There have been many trials in my life. I look back sometimes in wonder at the life that I have lead. Until I was old enough to figure it out I just felt that it was a natural set of circumstances. My wonderful Grandfather helped me to deal with many of the problems I faced as a child. When I was an adult I learned for myself how much harm he had taken to protect me. I always loved him and looked up to him. Now I feel a deep admiration too. He died a while back, but I still talk to him.

     I won’t bore you with the details. It would take a book to share it all. It definitely would not even be an outline in the 3 pages I allow myself for Sermons. Don’t want to put you to sleep. Here are some low points.

     I was sick often as a kid, sometimes with no apparent cause. The Doctors thought that my Mom was not feeding me because I did not grow and was very thin. I had to tell the Doctors myself how much I was eating. I ate constantly, often more than my Dad. Since the refrigerator was always full, neither of my parents really knew how much I was eating.

     God told me and I knew if I did not eat all the time I would die. I still associate skinny with death.

     I felt the pain of others both physical and emotional. Sometimes it was hard to know what was mine, and what was from someone else. Grandpa taught me how to control it. Being out on my Grandpa’s boat helped a great deal. Feeling other’s pain did come in handy. It saved my Brother’s life one time.

     I found my Soul Mate. It was wonderful. Then it suddenly cut short by their Death. They were Murdered. That was the first time I directly connected the dots that this was persecution from Satan’s people. Let’s just say my hatred hit an all time high at that point in my life. Satan meant this loss to cripple me emotionally. It certainly did that. It was meant to take me out of the battle. That it did not do. I kept fighting.

     I fought the desire to die. God would not let me come Home. I now understand why it was not allowed. At the time I was very frustrated, seeing no point in going on. I quit making friends and isolated myself. Finally I clawed my way out of the Pit. It took a while to get out.

     I feel in love more times, but it was never the same. It was not really fair to them. I finally spiraled into an abusive situation. This started right after God told me to start my Mission. Later I realized the connection. Satan did not want me up to full speed again. I told God that I just could not start without my partner. It was almost 8 years after that I turned it over to God. God freed me from the trap I had fallen into. I fell in because like Jonah, I did not go when I was asked to start working for God.

     That was 5 years ago. There have been some really hard problems to overcome. Even with more hitting the fan every day, I am doing better than I have in decades. I now am strong enough to fight back. All my worries about not being strong enough were wiped away. I found that I was given all my Partner would have received for our Mission in addition to my own.

     Because of the things that happened in my life I had developed a deep Hatred of Satan. I hated the People in his Employ, I hated the Demons, and I hated Satan. I thought it was ok to feel this hate. I never realized the trap I had set for myself.

     When you hate it is very easy to add other people to your list. Now don’t get me wrong these people are the lowest slaves of Satan. They have made many parts of my life a living Hell. They deserve all they have coming to them, but I am not their judge.

     Something changed dramatically when God started in with the Dreams. These are the Dreams that were written into stories in the book I wrote. They were fierce Dreams. Many of them reminded me of some of the worst times in my life. Through these Dreams I was able to fight free of the Hatred. I still really dislike some folks now, but I do not hate them anymore.

     One of the stories was about a Rabid Dog. It has many lessons in it’s theme. The morals of the story are numerous. One is that only courage blended with Compassion would work when fighting the Rabid Dog. One was the things you have to do to deal with Evil. You can try to heal it. You can try to isolate it. When all else fails you must put it out of it’s misery. The emphasis in the story was that without the lack of fear and a deep compassion you could not end the stalemate. It was a very inspiring story for me.

     Some of the Dreams after that were to deal with my Hatred. Here I was trying to become a Minister and forgiveness was eluding me. This was my biggest stumbling block. I was so comfortable with it, I saw no need to change it. Well, God had other plans.

     Then I had a Dream that was not for a story. It was about Satan. I had been studying the Reconciler Gospel of Thomas when something clicked and it became very clear the message built into it.

     It is RGoT Verse 107 Jesus said, “The Kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. The largest one of them went astray. The shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep because they were safe. The shepherd looked for the one until he found it. When he had gone to the trouble, he said to the sheep, “I care for you more than the ninety-nine because you were lost and now you are found.”

     This Verse, the Dream and a Verse from the Bible did the job of making me understand. The Bible Verse follows.

     James 4:11-12 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the Law and judges it. When you judge the Law you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you, who are you to judge your neighbor?

     In the Dream God showed me how we are all Children of God. All the people and every Angel that God Made are Children of God. That includes even the Angels that turned from God, the Demons and Satan. They are my Brothers. How can I hate someone I may be welcoming Home someday?

     From the RGoT Verse I got that God has not given up on Satan, and still hopes someday Satan will come Home and be good. He is the Ultimate Prodigal Son. Until he apologizes he is not welcome, but he will be greeted warmly if it ever happens.

     I realized that my hatred of Satan was harming me, not Satan. I pity Satan now. I pray that he and the other Demons come to their senses one day, before it is too late. It has made my life a lot easier letting the Hatred go. It has healed me. It won’t stop me from kicking their butts. However, now it is my job now not a vendetta.

     Try to let your Hatred go. Don’t let it eat you up inside. You will be able to forgive much more readily if you can. Just take it one step at a time.

God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions.

Angel Eliza

     This World has gotten very technical. Previously there were many things that a normal person could fiddle with a while and fix the problem. Now just programming your Electrical toys can be mind boggling. My Mom can not understand enough of the instructions in a new TV Manual to do more than turn it on. Sometimes she has trouble just finding out where to plug in the power cord.

     I’m a bit better. If I work at it long enough, and I’m pretty stubborn, I usually get things set up to my satisfaction. I do know that many “features” never get activated because it is just too much of a hassle. I’m sure if I called a tech support person or a young friend it will be set up to the utmost. I’m happy with what I manage, so I do not bother. I do foresee a time that I will be in the same situation as my Mom.

     Technology is developing so quickly that even a year can make whatever gadget you have totally obsolete. I think we miss out on a great deal by handling technology this way. I know some of my young friends also are overwhelmed by the changes. I’m not very old, but I remember when it was the older people in our lives that taught us. They had met the situation a dozen times and learned many creative ways to work out solutions.

     In Modern times there is literally no time to work out the bugs. There is no time to gain experience through trial and error to find the very best way to deal with a problem. By the time we understand how to plug in the Power cord the model is obsolete.

     There are many how-to books for Dummies out there. They are very useful to get started in a project. They may even be sufficient to your needs. You may not need any more technical help. Sometimes it is very important to understand all the facets of what you are attempting.

     There are things in this World where only knowing the surface of how to do something can Kill you. There are still specialties in the World where only someone Adept at it can practice them safely. They are trained, in-depth, for many years. They dedicate all their energy to perfecting their trade. Until they perfect that discipline they are not allowed to work in that field. At least not legally.

      Two examples come from Asia. The art of creating the living thing called a Samurai Sword is one. The preparation of Puffer Fish to be non-poisonous is another. A third example comes from Samoa, Tahiti, and Hawaii their descendents.

     I talked about the many stages of making a Samurai Sword in a different Sermon. I only observed for a couple of hours. There were hundreds of large and small things that I could never know unless I Apprenticed to a Master Sword Maker for many years.

     If I claimed to know how to make one I would be guilty of being a Dilettante. I would at best be able to fake my way through to something that looked like a Sword. My guess is any Sword I made would probably shatter the first time it was wielded.

     I have never tried Puffer Fish. It is a Delicacy in Asia. People pay a great deal to be served the dish. There is a black market in it as well. Because a Master Chef who has studied how to make the dish safely is highly sought after, they can demand very high salaries.

     Money always draws Fakes and Dilettantes. It is only when they have slipped up and killed someone that they move on. The demand is so high, they get other restaurants to hire them pretty quickly.

     The last Example of not knowing the Rules leading to harm is the preparation of Taro Root. Taro is a starchy purple root. It is a staple food for all Polynesian peoples. They brought it with them to plant wherever they traveled. They always made Poi with it. Making Poi is a process of cooking and then fermenting the Taro Root. When completed it looks like a bowl of very thick purple Elmers Glue. It is an acquired taste. I did not find it terrible, just very bland.

     Later on when there was money to eat out at a “Sit Down” Restaurant, I saw a dish that was also prepared with Taro Root. I thought I would try it. It was served like a potato salad. The Taro Root was used instead of the normal potato ingredient. It had a light blush of purple running through the pieces. When I tasted it the texture was a bit grainier than a potato, but very pleasant with a sweetness in addition to the Earthy note of most root vegetables.

     About the time I finished my meal I noticed a tingling and itching at the back of my throat. After a while the tingling included my tongue. I recognized the feeling from my Aunt’s Rhubarb plants in Maine. I was the Culinary Victim of a Dilettante. Some chef had treated the Taro just like the Potato it was replacing. They did not bother to find out, “The Rest of the Story”.

     Taro Root is protected from predators by a substance in their leaves, stem and roots. It is called Oxalic Acid. It is a poison. 5 grams can be fatal. The extreme end of the line is convulsions and coma. Lucky for me and every other person who probably ate there it takes repeated meals of it to get to that extreme. Calcium rich foods served with it can help. Chronic ingestion can lead to Kidney Disease and failure. Luckily most of the locals could not afford to eat there.

     Of course any Hawaiian “Auntie” could have told this Chef what they were doing wrong. The key is in the cooking. If you do not boil it long enough the Oxalic Acid is not neutralized. Poi is so processed that it never has any left to harm someone. I reported the problem to the Manager, if they cared they told the Chef to shape up. Because of the vacant look on their face, I never went back to eat there. I did fall in love with Taro Chips. Think Potato Chip but using Taro Root.

     It is bad enough when someone is a half trained Chef, Sword Maker, or Techie. That is the Physical World. The injury and possible Death do not go beyond the World around us. There are Spiritual Dilettantes as well. There are tons of how-to books on Spirituality out there. I’ve read my share of them. Most of these books read something like a recipe. If you do A this happens. If you do B this happens. And if you do A,B,C, And D you get your big surprise.

     Like most half assed things, they get away with it because there is a great deal of Money in the whole Industry. A Spiritual Dilettante generally follows the recipe. When that has worked a few times they try something bigger.

     In a few months the are claiming to be experts, and Adept at the Practice of (Fill in the Blank.). Unfortunately they are playing Russian Roulette. They do not have the background, history, rules, and precautions of whatever they have decided to Practice. In this case ignorance may be bliss but it will not protect them from the “fine print”, that is not included in their Spiritual Manual for Dummies.

     I advise anyone who truly wishes to know more about a subject to use caution. If it is a book it can not respond to you. It has no Tech Support. If you get into trouble you are alone. You may not even know you have a Hellacious Problem until you are very deeply embedded in the Practice. It is a little like Quick Sand. It looks firm, the nice brisk confident steps take you out of arms reach of solid ground, then you are caught. If this has happened to you, I can help you. Of course it will involve walking away from the Practice that Trapped you in the first place. It is your choice of course, that is why God gave us Free Will.

God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions.

Angel Eliza

     The Tradition of All Hollow’s Eve (Halloween) is very old. It is Celebrated in many forms in Christian Communities, among others. Here in the USA there is much partying and pretending. People don’t think of it as more than an excuse to dress up in costume.

     In Mexico it is a solemn day called the Day of The Dead. I have had friends that recently moved from Mexico be very offended by the Irreverence Americans show on the Day of the Dead.

     When we talked they told me that they went to Mass on the Day of the Dead. After the Service the family would bring food to the graves of their dead relatives and friends. The Food is partly meant as a tribute in memory of their Dead. When we talked a little longer I also heard something familiar. It was to appease the Dead so they did not harm their living relatives.

     Most European people I’ve met pretty much ignore it, unless they see it as preparation for All Saints Day which is the next day, November 1^st. In Britain it is also pretty calm compared to the US.

     This day was special long before Christians showed up on the Spiritual Scene. There are other groups that see this as a different kind of day. Wiccans call it Samhain.

     Some people who are stupid enough to want to interact with or talk to a Demon use this time to try their Sorcery. It has been one of my busiest times of year for rescuing folks who do this. Because it is so easy to invite Evil at this time, even the weakest person can call a Demon. They just think it is harmless fun. Sorcery is never harmless fun.

     What they do not seem to understand is anything that easy to call, can be impossible for them to send back where it belongs. In addition because they are not being Christian in their thoughts or actions they lose any protection they might have had. Any Nominal Christian who thinks this is harmless is going to be sadly surprised.

     A Nominal Christian is often someone who was raised in a Church Family, but never got a Baptism of Fire. They show up, they know what is expected, and they go through the motions. Only God knows they are only saying they are Christian, because it is the thing to do. For a Nominal Christian, Church is a Social get together not a worship of God. At least they are trying, sometimes a stressor will help tip them in to God’s arms. Like the old saying goes, “There are no Atheists in Foxholes”. Facing Death can do wonders for your Faith and belief in God.

     Of course there are people with not even the slightest pretence of Christianity. They may be the Spiritual Dilettantes I talk about last week. These folks are in serious danger, both Spiritually and physically. I had a friend who was not Christian that got together with a couple of friends, drank a case of beer, and decided to see if “Anything would Answer their call”. He had to stay at my place for three days before what they called went away. Let’s just say he was not that stupid again. We were much closer friends after that incident. It took place on Halloween.

     Just a side note, both of his friends wound up in a psyche ward. I wish they had believed him when he tried to get them to come to my place. That was when I was 18. I was not very strong then. I could not make them go away. All I could do was keep them away from my friend.

     I have matured a bit over the years. I’ve seen and felt a lot of things, I would have preferred not to have experienced. I’m much more experienced now. I use the same formula that Jesus taught his Disciples to use. Demons are sent home directly when I find them. If I can not go I ask our Big Brothers and Sisters, The Angels to go to protect the person who is in danger.

     The last group that might find this a good time to optimize their “Work”, are capable of asking Demons to do jobs, for a reward. These are not reputable people. I do not care what tradition of Religion you claim to follow, any doings with Demons is bad news. These people never give anything from their store of energy. It is the Victims that pay for the Sorcery.

     In many Traditions Halloween is a time when the barrier between Earth, Heaven and Hell is not strong. Maybe someone will figure out why that happens someday. As I have shared before Heaven, Hell and the World fill the same place. They are in different Dimensions of this Universe. The rules of each do not overlap into the others.

     These weak spots in the barrier are called thin places. At the thin places things from else where can come here. And if a person is near one they were considered vulnerable to being taken to the other place. Since Heaven is not interested in kidnapping people, it was the Demons people feared showing up.

      I was appalled by a recent Sermon I heard by a Supposedly Christian Minister. She was talking about thin places. She had read one book, sound familiar, and it said these were the Celtic Places of Power. She made these thin places sound wonderful. She said it was where people could access Power very freely. She was talking about Portals that could have very unpleasant things come through. She saw no danger in “Accessing” these thin places.

     I asked her if she considered what might be on the other side of these thin places. She told me it must be ok, if God let us get a peek of Heaven. I asked her what her views on Hell were. She said she did not believe there was one. I asked about Demons. She said oh, sure there are bad People in the World. She said that she did not believe in Demons.

     I felt like telling her what I saw around her, but she would not have believed me. So I left, and have not returned to that Church. It is not Christian, though it uses Christian Services to sucker people in need to attend.

     What I saw next to her was a Demon. It looked pretty happy at her responses to my questions. I think I know what it was laughing about. She did not believe in it, but the Demon definitely believed in her usefulness. Sadly the entire Denomination is infested with Demons that they do not believe in. I can not help a group who does not want my aid.

     In the old Days, at Halloween, people would huddle up in their homes. Because the Demons were outside they did not want to invite anything in to their homes. They let the children out only if they were dressed as a Demon, so they blended in. When you opened your door you never knew if it was a neighborhood kid or a Demon. You treated every visitor as if it was a Demon, just in case.

     In Parody of the Demons the children would ask to come in. When denied access to the Homes, they would demand something to Appease them. They would not go away if they were not Appeased.

     If someone was bold enough to say, get lost, an ultimatum was issued by the child or Demon. The Ultimatum was that they would be harassed until the slacker came into compliance and offered a gift to get them to go away. Rocks were thrown, windows and doors knocked on, and other reminders that they were not leaving.

     And thus was born the watered down version, “Trick or Treat”. May your Halloween be safe and uneventful. Take care, and May God Bless You all on this perilous Holy Day.

God Bless the Whole World, No exceptions.

Angel Eliza