seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Luke 11:14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.
23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”
27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
I've heard so many sermons on these verses. Most of the preachers homed in on verses 24-26, but I've heard them preach the whole set on occasion. Are you the kind of person who is "fully armed"? What have you armed yourself with? Do you depend on the words of the preacher at the local meeting place, or do you read the words yourself?
I've heard a lot of talk about fake news lately. What about fake preaching? Sure, the preacher put in years at the Seminary. Sure, he knows what to say and there are even "sermon writers" online now. Preachers don't even have to write their own sermons. So, if we're not in the Word, how would we know if the preacher is clever or if he's a liar. What if the church is passing out fake gospel?!? Would you even know?
Back in the days of Jesus, all physical ailments were said to be from God or Satan. Back in the days of Job, they said he most have done something horrible when it was actually Satan who was plaguing Job. God knew Job could handle it, but Job had no clue who was doing this to him. His friends all thought it was God, and Job must have done something horrible. Back in the days of Job, there weren't any medical hospitals or labs. Back in the days of Job, if COVID or Cancer hit them, it was God getting them for something they did. They wouldn't dare to say that now.
No one in these modern days would dare say COVID or Cancer was damnation from God. It's not allowed!
Back in the days of Jesus, there were doctors, but they couldn't deal with anything complicated. They all figured the complicated stuff must be the patient's burden for some horrid sin they wouldn't confess. Remember, even masturbation was a sin back in the days of Jesus. Anyone who got sick was demon possessed. That's why the local "doctor" couldn't heal them. That's why the local preacher couldn't come up with a sacrifice big enough to take the sin away.
Back in the days of Jesus, the people thought a parent could commit a sin, and the child would have to pay for it. They figured sin went on and on through the family until it was finally atoned for in one way or another. That's how they explained the crippled, mute, deaf, and blind.... their parents must have committed a horrific sin and they are going to pay for the rest of their lives and their children's lives, and their children's, children's lives.
They figured if this guy had a sin so bad that sacrifice wouldn't cure it, then Satan must be in control. If Satan was in control, then only by his permission would the demon leave. That's what they mean when they said "He's driving out demons because Satan says it's ok" [paraphrased].
Jesus told the people, once the soul is all cleaned up with Salvation, they needed to fill that soul with the Word or demons were going to get back in and mess everything up worse.
People would believe the lying preachers because they wouldn't read the Gospel for themselves, for instance.
There is a bigger and badder demon out there waiting to jump in a good warm baptized Christian. The only way to keep the demons out, is by filling the void. If Christ is there, guarding the place, then demons have no way to get back in. The best way to keep the void full of God is reading the Bible. That's where the Word is stored.
Worse yet, if the preacher doesn't preach the Gospel, the people in the church will figure out that he's a fake and they will turn on him. The church will split, and some will be lost. That's what Jesus meant when He said, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
Jesus said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Now adays there are way too many fake churches. The best way to hear the word is to read it for yourself. Satan doesn't like the Bible. He's been trying to get it labeled fake news since forever.
So, read your Bible... and keep Satan at bay.
