St. Patrick & the Racism/Segregation--Pagan/Spiritism Parallel

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

³² Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command. (1 Chronicles 12:32, emphasis added)

 ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Like the men of Issachar, we need to understand OUR times so that we might know what we ought to do; but we have blind spots. Let me explain.

Segregation is to Racism as Spirit Communication is to Paganism. Huh?

We are approaching St Patrick’s Day, and I think it is appropriate that we address this issue in that light. While a slave, he learned Irish, and was effective in helping to bring Christ to a nation in bondage to paganism and occult practices.

Every generation of Christian’s (contrary to Issachar) seems to have a glaring blind spot/s; so glaring that one wonders how an entire generation/s overlooked it. My parents generation is known as the “Greatest Generation’, and for good reason—living though the Depression and fighting in WW II, ECT.  However, my parent’s generation of Christians, and many generations before them, was either racist themselves or didn’t speak out against it (many exceptions, including my parents). It was a terrible black eye on the church. It was this type of ‘plasticity’ or hypocrisy that fueled the hippie generations rebellion. The 50’s caused the 60’s; there is a flow to human and cultural history.

Indeed, not a few pastors/theologians tried to support racism, or segregation, from the bible. The same had been done with slavery before that. It is hard to step out of one’s historical situation, unless you are saturated with a biblical worldview. But given scriptures clarity, there was no excuse for their attitudes or actions regarding race.

Racism led to the practice of segregation.  It is important to see what is cause and what is effect; sinful racism of the heart led to sinful practices of segregation, which were exceedingly degrading to black people’s dignity.

We would never do that!  Or have we….?

I fondly remember my dad being probably the only business owner in Moore County in NC who did NOT have segregated bathrooms/water fountains in the 50’s, and who hired a black man as an equal.

Shortly after I was converted when I was 17, I was turned on to Francis Schaeffer, and he pointed out this racist blind spot and subsequent black-eye for the church. Forty-five years later, I vividly remember the prayer I prayed then, and continued to pray through the years: “Lord, please show me how MY generation is blind; how am I blind.” Ten years ago, I believe the Lord answered my prayer.

I saw the effect first, before I saw the cause.  The popularity of ghost hunting/spirit communication (effect) led me to see the larger issue of the dominance of the pagan worldview (cause). Just as racism led to segregationist policies, so the ascendency of the pagan worldview has led to communication with the spirit realm and this amongst many Christians. Yes, we are blind.

Ideas/beliefs and worldviews inevitably express themselves in actions. As Dr. Peter Jones points out in “The Other Worldview”, and other books, secularism/materialism, etc, has been replaced by the pagan/neo-Gnostic/occult/New Age as the main worldview enemy of the Truth. But most Christian leaders are still battling against tired, worn out, dying foes, or at least neglecting the primary enemy.

Paganism is to spirit communication (EVP’s, mediums/psychics, energy healers, etc.), as racism was to segregation. Just as racism was the cause behind segregationist practices, so the occult worldview is fueling this mushrooming craze for spirit communication, in all its various forms. That parallel is meant to be shocking, because the reality is shocking. I am NOT saying that Christians, or anyone, who engages in spirit communication is racist—that totally misses the point of the analogy.

But most Christians today (there are many exceptions) are blind to this undeniable fact, or are being silent about it, because they don’t want their pursuit of personal peace and affluence to be disrupted. How selfish we are. How awfully selfish, and our children/grandchildren will scream as they face difficult days ahead:”Why…why didn’t they do something, while they still could?” Indeed, why not? 

It is one of the blind spots of the church today: both the worldview of paganism, and the practice of spirit communication (via EVP's, mediums, psychics, meditation, Reiki, yoga, etc) The blindness is mostly due to a culpable ignorance of Christians in general, and pastors in particular-a vincible ignorance; an ignorance that should have been resisted and overcome. Walk down the aisle of any bookstore or toy store, watch the news, see TV programming, and movies, and you will be surrounded by paganism and spiritism, in countless variety.

Having been a pastor myself for fifteen years, I have a profound respect for clergy. However, it is the responsibility of all Christians, but especially preachers, to be in-tune with OUR generation (like men of Issachar) and to apply the timeless truth of God’s Word to changing culture. However, when was the last time your pastor preached on: understanding a pagan worldview, or the bible’s view of ghosts, mediums/psychics, energy healing, and the like? (Many in their congregations are either curious or confused.) Just as there was a dearth of biblical preaching on racism and segregation in the past, there is a similar lack of preaching on the pagan worldview and spirit communication today. We are always the last ones to see our own blind-spots.

I am using the racist/segregation analogy for its shock value intentionally; to shock Christians, and especially Christian leaders, awake to the fact that we are being just as blind to paganism/spirit communication as our ancestors were to racism/segregation. Just as there was no excuse for their silence regarding beliefs and practices about race, so we, too, have no excuse for staying silent.

I am still in the process of sending out the ‘Open Letter to Christian Paranormal Investigators,’ and as we state in the preface, it is sent with the same spirit and intent of MLK’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” What prompted me to write that letter was the answered prayer of 45 years ago, which has haunted me all these years: “Lord, where are WE blind? Where am I blind?”

In my hometown of Greensboro, NC is where the international sit-in movement got its genesis; four courageous, black Christian men sat at the Woolworth's counter and waited for food. The actions of four college students grew into an international civil rights sit-in movement. They were real change agents. We still have a way to go regarding race, but substantial change has occurred. And it’s my prayer that God would use our humble ‘open letter’ to start a similar awareness and action with regards to paganism and the practice of speaking to the spirit realm, before it’s too late.

Certainly, there are other issues like abortion, but when will Christians see that we, too, have a glaring blind-spot? None of us are above being deceived or blind; like fish accustomed to the water, we have become so accustomed to our generational mindset, that we don’t have the eyes to see the evil and error that has crept in and become ensconced in our culture.

Sadly, in each generation, the very folks who should be quick to see the blind spots are themselves the last ones to see it. Often the secular media picks up on it, and then Christians follow suit. (I doubt that the secular media will ever criticize paganism though). That is wrong, because we should be leading the charge, as salt and light! (See Matthew 5; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 10)

Looking back now, would you have marched with MLK if he came to your hometown, or would you have sneered, or just as bad, said: “I am personally opposed to racism and segregation, but I don’t want to rock the boat?” The unabashed pursuit of personal peace and affluence was/is another blind spot, and has always caused a lack of concern for significant issues. “Just leave me alone to enjoy my life on my terms.”  Selfish and dishonoring to God.

Would you have said:”Okay, Dr. King, you made your point—why do you have to keep harping on it?” And the answer is: he HAD to keep harping on it because few others were. Same holds true today.

I know that most Christians, who are engaged in spiritistic practices, detest racism and segregation. But my question to them, and everyone, is:  in light of scripture’s clarity, why can you not see OUR glaring blind spot? It is all around us and is opening demonic doors in ways unprecedented in human history.

We cannot scratch our collective heads as to how almost the entire ‘greatest generation’ could have been so blind as to what was happening all around them, every day, when we are just as blind regarding the rampant spiritual adultery that has invaded the church. In both cases, the band played on, until enough people spoke up that it began to have an impact.

We are called in 2 Cor. 10 to “tear down strongholds of evil and error…” (Paraphrase) In the ‘Open Letter to Christian Paranormal Investigators’, and in this blog, my intent is to do precisely that.  Note the last verse, in which Paul says he is ready to punish all disobedience. In today’s context what that would look like is this. If I was still a pastor and one of my members was communicating with the spirit realm, they would be privately talked to by the pastor (me); if they resisted then they would be brought before the elders,; and if they continued to resist, then, with tears, would be excommunicated, with the hopes that they would awaken, repent and be restored to fellowship. The purity of the Bride of Christ is at stake.

In closing, I know that spirit communication (in its countless forms of expression) is not as outwardly rampant as segregation was at one point--not yet, anyway. In light of St Patrick’s Day, it is appropriate to mention that IF we do not change, then the USA/Europe will likely become similar to pre-St Patrick Ireland—full of spiritual darkness and Druidic occultism. In the 4^th century the church had to fight valiantly against Gnosticism, and now neo-Gnosticism has reappeared 1,500 years later, with Satan much better informed and filled with a furious zeal to destroy the church.

Segregation is to Racism as Spirit Communication is to Paganism.  We need to address the cause as well as the effect, and ‘pull them down’ through the omnipotent Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

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.

Fifty Shades of Mommy Porn & Demonic Sex

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

What does it mean that the fastest selling paperback in history is a trilogy of soft-porn novels that wallow in sadomasochism? Erika Leonard--aka E.L. James--is British author of The Fifty Shades of Grey trio of novels. This unholy literary trinity is defiling the consciences and imaginations of millions of women, including many professing Christians. So  many young woman are reading Fifty Shades, these books have been dubbed "mommy porn". Very sad...

As with many cultural phenomenon, the popularity of these novels is both symptom and cause of the status of our culture. It is symptom in that, the author expresses the spiritual/moral collapse of Western Civilization (similar to dynamics of the decline of the Roman Empire--moral rot from within). Moral/ethical relativity is at the core of Ms. Leonard's worldview as expressed in these books. On the other hand, its incredible popularity is effecting many millions of women in a deleterious way.This book is not merely being read, it is  being experienced--in a variety of ways, but the minds/imaginations (which is where the spiritual battle normally begins) of its readers are being defiled. That can be a gateway to the demonic.

My purpose is not to write a book review, nor an in-depth discussion of demonic sex, but to think aloud with you as to what is happening in our country. The explosion of interest in the paranormal is not happening in a cultural vacuum, and I am passionate about understanding the dynamics of what is feeding into this continuing fascination with the paranormal. 

Two simultaneous trends, both of which are experiencing explosive growth: fascination with all things paranormal, and popular"art"  expressing graphic sex. The common denominator of these two trends is the primacy of experience over reason and God's revealed truth. Whether it be erotic or the spirit realm (or both), lusting for direct experience is what I see as the link between these two phenomena.The desire behind experience is the idolatrous quest for happiness.

It was Francis Schaeffer who commented that personal peace (happiness) and affluence have become the dominant life values of most people. This is tragic in light of the fact that glorifying and loving God is our purpose, and happiness will often (but not always) follow. Certainly joy will...

Another connection we must note is that this mass defilement of minds and imaginations is a cause for the increase of cases of incubii and succubii....demonic sex.

I have no doubt that demonic sex is increasing in frequency.

However, there are many women (and some men) who are ashamed to admit their diabolical sexual encounters to a pastor or priest. And as horrible as it may sound, some folks do not want the encounters to stop, because of how pleasurable it is.They are addicted... Personally, I have spoken to perhaps 3 dozen women and men who were/are in agony over this horrific reality. Make no mistake--people are really being sexually aroused and assaulted by demonic entities. The folks I talked to were mostly wide awake when the episodes take place...and they ranged from exquisite sexual arousal/orgasm to violent demonic rape....ripping,and tearing of genital flesh. Some are being touched and diabolically pleasured while walking down the sidewalk.

If this blog helps one person to commit to living a disciplined, holy life, or encourages them to overcome their fear and seek help, then it will been a "success."

Please keep this in mind as I discuss the sexual component--I have written of how our country has seemed to have reached a critical mass of interest in the paranormal. I THINK this has simultaneously removed (to some degree) God's restraining common grace protection, and unleashed an unprecedented amount of overt demonic activity in the US. Please don't lose track of that as we discuss this other.It has become more dangerous because fascination with the paranormal has opened the floodgates to spiritual darkness/oppression.

The "Twilight" series (which had a major impact on (E.L. James), "Being Human" and scores of other TV shows and books, have replaced the "old bad boy" with a vampiric bad boy. He's a lot badder...This interest in vampirism and/or the pornographic Fifty Shades are a step towards creating an invitation to the demonic, because the daydreaming/lust may include the desire for an illicit supernatural encounter.Combine that with a super-heated paranormal atmosphere (demonized), then we have a potent brew.

Often moving progressively,  it starts with sexually explicit dreams....moves to sleep paralysis episodes....and finally one night they see the footsteps on their bed. and the touching begins. And a wide-awake nightmare ensues...

Now, here is the problem--reading a book like Fifty Shades of Grey primes the woman for adultery/fornication by proxy ( I am not picking on women, because everyone knows that many men have terrible problems with pornography....and this book is being read primarily by women).Their imaginations are being corrupted by the antics of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

Not long into the book, they are going at it, in graphic detail. The plot is not even worth mentioning because it boils down to this sequence, which repeats itself over and over--two pages of various characters interacting, and then 3 pages of wild, S&M sex. Over, and over, and over....Christian (curious choice of name) is a 27-year-old billionaire who makes Brad Pitt look like an ugly nerd. Her constant, breathless descriptions throughout the book of Mr Grey makes any living man/husband/boyfriend look hopelessly inadequate.

The demon cannot read their mind, but it knows what they are reading has put them in a spiritually compromised position. Some are then tempted to lust for a midnight "visitor" .In other words, reading pornographic trash is a door-opener because it can give them the "legal right" to attach and attack. Some readers or viewers of pornography may even yearn aloud, "If only I had..." Any demon within earshot will be eager to surprise them one night with an experience that is other-worldly pleasurable.

I am having trouble knowing which direction to take this (maybe because I am in the midst of the chaos of moving). Let me say two things.

First, please...I beg of you to get the help that you need. You can always contact me and I will find someone to help if you are too far away. Please do not remain silent out of embarrassment. And if addicted to demonic sex--it happens--you must look beyond the pleasure and see that you are being used and destroyed. Demons are incapable of loving humans...they hate you.

Second, as I pondered this issue, I was reminded of the Song of Solomon in the bible. It contains beautiful and sensuous poetry expressing erotic love between a man and a woman in the covenant commitment of marriage. Eros was created by God, as were all the lawful pleasures. The Word of God is not prudish, and a proper appreciation of the attractiveness of the of the opposite sex, of both form and face, is explicitly celebrated in the The Song of Solomon. It is amazing to me that this part of the inspired bible can be so "earthy", but without a hint of the pornographic.

Here are the key themes in that amazing book.

1. God's covenant, which commands sexual purity, provides just the right framework (marriage) within which His people may properly enjoy the gift of sexual intimacy (Gen. 2:23-24) Thus God's people honor Him and commend Him to the world when they demonstrate with their lives that obedience in such matters brings genuine delight.

2. Marriage is a gift of God, and is to be founded on loyalty and commitment which allows delight to flourish. As such, it is a fitting image for God's relationship with His people, in both the OT and the NT.

The fall of mankind damaged every aspect of human lives, and God's work of redemption aims to restore every aspect  to its proper functioning. God's goal is that romantic love, with all its potential pain and degradation, should be an arena of enjoyment for His redeemed people. (ESV Study Bible, pg 1213)  Amen.

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.

Fifty Shades of Mommy Porn and Demonic Sex

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

What does it mean that the fastest selling paperback in history is a trilogy of soft-porn novels that wallow in sadomasochism? Erika Leonard--aka E.L. James--is British author of The Fifty Shades of Grey trio of novels. This unholy literary trinity is defiling the consciences and imaginations of millions of women, including many professing Christians. So  many young woman are reading Fifty Shades, these books have been dubbed "mommy porn". Very sad...

As with many cultural phenomenon, the popularity of these novels is both symptom and cause of the status of our culture. It is symptom in that, the author expresses the spiritual/moral collapse of Western Civilization (similar to dynamics of the decline of the Roman Empire--moral rot from within). Moral/ethical relativity is at the core of Ms. Leonard's worldview as expressed in these books. On the other hand, its incredible popularity is effecting many millions of women in a deleterious way.This book is not merely being read, it is  being experienced--in a variety of ways, but the minds/imaginations (which is where the spiritual battle normally begins) of its readers are being defiled. That can be a gateway to the demonic.

My purpose is not to write a book review, nor an in-depth discussion of demonic sex, but to think aloud with you as to what is happening in our country. The explosion of interest in the paranormal is not happening in a cultural vacuum, and I am passionate about understanding the dynamics of what is feeding into this continuing fascination with the paranormal. 

Two simultaneous trends, both of which are experiencing explosive growth: fascination with all things paranormal, and popular"art"  expressing graphic sex. The common denominator of these two trends is the primacy of experience over reason and God's revealed truth. Whether it be erotic or the spirit realm (or both), lusting for direct experience is what I see as the link between these two phenomena.The desire behind experience is the idolatrous quest for happiness.

It was Francis Schaeffer who commented that personal peace (happiness) and affluence have become the dominant life values of most people. This is tragic in light of the fact that glorifying and loving God is our purpose, and happiness will often (but not always) follow. Certainly joy will...

Another connection we must note is that this mass defilement of minds and imaginations is a cause for the increase of cases of incubii and succubii....demonic sex.

I have no doubt that demonic sex is increasing in frequency.

However, there are many women (and some men) who are ashamed to admit their diabolical sexual encounters to a pastor or priest. And as horrible as it may sound, some folks do not want the encounters to stop, because of how pleasurable it is.They are addicted... Personally, I have spoken to perhaps 3 dozen women and men who were/are in agony over this horrific reality. Make no mistake--people are really being sexually aroused and assaulted by demonic entities. The folks I talked to were mostly wide awake when the episodes take place...and they ranged from exquisite sexual arousal/orgasm to violent demonic rape....ripping,and tearing of genital flesh. Some are being touched and diabolically pleasured while walking down the sidewalk.

If this blog helps one person to commit to living a disciplined, holy life, or encourages them to overcome their fear and seek help, then it will been a "success."

Please keep this in mind as I discuss the sexual component--I have written of how our country has seemed to have reached a critical mass of interest in the paranormal. I THINK this has simultaneously removed (to some degree) God's restraining common grace protection, and unleashed an unprecedented amount of overt demonic activity in the US. Please don't lose track of that as we discuss this other.It has become more dangerous because fascination with the paranormal has opened the floodgates to spiritual darkness/oppression.

The "Twilight" series (which had a major impact on (E.L. James), "Being Human" and scores of other TV shows and books, have replaced the "old bad boy" with a vampiric bad boy. He's a lot badder...This interest in vampirism and/or the pornographic Fifty Shades are a step towards creating an invitation to the demonic, because the daydreaming/lust may include the desire for an illicit supernatural encounter.Combine that with a super-heated paranormal atmosphere (demonized), then we have a potent brew.

Often moving progressively,  it starts with sexually explicit dreams....moves to sleep paralysis episodes....and finally one night they see the footsteps on their bed. and the touching begins. And a wide-awake nightmare ensues...

Now, here is the problem--reading a book like Fifty Shades of Grey primes the woman for adultery/fornication by proxy ( I am not picking on women, because everyone knows that many men have terrible problems with pornography....and this book is being read primarily by women).Their imaginations are being corrupted by the antics of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

Not long into the book, they are going at it, in graphic detail. The plot is not even worth mentioning because it boils down to this sequence, which repeats itself over and over--two pages of various characters interacting, and then 3 pages of wild, S&M sex. Over, and over, and over....Christian (curious choice of name) is a 27-year-old billionaire who makes Brad Pitt look like an ugly nerd. Her constant, breathless descriptions throughout the book of Mr Grey makes any living man/husband/boyfriend look hopelessly inadequate.

The demon cannot read their mind, but it knows what they are reading has put them in a spiritually compromised position. Some are then tempted to lust for a midnight "visitor" .In other words, reading pornographic trash is a door-opener because it can give them the "legal right" to attach and attack. Some readers or viewers of pornography may even yearn aloud, "If only I had..." Any demon within earshot will be eager to surprise them one night with an experience that is other-worldly pleasurable.

I am having trouble knowing which direction to take this (maybe because I am in the midst of the chaos of moving). Let me say two things.

First, please...I beg of you to get the help that you need. You can always contact me and I will find someone to help if you are too far away. Please do not remain silent out of embarrassment. And if addicted to demonic sex--it happens--you must look beyond the pleasure and see that you are being used and destroyed. Demons are incapable of loving humans...they hate you.

Second, as I pondered this issue, I was reminded of the Song of Solomon in the bible. It contains beautiful and sensuous poetry expressing erotic love between a man and a woman in the covenant commitment of marriage. Eros was created by God, as were all the lawful pleasures. The Word of God is not prudish, and a proper appreciation of the attractiveness of the of the opposite sex, of both form and face, is explicitly celebrated in the The Song of Solomon. It is amazing to me that this part of the inspired bible can be so "earthy", but without a hint of the pornographic.

Here are the key themes in that amazing book.

1. God's covenant, which commands sexual purity, provides just the right framework (marriage) within which His people may properly enjoy the gift of sexual intimacy (Gen. 2:23-24) Thus God's people honor Him and commend Him to the world when they demonstrate with their lives that obedience in such matters brings genuine delight.

2. Marriage is a gift of God, and is to be founded on loyalty and commitment which allows delight to flourish. As such, it is a fitting image for God's relationship with His people, in both the OT and the NT.

The fall of mankind damaged every aspect of human lives, and God's work of redemption aims to restore every aspect  to its proper functioning. God's goal is that romantic love, with all its potential pain and degradation, should be an arena of enjoyment for His redeemed people. (ESV Study Bible, pg 1213)  Amen.

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.

High School and Truth Change

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

High School (1972-74)  Something massive happened during this time--not only did desegregation begin, but our understanding of truth became increasingly subjective.I have been trying to teach critical thinking to equip us to think clearly. There are certain fallacies (errors in thinking) which we have addressed, however there is a mindset which can napalm it all. Let me explain.

If we imagine critical thinking as a ship which navigates us through the tumultuous waters of life, then subjectivism can sink our ship before it even leaves the  port.

Subjectivism is the idea that one opinion is as good as the next, or that what is true is what you think is true.

"It may not be true for you, but its is true for me," or "What is true is what you think is true." I trust you have heard this.......

This kind of irrational thinking is of recent vintage.

Of course some things are subjective--(e.g. "Crest is the best toothpaste."....that is an opinion). But truth claims about objective reality is a horse of a different color. Jesus either rose from the dead or He didn't....it can't be both.

I want to ask my my high school friends to think back....please be careful because it is easy to impute current thought forms to what we actually thought in '72.

GENERALLY, if there was a conflict over some aspect of objective reality, then both folks would assert the other was wrong. "A" and "not A" could not be right at the same time, and in the same relationship. That is the most basic rule of logic or just common sense.

Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled "Escape From Reason" which shows how we came to this place, but in the last 40 years the process has accelerated We have almost destroyed logic by embracing subjectivism and relativism. If all truth is mere opinion, then why believe anything? Truth as truth lies fallen in the streets. Being aware of this change is the first step in trying, by God's grace, to help us see truth through God's eyes.

In the short time since I was in high school, the notion of truth has been turned on its head.. May the Lord enable us to recapture and embrace His gift of common sense.

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.

True Spirituality--a Three Legged Stool

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"During most of the history of Christianity, doctrine, piety, and ethics have gone hand in hand." (Harold OJ Brown, 'Heresies', pg. 433)

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." (Ephesians 6:10)

I have said on numerous occasions that "virtually all paranormal activity is demonic in nature".  Next time I want to explore this in-depth--clarifying what I mean and do NOT mean by this assessment. What about angels? And what kind of paranormal activity am I referring to? Next week...

This week, I want to discuss what true spirituality is. Francis Schaeffer wrote a marvelous book entitled True Spirituality, but this will not be a re-hash of the contents of his book, as superb as it is. Rather, I was convicted by how much modern evangelicalism has embraced a deficient, one-dimensional view of what it means to be a balanced Christian. Dr Brown's monumental analysis of heresies helped to clarify the basic issues.

True spirituality is defined, not by us, but by the bible. And the bible likens a healthy or balanced faith to a three-legged stool. It actually does not use that analogy, but the three-fold nature of biblical Christianity is found from Genesis to Revelation. With a three-legged stool, if any of the legs are missing or are weak, then it will be unsteady at best, and a disaster waiting to happen, at worst. The three "legs" of true spirituality are: biblical truth or doctrine, existential (moment-by-moment) piety--abiding in Christ or personal communion with Him, and ethics.(individual and social). In the last 2,000 years of church history, various "legs" have been emphasized at times, often to the neglect of one or both of the other "legs". Nevertheless, as Brown points out,"During most of the history of Christianity, doctrine, piety, and ethics have gone hand in hand." (Brown, Heresies) So, he spells out the three legs of true spirituality.

What does all this have to do with a biblical worldview analysis of the occullt and necromancy? A lot actually. Think about it--if being a faithful Christian only (or mainly) entails concern about me as an individual...MY salvation...MY sanctification...MY experience with Jesus, then concern for culture and society is lost. Indeed, there are Christian leaders today who think precisely that--they liken concern for issues like abortion, racism, and the occult as re-arranging the lounge chairs on the Titanic! "The world belongs to Satan and is going to hell anyway, so why worry about it? Just preach the simple gospel, and be simple Christians." It may not be stated so explicitly, but most evangelicals ascribe to this pietistic mentality of radical individualism, and the results are disastrous...leaving us with a one-legged stool.

1. The first leg of true spirituality is that of doctrine. Due to a confluence of issues in addition to pietism, there has never been a time in the history of the church where concern for solid orthodoxy has been weaker than it is today. Let me try to be more positive in how I state this--if you wish to make your life count maximally for the Lord, then you need to place a premium on theological/biblical truth. My dear friends, have we not been commanded to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3)? Then biblical truth should be like fire in our bones!

Theologians, Protestant and Catholic, have fallen prey to the notion of "progress", instead of faithfulness to a body of truth that has been delivered to us. Preachers (with some notable exceptions) have lost a passion for rich expository preaching.

On an old bulletin from the church I used to pastor--dated 1990,-there is the following quote at the top, "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.." (William Temple) Do you see how all of those are directly related to our understanding of the whole counsel of God?

If you were to ask me what I thought the greatest need of the church is today, I would not hesitate to say that our most urgent need is a deeper understanding of the holiness of God the Father. That would have a domino effect, including a deeper spirituality.

Spiritual warfare is first a truth encounter, and then it is a power encounter, not vice versa..It has been said that American Christianity today is 3,000 miles wide and a half an inch deep....many millions profess Christ, but their doctrinal leg is weak or missing altogether.. Let us recover a passion for truth. Indeed, Jesus is the Truth.

People were burned and drowned for heresy in the past, and that is utterly reprehensible. However, they did understand something vital, which we have largely forgotten--heresy (serious doctrinal error) has a corrupting effect on culture, as well as on individuals.

2. Personal piety is the second leg. This aspect gets most attention today. It is fruitless to argue which leg is most important, but certainly a personal, moment-by-moment walk with Christ is the essence of eternal life (which begins the instant one is saved..see John 17:1ff) The bible is emphatic that at the heart of true spirituality is a deep love for the Lord. Indeed, that is our purpose in life--the greatest commandment--to love God with all of our being. When it comes to our basic purpose in life, there is no variation from person to person--ALL of us are called to a love relationship with the Lord, which takes primacy over all other loves.

Few things are uglier, both to God and a watching world, than a dead orthodoxy. The Reformation of the 1,500's was a recovery of the centrality of the God of grace, and the grace of God.....the gospel. Oddly, perhaps the greatest hindrance to deep devotion FOR God is ministry/service TO God. But how can pastors--or how can we--expect to have victory over Satan if we are not strong in Him? John 15 reminds us that we can do nothing apart from our existential communion with Jesus. Let us resolve to awaken each day with a holy passion of relishing and delighting in our love for the Lord, and His love for us.

3. Ethics is the third leg. Harold OJ Brown points out in some detail how early Pietism (1,700's) devolved from a concern for individual and society, to just the concerns of the individual. Wherever the devil is attacking our culture, the church is supposed to be the first and last bastion of defense...as salt and light. The last leg in our three-legged stool of true spirituality is a passion for applying the gospel to the needs of our generation. But when preachers, as taught in seminary, see their primary calling as making the gospel relevant to the felt needs of the individual, then the ethical leg is severed.

In his last book The Great Evangelical Disaster, published in 1984, Francis Schaeffer pleads with Christians (especially leaders) to confront evil and error. He lamented that, as a whole (with notable exceptions), we were not confronting "the spirit of the age", and by default, we were accommodating the growth of evil and error. Hence, our culture was unraveling right before our eyes. Sadly, what Schaeffer said back in 1984 (selfish, individualistic pietism), has become even more ensconced in our culture in 2014. True spirituality, one that is biblically balanced and pleasing to the Lord, will confront the issues facing our generation. It saddens me that the historic stance of Christianity towards necromancy, has changed so radically in such a short time.So, where are the sermons on the paradigm shift to occultism? Abortion? When I took homiletics (preaching) in seminary, we were taught to do two things--work hard to be faithful to the true meaning of the text, and to work equally hard on sensitively applying the unchanging truth to the changing needs of our generation...wherever the devil is attacking, we are to attack!

Please search your own heart to see which leg of the 3 legged stool which you need to attend to. The Lord bless you and keep you.    Mark

"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.

Fifty Shades of Mommy Porn and Demonic Sex

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

What does it mean that the fastest selling paperback in history is a trilogy of soft-porn novels that wallow in sadomasochism? Erika Leonard--aka E.L. James--is British author of The Fifty Shades of Grey trio of novels. This unholy literary trinity is defiling the consciences and imaginations of millions of women, including many professing Christians. So  many young woman are reading Fifty Shades, these books have been dubbed "mommy porn". Very sad...

As with many cultural phenomenon, the popularity of these novels is both symptom and cause of the status of our culture. It is symptom in that, the author expresses the spiritual/moral collapse of Western Civilization (similar to dynamics of the decline of the Roman Empire--moral rot from within). Moral/ethical relativity is at the core of Ms. Leonard's worldview as expressed in these books. On the other hand, its incredible popularity is effecting many millions of women in a deleterious way.This book is not merely being read, it is  being experienced--in a variety of ways, but the minds/imaginations (which is where the spiritual battle normally begins) of its readers are being defiled. That can be a gateway to the demonic.

My purpose is not to write a book review, nor an in-depth discussion of demonic sex, but to think aloud with you as to what is happening in our country. The explosion of interest in the paranormal is not happening in a cultural vacuum, and I am passionate about understanding the dynamics of what is feeding into this continuing fascination with the paranormal.

Two simultaneous trends, both of which are experiencing explosive growth: fascination with all things paranormal, and popular"art"  expressing graphic sex. The common denominator of these two trends is the primacy of experience over reason and God's revealed truth. Whether it be erotic or the spirit realm (or both), lusting for direct experience is what I see as the link between these two phenomena.The desire behind experience is the idolatrous quest for happiness.

It was Francis Schaeffer who commented that personal peace (happiness) and affluence have become the dominant life values of most people. This is tragic in light of the fact that glorifying and loving God is our purpose, and happiness will often (but not always) follow. Certainly joy will...

Another connection we must note is that this mass defilement of minds and imaginations is a cause for the increase of cases of incubii and succubii....demonic sex.

I have no doubt that demonic sex is increasing in frequency.

However, there are many women (and some men) who are ashamed to admit their diabolical sexual encounters to a pastor or priest. And as horrible as it may sound, some folks do not want the encounters to stop, because of how pleasurable it is.They are addicted... Personally, I have spoken to perhaps 3 dozen women and men who were/are in agony over this horrific reality. Make no mistake--people are really being sexually aroused and assaulted by demonic entities. The folks I talked to were mostly wide awake when the episodes take place...and they ranged from exquisite sexual arousal/orgasm to violent demonic rape....ripping,and tearing of genital flesh. Some are being touched and diabolically pleasured while walking down the sidewalk.

If this blog helps one person to commit to living a disciplined, holy life, or encourages them to overcome their fear and seek help, then it will been a "success."

Please keep this in mind as I discuss the sexual component--I have written of how our country has seemed to have reached a critical mass of interest in the paranormal. I THINK this has simultaneously removed (to some degree) God's restraining common grace protection, and unleashed an unprecedented amount of overt demonic activity in the US. Please don't lose track of that as we discuss this other.It has become more dangerous because fascination with the paranormal has opened the floodgates to spiritual darkness/oppression.

The "Twilight" series (which had a major impact on (E.L. James), "Being Human" and scores of other TV shows and books, have replaced the "old bad boy" with a vampiric bad boy. He's a lot badder...This interest in vampirism and/or the pornographic Fifty Shades are a step towards creating an invitation to the demonic, because the daydreaming/lust may include the desire for an illicit supernatural encounter.Combine that with a super-heated paranormal atmosphere (demonized), then we have a potent brew.

Often moving progressively,  it starts with sexually explicit dreams....moves to sleep paralysis episodes....and finally one night they see the footsteps on their bed. and the touching begins. And a wide-awake nightmare ensues...

Now, here is the problem--reading a book like Fifty Shades of Grey primes the woman for adultery/fornication by proxy ( I am not picking on women, because everyone knows that many men have terrible problems with pornography....and this book is being read primarily by women).Their imaginations are being corrupted by the antics of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.

Not long into the book, they are going at it, in graphic detail. The plot is not even worth mentioning because it boils down to this sequence, which repeats itself over and over--two pages of various characters interacting, and then 3 pages of wild, S&M sex. Over, and over, and over....Christian (curious choice of name) is a 27-year-old billionaire who makes Brad Pitt look like an ugly nerd. Her constant, breathless descriptions throughout the book of Mr Grey makes any living man/husband/boyfriend look hopelessly inadequate.

The demon cannot read their mind, but it knows what they are reading has put them in a spiritually compromised position. Some are then tempted to lust for a midnight "visitor" .In other words, reading pornographic trash is a door-opener because it can give them the "legal right" to attach and attack. Some readers or viewers of pornography may even yearn aloud, "If only I had..." Any demon within earshot will be eager to surprise them one night with an experience that is other-worldly pleasurable.

I am having trouble knowing which direction to take this (maybe because I am in the midst of the chaos of moving). Let me say two things.

First, please...I beg of you to get the help that you need. You can always contact me and I will find someone to help if you are too far away. Please do not remain silent out of embarrassment. And if addicted to demonic sex--it happens--you must look beyond the pleasure and see that you are being used and destroyed. Demons are incapable of loving humans...they hate you.

Second, as I pondered this issue, I was reminded of the Song of Solomon in the bible. It contains beautiful and sensuous poetry expressing erotic love between a man and a woman in the covenant commitment of marriage. Eros was created by God, as were all the lawful pleasures. The Word of God is not prudish, and a proper appreciation of the attractiveness of the of the opposite sex, of both form and face, is explicitly celebrated in the The Song of Solomon. It is amazing to me that this part of the inspired bible can be so "earthy", but without a hint of the pornographic.

Here are the key themes in that amazing book.

1. God's covenant, which commands sexual purity, provides just the right framework (marriage) within which His people may properly enjoy the gift of sexual intimacy (Gen. 2:23-24) Thus God's people honor Him and commend Him to the world when they demonstrate with their lives that obedience in such matters brings genuine delight.

2. Marriage is a gift of God, and is to be founded on loyalty and commitment which allows delight to flourish. As such, it is a fitting image for God's relationship with His people, in both the OT and the NT.

The fall of mankind damaged every aspect of human lives, and God's work of redemption aims to restore every aspect  to its proper functioning. God's goal is that romantic love, with all its potential pain and degradation, should be an arena of enjoyment for His redeemed people. (ESV Study Bible, pg 1213)  Amen.

The Ghost Hunters ... A Time for Anger

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

“Be angry and do not sin…” (Eph.4:26)

When I mention the TV show The Ghost Hunters, what thoughts or feelings does that show elicit in you? All things considered, I think anger is one of the most biblically appropriate. How quickly this bizarre new reality show back in 2004 has become old hat. Love it, hate it, or – worst of all for a Christian – be indifferent or dismissive. God forbid! Do we realize how electrifying these brushes with the supernatural are to millions of Americans who are hungry for spiritual reality? God forbid that I forget how I almost fell off the couch the first time I saw the show. God forbid that we ever become accustomed to what is profoundly disturbing, wrong, and cruel. Let me illustrate this insidious evil, and the need for righteous indignation, as well as confrontation.

Recently a new season, without Grant, began. Jay and crew went to Charleston to investigate the Old Jail. People, especially women, were being scratched on the tours, and the clients wanted to know who or what was behind the attacks, and if it was safe to stay open for business. During the investigation a young woman on the TV production crew, Hagar, was scratched repeatedly all over her body by the unseen presence, and she was understandably unnerved. Later during the reveal, Jay said that it was the worst attack in the eight years of the show. (It emphasizes in an unusually vivid fashion, the subjective and capricious nature of “ghost hunting” and the ensuing harmful consequences.) Jay got a triple scratch on his neck, as well. I just shook my head when Adam told the ghost (demon) to please leave her alone. At the reveal, Jay spoke candidly about Hagar, and it seemed he was actually going to be real for once regarding the danger. How could he not, given what had just happened? However, as if on cue, Amy pipes in, “No need to be worried . . . just make certain your visitors treat the ghosts with respect, and they will show respect back.” Yeeaaahhh! Another victory for the TAPS gang in putting a client at ease!

These people need to take a class on logic or critical thinking, because there is a glaring disconnect between Jay’s observations and Amy’s advice . . . which I’m quite sure was scripted. Hagar was simply walking through, as a tourist might, and she was attacked. Jay and Amy HAD to have discussed beforehand who was going to say what, and that is what angers me because their advice was foolish to the point of being cruel. At least before the arrival of TAPS, the client had the good sense to be concerned for his patrons, but now he lives with naïve optimism for their safety based on foolish advice. Also, at the reveal, Jay stated that many of these human spirits were deranged, based on their mental condition when alive. How does a deranged spirit suddenly acquire the ability to respond appropriately, even if treated with respect? I confess, I wanted to drop Jay after the reveal. That kind of anger is wrong, but certainly we should be angry about this show, and its many spin offs, because it is so thoroughly dishonoring to God, as well as harmful to everyone involved. The text in Ephesians 4:26 tells us to be righteously angry at the appropriate time (be angry and not sin).

If a medical doctor showed such recklessness they would be sued in a heartbeat for malpractice, as would a pest control professional if they gave similar advice. Those who believe in earthbound spirits cannot avoid giving an inaccurate diagnosis of the problem, as well as harmful advice. It has already occurred to tens of thousands of clients . . . all of whom are now living “comfortably” with demonic spirits.

As terrible as the temporal consequences are of Jay and Amy’s advice (folks getting scratched), think of the clients and the millions of viewers who saw this, and how their eternal destinies are being jeopardized? You may really dislike the show, but if you are a Christian you must not be indifferent, forgetful, or dismissive of this demonic madhouse.

Ghost Hunters symbolizes a water-shed issue for evangelical Christians regarding our belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. According to Webster’s Dictionary a watershed is “a dividing ridge between two drainage areas.” On this ridge, rain that falls on one side of the divide goes in one direction, and rain that hits just a few inches away, goes in an entirely different direction.  What good is it to claim to believe in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, if we are not actively confronting this horrible deception of Satan? Confronting evil in all its manifestations in our culture (especially the most serious), is a watershed issue dividing evangelicals today, as Francis Schaeffer points out in The Great Evangelical Disaster.

The belief in earthbound spirits is so coercive and hostile to every doctrine in the Bible, that it is mis-shaping people’s worldviews on a massive scale. That is why it has become a litmus test for our belief in, and submission to, the authority of the Bible—a watershed issue. To say you are a follower of Christ, but believe in ghosts, means one of two things: you are either abysmally ignorant of the Bible, or you simply are not a Christian. Furthermore, professed Christians who know these spirits are really demonic, but are not confronting this issue, are accommodating this demonic deception . . . which makes you no different than those who embrace it. It has the same effect – it assists in the spread of the kingdom of darkness. I am tired of the lying heretics who carry the banner of evangelical Christianity, but who deny the authority of the Bible, by spreading a serious demonic lie. Some errors in belief are so coercive; they have titanic ramifications that ripple out to eternity.

Certainly we must confront in love, but we must confront . . . confront what Ghost Hunters has helped to popularize – the belief in ghosts. With each passing day, ever larger numbers of people are falling prey to this doctrine of demons. It is costly to confront . . . you will notice certain friends on Facebook either drift or run away from your “fanaticism.” But true believers seek to please God and not man, and when the Lord is dishonored they get righteously angry. This is a watershed issue . . . which side of the divide are you on?