What is a Demon?

Question: Dear Father Fortea, can you explain what exactly is a demon? Do they have bodies? Where did they come from?

Answer: A demon is a spiritual being of an angelic nature that has been condemned for eternity due to his rebellion against God. As pure spirits, demons are not made up of matter. Because they do not have bodies, demons are not inclined to any “sins of the flesh” (i.e., it is impossible for them to commit the sins of lust or gluttony). The sins of demons are exclusively spiritual. But they can tempt human beings to sin in matters of the flesh.

Demons were not created evil. (In fact, it is impossible for God, who is Goodness itself, to create anything evil.) Remember: demons are just “bad angels.” After God created the angels, He tested their fidelity to Him before admitting them to the Beatific Vision, the sight of His very essence. For purely spiritual beings, this “seeing” of God’s essence would be a purely intellectual vision. Some angels obeyed the divine test; others did not. Those who disobeyed were irreversibly transformed into demons and cast out of heaven.

It may seem surprising that some angels would choose to hate God. But we need to understand that those who rebelled saw God no longer as a good—as the Good—but as the oppressor of their freedom. Hate was born as their wills resisted the call of God and held fast to the decision to leave the Father’s house.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him (Rv 12:7-9).

How can purely spiritual beings fight among themselves? What weapons do they use? Angels are spirits, so their battles must be purely intellectual. The only weapons that they can use are intellectual arguments. The angels gave reasons to the rebels for why they should return to obedience to God. The rebel angels countered with their reasons to support their position and spread their rebellion among the faithful angels. In this epic angelic battle, some who were inclined to rebel returned to obedience, while some of the faithful angels were seduced by the evil arguments of the rebels.

In art, demons are depicted as deformed and grotesque beings. This would seem appropriate given that demons have definitively decided on a destiny far from God. The interior loneliness in which they find themselves forever and their envy of the faithful who enjoy the Beatific Vision continually bring them face-to-face with their sins. They hate God, themselves, and all those who seek to serve God.

But not all suffer the same pains. Some angels were deformed more than others in the battle. Those who were more deformed suffer more; the least deformed suffer less. The intellects of the rebellious angels were deformed and darkened by the very reasons they used to justify the rebellion of their wills against God.

Their plight is similar to the moral debasement that humans can suffer through sin. We need to remember that we are composite creatures made up of soul and body. Aside from the sins that are proper to the body, the internal psychological process that leads a good person to end up in the Mafia or as a guard in a concentration camp or a terrorist is essentially the same as the sequence of acts of intellect and will that led to the fall of the bad angels.

Though we are body-soul composites, we as humans have only to look into our own interior life to understand how we can fall into sin. In this light, the sin of the angels becomes more easily understood.

To learn more about spiritual warfare and demonology, Catholic Spiritual Direction recommends Fr. Fortea’s excellent book, Interview With An Exorcist – An Insider’s Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance.

This article is provided by the website: Catholic Spiritual Direction. Here is a link to the original article

Forgiveness

By Stephen Piersall 

Deliverance Personal Ministry, Central NY                                                                     

Years ago my oldest son got involved with drugs/alcohol and a life of crime. I hated what he was doing but my love for him never wavered. The same can be said about God who loves us deeply, but hates the sin we do in our daily lives. Forgiveness and reconciliation is the most important part of the gospel and without forgiveness of our sins, we will face greater consequences from God. When we die, we ALL go before Him and have our life reviewed before our eyes. If you have already accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, you will enter Heaven and for those who have rejected God they will be sent to Hell a place where there is no relief from the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15).

Now when a person sins against us, Satan loves it when we place a wall up against that person. Our way of loving that person as Christ loved us is through forgiveness. Jesus died to tear down the roadblocks caused by our sin between God, and us and we are required to do the same to those who wrong us (Matthew 6:15)”But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions”. There may be times when we need to try to restore a broken relationship with another person. Jesus told us to love one another as Christ has loved us, and sometimes this may involve going to the person and telling them that you regret what you have done. (Matthew 5:23-24) ”Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering”.

It is a lot easier to forgive somebody when they come to us and confess their wicked deed. When you go to somebody and ask him or her for their forgiveness, what you are doing is also helping them to break down the roadblock that Satan may have put in their way of loving you as Christ loved them. I am not saying that we must go back to everybody we have wronged and apologize for everything we have ever done wrong. What I am saying is that there may be times when you may have damaged a relationship with somebody, and it is important to restore it but you just cannot remember every single instance in your past life. Pray and listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance, you may have wronged someone ten years ago you dated and now that person is happily married and has children and you trying to contact them could do more damage than good to that person.

 (1 John 1:9-10) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us”. In order for us to receive forgiveness, first we must recognize that we have sinned, confess our sins, and then put our faith in Jesus after all He died on the cross so that we might be forgiven. (Matthew 26:28). Repentance includes turning from our sins, and not continuing to do them and know Satan knows this weakness and may and will tempt you. If you seem to struggle with compulsive sinful habits, you may need to be free from a demonic influence. It may be necessary to renounce your sins aloud, and command them to leave.

I know for myself that forgiving “ME” is the hardest thing to do. It is often harder to forgive ourselves then to forgive others. However, what we must focus on is when God has forgiven us; we are CLEAN. (Psalms 103:12) “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us“. Sometimes we blame ourselves for not being good enough, and we must accept the fact that our sins have been forgiven. (1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. The Devil is notorious for putting guilt on people, and is the accuser of the brethren. (Revelation 12:10) “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night”. Guilt can serve two purposes, it can show us the problem so that we might repent and receive forgiveness, or it can rub our mistake in our faces and make us feel hopeless. How can you tell the difference between condemnation (bad for us) and conviction (good for us)?

Start asking yourself, "Why am I feeling guilty? What is the purpose of this guilt?" You are feeling guilty because you have probably done something wrong, but there is a reason why you are feeling guilty. There is a source of your guilt; it could be God or it could be the Devil. God uses guilt to convict us (conviction) of our sins so that we make changes and make things better (receive forgiveness), while Satan uses guilt to burden us to feel hopeless about what we have done. When God convicts us, it is so that we might recognize the problem, and work on fixing it. Therefore, ask yourself "Is this guilt trying to bring me to repentance, or is it trying to tell me what a failure I am?" God does not tell us what a failure we are, His desire is reasonably that we may be reconciled with Him and receive forgiveness from our sins. If you have sins that you have not repented from, then by all means, repent and turn from your wicked ways. Do not try to blame your guilt on Satan or someone else if you know you are guilty and you have not repented of your sins.

If your sins are forgiven (1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. Then Satan is burdening you down with guilt, you may have to renounce the spirit of guilt, and command it to leave. In addition, resist the Devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7) “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you“. It is God's aspiration for us to believe in His Son Jesus for the dwindling of our sins, and to have a clear sense of right and wrong that has been cut off from our past guilt (Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:2, Hebrews 10:22). He wants to forgive us of our sins for HIS sake (1 John 2:12) and He even chooses not to remember our sins (Isaiah 43:25). What a loving God we have to show us the way to walk the straight and narrow.

The Problems With Believing That Energy Is Ultimate

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

“Come this way, please.” The life coach and wellness expert pleasantly coaxed his client into his office. “Our goal today is to teach you how to raise your vibrational levels…this will relieve stress, enhance overall health, build confidence, and make you more successful in every area of your life. Just think, you will be tapping into the same cosmic energy that surges through our galaxy —synchronicity! I can guarantee you that your public speaking as well as your love life will take a quantum leap forward!” Sounds enticing, does it not? And no holy God that we have to be accountable to…yeeaay!

Energy…our country has become fixated with it. The scene above, with ten-thousand variations, is played out in similar fashion everyday across our country. We saw last time that the notion of ghosts did not just pop out of thin air; it is no coincidence that the birth of the New Age (around 1990) occurred at generally the same time that the notion of ghosts started taking off in popularity—moving from a few fringe groups to where CBS says that now one-half of Americans believe in trapped spirits. I personally do not know of another significant belief that has grown this quickly in such a short period of time. The point is that the belief in ghosts is under the extensive umbrella of what we call New Age…or occult/pagan. First is the worldview shift—energy displaces God as ultimate reality—then aberrant beliefs (such as trapped spirits) start mushrooming across the landscape of our culture. Very few in the supernatural community seem to be aware of the causal connection between the two. And frankly, many don’t want to know because they simply have too much personally vested in the notion of ghosts.

The energy worldview is monism or one-ism. We saw last time that Energy has displaced the infinite/personal God of the bible as our concept of ultimate reality. Dr. Peter Jones has suggested that we think in terms of One-ism and Two-ism to describe the two fundamentally opposed worldviews. There is such a bewildering array of different beliefs and techniques that express this shift, that it is helpful to have some way of organizing all the data. (Peter was desk-mates for several years with John Lennon in Liverpool). John went on to be one of the most influential one-ist proponents ever, and his pal Peter one its biggest opponents.

One-ism is the belief that all reality is one…in this case, there is a divine energy that undulates throughout all the cosmos—making everything an expression of Energy—and by raising our energy vibrations to match that of the world around us, we begin to fire on all cylinders. You should note that, at the very heart of one-ism, is the obliteration of the distinction between Creator and creature. Energy is ultimate reality, but since everything is infused with this energy, then everything is one—all we have to do is have a spiritual chiropractic adjustment in order to maximally experience this divine energy. Sin and salvation take on an entirely different meaning in this worldview. Instead of us being saved from the clear and present danger of God’s holy wrath due to our trespasses against Him, instead our basic need is to be released from our ignorance regarding our divine nature and this is achieved via enlightened teaching or direct experience.

Two-ism is shorthand for designating the biblical worldview…there are two kind of reality: primary (the Creator) and derived (the creation). The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is primary or ultimate reality, and He is distinct from His creation, which derives its very existence from Him. He created it out of nothing (ex nihilo…Gen.1:1), and He continues to sustain and uphold its existence (Col.1:16). The two-ist or biblical worldview upholds the Creator/creature distinction…two utterly distinct kinds of reality. (Do you see why a depth awareness of God’s holiness is so crucial?).

The one-ist worldview, (New Age or pagan/occult Energy) overhaul of our culture is so comprehensive and diverse, that it is easy to miss the forest for all the trees…the forest being a one-ist worldview, and the trees being the innumerable beliefs, methods, and techniques that are expressive of a one-ist paradigm. Whether it be Reiki, incarnation, astral travel, quantum jumping, acupuncture, the chakras in yoga, and so on—all are one-ist trees—that comprise the one-ist forest or mindset/worldview. That is what drew me to Dr. Jones simplified means of making sense of all this mind-boggling variety…it explains so much: Energy as ultimate reality is the one-ist worldview which is in vogue today. But as I mentioned last time, it is not without its problems..

In classical philosophy there is epistemology (theory of knowledge), metaphysics, ethics, logic, and aesthetics. Few of us are philosophers in the technical sense of that being our academic specialty. However, we are all philosophers in the sense that we all have a worldview (albeit usually unconscious) through which we interpret the world. In this series, I wish to show the epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical necessity of the infinite/personal God really being there and having spoken to us. Often, Christian leaders despise philosophy and discourage any interaction with it. This is sad because the questions philosophers have asked for millennia, can only be answered satisfactorily by biblical Christianity—philosophy and biblical theology fit like hand in glove—and for this, I bow before the Lord in worship. It isn’t just that biblical Christianity has the best answers; it has the ONLY satisfactory answer.

Today there is not so much a generation gap, as there is an epistemological gap…we view truth differently... Epistemology is that branch of philosophy that deals with how we acquire knowledge, whether it is of the natural or the supernatural. This where we must start, especially when it comes to this notion of Energy as ultimate reality.  I would gently insist that without the God of the bible, and the bible of God, we have no sufficient basis for knowing anything. I have a friend (call her Laura) who is well known in paranormal (whoops…I said it!) circles, she has written a book and has been investigating the supernatural for over 35 years…specializing in what she refers to as hostile haunts. Laura was deeply angered at me after reading my book and told me so. Thought I was too narrow…siiigh. She explicitly states that she does not believe in religious absolutes, and incredibly, after many hundreds of investigations of active houses, she says that she has never run into a demon! Never…

I mention this as an illustration of the paramount importance of epistemology. The starting point for her in analyzing the supernatural is, well, herself…not any beliefs external to her. The fact that she is convinced she has never once happened upon a demon is terrifying to me, and it surely shows that 35 years of operating on a false presupposition, will only lead one ever deeper into darkness and folly (Rom.1:18ff). Consider this verse I happened upon in my quiet time yesterday, “And the angel…who swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay.” (Rev.10:6 emph. added) The Greek word for heavens (ouranos) can mean the sky, the place where God dwells, and the supernatural realm. Regardless, John is emphatic and explicit in noting that it is the Lord who created the different realms and (this is key) what is in them. Since God is the Creator of the inhabitants of the supernatural realm, we must see reality through His eyes if we are to identify His creation accurately. His word is the necessary epistemological foundation for gaining true and accurate knowledge of the supernatural realm and its inhabitants… as they really are. On the contrary, the more experience and time one has spent analyzing the supernatural without reference to He who created it, will only lead to an intensification of ignorance and foolish conjecture.

The one-ist worldview states: In the beginning, there has always been impersonal energy, and this impersonal energy + time + chance = the current complexity of the heavens and the earth. That has many ramifications, but the epistemological are most fundamental. How do we acquire knowledge of the world?  Now, please consider this: suppose you are doing your thing (which is not God’s thing) and investigating the supernatural. You are observing with your five senses, while also using instruments…the observer and the thing being observed. If ultimate reality is impersonal energy, then you as observer are the result of: impersonal beginning billions of years ago + time + chance. Specifically, your eyes and your brain are the result of an impersonal beginning, plus time, plus chance (that is how evolution rolls). I gently insist that you do not import any notion of intentionality or design because that is being inconsistent (You can’t have your autonomous cake and eat it too).

In this scheme, you have no intellectual basis for claiming that what is coming to you is data. Call it blah, blah, but you have no epistemological basis for saying that you are receiving data. Why do I say that? How can you trust your brain which is a bunch of chemicals and billions of firing synapses? How can this process kick up a brain which conveniently has categories which corresponds with external reality? Your eyes…again, nothing but energy in motion, configured by chance. How do you know that what you perceive as a red apple is really red in color, and is really shaped as you perceive it? It was Immanuel Kant who dropped this bombshell on the philosophical playground about 200 years ago. To make matters more complex, in this scheme (impersonal energy is ultimate reality) how can you trust the information transfer from eyes to brain? How can we be sure that we are acquiring accurate knowledge regarding anything? What is the basis for believing in the basic reliability of our senses?

I have briefly sketched the epistemological problem of the one-ist worldview of Energy, which is the root of this explosive rise of interest in spirit beings/ghosts. I want to close with showing how biblical Christianity alone supplies the answer to the epistemological problem. God is infinite and personal, and we are finite and personal. When it comes to His infinity, God is utterly dissimilar to us…and all of creation (this is the essence of two-ist thinking), but when it comes to God being personal, then we are similar to God—we are made in His image. The same God who formed the external world for our enjoyment, also created our five senses to operate or function in this environment: do you see how massive this is epistemologically? A personal God of reason made our reason; a God who hears prayer made our ears to hear; the Creator who sees all and knows all created both our eyes and our minds—with categories which correspond to what is out there. We have a sufficient basis for knowing that what appears to be a red apple is precisely that. We have a sufficient basis for trusting in the basic reliability of our five senses. When it comes to the problems of this worldview now in vogue (energy is ultimate reality), we see that only the God of the bible, and the bible of God, provide the only solution.

The Fine Line Between Knowing The Paranormal and Consulting It

By Lisa Grace

We are called to know about otherworldly beings especially those consigned to our world, to watch out for them, and not fall prey. Yet, we are not to consult or “play” with them.

Again if you have the proper view of supernatural creatures, remembering they are more like a grizzly bear and not like us, you will have an easier time.

We can learn to observe and recognize them, but just like you would not engage a grizzly, neither should you engage supernatural creatures.

Angels that are sent to do God’s will, do just that. They help, act as messengers, or protectors, and then they leave. Chances are, you will only recognize they were sent from God after the occurrence or maybe during, but then they are gone. They do not hang around and act at our will.

Those creatures who are willing to hang around, only do so out of malevolence towards us. Their goal is our destruction. They see their consignment to this world as our (humans) fault.

If you are not saved or are on the fence, they may appear friendly, because they know your destruction is assured. If you are communicating with any purpose other than getting them to leave the place, person or object they’ve attached to, they know you are on the wrong path. They will do actions to appease you, so they can be left to their devices.

When confronted with someone who realizes what they are up to they usually react in one of two ways: Silence (hiding) or outright attack, they know we are at war, even if we (humans) don’t.

God can and will let paranormal beings attach to even believers. This is why allowed Satan to attach and afflict Job. (Job 1:6 - 1:12)

And Paul in the book of 2 Corinthians verse: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Unbelievers in Holy Scripture interpretation and unbelievers, cannot drive out these creatures permanently. Neither can most believers. (Acts 19:13 - Acts 19:17)

We need to be able to recognize paranormal workings, know our Holy Scriptures, and understand God’s will. While observing is inevitable (once your eyes are opened) you should be armed spiritually, and even then do not engage the paranormal equivalency of grizzly bears.

Issue 89 – Christianity, Buddhism & "I Am Six" News

By Kirby Robinson

We've never been as busy at the Eye as we have been over the past few weeks. Soon you'll be able to read the results of some shocking things we uncovered—and we don't get shocked easily.

A while back I took part in what was to be a fair and balanced interview but turned out to be an ambush interview on a radio show that I won't name. The group of "ladies" that took part showed their ignorance about Eastern religion and philosophy by making such statements as: the Hindu religion only has one god that they worship. Someone claimed that I couldn't be a Christian and study Tibetan Buddhism. I'd like to address this issue.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama isn't a God-King and he claims to be nothing more than a simple Buddhist monk. To study Tibetan Buddhism you don't worship anyone or anything. It's a system of belief that is meant to train your mind to follow the middle way and to show love and compassion.

I've been attacked by the misinformed, the misguided and those who seek to keep the deceptions going within the paranormal field that I must be a bad student. They allege there is lots of judging that goes on in this blog. Christ doesn't want doormats, He wants warriors who stand up when they witness those who take part in bad deeds.

Here are some books that show a linkage in Christianity and Buddhism:

The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus

By The Dalai Lama

http://www.amazon.com/The-Good-Heart-Perspective-Teachings/dp/0861711386/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Without Buddha I Could Not be A Christian

By Paul F. Knitter

http://www.amazon.com/Without-Buddha-Could-Not-Christian/dp/1851686738/

Living Buddha, Living Christ

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Buddha-Christ-Thich-Nhat/dp/1573220183/ref=pd_sim_b_3

By Thich Nhat Hanh

From Buddha to Jesus: An Insider's View of Buddhism and Christianity

http://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Jesus-Insiders-Buddhism-Christianity/dp/1854249568/

By Steve Cioccolanti

If one takes the time to read any the above books, you'll see that a person can embrace the code of ethics and mind training and never violate the teachings of Christ. It's through Christ, and no way other than Him, that can you reach heaven.

NEVER MOCK GOD, NEVER MOCK THE DEVIL

Repeatedly I've stated that I was done with publishing books on PRS/Paranormal State. And I meant what I said. But back in August the phone rang at 4 AM and started a journey like no other that I've ever experienced and an investigation that changed my life.

We've heard about the case, watched the episode and heard the spin put on it by the para-celebs. Everyone connected to the case has been profiting from it for the past four years. Later this month, Ryan Buell/PRS will be hosting a 2-night event online for $75. You can watch them spin more tales, tell more lies, and show more fake footage.

Here's a recent post from Ryan Buell's page:

"I Am Six" is one of PRS's most talked about cases even to this day. Find out what happened after the cameras were turned off and how we held it together.

“I Am Six”: The story of Lara and her family’s struggle against darkness. The community rallied together around this family and now is your chance to find out what happened. Join PRS in a two part webinar series, Oct. 19th and 20th, where they will discuss the case, shed some new light on it, and interview some of those who witnessed it. 

In our forthcoming eBook, you'll learn the real story and you won't have to spend $75.

You'll follow us to Quincy, Illinois and read what some of the locals have to say about the case--and about Lara who is known locally as Paranormal Girl. We visited the house, looked around and talked to the neighbors. What did they see and hear during the filming? We break down both episodes like no one else can and reveal the tricks and deceptions. We show the reader how the wounds could have been self-inflicted. We got our hands on a key piece of tape that the public wasn't ever meant to see. Most shocking of all, we stumble onto a secret that PRS and a certain para-celebrity hoped no one would ever discover.

We have returned to our realistic, hard hitting writing style and don't hold back. You'll want to read it from start to finish. And you'll learn why you don't mock GOD … or the devil.

Keep current and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/eyeonparanormal

EARN EXTRA MONEY! If you have a website, forum or blog you can set up an Amazon Associates Affiliate Program link and sell the Kindle version of INVESTIGATING PARANORMAL STATE, PARANORMAL STATE EXPOSED and PARANORMAL TEACHINGS: THE BEST OF SHEDDING SOME LIGHT and earn money. You can also sell other books and products that Amazon offers. Here's the link https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/

The Dalai Lama & Peace of Mind

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, delivered a public talk on Peace of Mind in Troubled Times at the Long Beach Arena at the Long Beach Convention Center on Saturday. I had the privilege of being in that audience and felt it was a positive experience to share.

The Dalai Lama was sponsored for this event by the Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling ("Land of Flourishing Dharma") a center for the study of Buddhism and the Tibetan culture.

The Dalai Lama is a powerful teacher in the line of Tibetan Buddhism. He speaks around the world appearing with many spiritual and political dignitaries. His words carry the refrains of nonviolence, compassion and human rights. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.

I was intrigued to find out that he would be speaking to the public and felt compelled to attend. When we arrived at the Wyland Whale arena the lines of people snaked around the building and well into the parking lot. The crowd was eclectic and diverse with many dressed casual, some in ethnic attire and others complete with designer six inch heels and the like.

The energy was calm and patient yet excited despite those excruciating lines to be searched to enter. There was of course one dissenter who barked his discourse even as he was regulated to be near the rows of portable toilets outside.

I heard some people say they had skipped work and traveled from many places in Southern California as well as other states and even Canada to be there. Comments ranged from “It is an opportunity of a life time,” to “I would not miss this for the world.”

Inside with an audience of close to 10,000, there was a prelude of a wonderful flute performance and one of my favorite actors, Richard Gere, introduced the Dalai Lama. His Holiness radiated a calm, mischievous and benevolent grace as he sat in the lotus position in his chair. He immediately relayed that the chair was so comfortable that he could sleep in it.

The Dalai Lama spoke English during his talk often aided by his interpreter who sat next to him. He was funny, and open almost like your grandfather telling stories in a humble way. His words held the audience in sway.

The gist of his talk could be summed up in that people who are in mental pain sometimes do not have a compassionate heart. When they are not compassionate they are judging and mistrustful which leads to other problems in society.

The key he summed up is to be in detachment and have mental peace. He related that it does not matter your spiritual perspective, your physical environment nor your physical state or property if you do not have this mental balance. He spoke a bit about nonviolence stating that it must also include condemnation of wrong actions.

It was a powerful event which seemed to touch and inspire the many attendees. I always encourage people to be in the presence of such teachers, and others when they come into town.

Some Ways to Obtain Mental Clarity

The Dalai Lama spoke about this mental peace yet he left it to the audience to discover the ways to find it. Of course the Dharma of Buddhism teaches how to obtain clarity. Yet many do not follow this spiritual practice.

I have found that meditating in the form of sitting and relaxing the mind or with actions such as writing, painting, creating, exercise, walking, dancing and cooking are helpful for a better mental attitude. Cleaning out our homes of clutter and getting rid of and releasing unused things also detoxes the mind.

Self-reflection, classes and workshops on personal development as well as talking to counselors, spiritual advisors and healing friends can help also. Our thoughts create, heal and empower us as well as others therefore it is important to be aware of our thoughts.

The Dalai Lama left us with a simple message which is that peace starts within each of us.

By Debra Campbell, The Laguna Nigel Patch Network, April 23, 2012

Are We Merely Clusters of Energy?

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Energy…what is it? Some would answer, “E=mc squared”. Don’t want a mathematical equation… “Okay, energy is the ability to do work.” That is only a functional definition of what it can do—I want to know what it IS. Do you realize that physicists cannot even explain what energy is, and yet a growing number of people believe that energy is ultimate reality, instead of a personal God? The basis of a 1,001 self-help books, wellness techniques and therapies, is this undefined concept, and it is re-shaping our perception of what under-girds both the natural and the supernatural realms.

“Sending prayers and positive energy”…gosh, how many times have I heard, or read on Facebook, a comment similar to that? How many times have you? The sending of positive energy has equaled, and in many cases eclipsed, the pledge of praying to the Living God from a friend to someone experiencing a trauma. Clearly, energy has taken on such a profound and practical significance for countless numbers of people—nothing reveals more about a person’s real, basic spiritual convictions than how they pray—that it has become THE central organizing principle in their worldviews. Hence, it is incumbent for Christians that we understand this issue and sift it through a biblical worldview grid…pulling down strongholds and arguments… that are raised against the knowledge of God (2 Cor.10:5).

Those who research and investigate the supernatural realm—from quantum jumping to spirit hunting—are increasingly seeing ultimate reality in terms of energy. Again, how many times have you heard, or said yourself, that trapped spirits are made of energy? EMF gauges certainly seem to verify that whatever is out there is emitting energy…that much is certain. However, it is a huge leap to go from energy to Energy, where the ultimate source of all reality is this Energy or cosmic consciousness. It has become not only personified but deified as well. This impersonal stuff that we call energy has now become our new god…our new reference point for defining the cosmos, mankind, and our relationship to the cosmos. In the beginning God created (bara—act of personal creating)…,has been replaced by…  In the beginning, Energy has always been there and is evolving….It has become commonplace to believe that we are currently experiencing a quantum leap into a higher form of consciousness or energy, and it is often stated that we are spirit energy in a body, and NOT vice versa. Welcome to Halloween 2012…

As I alluded to, this is no mere dry as dust academic theory, because it has become a paradigm or worldview shift in how one understands who they are, and how to become better at living and being human. Watch the plethora of energy healers attempting to adjust folk’s vibrational levels to harmonize with the vibrations of primal Energy.  And what must be noted with tears, is that often these energy therapies seem to work in terms of affecting vibrational change(what is really happening is not within our scope). May I suggest, though, that we are playing god in this respect, and are opening ourselves to deep demonic intervention. They (demons) are clever, and all it takes is openness to this Energy to potentially begin the possession process. Usually, at some opportune time, the demonic will find some imaginative way to gain permission for entry. We should have known better than to reject God and begin to call energy ultimate reality/god--Energy. Romans 1:18f speaks of the endarkenment, instead of the desired enlightenment, which comes when we deify, make ultimate, or worship any aspect of the Creator’s creation—including one of His greatest creations, which is energy.

To define human beings primarily in terms of energy clustering is to commit the reductionist fallacy. In other words, just because, in some sense, we are made of energy, it does not follow that we ARE energy. Consider a poem which is written in a book. There are levels of defining what that poem is, but we know instinctively that, saying that the poem is a collection of chemicals on a piece of paper, hardly does justice to explaining what a poem IS. Reducing a poem to ink on paper shows the absurdity of reductionism.  Though at the most basic level, this is technically correct, it hardly is the best, and certainly not the most comprehensive definition of a poem. What has happened to the distinctly human aspect of poetry—the expression of deep emotion, with an artistic, metric economy of wordsmithing, which is meant to communicate on a visceral level with others? You may define poetry differently, and much better, than I just have, but certainly this is much closer to the reality of what poetry is, rather than chemicals on paper. How much more horrible to take God’s image bearers and reduce them to matter/energy in motion? And if you are consistent, by rejecting an infinite/personal God, then this nihilistic definition of man is all you are left with.

It is not being intellectually consistent or honest to spell energy as Energy, because the bottom line is that this notion (energy is ultimate reality) implies that there was an impersonal beginning, and by adding upper-case you have imported personality—creating it out of thin air. The only reason why we sense or detect personality with the energy entities, is because they ARE personal beings—demons. Like humans, demons and Satan have a will, intelligence, and emotions. We have not dealt with ghosts per se, in this newsletter, but the concept of ultimate reality that often accompanies the belief in ghosts. In coming blogs we will look at specific examples of this Energy-centric worldview, as well as philosophical, scientific, and biblical problems it encounters. In the meantime, be wary of any talk of tapping into primal Energy or cosmic consciousness. In our weakness, let us cling to the God who was manifested through the burning bush—the infinite-personal God of the bible who has inexhaustible, omnipotent energy and power. The Lord is good…all the time.