The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news and a good deal to anyone that can think clearly and unobstructed by sin and pride since ti provides the removal of not only all our sins past, present and future but also all the guilt of those sins and the assurance of a blessed eternity with God and all saved people with nothing that would distress us then and God's help, protection and presence spiritually with us in this life if we only humble ourselves and admit we are sinners or not perfectly good and can't save ourselves and need the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and his death on the cross for our sins and resurrection from the deat to give us new life for salvation and eternal life we couldn't earn ourselves. However people who aren't saved don't think clearly as I can attest from my own life before I was saved where I was preoccupied with many other things without God or Jesus. This is caused by the god of this world - Satan - the devil blinding people with the pleasures of sin and the pride of (living for ) this life and the lust of the eyes with the things of our senses but not what we can see in our spirit by faith and makes people too busy or not interested or have conflicting attractions such as other philosophies or religions that discourage people from responding to the gospel of Jesus Christ and receiving him as one's personal Lord and Saviour. The scripture in 2 Corinthians 4 of the role of the devil (and other demons) of blinding people and their hearts to the gospel of Jesus Christ and their need to respond to this gospel as the only way of eternal life is as follows:
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
An important teaching and part of the will of God especially for Christians is to forgive other people but especially fellow Christians. The Apostle Paul understood the importance of this and made it a point to forgive anything Christians might have committed against him or against other people in the local churches he planted and he encouraged the Christians there to forgive one another and if there was anything applicable anything wrong he might have done to them. The apostle Paul mentioned that he was forgiving them because this is what Jesus would do and what Jesus would want His spiritual people the Church to do in our new nature in Him. The apostle Paul also mentions that he and the Christians at the churches he planted and all other churches should forgive each other and to some extent all other people especially if they confess their sins they have committed against us to us and ask for our forgiveness but that we should do this anyway as in Christ who forgave all our sins so that the devil or other demons doesn't use any unforgiveness we might still hold onto as a way to get power in our lives and hinder our testimony for God and His Son Jesus Christ. The scripture passage about the importance of Christians forgiving especially other Christians as part of our new lives in Christ and to avoid the devil or demons getting power in our lives and hindering our testimony for God or the Lord Jesus Christ to other Christians or to the unsaved in 2 Corinthians 2 is as follows:
To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11.
The prison that the devil is referred to as casting Christians into could be either a literal prison or some other type of extreme suffering for Jesus' sake. Although this letter to the church of Smyrna and this verse 10 I believe are especially referring to the church from about 100 AD to the time of Constantine in about 315 AD there is a possibility of suffering for Jesus' sake for Christians any time during this Church age and this could often be instigated by the devil or other demons. However from a literal perspective I do not believe the church will go through the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel because this will not be a time for refining the church but for judging the world and working through Jewish believers in Jesus as evangelists and the restoration of Israel to God. I believe the ten days refer to ten periods of persecution of the church in the Roman Empire as mentioned by Bible Teacher Tim LaHaye in his commentary on the Book of Revelation called Revelation Unveiled. Some of this persecution by the devil can include martyrdom for Jesus' sake. There continues to be some persecution by the devil against the church and this could get worse before the tribulation or 70th week or Daniel but I don't believe the church will go through the tribulation and the suffering then but be taken to heaven at the rapture just before that. The scripture reference in Revelation 2 of the devil instigation persecution against the church is as follows:
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10
<Christians are to have wisdom and power to stand against the devil or demonsand his wiles that are quite treacherous and powerful. This power and wisdom to stand against the devil and his wiles (schemes) comes from Christians putting on our spiritual armour that involves living by the leading of the Holy Spirit and by knowing well and continuing to learn God's Word the Holy Bible and applying it to our lives and thereby increasing our faith in Jesus and by prayer to get closer to God and have more of his presence and rely on him for our struggles not on our own power. The wiles or schemes of the devil are not just from him but from other evil spirits which is what is meant by verse 12 by powers and principalities and rulers of darkness of this world. One practical meaning of this is that we shouldn't get angry or vindictive of other people that have practices, philosophies or religion different that biblical Christianity even if they heartlessly persecute or oppress Christians because our real enemy is not them but the evil spirits of this world that inspire and empower these people. We should come against these spirits in Jesus' name to seek God's help to reduce the power of these non Christian forces and empower bible believing Christians in the Lord Jesus Christ and by the HOly Spirit. The scripture of the devil and demons being the real enemy of Christians in this age and world from Ephesians 6 is as follows:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LOrd, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but againt principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (or the heavenlies). Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-12
Although God has given believers in the Lord Jesus Christ authority over the devil, in other scriptures by praying in Jesus' name, it is probably no coincidence that the reader is warned not to be proud but hamble to expect God's blessing in the preceding verse. When the reader is instructed to submit to God as well as resisting the devil, part of submitting to God is probably understood to be humble and remember is by God's strength and in Jesus' name, authority and blood the believer can have the victory over the devil or demons not by anything or ourselves or our own power or merit. The teaching throughout the New Testament is that Christians, believers in Jesus Christ, can't overcome the devil or get him to flee by ourselves but when we take advantage of God's power in our Lord Jesus Christ he has made available to us we are well able to overcome or put to flight the devil or other demons. The scripture reference in James 4 of the conditions for Christians to put to flight the devil or demons is as follows:
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:6-7
To begin with it should be noted the occasion when the woman began to harass Paul and the other Christians was when they were praying as Satan and evil spirits understand even more than some Christians that wholehearted prayer in Jesus' name is a main source of God's power for Christians. One of the ways Satan and demons respond to effective or fruitful Christian workers like Paul and Silas is to hound them or bother them with people with evil spirits or who are in what we would today call the occult. One such incident in the 1st century church with the apostle Paul and his coworker Silas is recorded in Acts chapter 16. Her a woman is mentioned who has a spirit of divination and who brought her masters much gain through soothsaying (fortunetelling). A spirit of divination is also sometimes called a python spirit or in the Old Testament a familiar spirit as with the witch at Endor that King Saul consulted and nowadays with the New Age movement would be called a spirit guide but all these terms refer to a demon or demons or evil spirits that possess the relevant person and give them the ability to see or think they see the future or other hidden (occult) realms. Although on the surface it might sound good and a benefit to evangelism to have this woman with the spirit of divination saying repeatedly of Paul and Silas that they were "servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation" since this was true and a quite a bold statement of the true God and some of his servants, this was not desired by Paul since this was not done tactfully or with the consideration in mind how best to reach out to people around them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Also this might cause some people to listen to the woman more than to Paul or Silas themselves or people might come to trust this woman then they might get lured into some of her fortunetelling or false occult messages she was probably still giving at the same time. The scripture says this went on many days or in other words this woman or her possessing spirit didn't want to give up this practice so the Apostle Paul took the necessary drastic measures and rebuked the spirit of divination in this woman and commanded it to leave her in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ which is really the only name and means for believers (Christians) to effectively cast out demons or spirit guides or spirits of divination or other demons at this time as well since Jesus has received all authority or power in heaven and earth including over all the demons or fallen angels (Matthew 28:18 see also Mark 16). I have seen some excerpts of the Harry Potter books and movies in a videotape I have from McCowenMills ministries and a Mr. Doug Stauffer that provides a critique of the Harry Potter books and movies from a biblical perspective and I can say quite confidently that the Harry Potter material is leading many young people and adults too into the occult and divination and witchcraft and similiar areas and they would need God's power through the Holy Spirit to be delivered from these spirits or to be rebuked in Jesus' name if they are too agressive in occult practices. The scripture says the effects of calling the demon to come of the woman in Jesus name were immediate and fully effective which was possible because among other things Paul was living quite close to God and Jesus and didn't have any unconfessed sin and had much power from God and His Holy Spirit and from Jesus. Of course her greedy masters had their first consideration on making money through this woman and were enraged their source of income was lost when the spirit of divination was cast out of the woman and her ability at fortunetelling would be lost. The woman's masters then incited the people of the city against Paul and Silas including using some half-truths which resulted in Paul and Silas having to be beated and put in prison for Jesus' sake. The scripture passage in Acts 16 of this woman with the spirit of divination or fortune telling or spirit guide that Paul cast out of her in Jesus' name is as follows:
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. Acts 16:16-21
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ although in this world after we are saved until physical death or the rapture of the Church whatever happens first are to live soberly and not with the careless merrymaking or pleasures of people of the world. The devil would dearly love to get Christians to fall away from the Lord Jesus Christ and faith in Him through falling into sin or through loss of faith through falling to skeptical human reasoning and doubting God's Word. Although people that are genuinely saved and born again into God's spiritual family can't lose their salvation the devil can and in some cases does get genuine Christians to fall into sin and lose the effectiveness of our testimony in different ways. This is what is meant by the devil as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Sometimes too the devil's roar might be very intimidating like that of a lion but if the Christian stays close to the Lord Jesus Christ in his will and faithful to his word- the Holy Bible which can increase or strengthen our faith when we read, study and apply it to our lives and the leading of the Holy Spirit the devil can only bring effects on the believer to the limited extent God permits the devil to do. We, as Christians, are to resist the devil steadfast in the faith meaning it is a constant struggle and that we should rely not on our own strength but on the strength of him who is the object of our faith the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter says these same afflictions are also experienced by other believers in the world and we shouldn't think God is singling us out for trials. The scripture reference in 1 Peter 5 of the testing of believers by the devil and the resource of faith in Jesus Christ as a defence against the devil is as follows:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethreen that are in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9
One thing I have heard from some non-Christian sources is that ghosts, spirits, and even aliens and UFOs seem to come from nowhere from another dimension parallel to ours when they appear to people. Some Christians make the mistake of just discounting all these sightings as psychological. Although that could be true of some of them, I think many of these supernatural sightings are real phenomena but come from just near us but from another parallel I would say spiritual dimension. I believe this region or location is also mentioned in God's Word - the Holy Bible and is sometimes called "the heavenlies" or "the heavenly places" although it extends to the space just above the earth but could extend in the other direction beyond the earth's atmosphere and even beyond the second heavens where the planets, stars and galaxies are to the third heaven where God and Jesus and deceased believers and holy angels dwell. I think at least the 1st and 2nd heavens part of the heavenly places can be visited at least in spirit by occult techniques such as astral projection but they are forbidden by God and I do not profess to be an expert in this area. However in God's time after the rapture or translation of the Church of born again believers to the third heaven in our heavenly or spiritual bodies I think God will then let true Christians explore the heavenly places relatively freely as well as in the Millennium and the New Heavens in eternity. The verse in Ephesians three states that there are powers and principalities in heavenly places which is usually a term for the hierarchy of fallen angels or demons with Satan or Lucifer the devil at the top. These demons or fallen angels often disguise themselves as spirit guides or familiar spirits or spirits of divination or angels of light to those who pray to them in the New Age movement or other mystical religions. They also disguise themselves as Mary, saints or angels to Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians or others who pray to other persons that what God allows namely Jesus Christ or God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God forbids and is displeased with people praying to or through other persons he allows demons or fallen angels to disguise themselves as angels or saints or ancestors to deceive people who pray to other than God or Jesus. God also wants to let the powers and principalities or ranks of fallen angels in heavenly places the wisdom of God in establishing and building His Church through His Son Jesus Christ. The scripture reference from Ephesians 3 of the heavenly places as a habitation of ranks of demonic angels and most likely corresponding to the seeming parallel extra dimension(s) from where ghosts, aliens, UFOs and other paranormal phenomena come from is as follows:
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Ephesians 3:10
This important scripture passage, from verses 13 to 15 or 2 Corinthians 11, is a key scripture passage in understanding some of the true nature and manifestation of Satan the devil today. Although it is still a popular idea in the public understanding, due to lingering medieval influence, to think of Satan or other demons as being beings in red with horns and a tail and pitchfork this is not how the Bible describes him. Also in Ezekiel 28 Lucifer before he fell who is the same as Satan the devil not a different being was a being of light. Many people especially those involved in the occult or new age movement when they use spirit guides or mediums what the Bible calls familiar spirits or those who have near death experiences or claim to have been abducted by aliens report seeing a being a light. This is sometimes associated with first going down a long dark tunnel. Although this being in some of the cases could be Jesus Christ who this being usually claims to be, most of the time this being is more likely to be Satan transforming himself into an angel of light. This can be concluded based on what I have read and that I think is representative of the messages this being usually gives such as: 1/ there is a brotherhood of man irrespective of what religion we have, 2/ there are many paths to God and any religion is as good as any other including Christianity to come to God, 3/ Jesus Christ is usually portrayed more as an eastern mystical personality rather than as God incarnate that came to die for our sins and rise from the dead to offer new life 4/ there might be something this being of light says about that individualy and together as a society people have to get in touch with their higher consciousness and 5/ that people need to be saved by good works rather than by the death for our sins by his shed blood on the cross of Jesus Christ 6/ this being will usually discourage people from studying the Bible at least from a literal perspective and if reading or the study of the Bible is encouraged at all it is usually to be done from a symbolic mystical basis. None of these points of encouragement are of the God of the Bible or the true Jesus and Jesus of the Bible or the true Gospel but all these are likely and probable distortions and lies of Satan the devil which make it quite probable that this being of light is Satan the devil who is also Lucifer and not Jesus and not a holy angel that would convey the true gospel from a literal perspective of salvation only in Jesus and his death for our sins and resurrection from the dead to give us new life. On point 1 although we are all as human beings created by God the Bible teaches only those who trust in Jesus as are personal Lord and Saviour are born again and become true, eternal and spiritual sons and daughters of God. On point 2 the Bible teaches that it is only through Jesus that we can come to God as all other ways are our own works that are stained by sin and self-righteousness and come short of God's glory or sinless perfection while through Jesus who was sinless we can have God's righteousness as a free gift through Jesus paying the penalty for our sins by his death on the cross even though he was sinless and didn't deserve to pay this penalty for himself. Jesus Christ was not an eastern mystic and didn't go to India as the Bible would have mentioned that and it would have been dishonest of God to conceal that if it was true and Jesus' family were still quite familiar with him as would be appropriate if he was brought up with him as was also the case for the other people of Nazareth and Mary. Jesus also taught clearly based on the Old Testament and there are no teachings of Hinduism or other eastern mysticism such as the law of Karma or an impersonal god like Brahman or Nirvana or the mystical idea of the goal of people to become a god or goddess and lose their identity and become one with the cosmic consciousness. Jesus also refuted used mantras in Matthew 6 where he said not to use vain repetitions as the heathen do such as the Hindu heathen from India. Jesus didn't say we have to get in touch with our higher consciousness but he said for us to be humble and love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and strength. Jesus especially in the Gospel of John teaches salvation by faith not by good works. Jesus encouraged studying the Bible to know God and even gave it as a basis of salvation in verses such as John 5:24 and 39 where he meant from a literal perspective. I urge you the reader if you have seen or experienced this being of light or no someone who has and it has told you some of these six lies or similiar things or if you know someone who has had such an experience to read the Bible yourself starting at the Gospel of John with an open mind to a literal interpretation or contact a genuine Bible believing Christian or Christian church so you can know the true God and true Jesus and reliable interpretation of the Bible and true faith that you can be sure will lead to eternal life as the lies I have shared above in the six points are lies of the devil that lead not to God but to hell if they continue to be believed and followed until physical death or the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ which will likely be very soon. This passage also associates religious teachers that call themselves apostles, religious workers or ministers and that associate themselves with this being of light and his typical unbiblical or antichristian teachings as false apostles and deceitful workers. This would include so called new age Christian workers or some of the leaders of the current contemplative prayer movement that belittle bible doctrine and the sinful nature of all human beings and inability or any of us to save ourselves and our need to trust in Jesus and His shed blood on the cross for salvation and our need to turn to God from sin and selfishness. Other deceitful workers include more mainstream new age teachers, teachers from other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, aboriginal religions, secular humanism or liberalism or other non-biblical faiths that in some way think people aren't basically sinful and can save themselves. In conclusion I urge the reader to seek and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible from a literal interpretation that he died for your sins and rose from the dead to give you new life so you can be born of God's Holy Spirit and become a true child of God and find the only true path to God as Jesus said in John 14:6. The scripture reference in 2 Corinthians 11 of Satan transforming himself into an angel of light and his ministers transforming themselves into ministers or righteousness is as follows:
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
According to Jude 6, there is a reference to the angels that kept not their first estate or that didn't stay in hell with access to heaven or the heavenly places but came down to earth to interfere with matters on earth. The time of this event was in the days of Noah just before the worldwide flood. These events took place on earth. The nature of the interference I and significant numbers of other Christians believe was that some demons or fallen angels came to earth in the human form as the sons of God and seduced human human (the daughters of men) and had intercourse with them and had children by them. This could be what is meant in Genesis 6 by all flesh had corrupted God's way if this practice became quite commonplace. This practice was very detestable to God as it blurred the line between that of the fallen angels and human beings and made a hybrid race that was a combination of both. I think the mention in passages like Matthew 22 of angels not marrying is meant only that good or holy angels choose not to have marriage with human woman but it is not that they couldn't do it if they wanted to and that fallen angels did want to do this before the flood of Noah and succeeded in carrying this out even giving birth to some type of children. As a result of this and God's particular anger at this He punished these angels with special confinement in darkness in hell. This confinement is said to be with chains. I am not sure exactly what these would be but God is able to produce spiritual chains that could confine spiritual beings like demons or fallen angels. In Revelation 20:1-3 the same idea is used of God using a holy angel to confine Satan with a spiritual chain in the bottomless pit for a thousand years during the period of the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom on earth. The angels that kept not their first estate will be confined with these spiritual chains until the great day which I and some Bible teachers believe will occur at the same time as the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 after the Millennial Kingdom and before God establishes the New heavens and New EArth and brings the New Jerusalem down to the New Earth which is when eterntiy begins in earnest. These angels that kept not their first estate have been confined in hell in these chains since the time of Noah and are now and will continue to be until the end of time. The scripture reference from Jude of these fallenangels that kept not their first estate is as follows:
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Jude 6
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