Ephesians 4 – The Unity of the Spirit & Supernatural Creatures: True or False?

Finger Pointing Up

1 Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome’s legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans.
“Roman mythology” may also refer to the modern study of these representations, and to the subject matter as represented in the literature and art of other cultures in any period.

When I was a kid I enjoyed reading Greek and Roman Mythology, but I never believed they were real, just myths and the same with the many fairy tales written.

I still don’t believe in any of them, at least not like the tales are told.  But I’m not saying they can’t exist because Satan and his fallen angels are all supernatural and real.  One thing Paul says makes it so I am unable to exclude the possibility of their existence:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12).

What Paul says makes me think that maybe these fallen angels are in rank, as God’s angels are ranked.  At one time Satan (used to be called Lucifer) had been above all the other angels (Eze 28:13-19; also see Isa 14:12-15).

Yet, the devil and his girlfriends cannot harm us if we are with God.  Paul tells us to:

“…whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand (Eph 6:13, also see vv. 14-18).

Paul also guaranteed safety from the devil:2 9

“What shall we then say to these things?  If God be for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31).

I know what Paul says is true, not just because God saved my life way back in 1978 when I didn’t even believe in Him (prayers are powerful).  I know it is true because I know Him now.

When I was a teenager I was also intrigued by astrology, also known as Astral Worship, so tomorrow we’ll look at…

Ephesians 4
The Unity of the Spirit

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

 3 8  4:1-32 – the chapter begins and ends with exhortations to love and forgive one another, which Jesus is doing and has done for us.

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

“Keep the unity” – which God produced through the reconciling death of Christ.  It is the heavy responsibility of Christians to keep that unity from being disturbed.

It is not easy for anyone to keep such unity in place and we will all fail at times, but it’s a lot easier to do if you realize that God Himself is asking us to do that for Him.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

54 7 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

5 7

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:    

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

“Of the faith” – here “faith” refers to the Christians’ common conviction about Christ and the doctrines concerning Him, as the following words make clear.

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

“Sleight…craftiness…deceive” – Jesus said to always keep our eyes on Him or we will fail, like Peter did (Matt 14:22-31).  Remember what Hebrews says:

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith… (Heb 12:2).

In other words, read your Bible and get to know Jesus so when you hear false teachings you will know and you will not fail. 

6 4For analogy, everyone knows that the unemployment rate has gotten worse since Obama became president, so when he says it’s getting better, don’t fall for that, or anything he says for that matter.

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

4:17-5:20 – Paul has just discussed unity and maturity as twin goals for the church, which God has brought into existence through the death of Christ.  He now goes on to show that purity is also essential among those who belong to Him.

“Vanity of their mind” – life without God is intellectually frustrating, useless and meaningless.7 4

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

“Have given themselves over” – just as Pharaoh’s heart was hardened reciprocally by himself and by God, so here the Gentiles have given themselves over to a sinful kind of life, while Rom 1:24, 26, 28 says God gave them over to that life.

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

8 225 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

“The devil” – personal sin is usually due to our evil desires (see Jas 1:14) rather than to direct tempting by the devil.  However, Satan can use our sins – especially those like anger that are against others – to bring about greater evil, such as divisions among Christians.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.9

“But that…edifying” – an exhortation parallel to the previous one.  The Christian not only stops saying unwholesome things (foul language); he also beings to say things that will help build others up.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

“Grieve” – by sin, such as “corrupt communication” And the sins mentioned in v. 31.  The verb also demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is a person, not just an influence, for only a person can be grieved.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Supernatural Creatures: True or False?

10 Daoine SidhDaoine Sidh

Diminutive fairies of story-books, the Faerie Courts such as the Daoine Sidh (People of the Hills). These are the Old Gods of Ireland – the Tuatha Danaan (Children of Dana). Reduced from the halls of worship to the hollow hills of folklore by the advance of Christianity, the various Faerie Courts are the masters of Glamour (transformation and illusion).

 

 

 

 

 

11 Trooping FaeriesTrooping Faeries

The Processionaries or Trooping Faeries, are as Gregarious Faeries, Shee-og and Macara-Shee (or by different individual clan or local names). 

They may be encountered on certain nights of the year as they tread their traditional paths by foot, some carrying sundry possessions or banners, some such as the Manx Hog-men heaving their entire hill-home upon their backs.

Often amongst the Irish Troops, an Amadan or Faerie Fool is to be found. Though jesters for their own kind, they will not suffer any ridicule from human lips. One Amadan, known as the Stroke Lad, can induce madness and paralysis with the mere touch of his fingers.

 

12 Merry DancersMerry Dancers

At night, it is possible to chance upon the Faeries dancing within the confines of toadstool rings or megalithic stone circles, or fleeting across the sky as the ethereal glow we have come to know as the Northern Lights.

It is all too tempting to join the Fir Chlis or Merry Dancers in their festivities, but it would be a great folly to do so.

Thus indulged, such hapless humans may find themselves dancing unto death or insanity, or otherwise may find themselves trapped in the Otherworld for centuries that seem to pass as single nights.

 

 

13 MuryansMuryans

In Cornwall, it is believed that Faerie Glamour is not infinite and that each and every time a Fay shape-shifts or casts a transformation, part of their vitality – the life-force known to mystics as Prana – diminishes.

The oldest Faeries (and those who have been wanton in their use of magic) will therefore in their final phases appear as ant-like creatures known as Muryans.

Other people, though, believe that the Muryans are actually the souls of Druids who died refusing to accept Christianity, or are the spirits of children that passed away before being baptized. In Cornwall therefore, it is considered foolish and unfortunate to tread upon ants.

 

14Pixies

Much land in the English West Country of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset is Pixie territory, won by them in ferocious battles with other Fay breeds. Isolated Pixie colonies have also been reported in East Anglia and Northern England and, at times, travelling Pixy-Fairs have been seen operating in other regions.

Pixies are generally mischievous rather than utterly malevolent in their dealings with mankind. Typical Pixie tricks include causing people to become trapped in grassy rings known as Gallitraps, or to become totally lost in familiar surroundings (being Pixy-Led).

Pixies tend to live in grassy hollow hills (Pixy-Mounds) but may at times venture into rural dwellings. A sub-species known as Grigs tend to prefer the surroundings of apple-orchards. Other sub-species such as Bucca prefer the coast, whilst the Derricks are fond of moor-land.

15 ElvesElves

Though the Elves’ roots lie in the Scandinavian and Germanic lands, many have made themselves at home in the British Isles, especially in Scotland.

There are both Light Elves and Dark Elves. The former are pale and radiant and tend to inhabit the crowns of tall trees, whilst the more nefarious Dark Elves prefer to live within the hollows between the roots.

Both types are skilful at crafts & metal-work and neither are overly-fond of mankind.

They may strike at us with cursed projectiles known as Elf-Shot or Elf-Bolts, induce strokes & insanity and may also weave matted knots (Elf-Locks) into the hair of sleepers and into the manes of horses.

Elves can alter their size and shape at will, and as one of their favored forms is that of the mouse, Elves are also none too keen on cats.

16 Stone FaeriesStone Faeries

During the hours of daylight they appear as cold stone monoliths and may only give the most fleeting murmur of a melancholic sigh; yet once bathed in silvery lunar light a profound transformation occurs.

Boulders metamorphose into the lithe bodies of young women of pale, iridescent complexion and long flowing hair.

Either naked or clad in sinuous dresses of grey or white, the Stone Faeries, Saresyns, Pyrenees – call them what you will – then dance in freedom, or spin the threads of life and fabric of time upon huge stone wheels. Come the dawn, the maidens return to stone once more.

 

 

17 Hyter SpritesHyter Sprites

An unusual and localized Fay breed, the Hyter Sprites are common only to East Anglia in England (though similar species have been reported in Spain and Mexico).

The Hyter Sprites transform their small humanoid frames into the manner of Sand Martins. They may be encountered in small groups or congregated in flocks of considerable size. Though generally shy or indifferent to human presence, it has been claimed that Hyter Sprites will lead lost children home.

The Ferier Trooping faeries of Suffolk may sometimes also assume avian form, but this they do less habitually.

 

18 SpriggansSpriggans

Although their music-making is often appealing, the same cannot be said for the appearance and manners of the Spriggans. This species are to be found on the Cornish coast, upon Selena Moor, and to a lesser extent on the Irish coast.

They keep themselves busy by looting human houses, stealing from thieves and smugglers, abducting children, blighting crops, infecting livestock and raising storms at sea. Despite their often coastal existence, Spriggans however cannot touch salt-water.

Their wondrous ability to change size in an instant can be extremely intimidating and confusing to the senses, and has led some people to believe that this race is in fact the ghosts of long-dead Giants.

19 KorredKorred

There are numerous differing breeds of Korred, the dominant Fay species of Celtic France. They are mainly encountered in the vicinity of earthworks, dolmens and other megalithic monuments, but may also be found on heaths, marshland, and coastal cliffs and by ancient wells.

It is often suspected by greedy minds that the Korreds guard vast amounts of treasure, as they will defend their haunts with gusto. They can be bargained with however, as pigs left under the watchful eye of a Korred will be well tended – upon the understanding that a good portion of meat will be given to the Korred when the beasts are butchered.

Likewise a blunt knife left on a Korred stone with a coin, will be discovered well sharpened later and the coin removed. They will not work if watched however (but may still take the coin).

Korreds like to dance on Wednesdays, but if humans join in the men will find themselves extremely exhausted and the women will find themselves pregnant.

When the baby is born, it will strangely bear a strong resemblance to some local man other than the husband of the mother.

20 The Unseelie CourtThe Unseelie Court

As opposed to the Seelie Court, whom are Scotland’s most fair and noble Faeries, the Unseelie Court are a motley collective of Dark Fays, Goblins, Bogies, Supernatural Witches and even the corrupt souls of dead sinners.

The Unseelie Court are the unblessed and all are murderous and vile, yet most petrifying to behold are their number that manifest as the Sluagh or Host. They appear moving in from the western sky as a black, writhing cloud.

This babbling multitude will seize unfortunate humans from the ground and force them to participate in their heinous crimes.

Many of these victims will be left physically and mentally broken, many miles away from their scene of abduction, but any who are already of doubtful character will be assimilated into their number.

In Ireland similar mobs of “Bad Faeries” are known as the Adh Sidhe and Slua Si. On the Isle of Man the phenomena is called the Farish or Guillyen and the terrible noises they emit are known as the Sheen-ny-Feaynid – The Sounds of Infinity.

21 The FomoriiThe Fomorii

Also known as: the Fomors, Fomorians, Fomoire, Tuatha de Domhain (Children of Domnhu ) and Sea-demons.

The Fomorii were an ancient semi-aquatic race that would rage, extort and slaughter their way across the land after nightfall. They were the bane of Old Ireland, until their defeat at the hands of the Tuatha de Danaan.

The Fomorian warlord Balor was a barbarous giant whose gaze from his single eye could cause crops to wither and men and soldiers to blister and burn. It took four Fomorii henchmen to hold open Balor’s eye with ropes, hooks and pulleys.

The other Fomorii were extremely diverse in form but generally extremely hideous. Many were conglomerations of human, animal and unrecognizable parts.

Other notable Fomorii included the dreadful female warrior, Lot, who had hungry mouths situated on her breasts and four extra eyes in her back, and Searbhan the half-man.

This one-eyed, one-armed, one legged Giant was far from being handicapped by his form and was renowned for being a brutal and efficient killer.

The Fomorii were dispersed but it is possible that some of the monsters of sea and land that lingered down the ages were originally of their number.

22 FirbolgsFirbolgs

The Firbolgs were fairly primitive marsh dwellers who escaped to Ireland from a life of slavery in ancient Thrace. Though they ruled Ireland for a while it wasn’t long before they were oppressed by the Fomorii race.

However the Firbolgs still decided to ally themselves with these dreadful tyrants in the war against the Tuatha de Danaan. The Firbolgs, though, were defeated before the fall of Balor.

The scattered Firbolg took up a secret existence in the quagmires of Ireland and Britain living off rats, frogs, carrion and other meat they could slaughter or steal. Their bitterness and harsh conditions possibly caused them to evolve into Ballybogs, Boogies, Mudbogs, Peat Faerys, Bogles and other similar foul swamp species.

 

23 The CoraniedThe Coranied

This strange, supernatural race sought to enslave Wales and Southern England in the days of the Druids. So awesome was the esoteric knowledge of the Coranied that they could turn dry leaves into gold coins and could hear whispers on the wind.

It was only due to the efforts of the Welsh brothers Llud and Llevellys that the Coranied conquest of Southern Britain was not assured.

By crushing the bodies of unspecified insects into water and spraying the brew onto the bodies of the Coranied, the liberty of the land prevailed – for whilst this concoction proved lethal to the invaders, it remained entirely harmless to the Ancient Britons.

…the cult of Dionysus.

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