SUBSTANTIATED TRUTHS

From a child most of us were taught that, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, evil spirits, and myriads of other evil characters were in fact supernatural, living, invisible beings. 
From wives tales, old folk stories, to "Grimms Fairy Tales" and the fantastic imaginations of Hollywood, we were almost all subliminally indoctrinated into believing in supernatural evil personalities. Most of Christianity were even taught to believe there was, in eons past, an inter-galactic war  waged against God by an Arc Angel named Lucifer and called the Devil and Satan with a host of apostate heavenly beings called angels. These evilly rebellious angels, upon losing the war, were cast without bodies down to earth and now at their will invade and possess the minds and bodies of their hapless mortal victims. These beings, from then until now, have inflicted their victims with disease, infirmity, deafness, blindness, insanity, and even force the person overtaken by them to commit all manner of horrendous acts against their own will. It was, and is still, believed that once someone is possessed by one of these supernatural entities they are essentially helpless to resist the evil consequences forced upon them. 

As a young Christians we accepted these ideas at face value. Many of us for a brief time even taught these things to be true. When I say accepted, I mean I accepted without the test of investigative proving by substantiated evidence. After being brought into the The Body of Christ and hearing the true God sent ministry I learned to not reject teachings but to prove all things and hold tightly to that which is good, First Thessalonians 5:21-29. Having been raised for the first thirteen years of my life as Roman Catholic I never questioned orthodox doctrine or tradition. To do so was to be a heretic. One just did not challenge the teachings of the church. After receiving Christ as my savior at thirteen years old amongst the Baptist people (who taught essentially mostly the same things) I was soon given to know that they also were not open to considering anything they considered unorthodox. Then as a young man sojourning through the Pentecostal elements of Christianity I again soon discovered traditional unigversal orthodoxy was sacrosanct and not to be questioned or tampered with. 

It was here in the Body I learned of the falling away, Acts 20:29-30, Second Thessalonians 2:1-4, Second Peter 2:1-22, First John 4:1-4, and the restoration of the church, Ephesians 5:26-27, Revelation 19:7-8. It was here in the Body I learned of a world wide ministry who regularly gathered together to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, Jude 1:1-4. It was here in the Body of Christ that I was challenged by this ministry and God to examine and prove all things and hold fast to that which is proven to be true and thus good. Everything I had ever been taught or believed concerning God and His word became open to be questioned, examined, and proven by His Word and His Spirit. Let God be true and every man, Romans 3:4.

In the posted article titled "WAR IN HEAVEN" dated September 26, 2014, and many other articles I have given clear and proven evidence that the origin of the teaching that satan the devil and his supposed rebellion against God in heaven is nothing more than a much embellished pagan myth. With this understanding the concept of evil spirits being his fallen angel army of mischief doers is likewise discredited. So arise's the question; What are evil spirits and from where did they originate? Are they in fact disembodied entities with autonomous wills?  Can they in fact take possession of and force their victims into evil behaviors? Is the only hope of someone taken into possession by an evil spirit to be exorcised by someone and thus purged from this alien inhabitation?

Evil spirits are real. The New Testament is filled with accounts of Christ and his disciples casting out evil spirits. The subject and the understanding of this subject cannot be simply ignored or disregarded. We as Christians are compelled to search the scripture and know the truth. We are not to be ignorant and tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, Ephesians 4:14. 

Do evil spirits exist as disembodied entities that lurk in the shadowy darkness of invisibility seeking victims to possess? Having proven that they are not fallen rebellious angels, (see the"WAR IN HEAVEN" article posted on September 26, 2014) the question of the origin and existence of evil spirits as entities must be answered. Are they, as some believe, the ghosts of deceased evil men and women who are now trapped in a nether world of torment seeking revenge against God by inflicting evil on those they possess? Can they really inflict disease, infirmity, and criminal insanity on the minds and bodies of the hapless souls of those who are taken under their control? Do evil spirit exist with autonomous minds and wills transversing time and space at will? Are they angry at God and prowl the earth seeking to torment and destroy the souls that God wants to save? Do they have supernatural powers such as theatre motivated by greed of financial gain portray? All these questions and more demand answers. They demand answers that are scripturally, scientifically, and experientially proven with credible evidences. Laying aside all bias, opinion, superstition and any other motives than the seeking of the absolute truth into this subject these questions demand answers. It is my hope to prove the exactness of answers to all reasonable questions regarding the scriptures that give us to know that evil spirits are real, and the knowledge of and response to these forces of evil are available for the saints of today. 

The New Testament is rife with reports of the casting out of devils. Jesus Christ cast out devils. His disciples cast out devils. The apostles cast out devils. The New Testament ministers were commisioned to and did cast out devils. For someone to say they do not believe in the casting out of devils is like someone saying they do not believe in preaching, praying for the sick, or healing through prayer with the laying on of hands. To deny the existence of devils is as credible a position as is the denying of healing, miracles, divine intervention, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost. No!... if one believes the scripture then one has to believe in evil spirits and devils which are sometimes called demons. 

What is in question is not the existence of devils, (evil spirits demons), but the defining of them in origin, being, and operation. Also in question is the method by which we address these devils and deliver those persons possessed and afflicted by them. I spent several years in Pentecostal religious elements where all manner of methods are advocated but none were according to the method that Christ and His apostles used. I hope and pray that before finishing this study I can find some light from the scripture to illuminate our understanding of devils and facilitate a restored method of the casting out of  devils, Mark 16:17.

The term evil spirit or spirits is only found in the few New Testament scripture's listed below :

In Luke 7:18-21, we find the disciples of John the Baptist reporting that Jesus, "cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits, and that many that were blind he gave sight. Then in Luke 8:2 we learn that women were healed of evil spirits and infirmities, and that Mary Magdalene was delivered of seven devils.  

God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from the, and the evil spirits went out of them, Acts 19:11-12. In verses 13-16 we find seven sons Sceva, a Jewish priest, vagabond Jews, exorcists, taking it on themselves to cast out evil spirits without any authority to do so only to be attacked, stripped naked beaten, and run off.

I think it fair, honest and prudent to preface my continuation of evaluation of the listed scripture with the admission that although I do believe in the casting out of evil spirits, devils, demons.  I do not not believe these evil spirits to be disembodied supernatural entities but rather adverse conditions which are recognized by the identity or the nature of the adverse condition. In reading we see all manner of conditions ascribed as being caused by evil spirits, such as  blindness, muteness, deafness, epilepsy, insanity, etc. etc. etc. It is my conclusion that in times of old people of all nations including Israel did not understand many things, such as the medical causes of many illnesses and infirmities that we today call by medical names. Because of their lack of modern medical knowledge and understanding they presumed these unseen adverse forces to be entities (demigods) which were causing their sufferings. Much of this mindset was common in Israel after the captivity of Persia and under the influence of the Zoroastrianism religious teachings as well as  the Greco/Roman philosophies which had infiltrated Jewish thought and opinion. The Lord wisely refrained from dispelling many  false religious, cultural ideas, and traditions while proving His Messiahship and His authority over sickness and infirmities. His muddying the waters by spending precious time with endless explanations to uneducated minds would have only hindered His mission of establishing His church and fulfilling His redemption work. His time was fixed. He had three and one half years or until the middle of the last week of Daniels prophesy, Daniel 9:24-27 to finish His ministry. Though they remained ignorant of the cause of their many infirmities maladies they very much were made to know the source of the cure of the effects.         

The term devil and or devils as relating to evil spirits in the New Testament are to be found as follows:

Matthew 4:24, My thought here is emphasized by the statement "healed them" those understood as sickness disease, torments, or those afflictions ascribed to the unknown and thus unnamed but believed to be of supernatural origin. 

Matthew 7:22, Ambiguous adverse conditions of all considerations, physical, mental, emotional etc.

Matthew8:16, Delivered those of conditions unknown and healed those of known conditions

Matthew 8:28-31, These two insane men were miraculously delivered of being insane, note in Luke 8:35 it is noted "in his right mind." 

Matthew 9:32-34, Jesus miraculously healed a man who through some physical or emotional trauma lost his ability of speech.   

Matthew 12:22 As noted he healed the blind and mute man through the power of God. 

Matthew 15:22,  The Lord heals a Canaanite child because of the faith of her mother. Although the vexation of the child is only defined as a devil we must always remember the word devil is properly defined as adversary. An adverse vexation is a devil.  

Matthew 17:18. Verse fifteen says the son was a lunatic and fell into fires and water . Whatever be it mental illness or some condition such as epilepsy the problem was not caused by an outside entity but a condition within  and Jesus Christ miraculously healed him. 

Mark 1:32-39, Admittedly the statement here in verse 34 is a problem. I however believe that the correct understanding which may be because of some discrepancy in interpretation will be revealed. Otherwise I contend The Lord healed all manner of diverse sicknesses and diseases which were often identified as evil spirits.    

Mark 3:15- The Lord here empowers His disciples to heal the sick and cast out devils which is to cleanse from all manner of adverse conditions physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. 

Mark 5:1-18, Again an insane man is delivered. A man so troubled he called his problems legion. Again I see identities and not entities. Today we would probably use terms such as bi-polar, schizophrenia, paranoid, self injury disorder, etc. etc. and treat them with various drugs to ameliorate the mental cause of the evil situation. Jesus spoke the word and healed the man.   

Mark 6:13, The seventy heal and deliver 

Mark 7:26-30, A retelling of the Matthew 15:22 deliverance

Mark 9:38, No comment thought necessary

Mark 16:9, Jesus indeed delivered this woman who became a faithful saint. As concerning the nature of the seven devils we are afforded no insight from the scripture so I will not assume to presume. Some say she was a harlot. Of this there is no scriptural evidence. Others say Jesus was married to her. Again there is no reason from the scripture to believe this. Still others have even more unsavory postulations which are without scriptural evidence which any wise person will dismiss for what it is. 

Mark 16:17 Herein we are commissioned to (A) cast out devils (B) speak with new tongues (C take up serpents (D) be immune to poison (E) heal the sick. Hmmmm, unless you want to literalize all five of these signs of commission you might consider your conclusions. 

Luke 4:31-36, The obvious delivering of someone insane

Luke 8:2, Mary Magdalene was delivered of seven devils (adversaries)

Luke 8:26-38, The Gadarene lunatic

Luke 9:1, Jesus gave authority to His disciples over all adversaries and the gift of healing

Luke 9:37-42, It is reasonable to conclude this was a case of epilepsy that the Lord healed. Without the knowledge of cause the population according to their understanding reasoned the malady was caused by invisible supernatural entities when in fact his condition was the identity of the problem.

Luke 11:14, Jesus heals a mute whose condition was and identity called a spirit

John: None mentioned

Acts: None mentioned

First Corinthians 20-21: Paul here makes note that gentile worship was to devils (IDOLS)

First Timothy 4:1, -- Doctrines of devils, Teachings which are false therefore idolatrous. 

Revelation 9:20,  Devils are false gods

Revelation 16:14, false gods

Revelation 18:2, false religion which is idolatry which is identified by false teachings and false worship as opposed to true worshippers worshipping in Spirit and Truth, John 4:23-24

I think this listing is complete of all the New Testament scripture which mention the subject at hand. If I have somehow missed any that would be pertinent to the conclusion of the subject I would appreciate someone advising me. 

Now a few questions that demand answers:

According to scripture what was or is the origin of evil spirits?

Can evil spirits be proven by scripture to be disembodied entities?

According to scripture can they be proven to have self volition?

According to scripture can it be proven that there is a kingdom of devils with a ranking rulership as some teach?

What can be proven according to scripture? 

How much is assumed from scripture and how much is proven by scripture? 

For further study into this subject go to amazon.com and purchase the book titled  "TRUTHS" by Paul B. Dyal

SOMETHING GOD HATES

THE DOCTRINE AND DEEDS OF THE 

NICOLAITANES

After hearing many imaginative postulations concerning exactly what was, and is the doctrines and deeds of the Nicolaitanes I decided to research the matter and reach not my or any others conclusion or opinion. Herein I offer the facts.  

Revelation 2:6

Revelation 2:15 

In Acts 2:6 we learn of a man named Nicolas who before becoming a Christian was a Greek. If you will, a Gentile. Nicolas became a Jewish proselyte before he became a Christian. Nicolas was appointed by the apostles at Jerusalem, along with Stephen the first Christian Martyr, to function as one of the seven assigned to assist in the natural needs of the church. This man Nicolas was from Antioch which was the capitol and largest city of the Roman province of Syria.  Syria was a metropolis of many cultures and religious beliefs all of which formed Nicolas' background.

There was a disciple of John the disciple of Jesus Christ. This disciple of John was named Polycarp. Polycarp was born in 69 A.D. and died in 156 A.D. as a martyr by being burned alive on a stake and stabbed when the fire did not consume him. Polycarp had a disciple named  Irenaeus, who was (born 130 A.D. and  died 202 A.D.).  Irenaeus and Clement of (Alexandria, born 150 A.D. died 215 A.D.)  both considered this same Nicolas mentioned above to be the founder of the gnostic sect, (gnostic means esoteric or secret knowledge) known as the Nicolaitanes. According to the writing of another early church father, Hyppolytus, "Nicolas departed from the faith".

The Nicolaitanes, (followers of Nicolas) believed that physical things were irrelevant saying whatever was done in the flesh was of no consequence because all spiritual life, growth, and final salvation all take place in the soul are spiritual because God is a Spirit.  Nicolas decided that God was not  concerned by what someone in the flesh does. Nicolas himself was never charged with immorality but only extreme asceticism (some would say being so heavenly minded he was of no earthly good), that is to say, he only concerned himself with meditation and prayer while espousing that the deeds of the body while best avoided did not effect the inward work of the Spirit. Nicolas's followers however were not so given to asceticism. They soon degenerated Nicolas' teachings, reasoning that in as much as the deeds of the flesh were of no consequence, there was therefore no reason to not satisfy the flesh. Hence fornication, adultery, and every evil work of the flesh were given full rein and that which God hates became accepted. They in fact turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, Jude 1:4. What began as a seemingly harmless teaching evolved into damnable teachings and deeds.

Today there are modern Nicolatanes who have infiltrated Christianity. These modern day Nicolaitanes say we that have no need of order, standards, or doctrine. They say they have no need of a God called, God sent ministry to lead us. They declare  that all the ministry needs to do is to preach "Christ and Him crucified". There is no doubt that the deeds and teachings of these Nicolaitanes of today are as much despised by God as were those of the Nicolaitanes of the early church. Just as the Nicolaitanes of old did, these modern day  Nicolaitanes would turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness, Jude 1:1-4. They, like Balaam, Revelation 2:15, today cast stumbling blocks before God's people, and with good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Romans 16:18. As the apostle Paul said they lead silly women laden with sins captive with divers lusts, Second Timothy 3:6-8.

        These modern day Nicolaitanes can be heard with ridicule declaring themselves against the in fact dying to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life. They will offer an easy way allowing that the natural man cannot in reality overcome the and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust, First Peter 1:4, and thereby attain unto His divine nature. 

CLARITY IN THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING

There are some things that are certain. One of them is that to be Lord's you must have His Spirit, Romans 8:9. Another is that to resurrect you must have His Spirit, Romans 8:11-14. Yet another is that the purpose of the ministry is to bring forth a church led by  a ministry that will bring forth the Bride of Christ. With this said I present the vision of The Body Of Christ. This ministry is a ministry with a vision of a specific mission. Ours is a vision like none other. Ours is not to only persuade men and women of Christ, get them baptized in water, and the Spirit. Ours is to lead them into Christ likeness, that is to complete maturity in Him. To bring them unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:8-13. I present that for us to do this there must first be produced a church that has all of the necessary elements to accomplish the said purpose. Without a restored ministry and church endowed with all of the proper ingredients the desired conclusion will never be accomplished .

Jesus said that the truth will make us free, John 8:32. To get to the point it is "THE TRUTH" is the whole of the truths of the gospel, which will make us free. Some of the truth will make us somewhat free. A Church that isn't blessed with all of the truth isn't blessed with the capacity to be made completly free. Ninety nine percent of the truth isn't all of the truth and can only make you ninety nine percent free. As previously taught there are three powers of God unto salvation, they are His Spirit, His Ministry, and His Word. Without the fullness of the operation of these three powers no one can be made completely free. The reason the early Church, the one the Lord built, produced perfect overcomer's was because they had the fullness of the operation of these three powers. For there ever to be another time when perfect overcomer's are produced there must again be a perfect operation of these three powers. The present responsibility of the ministry is to labor to restore these three powers, and the three elements of the truth unto salvation which are, His teachings, His order, and His standards, back to the Church with the same fullness they existed two thousand years ago.

In Acts 20:27-29, Paul having declared to them all the counsel of God, then warned that at his departure grievous wolves would enter into the Church with perverse teachings and lead away disciples unto themselves. This was the same event he spoke of in Second Thessalonians 2:1-7, wherein he warned of an eminent falling away of the Church, saying the the mystery of iniquity was already at work. We who know and understand the mystery know that these events came to pass as prophesied and are past and not future.

Before the Lord returns again there must be a restoration of the Church, and there must be a Bride that has made herself ready. For this to happen there must be a ministry that is fulfilling the admonition of Jude; a ministry that is earnestly contending for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. An incomplete gospel, preached by an unrestored ministry, with an imperfect operation of the Spirit cannot produce perfection. To be in the Bride of Christ and see the Lord at His appearing you will have to be like Him, First John 3:1-3. When you are like Him you will know the truth, all of it necessar to be fulfilled unto His divine natur, which is all of the counsel of God. You will believe no lies, you will know, even as you are known, First Corinthians 13:12.

Our passion is to be used of God to help produce a ministry, and a Church that will produce men and women who have achieved sinless perfection. It is no time to faint for fear or grow weary in well doing, it is the time to work. Let us not be deceived into thinking there is an easy way or that our labor is in vain, if we are faithful to our calling. We are called to this destiny and I know that those of us who have this vision,  those who's eyes have not dimmed, those who have not cast away their confidence, and strength hasn't abated will see the glory of the Lord.

We must are commissioned to and we must produce the Church that will produce overcomer's. God said, "PREACH MY GOSPEL," let's do it. Some are saying; "Where is the promise of His coming? Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation," Second Peter 3:4. They seek to change our order, our standards, and our teachings to be more conformable to that of religion thinking to do so will increase our numbers and worldly acceptability of their Assemblies. God help us to not forget where You have brought us from and where You have brought us to.

If I truly believed that this gathering of churches was not God's representation of the corporate Body of Christ in the earth today I honestly believe I would cease my engagement with it. The cost in time, substance and energy is just too great to pay for the fellowship of something that has no more definition or relevance than the being of a fellowship. There are over three thousand churches in the metropolitan area of the city of my residence and they are for the most part constituted of good, honest, moral, God loving, praying men and women who would receive me into their fellowship gladly. These are second works producing second resurrection men and women who will come forth with honor. Their faith and labor is not in vain. God has called them to be among the number that no man can number, Revelation 7:9.

The fact is, I do still believe the ministry I gather with are contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, Jude 1:1-4. This gathering is the present day representation of the The Corporate Body of Christ. We are called to do a special work for God. We are further commissioned by God to restore again the Church of Jesus Christ to a place where it can produce perfect overcomer"s in Christ. This, producing of perfect (first resurrection, Revelation 20:6)  overcomer's,  what the Early Church did. Consider Second Corinthians 11:1-2, where the Apostle mentions his desire to present to Christ a Chaste Virgin. Not just another virgin, but a Chaste Virgin. A glorious church without spot, wrinkle or blemish, Ephesians 5:26-27. A Church that has been sanctified and cleansed by the washing of the water by the word. A ministry that preaches an undefiled gospel that is pure, and free of opinion, or mans ways and purposes. This is what the bible teaches we are called to do. We will then have built a garner in which we can reach into all the world and gather his elect. We are earnestly contending for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints, Jude 1:3. We desire to see the Church sanctified through the word, John 17:17.

 Dirty water will not, and neither will a teacup of clean water, Ephesians 5:26,  cleanse and sanctify anyone completely . It will take the fullness of a pure gospel to purify the Church even as He is pure, First John 3:3. The muddy water of the worldly religious nor secular humanist, philosophies contrived by a fallen church has no place in the Gospel of the Kingdom, Matthew 24:14. To be sanctified is to be set apart. We must be set apart from the defilement's of the world, both religious and secular, if we are to be sanctified.

RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT EXECUTED BY RIGHTEOUS JUDGES

The Lord is in these last days of of this world is of a surety going to establish a righteous seat of judgment in his church where righteous men will discern between good and evil in righteousness. This righteous seat of judgment will not be by the will of men seeking their own gain, of power, prestige, or possession. It will not be accomplished by those who have built on blood, or through the iniquitous promoting of themselves, but by the sovereign act of God raising up righteous servants who will build according to the pattern of those judges He established in the church He inaugurated on the day of Pentecost.   

Hebrews 5:14, Strong teachings belong to them that are of full age. Even to those who because of experience and proof in tenure, have there senses of judgment tempered to discriminate between good and evil.

 First Samuel 3:1, The word of the Lord was precious, (i. e. scarce therefore of great value) in those days, there was no open vision.

Proverbs 29:18, Where there is no vision the people perish, but he that keeps the law, happy is he.

Where the law of God is scarce it is precious, and the people suffer, but where the law of God is known and taught the people prosper and are safe.

The Law spoken of that insure the peace, safety, and happiness of God's people is the precepts, principles, and dictates of God for His people.

Law is a good thing. To be without law is to be in a condition of anarchy which is not good a good thing. For law to be functional there must be good reward for good, and evil consequence for evil. Law should reward the keepers of the law with peace, security, and hope. Remove any of these benefits and you set the stage for rebellion. When people enjoy peace, security and hope they are content, will thrive, and be patriotic to the law. Remove these elements and the people will be discontent and seek escape from the law.

Those who break or disregard the law that brings peace, security and hope to a nation must suffer consequence commensurate with their crime against the law of that nation. Where there is no consequence there is no law. No society be it political, corporate, business, secular, religious or otherwise can long exist without the consequence of punishment to those who would think to overthrow, disregard or break the law that brings peace, security and hope. Law is what holds any society together. A society is a nation which is by proper definition is a people bound together by common hope and principles. We, the members of The Body Of Christ are a nation. To survive as a nation we must have law that is common to us all that will bring peace, security and hope. 

Jesus rebuked the Jewish leadership of His time by saying that they performed well in many good and right things but failed in the things that were of the greatest importance. Those things in the order of mention were, judgment, mercy, and faith Matt. 23:23. I find it no coincidence that judgment made first mention. Without judgment there is no need for mercy and faith will fail. Mercy rejoices against judgment because there must be judgment for mercy to exist. Mercy is the exception to the rule, not the rule. Mercy is unmerited favor given by grace and can never become the rule lest it become tolerance which will gender anarchy.

James writes in James. 2:14 For He shall have judgment without mercy that showeth no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Many who would make the church of the Lord a place of tolerance would use this scripture to vanquish judgment. They speak of judgment as though it were some ugly principle in conflict with mercy. Solomon in, Ecclesiastes 8:11 gives this lesson ... Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil. Were there no traffic policemen giving tickets you would  not want to dare to drive on the public highways. Would you? I appreciate mercy, and I appreciate the law that makes mercy an available option to those who deserve mercy. Which brings up another question; do all who break the law deserve mercy? The answer is obvious. Some must suffer the consequences of their actions or there will be no peace, security or hope. The law will be a farce, a mere idealistic philosophy that is without any real merit or meaning.

Judgment cannot be accomplished by a democratic consensus. The so called concept of democratic rule the by the people is in conflict with both reason, the order of God, and natural law. Mob rule is, always has been, and always will be anarchy. To have law there must be order. Order demands principal men of principle who have the delegated authority to judge between good and evil. It is true that these men must have the respect and support of the nation they judge. The judgments they make must be final and accepted. Take this away and you take judgment away. Take judgment away and there will be no peace, security, or hope.

First Peter four verse seventeen says that judgment must first begin at the house of God. We are the house of God. Until, and unless we allow God, and His word to establish judgment among us we are no better off than the religious leaders of old that Jesus rebuked. When every man does that which is right in his own eyes he violates the law of God, Deuteronomy12:8. There are men who despise government and fear not to speak evil of dignities today even as there always have been, Second Peter 2:10. These are those who want only to do that which is right in their own eyes. There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. Thank God for godly, righteous, (With the emphasis on righteous) judges and righteous  judgment.

JUST A REASONABLE WONDERING

Jeremiah Fletcher posed this:
If the Devil is the source of sin, as some suppose, consider this:
*Jesus the Son of God came to earth and died so that we can have forgiveness of our sins.
*With this being so, why didn’t God just kill the Devil, thus eradicating sin at the source?
*Since Jesus took not the nature of angels but that of man we know the Devil was always with Jesus just as he is with us to tempt us.
*Is it not quite amazing that this supernatural evil entity that almost bested God in a galactic war in Heaven, and Christ, the Son of God, was tempted to sin by this same long lived evil being, that we, as mere mortal human beings, are tasked to and expected to kill him in our life experience?  

SPEAKING IN THE TONGUES OF MEN AND ANGELS

First Corinthians 13:1: Yes, there is the supernaturally inspired  speaking in the tongues of men and the supernaturally inspired speaking in the tongues of men. Yes, they are two entirely different things for two entirely different purposes.  
 There are times we do not know the way, or will of God. It is at those times that we do not know how to pray according to his will, First John 5:14-15. It is then, and there that there is a place in God wherein we can speak to God in a heavenly language, which is a language no man understands, perhaps not even the one who is speaking, First Corinthians 14:2, Romans 8:25-27, The Spirit makes intercession for us. There is, in fact, a very real need of worshiping God from the depths of the soul by praying, singing, and praising God in the Spirit. This is a operational gift which is beyond our understanding. It is also a fact that at other times we need to worship, praise, sing, and pray with our understanding, First Corinthians 14:14-51.

The speaking in the tongues of men and of angels as a supernatural operational gift of the Spirit of God is a reality. The first recording of God intervening with this miracle is found in Acts 2:1-11, wherein the apostles and all those 120 souls gathered with them were baptized in The Holy Ghost. It is recorded that all present received the gospel of the risen Christ, spoken and heard, in seventeen languages. Each hearer heard in the good news in their own native language. This divine intervention of both speaking and hearing was the beginning of the apostolic miracles of the early church.

Although, as is the way of mimicking mankind, not all who profess to speak, pray, praise, worship, sing, or otherwise, in and by the Spirit with the tongues of men and angels do so in fact. However, the doing so is a fact. There is the real, and there is counterfeit.  The counterfeit makes the real no less real. Speaking to those gathered on that Day of Pentecost almost 2000 years ago concerning the things they saw and heard the apostle Peter said, “The promise is unto you, and to you children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:39      

THE WAY THE LORD SHOWED ME TO GO

Proverbs 29:18, is an often quoted verse of scripture that few people properly understand. Properly translated it reads Where there are no restraints the people perish, but happy is he that keeps the law. 

The word interpreted as vision is in fact correctly translated as restraints. 

We often hear people say that they want to be free, to be in control. What they are saying is they want to do what they want and make their own decisions. They want freedom from the restraints of God's law, society's rules, customs and traditions. This often means they want the freedom to sin. Before becoming a Christian, this was at least somewhat  true of all of us. We all wanted to throw off the shackles of rules and boundaries. They want to be completely free of  rules and restraints. This world admires a wild free spirit in abandon. They imagine someone free of restraints has great peace inside and fulfillment in life They are wrong. The free spirited person running without any constraints knows that they are dying inside, spiritually and emotionally. Freedom from God's rules is counterfeit freedom. It is an illusion. If you proclaim yourself free from God’s restraints, you become a slave to sin. The abandonment of law promises freedom, while they themselves are the servants of corruption-for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought into bondage (Second Peter 2:19). The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness (Proverbs 11:6). Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness (Ephesians 4:19). The world's freedom is the freedom to walk into selfish destruction leaving a wake of the destruction of innocent others.

 An infant may be tempted to enjoy the freedom" of drinking from a bottle of bleach or running into a crowded street. Having this freedom would bring certain death. Likewise, freedom from God may look attractive, but the end result is unhappiness and certain death. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of his flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit will reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7-8).For the wages of sin is death... (Romans 6:23) Our only choice is to be ruled by God and righteousness or sin. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey--whether of sin unto death, of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16). 

True freedom comes from Submitting your life to God. True freedom is not freedom to sin. It is freedom from the power of sin. God's life within us transforms us. As we walk in the Spirit, we begin to see sin for what it really is, something vile which will destroy our soul in  death, and it becomes easier to do the things that please God I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (Romans 6:19-20)