| MY STORYTime and again, I hear from Christian | | | | service ended, the congregation milled about, talked, |
| people of all denominations, ministers included - men | | | | laughed and specialized. I noticed a young man who |
| and women who love Jesus and are bearing much | | | | remained seated, head bowed, elbows on his knees, |
| fruit as Believers - who express that they are totally | | | | hands folded as if praying. I walked over and asked if |
| uninformed or just plain fearful when it comes to | | | | I could pray with him. No answer. I asked, this time, if |
| dealing with demons.Many years ago, I attended a | | | | I could pray FOR him. When he did not answer, I |
| very large church in Texas with several thousand | | | | placed my hand on his back. At that instant, he |
| people on the role. Quite often I prayed that all the | | | | bolted upright, hands on his knees, elbows locked, |
| things Jesus wanted me to have in order to be the | | | | and began swaying back and forth like a cobra. He |
| most effective "Omega Warrior" I could be would be | | | | then scooted his chair a good 15 feet backward and |
| entrusted to me. From speaking in tongues to healing | | | | started growling, "I hate this church! I hate him! I |
| the sick to casting out demons, I wanted a double | | | | hate her! I hate you!"There were 30-some individuals |
| portion of it all!Occasionally, I found myself in the | | | | remaining and they were stunned. Some whipped out |
| vicinity whenever something "strange" would | | | | their cell phones and asked, "Do we call 911?" Others |
| manifest itself in a church service or seminar setting. | | | | asked him directly, "Do you take medication, |
| In one case, a man directly behind me stood shouting | | | | brother?"I realized that there was no faith in the |
| at the pastor and stormed out of the assembly. | | | | room (You may recall that even Jesus had to clear |
| What caused this outburst? The pastor was | | | | the room to get anywhere with Jairus's dead |
| preaching against homosexuality. A friend of mine | | | | daughter). Well, although I didn't clear the room, I did |
| who followed the man and ministered to him in an | | | | ask the man if Jesus was his Lord. When he tried but |
| office off the foyer later told me the man had no | | | | could not answer, I commanded the demon to |
| idea what "possessed" him to shout like that.In | | | | release his tongue. I asked again, "Is Jesus your |
| another instance, a woman who had quite a Haitian | | | | Lord?" He whispered, as if panting, "Yes." It was then |
| or Jamaican look about her, stood and began doing a | | | | that I leaned in closer and told him that I would help |
| strange, somewhat seductive dance in the aisle with | | | | him but that I couldn't do it there. I reminded him |
| no music playing. I ministered to her - along with | | | | that this experience was "it" for him as a Christian. |
| another woman who knew something of these | | | | "This IS your Christian life and it WILL happen again |
| things - the best I knew how.Another time, as I was | | | | without help."The young man never did seek my help. |
| praying for someone, I felt something down at my | | | | Instead, he disappeared from town. In the days |
| feet. Imagine my surprise when I looked down and | | | | ahead, I was sought out and asked questions about |
| saw an attractive woman in a blue suit, twisted like a | | | | what happened that day. "Why did you do this?" and |
| pretzel, her eyes rolled back in her head, face | | | | "Why did you do that?" I was invited to dinner and |
| contorted, while a mature Christian lady minister | | | | taken to lunch. When I saw the Pastor the next day, |
| prayed with her. I was all ears. Afterward and from | | | | he responded, "Man, I'm glad you were there...they |
| then on, that woman was joyful, productive, | | | | don't teach that stuff in seminary."WHAT'S THE |
| transformed.From the woman who growled like a cat | | | | POINT?My point in sharing these stories? There are |
| to the high schooler with bite marks on her body, the | | | | three. First, simply put, Christians - even ministers of |
| day came when I had to ask my pastor, "why is it | | | | ALL denominations - aren't taught much more than |
| I'm always around when these demonic | | | | how to perform rituals and ceremonies in a religious |
| manifestations take place?" This former missionary, a | | | | setting. This renders us virtually powerless and having |
| seasoned veteran of the South African mission field | | | | no distinguishable influence upon the real needs of |
| during the height of Apartheid, reached for his old, | | | | society. When it comes to people like the man that |
| leather Bible that lay upon his desk and turned its | | | | recently executed a bunch of Amish girls in |
| well-worn pages to Mark 16:17. He read this part: | | | | Pennsylvania, as long as folks "seem nice" and even |
| "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My | | | | know the routine of church, we're fine with them. |
| name they will cast out demons..." He looked up at | | | | They are socially acceptable. Spiritually acceptable,too, |
| me and smiled, knowingly, "I'd say the Lord sees in | | | | as far as most Christians are concerned. We REALLY |
| you a willing heart and that He's preparing you for | | | | don't have time or training to assist people in truly |
| the kind of ministry that He'd like us all to be part | | | | becoming overcomers. As long as the outside |
| of."Was I ever encouraged! I was ready to charge | | | | behavior meets church approval, those demons |
| Hell with a squirt gun! As the years went by, the | | | | you're dealing with are...well, YOUR demons.My |
| Lord allowed me to participate in other aspects of | | | | second point is that when we know that Jesus |
| Spiritual Warfare (request my article, "The Battle of | | | | WANTS us to do things like casting out devils, etc., |
| Caelum Moor"), showing me the right and wrong | | | | why is it we prefer manmade religion?When Jesus |
| ways to engage the enemy at this level.In time, a | | | | said, I came as an example," why do we ignore what |
| couple with a great deal of experience in Deliverance | | | | He did and choose rituals and routines instead?When |
| came and attended our non-denominational, | | | | Jesus declared "I am the Way," why do we prefer |
| Charismatic church. An ordained Baptist minister, they | | | | manmade doctrine and dogmas?When it is written |
| decided to trust Jesus to actually heal sicknesses and | | | | that God no longer lives in building made of stone, |
| diseases and, as an extension of that ministry, found | | | | why do we choose to hunker down in the friendly |
| themselves involved in Deliverance. Quite often, this | | | | confines of our edifices, never looking to see that |
| ministry included the casting out of demonic entities, | | | | example portrayed anywhere in Scripture?My final |
| better known as exorcisms.After several weeks of | | | | point is that anyone, yourself included, is suited for |
| training, we who were interested in pursuing this | | | | this ministry. How so? Because ALL believers have |
| ministry were led through deliverance ourselves. In | | | | authority in Jesus' Name to cast out these |
| time, we were placed in teams and grew to love one | | | | tormenting demons and set the captives free. No |
| another and minister really well together. Something | | | | human being, in themselves, is any match for the |
| unexpected began to take place: A clipboard was | | | | devil. So, we must NOT resist him in our own ability, |
| placed in our church office and people would actually | | | | manmade rituals or any other name. We can't do |
| make appointments for Deliverance ministry. Even | | | | that. Remember, we are talking about authority over |
| people who were not part of our church would sign | | | | the devil, not power over him. We are not more |
| up. Our six well-trained teams of 5-6 ministers were | | | | powerful than the devil, but we do have more |
| kept busy with Deliverance whether at the church or | | | | authority as believers in Jesus Christ.Look at it this |
| at the afflicted people's personal homes. Many of | | | | way: Just as a policeman has the backing of the |
| those who were healed and set free from their | | | | government to stop oncoming traffic merely by lifting |
| demonic oppressions later joined teams | | | | his hand, so Believers have the backing of God when |
| themselves.My own team had its share of very odd, | | | | we stand against the devil in Jesus' Name. Romans |
| demonic encounters. We learned early on to forbid | | | | 8:11 reveals that the same Spirit that raised Jesus |
| any spiritual manifestations before we ever got | | | | from the grave dwells within you. God gave you all |
| started. Nevertheless, every so often, we'd catch a | | | | authority and expects you to use it.Friends, this fight |
| glimpse of an entity that simply did not want to go. | | | | has been "fixed"!The series you're about to receive is |
| There was trembling, vomiting, demons hanging on | | | | based upon my experiences and may or may not |
| for dear life as the afflicted person fought and | | | | jive with what you've read or been taught. |
| strained against the spirits they wanted to be free of | | | | Regardless of the techniques, one thing I CAN |
| as we commanded them to go in Jesus' Name.THE | | | | promise is this: Demons will NOT leave for any other |
| DEVIL WENT DOWN TO TEXASIn 2001, I moved to | | | | reason than that a child of God commanded them to |
| another town some 2 hours away. My first Easter | | | | do so in Jesus' Name.SUBSCRIBE TO THE REST OF |
| service here I attended a Baptist Church located | | | | THIS SERIES BY WRITING and typing "DEVIL" in the |
| over a bar. I was still new, walking with a cane and | | | | SUBJECT Bar. |
| single, though my son was with me that day. As the | | | | |