Cast Out the Spirit of Deceit and RejectionarizonigirlApril 25 2005, 05:03:34 UTC
Jackie,
I read your latest entry and feel what I learned this weekend at my retreat applies soooo directly to what you are feeling (and what I felt before I was able to confess it and cast it out.) It sounds that Satan is attacking you through the spirits of deception and rejection. He deceives you by making you feel that you cannot trust anyone because they will hurt you. He attacks you through rejection by making you feel low self esteem and feel worthless and feel that maybe no one will ever come for you. BUT do you know what all this does??? By making you think these things, Satan is taking away your attention FROM GOD to YOURSELF. He's making you idolize yourself, and in the process, he also is tearing yourself apart. HOW HORRIBLE!!! And to top it off, he makes you QUESTION what God, your LOVING and ALL-KNOWING Father (Jer 29:11) has in store for you!
What I recommend you do with someone, is confess these feelings AS SIN to God, and after confessing, have your partner cast these feelings away from you to where Jesus sends them, NEVER to return to you, in Jesus' name. This is a powerful and amazing thing that I experienced this weekend and it really helped me grow and be able to move past some road blocks. Satan has a stronghold in you through those emotions, and to be able to move on and fully trust God, you need to get ride of those thoughts satan is deceiving and tempting you with.
I love you soooo much Jackie! And if I were there, I'd wrap my arms around you and hold you! But look at the bright side - I'll be there next semester! Woot!
And remember, you may not always have a clear road. Think of the story of Dr. Livingstone and apply it to our walk as Christians. "If you come expecting a clear road, don't bother. I need people who are willing to come, even if there is no road." Or remember the story of the child in a burning building. He climbs to the top thinking the roof is safe. The father on the ground can see him and tells him to jump into his arms. However, the child cannot see past the smoke and flames and yells back he's scared because he can't see the father. The father replies, it's ok, because I can see you.
Re: Cast Out the Spirit of Deceit and RejectionsamfuApril 25 2005, 06:31:42 UTC
It sounds that Satan is attacking you through the spirits of deception and rejection. He deceives you by making you feel that you cannot trust anyone because they will hurt you.
That makes complete sense. Why consider the psychological concept of negative reinforcement when the problem is quite clearly Satan? It must be nice to be so fully ignorant and unambitious about the pursuit knowledge that you can simply blame any problems that you have on some mystical creature that manifests himself anytime something bad happens to you. I wish I could lie to myself so well. Just as a final statement: does one really have to conclude that deception and rejection are spirits, not simply the behavior of a person?
BUT do you know what all this does??? By making you think these things, Satan is taking away your attention FROM GOD to YOURSELF. He's making you idolize yourself, [...]
How is Satan (or for that matter, Jaclyn's feelings about this boy) taking her away from God in any way? Your unstated assumption is that any involvement of emotions in one's life drives one further away from God. I would argue that this is not the case. Further, you make the presupposition that any attention taken away from God in your life is bad. If this is truly what you believe, I can only assume that you're a monk and that this post on the internet is the only distraction that you've taken away from the Lord (Ahhhmehhhn) in your humble and pious life. Involvement of God in your life is fine, but you should find ways to integrate him into your way of life, not fit your way of life around him. Furthermore, feeling bad is not idolizing yourself! Feeling bad is a part of life. Things aren't always good, and things aren't always bad. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes. There is nothing wrong with being cautious about letting yourself become too infatuated with a member of the opposite sex, and there's nothing wrong with feeling hurt when he/she betrays you or does something that hurts you. Your rhetoric is simply a (tenuously) thinly veiled form of fear mongering.
[...] and in the process, he also is tearing yourself apart. HOW HORRIBLE!!!
I would hardly say that she is "tearing herself" apart. What this little shit did to her (the boy, not the devil) was a terrible thing. But she'll get over it, and she'll learn from it, and God and the devil had nothing to do with it (except, perhaps God is saving me from breaking the boy's fucking arms, I wouldn't say that I'm qualified to speak of such divine intervention).
What I recommend you do with someone, is confess these feelings AS SIN to God, and after confessing, have your partner cast these feelings away from you to where Jesus sends them, NEVER to return to you, in Jesus' name.
Perhaps you should enumerate to her how she's sinning before she confesses said sins? To my knowledge your most revered Lord God himself quantified only ten sins of man. If you're unfamiliar with them, I suggest a review for posterity's sake. As far as I know however, feeling bad about some guy is not one of those ten sins.
[I reached the character limit for comments--whoops--this post is continued in the reply]
Re: Cast Out the Spirit of Deceit and RejectionsamfuApril 25 2005, 06:38:49 UTC
This is a powerful and amazing thing that I experienced this weekend and it really helped me grow and be able to move past some road blocks.
Perhaps you should review a concept known as a placebo. More specifically the so called "placebo effect". What you have experienced (I'm assuming that the retreat you went on was similar to ones that I attended as an impressionable youth) is a strongly suggestive and (in my humble opinion) dangerous form of brain washing. Such a coarse term, and you'll certainly shrug it off as me attacking you. Nevertheless that is the case. Think about what you're suggesting. You're suggesting that someone can feel better by trusting something else will take care of their problems. Of course that's the case! But it's nothing mystical, and certainly has nothing to do with God other than the fact that his is the persona that is used as a focus.
Satan has a stronghold in you through those emotions, and to be able to move on and fully trust God, you need to get ride of those thoughts satan is deceiving and tempting you with.
This is so ludicrous I don't know where to begin. Satan does not control your emotions. Show me a location in the new testament (I say not because I think there is a location in the old, but because to quote the old testament is to accept it and there are things in the old testament that no Christian should accept) where Satan controls emotions and I'll go to church again. Stop spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt on people who are already in an emotionally vulnerable place. If your arguments truly hold merit than you should be able to express them without the need for these petty scare tactics.
I suppose that I could respond to your final paragraph as well, but I've already written more than I intended. Furthermore, I don't know the speaker that you're referring to and it would be improper for me to comment without knowing what you're referring to in it's entirety. I will say that a witty fable or anecdote proves nothing, and therefore don't have a place in intelligent discourse though.
Although I don't know you personally, I would like to suggest that you exercise some critical thinking in your life. This is a trait that is sorely lacking in a majority of professed Christians and frankly, the majority of self-professed spiritual people irregardless of specific theological beliefs.
I'm sorry I offended youarizonigirlApril 25 2005, 14:38:13 UTC
Hi Sam,
I am sorry that I offended you in my letter to your sister. However, I do believe that every min of every day we are in a spiritual battle. I believe that Satan uses past hurts to get you to focus on yourself instead of God, which is a sin. I wanted to share the peace I have acheived with your sister, my really good friend. I have been in her shoes - in fact, twice in five months. I know what hurt is, I know what confusion is, I know what questioning if God has a plan for is all about. But I also now know that when I stopped focusing on myself, on my pain and my questions, but instead gave it all over to God, His peace which transcends all human understanding overflowed in me. Sure, I still feel bad sometimes, but when I start to focus on myself, and in a sense "pity" myself, I pray that God would remove those feelings in me. Satan can use anything you feel to get you to forsake God - He's the ultimate deceiver. So by praying for removal of any sort of deceiving spirits, I simply am praying for protection.
You may not believe any of this - you don't need to. It's real whether or not you say it is.
I am glad that you care so much for your sister and I want you to know that I care just as much for her too - I hate to see her hurt, and I know what that can be like. I just want to help her, and so I'm sharing with her what helped me.
Re: I'm sorry I offended yousamfuApril 25 2005, 20:26:28 UTC
I am sorry that I offended you in my letter to your sister.
You didn't offend me per-say, you just made a fool of yourself (in my opinion).
However, I do believe that every min of every day we are in a spiritual battle. I believe that Satan uses past hurts to get you to focus on yourself instead of God, which is a sin.
If that's the case, every moment of your life you aren't kneeling (and probably some moments that you are) is a sin. Be realistic, and stop this pathetic self-loathing. Focusing on yourself is not a sin. Show me which of the ten commandments says it is and I'll return to church. (warning: gross generalization ahead) Christians like to make everything a sin, when its pretty freaking clearly laid out in their most holy of holy books what sins are. In the new testament, it's almost all Jesus followers (dude's with agendas) that are warning of specific sins. Jesus himself is pretty clear that if you believe in him as your lord and savior you'll be on a train to H-town.
I know what hurt is, I know what confusion is, I know what questioning if God has a plan for is all about. But I also now know that when I stopped focusing on myself, on my pain and my questions, but instead gave it all over to God, His peace which transcends all human understanding overflowed in me.
I already mentioned this. If you feel you can lie to yourself and that helps you...fine! I wish that I could live in such ignorance, honestly I do. I've always believed that "Ignorance is bliss" in the immortal words of Joe Pantoliano as Cypher. There's no arguing that believing in a massively powerful being that can take all your cares away is comforting.
Satan can use anything you feel to get you to forsake God - He's the ultimate deceiver. So by praying for removal of any sort of deceiving spirits, I simply am praying for protection.
Why doesn't God protect you to bigin with?
You may not believe any of this - you don't need to. It's real whether or not you say it is.
There's no evidence whatsoever that its real. You're simply believing what others have told you, without thinking about it for yourself. You're not even rationalizing it. You're just repeating the mantra of this mystical battle that's occuring.
This needs to stoparizonigirlApril 25 2005, 20:41:40 UTC
Sam - It seems that you have a serious grudge against the church, but even so, that does not give you the authority to attack what I believe. I never initiated this with you, but was talking to your sister. So let's discontinue this conversation. Thank you.
Re: This needs to stopsamfuApril 25 2005, 21:19:42 UTC
My grudge is against people who don't think for themselves and try and spread their ignorance on others, not against the church. You don't know about my history with "the church" (whatever that means), and you don't even know what my religious beliefs are.
Start thinking critically and stop making a bad name for Christians.
I read your latest entry and feel what I learned this weekend at my retreat applies soooo directly to what you are feeling (and what I felt before I was able to confess it and cast it out.) It sounds that Satan is attacking you through the spirits of deception and rejection. He deceives you by making you feel that you cannot trust anyone because they will hurt you. He attacks you through rejection by making you feel low self esteem and feel worthless and feel that maybe no one will ever come for you. BUT do you know what all this does??? By making you think these things, Satan is taking away your attention FROM GOD to YOURSELF. He's making you idolize yourself, and in the process, he also is tearing yourself apart. HOW HORRIBLE!!! And to top it off, he makes you QUESTION what God, your LOVING and ALL-KNOWING Father (Jer 29:11) has in store for you!
What I recommend you do with someone, is confess these feelings AS SIN to God, and after confessing, have your partner cast these feelings away from you to where Jesus sends them, NEVER to return to you, in Jesus' name. This is a powerful and amazing thing that I experienced this weekend and it really helped me grow and be able to move past some road blocks. Satan has a stronghold in you through those emotions, and to be able to move on and fully trust God, you need to get ride of those thoughts satan is deceiving and tempting you with.
I love you soooo much Jackie! And if I were there, I'd wrap my arms around you and hold you! But look at the bright side - I'll be there next semester! Woot!
And remember, you may not always have a clear road. Think of the story of Dr. Livingstone and apply it to our walk as Christians. "If you come expecting a clear road, don't bother. I need people who are willing to come, even if there is no road." Or remember the story of the child in a burning building. He climbs to the top thinking the roof is safe. The father on the ground can see him and tells him to jump into his arms. However, the child cannot see past the smoke and flames and yells back he's scared because he can't see the father. The father replies, it's ok, because I can see you.
I LOVE YOU JACKIE!!! But God loves you even more!
Reply
That makes complete sense. Why consider the psychological concept of negative reinforcement when the problem is quite clearly Satan? It must be nice to be so fully ignorant and unambitious about the pursuit knowledge that you can simply blame any problems that you have on some mystical creature that manifests himself anytime something bad happens to you. I wish I could lie to myself so well. Just as a final statement: does one really have to conclude that deception and rejection are spirits, not simply the behavior of a person?
BUT do you know what all this does??? By making you think these things, Satan is taking away your attention FROM GOD to YOURSELF. He's making you idolize yourself, [...]
How is Satan (or for that matter, Jaclyn's feelings about this boy) taking her away from God in any way? Your unstated assumption is that any involvement of emotions in one's life drives one further away from God. I would argue that this is not the case. Further, you make the presupposition that any attention taken away from God in your life is bad. If this is truly what you believe, I can only assume that you're a monk and that this post on the internet is the only distraction that you've taken away from the Lord (Ahhhmehhhn) in your humble and pious life. Involvement of God in your life is fine, but you should find ways to integrate him into your way of life, not fit your way of life around him. Furthermore, feeling bad is not idolizing yourself! Feeling bad is a part of life. Things aren't always good, and things aren't always bad. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes. There is nothing wrong with being cautious about letting yourself become too infatuated with a member of the opposite sex, and there's nothing wrong with feeling hurt when he/she betrays you or does something that hurts you. Your rhetoric is simply a (tenuously) thinly veiled form of fear mongering.
[...] and in the process, he also is tearing yourself apart. HOW HORRIBLE!!!
I would hardly say that she is "tearing herself" apart. What this little shit did to her (the boy, not the devil) was a terrible thing. But she'll get over it, and she'll learn from it, and God and the devil had nothing to do with it (except, perhaps God is saving me from breaking the boy's fucking arms, I wouldn't say that I'm qualified to speak of such divine intervention).
What I recommend you do with someone, is confess these feelings AS SIN to God, and after confessing, have your partner cast these feelings away from you to where Jesus sends them, NEVER to return to you, in Jesus' name.
Perhaps you should enumerate to her how she's sinning before she confesses said sins? To my knowledge your most revered Lord God himself quantified only ten sins of man. If you're unfamiliar with them, I suggest a review for posterity's sake. As far as I know however, feeling bad about some guy is not one of those ten sins.
[I reached the character limit for comments--whoops--this post is continued in the reply]
Reply
Perhaps you should review a concept known as a placebo. More specifically the so called "placebo effect". What you have experienced (I'm assuming that the retreat you went on was similar to ones that I attended as an impressionable youth) is a strongly suggestive and (in my humble opinion) dangerous form of brain washing. Such a coarse term, and you'll certainly shrug it off as me attacking you. Nevertheless that is the case. Think about what you're suggesting. You're suggesting that someone can feel better by trusting something else will take care of their problems. Of course that's the case! But it's nothing mystical, and certainly has nothing to do with God other than the fact that his is the persona that is used as a focus.
Satan has a stronghold in you through those emotions, and to be able to move on and fully trust God, you need to get ride of those thoughts satan is deceiving and tempting you with.
This is so ludicrous I don't know where to begin. Satan does not control your emotions. Show me a location in the new testament (I say not because I think there is a location in the old, but because to quote the old testament is to accept it and there are things in the old testament that no Christian should accept) where Satan controls emotions and I'll go to church again. Stop spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt on people who are already in an emotionally vulnerable place. If your arguments truly hold merit than you should be able to express them without the need for these petty scare tactics.
I suppose that I could respond to your final paragraph as well, but I've already written more than I intended. Furthermore, I don't know the speaker that you're referring to and it would be improper for me to comment without knowing what you're referring to in it's entirety. I will say that a witty fable or anecdote proves nothing, and therefore don't have a place in intelligent discourse though.
Although I don't know you personally, I would like to suggest that you exercise some critical thinking in your life. This is a trait that is sorely lacking in a majority of professed Christians and frankly, the majority of self-professed spiritual people irregardless of specific theological beliefs.
Reply
I am sorry that I offended you in my letter to your sister. However, I do believe that every min of every day we are in a spiritual battle. I believe that Satan uses past hurts to get you to focus on yourself instead of God, which is a sin. I wanted to share the peace I have acheived with your sister, my really good friend. I have been in her shoes - in fact, twice in five months. I know what hurt is, I know what confusion is, I know what questioning if God has a plan for is all about. But I also now know that when I stopped focusing on myself, on my pain and my questions, but instead gave it all over to God, His peace which transcends all human understanding overflowed in me. Sure, I still feel bad sometimes, but when I start to focus on myself, and in a sense "pity" myself, I pray that God would remove those feelings in me. Satan can use anything you feel to get you to forsake God - He's the ultimate deceiver. So by praying for removal of any sort of deceiving spirits, I simply am praying for protection.
You may not believe any of this - you don't need to. It's real whether or not you say it is.
I am glad that you care so much for your sister and I want you to know that I care just as much for her too - I hate to see her hurt, and I know what that can be like. I just want to help her, and so I'm sharing with her what helped me.
Reply
You didn't offend me per-say, you just made a fool of yourself (in my opinion).
However, I do believe that every min of every day we are in a spiritual battle. I believe that Satan uses past hurts to get you to focus on yourself instead of God, which is a sin.
If that's the case, every moment of your life you aren't kneeling (and probably some moments that you are) is a sin. Be realistic, and stop this pathetic self-loathing. Focusing on yourself is not a sin. Show me which of the ten commandments says it is and I'll return to church. (warning: gross generalization ahead) Christians like to make everything a sin, when its pretty freaking clearly laid out in their most holy of holy books what sins are. In the new testament, it's almost all Jesus followers (dude's with agendas) that are warning of specific sins. Jesus himself is pretty clear that if you believe in him as your lord and savior you'll be on a train to H-town.
I know what hurt is, I know what confusion is, I know what questioning if God has a plan for is all about. But I also now know that when I stopped focusing on myself, on my pain and my questions, but instead gave it all over to God, His peace which transcends all human understanding overflowed in me.
I already mentioned this. If you feel you can lie to yourself and that helps you...fine! I wish that I could live in such ignorance, honestly I do. I've always believed that "Ignorance is bliss" in the immortal words of Joe Pantoliano as Cypher. There's no arguing that believing in a massively powerful being that can take all your cares away is comforting.
Satan can use anything you feel to get you to forsake God - He's the ultimate deceiver. So by praying for removal of any sort of deceiving spirits, I simply am praying for protection.
Why doesn't God protect you to bigin with?
You may not believe any of this - you don't need to. It's real whether or not you say it is.
There's no evidence whatsoever that its real. You're simply believing what others have told you, without thinking about it for yourself. You're not even rationalizing it. You're just repeating the mantra of this mystical battle that's occuring.
Reply
Reply
Start thinking critically and stop making a bad name for Christians.
Reply
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