Category: prophecy

Possessed with Devils #17

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24 KJV).

What does the Bible say about devil possession?

Remember, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28). “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you” (Luke 11:20). As proof of God’s kingdom coming to the Earth—the very kingdom of the Gospel of the Kingdom—the Lord Jesus cast out devils. This was fulfilled prophecy. See Zechariah 13:2: “And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.” When Christ reigns on the Earth, Satan and his devils are removed.

Revelation 20:1-4: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Yet, before Israel rises to kingdom glory, the nation itself must be purged of all unbelievers. During Daniel’s 70th Week, God will thus let loose evil spirits on Israel at an unprecedented level….

Possessed with Devils #16

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24 KJV).

What does the Bible say about devil possession?

After Israel’s apostate religious leaders ridiculed Him for casting out devils (Matthew 12:22-24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:14-16), the Lord Jesus answered them. “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28). “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you” (Luke 11:20). Christ was drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit to perform these exorcisms, so their speaking against Christ’s casting out of devils meant they were speaking negatively of the Holy Spirit.

Observe these grave words the Lord issued to His detractors: “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:31,32; cf. Mark 3:28-30).

Since lost Israel habitually resisted Christ’s exorcisms by criticizing them, He issued another solemn warning: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation” (Matthew 12:43-45; cf. Luke 11:21-26).

Failing to let Christ completely cleanse them of devils, Israel will become even more polluted with evil spirits in the ages to come….

Possessed with Devils #15

Monday, October 20, 2025

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24 KJV).

What does the Bible say about devil possession?

During Christ’s earthly ministry, not only did Israel have a devil problem, the Gentiles or nations were under Satan’s power too. This “without God” status of these Gentiles in time past is found in Acts 14:16; Acts 17:30; Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 2:11,12; and Ephesians 4:17-19.

Notice Matthew 15:22-28, the Gentile lady whose daughter was possessed with an evil spirit: “And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (Read also Mark 7:25-30, the analogous passage.)

Jews are the “children,” Gentiles are the “dogs,” and that non-Jewish woman knew how Messiah Jesus was sent to bless the children of Israel “first” (check Mark 7:27). She recognized her unworthiness, and how Christ had a ministry to Israel only. Therefore, she humbly placed herself in a position to receive the “overflow” spilling off Israel’s table of blessing. Imagine: this Gentile woman was a believer, in stark contrast to unbelieving (“lost”) Israel! The exorcism of that non-Jewish woman’s daughter pictures the salvation and blessing of God going to the world through Israel’s rise to kingdom glory (cf. Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23; Matthew 28:18-20)….

Possessed with Devils #14

Sunday, October 19, 2025

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24 KJV).

What does the Bible say about devil possession?

Remember, under the Old (Mosaic/Law) Covenant, the nation Israel could be the LORD’S people only if they did everything God commanded: “And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:3-6).

Yet, the record of the Old Testament is one of Israel’s disobedience to the God of creation, which automatically reduced her to become Satan’s prisoners/prey. Concerning the prophecies of Israel’s New Covenant kingdom glory, Satan raises an objection. How can God use sinful people? “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:24-26).

“For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he” (Jeremiah 31:11). Satan is the “strong man” from whom the LORD delivers Israel, and casting out devils symbolizes this truth….

Possessed with Devils #9

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24 KJV).

What does the Bible say about devil possession?

As Israel was captive to sin and Satan (pictured by Egypt and Pharaoh), the LORD God commissioned Moses to heal sickness and handle serpents in Exodus chapter 4. Similarly, Father God sent Jesus Christ to redeem Israel yet again—for, the Jewish people had allowed themselves to be contaminated with false religion or devil worship during the 15 centuries between Moses and John the Baptist. Christ therefore healed the sick and cast out devils.

Notice what the Bible remarks about Mary Magdalene. “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils” (Mark 16:9). “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,…” (Luke 8:2). “Mary” in Hebrew is “Miriam,” meaning “rebellious.” She represents sinful Israel, filled with devils to maximum capacity (seven is the Bible’s number of completion). Yet, Jesus Christ (“Anointed Saviour”) cured Mary Magdalene of both her sin-problem (“infirmities”) and her devil-problem (“evil spirits… seven devils”). She represents Israel’s kingdom restoration and glorification in the ages to come.

Observe: “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee” (Mark 1:23-28; cf. Luke 4:33-37). Father God wants Israel to be cleansed of her spiritual filthiness, so the Lord Jesus works with Him in doing just that….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #26

Sunday, October 5, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

According to the Holy Bible, there will be one final assessment of all thoughts and deeds. We and everyone else will learn, once and for all, what is right and what is wrong—what was worship of God and what was worship of Satan, what was done in the energy of the flesh and what was the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each person’s worldview will be examined, shown to be true or false. All lives will be reviewed, to be either commended by the Lord or by the Devil. People might, and often do, escape justice in human courts. Insufficient or faulty evidence, corrupt judges and lawyers, and poor memory of witnesses are just some of the unfortunate factors that contribute to this. God’s court has no such hindrances.

Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The greatest fool is he who has fooled himself. “Payday, someday” never seems to cross the mind and heart of the sinner. In today’s Scripture, Adam and Eve certainly fooled themselves numerous times… but they could not run away from the LORD or the truth forever. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7,8). God’s justice is a long time coming, even painfully slow, but, just as sure as the Bible itself stands, His justice will be meted out at some time.

Thankfully, the Bible says “Christ was made sin for us,” “being made a curse for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13). We need not be hopelessly doomed to an eternal Hell or everlasting Lake of Fire. Christ took our place (substitutionary/vicarious atonement) by dying for our sins, being buried, and being raised again (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). God’s justice against our sin debt was satisfied there, so we need to believe this Gospel of Grace in our heart before it is too late.

-FINIS!-

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I Just Wanted to Get Away! #25

Saturday, October 4, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Just as sinners will face a judgment to answer for their sins (the Great White Throne Judgment), so saints will stand at a judgment to give an account for their Christian service (the Judgment Seat of Christ). That which is “gold, silver, precious stones” (sound doctrine, rightly divided Scripture) will result in the believer’s reward, whereas that which is “wood, hay, stubble” (everything else) will be a loss of reward (note again 1 Corinthians 3:9-15). A loss of reward is a more limited role in Heaven’s governments than would have been otherwise; pay attention to the rankings of offices in Ephesians 1:21 and Colossians 1:16. Our “inheritance” is the heavenly places, but “the reward of the inheritance” is the specific job we will have in them (Ephesians 1:9-14; Colossians 1:12; Colossians 3:24; cf. Acts 20:32; Acts 26:18; Romans 8:17; Titus 3:7).

Read 2 Corinthians 5:9,10: “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Observe Romans 14:10-12: “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Finally, Colossians 3:23-25: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #19

Sunday, September 28, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

It is the good pleasure of the God of the Bible, the Creator God, the Lord Jesus Christ, to fill us with His life. After all, it is His purpose for the human species, which is separate and distinct from the animal kingdom. Yet, until we have a personal relationship with Him by faith in His finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins, we cannot experience this true life (eternal life).

His attitude toward mankind today is “grace and peace” (and so begins each of the 13 Pauline epistles, Romans to Philemon). No Divine wrath or Divine war has been declared on our world—yet. Mockers and skeptics have been granted a season of leniency, during which period they are free to spitefully wag their finger in God’s face and speak against Him without repercussion. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily [quickly, swiftly], therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming [to judge and punish]? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation…. [Peter replies to them] The Lord is not slack [lazy, inattentive] concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance…. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;…” (2 Peter 3:3,4,9,15).

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:…” (Romans 2:4-6). May we not despise (hate, think lowly of) the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and lllllooooonnnnngggggsuffering….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #11

Saturday, September 20, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Observe 2 Corinthians 4:3,4: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Generally, non-Christians do not believe they are “lost” (gone aside from God’s path, doomed to eternal death or everlasting judgment). They suppose that, as long as they participate in some religious system, they will somehow “slip into Heaven.” Similarly, Saul of Tarsus “had confidence in the flesh [human performance].” After all, he belonged to God’s religion (Judaism). He was a Pharisee too—a strict man obsessed with rites, rituals, ceremonies, and commandments. Saul eventually became a believer in Jesus Christ… and was commissioned as His Apostle Paul!

Read his testimony in Philippians 3:3-9: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:….”

Religious people today need to follow Paul’s example and quit trying to “get away” from God’s standard of rightness….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #10

Friday, September 19, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Romans 3:4 forms part of God’s case against sinful man as presented in the opening three chapters of Romans: “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Although Paul alludes to Psalms, the Holy Spirit through him changed the original quote slightly so as to view the same situation from a different angle. In Psalm 51:4, it was: “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” Psalms has God judging the sinner (“when thou judgest”), whereas Romans has the sinner judging God (“when thou art judged”).

When God accuses the sinner of wrongdoing, the sinner seeks to question/challenge/discredit God by judging Him. That is, as God judges the sinner, God is righteous or fair and thus cleared of all wrongdoing. The sinner, not God, has the problem. God has not falsely indicted the sinner, or made a big deal out of nothing—yet the sinner falsely accuses God of inappropriate conduct (“You are a liar!”). This clever reversal is nothing but a repeat of Genesis 3:12… blame-shifting so God appears to be at fault!

Go to Romans 3:19,20, where guilty man shuts his mouth (for he likes to prattle on and on about his “goodness”): “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” The Law of Moses serves as an indisputable standard of the glory of God: everything that He is, we are not. Here is man’s fundamental flaw. What the Law says not to do, we do… and what the Law says to do, we do not do. Here is sin….