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"THE Truth"
Part I Why You Can’t See the Truth
Topics
Where Did Truth Come From?
Roots of Deception
Strongholds
Deliverance Ministry
We Are A Three Part Being
Your Words…A Blessing or A Curse
Religion vs. the Church
Faith vs. Fear
Our Greatest Fears
Truth Bible Referenc
Why You Can’t See the Truth
Where Did Truth Come From?
Do you believe in God? God is THE Truth.
He, our Heavenly Father, also created everything and everybody.
One created-being, Lucifer, (who became known as Satan), due to his pride, rebelled at THE Truth and became the “father of lies and deception”.
-So everything that was not THE Truth became the counterfeit of THE Truth, which “birthed lies and deception.”
Your most distant ancestors, Adam and Eve, were created to have dominion over the created earth.
-They began their life on earth in obedience, walking and talking with their Father, God.
-Soon, however, Satan deceived Eve; and Adam chose to disobey God’s one rule—not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
This then typified not only the union of man and his mate (the woman), but also the unholy union of deception and disobedience.
-From that time to this day, every person must make his or her own choice between the Truth and deception, and deception always leads to disobedience (sin).
-It must be clear by now that there is also a tie between pride, rebellion and disobedience.
Now, the truth is that God also created you, and did it for a specific purpose.
-He created Adam to tend the Garden, and to have dominion on the earth. He also gave him a helpmate so he would not be lonely, would have a helper, and for them to populate the earth with more children.
-God’s intention was that He would then have Children who would have an intimate and personal relationship with Him.
Adam’s disobedience (sin) meant that he was now separated from God, which in turn brought physical and spiritual death into the earth. This gave Satan legal rights to do his bidding, and he became the “god of this world.” Can you imagine what it would have been like to have been born in Old Testament times and have had to live by the Law of Moses and to make sacrifices in order to try and please God?
Your Father God sent His Son to the earth to redeem man who could not save himself. Jesus died for our sins; conquered Hell, death and the grave. He was resurrected from the dead and sits at the Father’s right hand, and is advocating (supporting, campaigning) for you to your Heavenly Father.
Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). While Jesus was here He left His Word (Bible) so that we would have THE Truth, and sent the Holy Spirit to help us understand it—and be our counselor. Free of charge I might add.
-He did it so as to make the truth personal and intimate for us.
-His death on the cross broke the curse of the law (Gal 3:13), which did 3 things:
1. Gave us Eternal Life (saved us from eternal damnation).
2. Gave us Divine Provision (is our provider).
3. Provided Divine Health (took our sickness and disease).
-And that’s the Truth!***ALERT! I have just quoted verses from the Bible. The reason is—that The Bible IS the inerrant Word of God. He did not give it to us as a good story, but for us to take it as His Word to us. Those who teach that it is not to be taken literally are “deceived”, and therefore not telling the truth. In our culture the greatest thing we can do and say is “I give you my word, and you can count on it.” Well, God is the King of the Universe, and His Word is good—you can count on it! Literally!
Would you like some more truth? Hang on; this might be quite a ride!
-The Bible says that the born-again believer is given power and authority over the devil (Mark 6:7, Luke 9:1, Luke 10:19)
Now that we have revealed where THE Truth originated, and where and how “deception” came into the earth, let’s consider how deception gets a hold in our personal lives.
Roots of Deception
If Satan was so interested in deceiving Adam and your ancient ancestors, what makes you think he isn’t also interested in you and your current family and wasn’t interested in your past family tree.
The truth is as the Bible says that, “the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
-He will orchestrate how you lose your resources; create strife, which in turn will steal your peace and joy etc.
-He will kill you physically if he can, and if he doesn’t accomplish that he will try to kill you spiritually or emotionally (dead man walking).
-He will destroy your marriage, relationships, hopes and dreams etc.
Through my life experiences, Biblical teaching and revelation knowledge from the Word of God—It seems that every person suffers in some way from generational curses (Exodus 34:7). These range from physical genetics to emotional temperaments, and most especially from the beliefs we embrace from our family and other cultural systems such as school, church, city/state, peer group, and even what side of the tracks we were born on.
No normal parent would purposely choose to bring harm to their child but all are human and make errors of omission as well as those of commission. Examples of this might be younger parents (learning to parent), parents too busy working to properly supervise, or parents who don’t have a good grasp on nurturing skills because their models (their parents) had passed on to them the lack of such skills. Nobody looks into the crib of a newborn and says, “I think I’ll screw this one up.”
My experience and observation also tells me that little ones who are taught about Jesus and His principles, seem to have the best chance of overcoming many of life’s bumps and bruises. I hope you noticed that I was careful not to use the word “church” and “religion” in the previous sentence for an obvious reason.
Ones family of origin may be living in varying degrees, a life of deception; yet a child can easily be deceived by their teacher, their church, their uncle, the man down the street or even their playmate (i.e. Teen age acquaintance). None of these people I am referring to necessarily intend to deceive or injure the child, but if they are deceived in any way or on any issue—they are bound to pass it on to the innocent child. This all becomes a part of the Child’s belief system, and accompanies them throughout their adult life. These learned belief systems in turn become a filter system (perception system) when future learning takes place.
If this is the truth, could we agree that Satan and the demonic world (his workers) are the most sinister and dangerous enemies we will ever have? Well, guess what, the Bible says it is true.
Let me take this truth one step further. How many people, perhaps including yourself, have good reason to believe your spouse, girlfriend, family, boss, friend, dishonest car dealer, doctor, baker, candlestick maker—need I go on—is who hurt you, is to blame for your circumstances, and who you perceive to be your enemy.
Do I dare go a step further yet? Is the one who stole the car, assaulted someone, raped or murdered the enemy? Now, I am not saying that we should not beware, or continue to ask for protection. But while I am on this point, whom exactly should we ask for that protection? Didn’t I previously tell you to hang on tight for this ride!
Maybe we should see what THE Truth says about it:
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12).
You see, without revelation knowledge (what God says), it is human nature to see others as the enemy, when in fact the real enemy is the unseen world working through those who you think are the enemy. So “the master deceiver” deceives people to do his dirty work—and snares us into having fear, hatred, unforgiveness and blaming others rather than the devil; who is roaming around looking for someone to destroy (I Peter 5:8).
Strongholds
A stronghold is a belief that is based on a lie or deception, which in turn alters a person’s ability to walk in the freedom which Father God intends for us to enjoy. Bondage is another term used to describe a stronghold.
An “untruth” is a deception which will invariably lead to a person believe the lie or distortion, which in turn may lead to a perception (a way of thinking or way of seeing the world). Sin most often begins with a thought (in the mind). If that thought (imagination) is not the truth it must be cast down from your thinking. An untruth (deception) or a consciously evil thought, not cast down or put away, will more than likely come to fruition as disobedience (sin). Little sins become bigger sins as they are entertained in the mind.
What does the Bible tell us about overcoming strongholds? It says that we have mighty weapons through God in pulling down strongholds (II Cor 10:4); that we are to cast down imaginations (II Cor 10:5) that do not agree with God. There is a great saying that says, “If your mind is not in agreement with God, you need to change your mind!”
There are many areas (strongholds) that you are aware of as well as in agreement with. You know they are hurtful but you entertain them and act on them anyway. This is an example of “conscious sin.” If you dwell on food you overeat, it can affect your life in a profoundly negative way. Just thinking about pornography or gambling can easily lead to ruination.
There are, however, many areas, which might be deemed to be more in the “unconscious” area. You may be aware of them but often after the fact (after you have acted it out). And then there are those strongholds that you have no clue about and others that you are in denial about. Pride and fear are two of the most subtle and sinister. Obviously there are too many to list here, but be sure to understand that until you come to grips with them and get the victory in overcoming them, they are intended to steal from you and destroy your life.
Self-deception and double-mindedness are some of the most sinister forms of bondage. The Truth (Scripture) refers to this as a man opposing himself, or always wavering in what he believes or says (II Tim 2:25, James 1:8).
Deliverance Ministry
So, you ask, how does one deal with or come to terms with strongholds that they don’t know they have, or those they seem to have no control over? I’m glad you asked. About two-thirds of Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament involved healing and deliverance. Deliverance ministry is primarily the intervention of strongholds and areas of bondage that create problems in peoples’ lives. This usually involves helping people get free from any lie or deception demonic forces have inflicted them with. The most extreme form is what is known as being demon possessed, and ranges to more commonly known areas such as fear, insecurity, bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, hatred and violence etc. Many times it is a ministry in conjunction with that of healing, as the stronghold may also be causing the person to be sick or to have a particular disease. Just as all strongholds originate from a demonic lie or deception, all sickness and disease are also the work of darkness (evil forces).
If the truth is so very important to our well being; and our problems, pain, confusion and difficult circumstances are mostly the result of lies and deception—perhaps we best consider if there are any areas of self-deception. Once we have made an honest attempt to eradicate the areas where we are deceiving ourselves, we can move on to where the enemy is establishing strongholds in our lives.
We Are Three-part Beings
Most people are not aware nor have they been taught that they are three-part beings. We are, however, most aware of our physical bodies through our five senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch). We tend to be less aware of a second part—our soul, which is mostly understood to be our mind, will, emotions, and feelings. The third part is unrecognizable to most and certainly the least understood by nearly everybody. Perhaps you are not even sure what that is at this point. As a result, most people do not really even know who they are! I don’t mean to offend you, but I spent the first sixty years of my life on this earth without knowing what that third part was. I have been blessed these past years to have been taught the truth about this most vital part of me, my spirit. The Bible says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
So, there you have it—Spirit, Soul, and Body. If you were asked to describe yourself you would most likely say something like I’m 5’2’’, have brown hair and weigh about 180lbs. But the Bible says you are a spirit. God is a spirit and the Bible says Adam (your ancestor) was created in the likeness of God (Gen 5:1). It also says you are a three part man (I Thee 5:23). So who you really are is a spirit that has a soul, and lives in a body! Now, this teaching by itself can totally change your life if you can embrace it.
Maybe this will help you grasp this truth a little easier. When you die (physical death), your body is put in the grave and decays. Your spirit and soul go to Heaven or Hell. They will go on into eternity; they will exist forever! That is not my opinion—that is the truth. The Bible says so.
The soul and the spirit are therefore very closely aligned, yet separate and distinct (Heb 4:12). The soul is where the natural mind does its thinking, processing, perceiving, and knowledge gathering (and includes will, emotions and feelings). The spirit takes perceiving (seeing) and knowing to a whole different level. This is a where the supernatural knowing, seeing and hearing exists. This is where the highest level of faith and understanding exists.
The body tends to be the easiest area for Satan to attack you. Those things you put in your mouth—over indulgences (such as with food, and drink), addictions (alcohol, and drugs); what appeals to your eye (nudity, pornography, movie violence), and that may appeal to your ear (dark, crude or evocative music) are some examples.
The next level of attack—that of the soul may be more subtle. If he fails to get you into over indulgences, addictions and lust as mentioned above—he might begin giving you strong thoughts about these things in order to further entice you. He may ratchet up the thoughts even to the level of tormenting thoughts if he has to. Other ways he attacks the soul area is to tell you a lie or deceive you by saying such things as your Dad is an alcoholic and you will be too. Or your parent might have been used by Satan to tell you that you are stubborn and rebellious; that you are stupid and will never make anything of yourself—and you believe them (the lies).
Those who know about Biblical truths tend to be more difficult cases for the Enemy. Satan’s attack may then move into the area of their spirit. So when all else fails he can always attack their faith, and put spiritual blinders on to confuse them. He has even been known to steal the truth from them! A believer may be a more difficult target, but the demonic world will never relent in trying to steal, kill, and destroy.
Your Words…A Blessing Or A Curse?
I need to discuss one specific area that all human beings tend not to take seriously and are often remiss. The area I am referring to is the words we speak. It took me sixty years to grasp this truth, and still find it far too easy to let my guard down in this area. The truth is that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21, Duet 30:19). It also says that by our words we will be either justified or condemned (Matt 12:36-37). The Bible also says, “Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth” (Eph 4:29), and that if you don’t bridle your tongue you deceive your own heart (James 1:26). James, the half brother of Jesus, says that the tongue defiles the whole body (James 3:6); and then goes on to say that man can tame the animals and the birds, but cannot tame the tongue in verses 7and 8. Your wrong words can be self-condemning (a curse you put on yourself), or they can be condemnation and a curse on your family and friends.
Unless we are taught properly, we have no clue how the power of words affect our lives. Remember—we perish for lack of knowledge. Maybe this can help you grasp this subtle truth: How did God bring the light into existence? How about The heavens and the earth? Or the sun, moon and stars? He “spoke them” into existence as at each point the Bible uses the creative phrase, “and God said”! Now this may be hard for you to accept as really true. Never the less, it is THE Truth.
Religion vs. The Church
One more area I want to discuss is the area of Religion. There are many Religions in the world, but only one God. All these Religions do not have the same God, as some of the education systems and the television programs and news networks often promote. Religions are manmade ideas and are basically condemned in the scriptures. The Pharisees were the “religious people” of the Old Testament, and were most often rebuked for “who they thought they were.” So the true test of any group that calls themselves “true believers” is: Do they believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He was born of a virgin, was both man and God, died on the cross for our sins, was raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of our Father God in Heaven—that He is the only God that is alive!
Now, as for the Christian Church, there are many denominations—but again they are all concepts of men. There are none of these denominations spoken of in the Scripture. That does not mean that they are bad, it only means that unless their teaching passes the test mentioned above, they are in error with the Bible. In addition, if they add anything to the Scripture such as their doctrines, traditions and any other additions—they are still in error. When any of us are in error, WE ARE DECEIVED! I do not think I need to remind you what “deception” does to people’s lives…do I?
The “church”, as referred to in the scripture, includes all the true believers in the Lord Jesus. A true believer does not mean a church attendee. It means those who have made a decision to put God first and is living in obedience to His principles. There are many regular church attendees that do not qualify to these aforementioned tenets. On the other hand there may be true believers in many different denominations. All the strongholds—like power, control, and other forms of abuse that can attack us individually, can also be found in institutions and organizations, which include a church and or church leadership. It is called religious abuse.
In summation, to what has just been discussed, the Enemy attacks us personally, attacks our family (past, present, and future), and our local institutions (such as school, church, and city government). Jesus has gone back to reside at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, and therefore accomplishes His work through people on the earth. Satan and his unseen spirits do their treachery to people and through people as well.
In order for all of us to reach our full potential and to enjoy the plan of God for our lives, we must replace our lies and areas of deception with THE Truth. The truth has to become a top priority in order for that to happen.
Faith vs. Fear
The Bible tells us to have faith in God (Mark11:22), and fear not! (Luke 12:7, 12:32). We are usually not cognizant of our fear and most often deny it entirely. They are, however, direct opposites—and you are most likely walking out your life in one or the other. When you have a lack of faith, you entertain fear. The greater the lack of faith, the greater fear becomes. Conversely, we overcome our fear by increasing our faith.
Satan always wants to make things easy for us, so which do you suppose is the easier of the two for us—fear or faith? Obviously fear comes to us far easier than faith. And why do you suppose that is? We learn about fear as a very small child. In fact, the medical field claims that a child can experience their first fear in the womb—an example, is what occurs when a pregnant mother is the victim of physical abuse and threats. The chemistry of the mother affects the unborn child, and is likely to carry over into the childs early years and perhaps even adulthood. Can we agree that this would not be considered something God would do—and if so, who else might be behind such an awful thing? So, we learn to fear without much if any teaching at all!
On the other hand, where do you think faith comes from? Faith comes by being taught and hearing about God’s Word in the Bible (Romans 10:17). Faith is best modeled by Christian parents. Sadly, the majorities of these parents know about faith, but do not have much faith, or demonstrate very much faith. Therefore, they do not spend much time teaching their children about faith or actually showing them any evidence of it in their own lives. So, in the absence of faith, fear gets a foothold (a root).
Our Greatest Fears
Have you put two and two together at this point?
-We fear the truth about ourselves—first and foremost.
-We are afraid of what others might think.
-We are afraid of the IRS.
-In a very uncomfortable situation we are often afraid to tell the truth.
-We are afraid we won’t be able to pay the bills.
-We are afraid to pray for others.
-We are afraid to go forward for prayer at church.
-We are afraid to trust God with our circumstances (lack of faith).
True faith in God can and will overcome this stinking list!
There are thousands of man made programs designed to help people with the first five of the above list, and all the other maladies that encumber human kind. Well-meaning and often brilliant people design them. They can, and often do, become very helpful—but usually cannot bring the complete healing or restoration a person needs to overcome their “troubles”, often referred to by believers and unbelievers alike, as the “demons” I have to overcome.
If Jesus is “the way”, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), then any “other way” will not accomplish the freedom from confusion and problems that one desires. If Jesus is the way and the truth, then it also makes some sense that any other programs (for drugs, anger management, etc.), therapies and counselors who are not walking in THE Truth, will be of limited help or no help whatsoever. Might I point out the millions of dollars spent on psychiatry, marriage counseling, etc., by private parties seeking help as an example. What about all the government money spent on drug-rehab, and attempts to rehabilitate inmates in our jails and prisons? Do you have any idea of how nearly all people in these last two mentioned programs re-offend? And they often re-offend to the point of it becoming “their life style.”
I have had the privilege of teaching a “men’s group” in county jails for the past six years. I tell them to take advantage of all the programs that they believe give them some relief. I also tell them that their problems are not psychological and maybe not even medical as they may suspect. I tell them that their problems, first and foremost, are spiritual problems. The other programs can be helpful, but will not get to the “root of the problem.” The root of their problems is based on the “lies” that they have received from the enemy of their soul! Until they replace the lies and deception with the truth, they will continue to experience problems and the accompanying pain.
Let’s take a look at two opposing Life and Death processes:
-The Death process begins with the father of lies, Satan and his evil workers. He starts by embedding a lie, and if that doesn’t work he can usually succeed in a deception (a twist of the truth). This leads to fear and then self-deception…seeing the world’s way. A lie or deception does not become bondage until you make it your own (make it part of your belief system). This in turn leads to such problems as confusion, double-mindedness (the Bible calls it opposing yourself), addictions, and often anger and violence. This is characteristic of a life of disobedience—the very thing that will separate a person from truth and God, and hinders their ability in developing their faith.
-The Life Giving process begins with our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit and the angels in Heaven. God starts by laying a foundation of truth. This leads to developing ones faith in God. This does not become a reality until you accept that Jesus died for you and it becomes part of your belief system. You begin to see life from God’s point of view (the Bible calls this having the mind of Christ). One then begins the process of renewing their mind, and begins to receive revelation knowledge from Bible teaching and reading the Word. A life of desired obedience begins to evolve.
A stark contrast:
Satan……………………….Jesus
Lies/deception……………...Truth
Fear………………………...Faith
Self-deception……………..Mind of Christ
Seeing the worlds way…….Seeing God’s way
Confusion………………….Revelation knowledge
Life of disobedience………Life of obedience
Truth References:
Genesis 5: 1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Exodus 34: 7 … visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Duet 30: 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:
Proverbs 18: 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Hosea 4: 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Matt 12: 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Mark 6: 7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
Mark 11: 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Luke 9: 1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
Luke 10: 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
John 1: 17 for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 8: 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8: 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 10: 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 14: 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14: 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Romans 10: 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
II Cor 10: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
II Cor 10: 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Gal 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?
Gal 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: 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.
Eph 4: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
I Thess 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.
II Thess 2: 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness
I Tim 2: 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
II Tim 2: 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose (dispute with) themselves; if God peradventure (perhaps) will give them repentance (change of heart) to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
II Tim 3: 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Heb 4: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 10: 26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
James 1: 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1: 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Part II
Part II God’s Plan for You Topics Reality of the Invisible World
What Is Faith
The Plan of Salvation
Faith for Healing and Deliverance
SOZO
Why Some Get Healed and Others Do Not
What You Profess Is What You Possess
Understanding Demonic Forces
God’s Plan for You
In Part I of this book I have tried to capture your interest in THE Truth with a brief foundation, covering topics such as deception, strongholds, deliverance, curses, religion, and faith vs. fear. I have attempted to demonstrate to you that there is Truth on the one hand and Deception on the other. Nobody can come to this position unless they have reason to believe that there is one God; that He sent His Son to the Earth to save each of us from eternal death; and that the Bible IS God’s Word to us. I also reiterated that there are those who say they are Christians, believe in God, and Jesus—but who do not believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God—and as a result, may believe there is more than one truth.
In Part II, I ask you to consider the idea that God has a unique plan for each person to fulfill, and that Satan also has a plan for each one’s downfall. There are many who believe in God but don’t really believe in Satan. Oh, there are some that accept that if there is a God, there must then also be a Satan (or Devil)…but they don’t really take Satan and/or demons very seriously. It makes perfect sense then to begin this section of the book with some evidence of the invisible world to assist in developing a foundation for Biblical Truth.
The Reality of the Invisible World
I have developed a library of DVD’s in which many people share their testimonies of miracles, and physical healings; and stories of being delivered from drug addiction, rage, the occult, and insanity. In most of these stories there were doctors who could not explain how they were possible. Jesus did many miracles to demonstrate the invisible power of God. It was the only way many skeptics of that day came to faith in God, and it remains to be so in our day as well. I’ll relate just a few to wet your appetite…for the truth.
A well-educated Palestinian man, a Muslim and a skeptic, was invited to a healing service by a friend. He only went because he felt it would be like a sideshow and a fake. He saw the person praying for someone that was deaf and another that got up out of their wheelchair. The person interviewing him said, “so you saw a miracle!” His belief was that anyone could go up on the stage and pretend to be healed—that it was a fraud. Then a small boy with a withered and short leg in a brace was called up to the platform. This boy was only a few seats from where the Palestinian man was sitting, so he saw first hand the boy was physically crippled as he was passed in front of him on his way to the man who was going to pray for this boy. The man who would pray said he felt there was a skeptic in the crowd, and invited any such person to come to the platform and see for himself. Well! The Palestinian jumped at the chance to see for himself that it was a fake and got right up close. The man removed the brace and held the shriveled leg in his hands and began to pray. The Palestinian said that right before his eyes he watched as he said,” the little crippled leg grew to the same length as the good leg and then filled out in the shape of the good leg as well.” The interviewer then asked if he believed what he had just seen. The Palestinian man said, “How could I deny it.” Seeing that miracle caused him to become a Christian. He lost all of his Muslim family when they “spit on him” and denounced him—for his new Christian faith.
Well, here is one more. A mother delivered a baby with a birth defect from some harmful drugs the doctor’s had used, not knowing she was pregnant at the time. The birth defect was a huge enlarged tongue (they have baby pictures of it), which the little girl nearly choked on as a baby and was mercilessly teased as she went through school. There seemed no medical remedy until they ran across a doctor in Florida who said he had the skill to totally reshape the tongue, but that she would never be able to speak again. The parents decided that they could not take that step and rejected the surgery. One day, as a teenager, she went to a church service where a lady ended up praying for her. You guessed it! (Or maybe you choose to still be a skeptic). Before the night was over her tongue became normal sized, and her parents were thrilled for her when she returned home that night. She went back to the surgeon to tell him and show him. He could not believe it, and asked who did the surgery. She had to remind him that he had said she would never be able to speak if she elected the surgery—and that, “I am speaking to you right now!”
Our Heavenly Father is unseen, yet speaks to us through preaching of His Word, and doing the miraculous to build our faith in Him. He often sends people that have faith to teach us and encourage us, or even to share their testimonies, visions and dreams with us. You must choose to believe or reject whatever and whomever God sends your way. As I said in Part I, God uses people and events to speak His truth into our lives.
Now do not forget that there is another side to this invisible world. Satan exists just as God exists. God created you for Himself, but Satan has lied to you about that truth. The Bible says that Satan’s time is limited, and will end up soon being cast into Hell for eternity. But he presently goes throughout the earth seeking whom he can destroy. Just as healings and miracles are ways that God manifests Himself on the earth, Satan and the demonic forces manifest themselves through witch doctors, the occult, evil music, pornography etc. Other manifestations of evil include such things as sickness, disease, rape, murder, and mental illness—including suicide and insanity.
I am willing to wager that the last paragraph has quite likely caught your attention. Let me give you the basis upon which I make such statements. In the first chapter of Genesis, God finished everything that He had created by the statement that “it was good.” God intended for Adam and Eve to live forever, and never experience death—in other words, God’s plan for them was eternal life, and the Garden was given for their divine provision in that life. Then Satan comes on the scene and Eve’s deception leads to both Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience (sin)—which in turn brings about the first we ever hear of death. They were given every tree in the Garden except one—“the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” which would bring death (Genesis 2:17). They would not be satisfied with all of the trees but one; they had to have it all! Here is our first sign of the three classes of temptation on the earth: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (also spoken of in I John 2:16).
If there originally was no sin and no death, then it’s also true that there was no sickness and disease that would cause death—in which case we could also leave such things as murder, suicide and insanity off the list also, as they are all forms of the same. In the Bible, death refers to and includes both physical death (the grave) and spiritual death (eternal damnation to Hell). Satan in his cunning and sinister evil spirit has attempted to stretch it even further; he tries to bring death to our hopes, dreams, marriages, etc. Wherever and whenever he can, he brings an evil twist.
We have physical evidence that Jesus was a real man who was hung on a cross and died; we have medical evidence that the girl’s tongue mentioned above was a miracle healing, and many personal testimonies of other types of miracles. To be able to go beyond what we can see; to grasp the reality of the truth as I have presented it so far—one has to move into the area of “faith.” The Bible says that God has given every man a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).
What Is Faith?
We all have an earthly kind of faith, such as faith that our car will get us to the next state on a trip; or faith that our kids will get home from school all right. But the kind of faith that is required to believe what you are reading in this document is a higher kind of faith. It is this higher type of faith, “the measure of faith,” that Romans 12:3 is talking about. This is a God kind of faith that every man and woman is given. It is this type of faith that must be used to believe the Bible is the word of God for you.
This measure of faith must be increased in order to understand Biblical teachings and principles—and to grasp the full truth of God’s plan for you. A Biblical definition of faith is: the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The very beginning of faith starts with believing that Jesus Christ arose from the dead. The Bible says that if you do not believe in the Resurrection, that your faith is vain or futile (I Corinthians 15:12-17). The Living Bible says it this way: If you don’t believe in the Resurrection you are very foolish to keep on trusting God to save you, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. You see, Jesus’ death on the cross was to pay for our sin; and his resurrection was to give us eternal life. Unless you believe these two events you have no foundation for God-given “faith”. What’s more, Scripture says that whatever is not faith is sin (Romans 14:23).
How does faith come?
- Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
- Faith comes by accepting what the Word of God says…not just what you can see. We walk by faith, not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7). In John 20:25, Thomas said that unless he could see the nail prints in Jesus’ hands, he would not believe—this is where we get the expression “doubting Thomas.”
Faith must be released:
-The Bible says that we release our faith by what we speak.
-Mark 11:23 says, “For truly I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain, Be moved and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he said shall occur, he shall have whatever he said.
-Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you.
1st Hear…2nd BELIEVE…3rd SPEAK !
It takes faith to believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; it also takes faith to believe what the Bible says about Satan and the demon world. It takes additional faith (greater faith) to ask Jesus into your heart, and to truly receive Him as your personal savior—called being born again. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This miracle of the heart is the greatest of all miracles because it offers you life with your Heavenly Father for eternity. The world has continually become a more dangerous and confusing place to live, and “the end times” seems to be closer than ever before. As result, many more people are coming to “faith in a savior”—who is Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Plan of Salvation
Taking this step is the necessary first step in the “plan of salvation.” However, salvation is a process that begins with being born again, and continues as you renew your mind and learn to walk out your life in obedience to the scriptures. The way the Bible states it is: “to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). The word “fear” in this verse is best understood to mean fear of the Lord or in deep reverence of God. Obedience must become our highest priority if we desire to please our Heavenly Father. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to know what obedience is and what disobedience is. Even small children know the difference. For your information, the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, and the New Testament was written in Greek. The word “salvation” is a noun and its Greek meaning is that of safety and infers health, and to deliver, as in Philippians 2:12 above. Another important verse says: “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13). This word “saved” is a verb; the Greek word is “sozo.”
You’re thinking “sozo”…so what! How is this so important? Well, let me show you just how important it is. When we learn the deeper meaning of things that the Bible says, we call it new revelation or “Revelation Knowledge.” It means that new insight has been revealed to you which will help you work out your salvation. Many Evangelical and Pentecostal churches have their highest priority in getting people “saved.” There is no more important work in any church than to preach the salvation message.
I accepted Jesus into my life nearly sixty years ago. Therefore, it was at that time that I understood that I was saved, and would go to Heaven when I died. Very comforting I might add! All the churched people I knew over about fifty-five of those years—including me, never knew the full meaning of the word “saved (sozo).” All we ever knew it meant was “safety” from Hell. Most churches and even pastors only know it to be safety from Hell as well.
In about the last five years or so, I have come to find out THE Truth about the meaning of “saved (sozo).” I consider it Revelation Knowledge because of its’ wonderful and larger meaning. I am going to share this awesome truth with you before I finish this little book, but I need to cover some other information first.
Faith for Healing and Deliverance
Before we can address this topic, I must tell a very important truth:
SICKNESS AND DISEASE DO NOT COME FROM GOD!
Sickness, disease, and death did not show up on the earth until after Satan deceived Eve and Adam disobeyed.
As it was mentioned previously, some things require “a measure of faith” while others require “a greater measure of faith.” My background and experience have convinced me that being healed of sickness and disease, and being delivered from a demon or demonic oppression necessitates an even greater amount of faith yet.
Previously I stated that accepting Christ into your heart was the greatest miracle of all! Many, many people have taken that step in faith. The person who takes that step believes that they received the miracle of salvation; the person or people that encouraged, prayed for, or led the new convert to this decision—also believes that the miracle took place.
Now we come to a need for healing of cancer for example. In my first sixty years of life I may have witnessed a rare healing or two—and I’m not real sure about that. On the other hand, I have seen scores of people go forward for prayer in the church, needing a healing miracle in their lives…many who feel desperate. Often a pastor will pray for them, at many times numerous people will gather around that person to intercede for their healing. The person being prayed for certainly wants to be healed of their disease; and all the prayer warriors around them want to evidence a healing. Yet there are very few if any healings, which seem to take place. All of these participants on either side of this situation are so very sincere and empathetic, and they all wonder why there is so little success.
I am convinced that the problem most likely comes from the fact that their “faith for healing” slides over to what they see. When what it is that they see doesn’t appear to be the miracle that they were hoping for, their doubt takes over and faith wanes away. Then the whole idea of healing and faith is called into question; one begins to become a skeptic about faith for healing. We can only believe it if we see it, and we rarely if ever see it.
Deliverance from a stronghold or demonic force is a whole different deal. People are less likely to ask for prayer in this area because of the possible stigma that is often attached to it. Asking for prayer regarding healing may be somewhat uncomfortable but asking for prayer regarding a stronghold or demonic presence ratchets up the discomfort to a whole new level—and the possible embarrassment stops most of us in our tracks. If a person does risk taking the step forward for prayer, the possibility of some success is most often better than for physical healing—because one does not usually expect to see a physical manifestation take place. If the person being prayed for seems to be relieved and feels better, it is easier to believe that the prayer had a positive effect. Seeing a positive countenance is all the confidence we need to believe that the person got some freedom from their problem.
In each instance I just described we must remember what the scripture says: “We walk by faith, not by sight.” What really happens is that we start by faith and end by sight. We move too easily from a position of faith to a position of sight—that quickly fosters doubt and ends in weakened faith and discouragement.
It may be time to get back to SOZO!
SOZO
Let’s get back to Sozo as I said I would a few pages back. Do you recall our discussion about Adam in the Genesis story in Part I of this book? God intended Adam to rule over this world and to function according to His divine principals forever. In Adam’s disobedience (sin), he created treason (disloyalty, betrayal, duplicity) to the Kingdom Of Heaven, and therefore relinquished his legal rights on the earth to Satan. Satan then became “the god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4) and had a right to perpetuate his system of lies and deception on Adam and his offspring (all of mankind) from that time to the Cross at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago.
Then God sent His Son to the earth to redeem man from sin and eternal death. I Corinthians 14:45 refers to Jesus as the last (or second) Adam. Through His death and resurrection He defeated Satan, giving mankind a new and different plan (I Corinthians 14:45).
Now, here is a key verse: For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:17).
The Greek word for “saved” is SOZO. Sozo includes 5 areas:
-It means to SAVE you from “eternal death.”
-It means to DELIVER from demonic forces.
-It means to HEAL you from sickness and disease.
-It means to PRESERVE you for your eternal assignment.
-It means to MAKE WHOLE as you were created to be.
Now here’s the deal. Most every denominational church teaches about Jesus and the cross but rarely, if ever, makes an attempt to lead anyone to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They believe that there was deliverance and healing in the Bible, but rarely pray for anyone in the church.
Then there are the churches that believe in the literal meaning of scripture. Some of these church’s fall into the category of “evangelical” whose focus is much more directed to preaching of the Gospel. In many cases they emphasize the salvation message, and are comfortable with the use of the term “born again.” They believe in praying for people who are sick or in the hospital, but do not really emphasize it. Another category of churches is identified as “Pentecostal.” Their primary focus is on the salvation message and being “born again”. They have regular alter calls to encourage people to take this step of faith in order to assure their going to Heaven when they die. Perhaps their second greatest emphasis is their practice of praying for the needs of the people. This most often includes prayers for healing, personal turmoil, areas of anxiety, and even such practical things as jobs. All are well intentioned and most sincer
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