Having Bible knowledge and understanding is great, however if the scriptures are not living and active in our lives, it is all in vain (Hebrews 4:12-13). The life application selections contain thoughts provoking, real life challenges that will prayerfully transform us to be more like Jesus in our spiritual journey. James 1:23-27 challenges us to not just merely listen or read the scriptures, it says “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” Do not miss your blessings my friends!
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
This week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving holiday with the entire country. The act of being thankful is not a one-day celebration for every person who understands the height which God has rescued them from. We have so much to be thankful for daily. Let us reflect on what it means when we say thank you Jesus for saving us. As we read about God’s broken heart in Genesis chapter 6 it’s very clear that God had some faith in humans to choose his path for their lives. God seems to have chosen humankind and believed they would choose his path instead of Satan’s schemes. Unfortunately, in Genesis 6:5-9 God accepted the fact that humanity had lost their way to his original purpose for their lives and decided there was no repair for humankind and resolved that destruction was the only solution.
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The dragon is enraged to destroy every human soul. The human species is in a war that is beyond what their naked eyes can see; therefore, Satan takes whatever form that suits their deep heart desires to lead them to love darkness more than the gift of light (John 3:16-21). That is why Romans 5:6-9 resonates with every being of my soul “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Yes, the spiritual war for our soul is as real as we see the world around us but not everyone is granted the gift to see the dragon- Satan scheme. Revelation 12: 17, “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” I no longer fight or dismiss the fact that God has chosen me to see things beyond what my flesh sees. This is a daunting gift that often frightens my soul. I can be around a person or a group, and God allows me to feel and sometimes see the demonic spirit that operates in their life. This is the first time I am speaking about this gift because I spent most of my Christian journey fighting or denying that God chose me out of darkness into the light to be used by him. Even in my own life, when I allow the demonic spirits to come near me in my disobedience to God’s commands I see and know their presence is around me.
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
As we read historical record of Jesus encounter with demons, we can become naïve by convincing ourselves those things happened during the time of Jesus. As if the demons left the world when Jesus went back to heaven. Satan and his demons came to this world for one reason to lead as many people as possible astray to join his army that is heading to hell (Revelation chapter 20:7-10). I can relate to the young boy’s encounter with Jesus. Yes, Jesus came and rebuked the demons that were tormenting me that doctors, elders, ministers, and Satan worshipers were not able to free me from. My health struggles continued after Jesus brought me the Bible and said one day I will understand what he meant. At the age of 13, my mother came to Haiti to bring my siblings and me to America to live with her and my father. Prior to leaving Haiti, the evil spirit that was tormenting me entered the body of his servant and made a proposal if accepted they would release me from promises that was made by my parents before I was born. The proposal was accepted, and they did exactly what the evil spirit requested.
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.
Prayer:
Father God, I come before you in the name of Jesus Christ! Thank you, father, for taking a sinner like me and opening my eyes to see the spiritual war that is against us in this world. Father, please teach me how to share with the world what you have imparted in my life and commanded me to share. Remove my flesh out of the way, allow your Holly Spirit to use my vessel for your glory. Father, I know your desire is to set us free from the bondage of sins through Jesus Christ but as your word says, evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world are fighting against your will for our lives. Lord Jesus, please open our eyes to see the two-dimensional world that we live in so that our focus is not only on the physical world but also on the Spiritual world. I pray every soul who reads this prayer will allow the Spirit of the living God to remove scales from their eyes to see and understand the presence of Satan and his demons are in this world with the purpose to use our sinful nature to make us hostile toward God through disobedience (Romans 8:6). Father God, in the name of Jesus, teach us to recognize Satan when he is disguised as an angel of light so that we can extinguish his schemes in our lives. Heavenly father, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-NLT) clothes us with wisdom, humility, meekness, mercy, grace, peace, patience, purity, and love so that we can walk toward the great city of light described in Revelation chapter 22. In Jesus name I pray all this, amen!
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Be warned about the scheme of the Devil
My research to learn about the roots of Halloween according to United states, I found that it can be traced back to the ancient religion of the Druids which was stopped by Rome due to the evil practice nature of the holiday. Halloween is rooted in a long history of a pagan festival called “Samhain” where they celebrated the day of the dead which involved sacrifices of animals, crops and satanic symbols that evolved around demonic spirits. The pagan holiday could also be traced back to the Celts of Europe who occupied parts of Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France. The Celts believed the soul of the dead roamed the street and village at night but since some of the spirits were believed to not be nice, they left them treats to appease their evil traits.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. “
Halloween The Devil’s Birthday celebration
As God calls me to start this journey of being a voice in a world that seems comfortable with the spirit of compromise, I notice we often engage in things that I believe according to scriptures Jesus would never engage in and there is no evidence in the Bible he has engaged in. If there were such evidence of him and the Apostles engaging in celebration of a holiday that worshiped spiritual demonic gods, they would have compromised the very essence of Jesus’ ministry as the son of God. Jesus warned us in Revelation 20:18-20, anyone who adds or takes away from his words will be dealt with. I for one, would prefer to pray for the world and stay quiet because ministering to the world is a heavy task. It is heavy because Satan is very clever in spewing a distorted version of God’s commands into our ears. This is one of the reasons we need to be more in fellowship with our creator like Jesus was in Matthew 4: 1-11, who fought against Satan’s scheme during his weakest time. God often reminds me, Jesus did not save me from the devil to become a grateful sinner and to stay quiet, which I would prefer to do. In Revelation 15: 1-4, John was able to see a glimpse of the end of Satan’s defeat, verse 4 exclaimed “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Apostle Paul asked a question that should always be in every Disciple/Christian’s mind who claim they have died and have risen to a new life with Christ (Galatian 2:20-21), “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?” Satan’s nature is to scheme, to deceive and to confuse.
