"It was He that gave some to be Pastors." Eph 4:11




Monday, March 28, 2011

And What About Angels?

Angels- what a fascinating subject to share with you today! There have been thousands of books written about “angels”, hundreds of movies made on the subject, and many stories have been told about personal experiences with them.  I am going to share with you the truth about angels that is found only in the Holy Scriptures of God’s Word. I mean, after all, He is their Creator and His (God)opinion is the only opinion that should count.

Since we already know that angels exist (which, they DO exist), let’s discuss three different areas today on the topic of angels. First, who and what are they? Secondly, where do they exist?  Thirdly, what is their purpose for existing?
Who and What Are Angels?
Angels are spiritual beings that were created by God. They have a spiritual body and they CAN appear in physical, bodily form in the earth. The Bible is full of examples where angels appear to people and deliver a message from God or assist man in some way.  So yes, an angel can appear and talk to you. However, I must add that according to the Bible, there are only specific reasons why an angel would do that (I will address this in my third point). There are giant massive angels and yet, many times they appear to us in normal human form. They are beautiful, glorious beings and they are holy by nature.

     They do not marry, nor do they have children. They are not human beings that have died and then are turned into angels by God. According to scripture, God DOES NOT turn people into angels.  Therefore, our dead relatives are not angels on the earth watching out for us. If our relatives made it to heaven, then that is where they are to remain. The Bible is very clear on this point. There are only two places that we go when we die, Heaven or Hell; not wandering around the earth, lost or reincarnated. According to the Bible, there are THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANGELS.  There is the Archangel, which is the most powerful of all the angels.  The Bible names one of them as Michael, God’s Chief Archangel of Battle. He is a very powerful angel that defeated Lucifer (Satan) and cast him out of Heaven.  

Next are the Cherubim. The Bible calls Lucifer a Great Guardian Cherub. When Lucifer was cast out of Heaven by Michael, the Bible says he took 1/3 of the stars (angels) with him. We know that 1/3 of the angels revolted with Satan to fight against Michael/God.  That is where “Fallen Angels” or Demons come from.  They were all defeated and cast down to the earth!

 Lastly, there are the Seraphim. Not much is mentioned about them except that they are seen flying around the Mighty Altar of God. In the Book of Hebrews, chapter twelve, it says that in Holy Jerusalem (Heaven), there are an “innumerable company (too many to count) of Angels.” 

Secondly, where do angels exist?
There are two worlds that God has created, the natural world and the spiritual world.  We obviously live and exist mainly in the natural world.  However, the spiritual world is very much a reality as well(this is a topic for a later day), and angels exist there. However, on occasion they crossover into our world to carry out a mission from God. The Bible tells us that Heaven is full of angels and many surround the throne of God worshiping Him continuously crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!” What a beautiful image don’t you think?  They also roam the earth’s plain as they constantly are ascending and descending between Heaven and Earth.


Thirdly, what is the purpose of their existence?
This is the perfect place to address the question, “Do we have a guardian angel?” The answer is, Yes and No.  Psalms 34:7 says, “The Angel of the Lord camps around those who fear God and He delivers them! The word “fear” means to love, respect, and serve God. Those of us who serve God are guarded by His holy angels and are delivered (helped and saved) by them. Those who do evil or reject God have no such luxury! 
All children have guardian angels as well. In Matthew 18:10 the Bible says, “See that you do not look down on one of these ‘little ones’ for THEIR ANGELS in Heaven always see the face of God. “ In other words, do not hurt or harm little children because they have been assigned powerful angels that are constantly reporting to the face of God Himself!!  WOW!! For all of those who have abused and hurt children, there is a day of judgment coming!! 

Now, as far as each person in the world having a specific guardian angel, the Scriptures do not teach that. God protects us with angels but it doesn’t appear that he assigns specific angels to specifiy people for their entire lives, especially those who are evil and perform wickedness on the earth.  But, that shouldn’t matter to us, because if we love God and worship Him, then all around you, all the time, He has angels that “camp” around you (stay close by). Those angels are there to protect you and perform the work of God with respect to your life. 
     I want to address a very dangerous and deceptive teaching that is out there concerning angels.  leaders in the Occult, New Age, magik, and Voodoo world teach that angels are here to be our “spirit guides," and that they are here to guide us in life.  THAT IS A LIE!!! The only spirit guide you should ever listen to is the Holy Spirit who lives inside the “born again Christian.” God is the only one who knows your purpose and your direction, and He will decide when to use angels to help us and bring us a message. We are to NEVER PRAY TO AN ANGEL. We only pray to God, please be very careful! The Bible says in II Corinthians 2:11 that Satan masquerades as an “angel of Light.” 

The last thing I want to say concerning this topic is that in the spiritual world, there is a tremendous war taking place.  We call it “spiritual warfare.”  The Kingdom of God is warring against the Kingdom of Satan. God’s Holy angels are at war with Satan’s fallen angels.  The two sides are fighting for the souls of mankind. Your soul is precious to God and He is fighting for you!! If you have not made God your personal savior, please do so today. Contact me and I will lead you in a simple prayer that will change your life forever. Well, again I must stop at some point. This is another subject that I could probably write a book on. So, until my next blog, be careful how you treat strangers, because the Bible says you might be entertaining an angel without knowing it!! 

In God’s Love and Mine – Pastor Rick

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Demonic Possession II: A Devil's Foothold

Today, I am continuing the subject of “demonic possession.”  There are basically, three stages of a demonic attack, being oppressed by the devil, tormented by the devil and then complete possession by the devil. Let’s look into some of the root causes.
In Ephesians 4:27, the Bible says, “do not give the devil a “foothold.” (NIV). The Word “foothold is the English translation for the Greek word “Topos.”  The word “Topos” means: place, location or License. In other words, what the Bible is teaching us is, DO NOT give the devil a place or a location into your life (soul) and do not give the devil a “LICENSE to oppress, torment, or possess you.  Let’s put it another way, DO NOT give the devil a “LEGAL RIGHT” (license) to have a space or location into your soul. Wow!! What a powerful warning that God gives us in His Word. 
The Scriptures directly above verse 27 and below (Eph 4:17-32) give us greater insight into what actually constitutes a demonic foothold. Let’s look at three "footholds" or legal rights that the devil can have into a person’s life. First, the Bible talks about being “separated from the Life of God.” There are some people who don’t even believe that there is a God. These people are separated from Him. The Bible says, “A Fool has said in his heart that there is no God.”If God has no part of an individual’s life or of a family’s life, and if they don’t live for God and obey His Word, then they are “separated from the Life of God.” That gives the devil a legal right to attack, torment and/or take up space into that life.  Where ever God isn’t present, you can rest assured that the devil is present.  He loves dark places; he dwells around the life and the family that has no relationship with God. You show me a place that doesn’t have God and I’ll show you a place where the devil has a foothold!  
Secondly, The Bible talks about indulging into sensuality and lust.  In all of my dealings with people who have been possessed by a demon, by far, the number one legal right has been “sexual sin.    Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry in America alone. And with every family having access to the internet, Satan has a HUGE foothold right into our living rooms via "internet pornography." The Bible says all other sins are committed outside the body, but sexual sin (fornication or sex out of marriage, adultery etc...) is a sin that we commit against our own body by which we defile our own flesh.  The Bible also says that when a man and woman join together (sex), they become “ONE FLESH.” That means with whomever you have sexual relations with, you become one with that person. Scary isn’t it!!  This is an open door for the devil to gain access into your life.  That is why God ordained the Marriage bed. Instead of defiling one another, we can sanctify the relationship. Yet in today’s world, people are disregarding Holy Matrimony, and living like the animal kingdom! 
Thirdly, the Bible mentions another foothold called, “UNFORGIVENESS.”  When we don’t forgive a person for their trespasses against us it opens the door to things like:  anger, bitterness, resentment, wrath and animosity.  These raw and negative emotions weigh heavily on the human soul; they also give a legal right for the devil to torment us.  Jesus says to forgive and we shall be forgiven.  If you are carrying these types of emotions around, LET IT GO AND FORGIVE!  It doesn’t mean that whoever hurt you gets away with it; it just keeps you from carrying the offense fresh and new every day. It keeps the devil from gaining access into your life.  Nothing can torment the human soul like the foothold of unforgiveness. 
These are just three footholds I’ve mentioned today. There are many more, but I have to find a place to stop.  I could write a book on this subject.  The point of this blog entry is to bring people into a greater understanding of this subject. 
The best advice I can give is to strengthen your relationship with God.  The more of God you have the more of the light of His Glory shines into your soul. That is the one thing the devil can’t stand, the brightness of God’s precious Holy Spirit.  So be filled with His Spirit Today, which will drive away any evil that tries to harass you. Your life will be much happier and at peace. Until my next blog, forgive those who have wronged you and draw closer to God!
In God’s Love and Mine – Pastor Rick

Monday, March 14, 2011

Demonic Possession

The Haunting of Mary Hartley, The Rite, Exorcist III, Exorcist:The New Beginning, Annelise: the Exorcist Tapes, Paranormal Activity I, Paranormal Activity 2, The Haunting, etc... are all movies produced by Hollywood in the last year or two. What do they all have in common? DEMONIC POSSESSION This does not include all of the mini – series’ showed weekly on regular TV. Hollywood is mass producing these films because they realize there is a large public interest. When there is a large public interest in something, Hollywood capitalizes on it immediately (they’re all about the money).

Why is there such an interest in the Demonic? Because never before in our history have so many people suffered and been tormented by Demons. Witchcraft, Satanism, palm readings, people contacting the dead, reading horoscopes etc... are all on the rise. Psychology is failing people because they are clueless on how to deal with "spiritual" problems. They handle the tormented by medication and medication will not drive out a demon.

As a Pastor, in the last 5 months, I have dealt with 6 cases of SEVERE demonic possession (I'm not mentioning small cases of torment). In one of these cases, a house was terribly haunted. In another case, children were being tormented. 

When I was in Paraguay (3 years ago), I dealt with this on a mass scale. God had to teach me how to bring deliverance on whole congregations at once! That was a profound and awesome experience, let me tell you. People were manifesting all over the place. If it wasn't for the MIGHTY POWER OF GOD, I wouldn't have been able to handle it.

There is a sector of Americans who don't believe in demons, Satan, or Hell. That's OK, they can believe how they want, and I will believe how God believes and teaches. The Bible is full of examples of Jesus driving out demons from all sorts of people.

In one of those examples found in the Book of Acts, there was a man who was horribly possessed. Seven sons of a high priest tried to drive out the unclean spirits. When they did, the demons inside of the man said, "Jesus we know, Paul the Apostle we've heard about, but who are you!" Then this one man under demonic power beat these seven men bloody and naked and they ran out into the streets defeated.

What does this teach us? Without the anointing of God, you can't defeat the devil; you definitely can't help those who are possessed! It takes more than a degree in psychology or a degree in any area of study! You must know how to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit. That, my friends, only comes by a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Why is there such a rise of Demonic Possession? What is causing this problem? I will answer those questions and many more in my next post. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT!! If you or somebody you know is being tormented or if you suspect there may be demonic activity taking place in somebody’s life, THERE IS HOPE! Don't hesitate to contact me. I promise you this; we can help and there is healing for the soul. Until my next blog, keep your eyes on Jesus. He is theonly true solution there is!

In God's Love and Mine - Pastor Rick

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Dealing With Deep Inner Pain

We are living in a day where the majority of people are suffering with "inner pain," the kind  that cuts deep, and most of us haven't a clue on how to fix it.  As a pastor I see it everyday!
     We don't have to look far to find the broken-hearted.  Daily, the reports are murder, rape, and child molestation. Violence and terror is apparent on all sides. Witchcraft and occult practices have a stranglehold on our youth. The American Family is plagued with strife and contention. The fathers are against the mothers and the children are warring against the parents. Divorce rates continue to escalate, leaving behind adults and children that are completely devastated (I could go on and on).
     Physical pain, most can deal with, we usually medicate it with an aspirin, rest or stronger pain medications. However, when we have inner hurts of the soul (heart), we medicate as well. Here is a small list of the most common forms of medication: Sex, relationships, control, food, Vicodin (drug of choice for the middle class), illegal drugs and alcohol, Isolation (escaping), self mutilation (cutting), over working, money, materialism, etc.   This is just a few prescriptions; some even go as far as suicide.  Which one are you medicating with? Of course, we know that these are just temporary fixes to ease the pain, but they NEVER HEAL THE PAIN! in fact they compound the suffering. 
     When you try to talk to somebody, all they do is just prescribe the above medications, in fact, usually they're hurting themselves.  Then you have the hurting helping the hurting and around we go!!!  I recently read a Facebook entry were somebody recommended to a grieving mother to just, "smoke a joint!"
      I've tried many of the above medications to deal with my own personal pain and like you've discovered, none of it worked.  But one day, I was "pouring out my complaint before God," and He heard me!  What happen next changed my life forever. God Himself visited me in a way that human words can't really describe. As I was crying out before Him, He gave me a vision.  In this vision (like a mini movie) Jesus himself came to me and knelt down before me with a Silver Platter.  He took the platter, placed it under my tears and began to catch every tear that I cried. This said to me that every tear I shed is important to Him. Then he did something that I will NEVER forget! He took His hand and reached down deep into my soul and touched my deepest inner part.  Then Healing broke lose throughout my entire spirit, it was like a gentle fountain of warn oil.  I was so profoundly touched.  I will never forget that day in prayer. 
    Let me encourage you with Psalm 142 in the bible, it says, "I cried unto the Lord  with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord I made my supplication. I poured out my complaint before Him. I showed before him all my Trouble."   The bible also says to Taste God and sees that He is Good. Stop trying to just survive with your pain.  Quit medicating your hurt with things that really only cause more suffering.  There is HEALING in Jesus Christ.  Turn to Him and see that He is good.  You won't be disappointed. However, you must turn to Him with your whole heart!  God Is real!! I have learned to "pour out my complaint unto the Lord."  I encourage yo to do the same. It truly works. He is the creator of the human soul and He is the only one that can FIX IT! 
     Next week, I will be dealing with Part II, how to overcome Hindrances to our Healing. You won’t want to miss it! Until my next blog, read Psalm 142 and learn to pour out your complaint to God.

In God's Love and Mine - Pastor Rick