demonic influence

No exit strategy. Fight to victory

eejoseph

The slaughter of millions of humans in the pursuit of power, territory, and treasure might pass as necessary moves by any authority protecting its people’s future. The regional fights for values have seen the planet descend into the abyss of cultural priorities and, frankly, politico-religious garbage. We cannot make idols of military prowess, or make a moral standard of ethnic insularity superiority, or make the fear of resident foreigners a reason to unleash mass murder, destruction of property, uprooting of communities, and the imprisonment of entire populations, and think that such treachery escapes the eyes that do not sleep. Three months ago Forbes Breaking News was citing surveys that show half of the GOP were telling anyone who would listen that the US was doing too much for Ukraine. Their aversion to what they call endless wars. American wisdom in the area of war-making is supposed to include an exit strategy, aimed at ensuring no repeat of the conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. One assumes that the reluctance to put American boots on the ground in Syria and a host of hot spots is the offspring of that policy. In February 2023 Republicans are on air standing with President Biden on conducting support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. When a dog tells you he’s going to eat his vomit, do not cringe when he does. When a weather vane rotates in a dead calm something sinister and demonic is on tap, and reading “until Ukraine wins” as fuzzy exit strategy is right on the money.

Why else do people declare war and prosecute them if not to win? The GOP is a satanic beast, and this is not to say that Republicans are demoniacs. The idea that parties who lose elections are duly authorized to oppose the government and the winning party is as outhouse as Popeye and spinach. In the British empire and its colonies we have seen Her Majesty’s loyal opposition show themselves desolate of decency and nobility by their mindless attempts to overthrow the party in power by outrageous and nice-sounding slogans. No family, corporation, or civic entity can claim to be stable with even one member acting as avowed opposition. Forget the notion that opposition parties have as their priority offering sound advice and recommendations to the party in power. Forget the notion that any of household will tolerate a spouse or child acting as critics with a goal of ending the appropriate bonds and functions of any stakeholder.

Devilish deals

It is diabolic operational priority to slander, oppose, and destroy. A professor who advocates burning of books is a fool on an errand. The Christian who champions law and order, from any source, is like the ox who does not know his owner, is like the ass who does not know his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” (Isaiah 1:3) No-one needs to be actually possessed by an evil spirit (a fallen angel) or the leader of the fallen angels himself to be found slandering, committing murder, stealing, or destroying. In one of the truly eye-opening predictions about demonic influence we find a people in the latter days who are clearly being influenced, but not identified as demoniac. Their activities include:

  • Speaking lies in hypocrisy
  • having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (read “messed-up conscience“)
  • Forbidding to marry (ethnic discrimination and tribalism)
  • commanding to abstain from meats (dietary nonsense)

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;” “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

Flip flop, hawk-dove

Every day eyes are being opened to view the follies of human heroes, people putting their lives on the line for inconsiderate theories and policies. There will always be poor people, naive and gullible people. Exactly how childish the conservative aligned people are will appear again when the GOP starts pushing for an exit strategy from support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and for the United States to withdraw from the Asia-Pacific arena to let China have its draconian way.

Know and live

eejoseph, ,

One of the truly sad stories in the New Testament is that of Yeshua’s meeting a man who was demonized and living in the tombs. Only one scenario outranks the scene of a man “Constantly, night and day … screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones.” (Mark 5:5, NASB). It is the story of the rich fool, the man who loved his property more than his life. The story of the tomb dwelling victim of Satan ends in a particularly happy note.

Rich fool

“And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?””

Mark 10:23-26, NASB

The action-plea that worked

In this complicated series of actions the one thing that the man who dwelt among the tombs was able to do he did and God responded marvelously. In verses 7 and 9b Mark relates how the demons try to squelch the man’s voice to the extent that we never hear the man’s voice. Like sparks flying upwards, the man sought only to be in Yeshua’s presence. “Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;” (Mark 5:6, NASB).

Without a voice

When Jesus tried to speak to the man the demons would respond. When the demons realize that Jesus was going to deal with them decisively they begged for options. “And [he] began to implore Him earnestly not to send [them] out of the country.” (Mark 5:10, NASB, braces added to show the demonic dominance and confusion)

Clothed, free, eager to be with his saviour, amazing everyone

  • “They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened.
  • Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. And they began to implore Him to leave their region.
  • As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him.
  • And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”
  • And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. (Mark 5:15-20, NASB)

The lunatic world of demonic warfare

eejoseph, , ,

You may not have heard it and hopefully you will not have to endure the sideshow but blaming every variation from our creature comforts on spirits.  Children behaving badly is because of a spirit.  Financial,  interpersonal, and interracial problems are the result of spirit activity.  If humans were something more than flesh (and  blood!) the analysis might hold water.  The decisive battles of human existence  and destiny are not being fought against evil spirits; demons.  Christ has so destroyed the devil’s works, there is no need to create the impression that Christ’s followers are enrolled in an “arrest and jail” operation against demons.

Angels and people

Demons are not flesh and blood creatures, and humans are not spirit beings.   Demons are angels, beings in essence more like God than humans.   They exist in three environments: heaven, earth, and tartarus (a kind of house arrest action for rebel angels, mentioned by Peter 2:24 ),  The idea that humans can send demons to a hell is not merely without foundation, it is lunacy. 

Demons, the engine for bogus discipleship

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…

1 Timothy 4:1

If you read what follows the first verse from 1st Timothy 4 you would have discovered that there is hypocrisy in the demonic influence and that the hypocrisy is the behavior of the departing believers.  They are the ones “speaking lies” (a once-used term, oral falsifying, ψευδολογος, pseudologos) in playacting.

A demon-influenced person can be expected to have a primary interest in the following:

  • forbidding marriage (total ban, interracial, international)
  • advocating for abstinence from foods (seasonal and  categories such as clean, unclean, vegan, animal)
  • denying God’s creation of all good things
  • showing their ingratitude for all things (and people)
  • opposing the sanctifying power of God’s word and prayer (1 Timothy 4:3-5, NASB)

There is no question that Catholicism is a hotbed of playacting doctrines.  Catholicism recommends seasonal food restrictions, celibacy regimes and perpetual virginity.  There are rules about who one can marry, there are prayers to saints, there is making Mary a mediator, and the veneration of objects.  This departure from the faith is seen in one or more particulars all over Christianity.

A notch below angels

A popular mantra, which does not deserve the label “doctrine” is  “man is a spiritual being”, because it stands opposite the facts.  God formed man “dust of the ground”, and refers to him as follows.

  • flesh and blood
  • flesh
  • all flesh

What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?  Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!  You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,  All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field…

Psalms 8:4-7

Good and bad service providers

Humans are at their best in this age as servants and have a date with angelic likeness. The great among us are those who serve.  Of the angels we read, “Are they not all ministering [[on-duty]] spirits, sent out to render service [[= doing “deacon” service]] for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14, NASB). 

In the likeness of angels

The Lord himself gives a picture of what the future eternal existence is like when he says, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons [[the products]] of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:34-36, NASB). 

Now we know that angels are not the way they are through resurrection, so let’s not take this saying out of its field.  It is a bogus Christian who claims to have no service commission.  It is equally bogus for citizens of any country to think that they have only the pursuit of liberty and happiness and no duty to serve their families and communities.

The possible and the inevitable

There is another narrative that talks about the eternal – unending – punishment of those who have not measured up to God’s call and standard. This narrative runs parallel to the one about how separate God is from sin without acknowledging God’s personal investment in paying the price for sin.  In a rush to make God a hardline law and order operative they have created a case in which the world would never be rid of rebellion and resistance as long as there are demons and people burning forever in torment.   At some point the universe will be rid of all such annoyances and Scripture is graphic about that as well. The lunatic fringe is on display everywhere dishonouring the name of Christ with political convictions, neo-Israel and mighty warrior delusions.