Archive for April, 2017

The Truth Is In Jesus

Sunday, April 30th, 2017

By THE SPIRIT Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 4:

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ,

21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Your understanding can be darkened and that is a warning we all must pay close attention.  Additionally, you can grow corrupt by giving into deceitful lusts.  The responsibility squarely lies with us to protect ourselves from the world’s deceit and empty logic.  Jesus stated Himself that He is the Way, The Truth, and The Life and there is no other door to lawfully enter through.

We must put off the former conduct and do so in an active manner.  We must be renewed in the spirit of our mind.  We must put on the new man and not sit around waiting for some date for it to suddenly come upon us.  Why do you think FATHER provided us with HIS Word over these centuries if It were not to guide us into all Truth?  It instructs us on the path to take and warns us against all other alternative paths.  HE did this because HE Loves us and wants us fully restored and perfected.

We should not settle for mediocrity in our spiritual lives but instead become vessels for HIS use and to be a blessing unto all of mankind.  That is true inheritance.  The Truth is found in Jesus thus let us read His Words and embrace the intent behind those Words and we will become as He is.  Selah!

The Wiles

Saturday, April 29th, 2017

By THE SPIRIT Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 6:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Are we prepared for the cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery of the devil?  This issue is tied to chapter 4:

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

Trickery is the practice of deception.  Every one of us has been deceived by someone who wants to take something in our possession.  Whether it be money, trust, or vulnerability they took something precious.  There are some who simply want us to stroke their ego by becoming their follower in some manner.  Yet others simply want to steal our innocence.  We must protect ourselves from their trickery, but how?  As we become sensitive to The Holy Spirit Who resides in us we will get a witness about those who are our enemies and will be moved to keep our distance.

There are those who have become very skillful in their scheming to do us harm.  Their intent is to plot to extract something we have.  They will lie without blinking an eye straight to your face and use any means necessary to persuade you to submit to their scheme.  Once again we must be led by THE SPIRIT to defend against such scheming.  We must be perfected and matured in Christ to be fully equipped to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Knowing the Truth is the first step in protecting ourselves against trickery and deceit.  Jesus spoke of The Holy Spirit being our source for Truth in John chapter 16:

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

The Holy Spirit is prepared to deal with every situation we find ourselves in.  We must not let the pressure of time or men’s devices prevent us from seeking the Holy Spirit to confirm our intent, actions, or response.  If we are not at peace, take no action.  The Holy Spirit will give us peace concerning anything we are pursuing if it is intended by FATHER.

Often the Truth can be uncovered by asking more questions.  People who are deceptive will typically attempt to give the minimum information and apply pressure for us to decide.  That in itself will take the peace away.  As we develop our sensitivity to The Holy Spirit we will be able to spot the wiles of the devil quicker.

Jesus made it clear that The Holy Spirit would guide us into all Truth.  Shouldn’t our focus of being led by THE SPIRIT be the highest priority against the wiles of the devil?

What Is Our Answer?

Friday, April 28th, 2017

These blogs are intended to teach, encourage, and prepare those who will be faithful to read and meditate on what is written.  FATHER provides the topics and content and I simply convey what HE wants us to focus on.  Some topics clearly require additional emphasis and thus HE may have me write several blogs in a particular area.  Our responsibility is to be faithful to what is being emphasized and purpose not to skim over the Scriptures HE includes for there is life in HIS Word no matter how many times we have read it in the past.  Preparation often requires repetition on our part until it becomes a part of us.  Let us embrace the routine for it is needed to prepare us for the future.

What is the point of being given power and authority if you never acknowledge, embrace, and walk in it? 

Why would we be given armor if there was no need to use it in some manner over our lifetime?

In Luke chapter 10 Jesus spoke:

19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

The enemy is out there to this very day and we must not be ignorant of the cunning and crafty devices used by the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy.  Let’s face it, we are the targets of the enemy thus we must be equipped to deal with whatever comes our way.  There is not a demon behind every rock nor is every person we encounter demon-possessed.  This is why we must maintain a close relationship with FATHER and walk in the anointing and power HE conveys to us.  We will then have the discernment of spirits and know when to cast out demons versus simply praying for the sick.  We must not alienate people by flaunting some perceived “deliverance” ministry when in fact FATHER wants to bring forth unity.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Ephesians chapter 6:

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

FATHER has made it very clear that our weapons are spiritual in nature thus we need to be strong in THE SPIRIT in the area of each aspect of the armor mentioned above.  If we walk not in the Truth then we open ourselves up for failure.  It is true for the other parts of the armor as well.  We must be well-balanced in our Spiritual preparations so that when called upon, we will be ready to respond.  We must be faithful in the course of our daily walk and preparation.  There will be many uneventful days where we will spend time focusing on some aspect of The Word.  We need to consider each day as an opportunity to prepare for the next big thing FATHER wants to include us in.  If we become lax in our preparation then why would FATHER choose us to participate.  We need to be instant in season and out of season.  The marathon runner spends many lonely days running without any fanfare in preparation for race day.  The runner knows the importance of preparation in order to cross the finish line on the day of the race.  Our mandate is of much greater consequence thus we must have even greater focus and commitment than the runner.  If FATHER asked us the question concerning our preparation for being activated for HIS use, how would we answer?

The Imperative of Love

Thursday, April 27th, 2017

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 John chapter 3:

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

The Beloved Disciple John understood that Love overcomes the works of the devil.  Sin and lawlessness are not found among those who walk in Love and Our Elder Brother was given the direct purpose to destroy the works of the devil.  Those who aspire to be mature Sons will embrace the same purpose for Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

There is no question that sin is abounding in the world today so how much more important that the Sons and Daughters focus on the intense Love required to destroy the works of the devil found throughout the land.  He who sins is of the devil thus we should have no problem in identifying those who need Love in their lives.  We need not isolate ourselves except when we are in our prayer closets receiving instructions for the day.  The works of the devil is the issue, not the person who is enslaved by the devil.  Let us draw near unto FATHER and allow The Holy Spirit to draw men unto us so that we too might destroy the works of the devil.

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Our responsibility is to purify ourselves just as Jesus is pure.  We are to be a spotless bride when presented to Him.  By THE SPIRIT it is written in 1 Peter chapter 1:

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 5:

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Each time we read these anointed Words we are being cleansed of our blemishes resulting in a greater purity.  The spots and wrinkles are being removed by the power contained in the Word.  If we change priorities and set aside the Word then we take on the spots and wrinkles of the world.  We must not let ourselves become “void” of HIS Word in us but constantly plant the pure seed of the Word so that only good fruit come forth, especially Love.  Jesus knew His mission and never let the world’s influence redirect His priorities.  We must do the same.  There will be days when our bodies may ache and we may be emotionally drained but we must become even more determined to embrace HIS Word for us during these times of suffering.  The enemy will attempt to move us toward compromise but we must stand his cunning deception!

In Ephesians chapter 6:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The word “wiles” means- cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery.  We must not underestimate our foe but our strongest defense is first and foremost Agape Love.  Walking in Truth, faith, peace, righteousness, salvation, and being led by THE SPIRIT result because of our Love walk.  If we have the right foundation, we cannot be overcome by the “wiles” of the devil.  It is imperative that Love be our guiding force.

Rebuke The Enemy

Wednesday, April 26th, 2017

To rebuke means to speak angrily to someone because you disapprove of what they have said or done, it implies strong disapproval.  Luke wrote in chapter 4 by THE SPIRIT:

38 Now He (Jesus) arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.

39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

Jesus rebuked a spirit of affliction which presented itself as a fever and the spirit responded by departing Peter’s mother.  By the use of the word “rebuke” we know that Jesus showed strong disapproval of the fever which plagued Peter’s mother.  We are also told that she was immediately restored to health with energy enabling her to serve them.  She needed no time to recover!  Jesus recognized the source of the fever and spoke to it demonstrating His operating in the discerning of spirits.

Has FATHER called us to suffer with sickness?  If so then why would Jesus rebuke the fever rather than to let it run its course?  Sickness is an enemy to Christ, an enemy to FATHER, and should be an enemy to the Sons and Daughters being raised up in this hour.  We should no longer set aside the study and understanding of this enemy which plagues much of mankind today.  Billions of dollars are spent on man’s attempt to relieve the symptoms of this enemy with no end in sight.  Why?  The believers have deferred to the current medical system to deal with this enemy rather than actively seek FATHER in this matter.

If sickness is from Our Heavenly Father then we should not attempt to recover by using medical means.  We should not attempt to seek pain relief but accept it as being from Above.  Of course that is not the case for Jesus was called to heal the sick and set the captives free.  We must focus on the Truth about sickness rather than man’s perverted opinions.

When did sickness, disease, and death come on the scene?  When Adam and Eve were deceived by the devil in the garden and cast out, the god of this world began to have an effect on their bodies.  Once separated from FATHER their bodies were no longer glorified but now naked and subject to sickness, disease, and death.  It took many years for this to take effect and the life spans continued to decrease accordingly.  Jesus, the second Adam, has paid the price for Adam’s sin and now FATHER has declared us free from sin and sickness.  We must accept this payment for sin and sickness in order to partake of it.  Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice thus opening the door for us to take command over the enemy.  Our salvation, our healing, and our deliverance has been fully paid and satisfied through Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 6:

20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are GOD’S.

How can we fully glorify FATHER in our body if we don’t take command over the enemy who would attack us at our weakest points?  Let us lead a balanced life which addresses both spirit and body.  Satan and his demons are lawless thus even though they have been legally defeated, there are times we must confront their lawlessness by rebuking them.  The Blood of Jesus as well as the “stripes” He took on must be at the forefront of our confronting the enemy.  We must understand first hand the importance of The Blood and the stripes as we deal with spirits of affliction.  We must have a direct relationship with FATHER in order to operate under HIS power and authority.  In Acts chapter 19, we find an example of men lacking in their understanding:

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

This passage makes it clear that those who do not have a personal, direct relationship with Jesus Christ and FATHER will have no power over evil spirits.  James wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 4:

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The simple Truth holds the key to dealing with the devil for it is all about our relationship with FATHER.  With the proper power and authority we should expect to rebuke the fever and expect the same results.

Other Healings

Tuesday, April 25th, 2017

By THE SPIRIT Matthew wrote in chapter 12:

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.

In Chapter 9:

32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.

33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

Mark wrote by THE SPIRT in chapter 9:

21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”  And he said, “From childhood.

22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”

Were these issues only specific to the time Jesus walked the earth?  Absolutely not!  FATHER would not have included all these examples if we were not to learn from them.  Demons were not eradicated from the earth in 33 A.D. but the disciples dealt with them as well.  The demons knew their time would eventually come with their final demise was at hand.  The legion of demons revealed that Truth before they were cast into the swine.

Some spirits of infirmity are more difficult to deal with than others.  The disciples asked Jesus why they were unable to cast this deaf and dumb spirit out.  Jesus revealed a key for us to consider- intimate prayer or communication with FATHER  prepares us for dealing with the spirits of this type.  HE is the Originator of the power required to cast our these spirits thus we must receive direction from HIM.

Would the local physician, specialist, or hospital been able to cure the above deaf mutes?  They would have referred to their training and used whatever protocols were approved by the Medical Association and only treated the symptoms at best.  They might have considered a cochlear implant, an electronic medical device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear.  That person would have to rely on the technology performance rather than FATHER’S perfect design.

Is it going to be easy for the Sons to be anointed to heal the above cases?  We must trust FATHER to bring forth HIS anointing and power at the appropriate time.  In the meantime we must not be ignorant of ministry in this area and shy away from dealing with spirits of infirmity.  Fear not as FATHER prepares us for all situations HE expects us to confront.  The multitudes will marvel just like they did when Jesus healed the one who was demon-possessed, blind and mute.  The Sons will give FATHER the full credit for the healing and not build an institution, following, or doctrine for self-exaltation. 

Oppressed, Not Possessed

Monday, April 24th, 2017

By THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 10 Peter spoke:

36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

When many think of demons harassing men and women, they tend to think of them being “possessed” by a demon.  However, Peter explicitly says different.  You can be oppressed rather than possessed and many whom Jesus healed were simply oppressed by the devil.  The key to ministering healing as Jesus did is to be anointed with The Holy Spirit and with power.  Further, “GOD was with Him” would indicate that Jesus received specific instructions, discernment, and Words from FATHER WHOM He was one with.  I believe this Truth has not changed and the requirements remain the same.  There are those who were used by FATHER to heal but many departed from the pure calling and allowed their ego to get in the way.  Their ministries subsided over time.

In Luke 13 it is recorded by THE SPIRIT:

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.

12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”

13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

These spirits of infirmity are persistent in their attempt to restrain us from normal activity.  Can you imagine having a spirit oppress you for eighteen years?  Jesus with His anointing and power laid hands on the woman and loosed her immediately from this persistent spirit.  We must not assume anything when we see people with infirmities but intently listen to FATHER concerning them.  We must defer to FATHER how we minister rather than conjure up our own diagnosis of the situation.  In one case Jesus simply said “Go” and the person was healed by faith whereas He laid hands on this woman.  We must not look for formulas for healing.

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?

16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?

17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Jesus clearly associated the spirit of infirmity with Satan.  FATHER did not bind this woman but Satan did.  Jesus simply explained the relationship with sickness and disease and its source.  The ruler of the synagogue missed the whole point of the purpose of worshipping FATHER.  He tried to defend tradition over the work of Christ in the area of healing.  FATHER is not restricted by tradition or custom when it comes to ministering Love to HIS children.

Spiritual Over The Physical

Sunday, April 23rd, 2017

A germ is a a microorganism (as a bacterium) that causes disease.  These germs do not come from FATHER but originate from the wicked one because they kill and destroy human life.  The spirit of infirmity gives life to the disease just as our spirits give life to the body.  As my friend Dr. Vincent Speckhart would say- The body is designed to heal itself and it is designed to live forever.  When these germs attempt to invade our bodies, some will successfully fight off the germ whereas others are unable to deal with the intruder.  Years of toxins may have compromised our body’s design thus we must cleanse it according to FATHER’S direction.

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Luke chapter 8:

43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,

44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

The woman’s faith in the healing power of Jesus was sufficient to remove all that had been plaguing her for twelve years.  The physicians could not heal her yet the connection with Jesus and her faith resolved the problem in a moment.  There was no complicated ritual, only the simplicity of Christ.  Those affected tissues were no longer subject to the spirit of infirmity that originally attacked her body but were immediately restored to their normal function.

One of the most pronounced transformations Dr. Speckhart recorded was a young lady who had advanced breast cancer.  She became his patient and FATHER revealed to him that she had a root of bitterness toward her grandmother for words spoken over her when she was young.  After he sought approval from the patient, they prayed concerning this spiritual issue and removed it from her through forgiveness for her grandmother.  Her body began to respond and all the cancer began to shrivel up and die.  The spiritual will overpower the physical body… make no mistake.  Soon afterward she was normal and cancer free.

In Hebrews chapter 12 it is written by THE SPIRIT:

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled (polluted, contaminated);

We must look to the source of our physical issues and remain grateful in our walk with FATHER.   We must not let any unforgiveness open the door for the wicked one to plant contaminated seed in us.  Jesus made it a point to deal with spirits of infirmity (demons) when He gave the disciples the directive in Mark chapter 16:

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Let us not leave an integral part of the Great Commission out of our maturing process but instead embrace every Word Jesus spoke for His Words reveal the Divine Intent of FATHER which is based on Love.

Purpose of Deliverance

Saturday, April 22nd, 2017

By THE SPIRIT Luke wrote in chapter 8:

1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,

2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,

3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

Clearly healing the sick includes the removal of both evil spirits and infirmities.  On one side people want to operate in the spiritual but on the other they do not want to deal with the reality of evil spirits.  We must mature beyond the issue associated with evil spirits for Jesus dealt with them throughout the Gospels.  Just consider Mary Magdalene’s impact on the ministry.  She and other women became financial contributors to Jesus Christ’s earthy ministry.  It is also reported that she went on and greatly impacted Christianity.  Some saw Mary as the special disciple of Jesus who had a deeper understanding of his teachings and was asked to impart this to the other disciples.  At any rate after being delivered from seven demons she had a notable impact on the ministry of Christ.

Whether it is one demon, seven demons, or a legion of demons, they all came out of the people they possessed at the command of Jesus.  It should be no different with us as it was with our elder Brother.

In Acts chapter 19 by THE SPIRIT it is written:

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.

19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

In the above passage, Jewish exorcists attempted to use a formula to cast out demons.  They had no personal relationship with FATHER through Our Lord Jesus Christ and as a result they failed miserably.  The demons are not unaware of our relationship with Christ and they will generally attempt to stay away from those who are truly mature in Christ.  FATHER will have us confront them at the appropriate time with the appropriate anointing for deliverance.  We must not be anxious about our next confrontation with them.

FATHER worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.  We should expect no less than what FATHER did through HIS vessel Paul.  Paul was delivered from a walk headed for certain death and destruction but Jesus delivered him.  Mary Magdalene had seven demons one day then became one of the few mentioned contributors of Christ’s ministry in the Gospels.  We must look beyond the issue of infirmities and evil spirits and realized that the person can become a willing vessel once delivered.  That is what Love does.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Ephesians chapter 4:

25 Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

27 nor give place to the devil.

We must develop zero tolerance for the devil and his demons to operate in our midst.  We must not let compromise be found among us as we purpose to become fully mature in Christ.  Let us no longer be intimidated by the enemy but instead trust in FATHER to bring forth the power and authority for each and every situation we find ourselves in… including deliverance.  Let us purpose to set the captives free no matter what form of captivity they are dealing with.

Setting The Captives Free

Friday, April 21st, 2017

Most ministries are reluctant to approach the topic of demons or unclean spirits but Jesus did not shy away from this ministry for it is one aspect of “setting the captives free”.  Hollywood has attempted to glorify the devil and demons by portraying them as supernaturally powerful.  Jesus could cast them out with as little as one word- “GO!”.  We must not be intimidated by the Hollywood’s portrayal but instead focus on the facts provided us in Scripture.  Casting our demons was just one part of Jesus’ ministry but we should not omit it in our pursuit to prepare for a ministry similar to His example.

In Mark chapter 3 it is written by THE SPIRIT:

10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.

11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”

12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

In order for demon spirits to communicate, they must use the vocal chords of a human.  They are well aware and recognize those who are used of THE FATHER.  In this passage they recognized Jesus for who He is and proclaimed it.  In response Jesus sternly warned them to be quiet.  This short passage reveals the power and authority over demon spirits thus we should not be afraid when confronting them. 

In Luke chapter 4 it is written by THE SPIRIT:

40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

41 And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Both of these passages reveal the demons will speak through the person whom they possess and talk to the person casting them out.  They know who is of The Kingdom and who isn’t.  They know Scripture as well for the devil used various Scriptures in an attempt to convince Jesus to compromise His calling.   

In Matthew chapter 8 it is written by THE SPIRIT:

28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.

29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.

31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

Jesus was recognized by the legion of demons in the two men and they addressed Him appropriately.  They knew of His power and did not try to confront it but instead because of their fear they were ready to strike a deal with Him.  They yearn to possess some life form and they knew Jesus would not allow them to enter another person so they chose a herd of swine close by.  Immediately the swine were led to their death.  The demons were true to form when they carried out the mandate of satan to kill, steal, and destroy. 

By THE SPIRIT it is written in Mark 7:

24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.

25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.

26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

In this case Jesus did not lay hands on the girl or directly address the demon.  In THE SPIRIT He simply spoke The Word and the demon submitted to His power and authority.  We need not attempt to create “deliverance” formulas or methods but instead we need to hear FATHER’S Voice and respond appropriately.  Neither the devil nor his demons have any true spiritual power when confronted with the anointing given by FATHER.  As we mature to the point of desiring to set the captives free, FATHER will impart the necessary anointing for whatever issue we confront.