CONCERNING DELIVERANCE

Good morning friends. I'll like to talk a bit about deliverance today, thanks to a few posts I've read about terrible deliverance sessions. I'll continue with the Titus 2 series shortly.

 

I believe deliverance is a legitimate part of the Gospel package. However, I have concerns about those who seem to magnify the powers of the enemy above God's power. They are false prophets deceiving the elect. They know the names of all the demons but are silent about the ministry of angels. Every mishap is caused by one demon or the other, according to them. Every sickness is caused by Queen of the Coast, marine spirit, serpentine spirit, territorial spirit etc. There is NO mishap caused by negligence in their books.

 

On the day they choose to address taking personal responsibility, they will tell you that it is a spirit that is responsible for the unwillingness to take personal responsibility. Sometimes, I am tempted to believe them, considering the amazing propensity I've observed (online and offline) to blame someone else. However, I know there is no demon responsible for that. For the unbeliever, the first step is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. For the believer, the next step is to develop a closer walk with the Lord and harness the inherent power that comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body. Then, in special cases, deliverance is TRULY required.

 

Anyone conducting "deliverance" with palm oil, boiled egg, okazi leaves etc is very likely to be a witchdoctor. If they are going beyond fasting and prayer, my brethren, you may be in the wrong place o. If they answer your question about the scriptures that support what they're doing with never-ending stories of their deliverance sessions, that's a serious red flag. In some cases, they'll have some scripture that bears a semblance with what they're talking about but a critical study of the scripture will reveal that they've taken the scripture out of context.

 

I'll give the example of breaking "covenants of death". The scripture usually referred to is Isaiah 28:18. According to them, they stand on this scripture to annul any covenant of death that may be hanging over the person being delivered. However, if you read from verse 14, you'll realise that the passage is talking about scoffers who rule God's people and claim that because THEY have entered into a covenant with death not to kill them, they can do as they please without any negative consequence. God was saying to the scoffers that He would annul the covenant they had with death that made them bold to misbehave and that the scourge would still kill them.

 

See why you can't afford to delegate the very important life-changing responsibility of personal study of God's word to others? If you do, you'll be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.  Study to show yourself approved, your life actually depends on it.

 

Enjoy your day.

 

PS: Please feel free to share your 'deliverance stories', positive or negative. It'll be nice to have a summary of lessons learnt, if it isn't too much to ask.

AS MANY AS ARE LED

So, today, I had to find my way to the supermarket myself. After a series of incidents, I decided to go to another supermarket.

As I was heading there, I felt led to use a separate route but I ignored the "leading". When I was done with my shopping, I still felt led strongly to go through the same route. So, I 'grudgingly' followed the route I was led to go through. The instruction I had was that when I see the person I was sent to, I would immediately know.
As I dragged my load through the route, it occurred to me that if I had listened immediately I got the leading, I wouldn't have to deal with the heavy load, lol.
As I saw a woman from afar, I KNEW she was the one I was sent to. I met another lady with the woman. As I told her that I wanted to share the word from the Lord with her, the other lady quickly excused herself, claiming that she had to get back to what she was cooking, though I met them gisting casually, lol. I didn't mind.
As I sat with the lady I was sent to, she asked me what church I attend. I told her that I didn't really come to invite her to my church but to deliver a word to her from the Lord. I was in jeans and a top so I guess I didn't look like a 'woli', lol. When I gave her the word from the Lord, I ended it by asking her to accept Jesus as her Lord. She asked me to please repeat myself. I gladly did.
Then she told me that she is currently not a Christian. However, she said there is no way she won't become a Christian. She said she just told a lady that left her shop a few minutes before I arrived that she needed a Bible because she needs to read for herself and address some matters. Then she stunned me by requesting for a Yoruba Bible. If you all remember, I bragged about buying a Yoruba Bible a few months ago. I haven't read it since the first day I bought it.
I told her that I'll be back quickly with the Bibeli Mimo. I guess she is used to people promising and failing to deliver because she told me "I'll be expecting you back o". She looked surprised when I got back with the Bible too.
I quickly gave her the Bible and got her number. She's the second of the women I've met in such circumstances. Hmmm

As I reviewed this, a learning point for me is that it pays to listen and do what God is saying. Some have stopped hearing from God (like Saul) because they've flouted every order He gave so He has left them to their own devices. Go back to Him, ask for mercy and start doing what He asks you to do.
Have an enjoyable week.

Myths About Adultery

"There is no man in this God's green earth that is strictly a one woman man. They haven't been born yet. Look around your neck of the wood and see the way women are showing the boobs flaunting it and saying take it."

 

We just need to keep praying for people involved in adultery lest they end up like the proverbial dog that refused to listen to the hunter's whistle.

 

Dear friend caught in the web of adultery/chaste affairs, go back home and work things out with the wife/husband of your youth; that's the Master's desire. Justifying sin, whether it is of the flesh or of the spirit is a recipe for disaster. The Father loves you and needs you to come back home...He's been looking out for you for so long...Return home...

MORE THOUGHTS ON DV&A

In a group I belong to, a lady asked for counsel. It was her second marriage and he was a widower.

Adultery (check),

Abuse (check),

Insolence (check).

 

A good number of us asked her to find her way out of the man's influence. You can imagine my shock when the update from Admin was that the lady expected us to encourage her to fight for her marriage and keep praying.

 

It's been about a year now and I'm still in shock. It doesn't discourage me from trying to reach out to those in abusive relationships; it has only made me review the way I communicate.

 

I think we get impatient with those that we're working with and somehow reinforce the lies the abuser has been telling the victim about abuse being the cause of the abuse and being a 'useless' waste of time.

 

I believe those of us trying to reach out to victims of abuse (and even abusers too) need PATIENCE. We need to be careful not to try to force our wishes and opinions on them. It's a battle we must CONSTANTLY fight as we confront this malaise. May God continue to strengthen and uphold us as we do what HE has called us to do.

 

Enjoy your day.