RELEVANT FOR HALLOWEEN

The wicked flee in God’s presence—that doesn’t just happen in the movies.

The Word tells us that in the name (authority) of Jesus, demons will have to flee.  If demons didn’t exist, they wouldn’t have to flee in Jesus’ authority and we wouldn’t have to have been told that to begin with.

A few years back I was experiencing all the classic symptoms associated with congestive heart failure.  One early Sunday morning around that time, a demon appeared to me in my bedroom as the light of dawn streamed through the translucent curtains.

He looked a little bit like Lurch from The Addams Family television series, and skinny as the proverbial 'rail'.  He was at least 9 feet tall, which is what I surmised by seeing his feet on the floor and his head pressed against our 9’ ceiling.  He spoke in a gravely, hoarse and monotone basso-profundo voice, utterly void of any humanity whatsoever.

“Shall we add ‘well done’ to your tombstone?”

Of course he was referring to what Jesus said when He explained how when a Christian dies, he will hear, ‘Well done good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of your Lord.’

My first thought was to tell the demon, ‘Go to hell,’ but then I thought, “No, he’s already been there.”  Then I thought to tell him to shut up, but then I remembered how the archangel Michael was quoted in Jude: (1:9)

Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (--NKJB--).

Finally, I came up with the right answer.  With Michael as my model, I said, “In the authority of Jesus…” and that was it—I never had to say another word.  I think for one moment God actually allowed me to see how fast a nanosecond is.  I still can’t get my head around how dramatic and spectacular his split was.  Thankfully the story doesn’t end there.

I went to church that Sunday, not where I usually go, but to a house of worship affiliated with the denomination that held my ministerial credentials.  No one at the church knew me—I was there as a stranger.  Before I went in, I asked the Lord to please heal me.  He spoke into my mind to go to a particular woman for prayer.  Finally, the opportunity came toward the end of the service as she walked up to the front to pray for people.  I didn’t even tell her what I needed.  She said to me, “I want to pray for you, but if you don’t mind, I want to pray to the Lord first, to ask what He wants.” 

“Fine,” I said, gladly.

And then she prayed—and wept—and prayed some more, put a finger on my chest and said, “Yes, Lord, a new heart.  Please give my brother a new heart.”  And, like the Tin Man, I walked out of there with one—my symptoms gone.

Remember that it’s not just authority, but the relationship behind it.  Look at Acts 19:

¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We^[a] exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered^[b] them, and prevailed against them,^[c] so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (--NKJV--)

In the Greek it reads, ‘Jesus (we’re well acquainted with) and (with) Paul (we’re very familiar), but who are you (you who refer to the authority of Jesus without possessing a relationship with Him)?

In a relationship-backed Jesus authority, not only do demons flee, but peace rushes in where fear once lived.
b(Les)sings

Psalm 68

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
 ²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
 ³But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
 ⁴Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
 ⁵A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
 ⁶God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
 ⁷O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
 ⁸The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
 ⁹Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
 ¹⁰Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
 ¹¹The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
 ¹²Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
 ¹³Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
 ¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
 ¹⁵The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
 ¹⁶Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.
 ¹⁷The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
 ¹⁸Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
 ¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
 ²⁰He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.
 ²¹But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
 ²²The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
 ²³That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
 ²⁴They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
 ²⁵The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
 ²⁶Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
 ²⁷There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
 ²⁸Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
 ²⁹Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
 ³⁰Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
 ³¹Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
 ³²Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
 ³³To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
 ³⁴Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
 ³⁵O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

PRAYING FOR THE WIFE

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—it can also be supernaturally valuable.

The courts are full of people contending that the idea they’ve stolen from another is actually their own.  Aside from being impudent, insolent, and arrogant on its face, it’s also profitable, providing the judge finds in their favor.

But the Judge bestows His greatest favor on those that do what He says.

In Numbers (6:22-27) the Lord addresses Moses, telling him to instruct his brother and nephews (the priests) to bless those in their charge like this: 

     “May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you.  May he be gracious unto you, and may he grant you His gift of peace.”

That is popularly known as the Aaronic blessing, and it’s something I decided to pray over my wife on a daily basis for some time now.  My greatest regret is that I didn’t think to do it earlier than I did.

When I pray over her I lay my hands upon her as a point of contact, and as I speak the words, I sense God’s joy—not only for the words themselves, but in His knowing that I care enough about His creation to bless her with the best He has to offer. 

Yes, the prayer includes the word, “peace”, yet the greatest peace comes with the infusion of God in your life—not only as you pray the prayer, but live it as well.

b(Les)sings

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 67

 ¹God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
 ²That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
 ³Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
 ⁴O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
 ⁵Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
 ⁶Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
 ⁷God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

SING, SING

We are told that out of the heart’s abundance the mouth speaks.  It sings from such overflow as well.

Normally, it seems, we sing when we’re happy, and the happier we are, the louder we sing.

Karen Carpenter told us to sing and, “…make it simple to last a whole life long.” 

There’s just something about espousing the superlatives of another that the merely spoken, non-sung word isn’t capable of accomplishing. 

Thus, in Psalm 66, the psalmist directs us to sing the praises due God, and when we do that, our soul is flooded with peace because it grasps that reality.

b(Les)sings

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 66

 ¹Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
 ²Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
 ³Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
 ⁴All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
 ⁵Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
 ⁶He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
 ⁷He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
 ⁸O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
 ⁹Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
 ¹⁰For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
 ¹¹Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
 ¹²Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
 ¹³I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
 ¹⁴Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
 ¹⁵I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
 ¹⁶Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
 ¹⁷I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
 ¹⁸If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
 ¹⁹But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
 ²⁰Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

HEAR, HEAR

It’s been said before but bears repeating:  The degree to which we trust another to hear us has less to do with the volume of our voice and more to do with the quality of the listener’s ears.

My first steady girlfriend fancied herself as an aspiring singer.  No offense to the late Eileen, but she was more like a perspiring one!  She worked hard to learn to sing as good before others as others sung before imaginary shower audiences.

Every now and then for entertainment value, our mutual friend would invite us over to his house , crank up the girl’s favorite tunes (Karen Carpenter and the like), and crown her with headphones, so that she would sing loudly and off-key.  I found it more pathetic than entertaining, and that she could shatter glass without hitting high ‘C’ was enough for me.

A few years earlier I was involved in a “tween” youth group.  We met for a mixer at the home of one of our group members one Saturday night.  When it was time for games, I was one of three people that volunteered to be sent out of the room.  When we came back in, we’d get a prize if we successfully guessed which person in the group (at the count of three) was screaming the loudest.  Out of nearly two dozen people, picking the loudest can be quite challenging.  As we came back in the third time, we were told it was our last chance to successfully guess (our previous two guesses were incorrect).  We purposed to listen intently—and then it happened, at the count of three—only one person yelled!

You don’t have to sweat an ocean to have your prayer heard by the Lord—He won’t ignore you if you sing loud or off-key—He won’t even chastise you if you’re the only one in a crowd yelling out to Him.  When you call, He enjoys—and His enjoyment is your peace.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 65

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
 ²O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
 ³Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
 ⁴Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
 ⁵By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
 ⁶Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
 ⁷Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
 ⁸They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
 ⁹Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
 ¹⁰Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
 ¹¹Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
 ¹²They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
 ¹³The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

FEAR FACTOR

Fear paralyzes—it really does.

When I was seven, and staying home with my second oldest sister one Saturday night, a drunken woman tried to break into our home and kill my sibling and I.  Our house looked just like our neighbor’s, and it was the neighbor’s husband that was having an affair with the woman.

When the first brick crashed through the glass of the front storm door, I felt a huge shot of electricity run down my left arm from my shoulder to the bottom of the elbow.  The rest of me didn’t move too well—and then not at all—when the second brick went through our double-plated living room window.

 

Fortunately, my 15 year-old sister kept a level head and steady fingers as she dialed the Chicago Police, who were only about six blocks away.  The next call she made was to our folks, who were over a mile away and got there before the police (Dad always did want an excuse for driving fast). 

During the commotion, the other neighbor--awakened out of sleep, asked her husband to chase the woman she saw breaking into our house.  A former college football player, Dick tackled her near the end of the block (wearing only his pajamas) and held her until the police arrived.  Best of all, seeing as that it was the ‘good ole’ days, a pharmacist from two doors down gave my parents a couple of pills to help me sleep midst my hysteria.

The woman got her jail time, the neighbor got divorced from her husband, and God used a number of different sources to help protect us.  I didn’t realize until decades later that  I suffered from PTSD because of the experience—something the Lord continues to deliver me from as time marches on. 

Although there is peace in the event being behind me, and our having escaped with our lives, the greatest peace has come through the increased intimacy in my walk with Him, as He refuses to knuckle-under to my demands that He deliver me sooner, rather than later.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 64

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 64

 ¹Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
 ²Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
 ³Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
 ⁴That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
 ⁵They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
 ⁶They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
 ⁷But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
 ⁸So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
 ⁹And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
 ¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

MIRACLES

Have you ever seen a miracle? (Sorry, the ’69 Cubs do not qualify, though finding a legal on-street parking space near Wrigley Field does come close).

Over the years I’ve been privileged to experience various interruptions of God’s laws, laws interrupted by virtue of His sovereignty, not by any special skill I have.

When you lay hands on broken kneecaps and fingers, and pray in Jesus’ authority, and see the healing occur before your very eyes, it tends to adjust your theology.

Whereas it’s exciting to witness such things, the greatest peace does not come through the exercising of God’s power.  Such peace comes instead through observing His knowledge in action—doing whatever it takes—as long as it takes—so that His perfect will is accomplished for all.

b(Les)sings

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 63

 ¹O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
 ²To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
 ³Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
 ⁴Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
 ⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
 ⁶When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
 ⁷Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
 ⁸My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
 ⁹But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
 ¹⁰They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
 ¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

MANAGING YOUR WAIT

“In God we trust—all others pay cash.”

So what then does it mean to wait on (or trust in) the Lord? 

Waiting on another means confidence in the ability of the other.  If you didn’t trust the other to do what needs doing, you would take care of things in your own wisdom and strength, and we all know whose wisdom and strength is far greater than ours.

Whether you wait on the Lord (as trusting in Him) or wait upon the Lord (as in serving Him), you have peace because (when you trust in Him) you rejoice that He’s in control, and when you (serve) Him, you rejoice in the privilege of serving the worthy One.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 62

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
 ²He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
 ³How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
 ⁴They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
 ⁵My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
 ⁶He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
 ⁷In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
 ⁸Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
 ⁹Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
 ¹⁰Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
 ¹¹God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
 ¹²Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

SCHOOL BUS ROCK

Nestled in the heart of New Hampshire’s Highway 93 is the breathtaking refuge known as Franconia Notch, and in the midst of that oasis is a delightful canvas of forest, rock, and stream known as, “The Flume”.

Shortly before beginning your 3 ½ mile hike of up and down and all around, you come upon mass quantities of giant rocks that show tree roots growing in, on, around, and through them.  One rock in particular is literally the size of a typical yellow school bus. 

When you stand next to this giant you get a keen understanding of just how small you are compared to the stuff of nature—and more importantly, nature’s inventor—God.

Someone as big as God is fiercely capable of keeping you from the enemy’s wrath, when you decide to rest in His shade—and no peace can come close to equaling that.

b(Les)sings

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 61

 ¹Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
 ²From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
 ³For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
 ⁴I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
 ⁵For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
 ⁶Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.
 ⁷He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
 ⁸So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.