Spiritual Knowledge-How Supernatural are we talking?!

Spirituality, Internalism & Externalism, – Religious Studies

Justification– a reason that someone holds a rational admissible belief, on the assumption that it is a good reason for holding it. Example- Sources-perceptual experience, senses, reason, testimony. A belief justified does not guarantee the belief is true. A person could justify in forming beliefs based on convincing evidence that was nonetheless deceiving.

Truth– is the property or state of being in accordance with facts or reality. Most view, truth is correspondence of language or thought to a mind-independent, which is a correspondence theory of truth. There are various different ways that describe beliefs, including representations of ways the world could be as dispositions to act as if certain things are true.

Knowledge, familiar awareness, understanding something or someone, including facts, propositional knowledge, skills, procedural knowledge, or objects, acquaintance knowledge. Important distinction between the senses of knowing, knowing the structure of a body of knowledge or justified belief, whether derived from foundational beliefs or a coherent set of beliefs. Skepticism, which questions the possibility of knowledge and any related problems, may pose a threat. ” How do we know that we know?’

Analysis, Perception, Reason, memory, Testimony- potential sources of knowledge & justified belief.

Miracle– a beneficial event maybe attributed to a supernatural being, a deity, miracle worker, saint, religious leader, statistically unlikely but not contrary to the laws of nature, a wonder occurrence, regardless of likelihood.

Magic-Individuals who practice magic refer to themselves as magicians, effecting change in accordance with Divine Will. Unconventional & Dangerous. First century CE, the concept was associated with demons. Throughout the middle ages, early modern period Humanist reinterpreted the terms to natural magic. Both negative & positive. Negative connotations, fraudulent, unconventional. Scholars of religions define or suggest magic and science are opposites.

Demon-Supernatural, often malevolent being prevalent in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, folklore, ancient, medieval. A demon is a harmful spiritual entity, below heavenly planes, which cause demonic possession. A spiritual entity that may be conjured or controlled, calling for an exorcism.

Heaven– a higher place, holiest, paradise, in contrast to hell or the underworld or the low places. Universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith, virtues, right beliefs, or simply the Will of GOD. Any place of existence either of humans, souls, deities, outside the tangible world (Heaven, Hell, or other) is referred to as Otherworld. Heaven a common religious, cosmological, transcendent place where beings such as Gods, Angels, Spirits, Saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned or live.

Spirit-supernatural being, often, but not exclusively a non-physical entity, such as an angel, ghost or fairy. The concept of a person’s spirit and soul, often also overlap, as both are either contrasted with or given priority over the body. Spirit can also have the sense of a Ghost, A spirit of a deceased person. Or in Biblical Bibles the Spirit with a capital ‘S’ denotes the Holy Spirit. Spirit is often used metaphysically to refer to consciousness or personality.

Angel- Generally supernatural being found in various religions, mythologies, often as benevolent celestial beings who act intermediaries between God or Heaven and Earth. Other roles may include guiding and protecting Human beings, carrying out Gods tasks. Angels may be organized in hierarchies, such rankings may vary between sects in each religion, and are given specific names or titles such as Gabriel or Destroying Angel. Study Angelology.

Deity– male is a god, female a goddess. Deity -equivalent aspects of the same divine principle. Divine or Sacred and may have powers greater than humans. Can interact with humans, positive or negative, in ways that carry human to a new level of consciousness. Beyond ordinary life. Who live, die, and are reborn just like any other being. Masculine and Feminine gender neutral for human beings who gain merit through an ethical life, becoming a guardian deity and live blissfully in heaven but are also subject to death when their merit runs out.

May Peace Be with Us All, always.

Spiritual Warfare-Armor of God-Serenity PRAYER

Spiritual warfare is the Christian concept of fighting against the work of preternatural evil forces. It is based on the biblical belief in evil spirits, or demons, that are said to intervene in human affairs in various ways.[1] Various Christian groups have adopted practices to repel such forces, as based on their doctrine of Christian demonology. Prayer is a common form of spiritual warfare among Christians.[2] Other practices may include exorcism, the laying on of hands, fasting, and anointing with oil.

A Religious war or Holy war (Latin: bellum sacrum) is a war primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, debates are common over the extent to which religious, economic, or ethnic aspects of a conflict predominate in a given war.

Mortal means something which is subject to death e.g. humans. Other living creatures are also subject to death.

The Immortal on the other hand, is something which never dies i.e. which is eternal.

What does the Bible say about spiritual warfare?”
There are two primary errors when it comes to spiritual warfare—over-emphasis and under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on demons that need to be cast out. Others completely ignore the spiritual realm and the fact that the Bible tells us our battle is against spiritual powers. The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding the biblical balance. Jesus sometimes cast demons out of people; other times He healed people with no mention of the demonic. The apostle Paul instructs Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6) and warns us to oppose the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10–24).

Be Strong in the Lord, Put on the Whole Armor of God

The Belt Of Truth

The Believer’s Integrity – A soldier in Paul’s day had a leather girdle or belt  that he tightened about his waist to protect his loins and carry his weapons of warfare, such as a dagger or sword. The belt also held his tunic together so it wouldn’t be snagged. In Christian armor, it is integrity that holds everything else together. If you do not have integrity in the big and small things of your life, you are going to lose the battle. Would people say that you are a woman or man of integrity? If not, then you cannot win the battle.

The Breastplate Of Righteousness

The Believer’s Purity – The breastplate of a soldier was sometimes made of woven chain and used to cover the soldier’s vital organs. For the Christian, the breastplate is righteousness.

The enemy wants to attack you not only with lies, but also with impurity. He wants you to read filthy magazines, watch immoral movies, and engage in all temptations of the flesh. The bottom line is that Satan wants to get into your heart and mind. He’s looking for a crack in your armor. And don’t be fooled. Satan knows where that crack is. Is your heart pure before God? If not, then you cannot win the battle.

The Shoes Of Peace

The Believer’s Tranquility – A Roman soldier’s would have hobnails on the sole, very much like football cleats because when they were fighting they needed solid footing from which to move.

Unless you have a solid footing of peace, you can never make war. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? When Satan comes against your tranquility, he throws out stones and briars of doubts and discouragement to cause you to stumble. Do you have peace right now? If not, then you cannot win the battle.

The Shield Of Faith

The Believer’s Certainty – The Roman soldier’s shield measured approximately two by four feet and was made of wood covered with leather. In that day, soldiers dipped arrows in oil, then lit them and shot them at the enemy. These shields were vital to protect the solider from getting burned.

Satan is going to fire flaming arrows of doubt at you. He wants to place subtle doubts in your mind about God and His Truth. He knows a spark can ignite a big fire. You will need to feed your faith and starve your doubts. Are there any seeds of doubt in your mind today? If there are, then you cannot win the battle.

The Helmet Of Salvation

The Believer’s Sanity – A soldier used a helmet to protect his head because if his head was wounded, he wouldn’t be able to think. Every believer needs to have the mind of Christ under the control of Almighty God.

When a person is saved, for the first time he has his right mind. A person with out the Spirit in the Lord Jesus Christ has a form of insanity. They do not operate with the mind that God made them to have. The most important thing for you to have at all times is an assurance of your salvation. Do you know that you are saved? If you aren’t, then you cannot win the battle.

Sword of the Spirit

The Word of God  – When we are tempted, the most effective weapon that God has given to us as believers is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus modeled this so beautifully during His temptation in the wilderness. When the devil tried temptation after temptation against Him, Jesus used the sword of the Spirit. Jesus spoke the Word of God to Satan. In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus responded, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord God only. Him only you shall serve.” and again brought the Scripture back into context, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” The sword of the Spirit works. Memorize Scripture and use the Word of God to defeat Satan’s lies and attacks.

God has a plan for our lives. The enemy has a plan for us too. We just have to decide which voice we’re going to listen to, and who we’re going to choose to follow each day. And chances are, if we don’t make a determined choice to follow God, we may eventually fall into the evil one’s trap. God gives specific instructions in his Word, he gives us all we need to stand strong in this life. Yet all too often we race through busy, full days, ill-equipped, unprepared, or simply not aware of what we’re up against, or who the real enemy even is.

If you’re a believer living like salt and light in this dark world, you won’t go for long without encountering obstacles and attacks he’ll hurl straight your direction. This battle is real, it’s intense. Focusing here today, putting on His armor, staying alert, and praying, that God will equip believers everywhere to “stand strong.”

serenity prayer

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