Tag: faith

The One

Parable of the Lost Sheep

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the 99 others in the wilderness and go to search for the 1 that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! ~Luke 15:1-7

The rejoicing of the shepherd with his friends represents God rejoicing with the angels. Justus Knecht, German Bishop, wrote in 1910: “By the simile of the Good Shepherd our Lord teaches us how great is His compassionate love for all mankind. All men, Jews and Gentiles, are His sheep, and He gave His life for all, being sacrificed on the Cross to redeem them from sin and hell. He is therefore the only Good Shepherd, and all others who are called to the pastoral office are good shepherds only so far as they imitate Jesus in their love and care of the flock confided to them. Moreover Jesus knows His own. He knows all about them, their needs, their weakness, their thoughts, their endeavours; He leads them into the fold of His Church, He helps them by His grace, He enlightens them by His doctrine, and nourishes and strengthens them with His Flesh and Blood in the most Blessed Sacrament. His pastoral love is, therefore, infinite and divine.”

Jesus the Good Shepherd

God has made me aware that my mission is to find and bring back the 1 of the 99 who has gone astray. I watch spellbound to Billy Graham speaking so well to the multitudes and leading millions of people to Christ and wish that I had his charisma. But, alas, that is not my calling. God has been preparing me for a lifetime* (*proper attribution to those who know) to go after the lost that He sends me to, but it won’t be swaths of people at once, it will be very surgical and specific. My repeated heart hymn to God is “send me the one and we can save the rest”. My mission might not just be one person, but many ones, I am not sure.

Interestingly, I just realized today that my logo for my blog here which I made from the beginning and have not changed, is Jesus as the Good Shepherd!

When I was a little girl, one day after school I was by myself waiting for my ride home and I had this thought in my mind that I would live 99 years. I now know that came from God. But now I also think this was more symbolism to my mission which has been in place since He created me. The 99/1 vision.

I love that only in God’s economy is this worthwhile. In man’s economy this is foolish, but the ways of God are foolishness to man. And a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. This is God’s economy.

I don’t know who or where the 1s are, but I pray to God that I am successful at finding them and leading them Home.

Part 2: The Finger of God

[Artwork shown above is the famous Creation of Adam by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel ceiling] It is the most beautiful masterpiece of the story of creation where the finger of God creates man.

To follow up on my previous post, and upon further study, I was shown the bigger picture of what the finger of God means. It isn’t ‘fingers’ in the book of Daniel as it is translated. The Hebrew word for finger of a man’s hand writing on the wall is actually singular: a finger. See my previous post for more information. The phrase finger of God is used 4 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament, respectively in the books of Exodus, Deuteronomy, Daniel, Matthew, Luke, and John. And its overall meaning is a biblical expression that signifies the authority and power of God in the world.

FINGER OF GOD

Finger of God means so much. It means God’s divine power to create and judge.

1) The first time the phrase “finger of God“ appears in the Hebrew Bible is in the eighth chapter of the Book of Exodus, interestingly first noted by Pharoah’s magicians who most certainly danced with demons or even had demons. Demons are usually the first to recognize God:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.'” And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt. The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. ~Exodus 8:16-20

2) The second time finger of God is mentioned is also in the book of Exodus:

And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. ~Exodus 31:18

3) The third time finger of God is used is in the book of Deuteronomy:

And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. ~Deuteronomy 9:10

4) The fourth, and last, time finger of God made a debut in the Old Testament is in the book of Daniel during King Belshazzar’s great feast:

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

In the same hour the finger of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king its interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished. ~Daniel 5:1-9

5) The fifth time the phrase finger of God is expressed as Spirit of God and used is by Jesus as depicted in the book of Matthew when the priests accuse Jesus of consorting with demons:

 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ~Matthew 12:26-28

6) The sixth time the phrase finger of God is used, it is in the same narrative but adapted by Luke:

Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven. But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. ~Luke 11:14-20

7) Finally, the last entry of the concept of finger of God is in the book of John when Jesus writes something mysterious in the earth:

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” ~John 8:2-11

Interpretation

Jesus the man became an expert in the Hebrew bible and interpreted it the way the Word, Yahweh, had intended all along. It is my theory that Jesus wrote MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN (MMTU) in the sand outside the temple as described in the parable of the woman caught in adultery. In the original story from the book of Daniel, this phrase means God has numbered you and you are finished (Mene). You have been weighed in the balances and found lacking (Tekel). Your people are divided and will be conquered (Pharsin).

When Jesus contends with the Pharisees about His authority to cast out demons as quoted in example 5 above, He understands full well the implication of what division in a people means (inevitable doom) and uses that logic to His advantage. This is further evidence that He did write MMTU in the earth as the finger of God with the authority to cast out demons, judge, and rule according to the will of His Father, Almighty God, as these Hebraic words essentially mean you have earned God’s wrath, and your fall is coming.

Jesus has adopted the phrase finger of God in His argument with the ruling priest clans regarding His authority to cast out demons and judge. He used the reference finger of God in at least these two instances that we know about, which harkens proclamation of the Law and the prophets which then attest to Him, the coming Messiah. He appropriates this mantle with authority when He applies the phrase finger of God to His arguments and miracles.

I think this is sufficient evidence to show that the mystery of what Jesus wrote with His finger in the sand has been solved: Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin

Praise God for giving us this knowledge. It is another sign that we are nearing the Great Tribulation, because God wants to make it clear that judgment is coming nigh.

Part 1: The Finger of God: The Writing in the Sand and the Writing on the Wall

I was doing a bible study on parables today and the story about the woman caught in adultery was called to mind, where Jesus wrote something mysterious in the sand. And He famously said, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone”. Ahh, so classic. As the instructor was mentioning it briefly, God flashed to me the illustration of the hand writing on the wall in the king’s palace in the book of Daniel. The similarity of this parable and the story in Daniel of the writing on the wall are so obvious once you think about it! Upon further deduction, I do think Jesus was writing the same Aramaic phrase in the earth that the hand was writing on the wall:

Mene Mene Tekel Pharsin

This phrase means God has numbered you and you are finished (Mene). You have been weighed in the balances and found lacking (Tekel). Your people are divided and will be conquered (Pharsin). This phrase would definitely have rung true also in Jesus’ time since the Jewish nation was oppressed by the Romans, and there was constant threat of persecution and crucifixion. Death was pervasive. The Sanhedrin were always afraid of upsetting the Roman apple cart and being unable to practice their religion in Israel.

If this was what Jesus inscribed in the dirt, what would have affected the scribes and pharisees more was Jesus’ reference to the book of Daniel where this phrase made its debut. Jesus was schooling them as the voice of God. I suggest that they were so shocked by Him and His use of these words that they slowly, one by one, were convicted and dumbstruck, and walked away silently. It was noted elsewhere in the New Testament writings that Jesus drew on Old Testament prophets and writings to show his divinity and purpose. The Pharisees and Sadducees were always becoming stymied and speechless by Him. So it makes total sense that he was doing the same thing in this depiction.

Jesus said to the woman, “I don’t judge you. Go and sin no more”. The irony is that in true Jesus fashion, He took the judgment the men intended for the woman and turned it back on the men! They received judgment while she was forgiven and renewed.

There are some striking similarities between the two stories about mysterious writing that make me convinced this was the import of Jesus’ writing.

The Writing on the Wall

Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, was king of Babylon and decided to have a party for a thousand of his nobles. They brought out the golden vessels taken from the house of the Lord in Israel and used them to toast to many gods. At that moment finger of a man’s hand came out and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace across from the lampstand. And the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s color was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that he was trembling mightily and sent to find someone who could read this writing and reveal its meaning. The one who could tell the king its meaning would be clothed in purple, given a chain of gold around his neck, and shall rule 3rd in the kingdom. That night King Belshazzar was killed. ~Daniel 5:1-7

The Parable of the Woman Caught in Adultery

As Jesus was teaching in the temple at dawn, the scribes and pharisees brought to Him a woman having been taken in adultery. They said, Teacher, in the Law Moses commanded that such should be stoned. You, then, what do you say? They said this to tempt Him in order to accuse Him. But bending down, Jesus wrote with the finger in the earth, not appearing to hear. He then stood up and said, “The one among you without sin, let him cast the first stone at her.” And bending down again, He wrote in the earth. But hearing, and being convicted by the conscience, they went out one by one, beginning from the older ones, until the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing there. And Jesus stood back up, and observing no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did not one give judgment against you?” And she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more.” ~John 8:1-11

Similarities

  • Finger There are really no other stories I can think of in the bible where fingers of a hand write something that strikes fear into men. I think it’s too coincidental that Jesus wrote with a finger in the earth of the temple yard, and that fingers of a man’s hand wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace.

The Hebrew word “etsba” primarily refers to a “finger.” It is used in the Bible to denote the physical finger of a person or, metaphorically, to describe the work or action of God. The term can also imply precision, skill, or the act of pointing. Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, the finger was often symbolic of power and action. The use of fingers in gestures, such as pointing or writing, was significant in communication and expression. The finger of God, as mentioned in the Bible, signifies divine intervention or the execution of God’s will with precision and authority.

  • Mysterious The writing on the wall was written in a language unknown by King Belshazzar, but known to the Hebrew people, and Daniel. The writing in the earth is a mystery to everyone but the Jews who were present. I doubt even the woman knew what was written since women were mostly illiterate in those times.
  • Judgment Both writings proclaimed some judgment upon man. In Daniel, it was because of the sin of idolatry; and in John, it was because of the hypocritical mindset of the Pharisees and scribes. Jesus was showing that the law is something that is written in our hearts versus something to be used to hurt people.
  • 3rd Highest The other compelling symbolism I found tying these two narratives together is that the person who revealed the writing’s meaning in Daniel would receive a purple robe, golden necklace, and rule third in the kingdom. This all implies kingship and authority. Jesus knew this when he wrote MENE MENE TEKEL PHARSIN in the sand. We know his meaning was understood when the Jewish leaders quietly walked away. I am sure few understand the full import of His meaning, that He understood His place as the 3rd in the Holy Trinity: Father, Holy Spirit, and Son.
  • Holy Bread The most exciting discovery for me to glean from these two texts is that hidden meaning you have to dig to find. It is in the comment regarding the location of the writing in the palace: “on the wall across from the lampstand”. In the tabernacle and later in the temple, there were explicit locations for the items that were used by the priests outside the Holy of Holies (where the ark of the covenant and the 10 Commandments were kept). Some of these pieces of furniture were the alter, the table of incense, and the lampstand. But across from the lampstand was located the table of shewbread. Jesus is symbolic of the showbread! The showbread was a constant reminder of God’s covenant with his people and his provision for the 12 tribes of Israel, represented by the 12 loaves. Jesus is the true Bread of Life, giving unfailing sustenance to all who partake of Him. Light from the golden lampstand illuminated the table of showbread causing it to sparkle with a dazzling beauty as the small ornately tooled table stood stately on the right side of the holy place.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. ~John 6:51

Jesus is always teaching us that He is the completion of the law; He is the New Covenant. In this story He is the writing on the wall, He is the bread of life, and He is the one who has been given the authority to judge men.

The Bitter Woman at the Well

That Jesus not only spoke to women but entered into discussion with them, ate with them, lived among them, and loved them is a profound, often overlooked aspect of His life and ministry. In those days women were tolerated in the male-dominated world…to serve men. They were treated as lesser-than men in society as reflected in the law at the time. They had meaning only insomuch as they served men in the domicile, and in society. They were generally not sought after for their thoughts, insights, or leadership.

If you read the account of the woman at the well and really pay attention to it so that you live it out in your mind, you can see that she was actually being quite flippant with Jesus, and dare I say, downright defiant? She spoke as a woman embittered by life, as so many women in that day were, I am sure. Here was this strange man who demanded something from her while she was carrying out yet another mundane daily chore. He was probably the spark that ignited her seething fuse and she ‘went off on him’ once he spoke to her.

We can understand that she was undoubtedly living under a chronic degree of anger about her subservient role of ‘woman’, and not just any Hebrew woman, but as a lowly Samaritan woman who was not of the ‘chosen’ clan of the Jews. She was a serial divorcee and wife (of 5 previous husbands), and also knew the reality of living in sexual immorality since the current man she lived with was not her husband. She undoubtedly had children of various fathers. Men in those times could divorce a woman for any reason, and one gathers that her biting tongue might have been some of the reason for this lady’s difficulties. We can imagine this as a vicious cycle of being redeemed by a man only to be discarded by him (partially of her own doing) and feeling like a victim in this. This anger leaked out upon Jesus who happened to be resting at the ancient well of Jacob, thirsty and tired from his journey.

The Story

A tired and weary Jesus sat down beside the well in the city of Sychar and asked for a drink from the first woman who came to the well. And she said, “Since you are a Jew, how can you ask me, a Samaritan, for a drink?” [interpretation: Ha! Not on your life, Mister!] not giving Him a drink

And He essentially replied, “If you had asked me, I would have given you living water to drink (eternal life). But she said to Him, “Sir, you don’t have a pail to draw water, and the well is deep, where do you get living water? [interpretation: Looks like you are up a creek without a paddle! If you have water, where is it?] not giving Him a drink

She continues, “You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, together with his sons and his cattle, are you?” [interpretation: (reveling in her revenge) Who do you think you are? We are children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which makes us legitimate heirs in this land] not giving Him a drink

Jesus responded (again about the living water), “Everybody who drinks of this water will get thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never get thirsty any more. Instead, the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (Jesus is intimating His superiority over the patriarchs of Israel). Then the woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” [interpretation: (in a sarcastic tone) Prove it to me!] still not giving Him a drink

Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come here.” (proving it through His knowledge of her). The woman replied by saying, “I don’t have a husband.” [interpretation: Oh crap! (probably in a sheepish but defiant tone)] still not giving Him a drink

Jesus countered that He knew she didn’t have one husband, but five! And that she doesn’t have a husband, indeed, but is living with a man. “You told the truth about that!” (as if nothing she had said thus far had been the truth). The woman said to Him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem–” [interpretation: Oh, you think you are so smart, Mr. Prophet, who do you think you are? If you’re so great, why aren’t you in Jerusalem with your own kind? (deflecting off of herself and her own sins) still not giving Him a drink

Jesus entered into a lengthy explanation for her about impending doom upon Israel, that salvation will come from the Jews, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and how to worship God properly–in spirit and truth. (He is patiently parleying with her). The woman said to Him, ” I know that the Messiah is coming, and He will make everything clear to us.” [interpretation: Yes, this is something we can agree upon, the Messiah, (while still not validating Him)] and still not giving Him a drink

Jesus said to her, “I am HE, the very One Who is speaking to you!” They were interrupted by the return of the disciples, and the woman left her water jar and ran off to the city and proclaimed Jesus Christ to everyone. still not having given Him a drink

This conversation must have gone on about 10, 15, 30 minutes, if not longer, because it sounds like they were talking much of the time the disciples were gone!

And this whole time our thirsty Savior was not given a drink of water by a lowly sinner!

This shows me that Jesus has eternal patience with women, even sinful women. That He cares about each of us and is willing to take the time necessary to overcome our bitterness and self-sabotage. Men in those days did not discourse with women like this, especially between cultures, clans, and classes! She was totally beneath Him in every way, yet He spent so much of His precious time saving her, probably one of the most sinful women of her city.

In this account are many good lessons to learn. First, God loves everyone and wishes that none should perish but all to have eternal life in Him. Second, we must spend time one-on-one with folks preaching the Good news of Jesus Christ, Who is the Living Water. And third, no one is ‘beneath’ us and our love and ministry. If Christ can lower Himself to care about the lowest class of people, the most sinful citizens of either gender, who might be breaking the law of God, we can too.

But most of all, Lord let me never not be willing to serve You (or Yours) a drink of water!!

For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. ~Mark 9:41

Baptism by Water & Spirit

Jesus replied, ‘Let me assure you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God’s kingdom’. ~John 3:5

I used to interpret the phrase ‘born of water’ as a reference to natural birth because I think of the waters surrounding the baby, the amniotic fluid. 🙂 But this is not what Jesus is saying. He is saying that it is necessary to be baptized of water, then of the Spirit, for salvation. Being born of a woman is the least of matters, as it means being born of the flesh.

John was a prophet who came first as a voice crying out in the Wilderness to reveal the Son of Man, Yahweh, the Word, his cousin, Jesus. John baptized people in the River Jordan for repentance of sins, which was a necessary first step for salvation. Those who believed in Jesus then became saved. And when Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, he sent the Holy Spirit to baptize people with the Spirit so that all who repent and call upon the name of Jesus can be saved.

Dr. James Tabor teaches that prophet and Priest go together in the ancient Hebrew beliefs, especially that of the Essenes. John the Baptizer was the prophet to Jesus’ Priest. When asked to give an account of himself to the Pharisee messengers, John denied being The Prophet, yet he was A prophet, as explained by Origen, a prolific early church scholar. Indeed, Jesus testified to John being ‘more than a prophet’. John WAS a prophet, but he did not want to make himself important, he wanted all the glory to go to Jesus. He must increase and I must decrease. ~John 3:30

When sharing the gospel, it is necessary to baptize someone in the knowledge of repentance of sins and belief in Jesus. Then He will send the Holy Spirit to them. If there is only one baptism of sins, and this involves repentance, it makes no sense why babies should be baptized. Babies are incapable of repenting of their sins. Repentance of sin requires the ability to think about God and oneself in relation to God, and to critically think about our sin in a regretful way. How ridiculous that infant baptism is so popular in the world’s oldest Christian tradition. How can something so obvious gain such a foothold upon believers?

I think this is an unfortunate illustration of what happens when followers of Christ do not read and follow the word but rely on men to interpret the word for them. The Puritans were aware of this and printed the bible for all to read and study. And they were persecuted grandly for this, necessitating them to flee the motherland to worship God in the way He called them to. Catholicism added much to the early church, but they have also caused much harm with inaccurate interpretations and applications of the scriptures.

This verse about being born again also shows that one needn’t wait to become baptized once they become a follower of Jesus. It should literally happen concurrently since it represents a cleaning and washing away of repented sin.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin and I will be made whiter than snow.

❤

As a Child

I am reminded by Jesus that God cares most about what is inside me than what is outside me. Specifically in the way that I love Him and love my neighbor. This is sort-of hard to grasp because we usually think the meat of love is the expression of love, because after all, in biblical economy love is an action.

But as in mobius fashion, the ways of God are not always that easy to grasp. This is what is at the heart of the Mary and Martha story. Mary wanted to serve and love God first, and learn from Jesus by sitting at his feet, and that appeared selfish. Martha wanted to serve others first, by cooking and serving, and that was expected and acceptable by society standards. Not only did Jesus clarify that loving God over your neighbor comes first, but one’s heart-felt gentle expression of love is more important than working yourself to the bone doing what is expected. Remember that Martha loved Jesus too.

Expectation comes in many forms. Social mores “are preferred and socially sanctioned ways of behaving in any given society. Mores are the traditional customs and codes of behavior that are typically followed in a place or in a group but are not codified by law. In other words, mores are the unwritten rules of social behavior, backed by morality“. Mores are the unwritten expectations each culture or group places on a person in that group. Mores are a psychological term that represents a culture’s morality. It’s fundamentally a religion for the secular. And this can even creep into the Christian church. We just call it ‘legalism’. Christians already have a code of ethics given to us by God Himself and it is contained in the bible, and is sufficient.

As human beings, we are always judging and comparing others and their aura as it relates to us. Our brains scan and conduct micro-calculations below the surface of our awareness all the time. We note when people behave differently or outside what we are used to and we develop expectations for behavior this way. As we grow older, these expectations become more cemented in our mind. It is easy for us to become ‘close-minded’. That is why children and youth are more ‘easy going’ because these ideologies are not yet as fixed in their minds. Older folks scoff at the whimsicality of youth and think they ‘don’t know any better’ or ‘they will learn’. But Jesus warns about this when He says:

Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. ~Matthew 18:3

As with many, the full import of this verse did not register with me before, but now it does. Jesus wants us to be as children and youth in that they have not allowed rigid expectations to guide their thinking; they are simple-minded and single-minded in their approach to what they want. And what all Christians should want the most is a close, loving relationship with God. Not serving our neighbor and our neighbor’s expectations–or society’s mores–first, but Him first.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom!

‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ~Matthew 15:8-9

Oh, how often have we gone astray, even as believers, because we obey the doctrines of man (mores) over God’s commandments! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. (Matthew 23:26) The more I study and learn about the real God, the more I realize it is what is in the heart of man that matters first and foremost, followed by the outward action, because the action flows from the heart. No matter our intentions, or even our good deeds, if our heart harbors darkness, no light can issue forth from us. That is why He is most concerned about our inner selves, our heart, and our mind, because these affect our soul, and ultimately our very ability to love.

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” ~1 Samuel 16:7

We must have grace for others because only God can see into the true essence, or heart, of another. Once our heart is aligned and in love with God, then we can love our neighbor as we should. And this will be a lifelong process, which is called sanctification. This is why grace is so important. Grace is what replaces legalistic expectations of others in our mind, to keep us young in the Lord. We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God and we have different sins that might plague us. We are called to exhort and gently rebuke each brother and sister to keep the biblical standard, but this must come from a soft place in our heart that has no condemnation.

For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. ~Romans 2:1

As soon as we judge others out of our rigid mores, we will be judged, for with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ~Matthew 7:2

God calls us to love as children do, completely and without expectation and judgment. ❤

Forged by Fire

In the years following my atheistic separation and subsequent divorce, I was plagued with horrible feelings of death. I was either wanting to die or feeling like I was dying. I watched in dismay and hopelessness as my children parceled their way out of my life, and into my ex’s. This also felt like death. I would try to explain the despair to my friends. I would say to them, “I have lost my family,” or, “It’s like my children have died!” because the grief over losing them felt like death. They couldn’t understand! And this added to my grief. Even though they mostly listened to my lament, they disregarded this feeling and negated my experience, reassuring me that I did not lose my children or family. I felt like I literally needed to attend a grieving parent group for families of lost/dead children because they were the only ones who would be able to understand some of what I was feeling. Job became my kindred spirit because he also lost everything, yet even Job still had his wife! Then I stumbled upon this bible verse

But every man is tempted when of his own lust he is drawn away and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.

That this verse gave me comfort shows just how miserable a state I was in. There was something healing in God showing me a reason for the situation I was in, that it was of my own making. This knowledge gave me a starting place to work from.

As time went by and I leaned more and more into knowing God, He did heal me of my anguish and brought comfort to me. I got saved in Jesus. Then I began extending God’s love into each of my relationships, including my children and ex and his new family. This took years, and is still happening. It sometimes takes a long time to save a soul. I had tremendous difficulty forgiving myself for the anguish I had caused my children. Finally, after about 13 years I realized I was forgiven by God and the past was in the past. I was free to be who I am in the Lord.

I came to understand that feeling consuming thoughts of death and wanting to die means that your spirit inside you (your soul) is shouting at you that it’s time to die–to your old life. When sin has wreaked its havoc and death is occurring in small and large ways all around you, the bible teaches us this is inevitable when we follow the lust in our hearts. Satan has won. Or has he? Once death has occurred, there is no recovering that life or way of being, unless you want to be a walking zombie. The bible calls these those ‘who sleep’, like our modern-day term ‘zombie’. The walking dead.

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ~1 Corinthians 15:18

But God is a life-giver and wants to restore us to the way He sees us and who He made us to be. As the great sinner King David once sang, ‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, uphold me by Your generous Spirit‘! We get off track when we do not follow His plan for us, and the only way back is to repent and humble ourselves and turn back.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

It’s now been 14 years since my devastating divorce and loss of my family as I knew it. It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me in memory, and I counsel people against divorce now because of what I know and have been through. But I also have the hindsight and understanding through God now that even though we all suffered an excruciating death of life as we had known it, we had to so that He could restore ALL of us to new life in Him. My children and ex might not be aware of this, but I am. The path we were on, largely due to us and our sin against God, would have led us all into certain destruction and eternal death. God, in His sovereign mercy knew this and stopped it. He allowed my marriage to die so that I could be born anew from the ashes. And save everyone in the process. Indeed, there was really no other way we all could have been saved, or else I think He would have made a way for that. He is omniscient where we are blind. But now I am beginning to see.

Poor Judas. He was a necessary part of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but woe to him for being that pawn. He chose suicide because he too felt the gravity of what he had done and could see no hope. Judas could have realized his feelings of wanting to die just meant his old heart was hardened and he needed a spiritual death, not a physical one. He could have called out and repented to Jesus and been forgiven and saved, but he chose the prideful and selfish way out, which is what suicide is. Killing others is also the epitome of selfishness. Wanting to kill and die is your soul song crying out to you that it’s time to cleave from your old life and be born again in Jesus Christos. The alternative is hell for eternity, the bible teaches us.

It is better for part of you to perish than to be thrown into hell. ~Matthew 5:29

As I come out of those old atheistic ways and forge a new path with God, I am taking all that love and forging new relationships with my children based on Jesus’ Way. I am also bringing that into my friendships, acquaintanceships, work, and other realms. Now that I am saved I am sailing around everyone one-by-one extending a hand to those still drowning and offering them safety in my God-given lifeboat. Some have come aboard. Will you?

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ~John 3:3

I will not stop trying until God takes my breath away. I see now that once I was on the path to destruction, He always intended to bring me out of it, I just did not fathom it because I couldn’t. I was like an ant and He is God. Now I am His soldier fighting for Him.

~Selah

All of God’s Names

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. ~Genesis 1:26-27

It’s interesting that God created man in His image. He could have made man any way He wanted, but He made us like Him. That means we were not created as an animal or micro-organism, but as people that have His characteristics in appearance and personality. Also of note is that when God was first creating things, He made the Holy Spirit, and they made Jesus (YHWH). THEN everything was created through Yahweh, the Son of God, because God was giving Jesus dominion from the beginning even though the man of Jesus would not be born in human form for thousands of years.

All things through Him were made, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. ~John 1:3

God has numerous facets to His person. You could say His personality is limitless, of course, and man over millenia have given Him names based on their experiences with Him. I was going to make an exhaustive list but found others have done it far better than I would have, so I linked it here.

The most important things to know about God’s names are that He begins existence as we know it, and He is Infinite in personality, and both of these facts about Him are illustrated in His very name. To begin with, His name starts with the first letter of the alphabet because He is the First. His Hebrew name is ALHYM. Most translate this as ‘Elohim’ but I prefer the original Hebrew lettering because A is not only silent (as He is) but it is obviously understood as the beginning, because A is the first letter of our alphabet. Even more interestingly, ALHYM is also plural in and of itself, because anytime Hebrew shows the YM at the end of words, it’s a tip-off that it is plural, or means more than one, otherwise, the M is left off. So in the very first words of the bible God is telling us He is first and He is plural. He is the OG of multiple personalities, but in Him it is not pathological. He is all things to all men, just as we are called to be.

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית Bereshith (In the beginning) בָּרָ֣א Bara’ (created) אֱלֹהִ֑ים ALHYM (God Almighty) ~Genesis 1:1

These are the FIRST THREE WORDS in the bible. Note that God is plural before He created the Holy Spirit or Yahweh, which make up the Holy Trinity.

Father God’s names mean:

Creator, Strongman, Sovereign, Mighty, Everlasting, Seer, Father, Knower, Ancient One

Yahweh/Jesus’ name is I AM THAT I AM, or simply I AM. It is not plural.

His names mean:

Creator, Life Giver, Sanctifier, Forgiver, Shepherd, Friend, Family, HEALER, Righteous One, Provider, Protector, King, Peace Giver, Lord, Judge

Then we come to the final person of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit in Hebrew is ruach: Spirit, wind, breath Original Word: רוּחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine Definition: Spirit, wind, breath
Meaning: wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

And in Greek is pneuma: Spirit, wind, breath Original Word: πνεῦμα Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter AND paraklétos (male): Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Counselor

It is usually attached to one of God’s names or Jesus’ names in the bible, as a force given to help man. As I have related before, I believe this is a feminine Spirit, but perhaps it also has male attributes due to its parakletos nature. The Holy Spirit acts like a glue or invisible cord to connect God and His Son to man, primarily to comfort, but also to heal, prophecy, and to bring justice when needed. The Holy Spirit is arguably the most ambiguous of the Trinity. It’s ethereal, effervescent, but also grounded in that it comes down from heaven and can be everywhere at the will of God. It is invisible and points to God the Father and the Son, who are more tangible.

I cannot help but notice that this is how women are. God has imbued women with the ability to be helpers to their men. And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” ~Genesis 2:18. Men who pass this up are making a grave mistake in that they are overlooking a pearl of great value available to them. This is not to say that every wife will have the power of the Holy Spirit, but that as created in His image, women are given gifts that men are not privy to and probably cannot even understand.

Finally, all of us are called to be all things to all men:

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. ~1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Just as God was All things to us first. ❤

How do Christians Forgive?

The word forgive in the New Testament is usually written using two Greek words. Strong’s Concordance entry 863 ἀφίημι (aphiemi) comes from two Greek root words. Word Origin: From ἀπό (apo, meaning “off”) and ἵημι (hiemi, meaning “to send” or “to let go”). With the proper interpretation, this word means to ‘off put’ or ‘to not send’ or ‘to not give’: forgive. A more subtle form of forgive as in ‘to release’.

Strong’s Concordance entry 868 ἀφίστημι (aphistemi) comes also from two Greek root words. Word Origin: From ἀπό (apo, meaning “from”) and ἵστημι (histemi, meaning “to stand”); a stronger form of forgive as in ‘to withdraw’.

The first version is used 10 times more often in the New Testament.

To forgive is an action. Not a feeling. It was originally meant in the context of holding back punishment to those who took something from you or caused you harm and deserved retribution. Jesus’ teaching was revolutionary in so many ways, but one striking thing he is noted for is twisting the literal interpretations of the Pharisees and Sadducees into figurative interpretations. As Jesus did with so many concepts in the natural realm, He also applied them to the spiritual realm, and turned the meaning of forgiveness from something observable to something more related to the heart, exemplified by the Lord’s Prayer and explained in the book of Matthew.

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ~Matthew 6:9-15

So we can see that it is necessary to forgive, as illustrated above. But HOW Christians forgive is not explained above. Biblical scripture all works together in bits and pieces (or jots and tittles 🙂 ) to teach us everything we need to know to love God and love our neighbor; in essence to please God. Our scripture is sufficient. But to get the full meaning, we must study all the words in the bible to put it all together. That is what systematic theology does. One section of verses might tell us one thing, while another fleshes out the story. That is the case with forgiveness, and how to forgive. Each verse is not necessarily exhaustive, but it might be. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus tells us we must forgive, and why we must forgive, but He doesn’t tell us in this particular passage how to forgive. That is brought to us by Jesus through Luke, who travelled with the Apostle Paul as in the passage below:

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” ~Luke 17:1-4

So HOW Christians forgive one another, is to off-send or off-cast or for-give an offense done to you after the person repents.

Forgiveness is an act of mercy for the person who sins against you, not a thought-experiment for you to feel better.

If God is our example for everything, we should ask, “How does God forgive us?” Does He just forgive us instantly when we sin? NO! We must repent to Him first, then he will forgive us: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~1 John 1:9 “Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased…~Acts 3:19

As with everything in the world (which is run by the devil) he flips the script and people–especially Christians–walk around with the wrong concept of what forgiveness means. Most would say that forgiveness is something that only needs to happen in the heart, that it is an act of thought or willfulness that you will not harbor ill will toward someone who has wronged you. This is accurate but is only half of the story. The most important part of forgiveness is left out of this equation. The bible teaches clearly that if you are the one who was sinned against, you are to go to your brethren and tell him his fault between you and he alone. See below:

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ~Matthew 18:15

We are commanded to do this. If he or she will not listen to you, then you are to go seek one or two other folks who can go with you to make your case against them. This is important because the most important thing for our well-being as Christians is for a sinner to repent of his sin unto God first and foremost! Otherwise, to remain in unrepentant sin is a very bad thing: But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. ~Romans 2:5

Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight; that you may be found just when You speak and blameless when You judge.

The devil is duping Christians into a false understanding of forgiveness, so that we are not helping our brethren to get right with God by pointing out their sin. If we only pray and think about forgiving someone who has hurt us and we do not go to that person and tell him/her sin against us, we are actually sinning against God and our neighbor, because we are not doing what the scriptures command us to do. Ironic, isn’t it?

Now, if we are never approached by our sinful brethren when they sin against us, or if they refuse to repent to us for their wrongdoing when we confront them, we are still commanded to not harbor hate in our hearts. But this is a constant commandment from Jesus, for he who hates his brother in his heart has already committed murder against him. How do we do this? How do we not harbor hatred against those who have sinned against us? We use our armor given to us by God. We use our shield of faith with which we quench all the fiery darts of the wicked ones, because our battle is not with flesh and blood anyway. We use our feet to spread the gospel of peace. We have our helmet on which provides salvation for us. We overcome hate with love:

Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; and pray for those who spitefully use you. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Christians do not need a thought-experiment in their secret place to ‘forgive’ their perpetrators. Jesus has already told us how to conduct ourselves as Christians.

The other way we deal with forgiveness is when we ourselves sin against another. Again, Jesus and the entire bible tells us clearly how to navigate this. You simply repent and ask for forgiveness. But that isn’t the end of the story. God does call Christians to a higher level of communion with each other than we would have with those in the world, or unbelievers. He discusses this in some passages where He also shows how Christians should differ in their heart from the orthodox Jews of the time.

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ~Matthew 5:23-24

The Greek word here for ‘against you’ means intense opposition. This could mean an enemy, or it could mean just that person with whom you give a wide berth to. Jesus is showing that Christians should not have fences around themselves but should be loving one another and living in communion with one another. That is the ideal way Christians should live. God doesn’t want us making offerings to Him (to love Him) when we are not getting along and loving each other the way He wants us to.

In SUMMARY:

You sin > Ask for forgiveness

Your brethren sins > Go and tell him his fault; convict him of his sin, taking as many witnesses as needed to help him repent and turn. If he repents, then forgive him as often as he repents.

Either way, do not harbor malice in your heart against anyone. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

~Selah

Can Christians Have a Demon?

I believe that Satan and his demons can reside in living things which draw breath. This includes animals and man. This is one of the three ways problems can come upon man. The other two ways are sin, and organic disease. Indeed, to not believe in this would be to deny Christ, as so much of Christ’s ministry (and later, His apostles’) was in casting out demons.
 
As a true crime junkie, I often wonder how often serial killers or other criminals are ‘possessed’ by demons. At least some of them are. People tell the same stories about how their ‘eyes went black’ and ‘he became a different person’. Now, most of the time criminal behavior is due to straight-up sin, so we cannot give the devil all the credit. But I do think a significant portion can be attributed to Satan and his demons.
 
I posted the story recently about Jesus saving the demoniac. In those days, a man was inhabited by numerous evil spirits who called themselves ‘Legion’, and he had been kicked out of town and was living on the edge of town, in the place where they buried the dead, among the corpses. The demons inside the man recognized Jesus and begged Him not to hurt them and requested that they be cast into a neighboring herd of swine. They probably did not realize that the swine would go mad and race down the hill into the sea and drown, but that is exactly what happened.
 
Since 1614 The Catholic Church has authorized the use of exorcism for those who are believed to be the victims of demonic possession. In my lifetime, the Catholic religion became infamous in the 1970’s for their belief in demon-possession and exorcism, exemplified by the movie, ‘The Amityville Horror’. I remember being on vacation in Oklahoma as a little girl and my big sister got to go see this movie with our friends, and I was forced to stay home. Of course, I had no idea how scary that movie was and am glad now I wasn’t allowed to see it. Anyway, I do not think the perpetrator, Ronald DeFeo Jr., was demon-possessed. I think he was influenced by the perfect storm of drug and alcohol abuse, the provocation of his father’s poor parenting habits, and his sins (namely anger and who knows what else) combined with his father’s sins. He was raised in a Catholic household, so the name of Jesus would have been heard and voiced, even if Jesus was not personally known by Ronald Jr. 
 
In the 1970’s the concept of psychiatry and psychology had taken root and its practitioners began to provide counseling and ‘mental health services’ to those who struggled with problems that they could not overcome. Even the Catholic church bought into this ideology and began telling people they probably did not have a spiritual problem but a ‘mental health problem’ and the priests offloaded their patrons to these practitioners. Fast forward to today and we can see that those who came long before us actually were closer to the truth: that what really ailed these folks WAS spiritual, not ‘mental’. There was no ‘mental’ until it was separated out as its own idea. Spiritual WAS what encompassed ‘mental’ back then. That knowledge was taken from us by Satan himself. He was tired of being seen for what he was, a harbinger of destruction. He was tired of being called out and cast out. So he camouflaged not himself, but the problem, so that man could no longer see him as clearly.
 
Characteristics of the demon-possessed individual
 

What the Church views as signs of demonic invasion vary depending on the type of demon and its purpose, including:

    • Using languages unknown to the person or people around them.
    • Having extraordinary strength or resistance to physical restraint.
    • Knowledge of events or people that the person could not have possibly known.
    • An aversion to holy objects or places, such as holy water or churches.
    • Self-harming and displaying violent or aggressive behaviour.
    • Ailments or conditions that cannot be diagnosed or treated medically.
    • Having hallucinations or hearing voices not attributable to drug or alcohol use or abuse
    • An abrupt change in behavior or personality.
    • Sudden spiritual dryness.
    • Expelling of objects or animals through the mouth.

In Hostage to the Devil, Malachi Martin also mentions a type of demonic attack called “familiarization”. He writes:

“

The possessing spirit in “familiarization” is seeking to “come and live with” the subject. If accepted, the spirit becomes the constant and continuously present companion of the possessed. The two “persons”, the “familiar” and the “possessed”, remain separate and distinct. The “possessed” is aware of his “familiar”.

”

The last book of the bible, the book of The Revelation of John, explains that the dragon (Satan) recruited a third of the angelic realm to join him in rebelling against the Lord. This third of the angelic realm are called demons. Demons are fallen angels, which move between heaven and earth doing the bidding of the enemy. Demons may bring torment to believers and unbelievers, and they may indwell both believers and unbelievers as shown in the Gospels.

The bible says the way of the transgressor is hard; the transgressors being those who do not know God. The bible also says: 

It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. ~Hebrews 11:6

As you might already know, the subject of demon-possession is not without some controversy, especially as it regards Christians. Some Christians believe that once they are justified (saved) in Christ, no demon can enter him, and others disagree. They believe Christians can be heavily plagued, or even inhabited, by demons. Wayne Grudem argues in his Systematic Theology (2004) that the translation “demon possessed” which is common in many modern versions of the bible does not actually reflect the Greek. The Greek term really just means “to have demons.” Jesus validated the term to ‘have a demon’ in reference to God’s people many times in his discourse with Pharisees. The Old Testament speaks of some Israelites having a demon, namely King Saul. So, it is possible for believers to be plagued by demons.

I call it ‘dancing with demons’ when they are still outside of a person, seeking entrance. ‘Having a demon’ implies they have entered the person. To be clear, all prominent Christian scholars agree that a person cannot lose their salvation in Christ, but that he can be given over to various afflictions by the devil and his demons while alive; and can become a slave to Satan, instead of Jesus Christ.

This is a good article on the subject: https://bible.org/seriespage/9-can-christians-be-demonized-or-possessed .

I also believe that the Devil and his demons can inhabit animals and use them to wage war on humans. I came to understand this after watching a movie that made me consider the phenomenon of demon possession in animals. It is a documentary called “Night of the Grizzlies“, and it is based on the book of the same name about two fatal grizzly bear attacks occurring minutes apart on the same night in Glacier National Park. As a Christian, I do not believe in coincidence or that things just happen randomly. God is sovereign and He orchestrates everything that happens, even as He allows the devil to rule this earth.

I cannot overlook the significance of the Glacier Park killings which both occurred in two 19-year-old blonde girls on the night of August 13, 1967, by two different bears about 8 miles apart. As I recall it was a ‘windy night’ and get chills thinking about Satan sending his demons into those bears to do his dirty deeds. I know at least one of the girls was a Christian, and probably the other as well. They were in the park working as seasonal employees. This particular night they were both camping with friends in two popular places in the park. One admittedly was near a notorious bear feeding ground, but the other was not. These bears literally went mad, killed these girls, and drug their bodies away to store as a food cache. The bears had to be hunted down and killed by park rangers. What a horrific tale. I know that night that the devil sent his demons to that region of the wilderness to kill those girls. Interestingly, a Catholic priest was present on vacation in that locale on that very night, and minstered to one of the girls before she died.

The GOOD NEWS

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ~James 4:7

The Good news is that Jesus came to save sinners. And if you abide in Christ, you cannot sin (1 John 3:6) and the devil cannot obtain a foothold. What does it mean to abide in Christ? While the Apostle Paul, the greatest evangelist in the early church, was imprisoned in his last days on earth he reminded us that we are all soldiers in God’s army. And as a soldier, we also need to put on armor, except our armor is not physical armor, it is spiritual armor. This is because our enemies are spiritual, not physical. The best way to abide in Christ is to don our armor daily. Stephen Armstrong lays it out very well in his bible study from 2017. I will summarize below.

Our Defensive Weapons:

  • Belt of truth
  • Breastplate of righteousness
  • Shoes of evangelism
  • Shield of faith
  • Helmet of salvation

Our Offensive Weapons:

  • Sword of the Spirit (the word of God)
  • Praying always in the Spirit

If we wear our armor daily, the devil will not be able to gain a foothold to tear us down. Then we will also be able to help our brethren who are falling to demonic activity.

Test the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ~ 1 John 4:1-4

But just wearing armor daily is not enough. You must love the Lord your GOD with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength in this war because love is what it all comes down to. Love is the essence of why God created us. Without love, nothing else matters. Without love, we fail. To fully love God, we have to continue in our sanctification (purity, refinement) DAILY, replacing those old sinful habits with righteous ones. If we are lackadaisical or haphazard about this–Jesus called it being lukewarm–then we actually set ourselves up for MORE failure, ironically.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils……When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” ~Luke 11:21-22; 24-26

The best way to know if you are protected in the Lord, and abiding enough in Him, is to see the fruit that is produced when you walk in The Way of Christ. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. The devil cannot live in this realm. If you are lacking some of this fruit, you are opening a door for demons to enter in and destroy you, and I admonish you to work on that.

So, yes, even Christians can have a demon, unfortunately, but this usually occurs in folks who have long-ago abandoned God, or who have a heart turned against God. By far, the usual cause of man’s problems is sin itself, not demons.

Selah~