Month: October 2023

In this next session we will explore how aspects of the society we live in have affected our young/adult lives and shaped our understanding of what the pursuit of happiness really is.

Let us turn to 2 Samuel 12: 7-10

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon (the God of the sun). Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

In this portion of the story of David’s adultery with Uriah’s wife, we read of the judgement that the prophet Nathan presents to David on behalf of God. Not much is said of Uriah’s wife, but considering the degree of this particular situation, what do you think would have been the emotional, spiritual, and physical state of Uriah’s wife during her pregnancy from adultery?

Let’s open a parenthesis within this particular story, and take a glimpse at what research says:
“In utero is the term used to describe an unborn child still inside their mother’s body – that is, inside her womb or uterus. As the mother’s body is providing the care to the child, any stress the mother experiences (maternal stress) can transfer to the child. If the type of stress is particularly bad, this can cause the child trauma. Trauma in utero is commonly caused by chaotic or unpredictable lifestyle factors including, but not limited to, the mother’s exposure to domestic violence, lack of antenatal care, or substance misuse during pregnancy. Stress experienced by the mother can lead to elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol in her body, which can then be passed onto her unborn child via the placenta. Prenatal exposure to maternal stress and toxic substance misuse can have significant and sometimes lifelong implications for the child, such as: fetal distress, low birth weight and head circumference, neurobehavioral abnormalities, impairment of normal brain development and functioning (learning capacity, emotional regulation and stability, attachment issues, physical coordination, self-esteem), symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), anxiety and depression, and impaired capacity to form healthy attachments with others (ACT Government).”

Placental abruption is the most common cause of fetal death from trauma in pregnancy. Force from trauma can sheer the placenta from the uterine wall and lead to fetal demise. Uterine rupture, though rare, usually occurs in the third trimester and is associated with high risk of fetal and maternal mortality (Mayo Clinic).

Could we then perhaps speculate that the pregnant state of Uriah’s wife may have been affected the child in her womb?

2 Samuel 12: 13-15 reads,
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

David has just been told that his child will die. Was it the child’s fault?
No, the child is completely innocent. Maybe some of us are questioning, why did God allow the child to die? Why didn’t he heal him? But if we question God’s power over the matter, then we also need to include the question asked at the beginning, who causes suffering? You see, God cannot stop evil from happening when we make the wrong choices.

Consequences is a word very well used by parents, but sometimes as adults we forget what it means to us. God does not force us to behave, He does not force us to obey, and sin comes with consequences.

The great controversy reveals that since conception the human race battles to stay alive. We are soldiers since day one, but the old serpent, devil, or satan has no pity but full hatred towards mankind. The deceiver continues to bring suffering to the human race and then points to God as the initiator of our pain. The devil’s goal to affect the Father image of a loving, caring Father is one of the greatest deceptions in human history!

 “The “Father Wound” is a term in therapy that describes a person’s father is physically absent, emotionally distant or an abusive, negative or overly critical character, it can have long-term consequences for the individual. The effects of an emotionally absent father can impact an individual’s self-esteem, relationships and even their motivation in life.

A father wound can instill feelings of not meeting expectations, not being good enough and being undeserving of love. Children don’t have the insight to understand that their parents can have problems, so they tend to internalize their parents’ behavior as their fault. Low self-esteem can result in an individual:

• Never pushing themselves in school or work
• Having difficulty opening up and connecting with others, making it hard to form meaningful, long-lasting relationships and friendships
• Being more susceptible to substance abuse (FHE Health)“.

Atheist and psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, in his essay of Leonardo Da Vinci remarks: “Psychoanalysis, which has taught us the intimate connection between the father complex and belief in God, has shown us that the personal God is logically nothing but an exalted father, and daily demonstrates to us how youthful persons lose their religious belief as
soon as the authority of the father breaks down (Leonardo da Vinci, 1910, 1947 p. 98).”

“There are, of course, many ways that a father can lose his authority and seriously disappoint a child. Some of these ways-for which clinical evidence is given are:

• He can be present but obviously weak, cowardly, and unworthy of respect – even if otherwise pleasant or “nice.” (women, never insult your men, we were created as help mates)
• He can be present but physically, sexually, or psychologically abusive.
• He can be absent through death or by abandoning or leaving the family.

Taken all together these proposed determinants of atheism will be called the “defective father” hypothesis (Patheos).”

Did you know that many of the outspoken atheists have “the defective father” experience in common?

In the world of Christianity,
we go to the Father for help,
we pray to the Father for guidance,
we study the Father’s love for peace, joy, love,
we cling to the Father for life.
Paul calls it “the Cristian’s maturity” the process in which a person no longer acts like a child but a man, made in the image of God.

A person who does not mature replaces child play with adult child-like behavior (daily fighting the inner girl in women, or the inner boy in men). This behavior mainly focuses on satisfying the desires of the flesh, becoming self-centered, and worshiping the created things rather than the creator. Self-control to that individual means restrictions or “legalism.”

Romans 7:14, 15, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”

Call it ADDICTION: Romas 7:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
“We cannot trust ourselves”… A pastor at Glendale SDA church, CA said, “Your body will conspire to kill you, the drive for pleasure to escape reality will literally kill you.”  

Romans 7:19-24., “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

We’re now transitioning from suffering infused at conception to how the world tells us about how to deal with it, for many escaping reality is the only way to live; to be num is better than to suffer.

Drugs, alcohol, pornography, medical drugs, work, power, intelligence, all these are subjects that some seek in order to hide their suffering. The legalization of marijuana created billions of dollars in Colorado on day one.  

“Marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States, with 48.2 million people, or about 18% of Americans, using it at least once in 2019. In states where the drug is legalized, however, cannabis taxes constitute a substantial source of funding for programs ranging from healthcare initiatives to law enforcement.

The federal government recognizes cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance, meaning it’s considered highly addictive and therefore illegal at the federal level. Despite this, 23 states and Washington, DC, have fully legalized the drug, with an additional 21 states either fully or partially legalizing medical marijuana (USA Facts).” How much revenue do you think states make from marijuana taxes?

Last night I shared a part of my testimony, on how one of my friends struggled with Cocaine, he lost all his money, he couldn’t function at work, he lost his apartment, he’s mom closed out his credit cards. Our common friend saw him on the streets, playing his guitar and asking for money. I few times I drove through the streets of Holyoke looking for him, he had been missing for two days. He got into a car accident after falling asleep on the wheel and was taken to the hospital. Cocaine supersedes all other desires. And that first hit that people get when they use the first time, one never gets it again. So the addict lives seeking that first hit.

Some of you may know of Yuval Noah Harari, artificial intelligence spokesperson and author of the book “Sapiens” (Homo sapiens rules the world because it is the only animal that can believe in things that exist purely in its own imagination, such as gods, states, money, and human rights). While interviewing, the conversation of classes of people came about, and when asked how will one of those groups be eliminated? “Yuval Noah Harari, replied, “for now with drugs and video games.” We have a group among the so-called elite that plan to be like gods and live forever through artificial intelligence, where humans are no longer natural but artificial. This wicked agenda is in place, and it holds hands with the environmental agenda and the Sunday law. Search the scriptures and you will find truth.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…(1 Peter 5:8).”

The Youth Crisis and Suicide

John Hopkins reports: Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people ages 15 to 24.

• Boys are 4 times more likely to die from suicide than girls.
• Girls are more likely to attempt suicide than boys.
• Guns are used in more than half of youth suicides (John Hopkins Medicine).”

Dr. E. Walsh shared that one of his nieces was found dead in the bathroom at her home. The investigation said, that someone on the phone had coached her through the suicide.

We live in a world where parents are told that their children do not belong to them, they belong to the system. A world that praises confusion, and plants in a child’s mind that they can choose to be whatever they want. They are performing surgeries in God’s children, perverting them, and exposing them to lust.

But there is hope.

What causes our suffering? Being born into a sinful world directed by the evil master of lies is suffering.

Cain and Abel

From the beginning of our world we have examples of two groups of people, those who choose to serve God, and those who choose to serve themselves, AKA the devil. We have the example of Cain and Abel, born from retired perfect beings, the one, Abel, obeys the commands of God, the other, Cain, not only disobeys God, but believes to know better and out due God’s request.

Consider this, within the first two generations humanity has gone from being holy to the very extreme of being completely wicked, as to murder because of anger and jealousy.

Reading from Genesis 4:9 “And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

Cain lies and disrespects God. Similar to a disrespectful child that responds back to a parent when asked why he did so and so. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain asked. After murder he does not seem to feel sorry but in anger his careless response to God gives us an understanding that Cain does not respect God. And if that is the case, why would he have any respect for his youngest brother? Following on the same idea, have you ever wondered what is Cain’s relationship with Adam, his biological father? We will come back to this question.

Pre-creation: War Broke in Heaven

Now let’s back up to Pre-creation, we find the heavenly battle between Michael and Lucifer, as we quote from Revelation 12:7-9: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not (did not conquer, did not win); neither was their place found any more in heaven (heaven is no longer their home). And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Why was the devil cast out? Let us read in Isaiah 12:12-14

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Why was he cast out?  Because he wanted to take the throne of God, and just like Cain, we see this anger, jealousy trait that leads him to desire to murder Michael and His Angels, to murder Jesus, the sun of God. And to take over the throne.

Our sinful nature: Born Into Sin

All of us by default carry Satan’s sinful nature, because we were born into this sinful world. Babies are like little barbarians, the parents really have to teach this baby what he or she can and cannot have, because by default the baby is born selfish, and that baby will push the limits of the parents.

I remember when our oldest niece was a baby, she would pound on her chest like a little gorilla, she didn’t want to get changed, she also disliked getting water on her head so she will get angry and cry, and when she started to speak, everything that she will grab, she will ask, “is it mine?”
Why? Because this perfect child by nature she was born selfish.

The moment one receives life is when our conflict begins.  The old serpent, master of lies, never ceases to attack and bring conflict to our lives. The devil or Satan has an agenda to destroy the human race, and his strategy has always been to weaken the nations, in order to: separate us from God, have an unfair perspective of God as a creator, Father, and Savior. Satan hates us, he wants to destroy us if possible, even before we are born!

Some of us may not be fully aware of the things that are creating pain in our lives.

Let’s talk about babies! Normally babies develop a close attachment bond with their main caregiver (usually their parents) within the first months of life. If they are in a situation where they do not receive normal love and care, they cannot develop this close bond. This may result in a condition called attachment disorder. It usually happens to babies and children who have been neglected or abused, or who are in care or separated from their parents for some reason.

When children don’t form an attachment relationship with a trusted adult in infancy, they can go on to develop a series of emotional, behavioural, and social problems.

Child attachment disorder (CAD) always develops before the age of 5 years and usually much earlier. It always occurs in children who have not had normal care as a baby. Examples of children at risk of attachment disorder include:

• Children who have been neglected or abused.
• Children in care institutions.
• Children who have been placed with a series of different carers.
• Children who have been separated from their parents, through illness, death, war, etc.
• Children whose parents abuse drugs or alcohol.
• Children whose parents have serious mental health problems
• “Child Attachment Disorder” Published on July 2023. Last updated by Dr Doug McKechnie  Peer reviewed by Dr Hayley Willacy

And now moving into toddler years, research says: “Early childhood experiences are the biggest contributor to developing abandonment issues when you become an adult. The traumatic event might include the loss of a parent by divorce or death or not getting enough physical or emotional care as a child. Emotional abandonment occurs when parents:

• Do not let their children express themselves emotionally “boys don’t cry”
• Ridicule their children “you can’t do anything right” … or in public “what did I tell you?”
• Put too much pressure on their children to be “perfect”
• Treat their children like their peers

Abandonment issues happen when a parent or caregiver does not provide the child with consistent warm or attentive interactions, leaving them feeling chronic stress and fear. The experiences that happen during a child’s development will often continue into adulthood. This is why abandonment issues become more prevalent as you get older and can affect your relationships.

Let’s re-cap, the devil causes suffering, when? Even before we are born because if the new parent was neglected as a baby or as a child and did not “fix the childhood trauma,” in adulthood it will get worse. Therefore, it is likely that the parent may also transmit his/her suffering to his/her child in the future.