The Way, the Truth and the Life in CHRIST: click HERE.

Documented case of demon possession by Dr. Richard E. Gallagher who is a board certified psychiatrist and also a Professor of clinical psychiatry at New York Medical College. Dr. Gallagher documented the demon possession in the February issue of the New Oxford Review.

The story goes on to tell of Roman Catholic exorcists going to work on exorcising the demon.

I find the Roman Catholic ritualizing of exorcising fascinating; however that does not line up with a "What Would Jesus Do" moment. Jesus always was prayed up and cast a demon out with a command. Jesus gave this authority to all who Believe on Jesus. Believers can cast out demon by being prayed up and using the NAME OF JESUS.

• ...they brought to Him [Jesus] many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, (Matthew 8: 16)

• Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He [Jesus] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." (Mark 1: 23 - 27)

• When He [Jesus] had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. (Matthew 8: 28-33)

• Then He [Jesus] appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: (Mark 3: 15, 16)

• And when He [Jesus] had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. (Matthew 10: 1)

• And He [Jesus] called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. (Mark 6: 7) [Scripture References from TheBibleSpeaks.com]

Trust me; there are more New Testament references which are similar.

Now you Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox or other ritualized Christians; don't send me the haterade because I believe in the simplicity of the Word. I am not saying the ritual thing is ineffective or wrong (as many of my Pentecostal/Word fellow Believers would). For Jesus the Lord said,

38 Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."
39 But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our[c] side. (Emphasis mine - Mark 9: 38-40 NKJV)

I am saying don't play with demonology if you don't know what you are doing yet if it concerns you find and meditate on Scriptures that build faith and the sense of authority that Jesus gave to those who Believe on Him.

In either case it is fascinating that a secular trained psychiatrist is publishing in a respected psychiatric journal the case of a demonic possession and the use of Christian Faith to get rid of the bugger.

JRH

Satan became a defeated foe when Jesus Resurrected from the Dead in complete victory over the goals of replacing God as god of creation.

At the moment of Resurrection the only power Satan possessed was the power a human being gave, especially those that in faith believe in the Redemptive victory of Christ.

Those outside the faith of Christ are sitting ducks open to the devices of Satan's new goals since his defeat at Calvary via the Resurrection.

The new goal is to control humanity to the point of destruction. The ultimate destruction is to separate humanity from all connection from God for separation from God results in the Second Death.

The Second Death is eternal separation from God which occurs when Satan deceptively convinces a human that God is powerless or non-existent or there is another way to find eternal peace.

I suspect Satan is so deluded that even if defeat he believes the more human souls that he can separate form God that he has another shot at defeating the Lord God Almighty.

Satan's device is deceptive control and his fall is self-delusion a defeat can turn around to victory. In Jesus, Victory is a done deal. Hell was created and reserved for Satan and fallen angels. All that allow themselves to be deceived by Satan will join him there even though the place was not designed for humanity.

It is the will of God that all humanity be Saved and God gave His Beloved Son up to death to pay the price that Adam sold himself and his progeny to the Devil. All that believe are Redeemed! Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so - I AM REDEEMED!

JRH 3/22/08

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Stopping Satan At His Own Game

Rick Renner

Sparkling Gems from the Greek (Link Updated Frequently)

Rick Renner Ministries

March 3, 2008

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us:
for we are not ignorant of his devices. -2 Corinthians 2:11

I don't like talking about the devil, but time after time the Bible warns us that the devil is like a roaring lion who roams about, seeking whom he can destroy (1 Peter 5:8). Whether we like it or not, the devil is a real personality who is looking for ways to destroy our lives. Since the Bible frequently warns us about this sinister enemy, we need to know:

How the devil operates.

• How to identify the devil's attacks at their very onset.

• How to block and stop his devilish assaults.

• How to prevent repeat attacks from occurring in the future.

In Second Corinthians 2:11, the apostle Paul wrote a verse that is teeming with insight to answer these questions. He wrote, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Paul clearly understood that Satan was constantly seeking ways to take advantage of people. The word "advantage" in this verse is the Greek word pleonekteo. This word means to outwit; to trick; to take advantage of someone through some sinister or sneaky means. It is a compound of the word pleon, which means more, and the word echo, which means to have. Together, these words form the word pleonekto, which denotes a desire to have more, more, and more. It is a form of the word pleonexia, the Greek word for greediness. In this case in Second Corinthians 2:11, it pictures someone whose lust for something is so intense that he will take any actions required to obtain what he wants.

Because Paul used this word about Satan, we are alerted to the fact that Satan desperately wants something in his control. He wants us! The devil will use any method necessary to take advantage of us and get us under his control. He will deviously and artfully endeavor to outwit us, trick us, dominate us, and ultimately take us as his hostages. That is why Paul said, "We are not ignorant of his devices."

When you have an enemy who hates you this much and who wants to destroy you, you can't afford to be ignorant. In Paul's case, he and his team were invading new territory with the Gospel all the time. Paul knew that Satan wanted to hinder and even stop them and that it was therefore essential for him to understand the way the devil operated. He had to be able to discern whether he was facing a mere human problem or a planned demonic attack.

Likewise, you need to know if the storm you're facing right now is just a natural problem that will blow over, or if are you facing demonic turbulence sent from hell to disrupt God's plan for your life. You can't just shut your eyes and hope the problem will work out by itself. If this is an attack from the devil and you do nothing to stop it, it will not simply go away. On the contrary, it will actually increase and become more intense. That's why being able to recognize Satan's game is so important!

The word "ignorant" in Second Corinthians 2:11 is the Greek word agnoeo, and it refers to one's ignorance or lack of certain facts. However, it also includes making mistakes or errors due to a lack of understanding. It is the picture of an uneducated person who, due to a lack of knowledge, is prone to arrive at mistaken conclusions. The word agnoeo depicts someone who is in the dark or without a clue. Because this person lacks understanding, his conclusions are faulty, erroneous, and misguided. This is where we get the word agnostic, the official name used to describe individuals who claim they don't know what they believe. So when someone claims to be agnostic, he is literally claiming to be ignorant!

An example of this kind of ignorance is often seen when a person is diagnosed with a terminal disease sent from the devil, yet the person believes his sickness comes from God. Because the sick person is ignorant of the fact that Satan and not God is the author of sickness and disease, he mistakenly concludes that his sickness must be God's will for his life. This ignorance is so devastating that it could possibly lead to that individual's premature death. Do you see how dangerous it is to remain ignorant about how the devil operates?

This is the reason Paul says, "...We are not ignorant of Satan's devices." Paul and his companions had carefully observed how the devil operates and the primary methods he uses to attack. As a result, they knew how to recognize the onset of an attack when Satan started maneuvering to frustrate their plans. Paul and his team were definitely not in the dark about the devil; hence, the enemy found it much more difficult to take advantage of them.

Paul had to learn these things because he faced problems with people, religious leaders, governmental leaders, and even with friends. He was thrown in prison, cast into the sea, and beaten during moments of persecution. Traps were constantly being set for his capture, and he constantly had to be on the lookout for people who tried to use him and take advantage of him. Paul couldn't afford to be in the dark spiritually about the way Satan operated - and neither can you!

But notice what Paul says next: "We are not ignorant of Satan's devices." The word "devices" is the Greek word noemata, derived from the word nous. The word nous is the word for the mind or the intellect. However, when the word nous becomes the word noemata, it describes a mind that is scheming, calculating, conniving, devious, shrewd, sly, or clever. This is very significant because it alerts us to the reality that Satan isn't just hoping to hinder us; he is incessantly scheming and conniving to injure or deliberately mess up a person's plans, health, marriage, business, and family. The enemy doesn't really care how he accomplishes his evil plan; he just wants to find ways to ruin whatever that person holds dear.

Thus, the word noemata denotes Satan's insidious, malevolent plot to attack and victimize human beings, clearly demonstrating that the devil loves to captivate and ultimately destroy human beings. If this devilish process is not aborted by the power of God, it is only a matter of time before Satan puts the last touches on his plan to take captive a person, family, church, ministry, business, organization, or even an entire nation!

When you put all of these words together, it expresses this idea:

"Satan can forget it if he thinks he is going to pull the wool over our eyes! We know how he operates, and we understand the way he schemes and connives to take us out."

So don't shut your eyes and ignore the fact that the devil wants to bring about your downfall. Instead, open your eyes and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to recognize the devil's operations so you won't fall prey to him any longer. Then you'll be able to say, "Devil, I know this is you attacking me, so I am telling you to leave now in Jesus' name!"

I have never heard of the group "Diamond Rio."

You know I am not much of a Country Music fan and this song has that flavor; however I got to tell ya this honors God Almighty. American should feel a sense of veneration of America and God when listening to this song. It is truly awesome.

I now know who "Diamond Rio" is and God Bless them for honoring God.

A well deserved Hat Tip to Humbled Infidel.

I wish I had found this poem before Easter. I think I had read it some time ago however I am not sure. The surety I do have is this poem is beautiful.

An unknown WWI soldier ponders the meaninglessness of life if there was no Resurrected Redeemer.

Totally Awesome!

JRH 3/30/08

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Resurrection

Sunday, March 23, 2008 (Easter)

--Unknown Soldier, killed in World War I
(From The Life of Christ in Poetry, comp. Hazel Davis Clark)

Posted by Jordon J. Ballor

Acton Institute Power Blog

If it be all for nought, for nothingness
At last, why does God make the world so fair?
Why spill this golden splendor out across
The western hills, and light the silver lamp
Of eve? Why give me eyes to see, the soul
To love so strong and deep? Then, with a pang
This brightness stabs me through, and wakes within
Rebellious voice to cry against all death?
Why set this hunger for eternity
To gnaw my heartstrings through, if death ends all?
If death ends all, then evil must be good,
Wrong must be right, and beauty ugliness.
God is a Judas who betrays his Son
And, with a kiss, damns all the world to hell--
If Christ rose not again.