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To Whom Much Is Given
Matthew 12:43, 'When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.'
MATTHEW 12:43-45
Most often, verses 43-45 are used to teach about demon possession and deliverance from evil spirits. Jesus made it clear that getting rid of an unclean spirit is only a part of deliverance. You must also fill the place that was previously occupied by the demonic spirit with the presence and power of God as protection. If a person is cleansed from an evil spirit but left 'empty,' the spirit will return with even more spirits and the individual will be much worse off. Simply being empty of the devil, but not full of God, is a very dangerous and short-lived condition. True...
THE POWER OF PRAYER
Just Words
Matthew 12:37, 'For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.'
MATTHEW 12:34-37
God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in the earth by His words (Heb. 11:3). The whole creation was made by, and responds to, words. Our words, when spoken in faith, release either life or death (Prov. 18:21) and will affect people, things, and circumstances. We can release the power that is in faith by our words.
Every word counts. There is no such things as an 'idle' word which will not work for us or against us. Our words can be our most powerful weapon against the devil, or they can become a snare of the devil (Prov. 6:2). Faith-filled words can move mountains.
The...
THIS MORNING, WHEN I WAS STUDYING ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD, I WAS WONDERING JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FOLDED NAPKIN THAT HAD BEEN PLACED OVER THE FACE OF JESUS. UNTIL LAST YEAR, I DIDN'T. I HAD READ THE 20TH CHAPTER OF JOHN MANY TIMES AND JUST NEVER KNEW WHAT IT MEANT IN VERSE 7. I WILL PUT IT HERE FOR YOU TO READ. (And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.) WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT A FOLDED NAPKIN? WELL, I WILL TELL YOU.
Singleness Of Heart
Matthew 12:35, 'A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.'
MATTHEW 12:32-45
Our spirit is definitely a part of our heart, but as seen in 1 Peter 3:4, it is only a part. Sin, iniquity, unbelief, etc., come from the heart but not the born-again spirit. Hebrews 4:12 suggests that spirit and soul are both part of the heart; hence, the scriptures admonish us to believe with all our heart (Acts 8:37), have singleness of heart (Col. 3:22), and tell us our hearts can have two minds or ways of thinking (Jas. 4:8).
Even Christians still struggle with things like pride and foolishness which Jesus said came out of...
Rest And Re-fire
Mark 6:31, 'And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.'
MATTHEW 14:13-21; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 9:10-17; JOHN 6:1-14
Jesus often separated Himself from others so that He could spend time with the Father. Here, we see Jesus calling His disciples apart for rest and leisure. Many zealous Christians have neglected the needs of their physical bodies and have, therefore, cut their ministries short through death or severe illness. Likewise, many have failed to take the time to be still and know God (Ps. 46:10). This will also cut your ministry short through non-effectiveness. One of Satan's deadliest...
No Peace For The Wicked
Luke 9:7, 'Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some that John was risen from the dead.'
MATTHEW 14:1-12: MARK 6:14-29; LUKE 9:7-9
Others may have thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead, but as can be clearly seen by looking at Matthew's account and especially Mark's record, Herod was convinced of this personally. This illustrates Herod's own conviction of the sin John had rebuked, his guilt and torment over his even greater sin of beheading John, and his fear of John and the God he represented. As revealed in Mark 6:20, Herod once listened to John gladly. It is certain that John was preaching his favorite message of,...