Demonic Influences

[redjosh]

demonic influences...
haha you're all sucked in to the devils brilliant scheming. demons (or prinicipalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness) have existed since the world began. they lived and still live today and are definetly among us. they are the root of evilness in society and plague millions of people with sickness and disease and famine and war and hatred and addiction etc. they are ever present and can and do physically take hold of people and attach themselves to them. there are even demons (sons of God) who wander among us as living physical beings corrupting the earth.
forget the rubbish about photos and eyes. search the heart and the scriptures and ask for discernment so that you may not be deceived by the sons of darkness.

 

[Siliconaut]

I think we have an interesting demon-thread running at http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=951847#post951847, I've posted a lot there and it would be senseless to re-post everything here. Why not meet in that thread and see how your demons stand up to reality?

 

[good4u]

We need to be very careful as Christians that we don't act like "ghost busters." Tho' very real, demons can never inhabit Christians, but that doesn't mean that they are not harrassed. It is a very serious business.

In essence, demonic activity can take place if they are "invited." Now, as Christians I do not play around fire and don't encourage others to either. This means any vehicle in which demonic activity may arise. This includes Ouju boards, senances, tarot readings and the like. This is an "invitation" to trouble that is way more than the participant bargains for and it takes a veteran Christian experienced in deliverance ministry to cast out such activity. Never participate in occult activity, it is not just fun and games!!! It is forbidden by the Lord generally to Chrisitians and for very good reason, unless you know what you are doing in a deliverance ministry.

I was in a previous church that had for a time a "deliverance" minsitry that was VERY effective in such assistance to very burden people. Tho' the pastor who lead this ministry was not the senior pastor it became an "issue" with the senior pastor. The deliverance ministry was VERy low profile for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, because of the attention the deliverance pastor was receiving, the senior pastor had to part company. I was privileged to take a class that the deliverance minster gave on the casework that he did in the ministry. Amazing!!!

Yes, demonic activity is real, but never overcomes God!!!!!

 

[redjosh]

wots wrong with ghost busters?
you've listed a small few things that are affected by powers of this world at face value only. the misery and torment of society and the destruction and degradation of human life is around because of the rulers of darkness alone.

deliverance is key. we all have access to the power to deliver or to be delivered. the church needs more faith and belief in the power of the blood of Jesus! the LORD gave us authority to bind powers on earth so that they may be bound in the heavens. sieze that and thwart satan's stronghold.

kia kaha. power to the people!

 

[Doctrine1st]

The eyes are the window to the soul, you can read a lot about a person by looking in their eyes. I can always tell when someone is lying to me by looking in their eyes, it shows, you can't hide it. You may speak smooth words and be a practiced liar but it always shows.

Want to see about appearences of people possesed? Turn to Mark 5

Kind of like George Bush when he looked into Putin eyes and claimed to see his soul?

 

[good4u]

redjosh,

The point I was trying to make is that it takes PREPARATION as a mature Christian to do such spiritual work in delieverance. A cavilier attitude will not succeed. Jesus Himself pointed this out when his disciples returned to him and asked why they could not cast out demons and he told them what they lacked. If Jesus told his OWN disciples that they needed preparation, why should you do anything less?

Think about it. Be a good witness.

 

[redjosh]

Radical Saint. yes agreed.
preparation is key. our lives should be a continual offering to the Lord. committing our all to prayer, worship, fasting and seeking wisdom and understanding.
wots your definition of a mature christian? it can't be time... there are people i know who are beleivers but have not grown spiritually since the day the were saved. and stil there are those who have believed but a few months and are full of the passion of the Spirit to learn and to pray and to heal. if a mature christian is someone who has an assured faith in Jesus and is continually growing in the likeness of Gods son... then yes only mature christians may do such spiritual work in delieverance.
also satans attacks can be greatest in the first few months/years of being born again. it is then that you must remain strong and faithful.

kia kaha.

 

[good4u]

Well, now redjosh, it is partially time. Yes.

After Paul was converted from Jewish legalism to Chrisitianity, did Paul go out and immediately start evangelising to Gentiles? I think you know the answer.

No Paul had personal tutoring by the Lord Himself (IMHO) while in Arabia for 3 years and then disicipled by those like Pricillia and Aquilla who were more mature in the faith at the time. He also spent 3 full years in Ephesus, the first real missionary church outside of Jerusalem. This was all before Paul took his 3 missioniary journeys in Western Europe.

 

[ObbiQuiet]

The eyes are the window to the soul, you can read a lot about a person by looking in their eyes. I can always tell when someone is lying to me by looking in their eyes, it shows, you can't hide it. You may speak smooth words and be a practiced liar but it always shows.

I don't know... I know this isn't anything to brag about, but I feel I am a very good liar. Perhaps it is just my acting experiance, I don't know... but I think I could lie to most people and get away with it...

 

[ReUsAbLePhEoNiX]

I was 10 years old when I got delivered from my "demon of sleepwalking" If one wants too read a very informative and authoritative book on demon possession and the signs of demon possession, I would recommend " The Malleus Maleficarum" a great guide book too determine the presence of demonic possession.

 

[kdet]

We need to be very careful as Christians that we don't act like "ghost busters." Tho' very real, demons can never inhabit Christians, but that doesn't mean that they are not harrassed. It is a very serious business.

In essence, demonic activity can take place if they are "invited." Now, as Christians I do not play around fire and don't encourage others to either. This means any vehicle in which demonic activity may arise. This includes Ouju boards, senances, tarot readings and the like. This is an "invitation" to trouble that is way more than the participant bargains for and it takes a veteran Christian experienced in deliverance ministry to cast out such activity. Never participate in occult activity, it is not just fun and games!!! It is forbidden by the Lord generally to Chrisitians and for very good reason, unless you know what you are doing in a deliverance ministry.

I was in a previous church that had for a time a "deliverance" minsitry that was VERY effective in such assistance to very burden people. Tho' the pastor who lead this ministry was not the senior pastor it became an "issue" with the senior pastor. The deliverance ministry was VERy low profile for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, because of the attention the deliverance pastor was receiving, the senior pastor had to part company. I was privileged to take a class that the deliverance minster gave on the casework that he did in the ministry. Amazing!!!

Yes, demonic activity is real, but never overcomes God!!!!!

Terrific post and the answer I was looking for thank you.
So often we believe in God's goodness while discounting the very real evil that can be all around us. And that people can fall victim to.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

I don't think demonic possession exists.

Historically, people have placed blame on demons for all sorts of mental disorders and other odd behaviors.

In current society, I think people use it as a convenient method of placing blame for things they don't like or agree with. It gives them something to fight against, and perhaps justifies their own faith in the process.

Of course, I only say this because I have never seen any evidence of demons or demonic possession (certainly nothing conclusive or that could not be explained in other ways).

 

[Nathan Poe]

I don't think demonic possession exists.

Historically, people have placed blame on demons for all sorts of mental disorders and other odd behaviors.

In current society, I think people use it as a convenient method of placing blame for things they don't like or agree with. It gives them something to fight against, and perhaps justifies their own faith in the process.

Of course, I only say this because I have never seen any evidence of demons or demonic possession (certainly nothing conclusive or that could not be explained in other ways).

Hmmm...... that sounds like something a demon would say to lull us into a false sense of security....

And that choice of avatar is no coincidence either. Didn't the fraggles live underground? As in the pits of hell?


BEGONE, DEMON!!!

 

[Hank]

Hmmm...... that sounds like something a demon would say to lull us into a false sense of security....

And that choice of avatar is no coincidence either. Didn't the fraggles live underground? As in the pits of hell?


BEGONE, DEMON!!!

Love your avatar

 

[Zephyr]

I think "demons" are the fears that lie in all of our hearts. "Demons" can also be pain, or loss, or anything that causes pain and loss.

I dont think there is some guy named satan who browses around the planet looking for people to posess. I just dont.. thats like, SOO last century!!

i think this guy in the photograph was probably just some miserable drug addict or somebody who missed a WHOLE lot of sleep or perhaps somebody who was persecuted and messed with his whole life

 

[ReUsAbLePhEoNiX]

l

 

[Nathan David]

You guys crack me up. You mean to tell me it's 2003, and there are still people who believe in demonic possession? People who are afraid to use Oija boards? I have used a Oija board and nothing happened. A friend of mine gave me two Tarot readings, and no supernatural entities showed up (and the readings didn't make much sense either).

PT Barnum was right.

 

[kdet]

You guys crack me up. You mean to tell me it's 2003, and there are still people who believe in demonic possession? People who are afraid to use Oija boards? I have used a Oija board and nothing happened. A friend of mine gave me two Tarot readings, and no supernatural entities showed up (and the readings didn't make much sense either).

PT Barnum was right.

All Satan has to do to win is convince people he doesn't exist

 

[Teh Wiccan]

Is there scriptural basis for that Kitty?

 

[cbk]

You guys crack me up. You mean to tell me it's 2003, and there are still people who believe in demonic possession? People who are afraid to use Oija boards? I have used a Oija board and nothing happened. A friend of mine gave me two Tarot readings, and no supernatural entities showed up (and the readings didn't make much sense either).

PT Barnum was right.

For a Christian to deny that demons ever existed would be for the christian to deny the credibility of the writers of the New Testament which testifies to the fact the Jesus delivered a man from the influence of demons when he delivered a demon possessed man from the legion.

For a Christian to deny the credibility of the writers of the New Testament would probably place them on a more slippery slope than to deny demons ever existed to begin with.

To non-Christians, this is of little matter, they have other, more serious issues to deal with.