Podcasts about sovereign god

When life feels out of control, can we still trust that God is in control? This week, Pastor Steve continues our study on God's Sovereignty, exploring what it truly means to trust God when life doesn't make sense.   From Job to Joseph, Scripture reminds us that nothing happens apart from the counsel of God—and yet, God doesn't cause everything to happen. We live in a broken world, but we can choose to: 1️⃣ Worship God when we don't understand, 2️⃣ Believe there's something bigger underway, and 3️⃣ Be patient and faithful as His plan unfolds.   As we abide in Christ and trust His love, plan, and justice, we can rest in the truth that our Sovereign God is always in control.  

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 Go to sermon webpage: THE SEARCH FOR SALVATION

Acts 5 gives us a glimpse of the Sovereign God moving redemptive history along despite the persecution of the church. It also gives us insight into the power of sin and grace in human hearts that are part of history. We are called to hope in God to accomplish his work in the world and in our hearts for his glory. Grace Community Church exists to build spiritually healthy people for ministry in the world. One of the ways that we pursue this mission is by gathering each Sunday for corporate worship, prayer, and biblical teaching. The corporate nature of this gathering is both edifying to the believer and a witness of God's grace to the world. Sermon speaker is Scott Patty unless otherwise noted.

सम्प्रभु परमेश्वर विश्वासयोग्यता के साथ अपनी वाचा को पूरी करता है।भजन संहिता 105:1-45The Sovereign God Faithfully Fulfills His Covenant.Psalm 105:1-451. हमें उसकी स्तुति और उसके अद्भुत कार्यों का वर्णन करना चाहिए।2. हमें सदैव उसके सम्प्रभु प्रावधान पर भरोसा रखते हुए उस पर निर्भर रहना चाहिए।3. हमें धन्यवादी मन से उसके वचनों का पालन करना चाहिए।#margsatyajeevan #msj #psalms #covenant #faithfulGod

We belong to the sovereign God.

 Go to sermon webpage: THE SEARCH FOR SALVATION

James 4:7-10October 19, 2025Pastor Paul Fuller

October 16, 2025 Dr. Conrad Mbewe,Pastor of Kabwata Baptist Churchof Lusaka, Zambia, author, highlysought after conference speaker, &founding Chancellor of African Chris-tian University AND GEORGE LAWSON,Pastor of Baltimore Bible Church inTimonium, MD, & board member @The Master's University, who is cur-rently in a PhD program @ BaptistBible Seminary, who will both address: “A LOVING TRIBUTE […]

Sermon preached on Oct 12th 2025 by Bob O'Bannon over Acts 4:23-31

October 12, 2025Pastor Paul Fuller

Why is a good night's sleep so hard to come by? For many, the answer lies in anxious thoughts about money, security, or injustice. In How to Get a Good Night's Sleep, Stephen Davey opens Ecclesiastes 5:8–12 to show how Solomon wrestled with the same struggles—and points us toward God's solution. Solomon observed oppression, greed, and injustice in society. He saw how even kings and rulers seemed to take advantage rather than provide relief. Yet he reminded us that above every earthly power sits the Sovereign God, and He alone offers the comfort our hearts long for. This passage also warns us about the love of money. No matter how much wealth we gain, it never feels like enough. Riches multiply worries, invite corruption, and rob us of rest. But Solomon draws a contrast: the day laborer, content with little, sleeps peacefully, while the wealthy toss and turn. Through this lesson, you'll discover two life-changing principles: trust the highest authority of all—God's sovereignty—and pursue the best treasure of all—contentment with a grateful heart. These truths provide the kind of peace that no amount of wealth can secure. If you've been longing for rest, this message will remind you that the sweetest sleep is found when your soul is settled on God's promises. Stephen Davey's newest book, The Disciples Prayer, is available now. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/the-disciples-prayer-hardback

Why is a good night's sleep so hard to come by? For many, the answer lies in anxious thoughts about money, security, or injustice. In How to Get a Good Night's Sleep, Stephen Davey opens Ecclesiastes 5:8–12 to show how Solomon wrestled with the same struggles—and points us toward God's solution. Solomon observed oppression, greed, and injustice in society. He saw how even kings and rulers seemed to take advantage rather than provide relief. Yet he reminded us that above every earthly power sits the Sovereign God, and He alone offers the comfort our hearts long for. This passage also warns us about the love of money. No matter how much wealth we gain, it never feels like enough. Riches multiply worries, invite corruption, and rob us of rest. But Solomon draws a contrast: the day laborer, content with little, sleeps peacefully, while the wealthy toss and turn. Through this lesson, you'll discover two life-changing principles: trust the highest authority of all—God's sovereignty—and pursue the best treasure of all—contentment with a grateful heart. These truths provide the kind of peace that no amount of wealth can secure. If you've been longing for rest, this message will remind you that the sweetest sleep is found when your soul is settled on God's promises. Stephen Davey's newest book, The Disciples Prayer, is available now. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/the-disciples-prayer-hardback

1 Chronicles 20 continues the story with the capture of Rabbah, the Ammonite capital, in the following spring. The crown of the Ammonite king, weighing about 35 kilograms was taken to David and placed on his head. David put the Ammonites to hard work to pay tribute to Israel. The chapter concludes with the destruction of four of the Philistine giants, all of whom are related to Goliath and all are slain by David's warriors. Chapter 21 of 1 Chronicles finds David and all Israel in an exalted state of pride. David orders a census of the strength of the army. Joab pleaded with him not to do this; since victory was through Yahweh's saving arm and was independent of the size of the army. The king's word prevails and the census is taken but excludes Benjamin and Levi - as Joab had sway there. The record indicates that on this occasion Joab was correct and David was wrong. The prophet Gad was sent to David to tell him to choose between 3 punishments. David leaves the choice to God and for three days plague ravages the land. Eventually the plague is stayed at Jerusalem when David purchases the future site of the temple and offers sacrifices to the LORD. David, who had been Israel's shepherd, intercedes on behalf of his suffering sheep. What a lesson for all! Ezekiel chapter 31 contains many similarities to chapter 28. Just as the prince of Tyre had been a cedar in the garden of Eden, so too is Pharaoh of Egypt described in the same terms. He would be judged and brought low by Judah's Sovereign God. Pharaoh, Egypt, the Nile river and the crocodile - also known as the dragon- would be humbled by the Lord GOD Almighty. Nebuchadnezzar would be God's instrument in the overthrowing of the wicked kingdom of Judah. The Apostle Paul eventually came to Ephesus on his third missionary journey, after more than one unsuccessful attempts to visit Asian cities on the second journey. Western Turkey was in those days known as "Asia". The LORD was waiting for the best time for the preaching of the gospel. Acts 19 records the events at Ephesus. The Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed in that city and it became Paul's base of operations throughout the then known region of Asia. Chapter 1 contains greetings and the faithful in Ephesus being described as having, in status, been elevated to heavenly places in Christ Jesus. From verses 15-22 the Apostle offers prayer and thanksgiving on the believers' behalf. Paul outlines in verses 19-22 the great place Christ occupies to all believers. The Apostle tells the Ephesians that in the Lord Jesus Christ the Almighty's power was seen in producing a righteous man who could then be raised from the dead. As an aside which may be of some interest for those studying this chapter: all four Greek words for 'power' are used in those verses. Chapter 2 deals with the enlightenment of believers and their salvation by grace - on the basis of their faith. Believers salvation has nothing to do with their merits. However, a life of gratitude is necessitated from believers. In verses 11-18 Paul outlines the faithful's changed status from hopeless nobodies to sanctified believers in Christ Jesus. The chapter concludes with the growth of the body of believers into a holy temple. A dwelling place for the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Slowly read aloud verses 17-22 and consider the foundation God has given us and that each of us determine to be a part of the LORD's holy edifice.

1 Chronicles 20 continues the story with the capture of Rabbah, the Ammonite capital, in the following spring. The crown of the Ammonite king, weighing about 35 kilograms was taken to David and placed on his head. David put the Ammonites to hard work to pay tribute to Israel. The chapter concludes with the destruction of four of the Philistine giants, all of whom are related to Goliath and all are slain by David's warriors. Chapter 21 of 1 Chronicles finds David and all Israel in an exalted state of pride. David orders a census of the strength of the army. Joab pleaded with him not to do this; since victory was through Yahweh's saving arm and was independent of the size of the army. The king's word prevails and the census is taken but excludes Benjamin and Levi - as Joab had sway there. The record indicates that on this occasion Joab was correct and David was wrong. The prophet Gad was sent to David to tell him to choose between 3 punishments. David leaves the choice to God and for three days plague ravages the land. Eventually the plague is stayed at Jerusalem when David purchases the future site of the temple and offers sacrifices to the LORD. David, who had been Israel's shepherd, intercedes on behalf of his suffering sheep. What a lesson for all! Ezekiel chapter 31 contains many similarities to chapter 28. Just as the prince of Tyre had been a cedar in the garden of Eden, so too is Pharaoh of Egypt described in the same terms. He would be judged and brought low by Judah's Sovereign God. Pharaoh, Egypt, the Nile river and the crocodile - also known as the dragon- would be humbled by the Lord GOD Almighty. Nebuchadnezzar would be God's instrument in the overthrowing of the wicked kingdom of Judah. The Apostle Paul eventually came to Ephesus on his third missionary journey, after more than one unsuccessful attempts to visit Asian cities on the second journey. Western Turkey was in those days known as "Asia". The LORD was waiting for the best time for the preaching of the gospel. Acts 19 records the events at Ephesus. The Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed in that city and it became Paul's base of operations throughout the then known region of Asia. Chapter 1 contains greetings and the faithful in Ephesus being described as having, in status, been elevated to heavenly places in Christ Jesus. From verses 15-22 the Apostle offers prayer and thanksgiving on the believers' behalf. Paul outlines in verses 19-22 the great place Christ occupies to all believers. The Apostle tells the Ephesians that in the Lord Jesus Christ the Almighty's power was seen in producing a righteous man who could then be raised from the dead. As an aside which may be of some interest for those studying this chapter: all four Greek words for 'power' are used in those verses. Chapter 2 deals with the enlightenment of believers and their salvation by grace - on the basis of their faith. Believers salvation has nothing to do with their merits. However, a life of gratitude is necessitated from believers. In verses 11-18 Paul outlines the faithful's changed status from hopeless nobodies to sanctified believers in Christ Jesus. The chapter concludes with the growth of the body of believers into a holy temple. A dwelling place for the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. Slowly read aloud verses 17-22 and consider the foundation God has given us and that each of us determine to be a part of the LORD's holy edifice.

Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 How does it feel to be uncertain? Uncertainty in Life What areas of uncertainty does the Preacher highlight? Sovereignty of God What does he teach us about God? Refuge of the Wise How can this truth about God help us in uncertainty?

September 28, 2025Pastor Paul Fuller

Send us a textWe see in these verses that God is good even during suffering.  Waiting quietly on God is an act of faith, and that early endurance of hardship can form a strong and hopeful trust in God's grace before any tragic circumstance occurs.  God bless you today and I encourage you to spend time in God's Word https://www.instagram.com/biblicaltapestry/https://www.facebook.com/HyperNike12

September 21, 2025Pastor Paul Fuller

Rev. Richey Goodrich preaches on Proverbs 16

Life sometimes feels like it is Hanging by a Thread...responsibilties pile up,grief lingers, prayers feel unanswered and the strength we once had seems to slips through our fingers. However, even the slighest Thread can be a lifeline, when it is held by the Sovereign God. All we need to do is to clinging to the hemos of Jesus's garment and we will receive the grace we need to make it through.

September 14, 2025Pastor Paul Fuller

September 7, 2025Pastor Paul Fuller

Continuing in Paul's missionary journey…

Jesus Delivers Us (13) (audio) David Eells – 8/31/25 Saints, I'm going to continue with our teaching on how Jesus delivers us and our authority over the demons. I'm going to pick up where we left off last time about the true and false manifestations of the Spirit and begin by sharing the following testimony called:   More Than We Can Imagine or Think by P.O. I was one of thousands of people who wanted to experience "revival" in Brownsville and Toronto. As a fairly new Christian, I wanted the excitement that I thought should come from living a life for God. My prayer during that time was: "Father, do whatever You need to do so that no man or no devil can ever quench my desire for You." The first few visits there, I came away somewhat frustrated. Every time a minister approached me, he would veer away and start the laying on of hands in another direction. I recognize now that this was the grace of God, keeping me from receiving wrong impartations. But one time when we were leaving, I forgot my cape. I returned for it and tried to walk through a large lobby full of people writhing on the floor. Something invisible hit me. I fell to the floor and felt heat, like electricity, start at my feet and work all the way up to my head. I became temporarily but totally paralyzed. A friend who had followed me reported afterward that he saw my eyes roll. This man, a medic in the army, picked me up in his arms to remove me. But the strapping, six-footer made it only to the outside steps. There he, too, was taken down to the ground by this spirit. When he dropped me, I rolled under a small tree. Looking up, I saw the stars like diamonds and trees in 3-D as if "the trees were indeed clapping their hands" as the Word describes. I wanted to praise God, but I was rendered incapable of doing anything but baying like one of my uncle's hound dogs. My heart goes out to my friends who visited the "revival." Three of them died prematurely. Another four of them divorced within a year. Several of them now have serious health concerns. In short, these people are anything BUT revived. With some of these friends, I tried gently to get them to look at the falsehoods. But no. It was like the old saying, "You can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make him drink." The times I tried, I encountered upturned noses, so to speak. My dearest friend, whom I met thirty-eight years ago, lived at one of the revival venues for months. She no longer returns my calls. I don't know why this is the case, since we aren't talking. But I suspect that she just couldn't handle the upturns that my life, and my children's lives, kept taking as opposed to her own. I'll always love her. She prayed for me when I wasn't even a believer. God will save her from this deception. At first I thought the experience had been the Holy Spirit. But, sparing the details, my life began to fall apart. I kept crying out for truth, the truth, nothing but the truth. Somehow, I was led via an internet science site to the e-book called "Sovereign God." I "inhaled" it. God's truth revealed in that book healed me of lifelong bouts of severe depression. Then, via the internet, I saw that people around the world were getting their vision healed. I thought, "God is no respecter of persons. Father, would you heal my vision?" It was a progressive miracle, full of dialogue with Him. After a trial of several months, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles pronounced me as having near-perfect vision. Father God also engineered that my unbelieving daughter would be present to hear the verdict. All my life, I'd had progressively poorer vision, ending with 20-200, which the state of Indiana considered as legally blind. God is able to do abundantly over and beyond what we can imagine or think. In His sovereignty, Father brought me through into the truth. He has orchestrated major periods of repenting and casting out of spirits revealed to me. By the grace of God, my marriage is thriving like never before. My blind eyes are healed. My depression is gone. I have hair now. I actually feel beautiful, but it's not of myself. It's Jesus, coming from the inside out. My children are fighting and winning for their marriages. I'm no longer fat. I have a room with a view. In this room, I help build God's Kingdom with the gifts He's given me. I'm welcomed at foreign airports with bouquets of flowers, like I'm some royal person. I'm surrounded by a vibrant company of other believers who cherish one another every day of the week. None of these blessings came as a result of the revival movement that so many people, including myself, touted for a while. All of these blessings are just "by-products" of a graceful God who loves me. He gave me the hunger and the unction to seek and find Him. Reading that blessing list, an unknowing person might say that I've won life's lottery. But it is all nothing compared to the fact that ... I have Jesus. I hope and pray you do, too. And here is another awesome testimony of God's amazing grace, called:   Delivered & Made Whole by C.M. As a young adult I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr, chronic fatigue syndrome. For almost two years I would have to sleep at least twelve hours per day to barely function. Having visited every specialist, I was given no hope, other than just to deal with it and get rest. As a child I was taught about the Lord, even experiencing a vision of heaven at the age of seven years. I had been healed of a toothache during that vision. But when my dad left, our family fell apart, and our faith slowly faded away. By the time I was twenty-one years old, the Bible was in my closet, unread in years. One night I cried out to the Lord while remembering a story told to me when I was a child. A woman in the Bible was healed of her blood flow of twelve years. As I was begging the Lord to let me touch His garment just like that woman, I felt such a hot flow of heat through my body! I knew I was healed. The Lord let me feel that heat to help my faith. Within twenty-four hours, I felt completely better! I told everyone. People said it was just psychological—I had healed myself. But I knew better. I started reading my Bible as a babe in Christ. Almost two years later, I did join a church. I was reading the Bible regularly, but I started practicing yoga. I even became a yoga instructor, certified in sport yoga. I knew yoga had Eastern philosophies, but I thought if I just did the exercise part, I would be okay. I even asked my pastor. To my surprise, I had his support as long as it was just for exercise. Another elder even encouraged Tai Chi, another Eastern philosophy of exercise. Yoga was the pathway to all of the other Eastern philosophies: Tai Chi, hypnotherapy, and Reiki, the bringing of "energy" from the universe into your body. After two years of practicing yoga and getting involved with Reiki, I met a bold woman of Christ named Jane. She informed me of my backsliding. Jane insisted that I pray and get right with God and speak to her husband. He had knowledge of the occult. The word "backsliding" kept ringing in my ears from this woman. I had thought exercising was okay. After looking up the word "backsliding" in the concordance, I was directed to Jeremiah Chapters 3-6. The Lord showed me that night that I had left the Lord for the harlot. I felt the Lord's anger with me for what I was doing. After the Lord opened my eyes that night, I discarded everything that had to do with yoga: the music, clothes, DVDs, my teaching certification, books, equipment, mat, candles, etc. I quit teaching the next day. I visited Jane and her husband, who further explained how yoga is an occult practice. They prayed over me and anointed me with oil. We claimed that I was forgiven and that all the effects of this practice had left me. Praise God for His forgiveness, mercy and love. Now I have given my life to the Lord and have been walking with Him ever since! An undeserved blessing He gave me was a daughter, as I had not been able to have a child. According to the specialists, for fourteen months, I was not ovulating. Within two weeks of giving up yoga, I was pregnant. I am so grateful for God's love and forgiveness. David: Amen! Praise God for all His goodness towards us. It's important to remember that we must continue walking in Christ to obtain the fullness of His salvation. (Mat.24:13) But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. We have to continue in Him to receive what He's laid hold on us for. (Php.3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. He laid hold on us to manifest the fullness of Christ, and if we believe the Word, and we keep holding fast to the Word, we're going to enter into more and more of Christ. He is the Word. When we walk in Christ, we have faith to exercise the authority that He's passed on to us, but notice that although Jesus totally conquered the devil (Ephesians 1:20-22), we still see him. Why? It's because the devil still exercises authority. You may ask, "David, how is that possible?" Well, let's look at how that authority has been passed around. God never took back the authority over all creation that He gave to Adam in Gen.1:28 And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. But God didn't have to take it back; Adam gave it away to the devil! He gave it to the devil by virtue of the fact that he obeyed the devil. (Rom.6:16) Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? He made the devil his lord and gave him that authority. We know that the Bible says, "What we bind on earth is bound in heaven," so if the devil can talk us into believing he has authority, then he has it because we gave it to him. We loosed him by believing him, and we bound God by not believing Him, because God made the condition for receiving His benefits, which is our faith. Today, Adam's children have lost their authority because he gave it to satan. However, Jesus is called the "last Adam" because He is the father of the born again creation. Because He refused satan's authority He gained authority back and passed it on to His spiritual children. (1Co 15:22)  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  But Christians need faith to exercise this authority. What does the Bible say? (1Jn.3:21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; (22) and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. When we walk in Christ, we have faith to exercise our authority, faith to believe what the Bible says about the authority given to us. Adam was a natural man who was given authority over this natural creation. Jesus Christ was called a spiritual man, and He was given authority over this spiritual and natural creation. We just read about the authority God gave to Adam over this natural creation. Most Christians haven't entered into the authority that Adam had as a natural man, much less the authority that Jesus had as a spiritual man. We are supposed to have authority in both places, the natural and the spiritual. (1Co.15:45) So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam [became] a life-giving spirit. (46) Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. (47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. (48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (49) And as we have borne the image of the earthy, let us also bear the image of the heavenly. If your Bible has "we shall," it's wrong. There's probably a footnote that tells you the Greek says, "let us also bear the image of the heavenly." We have been given a command to bear "the image of the heavenly." God is not saying that "we shall" because that's not true. A lot of people are not going to bear the "image of the heavenly" because they're going to refuse to do that. We've borne "the image of the earthy" because we've been a natural man, like the first Adam, but to bear "the image of the heavenly" is to bear the Image of the spiritual Adam, Who is Jesus Christ. (Heb.2:5) For not unto angels did he subject the inhabited earth to come... If your Bible says, "the world to come," you probably have a footnote that says "the inhabited earth." This is the correct translation from the Greek according to the numeric pattern. Notice its "the inhabited earth to come" meaning the earth under and following Adam's authority.  (Heb.2:5) For not unto angels did he subject the inhabited earth to come, whereof we speak. (6) But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? What was "man"? That was Adam. And who was the "son of man"? That was Adam's children. Jesus was the Son of man and the Son of God. This is talking about both the natural Adam and the spiritual Adam. The spiritual "Adam" is Christ, and so then, who is the "son of man"? That is Christ's children. Adam and his children had authority, and if they hadn't fallen because of sin, they would still have that authority. Jesus has authority and all of His children have the same authority because He is an Adam. He's the Procreator of the whole race of the spiritual man. He's the (Rom.8:29) ... firstborn among many brethren. The Greek word there is adelphos, and it means "brothers." (Gal.3:26) For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. Through faith, we should be living up to our sonship; we should be exercising the authority of the first Son, Jesus Christ, our spiritual Father. (Heb.2:7) Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands. We found that was true of Adam, and it's still true. Jesus exercised authority over the works of God's hands. Just as Adam did in the natural before he fell; Jesus did in the spiritual and natural. There's a natural creation, and there's a spiritual creation beyond the natural creation. Adam had dominion over the works of God's hands; he exercised authority over all the earth, the beasts, the fish, the birds, and so on. However, there are other works of God's hands that Adam didn't know much about: the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness, the spiritual creation of God (Ephesians 6:12). Because of what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, we've been given authority over not just the natural creation, but the spiritual creation. (Eph.1:19) And what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might (20) which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly [places], (21) far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Notice that Jesus was the head of His body the Church but He put all things in subjection under the feet of His body. We have this authority as we follow the Head. Our authority over the natural creation and the spiritual creation is given by right of two facts. We have come from the first Adam, and we have come from the second Adam. Both of those have been given authority, and that authority has been passed on to us, but the only way you can exercise that authority is to believe what the Word of God says. All of this has been put under your feet; you have complete sovereignty over it as you follow the Head. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. Notice: "Behold, I have given you authority ... over all the power of the enemy." Here's another witness that God has put all things in subjection under His feet: (Heb.2:8) Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. (Primarily, He was talking about Adam and his children. Secondarily, He's talking about Christ and His children.) But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. In other words, it's a fact that Jesus conquered the devil and gave us authority over him, but it's also a fact that we haven't exercised that authority. (Heb.2:9) But we behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, [even] Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every [man]. (10) For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory (These are His sons.), to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (11) For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one (We have one Father.): for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. So you see, we are sons of God first by faith and then by manifestation. Jesus, as the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:47), received this authority from God over all of creation, and we are in Him. As end-time saints, we are in Him as His body and even the lowest member, the "feet," have been given authority to "stomp" on the devil's kingdom. (Rom.16:20) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. We've been given this authority, so what's the holdup here? The holdup is for us to be convinced about what the Bible says in black and white. It isn't a deep revelation; it's in the letter of the Word, and we need to step out and start exercising our authority according to His Word by faith. We have dominion over all the works of God's hand! It makes no sense to think God would have given this dominion to Adam, a physical, natural creation, but would not have given it to His spiritual creation, sons born after the Image of Jesus Christ. Start imagining yourself as a son of God with authority. See yourself that way. (Psa.8:4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? (In other words, why would you pay any attention to man?) And the son of man (That's not only Adam, but his children. That's not only Christ, but His children.), that thou visitest him? (Psa.8:5) For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. (6) Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: (7) All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field, (8) The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. Do you remember when the disciples had been fishing all night without catching anything until the Lord commanded the fish into their net? (Joh.21:6) And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. And (Psa.8:9) O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Our words and actions must agree with God's Word. Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2 are parallel in speaking about Adam and his children, and Christ and His children, both having dominion over the work of God's hands. Everything Jesus said agrees with this. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Because we don't understand this principle, we are continually loosing the devil to terrorize us. We are continually loosing the curse to take dominion over us. We are continually doing this because we are disagreeing with the Word of God. This is what happens when we speak contrary to the Word of God, and we act contrary to the Word of God. Many of God's people don't yet understand that they have this authority to loose the devil. They loose him when they disagree with God's Word. They loose him when they agree with these spirits that rule over the lusts of the flesh. If you agree with them, they are going to rule over you, as with Adam and Eve. We have authority over the work of God's hands. We have authority over the things that God has given us. We have authority over our automobiles and our washing machines; literally anything we have stewardship of. It doesn't make any difference what it is; we have authority. Some of you have exercised your authority and commanded healing for people, and God healed them, or you've commanded healing over broken appliances or cars, and God healed them, too. What we have to do is be convinced that we have the authority of creative power in us. (Joh.20:21) Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. This means that the Father sent Jesus with authority over the works of His hands, and everywhere He went, He exercised authority. And He said, "Even so send I you." He sent us with that same authority. (Mat.28:18) And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go ye therefore... Why did He say that? He said it because He was passing that authority on to His disciples. (Mat 28:19)  Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: (Just in case you believe this was only for the Apostles, He addresses all nations of disciples saying this.) 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you (so we all have the authority they had.): and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.  And in another Gospel He said in (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe... "Them that believe" includes every believer. Every believer has authority in the second heaven, too. That's where Satan rules, and he reaches from the second heaven into the first heaven to rule as prince of the powers of the air in this world (Ephesians 2:2). We can read that here, where Jesus talks to Peter and the disciples. (Mat.16:18) And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven... What Matthew 16:19 actually says in the original is "the kingdom of the heavens." Over in Matthew 18:18, which we've looked at, the word used is "heaven," singular, because it's only talking about the third heaven, but Matthew 16 is talking about all the "heavens," plural. It says in the Nestle's Text, the three most ancient manuscripts, "the kingdom of the heavens." It says in the Numeric English New Testament, "the kingdom of the heavens." Other translations just haven't copied it correctly. This verse correctly reads, (Mat.16:19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens... That means you are binding in the second heaven too. But even in the third heaven we bind or loose by unbelief or faith. The devil is hidden from us in the second heaven, another realm, and he rules from there as prince of the power of the air in the first heaven, but we have authority in the realm of the second heaven when we obey the principles of God's Word. (Mat.16:19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens. That doesn't say that we are going to destroy everything the devil does because God doesn't want to do that. God sent the devil here to administer the curse, such as when apostle Paul turned a man over to Satan (1Co.5:5) ... for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. God still does this today, so He doesn't want to destroy the power of the devil. God wants to destroy the power of the devil in the life of the believer. Jesus didn't give the keys to just Peter, as some people mistakenly read this verse. Jesus was talking to all of His disciples. (Mat.16:20) Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ. What made Jesus speak of Peter in the first place? It was because of what Peter had spoken. (Mat.16:13) Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? (14) And they said, Some [say] John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. (15) He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (17) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. (18) And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. He wasn't talking about Peter alone. What was shown to Peter was the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God. This was the rock. Everybody who is saved has gotten that revelation. It is a foundational revelation. Everybody with that revelation has authority if they believe. This is the "key of David." (Isa.22:22) And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Everybody who is saved has the key of the Kingdom of Heaven but only a few will manifest it. (Rev.3:7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth. Jesus in the believer has the authority of the key of David. "And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." The name "Peter" is the Greek word petros, which means "a small rock or stone such as a man may throw." We are all one of these. But the Greek word for "rock" in this verse is petra, and it means "a huge mass of rock (a boulder), such as a projecting cliff." All of us small rocks who make up the body of Christ could also corporately be this huge Rock. Peter himself said that Jesus was the Rock. (1Pe.2:3) If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious: (4) unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, (5) ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6) Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. (7) For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; (8) and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. Peter said that we are "living stones" and all of the disciples are "living stones." Peter didn't believe that he was the huge Rock. We are living stones in God's building, and that whole building is petra, a mass of rock. Jesus is the foundation of the building of the Body of Christ. He is the Chief Corner Stone, which is missing from the Great Pyramid because He is in heaven, but that Chief Corner Stone also looks like the rest of the building, which is the body of Christ. He is the Foundation and the Head, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13), and the many stones are His body, just like the Great Pyramid represents. [Note: According to Josephus, the Great Pyramid is a prophecy built by Enoch and his sons.] Peter didn't exercise any more authority than the rest of the apostles. God gave all of His disciples the authority to bind things in the second heaven (Ephesians 2:2), things in the third heaven (Matthew 24:31; 2 Corinthians 12:2), and things in the first heaven (Mark 13:27). God's peopare not doing the works of Jesus Christ because they don't realize this authority is also theirs. We need to get this understanding down in our hearts because the devil's been given authority from God to make war on the saints. God sent an adversary so that not only would we learn to fight, but we would learn to fight and win! Did you know that if you fight the devil, you are going to be warring with your flesh? When you fight the spirit of fear, you are going to conquer fear in yourself. If you fight the spirit of lust, you are going to conquer lust in yourself. God has to send the devil because he reveals to you what is inside you. When you come against him by faith, you are not only consuming the lusts, you are not only plundering the devil's kingdom as far as the ground that he has taken in your life, but you are plundering him (Matthew 12:25-30; Mark 3:20-27; Luke 11:14-23). You are overcoming his spirits. Take your Promised Land. Conquer the carnal man that lives in it. Use the authority God gave you! This is your God-given right! Praise the Lord! Now, let me share another wonderful testimony with you called:   Faith in God's Word Plundered the Devil by sister L.W. About a year ago, the Lord showed me that I had a spirit of rejection. I received it through the bloodline of my dad. My grandparents tried to abort him. His siblings constantly reminded him that he was not wanted. The spirit of rejection took all my life experiences and twisted them in my head. It made me take everything personally and made me perceive its version of the truth instead of reality. Kids are cruel in school, and everybody is picked on in some way. They picked on me because I'm a redhead. So I saw my hair as a physical disfigurement. I thought if I were pretty, people would like me despite the color of my hair. When I would get beaten up by the boys after school, I thought I was the only one getting picked on. I didn't have any black eyes but there was a lot of hair-pulling, kicking, biting, scratching, and punching. I thought it was all because of the color of my hair. And I thought because I was different, I would never be accepted; and I hated myself and my hair. During this time, I developed nervous facial tics. My mom told me to stop, but I told her that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. I told her my face would feel extremely funny and the only relief was to allow the tic. She told me to rub my face every time I felt that and I did. The Most High God had mercy on me and broke the nervous tics that very instant, and I was immediately delivered.  A couple of years later in the summer, I woke up and the left side of my face was paralyzed and felt heavy. When I would blink, my left eye wouldn't close. When I smiled, only half my face would smile. My dad thought I was just making funny faces and told me if I didn't stop my face would stick. But very quickly, he realized this was a serious medical condition. The doctors discovered I had Bell's Palsy and informed us there was no cure and that I would have to live with this the rest of my life. Later, I asked my parents if that was really true. Would I have to live with this the rest of my life? I felt ugly enough having red hair, without adding a paralyzed face to the equation. And they said, "We serve a God who heals. He is a healing God." Being a child, I thought my parents were smarter than the doctors. So I put my faith in what they told me and ignored what the doctors said. The Lord completely healed my face within seven days. The doctors were stunned. The healing was so complete, there is not even the slightest trace even to this very day, despite the doctors' report. When my parents became missionaries to Swaziland, I was so ecstatic, looking forward to a fresh start. Maybe there they would accept my red hair. Little did I know that the country we were going to believed people with red hair were witch doctors. Now, not only did the color of my hair stand out, but the color of my skin, too. I was really different. I felt I would never fit in. I didn't know the language and couldn't understand their accent—even when they spoke in English. The Swazi kids were actually loving and gentle, unlike the American kids, and they were intrigued by me. They wanted to touch my hair and skin and smell me, but I felt intimidated. (After my sister read this testimony, she told me those Swazi kids loved me and loved playing marbles with me during recess.) The love they gave me, the spirit of rejection stole from me. I thought I was the dumbest one in my class. The standard of schooling was much higher than in the States, and the kids laughed at me because I didn't know the answers when the teacher called on me. Inevitably, there was always somebody who had pity on me and whispered the answer to me. The spirit of rejection twisted my thoughts. Once again I felt rejected. I was a loner. I thought there was something wrong with me because I was dumb. I wanted to be anybody else but me. Because there was no high school in the country we lived in, I was forced to go to boarding school. I went to an all-white, all-girls high school in South Africa. Suddenly, my hair became my greatest asset. I became interested in fashion and beauty and surrounded myself with prim and proper British tea-drinking girls who were gossips and snobs. I was the queen of beauty secrets, sharing them with everybody. Even during my short-lived popularity, inside I still felt dumb and ugly. I felt I was the object of gossip and that the girls were looking down their noses at me. After three years of boarding school, my family moved to Johannesburg, South Africa. I was finally able to live at home with my parents and go to a public school. No longer was I surrounded by prim and proper British girls, but fighting Jezebels. My sister and I rode the school bus. The Jezebels would not allow us to sit, even though there was a vacant seat. They said the seats were reserved. I was determined to sit because I didn't want to have to stand through high school. The girls converged on my sister and me. They pulled our hair, tore our dresses, kicked, scratched, bit, punched and burned us with their cigarettes. I stood up for myself and protected my sister. At that point in my life, I didn't know to turn the other cheek. I prayed and asked God to give me strength. After a while, they gave up. After I graduated from high school, I returned to the States to go to college. Before school started, I lived a few months with relatives. During those months, the spirit of rejection made me feel more alone than ever. Even though I had returned to the land of my birth, I realized I had become a foreigner. I was stranger than ever. My clothes were the latest in fashion in Europe, but they just didn't go in Wyoming. There was nothing indecent about them, but a pastor's wife wrote a letter to my parents stating I looked like a streetwalker and carbon copied it to the church headquarters. Apparently, nothing but jeans, cowboy boots, or tennis shoes was accepted. My clothes were too colorful and different. The day finally came when I was able to go to college and move into the dorm. God blessed me with a fabulous roommate and we became immediate friends. She helped me adjust to the American way of life. I became more confident. I finally started having fun, but didn't study enough; I got kicked out of two church colleges with which my parents were affiliated. I was labeled a rogue missionary kid who dressed like a streetwalker. In my shame, I went back home to South Africa. All my life I was judged by my hair and now I have begun to judge other people by their hair. One night I dreamed I was walking on a busy sidewalk in a big city. The sidewalk was crowded with people walking to and fro. There was a long, green snake gliding at shoulder level. When our eyes met, he immediately came at me and coiled himself tightly around my ponytail. I grabbed him with my right hand and tried to pull him out of my hair, but he was coiled so tightly, he wouldn't budge. I woke up. At this time, I didn't know anything about the importance of dreams. But it was so vivid that I never forgot it. Eventually, my head started to itch and burn. I thought to myself, "Whatever you do, never itch in public." I didn't want to act like the baboons in Africa, always scratching. A couple of years went by and ridges started to form on my scalp, but I ignored it. Later, I got married and moved into my husband's house. Within a week, I realized I had made a huge mistake. He became physically abusive and would often kick me out. In an effort not to worry my parents and hide my shame, I spent the nights at a hotel and kept going back. The abuse became more frequent. I felt like I was having a nightmare and couldn't wake up. It became increasingly difficult to hide the abuse from my family and from work. I found out he was addicted to pornography (that's why he would kick me out). I thought I had married a Christian. One morning, he came at me with full force. I couldn't get away because he was so much bigger and stronger. I grabbed the phone and dialed 9-1-1, but he slammed the receiver down. "God, get me out of here. Help me!" I cried. A few minutes later, a police car pulled up. Shocked, I didn't recognize myself when I looked in the mirror that day. Somebody else was staring at me! We had only been married four months, four days. This was the ultimate rejection and betrayal. For the next two and a half years, we were separated, but trying to work things out. Even during that time, he was physically abusive. My family was afraid he was going to kill me. When I was with him, they would often call. If I did not answer, they would call the police. It ended in divorce. I went to my mom's beauty shop for a haircut. She told me I needed to see the dermatologist because the ridges at the crown of my head had turned a reddish purple. The dermatologist did a biopsy and discovered I had a rare condition called Pseudopelade of Brocq. She gave me little green pills to take. The first morning I took one, I was doubled over in pain within 20 minutes. No matter how hard I tried to take those pills, I was never able to keep them down. I called the dermatologist to ask her what the pills were supposed to do. She said they wouldn't cure my scalp condition—they would only stop the burning and itching. I threw those useless pills out. They were not going to free me from the green snake coiled up in my hair. The name of that snake is Jealousy. When the LORD showed me the root cause of the problem, I repented from my sins of pride and vanity. (Isa.3:16) Moreover, the Lord said, Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles on their feet, (17) Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the Lord will make their foreheads bare. (24) ... Instead of wellset hair, a plucked-out scalp. I lived under a mountain of condemnation. No matter how much I forgave and repented of my sins, I always felt like God was mad at me. I am the elder of two girls and I felt like I was Esau and my sister was Jacob. (Heb.12:17) For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. (Rom.9:13) Just as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. I was jealous of my sister. I felt like I was Leah and my sister was Rachel. I was unloved and my sister was loved. I was the one who had weak eyes and couldn't please my Heavenly Father, while my sister was given wisdom and favor with God and man. The LORD gave me: (Gal.3:27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. This verse changed my life. A year before this, my dad baptized me into Jesus Christ, which meant I fulfilled the beginning of the verse. If I was baptized into Jesus Christ, then I was clothed with Christ! I was bouncing off the walls! I was firmly convinced I was clothed with Christ. I told my family about that verse, confessing I was clothed in Christ. My dad and sister said I still had to manifestly be clothed in Christ. I told them that's not what the verse said. It was a very plain and simple verse. I understood it perfectly and I wasn't budging from my stance. I was so ecstatic over that verse and I told them with a huge smile on my face, "Nobody can talk me out of that promise." My mom turned to me and said, "Grab onto that promise with your stubborn mentality and don't let go." The next morning, something flew out of my left nostril with extreme force, waking me up. I heard the sound of a loud rushing wind and physically felt the force. Whatever it was hit my window and caused it to rattle. I jumped out of bed, expecting to see a broken window, but it was completely intact. That had never happened to me before, but I knew I didn't imagine or dream it. I told my family what happened. My dad said a demon was evicted because of my believing that verse. I was so happy! I became obsessed with cleansing myself from all defilement of flesh and spirit. By this time, my dad and sister were listening to me. A few mornings later while sleeping, my whole body cramped up painfully and then relaxed, causing me to wake up. I called my dad, crying on the phone, because I was afraid the demon had come back. He said the demon hadn't come back, but another demon had left and wracked my body on his departure. He said demons typically do that when they leave. I was so happy, jumping up and down, praising Jesus. A few days later, my chest still hurt. I had a big bruise on it to remind me of my deliverance. It was simply a gift Father gave me to believe His Word. His Word is true. When you submit yourself to God, the devil will flee from you. (Jas.4:7) Be subject therefore unto God: but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. I learned the importance of meditating on the word. Each night I would pick a verse. I came across (Sol.4:1) ...Your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Because of my hair and scalp condition, I was always attracted to any scripture that dealt with hair. I knew there was a spiritual meaning, but I didn't know what it was. Despite not understanding this verse, I was going to meditate on it anyway. I imagined my hair being like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. As I meditated, I heard a voice that sounded like my own say, "Don't do that!" I flew out of bed and turned on the light. I looked under my pillows and tore my whole bed apart looking for something, but I knew not what. I realized it was a demon using my voice. He didn't like me meditating on that verse. I thought, "Stupid demon. If that verse is causing such an uproar with a demon, I'll meditate on it every waking moment!" The next day as I was meditating on the verse, I heard another voice squeal my name. The Word of God is alive! A few weeks later, my mom commented that there was a huge improvement while cutting my hair at the beauty shop. She said an amazing thing was happening—my hair was growing in thick and long. (Sol.7:5) Your head crowns you like Carmel, And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads; The king is captivated by your tresses. It's easy to see the faults in other people, but it's difficult to see the faults in yourself. I decided to ask my sister what my problem was because I knew she would be brutally honest. She told me I had a spirit of rejection. She said that a demon was the cause of my scalp condition, and that I was easily offended and it manifested in my scalp being irritated and tender. I decided to take her at her word and fight the spirit of rejection. My sister showed me this scripture: (Luk.21:12) But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. (13) It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. (14) So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; (15) for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. (16) But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, (17) and you will be hated by all because of My name. (18) Yet not a hair of your head will perish. Suffering rejection is a part of taking up your cross and following Jesus. It's forgiving those who do you wrong and turning the other cheek. A few weeks later I was at the mall with my family. I saw a really neat soap dispenser that I thought my mom should buy, but she said she didn't like it. Then I saw a perfect soap dispenser for my sister's bathroom, but she didn't like it either. The words, "So what's wrong with MY soap dispenser," flew out of my mouth! I was hearing them for the first time myself. I realized what I said was so outrageous and so unreasonable. For the first time, I saw how easily I was offended. I finally saw for myself the spirit of rejection in me. One night, I asked Father for a scripture by lot: (Luk.9:42) While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. I thought Jesus did it for the boy only and I wanted Him to do it for me. But then my sister showed me Jesus' words: (Mar.13:37) What I say to you I say to all. I was ecstatic! Jesus rebuked the spirit of rejection in me and healed me and gave me back to my Heavenly Father. The spirit of condemnation would overwhelm me. One night while meditating on (Rom.6:11) Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, another demon flew out from behind my right ear with force. I felt and heard a major vibration. I couldn't wait to tell my family. And I said to my sister, "You wouldn't believe what happened to me last night!" She asked, "Now what flew out of you?" (Luk.11:20) But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. I devoured the audio series, "The Curse of Unforgiveness" and I followed along in my Bible, highlighted scriptures, wrote notes and searched my heart for any unforgiveness that may have been lurking. I also devoured the audio series, "Overcoming Sin." I was on a mission to completely rid myself of the spirits of rejection, judgment and condemnation. I became obsessed with (2Co.7:1) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Early one morning I dreamed I had bloodstains all over me. A little boy with blonde hair said to me, "Let me help you." I woke up, desperately wanting help! Immediately, when David Eells started the Bible study, "Deliverance from Rejection and Its Fear," I knew he was talking to me! The Man-child was helping me. My deliverance was already accomplished! I was set free from the spirit of rejection and condemnation! The mental torment has been removed from my mind. My family will no longer have to tread lightly. My Heavenly Father poured His love into me. I finally felt His acceptance. I was no longer rejected, but accepted. (Isa.43:3) For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. (4) Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. How can I possibly feel rejected? (Rom.8:31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? I had been burnt to a crisp. But I learned the ashes of burning the wood, hay and stubble mixed with the water of the Word was a potent purifying cleanser, which is exactly what I needed. (Num.19:9) Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin. (Act.11:9) But a voice from heaven answered a second time, What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy. L.W.'s Prayer: Father, Have Mercy ... Father, I ask You, for anyone out there who is in bondage to sin, needing a healing, needing a restoration in their family, needing a restoration of fellowship, that You will convict them of their sins. Convict them to go and make things right with their brethren. If they've done sin, if they're unforgiving, whatever, convict them to go and make things right with their brethren and then come to You for their benefits: healing, deliverance, blessing, whatever, Lord. We thank you, Lord, for putting Your faith and conviction in hearts. Some are very hardened in their heart, Lord. We ask you to have mercy. Restore their consciences. Grant them this gift to be bold to confess their sins so that You may bless and preserve them and heal and deliver them. Father, we ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. David: Yes, Amen! Our Lord Jesus has said in (Mat.6:15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Without the Father's forgiveness, we are living under the curse. (Mat.18:32) Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: (33) shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? (34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. The tormentors are the demons who administer the curse, which is partially described in Deuteronomy 28. Many are living under this and think it normal, but Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us... (Gal.3:13). Therefore, it would be of great benefit to you, saints, to also read or listen to these teachings. Deliverance From Rejection and its Fear https://ubm1.org/?page=deliverance   The Curse of Unforgiveness http://www.ubm1.org/books/pdf/TCOU.pdf https://www.ubm1.org/?page=sabs-onehour

August 28, 2025 Samuel Farag,Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church ofGorham, NY, & convert out of Oriental(Coptic) Orthodoxy who by the grace,mercy & love of our Sovereign God wassaved by the blood of Jesus Christ &drawn to embrace Reformed Baptisttheology, who will address: “The MONKS of ORTHODOXY: ThePRESERVERS, PROTECTORS & PUR-VEYORS of IDOLATRY & HERESY” Subscribe: […]

Season 4: Episode 4 – Petition and Thanksgiving: Trusting the Sovereign GodIn this episode, we dive into Session Three of When You Pray with Jackie Hill Perry, focusing on petition and thanksgiving in prayer. I share what it means to bring formal requests before God, why gratitude is essential, and how trusting His sovereignty changes how we wait. You'll hear how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, why “micro-movements” matter in faith, and how the Lord of Hosts fights on our behalf.

In Today's Secular Uncertainties, God is Sovereign; and God “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he {God} will” MESSAGE SUMMARY: Political discord and health care uncertainties surround us in all directions today. Without Jesus in our lives, we have reasons to be anxious and fearful. However, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31: “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”. The future years may hurt our pride, wallets, and/or our freedom. On the other hand, we should not let the current secular political environment and culture hinder our resolve to continue in our fearless faith in the truth; our constant hope in the future; and our radical love for our neighbors. God has a plan; and, regardless of how things look from our eyes, we must remain faithful to His purpose. Now is the time to draw near to Jesus and to advance His Kingdom. Our gaze must remain on Jesus if we want to walk on the water during the storm. God is the King of Kings and the Sovereign God of the Universe. As Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 4:17 when God told Nebuchadnezzar: “to the end that the living may know that the Most High {God} rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he {God} will and sets over it the lowliest of men.”. God is always involved in our lives, and He gives the government offices “to whom he will”, even if the political processes produce “the lowliest of men {or women}”. Sometimes, we receive the elected officials we need, and sometimes we receive the elected officials that we deserve; but God is always Sovereign and faithful.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be a complainer (Philippians 2:14). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 6:31; Philippians 4:5-7; Daniel 4:17; Psalms 106c:25-36. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Go! Make Disciples!”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

This week we take a closer look at Scriptural teaching about the sovereignty of God. This study draws from John MacArthur's book "Our Awesome God" and A.W. Tozer's book "The Knowledge of the Holy". Our Awesome God: https://GTY.org/store/books/452018/our-awesome-god The Knowledge of the Holy: https://ChristianBook.com/9780060684129/pd/7310

The letters to the Corinthians begin in the same way as every epistle of Paul prior to his first Imprisonment in Rome. Grace ('charis" the Greek greeting) and peace ('shalom' the Hebrew welcome). What more could be offered any believer than the grace and peace of the Father? The letters written between the two imprisonments contain the added dimension of 'mercy': something we become more conscious of needing the older we get (the only exception to this pattern is in Paul's personal letter to Philemon). What wonderful words were told to the Corinthian readers, that by the Father's calling they were saints, or sanctified believers, incorporated into the fellowship of God and His Beloved Son. The Apostle informs his readers about the tragedy of forming factions. Christ's ecclesia - his body - cannot be divided into segments which follow human leaders. For that reason, notwithstanding the essential nature of baptism, Paul was thankful to have baptised only a few. The Apostle's prime focus was on forwarding the message of the Gospel. The essence of that message lay in the power of the preaching of Christ's crucifixion. Read aloud and ponder verses 18-31 (the last of those verses cite Jeremiah 9 verses :23-24). The reader will notice how the Apostle develops the theme from Jeremiah and consider the masterful conclusion in verses 30-31. How thankful are we that the Father has called weak and ordinary people such as ourselves to His kingdom and glory. Chapter 2 outlines Paul's determination when he came to Corinth to teach among them nothing except the Christ as the crucified one. This message was unbelievable and inconceivable to Paul's hearers, as his quote from Isaiah 64 verses 4-5 proves. But our Sovereign God has His love and wisdom shared with His children - known partly now with the added promise that the joys and blessings of the kingdom age cannot be understood simply through words which would fail to describe that experience of being the Father's immortalised children. The Apostle Paul highlights the difference between natural and spiritual thinking, showing that the teaching via the spirit of God Is essential for true enlightenment. https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

Pastor Wayne Van Gelderen shares biblical truth that will bring hope and comfort in these uncertain days. May we draw closer to God through this time and impact those around us for eternity. https://fallsbaptist.org https://baptistcollege.org https://www.theegeneration.org https://ontovictorypress.com If you'd like to support this ministry - https://fallsbaptist.org/give/

Psalm 91 WorksheetPsalm 91 uses wonderful poetry for believers to express their confidence that the LORD sovereignly protects and delivers those who are His! We call a Psalm a Messianic psalm when in part or the whole it expresses something that only Israel's coming Messiah Jesus could fulfill. What I am cautiously calling a “Millennial” Psalm contains aspirations that won't be completely _____________________ until Jesus reigns on earth as described in Revelation 20.For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth…But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. -Psalm 37:9, 11 The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years. YET THEIR BOAST IS ONLY LABOR AND SORROW; but it is soon cut off, and we fly away. -Psalm 90:10 After we read Psalm 91 you will love it and find yourself praying that your loved ones will be enveloped with “Psalm 91 protection.” We are invited to ask the Sovereign God to be _____________ us and protect us “in trouble” (verse 15).The eternal _________________________ we have in God our refuge V. 1-24 different names for God are given in verses 1-2: Most High (Elyon); Almighty (Shaddai); LORD (YHWH); God(Elohim). He is over all! He is All-powerful! He AM, and He enters into ______________ with His people. James 4:8 Matthew 11:28Make sure you _____________________ your trust in God like the Psalmist – He is “MY refuge,” “MY fortress,” I trust unreservedly in Him!Our specific hopes for God's ___________________________ for God's people V. 3-13The word for pestilence is deber (H1698), which occurs 49 times. Among other things this word would relate to plagues and ________________________. I like how he describes the refuge we have in God in such wonderful relational terms. Our refuge is as strong as the most fortified brick castle, yet as warm and ____________________ as being at “grandmom's” house! What is the difference between a shield and a buckler?Many times the fear of something happening is as debilitating as the thing itself can be. A _______________ walk with the LORD can deliver us from the fear that keeps us from getting on with life. For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. -2 Tim. 2:7Verses 7-8 must be understood in light of all the Psalms that have made clear that trouble does come to faithful believers (Psalm 90:10) yet God is in control and we will be with believers forever (Psalm 23). The very ________________________ Psalm speaks of the wicked flourishing now but being destroyed (92:7), and the righteous future flourishing (92:12-13). Verses 9-10 will reach their _________________________ fulfilment during Christ's anticipated millennial kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-12).According to Psalm 91:11-12, God's protection includes the activity of ministering ___________________!Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation. -Hebrews 1:14 God Himself gives eternal _________________________ V. 14-16How many times does the word “will” occur in verses 14-16?________ + 2 more times it is implied.If you set your love on God, what will He do for you according to verse 14?If you call on God, what will He do for you according to verses 15-16?

By Pastor Goddard

Pastor Delbert Denny Jr. preaches a message called "The Sovereign God Knows Me Better Than I Know Myself" from Psalm 139.—Parkview Church exists to glorify God through the whole church forming whole disciples for the good of all people.Website: www.parkviewchurch.orgInstagram/Facebook: @parkviewchurchic

Sermon: Our Good and Sovereign God and Incomprehensible TragedySpeaker: Pastor Tom WilsonText: Luke 13:1-5Date: July 13, 2025...

Welcome to Day 2679 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDay 2679 – New Testament Orientation – “The Church, Salvation, and Eschatology: God's Unfolding Plan”Putnam Church Message – 07/20/2025Sermon Series: New Testament Orientation Message 12: “The Church, Salvation, and Eschatology: God's Unfolding Plan” Last week, we explored "The General Letters of the New Testament:” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT) 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[a] a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.”[b]This week is the 12th and final message in our New Testament Orientation Series, and we will learn: The Church, Salvation, and Eschatology: God's Unfolding Plan” Ephesians 2:13-14 (NLT) "But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united us both into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us."Opening PrayerOur Loving and Sovereign God, as we reach the culmination of our journey through Your New Testament, we pause to reflect on the grand tapestry of Your plan for Your Church, for our salvation, and the culmination of all things. We pray that You would open our eyes to see these profound truths with the clarity and anticipation of the early believers. May we grasp the depth of Your reconciliation, the wonder of Your salvation, and the glorious hope of Your coming kingdom. Empower us, by Your Spirit, to live as Your unified people, eagerly awaiting the Day of Christ. Amen.Introduction: The Final Unveiling of God's Purpose We've journeyed from the Jewish roots of the Gospels, through the explosive growth in Acts, and explored the profound theology of Paul's letters and the General Epistles. Today, we bring it all together by considering three essential topics that define the conclusion of God's unfolding story: the Church, the nature of Salvation, and Eschatology—the doctrine of last things.Our core verses from Ephesians 2:13-14 serve as a magnificent summary of the radical new reality Jesus inaugurated: "But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united us both into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us." This passage speaks of a profound reconciliation, not just between humanity and God, but between the two great divisions of humanity: Jew and Gentile. This reconciliation defines the very nature of the Church.For the early...

Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 Pastor Eric Mounts

Jesus Delivered Us (6) (audio) David Eells – 7/20/25 We don't want to look too far down the road or worry about the “giants” that are in our Promised Land, because the Bible says, (Mat.6:34) Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Just take the steps that are in front of you to come against the flesh and come against the spirits. Do the spiritual warfare that you can. He says, “Oh that my people would hearken unto me … I would soon subdue their enemies.” If you just walk in the right direction and swing your Sword, you are going to win the battle. (Jos.10:8) And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thy hands; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. If you repent of what you know is wrong and hold fast to faith, you cannot help but win the battle. (Psa.81:14) I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their adversaries. (15) The haters of the Lord should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure for ever. (16) He would feed them also with the finest of the wheat; And with honey out of the rock would I satisfy thee. These are God's promises to us, but in your Promised Land, it is up to you, not the Lord, to give no place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). Nowhere in Scripture are we to pray for the Lord to conquer our Promised Land. He gave us that authority, and He told us to take up our Sword and put the original inhabitants of the land to death. (Exo.23:32) Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. These are the lusts of the flesh and demon spirits. Make no covenant, no treaty, with them, although it's very easy to do because your flesh is always trying to bribe you or buy you out. Your flesh is always trying to get you to justify your position so that you can feel good while you live in the lusts of the flesh, but God says, “Make no covenant with them.” Have no affinity, no accord, with them. Do not humble yourself to them; instead, be merciless. God told them when they went into the Promised Land to have no mercy. (Deu.7:2) And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them. He wanted them to kill their enemies who controlled their land. There was one tribe, the Gibeonites, who deceived the Israelites into making a covenant with them (Joshua 9), and God was angry about that. Those Gibeonites ended up being a real thorn in their side (Joshua 10:1-28; 2 Samuel 21:1-14). (Num.33:55) But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as pricks in your eyes, and as thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. God said, “Have no mercy; slaughter them.” This is a type of us coming against our old lusts. He warned, (Exo.23:33) They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me; for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee. This is the truth, and so He said, “They shall not dwell in your land.” Remember that God does not order us to do anything that we cannot do through His power. (Php.4:13) I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. People love to use this verse for material things but think about the spiritual things for which you can use this verse. You can overcome any lust of the flesh. Pray and examine your life and see what lust it is that has been taking advantage of you. Write it down and give some thought to it. Exercise faith against it because you have authority over that lust, and you will win when you swing your sword. That is God's promise. The best defense is a good offense, and when you go against the devil, being on the offense is the thing that brings him confusion. If you do not act to swing your sword, he is going to conquer you. That means we don't have any other choice but to take up our Sword and go into our Promised Land and win this battle. I know there are a lot of groups out there promoting instant sanctification through deliverance. People say, “Make it easy on me! Just cast all the demons out of me!” Well, we're wrestling with principalities, powers and rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) and there are no shortcuts; there are some things we have to do. You have to obey the Word of God, understand your authority, and exercise your authority over these demons. If you do that, the results can be dramatic; however, there is no way to get around repentance. You cannot cast demons out of people who will not repent; you will just waste your time and the demons will run you in circles. The Bible says, (1Jn.1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Unrighteousness not only includes the demons, but also the lusts of the flesh. Demons come and prey upon the lusts of the flesh. The Lord Jesus said, (Joh.14:30) … for the prince of the world cometh: and he hath nothing in me. There was no “place,” no foothold, no ground in Him. (Eph.4:27) Neither give place (That's the Greek word topon meaning “place” or “region.”) to the devil. If you are “giving ground” to the devil, he will be there, and if you try to cast him out, he is still going to be there. If you are giving ground to him, he has a legal right to be there and he knows it. The devil knows his rights. The devil is a really good lawyer and he knows this Word better than you. There are no shortcuts, Saints. If you want deliverance from a demon that has been giving you trouble, maybe all of your life, you first have to confess your sins. The demon may have been passed on to you through your parents or come through your giving in to sin; if there is no confession, you will not prosper against that demon. (Pro.28:13) He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper (He is not going to conquer his Promised Land, but it goes on to say,): Whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy. There's the condition, and here it is again. (Pro.28:18) Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered; But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once There is no shortcut in deliverance. If you don't confess but still somehow manage to get the demon out, he will come right back. He will just laugh at you or feign obedience and hide himself. You will not have accomplished a thing. You'll soon find out that you have the same problem and you'll wonder why it did not work. The reason it didn't work is because you did not obey. Do you want deliverance that gives you power and authority over the devil? Repentance with confession is the only way. It is the Blood that causes the death angel to pass over, and how is the Blood “applied”? (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. It takes repentance to walk in the light, but a lot of people don't want to hear about the repentance part. They say, “Just come and cast these demons out of me.” This is why I say to examine yourself and find out if there is something you need to confess, and not just confess it to the Lord. The Bible says, (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another… Find somebody who is trustworthy and confess your sin to them; you don't need to confess your sin in front of everybody unless you have offended everybody. You see, God wants to humble you; that's why He says to confess your sins one to another. God does not want us to cover up our sin. It's easy to confess your sin to God and then just go on covering it up. There's a great motivation to turn from sin when you know that God expects you to confess your sin to someone. It has to be true repentance when confession is made. Don't be fooled by self-pity, because that can look a lot like repentance, but it might just be self-pity, which is what Esau had, and he lost his inheritance. (Heb.12:17) For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind (That's what “repentance” is, it's a “change of mind.”) [in his father, (Not in the Greek)] though he sought it diligently with tears. He could not change HIS mind. You may have seen people cry, with tears running freely, yet they never change their ways. “Repentance” is not crying; “repentance” is “changing your mind.” There are many people full of self-pity because of the curse upon them. They want the curse off of them, but they're not willing to pay the price to get it. (Heb.12:14) Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord (This doesn't sound as if sanctification is an instantaneous process here, if He said to “follow after” it.): looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled (Yes, bitterness can defile a lot of people, and this is why it needs to be dealt with immediately.); (16) lest there be any fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat (He was following after the flesh.) sold his own birthright. (17) For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected (He was “reprobated.”); for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears. You may wonder, “Well, what was wrong with his repentance?” It looks as if it was just self-pity. Godly sorrow brings repentance that does not let you turn and go back. (2Co.7:9) I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance (The Greek word there is metanoia and it means “a change of mind, change in the inner man.”); for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing. (10) For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret (You will not fall back into the sin.): but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Do you know why “the sorrow of the world worketh death”? It's because when people are “sorry” in the way that the world understands “sorry,” they think that's all they need for God to forgive them, but then they fall right back into the sin. Seeing no power of God, they become discouraged and just go back into the world. We are responsible to repent, not just to be sorry. We must have sorrow unto repentance. The Bible says you have to change your mind and changing your mind may not even involve tears. I've seen people who blame all their problems on demons. These people run around looking for somebody to get the demons out of them, and if you try to help such people but fail, they'll blame you. In their eyes, it's your fault. It's always everybody's fault, except theirs. Getting demons out of people who sincerely repent and believe is not a problem, but the shallower a person's depth of commitment and repentance, the harder it is to get the demons out. If commitment to discipleship and repentance is deep, it's very easy to get demons out because God is always on your side. He is always there with discernment and direction. He is always there to force the demons to the surface. It's easy to get demons out of a repentant person. It's very hard to get them out of a person whose “repentance” is very shallow. Now, when we talk about the warfare of our mind, the Bible says we are to be (2Co.10:5) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. This is our spiritual warfare, because the primary way that the devil gets a foothold is when you don't cast down thinking that is not of God. Most demons come because you have given in to sin, and demon spirits are also passed on to us genetically through the blood. You can do something about that, too, but before or even after you came to the Lord, in some way, you gave in to sin. If you ask, “David, do you mean that before I came to the Lord, I had demons, and I still have them now that I've come to the Lord?” Yes, you need to remember that the Lord said He would not drive them all out at one time, and He meant that. Now it's possible that when people come to the Lord, some may receive total deliverance over areas of their lives that you're still wrestling with. You are wrestling with something; they are wrestling with something else. Some parts of their lives have been cleansed, and some parts of your life have been cleansed. God has left you some enemies to fight, and He has left them some enemies to fight. There are things in your former life that were dealt with by the Blood of Jesus, and now they are gone, and their gods are gone, too. They have been conquered. I am not talking about going back and dealing with sins that are covered by and washed in the Blood or things from which you are already delivered, but there are some things that we had in our former life that we carried over into this life. The temptation, the struggle, and the demon are still there. Those things that may still be troubling you were there in your former life. Before you were born again, that demon entered in and that's why you're having to deal with those temptations right now. Maybe it's a temptation that you've had all of your life, and demons are still taking advantage of you because that sin has not been washed in the Blood. Otherwise, you would have been cleansed of all unrighteousness. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. This is the cleansing, washing away, of the nature of sin. Of course, our whole life is under the Blood by faith, but when God pulls back that Covering, letting you see a particular sin, then it's time for you to take the Sword and come against it. But when you're in a trial of your faith, don't go back and dredge up those things that are gone, because that's just the devil trying to condemn you for things done in your past. The apostle Paul tells us how to deal with that problem. (Php.3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing [I do], forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. God led His people through the Promised Land to be faced with enemies one at a time, and that's the way for us every day. Little by little, we are faced with our enemies, our temptations, and that's when the old flesh rises up and gives you the chance to swing your Sword. You might never have seen that particular enemy without a trial that caused the temptation to come to the surface. People like to pray away trials, but you see, God brings us through trials to show us the enemy. You cannot pray away trials because (Act.14:22) … through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. It is tribulation itself that causes you to enter into the Kingdom. You are faced with something that causes the lusts of the flesh to surface, so that you get to see them and fight them and get free of them. This reminds me of Peter speaking to Ananias. (Act.5:3) Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit …? Ananias was responsible for that sin. Peter was not blaming the sin on the demon; he was blaming the sin on the person. (1Co.5:7) Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump… In this chapter, Paul speaks of fornicators, liars, drunkards, and so forth, telling them to (1Co.5:13) … Put away the wicked man from among yourselves. You may protest, “Wait a minute, David! They just have demons! They need deliverance!” No, the Bible says those people are responsible for giving in to that demon, so that means the demon is not responsible. If people are believers, then they have the power to repent and conquer that demon. When we understand that we are responsible for sin, then we understand that we have to repent. There is only one instance in the Scriptures where it teaches that the person to be delivered does not have to repent. (Mar.5:1) And they (the apostles) came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. (2) And when he (Jesus) was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. You find in Scripture that these spirits are called “unclean spirits.” “Spirits of infirmity” are also called “unclean spirits.” (Mark 1:23,9:25; Luke 9:42; etc.) Well, an “unclean spirit” is just a demon, and all demons are unclean. (2) …, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain; (4) because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him. Christians have physically wrestled and fought with those who have demons, but you should never do that. Your authority only stands as Jesus' authority. He gave you the authority to cast out demons. If you get out from under your God-given authority and into the flesh, the demons can hurt you. Just exercise your authority and command them to “Sit down and be quiet in the Name of Jesus.” Believe and they will obey you. (Mar.5:5) And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones. (Every last one of these demons causes one to be self-destructive, and they are out to destroy you, too.) (6) And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him; (7) and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? (When they become excited or are faced with authority, many times, they cry out with a loud voice.) I adjure thee by God, torment me not. (8) For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man. The Bible says, (Mat.8:16) … and he cast out the spirits with a word. With the man in the tombs, He commanded it, upsetting the demon, and the demon began speaking. Sometimes when you command them to come out, they will start speaking. They will sit and talk with you all day long if you encourage dialogue, because they would like to deceive you with all kinds of information. This is not what you want. Our example is (Luk.4:35) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no hurt. Just tell them, “Shut up and come out.” Do not seek knowledge from a demon by speaking with them. This is an abomination in the sight of the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:10; Exodus 22:18; 1 Chronicles 10:13; etc.) People like to use this next verse to say that we should ask demons questions, but as we can see, this is not the norm. (Mar.5:9) And he asked him, What is thy name? (This is the only example in Scripture where Jesus asked a demon, “What is your name?”) And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many. There is generally a “captain,” a lead spirit in the bunch, who speaks for all, and many people in deliverance ministry have gotten this revelation by talking with demons. Here, it is very clear. (Mar.5:9) … My name is Legion; for we are many. (10) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. In another account, the demons asked not to be sent to the pit. (Luk.8:31) And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. Commanding demons to go to the pit seems to be common among deliverance ministries. Well, we do not have that example, not one, in Scripture. Jesus did not command that here, and if there had been a reason to put those demons out of commission, don't you think that Jesus would have sent them to the pit? Demons have a good purpose on this earth, and that is to torment those who love sin, as we learned earlier. Remember the example of Paul turning Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan (1Ti.1:20) … that they might be taught not to blaspheme. It was to teach them a lesson. Another example from Paul was the man in fornication with his father's wife in (1Co.5:5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. When a person has repented, Jesus wants them to be delivered, but the job of demons is to make life miserable until you decide to repent. Even if all the demons you ever cast out were sent to the pit, there still would be more than enough left to handle the job. Let me share a testimony with you:   Sins of Flesh Fell Off Me by M. G. I was living and working in Japan when I first heard David speaking the real gospel of Jesus. I was always looking into eschatology and prophecy because I reckon the Lord was softening me up to hear the truth. I was a bit afraid of the end, as I was not a very godly person…. I'm not really sure how I found the teachings. I was at “The Edge Radio Show” on the internet and decided to listen to David in the archives. I had never heard of him. To my knowledge, I wasn't looking for anything he had to say, but the Lord led me to listen. I was raised Baptist and heard all that “fire and brimstone” from shouting, gasping old-time Baptist preachers. It never did that much for me. I've heard what the Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, and even some Pentecostals had to say. But I never heard anyone speak with true power, authority and anointing, till I heard him speak that day on the computer. It knocked my socks off! I had never heard anything like it! And it was shot through completely with the glow of TRUTH. It spoke to my heart. I listened to all that he had to say and put it in my heart. It didn't lead me down the road right away to the crucified life and/or even a much closer walk with the Lord, but the seed had been planted. I was covered up with the cares of this wretched world. It probably took me another year before I started going to the UBM website, listening to the audios and coming to the Paltalk meetings. [Paltalk was an interactive chat we had during the live broadcast; we now have online teachings and the Outreach conferences twice weekly.] I started praying and seeking the Lord. I was devouring the teachings online with every free moment, learning a great deal. I received the baptism of water and the Holy Spirit. A lot, but not all, of the sin of my past life just fell away. I sought prayer in faith and agreement from UBM to quit smoking and drinking to excess, and it happened. My deliverance was not overnight, but all that stuff just withered on the vine over a period of weeks. I never even had any withdrawal symptoms. I just never smoked, or wanted to smoke, another cigarette ever again. All these things happened by the power of the risen Christ. I would never have been able to do it on my own. I had been a big smoker and drinker for almost thirty years. Try as I might, I had never been able to give up those bad habits.  I praise God for His love and mercy on me. I've never been tempted to smoke another cigarette, ever. I never get the feeling, “Oh, boy, do I need a drink!” It just doesn't happen. Praise His Name! Whenever I feel weak in my faith, I always hang on to the knowledge of the deliverance given to me by my loving Father through His Son, Our Lord Jesus. Now, demons are going to seek a body to live in because that is where they have what they call “rest.” The demon addressing Jesus said in (Mar.5:7) … What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not. They know that they are supposed to have rest until the “time” (Matthew 8:29). Jesus said (Mat.12:43) But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not. He returns to the house out of which he came. They do not find rest in “waterless places.” It would be like you having to go through a desert; it's not where you want to go, is it? You would like to go where things are comfortable and cool, where there is plenty of water. It is torment to a demon to be outside of a body because in the pit, the abyss, there is no flesh for them through which they can fulfill their lusts. That's the problem for them, so on earth, they always want a body to inhabit, even if that body is an animal. (Mar.5:11) Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And they besought him (Jesus), saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, [in number] about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. They really want to fulfill their lusts through people, but if they cannot have people, they will use pigs, etc.. I have talked to demons and there is a chain of command with them, a hierarchy. A lot of lower demons are extremely stupid; the lusts consuming them trip them up. For instance, they may be so prideful and so arrogant, wanting to show themselves, that they'll tip their hand. You will know what they are doing. And you'll find that the further down the line you go, the more stupid they are. Didn't the demons know that pigs cannot swim? How long are demons going to last in a herd of pigs that have been run off into a lake? The Bible tells us that Satan's wisdom was corrupted because of his beauty. (Eze.28:17) Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee. If he had wisdom, he would have stayed where he was in heaven, but instead, his wisdom became corrupted. Demons cause destruction, as with the demoniac and the pigs. They cause whatever flesh they are in to be self-destructive. (I'm going to share some testimonies showing demons' destructive tendencies.) Notice that at the beginning of the story of the demoniac, it's just the leader, Legion, who is speaking (Luke 8:26), but as soon as Jesus commands them to come out, all of them start speaking (Luke 8:31-32). Many times when you are dealing with demons, more of them will manifest, and after you cast one out, sometimes another one will manifest. The Holy Spirit is causing them to manifest themselves as the Lord is driving them out before you. If you suspect something else is there, you have the authority to command a demon to manifest. You should be aware, also, that demons love to distract people and they'll put on a show for you, but don't get caught up in their theatrics. (Mar.9:25) And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together (He did not want a spectacle.), he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. Some people will help the demons put on a show, but we should avoid that at all costs. Our example is Jesus, and nowhere did Jesus let them put on a show. Actually, it's best to avoid having conversations with them. I have read quite a few books by deliverance ministers who got into trouble because they talked to demons that lied to them. There was one man who had a good understanding of deliverance, but this man was casting “tongue demons” out of everybody. He didn't know that all demons can talk in tongues. The Bible says, (1Co.13:1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels… There is no “tongues” demon since all demons talk in tongues because they are fallen angels. These demons were obliging to this man's false doctrine by playing along with it to keep him in bondage. They will deceive you any way they can! This deliverance minister needed tongues, more than anything else, in order to cast out demons. Demons hate tongues. People report that demons actually spoke to them, saying, “Don't speak in tongues! That is a perfect prayer! Don't do that! We hate that!” I have had them scream out because they hated the Gospel being preached, and they do not like the Blood of Jesus. If you cannot do anything else, pray in tongues. Well, because this man had let the demons talk, they had deceived him into thinking that tongues were no good. Because he had let the demons talk, they had deceived him into believing that this was a “tongues” demon, a deceiving spirit. Now, remember that speaking in tongues doesn't make you holy. Many people who speak in tongues are in sin. Do you recall the people about whom the apostle Paul was writing that they should be thrown out of the church? (1Co.5:11) But as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat. These people spoke in tongues, but that does not mean you are holy; following and obeying the Holy Spirit makes you holy. The Bible says in (Rom.11:29) For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. God will give you a gift that will stay with you to the grave, even if you are going to hell. Paul said, (1Co.9:27) but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected. And this man said in 1Co 14:18  I thank God, I speak with tongues more than you all:  A lot of deliverance ministries believe in casting demons into the pit, but that's not what Jesus did. Jesus never sent them to the pit. Let's read the rest of this story. (Mar.5:12) And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And he gave them leave. Why did Jesus permit the demons their request? Most people, according to reasoning, would have said, “Send them out of the country. That way, they won't be able to bother anybody else.” I personally have had demons ask me whether they could enter into a dog, and I told them, “No, but you can find the nearest cockroach and enter into it!” Usually, I say, “No, you just come out!” You do not have to permit them to enter into anything. Demons are going to search until they find a vessel that they can enter because that's how they fulfill their lusts, and there's a demon for anybody who wants to sin. It makes no difference where you send them. You are not going to get rid of them. (Rev.9:2) And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke (smoke represents demons.) out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. There are millions of them, enough to darken the sun, so sending them to the pit does not make sense. If God wanted them out of the country or in the pit, that is where they would be, but He does not want that. They are here to torment mankind until men and women repent and come under the Blood of Jesus. Jesus did not send them out of the country because He understood the sovereignty of God. (Mar.5:13) And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, [in number] about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. Obviously, Jesus thought that this one man was worth more than two thousand pigs, which Jews were not supposed to have anyway. (Mar.5:14) And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come to pass. (15) And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid. Unclean spirits like people to take off their clothes. And you know, there's certainly a lot of half-naked people walking around these days, and they all probably have unclean spirits. I want to emphasize one particular point about “the man with the unclean spirits.” Think about what that last verse says, “clothed and in his right mind.” When this man first saw Jesus, he was not in his right mind and so there was no way he could have repented. You cannot demand repentance from a person who is this demon-possessed. Some people say, “Well, a Christian cannot be demon-possessed because they are possessed by the Lord,” but Scriptures use the term “possessed” (Matthew 8:16,9:32,12:22; Mark 1:32,9:17; Luke 8:27; etc.) To be considered “demon-possessed,” a person could have a demon in possession of only one particular part of their Promised Land. It might possess them as an infirmity or in an area of their lusts. A possession of part of your nature has nothing to do with possessing your whole character, and very seldom does it go that far, however, “Legion” was possessing this man's whole mind. This man could not use his mind rationally at all, and since Jesus said, (Mat.15:24) … I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, I suggest to you that this man was a Jew, and as a “child of God,” he had a Covenant right to deliverance. Otherwise, Jesus would not have done it. There are certain conditions under which we can cast demons out of a person without the person's permission. Jesus did not get permission from this man, but Jesus knew that He had a legal right to deliver this person. Just keep in mind that repentance is demanded in almost every place where a person has the mental capacity to repent. We do not generally have a right to go to demon-possessed people who are in the world. An exception would be where we consider that the faith of their family is involved; they are exercising faith for this person. Another exception would be that they are Christian, overcome by lusts of the flesh, and by the devil. Another would be by God's direction. Here's another testimony:   Healed of Epilepsy by the Lounsbury Brothers Email #1 (From Guatemalan missionary Wes to his brother Walt): The Lord has put someone in our path that needs HIS healing. She's around seventeen years old with epilepsy. Six years ago she had a seizure and fell into a fire. She must have been there for quite some time because her feet almost got cooked off. She went to a clinic. They carved out some of the burned flesh, leaving her feet resembling stubs. Besides the massive amounts of scar tissue, she has an external ulcer that has not healed from the accident. Yesterday she came to the orphanage with her mother and sister. We prayed over some hot water and had her soak her foot with the ulcer in it. The raw flesh on the ulcer was yellow, like dried pus. After about forty-five minutes of soaking, we took out the foot, cleaned it and wrapped it with a gauze bandage. They came back today for us to change the bandage again. We soaked the foot again to loosen the gauze, which was saturated with some type of dried, oozing substance. Getting that last part off, which was directly in contact with the ulcer was difficult because it had adhered quite strongly. As we pulled it off, we noticed that the once yellow tissue had turned a very healthy pink! The capillaries were so close to the surface that there was a small amount of bleeding. Trevor and I BELIEVE that God is healing this girl. Think of Joshua circling Jericho for seven days before it fell. He would have felt pretty stupid walking around with a trumpet if the Lord hadn't PROMISED him beforehand. The same thing applies here. Please spend time in prayer for her and give David a call, asking him to pray, also. When Trevor blessed her today, he asked the Lord to make her healing a witness for all those who know of her. Truly, this is our hope. I've been wondering if she wasn't demonically possessed with epilepsy—she was thrown into the fire, much like the mad man cutting himself with rocks and the epileptic that Jesus healed by casting out the demon. I never like thinking someone has an evil spirit inside of them. Could you ask David if he knows how to determine such a thing? He said in “Sovereign God” that he has the gift of discernment of spirits. As much as you can help would be greatly appreciated. Email #2 (From Walt to David Eells): Please pray with me and ask the Lord for a miracle to heal this young girl down in Guatemala. Emails #3 & 4 (From David Eells to Walt): We will pray and agree with you. Epilepsy is a demon spirit. (Mat.17:15) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water. (16) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. (17) And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me. (18) And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour. (19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out? (20) And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Is the girl a Christian? If so, she has a Covenant right to deliverance because it is the children's bread. If not, only God can give permission to cast out. Otherwise, the demons will just come back worse. Ask her to confess her sins. My suggestion is to ask those involved to pray for discernment of spirits. Demons rarely act alone. Gather several people with faith, preferably filled with the Holy Spirit, and command the demons to come out in Jesus' Name. Then believe that they have to obey because Jesus gave us total authority over the demons. (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… Don't believe whatever they say because they often lie. Ask them to believe to heal and restore her body. Jesus paid for that too: (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (1Pe.2:24) Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. (Psa.103:1) Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. (2) Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: (3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; (4) Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. (Mat.8:16) And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases. (Act.3:12) And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk? (13) The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. (14) But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you, (15) and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. (16) And by faith in his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (Act.5:16) And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. Emails #5 & 6 (Between Wes and David in a Q & A format) Wes: Hi! Walt forwarded your email about the girl with epilepsy to me. She, her mother and sister are staying with us now. The open ulcer on her foot is getting better every day. David: Praise God! Let's continue to believe for a total restoration of the foot! God is big. We shouldn't underestimate Him. Wes: Two nights ago I couldn't go to sleep, although it was 1:00 a.m. and I was exhausted. I decided to go downstairs and work on a paper I was writing. I was using a computer program to search for texts. I can't remember which words I was searching, but I came upon the story in Matthew about the epileptic. Now this might sound very strange to you, but I'm almost certain that I read the word “epileptic” from the “King James Version.” It wasn't until the next day, when I read it again, I realized they had actually translated the word as “lunatic” in the KJV. Could it be that the Lord actually had me read “epileptic” instead, because of this girl? David: Absolutely, Wes. God has done such things as that to me, also. I have heard people tell me things that I needed to hear. Later, I questioned them as to why they said it. I would then be told by the person and everyone around them that they had actually said something totally unrelated. Wes: What struck me most about the story was when the father said to Jesus, “Have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire.” That's EXACTLY what happened to this girl! Six years ago her mother left the house and went to town to get something from the store. (They live in complete poverty in a village a few miles from here.) The girl usually woke up later in the morning, so her mother felt it was safe to leave early. When she came back, she found her daughter lying in the fire, the flesh completely cooked on one foot and third-degree burns on the other. After I read those verses, I wondered if this girl had an evil spirit. Their stories are so similar. David: She has an epileptic spirit and possibly more. Wes: I don't know exactly what I should be looking for. I feel uneasy about making a judgment as to whether someone DOES have a demon. Anyway, the next morning, my wife went to use the internet. She printed out your email that Walt forwarded to me. She didn't mention it; she just left it folded on the desk. I opened it up and read it. I knew immediately that God had given me a second witness, so that I could be SURE. I still have a lot of questions about what to do. I've never been in a position like this. I prayed last night that God would give me the discernment of spirits, but I don't really know what it means. I know that God has brought this girl to us, not only because of her foot, but because of this spirit afflicting her. I have a good friend down here with me who is strong in the faith; he could stand with me. This is strange territory for me. Is all I need to do is command the spirit of epilepsy to leave in the Name of Jesus? David: You need to know that you have authority to do this. Demons know when you have faith. That is the only condition on your part. (Mar.16:15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (16) He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. (17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. It would be good to make sure she is a Christian and get her to confess her sins. (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. Wes: Should I expect the demon to say something before it leaves? David: Not necessarily. But if the Holy Spirit moves you to command them to give their name, do it. Wes: What if she just sits there silently? Does it mean my faith isn't great enough? David: They don't always come out immediately. But you don't have to hang around till you see something. Walk by faith. Just know that they have to obey you. Wes: Should I ask how many spirits are in her? David: If you feel so to ask, yes. Wes: How can I believe them if they did tell me? I wouldn't want to leave one in there. David: They will obey you if you command them to tell their name, unless this is a mute spirit. Email #7 (From Wes to David): The spirit of epilepsy has left the girl! A pastor, his church, and I prayed over her. The spirit never responded. But the girl began to thank the Lord and cry. She finally fell down after about five minutes. She was “as dead” like the scripture speaks about the epileptic boy. In the midst of this “sleep,” she started to praise God very loudly and then went back under. It was very strange to me, nothing like I expected. She went to bed shortly after she woke. The next morning she and her mother were talking about the medicine she takes to fight off the epilepsy. Her mother told her, “The devil is tempting us not to believe!” Then they threw the medicine away. She is perfectly fine now. Her face looks different. Her eyes are more alert. These people are such awesome witnesses of faith to me. They cannot even read the Bible. But they understand the Gospel more than educated Christian Americans. Thank you very much for replying to my other email. All the information was very useful. Email #8 (From David to Wes): Praise the Lord! See how simple it is. That poor girl would have suffered the rest of her life if she had not run into someone like you who was willing to stand in faith. Sometimes the demon will try to come back by temporarily putting a symptom on you. When you accept it, he has permission to re-invade. Tell the girl and her mom to never accept it back. They have authority over the demons. Now, just pray and believe for the restoration of her foot. Jesus paid for a complete healing. Awesome! Praise God!! Christians who know their authority can, and should, cast out demons. I was doing it as a baby Christian, and although I didn't know a lot about it, I got some people delivered. (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons… The only condition was to believe. Let me give you an example. Jesus was casting out an unclean spirit from a deaf and dumb man. (Mar.9:17) And one of the multitude answered him, Teacher, I brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit; (18) and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away (This sounds like an epileptic dumb spirit.): and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able. Why were they “not able”? (Mar.9:19) And he answereth them and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me. His rebuke was for their lack of faith. The only condition in the scriptures for casting out demons is faith on the part of the person who is doing the casting out. (Mar.9:20) And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. (21) And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. (22) And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him (There is that destruction again.): but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. (23) And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth. (Again, the condition is belief.) (24) Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mar.9:25) And when Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. In the case of a child, Jesus said basically, “Come out of him, and do not go back!” You don't see Him doing this with adults. This is because they have their own choices to make, and if they choose to go back into the world, then the demons are going to return. If they fall back into temptation, the demon will come back, but children are not as responsible. The child's father said that the demon entered “from a child,” and so we see that Jesus gave us an example here, saying, “Enter no more into him.” You do not do that with adults. Also, the father wanted help from his unbelief: I.e. “I believe with the faith I have. Deliver me from my unbelief.” (Mar.9:26) And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and [the boy] became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, He is dead. (27) But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose. Here's another testimony from C.C.   Jesus Delivered Me from Familiar Spirits by C. C. In 2003, I was not a Christian. I was just a man living for himself. I had been a banker in Seattle when I began to hear faint voices in my head as I went to sleep. The voices grew stronger as time went by. There were many of them, different each night. I thought they were the voices of the dead speaking from beyond the grave. After several months, one of these “dead spirits” became more vocal with me. He called himself “David,” saying he was the soul of the brother of one of my best friends, who had died in a car wreck three years previous. This spirit's voice became so clear as to seem present in the room with me. [Note: C.C. had unknowingly become a “medium,” which is someone who is possessed with a spirit guide, a familiar spirit who mimics the dead.] He began telling astral and worldly “secrets” that I found fantastical at the time. He explained many things about the “after-life,” including how I had lived many lives myself and had been reincarnated several times. This spirit explained that he was my “guide,” sent by the “White Lodge” to help me achieve my “final potential.” He explained that he had to help guide my “last life” so I could go to heaven through gates guarded by a group of angels called the “Brethren.” He showed me many images and pictures of these gates. Souls would be permitted to pass through them when they had learned enough compassion through their many lives. He also turned me on to many New Age beliefs. In addition to him, I would speak to other spirits at night while in my bed. They would ask me to do things for them. One such example came from a spirit called “Misty” who wanted me to deliver some flowers to her dying grandmother. The spirit gave me the name and address of the hospital where this elderly lady was located. I went and delivered the roses anonymously to her. I thought I had some special gift to talk with the dead, as I experienced incidents of communication, and received “confirmation” and “insight” from the things these spirits revealed. The voice of the “spirit guide” began to become stronger as time went on. It got to where it was all I could hear. He always seemed to be as close as my throat, speaking from behind my head. It was a very unsettling feeling at the time. This went on for some time, with me learning and trusting all that this spirit “David” revealed to me. There came a night when I awoke in my bed to see a specter cloaked in darkness, black as pitch. He even seemed to suck the darkness into himself. I was terrified! Frozen in my bed as I stared at it, I noticed that my breath was visible in front of me, as if it were a winter night. The specter seemed to want to kill me. When I thought it would move to harm me, the presence of my “spirit guide” entered the room and scared it away. I could sense that it was afraid of him. He explained to me that it was a lost soul who sought me because of my gifts. He said that I was like a “light in the darkness” that all such spirits could see and would gravitate towards. The same thing happened the following night and onward for six nights. Each night, one more spirit came until, by the sixth evening, there were six of them at the foot of my bed. I could not have been more terrified, as they would all point at me with horrible, black, lifeless faces, seeming to want my death. By morning I was exhausted from the fear, hyper-vigilance, and lack of sleep for six full days. Upon waking, I heard the spirit “David's” voice, rushed and louder than ever. He said, “Hurry up and get dressed. You have to get downtown toward your work now, as fast as possible. Hurry up! Do it now!” I asked, “Is someone in danger?” He replied, “Yes. Hurry now!” Startled, I got dressed and drove downtown to see what was happening. While I was driving he kept saying, “Hurry, hurry!” When I got there, nothing was happening; it was just a normal day. Surprised to see nothing wrong, I asked him why he told me to rush. He replied, “I just wanted to see if you would obey me. I was testing you.” All day, I ignored him while I worked, as I was very angry. I was continually disturbed by his words, “obey me.” When the day was done, I went home, ignoring “David” the whole way, and wanting very much to understand. A friend once had told me the Bible discussed spirits and the dead; I decided to look it up on my computer. As I sat down to search the internet, I looked out over Puget Sound from my windows and could see nothing but blackness. The clouds had covered everything in such a dark, ominous way. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, especially so early in the evening. As I started to find Bible passages, the spirit's voice said accusingly, “What are you doing?” Agitated, I replied, “Nothing. Don't worry about it.” I came upon (Deu.18:10-13) There shall not be found in you one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire, one that uses divination, an observer of clouds, or one divining, or a whisperer of spells, or a magic charmer, or one consulting mediums [Hebrew for “consulter with a familiar spirit.”], or a spirit-knower, or one inquiring of the dead. For all doing these things are an abomination to the Lord. And because of these filthy acts the Lord your God is dispossessing these nations before you. You shall be perfect with the Lord your God. As I finished reading the words, I heard “David,” with a tone of deep aggression, say, “Don't read that!” Startled, I turned to see that he was now visible on my right. He looked just like one of the dark specters that had previously gathered around my bed. The room instantly grew cold. I was terrified, but replied, “I can read it if I want to!” He lunged for my throat with his dark, outstretched hand, taking a swipe at me. I fell sideways out of my chair and thought I was going to die, right there, in that dark room as he came upon me! I was on my knees. I called, “Lord, please save me!” A hole to the heavens opened up through my roof. I saw a flaming Sword coming down from heaven at me like lightning. It flew straight down and entered through the top of my head and traveled through my body, and pierced into the ground through me. A blast wave that was like a spiritual nuclear bomb went off from the fiery Sword within me, traveling like light through my entire place, destroying the spirit “David” as it flashed out from me. I sat there on my knees as the light went out from within me and the Sword left me. I then immediately saw a large bright light outside on my patio. As I squinted at it, I realized what I was seeing. In my mind, I heard the name “Michael.” He was holding the sword that had just been in my body. I was amazed and afraid! He was huge, bearing armor as bright as the sun, with many colors coming through it, shining brightly. He was looking at me through the large windows. I jumped up to my feet to run outside and see him. But as I opened the door, the light was gone. No one was there. I went to the spot where I had seen him standing, half expecting to see the ground melted away. I dropped to my knees to feel the ground as I thought it would be hot for some reason. When I looked up, the blackness of the clouds had given way to the setting sun. It seemed to not only pierce through the clouds, but to push them out of the way, making what seemed night turn into day! I stood there, utterly emotionally exhausted and physically tired from not sleeping for a week. I awoke the next morning on the seventh day of the ordeal. I had slept as soundly as a baby, without a single interruption or dark visit. I felt so good that morning. I can still remember how good it was—I felt like a million bucks! I got dressed and was thinking about everything that had happened to me and what it all meant. I no longer heard any voices. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was in my “right” mind. I got into my truck and headed to work, feeling wonderful. As I came to the apex of a large bridge, I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them, I was no longer in my truck! [Note: There was something spiritually that kept his truck humming along during this experience.] To my utter confusion, I was standing on a dirt road. My first reaction was to put my hands on myself to see if I was okay. As I looked down, I had all of my clothes on and was still wearing my boots. Bewildered, I saw a dirt road stretched out for as far as the eye could see. To the right and left, fields of golden wheat, ready for harvest, were moving back and forth as a warm wind blew over them. The sun was setting. It was casting the most beautiful rays of light through the waving grains of wheat. The soft color was unlike anything I had ever seen on earth. It was beautiful. My thoughts went back to myself. Where in the heck was I? I turned around to look behind me. I saw darkness. As I was trying to look into where the road behind me went, I felt a presence… I cannot even begin to explain in words … I turned around to see a man standing in the road before me. He was dressed in white. His clothes were of olden times and spotless. He had long, golden brown hair and a beard. As I looked at him, I realized Who He was. I could tell that He could see all of the things I had ever done wrong in my life—everything… As He looked at me, He put before me images of all of the wrongs I had done. Seeing them, I felt so heavy that I fell to the ground, my face falling into the dirt. I began to beg aloud, “Lord, please do not let me be before you. Please let me go. I am not worthy. Please let me go from before you, Lord.” It was so painful that He could see all of my sins. Feeling crushed onto the ground, my breath and tears mixed with the dirt of the road. As I tried to push away from Him, I looked up through my tears to see His perfect sandal in front of my face. I reached out and placed my hand upon His foot and said, “Lord, please forgive me. I am so sorry for what I have done against you…” Then I felt His hand on my shoulder, lifting me up off the ground and setting me onto my feet. He took His hand and reached before me, touching my chest, seeming to reach inside of me! He pulled out a black shining orb, which was spinning within His hand. I looked up from the orb into His face. He smiled at me and looked back down at the thing spinning in His hand. He then closed his hand around it and crushed it. When He opened His hand again, the orb had become like dirt that was on the road. He turned His hand, and the dirt fell back onto the road. At that moment, I felt SO FREE! All that had crushed me and held me down in life had been taken away forever! I looked into His eyes and saw them clearly for the first time. Amazingly beautiful, they were the same color as the light that I had seen shining through the shafts of wheat. As I looked, I felt (words could never portray): the love of my friends, the love of my brothers, the love of my mother, the love of God! I was so overcome with thanksgiving, I threw my arms around Him. His frame was as powerful as a rock, but gentle as a lamb. Then I held myself apart from Him. Looking into His smiling face, I said the most embarrassing thing that I have ever said in all my life! Looking at the long road, I said, “Lord, do you think we could stay here and play soccer together?” He laughed and, as I looked up from the road, turned and walked a few paces from me; I could see His perfect footprints in the dirt. I felt frozen, not knowing what to do. As if sensing that I felt paralyzed, He looked back, smiled and extended His hand, and motioned for me to follow Him. Even though He did not say the words, I could clearly hear the words “Follow me” in my mind. Looking down, I took my first foot and put it perfectly into His footprint. As I was about to take the next step, I closed my eyes for a second before trying to look back up at Him. And poof! Just like that—I was back in my truck, driving on my way to work. As I sat there, I cried, heaving deeply for the gift that He had just given me. I was so entirely undone. There was no greater happiness that I had ever known in my entire life. Then, the radio played a song called “Dead Man's Rope,” sung by Sting, recorded on the album called “Sacred Love.” I shall never forget listening to this song through my tears, barely being able to drive. The song speaks of how we try to walk away from our trials, not understanding that our trials will lead us to walk toward Jesus and His forgiveness. After this song ended, it began to rain heavily upon my truck just as the song describes… My life has never been the same since. Wow! Praise the Lord!

Our Sovereign God May Not Return to Us If Jesus Followers Do Not Lead America's Return to God; You Are Here for These Times MESSAGE SUMMARY: If enough of us get serious with God, then, perhaps, God will heal us and this land. When we, as both individual Jesus Followers and as a country, turn to the Lord, will we hear God's call and answer as in Isaiah 6:8: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.'”. As Jesus Followers but in our non-Christian behavior: we are mean; we are angry; we are judgmental; and we are selfish and self-centered. Also, in our non-Christian behavior, we are often in bondage to debt, drugs, and extramarital sex. In all these non-Christian behaviors, we are not different from the unbeliever next door. Therefore, we are not very different from God's people in the time of Hosea described in Hosea 11:7,10-11: “My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High {God}, he shall not raise them up at all . . . They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.". We need to ask ourselves: “Am I being faithful to Jesus Christ and what needs to change in me and my life? Also, we need to ask ourselves “how am I disobeying the Lord?”. Will you then say to God: “Here am I! Send me.” If NOT ENOUGH “Self-Identifying Christians” answer God's call to lead America in our “return to God”, then God, in His sovereignty, will not return to America – you are here for times like these!     TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I come this day inviting you to cut those deeply entrenched chains that keep me from being faithful to my true self in Christ. In doing so, may my life be a blessing to many. In Jesus' name, amen.      Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 44). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Inconsistencies. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Faithfulness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Hosea 11:1-11; Isaiah 6:8-13; Matthew 13:13-17; Psalms 13:1-6. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Sovereign God, Saving Faith (Romans 9:14-33) by Josiah Graves

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comRomans 9 God is almighty in His plan to save. Salvation is not the result of human effort but God's mercy and purpose. Paul begins by expressing deep sorrow for Israel's rejection of Christ despite their unique privileges as God's chosen people. He explains that God's promises have not failed, as true Israel is defined not by ethnicity but by faith in God's promises. Examples like Jacob and Esau highlight that God's choices depend on His mercy, and He has the right to extend mercy wherever He chooses. God has every right to shape His plan like a potter molding clay. He chose to bring Christ through the Jewish people and to extend salvation to Gentiles. These decisions are uniquely His to make. Salvation is open to everyone through faith in Christ. Christians trust in God's authority and embrace His will, even when His ways are beyond our understanding. His choice is to bless “children of the promise,” meaning those who pursue faith in the likeness of Abraham. God's choices regarding mercy are not always easy to comprehend, like choosing Jacob over Esau or hardening Pharaoh's heart. We have no right to find fault with God's decisions concerning Jews, Gentiles, or anyone else. We simply need to trust Him. We know there are “vessels of mercy” who are blessed by God, and that we can be among those people if we honor His sovereign power and achieve righteousness through faith in Jesus. Those who do so faithfully will never be disappointed.  Sovereign God, we praise You for Your mercy, which cannot be earned by our works but is given freely through Your kindness in Your Son. Your ways, from the beginning, are higher than ours. Your merciful choices, actions in the lives of people, and divine will are beyond anything we can fully understand or control. Lord, we choose to trust You. Your ways are good, and Your help is abundant for those who place their faith in Jesus. May His authority never become a stumbling block for us but serve as the unbreakable foundation upon which we build our lives.  Thought Questions: -       Paul sincerely laments the faithlessness of the Jews. Do you feel likewise about people in your life, and how do you deal with that sorrow? -       What do the examples of God choosing Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau teach you about His sovereignty and will? -       The Jews pursued righteousness by works instead of faith and did not achieve it. What would that mistake look like in your life?