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The below is adapted from chapter three of Bob’s book,

DEALING WITH DEMONS, “Creeping Determinism” section.

What I write about below, is important when dealing with victims who’ve suffered any kind of abuse, especially that inflicted by a parent. In his book Why We Make Mistakes, author Joseph T. Hallinan points out a concept that is important in ministering to those who have been demonically attacked: “creeping determinism.” Not only are human beings prone to exaggerate or minimize past occurrences of trauma, depending on the particular need, but they also “misremember” what actually happened. In my words, they lie to themselves.

Demons may be part of this process of self-protective prevarication. The effect is even more dramatic if the individual also suffered something so terrible that there was an immediate need to cancel its pain by instantly reframing the event in the mind. This is why in deliverance ministry the process of inner healing and recovered memories is so important. So is exploring the possibility of dissociative identity disorder (DID).

It’s common for victims of abuse to make excuses about the bad behavior of their abuser, especially someone in close relationship to them. Shouldn’t the victim of abuse give grace and overlook their ill treatment? That’s the mind-game that many Christians play in their attitude toward past abusers. It sounds good, but it’s a deadly trap laid by evil spirits. A lie is a lie, no matter what extenuating circumstances may be present. When that lie is at the root of a demonic opening in one’s life, shading the account of an abuser’s brutality, the outcome is always the same: continued bondage until the truth comes through and can be faced honestly.

When ministering inner healing it’s important that the recipient of abuse deal honestly with the truth of what was done to them. The purpose is not to instill greater resentment of their abuser(s) but to not allow “creeping determinism” to gradually minimize the damage of the abuse at the time it occurred. In retrospect, the pain of mistreatment may have diminished over time, but the point of demonic entry was created by what the individual felt at the time the evil actions occurred. It was the anger and bitterness that they felt back then that may have given demons a legal right of entry. Closing that demonic door means that the victim of abuse must face how they felt at the time the emotional or physical injury took place. Only then can they completely release it to the Lord for emotional and spiritual healing.

TO GET YOUR COPY OF “DEALING WITH DEMONS,”

CLICK HERE or call 303-980-1511.

An encouraging word: PLANT A SEED BY SERVING

Some think that what’s important to being a Christian is getting saved. But the Messianic Psalm 22:30 declares, “Posterity (‘a seed” KJV) shall serve Him.” There’s a wealth of biblical instruction in those few words. More is required of Christians than just to confess Christ. We are to serve Him with all our hearts. A seed does no good unless it is planted. Our lives, even as converted believers, produce no fruit unless we serve the cause of Christ. Think today of ways that you can serve the Lord by planting the seed of your life in some way.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online

It’s the hottest internet, smartphone, gaming sensation in history. The game, launched this past week, is played on-the-go with iPhone or Android devices. By the time you read this blog, in excess of 10 million downloads will have occurred. Nearly $2 million a day in revenue is pouring in to Nintendo Corporation, the developer. Stock shares jumped in value from $12 billion to $30 billion overnight. Apple and Google are in on this, downloading apps worth many more millions. Most folks will remember Pokemon from the 80s and 90s when the Japanese franchise was played with trading cards, video games, and so-called “manga” Japanese comics Pokemon is a shortened version for “pocket monsters,” fictional animals who need to be captured. Pokemon characters (scores of them) may possess supernatural powers and appear as ghosts or orbs.

In the latest gaming version, players use a GPS map to locate Pokemon characters in real time in the real world. Apps use “augmented reality” to simulate capturing a Pokemon in real life. The demonic-looking creatures seem to be moving about in the real world. Police are alarmed that people in pursuit of their Pokemon are trespassing, invading landmarks, businesses, even entering churches, to retrieve “virtual” items in their quest. In Missouri, four teens used the app to lure robbery victims. An apparently bogus “interview” with Time magazine has been circulating the internet in which the Japanese creator says the game was devised as a backlash against Christian parents. Worse yet, he supposedly says the game is directed against Christianity and in favor of Satanism. In the presumably hoaxed interview, the gamer says, “Pokemon is essentially the correct answer towards life, not Christianity. Everything presented in the game is the opposite of what Christians believe.” Hoax or not, the fact that anti-Christian sentiment would be punked is by itself interesting.

So what’s the danger? The characters are taken from demonic mythology, including gods from Hawaii and Scandinavia. Alchemy and black magic sources are also used. That in itself should urge caution. Hogwash, says one Christian game developer. He defends the game by saying, “It is a fun pastime. A totally harmless one.” As to the occult overtones, he adds, “It does nothing to a saved Christian. It has no power.” This misguided man even suggests using Pokemon for evangelism. What’s next? Runes for Jesus? Holy yoga? (Oops, we already have that abomination.)

There you have it. Consorting via virtual reality with Pele or Thor won’t get you demons. I differ. The assumption is a false one, that Christians who tamper with the occult won’t suffer real spiritual oppression. Christians can be demonized. Almost every day I minister to real Believers who messed with the New Age or occult practices and picked up hideous demons by such apparently harmless pursuits. If you are a believer, any contact with crystals, consultation of one’s horoscope, indulging in yoga, cultivating energy fields, may lead to real demonic possession. And yes, it can and does happen to genuinely saved Christians. Stay away from Pokemon lest that little virtual demon on your iPhone lures you in pursuit of more than you bargained for.

An encouraging word: GOD HEARD HIS SON’S CRIES

The messianic Psalm 22 makes a remarkable statement: “For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted . . . but when He cried to Him, He heard” (verse 24). These words apply to all of us who are afflicted, but they were prophetically directed to Christ on the cross. God himself witnessed the pain and emotional torment put on his Son. He heard His own Son’s cries of agony. All because of sin. But the Almighty didn’t pull back. God knew it was all necessary. Jesus had to suffer if you and I were to escape hell and live forever. Today, be grateful that He didn’t deny Jesus the suffering of Calvary.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.

Happy Birthday, America. In President Obama’s hometown, Chicago, over Independence Day weekend, 64 were shot, five were killed. That’s 389 so far this year, more than New York and L. A. combined, and the year’s just half over. And where is Obama moving after he finishes his two-term assault on Americans morals? A $5 million house in a ritzy D. C. suburb. How hypocritical to leave behind the African-American area that put him in the White House for a new suburban palace away from the killing fields of South Chicago.

Also on July 4th this past week, I noticed an interesting story coming out of Cuba, Obama’s new BFF. Not only is our 90-miles-away neighbor to the south increasing persecution of Christians and all dissidents, in spite of Obama’s “normalized” relationship, but it turns out that Cuba has become a potential hotbed for Radical Islam−a short boat ride away. Cuba, traditionally associated with Santeria witchcraft, Catholicism, and atheism, now has a growling Muslim community of 10,000. Thanks to Obama’s lifting of sanctions against Cuba it can only grow larger. Can anyone seriously think that among those 10K Muslims there are no radicalized, ISIS-friendly terrorist? And that Cuba would do nothing to hide them? Of course not.

In the final days of Obama’s White House we’ve been handed two crises, as stated above. More violence than ever in our urban, African-American communities (a problem his ethnicity was supposed to help solve) and a burgeoning terrorist threat just off the shores of Miami. Whoever is elected president had better get both these things under control quickly or Independence Day 2017 may indeed be bleak. This also underscores the importance of the Christian vote in November.

An encouraging word: WORKS OF THE FLESH.

We hear much preaching about the “fruits of the spirit” as detailed in Galatians 5:22-23. But we don’t hear so much, these days, about the “works of the flesh,” which are pointed out earlier in verses 19-21. Though we need both reminders, I would suggest that in our morally corrupt world, culture is long overdue to be reminded that the Bible details very definitive acts of evil, including “adultery, fornication, lewdness, sorcery, hatred, and drunkenness,” to name a few. People today who ascribe to a relative morality miss the point that sin is specific and it is actual deeds that can damn the soul. We all need this reminder.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18). You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.

The below is adapted from my latest book, DEALING WITH DEMONS,

Chapter Three, the section on Hindsight Bias.

I am indebted to author Joseph T. Hallinan for his book, Why We Make Mistakes. The book is primarily an exploration of the human condition of error, even with the best of intentions and meticulousness in avoiding it. In the section of his book called, “Hindsight Isn’t Twenty-Twenty,” Hallinan points out that “hindsight bias” is a constant source of human error. In essence, the author believes that the outcome of individuals’ lives has a strong influence on how they see the past. This is what he calls “hindsight bias.”Almost every person I have counseled who experienced tragedy at a young age has such bias.

What a person becomes later in life affects how they remember what it was like many years before. This is the historical revisionism I referred to. Many times a retrospective lens on the past ought not to be trusted. Our emotions lie to us, especially if demonic forces are there to reinforce that lie. I’ve seen this play out over and over. The result is that people coming for ministry many not be able to recognize curses in their past, because the evil that was said or done to them has been so greatly minimized.

The victim of any kind of childhood abuse or mistreatment has a vested interest in hindsight bias. It aids their ability to overlook how terrible past experiences may have been. The upside is it may ameliorate some of the effect of significant trauma. The downside is that it covers up painful memories that need to be healed. More than that, it actually rewrites the way that those memories are perceived, placing them in a less horrific context. Hindsight bias is one thing if it’s a matter of how a historian views a past war or the effect of a certain political regime. It’s another matter if the bias conceals or minimizes the effect of personal evil on the one who has experienced it. This concealment is one way that demonic forces keep a tormented individual from seeking help. They so negate the authenticity of their emotions that they actually lie to themselves about the truth of what happened.

Don’t suffer from “hindsight bias.” Get help today and see the past for what it really was.

An encouraging word: USE YOUR GIFTS FOR GOD

Moses doubted himself so much that he questioned whether he was fit to confront Pharaoh (Exodus 3:11). The Lord asked Moses what he held in his hand. The answer? “A rod.” For 40 years Moses had carried that rod, which seemed insignificant it him. He didn’t realize what it would mean when empowered by God, even to the parting of the Red Sea. What is it that you have in your hands that God might use? What gift or talent that you’ve carried around without realizing how important it can be, if empowered by God? Today, find your “rod” and use it.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18). You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.

Bombings in Belgium. Carnage in Paris. A massacre in Orlando. What is the world to do? Some Dutch citizens in the Netherlands think the answer is yoga. Tuesday, this past week, hundreds of them gathered on a beach in Zandvoot to mark the International Day of Yoga. They meditated, performed asanas (bodily positions of yoga), and welcomed peace to the world with the assembled form of a peace sign. Coincidentally, that same day marked a rare summer solstice with a full moon, highly prized by pagan, witches, and Satanists.Yoga, in Sanskrit, the ancient language of Hinduism, means “union with god,” small “g.” Its purpose is to bend the body into many forms to master the mind and soul of the practitioner. Quite literally, yoga’s goal is to tune the body to the Universal Mind and thereby achieve god-consciousness and attain oneness with the universe. At least that’s what they’ve been doing for thousands of years in India, no matter that some ignorant Christians in American may call their brand of Holy Yoga.

Some years ago, the secular magazine “Time” described yoga this way: “Enlightenment and good health require the free flow of the life force (prana) and the proper balance between the seven major energy hubs (chakras). (An eighth chakra, or aura, surrounds the body and encompasses the other seven.) The three lower chakras serve the body’s physical needs, while the five upper chakras are associated with the spiritual realm.”

Swami Vishnudevananda, a famous Hindu guru and worldwide advocate of yoga, once said, “The aim of all yoga practice is to achieve truth wherein the individual soul identifies itself with the supreme soul of God.” How? Vishnudevananda declared that “the supreme power of nature” was a coiled serpent lying at the base of the spine, the goddess Shakti, “the giver of immortality and eternal happiness.” But Shakti can only fulfill her promise by achieving union with Shiva, her consort. (Shiva is one member of the Hindu Trinitarian godhead, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva.) Shiva is said to reside at the center of the forehead between the eyebrows. The purpose of yoga is to arouse the serpent powers of Shakti (sometimes called kundalini) so that she passes through six chakras, spiritual energy centers. The seventh chakra, her destination, is Shiva. Once Shakti merges with Shiva, union, or yoga, is achieved. The next goal is permanent union to become a liberated soul and be unlimited by time and space-at one with god.

This is the way to world peace? I think not. I KNOW not, after decades of casting out yoga demons from hundreds of people. Christians, stay as far as you can from yoga in any format, even so-called Christian transmutations. And stay off the beach in the Netherlands if they gather again.

An encouraging word: TELL THOSE NOT YET BORN

Psalm 22:31 is an amazing prophetic statement: “They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born.” You and I have the responsibility to keep the message of the gospel alive, for those who are not yet on the earth. Each generation has the obligation to tell the next generation about Jesus. Serving God is more than enjoying the blessings of the generation before. It’s not just being content with what we have as Christians now. We must feel the full responsibility of telling the story of Christ’s love to those who are born on our watch. If we don’t, who will?

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.

Most Protestants have never stepped inside a Catholic church, except, perhaps, as a tourist meandering through some ancient European cathedral. Or they gazed in awe at St. Peters in the Vatican, when in Rome. Few Catholics have stopped to consider what is a unique requirement of all Catholic churches. To celebrate the mass, the official Roman Rite requires that a crucifix be situated on or close to the altar to remind the celebrants of the Eucharist that Christ has been crucified for sin. This blog isn’t purposed to argue for Catholic teachings or practices but rather to point out how central the cross is to the history of Christian worship. Not so in many “progressive” evangelical megachurches today. (It is imperative, before going further, that the reader read Part 1 of this series “What Happened to the Cross,” published last week. CLICK HERE to read.)

In fact, most evangelical Christians don’t have a clue about the difference between a “cross” and a “crucifix.” (The latter has a three-dimensional image of Christ affixed, rather than a bare cross.) Having traveled extensively in Russian and Eastern Europe, I’ve noted that their crosses have an additional third crossbar to which the feet are nailed, angled upward toward the penitent thief and downward toward the thief who would not repent. The rich history of the cross/crucifix establishes it as an essential part of Christian identity. Then why is it that many evangelical churches are out to prove that they are really “with it” and thus kick out the cross? Of what are they embarrassed? What are they trying to prove, other than a distaste for 2,000 years of Christian tradition?

True, a cross doesn’t make a church. A body of believers, two or more (Matthew 18:20), constitutes a “church” in the spiritual sense. But let’s not forget, Satan hates the cross. In our seminars, many people donate to our ministry to receive an exact replica of my own Cross of Deliverance. I pray over each cross, to dedicate and consecrate it as an emblem of faith and an instrument of torment to demons.

Watch the exorcisms on our YouTube channel, as nearly 8 million people have. You’ll see many instances when demons manifest just by the demonized person being touched with my cross. You’ll see demons dodge the cross, fearing the mere sight of it. Why? Demons can’t see my faith. That is an invisible component of my beliefs. But they can see the visible extension of my faith, the physical tangibility of where I place my hope and trust, the cross on which Christ died. If Satan so fears the cross, could it be that some churches remove it lest they have to deal with the existential reality of demons and the devil? I pray that is not so, though I fear that, implicitly, it is. Interestingly, you’ll never see a cross in a Mormon church. ‘Nough said. . . .

TO GET YOUR OWN CROSS OF DELIVERANCE FULL-SIZED OR JEWELRY-SIZED

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An encouraging word: YOU CAN TRUST YOUR FAITH

As you go about your tasks of the day, can you truly trust the Word of God to guide you? Much can be said about the veracity of Scripture, but consider these words of the apostle John: “This is the message which we have heard from Him” (1 John 1:5). John’s gospel and his epistles were the result of his own, eye-witness of Christ’s life and deeds. He, and the other gospel writers, only relayed exactly what they had seen and heard regarding Jesus. Today, you can count on your prayers. You can trust your faith in a crucified and risen Lord. John was but one of many who had personally seen and heard what is written in the New Testament. And they didn’t lie.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online

Over the past several weeks, I’ve made it a point to check out what’s going on in the evangelical Christian world by visiting various thriving churches. None of these congregations is one I’d want to be part of, but I was curious to see what was making them so apparently successful, at least numerically. From Phoenix to New York, and places in between. I slipped quietly into the audience and watched. Most of them had several things in common: reasonably professional-sounding praise bands which were obviously a major main draw; sophisticated settings with smiling greeters who had Dale Carnegie-style aplomb; interior design that was eye-catching and hip; casually dressed pastors whose wardrobes and mannerisms shouted “casual” and “cool.” But there was something I observed that hardly anyone else seemed to notice. It wasn’t what all these churches did, but what they didn’t do that chagrined me. It wasn’t what they had, but what they didn’t have that bothered me. It was glaringly obvious, to me, but presumably not to the oblivious, marketed masses.

I wanted to jump up in the middle of their services and shout from the top of my lungs “Where is the cross?” Go ahead, check out the Christian channels showcasing the most successful megachurches churches on TV. Church-hop a couple of Sundays. You’ll observe what I did. In most of them, not a cross anywhere. Not outside. Not on a steeple (there are very few of those any more). Not on the platform. Not somewhere behind the pulpit. Zilch. Nada. No cross. I have come to realize that this is no happenstance oversight. It is deliberate. With all the care taken to be certain that the stage design is worthy of a Broadway show with modernistic emblems and colorful lights, to augment the flashing video presentations that constantly punctuate the meetings with slick editing, no one bothers to include a cross anywhere. The conclusion? Not oversight. Intentional.

Paul told the Corinthians that the cross is the emblem of God’s power (1 Corinthians 1:18). So why had it been expunged from the churches I attended? I could only conclude that these purveyors of congregational cool didn’t want the environment to look too religious, lest some might be offended and not come back. After all, isn’t it all about being friendly to the seeker? No sense offending them with some ancient, formal symbol of Christianity. Don’t remind them of what’s uncool and traditional.

I now understand why some people think it so unusual that, in my seminars, I provoke demons with a cross in hand. And why some criticize me for doing it. It’s something believers seldom see anymore. The Christian public is losing its theological and philosophical grasp of the cross as the preeminent symbol of our faith. This one emblem has been Christianity’s universal image of the gospel for two millennia. You may think I’m over-reacting, but consider what I say against the backdrop of what churches have looked like for centuries. Some friendly advice. If you don’t see a cross somewhere in your church, think twice about coming back next Sunday. The absence of the cross speaks volumes about the implicit mindset of the church and pastor. And if you think I sound too bold or judgmental, wait until you read what I say in Part 2 of this blog next week.

This is part one of a series. Next week, Part 2.

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OF THIS EMBLEM OF OUR FAITH. TO ENROLL, CLICK HERE, OR CALL NOW 303-980-1511.

An encouraging word: GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT

In our world of looking out for #1, and politics of division and disrepute, the words of Paul to Timothy are a contrast: “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). Many seek contentment in the “mindfulness” of Eastern meditation. They pursue peace in drugs and lust. They hope for calm minds and bodies with yoga. But Paul says that the way to true contentment is by living a godly life. Such a pursuit is not only fulfilling, but it is “great gain” in every way, relationally and spiritually.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online

The below is adapted from my latest book, DEALING WITH DEMONS. Chapter two.

I sometimes describe my approach to deliverance as the Joe Friday method. Remember the old “Dragnet” TV series, and detective Friday’s droll rejoinder, “Just the facts, Ma’am.” Often it’s the most basic facts about an individual’s personal history that give clues to demonic intrusion into their lives. Consider the crucial role that elementary information plays in determining what the devil has done and knowing how to crack the code to Satan’s machinations. Just the facts. For example, it’s important to know ten things when dealing with demons: (1) age, (2) residency location, (3) occupation, (4) education, (5) marital status, (6) extended family, (7) ethnicity, (8) cultural identity, (9) religious history, and (10) current religious affiliation.

On the surface this list seems very basic and not too insightful. But there is more to be learned than the reader might suppose. These ten things alone could be sufficient to reasonably determine the extent to which Satan is operating in one’s life. Those who have attended my seminars or watched our YouTube Exorcism Channel know that some form of these ten bits of information introduce almost every exorcism in which I engage. Knowing these basics gives a thumbnail sketch, a snapshot of who the person is and what constitutes their self-perception and their place in the world. Agreed, these designations are broad brushstrokes of analysis, by nature categorical. Even so, such generalizations have often proven to be good indicators as to how to proceed with ministry. They provide a good place to start.

For example, consider the first on my list, age. Younger individuals will likely be less serious about life and the consequences of evil. Convincing them to stop a particular behavior in order to be free from Satan many not seem as urgent as it will with someone older. Younger people have a lighter grasp on the spiritual issues of repentance and correction where eternity is concerned. They are also more easily distracted by the things of this world and all its temptations. The older individual may also be harder to persuade, but for a different reason: Demolishing spiritual strongholds (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) gets harder the older the person is. Older people are more set in their ways and perhaps unwilling to alter the habits which the demons are manipulating. The older one gets, in my counseling experience, the more entrenched the demons are.

An encouraging word: DISCERN THE TIMES

Jesus said of the hypocrites of His day, “You cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). Not much has changed. From my perspective, there has been more moral deterioration in the last half-dozen years then I’ve seen in my entire lifetime. Many Christians agree with me. And yet, the drumbeat of culture seems to be marching millions in the direction of corruption and decay. They don’t discern the times because they don’t know what the Bible says about right and wrong. Don’t let that happen to you. Only by staying true to God’s Holy Word can any one of us discern what choices to make in life, and how to discern good from evil.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online

A week ago, the former drummer for metal band Megadeth, Nick Menza, died at age 51, collapsing on stage on the third song of a set. A month ago, pop music superstar Prince was found dead at 57, from an apparent drug overdose. Earlier this year David Bowie died at 69 and Glenn Frey died at 67. There are few pop/rock artists that make it to their 70s. Most don’t survive until their 60s. Or their 50s. Okay, so Mick Jagger is 72, but who wants to look like that at any age? Generally speaking, a life in entertainment, at least rock ‘n’ roll, is somewhat short-lived. Drugs, STDs, fast living, and sin in copious quantities takes a toll.

As for me, I’ve outlived all of the above. I’m not bragging, just observing that it pays to serve God. Being a Christian won’t automatically guarantee a long life, but it gives a good running start. One still has to eat wisely, exercise frequently, maintain sound mental health, and treat the temple of one’s body with respect. But minus all the booze, cigarettes, pills, weed, and God knows what else rock stars consume, Christians usually live better and longer.

Deuteronomy 6:2 tells us that keeping the Lord’s commandments leads to “long life.” The psalmist said that those who call upon the Lord would receive the “honor” of a long life (Psalm 91:15). Proverbs says that a long life is at the right hand of Wisdom (Proverbs 3:16). Ephesians 6:1-3 admonishes that obeying and honoring one’s parents is the “first commandment with promise,” and that such showing of respect is another way to “live long on the earth.” I don’t know about the personal lives of Menza, Prince, and Bowie, but judging by the messages in their music, I can’t imagine that respect for their earthly parents or their heavenly father was high on the agenda. “Live fast and die young,” goes the old adage. Without eternity in mind, it might sound good when you’re in your 20s and 30s. But Hebrews 9:27 lurks in the wings of life’s stage as a reminder: You live once and then face the judgment of God.

An encouraging word: JESUS IS THE WAY & THE LIGHT

“There came a man sent from God,” declares the apostle John in his gospel (John 1:6). He spent the previous 5 verses telling us about the man Jesus, God incarnate, who was sent from God. One was The Way, the other the way-shower. One was the Light, the other came to “bear witness of that light” (John 1:8) Make no mistake, Jesus Christ is the Way (John 14:6). But you and I are, like John the Baptist of whom verse 6 speaks, those who show the way to The Way. He is the light, and we are just candles lighting the path to the Savior and Son of God. Today, ask the Lord to provide you with the opportunity to show someone the way to Jesus.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.

When I was in Ukraine just a few weeks ago, pastors took me aside to inform me of a pending scandal in that war-torn country. As if battling Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine were not enough, I was told that the biggest church in the nation was about to implode. Then, last week the press picked up the story. Sunday Adelaja, Pastor of the largest church in Ukraine (third largest in all Europe) confessed to having sex with at least 30 or more women in his church, Embassy of God. (Embassy has 25,000 members plus 700 daughter churches in 45 countries.) According to published reports, Adelaja couldn’t actually remember how many church women he’d had sex with.

So why bring up yet another sordid story of ministerial misconduct? For one thing, this isn’t conjecture. Adelaja has admitted his misdeeds, and, according to a church official, Adelaja is unrepentant and refuses to submit to spiritual and moral authority. Then, there is the sheer volume of the sin. Thirty or more women? In his church? And he admits there are probably more?

Our ministerial associates in Ukraine pointed out that Adelaja has fiercely opposed deliverance ministry and publically taught that Christians can’t have demons. Well, guess now, who has the demons? Is there any other reasonable, spiritual explanation for such egregious actions of such moral magnitude? Let me be clear. I am not Adelaja’s judge and jury. Who really knows why all this happened? He obviously was a spiritually gifted man. But the facts must be faced. Anyone, including pastors, can fall prey to great evil. And it’s not always the “flesh” that is to be blamed. Sometimes it really is the devil and his demons. I pray that good men of God will help pastor Adelaja and his wife sort this out, but I pray even more that someone will confront the demonic forces in and around him that caused this lamentable tragedy. As I’ve said before, and will emphasize again, “Everyone needs to break curses. Everyone needs deliverance in some measure.” That includes pastors and all those in Christian leadership.

An encouraging word: DON’T SPEND TIME WITH SINNERS

What kind of crowd do you hang out with? The psalmist David has some advice: “Do not gather my soul with sinners” (Psalm 26:9). What great advice. You know the old adage, “Birds of a feather, flock together.” I understand that in the course of employment and commerce we have to spent time with those who don’t know the Lord. But when it comes to our personal, quality time that’s of our own choosing, we need to be careful about our associations. If the wicked are throwing a party, don’t go. If sinners are going to the bars or clubs, don’t go. If you spend too much time with sinners, you are more likely to become like them, then they are to become like you.

Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18).  You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.