What is Demonic Collusion?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

EDITOR'S NOTE: This blog was originally posted on March 20, 2014. Mark will have a new blog next week.

"...so that we might not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

COLLUSION--secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose. (Webster's Dictionary)

"Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than truth itself." (Irenaeus,  Against Heresies 1.2)

Corruptio optimi pessimum est (the corruption of the best is the worst).

As I was sitting and watching, a strong wave of panic rushed over me...I was watching last week's Ghost Adventures in which a young man dressed up as Satan began to read Satanic incantations (this was part of a Halloween factory they were investigating), BUT thankfully, they put a strong warning on the screen and muted his words entirely.These guys are known for doing whatever they can to stir the "hornet's nest" but I was petrified that millions of people were going to hear stuff they really, really do NOT need to hear. So, my hat goes off to the GA trio for making a very wise choice in this matter. Did you also notice the adult content warning at the outset? Good for them.

As many of you know, the TV show which follows GA is the Dead Files. My forte is not that of an investigative reporter, in which Amy Allan's credentials are put under scrutiny. Kirby does that exceptionally well, so my focus is elsewhere. In the text quoted above, we are told that we need--like Paul--to be aware of Satan's schemes...the way he operates. We must be aware, acutely aware, of certain diabolical strategies which are used over and over.

COLLUSION--is one such strategy which we must be aware of so that we are not misled by Satan's deceptions. It is defined as, "Secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose." (Webster) Forgive the repetition regarding the Dead Files, but I personally think it is THE show which most clearly showcases this particular diabolical scheme.

Suppose there was a car accident which four different individuals were eyewitnesses to....all from different angles. Let me ask this--what would you think if all four eyewitnesses agreed on EVERY single detail, in their reports to the police? They even used the exact same words to describe certain details of the accident. There would be something fishy about that, wouldn't there? The investigating officer might begin to wonder how much they had talked afterwards...and tried to make their stories sound alike. This certainly happens in other scenarios, and too much agreement can be as problematic as too little agreement amongst witnesses.When there is intentional behind the scene working to make stories line up with each other, it is known as collusion. People can be very creative in how they do this in order to haul in some cash. However, the true masters of collusion are Satan and his band of demons.

And as I have alluded to before, I do not know of a TV show which showcases this diabolical collusion more masterfully than the Dead Files. The result is a very, very convincing deception, which looks "truer than the truth." (Irenaeus) Please bear with me on this, because I well remember how deeply troubling it was for me when I first encountered demonic collusion of this kind. It almost threatened to overcome what I knew to be absolute verity/truth. I NEVER want to lose my sensitivity to what seekers experience when they are overcome with dizzying displays of complex collusion, as witnessed on the Dead Files. Feel free to disagree, but I am convinced that there is an immense amount of serious demonic scheming and activity going on during this show.

If you have the potential to deceive millions, then one would expect there to be exceptional demonic strategizing. This past week was no exception. Sure the producers cut and paste between Amy and Steve, but there is ALWAYS a string of scenes where both are coming to the exact same conclusion, "independently" of each other regarding a remarkable array of historical detail.However, the sad fact is that this former homicide detective is being "collusively played" just as much as his partner, Amy.The net result is that, unless you are experienced at spotting collusion, it will deceive you--it is perhaps the most effective diabolical lying strategy being employed against us.It is simply organized lying to accomplish a larger goal.

Once they have come to the reveal, then collusion has everyone in its infernal grip. Of course it is Aunt Hilda making all the ruckus...they even have an independent artist sketch of her! And by then it is impossible to accurately identify the true culprits (demons) because, unless it serves some purpose to self--reveal their demonic identity, then they will conceal it most of the time.

BTW, it was sad that, starting from herself (not dependent upon divine revelation) Amy came to the conclusion that the folks should move because she had no idea who shadow people were--only that they were powerful and dangerous--and she had no success in getting rid of them. The reality is these shadow entities are demonic, and are quite common, contrary to what Amy says regarding their rarity.

In closing, my advice is to keep your eyes open to the potential of demonic collusion, so that we might be equipped to effectively overcome our Adversary.

Addendum--one strong piece of evidence of the reliability of the eyewitness accounts of the gospels is the manifestly obvious lack of any collusion between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

"Seeing Ghosts through God's Eyes" (also in a Kindle edition)...please consider purchasing my book which uses science, logic, and the bible to analyze the true source of power behind paranormal activity.

Was Jesus Christ a Ghost?!

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

It has surprised me the number of seminary trained Christians whom I respect point to the text in Mark 6 as proof positive that Jesus believed in ghosts. They say it is the clearest text of Jesus affirming the existence of human spirits/ghosts populating the earth, and that Jesus Himself believed in ghosts because He did not correct his disciples when they thought/said Jesus was a ghost as He walked on the water. Though I dealt with this in my book, I want to address this again in more detail. What I want to do is take the cumulative evidence to show that Jesus was NOT affirming the existence of ghosts. As we shall see, the Holy Spirit's intent for this text is antithetical to the notion of ghosts. "Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened."

1. It is important to put this text in context. Mark, spokesman for Peter, wrote this "docudrama" in order to persuade people to be followers of Jesus--words and actions of Jesus are presented by Mark to draw true disciples to our Divine Messiah. This episode is "hooked" into the preceding narrative of Jesus miraculously feeding over 10,000 people by using the word "immediately". (5,000 was just the men) Jesus is trying to show his obtuse disciples that He was the "greater then Moses" by giving us eternal Bread, and not ephemeral manna.The parallel text in Matthew 14, which includes Peter walking on the water, is also followed by the word "immediately". This is important because the authors want us to connect what had just happened (empirical evidence of Jesus' deity as seen in miracle of feeding of large multitude)The disciples were eyewitnesses of this profound miracle. In order to interpret this text correctly, we must remember that didactic/teaching texts interpret historical narratives.Both in the OT and NT followers of God did and said many wrong things, which are not always corrected by the editor. The classic case is Jepthah (Judges 11:30--who vowed to kill the first thing that came out of his tent, if God gave him victory. His daughter came out of his tent to congratulate him and was condemned to death. Jepthah had made an unbiblical vow--which the bible had made provisions for him to repent of. However, it seems that he did not repent and felt obliged to follow through with his horrible vow--he killed his daughter. However, the editor does not explicitly condemn this act. The inspired editor assumed prior knowledge of his readers. Anyone conversant with Leviticus/Deuteronomy would know  that wrongful vows should not be acted upon, and that Jepthah SHOULD have known human sacrifice was repugnant to God. The editor assumes this prior knowledge, but does not give commentary. That is that danger of drawing doctrine from the silence of historical narrative. The same is true of the NT. Many evil words and actions are recorded in the historical books of the bible but are not always condemned. It is HISTORY. In the NT there are numerous examples of the disciples saying/doing whacko things prior to Pentecost,but Jesus did not always correct them (e.g. Transfiguration experience where Peter stuck his foot in his mouth, again)....a precedent of the disciple NOT being rebuked by Jesus for saying stupid things.

2. What was the Holy Spirit's intent in above text? Was it to prove the notion of ghosts? NO!! This text, and its parallel text in Matthew 14. was included to prove that Jesus was Yahweh! How sad and ironic that it is used to "prove" that Jesus believed in ghosts. Jesus intentionally "walked by them" in order for them to see Him, and thus give empirical evidence that He was the Creator of Heaven and Earth. By walking on the water Jesus wanted them to see Him walking in the midst of a ferocious storm to show He was the Lord of creation. "it is I....."ego eimi"...I AM" echoing Exodus 3:14 )By walking on the water in a furious storm He was demonstrating that He was Lord over creation, and that there was no need to be afraid. Not only Jesus' actions but His words were designed to show the disciples that He was/is God Almighty. The Septuagint uses the same word for "passed by" when Moses experienced God "passing by" him )Exodus 33:19,22....giving Moses/disciples a glimpse of God's glory. In Mark 6:48 "walking on the sea" echoes the Septuagint Job 9:8 where "God trampled upon the sea"....same Greek words. The Holy Spirit's intent in this text is to accent the deity of the Lord Jesus--King over creation (see Mark 4).

3. First century Judaism was rife with superstition and theological confusion. For example, Jewish leaders believed in salvation by good works, and the popular superstition of a plentitude of ghosts was rampant, as it has been since the dawn of time. Peter and the rest of the disciples were deeply effected by common superstition, and were very slow to change until after Pentecost.

4. Why would they call Jesus a "ghost" when they had just seem him a few hours earlier...very much alive? Was He a ghost of a living Person? Perhaps they were terrified because they thought this was a demon trying to deceive them? That is an option not often mentioned. Either way, with an abundance evidence for Jesus' deity, why would they call Him a ghost? How could God be a ghost?! This is (and the parallel text) is the only place that "phantasm" is used, which can mean superstitious imagination.

5. Recall that the Holy Spirits intent was to exalt the deity of Jesus, and the disciples de-exalted Him by calling Him a "ghost".

6. So, why did not Jesus correct them?  First, we do not know if Jesus corrected them or not because in many cases the entirety of what Jesus said is not recorded. But my guess is that He did not correct them....not then, anyway. Why? They were deathly afraid! He was keen on comforting them, and not correcting them.It is an argument from silence to say that Jesus must have agreed with them since He did not correct them.The most common negative command that Jesus uttered was, "Do no be afraid!" If your child was drowning, and you jumped in to save them, what would be your first words to them?

7. In a context in which the deity of Jesus is being accented, it must have broken Jesus' heart that His disciples responded so faithlessly. He "walked by" in a manner to empirically display His Lordship over the storm, but the lesson was lost on them. Instead they became wild-eyed with fear, and superstition enveloped them like a cocoon.

8. To say that Jesus must have believed in roaming human spirits because He did not (that we know of) correct His disciples, is an argument from silence--a logical fallacy. Jesus/apostles did warn us of Satan and demons, but they never warn us of roaming human spirits. This is NOT an argument from silence because knowing who populates the spirit realm is utterly necessary for discernment and victory in spiritual warfare. As an exorcist, how can I properly proceed if I do not know exactly who/what may infesting the house/person? Jesus never cast out a human spirit from a human...only demons.

9. Not all historical narratives are bereft of teaching or editorial comment.v.52 is an inspired editorial commentary on this whole episode--they were afraid and their hearts were hardened. Faith Vs fear, and teachability vs hardened hearts. Unlike many historical narratives, this one is concluded with an editorial comment. This is extremely important in interpreting this text accurately. Everything...EVERYTHING...the disciples did and said has a shadow cast over it. Everything they said and did was compelled by fear and hard-heartedness. Their comment re: Jesus being a ghost was an expression of both fear and hardness of heart. They did not learn from the feeding of the 5,000 (or the 4,000) that Jesus was God almighty. How utterly tragic that they would call Him a ghost, when what He was doing and saying displayed that He was the culmination of the I AM". It is difficult to over-state the significance of this concluding comment...it renders the ghost comment utterly suspect.

10. The epistles were written largely to interpret the actions and words of Jesus. After Pentecost, ghosts are never mentioned again--except the deceased spirits in heaven or hell (e.g. Moses and Elijah). To those who are unduly affected by the fact that the bible does not mention Jesus correcting their comment that He was a ghost, was He a ghost in that text? NO! As parents, do we correct our kids EVERY TIME they make a mistake? The bible says that would break their spirits if we do. If your child was in danger of drowning and was frightened, would you feel the need to immediately correct them of anything dumb they may have uttered in their terror? I hope not....rather we would embrace them.

With an issue as significant as ghosts, we cannot camp on a text in which we are told explicitly that they were full of terror and hardness of heart, which casts a long shadow over everything they said. It is much more plausible that their cry of "ghost" was fueled by superstition.

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.

The Four Horseman Of The Apocalypse

Hello my friends! I trust you had a great Sunday and are in good health. This is a subject I've been asked to explain to the best of my knowledge again. I wrote about this back in 2013 and I have some additional information from a biblical point of view. The book of Revelations can be very intimidating. But we know who wins in the end. I will do my very best to explain some of this to the best of my knowledge. I have done a lot of research online and in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is only my interpretation from my research. I do not claim to be any expert on this particular subject. I'm just trying to answer questions I receive in my emails. I can always be reached at biblicaldemonologist@gmail.com. I will always offer any help and if I can't I will do my best to find you that help.

What Does Apocalypse Mean?

The word apocalypse means a prophetic warning or disclosure or a revelation (a revealing) of a coming event of great importance.  The Greek word for apocalypse is “apocálypsis” and means an “uncovering.” It is like lifting a curtain or a veil so that something that was previously unknown or unseen is now seen and has been revealed for all to see.  The word is closely related to the Book of Revelation or the “Apocalypsis.”  The Book of Revelation is not a revelation from the Apostle John.  He only wrote it but it is actually “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John” (Rev 1:1).  This is the book that contains the so-called Four Horsemen.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are mentioned in the Bible in chapter six of the Book of Revelation, which predicts that they will ride during the Apocalypse.

The four horsemen are traditionally named War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. However, the Bible actually only names one: Death. An alternate interpretation, likely based on differing translations, holds the first Horseman to represent War and/or the Antichrist, the second to represent Pestilence (sometimes called Plague), while the third and fourth riders remain Famine and Death, respectively.

What is described by the seals is similar to the signs of the end of the age as described by Jesus in Matthew 24. There will be wars, famines and earthquakes (Mat 24:6-8), persecution (24:9-14), the heavenly bodies are shaken (Mat 24:29) and 'at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn' (Mat 24:30).

The first Horseman is the rider of a white horse, carries a bow, and wears a crown. He is described as a conqueror. For this reason, he is sometimes interpreted as the Antichrist or as a false world leader. This Horseman is also sometimes called Pestilence.

The second Horseman is astride a red horse and carries a sword. He is associated with war and slaughter, and the Bible attributes to him the power to take away peace and to make men kill each other.

The third Horseman rides a black horse and carries scales. This Horseman, popularly called Famine, is thought to represent not only scarcity of food, but also the strict rationing or unfair allocation of goods and the exploitation of the poor.

The last of the Four Horsemen, Death, rides a "pale horse" of a sickly hue and is followed by Hades, or Hell.

The nature of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is hotly debated by theologians and Christians, but they are almost universally fascinating, regardless or perhaps because of their mystery. They were popular subjects for art during the medieval period and the Renaissance, and references to them continue to crop up in popular culture in our own day and age. Whether or not Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death are the correct interpretations of the Biblical Four Horsemen -- which will likely remain in debate for the foreseeable future -- it is safe to assume that that is what they represent in a cultural or literary context.

In many opinions The book of Revelation in the Bible is real and does not need one to read the hidden truths. When it says Jesus Christ is coming back again it means Jesus Christ is coming back again. When it says the Horsemen it means exactly that.

Since Christ is the One opening these seals and revealing what will happen in this world prior to His return, is there anywhere else in the Bible that He discloses these events? In fact, He did so shortly before His death in a section known as the Olivet Prophecy (given on the Mount of Olives), recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (chapter 24), Mark (chapter 13) and Luke (chapter 21) Seeing what Christ said in this prophecy helps us identify what each of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse represents.

In Matthew 24:3 Christ’s disciples asked, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” In the comparison chart below, notice how Christ’s answer lines up exactly with what He gave years later in the book of Revelation through the apostle John.

Notice the enormous effect of these first four seals (horsemen) in Revelation 6:8: “And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” This indicates that the first four seals will ultimately result in a death toll of one-fourth the earth’s population. This summary statement also adds something else that will contribute to the death toll—beasts of the earth, which kill as carriers of pestilence and as ravenous predators.

The ride of the fifth horseman

However, the fifth horseman of Revelation, Jesus Christ, rides not with famine, pestilence or a false gospel like the earlier riders. His ride is not the fifth seal of Revelation 6. Instead He is the returning King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Christ rides onto the world stage at the moment of earth’s greatest crisis—and “makes war.” But it will truly be the war to end wars.

The first four seals are clearly already open in our day now, and the four horsemen of the Apocalypse have been riding through the years, taking their toll on populations. But many other prophecies in the Bible show that their destruction will multiply greatly as the next seal—the fifth seal or Great Tribulation—is about to open. Christ reveals that this world is about to undergo great devastation due to the rebellion of humanity against our Creator.

May God Help us All.

Written By Jennifer L. Auld

Do Angels Communicate Telepathically and Other 'Mind-reading' Musings‏

I have often heard the following-- :"Angels read each others minds now, and when we die our souls will do the same with each other.So, why can't demons read them...". Here are some thought re: demons reading our minds.

1. True mind reading is a divine prerogative--an extension of His omniscience..see #7

2. In the Mark gospel, and scripture in general, the miracles of Christ are given as a validation of His divinity (divine Messiah) In Mark 2: 1-12 is a wonderful story of where four friends of a paralytic lowered him from the roof so that Jesus might heal him--it was so crowded they could not get in otherwise.Jesus was delighted with their faith and told the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven.In v 7 it says that the scribes were thinking to themselves that Jesus was blaspheming because only God can forgive sin. v.8 Immediately, we are told that Jesus knew what they were thinking (real mind reading) and He then asked them which was easier: to forgive a man's sins or to heal a paralytic. Since the process of sin forgiveness is invisible Jesus gives them empirical evidence of ability to forgive sins, and therefore is God...and he does this by healing the paralyzed man. The miracle proved his deity,but note that central to this whole divine validation is Jesus reading their minds.It is the first of three miracles designed to show He is God: he reads minds, he forgives sins, he heals a paralytic.So, to say that only God can read minds is actually an integral part of this text.

3. Nowhere in the bible is Satan or his demons said to read minds...BIG omission if true

4. What appears to be demonic mind reading is really demonic influence. They project thoughts into your mind, which sounds like your "mind-voice"...no raspy voices and hisses in the mind. Then they turn around and tell you what you were thinking about, trying to seem like they have the ability to read your mind.But all they have done is parrot back what they projected in there. So simple...so crafty...so persuasive to the undiscerning.

5. In my opinion, mind reading by another creature would be tantamount to mind-rape...an unnerving access or forced entry into our most secret, sacred, private place. God's goodness would not allow this unwarranted intrusion....especially with His adopted children in union with Christ.

6. As a corollary to #5, Satan tries to convince us he can read our minds because it instills fear

7. The Lord knows the thought of man (Ps. 94:11);You perceive my thoughts from afar (Ps. 139:2) there many verses in the bible which speak of God knowing what is in our minds or hearts.In Ps. 139:1-6 David is worshiping God for His omniscience--in that context His knowledge of our thoughts is stated. Though intelligent, filthy spirits are not all-knowing. We must not attribute divine traits of the Creator  to any creatures.
Any attempts by experiment (e.g. The Rhine Inst.) to engage in telepathy will expose one to demonic oppression.

8. In a section that is dealing with this very issue of who is privy to our thoughts, we read ..."No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit." (1 Cor.2:11) The stress is on inability...Inaccessibility to our thoughts by anyone but God is similar to the fact that only God Himself knows what He is thinking.Nobody has the ability to know our thoughts, or God's thoughts.It is as if Paul said. "Only a person;s own consciousness is aware of his secret thoughts, just like nobody but God is privy to His own unrevealed thoughts." The Holy Spirit, as part of the Trinity, knows and reveals to us God's thoughts...or some of them. Do you see the force of this argument....Only God knows His own thoughts, and only we know our own thoughts.If you question the latter then, you must question God as well...and we are all in agreement that demons cannot (inability) read God's mind.To me, this text is conclusive...BUT

9. What of the point that angels read each others minds now, that we will read each others minds in heaven, and that must mean that demons can read our minds now.....Well, do angels really read each others minds? I don't think so. Let me explain, and I admit of using some conjecture. Unfettered mind reading is a mind-rape as we said.

We assume that angelic communication is telepathic, but I would urge caution here. What I mean by telepathy is direct communication from one mind to another mind. But what if there is another form of communication that we are unaware of? For example, what if there is a higher/different form of verbal communication that is spoken and heard? Perhaps a different frequency is used in angelic or demonic communication, but it is still basically verbal communication, and not telepathic as we conjecture. God, pure Spirit (except for Jesus' glorified body in heaven), SPOKE the entire universe into existence. Also, in the book of Acts we are told that God spoke Hebrew to Paul, while he was on the road to Damascus. I don't know, and may I humbly suggest that nobody really knows, how angels and demons communicate. I am simply suggesting that the finite categories of our minds cannot envision all the possible means by which pure spirits  might communicate. I admit that telepathy sounds plausible, but again, are there other means of communication between angels that we haven't even thought of? Clearly the bible is not clear on this matter, and humility should guide us.

Let us assume that angelic communication is similar to what we call telepathy. What then? Let me offer a model that does not entail mind-reading. Given the arguments above, it behooves us to not attribute divine traits to creatures.

Angelic communication, as well as soul-to-soul communication in heaven, will be achieved via passive receiving and active transmitting.The angel or soul that is "talking" is the active transmitter of thought, and the one listening is the passive receiver of that information.Then the roles are reversed when the receiver wants to answer--he then actively transmits his thoughts to the others mind, while the others mind receives it.But, and this is crucial, at no point is the angel or soul having their mind "read".There is not involuntary or forced access to our minds, even in heaven. The problem arose when we wrongly assumed that, for mind-to-mind communication to happen, we must   "get into another person's head or mind".That assumption is a non-sequitor...meaning, it dos not follow (wrong conclusion) The back and forth of mind-to-mind communication does not necessarily entail accessing the contents of the other's mind...just transmission and reception.

A body-less soul, even in heaven,is incomplete.. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. (2 Cor.5:3) It is a fascinating paragraph, which speaks of our desire to be clothed with our glorified bodies. These "spiritual" bodies will be physical in nature, but perfected and endowed with new powers...much like Jesus's post-resurrection body in which He was able to walk through walls or just appeared, but He ate fish as well  (Luke 24:43) "And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He ate it as they watched." No vaporous apparition was He! He HAS a glorified human body now, and will for all eternity. But in this state, His communication was NOT telepathic...it was voice to eardrums during the 40 days before He ascended. The purpose of salvation is not to free us from the prison house of the soul--the physical body--which is what Plato and the Gnostic taught. Rather, the gloriously grand sweep of redemption is to restore to us the fullness of our perfected humanness. Only a gloriously excellent Savior could bring about such a glorious salvation!

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.

Lavishly Loving the Lord

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred adenarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven-for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

(the account in Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8 is different from this text. The Lukan version involves a different woman, a different place, a different reaction from Jesus, and a different time in Jesus' ministry).

There is an old Puritan saying...."Til sin tastes bitter, grace will not be sweet."

What is the driving force of your life...your dominant life value? We know what the Great Commandment is (loving God with all of our being), but pride (the Great Sin) often derails us throughout the day. The above text stuns and arrests my attention whenever I read it, as I did this morning during my devotional. This is a picture of a woman loving the Lord lavishly.To me, it is one of the most moving narratives in the bible.

The Pharisee did a good and proper thing by inviting Jesus to lunch at his condo. I would like to think that there was at least a kernel of sincerity in this mans invitation, at the very least he was curious. Which is fine.

Enter a woman with a bad reputation, apparently well deserved. The kind of woman that any self-respecting Pharisee would shun. The kind of woman (or man) that most of the religious leaders of Jesus day were too "holy" to allow themselves to be defiled by being touched by her. It is interesting that somehow, I suppose, the host did allow her inside...unless she crashed the party!

Here is the utterly holy and pure God/Man who looked with such tenderness upon this notorious sinner as she began to let her tears roll down her cheeks and onto his feet, dried them with her long locks, kissed his feet, and then poured expensive ointment upon them. I have no words to adequately describe the beauty of this moment....lavishly lovingly the Lord perhaps.The host was scandalized and immediately questioned the integrity/identity of Jesus because He did not kick her away. What a contrast...

Reading his mind and/or grumblings, Jesus asked his host a penetrating question. It had to do with, on a deeper level, that a depth awareness of the ugliness of one's sinfulness will lead to a depth view of the beauty of divine grace."Til sin tastes bitter, grace will not be sweet." This dear woman had her nose rubbed in her sin 24/7, while the Pharisee stood proud by his self-righteousness.If the love of money is a root of many evils, pride is THE root of all sin.It can rear it's ugly head at any time, and take on many different forms.At the base of all sin is pride--which the antithesis of humility.
The Pharisee did not express gratitude to his Guest. Perhaps he thought he had done his good deed for the day merely by inviting Jesus to a meal at his house.

With no concern for proper decorum, she unselfconsciously pours out her love and gratitude profusely in a way that scandalizes everyone but our Lord. In light of this woman's actions, I feel a visceral yearning to do the same. But to do so, I must keep my eyes on the holiness of God, which reminds me of my current sinfulness, and as a consequence, clinging white knuckled to the cross moment by moment. We don't need the gospel only on the day we are saved. We need the gospel today, tomorrow, and throughout eternity.

I yearn....I deeply long to love Jesus as this woman did, but I fall so far short.

 How do we lavishly love a holy God? Be forgiven by Him. Daily and deeply. We daily bring our sins before Him and, with tears in our hearts, pour out our loving gratitude for such an unspeakably beautiful Savior and salvation. And we are quick to ask for forgiveness from each other, starting with our children and/or spouses.

"Seeing Ghosts through God's Eyes" (also in a Kindle edition)...please consider purchasing my book which uses science, logic, and the bible to analyze the true source of power behind paranormal activity.

Was Jesus a Ghost?!

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

It has surprised me the number of seminary trained Christians whom I respect point to the text in Mark 6 as proof positive that Jesus believed in ghosts. They say it is the clearest text of Jesus affirming the existence of human spirits/ghosts populating the earth, and that Jesus Himself believed in ghosts because He did not correct his disciples when they thought/said Jesus was a ghost as He walked on the water. Though I dealt with this in my book, I want to address this again in more detail. What I want to do is take the cumulative evidence to show that Jesus was NOT affirming the existence of ghosts. As we shall see, the Holy Spirit's intent for this text is antithetical to the notion of ghosts. "Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night7 he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened."

1. It is important to put this text in context. Mark, spokesman for Peter, wrote this "docudrama" in order to persuade people to be followers of Jesus--words and actions of Jesus are presented by Mark to draw true disciples to our Divine Messiah. This episode is "hooked" into the preceding narrative of Jesus miraculously feeding over 10,000 people by using the word "immediately". (5,000 was just the men) Jesus is trying to show his obtuse disciples that He was the "greater then Moses" by giving us eternal Bread, and not ephemeral manna.The parallel text in Matthew 14, which includes Peter walking on the water, is also followed by the word "immediately". This is important because the authors want us to connect what had just happened (empirical evidence of Jesus' deity as seen in miracle of feeding of large multitude)The disciples were eyewitnesses of this profound miracle. In order to interpret this text correctly, we must remember that didactic/teaching texts interpret historical narratives.Both in the OT and NT followers of God did and said many wrong things, which are not always corrected by the editor. The classic case is Jepthah (Judges 11:30--who vowed to kill the first thing that came out of his tent, if God gave him victory. His daughter came out of his tent to congratulate him and was condemned to death. Jepthah had made an unbiblical vow--which the bible had made provisions for him to repent of. However, it seems that he did not repent and felt obliged to follow through with his horrible vow--he killed his daughter. However, the editor does not explicitly condemn this act. The inspired editor assumed prior knowledge of his readers. Anyone conversant with Leviticus/Deuteronomy would know  that wrongful vows should not be acted upon, and that Jepthah SHOULD have known human sacrifice was repugnant to God. The editor assumes this prior knowledge, but does not give commentary. That is that danger of drawing doctrine from the silence of historical narrative. The same is true of the NT. Many evil words and actions are recorded in the historical books of the bible but are not always condemned. It is HISTORY. In the NT there are numerous examples of the disciples saying/doing whacko things prior to Pentecost,but Jesus did not always correct them (e.g. Transfiguration experience where Peter stuck his foot in his mouth, again)....a precedent of the disciple NOT being rebuked by Jesus for saying stupid things.

2. What was the Holy Spirit's intent in above text? Was it to prove the notion of ghosts? NO!! This text, and its parallel text in Matthew 14. was included to prove that Jesus was Yahweh! How sad and ironic that it is used to "prove" that Jesus believed in ghosts. Jesus intentionally "walked by them" in order for them to see Him, and thus give empirical evidence that He was the Creator of Heaven and Earth. By walking on the water Jesus wanted them to see Him walking in the midst of a ferocious storm to show He was the Lord of creation. "it is I....."ego eimi"...I AM" echoing Exodus 3:14 )By walking on the water in a furious storm He was demonstrating that He was Lord over creation, and that there was no need to be afraid. Not only Jesus' actions but His words were designed to show the disciples that He was/is God Almighty. The Septuagint uses the same word for "passed by" when Moses experienced God "passing by" him )Exodus 33:19,22....giving Moses/disciples a glimpse of God's glory. In Mark 6:48 "walking on the sea" echoes the Septuagint Job 9:8 where "God trampled upon the sea"....same Greek words. The Holy Spirit's intent in this text is to accent the deity of the Lord Jesus--King over creation (see Mark 4).

3. First century Judaism was rife with superstition and theological confusion. For example, Jewish leaders believed in salvation by good works, and the popular superstition of a plentitude of ghosts was rampant, as it has been since the dawn of time. Peter and the rest of the disciples were deeply effected by common superstition, and were very slow to change until after Pentecost.

4. Why would they call Jesus a "ghost" when they had just seem him a few hours earlier...very much alive? Was He a ghost of a living Person? Perhaps they were terrified because they thought this was a demon trying to deceive them? That is an option not often mentioned. Either way, with an abundance evidence for Jesus' deity, why would they call Him a ghost? How could God be a ghost?! This is (and the parallel text) is the only place that "phantasm" is used, which can mean superstitious imagination.

5. Recall that the Holy Spirits intent was to exalt the deity of Jesus, and the disciples de-exalted Him by calling Him a "ghost".

6. So, why did not Jesus correct them?  First, we do not know if Jesus corrected them or not because in many cases the entirety of what Jesus said is not recorded. But my guess is that He did not correct them....not then, anyway. Why? They were deathly afraid! He was keen on comforting them, and not correcting them.It is an argument from silence to say that Jesus must have agreed with them since He did not correct them.The most common negative command that Jesus uttered was, "Do no be afraid!" If your child was drowning, and you jumped in to save them, what would be your first words to them?

7. In a context in which the deity of Jesus is being accented, it must have broken Jesus' heart that His disciples responded so faithlessly. He "walked by" in a manner to empirically display His Lordship over the storm, but the lesson was lost on them. Instead they became wild-eyed with fear, and superstition enveloped them like a cocoon.

8. To say that Jesus must have believed in roaming human spirits because He did not (that we know of)correct His disciples, is an argument from silence--a logical fallacy. Jesus/apostles did warn us of Satan and demons, but they never warn us of roaming human spirits. This is NOT an argument from silence because knowing who populates the spirit realm is utterly necessary for discernment and victory in spiritual warfare. As an exorcist, how can I properly proceed if I do not know exactly who/what may infesting the house/person? Jesus never cast out a human spirit from a human...only demons.

9. Not all historical narratives are bereft of teaching or editorial comment.v.52 is an inspired editorial commentary on this whole episode--they were afraid and their hearts were hardened. Faith Vs fear, and teachability vs hardened hearts. Unlike many historical narratives, this one is concluded with an editorial comment. This is extremely important in interpreting this text accurately. Everything...EVERYTHING...the disciples did and said has a shadow cast over it. Everything they said and did was compelled by fear and hard-heartedness. Their comment re: Jesus being a ghost was an expression of both fear and hardness of heart. They did not learn from the feeding of the 5,000 (or the 4,000) that Jesus was God almighty. How utterly tragic that they would call Him a ghost, when what He was doing and saying displayed that He was the culmination of the I AM". It is difficult to over-state the significance of this concluding comment...it renders the ghost comment utterly suspect.

10. The epistles were written largely to interpret the actions and words of Jesus. After Pentecost, ghosts are never mentioned again--except the deceased spirits in heaven or hell (e.g. Moses and Elijah). To those who are unduly affected by the fact that the bible does not mention Jesus correcting their comment that He was a ghost, was He a ghost in that text? NO! As parents, do we correct our kids EVERY TIME they make a mistake? The bible says that would break their spirits if we do. If your child was in danger of drowning and was frightened, would you feel the need to immediately correct them of anything dumb they may have uttered in their terror? I hope not....rather we would embrace them.

With an issue as significant as ghosts, we cannot camp on a text in which we are told explicitly that they were full of terror and hardness of heart, which casts a long shadow over everything they said. It is much more plausible that their cry of "ghost" was fueled by superstition.

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.

What is Demonic Collusion?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"...so that we might not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

COLLUSION--secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose. (Webster's Dictionary)

"Error, indeed, is never set forth in its naked deformity, lest, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced (ridiculous as the expression may seem) more true than truth itself." (Irenaeus,  Against Heresies 1.2)

Corruptio optimi pessimum est (the corruption of the best is the worst).

As I was sitting and watching, a strong wave of panic rushed over me...I was watching last week's Ghost Adventures in which a young man dressed up as Satan began to read Satanic incantations (this was part of a Halloween factory they were investigating), BUT thankfully, they put a strong warning on the screen and muted his words entirely.These guys are known for doing whatever they can to stir the "hornet's nest" but I was petrified that millions of people were going to hear stuff they really, really do NOT need to hear. So, my hat goes off to the GA trio for making a very wise choice in this matter. Did you also notice the adult content warning at the outset? Good for them.

As many of you know, the TV show which follows GA is the Dead Files. My forte is not that of an investigative reporter, in which Amy's credentials are put under scrutiny. Kirby does that exceptionally well, so my focus is elsewhere. In the text quoted above, we are told that we need--like Paul--to be aware of Satan's schemes...the way he operates. We must be aware, acutely aware, of certain diabolical strategies which are used over and over.

COLLUSION--is one such strategy which we must be aware of so that we are not misled by Satan's deceptions. It is defined as, "Secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose." (Webster) Forgive the repetition regarding the Dead Files, but I personally think it is THE show which most clearly showcases this particular diabolical scheme.

Suppose there was a car accident which four different individuals were eyewitnesses to....all from different angles. Let me ask this--what would you think if all four eyewitnesses agreed on EVERY single detail, in their reports to the police? They even used the exact same words to describe certain details of the accident. There would be something fishy about that, wouldn't there? The investigating officer might begin to wonder how much they had talked afterwards...and tried to make their stories sound alike. This certainly happens in other scenarios, and too much agreement can be as problematic as too little agreement amongst witnesses.When there is intentional behind the scene working to make stories line up with each other, it is known as collusion. People can be very creative in how they do this in order to haul in some cash. However, the true masters of collusion are Satan and his band of demons.

And as I have alluded to before, I do not know of a TV show which showcases this diabolical collusion more masterfully than the Dead Files. The result is a very, very convincing deception, which looks "truer than the truth." (Irenaeus) Please bear with me on this, because I well remember how deeply troubling it was for me when I first encountered demonic collusion of this kind. It almost threatened to overcome what I knew to be absolute verity/truth. I NEVER want to lose my sensitivity to what seekers experience when they are overcome with dizzying displays of complex collusion, as witnessed on the Dead Files. Feel free to disagree, but I am convinced that there is an immense amount of serious demonic scheming and activity going on during this show.

If you have the potential to deceive millions, then one would expect there to be exceptional demonic strategizing. This past week was no exception. Sure the producers cut and paste between Amy and Steve, but there is ALWAYS a string of scenes where both are coming to the exact same conclusion, "independently" of each other regarding a remarkable array of historical detail.However, the sad fact is that this former homicide detective is being "collusively played" just as much as his partner, Amy.The net result is that, unless you are experienced at spotting collusion, it will deceive you--it is perhaps the most effective diabolical lying strategy being employed against us.It is simply organized lying to accomplish a larger goal.

Once they have come to the reveal, then collusion has everyone in its infernal grip. Of course it is Aunt Hilda making all the ruckus...they even have an independent artist sketch of her! And by then it is impossible to accurately identify the true culprits (demons) because, unless it serves some purpose to self--reveal their demonic identity, then they will conceal it most of the time.

BTW, it was sad that, starting from herself (not dependent upon divine revelation) Amy came to the conclusion that the folks should move because she had no idea who shadow people were--only that they were powerful and dangerous--and she had no success in getting rid of them. The reality is these shadow entities are demonic, and are quite common, contrary to what Amy says regarding their rarity.

In closing, my advice is to keep your eyes open to the potential of demonic collusion, so that we might be equipped to effectively overcome our Adversary.

Addendum--one strong piece of evidence of the reliability of the eyewitness accounts of the gospels is the manifestly obvious lack of any collusion between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

"Seeing Ghosts through God's Eyes" (also in a Kindle edition)...please consider purchasing my book which uses science, logic, and the bible to analyze the true source of power behind paranormal activity.

Letter to the New Agers

By Stephen Piersall, God’s Preservation Ministry, http://sfprs.org/

The New-Age movement is running rampant across our country and has over 20 million enthusiastic members with focus and importance on individual personal holiness and its effects and principles on society. YOU the new agers would rather live without God, Bible, of the truth. Remember we reap what we sow. I remember going through school and always hearing “learn from our mistakes, learn from our past, and things will turn out to be a better life for you. Hmmmm

Let me give you a wake-up call from the past. How about Germany, in how Hitler’s Nazi regime disguised its eventual immoral objectives from most of humanity. This only validates how endangered we all are to the impulses of Satan. There is a thin obscure boundary between good and evil, and that is why we are in danger to false doctrines and will continue to live in and practice deception through Satan, Demons (ghosts), spirit guides, witches, psychics, mediums, ghost hunting, EVP's, spirit boxes, divination, etc. 

 

One thing about the new-age leaders is that they preach about awareness of self-deity. People do not even realize that they are performing the exact same worship to their “Gods" as what the real God has demanded for thousands of years. They instead embrace a theology of live for today. There is no Heaven or Hell, and these spirit guides come to him or her with messages. Only they don’t realize that it all is coming from Satan, which when he got kicked out of Heaven with 1/3^rd of the Angels, promised to wreak havoc and do what he could to turn people’s lives away from God. That is why you always hear how Satan, and His demons are a master of disguises.

Hey You, Ghost Hunter! Do you honestly believe if you were in a tragic accident, and your spouse and 5-year-old daughter died; some future ghost hunting team will find them stuck here on earth, and their spirit needs someone to pray for them to cross over? On the other hand, that your spouse who was a mean person, and mistreated you and your child and smoked, drank and used drugs, is still around to haunt people. Seriously?! 

 

My God is full of love and forgiveness, and not cruel and unjust like Satan. When a crisis occurs, the unbelievers fall apart, cry, and blame God for everything. Even in their own self-righteous minds, they still remain confused, angry, and troubled and blame everyone or anything. Where was your spirit guide, psychic medium, self-serving attitudes that you have to prevent this from happening?

All these unbelievers agree that the solution for everything is in their control. The arrogant mindset will not let them fall down on their knees and ask God for forgiveness. God instructs us to be humble and meek, love one another, and repent of our sinful ways, as well for us to forgive others of any infractions against you.

Recite the following out loud and slowly, and think about what these words mean:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

 

That is one powerful prayer, and it is short, straight to the point, and inspired by God himself. We all have to "report" to somebody for our actions, whether at work, parents, school, driving along the road. Why is it so hard to turn from your selfish ways and report to God? Some say we are at the beginning of “End of Days." Whether we are or not, I for one will continue to do what I can to walk the straight and narrow that God’s plan for my life dictates.

It is not too late to allow God into your life. Just read four books of the Bible to add to your New Year’s resolutions; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The four Gospels that give witness to Jesus in how he loved, forgave, healed, cast out demons, and to give us all an example, of how we should live. 

 

On a side note, one of my pet peeves on blogs is when I read comments of gossip and bickering. It makes me wonder if it is children, or adults acting as children behind the “anonymous” name. Debating a point is a fair game. However, does it have to get so ridiculous and slam each other? Grow up, act responsible, be respectful, and stop hiding behind a fake name. Rodney King once said, “Can we all get along?”