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Hidden In Him

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Titanic post! I couldn't coincide more with your points. It's happy to give some thought to such mindful insights shared here.
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Hidden In Him

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Hidden In Him

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Alive and well!  :)

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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.
 

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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

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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

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And after checking, it wasn't done yet, LoL. Looks like it is now (hopefully).
 

Hidden In Him

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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

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 :) :) :)
 

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
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Blessings in Christ to all who visit,
Hidden
 

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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 Thessalonians 2:10-18  (Read 4360 times)

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Hidden In Him

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1 Thessalonians 2:10-18
« on: June 18, 2013, 12:27:13 PM »
Demonic Opposition: Why The Word Is Always Attacked

     Everywhere the word of God goes, persecution follows. This is no accident. Satan has long been determined to keep people from entering the kingdom of God, and therefore follows on the heals of God's servants causing havoc wherever the Lord sends them. Thus, like fathers warning and exhorting their sons to remain faithful, the apostles consistently put congregations on notice that it was just a matter of time before persecution came their way, and that they would have to walk worthy of God by refusing to deny Christ when it did:

     You and God are witnesses of how devoutly, righteously and blamelessly we were amongst you who believe, even as you know how we were exhorting and comforting each one of you as a father with his own children, and testifying for you to walk worthy of God, the One having called you to His Own kingdom and glory.
     And because of this also we give thanks to God incessantly, that having received the word of God reported by us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as it truly is, the word of God, which among you who believe is also coming to realization. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, in that you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out... (1 Thessalonians 2:10-15)


     It is clear from the context that "the word of God" the Thessalonians received from Paul were Christ's prophesies about the persecution all believers needed to prepare for. Paul must have shared these warnings with the Thessalonians when they first came to faith in Christ, so that they would not be taken by surprise when it happened to them as well:

     And [Jesus] opened His mouth, and taught them, saying... "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

     These prophesies were now "coming to realization" in the lives of the Thessalonians in that they too were now suffering persecution from their own countrymen just as the apostles suffered persecution from the Jews. Paul was especially thankful that they had received his teachings as the word of God not the word of men, for by taking them as divine utterances from the Living God it prepared them for the inevitability that these prophesies would indeed come to pass in their lives.   
     But how could Paul virtually promise the Thessalonians persecution would eventually come their way? The last verse of the next passage gives the answer:

     For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, in that you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out, and are not acceptable to God but contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles so that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath came upon them to the uttermost. But we, brothers, having been bereaved of you for an hour of time - in person, not in heart - were more abundantly diligent having a great desire to see your face, to which end we wished to come to you, indeed I Paul, not once but twice, but Satan hindered us. (1 Thessalonians 2:14-18)

     Paul could prophesy to the Thessalonians with absolute certainty they would eventually suffer persecution because he knew his spiritual enemy, and he knew that if the Thessalonians gave themselves to spreading the word to the surrounding area, Satan would attempt to hinder this by attacking them as well.
     Both from Paul's teachings and modern visions on the subject, a detailed understanding of the working of Satan's kingdom and how he attempts to hinder God's word from being preached can be established, and this is the subject I will now cover in this study.


Satan's Chain Of Command In The Second Heaven

     In Ephesians, Paul described the demonic chain of command which exists in Second Heaven, and the spiritual war we all face as Christians:

     Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV)

     As cited elsewhere, Baptist minister Harold Pittman was given a vision of Second Heaven back in 1979. In it, he was taken up in spirit and escorted by the angels of God through the invisible dividing wall between the physical and spiritual realms into Second Heaven, the realm where Satan and his angels established their spiritual kingdom over this world long ago. While being shown the activities of various classes of demon spirits, he recalls being startled by a demonic army that suddenly appeared and was marching straight towards them:

     We stopped in front of one group of demons who were engaged in social activity. The angels were in the process of explaining what was going on and then, I could suddenly hear a great noise that sounded like an army marching. Looking up, I saw this column of giant soldiers marching toward me. I noticed the demons stopped what they were doing and began to move out of the way of the approaching soldiers. Fascinated with the appearance of the approaching giants, I suddenly felt my escorting angels stiffen, as if they were turning to stone. I stiffened also, and did not move a muscle. It seemed that the marching army would walk right over us. When they reached a point approximately eight to ten feet from us, they suddenly swerved and went around us. One of the giants broke ranks and came up to me. Leaning down, he put his face eyeball to eyeball with mine and leered at me. Had I not been under the protection of the Holy Spirit, there would have been some sort of confrontation... It was obvious that these beings hated me and the angels with me. It was also obvious that, if they could have, they would have torn us apart... It was revealed to me that [these] demons are the "cream of Satan's crop," so to speak. They are his ruling order and from this group comes all his princes who are the rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) and who are the rulers of principalities. They control spiritual wickedness in high places. (Demons: An Eyewitness Account, P.22) 

     Unlike the lower-level demons who have assumed deformed and perverted shapes since the fall, these ruling angels are still perfect in form, and Pittman described them as being similar in appearance to well-built athletes. Consistent with other testimonies that describe angels as roughly 8-9 feet in height, he repeatedly described these soldiers as "giants" who wore a type of uniform similar in design to those worn by Roman soldiers during New Testament times. The plumed helmet shielded the head and neck area, the breast plate left the arms bear but covered the chest area, the pleated skirt was girded by a belt, and the boots covered the legs from the knee down. All the garments were made of a "metal-like material" he could not accurately identify. 
     This column of "warring demons" are what he described as "the cream of Satan's crop." Along similar lines, a deliverance minister from Chicago by the name of Winn Worley often extracted information from demons during exorcism regarding the inner workings of Satan's kingdom and his chain of command. The following is an excerpt from that article:

     There are Chief Kings and Chief Princes, and under them are Kings and Princes who rule over various geographical and spiritual areas... For example, each State in the United States is ruled over by a Prince. Some examples: Illinois - Roman Catholic; Indiana - Rebellion; Pennsylvania - Woman Preacher; Louisiana - Southern Curses; Texas - Power; Minnesota - Adultery; Wisconsin - Madness (mental disorders); Michigan - Psychology; New York - Sickness; Washington D.C. - Rebellion; Arkansas - Occult. At the time this was written Florida had changed from control by the Prince of the Occult to the Prince of Fantasy...
     The control of a geographical area seems to rest on the success of a Prince in controlling the majority of the persons within that place, but it also has to do with the ferocity and power of that Prince. Raw power is the key to control the Satanic structure.
     A General is in charge of a Legion (6,000), while a Prince will control a number of Legions. A Ruler or Captain commands a Cohort (600), and there can be Chief Captains and Chief Rulers with still more authority. A Centurion controls 100 demons and if he controls less than a hundred he is called a Strongman. (Battling The Hosts Of Hell: Diary Of An Exorcist, P.235) 
 
     These Rulers in the Second Heaven command lower classes of demons on earth who are charged with directly influencing human beings. Pittman also witnessed these lower classes of demons at work, and how they carry out their orders of specifically tempting individuals to commit various sins:

     I watched in amazement as the demons went about their business of stalking human victims. It was obvious that this stalking was not done on a random basis, but was a very personal thing with each person already having been targeted... This spectacle was similar to a hunt, although not like a man's hunt for animals. In this hunt the individual had been carefully targeted. All the victims had already been skillfully searched with their weaknesses precisely cataloged. The tempters in the areas of the victim's weaknesses were assigned their task. They followed and waited for the moment when the victim would be the most vulnerable and step into their prepared trap. They waited for the moment when the victim would arrive at a place where he would be weak and receptive to the temptation they would spring on him. Their victim was never left alone, for once the assignment was made, the demon would never leave the targeted individual. No matter where that person would go, he would have an unseen travelling companion. In many cases, he would have an entire host of unseen traveling companions. Oh, physical man! If only you could see who travels with you! (Demons: An Eyewitness Account, P.56)   


Paul's Thorn In The Flesh: An Angel Of Satan

     The apostle Paul describes in First Corinthians how an angel of Satan had been sent to him, and specifically assigned to raise up persecution against him no matter where he went. According to what he states in the text, this happened as a result of the exceedingly great revelations God had given him while he was in Third Heaven:

     To boast is indeed not profitable for me, but I will [now] come to visions and revelations of the lord. I know such a man in Christ who fourteen years ago, whether in body I do not know or out of body I do not know, God knows ... was caught away to Paradise, and heard unutterable sayings, which it is not permitted to a man to speak... and because of the excellency of the revelations, there was given unto me a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan, that he might assault me so that I not be lifted up. (2 Corinthians 12:1-2, 7)

     For starters, Paul states that this was an angel of Satan. The Greek word for angel is used 176 times in the New Testament. Only six times is this word to be properly translated as "messenger." The other 170 it is translated "angel," and this is how it should be translated here as the context bears out. It was an angel of Satan, i.e. one of his ranking princes, and one who had the authority in Satan's kingdom to make things happen.
     Paul stated that this angel was "sent to assault me," meaning that the angel had been assigned by the Devil to command demons in every region Paul travelled to to goad humans under their influence to raise up persecution against him. This explains why the apostle Paul was always attacked, no matter where he went. Comparing himself to false apostles who were now emerging, Paul listed all the afflictions and sufferings he was continually enduring as an apostle of Christ:

     Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27 NIV)

     Paul stated that this angel of Satan was sent so "that he might assault me, that I not be lifted up." The common interpretation of this latter expression is that Satan sent this "messenger" to keep Paul from becoming conceited, yet there is a massive FLAW in this interpretation: Whatever "messenger" this was (the popular interpretation is that it was some form of eye problems), the text states clearly that it was sent of Satan. Now if this messenger was clearly from Satan, since when does Satan attempt to prevent God's choice servants from becoming conceited, particularly those moving in miracles, signs and wonders? It's a ridiculous notion that runs so contrary to everything we know about spiritual warfare that to this day I'm astonished it is still the predominant interpretation being accepted by the Church. It is in fact a misinterpretation that must be corrected if the saints are ever to benefit from what Paul was trying to get across in this passage. 
     What is the proper interpretation then? By Satan not wanting him to be "lifted up," Paul was saying Satan was trying to prevent him from being heard. The apostle Peter used this same synonym and wording to teach that young believers should desire for God to "lift them up" into places of higher esteem and leadership in the body of Christ. But in order for this to happen, they would need to humble themselves, submit to the current leadership, and bide their time:

     Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care... not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock... Likewise, younger brothers, submit yourselves unto the elders... clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:2,3, 5-7 NIV)

     This, then is what Paul was talking about. Satan did not want Paul to be lifted up and esteemed in the eyes of eyes because he didn't want the revelations Paul had been given to be heard, so he assigned an angel to continually raise up persecution against him and make him appear accursed. Paul referred to this angel as a "thorn in the flesh," because just as Satan had placed a crown of thorns on Christ's head to mock His authority, so too was this angel continually subjecting Paul to floggings, scourgings and imprisonments to make a mockery of him before the eyes of men. It was all part of a deliberate attempt to dissuade people from hearing what he was teaching.


How Satan's Attacks Worked To Paul's Advantage

     Paul sought to have this angel removed from him three times, understanding the hinderance that he was posing to men believing, but this was a request God refused to grant:

     Three times over this I requested from the Lord that [this angel] might depart from me. Yet He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for in [your] weakness My power is being made manifest." (2 Corinthians 12:8 )

     Why? What did God mean by telling Paul "in [your] weakness My power is being made manifest"? The Greek word δύναμις appears three times in this passage, and refers to God's supernatural power coming upon those who are weak in the flesh. This is yet another truth most of the Church today does not understand: God pours out the power of His Spirit upon those vessels whose flesh has been "crucified," i.e. weakened through fastings, beatings, floggings, etc. This is why Paul said he would rather glory in physical weaknesses, for these invited the supernatural power of God to "dwell" upon him in greater measure:   

     Therefore, I will rather most gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in physical abuses, in bodily necessities, [and] in persecutions and confinements for Christ's sake: For whenever I may be [physically] weak, then I am powerful. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

     Without having been stoned to death, how could God's power reveal itself through Paul by raising him back to life? Without being bitten by a poisonous snake, how could God's power reveal itself through Paul by him simply shaking it off, in confirmation of Mark 16:18? Without being beaten and flogged time after time, how would God's power reveal itself through Paul by  empowering Paul to keep traveling and preaching day in and day out while bearing in his body the scars of the Lord Jesus Christ?


Satan's Prime Targets: Those With Revelation From God

      As the passage in 1 Corinthians points out, those who have the greatest potential to do damage to Satan's kingdom are those whom God has given the greatest revelations. They quickly become Satan's highest priority targets.
     As Paul stated clearly:

     "... and because of the exceedingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan, that he might assault me so that I not be lifted up."

     What did Jesus, the apostles and the prophets all have in common? They all possessed great revelation from God which the Devil did not want others to hear. It's why the Jews were "forbidding the apostles from speaking to the Gentiles, in order for them to be saved."
     Revelation is what the Prophet Daniel was praying for when the Prince of Persia for three weeks prevented the angels of God from getting to Daniel to deliver it to him. No small wonder that Satan stood up to oppose this, wanting to keep the prophet and hence God's people in darkness:

     In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
     I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” (Daniel 10:1-14 NIV)


     This is the primary Biblical text which proves that the kingdom of Satan does everything in its power to prevent God's revelation from being received by mankind. It should also be noted that it was only through persistent prayer and fasting that the revelations of God eventually were received by Daniel. What the Church needs now are more saints like him, who will seek God for the kind of revelations that become a true threat to the kingdom of darkness.


Targeted By The Devil: The Rebecca Brown Story

     There are several who have indeed testified in modern times to being targeted by the Devil specifically because of the revelations they possessed. The testimony of Rebecca Brown is a prime example. During a vital time in her life, she was working diligently to deliver a very powerful Satanist high priestess by the name of "Elaine" out of Satanism, and for this she was approached by the Devil himself with warnings she would pay the price for it if she persisted.
     As she recorded in He Came To Set The Captives Free:

     Quite unaware of the "waves" all of this was making in the spirit world, I calmly went out into my back yard one day to have a quiet lunch on my picnic table under the trees. As I was sitting there enjoying the sunshine God permitted the veil between the spirit world and the physical world to be briefly torn asunder.
     Suddenly, a shining figure appeared and sat down across the table from me. He was in form as a man. As I sat staring at him in silent amazement the Holy Spirit forcibly revealed to me who he was! ... Satan himself! I don't remember details about his appearance because I could not seem to draw my eyes away from his, his eyes were so evil. They were like black coals and had a depth and blackness and evilness that seemed to reach out threatening to engulf me...
     "Satan!" I exclaimed. Upon receiving his curt nod acknowledging his identity, I asked, "What do you want?"
     "Woman, do you dare to come against me?"
     "My life has been so committed."
     "I know, but, DO YOU DARE to actually come against ME?"
     I was very puzzled and surprised by his repeated question. It was obvious that his anger was growing by the moment, but the Holy Spirit filled me with a complete peace such that afterwards I marveled that I had felt no fear.
     "Satan, I am not coming against you in my own power, but in the power and authority of Jesus Christ."
     "You had better count the cost. This Jesus whom you serve advised his followers (and he quoted accurately word for word the following): "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:28-33 KJV).
     "Woman, you had better count the cost because I tell you, I will make your life an agony and an anguish that you never knew could even exist!"
     I knew that this powerful creature was deadly serious... I had no doubt he would petition the Father for my life just as he had done many years ago with Job. It was a very sobering thought. Finally I replied,
     "I have counted the cost to the best of my ability and I know that whatever is to come in the future will be under the complete control of my God, and I simply trust that his grace will be sufficient for me. So YES, Satan, I DO DARE to take up the authority and power that Jesus has given me, and I DO DARE to come against you in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord!"
     My eyes locked with Satan's for a long moment of silence. Again I had that peculiar sensation that if something had not been holding me, I would have fallen forward into the awful evil that I saw there. Then Satan nodded curtly and said, "So be it." With those words, he vanished.
     I sat pondering the experience... the birds continued to sing. I sensed that somehow I had just taken a major irrevocable step. At the time of this writing the cost has indeed been great. I have lost my entire family, my career and everything I had in terms of worldly possessions. I have also suffered much in my physical body. BUT through it all the Lord has been with me and what Satan means for defeat the Lord will turn into victory. (He Came To Set The Captives Free. P.101-103) 

     Why was the Devil so concerned about this woman? Because revelation about the reality of Satanism at its deepest levels would be made known to the public. This is why leaving Satanism is even more difficult than leaving the mob. Very few ever get out alive. They know too much.

                                                             

     As we shall see in the next study, before Satan attacks those with greater revelation from God, he often presents himself as a tempter to make them an offer they can't refuse if they will simply stop preaching the truth. This is what happened with Jesus, and it is what will happen with those called to be a part of God's end-time army as well. As will be seen, it has already happened to some in the past, so the wise will prepare themselves for this possibility.








« Last Edit: April 02, 2020, 10:08:07 PM by Hidden In Him »