Spiritual Healing

Spiritual healing....Is it being cleansed of what we have been taught, so we may seek God's wisdom as an artist seeks the colors for his newest painting? Is Spiritual Healing being challenged to the point of questioning even the term "Christianity" as we know it?

Are we all not sick of Christians bickering and fighting amongst themselves as to what is right and wrong, sin and not sin, way to worship, not to worship, how to be saved...etc? Such divisions in the church.....do we, as searchers for the ONE true and definite God the Father want only truth fed to our spirits, vs. lies. For Satan is the Author of confusion. How wonderful for him to see so many of God's children fighting over what Sprituality really is. And how sad for we, God's children to be caught up in the traps the devil has set up for us. Are we ready to get out of the trap? I know I am!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, you need to be aware that healing comes to the body from the world and the spirit.

We can run around in circles, and not realise that the supernatural realm has much to do with our problems and our struggles.

Many don't believe in the supernatural, and many don't realise that they had dabbled unkowingly into things that has opened to doorway into our lives.

Have you read any good books on healing and deliverance?

God Bless you for sharing that! I, myself am no expert in this area. Learning every day, God willing, I will come out stronger and stronger for each mistake I make, and each lesson I learn!

So glad you are here, my friend!

Elements of Spiritual Abuse


It seems that newspaper headlines these days are full of examples of
spiritual abuse, describing situations of people being victimized in
both cults and churches.
In critiquing the ins and outs of spiritual abuse, one often finds
that people have been hurt by legalism, authoritarian leadership,
manipulation, excessive discipline, spiritual intimidation and much
more.
Perhaps one could give a number of characteristics common to the
problem and a lot of time given to the definition of "spiritual abuse,"
but instead of asking the WHAT questions, maybe a better understanding
would come if the WHY questions are asked: Why do some people stay in
abusive relationships? Or, why do they get into them in the first
place? The authors of the book The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse,
David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen, suggest that people learn to be
victimized, or are powerless by experiencing relationships that have
either prepared them to be abused, or not prepared them to not be
abused. Such relationships could be labeled as "shame-based"
relationships.
"Shame-based relationships are relationships based on messages of
shame: You are so weak and defective that you are nothing without this
relationship. Shame becomes the glue that holds things together. It is
the force that motivates people to refrain from certain behaviors and
to do others" (p. 55).
If families, churches, or groups are shame-based, they are more than
likely sending messages to their members that they are: "not loved and
accepted; not even lovable or acceptable; only loved and accepted if,
when, or because they perform well; not capable, valuable, or
worthwhile; very alone, not really belonging anywhere, to anything, or
with anyone" (p. 55).
On pages 56-59 of The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, the
authors list the following seven characteristics of shame-based
relationships which will help explain why people are "caught up" in
these abusive relationships:
1. OUT-LOUD SHAMING The dynamic: This is the "shame on you" that
comes from belittling. It is any message communicated out loud that
says, "Something is wrong with you."
The effects: Negative view of self, even self-hatred.
2. FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE The dynamic: How people act is more
important than who they are. Love and acceptance are earned by doing or
not doing certain things.
The effects: Perfectionism, or giving up without trying; view of God
as more concerned with how you act than who you are; cannot ask for
help; high need for the approval of others.
3. MANIPULATION The dynamic: Relationships and behaviors are
manipulated by very powerful unspoken rules. Yet the unspoken rules
communicate these and other shaming messages.
Coding: Messages are sent through a verbal code that others are
supposed to decode. "Don't you think it would be better this way?"
means, "I want you to do it this way."
Triangling: This means to send a message to someone through another person, instead of delivering it directly.
The effects: Great "radar" - the ability to pick up tension in
situations and relationships; ability to decode messages; talking about
people instead of to them; difficulty trusting people.
4. IDOLATRY The dynamic: The "god" served by the shame-based
relationship system is an impossible-to-please judge. It is a god
invented to enforce the performance standard.
The effects: Distorted image of God; high level of anxiety; high need to control thoughts, feelings and behaviors of others.
5. PREOCCUPATION WITH FAULT AND BLAME The dynamic: Reaction is swift
and furious toward the one who fails to perform the way the system
deems fit. Responsibility and accountability are not the issues here:
Fault and blame are the issues.The shame-based system wants a
confession in order to know whom to shame.
The effects: The sense that if something is wrong or someone is
upset you must have caused it; a high need to be punished for or to pay
for mistakes in order to feel good about yourself; difficulty forgiving
self.
6. OBSCURED REALITY The dynamic: Members are to deny any thought
that is different than those of people in authority. Anything that has
the potential to shame those in authority is ignored or denied.
Interaction with people and places outside the system threatens the
order of things. Consequently, you can't find out what "normal" is.
Problems are denied, and therefore they remain.
The effects: Out-of-touch with feelings, needs, thoughts; ignoring
your "radar" because you are being "too critical;" feel like no one
else understands you; threatened by opinions that differ from yours;
suspicious or afraid of others.
7. UNBALANCED INTERRELATEDNESS The dynamic: Either under involved or
over involved with each other. Consequently, rules take the place of
people. There is no relationship structure in which to learn about
behaviors and consequences. People find out about life alone and by
accident.
The effects: Fear of being deserted; high need for structure; a
sense that if there is a problem, you have to solve it; feeling selfish
for having needs; putting up boundaries that keep safe people away;
feelings of guilt when you haven't done anything wrong.
When evaluating the emotional foundation the shame-based systems
create, it is clear that honesty and trust are undermined in the
relationship. This can also hinder a person's maturing in a
relationship with God. Codependence, or the dependence upon a person or
group, can also grow in this type of shame-based system. Ultimately, a
person can lose a correct perception of reality because the only
reality that can be identified with is within a shame-based system.


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These days there is much abuse, such as physical, emotional, an spiritual.

From abuse comes traumas, and when traumas come into a person's life they open doorways into their "house", "temple", that is ther soul, mind. and body.

When we hear people say that their body is weak, is when the enemy will gladly accomodate you.

Any "spoken word" is an invitation to a demon.

We are what we think we are, and sadly, we have a large zip attached to our mouth, but we don't use it. Yes, we are our own worse enemy.

With self, seduction, deception, lies, and false beliefs we can turn ourselves over to the enemy.

In the Army obedience and discipline is brought into order by mind control and brainwashing.

In the Lord's Army obedience and discipline is brought into order by heart control, love and forgiveness.

Hi Lee, I am here, you found me.....????

Hi CIML,

There are many other things, that many Christians don't understand, and would prefer not to know as it would affect their "comfort zone".

Spiritual Warfare isn't as simple as some make it out to be, and that is the reason why there is so much bickering, back-biting, gossiping, and endless ennuendoes, including much subtle power and control.

And it's sad to say that this is common in many churches and Christian organisations.

THEY control most churches through the pastor and/or the eldership through much subtle manipulation and lies.

The supernatural realm goes far deeper that you and 90% of other Christians would ever imagine, and if I was to speak on those things, THEY would come down upon me like a ton of bricks and make sure that I would be gagged.

What 90% of most Christians know about the supernatural of those "earthly and heavenly things", would possibly cover the fingernail of my little finger.

Sad, as it may seem that many are all head knowledge and relgiosity and fairy-floss religion, going to church on Sunday mixing happily with the "tares" and "goats".

The enemy is so subtle and THEY are so deeply ingrained into anything that would resemble His Church that His Sheep wouldn't discern the incredible and subtle intrusion.

We see many pastors and elders fall to the flesh. And all the members of the church shake their heads in dismay, when in fact they spent so much time being a goody-goody, a "nice guy", a true Christian that they didn't even notice the infiltration of the enemy into their church.

Sadly, anyone who did show an inkling of discernment and spoke out about it they where quickly shuffled off into the background, or tarred-and feathered and shunted out of the church and never to be seen again.

Oh, if only the REAL TRUTH was known.

I learned that lesson the hard way, simply put, I was deceived. Thought I was bullet proof, because I wasn't of the world any longer, boy was I wrong. Be it spiritual healing or spiritual warfare, it makes no difference, they both are in a spiritual domain. I highly recommend that anyone that feels the need to do either should first go to spiritual boot camp.