Monday, April 30, 2012
New Blog Location
I will be shutting down this blog. Come on over to www.refugeministries.cc for my new blog.....
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Dancing with the Devil
adding a chapter to Dancing with the Devil from a former vampire. DWTD will have chapters from former occultist, 3 satanists, a 'Christian' witch, spiritualist,new age, the Son of Sam killer, and a mother's response to a demon possessed son. Release date is Sept 4!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Shadow Boxing
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
It is imperative for Christian to have understanding of what the Bible teaches. This should be a basic desire of everyone who has any desire to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He promised "You truly are my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 The freedom Christ promises is that He frees us to follow Him, and not ourselves. However, when we are not faithful to His teachings, we end up in all kinds of self imposed bondage.
Let's look at 2 Timothy 3:16. We are taught that all scripture is inspired by God and profitable. Okay, the Bible is claiming to be from God and advantageous for us to know what He is saying. This is important because in our human nature, we have a real tendency to fool ourselves. We have a deceptive heart which must be kept in check. We have a tendecy to read something into what God is saying in the Bible and we have a tendency to add on to what God is saying.
2 Timothy 3:16 further states that the Bible is profitable for teaching. Let's stop there for a moment. Jesus promises us that His teachings will set us free if we reamain faithful to what He taught. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that the whole Bible teaches us what God desires for us. He has revealed Himself and has spoken to us. Now, the question that needs to be addressed is; are we faithful to what He taught and do we have a real understanding of what God has spoken in the 66 books of the Bible?
I have to admit, I have seen quite a bit of loose interpretations of Scripture in my journey as a Christian. Specifically, I am tremendously concerned about what is being taught and understood as being God's word concerning spiritual warfare and deliverance. My understanding of what Jesus Christ stated in John 8:31-32 is that the Christian is to remain faithful to what He has taught; not what He has not. My understanding of 2 Timothy is that the Bible is God's word and it is profitable for teaching; not for what the Bible does not teach.
I believe the error is when we add on to the Bible. Simply stated, the Bible does not teach that the Christian is under a generational curse, or must break soul ties, bind satan and his demons. Nor does it teach that demons have legal rights to a Chritian's life. I could continue with my list of 'teachings' that will not be found in the Bible. They are extra biblical teachings and are not from God.
We simply cannot go on believing what the Bible does not teach as God's word. This mindset and approach will set you up for self imposed bondage and you will not be battling the devil or his demons. You will be in a place of acting from your own will,in the name of Jesus Christ. You will be deceiving yourself.
Have you ever seen someone shadowbox? He may look like a boxer. He may have evrything in place, good shoes to grip the floor, good satin shorts which make him look good in the ring and his gloves are fitted for the impact that he will land on his opponent. However, his opponent is not actually there. He fights himself.
It is imperative for Christian to have understanding of what the Bible teaches. This should be a basic desire of everyone who has any desire to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He promised "You truly are my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 The freedom Christ promises is that He frees us to follow Him, and not ourselves. However, when we are not faithful to His teachings, we end up in all kinds of self imposed bondage.
Let's look at 2 Timothy 3:16. We are taught that all scripture is inspired by God and profitable. Okay, the Bible is claiming to be from God and advantageous for us to know what He is saying. This is important because in our human nature, we have a real tendency to fool ourselves. We have a deceptive heart which must be kept in check. We have a tendecy to read something into what God is saying in the Bible and we have a tendency to add on to what God is saying.
2 Timothy 3:16 further states that the Bible is profitable for teaching. Let's stop there for a moment. Jesus promises us that His teachings will set us free if we reamain faithful to what He taught. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that the whole Bible teaches us what God desires for us. He has revealed Himself and has spoken to us. Now, the question that needs to be addressed is; are we faithful to what He taught and do we have a real understanding of what God has spoken in the 66 books of the Bible?
I have to admit, I have seen quite a bit of loose interpretations of Scripture in my journey as a Christian. Specifically, I am tremendously concerned about what is being taught and understood as being God's word concerning spiritual warfare and deliverance. My understanding of what Jesus Christ stated in John 8:31-32 is that the Christian is to remain faithful to what He has taught; not what He has not. My understanding of 2 Timothy is that the Bible is God's word and it is profitable for teaching; not for what the Bible does not teach.
I believe the error is when we add on to the Bible. Simply stated, the Bible does not teach that the Christian is under a generational curse, or must break soul ties, bind satan and his demons. Nor does it teach that demons have legal rights to a Chritian's life. I could continue with my list of 'teachings' that will not be found in the Bible. They are extra biblical teachings and are not from God.
We simply cannot go on believing what the Bible does not teach as God's word. This mindset and approach will set you up for self imposed bondage and you will not be battling the devil or his demons. You will be in a place of acting from your own will,in the name of Jesus Christ. You will be deceiving yourself.
Have you ever seen someone shadowbox? He may look like a boxer. He may have evrything in place, good shoes to grip the floor, good satin shorts which make him look good in the ring and his gloves are fitted for the impact that he will land on his opponent. However, his opponent is not actually there. He fights himself.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Stand
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7
Resist - This word is made up of two Greek words, anti (meaning "against") and histemi (meaning "to stand"). Therefore, we get "to stand against". This word finds its way into English in the word "antihistamine" (a substance that blocks production of certain chemicals). The key to understanding this word is the grammar. It is aorist, active, second person, plural. That means it is a single action, actively engaged in, personal, for every one of us. In others words, James is saying that each one of us is called to actively take a stand against the devil to make that stand a deliberate effort in our lives. This is not passive dismissal. It is not looking the other way or avoiding. It is the role of the peacemaker from the Beatitudes to stand in harm's way for the sake of the kingdom.
But notice what James does not say. He does not say, "Fight!" He says, "Stand!" Don't fall down, don't collapse, don't give in. Just stand against evil. God will do the fighting, you do the resisting. The picture we need to have in mind is the protester who stands in front of the approaching tank, no weapons, no conflict just resistance by placing himself in the way.
And look at the promise. "He will flee from you". The word is pheuxomai. It means "run away from danger" (I know we only do one word a day but this is important). Do you see how powerful it is to just stand against evil? God says that when we take this stand, the devil runs away because he knows he is in danger. Without a shot fired, without any battle fought, we win. He runs. He is scared to death of the person who stands on trust in God. There is an old Sunday school song that goes, "Standing on the promises of Christ my King". That is all we need. We might have to stand quite awhile, but the victory is certain. It is a promise.
STAND UP TODAY! Let God put you in harm's way and watch the devil run.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" James 4:8
Draw - Eggisate is the Greek word that means "come close at hand". The English word "progress" comes from this root. It is combined in a special phrase eggizo to Theo (meaning "draw near to God") that is used for offering sacrifices in worship. Drawing near to God means worshipping God. You can't get any closer than that.
James has just told us to submit to God (place yourself under Him), stand up against evil and the devil will run away (yesterday's verse James 4:7). Now he tells us to get as close as possible to God. All of these ideas deal with movement. Put yourself in a place stand come close. This is the perfect physical picture of how we are to live. Start by bending your knee to God. Put yourself in the right place. Then, don't be lazy. Get up. Stand in front of evil. Make your presence known. Watch the devil run away. And return to bending your knee - come close to God in worship. And guess what? God will get up close and personal with you.
So many times in my life I felt removed from God's presence. I knew that I believed but I did not feel close. Now I see that many of those times I was just hiding out. I was avoiding some encounter with the devil, hoping it would go away. God was waiting for me to stand up and be counted. Not grit my teeth and fight. Just resist. Push back. Stake my claim. And worship. We know that the context of worship is bending the knee in reverence and awe. First I stand. I watch God's power chase away my enemy. Then I get on my knees in thanksgiving and praise. And what do you know, God comes close to me.
Remember "progress". There is progress hidden in these words. Submit - stand watch worship. Make progress your goal today.
by Skip Moen
Resist - This word is made up of two Greek words, anti (meaning "against") and histemi (meaning "to stand"). Therefore, we get "to stand against". This word finds its way into English in the word "antihistamine" (a substance that blocks production of certain chemicals). The key to understanding this word is the grammar. It is aorist, active, second person, plural. That means it is a single action, actively engaged in, personal, for every one of us. In others words, James is saying that each one of us is called to actively take a stand against the devil to make that stand a deliberate effort in our lives. This is not passive dismissal. It is not looking the other way or avoiding. It is the role of the peacemaker from the Beatitudes to stand in harm's way for the sake of the kingdom.
But notice what James does not say. He does not say, "Fight!" He says, "Stand!" Don't fall down, don't collapse, don't give in. Just stand against evil. God will do the fighting, you do the resisting. The picture we need to have in mind is the protester who stands in front of the approaching tank, no weapons, no conflict just resistance by placing himself in the way.
And look at the promise. "He will flee from you". The word is pheuxomai. It means "run away from danger" (I know we only do one word a day but this is important). Do you see how powerful it is to just stand against evil? God says that when we take this stand, the devil runs away because he knows he is in danger. Without a shot fired, without any battle fought, we win. He runs. He is scared to death of the person who stands on trust in God. There is an old Sunday school song that goes, "Standing on the promises of Christ my King". That is all we need. We might have to stand quite awhile, but the victory is certain. It is a promise.
STAND UP TODAY! Let God put you in harm's way and watch the devil run.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" James 4:8
Draw - Eggisate is the Greek word that means "come close at hand". The English word "progress" comes from this root. It is combined in a special phrase eggizo to Theo (meaning "draw near to God") that is used for offering sacrifices in worship. Drawing near to God means worshipping God. You can't get any closer than that.
James has just told us to submit to God (place yourself under Him), stand up against evil and the devil will run away (yesterday's verse James 4:7). Now he tells us to get as close as possible to God. All of these ideas deal with movement. Put yourself in a place stand come close. This is the perfect physical picture of how we are to live. Start by bending your knee to God. Put yourself in the right place. Then, don't be lazy. Get up. Stand in front of evil. Make your presence known. Watch the devil run away. And return to bending your knee - come close to God in worship. And guess what? God will get up close and personal with you.
So many times in my life I felt removed from God's presence. I knew that I believed but I did not feel close. Now I see that many of those times I was just hiding out. I was avoiding some encounter with the devil, hoping it would go away. God was waiting for me to stand up and be counted. Not grit my teeth and fight. Just resist. Push back. Stake my claim. And worship. We know that the context of worship is bending the knee in reverence and awe. First I stand. I watch God's power chase away my enemy. Then I get on my knees in thanksgiving and praise. And what do you know, God comes close to me.
Remember "progress". There is progress hidden in these words. Submit - stand watch worship. Make progress your goal today.
by Skip Moen
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Heart of God
God loves me. He loves me just as I am, but enough to invest in changing me. It is that simple. Not only does He love me, but He likes me enough to desire to be with me and allows me to be with Him. I get to spend time with God. My life is not mundane or meaningless.
I can give Him my cares because He cares for me. I don't have to worry, because I can take my concerns to the throne of grace and lay them at His feet. And, He is involved. He is involved in the small details of my life. Actually, it isn't even 'my' life any more. I am no longer my own. I was bought with a price and belong to Him. The life I now live, I live in Christ.
He hears me. I no longer walk alone. He hears even the things that I do not speak. He knows me as I need to be known. No one knows me like He does. And, He accepts me, no rejection or hurdles in my being embraced by Him. I can fall into His arms knowing that He is there and cares, taking care of me.
He has changed me. I don't want to sin. I really don't. I do not desire to rebel or be independent from Him. I have no need to make a stand so that I am someone. I am someone because God has given me my dignity and sense of significance. He died and rose from the dead for me and gave me His Spirit that raised Christ from the grave. That same Spirit is raising me from the dead and lives in me. I am going to live eternally with God.
I can give Him my cares because He cares for me. I don't have to worry, because I can take my concerns to the throne of grace and lay them at His feet. And, He is involved. He is involved in the small details of my life. Actually, it isn't even 'my' life any more. I am no longer my own. I was bought with a price and belong to Him. The life I now live, I live in Christ.
He hears me. I no longer walk alone. He hears even the things that I do not speak. He knows me as I need to be known. No one knows me like He does. And, He accepts me, no rejection or hurdles in my being embraced by Him. I can fall into His arms knowing that He is there and cares, taking care of me.
He has changed me. I don't want to sin. I really don't. I do not desire to rebel or be independent from Him. I have no need to make a stand so that I am someone. I am someone because God has given me my dignity and sense of significance. He died and rose from the dead for me and gave me His Spirit that raised Christ from the grave. That same Spirit is raising me from the dead and lives in me. I am going to live eternally with God.
Spiritual Warfare Research
I have been researching for my new book Stand! Lots of varying perspectives on the topic. I'm quite surprised at the amount of books which propogate unbiblical methods of dealing with the enemy. Seems as though Satan himself is in the book writing/publishing business! However, I have read numerous solid books and have found several authors that I enjoy.
I am totally recommending Spiritual Warfare and The Christian Soldierby D.Martin Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Warfare by Jerry Rankin and The Invisible War by Donald Grey Barnhouse. If one had these books in their library, I believe that one would be well read on the topic.
I am totally recommending Spiritual Warfare and The Christian Soldierby D.Martin Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Warfare by Jerry Rankin and The Invisible War by Donald Grey Barnhouse. If one had these books in their library, I believe that one would be well read on the topic.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Obedience
Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you will allow as a condition of your obedience to Him.
Oswald Chambers
Oswald Chambers
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Selling One's Soul
Periodically I receive inquiries from individuals who believe they have 'sold their soul to the devil'. I would like to address that one is not able to sell the soul to any god, 'For every living soul belongs to Me' Ezekiel 18:4. Thus the soul is not to be 'sold' due to the ownwership of its Creator. No one supercedes God. We, as humans, do not own our own soul to begin with, thus we cannot 'sell' what is not ours. As well, the devil does not have the means to 'buy' a soul. This illusion was painted by Faust, which was a fiction story.
Some have referred to the temptation of Christ in the desert to support their belief of selling one's soul. However, in tempting Christ with giving Him the world if He would only bow down and worship satan, the temptation did not include the means of satan owning Christ's soul. Matthew 4:8-9 states 'Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And, he said to Him,"All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."' Indeed, the devil did have the ability to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their glory, but the temptation was of the will. Would Christ do God's will or satan's? If Christ bowed down, He would be given by satan what the god of this world has to give; this world. Jesus chose to go to the cross instead and has given the Christian what is His to give; eternal life with Him.
There have been those who have bowed down to satan and he gave what he has to give. I was one of those individuals. The lie satan proposes is that when one does this, he 'owns' you. There are those who have signed a contract or covenant expressing their allegiance to their god making themselves slaves to darkness.
The good news is Jesus Christ rules all of creation Ephesians 4:21. He supercedes any god, any contract/covenant, or anything that would attempt to separate you from His love Romans 8:28-29. If you have been delivered from the power of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love Colossians 1:13, then you have been bought at a price and you are not your own.
Some have referred to the temptation of Christ in the desert to support their belief of selling one's soul. However, in tempting Christ with giving Him the world if He would only bow down and worship satan, the temptation did not include the means of satan owning Christ's soul. Matthew 4:8-9 states 'Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And, he said to Him,"All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."' Indeed, the devil did have the ability to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their glory, but the temptation was of the will. Would Christ do God's will or satan's? If Christ bowed down, He would be given by satan what the god of this world has to give; this world. Jesus chose to go to the cross instead and has given the Christian what is His to give; eternal life with Him.
There have been those who have bowed down to satan and he gave what he has to give. I was one of those individuals. The lie satan proposes is that when one does this, he 'owns' you. There are those who have signed a contract or covenant expressing their allegiance to their god making themselves slaves to darkness.
The good news is Jesus Christ rules all of creation Ephesians 4:21. He supercedes any god, any contract/covenant, or anything that would attempt to separate you from His love Romans 8:28-29. If you have been delivered from the power of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love Colossians 1:13, then you have been bought at a price and you are not your own.
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