Nurse With Wound: "I Was No Longer His Dominant"

What a frightening and sombre piece this is. This British band used the voice of a psychiatrist to present the weirdness of that profession. If you're brave enough, listen to this music here:

One thing psychiatry can't explain is demon possession. In their worldly world view, it's some sort of psychosis.

But we Christians know better and so did Jesus. Matthew 9:32 and 33 (Bible in Basic English) shows how he easily healed people and cast out demons. "And while they were going away, there came to him a man without the power of talking, and with an evil spirit. And when the evil spirit had been sent out, the man had the power of talking: and they were all surprised, saying, 'Such a thing has never been seen in Israel.'"

That man never had to endure endless appointments or meetings with fake deliverance preachers.

Christ also knew who was insane and who was possessed. As Matthew 4:24 (BBE) plainly shows, "And news of him went out through all Syria; and they took to him all who were ill with different diseases and pains, those having evil spirits and those who were off their heads, and those who had no power of moving. And he made them well."

Nobody had to be psychoanalyzed either. Jesus knew each person's diagnosis and healed them accordingly.

Furthermore, the demons knew who Jesus was, and what he was, without being told. As Mark 5:6 and 7 (BBE) plainly shows, the demons were terrified of Christ. "And when he saw Jesus from far off, he went quickly to him and gave him worship; And crying out with a loud voice he said, 'What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name, do not be cruel to me.'" This poor man became Christ's first evangelist once he was freed of those devils.

And if our Lord hasn't arrived to cast all demons and the Devil into the lake of fire by Saturday, I hope to post about a woman who others thought was insane, or was she?

Saturday Song: David Byrne and Brian Eno, " The Jezebel Spirit"

The horror movie, The Exorcist, popularized the casting out of demons back in 1973 but this has been done as early as the first century. Of course most of these exorcisms have been faked by spiritual con artists.

David Byrne and Brian Eno examined the topic of religions in their album, "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" which they recorded in 1981. One track featured an exorcist on a radio broadcast. Listen to it here.

According to the Bible, Only Jesus and his disciples were able to cast out demons. We read one encounter in Mark 5:6 and 7 (BBE) where many wicked spirits dwelt in a man, tormenting him relentlessly. "And when he saw Jesus from far off, he went quickly to him and gave him worship; And crying out with a loud voice he said, 'What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name, do not be cruel to me'"

We also read where the devils knew exactly who Christ was. One example is in Luke 4:41 (BBE). "And evil spirits came out of a number of them, crying out and saying, 'You are the Son of God.' But he gave them sharp orders not to say a word, because they had knowledge that he was the Christ."

Demons also knew who followed Christ. Acts 16:16 and 17 (BBE) tells of a demon-possessed woman from whom Paul cast out a devil. "And when we were going to the place of prayer, we came across a girl with a spirit which gave knowledge of the future, whose masters made great profit from her power. She came after Paul and us, crying out and saying, 'These men are the servants of the Most High God, who are giving you news of the way of salvation.'"

But we read of one exorcism gone horribly wrong in Acts 19:14 and 15 (BBE) when fake exorcists tried their witch doctor act on a possessed man. "And there were seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew and a chief priest, who did this. And the evil spirit, answering, said to them, 'I have knowledge of Jesus, and of Paul, but who are you?'" Then he beat them up and tore off their clothes, sending them away naked.

People who call themselves deliverance ministers ply their trade today. Folks with mental issues or habitual sins are their prey. But as I experienced, nobody was ever freed from what they should have repented of. Week after week, these victims were prayed over and non existent demons were rebuked.

On Monday, if Christ hasn't returned, I plan on publishing about what spiritual warfare really is.

Does Faith Need Works?

This is one of those thorny questions for Christians. The Catholic church teaches that good works are required along with faith in Christ for salvation from hell. Some Protestant sects teach this doctrine too. Are they right?

The confusion comes because people misread James 2:14 (BBE and think "faith" refers to salvation. "What use is it, my brothers, for a man to say that he has faith, if he does nothing? will such a faith give him salvation?"

The evidence of salvation is  proven by a person's works. After we read in this chapter about the uselessness of just saying encouraging words, we read in James 2:18 (BBE), "But a man may say, 'You have faith and I have works;' let me see your faith without your works, and I will make my faith clear to you by my works.

Many people know about God and Christ but that doesn't save them. Check out what James 2:19 (BBE) says about Satan's demons. "You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear."

The fallen angels know God is real and that he has power to cast them and human sinners into hell. But we descendents of Adam lack the sense to fear the Lord.

Human wickedness blinds folks from realizing that genuine faith is proven by our spontaneous acts of kindness and obedience to God. James 2:21-23 (BBE) says, "Was not the righteousness of Abraham our father judged by his works, when he made an offering of Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was helping his works and was made complete by them;" And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, 'And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness;' and he was named the friend of God."

And lest we think that people like Abraham are good enough to be righteous, check out what James 2:25 (BBE)  declares. "And in the same way, was not the righteousness of Rahab, the loose woman, judged by her works, when she took into her house those who were sent and let them go out by another way?"

Just as a magnet passing through a coil of wire generates electricity, so saving faith generates obedient works. This is one analogy I'll use in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Far too many people think that just knowing the facts about God will get them through the pearly gates but it won't. It really is who you know that counts.

On Thursday, I'll explain why such a sinful woman like Rahab was saved.

MEMORIES OF TUBULAR BELLS

Do you have albums in your record or CD collection which you associate with pivotal periods in your life? I have many such recordings. One album which brings back a cornucopia of memories is Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield.

I might never have heard of this masterpiece if it weren't for a radio announcer named Len Thuesen. He had a radio show on CHED, the local rock station in Edmonton, from nine o'clock to midnight where he featured new music and popular rock groups. At times, he even featured less-popular artists.

One night in May of 1974, Len played both sides of Tubular Bells. I felt amazed at the beauty of this largely instrumental recording which Mike Oldfield composed. He played all of the instruments as well.

Scraping together the few dollars that I had for groceries, I purchased the LP. Since I had no record player of my own, I took it to my mom's place during weekends and played it repeatedly.

When I left home for good, I took the LP with me. I bought my own stereo and enjoyed Mike's masterpiece whenever the mood struck me. When I bought a stereo cassette recorder, I made a copy of the record so I could hear it in my Sony Walkman. As I mowed my lawn or traveled, I filled in the boring hours with that classic album.

After forty years, I finally have the CD version of Tubular Bells. Now I can listen to it without surface noise and clicks. I can also have it on my MP3 player so I can hear it while doing chores outside this summer. I certainly will remember the times when I was a high school student in grade eleven and how I associated some parts of side one with the lessons in electronics class.

I also remember buying a few second hand radios and fixing them up at school. As I did, the catchy melodies of Tubular Bells often played in my mind.

Though I didn't mention this classic recording in my three memoirs, I did have many conflicts with church elders about the supposedly demonic music I listened to. The fact that the beginning of Tubular Bells was used in a movie called The Exorcist didn't make me fearful that I'd be possessed by a demon. Nevertheless, I did believe in  quite a few superstitions which I wrote about in How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. It's available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Virtual Bookworm Publishers.

IT WAS WHAT WAS EATING ME, NOT WHAT I ATE

People have been conscienciously seeking to eat a well-balanced diet for decades, as well they should. Consuming roughage-laden grain products and vegetables helps digestion and intestinal motility. Cooking unprocessed food also provides more vitamines and minerals than packaged food does. But even the best diets can be counteracted by what's eating you.

In the autumn of 1981, I began having cramps. The pain became so bad that I was given sick leave from work during the month of September. After seeing my general practicioner, I went to a specialist. I underwent a variety of tests, including a barium X-ray and a colonoscopy. The doctor said one test showed  a positive indication of a parasite of some sort or other in my stool and gave me medicine for it.

The symptoms gradually subsided and I was able to return to work in October. The question still remained in my mind about why I suffered the cramps in the first place. As happens with illnesses, I heard no shortage of unsolicited advice. Friends From Crohn's disease to a lack of roughage, everybody had their own opinion about what was wrong with me.

The elders at the house church I attended at the time were particularly criticle in their judgements about my cramps. Sister Roberta ceised upon the opportunity by firing question after question at me about what I had been eating. Others sitting around the table after Sunday service also gave their dietary pronouncements.

Since I'd been eating whole grain bread and brown rice, Sister Roberta assumed that I must have a demon afflicting me. People gathered around me to  lay their hands on me. As they jabbered in tongues, Sister Roberta rebuked the demon and commanded it to come out. Afterward, when I felt no different, she admonished me to keep my faith up.

At an appointment in December with my specialist, he told me that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A fair number of people suffer from that malady, according to him.

Though my doctor didn't say so, I believe my cramps were brought on by the stress of my job added to the stress of trying to work up my faith to be healed of my poor sight. I haven't had any serious problems since leaving the church and being put on disability by the government in 1995.

I wrote extensively about that house church in my newly-published memoir, How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. Please check it out at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Virtual Bookworm.

A SUPERSTITIOUS FAITH.

The word 'superstition' conjures up images of primitive religions and irrational practices. Even in our modern culture, people carry rabbit's feet, pick four-leaf clovers, throw coins in wishing wells, and snap wish bones in order to hopefully obtain what they desire.

Charismatic Christian sects have their own form of superstitions. One of these is the expelling of demons attached to possessions. During the seventies and eighties, I attended a cultic church that was an offshoot of Pentecostalism. When one of the members and I went on a short term missions trip to Saltillo, Mexico in 1977, he rebuked me for buying an object that depicted pagan sacrifice. From my upcoming How I Was Razed memoir, here is one example of Thee Church's illogical and unscriptural doctrines.

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One of the shops we visited sold china and leather goods. While walking the isles, I noticed a small loaf-sized chocolate-coloured case with a handle at one end. I picked it up and examined it. Inside, it had a small rectangular mirror sewn into the lid with a leather strap next to it. I assumed the latter was for holding tooth brushes or combs. The case also had a grey plastic pocket attached inside it and a brown zipper ran around three sides of the lid. It seemed like the perfect container for my toiletries so I bought it. At the counter, I noticed a rack of post cards. I chose about a half dozen and paid for them as well as the case.

Jay confronted me when we stepped outside the shop. "Do you realize what that case of yours has on it?" When I looked blank, he continued. "That's a Mayan priest offering corn to the sun god."

"I didn't notice that. Do I have to throw this away? I need it for my tooth brush and other things."

"I suppose if you prayed for God to take away any demonic influences from it, that would be all right. Just don't show it to any of the other Christians. They might misunderstand." Having been misjudged too many times in my life, I kept it in my trunk. Before I put the case away, I rebuked any demons which may have attached themselves to it and banished them to the abyss.

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How I Was Razed is the testimony of the way I was mislead by a cult church, how I turned my back on God after I felt he perennially failed to heal my eyes, and how he graciously brought me to my senses.

My previous books, When a Man Loves a Rabbit (Learning and Living With Bunnies) and Deliverance From Jericho (Six Years in a Blind School), are now available online by clicking here or by clicking here to e-mail me directly.