Apologetics Lane: paranormal

Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Friday, August 26, 2022

Ghosts, Ouija, Hauntings, Demons etc W/ MIKE LICONA

Ghosts, Ouija, Hauntings, Demons etc W/ MIKE LICONA
https://youtu.be/V8NTw3nF6pg

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Sleep Paralysis, Old Hag Syndrome and Alien Abductions

Here are links to the Non-Christian Wikipedia articles on:

Sleep Paralysis

Hypnagogia

Hypnopompic

Alien Abduction

Out-of-body experience

Near-death experience

Christian Perspectives

I'm personally convinced that what people call sleep paralysis, hypnagogic states and hypnopompic trances are sometimes merely physical and other times have their ultimate source in demonic attacks. The same thing with the experience of alien abductions. When it comes to out of body experiences, I believe that sometimes they are hallucinations and other times real experiences of the soul "leaving the body" (either induced by demons, by some other non-malevolent cause or by death).

It is commonly believed by non-Christians that whatever the cause (or causes) of Old Hag Syndrome and the similar experience of "alien abductions" are, that those experiences are very difficult if not nearly impossible to be stopped. However, there are hundreds of cases where both types of experiences have been stopped by calling on the name of Jesus. This suggests that in many instances something spiritual is the source rather than something physical.

The following are some resources from a Christian perspective.

AlienResistance.org is a Christian website that provides evidence and arguments for why the alien abduction phenomenon is usually demonic. The website has articles, videos and testimonies.

AlienResistance.org Videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlienResistanceHQ
and
http://www.alienresistance.org/ancient-of-days-dvds/online-youtube-video-library/

Here are links to my blogs on:

UFOs and Christianity

http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/08/ufos-and-christianity.html

Near Death Experiences and Christianity
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/01/near-death-experiences-and-christianity.html

Some resources on Old Hag Syndrome and Sleep Paralysis

https://youtu.be/3LLzUKSVwCY

Sleep Paralysis: A Modern Connection to an Ancient Evil

by Michael Tatar, Jr.

Michael Tatar's website Stop Sleep Paralysis

https://youtu.be/q6UtDJj4ZF0

How To Stop Sleep Paralysis - Old Hag Syndrome

(excerpts from the book Sleep Paralysis: What It Is and How To Stop It by Chris White)

Steve Hays blogs related to Old Hag Syndrome and the occult:

Bell, book, & candle
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/02/bell-book-candle.html

Interpreting Old-Hag syndrome
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2013/08/interpreting-old-hag-syndrome.html

Miracles: now and then
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/04/miracles-now-and-then.html

More related blogs by Steve Hays

(sometimes the relevant material is in the comments section)

Friday, January 10, 2014

Evidence and Arguments Against Materialism and Naturalism

The following links are to resources that call into question the truth of materialism and naturalism (and therefore of atheism as well). They don't necessarily attempt to prove the existence of God, or even the Christian God. Some of the resources imply that standard versions of materialism and naturalism are false by providing evidence that paranormal and/or supernatural events actually occur. Some of the resources would suggest that Christian supernaturalism in particular is true (or more likely true) even if they don't "prove" it. Admittedly there are versions of materialism and naturalism that could allow for the paranormal while at the same time denying the supernatural. Just as there are versions of supernatural worldviews which allow for both paranormal and supernatural events even though they don't affirm a transcendent monotheistic God (as in Christianity, Judaism, Islam etc.). Such non-Christian worldviews can often account for the supernatural and paranormal occurring among Christians. But it is also true that Christianity allows for supernatural (maybe even paranormal) events to occur among non-Christians either by demonic activity or God's gracious activity among non-Christians. Either directly, or indirectly through the agency of His angels. Since there's nothing in Christianity that denies the possibility that God answers the prayers or helps non-Christians.

For example John Calvin wrote:

There is one psalm which clearly teaches that prayers are not without effect, though they do not penetrate to heaven by faith (Ps. 107:6, 13, 19). For it enumerates the prayers which, by natural instinct, necessity extorts from unbelievers not less than from believers, and to which it shows by the event, that God is, notwithstanding, propitious. Is it to testify by such readiness to hear that their prayers [i.e. non-Christians'] are agreeable to him? Nay; it is, first, to magnify or display his mercy by the circumstance, that even the wishes of unbelievers are not denied; and, secondly, to stimulate his true worshippers to more urgent prayer, when they see that sometimes even the wailings of the ungodly are not without avail. [Calvin's Institutes third book, chapter 20 section 15]

Finally, Christians are divided on the issue of whether all apparently supernatural or paranormal occurrences are always either from God's side or the side of demons. Some Christians allow for the bare possibility of neutral paranormal activity that's neither from God's or demons. For example, some Christians are open to the possibility that some psychic abilities may be naturally possessed by some individuals apart from added demonic or divine enablement.

Non-Christian Resources

Skeptiko podcasts explore controversial science with leading researchers, thinkers and their critics. Calling into question standard versions of materialism and naturalism, Skeptiko discusses the scientific evidence for the paranormal and/or the supernatural from a Non-Christian perspective. I include the Skeptiko link because it attempts to give some scientific rigor to many paranormal and/or supernatural claims. As a Christian, I would obviously disagree with some of their non-Christian conclusions and practices discussed in Skeptiko podcast and the other Non-Christian books I recommend below.

http://www.skeptiko.com
[Peeranormal podcast is a Christian podcast similar to Skeptiko. See the link below in the Christian resources section]

Recommended Non-Christian books:

The Night Side of Nature by Catherine Crowe [a forgotten classic book of paranormal stories. Available here, or here, here, here, here, here, here] The author is "spiritual" and even quotes the Bible but is nevertheless NOT a Christian. Also, being written in the 19th century, the author mentions antiquated scientific theories of the day.

Entangled Minds by Dean Radin
The Conscious Universe by Dean Radin
Supernormal by Dean Radin
Science and Psychic Phenomena by Chris Carter and Rupert Sheldrake
Parapsychology and the Skeptics by Chris Carter
Extraordinary Knowing by Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer
Irreducible Mind by Edward Kelly and Emily Williams Kelly
Psi Wars by James Alcock, Jean Burns and Anthony Freeman
Outside the Gates of Science by Damien Broderick
Varieties of Anomalous Experience edited by Etzel Cardena, Steven Jay Lynn and and Stanley Krippner

I recommend doing a search for Dean Radin's videos on YouTube. For example:

"Science and the taboo of psi" with Dean Radin
http://youtu.be/qw_O9Qiwqew

Men Who Stare at Photons, Part 1
http://youtu.be/FMXqyf13HeM

Men Who Stare at Photons, Part 2
http://youtu.be/wJwsSbiVE2g

Dean Radin
http://www.skeptiko.com/2-the-perils-of-psi-research/

Often skeptics of the supernatural and paranormal argue that such things don't happen because if they did then they would pass James Randi's challenge and win the million dollars. But but both Christian and non-Christians have argued that Randi's challenge is bogus. Here's a non-Christian link that provides evidence that Randi's challenge isn't real.

Apparently, "The Amazing Randi" Is NOT So Amazing :
http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/Page30.htm

The Myth of James Randi’s Million Dollar Challenge
https://www.dailygrail.com/2008/02/the-myth-of-the-million-dollar-challenge/

Christian Resources

Peeranormal is a Christian podcast that discusses the peer reviewed cases of apparently paranormal activity. Here's Peeranormal's podcast link:
http://www.peeranormal.com/
[Skeptiko is a NON-Christian podcast that deals with controversial science and the paranormal. See the link above in the NON-Christian resources section]

Scientific Evidence Against Materialism
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/09/scientific-evidence-against-materialism.html

36 Essays Arguing Against Naturalism
http://www.lastseminary.com/against-naturalism

Apologetics 315 posts with the label "Naturalism" and "Materialism"

Links on the Subject of Miracles in the Context of Craig Keener's Recent Book
http://gospelcrumbs.blogspot.com/2012/11/links-on-subject-of-miracles-in-context.html

Testimonies of the Supernatural Among Respected Christian Leaders (some of whom are cessationists)
http://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2013/12/testimonies-of-respected-christian.html

Near Death Experiences and Christianity
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/01/near-death-experiences-and-christianity.html

(see also Apparitions and deadbed visions by Steve Hays where he links to non-Christian links that provide some evidence for apparent apparitions and deathbed visions)

Book Reviews of Recent Atheist Authors by Christian Apologists
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/09/book-reviews-of-recent-atheist-authors.html

Evidence and Testimonies of Demonic and Angelic Encounters
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/04/evidence-and-testimonies-of-demonic-and.html

Alleged Visions, Dreams and Visitations of Jesus to Muslims
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/04/alleged-visions-dreams-and-visitations.html

UFOs and Christianity
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/08/ufos-and-christianity.html

Sleep Paralysis, Old Hag Syndrome and Alien Abductions
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/03/sleep-paralysis-old-hag-syndrome.html

Scientific Evidence for Supernatural Events (audio lecture) by Gary Habermas
http://www.garyhabermas.com/audio/Habermas_Apologia%2019-10-2013%20ScientificEvidenceOfSupernatural%201%20E1b.mp3

Quantum Physics Debunks Materialism (speculative thought provoking video)
http://youtu.be/4C5pq7W5yRM

Intelligent Design would also suggest that standard versions of materialism and naturalism are false. Intelligent Design arguments have been made from both the biological and cosmological evidence. If intelligent design is true, then that would mean that a personal agent or agents (or maybe Agent, i.e. God) had a hand in the existence of life in the universe. Even if intelligent design is true, that does not automatically disprove all forms of materialism, naturalism and atheism.
[links soon to be added]

Related links:

Ten Presuppositions of Science
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/07/ten-presuppositions-of-science.html

Scientists Discover that Atheists Might Not Exist
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/10/scientists-discover-that-atheists-might.html

Book Reviews of Recent Atheist Authors by Christian Apologists

Detecting and Finding God

"Unveiling" The Hiddenness of God

Saturday, August 31, 2013

UFOs and Christianity

Last updated/edited 9/30/13

There are various phenomena commonly related to the concept of extra-terrestrials (hereafter "ETs"). The three most common are 1. the UFO phenomenon; 2. the alien abduction phenomenon; and 3. the crop circles phenomenon. Each of these subjects should be considered and discussed separately before they are discussed collectively. That's because it's logically possible for one or two of these phenomena to be genuine while the other or others are not. Also, because there's no necessary link between any of the 3 phenomena. Each could have completely unrelated causes.

Here's a link to Wikipedia's article:
Paranormal and occult hypotheses about UFOs

Christians disagree on how exactly to explain these three types of phenomena. The following will be recommendations and links to some resources from Evangelical Christians who agree that some of the specific cases of the three types of phenomena are probably demonic in origin.

It's clear that the majority of UFO sightings can be explained by natural and ordinary means or are clear hoaxes. It is the small minority, called Residual UFOs, which cry out for some explanation. These are the UFO sightings made by credible witnesses which cannot be explained by normal atmospheric events or activities. Similarly, it's likely that many claims of alien abduction are merely psychological. But some cases may suggest something real is happening to these people. Though, what that real thing is is what must be sought after and discovered. Finally, the phenomena of crop circles most plausibly seem to be the result of the activity of intelligent agents who have designed the circles. There's no question that some of the circles were and are man made. However, there are some cases that are implausibly made by human activity.

My conclusion, based on my limited research and on my Christian worldview, is that many of those cases that seem to be genuine from all three types of phenomena are probably of demonic origin. Whether they be UFOs, alien abductions, or crop circles. Having said that, I'm also convinced that there's nothing in Christianity that would preclude the possibility of the existence of alien civilizations, or of their visiting Earth. Given Christian theology, God would most likely have to have originally created all of His sentient creatures good (including ETs) from the start. If any sentient civilization has any evil in it, then it would be a result of either Adam's Fall, or the Fall of that other sentient species. If I'm right about the Bible not precluding the possibility of alien civilizations, then it's logically possible that both Christianity is true and that ETs are visiting earth, abducting humans, and creating crop circles. I said God most likely had to have originally created all His sentient creatures good because I'm assuming the necessity of special creation for all sentient species on the level of human beings (or higher). However, I'm not persuaded that God may not have used evolution to produce human beings. In which case, God may not have originally created human beings "good" in the sense commonly understood by Christians. If that's true, then it's not a far stretch to think that extra-terrestrial species may also have gradually evolved by God's evolutionary guidance. But admittedly, this is all speculative. Besides, I lean toward the special creation of humans even if not of other terrestrial/earthly animals. If that's true, then other sentient species in the universe were also probably specially created as well. I say "probably" only because I assuming that if God would create one sentient species by special creation, He would create all sentient species by special creation. However, that doesn't strictly follow logically.

Alien abduction testimonies are usually described as very unpleasant experiences. Some are described as very "cold" and clinical, while others seem to be done with malevolent intent. Also some seem to be performed by different species of ETs. From a Christian perspective, some or all of these species (if they exist) are probably Fallen. From my limited research, I've concluded that most, if not all of these are cases of demonic harassment and attack. See the links below.

When it comes to UFOs (unidentified flying objects), the phenomenon is unquestionably real. Steven Greer's movies and VIDEOS clearly document (mostly) credible witnesses of UFO sightings. Most of the testimonies are from military backgrounds. The important question now is "What are UFOs?" and "What causes UFOs?" They often seem to be controlled by rational agents. Their behavior is often best explained by a mind at work. That's because they often seem to respond to human observation and activity. They may often seem to be capricious, or playful or tantalizing. They often try to attract attention to themselves, but then when pursued, they will fly away or vanish. On the one hand it appears they want to be noticed, but on the other hand they don't want to reveal too much information about themselves or get into real contact or communication. Such behavior is consistent with demonic behavior (cf. occultic phenomena). As Steve Hays said in one of his BLOGS, "...After all, diabolical evil might well be ambiguous. Favor a degree of concealment. Now you see me–now you don’t!" By the way, Steven Greer's worldview could be summarized as New Age. I recommend his documentaries for their collection of (mostly) credible (or seemingly so) testimonies. But I disagree with his agenda and his interpretation of the UFO phenomena. Here's a link to their 2001 National Press Club Event video.

When it comes to seemingly genuine crop circles, they too seem to exhibit characteristics that are best explained by rational agents. Yet, similar to UFO sightings, they usually don't offer any kind of propositional information. Though, there are alleged exceptions. The agents don't seem to really want to communicate, or for their real cause to be determined. Also, there does seem to be some association between UFOs and some crop circles since it's not uncommon for people to claim to have seen a UFO above the area of a crop circle the night before the crop circle appeared.

All three descriptions of these phenomena are consistent with demonic deception.

Before I list some recommended Christian resources regarding the various phenomena I want to say a few things.

1. There is no consensus among Christians as to whether aliens actually exist or not. Some believe there are no aliens. Some that there are. Some that they are the Nephilim or the descendants of the Nephilim (possibly human Nephilim hybrids). Some believe these entities are performing genetic experiments. For myself, I'm content to believe that there are no extra-terrestrials who are visiting Earth from distant places in this universe or from some other universe in the World Ensemble (i.e. the multiverse). Even though their existence poses no real problem for Christianity (as I said above). Since, Christianity already believes that non-human rational and sentient beings do exist besides humans and God. Namely, angels and demons. Therefore, there's nothing that makes it impossible for aliens/extra-terrestrials to exist.

AlienResistance.org has webpages for what it DOES Believe, and what it DOES NOT Believe.
In general, I agree with both webpages. See especially what it Does Not Believe. I recommend reading what they Do Not Believe because there are some organizations that do believe some of the strange beliefs rejected there. I will reproduce some of the denials at the bottom of this blog.

2. I disagree with Christians who say that it's theoretically impossible for aliens to travel to earth. Since those who claim its impossibility don't take into serious consideration the possibility of advanced technology which could bypass and exceed what we perceive to be possible in our current scientific knowledge of physics, space, time, and intra or inter universal travel. I also disagree that these entities are necessarily non-physical because they are often described as defying the "laws of physics." What they mean is the laws of physics as we currently understand them. They may be physical but hyper-dimensional. Though, it must also be said that their non-physicality and even possible spirituality (or supernatural nature) shouldn't be ruled out either.

3. It's logically possible that some UFOs, alien abductions, and crop circles are really of aliens AND that some are demonic deceptions. Often times people have an all or nothing mentality when it comes to the causes of similar phenomena. When in fact, (1.) multiple causes can produce similar looking effects. Just as (2.) a single cause can produce multiple effects. Also, (3.) multiple causes can combine to produce a singular effect. It goes without saying that (4.) multiple causes can produce multiple effects. For an example of (1.), acute bronchitis, asthma, and lung cancer are all different from each other even though they can produce similar symptoms.

4. While I list some useful resources below, I don't necessarily agree with everything every resource says or teaches. That's true of any website, book, video, audio or Christian ministry. Discernment is necessary when being exposed to anything.

5. In Christian discussions about UFOs and ETs the subject of the "sons of God" and the Nephilim in Genesis 6:1-4 inevitably comes up. There are various issues involved in the interpretation of the passage. Are the Nephilim the sons of the "sons of God" or are they merely contemporaries? Assuming they are their descendants, who were "the sons of God"? There have been four main interpretations among Christians concerning the "sons of God." Here they are:

1. The "sons of God" refer to the godly line of Seth who intermingled with the godless line of Cain.

2. The “sons of God” merely refers to great men of old, men of renown.

3. The "sons of God" refer to angels (presumably fallen angels, i.e. demons) who cohabited with human women.

4. The "sons of God" were men who were demonically possessed by fallen angels and somehow when they cohabited with human women their offspring were genetically different (thus explaining their gigantic size).

Some people (some of whom [rightly or wrongly] consider themselves "Christians") associate aliens and alien abductions as a continuation of one or both of the last two possible interpretations. Those who do make such associations sometimes claim that alien and/or demonic hybrids are being created, exist and live among human beings unrecognized. I don't rule it out completely, but such views seem to create theological problems that a Christian would want to avoid. For example, are such hybrids eligible for salvation? Most Christians who do associate UFOs and/or alien abductions with Gen. 6 also appeal to Jesus' statement that "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." (Matt. 24:37; Luke 17:26). They usually combine their futurist eschatological view that the return of Christ is near with the current UFO and/or alien abduction phenomena and come to the conclusion that Jesus was predicting the return of the "sons of God" and of the birth of modern day Nephilim. However, when you look at the context of Jesus' statement, He says that in those days they were marrying and being given in marriage (the very next verse in each passage). If there is a connection with Genesis 6, it would seem that Jesus is here making an inspired commentary on Genesis 6 saying that the marriages between the "sons of God" and "the daughters of men" were between human beings. Not between humans and non-human entities. If the "sons of God" were evil demons or those demonically possessed, then in all likelihood they wouldn't go to the trouble of (or bother with) getting married. As Steve says HERE, if the Gen. 6 account is a parallel to Pagan mythologies where the gods impregnate human women, then they would have most likely just raped them and then quickly dumped them. They wouldn't marry them. Just as in modern and past cases of people encountering incubi and succubi. Having said all that, I don't rule out #3 since the view that the "sons of God" were supernatural entities has a long history in both Jewish and Christian tradition.

[see Old Testament scholar Michael Heiser's website The Divine Council and his many videos on YouTube on the subject and other subjects [e.g. HERE, and HERE]]

Here are some recommendations and links to some of the resources that have led me to my own conclusions regarding UFOs and Extra-Terrestrials:

Videos

The Residual UFO Hypothesis with Hugh Ross part 1 of 12
http://youtu.be/D8vGzOProVY

Return of the Nephilim by Chuck Missler
http://youtu.be/-0Itl5ChyCs (or Here)

The Question of Other Worlds in Science, Theology and Mythology by Hugh Ross
http://youtu.be/FTXHf2gDSiw

Probability for Life's Existence Elsewhere in the Universe by Hugh Ross
http://youtu.be/FTXHf2gDSiw

UFOs: A Christian Perspective
Part One http://youtu.be/E79XtYLajY0Part Two http://youtu.be/oPXjsDy39WE

Ancient Aliens Debunked - (full movie) HD
http://youtu.be/j9w-i5oZqaQ

AlienResistance.org Videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlienResistanceHQ
and
http://www.alienresistance.org/ancient-of-days-dvds/online-youtube-video-library/

UFO's and the Bible-by Phil Fernandes
http://youtu.be/eOk8djDlwFQ

Online Texts/Websites

Many people who have claimed to have had reoccurring alien abductions have been able to virtually or completely stop them by appealing to the authority of the name of Jesus. Whereas prior to invoking the name of Jesus they were completely "at the mercy" (or in this case "at the menace") of the abduction phenomena. See This Link HERE for testimonies of people set free from alien abductions. That link is to a page on the AlienResistance.org website. Those who occasionally still have the experience are now able to immediately end them by resisting them in the name of Jesus. This would strongly suggest that the "aliens" were actually demons in disguise (at least in these cases). There's also the logical possibility that some claimed encounters with "aliens" are demonic and some are genuinely of ETs (i.e. extra-terrestrials).

UFO Religions website by Michael S. Heiser

Sitchin Is Wrong website by Michael S. Heiser

Evidence and Testimonies of Demonic and Angelic Encounters
misclane.blogspot.com/2013/04/evidence-and-testimonies-of-demonic-and.html

Recommended books

Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men: A Rational Christian Look at UFOs and Extraterrestrials
by Hugh Ross, Kenneth R. Samples and Mark Clark

BOOK REVIEW: Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men: A Rational Christian Look at UFOs and Extraterrestrials, by Hugh Ross, Kenneth Samples, and Mark Clark (NavPress, 192 pp. plus notes) by Michael S. Heiser

Encounters with UFO'S by John Weldon

UFO's: What on earth is happening? by John Weldon and Zola Levitt
(This may be the previous title of Encounters with UFO'S by John Weldon)

The Facade by Michael S. Heiser

Alien Obsession: What Lies Behind Abductions, Sightings and the Attraction to the Paranormal
by Ron Rhodes

Come Sail Away : UFO Phenomenon & The Bible by Guy Malone

The following is a reproduction of some of the denials at AlienResistance.org HERE

I too Do NOT (currently) Believe:

- That fallen angel/ human hybridization is taking place today or will take place, aka “a return of the nephilim”.

- That fallen angels, in their physical bodies, look like “greys,” “reptilians,” “insectoids,” or other “species” of “aliens”.

- That fallen angels or nephilim are living among us, looking like regular humans.

- That nephilim live inside secret underground military bases, or caverns.

- That an army of nephilim are secretly being amassed somewhere, to someday be sprung on the unwitting population.

- That political leaders or celebrities are in fact fallen angels or nephilim.

- That the second heaven or third heaven is a “parallel universe” or “parallel dimension” that exists all around us on earth.

- That fallen angels or nephilim live in the “parallel dimension of the second heaven”, or third heaven, or fly around in UFOs..

- That fallen angels or nephilim live on other planets, or are from other planets.

- That some reported alien species are Holy angels, who travel in UFOs.

- That there is access to a hollow earth via Antarctica, or any other secret location or military base.

- That humans, nephilim, fallen angels, UFOs, Nazis, or descendents of pre-flood people, live in or travel to and from a hollow earth.

- That any humans (save those on the Ark) or nephilim survived the flood of Noah’s time, whether by taking refuge in a hollow earth, the second heaven, outer space, or anywhere else.

- That the tower of Babel was an inter-dimensional portal, or had any technological purpose.

- That human giants who lived after the flood, including human beings with gigantism today, are nephilim.

- That Ezekiel’s wheel was a UFO.

- That a UFO parted the Red Sea, led the Israelites through the desert, or destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.

- That UFOs were responsible for the ascensions of Enoch, Elijah or Jesus to heaven.

- That “chariots” or “clouds of heaven” in the Bible were UFOs or technology used by angels or fallen angels.

- That angels or fallen angels travel around in flying saucers, in the present time or in biblical times.

- That angels or fallen angels, with or without UFOs or technology, are able to travel through time.

- That time travel is possible, or can be found in the Bible, whether done by fallen angels, angels, or humans, even prophets.

- That fallen angels are able to teleport people, open wormholes, or have technology to do such, or ever will.

- That fallen angels need to use and rely on technology, in any way, whatsoever.

- That the books of Enoch, Jasher, Jubilees, or any book not in the Bible, are inspired by God, or can be used like the Bible, as part of “Bible-based” Christian research, teachings, or speculation.

- That the book of Enoch is older than the Bible, or was carried on the Ark of Noah.

- That the antichrist will be Hitler, Nero, or any other dead human from history, resurrected back to life, or cloned.

- That “alien implants” are technology that change you to have “nephilim DNA”.

- That those under the bondage of demonic oppression or possession, even of extreme degrees, are a different species with “nephilim DNA”, sometimes called “Homo Satanas”.

- That those with “nephilim DNA” or of a “nephilim bloodline” have in-born occultic superpowers, like remote viewing or psychic abilities.

- That your family, church family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, even Christians, could potentially be demon-possessed “sleeper agents”, or “Satanic supersoldiers”, possibly with “nephilim DNA”, who might at any time experience a dark supernatural wave or “black awakening” and start trying to kill you, and everyone around them.

- Than Satan procreated with Eve fathering Cain, i.e. the Serpent’s Seed Heresy, or any variant thereof.

- That there are people in existence who look human, but are not eligible for salvation in Jesus Christ, for any reason whatsoever (including but not limited to being of an “alien, fallen angel, nephilim” etc. bloodline – or having any degree of DNA from such).

- That there is any sort of demonic oppression/possession or fallen angelic attack, or bondage that Jesus Christ cannot set a person free from.

Related Links:

Evidence and Arguments Against Materialism and Naturalism
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/01/evidence-and-arguments-against.html

Sleep Paralysis, Old Hag Syndrome and Alien Abductions
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/03/sleep-paralysis-old-hag-syndrome.html

Near Death Experiences and Christianity
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/01/near-death-experiences-and-christianity.html

Alleged Visions, Dreams and Visitations of Jesus to Muslims
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/04/alleged-visions-dreams-and-visitations.html

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Evidence and Testimonies of Demonic and Angelic Encounters

(completely rewritten as of 6/24/14)

This blog will continually be updated so as to include more information and links.

There are testimonies from both Christian and non-Christian sources for malevolent and benevolent immaterial personal entities. Almost all cultures past and present have them. As a Christian I believe such beings are spirits called demons and angels. This blog post contains links to (mostly) Christian testimonies to alleged angelic and demonic encounters. Even if only some of the testimonies included here are honest recollections of what people sincerely claim to have experienced, then that would suggest that angels and demons do exist.

Admittedly, from the point of view of non-Christians, there are other theories and hypotheses that could potentially explain such experiences so as not to shake one out of their atheism or other non-Christian supernaturalistic position. To my atheists friends and readers, I would encourage you to sincerely consider these testimonies. If such immaterial personal entities exist that are respectively benevolent and malevolent, then it is a small step to consider the possibility of a supremely good immaterial personal being, over and above all these other finite immaterial personal beings whom the malevolent entities oppose and from whom the benevolent entities carry out assignments to benefit and assist mankind. I would propose that that highest entity is the same one thought of commonly as the supreme deity, namely God.

To my non-Christian supernaturalistic friends and readers I would suggest that you consider the greater explanatory power and scope that the Christian position and worldview has over most other supernaturalistic positions. As a Christian I believe Christianity is superior to all other alternative positions and worldviews, but from an inductive point of view, I admit I have not examined all other possible alternatives past, present and future. For some arguments for the superiority of the Christian worldview, see one of my blogs that has many links to resources that argue for the truth of Christianity from many angles HERE.

According to the book "A Rustle of Angels" (by Marilynn Carlson Webber and William D. Webber) in 1943 the Encyclopaedia Britannica decided to publish The Great Books of the Western World. The now famous Mortimer J. Adler was selected by the editorial board to edit the work. It was decided that Adler should write essays about the great ideas that ran through the great books. Slightly over 100 ideas were identified. Despite initial resistance, Adler was able to convince his associates that the topic of angels should be included. As the Webber book notes, "...Mortimer Adler was adamant. He pointed out that the subject of angels ran through the great books because their authors obviously considered angels of major importance."

The same could be said about the ubiquity of the concept of malevolent spirits (or "demons") in almost all cultures past and present. The nearly universal idea of angels and demons might suggest to an open minded person their possible reality. From a logical point of view, I want to admit that the mere existence of angels, demons, and God per se doesn't necessarily mean that it is the Christian God, or even the Evangelical conception of God that exists. The point of this particular blog post is to suggest the reality of the supernatural by citing sources of testimonies of alleged angelic and demonic encounters.

The following links will include resources that give testimonies that provide evidence (not "proof") for their existence.

DISCLAIMER:

Obviously, not all claims to supernatural experiences and encounters are credible or true. In fact, we all intuitively know that some are intentionally fraudulent. However, the abundance of claimed angelic and demonic encounters crys out for some explanation.

NOTE: Just because I post a link to testimonies of angelic encounters doesn't mean I necessarily endorse the encounters as genuinely coming from a truly benevolent angel sent by God since the Bible clearly teaches that some demons pretend to be God's good and holy angels (2 Cor. 11:14). However, if the encounter was genuinely supernatural, and the testimony is credible then regardless of whether it was a real angel or a demon in disguise it would be evidence for the supernatural. Also, even if the supernatural encounter is that of a genuine demon or angel, I don't necessarily agree with the interpretations of the experiences given in the following resources or of their theology and recommended praxis. The resources are from diverse theology backgrounds.

It should also be noted that nothing in Christianity (even Calvinistic versions) precludes the possibility of God answering the prayers of non-Christians. While God has freely self-obligated Himself to answer the prayers of Christians, He is also free to answer some prayers of non-Christians. Though He has the right to refuse to because they are not in covenant with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the only true mediator between God and man. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be surprising that God may, at times, send angels to help non- Christians.

John Calvin wrote:

There is one psalm which clearly teaches that prayers are not without effect, though they do not penetrate to heaven by faith (Ps. 107:6, 13, 19). For it enumerates the prayers which, by natural instinct, necessity extorts from unbelievers not less than from believers, and to which it shows by the event, that God is, notwithstanding, propitious. Is it to testify by such readiness to hear that their prayers [i.e. non-Christians'] are agreeable to him? Nay; it is, first, to magnify or display his mercy by the circumstance, that even the wishes of unbelievers are not denied; and, secondly, to stimulate his true worshippers to more urgent prayer, when they see that sometimes even the wailings of the ungodly are not without avail. [Calvin's Institutes third book, chapter 20 section 15]

Finally, some testimonies will be more credible than others. Evaluate them using your own judgment.

Alleged Angelic Encounters
(again, please read disclaimer above)

Two books I'm aware of that have collected *Christian* testimonies of angelic encounters from a specifically Christian perspective are "A Rustle of Angels" by Marilynn Carlson Webber and William D. Webber; and "When Angels Appear" by Hope MacDonald. I highly recommend both books because they seem to be sufficiently Evangelical in their outlook.

-Christian philosophy J.P. Moreland's encounter with angels:
http://www.closertotruth.com/contributor/jp-moreland/profile

J.P. Moreland's supernatural experiences including an angelic encounter:
http://youtu.be/Da-WMdu3qd4

-Angels On Earth http://www.guideposts.org/inspiration/angels-on-earth
This is a non-sectarian website about angels that welcomes Protestant, Catholic and Jewish writers. From a consistently Evangelical point of view such an ecumenical endeavor is a bad idea and is the result of (and fosters) poor discernment. Nevertheless, it's unlikely that absolutely all the testimonies are fraudulent. In my estimation, some of them are genuinely supernatural and possibly demonic rather than angelic.

-Angels: Miraculous Messengers
http://youtu.be/2KpSH2SlP6Y

-Bruce Van Natta
http://youtu.be/wDXwnRd-EWs

-Sid Roth is a charismatic Messianic Jewish Christian who has been investigating and interviewing alleged cases of supernatural activity among Christians. His website www.sidroth.org has MANY interviews online of professing Christians who claim to have experienced, or continue to experience the supernatural. I myself am a continuationist and charismatic, but some of the claims both he and his interviewees make are "way out there." Some of the doctrines promoted are also suspect (either false, or partly true, and partly false). Nevertheless, I suspect that some of the experiences he attempts to document are genuine, while others aren't. Here's an example of an angelic testimony.

-Judith MacNutt angelic testimony http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=11448&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=tv_

-Wayne Grudem is a well known Christian theologian who wrote a popular book titled An Introduction to Systematic Theology. At THIS LINK is a series of 120 lessons he gave based on his popular book. The following are links to PART 1 and PART 2 of his lessons on the topic of angels.

Angels & Demons (video) by Catholic writer Dr Peter Kreeft
http://youtu.be/rjGU4tvgayw
Since the speaker is a Catholic, I obviously don't agree with everything he says (being an Evangelical myself).

******************************

Alleged Demonic Encounters
(again, please read disclaimer above)

-Richard Gallagher (board-certified psychiatrist) believes in the reality of demons

His article in the Washington Post HERE

His article Among the Many Counterfeits, a Case of Demonic Possession

- The Devil and Father Amorth: Witnessing “the Vatican Exorcist” at Work by William Friedkin

- Lecture on Demon Possession & Spiritual Warfare by Craig Keener (video)

Spirit Possession as a Cross-cultural Experience by Craig S. Keener

-The late Reformed minister Ferrell Griswold's experiences on the subject of Possession, Oppression and the Occult www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1220071430123

-The late Dr. Kurt E. Koch's book (complete?) Between Christ and Satan [alternatively titled "The Lure of the Occult"] www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/between_christ_satan_koch_e.htm

-Excerpts from Dr. Koch's Occult ABC www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/occult_abc_koch.htm

The story of Presbyterian missionary John Nevius: The Holy Spirit Gives a Lesson in Chinese on Cessationism

John Nevius' book: Demon possession and Allied Themes (HERE, or HERE)

-Testimonies of demonic encounters from the 700 Club:
Dean Ogden
Tara Lawson
Jeff Harshbarger
Sandra Clifton
Yasmeen Suri part 1 and part 2
Dean and Jennifer Moe
Jimi Merrell
Laura Adams (starts at 2 minutes and 35 seconds)
Ryan Hendricks (starts at 36 seconds)

-Doreen Irvine's alleged exit out of witchcraft and into Christianity was popular among Christian circles in time past. Nowadays, her testimony has been maligned by many sceptics. The greatest complaint is probably the one where she makes statements about a global network of Satanists which allegedly exists. However, if you read her story, she clearly seems to be repeating what she claims others in her coven told her. In which case, she might be conveying what she believes to be true, but which in fact are lies told to her by others in the coven to make their movement seem larger than it actually was. In which case, the general flow of her testimony might be true even if she makes some statements she believed to be true due to her own naïveté.

From Witchcraft to Christ by Doreen Irvine

-More testimonies of exiting the occult at the same website:
http://www.the-new-way.org/testimonies/index_conv.html

-Roger Sapp is a Christian minister who specializes in the healing ministry. Among those who are alive and active, I respect him the most of all the ministers in the healing ministry I'm aware of. I have some reservations about his theology of healing (see footnote 1), but I do believe he does genuinely operate in healing ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit. He has frequently said that in his own experience in the healing ministry that about 1 in 4 instances of sickness are demonic in origin or have a demonic root. He claims that the four Gospels seem to portray Jesus' ministry having that same aproximate ratio. I've linked to many Roger Sapp materials at another blog. Here are the links to his FREE online BOOKS and his AUDIO/VISUALS.

Here are some of his resources addressing deliverance ministry. There are more resources in the links above.

Casting Out Evil Spirits by Roger Sapp
http://www.allnationsmin.org/Download/documents/Casting_Out_Evil_Spirits.pdf
A testimony of deliverance by Roger Sapp HERE
Roger Sapp Discussing Deliverance (i.e. exorcism) with Rob Short (audio)

-Neil T. Anderson is another controversial figure in Evangelicalism. He is featured on many YouTube videos. Here's an example: http://youtu.be/wR7x1WrxKrk
Here's his most famous book The Bondage Breaker online:
http://selfdefinition.org/hearing-voices/Neil-T-Anderson-The-Bondage-Breaker.pdf
The book has been re-written and re-edited multiple times down through the years because of controversial teaching inside and because of the development of his understanding on the subject. Presumably, it's more orthodox than it was when it was originally published over 20 years ago.

-Derek Prince had a controversial ministry. I definitely have differences with his theology and praxis.
There are many videos of his teaching on YouTube. Here are just two on deliverance.
http://youtu.be/Ec_NgpvS2os
http://youtu.be/Ed8j33e8viE

-The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare by Ed Murphy is a controversial book in the Evangelical world, but it contains some accounts of demonic encounters.
http://www.breadoflifebiblestudy.com/Lessons/18Deliverance/Articles/HandbookForSpiritualWarfare.pdf

-Donald Grey Barnhouse was a respected Evangelical preacher in the early 20th century. In his book The Invisible War he deals with the topic of demonology. Having only scanned the book years ago it seemed much of what he says is speculation, even though he expresses it with (IMHO) undue confidence. I haven't yet found where he gives testimonies of his own encounters with the demonic, but I would assume he would mention one example somewhere in the book. Even if he doesn't, the book is a resource one can go to for material on the subject of demonology. Here's a link to his book.
The Invisible War by Donald Grey Barnhouse
http://pursulibrary.org/PursuLibrary/Library/Donald%20Grey%20Barnhouse/The%20Invisible%20War%20%2866%29/The%20Invisible%20War%20-%20Donald%20Grey%20Barnhouse.pdf

-Walter Martin (the original Bible Answerman) was a disciple of D.G. Barnhouse. Martin's book The Kingdom of the Cults is the (nearly 50 year bestseller) classic book on the cults from an Evangelical perspective. Another recommended book is his (posthumously collated) book The Kingdom of the Occult (preview here). Here are links to two audio files where his daughter Jill Martin Rische plays recordings of her late father Walter Martin speaking on his experience with demonic possession. The first audio has the recording of Walter start right before 7 minutes. On the second audio file, the recording continues soon after the 4th minute starts. Walter Martin begins telling his testimony of an exorcism at 41 minutes into the first audio file.

The Truth about Spiritual Warfare, Demon Possession & Exorcism with Walter Martin
Part ONE, Part TWO

-Wayne Grudem is a well known Christian theologian who wrote a popular book titled Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. At THIS LINK is a series of 120 lessons he gave based on his popular book. The following are links to PART 1, PART 2 and PART 3 of his lessons on the topic of demons.

-Gerry Breshears gives an 11 part lecture series Spiritual Warfare from a Christian perspective. In part 11, he recounts his own personal experiences of the demonic.
https://www.biblicaltraining.org/seminar/spiritual-warfare/gerry-breshears

-Chip Ingrim 8 part series on Spiritual Warfare
http://livingontheedge.org/series/invisible-war/daily-radio

-John Piper is one of the most well known Evangelical Christian ministers living today. Here's a link to a video where he recounts an experience which he suspects to be a case of demonic influence or possession.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/piper-on-healing-and-exorcism or Here

-Mike Licona gives a testimony of how when he was young whenever his father would do radio interviews telling people that Masonry is not compatible with Christianity that their house would seem haunted. They would have poltergeist like activity. He gives a few examples like an object twirling in the air without any human holding it.
https://youtu.be/pUajktSCaeo?t=2h12m36s
Here's another time when Mike Licona described the phenomena
http://www.apologetics315.com/2009/07/is-god-active-in-world-today-gary.html at 33 minutes into interview.

Mike Licona sharing a testimony of a Yale educated friend of his who encountered a spirit right before giving a speech/sermon. The spirit choked him nearly to death. At around 42 minutes.
http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=261
The direct link to the mp3 is HERE:
http://www.archive.org/download/ConversationsFromThePaleBlueDot002-MikeLicona/002-MikeLicona.mp3

-Johann Christoph Blumhardt was a Lutheran pastor who lived in the 19th century and is famous for having had a notable healing and demonic deliverance ministry. The book The Awakening recounts the story of how Pastor Blumhardt unexpectedly and without warning was forced into starting a deliverance ministry.

An introduction to the book can be read here: http://www.plough.com/en/ebooks/a/awakening

A Direct Link to the book can be accessed Here: http://cdn.plough.com/~/media/Files/Plough/ebooks/pdfs/a/awakeningEN.pdf

Blumhardt's Battle: A Conflict With Satan by Thomas E. Lowe

Pastor Blumhardt: A Record of the Wonderful Spiritual and Physical Manifestations of God's Power in Healing Souls and Bodies, Through the Prayers of His Servant, Christoph Blumhardt by Capt. R. Kelso Carter
http://books.google.com/books?id=5J02x5qbQ5EC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Johann Christoph Blumhardt's son Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt wrote the essay Jesus is the Victor based on his father's sermons and notes. Here's a link describing the book.

The book can be directly assessed Here: http://cdn.plough.com/~/media/Files/Plough/ebooks/pdfs/j/jesusisthevictorEN.pdf

Investigating the Practice of Christian Exorcism and the Methods Used to Cast out Demons by Kenneth D. Royal, Ph.D.

Satan: His Personality, Power and Overthrow by Edward M. Bounds

The Occult by Josh McDowell HERE or HERE

Dealing with Demons by Eowyn Stoddard
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/12/10/dealing-with-demons/print/

DEMON EXPERIENCES in Many Lands by Various Contributors
http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/OtherBookTitles/DEMONEXPERIENCESINMANYLANDS/tabid/360/Default.aspx

Angels & Demons (video) by Catholic writer Dr Peter Kreeft
http://youtu.be/rjGU4tvgayw
Since the speaker is a Catholic, I obviously don't agree with everything he says (being an Evangelical myself).

Dr. Robert H. Bennett , PhD, S.T.M, MDiv.
On demonic possession, exorcism etc.
http://www.drroberthbennettphd.com/index.html

Demons in relation to UFOs
-Many people who have claimed to have had reoccurring alien abductions have been able to virtually or completely stop them by appealing to the authority of the name of Jesus. See This Link HERE. And those who occasionally still have the experience are able to immediately end them by resisting them in the name of Jesus. This would strongly suggest that, at least in these cases the "aliens" were demons in disguise. In which case, all alien encounters may be demonic. There's also a logical possibility that some encounters with aliens are demonic and some are genuinely of extra-terrestrials. From a Christian perspective, there's nothing inherently inconsistent with the possibility of malevolent extra-terrestrials which God may have originally created good. Or they may be the offspring (in some distant way) of the Nephilim (assuming a particular interpretation of Gen. 6).

At the present time I personally DO NOT believe extra-terrestrials are actually abducting humans or interacting with humans, or visiting earth via UFOs. However, the UFO phenomena seems to be real and may be demonic too. Steven Greer's documentaries (Here and here) of various former military personnel usually doesn't involve alleged encounters with extra-terrestrials. Only a few do and when you listen to their testimonies, they seem suspect.

-Paranormal activity (in its various forms) is often (but not always) rightly attributed to demonic deception. Skeptiko podcasts deal with hard-nosed skeptic vs. believer debates and interviews on science and spirituality. Each episode features lively discussion with leading researchers, thinkers, and their critics. WARNING: Skeptiko is NOT a Christian podcast show. I've added a link to their podcasts because they interview some of the more reliable researchers into the paranormal. Here's a link to the podcasts:
http://www.skeptiko.com/past-shows/

-I recommend doing a search on Triablogue.blogspot.com on the topic of "occult", "angels", "demons", etc. Go to www.google.com/advanced_search and type in "triablogue.blogspot.com" in the "site or domain:" field.
Don't type "www.triablogue.blogspot.com" [i.e. leave out "www."]
Here are examples of the great blogs on Triablogue:

Bell, book, & candle
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2009/02/bell-book-candle.html

The Exorcism of Emily Rose
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/02/exorcism-of-emily-rose.html

One may wonder why I presented more evidence for the the possible existence of demons than the possible existence of angels. The reason is because demonic testimonies are more easy to find. I believe that's because of three reasons.

First, because of our morbid taste for the spooky and scary, we naturally tend to want to discuss more about demons than angels.

Second, angels, if they are genuinely from God (rather than demons in disguise intent on deceiving) will want to give all the glory of human help and deliverance to God who is the ultimate source of help (either 1. immediately/directly or 2. mediately/indirectly through angels). Angels will therefore do their best to stay out of the limelight. Which means they will tend not to linger in a visible manner whenever they do happen to manifest themselves. Their visibility or invisibility presumably is controllable by both God and/or the angel. There may be instances in which angels choose to make themselves visible with God's explicit or tacit approval. Other times it may be that an angel might not be intentionally choosing to be visible, but in that instance God may make them visible (with or without their knowledge) for the purpose of comforting those humans who see them.

The third reason is, unlike angels, demons have no such desires. Demons will use deception, accusation, fear and temptation in their attempts to eternally destroy the souls of human beings. And so, in contrast to angels, demons will do their very best to either hide or expose themselves in whichever way will do the worse damage to humanity and God's reputation.

As C.S. Lewis wrote in his book The Screwtape Letters,

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils [i.e. demons]. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight."

Because of the incurable religiosity of human nature, pure secularists and materialists will generally be in the minority. Therefore, given the option to either veil or expose their existence, demons will more likely tend to expose their existence more readily than angels. Thus explaining the disparity of testimonies. Though, the increase in the interest of angels has so increased in this generation in comparison to previous generations that I can't help thinking that many (though certainly not all) testimonies of alleged angelic encounters may in reality be cases of demonic subterfuge. As the apostle Paul said, sometimes demons come disguised as angels of light (i.e. angelic messengers of truth/beauty/goodness) [see. 2 Cor. 11:14].

The testimonial evidence presented here is mostly from Christian sources and so some might object to sectarianly selective bias. I admit to such a bias. There's a limit to how many testimonies I could present and since I'm a Christian, I'm going to mostly present testimonies that would favor and support Christianity. It seems sufficient for me to present testimonial evidence that would make materialists and atheists reconsider their position. As well as testimonial evidence that would make non-Christians who believe in the supernatural consider the superiority of Christianity in making sense of and accounting for all of the data abductively.

************************************************************************

Footnotes:

footnote #1
1. Roger Sapp believes it is always God's will to heal the sick 100% of the time. This is the position of all Classical Pentecostals (i.e. Paleo-Pentecostals who hold to the earlier view as opposed to many modern Pentecostals and Charismatics who often believe that it is not always God's will to heal).
[See this article by Rick Walston on the three waves of modern continuationism.]

For myself, I'm a Calvinist and a Charismatic. Charismatics and Pentecostals are usually not Calvinists. Just as Calvinists tend not to be Charismatic or Pentecostal. Though, there's a growing number who consider themselves Calvinist and Continuationist (whether Charismatic, or Pentecostal or otherwise).

The way I've synthesized the two theologies on healing is described in this footnote. In order to understand the Calvinist side of my theology, one has to understand the different senses of GOD'S WILL in Calvinism. I've explained FIVE of them HERE. Now given those distinctions, and assuming one understands those distinctions, here's my theology of healing (in a simplified form).

1. Corresponding to my Charismatic beliefs (but using the Calvinistic distinctions mentioned above):

I believe, "all things being equal", in His natural kindness and mercy God is willing to heal all sick persons according to His general Will of Disposition. Additionally, God is willing to heal all sick persons on the condition of faith according to God's Will of Demand (i.e. His Revealed Will) in Scripture (cf. Matt. 10:1, 7-8; 17:16-21; 28:20; Luke 9:2, 6; 10:9; James 5:14-16; Ps. 103:3; etc.). I believe that God encourages all Christians (especially minsters) to develop their faith for healing physical sickness and other physical problems (Mark 9:23-24 etc.). God is free to heal even with little or no faith on the part of the pray-ers and/or prayees. However, God's normative way of healing is on the condition of our having faith for healing (on the part of the pray-ers, or prayees or both). In the context of healing and deliverance from evil spirits, Jesus said "all things are possible to him who believes." Healing is sometimes instantaneous and sometimes progressive. When it is progressive, it is often (but not always) because people receive according to the faith of the pray-ers and/or the prayees. I also believe...

2. Corresponding to my Calvinistic beliefs:

I believe At The Same Time that in God's sovereignty, omniscience (all knowedge), omnisapience (all wisdom) and currently secret purposes, "all things considered" God sometimes intends not to heal specific individuals either at the present time (but at a latter time). Or the healing is intended by God to be progressive in this life. Or God doesn't intend to heal the person ever in this life (for whatever purposes God might have). If the person is a genuine Christian, it's always God's will to heal that person eventually (either in this life or in the afterlife). Sometimes healing may fluctuate up and down depending on the degree of faith a pray-er and/or prayee may have for healing, but that fluctuation and the faith itself which determines its fluctuation is itself ultimately due to the sovereign decree of God. If the person is non-elect, God may or may not heal the person in this life. God chooses all these things according to His Secret Will of Decree.

3. While we can do things to increase our faith from our human perspective (e.g. read the Bible, pray, listen to sermons and read books on healing, worship etc.), ultimately faith (and its varying degrees and quality) is the gift of God. Sanctification can fluctuate according to one's degree of faith, and that faith itself is in the sovereign control of God. Similarly, healing can fluctuate according to one's degree of faith even though that faith too is in the sovereign control of God.

Synthesizing these three beliefs (which only appear to contradict), I've concluded that whatever the case may be according to His secret Will of Decree, Christians are not supposed to try to divine/detemine/guess God's hidden intentions, but rather to live and pray in accordance with God's Revealed Will of healing the sick and God's general mercy, kindness and compassion (i.e. God's Dispositional Will) [again see THIS BLOG]. The assumption should always be that God is willing for any sick person to get well if someone will have the faith for it. This can be inferred from the fact that on multiple occasions Jesus healed entire multitudes who actively came to Him for healing (Matt. 4:23-25; 8:16-17; 9:35-38; 12:15; 14:14; 15:30-31; 19:2; 21:14; Mark 1:32-34; 3:10; Luke 4:18-19; 40-41; 6:17-19; 9:10-11; 13:15-16; 14:5; 17:11-19; John 6:2). If Jesus hadn't healed all Ten Lepers and only healed (say) 2 of the 10, then we might be able to infer that in general God is willing to heal only about 20% of any group of sick people at any given time. But by healing all 10 lepers, that would suggest that God's general will is to heal all those who are sick and believingly come to God through Christ for healing. We know that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8) and so it only makes sense that before His 2nd Coming and while we are still in the "Church Age" [i.e. the inter-adventual period] Jesus would continue to heal. And continue to heal in the same way He did in the Gospels during His time on Earth. The book of Acts begins with saying that it is a record of the things Jesus "began to do and teach." During His earthly ministry, Jesus never had to pray to determine God's will as to whether He should or shouldn't heal a particular individual who came to Him in faith for healing.

Except for one instance, or when He withdrew from the crowds to spend some quality time in prayer, Jesus never turned anyone away who actively came to Him in faith for healing. There's only one instance of Jesus refusing to heal someone because He specifically said it was (in some sense) God's Will not to heal the person. That only exception was that of the Syrophoenician woman asking for her demoniac daughter to be healed because Jesus' mission at the time was confined to the "House of Israel". Yet AMAZINGLY, she still got the healing she persistently sought after. Unlike the case of the Centurion, she wasn't a representative of the Kingdom of Man who also had Jewish elders willingly and earnestly requesting Jesus to heal his servant who was sick [Luke 7:3-5; Matt. 8:5ff.]. It was for the disciples after Christ's resurrection to reach out to Gentiles. Yet the Syrophoenician woman got the healing even though it was contrary to God's will (i.e. contrary to God's Revealed Will at the time). Notice that even though Jesus wasn't assigned to preach and demonstrate the Gospel for this Gentile woman (since He initially refused her), she eventually got the healing she was asking for because of her persistent faith (even though she had no covenant with the God of Israel). However, as F.F. Bosworth demonstrates in his book, there are promises of healing for those who ARE in Covenant relationship with God. If someone without covenant promises could obtain healing through persistence, then how much more should those who are in the covenant have confidence to receive healing?

Another possible exception of Jesus healing all those who appealed to Him for healing is the case of Lazarus. But even in that instance, neither Lazarus or his sisters actively requested Jesus to heal him. Apparently they left it up to Jesus to respond however way He would. As a Calvinist, I obviously believe that God ordained that they not actively and believingly request Jesus to heal Lazarus in order that "the works of God might be made manifest" in Lazarus' resurrection (like in the case of the man born blind John 9:3).

The incident of the man who was an invalid for 38 years (John 5:5ff.) might also be cited to show that Jesus didn't heal everyone since He singled out one person of the multitude who were sick and healed him alone. But there's no indication that anyone else was actively seeking Jesus for healing (not even the invalid). Evidently, it was a sovereign act of Jesus to heal this person in the absence of faith. For all we know, Jesus sovereignly healed the invalid in order to encourage others to actively seek Him for their healing. Now that the Gospel (and its accompanying blessings) is meant to be proclaimed and offered to all nations, Jesus' reply to the leper's statement "If You are willing, You can [heal me]" applies to all of us. Namely, "I am willing, be [healed]."

Theologians often pit the "theology of the cross" against the "theology of glory." Given that theologians nowadays also acknowledge that the New Testament teaches that the Kingdom is both "now and not yet", then it only makes sense that the blessings of the Kingdom are also "now and not yet" (including the promise of healing). Lutheran theologians are especially known to pit "the theology of the cross" against "the theology of glory" claiming that the latter is an unbiblical triumphalism and an overly realized eschatology. Yet in Martin Luther's magnum opus "The Bondage of the Will", Luther taught that we should affirm both God as Hidden ("deus absconditus", meaning God as He is beyond our full or exhaustive comprehension) and God as Revealed in Christ ("deus revelatus"). I believe the revelation of God in Christ is that God is predisposed to healing the sick (as He was under the Old Testament for those who were under the Covenant [e.g. Ex. 15:26; 23:25-26; Ps. 103:2-3]). Under the New Covenant, God is even disposed to healing non-Christians in Evangelistic campaigns/settings that use signs and wonders (Acts 4:24-31; Matt. 10:7-8; Luke 10:19-20; Rom. 15:18-19; see also the list of passages above where Jesus indiscriminately healed all who came to Him in faith). Calvinists believe that since we cannot know who is elect or non-elect, we are therefore to preach salvation indiscriminately to all people. Similarly, I believe that since we don't know who God intends to heal or when He intends to heal (and to what progressive or instantaneous degree), we are to preach healing indiscriminately to all people knowing that God has a general promise to heal those who ask Him for healing in faith. Knowing also that sometimes it require perseverance in prayer and faith to receive (Luke 18:1ff).

It may be asked, "What if a Christian doesn't receive his/her healing in this life? Does that mean that the Christian (and those praying for him) didn't have enough faith?" It may be asked, "Won't your view (i.e. me Annoyed Pinoy) result in 'false hope' leading to disappointment for some as well as bringing about false condemnation on those who remain sick?" I would say "no" because God is sovereign over whether one will have "enough" faith (for lack of better words) or the right "kind" of faith for a healing to fully manifest. I believe that a Christian sincerely striving to believe and receive healing is pleasing to God even if the healing never manifests in this life. As Smith Wigglesworth reputedly said, "I'd rather die believing than live doubting." John Calvin said in a different context, "...you know however that our duties by no means depend on our hopes of success, but that it behooves us to accomplish what God requires of us, even when we are in the greatest despair respecting the results."

God requires of us, and it is our duty to be believing regarding things promised in His Word even if we don't get the results we were hoping for. And healing is something promised repeatedly in Scripture. Having said all that I want to affirm that Calvinism is right when it teaches that God is ultimately sovereign over all sicknesses and calamity. No one can be sick, remain sick, be healed, or remain healed apart from God's sovereign decree. The same can be said about prosperity and salvation. While Satan was proximately the cause of Job's troubles and sickness (Job 2:7), God was the ultimate source of his sickness and troubles as both Job and the narrator of the book affirms (Job 1:20; 2:10; 42:11). In mercy sometimes God doesn't heal a believer (or even allows the believer to die). For example Abijah, Jereboam's son, died of his sickness rather than living long enough to see calamitous times (1 Kings 14:1, 13; see esp. v. 13). The text specifically teaches that God determined Abijah to die because He was showing mercy to him. Even Elisha himself died of his sickness despite the fact that he was a godly and faithful man of God (2 Kings 13:14-20). Of course, as I mentioned above and in my blog about the distinctions in God's Will, what God allows or determines to happen is distinct from what God requires of us and is willing to do upon the condition of faith. "Willing", that is, in the sense of 1. God's Will of Demand and 2. God's Will of Delight. I recommend with little reservation Larry Keefauver's book When God Doesn't Heal Now. The best introductory book documenting the promises of God in the Bible for healing is F.F. Bosworth's book Christ the Healer which can be accessed HERE or HERE (personally I prefer the 8th edition). I would also recommend The Gospel of Healing by A.B. Simpson, Divine Healing by Andrew Murray and The Ministry of Healing by A.J. Gordon as good introductions too. All three books can be found at my blog HERE. From a Calvinist perspective, I recommend Vincent Cheung's books on healing which can be accessed HERE.

My blog page dedicated to providing resources on Divine Healing HERE.

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Related Links:

Evidence and Arguments Against Materialism and Naturalism
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/01/evidence-and-arguments-against.html

Sleep Paralysis, Old Hag Syndrome and Alien Abductions
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/03/sleep-paralysis-old-hag-syndrome.html

Near Death Experiences and Christianity
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2014/01/near-death-experiences-and-christianity.html

UFOs and Christianity
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/08/ufos-and-christianity.html

Alleged Visions, Dreams and Visitations of Jesus to Muslims
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/04/alleged-visions-dreams-and-visitations.html

Unveiling The Hiddenness of God

http://gospelcrumbs.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-hiddenness-of-god.html

Links on the Subject of Miracles in the Context of Craig Keener's Recent Book
(Includes links to three interviews of Keener discussing past and PRESENT miracles)
www.gospelcrumbs.blogspot.com/2012/11/links-on-subject-of-miracles-in-context.html

I will be posting additional links and information indefinitely to this blog.