Over ALL the Power of the Enemy

In Luke 10:17-20, the word POWER is used two times, yet the two words are different in the original Greek.  

Luke 10:

17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

19 Behold, I give unto you power (Strong’s 1849) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (Strong’s 1411) 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.

Part 1:  Exousia - Behold, I give into you POWER to tread on serpents and scorpions...

Exousia (1849 power) - privilege, ie force, capacity, competency, freedom, or mastery (magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence---synonyms in the Bible that carry the same definition - authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength

Point 1:  The disciples returned to Jesus elated with joy that they, through the name of Jesus, had authority over DEVILS.  

Point 2:  Jesus’ immediate response deals with Satan falling from heaven.  There is a clear relationship/partnership between devils and Satan, himself.  

Point 3:  Jesus’ next remark to His disciples confirms the power (exousia) He has given to His disciples.  He tells them that through His authority/name, they can tread (pateo/trample) on serpents and scorpions.  Jesus has not changed the subject at all.  Satan, devils, serpents, and scorpions are all synonyms of that which is spawned by evil.  

Point 4:  Who have these disciples been dealing with and taking authority over?  Have they found these devils hidden under rocks out in the desert?  No. These serpents, devils, and scorpions are Satanic spirits (verse 20) that are working in and through PEOPLE.  

Point 5:  The LORD has given authority to His followers to cast out these unclean spirits as they operate within humans.

We can’t overcome by the authority of Jesus Christ if we, as His followers, don’t understand who the enemy truly is and where he is found.  Make no mistake, Satan has a bull’s eye on you.  By the Holy Spirit’s leading, we better know how to zero in on Satan’s minions when they manifest.  

Better yet, we must operate by the authority of Jesus Christ to cast them out and down.  We do have authority/power to trample on such demonic spirits.  We have power over them.  Hallelujah!  Like the disciples then, we, too, should be overjoyed at such news of this authority and that our names are written in Heaven!

There are many, many verses in the Bible that use the same Greek form of power (Strong’s 1849).  Here are only a few:

Mat 10:1

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power G1849 against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Mat 28:18

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power G1849 is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mar 6:7

And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over G1849unclean spirits;

Mar 13:34

For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority G1849 to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Luk 4:36

And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority G1849 and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

Luk 12:5

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power G1849 to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Rev 22:14

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right G1849 to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Part 2:  DUNAMIS (Strong’s 1411) - force; specifically miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself).    Luke 10: 19 Behold, I give unto you power (Strong’s 1849) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (Strong’s 1411- DUNAMIS) 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.

Point 1:  Notice that Jesus says His disciples are given authority over the enemy’s force/miraculous power.  Are we seeing this?  Are we understanding this?  Satan, as described in the Word, also brings signs and wonders with him.  (Further reading - Deuteronomy 13:1, 13:2, 13:3, 13:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 2:9, 2:10, 2:11, 2:12, and Revelation 13:12, 13:13, 13:14, 13:15).  I do not type this to strike fear in readers, but to sincerely and wholeheartedly caution all of us who are followers of Christ.  Spirits must be tested by the Word of God.  This also includes fasting and prayer to the LORD of Lords.  

Point 2:  Thankfully, the Lord has given power/authority to His disciples over ALL the power of the enemy -- not authority over some of the enemy’s power, but the Word of God promises command over “ALL the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).  Hallelujah!  By the authority of Jesus Christ, we must faithfully know who God is and the power He has given to His believers.

Point 3:  The word DUNAMIS/POWER is also used in a very positive and holy way by the LORD, but just as we would expect from the serpent, Satan certainly seeks to mimic the powers of God in order to confuse and destroy people.   He wants to lead every human being astray into some form of sin.  Did Satan not try to exert himself to God in the flesh, Jesus? (Luke 4:3, 4:5, 4:6, 4:7, 4:9, 4:10, 4:11)

The Word of God tells us that Satan is full of trickery and deception:  Ephesians 6:11.

Beloved, may we operate in the true power (both forms) that God bestows to His followers.  He has equipped us with ALL that we need in order to overcome the devil and to endure in the Faith.

May we look to Him.  May we look to Him.  May we operate in the authority He has given us.

His Goodness

The only way our sinful, fleshly nature that loves to gravitate toward satisfying 'self' can be changed - the only way - is to have Christ's purifying nature coursing through us, therefore transforming us.  As we abide IN Christ and Christ abides IN us, we are being transformed BY Him.  Let us be very clear here:  Christ was sinless when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago.  Christ did not glory in evil actions.  Christ sought to turn man FROM his sinful ways. What was required?  Repentance & Following HIM.  To follow Jesus is to be taught of Him and reconstructed BY Him.

Teaching a lopsided "gospel" has and will continue to lead followers off one of two deep ends.

 1) East Deep End Lie --> "I am saved by grace even as I continue in sin."

 2) West Deep End Lie -->  "My self-driven and self-motivated actions earn salvation."

1 and 2 above are flat out lies!  Both of them make my skin cringe.  Yet, these lies are bought hook, line, and sinker by so many people today.  I have observed, and I know you have too, people who live lifestyles fitting either 1 or 2, both professing to be Christians. T.E.R.R.I.F.Y.I.N.G.  Make no mistake; I am not making light of either belief.  Those two belief systems have destroyed many a soul.  I have heard both lies preached- miscalculated, discombobulated, misaligned, and twisted- over the years.  Usually, those who believe Lie #1 above will preach hard against #2 above and use the other lie to justify the lie they believe.  And those who believe Lie #2 will preach hard against #1 above in order to justify the lie they believe.

Can we just seek the Lord and stop this nonsense?  The Bible is a well-balanced Holy Word penned by God.  His identity pours forth on every page.  It is a GOOD book.  And It is the ONLY Book needed in this life.  All else pales in comparison, but if it is read with an ulterior motive, absent of the Holy Spirit instructing the reader, it will, sadly, be twisted.

WE MUST BE LED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!   (Romans 8:1)  Many a person applauds, hoots, and hollers when 1/2 of this verse is spoken in church or quoted on social media.

1/2 of verse:  "There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus," (hooting and hollering usually follow this portion) . . . 

But what does it really mean to be IN Christ Jesus?  The last portion of the very same verse reveals it:

Last portion of the verse:   "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Those who walk after the flesh will bear fruit.  How do we know this?  The Bible tells us so:

Fruit of the Flesh:
Galatians 5: 19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5: 3-6  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Those who walk after the flesh will bear the fruit of that walk.  The fleshly fruit will result in condemnation and being eternally separated from God Almighty in the lake of fire.  Eyes can be rolled.  Exasperated sighs can be released, but the Truth is exactly that, the Truth.

Can one continue to practice sin, bearing the fruit of the flesh and expect to spend eternity with Christ?  Not according to the Holy Bible.  People can make every attempt to side step this truth.  They can twist scripture; they can throw in a lot of 'buts' and 'what ifs'.  However, 'Let God be true and every man a liar.' This Word will stand when all else burns.  We better make sure we are abiding in that Word, and that Word is abiding in us.  The engrafted (implanted) Word has the power to transform us and therefore, save us.  Let us not forget the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.  We can't separate a man named Jesus from the Word of God.  They are one in the same.  Jesus is the Word of God.  Yelling, "I believe in Jesus", yet not believing the Word of God is a pointed contradiction (John 1:1, John 1:14, James 1:21).

Let's get this straight.  I, nor you, can continue to practice sin and be born again.  In addition, I, nor you, can do enough self-driven works to earn salvation.

A person may try to be good, and try to look saved, by doing works that appear right, but all of those self-driven works and self-motivated actions are nothing and mean nothing.  I'm afraid many who have not been born again spend a great deal of time appearing saved in order to be accepted by their church peers.  Trying to be saved, no doubt, wears a person out to the point of exhaustion because the Holy Spirit isn't leading this type of person. Planning.  Scrutinizing.  Calculating.   Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of Grace and His instructions to us, our actions are just plain ludicrous.  As pressed and ironed as they may appear now, those self-driven works will appear as filthy rags when in the presence of a Holy God on judgment day.  We can't transform ourselves; our pea-sized brains and limited capacity to understand the things of this world and of God cannot operate on that transforming level.  BUT the True Grace of God working within a born again believer transforms that believer --> by GRACE through FAITH.

Titus 2: 11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

A person can be zealous of good works, but if the person is not being taught and instructed by God, those works are man-led.  Only when a person is being obedient to the Holy Spirit of God will these acts have true Grace-Merit, rather than man-made merit.  

{I'm not trying to invoke fear in anyone, but Jesus said it:  We must be born again of the Spirit.  If you don't know if the Lord has ever knocked at your door, or if He did and you rejected Him; now is the time to seek His face diligently.  Go to the secret place where you are alone and crying out to Him.  Don't stop until He manifests Himself to you.  It does not matter how long this takes.  Let it be your life's drive to find Him because where He is, Salvation resides there and no where else.}

Those who are making every attempt to appear saved, often times, never wake up from that delusion, or they completely leave this delusion and trade it in for yet another delusion:   1) East Deep End Lie --> "I am saved by grace even as I continue in sin."

Salvation can't be lost, per se, because it is found ONLY IN JESUS. Salvation doesn't disappear:  Salvation does not move.  It has always been IN Jesus Christ.  Find Jesus; find Salvation.  Can a person who found Jesus and believed in Jesus actually leave Jesus & therefore, forfeit the very Salvation that has always been with Jesus?  Yes.  Absolutely.

IN Christ Jesus, a person is secure!  Praise the Lord!  True holiness and righteousness is found IN Jesus.  As a believer abides IN Jesus (the Vine), we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit (John 15:4 & 15:5). The righteous nature of Christ courses through us as we abide IN the vine of Christ.

Examine closely here the promise to those who abide IN Christ Jesus and the consequence for those who do not abide IN Christ:

Promise to Those Who Are Abiding:

 Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

What has made Paul confident?  These believers are abiding:  "your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now" (Philippians 1:5).

This promise is echoed in John 15.  Those who abide in Christ can expect to bear fruit that can only come from Him, the True Vine:  John 15:4, 15:5

Consequence to Believers Who Do Not Abide:

Those who abide in Christ will bear fruit.  Can a branch (a believer) cease bearing godly fruit? And is there a consequence to that?  Yes & yes.  We know that only Goodness, Righteousness, and Holiness pours forth from Jesus, so what would have to change from the Vine to the branches in order for Christ's fruit to cease bearing in a believer?  Not Jesus.  He changes not (Hebrews 13:8).  So what must change in this fruit bearing process?  It's the believer. It is simple math and simple science.  Jesus is the constant.  In science and mathematical situations, a constant does not change.  Jesus is constant; steadfast.  If a believer (a branch) can be broken off from the Vine, and John 15:6 (words spoken by Jesus Himself) shows that a branch IN the Vine can be broken off FROM the Vine, then we see that believing IN Christ is not a one time event but a continual free-will decision all the way until the end (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13).  

John 15: 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Strong's Concordance:  branch (Greek klema) "a limb or shoot (as if broken off)"

A branch does not grow alone or stand alone.  Branches spring forth from the trunk of a tree/vine.  This is Science 101.   In this Vine Parable, Jesus plainly says He is the Vine (John 15:1), and the branches are believers who have been made clean by the Word (John 15:3).  Branches (Believers) (John 15:5) are offshoots from this Vine (The Word).  A believer who ceases to bear fruit, which indicates disobedience to the Lord's transformation process of that believer, will not continue IN Christ.  In fact, cannot continue IN Christ may be more precise.  JESUS is a Holy God, and that which is defiled cannot remain.  We can either be obedient to His reconstructive work within us, or we can reject His goodness. But - make no mistake, a disobedient believer will not be allowed to abide IN Him.   Again, salvation is found IN Christ.  One is either IN Him, or one is NOT in Him. He is faithful to complete His good work in those who remain/dwell/live IN Him.

Our self-driven works are filthy rags, but please do not confuse self-driven works with obedience to the LORD.  The two are not at all related.  Obedience to the LORD is not a work.  Obedience to the LORD is the most precise way of demonstrating true belief IN Jesus.

Everything any believer hopes to experience eternally IN Christ's Salvation hinges upon a believer's obedience to the Holy Spirit as He carries out reconstruction within us.   

Remember Titus 2:12+; His grace teaches us how to live godly, but we always have the choice as to whether we want/allow His Grace to transform us.

Hebrews 10: 26-30 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Hebrews 6: 4-8  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Revelation 3: 15-16  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

Again, those who are abiding IN Christ can certainly and confidently know that He who had begun the good work IN them will complete that good work.  However, notice what Paul, via the Holy Spirit, teaches in Romans 11.  This is the same Paul, via the Holy Spirit, who said to the Philippian church in 1:6 -

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

Romans 11: 21-22 For if God spared not the natural branches [the Jews], take heed lest he also spare not thee [gentile believers].  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee [believers], goodness, if thou [believers] continue in his [Jesus'] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Listen dear friends, there is no doubt that the LORD is able to complete His good work in anyone who abides IN Him.  Let us never doubt what God will do.  However, we are called to abide or as Romans 11:22 says "CONTINUE" in "HIS GOODNESS."

Salvation is and will always be found IN Jesus Christ.  We can only have access to Salvation IF we continue IN Christ.  He'll do the good work in us; we need only obey as His Grace teaches us how to be Holy and be Righteous.

An Individual Affair

False 'christianity' is spreading like wildfire in these last days.  There is no point in declaring this statement using future tense any longer.  Delusion is now.  Delusion is everywhere.  Delusion is sending people to Hell.  (Acts 20:26, 20:27, 20:28, 20:29, 20:30, 20:31, & 20: 32)

It is time to seek the Lord fully and diligently.  Now is the time to go to the secret place and plead for the Lord's presence in your life.  You must do this.  It is a Y.O.U. thing.  It is personal.  You must encounter God 1 on 1 in order to find and receive the rescue and salvation that only the Lord can provide.  Salvation is IN Jesus Christ.  That deserves repeating - Salvation is IN Jesus Christ.  Are you IN Jesus Christ?  Salvation is not just a free floating trend out in space.  It is found only IN Jesus Christ. Essentially, salvation IS Jesus Christ. No one can receive salvation outside of Jesus Christ.  

Recently, I was in a conversation with someone who seemed to possess Biblical knowledge.  The person knows the Biblical stories, knows names of notable Biblical figures, & can list favorite stories from the Bible. This person professes to be a believer. (James 1:22, 2:19, 

However, in this conversation, it was clear this person did not really KNOW Jesus Christ.  There was no personal understanding of Jesus' true nature.  There was no desire to be transformed purely by Jesus.  There was no longing to have intimate communion with God (Matthew 7:21, 7:22, 7:23).  There was no reverential fear of this Almighty God.  To this person, He represented only mercy, not judgment (Revelation 19:11, 19:12, 19:13, 19:14, 19:15, & 19:16). 

To this person, Jesus was "understanding" of false religions.  During the conversation, it was almost impossible for her to hear, truly hear, God's hatred toward that which is false (Leviticus 26:30, 1 Samuel 15:23, Isaiah 1:18, 1:19; 1:20, Matthew 21:12, 21:13,  Revelation 2:14, 2:15, 2:16, 2:20, 9:18, 9:19, 9:20, 9:21).  

She was very much inclined to believe in a 'human works-based salvation', rather than a Spirit led transformation.  She seemed to convey the following notion:  Doing 'good works' such as feeding the hungry, respecting other people's religions or false notions within Christianity, sitting with the elderly, etc., were indicators of being saved.  I tried to explain that there is nothing wrong with feeding the hungry and spending time with the elderly, but those actions do not necessarily indicate one is "saved."  I shared that there are atheists who feed the hungry, are 'tolerant', & sit with the elderly, all the while not born again.  There are muslims who do those things, yet they are not born again.  There are catholics who do such things, yet they are not born again.  There are buddhists who perform such actions.  There are hindus who outwardly appear nice, gentle, & loving -- and any other positive, earthly label people tend to use, and none of them are truly born again  (Matthew 23:25, 23:26).  

Many are falling for this strong delusion of external good works equaling being Heaven-bound, but such is not the case.  One must be born again (John 3:5, 3:6, & 3:7).  One must absolutely have the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside & one must be obedient to the Spirit's leading, teaching, and instructions.  Truly being born again will equal a transformation from the INSIDE out.  Hiding behind external works may fool any number of people, but God will never be deceived.  External works minus the Holy Spirit's leading are futile.  Yes, those human-driven works will receive a loud round of applause from others and from oneself, but they are ultimately filthy rags that will rot away in the presence of a Holy & Just God.  If we are not being forged by His Righteousness, our actions, thoughts, desires, and words are beyond ridiculous.

Below, I share these verses with a desire that all would be saved.  I am showing no one, absolutely no one, the true love of Christ, as defined in His Holy Word, if I mislead you in believing that there is any other way to be IN and to ABIDE IN Christ until the end.  I, with the utmost respect, bow before the Lord and do not ever want to share a message supposedly about Christ, all the while teaching that there are "shortcuts" to Him.  False teachers will be in the lake of fire for all eternity.  There are NO shortcuts. The Lord said the way to eternal life is narrow and few will find this way (Matthew 7:14, Luke 13: 23-24). Contemplate the word few.  It is a sobering word.  

Please seek the Lord and study these verses with your entire heart.  Lay down false religion.  Lay down false doctrines.  Lay down pride.  Lay down the ways of this world.  Lay all of it down, and seek Christ in prayer and through His Word - The Holy Bible.  

Matthew 3:2, 3:8, 3:11, Mark 1:15

Acts 2:38

Acts 5:32

Romans 8:1, 8:4, 8:5, 8:6, 8:7, 8:8, 8:13, 8:14

Romans 12:1, 12:2, 

Galatians 5:16, 5:18, 5:19. 5:20, 5:21, 5:24

Hebrews 5:8, 5:9

Pray to the Jesus of the Bible.  Lay down pre-conceived notions of who you thought He was, or who you were told He was.  Read the Bible and pray.   This is so important:  praying and reading the Bible must be partners in your journey to truly be born again.  Relying on signs and wonders alone can be very dangerous.  In my conversation with this person, she was very reliant on signs and wonders, alone.  This concerned me greatly for her.

Be warned!  The Bible teaches that there will be false signs and wonders that will deceive many.  

Deuteronomy 13: 1, 13:2, 13:3

Matthew 24:5

Luke 21:8

2 Thessalonians 2:9, 2:10, 2:11, 2:12

Friends, we cannot afford to be ignorant of God's Word.  It is an individual affair, meaning you alone must make your calling and election sure with Christ Himself.  Do not rely on someone saying you are saved.  Do not be trapped by thinking that 'being a nice guy' equals salvation. Do not believe your regular church attendance means you are saved.  Do not believe 'running around' and volunteering for all the good deeds available means you are saved.  Do not believe the sin you practice will be overlooked because you do this, this, and this to help others.  Let your prayer be, "Lord, I want to know you, and I want you to truly know me."  

     

One Piece in the Arsenal

Arsenal:   A place where weapons and military equipment are stored or made.
Several years ago, my life changed - at first, it appeared to be for the worst. Yet, ultimately, the Lord brought the greatest victory to me through that tragedy.  Hallelujah!

I have written about portions of that time of testing in other blogs (Stand in the Gap, Place of a Skull), so I won't go into detail here.

I preface with that time in my life to say this:

When Satan presented his demonic self to me during that time, I didn't have much of anything in my spiritual armory.  I didn't have much to combat him with.  I was 32 years old when all of this began.  However, there was one area of truth that had some how and some where along the way made its way into my understanding:  

God is absolutely against sin.

Psalm 1:1, 1:5, 4:4, 19:13, 32:5, 51:2, 51:3, Isaiah 1:4, 1:13, 1:14, 1:15, 3:9, Jeremiah 7:9, 7:10. 7:11, Isaiah 59:2, Matthew 5:29, 18:9, Ezekiel 3:18, 3:19, 3:20, 3:21, Revelation 21:7, 21:8, 21:27

God is absolutely against sin.  Knowing that was crucial for me.

So when I was faced with this particular temptation (sin), I was floored!  Satan presented this temptation to my mind (my thoughts), and I nearly lost my ability to function in the smallest matters.  That is not an exaggeration. Insanity loomed around every corner of my mind.  It was a very, very dark time.  The battlefield was surely my mind.  Satan attempts to usurp our thoughts, and he hopes to carry out these thoughts in reality by weakening his prey's mind.  

Although Satan infiltrated much of my thoughts during that wilderness period, praise the Lord, he was destroyed and conquered in that very same place, too.

 How?  By the Lord's Standard.

I clung to the only weapon I had in my arsenal!  God hates sin.  Sin does not come from God.

Friends, we are living during a time when the word sin is not used very often.  Many refuse to speak about God's disgust with sin.  Many won't say anything against sin for fear of losing friends and church members.  This society celebrates what God calls sin, and they call it right.  They call it acceptable.  They call it normal.

So many have been made to falsely believe that speaking against sin and teaching God's true disgust with sin will "run" people off and that those people will never get saved, but the devil has forged this lie - Satan has taught people to believe such nonsense.

When people refused to accept Jesus' teachings, we do not see Him changing the Gospel or running after those who did not want it.  No.  Instead, in one story, Jesus turns to the remaining disciples and asks if they will also leave...  We must remember that most people will reject the whole Gospel.  Few will accept the Word of God cover to cover.  Few.

When I had reached the end of me - when my mind was on the brink of disaster - when I knew I didn't have any strength on my own to fight off the devil, that's when I ran to the One who hated sin!  I knew God was against sin, so I knew HE was my only hope to overcome the thoughts that were raging in my mind.  If He hated sin, then He would justly and righteously show me how to overcome those thoughts.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Psalm 25:18
Psalm 32:5
2 Timothy 1:7

Because I knew the Lord was against the thoughts Satan was trying to drive me insane with, I knew the Lord was my greatest ally!  When man withholds God's stance against sin, man is withholding one of the greatest foundational weapons there is.  We must know that God stands against sin.  We can't afford gray area here!  Gray area leads people to think they can continue in sin and still be accepted by Christ.  Not true.

Look around - we are living during a time when people think they are born again, unfortunately, because they lack this foundation of truth.  God hates sin.  He does not approve of it.  He became flesh, dwelt among us, and was brutally crucified for filthy sin.  Jesus is not our way to continue in sin but to instead be forgiven and to overcome sin - IN and THROUGH Jesus we can overcome sin.

During these anguished months, I prayed and sought and read God's Word - The Holy Bible- and fasted and pleaded for this Great God's intervention!

Because God was against sin, I knew He was the only One who could rescue me!  And He did!  In miraculous ways, Jesus proved faithful and stronger than sin.  The Lord victoriously destroyed lies Satan was forging in my mind. The Lord rode in like a conqueror, and Satan had to go.  Glory to God.  A sound mind returned in that moment.  The One who hated sin was mighty to save the one who did not want to sin against Him. I weep now when I think back on this terrifying time of my life.  Oh, how the Lord was faithful to save me in that day of salvation.  Isaiah 49:8.

There is a day quickly approaching when every eye will see, will hear, and will know that God hates sin. In growing numbers, man is claiming God does not, but when that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives, it will be too late to make Jesus your ally in order to overcome the chains of sin.

Cry out to the Lord now.  He is mighty to rescue and to destroy the works of the devil in your mind.

Exodus 13:21, 13:22

Beulah Land

Press in and hold on, Saints! It is all worth it in the end. Hallelujah!

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. (Isaiah 62:4)


Hephzibah: 1. Wife of King Hezekiah

2. A symbolic name for Jerusalem

Strong's Hebrew #2657: My delight is in her.


Beulah: A name of restored Israel

Strong's Hebrew #1166: To be master; hence, to marry.

Beulah Land Song
More on Hezekiah: Waters of Siloam

Endogenous: Growth From Deep Within

The Palm Tree

Those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ will be transformed & grow from the inside out.  The Lord Jesus performs a remarkable transformation within us when we abide IN Him.  (John 15:1, 15:2, 15:3, 15:4, 15:5, 15:6, 15:7, 15:8, 15:9, 15;10)   If I believe in Jesus, I obey Him.  If I say I believe in my marriage to my husband, yet I practice adultery, then it is clear I do not truly believe in the marriage.  Let us be found faithful to Christ.  

He is the author and finisher of our faith, but we are reminded that we must, in fact, continue in the faith. (Hebrews 12:1, 12:2, 12:3)  As verse 3 of Hebrews 12 instructs, we must not faint in our minds, and as Paul instructs Christians in Acts 14:22, we must continue in the faith enduring great tribulation to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven from everlasting to everlasting.  The Lord is faithful to “finish” our faith IF we continue IN the faith.

Just the other day, the Lord shed new light on my understanding of the palm tree, and I shared the information with my husband.  The palm tree is quite unique in that, unlike many other trees, the palm is endogenous.  The palm tree’s growth occurs from deep within the tree  and becomes apparent externally -  this is in contrast  to many other trees that grow from the outside (exogenous).

We discussed how the palm's deep inner growth surely represents the same kind of growth that occurs within followers of Christ.  He transforms us from the inside out.  Within mere seconds of saying this, our 4 year old, who was sitting quietly in the backseat, said, “The heart.”  Now, I love my four year old, but he doesn’t possess that kind of wisdom.   : -)  

We knew the Holy Spirit had shared His Wisdom during our conversation.  It’s a transformed heart that leads to true growth spiritually and outwardly.  The Word of God teaches that our hearts are despicable (Jeremiah 17:9) without the transforming power of Jesus Christ within us.  He is the Word made flesh (John Chapter 1).  Unless that Word takes root and flourishes deep within our hearts - sustaining us, nourishing us, and growing us, we are doomed for damnation.  What a Saviour!  What mercy for God to offer HImself to a dying world.  

We must understand this Truth about the Lord’s Word:  The Truth of God’s Word must penetrate first deep within us; otherwise, our external “works” are superficial and hollow. Empty.  Dead.  If only our ears are tickled, our hearts won’t be transformed. (2 Timothy 4:3)  Messages that make our flesh comfortable will never seep into the core of our hearts.  There will be no true growth from the inside to the outside.  There may be a ‘flashy imitation’ for the world to gawk at, but it is worth nothing in the end.  The inner man will remain the same:  damned.

Is the True Word of God Implanted Deep Within You?

James 1:21

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (Matthew 13:22, 13:23, Luke 8:11)

Are You Growing From The Inside Out Because of The Holy Spirit? Or Are You Performing External Works When There is Really No Internal Transformation Occurring?  These Are Difficult Questions, But We Can’t Afford To Deceive Ourselves.

Psalm 92:12

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

[The Song of Solomon is symbolic of the pure, righteous, and fruit bearing relationship between the Bride (the true Church) and the Groom (Jesus).]

Song of Solomon 7:7   This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.

Song of Solomon 7:8

I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;

John 12:13

Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Revelation 7:9-10

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Facts About Palm Trees:  

From BibleStudyTools.com

“Its trunk is straight, tall and unbroken, terminating in a crown of emerald-green plumes, like a diadem of gigantic ostrich-feathers; these leaves are frequently twenty feet in length, droop slightly at the ends, and whisper musically in the breeze. The palm is, in truth, a beautiful and most useful tree. Its fruit is the daily food of millions; its sap furnishes an agreeable wine; the fibres of the base of its leaves are woven into ropes and rigging; its tall stem supplies a valuable timber; its leaves are manufactured into brushes, mats, bags, couches and baskets.”

“There is in the Psalms, (Psalms 92:12 ) the familiar comparison, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree," which suggests a world of illustration whether respect be had to the orderly and regular aspect of the tree, its fruitfulness, the perpetual greenness of its foliage, or the height at which the foliage grows, as far as possible from earth and as near as possible to heaven. Perhaps no point is more worthy of mention, we wish to pursue the comparison, than the elasticity of the fibre of the palm and its determined growth upward even when loaded with weights.”

“To these points of comparison may be added, its principle of growth: it is an endogen, and grows from within.”

From www.sciencedaily.com/terms/tree.htm

“Exogenous trees, which comprise the great majority of modern trees (all conifers, and all broadleaf trees), grow by the addition of new wood outwards, immediately under the bark.”

“Endogenous trees, mainly in the monocotyledons (e.g. palms), grow by addition of new material inwards.”

What author could possibly include such intricate and vast symbolism within a book?  None other than the Creator of all, Lord God Almighty.  My mind cannot possibly fathom the depths of His Book’s Wisdom.  Yet - when His Spirit teaches a portion to me, I am humbled by Who He Is.

Is Your Heart Growing or Decaying?

Hebrews 3:12-1912 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in

departing from the living God.13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Psalm 17:3Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

Psalm 10:17Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

Psalm 19:14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 27:3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Psalm 28:3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

Matthew 5:8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Matthew 12:35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Matthew 15:8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Mark 12:30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mark 12:33And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Matthew 5:28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matthew 15: 18-2018 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.