satan – NarrowPathMinistries

10 Ways to Replace Fear with Faith

young man praying while wearing surgical mask and gloves

During this season of COVID-19, fear has become rampant throughout the earth. People are isolated and scared, and Satan is feasting, creating havoc in hearts, minds, homes, families, and nations worldwide. As Christians, we must take back our rightful authority that Jesus died to give us.

We trample snakes by rebuking fear and standing firm on faith. When the temptation to fear is all around us, we must remember that fear literally gives the Serpent authority in our lives. The Bible says that the way to “stand firm against him” is to “be strong in your faith” 1 Peter 5:9 (NLT). Faith gives us back the keys of authority when the world around us is festering with fear.

Standing strong in faith during these scary times can be difficult, but there are 10 ways we can safeguard our choice of faith. We become motivated to claim faith rather than fear because it is our faith that pleases God: “And without faith, it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

Guard your heart. (Proverbs 4:23) Your heart is the tender soil for thoughts of good or evil to grow. When the enemy tries to plant seeds of fear, worry, anxiety, etc., we rebuke them instantly. Only allow God’s seeds of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control to take root. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Stand firm in faith. (1 Corinthians 16:13) Faith protects us from the enemy’s schemes and places us in the center of God’s perfect peace. Our faith demonstrates to God and the world that we trust His provision, plan and power. When the circumstances around us swirl with disorder and animosity, we have every right to claim God’s peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
Listen to the prophets. (2 Chronicles 20:20) God does nothing without revealing His plan to the prophets first. No prophet knows everything, but God gives them each a partial view of His Kingdom Plan. We seek prophets who have an excellent track record of speaking God’s heart in order to calm our fears.
Capture your thoughts. (2 Corinthians 10:5) We must play an active role in standing firm in faith by capturing thoughts of fear that are not of God. This habit may take a few weeks or even months to form, but the complete peace we gain is worth the effort.
Rejoice, pray, and give thanks. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) We can move from fear to faith simply by praising and thanking God through prayer. The enemy can’t attack worship, so our thanksgiving is the key to rising above the negative waves in life.
Read your Bible. (Joshua 1:8) The Bible is a living source of God’s encouragement and strength. (Hebrews 4:12) During times of stress, reading verses from the Book of Psalms can be particularly reassuring.
Stay in community. (Hebrews 10:25) When we are bombarded by fear, we need to purposely surround ourselves with faith-filled Believers. Just knowing we aren’t alone is enough to fill us with a peaceful confidence that will sustain our faith.
Pray in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:2) (If you’ve been given this Spiritual Gift – 1 Corinthians 12)Many times we don’t know what to pray, but the Holy Spirit does. Speaking in tongues may feel strange at first, but it can be done in secret, allowing the powerful presence of God to disperses all fears.
Speak the name of Jesus. (Philippians 2:10-11) The name of Jesus spoken in complete faith of its authority will rebuke ugly thoughts of fear. Remembering that Jesus overcame death on the Cross gives us a hope and confidence that we are on the winning side. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
Remain in God’s love. (Jude 1:21) Love disperses all fear. (1 John 4:18) God loves us so much that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins, so He can have a relationship with us. (John 3:16) When we immerse ourselves in His love, our worries, anxieties, and fears have no chance to survive.

Find more information about resisting fear and standing firm in faith with Alisa Hope Wagner’s book, The Way of the Wolves: The Enemy’s Planned Strike on Your Life. Watch Alisa’s video about her family’s experience with COVID-19 and rebuking fear.

Can God change your life?

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests.

https://www1.cbn.com/spiritual-life/10-ways-to-replace-fear-with-faith

AUDIO King of The Coyotes

By Rev Bill Woods

1 Peter 5:8-9 (KJV)
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
⁹ Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

It was Thursday, March 5, 2009. I came back into the Church parking lot and found 8 young Mexican men huddled together by the Nursery building.

– I went to see what was going on and what these guys were up to.

The Mexican people that I’d hired to do the yard work knew why these young men were there.

– The young lady told me they’d just escaped from a house in the neighborhood where they were being held prisoner by coyotes.

– The coyotes were demanding $4000 a piece for them to gain their freedom.

The police had been there and now these men were waiting for friends to come pick them up.

COYOTES — PROMISE A BETTER LIFE, THEY’LL TAKE THE VICTIM’S MONEY UNDER FALSE PRETENSES, AND THEN BETRAY THAT PROMISE FOR RANSOM MONEY.

THESE REFUGEES HAD ESCAPED FROM THE COYOTES — THE COYOTES WANTED $4000 RANSOM MONEY FOR EACH OF THEM.

– According to Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was Sheriff at that time, many victims have been murdered when the ransom wasn’t met.

– It’s not uncommon for a coyote to abandon his victims to die on the desert if he thinks the authorities might be aware of them.

The next night I noticed a helicopter flying around our house and later learned the police had closed down another coyote house.

It all sounds a lot like Satan:

– SATAN IS THE KING OF THE COYOTES — HE’LL PROMISE ANYTHING TO GET YOU TO FOLLOW HIM.

– HE’LL GET YOU TO INVEST YOURSELF INTO HIS LIES, BUT HE WILL ONLY DELIVER DEATH, DESTRUCTION AND HEARTACHE.

– HE’LL HOLD YOUR SOUL FOR RANSOM, BUT GOD DOESN’T PAY SATAN RANSOM, HE SETS THE SOUL FREE THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.

Satan is so deceitful! He will make you think he’s on your side even while he destroys you………….

That’s why we should stay away from things that are questionable……..

Many parents have a hard time explaining to their youth why some music, movies, books, games and magazines aren’t acceptable material for them to bring into the home, for them to see, or hear.

One dad came up with an original idea that’s hard to refute.

He listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. – It had their favorite actors. – Everyone else was seeing it. – Even church members said it was great.

It was only rated PG-13 because of a little nudity and the suggestion of sex — they never really showed it.

– The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord’s name in vain 3 times in the whole movie.

– The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed.

Yes, there WAS one scene where a building and a bunch of people got blown up, but the violence was just the normal stuff. It wasn’t very bad.

Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn’t give in.

He didn’t even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, “No.” He just said, “No.”

Later that evening this same father asked his teens if they’d like some brownies he’d baked.

He explained he’d taken the family’s favorite recipe and added something new.

They asked what it was.

He calmly replied that he’d added dog poop. But, he said, it was only a little bit. All the other ingredients were gourmet quality.

He’d taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb. – But, even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens wouldn’t take one.

The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them to act so stubbornly. He assured them they’d hardly notice it if at all. They all held firm and wouldn’t try the brownies. – He then explained the movie they wanted to see was just like the brownies.

Satan tries to enter our minds and our homes by deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won’t matter — just a little gossip, just a little disobedience — after all, I have my rights………..

With the brownies, just a little bit makes all the difference between a great brownie and a totally unacceptable product. – He explained that even though the movie people would have us believe the movies that are coming out are acceptable for adults and young people to see, they’re not.

Now when this father’s kids want to do something or see something they shouldn’t, he merely asks them if they’d like some of his special dog poop brownies — and they never ask about it again.

Satan and his demons are masters at deceiving people into rationalizing why it’s OK to go against what God wants in our lives.

There are a thousand or more varieties of mushrooms that are good to eat….The most dreaded of the poisonous mushrooms are two members of the Amanita group. – One is the death cup, and the other is the fly amanita.

The death cup grows in the woods from June until fall. Its poison acts like the venom of a rattlesnake, as it separates the corpuscles in the blood from the serum. – No antidote is known for the poison of the death cup. – The only hope for anyone who has eaten it is to clean out his stomach promptly with a stomach pump.

It’s small wonder that one variety is known as the destroying angel.

The death cup has often been mistaken for the common mushroom. A person should not make this mistake if he observes carefully. – The poisonous plant has white gills, white spores, and the fatal poison cup around the stem.

The plant that’s safe to eat has pink gills, brown spores, and no cup.

Many of the mistakes come from picking it in the button stage, for it doesn’t show all these differences until it has grown larger.

The problem most people have is they don’t want to obey Jesus and do things His way. – They think Jesus just wants to keep them from enjoying their lives. They want freedom to do their own thing and really enjoy themselves by having no restraints.

Augie, “I’m too old for temptation! Satan doesn’t have anything he can tempt me with.” He’d say this as he displayed temper, bitterness, and wrong judgmental attitudes. We don’t get too old in this life time for Satan to figure out how to trap us and make us fall.

We need to live close to Jesus, no matter how old we get.

Monkey trappers in North Africa have a clever method of catching monkeys.

Several gourds are filled with nuts and firmly fastened to a branch of a tree. Each has a hole just large enough for the unwary monkey to stick his hand into it.

When the hungry monkey discovers this, he quickly grasps a handful of nuts, but the hole is too small for him to withdraw his clenched fist. And he doesn’t have enough sense to open up his hand and let go in order to escape, so he is easily taken captive.

What a picture of many Christians.

The devil with his crafty devices tries to ensnare them. He appeals to the appetites of the flesh which can lead to their spiritual downfall.

As long as they hold on to worldly bait, they cannot escape from Satan’s trap. But he keeps on urging, “Don’t let go! Enjoy the pleasure of your sin just a little bit longer!” So, listening to the tempter’s alluring voice, they continue in their evil way.

Paul explains 1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV):
¹³ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

These are comforting words. We can open our hand and let go of the “nuts!” God is on our side, he will not let us fall into Satan’s trap. We have to be willing to let go — open our hand and let go of those sinful things we find in the world.

James writes, “When people are tempted, they should not say, ‘God is tempting me’. Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone. But people are tempted when their own evil desire leads them away and traps them. This desire leads to sin, and then the sin grows and brings death” (James 1:13-15 — NCV).

The desires of this world lead us to sin. Once we latch on, we find it hard to let go. It continues to grow, until it consumes our life. In the end, this sin leads to death.

Are the sins of this world preventing you from obeying God? If so, you have to let go! It’s the only way out of the trap!

The devil comes to tempt us away from the safe boundaries God has set for us (His Commandments, His Word and His specific area of calling for us).

The devil will come time after time to tempt us and capture us. However, true freedom only comes in being a servant of the Lord! — John 8:36: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

We should recognize Satan’s tactics and resist him to his face and he will flee — James 4:7-8: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Satan, that Old Coyote, is out to get you, but you don’t need to get got! – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus!”…………..

PODCAST: KING OF THE COYOTES

https://www.buzzsprout.com/824359/6373390

Distinguishing between Coyotes, Wolves and Dogs

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Gray-Wolf/Identification

AUDIO Who In Hell Is Satan?

By Rev Bill Woods

1 Peter 5:8 — Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Saturday, October 31, is Halloween.

– Satanists think Halloween is Satan’s Birthday (he doesn’t have a birthday—he was created!)

– Zombie Parade – Haunted Houses – grave yards.

Halloween’s a day dedicated to Satan, demons, witches, death and evil.

– To celebrate that stuff would be like celebrating, “Yea! I have cancer!”

– There’s nothing to celebrate and there’s nothing redeeming about it!

We should know what it’s about and why Christians shouldn’t celebrate it.

– Satan offers death. Jesus offers Life — Deuteronomy 30:15 –“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.”

Jeremiah 21:8 — “Tell all the people, ‘this is what the LORD says: Take your choice of life or death!”

Life stream vs. Death stream

As Christians it’s imperative to know who our enemy is.

– Who Satan is.

– How he works.

– How he’s organized.

– How to combat him.

The Church is the only Army in the world that doesn’t want to know what its enemy is doing.

WHO IN HELL IS SATAN?

– Satan and his demons are not coequal with God…………..

– God is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent.

– Satan is not!

Satan’s a created being who rebelled against God.

– He can tempt you with evil — he can’t force you to do evil.

– He’s a thief — he’s a liar.

John 10:10 — The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 8:44b — ….He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

His original name was Lucifer and he was magnificent, intelligent — most beautiful of God’s Creation — perfect!

– Worship Leader in Heaven — led worship around the Throne of God.

– As an Archangel, Lucifer had authority over other angels.

– Pride caused his fall.

– He convinced himself he was so great he should be worshipped instead of God!

He organized rebellion in Heaven — tried to overthrow God — Isaiah 14:12-17
¹² “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.
¹³ For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.
¹⁴ I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’
¹⁵ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.
¹⁶ Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?
¹⁷ Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’

He introduced sin to the Universe resulting in his eviction from Heaven:

Revelation 12:9 — This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

Satan introduced sin to man — disguised as a serpent he tempted Eve and Adam.

Genesis 3:1 — The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

He still has access to the Throne of God — he’s the “accuser of the brethren.”

– He no longer lives in Heaven, but has access to petition God — that’ll soon stop!

Revelation 12:10 — Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

Zechariah 3:1 — Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Joshua.

Soon Satan won’t have access to God’s Throne — Revelation 12:12: — Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

Today we have to contend with him.

Satan isn’t Omnipresent he’s organized his demons (fallen angels) into a spiritual hierarchy.

Ephesians 6:12 — For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

He’s created strongholds we must break — Tsagagala is the Principality over the Columbia Gorge.

Satan has strongholds and principalities over Arizona, and where you live.

– Until we pray and wage spiritual warfare, we’ll see few victories……

Paul called Satan the “god of this age.”

– The world’s under Satan’s power…………

Satan’s “Commander of the Powers in the unseen world.” — Ephesians 2:2 — You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

Christians pretend he doesn’t exist — the world knows different!

People serve Satan because they think he’ll give them power and all they want.

– He’s a rough taskmaster.

– He doesn’t love — CANNOT LOVE!

– HE DESTROYS HIS OWN……….

– He offers only death and destruction………..WHAT FUN TO CELEBRATE!

His “special holiday” is based on horror.

– Halloween will see 100’s of human sacrifices……….(already began!)

– Why would anyone follow a fiend?

– Witches think Halloween’s Satan’s birthday.

– Halloween’s caught up to and surpassed Christmas in the commercial world………

“Trick or Treat” originated with the Druids.

– Kid’s fun today wasn’t fun in the times of the Druids — it was a night of sheer terror.

Druids went from castle to castle and serf to serf playing “Trick or Treat.”

– The treat they demanded was a virgin for sexual molestation then human sacrifice.

If the “Treat” pleased them….they’d leave a jack-o-lantern lighted with a candle made of human fat to protect those inside the castle from demonic attack.

If a household didn’t meet the Druids’ demands it was time for the “trick”

– A Hex (hexagram) was drawn on the door.

– That night demons would kill someone in the home through fear.

The spellbinding beat of the Druid music filled the night as the ceremony began.

– The men sexually assaulted their victim — then brutally sacrificed her.

They believed spirits of dead people roamed the streets and must be appeased with some kind of treat.

– Costumes and jack-o-lanterns were supposed to scare evil spirits away.

Satan’s a rough taskmaster — he even destroys his followers.

– He’s a LIAR — can’t speak the truth.

1 Peter 5:8 — Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.

His constant use of violence and deceit requires his followers to show courage and extreme vigilance.

– James said — James 4:7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

How can we resist if we don’t know who he is and what he’s doing?

The world thinks Satan’s as powerful as Jesus is — NOT SO!

He’s stronger then we are, but he’s been defeated by Jesus!

– Satanic forces were defeated through the Atoning Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus.

Satan can’t read your thoughts! — Only God knows your thoughts.

Satan can’t know the specific future — if he could he wouldn’t have crucified Christ………..

– Satan and his demons will be thrown into the Lake of Fire……

– Satan’s going to Hell — not to rule, but to burn! — PRAISE GOD!

Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan — 1 John 3:8 — But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

The Cross was total victory over Satan — Colossians 2:15 — In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Christ’s victory sets us free from sin and guilt — Colossians 1:13—14 — For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

– Satan accuses us before God and petitions our destruction.

– If some bratty kid constantly caused trouble accusing your child — how would you side?

– God sides with His children too!

Don’t give Satan a foothold in your life.

– He’s the biggest loser in history — bound for Hell!

Satan can’t defeat you unless you let him — Ecclesiastes 10:8 (KJV) — He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

SO, WHAT’S THE HARM OF HALLOWEEN

Halloween’s a dangerous day — FOCUSED ON VIOLENCE AND DEATH.

Millions of people are exposed to an almost endless string of TV programs, videos, community and church activities that GLORIFY MUTILATION, TORTURE, and BIZARRE MURDERS this Halloween.

Before you say, “It won’t hurt them, it’s just fantasy,” consider what a horrified mother discovered in her teenage son’s diary. She read, “Last year I stole a car at Halloween and ran over a kid and killed him for the Devil. I plan on doing it again this year.

– That boy is now in prison.

HALLOWEEN’S HARMFULL BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON VIOLENCE AND EVIL.

– What a paradox! We read of a violent murder any other time and gasp.

– But we laugh, tease, call it fun and glorify the same things when Halloween comes.

Halloween’s focus of VIOLENCE tears down the inhibitions of children toward murder. It’s hard to separate fantasy from fact — That’s taking its toll on society.

Another reason HALLOWEEN’S HARMFUL IS BECAUSE IT EMPHASIZES FEAR.

– Haunted house fun could become a nightmare for kids. “IT’S JUST FOR FUN, you know that.”

But to a young child a trip through a “haunted house” could be a nightmare — Fear is no joke!

– Fear’s a powerful and often damaging emotion.

– Fear can open the door to demonic oppression or worse. — “Pastor, you’re an old fogy!”

My question is why expose your child to such traumatizing influences? They serve no useful purpose. In fact, long lasting emotional problems can develop as a result of frightening experiences encountered at Halloween activities, such as going through a “haunted house.”

HALLOWEEN’S HARMFUL BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON THE OCCULT. (THE THINGS OF SATAN!)

– Because it can open doorways to demonic problems, its best left alone!

– You don’t want to host demons — you want the peace of Jesus Christ in your heart.

HOW CAN I ACHIEVE THAT PEACE?

REALIZE God loves you — John 3:16 — “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 — But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

RECOGNIZE that you can’t be saved from sin by your good works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) — For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5 — He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

ADMIT you’re a sinner separated from God — Romans 3:23 (KJV) — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God:

REPENT — Luke 13:3-5–I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Acts 3:19 — Repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

CALL UPON CHRIST believing He died for your sins and arose from the dead.

Romans 10:13 — For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

Have courage. God’s stronger than Satan. We’re on the winning side.

Matthew 10:28 — Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Satan wants our worship, but I’ve chosen to worship the real Ruler and Hero of the Universe — JESUS CHRIST!

– I’ll rule with Him forever while Satan burns in Hell!

Today Satan and his followers are celebrating death!

– I’ve chosen to celebrate life and life more abundantly!

Deuteronomy 30:15 — “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.”

Why choose death?

PODCAST: WHO IN HELL IS SATAN?

https://www.buzzsprout.com/824359/6147565

Dancing with the Devil in the Latter Times

Sim Chen Xing December 2, 2019

When we pray for God’s kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, what do we pray for? Peace? Prosperity? The revival of the Christian church? Or the advent of the latter times — the impending judgement that must come as prophesied by countless prophets throughout Biblical history?

For me, I see the formation of a global polity. I see the rise of global powers coming together in the name of peace. I see a day when all nations will set aside their differences, put down their weapons of war, come together to tackle issues that can only be solved if humanity comes together as a collective.

Got to admit, though, that if the Bible claims that the impending judgement on the earth in the latter days will be the work of the devil, then I think that our job as believers is to dance alongside the devil and to rise above him. To do this, we’ll need to be conversant with Biblical prophecies (because it is the sequence of events that must happen) and be kept up-to-date with current affairs. Let no one trick you to think that there is no need to read beyond the Bible. It is in the middle of the war when we’ll need to be well-versed with Biblical prophecies and then be able to link modern happenings with what we know must happen.

Don’t be fooled. The devil knows better than we do about what must happen — and shudder. Daily, the devil live out the vision of being swallowed alive due to the decision that he’s made earlier before the formation of the universe. The devil knew everything that must happen. The devil knew everything that lies ahead of him. Faced with the prince of the power of the air, it is in our every intention to work alongside him and to realise the purpose that he was called to fulfil. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling us to stand alongside him, but to rise above him. If we understand that the devil’s purpose was predestined by God to be fulfilled on this earth, we will understand that any action against the devil will be an act against God.

Don’t misunderstand me. Dancing alongside the devil is not accepting all the workings of the devil in this world. Rather, we are called to understand the works of the devil and to rise above him. Look, if the Bible says that there will be a global leader in the future who will unite global powers and the global economy, then we will work alongside him to achieve it. But if the Bible says that the global leader will cause people to worship him, then we will need the wisdom to consider alternatives to it. We can run, but we can’t hide. He is, after all, the prince of the power of the air. If we know that all the nations will turn to God and this is also the purpose of the devil, then work alongside him and be advocates of the Truth. But if we also know that the devil will pervert this to his own advantage and cause the world to worship him as the Creator, then we will need to stand our ground, one way or another — either by going into hiding or divorcing ourselves from the global economy.

Whether or not we put our faith in God, all of these must happen. But as Christians, when we pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, then we must be prepared that we’re inviting the devil into our midst. Therefore, we are called to ready ourselves for the war that is ahead of us.

In the stillness of my meditations, I have listed down a few pointers for our consideration as we prepare for the arrival of the latter days.

Do we know the prophecies in the Bible well enough that we can determine where we are on the Biblical calendar of end-time prophecies?
Do we know how to recognise true news sources from fake ones? Are we able to take decisive steps to determine the level of truth of the articles we read?
Are we grounded ethically to God’s original design? Or are we easily swayed by the waves of modern trends?
Are we prepared to divorce ourselves from the economy for the sake of survival? Going into caves and relying on agriculture to stay alive? Or are we overly reliant on modern technologies for our survival?
Is our definition of love, sin, and forgiveness, grounded on Biblical truth? Or are we overly legalistic, condemning every “sinner” that comes our way, forgetting that we are too, the needy sinner who has fallen short of the glory of God?

We are called to dance with the devil. But much more than that, we’re called to rise above him. We are not to be swayed by the waves of modern trends, but we are called to be rooted in our faith in Christ. Are we ready for the dance?

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https://themanifoldwisdomofgod.wordpress.com/2019/12/02/dancing-with-the-devil-in-the-latter-times/

James 4:7 (NKJV)
⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Itching To Talk Nonsense!

by Paul

Arkansasturnoftune

(Charles Spurgeon)

“To the Law and to the Testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20

Take care never to impute the vain follies of your imagination to the Holy Spirit. I have seen the Spirit of God shamefully dishonored by people–I hope they were insane–who have said that they have had this and that revealed to them.

For some years there has not been a single week in which I have not been pestered with the revelations of hypocrites or maniacs. Semi-lunatics are very fond of coming with “messages from the Lord” to me. It may spare them some trouble if I tell them once for all that I will have none of their stupid messages!

Never think that events are revealed to you by God–or you may come to be like those idiots who dare impute their blatant follies to the Holy Spirit. If you feel your tongue itch to talk nonsense–then trace it to the devil, and not to the Spirit of God!

Whatever is to be revealed by the Spirit to any of us, is in the Word of God already. He adds nothing to the Bible, and never will. Let people who have revelations of this, that, and the other thing–go to bed, and wake up in their senses. I only wish they would follow Scripture and no longer insult the Holy Spirit by laying their nonsense at His door!

“A prophet who presumes to speak in My name anything I have not commanded him to say . . . must be put to death!” Deuteronomy 18:20

“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds!” Jeremiah 14:14

“Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the Word of the LORD!” Ezekiel 13:2

https://thegospelvideoblog.wordpress.com/2019/07/12/itching-to-talk-nonsense/

David Defeated More Giants After Goliath

April 4, 2019 By Ben Godwin

David’s first big battle was against a Philistine “terminator” named Goliath. Ironically, his last recorded battles were against four more Philistine giants. As you recall, David picked up five smooth stones on his way to fight Goliath. Why five stones? Was it merely extra ammunition in case he missed his first shot or two? Or was it, as some suggest, because Goliath had four super-sized siblings or sons? Grabbing five stones may have been an act of faith. Perhaps David thought:

“God will not only help me defeat this giant, but every giant I have to face!”

In case you haven’t noticed, life is a series of battles. You’re either in a battle, fresh out of a battle, or about to face another one! Wouldn’t it be nice if we only had to face ONE battle or just ONE giant? That’s not reality. News flash—just because you defeat one enemy, demon or temptation doesn’t mean the war is over. The enemy doesn’t give up and neither should we. Let’s make five observations about David’s final conflicts:

. David Kept Fighting. “When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines” (2 Sam. 21:15). This was late in David’s forty-year reign when he was around sixty years old. Notice David personally went down and fought (he was no armchair general). He wasn’t just living in the lap of luxury or being pampered in his cedar palace. No, he kept fighting. That’s what we must do—keep fighting the good fight of faith. There is no victory without a battle. Billy Sunday, the 20^th century evangelist known for his bold rhetoric said, “Listen, I’m against sin. I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist, I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head, and I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. And when I’m old, fistless, footless, and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to glory and it goes home to perdition.” As soldiers of the cross, we keep fighting realizing we are in a spiritual war between God and Satan, angels and demons, good and evil, right and wrong, truth and error. The good news is we’re on the winning side—“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31)

. David Nearly Fainted. 2 Samuel 21:15 (KJV) says, “And David waxed faint.” The Living Bible reads, “David became weak and exhausted.” We’d like to think we’re invincible, that we never get weary or worn out, but that’s not realistic. There will be times of great strength and triumph along with times of weakness and defeat. Here we have King David, a champion, a giant killer, a national hero of Israel, nearly passing out in total exhaustion on the battlefield. The old saying is true, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” When you are physically, emotionally and spiritually drained, remind yourself of Paul’s words, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9). Don’t lose heart, don’t give up or quit. David almost did, but he bounced back and won the battle.

. David was Saved by a Friend. “Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant . . . who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. But Abishai . . . came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him” (2 Sam. 21:16-17). Certainly, all of Goliath’s relatives had a vendetta against David (they wanted revenge). Goliath’s son, Ishbi-Benob, had David in a vulnerable position and was closing in for the kill. It was a close call, but Abishai, David’s nephew, saved his life and slew the giant instead. Abishai’s name means “possessor of all that is desirable.” He reminds me of another “friend” who has saved us from our enemy time and time again—Jesus. Some giants we may be able to slay on our own with God’s help (Goliath was a one-man job). To conquer other giants, we’ll need the help of spiritual friends—prayer partners, brothers or sisters in Christ to agree with us. There is power in agreement. With God on their side, one person can put 1,000 to flight, but two in unity can put 10,000 to flight (Dt. 32:30). That’s one reason Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs. God teams people together to help each other overcome. None of us are lone rangers (even the Lone Ranger had Tonto). We need a network of spiritual friends.

. David Knew His Source. When God delivered David from all his enemies, he wrote, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence” (2 Sam. 22:2-3). As long as we are connected to our source, we will prevail. If you separate a fish from water, a plant from soil or a branch from a tree, they will die. The same will happen to us if we are detached from God, our spiritual source. Jesus made it clear, “I am the vine, you are the branches . . . for without Me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). We must stay connected to our source to ensure victory.

. David and His Men Slew Five Giants: Goliath, Ishbi-benob (2 Sam. 21:16), Saph (2 Sam. 21:18), Lahmi, (Goliath’s brother—1 Chr. 20:5), and another unnamed giant (2 Sam. 21:20). Three of these behemoths were “born to the giant of Gath” (perhaps Goliath’s sons) and one was his brother, but all were killed by David and his men. The point is we will face multiple giants in our lifetimes, but the same God who helped David defeat Goliath, gave him victory over every giant he faced!

All the giants mentioned in the Bible were enemies of God’s people. Giants intimidate people with their abnormal strength and size. One Hebrew word for “giants” is nephil (plural nephilim) which means “a bully or tyrant,” a fitting description of demons. Goliath was a big bully—defying God and terrorizing Israel until David decapitated him. Likewise, Satan is a bully. He tries to intimidate us with fear, but he is a defeated foe. You may have a giant towering over you today (depression, doubt, debt, fear, sickness, addiction, temptation, etc.). Remember, the God who conquered Goliath whipped all of his overgrown kin too. Take courage, my friend, your giants are coming down in Jesus’ name!

Ben Godwin is the author of four books and pastors the Goodsprings Full Gospel Church. To read more articles, visit his website at bengodwin.org and take advantage of his 4-book bundle for $25.00.

https://barbwire.com/david-defeated-more-giants-after-goliath/

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