Understanding Demonic Influence
The Misconceptions about Freedom
When I was saved in 1988 my first church was a church of about 300 members. I was unemployed and looking for work every day. I wanted to be around the church all the time, so each day when I was done looking for a job I went to the church. This church was big on deliverance to the point they had a ministry team on staff that did deliverance most weekdays. After I had been there 3 or 4 weeks the team got to know me and saw my hunger for God, so they invited me to join them for a deliverance. Looking back now, a new believer should never be allowed to be on a deliverance team until they are well grounded in the Word and have learned to hear God’s voice and direction. Although, I had no idea of the journey God intended for my life.
I noticed that each person that came in for deliverance had their head down and suffered great depression. I observed them through the interview and assessment period. Once the team had finished asking their questions, they asked the person to sit outside the room for a little while so they could discuss the person’s responses and determine how they wanted to proceed.
Then they asked the person to come back in the room and what happened over the next 30 minutes to an hour was the deliverance team helped the person identify the different areas the evil spirits had caused oppression in their lives. The person would renounce the evil spirits and then the deliverance team prayed for the person and commanded all the evil spirits to leave. They spoke specifically to the main evil spirits that were the controlling spirits and then in more general terms for the minor ones that gained access through the main ones. To my amazement when they were done the person’s head was lifted and they had a big smile on their faces. It was like I saw a renewed hope had entered them again. The truth was that the hope was always there, but the oppression made it difficult to see or feel God’s presence. It was at that moment; my heart was broken for people who struggled with oppression, and I asked God to allow me to be part of the deliverance process for the rest of my life.
God directed me to watch some of those people who had been delivered in church each week without them knowing. My shock was after a few weeks…
Powerless Prayers
There was a tribe out in the wilderness of Australia. Each night the men of the tribe went out and met around the fire. They warmed themselves and occasionally when the fire went down, they would throw on another log or two to keep the fire going. While the men were around the fire there were several monkeys sitting above them in the trees. The monkeys sat quietly and watched the men laughing and talking together most of the evening. Then the men went inside for the night. After a little while the monkeys came down out of the trees and warmed themselves around the fire. They laughed and acted as the men had been doing, talking amongst one another. But to their surprise the fire started to go out. Since the monkeys did not know how to keep the fire going the fire went out, and they went back up into the trees to sleep.
The problem was that although the monkeys watched the men at the fire, the men never trained the monkeys how to keep the fire going. It is the same principle when we pray. A Christian can be around other Christians when they pray in the authority and power given us through the Holy Spirit and not learn how to walk and pray with that same authority and power.
If no one teaches them how to pray, they will only be going through the motion of praying or powerless prayers. It is the responsibility of strong Christians to teach them how to experience the authority and power seen in James 5:16 NLT, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”…
Bend But Don't Break
I remember back in the early 1990’s I was watching TBN one evening and a man, whom I do not remember, who probably has passed away by now, was introduced on TBN and sat down to talked with Paul and Jan Crouch the host and owners of TBN. They introduced him as an accredited prophet at that time. Back then I was very young in the Lord and the interview has stayed with me ever since, as if it just happened yesterday.
I do not remember how the conversation got to the point for the story to be told but the story changed my life forever regarding, believing for miracles. The man said he had a dream, and in his dream, he suddenly found himself standing in the middle of an empty house on the main floor. There wasn’t any furniture, or curtains or wall hanging to be seen anywhere. He asked God why he was there, and God told him to go over to the basement door and open the door. So, the man walked over to the door and opened it, and it was very dark. Again, he asked God what He wanted him to do, and God said go down the stairs. The man reached for the light switch but did not find it. God said the light switch was at the bottom of the stairs.
The man started down the stairs holding on to the railing and he realized it was a long way down to the bottom. He finally got to the bottom and God said the light switch was on the right, so the man turned the light on, so he thought. When he flipped the switch, to his surprise the light turned on, but one light turned into a continuous string of lights that went on and on beyond the distance he could see. Then he saw every kind of miracle a person might need in their lives. Things like hearts, lungs, cars, homes, Jobs and money. There were so many different things that he saw, it was more than he could possibly remember…
How Do We Grow Our Faith?
The Weaver!
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me.
I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily.
Oft times he weaveth sorrow; and I in foolish pride,
forget he sees the upper and I the under-side.
Shall God unfold the canvas and explain the reason why, not 'til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly.
The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand, as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.
He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Author: Corrie Ten Boom
How Do We Grow Our Faith?
People tell us that the most important attribute or bases to be a Christian is we must have faith! They are quick to quote Hebrews 11:6 NLT which says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith…” Too often people want to quote only the first half of this verse, but we should complete the thought that God intended us to hear. “…Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” We all want the opportunity to receive His rewards, but we struggle with our faith, so we feel like “I am not pleasing God, so why should He reward me.” Do not get me wrong, that our focus should be on the rewards, no life will always be based on our relationship with our Father in heaven, but we often identify some of God’s love through the rewards that come.
God’s Word speaks of the rewards in James 1:17 NLT which says, “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
We are told from the pulpit, “we need more faith” but the question is, how does our faith grow or evolve? How do I reach a deeper faith in God, in my life? Hebrews 11:1 NLT says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” In this verse we learn that faith is the action of HOPE. So, our misunderstanding has been that our faith stands alone on its own merits, like it is the foundational block we build our lives with. However, Hebrews 11:1 says our faith is built on the foundation of our hope, who our God is and the reason He made us…
Events vs Relationship
The challenge with our world today is we wait for events to move us. When the horrible things started happening like in the Ukraine some of us were upset and that lasted for a little while. Now, even though the same events are still happening in the Ukraine, it is just part of life, and we move on. But when the same things happen in Israel, we think it is all different because we know the Israelites are God’s people. We are afraid that the end of the world will come soon, so we all jump up in roar to defend them.
The misunderstanding about being a Christian is, it was never established based on events; it was established based on what Jesus Christ did for us, who died on the Cross. Every movement that is based on events shows the lack of a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In this setting, we must realize that people who function this way have to say their roots in God are like the seed planted among the thorns as recorded in Luke 8:14 NLT which says, “The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life.” Satan loves for us to make a big thing about what is happening in Israel because it makes us believe we are in good standing with God. Christianity based upon events, shows us we are far from the truth. The only thing that makes you in right standing with God is a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ. So, events no longer move us because we are already close to God and can trust Him that whatever comes we will be safe. Do not get me wrong, it is right to pray for God to bring justice, just like we see David did all through his reign and stop those who are evil.
What is happening in Israel has made many people fearful, because we know in Revelations it shows the rath of God will be unleashed on those that are not in a right relationship with God…
God's Promises
There was a little boy who lived in an orphanage with lots of other children just like him, except that he never really fit in because there was something different about him. The only thing he owned was an old, wrinkled bag, which no one was allowed to see what was inside. He knew he had a father somewhere but didn’t know where. Everywhere he went he looked for his father. Whenever he would see a man he would ask him, “Are you my father… Are you, my father?” Each time they would say, “No I am not your father.” And each time the little boy would look down at the ground in sadness as he walked off. Then he would go back to the orphanage and sit in the middle of his bed holding the wrinkled bag closely to him. He knew he had a father and wouldn’t give up looking for him. This went on for a few years.
Then one day a man came to the orphanage looking for his son. He came to see if his son, who had been taking away from him, might have been put in this orphanage. The word went out through the orphanage that this man would know his son by the things he gave to him to keep. Then the little boy ran and got his bag and ran back to find the man. But when he got there the man had gone. So, the little boy took his bag and went back to his bed again, holding onto bag tightly, in hopes that the man would come again…