Do Demon's Dwell Within Christians?

[Justin Mangonel]

Dear A & C,

If a dog bites me and I feel pain, though I may have contributed to the attack, I blame the dog. It does no good to ignore the dog or to say the dog didn't really bite me because it exists and it did. Really, I am not saying to focus upon demons but just recognize what they are and how they opperate. Furthermore, why are you worried that demons will become an excuse to Christians? Are you afraid of the "devil made me do it" defense. How often do you think that will really come up...in my view not often.

Also, why do people think they are so holy that they cannot have demons? Are we blind to the state of the church and of our own lives? Are we so full of the Holy Spirit that there is no room for anything else? That is just intellectual mumbo jumbo. If that is so, why do so many Christian act so demonically? I hate this type of arm chair theology that is not based in the real world. People have slipped into such a intellectual Christianity that they can believe something that, to anyone else, would seem ludicris.

I had one guy, the other day, say that he believes he is perfected. Really? You have got to be kidding. He said this because the scriptures state you cannot add to the perfect work of Christ. What deception, what pride. Ugh. If you act like the devil I would think it would be a relief to know it is, at least, partly the devils fault.

Where is the maturity of the Body of Christ?

Blessings,

Justin

 

[aspen]

actually J posting on this board is not Christianity at all - i hope you are not mistaking hashing out doctrinal nuances and arguing over scripture molehills for actually following Christ in the real world by loving God and our neighbor. As far as your dog analogy - how does blaming the dog help in your recovery? i hope you are not one of those people that looks for someone to blame after every disaster befalls America - if that matters. As far as humans trying to place blame on others - it happens every minute in this country why do you think lawyers are so rich? A and E did it in the Garden and we do it today. why would we stop when it comes to demons?

 

[Comm.Arnold]

actually J posting on this board is not Christianity at all - i hope you are not mistaking hashing out doctrinal nuances and arguing over scripture molehills for actually following Christ in the real world by loving God and our neighbor. As far as your dog analogy - how does blaming the dog help in your recovery? i hope you are not one of those people that looks for someone to blame after every disaster befalls America - if that matters. As far as humans trying to place blame on others - it happens every minute in this country why do you think lawyers are so rich? A and E did it in the Garden and we do it today. why would we stop when it comes to demons?

Good post.

 

[Justin Mangonel]

Dear A,

Fear not, I am not thinking that speaking about different topics is all there is to Christianity. I am glad you don't either. Actually, I have just return from ministering abroad and teaching the precepts that I have been sharing here on this forum. I also speak about these nuances to people here in the USA but due, in part at least, to well entrench pride many do not have ears to hear.

Blaming the dog, A, is simply a recognition of the situation as it is. In the analogy a dog bites me, it hurts, therefore I know there is a dog. Many Christians, including you it seems, don't think there is a dog and even if they feel pain.

I am glad you are not one of those people...perhaps "those people" may be a catch all for everyone that does not agree with how you view things? If you are not one of "those people" does that commend you more to God? Do you think that people who see the hand of God judging America for progressively purging His presence from their national consciousness are somehow beneath you? Enquiring minds wish to know.

If you read the Genesis account Adam and Eve did receive judgment for eating the forbidden fruit. Yet, interestingly enough, so did Lucifer. In fact, God foretold that His son would kill him. Therefore, the blame is shared. I hope you understand the biblical precedence.

Blessings,

Justin

 

[Comm.Arnold]

Dear A,

Fear not, I am not thinking that speaking about different topics is all there is to Christianity. I am glad you don't either. Actually, I have just return from ministering abroad and teaching the precepts that I have been sharing here on this forum. I also speak about these nuances to people here in the USA but due, in part at least, to well entrench pride many do not have ears to hear.

Blaming the dog, A, is simply a recognition of the situation as it is. In the analogy a dog bites me, it hurts, therefore I know there is a dog. Many Christians, including you it seems, don't think there is a dog and even if they feel pain.

I am glad you are not one of those people...perhaps "those people" may be a catch all for everyone that does not agree with how you view things? If you are not one of "those people" does that commend you more to God? Do you think that people who see the hand of God judging America for progressively purging His presence from their national consciousness are somehow beneath you? Enquiring minds wish to know.

If you read the Genesis account Adam and Eve did receive judgment for eating the forbidden fruit. Yet, interestingly enough, so did Lucifer. In fact, God foretold that His son would kill him. Therefore, the blame is shared. I hope you understand the biblical precedence.

Blessings,

Justin

Daniel in the Lions den swish.

 

[aspen]

Fear not, I am not thinking that speaking about different topics is all there is to Christianity.

Doctrine is not Christianity, at all. Loving others is Christianity. Doctrine is our attempt to understand God as He has revealed himself to us. Nothing wrong with studying doctrine as a hobby, but it is not necessary to become a Christian who chooses to follow Christ by loving others. If doctrinal competence was required to be a Christian, 99% of the people before the 19th century would be damned, not to mention children, illiterate people and the cognitively impaired.

I am glad you don't either. Actually, I have just return from ministering abroad and teaching the precepts that I have been sharing here on this forum. I also speak about these nuances to people here in the USA but due, in part at least, to well entrench pride many do not have ears to hear.

I hope you shared the gospel too. People need to learn that Christ freed us from sin so that we could become the lovers of God and neighbor, as we were created to be.

Blaming the dog, A, is simply a recognition of the situation as it is. In the analogy a dog bites me, it hurts, therefore I know there is a dog. Many Christians, including you it seems, don't think there is a dog and even if they feel pain.

I disagree. The dog can bite and it can hurt without blaming. A dog is capable of biting and some dogs do bite - there is no need to place human intention on an animal - which is what blaming attempts to accomplish. A dog cannot be guilty.

I am glad you are not one of those people...perhaps "those people" may be a catch all for everyone that does not agree with how you view things? If you are not one of "those people"

I mentioned 'those people' as a catch phrase for the tendency of the media and the public to search for a scapegoat whenever a national tragedy happens. Patriotism is a human practice - we are called to love all people regardless of national identity. More importantly, finding someone to blame does nothing for the victims of the tragedy. I especially dislike this tendency because it reminds me of the human tendency to avoid personal examination by the fruitless exercise of shifting the blame to objects, animals, or other people, which Adam and Eve tried to do in the Garden.

does that commend you more to God? Do you think that people who see the hand of God judging America for progressively purging His presence from their national consciousness are somehow beneath you? Inquiring minds wish to know.

Your sarcasm aside, I think that the idea that God is punishing America is absurd. All nations disobey God and all nations have always done so. It is mystifying to me that so many Christians out there are quick to claim that God punishes collectively, but does not save collectively. It is as if we were all in the graduate program of salvation and the professor God is trying to weed us out. God loves us - the last thing He would do is randomly punish nations - for one, random punishment is the mark of an ineffective parent because it teaches fear rather than new skills. Instead, God wants to be in everlasting relationship with us and wants to lead us back to a Garden relationship with Him.

If you read the Genesis account Adam and Eve did receive judgment for eating the forbidden fruit. Yet, interestingly enough, so did Lucifer. In fact, God foretold that His son would kill him. Therefore, the blame is shared. I hope you understand the biblical precedence.

Adam and Eve would have remained in relationship with God if they had taken responsibility for their actions and asked for God's mercy. Instead they were thrown out of the Garden because it was a nature result of their inability to repent.

 

[Justin Mangonel]

Dear A,

You and I certainly do not see eye to eye. I find no common ground with you.

Blessings,

Justin