Posted on 09/16/2005 8:13:18 AM PDT by ExSoldier
Well then, how did Peter, James, and John rid the possessed of their demons?
Which is more or less what Catholic exorcists do ... order them out in the name of God. Difference is, Jesus being God has Divine knowledge of His enemy. A human exorcist does not. By all accounts, it requires enormous faith; exorcism is not to be embarked upon lightly.
Your thoughts are worth repeating, and re-reading. There is much food for thought here! (ref: Malachi Martin, HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL, discusses "perfect possession" aka "total submission" to Satan and his agenda, so that all the usual "paranormal" phenomena and outward violent signs of spiritual warfare are absent - because those souls have already agreed to engage full force in the satanic "culture wars").
They were filled with the Holy Spirit which gave the authority............
This seemed right up your alley.
Ooooo! A 'secret' location. Where someone managed to get a quote from the Pope. Big secret.
A little 'journalistic' bigotry bubbling under the surface? Or just trying to punch up the story?
The quotation marks around "real cases" gave it away too.
As Disciples of Christ they invoked HIS name, to whom their souls belong. The Bible says whomever belongs to Christ (this is not an exact quote, but there are many here who can offer it) can invoke his name in casting out demons and it shall be done. So in a sense any believer can perform an exorcism. The Catholic Church attaches a lot of ritual to the act, but Jesus used to just say GET OUT!! and the demon left the body. I've had the occasion to order a demonic presence from a home and it left to be replaced instantly by the literal warmth of the Holy Spirit. Who am I? Just a sinner saved by Grace. Nothing more.
There's a useful illustration in Hollyweird. In the first Fright Night movie, the phony "Vampire Slayer" faces a real vampire and shakily waves a crucifix in his face and the vampire just laughs at him and crushes the cross with his bony claws. He cackles: Silly man...you've GOT to BELIEVE for that to work... Then along comes the teen aged hero and does the same thing and the vampire shrinks back hissing....Okay, so it's hokey...but true.
And be sure to pay the exorcist's bill -- If you don't, you'll get repossessed. :=)
If we Christians beleive in God we know there is a devil. I t about time that the church is starting to make public the fact that the devil is around and there are some people maybe on his side not on our side. It may seem strange but i take this very serious.
it was never *just* for catholic priests. we were told time and again that we could do anything that Jesus did, casting out demons is specifically mentioned in mark 16:17.
But yes, exorcism is one of the jobs that baptised laity can do. Best to get training first though: apparently the chief danger in exorcism (as in healing and other such acts) is the danger of spiritual pride.
If Hilary Clinton hasn't sold her soul to the Devil then she's working for free :0)
One of the "Seven Deadly Sins", and IMO the worst: It can blind us to the rest.
Look at this in Mark 3:11-12
"11": And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
"12": And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
And then there is this about who is doing the casting out of spirits. And keep in mind there are only two spiritual powers...there is Good (God/Yeshua/the Holy Spirit) and there is evil (Satan). If someone doesn't serve God, in their rebellion they serve Satan.
From Mark 3:23-26
23: And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24: And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25: And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26: And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
I may have to give it a fresh reading.
Another great book is "The People of the Lie" by M.Scott Peck
I t about time that the church is starting to make public the fact that the devil is around and there are some people maybe on his side not on our side.
In fact, it is encouraging that the word 'evil', which was NEVER used openly in past decades, is now in the open. Unfortunately, the perception is that evil people are all screaming maniacs, when in fact the majority are subtle, clever, very intelligent and cunning, 'normal-seeming' people ... like Hilery Clinton. "The People of the Lie" by M.Scott Peck is an excellent expose of this.
Exactly! The devil gains his power from the lack of belief in his existence. When people are aware of and acknowledge his existence, his power decreases. Moral relativism, saying that right and wrong, good and bad, do not exist, only gives power to evil. Note how those who proclaim "good and bad" are pilloried to a greater extent each year. Evil grows.
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