I was asked by a UMM Alumn/friend about my past victories over my past spiritual struggles, so I decided to write a short testimony (Friday, April 1st 2005):
When I was growing up to devoted (went to church every Sundays faithfully) Filipino Catholic parents, I learned how to say my prayers (Holy Mary, Our Father) every night. I would wake up the next morning at times with "scary dreams". Despite my "faithfully church going/religious family", we faced many problems (traditional/cultural practices that were not Christian) and issues (depression, abuse, hate, etc..) that I would later learn was happening in other families.
When I went to college (UMM), I was searching for other answers (pursuing psychology) to help solve these problems I was going through. I was questioning why these were happening with us even though we believe in God. Torwards the end of my freshmen year, I learned about asking God for forgiveness and a personal relationship with Jesus!
I still was facing some battles (bad dreams) and struggles (anger, hate, etc..) in life. The local church I attended in Morris would teach/equip me about "spiritual warfares". Then I was invited to help with a Filipino fellowship group sponsor a mission team (JHMT), which I would learn more about battling within my family/genearational curses that has been passed down to my family. They gave me this book, which my eyes were opened to why my family faced those battles/struggles growing up.
Below are some notes I took from the book "Signs & Wonders" that I got during JHMT's "Hear & Obey" 2001 Conference in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota...
| Practitioner/Description | Modus Operandi | Traces | Geographic Concentration | Biblical Reference |
| Wak-Wak or Manananggal-"a witch who can detach the top part of her body from the waist up" | "the top portion of her body flies around at night, looking for victims to satisfy her appetitie for human flesh while the other half is left stationary on the ground" (others) | mysterious disapperances | general | "1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."-Matthew 10 |
| Mangkukuluam-"a general term for someone who strikes bargains with the spirt world to affect the physical world. These are witches for hire" | "They use Latin prayers, special worms or insects and pricking effigies (tau-tauhan or dummy) (others) | Responsible for mysterious humps or swelling, persistent recuring maladies unexplainable by medical science | general | "There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination, [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, "-Deuteronomy 18:10 |
| Managtanem-"specilizes in ritualistic witchcraft" (similar to voodo) | "They afflict an individual by sticking pins into a doll (replica medium) which represents the person" | "severe pain in particular areas of the body | Illocos | Deliverance from Demons by Bill Subritzky |
| Banawe or Espiritista-"a witch. their job is to remove the spell that was put by anitos, encantado or any other witch" | various | Pangasinan | "Saul Consults a Medium"-1 Sammuel 28 | |
| Kulam or Mananenems-"witches who specialize in black magic (example)" | "They cut fish (ritual) use special insects or bind the intestines of their victims" | Various | Pangasinan | Similar Stories Lynchings in Nigeria After Reports of Christians' Black Magic , biblical misinterpretations, demon busters, God's Truth About Occult |
| 4 | Healing | Naamun healed after being dipped in the river 3x () | "...he gave them power and authority to ..heal the sick" (Luke 9) | God healed a friend of a "migrane headache" (other testimonies) |
| 5 | Miracles | |||
| 6 | Prophecy | Prophets from Isaiah to Malachi | "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy..."-1 Corinthians 14 | God given dreams "foretelling" the future (others) |
| 7 | Discernment | |||
| 8 | Tongues | "For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to men but to God."-1 Cor 14:2 | ||
| 9 | Interpretation of Tongues | "For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says."-1 Cor 14:13) | I started to pray in tongues that sounded like Tagalog (Filipino) at a Filipino Christian Worship Service called "Hear&Obey" |
Reference:
Manny Panganiban of Lighthouse Global Ministries in Palengke Site, Pahinga Uno; Candeleria, Quezon:
-Gifts that Build the Body
-Freedom from Bondange Manual (Deliverance in Asian Context)
-Filipino Spirit World (video)
Others:
Biblical "Witches" and the "Occult"
" The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul and the armies of Israel camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. 6 He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots* or by the prophets. 7 Saul then said to his advisers, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do."
His advisers replied, "There is a medium at Endor."
8 So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman's home at night, accompanied by two of his men.
"I have to talk to a man who has died," he said. "Will you call up his spirit for me?"
9 "Are you trying to get me killed?" the woman demanded. "You know that Saul has expelled all the mediums and psychics from the land. Why are you setting a trap for me?"
10 But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, "As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this."
11 Finally, the woman said, "Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?"
"Call up Samuel," Saul replied.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, "You've deceived me! You are Saul!"
13 "Don't be afraid!" the king told her. "What do you see?"
"I see a god* coming up out of the earth," she said.
14 "What does he look like?" Saul asked.
"He is an old man wrapped in a robe," she replied. Saul realized that it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.
15 "Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?" Samuel asked.
"Because I am in deep trouble," Saul replied. "The Philistines are at war with us, and God has left me and won't reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do."
16 But Samuel replied, "Why ask me if the Lord has left you and has become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has taken the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. 18 The Lord has done this because you did not obey his instructions concerning the Amalekites. 19 What's more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring the entire army of Israel down in defeat."
20 Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel's words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21 When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, "Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life. 22 Now do what I say, and let me give you something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back."
23 But Saul refused. The men who were with him also urged him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch. 24 The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She kneaded dough and baked unleavened bread. 25 She brought the meal to Saul and his men, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.
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-1 Sammuel 28
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