Article in the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...-demand-exorcisms-putting-mental-health-risk/ Which makes me wonder, does anyone here have any knowledge or experience with deliverance ministry in the Anglican church?
My Senior is our diocesan exorcist. I believe that people are both troubled and sometimes possessed by the evil spirits. Deliverance ministry is a real need in our day and age, yes, even here in America. It is not just for the ignorant 'jigaboo' population of Africa who are still animists at heart, no, it is possible for all sinners. I myself received the oil of exorcism by the dispensation of a Coptic Orthodox priest some four years ago. But, as our exorcist frequently teaches, the demon can only take hold of -and actually possess- one who has already given up their faith.
The governor of Oregon needs an exorcism. Now all abortions are "free" and open to anybody in Oregon. May God truly help us.
I wasn't aware that the demon would only enter those who give up their faith. I've always heard it said that the very devout can suffer spiritual attack
Aidan: spiritual attack and possession are not the same thing. There are different levels of demonic influence. On another note, a brief piece from an RC source on witchcraft and exorcism: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/arms...t-casting-spells-will-come-back-to-haunt-them
This may be relevant. To believe something is an agreement. It is agreeing that something is, or will be true. The possessed allowed evil through an agreement/belief. For instance, agreeing to be sinful to gain something that may be true. A common one is lust. It is agreeing to be lustful to gain another person of desire. In this case, lust becomes the obsession of the possessed. One can pray and have faith in Christ, and still have a thorn in their side (so to speak). I do not know anything about exorcism, other than changing focus to loving the Love (God) that loves me.
I have been attacked in some elaborate ways but honestly have yet to give up the faith. I used to pretend to be demon possessed to scare people off, though I don't believe I ever fully surrended my belief in Jesus. When I was young, feeling hurt by the 'Christian' community for being misunderstood, I would sometimes pretend to have a demon and imitate speeches or things I saw on cheesy evangelical television programs to try and sound authentic, or come up with elaborate dialogue or stories to appear to have demon possession. At the time, I struggled with the idea of whether God was a loving being or a legalistic tyrant, as I knew there was some reason to believe in the faith I was raised with but also felt a tendency to despise it because of Christians mistreating me. I would sometimes try to entertain the belief that God in the bible was actually the deceiver and that the resurrection and miracles of Jesus were actually a demonic deception trying to keep us from Satan's enlightenment, but I always felt a tremendous guilt and went to repent after saying things like that out of anger. I would say blasphemous things during those phases, but I realized afterwards that I could not keep pretending to do those things, or make people believe them sincerely or I'd end up going to hell and/or opening a bigger door for more demons. Those spirits did indeed buffet me quite a bit during my teen years, when I had a crisis of faith and went online exploring different beliefs, even dabbling in occultic things, but my conscience always demanded that I return to Jesus. I also have a few mental issues, but these tend to manifest when I am not taking my medications. Things settled down a bit after I had been diagnosed with some problems (Aspergers being one) and took appropriate medicines for them, but I start thinking ludicrous things prior to taking my dose before bed. I usually wake up feeling more normal and stable though. I have relatives who have had experiences with the occult and demonic activity and they also believe there is a distinction between demonic oppression and demonic possession. I've had relatives affected by both, but the power of prayer has always kept it at bay. I'd say we've had more of the former, but the latter happened to a relative long before I was born, who has been delivered and been a born again Christian for many years since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiBzVFkGQ_c Here is a protestant "exorcism". What a bunch of goons. EDIT: no it isn't scary or violent. It was uploaded by a youtube channel that makes jokes all the time but the dude who is an "exorcist" actually claims to be one and protestants call him one as well.
At first I laughed at the nonsense of it all. Then I put on my "thinking hat" lol. Such practices are very dangerous as are other occultic acts such as "seances", ouija boards, tarot "readings" etc
Yeah. I doubt demons are scared of this man exorcising them. I mean really? At the end of the session (yes, the "session") he steps forward with the cross in his hand. Wow, maybe I should join the Deliverance ministry if all I have to do is pretend to punch a person with a cross.
I did not watch the link, but straight away I knew that anybody making a joke of it, and claims to be a real exorcist, was already possessed and didn't know it.