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Posts Tagged ‘The Spiritual Battle’

My young reporter friend, Charlie, & I have been busily working on an All Hallow’s Eve Special for our Deliverance Network Channel viewers this past month.  In the filming process I had to decide which spiritual experiences to pull from my many to feature for our ‘All Hallow’s Eve’ Special, Part I of which aired this Hallowe’en season.  As the modern celebration tends to highlight the ghosts, ghouls, goblins & witches, in contrast to its origin of highlighting and honouring Catholic saints, I decided to make our All Hallow’s Eve special a mini-exposé of the truth of that dark side.

Perhaps one of the reasons we caricature these images of evil is due to our fear of the hidden truth they represent.  Believe me, I get it.  I was one who never wanted to entertain thoughts that this kind of legitimate evil could be truth – way too scary.  It was much simpler, and definitely more comfortable to believe that evil was a caricature. A concept. But definitely not an objective truth.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, time, wisdom and experience has shown me otherwise.  Essentially, God has shown me otherwise.  But let’s face it.  The world shows us this truth every single day.  Goodness exists alongside horror.  Evil exists alongside philanthropy.  Love and hate play out every day in the human drama of life.  Our call and our challenge is to choose to love instead of hate; to be generous instead of selfish; to live in truth instead of lies; to love God Who is love, rather than the darkness of sin.

A big part of the challenge in our very secular day, though, is the problem that a large part of our human drama is played out in an unseen realm – the realm of spirit.  For 18 years I have wondered why God has given me the experiences He has, but as my journey unfolds, I see that I have been given glimpses of ‘unseen’ and ‘behind the scenes’ truth in order to help people recognize truth in what is seen, and what is playing out in the world, in our daily lives, on our websites and in our news stories.  The truth, as I have seen it, and as our churches, priests, pastors & Bible teach us, is that our surface level ‘seen’ drama isn’t the end of the story.  It isn’t our whole ‘truth’.  Our real truth encompasses a hidden war between the forces of evil and good – a war where we are helped every day by the forces of good, but also a war where we are faced with attempts to thwart us from forces of evil.  This writing and our All Hallow’s Eve Special is a little attempt to shine some light on the ‘unseen’ forces behind our surface truth.

In filming and writing I noticed a chronological convergence of theme from my ‘little black book’ of spiritual dreams and experiences (nothing little about it actually) with a couple that highlighted these good and evil forces and the ‘underlying’ story for us who are in the ‘King’s’ camp.  The themes centred on the ‘King’s Castle’ – the camp of the soldiers of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the collective ‘church’.  While I am a member of the Catholic Church, and personally believe the ultimate fulfillment of the Christian faith is to be found within her walls, despite her foibles, I believe that all of us who have chosen Christ are indeed on the ‘right’ side, and collectively should be, and hopefully are working from where they are to direct the course of our world – and indeed help direct the course of souls, including our own path to salvation.  I am the first to admit that times are challenging for those of us who are in the Catholic faith, as ‘deeds of evil’ are being exposed at this very hour.  I won’t do anything to address this unfortunate time and circumstance, except to point out that as human beings, we are all capable of evil.  And in fact, as a vehicle intended for God’s very great good, the collective ‘church’ and its members are a prime point of attack for Satan – so no surprise really to hear of great evil emerging.  A strategic battle plan is often to attempt to undermine from within…

In alignment with this theme is a very recent message, for your discernment, from a website I follow – http://www.holylove.org, with a warning sentiment regarding this strategic battle we face:

November 17, 2018
Public

Once again, I (Maureen) see a Great Flame that I have come to know as the Heart of God the Father. He says: “Children, be aware that everything you do to gain your own salvation or the salvation of others is countered by Satan in some way – many times it is discouragement. Your journey towards My Kingdom is never easy, nor does it go unnoticed by the powers of evil. Satan’s greatest weapon is to be unrecognized. I’m telling you these things so you will be aware of his attacks.”

“He most often comes clothed in goodness. Therefore, you must think through where every plan of action leads you. Pay attention to the people you are dealing with. Always pursue the Truth. Do not be naive as to who Satan will use. Title in the Church or the world does not represent a barrier to evil. The souls with the most influence over others are Satan’s prime targets. Pray for them. Pray always to recognize any inroad evil is making in your life. Avoid circumstances you are uncertain about as to their goal or consequences in the long run.

“Never feel Satan is unaware of you and will not contend with you. He is after every soul. Every sin is his victory.” God the Father to visionary, Maureen Sweeney-Kyle

Related reading is Hebrews 3:12-13+

Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

+ Scripture verses asked to be read by God the Father. (Please note: all Scripture given by Heaven refers to the Bible used by the visionary. Ignatius Press – Holy Bible – Revised Standard Version – Second Catholic Edition.) http://www.holylove.org/messages

However, undermine though he may, victory is not to be his.  The Bible teaches us this, and I have seen it.

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:17-19

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We must live this victory!  We must live it in our own personal battles against the unseen forces of evil and in our individual choices in this world.  And so I share the following personal experiences to help bolster the troops.  Do NOT be discouraged in your fight.  Your small ‘yes’ from your own small corner of the world has more impact than you could ever imagine!‘  Do NOT stop the good fight!  Keep praying.  Keep believing.  Keep hoping.  Keep attending to your church and your faith, and know that you fight on the right side and that evil will never prevail against you, despite the heat of battle that you might be feeling at this present moment.  You are a very, very important soldier in this battle.  Every single one of you!  Just keep putting one foot in front of the other in that which God calls you to in your daily duty, carving out every opportunity for prayer and good works, and time and God will do the rest.  I am ever encouraged by a small saying from Margaret Mead, that I have used occasionally in work with my women’s group –

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

And change the world we continue to do – even if it is unseen from our perspective.  The very difficult thing of discernment is an ever present challenge in our topsy-turvy days.  Our challenge is to stay true to the teaching of the church and the Commandments, and worry most about what God thinks – not man.  This discernment involves being careful about the things we, as Christians, allow into our lives, hearts and homes, and includes avoidance of sin, occult practices and the ‘New Age’.  With Christ nothing is new.  He has revealed it all plainly for us in His person, as has our Father in the bible and the story of Salvation history and the teachings of the church.  We are to follow Him.  We are also to follow his warnings to discern the times and test the spirits, and this is a real challenge for the times He has called each of us to live in:

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Dreamed I was an undercover operative in a major battle.  It had to do with the King and a plot against his life.  Those of us who were good and were on the King’s side were noticing that our memories weren’t quite as good.  One older man/soldier came up to me in the King’s Castle and said he couldn’t remember things so well.  There was a short scene just prior to this of a Tarot card reading taking place in a small room in the castle (ie New Age practices being dabbled in by some of us Christian soldiers in the King’s Camp).

Another of the soldiers in the battle, who sat to my left, said he knew how the evil people were doing it – affecting us who were truly in the King’s service.   I saw this plate of food being prepared for us, and a soldier to my left said it was the meals we would eat/be fed/are eating as part of the King’s knights/soldiers.  He referred to what the evil ‘disguised as good’ people were doing as “Lucky Number Slevin (a 2006 movie).

After he told me this information, I realized – OH MY GOD! – we are being very,very, very slowly and subtly poisoned through what we choose to consume as his knights through food offered (the world offers us so much that is not healthy…), and are perhaps being ‘fed’ by those who appear good, but are secretly on the side of evil.  I realized the horror of this and that hidden evil worked against us in this very covert way.  I left the area to go warn the others in my camp.

I went to tell someone in particular who I knew I could trust, but as I did, I was overheard by a woman character in the dream that I thought I could trust (in the dream she was the character of an oriental lady whose name was Sharon). However, I realized she was a spy and was spying on us in this King’s camp/side/battle/castle.

She ran to tell the leader of the evil side that I had discovered this poisoning circumstance and then every effort was made to try and stop me from delivering my message.  I was speaking to my Father at some point here.

I ran to my camp to tell them what I had ‘seen’/discovered and as I came into my castle/camp of the King, it changed to the house of my Maternal Grandmother’s home.  I saw the good knights/servants of the King in the dining room – we were advancing/preparing for battle against the enemy coming against us – Russians – who were in the living room.  Just as the clash was going to occur in the open meeting area between the dining and living room, I managed to stop the battle.  With my voice/witness, I somehow enabled both sides to sit down and listen to me and what I knew. (I have to pause here and say while I would love to completely stop the battle between good & evil between souls & countries, I think this refers to the battle for souls and that perhaps my witness can be an aid to help souls choose the right side of the battle – Russian souls or otherwise!)

We ended up sitting in a circle of chairs/couches etc. in the living area;  the Russians mostly to my right; the King’s camp to my left and I began to exhort them to peace and to recognize the truth that was this:  I said:

Our enemy is not each other!  We battle against forces unseen!  They are hideous and they are very strong!  It is against them in which we must unite!  Our fight is against them – not each other!!!”

Then I told the room of Satan and his demons that I have seen in my dreams, and I asked those in the room – particularly the Russians:

Have you not, even one of you, also seen these evil unseen demons that I speak of and know I speak the truth?!”

Then a young man on the Russian side, who said he was a video game designer of “Cosmos”, said he had seen one of the demons coming up a hillside and all of a sudden it revealed its face to him and it was a face of fire and lava.

Then I told him of the creatures I have seen in my dreams – evil demons like giant monsters with scaly skin like lizards and a gigantic set of jaws sharper and stronger than sharks that gnash and clamp with great sharpness and strength, their victims.

Then it occurred to me to invoke the protection of the Precious Blood of Jesus over us all – Russians included, in order to protect us from the evil agents of the real battle – Satan & his demons.  I began to do this as I saw a demon or demons in the air just outside the door of the living room at the front of the house – a door created somehow.  As I started to say this invocation, however, in prayer God’s spirit came on me and in me and filled me in a most overpowering way and levitated me again.  I spoke God’s word levitated thus – very loudly and powerfully – in front of all gathered, including the Russians, but I don’t remember what I spoke (perhaps it was the description of this dream…)

Then to my left I saw a lady stand up as a witness.  She stood in this circle of people and was one in the King’s camp of people.  She related such a heartfelt story of truth and love!  I forget details, but it had to do with someone she loved dying of cancer and being saved/redeemed.  Her story was quite compelling.  I turned to my right and saw a young, bearded Russian that I thought still wasn’t softening his heart at her witness and I started to exhort again that he take the girls’ witness very seriously and then I saw him start to cry and he said he had already listened to her and taken her seriously and said “she has softened my heart.”

And then I think it was his character in the dream who said he’d had his own vision and I saw it as he described it (or it may have been mine as this third party negotiator/mitigator – unsure).  Regardless, the scene shown next was this:

In advance I saw the head evil agent/man of Satan who was the Chief/Head on this evil side.  I saw him come up against the King’s camp/castle to try to fulfill the intended evil plan to kill the King and his followers, but his plan did not succeed.  He was seen coming and as he tried to ascend the walls of the fortress (castle), particularly at the bastion window, he was pushed back – out a window – by the King’s army and he fell to his death on the ground far below and his dead body was seen in advance in this vision and it was broken in a most disfiguring way.  He looked like the actor Jeff Bridges for some reason.  He lay on his back as I looked down on him.  Both his legs were broken and twisted at very unnatural angles and he lay in blood, brokenness and death and most of all – defeat!!!

As this ‘advance’ vision was being related in the dream, I was witnessing it as a third party and watched the scene unfold myself first hand.  Then as I lay looking at the dead body of the head of the evil side a very strange thing happened and this was the most disconcerting moment of the entire dream:

I then saw the body lying in a doorway.  As I looked at his dead body lying thus, all of a sudden the dead body sat up and looked straight at me and Satan in the body said to me directly, looking right at me, speaking in the most sarcastic, sneering and derisive tone (verbatim):

You saw it all before it happened, didn’t you?!”

(I emphasize the ‘you’ and ‘didn’t you’ because these words in particular, spoken by Satan, were said in a particularly sneering, slow emphasized way!)

I awoke with a most disconcerted, alarmed start and recorded the above dream immediately.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

I had a long, very detailed dream of a large castle, royalty, Prince, Mother of the Prince and evil in the King’s Castle.  I saw the true heir to the King’s fortune was attempted to be thwarted from his royal heritage by evil perpetrators in the castle.

It was with great difficulty that the true heir/prince would go through trial to achieve triumph in the end.  He had a mother – not living on the earth – deceased, but living (of course this is our Mother, Mary…) that was aiding the true heir in achieving his destiny.

She had left the true heir to the King’s Castle a key.  It was kept locked and hidden in a very large (so large that it sat on the floor), special, jewelled ornate box – like a music box.  It was very large, and circular.  It had a large, large base, and smaller and smaller circular layers as you went upward, with a tiny special hidden circular compartment at the top.  The top circular compartment had some special mechanism that only the true heir could open with the touch of his finger.

I then saw a mini drama of quite horrific detail play out as the heroic true heir fought valiantly amidst the evil that attempted to thwart him at every turn.  I saw the heir navigate very arduous and difficult circumstances as he struggled in the King’s Castle to reach his place safely as the King’s true son in his castle.  I then saw an evil prince appear that appeared to be good.  In fact, everyone thought he was the King’s son – he so appeared like him in appearance and one could not easily tell he was not.

However, he was discerned as being an imposter because he had killed a woman…there was also some reference here to a witch that he had previously been allied to – as if to be his wife.  The false prince desperately tried to conceal this nature and his crimes.

As this truth was exposed, the true heir/prince made a valiant leap toward the box that the mother somehow guided him to.  As he pressed his finger on the secret mechanism, it sprang open to reveal a key that was left waiting for him for much time by the mother – for the day when he would need it.  She had left it for him (in this jewelled ornate music box – at the very top in the circular hidden compartment) before she had died – this box with the secret hidden key was in the castle.  This key would help him claim his rightful place as the King’s son, and conquer the evil around him.  This key would be ESSENTIAL!

Just as I saw this and the hero heir took the key, I became in the dream, instead of an observer of all this.  I cried up to heaven and said:  “FATHER!!! (with my hands upturned and raised in the air toward heaven).  USE ME IN WHATEVER WAY YOU WISH!!!”  As I said this, God’s spirit took possession of me in a most heady, powerful way, and He levitated me and lay me back horizontal and elevated high in the room and moved me forward.  Then God spoke through me.  He said:

In times of great difficulty, We speak in (use*) Hieroglyphics.”

I then awoke in awe of the trembling…the great feeling of His power entering me created…quite heady and a little overwhelming (and I recorded this dream on whatever paper I could find…)

*N.B.  *Speak in/use were almost the same meaning/interchangeable in the sentence.  Both were inferred…hard to explain.  I felt/heard both at the same time.

I must admit I know next to nothing about hieroglyphics and have only had a cursory glance at what the internet has to say about them.  So I leave it to others far more knowledgeable than I to discover if the pictographs of this dream experience of God render truth for a time when it is needed.

From a basic understanding of the symbols it doesn’t seem hard to see Mary as the Mother, the true heir as God’s children – us royal Christian Princes and Princesses who are true children of our Father, the King – the Castle as the ‘church’, evil as evil; the evil prince as the ‘deceiver who is to come’.  This dream portrays a time of great, great difficulty for Christians if I look at its surface message – a time that has been spoken about quite a great deal during our times.

But we are not to worry – rather we are to keep walking the narrow walk of faith following our Saviour as best we can, trying to avoid the pitfalls all around us.  It is my prayer that our Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, imbues each of us as we journey through the difficult times personally and collectively, knowing that our true home is in Heaven, and that once we are there the journey will have been worth every step.  Blessings!

Karen

 

 

 

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Breaking the Chains that Bind

In keeping with the information in the second writing in this series, you will begin to notice, as this series unfolds, that the images which will be linked to these writings will not focus on the evil spirits.

As Father Kane reflected in last week’s writing, these negative images have a way of working in our subconscious and can provoke feelings of fear, anxiety, restlessness and worry.  This website is all about the common good.  This common good is the truth of our God.  This series, therefore, while seeking not to focus on evil, is being shared to witness to the fact that such evil exists – a thing many people in our world no longer believe – a serious danger.

In keeping with this positive focus, all the images you will see in the coming weeks are going to be a representation (as close as I can find one in human images!) of the forces of good – angels etc. – that I have seen that overcome the forces of evil.  I will also include images that represent the truth of the spiritual climb out of sin and darkness and the powerful tools that we truly possess in this battle against Satan and the forces of evil.  The knowledge that evil exists as an entity unto itself, that it is necessary to spiritually renounce this evil (sin and all Satan’s works) and that we have great power and tools to do this, are things that Satan wishes to prevent us from knowing.

We do best to simply renounce Satan and all his works.  So, to that end, in the sharing of information, I will focus on the power of God and the help and protection that is available to all in the spiritual battle.  This website is about empowering and encouraging all who visit it – not provoking fear, worry or anxiety.  Jesus said it best when he said:

In the world you face persecution.  But take courage; I have conquered the world.”  John 16:33, Holy Bible, NRSV Catholic Edition, c. 1993

and:

I have said these things to you while I am still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” John 14:25-27, Holy Bible, NRSV Catholic Edition, c. 1993

And so I give you another example of my continuing walk in the spiritual battle, a battle common to us all:

Monday of Holy Week; March 26, 2002

I dreamt I returned to my house (real home) after a horrible day (I did have a horrible day in real life with regard to some incidents where I work at the gym – (n.b. this is a common, necessary ‘stripping’ which is done for our good as we climb higher on the spiritual path).  I found in the dream, after being in the home for a while that it had been broken into again and that I was robbed.  I was fearful that the perpetrator was still in the house so I went on a search.  I noticed that everything on the upstairs floor was a mess.  My jewelry boxes had been ransacked and my clothes I think.  I also noticed though that nothing of value  had been stolen (think about this for a minute – we often place so much emphasis on the surface, physical possessions and positions of our life, while neglecting the most important thing – our spiritual growth…) .  I knew this because as I looked at all of my possessions I knew it wouldn’t bother me if any of it had been stolen.  I could sense, however, an evil presence trying to get at me so I went back downstairs (the deeper levels of the subconscious) to try to find out what it was.

I tried to call 911 but was put on hold – I felt I had no-one to rely on and would have to help myself (this was true in that lay people, despite their best efforts, are not the best ones to direct souls on the spiritual journey unless they have experienced the climb themselves – even then, as this website seeks to be a companion or guidepost for your journey, there is no substitute for seeking competent spiritual help in the form of a priest, minister, spiritual director etc. to help you in the climb).

Next thing I know it is my deceased Grandmother talking to me on the phone – somehow describing to me what it is like to be dead and struggle to find yourself (she was speaking to someone else on the other end of the line and I could overhear them).  I am surprised that I can hear her talking because I figure it is not something the average person can do.  I’ m trying to explain to other people that I have this gift, but they’re not listening.  My Grandmother says with surprise ‘She can hear me talking!’ and I say ‘Yes, I can hear you and I will work with this and keep listening to you’.

I hang up the phone to go help myself (made a call in real life to my spiritual director – Father Kane!).  As I walk towards the door to exit my house I see an extensive set of knotted ropes all lined up (like fetters?) that the evil one is going to try to bind me, strap me and torture me with.  I say ‘uh-oh, he’s got the ropes out again’ – as if I know he’s tortured me with them before.

I walk right past them and him (the evil presence) and head determinedly to the door.  As I go to open the door a huge evil force tries to push me back and prevent me from leaving.  I catch a glimpse into the outside and it is absolutely black and stormy and terrifying (this represents the unknown and brave steps of the spiritual climb out of the darkness of sin, fear and chaos that the evil one tries to keep us chained in).  The evil force does not want me to have the strength and courage to exit even though the glimpse is scary.

I say something like ‘I’ve been here before and I’m going to walk through this to the light outside because I don’t want to be afraid of this anymore!’  As I keep walking it progressively gets lighter and lighter until it is sunny.  I am proud that I had the strength and courage to do it.  The evil presence has followed me, but I think he’s lost most of his power, because I turn to face him with one of my children in my arms (my most prized possessions) and I say:

I’m not interested in serving you – I want nothing to do with you (this is renouncing sin, Satan and all his works).  I want to serve God!”

I am turned to face the presence quite strongly and I am standing firmly holding my child and I repeat myself a few times.

All of a sudden the unseen evil force turns into a wolf and leaps up to attack me at my throat, I think, as if he’s finally shown his true form and decides to just launch one final all out frontal, undisguised attack in fury at me.  I stand firm holding my child as he jumps at me and I make some comment about how I think maybe this has been the way I’m supposed to have reacted (with courage).  I want to try the new way (God’s way).  I woke up in a cold sweat (who wouldn’t!) and a little concerned, so I invoked the protection of the Precious Blood over me and my family (prudent spiritual protection).

  

This dream represents a powerful psychic shift from the bondage and slavery to sin, to the health and light of choosing to walk in God’s way – the way of love.  It is an uphill climb.  It is difficult, but it is the best path in the end.  It is one that, despite the pain and hardships, you will truly be overjoyed you had the courage to take.  In fact, you will be aghast that you might not have made the step to walk this path as you get further along it.  I think the following excerpt from the diary of St. Faustina, which I have quoted from before, illustrates this point very nicely:

One day, I saw two roads. One was broad, covered with sand and flowers, full of joy, music and all sorts of pleasures. People walked along it, dancing and enjoying themselves. They reached the end without realizing it. At the end of the road, there was a horrible precipice; that is, the abyss of hell. The souls fell blindly into it; as they walked, so they fell. And their number was so great it was impossible to count them.  And I saw the other road, or rather, a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of sufferings befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness, and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant, they forgot all their sufferings.”  (Divine Mercy in My Soul:  Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. c.1993 Congregation of The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy (Diary, 153).

Father Kane recommends a classic book written about this journey called The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyon.  By the name pilgrim we can see that it is about a sacred journey where problems ambush the traveller.  This book sheds light on the struggle of walking the good way.  According to Father Kane, it is full of insights and spiritual gems and is well worth the read.

Don’t be fooled.  We are all walking on the road of our spiritual journey right now – here on earth.  Which road will you choose?

Karen

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