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Hidden In Him

March 15, 2024, 06:01:31 PM
Attention: To anyone viewing this site, I will be moving to another forum. I will leave this one up until the end of the year so viewers can still view the material here, but after that this site will be shut down.

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Hidden In Him

March 15, 2024, 06:01:15 PM
Attention: To anyone viewing this site, I will be moving to another forum. I will leave this one up until the end of the year so viewers can still view the material here, but after that this site will be shut down.

If you have any questions, you can contact me privately by becoming a member.

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February 24, 2024, 12:37:18 PM
awe-inspiring first encounter girls
 
 
 
 
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ytmp3music

September 23, 2023, 12:39:24 PM
Titanic post! I couldn't coincide more with your points. It's happy to give some thought to such mindful insights shared here.
Youtube to mp3 converter
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Hidden In Him

March 02, 2022, 01:44:01 PM
What a beautiful Spring day! Glory to God!
 

Hidden In Him

January 07, 2022, 06:49:10 PM
Alive and well!  :)

Happy 2022! This is gonna be a good one. I can feel it, Lol.
 

MoreBloodWine

December 30, 2021, 05:29:20 PM
You alive Chris ?
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:17:44 PM
But ya, any PM's sent they should be made aware of via email, if they have notifications set for receipt of a PM.

But even if so, my newsletter blast can ignore such settings so anyone registered will at least get my message. But I can name them specifically in it for *** & giggles.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:15:17 PM
Still need to check some things but that will be easy enough to do via PM.

When the site is re-opened. It is now, but tech locked down... but when it's "back". I can send out a newsletter, anyone who has an email attached that they still use will be made aware / be able to come back if that's what they choose to do.
 

Hidden In Him

October 14, 2020, 05:56:59 PM
You're kidding... That would be something. Any way to contact ShadowKen and Indybones? And maybe Pineapple, LoL. I suppose if it's all intact I could just message and it would go thru to email.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 01:53:33 AM
@HIM: The MP is back, but it will need to remain in maintenance mode until I can re skin it / fix some of the underlying addons, But it is loading again... all data should still be intact.

I've already alerted spddmn's wife to let him know ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

April 27, 2020, 06:37:28 PM
And after checking, it wasn't done yet, LoL. Looks like it is now (hopefully).
 

Hidden In Him

April 08, 2020, 10:37:46 AM
This one's pretty good, LoL. Should be fun to put on video some day.  :)
http://www.spiritualwarbiblestudies.com/index.php?topic=181.msg207#msg207
 

Hidden In Him

March 10, 2020, 12:43:23 PM
 :) :) :)
 

MoreBloodWine

March 10, 2020, 07:02:44 AM
Everything happens for a reason, even if it's rewriting old works ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

March 07, 2020, 07:12:18 PM
My wife dislikes the idea that I'm rewriting studies rather than writing new ones, but the Lord is now opening up Colossians to me like never before, and some work needs to be redone. Very excited about the new insight!  :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:19:44 PM
...get back to making sure studies were ready to put on camera when the time comes.  :)

So how's life with you?  
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:18:44 PM
I noticed you were still lurking around, LoL. Glad to see I'm not the only one happy about it.  :) Hard at work converting the garage into a recording studio & music room. Gonna be nice! The soundproofing is going to be work and money, but a lot of it is already purchased. In the meantime, I had to
 

MoreBloodWine

February 29, 2020, 01:59:43 AM
 :) :) :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 28, 2020, 05:43:50 PM
I'm officially going back to writing! Glory to God Almighty!! Having fun again already, and going to be going to work improving and the adding to the set on Colossians.

Blessings in Christ to all who visit,
Hidden
 

MoreBloodWine

November 02, 2019, 02:37:56 AM
I rarely ever used Tapatalk to log in to the site. Not sure if anyone ever actually did as the issue of it not working was never reported.

But for our mobile uses, certain things like this chat box will not be available through the app as this chat box is an addon itself. But all boards within the forum are available and currently confirmed working.

Ty & my apologies !
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:21:06 PM
An excellent passage I am now writing a study on in the Book of Colossians.

"And I am now rejoicing in [my] sufferings over you, and filling up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ for His body's sake, which is the church, of which I became a servant
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:20:49 PM
... of which I became a servant according to the administration of God having been given unto me, for you to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but which has now been made manifest to His saints, to whom God wished to make known what

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Author Topic: 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:13  (Read 3428 times)

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Hidden In Him

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1 Corinthians 3:21-4:13
« on: January 19, 2014, 02:05:09 PM »
How The Enemy Turns Believers Against God’s Servants

     There is a common strategy Satan often uses against Christian leaders: First he manipulates others into adoring them and placing them on a pedestal, and then seduces them to become filled with pride and begin taking glory away from God to themselves. If they resist this temptation, however, Satan quickly does a full 180 and begins using others - often the very same people - to belittle, despise and/or reject them, as being of little worth in their eyes. The more fleshly such people are, the more fickle they can be, and easily manipulated in one of these two directions by the enemy at will. An extreme example of this can be seen in what happened to Paul and Barnabas in Lystra. While not yet Christians, the citizens there were deeply moved by seeing the apostles healing a lame man through the power of the Spirit of God. Yet despite expressing the desire to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas as gods, within just a matter of days of the apostles refusing this temptation, the same citizens were manipulated by demons into stoning Paul to death (or at least they thought they had):

     But a certain man in Lystra, disabled in his feet, was sitting, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking, who, having looked intently upon and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" And he sprang up and was walking, And the crowds having seen what Paul did, lifted up their voice in Lycaonian, saying, "The gods are come down to us, having become like men." And they were calling Barnabas "Zues," and Paul "Hermes," because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus who was before their city, having brought oxen and garlands to the gates, was wishing to sacrifice with the crowds.
     But the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having heard, tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying and saying, "Men, why do these things? We are also men of like passions with you, proclaiming to you to turn from these vain things to the Living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all things in them, who in generations past permitted all nations to go in their own ways, though indeed not without having left Himself a witness, doing good, and giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling you with food, and your hearts with gladness." And saying these things they hardly stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them. But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds to have Paul stoned, they were dragging him outside the city, supposing him to have died. But the disciples surrounded him, and having risen up he entered into the city. And on the next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:8-13, 18-20)


     By telling them, "We are men of like passions with you," what they meant was, "we too are susceptible to human passions, and struggle with things like anger, lust, envy, covetousness, etc., so please don't make us out to be gods." But by bringing themselves down to their level, Satan had to switch strategies and somehow portray the apostles as beneath them instead. So he sent in Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who likely told the people they were wicked heretics who had performed the miracle by the power of demons.
     It appears Satan used the same strategies with Moses. Moses was a humble man and could not be tempted with pride during his life. Because of this, the Devil goaded the Israelites into hating and despising him numerous times during the forty years they wandered in the wilderness. Yet after Moses died, Jewish tradition states that Satan then tried to get the Israelites to worship him as a god in death, so God had to prevent him from knowing where Moses' body was buried.
     This incident is referred to the Book of Jude, where it says:

     Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise also defile flesh, repudiate Lordship, and blaspheme angels clothed in glory. But the archangel Michael, when arguing with the Devil in legally disputing over the body of Moses, dared not bring a defamation against him in accusation, but [simply] said, "The Lord rebuke you." (Jude 1:8-9)

     As we shall see, this same cycle was now repeating itself again with the apostle Paul, only in a milder form. Satan was now tempting the Corinthians to exalt him above men, but because he would reject this, the enemy would soon switch gears and send in false apostle to defame Paul by comparison, and force him to cite his spiritual and religious credentials to the Corinthians to avoid being discredited.


Satan Tempts The Worldly To Boast In Men

     So then, let no one boast in men, for all are yours. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Peter, or those of the world, or the living, or the dead, or those present, or those to come, all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. So let a man reckon us as ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is being required of stewards that they be found faithful. But it is the smallest thing to me that I be judged by you, or by man's day, and neither do I judge myself. For I am conscious of no wrong in myself, yet I have not been thereby justified, but He that judges me is the Lord. So then, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord has come, Who will both bring to light the secrets of darkness, and make manifest the purposes of the hearts. And then shall there be praise unto each man from God. (1 Corinthians 3:21-4:5)

     Why did Paul say it would be a small thing if he were judged by the Corinthians, or by man's day? Because he knew their assessments of him from this life's perspective were not necessarily the same as God's. Men judge by appearances, and do not know the intentions of a man's heart, or how much has been entrusted to them by God, and how much He therefore expects of them. As Paul said in Galatians, each man must bear his own burden, meaning that each of us will be judged in light of our own set of circumstances and not anyone else's. And since God alone knows the secrets of men's hearts, to be judged either negatively OR positively by men was of little significance to Paul.
     Some of the Corinthians, however, wanted to boast in Paul so as to make themselves out to be something great as well, just as others were doing with Apollos or Peter. By this means they were becoming filled with pride against each other, and likewise pitting Christian leaders against each other in the process:

     But I transferred these things to myself and Apollos for your sakes, brothers, that in us you might learn not to go beyond what has been written, that none of you become inflated with pride against another. For what makes you differ? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as not having received it? (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)

     What things had he transferred to Apollos and himself? That they were merely farmhands who were working God's land, but that God alone had given the Corinthians life, and it was now He who was simply "employing" the apostles like farmhands to help in their spiritual growth:

     I planted, Apollos watered, but God was producing the growth. So then neither the one planting nor the one watering is anything, but God, the One producing the growth. But the one planting and the one watering are one [in servanthood], and each will receive his own reward in accordance with his own labor. For we are servants working together for God. You are God's field, God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)

    As Paul stated, he transferred this analogy to himself and Apollos so that they learn "not to go beyond what has been written." By "what had been written," he meant "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord," which he told them earlier and was now going to reinforce the point. This expression was a paraphrase of a verse in Jeremiah, where the Lord told the Jews:

     Let him who boasts boast in this: That he understands and knows Me; That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For I delight in these things,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:24)
 
     In other words, no believer in God was to boast in the power of his own intellect. As Paul asked them, "For what do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as not having received it?" The Holy Spirit had revealed to the Corinthians everything they knew, yet they were now taking glory upon themselves as if somehow superior. Thus they were being seduced by demonic spirits rather than the Holy Spirit, which was implied by Paul's question of "Who makes you to differ?" Satan was the one now seducing them into this, who himself had been cast out of Heaven because of pride. But pride was not supposed to characterize the servants of God, and as Paul would now explain to them, church teaching was that believers should expect to be hated and rejected by the world (John 15:18-25). If the Corinthians were now hoping to attain worldly admiration like pagan philosophers did, what did this say about the direction they were going in?


How The World Utterly Despised The Apostles

     Jesus gave His disciples some very important warnings in the Sermon on the Mount; warnings not to desire worldly-minded rewards from God in return for fasting, praying and doing alms:

     Beware not to do your righteousness before men, in order to be seen by them. Otherwise you will not have a reward from your Father in Heaven. When therefore you do alms, do not sound the trump before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may receive glory from men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward... And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward... And when you fast, do not be downcast like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so that they may appear to men to be fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. (Matthew 6:1-2, 5, 16)

     Three times the Lord repeated here that they should not seek honor and recognition from men as their reward, for if they did this is all they would get. They were seeking glory in this life, whereas the Lord was promising to grant them glory in the next, but only if they sought to please Him in this life instead.
     Paul would now make essentially this same point to the Corinthians: Already they were satisfied to have attained "greatness" in this life, as it were. But the apostles had certainly not attained any "greatness" in the world yet, as Paul would now make abundantly clear to them:

     Already you are satisfied. Already you are rich. You have become "kings" without us. Surely I would that you did become kings, that we might also reign with you. For I suppose that God set us forth the apostles last, as appointed unto death. For we became a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men. We are "fools" because of Christ, yet you are "shrewd" in Christ. We are "weaklings" yet you are "strong." You are glorious yet we are despised. To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, are insufficiently clothed, receive beatings, and wander homeless. But we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, we forbear. Being defamed, we encourage. We became as the scapegoats of the world, the expiation of everyone until now. (1 Corinthians 4:8-13)

     The apostles appeared to be "fools" to the world because they were preaching a message that was getting them continually beaten and scourged. Because the world was treating them this way, Paul compared the apostles to unfortunate souls whom the Gentiles would sacrifice to their gods as an expiation for their sins. The Greek words used here were Perikatharmata and Peripsema respectively, which were used of people who were offered up as human sacrifices to bring an end to things like natural disasters and plagues. These victims were nearly always taken from among the most despised and disrespected members of pagan society.                                   
     To cite the source material, these words were "used of human sacrifices which either regularly or in special emergencies [were] offered to make expiation for a community… only those in want, the hungry, cripples, etc. were usually offered, and therefore Katharma and Perikatharma became terms of contempt for the unworthy and the destitute." (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, V.III, P.430-431)

                                               
     
     As another scholarly resource states, "The one New Testament reference [of Peripsema] fits in solidly with the ancient Greek custom of periodically killing a young man or woman as a ritual sacrifice. This death was to "wipe away" the sin, sickness, or disaster which an enraged deity had placed on the population. In one text, when a young woman would be cast into the sea to the god Poseidon, the chant would be, "Become a 'wiping away' (peripsema) for us!" In this she was… an expiation for all the people. While some young leading citizens may have been chosen as such sacrifices for a city, frequently less valued people such as paupers, condemned criminals, starving beggars, or the deformed and misshapen were selected as the peripsema. These people were cursed, despised, and mocked as the scum and refuse of society - particularly as they were being sacrificed before the crowds in a large arena or outside the city walls. Sometimes these dregs of society were suffering so miserably that they actually volunteered to be the expiatory sacrifice. (The Complete Biblical Library, Pi-Rho, P.171)

     By using such vivid imagery, Paul was probably hoping once and for all to rid the Corinthians of any notion that they should take glory in him. Yet Satan was not done with trying to seduce them through pride. He would soon try the opposite tactic, and send in false apostles who would indeed allow the Corinthians to boast in them, while deriding Paul as lacking the proper spiritual credentials to lead. As a result, Paul would soon go from being over-exalted to having to defend his spiritual worth.


The Entrance Of False Apostles At Corinth

     Second Corinthians was apparently written within weeks of his first letter to them, and yet in this between amount of time Satan had already managed to send in false apostles to preach a completely different Jesus than the one Paul preached to them. By the way he describes them, these men were Judaizers, and they were attempting to convince the Corinthians that Paul was not qualified to teach them about the God of the Jews or His word.     

     Indeed, if one comes proclaiming another Jesus whom we did not proclaim... you endure it... such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan [likewise] transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his servants transform themselves as servants of righteousness also, of whom their end shall be according to their works.
     Again I say, No one should think me to be a fool. But if otherwise, receive me even if as a fool, that I also may boast a little. What I speak I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting. Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. For, being intelligent, you gladly bear with fools. For you bear it if anyone brings you into bondage, if anyone devours, if anyone takes, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone beats you in the face. I speak to [our] dishonor, as though we have been weak. But whereas anyone may be daring - I speak in foolishness here - I am daring also. Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they the seed of Abraham? I also. Are they servants of Christ? - I speak as beside myself - I more, in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in imprisonments more abundantly, in deaths often. Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes save one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I have passed a night and a day in the open sea; in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from [my] race, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in evils in the desert, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in labor and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, [and] in cold and nakedness.  (2 Corinthians 11:4, 13-27)

 
     Paul was now having to defend himself here, not only by citing his religious credentials as a Hebrew, but also the many times God supernaturally delivered him from death to continue his ministry as an apostle. He is now being forced to shame himself just to maintain their allegiance from the apparent accusations these false apostles whom Satan sent in were leveling against him.
     How had it come to this so quickly? Just weeks before the Corinthians were exalting Paul as a great leader whom they boasted in, but now he was having to defend his very right to minister. The fact is, many believers are more fickle than they think, and can be turned by Satan into opposing Christ's servants without realizing they are actually being manipulated by their spiritual enemy.


A Modern Account Of The Strategies Satan Uses

     Our enemy really only has two strategies, and he uses them consistently. First he tempts Christians with whatever they might be most susceptible to: Pride, money, sex, fame, vengeance, whatever it might be. If this temptation fails, he switches to his only other viable alternative: To slander, accuse, attack, persecute, and in all ways vilify them in order to get them to cease and desist from serving God. This can be seen clearly in Winn Worley's account of Satan’s attempt to get him to stop serving God.
     The following is an excerpt taken from Worley's first book, in which he describe how an angel of Satan appeared to him to tempt him away from deliverance ministry: 

     It was 3:00 a.m. Sunday when I finally dropped into bed. Suddenly the house went still with an unreal quiet I would later learn signaled the approach of some demonic visitor. At the foot of my bed I saw, dimly outlined, a tall figure, man-like, but much larger. I was startled to feel currents of cold air moving around me (as if I had opened a refrigerator door). This was a messenger from Satan who began to speak; his soft, calm voice describing what he wanted to do for me. My knowledge of the supernatural and demonic would be expanded and broadened as I became a warlock extraordinary. I would be given money, sex, fame, popularity and authority. I would not have to stop preaching but would "cease wasting my efforts in this insignificant place." Worthy of greater things, I would be given large churches with huge congregations. Absolutely anything my heart desired would be mine for the asking.
     I listened in amazement to the Satanic visitor's sales pitch. My wife slept soundly and nothing disturbed the house, though I was certainly wide awake! He went on, painting beautiful pictures of the success I would achieve with his help.
     I broke in and said flatly that I was not interested in anything he had to offer. This did not deter the visitor, who merely chuckled and purred on, upping the offers as he described the marvelous future that lay ahead of me.
     Hardly appreciative of his feeling that I would fall for his line, I broke in again, asking crossly, "And what must I do to obtain all these things?"
     "O, it is quite simple," he replied eagerly, "all you have to do is stop what you are doing now."
     I knew at once that he referred to the casting out of demons, begun some weeks before.
     I answered with finality, "No way! Just forget it and go on your way. I want nothing from you and desire no dealings with you at all. I will continue to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone will I honor and serve."
     Angered, the visitor dropped his honeyed tones of persuasiveness. His voice grew cold and harsh and he snarled, "You are a fool, Win Worley. I would have given you everything." Angry myself, I snapped back, "I told you I want nothing you are selling. I am not interested in any of your propositions. I want you to leave me now in the Name of the Lord Jesus. I'm tired and I have two services to preach today. I belong to the Lord Jesus and I always will. Now you leave me alone in the Name of Jesus Christ."
     He became ugly and threatened, "You'll be sorry, you stupid fool. You're so crazy about that little church of yours. I'll show you, I'll rip it to shreds, and then where will you be with your noble ideas? You are a stupid fool." 
     "Look," I said wearily, "I've told you it's no deal, now get out of here and leave me alone. As for the church, if she can't stand on the Word of God, let her rip!" 
     He left in a storm of obscenities as I turned over and went to sleep.
     Within about four weeks, seventeen of our thirty-five regulars left the church without warning. Since my family made five and another family eight of the remaining eighteen regulars, it did look serious. I just kept preaching, feeling that if the church (which had been organized in 1937) had to close, so be it. I knew that I would not bow to Satan and his hosts, no matter what happened. (Battling The Hosts Of Hell, P.31-32)

     As he would write in a later work, this would not be the only time he was approached with an offer. High-ranking demons would continue to make offers to him through those he was casting demons out of, until they eventually became convinced he would never succumb to temptation.
    Writing two years later, he testified:

      In the Diary section of Battling The Hosts Of Hell, I told of the first attempt Satan made to buy me off and stop the deliverance ministry (P.31). However, there were at least fifteen other times when I was also propositioned by the enemy in an attempt to stop the ministry. These incidents would occur when I was dealing with a demon in a person and the demon making the offer would always be at least a Prince in rank...
     Each time the pitch was pretty much the same. Although I was "making waves" and causing considerable trouble, I would eventually be defeated and shot down by the demonic hordes because of their control of great numbers of preachers and Christians everywhere. These people they promised to goad into bitter opposition to me and the ministry, denouncing and attacking me on every front. The harassment they promised would be so severe that it would keep the work from ever being accepted widely. Also, they would remind me that I had a price on my head and that Satan had, in the beginning of the ministry, assigned twenty-five of his most vicious Princes to trail me and to kill me at the first opportunity.
     According to them, it was quite useless to resist ... the only "logical" thing to do was to come to terms with Satan who was "reasonable" and willing to buy me off. "You are causing a great deal of trouble now and will cause more if you keep on, and when that damned book comes out, all hell is going to break loose." (They always shuddered when speaking of the book and the damage it would do). They promised to attack everyone who picked up the book to read it, telling them that I was crazy, that it was all lies, etc...
     Repeatedly they pointed out what a fool I was for not coming to terms with Satan. Many others had done so, they assured me. Once I was offered Anton LeVey's position as the High Priest of Satan. When I told the demon that I was insulted to think that he imagined that I would be tempted by such a degrading offer, he became very conciliatory and cajoling, "Okay, okay, Worley, don't get all bent out of shape. I just thought you might be interested. We'll talk about something else"...
     The last of the offers I received came a few months before the first book was printed. It was definitely the most insidious and frightening offer I ever got from the enemy. Always I had been assured that I did not have to stop preaching, but that I would preach to wealthy churches and rallies involving stadiums filled with people. I would no longer preach to "handfuls" and would be handsomely compensated for my services. They promised world-wide fame and that I would be on radio, TV and all the news media. They would permit no opposition to hinder me and guaranteed great success.
     Again this last time I was quickly assured that I would not have to stop preaching and then the usual promises of unlimited funds, sex, power, fame and world-wide travel. Next the Prince smilingly dropped his bombshell, "Why, Worley, you won't even have to stop doing deliverance. You will only have to let us tell you which ones. It will look and sound the same as before. No one will know the difference. Also you will have to stop fooling around with that Holy Spirit! The demons will come out just as before. You will become quite famous for you will only have to speak and they will obey. Think of it, Worley, you can be rich, popular and famous."
     I decided to play along with him to see how far he would go with this bargaining. I pretended hesitancy and uncertainty and told him that I was not too sure that this would be the thing to do. When he asked why, I reminded him that hundreds of fierce and vicious spirits had left people vowing to pounce upon me at the first opportunity. "If you ever get out from under that cover of protection you have, Worley, we'll get you and tear you to shreds." I had heard this so many times I had it memorized... Excitedly and eagerly he urged me, with a straight face, that all would be well if I just cooperated with them. They would then have no reason to hurt me in any way.
     I shivered inside as I realized the implications of his offer. How many other men who had started down the road to the deliverance ministry had ended up tormented, stymied by the enemy? ... Sadly, I realized that many, blocked, harassed and attacked constantly, had tried to take the easy way out. No wonder so many preachers hit the skids!...
     I dropped my air of interest, grinned, looked straight at him and said firmly, "Well ... I guess not ... Come out of him now in Jesus' Name!" The demon was flabbergasted and stunned by my sudden thrust. As he realized that he had been fooled, he went white with rage and began to storm and rant, "You _____ bastard, you were putting me on all the time, you were never really interested at all. No wonder everyone hates you so!" He sobbed in fury and frustration. I answered with a smile, "That's right, you've found one preacher you cannot buy." He cursed me, calling me everything in his considerable vocabulary of obscenities.
     More recently I was dealing with another Prince in a person and asked him if he did not wish to make me some sort of offer. He snarled and snapped peevishly, "No, Worley! Satan has given orders not to give you any more offers because you won't accept them anyway. You just use them to ridicule us from the pulpit and make us look foolish. The orders now are to harass you as much as possible, and kill you at the first opportunity." (Conquering The Hosts Of Hell, P.8-10)

     What all this means is that if you are called as a Christian leader, you will have to be prepared to face persecution and rejection, not just from the world but from believers as well. But be encouraged. The Lord lifts up those who are His in time, and vindicates them for the attacks the enemy brings against them.







« Last Edit: January 23, 2019, 03:48:12 PM by Hidden In Him »