An organization describing itself as The Satanic Temple of Iowa erected an altar depicting a silver ram’s head on a mannequin adorned with a red cape and surrounded by candles and flowers in the State Capital, according to local KKCI Des Moines. The statue also holds a red wreath with an inverted pentagram.
How did it happen? • The Capitol structure falls under the control of the Iowa Legislature. The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is charged with the management. • Currently, access for displays at the Capitol are open to anyone through an application process. Though there are some guidelines, they do not discriminate based on religion or ideology. • Displays are permitted to be displayed for two weeks. • All displays are required to communicate they are an independent display and not to be associated with the State of Iowa. • The Satanic Temple petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification. They wanted to use an actual goat head (I’m assuming a skull) and we’re prohibited from doing so. • The Iowa Legislature can set the rules and standards for any display. The current operating principle has been to either allow all displays or none. The Legislature has the power to change it if they deem it necessary.
Iowa state Rep. Jon Dunwell, a Republican and Christian pastor gave this helpful response:
My response as a follower of Christ… The display is an inanimate object that has no real power in and of itself. We have nothing to fear. Oppose the message of the display. It is not just another way to worship the same god. The DIFFERENCES need to be pointed out. The display glorifies the evil influence we oppose. The primary response required is prayer. The display itself shows us the work we have yet to do. Iowa needs Jesus. The display provides a teaching example for our families of the difference between the person and work of Christ and that of Satan. (Love, light, and sacrifice compared to a dark, foreboding creature). My faith is never imposed upon others, nor should it ever become a direct part of government. It is always a response to the person and work of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to mix the kingdoms! The government is a poor arbitrator of religion. Take full advantage of the opportunities to express our faith in appropriate displays and programs at the Capitol.
This Satanic image is a reminder that Satan and his demons will be cast down to the Earth and demonic activity will increase.
“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12:7-9
Islamic Centre in Sydney Australia calls to kill Jews and spruiks ani-Semitic tropes
A Sydney Islamic centre where a preacher urged Muslims to engage in jihad has broadcast another sermon by a prominent Sydney cleric reciting parables about calls to kill Jews and spruiking anti-Semitic tropes. Al Madina Dawah Centre uploaded the sermon on the weekend by Abu Ousayd, who it is understood runs the centre, titled The Jews of Al Madina. It is now known that his real name is Wissam Haddad a known Jihadi terrorist.
“Towards the end of times, when the Muslims will be fighting the Jews, the trees will speak,” Mr Ousayd said, citing Islamic scripture and parables. “Towards the end of times, when the Muslims will be fighting the Jews, the trees will speak. They will say ‘oh Muslim, there is a yahud (Arabic for Jew) behind me, come and kill him” ABU OUSAYD
Anti-Semitic Protestors Attempt to Breach White House Fence, Deface Historic Statues with No Consequences
“Allahu Akbar” chanted the army-sized crowd at the White House on Saturday afternoon, who cursed the U.S. president, waved the flag of a foreign adversary, and endeavoured to breach the White House compound. Despite ubiquitous defacement of public property, attempted intrusions onto White House Grounds, and calls for genocide, law enforcement made only one arrest.
Tens of thousands — some unofficial reports estimate 100,000 — pro-Hamas demonstrators from all over the U.S. gathered near the White House on Saturday, denouncing President Biden’s show of support for Israel and demanding that he cut their army off at the ankles as they prepare to root Hamas militants out of northern Gaza. Some demonstrators carried signs implying they worked for Congress or the Biden administration.
The Palestinian national anthem blared at a massive rally in Freedom Plaza, southeast of the White House, the site of the national World War I memorial.
The attack by Hamas has galvanized Muslims worldwide to show their true colours in relation to Jews and Israel.
As I reported in my previous post, there is no doubt in my mind that the Antichrist will be the Muslim Mahdi. The Muslim’s long-awaited Messiah and now expected by the majority of Muslims.
The Bible tells us what is yet to unfold: Turkey will seek to re-establish an Ottoman Empire but the U.N/One World Government breaks it up into four and out of those four Muslim nations arises the Antichrist (Little Horn).
“Then the goat (Turkey – revived Ottoman Empire) became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken (U.N./One World Government), and instead of it, there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven.” Daniel 8:8-10
“A king shall arise having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper, and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. Through his cunning, he shall cause deceit to prosper under his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken without human hand.” Daniel 8:23-25
Can you imagine how Muslims the world over will react when their man, Mahdi/Antichrist appears on the scene?
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…” 1 Timothy 4:1
In this verse, where Paul refers to those who “shall depart from the faith,” he is not talking about ungodly individuals who stick their middle finger in God’s face, spit on the Bible, and hate the church. He is talking about believers who will depart from the church, from the truth of the Bible, from the preaching, from prayer, from fasting, and from deliverance and miracles. And the reason they will depart is shocking. They will give heed to seducing spirits. These are evil spirits, and these dark seducing spirits will eventually woo them into accepting “doctrines of devils.”
Doctrines of devils are false religions and other false teachings that dismiss the Bible: idol worship, the worship of man, the worship of objects, the worship of charms and amulets and crystals and horoscopes, etc.; and they will eventually defend every sort of perversion that goes against the Word of God. Church people will literally side with demons, occultism, and witchcraft. If you haven’t seen that come full circle in our time, then you’ve not been paying attention. In short, Paul says there will be demonic activity in the church during the last days that will destroy the church. The influence of demonic activity in the life of the American church is an absolute fact. Demons work to destroy the conscience of their host and have no conscience of their own. A demonic spirit is void of that emotional connection to God, so it causes people to live numb and dry and lukewarm and barren, and in this context, we begin to understand that a demon is nothing more than a person without a body who has taken hold of a human body.
As we see more and more demonic influence in our culture, we need to heed Paul’s warnings. The devil is going hard after the people of God, and no one is an exception. We must buckle up with the armour of God, stick close to His Word, and keep our eyes focused on Christ.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12
Academia, Media, and governments are now deeply opposed to Biblical Christianity. They hold a materialistic worldview (the world is all there is) totally opposed to a Biblical worldview (the world is created by God). Moreover, they have no understanding of God despite God giving us both a conscience to know the difference between right and wrong and the intelligence to perceive the complex design evident in His creation. Moreover, the billions of dead things buried all over the world including fossil fuels are evidence of God’s previous judgement with the flood of Noah’s day. They deny the evidence and ignore God’s Word that reveals that God will pour out His wrath again on an unbelieving world.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20
COMING BOWL JUDGEMENTS (follow the TRUMPET JUDGEMENTS)
“So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”Revelation 16:2-6
They also do not know that they are under the control of a spiritual entity, Satan and that the true battle being waged is a spiritual one. Paul tells us that our battle is a spiritual one and must be handled accordingly:
“For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood].Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:13-18
Every step a nation takes to accept the “new morality” (everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes) is matched by an equal step to reject God and His ways. What was once seen as the source of virtue, freedom, and joy is now viewed as a hindrance, a restraint, as being oppressed.
“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.“ Romans 8:7
“Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5-7
“You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes,” Deuteronomy 12:8
Though the seeds of America’s turning from God can be found in earlier days with the introduction of evolution into the school curriculum, it would become most noticeable and would achieve critical mass in the 1960s. It was at the beginning of that decade that America removed prayer from its public schools. The act was soon followed by the banning of God’s Word from the instruction of the nation’s children. The Bible had always been part of the American public school system, from its beginnings at Massachusetts Bay. Thus the change was a monumental one—and with regard to the spirit of Baal (The Possessor), a strategic one.
When Baal was unable to possess one generation of Israelites, he would focus on the next—the nation’s children. Since children represent the future, if he could take hold of America’s children, he could take hold of America. So by removing prayer and the Word from the education of America’s children, he was weakening the transmission of faith to the next generation. He could then separate the entire nation from prayer, from the Word, and from faith. By causing God’s ways to become alien to the nation’s children, he could cause the alienation of America from God.
Baal’s American agenda was not limited to its school system. It would permeate every sphere of American culture. Its major newspapers would no longer publish summations of the past Sunday sermons, its leading magazines would no longer endorse Christian values, its entertainment would no longer uphold biblical morality, its politicians would speak less openly of Christian values, and its television stations would no longer promote prayer or present the ways of God in a positive light but would now war against them. Praying to God or mentioning the name of Jesus in the public square would be increasingly viewed with hostility.
The Ten Commandments and the Law were also at the foundation of Western civilization. In the case of America, they were specifically cited as the cornerstone on which the new society was to be built. So for Baal to gain possession of America, he would do just as he did to ancient Israel. He would cause them to put away the Ten Commandments and depart from the ways of God. So in 1980 the Supreme Court ruled that it was no longer legal to display the Ten Commandments in public schools. They were what the American school system had once taught and lifted up as the nation’s moral foundation. Now it was illegal to even make them visible in public.
All of this concerted action by Satan and his demons demonstrates that spiritual warfare is intense and strategic and unless Christians are led by the Holy Spirit our efforts will never be effective.
In “The Return of the Gods”, Jonathan Cahn takes the reader on a journey from an ancient parable, the ancient inscriptions in Sumer, Assyria, and Babylonia that become the puzzle pieces behind what is taking place in our world to this day, specifically in America. Is it possible that what we in the modern world take as nothing more than ancient mythology could actually possess a reality beyond our fathoming?
Who is the Possessor? The Enchanter? The Destroyer? The Dark Trinity. Get Jonathan’s book. You will be glad you did.
Could a sign that has appeared all over America and the world be linked to the gods of Mesopotamia? And if so, what does it actually mean?
Is it possible that the gods (demonic spirits) lie behind everything from what appears on our computer monitors, our televisions, and movie screens; to the lessons given in our classrooms; to the breakdown of the family; to wokism; to the occult; to our addictions; to the Supreme Court; to cancel culture; to children’s cartoons; to every force and factor that has transformed the parameters of gender; to that which appears in our stores, on our T-shirts, and on our coffee mugs—to that which is, at this very moment, transforming America and much of the world? Is it possible that behind all these things are ancient mysteries that go back to the Middle East and ancient Mesopotamia? This and so much more is uncovered by Jonathan in Return of the Gods.
Jonathan Cahn has been given great insight into what God is doing and allowing in our day and how it relates to end-times Biblical prophecy.
Spiritual warfare is already intense and Biblical prophecy informs us that it will increase as we approach the time of Jesus’ return. The information Jonathan discloses in this video is mind-blowing. The detail he gives concerning the transgender person that killed six people at a Christian school in Nashville U.S.A. shows how demonic spirits are manifesting as the nation turns away from God.
Jonathan’s book The Return of the Gods is a book for our time. I encourage you to buy it and put it into the hands of your pastor.
Is it possible that behind what is taking place in America and the world lies a mystery that goes back to the gods of the ancient world…and that they now have returned? This is an urgent prophetic word for the coming years from Rabbi Jonathan Cahn.
Chapters: Introduction/Jonathan’s testimony. What does the book “Return of the Gods” (The Dark Trinity) reveal? The same three spirits that attacked Israel have now attacked America and other nations. When nations turn against God, they open themselves up to these spirits 1. The god Baal, the Possessor – 2. The god Ashtoreth, the Enchantress, the wife of Baal. 3. The god Molech, the Destroyer-Transformer. Their agenda is not tolerance, it is dominion.
These spirits are warring against the Gospel, against Jesus, against Christians. This is our hour. We have the greatest power, the power of God. The power that overcomes the world. We need to be the light in a dark place, shining bright. God will empower you but you need to make sure that you have cast all idols out of your life. Whatever it might be, technology is a major one, and for men, pornography, sport, cars, etc. Repent and get the help you need to address these issues now so that we can be the warriors we are meant to be.
Jonathan’s video needs to be distributed widely to your Christian friends.
Salvation in the midst of judgment is a common theme in the early chapters of Genesis. Just as God provided hope in the midst of punishment for Cain after murdering Abel by giving him a mark to protect him (Genesis 4:15).
When God judged the world (Genesis 6:18) the Lord spared Noah and his family. Additionally, the judgment of the city of Babel (Genesis11:1–10) when God established the nations was followed by the call of Abram (Genesis 12:1–9) to establish His own nation, Israel, once again offering hope despite judgment.
It can therefore be expected that in the Bible’s first pronouncement of judgment at “The Fall“, God would offer the hope of salvation in the midst of judgment. I think the scriptural evidence shows that the following Scripture is messianic.
“The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly, you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’”Genesis 3:14-15
The essential messianic view is that Genesis 3:15 ultimately predicts the coming of a future individual (a “seed”) who will have victory over the serpent (Satan) through His own death.
A foundational element of that view is that the serpent must be identified as something other than just a mere snake. It appears to be, in the words of C. John Collins, “the mouthpiece of a Dark Power, whom later texts would call Satan.” A number of factors lead to this observation. For example, snakes cannot talk, even in Genesis. Moreover, a mere serpent from the good creation, apart from an evil force animating it, would have no reason to challenge God’s words or tempt humanity. Additionally, it is not the serpent’s seed that will be crushed by the woman’s seed after a long conflict but the serpent itself, indicating longevity, not normal for mere snakes.
Significantly, later biblical writers identified Satan with the serpent of Genesis
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:20
“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12:9
Although in Gen. 3:14 the Lord addresses the actual serpent, in the following verse (Genesis 3:15), He appears to address the dark power. As well, some have proposed that in Gen. 3:15 there is an alleged prediction of the virgin birth because of the use of the phrase “her seed” not a man’s seed.
The messianic view as espoused here posits that Gen. 3:15 teaches that the seed of the woman, although being struck, will also strike the serpent and his seed and thereby win victory for humanity. This text is just the beginning of the story. As John Sailhamer says, “More is at stake in this brief passage than the reader is at first aware. A program is set forth. A plot is established that will take the author far beyond this or that snake and his ‘seed.’
The verse shifts the meaning of seed from a collective group to a particular individual descendant of the woman. The evidence for this is that a singular pronoun and a singular verb are used to refer to the seed. In Gen. 3:15, the biblical author uses singular pronouns and verb forms in reference to the seed, so he plainly has a specific offspring in view.
When the original readers considered Genesis 3, they would have recognized that its author wrote of more than a mere serpent. As such, they would have expected not a long conflict between snakes and humanity, but a battle between a terrible dark force and a divinely powered deliverer. The problem of identifying the serpent was resolved in Jewish theology “by the doctrine that the serpent of Eden was the mouthpiece of the devil.” As a result, ancient Jewish interpreters also viewed the woman’s seed as the messianic victor over the serpent. This messianic reading of Gen. 3:15 is evident in the Septuagint and the rabbinic literature of the Targumim Pseudo-Jonathan, Neofiti, Onqelos, and the midrash Genesis Rabbah 23:5.27
God’s pronouncement of judgment (Gen. 3:14) is directed to the serpent proper—meaning the actual animal and not the dark force behind it. Since a serpent from the animal kingdom is an amoral being, it is surprising that the animal itself would be cursed. The purpose of cursing the animal is for it to become a perpetual reminder of the devastating destruction caused by the role of the serpent in the sin of Adam and Eve.
In the Millennium we read in Isaiah 65:25, “In Israel, the wolf, and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the serpent’s food will be dust!” During Jesus Millennial reign the curse has not been totally lifted but in Israel, the curse on animals has been partially lifted but the curse on the serpent will remain. In this way, the serpent will remain an eternal outward symbol of the spiritual defeat of the dark force behind the fall.
In an apparent midrash on Gen. 3:15, the author of Hebrews writes:
“so that through his [Jesus’] death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death”Hebrews 2:14–15
Abraham is also promised that his seed will bless the nations (Gen. 22:17–18). In Baalam’s second oracle, he describes Jacob’s seed as “His king” who “will be higher than Gog(Antichrist)” and whose “kingdom will be exalted.” Just as Genesis develops that the woman’s seed would spring from a royal dynasty, this oracle identifies the seed as the end-time messianic king who will defeat the enemies of Israel and rule over an exalted kingdom. In the very next oracle in Num. 24:17–19, the promise of the future messianic king (“A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel”) makes a thematic allusion to Gen. 3:15. Although Num. 24:17 uses different words than Gen. 3:15 for both the blow struck and the head that is crushed, the thematic literary allusion is plain. The expectation is that when the messianic king arrives, he will crush the heads of Israel’s enemies, reminding the readers of the promise that Eve’s offspring would crush the head of the enemy.
The rest of the Hebrew canon makes extensive direct and thematic allusions to Gen. 3:15, firmly identifying the woman’s seed as a royal and messianic figure. Perhaps the most significant way that later biblical writers develop the “seed” theme is in the Davidic covenant. David is promised a “seed” who will have an eternal house, kingdom, and throne (2 Sam 7:12–16), reminding readers of the promise of the royal seed described in (Genesis 3:15; 17:16; 35:11; 49:9–10). There are many more “seed” theme references and Micah 7:17 predicts that in the eschatological future, the enemy nations will submit to the Lord and “lick the dust like asnake.” Speaking of that same future time in an intertextual reference to Gen. 3:15, Ps 8:6 proclaims that the messianic king will have “everything under his feet.” The same image of the ultimate defeat of the nations is found in Psalms 110:1, where the messianic king is promised that God will make His enemies a footstool for His feet.
It is appropriate therefore to conclude that the evidence supports Genesis 3:14-15 as the first messianic prophecy of the Bible. The fact that the “seed” theme is carried through the Bible by different authors over an extensive period of time is proof positive the Bible is the inspired word of God. Fulfilled prophecies are also proof positive that the many prophecies about Jesus’ second coming that are not already fulfilled (Israel established as a nation again) will be fulfilled.
“They (Saints) came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:5-6
If you do church right, some of the unchurched will love you and some will hate you
This article by Michael Brown addresses the traditional church model but it applies to some degree to the House Church model. However, it is unlikely that a hostile pagan will ever want to attend a house church meeting.
Jesus Himself exhorted us, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Or, in the words of Peter, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12).
Let us be known for our good works, for our kindness and compassion, for helping the poor and the needy, for standing for righteousness, and for opposing injustice. By all means, let us live this out for the glory and honor of God and for the good of a hurting world.
But let us not deceive ourselves. The same world that hated Jesus will hate us also. The same humanity that chose darkness over the light in Jesus’ day will gravitate to the darkness today. Do not be deceived.
As Jesus said to His disciples, “Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teachers, and slaves are to be like their masters. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called even worse names!” (Matthew 10:24–25)
And this: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” (John 15:18–20).
That means that some people will love us because they see our lives, because they are drawn to Jesus, and because they too have opened their hearts to Him. Others will hate us, repelled by our godly lives, turned off by our moral standards, and dead set against receiving Jesus as Lord. No matter how gracious we are, they will brand us as bigots and haters and worse.
On a practical level, that means that the young, drug-addicted, non-believing couple living together out of wedlock should feel welcomed and loved when they walk into one of our services. They should encounter people who have joy, who are thrilled to see new faces, and who treat them as if they were family.
At the same time, if the Gospel is being preached and the Holy Spirit is moving, at some point they will become conscious of their sin and will be called to repent and receive mercy and grace through the cross.
If they can continue to come week in and week out, never feeling uncomfortable, never feeling conviction, never encountering both the holiness of God and the love of God, then something is wrong with those meetings.
As Jesus also said, the Holy Spirit has come to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit will make us uneasy in our sin. The Holy Spirit will invade our hiding places. The Holy Spirit will reveal what is wrong so that we can be made right.
Again, on a practical level, that means that a gay couple attending our meetings should be greeted just like a couple living together out of wedlock — with love and grace and with hospitality. But if they continue to attend our gatherings, if we are preaching the Word, giving place to the Spirit in our worship, and living godly lives ourselves, they will recognize that God is not pleased with their union. They will be confronted with grace and truth and will have to decide how they will respond. Will it be with contrition and confession or with disobedience and defiance?
This reminds me of what an ex-gay Christian said when he was asked if you could be gay and Christian (meaning, practicing and/or affirming homosexuality and following Jesus at the same time). He responded, “Not for long!”
In light of this, I have to question what a pastor is teaching when a wealthy strip club owner could be a long time, tithing member of his church without either coming under church discipline or Holy Spirit conviction. Something very fundamental is wrong with this picture. (For the record, this is a real-life example. The church claimed to be a Bible-believing, evangelical congregation.)
So, let us do our best to have churches and communities that the unchurched will love, but not at the expense of speaking the truth, with both clarity and compassion. And let us remember that if we are true to Jesus, true to the Word, and true to the Spirit, some will love us and others will hate us. It is inevitable and unavoidable.
Article “If you do church right, some of the unchurched will love you and some will hate you” by Michael Bronw in Christian Post Wednesday, Feb. 8th, 2023.
Two stories of Duncan’s experience with the demonic are taken from the article Does the Devil Exist? in Patheos Evangelical JANUARY 11, 2022 by Duncan Edward Pile.
STORY ONE: My friends and I were in San Fernando, Philippines. It was our day off, so we decided to walk into town and share the Gospel with anyone who was interested. Ten minutes into the walk we came across a gathering on a street corner. It was the intersection of several dirt streets, with an open area of dusty ground and a small stand selling coca cola. Around us were rustic homes constructed from tree fibres.
We stopped and began to talk with the locals, and I was soon engaged by an old, staggering drunkard, wearing a large medallion – a carving of a snarling, demonic face. I’d seen plenty of similar items in the UK but they’d always struck me as harmless, gothic accessories. This was different. Just looking at it made me feel sick.
The old man grabbed my arm, and I immediately felt nauseated. Suddenly he wasn’t drunk anymore. I began to retreat but he came after me, seeking to touch me again. I became frightened. Every time his skin brushed mine I felt another wave of nausea and an intense sense of spiritual oppression. It was clear the old man was aware of the discomfort he was causing me. His eyes were cold and hard, staring at me with a hatred so intense it was palpable. He raised a bony finger before my face.
“In…your…HEAD!” he barked, stabbing my forehead with his finger. I ran, chased by his cackling until I found a group of friends. I ducked into the middle of them and squatted on my heels, arms wrapped tightly around my knees. I was literally hiding, utterly terrified.
I knew what I’d encountered. Back in the UK, I’d cast out a couple of demons. I knew the look in a person’s eyes when possessed. It’s like nothing else, but I wasn’t afraid of them until that moment. I believed they were defeated at the cross, and had no power other than that which we lend them, but I’d never encountered a person utterly given to possession – like the man in the Bible who had a whole legion of demons within him. Now I had, and the encounter had shaken me to my core.
My friends calmed me down, and a good look around told me the old man had gone, so I went to the Coke stand to get a drink. There was one customer already at the stand, and as I placed my order, I realised it was the same old man. I have no idea how I failed to spot him. He saw me and broke into a broad, nasty leer. He got into my space, and banging the heel of his palm rapidly against his chest, said:
“Why is your heart going boom boom boom?” For the second time that day, I ran, and this time I didn’t return.
STORY TWO: Some friends and I were ministering at a church in Manila. During a meeting a girl doubled over, crying out in pain. She was clutching her chest, just below her left collarbone. Everyone gathered around her, praying for her to be healed, but I was on the far side of the room and there was a ring of people between her and me.
One of the gifts of the Spirit is the discernment of spirits, and at that moment, I knew beyond human knowledge that her pain was the result of demonic oppression, rather than illness. I was filled with power and authority and knew I had to act, so I crossed the room, asking people to move aside. The ring of praying folk around her parted, and on reaching her, I placed my finger on her collarbone and said: “Go! In Jesus’ name.”
Instantly, she gasped, collapsing in relief. She’d been having these attacks for some time, and even had a diagnosis for them, but the pain was instantly and completely gone. This wasn’t a ‘out of ten, how do you feel?’, before and after kind of comparison, which can be manipulated to make something seem like more than it is. One moment she was in agony, crying out in pain, and the next she was completely free of pain. She was utterly astonished.
So, what to make of the above? Each situation can certainly be explained in modern terms. The old man might have been a master of human behaviour, and sensing my vulnerability, decided to prey on me. Or perhaps we were both deluded. Maybe there is no God, and no Devil, and human beings are capable of manufacturing all manner of intense inner experiences we then label as spiritual. Maybe we were both complicit in a mutual delusion, playing for imaginary teams in an imaginary game.
In the second scenario, perhaps my conviction was enough to persuade her she was set free, and the placebo effect resulted in the sudden cessation of pain.
It’s possible to explain anything away if you try hard enough, but why do we feel the need to do so? It is also possible that there is a God, and that evil spirits oppose him, seeking to harm the lives of those he loves.
The consequences of denying the Devil’s existence
The Bible gives us both warnings and advice about demons and how to cope with their attacks. Sadly many churches do not address this basic issue and leave their congregations open to demonic attack.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5: 8-9
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” Ephesians 6:10-13
The importance of spiritual warfare
When I pray for others, I rely on the leading of the Spirit to know how to pray. At times I know to pray for the mercy of God, at others for grace, and yet for others, I know to go to battle on their behalf, praying in power and authority against spiritual forces trying to harm them. This spiritual dimension is essential to the dynamics of effective prayer, and to Christian faith in general. I’ll tell you this much – if you’re going through trouble, these are the kind of believers you want praying for you. Good wishes and warm thoughts achieve nothing.
I fear we are busy pouring out the baby with the bathwater, reshaping Christianity in an image so far from the life and ministry of Jesus it becomes something else altogether. My prayer is that we are not so deceived by our own importance and cultural perspective that we deny the spiritual side of life, including the darkness we are called to resist. Where we’ve replaced spiritual activity with softly-spoken ponderings and general niceness, I pray we will get real.
In these last days before Jesus returns we know from Biblical prophecy that demonic warfare will only increase so we need to heed Paul’s warning to put on the full armour of the Lord daily to be able to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit gifts. Know full well that the world will hate you for being Jesus’ disciple. Torben Sondergaard and his team at Last Reformation Ministries were casting out demons from people on the streets of Denmark. Satan managed to make it look like Torben was doing something that was damaging particularly to children looking on and so the government made it illegal and a jailable offense. The situation became so intolerable for Torben that he fled to the USA. After an incredible time of ministry all over the USA making disciples of Christ that are prepared to reach out to their communities to make more disciples, Torben is now in jail in the USA on a trumped-up charge. It has been six months and he is still there. God of course has used Torben in jail to transform the lives of other prisoners but his testimony of what God has been doing to transform Torben Sondergaard will both challenge and inspire you. Take a look at my post New Year’s Greetings from Torben Sondergaard – Now six months in Jail posted January 4th, 2023.
I am content with weaknesses, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Who can say such a thing? From a worldly standpoint, it is insane. It was Paul that said it and it is useful to look at Paul’s circumstances at the time of making such an outlandish statement.
“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Christians in Pakistan are truly living as Christians despite intense persecution.
To put this Scripture passage in context, Paul tells us of his experience of being taken by God into the heavens where it would be easy to become conceited. Why? “Because of thesurpassing greatness of the revelations“ he was given and where “he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter” This was why he was given a thorn in the flesh. But what was that thorn in the flesh? It was “a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.”. For us, it should be remembered that whenever we are being obedient to God’s call that we can expect messengers of Satan to harass us. Persecution comes with the territory of being an obedient Christian.
Paul discloses this experience not so that we should focus on the attack; we are to focus on Jesus’s words instead. The Lord’s revelatory word of grace to Paul becomes the apostle’s reason for living – to proclaim the gospel. He can now “boast” in the weaknesses of his many sufferings and persecutions, knowing that such weakness brings on the power of the Holy Spirit toenable himto do what God has for him to do (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). He also discloses this experience as a way to help us understand that God does use Satan and his demons for his purposes particularly to teach us that a humble and contrite heart is what He desires.
Lessons to Be Learned from the “Thorn” in the Flesh
Sometimes our most blissful experiences with the Lord follow, precede, or are accompanied by hardships and suffering.
The Lord says, “no” to Paul’s request to remove the thorn. Do we recognize that sometimes God’s answer to our prayers may be “no”? And that he might have a higher purpose for us in our predicament, as he did Paul?
The Lord also promises: “my grace is sufficient for you.” Despite our suffering, God is with us to comfort us, just as he was with Paul despite all his hardships and experiencing persecution.
Like Paul, the Lord may want us to learn that there is strength and power in humility, weakness, and suffering. As Paul says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
A still from a video posted by Al Madina Dawah Centre, titled The Jews of Al Madina, by preacher Abu Ousayd (Wissam Haddad).
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 