We had a story a couple months back about a booklet out there, “My Experiences with Exorcisms.” And we asked: Is it accurate? Can a layman state some of the things the author does?
The use of the word “exorcism” is a problem: lay people can be involved in deliverance — the casting out of lesser cases — but a full-blown possession requires an exorcism and that requires a qualified (and appointed priest).
Let’s be clear on that. We offered warnings on it, and called it “the wild side” (making our view plain), but reported it as an example of laity and involvement and because, despite some bizarre assertions, there were some potential lessons to be drawn on prayer and fasting. Perhaps we should have left the entire thing alone.
A massive flaw: the author said he saw cases where by “demons” repented and went to the Light of God.
If they were truly demons (as opposed to spirits of the deceased), that’s not possible.
Noted an exorcist about the claims, “He claims that in his revelations from Jesus that evil spirits can be converted. As you know, this is against Church teaching: Catechism of the Ca\tholic Church 309: “It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes angel’s sin unforgivable. There is no repentance for angels just as there is no repentance for man after death.”
He added: “As you also know, for every true visionary, there are probably a dozen or so false ones… One sign of a false visionary is someone who reveals things against the faith. While we do not know these people personally, it is a HUGE red flag. I know that you noted you didn’t approve of this ministry but simply are reporting it…..The fact that “Jesus” told him something contrary to the faith suggests that their entire ministry is based upon false revelations and may even be demonically inspired. Authentic private revelation (e.g. personal experiences ) cannot contradict public revelation (e.g. church teaching). If there is a contradiction then the problem is with the private revelation not the teachings of the Church. Demons deceive. They can appear as an angel of light and false charismatic gifts. The teachings of the Church are necessary protections in the deliverance ministry.”
Indeed.
We presented aspects of it in the spirit of 1 Rgessalonians 5 (“Do not quench the Spirit, 20do not utterly reject [k]prophecies, 21but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, abstain from every form of evil.”
The author did make important points about fasting.
“Some healings require fasting,” said this man, who is now in his nineties, writes. “My mother came down with shingles all over her back. Some people have shingles for months. I started fasting to see if I could get the victory for my mother through prayer and fasting. On the sixth day of my fast on nothing but water, I had a vision of myself laying hands on someone. A voice said, ‘Prayer without fasting has no authority.’ I knew the Lord was telling me to continue fasting. On the fifteenth day of water-only fast, my mother was healed of shingles.
“In the early 1970s a childhood friend came down with cancer. I went on twelve-day water-only fast asking the Lord to heal him. Finally, I said, ‘Lord, speak to him and tell him he is healed.’ The Lord did speak to him. He told his wife he was healed. He was not going to die. Yet, he died a day or two later. He did not have the faith or know how to fight the fight of faith to be healed. No healing can take place unless the person for whom the healing is meant has the faith to receive it.”
We’ll take this all into discernment.
“I had been having double visions making it difficult to read,” says Miesch. “I could see clearly with my left eye, but the right eye was blurred. I had to shut my right eye to be able to focus and read. I
thought maybe I needed some new glasses. They told me I had cataracts in my eyes and that I needed cataract surgery. I asked one prayer partner to pray with me for understanding. Could I
get the victory over the cataract with prayer and fasting? The answer was ‘yes — fifteen days.’
“So, I asked the Lord if I could do five three-days’ fasts on nothing but water for a total of fifteen days. The answer was ‘Yes.’ I asked a second prayer partner for confirmation. The second prayer said,
‘Yes.’ [My wife] Ann and I both fasted three-days at a time for a total of fifteen days on nothing but water. Our fast was over this past Wednesday (August 28, 2019). I can see clearly with my right eye.
It is no longer blurred.”
He asserts other results as well. Perhaps especially relevant in this turbulent “LBGTQ” times:
“We had been praying for this woman, a lesbian, for years. We commanded the deceiving spirit to repent. The spirit came creeping out from behind some rocks. A very large, powerful angel radiating as in a bright light appeared and poured Holy Water on the deceiving spirit. The spirit repented and went on into the kingdom. We asked the Lord who this powerful angel was. Jeff received the understanding that this angel was the Archangel Raphael. Jeff said this was the same angel that appeared before and poured Holy Water on demon spirits forcing them to repent.
“(Note: This woman had a child by artificial insemination while she was a lesbian. Years later we heard that she is no longer living as a lesbian and has married her high school sweetheart. She had lived as a lesbian for around fifteen years.)”