Chains

2 Peter 2:4  For [···]God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Acts 2:27

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

There is a saint in hell who was taken as a prisoner of Satan when she had danced with the devil on earth as a child, thinking it was harmless entertainment.  Little did she realize that the devil could capture the souls of saints and banish them to hell as part of his lifelong earthly battle with God. Would the king of all good angels take a flight into hell and save her or would a sleeping saint rise and come to her rescue?

Praises To The Holy Trinity

Thank you Lord Almighty Heavenly father for the peace and worthiness of answering my prayer and for providing all my needs because all good things in my life come from you. This through Jesus your beloved son. Amen.

Matthew 10:11-15

And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

And when ye come into an house, salute it.

And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

In the name of the Lord, we are conquerers and champions.

Romans 8:38-39  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord

Day 3 - Our Lady, Undoer of Knots Novena 2018 - Novena Prayers - Catholic Devotion

Day 3 - Our Lady, Undoer of Knots Novena 2018 - Novena Prayers - Catholic Devotion

Do we live for ourselves or for others?

I read the following Mother Teresa quote today: "A life not lived for others is not a life," and it immediately brought to mind the following bible verse: John 15:13 
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

How many of us can identify with
giving our all to a friend especially when they are at their spiritual neediest. Do we ever put ourselves last and put them first? Can we even put ourselves in their shoes, to help them live their best life? In a world of envy, greed, self gratification and keeping-up-with-Joneses we are all too familiar with selfish acts. Too many Christians are cloistered in their faith. They go to church and pray for the whole world but do little in their acts and deeds to greatly help a friend. I have heard many a Christian say that we're just passing through this world and we should expect persecution. Very few talk about living their Christian lives for others.

If you have lived even a fraction of your life for others like Mother Teresa did then you truly are a blessed person. If you have laid down your life for a friend like Jesus did for all of us, then may you be forever blessed by God. Please share your story in the comments section.

God is our rock and my fortress

Psalms 31:3  For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

Question: Can another living person's spirit enter your body? For example a man finds himself thinking thoughts and doing actions which he is aware are not  his inintrinsically. Not only this, but he can identify the people in his life with a similar affliction. He has prayed about this. Any suggestions?

Answered by Lana:
What you are describing sounds like dissociation.  People dissociate when they feel they are outside of themselves watching the action like a spectator.  They may feel that they are experiencing it from another person`s point of view.  From a psychological perspective, dissociation has various forms and symptoms.  It can range in severity from daydreaming to complete memory loss for periods of time.  Dissociation is usually considered a form of coping or defense mechanism when a person is under stress, conflict, or trauma. 

From a biblical perspective, there is no way that we can enter another person`s body or mind.  God has not given us the ability to read minds or experience things from another spirit.  People who claim to be clairvoyant are not channeling anything unless it is from a demonic spirit.  There are no human spirits or angels who indwell in us.  The Bible says that when a person is saved that the Holy Spirit of Jesus is indwelling inside that person.  The Bible does reference several incidents of demons indwelling people and it is not a good thing (https://www.gotquestions.org/demon-possession.html).  

For Christians experiencing dissociative disorders or symptoms, it is best to seek treatment or counseling if this is a persistent condition over time.  Sometimes it is caused by drug use (even if it is prior the drug can have lasting effects).  Dissociation is something we do to avoid dealing with reality.  Training our minds to perceive and think rightly is critical to understanding the truth.  It is best that we all learn to perceive and process reality correctly so we can choose the best response. 

Here is an example of how dissociation can happen and why it needs to be corrected.  A mother is abused by her mother.  This cycle has happened for several generations.  One of the mothers begins to abuse her own daughter.  While it is happening, she sees herself watching the event, like she is experiencing it when she was in the daughter role, outside of herself.  She knows she doesn`t want to treat her daughter that way, but the dysfunction is ingrained in her and needs to be dealt with.  Rather than simply experiencing it, the mother must learn to empathize with her own daughter so that she can understand how to respond properly to her in the future.  She must give her daughter what she never had by learning new ways to think about her child, her role as a mother, and herself as a child abuse victim.  She can then see how her actions can be changed.  Dissociation is a symptom of her abuse as a child, but it is not a solution to change the dysfunction.  It is not a spiritual gift from God.  It is a dysfunctional perception caused by trauma. 

The Lord wants us to train our minds to know the truth and respond correctly to life using that truth.  Our minds are flawed just like the rest of our body.  We study the Bible to change our thinking so we can know what the true reality really is.  Then we can respond like Christ would.  

Speechless

1 Peter 4:12-15  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

I keep smiling

John 16:33 King James Version (KJV)

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

I continue to take courage and to be of cheer. This is difficult being unemployed with no income but I carry on. 😀

Anxiety be gone

I suffer from anxiety. This may sound like an exaggeration because we all come across anxieties in our daily lives, whether it be from work related stresses, family related, socially related, economically related or even spiritually related. If therefore, anxieties are a normal part of the human condition, how does it result in suffering? The suffering comes in the form of physical pain, this could be a migraine or muscle pain, upset stomach and wretching and even painful body chills. I used to take medications for my anxiety attacks but the side effects caused me further anxieties and frustrations. I therefore turned to more natural alternatives such as aromatherapy, massages and stretching exercises as well as a tea and water regiment.

I found these alternatives more relaxing and more effective than prescription medications. Spiritual meditations and deep breathing exercises help immensely. The biggest challenge I face now is acceptance from those around me that this is part of who I am. It's a challenge because they are uneducated about the subject and not necessarily sincerely open to new ways of interacting with people that are different from them. The bible says

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:6-7