Deliver Us From Darkness
Page 30
Click here to continue reading the novel.
Chapter 3, Footnote 2:
Effective Prayer:
Scripture tells us that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). To pray without ceasing really means to maintain an attitude of prayer all day long, not that you’ve necessarily got to be praying the whole time. But if you’ve got a relationship with the Lord that is close (not based on doing, but based on intimate love with your Creator), then you are in a position to hear the Lord when He calls you to pray. And when we’ve got something to pray about, it’s not enough to just toss up a prayer for a few seconds and then complain when the answer doesn’t come.
Prayer sometimes means work! It means pressing in to God’s Presence. Coming “boldly” before Him and remaining there in the throne room until He moves on our behalves or on the behalf of the individual that we are praying for. The parables of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8) and the Friend at Night (Luke 11:5-8) show that it is persistence that pays off.
Click here to continue reading the novel.
Otherealm – Appendix B
Chapter 13, Footnote 1:
Tara’s items for ritual spellcasting:
A grimoire (pronounced /grim war/) is a textbook of magic. Such books typically include instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination and also how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons. (From Wikipedia)
An amulet, similar to a talisman is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner. (From Wikipedia)
A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha or pentangle) is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes. The word pentagram comes from the Greek word pentagrammon, a noun form of pentagrammos, a word meaning roughly “five-lined” or “five lines”.
Pentagrams were used symbolically in ancient Greece and Babylonia, and are used today as a symbol of faith by many Wiccans, akin to the use of the cross by Christians and the Star of David by Jews. The pentagram has magical associations, and many people who practice Neopagan faiths wear jewelry incorporating the symbol.
Satanists use a pentagram with two points up, often inscribed in a double circle, with the head of a goat inside the pentagram. This is referred to as the Sigil of Baphomet. They use it as a connection with Tartaros, which literally translates from Greek as a “Pit” or “Void” in Christian terminology (the word is used as such in the Bible, referring to the place where the fallen angels are fettered). The Hebrew letters ל ן י ח ך form the name Leviathan as in Tara’s pentagram (above). (From Wikipedia)
A casting cloth or altar cloth is used in ceremonies to aid in the conjuring and casting of spells. Typically the instruments of the witch’s spellcasting rest on or around it. Tara’s casting cloth contains the pentagram above.
Click here to continue reading the novel.
Chapter 23, Footnote 1:
Pastor Jonathan’s sermon on “The Ten Virgins & The Wedding Feast of the Lamb”:
“This is a subject that cannot be empirically defined. The matter is, in many ways, subjective, but only from the standpoint of mankind. God knows exactly what he’s going to do. And when the Rapture takes place, most of us will slap ourselves on the forehead with an ‘Ohhhh … that’s what the Bible meant!’” He then mimicked a slap to his own forehead.
The congregation once again laughed in unison now that the mood had been lightened a bit.
“I wanted to stress the point that you cannot make yourselves good enough for Heaven. But—and this is a massive ‘but’—you do need to make yourselves right for the Wedding and Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Jesus has bought your ticket into Heaven by what he did on the cross, but as we’re about to find out, the Rapture and the Wedding Feast are up to the Christian.
“As Christians we can live our lives one of two ways: 1) as believers outside of intimacy with Jesus Christ. 2) as believers in Christ with a relationship based on intimacy. There is a whole lot of difference between the two. I believe that in either situation you will make it to Heaven, but I also believe, based on the parable of the ten virgins that we’re about to look at, that the ones who don’t have a genuine relationship with Jesus—who are not living expectant lives and being a light in the darkness—may be left behind when the Rapture takes place.
“Usually it makes sense to share a parable first, then to exegete for the meaning. But I find that sometimes a little shock value pulls us into the parables a little better.”
Pastor Jonathan began to flip through his Bible. “Okay, everyone take a deep breath and let it out. Relax, people! You look all uptight!” Laughs and a lot of deep sighs could be heard throughout the sanctuary.
“Okay, those with Bibles, turn with me to the gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, and follow as I read. These words are straight from the mouth of the Savior:
‘Then the kingdom of Heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.’
Moving away from the lectern, Pastor Jonathan began to preach in earnest. “Notice that all ten are virgins, and all ten are waiting for the return of the Bridegroom, whom we know to be Jesus. So, we can gather that all ten are believers. We also see that all ten fell asleep due to the delay of the Lord’s return for them. The only difference between the five wise and five foolish virgins is preparation for the delay.
“Maybe all of them were tired from service to the Lord, making preparations for the feast and the wedding. Maybe they all deserved to have a good rest while waiting for the Bridegroom.” Pastor Jonathan began to walk back and forth along the edge of the platform as he continued to speak. “So, all ten virgins fell asleep, but the foolish virgins fell asleep with a different mindset than the wise. My guess is that they grew tired of the start again / stop again of waiting for the Bridegroom to fulfill his promise to come for them. Imagine them thinking, “Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it many times before, but he’s never shown. What makes you think this time is any different?’
“The wise virgins, on the other hand may have responded with, ‘He is coming back. It doesn’t matter how many times we’re disappointed with further delays, we’re going to be ready.’
“Let me ask you, family, are you getting distracted to the point where the Wedding Feast and Heaven are not prevalent in your mind? Are you putting things before God on your priority lists? Paul instructed us to keep our minds ‘on heavenly things.’ Are you doing that?”
Pastor Jonathan paused for a moment before continuing.
“What is the price for allowing yourselves to be distracted by all of the sparkly things that the world has to offer? Do you understand that ‘the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’? That means that for those of us who go to Heaven, we’re not going to be losing anything, because Jesus is going to restore this earth to its pre-Fall condition. We’ll get all the sparkly things, and then some. But the priority now, here on this fallen planet, is people.
It is people and your relationships with Christ. It is having a heart for the lost and eyes fixed on Jesus.
“The benefits are unfathomable when your heart and mind are fixed on Jesus and on the lost that need him. You store up wealth in Heaven by focusing on what Jesus focuses on; and that what is really who. Two people are losing out when you’re distracted by the world’s priorities: the person going to hell and the person you stare at in the mirror.
“‘Where your treasure is, there your heart is also,’ said Jesus. Make your treasure people and your relationship with Christ. The result for those who do not do this is going to be emotional devastation.
“As we’ve read—and I’m going to put this all in the future tense now—the foolish virgins will come pounding on the door of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb after having finally gotten themselves right. But, after the Rapture takes place it will be too late to call for entry. You will be stuck here with all of the rest of the lost to endure the tribulation period that is described in both the Old and New Testaments.
“What percentage of the total virgins did the five foolish make up?”
Several voices perked up with shouts of “Half!” and “Fifty percent!”
“Fifty percent,” said the pastor. “Those of you who said half were pretty close.”
Laughter and ribbing dominated the moment.
“Listen, folks, I’m not trying to scare you into a right relationship with Christ, and I’m not saying that you can’t enjoy life and have fun. After all, Christ came to ‘give us life, and life abundantly.’ So, go to an amusement park, go to a shooting range, go to sporting events. Take some time to relax. Enjoy the freedoms and the joy of the Lord. What I am trying to do is coax you to reevaluate your priorities in this life. If this message scares you into that frame of mind, so be it. But know that I’m not a preacher of fear. I’m a preacher of hope! And the hope of which I speak comes from intimacy with Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit; each one of them the same God, each one of them an individual person. Get to know all three intimately.
“Okay, now, here’s the tricky part to the parable of the ten virgins: I’m going to try taking a stab at this, but let me first reiterate two things: First is my belief—my guess—that all ten virgins represent born-again Christians. My second guess is that those with the wrong mindsets toward the delay of the Bridegroom aren’t going to be taken into the Wedding Feast of the Lamb—the greatest celebration that will have ever taken place, up to that point.
Pastor Jonathan raised his left hand to his mouth as if to contemplate his next words, then dropped his hand to his side. “Okay. Now, the tricky part: Notice what is not in this parable, but is in other parables; a phrase that says something to the effect of, ‘Now depart from me cursed ones into everlasting fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ My assumption is that the five foolish virgins did not—will not—lose out on Heaven, but they are not going to be recognized by the Bridegroom as having a right to the celebration; hence the phrase in verse twelve ‘I do not know you,’ which could be translated as ‘I don’t recognize you,’ or ‘I don’t recognize your right to be here.’”
Pastor Jonathan walked down from the platform to the main floor. He walked a few steps up into the aisle near where Brent and Marta sat and continued. “Listen, folks, after hearing what I’ve shared so far, your guess is as good as mine. On the one hand, Scripture makes it very clear that the Enemy cannot snatch you out of the hands of God. You are secure in your salvation. But there is nothing in Scripture that indicates, at least to me, that every single one of us who is born again will be caught up to meet the Lord. So, for those who are indifferent about the Rapture, those who want to go do something else because he’s delayed too long, it’s time for a checkup from the neck up.
“I think that to have a celebration feast means to have something to celebrate. The celebration is as much about you ‘enduring to the end’ of the Lord’s delay as it is about the consummation of your relationship with Christ. So here’s what I’m going to leave you with: Get your walk right. What in your life is so doggone important that it’s worth sacrificing the Wedding Feast of the Lamb for it?
“You may ask, ‘Pastor Jonathan, what if Christ doesn’t come back until after I die, and I wasted all this time focusing on the Rapture and on Heaven?’ And if you do ask me that, I may very well pop you on the forehead.”
A hearty laugh erupted from the congregation.
“You can never waste time keeping your mind on heavenly things. You will never be anything but blessed because of it. You can hardly go wrong while looking to the source of your hope and strength. Amen?”
“Amen,” came the response of the crowd.
“Now, please understand, I’m not talking about you going out and getting all legalistic and becoming so works based that you’re no good to anyone. I’m talking about all of you pressing into a deeper relationship with the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the Creator of all that exists. This Man, Jesus, who is also Yahweh-God, loves you with a passion. Love him back. Talk with him. Discuss your day with Him. Share your joys and your sorrows with him. In other words, make Jesus your Best Friend and your First Love. Get intimate with him. You will not regret it here, and you certainly won’t regret it when you’ve been accepted into the wedding feast.”
Click here to continue reading the novel.
Chapter 26, Footnote 1:
The authority of the name of Jesus Christ:
Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” That is the greatest explanation of the power of his name. The reason that no other name can save is that the name of Jesus represents one of the co-equal persons of the Trinity. According to the book of John, chapter one, Jesus, “The Word,” is the Creator of all things, including all of the angels. This includes Lucifer before he was cast out of heaven with one third of the angels that followed him into rebellion. As the Creator of all things, Jesus’ authority reigns supreme. All powers will one day bow to his name, but until that day, all demons are still subject to the authority of Christ’s spoken name. One thing to make clear is that Christ’s authority is his own. He allows us to use it as representatives of his kingdom. Wielding that authority is something that is your right as a child of God. However, we are warned about picking fights with demonic powers with an example: Jude 1:9 says, “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”
If the Archangel of the Lord will not pick a fight, don’t think yourself wise to do it either. Respect the use of the name of the Lord. Use your authority to rebuke the Enemy wisely. Spiritual Warfare is certainly not a game.
That said, the authority of the name of Jesus can not only be used to mute, rebuke, and cast out demons (and people), but also for physical healing. Search the Scriptures and find out how the apostles used the authority given to them in, and with, the name of Jesus!
Click here to continue reading the novel.
Chapter 27, Footnote 1:
A brief history of the Picti people:
Information on the Picts, the “barbarians” who so often ravaged the Britons from the north, is somewhat scarce. It is known that the conquering Roman legions—including the infamous Tenth Legion—attempted several times to conquer these “painted” people in the northern regions of Britain. Ultimately, the Romans failed, suffering many losses. The Roman emperor, Hadrian, in AD 122, decided to cut the Picti off from the rest of the island by building a massive stonework wall that extended the breadth of the land. He declared the southern side of the wall the “end of the known world.”
The only text left to us by the Picts is their king-list, which gives the names and the lengths of the reigns of 60 or more Pictish kings. The list ends with Causantin mac Cinaeda, who died in 876 AD. Thereafter, this record of the Picts was no
longer used. The only other written source from around the Arthurian era is Adomnan’s Life of Columba. Archaeological evidence for the Pictish lifestyle is also scarce.
The ancient domain of the Picts was what we consider today to be Scotland. The terms “Picts” and “Pictland” were used in reference to the inhabitants and to the area in which they dwelled up until 900 AD, when the country began to be called “Alba.”
The Picts were a warrior society, “and warlords needed strongholds. When Columba visited the Pictish king, Bridei, son of Maelchon, in 565 [AD], he went to one of the royal fortresses; it was ‘near the river Ness’ and the most widely accepted identification is Castle Urguhart on Loch Ness... where the medieval castle overlies earlier occupation...” (Nicoll 23)
Several Pictish forts have been excavated, revealing that the warlords lived in style, wearing great silver chains and beautiful jewelry. A Pict’s life was not altogether different than that of his southern Celtic neighbors; they all spoke a very similar language, as the Pictish language is convincingly argued to have been P-Celtic or Brittonic.