Spirit, What is my spirit, Soul, What is my soul, Are Soul and Spirit the same, are spirit and soul different, body, God, Jesus, Bible, Scripture Spirit, Soul, & Body How to Discern the Difference Article below or click link for downloadable PDF PDF Spirit, Soul, & Body HOW TO DISCERN THE DIFFERENCE The difference in “who” is talking to you and how all of this operates. We are a Spirit, we have a Soul, and we live in a Body. * You will at different times hear from your Spirit, Soul, and Body, and from the devil. Learn how to hear each. Learn how to take authority over your soul. Learn how to be disciplined. In this, you will learn how to walk with the Lord and re-train yourself. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction , for instruction in righteousness : that the man of God may be mature thoroughly furnished until all good works. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God, your whole spirit, and soul and body be preserved, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. NOTE: The initial letter for “S” for “Spirit” is capitalized when speaking of God and kept in lower case when speaking of mankind. When the two are referred to as together it is capitalized. For “Spirit”, “Soul’, “Body” & “Word” it is usually kept in lower case but when a point is made or to stand out it is capitalized. I also emphasize certain parts of scriptures in italics or bold. Lettering emphasis can only be seen on PDF of article. * TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: LET’S BEGIN WITH THE BASICS CHAPTER TW0: LEARNING TO WALK WITH GOD CHAPTER THREE: FURTHER DETAILS ON THE BODY CHAPTER FOUR: FURTHER DETAILS ON THE SOUL CHAPTER FIVE: MORE ON THE SPIRIT CHAPTER SIX : CONCLUSION SCRIPTURE REFERENCES CHAPTER ONE - LET’S BEGIN WITH THE BASICS Notice how sometimes these words are used interchangeably in scripture - while they can overlap they do have distinct differences and we should be reflective on the distinction to allow the Lord to reveal His hidden aspects of how He made us: spirit and soul; spirit and heart; heart and soul. Spirit : The spirit encompasses the heart and the soul - they are connected and cannot be distinguished from each other except with the word of God, Hebrews 4:12 , and is the immortal part that connects with God. (Proverbs 20:27 & Genesis 2:7, & John 4:24 .) Another way to say it is the spirit is the “housing” for the heart and soul. Soul : Is within the spirit. The soul houses the innermost part of a person encompassing emotions, will, mind/intellect, personality, and moral character, it is the center of thought and decision making. The soul encompasses the heart. The soul encases the mind that is within the heart - the mind needs to be renewed - Romans 12:2 , not the spirit. The spirit gets recreated with God when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The spirit is brand new. 1 Corinthians 5:17 - you are a new creature. It is the mind which is encased in the heart within the soul that needs to be re-trained by you, through the Holy Spirit. Your mind effects your heart, and is a part of your soul - Proverbs 4:20-27 . Heart : Is within the soul. Reflects the spiritual state and intentions of an individual. It reflects one’s entire being and actions and is a part of the spirit and soul specifically dealing with the mind and will. It is the “inner man”. Purity of heart - or of the mind and will - is linked to the ability to perceive and experience God’s presence. If you struggle with perceiving and experiencing God - check your mind, how you think of yourself and how you think of God; and check your will. This is powerful if you are willing to go there. Heart is used interchangeably with soul but is specific to the moral compass and influences of one’s entire being and actions. Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. When there are heart wounds, it crushes the spirit and is reflected in the body, not only in mannerisms and carriage of the body but also in health. The heart is a battleground for spiritual warfare, the mind and will - Ephesians 6:14 - the breastplate of righteousness covers the heart and protects it, when you are mindful, on purpose by decision to not take offense or bitterness which damage the heart, and instead forgive no matter how much your mind and will don’t want to. Do it on purpose because God said so. (Matthew 6:14-15 .) Ask the Lord to let you know when these things happen so you can guard your heart - Proverbs 4:20-27 . (See Images shown on page 5 of PDF of article) Restate in another way : Spirit : The spirit encompasses all of it - the soul and heart, and is the immortal part that connects with God. The heart and the soul can be injured and not open to God, not sharing with God, and not yielding to God, and opposed to God, yet the spirit still yearns for Him. This is why so many people in the world are so unhappy. Looking at the other aspects of the spirit - soul and heart - is a means of taking the specific geography of the spirit, how your soul or your heart are placed in relationship within your spirit for your own discernment, to discover what may be in the way or hindering our relationship with God. If something is hindering there is always some sort of offense/unforgiveness (discouragement, mis-judgment of Him or us, hurt, bitterness), or pride that has gotten in the way of our being able to hear Him. This occurs in the mind/thoughts. Then the will steps in and an unconscious decision is made to be “hurt” or take offense, because “how” could someone “do that to me.” This, my friends, is offense. It occurs wholly in the soul. Specifically in the heart through the mind. The spirit houses it all, like Ezekiel 36:26-27 . This makes sense with what we have discovered with the heart being a part of the soul, and mind is distinguished as a part of the heart and soul because decisions are made here - in the mind. This is why we have to renew our minds. Proverbs 20:27 - (NIV) The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being. (NKJV) The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Your spirit by the Holy Spirit leads you and sheds light on what is going on in your soul and heart. Father God will reveal the decisions, even subconscious ones, that are hindering you. He will also show you your successes! Genesis 2:7 - (NKJV) Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul. From this scripture we see how spirit and soul are synonymous, but different: Hebrew for spirit (ruach) means the “breath of life.” Hebrew for soul (nephesh) is “living being”. Job 33:4 - The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. The spirit encompasses the heart and soul; and is the immortal part that connects with God. Matthew 22:37 - (NIV) Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This passage and others show a distinction between parts of the spirit: heart, soul, and mind for clarity of what we are dealing with. Notice it says “with all.” Which means we can do it in “part”, not all. Like the phrase of “being half-hearted.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 - (NIV) May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, (whole) soul and (whole) body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it. I repeated the word “whole” with “soul” and “body” in that passage because in the English language it is understood they go together because of the comma usage. God helps us with our entire spirit, our entire soul, and entire body; and yearns for us wholly, not just in part! Just like any parent. Heart : Another way to think of the heart: refers to the core of a person’s being, encompassing emotions and thoughts. Scripture often contrasts a hardened heart with a receptive heart. A hardened heart is resistant to God’s word and will. A receptive heart is open to God’s influence and guidance. This is why God looks on the heart, 1 Samuel 16:7 . The heart influences one’s entire being and actions, Proverbs 4:20-27 , and the pathways to the heart are what we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and what comes out of our mouths. This is why the Lord speaks about the words we say. (Matthew 12:34-37 .) Watching these three areas can be very overwhelming if you have never done it. You will quickly see what is in your heart. Take the opportunity for personal reflection to see where you are at. It is quite eye opening. You may want to study passages with the word ‘heart”, particularly in Proverbs. However it is all throughout the Bible. Proverbs also says much about our words. The Body : It is our “outer layer” and speaks according to the 5 senses - what you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Yes, this influences the heart. That is why distinguishing between the input coming in and what is influencing our decisions is vital. This is also why illness can be a serious hurdle. It is in times of sickness that pressing in to God and what He has said is imperative, because it goes contrary to what doctors say and to how you are feeling. Trust Him to direct your steps - and He certainly will. Proverbs 18:14 - (NIV) “The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” [Whatever the Lord tells you to do, do it. I will explain a personal situation in regards to this with illness later.] The body is the part of us that touches the world around us. Helps us interact with the physical world. To know if it’s hot or cold, to know when to cross the street, or when we are thirsty or hungry, and so on. Some people are controlled by their body. How their body feels with its sensations at any moment takes precedence over spirit or soul. This is a dangerous way to live life. *** Hebrews 4:12 - For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing between soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. What can be divided means it is connected. But until we receive Jesus Christ into our heart we are unable to understand what is happening with us. We can’t distinguish the difference. Our heart can only be circumcised by Him, cutting away the “old man” from our Spirit. The soul has to be renewed - it is the “renewing of our mind” Romans 12:2 & Ephesians 4:23 which happens by putting Proverbs 4:20-27 to work! We have to literally put the word into our eyes, ears, and out our mouth in order to uproot the bad stuff that has been planted in our hearts. These things get planted by our parents, relatives, siblings, teachers, etc. They are things we are told we “are” that have no bearing on who we actually are. And we take them on as our “identity”. It’s time for an identity EXCHANGE! To no longer be what we are told and instead to be who Christ tells us we are! HOW TO : Get scripture regarding the area of struggle for you. It always has to do with self-image. Look at “who” God says you are, who you are IN Christ Jesus. There are a plethora of scriptures in the Epistles that say “in Him”, “in Christ”, “in Christ Jesus”, “in Whom”. These scriptures are “who” you really are. Read them over and over. Read them until they simply come out of your heart as you speak. You don’t have to think about them. THIS IS NOT MEMORIZING! Your heart will influence your memory! And the scripture will bubble up out of your heart when your heart is full, Matthew 12:34-37 - Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. THIS is how you change the image you have of yourself, in your subconscious…which in your heart! Use the scriptures that EXCITE you. THAT is how you tell what the Holy Spirit is “highlighting” to you. Use them! As you do this He will highlight more and more to you! And then He will give you revelation about that subject. It’s AWESOME! Read and re-read those scriptures, speak them out loud. Do it every day. Your getting the words and image in your eyes, out your mouth, and in your ears as you speak them - (Proverbs 4:20-27 ) you are using all the pathways into your heart to uproot the bad and plant the good seed! (Matthew 12:34-37 ). Then you water the seed by continual speaking of those scriptures. (Mark 4:13-20 & Ephesians 5:26 - By being sanctified [or separated unto God] and cleansed with the washing of the water by the word.) This will renew your mind. It will change how you think of yourself. The Lord may lead you to other scriptures to add - add them. Or perhaps that season (maybe the season was a few months, or even a year) whenever the season is done you will “know” in your heart. You won’t be excited about them in the same way. You’ll feel restless deep down, in your inner man. When the season with those scriptures is completed and He directs you to others, do it. Or perhaps He will direct you to reading whole books of the Bible or chapters; or prayer. You can tell because your “want to” with those same scriptures diminishes and shifts to go another way. Again, your “excited” about this new direction. That is what you follow. After all, the joy of the Lord is your strength - Nehemiah 8:10, 12 - and you get the joy of the Lord from what you understand in His word! This is part of learning how the Lord leads you. His leading ALWAYS causes joy and “revelation knowledge” - Ephesians 1:16-23 . You can’t truly hang out with the Lord without revelation knowledge. That is Who He is. Recall what people said about Jesus when He was preaching in the synagogue. They were constantly amazed at His preaching and had never heard anything like it. Thats because of the revelation knowledge that He speaks through the word and in your heart. *** In our daily life interacting with this world typically the soul or body has priority over our spirit man = spirit is where God speaks, God is a Spirit and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (or the word, John 4:23-24 & 17:17 ). If the soul - our intellect/mind, emotions, personality etc. has priority - then the second in command is the body and we are unable to focus on when God is speaking with us. We have our priorities messed up. Both the soul and body have not been renewed yet until we choose to do it. This is why they cause such trouble and we can’t hear God when we haven’t learned how to take authority over those parts of us in the Name of Jesus. This is why it is imperative to live a life in the way as described in blue text above, renewing your mind with scripture to change the image you have of yourself in your heart; and always follow the Lord’s leading. Period. Even when you miss it, ask for forgiveness and get back on track. It’s not a big deal. We are in sin ridden bodies living in a fallen world - we will mess up. Guaranteed. BUT God removes sin as far as the east is from the west, and He does not remember it. (Psalm 103:12 & Hebrews 8:12 & Isaiah 43:25 .) He does not strip you of your salvation just because you mess up. YOU ARE A NEW CREATURE! You have been born again. We know how God is about birth and abortions. If He’s adamant about physical ones He is certainly adamant about spiritual births. He will not take it away from you! That would be against His very nature = God is life! Not death. If this is something you have struggled with I suggest reading and re-reading John. If you don’t want to read the whole book then spend time in John chapters 3, 10, 14-17 . Notice how many times it talks about being born again is ETERNAL. And out of two or three witnesses let every word be established - this is way more than two or three times stating the same thing. (Matthew 18:16 .) The Spirit : this is the part that has been recreated by accepting Jesus into our hearts and is in contact with God. It’s that part that has “changed” and you can’t explain it - you simply “feel different” but it has nothing to do with “feelings” as in emotions. Unfortunately the English language does not make a difference. He speaks to us through our spirit and only the word of God and things pertaining to the word of God come through our spirit. Jesus is the word made flesh. (John 1:1,14 .) God and His word are the same thing and this is how He speaks, things that go in line with His word. As you get used to hearing Him, He will use plain English phrasing and words but it is still entirely coming from scripture. The more scripture you “know” in your heart the more secure you will be at discerning the “voices” that you hear - weather it’s from God, your mind/heart/soul, or the enemy. The enemy only speaks bad things to you, about you… and he does it sneakily, sounding like you talking to yourself in your mind and putting you down. Almost every time that is him. Sometimes it is your own thoughts that are speaking the negative junk you got programmed with, so renew that part of you; but it is typically the enemy. Then once he’s aware that you know his game he will speak to you directly and tell you he will kill you. So what else is new. John 10:10 the enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy, and he’s a liar (John 8:44 ), these are the things he says to you and about you and about your loved ones, to you. It’s not God. Never. Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly, He is love, His is life, He is the word, He is revelation knowledge and He is joy. Even in correction the Lord gives it is done with love and life, not condemnation. (Hebrews 12:11; Proverbs 12:1, & Romans 8:1 .) So what do we do with those thoughts he tries to trickle or slam into our minds? 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 - we cast them down in the Name of Jesus and then REPLACE those thoughts with the word that contradicts them. There may be specific scripture that bubbles up out of your heart (by the Holy Spirit). Use it! Like, if the thought comes up: “You can’t possibly do this project, are you kidding!” - that’s a demonic thought. So speak out loud to yourself: “That’s a lie! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I’ve got the Mind of Christ!” (Philippians 4:13 & 1 Corinthians 16 .) Plus there is another scripture in Philippians 4:7-8 “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report; if there be any virtue and any praise THINK on these things.” Following your “peace” is key and keep these thoughts from the word. By doing these actions you are renewing your mind and kicking the devil out. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t “easy-peasy”. The devil will put up all sorts of junk in your head as you go about renewing your mind and heart. Always tries to throw a wrench in things to get you off of following God, and he wants to keep you prisoner to his machinations. Don’t fall for it! He won’t stick around long. It may take two or three days, but after that it’s smooth sailing and when he shows up again at a later date to try to pull the same junk - because he doesn’t have anything new, it’s always the same - cast down the thought and replace it with what the word says. It’s simple but initially it’s not easy. It’s gets easy once you’ve done it and live your life this way. *** Our Spirit is what is called the “inward man” - or the “inner part of the belly” - Proverbs 20:2; Ephesians 3:16; & Psalm 51:6. It’s deep down within us. If you place your hand on your upper belly, the soft area at the opening of the rib cage, deep within that region. This is where you get those “gut feelings.” That’s where your Spirit is. When you “get” an unction, a revelation, from the Holy Spirit through your spirit there is a quality to it…it’s “good.” You think: “Man, that’s good!” There is a sweetness to it. And there’s peace to it. Your belly is just so, so, good and likes what it “heard.” Totally satisfied, like you ate a really good meal. *** Hebrews 4:12 - (NIV) “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit…” Be aware of “naming” things coming from your soul (heart, mind, will, emotions, personality, thinking) with the same terms used for the spirit. Yes, the soul is a part of the spirit. But for proper discernment you need to know the distinction. You are deceiving yourself if you don’t. You are buying into a con game either from your own thinking or from the devil to hoodwink you into thinking or “reasoning” it is coming from your spirit, when it is not. A person will always be deceived when this happens - James 1:22 . The way to do this is with the word. Test the thing you “hear” or think against the word and with the Holy Spirit. John 4:23-24 , 17:17 . You can’t be hood winked for long. The “unction” you get in your gut, it just doesn’t “settle” in you. It makes you uncomfortable. You simply don’t have peace about it. Colossians 3:15 - (AMP) And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ RULE (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s ] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. Trust what the Holy Spirit is impressing on you - do you have peace or no peace. Both are means of the Holy Spirit speaking to you. If you do not have peace, stay away from the situation, person, etc When you have questions regarding a situation, that means you don’t have peace. If you’ve been struggling for a while, you can always tell by the fruit of your life, what do you have? If you don’t like what you see, talk with the Lord. Ask for His correction. Repent when He shows you, and make the changes He tells you to make. Our bodies will be rebellious and we need to keep them into subjection to the word. They are not re-created yet. So they will be disobedient. You can count on it. This is the reason why it is important to fast. To keep our bodies under and not rebellious. To take charge, on purpose, what you allow your body to eat and when. This is telling your body “who” is in control. Because the enemy is in this realm and makes plans against the body. Fasting helps our spiritual ears to hear the Lord more clearly when our bodies aren’t fussing. Now you don’t need to do long fasts. They may be for one meal. Go as the Lord leads. Don’t just do what you “think” - go with the Holy Spirit and His unction. 1 John 2:20, 22 KJV. “But you have an unction from the Holy One and you know all things…But the anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you of all things and is truth and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him.” And with that time that you would eat, instead pray and stay in the word. Always follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in ALL things. He will lead you and teach you. John 16:16-17, 26-27; 16:13-15 . As the Holy Spirit is leading you it will ALWAYS glorify Jesus! We discipline our bodies by not allowing it to rule us. Instead we give God the priority and allow Him to rule us through our spirit. We have to give one part priority and the other two into subjection. This is the way our system works. And until we learn how to do this from God’s word, we are either ruled by our bodies or ruled by our souls. For those that have relied on their intellect, it can be a struggle. Because you can’t count on what you think. It may be different to what God says in His word. We then follow whichever one we are giving credence to and speaking along those lines and doing actions along those lines we are bringing the things to pass by “speaking” and “doing” what is ruling us. You can always tell what is ruling you by listening to what comes out of your mouth. Then you will know what is in your heart and what is ruling you. We can change this by doing what God says to do about it. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks - Matthew 12:34 . It is sobering to observe what comes out of our mouths. Whatever is in our heart. If it’s contrary to the word of God it is coming from our soul or body, or from the devil and we need to change it. Yes, the devil throws thoughts at our heads and if we take that thought and start speaking it, which is what the enemy wants, we will bring that word to pass. Because the things we speak are what we have. Genesis 1 - God spoke and it was so. We are made in His image. Instead let’s choose to have God rule from our spirit. We are one Spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 - Whoever is united with the Lord is one with Him in spirit. Hebrews 4:12 - For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing between soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart. We see from what the Lord has said in these scriptures that we are ONE with HIM in our inner man, our spirit! It may not “feel” like it but we are. We also see that If you can divide spirit and soul, then that means they are together. Which shows us we can’t tell “what” or should I say “who” is speaking unless we use the word. The Word is the only way to discern who is “talking” and what you are being motivated by: spirit or soul, or body, or the devil. They each have a “voice” and a particular way of speaking to us as stated at the beginning of this article. And we can discern what part is “talking” to us with thoughts when we dive into the word and believe what He says about us! When you ask the Holy Spirit for insight He will let you know whether that “thought” was from your intellect, emotions, five senses, personality, the devil, or from Him. It helps knowing the difference, it’s actually a comfort. Weird, I know. But it helps. And it’s all handled the same way: cast it down in Jesus Name and replace it with the word. As we do this the Holy Spirit “shows” us things…I call them “a-ha” moments. These are times when we get the “a-ha” about a particular situation we are wondering about. Our spiritual eyes “see” what is happening. That’s called: revelation knowledge (Ephesians 1:17-18 ), which we get from the Holy Spirit. He IS revelation knowledge. The more you “hang out” with Him the more revelation knowledge you get. Yes He is always with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you. But doing it on purpose to share time with Him is what He desires from you. God wants to hang out with His kids! “Choose” - on purpose - to spend time with Him and listening for His leading/unction and following what He says. The more you do this, the more revelation you’ll have…if you are willing to receive it. We always have to be willing to receive. Sometimes that can be challenging. Often I have seen many brothers and sisters in Christ not receiving because “deep down” - in their heart - the “image” they have of themselves is that they are not worthy. But that’s a lie. They haven’t taken the time to retrain their heart. God sent His only Son to die for YOU! He poured everything He had into Jesus and Jesus poured it all out on the cross to save you. That’s a mighty gift! RECEIVE the FULLNESS of it! To "receive" is a decision! Because bless God, we can do it through Him because we “choose” to believe Him and do what He says to do. As we continue to spend time with Him we begin to notice when we are being “just us,” being weird, “fleshly” - in our carnality; or if we are “seeing” through the lens of the Holy Spirit. This only happens as we talk with the Lord about it and stay in the word about the situation and do what He reveals and tells us to do. A friend said to me once, “Discernment is not knowing right from wrong but knowing right from almost right.” Huge insight to her statement! (That’s the Holy Spirit operating through someone else to giv e the word that is needed! I thank God for that.) We need to press into the Holy Spirit to “see” what is right from almost right with all things, and in this case from “what” or “who” is speaking to us: spirit, soul, body, or the devil. Each speaks differently. You know, if you have a friend who is from another country - they have a certain way of speaking, catch phrases, subject matter they like to discuss, metaphors, and so on. It’s the same here. spirit, soul, body, and the devil, all speak differently and come at you from particular places: Spirit - God deep inside your being speaking in line with the word of God; He gives you that still, small voice deep down within you, 1 Kings 19:11-12 . Soul - occurs in your thinking or emotions, or personality; Body - things of the 5 senses which are needed for this physical world, bear in mind your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so how we treat our bodies is important; devil - from outside of your body to your head as thoughts coming from the outside-in pretending at being “you” talking to yourself. Sometimes pretending to be God - Isaiah 14:12-14 . Always saying bad things about you, to you, so that you think it is “yourself” - he has been running con jobs, always a liar and skilled liar of which he is the father of lies, hides the lies within truth, he even knows scripture and will quote it to you in the wrong way just like he did with Jesus in the temptation in the wilderness. Always speaks about bad things you’ve done in the past of which God already forgave you of and has no memory of it - He has removed it as far as the east is from the west - Psalm 103:12. BE SURE YOU RECEIVE THAT FORGIVENESS. Plus the devil always comes from the five sense realm (body) or emotions (soul) because the senses and emotions can “drive” someone. Whenever you are being “driven” - “pushed” to do something and you can’t control it the devil is always behind it. When we operate with God in the Spirit, through our Soul, and to our Body we will get the victory. Giving God priority makes the difference, rather than soul or body. He is who we go to everyday. It’s a shared relationship, just like you do with your spouse. You share. It’s no different with God. You share with Him and He shares with you. *** The spirit is the enigmatic part of us that most born again brothers and sisters have no idea how to operate from; and people who are not saved do not have any idea at all - it’s’ not possible because they are not spiritually alive, it is spiritual death without the Lord. 1 Corinthians 2:9-14 - 9 But as it is written:“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Romans 8:6 - The mind of the flesh is death but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. Romans shows us there is a mind of the flesh, carnal thinking; AND a mind of the Spirit. That’s a revelation! This is how we have the Mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16 .) Whatever He tells you to do, do. So if He says you need to eat vegetables for a few days, do it. Or if He tells you to get more rest, do it. We do this no matter what our bodies want = the mind of the flesh. We give God the priority and do what He says. He always has a good reason, and the reason is for our benefit. But it is up to us to discipline our flesh when it rears its ugly head with its thinking and wants to do things contrary to the spirit. How do we do that? It is the same whether it is for our flesh/body or our soul: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4. For the weapons or our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. 5. Casting down vain imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 6. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. This is a great scripture for step by step instruction of “how” to deal with the unruly flesh/body, as well as our soul, or the devil, when they are causing havoc. What is a “strong hold”? It is a belief system that we have. We identify with it. We think it’s “the truth.” But it is simply a thought we were taught somewhere along our life and have treated it “as truth.” We do this, it defines us. BUT we can tear it down through casting down the thought in Jesus Name. We will get into this more in later paragraphs. Verse 5 can be phrased another way for seeing the order of what we are to do: “By casting down vain imaginations, and every high (or lofty) thought that exalts itself over the word, or speaks contrary to the word brings that thought into captivity to obedience to Christ, and being ready to revenge all disobedience from our bodies, souls, or the devil.” Many times the common Christian phrase that is used is: “rebuke that thought” for a thought that comes up contrary to God and His word. But this is only half of what needs to be done. The next part is to replace that thought with the appropriate scripture that contradicts that thought. Or in common writing terms when you are using a word processor, you use the key for “find and replace.” That’s what we want to do with the word. Find the appropriate scripture on a situation and replace your previous “ingrai ned” thought(s) - or “strong hold” - speak them out loud so your mind hears what your mouth is saying and cancel them out in Jesus Name and replace it with what the word says. For example : a thought comes to your mind that you have no will power to eat healthy. You may even make a statement in jest to someone along those lines. As soon as you realize it (even if it’s hours later), speak out loud to yourself. Say: “I refuse that thought in Jesus Name, and cast it out! I HAVE the will power because I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things are gone away and ALL has become new!! (2 Corinthians 5:17 .) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 .) This is what you do with thoughts and words that come up from your heart or into your mind and out of your mouth, to take authority over them. When you first do this you will feel like you’re are lying to yourself because you had always thought that negative thought. It was a “strong hold.” But now you are replacing the “you” with God. Identity exchange! It is His thought of who you are and you are making it yours. On purpose. He’s right. Always. (God being right is a decision you will have to make. We all have to and do so whether we are aware of it or not.) This first day you will have to do it a lot. It may seem like every 10 seconds you’re having to cast down thoughts and replace them with the word. But as you stay persistent it will get easier. Even the next day will be easier. By the third day it will be even easier. By the fourth day you’re doing a victory dance because it’s over. There will be times here and there of the flesh rearing its ugly head or the devil tryin to jump in, but it’s laughable when it happens and you treat it the same as you did at the start: cast down that thought in the Name of Jesus and replace it with the Word. You can always ask the Holy Spirit for His help, always. He is our Helper. John 14:26; Psalm 141:3 - “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.” There’s another in Psalm 139:23-24 - “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” But one word of caution…. using this scripture is telling God you are ready for a test. Be sure you are. Because a test will come. If the Holy Spirit is leading you to pray this, be ready because the test will come. He would’t lead you unless you are ready. And when a test comes and your in the midst of it and your praying about it, most of the time the Lord will not speak or lead. He’s quiet. Just like taking a test in school. The teacher (Holy Spirit) is sitting at the desk quietly while you are taking the test, he (He) doesn’t talk. After the test is over, He speaks/leads. *** As you live your life this way He will highlight to you when something has come out of our mouth, or thought, or action that is contrary to the Word of God. It’s that scratchy “feeling”, uncomfortable, in your inner man-your belly. Take action on what He is telling you to do. Let’s look more closely at Proverbs 4:20-27 : What goes into our eyes and our ears can get into our heart. Mouth is a two way gate. We speak out of the abundance in our heart, that’s how we know what is in it; and we can speak the word out loud to change what is planted in our heart. This is our body and soul working together. That is how we are made. And the Lord gave us scripture for this: Proverbs 4:20-27 - Berean Study Bible: 20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. 23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life. 24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech. 25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. 26 Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil. In verse 20-21 we see word(s), what we hear causes “images” to come up. We see what was said. This happens no matter what is spoken. This is why we have to be careful what we “hear”. It causes images in our mind. If we keep thinking on it, it will come out of our mouth. If we are “inclining our ear” to the word of God we will be storing it in our heart and have life and health. Out of our heart springs life. But if we are storing things contrary to the word of God, then we are springing up death from our heart and those words we speak will be “death” types of words. Like when someone constantly has negative things to say. They are hard to be around because they are so negative. That is a heart issue, a heart filled with sickness, death, disease, destruction. And we know who is the instigator of that - John 10:10 the devil has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus came to give life and that more abundantly. The remainder of the verses are about staying focused on God’s word and doing it. The steps are simple. The “doing” of it is initially a challenge due to our “feelings” but the Lord also changes our “feelings” when we do this and He is with you every step of the way and will help you. *** I’m going to repeat myself again, I am choosing to do that in this article because this is important: Watching our words is the first thing to notice and when something comes out, we say something that is contrary to the word, immediately repent of it. Not just ask forgiveness. “Repent” - which means to change our way of thinking about that situation. Then cancel those words out in Jesus Name, because they create. AND then replace them with what the word says about that situation. STOP yourself when you realize you said something contrary to the word - even if its hours later. Then say: “Sweet Heavenly Father, forgive me for saying that. I change my thinking with what Your word says about me. I forbid my body to have control over me in Jesus Name! I keep my focus on You in my spirit through the Holy Spirit in charge of my physical Body and Soul, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It’s not my strength, it’s Yours! And I thank You for giving it to me.” (Philippians 4:13 .) *** CHAPTER TW0: LEARNING TO WALK WITH GOD Now that you know the basics you can begin or renew your relationship with God. And we do all of what was mentioned on previous pages because we love the Lord and want to clearly hear Him and be directed by Him. It’s about our intimate relationship with Him. He is closer than a brother. He is always on our side and wants to help us. Proverbs 18:24 . He is your biggest fan! Spending time with the Lord is the most important thing. Any relationship needs time with that person. Our relationship with the Lord is no different. The more you read His word the more you learn how He talks. Where most people miss His voice is when they think they hear themselves, but it’s really Him. Like those “ideas” that just “pop” up in your mind that are key for whatever you are doing at work. Try this at work: discipline yourself to ask for His help. Ask: “Okay, Lord, how do I do this?” An idea or hunch will come from deep within your being to your head as a thought. You check that “thought” this way: a.) Do you have “peace’ about it? b.) Do you have joy about it? If you have peace and joy, it’s Him. Especially joy. (Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Psalm 16:11 .) Love, joy, peace are all results of hearing from Him, they are Him and He exudes them. When He speaks to you they are always present. Even when He is correcting us! There is peace and love. While it’s sobering, there is liberty - freedom in taking His correction, never bondage. If there is “confusion” - that is not God. He is not the author of confusion but of peace - 1 Corinthians 14:33 . Be sure to give God the glory for sharing and directing you. Another example: you know that friend or associate you have that is so great to be around. You feel great about yourself when you’re with them. You laugh. Have a good time. Enjoy each others’ company. This is what it’s like with the Lord! Even more so because He is the creator of all that exists - and you are a friend of God and His love for you is all encompassing and everlasting. Basking in that relationship with Him…there’s nothing like it. CHAPTER THREE: FURTHER DETAILS ON THE BODY Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Proverbs 18:14 (NIV) - The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? In this Ephesians scripture we can see the relationship between the devil and the flesh. They are symbiotic. This world is where he roams and attacks come in the material world and will affect our bodies. All ways, and always. Proverbs says our spirit can endure through attacks on the body, sickness, if our spirit is healthy. Which doing all the afore mentioned things will restore a damaged heart and crushed spirit. Let’s face it, we have all had times where these things have occurred that damaged our hearts and spirits. Allow the Lord to heal your heart - He came to heal the broken hearted - Luke 4:18 . Attacks can also come to our minds as “Thoughts.” They come from the outside into our heads. Usually that’s his doing. Sometimes thoughts from other people come by the things they say. Thoughts also come from the outside from whatever we are giving our attention to, like books, movies, music, and conversation. But this is where we need to control what comes into our “gateways.” We have to guard our heart. And in the flesh realm is where we see the devil roams in scripture. Look at Job 1:6-7 and Job 2:1-2 . He is roaming the earth. And we see in 1 Peter 5:8-10 he is roaming the earth to seek someone to devour. And devouring was on his mind with Job. God wouldn’t allow him to devour Job but He allowed the devil to do it to Job’s family. I have heard people ask “why did God allow that?”. When you read the first couple of chapters you see that his kids were in sinful behavior, his wife was in sinful behavior (complaining about God, like Israel did in the desert), and we see Job was in fear because of the sacrifices he offered continually for his kids because of their sin. A parent or whomever is led to intercede for someone in sinful behavior is only allowed for so long. God expects the people (or person) to make it right. God had to allow it when He was asked by the devil by His very own truth, law. Job was supposedly the first book written, before the law but God’s law is forever. God is forever. His truth is forever. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And being disobedient to Him knowingly or unknowingly, although they had no understanding, allowed the devil to pounce. An opening was created and when the devil asked permission God had to allow it. The only way the devil can have access is if someone allows him by their thoughts/emotions (which includes “pride”), words, and actions. We have Authority over him as Jesus told us in Luke 10:17-19 . We are to use that Authority that Jesus gave us in His word, in His Name as He said and do honor to His blood that was spilt for us. He upholds all things by the Word of His power! (Hebrews 1:3. ) And when someone is in sin there is always a result for the sin. Repentance sometimes voids the result or outcome, sometimes it does not. There are times when people in the Bible had to go through the result of their sin even though they got their hearts right with God. I believe Adam and Eve were the first; Abraham - yes, he brought Lot with him who was family and yet Abraham was called God’s friend and Jesus was able to come to the earth because of Abraham’s faith for God to raise his son from the dead. (Hebrews 6:13-20 .) Abraham’s faith was more important than the sin of taking his nephew Lot with him on his journey. But who knows how that would have happened if Abraham didn’t take Lot. (Genesis 12:1, 4-5 .) James 4:7 - Submit yourself to God…..resist the devil and he will flee. Consciously submit and yield ourselves to God!! We do this first. Then as we resist the devil by casting down his thoughts and accusations he will flee, but we have to resist. Resist the thoughts he throws into our heads and the drives of our bodies. In fact, if there is a bodily “drive” that you cannot get away from it is always demonically induced. Same with patterns or cycles. In these cases ask the Lord what’s happening and He will tell you the spirit behind it, then cast it out in Jesus Name and cut all cords. (Luke 10:17-20 & Proverbs 5:21-23; Psalm 129:4-5. ) Now some may have a problem with what I just said, “thinking” that a born again person cannot be demonized (demon possessed). It can happen. I’ve seen it and personally experienced it many times, but I’ve always seen victory through my Lord Jesus Christ when the opportunity was right. The flesh can have a demon attached and so can the soul, particularly the mind. They can burrow up in organs, causing break down and tumors, cancers, and other diseases. (Pray for the Holy Spirit to cleanse that organ(s) once you’ve cast it out in Jesus Name and ask the Lord for the Balm of Gilead on the organ. Balm of Gilead symbolizes hope and restoration, Jeremiah 8:22.) Not all illness and disease is caused by demons. Because sin and death are in this material realm the body goes into breakdown and when there are family curses they can cause the body systems to be weakened. However, family curses always have demons attached even if they are not activated. You can study this out in your own time. There’s much to it. Every believer should go through deliverance if they have not. There is always some spirit attached from living in this world. You can’t get through life without experiencing it whether you know it or not. Symptoms: feeling “pressure”, impulse or drive to do something or behave a certain way, repeating cycles of behavior - things that you can’t break the habit of doing (whether minor or major things), constant running negative thoughts that you can stop using the word but they always come back even after years “you just can’t stop it”. That’s a phrase you want to give attention to! These kinds of “pressures” or “being forced” when you know it’s wrong and you don’t want to do it is always demonic. This is not depressing, it’s liberating. That “depressing” feeling is also coming from a spirit. Get rid of it in Jesus Name and ask the Lord to cut the cords that enabled it to be there, repent of any sin that enabled it be there as well. *** We can take Authority over our flesh through Jesus and His Word. It keeps our body under. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27 - “but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” Romans 13:14 - But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. These scriptures are talking about the body according to the fallen state. That’s why we don’t want to give the body priority. Sounds good in concept but it can be trying when your going through illness. Which leads me to this. I had said I would share something and here we are. I have had many health trials throughout my life, since I was 16. A lot of weird things. Yes, there were family curses involved. Deliverance and breaking curses has been done and sometimes there is still the fallout from the curses even though they have been broken, which is what I’ve been going through this year in 2026. Brief but partial past history: I’ve had scarlet fever, blood clots in my lung that collapsed 2/3 rd’s of it, a massive stroke when I was 26 that doctors didn’t think I would survive (I was in a coma for three days, awoke paralyzed and couldn’t speak, read or write- Doc’s said I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, but I have never been in one, glory to God; took 17 years for full recovery but the Lord healed my brain to such a state that when I had a recent brain scan with a different neurologist/neurosurgeon she said that she thought the stroke was mis-diagnosis because she didn’t see damage - Praise God!), and this year I have defeated cancer this year because of the Lord! I currently still have a benign brain tumor that needs to be removed because it is bleeding. It will be removed towards the end of summer. And that’s not everything. It’s crazy, I know. I’ve lived it. BUT God!!! He has brought me through all of it. I give Him all the glory!!! Because of all of this stuff, I have gone more the alternative route in healing in the last 25 years. Rarely will I go the way of western medicine, however, when the Lord says to do otherwise, you do it. Which goes against my “thinking”. In this recent incident at first, before I was diagnosed, I was doing my alternative stuff. It wasn’t helping. Not enough, anyway. I could tell something was off and it wasn’t getting better. Had been like this for 2-3 years. I was having weird symptoms. So finally I prayed. Imagine that! Chuckling to myself, finally instead of going my way to ask Him. Place “humph” emoji here. Yes, I was being hard headed. Took me a while. I should have asked Him earlier. I thank God for His forgiveness. Anyway, I asked “What is going on?!” I didn’t hear a response but that night or a few nights later I had a dream. Again, this was before ANY diagnosis. The Lord showed me two images side-by-side. One on the left was me in a hospital going through cancer treatment and the other image on the right was me in a hospital bed after having brain surgery. I “knew” - unction - that the two events were not related. The brain tumor was not cancerous. So when I got up, I did my “God time” - that’s what I call it. I asked the Lord, “What did that dream mean? Am I going to go through this?”. He said, “You have to go through this. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Rest in My hands.” And I “knew” that meant I had to go through “it” with western medicine - ‘cause I still wasn’t clear in my mind, not my spirit (two different things), that “it” meant cancer. I just understood that I had to go through “it”. There was no stopping “it”. The wheels were already in motion and I had to go through “it”. Bear in mind that sometimes we can doubt ourselves when God “gives us” something. Not initially. But later down the road we may doubt that we heard correctly. I had that experience here. BUT I had His spoken word which kept me stable through my doubting myself. God knew this would happen. That’s why He handled it this way with me. I “stuck” to what He told me: “You have to go through this and I’ll be with you every step of the way. Rest in My hands.” The reason why that’s important is to know how I doubted. Remember, Proverbs says that a healthy spirit can endure through sickness. I wasn’t sure if both situations were truly different or actually both cancerous. Which…being honest here…caused a wee bit of panic for a moment. But it was a moment. Either way, I “knew” IN my inner man that God was with me through all of it and was guiding all of it, no matter what…cancer or not. He has this. He created the entire universe - He can handle a piddly little thing like this! Pffffttt! Puh-lease! I trust Him. In fact, I told Him I wasn’t excited about this but no matter what I trust Him and that I know He’s got this and He’s got me. And when I got the initial diagnosis, the report said “head and throat cancer” that was stage 4. Which initially my body stressed because I had an instant thought that the brain tumor was cancerous as well. That was “pressure”! HOWEVER….after the initial “flutter” I could feel in my chest I IMMEDIATELY went to the Word God spoke to me and spoke it out of my mouth: “I DO NOT CARE WHAT THIS REPORT SAYS! GOD SAID I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AND THAT HE’S WITH ME, AND TO REST IN HIS HANDS, AND I DO, IN JESUS NAME!!! NO EVIL SHALL BEFALL ME, NO PLAGUE OR CALAMITY SHALL COME NEAR MY TENT!!” Those were the first words I spoke. The second part came out of my heart by the Holy Spirit - it just bubbled up and out of my mouth. That’s from filling my heart with the Word. It is my identity. Then when I looked again at the report the Lord reminded me of something I had read (I have a background in body work and have done a lot of research on medical things over the years), that when cancer shows up somewhere else besides the initial tumor, it is then classified as stage 4. There was a large tumor in the back of my tongue and a small bit of cancer cells in a lymph node under my tongue. I “knew” in my spirit that it wasn’t truly stage 4. And all three of my Oncologists said head and throat cancer does not spread anywhere else in the body! And that what they saw in the biopsy and PET scan were actually stage 1. Praise God!! That dream was around September of 2025. In November and December was when I went through a series of tests and found out what was happening. I had both, throat cancer and a benign brain tumor. I trusted each doctor that came across my path BECAUSE God was with me and guiding the entire situation, as He said He would do. So I just rested in His hands, no matter what, no matter how “scary” things may have sounded. I didn’t care because I had God’s Word on it! That settles it. I didnt fret about it. I knew I would get to the other side of it. Even when I had moments of “wondering” if the phrase of “getting through” meant dying. So to stop my mind from going nuts with this I looked up the word “through” - like going through a stop sign…your still in this world, you don’t shift to another plane of existence. That settled it for me. I never stressed about it again. This was not going to kill me. And even though I handle things alternatively - and definitely how I think - that was not the way to go with this from what the Lord said. I “knew” that by unction of the Holy Spirit deep within the belly that is what that dream meant, to go through western medicine. In fact, a friend of mine had the same cancer and was handling it alternatively but nearly died from it. She too had to go with western medicine. That is what the Lord told me to do and so I did it. And I definitely needed to trust Him and rest in His hands because there are rough spots and times with the treatment and much pain and discomfort, and times that could freak people out if they don’t do this with the Lord. That’s why He told me to “rest in His hands”. Especially during times of not being able to breath, swallow, move, or eat, a lot of pain, and throwing up. But He helped me through all of it. All glory goes to God because I am now cancer-free!!!! I am still going to have brain surgery in August, but that’s no big deal compared to all I experienced with the cancer treatment and recovery. God says He gives us new a heart…well, He can give us anything new we need! All glory to God in the highest! The reason why I share this is it takes trusting the Lord in what He tells you, even in tough situations especially with the body, because of the pain and you feel so sick and you can’t get away from it. You have to go through it. Then emotions get involved and can cause havoc. You have to cast those emotions and negative thoughts down and replace it with the Word. It’s crucial. In this case it was replacing it the Word that He spoke to me. It did help that I have been through so much already, I already “knew” in my heart who I am in Christ. I had taken the time…even years…of putting God’s Word into my heart to change how I think of myself. That I am already healed and made whole by the blood of Jesus and the enemy is trying to make me take sickness. I won’t do it. I can’t. It’s not who I am. Everyone around me from my husband, to family, in-laws, doctors, nurses, all say how great I’m doing and are amazed at how “positive” I am. It’s all because of Jesus Christ! And because I know Him and what He has said. Period. You can’t move me off of that. And this effects all those around me. They instead look at it from a positive place rather than negative…and it makes a huge difference. Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We are to keep “watch” and pray. “Pray” in straightforward terms means: in conversation with the Lord. We can do this all throughout the day. It’s conversation. This is what Paul means by “pray without ceasing” - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 . As we keep our hearts in tune with the Holy Spirit, He warns us of what is coming and the enemy’s traps. He then leads us to pray against it to stop it or decrease the severity of it (John 14:26 and Romans 8:26-27 ). The next part of the Matthew passage is key: our spirits are willing. This born again part of us is in union with Christ, as 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, and they are willing. We are one spirit with Him. But our flesh, which is in two parts: physical body and the flesh nature (or sin nature, or sometimes called “human nature”) is what needs to be crucified: Galatians 5:16-17, 24 - This I say then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. In verse 24 for us to “belong to Christ Jesus” is a choice…daily, after we are born again. We have to “put on the new man”. This is a daily choice. Or as Romans 12:1 says it’s a sacrifice. Just because one day we do it and the next day we don’t doesn’t mean we lose our salvation. I’ve already spoken about that. We are one Spirit with Him. When we don’t “put on” our identity in Him, we will struggle because of the sin nature. If we take this scripture and compare it to Romans 7:14, 25 and Chapter 8 and Galatians 5 we see that there is a “struggle” between our flesh and spirit. They are contrary to each other. And we all know brothers and sisters who “got their life insurance.” Meaning they received Jesus into their heart but they are not submitted to Him. Yielded. Being submitted to the Lord and yielded to Him is a big deal. We have to yield to Him to “belong” to Him. They are saved. They will go to heaven. But they won’t receive a crown. And the Lord is not pleased with them, yet they are still His children - only disobedient ones. I know believers who do not submit and do not yield to the Lord. Walking in the Spirit is a constant choice. Everyday. We must walk in the Spirit in order to have crucified the flesh - Romans 8 . It’s an “if”/“then” statement. If you walk in the flesh you will not walk in the Spirit. Even if we walk according to the flesh, our inner man, the Holy Spirit though our Spirit will be grieved because we are not doing what He says. (Ephesians 4:30 .) He will give that inward feeling of “discomfort” or “scratchy” - “unsettled” and “uncomfortable” but if we continue to disobey He will stop warning us and let the result of the sin come upon us. I went through that in my earlier life. It was rough! I had no idea that I had created it all. There are many brothers and sisters who do not walk in the Spirit and their flesh isn’t crucified, and consequently go through turmoil. How do you know? Their fruit. You can always tell by what inhabits and surrounds a person’s life. (Matthew 12:33 .) BUT all we have to do is repent. Sometimes we still have to go through the result of that sin, like David with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12 ) but the sin is forgiven. Repenting doesn’t always get rid of the result but it does make your hearing from the Lord, intimacy with Him, get back on track. Ephesians 2:3 - All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. Romans 6:6,16 - For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin….Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? We are always obeying somebody. Either the flesh and sin, the enemy, or God. We have a choice. Choose you this day life or death, blessing or cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live: That you may love the Lord your God and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave unto Him: for He is your life and the length of your days… - Deuteronomy 30:19-20 . The Holy Spirit in our inner man is who we have to give priority over our flesh. Especially when times are rough. The two - flesh and spirit are against one another: Galatians 5:17 - “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do what you want.” Romans 7:14, 25 (part, in my words) - “Thank God because He delivers me through Jesus Christ my Lord! I myself in my mind serve God, but in my sinful nature am a slave to the law of sin.” What that means as born again believers is we are constantly presented with a choice. Choosing to abide by the sinful nature or choosing to abide by God’s word. He gives us the choice. He never forces it upon us. The word “death” in Strong’s means: Greek- #2288 separation from the life of God. Before we were born again we were in “death”- in sin. We were separated from God. Genesis 2:17 -“But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit they died immediately in the spirit-soul-body. They were separated from God in all three areas - or realms. Notice God didn’t know where they were…He asked, “Where are you?”. They had been separated. It was hundreds of years until their bodies learned to die. Yes, their bodies had to learn to die. They were not created to do so. Even today scientists have found that our body is constantly making new cells and we technically shouldn't die, but when an over abundance of breakdowns occur it out-weighs the new cell replacement. The natural man or flesh, or one who is separated from God cannot spiritually discern because they are spiritually dead (I don’t care how much yoga and meditation they do…but that’s another story…I digress) - the spirit is separate from God, the soul is separate from God, and the body is separate from God. When we are born again our outer man is perishing but the inward one is renewed day by day - 2 Corinthians 4:16 . (This is a great confession to do each morning!) This is why 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 is so important. Our bodies need to be recreated in their original, un-fallen state. Immortal. We won’t have blood running through our veins, instead it will be the glory of God. Just imagine what that will be like!! (Luke 24:39; Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 1:21 ) When we receive Jesus as our Lord and receive His sacrifice for us, that brings us into union with Him. No longer separate in our spirit from the Spirit of God. But our soul and body are not changed. Originally we were intended to be entirely a part of God - spirit-soul-body. Like Adam when he was first created before the fall. Adam was amazing in the state that God first made him. Adam named all the animals in creation in a day! I can’t even imagine naming 50…that would be exhausting. But now that we have received Jesus our spirit is alive unto God and a part of His Spirit, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 18 (AMP)- “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (new species of being), old things are passed away and all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” And 1 Corinthians 6:17 - But he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit with Him. Just put yourself in the Father’s shoes. He created His children before the foundation of the world and wrote our names in the Book of Life (Ephesians 1:4-6; Revelation 3:5; 17:8; 13:8; and Genesis 3:15 ). We are His seed. We are part of His Spirit even though there’s the torn aspect of His Spirit done by the enemy in the fall, tearing us away from Him. Imagine how much the Father hurts and yearns to bring His kiddos, His children back to Him!!! Reconciliation! No more wounds in the Father’s Spirit from being torn away from Him once this age is complete. I believe that is why God the Father won’t allow His children to be stuck in hell for eternity - this is scriptural - even if they never received Him in this world and went to hell, at the last Judgement in Revelation 20:11-15 …specifically shows that the Father has all the books written on people’s lives AND the Book of Life with His children’s names in it so He can see who is His seed and who is not. If any that were in hell have their names written in the Book of Life, they are taken to be WITH HIM! For eternity!!!! Unfortunately they didn’t receive Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins, so they had to pay it…and they did by going to torment in hell. The debt paid. And any sin that wasn’t completely paid for is covered by the Blood of Jesus. Once these folks see Him as He truly is, they will fall to their knees in repentance and worship of Him and His love and all that He did. They will no longer be hindered by the enemy’s scheme. They will be with us and the Father for eternity! THAT’S big!! We have not understood the depth of salvation and God’s gift through His Son, Jesus. The first Adam and the last Adam - Jesus Christ - 1 Corinthians 15:45 “It is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being,’ the last Adam, a life-giving Spirit.” This is why when we receive Jesus into our hearts we have life the moment we say “yes” to Him. You know something happened. “Something” changed. You don’t know “what” it is. You now have the life of God in your spirit. Adam at first was entirely one with the Father - Spirit-Soul-Body. Imagine what that must have been like?? We will soon get to experience that for eternity!! When the fall happened he was entirely separated spirit-soul-body. Imagine what that must have been like for Adam and Eve to experience both. Jesus too, when He was on the cross and said, “Father, why have you forsaken Me?” Jesus had always been one with the Father and then at the cross He was entirely separated from the Father, and the Father had to turn His back on His Son because He was laden with all of our sins. (Habakuk 1:13; Exodus 33:18-23 .) That was devastating to Jesus to have His loving Father have to turn His back to Him. Scripture says Jesus gave His Spirit up to death. It was not taken. I believe He died of a broken heart and gave up His Spirit. *** We are to take authority over our bodies and souls: 1 Corinthians 9:27 - (TPT) But I keep under my body (make it my slave) and bring it under subjection…. and our souls (thoughts, emotions, personality, will). 1 Corinthians 10:10-13 (TPT) - “And we must not embrace their ways by complaining-grumbling with discontent, as many of them did, and were killed by the destroyer! All the tests they endured on their way through the wilderness are a symbolic picture, an example that provides us with a warning so that we can learn through what they experienced. For we live in a time when the purpose of all the ages past is now completing its goal within us. So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall.” We all experience times of testing which is normal for every person. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape, that will bring you out of it victoriously. (1 Corinthians 10:13 .) Praise God, He is with us through all tests and trials and provides a way out. These tests and trials come in this material world, like the parable of the rain that beats upon the house. Much of the time tests and trials come through our own bodies - health issues. Sometimes through the soul - thinking and emotions. Sometimes through friends, family members or work. And we are warned not to grumble and complain spoken words against God. They create. And it killed the Hebrews in the desert. A very sobering warning. One thing of note: when you are in the midst of a test/trial, notice that is when you do not hear the voice of God. Like when you took examinations in school, the teacher was there in class. He or she was at their desk. Never said a word. They waited until the test was finished. This is important to know. You will still have unction/knowing from the Holy Spirit. Stay highly tuned to His direction during the test. Whether you obey or not will either decrease the time of the test, or increase the length of time of the test. And important to realize there is difference between a test/trial, tribulation, and a temptation. The Lord does test - but He doesn’t tempt. Remember Jesus in the wilderness tempted by the devil, Jesus had to deal with His soul while in prayer and fasting. In another passage when Jesus and the three disciples are in Gethsemane, He tells them to pray that they do not fall into temptation. (Luke 22:39-40 .) Temptations do not come from God as James 1:12-16 - we encounter them because of our flesh and soul: “Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive that crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does He tempt anyone; but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished brings forth death.” Tribulation is a part of life. It’s simply how it is, John 16:33 - “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” *** IT ALL COMES DOWN TO WHAT WE FOCUS ON : Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14 - “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Another passage that is imperative to read is Romans 8. The entire chapter is about the difference of focusing on the Holy Spirit or focusing on the flesh and the outcome of both. There is another aspect to be aware of with the body: CRAVINGS - and PERSONALITY SHIFTS - this goes with what I said earlier about not having control over something with your body. A reminder that any “impulse” from the body that is hard to control or you have no control comes from a demon. Yes, they can be attached to the personality in your soul, even if it seems “minor”. (Recall the mad-man of Gadera.) Many times it is attached because of unforgiveness and/or fear. It can even be attached because of new age stuff and of course witchcraft, even white witchcraft. And yes, it may be a family curse. If you are experiencing these things ask the Lord how to go about it. It requires repentance either for yourself, or in the case of a family curse repenting for your forefathers and foremothers of all agreements, oaths, contracts, and such like, known and unknown. Tell the Lord you receive His forgiveness; and cancel out all family curses. Stamp the spiritual contract that was demonically made with the Blood of Jesus because you are redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13-14 ) by His Blood and the Law of the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2 ) is in you, on you, and has permeated your life. He took the curse so you don’t have to. You are free, in Jesus Name. And cut all cords to the curse or whatever it is, in the Name of Jesus (Proverbs 5:21-23) and burn them up with the Fire of God (Hebrews 12:29 and 1 Kings 18: 38-39 [23-39] .) *** REVIEW: John 6:63 - It is the Spirit that quickens (or that gives life); the flesh profits nothing; the Words that I speak unto you are Spirit and they are life. Very clear distinction between spirit and body in this scripture. We can see the outcome of being focused on one or the other. Our spirit is new, born again, and one with Jesus. There is light and life with what He speaks and within us. This is where God talks to us and what He says always agrees with His word. His word is life to us! The more you read it the more you have life and light on the situation. It makes you “feel” energized…I know, it’s a feeling and the word affects our feelings in the right way. Did you know God has feelings? But He’s not ruled by them. Our Body, called “flesh” or “carnal” is 2 parts: physical body with the 5 senses - see, hear, smell, taste, and touch; and our sin nature - also called “human nature”, or “beast like nature” - Daniel 5:21; 2 Pet. 2:12; Jude 1:10; Ps. 49:12, 20; James 1:23-26; Romans 8 . Don't waste even a moment's thought on your former identity to awaken its selfish desires. Instead fully immerse yourselves into the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. - Romans 13:14 (TPT). Paul says 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (TPT) - “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” There is a distinction between keeping your body under, the sin nature, and knowing when to listen to the body, the part that is God-made. Intelligent design. It is innately intelligent once the body has been retrained from the sinful nature, meaning your not dealing with cravings any longer. You can actually trust if your body desires a certain food, like meat, or certain vegetables, or teas, even salt. Ask the Lord when your new to this. You may find that most of the time the “want” is good for you. It’s a part of His leading. *** CHAPTER FOUR: FURTHER DETAILS ON THE SOUL We discussed much of how to do this already. How we retrain our flesh/body is the same as retraining our soul. There are only a few things to add here. Soul: mind, will, emotions, and personality. I’m going to do this out of order above. Let’s go to the “WILL ”. Will power is your “chooser” - the will can only work properly when you have enough word in you. You know the phrase: “I have no will power…I have to eat the entire cake.” They don’t have enough Word to resist that temptation. This is the only way our “will” can properly work: with the Word. 2. Our soul - mind (thoughts), FEELINGS, personality are not always right, although we believe they are. Every thought we have is not accurate. Every feeling we have is definitely not accurate and can get you in trouble. Feelings can kill and being ruled by “feelings” will make one’s life absolute hell. They are up one minute and down the next. A roller coaster that always leads to confusion, and God is not the author of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33 .) Feelings (Emotions)- is huge. At times they can seem overwhelming. This is where we stumble the most. We think we “are” our emotions. But no. We have feelings…they are not who we are. Feelings can kill you! Talk with anyone who has attempted suicide and dealing with depression. They will tell you how they “felt.” ‘Hopeless. No way out. People are better off without them.’ The person has their identity in their feelings. And nothing could be further from the truth. Another example: when someone is ill - friends and family because of “feelings”, can be detrimental to the person who is sick, because they “feel sorry” for them. “Feeling sorry” is only an emotion. It has no “action” to help the person. It’s pity. Then the person who “feels sorry” for them speaks words of illness and death over them. Not words of life. Words create. The power of life and death is in the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. - Proverbs 18:21 . Instead of emotion, Jesus moved with COMPASSION. Not pity. Notice the verb. “Moved”. Compassion “does” something about the situation. So when you hear of someone who is not well, pray for them! Pray how the Lord leads. Each situation is different. Speak words of life to them…which means speak scripture to them. Put it in layman's terms, don’t “christian-ize” the words straight out of King James Version…that can turn many people off. For people who are in the hospital, sleeping, in and out of consciousness, or coma - that’s when to play the word or praise music in their room, it changes things!! 3. The MIND: 1 Corinthians 8:1 - Knowledge (head knowledge) puffs up but Love builds up. This word in 1 Corinthians gives us a key! Are we puffed up by what we are thinking? Or does it benefit someone else. Results are the key! Fruit. By the result we know what was the motivator and if actions are needed to be taken like casting down thoughts and replacing with the word, even correcting what you said to someone directly and apologizing for it. This is why our focus needs to be on the love of God and what He wants. Not what we want. When we are paying attention to the Holy Spirit - that “knowing” or “unction” we will “know” if we aren’t doing things right. It won’t “settle” down in us, no peace. And we can always tell by the end result. God is very specific about the thoughts of our soul (mind) and what it leads to, like the scripture above, and the ones below, and there are many others: 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 NIV - Do not deceive yourselves, if any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”. And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” (Job 5:13, Psalm 94:11 .) Romans 12:2 NIV - Be not conformed to the world’s way of working: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind - THAT we we may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. And I like to use this scripture with this, Philippians 4:8 NASB- Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. One translation says “if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.” These are the things to think about on purpose. Not on our automatic thinking from our minds when it is contrary to the word. We renew our minds by reading the word and confessing the word (speak it out loud), and guard what we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and speak with our mouth. It’s a simple equation but it takes work. And by doing this we prove what is the perfect will of God in our lives. Fruit. We will bear good fruit. (Matthew 12:33; John 15:2 .) We can tell what is happening in our lives by the fruit we are bearing. In other words, look at what you got. If you don’t like what you see, then things need to change within you. And this is how you do it. Refocus. Put your sights on the Lord - intimacy with Him IS key. Take time every day to be with Him in prayer and the word. Even if it’s only for 15 minutes in the morning. Ask Him to help you, to show you where to go in the word. Then get quiet for a few minutes and see where you are led to go in the Bible. You may hear His still, small voice coming up from deep inside of you; or you will get a “knowing” of where to go; sometimes from deep within you will come a picture of the title of the book, for example like John or Isaiah and a chapter number; or sometimes a thought will come up from within you of the place to go. Whichever way He chooses to tell you, do it. Continue to nurture your “hearing” of Him. You already do, whether you know it or not. You are His sheep and you hear His voice (John 10:27 ), it’s simply strengthening the muscle of “learning” how to hear. Thank Him each time He shares with you. He will share more as you recognize Him in the doing of it. Continue to follow His promptings and leadings. If you follow one that wasn’t right because of discerning incorrectly, then you know it wasn’t Him. It was either your soul or your flesh, or the devil. Just because you found it wasn’t the Lord isn’t a bad thing. It is part of the learning process, teaching you what is what. When the devil chimes in with regard to the word he will misdirect. The scripture just “falls flat” when you read it. Or he typically brings thoughts to your mind that “you are worthless - God won’t listen to you, who do you think you are; you can never do anything right - what makes you think you can do this right; people think your an idiot - God thinks your an idiot; you don’t have what it takes” etc. Never fails, he will always talk bad to you, about you, and make you think it is “yourself” that is talking this way. Cancel and delete! The more you keep spending time with the Lord, the devil shows up eventually and will be his ugly self and tell you he’s going to kill you. Laugh at him. He can’t touch you. Psalm 91:16 with long life will God satisfy you and show you His salvation. The difference is satan will condemn you; while the Holy Spirit will convict you which is Him showing you the way out, in order to help you to grow in the Lord. (Acts 2:38.) As said before, there are some soul-ish ways of thinking, patterns or ways we were raised, what we heard from our parents or family, friends, teachers or coaches that is negative - these are “strong holds.” We took on these thoughts as our “identity.” But it’s not who we are. All of these thoughts can be changed just the way God told us in 1 Corinthians 10:3-6 and Proverbs 4:20-23 . Casting down those thoughts in Jesus Name and replacing them with what the word says about us; and guarding our hearts by careful watch of what goes into our eyes, ears, and out of our mouth. Be sure to cut the cords to that way of thinking - Proverbs 5:21-23 . Strong holds always have cords. It’s what creates bondage - Isaiah 5:18; Psalm 107:13-14; Psalm 140:5; Psalm 129:4 . Plus with all of this, the Lord also gave us His mind. We have that in our inner man, the Spirit, that is one with Jesus. (1 Corinthians 2:16 .) This is the part of us that knows deep down what is right and what is wrong. Our moral compass. We call it our “conscience”. Keep on track with the conscience. Don’t violate it by not doing what you are led to do. Following our conscience will keep you on the right track. 1 Timothy 1:19 NIV - Holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Paul is talking about believers here in 1 Timothy. As we do all of this we know as Philippians 4:7 says, The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Always follow your “peace”. If you don’t have peace about something, don’t do it! Don’t allow yourself to be pushed to make a decision. Colossians 3:15 Classic Amplified says, “Let the peace of God [the umpire of peace, the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling with all finality all questions that arise in your mind]. To this peace you were called to live as members of Christ’s one body. And be thankful [to God always].” And if you still don’t have peace about a situation, ask the Lord about it. There’s something He is trying to tell you. Don’t make any decisions about a situation until you have peace about that situation. Stay in the word and prayer until you get the answer from Him and you know how to proceed. THOUGHTS & EMOTIONS ARE CONNECTED . One causes the other. We don’t ever think of them as separate, because they are not. None of the things I’ve spoken about in this article are separate - Hebrews 4:12. Thoughts cause emotions; and emotions cause further thoughts. We are separating them here as a matter of study. If we continue ruminating on a thought it creates a pattern, a “habit”, in our mind to continue thinking on those things which stirs up powerful feelings. Scientifically it has been proven (https://qz.com/1569158/neuroscientists-read-unconscious-brain-activity-to-predict-decisions ) - that if you take a thought for 10-11 seconds, a pattern is created in the brain and a decision is made, thus an action and words occur next. This is why it is so crucial to be aware of our thoughts BEFORE a pattern is created in the brain. A habit. A proverbial “groove” if you will, like a groove in a record. When we stop the thought that is contrary to the word of God before 11 seconds, we stop the pattern from ever forming. Don’t panic if you waited too long. God’s word works and will erase that groove. It’s much easier to deal with thoughts quickly. It takes more time to uproot and change patterns in the brain. No matter which way we have to go, we got the victory through Christ Jesus. And it is the same simple way of casting down the thought in Jesus Name and replacing that thought with the word of God that pertains to the situation. As we take authority over our emotions and thoughts when they are out of line with the Word, our mind gets more and more renewed, so do the emotions. We won’t be an emotional rollercoaster but on a steady, even keel that is hard to get flustered or flare out in situations. For example: in an emergency, a crisis situation - people either become paralyzed, or cry, or scream and yell profanity. This is the common reaction and is evidence that those people do not have any word in them. It is the Spirit man that is supposed to take over. But they have nothing in their spirit, no word. Their mind shuts down and they don’t know what to do and their emotions get flustered and flare. The word is our Spiritual food for our inner man, our spirit. If we don’t feed our spirit the word, then we are starving it. We have no Spiritual energy and we cannot sustain in a crisis. (Matthew 4:4 & 1 Peter 2:2, Jeremiah 15:16 .) Another aspect for renewing our minds and emotions is for healing emotional scars. This is where being “hurt” comes from. Our “hearts hurt” because of an emotional scar because we “see” ourselves as our emotions. But we are not. That’s what the phrase means: “Don’t take it so personally.” Taking the emotional hurt personally - as if it is us. It is simply an emotion we have. This is why we have to renew our minds, how we think of ourselves and “see” ourselves. The way we think about that situation will create a bigger groove of hurt in our emotions and causes us to not forgive. We are new creatures. Old things have passed away and ALL has become new! And we forgive because Jesus told us to. He can’t forgive us if we do not forgive. It keeps us in contact with the Lord. If we harbor unforgiveness we separate ourselves from the love of God. He can’t get to us because there is a “barrier” in between us and Him and we were the ones that put it there…and we can “take it down” too, simply by forgiving…on purpose - Mark 11:25-26 . Don’t listen to your feelings. We have to retrain our thoughts by be disciplined in forgiving that person instead of harboring resentment. Instead pray for them, bless them in Jesus Name. This will take a few days just like any retraining of our thinking. It is the same process. If we will change our tendency to see ourselves as our emotions we won’t be so flighty; instead more stable, consistent. Plus we are commanded to forgive: Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. When we don’t control our emotions we will 100% of the time get “off”. It’s the realm the enemy uses a lot. It’s one of the major fields he attacks. Attacks our minds, attacks our emotions, attacks our personalities, attacks the will power. *** Here’s one more part to look at regarding dealing with the soul, and specifically our feelings and thoughts, AND how it relates to the will: Jesus at Gethsemane - He was struggling with His own soul! Matt. 26: 36-46 - Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed . TPT - An intense feeling of great sorrow plunged his sou l into deep sorrow and agony . And he said to them, My heart is overwhelmed and crushed with grief. It feels as though I’m dying . Stay here and keep watch with me. “ 39. Then he walked a short distance away, and overcome with grief, he threw himself facedown on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if there is any way you can deliver me from this suffering, please take it from me. YET WHAT I WANT IS NOT IMPORTANT, for I only desire to fulfill Your plan. Luke 22:39-44 - 42 - Father, if you’re are willing, take this cup of agony away from me. But no matter what your will must be mine. 44. He prayed even more passionately, like one being sacrificed, until he was in such intense agony of spirit that His sweat became drops of blood, dripping onto the ground. Agony : (Merriam-Websters) - 1. A. intense pain of mind or body; anguish, torture. B. The struggle that precedes death. 2. A violent struggle or contest. 3. A strong sudden display, outburst. In this instance we see Jesus struggle with His own soul - thoughts and emotions - until it shattered His Spirit. He surrendered His will to His Father. Not Jesus’ will but God’s will. Will power is the “chooser”. This is crucial in times of crisis. If it wasn’t for the fact that Jesus had so much word in Him (He is the word made flesh - John 1:1-4,14 ), He wouldn’t have been able to make HIs will submit to God the Father. That is the only way we can do this ourselves. We have to have the word in us, abiding in us - John 15:7 . Sometimes the Lord may show you something terrible that you have to face, but that you need to go through it. Just like He did with Paul and Peter. They knew what was going to happen for their death, like Jesus. They were ready for it because God had prepared them. Just like the Lord prepared me before the cancer. The Father always has a very good reason. We may not understand it yet but He will reveal it to us. And He gives you the faith to get through it! For example, there was a man who knew he was going to prison. He had done nothing wrong and had been set up. But the Lord told him that He wanted him to go, there was something for him to do there. The man was sent to prison. And once the man was in jail the Lord told him to minister to other inmates. Eventually he began a prison ministry with the inmates in his jail and many came to know the Lord!!! At the beginning of the situation it looked like that the entire thing was wrong. This man had been set up. It wasn’t right. Same as Jesus. Jesus was set up. It wasn’t right. But there was a purpose!!!! And the man who was sent to jail was the means of the Lord being sent to those in prison and “setting them free”. One statement I heard was from one of the inmates who came to the Lord though this man’s ministry, the guy was in for a life sentence, he said how much he thanked Jesus for loving him enough to come in to where he was, and no matter what it looks likes, he was freer than he could ever be even when he was on the outside. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…whom the Son sets free is free indeed!!” (John 8:32, 36 .) This man is set free! Even though to the outside world it looks like he is not. No matter the massive battle Jesus had with His soul, His emotions and thoughts, and submitting His will to God’s will, Jesus’s death and resurrection was for saving all of mankind! That’s why He said on the cross before He gave up His Spirit: “It is finished.” *** 4. PERSONALITY We don’t have to be chained or imprisoned by our personality either! We are delivered from our personality. Glory to God!! That’s why we have to renew our minds with who Jesus Christ says we are. We are not our personalities or what others have said about “who we are”. And we do not have to be a prisoner of either one in our behavior. Jesus came to set the captives free! All parts of our soul are something we have. It is not who we are. We are to take control of our soul’s through the word by “who” God says we are. (With the “in Him” etc. scriptures in the Epistles.) Personality is the most difficult area to change because it is a foundation of how we identify ourselves. When you “see” yourself at “that” thing, you don’t think it can change. But it can!! Once you grasp that so much of our personality is learned behavior, it then makes it easier. Those parts to the personality are not “you” and they can change. Praise God we have been delivered from our personality as well as sin, sickness, destruction, poverty and such things. (Galatians 3:13-14; Romans 8:1-2; Deuteronomy 28 .) No matter what has gone on in a believer’s mind and becomes their personality and the decisions they have made for themselves is not necessarily true. When you choose the word of God to change ungodly thinking, those previous “identities” make no difference….but you have to know this. You have to change your automatic thinking on purpose WITH the Word. Cast down those thoughts in the Name of Jesus and replace it with what the word says about that situation. That’s the only thing that can change it! When your personality is telling you will never be good enough, or you can’t excel because your not smart enough, or whatever you have “made” your identity; then the devil jumps in and bombards your thoughts with even more bad news of telling you how bad you are, WITH fear - when he shows up there is ALWAYS fear - tell your thoughts, the fear, and the devil, OUT LOUD, “No! I refuse that thought! That is not who I am!! God so loved me that He gave Jesus to die for me!! He gave me His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21 ), if you don’t like it take it up with Him! I’m a new creature! OLD THINGS have GONE AWAY!!! ALL has become NEW and all things are of Father God Who is in me!! THE mighty God is in me and He continuously gives me life and that more abundantly! (John 10:10 .). And I do NOT have the spirit of fear BUT of power, love, and a sound mind!” (2 Timothy 1:7 .) That’s how you talk to yourself! There is one more element when we are dealing with re-training the personality. Those deep ingrained belief systems have spiritual “cords” as well. Those cords keep you bound to the personality. Since the thoughts are not “truth” - truth is the word of God (John 17:17 ), truth makes you free - and the word gives faith according to Romans 10:17 - and whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23 ), that means those programmed identities are “sin”. Sin has cords. Take a look at a few scriptures: Psalm 129:1-4 - They have greatly oppressed me from my youth”…they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the Lord is righteous; He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. “They” are the “wicked” which always refers to the devil and his hordes. Remember they exist in the soul and physical realm. They don’t have the victory over you unless you allow it. And they attack from our youth. It’s imperative as a parent to watch your kids and what they say!!!!! You can tell if they are being attacked! Even at 4 or 5 years old. Pay attention to what they say and let the Lord lead you. And the last sentence of that scripture is amazing: The Lord is righteous and He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. Because when we are attacked by the devil, if he is “allowed” because we play with the thoughts he gives us because we think they are our own, then he ties us up spiritually with cords. It is called “bondage” in the word. Look at Isaiah 5:18 - Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes. When we don’t realize that we are in bondage with cords of sinful thoughts our life becomes more and more miserable. We have the same terrible cycles occurring in our lives and become more and more desperate. That’s because we are believing a lie and the lie attaches to us with cords. Psalm 107:13-14 - They cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke away their chains (cords). When we identify a part to our personality that needs to change, we first find all the scriptures about that subject matter and write them down. This is “who” you really are. (The “In Him” scriptures.) This will take more than an hour. Give yourself a few days or so to do this. Then when you’re ready, with your Bible and the scriptures you’ve written out, you are going to pray. You are going to “repent” which means “change your thinking” about the former way of thinking and cut all cords to those thoughts to you and everything that belongs to you. Doesn’t have to be these exact words but something like this: “Father God, in the mighty Name of Jesus, I am so sorry for having ungodly thoughts that I made my identity. I repent of that in Jesus Name. I cut all cords to those thoughts and to all they are attached to and I thank You Jesus for shattering the chains of bondage to those thoughts. I am free!! If demons attached themselves to me because of it, go! In the Name of Jesus. Now I see in Your word that I am: (read off the scriptures you found, like ‘I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.’ 2 Corinthians 5:21, etc.). I am what You say I am because You made me this way!!! You have blessed me to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2) and I thank You for it. Holy Spirit I ask that you let me know if I do that again and help me make it right. And I thank You for it.” ** Our “Conscience” effects the soul. We are instructed not to violate our conscious or anyone else’s. As we grow up in spiritual things, our hearing God gets easier and our conscience grows as well. What may have been against our conscious at first may not be later on: 1 Corinthians 8:10-13 TPT - "For if a believer with a weak conscience sees you, who have a greater understanding, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t this be a temptation to him to violate his own conscience and eat food offered to idols? So, in effect, by exercising your understanding of freedom, you have ruined this for a believer, a brother for whom Christ has died! And when you offend weaker believers by wounding their consciences in this way, you also sin against Christ. So I conclude that if my eating certain food deeply offends my brother and hinders his advance in Christ, I will never eat it again. I don’t want to be guilty of causing my brother or sister to be wounded and defeated." It’s important to abide by what our conscious is telling us. Otherwise if we violate it, it is the same as sin against the Lord. And we don’t want to cause our fellow brothers and sisters to stumble, nor violate our own conscience. We have a responsibility to the Lord for this, as He has said, for each other. The Lord showed me during the writing of this - 3 John 2 - “Beloved, I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” He said that when our minds are not renewed (soul) we cannot prosper nor can we be in health. If we see ourselves struggle with money and health, we know what the problem is. The soul, our mind needs to be renewed! (You may be wondering “why” then have I gone through so much health wise. Some of us have to walk through these things. The Lord has shown me much about standing during the “storm”. I wouldn’t have understood the depth of it until I had the experiences. Yes, I have done all that I have described in this article. But just like Paul, sometimes you have to go through gnarly stuff to show people how to do it for themselves so they won’t have to go through such intense stuff. They can learn by our examples. This is how we learn from Paul’s examples.) The word will show us when our soul is getting out of line and differentiating between soul and the spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches you these things. Ask Him questions, tell Him all the questions that arise in your mind. He will let you know what is what. He will show you what is coming from the spirit and what is soul-ish. Forget about the “thinking” that He already knows it all. Yes, He does. And when we talk with Him about the things we are questioning it clears us up. The Holy Spirit shows you what is going on. It’s so cool when He does this!!! 1 Peter 1:22 - Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. *** CHAPTER FIVE: MORE ON THE SPIRIT Proverbs 20:27 The spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s innermost being. When we give God our priority, prioritize Him in our spirit, He sheds light on our inmost being and every situation we give to Him. This is how we have “light” on the situation - Him. He is light, the light of this world. (1 John 1:5 & John 8:12 .). God is a gentleman and won’t say anything unless you ask Him. As we press into Him we allow Him to lead us - Proverbs 3:5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path. So we make a choice to trust Him…with all of heart…to not lean to our understanding - our thinking - and always acknowledge Him. It makes everything easier. Relying on Him for His direction for every situation rather than our own thoughts and feelings is freeing…absolutely liberating. Yes, it is hard to first start this because of our habits but habits can be changed and once we do it gets easier each time, and we eventually realize how limited we were before relying on the Lord, when we actually just guessed at everything in life. We don’t have to do it alone and we aren’t in this alone. We were never intended to be. God always wants to help, He is the lover of our spirit, soul, and body - our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Temple. This why we undergo specific judgements for things done to our bodies if we do not repent - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (The Holy of Holies is within us, where the Holy Spirit dwells.) The Holy of Holies was the inner sanctuary where God’s presence dwelled. That’s IN us!! God’s presence is IN us. Have people ever told you “you just light up a room.” That’s God in you! In the temple the high priest could only go into the Holy of Holies once a year. And the holiness of God could only be accessed by the high priest once per year with a veil between him and God, a barrier (representing sin). God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil (sin)- Habakkuk 1:13 . The priest with the veil and the elaborate customs (ordination) put in place by God were a reminder that man could not carelessly or irreverently enter God’s awesome presence. Before the priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes form a direct view of God and bring sacrificial blood with him to make atonement for sins - Exodus 28 and Hebrews 9:7 . He has saved us from all of the torment of this world. God is not the tormentor. He IS love and kindness, is just/righteousness, peacemaker, life, light and so much more. Jeremiah 31:3 - “…I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued My faithfulness to you.” His absolute holiness is within us. It is the Lord who speaks with us out of our innermost being, deep in your belly. At times the words seem to come up from our belly, the upper part where the rib cage opens, and the words will move from there to deep within our head, not from the outside in. Sometimes we will hear His still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12 ) from within us. When He speaks, He always speaks according the word. He may use modern terminology but there are always scriptures that go with what He is telling you. If you don’t know the scripture off hand when He speaks, ask Him for one. He always gives at least one. John 4:24 - God is a Spirit: and those that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth. We know His Word is truth (John 17:17 ). So we worship Him in the Spirit and in the word, and as we do this the Holy Spirit reveals things through His Word about what is going on with us- are we wrapped up in our soul in a mental game of gymnastics, or are we operating in the spirit, or are we trapped in our flesh (body). This is the only way to find out. Stay in the spirit worshiping God being led in the word. Not led by the soul or flesh. You can always tell by the fruit your life is producing. As we worship Him, we shut off our physical senses (bodies) - that’s why it’s important to close your eyes so you don’t respond to the sense realm; and we tell our souls (mind and emotions) to “keep quiet.” Stay focused on His majesty. His beauty. There’s nothing like it! THIS is who we are! We are our God-given-recreated Spirit. Our Spirit-Man. Made in the image of God in connection with Him. We are who God says we are: we are more than conquerors though Him who loved us; and there’s no condemnation to us who walk after the Spirit - we follow Him; (If we have condemnation then we are walking after the flesh) therefore we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us; it’s Christ in us, He does the work and greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world; the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death; if God be for us who can be against us!! (Romans 8:1-2, 31, 37; Colossians 1:27; Zechariah 4:6; Philippians 4:13; 1 John 4:4 ) That’s good confessions of identity! Galatians 5:15 - Walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. John 6:63 - It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I speak unto you are Spirit and they are life. Always keep “feeding” on the word. It gives life. We don’t want to put our Spirit man on a diet or starve him. We want to keep him well-fed, and we do it with the word: Matthew 4:4 - But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” *** CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION The crucial part is to put the examples to work in your life so that you allow God IN your Spirit to have dominion over your body and soul. We have to “choose“ this on purpose. Otherwise He may stay quiet. Particularly if you keep ignoring His “warning”. But if you are heeding His voice, then when something goes awry the Holy Spirit will let you know by “no peace” in your heart, then immediately make the change. Ask for forgiveness, cast down the thought, and replace the thought with the word. We ARE a Spirit; we HAVE a Soul; and we LIVE in Body to contact this world. Being made in the image of God, it makes sense. He is in three parts: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And what I love about that scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5 (on first page) is that God, who is the God of peace is the One who preserves us!!!! He preserves us blameless! Unto the Rapture/Resurrection when we are given new bodies! That’s shouting ground right there. And the following scriptures sum it up nicely: James 1:22-23 - But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own hearts (souls). Matt. 7:24-27 - Therefore whoever has these saying of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock (from doing what was heard in the Word). But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell: and great was the fall of it. James 2:22-24, 26 - (AMP) You see that his (Abraham) faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. [Faith not joined with action leaves room for doubt to fill that void. Which makes us double minded.] And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Phil 4:6-8 TPT - Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be SATURATED IN PRAYER THROUGHOUT EACH DAY, OFFERING YOUR FAITH-FILLED REQUESTS BEFORE GOD WITH OVERFLOWING GRATITUDE. Tell Him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious word of God, praising Him always. ***** SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Alphabetical by Subject Beast-like Nature : Daniel 5:21; 2 Peter 2:12; Jude 1:10; Psalm 49:12, 20; James 1:23-26; Romans 8 flesh vs. Spirit. Choices : Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Proverbs 18:21; follow the flesh or the Spirit, outcomes: Deuteronomy 28 and Romans 8; Genesis 2:17. God : Luke 24:39; Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 John 2:20,27; John 10:27-28; Hebrews 1:3; Proverbs 3:5-6; John 1:1-4, 14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 12:29; 1 Kings 18:38-39; John 4:23-24; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Job 5:13; Psalm 94:11; John 8:32, 36; Habakuk 1:13; Exodus 33:18-23; Exodus 28; Hebrews 9:27; Jeremiah 31:3; 1 Kings 18:19-20; Colossians 1:27; Zechariah 4:6; 1 John 4:4; Mark 11:25-26; see also James 13-15; 1 John 1:5; John 8:12. Scripture/The Word : John 1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 17:17; Hebrews 4:12; Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 1:2; Romans 10:17 and Romans 14:23; John 6:63; Matthew 4:4; James 1:22-23; Matthew 7:24-27; James 2:22-24, 26; John 15:7. Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) : 1 Corinthians 2:-9-14; Romans 8; Galatians 5; 1 Corinthians 12-14; John 14:18, 26-27; John 16:7-15, 33; Psalm 141:3; Psalm 139:23-24; 1 Corinthians 3:16; John 6:63; Proverbs 20:27; Ephesians 1:17-18; 1 John 1:5; John 8:12; see also John 7:37-39. Spirit, Soul, Body, Heart : James 1:12-16 ; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 64:6; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Romans 2:29; Matthew 26:41; Ephesians 2:3; Romans 6:6,16; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 4:13; Philippians 4:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 21; Matthew 12:34; Proverbs 4:20-27; 1 Corinthians: 15:51-53; Galatians 3:13-14; Romans 13:14; Proverbs 18:21; 1 Corinthians 8:1, 10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:18-20; Romans 12:2; Job 5:13; Psalm 94:11; Matthew 12:33; John 15:2; 1 Timothy 1:19; Colossians 3:15 Amplified; Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-44; 3 John 1:2; Proverbs 3:5-6; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Galatians 5:15; John 6:63; Romans 14:23; James 2:22-24, 26; Romans 13:14; 1 Peter 1:22. Warfare, devil : Genesis 2:17; 3:15; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Luke 10:17-19; Proverbs 5:21-23; Isaiah 5:18; Psalm 107:13-14; Psalm 140:5; Psalm 129:1-4; John 10:10; 2 Timothy 1:7 (“fear” is a spirit); James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:6-10; Matthew 18:18; Ephesians 6:12; Job 1:6-7; Job 2:1-2; see also Isaiah 14:9-17; Ezekiel 28:11-17; Revelation 12:7-12; Genesis 3; Genesis 6; Psalm 110:1 with Romans 16:20; Psalm 91; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 4:18; Isaiah 54:17; Psalm 2:1-4; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4.

About Kamp Jesus: My name is Rina van de Kamp. We here at Kamp Jesus believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and He came and gave His life for you, for all that you've done wrong, so that you don't have to be pay the price. He came for all to have the knowledge of Him. But you have to ask Him into your heart. Receive Him. All you have to do is call upon the Name of the Lord and you shall be saved. Then ask Him to reveal Himself to you, to help you. He is always there for you even when you don't know it. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and with God all things are possible. He is coming back soon! Hallelujah! We at Kamp Jesus made this website for you! It is a teaching site for the things of God. Scroll though the different subjects to find what you're looking for. There are PDF's links available for you to download. And if there is subject matter that you are looking for but don't see it, send us an email and we will get it to you. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you! He loves you more than you can imagine...so let your imagination expand with our beautiful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Being a parent, How to be a Godly parent, God, Jesus, Bible, How do I do this, Rules of being a parent, Being a Parent PDF Article is below. For downloadable PDF link click button. Being a Parent “The family should be a closely-knit group. The home should be a self-contained shelter of security; a kind of school where life’s basic lessons are taught; and a kind of church where God is honored; a place where wholesome recreation and simple pleasures are enjoyed.” ~ Billy Graham “You want to mess up the minds of your children? Here’s how – guaranteed! Rear them in a legalistic, tight context of external religion, where performance is more important than reality. Fake your faith. Sneak around and pretend your spirituality. Train your children to do the same. Embrace a long list of do’s and don’ts publicly but hypocritically practice them privately… yet never own up to the fact that it’s hypocrisy. Act one way but live another. And you can count on it – emotional and spiritual damage will occur.” ~ Charles (Chuck) Swindoll The biblical role of a parent is to be a steward of God’s children. God is God, no need for you to step into His place in our children’s life. Only God knows what each child was created to be and do. Stewardship Just as a manager or steward doesn’t own what they are put in charge of, we don’t own our children. Our children belong to God and we are entrusted with their care for a period of time. And we will be held accountable for the care we give them. When they are first born dedicate them to God and formally place yourself in the position of their steward before God. Commit to raising them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. If you were not born again at their birth, make this the first thing you do after being saved yourself, no matter how old they are. When you pray for them as a parent you have authority in the spirit realm over them that no on else has. If your children are older when you received the Lord do this anyways, no matter what it looks like. This even applies to step children. Another aspect of parenting is relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you in your prayers over your children. Listen carefully to His leading. He knows the things your children are facing or will face in the future. You are standing in the gap for them. I cannot stress how important this is to the welfare of your children. There were so many times I was praying for my child and the Lord was bringing certain scriptures to my attention to pray over her only to find out later that she faced an attack and was able to overcome it by the scriptures I stood on for her safety and welfare. More than once they saved her life. Wisdom and guidance is the key. Pray for wisdom and guidance as you raise your children. Rely on the Holy Spirit. Ask God to help you to lead them in His ways and in the manner that He wants you to lead them. You are a steward of them, and it's not a responsibility to take lightly and has great accountability on our part. Children learn by example. Children will copy what you do, not what you say. You need to walk it like you talk it. The very first time that I heard the Lord’s voice audibly, Jesus said “Teach her to pray.” I was born again and just got Holy Spirit filled. I was in my bedroom on my knees praying to the Lord. I sensed someone in front of me so I opened my eyes and there was my five year old daughter. I immediately obeyed the Lord and started to teach her to pray. She has always been a blessing to me as well as to others each and every day. If you want your children to know God you must show them by example. The parent-child relationship is the pattern that God uses to demonstrate our relationship with Him. Let your children see that you ask Father God for direction in all matters of life. Let them observe and hear you pray for them. Let them get used to you thanking the Lord and praising Him, especially for answered prayer. Let them be active in your prayer life. Teach them to pray and talk to the Lord. Teach your children to pray so if their little hearts feel heavy they can go to God and not to the world. Proverbs 22:6 KJV “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Always, always, always, tell your children how much you love and treasure them. This lays the foundation for them to accept that God loves them and treasures them. Let them know that they are a blessing from God. Psalm 127:3 NLT “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.” Not only should you demonstrate this principle, but you should frequently talk about how much God loves them. When you hug them, tell your child this truth that “God knows them and loves them — in fact, He knows them and loves them even more than you do!” Reminding your child that God loves them is the first step to help your child know Jesus and understand the most important principle of the gospel. God is Love! Ephesians 6:4 “but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” Buy age appropriate books about Jesus and read with your children. Fellowship with them in Bible stories. As they get older share scriptures with them that the Lord gave you revelation on. Make it a habit to fellowship with them in things regarding the Lord. Make this a way of life. This is especially true if the children are older. Always share what the Lord is doing for you and saying to you. It doesn’t matter if they want to hear it or not. You are making Jesus a reality by your life. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “These Words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.” Proverbs 29:15-17 “To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes, but the Godly will live to see their downfall. Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.” The way to demonstrate the gospel as a parent is by having consequences for bad behavior. Each time you patiently remind your child, “that was wrong, and these are the consequences,” you’re demonstrating that there’s a standard by which all behavior can be judged as right or wrong — the standard of God’s Word and His character. Loving Biblical discipline paves the way for the truths that “all have sinned” and “the wages of sin is death”, while true Christian parenting patiently encourages the desire for righteousness within a child. Without the awareness of personal sin and its consequences, a child will never see their need for a Savior. Use the rod sparingly for life lessons to be seared into their brains. Ex: running into traffic, blatant disobedience, etc. It’s fine for them to want to negotiate a decision. However once you have listened to their case and your decision is the same, then negotiation is over and obedience must follow. As they get older, the world will start to call to them. They will be pulled into the world by their peers etc. Remember sin always starts out as a good time. But the wages of sin still pays the same. Death! We may get by with it for a while but judgement will come. You cannot stop it. Sin and its judgement are attached. True repentance is the only way. To change your mind on the sin completely, ask God to forgive you. Receive your forgiveness then move forward with God and a renewed mind. Your attitude towards your child should confirm that fact that no matter if they are being good or being bad you love them unconditionally, just like Father God does. This demonstrates the truth of God’s selfless and unconditional love. Romans 5:8 “ While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” You will make mistakes as a parent, and it’s important to tell your children that. When you mess up, discipline in anger, or are too harsh or not consistent, apologize to your child and tell them that you want to do better, because that’s not how God our Father is with us. Point out that even though you love your child so much and will always try to be the best parent you can for them, God’s love is greater, and His wisdom and discipline is perfect. Remind them that He will always show them unconditional love, no matter what they do. As parents, we can demonstrate how a relationship with God works by talking about how sin affects our relationships. Whenever your child disobeys you or lies to you, and you talk to them about it, explain how it affects your relationship with them. Open up about how, because of the sin, it makes it harder to trust that they are going to do the right thing or tell the truth next time. And while God’s love is unconditional, sin can put a strain on our relationship with Him too. When trust is broken, it’s hard to have a good relationship. In fact, unconfessed sin hardens the sinner’s heart and makes it more likely we will continue in the same, damaging behavior. Hurting us too, not just the relationships we care about. Confessing that the sin was wrong and asking for forgiveness helps your relationship to be better and grow stronger. Confessing sin and asking for forgiveness helps create good relationships with God and other people, demonstrating this principle yourself is even better. When you make a mistake and must ask your child for forgiveness, talk about how your offensive behavior hurt your relationship with them, how asking for forgiveness offers a chance to make it better, and how the confession also makes it less likely you’ll do the same thing again. From there, it becomes very easy to explain that when we sin against God, He doesn’t throw us out of the family, but the sin does hurt our relationship with Him. Confessing our sin and asking for forgiveness activates the truth in: 1John 1:9 “If we confess our sin, God not only forgives us, but He cleanses us from unrighteousness,” Causing the relationship to be restored and for us to sin less. None of us can be perfect, but we’re thankful for the gospel, which shows us how to deal with our sin in a way that’s healthy. Healthy for us, healthy for others, and healthy for our relationship with God. Let your household be one where forgiveness is celebrated! Teaching the gospel in your home, both verbally and, more importantly, with demonstration as a parent is the best way to help your child know Jesus at an early age and understand how a relationship with their Heavenly Father works. When you learn how to raise your children in a Godly way and how to demonstrate the gospel as a parent, you’re teaching your child how to walk in good relationship with God before they ever leave your home. Equipping them in the very best way possible for life ahead. Discipline: This is the part of parenting many don’t like, many disagree on, and many ignore. But we cannot ignore the fact that children need discipline. It may be different for each child, but the fact remains that they need discipline. For example, one child’s form of discipline may be taking privileges away. It doesn’t take much for the child to understand disobedience has consequences and will rarely commit the same offense. Then another child will require more than words to help them understand the consequences of disobedience. A rebellious nature takes a bit more molding and love from parents. You can’t be the push around parent. God didn’t make us to be bossed around by a child who has no idea what God’s Word says about raising them. We must rely on God, His Holy Spirit, and the Word to guide us to discipline our children. God loves us so much that even He disciplines those He loves. We as parents should do the same. Hebrews 12:11 “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Proverbs 12:1 “The one who loves discipline loves knowledge, but the one who hates reproof is stupid.” Everything we do sets an example for our children. The way we confront a situation, the way we speak of others, the way we dress, the way we carry ourselves, how we treat others ( are we respectful, polite, and kind). Do we treat our children in this same manner. Our children are watching every move. They are the ones that see us for who we truly are. Do you want to know one of the fastest ways for a child to reject Christianity? A hypocrite Christian parent. We cannot say we love God and live a life that is unpleasant to Him, our children get to witness our walk with Jesus. Contrary to popular belief; it’s not about what makes us happy, but what makes us holy that truly changes our life. It’s not easy, but it’s a blessing to be refined on our walk with Jesus and have our children witness repentance, sacrifice, forgiveness, and love. Just like Jesus. He set an example for us, He’s our Father and walks the talk. Setting an example is crucial for our children and we cannot fail to lean on Jesus! P.S. Just because you’re Christian, doesn’t mean your children are. Even more so, our example is needed. The last thing I want to touch on is provision. When I say this, of course I mean financially but I also mean providing love, patience, a warm home, and all the above we just read together. Providing is not buying everything a child wants. Providing isn’t choosing work over them to make money, (In some situations, it’s the only choice we have to provide the basics but for the average parent, this isn’t the case.) It’s not making sure they have all the things you didn’t get as a child. Provide: To equip or supply someone with (something useful or necessary). That’s one of the definitions I found of the word provide and that’s what we ought to do. Equip our children with what’s necessary. The way God provides for us. He’s always the One we want to look to as an example of how we should provide or what we should provide for our children. Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 2 Corinthians 12:14 “Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.” (Paul was father like to Corinth) Psalm 103:13 “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him. Galatians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (This includes our children)

What is the fear of the Lord, Reverance for God, proper way to pray, proper fear of God, honor of God, faith, teaching, Jesus Understanding the Fear of the Lord Article below or click link to download PDF PDF Understanding the Fear of Lord a vital necessity in the life of a Christian Understanding the fear of the Lord is a vital necessity in our daily walk. When praying and fellowshipping with the Lord one day, He said in my spirit “The Fear of The Lord is the path to resurrection power.” That certainly got my attention, however I realized I didn’t really know what the Fear of The Lord truly means to me as a believer and child of God. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Basically, this verse teaches that the Fear of God is foundational to true wisdom ; all other types of learning are worthless unless built upon a knowledge of the Lord Himself. Many other passages talk about the Fear of the Lord. Psalm 111:10 (NKJV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) The Fear of the LORD is the Beginning of Knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 14:27 The Fear of the LORD is a Fountain of Life, turning a person from the snares of death. Proverbs 15:33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor. Before we can understand how the fear of the Lord leads to wisdom, we need to define what the Bible means by “fear” in this context: In Hebrew the word translated “fear” can mean several things. It can refer to the “terror” one feels in a frightening situation. For example: Deuteronomy 2:25 This very day will I begin to put the terror and fear of you upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you. It can mean “respect” in the way a servant fears his master and serves him faithfully: Joshua 24:14 Now fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and in truth (with all faithfulness): and throw away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the Euphrates river, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD. Fear can also denote the “reverence or awe” a person feels in the presence of greatness. Isaiah 6:5 “Woe is me!” I cried. “For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts. The Fear of the Lord is a combination of all of these: Terror Respect Awe Fear of the Lord can be defined as: “The continual awareness that our loving heavenly Father is watching and evaluating everything we think, say, and do” Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty (idle) word they have spoken. Personally this scripture always gives me a healthy dose of the Fear of The Lord! I make a habit of repenting of idle or empty words and thoughts. This is done in context with: Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” And I ask the Lord to do this over my mouth Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 139:2-4 You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. (3.) You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. (4.) Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. Jeremiah 12:3 But You know me LORD; You see me and test my heart (thoughts) about You: Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. As Jesus told each of the seven churches in Revelation 2:2 and 3:1, “I know your works.” Nothing escapes His attention. Revelation 2:2 (NKJV) I know your works, and your labour, and your patience, and how thou cannot bear them which are evil: and You have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars: Revelation 3:1 (NKJV) And to the angel of the church in Sardis write; “These things says He that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; ‘I know your works, that you have a reputation that your are alive, but you are dead.’” In order to develop the Fear of the Lord, we must recognize God for Who He is. We must glimpse with our spirits the Power, Might, Beauty, and Brilliance of the Lord God Almighty. Revelation 11:17 (NKJV) saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One Who is and Who was and Who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. Hosea 12:5 Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial. Isaiah 6:1-5 (NKJV) (1)In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a Throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. (2)Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. (3)And one cried unto another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.” (4)And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. (5)Then said I, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Those who fear the Lord have a continual awareness of Him, a deep reverence for Him, and sincere commitment to obey Him. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This verse gives us some added insight with its sharp contrast between the wise life and the foolish life. A wise person fears, reverences, and obeys the Lord; a fool despises God’s instruction and cannot be told what to do. The wise person is wise because he has started at the starting place of Fearing The Lord; the fool has no foundation on which to build wisdom. Romans 1:21–22 speaks of those who “neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” This is a description of people who try to obtain wisdom while ignoring God—it cannot be done for the simple reason that: God is the source of wisdom. The link between the Fear of God and wisdom means we cannot possess wisdom if we recreate God in our own image. Too many brothers and sisters want to “tame” God into a non-threatening nobody. If we redefine the Lord as “a god” that makes us feel comfortable, a permissive “buddy” who exists simply to bless us and give us what we want, we will not Fear Him in the way He deserves to be feared. The Lord God Almighty is far greater than that, and the Fear of the Lord begins when we see Him in His majesty and power: Revelation 4:11 - “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being.” Job 42:1–2 (NASB) - “Then Job replied to the Lord, ‘I know that You can do all things, and that no plan is impossible for You.’” The Lord shows Job (and us) a glimpse of His power in Job chapters 38—41 when The Lord God Almighty describes His absolute sovereignty over everything. If you haven’t read those chapters, definitely check them out! The Word is a Spiritual Book! It takes the Holy Spirit within you to open your eyes to it. Therefore, these instructions the Lord has carefully placed in His Word are for us!!! Not for unbelievers. His correction is for us. When the reality of God’s true nature has caused us to fall down in worship, we are then in the right position to gain wisdom from the Lord. Wisdom is merely seeing life from God’s perspective and responding accordingly. Wisdom is a priority, and we are told to seek it above all else (Proverbs 3:13; 16:16 ). Proverbs is known as the wisdom book, and the entire second chapter gives a detailed explanation of the value of gaining wisdom. Until our hearts are in a right relationship with God, we are unable to have the “wisdom that comes from heaven” (James 3:17 ). Without the Fear of the Lord, we may gain knowledge of earthly things and make some practical choices for this life, but we are missing the single key ingredient that defines a wise person, and that is the Fear of the Lord - (Psalm 14:1; Exodus 20:3; Exodus 34:14; Jeremiah 25:6; Matthew 22:37 ). In the parable of the rich farmer , the rich man had a “wise” and practical plan for his profits, but God said to him, “You fool!” because the farmer’s plans were made with no thought of God and eternity (Luke 12:16–21 ). Without the Fear of the Lord, we make final decisions based on our faulty human understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6 ). When we incorporate the Fear of the Lord into every moment of our lives, we make decisions based upon His approval. We live with the knowledge that the Creator of the universe is intimately involved in our every move. He sees, knows, and evaluates all our choices, and We Will Answer To Him: Psalm 139:1–4 - 1.You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 - 10.By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11.For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.12.If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,13.their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.14.If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15.If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. He and He alone will judge as to where we spend our eternity, in heaven with Him or the lake of fire. If this does not make you tremble you are indeed foolish. Our respect for God’s majesty causes us to honor Him: Psalm 29:2 - “Honor the LORD for the glory of His Name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.” Our gratitude for His mercy causes us to serve Him well: Psalm 2:11 - “Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate His rule with trembling.” Psalm 107:15 (NKJV) - “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” And the understanding that our God of Love is also a God of Wrath inspires enough fear to help us stay away from evil: Romans 1:18 (NKJV) - “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” Proverbs 8:13 - “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” Sin is foolish; righteousness is wise. When we live righteously, we are on the path of wisdom, and everyone in our lives benefits: Proverbs 13:20 (ESV) - “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 19:8 (NKJV) - “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.”

End times, Prophecy, Judgement, God's judgment, What is wrath, God's Wrath, Second coming, Rapture, Eschatology, Apologetics, The Judgment Seat, Going to hell, Lake of Fire Judgment vs. Wrath What's the Difference? Article below. Or click here for downloadable PDF. PDF JUDGMENT vs. WRATH What's the Difference? (This article is long. Take your time. Grab your Bible and I recommend to pray the Ephesians 1:17-23 prayer over yourself.) 1.) Introduction 2.) Judgment and Wrath work together 3.) “Day” of Wrath 4.) Last Tidbits - Another Sacred Cow 1.) Introduction God’s Word defines itself. What this means is when we have a question regarding a particular subject matter, look at all the passages on that point or word, like words as “wrath” for example. You will find all the scriptures work together like a jigsaw puzzle, they fit neatly together. While looking into a particular subject some passages say exactly the same thing as the others. Oftentimes some passages will show a slightly different aspect with added details. It all shows a bigger picture. God sure seems to like to work that way. Let God be God. In all our articles we add emphasis to most of the scriptures to draw attention on a point and be sure the detail(s) don’t get missed by the reader. There are hundreds of scriptures on this subject matter of Judgement and Wrath. Like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Revelation, and parts of the Epistles, the Gospels, Peter, and Jude. Clearly we will not list all of them. You can study it out on your own if you desire. We will list at least three in each section. For out of two or three witnesses every word is established - 2 Corinthians 13:1 and Deuteronomy 17:6 . Have your Bible since some of the scriptures are only listed and need to be looked up. This is heavy, dense. Take you time with this because we will be going against what we have been traditionally taught in the Church. Let God be God and all of the “doctrines of men” fall away. All that being said, in this article we will distinguish from the Word of God these subjects: 1.) Judgment-Wrath; and 2.) Day of Wrath. I pray God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would give unto you wisdom and revelation knowledge by the Spirit as you read this, that your eyes would be enlightened to what He wants you to know, in Jesus Name. (Ephesians 1:17-18 ). * 2. ) Judgment and Wrath work together Definitions - From Strong’s Concordance: Judgment : “Greek - #2920 - krisis: A decision, judgment, judging, sentence; generally; divine judgment; accusation. To separate, distinguish - judgment, emphasizing its qualitative aspect that can apply either to a positive verdict (for righteousness) - or more commonly, a “negative” verdict which condemns the nature of sin that brings it on. Similar to #2919 - krinó: I judge, whether in a law-court or privately; sometimes with cognate noun emphasizing the notion of the verb, I decide, I think (it) good. Properly to separate (distinguish), come to a choice (decision, judgment) by making a judgment - either positive (a verdict in favor of) or negative (which rejects or condemns). J. Thayer comments that “the proper meaning of #2919 is to pick out (choose) by separating.” To make a determination of right or wrong, especially on an official (legal) standard. #2917 - krima: stresses the results that go with a particular judgment (of blessing or pain depending on the choice).” Wrath : “Greek - #3709 - orgé: Justifiable violent passion, abhorrence, by implication punishment, anger, vengeance, rising up from an ongoing opposition. To teem, swelling up to constitutionally oppose. Proceeds from an internal disposition which steadfastly opposes someone or something based on extended personal exposure, i.e. solidifying what the beholder considers wrong (unjust, evil). To swell, and thus implies that it is not a sudden outburst, but rather (referring to God’s) fixed, controlled, passionate feeling against sin …a settled indignation.” 1 Peter 4:17 - “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God ; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” The Body of Christ will have to go through judgment. The word: “tribulation” is used frequently in Old Testament and the New meaning “tough times.” They have happened before and will happen again. There is so much more to judgment and wrath then what we thought. And I’ve never seen it taught anywhere. God has executed wrath many times in the Old Testament. There are also many lessons in the Word of God where great men of God repented and some had to go through judgment even if they repented. It was the result of their sin although they repented. Depends on the depth of the sin. God does differentiate between “types” of sins in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Even though there is forgiveness there is sometimes still judgment for the depths of the sin: 1. Moses who didn’t cross the Jordan to go to the promised land because of his sin, of which he repented of in Deuteronomy 32:51-52 - “This is because …you broke faith with Me in the presence of the Israelites at the water of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold My holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from the a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel. ” God showed him the land as it is recorded in Numbers 20 where we see the shortcoming of Moses when he disobeyed God. The symbology is even more layered than not obeying God. Moses struck the “Rock” twice instead of what God told him, “strike it once” - this was the symbol of Jesus’ death on the cross. Crucifying Him again. Moses’ punishment for his pride, doubt, and disobedience was very great…Moses didn’t get to go to the promised land because of his sin, of which the Lord had originally promised him he would see if he obeyed God. Yet with all of that God loved him and it was God Himself that buried the body of Moses. See also Deuteronomy 34 . Moses’ failure at the rock did not break his relationship with the Lord. God continued to use the prophet and continued to love him with tenderness. 2. David with Bathsheba - 2 Samuel 11-12 - King David was loved by God. He was chosen by God to be the first victorious king of Israel, who replaced king Saul after Saul got into idolatry. David wrote the majority of the Psalms, about half, and was a fierce warrior for God. David always went to God first when a battle looked like it would ensue and David got God’s plans for the battle before he ever made a step. His time as king over Israel was the most prosperous time period in Israel’s history…because David put God first. King David is written about a lot in the Old Testament mostly in Samuel and Chronicles. He is the second most written about person in the Bible; the first most written about is of course Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Messiah. David was a king of piety, repentance, and submission to God, as well as the forerunner to the Messiah - Jesus, the Son of God. David was even from Bethlehem. And David made several foolish and purposeful errors with Bathsheba. David knew what he was doing was wrong. It was “willful” sin. David knew the punishment of adultery according to Levitical law. Once he had taken her while her husband was at war, David proceeded to sleep with her and eventually found she was pregnant. Then because David knew what he did was wrong he tried to hide it. He wanted her husband Uriah to go home and sleep with Bathsheba so he wouldn’t know she was pregnant from someone else, especially him. So he schemed another plan to have Uriah killed, along with others in the Israeli army that had to die for David’s sin. Many people were effected by this one act of David’s “looking” on another man’s wife and wanting to sleep with her. Psalm 51 was written by David with his heartfelt pleadings from this ordeal. And yet, David is called by God as a “man after God’s own heart, who shall fulfill all My will.” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22 .) But because of David’s willful sin the first child born to David from Bathsheba died. Yes, God forgave David and took away his sin and took away the just penalty on David which would have been David’s death. David was in grief with fasting and praying to God to attempt to change the outcome of his infant son but just as the Lord said, David’s child died. When David heard, he cleaned himself up and went to the Temple to worship God!! That’s profound!! How many of us caught up in a tragedy would go or have gone to worship God?! There is something major to learn from this! And bear in mind, his second son born to him from this grief was Solomon. It’s an important story to read. There was an outcome for the sin of David, his son’s death. And even Solomon whom the Lord loved, got messed up in all sorts of idolatry and had wives from the tribes that had nephilim blood and were into idolatry worshiping demon gods. David is one of my favorite heroes. A giant slayer - more than only Goliath. But David made mistakes, as we all do. Some outcomes God will hold off the just punishment for the sins we commit, some He does not. This is “judgment.” Not “wrath.” 3. Sampson - Judges 13-16 - Sampson was a judge of Israel and known for his strength that came from God. God raised up judges who were heroes for Israel, my favorite is Deborah - take a look at Deborah sometime, Judges 4-5 , who was like Moses and David, a prophet, national leader, and military commander. Samson was born to begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. But Sampson broke three of the Nazarite vows. (Seeing another “thread” here…Sampson was from Nazareth.) First: was to fall in love with a Philistine woman and he went home to tell his parents to get her to marry him. After the Spirit of God came on him and Sampson killed the lion, when he returned and passed by the carcass of the dead lion, he saw there was a bee hive within the carcass and he ate some of the honey. He brought some to his parents and they ate it. According to the Levitical law they were not to be near a dead body, but he ate from it and gave some to his parents who did not know where the honey came from. Numbers 6:6 says a Nazarite is not to go near a dead body and because Samson didn’t tell his parents means he knew what he was doing and breaking his vow. It is a vow to God. The second vow he broke is loosely implied in Judges 14:10-20 was the feast he gave to celebrate his wedding to this Philistine. In Hebrew the word is: misteh. It implies a drinking bout, of which he was doing with the Philistines, the woman’s family and friends. You can tell from this scripture this is what occurred. This was breaking his second vow to God that a Nazarite is to have no wine or hard drink. A Nazarite vow. There’s much historical narrative to what likely happened for this wedding which was never consummated and she was then married off to Sampson’s best man. The last vow that Sampson broke with the Lord was what happened with Delilah, a harlot he found in Gaza. (Judges 16:1-3. ) Sampson had sexual relations with her which is against Levitical law and Nazarite vow. Vow’s or keeping your promise(s) to God are very important. God is very serious about them - Matthew 5:33-35 . This example of Samson’s capture and death shows God’s judgement for broken vows. 4. Jonah - Jonah 1-4 - The lesson of Jonah is important for this age, Jesus said sign of Jonah being 3 days in the belly of the fish, like Jesus being in hell for three days before His resurrection; and it is also the last days sign - the sign of Jonah. He was a disobedient prophet who rejected what the Lord told him to do. It was a part of his calling that the Lord commissioned Jonah to go to Nineveh. There is so much scholarly text written about Jonah should you be inclined to do the research. Some of which I’ll mention: Nineveh was the capitol of Babylon. Heavy pagan worship. And the reason why they listened, at least in their minds, but we know it had to do with God, was that Jonah showed up after there had been a major solar eclipse. They worshipped the sun god. When the sun got covered by the moon Babylonians knew this was a bad sign. Like the eclipse we are going to have (at the time of this writing) on April 8, 2024, this I believe is the Lord telling us our nation is done for (and with the one in 2017 and the path of both make an “X” across our nation. Just like Babylon-Assyria, of which the Lord calls America “Babylon” in the book of Revelation.) Getting back to Jonah’s disobedience, it caused him to be thrown into the ocean and swallowed by a large fish. Jonah’s disobedience had an outcome. An outcome that included death - Jonah 2. Once he was vomited out by the fish, Jonah does what the Lord had asked. And because of the repentance from the king of Nineveh all the way down the ranks of the people, God withheld His judgment. And Jonah was not happy about that. He was upset that God would hold off. Interesting lesson of this story, it was the king of Nineveh that told the Ninevites to repent to the Lord, not Jonah. 5. Pete r - Matthew 14:29; Luke 5:8; Matthew 26:31-33, 69-75; John 21:15-19 Peter is another hero of the Bible I love and have learned so much from. He loved the Lord and yet, made mistakes. What I learned from his lessons are about faith. I call him the disciple of faith. When Jesus said something, Peter did it. “At Your word I will do it.” We don’t see in scripture that he ever had to go through judgement for a mistake like when Peter denied Jesus but we can learn much from looking at him through scripture. Judgment and Wrath Work Together The two work together: Judgment and Wrath. Judgment brings about wrath. Or perhaps it’s better to say when there has been no repentance wrath is the ultimate culmination of the judgement. Wrath as the outcome of judgment is all over the Old Testament with the flood of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, Tower of Babel, Moses with the Israelites in Egypt and in the desert, and with many of the kings in Chronicles, Samuel, Kings, Psalms, and Daniel. In looking at these two subjects we inevitably see in the Word of God the Seven Year Tribulation and the Rapture occurring around the same time period. The Word says the time period is seven years and not just in Daniel. God uses the same descriptions for things in many places and it pin points the timeline. * Let’s take a look at Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 - “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.” Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon. The man of whom God gave the greatest amount of wisdom to and no one else will ever have that in this life on earth. What he wrote is important - God thought so. And there is much to this passage in Ecclesiastes but for this article we are looking at one piece: God’s method of operating - What God has done before He will do again; and what He has done of old will be again. And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Judgment and Wrath work together and yet they are slightly different from each other from the definitions we looked at in the beginning. Wrath is the result of the buildup of Judgment - which means no repentance. When God brings Judgment on a land, a king, a people group, a city, He is looking for repentance. For people to run to Him. When there is repentance God holds off or cancels out the Wrath. The classic example is Jonah with the city of Nineveh. The City’s - ruler and the people, including the animals went to a state of repentance and stopped the hand of God from bringing His righteous Judgment and Wrath wiping out the city. As James 2:13 says “For He shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment.” I like it in the NLV - “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.” Historically we know that God ultimately did wipe out the city of Nineveh as it is to this day. Back to Ecclesiastes. Where else has God used two things that work together like Judgment and Wrath? Let’s look at an extra Biblical book for reference because it’s states clearly this type of duel relationship. These relationships are in the Bible but only in an esoteric way. Enoch 60:6,12-15 - 6 . “And when the day, and the power, and the punishment, and the judgement come, which the Lord of Spirits hath prepared for those who worship not the righteous law, and for those who deny the righteous judgement, and for those who take His name in vain-that day is prepared, for the elect a covenant, but for sinners an inquisition…12. And how the spirits are distributed, and how they are weighed. And how the springs, and the winds, are counted according to the power of their spirit. And the power of the light of the Moon. And the divisions of the stars according to their names. And how all the divisions are made. 13. And the thunder – according to the places were it falls. And all the divisions that are made in lightning – so that it may flash. And its hosts – how they quickly obey. 14. For the thunder have fixed intervals, which have been given to its sound, for waiting. And the thunder and the lightning are not separate although not the same. Through a spirit the two of them move inseparably. 15. For when the lightning flashes the thunder utters its voice, and the spirit, at the proper time, causes it to rest, and divides equally between them because the storehouse of the times for their occurrence is like that of the sand. And each of them, at the proper time, is held by a rein, and turned back by the power of the spirit, and likewise driven forward, according to the number of the regions of the Earth.” Thunder and lighting are two separate elements yet they work together by the spirit that God has put in charge of them. God sets things in motion that work together like: sun and moon, lightning and thunder, day and night, seasons, sand and sea, judgment and wrath. He even does it in the New Testament with sending the disciples out two by two and in marriage - the two are one flesh. And if we are taking all of this as an example of His modus operandi, then we also see there is a “space” of time between the two parts as it says in Enoch. For human kind his “space” of time is God’s grace and mercy to get people to repent so He won’t have to bring His Wrath. We can see a “space” of time in Revelation 8:1 when the 7th seal is open and the entire scroll is now open, there is silence in heaven for about a half-an-hour. A grace period of time to still give people a chance to repent before the trumpets begin to sound. There’s another element I want to bring up about that passage in Enoch that states: the day; the power; the punishment; the judgment; and that day is prepared, for the elect a covenant, but for sinners an inquisition. That “day” - what day? The Day of Wrath is prepared. It is a Judgment. It is punishment. It shows God Almighty’s power. Just like how God has prepared everything. Nothing is by coincidence. And that day is prepared for the elect, those who are His with a covenant. What is that covenant? It was made by God to mankind and sealed with the Blood of Jesus! Meaning we are sealed with a covenant to not partake of the Day of Wrath - 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9 ; and Romans 5:9 . Praise God! But for sinners, it is an inquisition. Let’s see how seriously God takes His own covenants: Jeremiah 33:19-22 - “And the Word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus says the Lord: ‘If you can break My covenant of the day, and My covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also My covenant be broken with David My servant, that He should not have a Son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, My ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David My servant, and the Levites that minister unto Me.” The question God asks is rhetorical. His covenant He made with the day and night, the season, and numbering and naming all the stars cannot be broken. Neither can God’s covenant with David. We see from Jeremiah that God cannot break His covenant. Any of them. His covenant(s) - yes, there is more than one, like His covenant with sun and moon, day and night, and how they are to operate; with the sand and the sea in Jeremiah 5:22 - “‘Should you not fear me?’ declares the LORD. ‘Should you not tremble in My presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.’” When God declares something as a covenant He will never break it. All His covenants are everlasting. Hebrews 13:20 - “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,” Hebrews 10:29 - “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?” God’s Word stands. His covenants He has made to Himself! He did that because He will never break His own Word - a human unfortunately can, and He is the one who is making the promise, covenant, to Himself to be sure that it cannot be broken - Hebrews 6:13 “For when God made promise to Abraham, He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself.” And God is no respecter of persons, neither male nor female, Gentile or Jew - we are all one in Christ Jesus; and we are the seed of Abraham. People can break promises, covenants…God cannot. This is why He has set things up the way He has, His promises are to Himself and they cant be broken by Him! That’s shoutin’ ground! Ezekiel 37:26 - “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put My sanctuary among them forever.” Psalm 111:5, 9 - “He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever…He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever - holy and awesome is His Name.” Isaiah 59:21 - “‘As for Me, this is My covenant with them,’ says the Lord. ‘My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and My Words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants - from this time on and forever,’ says the Lord.” So what happens when promises of God are not manifesting in the readers life? There are a couple of reasons why: unrepented sin; family curse/general curse; not heeding the Voice of God; not spending time with God; not understanding who you are to Him and what He has given you. Get in prayer time with Him and see what the cause is, then take the necessary steps to clean it up. * Let’s look and see Judgment and Wrath working together: Job 19:29 - “You should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, and then you will know that there is judgment.” Deuteronomy 29:27-28 - “Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against this land, so that He brought on it all the curses written in this book. In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.” Hosea 13:11 - “So in my anger I gave you a king, and in My wrath I took him away.” 2.) “Day” of Wrath The Day of Wrath is a specific “day.” It is the culmination, the epitome, of the Judgment of God on people who have turned away from Him. They have refused Him. For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, we are saved from that “day.” - Romans 5:9 - “Since we have now been justified by His Blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s Wrath through Him!” We don’t exactly know what “saved from wrath” means. Yes, it could mean the rapture. But it could also mean kept safe by the Lord just like Noah, Lot, Joshua, and many others. If we are being honest, we don’t exactly know what it means. We do know God is with us. Let’s look at details from the Word about the “Day of Wrath.” There are so many scriptures that speak of this when you know “what” to look for. Same descriptors, key words and phrases. Below is a very descriptive scripture about the Day of Wrath showing many aspects of what it’s called in the Word: Zephaniah 1:7-18 - “Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near . The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated those He has invited. ‘On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all those clad in foreign clothes. On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit. On that day, ’ declares the LORD, ‘a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills. Wail , you who live in the market district; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be destroyed. At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ ‘Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses, they will not live in them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine.’ The great day of the LORD is near — near and coming quickly. The cry (voice) on the day of the LORD is bitter ; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry . (Rev. 19:11-21) That day is a day of wrath , A day of trouble and ruin , A day of darkness and gloom , A day of clouds and blackness , A day of trumpet and alarm (battle cry) against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver not their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath ; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealously; for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the the land.” Notice in the beginning of this passage it says - “be silent” - this is before the “Day of the Lord”/ “Day of Wrath”. Where else does the Bible talk about silence? - Revelation 8:1 - “And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” And in Zephaniah it says the “day” is near when the silence occurs. It is the same in Revelation 8. Heaven is quiet, nothing is happening. It’s a grace period of time before the trumpets sound. We know how we think of time is not how God does. He created time. He molds time. He is outside of time and operates within it for us. He is in eternity. I don’t know precisely what an “hour” or “about a half and hour” means. But it is a certain amount of time that is a grace period before it all comes down. I do not know if the silence happens then the Day of the Lord/Wrath immediately occurs. No matter what God has it in His hands. It’s simply an interesting observation. The Day of the Lord is listed as: The Day of the Lord The Voice on the Day is Bitter It’s a Day of the Lord’s Sacrifice It’s the Day of Wrath It’s a Day of Trouble It’s a Day of Distress It’s a Day of Ruin It’s a Day of Darkness It’s a Day of Gloominess It’s a Day of the Trumpet It’s a Day of Alarm/Battle Cry. All of this is what the “Day” encompasses - the nitty gritty details. This is THE wrath that we are delivered from in Romans 5:9 and 1 Thessalonians 1:10 , and 5:9 . Let’s take a look at 1 Thessalonians 1:10 - “and to wait for His Son from heaven , whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming Wrath .” Notice that the Rapture is the escape for that “Day.” It’s a rescue. This is what the Greek word “harpazo” means. A rescue from the “Day of Wrath.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:9 - “For (He) has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation (deliverance) by our Lord Jesus Christ.” The basic definition of “salvation” is: deliverance. We are not appointed to wrath but delivered by Jesus Christ because He is our Lord. It is my personal opinion that as the Day of Wrath falls the Rapture occurs. God is always right. No matter what we will all see where we missed our interpretation of it all. Just to share a few thoughts. Let’s look at what else it appears He has to say about it. Because let’s face it…we don’t exactly know. But there are some very big clues. We will look at this in context with a scripture most have been taught was at the Second Coming. But the thing is, it matches all the other rapture scriptures. No where in the Word does it say there is a “second coming” and it’s been assumed that those with Jesus are the previously raptured saints. But no where does it say that either. It says He comes with His armies and in other places He comes with His angels. We do know He has warrior angels like Michael and Gabriel (Daniel 8-9 and 12 ). Revelation 19:11-21 - “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war . 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a Name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations . “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” a He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty . 16 On His robe and on His thigh He has this Name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small. 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the Rider on the horse and His army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the Rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. ” First: we are not given a timeline of how long Wrath is. But some can look at it either 3.5 years or the remaining 75 days in Daniel 12 that says 1,260 days (3.5 years) and blessed is the one who can make it through to 1,335 days. (1,335 - 1,260 = 75.) But it is called a “day”. Isaiah 34 is much like Rev. 19. I think it is exactly, showing more aspects to the “day”. And in verse 8 it says “For it is the day of the vengeance of Yaweh, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” It certainly looks like it is the final year of the Seven Year Tribulation. Jesus is judging and making war - Judgment and Wrath with Jesus as the Judge. Zephaniah calls Him “the Mighty Warrior who shouts out His battle cry.” - Zephaniah 1:14 NIV. Armies of Heaven - following Jesus ridding on white horses and dressed in clean white linen. This more detail of what is said in part in 2 Thessalonians 1:7 - “…the Lord Jesus will be revealed with His mighty angels. ” And look at Matthew 16:27 - “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels , and will then repay every man according to his deeds.” Again in Matthew 25:31 - “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him , then He will sit on His glorious throne.” Another in Matthew 24:31 - “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him , then He will sit on His glorious throne.” And another Mark 13:27 - “And then He will send forth the angels , and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.” Again in Jude 1:14 - “It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, ”. And another in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 - “To the end He may establish your hearts un-blamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints .” In this one there are three other translations of 1 Thessalonians 3:13 that say “Jesus Christ with His Holy Ones ;” “Jesus Christ with His holy angels ;” from the Greek: “Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred”. From “hagos”- sacred. And we can see from other scripture that “holy ones” means angels , Daniel 4:23 - “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven…” ESV calls this “holy one” what Enoch calls them: Watcher. We can see by looking at some of the rapture scriptures that Jesus is coming with angels, not with the “already raptured” saints, the Word doesn’t state that anywhere. There are quite a few Old Testament verses about the rapture as well. There are far more than 2 or 3 scriptures settling this matter of “who” Jesus is returning with. Jesus comes with a sharp sword coming out of His mouth to strike down the nations. This is the Day of the Lord - both rapture and wrath. Other scriptures which speak to this: Revelation 1:16; Isaiah 49:1-2; Psalm 18:7-19; 2 Samuel 22:9-16; Job 37:2-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:8. Winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. Other scriptures that match this: Revelation 14:15-20; Joel 3:12-16; Isaiah 63:2-6; Isaiah 13:6-13; Revelation 18:3; Matthew 24:31. Birds gorge themselves on the flesh. Genesis 15:1-11; Ezekiel 39:4, 19; Revelation 19:21 - this is the Ezekiel 38-39 war, it starts before the Rapture/Day of Wrath. Look at Ezekiel 38:18-23 and 39:9 - they are gathering and burning weapons for 7 years. Notice all of this starts with the Rapture/Day of Wrath. Take a look at Isaiah 26:16-21 . And this is only a portion of the scriptures. There are three more parts to share about this “day”: 1. Jesus comes on clouds with tumult; 2. More to show on the day of the Rapture is the same day as the Day of Wrath; 3. Timing of this “day.” 1. Jesus comes with clouds and tumult: Matthew 24:29-30 - “ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light , and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn , and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” We see here the sun is darkened, the moon doesn’t give its light, stars fall from heaven, and the powers (think Ephesians 6:12 ), all people of the earth will see this, and it’s all with Jesus coming in the clouds. Just as Acts 1:9 says He was taken up in a cloud and in verse 11 the angels told the disciples that He will come the same way they saw Him go. This also goes with Joel 2:28-32 and we will just show verse 30-31 - “I will show wonders in the heavens. And on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke, the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” And this also goes in line with previously mentioned Isaiah 13:9-10 ; All of Isaiah 24 but here note verse 23; 26:19-21; Joel 3:15; Amos 8:9 (All of Amos 8 pertains); Ezekiel 32:4-10 - Ezekiel is alluding to Revelation 18 , these two chapters of scripture go together. 2. Day of the Rapture is the same Day as the Day of Wrath. In Zephaniah 1:16 as I shared earlier, it says it’s a Day of Trumpet and Day of Alarm. That is two distinctions. “Trumpet” can symbolize two events: one of the seven trumpets that sounds in Revelation chapters 8-11 ; and it is also the Rapture as seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command , with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” That “Day” as Zephaniah says has a voice and a trumpet , and Thessalonians says “a loud command.” All on that “Day.” It is a “Day of Alarm” and a “Day of Trumpet” - which I believe means it’s a dual day: a day of trumpet for the Rapture and day of alarm for the planet because of God’s Wrath. Praise God we are delivered as God’s Wrath comes down. And when you look at other Rapture verses many of them show the disaster that is falling. Including 2 Peter 3:10-12 - “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” And Peter goes in line with what Joel describes. 3. Timing of this “day.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 - “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet . For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” This passage shows us “when” this happens. It’s at the Last Trumpet! Which is Revelation 11:15-18 . All of Revelation 11 is important for this because we see 42 months are given to the Gentiles to trample the outer court of the temple and the 2 witnesses are around for a specific number of days - 1,260 which is exactly 42 months at 30 days each month. Forty-two months give a little wiggle room. It could be just over 1,260 days or just under. Keep in mind there is only one resurrection for the believers - at the Rapture. The other resurrection is for the Great White Throne judgment. No where in scripture does it say there are multiple group resurrections. Perhaps the witnesses are raised on the Ratpure/Wrath Day or perhaps they are raised by themselves. This has happened before - Jesus. We shall see how Lord does this. In verses 15-18 it does look like the Day of Wrath after the 2 witnesses resurrection. It could be when the antichrist is possessed by satan after he or one of his “heads” or “rulers” gets shot in the head, there seems to be another 42 months - this is the time period if the a.c. gets killed during this time… unless he is someone of whom the enemy is cloning who has already died. A historical figure. Sounds a little out there but it has been discussed in many circles. (Revelation 11 and 13 .) Notice another phrase in Zephaniah - “…all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be destroyed.” Where else have we seen that statement in the Word? Revelation 18 ! Especially in versus 11-19 but we will look at Revelation 18:3-4 - “…and the merchants (or corporations) of the earth grew rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven saying ‘Come out of her, My people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.” It could be that “duel day”. Rapture and Wrath - the same day. Jesus calling us upward as The Day of Lord is coming down. Or it could be that the Lord is telling us to get out of this country. We shall see. 3. Here’s a few more I see to state my case of the dual day theory: Rapture/Wrath. Look at another part of Zephaniah says: “Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished…neither shall their wealth deliver them” - This goes with Revelation 6:12-17 but we will only look at versus 15 and 17 - “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains…For the great day of His Wrath is come and who shall be able to stand.” Which goes with Isaiah 2:10-22 & 24:5-23 (Notice in verse 23 the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed…this is just like Matthew 24:29 . This is the same day as the Rapture, the Day of the Lord, the Day of His Wrath. And if you look at Philippians 1:6,10 speaks of that “Day” as the Day of Christ. 2 Peter 3:10-12 calls it the Day of God and Day of the Lord - “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are in it shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” Where else do we see “thief in the night?” - 1 Thessalonians 5:2 - “for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” All of 1 Thessalonians 5 is another important chapter regarding all of this. Here are a few more scriptures: Ezekiel 30:2-3 - “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “’Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near— a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations…” Isaiah 61:2 - “to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,” Isaiah 10:3 - “What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?” 2 Thessalonians 2:12 - “and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” Jeremiah 15:3 - “I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” declares the LORD, “the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy.” (Revelation 6:7; 9:13-15.) Romans 2:8 - “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Romans 5:9 (repeated again in 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9 ) - “Since we have now been justified by His Blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s Wrath through Him!” Romans 1:18 - “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,” Romans 9:22 - “What if God, although choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?” Ecclesiastes 8:11-12 - “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil…” Revelation 6:12-17 - “I watched as He opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, (just like Matthew 24:29) and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. (Isaiah 24.) Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the Face of Him Who sits on the throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His Wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” * 3.) Last Tidbits - Another Sacred Cow If you have read the article The Second Death and Great White Throne Judgement this is part of that article. You may want to skip it if you have already read it. Everyone in the Church has been taught this so this is going to be hard to look at initially because it messes with our paradigm. A paradigm isn’t necessarily the truth. It’s only something held onto “as” the truth. I am asking that you put aside what you have been told and look at what the Bible says versus what scholars and Pastors have assumed. Remember what 1 Peter 4:17 says the “judgment begins with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? “ This “doctrine” is that the restrainer to be removed is the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 ) and it is assumed that includes the Church and we won’t see the antichrist. This is put in line with Daniel 9:24-27 . But is that what it says? Let’s take a look. We will go to Daniel first. The entire chapter 9 is Daniel finding out by revelation from the Lord that the prophet Jeremiah spoke of how long Israel was to be captive in Babylon. Daniel interceded for the nation of Israel, repented in behalf of all their ungodly acts and asked the Lord how long would this judgement be for Israel. Daniel had thought it was a literal 70 years which by his time had already passed but he was told how he misunderstood it and that it was to be “70 sevens” or weeks of years. Verses 24-27 Gabriel comes to give Daniel the answer and yes, we do look at to what part is relevant for this day that we live in. The issue that has been the subject of confusion is all of the “he’s” that is in this chapter. Take a look. Overview Originally the word “restrainer” was used in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 . It’s been changed in many translations to “let.” “Restrainer” is one of those enigmatic Greek words that means simply means “something that restrains,” it is stopping something from happening for a particular reason. Uh…okay…this means we need to go into more depth in the Word to see exactly what the Lord means. As mentioned before the devil has been trying to get his antichrist (ac) in the limelight for centuries. Actually, millennia. The “Restrainer” has been holding him back because of what God has said in His Word. It’s in God’s timing, not the enemy’s. God has a timeline for this to occur. Why? This is my take on it, since God has already created people before the foundation of the world and written them down in His Book of Life, they must be born…or let’s say it this way: conceived in this world, this realm, first. Each person is designated to be on earth in a specific time period, and no devil is going to push the clock to make the final 7 years happen outside of God’s timing. What God has said in context with His prophetic scripture is a covenant. It is an oath from God Almighty. In context with 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 the Restrainer is stopping the ac from showing up before the time that God has ordained according to His Word - and according to Daniel 9:27 it is God Himself that has made a covenant with many for the 7 year Tribulation to occur, God has it set in a specific timeline and won’t let the devil “jump the gun” or make it last longer. We have thought that Daniel 9:27 the “he” was the ac. It is not the ac. Let’s look at Daniel 9 in more detail: "2 in the first year of his reign (king Xerxes), I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the Word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: ‘Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your Name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.’ 7 'Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against You. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws He gave us through His servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You.’ ‘Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to Your truth. [which is why judgement comes on the house of the Lord] 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything He does; yet we have not obeyed Him.’ 15 'Now, Lord our God, who brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for Yourself a Name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and Your people an object of scorn to all those around us.’ 17 'Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, look with favor on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and your people bear Your Name.’” The Seventy “Sevens” "20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for His holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision: 24 Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.’” Notice the flow of what is spoken. It is about God and what He has poured out on Israel because of their sin. The “he” that occurs everywhere except the end - the last sentence - of verse 27 throughout the text is God. We will look at it again with more inflections to see better. There is also the part at Gabriel’s opening statement that lays out an outline in verse 24 - this gives an order to more details within the order that is discussed in subsequent verses. We will start at verse 15. We could go from the beginning but you get the point. Emphasis added of course and I will stop in more places with commentary: 15“'Now, Lord our God, Who brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and Who made for Yourself a Name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and Your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, Look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18Give ear, our God, and Hear; open Your eyes and See the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your Name.’” The Seventy “Sevens” 20"While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for His holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. [Regarding what you have asked for from God.] 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision: [Verse 24 which we are about to get to is the outline of what Daniel is told and the main themes and I have numbered them here. Verses 25-27 are further details of each numbered item and the events described within each numbered part overlap from one number to the next. Notice when God answers He does so from His perspective, not man’s: #1 was the primary question Daniel raised about how long Israel would remain in captivity under Babylon. #2 is from God’s perspective of His doing away with sin and atoning for wickedness. #3 is also from God’s perspective how God will bring everlasting righteousness because man cannot do it on his own. #4 is what God will do with…get this…THE vision and prophecy that He has given to Daniel - All of Daniel’s visions that God gave him are ONE vision and prophecy - they are more details of what the Lord is showing Daniel in chapters 2 (I know, it was Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, I’ll get to that later), 7-12. Just like chapter 9 there is further explanation of what verse 24 lays out will happen. This is how God does things all through the Bible, especially in Revelation. Revelation is not linear in happenings. Many chapters are further explanation of other chapters. They overlap. So does Daniel’s visions - they overlap, they are further detail of what he first got in Chapter 2 and chapter 7. And technically what he got in chapter 2 came through someone else - Nebuchadnezzar. Have you ever had the Holy Spirit give you further revelation upon a word that He revealed to someone else? Sure you have. God does that. And God was letting Daniel know that He would seal what He gave Daniel until the time of the end - Daniel 12. No one will understand it until God opens it. #5 the final part of God’s design of Anointing His Most Holy Place, the New Jerusalem, of which Daniel didn’t realize this was one of the answers he asked for, “the rebuilding of Jerusalem” - the final one, from God’s perspective. When we ask God questions, most commonly we don’t realize “what” we are asking. And He will answer from His perspective. This is why the Lord said in Isaiah 55:8-9 that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than man’s ways.] Verse 24 here’s the “overview” of what is spoken in subsequent verses that give more detail. 24 - #1 - Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, #2 to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, #3 to bring in everlasting righteousness, #4 to seal up vision and prophecy #5 and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Further Explanation of verse 24: we see 70 sevens of years (490) was the time allotted for Israel to pay for their transgression by the rule of Babylon, of which Daniel was praying about and repenting of the nation of Israel’s sin. Putting and end to sin and atone for wickedness permanently could only be done by Jesus and the cross. His resurrection is what brought everlasting righteousness, it could come no other way - 1 Corinthians 5:21 - “you are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus.” Upon His resurrection He brought in EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS. Righteousness was not here before His resurrection. [Yes, God called Abraham a righteous man because he believed what God said. That is a different situation. People as a whole were not righteous and only Jesus could make that happen.] Sealing up Daniel’s vision and end time prophecy has been done from the time of Daniel through to the end times. Anointing the most holy place, the New Jerusalem, is what will happen after the millennium. There is a wide timeline of what the Lord was showing Daniel, from his time through to the next dimension on the recreated earth with the New Jerusalem - Revelation 21:1-2. [Numbered sections in verses 25-27 go into the sections listed in verse 24 - they are further explanations of sections in verse 24, they overlap.] 25"Know and understand this: #1 From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the Ruler, comes there will be seven ‘sevens’, and sixty-two ‘sevens’” - In this verse there is more detail of #1 that leads into #2 giving a timeline - 490 years plus 434 years until Jesus came from the time of Daniel. Now I know it doesn’t add up. Thats because of use of the Gregorian calendar and matching it up with God’s calendar. There is always an overlap. [Babylon took over Israel in 605 BC. Which makes it 320 AD according to this verse of scripture for when Jesus was around and we know that wasn’t the case on our calendar. Hear me out - in Church history the most important political ruler was Constantine. 320 AD was the year he was born. His rulership made Christianity acceptable in the world. More than that, they stoped killing and torturing Christians. Something else to figure is the Essene calendar. The way the Essenes figured the timeline was according to scripture, it is God’s calendar not the Gregorian calendar. And there is always an overlap between the two. Each era or what are called “days” - there are 7 and we are currently at the end of the 6th era or day which ends in 2025 - overlaps on the Gregorian calendar. All of them overlap on the Gregorian calendar. [https://www.fivedoves.com/letters/mar2024/luisv310-2.htm ]. So from the Prevoius era “The age of Torah” over laps into the “Age of Grace”. It only does the first portion of that “day”. About 1/3. This is the same as an over lap to what they consider the “Church Age- the Age of Grace”. So what am I saying? It is both. It is the coming of Jesus to take away the sins of the world and bring righteousness and Constantine was the political leader who made Christianity the religion of an empire. It had never happened before. All done by the hand of God.] Back to #2. There are 70 sevens and another 62 sevens until Jesus comes to put an end to sin and wickedness. The Temple was rebuilt during the time of Nehemiah when the Temple was first rebuilt, after the time of Babylon, under Persia when they defeated Babylon. More detail in verse 25: #2 25 until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. - These are overlapping the rebuilding of the Temple and Jesus onto the earth under the occupation of Rome - times of trouble with what it was to be like to the time of His death on the cross. During the time of the rebuilt Temple would be a time of trouble - it wasn’t going to be easy for Israel for well-over millennia. We know what happened, after Babylon was the Persians with king Cyrus, Greeks with Alexander the Great, and then the Romans with the various Caesars, and subsequent to that the great dispersion after the Resurrection of Jesus that lasted until 1948 - all overtook Israel. Israel certainly had times of trouble even though the Temple had been rebuilt from what Daniel had asked. Explanation of verse 26: 26”After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” Let’s look at this verse in Hebrew Bible: 26 After the weeks, 60 and 2, Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself, and the city and the sanctuary shall destroy the people, of the prince (ruler) who is to come, and the end of it shall be with a flood and till the end of the war are determined desolations.” We see Messiah’s death on the cross which is not for Himself, He died for the sins of the whole world. When Rome takes over, at this time under emperor Nero, is the one who destroyed the second Temple. This is all part of #1 for Israel being under the punishment of God. Again, it’s more detail of verse 24. There is also added the time of the end like Revelation 12:16 where Jerusalem is destroyed by a flood. As verse 26 says, the end comes with a flood. There are scholarly debates as to whether this is literal or figurative. I’m not going to say one way or the other. It could be both knowing how God uses language. There are often 2 meanings at the very least. Explanation of verse 27: 27"He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Now here is part with the “he” or “He” to consider. Let me ask you a question: Did God speak of the antichrist at all in this chapter so far? No. So let’s take a look at it from God’s perspective since He is answering Daniel from His perspective. 27. “He - God - will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’ “- God is making a promise to those who believe in Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, for a limited time: 7 years. And it’s a promise! A covenant! And He has made the covenant, His promise with many…not just Jews but to all who receive Him. God will not allow the devil to run rampant for longer than that. He is putting a parameter on the devil. Why is God even having to do any of this, you might ask? Because people have become so stubborn, hardhearted and deny God. All of God’s punishment no matter when He has done it - Noah’s Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, (the original) Babylon, Tyre, Ai, Nineveh, Jericho, etc. - come from lack of repentance and coming back to Him. It’s all over Genesis, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and many more. It is what the entire Bible is about - those who stay with Him and those who do not. God has to allow the punishment to try to turn people back to Him. It is what the entire book of Revelation is about. Look at Revelation 16:11 - “they cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” But God will only allow so much time for this because of those who believe in Him - Mark 13:20 - “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has shortened them.” Who God has chosen are those in the Lamb’s Book of Life. God’s seed. Those who are alive and remain and are His seed, the days will be shortened because of them! In the next part of this verse “‘He’ will put an end to sacrifice and offering - what has this whole chapter spoken about? - the sacrifice and offering of Jesus for all of mankind to put an end to sin and wickedness. This is where we get back to what “He” means, right here in this part of verse 27. Let’s look at this with 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and Isaiah 66:9. First Isaiah 66:9 “Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God.” As you know it is God that gives children and it is God that closes the womb. He allows or does not allow on the earth. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 “1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. [This is the same as the ‘abomination of desolation’ from Daniel 9 and Luke 21. The ac will desecrate Christian churches and houses of worship. We have seen this occur recently when Jihad occurs and Christians are tortured, burned, beheaded, and their churches are set on fire or converted to mosques. I’m not saying the ac is muslim…but it’s possible. From what is written by Daniel especially in chapter 7 and 11 it could very well be. We shall see how this plays out.] This also goes with the “Restrainer” being removed…it’s half-way through the 7 years to allow the ac to have authority over the believers - Revelation 13:7 “it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:” and Revelation 12:17 which is after the “woman” or those who believe in Jesus go into hiding - verse 17 says, “And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” God has to allow the devil to do this because believers who know their place in Christ and the Authority He gave won’t put up with it, unless they have been told by God that they will be a martyr. And let’s face it, most Christians today have no idea about their Authority in Jesus Christ. Once the Lord removes His hand from the devil and allows him to run wild, many of the Christians left won’t have a Spiritual leg to stand on. 2 Thessalonians 2:2-12 (continued) “5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. [“Something” or better to say Someone is holding him - the ac - back for the proper time!!! Not in the devil’s own time, but rather in God’s own time! Which is only for 7 years. The devil thinks he can run the entire show on this planet for eternity. As Daniel 7:25 says the ac is going to try to change the law - God’s law - and the times. God is in charge and won’t let the ac change His timing. Not going to happen. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof!] 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work [because of sin in the earth and those who have not received Jesus]; but the one [One] who [Who] now holds it back will continue to do so till he [He] is taken out of the way. [Remember this is why has the sacrifice that Jesus paid have to be removed or “taken out of the way” which is the other way to say it: BECAUSE God gives satan authority OVER ALL mankind for a period of time - the last 3.5 years. This is seen in Daniel 7:25; 9:27 and Revelation 13:5 - Daniel 7:25 - “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time:” Daniel 9:27 - “He (God) will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ He (God) will put an end to sacrifice and offering.” Revelation 13:5-8 - “5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His Name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” We see that God’s holy people have to undergo the ac having authority over them. With Jesus having done His sacrifice we have Authority over the devil - Luke 10:17-19 & Mark 16:17-18 but this time period is different. God is allowing the devil to have authority over His people, those who are His holy people. It is not just Jews. No where does it say that it is only the Jews. It says: His people. There is no difference between Jew or Gentile, male or female, we are all one in God - Galatians 3:28. God is allowing the devil to have dominion so “Something” needs to be removed to allow the devil to have authority. God is removing His Atoning Sacrifice of sin and wickedness for a short period of time which is what gives believers Authority in order to let the devil free to torment those who are hard hearted, which is the punishment on people who have refused Jesus. Like Sodom and Gomorrah. Believers who are left are able to handle what’s coming. No different than the disciples who all but one was tortured to death. But they knew what was coming. The Lord revealed it to them. He was with them every step of the way. That’s heavy! But God!!! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!] 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 “8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, [Just like Revelation 13.] 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” - This is an apparent and simple explanation of why God is allowing this. This next statement will be difficult who are still adamant about certain “doctrinal paradigms” but let go of preconceived paradigms of men and allow the Holy Spirit to show you. Notice all of the rapture scriptures - none state that there are 2 comings of Jesus. When Jesus comes in all of them it is at one time - at the end, the final year of the 7 year Tribulation, because according to Isaiah 34 a “the day” in this time period is equal to a “year”. Read the scriptures above again, notice that believers will be persecuted by the ac. The rapture is not pre-trib. I know some may say mid-trib but by 2 Thessalonians 2 we see it is at the end and this matches with Matthew 24:27-31; Isaiah 26:16-21. It is not at the mid-point either. Matthew 24:27-31 “27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 29“Immediately after the distress of those days “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 30“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Isaiah 26:16-21 “16 Lord, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. 17As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Lord. 18We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. 19But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise—let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy—your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. 20Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. 21See, the Lord is coming out of His dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.” [Put that last sentence with Genesis 4:10 “The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”] * God is just in all that He does. It’s all in God’s timing and His timing is always right, no matter what we perceive. The devil has been attempting to get an ac started for centuries: Nero, Napoleon, Hitler etc. But the “Restrainer” has to be removed before the ac can show up. And who…or Who is in charge of everything? God, the creator of all things. Many Bible scholars believe the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit. That’s understandable but according to scripture there is more depth to the meaning. Since there is persecution of the saints it doesn’t make sense for the Holy Spirit to be removed. It is the Holy Spirit who recreates our spirit when we get born again. If He is removed than He, the Holy Spirit being removed would of course mean all Christian’s. He can’t be because we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise and yet there are believers who are persecuted by the ac. That’s a contradiction. He can’t be because we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And there are believers who are persecuted by the ac. The Restrainer cannot be the Holy Spirit - it goes against other scriptures in the Epistles like 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “God makes us and you stand firm in Christ. 22 He Anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our heart as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” And Ephesians 1:13-14 “13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.” We must always go to the Word to define itself. Reasoning for this “doctrine”? This “doctrine” is that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit and the Church to be removed - 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 is assumed that is the Holy Spirit and includes the Church because He is in each of us. Looking at it from that point of view we won’t see the antichrist because we will be taken out of the way. And yet, he persecutes those who believe in Jesus. It’s a contradiction. It is put in an incorrect context with Daniel 7:25; 9:24-27; Revelation 12:17 & 13:7,10. We will only look at the first scripture: Daniel 7:25 “he will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.” God is the One Who made the covenant with all those who are alive on earth at this time, that there will only be a 7 year period. It will be a tough period for Jerusalem because there will be a major flood and wars. And these things also go on across the globe. But here is a key point. It is divided into halves. Two 3.5 year parts. Where else do we see that number with the Tribulation? Revelation 11:1-3 - “1I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” Revelation 12:14-17 - “14The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17Then 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.” Revelation 13:5-8,10 - “5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His Name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. 10 'If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.’ This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.” Daniel 9:27 27He [God] will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he [He] will put an end to sacrifice and offering [because He is removing His restraint from the devil so the ac can show up and this whole thing will be done soon.] And at the temple he [this is finally the ac] will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed [by God and the entirety of Revelation is poured out on him and those who refuse God] is poured out on him.” [the ac who is possessed by the devil per Revelation 13 and 9 - he comes out of the abyss at the half way point, 3.5 years, and then goes to persecute the remaining believers.] Daniel 12:1-2, 5-7, 11 1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” 7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed. 11“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. [or 3.5 years] 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.” God’s people are delivered into the ac’s hands - meaning the ac has authority because God is no longer restraining him. There’s two types of saints at that time: those who will be martyrs and those who will be isolated and trying to survive - both are called “Tribulation Saints.” And with all of the disasters that are coming, many will go by way of the grave. I know this isn’t easy to read but it is what scripture states. Pray. Talk with the Lord and see what He wants you to do. * I don’t know “when” all of this will take place. But we know we are close. Very close. Some say it can happen at any time. Some say within 20 years. Whatever it is the Lord has got us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Some are given the calling to be a martyr as Revelation 6 speaks of; some will be a tribulation saint as Revelation 7 tells; some will go by way of the grave before the Rapture. Whatever God needs to be done will be done. Whatever your calling is, if you do not know, ask, He will lead you! He never gives a calling without giving you the grace to do it. If your a martyr - God will lead you and give you the strength; if you’re a tribulation saint, see what scripture He wants you to stand on. Perhaps Psalm 121:8 - “The Lord will keep me from all harm - He will watch over my life; the Lord will watch over my coming and going both now and forever more.” * Those who have accepted the Lord Jesus into their heart and made Him Lord ARE justified BY Him! It is through receiving Jesus as our Lord and His sacrifice that has blotted out all our sin - Colossians 2:14; Galatians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 5:7. We have obeyed His calling which is to “come to Him”- Ephesians 1:18 and Hebrews 3:1 - and receive the free gift of Jesus Christ through His sacrifice on the cross. None of this ever goes away. - His salvation, His justification, His Word. We now have an eternal covenant with God through the Blood of Jesus. If we could loose our salvation then what Jesus did through His death was useless. But He has taken all the bad for us. HOWEVER, simply because we are justified, which also means “made righteous” by Jesus Christ, AND we ARE new creatures and reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17) doesn’t give us a “free pass” to do any sinful thing we want. The actions we take have an outcome. Sinful actions that are unrepented of eventually cause death - Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” BUT you are saved. Just like the Apostle Paul who told the Corinthian church to kick out the man who was having sex with his stepmother. This young man was in sin. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Paul told them to kick him out of the church and let satan destroy his flesh so that his spirit may be saved. (1 Corinthians 5.) We have eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ no matter what form of sin we allow in our lives - John 3:15-17 - “eternal” means eternally, forever. The fact of allowing sin into someone’s life means there is no revelation about what the Lord has done. It doesn’t mean you loose your salvation. There’s simply no revelation. It all depends on what you focus on. Whatever you focus on is what will show in your life. He paid the price of going to hell so you don’t have to. You don’t loose your salvation. That’s why Jesus paid the price of a brutal, horrific death, and went to hell so we don’t have to. And He was the first one raised from the dead! Hallelujah! But there is judgment. And we will all go through it. As Peter says, judgment comes first to the house of God. ***

Who is God, Who is Jesus, Does God love me, Can I be close with God, God, Jesus, Are they real, Isn't the Bible just stories, Intimacy with the Lord Being called a friend of God Article below. Or click link for downloadable PDF. PDF Intimacy with the Lord How to be close with your Creator Being Called a Friend of God How to Be Close with Your Creator? Abraham was the first friend of God we see in the Bible and he wasn’t the only one. Imagine being called a friend of the all-knowing, and omnipresent God. It is incomprehensible in our mental abilities. But we can with God who created the heavens and the earth! This is what He desires with us, His kids. Abraham wasn’t perfect. Neither are we. He partially lied to Pharaoh and said his wife was his sister, so he wouldn’t be killed. He also took Lot with him when he left his country - God told him to get out of his country, away from his family, to the place that God was taking him. But he took Lot, his family and all the belonged to him. Nevertheless, Abraham was God’s friend. James 2:23 Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness AND he was called God’s friend. God wasn’t looking where Abe messed up. He looked on Abraham’s heart. Abraham believed God and consequently God called him “friend.” Imagine what it would be like if fellow brethren treated each other like that rather than telling them they were going to hell. But I digress... David was similar. God so loved David because He knew David’s heart. As a young shepherd boy it was likely he spoke to the Lord, sung to Him, spoke scripture back to Him because of this one verse - it was in the showdown with Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:26 - “David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David understood the Law. He knew who he was to God. And God said David had His Own Heart. (1 Samuel 13:14.) And David, like us all, was a flawed man. BUT God knew David had His very own heart: David would believe what God said. This is a part of how intimacy with God happens. All we have to do is believe Him. Like any good parent, they always tell the truth to their children and their children trust them without a second thought. So now we established a part of what it takes to have intimacy with the Lord, what are the other aspects and how do we do it? It’s just like any relationship. The basic rules are the same. Spend time with the Lord, believe Him, do what He says to do. 1. Spend time with God - we do this in quiet time each day, in His Word and speaking with Him and most importantly, listening to Him. You are His sheep and you hear His voice John 10:3-4, 27. Ask Him how He wants you to go about your day; you may have questions about the specifics of that day - ask Him - He will lead you, even if you don’t “get” anything immediately, you will get a prompting from deep within you of what to do. Sometimes you may simply get “peace” about your day. That’s wonderful. When you get busy and distracted from time with the Lord, you will notice a difference. You’ll be short tempered, language will not be Godly, etc. If your life is such that time is limited, then play Christian music when you sleep and in your car, or play teaching sermons from pastors/teachers who you are led to. Keep the Word going into your heart. Then when you can, set aside time with the Lord. Even if it’s 30 minutes. Talk with Him. Always be sure to listen, listen in His Word - ask Him where He wants you to read that day. All of this is so important. It’s like building any relationship. You have to spend time together. The more you do it, the more you will want to do. 2. Do what He tells you - as John 2:5 says, whatever He tells you to do, do it. He may tell you by a gentle prompting (He is the ultimate gentlemen); or a knowing; or His still, small, quiet voice. However He chooses to lead you, follow His lead. If you miss it, repent immediately and ask for His direction about it. He may still want you to do it or He may direct you otherwise. 3. Take His Correction - there are times when we miss it. Allow the Lord to correct you. There are several things to be aware of in the area of correction. First, take a look at what God has said about it in scripture: Zephaniah 3:2 - “She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God.” In order for us to take correction from the Lord we have to trust Him . Do you trust God? Be honest with yourself. You have to come to the place where you know that God is always right. It doesn’t matter if you don’t “get” it. He will reveal it. Simply do it, no matter what. His “will” will make things very clear to you. What He says goes - He is always right. Proverbs 12:1 - “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs is great for correction and very clear. Proverbs 15:32 - “Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.” Not only is the understanding you gain deeper in the things of God but your understanding is deeper in the things of “you”. Trust “you” because of the Holy Spirit within you, and learning where you missed it and how. You will learn volumes from things like this…they are painful…but oh, so helpful. Heeding correction will draw you closer to the Lord. Disregarding it puts a barrier between you and God. The main way we receive correction is through God’s Word, 2 Timothy 3:16 - “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” We don’t know “how” to be righteous and since we are now new creatures in Christ Jesus and the righteousness of God through Jesus paying the price for our sins on the cross, we have to learn “how” (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). Proverbs 3:12 - “Because the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in.” The Lord loves us and that is why He corrects us. To help us. After all, that is why a parent disciplines their child. To help them. And there are 5 general things that we need to be aware of in life. These occur with each and every one of us. How to recognize them when/if they are happening: • There are 5 things that we all have to be aware of because we all have (had) them to some degree. The Lord’s correction will change you with these things. And this is where learning correction from the Lord is VITAL, to change these things in our lives. A . Generational Curses - these show up as cycles of things in a person’s life and they are a trait in the family line, like: cycles of sickness, divorce, molestation, addiction and many more. Curses can come from a few ways - a family member whom has done oaths, agreements, rituals (witchcraft), [these can be known or unknown done by the person] - these come from “sin” - disobedience to God - and has cords Proverbs 5:21-23. That’s why it is in cycles, it’s the cord. The cord allows the demons to attach to the family line. All of these ways can also be done by a witch who has cast it upon you or your family. The bottom line is Jesus Christ has given you Authority to break them. A doorway was created by someone with unrepented sin, and the sin needs to be cleaned up with repentance and the Blood of Jesus. Yes, Jesus died for all of our sins. But sometimes when there is a family curse the Lord will allow it to teach you about Spiritual Authority. Pray along these lines: 1. Stand as the intercessor for your family; 2. In Jesus Name, repent of all sins of your forefathers and foremothers and cancel all oaths, contracts, rituals and such things - known and unknown and close all doorways that had been opened; 3. Receive God’s forgiveness for you and your entire family; 4. Break all cords to the sins of your family Ecclesiastes 12:6; 5. Speak the blessings of God over your family from this point forward and plead the Blood of Jesus over your entire family and wipe it clean in Jesus Name. B. Demonic spirits - Sometimes demonic spirits get lodged in a family from a family curse. But there are others that can take up residence with you or another family member. Demonic spirits may manifest in various ways like spirit spouses - you know if this is your situation if you have sexual dreams. Some experience being raped in their dream; there can be spirits of anger - these can manifest as short outbursts for very trivial problems; spirit of control - yourself or a family member likes to be in control over every thing at all times; spirit of loneliness; spirit of rejection - very common today, shows up as a lack of self confidence. There are others. The result is negative “traits” that plague a family. You know if there is spirit if there is a behavior that you don’t like and that you can’t get away from. You can’t stop it. Demons force. They are here to steal, kill, and destroy - John 10:10. They steal your peace, steal your joy; kill your destiny, kill off your health; destroy relationships in the family, destroy success. These spirits can cause division and strife within the family and within marriages if they are not dealt with. What to do : you have to break spirit marriages in the Name of Jesus, you belong to Jesus’ - end of story. Repent of all sin that caused the doorway(s) for these spirits to enter and close it in the Name of Jesus; cut all cords to the sin; and loose the demons in Jesus Name and cast them out into outer darkness to await their judgement - Jude 6. Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse you, your family, your home, of all residue in Jesus Name - this may mean playing Holy Spirit led music, or playing scripture in your home to spiritually clean the environment - Ephesians 5:26-27. C. Mental strongholds - mental strongholds are false beliefs. Typically they are “thoughts” we grew up with and we can’t tell they aren’t true because they have becomes a part of our personality. Like: “We’ve always been poor, that’s just how it is. We are poor.” That’s a mental stronghold. It’s a false belief or misconception that you have accepted as truth. Another like: your mother or father always told you that you were stupid. This misconception became your identity…but it is not who you are. You deal with mental strongholds by renewing your mind, as we have spoken before. Change your thoughts for God’s thoughts. He is always right. You do this by getting into scripture that says “who you are” according to God. Go to all the “in Him, in Whom, in Christ Jesus, in Christ” scriptures. This is your identity now! And every time the old stronghold shows up, cast that thought down in the Name of Jesus and replace that old thought by speaking to yourself the scripture that counteracts it. You do this until your thinking changes. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6.) D. Addictions - alcohol, drugs, pornography, even types of food can all be addictions. Can be caused by curses, but not always. Addictions are motivated by two parts, a spirit of addiction that is typically hooked up to spirit of rejection and unforgiveness. The spirit of guilt sometimes comes along for the ride. Like all the others things listed above: Repent of opening a doorway (unforgiveness is usually the doorway here) and the sin, cut all cords, loose the strongman with all spirit(s) it’s in charge of, in the Name of Jesus and cast them into outer darkness; wash yourself clean by pleading the Blood of Jesus and renewing your mind with scripture - washing of water by the Word. You are a new creature 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 8:36. You have to change your thinking. Always with addictions there is a stronghold involved. E. Issues of the flesh - our sinful nature, when not submitted to the Holy Spirit, is a free-for-all with the enemy to have his way with us. Things like pride, pushiness, selfishness, and stubbornness will cause serious problems in your life. It’s about submitting your way, for God’s way. It is a choice. You have to choose to do it. None of us are smarter than God. We don’t have it all figured out. Submit to God and He will lead you through it. As you are spending time in the Word with the Lord, listening to Him, obeying His voice, retraining your mind, getting rid of all strongholds, you are getting closer and closer to the Lord. And the more time you spend in His Word, the more you want to spend time. It’s amazing how that happens! Simply trust Him and follow Him. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will bring it to pass. He has got you! 2 Corinthians. 13:14 - “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Who is God; Who is Jesus; Jesus Christ and what He's done, Savior, Son of God, How you see Jesus, Your life reflects what you believe, God, Jesus, Are they real, Isn't the Bible just stories, Authority, Bible, Teaching, Belief, Faith, Love, How Great Is Your Jesus? How Great Is Your Jesus? PDF Do you truly know how BIG and HOW GREAT God is? This is a serious question to ask ourselves. If we don't get how big He is and what He's done for us, we can never show it in our lives. And if we can't show it then we haven't truly received it. Isaiah is a great book to see how big God is! In your time read chapters 33-35, 40 ; and Job chapters 38-41 is God speaking of Who He is and some of the things He has done. But here we will look at: Isaiah 35:2-4 "...they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will dome with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.'" Isaiah 40:12-14 "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as His counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way? Who was it that taught Him knowledge, or showed Him the path of understanding?" Of course this is rhetorical. No one did this but Him. And HE IS IN YOU!!! As you know Him more, more of Him you will reflect! Because you Cannot Reflect From Within You Qualities Of The Lord If You Haven’t Truly Received Them. He Is In You - All Of Him but Do You Let Him Show Out From Within You? We know God is Love. He has mercy, grace and all that… but He is Love. Jesus and The Father are One. It is this immeasurable Love that Jesus has for the Father and for us that is equal to the immeasurable Power of Jesus. So, as we cannot measure His Love; we also have no ability to measure His Power. His vast Love and His vast Power are immeasurable. It is absolute and vast. And that is what is living inside of you, but His Power it is ruled by Love. That is the ultimate Love. It is written “Love conquers all things.” not just a couple things, everything. God is Love. We are talking about the God kind of Love, not man’s type of love that tends to be self centered. We are talking about the true Agape Love that caused Him to sacrificed everything to bring man back to Him. It was not an easy sacrifice. His sacrifice was more than equal to His Love. When we start dealing with the Love of God, the Love that He has for man is sometimes mind boggling to see how vast and deep it is. Start tuning into His Love. When you start to see who you are in Him, in Christ (the Anointed One and His Anointing) and in His Love, it changes your idea of yourself forever. Check out what that anointing is. When you start exhibiting that anointing in you and in your life, you are tapping into the immeasurable Love of God. Then you have no problem finding your identity in Him. It’s been an identity problem with the modern day christian in America. They have no idea who they are. It takes study in scripture and in prayer.Dedicating yourself to your pursuit of finding out who you are in Christ. It comes only with your determination and dedication so you can live up to who you are in Jesus, but when you do that, life is an adventure. This power can only be executed with your understanding of that power with in you. Ephesians 3: 20-21 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. How much power is at work in you? This is major! In your alone time with Jesus ask Him how you can increase His Power in you. Then do what He says. This will take your spiritual walk to another level. 1 John 3:2-3 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And every man that has this hope in him purifies Himself, even as He is pure. I know that it’s an easy thing to say but I would like to give you an insight as to how this can be accomplished. The thing that the Lord judges is our hearts. We know what is in our hearts by our thoughts, by our words and by our deeds. It is written, Out of the treasure of our heart the mouth speaks. But let’s go even further than that by noting the thoughts arising from our heart. So when you start looking at what your are thinking as well as saying and doing, and judging yourself in these three areas, you will see the weak areas you need to build yourself up in on the Word to become strong. Any thought that doesn’t line up with God’s Word, you cast that down as a vain imagination and replace it with the Word of God that applies. So when you start cleaning up your thought life, your words will start to be cleaned up. What I mean by “cleaned” is anything that is contrary to the Word of God. I am not speaking about foul language or sexual thoughts, I’m talking about thoughts and words contrary to God’s Word. Thoughts of despair and failure, self condemnation and anxiety. When you start to clean up your thoughts, words and deeds by lining them up with the Word of God then you will become pure as He is pure. A bride without spot or blemish. God will then turn up His Power in you. He cannot turn up His Power within you if your thoughts and words are contrary to His. We already have the Mind of Christ. We got that when we were born again. This is about us working out our salvation with fear and trembling. This is how it’s done. It is a job. It is a job of a disciple to become more and more like Him. When we dig deep, and become determined to be holy as He is holy we can look forward with gladness that when we are face to face with Him, we will be uniquely the same. We think His thoughts, we feel what He feels. We feel the grief and the hurt of those who are lost. We feel that! We feel the grief and the hurt of the backslidden. They are in areas that do not have to be. They are in such defeat they don’t even know that they are losing. When we see that, we drop down to our knees and pray, “Lord send Your Spirit to open their minds open their hearts so that they can see who they are and where they are.” If they would judge themselves and correct that, then revelation comes as a powerful flood upon them. God is revelation Himself. When you put yourself in that position by purifying your life that’s how you turn up the Power of God within you. That’s how you turn up the Love of God within you. That’s how you are able to pray revival in your community, in your state, in your country. That is how you have dominion and authority. 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. This is all predicated on you. How great is Jesus in you? How great is the anointing in you? They will not increase until you increase Jesus within you. When you increase the knowledge of His Word, when you increase your obedience to His leading by the Holy Spirit, when you increase all of these things, then Jesus can truly be greater than. You are the one that makes Him greater than. Those out there that are prayer warriors who get worried about coming up against “that” strongman or “this” strongman, shows how great Jesus is in you. The greater Jesus is within you, there is nothing in all creation that you come up against that should have you worried. Jesus is greater. But you are the one that makes Him greater. Nobody else, you. Ask yourself, “How great is Jesus in me?” How you view Jesus affects everything in your life. You need to come to the realization that you are the deciding factor. Your thoughts, your words, your deeds are the deciding factor on how great Jesus is in you. How great is His Power in you? How great is His Name in you. How great is His Blood in you? You and only you decide that. 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” Luke 1: 30-33 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call His Name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. John 15:4-7 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. 1 John 4:15-16 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in Him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. 2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. John 10:30 I and My Father are One. John 17:10-1, 20-23 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Thine Own Name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your Name: those that You gave Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 20-23 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me.

Why didn't my prayer get answered, prayer, God, Jesus, Bible Why Didn't God Answer My Prayer? Article below or click link for PDF. PDF Why didn't God answer my prayer? Your Perception Can Harden Your Heart What to Watch Out For: One of the THE most important things to know when a prayer did not get answered or answered with the result desired is — DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART. And when we are in a quandary as to “why” our prayer didn’t get answered we need to take a breath and a step back to see how we handled it. God is in the business (so to speak) of answering prayer. He loves us. And as any good parent does, they always want to do things for their kids and answer their questions and resolve their problems if possible. The Lord said that all God’s promises are “yes and amen” - or the answers from God are “yes and so be it” and it is “to the glory of God through us”. (1 Corinthians 1:20.) So if our prayer didn’t get answered, instead of looking at it like it’s God’s fault and getting bitter and mad at Him, we need to go to the Word and find out the reason “why”. The Holy Spirit will reveal which one is the case in your situation. There will be a “knowing”. You will just know “that’s it” and He will lead you if there is anything to do. Sometimes there is, for the given situation. Sometimes there isn’t. Below are the scriptures for each situation and there are more scriptures regarding each situation if you choose to research it. Ask the Holy Spirit according to the Ephesians 1:17-19 prayer for wisdom and revelation knowledge regarding the situation as you go through the following. Get your Bible out and read these scriptures from your Bible: Proper Care in Handling the Situation: Sometimes we are too quick to jump into a prayer for someone or something. We have to ask the Lord “what is the way” to pray over the situation. It may not be what we think of initially. Go to the scripture the Holy Spirit leads you to and use those scriptures for the prayer. Was the prayer done in faith? Romans 10:17 - faith comes from the Word. What scriptures are you basing your prayer on? Romans 14:23 - whatever is not of faith is sin. Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6 - faith is the substance of your prayer; faith can’t been seen initially; without faith it is impossible to please God. At the end of your prayer did you close it with praise and thanksgiving to God and receive the answer BEFORE you see it manifest, AND don’t speak anything contrary to the prayer - that is being double minded: James 1: 5-8; Philippians 4:6-7. James 4:3 - what was the motivation for the prayer? If it was with wrong motives it will not be answered. Sometimes we think the answer should be what we think is best. It may not be. God may answer your prayer differently than how you think. Praise: ALL prayer should begin and end with praise and thanksgiving. We enter into His courts with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4) and we end the prayer with thanksgiving for HAVING already received the answer before we see it. That’s faith. Every time you think about the prayer, go into praise!! No complaining. Praise. 2. Healing: Healing is God’s will - Exodus 15:26 and 1 Peter 2:24. But if healing didn’t show up for yourself or someone else of whom you prayed for there are different reasons why this happens. As that scripture in Exodus says you have to be listening to what the Lord tells you to do and do it. If the person has ignored God’s promptings healing can’t happen because of disobedience. Disobedience needs to be honestly repented of and see what the Lord wants you to do. Sickness can be a cause of a sinful lifestyle. Like the previous situation there is disobedience involved. Often it is willful. Living a lifestyle that is against the Word of God, like living with someone who isn’t your spouse. If there are kids involved they are under the sin of the parents as well. Until the living situation is corrected, whether that is for the couple to be married or to move out. Free will. If the person who was prayed for doesn’t want to get better, they won’t. This could be for many reasons like: they think they deserve it; they are too tired to fight both spiritually and physically; they don’t believe God heals. Unforgiveness. This always causes illness. Much of the time cancer is the outcome and there are many illnesses that show up because of unforgiveness. Including unforgiveness for yourself. Guilt and condemnation if left to fester always causes illness. They have to be willing to forgive themselves and others in order for the Lord’s healing power to come into and on them. (Mark 11:25-26; Matthew 18:34 [21-35].) Deliverance. Many times with a life threatening disease there is a demon involved. This is usually related to one of the above like sin or unforgiveness. It can also be from family curses, curse from something the parents had done like they were never married; or if they were in witchcraft, sorcery, satanist’s/free mason’s etc. dedicate the children to demons; mental health issues can be demonic but not always; suicide is always a demon. Ask the Lord for guidance. If there is a demon involved there is always a way the Lord wants the deliverance done. It’s not always the same for each person - look at all the times Jesus cast out demons. Each situation was slightly different. Jesus would ask different questions and do slightly different things. Have the Lord lead you. One thing you can do, if you are led, is to bind the demon and forbid it to speak in Jesus Name. Especially when you are in the situation of an event happening right at the moment. Then ask the Lord how to proceed. At least that demon can’t act out or speak once that is done. Whatever of the Lord tells you to do, do. 3. Finances: It is God’s will for you, His kids, to be prosperous. All parents want their kids to do well. 2 Corinthians 8:9 Jesus became poor so that you might become rich; and Job 36:11 If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. And there are hundreds more about prosperity. But there are reasons why it doesn’t occur when we pray about it. As Job says, we need to listen to the Lord and do what He says. If we aren’t listening and doing what He says, we won’t prosper. 3 John 1:2 - “Beloved, I would that you may prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.” If our soul isn’t prospering then we won’t be in health and we won’t be prosperous.” For our soul to prosper we need to renew our minds. See the article entitled: SPIRIT, SOUL, & BODY for detailed study of how to do this. Tithing. Yes, it is something we are to do. Sometimes people think that it is specifically discussed in Old Testament scripture that it is not for today. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The law has been superseded by what Jesus did on the cross and gave us a new and better covenant; but money and our relationship with it can get us in trouble. Do we serve God or mammon? God or money? And when you tithe you are showing that you put God first. When we look in the book of Acts we see the first church took gifts of what people wanted to give. It wasn’t a set amount. It was how they each were led with what they had. (Acts 4:32-37 and 5:1-11.) They shared as the Lord led but when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit about what they were going to give it cost them their lives. We have to be honest with the Holy Spirit. As 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 says we are to give as we are led to, not a specific amount, and we are to have joy in our hearts about it. Not consternation: “6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now He Who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” Two other important scriptures about giving, and they are in the New Testament: Luke 6:38 - “Give and it shall be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will it be poured into your bosom. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” We see from what Luke has to say that it will be given to us the same as we deal it out. So we have to inspect our hearts. Are we being miserly? 4. Salvation: God wants all to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth! 1 Timothy 2:4. When we are standing for family members, spouses, friends we get uptight if it hasn’t happened yet. This is where standing in faith is vital. Don’t let go of your prayer with doubt and unbelief!! We have promises from God that they are saved. God is not a man that He should lie. Take a look at Acts 2:38-39 and Acts 16:31. Your whole household is saved. Now believe it and act like it, especially when it hasn't manifested yet. Treat them like a brother or sister in the Lord. It may not happen in your timing. Trust God. He will do it in His timing. It’s a promise. When you’re dealing with family and friends it’s really important to share what you are getting from the Lord in the Word and share your experiences in prayer. They learn that He is real and not some abstract being that is “out to get ya.” It also allows them to see the truth that He loves you and wants to be with you, and go through experiences with you. Everything the majority of people have learned about God is false. They need to see what He is really like through you. Nothing gives testimony like your own personal experience. 5. Believing for Marriage: When you are single and are believing for a Godly marriage there is one main thing to consider before you get married: Do you spend time with the Lord first and nurture your relationship with God? If this isn’t on your radar to start then you will wind up in situation that most likely was not guided by Him but guided by hormones. And it will cause trouble. Be sure your focus is on God first. Then He will bring the right person to you in the right time. If you are struggling in your marriage: very first thing to do is pray the Ephesians prayers: 1:17-23 and 3:14-21 for your spouse! Every day. Forgive them, as many times a day as it comes up. Be sure you are not holding resentment toward them. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any hurt, animosity, or bitterness - then immediately forgive it on purpose. NOT because you feel like it. Never base spiritual things on feelings. They will lie to you every time. Continue to pray for them. Ask the Holy Spirit for other scriptures to help in the situation and speak them over your spouse. (Psalm 139:23-24 and Psalm 141:3-4.) It won’t happen immediately but there will be changes as soon as you change your heart and focus on what the Lord wants you to focus on. As always check all the marriage scriptures and love scriptures to be sure to give your heart a “check up”. 1 Corinthians 13 1 Corinthians 7 Proverbs 31:10-31 Romans 7:1-3 Ephesians 5:21-33

God, Jesus, Bible, Advantage, Advantages, How to do it God's way, Rules of engagement Advantage in Life God's Way Article is below. Or you may click the link for downloadable PDF. PDF Advantage in Life God's Way Advantage in Life God’s Way Changing Your Perspective Knowing Who to Trust There are times when it’s good, even helpful and appropriate, to know the “goods” on a person or situation. Like… “Which day care can I trust?” “Where should we go for lunch?” “What time should I leave for the airport?” It’s that kind of valuable information that can give you an edge in life. And what better source to go to for anything you need to know than God. He sees everything—Hebrews 4:13. He knows everything—1 John 3:20. Did you know God’s sitting on a world of information right now, just waiting to pass it along to you, so you can have every advantage in life? God’s not trying to keep things from us. He’s trying to get things to us — like information and knowledge. Genesis 6—God warned Noah of a flood. Genesis 41—God prepared Joseph for abundance and famine. Luke 5; Matthew 17; John 21—Jesus told His disciples where to fish. But even more amazing is one of the time-tested, sure ways God has of downloading what’s in His head to yours: Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.” Once when Israel was about to be attacked by three enemies at the same time, the king called a national day of prayer to get help from God. (2 Chronicles 20). As a great gathering of people stood outside the Temple in Jerusalem praying and worshipping God, the Spirit came upon a man, and he began to prophesy, basically giving Israel a battle strategy. It sounded crazy—but it worked! God often uses prophets to get valuable information into the hands of His people. There are 5 action steps that will give you an advantage in life God’s way: 1. Expect God to speak. Jesus was praying out loud in public one day, and God responded in an audible voice (John 12:28-30). Some of the people around Jesus heard it; others thought it was thunder. Don’t get caught snoozing and miss out on what God’s saying. Expect to hear from Him. 2. Get used to God’s style. We all have our way of saying things. God likes speaking the end from the beginning, letting us know what’s coming down the road (Isaiah 46:10). It’s His way of letting us know He’s God. Get used to God speaking to you from the future. 3. Know who’s really doing the talking. Jesus once asked His disciples a question to see if they were on the same page, and they all had pretty good answers—but Peter’s was the best, to which Jesus replied: “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17, NIV). Recognize the real Source behind the words. 4. Get a second (or third) opinion. “Two or three prophets should speak and the others should weigh carefully what is said” (1 Corinthians 14:29, NIV). This comes from a principle and practice established by God: “On the [word] of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed” (Deuteronomy 19:15). 5. Keep it in your face. Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (NKJV). We all have those things we highlight, #tag, bookmark, stick on the fridge; those habits that help motivate, prompt and focus us in the right direction. Do what it takes to keep God’s fresh Word to you in your face—and thereby, you’ll be building your faith. God’s all in when it comes to giving you every advantage possible. So, when He gives a Word, heads-up or valuable piece of insider information—jump on it, act on it. Practice these 5 Steps To Gaining the Advantage God’s Way—and dare to trust Him to bring His Word to pass!

Crucifixion, What was the crucifixion, What does the crucifixion mean, Jesus on the cross, Jesus the Son of God died for you, Jesus was raised from the dead and people saw Him, Fallen angels, nephilim CRUCIFIXION Article below. Or downloadable PDF click link PDF Crucifixion *This is long. Take your time. The Depth of the Crucifixion - How deep this goes. 1. Notes Like all of our articles - they are in depth studies. Get your Bible and read the scriptures from your Bible, take your time. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you, to “enlighten your eyes with wisdom and revelation knowledge of God Himself, that you would have further understanding of Him” that you haven’t had before. (Part Ephesians 1:17-18.) He will enlighten your heart with answers to questions you have had, in the beautiful Name of Jesus. We will be going to the first three chapters of Genesis, and specifically Genesis 1:1-3. Put your mindset on eternity from the eyes of God as you read further. Not linearly. “See” how He sees it. Put yourself, imagine yourself, in God’s position creating everything. You don’t have to understand it, the Holy Spirit will reveal it. We will be using these references in this study: Strong’s Concordance; The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon; and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Reference book: Before Genesis: The Unauthorized History of Tohu, Bohu, and the Chaos Dragon in the the Land Before Time. By Donna Howell & Dr. Thomas Horn. Defender Publishing 2023. All emphasis in scripture are mine. NKJV and NIV are translations used, unless otherwise noted. I will refer to satan, snake, devil, and Lucifer interchangeably because of Revelation 12:9; Luke 10:18; Isaiah 14:12. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13. * TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Notes 2. Depth of the Crucifixion 3. What Happened? 4. Genesis 6, What??? 5. Jesus Christ on the Earth 6. Last Bit: Details on Crucifixions 2. Depth of the Crucifixion Was the crucifixion necessary? Yes. Vital. There’s so much more than what is called the “original sin” that passed from Adam and Eve to all of mankind: the original heavenly rebellion that caused Adam and Eve to sin, Lucifer with his angels. Remember the snake was already in the garden and God had put in the garden the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Evil was not in existence until the heavenly rebellion. This rebellion had already occurred by the time Adam and Eve were created, which is why they were made in the image of God and given dominion. It occurred even before Genesis 1:2 had happened. It is “why” it happened. And we will look at Genesis 1:1-3 (and more) in detail. All of creation had been stolen by Lucifer and his angels - mankind, animals, planets, universe. Everything that was in darkness (still is - like space and the sea, until the new heaven and earth after the millennium). What Jesus did on the cross covered not only mankind but all that had been stolen from God the Father and He took it back from the devil! We will get into all of this! (Colossians 2; 1 Corinthians 2:6-8; Ephesians 1:20-23.) * Before the deception of the snake with Eve, God could walk and talk with Adam in the garden in the cool of the day. When Adam and Eve fell God couldn’t see them. Recall God asked, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3.) The Bible says they hid amongst the trees but there is likely more to it. They were hiding in their sin. Adam and Eve who were one with God and in the same Spiritual dimension had left that dimension with God - the fall. They couldn't see God anymore. They could hear Him walking and hear His voice when He called out, but were ashamed for Him to see them because of sin - disobedience to God. Check out Exodus 33:12-23 when God walked in front of Moses, God said, “you can’t see Me and live.” All of mankind, the earth and the animals too could no longer be in the presence of God because of sin. God sets His foot on the mountains and they tremble and fire comes forth because of the sin that is entrenched within the earth (1 Kings 18:11-18) - the animals, the earth, were under the dominion of man to keep it out of Lucifer’s hands but mankind instead of taking Authority over satan, listened to him and had turned his Authority over to Lucifer and his regime, because of man’s turning away from God. (If you haven’t read recently what is the outcome of different sins in Leviticus, you should. There’s outcome for unknown sin, which is what Eve’s was - she was deceived; and there is outcome for those that are known sins, which is what Adam did - he was there, he knew what was happening and yet he blamed Eve. Check Leviticus chapters: 5-7, 12-15, 17-20.) Remember, Jesus has paid the price for all sin! I will repeat myself because this is important - don’t intellectualize this, allow the Holy Spirit to give you insight into this: God had to do something to rectify the first rebellion because all that the Lord created was tainted by the rebellion of Lucifer and his angels, and now mankind and all the creatures of the earth were under the curse of satan (Genesis 3:14). God had to manifest Himself in the flesh, His Son Jesus Christ, to rectify all of what had been stolen from Him. “The buck” truly stops with God. I repeat: the original fall of Lucifer and his angles occurred before Genesis! It was the original rebellion that has created all atrocities. The angels before the fall, were given “jobs”. These angels were to attend to planet earth and the creatures created on it. It was all in their hands, like policemen who have authority in their city, not somewhere else. The angels have an “overseer-ship” of regions on the earth. And when the original rebellion happened it was in “eternity” - it did not happen in “time”. I will get into this more later. The depth of the first three chapters in Genesis reveals why the crucifixion was necessary. We will look at this in context with other verses in the Bible to see what happened in the “beginning” to make God manifest Himself in the flesh, in Jesus Christ, to die for mankind. In fact, I believe this is why God created man in His image just in case He had to manifest Himself in human form within this realm, in the image of God, to wipe out all that satan had done that was under his overseer-ship. The sacrifice Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is deeper than we have thought - God is omnipotent and omnipresent, and eternal which makes the price He paid go from this age to the ages to come, all dimensions and timelines, it is everlasting so that this rebellion never happens again. (Ephesians 1:17-23; Colossians 1:21-22.) Yes, it’s that big. Let’s go to the beginning. Genesis 1:1-3 -1. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. 3. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light and there was light.’” In verse two, many translations say: “…darkness was on the surface of the waters.” This may have been the first flood to destroy the earth because of the original rebellion, before Noah! His flood was the second, which geological findings are showing 2 major world wide floods on our planet. Who was here before Adam? All we can do is speculate but there is geological and anthropological evidence of life here on earth before Adam. I will touch on this briefly later. We will look at Genesis 1:1-3 in light of other scriptures: Jeremiah 4:23-28 - “I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and the heavens, and their light was gone. (Which means it was first there.) I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away. I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the Lord, before His fierce anger. This is what the Lord says: ‘The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely. Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back.’” Isaiah 45:18-19 - “For this is what the Lord says—He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—He says:; ‘I am the Lord, and there is no others. I have not spoke in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness;” Isaiah 24 - (all of 24 but here we will do verses 19-21) - “The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly (violently shaken). The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls; and not rise again. In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below….” (Ephesians 6:12.) 1 Corinthians 14:33 - “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” Job 1:6-7, 12 - “all Job has in your power” - shows the authority that had been delegated to Lucifer/Satan. Job 2:1-2 - “On another day the angels 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.” These two scriptures in Job show where satan is positioned, overseeing the earth. A barren land is always a sign of a curse. Think about the numerous deserts on earth now. There was “something” that occurred in order for it to become barren. We see this is throughout the Old Testament - 2 Kings 2 for example. “Barrenness” is always a curse, whether it is barren land or a barren womb. We see that something happened! In Genesis 1:1 God created it all: the heaven or what we refer to as “sky” - what is above our heads. The word “heaven” in this verse in Hebrew is “haš-šã-ma-yim” - “visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are. Heavens + sky = universe, where God shows signs. Before which fowl fly, with waters beneath and above; darkened with clouds, cleared by wind; whence comes rain, and dew, but also destructive fire.” In this verse the use of the Hebrew word “heaven” describes that something big had already taken place. And we are only in the first verse of the Bible! It was “darkened with clouds, cleared by wind…and destructive fire.” With all the previous scriptures we see much more was going on. Let’s put this in context with “Who” God is: John 1:5 - “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” Acts 2:2 - “And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” (Verses 1-4. With Acts 1:4-5, 8.) John 3:8 - “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Psalm 92:15 - “Proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.” Leviticus 11:44 - “…be holy for I am holy.” Deuteronomy 32:4 - “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” Psalm 18:30 - “As for God, His way is blameless; the Word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” Let’s put this all together: It was “darkened with clouds, cleared by wind…and destructive fire.” The earth was without form. Hebrew: formless, confusion, unreality, emptiness. The earth was void. Darkness was on the face of the deep The Spirit of God moved, one translation says, “brooded” upon the waters. The Spirit is represented as wind at times. Let us put that in mind with Job 34:14-15 - “If it were His intention and He withdrew HIs Spirit and breath, all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.” So let’s look at another way to phrase it: “The Spirit of God brooded like a chicken over her eggs, caring for them, gently blowing His Breath upon them because He had given His creation life.” God created light in verse 3…why did He create it?…He is light. And in the fourth verse He separated the light from the darkness. Notice God didn’t create the sun until day 4, verses 14-19. God separated light from the darkness on the first day before He created the sun! Something definitely happened before Genesis 1:1-3 to occur because… Scripture says: God is light In Him is no darkness at all The wind is the Spirit of God, He was hovering over the waters, “to grow soft, to relax” over the waters. (If He relaxed He must have been in another state before, speculation here but perhaps angry, because of what Lucifer and his angels had done per Jeremiah 4:23-28 on page 6.) The Lord is upright The Lord is holy There is no wickedness in Him His work is perfect All His ways are just He is a God of faithfulness He is without injustice His way is blameless He is not the author of confusion He formed the earth and fashioned it He established it He did not create it to be empty He formed the earth to be inhabited. What Jesus died for on the cross not only covers the mistakes of mankind, it also covers all that had been stolen from God the Father in the original rebellion. * 3. What happened? When God created everything: Let’s look at Job 38. This is the Lord speaking (in chapters 38-41) and describing when He created the heaven and the earth. In 38:6-8 - “On what were its footing set, or Who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Who shut up the sea behind doors- when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,” (Think of Genesis 1:2.) This is all during creation. Notice the morning stars and sons of God were there. Who are the “morning stars”? In Revelation 22:16 Jesus calls Himself “the bright morning star.” Isaiah 14:12 says that satan is also a “morning star.” In Hebrew “morning stars” means: ‘morning prince.’ It doesn’t say that these morning stars were Jesus and Lucifer, just that they are that “kind”. It would be an assumption to think that and could get you off on wrong theology. God also doesn’t say specifically if there are two different types of “angelic” creatures, but it seems that way: morning stars and sons of God. We can see from Genesis 6:1-4 that “sons of God” are, in fact, the angels. The sons of God were there when the morning stars were created, and the sons of God shouted for joy at seeing God in action! That must have been an extraordinary sight!!! And we will see this happen again at the creation of the new heaven and earth! The Aramaic Bible: “He created as one the stars of the morning and all the sons of the Angels shouted for joy.” Good News Translation: “In the dawn of that day the stars sang together, and the heavenly beings shouted for joy.” Brenton Septuagint Translation: “When the stars were made, all My angels praised Me with a loud voice.” Sons of God are angels and they were there at the beginning of Genesis 1 and watched all being created. Let’s go once again to Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’” Seemingly there was a type of “roll call” for the angels to present themselves before God and give reports of their actions over their territory. satan’s territory was the earth. The Book of Enoch discusses the territory and jobs of the fallen ones in more detail. And it goes right in line with Genesis 6. Enoch calls them the Watchers. They are to watch over the earth and mankind. We call it a “calling”. It is what they were created for; to make sure things run smoothly in God’s behalf. But it was the Watchers who did what they did in Genesis 6. Something to bear in mind is Romans 11:29 - “For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.” Amplified Translation says: “…He never withdraws them (gifts and callings) once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.” God’s calling is how He creates His creatures. And He doesn’t withdraw it, even when the creature is in rebellion. Just like the covenant with Abraham. It is eternal and goes on to bless Israel when they are not rebelling; and the Gentiles that come to the Lord through the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3). It is the same with the angels. They each have a calling and God doesn’t withdraw it once it is given. Including the fallen ones. There’s another element to discuss with satan and the fallen angels and that is the name “satan”. It is not the type of creature. It is a title. It means: accuser. Look at Revelation 12:9-10 - “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and satan, which deceived the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night.” The word “devil” means deceiver. “satan” means to accuse, rebuke, an adversary. This is pure speculation but it could fit: In Job he is called “satan” - accuser. And that is exactly what he does to Job. But God had Job protected from satan until he asked. And why did God allow satan to have some rule over Job - there was sin in his life and God couldn’t do anything about it. Job had allowed it. His sin was “fear”. He was in fear for his kids and kept doing sacrifices for them. “The thing I have feared the most has come upon me.” (Job 3:25.) The accuser could very well be Lucifer’s “job description”. Bear with me on this…it doesn’t have to be a negative context per se. It’s like a legal term, “prosecutor”. It doesn't mean a bad thing in its original context. But spirits who left their original God-given position are using it wrongly. Principalities, for example, rule over regions. Overseers. Like a governor of a state. They are supposed to guard and protect. But the fallen ones are now overseers in their God-given positions and instead of oversee and protect they destroy geographical regions. Some are called “rulers of the darkness” because that is how they oversee, no longer part of the light. (Ephesians 6:12.) Add on: the “destroyer” angel known as the “angel of death” mentioned in Exodus 12:23; Hebrews 11:28; then there is the “spirit of error” and “spirit of fear” - 1 John 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:7. There seems to be two parts, one is the original job that God gave them and the other is what they are now since the fall: what was life is now death; truth is now error; faith is now fear. Evil spirits now have different job titles because of how they have perverted their original job. It could be that Lucifer’s job was as an accuser or prosecutor, but now he is doing it in wickedness - to steal, kill, and destroy - John 10:10. Don’t know…purely speculation. There is an excerpt from a Rabbi later in this article that touches on this. Back to Revelation 12:9-10 where it says the “…and his angels were cast out with him.” Look at this from a reference with scripture. Paul in a couple of Epistles uses military terms, especially in describing spiritual warfare. In fact, Job 1 “roll call” looks to me like the “generals” brought in to give reports. I have a hunch the angels that fell with Lucifer were the very ones in his “unit”…so to speak. He was in charge over them, they followed him as their commander. Again, speculation but it certainly looks like it when you look at all scripture together in context. * There’s one more part to put into the proverbial mix on the angels, this is all in Hebrews 1. This is all vital when we are looking at the depth of what Jesus did on the Cross and what it all means. And there’s one thing I want to mention. In verse two: “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, who He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;” In many other translations it says “universe.” Now I don’t speak Greek, but when you look up the word used here - Aión - it has two possibilities: 1. An age or a cycle of time - the present age as contrasted with the future age; 2. And of one of a series of ages stretching to infinity. For me, this is how I go, I think it’s both. Yes, its of this age we are in - this world; AND it also means a series of worlds! Ones before us, and the one the Lord says will be created after. 4. Genesis 6 - What??? For many this information is not new. But for those who have not seen this before because it is not taught in Sunday services might find all of this shocking and bit overwhelming. It is what is said in scripture and it’s not the full story - the Lord has not told all the details. God must have a reason for that. Everything He does has a purpose! When you look at extra-Biblical texts including historical logs of ancient cities and empires, along with archeological sites you can see there is a bigger picture of what was going on. They weave beautifully together with scripture. We always go to the Bible first. It is God’s spoken Word. And what lines up with scripture is what we look at. And we can see some of these things go in line with it. In this article we will only go into scripture. You can research the others on your own. The internet is a wonderful tool. (Yes, there are some scientists and studies that are false, pushing an agenda of theories which have already been disproven, like evolution. Statistically it has already been disproven - the planet has not been around long enough for the type of evolution they endorse to occur which would take hundreds of billions of years. The earth is older than 6,000 years but it is not as old as evolution theory suggests. And there are no archaeological findings of such evolution of creatures that morph from one kind of creature into another. Like a bird into an antelope for example. We know it’s against scripture - “each kind reproduces after its own kind.”) * Genesis 6:1-4 - “When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, (1) the sons of God (angels) saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, (2)“My Spirit will not contend (remain in) with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years. The (3) Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” Let’s unpack this….. (1) Sons of God: as we looked earlier, these are the angels. The word “angels” is not a species name. It is a job title. It means “messenger.” We have seen this though out scripture where they come to speak with someone; they are also protectors and warriors, here are a few examples: like Abraham in Genesis 18; in Genesis 19 they came to rescue Lot and his family; in Matthew 1:20 one appeared to Joseph to let him know that the baby Mary carried was from God; Daniel (all through this book) angels came to protect Daniel from the lions (6:22), as warriors with Gabriel and Michael in Daniel 10:12-13; 12:1 and Revelation 12:7-10; Daniel 8:16 and chapters 10-12 Gabriel gave understanding to the visions that God was giving Daniel; in Genesis 3:24 we see a mighty Cherubim with a flaming sword to keep the tree of life protected from being found by sin-fallen man…God did not want man - His creation - to live life eternally in a sin fallen state, eternally separate from HIm. That’s insight!!! Thank You Holy Spirit! And if you look once again at the Revelation 12:7-10 the angels are calling us their brethren! This goes with Revelation 19:10 - the angel telling John that he is John’s “fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Angels are a similar creature to God by the Hebrew word that “angel” comes from: Bene Elohim. Elohim means God; Bene means son(s) of God. They are His sons and His servants, Psalm 103:20 - “Bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word!” Hebrews 1:14 - “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” They are His sons, ministering spirits sent out to render service for us, they help us, watch over us, protect us, fight for us and obey the voice of the Lord. This next part I cannot say for sure but from the the scriptural evidence of what angels are to do and Romans 11:29 mentioned earlier, it is my belief that the fallen ones were still at their posts guarding the earth as the Lord had tasked them to do, even after their rebellion (Book of Enoch chapters 6-8), and these were the ones who decided to reproduce with mankind in Genesis 6:1-4. Why would they do that? Genesis 3:14-15 - “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and and over every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life; and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he will crush your head and you shall bruise his heel.’” So let’s unpack this one: The “serpent seed” versus the “seed of the woman”. Yes, the seed of the woman does refer to Jesus AND it refers to all of God’s seed, all of God’s created “man”. Not the serpent’s. Yes, he has seed. Again…Genesis 6:1-4. The serpent has been trying to destroy the seed of the woman ever since, trying to stop God’s plan. Why? Satan hates mankind. Look at Psalm 8:4-8. In brief, something the Lord showed me is this scripture shows how satan thinks. That he was jealous of mankind and the Authority that God gave us. Satan attempted to produce more of his seed in Genesis 6 which is why God said “His Spirit will not always dwell in man” - it is another spirit. The spirit of the serpent. All of which is why God had to bring the flood of Noah. Not only to get rid of the offspring of the fallen angels, the Nephilim, but also to destroy all they had destroyed with their DNA even in the animals. The only ones found by God who were not genetically corrupted were Noah and his family who had not been altered by them and the animals that God brought to Noah for the ark. When you look at the Hebrew words about Noah being a “perfect man” it means genetically. Not by his actions. Because he was an offspring of Adam and Eve there was sin nature in him but he was genetically clean…no fallen angel DNA. God did bring some unclean animals for Noah to sacrifice. That always puzzled me until I saw the bigger picture. These animals were corrupted by the fallen ones. Now we get it. It’s blood that cleanses. Leviticus 17:11 & Hebrews 9:22 - “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” & “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” ALL OF THIS on planet earth, from Genesis 1 is about a seed war! Seed of the serpent versus seed of the woman. The serpent has been trying to corrupt God’s seed, God’s creation by toying with genetic experiments for a very long time…even before Genesis. Satan hates that God created man in His image and wants to destroy mankind and keep mankind away from God. He thinks he has done it if he succeeds in someone not receiving Jesus Christ in this life…but he didn’t - Revelation 20:11-15 - see article on “Second Death and Great White Throne Judgement.” The Lord has said what He has said in His Word. He is not a man that He should lie - Numbers 23:19. God will not loose any of His own seed for eternity. * All creatures, including mankind, were made to be vegetarian: “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be food for you. And to the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground–everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food. And it was so.” Genesis 1:29-30. It wasn’t until after the flood that God told Noah and his sons that they could eat meat. (Genesis 9:1-3.) When did animals start eating meat? And why? (Just as an fyi, I love a good steak.) In Isaiah 11:6-9 - “The wolf (lion) will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This scripture shows us what God intended, for all animals, just like in Genesis 1:29-30 to eat plants and to be at peace with each other. Yet, this scripture seems to be during the millennial reign or on the new earth. Consider what animals are like now and how many dinosaurs were predators. Eating flesh of animals. Besides the long necked vegetation eaters of the dinosaurs, the T-Rex, raptors and other vicious dinosaurs were on the scene! That is not what God intended. Something happened. The “tearing of flesh” is part of the curse - Deuteronomy 28. I think the evidence is clear from scripture. Lucifer and his fallen ones were messing with the genetics long before Genesis 1, they continued in Genesis 6, and from 6:4 it looks like they will do it again - “There were giants in those days; and after that…” I believe it has already been happening for some time. The curse: we don’t know that the serpent was cursed before Genesis 3 but it is likely he was because of the original rebellion. We know Jesus came to die for humankind, not the angels: Hebrews 2:9-18 Phillips Bible Translation: 9-11 “What we actually see is Jesus, after being made temporarily inferior to the angels (and so subject to pain and death), in order that He should, in God’s grace, taste death for every man, now crowned with glory and honour. It was right and proper that in bringing many sons to glory, God (from Whom and by Whom everything exists) should make the leader of their salvation a perfect leader through the fact that He suffered. For the One who makes men holy and the men who are made holy share a common humanity. So that He is not ashamed to call them His brothers, for He says: ‘ "I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to You’. 13 And again, speaking as a man, He says: ‘I will put my trust in Him.’ And, one more instance, in these words: ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.’ 14-18 Since, then, “the children” have a common physical nature as human beings, He also became a human being, so that by going through death as a man He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might also set free those who lived their whole lives a prey to the fear of death. It is plain that for this purpose He did not become an angel; He became a man, in actual fact a descendant of Abraham. It was imperative that He should be made like His brothers in nature, if He were to become a High Priest both compassionate and faithful in the things of God, and at the same time able to make atonement for the sins of the people. For by virtue of His own suffering under temptation He is able to help those who are exposed to temptation.” Jesus came as a man, not an angel. His sacrifice was to pay for all things done wrong by mankind. All. Not angels. I have a theory on this from Genesis 1 - since God separated the light from the darkness on the first day and yet hadn’t created the sun and moon: creating “time” - until day 4, I believe God by creating “time” put a “time limit” on what satan and his angels were doing. A limit on their rebellion. God is the ultimate legalist and judge. He does things right and there had to be a certain procedure for Him to resolve the entire rebellious situation. Literally - THE civil war. And here’s the other part about “time”: when Lucifer and his angels rebelled they did it before “time” was created. They did it in eternity. Their sin is eternal. That’s why Jesus didn’t first manifest for them and stop the entire thing. He couldn’t. They can not be saved. Their sin was in eternity, not time. God put a “time-limit” on sin so He can stop it! “Time” is linear. Not multidimensional. And in the earthly, linear realm He took the very sin-nature of man in “time”, in the heart of man, and put it on Jesus’ own heart at the crucifixion - to give us His eternal righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). This is big!!! There is no other way God could get His created beings, mankind, back into union with Himself. (2 Corinthians 5.) This is why Gethsemane is SO important. Jesus knew the eternal nature of what was about to go down! He had to get His “earthly” will in line with the Father’s. His very own “humanity” in His linear-earthly flesh did not want to go through the brutal beating and torture, cross, and hell. He knew what was coming. “Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42.) He knew what was at stake if He didn’t. This is an eternity thing. God was the only One who could pay the price to get His creation back…He had to pay the sacrifice. Because without the spilling of blood there is no remission of sin - Hebrews 9:22; and as Leviticus 17:11 says: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” Put that with Genesis 4:10 with Cain having killed Abel, the first murder recorded - “And He (God) said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your bother’s blood cries unto Me from the ground.’” BLOOD HAS A VOICE!!!! THE BLOOD SPEAKS!!! THE LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD!!! HE IS THE SPIRIT OF LIFE. Just as Abel’s blood speaks, so does Jesus’ Blood - eternally: Abel’s blood cried out to God for justice. The Blood of Jesus cries out “REDEEMED!” (Galatians 3:13-14.) This is for all of God’s seed, mankind, who accept His sacrifice for our sin stained souls and allow Him to wash them clean with His Blood and renew our spirit by giving us a new spirit by the Holy Spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 3:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17.) What Jesus did lasts for eternity! (*See “Second Death” for more.) If you have ever seen the video of Ron Wyatt who discovered the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem and the Blood of Jesus that dripped down the Cross into the ground and onto the Ark - Ron had it DNA tested. Typical humans have 46 chromosomes. 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. Jesus’ Blood has 23 from Mary and 1 from Father God!! Blood Type comes from the father!!! It was the Blood of Father God that was spilled on the Cross and at Gethsemane!!! Another theory from what I see in scripture: the dead in Christ being raised at the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:42- - I think there is an element of the Spirit of Life still in the blood of all who died on the earth. It is separated from them and those who have died need to be restored completely. As I just spoke of Ron Wyatt, Biblical Archeologist who discovered the Blood of Jesus in the 1980’s at the burial site/cross site in Jerusalem, when he had it tested it still had “life” in it! Cells were still moving in Jesus’ very own Blood! A human can’t survive with only 24 chromosomes. But God made manifest in the flesh, Jesus Christ can and did!! (2) “My Spirit will not always remain in humans forever…” - this! The seed war means there will be seed that does not have the Spirit of God, the breath of God, within them. It’s the serpent’s seed. Look at Daniel 9. Just as God said the Nephilim (Hebrew for “giants”) was at that time (Genesis 6:4) and after!!! God’s seed, the seed of mankind, the seed of the woman, has been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. God made sure we could not be taken by the serpent for eternity. (Ephesians 1:3-6; Revelation 17:8; Titus 1:2 - out of two or three witnesses let every word be established, 2 Corinthians 13:1.) (See article on “The Second Death” for more on this.) There is a book by a psychologist by the name of David Jacobs PhD, entitled: Walking Among Us. He was not Christian at the writing of his book, I don’t know if that has changed yet, but the book is interesting. It may be a bit “out there” for some. It’s about his practice for over 20-30 years on “alien abductions”. This is what his entire practice eventually covered. I say that because he, like most of us, thought the “alien thing” was all ridiculous and these people who had started coming to him, he believed, were simply having hallucinations. By using scientific practice he realized that yes, something was actually happening. “There is no such thing as a ‘group delusion,’” he stated. He dedicated his entire practice to this because of what he found. He notes, there are “non-humans” walking around us and have been increasing over the decades. Seed of the serpent. (The book is available online. You can also look up L.A. Marzulli for his ministry on researching Nephilim archeological evidence, alien abductions research and the like at: www.lamarzulli.net ) (3) Nephilim: there is archeological evidence of mammoth cities and structures, and even technology that surpasses what we have today. Yes, pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge are what people typically think of but there are many more all over the world. Including in America. These are old. Really old. Like 40,000 years BC. And older. Before Adam. Look at Genesis 1:2 again…darkness was on the face of the waters. It is entirely possible the earth was first flooded here. Before Noah. And we know why the flood happened with Noah. The Nephiliim. Fallen angels bred with women. They have also messed with animals. Remember, earth is their domain even in the fallen state. Extra-Biblical texts like Book of Enoch talks about it and so does every mythology from every civilization around the globe. Creatures that are part “man” and part beast, like the Centaur or Minotaur; and many mixed creatures like the Griffon or Pegasus. Every culture around the planet has these stories. What if some of these “experiments” are what happened before Genesis 1 and that is why God first flooded the earth. His fallen angles were messing around trying to create like God but was making horrid atrocities. Just like the story of The Island of Dr. Moreau. There is also at least one ice age geologically evidenced and now scientists are saying there may have been two. We know the first one took out the dinosaurs from archeological evidence. This is before Adam. There is archeological evidence in Texas of a dinosaur foot print with an extremely large human footprint next to it, a giant - Nephilim perhaps, or some other extremely large humanoid creature. It seems they were walking together. There are even skeletal remains often times in mounds all over the globe of giants that have been reported. There have been skeletal remains also found in caves. There’s one more part to Nephilim if you would like to study this out in the Bible - notice the phrase in Genesis 6:4 - “(Nephilim) were heroes of old, men of renown.” KJV says: “Mighty men of old.” If you look up all scriptures that talk of “mighty men” or “mighty” or “heroes” - They always are Nephilim. Giants. In fact, all of the civilizations that are mentioned, I call them the “-ites” like: Canaanites, Hittites, Moabites, Amalakites, Ammonites, …etc all had Nephilim DNA in them. Especially the tribes of “im’s” - Anakim, Rephaim, etc. There’s a lot of scripture on them. Including scripture that is prophetic, hasn’t occurred quite yet, like Joel 2 and 3. Nephilim were in the days of Noah and after that: Anak: ”neck", a giant people around Hebron and in Philistia - Deuteronomy 1:28; chapter 2, 9, 23; Joshua 11 and 14; Nehemiah 13. Rephaim: proper name, of a people old race of giants, in land of Canaan - Genesis 14-15; Deuteronomy 2-3; Joshua 12, 14-15, 17; 2 Samuel 5, 21, 23; 1 Chronicles 11, 14; 20; Isaiah 17:5-6. Here are more scriptures on giants: 1 Samuel 17 2 Samuel 21, 23 1 Chronicles 20 Numbers 13, 21:21-35, 32:33 Deuteronomy 1-4, 9, 29, 31 Job 16:14 Joshua 2, 9, 12-13, 15, 17-18 Psalm 135:10-12 Psalm 136:17-24 Nehemiah 9:22 5. Jesus Christ on the Earth It is so important to understand the Authority that God the Father gave us over all evil in this world - THIS is our realm, not the fallen ones, God gave us Authority in this realm - over satan and the fallen angels and everything they have attempted and are attempting to do. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places because they are the evil overseers of this world in it’s fallen state. We can see this is the the fallen ones still in their callings in operation over the earth, where they were placed by God before they chose to rebel. BUT God gave us His Authority over them, “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts” - Zechariah 4:6. Look in Genesis and Luke: Genesis 1:26-28 - “And God said, Let us (1) make man in our (1) image, after our (1) likeness: and let them have dominion (2) over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created man in His own image (1), in the image of God created He him: male and female, created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish (3) the earth, and subdue (3) it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. (2)’” Luke 10:17-19 - “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your Name.’ He replied, ‘I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you Authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.’” Make man in “Our” image , “Our likeness”, “Let Us”: Who is God talking about here? Let’s take a look at two Biblical scholars, one is a Rabbi and the other is Biblical Scholar Michael Heisser: Rabbi Roshi at chabad.org and TetzeTorah.com comments on this verse: “Let us make man: From here we learn the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He. Since man was created in the likeness of the angels, and they would envy him, He consulted them. And when He judges kings, He consults with His Heavenly household, for so we find regarding Ahab, that Micah said to him (1 Kings 22:19): “I saw the Lord seated on His throne, and all the host of heaven were standing by Him, on His right and on His left.” Now the “left” or “right” apply to Him?! But rather, [the passage means that] these [angles] were standing on the right to defend, and these [angels] were standing on the left to prosecute. Likewise, (Dan. 4:14 Tankh): “By the decree of the destructive angels is the matter, and by the word of the holy ones is the edict.” Here too He took counsel with His heavenly household. He said to them, “Among the heavenly beings, there are some in My likeness. If there are none in My likeness among the earthly beings, there will be envy among the creatures of the Creation.” - [From Tanchuma, Shemoth 18: Gen. Rabbah 8:11, 14:13]. “Let us make man”: Even though they [the angles] did not assist Him in His creation, and there is an opportunity for the heretics to rebel (to misconstrue the plural as a basis for their heresies). Scripture did not hesitate to teach proper conduct and the trait of humility, that a great person should consult with and receive permission from a smaller one. Had it been written: “I shall make man,” we would not have learned that He was speaking with His tribunal, but to Himself. And the refutation to the heretics is written alongside it [i.e. in the following verse:] “And God created,” and it does not say, “and they created.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 8:9]” Dr. Michael Heisser, Biblical scholar of both Hebrew and Greek says, “To look at Genesis 1 in light of the New Testament is faulty hermeneutics. There are other places in the Bible that talk about divine plurality (Us, Our) that would take us into bad theology. (Not properly dividing the Word.) Some say it has to do with Hebrew plurality but that only pertains to nouns. These are verbs. ‘Let Us create human kind in Our image.’ A verb and a pronoun. It’s not the plural of majesty (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). The concept is just as important. The plurals are there for a reason. They telegraph something theologically, of crucial importance about our relationship to God and members of the unseen world.” We see that God was speaking to the sons of God, the angels, to get counsel with His heavenly host when God made man. Psalm 89:5-6 - “The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, (just like Job 38), Your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him.” 2. “Dominion” in Hebrew means to tread down; to subjugate; to crumble off. God gave us dominion over all the earth and all that moves on it, and in Luke 10 and Ephesians 6 He states very clearly that we have dominion over all the powers of the enemy. God Almighty has completed what needed to be done and does not allow them to do what is not written in His Word, and when they step out of bounds to His Word He doesn’t want us to put up with it either. He gave us dominion. They are defeated foes. The battle has been won! Victory is ours through the sacrificed Blood of Jesus that is still on the earth! The Blood still speaks!!! Eternally! Notice Jesus executed this Authority because of what the Father said in Genesis! Jesus treaded down the enemy, subjugated the enemy, and crumbled off all that the enemy attempted to bring against Him. He knew His Authority given to Him by God the Father, His Father. Oh, if the Church would understand this has been given to us! We are not to put up with any of the enemies mess. If we do, we dishonor the Blood of Jesus. Jesus stood on the Word spoken by His Father in Genesis to cast out devils, heal the sick, walk on the water, and stop the storms! We have been given this Authority in this realm too in Genesis, Luke, and Ephesians! Jesus only did what the Father told Him to. He did not operate beyond what the Father said. (That’s why Jesus spent so much time in prayer, to get God the Father’s plan before He did things.) Don’t move into something without getting unction from the Holy Spirit. Jesus did nothing without the Father speaking to Him. Sometimes Christian folks get into deliverance as a “ministry” and it can cause real damage. Never jump into anything like this unless the Lord is telling you to or unless you are experiencing the demonic in your life. The Holy Spirit will lead you in what to do. We don’t want to be like Joshua in Ai when he went in to destroy the city without getting God’s Word on it. (Joshua 7.) Three thousand men were killed because Joshua didn’t seek the Lord before they went in to battle. Always get the battle plan from the Lord first. He always makes perfect plans! He is THE General! 3. Replenish and Subdue: If the earth is to be “re-plenished” this means it was “plenished” before. Not grammatically correct but you get my point. And Hebrew definition of subdue means “to assault; brought them into subjection; forced into bondage; forcing; trample; tread under foot.” Adam and Eve were to do this. Although they did not, Jesus certainly did!! And He taught us to do it too. Don’t put up with the devil’s mess. He is under your feet by the Blood of Jesus! The eternal covenant in the Blood of Jesus. THE BLOOD SPEAKS! This brings much more to the mix than what we have understood before in Genesis 1 and put it in light of what Jesus did because of this Word. He understood the depth and the eternal context of what it means. Because He was God manifested in the flesh, He had to deal with sin-nature within His own flesh. He NEVER submitted to it. He was without sin, 1 Corinthians 5:21, that is why the devil couldn’t hold Him in hell. It was illegal. As 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 says, “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (mature): yet not the wisdom of this world, nor the princes of this world, that are coming to nothing: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 6. Last Bit: Details on the Crucifixion Crucifixion is one of the most brutal deaths at that time. And this was the ultimate physical torture Jesus had to go through to pay our price, our ransom from the devil and his hordes. Romans learned it from the Carthaginians, and they used it as a means of capital punishment for a thousand years. Crucifixions were designed to cause maximum pain for a prolonged period. Contrary to some tales of being tied with rope, they usually nailed wrists and feet to the wooden cross. Often the death would take several days. Birds and other animals would begin to feed on their bodies before they died. They would slowly suffocate from the position of hanging - the weight of their torso because they couldn’t hold it up on their own, would collapse on their lungs. They usually died from slow suffocation. It was a punishment typically carried out for slaves. Perfect - since mankind was made a slave under the kingdom of darkness. Jesus took the punishment of a slave. Jesus did this for all the consequences of sin upon mankind’s mistakes. “The wages of sin is death.” In other words, the result of all our mistakes is death. Jesus paid the ransom so we don’t have to. Many times those who were condemned to die this way were whipped before being nailed on a cross. Increasing the pain of raw wood scraping against torn flesh. 40 lashes were known to kill a man. Jesus was lashed with 39. The whips were braided leather strands, usually at least 3 separate braided strands with pieces of metal woven into them increased the tearing of the flesh down to the bone. The crown of thorns that was put mockingly upon Jesus’ head to symbolize being a King with a mocking sign for them but it told the truth: “King of the Jews” and so much more, King of kings and Lord of lords…meaning not just of the physical realm of kings and lords but of the spiritual realm of principalities, powers, and rulers. Jesus’ Name is above every name! (Philippians 2.) But these powers didn’t understand. Had they known this was the turning point for them they would have never done it (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). His “crown” had thorns that went through His skin into His skull. Incredibly brutal but it symbolized the “chastisement of our peace” (Isaiah 53), our human way of thinking. He suffered this to cover our tormented minds. He had to undergo the worst torture in every area: Spirit, soul, and body that was done at that time to save His created man because of the result of the enemy and sin. Or in basic English: mistakes. We have all made them and He took the penalty for all of it. Body, soul, and Spirit. Body: already described above and adding to it: with His torn flesh to His bones, He had to carry the cross made of raw wood against His gaping wounds. Romans typically broke the legs of those on the cross to speed up death. The death was grueling and could take up to a week but this was in Jerusalem and they had to appease the Jews by not having bodies hung on the high holy day of Passover. When the Lamb had to be sacrificed to save Israel…and mankind. So the Romans were breaking the legs of those hung on crosses that day with Jesus - two thieves. Exactly what Psalm 34:20 says, His legs were not broken because He had already died. I believe He died of a broken heart - “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” - because God the Father had to turn His back on His own Son! Never had He been separated from His Father. Ever. And everywhere He went His Blood spilled. On the Cross Jesus’ Blood dripped down the cross into the earth. Redeeming the earth and the dust mankind was made from. He paid that price for our bodies. The Life is in the Blood and the Blood speaks. (See Ron Wyatt’s videos on the Blood and where it went into the earth.) Soul: He dealt with His soul in Gethsemane. Genetically He was half-human and half God. He fought against His carnal-nature side of Himself that did not want to do this. He had to fight to get His will in line with the Father. He fought for our mental struggles when we don’t want to obey God. Jesus struggled so much something very strange happened…He sweat Blood. I have never experienced anything like this nor has anyone else I have met. It’s an extreme amount of stress that causes such a thing. And His Blood was spilt. It went into the earth for tormented minds - tormented souls. He paid that price. That’s why scripture says His Blood cleanses us with eternal redemption and from our guilt: Hebrews 9:12-14 - “This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. 10. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice. 11. So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12. With His own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.” Spirit: Jesus had to undergo all that mankind goes through including death in Spirit. Spiritual death means “separation” from God. Jesus had never been separate from His Father. He had never experienced that before. When you look at Matthew 27; Mark 15; John 19 you can see that Jesus was praying for those who crucified Him, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” And it was not long on the Cross before He gave up His Spirit after He “died” Spiritually - separated from God. God had to turn His back on Jesus - He couldn’t look upon Him because of the sin - God would have destroyed Him, His only begotten Son, because of the sin He took on for us. His heart/soul - had morphed into a sin-ridden tormented soul of all the sin of mankind. If the Father looked at Jesus it would have destroyed Him - just like Exodus 33 with Moses. He paid that price. There are many Old Testament scriptures about Jesus. More details on Jesus at the Cross in the Old Testament than in the New: Zechariah 12:10; Psalm 22; Psalm 34:20; Isaiah 52-53; Isaiah 7:14; Psalm 69:1-4, 7-36; Psalm 23:1-6; Numbers 9:12; Leviticus 23:5; Exodus 12:22, 46. There are more Old Testament scriptures that give insight. Don’t read it like reading news headlines. This had to do with what He took on as a human to pay the price - Yes, God in flesh and He had to take on the worst of mankind at the time of rebellion to pay the price. His human family was not wealthy. You can tell by the sacrifice Mary brought the priest after Jesus’ birth, Luke 2:24, two turtle doves. According to Levitical law this was a substitute for the sacrifice of the lamb if one couldn’t afford it. She didn’t have the money for a lamb…although she had the greatest substitute…THE LAMB - Jesus. HE was our substitute for our sacrifice! Oh, there so much revelation in every Word of the Bible if you will allow the Lord to show you! It’s not a “happenstance” the little things that are mentioned. There is great revelation there. [Micah 5:2; Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Genesis 3:15; Zechariah 9:9 (there is revelation about the “colt”- it has to do with Authority); Jeremiah 23:5; Isaiah 11:1; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 42:1; Psalm 2:7; Genesis 49:10; Zechariah 13:7; Zechariah 11:12; Isaiah 61:1-2; Isaiah 49:7 (the “kings” and “princes” are the fallen angels); Isaiah 9:1; Psalm 110:1; *Psalm 68:18; Psalm 2; Deuteronomy 18; Genesis 12:3.] The law of Leviticus 12:8 two turtle doves are substituted for the normal sacrifice of a lamb as a burnt-offering, and a pigeon or dove as a sin-offering, when the mother was “not able” to offer the lamb. This fact is an indication of the poverty of Joseph and his espoused wife. By Jesus coming in a state of poverty, has shown that it is not dishonorable to be poor. (“Jesus became poor so that we might become rich” - 2 Corinthians 8:9.) And yet His garment had no seems…it was an expensive garment that He was stripped of at the crucifixion, again there’s revelation in that. (No station is dishonorable where "God" places us. He knows what is best for us.) And the offering had to be made in the Temple. This was likely to happen in Jerusalem preceding the visit of the Magi who brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. After that, it would have been perilous due to Herod sending out soldiers to kill children, as Matthew 2 states they immediately left for Egypt. “Egypt” alway symbolizes the “world” in scripture. He was in it, but not of it. When you grasp how big the sacrifice of Jesus was and the depth to which God the Father went to save mankind not only from making mistakes (sin) but to put an end to Lucifer and his angels, you know you can never loose your salvation. If you could, that would be dishonoring Jesus’ Blood. What He did exceeds this “time-line” and goes throughout eternity. That’s why it’s “eternal salvation” mentioned all over the New Testament - there are over 460 verses where it’s mentioned. Out of 2 or 3 witnesses let every word be established. Jesus was God in flesh paying the ultimate sacrifice for all sin and God’s seed, the seed of the woman, God’s seed is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world. Look at 1 Corinthians 5:17-18 and Romans 6:23 and many, many others. But what the sin does is get in the way of your relationship with God. You won’t be able to hear Him clearly. Simply repent of it. Truly change you heart about the situation and allow Him to cause you to think differently; and ask the Holy Spirit to let you know if/when you are likely to get caught up in it again, He will show you. Just follow His leading. Whatever He tells you to do, simply do it. CONCLUSION Next time you receive Holy Communion, think on these things! For this is what it’s about. We are to put ourselves in remembrance of this. We are now in union with Him. He has paid the sacrifice for us. Going a step further, I believe we have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world so God could get His seed back from the enemy. His creation back into union with Him - Ephesians 1:4-6 - “For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight, in love” and Revelation 13:8 - “All who dwell on the earth will worship him (antichrist), everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” God’s eternal plan is to save ALL of His created ones. He would have all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). This is not simply a “nice thought.” NO! This is a promise that God made to Himself! He will bring it to pass. 2 Peter 3:9 - “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise (to Himself), as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (*See the article: The Second Death.) I pray that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what it is that God expects (to bring you and all mankind back to Him from the fallen state) which is: He would have that all men be saved from the fall and come unto the knowledge of the truth of what happened, and why He had to do it. (Ephesians 1:18 and 1 Timothy 2:4.) Titus 1:2; 2:13-14; 3:4-7 - ”in the hope of eternal life, which God, Who cannot lie, promised before the beginning of time…Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all wickedness and to purge for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good…But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that (we) having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Colossians 1:12-14 - “and giving joyful thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Now may the God of peace, Who through the Blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20-21.

Spiritual Warfare, Rules of engagement, is there a right way to do it, is there a wrong way to do it, Jesus is my savior, cross, Authority over all the power of the enemy including fallen angels and nephilim What is Spiritual Warfare What is Spiritual Warfare - (for PDF click link) PDF TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. What is Spiritual Warfare 2. Authority 3. Recognize the enemy 4. As the Lord leads you 5. Motivation 6. The “How” and Scriptures 7. How you can tell the demonic is involved 8. Deliverance - prayers in this section cover entirety of deliverance including dreams 9. Basics prayers in dealing with attacks 10. Demons listed in Scripture 1. What is Spiritual Warfare Ephesians 6:12 - “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” ALWAYS PRAY ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS before you launch a Spiritual attack in prayer. You need to get the Lord’s battle plan first because the situation may not be how it seems. To get started - first - don’t go out and look for a fight. Spiritually speaking. You can get in serious trouble. Spiritual warfare is not a singled out ministry. Meaning, ministries that solely focus on spiritual warfare are not part of the 5-fold ministry giftings according to scripture, which are: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Ephesians 4:11-13 states, “11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect (mature) person, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him Who is the Head—Christ— 16 from Whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the Body for the edifying of itself in love.” No where in that scripture or in 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14 does the Word speak of spiritual warfare as a ministry. However, it is a part of every believer’s life. We live in a sin-fallen world, with the devil and his bunch roaming and seeking whom they can devour - 1 Peter 5:8 . And we know the devil’s devices - 2 Corinthians 2:11 . I know some may ask, “What about John Ramirez?”. I’m glad you asked. He is an evangelist and teacher first! And teaches on Spiritual Authority. Thank God!!! The Body of Christ needs it because so little has been taught about it. And when “young” in the faith believers or unsaved have questions about this kind of stuff, most Christians don’t have the answers because it hasn’t been taught. Consequently, they go to the new age “world” to try to get answers. This always leads to more spiritual problems. I speak from personal experience and part of the result I had was a massive stroke in 1995. * In Mark 16:17-18 we are given by our Lord Jesus Christ the great commission: 17“And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues. 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” In order to do these things as the Lord leads - always - it is important to REMEMBER, JESUS did not go out on His own and do this. He spent entire evenings in prayer prior and then did what our God and Father Jehovah told Him to do. And You must know the Authority that Jesus gave you and how to use it in spiritual warfare. Always refresh what you know by looking at the Scriptures in the Gospels with how Jesus handled it. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in all things, and especially in this subject. The Holy Spirit will show you - and we “judge” it by assessing our joy level and peace. No joy or peace - stay out of it. I say this because dealing with spiritual stuff can get weird… fast. You can’t operate in it successfully without following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. * 2. Authority Luke 10:17-20 - “17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name!’ 18 And He said to them, ‘I saw satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you Authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy, and NOTHING shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” The demons are subject to us in His Name - Jesus’ Name!! “Demons” are the offspring of the fallen angels that do not have bodies because of the flood - the nephilim! (First Enoch and Genesis 6-9 .) I don’t care how fierce and big they are, 7 feet, 12 feet, 30 feet, or 200 feet. Who cares. Jesus gave us Authority. This is all evil spirits! Including the devil! Jesus said we have Authority over ALL of them! And we have Authority over ALL the power of the enemy (including their witchcraft and all of their actual weapons) - including the fallen angels no matter how grotesque or beautiful they look. This includes “aliens” (demonic hybrids), monsters (are also hybrids), and all giants (nephilim). Jesus has already beat them all, they are under His feet and we stand in the victory that He has already won! Greater is He that is in us than he who is in the world! (1 John 4. ) In Colossians 2:15 - "Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner, they were His!" This is a part of what Jesus died for on the Cross! To give us Authority over the devil. In 1 John 3:8 He came to destroy the works of the devil. And in Genesis 1:26,28 God the Father gave us Authority over every creature that moves upon the earth. God didn’t say only the creatures we can see. And God said to have dominion (Authority) and to subdue! Dominion means: to tread down, subjugate, to crumble off. Subdue means: assault; brought them into subjection; forced into bondage; forcing; trample; tread under foot. When you take Authority over the devil you are “forcing” him into submission to the Word of God by using the Name of Jesus and standing in what Christ Jesus has already done and what He says is yours! Because you are redeemed from the curse of the law! Galatians 3:13-14. But sometimes you have to stand for the victory in a battle. The victory is already won by Christ Jesus! So STAND in what He has given you. 1 John 4:4 & 5:4-5 - “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world;…For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Hallelujah!!! God Almighty spoke of Spiritual Authority! Genesis 1:26, 28 is one of the scriptures Jesus Christ stood on to cast out devils and heal the sick! Everything Jesus did was based on scripture!! He had to do it that way, otherwise if He operated according to His personal Authority as the Son of God, then we couldn’t operate that way. Christ Jesus had to operate within the confines that we operate in, He did this so we can operate the same way as Jesus did!! And not put up with the devil’s mess. Christ Jesus showed us how! In fact, even His Name, “Christ Jesus” means the Anointed Jesus. The Anointing removes burdens and destroys yokes! Isaiah 10:27 KJV. Burdens and yokes of bondage, illness, demons, lack, and so on. He operated in the Anointing of God, which is how we operate - Colossians 1:27 “To them (us) God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Praise God! We have that Anointing WHICH IS the Holy Spirit, within us! Jesus was baptized and received the Holy Spirit and spoke about what that Anointing was to do in Luke 4:18-19 - to preach to the poor (in spirit, soul, and body - wherever the poverty has shown itself), to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance, and healing, and to set us free! And as 1 John 2:20,27 says the Holy Spirit is the Anointing and it/He Teaches us. The Holy Spirit is called our Teacher! John 14:26 and 16:13 . We have the very same Anointing Who is the Holy Spirit that Jesus has! The Spirit of God Himself!!! The devil and his mess is under our feet because of what Jesus did, and we are the Body of Christ but it doesn’t mean he won’t try to get out from under our foot. That’s what scoundrels do. The 2 ways the enemy gets involved in someone’s life: either the person opens a “doorway” through sin by things they say, watch, or do; or it is the time for a test like Abraham with the sacrifice of Isaac, Hebrews 11:17-18 - “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He (Abraham) who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham had to “see” in the Spirit that God would raise his son from the dead in order to make the promise that God spoke come to pass. It was this vision that God gave Abraham that was the root, the seed, that caused Jesus to be raised from the dead! This test was vital to God’s plan of Redemption! There is always a reason for the test. Zechariah 13:9 ESV - “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon My Name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” John 6:6 NLT - “He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.” In Berean Literal in James 1:3 - “knowing that testing of your faith produces endurance.” You can read more on Authority by reading the article: Taking Authority. * 3. Recognize the enemy As Ephesians 6:12 states there is a spiritual hierarchy. It’s like the military. There are different ranks and files; and there are “gangs” or “special op’s” teams, so to speak. One is in charge - a strongman, who is a “power” as Ephesians 6:12 mentions - while there are others in operation underneath that leader. Many times you may only have to deal with “strongman”. When you take out the strongman, all those in his team are cast out too. Look at Matthew 12:29 ESV - “Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.” A strong man is a “power”. Ephesians 6:12 - principality, power… Powers are to be “bound” as we see Christ Jesus stating in Matthew 12:29. When you bind the strong man, all of its cohorts cannot do a thing. There are other times, in fact many times, of dealing with specific spirits. Depending on the situation you may have to deal with the particular spirit only; other times you will also have to deal with the strongman. Follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. * 4. As the Lord leads you Joshua 7-8 (I recommend you read it to build your faith), Joshua went into battle BEFORE he got the strategy from the Lord. This caused 36 of his warriors to die and Joshua’s army of 3,000 lost face in the battle. When he saw what happened, he pulled away and got before the Lord, asked for forgiveness, and asked what the Lord wanted to do. (This is the basic of all prayer. Be humble. Ask for forgiveness. Then ask the Lord what to do.) Consequently, in chapter 8 we see that Joshua and his army, through Almighty God, defeat the army of giants at Ai. WHENEVER you know there is something that has to be dealt with spiritually ALWAYS get God’s battle plan for it, before you jump in. Always ask for forgiveness if you’ve opened any doorways through sin; close the doors in Jesus Name; and cut the cords to the sin in the Name of Jesus and burn them up with the Fire of the Holy Spirit. God is a consuming fire! Hebrews 12:29 . People can get hurt if this isn’t handled correctly in prayer first. Ask the Lord how He wants to deal with the situation. It’s about strategy. Not flying off the handle simply because you know what the Scriptures say. There may be a particular way the Lord wants it fought. The strategy of the Lord is key. Case in point, Acts 16:16-18 ESV - “16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing this for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.” Paul didn’t cast out the demon immediately. He waited. We don’t know exactly what happened according to Scripture but by the statement, “Paul, having become greatly annoyed…” is likely the Holy Spirit within him had enough. And it was after “many days” of the same behavior. It was very likely Paul had been praying about it before he acted by leading of the Holy Spirit. Notice when he cast it out of the young woman it didn’t leave immediately. It came out that very hour. When you cast a demon out the result may not be evident right away. Don’t let that sway you. Once you’ve cast it out, move on. Don’t keep repeating the prayer. That shows you don’t believe and then the demon will start to argue with you. Don’t play that game. Even if it writhes and throws the person around, move on to something else. It's trying to make you back down. The Word was spoken, it’s done. * 5. Motivation Every person is motivated by one of three persons: God; devil (any in the demonic realm); or themselves. When you are in a situation that doesn’t “set right” within you, pay attention! The Holy Spirit is letting you know something is up. Don’t make a move until you “know”. Ask Him what you need to do. Much of the time it may be binding the demon that is motivating that person while you are around them, so that it cannot be in operation while you are there. Other times it may be you need to completely disassociate from that person; maybe it is to cast it out. Whatever is needed the Lord will show you. Be aware that you don’t want to be casting a demon out of someone unless the Lord tells you to, or you have a direct leading from the Holy Spirit to do so. Sounds weird but sometimes people like what is happening. They are comfortable with it. And if you do cast it out their latter position will be worse than their former as Matthew 12:43-45 says, 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 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. 45 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.” The person of whom you are casting the demon out of may do things to invite it in again with its 7 other spirits who are worse. Be sure the person receives Jesus Christ in their heart and makes Him Lord. This way the demon can’t get back into their spirit. BUT…NOW PAY ATTENTION TO THIS…THIS COMES FROM EXPERIENCE: when a person is saved they can still have a demon in their flesh or attached to their soul! It cannot be in their spirit because the Holy Spirit is there, BUT it can be in their flesh or attached to their mind, will-power, emotions, and/or personality. Yes, this can happen. I have personally experienced it and underwent my own deliverance. And I used to think there was no way a believer in Jesus could have one, or many. Little did I know that one was one of the spirits I had to get rid of in the Name of Jesus. It’s the spirit of pride. This can happen. It’s called “demonization”. They can attach to your thoughts. Create behavior patterns. Make life miserable. So if the Lord tells you to cast a devil out of yourself, do it. Or if the Lord tells you to cast a devil out of someone else be sure they get saved if they are not. At least it won’t return to their spirit. Their spirit will be in union with God, with the Holy Spirit, Who cleanses it and makes them brand new on the inside, spiritually. Keeping any from returning requires cutting cords to the sin that allowed it in, burning it up with the Fire of God and staying away from the sinful behavior by renewing your mind with the Word of God. (See article: Taking Scripture Personally.) * 6. The “How” and Scriptures Much of the time “binding” is what needs to be done. Matthew 18:18 - “18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” When the Lord leads you to bind a demon that’s influencing someone or a situation, what happens in the realm of the spirit is you are literally arresting it in the Name of Jesus. It is tied up and cannot move. It’s tied up spiritually, It doesn’t usually talk either. Unless it “sees” you waiver. Then you can tell it to “be quiet” in the Name of Jesus. Sometimes they do try to talk initially before you even speak, to get you distracted. Tell them to be quiet in the Name of Jesus and then take care of business. Much of the time if I’m going into a situation meeting with people or family who I know are demonized, before we meet I pray and bind those demons in Jesus Name for as long as I am with those people. It makes things go much more smoothly. I also ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to the people in any way He needs to. Super important to pray over situations, like job interviews, meetings with family members, going on vacations, any type of thing where you want to inhibit the devil’s actions. Now this doesn’t need to be done all the time. ONLY do it if the Lord is leading you!!! I say this from the point of understanding “who” you are in Christ Jesus and what He has done for you. If you’re not aware of Psalm 121 that you are always under God’s protection, when your relationship is right with Him, then you will struggle with this and be praying about these things 24/7. Psalm 121 - “1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” If you’re taking Authority over everything everyday that’s exhausting. It means your faith is weak and you don’t know what’s yours. Every place you set your foot you have dominion (Joshua 1; 1John 4:4 ). If this is an area of difficulty for you spend time in Scriptures about how much He loves you. Read the articles on the The Depth of the Crucifixion ; God is Love and So Are You ; Taking Authority , and anything else the Holy Spirit leads you to do. You judge what the Lord is leading you to by whether or not you have joy and peace. That’s how you judge it. There are other ways to pray over situations and speak the Word of God over them to change how they operate, like praying Colossians 4:3-4 - “…that God may open to us a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ…that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” Always go to God first, and see how He wants it handled. It’s not always casting out demons, binding and/or loosening. Sometimes it is simply speaking the Word of God over situations. Next part of Matthew 18:18 is to “loose” a demon. Take a look at Psalm 10:10 AMP - “he crushes [his prey] and crouches; And the unfortunate fall by his mighty claws.” And another in Psalm 22:20 in AMP and in the Aramaic - “Rescue my life from the sword, My only life from the paw of the dog (the executioner)” AND “And save my soul from the sword, and also My Only One from the hand of dogs!” In Genesis 15:11 where Abraham had to shoe-away the vultures…which have claws. Some demons have claws. With them they pierce into a person. This happens often with illness, where the infirmity is lodged. The spirit of infirmity has its claws in the region of the problem and it needs to be loosed in Jesus Name. Loosing can also be done from cords of a demon - a bondage for the person - they have been wrapped in cords, or we would say ropes. Sometimes it shows physically like being bent over - Luke 13:16 . Any bondage is preventing the person from being free. See Psalm 140:5 . They need to be loosed from the evil spirit and all cords cut. Many times this goes with generational curses/family curses - these are things that repeat in a family line. Repent of the sins of your forefathers and foremothers, cancel out all oaths and contracts, and cancel all family curses in Jesus Name, and sever all cords to the sin and curse; and burn them up with the Fire of God. Taking Authority in the Name of Jesus is not allowing the devil to have his way in situations and in your life. Whether the Lord leads you to bind, or to loosen, or break family curses, or the Lord may have you cast the devil(s) into outer darkness to await their judgment - Jude 1:6 ; He may even have you forbid them to ever return. All is shown in scripture. Whatever God gives you to do, do. * 7. How you can tell the demonic is involved Manipulation Control Intimidation Isolation Soul Ties - occur with friendships and romantic relationships, ties that bind. You “can’t” stop thinking of the person. Fear Confusion Loss of Personal Identity Sickness Prophetic Divination Spell Casting Divination Negative Herbal Practices - (ingredients for spells) Sacrifices and Rituals Singing and Dancing to Generate Energy (think of Astroworld concert; or the movie Matrix in the Zion cave scene.) Curses Satanic Healing Cults and realms of occult Conversion of people into animals Lying and Deception Every geographical region has a Strongman. It is a “power”. 8. Deliverance - prayers in this section cover entirety of deliverance including dreams Conditions Necessary For Deliverance To Take Place. You or the person must be ready to be delivered: To get delivered, you must be ready to send out everything that is not of God out of you; and let go of every unclean thing. Prayer and fasting: Pray and fast to receive breakthroughs and deliverance. Faith: Know that you are getting your deliverance. Abstinence from sin: Stay away from all forms of sin and anything that can re-invite the casted out. Good relationship with God: Maintain a good relationship with God, pray and serve God to continually be in His presence and shelter. Recognize that there is a demonic activity or an open door. Repent of any known sins. Renounce all contact with the devil and the occult, and any contracts made, known or unknown. Remove any demonic objects from your house. Relinquish unforgiveness and bitterness. Release yourself of it in the Name of Jesus & sever all cords. Resist the devil who will seek to gain control again. Replace whatever the Lord has delivered you from with God's Word. Renew your mind in your new identity in Christ. Remain rooted in the local church and/or a small group. You always need the fellowship of other believers who can help keep you on track. *Deliverance prayers can also involve “cages”. These are the same as any yoke of bondage. They hold you as prisoner to the behavior. You can break it with the Name of Jesus and His Blood of which are holy and Anointed AND YOU WEAR THEM, you are a child of the King! The Anointing removes the yoke! You have simply submitted to the wiles of the devil. Stop him from making your life miserable. And as you are praying deliverance prayers it is common to feel sick, like you have to throw up. Do it! It is a part of the demon leaving your body. * 9. Basics prayers in dealing with attacks *You can also use the numbered items above listed in Deliverance for all of the prayers here, below. However, there are particular things listed in the situation below and with it the prayer for each one. Again, see how the Lord leads you with this. Often the demonic realm shows up in dreams. When you know what is happening you can take immediate Authority over it in the Name of Jesus. And close all open doorways, like what you are exposing yourself to, either what you watch or read, what your listening to including music, and what you speak, or items in your house that may have demonic ties that need to be gotten rid of. The Lord will lead you. A basic tactic each night before bedtime is to loose all the fiery darts of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16) from you, and the entirety your life and household in Jesus Name, and wipe clean all residue of them with the Blood of Jesus. PRAYER : "I loose all the fiery darts and arrows the enemy has thrown at me and my family. Holy Spirit, I ask You to cleanse all the residue from those darts and arrows from our bodies and minds; and seal us in the Blood of Jesus. And I thank You for it. In Jesus Name I loose all the attacks from the enemy not only in our bodies but our souls: our minds, our wills emotions, and personalities; purging all the areas in us that have been affected by these attacks. And I seal our bodies and souls in the Blood of Jesus and by The All Powerful Name of Jesus. He has borne everything for us so we don’t have to. I thank You Lord Jesus for Your great gift! I ask You to send forth Your Holy Spirit Fire to purge all our property and everything that belongs to us and clean us of all residue, and seal it in the Blood of Jesus by the Authority of the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savour. I thank You Lord, that the Angel of The Lord surrounds about us and keeps us from every evil way, no evil shall befall us, no plague or calamity will come near our dwelling. I thank You that we have sweet sleep. In the Name of Jesus I pray.” (Psalm 34:7 ; Psalm 91:10 & Proverbs 3:24 . ) When you have dreams with water - like in the sea, or lake, etc, or filling up in your house, etc: This means the marine kingdom has its hold on you. It’s a part of the demonic realm and is all throughout Scripture like Psalm 74 & 77:16; Ezekiel 27:33-34; and Jeremiah 5:22 ESV- “Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.” And the planet has much water besides oceans, seas, lakes, rivers. It’s in the air we breathe. It’s the largest of the realms. The heavenly realms that surround our planet like our atmosphere are not as large as this one. Interesting note…Revelation 21:1 -on the new earth there is no sea. And when you are having dreams of this nature there is some sort of doorway that was created for this devilish realm to operate in your life. PRAYER : “Father God, please forgive me of opening doorways to the enemy. I close those doors and cut all cords in Jesus Name. Holy Spirit cleanse me with your fire and burn up the cords and I pull out all darts of the wicked. And I receive all of this in Jesus Name. I renounce all contact with the devil and all contracts I made known and unknown (which can come easily by “agreement” with someone.) I cancel them out with the Blood of Jesus. I renew my life and commitment to You, Lord Jesus. I release forgiveness in Jesus Name and refuse to be offended. Holy Spirit help me with this so I never open up another doorway to this realm, in Jesus Mighty Name I pray.” When you have sexual dreams, this means you have a spirit spouse. Pray the prayers above under “Deliverance”. Also need to renounce the marriage and cancel it out in the Name of Jesus. These types of things always occur if you look at porn or are involved in homosexuality; or have been raped or molested. If this was the opening to cause the situation there may be other parts to the deliverance prayer, like casting out the spirit of addiction, spirit of masturbation, spirit of lust, and spirit of harlotry, spirit of Ishtar and others. PRAYER : “Lord Jesus, forgive me for opening the door to a spirit spouse and wash me clean with Your precious Blood. I cast out all spirit spouse(s) and cancel the marriage I ignorantly got into. I cast out the spirits of lust, lasciviousness, homosexuality, addiction, bondage, masturbation, harlotry, Ishtar, and all others, in the Name of Jesus, and I bind the strongman in this region from ever coming against me. I include the spirit of unforgiveness. I release forgiveness now for the perpetrators, in Jesus Name, and refuse to hold on to it. Holy Spirit help me. Show me what else needs to be done. I cut all cords to this in Jesus Name and burn them up with Your mighty Fire, in the Name of Jesus. I break all cages of the demonic realm that attempted to keep me in bondage. I break them with the Name of Jesus and His precious Blood. I thank You for the deliverance that You paid for me. Thank You, Jesus!” Now after this prayer you may feel nausea. You may need to throw up. Do it. It’s a means of getting rid of the spirits that had attached onto your body. Dreams where you are fed food. This has to do with a witchcraft curse. In the dream realm the food is poisoned and will show in this natural realm as odd and undiagnosable illness. PRAYER : According to Ezekiel 17:7-10 , and In the Name of Jesus, I completely and fully destroy all wickedness that is over my life from high places, in the Name of Jesus. I destroy all evil dominion. I bind the strongman. I break poverty and unemployment. I break misery. I break every curse, hex, vex (anything that is demonically plaguing or vexing you), spell, enchantments, and all voodoo over my life through demonic and satanic dedications and agreements, in the Name of Jesus. I let the Blood of Jesus destroy every satanic dedication and agreement that came through practices whether religious or worldly involvements wrapped in satanic influence. I break and destroy the cords that are wrapped around me, in Jesus Name. Loose me now, in Jesus Name! And I cancel all evil dedications in Jesus Name. I give notice to all demons associated with any evil dedications, known and unknown, and agreement that I once entered into or someone else dedicated me: I hereby break every contract and every legal right formerly associated with those dedications and agreements, in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. And by the Blood of Jesus that covers me, I cancel my connection to every demon that vexed or cursed me, hexed, vex, charm, enchantment, or voodoo, and such like; that brought frustrations, hindrances, delays, or blockages; that involved me in associations of practices, devotion, or allegiance; that accepted loyalty promised by any family member on my behalf; or that was part of any friendship that invited me or that I accepted, surrendering myself to the dark and demonic forces. They are severed today, the cords are burned up with the Mighty Fire of God in Jesus Name. I curse all evil dedications, agreements, evil ordinations, demonic ceremony dedication, demonic prayers, known and unknown, and all legal rights - whether it was for me, a family member on either side of my bloodline, or any brother of sister in the Body of Christ. I break, destroy, and curse them to the root, and uproot any evil mystical alignments in the Mighty Name of Jesus . Let them burn up and die by the Fire of God, in the Name of Jesus." Dreams with wolves/dogs/birds like vultures or owls: you are under an assigned attack. Wolves/dogs/birds represent demons that have been assigned to attack you. PRAYER : “In the Mighty Name of Jesus, I cancel all demonic assignments on me in Jesus Name. I cut all cords of the demonic realm that have been wrapped upon me and I bind the strongman in Jesus Name. I put you on notice in the Name of Jesus, you cannot touch me in Jesus Name and I’m covered in His Blood.” Flying - note: not all flying dreams are demonic, always pray about it and see how the Lord leads. When it is demonic it means some sort of curse and you are being pulled out of your body and taken somewhere during sleep. PRAYER : “In the Mighty Name of Jesus, I break all curses that are assigned against me. All assignments against me I cancel out, in Jesus Name. Holy Spirit let me know if there is anything in which I created the curse or assignment. Forgive me if I’ve made any evil allegiances or assignments in Jesus Name and wash me clean from all residue and burn all cords with the Blood of Jesus.” Plane crash, can also be flying upside-down and on fire: means a very huge test or attack is coming to you and your family. You can’t always stop it. It’s may be a test but you know how to use your faith and have the Lord lead you through each step. Stay in prayer with the Lord until you know which it is, either a test or an attack. Then pray accordingly as listed above for attacks; or if it’s a test the Lord will tell you what scriptures to stand on for you and your family. * 10. Demons listed in Scripture If you notice one of these spirits is plaguing you, ask for forgiveness of the sin that opened the door, cancel its assignment and cast it off you, in Jesus Name. You may need to loose it. And cut all cords. See how the Lord leads. 1. The Spirit of Fear - 2 Timothy 1:17 The spirit of fear is a demon that overwhelms people with anxieties, such as the fear of failure, death, or isolation. This demon can restrict believers from realizing God’s full plans for them. 2. The Spirit of Death - John 10:10; Exodus 12:23 This spirit manifests through constant thoughts of suicide, murder, self-mutilation, abnormal grief, and convulsions. 3. The Spirit of Harlotry or Lust - Hosea 5:4 Behind acts like adultery, fornication, pornography, homosexuality, and prostitution is often the spirit of lust. Associated with rape and molestation. 4. The Spirit of Bondage or Addiction - Romans 8:15 The spirit of bondage drives addictions. While some habits can be formed naturally, this spirit further entrenches them so that the behavior is forced on you by the spirit. “You can’t help yourself” is the common phrase used. 5. The Spirit of Infirmity - Luke 13:11 While not every sickness is caused by a demon, many sicknesses are caused by one, and thus, they should be addressed both spiritually and physically. 6. The Spirit of Pride - Proverbs 16:18 Pride is not just an emotion; it can be a spirit causing arrogance, revenge, rebellion, a lust for power, cruelty, vainglory, and jealousy. 7. The Spirit of the World - 1 Corinthians 2:12 In Scripture this one is likened to the Holy Spirit. Which means it’s a big one in the kingdom of darkness. 8. Spirit of Error/Deception - 1 John 4:6 This one works with python spirit/spirit of divination. 9. The Spirit of Python or Divination - Acts 16:16 (same as Leviathan - Psalm 18:8; 74:13-14; Isaiah 27:1; Job 3:8, and chapter 41 ) This spirit's main assignment is to deceive. It is also in fortune tellers, false prophets, tarot readers, palm readers, and other “main stream” occult practices - the person is hearing from this spirit. They can also put spirits on assignment to seek out people who they can attach cords to, because the person gives ear to them, or agreement with them. Can operate through cults like Free Masonry, Mormonism, Scientology, New Age, and Jehovah’s Witness. The main thing to be aware of if your in dealing with someone involved in this, or when you know this one is around by being involved with the above: communication is always altered and misconstrued; and deception is the primary motive and all the ways deception comes about like double speak - saying one thing then saying something opposing; creating division in yourself which causes confusion, and creating division in groupings of people, family, workers, friends. A kingdom divided against itself will fall. **The Following is Only a Brief Excerpt from John Eckhardt’s Book: Demon Hit List. The title in all bold font is the strongman. The others listed with it are the demons that work in it’s grouping. You don’t always need to the names of the spirit. But if the Lord is leading you regarding a certain situation, this may be of help: ABANDONMENT: Rejection, forsaken (Isaiah 54:6 - “grieved in spirit), deserted, cast away, neglect, orphan, hurt, deep hurt, widow, orphan, unloved, outcast, unwanted, loneliness, isolation. Operates in widows/widowers, orphans, and adopted children, making them feel abandoned by loved ones. ABORTION: Molech (Leviticus 20:1-5), spirits of Ammon (Amos 1:13), miscarriage, murder, premature termination of fetus. Works with adultery, death, destruction, and hatred of children. ABUSE: Offense, mistreatment, torment, criticism, cursing, exploitation, perversion, hurt; sexual abuse (rape, incest, molestation); mental abuse (mind control, domination); physical abuse (beaten, bruised, cruelty); religious abuse (legalism, control, guilt, shame, cults); emotional abuse (hurt, deep hurt, wounds); doormat (makes others walk all over a person); unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred (of abuser), anger, resentment, fear (of hurt, of being abused), memory recall. Break curses of abuse and cast out related spirits of abuse. ACCIDENT: Spirits causing casualty, disaster, calamity, injury, catastrophe, mishap, misfortune, trauma. Often operates through a curse. ACCUSATION: satan (accuser, slanderer), diabolos, accuser of the brethren (spirits that work through believers to accuse one another), slander, suspicion, schizophrenia, betrayal, jealously, envy. Paranoia, faultfinding, bitterness, hatred, finger-pointing, judging, false accusation. ADDICTION: Compulsion, obsession, alcohol, drugs (illegals and prescription), nicotine, caffeine, sugar, exercise, spendthrift, food, craving. Addiction spirits lodge in the appetite, stomach, mouth, throat, taste buds, and nose. They enter through rejection and inheritance. ADULTERY: Lust, fornication, unfaithfulness, promiscuity, immorality, lying, deception, harlotry, whoredom, extramarital affair, infidelity, deception, carnality, backsliding. Lodges in the eyes (2 Peter 2:14); works with Jezebel (Revelation 2:20). Destruction (Proverbs 6:32), wounds, dishonor, reproach, shame, a marriage-breaking spirit. Operates through curses of lust and adultery. ALCOHOLISM: Bacchus (god of drunkenness), drunkenness, addiction and craving for alcohol; delirium tremens, intemperance, intoxication. Works with pride (Isaiah 28), rejection, poverty (Proverbs 23:21), wounds, hurt, bruises, bruises, sorrow, contention, lust, perversion, insomnia, violence (Proverbs 23:29-35), rage, mockery (Proverbs 20:1), escape. Break all curses of alcohol and addiction. ALLERGIES: Asthma, hay fever, respiratory problems, bronchitis; spirits operating in the sinuses and lungs. Works through curses of infirmity and inheritance. ANGER: Animosity, choler, fury, gall, hatred, rage, resentment, temper, indignation, wrath (gives place to the devil: Ephesians 4:26-27); violence, murder, cruelty (Genesis 49:6), bitterness, unforgiveness, retaliation, spite, revenge, outrage, hostility, enmity, foolishness. Command anger to come out of the bosom (Ecclesiastes 7:9). ANGUISH: Suffering, torment, pain, agony, distress, affliction, heartache, grief, misery, sorrow, torture, grief, anxiety, cruelty, bondage (Exodus 6:9), dire straits. ANIMOSITY: Hostility, enmity, contention, hatred, anger, strife, resentment, revenge, retaliation, spite, gall. ANTI-SEMITISM: Hatred of jews, bigotry, prejudice, Ishmael, Nazi. ANTI-SUBMISSIVE: Stubbornness, rebellion, disobedience, self-will, pride. ANXIETY: Worry, apprehension, dread, fear, nervousness, panic, restlessness, uneasiness, tension, fretfulness. APPETITE: Spirits operation in the appetite include addition, gluttony, lust for food, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, starvation, loss of appetite. ARGUMENTATIVE: Debate, dispute, contention, strife, quarrelsome, discord, disagreement. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: Spirits that hinder form growing into adulthood: immaturity, hindrance, blockage, obstruction of the personality, foolishness, infantile, juvenile, adolescent; bound and blocked personality. (Common with family curses; and in special needs children.) ARROGANCE: Rahab (Pslam 89:10), Leviathan (Job 41), pride, insolence, conceit, disdain, ego, haughtiness, high mindedness, loftiness, self-love, self-importance, vanity, presumption, scorn, overbearing pride, pretension, exaggerated opinion of oneself. ARTHRITIS: Enters through unforgiveness and inheritance; pain and torment. ASTHMA: Allergies, respiratory problems. BACKLASH: demons retaliate and attack those who attack and destroy satan’s kingdom. This is called backlash, reaction, repercussion, resentment, resistance, response, and retaliation. BARRENNESS: Fruitless, unproductive, unrewarding, vain, useless, sterility, impotence. Barrenness is the result of a curse. Barren spirits can operate in the womb causing infertility in woman. BETRAYAL: Deception, dishonesty, treachery, Judas Iscariot, treason, sedition, disloyalty, hypocrisy, jealousy, cruelty, rebellion, mutiny. BIBLE: Spirits that block and hinder people from reading and understanding the Bible; debate (makes people argue the Bible); closed Bible (“I won’t let him learn”); logos (“I misquote the Bible”); spiritual blindness; tiredness (while reading the Bible); confusion (while reading the Bible); lawyers (spirits who study Scriptures for the purpose of argument and debate; hatred of the Bible, fear of the Bible, unbelief (“I don’t believe the Bible”); no understanding, no revelation, darkness, veil (2 Corinthians 3:15); boredom (while reading the Word); wrestling and twisting the Word (2 Peter 3:16); dogmatic (teaching and preaching of the Word); tradition (making the Word of no effect; Mark 7:13). BITTERNESS: Unforgiveness, resentment, revenge, retaliation, root of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), hidden bitterness, gall, wormwood, poisonous root, hard bondage (Exodus 1:14), complaining, murmuring, backbiting, envy, strife (James 3:14), wrath, anger (Ephesians 4:31), cursing (Romans 3:14), jealousy. Opens the door for sickness and infirmity. BLINDNESS: Natural and spiritual, darkness, groping, veiled, lacking vision, hidden, covered, cataracts (natural and spiritual), hardness of heart, spiritual dullness, undiscerning, ignorance, deception, Pharisee. Many religious spirits operate to keep people in the dark concerning the truth and spiritual things. BONDAGE: Slavery, servitude, subjection, yokes, chains, shackles, fetters, captivity. BURDENS: Heaviness, heavy burdens, anxiety, albatross, hindrance, load, sorrow, stress, care, false burdens, guilt, oppression. CARNALITY: fleshly, earthly; lewdness, sensuality, worldliness, lust, lasciviousness, immorality,; strife, envy, division (1 Corinthians 3:3). CONDEMNATION: Guilt, accusation, blame, judgment, legalism, Pharisee, religious control, false doctrine, salvation by works, false holiness. CONFUSION: Disorientation, chaos, mind control, befuddlement, Babel (Genesis 11), idolatry (Isaiah 41:29), sexual perversion (Leviticus 18:23), schizophrenia, insanity, madness, envy, strife (James 3:16), frustration, incoherence, forgetfulness, mix up, tailspin (“I confuse her thoroughly”), puzzle (“I mix him up”). CONTROL: Possessiveness, dominance, witchcraft, Jezebel, Ahab, matriarchal spirits, religious control, control from the pastor, denominational control, mind control, manipulation, intimidation, fear. CURSES: Ancestral and generational curses, the result of the sins of the fathers; curses of death and destruction, sickness and infirmity, lust and perversion, incest, rape, mental illness, schizophrenia, poverty, witchcraft, idolatry, destruction of the family priesthood, Ahab and Jezebel, rejection. Signs of curses include: 1. Mental and or emotional breakdown; 2. Repeated or chronic sicknesses (especially hereditary); 3. Barrenness, a tendency to miscarry, or related female problems; 4. Breakdown of marriage, family alienation; 5. Continuing financial insufficiency; 6. Being accident-prone; 7. A history of suicides and unnatural or untimely deaths (from Blessing or Curse by Derek Prince); 8. Abuse and mistreatment from other people; 9. Vagabondism and a wandering lifestyle. Evil, misfortune, calamity, trouble, plague, affliction, torment, harm, vexation, jinx. CURSING: Blasphemy, coarse jesting, gossip, criticism, backbiting, mockery, belittling, railing, profanity, abuse, swearing, bitterness, hatred, anger, pride. DEATH: Termination, premature death through accidents, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, sickness and disease, murder, abortion. Operates through curses of death and destruction, angel of death, Grim Reaper, black horse, king of terrors, rigor mortis, murder, deathblow, Molech, suicide, fatality, lethal. Works with hell (Revelation 20:13-14). DESTRUCTION: Ruin, devastation, calamity. Works with pride (Proverbs 16:18), poverty (Proverbs 10:15), death (Job 28:22), misery (Romans 3:16). Also operates through generational curses (Lamentations 3:64-66.) DIVORCE: A marriage-breaking spirit; harness of heart (Matthew 19:3-9), separation, bitterness, hurt, rejection, anger, fear of marriage, guilt, shame, condemnation. DRUGS: Legal and illegal; addiction, reaction, dependency, sorcery (Greek word: pharmakeia - meaning drugs or sorcery - Revelation 9:21). Names same as drug (e.g., Heroin, Marijuana, and so on); rebellion, disobedience, hallucination, depressant, stimulants, narcotics, sedatives, anti-depressants, hypnotic. EMOTIONS: Emotional problems, bound and blocked emotions, grief, sadness, crying, anger, hatred, rage, uncontrollable emotions, hurt. Command spirits to come out of the emotions. FEAR: Of: making wrong decisions, rejection, being hurt, judgment, authority, failure, man, darkness, being alone, death, witchcraft, heights, demons, deliverance, losing salvation, disapproval, accusation, being wrong, spiritual gifts, responsibility, marriage, having children, pain, sickness, confrontation, cancer, driving, insanity, heart attack, the future, crowns. Horror, panic, fright, sudden fear, terror, dread, apprehension; causes torment (1 John 4:18). GUILT: Condemnation, unworthiness, embarrassment, self-condemnation, cults, false doctrine. Operates strongly with religious spirits. HABIT: Compulsion, addiction, lust, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, nervous habits. HINDRANCE (Blockage & Obstruction): Spirits that hinder, block, and obstruct: no love, no help, no friends, no success,, no lodging, no pity, no understanding, no wisdom, no relief (torment), no rest, no solution, no power, no ability, no light (darkness), no healing, no deliverance, no happiness, no joy, no victory, no control, no future (hopelessness), no liberty (control), no discernment (blindness), no prosperity, no breakthrough, no direction, no name, no identity, no confidence, no peace. No open doors (closed doors), no money (poverty), no job, no sense, no way, no value, no worth, no presence of God (Ichabod), no anointing, no blessings (curses), no communication, no growth, no order (confusion), no support, no morals, no escape, no commitment, no faithfulness, no self-control, no chance, no opportunity, no family, no transportation, no mobility, no break, no time, no room, no space, no health, no strength, no home, no satisfaction, no vision, no counsel. These spirits are also the result of curses. HOMOSEXUALITY: Perversion, uncleanness, confusion, lust, rebellion. HURT: Wound, brokenhearted, deep hurt, bruised, grief, abuse, cruelty. INCEST: Spirits of Moab and Ammon. Operates through curses of incest, lust, perversion, taboo, illicit. INFIRMITY: Disease, illness, sickness, ailment (by name), affliction, any sickness or disorder. Chronic sicknesses and diseases are the result of curses of infirmity, death, and destruction. (Not all sickness is from a demon, although many are, and it includes unforgiveness and bitterness, and often guilt.) INSANITY: Madness, confusion, lunacy, mania, delirium, deranged. JEALOUSY: Envy, suspicion, covetousness, resentment, spite, bitterness, distrust, paranoia, insecurity, schizophrenia, selfishness, hatred, bedlam. JEZEBEL: Female dominance, rebellion, witchcraft, control, manipulation, whoredom, seduction, false doctrine, idolatry, fornication. Operates through a curse destroying God’s order and the family priesthood; works with Ahab in males; name meaning untouchable, non-cohabiting, without husband, adulterous, base, licentious (2 Kings 9:22). LACK: Poverty, insufficiency. Break curses of poverty and lack. LICENTIOUSNESS: Debauchery, lewdness, nymphomania, concupiscence, lust, promiscuity, lawlessness, incontinence, unrestraint. LIEUTENANT: Assistant, aide, helper, deputy, second in command, right hand, group captain, squadron leader. Satan has many demons that act as lieutenants under his command. LUST: Sexual (see sexual spirits), materialistic, greed, ravenousness, covetousness, avarice, appetite, ambition, grasping, longing, desire, passion, craving, abuse, adultery, burning passions, concupiscence, femininity (in males), frigidity, homosexuality, lesbianism, immorality, sexual impurity, uncleanness, lasciviousness, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, lust for power, lust for position, lust for money, masturbation, incest, raper, lewdness, prostitution, whoredom, sodomy, incubus, succubus, pornography, voyeurism, wandering eyes, perversion, fantasy. LYING: Hypocrisy, guile, double-dealing, dishonesty, perjury, misleading, falsehood, little white lies, big liar, deceit, exaggeration. MANIPULATION: Control, deception, deceit, lying, rejection. MARITAL: Divorce, separation, strife, division, Ahab or Jezebel (marriage breaking spirits), witchcraft. MASTURBATION: Self-gratification, self-abuse, self-defilement, fantasy, lust, pornography, Onan (Genesis 38:9), self-love. MEMORY: Memory loss, flashback, memory recall, bad memories, hurtful memories, painful memories, blocked memories, trauma, denial, Alzheimer’s disease, past. MIND-BINDING: Confusion, fear of man, fear of failure. MIND CONTROL: Octopus and squid spirits having tentacles; confusion, mental pressure, mental pain, migraine. Ask the Lord to sever the tentacles of mind control. MISCARRIAGE: Premature birth (operates through curses), abortion, failure. MOLESTATION: Abuse, pain, hurt, rape, sodomy, incest, violation, offense, wound, bruise, torment, mistreatment, confusion, guilt, shame, bitterness, fear, anger, hate (of abuser), mind control. NERVOUSNESS: Tension, fear, anxiety, apprehension, restlessness, worry, distress, timidity. OBSESSION: Domination, control, mania, passion inordinate affection, preoccupation (with people, things, thoughts), fixation. OBSTRUCTION: Obstacle, hindrance, blockage, barrier, resistance, difficulty, block (many spirits of blockage and obstruction including choking, closed doors, cut off, cut off at the source, gag, muzzle, shackle, bind, check, halt, bring to a standstill, and so on.). OPPRESSION: Heaviness, iron hand, iron fist, heavy hand, pressure, strain, burdens, heavy load, weights, torment, affliction. PAIN: Tormenting spirits of pain including headaches, migraines, mental pain (caused by octopus spirit of mind control), stomach pain, arthritis, rheumatism, back pain, neck pain. Pain sprits can operate throughout the body, loins (Isaiah 21:3). Perpetual (Jeremiah 15:18), affliction (Psalm 25:18), hurt, painful memories, emotional pain. PARALYSIS: Very powerful spirit controlling the spine; disability, stroke, palsy, atrophy, depression, sadness, suicide, hopelessness, despair, crippling, paraplegic, lameness. PASSION: Rage, blind rage, temper, fit, anger, fury, vehemence, lust. PERFECTIONISM: Pride, vanity, ego, frustration, criticism, judgment, irritability, intolerance, rigidity, exactness, fussiness, overcritical, schizophrenia, anger. PERSECUTION: Unfairness, fear of judgment, condemnation, accusation, rejection, paranoia, sensitiveness. PORNOGRAPHY: Erotica, hard-core, x-rated (books, movies, videos), peep shows, obscenity, fantasy, lust, perversion (homosexuality, lesbianism, orgies, bisexuality), mind control, lewdness, lasciviousness (1 Peter 4:3), uncleanness (Ephesians 5:3), sensuality, carnality, whoredom, prostitution, voyeurism, lust of the eyes, masturbation, nudity, a marriage-breaking spirit, curiosity, shame, guilt, condemnation, sexual impurity, defilement. PREJUDICE: Bigotry, anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, hatred of black people, hatred of white people, apartheid, white power, black power, racism, intolerance, bitterness, anger, accusation, bias, Jim Crow, narrow-mindedness, ignorance, pride of race, premature judgment, religious prejudice, cultural prejudice, racial prejudice, rejection, self-rejection, fear. PRIDE: Leviathan (Job 41), arrogance, little pride (“Everybody has me”), hidden pride, harness of heart, stubbornness, rebellion, rejection, anger, rage, pride of (knowledge, success, color, race, position, power, culture, religion, family name), vanity, ego, self-righteousness, haughtiness, importance, judging, arrogance, self-importance, self-conceit, self-love, self-exaltation, superiority. PYTHON: Divination (Acts 16:16-18). A large constrictor. (These spirits squeeze the life out of relationships, churches, and so on.) RAPE: Assault, abuse, molestation, ravishment (Lamentations 5:11), defilement, hurt, bitterness, anger, murder, revenge, retaliation, hatred (of men or abuser), fear (of being raped or abused), torment, confusion, guilt, shame, memory recall, trauma, shock, abortion, suicide, insanity, breakdown. Opens the door for spirits of harlotry, prostitution, frigidity, and whoredom to enter. REBELLION: Anti-submissiveness, self-will, selfishness, self-deception, self-delusion, self-seduction, accusation, judgmental, pride, unteachable, suspicion, distrust, persecution, confrontation, control, possessiveness, disobedience, stubbornness, witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23), sedition, defiance, hatred of authority, anger, hatred, violence, murder, resentment, unforgiveness, retaliation, memory recall, paranoia, bitterness (root of), hurt, rejection (opens the door for rebellion), nonconformity. *REJECTION: (This is a major one that is most active in society today.) From mother, father, siblings; self-rejection; rejection from the womb. Hurt, deep hurt, wounded, bruised, low self-esteem, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, lust (a substitute for true love). Fantasy lust, harlotry, pride (a compensating spirit for rejection), envy, jealously, inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy, sadness, grief, sorrow, self-accusation, self-condemnation, depression, hopelessness, despair, despondency, striving, achievement, performance, competition, withdrawal, loneliness, independence, isolation, selfishness, criticism, covetousness, self-pity, possessiveness, perfectionism, outcast, castaway, black sheep. Rejection can open the door for a multitude of spirits: including rebellion, pride, bitterness, self-pity, escape, guilt, inferiority, insecurity, fear, hopelessness, fear of judgment, defensiveness, distrust, discouragement, disrespect, hardness, perfectionism, false compassion, false responsibility, material lust, sexual lust, perverseness, self-accusation, compulsive confession, self-promotion, attention-getting, control, withdrawn, fear of love, self-deception, suicide, unworthiness, shame, vanity, intolerance, frustration, impatience, unfairness, pouting, unreality, daydreaming, vivid imagination, self-awareness, timidity, shyness, sensitiveness, talkativeness, nervousness, tension, inordinate affection for animals. RELIGIOUS: Doctrinal obsession, denominationalism, legalism, conservatism, intolerance, dogmatic, tradition, religious prejudice, divisions, deception, control, mysticism, religious pride, imbalance, idolatry, sectarianism, heresy, false doctrine, error, confusion, unbelief, resistance to the truth, argumentativeness, cults (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, Mormonism, Theosophy, Scientology, Spiritualism, Eastern religions, Hinduism, Islam, Bahaism, Unity, Freemasonry). Hypocrisy, Pharisee, self-righteousness, holier-than-thou, false holiness, false tongues, false prophets, salvation by works, metaphysics, wolf, hireling, bondage, another Jesus, another spirit, another gospel, angel of light, philosophy, itching ears, seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, orthodox, icons. Praying for saints, false baptism, salvation by baptism, rigid, strict, stern, exact, over-religious, guilt, condemnation, schismatic, apostasy, bigotry, fanaticism, papism, popery, eminence, preeminence, ceremonies, rites, Mariolatry, relics, backsliding, skepticism, materialism, superstition, ceremonial, false priesthood, fear of losing salvation, fear of backsliding, formalism, religiosity, judgment, seduction, intolerance. RESENTMENT: Bitterness, spite, revenge, retaliation, cruelty, anger, hatred, unforgiveness, offense, gall, wormwood, disgust, rage, murder, malice, jealousy, envy, suspicion, animosity, irritation, annoyance, indignation. RETARDATION: Impediment, handicap, hinderance, obstruction. SCHIZOPHRENIA: Double-mindedness, instability, confusion (James 1:8), rooted in rejection. The schizophrenic’s personality (the real personality) has never developed, due to demonic interference. The demonic personalities of Rejection (inward) and Rebellion (outward) have taken over, causing a split personality. Spirits operating under Rejection include lust, fantasy, perverseness, suicide, guilt, pride, vanity, loneliness, fears, attention-seeking, inferiority, withdrawal, sensitivity, frustration, impatience, inordinate affection for animals, self-rejection, envy, despondency, despair, discouragement, hopelessness, unworthiness and shame. Spirits operating under Rebellion include accusation, selfishness, pride, hatred, resentment, violence, disobedience, suspicion, distrust, persecution, self-will, stubbornness, bitterness, anger, un-teachableness, control, witchcraft, possessiveness, unforgiveness, retaliation, self-deception. SORROW: Grief, sadness, hurt, anguish, weeping, crying, lamentation, heartache, brokenhearted, despair, discouragement, loneliness, hopelessness. SOUL TIES: Ungodly soul ties, false friendship, witchcraft, control, manipulation, deception, self-deception, blindness (spiritual blindness), false love (formed through fornication), adultery. Ungodly soul ties need to be broken in Jesus Name and evil spirits need to be cast out. STIFF-NECKED: Stubbornness, obstinacy, rebellion, disobedience, pride, Leviathan. STRIFE: Contention, arguing, fighting, confusion, envy (James 3:16), discord, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, competition, hatred. STRONGMAN: Matthew 12:29 - Strongman of fear; rejection, rebellion, lust, infirmity, witchcraft, and so on. SUICIDE: Self-destruction, depression, gloominess, discouragement, death, kamikaze, Russian roulette, murder, despondency, despair, hopelessness, death wish, insanity, madness, confusion, rejection. TRANSVESTITE: Perversion, deviant, homosexuality, confusion, rebellion, rejection. TRAUMA: Shock, anguish, suffering, turmoil, accidents. (Traumatic experiences open the door for spirits to enter, including fears, hurt, and bitterness.) UNBELIEF: Doubt, harness of heart, rebellion, disobedience, fear, skepticism, distrust, agnosticism, faithless, perverse, suspicion. UNTEACHABLE: Pride, stubbornness, rebellion, schizophrenia. UNWORTHINESS: Inferiority, worthlessness, rejection, guilt, shame, condemnation, schizophrenia. WHOREDOM: Prostitution, lust, Jezebel, perversion, uncleanness, rejection, seduction, rape, molestation, pornography, uncleanness, carnality, nakedness, lasciviousness, homosexuality, lesbianism, sodomy, idolatry, adultery, fornication, Gomer (Hosea 1:2-3). (See Hosea 5:4.) WITHDRAWAL: Escape, isolation, introvert, rejection, fear, discouragement, passivity, sleepiness, alcoholism, drug addiction, hopelessness, despair, day dreaming, fantasy. WORRY: Anxiety, fear, dread, apprehension, timidity.

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