To those who desire to rid themselves of the tattoo, I have some good news for you. Like the physical tatoo, there is a way to get rid of the spiritual tattoo. Tattoo removal (both physical and spiritual) is considerably more painful and expensive than tattooing. Also, the tattoo was meant to be permament, so removing them is extremely difficult. The process (both physical and spiritual) usually takes several sessions and offers varying results. Medical doctors say that physical tattoos can be lightened but not always completely removed. The degree of remaining color variations or blemishes depends upon several factors, including size, location, the individual's ability to heal, how the tattoo was applied and how long it has been in place. For example, a tattoo applied by a more experienced artist may be easier to remove since the pigment was evenly injected in the same level of the skin. New tattoos may also be more difficult to remove than old ones. Doctors say they can't predict the exact degree of removal because they generally don't know which of the numerous tattoo inks available today were used. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently lists tattoo pigments as "color additives," which are intended only for application to the top layer of the skin.) The good news spiritually is that Dr. Jesus can completely take the spiritual tattoos away to the point where one can mentally and physically feel like the tattooing never happened. A Christian needs to not deny doing the sins and taboos that caused the tattooing leading to totem and not glorify in the past, but instead praise God for the miracle abundant power of Jesus Christ that cleansed their temple and removed the sins, habits, patterns, generation curses, etc. that desecrated the temple the Holy Spirit wants to infill.

In the physical tattoo removal process, there are several processes that dermatologists use to alter tattoos. Below I will explain the different processes of tattoo removal:

• Dermabrasion: In this tattoo removal process, the skin is "sanded" to remove the surface and middle layers with an abrasive substance. Here, the skin is scarred and also the skin damaged with some of the scarring and damage becoming permament.
• Cryosurgery: Here, the tattooed area is frozen prior to its removal by processes similar to Excision and Dermabrasion.
• Excision: Here, the dermatologic surgeon removes the tattoo with a scalpel and closes the wound with stitches. In some cases involving large tattoos, a skin graft from another part of the body may be necessary to cover up the scars and the remains of the tattoo.

• LASER: This bloodless, low risk, effective alternative with minimal side effects use short pulses of intense light that pass harmlessly through the top layers of the skin to be selectively absorbed by the tattoo pigment. This laser energy causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are then removed by the body's immune system. Multiple sessions a month apart are required to complete the absorption process. The type of laser used to remove a tattoo depends on the tattoo's pigment colors. (Yellow and green are the hardest colors to remove because these colors absorbs certain types of laser wavelengths; blue and black are the easiest to remove because these colors absorb all laser wavelengths.) The three lasers developed specifically for use in tattoo removal use a technique known as Q-switching, which refers to the laser's short, high-energy pulses. Researchers have determined which wavelengths of light to use and how to deliver the laser's output to best remove tattoo ink. The laser, believe it or not, does not remove normal skin pigment. The laser selectively targets the pigment of the tattoo without damaging the surrounding skin.

Although all of the above mentioned procedures above are still used in certain cases today, the laser removal of tattoos is now the most common and easiest way to remove tattoos. This technology is also considered to be the most painless way used today to remove a tattoo even though the impact of the energy from the laser's powerful pulse of light has been described as similar to getting hot specks of bacon grease on your skin. I find it interesting that the word LASER is actually an acronym for "Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation". In the spiritual removal of tattoos, the radiant light of Jesus becomes amplified to the point where the darkness of the ink of sin via the tattooing processes are now exposed. The heat of the light waves break apart the sin into little fragments that are removed by the immune system. In the immune system of a human being, it is the white blood cells that race toward the infection to fight the infection while during this procedure, the blood in small amounts surface to the dermal and epidermal layers. The blood's main function is to cleanse the infected area. In the Christian who is going through the tattoo removal process, the blood of Jesus that washes our sins is the same blood that cleans and purges the infection out of our body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the healing proces, yet painful due to the memories of our past, becomes more and more evident as time progresses. This healing process of the skin and the body's protective usually involves three steps to total healing. Scars, Scabs, and Skin.

Following treatment, the doctor will apply an antibacterial ointment and dressing to the area, which should be kept clean with continued application of a skin ointment. Jesus places the balm of Gilead upon our spiritual tattoos to soothe the pain experienced during the re-living of the memories of spiritual tattoing and the removal of the spiritual tattoo. In fact, it is by the stripes of Jesus that we are healed. During the spiritual and physical tattoo removal process, The scarred tattoo areas that have been treated forms into scabs, which should be handled gently. During the scabbing processes, the dead cells dry up and eventually shed off the healing skin. After healing, the site will gradually and continually fade away. The skin where the physical tattoo was once present shows slight signs of a tattoo not noticeable unless examined up closely.

In the spiritual tattoo, the areas where the spiritual tattoo once present shows no signs of the tattoo ever being present. In fact the only way people would ever know about the spiritual tattoo you once had is by you telling your testimony of how Jesus rescued you from a life of totem, taboo, and tresspass and saved your soul from eternal damnation in hell. From this regenerative experience, you grew from a child of rebellion to a child that desired to crucify is flesh in order for the Spirit to live inside of him. It was through these transformations and the crucifying of your flesh that God dealt with your past and began the healing processes of appling his radiance, his light, and his blood to the darkened areas of your life to purge you and to remove the scars of the once indeliable ink of sin from you. As this process took place and your spiritual walk continued to grow, mature, and fight sin over time, the scars turned into scabs of dead skin and dead blood cells that would over time, flake off and be replaced by the new growth and life of new pure and uncontaminated skin and not a skin graft. This uncontaminated skin, along with the renewing of your mind, showed the true healings that occured in Jesus because of the steps of faith you took. When you realized that the faith you have is the confident assurance of what you are hoping for is happening and also being the evidence of the thing you could not yet see at that time. The faith that turned into sight confirmed the reality of Jesus in your life. It is through Jesus that you can do all things in Christ and conquer the temptations that try to entice you back into committing tresspasses of taboos leading you back into totem. Let us pray:

Lord, right now in the name of Jesus, I ask that you would give us the strength to become more like you. I ask that your holy presence would just encapsulate us and begin the healing processes of removing the scars from the spiritual dermal layers we have that protects the temple. Help us make good choices that will lead us towards the narrow pathway of righetousness to prevent more spiritual tattoos from happening instead of the wide road to destruction. Help us to understand the consequences, liabilities, and responsibilities of our actions whether they would be right or wrong. The world has a saying that promotes the spirit of hedonism that goes like this "screwed, blued, and tattooed". I ask that you will bring out of the state of totem, protect us from the taboo, deliver us and forgive us from the transgressions as we forgive those who transgress against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one to where we are no longer "screwed, blued, and tattooed", but we instead have become "kneeled, healed, and revealed" into the image of Christ. All of these things I ask, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN!