Author Kim Clement stated in his book, “Secrets of the Prophetic” that a promise is not as effective as the product. A promise lingers in our thoughts and minds but the product of that imagination is what will shift our lives and the lives of those around us.
He also states that we are always living in some form of process
and this spiritual process is the space between the promise and the product.
The process of re-evaluating what was once considered “Godly
practice” will result in the rejection of a powerless tradition that has no
application in this present generation.
Tradition is simply continuing the old franchise of the past but
essentially that old franchise becomes irrelevant.
Chained to tradition, the church will never be able to discover
the creative forces they were meant to possess.
Louis Dupre, professor of Philosophy at Yale University wrote that
“Christianity has become a historical factor subservient to a secular culture,
instead of functioning as the creative power it once was”.
It is clear that too much of Christianity has become absorbed by
the culture, rather than functioning as the creative power of the culture.
Let us become the creative power that is affecting the culture,
rather than a mountain of garbage consisting of boring nonsense that has no
relevant word for a dying culture.
There are enough people in the church to infiltrate and shift the
whole course of our present culture.
But first we must be willing to give up all our religious,
traditional nonsense and allow ourselves to become God’s creative word to the
world.
Historic Truth vs. Creative Truth
There is a difference between historic truth and creative truth. Think on this! It was truth at one time (maybe) and it had its effect but now it’s dead; it is not truth that is creative. It has no potential unless it was transferred into this hour by the creative power of birth- which we now call re-birth.
Creative truth is lacking in the church today. We are all
hanging on to what we used to do rather than doing what we should do.
It might be a comfortable place but it is not a spiritual
place.
Historical truth is not as important as creative truth.
Inside of you is a creativity to bring something forth-not to re-invent the
wheel, but to do something that has never been done before.
Its call the power of invention.
Truth resurrected has a whole lot more to say. In the name
of the older and more cherished people, we will do greater things!
Creative truth means we are going to do greater things than
were done yesterday. Authors, Poets, Entertainers, Musicians, Presidents,
Senators, Kings and Queens, they are all going to feel the Kingdom in its
dominion.
We need a bunch of Daniels and Esther’s who will reach up to heaven and bring down God’s creative power in the midst of an alien culture and shift the balance of power towards the righteous.
The Bible calls Divination an
Abomination
In Leviticus 20:6, and I paraphrase, God told the children
of Israel that “the person who turns after mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute
himself/herself with them, I will set my face against that person and cut them
off from his people.”
Also the priest Ezekiel condemned false prophets in the book
of Ezekiel Chapter 13 as follows:
False
Prophets Condemned
13 The word of the Lord came to
me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the
prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out
of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 3 This
is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who
follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Your
prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You
have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people
of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 Their
visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has
not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to
fulfill their words. 7 Have you not seen false
visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,”
though I have not spoken?
8 ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divination's. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.
10 “‘Because they lead my people
astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a
flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore
tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come
in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent
winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses,
will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”
13 “‘Therefore this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and
in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with
destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the
wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so
that its foundation will be laid bare. When itfalls, you
will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So
I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with
whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who
whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who
prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no
peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’
17 “Now, son of man, set your
face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their
own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say,
‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic
charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in
order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve
your own? 19 You have profaned me among my
people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my
people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and
have spared those who should not live.
20 “‘Therefore this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare
people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the
people that you ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear
off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall
prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because
you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no
grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways
and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no
longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my
people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
No power on earth is able to overcome the children of the
Lord. When we confront the powers of darkness, the Lord is there to shine His
light and confuse our enemies.
Isaiah 44: 24-25 states:
24 “This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,
who spreads out the earth by myself, 25 who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense.
Remember that not only has God given us a creative nature, he has
also given us His divine nature and power.
When we are confronted by the powers of darkness, we must use the
power of his word and be sensitive to the Spirit of a person’s heart.
One of the gifts God has made available to us is the “discerning
of spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10).
However, sometimes we may use the wrong measuring stick to judge
people. They may have personalities that do not please us. They may have a disposition
that is usually angry or calm. They may have voices that we find to be too loud
or soft or maybe we find them to be too colorful or conservative. Lol!
But that is not what counts. What really counts and the question we should be asking ourselves is, what about their hearts?
There is no peace when you serve Satan! What is caging you may ask?
It is when a person is literally put in a cage spiritually, so that they cannot see the wrong actions of someone, or so that they will believe lies about someone. It’s kind of like putting mental blinders on someone. Like the blinders you’d put on horses so they see in only one direction.
We must be ever vigilant as Christians so that we can discern if a person is a true servant of Jesus Christ. Once a person is caged, it is easy to place all kinds of wrong thoughts into their minds and they will not realize that the thoughts are inconsistent with God’s word.
This is one way in which demonic doctrines can get accepted in the Christian Churches today.
As Christians, we must refuse to accept anything or anyone at face value and test everything against God’s word. Don’t fall for someone just because of his or her charisma. Unfortunately, in today’s society we are easily susceptible to following people with a lot of charisma.
I believe that is perhaps one of the greatest problems within our churches today. Too many people may obtain positions of leadership simple because they have very charismatic personalities which naturally attract people.
Satanism is a big problem around the world and it is beyond anything that has been portrayed in the press. Every city, town or country has its covens, groups or community of people who directly worship and serve Satan.
Unfortunately, it also appears that even some High schools, Universities, Colleges and even Christian schools have their own covens.
In addition to this, did you know that many Asian religions practice another form of Satanism like Egyptians and Caribbean cults?
It doesn’t matter how you pretty it up and make it look glamorous, every religion that worships and serves demons is a form of Satanism. Some people refer to them as energies, vibrations, pagan gods, spirit entities etc.
I don’t care! They are still demons!
In 2 Timothy 4:1-5 it states,
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministries.
The Appeal Renewed
2 Timothy 2:1-13
1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others
3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.
6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,
9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
And I forward to verse 19
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription:
“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.
21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Types of Doorways
Inheritance
Ouija board
Ritual sex
Tarot cards
General occult games
Animal sacrifice
Murder
Horoscope
Blood contracts
Witchcraft
Drugs
Kung fu
Karate
Human sacrifice
Drinking blood (animal & human)
Hypnosis
Incest
Palm reading
Yoga
Rock music
Occult & horror movies
Rebellion
Drunkenness
Multiple sexual relationships
Cannibalism
Astral-projection
Blasphemy
Curses can also be placed on mirrors and this can be used as a doorway for demons to enter into a place. Mirrors are a common doorway frequently used to establish communication with the spirit world. All Christians must be alerted to this source of trouble, especially pastors and Christian leaders.
Terrible damage is being done within Christian churches and in relationships between people because of these curses and incantations. We must always be alert and sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Put on the whole Amor of God and ask the Lord to show you how to use it. Even though we may not be able to see the armor of God, it is real armor in the spirit world. We can use it in the physical world with the help of the Holy Spirit.
So, what exactly is the Armor of God you may ask? In Ephesian 6:10-18 it says,
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
And I say personally, “ 19 Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Amen”
Psalm 35 New International Version
1 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. 3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, “I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. 5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; 6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, 8 may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin. 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation. 10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. 12 They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved. 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered, 14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother. 15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing. 16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.
17 How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you. 19 Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. 20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22 Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. 23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. 24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God; do not let them gloat over me. 25 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace. 27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.
I believe there is power in God’s word and we can still act upon His word today as the Holy Spirit shows us where to set our feet.
Please note however that it is important that we keep an attitude of humility and grace as we pray. John Dawson reminds us,
“As you stand in the gap for your city, allow the Holy Spirit to shine the bright light of truth into the inner rooms of your soul.
In Los Angeles, humans live with orcs and elves in a world where fantasy creatures do exist. LAPD police officer Dayl Ward is the first human cop having the orc police officer Nick Jakoby as a partner. When Ward is shot by an orc and Jakoby does not capture the shooter, he questions whether Jakoby lets the fellow orc escape. During a patrol, Ward and Jakoby arrest a man that tells that there is a prophecy and Ward is blessed. Meanwhile, Internal Affairs press Ward to find the truth about the escape of the shooter so that they can fire Jakoby. The magic department of the FBI interrogates the man that belongs to the terrorist Shield of Light group which protects brights so that they can prepare for the return of the Dark Lord that will destroy the world. Ward and Jakoby are summoned to attend a disturbance and they stumble upon a Shield of Light safe-house where they arrest the elf Tikka and bag her magic wand. Soon they learn that Tikka is hunted down by the evil and powerful rogue elf Leilah and her Terrorist group Inferni which are the ones actually trying to resurrect the dark lord and they need to protect Tikka and the wand; otherwise the world will be destroyed.
Women in the Church
A big obstacle that we as women face in maintaining an effective prayer life is the persistent and ever popular questions of,
“How can my prayers possibly make a difference in my life, my family, my community, my country or the entire world?”
This hesitation may possibly be Satan’s most effective method of discouraging us from pursuing prayer. Yet scripture clearly shows us that when believers pray on earth, they activate activities in the heavenlies.
The prophet Daniel had an angelic visitation after three weeks of prayer and fasting, and repenting on behalf of his people. The angel told Daniel that on the first day he humbled himself to pray, God had heard his words. In fact, the angel had been dispatched with a message in response to Daniel’s prayer, but had encountered interference from the “prince of Persia.”
Ultimately the messenger angel had to get help from the angel Michael to get his message through and he delivered a prophetic message to Daniel. If there were rulers or principalities in the spiritual realm trying to stop Daniel’s prayers from being answered then, who are we to believe we are immune!
I still believe there are hostile spiritual forces trying to block our prayers from being answered and scripture implies that these principalities rule over different geographical locations.
The Book of Daniel
The book of Daniel illustrates how God protected and promoted four young men.
When Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrated their faithfulness to God, they are delivered from deadly perils by God’s mighty acts.
In the bible, Daniel was given the ability to interpret dreams and in the second part of the book of Daniel, it describes visions and messages that Daniel received from God through angelic messengers. These visions are represented in the cryptic language and symbolic terms typical of apocalyptic literature.
The End Times
12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
The gift of the Holy Spirit empowers us to be strong women of God, even in our moments of weakness. In the bible, Jesus promised his followers, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, or Strengthener) that He may remain with you forever; the Spirit of Truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27)
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:1-15 New International Version (NIV)
16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Jesus Prays for His Disciples (John 17:6-19)
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers (John 17:20-26)
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
God in His marvelous grace, began revealing His will for man right from the beginning, in Genesis 3:15, which is the first prophecy related to God’s redemptive plan for the salvation of mankind.
From there onward, through the pens of many writers, including myself, I strongly believe that God will continue to reveal more and more of His plan, which we can still find in the Bible today!
The Power of Three: A Perfect Testimony
During the third month of the calendar year (March), we shall celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, also known as Easter Sunday. Some churches may also celebrate Palm Sunday, which is the final Sunday before Easter Sunday.
Did you know that it is said that Christ died and rose again on the third day and that there is a symbolic meaning for the number (3) three?
Biblically, three is the number of the Godhead and the number of Divine completeness?
Regardless of the countless curses people may place on you in your life, distractions, fears, and setbacks, if you are a fighter and ready for warfare, you will always be resilient and tenaciously focus on the vision or goal that you have created for your life.
I highly recommend writing out your vision or dream and cementing it with a mission statement so that it becomes clear and compelling.
Next, you may want to review it occasionally and record the different lifestyle changes that have taken place and make necessary adjustments as unforeseen events inevitably might occur and reshape the basic logistics of your vision.
A formidable queen causes a rift between Maleficent and Princess Aurora. Together, they must face new allies and enemies in a bid to protect the magical lands which they share.
Reviewing and adjusting solidifies your original foundation and helps you to ascertain whether or not you are thriving within your environment.
Thriving and Surviving!
Speaking of thriving and surviving- Did you know that fighter pilots in World War II had different methods and tactics of survival they developed in order to remain steadfast through every mission they had to fly?
In order to get through the numerous moments of being tired, stressed and on the verge of panic at the sight of each new enemy plane, the fighter pilots would leave behind or carry sentimental objects that reminded them of loved-ones or they would make promises to their loved ones that they knew they had to keep.
For example, a letter that remained unread or a promise of marriage to someone they left behind.
See my previous article which also gives examples of other times of war in history:
Directed by Angelina Jolie As a boy, Louis “Louie” Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander
The above movie Unbroken: Path to Redemption, which was directed by Angelina Jolie is a magnificently portrayed example of survival and the strength of the human spirit in spite of numerous obstacles.
Also, in addition to the fighter pilots in the World War II story I mentioned previously, I learnt that not only did the fighter pilots leave something or someone behind to look forward to, they might have also left something to complete.
That way their minds could focus on that thought and arouse or stimulate the necessary motivation to face one more “dogfight”, or survive another loss of a dear friend on the battle field and get through one more mission.
Just like in the movie Unbroken: Path to Redemption, the story I read illustrated where the real battle begins and ends.
The fighter pilots knew that while in battle the temptation to give in to physical wariness and breakdown under various psychological traumas was extremely high. The real war wasn’t on the battle field- the real war was in their mind.
Even though we celebrate our veteran’s heroism, the ugly truth is many of them both locally and around the world have been exposed to numerous traumatic events.
PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)
Many Research Experts have agreed that most of the times, PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) develops shortly after exposure to the traumatic event. Sometimes, it may even be delayed months or even years later and may be triggered by something that is reminiscent of the original stressor. Wow!
However, please note that not everyone who is exposed to a terrible event goes on to develop PTSD. It really depends on the individual and the nature of the event.
Some people, particularly those with preexisting emotional or personality problems, are naturally more susceptible to being scarred by traumatic events.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder was born originally on the battlefield and was known by a number of names such as “shell Shock”, “combat fatigue”, or “war neurosis”.
However, according to Allen Frances M.D. and Michael B. First M.D., horrifying experiences are by no means restricted to only warfare.
Community surveys that were done uncovered the fact that the majority of us have been exposed at some point in our lives to an event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury.
For example, car accidents, natural disasters, torture, concentration camps, rape, sexual or physical abuse and other crimes.
Additional Articles
See the three following articles which illustrates behaviors and circumstances:
Let’s also not forget other forms of psychological manipulations such as gas-lighting.
Gas-lighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity.
In order to gain more power, the person or entity makes the victim question their reality.
It works much better than you may think. Anyone is susceptible to gaslighting, and it is a common technique of abusers, dictators, narcissists, and cult leaders.
It is done slowly, so the victim doesn’t realize how much they’ve been brainwashed. For example, in the movie Gaslight (1944), a man manipulates his wife to the point where she thinks she is losing her mind.
A gas lighter will tell you that you’d be a worthy person if only you didn’t have such a long list of negative traits. They attack the very foundation of your being.
When dealing with a person or entity that gaslights, look at what they are doing rather than what they are saying. What they are saying means nothing; it is just talk. What they are doing is the issue.
Occasionally, they may throw in positive reinforcement to confuse you.
This person or entity that is cutting you down, telling you that you don’t have value, is now praising you for something you did. This adds an additional sense of uneasiness. You think, “Well maybe they aren’t so bad.” Yes, they are!
This is a calculated attempt to keep you off-kilter—and again, to question your reality.
Also look at what you were praised for; it is probably something that served the gas lighter.
Gas lighters know that confusion weakens people.
Gas lighters know that people like having a sense of stability and normalcy. Their goal is to uproot this and make you constantly question everything.
And humans’ natural tendency is to look to the person or entity that will help you feel more stable—and that happens to be the gas lighter.
They often project their opinions on their “prey”.
Many times, they are drug users or cheaters, yet they are constantly accusing you the victim of that very behavior. This is done so often that you start trying to defend yourself, and are distracted from the gas lighter’s own behavior.
Unfortunately, they may even try to align people against you.
Gas lighters are masters at manipulating and finding the people they know will stand by them no matter what—and they use these people against you.
They will make comments such as,
“This person knows that you’re not right in your head or have a tendency to ‘go crazy’”.
Or
“you’re always gazing off in space,” or “This person knows you’re useless too”
or
“This person does not trust you either and we have heard that you carry an incurable disease.”
or
“We’ve heard that you’ve slept with so many men. Your a Whore!”
or
“This person also does not believe you are capable of holding down a regular job consistently”.
Keep in mind it does not mean that these people actually said these things. A gas lighter is a constant liar.
When the gas lighter uses this tactic, it makes you feel like you don’t know who to trust or turn to—and that leads you right back to the gas lighter.
And that’s exactly what they want: Isolation gives them more control.
Once again, they love telling you or others that you are crazy. This is one of the most effective tools of the gas lighter, because it’s dismissive.
The gas lighter knows that if they question your sanity, people will not believe you when you tell them that the gas lighter is abusive or out-of-control. It’s a master technique.
The more you are aware of these techniques, the quicker you can identify them and avoid falling into a gas-lighter’s trap.
Additionally, my bible tells me the following in Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version) NIV
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
According to Commonweal Magazine, The New Testament’s extensive language concerning malevolent spiritual forces is never humorous.
Apparently, the terminology varies and some texts speak of the Devil or Satan, while others speak of demons or unclean spirits which represent powers and principalities.
There are also such descriptions as the Ruler of the Power of the Air and the Dragon or Ancient Serpent.
Regardless of the description, when taken together, these terms point to a conviction, broadly shared by the writers of the New Testament, that a cosmic power, lesser than God but greater than humans alone, inhabited the world and worked against human good in a manner that was far from funny or creatively orchestrated like in the movies.
Satan hates ALL humans and he does not discriminate!
At the personal level, the bible says that Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, speaks of Satan as a constant threat, one lying outside the community yet capable of causing damage within.
More cosmically he envisions “powers and principalities” which, though conquered by the death and exaltation of Christ, remain capable of opposing believers, who must continue to do battle “against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Once again, as I mentioned from Ephesians 6:12).
Similarly, Peter pictures the Devil as a ravening beast out to destroy unwary believers, and counsels them to “be sober and watch, because your adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
In the bible, Luke imagines Satan as the arrogant ruler of a kingdom counter to God’s own, capable of granting great power to those willing to worship him, and commanding a vast army of demonic spirits.
John declares that “the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.”
Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Ephesians Chapter 1, vs 3:13, New International Version (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,
9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Finally, the Book of Revelation imagines the world caught in a cosmic battle between Christ and Satan, the great beast waging ceaseless war against the saints in unholy alliance with the corrupt power of an empire that buys and sells human lives and brands them with its mark.
The Thousand Years
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.
2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.
They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
The Judgment of Satan
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.
9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Now, many of the previous paragraphs and links illustrated negative behaviors and their affects, however, how many of you know that God’s correction is different.
With God’s correction-conviction is concerning the attitude or deed of the person and then there is a call for repentance.
Next, there should be an assurance of forgiveness and restoration to remind the individual of their value as God’s child.
7 Deadly Sins
People have always been known to be immoral, shiftless, and self-gratifying. For ages, humankind struggled to find a conceptual system to understand their spiritual shortcomings.
Wrath
Wrath is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Anger.
As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king’s successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora — realizing only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.
Qualities Needed in Trials
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Doers—Not Hearers Only
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
Christian Faith: From Elementary to Maturity
Hebrews 6 New International Version (NIV)
6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting,we will do so.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
The Certainty of God’s Promise
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Speaking of wrath; from another biblical perspective, the New Testament also has references regarding the Great Tribulation and the wrath of God.
The Wrath of God and the three angels (Revelation 14:6-13)
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth- to every nation, tribe, language and people.
7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgement has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
8 A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand,
10 they too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Envy
Envy is the desire for others’ traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Directed by Angelina Jolie As a boy, Louis “Louie” Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a particularly cruel prison commander
Being envied means that one is constantly under attack and
rendered helpless by it. To be envied is not always fun. When you are envied by
someone upon whom you are psychologically, financially or emotionally dependent
isolates and paralyzes the envied one.
According to Professors Ann and Barry Ulanor, in Cinderella and Her Sisters: The Envied and the Envying, the envied one grows increasingly desperate. Why? Nothing succeeds in warding off the envy.
If the envied person renounces all hope of being seen and accepted as themselves in all their natural, God-given talents, beauty, intelligence and grace, they are accused of being cold and aloof. They are also accused of being disconnected from the community, anti-socialist or branded as, “thinks they are better than everybody else”.
If on the other hand they try to share their brilliant
ideas, talents, or anything that is of value, they are attacked and accused of
showing off or being patronizing. Being envied is no fun!
If the envied person also tries to defend themselves by explaining
their abilities or seeks comfort when things go wrong in their life, they are
not listened to, for explanations will not fill up the empty heart of the Envier.
“What do you have to complain about? You have everything”,
or “Your life is better than most people I know, so stop complaining.”
Even if some of the above melodrama is lacking, the envied
person is still in the position of being held hostage as if they were being
held by terrorists. Terrorist whose only purpose is to exploit them and demoralize
them and laugh at their weaknesses.
There is nothing the envied person can ever do or say to appease their captors.
The envier’s enjoy the torture and manipulation of their victims too much and have no intention of letting go of the envied. They refuse to let their hostages get away.
Pride
Pride is excessive belief in one’s own abilities, that interferes with the individual’s recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise.
Pride is also known as Vanity.
In the age of heroes, a mighty warrior named Beowulf (Ray Winstone) arrives at the court of King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and offers to rid the kingdom of a vicious demon called Grendel. He successfully slays the beast but thus incurs the wrath of Grendel’s mother (Angelina Jolie), a creature as vicious and vengeful as she is seductive
Pride Promotes Strife (James 4: 1-10)
4 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Humility Cures Worldliness
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Greed
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Babylon The Great, The Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth (Revelation 17)
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her; I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Lust
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Luis (Antonio Banderas) and Julia (Angelina Jolie) are bound together first by matrimony, and then, by fierce love and desire. But the closer Luis becomes to Julia, the more enigmatic she seems to be. For Luis, the loneliness which led to love becomes a passion which transcends reason and defies convention, as he and Julia engage in a dangerous dance that takes them across the landscape of Cuba, into obsession, eroticism… and perhaps even murder.
Loving God Under Trials (James 1: 12-15)
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Gluttony
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Like other bears, pandas spend most of the day eating and sleeping. Bamboo is the most important plant for giant pandas. They spend at least 12 hours each day eating bamboo. Because bamboo is so low in nutrients, pandas eat a lot of it daily
Po might just be the laziest, clumsiest panda in the Valley of Peace, but he secretly dreams of becoming a kung fu legend. When the villainous snow leopard Tai Lung threatens Po’s homeland, the hapless panda is chosen to fulfil an ancient prophecy and defend the Valley from attack. Training under Master Shifu, Po embarks on an epic high-kicking adventure as he sets out to thwart Tai Lung’s evil plans.
Angelina Jolie as Master Tigress in Kung Fu Panda
Sloth
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
A lazy scene, featuring Angelina Jolie’s character called Lisa
Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, “Girl, interrupted” is the searing true story of Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder), a young woman who finds herself at a renowned mental institution for troubled young women, where she must choose between the world of people who belong on the inside — like the seductive and dangerous Lisa (Angelina Jolie) — or the often-difficult world of reality on the outside.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
One-time surgeon Eugene Sands loses his license for the negligent death of a patient for drugs addiction, and his life spirals into chaos. He finds himself in the employ of a shady gangster and soon becomes embroiled in dark and dangerous dealings.
The final sin as mentioned above was sloth and is said to be the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. Remember faith without works is dead!
However, how many of you know that once you have been called, it is then critical that you share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ?
The End Times
According to Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, coauthors of Left Behind and Charting the End Times, it is difficult for non-Christians to understand that a God of love would allow the tribulation.
But I agree with them that God really wants to draw as many people as possible to Him before Jesus returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom, and He will use the Tribulation to get their attention.
They believe that in grace and love, He will give more supernatural signs and leadings of His Spirit than at any time in the history of the world, proving that he is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
In the book of Revelation, Chapter 3, the Bible says to the angel of the church in Sardis:
1 These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.
3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Then to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
7 These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 I will make those who are the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars- I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Revelation 3:11)
Now in reverse, the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3)
3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:3)
Mr. Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice states that in Revelation, we find the seven years divided into two periods of 1260 days, or 42 months, or three-and-one-half years, or “time and times and half a time” (Revelation 11:2-3;12:6,7,14; 13:5).
Every one of those time spans totals up to seven years. The first half, or first 42 months, is the Tribulation, while the last half is called by our Lord “The Great Tribulation.”
The Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-24)
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.
13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray continually,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt
21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,
22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more Ishake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
According to my most recent studies, the word school is from a Greek root word that means “leisure”.
In ancient Greece, famous teachers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato taught aristocratic, upper-class men who had plenty of spare time.
Plato (429-347 BC) was born in fifth-century Athens to a wealthy family. As a young Athenian of his station, he was expected to pursue politics and such worthy matters.
Instead Plato decided to follow the path of his mentor, Socrates (470-399 BC) and became a philosopher.
In ancient times Athens was home to some of the most extraordinary accomplishments of philosophy, art, and science in human history.
Plato was born in a time known as the city’s “Golden Age” in the fifth century BC.
I’m delighted to also suggest a movie I’ve watched years ago which I thought was magnificently created to depict what life must have been like during that time.
Even though the emphasis was placed on Sparta, which was a small city in the rugged mountains of southern Greece and was feared for its military might, we are still able to see the connection to their neighbors in Athens.
Leonidas (GERARD BUTLER) bids farewell to his son Pleistarchos (GIOVANI ANTONIO CIMMINO) and wife Gorgo (LENA HEADEY) as the 300 begin their march north in Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Virtual Studios action drama 300, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, PUBLICITY OR REVIEWS OF THIS SPECIFIC MOTION PICTURE AND TO REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE STUDIO. NOT FOR SALE OR REDISTRIBUTION
Based on evidence of the past and clear and continuous events experienced in the present, it has now been widely perceived that both politics and religion are still the most heated topics and note-worthy matters in our society today.
Many cultures around the world and their people are passionate about these topics.
The same has been reported to be true in ancient China, where famous philosopher Confucius (K’ung Fu-tzu) was known to have only shared his wisdom with a privileged few.
Speaking of China, guess what I found out? The Musuo is a very small society in China’s Yunnan province, in which women control most property, select their sexual partners, and make most decisions about everyday life.
The Musuo appear to be operating with the Matriarchy (“rule of mothers”) type of system. This is a form of social organization in which females dominate males and have only rarely been documented in human history.
I’ve mentioned that interesting fact only because further on I will explain what Patriarchy (“rule of fathers”) is all about and how that has affected equality in our world today.
However, I strongly and passionately believe that neither one of these systems should be the standard or the social-norm in our world today.
Did you know that the limited schooling that takes place in lower-income countries reflects the national culture? The way that country is view by the rest of the world?
In Iran, for example, schooling is closely tied to Islam. Similarly, schooling in Bangladesh (Asia), Zimbabwe (Africa), and Nicaragua (Latin America) has been shaped by the distinctive cultural traditions of these nations.
Unfortunately, all lower-income countries have one trait in common when it comes to schooling. There is not much of it.
Here are the facts- According to World Bank 2011, In the world’s poorest nations (including several in Central America), about one-fourth of all children never get to go to school.
Another fact- World-wide, more than one-third of all children never reach the secondary grades or high school. As a result, about one-sixth of the world’s people cannot read or write.
Research shows that reading and writing skills are widespread in high-income countries, where illiteracy rates generally are below 5 percent.
I’ve also learnt that in much of Latin America, illiteracy is unfortunately more common and one of the consequences are due to limited economic development.
Statistics also shows that in twelve nations-most of them in Africa- illiteracy is the rule rather than the exception. Many of their people rely on the oral tradition of face-to-face communication rather than the written word.
However, the following map below has more updated information regarding where we are now regarding actual literacy around the world.
So, based on what you’ve observed, do you agree or disagree and how can we help each other raise our standards?
However, saying all of that, you know what I have come to realize- its even greater odds to be educated if you’re a girl in certain countries.
Many poor families depend on the earnings of their children, and in places like India where child labor has already been outlawed, many children still continue to work in factories-weaving rugs or making hand-crafted items which limits their opportunities for any time or kind of education.
Patriarchy (rule of fathers) is a form of social organization in which males dominate females and is found almost everywhere in the world.
This type of system shapes Indian education and most Indians parents are joyful at the birth of a boy because he and his future wife will both contribute income to the family.
Whereas it is seen as an economic cost to raising a girl. In their culture, parents must provide a dowry (a gift of wealth to the groom’s family) and after her marriage, a daughter’s work only benefits her husband’s family.
Therefore, many Indians see less reason to invest in the schooling of girls.
Did you also know that education has not always been part of the way of life for the Japanese? Before industrialization brought mandatory education in 1872, only a privileged few attended schools.
Now, Japan is a force to be reckoned with and its educational system is widely praised for producing some of the world’s highest achievers!
Results continue to show that Japanese schooling continue to produce impressive results and in many notable fields such as mathematics and science, Japanese students continue to outperform students in almost every other high-income nation, including the United States. Wow!
I hope they make time for a love life eventually or there won’t be many of them left. Lol!
In Great Britain during the Middle Ages, education was a privilege of the British Nobility, who studied classical subjects, having little concern at the time for the practical skills necessary and needed to earn a living.
However, as the Industrial Revolution came around it became evident that there was a need for an educated labor force, and as working-class people demanded access to schools, a rising share of the population entered the classroom.
British law now requires every child to attend school until the age of sixteen. I like that!
Now we can’t forget the United States in this article- after all they were among the first countries to set a goal of mass education for their people.
Studies show that by 1850, about half of the young people between the ages of five and nineteen were enrolled in school (1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Do not quench the Spirit”).
Teddy Walker is a successful salesman whose life takes an unexpected turn when he accidentally blows up his place of employment. Forced to attend night school to get his GED, Teddy soon finds himself dealing with a group of misfit students, his former high school nemesis and a feisty teacher who doesn’t think he’s too bright.
And by 1918, all states had passed a mandatory education law requiring children to attend school until the age of sixteen or completion of eight grade.
1 Thessalonians 5: 1-24 (The Day of the Lord) says,
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brother and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet (Kind of like a Spartan Soldier).
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
The United States history states that Thomas Jefferson thought the new nation could become democratic only if the people learned to read.
Today, the United States has an outstanding record of higher education for its people. Education is constantly being promoted in the United States and nearly all American’s dream of higher education and equal opportunities. National surveys show that most people think education is crucial to personal success, and more and more people are starting to believe the dream!
Everyone should have a chance to get an education, and it would be wonderful to receive one that is in line with the personal ability and talent of that individual.
However, we all know that is many people’s dream around the world but not the actual reality. And there are also many grown adults who sacrificed for a higher education and still bear the burden of existing student loans.
Many of the countries that I have mentioned above and others that were not mention but are definitely in the mix; realize the significance of education and its crucial importance to their economic development and increased equality.
So, what’s makes schools, colleges or universities so important? There are several variables.
Cool Reasons to go to School
Well, number one’s pretty easy.
It’s a good place to meet new people and interact.
Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school’s pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother (Paul Rudd) was right about how misguided she was — and falls for him
Now please understand, everyone is different, and some people may require or function more effectively in a different environment. We are all not the same.
After a spurned classmate curses him, an arrogant teen will be forever ugly unless he finds true love.
However, according to the definition of Sociology, which is the systematic study of the human society and the world around us, I can see such compounds as a great place to mix and mingle.
Alfred Binet was a psychologist who was commissioned by the French Government to devise an objective method for identifying children who were not doing well in school.
He designed the first comprehensive intelligence test in the early 20th century.
Then later on in 1916, Lewis Terman and his colleagues at Stanford University revised Binet’s test for use in the United States, resulting in the administered test gaining wide acceptance during the 1940s and 1950s.
From there, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale was introduced and is still widely used. (Fourth Edition SB-IV).
IQ = MA/CA X 100
I was also intrigued to find out that as time progressed test researchers developed a formula for expressing a child’s intellectual level that made it possible to compare children of different chronological ages (CA), which apparently are expressed in how old in years and months the children are.
This measurement was called the intelligence quotient (IQ) and is defined as follows: IQ = MA/CA X 100
The computation of IQ made it possible to understand how a child’s intellectual ability compared to that of peers of the same chronological age. However, there were problems with this ratio approach to IQ and now IQ is assessed using the deviation IQ approach.
This approach assigns an IQ score by comparing an individual’s test score with the scores of other people of the same age range.
David Wechsler (Wechester, 1974) is primarily known for developing this technique and was applied to IQ tests that both he and his colleagues developed.
The test for early childhood is the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, or WPPSI.
The test for childhood and adolescence is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or WISC and the test for adulthood is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale or WAIS (“wace”).
An individual who takes any of these tests obtains a score that is compared statically to the scores of other people of the same age.
The Wechsler IQ test is widely used although there are many other intelligence tests being used.
IQ is assumed to be normally distributed around an average score of 100, with about 2/3 of the general population scoring between 85 and 115 and almost 96% of the population scoring between 70 and 130.
That leaves roughly 2% of the population scoring below 70 and another 2% scoring above 130, which is a popular cutoff point for defining giftedness.
Nevertheless, in the United States of America, the passing of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-97), the re-authorization of this act in 2004 (IDEA-04), and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002, we can safely say that they are making considerable steps to the needs of their most vulnerable citizens.
Within the Cayman Islands, the Government and the general population has also been working diligently to make improvements were necessary in this regard and I strongly believe this will only facilitate more unity, hope and ambition for the people of the Cayman Islands.
Sometimes they pile up faster than leaves falling from a tree in autumn, but you got to keep track of them, study them, reflect on your shortcomings, identify what went wrong and why.
In the same way, we must study our mistakes in life and reflect on our motives from the past and identify what is in our power to change and let go of those things that are not.
Turn your burdens over to the Lord so your vision can become clearer.
Picture it with me! Vibrant rosebushes are swaying in their yellow-green dresses. Ok everbody, let’s do the 1-2 step! Lol!
A vivid sapphire sky kisses the horizon, as a brilliant sun bathes the faces of the first man and the first woman with an amber-yellow glow.
Isn’t love a beautiful thing?
Their union is supernaturally blessed and they know it! Predestined and orchestrated to embody the very Image of God.
It is very obvious that womanhood was not an afterthought with God, and it was through the creation of both male and female that God has offered us His fullest self-revelation.
If for some reason your imagination can not fathom the qualities of a perfect man or woman, if you reflect on who God is, we all carry His glory in ourselves individually and most of the time it can be seen in us. Lol!
Self-Image
Unfortunately, in today’s society the image of God often bears virtually no resemblance to our own self-image, because many of us walk around suffering from a low self-image. What’s up with that?
But how can our self-image be low when we contemplate the image of God in which we were created to reflect?
Please bear in mind your self-esteem shouldn’t be solely based on ego-boosting gratification that comes from awards, promotions, bonuses, money, status, cars, homes, land, who’s your partner or even new clothes.
Although realistically these things DO help.
I’d like to think those things are the temporary “uppers” of the “It’s all about you” generation.
I feel best about myself not when I am wearing a new outfit or dating someone new who is sizzling hot, but when I have selflessly reached out to an organization or an individual in need with no thought for reward -or of self.
Billionaire industrialist Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) is master of his universe, until he encounters a foe that he can’t defeat: cancer. His only hope is a radical medical procedure called “shedding,” in which his consciousness is transferred to a healthy body. After the procedure, Damian, now called Edward (Ryan Reynolds), starts a new life in New Orleans, but he’s plagued by disturbing images. When he delves into Edward’s mysterious origin, he learns that some will kill to keep it secret.
It is only when my self is submerged or decreased that God’s image can increase and begins to shine forth.
Only then do I truly feel I have a healthy self-image that truly reflects God’s image.
So, let’s continue our walk together in this classic biblical story.
As the lovely couple basked in the loving presence of their Parent (The Lord God), like children discovering new toys on their birthday under the caring and watchful eyes of their mother.
We can just imagine a timeless moment, ethereal, limitless in its innocence and depth of beauty.
According to Genesis 1:28, God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 2:8-9, Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there he put the man he had formed.
And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.
And in the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:16-17. And the Lord God commanded the man,
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
Now we must remember that Satan is very crafty and clever. His strategy is always to confuse reality and to make evil seem good.
He knows Eve is living in all the splendor of Eden, with all her needs met. So, the question is, how do you get at someone who is happy with being good and living righteous?
How do you get at someone who is trying to live right and do right?
The serpent had a plan. He approaches Eve with a theological discussion about God.
He correctly assumes that it is a safe subject, since he already knew she liked talking about God.
How many times have you found yourself standing in front of the tree that grows the forbidden fruit with your name on it?
You had good intentions but found yourself driving past an old flames apartment, walking past a liquor store, browsing the internet for the latest porn videos etc.
You had good intentions but you found yourself caught up in a swirling whirlwind of intense hypnotic memories from your past.
You ached for the penetrating feeling again, the illusion of intimacy and the need to communicate and connect.
The fruit looks so good dangling there right in front of you and would taste so sweet. Sweeter than the world’s best ice-cream and all its flavors!
You’re tired, your hungry, your longing for something that you haven’t found elsewhere. And along comes a snake.
He may be dressed in an Armani suit or she may be slithering along in a pair of six-inch heels and tight short red dress.
Snakes show up next to fruit that’s both forbidden and sometimes very good-looking.
They provide the voice urging you, convincing you, very subtly to give in to your temptations.
Inside many of us is the internal pressure that we are not good enough until we have attained the right clothes, man, house, job, or any other trappings that represent to the world that we are successful.
Speaking of internal pressures, our chosen lifestyle can increase or decrease our health.
According to many studies genetic components explain why some people have more difficulty with drug addiction or alcohol abuse.
Certainly, our genes, hormones, and other factors influence behavior. But apparently such influences, genetic or otherwise, can only create predispositions or tendencies.
“The devil made me do it”
becomes
“My genetics made me do it.”
Our genes may be God-given, but remember so is free will.
According to Dan Millman, the ego/self/personality is comprised of numerous tendencies.
He said, we tend to be lazy or to overwork; we tend to let our emotions drive our behavior; we tend to indulge or to deny ourselves; we tend to get attached to things, to lose perspective, to be overly serious or overly jealous.
We tend to be passive or aggressive, lackadaisical, or obsessive; to act without thinking or to think without acting; to be self-centered, defensive, and sometimes resentful.
We can’t erase our tendencies, but we can modify our behavior. Self-mastery entails transcending our tendencies and eccentricities, whatever they may be.
So, whether we tend to behave like a puritan or hedonist, a social butterfly or lone wolf – or to crave alcohol, or nicotine or to act aggressively- we can still live and act on purpose.
Remember who you are is God’s gift to you; what you become is your gift to God.
Allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment over the years, whether substantiated or not, have frequently been discussed amongst the community and the places we each call home. It affects virtually all nationalities and religions around the world.
However, even one child or teen being abused by a priest/pastor (or by anyone else) is too many.
Most cases of abuse, although being reported recently, go back two, three, four, or even fifty decades. Unfortunately, there was much less knowledge of the dynamics of abuse then than there is available today. Many times, offenders would be allowed to continue in their ministries after going through a time of brief counseling.
I am not against restoration of an individual, however, I believe it’s worth mentioning that according to research approximately 70% of accused priest/pastors were reported to also be survivors of abuse themselves. Wow!
A psychopath is murdering women across the Midwest. The FBI sends Agent Clarice Starling to interview psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant, diabolical cannibal who could provide insight into the killer’s identity. Lecter agrees to help Starling only if she’ll feed his morbid curiosity with details of her own complicated life. Starling is forced to confront not only her own hidden demons, but also an evil so powerful that she may not have the courage – or strength – to stop it.
Statistics recorded that many of them had serious psychological problems such as substance abuse and/or mood and personality disorders.
You may also visit www.silentlambs.org for additional information regarding sex offenders.
Thankfully, we have elevated our standards and now members of the clergy are more mature when they begin seminary. They undergo intense comprehensive psychological testing’s that includes specific evaluation for sexual problems and risk factors, and they are extensively trained in how to manage sexual issues.
We live in a culture where the sexual abuse of children is not uncommon. There have been reported cases of public and private school children that have been sexually abused or molested by school staff or employees. Regrettably, research also indicates that a greater percentage of children have been abused by family members, rather than by the clergy or school staff.
The publicity surrounding sexual abuse has raised consciousness in many communities of faith, and many have established stringent and detailed policies for ensuring the safety of children and young people.
These often include such things as never having a child alone in a room with an adult; an open-door policy in classrooms; extensive screening and background checks on all personnel who come into contact with children, and detailed procedures for reporting suspected abuse and dealing with offenders.
Child sexual abuse is a complex and serious problem. A few years ago, I attended a Darkness to Light training session at the Red Cross Cayman Islands and was also informed that the training could also be completed online at www.D2L.org
At Darkness to Light, their vision is to have a world free of child sexual abuse. A world in which all children are loved, protected, and nurtured, able to grow up healthy, with their sexual boundaries intact.
Sins that bring Curses
We read in Deuteronomy Chapters 27 & 28 that curses are promised for sins in these six areas: idolatry, dishonoring of parents, dishonesty and deception, cruelty to the helpless, sexual sin of any kind, and disregard for the law. (Some references concerning the sins of the fathers are Deuteronomy 29:24-28; 2 Chronicles 7:19-22; 34:23-25; Ezra 9:4; 13-15; Nehemiah 9:1-3; Isaiah 65:6-7 and Jeremiah 14:20-22; 16:10-13).
“There is that unseen and mysterious connection between a father’s (also mother’s) sins and the path of their children. If the parent commits certain kinds of sin, regardless of their training, or the social, cultural, and environmental influences on them- the sin or iniquity that is committed is “passed down” to the children, to the third and forth generation. Each generation adds to the cumulative iniquity, further weaken the resistance of the next generation”.
PASTOR BURTON STOKES
However, Mr. Stokes also stated that he does not mean to imply that there is any deficiency in the power of the blood of Jesus, which redeems us from the curse of sin, or that believers today are bound to the letter of Old Testament Law. But if we rebel in our hearts and rebuild idols in our lives, we can be ensnared again by the same yoke of bondage from which we’ve been delivered (see Galatians 5:1, 16). Therefore, we again become susceptible to the curse.
Please note however that these insights are not intended to bring you into fear or bondage, nor cause you to attribute every problem in your life, habit, or bad character trait to a curse or a demon. Sometimes emotional and behavioral problems have physiological or biological foundation as I have come to realize.
If we take the time to look at the various issues we have in our lives and become aware of our vulnerabilities, I strongly believe with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can renounce the sins we’ve yielded to in our lives and strengthen our defenses against the evil one.
An example of a prayer may be like this:
“Father, we come before you to confess and repent of our sins and the iniquity of our forefathers. Forgive us for the sins of idolatry, witchcraft, rebellion, immorality of any kind, addictions etc.
According to Ephesians 6:12, we bind all principalities and powers trying to influence us or our family, and we forbid them to operate in the name of Jesus. We declare that our Family is under the blood of Jesus; we revoke any generational curses and say that they will go no further. Jesus became a curse for us, therefore we are a generation that serves God.
Father, forgive us for depending upon any source that is not of you. Pour out your supernatural power in our families, so we will not be bound by the things of the natural world. We ask you to send your warring angels to do battle on our behalf. We thank you in advance that our children will take their place in the body of Christ and fulfill your calling upon their lives.
Father, we submit to you, and our hope and expectations are from you alone and no other spirit. By the power and authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we declare ANY satanic influence directed towards our families destroyed and defeated by Jesus’ death on the cross.
We thank you for freeing us from the bondage of our past and cleansing us by the blood of Christ. We also would like to thank you for our faithful Christian heritage- for those ancestors who did follow you and prayed for us so that we may become stronger in you and the power of the Holy Spirit.
We thank you for your mercy and your grace and for the blessings you bestowed upon us and our families. Amen”.
Happy Father’s Day- Honoring Father’s and Fatherhood
Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It will be celebrated on the 16th June 2019
Father’s Day is also celebrated in Burscough, Lancashire, North West of England
The idea for Father’s Day originated in the USA and has been officially celebrated there on the third Sunday in June since 1966.
The exact origins of what we now know as Father’s Day are disputed, though we do know the movement for a day which celebrated fatherhood began roughly 100 years ago.
While in the UK fathers can expect, at best, a breakfast in bed and handmade card and, at worst, the day to be completely ignored, elsewhere the festival is done a little differently.
In Germany it is called Vatertag (Father’s Day) but is also sometimes known as Männertag (or men’s day).
In China, Father’s Day used to be celebrated on 8 August as the Chinese for eight is “ba”, while a colloquial word for father is “ba-ba” – so the eighth day of the eighth month sounds similar to “daddy”.
The day has since been moved to the third Sunday of June, in line with the UK and US.
Satan’s goal is, through deception, to entice believers to sin or commit any act which quenches the Holy Spirit in their lives or dilutes their effectiveness in glorifying God through both personal conduct and Christian service. His desire is to find any areas in our lives where he can attach himself (See Ephesians 4:27). Through his demons he seeks to find any “sin handles” which give him access to influence us into actions of disobedience towards God.
Satanism is a big problem around the world and it is beyond anything that has been portrayed in the press or in movies. Every city, town or country has its covens, groups or community of people who directly worship and serve Satan.
After a spurned classmate curses him, an arrogant teen will be forever ugly unless he finds true love.
It doesn’t matter how you “pretty it up” and make it look glamorous, every religion that worships and serves demons is a form of Satanism. Some people refer to them as energies, vibrations, pagan gods, spirit entities etc.
Demons are masters of deceit. They have the ability in the spirit realm to “switch the sets” just the same as men do in the movie making industry. If you have ever visited Universal Studios, Warner Brothers (WB) etc., where many of the movies are made in America, you can walk down one street and be in the “Old West,” turn down the corner, and you are in 18th century England, turn another corner, and you are in a different time and country, maybe even on a different planet!
Demons can do the same thing in the spirit world and create all sorts of illusions, like modern day magicians for the humans under their control.
I have learnt that in some Eastern religions they center around gaining contact with the spirit world through meditation techniques to blank the mind. My scripture tells me that we are responsible for and should control our own minds at all times. (II Corinthians 10:5)
Visualization and guided imagery are also very old techniques but effective for gaining contact with the spirit world. Apparently, those techniques alone are responsible for thousands of Christians falling into the trap of using occultic practices.
It sounds like just another urban legend — a videotape filled with nightmarish images leads to a phone call foretelling the viewer’s death in exactly seven days. Newspaper reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is skeptical of the story until four teenagers all die mysteriously exactly one week after watching just such a tape. Allowing her investigative curiosity to get the better of her, Rachel tracks down the video and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery.
14th February 2011 at The University College of the Cayman Islands
Most important to note is that children go through a developmental stage where they use a lot of imagination and visualization.
During my ongoing extensive research, I was stunned to find out that there are many occultic games and toys for children. Parents should be extremely careful about the toys they buy for their children and the types of video games that they play.
The Bible says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and just like a house, our temple should be guarded and protected from “unwelcomed doorways”.
What is a doorway? It’s a term used as a sin that defiles the temple.
Types of Doorways
Inheritance (Generational curses etc.)
Ouija board
Ritual sex
Tarot cards
General occult games
Animal sacrifice
Murder
Horoscope
Blood contracts
Witchcraft
Drugs
Kung fu
Karate
Human sacrifice
Drinking blood (animal & human)
Hypnosis
Incest
Palm reading
Yoga
Rock music
Occult & horror movies
Rebellion
Drunkenness
Multiple sexual relationships
Cannibalism
Astral-projection
Blasphemy
We can create many doorways and I’ve listed a few above however one such door way is sexual molestation.
Sexual molestation unfortunately is the most common childhood doorways. Apparently, it is always followed by a cycle of early sexual involvement on the part of the child with ever increasing involvement in sexual sins as the person gets older. This is usually because of the demons that may have been placed in the child at an early age.
Children are very vulnerable and should be protected at all cost! However, we adults are susceptible too and should be aware of the basic differences between the Occult and Christianity.
For example, the occultist will always try to control their contact with the spirit world and try to control the person or people within. If they do not do what the they are told, they are then punished. To a large extent, the Satanist appears to be controlling the power they are using for whatever purpose it’s being use for at the time.
However, as Christians, we are never in contact with the spirit world except for the brief occasions when the Holy Spirit allows such contact and we Christians do not and cannot control the power of God. We are simply his servants or vessels of honor, nothing more.
The Lord works through His servants as He chooses, not as we choose. Demons however, only cooperate with humans to give them power when that person wants it, and it is only used as a tool or I’d say a “carrot stick” to draw them even farther away from the Lord and into satanic worship.
Jesus promises the Holy Spirit
The gift of the Holy Spirit empowers us to be strong women of God, even in our moments of weakness. In the bible, Jesus promised his followers, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, or Strengthener) that He may remain with you forever; the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27)
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:1-15 New International Version (NIV)
16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Jesus Prays for His Disciples (John 17:6-19)
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers (John 17:20-26)
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
I pray that as we will continue to be careful in our walk by faith and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, we will not allow desires for power and greed to draw us into Satan’s deceitful traps.
Vision is so much a part of us that we tend to take it for granted. According to anthropologist Carleton S. Coon, “sharp-focusing eyes” are among the five physical gifts that have allowed human beings to rise to their present dominance of this planet.
Think about it? What if you had never seen one of the most natural phenomenon called the rainbow.
Some people say it’s one of the most beautiful sights our eyes can behold and it has been singled out in Genesis as a reminder of God’s mercy after the great flood.
There is another facet of human vision that has led not only to scientific knowledge of the way the visual system works but also to a global activity that is part art form and a money-making industry. Motion Pictures!
Though she’s been groomed for stardom all her life by an overbearing mother (Minnie Driver), singer Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is having trouble dealing with her success. Feeling unable to cope any longer, Noni tries to kill herself, but luckily Kaz (Nate Parker), the police officer assigned to be her bodyguard, thwarts her suicide attempt. Noni and Kaz feel an instant attraction, but those in their orbit oppose the romance for fear the pair will stray from the course planned out for both of them.
S.n.a.p.(Stop Now and Plan) program in the Cayman Islands
An early intervention program for children as young as 6 has been pitched as a new tool to help prevent school troublemakers in the Cayman Islands from graduating to more serious crimes.
According to the Cayman Compass, the SNAP program, developed by Canada’s Child Development Institute, seeks to identify children with behavioral issues and help them develop self-control and conflict management skills.
Leena Augimeri, scientific and program development director for the institute, said the concept of the program, which has proven successful in Canada, is to identify young offenders early and address the causes of their behavior.
SNAP, which stands for Stop Now and Plan, involves a 13-week behavioral modification program that teaches children with anger issues new ways of handling conflict.
The program, which also involves sessions for parents and follow-up sessions with counselors, has been shown in peer reviewed studies to reduce the risk of young offenders going on to more serious criminal behavior.
The program is based on the principle that there are many opportunities to change the lives of children before they become involved in the criminal justice system. Ms. Augimeri said research shows that children who became involved in criminal behavior at 14 had, in most cases, been displaying warning signs, such as aggressive behavior in school, since age 7.
Michael Myles, government’s at-risk youth officer and a board member of Youth ACT, said he was frequently faced with young children who were displaying “chaotic behavior” in school and at home.
“It is not a matter of identifying the kids. There is not a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or psychologist in this country that couldn’t refer multiple children to this program.”
Michael Myles
He said the SNAP program could provide the answer for some children. He hopes it can become part of the school curriculum or the Extended After School Program, with a full-time program coordinator overseeing a team of trained community volunteers.
Mr. Myles believes Cayman needs to start making an investment in dealing with the root causes of crime instead of just dealing with the consequences.
He believes investment in treatment and crime prevention from an early age can steer them in a different direction before it’s too late.
GREAT ART AT IT’S BEST!
Great art has been created in motion pictures and television. Studio Productions like Miramax, Paramount Vantage, Marvel Studios …… just to name a few, and people like Charles Chaplin, Orson Welles, James Cameron, Gary Ross and currently one of my favorite producers, Rebel Wilson have enriched our lives over many years and still continue to do so.
Even Walt Disney and other motion picture cartoonists offer a clear example of timeless art in all its stages and glory!
In the hilarious new comedy, THE HUSTLE, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star as female scam artists, one low rent and the other high class, who team up to take down the dirty rotten men who have wronged them.
THE COMPARISON GAME
It is very easy to get got up in the comparison game, partly because we learn by observing those around us. If I asked you to stop whatever you were doing right now and describe the impact you want to have on those around you and the world after your gone, it’s only normal and natural that you would think of women you want to emulate. Having successful women to model after is a true blessing.
So maybe in thinking about what you want to leave behind, you focus on the compassion of Mother Teresa, the courage of Rosa Parks, the beauty and determination of Halle Berry, the creative nature of Rosie Gordon Wallace, the authoritative and outstanding presence of Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey and so on.
Seriously, think about it! That sounds like a great recipe for success, doesn’t it? It’s like wondering through an art gallery or museum of great leading ladies and choosing colors and brushstrokes that you admire and want to incorporate onto your own canvas. Happily, there are just too many for me to name them all!
The danger arises when you set yourself up to be measured on their scale without their life experiences and circumstances, talents, beauty or even their personalities.
There will never be another Angela Bassett (How Stella got her groove back) and how I am planning to get my groove back. Lol!
There will also never be another Rosie Gordon Wallace (http://dvcai.org/), Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Gloria Jean Watkins a.k.a. “Bell Hooks” or any of the twenty-four Caymanian women from George Town, Grand Cayman who lead the charge for equal rights for women by writing to Commissioner Ivor Otterbein Smith on Election Day 1948, declaring, “That it is our intention to exercise our constitutional right to vote today, August 19th 1948 according to our conscience”.
“Without culture, without creative art inspiring to the senses, mankind stumbles in a chasm of despair and pessimism.”
Gloria Jean Watkins (born September 25, 1952), better known by her pen name bell hooks, is an acclaimed intellectual, feminist theorist, cultural critic, artist, and writer. She has authored over 30 books and has published works that span several genres, including cultural criticism, personal memoirs, poetry collections, and children’s books.
Her writings cover topics of gender, race, class, spirituality, and what she describes as their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination. She also teaches and emphasizes the significance of media in contemporary culture.
The focus of hooks’ writing has been the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender. She has also published numerous scholarly articles, appeared in several documentary films, and participated in many public lectures. In 2014, she founded the bell hooks Institute at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. http://www.bellhooksinstitute.com/
We had or still have these amazing originals and don’t need replicas. Most important to note is that no one else can be you but you! Lol!
“People are born originals, but die copies”
John Mason, author of An Enemy called Average
You can observe and emulate without attempting to conform to someone else’s standards and achievements.
For instance, real money is considered money, usually coinage, as distinguished from paper money and is accepted as Legal Tender. Also called Hard Currency. Checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments would not be considered real money.
RATE OF RETURN
The yield obtained on invested capital also known as the Return on Equity (ROE), or Return on Assets (ROA), a measure of operating performance. Snap!
You have your own race to run, and while you can learn about pacing and breathing by studying those who have run ahead of you, only you can finish your race and reach the finish line God has established for your unique course.
QUADRATIC PRICING MODEL
The financial pricing model, indicating the optimal market for a new product or service, and the optimal price-yield of a new product. The highest profit potential is for a customized product made for a specialized group of clients, such as full-service brokerage, or private banking.
KEY MAN INSURANCE
Key Man Insurance Is an insurance policy protecting a small business or partnership against business losses from the death or disability of a principal owner. Lenders sometimes require partnerships of closely held corporation to take out such insurance naming the lender as loss payee before extending credit if they believe the loss of a key employee will hinder a firm’s ability to repay a bank loan.
KEY
Key is a set of instructions governing the encryption and decryption of electronic messages. Each financial institution participating in a wire transfer system or electronic funds transfer network, such as an ATM network, has a unique identification key, called an issuer’s key.
KEY CURRENCY
Key currency is currency used in international trade settlement, or as a reference currency in setting exchange rates. Key currencies are the U.S. dollar, or, more broadly, any currency issued by one of the GROUP OF SEVEN countries. Central banks hold a portion of their reserves in a key currency.
KEEFE BANK INDEX
Keefe Bank Index is composed of 24 money centers and regional banks compiled by Keefe, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a New York investment banking firm specializing in bank stocks. The index is an unweighted index of banks and bank holding companies that track s earnings, dividends, and market price performance of the group. It is used by securities analysts to monitor the relative performance of individual holdings of bank stocks.
KEY MANAGEMENT
Key management in data processing and electronic funds transfer, the control of identification codes unique to each financial institution in a network. Banks never transmit a key in the clear, that is in unencrypted form, but use a commonly accepted encryption formula to prevent unauthorized access. Periodically, banks change their codes, called issuer KEYS, for security reasons.
QUIET TITLE ACTION
Quiet Title Action is legal action brought to eliminate any interest or claim in a property by others. It is the procedure used to remove title defects from a real estate title when a QUITCLAIM DEED cannot be obtained.
Healthy and Nurturing Relationships vs Unhealthy and Destructive Relationships
Be careful who you let into your inner circle of friends. Believe it or not, who your friends are says a lot about you. So, the question therefore is, who exactly are you and what do you stand for? If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything? Remember that!
The community to which we become tied will always give us direction and rules of conduct. The rituals we perform subconsciously ties us to the communities. If we say a certain prayer in private or public, it automatically ties us to the group or members of the community that uses and believes in that prayer.
If we sing a certain song, like our National Anthem of this British Overseas Territory, “God save the Queen” or the Cayman Islands National Song “Beloved Isle Cayman” which was written in 1930 by Mrs. Leila Ross-Shier, it will or should connect us to the group or country that also feels, responds and believes in the words written.
Unfortunately, sometimes we become involved in some addictive and destructive relationships and with these relationships it can be hard to see the dangers when you have become the person in the middle of the chaos.
If you don’t know me by now, you will never know me. I’m always studying something or reading a book about something and I’ve recently learnt that addictive and destructive relationships are very superficial and most of the time are very private. The Addict inside does not care to be with people, but prefers to be alone or with other addicts who know, accept, and are not scared by their rites of addiction.
The alcoholic drinks alone or with “drinking buddies.”
The sex addict watches pornography or visits prostitutes where they are alone in a private addictive world of their own. If there is acting out with someone, it often takes place without words, but with addictive looks to communicate who will do what in the addictive rite. https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator/fifty-shades-of-play-happy-valentin
The bulimic’s or anorexics rite is a private act, but in another way this ritual is still a tie to a community whose members are secret to each other. Perhaps they will only meet when they band together in recovery to help each other fight their common enemy, food addiction. https://teneishajohnson.wixsite.com/dream/who-you-are-vs-how-you-look
The addictive gambler most often prefers to be alone, but can recognize other addicts by the way they act, the symbols they carry, and the places they meet. They often pass each other, recognizing each other’s presence in a silent way; if they talk, it is about their common interest in gambling.
Addiction is a negative form of worship through connection with one’s negative side, the Addict, at the expense of the Self. The “Self” or the person within witnesses the addictive ritual and is often sickened by what he or she is forced to participate in, but they are held captive by the power of the disease.
I’ve also learnt that it is very important for recovering people to understand their “Addict” has a preferred way of acting out and that there are dangerous areas, times and behaviors they need to avoid that may trigger another episode.
According to Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. and Craig Nakken, a recovering spending addict who has a ritual of acting out on Friday evenings, he or she will need to make sure they are around safe friends doing safe activities on Friday nights. A sex addict who use to cruise a certain part of town as part of his or her addictive ritual needs will need to stay away from that part of town.
Healthy rituals can also bind us to others, to family and to friends. Attending church as your able, volunteering your time or resources to one of the many great causes in our community and around the world etc.
If you think about it- healthy rituals bind us to people who care about us, where as addictive and sometimes destructive rituals are reverse rituals and their primary purpose is to isolate us from others.
Healthy rituals help us to have better relationships. They help us to feel pride about ourselves and others, addictive and destructive rituals cause shame.
Healthy rituals celebrate life, addictive and destructive rituals seek out death.
“Women, know your calling and embrace the work that will change lives. Have courage to walk away from the false comfort of an unactualized existence. Master the grit and tenacity to act on and live through your deepest desires (let me ‘Teneisha’ also inject fears). Share your best self with future generations. Generations to come will see your path and take the necessary footsteps to follow in your honor.”
Rosie Gordon Wallace
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is universally recognized as one of history’s greatest creative geniuses. Excelling in a variety of disciplines-painting, sculpture, architecture, music, engineering, and physical sciences- he is often deemed the quintessential Renaissance man. Wow!
He is famously known for paintings The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa, it is one of the most famous paintings in the world, despite its relatively small size and simple composition. The work which is painted in oil on a popular panel, measures thirty-one by twenty-one inches. Another interesting fact that I found out is Mona is a contraction of ma donna, Italian for “my lady” Love it!
Due to his genius and fame, da Vinci has served as a continuous inspiration for many artists. In more recent times, he has appeared as a character in a wide range of fictions, from the television series Star Trek to the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code which also became a movie.
KEYNESIAN ECONOMICS: Was Keynes another Renaissance Man?
Keynesian economics is an economic theory originated by the British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), and his followers. Keynes maintained that governments should use the power of the budget to maintain economic growth and stability, and overcome the recessionary cycles common in most western economies.
Towards this purpose, Keynes argued, in his work The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1935) that governments become active managers of the economy, by manipulating taxation and spending policies. According to the Keynesian view, deficit spending stimulates private sector development in periods when the economy is under-performing.
Critics of Keynesian economics, especially the monetarists, say that economic stability is best achieved by controlling credit and growth in the MONEY SUPPLY. Monetarists fault Keynesian economics for relying too much on government spending and taxation policies, which they say over-stimulates the economy, causing high inflation rates and contributing to the boom and bust cycles in the economy that have occurred since the mid-1970s.
Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance artists five centuries ago also began using what was called the camera obscura (or pinhole camera) as an aid to drawing.
Some four centuries later, two Frenchmen, Joseph Nicephore Niepce and Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, hit upon the idea of placing a plate containing light-sensitive chemicals at the back of a camera obscura. Photography was then born, and to this day we call the instrument we use for making photographs after the old Latin word for “chamber”: camera.
Photography has since then quickly found use in journalism, art, science etc.
Photographs record the everyday world and allows the general public to see faces, places and scenes from virtually anywhere in the world. Photography brings us images of war and beauty, famine and high fashion, art and nature, love and romance.
Instant Photography
Edwin Land demonstrates Polaroid color instant photography. Fritz Goro/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images.
Created Camera which rapidly developed pictures. (Patent filed 3rd February 1948 and published as US 2543180) “
The Inventor, Edwin Land was still a physics student at Harvard when he succeeded in producing the first modern filters to polarize light. This has applications in sunglasses, headlights and other requirements in reducing glare. He created both a camera and the special film required for the development of dry black and white photographs in about a minute.
In 1932, Edwin Land and George W. Wheelwright, III (1903–2001), a Harvard colleague, formed Land-Wheelwright Laboratories in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to manufacture polarizers and the company became public in 1937.
The company’s inexpensive polarizers were used in photographic filters, glare-free sunglasses, and stereoscopic products that gave the illusion of three-dimensional (3-D) images. 3-D movies were created by applying polarizers to projectors and viewing glasses. The company also invented a new product called a vectograph that combined two still images taken from slightly different positions and printed as oppositely-polarized images; using polarized glasses, viewers saw a 3-D image of the subject.
Fundamentally vision provides ten times as much information as hearing and compliments the famous saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
However, none of what I’ve stated above, would have been possible without the above- mentioned people having an actual vision and the ability to not only conceive an idea but to bring it to life.
Teneisha Johnson has a Dream 