All posts tagged: Spiritual warfare

Inside Iran's Parliament

Is a demonic angel, the Prince of Persia, influencing the government of Iran?

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As we watch events unfolding in the Middle East, it is clear that Iran is a major instigator of the problems involving attacks on Israel. Iran is believed to be providing both financial and armament support to several terrorist groups in the region, including Hamas (Gaza), Hezbollah (Lebanon), and Houthis rebels (Yemen). Even other Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, which was actually attacked by the Iranian-backed Houthis in 2019, are concerned about Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East. As I have mentioned in an earlier article, before 1935, Iran was commonly referred to by its ancient name Persia. In a recent Christian Post article, Jason Jimenez wonders if the issues we are seeing in Iran today are being instigated by powerful demonic forces that are influencing the country’s political leaders, whom even the Iranian people despise. Jimenez asks if the Bible’s description of a powerful fallen angel, who influenced Persia in its ancient past, is exerting itself once again? In Daniel 10, the prophet Daniel, who was living in Persia (verse one), …

Guitarist plays on of bass guitar

Is the spiritual battle getting real? What is going on with music?

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Christians have talked about spiritual warfare in the past, but there are indications it is starting to get very real. Shane Lynch, 47, is a singer and TV personality from Ireland. He is most famous for having been a member of the Boyzone, which was a popular boy band in the 1990s. Shane became a Christian in 2003, and according to an article in New Life, as a teenager, he “was frequently visited by grotesque evil spirits who tortured his mind and left him paralyzed.” This resulted in him consulting psychics and mediums, who left him believing that “he was possessed by an evil spirit.” So with some familiarity with the satanic realm, in a recent interview with Ireland’s Sunday World, Shane warned that he is starting to see demonic influences in music. He specifically cited Taylor Swift, and Shane suggested she is actually “performing satanic rituals” during her concerts. “Youā€™ll see a lot of hoods up and masks on and fire ceremonies,” Shane said. “Even down to Taylor Swift ā€” one of the biggest …

Woman eating a hamburger

Spiritual Warfare: The Purpose of Fasting

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Though there are different types of fasts, the most common definition is abstaining from eating food. This can be for one meal, a full day, or perhaps even three days. But what does it accomplish? What is the reason for our fasting? I am convinced that one major reason we should fast is for spiritual warfare. When the Holy Spirit led Jesus into a confrontation with Satan in the wilderness, Jesus prepared Himself by fasting for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-2). This was not a battle with a lower-level demon or even a fallen angel, it was with the god or ruler of this world. It was a spiritual battle with the master of lies and deception, which Jesus defeated, and not coincidentally Jesus fasted before this spiritual battle of the ages. I believe fasting is one of the unmentioned ‘weapons of our warfare’ which Paul says is ‘divinely powerful’ to destroy ‘fortresses’ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Paul then goes on to describe these fortresses as being in our minds, thoughts, arguments, and beliefs that oppose the …

Satan's temptation of Christ by Ary Scheffer

Spiritual warfare: Amazon Prime’s ‘Hazbin Hotel’ portrays evil as good

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“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20 ESV) There is no doubt in my mind, that the Holy Spirit is starting to move in America, and it shouldn’t surprise us if the satanic realm will attempt to strike back. But how it’s happening is particularly deceptive. Christian Learning recently wrote about the trailer for Amazon Prime’s new animated cartoon series that will portray Satan as a hero and God as evil. The series, entitled, “Hazbin Hotel” will star Satan, portrayed as one of the angels of Heaven. He will marry Lilith, which Jewish tradition states is a satanic sexual spirit, and some believe was actually the first wife of Adam. The satanic duo will also have a son who starts a rehab center at the hotel. It’s billed as “Heaven and Hell like you have never seen it before.” “The cartoon portrays Lucifer as an unsung hero, fostering sympathy towards him,” writes …

Arizona State Capitol Building with the Greek goddess Nike perched on top.

Democrat senator welcomes Satanists to Arizona state capitol

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Stating that he was graced by their presence, Arizona Senator Juan Mendez welcomed a group of Satanists to the state capitol on Wed., Feb 7, 2024, the Post Millennial reports. Mendez, who was wearing a mask as he spoke, added that members of the Satanic Temple of Arizona were there “to confront the arbitrary, tyrannical authority of religious persecution that’s scheduled for government committee later on today.” “We are graced with the presence of ministers and members of the Satanic Temple of Arizona,” Mendez added. The Satanists were participating in a committee meeting at the Arizona legislature, and one member of the group clearly summed up his remarks with the proclamation: ‘Hail Satan.’ It is one thing to say that Freedom of Religion provides Satanists the same rights as any other religious group, but it is clearly another matter to actually promote the group. Without a doubt, satanism has been coming out of the woodwork around the world inā€‚recent years. Its level of acceptance that we are witnessing, both culturally and now politically, may explain …

Sword sticking in the ground

More signs that believers need to engage in spiritual warfare

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A bizarre demonstration on Fox News and an eerie statement by a Roman Catholic exorcist may be signals to believers that we are entering a time of heightened spiritual warfare. I was a bit surprised when Fox News commentator Jessie Walters recently invited a medium onto his show. This is probably the largest conservative network in the world, and there was a live demonstration of someone dabbling in the occult, which is strictly forbidden in the Bible (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Walters had invited the psychic to predict what Donald Trump’s chances were of winning the 2024 presidential election using Tarot cards. Even the psychic appeared a bit surprised when she drew a card for Trump of a dark figure with goblets that had fallen over. The psychic interpreted this to mean that Trump would experience loss. However, Trump was the only loser that night. When she pulled a card for President Joe Biden, it predicted the president would come into an unexpected windfall of money. Aside from this public occultic display, in a recent article for …

Andrew Lloyd Webber at the White House with President George Bush in 2006

Andrew Lloyd Webber called in a priest to deal with a poltergeist in his home

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In an interview with The Telegraph, famous British composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber said that he had actually called in a Roman Catholic exorcist to remove a poltergeist from his home in London, England, the Christian Post (CP) reports. Webber is probably best known for composing such musicals as The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (based on the patriarch Joseph), and Jesus Christ Superstar. Though Webber had never seen the apparition in his 19th-century home on Eaton Square, the composer stated that he had seen evidence of its activity. This included taking scripts and putting “them in a neat pile in some obscure room.ā€ The activity ceased after Webber called in a priest to bless the home. “Poltergeists, known as ‘noisy spirits,’ are often associated with troubling activities, such as hurling objects, biting and even starting fires,” writes Leah Klett in her article for CP. In an 1971 interview with the New York Times, Webber referred to himself as an agnostic but described Jesus as “one of the great figures …

Whitecap Beach in Corpus Christi, Texas

Is the recent appearance of ‘witch bottles’ on American beaches a sign of intensifying spiritual conflict?

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As we enter the end times, we know that Satan wants to move out from the shadows and openly demand worship from people (Revelation 13:4). For this to happen, satanic worship and practices have to become more mainstream in society. We are starting to see indications of this as there have been several reports of increased interest in the occult and witchcraft even among Americans. According to a Newsweek article published in 2018, studies suggest that the number of self-proclaimed witches in the US has increased from about 9,000 in 1990 to over 1.5 million in 2018. Perhaps as part of this trend, there is also a report of an increased number of ‘witch bottles’ washing up on the American beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, the Daily Mail reports. According to researcher Jace Tunnell, these bottles associated with the occult started showing up along the 60-mile beach near Corpus Christi, Texas in 2017. Since then, he has found eight such bottles, the latest find taking place on Nov. 15, 2023. While Tunnell’s wife does …

Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua

Is the Holy Spirit moving in Nicaragua both spiritually and politically?

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Nicaragua has a population of 6.4 million and there are reports from two missionary groups that the Holy Spirit is moving in that country, CBN reports. In a coordinated effort, Mountain Gateway and Shake the Nations Ministries have been holding outreaches and evangelism campaigns across the country in 2023. According to their reports about 650,000 Nicaraguans have attended these meetings resulting in tens of thousands committing their lives to Christ. Britt Hancock works with Mountain Gateway and in a recent interview with CBN said that God spoke to him about launching an outreach in that country, suggesting that the time was right for a move of God. “Then, He really spoke to me. He told me, ‘Son, I’ve decided to do something in Nicaragua, and if you’ll just say, ‘Yes,’ you’re going to watch me do something,’” Britt said. “We’ve had people baptized in the Holy Spirit spontaneously. We’ve had people come out of wheelchairs,” Britt added. “You name it, every class of miracle ā€“ lame walking, deaf ears opened, blinded eyes opened.” But significantly …

Roman Catholic Exorcist warns that demons are real and people should avoid Ouija boards

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In an interview with Fox News, Fr. Dan Reehil, a Roman Catholic priest who specializes in exorcisms, warned that fallen angels and demons do exist, and they can negatively impact people’s lives. Fr. Reehil was appointed the Roman Catholic Church’s official exorcist for Nashville, TN in 2018 after going through special exorcism training at Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome. In his interview with Fox News, Reehil spoke about three levels of demonic attack, temptation, obsession, and possession: Temptation, said Reehil, is something experienced by everyone.Ā  Obsession is “when demons torment people physically, spiritually, mentally or emotionally, or some combination of these.”Ā  Possession, which is arguably the most well-known of the three levels, is when a demon or demons “take physical possession of a person’s body and make use of its faculties,” said Reehil.Ā  “Possession is usually intermittent, almost never an uninterrupted possessing of the personā€™s body,” he added. He also said that Ouija boards and other attempts to contact the dead are condemned several times throughout the Bible. He added that it can potentially …

A call to battle: Blow the trumpet in Zion

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Throughout his small, three-chapter, book, the prophet Joel often spoke prophetically of the chaotic events leading to the coming Day of the Lord, or the Second coming of Christ (Joel 2:28-31). As we watch events unfolding around the world, many wonder if we are entering these treacherous times that Joel warned about. If this is happening, then Christians need to heed the sounds of the trumpet or shofar that Joel mentioned twice in chapter 2. The first blast is called the sound of an alarm: Blow a trumpet in Zion,And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,For theĀ day of theĀ LordĀ is coming;Indeed, it is near,2Ā A day ofĀ darkness and gloom,A day of clouds and thick darkness… (Joel 2:1-2A NASV) Then a few verses later, Joel urged the shofar to be blown again calling people to fast and pray (Joel 2:15). The trumpet alarm referred to the watchmen who were positioned on the city walls and high towers to watch for danger. When they saw swords approaching, they were to blow …

‘Devil has Risen’: Is Satanism starting to emerge from the dark shadows?

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As we grow closer to the Second coming of Christ, at one point both Satan and the satanically empowered antichrist, also known as the beast, will demand worship and equally surprisingly people will give it (Revelation 13:1-8). But this is not going to occur in a vacuum. People are not going to wake up one morning shocked by media headlines demanding they worship the beast. In the lead-up to that, I believe Satan will initiate a campaign to move out of the shadows into the mainstream. And we are increasingly seeing examples of this. The latest is satanic graffiti being sprayed on the outside walls of Jesus Worship Center, in Jennings, Louisiana, Faithwire reports. Aside from the usual pentagrams and upside-down crosses, the vandals also spray-painted the words ‘Satan Has Risen’ in large red letters on one of the church’s walls. Clifton Lejeune pastors Jesus Worship Center and I appreciated his response to the vandalism which also included some expletives painted on the church’s sidewalk. ā€œThis is a minor scrimmage, but it is a spiritual …

Tucker Carlson refers to abortion as a ‘spiritual battle’

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Former Fox News personality, Tucker Carlson, recently made an interesting comment about abortion to a group of Christians attending a conference at Cleveland’s Center for Christian Virtue, The Blaze reports. He described it as a ‘spiritual battle’ and likened abortion to the horrific ritual sacrifice of children to idols like Moloch condemned in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 32:35). Tucker added that he and his family used to attend the Episcopal church, but left because it had lost its way and transformed into what he described as an “aggressively pagan institution.” The Blaze provides more details: Although he stepped outside his particular church, Carlson did not give up the faith. Rather, he suggested he has since gotten ā€œto understand God better,ā€ in part by poring over the Bible and the eternal truths contained therein. Extra to finding reassurance in the account of the conversion of St. Paul of Tarsus ā€” whereby even ā€œa truly awful person ā€¦ could become one of the great people of all timeā€ ā€” Carlson observed an all-too-familiar evil ā€œchronicled in great …

Rapper Doja Cat’s recent video with explicit demonic themes has many viewers stating they are returning to church

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12Ā 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. (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) In recent months, some celebrities have become more open about their satanic beliefs. Perhaps it was no more obvious than at this year’s Grammy Awards held on Feb. 5, which due to Sam Smith’s performance, resulted in some labeling the show as a ‘tribute to Satan.’ More recently a video produced by rapper Doja Cat with a similar theme has resulted in many of her fans returning to church, Caleb Parke writes. Born in LA as Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, Doja, 27, has won several awards including a Grammy, five American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards during her career that started with releasing music on SoundCloud. But according to Christian YouTuber and hip hop artist, Ruslan KD, Doja’s recent dark video in which she dressed as a demon has impacted many of her young fans. Having …

Was a ‘demon of death’ unleashed on Hawaii?

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We know from the Book of Job that Satan has some ability to influence the weather and other natural phenomena. In an effort to have Job deny his faith in God, Satan caused a fire to come down from heaven killing Job’s sheep and servants (Jobs 1:16). Days later a mighty wind caused the house where Job’s older children had gathered for an evening meal to collapse, killing all of them (Job 1:18-19). If Satan had some ability to manipulate natural elements causing death and destruction, can it still be happening today? This brings us to the wildfires that struck the Hawaiian island of Maui on August 8, 2023. So far 114 people have died, with upwards of 850 still unaccounted for, including whole families. NBC states the death toll from these wildfires is the largest in American history even without including those that are still listed as missing. According to the latest reports, over 17,000 acres of land and over 2,200 homes and businesses have been destroyed or damaged by fires, including most of …

The moment Gospel singer Jimmy Levy realized ‘Satan was real’ started his journey to Christ

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8Ā Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NASV) Though he didn’t win American Idol in 2020, his participation opened doors for Gospel singer Jimmy Levy, 25. But it also started him down a dark path toward satanism. Initially, Jimmy delved into it, because many of the music people he was associating with at the time were involved in witchcraft and the occult, Levy told Fox News. “I put a stupid tattoo on my hand of the devil,” Levy confessed. “I started hanging out around people that would proclaim themselves as worshipers of the devil. And I just ā€” I didn’t understand what I was getting myself into.” Though born a Jew, Levy admitted that he did not initially believe in Satan and was simply participating in an effort to fit in. But things changed as the darkness associated with satanism began to impact his life. “That’s when I started getting tormented at night by demons,” Levy admitted. …

New York City seen through a hole in metal wire fence

Evidence of Spiritual Warfare in New York State?

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The discovery of the heads of two decapitated goats in a black bag behind a Burger King outlet in Farmingdale, New York has shocked many residents in the community, Charisma News reports. Detectives investigating the incident found paraphernalia near the bag leading them to believe that the goats were part of a satanic ritual sacrifice. This is not the first time this type of thing has occurred in the area. In 2022, similar black bags with the decapitated heads of chickens and goats inside were found just five miles away from the most recent discovery in Farmingdale. Both the police and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are investigating the incident. READ: Headless Goats Reveal Dark Spirits Run Amok So, why would people be making these types of demonic sacrifices? In the Book of Ezekiel, we may find the answer to this question: 37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food …

‘Witchcraft’ and ‘worship of the devil’ being taught at universities?

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Several public universities in Texas are now offering courses on witchcraft and devil worship, the Christian Post (CP) reports. Many universities, including Texas Tech University (TTU), are offering these courses through their women and gender study programs. TTU is offering a course on ā€œWitches, Bruxas, & Black Magicā€ that according to its syllabus will “study beliefs and practices, past and present, associated with magic, witchcraft, spirituality, magical realism, and religion.ā€ The course curriculum will cover topics including ā€œritual, symbolism, mythology, altered states of consciousness, and healing.ā€ Bruxas refers to a group of women in the Middle Ages who came out at night to suck blood out of infants and also had the ability to turn into other types of animals such as rats or ducks. They are very similar to another night demon mentioned in the Bible, Lilith (Isaiah 34:14). Similar to Bruxas, Lilith was a female demon that came out at night and was often portrayed with the body of a woman along with bird characteristics such as wings and bird’s feet. It was …

Pages of a Bible ripped out as part of SatanCon’s opening ceremony

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As we have previously reported, SatanCon was held this past weekend (April 28-30, 2023) in Boston, MA. Sponsored by The Satanic Temple, the sold-out event, was billed as the largest satanic gathering in history. Fox News reports that the event lived up to its billing. During Friday’s opening ceremony, one of the hosts ripped pages out of the Bible and threw them on the floor. While another ripped up a ‘Thin Blue Flag,’ which represented the police. According to the hosts, these two things were destroyed as part of SatanCon’s renunciation of “symbols of oppression.” Later, some members of the crowd who cheered as the Bible was destroyed, picked up the pages and took selfies with them. It also seems the event had a distinctly left-wing tinge to it. Fox News added this tidbit of information: The conference has been replete with numerous guest speakers and lectures, many of which were dedicated to far-left identity politics. READ: Boston SatanCon-goers shred Bible, pro-cop flag during opening ritual: ā€˜Hail Satan!ā€™ In 2020, during the Portland riots, BLM …

What Should You Do When Your Plans Seem Hindered?

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Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. ā€” 1 Thessalonians 2:18 Have you ever pursued something that you believed was Godā€™s will, yet obstacles seemed to keep you from doing what you thought you were supposed to do? If you have, donā€™t feel alone, because many people have been in that same position! Even the apostle Paul felt this way from time to time! But what should you do in times like these? Today I want you to particularly notice the word ā€œhinderedā€ in the verse above. It comes from the Greek word egkopto, an old word that was originally used to describe a road so deteriorated and broken up that it was impassable. Have you ever driven down a road on your way to your destination, only to discover that the road youā€™re driving on is too full of ruts and holes to continue your journey? As a result, you have to turn around, go back, and find another route to get where you are going. …

Was COVID part of a strategic satanic attack?

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There is an interesting verse in the book of Mark that describes the events leading up to King Herod’s slaying of John the Baptist after Herod’s wife, Herodias, had her daughter ask for John’s head after performing what was essentially a strip tease for Herod and his cronies. The verse hints at the seditious nature of the spiritual conflict that we are involved in. 21 A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; (Mark 6:21 NASV) The 1995 version of the NASV called Herod’s birthday celebration as a strategic day. Other versions translate the Greek word ‘eukairos’ as an opportune time. But the meaning is clear, it speaks of a well-timed assault and speaks of satanic forces strategizing in their attack on the Kingdom of God. And it’s obvious from this verse that this strategy involved manipulating political leaders. Herod’s wife Herodias wanted to take out John the Baptist who was publicly criticizing her marriage to Herod. Using her daughter, …

Actress Melissa Hart shares about her battle with forces of darkness

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Actress Melissa Joan Hart, who became famous playing the lead role in 1990s TV hit series, “Clarissa Explains It All” and later in “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” shared about her journey of faith in an interview with Paula Faris on her podcast Journeys of Faith, CBN reports. Hart explained that she came from a Roman Catholic background and her husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, was raised as an Alabama Baptist. The two reached a compromise and decided to become Presbyterian and her faith began to grow after she decided to attend a community Bible study at a Presbyterian church. In the interview, Hart shared how she believed faith in Christ was the only way to heaven. It came up as she shared how her son had befriended a Jewish boy at school. The two ended up having many discussions about faith and Hart shared with her son that Jesus was the only way to heaven. Unfortunately, Hart’s comment generated a massive backlash on social media as she was criticized for holding this belief. It reflects a …

The growing reality of spiritual warfare

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We live in interesting times. While, Christians witnessed an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Asbury college in Kentucky, CBN reported on an unusual counter event that will be taking place in Boston at the end of April. Called ‘SatanCon 2023,’ the event is being hosted by The Satanic Temple (TST) based in Salem, Massachusetts and is billed as “a weekend of blasphemy and remembrance in Boston.” According to TST’s website, the event has already been sold out and promises to be the largest satanic gathering in history. This will be the second convention sponsored by TST and this year’s event will mark the group’s tenth anniversary. The event, which will run from April 28-30, will coincide with an ancient German holiday called Hexennacht or ‘witches night’ a two-day event that typically runs from April 30 to May 1. During this festival, witches across Germany gathered at Mount Brocken to revel with the devil. Mount Brocken has been associated with the demonic since the Middle Ages and the popularity of the celebration is growing among …

The Lord of Hosts

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3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) We are involved in a spiritual battle, and sometimes it is easy to forget this important fact. Yet, when we look at the Bible, warfare is perhaps its central message and that comes through in one of the names of God, the Lord of Hosts, Yahweh–Sabaoth, which literally means the Lord of armies. God is referred to by this name 290 times in the Bible, more than the total of all other names of God combined. These include the names we are more familiar with such as, Yahweh-Rapha, the Lord is my healer or Yahweh-Jirah, the Lord is my provider. Even the name, Yahweh-Nissi, the Lord is my banner, had military implications as flags or standards were also used to rally troops. The name showed up in Exodus 17:15-16, when Moses used it to describe the altar …

Were the Magi, God’s plunder of hell?

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In his record of Jesus’ birth, Matthew reports that magi from the East came to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king, because they had seen His star. Bible versions have translated the Greek word, magos, used in this verse in different ways. Most translate it as ‘wise men’. The Message translates it as scholars. J.B. Philips translates the word as astrologers. The New American Standard Version uses Magi, with this footnote, “A caste of educated men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science.” They were an interesting group and Wikipedia provides this definition of the magi: Magi (/ĖˆmeÉŖdŹ’aÉŖ/; singular magus/ĖˆmeÉŖɔəs/; from Latinmagus) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word magi is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription. Old Persian texts, predating the Hellenistic period, refer to a magus as a Zurvanic, and presumably Zoroastrian, priest. Thayer’s Greek dictionary adds that they were also influential advisors to the Kings of Babylon and Persia: 1a) the name …

Satan's temptation of Christ by Ary Scheffer

Parish priest claims church targeted by Satanists

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The vicar of a church in Bramshaw, England claims his church is being targeted by Satanists, the Daily Mail reports. Reverend David Bacon of St Peter’s Church made this statement after members of his congregation, who had come to the church to decorate it for Christmas, found a cat hanging from the church’s flagpole. Reverend Bacon described it as being horribly hanged. A few weeks earlier, a fox was found dead on the doorsteps of the church built in the 12th century, and it is highly unlikely it died from natural causes. The vicar’s claim has some recent history supporting this belief. In 2019, several dead sheep were found around the village with satanic pentagrams spray-painted on their dead bodies. In one instance, an upside-down cross was found laying against a dead sheep that had been stabbed with a spear. Inverted crosses are a common satanic symbol. That same year, St Peter’s church also had occultic symbols sprayed on its outside wall. READ: Vicar of church targeted by ‘Satanists’ who ‘stabbed sheep and sprayed them …