I have two quick thoughts I need to share before I forget what they are. I can expound upon them later.
1. I believe the reason women think that staying at home with children or just managing a home and serving her husband is so meaningless, is simply because we do not value relationships. We do not see the importance of building relationships with our husbands or children and therefore staying at home with them seems to be a waste. Most people do not have an eternal perspective and cannot look for what the projected results will be if relationships are valued. Women at home do not receive a paycheck for taking care of their children or serving their husbands. The results of that kind of work are intangible.
"The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world". If we could grasp this and realize what an impact we could make in society and ultimately in the kingdom of God, we would gladly develop relationships with out children and husbands. Our nurturing of children and support of husband does have an impact whether we see it or not. If that is missing, husbands and children will be missing a serious component in their lives.
2. When we look at others and see their faults or their temptations to sin, and we don't see those in our own lives because we have already overcome them, or we don't face the kinds of temptations that others face, we need to be careful not to judge. I have been guilty of doing this, so I will watch my heart as well. Perhaps the person has received God's grace in an abundant way in a particular area of his or her life, but in another area, the grace just doesn't seem to be there. We could be like Job's friends and conclude that there must be some kind of sin that they committed that they aren't willing to part with, or that God is punishing them. I am not talking here about people who are unrepentant and want to stay in their sins. I know sometimes both types of situations can look very much alike, and that even makes it more confusing.
Human beings are very complex. It is not black and white like we think it is. Take for example, a well known comedian who has a wonderful reputation for being a family guy. He promotes family values wherever he goes. He probably really does believe in family values, yet, in a recent news report, this same man has been accused by two different women who say they were raped by him. What gives? I don't know that this man is a Christian or not, but we have to wonder how someone can be so family minded, yet be accused of raping women. Another story that I found interesting was one of a group of men who were prisoners guilty of rape. They were on a television show answering questions from a television host. These prisoners were actually telling women how to defend themselves against potential rapists. They honestly do not want women to be raped, yet, the temptation for them to rape another woman, should they get out of prison, is going to be very strong for them.
We need to be grateful for the areas in our lives where God has given us grace to work through or overcome areas of sin, but we need to remember that the devil is not going to tempt us with something that is obviously wrong in our eyes. He leads us little by little, with a lot of reasoning as to why we should have an affair, or rape someone, or whatever the sin is. We need to be checking our own hearts and keeping our guard up so when temptations come our way, we will be ready for them. And let's be careful in dealing with others who are struggling. Draw them out. Find out what they are really struggling with. Pray for them and teach them the word of God so they can become strong too. God will work in their hearts on His timetable with them, not our timetables. We need to be patient and minister to them in the areas where God is leading. We need to make them ready to let go of their sin, and receive God's grace. We do not want to get into the way of anything God will do.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
I know for some people, this would be a 'duh' statement. Perfect love casts out fear. But do we really know what that means? How has this verse affected us individually, or has it?
Where do I begin? All through my life I would hear bits and pieces of the Gospel, but I never put the pieces together until I was about 17. I had heard about God's love for me, but I didn't really know what it meant. One of the songs I learned when I was little was, 'Jesus loves me'. But it was confusing for me to understand, for God was dealing with my heart and helping me to understand that not everything was o.k. in my life. I was under God's wrath because of my selfishness and sin. But doesn't the song say that 'little ones to Him belong'? If God really loves me as much as people say, then why should I have to worry about going to hell after I die? God doesn't send people He loves so much to hell, does He? That didn't make any sense to me.
And then there are people you have to contend with every day. Everything was fine until I got into second grade. Kids in my class made fun of me and some would do things to get me into trouble. It only got worse when I was older. There were the bullies and there were the betrayers. By the time I was 14, I stopped trusting people. If someone said something nice about me, I had my doubts. I could not accept a person's friendship unless they passed a rigid test I would put out for them.
Other children picked on me and bullied me around. But at age 14, the tables turned. Now I was the bully. I was the one starting fights with people. No one was going to bully me around or betray me anymore. I was the one to call the shots in any relationships I had.
But there were some serious affects in my life because of this. You see, I built walls around me to protect myself from rejection. I protected my emotions from being destroyed. But when a person comes to Christ and is regenerated, they are a new creation. They experience God's love, but if they don't understand what love is, they will not be made perfect in God's love (they will not mature in God's love).
The walls stayed up for many years. Of course, I didn't understand about these walls or what they meant, or even what to do about them. The walls became obvious to me when I found myself in church settings where people would hug one another. I can smile at people, and I can talk nice to them and probably even love them, but I could not hug people. What was my hang up? Why didn't I trust anyone? But even more than that, what is the cure for my aloofness?
After years of being in the same church, I did begin to trust people again. It took a long time, but I recovered from my lack of ability to hug people. Certainly, I am going to be careful about how much to entrust to each individual I encounter, for I know there are those who will betray, even if they think they have good intentions. But, in spite of the walls of hostility, God's love began to make the walls crumble.
But here is the real cure: 1 John 4:18 says "There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment and has to do with punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love."
Experiencing God's love for me is very healing. It will help the walls to crumble. It will demolish the devil's lies, which are continually before me. Knowing God's word and letting the word of God be activated in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, will cause us to be set free from the prisons we built around ourselves when others rejected us and bullied us around.
The second thing we need to have is the power of the Holy Spirit in us. You could see the difference in the lives of the Apostles after the Holy Spirit came down upon them and filled them. We can have the same thing today. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We can know all about God, we can know tons of Scripture, but unless the Holy Spirit activates the word of God in our hearts, unless the word of God is applied to our lives, nothing will happen. We need a dynamic encounter with the true and living God.
A word of caution and clarification: A lot of people use God's love as an excuse to not repent. Many will be thinking, just like I did, that if God really loves me as much as everyone says He does, He's not going to send me to hell, for God doesn't send people He loves to hell. Here's the deal: God is holy. We are sinful. Because God is holy and just, He must punish sin. The white lie you told yesterday. The baby you aborted last year. The woman you were secretly having a relationship with. The porn magazines you have been reading. The list could go on and on. We continually sin and are storing up wrath for us on the Day of Judgment. In order for us to be cleared on the Day of Judgment, we would have to live a life where we never sinned. Not even once. We would have to have loved God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, 24/7. No one has ever done that, except One person.
So, why would a loving God send us to hell? Does this seem fair? Let's look at this issue a little deeper. God loves His creation so much, that He did something very spectacular, but very costly to Himself, so that human beings could now be cleared on Judgment Day. Around 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son, His only Son, to live on earth, the planet we ruined. But His Son never sinned or did anything wrong. He lived for about 33 years, and some mean people arrested Him and gave Him and unfair trial. Now, He could easily have gotten out of the trial because He didn't do anything wrong. But He went through the trial, and died an awful death, the death of crucifixion, which was one of the worst forms of execution in the entire course of History. He did this out of love for us. He chose to do this. It was voluntary on His part.
When He died, God the Father put all of our sins on His Son, whom He loved, and He willingly took the punishment that He didn't deserve, and died. While He was dying, many things happened. For 3 hours, there was darkness over the whole land (this was during the day). One of the last sayings of Jesus was 'It is finished'. He was telling us that His death on the Cross had accomplished what we needed to have to be saved from God's wrath. Another thing that happened was that the heavy curtain that separated the people from the 'Holy of Holies'* was torn in two. Now the people could enter a place that was formerly forbidden, for God's presence was in the 'Holy of holies' and no one could go in there unless they were completely purified according to God's instructions.
Jesus made the way open between God and man. Now, mankind can have access to God, but, it is only through the shed blood of God's Son. Anything else we try to do or bring to God will be an offense to Him.
But Jesus did not only die for us. He rose from the grave, and He ascended back into Heaven. Today, He is praying for those who are His.
So, now do you see how God's love works? His love does not keep us in our sins and say it is o.k. His love provided a way for us to be forgiven of our sins, cleansed from our sins, restoration brought to us, and reconciliation between us and God. Now we can not only be cleansed, but we can know God personally and He dwells with His people by His Holy Spirit.
When we realize God's love and nearness, the walls of hostility that we built will come down, brick by brick. If we dwell in God's love, the walls will continue to come down. We will experience healing and those things which blocked us from seeing God will also fall down. Plus, we will be able to discern the difference between God's voice and the devil's. The devil puts thoughts and ideas in our minds that sound plausible to our thinking, and without realizing it, we believe the lies, then we start acting upon them as if they are real. These lies end up affecting everything we do. They also affect what we believe about ourselves and about God, and they can keep us from trusting God. They can also keep us in fear.
Faith is the opposite of fear. Faith comes about when we hear the word of God, and when God's word is activated in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Bible has a lot to say about God's love for us. God wants to have a relationship with us. God promises to work all things together for our good and for His glory. But these promises only apply to people who know God. Only those who have Jesus Christ as their Lord/Savior can have this type of relationship with God the Father.
Some Christians actually think and teach that God is after us to punish us the second we fall. It is like God is just waiting for that moment when we sin, and bam, we become toast. But this is not true. God knows when each one of us is going to sin. God also provides a way for us to escape having to sin. He also gives us a new heart that hates sin. He gives us His Holy Spirit to have the power for us to say 'no' to sin. All of these things are available to us because of God's great love for His people.
If you are a person who has trusted in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, and have turned from sin and turned to God, then I would encourage you to spend time in the word. Take your time and don't read the Bible just because it is the 'Christian' thing to do. The Bible is like spiritual food, and we need to have it to grow with. Wait upon God and let Him speak to your heart. Anything God tells us is always based upon Scriptures.
If you are a person who has not yet come to Jesus Christ for salvation, I would encourage you to go to http://thegospelconversation.blogspot.com or http://test4gp.wordpress.com Both of these pages will help you understand the Gospel better, and will help you understand why you need to be saved from your sins (from God's wrath and from the slavery of sin). Don't be afraid to go here. God wants you to understand the Gospel and what He has done for you. The devil will put all kinds of lies in your head as to why it isn't important, or, that you really don't need it. But the key part of life is listening to God and rejecting the devil and separating the two opposing voices that can so easily sound the same to us.
* Holy of Holies is a specific room in the Temple where the priest would go in once a year to bring the atonement offering. If there were any impurities in the priest, he would die in the Holy of Holies. I have heard that they would tie a rope around him and attach bells to him and if they didn't hear the bells, and if they assumed he died, they would have been able to pull him out with the attached rope. I do not know the accuracy of this, but, the seriousness of the Holy of Holies is just like that. God is unapproachable. But now we can have access directly to God, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Where do I begin? All through my life I would hear bits and pieces of the Gospel, but I never put the pieces together until I was about 17. I had heard about God's love for me, but I didn't really know what it meant. One of the songs I learned when I was little was, 'Jesus loves me'. But it was confusing for me to understand, for God was dealing with my heart and helping me to understand that not everything was o.k. in my life. I was under God's wrath because of my selfishness and sin. But doesn't the song say that 'little ones to Him belong'? If God really loves me as much as people say, then why should I have to worry about going to hell after I die? God doesn't send people He loves so much to hell, does He? That didn't make any sense to me.
And then there are people you have to contend with every day. Everything was fine until I got into second grade. Kids in my class made fun of me and some would do things to get me into trouble. It only got worse when I was older. There were the bullies and there were the betrayers. By the time I was 14, I stopped trusting people. If someone said something nice about me, I had my doubts. I could not accept a person's friendship unless they passed a rigid test I would put out for them.
Other children picked on me and bullied me around. But at age 14, the tables turned. Now I was the bully. I was the one starting fights with people. No one was going to bully me around or betray me anymore. I was the one to call the shots in any relationships I had.
But there were some serious affects in my life because of this. You see, I built walls around me to protect myself from rejection. I protected my emotions from being destroyed. But when a person comes to Christ and is regenerated, they are a new creation. They experience God's love, but if they don't understand what love is, they will not be made perfect in God's love (they will not mature in God's love).
The walls stayed up for many years. Of course, I didn't understand about these walls or what they meant, or even what to do about them. The walls became obvious to me when I found myself in church settings where people would hug one another. I can smile at people, and I can talk nice to them and probably even love them, but I could not hug people. What was my hang up? Why didn't I trust anyone? But even more than that, what is the cure for my aloofness?
After years of being in the same church, I did begin to trust people again. It took a long time, but I recovered from my lack of ability to hug people. Certainly, I am going to be careful about how much to entrust to each individual I encounter, for I know there are those who will betray, even if they think they have good intentions. But, in spite of the walls of hostility, God's love began to make the walls crumble.
But here is the real cure: 1 John 4:18 says "There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment and has to do with punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love."
Experiencing God's love for me is very healing. It will help the walls to crumble. It will demolish the devil's lies, which are continually before me. Knowing God's word and letting the word of God be activated in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, will cause us to be set free from the prisons we built around ourselves when others rejected us and bullied us around.
The second thing we need to have is the power of the Holy Spirit in us. You could see the difference in the lives of the Apostles after the Holy Spirit came down upon them and filled them. We can have the same thing today. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We can know all about God, we can know tons of Scripture, but unless the Holy Spirit activates the word of God in our hearts, unless the word of God is applied to our lives, nothing will happen. We need a dynamic encounter with the true and living God.
A word of caution and clarification: A lot of people use God's love as an excuse to not repent. Many will be thinking, just like I did, that if God really loves me as much as everyone says He does, He's not going to send me to hell, for God doesn't send people He loves to hell. Here's the deal: God is holy. We are sinful. Because God is holy and just, He must punish sin. The white lie you told yesterday. The baby you aborted last year. The woman you were secretly having a relationship with. The porn magazines you have been reading. The list could go on and on. We continually sin and are storing up wrath for us on the Day of Judgment. In order for us to be cleared on the Day of Judgment, we would have to live a life where we never sinned. Not even once. We would have to have loved God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, 24/7. No one has ever done that, except One person.
So, why would a loving God send us to hell? Does this seem fair? Let's look at this issue a little deeper. God loves His creation so much, that He did something very spectacular, but very costly to Himself, so that human beings could now be cleared on Judgment Day. Around 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son, His only Son, to live on earth, the planet we ruined. But His Son never sinned or did anything wrong. He lived for about 33 years, and some mean people arrested Him and gave Him and unfair trial. Now, He could easily have gotten out of the trial because He didn't do anything wrong. But He went through the trial, and died an awful death, the death of crucifixion, which was one of the worst forms of execution in the entire course of History. He did this out of love for us. He chose to do this. It was voluntary on His part.
When He died, God the Father put all of our sins on His Son, whom He loved, and He willingly took the punishment that He didn't deserve, and died. While He was dying, many things happened. For 3 hours, there was darkness over the whole land (this was during the day). One of the last sayings of Jesus was 'It is finished'. He was telling us that His death on the Cross had accomplished what we needed to have to be saved from God's wrath. Another thing that happened was that the heavy curtain that separated the people from the 'Holy of Holies'* was torn in two. Now the people could enter a place that was formerly forbidden, for God's presence was in the 'Holy of holies' and no one could go in there unless they were completely purified according to God's instructions.
Jesus made the way open between God and man. Now, mankind can have access to God, but, it is only through the shed blood of God's Son. Anything else we try to do or bring to God will be an offense to Him.
But Jesus did not only die for us. He rose from the grave, and He ascended back into Heaven. Today, He is praying for those who are His.
So, now do you see how God's love works? His love does not keep us in our sins and say it is o.k. His love provided a way for us to be forgiven of our sins, cleansed from our sins, restoration brought to us, and reconciliation between us and God. Now we can not only be cleansed, but we can know God personally and He dwells with His people by His Holy Spirit.
When we realize God's love and nearness, the walls of hostility that we built will come down, brick by brick. If we dwell in God's love, the walls will continue to come down. We will experience healing and those things which blocked us from seeing God will also fall down. Plus, we will be able to discern the difference between God's voice and the devil's. The devil puts thoughts and ideas in our minds that sound plausible to our thinking, and without realizing it, we believe the lies, then we start acting upon them as if they are real. These lies end up affecting everything we do. They also affect what we believe about ourselves and about God, and they can keep us from trusting God. They can also keep us in fear.
Faith is the opposite of fear. Faith comes about when we hear the word of God, and when God's word is activated in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Bible has a lot to say about God's love for us. God wants to have a relationship with us. God promises to work all things together for our good and for His glory. But these promises only apply to people who know God. Only those who have Jesus Christ as their Lord/Savior can have this type of relationship with God the Father.
Some Christians actually think and teach that God is after us to punish us the second we fall. It is like God is just waiting for that moment when we sin, and bam, we become toast. But this is not true. God knows when each one of us is going to sin. God also provides a way for us to escape having to sin. He also gives us a new heart that hates sin. He gives us His Holy Spirit to have the power for us to say 'no' to sin. All of these things are available to us because of God's great love for His people.
If you are a person who has trusted in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, and have turned from sin and turned to God, then I would encourage you to spend time in the word. Take your time and don't read the Bible just because it is the 'Christian' thing to do. The Bible is like spiritual food, and we need to have it to grow with. Wait upon God and let Him speak to your heart. Anything God tells us is always based upon Scriptures.
If you are a person who has not yet come to Jesus Christ for salvation, I would encourage you to go to http://thegospelconversation.blogspot.com or http://test4gp.wordpress.com Both of these pages will help you understand the Gospel better, and will help you understand why you need to be saved from your sins (from God's wrath and from the slavery of sin). Don't be afraid to go here. God wants you to understand the Gospel and what He has done for you. The devil will put all kinds of lies in your head as to why it isn't important, or, that you really don't need it. But the key part of life is listening to God and rejecting the devil and separating the two opposing voices that can so easily sound the same to us.
* Holy of Holies is a specific room in the Temple where the priest would go in once a year to bring the atonement offering. If there were any impurities in the priest, he would die in the Holy of Holies. I have heard that they would tie a rope around him and attach bells to him and if they didn't hear the bells, and if they assumed he died, they would have been able to pull him out with the attached rope. I do not know the accuracy of this, but, the seriousness of the Holy of Holies is just like that. God is unapproachable. But now we can have access directly to God, because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Women Are Being Degraded Today
Back in the days when I was young, there was a difference between right and wrong, good and evil. Not everyone chose to do right, but there were consequences for wrongdoing, and many suffered because of a person's wrong decisions or lifestyle.
Today though, anything goes. Women do not want to be keepers at home. Some women really want to be men. And some men want to be women. People are not content to be what God made them and they have a discontent on how they were designed.
But even back in my day, there was temptation for young people to give into sexual practices that were forbidden by God. This is nothing new though, even though people believe that in this day, we have more freedom to be sexually expressive.
First of all, God's word never changes, and He has a lot to say about sexual relationships outside of marriage. My concern is for young women who are looking to date men. Looking for a man to marry one day, is not a bad thing, but it could lead to trouble if it is not handled properly.
Let's take something that is common to all generations; the pressure from a guy to have sex. I think every generation has had this occur in it. It starts like this; "I love you. If you really love me, you will have sex with me." If any guy says this to you, and you are a woman dating this man, please don't believe him. He does not love you and he wants to use you to satisfy his sexual drive. He may promise marriage to you, or that he will take care of you if you get pregnant. That is a lie. He has no intention of doing that, and you need to put up boundaries to protect yourself from men who would manipulate like that.
But let's go a little further. Some would think it is ok to have sexual relationships outside of marriage. If 99% of the people are having sexual relationships outside of marriage, does that make it right? What if God says that it is wrong? Is God's word more powerful than the percentage of people who are opposed to what God says?
God's word says that He will judge the immoral (see Hebrews 5). People can make it ok to have sex outside of marriage, but in God's eyes, it is never ok, and it never will be.
So, if you wander outside of God's boundaries, and you end up pregnant, what will you do then? Many would say that having an abortion is the answer. But is it really? What does God's word say about that? Psalm 139 talks about God forming a person when they are inside the womb. It doesn't matter how the person got there. He or she may be the product of rape. He or she may be the product of two children who had sexual relations. Whatever the reason is, the forming embryo is not just a piece of tissue. It is a full fledged, undeveloped human being, who will continue to live even after the body is killed or dies. Also, babies who are being formed inside the womb can feel pain. They feel the pain of rejection from the mother, but even worse, they feel sharply the pain that comes from a knife that stabs him or her that is in the 'doctor's' hands. They have nerves that work. They have blood going throughout their bodies. They have heartbeats and brainwaves. A mom who chooses to have an abortion either doesn't understand what takes place during an abortion, or, she has lost her conscience, possibly due to the hardening of her heart against God as she tries to make her man love her, whom she can never seem to please. Frustration and anger set in, and God is blamed for her man not loving her. But she continues to do whatever he wants so she can hang onto him and not lose him, even if it means murdering their baby.
Years ago, women loved having babies born to them. They spent much of their time taking care of the babies they had. It was considered an honor to have children. The Bible says that children are a gift from God. What has happened though today? We have been duped by people, especially self-centered, self-serving men, who think they can do whatever they want and that it doesn't matter to anyone else. They can rape women, even their own daughters (this actually is very common in America). Pornography is rampant in America today. Men are not willing to pay the price to have a sacrificial relationship with a woman, and they are unwilling to support and live for a woman who will take care of the needs of the man. Men want the easy way out, and the most gratifying way they can find, even if others are hurt by their actions.
So we have men who lead women into sexual relationships and then they send the woman off to an abortion clinic to have his baby murdered. The woman probably wants to hang onto her man and will do whatever he wants to please him so she doesn't lose him. The woman who does this though has already lost her man. He doesn't love her. He hates her. He loves only himself. Plus, this is very degrading to women.
So my recommendation to women is a warning to never get involved with a man who is selfish in this way. Even those who profess to be Christians can be deceivers. Sometimes they will take their authority and use it to take advantage of a woman. Make sure the man is learning to love God, and is growing in grace and humility. You will never find a perfect man, but you can find a man who fears God and is hungry for knowing God more. That is what you need to look for in a man. Never let any man degrade you like this. Never let any man take away your dignity. Never let any man remove your boundaries. They are given to you from God and are there to protect you and to keep your dignity in place.
Today though, anything goes. Women do not want to be keepers at home. Some women really want to be men. And some men want to be women. People are not content to be what God made them and they have a discontent on how they were designed.
But even back in my day, there was temptation for young people to give into sexual practices that were forbidden by God. This is nothing new though, even though people believe that in this day, we have more freedom to be sexually expressive.
First of all, God's word never changes, and He has a lot to say about sexual relationships outside of marriage. My concern is for young women who are looking to date men. Looking for a man to marry one day, is not a bad thing, but it could lead to trouble if it is not handled properly.
Let's take something that is common to all generations; the pressure from a guy to have sex. I think every generation has had this occur in it. It starts like this; "I love you. If you really love me, you will have sex with me." If any guy says this to you, and you are a woman dating this man, please don't believe him. He does not love you and he wants to use you to satisfy his sexual drive. He may promise marriage to you, or that he will take care of you if you get pregnant. That is a lie. He has no intention of doing that, and you need to put up boundaries to protect yourself from men who would manipulate like that.
But let's go a little further. Some would think it is ok to have sexual relationships outside of marriage. If 99% of the people are having sexual relationships outside of marriage, does that make it right? What if God says that it is wrong? Is God's word more powerful than the percentage of people who are opposed to what God says?
God's word says that He will judge the immoral (see Hebrews 5). People can make it ok to have sex outside of marriage, but in God's eyes, it is never ok, and it never will be.
So, if you wander outside of God's boundaries, and you end up pregnant, what will you do then? Many would say that having an abortion is the answer. But is it really? What does God's word say about that? Psalm 139 talks about God forming a person when they are inside the womb. It doesn't matter how the person got there. He or she may be the product of rape. He or she may be the product of two children who had sexual relations. Whatever the reason is, the forming embryo is not just a piece of tissue. It is a full fledged, undeveloped human being, who will continue to live even after the body is killed or dies. Also, babies who are being formed inside the womb can feel pain. They feel the pain of rejection from the mother, but even worse, they feel sharply the pain that comes from a knife that stabs him or her that is in the 'doctor's' hands. They have nerves that work. They have blood going throughout their bodies. They have heartbeats and brainwaves. A mom who chooses to have an abortion either doesn't understand what takes place during an abortion, or, she has lost her conscience, possibly due to the hardening of her heart against God as she tries to make her man love her, whom she can never seem to please. Frustration and anger set in, and God is blamed for her man not loving her. But she continues to do whatever he wants so she can hang onto him and not lose him, even if it means murdering their baby.
Years ago, women loved having babies born to them. They spent much of their time taking care of the babies they had. It was considered an honor to have children. The Bible says that children are a gift from God. What has happened though today? We have been duped by people, especially self-centered, self-serving men, who think they can do whatever they want and that it doesn't matter to anyone else. They can rape women, even their own daughters (this actually is very common in America). Pornography is rampant in America today. Men are not willing to pay the price to have a sacrificial relationship with a woman, and they are unwilling to support and live for a woman who will take care of the needs of the man. Men want the easy way out, and the most gratifying way they can find, even if others are hurt by their actions.
So we have men who lead women into sexual relationships and then they send the woman off to an abortion clinic to have his baby murdered. The woman probably wants to hang onto her man and will do whatever he wants to please him so she doesn't lose him. The woman who does this though has already lost her man. He doesn't love her. He hates her. He loves only himself. Plus, this is very degrading to women.
So my recommendation to women is a warning to never get involved with a man who is selfish in this way. Even those who profess to be Christians can be deceivers. Sometimes they will take their authority and use it to take advantage of a woman. Make sure the man is learning to love God, and is growing in grace and humility. You will never find a perfect man, but you can find a man who fears God and is hungry for knowing God more. That is what you need to look for in a man. Never let any man degrade you like this. Never let any man take away your dignity. Never let any man remove your boundaries. They are given to you from God and are there to protect you and to keep your dignity in place.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Mental Illnesses - Why and How?
There is a lot of mental illness going on today. Many are depressed and sad. Others act like they have lost their minds. Why do people have mental illness anyway?
The simple answer is because of the fall of mankind. Human beings have suffered horribly since Adam and Eve trusted and believed the devil's words instead of God's. God alone has the words of life. Anything from the Enemy of our souls will be a lie.
Let's look at something from the Bible in Romans 1*. Most of us are familiar with this passage and this is one reason for mental illness. It starts with human beings not liking God or His standards. When we don't like something, we have wishful thinking. We wish really hard that whatever it is we don't like would go away. We eventually believe what we want to believe. But in Romans 1, God interacts with us as well. When we suppress the knowledge of God that God gives us, eventually, all we see is nothing of God. God will not continue to deal with our hearts once we have hardened our hearts against Him. He will not make us believe what is true. He will have left us to our own devices.
The result of this is a lack of normal mental processes. But not every person who is experiencing mental illness is a person described in Romans 1. Could there be another reason for mental illness besides suppressing the knowledge of God?
The mind is complex, and living in a fallen world with fallen people makes everything more complicated. But there are some things that are concrete, even though we might not have all the answers or know how to cure people of mental illness that comes about because of victimization.
Victimization is a scary word. When some hear the word, 'victimization', they automatically think of blame shifting. For example, have you ever heard the outcome of a court decision to let a person go free who has done a horrible crime, just because he or she was mentally ill? It can become a scapegoat for our sins and crimes against others if we are not careful and skilled in knowing how to deal with the mentally ill.
But there is a mental condition that is very, very prevalent today, and I think it needs attention. The reason it needs attention is because many are experiencing this type of condition, yet, many who would counsel them would assume that these people are in the Romans 1 category, when in reality their cause for mental illness is very different. The end product looks the same, but the cause is very different, and we need to treat the two types of mental illnesses differently.
When children are traumatized, they basically shut down. The conscious part of a person goes completely blank and the subconscious part takes over. It is a little like sleep walking. Many times, a person's emotions are gone, as well as a conscience. Some of these people seem like robots. There is a valid reason for this; their subconscious is protecting them from being hurt again, or from potentially going through another traumatic situation.
The statistics of women who have been raped as a child are alarming. What is even worse, is that being raped is like a check-mate. A woman who has been raped not only has the disgrace of being raped, but, the rapist usually will put the blame of the rape onto the woman, and, he will threaten the woman with harm, should she report or tell of the rape. If that isn't bad enough, many women have wanted to tell of the rape, but their stories are not believed.
Some women have told and have suffered badly. One woman I know told her mother about what her father did to her. Instead of the mom listening to her daughter, she beat her severely. The more trauma a child suffers, the more difficult his or her mental illnesses will be.
A common effect of this particular mental illness is the appearance of not having a conscience. People can do things in public that they normally would never do. Most of the time, when confronted later on about the episode, they will not be able to recall it.
How can a person go into a building or a bus, and blow it up, and not feel any concern that they will be killing many people along with themselves. It is true that some religions, such as Islam, would teach that there is reward for killing certain people of particular groups, such as Christians. They believe they will have Allah's favor on them if they kill those whom they deem as Infidels, but that still doesn't answer the question of why there doesn't seem to be a conscience or concern.
When people are about to die, many are very concerned about what happens next, but those who blow up buildings and buses aren't. Why do you think this is? Drugs? Possibly. But it is likely that the person doing the blowing up has been mentally destroyed by going through intentional trauma, to make him or her have this mental condition. That is how people can get others to do things for them that they normally would not do in a normal state of mind.
I actually have heard of the expression of 'breaking the mind' in order to piece it back together, and sadly, many have had their minds broken by adults whom either they trusted or could not get away from. They redo the mind with programming in whatever subject they want to put into the victim.
I am not saying though, that everyone who seems to not have a conscience has been traumatized on purpose as a child. Some of those are people who have suppressed God and removed Him from their thoughts.
A word of caution though; Do not assume that every person who is a homosexual is struggling with homosexuality because he or she has suppressed God in their hearts. Yes, that could be the case. But it might be due to sexual abuse as a young child or some other wrong believe system that they have bought into.
Here is another interesting thought: Most people (usually men) who have raped little girls or even their own daughters, usually will never remember the incident(s). Even more puzzling than that, most of these men seem like very normal people, who live normal lives. But there is a side to them that you may not ever see unless you are the daughter. That is why it is hard for a girl to report a rape. When the rapist is exposed, everyone thinks he is a good guy, because, in most of his life (which is visible to the public), he seems like a normal person who wouldn't do anything like that.
I heard a sad report yesterday, but it ties in with what I am saying. As I watched the news, the reporter announced two different incidences where Bill Cosby was said to have raped two different women. I don't know if this is true or not, but, the point is, even though we have good talents and even wisdom, we can still fall into sin. Even Bill Cosby can sin, and he may really be guilty of what these women are accusing him of. One reporter asked the woman why she didn't report it when it happened. She simply said, no one would have believed her.
* For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
The simple answer is because of the fall of mankind. Human beings have suffered horribly since Adam and Eve trusted and believed the devil's words instead of God's. God alone has the words of life. Anything from the Enemy of our souls will be a lie.
Let's look at something from the Bible in Romans 1*. Most of us are familiar with this passage and this is one reason for mental illness. It starts with human beings not liking God or His standards. When we don't like something, we have wishful thinking. We wish really hard that whatever it is we don't like would go away. We eventually believe what we want to believe. But in Romans 1, God interacts with us as well. When we suppress the knowledge of God that God gives us, eventually, all we see is nothing of God. God will not continue to deal with our hearts once we have hardened our hearts against Him. He will not make us believe what is true. He will have left us to our own devices.
The result of this is a lack of normal mental processes. But not every person who is experiencing mental illness is a person described in Romans 1. Could there be another reason for mental illness besides suppressing the knowledge of God?
The mind is complex, and living in a fallen world with fallen people makes everything more complicated. But there are some things that are concrete, even though we might not have all the answers or know how to cure people of mental illness that comes about because of victimization.
Victimization is a scary word. When some hear the word, 'victimization', they automatically think of blame shifting. For example, have you ever heard the outcome of a court decision to let a person go free who has done a horrible crime, just because he or she was mentally ill? It can become a scapegoat for our sins and crimes against others if we are not careful and skilled in knowing how to deal with the mentally ill.
But there is a mental condition that is very, very prevalent today, and I think it needs attention. The reason it needs attention is because many are experiencing this type of condition, yet, many who would counsel them would assume that these people are in the Romans 1 category, when in reality their cause for mental illness is very different. The end product looks the same, but the cause is very different, and we need to treat the two types of mental illnesses differently.
When children are traumatized, they basically shut down. The conscious part of a person goes completely blank and the subconscious part takes over. It is a little like sleep walking. Many times, a person's emotions are gone, as well as a conscience. Some of these people seem like robots. There is a valid reason for this; their subconscious is protecting them from being hurt again, or from potentially going through another traumatic situation.
The statistics of women who have been raped as a child are alarming. What is even worse, is that being raped is like a check-mate. A woman who has been raped not only has the disgrace of being raped, but, the rapist usually will put the blame of the rape onto the woman, and, he will threaten the woman with harm, should she report or tell of the rape. If that isn't bad enough, many women have wanted to tell of the rape, but their stories are not believed.
Some women have told and have suffered badly. One woman I know told her mother about what her father did to her. Instead of the mom listening to her daughter, she beat her severely. The more trauma a child suffers, the more difficult his or her mental illnesses will be.
A common effect of this particular mental illness is the appearance of not having a conscience. People can do things in public that they normally would never do. Most of the time, when confronted later on about the episode, they will not be able to recall it.
How can a person go into a building or a bus, and blow it up, and not feel any concern that they will be killing many people along with themselves. It is true that some religions, such as Islam, would teach that there is reward for killing certain people of particular groups, such as Christians. They believe they will have Allah's favor on them if they kill those whom they deem as Infidels, but that still doesn't answer the question of why there doesn't seem to be a conscience or concern.
When people are about to die, many are very concerned about what happens next, but those who blow up buildings and buses aren't. Why do you think this is? Drugs? Possibly. But it is likely that the person doing the blowing up has been mentally destroyed by going through intentional trauma, to make him or her have this mental condition. That is how people can get others to do things for them that they normally would not do in a normal state of mind.
I actually have heard of the expression of 'breaking the mind' in order to piece it back together, and sadly, many have had their minds broken by adults whom either they trusted or could not get away from. They redo the mind with programming in whatever subject they want to put into the victim.
I am not saying though, that everyone who seems to not have a conscience has been traumatized on purpose as a child. Some of those are people who have suppressed God and removed Him from their thoughts.
A word of caution though; Do not assume that every person who is a homosexual is struggling with homosexuality because he or she has suppressed God in their hearts. Yes, that could be the case. But it might be due to sexual abuse as a young child or some other wrong believe system that they have bought into.
Here is another interesting thought: Most people (usually men) who have raped little girls or even their own daughters, usually will never remember the incident(s). Even more puzzling than that, most of these men seem like very normal people, who live normal lives. But there is a side to them that you may not ever see unless you are the daughter. That is why it is hard for a girl to report a rape. When the rapist is exposed, everyone thinks he is a good guy, because, in most of his life (which is visible to the public), he seems like a normal person who wouldn't do anything like that.
I heard a sad report yesterday, but it ties in with what I am saying. As I watched the news, the reporter announced two different incidences where Bill Cosby was said to have raped two different women. I don't know if this is true or not, but, the point is, even though we have good talents and even wisdom, we can still fall into sin. Even Bill Cosby can sin, and he may really be guilty of what these women are accusing him of. One reporter asked the woman why she didn't report it when it happened. She simply said, no one would have believed her.
* For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:18-32 ESV
Monday, October 20, 2014
Dealing With Satanic Ritual Abuse Victims
This is a tough one. Out of all the traumatic problems people go through, this seems to be one of the harder ones to deal with. Not only are there physical components to work through, but the spiritual aspect is necessary to deal with.
I won't go into all the details here of what goes on with Satanic Ritual Abuse, but, the results are devastating. One of the obstacles in those who are affected by SRA is that their stories are hard to believe. We live in a physical world and we see physical results from physical causes, but when you are dealing with Satanic Ritual Abuse victims, part of the nature of their difficulty is that there is a supernatural component that sounds very strange to the natural mind.
We all want to help people, and we are learning how we can help in the best way. Let's start with defining some things that go along with SRA. One of the first things we have to know is that children, even babies in the womb are affected when Satanic Ritual Abuse is applied to them. For example, one method used by the abusers is electrical shocking aka shock treatment. I don't know exactly if mind control programming is specific to Satanic Ritual Abuse, but those who practice Satanic Ritual Abuse work with mind control programming. Sexual activities, such as rape, are used in Satanic Ritual Abuse practices. Trauma is one of the main ways that SRA is used.
The nature of SRA is that is happens to children who are born into families who have practiced SRA for generations. It is a religion. I won't cover all the beliefs of this religion, but, to explain what it is, I will bring out some points. First, a daughter who is the first-born, will be rejected by the family. She will probably be dedicated to some demonic entities at birth. She will be a victim of rape, and rituals that accompany the rape ceremonies. She will be tortured/tormented by her abusers. She will likely see many people die or be tortured. She may be put into a cage and treated like a dog, or she may have food and sleep withheld from her. Guess who the main ones will be who are doing the torture? Mom and dad will be the ones to carry out this activity, but others will be involved too.
You probably wonder how a parent could do this to their child. I wondered too. There is a component to that as well. You see, the parents were treated this way by their parents. What ends up happening to the child in a situation like this, is that the child will end up with what is called 'Multiple Personality Disorder' (MPD) or 'Dissociative Identity Disorder' (DID) which are the same thing by different names. When the parents were babies, their parents treated them in the same way they are treating their child. When a person had MPD, he or she had different personalities that they developed while they were under trauma. Every person has what is called, a 'core personality' which is just the basic person manifested by their personality. But when a child has been traumatized, he or she will blank out the 'core personality' and live in the subconscious during the time of trauma. The person may never come back to the place of having the core personality operating. He or she may live the rest of his or her life in another personality that was made during the traumatic time in that person's life.
Imagine seeing, let's say, a plane falling from the sky, and it falls in your back yard. You wouldn't call your best friend and say, 'hey, a plane just fell in my back yard'. You would probably have an assortment of emotions that eventually would lead you to call someone for help. Let's say that you are a child, and someone came into your house and brutally killed your mother and sister as you watched on. You wouldn't just tell someone about it the next day. You would be extremely affected by what you saw. You may even have nightmares from it. It would be so terrifying to you that you possibly wouldn't even remember it, but when you did, it would be a terrifying memory to have. This is much like what a person who is abused by SRA experiences. But they experience this many times over.
Those experienced in working with mind control programming know how to create in children multiple personalities. The personalities are formed while the child is experiencing trauma. The child will probably not remember the trauma because of its intensity. While these personalities are forming, the mind control programmers put mind control programming into the child. For example, while the child is under trauma, they will give the personality that is forming, a name. Let's say, it would be a name like 'Pretty Mama'. They will also put keywords into the child's mind and give them directions on what they want the child to do when they hear the key word. So, throughout the child's life, whenever she hears 'Pretty Mama' it triggers her mind into the personality that was given that name. Many names are associated with sexual activity. Other names that are given are associated with military tasks. So, for example, a child under trauma might be given a name like G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe was programmed to know how to build a bomb and how to blow up a bus. He will have key-words given that will trigger him into being G.I. Joe when he is in another personality mode. He will be trained to act upon the mind control programming when he hears the key-words.
What I want to do is to help others understand that there are people out there who have had the experiences of SRA and are living out the effects of their past experiences. The question for us is, how can we help them?
Keep in mind that many who have lived in homes where SRA was practiced, end up committing suicide. They see no way out, and the only way out for them is death. We, as the church, need to be ready to help them. We need to be prepared, because over time, and with the availability of the Internet, we are going to see more and more people who have come from this type of background. Most of the time, these people do not realize that they were in homes where they were victims of SRA. Some children have tried to escape from their homes, but they are usually unsuccessful. Sadly, even though it is hard for us to believe this, but some children are victims of being used as a human sacrifice to Satan.
Many wonder why these people do not get caught. There are a few reasons, but I want to focus on one in particular. I personally believe that when the church (I am referring to the church in general, not any specific one) is healthy, society will become healthy. The conditions around us reflect the condition or health of the church (the body of Christ-true believers). For the past 50 years, probably longer, the church has been very passive and indifferent. Very few are in faith for God to move in our lives. Most don't even care. In the past centuries, whenever there was an opponent to the pure Gospel message, there was always someone who stood up for the truth. The truth prevailed. But in America, in recent years especially, the church has just sat on the sidelines, so to speak. I believe that if the church were growing and healthy, we would not have issues like pro-choice vs. pro-life, or same sex marriage issues today. We presently have these issues, because we were passive when others marched their causes into the Supreme Court and got what they wanted. If we were the church God intended for us to be, God would expose the works of darkness and people would not be allowed to get away with murder.
The powers of darkness are very strong and real. Satan is not a red character holding a pitchfork. He is a powerful demonic force that we have to resist. We don't resist the Enemy by just going to church on Sunday and living for ourselves the rest of the time. Spiritual warfare is a lot of work. If we were doing spiritual warfare, God would set the captives free. Setting the captives free is part of God's plan for us as a church. It doesn't happen automatically. As the saying goes, 'All it takes for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.' That is exactly what the church has been doing for the last 50+ years.
I don't know about you, but when I realize what people affected by SRA have gone through, I am willing to sacrifice things in order for them to be set free. I am willing to learn how I can help them in the best way possible. These are people who have had their dignity stolen from them. They feel like garbage. They have been sold to the Enemy by someone else. They are trapped and don't know how to get out. Can we love these people and do whatever we can to try to set them free? Can we bring the Gospel to those who are in this utter darkness?
"Father in Heaven, Creator of all things, We ask that You please have mercy on those who have experienced Satanic Ritual Abuse in their childhood. Please expose the works of darkness and those who are working this kind of darkness. Let Your healing power be present and at work. I pray that many will be set free and that the chains will fall off them. Please let moms and dads who are practicing this horror on their children, to be caught. Also, we ask that the network that has been so strongly woven together to hold these people into bondage, begin to unravel. Please set the captives free, especially little children. I pray that where there are doctors, police, governmental workers, politicians, and others who embrace SRA to not be able to use their positions to keep people in bondage and defend the wrong when they know it is happening. I pray for many to be pulled out of this web of horror, even tonight, tomorrow, and in the coming days, weeks, and months. May the Gospel of Jesus Christ be made available to those who are in utter darkness, and may the chains begin to fall off even now. May the Enemy of our souls be subject to Jesus Name. Please break every spiritual chain holding these people down. Thank You for the blood of Jesus which is powerful enough to undo the works of darkness. Thank You for disarming the powers of darkness and for the power of the Resurrection. Give Your church the power to serve and minister to these broken people. In Jesus' name."
Although this article does not use the words 'Satanic Ritual Abuse' in it, the description of what Carol Rutz went through during her childhood explains clearly what children who experience SRA go through. Many who lived during this time period, also were sent to these 'safe houses' as they were called (and they were anything but 'safe'). More and more information is coming out now about the children who were involved in this activity during the 1950s-70s. Today, there are many adults, now in their 50s and 60s who are mentally ill because they were part of these experiments. Let us learn how we can help these people and ask God for wisdom and compassion, as well as patience. https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/oldspeak/a_nation_betrayed_secret_cold_war_experiments
Carol Rutz Interview- Rutherford
I won't go into all the details here of what goes on with Satanic Ritual Abuse, but, the results are devastating. One of the obstacles in those who are affected by SRA is that their stories are hard to believe. We live in a physical world and we see physical results from physical causes, but when you are dealing with Satanic Ritual Abuse victims, part of the nature of their difficulty is that there is a supernatural component that sounds very strange to the natural mind.
We all want to help people, and we are learning how we can help in the best way. Let's start with defining some things that go along with SRA. One of the first things we have to know is that children, even babies in the womb are affected when Satanic Ritual Abuse is applied to them. For example, one method used by the abusers is electrical shocking aka shock treatment. I don't know exactly if mind control programming is specific to Satanic Ritual Abuse, but those who practice Satanic Ritual Abuse work with mind control programming. Sexual activities, such as rape, are used in Satanic Ritual Abuse practices. Trauma is one of the main ways that SRA is used.
The nature of SRA is that is happens to children who are born into families who have practiced SRA for generations. It is a religion. I won't cover all the beliefs of this religion, but, to explain what it is, I will bring out some points. First, a daughter who is the first-born, will be rejected by the family. She will probably be dedicated to some demonic entities at birth. She will be a victim of rape, and rituals that accompany the rape ceremonies. She will be tortured/tormented by her abusers. She will likely see many people die or be tortured. She may be put into a cage and treated like a dog, or she may have food and sleep withheld from her. Guess who the main ones will be who are doing the torture? Mom and dad will be the ones to carry out this activity, but others will be involved too.
You probably wonder how a parent could do this to their child. I wondered too. There is a component to that as well. You see, the parents were treated this way by their parents. What ends up happening to the child in a situation like this, is that the child will end up with what is called 'Multiple Personality Disorder' (MPD) or 'Dissociative Identity Disorder' (DID) which are the same thing by different names. When the parents were babies, their parents treated them in the same way they are treating their child. When a person had MPD, he or she had different personalities that they developed while they were under trauma. Every person has what is called, a 'core personality' which is just the basic person manifested by their personality. But when a child has been traumatized, he or she will blank out the 'core personality' and live in the subconscious during the time of trauma. The person may never come back to the place of having the core personality operating. He or she may live the rest of his or her life in another personality that was made during the traumatic time in that person's life.
Imagine seeing, let's say, a plane falling from the sky, and it falls in your back yard. You wouldn't call your best friend and say, 'hey, a plane just fell in my back yard'. You would probably have an assortment of emotions that eventually would lead you to call someone for help. Let's say that you are a child, and someone came into your house and brutally killed your mother and sister as you watched on. You wouldn't just tell someone about it the next day. You would be extremely affected by what you saw. You may even have nightmares from it. It would be so terrifying to you that you possibly wouldn't even remember it, but when you did, it would be a terrifying memory to have. This is much like what a person who is abused by SRA experiences. But they experience this many times over.
Those experienced in working with mind control programming know how to create in children multiple personalities. The personalities are formed while the child is experiencing trauma. The child will probably not remember the trauma because of its intensity. While these personalities are forming, the mind control programmers put mind control programming into the child. For example, while the child is under trauma, they will give the personality that is forming, a name. Let's say, it would be a name like 'Pretty Mama'. They will also put keywords into the child's mind and give them directions on what they want the child to do when they hear the key word. So, throughout the child's life, whenever she hears 'Pretty Mama' it triggers her mind into the personality that was given that name. Many names are associated with sexual activity. Other names that are given are associated with military tasks. So, for example, a child under trauma might be given a name like G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe was programmed to know how to build a bomb and how to blow up a bus. He will have key-words given that will trigger him into being G.I. Joe when he is in another personality mode. He will be trained to act upon the mind control programming when he hears the key-words.
What I want to do is to help others understand that there are people out there who have had the experiences of SRA and are living out the effects of their past experiences. The question for us is, how can we help them?
Keep in mind that many who have lived in homes where SRA was practiced, end up committing suicide. They see no way out, and the only way out for them is death. We, as the church, need to be ready to help them. We need to be prepared, because over time, and with the availability of the Internet, we are going to see more and more people who have come from this type of background. Most of the time, these people do not realize that they were in homes where they were victims of SRA. Some children have tried to escape from their homes, but they are usually unsuccessful. Sadly, even though it is hard for us to believe this, but some children are victims of being used as a human sacrifice to Satan.
Many wonder why these people do not get caught. There are a few reasons, but I want to focus on one in particular. I personally believe that when the church (I am referring to the church in general, not any specific one) is healthy, society will become healthy. The conditions around us reflect the condition or health of the church (the body of Christ-true believers). For the past 50 years, probably longer, the church has been very passive and indifferent. Very few are in faith for God to move in our lives. Most don't even care. In the past centuries, whenever there was an opponent to the pure Gospel message, there was always someone who stood up for the truth. The truth prevailed. But in America, in recent years especially, the church has just sat on the sidelines, so to speak. I believe that if the church were growing and healthy, we would not have issues like pro-choice vs. pro-life, or same sex marriage issues today. We presently have these issues, because we were passive when others marched their causes into the Supreme Court and got what they wanted. If we were the church God intended for us to be, God would expose the works of darkness and people would not be allowed to get away with murder.
The powers of darkness are very strong and real. Satan is not a red character holding a pitchfork. He is a powerful demonic force that we have to resist. We don't resist the Enemy by just going to church on Sunday and living for ourselves the rest of the time. Spiritual warfare is a lot of work. If we were doing spiritual warfare, God would set the captives free. Setting the captives free is part of God's plan for us as a church. It doesn't happen automatically. As the saying goes, 'All it takes for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.' That is exactly what the church has been doing for the last 50+ years.
I don't know about you, but when I realize what people affected by SRA have gone through, I am willing to sacrifice things in order for them to be set free. I am willing to learn how I can help them in the best way possible. These are people who have had their dignity stolen from them. They feel like garbage. They have been sold to the Enemy by someone else. They are trapped and don't know how to get out. Can we love these people and do whatever we can to try to set them free? Can we bring the Gospel to those who are in this utter darkness?
"Father in Heaven, Creator of all things, We ask that You please have mercy on those who have experienced Satanic Ritual Abuse in their childhood. Please expose the works of darkness and those who are working this kind of darkness. Let Your healing power be present and at work. I pray that many will be set free and that the chains will fall off them. Please let moms and dads who are practicing this horror on their children, to be caught. Also, we ask that the network that has been so strongly woven together to hold these people into bondage, begin to unravel. Please set the captives free, especially little children. I pray that where there are doctors, police, governmental workers, politicians, and others who embrace SRA to not be able to use their positions to keep people in bondage and defend the wrong when they know it is happening. I pray for many to be pulled out of this web of horror, even tonight, tomorrow, and in the coming days, weeks, and months. May the Gospel of Jesus Christ be made available to those who are in utter darkness, and may the chains begin to fall off even now. May the Enemy of our souls be subject to Jesus Name. Please break every spiritual chain holding these people down. Thank You for the blood of Jesus which is powerful enough to undo the works of darkness. Thank You for disarming the powers of darkness and for the power of the Resurrection. Give Your church the power to serve and minister to these broken people. In Jesus' name."
Although this article does not use the words 'Satanic Ritual Abuse' in it, the description of what Carol Rutz went through during her childhood explains clearly what children who experience SRA go through. Many who lived during this time period, also were sent to these 'safe houses' as they were called (and they were anything but 'safe'). More and more information is coming out now about the children who were involved in this activity during the 1950s-70s. Today, there are many adults, now in their 50s and 60s who are mentally ill because they were part of these experiments. Let us learn how we can help these people and ask God for wisdom and compassion, as well as patience. https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/oldspeak/a_nation_betrayed_secret_cold_war_experiments
Carol Rutz Interview- Rutherford
Friday, August 15, 2014
Suicide? Why?
You may have had a loved one who committed suicide or maybe you have tried to do this yourself. When we are sane, and of a sound mine, we may wonder why we would have done such a thing.
It is easy for people to be tempted to end one's life. We get discouraged. We don't see any fruit in our lives. If we are tired or have PMS, the temptations could even be stronger. Why do we have this though?
As you probably know already, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, the whole human race was plunged into darkness and sin. Since we are born in the world of darkness, we don't really know what it's like to be in the world of light. But when we come to know the Lord, the lights come on. We see a lot more clearly, but still, we only see as if we were looking through a dark glass at the light, compared to the day when we really will see things clearly (in the next life).
Sometimes, people commit suicide to punish those left behind. Sometimes, people end their lives because they never got what they really wanted in life, and that is their response to that fact. But there are times when people end their lives without even considering what it will do to others, and they do this simply because they are discouraged. They are looking at their world through tired eyes, or eyes that can only see a glimpse of the light, if even that.
Occasionally, those who are believers in Jesus Christ, and who have been walking with the Lord, kill themselves. I heard of one pastor who was so discouraged that he ended his life. It's an easy temptation for all of us to have, especially when we put our hope in things instead of God.
What are some ways that suicides can be prevented though? It is easy for us to tell ourselves to keep our guards up. We should do that, but sometimes we get distracted and unintentionally we put them down. The Bible tells us several times to 'remember' or 'do not forget' what God has done for us. But because we are fickle and forgetful, we do forget. We get distracted and set our eyes on something else, even good things. We constantly need others to remind us and bring to our remembrance the evidences of God's grace in our lives.
Take for example, the pastor above who killed himself. He was distracted because the number of people who were in his church congregation went down. He felt like a failure. Take a parent who has children and she wants each one to know the Lord so that when they are adults, they will be serving Him instead of living for the things of the world. When the children grow up, a few of them decide that they would rather go the way of the world. The parent is discouraged. She might listen to the lies of the devil telling her of what a failure she is, instead of listening to the voice of truth which would inform her that fruit sometimes takes a long time before it is evident.
Suicides can happen to young teenagers as well as older people. It can be done by males and females. No one is exempt from this kind of temptation.
We can help each other in the body of Christ, by building good relationships with others in the church. We need people who will love us and whom we can turn to in our dark hours. Conversely, we should be available to others when they go through hard times.
The Bible talks a lot about the love of Christ. A lot of Christians do not want to talk about the love of God because they are afraid that this concept will keep many people from repenting from their sins and trusting in the Lord. They believe that lost people will use the love of God as an excuse for not repenting and turning to God, for if God really loves them as much as people have told them, then He will not send anyone to hell. People have a hard time reconciling God's judgment and God's love. But it was because of God's love, that He provided a way of escape for us. Not just so we could go to heaven when we die, but so we could also be delivered from sin, which so easily entangles and deceives us.
When we truly learn to love God, we will love other people. We will learn to love ugly people, mean people, tired people, old people, children, black, white, Hispanic, retarded, handicapped, and people with a host of other traits.
We will be ready to sacrifice for others. We will become good friends with people when we truly love them. We will serve them even when it is not convenient. We will live and give whatever we have so that others can be successful.
I believe that when a church can make application of the verses which tell us how we should relate to one another, there will be less temptation to commit suicide.
I would encourage people to talk, and not hide their difficulties and challenges. When people are humble enough to be open with us, let's embrace them, no matter how bizarre their stories could sound to us. It is not time for preaching or correction when people open up to us. We need to provide a context for people to feel safe around us. We need to show the love of Christ when we minister to others, especially the downtrodden and broken-hearted. If we don't, there will be many Christian casualties, and we will be forever asking the question of why our loved one ended his or her life. Let's be proactive when it comes to this one.
It is easy for people to be tempted to end one's life. We get discouraged. We don't see any fruit in our lives. If we are tired or have PMS, the temptations could even be stronger. Why do we have this though?
As you probably know already, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, the whole human race was plunged into darkness and sin. Since we are born in the world of darkness, we don't really know what it's like to be in the world of light. But when we come to know the Lord, the lights come on. We see a lot more clearly, but still, we only see as if we were looking through a dark glass at the light, compared to the day when we really will see things clearly (in the next life).
Sometimes, people commit suicide to punish those left behind. Sometimes, people end their lives because they never got what they really wanted in life, and that is their response to that fact. But there are times when people end their lives without even considering what it will do to others, and they do this simply because they are discouraged. They are looking at their world through tired eyes, or eyes that can only see a glimpse of the light, if even that.
Occasionally, those who are believers in Jesus Christ, and who have been walking with the Lord, kill themselves. I heard of one pastor who was so discouraged that he ended his life. It's an easy temptation for all of us to have, especially when we put our hope in things instead of God.
What are some ways that suicides can be prevented though? It is easy for us to tell ourselves to keep our guards up. We should do that, but sometimes we get distracted and unintentionally we put them down. The Bible tells us several times to 'remember' or 'do not forget' what God has done for us. But because we are fickle and forgetful, we do forget. We get distracted and set our eyes on something else, even good things. We constantly need others to remind us and bring to our remembrance the evidences of God's grace in our lives.
Take for example, the pastor above who killed himself. He was distracted because the number of people who were in his church congregation went down. He felt like a failure. Take a parent who has children and she wants each one to know the Lord so that when they are adults, they will be serving Him instead of living for the things of the world. When the children grow up, a few of them decide that they would rather go the way of the world. The parent is discouraged. She might listen to the lies of the devil telling her of what a failure she is, instead of listening to the voice of truth which would inform her that fruit sometimes takes a long time before it is evident.
Suicides can happen to young teenagers as well as older people. It can be done by males and females. No one is exempt from this kind of temptation.
We can help each other in the body of Christ, by building good relationships with others in the church. We need people who will love us and whom we can turn to in our dark hours. Conversely, we should be available to others when they go through hard times.
The Bible talks a lot about the love of Christ. A lot of Christians do not want to talk about the love of God because they are afraid that this concept will keep many people from repenting from their sins and trusting in the Lord. They believe that lost people will use the love of God as an excuse for not repenting and turning to God, for if God really loves them as much as people have told them, then He will not send anyone to hell. People have a hard time reconciling God's judgment and God's love. But it was because of God's love, that He provided a way of escape for us. Not just so we could go to heaven when we die, but so we could also be delivered from sin, which so easily entangles and deceives us.
When we truly learn to love God, we will love other people. We will learn to love ugly people, mean people, tired people, old people, children, black, white, Hispanic, retarded, handicapped, and people with a host of other traits.
We will be ready to sacrifice for others. We will become good friends with people when we truly love them. We will serve them even when it is not convenient. We will live and give whatever we have so that others can be successful.
I believe that when a church can make application of the verses which tell us how we should relate to one another, there will be less temptation to commit suicide.
I would encourage people to talk, and not hide their difficulties and challenges. When people are humble enough to be open with us, let's embrace them, no matter how bizarre their stories could sound to us. It is not time for preaching or correction when people open up to us. We need to provide a context for people to feel safe around us. We need to show the love of Christ when we minister to others, especially the downtrodden and broken-hearted. If we don't, there will be many Christian casualties, and we will be forever asking the question of why our loved one ended his or her life. Let's be proactive when it comes to this one.
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| Just remember, everyone is inside the tunnel at some point in his or her life. There is always a light at the end, but it may not be visible until you are near the end of the tunnel. Photo made by: TORUĊ DAILY PHOTO
Everyone of us will be inside the dark tunnel, sometime in our lives, maybe even several times, or for a long period of time. There is always a light at the end, though the tunnel may be long and very dark. This is why we need each other. It is hard for us to see when it is dark, but others can see for us until we get to the end.
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Thursday, August 14, 2014
Helping Those Who Struggle With Same Sex Attraction
This issue is on my heart for a number of reasons. I think there is a lot of confusion about Christianity, the Bible, homosexuality, tolerance, acceptance, and a host of other things which end up relating to same sex attraction issues.
I don't want to make a lengthy article on this, but I came across this book, written by a man who struggles with same sex attraction, and how he is working through the issues in his own life. He is lining up his life with what Scripture says and not twisting things around to make the Scriptures say something they don't want to say.
What does God actually think about same sex attraction? Is there help for a person who wants to live their lives out for God's glory, yet struggles with this issue?
I know there are those who will not even read this blog page, but will make assumptions about it before they even click on the link. I am sorry for those people, because they have a filter over their eyes and are only going to see what they want to see. But, God has something in mind that all of us can learn from, in understanding the issue of same sex attraction in light of what God's word says to us. And there is hope.
I have not read this book yet, but I did read part of it online, and read the amazon reviews, which seemed very helpful. I would like to contrast this one with Mel White's book called, Stranger At The Gate, which is basically about his struggle with being a Christian and being gay at the same time. There are differences in these two books and the main one I see is simply that I don't see an active, living understanding of the Gospel in Mel White's book. I did not see a time when he tells of his conversion. He does not address sin correctly from what I can tell. Mel White came from a religious home, being raised with certain convictions. For example, his family did not believe it was right for Christians to go to movies or drink. There was a list of things Mel was no allowed to do when he was growing up. But God's word does not address going to movies or dances as being necessarily sinful. The activities we do that are sinful are the actions carried out by our selfish hearts. Sure, we can go to movies and do it with sinful motives. Mel's family did not talk about heart issues that have to be dealt with. Nor did I see a clear correlation of Jesus' death as it pertains to our sin. I personally do not see Mel White's book as a book on the Gospel, or even covering the Gospel message, which applies to all of us, not just homosexuals.
Mel White's conclusion brings about a lot of questions concerning his understanding of the character of God. Is God not all wise or not all knowing? Why would God condemn something in the Old Testament, and even in the New Testament yet, because of science advances we have today, those supposedly trump over God's word, as if God didn't know that people were going to struggle with same sex attraction issues in the 21st Century. So, what Mel White is really saying is that God was not all knowing, and that science is more valid than the Bible. Something is terribly wrong with that picture.
But that is the issue that our whole culture faces today. When Eve was tempted in the Garden of Eden, the devil had one question he asked, and he asked the question in order to put doubt in Eve's mind about the goodness of God and whether God was trustworthy or not. The devil poses the same questions to us. 'Did God really say..'?' is what he would ask us today as well. Many think God doesn't know what He is doing and do not want to trust Him. Many want to control their own lives instead of letting God control their lives.
The other issue is 'entitlement'. As Americans, mainly, we think God owes us something. We expect God to pour out His blessings on us and give us what we want, instead of what we need. This understanding has crept into the church as well. Many come to Christ, not necessarily to be cleansed from sin, but rather, to be able to go to heaven (or avoid hell) when they die. They are not interested in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and they think they can twist God's arm to make Him do what they want Him to do for them.
What are some things God tells us though? He tells us to forsake our sins. He tells us to carry our crosses (that means to live for God's purposes and glory instead of our own, even though it will be hard at times). He tells us to repent and believe. He tells us to flee youthful lusts. He tells us to love Him above our families. He tells us to live holy lives. He tells us to crucify our flesh. He tells us to live lives worthy of His call. Sounds like this doesn't allow for any kind of sin, selfishness, autonomy or entitlement, to me.
From what I have read about in this book, it looks really helpful. It has recommendations from people I trust, so, I will also recommend it to you. At least look at what is available to read on amazon.com and see if you would find it helpful as well. I think you will be well pleased.
I don't want to make a lengthy article on this, but I came across this book, written by a man who struggles with same sex attraction, and how he is working through the issues in his own life. He is lining up his life with what Scripture says and not twisting things around to make the Scriptures say something they don't want to say.
What does God actually think about same sex attraction? Is there help for a person who wants to live their lives out for God's glory, yet struggles with this issue?
I know there are those who will not even read this blog page, but will make assumptions about it before they even click on the link. I am sorry for those people, because they have a filter over their eyes and are only going to see what they want to see. But, God has something in mind that all of us can learn from, in understanding the issue of same sex attraction in light of what God's word says to us. And there is hope.
I have not read this book yet, but I did read part of it online, and read the amazon reviews, which seemed very helpful. I would like to contrast this one with Mel White's book called, Stranger At The Gate, which is basically about his struggle with being a Christian and being gay at the same time. There are differences in these two books and the main one I see is simply that I don't see an active, living understanding of the Gospel in Mel White's book. I did not see a time when he tells of his conversion. He does not address sin correctly from what I can tell. Mel White came from a religious home, being raised with certain convictions. For example, his family did not believe it was right for Christians to go to movies or drink. There was a list of things Mel was no allowed to do when he was growing up. But God's word does not address going to movies or dances as being necessarily sinful. The activities we do that are sinful are the actions carried out by our selfish hearts. Sure, we can go to movies and do it with sinful motives. Mel's family did not talk about heart issues that have to be dealt with. Nor did I see a clear correlation of Jesus' death as it pertains to our sin. I personally do not see Mel White's book as a book on the Gospel, or even covering the Gospel message, which applies to all of us, not just homosexuals.
Mel White's conclusion brings about a lot of questions concerning his understanding of the character of God. Is God not all wise or not all knowing? Why would God condemn something in the Old Testament, and even in the New Testament yet, because of science advances we have today, those supposedly trump over God's word, as if God didn't know that people were going to struggle with same sex attraction issues in the 21st Century. So, what Mel White is really saying is that God was not all knowing, and that science is more valid than the Bible. Something is terribly wrong with that picture.
But that is the issue that our whole culture faces today. When Eve was tempted in the Garden of Eden, the devil had one question he asked, and he asked the question in order to put doubt in Eve's mind about the goodness of God and whether God was trustworthy or not. The devil poses the same questions to us. 'Did God really say..'?' is what he would ask us today as well. Many think God doesn't know what He is doing and do not want to trust Him. Many want to control their own lives instead of letting God control their lives.
The other issue is 'entitlement'. As Americans, mainly, we think God owes us something. We expect God to pour out His blessings on us and give us what we want, instead of what we need. This understanding has crept into the church as well. Many come to Christ, not necessarily to be cleansed from sin, but rather, to be able to go to heaven (or avoid hell) when they die. They are not interested in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and they think they can twist God's arm to make Him do what they want Him to do for them.
What are some things God tells us though? He tells us to forsake our sins. He tells us to carry our crosses (that means to live for God's purposes and glory instead of our own, even though it will be hard at times). He tells us to repent and believe. He tells us to flee youthful lusts. He tells us to love Him above our families. He tells us to live holy lives. He tells us to crucify our flesh. He tells us to live lives worthy of His call. Sounds like this doesn't allow for any kind of sin, selfishness, autonomy or entitlement, to me.
From what I have read about in this book, it looks really helpful. It has recommendations from people I trust, so, I will also recommend it to you. At least look at what is available to read on amazon.com and see if you would find it helpful as well. I think you will be well pleased.
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