The mysterious man from the sky over the Pacific Islands

I put a video up on Face Book about this but wanted to write the extended version.

A couple of weeks ago I was at a high school in western Sydney, to meet with a number of community Liasons. One of these was the Pacific Islander Liason, a man of Samoan descent named Meki.

Meki told me a story that was very interesting about a visitor to the Islands. It went something like this. If there are any historical errors pertaining to Captain Cook then please ackowledge I'm giving it verbatim from Meki not checking his details against the historical events.

"Before the missionaries came to the Pacific Islands, we had a story about a man who came down from the sky. He came down over a volcano in Samoa. He had white robes, a beard and long hair - and he was white. He stayed with the people, and taught them things. He blessed the children and then he said "I must go back up to the sky, but one day I will return. Then he went up the same way he came.

This story was the same on many of the Islands, as far away as Hawaii - they all had the same experience with the white man from the sky.

Then Captain Cook came, and they thought he might be that man returning. But he wasn't and he was mean to the Islanders. And in Hawaii, when they realised he was not the man from the sky because of his actions, they killed him and they ate him.

But then the missionaries came, and they brought Bibles with them. When they saw the pictures of Jesus, they said "That is the man from the sky who said he would return" so they eagerly recieved Christianity as a belief system. To this day that is wht so many Islanders believe in Jesus because he blessed them and said he would return."

I was blown away when I heard that story. It is very similar to one that Von Daniken espouses in the movie chariots of the gods but pertaining more to the South American area.

When I teach scripture in a sports high school, about 40% of the kids are Pacific Islander. They are a big, strong proud people who make up about half of our leading footballers in Australia. But underneath that towering demeanour (there are 13 olds bigger than me and I'm 5'11 and 95kg) they are the most respectful people I have ever met in relation to things of religion and Christianity.

Much of this is because of the legacy of the man from the sky, who as Meki stated, was to them a visit from the ressurected Christ, prophesying His return to the Islands one day.

Isn't it great to meet people and hear their stories. I really enjoy and honour other cultures.

God bless you - Pastor Baz.

The truth will set you free

One thing I've noticed about paranormal investigators is that it is very easy to become all consumed by the phenomenon and the investigations.

There are many reasons for becoming an investigator: Personal experience with the phenomenon, TV shows and movies, web sites etc. It seems like an exciting 'industry' from the comfort of the lounge chair or even the thrill of being on the way to an investigation.

There are also many types of investigators: Arm chair investigators with fingers firmly on mouse collating information from websites, Alpha males who are running through cemetaries at 3am in army fatigues, scholarly types who have found ancient texts on the subject, religious clergy whose job it is to deal with the phenomenon and a plethora of others.

I'll admit that most of my involvement comes from the fact I am a minister and prior to that had personal experiences with strange phenomenon. But I have watched closely the friendships and alliances I have formed over the years and watched many good people literally lose the plot in their obsession with this 'industry'. And I could probably put it down to two words.

Idolatry. And pride.

Regarding Idolatry: The Old and New testaments (The Bible) are very clear about both. Humans were meant to have no idols but God, who did not have a home in a statue or a building. The first commandments in the ten commandements condemn Idolatry in every form.

Regarding Pride: It is written in scripture that "..God opposes the proud but exalts the humble..". Also that "...Pride comes before the fall..".

The God of the Bible opposes both Idolatry and Pride, which I could translate into "Unhealthy obsession and arrogance" which describes a lot of the stuff behind the scenes in the Paranormal industry. Not only is this destructive and disunifying, it's downright dangerous for the person involved. I believe this is why some people I have met have literally gone mad in their quest for answers and glory.

I think the reality (and I'd suggest that Authors and investigators Redfern and Keel would back me up) is that there is a malevolent force behind most of the phenomenon that we investigate. It meets human beings wherever they are at in history. It comes from a primeval source that has been summoned or invoked in ages past in rites, ritual and Idolatry. And it feeds on manipulating humans. It has it's source in the fall of angels in ancient times and is satanic in origin.

I am not some biblical fundamentalist who labels everything as demonic. But lets call a spade a spade - deep down, the more you investigate, the more you experience, the more stories you hear, the more you realise that these things co-exist in multiple forms (ie Hairy Hominids, Black cats, UFO's etc) in the same area's that some call 'fortean flaps' that there is a connection to another world that has similar forms, functions, smells, sensations all over this planet.

Something is messing with us. And it wants to draw people in and destroy their lives.

All I'm suggesting is that we go to the source of spiritual power, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as our ally in this battle. Jesus Christ had authority over the spiritual realm when He walked the earth, and since His death and ressurection offers that same authority to all believers, but there is a cost: we must walk and live in love and humility and destroy our idols.

I'm pleading with investigators - ask Jesus Christ to be Lord, Saviour and protector and then do the work He has called us to do in this area with Him and in His strength and power.

Because dark forces are at work around us and Jesus is the only real protection you'll ever get.

The reality of this was never more apparent than when my friends non-Christian mother was dying. I visited her and she said "When I get out of this hospital I'm going with God and not that other guy".

"What changed your mind" I asked?

"Those dark men that are waiting for me...the devils, they came into my room every time I nearly died and I saw them after I was revived, waiting for me, smiling with their evil smiles".

I shared with her John 3, which includes the well known verse "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but He that does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come into the light, because their deeds were evil.

And she died at peace, having accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour and rejected the forces of darkness that pursued her.

As a paranormal investigator, either arm chair or alpha type and everything in between, wont you consider Jesus for a minute as the person He says He is in this verse.

Because He is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but through Him.

And when you come up against the real forces of evil that are trying to manipulate our world, simply call out in Jesus name, as I have in many instances when dealing with diabolical forces in ministry, whether it is things being thrown around a room, people who are possessed, unholy spirits in a graveyeard or being stalked by some primeval creature in a national park.

And the truth will set you free.

God bless you - Pastor Baz.

Revisiting the Yowie from an Aboriginal perspective

I have blogged on this story before, but believe it deserve's revisiting.

The Yowie is a mythical creature in folklore and legend - it is the Australian equivilent to Bigfoot.

Most of the research you will find on the web that has allowed us to understand the history of this creature has been done by people like Rex Gilroy, Dean Harrison, Healey and Cropper et al. Without their research it would be an enigma to most of the population. Their research shows that the phenomenon was very real to the pre-colonial Aboriginal tribes, was widespread throughout Australia and was well known to early settlers in Australia. (For more information go to Amazon and buy Healey and Cropper's 'The Yowie' which is the best book to date on this subject and has a list of historical sightings including my own circa 1982).

I have always been interested in this subject since the day 28 odd years ago when myself and a ten year girl who would become my wife in 1995 saw a very large, very hairy, man-like creature watching us as we played games on an isolated street at the very top of Bowen Mt, an area that has nothing behind it but the Grose Valley until you hit the towns of the Blue Mountains on the other side just over twenty Kilometres away as the crow flies.

That sighting caused me a great deal of fear and trepidation every time I walked in the bush from that point onwards and I understand why there is a need for websites and investigators to answer questions for those experiencing the anxiety associated with discovering that something like that exists and is in proximity to humans.

But I wanted to know more....and to do that I went to Eden to speak to Aboriginal elders about what they thought the Yowie was. And I'm glad I did.

To them, in their own words 'the Doolagahl (Yowie) is as real as any other creature in the bush. As real as a Kangaroo or any animal'.

In our discussion, they elaborated on a number of facts and issues including:

- It is rare for a 'white fella' to see one from an Aboriginal perspective.

- There are two types, small one's who live in caves near the coast, and big one's that live on mountains and in hinterland.

- The one's that lived on mountains were greatly feared and were avoided at all costs. When the tribe had to camp near a known spot, a fire was used to keep them away and they hastily made their way out of the area the next morning.

- They are so real that in World War 2, the army tried to forcibly remove them from a logging area near Eden as their presence was fearful and disruptive to the booming logging industry.

It is a very interesting subject. But there is a rule which I feel we need to follow which I'll leave you with in the last paragraph.

Firstly, what is my opinion on the Yowie? I'm a firm believer. I have a number of theories on what they are which are fluid and ever changing - I'll never know. But my own encounter, the many recorded sightings and the Aboriginal perspective at least help me understand that it is a tangible if infrequent reality.

Secondly, after hearing two researchers on two different continents share with me the same story wthin days (and they had never met) which basically was "I was following one (or I was in the presence of one/many) and a voice came inside my head saying 'Leave us alone, we want nothing to do with people' my only firm opinion is live and let live. Whatever they are, I believe that even when encountered they should be left alone and any reporting done confidentially. I have breached this many times in the early days of research, being caught up in the hype, but now I have come to the conclusion that if something wishes to be left alone and has the ability to communicate that, the we need to respect that from now on.

God made many things in this universe...and we have just gleaned the surface of understanding in many area's. This is but one.

But next time you meet an Aboriginal elder, respectfully ask them about their opinion on the Yowie and see what you get and whether you take the investigative or respectful position.

God bless you - Pastor Baz.

Bizarre News - Dream's grisley end as hunt for Keisha continues

HeraldSun

AN Aboriginal elder had a dream she would find missing toddler Kiesha Abrahams - but instead found the gruesome remains of a dismembered woman.

In a bizarre twist in the hunt for the missing six-year-old girl, elder Cheryl Carroll-Lagerwey's gut instinct took her to a reserve at Doonside, in western Sydney, where she thought the child's body might have been dumped.

Instead, she found the torso of a woman, believed to be missing Sydney mother Kristi McDougall.

The body, wrapped in thick black plastic, taped up and dumped in long grass, was found about 6pm on Wednesday. 

To read more click here 

Ghost Dad

I teach scripture at a sports High School. It's the last place I thought I'd get a bunch of paranormal stories. But having taught the kids for 3 years, I know who can be trusted and who is telling a tall tale. Which is why I feel confident in sharing this one with you.

Last week, we were relegated to the metal work room of the school. As we walked in one of the kids nearly had a punch up with a teacher and I was thinking "Great...this is going to be one of those lessons". Many of the students are Pacific Islanders, so the average fifteen year old is a Rugby playing, 6'2 100kg behemoth.

During the lesson, many kids wanted to talk about strange experiences they had witnessed. And one young man shared this tale with me.

"Sir, I was staying at (name withheld)house and I got up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. As I passed the parents bedroom, I saw my friends Dad standing in the doorway looking at me, so I turned around and ran back to my room".

"Why were you scared" I asked.

"Because Sir, his Dad died six months ago".

"How did you know it was him"

"Because I have known the family for years and I knew the Dad before he died".

"What did he look like - was he transparent or whitish or did he look like a person"

"Sir he looked just like he did in real life. He just stood there like a real person and just stared at me as if he was still here, like he would have in real life. All the family have seen him, and they are so scared they have started all sleeping together in the loungeroom. They think he is checking in on them to make sure they are ok but it is starting to freak them out".

This sort of stuff does my head in theologically. The typical protestant response is "All ghosts are demons impersonating people who have passed away". But how does that explain when my grandfather appeared to my Nanna and told her to turn back to God and go back to Church - hardly a demonic attempt to lead someone away from Christ? It is written in the scriptures that it is appointed once for a man to die and then judgement - but does that adequately explain what happens between death and the return of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Pastor Baz.

The Paranormal Pastors latest story -

Read it here....

The Paranormal Pastor: His Eye is on the Sparrow

Bizarre News - Aboriginal brothers 'forced by spirits' to beat up white anglers at sacred site

news.com.au

TWO Australian Aboriginal brothers who beat up white anglers searching for a fishing spot at an indigenous sacred site said they were defending their land under traditional law - and claimed they had no choice but to attack because otherwise they would receive retribution from the spirits.

The landmark case, which is being heard in Broome Magistrates Court, Western Australia, is expected to set a precedent over the extent of rights traditional owners have when protecting sites of significance on exclusive possession land under Native Title, The Australian said.

The Kimberley Land Council says the 2008 alleged assault took place in an area deemed "exclusive possession native title" near Bidyadanga.

The KLC, which is defending Lenny and John Hopiga, say this means the brothers had the right to exclude people from their land and use reasonable force to defend it against trespassers.

Read more: here

Crop Circles in Australia?

I have to be honest and admit I've not heard of any crop circles being found in Australia. Except for the ones created by wallabies high on opiates (and no i'm not talking about the Australian rugby team).


With a quick search on the internet I came across many mentions of "The Tully Saucer Nest" of 1966. According to ufos.about.com describes this as a "very compelling case of physical evidence".


According to reports a man called Pedley saw a very large object rise from a swamp up to 30 feet in the air. Once the object was gone Pedley went to where he'd seen the object and found an area of "mashed down vegetation" with "water circling around the area as if recently disturbed".

Later Pedley went back and noticed there was a "floating mass of reeds, which were in a clockwise pattern". It was 30 feet in diameter.  Pedley reported this to the land owner who then remembered his dogs had been acting strangely earlier that day.


Pedley and a work colleague decided to photograph the anomoly and found they could "swim underneath the mass, and that the lagoon was smooth underneath it".


Later Pedley made a police report who then reported it to the RAAF. Soon the swamp was full of reporters and investigators. Many theories for the anomaly included helicopters, birds, whirlwinds etc.


Soon after, the farm was searched and 5 other "nests" were discovered.


According to the RAAF, they tested the mass and nothing anomalous or otherworldly was discovered. Their guess was that it was caused by a "wily-wily" or a dust devil which are common in that area. However it doesn't explain what Mr Pedley described seeing.

Real Life: The proximity of cases and the huge responsibilty of research

Here I am, laid up with the scar tissue in my ankle tearing a little due to a touch Rugby game.

I look forlornly at the treadmill that I can't use, with Oprah on in the background. I have to make a choice. Watch Tyson and Holyfield being mediated by Oprah or write an article.

Article wins :)

During the week Bryony and I had been bouncing theories on things like elementals. But it really got me thinking about how many cases we have been informed about so close to home.

Just this year alone in our neighbourhood and via people we know:

- Bundeena: Haunting appearing as small child.

- Caringbah: Haunting via black shadows and groping.

- Caringbah: Haunting via windows, doors and draws opening, groping.

- Cronulla: Appearance of horned man in house, slapping and violent manifestations.

- Cronulla: Unit, pieces of wood in storage room moved dramatically and intentionally with no-one else on premises or access.

- Caringbah: Appearance of dead grandfather to grandchild.

- Miranda: Unit with books that are moved in real time by an invisable force.

- Taren Point: a waterfront house that never sells. Tradesmen claim the property is haunted. It was a covert abortion clinic in the 1960's. ,

My mind boggles as to how many experiences people must be having. The only reason we hear about it is as we talk about what we are involved in, people start to open up to their experiences

Because we are dealing with the emotional stress that is created by these events, we have a huge duty of care to those who discuss these issues with us.

What we are involved in is not just a 'hobby' or an 'event'. I agree with unity in the Paranormal Community, but there also needs to be acountability. Anyone can put themsleves up as a researcher. But when you extrapolate the magnitude of potential cases, you realise that the utmost care and prayer is necessary.

My encouragement this week, is to put the people over the 'project' and to be honest about why we are involved in research. Is it for their benefit (the client) or about our position, status and personal needs being met.

Analyse yourself honestly, then make the necessary adjustments - God searches our hearts and we can't hide our agenda's from Him.  He raises up the humble, but opposes the proud.

This week, with so many cases close at hand, I want to humble myself in the sight of the Lord, so that He can raise me up to be all I can be.

Pastor Baz.