Help A Preacher Out: I'm Going to Jail!

Now don't get too excited. I'm actually going to jail for a good cause. I'm helping out the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) of Johnson County to raise money for research. What they are going to do is lock me up until I raise my bail money...so that is where you come in. I need bail money. If you don't know much about MDA, MDA is a national voluntary health agency dedicated to fighting 40 muscle diseases that impact millions of people in our country. In fact probably everyone of you knows at least one person who is affected by some type of muscle disease. If you would be willing to donate some money towards MDA research you would be making a difference in the lives of a lot of people as well as getting the preacher out of jail. And believe me it never looks good to have your preacher in jail for any extended amount of time. If you would like to help me out, you can go to this personal web site and donate money there or you can give me a check made out to MDA. I would greatly appreciate it!

Even More Questions: Satan, Demons and Angels

"What about people that teach from the Bible and believe what they are teaching is from God, but their message seems twisted. Are these people demon possessed?"

Probably not. Here's why. The people described in the Bible as being demon possessed are not people that you would want to be around, with the one exception maybe being the slave girl who could tell the future (Acts 16:16). The rest of the demon possessed people were freakish. They were afflicted with some type of physical ailment. They were violent, suicidal, homicidal, possessing some type of mental illness, sometimes running around naked, and possessing incredible strength.

People who preach or teach a false message may be charismatic but for the most part don't portray characteristics of being possessed by a demon. Read what Paul writes to young pastor Timothy.

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." ~ 1 Timothy 4:1,2

What Paul is teaching here is that the teachers are not necessarily possessed, they have instead allowed their "consciences" to be seared. What that means is they have chosen to reject truth and instead have allowed their consciences to be influenced by false teaching. Let me give you an example. For example a demon might tempt a teacher or preacher in regard to that person's pride or ego. That individual might want people to listen to him or her and so they might say things that are not necessarily true simply to draw a crowd or get strokes from people. Are they possessed? No, they are sinnful people being influenced by demonic activity.

"Why does God have angels if He doesn't really need them? Why doesn't He just do things Himself if He's omnipresent?"

That is a really good question and one that I had as I was putting the message together. Biblically, I can't find an answer to that question. Here is something I read as I was putting the message together:
"Of course, God would not have to use angels in carrying out the details of His plan, but He has chosen to do so. This does not mean that we worship angels any more than we would worship the circumstances or the friends God might use in carrying out His plan. But since He has chosen to use them, we should give due consideration and thanks to God for angels. In an old church in Scotland are inscribed these words which put the matter in proper balance: “Though God’s Power Be Sufithink to Governe Us, Yet for Man’s Infirmitie He appointeth His Angels to Watch over Us.”"

Ryrie, Charles Caldwell: A Survey of Bible Doctrine. Chicago : Moody Press, 1995, c1972

So my opinion is that God uses angels as go betweens with humanity because it gives humans something a little more tangible. Since God is spirit, we don't always "see" His work and at times we question if something is from God. This was even more true before Scripture was readily available for all people. The angels that make there appearances in the Old and New Testaments clearly communicated God's message so that the listeners knew without a doubt what God wanted. A great example of this is the appearance of Gabriel to Mary and Joesph.

"Does the possessed person know that they are possessed?"

The Bible doesn't say specifically, but what I can deduce is that the answer would be yes. In the account of Jesus healing the demon possessed man in the cemetary of Gerasenes (probably the worst case of demon possession in the Bible) after Jesus heals the man the man begs and pleads to go with Jesus. Why? Because he knew how bad his life had been. He knew that his life had been a wreck until Jesus healed him. But notice what Jesus wanted him to do. Jesus wanted this man to go back to town and tell his story. Quite frankly the man doesn't have much of a story unless he was aware of his demon possession.


"What do you do if your mom's in a spiritual battle?"

You know, personally this sermon really heightened my awarness of demonic activity in my life. One of our greatest oversights is to ignore the role of Satan and demons in our life. So in helping people with the spiritual battles they face the greatest thing we can do is pray for them. Paul wraps up his Ephesian letter by emphasizing the armor we should wear to withstand the attacks of the Enemy. The last item listed is prayer.

"Pray at all times on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Ephesians 6:18

Most of our prayers look more like a Christmas list. God fix this, give me this, and help me with this. However, if what Paul says is true (and I believe it is) we should be praying for ourselves and others in regards to protection from demonic attacks. We are always so quick to pray for physical healing but what about spiritual protection and healing. So I would suggest that the most important thing that you can do is pray for your mom's heart and spiritual protection.

More Questions: Satan, Demons, and Angels

Here are a couple more questions from Sunday.

"Can demons still come inside of people like they did in the Bible?"

"Do evil spirits still exist in today's society or can the claims of them be explained?"

My answer would be "yes." I have talked to missionaries and read articles and books by missionaries who have described cultures where the people believe in evil spirits and demons and where demon possession have been observed. So I think that demon possession is still a reality in this world.

Here is a link to a biblical study on Demons done by Mark Moore a professor at Ozark Bible College. The essay looks at how demons operate from a biblical perspective. I found it to be very helpful. Here is a quote from the essay.

So the question exists, "Why don't we see more demon possession here in the United States? Here is a quote from the essay by Moore.

"The dominant tools of Satan in America have been materialism, scientism and naturalism. As we become disillusioned with these and turn to spiritism, we can expect to see a rise in demonic activity, including possession." ~ Mark Moore

I'm fairly confident that Satan and his demons are very active and engaged in the western culture of the United States, it just looks different because as a whole we don't believe in "spiritual things." Now that doesn't me that you can't spot demonic activity. Anything that distorts truth, upholds sexual immorality, profanes God, seeks the destruction of human life, essentially anything that is evil is influenced at some level by demon or demons.

Questions: Doctrine - Satan, Demons, Angels

I have a bunch of questions from the last message I preached on Satan, Demons, and Angels...imagine that. Here are the questions I was not able to get to on Sunday. I hope it helps.

"If Satan rules the earth, how can God's plan be fulfilled?"

It's not always easy to understand, but the truth is Satan only does what God allows him to do.

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." ~ Revelation 20:10

If you read through Revelation you see that while Satan is a very real threat that needs to be guarded against, ultimately it's God that holds his chain. So always remember that God is sovereign and His Kingdom will come and His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is my opinion but I think that Satan's freedom here on earth has more to do with us then it does God. Our faithfulness and dependence upon God can grow and be enhanced when we choose God even in the face of temptation and opposition. That is why the apostle Paul is so clear in Ephesians 6 regarding the defensive and offensive tools available for us to stand our ground (and even advance) against the kingdom of Satan.

"Does Satan have any capacity for good what with his being a former angel and having that part of himself manifested?"

Good question, and actually the first question my son Alex had for me when he found out that I was preaching on Satan. The truth that we have to remember about God is that part of his nature is that He is omniscient. He knows everything and is not limited by time or space. He knows how it is all going to end and He knows the decisions and choices of all of His creation--including Satan. So He knew from the beginning that Satan would not repent and come back to Him. Here is an interesting example of this.

Jesus in coming to his home country and preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God is rejected. Listen to his response to that rejection.

"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." ~ Matthew 11:21

So in other words, Jesus being God, knew what these communities would have chosen as well as what Korazin and Bethsaida would chose in the future. Remember, God knows.

That is all the time I have for now. I will answer more later.

Video - Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

If you were not able to catch the movie Expelled:No Intelligence Allowed in theaters this last spring, it is now out on video. It might be hard to find in rental stores but it should be there, you might have to ask for it. I highly recommend watching this movie, which confronts the fact that the theory of intelligent design is being removed from discussion at institutions of higher education. Ben Stein does a fantastic job of getting to the bottom of what is behind this removal and how extensive it is. He is engaging, funny, and thorough in his approach. So if you get a chance watch this video, it will open your eyes and provide you with a great education regarding what is behind the theory the evolution.

Why watch a movie like this? Because one of the battles we fight as Christians is the battle of truth and the battlefield is the mind. After working on the sermon for Sunday about Satan, Demons, and Angels it became very evident that the Enemy's primary weapon is deception. Demons work to deceive and distort the truth. So when the apostle Paul says that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6) this is a great example.

Doctrine: Satan, Demons, and Angels - Links

If you are looking for good biblical information regarding Satan, demons and angels here are a couple of good resources. The real key to studying this topic is to not get too caught up with the sensational side of the spiritual realm. A lot of beliefs and even teachings come from non-biblical theories or speculation. The best approach is to simply stick with what the Bible teaches and not get too carried away. The following links are to articles written by two Bible College professors who I trust regarding sound Bible study.

Demons - by Mark Moore

Errors in Demonology Theology - by Mark Moore

Holy & Unholy Spirits - by Chuck McCoy

Real Preachers of Genius

Doctrine: The Holy Spirit - Question

Here is the one question I didn't have time to answer Sunday after the message.

"How do u know its the HS & not just u when u r deciding to do something?"

You know, this is good question and actually a rather common question. Most Christians, myself included, want to know what God wants them to do and struggle with knowing the response.

So let me throw a couple of thoughts out there. The first and most important it to read the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible and so as long as your activities, thoughts, and desires are in tune with Scripture you can know that the Holy Spirit is leading.

My second thought is this: What if in most cases, we are splitting hairs? Here are the words of Jesus to his disciples before his arrest. Now remember, Jesus has been their "Counselor," in the flesh. He has been their rabbi and lead them over the past three years, now he is going and these are his words:
¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” ~ John 14:16-1

This new "Counselor" is spirit in form and will take the place of Jesus--but not just by or with them, but in them; intermingled with their spirit...regenerating their hearts. So what if the decisions and choices we begin to make once we are Christians are already lead by the HS?

For example, you enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus and receive the gift of the HS. Then you decide to join a small group Bible study. Who lead you to make that decision? You hear a missionary speak at church about a huge need in a certain country and you decide to give money toward that ministry. Who lead you to make that decision? Well it was you and the HS. Remember, you have been transformed, changed and so there are a lot of decisions you are going to make that honor God because you have been renewed from the inside...out. You are possessed by the HS and you are going to begin to make decisions simply because of the work of the Spirit in your life. So that is why I say it's kind of like splitting hairs, your spirit and the HS have become one.

Actually the harder thing is saying "no" to the HS or simply not trusting his leading and doing your own thing. Those moments seem to be much more clear in my life. I can count way too many times in my life when the HS wanted me to say something and I chose to be silent. I can think of times when the HS wanted me to intercede and I remained inactive. There have been time when the HS wanted me to confess a sin to someone and I chose to play it safe. If you are like me, it's not so much knowing what the HS wants me to do, it's more of a matter of doing what he wants. I hope that helps.

Doctrine: What the Bible Teaches about Jesus - Question

Today my message at church focused on what the Bible teaches about Jesus. As always I have four or five texted questions that I answer at the end of the service. Here is one question I didn't have time to get to. Check it out:

"How r we 2 know always what is of God n what is us? Just everyday decisions."

First you have to start with the Bible. God's Word provides us with a filter for our lives. We know if something is of God if it matches up with what we read in the Bible. That is why it is so important to read the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Second God provides us with the Holy Spirit to direct and lead us through life. Next Sunday I will be talking in detail about what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. From observing my own life and the lives of others, it is very difficult for a lot of Christians to tune into the leading of the Holy Spirit. Part of it is just simply ignoring what the Holy Spirit is leading people to do. But another part of it is the fact that we just don't know how to follow the the Holy Spirit's lead. (John 16:13)

One other resource I would point you to is a book I recently read called, Walking with God, written by John Eldredge. Eldredge gives a practical and real look into his own life of walking with God and how he follows what God's leading...in even the most minute of details. You can read my post about the book here.

Perry Noble Interview: Why New Spring is growing.

I wanted to post this interview because Perry's philosophy for New Spring Church is pretty much the same as mine. The reason why we at IC Church of Christ are experiencing an exciting season of growth right now is because we are focusing on the same basics and working the same strategy. Churches that are laser beam focused on the gospel, streamlined with as few programs as possible, and fluid (most readily able/willing to change to follow God's leading) are churches that are having a big Kingdom impact in their communities.

So, for what it's worth here is an interview with Perry Noble, Lead Pastor at New Spring Church.