- araratchurch
- May 10, 2023
- 3 min read
“And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.”
Acts 3:12-13, 16 ESV
One of the reasons we may hesitate to do something as simple as laying our hands on someone and praying for them, is wondering whether or not the prayer will work. We may wonder if we are qualified to do what God has called us to do.
To clarify: Anything the Lord has said is possible for us to do, should not be considered as referencing someone else. Rather, if the Lord has said we have the authority to do it, and we are in a situation calling for us to do it, then WE should do it.
Now, the Lord has given us His Holy Spirit. And, He can and will work through us by way of His Holy Spirit.
When the Lord gave The Great Commission to His disciples, He also assured them that He would be with them.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."”
Matthew 28:19-20 ESV
Indeed, He was working with them to do what He commanded and authorized that they do:
“So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”
Mark 16:19-20 NKJV
Now, if this was true of the Lord’s original disciples, it is certainly true of all those who have also received the Holy Spirit of God.
In our opening scripture we see that Peter is explaining to the people that the miracle causing the lame man to be able to walk, was done by Jesus Christ. In fact, it was the disciples’ faith in Jesus that brought this miracle of healing to the lame man.
Now, think about this: It isn’t about what you are able to do or not do; it’s about whether or not you believe Jesus Christ is able to do it. And, if you believe He can do it, miracles and wonders can be worked through you.
Understand, we are not operating in our own ability. When we do what the Lord calls us to do, we are able to do it because He enables us; it is His ability at work. And, when someone needs a miracle, we do not have to be afraid to ask that they receive it because it is Christ Who will do the work; we only have to believe that He can do it! And…that He can do it through us!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- May 9, 2023
- 3 min read
“"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation."”
Matthew 12:43-45 ESV
There was a time when people were very aware of the spiritual dimension to things like mental illness, physical illness, violence, and a whole host of other maladies common to humanity.
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 NLT
Then—as we came into the “modern age”—we began to replace references to spiritual influence with diagnoses or philosophical explanations of the ills of humanity.
Now, we are not here to say that there aren’t other contributing factors to what ails us as human beings. But, what these factors do is make an individual more vulnerable to influence or even possession by demons or unclean spirits.
Let us not imagine that the Lord was simply “speaking in terms the people could understand,” when He spoke of demons. Indeed, He not only spoke of demons, but also went about casting them out! As well, He commissioned His disciples, giving them power over demons.
“When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!””
Luke 10:17 NLT
A very interesting exchange happened between Jesus and a horde of demonic spirits calling themselves “Legion.”
A demon possessed man had been inhabiting the tombs for some time. Attempts to restrain him were always futile. He ran around uncontrolled, howling and often cutting himself.
“When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.” Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.””
Mark 5:6-9 NLT
These evil spirits recognized Who Jesus was and began to bargain with Him that they not be sent back to the “dry places” from which they came. So, Jesus granted their request and sent them into a herd of swine, which immediately ran into a lake where they all drowned.
So, what happened here? Why were these demons desperate not to be evicted from their human vessel?
You see, unclean spirits desire to manifest themselves and can only do so through a “vehicle.” Their preferred vehicle, of course, is a human being. But, they will do anything possible not to be in the place of impotence and no rest.
In our opening scripture we see a parable the Lord spoke directly aimed at the religious leaders who did not accept Him as being Who He said He was. Make no mistake, this story He told is not some sort of symbolic representation of bad things happening to people who reject Christ. It is a truthful warning about what actually happens when a vessel is vulnerable to evil as a result of not being totally yielded to the Lord.
Now, we always run up against the argument that a Christian is not subject to demonic activity in anyway. I can only say that the Bible tells a different story. Whether that involvement is an actual possession (takeover), or differing degrees of influence, will vary in terms of the person’s compromised state.
Of course, those who have not accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord and who do not have the Holy Spirit of God, are always open to evil influence or possession.
However, it is unmistakable that if the Christian does not follow up their acceptance of Jesus with obedience to His word and to the leading of the Holy Spirit, their soul will remain vulnerable to some sort of demonic impact.
Now, in light of what we have just shared here, go back and review Days 17-21 of “The Prophetic Word” with a renewed understanding of why the ongoing spiritual upkeep of your vehicle is crucial.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- May 9, 2023
- 2 min read
“The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it."”
Genesis 4:6-7 ESV
The apostle Paul—in discussing righteous behavior—tells the church at Ephesus something some Christians ignore at their own peril:
“and give no opportunity to the devil. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:27, 30 ESV
First, please understand that certain behaviors, certain attitudes, certain ways of being and doing, provide the devil an opportunity to manifest himself in and through you, generally, by making you less resistant to temptation.
Secondly, it is possible to grieve the Holy Spirit. And we know that the Holy Spirit is grieved when we continue to go against His leading, whether that is ignoring the inner witness of the Spirit, or transgressing God’s word.
Now, there is no exact formula to help us know when the Holy Spirit will completely stop speaking or directing in our lives. But, I don’t think that’s a gamble any of us should take with such a precious Gift. Having the Holy Spirit go silent in our lives could lead to unspeakable disaster!
Now, consider the opportunity for calamity when we allow a place for the devil, and at the same time, are grieving the Holy Spirit of God. It is in such a scenario in which the devil can gain an upper hand over you.
In our opening scripture we see the Lord warning Cain that the devil is waiting for an opportunity to cause him to sin, to cause great trouble.
In this case, we know that Cain was angry because his offering was not accepted, whereas his brother Abel’s, offering was accepted by the Lord. Sadly, we also know that the rest of the story is that Cain did not take the advice of the Lord and ended up murdering his own brother.
In speaking to Cain, the Lord tells him that he must rule over, or master, the temptation that is set before him by the enemy looking to gain an advantage over him.
This advice is for all of us. When, through whatever set of circumstances: inward forces or outer forces, we are facing a temptation to err from the leading of the Holy Spirit, we must overcome the temptation, the trap, by calling on the Holy Spirit of God within us to strengthen us and lead us righteousness. Then, we must follow His leading!
Don’t be a victim of Satan‘s efforts to weasel into your life through the temptation that comes when you have given the devil a place.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!