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Your Life, Health And Relationships Can Change For The Better |
How, you ask? By simply addressing the roots of your life, health and relationship issues. That's what this Web site is about. It's about helping Christians live the abundant life you're entitled to. Because hurting people continue to hurt people, this site provides resources, services and products for Healed People to Heal People.
Life If you address the symptoms of your life, health and relationship issues, they will continue. That's why we prefer to identify the roots, then dismantle them according to biblical principles. Then, the symptoms will eventually go away.
Health Do you know one of the most preferred ways to distract a person? It is to inflict pain, illness or addictions in your physical body. This includes mental illnesses. That's why you’ll find information and products about health, the human body and what the Bible has to say about disease and illness on this site. Inclusive is life-changing information about the biblical roots of disease and illness. Be In Health Global owns this information and is gracious enough to allow it to be shared on this site.
Relationships My goodness, every day we have the opportunity to improve our relationships. The question is do we have the desire, the mental capacity and the willingness to give it another try. The other question is since what we've tried hasn't worked to improve our relationships, what should we do differently? Might we suggest learning how to identify the roots behind the issue -- that is what you can't see with the natural eye.
How We at Healed People, Heal People facilitate the healing process by offering personal ministry, group ministry, consulting, educational teachings and training. Our training was at Restoring The Foundations International, Be In Health Global and Pure Herbs Ltd.
Roots How do we identify the roots of life, health or relationship issues? First, we asses what happened generationally in your life and family; this contributes to your issue. Second, we present what you really believe about yourself, what you really believe about others and what you really believe about God that does not align with the truth of the Bible; this contributes to your issue. And please know that most people rarely know what beliefs they operate out of daily that is contributing to them being trapped in the same life, health and relationship issues. Next, you need to receive healing for who and what has caused pain in your life; this keeps your issue in place.
Joy We've had the privilege of seeing the Holy Spirit positively change lives on every continent using simple, biblical healing and deliverance. Be encouraged to browse the site to participate in the forums, listen to healing music or consider supporting this marketplace ministry. Your life, health, and relationships and can change for the better!
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Herbs are plant food substances. This is not a scientific definition, it is a practitioners definition. It is used by the people who make recommendations about how to build better health naturally. Herbs have been used since people began eating. They are not new and they were used long before there were people who called themselves doctors or scientists and they worked and they still do.
There is a solution to every physical problem. It was meant to be that way. It is not experimental. Since there are so many physical differences between us, it stands to reason one herb may do more for a certain person than another but do not despair. There is an herb for you too. Often there are many herbs that are especially helpful for you, just waiting, to be discovered.
Luckily when eating an herb if the wrong one is taken, nothing much happens and if you do eat too much of it, body mechanisms usually reject it and you leave it alone.Part of the fun is discovering your herb or herbs and in the process an acquaintance with herbs that help other people is gained.
One of the ways to tell what an herb will do is to taste a little of it. This is much easier to do with a liquid herb than a tablet or a capsule but in any case it should be done before you ask anyone else to try an herb so it will at least be known if what the label says is in the bottle, is in the bottle.
Please accept this offer to build better health naturally. The information was written because you are respected and appreciated, and loved. Someone does care about you and would like to see you well. Herbs are your birthright. Discover yours. - Dr. A.B. Howard
Do you take prescription meds?
Does someone you love take prescription meds?
Did you know prescription meds is the leading cause of death in America?
THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICA: CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE
Cause of death
9/11 terrorist attacks - 2,986 killed
Chernobyl nuclear accident - 4,000 killed
Murders each year - 16,000
Americans killed in Vietnam war - 58,226
Americans killed by Vioxx - 60,000
Americans killed by prescription drugs (each year) - 106,000
Americans killed by conventional medicine (each year) - 783,936
(page 99-112) “How dangerous are prescription drugs, really? The FDA insists they’re safe enough for widespread consumption, even when one drug, all by itself, has killed more Americans than the Vietnam War.
The truth is that the vast majority of prescription drugs are not compatible with human biology. Rather then working to support human biology, they typically attempt to hijack the body’s biochemistry to achieve a desired measurable result, and a silent massacre is enacted on the people.
Source: Natural Health Solutions by Mike Adams Call 1-800-915-9355 to order
NATURAL HERBS FOR IRON
HERB NO. 1 FOR IRON
Bilberry
Bilberry [huckleberry] - In the 1920's the discoverer of Vitamin C, Albert Giorgy, was concerned about the spark of life and where it came from. After years of careful research he concluded it was vitamin C that put and kept the spark of life in the body. When food is eaten, vitamin C is the substance that puts life back into the food to make it part of the body's living tissue. We now know why Bilberries, black currents, chippewa pine and wild rose hips are used for so many different conditions to recover good health.
Bilberry is a good tasting berry that contains the much sought after natural vitamin C. Natural vitamin C is not just one vitamin, it is many related vitamin C's. Therefore, we call it, more properly, vitamin C complex. Chemical vitamin C, known as ascorbic acid, is just one synthetic type of vitamin C. Bilberries contain all of this naturally occurring complex and the related substances found with it. The compounds rutin, hesperidin and bioflavidnoids are found right along side the natural C complex. These compounds are the glue that sticks your body together so it does not fall apart. Bilberries affect rapid repair of broken blood vessels and prevent them from breaking. Hence, you hear take Bilberry to prevent bruising. The result of taking the natural C complex and related substances together as an extract is that of greater activity. They are far more active than a chemical vitamin C and you don't have to keep increasing the amount as with chemical vitamin C to get the same effect. In fact, historical evidence shows, Bilberries have been gratefully acknowledged for a very impressive array of help. Many are the conditions that fall within the influence of Bilberries.
When we look at mineral sources, Bilberries are one of the highest known sources of the mineral zinc and provide a generous source of iron, manganese and selenium. Iron is required for energy, and both zinc and manganese are closely associated with production of healthy connective tissue. Selenium takes special care to ensure proper cell division and prevent harmful mutations. These prevented harmful mutations could very well have been cancerous or bad cells. If not out-right cancerous cells, then they might have been of a type seen by the body as foreign protein, and set off a war between the body's immune system and this foreign protein. This is the case with conditions like osteoarthritis and other auto-immune or allergic reactions where the body is fighting itself. According to current nutritional research, both zinc and selenium (from natural food sources) are active in ensuring proper cell division and the prevention of cancer cell formation. Bilberries are such a valuable source of so many essential mineral complexes, it is no wonder then, that a long list of healing actions have been recorded and attributed to this marvelous wild berry.
Here is a partial list: Bilberries are a tonic (good for all body systems), strengthen and restore eyesight (it should be noted that many and persistent are the accounts of improvement in eyesight through the use of Bilberries, including correction of macular or fine-focus degeneration of the eye), correct tonsillitis, sore tongue, laryngitis, violent continuous diarrhea with blood loss, intestinal putrefaction, bowel disorders, act as a bowel regulator, mouthwash, gargle, discourage roundworms, and ease vomiting; apply directly for skin problems and inflamed gums; gastric colitis, water retention, typhoid fever, sore tongue with white patches, wound healing, rheumatism (sore joints), bladder problems, gravel in urinary system and mucus in breathing passages. All in all, a very impressive champion of good health. Bilberries blend in with the body's natural functions to give them all a boost and herein lies their secret.
Dose: 40 to 80 drops on or under the tongue three times per day or hourly if condition is severe.
If you'd like to order the pure herb, Bilberry, please contact
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HERB NO. 2 FOR IRON
HI.I.-W
HI.I.-W [high iron] - It is the most beautiful of iron formulas and it tastes good. It is upsetting to see other sources of iron on the market that proclaim how excellent they are and their taste is downright disgusting, something like licking a rusty tin can. And, they are about as good as they taste for your body. That is because they use an iron source, just about like rust, mixed with sulfur.
You can be assured, when iron is organized by a living green plant, it has a far greater attraction for your body cells than rust from the ground. But then, the rust and sulfur form is cheap and after a while it may severely constipate you and destroy the vitamin E in your system, as well as clog up liver functions. This is especially detrimental to pregnant women as they may become sick and the baby born nearsighted. The proof that vegetable iron is good for you is, after a short time of taking it you will probably feel a lot better, men included. With the iron ore type of iron, after a while you will probably feel pretty terrible. Iron is constantly needed to manufacture new red blood cells, especially in women.
When the right kind of iron enters your body, in a liquid extract form, you can readily absorb it. As it hits the oxygen in the body, you feel the spark of life tickling your whole system again. It is alright to banish constant fatigue and feel frisky and stay that way. Breathe and enjoy it.
HI.I.-W is a combination of the following herbs: Thyme, yellow dock, red raspberry leaf, indian tobacco.
Dose: 20 to 40 drops per day. If deficient or time of menstruation, 40 drops, 3 times per day. For babies and small children, 1 - 5 drops per day. Can be rubbed into soles of feet. For older children, 5 - 10 drops per day. Adolescents use same amount as adults, as they are growing and need more of everything, even though they have not yet reached their full growth.
If you'd like to order pure herb, HI.I.-W, please contact
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HERB NO. 3 FOR IRON
Papaya Mints
Papaya Mints - It is a peculiarity that most of the things that are good for us don't always taste very good. This formula is an exception. For thousands of years, tradition has delegated admiration for the cooling and refreshing effects of peppermint [Egyptian remembrances to the departed from as far back as 1,000 B.C. contain peppermint as a farewell for the hereafter]. There is no adequate description for its flavor and oxygenating qualities unless you have tasted it. The same can be said for spearmint. Both of these mints have a very soothing and pleasing affect on the stomach and tongue.
Both peppermint and spearmint are much used and loved as tea and flavoring for toothpastes, candies, mouthwashes and chewing gum. Peppermint also provides a rich source of iron for energy and is one of the truly good tasting sources of the mineral potassium for muscular strength and stabilizatiom of blood sugar. Peppermint tea expels gas and has long been a favorite of mothers for baby's bottle. This is especially useful for the gas condition known as infant colic.
Spearmint has proven itself successful to reduce fever and correct burning urination and difficulty urinating. The ripe yellow-orange Papaya fruit is the vegetable digestaid of the south seas. It is gentle, and as a bonus, good tasting. Folk wisdom in those areas dictate its daily use as a treat and an aid to proper digestion. Modern science has now confirmed the fact that Papaya does indeed contain digestive enzymes [complex substances produced by a living system that cause changes necessary for life without themselves being changed] that do digest protein and other types of food in the stomach. Once again folk wisdom has been reaffirmed.
The combination of Papaya and the double mints of peppermint and spearmint produce a winning team for the stomach and digestive tract, taken from all vegetable sources. Its taste is such a treat to even the most stubborn sufferers, that they look forward to its use and stop spewing out so much venom from digestive upset. For us normal digestive sufferers, we too now have a digestaid that tastes good.
Papaya Mints is a combination of the following pure herbs: Papaya, peppermint leaf, spearmint leaf.
Dose: 40 to 80 drops or more, if needed, as needed, at each meal.
If you'd like to order the pure herb, Papaya Mints, please contact
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HERB NO. 4 FOR IRON
Spring Greens
Spring Greens - [Source, Missouri, USA, Mr. & Mrs. William H. and Ola Dell Watkins]
During the war between the states of North America, food became scarce and people were desperate. Desperation became the mother of invention. To prevent widespread starvation and sickness, people turned to the land and the plants that had managed to survive on their own. It was from this experience that each family developed its own unique meal from what was available at the time it was collected. It was never quite the same twice, but somehow always pretty much the same in its overall effect. Not only did people not get sick or starve [they lost some weight], they either got well or developed better health than they had previously known. As a result, many families still continue this tradition as a matter of taste, and in preference to store bought vegetables. If you want energy, the iron in Spring Greens will give it to you.
If you want to clean the skin and purify the blood, the natural vegetable sulfur in Spring Greens will do this for you. If you desire the blood building, healing properties of spring chlorophyll (plant blood) and a gentle bowel cleanse, Spring Greens will give it to you. If you just plain have got a case of spring fever and the body is overwhelmed by having to switch from heating to cooling, Spring Greens can offer you relief.
Combination: (As seasonally available) Lamb's quarters, inkberry leaf (poke salad), swiss chard, collard greens, dandelion leaf, narrow dock (yellow dock), radish leaves, kale, curly leaf mustard, spinach, horseradish leaf.
Dose: 40 to 80 drops, 3 times per day
If you'd like to order the pure herb, Spring Greens, please contact
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HERB NO. 5 FOR IRON
Three Bee's
Three Bees - The best of three bee products are combined in this high energy, antibiotic formula. Bee Pollen [bee collected plant sperm] provides energy, the elements of new life for cell regeneration and antibiotic activity, as well as a high quality protein source and first-rate anti-stress adrenal gland nutrition. Bee Propolis [bee glue] possesses the antibiotic spark to raise immunity levels and get the life systems moving again. Putrid material is rendered harmless. Low-grade fevers disappear. Royal Jelly [Queen Bee food] is that elixir of life which extends the normal life span of an infertile worker bee from a few weeks to several years as a Queen with great fertility. Together, these three bee products provide a powerful formula for the entire nervous system. The body virtually glows with renewed vigor.
Three Bee's includes a combination of the following herbs: Bee pollen, bee propolis, royal jelly
Dose: 40 drops, 3 times per day. If needed to spark systems back into action, 40 drops per hour, while awake until well. Then as a maintenance, 40 drops, three times per day to stay well.
If you'd like to order the pure herb, Three Bee's, please contact
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HERB NO. 6 FOR IRON
B.P.-W
B.P.-W [blood purifier] - The combination effect of some herbal combinations is comparable to beautiful music played with all the necessary elements of harmony, rhythm and melody. The herbs blend and support each other and become much more than each separately. Such a combination is B.P.-W.
Here the combined attention is to provide the strength to clean and normalize the blood stream. It cleans out anything touched by the blood, whether it be cancerous cells, tumors, yeasts and other types of fungus, germs, virus organisms, floating trash, irritating acid crystals, urea and heavy metals.
B.P.-W also provides nourishment for the red and white blood cells as well as the bone marrow. B.P.-W can be taken with confidence to provide a generous supply of organic iron and rejuvenating materials.
Note: B.P.-W has a companion formula known as B.C.-W [blood cleaner]. It is a matter of practitioners choice as to which is chosen for cleaning. Both are excellent blood cleaners. B.P.-W leans a little more toward also getting glandular areas to give up their poisons, whereas B.C.-W leans a little more toward also getting the organs to give up their poisons, but both will do a fine job of cleaning. In the process, many diseases just can't stay in the body.
B.P.-W. is a combination of the following herbs: Peach leaf, stillingia, red clover, bee pollen, greasewood (chaparral), buckthorn, inkberry [pokeroot], prickly ash.
Dose: 40 drops, 3 times per day. More can be taken, if needed, once accustomed to its effects. Take with a good bowel program to produce at least 2, and preferably 3, bowel movements per day. This handles the increased evacuation of poisons and prevents sick feeling when cleaning the blood. [See: Cascara Sagrada, C.C.E.-W, Buckthorn]
If you'd like to order this combination pure herb, B.P.-W, please contact
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HERB NO. 7 FOR IRON
Yellow Dock
Alma Hutchens cites Yellow Dock as, A favorite herb of ancient Indians, old time doctors, early settlers and herbal practitioners. Perhaps its prime function is due to its extremely rich organic iron content. Because of this, oxygen for the breath of life is combined easily with food materials for energy and to oxidize food materials and reduce them to easily eliminated ash from the depths of the cellular mitochondria [body's furnace].
Yellow Dock is often recommended for prenatal cases so mother and baby can have proper oxygenation for a normal pregnancy. The rich supply of iron provides baby with enough iron to survive on a diet of breast milk for 6 months after birth without additional iron, as is expected.
The solids of Yellow Dock when analyzed are up to 40% iron. This type of iron cannot be picked up by a magnet. Iron formulas often employed in the prenatal diet by modern doctors are straight from iron ore and can cause liver poison and black stools.
Yellow Dock's iron is closely associated with the living plant processes and is easily absorbed. Modern science today will do well to recognize the relative activity rates of different types of iron rather than make false assumptions that iron filings are as good for you as Yellow Dock iron.
Healthy mothers and babies speak much for the difference. Herbalists have traditionally used this mineral-rich plant for sore joints, blood from the lungs, tumors, leprosy, cancer, chronic bronchitis, diseased spleen, swollen lymph glands and as a valuable source of iron for male and female system.
Rub the extract on spongy gums each evening until relief. Loose teeth are thus replaced in proper position. Use the extract for shingles by combining Yellow Dock with burdock to make an application. Apply vitamin E to the affected area. Then place a cotton cloth, with no dye, soaked in the extracts over the area followed by a plastic wrap and a cloth wrap to hold it all in place. [Ratio for this solution is 10 to 2.] Ten parts of water to one part of each two Docks. This may also be used on other types of skin eruptions and skin allergies.
Dosage: Internally 10 to 40 drops one to two times per day. During pregnancy, 10 to 40 drops three times per day.
Yellow Dock is good for the following: as an astringent, tonic, scurvy, skin problems, especially itch, lymphatic system, syphilis, spongy gums.
Sources: Alma R. Hutchens, Indian Herbalogy of North America; Dr. John R. Christopher, School of Natural Healing; Drs. George Wood & Franklin Bache, The Dispensatory of the United States, 12th Edition.
If you'd like to order pure herb, Yellow Dock, please contact
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HERB NO. 8 FOR IRON
YTH.E.-I
YTH.E.-I [Youth Elixir-Regulations Liquid - herbalist Inman] - This unique combination was formulated by Herbalist Sandra Inman fro the young and the young at heart. She says it helps the young stay young and the more mature look and feel much younger.
The aging process begins on the inside, so turn back the clock and preserve your health by taking this combination. This natural herbal combination will influence an array of youth-maintaining substances and functions throughout the body. The organic source of iron will give you natural energy.
YTH.E.-I has an abundance of the much-needed vitamins, minerals, carotenoids [yellow to red colored healing plant materials] and essential fatty acids [oils the body needs for life and must get from food]. All of the B and C-complex vitamins, to fight stress and boost the immune system, are included. It also has powerful antioxidants [poison antidotes] to fight free-radical [poisons] damage, which causes aging.
It also has all of the essential and non-essential amino acids. As a bonus, you will enjoy the pleasing taste and smell this combination has because of the mild digestive enzyme [speeds up a reaction] combination, which helps you avoid a system of toxic [poison] build up.
If metal poisoning is a concern, this formula will flush that right out of your system. With continued use, you may also notice that you handle stress better, your vision has improved, you have less pain and inflammation, your immunity has increased, and you are more energetic. Your skin may appear more radiant and less wrinkled because of the collagen [elastic tissue] building and internal moisturizing you will receive from these ingredients. Also, your hair and nails maay become stronger and healthier. You may even notice that you weigh less.
YTH.E.-I is a combination of the following herbs: Sirulina, bilberries, alfalfa, royal jelly, wild yam, irish moss, papaya mints, yucca
Dosage: 40 to 80 drops 3 times a day with meals
Helpful hint: Be sure and drink 64 oz. of water a day to prevent dehydration, which accelerates aging.
To order the combination pure herb, YTH.E.-I, contact
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HERB NO. 9 FOR IRON
HYG.-W
HYG.-W [hypoglycemia, low blood sugar] - Low blood sugar is a constant and ongoing problem for more people than you might imagine. Bad effects known to occur from low blood sugar could easily fill several, closely type written pages. Essentially what happens is that a person does not get and/or digest enough high quality protein and may also be deficient in the B-complex vitamins.
Protein stabilizes blood sugar, and the requirement of blood sugar. To stabilize blood sugar problems, protein should be taken at least 3 times per day, and in some cases it is necessary to take several small protein meals 4 or 5 times per day. The B-complex of vitamins is also best taken 3 or more times per day.
Rice bran extract is an excellent source of the B-complex. The B-complex vitamins provide a person with a sense of well being. When they are ot available, or digested, or absorbed and not present, the nerves cannot feed on the normal levels of blood sugar, and the sense of well being is lost. The major digestive organ-gland, known as the pancreas, and the anti-stress glands, knowns as the adrenal glands, go into a state of desperation in a frantic attempt to stablize vital body functions. The adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney, produce at least 2 dozen different anti-stress hormones and anti-stress compounds to stabilize the blood sugar and body.
Many people are addicted to refined sugar and white flour types of food in an attempt to keep their blood sugar up. This causes more harm than good, as these types of refined carbohydrates [sugar and starch] are burned too quickly and, after a momentary surge of energy, are gone and leave the person feeling burned out. Eating more junk foods to solve the problem adds to the misery, because they do not contain the complete normal and natural profile of the B-complex vitamins.They actually take vitamin B's, out of the system to digest. The nervous system gets only a rapid spurt of energy, then crashes and the personality suffers. Bizarre symptoms can occur.
In general, there is an over-reaction of the pancreas to make a hormone known insulin. Then, the refined sugar and starches from cakes, cookies, ice cream, candy bars, soda pop, sugary breakfast cereals, white bread and white pasta can cause us much grief. Some people have a steady diet of this sort of incomplete food, commonly known as junk food. A person could just as easily say robbed foods, as they are depleted of their proteins, vitamins and minerals in the refining process, to remove anything that could spoil, to increase shelf life and to look pretty.
The point is, if it won't spoil, it probably won't digest properly. After the refining junk food gets a few unbalanced chemical vitamins and some crude elemental minerals from the ground added back to it, and then it is legally called enriched. The result is a perversion of nutrition. Eating this kind of food can produce just about any kind of unpleasant symptom around. A few examples are: headaches, skin problems, menstrual irregularities, surges of temper and/or destructiveness, inability to concentrate or reason, attention deficits, a feeling of drifting off, dandruff, hyperactivity, abnormal tongue appearances, sore mouth, sore tongue, cracks at the corners of the mouth, constipation, colds, flu, teeth problems, gum problems, over weight, etc!
The way to break these vicious cycles of suffering is to have high quality protein, of your choice, at each meal, as tolerated, to satisfaction. Take a digestive aid with it, if necessary, adequate B-complex vitamins and, of course, eliminate the junk foods. These kinds of foods are generally composed of refined sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar [actually white sugar with a little natural coloring in it], corn syrup, white flour types of crackers, cakes, cookies, pies, assorted crummy yummies, brown breads that are spongy and not heavy when you pick them up, regardless of being called whole wheat or rye bread.
Junk foods rely on chemical dyes, chemical flavorings and chemical preservatives to trick the tongue, make them look pretty, and extend their shelf life. Many people feel they cannot eat protein foods because they have allergies to them, or bloat when they eat them. With a digestaid, such as sweet root, they may be able to do so. HYG.-W contains the digestaids sweet root and juniper berry, as well as rice bran for the B-complex, and liquid bee pollen for protein. Rice bran provides the complete, natural, balanced spectrum of all the vitamin B's for proper nervous system nutrition and a sense of well being. Licorice root, juniper berry, and bee pollen, are a powerhouse combination for the adrenal glands, so that you have some get-up-and-go without having to crash after taking them.
Sweet root and juniper berry not only assist the pancreas to digest food, they provide this digestive organ-gland with a helping hand to digest food. This give the pancreas time to repair itself from past abuses by sharing the digestive workload. When baffling symptoms occur and you see the person is more or less addicted to refined carbohydrates, it is a good bet to think low blood sugar and use HYG.-W.
HYG.-W is a combination of the following herbs: Bee pollen, licorice root, rice bran, sweet root and juniper berry
Dosage: 10 to 40 drops, 3 times per day. Increase as needed, to get results.
To order the combination pure herb, HYG.-W, contact
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RETURN POLICY Due to FDA regulations regarding food products, Pure Herbs Ltd. has a no return policy.
If there is an herb you're interested in that's not listed, please contact
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. There is a natural herb for all conditions of the body and mind.
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By Dr. David Kyle Foster
1. Masturbation can be the vehicle whereby the inhibited person maintains their propensity to remain self-contained and in need of no one. It deepens the trenches of loneliness, self-pity and self-centeredness.
2. Masturbation is a turning in on one's self -- a narcissistic neurosis that feeds introspection and other dysfunctional directions. This kind of inwardly focused life robs people of the fullness of life that Christ came to give.
3. Masturbation can become a gateway for demonic strongholds to develop. This becomes more and more likely as one delves deeper and deeper into pornography and perverse sexual fantasies.
4. This behavior serves to program the mind to focus on fantasy as the source of pleasure rather than the biblical model of union with one's spouse. People come to be seen as objects rather than real people. It is an elaborate scheme of the enemy [satan and his demons] to keep us from learning how to be intimate with our spouse and our God.
5. When someone takes up the practice of masturbation, they are programming themselves to turn to solutions that block or hide problems rather than solve them. This immature life-pattern for problem-solving is highly dysfunctional and is the foundation upon which is laid a lifetime of addictive behavior.
6. Masturbation has a physically addictive side to it that serves to block pain. The chemicals that are released into the brain serve to medicate pain much like any addictive drug. God wants us to bring our pain to Him. He wants us to grow through it and receive the blessing of sharing in the sufferings of Christ.
7. Masturbation is a task master that demands the continual plumbing of new and more perverse depths of lust. On that treadmill, the mind is programmed to more and more highly delineated sexual fantasies, which the marriage bed can never match. Normal marital relations become a disappointment and the design for sex thwarted. The body also becomes programmed to achieve release quickly, which serves to frustrate the patterns of healthy sexual intercourse between spouses.
8. A clutching at the genitals by infants is often a manifestation of separation anxiety, but that same behavior in childhood is often a sign of sexual abuse or some other cause for significant internal anxiety in the child. If the child uses a mirror during the act, that is a scenario that can result in homosexual confusion, as the child programs their mind to associate sexual pleasure with the sight of their own body. [In such cases, other factors that lead to homosexual neurosis are probably also present, such as molestation or failure to bond on an emotional level with the same-sex parent]. Adolescent experimentation at puberty is normal and not a cause for alarm unless it becomes habitual.
What does the Bible Say?
One of the most prevalent rationalizations that people use is that the Bible never mentions masturbation and that it must therefore be alright. Is that logical? Is child molestation alright then? It's not specifically forbidden in the Bible. How about shooting heroin? Or how about torturing someone? Not mentioned! You see how illogical the argument quickly becomes.
How do we know that smoking dope is against the will of God, for example? We discover the answer by uncovering the principles found in scripture - most specifically those concerning the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit and those commanding us to obey governmental authority. We also know sin by the witness of the Holy Spirit within, provided we haven't quenched that witness through ongoing rebellion.
The most obvious biblical principle that is applicable to masturbation is found in Matthew 5:28 where Jesus indicates that lusting after someone in the heart is the same as actually doing it. I am violating whomever I am picturing in my mind during the act of masturbation. It really doesn't matter whether it is a picture from a magazine, [Those are real people!], or someone I've met or a memory of some act committed in the past.
And if I can discipline my mind to think of no one, what of that?
Attainment of such focus only serves to make obvious the desperation and obsession that drives us to such lengths. The principles found in I Corinthians 6:12; II Peter 2:19; and Romans 6:14 clearly emerge as foundational to our plight -- that we are slaves to whatever masters us. When we get truly honest about the habit of masturbation, it is clear that it is a behavior that controls us -- one that we use to medicate pain, to alleviate stress or to forget rejection. In that way, it is similar to a drug habit -- just one more vehicle to avoid turning to God.
Why won't we turn to God? We may be ashamed. We may believe that He's going to judge and punish us. We may not trust Him. Or, it simply may never occur to us. We don't normally see God as being involved in the fulfillment of our sexual lives. He's a Spirit after all and we are physical creatures. And yet, He is in fact the answer to every problem. He can quench our unholy desire and He can teach us to respond to problems by working through them rather than from running from them.
Confessing the Right Things
It is important that I discover the root sin issues so that I can repent of them. If I am unaware of one or more of these strongholds, I will inevitably remain bound because my unrepented sin will continue to give Satan ground to hold me in bondage. Much of the transformation process involves discovering where Satan's ground is and removing it with the tools that God has provided. What then are some of the root sin issues that need to be confessed?
1. Unbelief
Unbelief Is the doubt that God is really good. When I sin any sin, I am in that moment doubting that God is really there for me, that He cares, and therefore, that He is good. I am re-enacting the first sin committed in the Garden of Eden, when Eve became convinced that God was keeping from her something that was good.
The truth is, God has something better than the coping mechanism of masturbation -- even for the single person. He has something higher, something that will bring completion and satisfaction to one's sexual self. It is this truth that is most effective in being persuaded to forsake the sin.
2. Idolatry
Ephesians 5:3-5 clearly teaches that sexual immorality is a form of idolatry. Often masturbation becomes a source of life and peace, especially for those who have lived through great pain. It becomes a substitute god. Should the Spirit come to offer freedom, many will recoil in terror at the realization that they are being asked to live without something that has been a primary source of peace in their lives - something that has kept them from falling apart. The behavior becomes so entrenched in their sense of being that life without it becomes unimaginable.
Like the worship of any god, masturbation has its own fetish objects and rituals -- times, places, triggers, ritual objects, and ritual patterns that draw the person into an almost trance-like progression toward the peak experience and denouement. Confessing the ritual worship and removing or renouncing its various components is key to seeing its power broken.
3. Rebellion
Sometimes we simply refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit or pretend not to hear Him. The self-care of masturbation often cloaks anger and distrust of God, who never seemed to be there when we needed Him. Often in childhood, when God doesn't rescue us or change us upon demand, we judge Him in our hearts and develop a root of anger that must be removed through confession and repentance. That means we acknowledge our rebellion and make concerted choices to love Him and to believe that given the context of human free will, God operates with complete integrity and love.
4. Love of Sin
This one is often buried under mounds of rationalizations. We pretend that we need to practice the sin, we deserve to practice it, it's the least God can do to allow it considering what we've gone through, etc. But the truth is, we love it more than we love God. In order to change this, we need to discover how to love God more. Greater love for God comes as a fruit of taking the time to know Him intimately. A lifestyle of worship is important. The demonic realm cannot stand that. Meditating on the Cross is also a major key. As we gain a deeper appreciation for our Lord's suffering, we become more willing to jettison the things that have charmed us most [as the old hymn says]. When tempted, we only need ask ourselves, Who do I love right now - the sin that is tempting me, or the One who loves me so deeply that He died on the Cross for me? Put that way, the choice becomes far easier to make.
5. Self-deception
It is a humbling thing to realize that over the years we become masters at deceiving ourselves into believing we want freedom from something that we will not give up. Like an onion, we lay down layer upon layer of self-deception, saying the right religious words and thinking the right religious thoughts, while still refusing to forsake the desire for the sin that lingers in our hearts. We need to acknowledge before God the ongoing impurity in our motivation, the depravity in our heart, and our need for Him to give us the true heartfelt desire to be holy and pure.
6. Performance-righteousness
Most of us, even those who know better, continually fall into this trap. Though we talk of grace alone and being able to do nothing without Christ, our fallen nature continuously seduces our minds into believing that we must earn God's love and acceptance and that we must develop our own righteousness. Over and over again we try to make ourselves holy and pure rather than suffer the humiliation of the flesh and truly become dependent on God for the power to live the kingdom life that He won for us on the Cross.
The Long and Winding Road to Freedom
It would be nice if God would just zap us and make us permanently free from sin and bondage. But the process of sanctification is often arduous. Through it we learn to value the end result, depend on Him, love Him, trust Him, hate evil and give all glory, praise and honor to God and God alone.
The foundational principles by which our Lord sets us free from masturbation are no different than those for any other sin and bondage. Simply put, set your focus on Him [rather than your problem] and let His Spirit guide you the rest of the way. In moments of intimacy with Him, God will lead you through a complete shift in your priorities. He will transform your affections and belief systems. He will deepen your desire and determination to be liberated. He will expose and heal the hidden emotional and sin problems that have fed your bondage. And He will strengthen your willingness to believe and to act on His promises.
1. Learn to give yourself grace. It took you a long time to develop the problem, so in moments of failure, turn and receive the love and grace of God. He is pleased with you because of Christ's sacrifice on your behalf and because deep in your heart, you loved Him enough to commit your life to His Son. God has grace to spare. In fact, it is His grace in the midst of our failure that ultimately yields the fruit of obedience [Titus 2:11-14].
2. Permanently set your heart and mind to turn to God at the first moment of temptation and with acknowledged weakness and dependency, cry out to Him for His power to quench the fiery darts of the enemy. Commit to being ruthless with temptation -- giving it no place. Let Christ answer the door when it comes knocking!
3. Remove every influence that leads you into desiring and repeating the behavior. Ask God to show you what these are. Break the ritual patterns and remove the ritual objects as God reveals them to you.
4. Practice believing that God has something better -- that He can indeed fulfill the needs that are temporarily being met through the illegitimate means of masturbation.
5. Spend significant, quality time with God in praise, worship, prayer and scripture reading. Pour out your heart to Him. Develop the same intimate relational knowing of God that you would with a spouse. Ask Him to implant within your mind a healthy view of sex and the sexuality of others. Ask Him to give you a love of purity, seeking Him passionately in the beauty of His holiness [Psalm 96:9]. Listen to Him as He unlocks for you the unique keys to your transformation. Listen with a heart set on obeying His direction no matter what He may suggest.
6. Refuse to submit to Satan's barrage of self-condemning thoughts when you fall. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus [Romans 8:1]. Call any thought or feeling to the contrary the lie that it is and reject it. Repent and then run back into your Daddy's arms.
7. Learn what God really thinks of you by meditating on the Cross. Reject the lies of self-hatred, loathing and shame that are in actuality, elaborate challenges to the Cross of Christ and the promises of God.
Know that God has the will and the power to set anyone free from anything. Go for the free indeed promise. Seek not the maintenance program of the world, but the transformation program of the kingdom of God!
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Wow, this is a subject that tugs close to my heart strings, how about yours? Do you know how many people have blocked emotions? I do. Guess I kinda used to be one of them. I remember saying, I just really don't like crying -- especially not in front of people.
Well, why not? The Lord created emotions, actually in the book of Genesis. There must be a reason He created tear ducts, and even biologically and physiologically there's a reason for them. I've typically preferred crying alone, you know, it's private, no one sees you and if it messes up your make up, you can straighten it up. Right now, my mind rolls back to two crying episodes I had where I just couldn't control the tears.
First crying episode
I was on a business trip in South Carolina and I was tired after landing at the airport. I was exhausted emotionally and mentally. I decided, I'm not going to work today, instead I'll eat lunch and rest, after all, I don't know anyone in this city. I ate lunch and when I finished, a stranger in the restaurant walked up to me and said, "Baby, the weight on you is so heavy, I felt it across the restaurant and I've been sitting over there praying for you." I remained quiet, I didn't know her. She asked while standing at my table, “May I pray for you?” I said yes and she began to pray while touching my hand [the waitresses are now looking because they know we didn't come in together]. Bear-sized tears began racing from my face because this woman called out everything that was wrong with me and I didn't know her. Yes, people in the restaurant are really looking now. After praying the lady said, do you have car, did you come here in a car. I said yes, my rental is outside. She said, go in the car, roll up the windows and cry as hard as you need to. I did just that. I exited the restaurant, drove across the street to a bookstore parking lot, went way in the back of the parking lot -- and baam, I wailed like an animal in the forest who was wounded and no one was there to rescue them. I'll never forget that cry.
Second crying episode
I'm now in another state years later and I spontaneously decided to have a meal with a lady I'd met like about two days prior. I'd been doing some reflecting on my life and thought I was fine. The Lord was dealing with me on an issue I really didn't want to talk to people about. After all, nothing is ever going to change, so why bother even addressing it. Sometimes you just have to accept things the way they are right? No, wrong! Why is that wrong, because what I believed DID NOT align with The Bible, the Word of God. If what I believe doesn't align, then what I believe is not true. The Word of God is true, it is the truth, which meant what I believed was a lie. Yes, it had been a reality for a long time, but it was a lie I believed because the situation had been that way for so long. Well, let me tell you. I sat at that meal table with just about a perfect stranger. We were eating. And I tried to be civil and talk, do the small talk exchange. Lord, that didn't last for two minutes. The tear ducts RIPPED and there was no way I could conceal the tears. This wasn't a simple cry, the veins in my soul had ruptured and here I am with a complete stranger. It's a beautiful thing when you can communicate with a person -- human spirit to human spirit -- without using any words. Really in this particular situation it was the spirit of the Lord in me connecting with the Spirit of the Lord in her. That lady rubbed my right shoulder and the top of my back. She didn't say a word. Underneath my breathe I eked out the words repeatedly, "They are not better than me." I just kept repeating that because that had been my inner struggle that started centuries before I was born. I just bought into the lie because it had been passed down generation to generation to me -- and in ignorance I accepted it.
Well, Beloved reader, I simply share with you today, you have the freedom and are released to cry. Cry in public. Cry in private. Cry with friends. Cry with enemies. Cry with your spouse. Cry with the Lord holding you. Cry in your car. Cry in the bathroom stall at work. Cry in your woman's lap. Cry on your man's shoulder.
It's okay; you are now released and have the freedom to cry.
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http://www.exministries.com Minister G. Craige Lewis
I listened and watched several videos videos by Minister G. Craige Lewis. Below, I've typed notes from the revelation the Holy Spirit has given him. I thank God for imparting different callings and revelation to people within the body of Christ. Enjoy and please send a link to this article to as many Christians as you can. Thank you.
HIP HOP MUSIC -- There’s something that’s now rocking America; it’s worst than a bomb. It’s now created a bunch of young [Christian and non-Christian] people who totally defy order. The churches have now embraced it, hip hop, and the whole world is being rocked by the impact of it. The enemy started planning this demonic hip-hop strategy in the Zulu nation in Africa and even all the way back to Pharaoh. The enemy began to prepare something to catch and captivate the minds of young people to pull them straight into his own belly. This is the hip-hop culture. This means church youth [and adults] will and are beginning to worship the devil through hip hop music. It’s plain and simple. Our youth [and adults] need deliverance from this because the music and videos have created an open door into their young lives.
Why do Christian parents allow their children to buy clothes that promote godless, perverted artists – like Sean Jean, Rocawear. Biggie Smalls, when he was living, had a group called The Junior Mafia – it was broken into three groups. Each group was called a 6. The entire junior mafia was called 666. Right before Biggie Smalls died, he was preparing to start a clothing line to be named 666. And had this come to fruition, would Christian parents have allowed their children to purchase these clothes and wear even wear them in the house of God. Of course, 666 is the mark of the beast. So what’s a simple strategy the devil uses to promote the anti-Christ agenda, he raises up superstars – like Biggie Smalls, like Beyonce, like Jay-Z.
Russell Simmons [former husband of Kimora Lee Simmons] is the owner of Phat Farm clothing line. His house looks like a gym and in his basement he has a statute of Kali. Kali is the Indian yoga goddess of death and destruction. He prays to this statue every morning. Kali had followers that would worship her stature back in the 19th century. They sacrificed money, jewels and possessions to this goddess. When people came into the temple to worship Kali, men came into the temple to beat up whoever was worshipping Kali. They were robbers and thieves. These men would put the jewels in their mouths and hide all of the possessions they stole. These men were named thugs. Russell Simmons is pegged as a godfather of hip-hop and he worships the goddess that rules over these thugs. The word thug is synonymous to the hip-hop culture. Many people in hip-hop refer to themselves as thugs. There is a new show getting ready ready to air [at the end of 2009] about Tupac titled Thug Angel.
These artists in the hip-hop culture begin to take on thug characteristics and conjure up and channel these very demonic spirits of the thugs back from the 19th century. [There are pictures available to compare facial expressions of body mannerisms so you can see how identical.] 50 Cent, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Young Buck, Lil John – these guys are glorifying being thugs. This is demonic worship or familiar spirits as scripture calls it. Notice the facial expressions of these hip-hoppers [view videos on YouTube by Minister G. Craige Lewis]. In the form of entertainment, satan is using these hip-hoppers to promote the anti-Christ agenda. Yes, they even put their extravagant jewelry in their mouths, just like the thugs from the 19th century that stole from those who worshipped the idol god Kali in the temple.
Jay-Z calls himself jehovah god. He believes he is god. He does not believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He believes the Black man is god. His clothing line is Rocawear. And why are Christians buying these clothes and even sporting them to church? He has an album called The Black Album and there’s a song on there that you have to play in reverse. These are the lyrics when the song is played in reverse – 666, murder, murder Jesus, 666. [The video of this song being played backwards is posted on this site for you to hear.] Yes, these are the subliminal messages Jay-Z is sending to those listening to this song. And why are Christians supporting him again? Have you noticed that hip-hop clothing is in every department store now. Wake up saints! We wonder what's wrong with our youth and young adults. We wonder why the atmosphere in our homes are not peaceful. Well -- this hip-hop music and the videos create many open doors for you, your children and young adults to invite the demonic right on in to your home, car and life.
Remember the old song, Another One Bites The Dust. When that song was played backwards or in reverse, it said, I like to smoke marijuana. When kids were interviewed, the kids said, they just wanted to get high, they wanted to smoke weed. The kids and adults didn’t have any idea why these thoughts and urges were coming upon them. Christians, saints, believers -- there are only two forces in the world -- God who was Jesus in the flesh and satan. God who is available to us now through The Holy Spirit is omnipotent. As we know, satan can only be in one place at a time. So, what does satan do? He uses demons to do his work. He has assigned demons everywhere. To you, your family, your community, your church, your denomination, your city, your country, your institutions, your governments, your companies, your vocations, and, of course, the media, education and entertainment industries.
The following article is property of EX Ministries' Web site. The information that Charisma did not publish!
A few months ago we were approached by Charisma magazine to do an interview. We have been asked by several national talk shows and publications to give interviews. We always pray and proceed with caution. EX Ministries is not in the business of seeking to promote our cause or message through nationally distributed magazines, however when we were approached by Charisma, we agreed to do the article. We agreed partly because, Charisma has a reputation of being edgy and also they informed me that they were doing an article anyway, whether I agreed to the interview or not.
So I gave them the whole story and answered their questions only after they promised that they would print exactly what I said. Further more, I found that just a year or so prior to this, they had released an issue with a very lengthy cover story on holy hip hop and its use in the black church. I hoped that they would give us the same consideration and print the information we gave them so that it would answer questions and warn others about the dangers of hip-hop.
In the February 2007 issue, they printed the article about us, and much to my surprise, they were very reserved with editing my answers and hardly printed any thing that we addressed in our interview. Although we do not feel the article was directly negative towards our stand, we do feel that the meat of the matter was never really dealt with. I would think that this information would be important enough to discuss with as much intensity as the article they did on holy hip hop, but once again, the booty shaking, grilled mouthed, inmate mimicking, embarrassment to our race, hip hoppers, were lifted up and the truth behind hip hop was snubbed.
Since Charisma didn’t print our interview in its original format, we decided to give you the full list of questions and answers uncut and unedited, as I corresponded with their journalist. This is the information that the 700 Club, Gospel Today, Charisma, and many others will not print for whatever reason.
Charisma Magazine Artical Uncut
JB of Charisma Magazine -What is the goal of your DVD series The Truth Behind Hip Hop?
G. Craige Lewis - Actually, we have no goals for the DVD because we never pursued or planned to record a DVD. One of the most dangerous things that I believe has infected the body of Christ is self-promotion. Yet, this is what most pastors or traveling evangelist are told they must do to get the word out. If the word they were trying to get out was their own then promoting it would be fine. However, if its God’s Word then I believe that God is responsible to promote it. The Truth Behind Hip-Hop is definitely an example of that. The series came about as a result of my traveling and preaching The Truth Behind Hip Hop for two years prior to the DVD. The 1st DVD was recorded in 2002 at the request of a ministry in my area. Initially, I turned them down, because I didn’t want to change the way God was getting the message out. However, after I prayed, the ministry approached me again and the Lord told me to let them record it. The recording didn’t cost me a dime of my own money and besides that, we never mass-marketed it, signed a distribution deal, or tried to promote it ourselves. Yet, through word of mouth and just making them available on our site quite a few people have ordered the DVD’s. What are my goals and desires for the DVD’s? I never planned for DVD’s in the first place. Simply put, I want what God wants and that is for every believer to deny himself and follow Christ!
JB of Charisma Magazine -Your message on secular hip-hop is clear, however, I didn't see where you offered an alternative or solution to what our young people should be listening to. Could you please explain further on this?
G. Craige Lewis - This is dealt with in our 3rd DVD, Antichrist Superstar. We believe that God is not an alternative! He should never be put in the position to replace something that should have never been there in the first place. Consider this, a young person is saved and delivered from an addiction to drugs and the church gives them holy drugs as an alternative? This is absurd. Yet this what so-called holy-hip-hoppers are doing. That young person doesn’t need an alternative drug; the drugs should have never been in their lives in the first place. We teach young people that Jesus Christ is the WAY! Seek him and find him and you will know then what is good and acceptable according to the unction that is within you, called the anointing! We are here to push people into the face of God not by offering replacements, but rather using the written word of God and exposing the darkness and deception that exists in their lives whether through music, or any other form of idol worship. God is first. Once you seek him, you will know in your heart what is good for your mind and soul. Some people think that I am anti-music. As a musician and former producer, I have recorded plenty of music; I have friends who record good Christian music; and according to some trends in ministry, I should be taking the bad stuff and then selling them my stuff—but God has not told me to do that. I preach the message that God has told me to preach and let the Holy Spirit, PASTORS, YOUTH PASTORS, and parents do the rest.
JB of Charisma Magazine -What are your feelings toward the holy hip-hop movement?
G. Craige Lewis - Holy hip hop is ridiculous. It makes no sense. It's just another tool of the enemy to make our young black males act, dress, and behave in a manner that is only beneficial to a rap star and those that profit from it. Although, these antics may be entertaining to some, to the average black man, these behaviors are roadblocks that halt their forward progress in the true culture we live in called the American culture! Dressing like gang members, wearing your hair like women, sagging your pants like inmates, and speaking broken English is, by the American standard, unacceptable behavior and will continue to be a hindrance in the future of our generation. Why would a church embrace that? Why would a church promote that? Out of desperation, many churches are resorting to holy thugs and gospel gangsta's to entertain their youth while the adults are worshipping. You see, you can't minister to teens about self-love, self-promotion, self-empowerment, and all the fluff messages that our new mega-church era is overrun with. Kids won't sit through, what I call the top-pop sermons of the neo-penecostal movement: Miracle, season, harvest, breakthrough, favor, destiny, and purpose. Only adults will chase that stuff. Kids want it real. Therefore, to keep them entertained without a true heart for their souls, you must do what is popular to them. You must mimic the world, follow the world's lead, and subscribe to the current trends and fads if you don't have a true call to minister. Therefore, the holy hip hoppers have found a way to masquerade as the answer while they sell their music and promote themselves. They sound just like the secular stuff. They look just like the secular stuff. They even listen to the secular stuff to get their sound and flavor. So, all they really do is build the desire for the kids to go out and get the real stuff but just do the imitation while at church, cause that's what is available!
JB of Charisma Magazine -Jesus translated the gospel into terms that people could understand [i.e. parables and storytelling]. Do you feel this can be OK for our culture as well? Can hip-hop be used in this way? Why or why not? I think of it as the same as different publishing companies providing different translations of the Bible. I also think of Paul's verse that said he is all things to all men [1 Corinthians 9:22], except a backslider and unrepentant sinner, of course!
G. Craige Lewis - First of all Jesus didn’t translate the Gospel He was the Gospel, the Gospel is the record of His life, death and resurrection. Secondly, He didn’t speak in parables so that people could understand. Ironically, it was just the opposite: He spoken in parables so that the truth would be hidden to those who thought themselves wise and prudent.
Matt. 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Matt. 13:10 And the disciples came and said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables?
Matt. 13:11 Jesus answered them, To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
Matt. 13:12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
Matt. 13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
If anyone has seen any of our DVD’s or have ever heard me speak, they will know that we teach and preach that hip-hop is not just a genre of music. Hip-hop is a lifestyle. It is a manner of life. When a person comes to Christ He changes his lifestyle. Furthermore, hip hop's origin causes it to be useless when it comes to ministry. The word hip hop, according to the founders of the culture and the pioneers of the music art form, was first used in the clubs by the Sugar Hill Gang. Remember that song that said, hip hop, hippy to the hop, don't stop rocking ...? Well, that song was using the two words hip hop to describe women's booty's shaking to their beats in the club. Basically, in it's simplest form, hip hop means booty shaking! Your hips hop to the beats. Just look at the last twenty-years of hip-hop videos: the clothes changed, the music changed, even the lyrics changed but one thing that always remained the same is the gratuitous camera shot of girls hips hopping. We can quote “I became all things to all men …” all we want to; but I don’t think Paul ever meant that he would make the people’s booty shake to win them to Christ. Moreover, how in the world can you have holy booty shaking? Sure, the youth will come to shake their butts and throw up their hood signs, but will they be changed? We have seen millions of youth saved, set free, and delivered, and we have never used any kind of music to draw them.
JB of Charisma Magazine - Since I have begun to research this article I have come across some interesting observations. If it is OK, I would like to explore these with you. It is said that hip-hop culture can be looked at the same as American culture. Both have their up sides and their down sides. If you showed someone from another country all the American strip clubs, bars, jails, and ghettos, perhaps they would see America in a terrible way. But if we showed that America also had churches, good will and charity organizations, sports, great universities [that is up for argument, but anyway] :-)), one would see American in a more realistic light. It has been said that the hip-hop culture is also the same way. The bad is very bad, but there are very positive things that come out of the culture -- creativity, holy hip-hop, political voice, a point of connection to express and release the pain of this generation. How do you feel about such comments/observations?
G. Craige Lewis - Hip-hop is a sub-cultural movement, and cannot be compared to an ethnographic or demographic culture. A subculture is defined as a group with distinctive characteristics within a larger culture. This is why we say that hip-hop is at best, a subculture. Furthermore, its not a movement based on it's own concepts but it is a subculture that uses basic deconstruction of words and concepts to cause those that are apart of it to strive to be more visible in our present society. Initially, hip- was created out of lack and fatherless-ness. Young boys whose father's were absent began to adhere to the streets rather than abiding by the rules that govern success in society. The streets life became their expression and selling drugs, murdering, and fathering illegitimate children became their motes operandi since they had no authoritative male figures to look up to. This birthed the clothing, the language, and the social rejection that gave way for this subculture to emerge. All that we see now is a result of lack and fatherless-ness. Should we adapt to that? Or should we show a better way? Should we promote Christian gangsta's and holy thugs? Or should we teach them that the street life is not the only way there is? There is no way to compare the American culture with a street life subculture that was birthed out of rebellion and recklessness. You can't rebel against a culture that you are apart of and expect to excel in that cultures system. So, if you are not a rapper or DJ or some other occupation that is financed by the subculture of hip hop, then you won't make it in the true American culture. Rebellion will only label you an outcast or reject and cause you to be ridiculed and immobilized.
JB of Charisma Magazine - Another thing I would like to better understand is that you mentioned that hip-hop comes from the devil and that it is satan's trick to cause people to worship him and receive his mark. Did you mean all hip-hop?
G. Craig Lewis - Please allow me to restate your question referring to my earlier definition: Did I mean all booty-hop came from the devil? Hmmmm … ultimately yes. However, before I answer where hip-hop came from, let me clear up where it didn’t come from. Obviously, booty-hop did not come from God. I hear a lot people [mostly holy-hip-hoppers] trying to refer to hip-hop in its purest form. Referring to hip-hop as a pure form is like trying to refer to crack as a pure form. crack in itself is a hybrid of cocaine and other chemicals used to cut it. Yet the reason holy hip-hoppers try to make this quantum leap in logic, is so they can somehow say that hip-hop is a gift from God. One very popular Grammy nominated Holy-hip-hop group suggest that on judgment day God will judge us based on what we did with Hip-hop. God has nothing to do with hip-hop. The founding fathers of hip-hop all readily admit that men created hip-hop out of rebellion. So technically, man created hip-hop, but rebellion inspired it. The Bible clearly states that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. What spirit governs rebellion and witchcraft? The devil. So what about holy hip-hip? Surely, they distinguish themselves from the rebellious element of hip-hop don’t they? No, they can’t. Jesus said a kingdom divided against itself can’t stand. Holy hip-hoppers dress like secular hip-hoppers; behave like secular hip-hoppers [throwing up gang signs] and even listen to secular hip-hop so they can emulate them. At one of the holy hip-hop awards shows, a fight broke out east coast against west coast just like secular hip-hop.
When most holy hip hop artists rap, they never refer to it as Holy, but just hip hop. Why is that? Because, there is only one subculture of hip hop and it is not holy! KRS-ONE, the lead prophet and spokesperson for hip hop says that Biggie was [the counterfeit] John the Baptist and Tupac Shakur was [the counterfeit] Jesus Christ and they died for our sins! He is revered and looked up to as the father of holy hip hop. He says in hip hop there are no gods and goddesses, we are the gods and goddesses! He even has T-Bone and BB Jay on his CD called Spiritually Minded, which is sold in Mardels, Family Christian, and all major Christian bookstores. He says he is a prophet and is here to teach the truth about Jesus. He says we are all Jesus Christs and should not worship him or call his name out, but be Jesus. He has Temples of hip hop all over the country and is meeting with holy hip hoppers to join together in efforts to promoting hip hop in the church! In our discussion with Ambassador of the Cross Movement, we urged him to call what he was doing Christian rap and not subscribe to hip hop culture. We asked him why couldn't he just rap for the Lord and use his ability to create rhymes for God without giving credit or props to hip hop. He said he couldn't. He is apart of the hip hop culture and would not denounce it. All rappers believe that rap is the music, but hip hop is the lifestyle or the way of life. This tells us that all hip hoppers have an agenda. Not to just rap, but to promote a rebellious way of life! Hip-hop takes what was once seen as bad and makes it good. Thugs, pimps, and gangstas was once seen as bad but hip-hop says that its good. Holy hip-hoppers are governed by this fundamental element and try to sanctify hip-hip by adding one word holy to everything. Now they say holy thugs, and gospel gangstas as if this will change the essence of hip-hop terms.
JB of Charisma Magazine -And also, what did you mean when you later said that satan can't create anything, that he is anti-God and anti-creation? Just to clarify, it appeared that there was a contradiction in that point. Could you explain your complete thoughts on that?
G. Craige Lewis - Satan did not create hip hop, but he used man to create it. Man has a unique ability that was not giving to satan. Man has God's attribute of creation. The devil took the music, the fatherless-ness, and the false god worship of the Zulu nation, and fused it together to form an anti-Christian movement of Hip Hop. I don't believe the devil created all the things that make up the movement, but he did mastermind the culmination of them all.
JB of Charisma Magazine - Also, how would you respond to the argument that people may bring up from Colossians 1:16-17: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist? I have heard this text used to defend that use of hip-hop to glorify God and to win people to Christ.
G. Craige Lewis - There is NO biblical example of music ever being used to win souls to Christ or to evangelize. Music as a unique ability to coerce your mind and physiologically causes the release of pleasure chemicals in your brain. Because of this, it's hard for a person to make a good sound decision for Christ with the emotional trappings of music involved. Their decision will be based on feeling rather than fact. I believe that this accounts for much of the schizophrenic Christianity of the modern Church. Many churches heavily use music during their altar calls and people make a decision for Christ without being soberly minded. This leads to a conversion that is based on their emotions rather than their sound judgment. When they go back to their former environment and their emotions change they turn away from God. There is no biblical account of music being listed as a fold in the five-fold ministry or used by the apostles to draw a crowd. Jesus said no man cometh unless the Spirit of God draws him. If you notice, the only people that are really pushing hip hop in the churches are those that profit from it. Since when did the resale industry's method become our model for winning souls? When I speak, we never use music and hard core gang members, pimps, whores, drug dealers, drug users, etc. have come to Christ by the thousands without hip hop or any music!
JB of Charisma Magazine -What do you think of holy hip-hop churches and ministries?
G. Craige Lewis - What's next? What is the church going to do to reach the red-light district? Or the strippers? Are we going to dress up like whores and start whore ministries to reach them? Are we going to dress up like pimps to reach pimps or cross dress to reach homosexuals? [Believe me, some are probably behind the scenes trying to set up these movements even as we speak.] People need the power of the Holy Ghost to change them, not our methods. These are the purpose driven churches that are really people driven! They want big numbers and large offerings, so they turn to fleshly methods and the promotion of their own ideas rather than preaching the truth of the Word of God without compromise. If the holy hip hop churches and ministries were really affective, they would be in the streets with their kind and not in some building acting street! I want all pastors and ministries that are holding on and not giving in to this perverted move of carnality by embracing this demonic sub-culture to know something. You are not alone!
There are hundreds of thousands of churches and ministries out there that are not giving in and just because you see the mega pastors and conferences trying to push this hip hop agenda, stick with what God is telling you. There is something wrong with boys sagging their pants and tattooing their bodies. There is something wrong with girls dressing and acting like prostitutes and hookers. There is something wrong with gospel gangsters and holy thugs wearing grillz and speaking broken English. Stay true to what you know God is saying. Teach the parents and they will effectively minister to their children. Don't sideswipe their authority by bringing in the very images and lifestyles that parents and the education system of America is trying to change.
JB of Charisma Magazine - Thank you Elder Lewis for your responses. I see in one of your answers that you asked to one of the members of Cross Movement to call their music Christian rap. It appears from this dialog that you do not have a problem with someone rapping Christian lyrics -- just not subscribing to the hip-hop lifestyle. Is this assumption correct? Also, what style of music would you say is appropriate for Christians to listen to? Or maybe you wouldn't tell someone what to listen, but how would you teach someone to choose the kind of music that truly glorifies God?
G. Craige Lewis - I am not against rap, or any style of music, but I do not believe that Christian music should exalt the performer at all. If it's Christian, or Christ-like, it should exalt only Christ. The holy hip hoppers promote themselves all in their music because hip hop is self expressive and self serving. That is against the plan of Christ, self denial! I believe a Christian should seek God in every way possible and deny their flesh in every way possible. This includes selfish music that causes us to move in an inappropriate manner or songs that lift up people as idols and do not lift up Christ. Self denial is the root of Salvation and must be practiced as Paul said, daily. So, with our investigative estimations of the gospel music industry being over 95 percent homosexual, self worship is being promoted in music and self promotion is key in being successful as an artists. The only example of this in the Bible is Lucifer, the angel that the bible says iniquity was found in him because of his much merchandising! It also states in Ezekial that the iniquity of his traffic [self promotion] got him cast out and labeled profane.
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Do you take prescription meds? Does someone you love take prescription meds? Did you know prescription meds is the number three cause of death in America according to the Journal of American Medicine?
Are birth control pills safe? Any drug that artificially manipulates the natural hormonal activity of the body will have negative implications and side effects.
What is the birth control pill? How Does it work? Is it Safe? by Paul Weckenbrock, R. Ph.
The birth control pill is any drug which uses artificial hormones to keep a woman from getting pregnant or from staying pregnant by interfering with her normal fertility.
Are all forms of the pill the same?
No. There are several types of the pill on the market, but they basically break down into two groups: combination pills and the progestin-only minipill.
The combination type contain two artificial steroids that mimic the effects of naturally occurring hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Some pills work in a monophasic way, keeping the dosage of hormones the same throughout the pill cycle. Others work in a biphasic or triphasic manner which alters the dosage of artificial hormones two or three times respectively through the cycle of pills, attempting to produce fluctuations similar to what a fertile woman would undergo naturally.
The progestin-only minipill uses only one artificial hormone, progestin, which is a steroid that has a progestational effect similar to natural progesterone.
How does the pill work?
The pill is designed to interfere with several normal functions of fertility in order to make a woman 1) unable to conceive due to temporary sterility or sperm immobility, and/or 2) unable to carry a pregnancy to term [an early abortion].
This process can be accomplished in various ways.
Suppressing ovulation: When a woman ovulates, hormones released from the pituitary , a gland located at the base of the brain, stimulate her ovaries to ripen and release an egg. The combination pill usually interrupts the release of these pituitary hormones resulting in no egg being released from the ovary, thus preventing pregnancy from occurring. With no egg available for fertilization, the woman is chemically sterile. The progestin-only pill, however, has a weaker effect. It generally does not suppress ovulation.
1. Inhibiting Implantation: Another important aspect of fertility is the process by which the lining of the uterus is replenished and maintained. After an egg is fertilized, it normally implants in this lining [endometrium], drawing nourishment and sustenance. The progestin component of the combination pill and the progestin-only minipill cause the inner lining of the uterus to become thin and shriveled, unable to support implantation of the embryo [newly fertilized egg].
2. Impeding Sperm Migration: Preceding ovulation, a woman’s cervix produces a watery mucus through which sperm swim to meet the egg. The mucus also provides nourishment to sustain the life of the sperm cells. This mucus thickens under the influence of a progestin and so impedes sperm migration.
3.There are two other factors in a woman’s fertility that may be affected by the pill.
Making changes in the Fallopian Tubes: Progestins lower the efficiency with which the fallopian tubes propel eggs from the ovaries toward the uterus. This can cause the embryo not to reach the uterus in time to implant successfully.
4. Stopping a Pregnancy: After an ovary releases an egg, the woman’s cycle is controlled by a gland that is formed from the now-empty egg sack, the corpus luteum; this normally functions long enough to give an embryo time to implant in the uterus and for the placenta to begin to support the pregnancy.
However, hormones from the pill can cause the corpus luteum to function inadequately, allowing the lining of the uterus to be shed before the embryo can successfully implant.
In summary, a woman’s natural fertility requires several systems and organs to coordinate smoothly. The synthetic chemicals in any type of birth control pill interfere with this coordination, adversely affecting her normal fertility and any accidental conceptions.
How effective is the pill?
In theory, the pill reaches an effectiveness of over 99%, but in practice the rate is much lower. Between 1.9% and 18.1% of women will experience an unplanned pregnancy in the first year of using the pill.
Surprise pregnancies with the pill are due to a number of factors. Interactions between the pill and some other medications interfere with the proper blood levels of hormones necessary for their birth control effect. These drug interactions may be significant with the commonly used low dose pill where slight alterations in hormonal blood levels can result in more frequent ovulations and hence unplanned pregnancies. Another factor in pill pregnancy rates is not following directions, sometimes due to the lack of motivation, especially in younger women [ages 15-24].
Is ovulation always suppressed?
No. Ovulation occurs in 2% to 10% of cycles of women taking the pill. If 60 million women worldwide are on the low-dose pill, there would be 1.2 to 6 million ovulations per cycle. This is known as breakthrough ovulation, and it is even more frequent with the progestin-only pill.
What happens when ovulation does occur?
When the pill fails to prevent ovulation, the other mechanisms come into play. Thickened cervical mucus may make it more difficult for the sperm to reach the egg; however, if the egg is fertilized, a new life is created. The hormones slow the transfer of the new life through the fallopian tube, and the embryo may become too old to be viable when it does enter the uterus.
If the embryo is still viable when it reaches the uterus, under-development of the uterine lining caused by the pill prevents implantation. The embryo dies and the remains are passed along in the next bleeding episode which, incidentally, is not a true menstruation even though it is usually perceived as such.
Does this mean the pill can cause an early abortion?
Yes. Preventing the newly conceived life in its embryonic stage from being transported to the uterus and preventing implantation in the wall of the uterus are the abortifacient properties of the pill.
Why haven’t I heard about this before?
The Pill manufacturers and many in organized medicine are mainly concerned about the pill’s medical side effects and its effectiveness in preventing pregnancies and are less concerned about how the drug achieves its effectiveness.
Unfortunately, many otherwise pro-life physicians and pharmacists find it hard to admit that these abortifacient properties exist because they would have to discontinue prescribing and dispensing the pill if they were to remain consistent in their respect for life at all its stages of development.
Pro-abortion organizations and their lawyers readily admit the early abortion potential of the pill. In February 1992, writing in opposition to a Louisiana law banning abortion, Ruth Colker, a Tulane Law School professor, wrote, "Because nearly all birth control devices, except the diaphragm and condom, operate between the time of conception ... and implantation ..., the statute would appear to ban most contraceptives." In 1989, attorney Frank Sussman argued before the U. S. Supreme Court that " ... IUDs [and] low dose birth control pills ... act as abortifacients."
Is It Safe? What are the common side effects of the pill?
There is a range of risks from serious or fatal to minor and trivial. The following is a list of the most common side effects experienced by women taking the pill. These effects are dose related and not every woman will experience them, but the risks still exist. The synthetic estrogens of the combination pill cause many of these; the progestin causes others and is the only risk factor in the progestin-only pill.
Heart and blood abnormalities
Blood clots can form, restricting or blocking the flow of blood to critical organs and other body systems, possibly causing permanent damage. For example, a blood clot in the heart would cause a heart attack; in the brain it would cause a stroke or brain hemorrhage; a clot which moved from elsewhere in the body and lodged in the lung would cause a pulmonary embolism; in the kidneys a clot would cause a renal artery thrombosis and kidney damage; in the retinal arteries it would cause temporary or permanent blindness.
Studies continue to indicate approximately a 2-fold increased risk of fatal heart attacks among users of the current low-dose pill when compared to non-users. This risk is lower than the risk experienced with the older high dosage pill, but it continues to be significant. Similarly, the risk of a fatal brain hemorrhage is increased 1.4 times when comparing users to non-users. Among women who smoke, there is a 12-fold increase in fatal heart attacks and a 3.1-fold increase in fatal brain hemorrhage.
High blood pressure and alterations in the blood clotting mechanisms may be seen in women on the pill. This may contribute to a 3-11 times increased risk of developing blood clots in Pill users compared to non-users. The risk is especially great for women who smoke and/or are over 35 years old.
Cancer
Breast cancer has been repeatedly associated with using the pill.
Breast cancer has been increasing at an alarming rate in recent years, especially among young women. Breast cancer will kill more than 44,000 American women this year alone, a 1991 report noted, predicting 175,000 more new cases, especially among young women.
Why is there such an increase of breast cancer among younger women? Note first that women rarely develop breast cancer shortly after they start taking artificial hormones. It is generally not until ten or more years after usage was initiated that women develop breast cancer. Then note that in the United States, since the mid-1970s, it has been common for the pill to be prescribed for girls in their teen years.
Common sense connects the link between giving the pill to young girls in the 1970s and the later increase in breast cancer 15 to 20 years later among women in their late twenties and thirties. This conclusion was demonstrated in a study which found that Swedish women who took the pill in the 1960s incurred a five times greater increase in breast cancer when compared to non-users.
The increased risk of breast cancer is seen in younger, nulliparous women [never having borne children], and in long duration groups [greater than five years] of pill users. Large tumors and a worse survival rate are associated with the pill’s use at an early age.
Will the newer formulated low-dose pills decrease the incidence of breast cancer? A consensus of understanding has not been reached, and another 10 to 20 years of experience with women using this form of the pill must be gained before more definite conclusions can be reached.
Breast tenderness, enlargement, lumps, and milk secretions also may occur in women using the pill. Doctors are warned not to prescribe the pill to women who are known or suspected to have breast cancer. It is difficult to say what aggravating effect the pill’s hormones would have over a truly random sample of women taking the pill.
Cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia increase among women who use the pill. How long the pill has been taken, how many sexual partners a woman has had, at what age she began having intercourse, whether she smokes, the hygiene of sexual partners and the transmission of the human papillomavirus [HPV] are also factors in cervical abnormalities. Because of these several factors, the connection of the pill and cervical cancer may be clouded over. However, there is no doubt that the promotion of the pill has resulted in early intercourse which may be the more direct cause of cervical cancer.
Endometrial and ovarian cancer appear to have a lower incidence in both women on the pill and in those who have been previous users of the pill. Much of this data comes from studies of women who were using the higher dose estrogen/progestin pill. Currently the low dose monophasic and triphasic pills [less than 50mcg of estrogen] are the only birth control pills available on the U.S. market. It is not known if a similar protective effect will be experienced with the currently used pill. More time is needed to study this issue, and the slight protective effect is hardly a reason to take the Pill at the risk of so many other side effects.
It should also be noted that these forms of cancer are rare and primarily occur among postmenopausal women in their fifties and sixties. Second, these cancers tend to occur in those women who had long cycles [i.e., with a prolonged estrogen-dominant phase] or those who have a family history of these types of cancer. Third, extended breastfeeding amenorrhea offers the same type of protection against these cancers since the menstrual cycle would be suppressed and therefore the exposure to estrogen suppressed.
Liver tumors in younger women [15 to 40 years] have increased as the use of oral contraceptives has increased. Almost unheard of in this age group before the use of synthetic hormones became commonplace, liver tumors usually do not occur until the sixth decade of a woman’s life.
A study by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer found a large peak in the 26-to-30-year age group which corresponds with the increased use of oral contraceptives in this age group. Liver cancer in women on the pill is typically associated with those over 30 who have used it more than four years, but cases of liver cancer in younger women have been cited.
Other cancers: Skin cancer [melanoma] has also been found to increase among women on the pill. Naturally occurring estrogen is involved with maintaining healthy skin tissue. It is reasonable to suspect that exposure to the more potent synthetic estrogen in the pill increases the risk of this type of cancer.
Cycle irregularities
Women who take the pill have been reported to experience bleeding or spotting in mid-cycle, changes in menstrual flow, and even loss of menstruation, which can lead them to wonder if they are pregnant. For some, painful menstruation [dysmenorrhea] has been reported to worsen, even though many women take these hormones in an attempt to relieve the problem.48
Although some women are given the pill for irregular cycles, it does nothing to improve the underlying problem causing the irregularity. Often the irregularity returns when the pill is discontinued, sometimes more severely.
Are there other side effects?
Yes. Some side effects are minor while some may be more severe and call for discontinuing the drug.
The following adverse effects have been experienced by women on the pill:
Headaches, migraines, mental depression [even to the point of suicide and/or suicidal tendencies], a decrease or loss of sexual drive, abdominal cramps, bloating, weight gain or loss, and water retention; nausea and vomiting [in about 10% of users]; symptoms of PMS, vaginitis and vaginal infections, changes in vision [temporary or permanent blindness, and an intolerance to contact lenses]; gall bladder disease and either temporary or permanent infertility, when discontinuing the pill, in users with previous menstrual irregularities or who began the drug before full maturity. Several of the symptoms, such as migraine headaches, contraindicate the use of the pill because of life endangering complications.
Consult the Physicians’ Desk Reference at your public library or consult your pharmacist for a more complete list of the pill’s harmful effects.
Is the pill safer than pregnancy?
No. The health risks of the pill outweigh by far the risks of pregnancy and childbirth to a woman’s health, and any claim to the contrary is based on erroneous comparisons between healthy women on the pill and women who do not receive normal care during pregnancy.
A precondition for obtaining the pill is routine medical care and checkups. For example: if such a woman on the pill is diagnosed as precancerous, or if some other side effect is exhibited, she has the advantage of early detection. However, many pregnant women do not receive routine medical care. A clearer picture of the safety of the pill compared to the safety of pregnancy would be made if healthy women receiving routine medical care during pregnancy and delivery were compared with women receiving routine medical care while taking the pill.
The mortality statistics of childbirth have continuously declined since the early part of this century, mostly due to better maternal healthcare. Most of the high risk pregnancies and deliveries occur to women who have not sought proper medical attention. This is most evident in the third world where adequate health care is sparse.
Mortality statistics of pregnancy and delivery, usually called maternal mortality, include the mortality rates due to abortion. Abortion is clearly used as birth control, preventing the birth of the child; therefore it must be included with the mortality statistics of birth control methods. In one study, 25% to 50% of the reported maternal mortality was a result of deaths from abortion.
Fifty percent of woman taking the pill discontinue it within the first year because of side effects, the development of benign breast disease, or some abnormality of the sexual organs. Studies of pill usage do not include these women, and the result is an unbalanced picture of only the healthiest of women who tolerate the pill. This is compared with the general population of women who are pregnant.
The fact is that there are 13.8 million women in the U.S. and 60 million women worldwide who use the pill [conservative numbers]. And there are 7.9 pill-related deaths per 100,000 women ages 15-44.
Therefore, one can calculate that there are over 1090 deaths each year in the U.S. alone simply due to the pill.
But I’ve heard there are no side effects with the pill I use.
All drugs, including all brands of the birth control pill, have potential side effects. There is no telling in advance how any particular woman will react to the pill, but there is a good chance of some type of reaction. It is possible that a woman will be unaware that there is any connection between the reaction and the pill especially if it takes years to manifest itself.
Aren’t there any therapeutic benefits from the pill?
The only indication, or use for the pill that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration is the prevention of pregnancy in women ... as a method of contraception. Some unapproved uses, considered experimental, include its use as a morning after pill [causing an early abortion], and for relief from the symptoms of mild endometriosis.
I’m breastfeeding my baby; can I use the pill?
No. Artificial hormones pass from breast milk to the baby; the pill also decreases both the quantity and protein content of the milk produced.
What is my alternative to using the pill?
Natural Family Planning is safe, healthy and effective and it’s also inexpensive. A woman observes and records changes in her basal body temperature, the normal flow of cervical mucus, and if she wishes, the physical changes in the cervix itself. She then cross-checks these signs of fertility to follow, day by day, the natural course of her fertility cycle. No drugs, no devices, no surgical procedures, no threat of death, no side effects, no chemical abortions!
Does NFP really work?
Yes. Married couples can achieve a 99% effectiveness if they learn the method, correctly interpret the fertility signs, and follow the rules. One positive side benefit for couples who are committed to making this method work is the potential for a healthier marriage — psychologically, physically and spiritually.
How can I find out more about Natural Family Planning?
Contact the national office of The Couple to Couple League, P. O. Box 111184, Cincinnati, OH 45211; toll-free (800) 745-8252, local (513) 471-2000.
Thank you for taking your time to read this article on Healed People, Heal People. If you are not a member of this online community, we invite you to join for free here. You'll receive regular updates of encouragement wrapped in biblical truths.
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Keep the trash cleaned out of the body. Don't give the virus or germs a place to live. Keep the bowels clean. Please promote and allow at least two and preferably three easy and complete movements per day.
One to four capsules of the Pure Herb Cascara Sagrada each night. Start with capsule and increase if needed. Or one teaspoon of the Pure Herb C.C.E.-W each night.
Get rid of the virus flu and colds | Do not get dehydrated. Keep your body well supplied with plenty of natural vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Take one teaspoon of the Pure Herb Formula Max or the Pure Herb Formula M, three to four times per day. Drink plenty of fluids. Peppermint tea is great using one teaspoon of the Pure Herb Peppermint to a cup of hot water. The Pure Herb I.V.-H [Infection & Virus] for relief of flu suffering, one teaspoon two to three times per day.
Get your rest.
Use an herbal antibiotic. Choose any of the following: Strengthen the immune system. The Pure Herb IM.S.-W one teaspoon three times per day. Fight the flu. One teaspoon or more of the Pure Herb Bee Propolis and one teaspoon of the Pure Herb Olive Leaf every four hours while awake and one teaspoon of the Pure Herb Astragulus and one teaspoon of the Pure Herb Boneset taken the same way devastates viruses.
Also use 3,000 mg of the Pure Herb Vitamin C plus the Pure Herb Pleurisy Root every four hours and one teaspoon to one tablespoon of the Pure Herb C.C.-E.-W [Cleansing Corrective Extract] every four hours while awake. Also, 10 drops of the Pure Herb Sutherlandia every four hours while awake is very powerful.
Apply any of these Pure Herbs to a handkerchief and breathe deeply as needed -- Oil of Cajeput, Wintergreen Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Peppermint Oil or Five Oils. Apply these oils to the chest to breathe easier and break up congestion. Avoid chills.
When you eat, make sure you get some protein to build natural body defenses. Try yogurt, natural peanut butter, almond nut butter or ground sesame seed, also known as Tahini. These can be put on puffed rice crackers. You can also supplement with protein. Use any of the following Pure Herbs for protein: Bee Pollen, Five Good, Protein extract. One teaspoon to one tablespoon three times per day. Prevent the flu, one teaspoon of the Pure Herb Sweet Root per day.
Keep the immune system strong. Nourish the adrenal glands. This can make up more comfortable and get you well quicker. Choose any of the following Pure Herbs: Bee Pollen, Siberian Ginseng, Licorice Root, Sarsaparilla, Ashwaganda, Formula III, Stillingia, or especially for women, Three Bees. Take these at the rate of one teaspoon every four hours while awake. If you must be around sick people, take 40 drops of Pure Herb Juniper Berries per meal to avoid sickness.
The Pure Herb Formula F & F, if flu and fever or the Pure Herb Black Cohosh if chills and fever 10 to 40 drops hourly as needed. Also apply to spine.
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DSK.| Herb no. 1 for degenerative discs
Between the vertebrae [neck and back bones] there rests a disc-shaped structure that could be described as a tough, fibrous, elastic, shock absorber pad made essentially of protein with a gelatinous fluid-filled center. This makes it possible to walk without discomfort and also be able to bend the back and neck easily. Since we normally walk on our hind two appendages [legs] and not the front two [arms], we support the entire upper body on a column of bone, in the lower back especially. If we do not maintain our protein intake properly and or put too much stress on the discs and or gain too much weight, they can deteriorate or rupture. This brings bone into contact with bone and great discomfort results.
The DSK. combination of herbs is composed especially of Knitbone, a type of body glue and rapid repair herb, assisted by Valerian Root, a pain reliever, Papaya fruit, which contains a digestaid, papain, to digest out any damaged material that can not be repaired and Willow bark to relieve pain and inflammation. The Willow Bark and Valerian portions of DSK allow the sufferer to, at least, get some rest due to to their relaxing and pain relieving qualities.
DSK is a combination herb made of the following Pure Herbs: knitbone, valerian root, papaya fruit and willow bark.
Dose | Internally, 40 to 80 drops, 3 to 4 times per day and externally, apply in quantity needed to cover the area. If trouble sleeping, then 80 drops to 1 tsp. internally, and apply liberally to the distressed area. For more involved conditions also do as follows.
Note | In cases where serious damage must be repaired, a more elaborate and quicker approach can be taken. Make an application to area to be repaired in the manner described here. Apply to the area: Vitamin E with Selenium from 100 i.u. capsules to make oxygen more efficient in the repair process; Oil of Cajeput as a decongestant and pain reliever; and Herbal Adjustment to increase circulation and release muscle spasms.
Then place a single layer of cheese cloth or absorbent gauze saturated with DSK. over the area. Cover this with plastic sandwich wrap, fix in place and leave on overnight. In the morning, remove the application and discard it. Wash the area and allow to dry. Prepare and apply a fresh daytime application like the one for the night. Repeat this regimen until repaired.
To order DSK, click here .
Big Five | Herb no. 2 for degenerative discs
Repair and relief of pain for back, neck, joints and headaches. Sports activities, accidents, injuries, sports injuries, massage therapy work, arthritic and sore joint problems. Swollen discs, seizures, folk remedy for diseases described as M.S., M.D. and Lou Gehrig's disease. Release of tension in area before massage therapy or chiropractic adjustment and benefits last longer.
Big Five is a combination herb made of the following Pure Herbs: arnica, B.& N.C.-W [brain and nerve cocktail], Herbal Adjustment, Ol' Number 11 [Old Number 11] and Rue.
To order Big Five, click here.
Big Five Addendum | The object of this formula is to have a powerful, premixed herbal formula for relief and repair of back, neck, joint and headache problems. External applications are made to the areas in trouble. Arnica removes the physical shock to the nervous system which allows healing to take place and prevents further trauma.
The Brain & Nerve Cocktail portion of the formula provides nourishment for the glands in the brain, the pituitary, pineal, hypothalmus, the brain itself, and the involuntary nervous system of the body. Herbal Adjustment is a combination of herbs which promotes better circulation and releases spasticities. This promotes rapid repair and relief of pain. Ol' Number 11 is an excellent tried-and-true repair combination for any bone, flesh or cartilage structure in the body. Rue is a specific for sore muscles and injured joints.
Caution | Rue may bring on the menstrual flow, and as such it is not advisable to use if pregnant or if pregnancy is desired. Formula Four can be used in place of Big Five as it does not contain Rue. This multi-combination is a formula that incorporates many functions into one application, each of which has proven its function separately.
Together, they make a powerful tool in the hands of a person for repair and relief of pain. Apply to the spine, from the tip of the tailbone up the spine [the width of the hand] on to the neck and on the scalp to the top of the head. Additionally, around the ears, down the neck and out to the shoulders, and on the temples and forehead. Do not apply to underarms, private areas or get in eyes.
No permanent damage has been known to occur, but if the person does not know this, they may panic, as the formula produces the sensation of great heat. If an accident occurs, remain calm and flush with water. Peace will return again soon. This same procedure can also be used for correcting headaches.
After application of the *Big Five, also apply either Peppermint Oil or Oil of Cajeput to complete the pain relieving, corrective procedure. In the area where the injury has occurred or physical shock of the nervous system has occurred there may be an increased sensation of heat. Thus, the problem area is especially benefited. The effects of the combination usually last for at least 3-4 hours.
Directions for use | *External application only. Repeat as needed, one to three times per day for relief of pain and then daily until healed. In conditions described as seizures, M.S., M.D. and Lou Gehrig's disease, after application of Oil of Cajeput or Peppermint Oil, apply peanut oil to the spine and neck, after warming first in the hand, as an insulation for the nerves. Use peanut oil, without a preservative, from the health food store and keep refrigerated after opening.
A novel use of the Big Five for sports use is to put 1 oz. of the extract in a 1 pint [1/2 liter] spray bottle of distilled water, then add three drops of peppermint oil. Shake the mixture well to mix the peppermint oil with the water and extract each time before using.
Spray on legs or joints before activities such as bicycling, skating or running to keep muscles from cramping and extend performance abilities. If applying the extract full strength, avoid prolonged contact with sunlight, as some individuals have rather sensitive skin and need extra protection to avoid redness or soreness occurring due to interaction with sunlight.
* As this formula contains Arnica, which can, in rare instances be somewhat toxic to some individuals and the sensation of heat is produced by Capsicum, the precaution of external use only is applied to this combination. Oil of Cajeput and Peppermint also produce a great cooling and or burning sensation, so avoid contact to eyes, underarm or private areas as well.
To order Big Five Addendum, click here.
Formula Four | Herb no. 3 for degenerative discs
Is the same as Big Five Extract, except that it does not contain the herb Rue . The herbs and herbal combinations, Herbal Adjustment, Ol' Number 11, Arnica and B.& N.C.-W form this highly effective team for external applications to the spine and neck. For best results, especially where pain is involved, apply either Oil of Cajeput or Peppermint Oil to the spine and neck and then Formula Four.
Formula Four can also be carefully applied to the temples and forehead and other areas of distress. Avoid contact with eyes, underarms and private areas. No permanent damage is known to occur if there is an accident, however, if the person does not know this, panic can ensue as there is the sensation of great heat. Flushing with water helps some, but patience and time are best to restore harmony.
Formula Four relaxes cramping and relieves many kinds of pain, including headache [Herbal Adjustment], repairs body structures [Ol' Number 11], removes trauma [physical shock] to the nervous system [Arnica] and nourishes the voluntary and involuntary nervous systems [brain and nerve cocktail].
Rue is an excellent herb for the repair of sore and damaged muscles and joints. Historically, however, Rue has also been used to bring on the period, if it is suppressed. To avoid any possible complications in case of pregnancy, Rue has been excluded from Formula Four.
Formula Four is a combination herb made of the following Pure Hebs: herbal adjustment, Ol' Number 11, arnica, B.& N.C.-W.
Dose | Apply externally as given above and as needed.
To order Formula Four, click here .
L.P.-W [liquid pearle]| Herb no. 4 for degenerative discs
Arthritis and correction of circulation are closely associated. When the circulation returns, usually the arthritis goes away. L.P.-W also provides the energy for this to take place. L.P.-W is especially for frozen joints where there are waste mineral deposits in the joints or on the bones.
L.P-W is a combination herb made of the following Pure Herbs: Angelica, Echinacea, Ginger, Marshmallow, Broad Beans, Spikenard, Eucalyptus, Gentian, Lady's Slipper, Bee Pollen, Prickly Ash and Myrrh.
Dose | 40 to 80 drops per meal, or 3 times per day
To order L.P.-W, click here.
Ol' Number 11 | Herb no. 5 for degenerative discs
Used to repair or strengthen any type of brain, nerve, flesh, cartilage or muscle injury or weakness. If you cannot work on the area directly, then take Ol' Number 11 internally. 40 to 80 drops, 3 times per day for repair or adding strength to the body. For severe injuries or heavy athletic training, 1 tsp. to 1 tbl., 3 to 4 times per day.
Additionally, for serious injury, you can work on the area directly. One very successful procedure is as an overnight application. Apply several things directly to the area externally. Apply the herb Arnica directly to the skin of the area or around the site to get the physical shock out of the area. In this way, the injury can heal rapidly.
Next, apply Vitamin E with Selenium from 100 i.u. capsules to improve the action of oxygen for repair and to prevent irritation if very sensitive skin. At this point, apply externally, either Peppermint Oil or Oil of Cajeput and Herbal Adjustment and then Formula Four.
This relieves pain and improves the circulation in the area to be repaired. Next, soak a single layer of natural fiber cheese cloth or absorbent gauze with Ol' Number 11. Wrap this cloth, soaked with Ol' Number 11, around the injured area and cover it with plastic sandwich wrap. Then, wrap a cloth around all to hold in place for overnight.
The next morning, remove the application and discard. Wash the area and allow to dry. [Never reuse the application, as this thermal and moisture barrier application also draws poisons out through the skin, as well as driving the repair herbs internally.]
Repeat the application procedure for the daytime. Continue with an application for the day and night until well. As an aftershave, to baby the skin and make it smooth and soft, apply a few drops of Arnica followed by a generous amount of Ol' Number 11.
Ol' Number 11 is a combination herb made of the following Pure Herbs: white oak bark, marshmallow, mullein, mugwort, indian tobacco, scullcap, knitbone, black walnut hull and gravel root.
Dose | For internal use, 40 to 80 drops, after meals and as given above. For external use, soak a cotton ball with Ol' Number 11 and apply to the injury 3 to 4 times per day.
To order Ol' Number 11, click here.
R.S.T.-C [repair of scar tissue]| Herb no. 6 for degenerative discs
Formulated by Pat Courter and Lynn Scott. Scar tissue can form in areas of low oxygenation, and in areas that have been traumatized. Pat has come to the conclusion that when stored shock or trauma are eliminated, it helps to relieve aches and pains caused by shock and trauma. It has been said that scar tissue can form within 48 hours after injury.
For the best results: take R.S.T.-C internally, and apply externally along with Arnica, on the area of the skin near or on the affected organs, muscles, nerves, ligaments, bones or vertebrae. Arnica and R.S.T.-C work great together.
R.S.T.-C is a combination herb made of the following Pure Herbs: All Cells Salt, Chickweed, Ho Shou Wo, Skunk Cabbage and Oriental Mustard Seed.
Dose |Internally: begin with 10 to 20 drops 2-3 times a day; gradually build up to 40-80 drops 2-3 times, a day. Externally: enough to cover the area.
Caution | Do not exceed 80 drops three times a day of R.S.T.-C. The lymph glands carry most of the debris away and we do not want this cleansing action to occur so quickly that discomfort might result.
To order R.S.T.-C, click here.
Herbal Adjustment | Herb no. 7 for degenerative discs
Is is a quick acting dramatically effective procedure for relief of headaches, leg cramps, menstrual cramping, arthritic discomfort, sports injuries, back discomfort, neck and shoulder tension, heart attacks, strokes and internal bleeding. For relief of pain and cramping two liquids are applied to the skin, one is Peppermint Oil which is cool and the second is a combination of herbs known as Herbal Adjustment, which is hot .
The Peppermint oil is applied first and the Herbal Adjustment second. The procedure of using these two liquids together is called an Herbal Adjustment. In some cases, as given here, Herbal Adjustment is also taken internally and will be described individually. This procedure will not interfere with medication and will not make a person groggy. Needles and injections are not used.
Headaches and tension | For headaches, apply first Peppermint Oil from the tip of the tailbone, up the spine, and on to the neck and the back of the head, on the scalp, and on up to the top of the head. Make the application about the width of the person's hand. Next, apply the two liquids to the temples and forehead. Have the person lean the head back so as to avoid getting any of the liquids in the eyes.
Should an accident occur, flush thoroughly with water, remain calm and peace will return. Also apply to any additional areas of the head which are hurting. Finally, apply in front of and behind the ears, down the neck on both sides and out to the shoulders. This complete application will have an effect on the entire nervous system of the body. The affects are quick and relief is swift. Repeat as needed.
For additional help, if needed, put 40 to 80 drops of Herbal Adjustment in a cup of water and drink it down. Do not sip as it is hot and best to get it over with as soon as possible. If a mild headache is in progress, usually an application of the two liquids to the temples, forehead and back of the neck are all that is needed for headache relief.
Chiropractic adjustments | The Herbal Adjustment liquids penetrate quickly into troubled areas. After application the liquids at once relax the nerves and muscles, which then allows the bones to go back into their proper places and the circulation resumes its normal function. In this way oxygenation and relaxation of cramping muscle pain is alleviated.
The Herbal Adjustment liquids may be applied several times in extreme conditions and then repeated as needed. Do not get into eyes, and wash hands after application. Application before a chiropractic adjustment makes for a very easy and quick adjustment. It will be noted the adjustment is speeded up and sticks [stays in place] far longer.
Arthritic discomforts | For arthritic discomforts the two liquids are applied to the area as needed.
Cramping and menstrual cramping | If cramping or menstrual cramping, apply the two liquids directly to the offending area. If additional help is needed put 40 drops of the combination Herbal Adjustment in a cup of water and drink it. Herbal Adjustment will not stop a normal menstrual flow as it is a natural bleeding. Repeat as necessary.
Heart attacks, strokes and internal bleeding | To stop a heart attack, stroke or internal bleeding put 40 to 80 drops of the Herbal Adjustment in a cup of water and drink it. Also, apply to chest and neck or area(s) of bleeding. Repeat as needed. If stress is great and a heart attack is a real possibility while you are trying to repair the heart with other herbs such as Myrrh and Mullein, use Herbal Adjustment to keep yourself alive during the process even if it takes months. Lives have been saved by doing this.
Liver spots |Or age spots, as they are also called, dissolve easily with the continued daily application of Herbal Adjustment on the spots. Please consider that in some way, the body is not functioning as it should or these liver spots or waste dumps of concentrated pigment, would not have appeared in the first place.
If they do occur again, then think in terms of improving overall health as needed, such as digestion and bowel elimination, to start with. Remember to follow the advice about not rubbing your eyes after application of Herbal Adjustment or bringing Herbal Adjustment into contact with private areas. If an accident, then follow the advice as given earlier in this topic.
Skin cancers |It must be observed, to be truly appreciated, how the daily and persistent application of Herbal Adjustment externally to skin cancers, dries them up, causes them to fall off and leave healthy, pink skin in their place. This process can take as little as a matter of days or two weeks and, in some cases, up to six and nine months or more, but it does work.
It is suspected that when Herbal Adjustment takes so long to do its job, that it is working on a problem much deeper inside the body, of long standing, and you are working on something more than just skin deep. Nevertheless, praise the Creator, it does work.
Persistence is the key here, no matter what, continue the application at least once per day and for more desperate conditions, three and four times per day until results. Before you heal anything you usually have to slow the condition down and then stabilize it.
Then reversal can take place. But, in the meantime, you are not getting any worse and that is a kind of victory too. Many practitioners also use Vitamin E Oil with Selenium from capsule(s) on the area first and then apply Herbal Adj. on top of that. This reduces any possible irritation and assists in repairing the area more quickly, with the prevention of any possible scar tissue.
Sports injuries | For sports injuries such as sprains, twists, bumps, bruises, torn tendons, ligaments, etc., apply Arnica to the area to take the physical shock out of the nerves, then Peppermint Oil and then Herbal Adjustment to the area for relief of pain and to correct the circulation. Then, apply the repair formula Ol' Number 11 to start the repair process.
This is done as soon after the injury as possible. Repeat every 3 to 4 hours as needed. However, it should not be thought that this procedure will not tackle chronic and old injuries with equal determination, because it will. The night procedure for sports injuries is to open capsules of 100 i.u. of Vitamin E with Selenium and apply the oil to the injured area.
Then, soak a natural fiber cheese cloth or gauze with the repair formula Ol' Number 11 and wrap the area with the cloth. The larger the wrap, the greater and quicker the affect. Wrap this then with plastic sandwich wrap, and an additional cloth wrap around this, to hold everything in place for the night. This procedure forms a thermal and moisture barrier, to drive the herbs into the area and pull poisons out, in a time-release action during the night.
The herbs are driven into the body, congestion is broken up, swelling reduced and function restored. There is a two-way traffic flow here. Herbs are pushed into the body area and poisons are pulled up and sweated out of the body at the same time. The next morning remove the application and discard the herbal cloth as it is spent and contains poisons. Wash the area and allow to dry.
Note |This process of applying an herbal tea or herbal extract to the body soaked in cloth is know as a fomentation. For the daytime, apply the herb Arnica, Peppermint Oil and Herbal Adjustment every 3-4 hours. Repeat this daytime and nighttime process until the area is repaired.
Lower high blood pressure | To lower dangerously high blood pressure, put 40 to 80 drops of Herbal Adjustment and 40 to 80 drops of Golden Bough in a cup of water and drink it. Repeat as needed.
Herbal Adjustment is a combination herb made of the following Pure Herbs: Black Cohosh, Blue Vervain, Capsicum, Indian Tobacco and Siberian Ginseng.
Dose | As given in the above work. Additionally, Herbal Adjustment can be given as part of a daily herb regimen, to spark an herbal program and get it to work, at the rate of 40 drops in a cup of water, 1 - 4 times per day.
Note |Just the Herbal Adjustment combination is put in water to make the drink. If a Peppermint tea is desired, only 1 - 2 drops of the oil to a cup of water makes a good tea.
Chiropractic physicians | When the area to be adjusted is too tense for the needed procedure, Peppermint Oil and Herbal Adjustment applied to the spine, neck and shoulders rapidly relaxes the areas. Then, minimal pressure is required to achieve remarkable results.
Massage therapists |Peppermint Oil and Herbal Adjustment applied to tense areas of the spine, neck, shoulder and other areas [avoid eyes, under arm and private areas] produce a warming and relaxing effect which makes therapeutic massage a very rewarding experience.
General note | If for some reason a person should have an allergic reaction to Peppermint Oil, [if there is one, it is usually confined to temporary redness of the skin] many practitioners enjoy the use of Oil of Cajeput in its place.
To order Herbal Adjustment, click here.
Thank you for taking your time to read this Pure Herbs blog on Healed People, Heal People. Did you know this Web site has about 400 Pure Herbs for any issue of the body or mind. If you're not a member of this online community, we invite you to join for free here. You'll receive regular updates of encouragement wrapped in biblical truths.
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The Danger of Celebrating Halloween by Kim Daniels CharismaMag.com 10.27.2009
Halloween—October 31—is considered a holiday in the United States. In fact, it rivals Christmas with regard to how widely celebrated it is. Stores that sell only Halloween-related paraphernalia open up a few months before the day and close shortly after it ends. But is Halloween a holiday that Christians should be observing?
The word holiday means holy day. But there is nothing holy about Halloween. The root word of Halloween is hallow, which means holy, consecrated and set apart for service. If this holiday is hallowed, whose service is it set apart for? The answer to that question is very easy—Lucifer's!
Lucifer is a part of the demonic godhead. Remember, everything God has, the devil has a counterfeit. Halloween is a counterfeit holy day that is dedicated to celebrating the demonic trinity of: the Luciferian Spirit [the false father]; the Antichrist Spirit [the false holy spirit]; and the Spirit of Belial [the false son].
The key word in discussing Halloween is dedicated. It is dedicated to darkness and is an accursed season. During Halloween, time-released curses are always loosed. A time-released curse is a period that has been set aside to release demonic activity and to ensnare souls in great measure.
You may ask, Doesn't God have more power than the devil? Yes, but He has given that power to us. If we do not walk in it, we will become the devil's prey. Witchcraft works through dirty hearts and wrong spirits.
During this period demons are assigned against those who participate in the rituals and festivities. These demons are automatically drawn to the fetishes that open doors for them to come into the lives of human beings. For example, most of the candy sold during this season has been dedicated and prayed over by witches.
I do not buy candy during the Halloween season. Curses are sent through the tricks and treats of the innocent whether they get it by going door to door or by purchasing it from the local grocery store. The demons cannot tell the difference.
Even the colors of Halloween [orange, brown and dark red] are dedicated. These colors are connected to the fall equinox, which is around the 20th or 21st of September each year and is sometimes called Mabon. During this season witches are celebrating the changing of the seasons from summer to fall. They give praise to the gods for the demonic harvest. They pray to the gods of the elements [air, fire, water and earth].
Mother earth is highly celebrated during the fall demonic harvest. Witches praise mother earth by bringing her fruits, nuts and herbs. Demons are loosed during these acts of worship. When nice church folk lay out their pumpkins on the church lawn, fill their baskets with nuts and herbs, and fire up their bonfires, the demons get busy. They have no respect for the church grounds. They respect only the sacrifice and do not care if it comes from believers or non-believers.
Gathering around bonfires is a common practice in pagan worship. As I remember, the bonfires that I attended during homecoming week when I was in high school were always in the fall. I am amazed at how we ignorantly participate in pagan, occult rituals.
The gods of harvest that the witches worship during their fall festivals are the Corn King and the Harvest Lord. The devil is too stupid to understand that Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest 365 days a year. But we cannot be ignorant of the devices of the enemy. When we pray, we bind the powers of the strong men that people involved in the occult worship.
Halloween is much more than a holiday filled with fun and tricks or treats. It is a time for the gathering of evil that masquerades behind the fictitious characters of Dracula, werewolves, mummies and witches on brooms. The truth is that these demons that have been presented as scary cartoons actually exist. I have prayed for witches who are addicted to drinking blood and howling at the moon.
While the lukewarm and ignorant think of these customs as just harmless fun, the vortexes of hell are releasing new assignments against souls. Witches take pride in laughing at the ignorance of natural men [those who ignore the spirit realm].
Decorating buildings with Halloween scenes, dressing up for parties, going door-to-door for candy, standing around bonfires and highlighting pumpkin patches are all acts rooted in entertaining familiar spirits. All these activities are demonic and have occult roots.
The word occult means secret. The danger of Halloween is not in the scary things we see but in the secret, wicked, cruel activities that go on behind the scenes. These activities include:
* Sex with demons * Orgies between animals and humans * Animal and human sacrifices * Sacrificing babies to shed innocent blood * Rape and molestation of adults, children and babies * Revel nights * Conjuring of demons and casting of spells * Release of time-released curses against the innocent and the ignorant.
Another abomination that goes on behind the scenes of Halloween is necromancy, or communication with the dead. Séances and contacting spirit guides are very popular on Halloween, so there is a lot of darkness lurking in the air.
However, Ephesians 1:19-21 speaks of the authority of the believer and the exceeding greatness of God's power in us [the same power that raised Christ from the dead]. It goes on to say that that Jesus is seated in heavenly places far above all principalities, power, might, dominions and every name that is named. The good news is that because we are seated in heavenly places with Jesus, the same demonic activity that is under His feet is under our feet, too!
People who worship the devil continue to attempt to lift him up. But he has already been cast out and down! Many are blinded to this fact, but the day will come when all will know he has been defeated once and for all.
When we accept Jesus but refuse to renounce Satan and his practices, we are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm—and the Word says that God will spit us out of His mouth. The problem with lukewarm is that it attempts to mix the things of the devil with the things of God. It is God's desire that we serve Him alone.
Second Corinthians 6:15 asks the question, And what agreement has Christ with Belial? As believers, we need to answer that question in our hearts. We must avoid the very appearance of evil. I would not want a demon spirit to mistake me for an occult worshiper.
There is no doubt in my heart that God is not calling us to replace fall festivals and Halloween activities; rather, He wants us to utterly destroy the deeds of this season. If you or your family members have opened the door to any curses that are released during the demonic fall festivals, renounce them and repent. I already have. Then declare with me: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
About the author | Kimberly Daniels is a sought-after conference speaker and preacher. She is the founder of Kimberly Daniels Ministries International [KimberlyDaniels.com], Spoken Word Ministries—the church she pastors in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Ardell—A Child of the King Learning Center and Word Bible College. Kim is a recognized prophetic voice as well as the author of several books, including her most recent, Prayers that Bring Change [Charisma House].
Thank you for taking your time to read this article on Healed People, Heal People. If you are not a member of this online community, we invite you to join for free here. If you know other Christian parents who would benefit from this site and article, please send them the link to this article. As a member of the Web site, you'll receive regular updates of encouragement.
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Scriptures: Matthew 6: 31 – 33; Psalm 37:4
Have you ever allowed petty differences to interfere with relationships? Marriages are breaking up and churches are breaking up and fellowship groups are breaking up and prayer partnership groups are breaking up Over petty things where people are not mature enough to say when it’s all said and done, “I need you.”
You will run into Christian people and non-Christian people who inadvertently disrespect you or inadvertently make you feel bad.
Let’s take a look at Hannah in I Samuel, chapters 1 and 2, who’s making her annual trip to Shiloh.
According to scripture, Hannah has been weeping, praying and pouring out her heart to the Lord.
Her mouth continues to move; Hannah’s voice is just above a whisper.
Since you’re probably familiar with this scripture, you remember that Eli thought that Hannah was drunk because he saw her lips moving and she wasn’t speaking to anybody else. Eli could not figure out why Hannah was murmuring to herself. In what Eli had experienced in his life, the only reason a person muttered to herself or himself, was they’d had some wine.
Eli made a presumption about Hannah.
Okay, the key word here is presumption.
Eli assumed what he thought, was so, based on what he saw -- that is, what he presumed about Hannah.
Eli drew conclusions about Hannah without having any facts.
Has anyone made presumptions about you and been wrong?
Has anyone disrespected you and been dead wrong?
Has anyone thought they knew what you were thinking, didn’t check with you to substantiate the facts, and they were wrong?
Have you ever had somebody look at you and based on what they think they see, then reach conclusions and operate on assumptions about you – they even begin to talk to other people about you based on presumptions.
You are aware there are some people who decide they know what is going on in your life based on what they think they perceive.
Now remember, Eli was a called man of God.
He was anointed and appointed by God – this is very important to remember.
Presumption has no place in the kingdom of God, and Eli, a man of God in a position of authority, presumed.
When you presume to know what people are thinking, When you presume why they are doing something, When you presume what’s really in their hearts, you dishonor the integrity of these very people.
Eli said to Hannah, a precious woman of God, “How long have you been drunk? Get rid of your wine.” Eli did not ask Hannah any questions to gather facts and to be respectful of her.
He did not ask, “Have you had some liquor Hannah [this one time]?” He did not ask, “Do you drink regularly?” He did not ask, “Are you in a drunken state Hannah; I’m concerned about you?” Eli presumed Hannah had been a habitual drinker. Now -- if we’re remotely honest, most of us would have been insulted and offended, especially since Hannah was tarrying before the Lord.
Can’t you just imagine how Hannah could have felt?
Do you wanna know why I had to type this article for you, beloved reader? Do you wanna know why I so respect Hannah, dear reader who’s still being healed and delivered just like me?
Hannah was focused. Hannah was so focused, she didn’t forget her purpose. Hannah was so focused, she chose not to operate in offense. Hannah was so focused, she chose to interact with Eli in a posture of l-e-g-i-t-i-m-a-t-e submission. Key word = l-e-g-i-t-i-m-a-t-e. Hannah was so focused, she remembered and let Eli know that she needed him to achieve her goal.
Beloved reader, you can’t afford to take the well-intentioned people in your life and begin to set them aside, and break fellowship and relationship with them, so that you end up isolated and unto yourself. The enemy knows when you are walking by yourself, you can get ambushed. You and I are prime prey for the enemy when we isolate and withdraw.
When we have Christian companions walking with us, the enemy has to think twice about attacking us. He knows the power of agreement. He knows the power of unity. He, satan and his demons, takes the good intentions of people that cause us to be so offended and cause us to feel so disrespected that we dis-fellowship with these Christian and non-Christian people. Oouchh! Ecclesiastes 4
Beloved reader, some of the people who are getting on your nerves, not all of them are your enemies. Some of them are people God has brought into your life, but you have to learn how to navigate. For example, Peninnah, was a bona fide enemy of Hannah. Eli was not Hannah's enemy, although she could have easily chosen to exclude or distance him from her life. Hannah knew Eli was a divinely appointed person in her life.
Beloved reader, building good, solid relationships is not easy. You know this, I know. Don’t let taking flight, be your first tendency. It takes work, on your behalf, to be big enough, to be mature enough, to work through some of these l-e-g-i-t-i-m-a-t-e offenses. And yes, the person, the people, were wrong.
We need the imperfect Christian people, God has appointed in our lives. We need the imperfect Christian people, who will presume sometimes and come to us in attack mode. We need one another desperately. You need the support of those God has raised up to be in your life – to achieve your destiny, to get through this mental valley your in.
Do you have enough grace in you, to initiate the process and go get the issue straight with the person? If you don't, let's ask the Holy Spirit to impart more grace to us for a specific issue with a specific person. Oouch!
As Christians, the last place we expect to be disrespected is in the church and by church members.
But may I share something with you beloved reader, the majority of Christians who come for personal, confidential, integrated healing and deliverance ministry, have been disrespected or even abused repeatedly by Christians in leadership positions either in the local church or in the marketplace i.e. your neighborhood, your professional groups, your workplace, your exercise partners, your family, etc.
If you’ve not read I Samuel 1 – 2, be encouraged to read it so you can know how Hannah respectfully and calmly explained to Eli her issue, her condition and her need of his help in her life. Hannah even goes a step farther, and reconciles. Oouch!
Thank you for taking your time to read this blog on Healed People, Heal People community. If you’re not a member of this online community, we encourage you to join for free.
Recommended book | The Bait of Satan by John Bevere
What you have read are my typed notes from the series Kingdom First Living, Volume I, Part 5, from Enduring Truth, the teaching ministry of Pastor Paul E. Sheppard. You can listen to the audio of this teaching here.
If you’re not a member of this Healed People, Heal People online community, we invite you to join for free here. You'll receive regular updates of encouragement wrapped in biblical truths.
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We thank God for Dr. W who saved our friend from dialysis. With the diagnosis of a shrinking kidney and possible dialysis, Dr. W advised us to rub the Pure Herb Arnica on the skin over the kidney area on the lower back for any nerve damage, the Pure Herb Herbal Adjustment for circulation, the Pure Herb Vitamin E with Selenium for oxygenation and the Pure Herb Black Cohosh to remove any poison.
Also, so soak absorbent gauze or cheese cloth with the Pure Herb Ol' Number 11 to lay on the area and cover it with plastic wrap and repeat for a day time application.
Within a week, there was noticeable improvement. Within two weeks voiding began with copious amounts. Her remardk was, "I'm going like a race horse."
Within three weeks the pain was gone. By the way, this lady is in her 90s and never expected a recovery like this! She is rejoicing in the new found health.
Thank you Dr. W. May God bless you!
-- Judy, West Frankfort, IL
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