing EVP's. At that point she could not be helped. She refused to stop doing them at any cost.

A demon is believed to be a force that can be conjured and controlled. They are also believed to have the ability to possess or inhabit the body of humans and the only way to rid the person of them is to conduct deliverance and/or Exorcism. Demons are portrayed differently in different cultures. Some believe demons to be actual physical beings that can take the form of anything, including animals. Others consider the real demons as more of a spiritual force of evil battling for one's soul. They  have been feared and written about in almost every culture in one form or another for as long as history has been recorded.

Demonic possession is a common belief involving demons. It  involves the act of a demon inhabiting the body of a mortal, living thing. Because Demons are believed by many to be fallen angels and the opposite of all that is good, a priest is usually called upon to perform the ceremony. Skeptics have blamed pre existing mental conditions for reported cases of possession, as opposed to demonic influence. Some cases have baffled everyone. People who are said to be possessed have been reported speaking in foreign languages that they had never even been exposed to. They often become very ill while their faces and bodies will sometimes appear to change. Possessed individuals have been known to speak in reverse dialog and injure themselves and or others.

Ouija Boards and EVP's create the same danger in my humble opinion. I have witnessed awful consequences people have to bare from playing around with these. In my opinion they are nothing more than portals to the demonic. Christ warns us about this.."Beware Of The Familiar Spirit." Our friends and loved ones are mimicked by demonic entities in a effort to trick us into offering help or becoming highly involved in keeping the communication going. This eventually allows them legal ground into our life.

 Demons are “angels that sinned,” spirit creatures who rebelled against God. (2 Peter 2:4) The first angel to make himself into a demon was Satan the Devil, whom the Bible calls “the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 12:24, 26.

I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful and blessed Christmas and a amazing New Year! Please be safe traveling and enjoy time surrounded by people who love you. So many don't have that and it's easy to take for granted. Pray for them as suicide rates skyrocket this time of year. God Bless!

Written Jennifer L Auld

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Increasing your influence in Spreading God's Kingdom

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

14 Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, z“My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” 18 And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

22 Now Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.

24 When Hazael king of Syria died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. 25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel. (2 Kings 13:14-25...ESV)

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

Have you wondered if it were possible to increase your influence in spreading God's kingdom? Or, like me, have you ever lamented how little an impact you seem to be having in the sphere in which God has placed you?

First, it is abundantly clear in Scripture that the Lord expects every true Christian to be fruitful...to have a significant impact on those God has placed around us.He would not expect nor  command something of us unless He had equipped us to accomplish it. Despite our weakness and sinfulness the Lord wants us to have a significant role in the spread of the Kingdom of His dearly beloved Son.
Yet, again and again, it seems that I fall woefully short. The text below has always gripped me with the simple but profound insights it gives in being more fruitful in mirroring to a dark and broken world the loveliness of Christ and His gospel. Stated differently, there is a very important principle in being a more than conqueror in spiritual warfare and growing the kingdom of heaven.

Nobody believes in the absolute sovereignty of our Tribune God more than myself, but that does not imply passivity on our part. If we are to be significantly more influential in kingdom expansion we have to enthusiastically desire it! Starting with our families, and moving out from there, adopting a passionate/enthusiastic attitude is vital.

In the text below, Elisha is about to die and is visited by the king of Israel. The prophet has the king open the window eastward. Why? Because that is the direction Joash's enemies will come from in their attack.After firing an arrow, Elisha asks the king to do something that may seem kind of odd--he commands the king to strike the remaining arrows on the ground. But note the preceding verse (V.17) in which Elisha passionately predicts that the Lord will smash the Syrians, but He will do it through Joash, the king of Israel.This is like Elish's dying plea for this king to significantly extend God's kingdom by destroying His enemies.It is not a laid back philosophical debate! One can hear Elisha almost shouting with God-intoxicated fervor for the king to strike the ground with his arrows.

But the text says Joash struck the ground three times and STOPPED (V.18 CAPS ADDED) and this displeased Elijah. Now remember Elijah was there, and along with prophetic insight into Joash's mindset, he could see the lack of enthusiastic obedience.In v.19 we hear the Lord through Elijah tell the king the sad consequences of his perfunctory obedience to smashing the arrows.Elijah was angry, saying he should have smashed the arrows more times on the ground..at least 5 or 6 times. Yes Joash would attain 3 victories over his enemies (see v.24), but had he been more enthusiastic, then an end would would have been made of the dreaded Syrians. This one simple act of slack-hearted obedience severely diminished Joash's influence in spreading God's kingdom. Joash obeyed the prophet--but given the context--he should have smashed the arrows into the ground repeatedly until his hand froze on the arrows or they snapped in half! The 5 or 6 times mentioned by Elisha, in my opinion, was the bare minimum that was appropriate given the occasion.

God has chosen to use us in the expansion of His kingdom. As is intimated above, when God's kingdom expands, Satan's kingdom diminishes.

Do you wish to have greater influence on your loved ones? Then picture yourself with a quiver of arrows and smashing them into the ground until your arm is immobilized. That is, plead with passion on a daily basis that the Lord would significantly increase the effectiveness of your witness--both with your life and words...that the Lord would adorn the gospel to your loved ones through you. Smash the arrows..SMASH them!

We don't fight against flesh and blood as Joash did...we don't have arrows, but the point is this--we can and should express to the Lord how passionate we are that He use us to touch those we love. We have but a short life and I want to impress upon you that how we "smash the arrows" makes a huge difference. Plead with the Lord to significantly increase your influence in spreading His Kingdom. Don't settle for a faithless attitude re: how He will work supernaturally through you. No matter how poorly we may have done in the past, please don't  let the devil to deceive you into thinking you've blown it. The Lord delights in "making up for the years that the swarming locusts have eaten." Plead with Him to use you...to open up doors, and HE WILL!!

Lastly, the Lord Jesus passionately observed the law every second of His earthly life, "and zeal for His house consumes Him." His perfect life and righteousness has been imputed to us. IN CHRIST the Father sees us as perfect.

Maybe the arrow imagery did not connect with you as it did with me, but certainly we should have the mindset of more-than-conquerors!

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Dalai Lama on Conference on ‘Resilience: Strength through Compassion and Connection’ in New Orleans

Conference on ‘Resilience: Strength through Compassion and Connection’ in New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 17 May 2013 - His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s first engagement on his first visit to New Orleans this morning was a meeting with the Press. In his opening remarks he said:

“I’m very happy to be here. I was very sad when you were struck by Hurricane Katrina and again after the shocking event last weekend. I would like to express my sympathy for all the victims and their families.

“Whenever I meet the media there are several points I like to share. The first is my commitment to promoting awareness that our ultimate source of happiness depends on our inner values, our sense of concern for others. The second is that as a Buddhist monk, I am committed to working to foster inter-religious harmony.”

Asked why he had come to New Orleans, he answered that he had received an invitation. He welcomes the opportunity of participating in discussions like that planned for this morning, because it presents a chance for him to learn. And, as Buddhist monk, he dedicates his body, speech and mind to the welfare of others, so meetings like this also allow him to share his thoughts with other people.

Another question suggested that there is just enough religion to make men hate each other, but not enough to make them love each other. His Holiness’s reply was forthright:

“I think that’s wrong. All the major religious traditions convey a message of love and compassion and in the face of difficult circumstances counsel tolerance and patience.”

At the start of the morning’s panel discussion, Dean of Tulane University’s School of Social Work, Ron Marks explained to His Holiness that on the previous day participants in the audience had taken a written pledge to work for compassion and offered him their signatures. Putting on a Tulane University visor to protect his eyes from the strong lights and to enable him to see faces in the audience, His Holiness offered a few words to open the discussion”

“Brothers and sisters, first of all I want to make clear that you shouldn’t think the person speaking here is anything special. We are all the same kind of human beings, mentally, physically and emotionally. It is important that we register that all 7 billion human beings alive today are the same in that we all want to live a happy life and we all have a right to do so. If we focus instead on secondary differences and neglect the oneness of humanity tragedy takes place.”

He drew attention to the bloodshed of the twentieth century in which, by some estimates, 200 million people died through violence. He said that when 7 billion human beings are faced with crisis they need resilience. This gives rise to a confidence that allows them to deal with whatever difficult situations they encounter. If instead they are beset by fear and nervousness they easily become demoralised. There is no guarantee that they will not face problems, they will, but they cannot be solved by money alone, what is needed is inner strength.

A member of the audience said she was excited about the pledge to compassion but wanted to know how to sustain it. His Holiness said:

“Learn about it by listening and reading and think about it to reinforce your conviction; then when you are faced with difficult situations, remember what you have understood and try to restrain your disturbing emotions. That’s the way we gain strength from our own experience.”

Another questioner wanted to know where there was space for the wisdom of compassion in the face of violence like that last weekend in the city. Margaret Wheatley replied:

“Our first reaction is often to want to strike back when we are challenged, but by not reacting immediately we can seize the moment for the practice of compassion.”

Richie Davidson added:

“You often speak of the importance of education, Your Holiness; early education can be so helpful. We are born with a sense of kindness and compassion, but like our facility for language, we have the capacity, but we need community support and encouragement to develop our compassion.”

Asked at what age children can be trained to meditate, His Holiness answered that he began when he was 14 or 15 years old, saying that he was not very interested before that. However, circumstances taught him that he needed some mental strength.

The panel were asked what they thought was the greatest moral crisis and the greatest moral victory of the early twenty-first century. Margaret Wheatley was unhesitating in calling climate change, the destruction of our home, the greatest crisis, but she said the way local women are stepping forward to implement positive change across the world is the greatest victory so far. Richie Davidson agreed that our failure to care for our planet is the crisis, but suggested that the greatest victory was the regular convening of gatherings like this one. He said he is impressed by how many people are touched by His Holiness’s message of peace and compassion and are trying to implement it in action in education, health care and business.

His Holiness asked if he might add that the problems we face are of two categories: those that arise because of natural disasters and those that are attributable to our own behaviour. When events take place as a result of human intervention, in which innocent people, women and children are harmed, we cannot simply lament, but have to see what action we can take. He said he remains hopeful.

“I’ve been a refugee for 54 years now. Early on no one talked about inner peace. Now, decade by decade, more and more people talk about it as we increasingly find there are limits to material development. What’s important to me is the scientific research which shows that warm-heartedness is of real benefit to our health and well-being.”

Another questioner asked about trauma, coping and resilience. His Holiness said:

“In the Tibetan tradition, in terms of coping with adversity, victims are encouraged to cultivate forbearance and the first stage of that is to develop a sense of equanimity. Forbearance builds up resilience and protects you from giving in to disturbing emotional impulses. A senior monk I know spent 17-18 years in Chinese prison after 1959. In the 1980s he was released and was able to join me in India. Once, when we were chatting about his experiences he told me that there had been dangerous moments during his imprisonment. I thought he meant threats to his life, but he said, ‘No, there were times when there was a danger of my losing compassion for my Chinese captors.’ This is an example of practice in action. He has since been examined by medical scientists who found he has no post-traumatic symptoms. He has physical pains, but no mental unease.”

His Holiness was invited to a celebratory luncheon in the company of New Orleans Mayor, Mitch Landrieu and US Representative John Lewis. Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh representatives offered prayers and His Holiness addressed the gathering.

Back in the Convention Center in the early afternoon, His Holiness was introduced to the 4000 strong audience by Mayor Mitch Landrieu who expressed New Orleans’ pleasure at his presence by offering him the key to the city. His Holiness opened his remarks on a thoughtful note:

“Dear brothers and sisters, in this place that not so long ago was struck by natural disaster and only a few days ago witnessed another tragedy, I would like to tell you I share your suffering and express my heartfelt sense of concern. Some people refer to me as a ‘living buddha’, others call me a ‘demon’, but actually I am just a simple Buddhist monk.

“When I was born, the Japanese had invaded China, Nazi power was on the rise in Europe and Stalin was exerting his power in the Soviet Union. Then the Second World War broke out, followed by the Korean War, the Vietnam War and in the meantime, there was an intense civil war in China. It’s not surprising that some say 200 million died as a result of violence in the twentieth century. If that violence had created a more peaceful world it might have been somehow justified, but that wasn’t the case.

“Nowadays, we are confronted by a huge gap between rich and poor. This is not only morally wrong, but practically a mistake. It leads to the rich living in anxiety and the poor living in frustration, which has the potential to lead to more violence. We have to work to reduce this gap. It’s truly unfair that some people should have so much while others go hungry.”

He said that in this century we should work to make a happier world. This should be a period of dialogue. We will always face problems and conflicts of one sort or another, but we have to avoid trying to deal with them through force and turn instead to dialogue. On the basis that humanity is one family, achieving your own interest involves cultivating concern for the interests of others. Only being concerned for ourselves and dwelling on a sense of ‘them’ and ‘us' is out of date.


In the context of the global economy, of global climate change, matters that affect us all, we have to work together. We need to approach solutions voluntarily. Self-interest has its place, but it needs to be wise and realistic self-interest not foolish, short sighted self-interest.

“Please don’t think that compassion, love and tolerance only belong to religion. They belong to human life. From compassion we develop self-confidence; that brings inner strength, allowing us to act with transparency and candour. We can make this a more peaceful century if we conduct ourselves in this way, if we cherish non-violence and concern for others’ well-being. It is possible. If the individual is happier, his or her family is happier; if families are happy, neighbourhoods and nations will be happy. By transforming ourselves we can change our human way of life and make this a century of compassion.”

Among questions from the audience was one about the situation in Tibet. His Holiness replied that situation has sometimes been better and sometimes worse; right at the moment it’s worse.

“In the early 80s we were hopeful of positive change and I have no doubt that if Hu Yaobang had remained in power we could have seen a solution to the Tibetan problem. But demonstrations erupted in China leading to the Tiananmen event and an eventual crackdown.”

Asked what makes him happy, His Holiness harked back to his childhood:

“When I was still very young, after I reached Lhasa under the name Dalai Lama, my mother would often come to see me with different kinds of bread that she’d baked. She was an expert baker. I remember how I happy I was to see her with her fresh bread. I appeal to those of you who have children of your own now to spend more time with them like my mother tried to do with me. She was uneducated, illiterate, and yet we her children never saw her angry. She was always kind and compassionate. Because I was then the youngest, I was showered with the most affection. If I have any sense of compassion today, the seed of it is due to my kind mother. Thank you.”

original link and photos http://dalailama.com/news/post/949-conference-on-resilience-strength-through-compassion-and-connection-in-new-orleans

Sunday, December 14, 2014

What Kind Of Things Can Open One Up For Demonic Oppression?

Hello my para-beauties. I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday. The weather here in Florida has been very cold. We're not use to 37 to 42 degrees. At least I'm not. Lol. I'm a pretty big wimp and admit freely. But I must admit I love to wear those cute trench coats that seem to be back in style. There are just so many cute jackets shorter ones that stop at the waist but that's a whole other blog. Lol. I'm a fashion junkie so I'll keep things focused on the proper subject at hand. As I've said many times my calling is sadly the most disturbing diabolical things in the world that I have to research and deal with... so being a little lighthearted having some humor helps me. Almost like therapy.

Let's see where do I start? This was a requested topic from Allison K. I understand that many are curious about this and I have "closet curious readers" for lack of better words who  prefer not to make it known that they believe this topic. They would unfortunately endure a lot of harassment and possibly trouble in the work place and among circle of friends. There's just so many things that can open you up to oppression so I am guessing I'll start with the basic. You can always research this yourself on the Internet I'm sure there would be a plethora of information. Christian book stores and Barnes & Noble have many good books on subject in many subjects related to it. You can go to Amazon.com. Over the years since at least 2000 I have purchased many of good reads that assisted in my research. I prefer to stay away from the ones written by para-celebs. 98% claim all this experience in all these things they've done but yet they can't provide any references any certificates that were given to them for any courses that they took etc...it kills me to know there are about 8 people that are so knowledgeable in this particular area of the field. And I do mean extremely knowledgeable having 40 something years experience but you never ever hear of them invited to speak or to come on the radio to be interviewed. They would be a very big blessing and we could all learn a lot from them but because they're not well known or don't have well known friends in the field all these stupid ass people are just seeking fame and popularity and only have these wanna be celebrities on or speaking at conferences.

What Is Demonic Oppression?

Demonic oppression is the work of evil spiritual forces that try very hard to encourage us to sinus to sin. It mimics depression down to a T! Discernment which is a gift of the spirit to determine which one is actually present. There's a lot of mental illnesses that are not caused by the devil and his demons. We have to be very careful and not blame everything on demons. They have the ability to make us feel spiritually dead, and to be in bondage to sinful activities and thoughts.  This oppressive work is performed by demons, which are fallen angels who resist God, and who sinned in their first estate. This information can be found in the book of Jude chapter 6).  They wage war against God, against God's people, and against unbelievers as well.  Their goal is to bring as many people as possible into rebellion against God and condemnation in hell. They want to drag as many souls to hell as possible.

A Few Examples Of The Type Of Attacks

Emotions. Exaggerated emotional states: fear, anxiety, anger, panic, shame, rejection, grief that is over-extended or out of proportion, hopelessness, helplessness.  
              
The Mind. Tormenting thoughts of suicide, self-mutilation thoughts, confusion, forgetfulness, blocked memory, self hate, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of being unloved and thoughts that God won't ever forgive you and he doesn't love you.

How Do People End Up A Target Of Demonic Oppression?

Sometimes people involved in occult activity will curse you or your family.  It is not that you can actually be cursed as a Christian.  Rather, those who are against Christ and his people can focus demonic activity on you. Anger, bitterness and strife. These things feed of that. When we are Boner a bowl already or depressed better or what have you that's when they zoom in like flies on honey. When were in the states of mind it's only by the flood the Jesus upon mind body soul and spirit and make sure that we say out loud in our prayer plus he has me over mind body soul or spirit in anyway shape or form in Jesus name. It is,so very important. Those are the exact words that I personally use. Rebuke the enemy and praise Jesus and his holy name.

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Friday, December 12, 2014

Genesis in Space & Time

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

There is an interpretive dance happening amongst a growing number of Christians regarding the historicity of Genesis 1-3 in general, and Adam and Eve in particular. BioLogos is a well-funded foundation which is pushing churches and believers to embrace evolution, and in the process how they read the bible.It offers grants to church, parachurch, and academic leaders and organizations that promote "evolutionary creation." They believe that churches that support macro-evolution will be more effective witness in a culture that reveres science.The disturbing thing to me is the number of evangelical pastors and theologians who not only embrace this notion, but are also being given grants to write books about evolutionary creation.In addition, at BioLogos conferences, those scholars who differ with them (intelligent design) are not being invited. Why would they do this when they are fellow Christians with impeccable scientific credentials? Isn't science about testing theories with those who differ? The result is the same old story--those in higher education are being taught evolution as fact, and not being introduced to any credible alternatives, making it seem moronic to disagree.However, the evidence for intelligent design--from astrobiology to cellular biology--is astonishing in its quality and quantity.

Frankly, the term "evolutionary creation" is an oxymoron in my opinion. The first three chapters of Genesis are especially hated by the Evil One because it is foundational to all that follows. If Satan can get even bible believing Christians to effectively undermine the foundation, then the results are disatrous. When the foundation crumbles......Jack Collins, Old Testament professor at Covenant Seminary says, "Christian doctrine...will come apart if we don't tell the story with the proper beginning."

The entire secular academic scene is wedded to evolution as fact. How sad that an influential Christian foundation is passionately pursuing the world's/Satan's agenda.

It is instructive to see how quickly Jesus appealed to Genesis 1-3 in some of His most heated debates (e.g. re: divorce) It is beyond the pale of this blog to discuss the scientific data. But it is crucial for us to embrace the fact that there is no final conflict between the bible and science. Truth is truth, and wherever the bible touches on matters relating to history or science it always speaks the truth.

Remember that the goal of BioLogos is not just to teach evolutionary creation but to re-interpret the entire structure of the creation narrative.Let me list some of the issues at stake-

1.If Adam was not a real man then he could not have acted as our covenant representative. This undermines the notion of substitutionary atonement which is based on Jesus being the second/last Adam.(Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15) It also leaves us with no explanation of how sin entered the world. The biblical teaching on original sin (Psalm 51) would also unravel.

2.All of the major themes of the bible are found implicitly or explicitly in the Creation/Fall narrative (Genesis 1-3) God as Creator of all things (natural and supernatural realms) Hence, there is a distinction between the Creator and His Creation. God is both sovereign and immanent who populates the spirit realm (good and bad angels....nobody else..3:1, 24) the cultural mandate....the dignity of work mankind made in God's image Adam and Eve as progenitors of entire human race. Marriage between one man and one woman there is only one God (Trinity implied) the historical Fall which effected the whole cosmos (cf. Romans 8) the first promise of a Messiah (Genesis 3:15)

There is a sense in which the rest of the entire bible is an outworking of the first three chapters of Genesis, which happened in space and time. Hence, the denial of the historicity of Adam and Eve and the rest of the creation narrative, undermines all the major doctrines of the bible. The beauty of the unfolding drama of redemption becomes a devilish interpretive dance in which the sacred authority of the bible is vandalized.

I hope it is clear that embracing evolutionary creation is not an option. I hope it is equally clear how comprehensive and devastating the consequences are for embracing evolutionary creation.We need to firmly but winsomely engage this assault on the integrity of God's holy Word. This IS spiritual warfare.Thankfully the Intelligent Design leaders are responding. May the Lord bless their work and may their tribe increase!

May I suggest Lee Strobel's book "The Case for a Creator" in which he interviews some of the world's leading intelligent design scientists....much useful information in just one volume...very readable.

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The Dalai Lama on Human Values

New Delhi, India, 22 November 2014 - This morning, after a short drive across Delhi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was received at Springdales School by the Principal, Mrs Ameeta Mulla Wattal. She escorted him to a brief reception and meeting with other principals and staff, including the Founding Principal, 90 year old Mrs Rajni Kumar. She established the first Springdales School in 1955 with a view to giving students a broad progressive holistic curriculum and a strong value system that included the universal values of love, truth and goodness.

On the daïs, His Holiness was offered a traditional shawl and a living plant. He took part in lighting the inaugural lamp while members of the school choir sang an ecumenical medley. Mrs Wattal declared that as teachers she and her colleagues feel it their responsibility to shape young minds with the notion that compassion is the solution to all ills. She said they had dreamed of inviting His Holiness to speak at the school and were now so pleased the dream had become reality. She requested him to address the gathering of eager young minds and their teachers.

“Respected principals, teachers and older brothers and sisters,” His Holiness began, “and younger brothers and sisters. Whenever I meet other people I remember that we are all the same as human beings. Having the same human brain, we all have the same potential. Sometimes that potential ends up creating more problems, but in general our basic human nature is compassionate.”

He spoke of experiments scientists have conducted with young infants. Showing them animated drawings of situations in which someone gives help and or hinders and obstructs, they favour the instances of help. He said this clearly accords with our status as social animals whose survival depends on others. This is why we develop a sense of community. And the emotions that foster community are love and affection, while anger and jealousy create distance and separation. It is by cultivating a sense of concern for others that we can learn to use our intelligence constructively.

“Modern education tends to focus on materialist goals with insufficient stress on developing warm-heartedness. If our education touches on ethics it is usually in relation to religious faith. Despite their philosophical differences, the main practice of all the major religious traditions is love. And in order to practise love effectively, you need tolerance and forgiveness, self-discipline and contentment. These traditions have a common purpose, to help us develop love. It may be through belief in a creator and the sense that we all have a spark of God, of love, within us. Or we might follow a non-theistic tradition that believes in causality and the idea that if you do good, you benefit, or that if you do harm it will have negative consequences. Whatever their differences philosophically, these spiritual traditions share a common goal.”

His Holiness remarked that in India all the major religious traditions have long lived together in harmony. However, among the 7 billion human beings alive in the world today, 1 billion assert that they have no such belief. He said the question then is how to educate such people in the value of love and compassion. He suggested a need to adopt a secular approach and that India has historically adopted such an approach that expresses an unbiased respect for all religions and even for people who proclaim no faith.

“I believe, therefore, that the idea of secular ethics is something that can appeal to all. We are biologically equipped with love and affection. When we are born we depend on our mother’s affection to survive. Love and affection allow us to grow in a healthy way and give us self-confidence. Many of you young women take time and trouble to make yourselves look beautiful using cosmetics and so on, but the real key to happy relationships, to creating a happy marriage is inner beauty.

“We all need friendship and friendship is built on trust, which comes about on the basis of mutual respect and concern for others. A family may be wealthy and powerful, but if its members are moved by mistrust and suspicion they’ll be unhappy. A poor family whose members trust each other, on the other hand, is happy.”

His Holiness referred to scientific research that shows that people who engage in training in love, compassion and warm-heartedness for as short a time as three weeks show a marked reduction in their levels of stress and blood pressure. Their relations with their friends improve. He cited this as an example that it is possible to educate people on the basis of scientific findings, common experience and common sense. Because of the materialist tendency of modern education, work is going on in the USA and here in India to design a curriculum that fosters secular ethics, that develops the heart as well as the mind.

“The 20th century saw many remarkable developments,” His Holiness declared, “and yet it was also an era of unprecedented violence. 200 million, by some counts, died in violence. Billions of dollars were spent on developing powerful weapons, but it didn’t result in positive change. Even now, when it is pleasant and peaceful where we are, elsewhere human beings like us are being killed and injured. We cannot create a more peaceful world through the use of force; we have, instead, to cultivate inner peace.”

Looking out over the audience he said that those less than 20 years old belong to the 21st century. While nothing can be done to change the past, if this generation tries it can change the future. He said that being concerned only about your own country is out of date, now it is time to be concerned about all humanity. India, with its ages-old traditions of ahimsa and inter-religious harmony, can make a great contribution to this.

“I have lived 55 years in this country as a refugee,” His Holiness said. “I consider myself a messenger of ancient Indian thought. I also sometimes call myself a son of India because as a student of the Nalanda tradition, that is the source of all my knowledge. Meanwhile, my body has been nourished by Indian rice and dal. Indian culture doesn’t reside only in the external trappings of song and dance, but here in the heart. If we pay attention to that, it will be effective. Please take your modern education seriously, but also remember what ancient India can teach us about reality and the nature of our mind and emotions. This knowledge, this Indian treasure, is particularly relevant today, as shown by the appreciation it is receiving from many modern scientists.”

In answering several questions from the audience, His Holiness explained that competition that ensures the success of all participants is helpful, but that competition that favours some while eliminating others is not. He clarified that stern action can be employed in a positive way, for example by a teacher who is wholly concerned for his or her student’s welfare. Asked whether he watches movies he replied that he went to the cinema in the early 60s, but nowadays does not watch television or films.

Questioned whether Buddha was a god, he said no, he was a human being who through his own efforts became an enlightened Buddha. He told his listeners that his greatest challenge had been in seeking to understand emptiness and dependent origination as taught by Nagarjuna. As to his dreams when he was young, he said he only wanted to run here and there, with little interest in study, but today at the age of nearly 80 reading and study are what he likes to do. And looking fondly down at Mrs Rajni Kumar, he expressed a hope to live to 90 or 100 like her.

Asked who his sources of inspiration were, without hesitation he mentioned masters of Nalanda like Nagarjuna and Shantideva. He said that hearing Shantideva’s texts explained changed his life. Prompted to name some contemporary figures, he cited Mahatma Gandhi and India’s first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, whose knowledge and humility had deeply impressed him. Finally, he remarked that making others happy is not a question of sacrificing our own happiness. Trying to make others happy, even when we do not always succeed, is a source of great satisfaction. He concluded that it is anger and hatred that are signs of weakness, while compassion is a sure sign of strength.

In the afternoon His Holiness was invited to address a meeting organized by the Ananta Aspen Centre, which is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that seeks to foster positive change in society through dissemination of knowledge. He outlined his own three commitments. Firstly, he talked about the promotion of deeper human values as a source of happiness and physical health; the idea that the ultimate source of happiness is within the mind. He remarked that our lives begin under the care of our mother’s affection and that as social animals it is affection that brings people together.

His Holiness described his second commitment as the promotion of inter-religious harmony, citing Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity as examples of people whose dedication to the welfare of the poor and needy was an expression of their faith. He reiterated that religious traditions may have philosophical differences, but they share a common goal.

Thirdly, he acknowledged that he is a Tibetan and that many Tibetans place their trust in him. While he has wholly retired from political responsibility, he retains a concern for the flourishing of Tibetan culture. Tibetans retain a comprehensive Buddhist tradition, the result of individuals’ study and practice down the centuries. Tibetan Buddhism can benefit not only Tibetans, but also the millions in China who describe themselves as Buddhists. He said that the Tibetan language remains the most accurate medium for exploring and explaining Buddhist ideas. He added that his concern for Tibet also extends to its natural environment, noting that a billion people across Asia are dependent on the water that flows from Tibet’s rivers.

“We are all the same as human beings,” he concluded. “We all need to take responsibility for creating a better world and a more peaceful humanity. Please keep this in mind and take it to heart.”

Answering the audience’s questions His Holiness elaborated on his thoughts about secular ethics, the importance of compassion, the steady changes taking place in China and the fact that the future of the world depends on us and how we exert ourselves. He said that in seeking to find the source of happiness within us, we need a map of our mind and emotions. We need to develop a sense of emotional hygiene, an understanding of how to manage our emotions, how to counter those that are negative and cultivate those that are positive. He said that is the way to find peace within.

Link with photos: http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1200-promoting-human-values

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Necromancy

Necromancy is a very dangerous practice that many people commit and they do not even realize they do this.  According to Wikipedia, Necromancy is pronounced as well as defined for the following: /ˈnɛkrɵˌmænsi/ or nigromancy is a form of magic involving communication with the deceased – either by summoning their spirit as an apparition or raising them bodily – for the purpose of divination, imparting the means to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge, or to use the deceased as a weapon, as the term may sometimes be used in a more general sense to refer to black magic or witchcraft.

From our previous blogs we have hinted at how dangerous this act is.  My blog “Go into the Light”, we briefly discussed this aspect of communication in the paranormal community.  This blog will cover this aspect fully and explain why this is very dangerous to commit in searching for answers to the afterlife.  Now many of you reading this blog may disagree with what I am about to say, however if it aligns with the bible then it is the truth.  Calling forth the spirits of a dead person whomever they might be is detestable to GOD.  

From viewing any paranormal page found in our society on one social forum such as Facebook we find time and time again these paranormal teams doing the very act that GOD detests.  For doing these acts these paranormal teams subject not only themselves to the wrath of GOD, but the very people whom they are trying to help as well.

What do you mean GOD’s wrath?  Why would these very people receive the wrath of GOD?  I will explain this fully as we go further.  These paranormal teams will state “We are here to help these people get answers as to what is causing all this activity.”  While that might be the truthful intention of these investigators, the procedures used are detestable.

As we have blogged in the past, (Demons not Ghosts) these are the Fallen Angels who are posing as Ghosts to get a person to interact with them, thus by interacting with them (not Exorcism which is different) a person is subjecting themselves to Necromancy which GOD detests.

Multiple paranormal pages show these people stating to “come forward and speak to this device”, “tell me who is here”, “how many of you are here”, “are you a good or bad spirit” and so on and so forth.  All of these phrases and others not stated refer to this invitation for those to come forward are acts of Necromancy.  Let us go back and review this earlier Wikipedia statement which says this act is “a form of magic involving communication with the deceased – either by summoning their spirit as an apparition or raising them bodily.”  The key to this phrase is communication with the deceased.

Now many teams do not command a full body to appear, however they will command those spirits to come forward and communicate, thus necromancy is committed.  Some of these groups though do command full apparitions to appear or to harm them in a manner.  Thus necromancy has just occurred in both scenarios.  I am not here to outright bash these paranormal groups, but to state that what they are doing is very wrong and very dangerous.  GOD will not protect you no matter what you think!

According to the holy bible recorded in Leviticus 19:31 KJV “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.”  Now just because a person may not be an actual Wizard or Witch but we are commanded to not communicate with familiar spirits.  For we know now that according to Leviticus you hear a warning from GOD himself concerning such practices. These practices will defile you!  This is a form of spiritism under the necromancy headline.

Clear testimony of the Holy Scriptures and the Bible, that spiritism is the masquerading of demonic forces.  Those who pretend to be departed spirits with the intent of deceiving, is done through the power of Satan.  Sadly, those who are foolish enough to believe the testimony of demons in preference to the authority of the Word of GOD are in trouble.

Spiritism is altogether contrary to the Word of GOD and is detestable in the sight of GOD.  According to Leviticus 20:6 KJV “And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.”  Because of GOD having great love and mercy, he forgives the sins of all those who truly repent of their sins and put their trust in Jesus for eternal life (refer to Acts 2:38; 16:31; Romans 6:23.)

Calling the spirit of a dead person is a process to call upon and by so doing this spirit is expected to respond as if they are still alive.  In the Bible we have a case where Saul the King hired a witch (from Endor) to call up Samuel by familiar spirit (refer to 1 Samuel 28:7-14 KJV).  This act certainly caused the body of Samuel to be returned to the dust to fulfill the curse on man when the first man sinned (refer to Genesis 3:19 KJV).

We need to realize what GOD wants us to be while on earth and then thereafter. The bible states in Hebrews 9:28 KJV "And it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.”  GOD has never given a room for man to die, then be buried, to thus decay and then to come back to life so to speak.

The only time that GOD has returned the dead to life was to fulfill prophecy and to show the works of his Son Jesus after the resurrection as this was a special case and cause.  In Matthew 27:50-53 KJV we find “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.”

Therefore, understand that calling any spirit of a dead person forward is not biblical and it has nothing good to offer to our faith.  Actually the fact is this is demonic. Those who practice such acts are considered unbelievers. The bible tells us of the portion of those who would not believe and continue to indulge in such acts will receive the lake of Fire (refer Revelation 21:8 KJV).

Likewise, as our world rapidly approaches the final times according to the bible, many catastrophic events await us.  Most people disregard the abundant warnings and advice GOD has given concerning the end.  Instead of believing GOD, they choose to believe the scientists and familiar spirits, who proclaim a more credible report. In this they make a fatal error.

Rev. Bradley Luoma, Exorcist Minister

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Don't Live With A Wounded Heart And Soul Due To What The Devil Robbed You Of

Hello my beauties. I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful holiday season. Did anybody else spend spend too much on Black Friday? Not me. I was good. I've already purchased most of the gifts that I need to for family and close friends. BUT.....Cyber Monday was something else wasn't it? Lol. Shame on me....that's all I can say. QVC gets me in trouble every single time. I justify it because my birthdays in January and I tell myself it's just early birthday gift to myself. Ha ha.

A lot of people (including myself) really struggle with such a broken soul and having a hard time letting go of the past all because of what the devil took from us. Whether somebody may have grew up without a mother or father or sadly they were molested, physically abused, verbally abused..and please don't misunderstand me, I'm NOT about to minimize any of these issues at all. As I said above, I have my own demons that I without a doubt deal with everyday. (no pun intended). But we have to remember what God's word tells us and it can only be executed by faith. If our needs were met all the time we would never have that blind faith in believing the Lord is going to intervene and it's going to be okay because his word tells us so. We must turn to God. Living with bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart is terrible. It doesn't affect the person who wronged us. They are living rent free in our head. Not to mention the Devil's having a party in hell while we torture ourselves for something that was NOT our fault that was done to us but yet we wonder "what is wrong with me" "why am I not loved, why won't anybody love me?" Those are lies from the enemy.  We have to remember the Bible tells us he is the father of all lies and we must rebuke him.

There are many demons assigned to torment us by satan just as Jesus assigns angels to look after us . We have demons of fear running amok trying to destroy any and all humans before the appointed time. Yes they know very well the second coming of Jesus Christ will in fact take place. They already know they are defeated but they will still try to drag as many souls to hell with them or make our life hell in hopes we may take our own life or just live so miserable and depressed we end up making ourselves sick. It is their job to torment us day in and day out. Mess with our heads in major ways. They HATE humans. They hate our guts and want nothing but death for us.

The demon of Rejection is also among many others very much real. And Satan utilizes him against us. The enemy using these types of demons to harass and attack not just Christians but everyone all over the world! This is a major weapon that we need to be aware of. This demon I believe will play a huge part in the end times. This demon of Rejection will open doors for the other demons such as demons of sadness, loneliness, depression, despair, dread, worthlessness, hopelessness...etc...to enter into your mind and start tormenting you.

Many times the demon of rejection will enter us when our parents reject us, or when our brothers and sisters reject us! Other times the demon of rejection will enter us when our boss rejects us, or co workers reject us or when we get rejected for a promotion! More often than not the demon of rejection will attack when a person of the opposite sex rejects us. Also attacks will take place when we get bad news, or when we get terrible disappointments coming. Sometimes it can be so subtle, we have no clue until GOD starts to reveal to us his attacks and the way he is tormenting us.

The demon of rejection and his workers will tell you that you will never ever meet a good Christian man or woman who will love you and want to marry you despite your flaws. He will start to tell us that nobody wants to be around you or cares about you. Nobody loves you, nobody wants to be friends with you! You will be constantly tormented to deceive you into believing that nobody in your church likes you and God has rejected you. This my friends are all lies. It's easier said than done but we must cling to Jesus and His Word when these events take place. It is so very important we do this.

I personally believe that some mental depression can be caused by demons. Enmeshment can occur where a demon can attach to someone. It's usually when they are already vulnerable due to a crisis situation as I already mentioned above. But instead of improving, they become much, much worse. They have changes in personality, character, and behavior. They become far removed from the person that they once were. Thoughts are not their own usually and they question as to where the thoughts are coming from - as they cannot find a logical or valid reason as to why they feel the way they feel. This happens more often than many will believe.

The following is just part of a post a women shared about her tormenting struggles with evil when she allowed her pride to take over and she turned away from God. She started seeing these vile demons with her own human eyes. Here she talks about a incident that proves we have nothing to fear when we have God in our hearts....

"I asked: “What?” The voice repeated: “Read the Scriptures.”  I obeyed and started reading the Scriptures. But in a little while God said to me: “Read it out loud.” I got a bit confused, but God repeated: “Read the Scriptures out loud.” When I started reading the Scriptures out loud I noticed the evil sprit covered its ears with its paws and started moving its body like in a great torment. This is how I learned that the demons cannot stand hearing the Word of God. The Word of God applied in faith and truth is a great weapon against the powers of darkness."

As I've stipulated many times in my past blogs demons cannot stand hearing the word of God they cannot stand to be rebuked in the name of Jesus they cannot handle it. I also feel as well they are especially tormented by the Book of Revelations. Which makes sense because anybody who's read the book of Revelations knows out of all the 66 books in the Bible that's the most intimidating, the most scary and can be the most difficult to understand and comprehend. But the Scriptures that speak about Satan and his demons final destiny is intolerable to them. They absolutely can’t stand being reminded about the fallen Babylon and the verse about the devil and his false prophets thrown into the lake of fire.

I want to take the time to ask anybody who's reading this right now suffering from depression or any kind of pain to please reach out to God even if you think he's not hearing you I promise you he is. I may have been a preachers kid but it took a lot to convince me and God loves us more than anything in the world. He will never forsake us and he will never give us more than we can handle. I like to pray and tell the Lord that I leave it at the foot of the cross. I refused to take on this stress or I refused to take on this depression on or whatever the case may be for anyone out there. Ask for peace. Contact me privately and I will pray with you. Everything stays confidential. There is no fear of judgement. Who am I or who is ANYONE on this earth to judge the actions or the troubles of our fellow brother or sister in Christ? Sadly in my experience these holier than thou Christians and many of other faiths really give our Lord a bad name. They set a terrible example. You know who you are and shame on you! Sit in judgment on yourselves before you dare think you are so pure that you have the right to do such actions. You need to repent. No wonder many are afraid of church or to turn to God. You will be held accountable for each and every person you scared away from God and they never got saved. Remember that.

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Friday, December 5, 2014

SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND ITS COMPREHENSIVE EFFECTS

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

The mighty prophet Elijah was fresh off his spectacular God-centered victory over the false prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel. Yahweh displayed that the false god of storms was impotent, indeed, non-existent.However, we see that Elijah was left exhausted by this victory and he plunged  into depression. (1 Kings 19:1-7) Here is a principle: after doing spiritual battle and seeing God work in a powerful way is exhilarating. However, after such powerful battles, one needs to be aware that this is a particularly likely time to be drawn into discouragement. After the initial glow wears off, exhaustion often comes, and it's wake, discouragement.

What was God's remedy for Elijah? He put his prophet to bed and fed him....twice.

Two nights ago I saw a TV special on the comprehensive effects of sleep deprivation and how widespread it is. Driving while sleep deprived is as dangerous as if one were drunk. This point was supported by statistics of how many people drive, and often die/kill, while driving half-asleep. My point is not to elaborate on the details, but only to ask this:I wonder how much emotional, physical, and spiritual problems are traceable to sleep  deprivation? The bible clearly indicates that our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being are inter-related.

If one is out of balance, it will affect the other two. For example, if we are chronically sleep deprived then it will weaken us not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. They are inextricably connected.

While the TV special focused on the physical and emotional effects of lack of sleep, there are spiritual effects as well.

Have you noticed how demonic oppression often hinders people from getting enough sleep? Only one night of bad sleep can make many of us have a very difficult day. Think of what chronic insomnia can do to a persons psyche? Irritability, impatience, depression, joylessness (resulting in unkind comments) are not only poor advertisements for Christianity, but they can also weaken one's defenses against the Evil One. Sleep is not a waste of time. It enables us to make the best use of time. We are a body/soul composite, and the Lord wants us to take care of both.

If meditation is crucial to spiritual maturity, then proper sleep is as well. Some of us have this notion that it is noble to try to function on as little sleep as possible. I went through that stage in grad school, and the results were not pleasant.

We live in an era of unprecedented sleep deprivation, especially teenagers.So much stimuli from so many sources make us stand out from our agrarian ancestors. We live in this era by God's providence, but we are the ones who decide how late we stay up. Parents of young children, sleep apnea, and shift workers (there are others) often cannot avoid losing sleep. Some of you stay desperately fatigued and my heart goes out to you. My first step to overcoming this plight was simply becoming aware of how I had accepted it as normal. It is neither normal nor healthy.

Some may need behavioral insight or others medication, or both, but we need to make it a priority to get a good night's sleep. Not only does it enhance our physical immune system, but also our spiritual immune system. Abiding in Christ and displaying the fruit of the Spirit are hindered by fatigue. Our adversary knows our weaknesses and will attack.

Some suggestions--get more exercise, no caffeine before sleep, make your bedroom dark and quiet, go to bed and get up at the same time if possible, do not habitually try to "make up sleep" over the weekend. Some of you may need to be checked for sleep apnea. For chronic insomnia one may need to talk to their doctor and get a prescription (if the above are not sufficient)...at least for a while.

An increasing number of people are dying as a result of fatigue caused car crashes. It has also been shown that proper sleep can ward of cancer (as the whole immune system is enhanced).

God wants us to glorify and enjoy Him moment by moment, and a good nights sleep can help immensely.

If you have any further insight on this issue, please share it with us...thank you!

Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Authors—Want to be Interviewed?

Have you written a book that you’d like to discuss? Is it self-published or traditionally published? Is it in eBook format or available in print and/or audio? Does it fall into any of the following categories?

~ Paranormal Fiction
~ Paranormal Nonfiction
~ Horror
~ Religion/Philosophy

As this is a family-friendly blog, please don’t include any excerpts that contain profanity, sex or violence.

It's recommended that you carefully proofread your interview before you send it in. You owe it to your audience. The Eye on the Paranormal is not responsible for typos, spelling, and grammatical errors.

In order to help you and your book[s] get noticed, please follow this blog, and our Twitter page https://twitter.com/eyeonparanormal

Encourage your friends and readers to do so also and to share interview links. We will Tweet your author interview twice a day to 7700+ followers. Interviews will run on Wednesdays.

Please send ALL submissions to: freeallspirits@live.com

Use your BOOK TITLE in the subject line and copy and paste the information below. Please follow the format. Thank you!

Interview with [Your Name] Author of [your book title]
Book Title:
Author:
Genre:
Available format[s]: eBook, Paperback, Audio
Kindle link:
B&N link:
Other link:
Author's website:
Brief summary: [MAX 200 words]
Excerpt: [MAX 500 words]
THE INTERVIEW:
Why did you write this book? 
How did you come up with the title? 
How did you choose your genre?
What inspired you to be a writer?
Are you writing another book?


Monday, December 1, 2014

Dalai Lama on the Importance of Education

From his speech in Dharamsala to a large gathering of followers from Tibet on Mar 27, 2006, the Dalai Lama warns of extreme dangers facing the survival of the Tibetan identity while emphasizing that modern education is indispensable for sustaining the Tibetan Buddhist culture and ethnicity in these most difficult circumstances in Tibet's history.

I always keep saying that the broad masses of the Tibetans in Tibet are the real masters of the Tibetan destiny, and that the about one and half hundred-thousand Tibetans in exile here only represent them for accomplishing the truth of the Tibetan cause, acting as their free spokespersons and symbolic representatives.

So far the broad masses of the public in Tibet have remained in a distressed state as a result of the deprivation of their freedoms. Nevertheless, even when faced with dangers to their lives, they have, in every respect, remained steadfast in upholding the higher cause of their ethnicity and the common faith in their future prospects, keeping in mind their rights as a people. It is for these reasons that we have an audience on the world stage to whom we can speak about the tragedy and well being of Tibet, and what we say are received with respect as true. The principal asset for our credibility on the world stage is the people back in Tibet, their dedication to the common cause, indefatigable courage, and steadfast stand. It is because of these that the truth of our position stands proven. We therefore owe gratitude to the people in Tibet for their genuine dedication to the common cause and unassailable commitment to the common faith that binds them with us. I regularly say thank you to the broad masses of the people in Tibet through those who come here and I felt an urge to say it again today.

In future, too, the question whether in this world a unique people called the inhabitants of the Snowland of Tibet, and the profound culture and religion connected with them, would survive and thrive depends mainly on the people living in Tibet. Thinking from the opposite end, it is not impossible that the situation of the Tibetan people in Tibet will take such a tragic turn that they will become a minority in their own land. In such a situation, if those in Tibet fail to uphold the common aspiration of the Tibetan race, it will be extremely difficult for us in exile to be able to maintain the Tibetan ethnic identity and to carry out things like keeping, defending and spreading the Tibetan religion and culture beyond some generations. Things will be just all right during my generation in exile. After that, there will be another generation. It is possible that the situation will be fairly all right during their time. But it is impossible to say whether beyond that generation the situation will be good or bad. Extreme dangers lurk us in our future. The essential point is that the people living in Tibet are extremely important. In view of this, what is most important is that everyone should act with diligence, without any loss of determination.

One of the main ways of being diligent is to pay particular attention to the pursuit of knowledge. The world is undergoing an enormous transformation today. Even in the communist ruled countries, knowledge is considered important. Previously, during the Cultural Revolution, it was as if knowledge had lost all respect and value. But today, in the case of China, the situation is nothing like in the 1960s. Reports have also been emerging that even North Korea has, for example, been compelled to give importance to the value of modern knowledge. So, when I say that we should make efforts without loss of courage, the essence of it is that we must bring emphasis particularly on education.

Our freedom campaign is based on non-violence. Following the path of non-violence is the business capital and pride of our campaign. If we do not have truth on our side, we will have no alternative but to keep suffering. Having truth on one's side gives one the pride to be transparent about everything and to speak reason in a face-to-face exchange. It is on the basis of knowledge that truth must be vindicated by non-violent means. There is no way this task can be accomplished by just an act of taking a solemn oath.

In the area of modern knowledge, Tibetans have lagged extremely behind. Not only was the imperative for it not felt from the very beginning, there has also been no deliberately established system for pursuing it. His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama visited China in 1907, 1908, etc., and India during the period of 1910-1911 and witnessed many things about the outside world. As a result, from 1915 to 1920, he made such sound beginnings as sending some Tibetan students to countries like England with plans to have them study English and to acquire related modern mechanical skills and knowledge. However, he did not succeed in continuing these. These are matters of extreme regret. Anyway, although the 13th Dalai Lama had a broad vision for reforms, there were many internal and external elements and obstacles that rendered his efforts fruitless.

In 1960, the year after we arrived in exile in India in April 1959, we were able to speedily set up our first school in Mussoorie. Considerable effort was made to set up schools to give opportunities for modern education to the Tibetans in exile. In particular, in the early 1960s, many initiatives were taken to give more importance to setting up schools than monasteries in the Tibetan community in exile. The main reason why we especially devoted more attention to setting up schools was because it was extremely obvious that one cause of the miserable situation in which the Tibetan race found itself in was attributable to our major failure of being up to the standard in the field of modern knowledge. This resulted in our inability to set out strategies as a people at par with the rest of the world; it exposed us as too backward to be able to meet the challenges of modern times. It was in view of this that we considered setting up schools to be more important than building religious centres.

The public back in Tibet too should draw lessons from this and consider paying attention to the pursuit of modern knowledge as extremely important. In Tibet today there is a big problem in this area, including the fact that one has to pay high fees for educating one's children. Nevertheless, undaunted by both the internal and external hardships, they continue to send their children to schools, whether they are being run by the Chinese government or by private Tibetans. Everywhere in Dotoe, Domey and U-Tsang, Tibetans in large numbers are emerging, putting in their best efforts and bringing out whatever capabilities they have in the field of learning. To them all I express rejoice and offer praise for efforts well made. Whatever be the case, making efforts in the field of education is highly important.

In the case of schools in Tibet set up by the Chinese, it would be extremely narrow-minded to show disdain for them by such actions as not sending one's children to study there. Schools, even if set up by the Chinese government, are good. In order to ensure good standard of the teaching of Tibetan and other subjects in them, it should be possible to discuss the matter with concerned persons and entities. Whatever be the case, all Tibetans should make efforts in every possible way.

There are many aspects of modern education. They include science, law, economics, environment, etc. Nevertheless, the Tibetan language has not progressed in these numerous subjects. In India, efforts are being made to teach the Tibetan children all the subjects in Tibetan language from Grade I onwards. But, leave alone Tibetans, even the Indians find it most difficult to gain expertise in specialised modern subjects without pursuing it in English. In Tibet too, one has no choice but to rely on Chinese language to gain expertise in a specialised field of modern knowledge. Whether for becoming a professional or an expert researcher, in the different fields of modern knowledge in Tibet today, it is extremely important to use the Chinese language to achieve the required specialisations.

We are today struggling for a meaningful autonomy for Tibet. But in order to achieve an appropriate standard of it, our own people should be able to fully take responsibility in every possible area of undertaking related to it and to be able to produce results. There is no way merely engaging in debates will be sufficient. We ourselves must be able to argue for and administer the autonomy. The essence of this is that we must be able to do our own work by ourselves. In order to achieve both internal and external progresses appropriate for modern times, having modern education is extremely important. The reality of the situation in Tibet today is such that one has no choice but to rely on Chinese language if one is to become modern educated.

One thing that comes to my mind is this: Suppose there are a hundred Tibetan students. Seventy or eighty such students could study Tibetan language as their main subject and achieve excellence in projecting one's national identity and in preserving our cultural heritage. Twenty or thirty such students could study Chinese language as their main subject and make efforts to achieve professional qualifications in modern specialised subjects. I feel this to be important, do you understand?

http://www.dalailama.com/messages/tibet/importance-of-education