Obey Today and Return to Your First Love

You can’t receive Christ as your personal savior until someone tells you about Him. They can only tell you what was promised in the Word of God. It is then that faith arises and you receive what God has promised to you. Yes, God is a good God. He does good things for you. God knows best for you. We are all flesh. You must know exactly what God has promised you when it comes to His financial provisions or any others.

(Romans 10:17) "If faith comes from hearing the Word, then you must know what the word says about it. I also remind you of what the word of God said in  (Mat 4:3)  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

(Mat 4:4) "But he answered and said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

My point is that Jesus was and is our example of how to live by faith and in the spirit of God. He faced challenges in His life, just as we do. He faced his with “it is written.” He quoted to satan what God had promised when He made provision for whatever it was that the challenge presented (read the whole chapter).

When the challenge/test is put before you is about finances or whatever as it so often is, know what the word has to say about it. Tell satan that you have been supplied to every good work by the provider Himself because He supplies all of your need by His riches in glory by Christ Jesus according to His word in

(Philippians 4:19)  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

You may tell him that you are strong and walk in courage. You are careful to pay attention to God’s law. You don’t turn right or left, but right on and you prosper in everything you do. You carry the Word of God with you. You meditate on it day and night. God has already made your way prosperous and has already given you good success because He promised it to you in

(Joshua 1:7)"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest."


(Joshua 1:8)  "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

You thank God what you don’t have to keep company with or listen to those who don’t walk in the spirit. You refuse to do anything that would hinder a sinner from coming to the Father. The Word of God is a delight to you. You cherish the Word of God and meditate on it continuously. Whatever you do prospers.

(Psalms 1:1)  "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

(Psalms 1:2)  "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

(Psalms 1:3)  "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

You can tell him, that it is God’s perfect will for you to walk in healing, salvation, restoration and prosperity, therefore you have already accepted them. The devil can take his lying symptoms and go back where he came from.

(3 John 1:2)  "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

The first fourteen verses of Deuteronomy are known as the Abrahamic Promises. I suggest that you take them apart one by one and create your own personal confessions out of them. Tell satan just what you have now because of these promises. Tell him that you will no longer tolerate him stealing these from you. You have decided to stand on the promises of God and just like when you were born again, you have chosen further to receive these promises. This is true whether it be healing, salvation, marriage restoration or prosperity or any other promises. Tell the devil what God said that provided it for you and then stand on His Word. Meditate on His Word. Praise Him for His Word! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Psalms 107:20)

(Deuteronomy 28:1)  "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (Deuteronomy 28:2)  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."

(Deuteronomy 28:3)  "Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field."

(Deuteronomy 28:4)  "Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. (Deuteronomy 28:5)  Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store."

(Deuteronomy 28:6)  "Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. "

(Deuteronomy 28:7)  "The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. "

(Deuteronomy 28:8)  "The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." 

(Deuteronomy 28:9)  "The LORD shall establish thee a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways."

(Deuteronomy 28:10)  "And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee."

(Deuteronomy 28:11)  "And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers to give thee."

(Deuteronomy 28:12)  "The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow."

(Deuteronomy 28:13)  "And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, observe and to do them."

(Deuteronomy 28:14)  "And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.(Galatians 3:13) " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:14)  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Matthew 7:7)  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (Matthew 7:8)  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:9)  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  (Matthew 7:10)  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?"

(Matthew 7:11)  "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

(1 Corinthians 9:14)  "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."

(1 Corinthians 9:9)  "For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

(Luke 6:38)  "Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

Healing Scriptures 

1. Exodus 15:26 (KJV) "And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

2.  Exodus 23:25-26 (NKJV) ²⁵ So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. ²⁶ No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

3.  Deuteronomy 7:14-15 (KJV) ¹⁴ Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. ¹⁵ And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt , which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

4.  Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (KJV) ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
²⁰ That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

5.  1 Kings 8:56 (NKJV) ⁵⁶ "Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel , according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.

6.  Psalms 91:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, ¹⁰ No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

7.  Psalms 91:14-16 (NKJV) ¹⁴ "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known my name. ¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."

8. Psalms 103:1-5 (KJV) ¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. ²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: ³ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; ⁴ Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; ⁵ Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.  

9.  Psalms 107:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

10.  Psalms 107:19-20 (NKJV) ¹⁹ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. ²⁰ He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

11.  Psalms 118:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.

I learned these scriptures as a child.  It is basic.  Everyone should know it.

The ROMANS ROAD....  It is a group of Bible verses from the book of Romans in the New Testament.  If you walk down this road you will end up understanding how to be saved. Romans 3:23  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin.  We were born under the power of sin's control. 1.       Admit that you are a sinner.  Romans 6:23a  "...The wages of sin is death..." Sin has an ending.  It results in death.  We all face physical death, which is a result of sin.  But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity.  The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever.   It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain. 2.      Understand that you deserve death for your sin. Romans 6:23b  "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Salvation is a free gift from God to you!  You can't earn this gift, but you must reach out and receive it. 3.      Ask God to forgive you and save you. Romans 5:8,  "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"  When Jesus died on the cross He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death! The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us, understanding that we are now joined with Him, and that He is our life.  He did all this because He loved us and gave Himself for us! 4.      Give your life to God... His love poured out in Jesus on the cross is your only hope to have forgiveness and change.  His love bought you out of being a slave to sin.  His love is what saves you --  not religion, or church membership.  God loves you!  Romans 10:13  "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord  will be saved!" 5.      Call out to God in the name of Jesus! Romans 10:9,10  "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting  in salvation." 6.      If you know that God is knocking on your heart's door, ask Him to come into your heart. Jesus said, Revelation 3:20a "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him..." 7.      Is Jesus knocking on your heart's door?  Believe in Him.   Ask Him into your heart. 8.     Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.  Open the Bible to the Gospel of John and read what God says about Jesus, about you, and about being born again.   God will help you.  He loves you.  You need to look for a local church where God's full word is preached.  The Bible says that we are to desire God's word like a newborn baby desires mother's milk. Aren't you hungry to know the truth?  Water baptism is one of the ways you first show that you have been joined to Jesus.  This is an action, and actions will not save you.  However, it is an act of obedience and a symbol of commitment. The symbolism is this.  When you go down in the water you show that You have been crucified and buried with Him, And when you come up out of the water you show that you have been raised to walk with Him in newness of life.  (See Romans chapter 6)  You have been born again. (See John chapter 3) Your body has become God's temple.  Your heart is where He lives. Forgiveness is yours in Jesus.  And you belong to Him.  You were sin's slave.  But now...  You are a child of GOD!   John 1:12 "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name!"

There is so much more that I could give to you.  Start with salvation, healing and prosperity.  Set a goal. Memorize what you can.  Maybe it is one verse per day.  Perhaps it is more.  Set your own personal goal and get grounded in His precious Word.  It is then that by His glorious spirit, He will begin to speak to your spirit. Then when you pray those Rhema Words, manifestations begin to happen.  Miracles begin to happen.  His signs and wonders begin to happen.

Fight you fight of faith.  Get armed with His Word.  If you need a scripture in promise of something, my daughter and I will be glad to help you.  If you don’t know exactly what the will of God is about something, we are glad to pray with you and help where we can.

Please remember our Restoration Ministry 101 MISSION  POSSIBLE in  your prayers and ask God what you should give as seed.  We now have our budget to cover and you need a miracle from God.  It is always a miracle every month when God supplies our need.  This is all of our miracle week. Amen
You can contact me for more information on making seed donations. We have many new Christians on board asking for more resources. We want to make sure that we get what they are asking for quickly into their hands. God is MORE than able! You are planting into another person's life and hope for the future. Sharon.n@live.com

Be expecting in this hour!

Be Heaven's Ambassador

Be Heaven's Ambassador

2 CORINTHIANS 5:20 LB
20 We are Christ's ambassadors. God is using us to speak to
you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading
with you, receive the love he offers you--be reconciled to God.

An ambassador is a resident representative for the head of state
of their own country.

As citizens of Heaven, we are authorized to represent our King,
the Lord Jesus Christ, here on Earth.

An ambassador is a very important person. Unless they do their
job correctly, misunderstanding can easily develop -- and
possibly even war.

This is Heaven's problem. Its ambassadors have not always
clearly communicated the correct message to Earth's
inhabitants. That is why so many people are "at war with God"
instead of enjoying the blessings of peace with God.

The problem comes from people misunderstanding God, and not
realizing the sin problem has already been dealt with in
Christ.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 NLT
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering
for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through
Christ.

The logic supporting the plea in verse 20, to be reconciled to
God, is found in verse 21: the sin separating us from God has
been dealt with through Christ. So we no longer need to hide
from God, or fear His judgment. Instead, we can enjoy His gift
of being made right with Him.

A good ambassador for Heaven must know the message of God, and
speak His message -- accurately.

One way of determining the accurate message of Jesus Christ is
found in John 8:31-32. Jesus said His message would make people
free -- not beat them down or put them in bondage.

God has a message that He desires for every person to hear: He
loves them, and will help them, if they will only turn to Him.

We must communicate that message clearly.

This message of God's love for mankind was displayed in and
through a person: Jesus of Nazareth. We learn of Him, and His
message, through a book -- the Holy Bible.

Actually, Jesus Himself was, and is, God's message. We need
only present Jesus to people as He truly was, and is -- and
they will be drawn to Him, because there is no fault in Him.

An ambassador does not speak for himself -- he speaks the
official policy and message of the country he represents.

So we are not here to give our opinion, but to proclaim what
God has said in His written Word, the Bible -- Heaven's
official message.

SAY THIS: I will be a good ambassador of Jesus Christ, to
represent Heaven, and speak His accurate message here on Earth.

It's a Matter of a Holy Covenant

Today Pat Robertson truly went over the edge and said it was OK to divorce a mate with Alzheimer's and basically go on with your life and you can get remarried. (Just google and you will find a great abundance of reports)

Friends THIS IS CROSSLESS CHRISTIANITY AND HUMANISM AT THE CORE. My life is a prophetic life and I will tell you till the day I die I said, "Till death do us Part" because that is what I covenanted to Almighty God, not only my husband. It does not matter what we face in our mates and in this world system or what even the church leadership says: Jesus calls us to suffering love and to look like HIM in every aspect of our lives. It is called discipleship!

This means in the face of sickness, adultery, divorce and abuse I am still called to look like HIM even if my mate does not know it! Even in the face of Alzheimer's. My friends, the Body of Christ is full of spiritual Alzheimer's where we know longer know the mate who we made a covenant with. We are losing our minds. The true disease is called Congestive Hardness of Heart failure and the Cold Love Epidemic... and we are mentoring the world that divorce, remarriage and adultery are sanctioned of God. Yes, the Charismatic/Pentecostal church has the highest divorce rate in the nation and it is 6 percent above the atheists at 44% according to Barna and the pastorate has the second highest divorce rate of all professionals. On top of that the worst stats are in the Bible belt. Could this just possibly be a root cause underneath homosexuality and same sex marriage? We play the hypocrite. What happened today and which the nations media is broadcasting at large is just a symptom of the disease in the body of Christ. Where is the Spirit of Elijah?

Romans 2:22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

Romans 2:23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?

Romans 2:24 For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," as it is written.

A Must-Read For Everyone!

Can a Christian have a demon?

Can light dwell with darkness?

First, let's expose the most common argument against believers having demons... they say that light cannot dwell with darkness. This is merely an assumption with no real Biblical basis. The verse most often used to back up this theory is 2 Corinthians 6:14, and it's speaking about believers marrying unbelievers. Is it saying that light 'cannot' dwell with darkness? No, it's asking what communion (partnership) light can have with darkness. In other words, is a non-believer going to have the same spiritual goals in life as a believer? No. How can they partner if they don't have anything in common spiritually? Are demons and God going to work together in a person's life? No. Can the two coexist? Yes!

Another good question is, can a Christian be in bondage to pornography? Lust? Is a Christian capable of even committing sin at all? If so, then how can that kind of darkness (sin), which God absolutely repels, dwell in a body where the Holy Ghost is? Or how can the Holy Ghost remain in a human being who is capable of committing sin, and does so from time to time?

Another point is that the Holy Spirit covers the earth (Jeremiah 23:24), so if the Holy Spirit covers the earth, then how can darkness (demons and sin) freely roam this earth if the Holy Spirit is covering it? And if Satan will not approach the presence of God, then how come did Satan tempt Jesus in the desert? And visit heaven to talk with God concerning Job?

We are composed of three parts; a body, a mind (soul) and a spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The spirit of a man belongs to God, and their spirit is united with the Holy Spirit, but their bodies and minds (souls) can still be afflicted by evil spirits. Just like you can turn a light on in one room, and the next room in the house can be dark, the same is true in the spirit realm.

The soul versus the spirit: The spirit of a man is where the Holy Ghost dwells, but the soul or mind of a man is where dirt can still remain long after he or she accepts Christ. We are told to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (souls) through the Word of God. Our spirits are instantly made new the moment we are saved, but our souls can take time to renew and 'clean up'.

Where demons do their work: I do not believe a demon can touch the spirit of a man after he's accepted Jesus, but where demons do their work is in the soul or mind. How do you see demons affecting people in the Bible? Through their mind (the lunatic boy, the man with the legion, etc.), and their physical body (the woman with the spirit of infirmity, the man who couldn't speak because of a demon, etc.). Demons can try to get our spirits overwhelmed, worn out, or tempt us to sin, but their way of operating in our lives is through our minds (souls) and by troubling our physical bodies.

Demonic bondage demystified

What do demons do to people? Many people believe that only the extreme cases of mental problems are caused by demons, or that you have to be heavily involved in the occult or Satanism in order to have demons, but the Bible is clear that this is not true. The Bible speaks of perfectly sane people who have been crippled by demons. It is perfectly normal to have absolutely no demons affecting your mind in any way, and still have a demon. The Bible speaks of people who were perfectly sane, who Jesus cast spirits of deafness or dumbness, even blindness or infirmities out of (Luke 13:11, Mark 9:25, Matthew 12:22)!

What it means to be possessed with a demon: Another misconception is that a person who is demon possessed is owned and fully operated by a demon. This is not true either. As I pointed out earlier, you can be perfectly sane, and yet have a demon. The word possessed in the NT Greek actually means to be under the power of a demon or to have a demon. This is like being under the power or influence of alcohol, the more you drink, the more you come under it's power. Same is true with demonic bondage, the more bondage you are in, the more you will come under that demon's influence or power. The Bible makes it clear that there are different kinds of demons that cause different problems the person to whom they dwell. Some demons cause blindness, others cause deafness, others cause madness (mental illness), others cause fear and depression (King Saul), others cause epilepsy (Matthew 17:15-21), and so fourth. Therefore, if a person is under the power of a spirit of blindness, they won't see (Matthew 12:22), if they are under the power of a spirit of infirmity, they will have some sort of physical infirmity (Luke 13:11), if they are under the power of a spirit of fear, they will be fearful, or if they are under the power of a spirit of anger, they will have uncontrollable anger.

Can a Christian be demon possessed?

If the word 'possessed' refers to ownership, then absolutely not! Can a Christian have a demon? Yes, but not be owned by one. I believe the meaning to this word has changed from those days, and the modern English version is not the correct term to use for somebody who has a demon. A Christian can have a demon, just as they can have a sickness or disease. Many sickness and diseases for that matter are caused by a demon.

Derek Prince (author of They Shall Expel Demons and a Greek scholar) does a good job at pointing out how the Greek does not suggest that a demon can 'own' a person, but rather a person can be under the 'influence' of a demon.

Saying that a Christian can be possessed, is like saying that a person's body is owned by an infection on that person's finger. The infection may "influence" the body, but it does not mean that it "owns" the body. The same is true here: while a Christian can have a demon and be in bondage (influenced), it does not mean that the person is owned by the demon.

Demons can invade the soul and body of a believer (if given the 'rights' of course), but not the spirit (the real you), because the spirit belongs to the Lord. The soul is where your thoughts, emotions, and thinking is done. Demons can cause fear, depression, lust, uncontrollable anger, and other iniquities in the soul, and sickness and diseases in the body.

To answer the question in a nutshell, it doesn't matter who you are (whether a believer or a non-believer), if you've given the enemy rights to your soul or body, then you are up for a spiritual infection that can result in demonic bondage. There are certain sins and things that a person can do, which can defile (make unclean) the person. When a person is defiled, they are unclean and therefore vulnerable to a spiritual infection, and the 'germs' in this realm are demons.
How do demons gain access into the believer?

Ecclesiastes 10:8, "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him." There is a hedge of protection around God's people, but if there's a hole in that hedge, it can open the door to the enemy and we can get bitten.

Paul warned the believers in Ephesians 4:27, "Neither give place to the devil." Also, 2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Either the demon(s) was there before the person came to Christ (past lifestyle, generational curse, bondages they previously came under, vows they made with the enemy, etc.), or it entered since they became a Christian. If the demon came into the person's life before they accepted Christ, then the demon is likely trespassing because he has no real legal right to be there, and simply needs to be cast out (as Jesus did in Matthew 8:16-17). The way demons gain access into a believer's life, is through open doors. There are certain sins and things we can do that will defile us (make us unclean). For example, having unholy sex can create unholy soul ties, which serve as demonic bridges, and can pass bondages from one person to another. Another example is being bitter or unforgiving; both those are closely related and can defile a person (Hebrews 12:15).

Either way, the open door (if any) needs to be shut, and the demons cast out. Just because the enemy may not have legal rights, doesn't mean he always leaves immediately. Even though Jesus paid the price for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5), doesn't mean the demons won't want to hang around until they are actually kicked out. If demons left automatically when their rights were removed, then there would be no need to cast them out. Sometimes though, they do leave without being told, but that's not always the case. In Matthew 8:16-17, it tells us how Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Him taking on our iniquities/infirmities... it was by the actual casting out of demons.

There are many verses in the NT where it talks about being defiled. What does it mean to be defiled? It means to become unclean, to become polluted or dirty. To become unclean means that the object must first be clean, or you couldn't make it dirty. You could make it more dirty, but you could not make it dirty because it was already dirty. To be defiled means to take something that was clean, and make it dirty. This is why Christians need to heed the warnings that Jesus gave, not to do those things which can defile a man. It can take a clean Christian and make him unclean, therefore vulnerable to spiritual infections (demonic influence).

A lot of people like to believe that we cannot be touched by the enemy, which if we keep ourselves clean and stick in God's ways, we can be "untouchable" by the enemy, BUT if we step outside the lines of protection and get ourselves dirty, we are practically begging for a spiritual infection which can lead to demonic influence and bondage.

The dangers of casting a demon out of a non-believer

Matthew 12:43-45, "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."

Jesus said that when a demon leaves a person, it likes to come back with 7 more even worse demons, and it is permitted if that person is part of the wicked generation (sinners/unbelievers). Casting a demon out of an unbeliever is not a wise idea. It is wise to first lead the person to Jesus, so that there is a protection upon them to keep the demon(s) from coming back.

Another thing to consider, is that trying to cast a demon out when he has 'legal rights' in that person's life can be very dangerous. Demons can manifest and physically get very violent and cause bodily harm to both the victim and the nearby people. It is a good idea to cut off the demon's legal grounds in the person before attempting to cast a demon out.

Some demons CANNOT get shed (or cast out) without prayer and fasting

Mark 9:17-29 tells us of a story of the disciples trying to cast a demon out of a child. They were unsuccessful, so the boy was brought to Jesus, and He cast it out, but also told us that this kind of demon (a very strong demon) ONLY comes out through prayer and fasting!

Mark 9:29, "And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by NOTHING, but by prayer and fasting."

If Jesus said that prayer and fasting is required, believe me, it ain't coming out with a quick nudge, much less when a person simply accepts Jesus!

Jesus was saying that it requires a lot of faith to cast these demons out... how you get such faith is through prayer and fasting... if His disciples didn't have enough faith to cast it out, what makes us think the average believer has enough faith (without prayer and fasting) to cast it out??

Deliverance is part of the atonement and New Covenant

Let's take a close look at Isaiah 53:5, where it prophecies about some of the things that Jesus will do for us, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities (this is for your deliverance): the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Do you think this verse was talking about things that Jesus did for unbelievers? Did He shed His blood for the sins of unbelievers (providing they stay in their unbelief of course)? Did His stripes pay for the healing of unbelievers? What about the chastisement of our peace being upon Him, was that for unbelievers? What should make us think that Him taking on our iniquities was for the unbelievers? Where does it say that Jesus took the iniquities of the unbelievers?

Once in a while, it's possible to come across a non-believer who was healed, but it was out of God's mercy that He healed them. Believers are healed out of the covenant, and therefore have something to hold their healing, whereas unbelievers are healed out of mercy and can lose their healing. The same is true with deliverance. Jesus made it clear that when a demon comes out of an unbeliever (wicked generation), it will only return with 7 more evil spirits even worse than itself (Matthew 12:43-45)!

Matthew 8:16-17, "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

If deliverance was part of the atonement and new covenant, then it's meant for believers! But note that even though an iniquity can be forgiven, doesn't mean the demon automatically leaves. Jesus still 'cast' the demon out in fulfilling the prophecy in this situation.

Notice in Matthew 8:16 that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy that He paid for our deliverance, but also notice how He still had to 'cast out' the demon! It didn't leave automatically. The fulfillment of that prophecy was demonstrated by the actual casting out of a demon(s)!

We, as believers, are commissioned to do the same thing concerning demons: Mark 16:17, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues."

I strongly believe that deliverance is not for unbelievers, but for believers. It is not meant to provide relief to the world's problems, but to bring freedom to the believer who may be struggling with bondages from his past.

Some major flaws in opposing theologies

There are some people who recognize the reality of the demonic realm, and see the need for the casting out of demons, but they don't believe that Christians can have demons. They believe that only unbelievers need demons cast out. This sounds tickling to the ears, but doesn't hold up in reality. Some very simple logic will dissolve this false belief.

Demons like to return to the wicked generation (sinners/unbelievers) with 7 more even worse demons (Matthew 12:43-45), therefore it is very risky, dangerous and unproductive to cast a demon out of an unbeliever. The only way to be safe, is to first lead the person to accept Jesus, then there is a layer of protection there to help keep the demon(s) from returning. Otherwise your just sticking your hand in a hornet's nest and stirring up trouble. If a demon is interfering with the person coming to Jesus, then it's time to bind the demon (Matthew 16:19), minister to the person's need for salvation (bring them to accept Jesus), then cast the demons out.

There is an obvious need for casting out demons (Mark 16:17, Matthew 8:16-17), so who are we to cast them out of, if it's so risky and unsafe to cast them out of unbelievers? Not to mention, unproductive and detrimental if they don't come to Jesus shortly after they are delivered! And if people shed their demons when they became a Christian, then why worry about casting them out at all, if they will leave automatically? If people shed their demons when they accepted Christ, then why not just bring them to Christ? This would defeat the whole purpose of the deliverance ministry. Which would be saying that the early church (which was very active in the casting out of devils) was wasting it's time, and would make no sense that Jesus said that those who believe would 'cast out demons'!

Deliverance and healing was paid for in the same verses (Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 8:16-17), but a lot of Christians are walking around sick and many others are being tormented. Why? Because these two things are received by faith! The price was paid for us to be set free, but if we don't believe it and stand on it, we can miss out in the fruits of what Jesus did for us! The same thing is true with healing!

I have seen way too many Christians being demonically tormented and in bondage, to say that it can't happen. I myself have been a Christian since a young kid, was raised in a Godly home with two great parents, and yet I've experienced demonic bondage too.

Biblical example of Jesus casting a demon out of a believer

Before we begin, let's take a quick look at what Jesus considers a child of Abraham:

John 8:39-40 makes it very clear who are qualified to be called Children of Abraham in Jesus' opinion: "They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham." (In other words, if you aren't doing the works of Abraham, then you aren't really his child. He directly said that they were not Abraham's child because they did not share in the faith.)

Look at what Jesus called the man who became a believer in Luke 19:9, "And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham." To have Jesus call somebody a child of Abraham was quite an honor! It meant that the person was a child of Abraham by faith, which means they were a believer.

Also look at Romans 2:28-29, "For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not a cutting of the body but a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. Whoever has that kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people." (NLT)

Jesus said that the children of Abraham do what Abraham did (John 8:39). What did Abraham do? Galatians 3:6, "...Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." To believe God means to believe in Jesus as well, because the two cannot be separated! If you reject the Son, you also reject the Father (1 John 2:22-23). Jesus made it clear that the true children of Abraham are full blown believers!

Now, in Luke 13:11, 16 it says, "And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?"

A few things I would like to point out, first, she was in the church hearing Jesus' teachings just moments before He loosed her. When He called her a daughter of Abraham, He made it clear that she was a very special person. He rebuked the Pharisees for calling themselves children of Abraham, but He honored this woman for it. In His opinion, she was a true daughter of Abraham, which meant she shared in Abraham's faith. She was a believer.

Let me briefly summarize this:

(a) Jesus said that in order to be a child of Abraham, you must do as Abraham did. (John 8:39)

(b) What did Abraham do? He believed on God. (Gal 3:6)

(c) You cannot believe on the Father and reject the Son; it is impossible. (1 John 2:22-23)

(d) Jesus said that this woman was truly a child of Abraham. (Luke 13:16)

Jesus Himself told us of the requirements for what it takes to be a child of Abraham, so if He didn't judge her by those requirements, He would be contradicting Himself. Judged by His opinion (which is not just any opinion, but a FACT and TRUTH), He labeled this woman as a child of Abraham. To refute that she was a believer, would be trying to argue with Jesus, because that's what He said, and He made it very clear that those who don't believe, aren't really children of Abraham.

Biblical example of a believer being set free from a curse

Mark 5:25-34, "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in [her] body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague (curse)."

There was a woman who had an issue of blood as a result of a curse (the KJV refers to it as a plague, which is the same thing as a curse), and though she believed in Jesus, she was released from it when she acted upon her faith and touched the hem of His garment.

It is obvious that she didn't just believe Jesus for her healing/deliverance, but also for her salvation, because Jesus referred to her as a member of His family. Jesus referred to her as a daughter, which meant that they were related. It would have been impossible for her to physically be His daughter, because He was never married, and Jesus made it clear that those who do the will of the Father were members of His family (Mark 3:33-35).

Let me briefly summarize this:

(a) The woman was suffering from a curse (plague) that was affecting her physically. (Mark 5:29)

(b) She believed that if she came in contact with Jesus, she could be released from her curse. (Mark 5:27, 28) She was a believer in Jesus even before she was delivered.

(c) She was released from her curse because of her faith. (Mark 5:34)

(d) Jesus referred to her as a daughter, therefore making it clear that they were related. (Mark 5:34) This also proves that she didn't just believe Jesus could heal/deliver her, but she was also believing upon Him, and it made her a member of Jesus' royal family.

(e) Since it was impossible for her to be related to Him physically (Jesus was never married, so He obviously wouldn't have any physical daughters), the only other way she could be related to Him was spiritually.

(f) Jesus made it clear that the true members of His family were those who do the will of God. (Mark 3:33-35)

She did NOT just believe Jesus was a magical man with healing powers, or Jesus wouldn't have called her a DAUGHTER. She believed that He was the Son of God, which is what is required to be a member of God's family!!

Questions for the skeptics:

If this was a deliverance, why did they use the word "healed"? A lot of healings are actually deliverances. Verses such as Matthew 12:22 and Acts 10:38 tell us that Jesus 'healed' those who were bound by evil spirits. Healing and deliverance are very closely related. Healing is often the word used to describe the setting free of a demon spirit that was causing a physical infirmity.

How are you so sure that the word plague means a curse? If you look it up in the Greek, it lists three meanings, the first two use the word scourge, which means punishment (obviously more then merely a physical problem), the last one directly says misfortune or calamity, especially as a punishment. If you want to see for yourself, please go here www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/mastix.html.

How do you know she really believed in Jesus as the Son of God, and not just believed upon Him for her healing/deliverance? Because Jesus called her a daughter. Obviously, she could not have been a physical daughter, so this means she was a spiritual daughter. Jesus made it clear that those who do God's will are members of His true family.

This is a good example of a believer, who recognized and believed in Jesus, but wasn't released from that curse until she engaged her faith in Him by touching the hem of His garment. Only then did this believer receive her deliverance!
Biblical example where believers can be under an evil spell

First of all, bewitching is no light hearted matter. It's witchcraft to say the very least: Acts 8:9, "But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:"

Galatians 3:1, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" I like how the NLT words it, "Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross."

If you read on into verses 2, it makes it clear that these people were Spirit filled believers: "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"

You might be asking, but how can somebody place a spell on a Christian? If that Christian opens the door to such a thing, it can happen. The Bible warns us that in the end times, some will pay attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1), and therefore depart from the faith. What do you think happens when we pay attention to seducing spirits? Why do you think we are warned us not to do such a thing? Don't give the devil the time of day! That's why Paul referred to them as "O foolish Galatians," because they were giving heed to false teachings and it opened the door for them to be tripped up.

Other Christians who had demons in the Bible

In Mark 5:1-20, a story is told of a man with a legion of demons who saw Jesus, ran to Him and worshiped Him. Demons don't run to Jesus and worship Him. This man recognized that Jesus was the son of God, and therefore able to set him free, and of course, that would mean he believed upon Jesus.

Jesus didn't go seeking demons to cast out of people. He usually waited until people came to Him before He cast them out. If they came to Him, then I believe it can be easily argued that they 'believed in Him'.

I find it interesting that many times Jesus cast out demons, He did it for the people in the synagogues. Mark 1:39, "And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils." It's also interesting to note that Jesus didn't go 'looking' for people to cast demons out of, He waited until they came to Him, and many (if not all) of them referred to Him as Lord. This gives us a good indication that they were believers. Also, those who were in the synagogues were either hypocrites or sincere children of God. Where did Jesus EVER cast a demon out of a hypocrite like the Pharisees? Jesus said Himself that deliverance was children's bread, and therefore not fit to cast before dogs!

Satan HATES the deliverance ministry

As you can see, if deliverance isn't for the unbelievers, then who is it for? The believers! I can honestly testify from experience that Christians can come under demonic bondage and be tormented by demons. The reason the devil doesn't want people to think Christians can be in bondage, is because he wants his work to go un-exposed. This ministry is one of the most hated ministries by the devil, because it is directly stepping on his toes and ripping up his holds in the lives of God's children around the world.

The big test is how a minister would help a Christian who is in heavy demonic bondage break free. The problem is, those who bitterly oppose the idea that Christians can have demons are left clueless when faced with true believers who really do need a deliverance, and the bondage is undeniable. Often, demonic bondage (torment, etc.) is written off as spiritual warfare, or mental illness. I simply do not buy this bogus excuse to allow demonic torment to continue in the life of a believer. Jesus didn't allow demons to continue tormenting people who came to Him, did He? The Bible tells us that He healed (made whole, which includes casting out demons) ALL who were oppressed of the devil. This means even oppression should be dealt with, not written off and considered normal.

Awesome Testimony!

Last night I met my new friend (the lady who cleaned my house - she goes to my Church), Sharon for the first time in person to have dinner. Over dinner, she mentioned that when she cleaned my house that she prayed for me as she was cleaning.  She said that as she stood over my bed - she felt the Holy Spirit very strongly.This morning I look back through my journal and I want to share this "time line" with all of you God is GOOD.

2/23/07 - The slippery slope begins.  My sexual relationship with AG began about this time.

NEXT entry is 3/18/07 - I asked God's help in my rel. with AG.  I didn't write the word "sex" but "implied" it.  Wrote about my need to "feel normal."

3/24/07 - read Psalm 51 -about confession.  Wrote about AG - our sexual rel. and my feelings

4/12/07 - broke up with M.  Extreme guilt over the way that I did it

4/22/07- confessed my sexual sin to a friend.  First time I ever spoke it out loud or shared it with anyone *Prayer partner and I sat outside in front of the cabin just "talking." Just so happened to asked me about my "purity."  Definitely a divine appointment.*Confessed my sin to but was still hanging on tightly.  Did NOT want to let go. I wrote: "I must stop rationalizing my sin and ADMIT the truth."

Then I wrote out a prayer:  "thank you God for bringing me this far.  For convicting me patiently and allowing me time to work thru this ...  to truly rip this sin out of my life from its roots." I also prayed Galatians 5:17 and asked for the Holy Spirit to give me the desire for sexual purity - and to give SG the desire.  "Help me to nail those impure thoughts and sexual sins to the cross - to crucify them"  I wrote.

Now friends, I remember at that time I still had a strong sexual desire.  It was not instantly taken away. AG and I slept together one time after that - then continued to "talk" about it only for a couple of more weeks off and on.  Until all of sudden, we just stopped.  We didn't really talk about it until about 3 weeks after it "stopped.
The last time we talked about “IT” was June 5th.(Lord, please help me to no longer feel shame for this – I have confessed it and it is forgiven!” ) I totally have to let go of my pride to admit this to you!

Had “the talk” with AG.   I have been abstinent from all sexual sin for 23 days now. I am going  tonight at a Christian Recovery now to proclaim my surrender.

Now … here’s the REALLY exciting part … hold on to your panty hose ladies and gents!6/14/07 I humbled myself, found Sharon’s ad on the church website and asked her to come clean my house. It was a pigsty – I had totally let it go during my time of “rebellion” and total depression (which was from about 4/25 until 6/8- Again, the Lord had to humble me to keep me from “cleaning my house before the cleaning lady came.”


When I walked back into the house after Recovery meeting (Which just happened to be my first night “back”) I felt tremendous relief in having just that one area of my life back in semi-control!!!

I wrote “thank You for giving me a hunger for Your Word this morning.” For SOME reason, God led me to the book of Galatians again. (More about that later)
THIS DATE is when God began to DELIVER me!!!!!!

6/23/07 - Step workshop and my “Divine Appointment” and I’ve already shared with you what happened last weekend! WOW! And you know what? I now have a burning desire to stay pure. That was NOT there a few weeks ago.I was still holding on to that “pleasure” - the kind of pleasure that does not fulfill. I remember saying to myself, “How is God ever going to take this desire away? It is so strong and I ENJOY it!”

Today is ONLY 6 days later and it seems like MONTHS ago! It’s still hard for me to believe it!!! Do you see how God has used each and every one of you in my life?

My long time friend, my faithful strong Christian friends, my new friend Sharon, and also my mentor friend and accountability partner, Thank you All who are being used in my life in a remarkable and Spirit led way! Thank you me for letting me be real … I hope I haven’t been TOO real. LOL

I love you all. In His Unfailing Love AND Miraculous Freedom!
Name Withheld 

Remain Confident In the Lord

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 (New Living Translation)

"If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. An God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:11-13 (The Message)  Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless.  No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it."

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 (New American Standard Bible)

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. >No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and  God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

Remain  confident in the Lord. Psalm 27:1-3