THE WAY at JournalSpace.com.

May 12, 2008

I know I am not a big participant here in sharing, writing and commenting. There is something I need to share though. My wife Diana has been under attack from the enemy.

The Doctor's report has stretched from brain seizures to Lupus. We do not except the bad report.

The good report is no matter how we see, hear or feel; Word of God says we are HEALED by the Stripes of Jesus.

Diana received a report confirming Lupus in her body, but the Doc did not feel there was something right about the lab report. The Doc ordered another lab.

Diana found out this morning there is not one trace in her body. Medicine may explain it away as a bad lab test; however I explain it as confirmation the power of God is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever.

Hallelujah!

All Scripture literally has the Breath of God imprinted alive in the Words seen. The power of God is unseen in what is seen yet it is there to give life to the person making a willful decision to enwrap them self in the wind of the Spirit of God - the very Breath of Life of God.

JRH 5/2/08

****************************

Let God Breathe Into Your Life!

Rick Renner

Sparkling Gems from the Greek

Rick Renner Ministries

Email Sent: May 2, 2008 3:42:12 AM

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness.
- 2 Timothy 3:16

Would you be interested in getting plugged into a power source that will permeate you with extraordinary energy, vitality, strength, and wisdom to assist you in overcoming any challenge that comes against you? Of course you would like to have that kind of help! The amazing thing is that you already have it at your disposal! However, you may not have learned yet how to tap into this power source to receive its full benefits. Right there in your home or apartment is a source of power beyond your wildest imagination.

It's probably sitting on a shelf, situated nicely on a table, or perhaps even kept in the magazine rack in the bathroom. Or maybe you keep this source of power in the drawer of your desk at work or on the back seat of your car.

You may have guessed by now that I'm talking about your Bible, which is one of the greatest sources of power on earth! If you learn how to tap into God's Word and let its power flow into you, it will equip you with wisdom, answers, and the power to overcome in every single situation in life.

When Timothy felt attacked on every side by difficult situations he was facing in the city of Ephesus, he wrote to Paul, seeking answers and help to his various dilemmas. Expecting counsel and advice from Paul, he received a letter from Paul that contained these precious words: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16).

Especially notice the word "inspiration" in this verse, for this word is a powerhouse when you really understand what it means! It comes from the Greek word theopneustos, a compound of the words theos and pneuma. The Greek word theos is the word for God; however, the real secret to this powerhouse is the second half of the word, pneuma, which comes from the Greek root pneu.

The root pneu communicates the idea of the dynamic movement of air. For instance, it can mean to blow, as to blow air or to blow air through an instrument to produce a distinct musical sound. There are also places where it is translated to breathe or to emit a fragrance. Finally, this root word can be used to denote the projection of emotions, such as anger, courage, or goodwill.

But when the root pneu becomes pneuma, as in this verse, it carries a more profound range of meanings, including life, force, life- force, energy, dynamism, and power. The Jews considered the pneuma to be the powerful force of God that created the universe and all living things, and the force that continues to sustain creation. In the Old Testament, the pneuma of God would sometimes move mightily upon a person, enabling him to do supernatural feats.

When this word pneuma is compounded together with the word theos, it forms the word theopneustos, which is where we get the word inspiration. Together, these words literally mean Godbreathed. The word theopneustos - or "inspiration" - is the picture of God breathing or emitting His own substance into something. Just as a musician would blow on an instrument to produce a distinct sound, God mightily moved on those who wrote the Scriptures, and they temporarily became the instrument through whom God expressed His heart and will. They were the writers, but God was the Great Musician who breathed upon them, His instruments. Thus, the Bible is God's message delivered through human writers to you and me.

Just as the word pneuma can carry the idea of a fragrance, the Word was breathed out from God and thus carries His very essence and fragrance within it. Since the word pneuma can also portray the projection of emotions, this tells us that God projected the totality of His emotion into the written Word when He inspired its writing. Therefore, the Word not only conveys an intellectual message, but it has God's heart in it as well.

It's important to understand that the pneuma of God didn't create the Scripture and then depart from it. This power - the same pneuma power that originally created and continues to sustain the universe - is still working inside the Word, upholding and empowering it to be just as strong as it was the day it was penned by "God- breathed" writers.

Let me give you this very simple example of the word theopneustos. If I hold a deflated balloon that is without form to my lips and breathe into it, the balloon will inflate. The blowing of my breath into that deflated little piece of rubber causes it to fill up so that its true form becomes visible. When the balloon is fully inflated, I tie a knot at the base to trap the air within. Now the air that filled up the balloon and caused it to take form is the same substance that empowers it to sustain its form. It was my breath that created its form, and it is my breath that now sustains it. And if the molecules inside the balloon were analyzed, it would be found that a part of me is held inside in the form of the air I breathed into it.

Now let's apply this to the Bible. When God was ready to speak to mankind, He held up human language to His mouth and breathed into it. After breathing His pneuma power into the language to produce life-giving words, God moved upon the hearts of those He had called to write His Book, and men began to write under divine inspiration. As God continued to breathe on words and phrases and sentences, His Word began to form and take shape until finally it had become the Bible as we know it today.

Today the same breath of God that caused the Word to materialize in written form is now held inside the Bible. It was God's own breath that caused this Word to manifest in the first place, and now His own Presence, His breath - His "molecules," if you will - are permanently held inside the Word of God itself. In other words, God didn't just inspire the writing of the Bible. God Himself - His life, His life-force, His essence, power, energy, dynamism, and power - is contained inside the Word.

Think about it - the Bible you own that is sitting on a shelf, stored away in your desk drawer, sitting on the back seat of your automobile, situated nicely on your coffee table, or placed on the nightstand next to your bed contains the very life, essence, energy, and dynamism of God Himself ! If you'll get hungry for more of God and determine to meditate on this truth long enough to tap into it, God Himself will come pouring out of the Bible into your life and situation. The pneuma held inside the Word will blow mightily upon you and upon the situations that surround you - and when that happens, everything will change!

Because of the word theopneustos,
Second Timothy 3:16 carries this idea:

"All scripture came into existence because God Himself breathed upon men, who then wrote as this divine
breath moved upon them - and thus, the Word took
shape and came into existence."

The supernatural breath and life of God that is held within His written Word is the reason Paul went on to say that the Word is "profitable." The word "profitable" is the Greek word ophelimos, and it means helpful, profitable, useful, beneficial, or something that is to one's advantage. Paul goes on to list all the ways that God's Word brings benefit to the one who reads it, meditates on it, and taps into its pneuma.

So when Paul wrote to Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God," he was reminding the younger man that because Timothy had the Word, he possessed the greatest source of power and energy that exists! If he would get into the Word - tapping deeply into its internal resource and allowing the life of God in that Word to flow up, out, and into his life - enough power would be released to change every difficult situation he was facing.

That is why Paul said the Word is "profitable." Wouldn't you agree that this kind of power operating in your life would be to your advantage as well?

Once you understand the meaning of this word "inspiration," you realize that the Bible is not just a Book about God; it is a Book that actually contains God. His own breath and Spirit are contained within it. That's a very good reason why you should spend time studying and meditating on God's Word. By studying and meditating on the Word, you will learn to unlock the power contained within it. And when you have unlocked that door, the power of God will come pouring into your life and into the situations you are facing. Believe me when I tell you that when this power begins to operate, it will definitely be to your advantage!

Francis Frangipane provides an essay about Grace and Works from a Protestant perspective.

JRH 4/17/08

********************************

Grace Works!

Francis Frangipane

Elijah List Email

4/10/08

Whether we realize it or not, most Christians of Protestant lineage carry in their doctrinal heritage the revelation of Martin Luther, that "the just shall live by faith." For whatever flaws may have otherwise been in Luther's life, his contribution remains a living revelation in the consciousness of the modern Church.

Today, we know we are saved by grace and justified by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. The Lord's grace remains a consistent, liberating power in our lives. If I fall, grace does not retreat; rather, it lifts me up. If I become virtuous, I know virtue is truly the result of grace working in me.

We must never forget that salvation is the gift of God. As it is written, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

God knew us before we were born. Before we knew Him, He was working in us in secret, drawing us to Himself. He led us to someone who then helped us find Christ. Of course, we told others that we made a "decision for Jesus," but in truth, it was God who made a decision for us before the foundation of the world.

So, we can thank God in Christ for liberating us from a "works based" salvation, thanking also Paul for explaining grace so well in his epistles, and Luther for persevering to see this great truth restored. It is obvious why "salvation by grace" is the inspiration behind most of our greatest hymns.

Salvation and Good Works

Christ delivered us from a religion about God and brought us into a family fathered by God. We are not working for acceptance or to earn our salvation. Such a difference is profound.

Yet, the revelation that salvation is not based on our works should not be interpreted as though the family of God is a "work-free zone." God has not liberated us from the realm of works, only from self-generated, religious "dead works." As new creations, the Holy Spirit dwells in us in an eternal relationship. His presence is a living reality, capable of speaking to us, inspiring and directing our lives to fulfill God-inspired works.

Thus, just after Paul explained our salvation is not "of works," he writes, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).

We are not saved by our works, but neither are we saved from works. The truth is, we have been "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand." So we are saved by faith, but God has a plan for us that requires that we work with Him to see it come to pass.

Destiny

Our destiny doesn't just happen; it is connected to our fulfilling the "works, which God prepared beforehand." God is producing something in each of us that fits into the grand scheme of His will on earth. It may be a life vocation or a prayer ministry or feeding the poor or developing spiritual gifts or editing for a Christian writer or raising godly children. The list is as endless as it is varied.

But whatever God's will is for us, Paul says, "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).

"God is at work in you." This is such an amazing reality. It does, indeed, inspire fear and trembling, yet it is also the source of great confidence. For if it is God who is working in us, He will soon be working through us. It will look like us working, but it will really be God manifesting His works through us.

You see, our lives are the outworking of God's grace. Our task is to seek Him, to study His Word, to minister to Him through prayer and worship, and to draw close to Him so we can discern what He is doing in us. Then we are to make His inner working visible through us.

This is exactly how Jesus revealed the Father. He said, "...my Father who lives in me does His work through me" (John 14:10). Again, "...I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does" (John 5:19). And again, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me..." (John 9:4).

There should be God-inspired ideas, love-activated thoughts bubbling up into our minds from the redemptive Spirit of God. His inner working will ultimately affect every area of our lives. He will reach to others; He will work through us to reveal Jesus. These are the "good works" that God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

He whose grace led us to Christ will also conform us to Christ as we obey Him. Yes, grace works!

Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Email: francis1@frangipane.org

____________________________

Permission is granted (and you are also encouraged) to reprint these articles in hard copy form, as well as sending them to your own email lists and posting them on your own websites. We ask only that you keep ElijahList website, email contact info, and author contact information intact.

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
http://www.elijahlist.com/ 
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

John Wayne was my Hollywood movie star growing up; however Charlton Heston ranks right up there of childhood Hollywood heroes.

Heston was on of those actors that were larger than life in the roles that he took. The word "LEDEND" comes to mind.

I also must mention he was one of those rare breads of Hollywood - a Conservative.

JRH 4/6/08

*****************************

Film legend Charlton Heston dead at 84

By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer

April 6, 2008 9:55 AM CT

Yahoo News

Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84.

The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said. He declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.

"Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country."

Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure."

With his large, muscular build, well-boned face and sonorous voice, Heston proved the ideal star during the period when Hollywood was filling movie screens with panoramas depicting the religious and historical past.

"I have a face that belongs in another century," he often remarked.

Publicist Michael Levine, who represented Heston for about 20 years, said the actor's passing represented the end of an iconic era for cinema. "If Hollywood had a Mt. Rushmore, Heston's face would be on it," Levine said.

The actor assumed the role of leader offscreen as well. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and chairman of the American Film Institute and marched in the civil rights movement of the 1950s.

With age, he grew more conservative and campaigned for conservative candidates. In June 1998, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association, for which he had posed for ads holding a rifle.

He delivered a jab at then-President Clinton, saying, "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns." Heston stepped down as NRA president in April 2003, telling members his five years in office were "quite a ride. ... I loved every minute of it."

Later that year, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life," President Bush said at the time.

"America has lost a great patriot. The Second Amendment has lost a faithful friend," said Wayne LaPierre, of the National Rifle Association of America, in a statement. "So have I, and so have four million NRA members and eighty million gun owners. And so has every American who cares about the Bill of Rights, individual liberty, and Freedom.

Heston engaged in a lengthy feud with liberal Ed Asner during the latter's tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild. His latter-day activism almost overshadowed his achievements as an actor, which were considerable.

Heston lent his strong presence to some of the most acclaimed and successful films of the midcentury. "Ben-Hur" won 11 Academy Awards, tying it for the record with the more recent "Titanic" (1997) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003). Heston's other hits include: "The Ten Commandments," "El Cid," "55 Days at Peking," "Planet of the Apes" and "Earthquake."

He liked to cite the number of historical figures he had portrayed:

Andrew Jackson ("The President's Lady," "The Buccaneer"), Moses ("The Ten Commandments"), title role of "El Cid," John the Baptist ("The Greatest Story Ever Told"), Michelangelo ("The Agony and the Ecstasy"), General Gordon ("Khartoum"), Marc Antony ("Julius Caesar," "Antony and Cleopatra"), Cardinal Richelieu ("The Three Musketeers"), Henry VIII ("The Prince and the Pauper").

Heston made his movie debut in the 1940s in two independent films by a college classmate, David Bradley, who later became a noted film archivist. He had the title role in "Peer Gynt" in 1942 and was Marc Antony in Bradley's 1949 version of "Julius Caesar," for which Heston was paid $50 a week.

Film producer Hal B. Wallis ("Casablanca") spotted Heston in a 1950 television production of "Wuthering Heights" and offered him a contract. When his wife reminded him that they had decided to pursue theater and television, he replied, "Well, maybe just for one film to see what it's like."

Heston earned star billing from his first Hollywood movie, "Dark City," a 1950 film noir. Cecil B. DeMille next cast him as the circus manager in the all-star "The Greatest Show On Earth," named by the Motion Picture Academy as the best picture of 1952. More movies followed.

Most were forgettable low-budget films, and Heston seemed destined to remain an undistinguished action star. His old boss DeMille rescued him.

The director had long planned a new version of "The Ten Commandments," which he had made as a silent in 1923 with a radically different approach that combined biblical and modern stories. He was struck by Heston's facial resemblance to Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses, especially the similar broken nose, and put the actor through a long series of tests before giving him the role.

The Hestons' newborn, Fraser Clarke Heston, played the role of the infant Moses in the film.

More films followed: the eccentric thriller "Touch of Evil," directed by Orson Welles; William Wyler's "The Big Country," costarring with Gregory Peck; a sea saga, "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" with Gary Cooper.

Then his greatest role: "Ben-Hur."

Heston wasn't the first to be considered for the remake of 1925 biblical epic. Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster and Rock Hudson had declined the film. Heston plunged into the role, rehearsing two months for the furious chariot race.

He railed at suggestions the race had been shot with a double: "I couldn't drive it well, but that wasn't necessary. All I had to do was stay on board so they could shoot me there. I didn't have to worry; MGM guaranteed I would win the race."

The huge success of "Ben-Hur" and Heston's Oscar made him one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood. He combined big-screen epics like "El Cid" and "55 Days at Peking" with lesser ones such as "Diamond Head," "Will Penny" and "Airport 1975." In his later years he played cameos in such films as "Wayne's World 2" and "Tombstone."

He often returned to the theater, appearing in such plays as "A Long Day's Journey into Night" and "A Man for All Seasons." He starred as a tycoon in the prime-time soap opera, "The Colbys," a two-season spinoff of "Dynasty."

At his birth in a Chicago suburb on Oct. 4, 1923, his name was Charles Carter. His parents moved to St. Helen, Mich., where his father, Russell Carter, operated a lumber mill. Growing up in the Michigan woods with almost no playmates, young Charles read books of adventure and devised his own games while wandering the countryside with his rifle.

Charles's parents divorced, and she married Chester Heston, a factory plant superintendent in Wilmette, Ill., an upscale north Chicago suburb. Shy and feeling displaced in the big city, the boy had trouble adjusting to the new high school. He took refuge in the drama department.

"What acting offered me was the chance to be many other people," he said in a 1986 interview. "In those days I wasn't satisfied with being me."

Calling himself Charlton Heston from his mother's maiden name and his stepfather's last name, he won an acting scholarship to Northwestern University in 1941. He excelled in campus plays and appeared on Chicago radio. In 1943, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served as a radio-gunner in the Aleutians.

In 1944 he married another Northwestern drama student, Lydia Clarke, and after his army discharge in 1947, they moved to New York to seek acting jobs. Finding none, they hired on as codirectors and principal actors at a summer theater in Asheville, N.C.

Back in New York, both Hestons began finding work. With his strong 6-feet-2 build and craggily handsome face, Heston won roles in TV soap operas, plays ("Antony and Cleopatra" with Katherine Cornell) and live TV dramas such as "Julius Caesar," "Macbeth," "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Of Human Bondage."

Heston wrote several books: "The Actor's Life: Journals 1956-1976," published in 1978; "Beijing Diary: 1990," concerning his direction of the play "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial" in Chinese; "In the Arena: An Autobiography," 1995; and "Charlton Heston's Hollywood: 50 Years of American Filmmaking," 1998.

Besides Fraser, the Hestons had a daughter, Holly Ann, born Aug. 2, 1961. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1994 at a party with Hollywood and political friends. They had been married 64 years when he died.

In late years, Heston drew as much publicity for his crusades as for his performances. In addition to his NRA work, he campaigned for Republican presidential and congressional candidates and against affirmative action.

He resigned from Actors Equity, claiming the union's refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in "Miss Saigon" was "obscenely racist." He attacked CNN's telecasts from Baghdad as "sowing doubts" about the allied effort in the 1990-91 Gulf War.

At a Time Warner stockholders meeting, he castigated the company for releasing an Ice-T album that purportedly encouraged cop killing.

Heston wrote in "In the Arena" that he was proud of what he did "though now I'll surely never be offered another film by Warners, nor get a good review in Time. On the other hand, I doubt I'll get a traffic ticket very soon." 

I wish I had found this poem before Easter. I think I had read it some time ago however I am not sure. The surety I do have is this poem is beautiful.

An unknown WWI soldier ponders the meaninglessness of life if there was no Resurrected Redeemer.

Totally Awesome!

JRH 3/30/08

************************

Resurrection

Sunday, March 23, 2008 (Easter)

--Unknown Soldier, killed in World War I
(From The Life of Christ in Poetry, comp. Hazel Davis Clark)

Posted by Jordon J. Ballor

Acton Institute Power Blog

If it be all for nought, for nothingness
At last, why does God make the world so fair?
Why spill this golden splendor out across
The western hills, and light the silver lamp
Of eve? Why give me eyes to see, the soul
To love so strong and deep? Then, with a pang
This brightness stabs me through, and wakes within
Rebellious voice to cry against all death?
Why set this hunger for eternity
To gnaw my heartstrings through, if death ends all?
If death ends all, then evil must be good,
Wrong must be right, and beauty ugliness.
God is a Judas who betrays his Son
And, with a kiss, damns all the world to hell--
If Christ rose not again.

I have never heard of the group "Diamond Rio."

You know I am not much of a Country Music fan and this song has that flavor; however I got to tell ya this honors God Almighty. American should feel a sense of veneration of America and God when listening to this song. It is truly awesome.

I now know who "Diamond Rio" is and God Bless them for honoring God.

A well deserved Hat Tip to Humbled Infidel.

Satan became a defeated foe when Jesus Resurrected from the Dead in complete victory over the goals of replacing God as god of creation.

At the moment of Resurrection the only power Satan possessed was the power a human being gave, especially those that in faith believe in the Redemptive victory of Christ.

Those outside the faith of Christ are sitting ducks open to the devices of Satan's new goals since his defeat at Calvary via the Resurrection.

The new goal is to control humanity to the point of destruction. The ultimate destruction is to separate humanity from all connection from God for separation from God results in the Second Death.

The Second Death is eternal separation from God which occurs when Satan deceptively convinces a human that God is powerless or non-existent or there is another way to find eternal peace.

I suspect Satan is so deluded that even if defeat he believes the more human souls that he can separate form God that he has another shot at defeating the Lord God Almighty.

Satan's device is deceptive control and his fall is self-delusion a defeat can turn around to victory. In Jesus, Victory is a done deal. Hell was created and reserved for Satan and fallen angels. All that allow themselves to be deceived by Satan will join him there even though the place was not designed for humanity.

It is the will of God that all humanity be Saved and God gave His Beloved Son up to death to pay the price that Adam sold himself and his progeny to the Devil. All that believe are Redeemed! Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so - I AM REDEEMED!

JRH 3/22/08

***********************

Stopping Satan At His Own Game

Rick Renner

Sparkling Gems from the Greek (Link Updated Frequently)

Rick Renner Ministries

March 3, 2008

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us:
for we are not ignorant of his devices. -2 Corinthians 2:11

I don't like talking about the devil, but time after time the Bible warns us that the devil is like a roaring lion who roams about, seeking whom he can destroy (1 Peter 5:8). Whether we like it or not, the devil is a real personality who is looking for ways to destroy our lives. Since the Bible frequently warns us about this sinister enemy, we need to know:

How the devil operates.

• How to identify the devil's attacks at their very onset.

• How to block and stop his devilish assaults.

• How to prevent repeat attacks from occurring in the future.

In Second Corinthians 2:11, the apostle Paul wrote a verse that is teeming with insight to answer these questions. He wrote, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Paul clearly understood that Satan was constantly seeking ways to take advantage of people. The word "advantage" in this verse is the Greek word pleonekteo. This word means to outwit; to trick; to take advantage of someone through some sinister or sneaky means. It is a compound of the word pleon, which means more, and the word echo, which means to have. Together, these words form the word pleonekto, which denotes a desire to have more, more, and more. It is a form of the word pleonexia, the Greek word for greediness. In this case in Second Corinthians 2:11, it pictures someone whose lust for something is so intense that he will take any actions required to obtain what he wants.

Because Paul used this word about Satan, we are alerted to the fact that Satan desperately wants something in his control. He wants us! The devil will use any method necessary to take advantage of us and get us under his control. He will deviously and artfully endeavor to outwit us, trick us, dominate us, and ultimately take us as his hostages. That is why Paul said, "We are not ignorant of his devices."

When you have an enemy who hates you this much and who wants to destroy you, you can't afford to be ignorant. In Paul's case, he and his team were invading new territory with the Gospel all the time. Paul knew that Satan wanted to hinder and even stop them and that it was therefore essential for him to understand the way the devil operated. He had to be able to discern whether he was facing a mere human problem or a planned demonic attack.

Likewise, you need to know if the storm you're facing right now is just a natural problem that will blow over, or if are you facing demonic turbulence sent from hell to disrupt God's plan for your life. You can't just shut your eyes and hope the problem will work out by itself. If this is an attack from the devil and you do nothing to stop it, it will not simply go away. On the contrary, it will actually increase and become more intense. That's why being able to recognize Satan's game is so important!

The word "ignorant" in Second Corinthians 2:11 is the Greek word agnoeo, and it refers to one's ignorance or lack of certain facts. However, it also includes making mistakes or errors due to a lack of understanding. It is the picture of an uneducated person who, due to a lack of knowledge, is prone to arrive at mistaken conclusions. The word agnoeo depicts someone who is in the dark or without a clue. Because this person lacks understanding, his conclusions are faulty, erroneous, and misguided. This is where we get the word agnostic, the official name used to describe individuals who claim they don't know what they believe. So when someone claims to be agnostic, he is literally claiming to be ignorant!

An example of this kind of ignorance is often seen when a person is diagnosed with a terminal disease sent from the devil, yet the person believes his sickness comes from God. Because the sick person is ignorant of the fact that Satan and not God is the author of sickness and disease, he mistakenly concludes that his sickness must be God's will for his life. This ignorance is so devastating that it could possibly lead to that individual's premature death. Do you see how dangerous it is to remain ignorant about how the devil operates?

This is the reason Paul says, "...We are not ignorant of Satan's devices." Paul and his companions had carefully observed how the devil operates and the primary methods he uses to attack. As a result, they knew how to recognize the onset of an attack when Satan started maneuvering to frustrate their plans. Paul and his team were definitely not in the dark about the devil; hence, the enemy found it much more difficult to take advantage of them.

Paul had to learn these things because he faced problems with people, religious leaders, governmental leaders, and even with friends. He was thrown in prison, cast into the sea, and beaten during moments of persecution. Traps were constantly being set for his capture, and he constantly had to be on the lookout for people who tried to use him and take advantage of him. Paul couldn't afford to be in the dark spiritually about the way Satan operated - and neither can you!

But notice what Paul says next: "We are not ignorant of Satan's devices." The word "devices" is the Greek word noemata, derived from the word nous. The word nous is the word for the mind or the intellect. However, when the word nous becomes the word noemata, it describes a mind that is scheming, calculating, conniving, devious, shrewd, sly, or clever. This is very significant because it alerts us to the reality that Satan isn't just hoping to hinder us; he is incessantly scheming and conniving to injure or deliberately mess up a person's plans, health, marriage, business, and family. The enemy doesn't really care how he accomplishes his evil plan; he just wants to find ways to ruin whatever that person holds dear.

Thus, the word noemata denotes Satan's insidious, malevolent plot to attack and victimize human beings, clearly demonstrating that the devil loves to captivate and ultimately destroy human beings. If this devilish process is not aborted by the power of God, it is only a matter of time before Satan puts the last touches on his plan to take captive a person, family, church, ministry, business, organization, or even an entire nation!

When you put all of these words together, it expresses this idea:

"Satan can forget it if he thinks he is going to pull the wool over our eyes! We know how he operates, and we understand the way he schemes and connives to take us out."

So don't shut your eyes and ignore the fact that the devil wants to bring about your downfall. Instead, open your eyes and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to recognize the devil's operations so you won't fall prey to him any longer. Then you'll be able to say, "Devil, I know this is you attacking me, so I am telling you to leave now in Jesus' name!"

Documented case of demon possession by Dr. Richard E. Gallagher who is a board certified psychiatrist and also a Professor of clinical psychiatry at New York Medical College. Dr. Gallagher documented the demon possession in the February issue of the New Oxford Review.

The story goes on to tell of Roman Catholic exorcists going to work on exorcising the demon.

I find the Roman Catholic ritualizing of exorcising fascinating; however that does not line up with a "What Would Jesus Do" moment. Jesus always was prayed up and cast a demon out with a command. Jesus gave this authority to all who Believe on Jesus. Believers can cast out demon by being prayed up and using the NAME OF JESUS.

• ...they brought to Him [Jesus] many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, (Matthew 8: 16)

• Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He [Jesus] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." (Mark 1: 23 - 27)

• When He [Jesus] had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. (Matthew 8: 28-33)

• Then He [Jesus] appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: (Mark 3: 15, 16)

• And when He [Jesus] had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. (Matthew 10: 1)

• And He [Jesus] called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. (Mark 6: 7) [Scripture References from TheBibleSpeaks.com]

Trust me; there are more New Testament references which are similar.

Now you Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox or other ritualized Christians; don't send me the haterade because I believe in the simplicity of the Word. I am not saying the ritual thing is ineffective or wrong (as many of my Pentecostal/Word fellow Believers would). For Jesus the Lord said,

38 Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."
39 But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our[c] side. (Emphasis mine - Mark 9: 38-40 NKJV)

I am saying don't play with demonology if you don't know what you are doing yet if it concerns you find and meditate on Scriptures that build faith and the sense of authority that Jesus gave to those who Believe on Him.

In either case it is fascinating that a secular trained psychiatrist is publishing in a respected psychiatric journal the case of a demonic possession and the use of Christian Faith to get rid of the bugger.

JRH

The Way, the Truth and the Life in CHRIST: click HERE.