I was about to wrap up my series on the thief with one last blog, but the Lord brought to my attention a thief pertinent for today to mention. The first time we hear about frogs is in the book of Exodus as one of the 10 plagues.
This is what the great LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials. Exodus 8:1–4
As we can see frogs are considered in Biblical terms to be a plague or a pest which hits the world system in times of God’s judgement in the earth. God judges the world based on the criteria of sin but also on its treatment of his people. While this is true in the past it is also true today. One can quite easily make a correlation between intense persecution of the Lord’s people and natural calamities, confusion, and misfortune. You will find this in nations, cities, and individual lives. It is a spiritual principal. Put your hand or mouth to one of God’s kids and watch your life go down the toilet.
Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, And whoever curses Israel will be cursed. Numbers 24:9
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.Galatians 3:14
How then does this make the frog a thief? The frog is a thief if you do not live in the land of Goshen or are under the blood of the lamb. While this is true of the unbeliever it can also be true to the disobedient or ignorant Christian. (see my blog on ignorance)
Just because I know that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for my salvation, (The Israelites were God’s people prior to the plagues of Egypt) does not mean I’m protected automatically. I must APPLY the blood of the lamb on the door posts of my home or life. That is, I must acknowledge this grace by pleading the blood of Jesus before God’s throne for my constant protection.
You see it is the angel of death who must see that blood covering your life! (Just so you know the spirit of death is a demonic power not a good angel.) When Satan sees you have applied the blood of Jesus to your life, he cannot harm you. Some Christians equate the Lord on the same level as other gods. The whims of the gods is a term used to mean that the gods do as they please with mankind, depending on their mood. In other words selection based on preference.
God is no respecter of persons. All his promises are ‘yes and amen’ to those who trust in God for them!
Beloved, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health, even as thy soul doth prosper. 3 John 1:2
My people PERISH for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6
God’s people will have tribulation and persecution, but they also will if they trust the Lord, triumph over them all! (another topic)
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19
During God’s judgement on the Egyptians, he sent a plague of frogs. In Egypt the common marsh frogs dwell. These frogs are not poisonous or harmful to touch BUT they are a terrible annoyance if they overpopulate. They can get into everything!
God allowed these frogs to overpopulate to the point of disaster for the Egyptians! The Lord in doing so was actually bringing them a message. In Egyptian culture, the frog was a symbol of life, and fertility. In other words, prosperity. Rather than giving glory to God (YAHWEH) for their blessings the Egyptians worshiped a god like frog.
In overpopulating Egypt with frogs, the Lord was revealing who was really in charge of all things, but also that the god they worshipped was now turning against them. This is another spiritual principal in play. Whatever you put your trust in (make an idol) besides the Lord, might very well end up becoming a problem.
They shall be turned back and be utterly put to shame, Who trust in idols, Who say to molten images, “You are our gods.”Isaiah 42:17
They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusts in them. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. Psalm 115: 8,9
Another mention of frogs is in the Book of Revelation. Also, a last days curse or plague to humanity.
And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs. Revelation 16:13
The interesting thing about these frogs are that they are lying spirits. Why would God depict lying spirits as frogs? Have you ever heard frogs croaking? Frogs go ballistic just before rainy season. They croak on a constant basis and if you live near them, they will keep you awake at night! The noise is constant to the point of being harassing. Frogs during mating season will not shut up!
Notice that these frogs come out of the dragon. They originate from Satan’s domain. They come out of the mouth of the beast or world system and the false prophet. (s)
While this is a specific end time event it is also an end times judgement in the earth. Biblical illustrations are many times past, present and future. These frogs or unclean spirts make a lot of noise. Each frog competing with the other frog to get people’s attention. The Greek word unclean in this text is akathartos, to be morally lewd, foul, and demonically inspired.
Sounds about like today huh? A whole bunch of lying spirts croaking to get people’s attention!
These frogs are a last days plague coming out of the devil’s mouth through his false prophets or deceivers in the world system.
Jesus told us to be careful what we hear! In other words, be discerning. The frogs are croaking really loud today! Many are confused. Many who have put their trust in secular wisdom (idols) are beginning to see the tree through the forest! Rainy season is here! New life always comes in rainy season!
Apply the blood of Jesus over your life every day! Paul told us to PUT ON the helmet of salvation. Wear your armour in the midst of this end times war. We are in a battle! Pray up!
The best thing to counter false news is the good news! The good news is that when it rains it pours!
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.Matthew 24:14
In the 58th chapter of Isaiah, the prophet speaks God’s heart concerning his people’s spiritual condition.
The prophet points out the nation’s sins.
The Lord never wants to bring judgment on anybody, but if his people will not repent of their sins sometimes he has to. The objective is to get our attention.
Before the Lord does this, he always gives his people a warning. He reveals to them where they have missed it and what they need to do to get it right.
“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”
The rest of the chapter deals with the sins that his people have committed. In order to repent or get right with God, we need to know what to repent of. Sometimes we are so self-righteous that we don’t see our sins. God has to point them out to us.
When things start going wrong in our lives, and our prayers begin to bounce off the ceiling, we then ask God. “What’s going on?”
More often than not, we have become entangled in something God calls sin! With sin in the way, our prayers will not be received. Some people don’t realize this, but our prayers will go unanswered unless we repent of what it is we are doing that is displeasing to God.
‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Chapters Isaiah 58,59 point out a whole bunch of things that displease the Lord. Many of which we have been guilty of.
He then uses the spider analogy to give us a clear idea of what our sins do to us. Not only does sin hurt the Lord but our sin hurts us too.
God likens falling into sin like falling into a spider’s web.
Spiders, or the devils are predators. They tempt us to sin. The devil can only tempt us however, in an area of our life not yet surrendered to God.
In Job 8:13-15 the Lord tells us that the serpent (cockatrice) hatches poisonous eggs and the spider weaves a web for those who forget God. For those who live like hypocrites, and for those who put their trust in the ‘spiders web,’ or in the enemy’s deceptive devices.
When we leave God out of our lives or even a part of our lives, the serpent comes along and presents to us his ‘grand’ ideas. He gives us worldly wisdom with independent thoughts that, when hatched, become an ensnarment to us! The next thing we know after a while, our house comes crashing down all around us!
Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. Job 8:13-15
We need to understand the serpent’s methods, so we don’t get trapped in a spider’s web. Although the serpent is the instigator of the entrapment, he uses the spider to do the entrapping. After all, the web must be woven by a spider because spiders, by nature, are the weaver of webs!
The spider’s objective is to catch prey. Some spiders may sit in their webs, hoping for some poor guy to come along and fall in, but this is not always the case! Some spiders use strategies to catch their prey. After the spider has weaved its web of lies, it then takes a sticky lasso cord to entangle its prey.
Deception has a way of wrapping us all up in entanglement. We become ensnared in our deception.
Trusting in our own strength is like putting our trust in the spider’s web. It is a deceptive entrapment to trust in our own might, intelligence, and prowess, leaving God out of our decisions.
When we become our own god, the serpent can hatch his poisonous eggs in our big fat ego!
After that, the spider comes along and weaves for us a master plan. We got it all figured out! We know how to solve this problem! We got it covered!
Oh, how many times we fall for that web of deception! Making decisions without consulting the Lord, trying to fix a wrong thing to make it right, building our own empires! There’s that sticky lasso! Getting us all caught up in entanglements concerning the affairs of this life!
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Proverbs 28: 26
Some spiders will even mimic their prey in order to avoid being detected. They look so much like a nice Christian or a good person. They have a lot of good advice to give. Then before you know it, you’re trapped in the web of deception! Why didn’t I just pray about that person first?
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Psalm 32:8
There are even spiders who will run their prey down! They camouflage so you can’t detect them, then when you see them for who they are they try hunting you down! You can’t get rid of them! Ever have somebody like that in your life? Constant harassment!
Well, if I had sought the Lord on that friendship, I would not be in this kerfuffle!
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20
Lastly, some spiders are poisonous. If you get bit by one of those, you are in big trouble! How often do we decide to trust a person or situation without consulting the Lord? Then we end up getting bit where it hurts! For me, more times than I can remember!
Like I told you in a previous blog; sometimes it takes a hammer to fall on my head before I get it. But better late than never.
Now I am learning to listen more closely to the Holy Spirit’s inner promptings. Greenlight, yes! Red light, don’t go there!
Before the prophet Isaiah tells God’s people why they ended up eating rotten serpent eggs in the spider’s web, he shows them their sin. If you look at those or any other sin for that matter, you will find a common theme: ‘refusal to submit to the Lordship of God (Jesus Christ) and doing our own thing.’
That is sin in a nutshell! If we are not submitted to God, we give Satan a place in our lives. Whether it is all of our lives or a part of our lives.
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7
The devil sets traps for his prey. While entrapment may be criminally illegal, the devil doesn’t care about legalities. He knows our weaknesses, what we may be susceptible to. That is why he is called the tempter.
Spiders often build webs in our homes! In our garden or somewhere else on our property. That is why we have to be on the alert. Keeping our eye out for those webs!
When one is entrapped, they lose control. Stuck in a situation that makes them feel trapped. Deception is a spider’s 🕸 🕷
Sin is a deadly poison! It is a rotten serpant egg! No matter how good it looks, if we ingest it, we could die! At the very least, become sick!
There is a way out, though. God, in his mercy, provided one for us. It is called repentance. Turning back to God. When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and purify us from all the sin’s unrighteousness!
Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sin! That means he took our place. Aren’t you glad that he did that? Otherwise, we would be stuck forever in the web of deception, eating rotten serpent eggs!
If you need to get it right with the Lord today, why not seek him? He said in his word that he will never turn you away! No matter how far you’ve gone from him. He loves you and longs for you to turn to him for his forgiveness and healing.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
In our thief series, I would like to draw your attention to another adversary. I’m sure you have heard of this one. SWINE have not been given a bad reputation for nothing!
So much controversy over this creature, and with good reason! Swine are interesting animals. For one thing, they are highly intelligent! They are social animals that use their snouts as sensory receptors. They have good memories, are inquisitive, emotional, playful, and very strategic in their mission![1]
Why do I mention this? You should realize that Swine are not to be underestimated by any means.
Pigs, like people, have similar digestive systems with similar diets. Both are omnivores who dine on meat, roots, and seeds.
The book of Leviticus tells us that under the law, Swine are to be avoided as edible meats. The reason is both metaphorical and physical. (Leviticus 11:27)
Physically Swine have a similar digestive system as humans. In fact, Swine are very similar to humans in genetics, anatomy, and physiology. [2]
Swine were considered unclean under the law because rather than eating grass strictly, they ate just about anything else!
Swine are not able to digest cellulose. Swine eat calorie-dense food. Plus, they are not too particular, either. They will even eat human corpses and feces.
Swine carry parasites that, even when cooking, may not be destroyed. Swine meat can carry trichinosis, which will cause sickness and sometimes even death. It is recommended to cook pork very well done! Trichinosis is a health problem worldwide.
Historically speaking, some civilizations have always avoided eating pork. Namely, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Israel. However, the Romans loved eating pork. [3] Romans also sacrificed Swine to their gods.[4]
Now we come to the metaphorical aspect of the Swine. In the New Testament, Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.” Matthew 7:6
Swine were considered unclean under the law of God, but they also metaphorically meant Gentiles or unbelievers. Since the Gentiles have come to salvation because of the sacrifice of the lamb of God Jesus Christ, we can deduce that Swine today, metaphorically speaking, are the unbelieving or those outside the New Covenant of God or his promises.
By New Covenant, I mean the one that has replaced, and may I emphasize replaced, the Old Covenant. Obedience to the letter of the law has been replaced by life and liberty in the Holy Spirit!
Now I know some Christians believe we are still obligated to obey the law, and some, even today, want to bring the born-again Gentile under obligation to Jewish festivals. These, however, are wrong doctrines.
The Bible says explicitly that the Old Covenant has been replaced by the New Covenant!
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Hebrews 8:6-13
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Galatians 3:9
Therefore, the law was our tutorto bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by FAITH But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:24,25
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:4
Having said that, let’s look at why Swine in reference to the ‘unbelieving’, are adversarial to the Christian.
Swine though intelligent from a secular perspective, have no spiritual understanding. This includes ALL not born again by the Holy Spirit or those not believing God’s word. Like Swine, they cannot digest spiritual food.
Jesus tells us not to cast pearls before Swine. This is significant! Jesus references pearls in his teaching because pearls were one of the most desired gems in the world, particularly in Israel. Since pearls were and are rare and costly, they are considered highly prized items. The Bible uses the pearl as a standard by equating them with spiritual wisdom. Spiritual wisdom is far superior than pearls. [5]
Jesus tells us in his parable that the kingdom of God is more desirable than pearls.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went, and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46
As you can see, valuable pearls should not be thrown at Swine, who will trample all over them! Not only that but Swine, not valuing pearls, will also attack the one throwing the pearls at them!
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 1 Peter 3:3,4
This admonition covers unbelievers as in the unsaved, but it also covers those who don’t believe all of the Bible within its proper context. These “believers” do not believe the Bible says what it says. Now keep in mind there are inferences in the Bible not specifically stated that can be interpreted according to one’s limited understanding. However, attacking someone who does not have the same revelation in the word of God that we have is a sin. Bottom line.
Correcting wrong doctrine has scriptural application BUT we are never to attack the person on a personal basis. Many of us have believed error in one way or another over our lives, but God did not condemn us. He corrected us in his love. Keeping this in mind, let us pray for the one we perceive is in error. If they are open, we can bring correction to the error. If not, we should not continue fellowship as it may produce strife and all kind of demonic attacks in our lives.
From personal experience, I have been on both ends of the stick on this one! Let me share with you what I learned.
Being in error about certain scriptural doctrines, I limited myself because I did not (because I was not open) receive the blessings of that spiritual application. I suffered for many years because of it. Paul made reference to coming behind in a gift.
Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:7
We will not receive those blessings if we are closed to certain scripturally stated premises.
For example, many believe that speaking in tongues is not for today. The scriptures they give to support this belief are out of context and inferred by denominational interpretation, not explicitly stated scripture. Actually, some scriptures specifically say that tongues benefit the believer.
I mention this topic because it is a highly controversial one.
That being said, the non-tongue speaker will not receive from the blessing of praying in the Holy Ghost! Is this a big deal? It is if you want to use one of the weapons of our warfare to battle the powers of darkness. You can do a scripture study yourself on this topic.
A genuinely open person searching for truth ALWAYS looks at both sides of an argument. To ignore one side is to bias which means, as the scriptures confirm, one wants to believe a lie because it benefits them in some way.
Let me give you another argument. Some Christians do not believe in divine healing, while others believe in divine healing, but don’t believe its for everyone. They believe God picks and chooses who he heals and who he does not. I was one of them until I had a Holy Spirit encounter and revelation of the word of God.
According to God’s word, it is God’s will to save, deliver, and heal everyone. Are all saved? Are all delivered? Are all healed? No!
Why is that? If you study the scriptures, you will find that the fault always lies with the person. Reasons are given in the Bible why a person does not receive from God. The number one reason is UNBELIEF. (To find out more, check out my blog link)
I have actually met people who do not want to be healed! They will not say this outright, but their actions reveal it. One person I was sharing scripture with on healing had a particular disease. This lady headed up a support group for those suffering in this area. She loved her leadership role and had a close-knit friendship with the women in her group. She rejected the scriptures I gave because (I perceived by the Spirit) she did not want to give up her position in that support group.
Some people want to continue being sick because they get a financial benefit from their sickness.
I have met others who like their sickness because it gives them attention. Everyone at church fawns all over them. They get catered to and receive many benefits! One person I met would go so far as to attack people preaching healing because they did not want their lie exposed.
In my Holy Spirit encounter, which I will share with you, the Lord spoke to me loud in my spirit two things. He asked me a question. Are you ready to deal with things? I instinctively knew this was the condition of my heart. I said, “Yes, Lord.”
Then he gave me a command. He said, “Take up your bed and walk!”
I was becoming sick with a disease and was seeking the Lord about it. I did not want the sickness at all! In obedience to God I rejected the devil’s lie. I began trusting God for my healing. (another topic)
I learned a lot of things from that experience.
Doctors don’t have all the answers. They often prescribe drugs that, while beneficial in one way, may give you a lot of terrible side effects. If you don’t believe me, check out your meds’ labels!
God does use doctors, don’t get me wrong, but they are not the end all to be all.
We need to be personally led by the Holy Spirit in our healing journey. I was healed progressively in order to teach others that you don’t have to give up hope. God is there to answer your problems when you diligently seek him!
Sin and unbelief will hinder healing! Not always, but many times this is the case!
I was unaware of all the junk in my heart until the Holy Spirit started revealing things to me little by little. Our junk hinders God’s blessing in our lives. Including healing.
My healing was and is progressive. Again, this is used to help others receive their healing. God does do miracles immediately, but not always.
My faith was increased in the area of healing. Now I teach others about healing and pray for them to be healed.
Now back to the swine adversarial topic. If we try to minister in an area where people are not open, many times, we will get attacked. If any person wants to be ignorant, scriptures tell us to let them be ignorant. (1 Corinthians 14:38) We should remove ourselves as best we can from the adversarial situation, continuing to pray.
Swine prefer to wallow in mire rather than admire God’s pearls. Swine are humans with ungodly attitudes. When we have a revelation from the word of God, we need to pray for wisdom in ministering that revelation to others. Persecution comes because of the word’s sake. (Mark 4:17) Casting pearls before Swine will only end up causing us unnecessary pain.
Ask the Lord for open hearts to share the word of God ! This way, you will cast pearls before those who value their great price!
In this next blog, I want to expose another tactic of the enemy that he uses to kill, steal, and destroy. This is the bewitching spirit.
We hear about this spirit in the book of Galatians. Paul asks these new converts in Galatia, ‘who has bewitched you?”
Before we get into this demonic culprit, let’s do some background context.
Galatia was a major region of north-central Turkey. The name Galatia came from the Gaul inhabitants who settled in the region in 278 B.C. The Gauls were a Celtic people who invaded Greece in the 3rd century B.C. Two centuries later, in 25 B.C., the area became a Roman province.
Paul’s missionary work resulted in the conversion of some of these Galatians (Gauls)from polytheistic paganism.
The Judaizers Paul refers to were both ethnic Jews and Gentile converts, who continued to observe Jewish customs and laws. These sought to persuade Christians that one had to adhere to Jewish customs and laws to be saved.
Not only did these Judaizers bring in their religious practices to mix with Christianity, but they also brought in their elitist attitude. In other words, they thought their ways were better than the gospel of grace given by the Holy Spirit. Better than God’s method for salvation, which is grace through faith in Jesus Christ APART FROM works or deeds of the law.
For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8,9
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Titus 3:5
In the book of Galatians, Paul addresses the problem of adding works to salvation. He exposes these false teachers. Warning against adding anything cultural or social to the gospel for justification before God.
How does he do this? By asking them a question, ‘Who has bewitched you?”
This is significant. Paul is making a correlation here between witchcraft and adding works to the gospel. To understand precisely what he is talking about, we must know what witchcraft is!
While it is true that blatant practitioners of the dark side use witchcraft, it is also true that witchcraft is used by regular people and carnal Christians. That might be a new concept to some of you reading this blog, but if you understand witchcraft, you will know what I mean.
The Bible defines witchcraft as a work of the flesh. That means it is a sinful behavior not necessarily equated with blatant sorcery, although it can be.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
Witchcraft, according to the scriptures, is a work of the flesh. Paul tells the Galatians that they are being bewitched by the Judaizers because they are being removed from the true gospel of grace into another false or perverted gospel. (Galatians 1:6)
Paul says that even if an angel came down from heaven and preached another gospel to them, don’t believe it! Paul tells the Galatians that he received the gospel of Jesus Christ through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, not from men. He said those who preach a false gospel will be eternally cursed or lost. (Galatians 1:7-9)
I would like to point out that the scriptures tell us that adding works of the law to our salvation is a false gospel.
Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28
While most Christians don’t adhere to Jewish customs and laws, some may still add works of the law to their salvation. To understand this fully, we must define what ‘law’ is.
According to Hugh Evander Willis, Indiana university of law, the definition of law (which I will paraphrase) is a rule of action prescribed by some superior that the inferior is bound to obey. Civil law he defined as “a rule of civil conduct prescribed by the supreme power in a state, commanding what is right and prohibiting what is wrong. These have two main concepts: (1) the concept of a “superior” and (2) the concept of command. The law according to Hugh Evander Willis is a scheme of social control.
The law of God was given by Moses for much the same thing. For social control of the sinful nature through rules and regulations to have a society operating justly. Since this was not a perfect system, God also set up animal sacrifices as temporal atonement for the sins of the people.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterward be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Galatians 3: 23-25
Falling from grace is when the law is added to salvation as a justification rather than faith in Jesus Christ alone.
This brings us to the thief culprit. The bewitcher who operates in witchcraft.
To bewitch means to attract or interest someone by manipulating them through influence in order to have power and control over them. That’s the definition of ‘bewitching’ in a nutshell.
This is a method used by many in the church to control others. Witchcraft is a carnal act. It is a sin.
To manipulate in order to control another person for our own benefit or to keep them under our thumb in any way is to practice witchcraft. Whether a bully club or a honey pot is used to do it, does not matter!
Formal witchcraft uses these methods! According to the formal operation of witchcraft, Elemental magic or Elemental manipulation is a craft using demonic influence to control. Whether it’s to control the natural elements or a person or persons.
In much the same way, people not formally practicing witchcraft are, in fact, witchcraft practitioners if they are using manipulation to control another person(s).
The term witchcraft comes from Old English wiccecraeft.Wicca (masculine) or wicce (feminine). It denotes one who practices sorcery or charming. That’s where we get the word, charm from. (the power or attribute of delighting or arousing admiration.)
The bewitcher had developed the art or skill of manipulation, charm, indoctrination, groupthink, mind control, and enchantment over others through manipulation.
Paul calls this art of witchcraft a work of the flesh. In other words, it is a sin in which carnal Christians participate. To manipulate or control through artful means for one’s advantage at the detriment of another is the art of witchcraft.
Using control through condemnation, guilt, intimidation, fear, charm, or other manipulative means is practicing witchcraft. To bewitch is to charm through deceit in order to sway a person’s thinking.
The Judaizers were adding Jewish customs and practices to the gospel of Jesus Christ to control others. Paul says Gentiles DO NOT have to observe Jewish holidays or cultural practices to be saved. (Romans 2:12-29)
However, other forms of social control are used in the church to control others. When someone, even preachers influence by the flesh in order to get someone to do something they want rather than allowing Holy Spirit to do his job, (which is to teach, counsel, draw, influence, and control), then they are operating in a spirit of witchcraft.
Does that mean that God does not use people? No, it does not. God uses people to administer his gifts, but the Holy Spirit is the controller of another person, period! The teacher or preacher’s job is to instruct in scriptures, then leave the rest to God. Using scriptures out of context to manipulate, dominate, and control other people is a sin. It does not matter, even if it’s for a good cause!
How can you know if you are being bewitched? By the fruit that results in your life!
Bewitching through manipulation, domination and control causes condemnation, guilt, an inferiority complex, feeling not good enough, you don’t measure up, powerlessness, defeatism, fear, and other negative emotions. There is a difference between Holy Spirit conviction and condemnation.
Holy Spirit convicts through love. He tells you your problem then gives you a solution, like a Father correcting his child. He does not use a big stick to tell you to measure up or else!
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:17-18
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1,2
Spiritual abusers use witchcraft to manipulate, dominate and control others. They tell you that if you do not adhere to such and such, then you are not good enough. They give you guilt trips and condemnation in order to make a person feel inferior. It’s their craft! A form of control. Some even use honey sticks. ‘If you do this, we will do that for you’!
Let me give you some examples.
When I was a young Christian, I began attending this church. Lo and behold, I found myself in the middle of a split! One side wanted to do things one way, and the other side wanted to do things another way. I hardly knew anybody because I was new to the congregation. As it turns out, the leader of one side wanted to secure my vote. (Why I could vote anyway was beyond me) This leader told me that if I voted for their side, I would be given my own bible study. I didn’t have to be a mature believer to know that was wrong, so I found another church, getting out of that mess!
If you have been saved as long as I have, you probably remember the days of the prosperity preachers. Today some still do the same practices. In those days, preachers would use all kinds of ways or gimics to get your money! Manipulation was rampant! Thank God I stayed out of that stuff! The Bible clarifies that giving to the Lord is a free-will offering that should be delivered from a cheerful heart, not because of necessity or because you have to or don’t measure up.
God does not need our money. He owns cattle on a thousand hills. The scriptures tell us how to give and how to receive. Each is to be led by the Lord in their giving. Using manipulative methods to get someone’s money is a form of witchcraft.
Offering special privileges if you do something is a form of witchcraft. Brow beating from the pulpit by using scriptures taken out of context to make one feel inferior or manipulate them to perform something is witchcraft.
Playing someone through manipulation to do something or buy something is witchcraft. Jesus said to let our conversation be yes or no. In other words be straight up! Many marketing methods used by Christians today are witchcraft. They use misleading click bate, sensationalism, and downright deception for gain. A good product will sell based on its worth. Just tell the truth about what you are offering! Then leave the rest to the Lord.
One last example (there are others) is the use of condemnation. This is also rampant in the church. To make disciples for themselves, some teachers, preachers, and church leaders bewitch others to see themselves always in perpetual need. Constantly feeding spiritual baby food, keeping the people ignorant, constantly having prayer lines, constant inferiority blasted at the sheep from the pulpits. It’s just horrible.
Jesus said…go and make disciples for him, not for yourself! The teaching ministry exists to train, instruct in righteousness, and mature God’s sheep, so they don’t need your services anymore! Making disciples means letting the sheep go when it’s time. Letting go when they are ready, when they get itchy feet to leave home. Helping the lambs mature so they can go out and do the work of the ministry! You wouldn’t let your young adult son or daughter stay home forever, would you? It is the same with sheep or those we mentor or disciple. The objective is to train them in the ways of the Lord then let them go!
Paul gives a remedy for the Galatians who have been bewitched. He tells them that they have been justified and made righteous before God by faith in Jesus Christ without the deeds of the law.
To be justified means that a person has a reasonable and acceptable basis for something. In common law, this is a type of defense. This defense exempts the defendant from liability because the defendant’s actions were justified.
In other words, the defendant will not suffer the usual penalty for their actions in a court of law because they had a valid justification. The defendant could not have been asked to act any differently in this situation. (Cornell law school legal information institute)
It is the same with God’s law. The shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ is our justification for the penalty of sin. (Hebrew Chapter 9)
For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 3:28
Paul tells the Galatians that he is now dead to the law (It’s an old method) so that he can live for God by faith in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in him!
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Returning to old methods by adding works of any kind for our justification is slavery, according to Paul. Bewitchers want to make slaves to be under their control. (Galatians 4)
Bewitchers want to bring you under their laws, customs and forms. They seek to bind you to a custom, practice, or rule of conduct in order to control you! Witchcraft is the manipulation of the flesh. It is a skillful art used by bewitchers to control others.
God’s Holy Spirit brings the fruit of righteousness; Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against this fruit, there is NO LAW! (Galatians 5:22-23)
The next culprit the Bible talks about for the Christian to be aware of is the scorpion.
Scriptures tell us that the Christian is given power over serpents and scorpions, but did you ever wonder what scorpions mean?
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents, scorpions, and over all the enemy’s power, and nothing shall hurt you. Luke 10:19
Scorpions are lobster-shaped insects about 2 or 3 inches long. These give a venomous sting through their tails from a gland at the end of their tail. When a scorpion stings, it secretes a poisonous fluid into the wound or a prick on the skin within one or two minutes.
Scorpions live in tropical climates. In the Bible, these creatures lived in the wilderness of Sinai.
It is interesting to note that unless you happen upon the scorpion’s territory, you probably won’t meet one, but if you do enter their territory, you must be watchful in prayer, so you don’t get stung by one!
Scorpions are usually found in dry and dark places. They may be hiding under stones or in the ruins of a building.
Most of us will avoid places where scorpions live, but if you have a ministry to reach those living in darkness, you may meet up with a scorpion, maybe more than one! This is why Jesus says that he gives us authority over scorpions.
Scorpions attack in a very threatening way when they are not hidden. If a scorpion sees you on its territory, it may move towards you threateningly with its tail up, ready to strike!
However, most of the time, scorpions are hiding. For those who live in the desert or are walking in the desert, these scorpions might be hiding in the crevices of walls in a house, under stones in the yard, or in empty containers. Even in dung heaps!
In Deuteronomy 8:15, Moses tells the people that God led them out of the wilderness with its fiery serpents and scorpions.
The wilderness experience is an uncomfortable place to be. It represents a time of testing, refining, and temptation. There are many scorpions that live in the wilderness!
Scorpions dwell in dry places where there is very little rain. The Lord likens the place of scorpions to a place where there is no life of the Spirit. A religious or secular place. A place where the rebellious dwell.
And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though (briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, (though they are a rebellious house.) Ezekiel 2:6.
God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Psalms 68:6
Even though the sting of a scorpion is rarely fatal, it is a very painful experience. God likens the words and body language of the rebellious who dwell in a dry land to be extremely painful. They are filled with bitterness, anger, scoffing, rejection, and ridicule.
I Kings 12: 11 tells us that the scourge of scorpions is synonymous with being scourged with whips with bits of metal.
The same type of whipping that Jesus received from the Romans after being given over by the religious leaders. (the world and religion)
Then Pilate, therefore, took Jesus and scourged him. John 19:19
Receiving tongue lashings from others is like getting a scorpion bite! Words hurt. The Bible tells us that slander and backbiting are like the sting of a scorpion.
A slanderer or backbiter is a false accuser. One who defames others. They bring an evil report against someone. The motive is usually to undermine someone’s character. The root cause is always envy.
Backbiting is defaming others. To speak against them with a motive to ruin their reputation. (2 Cor. 12:20)
When the religious leaders handed over Jesus to the government of the day, their motive was envy.
For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. Matthew 27:18
To be envious is to feel discontented or resentful because of someone else’s possessions or qualities.
When a person slanders, they are trying to undermine. In this way, the slanderer raises themselves in a higher position because pointing out others’ faults undermines any good qualities.
The religious people did this to Jesus. They found fault with him. Jesus healed on the Sabbath, ate with unclean hands, and sat with sinners. All the while, though, they were envious of him. This was because of their pride.
Being religious, the religious people of Jesus’ day studied the law. Every jot and tittle of it! Then here comes this upstart with great wisdom and healing powers showing them up!
The religious people rejected Jesus because he upset their way of doing things! We don’t do that in our church! Who told you to do this? Where are your credentials? How many years of Bible school do you have?
The Bible tells us that slanderers are foolish because they do not fear God. They do not fear the consequences of their words or actions against others. (Proverbs 10: 18)
However, the Lord tells us not to fear the sting of scorpions or slander because he has given us authority over them. We are called to tread on snakes and on scorpions. To tread is to walk on or set our foot on. How do we do this?
We tread on scorpions with our gospel boots. Wherever we go we go in the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! (Romans 15:29)
By presenting the truth of the word of God wherever we go, we tread on the slander of others. Those words will lose their power. Others will see our fruit. They will see because God will show them that he has called us.
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19
This is God’s strategy for dealing with scorpions. Whether they be secular or religious. We present the Gospel wherever we go, and God will defend our reputation.
Jesus tells us that when we ask for the power of his Holy Spirit, we will never receive a rebuke or tongue-lashing.
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Luke 11: 12
When we go to the Lord, he always gives us bread to eat. Manna from heaven. It doesn’t matter how many degrees we have or don’t have. Holy Spirit gives wisdom to the simple. Child-like faith receives more of God’s grace than any kind of education.
Not that education (religious or secular)is bad in and of itself because the Lord can use it if it’s yielded to him BUT never does man-made education replace Holy Spirit wisdom, knowledge, and power!
If you envy other people’s gifts and callings, how about seeking the Lord in Spirit and truth? Dwelling in a dry land is very disheartening. It will keep you from experiencing the rain of the Spirit. God has a special call tailor-made just for you! Unique gifts only you can impart to others! You will find them as you dwell in the secret place with Jesus!
Who shall dwell in the Lord’s temple? He who does not backbite with his tongue. Psalms 15:3
In our next part of the series on the thief, I would like to share with you what Jesus called the wolf or wolves. Jesus often used metaphors to explain spiritual concepts. For a few reasons. One was that he did not want his enemies to pounce on him before his time, so he could not speak openly about spiritual things. Jesus said that those with eyes would see but not see, and those with ears would hear but not hear. In other words, the enemy would not understand what he was saying because he used code. Also, Jesus used parables because some things in the natural are parallels to some things in the spiritual realm.
Another reason that the Lord uses parables is that he does not give his wisdom and knowledge to just anybody. To not cast his pearls before swine, he speaks in signs and symbols to his prophets for the most part. In this way, a prophet or one of his followers will seek out a matter. That is, they will search the scriptures diligently and pray for insight. Those faithful in applying and giving out his treasures to others will be given more treasure from him. In this way, the Lord separates the true disciple from one who is not in for the long run.
In the same way, if you gave your child everything they wanted then they may become lazy, ungrateful, and develop a privileged mindset. I don’t think I have to say more for most parents to get what I’m saying.
Using the metaphor of the wolf or wolves, Jesus reveals to us another way the enemy operates. Satan is a wolf, and his demons are wolves. They come to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10) Jesus said he was the Good Shepherd, the door to the sheep. The sheep are protected by him.
In John 10, Jesus says that those who came before him claiming to be the sheep’s Shepherd, their door, protector, and provider, were thieves. His true sheep did not hear them because they knew the sound of the true Shepherd’s voice.
Then the Lord gives us a critical point in John 10 in discerning the difference between his voice and the false shepherd’s.
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
So, the first key in discerning if someone represents the Good Shepherd or is a hireling is whether or not they give their lives for the sheep. Look for this sign right away, (regardless of what a person says with their silver tongue, because Satan’s cronies can quote scripture) does the person give to the sheep with their very lives? Do they pour forth themselves for the sheep’s benefit, or do they take from or fleece the sheep for their benefit?
A faithful Shepherd, Jesus said, warns the sheep when the wolf is coming. When disaster comes, does the Shepherd warn the sheep, or does the Shepherd abandon the sheep?
This is another key indicator. Warning the sheep when trouble is coming indicates a true shepherd. If danger is coming and the sheep are not warned, then the sheep are susceptible to being ravaged by the wolf!
A true Shepherd cares about the sheep, so when trouble is coming in their direction, the true Shepherd warns the sheep. The hireling does not care about the sheep. They care more about themselves.
The objective of the thief is to steal, kill and destroy. The wolf analogy reveals how this thief operates.
In Jeremiah 5:6, the wolf is called a destroyer.
Genesis 49:27 says the wolf is ravenous and devours the prey,
Ezekiel 22:27 gives a clear description.
Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey by shedding blood and destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
Jesus said that false prophets are wolves. They pretend to be sheep but are inwardly ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
Jesus also said that he was sending his disciples out among wolves. So be as wise as a serpent in discerning who these wolves are and be innocent as a dove. In other words, don’t be like them!
Paul warns in Acts 20:29 that after he went home to be with the Lord, savage wolves will come into the church, not sparing the flock.
Here are other indicators to look for in a hireling or wolf in sheep’s clothing. They are false prophets speaking words not given to them by God. This includes scripture because Satan loves to quote the Bible. Giving truth with just enough error to lead the sheep astray. This is to get dishonest gain. (Ezekiel 22:27)
Many today are preaching the gospel for personal profit. That is dishonest gain because the tithes and offerings belong to the Lord. They are to be used for the furtherance of the kingdom of God. That does not mean the shepherd cannot get provision, but it does mean having responsible stewardship with finances. We may not know all the ins and outs of what a minister does with God’s money because doing our works in secret is a part of our walk with God, but discerning other factors in the lives of ministers will give us indicators of character.
Let us examine the wolf parable to see what character traits to look for in discerning a false Shepherd. Most of the time, wolves hunt in packs. Their pack consists of family members. You can see this in the lives of false Shepherds, teachers, and prophets. They have a network of family and friends working on their team. They hire in rather than source out to qualified individuals. Why is this? Accountability. If the ministry team are family members, the less likely to expose or call out a family member for mismanagement.
This is why the hirelings go undetected for years sometimes. It is good to have a few nonfamily members on your ministry team. Keeps you watching your life and ministry like scripture exhorts us to!
Wolves are expert hunters. They assess their prey carefully, looking for weakness, the right conditions, things in their favor, right timing. Wolves use whatever they find to their advantage to cease their prey.
In the same way, false shepherds, false teachers, and false prophets prey on the weak. Those needy, sick, and infirmed. They give them false promises, false hope, and constant attention. Now that sounds harsh, you may think because the weak need those things. However, let me point this out. Hirelings don’t really want the sheep to get well. They keep the sheep returning for more false words because their motive is to fleece the sheep to death!
When Jesus was here, he taught the sheep how to pray, grow in the faith, abide in the vine, and search the scriptures to learn about him. Paul did the same thing! The purpose of the Shepherd is to feed the sheep. This is another indicator to look for. Are you getting fed? Being taught to mature in the Lord, or are you constantly being fed baby food where you stay where you are forever?
In hunting for sheep to take down, wolves do what is called herding. They will dart back and forth to cause confusion and prevent escape. This happens when a sheep tries to escape a pack of wolves. Most of us have heard the testimonies of those who have experienced spiritual abuse. They are made to feel like they are the perpetrator instead of the victim, made to feel shame and confusion.
When this happens, sometimes the weak sheep are taken out. They leave the fold, never to return, and some who have been hurt go into revenge mode. Trying to bring the wolf down by themselves! A wounded sheep can be dangerous. The persecuted will often become the persecutor.
Wolves do not attack a sheep quickly and directly. If they did, the sheep would die of shock or be damaged goods. Not suitable for eating. To bring a sheep down, the wolves seize the sheep from behind or by the nose. In the same way, a false shepherd or false prophet will not attack directly. They come up from a blind side or by leading the sheep astray.
The false shepherd or false prophet knows the weakness of their prey. They don’t come right out and tell you what they really believe. They wait until they have led the sheep by the nose a bit. When they have made some new friends, become a part of the group, and are made to feel needed and that they belong. Then they move in for the kill.
Wolves work as a team. Their hunt is masterfully coordinated! They know how to defend themselves, being well aware of the danger if they are found out. The hireling gets the sheep in deep. Too deep to fight back for the most part.
Another type of wolf that is dangerous to the sheep is the lone wolf. This wolf is independent and strong-willed. When the lone wolf leaves the pack to strike out on its own, it has to become highly cunning to survive. The lone wolf looks for new territory. Some place or someone where there are no other wolf packs. The lone wolf looks for another wolf. Someone to partner with to form a new pack. Then the cycle repeats itself. The new guy who comes to town should be thoroughly vetted.
I experienced this scenario once. A new guy came to the church I was in, claiming to be a prophet with a message for that church. Soon he was in their ministry having meetings. That guy browbeat so many people that many left that church, never to return. He was pointing out everyone’s sins without love and compassion, but he could not see the pride and arrogance in his own life!
Long story short, there was a conflict, and the guy left, BUT he left a trail of disaster. That’s what the thief does; he destroys like a ravaging wolf. Since then, that church has had turnovers, splits, and scandals. It is good policy to not let in a lone wolf knocking at your door!
In conclusion, the thief in this blog is the wolf who comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Taking heed to what our Lord Jesus has taught us from his word about this thief, we can look for the signs. When we see the wolf coming in our direction, we should high tail it out of there! Also, we must warn the other sheep.
Jesus said the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. By definition, a thief steals another person’s property. In the world, there are different kinds of thieves. There are professional robbers and petty thieves. A petty thief steals things not highly valued. That is, the value attached to the property is not worth much monetarily. However, your property may have a higher value to you than what is legally determined.
A professional thief steals as a business. This thief plans carefully and is very skilled at what he does. The professional thief’s objective is to steal valuable property. Something that is prized for its monetary value and rarity.
Jesus warned us in the scriptures about the thief. He told us to carefully watch our property because the thief comes to steal. Not only does the thief Jesus was talking about steal, but he also kills and destroys! That makes that thief not only a robber of property but a murderer and one who damages property.
Let’s take a look at this thief and how he operates. We see him in the book of Genesis.
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Genesis 3:1
From the beginning, the thief was called a serpent. Metaphorically this is significant. The serpent is cunning. It waits patiently to catch its pray and at the right moment it strikes.
Throughout history, the snake has been seen as a symbol of evil, power, chaos, fertility, life, healing, and rebirth.
The serpent thief is a usurper. One who steals dominion, throne, and rulership. The serpent in the garden of Eden steals God’s property through deception. He then takes over the joint!
This thief in the garden was sly. He had cased the situation for a long time. That is what a professional thief does. He plans very strategically. Sometimes for many years before making a move. He watches, takes note of who goes in and out, and looks for potential weaknesses. Then, when the time is right, the thief comes in to steal. In this particular situation, the thief steals through deception.
He uses something forbidden and looking good as bait!
To deceive somebody, there has to be a predisposed preponderance towards a particular vise. The serpent watched for a long time his victim. He had to have noticed her weakness to deposit doubt in the woman’s mind. First of all, he asked her a question. Did God say that you could eat of every tree of the garden?
In Genesis chapter 1, verse 17, God told this to Adam before he created Eve. That would mean that Eve received the command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil from Adam. Making this second-hand information. Adam received the commandment straight from God’s mouth. Obviously, the serpent knew this. That made the woman an easier victim than the man. Therefore, he approached her with the challenge of God’s command.
The thief uses this same tactic today. Did God really say? Well, you know it is second-hand information, after all. That book could have been changed, altered somehow. How do you know for sure God said it?
The woman obviously needed to be more trusting. She could have said, My husband, told me that God told him. I have a good and reliable source so take a hike, serpent!
When we do not have a trusting relationship with God, we are susceptible to deception. The serpent can come along and challenge what we believe to be true. Did God really say?
Notice the following way in which the thief deceived the woman. But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:4,5
The serpent basically told the woman that God was lying to her. Withholding something good. Not wanting her to be in the know. As you can see, from observation, the serpent knew that the woman was weaker in her faith than her husband.
The woman had trust issues. Somehow through observation, the serpent knew this. Notice then how the serpent appealed to the woman’s vanity.
So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:7
Trust issues many times are a result of rejection. The Bible does not explain why the woman felt rejected or left out. We can only speculate. We know that trust issues can cause us to doubt the sincerity of others. When we have trust issues with God, we doubt his word. We cannot believe that the Lord has his best interests in store for us. We somehow think God doesn’t care or that he loves others more than he loves us. When we think along those lines, we are a prime target for the serpent’s wiles.
The thief comes to steal. That is his objective. The serpent example tells us that if we don’t trust God’s word, the thief will bring something along to entice us into walking away from the Lord. He will bring something our way that looks good to our flesh. Something that appeals to our vanity and desire to be noticed.
What is a remedy for our rejection and trust issues? How can we guard against his deception?
Recognizing we have a weakness in that area for one thing but also to run to our Father in heaven! Cry out to him to shower us with his love and affection. He has promised to do that.
Draw near to me and I will draw near to you!
Seek his face. Confess your weakness. Make the Lord your refuge! Ask him to heal your insecurity!
I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.Jeremiah 31:3
The word of God is so powerful that it can set captives free, make the blind see, and give understanding to the simple. In my neck of the woods is a coffee shop where many people with developmental disabilities hang out. I like to sit with them and enjoy their fellowship when I go there. I get the opportunity to share Jesus and be their friend. One particular guy I call the “Bible man” always carries a Bible with him. He quotes scripture about everything! One day we were sharing about the word of God when he looked at me and said, “It’s not all intellectualism, is it, Kim?”
The Holy Spirit is all over this guy all the time! It’s wonderful! I knew immediately that Holy Spirit had just spoken to me out of that guy’s mouth! I pondered the statement and discussed it with the Lord afterward. He revealed that his word is so powerful that it bypasses human reason. That man considered slow by human standards has more Holy Spirit power in his life than most Christians! Why? Because he is full of the word of God!
For every situation, this guy has a scripture. That’s all he talks about! If someone is struggling, he will give a scripture. If anyone has a need, he gives a scripture. Only some people receive what this guy has to say, though. I heard complaints once. “Oh, all he talks about is the Bible! That’s too much!”
I replied, “Well, that’s why he has the power of God in his life!”
They all became silent. No one disputed it!
Jesus told us that faith in his word could move mountains! He said his word had the power to heal, set free, and deliver. Jesus would often ask a person a question before he laid hands on them for healing. He would say, “Do you believe I can do this?”
The key to receiving our miracle from God is to believe his word! If we do not believe God’s word, we will not receive what the Lord has for us.
“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Hebrews 4:2
The ‘Bible man,’ full of the word of God and Holy Spirit power, sits among people all the time, but many remain oppressed and defeated. Why? Because they look at the natural. They have their eyes on material things. How could a simple man help them?
How can a simple carpenter heal the sick and do many mighty miracles? We need to see things the way God sees them. Even in the mouth of a donkey, the word of God is a powerful force of miraculous power. Take, for example, the prophet who wanted to curse the Hebrew children. The Lord gave the donkey speech to bring forth his word. (Numbers 22:21-38)
Paul told us not to regard any person by the flesh but by the Spirit because those born of the incorruptible word of God are temples of the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 5:16)
Often, the flesh is weak, and we may not understand or even like the vessel born of God, our brother or sister. That’s alright. We are all a work in progress! However, we need to remember that God uses imperfect people. No one will be 100% to our liking until we go home to glory! But if we look to Holy Spirit inside that person, we can receive from their gift.
I learned over time as a Christian that God’s word is powerful no matter who speaks it! If it’s pure and unadulterated! I have learned that a vessel may be used by God for our benefit if we are open to looking past the flesh.
I don’t always get along with my husband. We have different ways of doing things, but I know he has a healing anointing. If the devil tries to put sickness on me many times, I go to him for prayer because I believe in God’s word. I get healed every time!
God’s word is so powerful that it can change any circumstance! All we have to do is believe it! Will we get tested by Mr. Devil? Yes, for sure, but if we trust in the Lord’s word above every other word, he will honor his word in his way and in his time!
God’s word is yes, and amen! God can’t lie! I tell the devil that all the time! “You are a liar, devil! God told me, and he cannot lie! Get away!”
Do you want to prosper and be in health? Do you want to walk in Holy Spirit’s power? This is the instruction I got from the Lord. Obey what he says, and you will find your life transformed!
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; andin his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3
The Bible says there is a court in heaven. God opens his court to hear testimony. God is the judge in his heavenly court. God stands up to open heaven’s court. He pronounces judgement in the earth. TLB PSALMS 82:1
The word for court or ‘congregation’ is Edah. This word does not just mean a group of people. The TLB version says God’s court system is a council. Like a king’s court in which David or Solomon made judgments for the people’s concerns. Like a judge and jury.
Psalms 89:14 “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
The heavenly court operates much like our western common law court.
In a court of law for criminality, the prosecution brings forth a charge based on a broken law.
To prove the law was broken, there must be evidence presented.
The defense needs a good argument based on a set of defense standards to beat the charges.
Our defense in God’s court is to plead the blood of Jesus Christ once we confess and forsake our sins.
In a civil case, the opposition must have more evidence for or against it to win or lose a case. It’s called preponderance of evidence. In other words, the more evidence one has, the better to prove guilt or innocence.
In God’s court, the accuser (satan) sets out his case against us. He tells the court of God how we have violated the law somehow. He points out all our failures and inadequacies.
It is important to confess our sins before God and repent ASAP because it can be used against us in a court of law. God’s court.
If the accuser has legal precedence against us, we will reap the consequence of our sin. There is a correlation between a particular sin and a particular judgment in our lives. These are set out in scripture under the law.
The law cannot save us but it can call us out on our sins. The law is not abolished under the New Testament, but the sting of death brought forth by breaking the law is broken through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Unconfessed sin is dangerous in a Christian’s life.
It causes a curse to operate. Scriptures call this the curse of the law. Breaking God’s law causes death. Spiritually, physically, emotionally, and materially.
Jesus came to redeem us from the curse of the law. All confessed, and repentant sin is redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Some Christians make excuses for having chaotic lives with trouble on their doorstep all the time. They argue, “well, we live in a fallen world.”
I know about the consequences of having sin in my life. I’ve had to learn things the hard way. Since I am old and wiser now, I can warn you to make sure you work out your salvation with the fear of the Lord always at your forefront. That is, don’t take anything in the Bible lightly. Disregarding the scriptures will cause you no end of grief.
Just because you may have been honest all your life but your mouth shoots off doubt, scorn, disbelief, accusations against others, gossip, slander, etc., this will cause demonic activity to flourish in your life. The tongue is a wicked member, but some Christians don’t take this seriously.
When I started doing some huck and chuck, my life got better. When I took God’s word more seriously, I had more success.
Jesus came to redeem us from the curse of the law. Not to let us wallow in sin with the world. Christians do have tribulation, but the Scriptures tell us there is deliverance. The devil will try to trip us up, but we have a way out. That way out is a sword.
In the story of Ester, when the wicked one wanted to kill all of God’s people, the King gave them a sword in order to defend themselves.
We have the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God to counter the accuser.
When MR. Devil tells you that you are a failure because you blew it too many times,you can take the sword of the Spirit and say…IT IS WRITTEN; Mr. Devil, that a righteous man, falls 7 times and gets back up again. That means I’m going to get this right, and you are a liar!
God will back you up.
That’s legal precedence for him to be able to kick the devil out of your life.
If Mr. Devil says, “oh, you are weak, sick, infirmed. You can’t possibly be of any use.”
Take the sword of the Spirit and give him a good one.
Mr. Devil, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Get behind me, in Jesus’ name.
The only thing that the devil listens to is the word of God. He has to. Its the word of God that holds all things together.
Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:3
When we bring our legal precedence before God’s court, he will honor it.
If you believe that God’s word is more powerful than anything in the universe, you will see your life changed for the better. When you take God’s word and present it before the court of heaven, God will always honor it. He watches over his word to perform it. Be patient and give him time to work all things together for your good!
Don’t give Satan any place. Use the sword of the Spirit when he attacks. Keep a clean slate with the Lord. Plead the blood of Jesus over your life every day. Then the accuser will stay under your feet where he belongs.
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13: 3
Salvation, yasa in Hebrew means to save, help in distress, rescue, deliver, set free.
This includes salvation from eternal death and anything that a believer needs saving from.
In particular, salvation refers to being saved from sin.
Sin is defined as “transgression of God’s law.”
In other words, violation of the law of God as set out in both the conscience and the Bible.
To be saved from our sins we must repent. In the Greek language, this word is, Metanoeō which means to think differently, reconsider, and feel moral compunction. (That is to feel guilty for doing something wrong)
True Repentance, according to the scriptures has several steps or parts.
For repentance to occur in our life we must recognize our sins.
Romans 7: 7-25 tells us that God’s law shows us our sins. When we see that we have failed to live up to God’s expectations as put forth in our conscience and in the word of God, we need to, first of all, recognize we have sinned against God. If we lie to ourselves, disregard the scriptures, and hide our sins we will not prosper. Also, if we do not listen to God’s word, eventually our sins will find us out. They will be exposed. Sometimes publicly, to others.
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Proverbs 28:13
But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32: 23
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Luke 12:2
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17
After we acknowledge our sin then we must confess our sin. That means owning up to our stuff. We can confess to God alone, or sometimes it is good to also confess to a friend we trust or a church leader we trust. This is so we can have prayer support.
Acknowledging our sins means taking accountability. We come to the realization that we messed up. The onus is on us, not the other guy. Even if they had a part in our sin. Our responsibility is to confess for our part in the matter.
In Psalm 32 David acknowledges his sin. That is he saw his sin for what it was. He recognized his failure to live up to God’s law. Then David said that he did not try to hide his sin. He looked at his failure well and called it for what it was. Breaking God’s law.
Many of us have failed to take a good look at our actions, our thoughts and our motives. We justify our sin.
“Well, you know they did such and such. They said such and such. I’m in the right. I had just a little slip.”
Failure to own up to our sins will cause us to reap many consequences. Some of us think we are going through trials because God is proving us or it’s appointed for us to suffer, when in actuality, we have unconfessed sin in our hearts and we are reaping the results of our sins!
Now I’m not saying there isn’t persecution for the righteous but trials we are going through many times are to deal with our stuff! Our bad attitudes, our justifications for wrong behavior, our slothful diligence in spiritual matters.
Jesus told us that Satan came to him but he couldn’t find anything in him to accuse him. That’s because Jesus had no sin.
I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here. John 14: 30,31
Peter went through the fire. His heart was exposed. Peter denied Jesus three times. He failed many times in his faith, but he repented and became a mighty man of God! (Matthew 16:22-23)
David Committed adultery, lied, and murdered, but he also repented, and God used him to write the beautiful Psalms. 2 Samuel 11, 12
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 2 Samuel 12:13
Paul persecuted Christians and even sanctioned their death. (Acts 9)
Just about every Bible character found out through their trial what was in their heart.
Even righteous Job found out he was not so righteous because God challenged him about it. (Job chapter 39)
When our sin is revealed to the light by God then we need to own up to it.
We must recognize our sin as sin against God’s word, then we must confess our sin.
What does confess actually mean? In Hebrew yâdâh means to bemoan or be sorry for. That is having intense regret. To toss away as bad.
In Greek confess is homologeō which means to acknowledge, but also to make a promise not to do the wrong behavior again. The word actually means making a covenant agreement.
We agree with God that our sin is wrong. We agree we broke God’s law. We are sorry to the point of changing our behavior. Then we agree in a covenant or promise with God not to continue in that sin.
Some sins, however are so ingrained in us that we need supernatural divine intervention. Addictions are like that, but so are some cultural practices that differ from the word of God. Sometimes it’s our upbringing or training in violation of scriptures or our many years of thinking a certain way.
Whatever the sin issue is, if we acknowledge that it is against God’s word, if we are sorry, if we want to change then we can work with the Holy Spirit to bring down the strongholds of sin in our life.
Not everything is a quick deliverance fix. Some things need action from our decision and will. We then cooperate with Holy Spirit to be delivered entirely. This repentance fruit may take a process of time. It is up to us to make that first step.
Renouncingour sin makes the demonic powers who have had their hand in our sin somewhere know we mean business with God.
Renounced is apeipomēn in Greek. It means to disown or refuse to have a connection to.
In other words, stop the sin, disconnect from the sin, or any demonic powers associated with that sin.
Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8: 10,11
Finally, we must bring forth fruits of repentance. This means that if we are genuinely repentant, our lives will begin to reflect it. We will walk in the light of the Lord. Then those old sins will not have a hold on us anymore.
Bring forth, therefore fruit worthy of repentance. Matthew 3:8
God’s blessings flow into our lives when we genuinely repent of our sins. The darkness will have no more control over us. Obedience to the word of God always brings blessings with it!
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land. Leviticus 26:3-10
If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Isaiah 48:18
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28
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