I took Christian ministers on a spiritual discernment walk through the most haunted hotel in Las Vegas - the Hotel Apache. We picked up on a lot of hotspots, spoke with the employees, and the spirits may even whistled at Abby.
Timeline:
00:00:00 Opener and Hotel Apache history
00:03:22 What do is discerning spirits?
00:03:50 Start the discernment walk in the Hotel Apache
00:39:07 The door that resisted like something was pushing on it.
00:22:26 Weird static energy on the lower door jam.
00:26:13 A fresh Hotel Apache encounter turned in this morning.
00:28:01 Ambiguously compelling evidence - a possible EVP of a spooky whistling
00:34:08 Leviticus 20:27 and 1 Corinthians 12:10
00:39:07 Spiritual cleansing so no spookies follows us home
In Tales of Glory episode 159, we are in the Seventh Chapter of Saint Teresa of Avila's masterpiece on prayer, The Interior Castle, in the Sixth Mansion, Chapter 8 - Intellectual Visions. Saint Teresa shares how we can have a deep mystical experience with Jesus at our side for an extended period. This is another stage of intimacy in prayer in our interior prayer life, and the level of discernment necessary.
Timeline: 00:00:00 Opener 00:02:52 Show Introduction to Sixth Mansions Chapter 8 00:06:41 I. Introducing the Intellectual Vision 00:07:13 nos. 1. Our Lord's presence accompanying the soul. 00:09:02 nos. 2. St. Teresa's experience of this. 00:14:41 II. Experiencing the Intellectual Vision 00:15:01 nos. 3. Confidence and graces resulting from this vision. 00:19:52 nos. 4. Its effects. 00:25:08 nos. 5. It Produces humility. 00:28:42 III. Experiencing His Presence 00:29:08 nos. 6. And prepares the soul for other graces. 00:32:28 nos. 7. Consciousness of the presence of the saints. 00:39:08 nos. 8. Obligations resulting from this grace. 00:47:16 IV. Not of the Devil 00:47:35 nos. 9. Signs that this favor is genuine. 00:54:23 nos. 10. A confessor should be consulted. 01:11:06 V. Commenting on Spiritual Direction 01:11:24 nos. 11. Our Lord will enlighten our advisers. 01:16:47 nos. 12. Cautions about this vision. 01:21:20 Conclusion
nos 3 3. At the end of two years spent in prayer by myself and others for this end, namely, that our Lord would either lead me by another way, or show the truth of this,—for now the locutions of our Lord were extremely frequent,—this happened to me. I was in prayer one day,—it was the feast of the glorious St. Peter,386—when I saw Christ close by me, or, to speak more correctly, felt Him; for I saw nothing with the eyes of the body, nothing with the eyes of the soul. He seemed to me to be close beside me; and I saw, too, as I believe, that it was He who was speaking to me. As I was utterly ignorant that such a vision was possible, I was extremely afraid at first, and did nothing but weep; however, when He spoke to me but one word to reassure me, I recovered myself, and was, as usual, calm and comforted, without any fear whatever. Jesus Christ seemed to be by my side continually, and, as the vision was not imaginary, I saw no form; but I had a most distinct feeling that He was always on my right hand, a witness of all I did; and never at any time, if I was but slightly recollected, or not too much distracted, could I be ignorant of His near presence.
nos. 4 4. I went at once to my confessor, in great distress, to tell him of it. He asked in what form I saw our Lord. I told him I saw no form. He then said: "How did you know that it was Christ?" I replied, that I did not know how I knew it; but I could not help knowing that He was close beside me,—that I saw Him distinctly, and felt His presence,— that the recollectedness of my soul was deeper in the prayer of quiet, and more continuous,—that the effects thereof were very different from what I had hitherto experienced,—and that it was most certain. I could only make comparisons in order to explain myself; and certainly there are no comparisons, in my opinion, by which visions of this kind can be described. Afterwards I learnt from Friar Peter of Alcantara, a holy man of great spirituality,—of whom I shall speak by and by,—and from others of great learning, that this vision was of the highest order, and one with which Satan can least interfere; and therefore there are no words whereby to explain,—at least, none for us women, who know so little: learned men can explain it better.
nos. 5 5. For if I say that I see Him neither with the eyes of the body, nor with those of the soul,—because it was not an imaginary vision,—how is it that I can understand and maintain that He stands beside me, and be more certain of it than if I saw Him? If it be supposed that it is as if a person were blind, or in the dark, and therefore unable to see another who is close to him, the comparison is not exact. There is a certain likelihood about it, however, but not much, because the other senses tell him who is blind of that presence: he hears the other speak or move, or he touches him; but in these visions there is nothing like this. The darkness is not felt; only He renders Himself present to the soul by a certain knowledge of Himself which is more clear than the sun. I do not mean that we now see either a sun or any brightness, only that there is a light not seen, which illumines the understanding so that the soul may have the fruition of so great a good. This vision brings with it great blessings.
II. Experiencing the Intellectual Vision
nos. 3 Confidence and graces resulting from the vision.
7. My confessor next asked me, who told me it was Jesus Christ. I replied that He often told me so Himself; but, even before He told me so, there was an impression on my understanding that it was He; and before this He used to tell me so, and I saw Him not. If a person whom I had never seen, but of whom I had heard, came to speak to me, and I were blind or in the dark, and told me who he was, I should believe him; but I could not so confidently affirm that he was that person, as I might do if I had seen him. But in this vision I could do so, because so clear a knowledge is impressed on the soul that all doubt seems impossible, though He is not seen. Our Lord wills that this knowledge be so graven on the understanding, that we can no more question His presence than we can question that which we see with our eyes: not so much even; for very often there arises a suspicion that we have imagined things we think we see; but here, though there may be a suspicion in the first instant, there remains a certainty so great, that the doubt has no force whatever. So also is it when God teaches the soul in another way, and speaks to it without speaking, in the way I have described.
nos. 4 Its effects.
nos. 5 It produces humility.
III. Experiencing His Presence
nos. 6. And prepares the soul for other graces.
nos. 7. Consciousness of the presence of the saints.
6. In the place to which I had gone for my cure lived a priest of good birth and understanding, with some learning, but not much. I went to confession to him, for I was always fond of learned men, although confessors indifferently learned did my soul much harm; for I did not always find confessors whose learning was as good as I could wish it was. I know by experience that it is better, if the confessors are good men and of holy lives, that they should have no learning at all, than a little; for such confessors never trust themselves without consulting those who are learned—nor would I trust them myself: and a really learned confessor never deceived me. Neither did the others willingly deceive me, only they knew no better; I thought they were learned, and that I was not under any other obligation than that of believing them, as their instructions to me were lax, and left me more at liberty—for if they had been strict with me, I am so wicked, I should have sought for others. That which was a venial sin, they told me was no sin at all; of that which was most grievously mortal, they said it was venial.
V. Commenting on Spiritual Direction
nos. 11. Our Lord will enlighten our advisers. nos. 12. Cautions about this vision.
14. And certainly the affliction to be borne is great, and caution is necessary, particularly in the case of women,—for our weakness is great,—and much evil may be the result of telling them very distinctly that the devil is busy with them; yea, rather, the matter should be very carefully considered, and they should be removed out of reach of the dangers that may arise. They should be advised to keep things secret; and it is necessary, also, that their secret should be kept. I am speaking of this as one to whom it has been a sore trouble; for some of those with whom I spoke of my prayer did not keep my secret, but, making inquiries one of another, for a good purpose, did me much harm; for they made things known which might well have remained secret, because not intended for every one and it seemed as if I had made them public myself.
15. I believe that our Lord permitted this to be done without sin on their part, in order that I might suffer. I do not say that they revealed anything I discussed with them in confession; still, as they were persons to whom, in my fears, I gave a full account of myself, in order that they might give me light, I thought they ought to have been silent. Nevertheless, I never dared to conceal anything from such persons. My meaning, then, is, that women should be directed with much discretion; their directors should encourage them, and bide the time when our Lord will help them, as He has helped me. If He had not, the greatest harm would have befallen me, for I was in great fear and dread; and as I suffered from disease of the heart, I am astonished that all this did not do me a great deal of harm.
I frequently discuss why we shouldn’t go outside our domain of authority and talk to angels, or try to put ourselves in the throne room of heaven. Do you know why? The modern church's view of angelology and demonology is wrong. It is not what Elijah, Ezekiel, and the saints believed. Where did the Apostle Paul get his language and context from Ephesians 6:12? It is not a choir of angels. They’re not even angels. An angel is specifically a messenger sent by God for a task. These bad guys in Ephesians 6:12 are divine spiritual beings - not messengers. Did you know that demons are not fallen angels? Get the book! Highly recommended for the Tales of Glory audience!
Till Next Time
Thank you stopping by. Next time we will be diving into the Sixth Mansions Chapter 9 - imaginary visions!
In Tales of Glory episode 158, we are in the Seventh Chapter of Saint Teresa of Avila's masterpiece on prayer, The Interior Castle, in the Sixth Mansion. Here, Saint Teresa shares her wisdom on meditation, emphasizing that we still need to focus on the Passion of Jesus Christ and his humanity. She also discusses why we can't stay in contemplation and how it can be unhealthy spiritually and physically to do so.
Timeline: 00:00:00 Opening Scripture Hebrews V 7-10 ESV 00:01:40 Tales of Glory Episode 158 Intro 00:09:23 Sixth Mansions Chapter 7 Topic Outline 00:11:27 Outline I Reflection and grieving for our sins. 00:12:42 nos. 1. Sorrow for sin felt by souls in the Sixth Mansion. 00:15:44 nos. 2. How this sorrow is felt. 00:19:21 nos. 3. St. Teresa's grief for her past sins. 00:20:40 nos. 4. Such souls, centered in God, forget self-interest. 00:27:54 nos. 5. The remembrance of divine benefits increases contrition. 00:35:17 Outline II The importance of meditation. 00:35:30 nos. 6. Meditation on our Lord’s Humanity. 00:39:59 nos. 7. Warning against discontinuing it. 00:44:40 nos. 8. Christ and the saints our models. 00:50:08 Outline III Meditation and the faculties. 00:50:25 nos. 9. Meditation of contemplatives. 00:52:52 nos. 10. Meditation during aridity. 00:56:49 nos. 11. We must search for God when we do not feel His presence. 00:59:45 Outline IV Challenges in meditation. 00:59:57 nos. 12. Reasoning and mental prayer. 01:02:12 nos. 13. A form of meditation on our Lord’s Life and Passion. 01:05:03 nos. 14. Simplicity of contemplatives’ meditation. 01:09:24 Outline V Meditation Advice 01:09:42 nos. 15. Souls in every state of prayer should think of the Passion. 01:13:04 nos. 16. Need of the example of Christ and the saints. 01:18:22 nos. 17. Faith shows us our Lord as both God and Man. 01:19:13 Outline VI Teresa's closing thoughts on meditation. 01:19:23 nos.18. St. Teresa’s experience of meditation on the sacred Humanity. 01:20:09 nos.19. Evil of giving up such meditation. 01:20:56 Conclusion
7. All these tokens of the fear of God came to me through prayer; and the greatest of them was this, that fear was swallowed up of love—for I never thought of chastisement. All the time I was so ill, my strict watch over my conscience reached to all that is mortal sin.
nos. 2. How this sorrow is felt.
nos. 3 St. Teresa's grief for her past sins.
nos. 4. Such souls, centered in God, forget self-interest.
nos. 5. The remembrance of divine benefits increases contrition.
9. Oh, if we were utterly detached,—if we never placed our happiness in anything of this world,—how the pain, caused by living always away from God, would temper the fear of death with the desire of enjoying the true life! Sometimes I consider, if a person like myself—because our Lord has given this light to me, whose love is so cold, and whose true rest is so uncertain, for I have not deserved it by my works—frequently feels her banishment so much, what the feelings of the Saints must have been. What must St. Paul and the Magdalene, and others like them, have suffered, in whom the fire of the love of God has grown so strong? Their life must have been a continual martyrdom. It seems to me that they who bring me any comfort, and whose conversation is any relief, are those persons in whom I find these desires—I mean, desires with acts. I say with acts, for there are people who think themselves detached, and who say so of themselves,—and it must be so, for their vocation demands it, as well as the many years that are passed since some of them began to walk in the way of perfection,—but my soul distinguishes clearly, and afar off, between those who are detached in words, and those who make good those words by deeds. The little progress of the former, and the great progress of the latter, make it plain. This is a matter which a person of any experience can see into most clearly.
9. With so good a Friend and Captain ever present, Himself the first to suffer, everything can be borne. He helps, He strengthens, He never fails, He is the true Friend. I see clearly, and since then have always seen, that if we are to please God, and if He is to give us His great graces, everything must pass through the hands of His most Sacred Humanity, in whom His Majesty said that He is well pleased. I know this by repeated experience: our Lord has told it me. I have seen clearly that this is the door by which we are to enter, if we would have His supreme Majesty reveal to us His great secrets.
10. So, then, I would have your reverence seek no other way, even if you were arrived at the highest contemplation. This way is safe. Our Lord is He by whom all good things come to us; He will teach you. Consider His life; that is the best example. What more can we want than so good a Friend at our side, who will not forsake us when we are in trouble and distress, as they do who belong to this world! Blessed is he who truly loves Him, and who always has Him near him! Let us consider the glorious St. Paul, who seems as if Jesus was never absent from his lips, as if he had Him deep down in his heart. After I had heard this of some great Saints given to contemplation, I considered the matter carefully; and I see that they walked in no other way. St. Francis with the stigmata proves it, St. Antony of Padua with the Infant Jesus; St. Bernard rejoiced in the Sacred Humanity; so did St. Catherine of Siena, and many others, as your reverence knows better than I do.
11. This withdrawing from bodily objects must no doubt be good, seeing that it is recommended by persons who are so spiritual; but, in my opinion, it ought to be done only when the soul has made very great progress; for until then it is clear that the Creator must be sought for through His creatures. All this depends on the grace which our Lord distributes to every soul. I do not intermeddle here. What I would say is, that the most Sacred Humanity of Christ is not to be counted among the objects from which we have to withdraw. Let this be clearly understood. I wish I knew how to explain it.
1. There is one thing I should like to say—I think it important: and if you, my father, approve, it will serve for a lesson that possibly may be necessary; for in some books on prayer the writers say that the soul, though it cannot in its own strength attain to this state,—because it is altogether a supernatural work wrought in it by our Lord,—may nevertheless succeed, by lifting up the spirit above all created things, and raising it upwards in humility, after some years spent in a purgative life, and advancing in the illuminative. I do not very well know what they mean by illuminative: I understand it to mean the life of those who are making progress. And they advise us much to withdraw from all bodily imagination, and draw near to the contemplation of the Divinity; for they say that those who have advanced so far would be embarrassed or hindered in their way to the highest contemplation, if they regarded even the Sacred Humanity itself. They defend their opinion by bringing forward the words of our Lord to the Apostles, concerning the coming of the Holy Ghost; I mean that Coming which was after the Ascension. If the Apostles had believed, as they believed after the Coming of the Holy Ghost, that He is both God and Man, His bodily Presence would, in my opinion, have been no hindrance; for those words were not said to the Mother of God, though she loved Him more than all. They think that, as this work of contemplation is wholly spiritual, any bodily object whatever can disturb or hinder it. They say that the contemplative should regard himself as being within a definite space, God everywhere around, and himself absorbed in Him. This is what we should aim at.
18. I communicated the whole state of my soul to that servant of God and he was a great servant of His, and very prudent. He understood all I told him, explained it to me, and encouraged me greatly. He said that all was very evidently the work of the Spirit of God; only it was necessary for me to go back again to my prayer, because I was not well grounded, and had not begun to understand what mortification meant,—that was true, for I do not think I knew it even by name,—that I was by no means to give up prayer; on the contrary, I was to do violence to myself in order to practice it, because God had bestowed on me such special graces as made it impossible to say whether it was, or was not, the will of our Lord to do good to many through me. He went further, for he seems to have prophesied of that which our Lord afterwards did with me, and said that I should be very much to blame if I did not correspond with the graces which God bestowed upon me. It seems to me that the Holy Ghost was speaking by his mouth in order to heal my soul, so deep was the impression he made. He made me very much ashamed of myself, and directed me by a way which seemed to change me altogether. What a grand thing it is to understand a soul! He told me to make my prayer every day on some mystery of the Passion, and that I should profit by it, and to fix my thoughts on the Sacred Humanity only, resisting to the utmost of my power those recollections and delights, to which I was not to yield in any way till he gave me further directions in the matter.
John 8:12 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
III. Meditation and the faculties.
nos. 9. Meditation of contemplatives.
nos. 10.
nos. 11. We must search for God when we do not feel His presence.
Canticles, iii. 3
3 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
IV. Challenges in meditation.
nos. 12. Reasoning and mental prayer.
nos. 13. A form of meditation on our Lord’s Life and Passion.
Life, ch. xiii. 19 19. Going back, then, to what I was saying. We set ourselves to meditate upon some mystery of the Passion: let us say, our Lord at the pillar. The understanding goeth about seeking for the sources out of which came the great dolors (suffering/distress) and the bitter anguish which His Majesty endured in that desolation. It considers that mystery in many lights, which the intellect, if it be skilled in its work, or furnished with learning, may there obtain. This is a method of prayer which should be to everyone the beginning, the middle, and the end: a most excellent and safe way, until our Lord shall guide them to other supernatural ways.
nos. 14. Simplicity of contemplatives’ meditation.
V. Meditation advice.
nos. 15. Souls in every state of prayer should think of the Passion.
nos. 16. Need of the example of Christ and the saints.
nos. 17. Faith shows us our Lord as both God and Man.
VI.Teresa's closing thoughts on meditation.
nos.18. St. Teresa’s experience of meditation on the sacred Humanity.
We're moving through the supernatural prayer experiences of the sixth
mansions. Next time, we will explore visions in the sixth mansion,
chapter 8. God Bless,
In episode 157, we explore Saint Teresa of Avila's classic manuscript on prayer, The Interior Castle, in the Sixth Mansions chapter 6. The doctor on prayer explains the trials she experienced from raptures. And she teaches us how to discern whether tears during prayer are from Jesus or from our emotions. She teaches us about a new form of prayer experience - jubilation!
18. Nevertheless, Satan has many devices; and so there is nothing more certain than that it is safer to be afraid, and always on our guard, under a learned director, from whom nothing is concealed. If we do this, no harm can befall us, though much has befallen me through the excessive fears which possessed some people. For instance, it happened so once to me, when many persons in whom I had great confidence, and with good reason, had assembled together,—five or six in number, I think,—and all very great servants of God. It is true, my relations were with one of them only; but by his orders made my state known to the others. They had many conferences together about my necessities; for they had great affection for me, and were afraid I was under a delusion. I, too, was very much afraid whenever I was not occupied in prayer; but when I prayed, and our Lord bestowed His graces upon me, I was instantly reassured. My confessor told me they were all of opinion that I was deceived by Satan; that I must communicate less frequently, and contrive to distract myself in such a way as to be less alone.
20. In this distress, I quitted the church, and entered an oratory. I had not been to Communion for many days, nor had I been alone, which was all my comfort. I had no one to speak to, for every one was against me. Some, I thought, made a mock of me when I spoke to them of my prayer, as if I were a person under delusions of the imagination; others warned my confessor to be on his guard against me; and some said it was clear the whole was an operation of Satan. My confessor, though he agreed with them for the sake of trying me, as I understood afterwards, always comforted me: and he alone did so. He told me that, if I did not offend God, my prayer, even if it was the work of Satan, could do me no harm; that I should be delivered from it. He bade me pray much to God: he himself, and all his penitents, and many others did so earnestly; I, too, with all my might, and as many as I knew to be servants of God, prayed that His Majesty would be pleased to lead me by another way. This lasted, I think, about two years; and this was the subject of my continual prayer to our Lord.
1. I now resume the story of my life. I was in great pain and distress; and many prayers, as I said, were made on my behalf, that our Lord would lead me by another and a safer way; for this, they told me, was so suspicious. The truth is, that though I was praying to God for this, and wished I had a desire for another way, yet, when I saw the progress I was making, I was unable really to desire a change,—though I always prayed for it,—excepting on those occasions when I was extremely cast down by what people said to me, and by the fears with which they filled me.
2. I felt that I was wholly changed; I could do nothing but put myself in the hands of God: He knew what was expedient for me; let Him do with me according to His will in all things. I saw that by this way I was directed heavenwards, and that formerly I was going down to hell. I could not force myself to desire a change, nor believe that I was under the influence of Satan. Though I was doing all I could to believe the one and to desire the other, it was not in my power to do so. I offered up all my actions, if there should be any good in them, for this end; I had recourse to the Saints for whom I had a devotion, that they might deliver me from the evil one; I made novenas; I commended myself to St. Hilarion, to the Angel St. Michael, to whom I had recently become devout, for this purpose; and many other Saints I importuned, that our Lord might show me the way,—I mean, that they might obtain this for me from His Majesty.
3. St. Teresa bewails her inability to serve God. 4. Fervor resulting from ecstasies. 5. Excessive desires to see God should be restrained. 6. They endanger health.
Background on St, Martin reference.
’When St. Martin was dying, his brethren said to him: ‘Why, dear Father, will you leave us? Or to whom can you commit us in our desolation? We know, indeed, that you desire to be with Christ, but your reward above is safe and will not be diminished by delay; rather have pity on us whom you are leaving desolate.’ Then Martin, always pitiful, moved by these lamentations, is said to have burst into tears. Turning to God, he replied to the mourners around him only by crying: ‘O Lord, if I am still necessary to Thy people, I do not shrink from toil; Thy will be done.’ (Sulpitius Severus, Life of St. Martin, letter 3.)
4. Other souls, receiving no spiritual consolations, are humble, for they doubt whether it is not through their own fault and are most anxious to improve. When they see any one else weeping, unless they do the same, they think they must be much more backward than she is in God's service, although perhaps they are more advanced, for tears, though a good sign, do not always indicate perfection. Humility, mortification, detachment, and other virtues are the safest: there is no cause for fear, nor need you doubt that you may become as perfect as the greatest contemplatives. St. Martha was holy, though we are never told she was a contemplative; would you not be content with resembling this blessed woman who deserved to receive Christ our Lord so often into her home, where she fed and served Him, and where He ate at her table, and even, perhaps, off her own plate? If she had always been enraptured like the Magdalen there would have been no one to offer food to this divine Guest. Imagine, then, that this community is the house of St. Martha where there must be different kinds of people. Let not the nun who is called to the active life murmur at others who are absorbed in contemplation, for she knows our Lord will defend them; as a rule, they themselves are silent, for the 'better part' makes them oblivious of themselves and of all else. Remember that some one must cook the food, and think yourself favoured in being allowed to serve with Martha. Reflect: that true humility consists in being willing and ready to do what our Lord asks of us: it always makes us consider ourselves unworthy to be reckoned among His servants.
12. In the beginning, I had tears of this kind. They left me with a disordered head and a wearied spirit, and for a day or two afterwards unable to resume my prayer. Great discretion, therefore, is necessary at first, in order that everything may proceed gently, and that the operations of the spirit may be within; all outward manifestations should be carefully avoided.
12. I am now speaking of the water which cometh down from heaven to fill and saturate in its abundance the whole of this garden with water. If our Lord never ceased to pour it down whenever it was necessary, the gardener certainly would have plenty of rest; and if there were no winter, but an ever temperate season, fruits and flowers would never fail. The gardener would have his delight therein; but in this life that is impossible. We must always be careful, when one water fails, to obtain another. This water from heaven comes down very often when the gardener least expects it.
We're moving through the supernatural prayer experiences of the sixth mansions. Next time, we will explore visions in the sixth mansion, chapter 7. God Bless,
Tales of Glory podcast, continuing on with the The way of the Holy Spirit warrior topic. In this episode we dive into the Holy Spirit's gift of spiritual discernment of spirits as it pertains to encounters in spiritual warfare and the likes of these experiences through the lens of Christian mystical theology.
What is a Christian mystical experience with God's invisible spiritual realm? What does it look like? How do we discern the spirits during these encounters?
In this episode we'll dive into this fascinating topic of spiritual warfare and spiritual discernment.
My Dodge SRT4 totaled in a 5mph crash. The day I was leaving for Burning Man ministry (attacks on cars by regional spirits).
My SRT4 being towed with its motor blown. Was on my way to ministry in San Francisco. It was the night of trafficking ministry in a location that is under a regional spirit of San Francisco.
Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel, from cold opener.
Main lobby of the Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel
Thank you for tuning in. Hope enjoyed the podcast and found it informative.
God Bless
Rev. Mike
It seems like paranormal television shows never cease to deliver this season. Again, watching the Scooby gang on Ghosts of Shepherdstown, season 2, episode 8, titled "What an Excellent Day for an Exorcism," the viewing audience was treated to another paranormal demonic expulsion. The minister Nick Groff and the gang brought in was introduced as an ordained Catholic minister and exorcist. Again, listen carefully to scripting in these paranormal shows, there are always red flags. Here I want you to pay attention to the guest ordained Catholic minister and exorcist. An ordained minister is a layman minister and not clergy. Catholics don't allow laymen to be an exorcist. The office of exorcism is for clergy only and the assignment is handed down by a Cardinal or someone high up. A Catholic layman can be a deliverance minister but not an exorcist!
The plot thickens as the episode unfolds, where Nick brought in this "exorcist" to expel a demon (by the way this is never singular, demons travel with buddies) from the Ye Old Myst Tea House in Shepherdstown. The exorcist enters with the black clergy looking outfit, no collar (not clergy) and is wearing a cross around his neck. So far, okay. No big deal. The minister is led into the tea shop which is a war zone with debris scattered all over by the floor. I am curious what this exorcist is going to do since he was is forbidden to use the Rite of Exorcism (he wasn't approved by the Catholic church). I was pontificating that perhaps the audience was going to see a deliverance ministry session since by Catholic faith he couldn't use the Rite. I am also curious as to why the show didn't reach out to the Catholic diocese for a real exorcist in the first place! Credibility for this show is not a high point with
me.
The exorcist prepares for battle by drawing in chalk on the floor, the star of David and enclosing it in a circle.
Record scratch!
Wait a minute. What? This resembled a ritual pentagram drawn in chalk, but it was the star of David. This symbol is the seal of Solomon, a secret society occult symbol. Its called a hexagram and is used in witchcraft and Freemason rituals. Wasn't this guy supposed to be a Catholic minister?? Baffled? Why would a Catholic minister use the occult to protect him from demons? Then this minister proceeds with a ritual in Hebrew that calls Yahweh and Y'shua (Jesus). No Catholic liturgies or anything. No I am intrigued as to what the heck I am watching. It's not Christian that's for sure!
The minister then rubber stamps the seal of Solomon on the Scooby gang. Which now includes the show psychic. Any Christian spiritual warfare minister worth their grain of salt (no pun intended) would ever bring a psychic to demon fight. Another red flag! This is the occult folks!!!
Then there is the dramatic moment in the show, with the minister shouting, "I command you in the name of Yahweh God, to bring yourself into the seal of Solomon." Again? What?? This isn't Old or New Testament spiritual warfare. This is New Age Jewish mysticism. A true Christian minister would have bound the spirits in the name of Jesus Christ (if these were low-level demons). In the case of what the show portrayed, they needed a real exorcist. Demons are expelled from a different prayer posture. What ensues next is the Scooby gang gets thrown a good ol fashion Sons Scheva beat down. The demon doesn't even go full force, it freaks them out with false fevers, nausea, and onslaught of the single tiny spider.
During this spiritual battle the "exorcist" never relied on his faith to expel the demon. He was stirctly adhering to occult formulas. Which any Christian deliverance minister knows is in effective against demons. Again, refer to the book of Acts and the Sons of Scheva who were thrown a beating by demons they were trying to expel. What do demons fear? Demons fear a person of faith because they have the spiritual depth and relationship with the reality of Jesus Christ to expel dark spirits. A powerful minister is a person whose soul is in a transforming union with Jesus Christ. A strong soul in Christ is kryptonite to demons and they won't follow these kinds of souls home!
Now back to wackiness at the tea shop. The minister has the Scooby gang renounce all ceremonies of satan. What did this guy just perfom? The seal of Solomon is the occult! Yes, this presentation of spiritual warfare was an atrocity. I am curious where this individual is ordained and which Catholic parish allows this minister to operate in this manner. It's not Christian, it's New Age. I am guessing he must be a universalist minister. But then again, what should I expect from a paranormal show.
Wasn't Shepherdstown cleansed by the psychic minister previously? If I remember correctly from season one, didn't the show psychic break the curse over Shepherdstown. Oh, yah. We're not supposed to be paying attention. The show concluded with everyone happy and that the site was cleansed. This is exactly the scene from the Poltergeist movie, "This house is clean!'. It's not, no one in the cleansing party was there with the faith to expel these demons. They demons went out for re-enforcements! I guess that's what we'll see in season 3.
Sidebar, I had to Google this exorcist to find out what exactly his background was in ministry. He has ties to the Old Catholic Church. Which is not Catholic, but in short an abomination to the Catholic Church. The paranormal field is so twisted in spirituality it always gravitates to the Old Catholic Church for help. From the home web page this exorcist also has ties to the Dominion Ministry, which is pagan spiritual warfare.
In closing, if you're Christian and thinking you're an exorcist or a deliverance minister for the paranormal, you need to go pray and re-think your position in the greater plan of things. People viewing these shows and replicating these occult practices will get hurt. I can guarantee your lives will be destroyed. This is something you don't mess with at all! That's why the Catholics don't let layman be exorcists. A spiritual attachment is something you never want on you or your home. Those of us who have been brought into a spiritual fight by God DON'T live in oppression like these ghost hunters do. Go look on youtube and see for yourself the spirits that torment all these paranormal celebrities. These things are real and they bite back.
Well, that's enough for now. Hope this was beneficial.
Blessings
Rev. Mike
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