The Ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the Order of the Pelicaniformes, also known as Ciguigne, Hibicis, Ibex, Ybeux. The bird stays near the edge of the water, looking for dead fish or other carrion to eat, because it does not know how to swim. They have long down curved bills, and usually feed as a group. Most species nest in trees. The Ibis is known for clearing the water from reptiles left by the inundation of the Nile.
The word Ibis comes from Greek, Latin, and Ancient Egyptian. According to the historian Josephus, Moses employed Ibises against serpents during a desert campaign in Ethiopia in his early life.
There is one, among other references in the Scriptures, God uses the bird to show humans the nature, instinct, and purpose each one of us has in his creation: "Who tells the Ibis when the Nile will flood, or who tells the rooster that rain will fall." If we use other translations, it will say, "Who has put wisdom in the innermost being or given understanding to the mind?" The teaching refers to the mind realm and indirectly to the domain of Thot, the Egyptian god of mind and memory.
Living on the banks of the Nile, the Ibis is an element of the ancient Egyptian landscape. Sculpted in the 4th BC, the bird was venerated and often mummified. Egyptians revered the Ibis as an incarnation of Thot, who was the scribe of the gods and the creator of language. In the town of Hermopolis, Ibises were reared specifically for sacrificial purposes and at Saqqara, archaeologists found mummies of 1 1/2 million ibises and hundreds of thousands of falcons.
The Ibis also was associated with certain disciplines: writing, medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.
According to Herodotus and Pliny the Elder, the bird was invoked against incursions of winged serpents.
Herodotus (5th BC), in his History Book, wrote: There is a region moreover in Africa, situated nearly over the city of Buto, to which place I came to inquire about the winged serpents: and when I came thither I saw bones of serpents and spines in quantity so great that it is impossible to make a report of the number. The region in which the spines are scattered upon the ground is of the nature of an entrance from a narrow mountain pass to a great plain. which adjoins the plain of Egypt. At the beginning of spring winged serpents come flying from Arabia towards Egypt, but are met in this entrance (gorge) by the birds called Ibises, who forbid their entrance and kill them all. The Arabians assert, and the Egyptians also admit, that it is on account of the service the Ibis is hold in so much reverence.
The description of the Black Ibis which contends with the serpents is :- a bird of a deep-black color, with legs like a crane; -its beak is strongly hooked, and its size is about that of the land-rail.
The commoner sort, for there are two quite distinct species, has the head and the whole throat bare of feathers; its general plumage is white, but the head and neck are jet black, as also are the tips of the wings and the extremity of the tail; in its beak and legs it resembles the other species."
Pliny the Elder (1st BC), in his Natural History Book, wrote: "The Ibis is a bird from Egypt. It is all over black, with a bill very thick in the beginning, but ending in a point, for better seizing its pray, which is caterpillars, locusts, and serpents. It uses its curved beak to purge itself through the part by which it is most conducive to health for the heavy residue of foodstuffs to be excreted. The people of Egyp invoke the Ibis to guard against the arrival of snakes. The Ibis is born black at Pelesium, but is white everywhere else."
According to local legend the Northern Bald Ibis was one of the first birds that Noah released from the Ark as a symbol of fertility, and a lingering sentiment in Turkey helped the colonies there to survive long after the demise of the species in Europe.
The mascot of the University of Miami is the White Ibis. The Ibis was selected because of its legendary bravery during hurricanes. The ibis is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane hits and the first to reappear once the storm has passed.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
RAVENS AND THEIR PECULIAR INTELLIGENCE.
The raven has long been associated with death and dark omens, but the real bird is somewhat of a mystery. Unlike its smaller cousin the crow, not a lot has been written about this remarkable bird.
The raven belongs to the most intelligent of all birds. To give some idea of its intelligence, if the average IQ for a human being is measured at the 100 mark, then the average IQ of a raven is 138.
Its linguistic skills are legendary, and the bird can understand as well as imitate human words. In captivity, ravens learn to talk better than parrots.
Ravens are able to mimic other noises like wolves or foxes to attract them to carcasses that the raven is not capable of braking open. When the wolf is done eating, the bird gets the leftovers. They also can trick animals out of their food by making another raven distract the animal while the one plotting it steals the food. They have few predators and live 17 years in the wild and up to 40 in captivity.
Ravens also make very sophisticated nonvocal signals. They gesture to communicate. The bird points with it beak to indicate an object to another bird, just as we do with fingers. They also hold up an object just to get another bird's attention.
Ravens can live in a variety of habitats, from snow to desert to mountains to forests. They are scavengers with a huge diet that includes fish, meat, seeds, fruit, carrion, and garbage. Despite their trickster nature, ravens feel empathy. When a raven's friend loses in a fight, the bird will console the losing bird. They also remember birds they like and will respond in a friendly way to certain birds for at least 3 years after seeing them. They also respond negatively to enemies and suspiciously to strange ravens.
Many Europeans cultures took one look at this large black bird known for its intense gaze and thought it as an evil act of the flesh. In France, people believed ravens were the souls of wicked priests, while crows were wicked nuns. In Germany, ravens were the incarnation of damned souls or sometimes Satan himself. In Sweden, ravens that croaked at night were thought to be the souls of murdered people who didn't have proper burials. And in Denmark, people believed that night ravens were exorcized spirits, and you'd better not to look up at them in case there was a hole in the bird's wing, because you might look through the hole and turn into a raven yourself.
Cultures from Tibet to Greece have seen the raven as a messenger for the gods. Celtic goddesses of warfare often took the form of a raven during battles. The Viking god, Odin, had two ravens, Hug'In (thought) and Mun'In (memory), which flew around the world every day and reported back to Odin every night about what they saw. The Chinese said ravens caused bad weather in the forest to warn people that the gods were going to pass by.
The raven's intelligence and its playful nature make the bird the ultimate symbol of the trickster. They have been observed in Alaska and canada using snow-covered roofs as slides. In Maine, USA, they have been seen rolling down snowy hills. They often play keep-away with wolves, otters, and dogs. Ravens make toys using sticks, pine cones, golf balls, or rocks to play with each other or by themselves. Sometimes they just taunt or mock other creatures because they feel funny.
Ravens love to lie in anthills and roll around so the ants swarm on them, or they chew the ants up and rub their guts on their feathers. Songbirds, crows, and jays do it too. Maybe the ants acts as insecticide and fungicide for the bird or have a soothing effect over the bird's skin.
Ravens will work together for the benefit of the group, and so have come to symbolize the benefits of teamwork.
Ravens mate for life and live in pairs in a fixed territory. When their children reach adolescence, they leave home and join other groups of young ravens. They live and eat together until they mate and pair off. Scientist have found higher level of stress hormones in teenage raven droppings than in the droppings of mated adults.
A raven appear several times throughout the Bible and are used as symbols of greater meaning because of the level of intelligence that the bird has, or because the bird was prolific in that time period. We have the most common verses using the raven and its applicable meaning:
Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no store room nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! (Luke 12).
It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there (1Kings17). Every raven in its kind (Lev11).
He sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth (Gen8).
He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens which cry (Psalm147).
The eye that mocks a father and scorns a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it (Prov30).
His head is like gold, pure gold; his locks are like clusters of dates, and black as a raven (Sol.Songs 5).
But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, and owl and raven will dwell in it; and he will stretch over it the line of desolation and the plumb line of emptiness (Isaiah34).
Who prepares for the raven its nourishment when its young cry to God and wander about without food (Job38).
Ravens were used as sacrifices. God provided food for ravens. Ravens were unclean and not to be eaten. Ravens were described as having black color. Ravens are described as carnivorous. Elijah was fed by ravens. The plumage of the ravens illustrate the glory of Christ. The raven of the valley was called to execute punishment. Ravens are described as solitary in disposition and improvident. A raven was sent by Noah from the Ark.
The raven belongs to the most intelligent of all birds. To give some idea of its intelligence, if the average IQ for a human being is measured at the 100 mark, then the average IQ of a raven is 138.
Its linguistic skills are legendary, and the bird can understand as well as imitate human words. In captivity, ravens learn to talk better than parrots.
Ravens are able to mimic other noises like wolves or foxes to attract them to carcasses that the raven is not capable of braking open. When the wolf is done eating, the bird gets the leftovers. They also can trick animals out of their food by making another raven distract the animal while the one plotting it steals the food. They have few predators and live 17 years in the wild and up to 40 in captivity.
Ravens also make very sophisticated nonvocal signals. They gesture to communicate. The bird points with it beak to indicate an object to another bird, just as we do with fingers. They also hold up an object just to get another bird's attention.
Ravens can live in a variety of habitats, from snow to desert to mountains to forests. They are scavengers with a huge diet that includes fish, meat, seeds, fruit, carrion, and garbage. Despite their trickster nature, ravens feel empathy. When a raven's friend loses in a fight, the bird will console the losing bird. They also remember birds they like and will respond in a friendly way to certain birds for at least 3 years after seeing them. They also respond negatively to enemies and suspiciously to strange ravens.
Many Europeans cultures took one look at this large black bird known for its intense gaze and thought it as an evil act of the flesh. In France, people believed ravens were the souls of wicked priests, while crows were wicked nuns. In Germany, ravens were the incarnation of damned souls or sometimes Satan himself. In Sweden, ravens that croaked at night were thought to be the souls of murdered people who didn't have proper burials. And in Denmark, people believed that night ravens were exorcized spirits, and you'd better not to look up at them in case there was a hole in the bird's wing, because you might look through the hole and turn into a raven yourself.
Cultures from Tibet to Greece have seen the raven as a messenger for the gods. Celtic goddesses of warfare often took the form of a raven during battles. The Viking god, Odin, had two ravens, Hug'In (thought) and Mun'In (memory), which flew around the world every day and reported back to Odin every night about what they saw. The Chinese said ravens caused bad weather in the forest to warn people that the gods were going to pass by.
The raven's intelligence and its playful nature make the bird the ultimate symbol of the trickster. They have been observed in Alaska and canada using snow-covered roofs as slides. In Maine, USA, they have been seen rolling down snowy hills. They often play keep-away with wolves, otters, and dogs. Ravens make toys using sticks, pine cones, golf balls, or rocks to play with each other or by themselves. Sometimes they just taunt or mock other creatures because they feel funny.
Ravens love to lie in anthills and roll around so the ants swarm on them, or they chew the ants up and rub their guts on their feathers. Songbirds, crows, and jays do it too. Maybe the ants acts as insecticide and fungicide for the bird or have a soothing effect over the bird's skin.
Ravens will work together for the benefit of the group, and so have come to symbolize the benefits of teamwork.
Ravens mate for life and live in pairs in a fixed territory. When their children reach adolescence, they leave home and join other groups of young ravens. They live and eat together until they mate and pair off. Scientist have found higher level of stress hormones in teenage raven droppings than in the droppings of mated adults.
A raven appear several times throughout the Bible and are used as symbols of greater meaning because of the level of intelligence that the bird has, or because the bird was prolific in that time period. We have the most common verses using the raven and its applicable meaning:
Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no store room nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! (Luke 12).
It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there (1Kings17). Every raven in its kind (Lev11).
He sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth (Gen8).
He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens which cry (Psalm147).
The eye that mocks a father and scorns a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it (Prov30).
His head is like gold, pure gold; his locks are like clusters of dates, and black as a raven (Sol.Songs 5).
But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, and owl and raven will dwell in it; and he will stretch over it the line of desolation and the plumb line of emptiness (Isaiah34).
Who prepares for the raven its nourishment when its young cry to God and wander about without food (Job38).
Ravens were used as sacrifices. God provided food for ravens. Ravens were unclean and not to be eaten. Ravens were described as having black color. Ravens are described as carnivorous. Elijah was fed by ravens. The plumage of the ravens illustrate the glory of Christ. The raven of the valley was called to execute punishment. Ravens are described as solitary in disposition and improvident. A raven was sent by Noah from the Ark.
Friday, August 19, 2016
WHY PAUL WENT TO TRO' AS?
TRO'AS was the principal port of North West Asia Minor. It was located about 20mi/32km South of the Helles'Pont (Dardan'Elles) and somewhat more than half that distance South of the traditional site of ancient Troy. In fact, Tro'as drew its name from Tro'ad, the term applied to that part of the region of Mysia that surrounded Troy.
Tro'as as a maritime city of Mysia was the chief city on the coast of the Aegean Sea, opposite the South east extremity of the island of Tenedos, and named after ancient Troy, which was at short distance from it (4mi/6.4km) to the North. It was a Macedonian and Roman colony of considerable importance, and was called Alexandria Tro'as.
Tro'as city was 1st built during the latter part of the 4th BC by Antigon'Us, one of the greatest generals of Alexander the Great, under the name of Antigon'Ea Tro'as. Lys'Imach'Us enlarged the city, and it became the chief port between Macedon' Ia and Asia Minor. The roads to the interior were good. For a time the Seleu'Cid kings made their homes here. Later, when the city became free, it struck its own coins, of which vast numbers are found; a common type is one upon which is stamped a graazing horse.
In 133 BC Tro'as came into the possession of the Romans, and thereafter the Region of Mysia became part of the Roman Province of Asia. Julius Caesar for a time designed to establish there the 'seat of his empire;' and Augustus and Constantine meditated the same project. Augustus further favored the city by making it a 'Roman colonia,' independent of the Roman provincial governor of Asia, and by exempting its citizens from both land and poll taxes.
Roman sentiment attracted them to Tro'as, the alleged 'seat' from whence Aeueas, the fabled progenitor of Rome's founder, originally migrated.
During Byzantine times Tro'as was the 'seat' of a Catholic Diocese, a territorial unit of administration.
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated in a larger unit, the 'diocese.'
With the adoption of Christianity as the Empire' s official religion in the 4th CE, the clergy assumed official positions of authority alongside the civil governors. A formal church hierarchy was set up, parallel to the civil administration, whose areas of responsibility often coincided.
With the collapse of the Western Empire in the 5th CE, the bishops in Western Europe assumed the large part of the role of the former Roman governors. A similar, though less pronounced, development occurred in the East, where the Roman administrative apparatus was largely retained by the Byzantine Empire.
Tro'as was visited several times by the apostle Paul and his companion 'the beloved physician,' and on one of these visits he left his cloak, some scrolls and parchments there after his 1st imprisonment.
On his 2nd journey, here Paul saw the 'vision of a man of Macedonia,' who appeared to him, saying, 'Come over, and help us'.
After leaving Ephesus on his 3rd journey Paul stopped in Tro'as and there then preached the Good News. He said, 'A door was opened to me in the Lord..' . After an undisclosed period of time, Paul was concerned about Titus because he didn't arrive on the prefixed time so he departed for Macedon'Ia, hoping to find him there. Paul spent that winter in Greece before returning again to Tro'as.
In the following spring Paul stayed 7 days in Tro'as ministering and spiritually building up the Spirit of Christian church. When assembled with them the night before leaving, and while Paul prolonged his speech, a young man named Eu-Tych-Us, who was seated at the third-loft window, fell asleep at midnight and tumbled to his death. Paul miraculously brought the boy back to life and continued conversing to the assembly until daybreak. The experience was taken as a reproof of carelessness and drowsiness in the spiritual teachings that lead to death (Acts 16,20; 2Cor.2; 2Tim.4).
It is likely that Paul visited Tro'as again after being released from house arrest in Rome. Then Paul wrote to Timothy during his 2nd imprisonment in Rome asking him to bring his cloak and certain scrolls and parchments that were left by Paul in the house of Carpus in Tro'as.
The land of ancient Tro'as is now a forest of magnificent oaks that has sprung up around it and extends over many miles. The walls enclose a rectangle. The rains are still large, and the harbor still traceable.
The name of the place is known now as 'Old Constantinople.'
Tro'as as a maritime city of Mysia was the chief city on the coast of the Aegean Sea, opposite the South east extremity of the island of Tenedos, and named after ancient Troy, which was at short distance from it (4mi/6.4km) to the North. It was a Macedonian and Roman colony of considerable importance, and was called Alexandria Tro'as.
Tro'as city was 1st built during the latter part of the 4th BC by Antigon'Us, one of the greatest generals of Alexander the Great, under the name of Antigon'Ea Tro'as. Lys'Imach'Us enlarged the city, and it became the chief port between Macedon' Ia and Asia Minor. The roads to the interior were good. For a time the Seleu'Cid kings made their homes here. Later, when the city became free, it struck its own coins, of which vast numbers are found; a common type is one upon which is stamped a graazing horse.
In 133 BC Tro'as came into the possession of the Romans, and thereafter the Region of Mysia became part of the Roman Province of Asia. Julius Caesar for a time designed to establish there the 'seat of his empire;' and Augustus and Constantine meditated the same project. Augustus further favored the city by making it a 'Roman colonia,' independent of the Roman provincial governor of Asia, and by exempting its citizens from both land and poll taxes.
Roman sentiment attracted them to Tro'as, the alleged 'seat' from whence Aeueas, the fabled progenitor of Rome's founder, originally migrated.
During Byzantine times Tro'as was the 'seat' of a Catholic Diocese, a territorial unit of administration.
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated in a larger unit, the 'diocese.'
With the adoption of Christianity as the Empire' s official religion in the 4th CE, the clergy assumed official positions of authority alongside the civil governors. A formal church hierarchy was set up, parallel to the civil administration, whose areas of responsibility often coincided.
With the collapse of the Western Empire in the 5th CE, the bishops in Western Europe assumed the large part of the role of the former Roman governors. A similar, though less pronounced, development occurred in the East, where the Roman administrative apparatus was largely retained by the Byzantine Empire.
Tro'as was visited several times by the apostle Paul and his companion 'the beloved physician,' and on one of these visits he left his cloak, some scrolls and parchments there after his 1st imprisonment.
On his 2nd journey, here Paul saw the 'vision of a man of Macedonia,' who appeared to him, saying, 'Come over, and help us'.
After leaving Ephesus on his 3rd journey Paul stopped in Tro'as and there then preached the Good News. He said, 'A door was opened to me in the Lord..' . After an undisclosed period of time, Paul was concerned about Titus because he didn't arrive on the prefixed time so he departed for Macedon'Ia, hoping to find him there. Paul spent that winter in Greece before returning again to Tro'as.
In the following spring Paul stayed 7 days in Tro'as ministering and spiritually building up the Spirit of Christian church. When assembled with them the night before leaving, and while Paul prolonged his speech, a young man named Eu-Tych-Us, who was seated at the third-loft window, fell asleep at midnight and tumbled to his death. Paul miraculously brought the boy back to life and continued conversing to the assembly until daybreak. The experience was taken as a reproof of carelessness and drowsiness in the spiritual teachings that lead to death (Acts 16,20; 2Cor.2; 2Tim.4).
It is likely that Paul visited Tro'as again after being released from house arrest in Rome. Then Paul wrote to Timothy during his 2nd imprisonment in Rome asking him to bring his cloak and certain scrolls and parchments that were left by Paul in the house of Carpus in Tro'as.
The land of ancient Tro'as is now a forest of magnificent oaks that has sprung up around it and extends over many miles. The walls enclose a rectangle. The rains are still large, and the harbor still traceable.
The name of the place is known now as 'Old Constantinople.'
Thursday, August 18, 2016
GOD AND THE MIND WORLD.
The study of dreaming, in the mind world, through the field of neuroscience, psychology, and even literature, still debates about why we dream but the plain fact is that the reasons are still mysterious.
When man was created he spent a great deal of time alone in the mind realm, and during that time God tested him. He was sent to name all the animal kingdom that resided at that level and with that name was kept forever. In other words the first man was sent to the mind realm to study the nature of every entity living in it through its behavior and naming them accordingly.
Always the symbolic way to represent the mind is using one of the 4 elements -water- because it gives us the idea of how the substance of the mind world is made of.
We read at the beginning of the scriptures that God divided the waters of the raging ocean that engulfed everything, in the mind realm, in total darkness making it clear that His Spirit was the only One able to move above the waters (everything is His creation).
The spirit of Light was the first to appear in that realm according to the will of God and He was pleased with what He saw. Its nature was righteous. He then separated the spirit of Light from the spirit of Darkness (Night). With this battle of Light and Darkness in the mind realm, the spirit of earth still was formless and desolate, as it is mentioned at the beginning of Genesis.
The raging ocean engulfed in total darkness gives us the idea of the rebel mind against God and being separated from Him in a total chaos that engulf everything. The nature of that spirit is vulnerability and quickness to accept an oppositional behavior. Then the mind of a believer needs to be tested in order to acquire strength to stand in what is right. The mind reveal wishes or emotions that we do not realize we have. Any dream, no matter how scary it would be, can be looked at as a way of getting something that we want.
When God separated the waters of the spirit of Light from the waters of the spirit of Darkness, the two different natures were defined by their waters, clean or unclean nothing in between.
Then God commanded,"Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places."
The dome separated the water under it from the water above it. Then God made all the water below the dome come together in one place. In other words all the spirits belonging to that nature clumped together. Their nature made the land appear and the flesh of the earth was form and the water which had come together (mind), He named "Sea." God was pleased with what He saw.
Then God commanded that the flesh of the earth now with its own mind, produce all kind of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit. The earth produced according to God's will.
Then the waters above the dome were separated too in the same way God did with the land and the sea.
The Light and his beings were separated from the Night and his beings. Then lights appeared in the dome to show the time when Days, Years, and religious festivals would begin. Their shinning in the dome would give light to the earth.
Then God made the two larger lights, always maintaining a duality in His creation, the sun to rule over the Day and the moon to rule over the Night, separating Light from Darkness.
After the separation God commanded the water above the dome be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the element air be filled with birds (angels). So the great sea monsters, all kind of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds, were created, lo live above the dome as their heavenly beings. God blessed them all and told the creatures that live in the water to reproduce and to fill the sea in the upper dome, and told the birds to increase in number.
After all of these had happened and we do not have any idea how long the process lasted, God then commanded the flesh of the earth produce all kind of animal life (instinct minds): domestic and wild, large and small, maintaining the dual pattern. So God made them all, and He was pleased with what He saw. If God is a Spirit, and He was pleased with it, means that His Creation was perfect in His Mind.
Then, after everything was in its right place, God said, "And now We will make human beings; they will be like Us and resemble Us." God is not speaking in singular, He is mentioning someone else.
Since God is the mastermind behind everything, He needed a speaker of His Will, and that was the spirit of Light, the Word, His own Son, Jesus Christ. The Mind and the Word.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
DEMON POSSESSION.
What are Demons? The definition of a demon is a malevolent spirit being, an unclean spirit, a fallen angel and comes from the Greek word "Coine" meaning "Daimonion." When we want to express the nature of their behavior, the ancient Greeks used the word "daiesthai" which literally means "to disturb" or "to divide" and denote an entity or spirit of supernatural power.
Demon possession is defined as the captive control and influence of a person by this malevolent spirit.
In Bible times demonized persons were afflicted in various ways: some were unable to speak, some were blind, some acted insane, and some possessed super human strength.
All were woefully mistreated by these invisible bullies. Men, women, and children were their victims.
Sometimes the agony was compounded when many demons gained possession of a person at the same time. When the demon was expelled, the person returned to a normal, sane state of mind.
It is quite interesting that during the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, the demons themselves were the first ones to truly recognized that Jesus was more than a man, in other words Jesus' identity and addressed Him as the "Son of God," the "Holy One of God," and "Jesus, Son of the Most High God."
However, at no time Jesus allowed them to be witnesses in His behalf. On the other hand, a man who was set free from the power of the demons was encouraged to publish to his relatives "all the things God had for him."
There is a difference between demon possession and ordinary physical sickness and disease. Jesus had the power to cure both types of disorders. Some of Jesus' greatest miracles involved the setting of possessed persons who became free from captivity to the demons. Demons were powerless against Him and shudder with fear and trepidation before Him. They know that their ultimate fate is the lake of fire.
But not everyone was happy with this demon expelling work. The Pharisees accused Jesus of being in league with the ruler of the demons, Beel-Zebub, whereas in reality, as Jesus pointed out, they themselves were the offspring of the Devil.
Jesus openly confessed that the source of His mastery over the demons was God's Spirit. Jesus also gave authority over the demons to his 12 apostles, and later to the 70 that He sent out, so that "in the Name of Jesus" they too were able to free the demon-possessed. Even one not an immediate associate of Jesus or His apostles was able to exorcise a demon on the basis of Jesus' Name.
After the death of Jesus, the apostles continued to have this power. Paul, for example, ordered a "demon of divination" out of a slave girl, much to the anger of her money-loving owners. But when certain impostors, the 7 sons of a priest, named Sceva, attempted to cast out a demon in the name of "Jesus whom Paul preaches,"the demon-possessed man seized and severely mauled the 7 of them and stripped them naked.
We know that demons are powerful spirit beings that fell from grace and followed Satan and in their fall from grace became demons, and often the wild and uncontrolled conduct of mentally unbalanced persons is due to possession by these invisible minions of Satan.
Sometimes it is reported that spirit mediums have cast these demons out; this calls to mind what Jesus said: "Many will say to me in "that Day," 'Lord, Lord, did we not ... expel demons in your name?' And yet I will confess to them: "I never knew you!" Compelling reasons, then, for heeding the counsel, "Be watchful," and "Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil and his demons."
Satan and his demons know the Bible better than we do and even they believe in God and shudder so just because someone says that they believe in God it does not mean that they are saved.
So, be careful when you try to free a person from the demon power. These are nothing to mess with.
Who are we to mess with spiritual powers? Even so, I heard people who say that they are able to cast out demons but no one is ever taught to do this or told to do this anywhere in the Bible neither by the apostles nor the 70 ones that were sent out. I do not say that exorcisms do not happen but it is very clear that supernatural forces are involved in it. It is compared to playing with lightning, a very dangerous thing indeed.
We have to acknowledge the fact that even "when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, who was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.' " Peter warns us saying, "if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment."
Apparently the Holy Spirit was involved in the warning given to the apostle Paul that demons would infiltrate the church and teach their own doctrines. We do not have to look very far today to see that this is happening with increased speed in many of today's churches.
The day is coming when God will finally judge these demons but he will also judge the false prophets.
It means that there are no shortages of false prophets today who claim that God speaks to them and foretells the future. If they are not right then their fate will be the same as those spirits of uncleanness or demons which is exactly what they really are.
Demon possession is defined as the captive control and influence of a person by this malevolent spirit.
In Bible times demonized persons were afflicted in various ways: some were unable to speak, some were blind, some acted insane, and some possessed super human strength.
All were woefully mistreated by these invisible bullies. Men, women, and children were their victims.
Sometimes the agony was compounded when many demons gained possession of a person at the same time. When the demon was expelled, the person returned to a normal, sane state of mind.
It is quite interesting that during the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, the demons themselves were the first ones to truly recognized that Jesus was more than a man, in other words Jesus' identity and addressed Him as the "Son of God," the "Holy One of God," and "Jesus, Son of the Most High God."
However, at no time Jesus allowed them to be witnesses in His behalf. On the other hand, a man who was set free from the power of the demons was encouraged to publish to his relatives "all the things God had for him."
There is a difference between demon possession and ordinary physical sickness and disease. Jesus had the power to cure both types of disorders. Some of Jesus' greatest miracles involved the setting of possessed persons who became free from captivity to the demons. Demons were powerless against Him and shudder with fear and trepidation before Him. They know that their ultimate fate is the lake of fire.
But not everyone was happy with this demon expelling work. The Pharisees accused Jesus of being in league with the ruler of the demons, Beel-Zebub, whereas in reality, as Jesus pointed out, they themselves were the offspring of the Devil.
Jesus openly confessed that the source of His mastery over the demons was God's Spirit. Jesus also gave authority over the demons to his 12 apostles, and later to the 70 that He sent out, so that "in the Name of Jesus" they too were able to free the demon-possessed. Even one not an immediate associate of Jesus or His apostles was able to exorcise a demon on the basis of Jesus' Name.
After the death of Jesus, the apostles continued to have this power. Paul, for example, ordered a "demon of divination" out of a slave girl, much to the anger of her money-loving owners. But when certain impostors, the 7 sons of a priest, named Sceva, attempted to cast out a demon in the name of "Jesus whom Paul preaches,"the demon-possessed man seized and severely mauled the 7 of them and stripped them naked.
We know that demons are powerful spirit beings that fell from grace and followed Satan and in their fall from grace became demons, and often the wild and uncontrolled conduct of mentally unbalanced persons is due to possession by these invisible minions of Satan.
Sometimes it is reported that spirit mediums have cast these demons out; this calls to mind what Jesus said: "Many will say to me in "that Day," 'Lord, Lord, did we not ... expel demons in your name?' And yet I will confess to them: "I never knew you!" Compelling reasons, then, for heeding the counsel, "Be watchful," and "Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil and his demons."
Satan and his demons know the Bible better than we do and even they believe in God and shudder so just because someone says that they believe in God it does not mean that they are saved.
So, be careful when you try to free a person from the demon power. These are nothing to mess with.
Who are we to mess with spiritual powers? Even so, I heard people who say that they are able to cast out demons but no one is ever taught to do this or told to do this anywhere in the Bible neither by the apostles nor the 70 ones that were sent out. I do not say that exorcisms do not happen but it is very clear that supernatural forces are involved in it. It is compared to playing with lightning, a very dangerous thing indeed.
We have to acknowledge the fact that even "when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, who was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you.' " Peter warns us saying, "if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment."
Apparently the Holy Spirit was involved in the warning given to the apostle Paul that demons would infiltrate the church and teach their own doctrines. We do not have to look very far today to see that this is happening with increased speed in many of today's churches.
The day is coming when God will finally judge these demons but he will also judge the false prophets.
It means that there are no shortages of false prophets today who claim that God speaks to them and foretells the future. If they are not right then their fate will be the same as those spirits of uncleanness or demons which is exactly what they really are.
Monday, August 15, 2016
THE FIRST POWERFUL CURSE .
The desiring, threatening, or pronouncing evil upon someone or something is the basic idea of a number of Hebrew and Greek words in the Scriptures that are translated by the word 'curse' or similar expressions.
The 1st powerful curse employed was at the time of the Edenic rebellion and was directed by God against the instigator of the rebellion that used nature as an agent for his transgression.
The serpent was produced by the earth and was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made.
In other words, the nature of this animal is used as a symbolic comparison of human's nature influenced by the forces of good and evil.
The woman was the personification of God's church in the earth, according to man's will.
When God pronounced His Judgment, He said to the snake, "You will be punished for this, you alone of all the animals must bear this curse:
'From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offsprings will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel.'
The evil spirit of rebellion orchestrated by Satan is explained in 2 Corinthians 11. Paul speak about the False Apostles saying, 'You are like a pure virgin whom I have promised in marriage to one man only, Christ himself.'
The nature of the first man, and Paul's is described like a pure virgin. The woman was form from man's rib in a symbolic representation of the nature of the Church of God in the earth.
Paul then says, 'I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and you will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ.'
Corruption entered into the body of God's Church through the woman's deceived mind and the seed of rebellion was planted in the human heart. Satan, in his crafty and deceiving way, made her belief in his preaching and became one to her in the same evil spirit.
Paul continue, 'You will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ -in the same way that Eve was deceived by the snake's clever lies. When you gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus, not the one we preached; you accept a spirit and a gospel completely different from the Spirit and the gospel you received from us.'
The fact that the serpent represents the nature of man God uses this animal to teach us how Satan's evil spirit takes over man's nature and deceive it.
Then Paul says, 'When I preached the Good News of God to you, I humbled myself in order to make you -in your nature- important. I do not think that I am the least bit inferior to those who believe about themselves being very special and so-called 'apostles' of yours. Perhaps I am an amateur in speaking comparing their ways, but certainly not in knowledge; we have made this clear to you at all times and in all conditions. I will go on doing what I am doing now, in order to keep those other 'apostles' from having any reason to boasting and saying that they work in the same way that we do. Those men are not true apostles -they are false apostles, who lie about their work and disguise themselves to 'look like' real apostles of Christ. Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light! So it is no great thing if his servants disguise themselves to look like servants of righteousness. In the end they will get exactly what their actions deserve.'
The 1st powerful curse employed was at the time of the Edenic rebellion and was directed by God against the instigator of the rebellion that used nature as an agent for his transgression.
The serpent was produced by the earth and was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made.
In other words, the nature of this animal is used as a symbolic comparison of human's nature influenced by the forces of good and evil.
The woman was the personification of God's church in the earth, according to man's will.
When God pronounced His Judgment, He said to the snake, "You will be punished for this, you alone of all the animals must bear this curse:
'From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offsprings will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel.'
The evil spirit of rebellion orchestrated by Satan is explained in 2 Corinthians 11. Paul speak about the False Apostles saying, 'You are like a pure virgin whom I have promised in marriage to one man only, Christ himself.'
The nature of the first man, and Paul's is described like a pure virgin. The woman was form from man's rib in a symbolic representation of the nature of the Church of God in the earth.
Paul then says, 'I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and you will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ.'
Corruption entered into the body of God's Church through the woman's deceived mind and the seed of rebellion was planted in the human heart. Satan, in his crafty and deceiving way, made her belief in his preaching and became one to her in the same evil spirit.
Paul continue, 'You will abandon your full and pure devotion to Christ -in the same way that Eve was deceived by the snake's clever lies. When you gladly tolerate anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus, not the one we preached; you accept a spirit and a gospel completely different from the Spirit and the gospel you received from us.'
The fact that the serpent represents the nature of man God uses this animal to teach us how Satan's evil spirit takes over man's nature and deceive it.
Then Paul says, 'When I preached the Good News of God to you, I humbled myself in order to make you -in your nature- important. I do not think that I am the least bit inferior to those who believe about themselves being very special and so-called 'apostles' of yours. Perhaps I am an amateur in speaking comparing their ways, but certainly not in knowledge; we have made this clear to you at all times and in all conditions. I will go on doing what I am doing now, in order to keep those other 'apostles' from having any reason to boasting and saying that they work in the same way that we do. Those men are not true apostles -they are false apostles, who lie about their work and disguise themselves to 'look like' real apostles of Christ. Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light! So it is no great thing if his servants disguise themselves to look like servants of righteousness. In the end they will get exactly what their actions deserve.'
Saturday, August 13, 2016
R-OMAN-IAN MYTHS AND THE EVIL WORLD.
The creation stories in Romanian mythology are numerous and varied, from its ancient, Indo-European roots to a Christianization of the tale involving God and His enemy, Satan.
According to R-Oman-ian beliefs, God made the earth with the help of animals, while Satan was trying to thwart His plans. Before the earth existed, a boundless supernatural ocean called 'Apa Sam-Betei was the abode of God and the Devil (Nefar-Tatul), seen as master and servant rather than equals.
Upon deciding to create the earth, God sent Nefar-Tatul, his servant to bring a handful of clay from the ground of the World Ocean in His Holy Name.Nefar-Tatul set forth and tried to bring the clay to the surface in his name instead, but could not succeed until he brought it up in the Name of God.
As this piece of clay grew into the earth, God laid Himself down to sleep. Nefar-tatul then tried to push Him over the side, but the ever-expanding earth would hinder that. After trying to throw God off the earth in every one of the four cardinal directions, he shied away from the cross he drew in the ground himself.
Other accounts suggest that the Devil and his demons were once angels of God. The Devil, however, tried to rebel, and, in response, God opened up the heavens so that he might fall to the earth.
Fearing that Heaven might be voided, the archangel Micha-El re-sealed it, thus freezing the demons that had not yet fallen to hell in place.
This account relates to the concept of 'soul customs,' where every soul is intercepted on its way to heaven by these demons, who forced it into hell. An old Romanian proverb says: "Do not speak badly of the Devil because you cannot know to whom you will belong."
According to popular Romanian mythology, it is not considered difficult to establish a connection with the Devil. He can appear quickly, happy with the availability of the soul of the person who wishes to be initiated into the secrets of witchcraft. They use portal / crossroad or unclean places where they invoke his name out loud, in order to obtain his infernal aid.
Each wizard and witch has access to a Black Book which contains all the incantations, chants and magic formulas. Usually before dying, wizards or masters of the same rank pass on this knowledge to an apprentice, but sometimes such books remain without a master. When that happens, whoever finds the book have the choice of open it up or keep it closed. If the Black Book is open by an untrained person, he/she become a slave of the evil power governed by the Book.
When the Book is opened, demons appear immediately in front of it asking for work. Not knowing how to maintain them always busy, the demons end the life of the Book's possessor letting it to be placed in another and more skillful hand, otherwise the cycle continue.
It is said that only wizards and witches know what tasks to give to the devils by making them do things such as making ropes out of water and sand (craftiness along generations of people) or stopping rivers from flowing into the sea (lies that takes the Truth out of its way).
This information is used as a warning to all those who dare to play with evil forces without knowing the price that must be paid for the recklessness of their actions.
The epitome of dark myths and legends dwell deep within the wide forest of Romania, a country that was once brutal and full of mysteries.
These stories appear not only in Romanian mythology, but also in Ar-Oman-ian, Slavic Maced-Onian and Bulg-Ar-Ian mythologies.
God's 7 names are commonly addressed in Romanian's myths as the origin of God, which is explained in a Russian doll-type fashion. Before every God's name there was another God that formed Him.
Rabbinic Judaism describes in a different way the 7 holy names that, once written, should not be erased: YHWH, El (God), El-Ohim (Gods), El-Ohim (Gods), El-Oha (God), El Shadd-Ai, and Tz-Eva-Ot or S-Aba-Oth (Of Hosts).
According to R-Oman-ian beliefs, God made the earth with the help of animals, while Satan was trying to thwart His plans. Before the earth existed, a boundless supernatural ocean called 'Apa Sam-Betei was the abode of God and the Devil (Nefar-Tatul), seen as master and servant rather than equals.
Upon deciding to create the earth, God sent Nefar-Tatul, his servant to bring a handful of clay from the ground of the World Ocean in His Holy Name.Nefar-Tatul set forth and tried to bring the clay to the surface in his name instead, but could not succeed until he brought it up in the Name of God.
As this piece of clay grew into the earth, God laid Himself down to sleep. Nefar-tatul then tried to push Him over the side, but the ever-expanding earth would hinder that. After trying to throw God off the earth in every one of the four cardinal directions, he shied away from the cross he drew in the ground himself.
Other accounts suggest that the Devil and his demons were once angels of God. The Devil, however, tried to rebel, and, in response, God opened up the heavens so that he might fall to the earth.
Fearing that Heaven might be voided, the archangel Micha-El re-sealed it, thus freezing the demons that had not yet fallen to hell in place.
This account relates to the concept of 'soul customs,' where every soul is intercepted on its way to heaven by these demons, who forced it into hell. An old Romanian proverb says: "Do not speak badly of the Devil because you cannot know to whom you will belong."
According to popular Romanian mythology, it is not considered difficult to establish a connection with the Devil. He can appear quickly, happy with the availability of the soul of the person who wishes to be initiated into the secrets of witchcraft. They use portal / crossroad or unclean places where they invoke his name out loud, in order to obtain his infernal aid.
Each wizard and witch has access to a Black Book which contains all the incantations, chants and magic formulas. Usually before dying, wizards or masters of the same rank pass on this knowledge to an apprentice, but sometimes such books remain without a master. When that happens, whoever finds the book have the choice of open it up or keep it closed. If the Black Book is open by an untrained person, he/she become a slave of the evil power governed by the Book.
When the Book is opened, demons appear immediately in front of it asking for work. Not knowing how to maintain them always busy, the demons end the life of the Book's possessor letting it to be placed in another and more skillful hand, otherwise the cycle continue.
It is said that only wizards and witches know what tasks to give to the devils by making them do things such as making ropes out of water and sand (craftiness along generations of people) or stopping rivers from flowing into the sea (lies that takes the Truth out of its way).
This information is used as a warning to all those who dare to play with evil forces without knowing the price that must be paid for the recklessness of their actions.
The epitome of dark myths and legends dwell deep within the wide forest of Romania, a country that was once brutal and full of mysteries.
These stories appear not only in Romanian mythology, but also in Ar-Oman-ian, Slavic Maced-Onian and Bulg-Ar-Ian mythologies.
God's 7 names are commonly addressed in Romanian's myths as the origin of God, which is explained in a Russian doll-type fashion. Before every God's name there was another God that formed Him.
Rabbinic Judaism describes in a different way the 7 holy names that, once written, should not be erased: YHWH, El (God), El-Ohim (Gods), El-Ohim (Gods), El-Oha (God), El Shadd-Ai, and Tz-Eva-Ot or S-Aba-Oth (Of Hosts).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)