Matthew 8:29 (NKJV) And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
Satan is a master of lies. He knows that he and his fallen angels will ultimately be thrown into the lake of fire, so until then, they will deceive the uninformed Christians, use fear to immobilise them and cause them to be oppressed externally or obsessed through fearful thoughts. Therefore, the church must be knowledgeable of the devil’s schemes, so they can effectively pray for and minister to those who are bondaged.
Men are free moral agents who are given the ability to decide whether to worship God or follow other gods. Satan’s main objective is to prevent people from being saved, set free and transferred into the Kingdom of God. The three categories of demonic influence, namely possession, oppression, and obsession can all happen simultaneously in a person depending on how much they have given themselves over to the spiritual realm.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NKJV) But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
First, there are those who are “veiled”. The lust of the world, such as the pursuit of money and success, has blinded them from understanding the need of the Gospel. They need prayers and intercession.
Colossians 3:5 (NKJV) Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Second, because covetousness is idolatry, there is a demonic influence over the lives of those who are covetous. There is a spirit that drives them to pursue wealth at all costs. Someone needs to pray for them and exercise the power of the name of Jesus to minister to them.
Leviticus 19:31(NKJV) ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.
Third, parents dedicating children to evil spirits through idol worshipping or those seeking after mediums and familiar spirits will give the devil a right to possess them. Mediums let their bodies be possessed so the familiar spirits can speak through them to other people. Familiar spirits are not the departed spirits of loved ones but fallen angles who have acquired certain knowledge over the course of time. Those who practise this will be blinded from the Gospel and bondaged by the fear of offending these spirits or something bad happening to them.
Do you know of anyone who is under demonic influences? God wants them to be set free and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but someone needs to pray for them, minister to them and use the name of Jesus to set them free if they desire to be free.
Sermon Series: Arise and Build (Part 4)
挣脱捆锁的人
马太福音8:29 他们喊着说：“神的儿子，我们与你有什么相干？时候还没有到，你就上这里来叫我们受苦吗？”
撒旦是一个谎言大师。牠知道牠和牠的堕落天使们最终会被扔进硫磺火湖里，所以在那之前，他们会欺骗不知情的基督徒，用恐惧让他们失去行动力，通过外力压迫他们或让他们痴迷于内心的各种惧怕的想法。因此，教會必須了解魔鬼的計劃，這樣他們才能為那些被捆绑的人们作有果效的祈禱和服事。
人是自由的道德代理人。他们被赋予了选择敬拜上帝或追随其他假神的能力。撒旦的主要目的就是不让人们被拯救，被释放，被迁移到神的国度。魔鬼的影响有三种类型，即附着、压迫和痴迷。这三种情况可以同时发生在同一个人身上，这取决于把自己交给魔界有多少。
哥林多后书4:3-4 如果我们的福音蒙蔽，就是蒙蔽在灭亡的人身上。 此等不信之人被这世界的神弄瞎了心眼，不叫基督荣耀福音的光照着他们；基督本是神的像。
首先，确实有一些人已经被蒙蔽了。 属世的欲望，如对金钱和成功的追求，弄瞎了心眼， 无法领受福音的真理。这些人需要我们的代求和祷告。
歌罗西书3:5 所以要治死你们在地上的肢体，就如淫乱、污秽、邪情、恶欲和贪婪，贪婪就与拜偶像一样。
其次，贪婪就与拜偶像一样。那些贪婪的人会受到恶魔附身般的影响。恶灵驱使他们不计代价地去追逐财富。 需要为他们祷告，奉主耶稣得胜的名去服事他们。
利未记19:31 “不可偏向那些交鬼的和行巫术的，不可求问他们，以致被他们玷污了。我是耶和华你们的神。
第三， 家长们拜偶像或寻求各种灵媒和晓事之灵的时候，相当于把孩子们奉献给了恶灵，让魔鬼有机可乘去附着孩子们。灵媒让他们被鬼附身，让晓事之灵通过他们对人说话。晓事之灵并不是我们所爱之人死后的灵魂，而是那些堕落天使，他们隨著時間的推移而獲得某些知識行这些事的人将看不见福音，因唯恐冒犯到那些灵体，或者惧怕走霉运而被捆绑。
你认识的人中有被撒旦黑暗势力辖制的吗？神希望他们得释放，来认识主耶稣基督的救恩。如果他们渴望自由，我们中务必有姊妹弟兄来为他们祷告，服事他们，奉主耶稣的名释放他们。
讲章系列：兴起和建造 (第四部分)
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