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 Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:06 am
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Hello, Bible Guild members.
I have just now joined this guild, and would like to thank Garland-Green for accepting me here. I pray that joining this guild will help me to grow closer to Christ. As you can tell by my username, I'm Kyprius, but you can just call me Ky.
Now more to the subject. Right now I need all of the support and prayers I can get. I have an urgent prayer request, as I am going through something that I have never experienced before this year 2014.
Last night I was tormented by a very high-pitched, loud, electronic sound in my dream. It was so loud, that it blocked out all of my other senses in the dream, and I could barely hear myself speak. The noise was so loud, and it hurt so bad, that I cried out for Jesus to help me, then the noise stopped, and I woke up with my ears ringing, and my heart almost beating out of my chest.
Upon waking up, I immediately did some research on the sound, and I found that other people are experiencing the same thing. Some people say it could be a spiritual entity trying to contact me, and that the loud noise was simply my soul or spirit trying to make out what it's trying to communicate to me, while others have stated it to be an auditory hallucination. Well, I chose to believe the former, because of what happened later on that night.
I went back to sleep within about 2 hours, and astral projected without even trying. I felt myself hover around my room, look in my mirror, float through my room door to my outside staircase and I could hear vehicles in my neighborhood starting up and driving off. Then as I hovered back over to my body, I heard a voice say something with a loud, echoed whisper. It said something like "There is no ____". I still can't make out the last word, but just hearing the voice freaked me out, and it scared me out of this sleep paralysis state.
What angers me most is I haven't been trying to open myself up to anything demonic. That very same day before I went home that night, I was talking about God's word with a friend at work, and a few weeks prior is when I met Spirit Reborn, who led me to this guild. I believe Satan is angry, because I've finally found some friends who are true believers in Christ.
I've been letting praise music flow throughout my room, but I've still been too paranoid to fall asleep. This is drastically affecting my sleeping pattern, so please do pray that God would give me His sweet sleep, and that this torment would never occur again. I need all of the strength I can get for work, and I don't want to have to call in sick, because of all of this.
Thank you all for hearing me out. And I do hope that I become a powerful, Godly influence to this guild. I'm more grateful than words can express right now.
-Ky
P.S. If any of you have ever experienced anything like this, please do let me know how you've coped with it, dealt with it, and overcame it. |
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:34 am
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Psalm 27:1
Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 49:5
Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me--
Though I have not dealt with astral projection I have had some experience with demons, even before I was saved. It happens on occasions now as well that they attempt to attack/posses me, and it mostly happens when I am in bed. Before I was saved I did a lot of meditation trying to achieve self-realization, and I can remember one night when I had tried for hours earlier in the day to meditate that I woke up because I could not breath. It felt as if someone was sitting on my chest choking me. What I saw above me was a black cloud. A living black mist hanging over me in bed. I got out of bed, and cut some small paper crosses to put under my pillow. Having seen people use it in movies to exorcise demons I thought the power was in the symbol. So even then, when I did not know who Jesus is, I knew what this being was. Prayer, and calling on Jesus. That is my advice to you. I do the same thing as you do when they attack me. It is less frequent now, but it happens now and then. last time I can remember saying; "Leave, in Jesus name!" repeatedly. Call on Jesus. It always works. smile Pray before bed. Spend some time with God, in reading the Bible, and talking to Him.
You should also be aware that they want you to be scared of them. They thrive on that kind of stuff. Trust in the Lord, and don't give them the satisfaction. God is good. He won't abandon you in your hour of need.
Remember the demoniacs that Jesus faced? Violent, and scary. But not scary to Jesus. We are dealing with defeated spirits here. Since we have a Lord with such power, we can rest in that, and find peace in that, even in our struggle with these spirits.
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Examples of demons being afraid of our Lord;
Luke 4:34
34"Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us?
And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
Mark 5:1-5
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:53 am
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Thank you for reminding me that these spirits are defeated. It has been a while since I've read God's word consistently. I would read it here and there, but I have to be honest. I haven't been treating it like a relationship. I guess I'm in need for a catalyst right now.
Well, I do believe your prayers, and the prayers of others are working as well. I've invited The Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about this situation to me, and I suddenly feel a warm, friendly presence in my room. I believe it's Him, and I'll take a step of faith and try to sleep the rest of the morning out. Hopefully I'll sleep like a baby. emotion_zzz
Thank you again, Garland. It's so comforting to be apart of this guild, and to be reminded of God's word in such purity, with no private interpretation whatsoever.
I will update you as to how things go with my sleep, whether good or bad. |
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 2:58 am
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Kyprius Thank you for reminding me that these spirits are defeated. It has been a while since I've read God's word consistently. I would read it here and there, but I have to be honest. I haven't been treating it like a relationship. I guess I'm in need for a catalyst right now.
Well, I do believe your prayers, and the prayers of others are working as well. I've invited The Holy Spirit to reveal the truth about this situation to me, and I suddenly feel a warm, friendly presence in my room. I believe it's Him, and I'll take a step of faith and try to sleep the rest of the morning out. Hopefully I'll sleep like a baby. emotion_zzz
Thank you again, Garland. It's so comforting to be apart of this guild, and to be reminded of God's word in such purity, with no private interpretation whatsoever.
I will update you as to how things go with my sleep, whether good or bad.
All spiritual blessings your way, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will keep you in my prayers. Keep us posted, so we can see God working in your life and we can be there as support if you need us, to His glory. |
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 4:35 am
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 6:41 am
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 11:19 am
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Yeah, your experience sounds similar to mine exclaim But for me it was a white buzzing sensation that interrupted my dreams: I'm surprised I didn't mention the white buzzing in my testimony thread, but I've mentioned it in other posts: Sleep Paralysis) <-- same experience I mentioned in my testimony thread.
I must say though: after repenting of my sins in prayer and asking for the Holy Spirit, I did end up astrally-projecting some time afterwards (after the angelic voice incident), for the first time ever, months if not years afterwards; ironically, I never astrally-projected successfully back when I had the interest in "out of body experiences". But I felt tricked into it this time: I was in the midst of a dream, that my little cousin had been abducted by aliens; he's special needs, so I felt this protective need to chase after them and rescue him. In my dream, I sat in the driver's seat of a truck, which was ascending up into the clouds, and for some reason I thought it a good idea to drive the truck into the sky, full speed ahead, let's fly~" not in those words specifically, but that was my understood intention. I felt the familiar white buzzing sensation (which had been there other times I had intentionally sought to OBE, that white buzzing sensation that would interrupt my dreams, but I didn't pay attention to it this time). And then all of a sudden, as I'm rising up really fast, I feel a *pop* sensation, and I'm not dreaming anymore. I'm not in my body: I'm no longer inside of a truck in the sky: I'm in my room. Everything looked the same way I had left it before going to sleep, but I'm viewing everything in an x-ray/night vision kind of light (not the green kind of night vision, but black and white kind of night vision wink and then I cried out to Jesus because for one, I was afraid. Second of all, I knew I was astrally-projecting which was something I had repented of a long time ago, and I didn't want to violate his law, nor seek spiritual contact with someone who wasn't him. So, as I'm crying out to Jesus, I'm trying my hardest to "roll" back into my body because I can tell my body is underneath "me", I can see my body as if I were still lying down, but I'm not in it; I'm levitating like a few inches above it. I did end up rolling back into it though after struggling to do so. And now that I'm back in and still awake, I'm wondering, "do I need to ask for forgiveness", which I do but I'm like, "I didn't ask for this". Then, I'm second-guessing everything I did that day, "did I open some doors without my knowing?" But I haven't astrally-projected since then.
On a separate occasion, months if not years after that experience, the white buzzing thing came back one night. I could feel the buzzing "whispering" into my right ear, but trying to suck me out of my ear (if that makes sense), but this time I actually saw a physical manifestation: a white hooded "person"/angel? who was bent over whispering, and at first I freaked out inwardly. I didn't make a sound. But, by then I knew my scripture, so I settled down thinking, "I already cried out to Jesus; Jesus can save me; if this thing means me harm, I'll be saved and if he doesn't mean me harm, then let's see what happens". It ended up just standing back up after what seemed like 30 seconds to a minute (it was hunched over whispering into my ear before that), gliding down to the foot of my bed, and exiting out the window, in the moonlight. And I'm just staring at the window thinking, "what just happened? do angels wear white hoods?" lol. I wasn't afraid at that point. I just lay there without moving, thinking, "okay, I'm not dreaming, because I'm still looking at the window, I'm awake; this just happened". I remember telling Chrissy (or maybe it was Cheyenne) about this in PM's. I don't know how long ago I told her about it and if I had given a date for when it happened. I don't know whether to consider that an attack though. Ever since that incident, I haven't felt that white buzzing sensation again, and ever since the other incident, where I felt tricked, I haven't astrally-projected. "Stay repentant over sin, stay in the Word, and avoid the occult like the plague" would be my advice to you. And of course I'll pray for you. heart
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 5:31 pm
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Thank you both for your support. I really do appreciate it! I read your testimony, and it is giving me more insight as to how this all got started with me.
Before the astral-projections really started to happen consecutively, I was in pursuit of a career as a magician. I'd been studying and practicing magic tricks for 8 months prior to the recent projections. At the same time, I was facing relationship issues with God and my Mom who's been the major spiritual influence in my life. I hadn't been reading God's word at all, nor singing praise songs like I used to. I'd also been asking God to take me in my sleep, because times would get so stressful that I just wanted to leave this Earth. Recently, a day or so before the projections started happening, my mom and I got in a huge argument, and I felt a strong heaviness afterward, as if a part of me was being severed, or removed from my spirit.
My mom said that around this time, she prayed that God would reveal all truth about everything that was going on in the spirit (and this was before I'd even told her about the OBEs). I was freaking out, and shaking from fear when I thought I was suffering from exploding head syndrome or V2K (voice to skull). I told her about everything that was happening, and all of my paranoid thoughts yesterday, and she immediately told me that my magic was a gateway to everything that was happening. I'd always thought innocently of the magic tricks because they were just illusions, but hadn't seen that they were still connected to the works of darkness. I also think that me recently watching Supernatural (the TV show) much like you, also opened up a gateway for the enemy.
Well, yesterday I renounced my devotion to magic, and repented to God from straying from Him. My Mom and I took all of my magic stuff to a garbage dump, and she took authority over the spirit of death after I told her about my "suicidal prayers", since after we got back home, I had one more astral-projection. Well, later on last night, I managed to sleep like a baby without waking up for 6 hours. No projections, just dreams. ^^ I'm really happy I got sleep, but I'm just hoping that I never astrally-project, or hear that metal on metal scraping, electronic sound again.
Thank you all again for your prayers! I'll keep you guys updated as to how things go with my sleeping patterns. |
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:22 am
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I had typed up a long response to each of you but by the time I clicked 'submit', Gaia logged me out. .. emotion_facepalm
Lol..where to begin. I'll try to remember T _ T
Praise God, I'm glad you shared those verses. 3nodding
I do get freaked out once in awhile. I have experienced various things with regards to demons. Especially now that I have found Christ. Like whenever I feel tempted to a certain sin and am actually rationalizing my way to do said sin.. I hear these knocking-type noises in my room [where I currently was in at the time] and when I refuse to give in to those temptations and pray to God in Jesus' Name, I hear a different sound ..near my window..as if something is 'leaving'. It's not a hard-knocking type of sound but it sounds like rain falling on the ground except it only lasts for a few seconds. Those knocking-type sounds are similar to that of when the house creaks from a change in 'low and high temperatures' and when the house 'shrinks and expands'. But I honestly don't think it's from that..these noises come at a specific time, I've noticed, whenever these temptations occur and only in the room I am currently in at the time. I do remember hearing the same knocking sounds especially when I was depressed and suicidal 2 years before. I think it's just recently that I've been aware of these noises. I never thought of them before as connecting to demons/evil spirits so it's kind of creepy.
I'm wondering if any of this happens to you, to Maria, or to Kyprius as well. Do you notice these sounds too or is it just me? D:
Yeah, I think I remember reading about your dreams in one of the PM's you sent. I tried looking for it in my inbox but I couldn't find it D: And I usually don't delete PM's like that- much less, from you. I personally would repent of astral projecting just in case. I honestly am inspired by what God has done through Kyprius' mom and himself in getting rid of anything magic-related from their house. Would you suggest that I get rid of my yu-gi-oh cards even though I haven't played with them in a long time and have kept them in my drawer? Because I really want to get rid of anything occult/demonic related. I also have these DVD's from before. I used to be a major movie horror buff. I also used to love watching movies with magic as well. I'm not quite sure how to get rid of them though. I feel guilty if I were to dispose of it in the garbage because of the environment. I could probably recycle the DVD covers since it's plastic but not sure about the DVDs themselves. Would having those in the house, even though it's not being watched still open doors to demons/evil spirits?
So glad to hear what God has done through you and your mom in getting rid of all the magic-related things from your house. I'm kind of struggling in this part, too. I want to get rid of these things as well. So glad that garbage day is tomorrow for us. 3nodding
I used to engage in guided sleep meditation, guided sleep hypnosis and listening to those 'peaceful' music before sleeping. I had no idea that I had opened doors through those seemingly innocent and 'peaceful' practices. After engaging in those, I had experienced nearly constant sleep paralysis, a few astral projections, and many demonic nightmares associated with feelings of 'pain'. I also heard Satan/demon laugh during my sleep paralysis. He was in the shadows outside of my bedroom door while my body was paralyzed and unable to breathe. I have repented of those and have asked God to protect me, through Jesus and His Holy Spirit, from bad dreams throughout the entire night and morning, God-willing that He gives me another day. I even ask God to send His *Holy* angels to protect me as well which so far has seemed to help.
Now it's only once in awhile that I have a nightmare and when I do.. it's not that bad. I'll also be keeping you in my prayers regarding this matter.
@ everyone: Oh, I also forgot to mention that my mom, who barely has nightmares, has told me that she has been having nightmares recently. And recently, I had been praying only for myself for God to protect me from bad dreams before I sleep because I didn't think that my mom needed those prayers since she occasionally mentions not having nightmares. So now I think that the demons are attacking her since I've been praying for only my protection. Just thought I'd share this in case your family members may have difficulty in sleeping as well.
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 10:40 am
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Spirit Reborn I had typed up a long response to each of you but by the time I clicked 'submit', Gaia logged me out. .. emotion_facepalm Lol..where to begin. I'll try to remember T _ T
Man, I hate when that happens.
But usually what I would do to prevent losing everything I typed (especially when I've typed up a whole novel as a reply) is to copy and paste everything I typed to notepad before clicking "submit".
Spirit Reborn Praise God, I'm glad you shared those verses. 3nodding I do get freaked out once in awhile. I have experienced various things with regards to demons. Especially now that I have found Christ. Like whenever I feel tempted to a certain sin and am actually rationalizing my way to do said sin.. I hear these knocking-type noises in my room [where I currently was in at the time] and when I refuse to give in to those temptations and pray to God in Jesus' Name, I hear a different sound ..near my window..as if something is 'leaving'. It's not a hard-knocking type of sound but it sounds like rain falling on the ground except it only lasts for a few seconds. Those knocking-type sounds are similar to that of when the house creaks from a change in 'low and high temperatures' and when the house 'shrinks and expands'. But I honestly don't think it's from that..these noises come at a specific time, I've noticed, whenever these temptations occur and only in the room I am currently in at the time. I do remember hearing the same knocking sounds especially when I was depressed and suicidal 2 years before. I think it's just recently that I've been aware of these noises. I never thought of them before as connecting to demons/evil spirits so it's kind of creepy. I'm wondering if any of this happens to you, to Maria, or to Kyprius as well. Do you notice these sounds too or is it just me? D:
You know, it's kinda weird, because I've been hearing scratching and running sounds on the ceiling of my room, for nearly 2 years now (the same room where the astral attacks occurred), and I've always thought it to be rats in the attic, but maybe it's a spirit? Not sure.
Spirit Reborn So glad to hear what God has done through you and your mom in getting rid of all the magic-related things from your house. I'm kind of struggling in this part, too. I want to get rid of these things as well. So glad that garbage day is tomorrow for us. 3nodding I used to engage in guided sleep meditation, guided sleep hypnosis and listening to those 'peaceful' music before sleeping. I had no idea that I had opened doors through those seemingly innocent and 'peaceful' practices. After engaging in those, I had experienced nearly constant sleep paralysis, a few astral projections, and many demonic nightmares associated with feelings of 'pain'. I also heard Satan/demon laugh during my sleep paralysis. He was in the shadows outside of my bedroom door while my body was paralyzed and unable to breathe. I have repented of those and have asked God to protect me, through Jesus and His Holy Spirit, from bad dreams throughout the entire night and morning, God-willing that He gives me another day. I even ask God to send His *Holy* angels to protect me as well which so far has seemed to help. Now it's only once in awhile that I have a nightmare and when I do.. it's not that bad. I'll also be keeping you in my prayers regarding this matter. @ everyone: Oh, I also forgot to mention that my mom, who barely has nightmares, has told me that she has been having nightmares recently. And recently, I had been praying only for myself for God to protect me from bad dreams before I sleep because I didn't think that my mom needed those prayers since she occasionally mentions not having nightmares. So now I think that the demons are attacking her since I've been praying for only my protection. Just thought I'd share this in case your family members may have difficulty in sleeping as well.
Well, I'll take note of that and pray for my mom, as well as yours about the nightmares. And yes, please do get rid of everything associated with magic or the occult. Burn them if you're afraid of hurting the environment. As long as they're destroyed, you've renounced and repented from any kind of devotion to them, and opened up yourself to Christ, you should be in the safe zone. I'll even go so far as to beg you to please take out anything that even seems satanic/occult-related, because I never want anyone to go through my specific experience. The entity that I was dealing with was trying to deprive me of my sleep with the metallic/electronic sound in my dreams and projections. It was so tormenting.. I'd never wish it upon my worst enemy. I plead the blood of Jesus in a whisper after having the dream about the metallic/electronic sound, and in retrospect, I now realize what the last word was that the voice said to me, "There is no blood." in a deep, loud, echoed whisper. Obviously it was only able to torment me because of the magic stuff I had in my room, and also because my spirit was weak; lacking and forgotten a lot of God's word that I'd studied before.
My mom also believes its ultimate motive was to possess me, since I was constantly being "pulled" out of my body without me even trying to astrally-project, and since then, I've been listening to a guy by the name of Andrew Wommack's teachings on the authority we have as believers. I'll post the link to it below this one, in case you wanna check it out.
So far, I've been sleeping peacefully, and it's probably because I've been sleeping in the same room as my mom, since all of this happened. It's a good thing too, because I missed one magic book, and left it in my room. My mom took it to the same garbage dump today, and she told me that her mind lost its focus 3 times before she actually got to the dumpster. Clearly satan was angry, and hopefully that was the last thing left. |
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 10:46 am
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Here's the link, in case any of you want to watch some of the teachings: The Believer's AuthorityA lot of it has to do with supernatural healing, but the concept is just as relevant to standing up against demons. I believe it's important for all of us to study up on spiritual authority, since we've all experienced the same thing, and mainly because of these verses: 24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” -Luke 11:24-26 We need to be ready when the spirits comes back. Though it might not be soon, this scripture gives confirmation that it's absolute that it will be another time in each of our lives, regardless of the way, shape or form that it returns in. |
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:59 am
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What both of you say you've encountered... I have as well. I do know what it's like to have that happen, however. I simply focus on the Lord and his Word, primarily Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 21:21, and Isaiah 38:18
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt,
not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."
"For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness." |
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 6:24 pm
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:08 am
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Kyprius Here's the link, in case any of you want to watch some of the teachings: The Believer's AuthorityA lot of it has to do with supernatural healing, but the concept is just as relevant to standing up against demons. I believe it's important for all of us to study up on spiritual authority, since we've all experienced the same thing, and mainly because of these verses: 24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” -Luke 11:24-26 We need to be ready when the spirits comes back. Though it might not be soon, this scripture gives confirmation that it's absolute that it will be another time in each of our lives, regardless of the way, shape or form that it returns in.
I listened to the video series twice. Once just simply listening straight through, then once again but going through specific claims. The general spirit of what he's saying is true: God says do "a, b, c" in order for "x, y, z" to happen (i.e. if you want to have a baby, then have sex; don't just simply pray about it; afterall, there's only one virgin birth lol). But as I kept listening, I noticed he would make certain comments in-between his direct quotation of scripture that could lead a person to error. At times he just flat out negated the existence of a verse or twisted a concept to support what he was saying, which I would like to point out because he's actually dis-empowering people, not making them more powerful over the situation:
In the "July 27, 2004" video:
- @1:41 he says, "We've talked about, when it comes to healing, that God gave us the power to heal and commanded us to go heal the sick, not pray for the sick".
- @1:55 "If we abdicate that responsibility and go and ask God to heal this person, chances are they're gonna die, because you're asking God to do what he told you to do."
...such statements negate the existence of the following verses, where prayer is what heals, in both the New Testament and Old Testament:
James 5:16 (NIV)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
1 Kings 13:6 (NIV)
6 Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.
Isaiah 38:1-5 (NIV)
1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.
Not just for a tiny cold or headache, but a hand-crippling, at the brink of death, kind of disease. Prayer. And confessing sins. The error comes in when people take an "only this" or "only that" position: that healing is acheived "only" by prayer, that it's "only" by the laying on of hands; that it's "only" by commanding outloud by the power of your words. We see ALL of those examples being done. It's not right to say, "stop doing the praying 'flavor' of healing, go do _______ flavor instead". God can heal people because of righteous intercessors and he can heal people because the mere shadow of his servant passed by somebody—if that particular servant has that gift of healing from the Spirit, like Peter did:
Acts 5:15-16 (NIV)
As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
Or God can heal through an object, like Elisha's bones, or a cloth that Paul had touched:
2 Kings 13:21 (NIV)
Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
Acts 19:11-12 (NIV)
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
Notice Paul didn't need to "get angry" or "yell" or even "speak" to drive out demons. Evil spirits would just leave. Likewise, King David didn't "get angry" or have to "yell" either. On the contrary:
1 Samuel 16:23 (NIV)
23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
So at 7:38 when he says, "You have to resist the devil. The word 'resist' means to actively fight against. That's what the dictionary defines it as. Resistance is an active thing. You gotta stir yourself up. You gotta get mad."
That is flat out wrong/contrary to the examples we see. You might see that kind of rabid, foaming at the mouth exorcism in Hollywood movies (and church services today) but not scripture. "Resisting the devil" is not defined in the bible as, "getting angry at the devil and shouting at him"; to resist the devil is, "to not fall for his temptation when he brings it. You choose differently instead of falling into the trap he set, not following the desire of your flesh". Instead of falling into the temptation to distract you from your mission, you say "no, God wants me to do this instead". I will not bow down before you and worship you if he said only to worship Him, I will not eat if he told me to fast, I will not look up pornography if he told me not to lust with my eyes, I will not act cowardly/care about what people might think if I stand up for God's truth as preserved in the bible if he tells me to fear Him not man. We don't have to yell or get angry at the devil to resist him (if anything, that'll get you walking in the flesh, not the Spirit; anger is something we should avoid because our human anger does not lead to righteousness). He cannot quote from James 4 (about resisting the devil) but ignore James 1:
James 1:20 (NIV)
20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
His interpretation of "resisting the devil" (get angry) does not make the verses fit together nicely. It leads to contradiction, ergo, erroneous interpretation.
And Andrew Wommack's advice @7:58, "The Godly use of anger is to be mad at the devil" is not in accord with James 1 either, NOR what Paul had to say in Ephesians: Paul says anger actually helps the devil gain a foothold in your life:
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)
26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
Footnotes:
a. Ephesians 4:26 Psalm 4:4 (see Septuagint)
@ 10:28, Wommack says "This woman says, 'Dear Devil,'— we had to stop her right then and say 'Whoooa, wait, this is not resisting the devil. You don't resist the devil by saying, "Dear Devil please leave me alone" '
I wouldn't say "dear Devil" either, but by the same token, we should avoid yelling at him because it is equally as useless. As I explained previously, and scripture clearly demonstrates, "resisting the devil" is not about yelling, but about deciding not to agree with him / what he wants you to do, staying in peace, not in anger.
A second point about this: her instinct to respond respectfully, even though it was the devil (allegedly), is actually supported by at least two verses in the bible:
2 Peter 2:11 (NIV)
10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh[a] and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from[b] the Lord.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Peter 2:10 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 18.
b. 2 Peter 2:11 Many manuscripts beings in the presence of
Jude 1:9 (NIV)
9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[a]
Footnotes:
a. Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).
We cannot accuse the devil. We cannot heap abuse on the devil with our words either. That's what fleshly people do. We shouldn't be speaking irreverently ABOUT the devil nor TO the devil (or any angel / supernatural entity), even if the supernatural entity is in rebellion and pride. Archangel Michael didn't dare rebuke the devil directly (contrary to what Andrew Wommack is suggesting we do). Only God can do that (and thus why we find Jesus doing it, not his disciples).
On a related note, some more of Wommack's claims that contradict Jude 1:9 (about God rebuking the devil) and James 4:7 (about resisting the devil)...
@11:23 "God is not gonna rebuke the devil for you."
@15:25 "[...] and you've got to command the devil and he will flee from you"
Now he's just replacing words in an erroneous manner. God told us to resist the devil's temptation. Not rebuke the devil, not command the devil, but resist. And like we just saw in Jude 1:9, Michael said that God is the one who rebukes the devil. Not us, not fellow creation, but God. You will not find a single verse where a disciple is directly rebuking Satan. Only Jesus says that ("away from me Satan", Matthew 4:10; "get behind me Satan" Matthew 16:23). And Jesus is God.
Zechariah 3:2 (NIV)
2 The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
Matthew 4:10-11 (NIV)
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[a]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 4:10 Deut. 6:13
I've seen verses about the disciples exorcising demons, but exorcising the devil himself? question
@7:09 Wommack says, "You aren't going to get free from Satan's harassment by praying and asking God to remove the devil."
And yet, that is exactly what the apostle Paul did—the same Paul whom we saw cast out impure spirits by simply touching a cloth and that cloth later touching the possessed individual—that Paul does this exactly: he prays. He wouldn't even try to pray if it wasn't actually a method that works:
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)
7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Which, now that I say this, Wommack is trying to use verses about exorcising demons to apply them to the devil. Yet there is a distinction between the two: "how to exorcise a demon from inside a person" VS "harassment from the devil" are two totally different things. In one instance, a disciple is casting out a demon that's already inside of another person; whereas in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, a disciple is getting harassed by the devil (no bodily possession as part of the equation). One results in instant healing, the other despite pleading is still being harassed.
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"July 28, 2004" video:
(this particular video relies heavily upon his own logic and faulty analogies which is leading to the error)
@16:21 He briefly mentions Psalm 35:27 and tries to make it about money (by first going into an analogy about the guy who "only ate cheese and crackers" on a voyage and avoided all the good-looking food on the cruise because he couldn't afford it, but turns out he was simply unaware that it was a part of the package, so he was negating himself for no reason, it's rightfully his). On the one hand, yes, God promises that if we obey him, there is no need for there to be poor people among us (Deuteronomy 15:4-5)
Deuteronomy 15:4-5 (NIV)
4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.
However it is dishonest to force Psalm 35:27 into saying the same thing.
Psalm 35:26-27 (KJV)
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
The English of the KJV says "prosperity" in an attempt to translate the Hebrew which says "shalom"; shalom = peace (as other English translations correctly translate it as). This verse is not about material prosperity / affording the highest quality of everything just for being his servant. Poor people can have shalom too. The contrast in Psalm 35 is: the ruin of the wicked (those who are against God and his servants) VS the well-being, satisfaction and peace of his righteous ones. You can have satisfaction/shalom with a piece of bread, a simple meal like cheese and crackers.
Proverbs 17:1 (NIV)
Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.
And to be fair, the Hebrew for "peace and quiet" in Proverbs 17:1 is shalah (also translated as "prosperity" twice elsewhere in the English; link: http://biblehub.com/hebrew/7962.htm)
He's perverting what "prosperity" actually means in Psalm 35:26-27. Prosperity is not about enjoying the best of the best and indulging in luxury; it's something even a man eating a dry crust of bread can have.
@ 17:47, "I just want to use this as an illustration that God has already healed every person that will ever be healed, 'by his stripes we were healed'. The Lord is not healing people right now".
First of all, he's quoting from Isaiah 53 which is the messianic chapter about God's servant getting punished for our sins / our iniquities, in our place (thus we are healed of the penalty of sin, while he was wounded for the penalty of sin in our place).
Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:11 (KJV)
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Second of all, he's clearly quoting from the KJV, and yet decided to change "are healed" to "were healed" to support the notion that he's "not healing people right now" (I don't know why he's asserting that???). And tries to make 1 Peter 2:24 say the same (granted, this one does say "were healed", but notice it's not about physical healing here either, but about sin):
1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
We were healed of unrighteousness, thus became dead to sin, so we "should live unto righteousness". That is the healing spoken of in both Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24—healing from sin and the consequences of it, its punishment, which is death, healed from sin itself too, thus the righteous living.
Third of all, the prophecy which talks about actual healing miracles is Isaiah 35:5-6...
Isaiah 35:5-6 (KJV)
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
@ 20:06 " 'Sometimes it's okay to murder, sometimes it's not okay to murder'. No that's not the way the law is. The law is constant."
Irresponsibly-phrased statements like this one often lead people to accuse our Heavenly Father of being a hypocrite: "YHWH violates his own law; he commands murder but then tells you not to; he kills people but then tells you that you can't". I know what Wommack meant by saying this, but his poorly-phrased analogies can leave baby believers unequipped to handle this apparent "contradiction" ("your God is a hypocrite because he commands murder, but tells you not to murder"), that is no contradiction at all if the first five books of the bible are read without skipping a word. It actually IS okay to murder/take human life under certain circumstances: in cases of justice (if the government is doing it). That's how it was in the Old Testament after the situation has been investigated by the elders, the witnesses were found to be truthful and the sin merited death, so the person gets stoned to death; and in the New Testament, we submit to our governing bodies, and our governments still carry out the capital punishment i.e. such things like death row).
@21:58 "Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. God comes to give you life and to give it to you more abundantly. If it's life, if it's good, it's God; if it's bad, if it's stealing, if it's killing, if it's destroying, it's the devil."
Misrepresenting God and his word on the following points:
Jeremiah 49:37 (KJV)
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
Psalm 78:49 (KJV)
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
Judge 9:23 (KJV)
23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
1 Samuel 16:14 (KJV)
14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
1 Kings 22:23 (KJV)
23 Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
Judges 2:14 (KJV)
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
In essence, Wommack is setting people up to believe that all evil, death, stealing (spoiling = plundering), lies and destructive things come from the devil. No, sometimes they come from God himself as judgment for people who have not been obeying him / who have violated the covenant.
The references to "overcoming" are about overcoming sin and the temptation to be disloyal; it's not about overcoming material poverty.
Revelation 21:7-8 (KJV)
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Revelation 2:11 (KJV)
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 20:4-6 (KJV)
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
@ 24:04 as a balance to the statement that "Christians are believing that we have to be poor": It isn't God's will that everyone be materially rich either, he warns against being rich.
Luke 6:20-26 (NIV)
20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Matthew 19:24 (NIV)
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Compare the Church of Laodicea (materially rich) to the Church of Smyrna (materially poor):
Revelation 3:14-22 (NIV)
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 2:8-11 (NIV)
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
To say God prefers everyone be monetarily rich is an outright lie, and is what Wommack seems to be implying.
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"July 29, 2004" video:
@ 20:51 "One of the laws, spiritual laws, that governs whether you receive from God is the power of your words. It says in Proverbs chapter 18, let me just turn over here and read this, Proverbs chapter 18 and in verse twenty. It says, death— excuse me verse twenty, man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
I'll quote it:
Proverbs 18:20-21 (KJV)
20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
This isn't about healing people supernaturally with our words. Like most of the proverbs, it's a distinction between speaking wisdom or foolishness, speaking God's commands or man's fleshly ways— we will reap what we sow, in other words, that's the fruit we'll "eat". If we speak foolishness, we reap death. If we speak wisdom, we reap/eat life.
A foolish person will say the wrong thing, get beat up, lose their life even. A foolish person speaks false testimony, and if they get found out, they get killed BY LAW (if living under YHWH's government that is). We could drive a person to commit suicide by the things we say. All of that is speaking death / like a fool.
Or we can pacify wrath with a gentle answer from our tongue (end up saving our life and the life of others). We can hold our tongue instead of giving full vent to anger, and thus avoid disrespecting the wrong person who can get us killed or prevent a person killing themselves because of what we said (and thus reaping life with that kind of disciplined tongue). We can instruct others with wisdom or accept the wisdom off the tongues of others, and thus "eat" the fruit of life; that's what fills our bellies. What will you fill your belly (your inner-being at your very center) with? It's not about healing people in a supernatural way with what we say, but whether you feed on wisdom or foolishness.
@ 24:04 "You have to speak it. This woman in Mark chapter 5 said, with her mouth, if I may but touch but the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole".
Not true / erroneous assumption. The woman "said within herself" (in her mind), not outloud. I'm not surprised he decided to go with Mark 5 since it doesn't elaborate whether it was outloud or not. Compare:
Matthew 9:20-21 (KJV)
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Mark 5:28 (KJV)
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
I know Jesus spoke to the fig tree and dried it up, and he told us to speak to mountains; there is power in commanding and speaking to things, but we should not add details to scripture (or take away details from scripture) or twist them in such an irresponsible manner. They make the yoke heavier than it needs to be. People do not need to "change" their personalities to be assertive and mad, they can say it within themselves in a peaceful, believing manner.
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"July 30, 2004" video
@6:33 "At the time, I was under a doctrine, a teaching, that God put tragedy in your life to perfect you."
That's actually biblical. But he no longer believes it (at least in this recording he doesn't). Again, ignoring James 1 (amongst others).
James 1:12 (NIV)
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Romans 5:3-4 (NIV)
3 Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Footnotes:
a. Romans 5:3 Or let us
Romans 8:17-18 (NIV)
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)
10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Luke 22:31-32 (NIV)
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
2 Timothy 1:8 (NIV)
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God
1 Corinthians 5:5 (NIV)
5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,[a][b] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Corinthians 5:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
b. 1 Corinthians 5:5 Or of his body
1 Timothy 1:20 (NIV)
20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
@ 6:57 And I actually came from a place in Melville, Louisiana, I heard a man teach that Satan is God's messenger boy. And anything that Satan wants to do in your life he has to get permission from God, so ultimately, God is the one who's controlling even the bad. And that bad things are actually God-given to help us and perfect us. I do not believe that.
eek
Yes, actually, Satan cannot do anything without God's permission first. To suggest anything else is to outright deny the Book of Job:
Job 1:6-22 (NIV)
6 One day the angels[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[b] also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.[c]
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Footnotes:
a. Job 1:6 Hebrew the sons of God
b. Job 1:6 Hebrew satan means adversary.
c. Job 1:21 Or will return there
Job 2:1-10 (NIV)
1 On another day the angels[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”
4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
Footnotes:
a. Job 2:1 Hebrew the sons of God
b. Job 2:10 The Hebrew word rendered foolish denotes moral deficiency.
Satan had God's permission to do anything but kill Job himself. Yet, you'll see Satan sending pagans [Babylonians/Chaldeans] to raid Job's camels and smite Job's servants with the sword, the Sabeans to steal his oxen and donkey, send down fire from heaven which burned Job's sheep and servants, send a mighty wind that collapsed the house and killed all of Job's children, and send Job a painful plague of boils that broke out on his skin). And this shouldn't be surprising: Satan is an angel; the angels in the Book of Revelation send plagues too. Job suffered even though he hadn't violated anything. He was rendered destitute (no animals to farm with nor raise, sell, breed or live off of). God gave permission. And in the end, God blessed Job because throughout the suffering, he never cursed God, never ascribed evil to God, but clung to his commands, stayed blameless, didn't resort to evil to fix his circumstances.
Job 6:10 (NIV)
10 Then I would still have this consolation—
my joy in unrelenting pain—
that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.
Job 42:12-15 (NIV)
12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
And like Job said, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?". He is in control of both or else he wouldn't be God/Sovereign over everything in the heavens and under the heavens on earth, and under the earth.
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I wasn't sure whether to include this or not (he does mention that he did teach on how to pray for the lost in a previous week's teaching), but in the "July 26, 2004" video—starting around the 3:37 mark—he said:
"And instead the church has started asking God to save people [...] we're asking God to do what he told us to do"
He started off by quoting Acts 1:8, and he's right in that we are suppose to witness to others, because faith comes by hearing the Word, but we are suppose to pray for people's salvation. To suggest that it's somehow erroneous to pray for, and ask God for, people's salvation is to negate the following:
1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
It's not one or the other. It's both. We need to go tell people the truth and also pray for their salvation as well. We're not asking God to go witness for us by praying for their salvation. It's another case of error entering in because of sticking to "only ______", "only prayer" or "only witnessing", ignoring the verses that speak of the other. If anything, what we're praying for by asking God for a person's salvation, is that God send somebody to preach the Word to them, raise up more workers, send one of his servants, send a message to someone who is seeking, a message that will make them curious about God in the first place even. When God sent Philip to the eunuch of Ethiopia (who wanted to understand the prophet Isaiah), something happened to make him want to read the Israelite prophets in the first place (which must've been God acting in his life); then God sent him a "preacher" to explain things to him so he could understand. He eventually got to that step of "faith cometh by hearing".
Acts 8:29-35 (NIV)
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”[a]
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] [b] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Footnotes:
a. Acts 8:33 Isaiah 53:7,8 (see Septuagint)
b. Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
After listening through it twice, I recommend that you avoid his videos until you get more grounded in scripture. He had some good points, but he's not handling it precisely enough (mixing verses about the devil tempting people as if it were the same thing as exorcising demons, giving definitions from a dictionary instead of looking at biblical examples to define a word/act, relying too much on his own analogies instead of a verse that would clarify it without a doubt). An interpretation of the bible which requires that other parts of the verse negate itself or that other parts of the book negate itself, or requires that you ignore certain parts of books or ignore certain parts of verses, is the wrong interpretation. You will fall for practices that are deception, oppression (too harsh) or just plain useless. And he's belittling the people who are called to intercess for others, thus oppressing that group of people who are called to do so, instead of empowering them with the scriptures.
I haven't noticed creepy noises in the house I'm currently at. sweatdrop Even if I were to hear something, I probably would assume it was the cat, lol.
I would rather be safe than sorry, even if it doesn't attract spirits, just the simple fact that I don't agree with that type of entertainment anymore, the ideas they convey, I would want it out of my house/life. There are still some things that I need to hack/slash/burn through though, but they're currently not in my house. |
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