Tag Archives: Gifts of the Spirit

July 10, 2015 · 2:17 pm

Was That the Voice of God or Daffy Duck? (Part 4)

Tina lined up the white cue ball with the black eight ball for a corner pocket. It was a straight on, can’t miss shot, with the game riding on the outcome. She slowly drew the pool cue back and then pushed it forward, striking the cue ball. It rolled across the green cloth, hitting the eight ball with topspin, sending both balls into the side pocket. She scratched, which meant she lost the game of spots and stripes to me.

“You’re so lucky,” Tina said, tossing her head back. “I hate making mistakes.”

I laughed, knowing luck played a major part in my victory because she was a more skillful player than me. The only reason I even played was to celebrate her nineteenth birthday after our lunch together.

“Well,” I said, “you had better get used to making mistakes if you’re going to walk in your calling and prophesy.”

Her blue eyes narrowed.

“No, I don’t have to make any mistakes.”

“Oh for sure,” I replied with a grin.

“No, I don’t have to make any mistakes. All I have to do is study the Bible, pray, and obey the Holy Spirit. If I do that, I can prophesy without ever making any mistakes. I know I can!”

I laughed and she slapped me on the shoulder. We returned our pool cues to the rack and left the Iowa State University Student Union’s poolroom. (Excerpt from The Hunt for Larry Who by Larry Nevenhoven, an Amazon eBook.)

Another big hindrance to hearing the voice of God is fear.

What if we make mistakes? What if we listen to the wrong voice? What if we end up following a cult? What if? What if?

Fear paralyzes Christians. It forces us to make the biggest mistake of all, which is doing nothing.

Such love [agape] has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love. (1 John 4:18 NLT)

What are some other problems for hearing the voice of God for ourselves?

(Continued in Part 5)

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July 8, 2015 · 10:24 am

Do We Still Cast Out Demons? (Part 3)

What did the Jews do when a person was tormented by demons?

Now the Spirit of the LORD had left King Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.” (1 Samuel 16:14-16)

In Jewish theology, the scholars believed that everything came from God, even tormenting spirits. They had very little insight on Satan and the kingdom of darkness. Thus, soothing music was sometimes used to stabilize a tormented person. This was, in fact, the reason David was first introduced to King Saul.

The Jews also had exorcists who traveled from town to town. These men were basically fortune tellers, conmen, and magicians who put on a show and received money for their services. Spells and enchantments were uttered by them to heal sick people and to cast out demons.

It’s interesting to note that these exorcists did use a name to command the demons to leave people. As stated by Josephus, the historian, the name used by the exorcists was supposedly that of Solomon because the king wrote a book on magical healing and exorcism.

“In the name of Solomon, we command the demons to leave you!”

How successful were these Jewish exorcists?

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” (Acts 19:13)

Obviously, the income for the Jewish exorcists had dropped quite a bit when Jesus and the apostles arrived on the scene. To compensate for their losses, the above group quit using the name of Solomon and began using the name of Jesus in their exorcisms.

What then happened to the seven sons of a leading Jewish priest named Sceva is one of the funniest stories in the Bible:

But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered. (Acts 19:15-16)

Why did this happen to the seven sons of Sceva?

(Continued in Part 4)

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July 1, 2015 · 8:09 am

Will God Judge America (Part 2)

Jesus spoke these words to the Jews of His day, but He could have just as well spoken them to today’s Americans:

“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:14-15)

I realize we American Bible-believing Christians have our danders up over the Supreme Court’s recent 5-4 ruling regarding same-sex marriages. It’s now the law of the land and legal in all fifty states. And, of course, we Bible believers are talking about the Judgment of God – à la Sodom and Gomorrah style.

But is this true? Will the Judgment of God fall on America sometime in the near future?

I don’t believe so — because I believe it is already happening now.

You see, I believe the first extreme Judgment of God fell on America on January 22, 1973, the day the Supreme Court settled the Roe Versus Wade case by stating that abortion was a fundamental right of American women. Since then over 60 million babies have been aborted.

Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb… (Deuteronomy 28:18)

And then there’s illegal immigration with over 30 million illegal aliens entering America since 1973.

The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. (Deuteronomy 28:43)

And forty-four percent of our national debt is owed to foreign nations and foreign banks.

They [Foreigners] will lend money to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, and you will be the tail! (Deuteronomy 28:44)

And we’re at war with terrorists organizations such as ISIS and Al Qaeda.

The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young. (Deuteronomy 28:49-50)

And we Americans are unemployed and losing our jobs to foreigners.

Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (Deuteronomy 28:17)

And our cities have major problems.

Cursed shall you be in the city… (Deuteronomy 28:16)

And our leaders are confused and we’re frustrated with them.

The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do…(Deuteronomy 28: 20)

And California has a historic four-year drought, which affects everyone in America.

The Lord will make the rain of your land powder…(Deuteronomy 28:24)

And on and on it goes.

We’re wringing our hands and worried about the Judgment of God maybe hitting America, but in fact, we’ve been living under the curses and Judgments of God for over forty years. It’s just that we’ve been dull-minded, with our ears and eyes closed to the spiritual facts.

Our failure is that we believers have not asked the single, most important question of the Lord.

(Continued in Part 3)

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June 30, 2015 · 7:29 am

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (6/30/2015)

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In Asia, over 2.5 million children – as young as 4 years old – are enslaved in the sex trade as prostitutes. Half of the total is located in the world’s largest democracy, India.

The reasons for such high numbers include poverty, drugs, lack of morals, political corruption, and huge profits for the brothels and pimps. Murder and accidental death rates are high for the child prostitutes, as are suicides, and very few trafficking victims are ever rescued or escape.

As hopeless and as horrendous as these facts are, we can make a difference through our prayers and fasts.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, You said that if we prayed and fasted, You would hear our voices on high. So, Lord, I ask that You honor Your words spoken through Isaiah that the chains of wickedness enslaving the child prostitutes in Asia are broken and that these oppressed children are set free right now, in Jesus’ name. (Based on Isaiah 58)

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for prisoners in Asia, according to Hebrews 13:3.

Why Asia?

1. 4.4 billion people live in Asia.

2.. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

3. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

4. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

5. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)

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June 26, 2015 · 9:17 am

Do We Still Cast Out Demons (Part 2)

Put on your Bible thinking caps for a moment, okay?

How many demons did Abraham cast out of people during his many journeys? How many demons did Moses cast out? Or Joshua? Or King David? Or Elijah? Or Elisha? Or Isaiah? Or Jeremiah? Or Ezekiel? Or Daniel?

And what about John the Baptist?

For he [John the Baptist] will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. (Luke 1:15)

Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet that was born under the Law, and even though John was filled with the Holy Spirit, he never cast out one demon during his twelve to eighteen months of ministry.

The angel Gabriel even talked with John’s father, Zacharias, about the special son that Elizabeth was going to give birth to, and said:

“He [John the Baptist] will go before Him [Jesus] in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)

But yet, with all the power that heaven invested in John the Baptist, he did not cast out one demon. Not one!

So, why did John the Baptist fail to cast out demons? And why did all of the Old Testament heroes of the faith fail to cast out demons?

(Continued in Part 3)

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June 25, 2015 · 12:37 pm

Thursday’s Prayers for America (6/25/2015)

The biggest struggle that most of us Christians face each day is our fear of men. We most certainly don’t want other people to ridicule us for our Christian beliefs and then suffer any consequences for holding onto these beliefs.

We desire both the praises of men and the praises of God, but there’s a problem with this type of thinking.

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

The Hebrew word mowqesh is translated into the English word snare. The Hebrew word picture for mowqesh suggests a noose lying on the ground waiting for an animal to step into it and be caught.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, help us American believers to reckon ourselves dead to the sin of the fear of man and alive to the righteousness of of God in Christ so that we do not allow this foul sin to reign in our mortal bodies and to obey its lusts. (Based on Romans 6:11-12)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

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June 22, 2015 · 10:03 am

Do We Still Cast Out Demons? (Part 1)

The sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed laid under the five porches near the pool of Bethesda and in the shadows of the Temple. All awaited the waters in the pool to be stirred up by an angel because the first one to step into the pool would be healed. The others – even though they had waited for months and maybe years – who then followed the first man into the water would not be healed.

An unknown Man walked into their midst. He stepped over and around numerous sick people as if He were looking for one individual. Many grunted and complained that He was in their way and ruined their chances of getting healed if the angel arrived at that moment. The Man ignored their complaints as He searched the porches.

Finally, He walked up to one man and said, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered by listing his reasons why he had not been healed.

Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

The man was totally healed. He picked up his bed and carried it away, even though it was the Sabbath.

Then, what followed is described in the Bible as the greatest healing crusade in Jesus’ ministry. Everyone rushed or called out to Him, asking to be healed. And everyone was healed and glorified the God of Israel.

Actually, disregard the last paragraph because it never happened. Not one of the other sick people said anything to Him.

Oh yes! The people saw Jesus heal the man, but as soon as it happened, they turned their eyes back to the pool in hopes the angel might show up.

They couldn’t move past their Temple teachings and traditions to see the Fountain of Living Water standing in their midst. After all, this religious practice had healed a few in the past. Why change?

Sadly, this is where the Church stands today.

So, do we believers still cast out demons?

(Continued in Part 2)

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June 19, 2015 · 8:31 am

Was That The Voice of God or Daffy Duck? (Part 3)

Pastor Jim asked me to meet him for lunch at a Des Moines Burger King in hopes we could work out our disagreements about prophesying. I looked forward to working out our issues.

We both ordered burgers and sat outside at a metal table. Jim explained his feelings in between bites.

“If you attend the school of prophecy and submit yourself under my pastoral authority, I will release you into fulltime ministry when the Lord tells me you’re ready,” he said.

“So, you want me to submit myself under your authority until the Lord speaks to you, right?”

“Yes, that’s basically it.”

“What if you don’t hear the Lord’s voice for my life and calling?”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“That’s a big deal to me, because my calling stands before Jesus, not you. It’s my responsibility to hear His voice, not yours,” I said.

I ended up doing what was best for both of us by leaving the Des Moines Vineyard Church. We blessed each other and hugged before parting.

(An excerpt from my memoir, The Hunt for Larry Who, an Amazon eBook.)

One of the biggest hindrances to hearing the voice of God is that we allow someone else to do it for us. You see, it doesn’t matter if an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, elder, deacon, or Grand Poobah thinks that he has heard the voice of God for us, we must still hear His voice for ourselves. It’s part of our new birthright in Christ to do so.

An infamous example of allowing a leader to usurp believers’ positions of hearing the voice of God for themselves was Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. Over 900 members committed suicide on November 18, 1978, because of Jones’ belief that he heard God’s voice for everyone.

Yes, Jim Jones is a very extreme example, but according to scripture, there is only One who is allowed between us and God:

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)

What are other problems for hearing God’s voice for ourselves?

(Continued in Part 4)

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June 18, 2015 · 10:43 am

Thursday’s Prayers for America (6/18/2015)

Most people believe that John the Baptist’s ministry lasted for twelve to eighteen months. During that time, John preached a message of repentance, but he also said:

“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance…He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise…” (Luke 3:8-11)

John preached his message to a nation that was already experiencing God’s judgment on it. Yet, he also told them how to avoid an even worse judgment from God:

1. Repent – ask forgiveness for your sins and change your ways.

2. Do works of repentance – give to the poor and needy.

James said almost the same thing in his letter to Christians thirty years later:

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:3)

Most American believers are concerned that God will soon judge America. Almost all prayers are focused on stopping this from happening.

But it’s my belief that we’re praying in error because I think America is already under the curse of God’s judgment. Check it out by going to Deuteronomy 28 and studying the verses. Abortion, illegal immigration, financial debt, drought, fierce enemy attacks, our sons and daughters being taken captive by the kingdom of darkness, and so forth are symptoms of God’s judgment on our nation right now.

So, if I’m correct, what’s happening in America will get worse and worse unless we do something to halt our slide down this slippery slope now.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, help us American believers to repent and then do works of repentance by giving to the poor and needy.

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

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June 15, 2015 · 11:37 am

Memories Pizza, Indiana, Christianity, And How Not to Win Spiritual Battles (Part 13)

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The #1 Rule in spiritual warfare: we can’t defeat the kingdom of darkness with darkness in our own hearts. We must repent.

The #2 Rule in Spiritual Warfare: run toward the battle with healing and compassion in our hearts.

The #3 Rule in Spiritual Warfare: obey the voice of the Lord and don’t take any u-turns.

The #4 Rule in Spiritual Warfare: Make up our minds to sink or swim, live or die, on the battlefield. So, let’s plant our feet and stay there until victory is achieved or they carry us off.

Let’s say we do our best to follow the above rules of spiritual warfare, now let’s ask ourselves one final question, okay? What do we hope to accomplish by fighting in a spiritual battle between businesses and gay marriages?

Do we business people want to justify our opposition to same-sex marriage by not serving gay weddings, even though we willingly serve fornicators, adulterers, liars, and other sinners for their weddings?

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8)

This is not a winnable battle because it is based on hypocrisy. The Lord will not back us.

You see, the reason to fight spiritual warfare is to punch holes in the darkness covering people’s eyes so that light can break through and reveal Jesus Christ to people. Then, the people can choose whether or not to follow Jesus. Their decisions will be based on facts rather than deceptions.

Thus, what should our answer be to the question I asked in Part 1:

Should we listen to Patrick Buchanan, James Dobson, Rick Scarborough, James Robison and Dr. Michael L. Brown to follow their lead down the slippery slope to possible civil disobedience?

I believe the answer is “no.”

(Conclusion. We will deal more with this topic in future series, looking at it from a different angles.)

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