Spirit, Soul, and Body:

Today I want to share a portion of my latest teaching on "Deliverance Ministry." This portion specifically explains how demons affect human beings through the interaction of spirit, soul, and body. The following is directly quoted from the teaching itself:

We need to start with a basic understanding of your spirit, soul, and body. Many have taught that we as humans are triune beings, similar to God because He made us in His image. While I appreciate that teaching, I find that it’s not a perfect analogy, and the Scripture reveals something a little different.

It is true that we have three basic parts: Spirit, Soul, and Body. This is revealed in:

1 Thessalonians 5:23—May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

We have a spirit, a soul, and a body. Your body is the physical part of you; your spirit is the breath of life that God formed in you—the core blueprint of who you are; and your soul consists of your mind, will, and emotions. Your body is completely material, your spirit is completely immaterial, and your soul is somewhere in between.

We know this because scientists are baffled by the soul. They can observe and measure the biochemical reactions and neural activity as a person’s mind, will, and emotions are put into practice; but they can't figure out how all that adds up to consciousness. The soul is both material and immaterial because it is a blend of both body and spirit coming together.

I want you to imagine the logo for MasterCard Credit Cards. It has a red circle and a yellow circle that overlap each other to form an interlocking leaf-shape in the middle (for the sake of this example, we'll make that portion orange). Let's say the red circle is your body and the yellow circle is your spirit. The orange shape in the middle, then, is your soul.

Here's how it works. In Genesis 2:7, we learn that God formed man from the dust of the ground, breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living being. Let's look at that again: He formed man from the dust—there's the body. He breathed into that body the breath of life—the Hebrew word here is ruach, which literally means "spirit." As a result, man became a living being, which could be translated as soul (in fact, the American Standard Version of the Bible actually translates it this way).

The soul is the result of body and spirit coming together. Your mind, will, and emotions are directly affected by the condition of you body and the condition of your spirit at all times. Even though your body may be healthy, if you are spiritually away from God, your soul will be in turmoil. Likewise, even those who are spiritually right with God could have a purely physical sickness or disease in their body that affects their soul. [Consider how cranky we get when we have a lack of sleep!] A healthy soul can typically only be experienced by someone who has both a healthy spirit and a healthy body. Both parts play a role.

So does man consist of three parts? Yes and no. In our example earlier, the picture we imagined had three colors, but it was comprised of only two circles. So yes, we have a body, soul, and spirit; but the soul is merely the result of body and spirit coming together.

This is why the two scriptures I've shared so far are the ONLY places in all of Scripture where all three parts are listed or alluded to. On the other hand, verses that compare and contrast body and spirit show up throughout the Bible.

James 2:26 says that "the body without the spirit is dead." What happens to the soul when we die? Well, without a body and a spirit existing together, there really is no soul. But the truth is that we will indeed have a body in the afterlife, and therefore, we will have a soul.

Consider how Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 that both body and soul are destroyed in hell. First of all, this shows us that hell is a real, physical place where a body can go! But it also reveals something about the soul: If the body is destroyed, the soul must also cease to exist. But this verse says nothing about the eternal spirit that has rebelled against God. It is the eternal spirit that will suffer the agonies of hell after body and soul are destroyed.

But what about those who do not go to hell when they die? The Scriptures give us an answer:

1 Corinthians 15:35-44 & 50-52—But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body....

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (NIV)

As Christians with faith in Christ, we will one day receive perfect eternal bodies for our eternal spirits to inhabit. As a result, we will have an everlasting soul. Heaven will be great because you will have a pure mind, a righteous will, and Christ-like emotions with which to experience all the joys of God's Kingdom and presence! This is why 1 Peter 1:8-9 refers to the "salvation of our souls!"

Results of Demonic Activity

Now, naturally, if the soul is the result of body and spirit coming together, we shouldn't be surprised that our souls are affected when an evil spirit is welcomed into the mix. In the same way that your God-given spirit gives life to your body (see Genesis 2:7 and James 2:26), it should come as no surprise that an evil spirit can bring sickness and disease to your body.

This can cause biochemical imbalances, which medical science can observe, diagnose, and medicate, but which they cannot cure. Evil spirits can cause physical problems that affect both body and soul. When a demon comes in, a person's mind, will, and emotions can be thrown into turmoil and confusion. This affects the condition of their body by throwing off the biochemical balance. It can cause such things as depression, schizophrenia, tumors, deafness, and the like.

Does this mean that every physical and psychological issue is the direct result of a demon? No. But it would be foolish to ignore the fact that many such cases are indeed caused by evil spirits. Extremists either see demons everywhere or nowhere at all; biblical balance, however, uses spiritual discernment at all times. If we have the Holy Spirit empowering us, then we can discern what is natural and what is demonic. The list of what is possible is so extensive that we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to this realm so we can be effective.

What you've just read is only 16% of "Deliverance Ministry: Understanding Demons, How They Influence People, and How to Cast Them Out Effectively." You can get the teaching one of two ways:

• Download the mp3 right away ($2)
• Order the High-Quality Audio CD from Amazon.com or this site's e-store ($15)

As always, I care more about spreading the message than making a buck; so if you can't afford the download, e-mail me, and I'll be happy to send you a link for free.

God bless!
--Art--

Should Christians get Tattoos?

Are tattoos taboo? Should Christians get tattoos? Is there a spiritual dynamic to this practice?

Charisma Magazine recently published an article on their web site titled "The Dark Side of Tattoos." In it, the author presented a case that when people are tattooed, they wind up oppressed by evil spirits. He pointed to many cultures around the world who tattoo their bodies as a form of worship. Some of them have designs on their faces meant to make them look like their pagan deities. Others do so to appease their gods. In short, tattooing has a worshipful purpose in many pagan cultures, and so it flies in the face of the One True God.

To be honest, I have no problem agreeing with the author that these practices invite evil spirits to influence the people involved. Pagan worship itself is an affront to God and opens a person up to evil spirits. But what about in America? What about the Christian who wants a cross tattooed on his arm or a heart tattooed on her foot? Is it still pagan? Is it still opening the door to evil spirits?

Speaking as someone who has been involved in deliverance ministry for several years now, I've found that it's not the practice itself that invites the evil spirit, but rather the heart behind the practice. As 1 Samuel 16:7 says, The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. We see this principle echoed throughout Jesus' ministry and elsewhere in the New Testament.

Matthew 15:1-2 & 10-11--Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"....

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" (NIV)

The Greek word for "unclean" used here is the same used to describe "unclean spirits" elsewhere. That doesn't mean we get an evil spirit every time we say the wrong thing; but it does mean that we can open doors for evil spirits if we don't guard our tongues.

Jesus was simply making the point that the outward practice was not at all an issue; rather, it was all about the inner practice. As Jesus said elsewhere, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). The only reason evil comes out of a man's mouth and "makes him unclean" is because he is already "unclean" in his heart.

So do tattoos invite evil spirits? Or is it the condition of the heart that lets them in? According to the author of the Charisma article, all tattoos have evil spirits behind them.

I'm not sure that I see anything Scriptural about that. The best Scripture he had was Leviticus 19:28, which merely forbids tattoos (saying nothing about evil spirits). But immediately before this command is verse 27, which says, "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." So I wonder... in context, that must mean beard trimming and haircuts invite evil spirits as well!

Hardly. It is true that tattoos have pagan origins. But I don't find that a solid enough argument. Clocks and calendars have pagan origins too. Should we abstain from those? Are you demon possessed if you wear a watch? Many cultures use drums specifically to conjure evil spirits. Does that mean drummers are guided by demons?

I believe Paul had the most relevant and significant advice about practices with pagan origins:

1 Corinthians 8:4-13--So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. (NIV)

From this verse, someone could form the argument that tattoos are not worship to pagan gods if our heart is in the right place. One could even argue that those who are against tattoos have "weak consciences" and don't know the fullness of freedom in Christ.

But we can also glean the wisdom that if even one Christian would find our exercise of freedom to be a stumbling block for their conscience, then we should abstain from it altogether! If our practices of freedom encourage others to compromise their own convictions, then we are sinning against Christ. Are we so arrogant?

I have to be clear that I don't condemn anyone with a tattoo. Again, man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. I can't tell a person's heart or motive.

But if someone is asking me whether or not they should get a tattoo, I'm not afraid to ask why.

The "why" is the access point. It's not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but what comes out. It's not that there are evil spirits floating in tattoo ink, but there are plenty of evil spirits looking for access points to the human heart. If someone with a tattoo has an evil spirit, it's not because of the image itself but rather because of their heart.

In the Pagan cultures, it's not the ink that invites the demons, but rather the fact that they are worshipping that demon in their heart. They would be equally as oppressed by evil spirits if they never got the tattoo.

How about people in America? Why do people in our culture get tattoos? For some, it's defiance against their parents. Is that a good reason? Or is that more likely to make a person vulnerable to evil spirits? For others, it's a way of saying, "It's my body, and I'll do what I want with it." Is that true? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is clear that your body doesn't belong to you--God bought you at a high price! This too would make a person vulnerable to the enemy. How about those who are simply trying to get attention or prove themselves? I think the Bible calls that pride. We may not be serving pagan gods, but we sure do like to worship with god of self!

I shared these thoughts with the students in my youth group, and one of them asked, "So is there any good reason TO get a tattoo?" I laughingly replied, "Well if there was one, I wouldn't tell you or that's what you'd say when I ask your motive!"

Kidding aside, I personally cannot come up with a good reason to get a tattoo. But I'm not going to be so arrogant as to assume that just because I can't think of one, there therefore isn't one. I don't have all the answers. But I would be surprised if someone came up with one.

So should Christians get tattoos? I would argue that it's unwise. Are there demons in the ink? Not at all. But what is the motivation of your heart? Defying parents is a sin. Claiming ownership of your body is a sin. Pride in general is a sin. Check your heart.

If that's not enough, why would you want to do something that offends the consciences of so many other Christian brothers and sisters? Paul said that in doing so, we sin against Christ.

If you have a tattoo, there's no need to repent of the ink itself. However, do check your heart. Why did you get it? If there's conviction from the Holy Spirit about the heart issue, then deal with it. Repent of the sin, and receive the free forgiveness of God!

And what if you're wanting to get a tattoo? Take the time to examine your motives. You'll be hard-pressed to convince yourself that you have absolutely no motive in your heart offending God. If your conscience is troubled in the very least, don't do it.

What do you think?

Lying Missionaries in Haiti?

After my post yesterday about the parents in Haiti giving their children to a group of missionaries, a new question came my way: Weren't the missionaries guilty of lying?

According to the Associated Press:

Most of the children came from the ravaged village of Callebas, where people told the AP they handed over their children because they were unable to feed or clothe them after the quake. They said the missionaries promised to educate the children and let relatives visit.

Their stories contradicted Silsby's account that the children came from collapsed orphanages or were handed over by distant relatives. (Frank Bajak, AP)

What are we to make of this? The missionaries are said to have claimed something that wasn't true. I don't know of a way to verify exactly what they said, but even if they did lie, I wonder how "sinful" that really was.

When Corrie Ten Boom was hiding Jews in Nazi Germany to spare their lives, how many times did she have to act like she was doing nothing "wrong"? How many people were saved by her own "mistruths"?

Or consider Rahab in the Bible who hid the two Israelite spies. In Joshua 2:3-4, she outright lies about the whereabouts of the two men, sending the enemy off in the wrong direction. But we later learn that this very lie was called a righteous act:

James 2:25--In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? (NIV)

I wonder if this is any different. Here we have a situation where missionaries were caught in a lie. However, I wonder what their motives were. Were they protecting the parents who gave up their children? Were they trying to do what they could to get the children to safety in the Dominican Republic? While we can only speculate, I have a hard time believing otherwise--especially when the parents claim to have been in on the whole plan.

As fallen human beings, we love legalism. It's black-and-white. We like to look at someone else and definitively say, "Ah ha! You did wrong when you claim to be good!" For some sick reason, many of us get a kick out of seeing missionaries--people of God--getting caught in a lie.

Nevertheless, God is bigger than our legalism. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. The same God who found Rahab righteous for protecting two spies is the One who will judge these missionaries. It's the same God who has brought so much honor to Corrie Ten Boom and changed the lives of so many people through her testimony.

Before we judge these missionaries for telling mistruths, remember that they are truly only answerable to the Judge of all; and He judges by a different standard: the standard of His own sovereign righteousness.

Romans 9:15--For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (NIV)

Rather than looking haughtily at these missionaries and focusing on the lie they're accused of telling, let's pray for them.

Hebrews 13:3--Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (NIV)

God bless,
--Art--

Why Would Hatian Parents Give Up Their Children?

The story of the US missionary group charged with kidnapping children in Haiti has gripped our attention. They were caught trying to take Haitian children across the border into the Dominican Republic without any papers proving the children were orphans. As it turns out, many of them were not orphaned at all, and now these missionaries face a possible 5 to 15 years in prison.

But that's not the point of my article today. Rather, I want to look at an undercurrent of disgust that I've noticed among many Christians. It comes from the reason these missionaries were moving the children in the first place. According to the Associated Press:

Several parents of the children in Callebas, a quake-wracked Haitian village near the capital, told The Associated Press Wednesday they had handed over their children willingly because they were unable to feed or clothe their children and the American missionaries promised to give them a better life. (Frank Bajak, AP)

This has raised a poignant question in the minds of many Americans: Why would any parent give up their child? Many Americans are mortified at the prospect and can't believe the missionaries would take these children away from their loving families.

I think we forget as Christians that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Even in our own Bible, we have accounts of parents giving up their children for noble reasons.

Consider Moses. When the Pharaoh was ordering infanticide among the Hebrew slaves, Moses' mother put him in a basket and hid him among the reeds where the Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him.

I'm also reminded of an incident involving King Solomon. When two women were arguing over who was the true mother of a baby, Solomon said, "Since we can't agree, let's just cut the baby in half!" The woman who was not the mother said, "Fine! Do it!" whereas the true mother willingly offered the baby to the other woman in order to spare its life.

Perhaps less analogous to this story, yet still relevant, is the boy Samuel who was given up by his mother, Hannah, to be raised in the Temple. In fact, we get the indication from Scripture that she likely only saw her son once a year (1 Samuel 2:18-19).

We don't fault any of these women for giving up their children into the care of another. We don't question their motives and we don't judge them as lousy parents. Why, then, is there such an uproar about these parents in Haiti giving their children to the group of Baptist Missionaries? Sometimes giving away a child actually is the loving, compassionate thing to do.

We also have to realize that these Haitian parents were not sending their children away, never to be seen or heard from again. The AP article continues:

The Rev. Jean Sainvil said some of the children were orphans and might have been put up for adoption. Children with parents were to be kept in the Dominican Republic, and would not lose contact with their families, Sainvil said in Atlanta.

"Everybody agreed that they knew where the children were going. The parents were told, and we confirmed they would be allowed to see the children and even take them back if need be," he said.

Sainvil stressed that in Haiti it is not uncommon for parents who can't support their children to send them to orphanages. (Frank Bajak, AP)

Rather than letting their children suffer and possibly die in the post-earthquake rubble of Haiti, these parents saw an opportunity to send their children into better circumstances with well-funded Americans who could feed them, clothe them, and educate them.

Does that make them bad parents? You decide.

The Yeast of Herod in the Charismatic Movement

Last week I published a two-part article comparing some of us in the Charismatic movement to the Pharisees of Jesus' day. In the second part, I brought up Mark 8:14, in which Jesus warns His disciples to "beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

While I did share what the "yeast of the Pharisees" was all about, I didn't really go into any detail about the "yeast of Herod." The yeast of Herod is just as much a threat to the Charismatic Movement today as that of the Pharisees, so I want to give it a little attention today.

To find out what Mark was talking about, it only makes sense to look at the only other passage where Herod is mentioned in this Gospel. It happens to be just a couple chapters earlier.

In Mark 6:14-16, we see that the people had all manner of speculations as to who Jesus really was. Some thought He was Elijah and others thought He was some other prophet. Herod was convinced, however, that John the Baptist (who he earlier beheaded) had somehow been raised from the dead and was calling himself "Jesus."

Like the Pharisees, Herod had no problem with the supernatural. He believed that a beheaded man could come back to life and work miracles among the people, for goodness sake! But Herod had two problems with His belief: (1) Even though he believed in the supernatural, it had to fit his context (he needed to be involved somehow), and (2) he was more comfortable believing that Jesus was some resurrected dead man who he had authority over, rather than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords before whom He needed to bow.

In the first case, Herod wanted to somehow be a part of the story. According to verse 14, some of the people were saying that "John's" return from the dead was the reason "WHY" miraculous powers were at work in Him. So if Herod embraced their belief, then it meant that he was the source of Jesus' powers. Logically, if he hadn't killed John, then John couldn't have been resurrected, which means he wouldn't be working all the miracles. On the other hand, if Herod created those powers, then he had a sort of ownership.

Many in the Charismatic Movement do this as well. Whenever supernatural things happen, they point to things they have personally said or done in the past that likely prompted a "move of God." Somehow their work had made it happen--never mind God's grace, love and sovereignty.

It may even be true that they had a role to play in whatever God did; the problem, though, is in the heart. Rather than giving God all the glory, they want to share in that glory. They want a pedestal in the eyes of men. It's pride--pure and simple.

In the second case, Herod wanted nothing to do with bowing to Jesus. If Jesus was nothing more than the same John who he had already imprisoned and beheaded, then he had already proven that he had more authority. Herod didn't want to acknowledge that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. Herod wanted power.

Likewise, many in the Charismatic movement crave power with total disregard for the Lordship of Christ. They work unauthorized miracles and perform all manner of activities without any regard for direction from the Lord. Jesus had something to say about these people who believe in supernatural Christianity yet ignore His voice:

Matthew 7:21-23--"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (NIV)

It is possible to prophesy, cast out demons, and work miracles without doing the will of our Father in heaven. And it is also possible to do these things without knowing Christ. I like the way Eugene Peterson paraphrases Jesus' words in The Message:

Matthew 7:21-23--"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance—isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.' (MSG)

To break free from the yeast of Herod, we need to get over our petty pride that usurps the rule of King Jesus. We don't have to have personally been involved in a miracle for it to be true; and even if we were involved, we don't need to flaunt it as though God couldn't have done the same thing without us.

Additionally, we must not live our lives with a disregard for the commands of the Lord. I don't care how many people you heal, demons you cast out, miracles you work, or prophecies you proclaim; if you didn't get the marching orders from Jesus, then it is meaningless.

Let's focus on Jesus Christ and grow in genuine faith!

God bless!
--Art--

Charismatic Pharisees (Part 2 of 2)

In my last post, I pointed out how similar many of us in the Charismatic Movement are to the Pharisees of the New Testament era. In that article I said:

The Pharisees, on the other hand, were a sect of Jews who put a great deal of effort into personal piety--often imposing their ideals upon others even though they couldn't measure up themselves. They believed in the immortality of the soul, angels, demons, and the resurrection of the dead. The Pharisees believed in the supernatural and had all manner of rites and ceremonies to engage themselves in their beliefs.

If you paid attention to the title of this article, you're probably already drawing the parallels. Today's Pharisees in the Church are those who believe in the supernatural, but their way of going about it is wrong.

How do we go about the supernatural in wrong ways? Well, I could probably write a book on that one; so today I'm just going to focus on the ways that parallel the Pharisees.

In Mark 6:35-44, Jesus fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. The miracle happened in the disciples' hands! Twelve baskets of leftovers were collected at the end! Only a couple chapters later, in Mark 8:1-10, Jesus found Himself with 4,000 people, 7 loaves of bread, and a few small fish. This time there were fewer people, more loaves, and more fish; yet the disciples asked Him, "Where in this remote place can we get enough bread to feed them?"

The same disciples who had just fed more people with less food had forgotten all about what was possible! Nevertheless, the miracle happened again--this time with 7 basketfuls leftover.

Then, only a few verses later, in Mark 8:14-21, the 12 disciples found themselves in a boat, fearing hunger because they only had one loaf of bread with them. Seriously? The same guys who had twice experienced bread multiplying in their hands were wondering if one loaf could feed them all? Notice how Jesus responded:

Mark 8:14-21--The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread."

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

"Twelve," they replied.

"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

They answered, "Seven."

He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" (NIV)

What was the "yeast of the Pharisees and Herod" that Jesus was talking about? Well, let's look at a passage that falls directly between the feeding of the 4,000 and the above story of Jesus and His disciples on the boat:

Mark 8:11-13--The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. (NIV)

Does this sound a little like certain branches of the Charismatic movement who constantly chase after signs and wonders? I'm not against signs and wonders--they're biblical. I've experienced all manner of God-given phenomena and have no problem with it. But there comes a point when we, like the Pharisees, aren't satisfied with the many miracles that have already been worked in our midst, and we still have a hard time believing.

The "yeast of the Pharisees" (to which the disciples were falling victim) was the idea that even though the miraculous was clearly at work in Jesus, they still needed another sign before they could truly trust Him. Even though the disciples had watched bread multiply in their hands twice before, they still didn't have the faith that God could do it again for them on the boat. They needed one more sign. To put it another way, they really didn't have real faith.

The disciples knew the truth in their heads, but they didn't have the heart application. Likewise, many of us have seen God prove Himself time and time again; yet we still slip silently into a lack of faith. Will He really come through for me? Does He really love me? Is He really who He said He is? Does God even exist?

We turn our eyes inward rather than upward. We focus on self rather than Christ. We feel alone even though He has already proven His presence. We wonder how twelve of us can eat one loaf of bread even though we've had bread multiply in our hands before.

Believing in the supernatural doesn't make you less religious. All it does is move you from being a Sadducee to being a Pharisee. If you want to escape religion and the yeast of the Pharisees, then you need to follow Jesus. Become an active, healthy part of the Body of Christ. Choose to reject sin and "fix your eyes on Jesus!"

We must expose our hearts to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to root out anything in us that looks like the Pharisees of old.

God bless!
--Art--

P.S.--If you want to know more about correcting the mistakes we've made a Charismatic Christians, you may be interested in the article "Charismatic Reformation."

Charismatic Pharisees (Part 1 of 2)

If you've ever looked at a religious person and likened them to the biblical Pharisees, think again! Pharisees are more like today's Charismatics than they are like anyone else.

See, in Biblical times, there were two primary sects of Judaism that caused Jesus a lot of hassle: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Over time, judgmental mindsets in the Church have blended these two together, favoring the term "Pharisee," and applying it to people who serve empty religion at the expense of the Holy Spirit's presence and power. But that's not true! Today I want to show you who the real "Pharisees" in the Church are...and how you can avoid being one!

The Sadducees were a sect of Jews who were materialistic. They rejected the idea of the resurrection of the dead and denied the reality of angels and demons. While they were in one sense the staunch traditionalists of their day (with all kinds of rituals and religious observance), they also rejected the traditions of their ancestors.

If we were to draw a direct parallel, I would say that today's Sadducees are most likely found scattered throughout modern Protestantism--mainly within the "postmodern" movement (otherwise called the Emergent Church). They are the ones who like all the traditional practices even though the practices they're embracing aren't really in line with the ancient Church. They are the ones who are more concerned with social justice than spiritual justice. They're the ones who say they aren't materialistic, yet their very focus on avoiding materialism actually makes them such. Sadducees exist in the Church today, and I believe Jesus would be just as harsh with them in the 21st century as He was 2,000 years ago.

The Pharisees, on the other hand, were a sect of Jews who put a great deal of effort into personal piety--often imposing their ideals upon others even though they couldn't measure up themselves. They believed in the immortality of the soul, angels, demons, and the resurrection of the dead. The Pharisees believed in the supernatural and had all manner of rites and ceremonies to engage themselves in their beliefs.

If you paid attention to the title of this article, you're probably already drawing the parallels. Today's Pharisees in the Church are those who believe in the supernatural, but their way of going about it is wrong.

Many of us in the Charismatic movement have become the Pharisees of today. The only differences are that we believe in Jesus and we don't put as much focus on personal piety (except, perhaps, in some Pentecostal Holiness groups). Everything else is uncomfortably similar.

Whether we like it or not, we have our Charismatic rituals and ceremonies. Don't believe me? What about our 24/7 worship centers, prayer meetings on special days that are said to have some prophetic significance, gatherings of shoffar-blowers (sounding the ram's horn), and the integration of numerology into all these things?

It's not that these things are bad in themselves--how could 24/7 worship be bad? Actually, these things can be very good when they're truly Spirit-led! The problem arises in our own hearts when we practice our rituals and ceremonies and start to feel good about how spiritual we are. This leads very quickly to looking down on others who don't practice such things. Before you know it, full-on religious pride has set in among a people who say they despise such things. Suddenly, we're Pharisees.

I wonder how many of our "prophetic acts" are really prophetic at all. For instance, I once attended a Charismatic house-church meeting where someone "felt led" to have us all march around the pool in the backyard seven times and finish with a shout to God (like the Israelites marched around Jericho before the walls fell down). The person said that the result would be that the walls in our hearts would be struck down, and we would receive supernatural unity.

No one else felt a confirmation that God wanted us to do such a thing, and one person even voiced it. He said, "I've got to be honest, I'm not sensing the same thing, but I don't see any harm in it. So I'm willing to walk and shout with you for the sake of unity, not because I think it will somehow cause unity."

Sure enough, we marched. We shouted. The pool collapsed...just kidding. Actually, nothing happened. The only result was that we all felt a little awkward at the end, not knowing what to do next. The newer believers in the group later testified that they felt like "absolute fools" out there, and one of them didn't even want to come back. The promised results never came--in fact, that particular group doesn't even exist anymore.

We carried out a ritualistic act formulated by man under the guise of "spirituality." Was anyone being forced to participate? Not really--but the way it was presented, if someone had sat out, they would have been stigmatized as one who didn't really want unity in the church. I realized in that moment that I was in the company of modern-day Pharisees who believed in the supernatural and wanted everyone to practice what they themselves wanted to practice, whether anyone liked it or not.

The Charismatic Movement is littered with such Pharisees.

In my next post, I'll share how we've allowed "Phariseeism" to creep into the Charismatic Movement and what we can do about it as loving believers.

God bless!
--Art--

It's Time to Stop Faking the Holy Spirit...

Hi everyone,

I just read the below article by J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine. From time to time I like to share his writings because he's one of the few voices out there calling for a genuine move of the Holy Spirit (rather than hype and emotionalism). Check out the article below, and feel free to share your thoughts and comments!

God bless!
--Art--

RECOVERING the AXE-HEAD of GENUINE ANOINTING
-by J. Lee Grady.

We've faked the power of Pentecost long enough. Let's set aside the imitations and reclaim the real deal.

Shortly after Elijah was carried to heaven in his fiery chariot, a group of young prophets asked Elisha to go with them to build new living quarters near the Jordan River. While one of the young men was cutting down a tree, the blade of his axe fell in the water and sank into the murky depths of the riverbed (see 2 Kings 6:1-7).

The construction project came to an abrupt stop. This was before the days of flashlights and sonar devices. These guys were in trouble.

Knowing that his friends could not replace this expensive iron tool they had borrowed, the young prophet cried to his mentor Elisha for help. The wise prophet threw a stick in the water where the axe head had sunk. Immediately the heavy iron blade floated to the surface˜defying the laws of physics and proving that nothing is impossible with God. Elisha's faith saved the day.

We can gain so much comfort from this story. It reminds us that God has power over the natural world. It also proves that He cares about the seemingly trivial details of our lives˜and that He is even willing to bail us out of the messes we make.

As I have meditated on this passage in recent days I've also applied it to our current situation in the American church. It illustrates how desperately we need to recover what we've lost.

Perhaps you've noticed that our blade is missing. I don't know exactly when it fell off the handle, but it seems as if we've been trying to build God's house without the sharp edge of His genuine anointing. We've traded the real for the phony. We've cheapened Pentecost to the point that it's been reduced to dry religious programs and circus sideshow antics.

We've mastered the art of hype. We know how to fake the anointing. We push people to the floor during our altar times. We know how to manipulate music and crowds so that we can create
the atmosphere of the anointing. But in so many cases the real anointing isn't there. In its place is a hollow imitation.

Some charismatic leaders today are even selling specially handcrafted oils that promise the Holy Spirit's power. Others sell scented candles that claim to bring God's presence. And last year one brother was traveling the country with feathers in a jar--claiming that these belonged to an angel with healing powers.

Lord, forgive us for our charlatanism. We need the blade back! We must cry out to the God Who has the power to raise iron from the bottom of a river.

We are not going to advance Christ's kingdom, or build His victorious church, using scented oils, fake charms, ear-tickling prophecies and goofy charismatic gimmicks. This is all wood,
hay and stubble destined for the furnace. What we need today is the sharp blade of the Word that is empowered by the Holy Ghost and fire.

In my world travels during the past few years I have met humble Christians who carry the genuine anointing of the Spirit. I've spent time with Chinese believers who see miracles inside their prison cells. I've met an Indian evangelist who has seen six people raised from the dead. I've met a Pakistani apostle who regularly sees Muslims healed during outdoor gospel meetings.

Last week I interviewed an Iranian church leader whose ministry is leading 5,000 Iranians to faith in Christ every month. In the midst of persecution and political upheaval, a New Testament˜style revival is erupting in that Shiite Muslim stronghold-all because the church in Iran is weilding the axe head of genuine Holy Spirit anointing.

Where is the God of Elisha? There is a cry in the American church today that resembles the cry of the desperate young prophet in 2 Kings 6. We have not been good stewards of the Holy Spirit's gifts, and now the precious power of God has eluded us. We dropped it. Yet we are beginning to acknowledge our blunder.

Let's fully humble ourselves. Let's repent of fakery and fraud. Let's ditch our counterfeits and our cheap substitutes, and ask the Lord to restore the axe blade. Let's cry to Him for a pure, unadulterated, genuine, life-changing, planet-shaking revival.

-J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

The Truth about Demon Possession and Evil Spirits

Demons are real. They're also more common than you might think. A quick read through the four Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--reveals just how often Jesus encountered evil spirits. We don't just have the detailed stories, but also statements about Him driving out many demons in various places. Are we to believe that evil spirits are any less common today?

Last Wednesday in our youth group, I took the time to talk about this subject. I read several scriptures, shared some personal experiences, and even my own testimony of freedom from demonic opression.

Long story short, one young man was set free from an evil spirit and put in his right mind--it was the first time I have seen this young man smile in one of our meetings. He couldn't believe what a weight had lifted. Another young man came forward for prayer and was instantly healed of stomach pain as our youth leaders prayed for him in Jesus' name. God's authority is real!

If you want a more in-depth study on the authority we have as Christians, check out the 7-page PDF titled "True Spiritual Authority" on the Documents page.

You might also be interested in my latest audio teaching "Deliverance Ministry: Understanding Demons, How They Influence People, and How to Cast Them Out Effectively." It's available for only $2 and can be downloaded immediately as an mp3 file from the Supernatural Truth Store.

God bless!
--Art--

Poem: "How Much Longer?" by Art Thomas

I stumbled accross a poem I wrote back in June of 2006, and I thought I might share it with you today.

God bless!
--Art--

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"How Much Longer?"

by Art Thomas

How much longer, O Lord?

What's missing?

Why are we still sunken beneath mediocrity?

The world looks and laughs --

They feel closer to the "truth" than we are.

Worse yet, some do not laugh --

There's nothing to laugh at when the Church goes unnoticed.

Open the floodgates, O Lord!

Rend the heavens so the world may see you as You really are!

Holy. Just. Loving. POWERFUL!

Pour hope into hopeless hearts.

Pour holy fear into fearless hearts.

Pour passion into the disenchanted!

Move amongst Your people!

Move THROUGH Your people!

Speak. Breathe. Move. REVEAL!

Now is the time for Your hand to move among us.

Demonstrate Your goodness and Your love.

Jesus paid the ransom for the souls of the world -

Who are we to sit on such good news?

Christians can't afford to wait

And hope the world just catches on.

We've been commissioned by the Lord to GO!

How much longer, O Church?

What's missing?

Why are we still sunken beneath mediocrity?

How much longer? I'll tell you how long:

Until we get real about the Kingdom of God.

Until we seek the Spirit's empowerment and boldness.

Until we determine to reach the lost no matter the cost!

How much longer, O Church?

Will you seek first the Kingdom of God today? Or will you wait?

Until tomorrow. Until next week.

Or won't you go at all?

How important is your God? How desperately do you long for Him?

The Lord is beckoning you from His throne with just one holy question:

"How much longer, My child?"