The Final Report

     I received a text this afternoon from Bill Posey, my ministry partner at Answers For the Paranormal. He informed me that Stephen J. Sedensky, states attorney general for Connecticut, had released his final report on the events of December the 14th, 2013 in the small village of Sandy Hook. Mr. Sedensky had released his initial report in the spring of this year, and had stated that he would have his final report by the end of June, then by the end of summer..in the fall sometime, well, now we finally have it (although the school itself had already been demolished). Bill has emailed the entire report to me, and now a couple hours later I have yet to even begin reading it. I will before I go to sleep tonight. As soon as I received Bills text I knew I had to get on this computer, but I wanted to do so without having anything in my mind that Mr. Sedensky had released (however, Bill has been texting me some of the content of the report). Having spent hour after hour in research, been part of 3 Blog Radio broadcasts about Sandy Hook, and having multiple three ring binders filled with all sorts of information, I certainly would not say that a blog now without having read the final report would be kneejerk. I just feel that I need to say something before my mind is filled with Sedenskys "details."
     I want this blog to be succinct. Those of you who have listened to our Blog Radio broadcasts regarding Sandy Hook are probably aware that 12-14-12 has had a profound impact on my life. No news event of my lifetime has affected me in the way Sandy Hook has. What was reported to have occurred on that day last year, and the aftermath, is why I have been so affected. I will not detail in this blog why I do not believe what the world has been told happened that day (but if you want to know why, listen to our Blog Radio broadcasts).                                                    
     I want to issue a warning, a warning to all those who have accused me and Bill, and countless others, of being cold-hearted in not believing the official story. I want to issue a warning to the news media, print and television, who have failed miserably in any attempt at true journalistic investigative work. I want to issue a warning to all those law enforcement officials whose salaries are paid by the public, and who are legally and morally responsible to uncover the truth. All of you who refuse to consider the unanswered questions and the inconsistencies, the conflicting testimonies of alleged witnesses, the lack of physical evidence, the bizarre behavior of the parents and public officials, the unmitigated absurd actions of rescue personnel, all of you who agreed that the school building should be torn down before the states attorney released his final report (I could go on for a while here)...all of you who are so damn lazy and who so irresponsibly hurl the "conspiracy nut" label on anyone who dare engage his or her brain and challenge the official reports. The warning is this. If you know the truth regarding the events of that day and are suppressing it, you will be exposed as a liar, a deceiver, and a murderer. I don't know how long it will take, but you will be found out. And for those of you who have buried your heads in the sand and believed everything you have been spoon fed about Sandy Hook, your shame will be unimaginable.
     It all comes down to this; regardless of who you are, do you value the truth above all else? If you are an official related to the Sandy Hook investigation, do you care more for the truth than you do for holding onto your job, or even your life? If you have witnessed this whole saga from the outside as most of us have, do you value the truth above all else so that you are driven to research the matter rather than simply gobbling down what entertainers disguised as news personalities like Anderson Cooper and Katie Couric have presented?
     Well, I may be wasting my time here pleading for the truth. Its so much easier when events like Sandy Hook occur to just shake your head at such things and lament with the masses, "Isn't that just horrible?" (and then a few months later, "Hey, did you hear about the bombing in Boston?")
     One more thing. Mr. Sedenskys report can only truly be final if it contains the truth, and having been immersed in the details of 12-14-12 in Sandy Hook for nearly 12 months now, highly unlikely considering that the truth is the loneliest outpost in Newtown Connecticut.

Comfort in This Life?

Change of Plans...

     I had set out to write concerning the current state of political correctness (the word "current" indicating that "correctness" is ever changing),  but at the outset of this blog I noticed that my oldest daughter was on Skype. I could not pass up the opportunity to communicate with her, since it is not often that I am able to.  She started by wishing for me a belated happy birthday, to which I responded, "Birthdays are irrelevant when you understand that we are all eternal beings."  Well, that got the ball rolling. My daughter has never been one to shy away from conversation that has the potential to go beyond the mundane.  Eventually we got around to her concern for me;  she is well aware of the Christian paranormal ministry I am involved in with my dear brother in Christ, Bill Posey.  I indicated to her that I am ready to leave this world, as Paul the apostle stated, ready to depart this world and be with the Lord. Her response was understandable as a daughter, and predictable. She asked, "So you want to die?"  No, really, I don't want to die. I wanted her to understand that there is an immense difference in wanting to die....and being ready to die.
     We have a contemporary conundrum in Christianity today....at least...as I see it.  Christians appear to me to be very comfortable in this life. Now, I should make it clear at this point that I am referring to mainly American Christians.  I cannot speak to the condition of our brothers and sisters around the world.  Paul, at the end of his life, indicated in his second letter to Timothy that there was waiting for him (Paul),  "the crown of righteousness,  which the Lord,  the righteous judge,  will award to me on that day - and not only to me,  but also to all who have longed for his appearing."  (2 Tim 4: 6-8)
     I just cant mince words anymore.  The American "church" is a fat whore.  She has compromised herself to the world (and ultimately to the devil) in exchange for all the comforts this life has to offer.  There are "pastors"  drawing salaries that assure a very comfortable lifestyle.  There are church buildings that could grace the covers of magazines. There are compromises that have been made with federal and state governments that cede ultimate authority,  not rightfully to Jesus Christ,  who by the shedding of His precious blood bought and paid for her, but to rules and regulations set down by civil authorities (and don't play dumb mr pastor and mr elder,  you know what I am referring to).
     With all of these comforts in mind,  and the fact that they will never be challenged by the "leaders" in their congregations to not only hear the Word...BUT TO OBEY IT..I don't believe Christians in this country reflect what Paul was referring to...a body of believers who are longing for His return.  You have to be suffering to want something different.  What are American Christians suffering, exactly? Why should they truly desire the return of Jesus Christ when there is no challenge to their profession of faith?  To me, it appears like they have all the comforts of home.  And that....is an unmitigated tragedy.
     My daughter suggested that I should take a break from "all this paranormal stuff" and "focusing on evil."  I told her essentially that Christianity has been on a long coffee break.  The institutional church is so introverted and inward focused that it ought to implode.  There are so few who venture out from  church building walls to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ into the darkness of the paranormal realm.
Jesus Christ never promised His disciples comfort in this life, rather tribulation. The question for the believer is this; is your personal salvation all that Christ came to accomplish?  This makes you a believer.  You are saved,  and that is wonderful beyond words.  But Christ did not save us to rest IN THIS LIFE.  There is the time of rest Paul spoke of to Timothy.  Until then,  disciples of Jesus Christ are FOLLOWERS of Him.  Following means obeying Him.  Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."  I tell you, the last thing I am looking for in this life is comfort.
At this point in her life, my daughter just doesn't understand that.

We Decide Which Is Right?

     The last verse in the Moody Blues song "Nights in White Satin" is, "we decide which is right, and which is an illusion." For mankind since creation, this has always been the case. Basically it is the understanding of prevailing thought as to what is acceptable as being right. We, as a society and a culture, can decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. The reality however is that this IS the grand illusion. Webster's defines illusion as; something that deceives by producing a false impression of reality. America for decades now has been deceived by the false impression of reality that something other than a human being is produced at the moment of conception, that somewhere around the 23rd week of gestation, at some moment of some hour of some day...THEN you have a human! This is a depraved belief harbored in reprobate minds. And we are now smack dab in the middle of another false impression of reality...the illusion that homosexuality and lesbianism, bi-sexuality and transgendered persons are all doing right. Hey, it may not be right for you, but if its right for me....
     It comes down to a couple of well worn arguments. The first being the question of whether absolutes exist...are they a reality. The second, if there are absolutes, where do we find them and how can we know the source is trustworthy? Wow, what has man done with these two questions! Illusions and deceptions are everywhere. The truth is suffocated.
     Human intuition and perception cannot be the measuring stick here. Its only logical. One city may be a haven for homosexuality, and another find it detestable. One culture may adhere casually to abortion, and another see it as an abomination. So does it come down to a numbers game? The prevailing belief of a region, a culture...a nation? Not too far back it would have been unthinkable to see men kissing other men on television. Today the remote control is rarely out of arms reach and I am ready to wield and fire when such things appear on my screen. Today the thought of sexual relationships with children is unthinkable, but I can assure you past cultures accepted them as "normal" (and even today there is an underground world, unseen and hidden, where this depravity is engaged in routinely by people from all walks of life). Is it inconceivable that there may be a time in America where sex with children is accepted? Before you knee jerk into a convulsed NO! consider how foreign the thought was a little over a half century ago of destroying humans in the womb. It is barely even debated today.
     So the measuring stick for absolute right and absolute wrong has to rest somewhere beyond the scope of human experience and understanding. We simply cannot be trusted. Up to this point I have purposely excluded religion from the conversation, because the religious fall prey to the same illusions as do the irreligious. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of religions in the world, and variances of those as well. They cant all be right, right? So it comes down to, "hey, you believe what you want to believe about God and I'll do the same." Some of these religions teach that homosexuality is just as normal and acceptable as heterosexuality...you're born that way. Others teach that it is wrong. Man, it really gets confusing, doesn't it? And you know what? I believe that the vast majority of humanity DOESNT EVEN WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS.
     Many believe that knowing the truth depends on special illumination form sources veiled from the  human senses. One acquires knowledge from these illuminators and then passes off this "knowledge" by teaching others. Problem here is that there has always been contradictory illumination. If one illumination doesn't square up with another illumination...are there many different illuminators? Or is there one illuminator getting many people to believe many different things? As convoluted as all this pondering may seem, the answer is simple...yet profound. Stay tuned.     

Sandy Hook Examined

There are certain events in every one's lifetime when you recall where you were and what you were doing when triumphs and tragedies strike our nation. For my parent's generation, I recall hearing how a nation stopped and grieved at the assassination of President John F Kennedy.

Then as a young boy, gathering around the TV with my parents and watching the horror of the killings of Rev Martin Luther King and Senator Robert Kennedy. And as tragic as all these were, we as a nation were able to pick ourselves up and celebrate the 1969 landing on the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Ask anyone from this time period and they will tell you where they were and what they were doing.

The same can be said for September 11, 2001 when the attack on the World Trade Center in New York virtually shut down the United States of America. I can remember being at work and watching the towers tumble. The shock of that day still haunts many today. The loss of over 3,000 lives and the thought of families affected by that tragedy still breaks my heart.

December 14, 2012 will be a day many will remember for a long time. I was on morning break when I clicked on the news app of my phone to read a breaking story in Sandy Hook,CT. The time was 9:48AM and the initial reports were that 16 kindergarten children and six adult teachers and school administrators were murdered at an elementary school. Immediately, the outrage I felt turned to sadness for the parents of those children. As the day wore on a grieving nation stopped and began to ask the questions, "how could this happen." "Why did those children have to suffer at the hands of a killer?"

Then came the question that is asked every time a tragedy such as this strikes; "why did God allow this to happen?"

Adam Lanza was 20 years old at the time he gunned down 20 children ages six and under. The mental profile of young Adam Lanza enveloped much of the reporting on Friday, December 14. He was labeled autistic and disturbed. He was called a loner with no friends. Here are some statements by people who knew him:

"My brother has always been a nerd," Ryan Lanza said then, according to Milas. "He still wears a pocket protector."
Catherine Urso, who attended a vigil in Newtown, Conn., said her college-age son knew the killer and remembered him for his alternative style.
"He just said he was very thin, very remote and was one of the goths," referring to a style of dress noted for a heavily black wardrobe.

When I read this quote, something jumped out at me and caught my immediate attention. It is something the mainstream media is ignorant about and will not cover its implication. When referring to Adam as a "goth", the occultic influence of the goth movement began to gnaw at me.

The Goth Movement had its origins in Great Britian and although the style of dress marked who the goths were, it was their dabbling in vampirism and witchcraft that made them dangerous and open game for demons. In an 1998 article titled Youth and The Occult, Jason Barker describes a lifestyle that leads to demonic intervention. The article can be read here: http://www.watchman.org/occult/teenwitch.htm

Here is the opening paragraph that describes what many teens are becoming involved in and the outcome of this lifestyle leads to the dark world of satan and his co-hort of fallen angels.

As the next article shows, the occult is becoming an increasingly common component of television programs oriented towards youth. The increased exposure of witchcraft and other occultic practices is increasing the acceptance of these practices by youth as exciting, exotic alternatives to mainstream religion (particularly Christianity).

An informal study of local teenagers by the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader in 1997 showed that “Most said there’s a subculture at nearly every school that includes Anne Rice-influenced gothic kids, faux vampires and outcast kids who dabble in the occult. After all, in the Bible Belt, what could be more shocking than experimenting with witchcraft, vampirism or Satanism?”¹ The study concluded that most signs of teenage involvement in the occult (such as satanic symbols on book bag or bumper sticker) are merely a superficial sign of temporary rebellion against societal boundaries.

A small percentage of teens who show signs of occultic interests, however, become heavily involved in serious occultic practices.² The results of their involvement in the occult can be tragic.

One such example is the case of  Kentucky teen Rod Ferrell. You can watch the video of Rod's story on our website, www.answersfortheparanormal.org

Click on the tab REAL Paranormal Stories and see where this involvement in the occult will lead. Here is a description of the satanic exploits of Rod Ferrell.

Youth and the Occult: A Worst-Case Example

The study by the Herald-Leader was motivated by the murder of two people on November 25, 1996, by a vampire cult led by Kentucky teenager Rod Ferrell.

Ferrell claims that, as a young child, he was exposed to occult rituals and human sacrifices by his father and first stepfather.³ More plausibly, Ferrell also claims to have been exposed to the occult and vampirism as a child through playing Dungeons & Dragons.⁴ He began to engage in serious occultic practices following his mother’s second divorce, walking in cemeteries at night, cutting himself and offering his blood to others, and pretending to be a 500 year-old vampire named “Vesago.”⁵

In addition to more typical acts of teenage rebellion (such as using drugs and avoiding school), Ferrell became involved in a role-playing game called Vampire: The Masquerade. Masquerade players physically engage in the actions of their characters, much like they would do if performing in a play, whereas traditional tabletop role-playing games involve dice, playing cards, and other components used by players to imagine the action being described.

Ferrell’s pretense at vampirism eventually led him into contact with a young man named Stephen Murphy, who led Ferrell towards “crossing over” and becoming a real vampire.⁶ This friendship ended in 1996 after Murphy attacked Ferrell; shortly after, Ferrell’s mother was charged with soliciting a minor (Murphy’s 14 year-old brother), whom she begged to “‘cross her over’ and have her as his vampire bride.”⁷

During his friendship with Murphy, Ferrell began his friendships with Charity Lynn Keesee, Howard Scott Anderson, and Dana Cooper. These three constituted the members of Ferrell’s “vampire cult,” engaging in group sex and drinking blood as part of their vampire rituals.⁸ The four youth allegedly killed Richard Wendorf and Naoma Queen at the behest of their daughter, Heather Wendorf, so that Heather could join the cult. The cult was captured in Baton Rouge, Lousiana, allegedly while travelling to New Orleans to meet Anne Rice.⁹

Ferrell was sentenced to death for the murders of Wendorf and Queen. At his sentencing the judge described Ferrell as “a disturbed young man” who proves “there is genuine evil in the world.”¹⁰

There is no doubt in my mind that like Rod Ferrell, Adam Lanza, through his involvement in the occult, became a murderous tool of satan. Jesus tells us in John 8:44, He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Adam took on the characteristics of his father, satan, by delving into the world of the occult and like his father, became a murderer. I know that I will be laughed at and ridiculed by this view. The Apostle Paul understood the unseen battle that takes place in this world; put on the whole armour of God, for your being able to stand against the wiles of the devil,

¹² because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places; Eph 6:11-12

The political pundits have seized the opportunity to force their agendas. The democrats are crying for stricter gun control. Many on the left have even desired total gun control and confiscation. The republicans on the right are championing the second amendment and the right to bear arms. Both parties do not understand the battle being waged in the heavenlies.

It is satan's desire to disarm and to bring about his one world system of government. America is being led down the path of globalism and loss of sovereignty. The United states constitution is being shredded right before our eyes. And where is the voice of the "church" today? She has become too rich and in need of nothing! It is time for believers in Jesus Christ to stand on the Word of God and preach the gospel to a dying nation.
 

We at Answers For The Paranormal extend our heartfelt condolences to those who lost their children in this tragedy. The agendas of political parties have no place in this tragedy. Our time on this earth is so short. It is only what we have done with Jesus Christ that will matter for eternity.

 

We mourn with the rest of this nation. But we mourn more for souls lost who have not placed faith in Christ. Won't you consider today your need to repent of your sins and turn to Christ.

 

⁹ that if thou mayest confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and mayest believe in thy heart that God did raise him out of the dead, thou shalt be saved,

¹⁰ for with the heart doth [one] believe to righteousness, and with the mouth is confession made to salvation;

¹¹ for the Writing saith, `Every one who is believing on him shall not be ashamed,'

¹² for there is no difference between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord of all [is] rich to all those calling upon Him,

¹³ for every one -- whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, he shall be saved.'

 

 

A Serious Review of ParaNorman 08/20 by BillP222 | Blog Talk Radio

ParaNorman is an animated movie released on August 17, 2012 in theaters throughout the US. It has received rave reviews by critics who are calling it good family fun! REALLY?

The world of the paranormal has taken a major leap  forward as media entertainment is expanding this cultural phenomena to lure children and their parents into entertaining familiar demonic spirits.

Answers For The Paranormal will analyze the movie reviews from over the weekend and will address their concern for the deceptive message and encouragement to contact the dead.
Don't miss this broadcast. It just may save you future heartache!

Here is a review from joblo.com:
ParaNorman is a wistfully entertaining movie that manages to be a solid genre picture as well as a family film. Besides the impressive animation and the well chosen actors, the score by Jon Brion is fantastic. Albeit as visually impressive as it may be, the 3D seems superfluous and the sometimes adult humor may leave a few parents a little uncomfortable. Yet there is so much to love that this is arguably the best animated film of the summer – possibly of the year. Irreverent, a little spooky and a lot of hopeful make PARANORMAN a frighteningly good fable about being a square peg in a round hole.

 A Review of ParaNorman 08/20 by BillP222 | Blog Talk Radio

220 Fifth Street -- REAL Spiritual Warfare

Patrick Meechan tells about his encounter with spiritual forces of wickedness. A novel he has written titled "220 Fifth Street" published by Crown of Thorns Publishing is sure to grip the reader as Patrick exposes the enemy of our souls and unmasks these demonic forces masquerading as ghosts. To anyone who has experienced paranormal activity and perceived "hauntings", this book is for you.

Here is what some have said about Patrick's book.

"It is tragic that Hollywood has tried to sensationalize the world of demons, demonic possession and the world of the paranormal. Patrick Meechan does and outstanding job of exposing this world in a realistic and Biblically accurate manner. There is a greater tragedy than the treatment of this subject by the entertainment industry. That is Christian ministries that have tried to exploit believers with extravagant tales to convince the flock. The only thing that they attempt to deliver is better ratings and more finances in their coffers.
I must confess that I was fairly naive when it came to encountering the very real world of Satan. I was a young ministerial student leading music at a retreat in Colorado when I first encountered a teen possessed by a demon. I had read the confrontations of Jesus in the Gospel, but never thought about the application in real life. That spiritual warfare experience drove me deeper into the Word.
“220 Fifth Street” will provide for you a realistic framework for understanding this evil presence. Yes, there are some people that see demons behind every tree. Yes, because of entertainment and certain types of evangelism there can be some informational fatigue. Patrick has gone to a lot of trouble and investigation to pull back the curtain on this important subject. This is way beyond ghost busters or even ghost hunters.
If you are looking for answers regarding the demonic and is it real? I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a deliverer to truly bring a supernatural Savior into your life. I highly recommend this book. Most people walk away from the subject of evil. This author has stepped up, raised the bar and brought new light on this vital topic." - Dr. Douglas M. Downs - Christian Media Specialist

" Very creepy and powerful. Having never had an experience like yours, there was some things I'd never known about, including the legal rights. I'm still digesting it and will more than likely give it another read. This would make a great film/documentary. Looking forward to reading Nightmare in Holmes County. " - Dave - New York, USA

"'220 FIFTH STREET' is a thought provoking read. What is the history of the house you live in? How about your neighbor's house? The spirit realm is real my friends and Patrick Meechan reveals this truth in "220 Fifth Street" DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!! " - Pastor Dode Overton - New Life Church of God

"Whoo. I finished your book. A great read, and I can clearly see it as a movie. Again, well done and I can sense the great deal of work and time that went into developing the book. I also sense in my spirit that God really did allow you to go through this with the intent purpose to share it with others to help them fight the "invisible" war. You also helped me by clarifying some things that were somewhat fuzzy to me before." -  Danielle Minnes - Indiana, USA
Dan

Crown of Thorns Publishing

Crown of Thorns Publishing strives to produce Christian books that will encourage, enlighten, and challenge you while proclaiming the truth of Christ’s compassion for humanity. A non-denominational Christian publishing company, Crown of Thorns does not promote a particular doctrine, instead choosing to turn to the Bible itself as a guide for governing principles in life and business. The books we publish may tackle controversial subjects but we believe the truth itself is often controversial.

We believe this radical approach to life is how Jesus Christ lived while here on earth. This attitude impacts the books we publish and produces a life-altering change in perception in the reader that will draw you deeper into the truths of the scriptures and possibly change your worldview.

Here is the link for purchasing Patrick's book. http://www.crownofthornspublishing.com/index.cfm

Spiritual Warfare

Why is the church silent today regarding spiritual warfare? The apostle Paul uses words such as battle, armor of God and weapons. Yet  the church in general would rather battle against flesh and blood.The church says, lets fight reclaiming America for Christ, abortion, gay marriage and the list of social agendas goes on and on. Let's get republicans elected, as though that will change America!

 The Christian faces a spiritual battle every day. I know, I will be accused of seeing demons under every rock!! One only needs to read through scripture to see the battle that is waged in the cosmos between God and our adversary (hey, another military term!!) the devil. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

This admonition is written to Christians and not, the unbelieving world. And why is satan looking to devour Christians? Because he knows that as an angel, fallen at that, he is more powerful, more intelligent, and more willing to fight the battle. He is looking for breaches, areas where he can step in and destroy testimonies for Jesus Christ. His strategy is a good one. Get the church to focus on problems in the world AND in the church and forget about advancing the gospel.

The apostle Paul, the greatest of evangelists, recognized the battle Christians are in. ¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 1 Thes 2:17-19. He knew that the battle of the Jews opposing the gospel in Thessalonica and Berea ( Acts 17) was not the work of flesh and blood but of the enemy!

The apostle's example of engaging the culture wherever he went to win souls, is one that is lost today.
¹³ When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. ¹⁴ The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. ¹⁵ The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

In Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷ God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others. Acts 17:13-34

The church, in general, is more interested in fighting social battles than just doing what Jesus commanded before He went back to heaven. ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

One cultural phenomenon today is the fascination with the paranormal. It is why God has called Joe and me into this ministry of pointing people to Christ. This spiritual battle is fought on two fronts. The first front is for satan to hinder the work of the gospel and render Christians ineffective for Christ. The second front is to keep unbelievers blind to the truth of the gospel. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor 4:4

There are people who are diving head first into this cultural fascination with ghosts, aliens and other supernatural signs and wonders who have no idea who they are engaging. And whenever a demonic entity has someone in their grip and these people look to the church for answers, they are either scoffed at or considered crazy! It's time that Christians engage the culture again like Paul and share the gospel to whoever needs to hear.¹⁵ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:14-16

Paul would address today's paranormal crowd much the same way he did in Athens. The church cannot continue to be silent on this issue. Our adversary is not going away. He is going to continue to fight on two fronts. As blood bought saints of The Most High God, let's be vigilant in battle!