Crossroads
"Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;"
Psalm 105:5
King James Version
Copyright: Public Domain
•knowledge
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.
Refrain:
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
And Can It Be, That I Should Gain?
Author: Charles Wesley (1738)
Copyright: Public Domain
Why do people climb mountains? What is that alluring attraction that compels us to risk ourselves to accept challenges? There are different motivations to reach a mountain peak. Strategies, hikers, geologists, mystics, poets, prophets, as well as many others, go the highest places in order to get a new perspective, to have a new approach. On each one has a different goal for the ascent.
High places have been sites where singular events have occurred. God revealed the Law to the children of Israel in Sinai. Out of a cloud with thunders, his majestic voice let them know his precepts. In a high mountain, Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John. Christ's clothes shone forth intensely and at the same time, Elijah and Moses appeared and talked with him. On the other hand, stories of many cultures are related to spiritual encounter in the highest places, on the mountain peaks.
Many experiences I went through. So, I learned the basics, the rudiments, at least. First of all, I realized that God was not restricted to inhabiting inside the walls of the church, since I found godly things, such as friendship and altruism, among the non-religious people. Also, I could appreciate the creation as a sanctuary where we may, and in many times we are, naturally moved to worship.
Evaluating the experiences provided me a wide range of systems for interpreting the phenomena. This analysis came out of not only a cultural and intellectual framework, but also of different perspectives, which included the spiritual realm.
I realized that the way one relates to nature and to others depends on the interrelationship between humans and the spiritual realm. Therefore I could see that the motives and feelings people have are founded spiritually upon hidden causes deeper than idiosyncrasy and subconscious. The causes are grounded in a spiritual basement. It is not only the way men think or feel what shapes ideologies and cultures. Surely, there are infinite connections between the many things of the world. However there is also connection between men and spirits that determine the ultimate reality, the actions.
Spiritual feelings, which can be related to magic thought, operates in many ways, but generally speaking, it contains two main elements. The amount of knowledge accumulated as cultural legacy, and first hand experiences. Indeed our mind, during childhood, is permeated by magic thought. This imaginary world transfers over the actual realm as we grow up.
Magic words work only in fairy tales. Translated in daily life, they remain as the good wishes we may express in special moments, or in our celebrations. However, since the realization of some cherished desires could not be brought about as a normal sequence of reality. Minds that are not one hundred percent rational, preserve a zone of creativity to express their longings.
Creating a painting, a sculpture, a poem can be done to highlight our wishful expectations.
Making a risky trip, conquering a mountain, overcoming one's fears, can also be done as a preview
of what we wish to happen. These are some world basics, rudiments that in diverse grade most
people use. During my student life, I had that sort of idea, as if solving the problem of crossing the
desert during vacations, would have a relevant impact in the next term at school. With this
discovery I could get a new perspective. To use psychedelic substances seemed just merely to be
the means we use to express and to make an outline for the real world. The world's rudiments
seem to be instruments, tools that anyone could analyze, test and utilize for one's purposes. They
could be classified as an innocuous practice. However, these activities are as dangerous as those
that are openly declared as magic. For my rational mind, most of the magic legacy was usually
rejected because of either its blatant fallacy or its eccentricity.
However, the recurrence of the phenomena related to the series of acts I performed, many times caused me to think that maybe there was a real connection that allows us to shape the future, or at least, to manipulate the present.
We can exploit natural resources, adapt the land, breed and genetically transform species, in a word, submit Nature. For the modern mind, any system of thought that depicts some kind of submission is repulsive. In present times, humans acknowledge their power over nature. Matter and living creatures are dominated extensively by men. However, whether it is good or evil, most times does not appear as an interesting matter of discussion. I attempted to neglect this matter of discussion.
The most attractive magic thought for modern man is that which, she or he is the controller of the elements, the role of wizard or magician , more than that of the priest or shaman. However, such concoction is but a fake. As creatures, humans can choose only whom they want to follow, serve and obey. The point is, then, how to pick the best option. Indubitably the great good spirit is better than any other spirit. The spiritual realm contains more powerful and intelligent than humans. Their power is shown by the dominion they exert over mankind. Certain spirits are so cunning that they hide themselves in the assumption that they do not exist. Those persons who are trapped in this false web think they are doing what they want, when they are enslaved actually by spiritual beings of darkness. As creatures, humans have no choice but to choose whom they want to follow, serve and obey. Indeed, I always knew that.
Nevertheless, there were still some other possibilities which seemed to be godly but indeed they were only illusions in disguise. It was attractive to get to know some special ways of healing sickness. It seemed to be a good aspiration and an interesting learning way. So I decided to investigate the knowledge of spiritual healing. The main inherent problem of designing the future in such a way was not the uncertainty of the achieved results but the virtual submission to a spiritual system. After all, I decided to investigate the knowledge of spiritual healing.
Would it be possible to direct a spiritual interaction into godly purposes?
•vortex
Every bond you break,
every step you take I'll be watching you"
Police, Every Breath You Take
There is mountain whose name is Sinai. In that place, Moses and the people of Israel had an encounter with God. Everybody has a Sinai, that special place or moment in which one indubitably meets the Supreme Presence.
Mount Carmel was a place for a decisive encounter. Elijah, the prophet, had the people of Israel gather in order to make a decision. "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God follow him." Elijah challenged four hundred prophets of Baal to make a sacrifice and to call on the name of their god to be answered by fire. He would do the same, he would prepare the altar and call on the name of the LORD.
It does not matter what your last resort is. You only use it in extreme cases, when you have exhausted all other possibilities. I was precisely in that situation, after I had analyzed, tested and proved false, a large variety of ways. Science, art, philosophies, meditation, pleasures, and drugs have been my subjects in the school of life. There was nothing else that deserved my attention.
However there was still one way remaining, It was a scary way, Would I dare taking it? I had witnessed the failure of several people attempting similar goals. I knew it was just another endless way. So, why spend time investigating it? Because it was a sort of last resort.
My intention was to acquire the necessary knowledge to heal. However, when I seriously thought about it, I realized it was a wrong way to follow. I understood that acquiring power over the elements in order to manipulate spiritual forces to cure diseases, was only a masked plan of darkness.
In a certain Gnostic system of thought, there is a way to enter into the spiritual healing. According to it, there is a spirit associated with every plant. It is supposed that when a person wants to control spirits to heal a sort of covenant is necessary to be signed. Choosing a plant, the initiating has to pour a blood drop on it in order to make it one's ally. I chose mescal bottoms, a plant commonly used by Native Americans for healing.
I thought that the goal was worthy enough to go through this initiation. I tore a thorn out of a plant and pressed it against my thumb. I tried to make it bleed. I couldn't, because I did not press with enough strength, it was painful! I didn't like that way. It hurt. I stopped to consider the idea, it was indeed insane. I quit my intention.
Then, I had to make up my mind. This was my last decision, neither I would not try anymore to use psychedelic substances for any purpose, nor would I climb any mountain to discover how to deal with life issues.
I understood I was not doing well. God's knowledge and power is given through Jesus Christ and I was at that moment investigating a wrong way. I repented and asked God to forgive me and give me another chance to live according to his light. So, I did not allow myself to use any substance, and also I rejected the idea of climb the mountain that was in front of me.
That decision was really tough for me, but I did not want to be involved with any work of darkness. Definitely, I understood that there are not neutral spirits. There are evil spirits and there is the Holy Spirit, who is God.
•vertex
A ti clamaré, oh Jehová.
Roca mía, no te desentiendas de mí...
Bendito sea Jehová,
Que oyó la voz de mis ruegos.
Jehová es mi fortaleza y mi escudo;
En él confió mi corazón, y fui ayudado,
Por lo que se gozó mi corazón,
Y con mi cántico le alabaré.
Salmo 28; 1a, 6, 7
I went to sleep that day with my new resolution. This had been not only an intellectual struggle but also a spiritual warfare. Since I was exhausted, I did not use my equipment, I just laid down on the ground. The cold breeze in the morning woke me up. I stared at the mountain for awhile. It still had strong attraction for me. I knew that I could reap benefits if I climbed it. Nevertheless, I had already made a decision. I walked to the place I had left my back pack in order to wear my shoes. Since I had hurt my feet a previous day when they were scratched. I had covered my skin with the cortex of a plant, Aloe Vera. When I took the branch of Aloe I had carried with me, I was frozen because of what I saw. In the place where I had ripped a bit of plant to cover my wound the day before, there were a new little plant, a small aloe Vera with nearly sixteen tiny branches! That was really marvelous. I understood that my decision to follow the good spirit, the Holy Spirit, had led me into life.
Having in front of me such regenerated plant, I realized that God had answered my prayer with a remarkable sign. I couldn't deny his power to transform and give life. All of the reasons interposed in my mind clogging my faith in God, came stumbling down. God is Almighty, a token of his power had been displayed before my eyes. No scientific inference, no philosophic position could stand on its own before the evidence of God's power and reality. No, there was not necessary thousands, millions or billions of years for God to act and make whatever he wanted. That day, in that special way, God overcame my doubt and fortified my faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior.
This experience was similar to one that the people of Israel had with Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
"They called on the name of Baal from the morning till noon but there was no answer... and they continued... until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response."
- 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord , which was in ruins. ...
- 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord , and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
- 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."
- 34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time.
- 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
- 36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord , God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.
- 37 Answer me, O Lord , answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord , are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
- 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
- 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord -he is God! The Lord -he is God!" [1 Kings 18. The Bible. NIV]
After witnessing such a display of power, there is no room for any doubt. The LORD, our Heavenly Father is God. Yes, Jesus Christ is our God! Hallelujah. Amen.
Rather than healing people with plants, I understood from God, I would be better to heal souls with God's message.
