Casting Out Devils

Mention the Great Commission and most Christians only think of “preaching the gospel to every creature.” Yet Jesus gave other commandments in the sixteenth chapter of Mark. One of which in verse 17 is to cast out devils. That commandment must be important. It is listed before speaking in tongues and laying hands on the sick.

Many churches in Western nations don’t do deliverance ministry at all. Some ministers believe Christians cannot have a demon. I can testify that this is not true. Over the years. I’ve witnessed numerous devils cast out of God’s people. I’ve done my share of exorcisms.

During the mid-1990s, I became close friends with “Stacy” (not her real name), a middle-aged woman often placed on my team during our church’s evangelism outreaches. Despite her faithfulness in sharing the gospel, Stacy was often oppressed. One particular afternoon while I prayed for Stacy, these words came out of her mouth: “You can’t have her! You can’t have her!” I recognized this as Satan speaking through my friend and commanded him to come out in Jesus’ name. Stacy fell over and was motionless on the floor for several minutes.

Sadly, my friend didn’t stay delivered as she continued giving place to the devil through bitterness. One night after an outreach, Stacy burst into the church yelling accusations against the evangelism pastor. She had to be forcibly removed from the premises. The last time I heard from Stacy was when a mutual friend handed me a note from her laced with profanity.  

Christians can become “repossessed” by being disobedient to God’s word. After healing the man by the pool called Bethesda, Jesus told him in John 5:14, “See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”  Jesus also warned in Matthew 12…

43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 

44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 

45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Every human is full of something. One must feed on God’s word to stay strong spiritually especially after receiving deliverance. Otherwise, that leaves room for the devil to get in. 

Last Sunday, my friend Gretchen and I ministered to a woman who “lost her faith” due to terrible things that happened to her and her eight children. Mercedes insisted the devil has more power than God. Gretchen and I spent about twenty minutes testifying how God will provide and protect those who put their trust in Him. Mercedes’ countenance changed after she prayed to recommit her life to the Lord.

I like what Jim Kaseman says: “If you talk more about what the devil is doing than what God is doing, then you are a devil worshipper.” We don’t need to be demon hunters looking for demons behind every doorknob. But when they manifest, then we must be ready to deal with them.

 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” - 1 John 4:4

Will Universalists Go to Heaven?

Jesus said in Matthew 9:29, “According to your faith let it be to you.” God’s promises of salvation, healing, and provision are available to everyone but don’t happen by default. One must be willing to receive those promises and then obey His instructions for them to manifest.

A concept isn’t true just because a group of people believe it. That certainly applies to the doctrine of universal reconciliation, which states everybody will spend eternity in heaven. It’s scary to think what the Lord will say to ministers who preached this false gospel when they stand before His throne. 

I do believe universalists who are born again but lack biblical knowledge will get into heaven. It wasn’t until a year into my faith walk when I received the revelation that Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 14:6). We are saved by faith in Christ, not because all our spiritual beliefs are 100% in line with Scripture.

However, mature Christians who suddenly become universalists cross a dangerous line when they start promoting their “gospel of inclusion” to where it discourages nonbelievers from getting right with God. 1 Timothy 4:1 tells us, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” In Matthew 15:14, Jesus refers to “...blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Jesus also said in Mark 9:42, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” It reminds me of the time I witnessed to a woman who claimed there’s no such place as hell and even tried to use Bible verses to back up what she believed! As I walked away from this woman, I thought about the little boy that was with her. If he grows up believing there’s no hell and dies without knowing the Lord, both he and the woman could face eternal torment.

James 3:1 warns, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” Universalists will have to give account for the lost souls who could have gotten saved had they heard the true gospel from them. I pray every professing Christian reading this who endorses universal reconciliation will repent before it’s too late.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” - Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)

God Needs You

Occasionally I hear believers say, “God doesn't need us…we need Him.” Of course, I agree with the latter part of that statement but have to take issue with the first part.

Throughout the Bible, God used man to help accomplish His plans and purposes. What if Noah had refused to build the ark? Except for animals that live in the sea, all of creation would have perished in the flood. 

What if Moses didn’t go before Pharaoh and told him to let his people go? The Israelites might have stayed in captivity longer until God raised up someone else to be the deliverer. In fact, Moses killing an Egyptian in Exodus 2:12 and then going into exile delayed Israel’s time of deliverance. Instead of 400 years as originally prophesied in Genesis 15:13, Egypt’s affliction upon Israel lasted 430 years.

Look at this passage in Ezekiel 22…

30 “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 

31 Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

God desired not to bring judgment upon Jerusalem but did so because there was no intercessor willing to mediate between Him and man. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah might have been spared had Abraham continued interceding instead of stopping at ten righteous men (Genesis 18:22).

When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He delegated authority to us…the church. Through dreams and visions, some individuals have received the truth about Jesus like what happened to Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road. Nevertheless, the gospel will not be preached throughout the whole world without man’s cooperation. Romans 10:14 says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Some events such as the Second Coming will come to pass regardless of our individual actions. Until then, the Lord is calling people to enlist in His army to be His hands and feet as well as His mouthpiece. Will you answer the call?

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” - Matthew 22:14

Travel Tips for the Mission Field

For over a dozen years now I’ve mostly lived out of a suitcase as a missionary. I often traveled with all my personal belongings since I haven’t owned my own home (à la Corrie ten Boom). Along the way, I’ve learned a few things that I want to pass on to you. These tips should be beneficial whether you go on a short-term missionary trip or out of the country for an extended period of time.

For any trip it is wise to pack lightly. How many times have you brought things that weren’t needed at all? In July 1997 I flew from Minneapolis to Chicago with other evangelists for a weekend City Blitz. The pastor organizing the trip asked us to use only a carry-on bag so we wouldn’t have to wait for our stuff in the baggage claim area. Since it was summertime, I got along fine using a backpack containing necessary toiletries and very light clothing. Other advantages to using only a carryon bag is that it eliminates the possibility of lost luggage by the airline plus it can help you avoid baggage fees.

Speaking of which, baggage fees has become my biggest pet peeve when using public transportation. Most American airlines now charge $20 or more just for checking a suitcase. Allegiant and Spirit Airlines also charge money for carry-on bags! Fortunately, Southwest Airlines still allow customers two free checked bags. Therefore I fly only on Southwest whenever possible.

It’s wise to weigh and measure your luggage before leaving the house. Extra baggage fees will be accessed if a suitcase is too heavy or too big. I learned this the hard way in 2006 after a man in Virginia blessed me with a large suitcase and a plane ticket to Tampa. Before boarding that flight, AirTran weighed my large suitcase and I discovered it was sixteen pounds overweight. Because I didn’t have time to repack my belongings, I had to pay an extra $25. 

Another time, AirTran tried to charge me extra money for a suitcase that was “too heavy” (personally I believe their scale’s reading was fudged). To reduce the weight, I put on an extra coat and a pair of heavier shoes. Doing this can also help one save valuable luggage space for things such as Bibles and gospel tracts. Still I got hit with a $49 oversize baggage fee due to a recent change in AirTran’s size restrictions.

If you ever need to ride the bus, be aware their overhead bins are very small compared to those on trains and planes. Last year I took a Greyhound bus to Burlington, Vermont. My carry-on luggage included a gym bag given to me a few weeks before. I had a hard time fitting that gym bag in the overhead bin above me. Three days later before leaving Vermont, I placed some of my stuff into a backpack that fit inside my gym bag. Then when I boarded the bus, I removed the backpack from the gym bag and was able to fit both of them in the overhead bin without any problems.

Whenever leaving your home country, you may need to bring a voltage adapter kit if you plan to use electronic devices such as a laptop computer. One time in Germany, I accidentally used a battery charger from home but forgot to connect the voltage converter in between the plug-in adapters. My battery charger became permanently damaged.

Last but not least, always pack a roll of toilet paper in your luggage.  One of the worst situations to be in is going to the bathroom somewhere and there’s no toilet paper available. This has happened to me many times. I’ve learned to become prepared for such emergencies.

By being obedient to the Great Commission, you will not only learn how to be a more effective soul winner, but also gain wisdom to help you with practical things.

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” - Proverbs 11:30