Many of you rallied around our team with the creation and release of the hit docuseries, Dark Holler, that touched on demonic possession, exorcism and spiritual warfare here in the coalfields. The series continues to be impactful and serve as a solid witness to all who tune in and beyond. The work is far from done. A lot of you have asked, What's next? Where do we go from here? With the release of our first teaser for the new project, Shadow Appalachia, we hope we have given you your first glimpse of just that.
When it comes to the paranormal, sadly, the modern church has allowed stigma and fear to keep us silent on some of the most life changing, monumental questions being asked this generation. Atheism is dead. The godless void of the old guard is all but extinct and a new generation are seeking meaning, purpose, answers, truth beyond themselves and it's our sacred call to rise and meet this need head on. I was working full time in the Paranormal Field during the peak invasion of the New Age movement. I remember seeing the storms gathering on the horizon and trying to warn others that a new darkness is on the scene and setting up as a one stop shop for all one's spiritual needs. This particular wolf masked itself with talk of angels, The Divine, enlightenment, the hope of life after death with lethal candy coating of access to all of this without having to adhere to formal religion or the authority of The Church. In fact, it was declared that the Church was the agent of the lifeless disenchantment left in the wake of the Materialist Atheistic Movement and that the true path to God came in the form of new roads and rivers that taught self deification and would finally set humanity free from the so called "spiritual oppression of the Church". I remember where I was when those trumpets of doom began to sound. I remember the day and time and what I was doing in the moment when that poisonous deception came rushing down the pipes. I knew then, the false light and sinister folly that many in the Church once welcomed as a happy alternative to blatant atheism, was a more terrible trojan horse that sought to steal our blood bought rights in Christ and unseat us as the salt and light of the world. In our hesitance to see the danger then, a whole generation entered a spiritual void. Hear me when I tell you, nothing remains a void for long. With the victorious Church asleep in her pews, the old gods crept out from the margins and once again set up residence in the center. They began to peddle their dark teachings and rebellious wisdom, the seeds of the watchers of old were sown into a most fertile and desperate soil and seemingly overnight, paganism was reborn on the world stage and now challenges the Church directly as the spiritual and moral authority with countless souls being locked in its chains every day.
Enough is enough. We CAN NOT afford to remain silent this time. We risk losing an entire generation to the pagan wilds and that loss would would extend multiple generations to follow as the poison is passed down and taught freely and unchallenged in hearts and homes the world over. There is still time to counter this darkness if we act fast. Of course God's will is going to be done but that doesn't mean we sit on the sidelines and refuse to take the field. There are battles to be fought, wars to be won and strongholds that need to be crumbled and this is being placed at our feet. The silence and ignorance on these issues of spirituality is completely out of place. We have THE spiritual worldview that has an accounting for EVERYTHING these truth seekers are looking for. The fact that an entire generation is soul searching and having to find safe haven in false gods and illumination through dirty and distorted light is an utter tragedy. Books, TV Shows, Podcasts, Movies, etc about Spirituality and The Paranormal are dominating media streams of every variety and medium and VERY FEW are of Christian Roots and it NEVER used to be this way.
During my work in the field, my investigative program was formed on the foundations set forth by pioneering investigators, Christians and Demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren. They set the standard when it comes to Paranormal Investigation and introduced an entire generation to the darkness on their doorsteps. They inspired faith and showed the world their desperate need for salvation in God from cosmic terrors unimaginable. You ask ANY investigators in the field, even today and they have to admit that they owe their careers to the likes of The Warrens. Such has been the role of the Church in matters of faith and spirituality since the beginning. The idea that Christian Demonology and Theology would be the backwards minority in any sphere us complete garbage and even more so here in this arena.
Ive prayed and held to faith that someday, God would raise up men to counter the New Age and the Reconstructed Paganism that has set up circus in cultural centers the world over. Men who are trained for spiritual warfare, men who have walked the winding paths of the enemy and have been brought to light to be used as instruments of its downfall. I am beginning to see the first fruits of these longings right now! Friends and Brothers who are rediscovering the Christian Worldview that has always been there for these things are kindling pockets of resistance and truth and advancing more and more with every passing second. With the work of men like us here at Sword and Staff, we are meeting the darkness head on wherever it rears its head. Neutrality is a myth and the days of inaction are over. So many of you remind us every single day of the vital importance of our work and ask how you can get involved and help get the resources and content out there and in the hands of this generation and the truth is, we can't hope to do this without you. It take TREMENDOUS time, energy, effort, resources, etc to be able to create and get these projects off the ground and running. We have sacrificed so much already putting in the work but we can only go so far on our own two feet.
Church, when we come together, we move mountains. When we unite and set our hearts and minds on Christ, we shape entire generations. Being salt and light we are called to preserve truth and illuminate the darkness and this is your chance to stand in the gap with us. Every day when I begin the day in prayer, I remind myself that I am going to have to give an accounting for the life ive lived in the time I was given. A few major thoughts come to mind. What did I do to advance the Kingdom? Did I faithfully take up the sword that was placed in my hands from the great cloud of witnesses that have come before me and carry the torch of truth in my own race ready to be placed in the hands of those who would come after me? What did I do in the time I was given to live out who I am in Christ? These are the thoughts and questions that drive me to act. We are more than willing to put in the work and to swing the sword your support is the strength and backbone in these efforts. The kingdom of darkness has enormous recourses at its disposal. They have friends and allies and connections that ensure their narrative remains on top and free-flowing to the masses. We need all the help we can get. Right now, we have our Patreon set up as a means for continual giving but there will other outlets for crowdsourcing funding for these projects in the coming days. I think the need for these efforts has never been more evident and we can't wait to partner with you all!
https://www.patreon.com/swordandstafforder