THE GRAY AREA OF ILLUSION

[1John 5:18] We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 

Illusion is temporary and it functions only in this domain of time. Those who play with illusion do that to intimidate and thus subjugate. Outside of this physical and time-restricted realm illusion is nonexistent. Therefore, those that walk according to the flesh carry illusory properties, which can be easily taken advantage of. Those that walk according to the Spirit, not only do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, they sin not and carry no illusory properties. To better explain it lets use metallic dust that clings to a magnet. The minuscule dust particles are almost invisible, but they become visible when accumulation occurs. The same is with people who use illusion, pretense and skillful theatricals in order to lure and snare pray to their illusion like spider webs. By knowing people’s aspirations and even dreams one sets up a stage of entrapment to take advantage. There is money to be made from foreign flesh and the mystique of sex, artistic abilities or entrepreneurial business prowess. 

The classical get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment and since greed and the desire for higher social standing is an integral part of human psyche it is often quite easily manipulated.

Charles Ponzi, after whom the term Ponzi scheme has been coined, operated such fraudulent investments. It works on luring potential customers by offering higher returns than other investments in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent. This fraudulent investment operation uses other people’s supposed investment funds to pay illusory profits to the other novice investors from the money paid by other rookie investors. Perpetuation of the high returns requires an ever-increasing flow of money from new investors to keep the scheme going. 

Illusion plays a larger role in religion where regulation is minimal or nonexistent and anyway an aversion to the law, in Christianity, creates a mindset that wants to be free yet it is enslaved to illusion. The constant play with law and grace keep wisdom at bay. On one hand we have been set free from the law of sin through Christ yet on the other hand we seek some form of control for human misbehaviors. We trumpet salvation by grace and not by works as if being saved is the Alpha and Omega in itself. As a result child molesters, rapists, thieves and even murders often quote this verse, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). Yet as we read further Jesus said to the adulterous lady, “Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). Therefore, the ability to not sin is in us already.    

WE DO NOT LIKE SATAN’S MISSION

Satan’s mission is to pay back evil for evil, to put it loosely. Satan is sent to mislead, to oppose, to accuse, to test and even kill. When this subordinated to God angel enters human hemisphere he also enters the realm of illusion, which God created to test us with. The devil (as it was explained earlier) used illusion to tempt Jesus with the riches of this world and the short-lived illusory power. Satan on the other hand tested Jesus in the Truth as it has been conveyed to us through in Scripture. But again, Satan’s work of illusion is for this realm only. Hence, as long as we are physical we will deal with these metallic-like particles of illusion that either cling or are drawn away and keep away from us. Many want to be rid of this chastiser (Satan) that they completely disbelieve in his existence, which is a mistake. It is like a child that hates parental discipline and wants to be rid of, not his or her mischief, but that of parents’. It leads to the throwing of the bath water with the baby. 

In the past I have also been manipulated and yes taken advantage of, but I have purposely allowed it because of the kind of people I was associated with. By way of education I went with them into the desert of tests, just like Moses went with the children of Israel. I spotted a lie and its bearers right off the bat, yet I hoped for the best. Oh how disappointed I was. This gentle inner Holy Spirit leading is so delicate that one must be truly refined in order to come to the firm resolve of yielding to Him. Now, as I have matured, and have repented, my perceptions have changed I repel those that would like their shaming luck on me. By bathing in the Truth one arrives; it’s just a natural consequence. Even reading about these psychological dimensions do change us. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3) Jesus said, and then concluded in John 17:17 by saying, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Truth liberates us from illusion and eventually sets us apart, which in essence is what sanctification really means.  

The other tendency is to make Satan completely evil in our mind and God completely good; so good and sweet that with our new theology we do not ‘permit Him’ to be no longer a person. If you get angry and God made you to reflect Him, and from time to time He gets angry and you do too then where is the problem? We call anger sin, but it is not the anger itself, but rather where it leads. When anger is arrested in time it leads to nowhere, but in many cases it even helps to improve things. Controlled anger can be beneficial for it can lead to getting rid of cancerous and deadly things, but there is a much better way. We can overpower anything adverse with the heavenly peace. Peace heals and mends broken things. To put it simply, all adverse things are not of peace but of war. Just as one country can be at war, somewhere else another country enjoys tranquil peace; therefore, peace and war are territorial. Heaven has neither territory nor borders and to imagine that does not take illusory perceptions but rather truthful. Anger is typical to earth. God’s anger only manifests itself on earth in the physical dimension, but never in the heavenly and timeless sphere. In order to be free of any elements of illusion this concept must be fully grasped. 

Let’s take Aspirin or Ibuprofen, which can be beneficial. Someone said, do we have a deficiency of aspirin is that’s why we need it from time to time? – No, we don’t, but stress constricts blood vessels. Anything that compresses is of pressure and God gave us the knowledge as to how to relieve pain, but that’s just a temporary help and not a permanent healing. So, peace is of decompression and war is of compression. So in the same way truth liberates and illusion binds. Seek peace and pursue it (1Peter 3:11) and I would add “through any means” until a time when we are perfected, sanctified in God’s truth.     

God has a temperament, so do we. If we have no temperament we have no passion; and if we have no passion we can’t serve the Lord on this planet. The driving force is our passion and compassion. He is decisive, not passive; and He chooses passionate people. Our decisiveness, and our determined choice is what our heavenly Father loves. 

Watch Jesus in the temple who told us about His consuming zeal for the House of God. We have emasculated ourselves with sugary self-righteous teachings far withdrawn from reality, making them impractical and inapplicable. We feel and express righteous indignation against ‘the devil and his angels from hell’ supposing that if we can only bind them then people would stop sinning. 

[Hebrews 12:4-6] You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.”

Jesus said to the adulterous woman, “From now on sin no more” (John 8:11). What, so simple? Do we have the power? All of us do. Try it. It works. 

THE TRAP OF DECEPTION

We must understand that any doubt is actually a belief but in illusion in superstition and false things; that is why there isn’t much room left for the gift of faith. People search for self-suiting religion, because the God of the Bible is not up to their high humanistic standards. ‘God can’t kill anyone and He must be nice.’ So they stumble upon mixtures of Hinduism, Buddhism and Esoteric Theosophy. The immensity of these unattainable lectures makes their heads spin. In this spin they hunger for more of the same blaming themselves for not achieving yet that lofty level of grasping, which their teachers have already achieved and are supposedly practicing. They don’t know that those teachers are as lost as their students. The teacher’s spin makes your head spin with the same kind of illusion they propagate. Blind guides make their students blind also; together they celebrate their imagined sight. There is such a thing as being given over to our own wants and desires, which in turn produce a delusional altered states (Romans 1:24-28). These altered states are very pleasurable to the soul and to the flesh. Once the clarity of mind is compromised the mind will follow lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes and the pride of life without a restrain or moral code. 

THE GREATR SELF

An expression like the “greater self” is already a sign of deception, for self-identity is only for our physical shells, for time and locale and never for the inner man. The inner spiritual man belongs to the Creator, but if one says that he is God than where is that god when he dies? The “greater self” is no God or a god, for it did not create itself and the Almighty God has no self. Anything God says is through His Firstborn Son, and the Son can’t do anything without the Father, just as the Father does nothing without the Holy Spirit or without angels. That’s just plain. The Father has no self-identity, the Son does not, Holy Spirit does not, nor the angels. This perfect selfless cooperation and harmony; in perfect peace that surpasses any earthly understanding is beyond self. Hence, where is the attainment to, or a discovery of the so-called greater self? Am I pounding on you? – Oh no my friend, I don’t, I have for years pounded on myself and those willing to recognize this tricky human nature of ours will greatly benefit from this “relentless pounding.”

When that holy space in our minds is already cluttered with something self-seeking and self-exultation the result is pompousness, which God opposes and even seeks to destroy. History shows that God dethroned many monarchs who took themselves for gods, for “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Proverbs 16:18). God abhors those who seek within themselves godhood and when they lick a bit of knowledge they call themselves gods, saying that ‘what man is now God once was so we are on the way of becoming God.’ Little they know about self-nullification, for self is fleshly. And little they know about the fact that once you are gone you become one with God and your self-identity becomes then a God-identity, just as angels are in complete subordination to the Almighty. There is no escaping from God and His rules. Angels have no self-identity; and from themselves they can do nothing. Jesus said that ‘of Himself He can do nothing’ (John 5:19, 30) and after resurrection we would be like angels (Matthew 12:25). 

THE TWILIGHT ZONE

When someone does not believe in miracles the answer is simple: he or she does not act upon an empty space in the head, but upon that which fights against and opposes this belief. It is almost a natural reaction to mock those who do believe, scorn miracles and the Miracle Worker Himself.

Now, lets examine the other possibility. Let’s assume that we won’t find even one person that is seduced by illusion, someone with an absolute faith in the Almighty God. Let us say that these people prove this reality through their conduct. The result is obvious; all doors are shut and no illusion is able to come in. Now, if one person violates this divide, forsakes the truth and wants to profit from illusion; and then leads others astray; then such becomes an instrument of illusion. Such a person becomes an image of falsehood; his or her followers then become illusion’s emissaries. And if the numbers grow then those false beliefs multiply (each fruit carries also a seed) and all of a sudden the God-created angel (Satan) has an army of missionaries and, in a cryptic sense, even worshippers. They will of course deny it, yet they cannot explain the fact that while they believe in the Almighty and Sovereign God subconsciously they are afraid that while they serve God Satan is there to deceive them. As if one leg is stuck in darkness and the other in light… yes they seem to be stuck in the twilight zone. 

[1 Timothy 4:1-2] But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron…

When witchcraft, occultism and spiritism is practiced dead spirits fill the mediums and through them those that subject themselves to that practice. Those spirits are the unclean spirits, or demons, which Jesus cast out. If that demon is of the Kenite kind, such will lie and is even unable to tell the truth. Demons never tell the truth because they are stuck in a realm of no progress. 

THE POWER OF THE NOW

Let me shock you a bit. Anything dead and brought up through witchcraft or occult means or in spiritistic séances belongs to the realm of no time. However, when that past entity conjoins with a medium—a now living person—that entity to a certain degree will keep the living in bondage. As a result the living has difficulties progressing and growing in the Lord. For inexplicable reasons such one hates any change. Such people, even entire families, sit in churches and assume leadership roles just to hinder all progress. The same is in governments where even minimal progress is allowed. As the word conservative suggests, people live in the past conserving the good old days, but can day? This is a typical sign of demonic presence, which carries resentments, hatreds and constant frustrations. There is really nothing to disagree with here, this is the truth, for however you want to go about it; no progress means no movement, and no movement means standstill, which in turn means death. In order to change this one must truly repent for the sins of his or her forefathers; cleanse the tree’s roots, and then be freed from these past-life entities and then live in the now, which ushers us all into the future. When we plan to go for a high-class party we dress up, but we dress up now for something that comes later. The same is with our walk with God. 

[Psalms 95:7-8; Hebrews 3:15] Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

It is still TODAY and RIGHT NOW. Wisdom calls for our change now and no later, for the now brings in brighter future. So what that you have figured out the Book of Revelations? So what that you took yourself on an eschatological trip and others with you? You have used the old elements of your cognizance for you do not know yet the revelational mind-blowing intelligence, which is reserved for those who hear now. A mind stuck in the past shows signs of demonic bondage; and a speculating mind brooding in the future is naked and destitute. The greatest wisdom is always in the now for we never worry about now but always about tomorrow. Jesus told us to ‘leave tomorrow alone allowing it to worry about itself’ (Matthew 6:34). Yes, our delusional insecurity grabs those broken ores in a sinking boat.       

FEAR & DOCTRINES OF DEMONS

One sincere lady told me that in one of her deliverance services people possessed with demons told everyone that Satan gave them the power to make people ill with diseases like HIV/AIDS. Those naive people believed them and naturally were not only timidly impressed, but by being scarred they have subjugated themselves to those lies (Job 3:25). 

Either these verses of 1Timothy 4:1-2 are not known or are completely ignored. What are the doctrines of demons? – Well, as already stated, when you talk with demons you talk with an entity that is stuck in no-time regions in which a forward progress or reversal—which a repentance like action really is—is not possible. To better understand it the reader must embrace the simple clarity of truth, which transcends all realms and time. 

Are you still with me? Now that we have the background information and that component is solid, lets move on to the process of linking them, which will show us the entire truth about demons. 

Doctrines of demons are created when someone actually talks with demons. Someone authoritatively taught that we must know the name of a demon before we can cast it out, referring to the Gerasene demoniac possessed with a legion (Matthew 8). Jesus supposedly spoke to the demon asking ‘what is your name’ rather than simply addressing the man, it is from this presumption that a mind-seducing doctrine evolved. The sensationalism driven desire itches to find out what those demons were really like. Furthermore, our mind assumes that these demons are supposedly Lucifer’s fallen angels, or even giants—which would be closer to the truth. Indeed, anything that once lived and died and then was brought up, even a giant can possess a person. Taking up Satan himself, binding all of his fallen angels or even spirits of giants indeed produces an ego thrilling sensation, but such presumption has caused us to deviate from the truth and God’s straight way. As Paul states in Ephesians 4:23 it is time for us to be “renewed in the spirit of our mind.” 

These demons are liars and speak nothing else but lies. Anything referred to current events is true for straight reporting is not sensationalized like the Tabloid papers do. Unregulated tabloids sell better than the newspapers—which are regulated. Gossip sells better than the straight and honest truth. These are the well-cherished and loved illusions, which only entertain. But when it comes to the preaching and teaching of God’s Truth we often—being seduced with this entertaining tattle—step on a slippery slope and fall dragging others into the same. 

Again, anything dead is stuck in the realm of no time. Demons cannot speak intelligently, but use the vocal chords of the living to blabber something like “legion” because a Roman legion died in a grisly bloodshed. I have been involved in the deliverance ministry and was told (by the Holy Spirit) to adhere to the truth like these: 

[Matthew 8:31-32] The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.

Jesus used only one word “Go!” He did not speak with demons for there is nothing one can learn from them for they are indeed unclean. 

[Mark 1:34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

That act, now frozen in timelessness is the only thing a demon knows. Hence, people fall into psychotic states. [Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality that usually includes: false beliefs about what is taking place or one is delirious seeing or hearing things that are not there.] Those engaged in the deliverance ministry believe to be dealing with demons, but often it is only an emotional psychosis. We must follow the acts of Jesus and have His ministry for when we are free of self we become empty channels ready to be filled with something higher than self. It seems easier to follow what another preacher said rather than follow Master Jesus.  

[1 Timothy 4:2]…in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and (MAKING) doctrines of demons… 

THE FAITH

Have you connected the logical components yet? If not then let me “tighten the screws” now. 

• When someone talks to a demon (asking for a name or conversing with) gets polluted. Jesus never carried a conversation with demons, not even once. This is point number one and most important. He never permitted demons to speak. He commanded them to be quiet, and then instantly cast them out. I imagine that this happened within a single minute of time. Why? Those possessed by demons go through terrible suffering and Jesus healed and delivered after his heart was filled with compassion (Matthew 14:14). 
• When demons speak they always tell a lie, NOT to be believed or taken as the truth because they do not belong in the living, neither in the now. 
• When the given information is believed to be true one also passes this deceit onto others. 
• When that deception is broadcasted as being true, then those who are already in a sensational mindset are propagating sensationalism instead of sober truth. 
• Seduction with illusion becomes a stronghold, which is hard to part with. 
• Thus the doctrines of demons are created and propagated.
• The gift of faith, one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, finds no place in such; hence, the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith. 

‘THE’ faith is not ‘A’ faith. It is not of our own making, but rather a divine gift from above. There must be an honorable room created for this kind of faith, which must be free of all pollutants and false beliefs. Only humans can produce false beliefs, seducing themselves as well as others. God’s faith is royal, heavenly and potent beyond our imaginations. 

[Luke 18:8] However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find (the original Greek text reads THE FAITH, “pistis” truth or truthfulness) faith on the earth? 

God’s faith roams the earth looking for a dwelling place. Will this kind of faith find a lodging in you? That’s the reason why Jesus said, “Will the Son of Man find the faith on earth” (…) when He returns? Our language has also changed, we call religion faith, this faith or another faith, but why? – Because these are man made faiths and not the faith of God the gift. As a result we feel incompatible with that gift and we remain dumbfounded when this kind of faith is being mentioned. Illusion remains as long as we do not want to dethrone it, but how? – We can easily let it go by letting go of control and self. Let go of your self-manufactured ideas and then as an empty vessel open your heart to the inflow of His revelational and liberating knowledge.

FRAGMENTATION 

The reason the letters of Paul, Peter, James, Jude and John contained sometimes fragmented and confusing information was to accommodate the Greek mythological mind. Judaic teachings have become too complex. Having inherited the Persian dualism, to a certain extent, helped the apostles for they were able to navigate in the pagan jungle of plural beliefs by alluding to any malevolent cosmic beings. Those allusions, as it is today, were nothing more than attention grabbers. But God reserved the final reformation for the last days right before the advent of Christ’s return.

The Jewish Aggadah and Cabbala deal with demons. Upon realizing the danger that the so-called deeper teachings posed to people, later in time these writings were written in a concealed manner. But that stirred even more curiosity. Those so-called secrets of Satan (propagated in Thyatira of Revelations 2:24) seduced a mind that has been prone to study of evil in many forms. These teachings were guarded and were not made too be easily accessible to those deemed as being of corrupt character or were untrained in the Torah. Cabbala teaches keys, which when they are supposedly used should unlock some dark secrets. Therefore, Cabbala is a mind seducing literature for it gives its students a sense of awe and in time also self-importance just because one knows while another remains in ignorance. 

Since I am quite familiar with Cabbala, I know both. A mind seduced with these mystical things refuses to use a rational thought and then come back to his or her senses for by then (first a mild form of) craziness is too pleasurable to give it up. The euphoric state of knowing something secret makes people dream. Once this mild form of craziness is being fed it leads to a complete detachment from reality where “yes” means yes and where “no” means no. 

Today, many Cabbalists are in mental asylums; and that’s the “reward” for studying the realm of illusion. No intelligent person would ever read about keys that supposedly unlock some densely layered secrets of a vaulted and locked darkness. One must have first some predispositions to even brood in this twaddle for one imagines and another unlocks or unravels, but only someone else’s flowery imagination. Based on that, fibs and tales are constantly being invented; and the time wasted on them is then lost forever. The time interval where truth can be found then shrinks even more for the realm of illusion gained the stage and refuses to leave it. 

THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

Between the knowledge of good and evil illusion is found, but illusion does not need to be studied at all, neither evil, but only the Truth and the light, which quite naturally reveals everything. By then the gray area of illusion no longer seduces, and by then lies find no foothold in you. That’s how simple it is.   

All laws have loopholes from which we have the gray market and which is not illegal or immoral, but only to take advantage of, and many do. The same is with illusion, which serves as a tool, cloak or a veil, if you will, in which lies can be wrapped and disguised. 

There has to be something more appealing in order to dissuade one from following this world of darkness and its supposed secrets. Lovers of the Truth are lovers of light. That’s how simple it is. And by these dimensions God decides as to who is of light, and who is of darkness; who inherits the kingdom and who does not. This world is one big test. Only His seed will emerge triumphant thus augment their Creator’s glory. We are here to become glorious and be one with our Maker (John 17:22). Oh what a blessed discovery this is! I rejoice that I know who I am! I am ecstatic and so privileged to be His seed and know my way!  

    

STAGES OF REFORMATION

When the initial stages of reformation are complete other stages will follow. After the third stage; and after all things are clear; and any remaining superstitious elements are removed; one then rests and finds true peace. In that rest one begins to redirect one’s thoughts and emotions. After those two factors (truth & illusion) are comprehended and firmly established in you, only then you will begin to understand God and His kingdom, which results in spiritual growth. 

An unhindered, calm and sound mind helps us reach the heights of God’s holiness and overcome any an obstacle. Eventually one will part with any sin-consciousness, and stops hurting self and others. Pride melts, and the earthly self-identity with all its material and passing attachments fades away. One receives a clear mind and a pure heart. One then is born of the Spirit and begins to move like wind. No one can control such, or define with any standardized or organized formats, religious or otherwise. Those who are born of God sin no more for they are not even able to (1John 5:18). The one of whom they were conceived and brought forth—as God’s sons and daughters—keeps them. We become like angels again, but triumphant and glorious because we have overcome many if not all obstacles, which our physical bodies and the material environment set before us.