Wise as Serpents

 

I originally wrote the post below on Sept. 22, 2014, when my husband and I were searching for a new home (moving from Caldwell, ID and eventually to Cascade, ID - we now live in WA). I was thinking of it yesterday and realized how I could apply it to what is going on in today's increasing violent society.  Every day we read in the news of mass shooting, road rage turned deadly, and children being brutally tortured and murdered. Men, women, and even children are becoming more violent as Satan rages.  We are close to the end of this planet's life and Satan knows it, so he and his demons are increasing their oppressive and possessive ways.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13

In Matthew 10:16 Jesus says, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." While the verse in its entirety is important, I want to focus on being "wise as serpents."  I am not trying to instill fear in anyone, but we need to pray for discernment and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's warnings every time we leave our home.  As you will see in the blog I wrote ten years ago, God does indeed give you a check in your spirit when a situation is not safe.  Therefore, we need to use wisdom and heed the Holy Spirit's warnings and walk away when He tells us to.  God will give His angels to protect those who FAITHFULLY serve Him (Psalm 91:11), but we are not to be foolish. You cannot intentionally delve into a dangerous situation and arrogantly say God will save you. Yes, God has miraculously protected many, many missionaries and pastors in life threatening situations, but they were working for the Lord at the time.  God wants us to use wisdom not just spiritually (which is what Matthew 10:6 is about), but also in everyday situations.  He does not want us or our loved ones to suffer because we stubbornly refuse to listen to the instincts He graciously instills in us.  

In Matthew 24:12, Jesus tells us that in the last days that, "because iniquity [sin] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."  Because people are growing colder toward the Lord, the ice in their hearts is making them dangerous to all around them.  They are more susceptible to Satan's influences.  Therefore, we must be better armored for God.

Anyway, here is the original post from 2014, once titled "Listen to God's Voice" (with a few edits):

Mel and I have been looking at places to live the last few weeks.  We are on a limited budget until I find another job. One of the things we do before we leave the house is pray that God will give us discernment about the people and the property.  On our trip to Twin Falls, ID, we both had a very strong sense that the people showing us the first room they had for rent were full of deceit.  We still chose to see the second property since we drove approximately three hours down there.  While at the second place, I had an overwhelming sense this was not a safe place. I had the strongest urge I have ever had that we were in danger; we needed to get out of that apartment!  I even stood with my hand on the doorknob while Mel looked at the bathroom because I felt such a strong need to bolt.  Some of you may call this intuition, but Christians can call it God's Voice.  The Holy Spirit will speak to you, guide you, and give you warnings if you are willing to listen. 

 

The funny thing is that when I took the picture that I used for this post's meme, I was not even aware that I was taking a picture of the sign.  I was trying to take a picture of a large bird that was flying overhead.  When we got home that evening and I was downloading the pictures, I had to laugh when I saw the "Wrong Way" sign.  If I was not certain that apartment Twin Falls was the wrong place before then, I sure got the message when I saw that picture! (Updated note: Shortly after we moved to a different city - I don't remember the exact time frame - there was major gun violence in that same neighborhood where we had been looking to rent.  In fact, I just found an article stating that "Twin Falls, Idaho is More Dangerous Than Most U.S. Cities." 

It may seem as if I do not have any grand advice or point today, but I am simply reminding you to pray before making any kind of decision.  Pray for wisdom, discernment, and even signs. Be willing to believe that God communicates with us in many different forms if we are sensitive to His Holy Spirit.  Heed all warnings and take them seriously.  You never know when turning around when God says, "Wrong Way" will save your life!  Discuss all feelings with your spouse, no matter how insignificant because you very well may be confirming each other’s feelings.  It will be much easier to make a decision knowing what your mate is feeling.  God will often give couples the same discernment so your experiences can be confirmed. 

 

We are going to be looking at another potential apartment later this week, and believe me, we are already praying before we head out the door.  And we will be closely paying attention to anything God has to say about the landlord, the room, and the location!

 

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  John 10:27

 

Faith to Embrace That God is all His Word says He Is

 

 I believe that the biggest reasons people have such a difficult time accepting that God unconditionally loves them, trusting He forgives and forgets, and submitting to God is because they try too hard to place Him in a human box. 

We have all been repeatedly hurt by those who love us, so it is hard to grasp the concept that God would be any different.  It is hard to wrap our brains around the fact that when God says He will keep His promises, He actually will.  In order to help us (me too) be able to better embrace that God truly is all His Word says He is, and He will do all His Word says He will do, we need to remove human attributes from a holy God.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," saith the Lord." For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Let me back up just a bit to make it clear I fully believe Jesus Christ came to this earth in human form (And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8) but after He ascended back into Heaven, all those human traits disappeared. However, His compassion has never waned.  

Now, back to Isaiah 55.  We cannot ever truly comprehend the mind of God, and the sooner we accept that fact, the more we can just sit back and relax and surrender all to Him.  I know that it so much easier said than done, again, because we have difficulty seeing Him in a different light that the humans around us.

When God says He will forgive us when we repent (Then Peter said unto them, "Repent... for the remission of sins." Acts 2:38), and then will actually forget those sins, then they are forever under the precious blood Jesus shed for us.  

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

It is a difficult concept to grasp because not only do we find it hard to forget wrongs that have been done to us, but we also do not always forgive the people we claim to have forgiven. In our mind we may say we do, but it is easy to dredge up past hurts to the point it can be harmful to our spiritual health. On the flip side, others also tend not to forgive and forget when it comes to our offenses.  But God truly does forget our past and washes us white as snow.  Please note the first five words in the below verse are "If we confess our sins."    

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 

It is also difficult to accept unconditional love. Precious few people in our lives love and accept us without rules.  "If you will conform to my ways, then I will accept you." or "I love you, but I really do not want to be around you."  But when God says He loves us and will never stop loving us, and that He wants as much more time spent with us than we give, we can believe it is true. He will not reject us when we make mistakes, nor will He cast us aside when someone more interesting comes along.  He will always love us and find us worth His time and affection. 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35, 38-39

However, a holy God cannot tolerate sin and even though we can never be separated from His love, we can be separated from His heavenly kingdom if we refuse His rules (Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things SHALL NOT INHERIT the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21.)  

Read also all of Romans, chapter 6. Here are verses 1-2: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

This is why "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)  Because God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9).  He compassionately wants all of us to join Him in the beautiful paradise He prepared for us (John 14:2-3).  The rules are in place so we can have a blissful eternity with our savior, not to keep us in chains, but to set us free from those chains!

Even if we cannot fully understand how it is possible, when we have faith enough to accept God will not break His promises (also 2 Peter 3:9), He will not lie to us (Titus 1:2), He will forgive and forget our sins (Mark 2:10), His love is free (Romans 5), and He truly wants the best for us (Jeremiah 29:11), then we will be more willing to surrender our heart, soul, and strength to Him (Luke 10:27).  

...God is love. 1 John 4:8

Let's face it, most of us have had to deal with an abusive authority figure either in the form of a teacher, military instructor, boss and/or parent. When we have lived through someone with power over us not treating us with the love and respect Jesus expects us to treat all people, it makes it even harder to trust that God's authority is just, fair, gentle, and good (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:25, 2 Corinthians 10:1).  It can be near impossible to see God as a kind Heavenly Father if your earthly father and/or mother was cruel.  Again, it is why it is so vital to not place God in a human box.  If His thoughts and ways were like frail, cruel, unforgiving, cold, stubborn, rebellious humans, He would never have sent His only son to die for us so we could be cleansed from our sins by the blood of Jesus, and be healed by the stripes Jesus took on His back (Isaiah 53:5), nor prepared a place of peace and joy with Him forever (Revelation 21:4).

I pray this all sinks in.  I know it is not easy to see God outside of our limited human eyes. I will leave you with my favorite scripture verse.  This verse is saying the same as Isiah 55 above, that we cannot fully understand the mind of God because we see this world through dark sunglasses, not through the bright light of Throne of God.  But when we get to heaven and see God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, then it will all make perfect sense. Until then, we can rely on faith to embrace that God truly is all His Word says He is, and He will do all His Word says He will do.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 

When it is Difficult to Praise the Lord

This is the third time I am sharing this writing.  After having two cancer surgeries in 2023, I can still very much attest that this blog rings true to the depths of my heart and soul.

Here is what I wrote in 2020:  I originally wrote this blog in February 2016 and shared it again in today with a heavy heart.  I am having a very sad day today as I was forced to resign from my job due to increasing physical limitations. I am broken hearted as I loved my job, and my boss has become like family to me.  I struggle today with feelings of confusion toward God, I am again trying to focus on I Corinthians 13:12. Thig blog is absolutely for me today as well as for anyone who chooses to read it.  I pray it ministers to you as it has to me. 

This was originally titled "When we Don't Know how to Praise," but I changed the title to reflect more on what many of us feel daily.

Now here is what I wrote in 2016:

When it is Difficult to Praise the Lord

If you do a search on the word "praise" on Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/ , you will get 277 results.  In other words, there is a lot to be said on the subject of praise.  I am sure there are too many articles out there to even count on the subject of praise, and I will probably not say anything original, but this is the subject on my heart.  Strangely, with all those verses at my fingertips, I am only going to use one bible verse this time. 
 
Today I am not writing about just praying at the start or end of the day to thank God for all He has done, I want to address praising God with more than a quick prayer.  More specifically, I am going to write about how to praise when you really don't know what to say.
 
My husband and I do our best to take the time to pray together once a day (which is essential for marriage), but I still believe we need to have individual alone time with Christ.  If there is one area I am lacking in my Christian Walk (I know I am flawed in many ways), it is in the area of prayer and praise.  When I say my prayers I thank God for the day, my husband, our pets, our home, and ultimately for His love.  I also ask for blessings & healings for my family members. Seems a bit lacking, doesn't it?  Therefore, this blog is just as much for me as it is for you.  
 
If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know that I went through a crisis of faith beginning October 2014.  I don't want to spend time on that subject, so I will just say I was confused and angry with God and it took a long time for me to be able to talk to Him again.  I started off simple by just saying, "thank you." 
 
It is okay if we do not know what to say as God knows our hearts.  If all you can say is "thank you," then at least you are acknowledging the good that God has done.  That is an excellent place to start.

I have always loved these verses:

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

This is basically saying that we do not even have to have the words to speak to Christ because He knows what is in our hearts and what is best for us.  Jesus intercedes for us before His Father.  And better yet, Jesus prays for us "according to the will of God."  That humbles me and makes my eyes fill with tears.

Because God never promised a perfect life, you will come to a place in your life when you don't know what to say to God and you may be feeling confused.  But your heart still aches for communion with Christ, and that is the good news.  Do not ignore those instincts and let Satan discourage you.  He would love it if you gave into your negativity, stayed angry, and ignored God altogether.  It is always a good time to worship, but when you are lowest can be best time to praise. 

If all you can say is one word, let me suggest, "Jesus."  There is Power in the name of Jesus.  Calling on the name of Jesus brings healing.  If you allow Christ to work in your life, you will begin to find peace.  You may never understand why bad things happen other than the fact we live in a fallen world, and we all have a free will.  But you can find joy and comfort in just knowing how much Jesus loves you!  That alone can often get you through the dark times in your life. 

When you choose to take the time to praise, do not focus on your circumstances because you run the risk ok wallowing in self-pity.  Your purpose for taking time out to praise God is to focus on Him.  I absolutely recommend praying with God and expressing your feelings.  Just as good communication is essential to a healthy marriage, the same goes with your relationship with Christ.  However, I am now referring to praise time.  A time of letting go and leaving the land of ego behind.  Your praise time should be one of humility and reverence.

If you are having difficulty finding the time, do not let praise feel like an obligation looming over your head.  Praise is a privilege and should feel like it.  If you only have five minutes a week or even a month, then make those five minutes the best you can give to God.  If you have a bad attitude about giving your time, then try again later.  It is true that praise can change your bad mood, but trying to force praise with a sour attitude is offering up garbage to the Holy of Holies!   

Once again, if you do not know how to praise, that is fine.  You don't have to know the exact words or have a good voice, just make a joyful noise unto the Lord!  You could simply start of singing songs you remember from church.  If you have a physical disability that makes it difficult to sing (I have been in that place), then you can just close your eyes and listen. There are many great sources for free worship music such as Amazon, YouTube, Pandora, etc.  I hesitate to recommend a specific artist as many are not truly serving the Lord, so I will leave that up to your spiritual discernment.

There are some people that consider dancing before the Lord as praise (as David did in the bible).  I would use extreme caution in this area.  I have seen some beautiful movements done to praise music, however, this form of praise is quite often abused and done in a show-off and/or worldly way (and, sadly, even in a sensual way).  Churches often use their so-called worship services to promote themselves, and there is no awe or respect for God in the music and especially not in the dance.  Don't be fooled into thinking there is anything holy about the "Holy Ghost Hop." 

When worship becomes an act if exhibition or becomes about simply enjoying the worldly beat, then your heart is not in the right place.  True praise and worship is only about glorifying Christ.  When you worship at home, your motives are most likely pure.  When praising God at church, be sure you are not raising your hands just to look holy or because it is expected of you.  Others may not know the difference, but God knows. 

 

Praise time does not always have to be on your knees, but I do recommend it at least once a month (or more) because it is an act of submission and humility and it literally makes you feel God's presence that much more.  Again, a physical disability can make it difficult to kneel (been there as well).  With that said, praise is just as effective sitting or standing while watching or listening to praise music anywhere in your home.  It is best to focus on the praise, and therefore ultimately on God alone, but even praising God while driving is sure to put you in a better frame of mind.

And actually, praise does not have to involve music, I guess that's just my own idea of praise.  I am a music lover and I feel closest to God when I am singing to Him or even playing my trumpet.  I am now correcting myself by saying I was not going to talk about praying, because praying is absolutely an act of praise.  Simply talking to Jesus and telling Him how much you love Him and thanking Him, not for material things, but just for loving you is definitely praise.  Praying scripture is praise.  The only time I would dispute that praying is not praise is when we are asking for anything. 

Pride or Perversion? Reach out to the Lost With the Love of Christ, Written by my Husband

 Pride or Perversion? Reach out to the Lost With the Love of Christ

Written by my Husband, Mel

God's Word teaches us to Love the sinner but to Hate the sin. Our culture has turned the homosexual agenda into a civil rights issue. However, this is an issue about sexual perversion and is not the same as racial or religious injustice. It is shameful how the White House is lit up in the rainbow colors to honor what God calls an abomination.

Many people believe that those struggling with sexual perversions are beyond the reach of the Lord's hand but this is wrong. The Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save. Many people have been delivered from the gay lifestyle and now are married to the opposite gender. Nothing is impossible with God and he is willing to set you free from all types of sin if you are willing to repent and turn from your old nature.

Salvation is a free gift based on faith alone accompanied with repentance. The Lord will remove all of your former sins and give you a clean slate to begin a new life on. The shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross paid for all of your sins and provided peace between the Father and mankind. When we are bankrupt in our sins, God provided bankruptcy court and forgiveness of our debts through the gift of His son upon the cross.

If a person is struggling with same gender attraction, or transgender issues, they should remain celibate and pray for deliverance. God sees a repentant heart and his Holy Spirit will help you to remain clean. God's Word teaches that it is an abomination for a man to wear female attire. Crossdressing is Not acceptable to God and you must wear clothing for your gender. If you are born a man, you are a man in God's eyes, regardless of what our perverted culture tells you. If a person continues in homosexual sin and justifies it they will go to Hell according to God's Word. However, God made a way of escape through salvation and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the surrounding cities because of their wickedness, Genesis 19:1-29. The Bible tells us that the men of Sodom lusted after the angels of God who were sent to deliver Lot and his family out of Sodom; they demanded that the angels be brought to them so that they might have sexual relations with them. In response to their wickedness, the angels smote them with blindness, then led Lot and his family out of Sodom prior to God raining fire and brimstone upon the city. The New Testament book of Jude tells us that God destroyed these cities specifically because of the sin of homosexuality (strange flesh), to make them an example for all time.

Jude 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Romans 1:24-28 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

Deuteronomy 22:5 A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Timothy 1:8-10 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

Deliverance From Those Things Which Keep you Bound, Written by my Husband

 

 

Deliverance From Those Things Which Keep you Bound

Written by my Husband, Mel

(Acts 19:19) Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

(Deuteronomy 18:10-14) There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.

Our culture has been flooded with the occult and most people have become desensitized to it. Let me take you out into the deep water and share with you revelations that the Lord has given me concerning deliverance from things which keep people bound. Many people will not accept all that I am going to say, but this information is from heaven. I am in the deliverance ministry, and in many cases items within your homes must be removed for deliverance to be permanent. I have witnessed many cases of people who have lost their healings or have become repossessed by evil spirits in less than twenty- four hours after receiving their breakthrough. People need to be taught how to keep their deliverance. When a person is delivered from evil spirits, the Lord cleans their spiritual house. A person must keep their house clean, as well as remain filled with God’s Holy Spirit, in order to keep the evil ones from returning.  According to Christ, if a person is repossessed by evil spirits, their last state is seven times worse

(Luke 11: 24-26) "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 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."

There are different forms of demonization. A person may be oppressed by an evil spirit that is attached to them but does not indwell them. Many Christians are oppressed by spirits of sickness, mental illness, fear, anxiety, anger, or despair. However, sin is not always the reason for some types of oppression. There are generational spirits that oppress people. These spirits are passed down through many generations within family lines. They may be sickness, lust, perversion, anger, suicide, etc. If a person allows generational sins to overcome them, this may lead to possession.  The good news is that God will break generational curses if a person allows Him to. In some cases, a spirit may indwell a person’s body, but not their spirit. This may be a type of infirmity or may result from anger or hate. This is not considered to be a possession and usually occurs within the soulish realm (mind).  If sin that is not repented of turns into a spiritual bondage, this may result in a possession of one’s spirit. When Satan indwells your innermost spirit, you are possessed, and in need of deliverance. The Son came to set the captive free. It is God’s desire that all people be set free from the bondages of Satan. Do not be confused into thinking all these instances mean you are demon possessed (indwelt by an evil spirit), but rather oppressed (harassed mentally by an evil spirit).

 Repentance is the key for deliverance. However, repentance must be accompanied by faith in order for deliverance to be successful. If you don’t believe, as well as trust that the Lord will set you free, then your faithlessness may block your healing or deliverance. Many people are set free from demonic bondages through heartfelt repentance, along with fasting. Fasting, along with praise and worship is a powerful weapon against the enemy’s devices. When you fast, you are showing God how serious you are about your desired breakthrough. Fasting accompanied by prayer will move the hand of God.  

 (Matthew 17:18-21) And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” 

God’s Word teaches that God inhabits the praises of His people. When David played anointed music for Saul, the evil spirit would depart from him. When the Israelites marched around Jericho seven times, on the seventh day, the seven priests gave a blast on their trumpets, also the army gave a shout, and the walls fell down flat. The enemy’s devices cannot function when we put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. If you want the strongholds of Satan to fall before you, then offer up continuous praise and worship to the Father for your desired breakthrough.   

 (Joshua 6:2-5) And the Lord said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him."

(Isaiah 61: 3) To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

In most cases, items within your home may be a point of contact for evil spirits to remain grounded. Items associated with the occult should be destroyed. Jewelry, movies, music, pictures, clothing, images, etc. that reflect the occult are an attachment that will prevent deliverance. Items such as images of witches/wizards (even if it seems like an innocent cartoon) dream catchers, some Native American symbols or images, totems/talismans, Ouija boards, items associated with Buddhist or Hindu (including yoga) religions, are all open doors for evil spirits to abide in your home or life. Sadly, most Wiccans and Satanists are aware of this, but most Christians are blind to this spiritual fact. The occult is also very pronounced within fairy tales, as well as children’s movies and books. Fairies, fairy godmothers, magic, spells, curses, wizards, witches, leprechauns, trolls, water and tree spirits, and elves, are all demonic. These stories have firm roots deep into the occult. Movies and television shows such as The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Star Trek, Bewitched, Charmed, the majority of Disney movies, Avatar, etc., are loaded with witches, wizards, spells, psychic powers, as well as the force of Star Wars (Zen inspired). God does not give you grace to indulge in demonic activity, no matter how desensitized you are to it. True repentance requires action. A person should destroy all items connected to the occult if you desire to be sanctified (set apart or purified) by God.

Most of television and movies are an abomination to God.  Television was once an idol to me, as well as a compromise of my Christian faith. Television is filled with extreme violence, fornication, adultery, occultism, profanity, swearing etc. I was filling my eye gates and ear gates with the trash that Hollywood produces. For the eyes and the ears are gates to the soul. Christians should not be filling their souls up with darkness.

 The Lord gave me dreams, as well as words concerning television, which reflect how serious this issue is to the Lord. The Lord said, “You are cut off from me.” I asked, “How?” The Lord replied, “You are cut off due to compromise by watching television.” The Lord showed me that watching television would prevent him from healing and blessing his children, as well as hinder a person's relationship with him. This is a very serious issue to the Lord. 

In another dream, I was seated on the couch in front of my entertainment center. In the area where our television once was, there was a coffin; on each side of the entertainment center were full size coffins. My arms were outstretched and between my arms was a mini coffin. The Lord said, "Babylon has been in front of your face this entire time." I understood that my arms had been wrapped around television for a long time; I loved it, and it was idolatry to me. The Lord also said, "Television is a magnet for demons to enter your home." According to the Lord, television is spiritual death. In another dream, I saw a slimy pig enter a home through a television set. Television and movies are spiritual compromise. Satan’s throne in most homes is the television set. If you want to know true freedom from bondages, get rid of the pig.

I have shared deep spiritual truths with you in this posting and this may be hard to accept by some. Please prayerfully consider all you have read and ask the Lord of He there are any hindrances in your life He wants you to let go of, and then do your very best to obey God.