In this series - Who is Satan - I am revealing the reality of the invisible spiritual realm -- who resides there, and what is their purpose in God's grand plan for human beings in the earthly realm. The Bible gives examples of God's angelic beings and how they are sent to help guide men safely into the Kingdom of Heaven. It also gives us examples of the reality of Satan and his demons, who desire to possess men in order to create chaos, anarchy, hatred and violence on the earth.
Since I became an intercessor in 1974 I have been well aware of the invisible spiritual world, and the power and authority given to believers in Christ Jesus to bring down Satanic strongholds placed against human beings, cities, nations and empires, in order to kill, steal from, and destroy them -- to take them to Hell, far away from God's heavenly kingdom. We are the target of Satan!
When we were last together I asked, "How do you think he (pastor) responded to my revolutionary idea?" The pastor looked at me like I had two heads! While we do need Bible studies and discipleship training, all I was proposing was that the Church get serious about pulling down the strongholds placed on us, and our communities, from the invisible demonic spirits. We must know who our enemy is so we can be victorious in our efforts to expose him and his deeds.
The Apostle Paul said...for the weapons of are warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...II Cor. 10:4-5. First we must surrender our allegiance, our will, to Jesus Christ. Then we must cast away human arguments that attempt to prove 'there is no God,' and that Satan and demons are not real. Anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, or the reality of the invisible spiritual realm, must be cast away. If we do not follow these directions, we will succumb to the wiles of the devil.
Jesus encountered people who were demon possessed, recorded in the Bible, so we can understand the happenings in the invisible spiritual realm, and how these demonic beings cause great harm to His beloved human beings. In Luke 8:26-39, Jesus reveals how He encountered a demon-possessed man who lived in Gadara, near the Sea of Galilee, showing His followers how to deal with the demonic beings who live in the invisible realm.
When Jesus stepped out of the boat onto the land of Gadara...there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time...and he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs...when he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" Religious leaders refused to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God, yet, the demons who possessed this man's spirit knew Him and trembled in fear.
Jesus...commanded the unclean sprit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles, and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. What would the Church do today if they encountered this situation? With few exceptions, the demonic man of Gadara would be immediately referred to a psychiatrist and drugged -- probably for the rest of his life -- considered an incurable schizophrenic.
What did Jesus do? He simply cast the demon(s) out of the man. Then Jesus asked the demon...what is your name? The demon said...Legion -- because many demons had entered him. Then the demons begged Jesus not to command them to go into the abyss.
In order to illustrate to the onlookers the violence embodied in the legion of demons that possessed the man of Gadara, Jesus allowed these demons to enter a herd of swine. As soon as the demons entered the herd of swine their violent power plunged the herd down the mountain and into the lake where they drowned. Think about it --- these violent demons lived in a human being, destroying his life!
When the onlookers fled to the city to tell what they saw, those in the city rushed back to check out the deliverance of the very well known demoniac of Gadara. What did they see? They...found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind...and they were afraid.
After he was delivered from the demons, the man of Gadara became a mighty witness for the power and authority of Jesus Christ. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death...Rev. 12:11. The man of Gadara lived the rest of his life testifying to all who would listen that the blood - power & authority - of Jesus Christ set him free from the demons who dwell in the invisible spiritual realm.
The world is looking for something "real" out of the religious community -- if they don't find it, Satan and his demons can offer them his spooky supernatural experiences for a price. What is the price? They only have to give their allegiance to him by disavowing Jesus Christ and the Bible.
One night about 1973, the kids and I were alone, sound asleep, when I was awakened by a voice calling my name out of the darkness -- a voice of someone whom I hadn't seen since 1959. Who was it? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment