Understanding Our Dominion In The Spiritual Realms

   

     If you've never heard the subject matter of today's blog post before, it doesn't surprise me. You really have to go outside the Church building to begin to lay the foundation of what I'd like to share. If, in your study of the Bible, you tended to just breeze through Genesis, Chapter One, because you've heard In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, a million times, and you know that ultimately, after six days of creation, God rested on the seventh. Pretty straightforward, right?
     But, if you've matured in your faith, and know that there is so much depth to God and many overlays of meaning in the Bible, then you've likely wondered about how God could create Light on the first day, separating the light from the darkness, and then again on the fourth day. What's going on?
     I want to present a breakdown on some of these verses, establishing a picture of what God was doing, and then expand on that knowledge to show our place in this plan. Are you ready for a ride? Here we go!
     I first want to say, that I was engaged in my own word study, trying to come to a comprehension of what the Bible was telling me, when I took an online course with Dan Duval, pastor of the online Fireplace Church, and President of Bride Ministries. He greatly illuminated what the Bible is telling us in Genesis One. And I would highly recommend that you read his book, Higher Dimensions, Parallel Dimensions, and the Spirit Realm. What I am going to present here is simply a condensed version of his in-depth teaching.   
     So, we have Day and Night on Day one, and Day and Night on Day four. How could that be? Well, consider that God created a spiritual template of our universe on Day one, and then overlaid it with a physical construct on Day four. That's not that difficult a conclusion when you understand that He first created us as spirit and then put our spirit in a physical body. Re-read Genesis 1:1-19 again. Nothing before Day four is physical; all the descriptions are spiritual. It is a spiritual Light in verse one, and then a physical sun in Day four. The transition from a spiritual earth to a physical earth begins on the third Day.
     I want to give you a few word translations so you can further understand this hypothesis, and then we will go on to the dominion part of this equation. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God created all the dimensions of existence and a spiritual earth. Here the Hebrew word for "earth" is erets. In verse two, Scripture says the earth was "formless" (the Hebrew word tohu) and "void" (the Hebrew word bohu). Tohu means "without form, formless, unreality, emptiness. The earth was in a state of unreality; a spiritual template. Bohu means "emptiness, void, or waste; again a spiritual connotation. When God says in verse three, "Let there be light" and the light was separated from the darkness, the Hebrew word for "darkness" is chosek, meaning darkness in an obscurely secret place (spiritual darkness). This interpretation of the word is repeated in other Scriptures, namely 2 Samuel 22:29, Job 17:13, and Psalm 107:14, establishing the consistent spiritual aspect of the word. This darkness is recorded as being over the surface of "the deep". The Hebrew word for deep is Tehouan, meaning "deep or abyss" and is referred to as "a person with a voice and hands". Then we read that the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
     Let's see if we can put all this together: There was a spiritual dimension having power in the physical realm. It is first spiritual in its origin, and then exhibits power in the physical realm. So, here's what we can know for sure from the first two verses in Genesis ... God created the dimensions of the higher heavens. God created a spiritual earth first. And the Spirit of the Lord hovered over the spiritual earth as God was preparing to form it in the physical. When God says let there be light in the third day, it is a spiritual light, and it is God manifesting Himself into the creation template. The Hebrew word for "light" here is owr.
     In Genesis 1:9-13, we read about the dry land appearing, and God is beginning to place the physical overlay over the spiritual template. In verses 14-19, we see God creating more lights, but this time the Hebrew word is ma'owr, and it indicates luminaries (stars), and "the two great lights", the sun and moon -- all physical creations. Hopefully, this will make you never read the first chapter of the Bible the same ever again! And here's something else to blow your mind --- the earth was created after we were! Remember, Ephesians 1:4 says Jesus chose us in Him before the foundations of the world.
     And lest we forget, God created the heavens (plural). So we know the Second Heaven is where the planets and cosmos exist and where the "rulers, authorities, cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" exist (Ephesians 6:12). And we know the Third Heaven is where the throne of God sits, and where, according to Ephesians 2:6, our spirits are seated with Christ. In addition, Philippians 3:20 tells us that we are citizens of Heaven. And this is where our dominion in the spiritual realms (plural) needs to be realized. 
     Our spirits can interact [and act out of] ALL the spiritual realms. Do you realize that God has a ministry for each of us, and wants to act through us, and our ministries are not limited to earth? Daniel 10:7-13 is a precise example of how our spirits can have an impact in the Second Heaven. Daniel has been praying for 21 days, and the angel Gabriel appears to tell him that from the first day he began praying, his words were heard in the Throne Room in the Third Heaven, and God sent him [Gabriel] in response to those prayers. But Gabriel was held up in the Second Heaven by the spiritual "prince" [demonic power] of Persia, until the prince [Godly power] of Israel, the archangel Michael, came to help him. This is an example of Second Heaven warfare generated by the power of our prayers in the spirit. 
     We must not forget that our dominion rests in our authority, rulership, power, jurisdiction and government on behalf of the Kingdom of Heaven. Perseverance is important on our part. Just like in Daniel, as soon as we pray, warfare breaks out in the Second Heaven and we must continue to pray. Would Gabriel have been able to endure in his battle with the prince of Persia if Daniel had stopped praying after two days? Ten days? Fifteen days? 
     It is important to understand that we will and must engage in ALL the realms -- not only here on earth, but in the Second and Third Heavens as well. We should be praying from our seat of dominion and power in the Third Heaven to battle against the demonic powers in the Second Heaven. We must examine ourselves to see if we are only battling through our prayers from this First Heaven, earth. If so, I'm here to tell you this is an inferior position. We are leaving the dominion we possess [in the Second and Third Heavens] on the table, so to speak! We have access to the Throne Room and the Courts of Heaven, and can battle [in spirit] in the Second Heaven alongside Michael and the host of Heaven. 
     As I look at the state of this world, it is apparent that we are not walking in our full dominion in the Heavenly realms. We do not recognize or understand the power, authority, and rulership we have been created to exhibit on behalf of the Kingdom of God. And the powers of darkness are taking advantage of our lack of understanding. My people perish for lack of knowledge is not a meaningless statement. Let us begin to come into our own!

2 Corinthians 10:3-4    For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  

Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

John the Baptist, the Spirit of Elijah, and the Kingdom of Heaven

     I'm going to attempt to share a deeper understanding I just gained about Matthew 11:11-15. It is a passage that is quite often quoted and mentioned in Biblical exegesis, but never adequately explained for my understanding. And in my conversations with fellow Christians, I find that many of them are struggling with its relevance, too. So, not that I see myself as a Scriptural expert, but after spending a bit of time diving in, I'd like to give it a shot, because it is vitally important to our understanding of the Kingdom of God. Here is the passage:

¹¹ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

     Let's unravel this verse-by-verse, shall we? First of all, the Bible is establishing that John the Baptist is a human being, just like you and me; born of a woman. Secondly, we need to understand that John is the last prophet who came with a message that the Messiah would one day come. He is great because he is the prophet that was allowed to see that prophecy fulfilled. But he dies before Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection [which pays for our sins and makes way for us receive eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven]. 
   So, then how could one who is least in the Kingdom be greater than John? We, who are the recipients of Christ's sacrifice are greater because we get to receive the benefits of His Coming, which are Salvation, which in turn grants us the right to enter the Kingdom of Heaven [see John 3:1-5]. We are more privileged than even John the Baptist!
     What does it mean that the Kingdom of Heaven "suffers violence from the days of John, and that violent men take it by force"? To suffer violence means the Kingdom of Heaven was being pressed into by men forcing their way in; because up to now, Satan has been the dark ruler of this world and the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and men did not have access to, or a way, to enter into the Kingdom. And remember, Jesus castigates the Pharisees for not entering, nor allowing others to enter. (Matthew 23:13). 
     But from the moment John stepped onto the world scene until now, the realm of Heaven's kingdom is bursting forth and passionate people are taking hold of its power. The prophets and the Old Testament prophesied about the coming Messiah and His authority and power to deliver men and the world, and now here is John in the New Testament seeing those prophecies come to fruition.
     Then, here is the real stickler for most Christians: And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. Here's my take on this verse ... Got created us all as spirits, and each spirit is eventually assigned to a host body to live out its appointed days, after which the spirit returns to its "home" with the Father. Think "one spirit to one body; one life resulting in one death". But Elijah did not die a human death! He was taken up to Heaven before his body could die, so God receives his spirit back and can send it to John to help him carry out God's purpose for that spirit. [NOTE: spirits can't reside in bodies that die and then come back in another body -- that would constitute reincarnation]. 
     So, think of it like this: The "spirit of Elijah" is an anointing of the Spirit of God that works in a person in the same manner it did in the first Elijah. It is a spirit that is against worshiping false gods  (as Elijah came against Ahab and Jezebel). It is a spirit that brings about the restoration of God's Truth and turns the hearts of God's people back to Him and a true faith. 
     This is a word [for us] as spoken by the prophet Malachi: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers.  In the Last Days, there must be a prophet anointed, just as John the Baptist was, with the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts of believers (both Christians and Jews) to welcome the returning Christ. The traditions of men must be rejected! 
     The Word must be restored to its purity: Those who worship God must worship Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24). In the past, God revealed Himself through a prophet. Now, He reveals Himself through Spirit, and His Spirit will be revealed through the spirit of Elijah in the Last Days. The last anointing of the Elijah spirit will be the final witness to both Jew and Christian (Revelation 11?). Jews must receive the message of the Jewish Apostles in the Early Church, recognize Jesus as their Messiah, recognize the final Elijah's message and be sealed into the Kingdom of God. Likewise, the Modern Church must turn away from their rituals, traditions, and denominational doctrines and turn to the living God of the Bible! I pray that all those with ears to hear, will hear loud and clear!

Weapons of Spiritual Warfare

    I am writing this post for all those who believe that spiritual warfare is real. For me, that is kind of a logical statement; after all, who wouldn't believe that spiritual warfare is real or necessary? You would be surprised! And whenever I have had conflict with fellow Christians over this topic, the usual response I get is that they don't see it in the Bible. "Give me Chapter and Verse" is the customary reaction. So, I thought I would write a short post, presenting Scriptural evidence of actual weapons of spiritual warfare referred to in the Bible.
     The purpose of this post is to not only provide knowledge for Christians, but to prepare them. If we say that Scripture is our guidepost for God's Truth, then we know that there will be a war between our returning Lord and those who operate in the Anti-Christ spirit promoted by Satan. The Body of Christ needs to receive this truth and come to the understanding that we are to battle for the Lord. That's why Paul tells us to put on our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6! Furthermore, the Lord has used His creation in the past as weapons against His [and our] enemies. And as children of the Most High God, we can call on those weapons to aid in our battles in the spiritual realm.
     These weapons exist throughout the Bible; from the Old Testament through to the Book of Revelation. For those who will say, "We don't need these OT weapons, we have Jesus". True! But if you do a deep study in the Old Testament, you will find that it is Jesus who appears as the Lord in the Old Testament, and who is using or conveying these weapons, and He is the same today as He was then. So, let's take a look at what is available to us, as prescribed by God in His Word...

        1. Stars - When the nation of Israel was under the leadership of the prophetess and judge, Deborah, and found themselves at war with the Canaanite king, Sisera, (Judges 4-5), Deborah called her military commander, Barak, to join her in battle against the king. Judges 5:20 records, From heaven the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. Can you imagine if we cooperate with God in our battles against our spiritual enemies [using the power of the constellations], just how devastating it could be against those who oppose us?
     2. Spear of the Lord - There are several references to the Lord using a spear, in either His own hand, or empowering a spear in the hand of His chosen representative, to defeat the Enemy. As David is pursued by Saul and his enemies, he writes in Psalm 35, Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Joshua also had access to the Lord's spear in Joshua 8:18, Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” A sample of how we could employ both the stars and the spear of the Lord in our prayers against our spiritual enemies might sound like this: "Oh Heavens, bombard every evil gathering assigned against me with the spear of the Lord!"
     3. The Hiss of the Lord - This is a fascinating picture of the Lord! In Isaiah 7:18-19, the prophet prophesies about the future Day of the Lord, and tells King Ahaz, In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.  And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures. We must not concentrate on the historical or geographical information in these verses - they were spoken to mean something to King Ahaz in his time period. But we should focus on the weapons that the Lord will use "in that [future] Day" ... the hiss of millions of flies and bees coming to attack the Enemy! But today, when we are being tormented by the whispers and lies of our enemies, we can pray, "Be silenced by the Hiss of the Lord, in the Name of Jesus!"
     4. The Fire of God - Hebrews 10:26-27 speaks of God's consuming fire against His enemies: For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. The prophet Zephaniah forecasts a future day of fire: Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. Until that day, we can pray, "Lord, send your consuming fire against my enemies; against the spirits that torment me and steal my peace".
     5. Engines of War - An engine is anything that is the agent or instrument of a particular process or purpose. "Engines of War" could also be understood as "Instruments of War". Ezekiel 26:9 portrays how the Lord used the instruments of warfare in ancient history to destroy the enemies of Israel: He will direct the shock of His battering rams against your walls, and with His axes He will break down your towers. So, how could we construct a prayer for the 21st Century? How about this? "Lord, direct the shock and awe of your heavenly armies against the evil intentions of those who seek to kill me and destroy our nation! Bomb their installations and confuse their technologies. Establish us in Your Protection and the Knowledge of the Lord!"
   
     Are you getting the idea? Warfare was constant and real in the Bible, and nothing has changed. We are in a battle for the dominion of the Earth and the battles are both in the physical and the spiritual. But we need have no fear! Jehovah Nissi goes before us into battle. And we can call upon His weapons of warfare in the battles we face. I invite you to search out the following weapons of the Lord that are mentioned in the Bible: the Hook of God; His horrible Tempest; Locusts; the Lightning of God; Hailstones; the Finger of God; Heat; the Stone of Offense; Hail and Fire mingled with the Blood of Jesus; Earthquakes and Sea Quakes; Thunderbolts and Whirlwinds; the Hammer of God and His Rod of Iron; Boils and Blindness ... and much, much more.
     I present this because there is a dangerous delusion in the Body of Christ; the belief system that tells Christians we don't need to worry about going to battle because we are not subject to the wrath of God and will not suffer -- that we will be whisked away in the Rapture without encountering any of the bad stuff that is coming at the End of the World. Yes! We are not subject to God's wrath if we are washed in the Blood of Jesus and He sits enthroned upon our hearts. BUT we have an Enemy [and his hordes] who seek to kill, steal and destroy our lives. We are behind Enemy lines, and must continue Jesus's fight to "destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). the Bible gives us examples of the weapons at our disposal. Become familiar with them and do not hesitate to use them! They are real and they are mighty in the hand of the Lord!

Check out the book "101 Weapons of Spiritual Warfare" by Dr. D. K. Olukoya. Also, you will find many examples of weapons of spiritual warfare in Dan Duval's book, "Prayers That Shake Heaven and Earth". Both are available on Amazon.

2 Corinthians 10:4     "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."      
  
   

Understanding Dominion and Free Will

    
     Last weekend Mark and I hosted a mini-conference on Inner Healing. We invited approximately 40 or so people who, having been through a deliverance session and received freedom in Christ, had answered our invitation to now learn how to extend that same freedom to others. In fact, these precious people were an answer to our prayers for the last couple of years. We have been praying for "laborers to come into the harvest"; there is an abundant harvest of people who need to be set free from their bondage to Satan, and learn to walk in their power and authority as redeemed believers and ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. Inner Healing and the Harvest go in hand-in-hand!
     You see, we believe that the ministry of Inner Healing mirrors Jesus's command in Matthew 10:7-8, And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Notice that proclaiming the Kingdom of God on earth is coupled with doing those acts toward our fellow man. Furthermore, the disciples are told that they have received this training/teaching from Jesus for free, and should therefore offer it freely to others. FACT: It is incumbent upon us to share the freedom that we freely receive.
     But before we gave the attendees of our conference the step-by-step instructions of how they could begin to do Inner Healing sessions for others, we needed to establish an understanding of what it meant that the Kingdom of Heaven "is at hand". NOTE: Other translations might read "the Kingdom has come near". In essence, they both are saying that the Kingdom of God is present on the earth. 
     This understanding of the presence of the Kingdom of God on earth must necessarily include an understanding of DOMINION -- what it is; who has it; and how it relates to Inner Healing. So, we always begin any discussion on why Inner Healing is necessary by going back to Genesis 1:26-28, and establishing that God gave Man dominion over the earth: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”   
     Other translations substitute the word dominion in place of rule. It is important to know that the word dominion encompasses the broad concept of power, authority, rulership, and government. God designed us to rule the earth [and have power and authority over "every living thing that moves on the earth"], just as He rules Heaven. Got that? So, dominion was given to us to rule the earth, "as it is in Heaven". 
     BUT, God also gave us Free Will. Adam and Eve were told not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: ¹⁵ The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. ¹⁶ But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— ¹⁷ except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Tend and watch over it -- meaning to cultivate it, and to guard, protect, and preserve it. But also notice this -- God didn't make them robots and force them not to eat of this forbidden tree. In fact, He tells them they can "freely" eat of every tree in the garden except this one. But because He gave them Free Will, they were able to choose, on their own, whether to obey Him or to choose and eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 
    I am making a point of this concept of Free Will interacting with Dominion because it became a sticking point for one of my dear friends who attended our conference. I had explained that Man was  given dominion over the earth, but Adam and Eve gave it up to Satan when they disobeyed God, and now Satan has dominion over the earth, resulting in mankind's bondage to him [and the need for Inner Healing to be set free from this bondage]. Jesus came to earth as the Son of God to re-establish the dominion of the earth for God's Heavenly Kingdom and to reinstate us in our original role -- to dominate, rule, and govern the earth. But I didn't go far enough in my explanation and incorporate how Free Will plays a part in whether we walk in that identity or not, and it resulted in confusion for my friend, and perhaps for others that attended. [That's why we encouraged people to ask questions, and how I hate that she didn't, because it grieves me that she left not fully understanding what we presented. It was also my fault for not taking the teaching to its final conclusion.] That is why I am presenting it here. I want everyone to see the "big picture"!
     Her confusion arose from her understanding that Jesus and God are all-powerful, so could Satan have dominion over the earth? I explained that Satan has power, but he's not all-powerful. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have dominion in our lives and on the earth. That's where our Free Will comes in. When Jesus came to earth and proclaimed the Good News that the Kingdom of God had arrived, He brought the power and authority of Heaven [with Him] to begin the transfer of the earth from Satan's dark kingdom back to God's Kingdom. And when He died and rose from the grave, He transferred that power and authority to us to continue His work of reclaiming earth [and lives] for Heaven. But here's the thing.... Jesus doesn't impose that power and authority upon us. We have to choose to accept it and walk in it. If we don't, then Satan can become all powerful in the life of someone who chooses to sadistically murder a child because that person has given Satan authority in his life. There is no evidence of the power of Jesus in that individual. BUT, he doesn't have to stay under the authority of Satan if he chooses to repent, renew his mind, and turn to Jesus as his Savior.
     You see, there is a BATTLE FOR DOMINION between Satan and Jesus -- between Satan's kingdom [where we see his authority and rulership in sex trafficking, child porn, the abortion industry, Hollywood, etc], and the Kingdom of God and Jesus's authority and rulership in the lives of Saved people. There would be no question that Jesus is "All-Powerful" and Satan has no power, if we all walked in the power and authority [to rule our lives and this earth] that Jesus gave us and as God planned for us to do. But the truth is, we don't! Jesus is not all-powerful in my life if I should choose to dishonor my parents, or abandon my husband in his time of need. The FULLNESS of the Kingdom is only a reality when Jesus returns, defeats the Enemies of God, and establishes His full Sovereignty in the Millennial Kingdom.
     That's why Jesus called Satan "the ruler of this dark world" (John 14:30) -- ruler, meaning "one who has authority, dominion" -- because he still rules/has dominion in some people's lives. And that's why Paul called the devil "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4) -- because people have given him power and authority in their lives. 
     I make this distinction because it is important for us to understand that, yes, Jesus is more powerful than Satan, and Satan has no claim on Him. But because of Free Will, given to us by the Father, we can choose to relinquish our power and authority as a co-heir with Christ and an ambassador of the Kingdom, opening ourselves up to Satan taking over areas of our lives and ruling them. That's when Shame, Guilt, Anger, Depression, Lust, Pride, for example, take up the territory that Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control should occupy. Those gifts are the fruit of walking in our power and authority to let Jesus have dominion in our lives. 
     But because we are human, and Satan is battling to gain some of that dominion for his kingdom, we may "miss the mark" and find ourselves in bondage to him. Inner Healing is what Jesus commanded in order to re-take that territory and restore our lives [and the lives of others] under the rulership (dominion) of God, the Father, and His Kingdom. Yes, Jesus is ALL-POWERFUL, but only if we use our Free Will to choose to walk in the power and authority He gave us, and if we choose Him! 

Daniel 7:14    And to Him was given Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.  

Warning To Parents: Disney Is Pushing Demons Again

     I have been warning about the sinister undertones of Disney for several years now, and it appears that they are upping the game. LifeSiteNews reports that "The Disney Channel premiered a new cartoon – The Owl House – on Friday, January 10, that promises to introduce young viewers to a world of demons and witchcraft."

     According to Disney themselves, the series follows self-assured teenage girl Luz, who discovers a portal to another realm where humans are not well-liked, and she must disguise herself in order to fit in at witch school. Luz partners with a rebellious witch named Eda and her diminutive sidekick, King, who was indeed once a king, and is searching for a way to restore his titles and glory. Despite not possessing any magical abilities of her own, Luz pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda's apprentice and learning the ways of magic.
     Furthermore, Disney describes that realm as a “Demon town,” where Luz takes up residence with Eda the Owl Lady, “the most powerful witch on the Boiling Iles.” Luz declares, “Someday, I’m going to be just like her.”
     Deborah Bunting, a writer for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), wrote a commentary on this new Disney show, in which she said, “Over the years, Disney has gone farther and farther into the darkness of the spiritual world that opposes the living God, coming up with programming and characters that lead the vulnerable into that dark world of deception.”  And the show's art director said the original concept for the show was "girl hangs out with witch in hell", and the show's creator [Dana Terrace] wanted to make the The Owl House, not only a very real demon realm, but make it "feel like home".
     To that end, Disney has created The Boiling Isles as the main setting of the animated series The Owl House. It is a land populated by all sorts of magical creatures with a town located in the remains of a dead titan. The Demon town is pretty much alive, full of random hands and eyes in strange places. Being the creative geniuses that they are, Disney has created a very distinctive and menacing town with fiendish places of interest. There is Bonesborough, a lively town in the Boiling Isles filled with creatures, witches, ghosts and monsters. There is Hexside Academy of Magic and Demonics, the prestigious high school for witches, demons and magic folk. They have created the Witch Arena, a  gathering place located on the most mysterious part of the Boiling Isles: the Knee. Set within the ruins of a castle, groups will meet here for rituals and social functions. You will find the Covention Center, an arena for magical entertainment and competition. It is the site of the annual COVENTION, in which the covens of the Isles vie for new recruits. And believe it or not, they even have a Playground, where in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Bonesborough, it is a popular destination for kindergarteners, their parents and King.
     To show where their heart lies, the Disney fandom website lists as an "interesting" trivia fact, that the design of the woods was originally going to be much more dominated by black colors, but since it was "melting" with Luz's hair too much, the creators went with "bloody red" for the trees.
     At this point, nothing surprises me from Disney anymore. They are getting bolder and less guarded about their intentions. In 2014, I wrote a warning about being aware of the recreation of ancient pagan symbols and gods and goddesses in our current culture. I pointed out the movie Maleficent, which starred Angelina Jolie as a modern reincarnation of Isis (note the horns), and was a re-do of the old Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty. [NOTE: Disney released Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil this year, in which Jolie is described as "going full evil in the sequel".]
     When I saw Sleeping Beauty at the age of 5, I was terrified by the evil sorceress, Maleficent.  In the rebirth of this classic tale, the demonic Maleficent, who was once pure evil, was morphed into a sympathetic Earth goddess; cursing, yet protecting her surrogate daughter, the sleeping beauty Aurora. But it appears, her "motherly instincts" are short-sighted in the sequel, and Disney seems to have taken extra steps to embrace the Darkness in order to align themselves against those who claim to represent the “Light”.
     But I don't know why we should be surprised. In 2015, I wrote that even as far back as the release of Fantasia in 1940, Disney openly glorified Chernabog, a giant evil demon, who appears as the only main character in the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" segment.  He has been praised as Disney's best representation of pure evil, and as animator Vladimir Tytla's greatest triumph. As a very "raw" representation of evil, he, in his original appearance, is not placed in the context of any real story, and he and his minions' actions are not committed in pursuit of any discernible goal other than general havoc–wreaking and tyranny on all... in other words, "to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10).
     Chernabog is one of the most powerful villains Walt Disney has ever created because he is depicted as a ruthless monster, feared by all who encounter him.  Walt Disney, himself, said another name for Chernabog was Satan.  Many of his appearances also show him to be somewhat comedic, as seen in The Wonderful World of Disney, and House of Mouse.  But I promise you, he is anything but funny.  His power is shown to be incredibly demonic, being able to unleash hellish realms and spirits. While immensely dark, he has managed to become a trademark Disney villain. [NOTE: I personally know several people who have encountered a demon very similar to this character].
     In fact, Thornton Hee, another Disney animator who worked on Fantasia, recalled wanting to ask Vladimir Tytla (the creator of the character Chernabog) about something, but when he entered the animator's room, he found it was in complete darkness save for the fluorescent light under Tytla's drawing, which lit his face in an eerie way as he worked. This unnerved Hee enough to compel him to leave without alerting Tytla to his presence at all.
     And Thornton Hee was not the only one frightened by this depiction of Chernabog.  At the time of its release in 1940, many parents criticized the film for frightening their children in the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment.  One film critic,  Dorothy Thompson of The New York Herald Tribune, wrote that she "left the theater in a condition bordering on nervous breakdown," because the film was a "remarkable nightmare."  And no wonder... when you read of Chernabog's descriptions on a website dedicated to his creation as an animated character, you read things like "Gigantic, slender, muscular, scary-looking face, black skin and horns, yellow glowing eyes, jagged fangs, giant black wings with purple undersides".  You read that his "occupation" is Demon Lord.  The things he likes are "Evil, darkness, war, chaos, night, fire, shadows, sins, hate, fear, despair, death".  And he dislikes "all that is good, and the light".
     So, add all of Disney's evil machinations to LifeSiteNews reporting that Walmart, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble offered a book inviting young children to learn how to summon demons, and I hope it heightens your awareness of all that is coming against our children. Written for 5 to 10-year-olds, A Children’s Book of Demons directs kids to “conjure gentle demons by writing their sigils, which serve as ‘a phone number’ straight to the spirit. Amazon's description of the book is as follows: Don’t want to take out the trash tonight? Maybe you’re swimming in homework? Perhaps that big bully is being a real drag? Well grab your colored pencils and sigil drawing skills and dial up some demons! This paranormal parody is filled to the brim with funny spirits more silly than scary! But in one review, a parent wrote, "It teaches kids the original Greek, Hebrew and Egyptian names of these malicious demons". In short, it is promoting witchcraft, the occult, and Satanism.
     We must become vigilant and alert to the tactics and schemes of the Enemy to influence our children. They are already immersed in technology, and their iPads have become their baby-sitters. Please be aware! The spiritual health and safety of this vulnerable generation is at stake. These movies and books are not innocent entertainment! They are designed to seduce your children and draw them into the occult. And remember the definition of the occult: any person, group, or organization that tries to gain supernatural power, abilities, or knowledge apart from the Creator God. Protect your children from these demonic forces!

Isaiah 8:19    And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?
 
     

The Pharisees, the Kabbalah, and Ancient Egyptian Magic - Part 2

     

     Yesterday, I began to write a theory about how ancient Egyptian magic has come down the centuries to influence the religions of the world and is still present in today's rituals and traditions. I began with the definitions of the Torah, the Talmud, and Kabbalah, and today will try to connect all the dots and give you the big picture of how the occult and witchcraft still survive in the modern world.
     First, we need to understand the definition of the term occult. The occult is a rather broad term that covers a lot of practices that are unholy to our God. It comes from the Latin word occultus and means "hidden, or secret". In its most simple understanding the occult is any person, group, or organization that tries to gain supernatural power, abilities, or knowledge apart from the Creator God, Jehovah. At its root is disobedience to God!
     Let's proceed ... According to a website which promotes the history of ancient Egyptian magic, the Egyptian Pharaohs practiced witchcraft to empower men with means and methods of making both demonic and friendly powers perform what they wanted. And I found this very interesting: in Egypt, the magical powers belonged exclusively to men of religion, and one who was skilled in the art and science of magic, was invincible. The domain of Egyptian witchcraft and occult was divine; a person who was an expert in this field of magic was considered immortal, or "like a god".
     So, now consider Exodus 7:1-3, "Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt", and verses 10-12: "So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs." Starting to get the picture? While in bondage in Egypt for 400 years, the Israelites would have seen the power of Egypt's occult. So God sent Moses to confound their occultic system, proving that His signs and wonders were greater. But did that stop the influence of Egyptian magic among the Israelites?
     Fast forward to Solomon, the heir apparent to King David, a man whom 1 Kings 4:29-30 says, "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt." I looked up the word wisdom in Strong's Concordance and found that it is the Hebrew word chokmah, and it means "wisdom, experience, and shrewdness". But among its many connotations is that the one who receives wisdom is "to be endowed with special abilities given to him by God; and that the prerequisite for wisdom is the fear of the Lord". 
     There is a lot of extra-Biblical literature that suggests that Solomon practiced the magic arts that came from Egypt. The Apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon (220BC-50AD) mentions Solomon praying & receiving the “spirit of Wisdom”. Through Wisdom, Solomon knows of astrology and the “forces of spirits” or “powers of spirits” in this translation. Within the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is a very fragmented Apocryphal Psalms (11Q11[11Q PsAp]) that mentions Solomon in connection with demons. It reads, "[Of David. Concerning the words of the spell] in the name of [YHWH…][…] of Solomon, and he will invoke [the name of YHWH] {to set him free from every affliction of the sp]irits, Of the devils. [Liliths,][owls and jackals.] These are the devils, and the pri[nce of emn]ity [is Belial,] who [rules] over the abyss [of dark] ness…". Around 70 AD, Josephus compiled his Antiquities and included an excerpt about Solomon. When referring to 1 Kings, Solomon no longer speaks 3000 proverbs and sings 1005 songs, Josephus writes that now he has authored 3000 books of proverbs and 1005 books of odes. Solomon could also compose incantations to heal the sick and perform exorcisms. The belief that the original Temple of Jerusalem was built with supernatural help also emerged with Josephus. Then there is The Epistle to Rehoboam, a letter purported to have been written by Solomon to his son, Rehoboam, explaining the benefits of gaining power through the use of “plants, prayers, stones, but above all else…the seven planetary gods.” It contains a passage subtitled ‘Concerning Hygromancy’ in which Solomon instructs his son, Rehoboam, on how to use divination and astrology to secure sexual gratification, health, power, and wealth. The basis of Solomon’s magic lies in a precise understanding of astrology and cosmology. Finally, there is the Testament of Solomon (TSol) (2nd century AD), which describes Solomon building the Jerusalem Temple with the aid of demons. The text claims that Solomon wrote the Testament in an attempt to record all his wisdom after he had lost his powers. If you would like to do your own research on these ancient texts, you can start here at this link.
     Now, none of this is recorded in our Bible. But there is the warning God gives Solomon in 1 Kings 9: "“But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight... ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them". Then we see the fall of Solomon in 1 Kings 11: "Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done.  Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods."
     So, how does all this tie into our understanding of the Kabbalah as a mystical religion? Johannes Buxtorf (1564-1629) a professor of Hebrew, known by the title "Master of the Rabbis", defines the Kabbalah [in his book Lexicon of the Talmud] as "a secret science, which treats in a mystical and enigmatical manner of things divine, angelic, theological, celestial, and metaphysical; the subjects being enveloped in striking symbols and secret modes of teaching". OK, I can see some synchronicity in what the historical extra-biblical texts reveal about Solomon and his "wisdom". 
    But now, I'm going to take a big leap and link the ancient Egyptian mysticism and occult to the Kabbalah and to the secrets of Freemasonry. I am astounded at the number of websites that promote these occultic and mystic religions and organizations. In a fascinating article on the website called Gaia (named after the pagan goddess, known as the Mother Earth goddess), Ancient Egyptian history author, Alphonse Mariette, wrote of the Egyptian mystery schools, “To the initiated of the sanctuary, no doubt, was reserved the knowledge of the god in the abstract, the god concealed in the unfathomable depths of his own essence. But for the less refined adoration of the people were presented the endless images of deities sculptured on the walls of temples.” The Christian Priest, Origen, said that “The Egyptian philosophers have sublime notions with regard to the Divine nature, which they kept secret, and never discover to the people but under a veil of fables and allegories.” 
     If you've done any study of Freemasonry at all, you can surely see the similarities in the teaching methods.  Freemasonry is performed by way of symbolism and allegory and never revealed to the uninitiated (known as cowans). Masonic teaching centers on its initiation rituals. Each of Freemasonry’s three degrees takes the candidate through a journey steeped in history, symbolism, and allegory to teach him lessons of how to raise his divine spark, realize his relationship to a higher power (God, Grand Architect, Supreme Being, etc) and live a life of moral rectitude. Occult scholar, Lewis Spence (1874 – 1955) tells us of the same goal of initiation in Ancient Egypt: “The purpose of initiation is a conventional attempt to realize man’s place in the universe and in the divine scheme of things, and for this, I believe, the Egyptian Mystery System achieved for the first time in an orderly and philosophical manner … Have we no lessons to learn from Egypt? Aye, the greatest in the world, the knowledge of that divine introspection which alone can give man the likeness of the Divine.”
     But the incontrovertible evidence that ties Freemasonry to the ancient Egyptian occult is the use of Egyptian gods like Thoth and Anubis; On, Osiris and Isis in the oaths they take.  In the mystery schools of Ancient Egypt, a chain was placed around a candidate’s neck as part of his preparation for initiation. In Freemasonry, a noosed rope (called a cable tow) is placed around the initiate's neck. As in Freemasonry, the Egyptian candidate was also blindfolded to represent a state of darkness before emerging into the light of knowledge when the blindfold was removed. 
     When a candidate becomes a Freemason, he is presented with a white apron consisting of a square overlaid with a triangle. The apex of the triangular flap represents the divine spark we must endeavor to recover. It is the part of us made in the image of our Creator, and there’s no better geometric figure to symbolize this than the triangle. After all, geometrically a triangle is the very first shape that can be made by drawing straight lines. This is why the number 3 was venerated by the ancients and still is to this day. In Judaism, the triangle represents the past, present, and future. To the Chinese: heaven, earth, and water. To the Hindus: creation, preservation, and renewal. The three points of the triangle also represent the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the collective unconscious. The Ancient Egyptian ceremony of initiation led the candidate to a door shaped exactly as a Masonic apron: a triangle over a square, symbolizing his progression from an earthly, material existence (square) into a heavenly, spiritual existence of higher learning (triangle).
      These are just a few of the connections between ancient Egypt, the Kabbalah and Freemasonry. Were the traditions of the Pharisees steeped in the Kabbalah? Is that why Jesus asked them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" The Bible does not make that clear. But the reading of history and historical writings make some interesting assertions about mystical Judaism. Are we to question the Bible? Absolutely not! The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of the Word; it is divine and holy. But we cannot ignore what history tells us about the occult and witchcraft, and their influence in all the major religions of the world.
     The secrecy, the magic, the sorcery, and the "mystic traditions" are serious transgressions. Can you see the disobedience and rebellion against the God of the Bible? It is as ancient as time and continues to hold sway over mankind today, tempted by the Enemy to seek his own divinity. The connection between secrecy and science is unmistakable in the occult, whether in antiquity or the 21st Century. We must expose it and uproot it at every turn! We should take seriously the words of Paul to the Church at Ephesus: "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light."

      
     
     


    

The Pharisees, the Kabbalah, and Ancient Egyptian Magic - Part 1

    

     Sometimes, when I start trying to connect the dots in the Bible, my questions lead me to more information than I know what to do with. And while I know it is all important in order to understand what I'm reading in the Bible, it is going to be a process to discern it properly. Let me take you on this journey with me, and you will know what I'm talking about...
     As I've expressed in recent blogs, I am studying the Book of Matthew again, and I cannot escape the numerous times that Jesus castigates the Pharisees.The entire Twenty-third Chapter of Matthew finds Jesus telling the people to follow the laws the Pharisees taught, but not to do what they did. And in Chapter 15, verse three, Jesus asks the Pharisees, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"
     It would be easy to read right over that simple question, but something made me stop and consider it deeper. I find it interesting that Jesus used the word transgress to describe how the Pharisees were treating God's commandments, which consist of the Law. That word is used in relation to sin, but not just "to miss the mark"; instead to "willfully rebel" in missing the mark. It means that the Pharisees knew they were disobeying God's law in some capacity -- for the sake of their tradition. But what constituted their tradition? Was it just the teaching, instruction, and interpretation of the Law? And if so, wouldn't this be a good thing? Don't the commandments of God make up the Law? Or were they in rebellion to God by observing traditions that were sinful in the eyes of God?
     You see, I love the history of the Bible, and I want to know the back story and the context in which the Bible was written. I believe with my whole heart that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, but I believe it is important to know the history of the time in which the Bible was written and the social, religious, and political influences that shaped the people, places, and events in the Bible. We are naive if we think we can just interpret Scripture according to modern Western understandings and interpretations. 
     So, I wanted to take a deep dive into what contributed to the knowledge of the Pharisees, a religious and social movement that became a school of thought in the Holy Land during the time of Second Temple Judaism (which occurred from 536 BC to 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed the Temple). Their belief system became the foundation for Rabbinic Judaism and the basis for religious worship and rites and rituals. Why was Jesus in so much conflict with them? Is there a history there that would shed more light upon this conflict than just the fact that Jesus threatened their control of the masses?
     What I want to share is a very condensed version of some of the "religious" influences upon the Israelites that might have guided the Pharisees "traditions", and how these influences are still alive and well in the 21st Century. This subject matter is convoluted and complex, but I will try to give you an abbreviated commentary that I hope you will find as fascinating as I did.
     First it is important to understand some terminology that will help us to comprehend the history of Jewish religion and its practices. So, here are the foundational terms we need to know:
Torah - The first five books of the Bible; includes God's instructions for the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Feasts, and the Sabbath.
Mishna - Considered "the Oral Law"; various interpretations of selective legal traditions that had been preserved orally since at least the time of Ezra (c. 450 BC). It was finalized by a group of Jewish scholars in the 3rd Century. According to Jewish tradition, the Oral Torah was passed down orally in an unbroken chain from generation to generation until its contents were finally committed to writing following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, when Jewish civilization was faced with an existential threat, by virtue of the dispersion of the Jewish people
Gemara - The written commentaries on the Mishna. Various rabbinic scholars interpreted and gave their own views on the Mishna. 
Talmud - Consists of the Mishna and Gemara; NOTE: The Torah is of divine origin. The Talmud is considered (by Rabbinic Judaism) to be divinely inspired, written by many scholars over many generations. The Torah was written in the 3rd millennia BC or earlier, and canonized in the 3rd century BC. The Talmud was written between the 2nd and the 5th Centuries AD.
Kabbalah - a branch of the Jewish mystical tradition (a secret knowledge) that concerns the use of magic. It was considered permissable as white magic by its practitioners. It was reserved for the elite, who could separate its spiritual source from the evil realms if performed under circumstances that were holy and pure. Its teachings include the use of Divine and angelic names for amulets and incantations. Its historical origins are obscure, and I read various dates ranging from 1500 BC to 1300 AD. According to Wikipedia, originally, Kabbalistic knowledge was believed to be an integral part of the Oral Torah, given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai around the 13th century BC according to its followers; although some believe that Kabbalah began with Adam in the Garden of Eden. As you can tell, there is no definitive date for the beginning of the Kaballah. However, it is still practiced today.
Sadducees - Religious sect who only believed in the Written Law of Moses (the first five books of the Bible).
Pharisees - Religious sect who believed in the Written Law, and placed an emphasis on the Oral Law (Talmud).
     So, while fascinating, how could this information possibly affect us today? Well, here is something that I found extremely informative: Traditional Judaism believes that the Oral Law was given to Moses at the same time as the Written Law, because "without an Oral Law, blind adherence to the plain text of certain Torah commandments would lead to unethical acts, or would cause the practitioner to violate a commandment elsewhere in the Torah" [according to Wikipedia]. Furthermore, "Moses received the Torah and handed it down to Joshua; Joshua to the Elders; the Elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly... all the way to the rabbis who compiled the Babylonian Talmud in the 4th Century AD. NOTE: The Bible does not tell us anything about an Oral Law given to Moses. So, while none of this is substantiated by our Bible, these beliefs are profoundly held among religious Jews today and have survived for thousands of years. Is God the originator of these beliefs, or is there a more evil power at work here?
     Here is where all this is leading me ... according to our Bible, Moses was given the Law by God to give to the Israelites after they left Egypt. It was important that they know He was Holy and would not tolerate the sins of Egypt that they had left behind. But what exactly were those Egyptian influences? I found a website that provided a fascinating history of ancient Egyptian magic, and a treasure trove of information. According to the website, "The main goal of Egyptian witchcraft was to empower men with means and methods of making or compelling both demonic and friendly powers to do or perform what they wanted. These magical powers belonged exclusively to religious men who were skilled in the art and science of magic. And their practices permeated the social, religious, and political lives of everyone in Egypt, including those held in bondage and slavery.
     Men of magic in ancient Egypt used to utter or recite some important words in a systematic manner and deep intonation to heal sick people, by curing the incurable diseases, [cast a] spell off the ghost residing in the body and restore the dead soul back into the physical body. They could even converse with the dead souls to provide them power to get rid of their guilt and sins to become saner bodies!"
     We know the profound influence that Egypt had over the Israelites through the Bible's accounts of Joseph and the 7-Year Famine, Moses and the 10 Plagues, and the story of the Exodus. How much of the magic arts did the people who would become the nation of Israel carry forward with them? Did you know that one of the Egyptian goddesses was called Hathor, who was worshipped in the form of a cow or as a cow with stars above her? Did you know that she was the mother of Ra, the Egyptian sun god? Could she have been the impetus for the golden calf that Aaron built and the people worshiped at the base of Mount Sinai while Moses was receiving the tablets?
     There are some who posit the theory that while Moses was receiving God's Law, Aaron was establishing and giving the Kabbalah (the mystical Oral Law) to the Israelites, and that this Oral Law has continued through the centuries. There is so much of Israel and Judah's histories that we receive mere glimpses of in the Bible, but those partial views provide some clues as to why Jesus was in conflict with the Pharisees. 
     The truth of the Bible and our God has been under attack from Satan and his pagan religions since the beginning of time, and I'll expose the hidden mysticism that has infiltrated our most sacred institutions and faith. We will explore those concepts in the next post, and see how that ancient sorcery is still at work today.

Isaiah 44:25    I am the Lord ... I make fools out of those who tell the future using their secret ways. I turn back wise men, and make their learning foolish.
    
     

Jesus's Message To Those Who Refuse To Receive the Kingdom of God

     There are a lot of quotes from Jesus that, frankly, are quite alarming and terrifying. They challenge us as Christians and Believers, and serve to put us on notice that our professed faith does not make us immune from judgment. But perhaps the two in Matthew 10 and 11 should make us all sit up and take notice.
     In Matthew 10:5-15, Jesus sends out His twelve disciples, instructing them to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived. They are told to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast our demons. They are told that when they come to a town to find out "who is worthy", and to stay there. They are to let their peace come upon the house if the inhabitants are worthy; and if anyone will not receive them or listen to their message about the Kingdom, then they are to shake off the dust from their feet and leave that town. And here is the warning: Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
     Before we dissect the meaning of that dire warning, we need to understand what Jesus meant by being "worthy". According to Strong's Concordance it means to be found righteous on the grounds of being fit for the Good News of the Kingdom. And "being fit" means a willingness to receive the Kingdom; to "see" it and "enter" it. And as we know from John 3:1-5, Salvation is the entry point into the Kingdom. Once Saved, we are called to "do" the works of the Kingdom and take back dominion over the earth [defeating the devil's kingdom], starting in people's lives by healing them, casting out the demons that have kept them in bondage, raising them from the dead [if it is before their time], and teaching them to share this Good News and do the works of the Kingdom themselves, thereby expanding it until it covers the earth. 
     But Jesus says that if a town is witness to these evidences that the Kingdom is here, and they refuse to listen or receive it, then they will be judged harsher than Sodom and Gomorrah. Wow! Most of us know that the Bible tells us how wicked and evil Sodom and Gomorrah were and that God destroyed Sodom. But do you know the extent of their wickedness? The ancient Book of Jasher gives us more historical insight into the deeds of Sodom. [NOTE: I am not saying that the Book of Jasher is inspired Scripture! But it is referenced in both the Old and New Testaments as a book of historical record. I have found that it fills in some of the gaps in the historical narrative of the Bible, and I believe God inspired the writers to reference it so we would have additional information to illuminate His inspired Word. Remember: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out {Proverbs 25:2)].
    

Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

So, back to the story of Sodom. In the Bible, we tend to see Sodom as one city, but actually it was a kingdom. And our Christian doctrine primarily describes the sin of Sodom as either rape/sodomy, lack of hospitality, or pride. But it was much more! According to Jasher, the cities of Sodom had four judges to the four cities. These four judges issued a decree that beds were to be erected in the streets of the cities, and if a man came to these places, the citizens were to lay hold of him and force him to lie down on the bed. They would measure him according to the length of the bed, and if he was shorter, they would stretch him until he died. If he was longer, they would fold the bed up and crush him to death. 
     Another favorite pastime of Sodom was equally appalling. If a poor man came to their land and entered their cities, they would give him silver and gold, then decree that no one in the city could give him anything to eat. Should he die from starvation, then the inhabitants of the city would come and lay claim to their silver and gold and fight over the man's clothes and belongings. 
     Then there is the story of Paltith, a daughter of Lot that we don't read about in the Bible. During Lot's sojourn in Sodom, one of the men of Sodom takes Paltith as his wife. The Book of Jasher says that Paltith's soul was so moved with pity for a man who was being starved in Sodom that she secretly fed him bread and water, and he was revived. When it was discovered that Paltith was aiding the man, she was seized and taken before the judges of Sodom and was burned to death. Another young woman attempted to aid another traveler in the city of Admah [in the kingdom of Sodom] and her judgment was to be covered with honey from head to foot and placed before bee hives. Jasher records "the young woman cried out... and her cries ascended to Heaven. And the Lord was provoked at this and at all the works of the cities of Sodom, for they had abundance of food, and had tranquility amongst them, and still would not sustain the poor and the needy, and in those days their evil doings and sins became great before the Lord. And the Lord sent for two of the angels that had come to Abraham's house, to destroy Sodom and its cities." And that's where our Bible picks up the story.
     It is hard to imagine anything more despicable than these works of the cities of Sodom, and they will certainly be judged for their evil ways. Yet, Jesus [in Matthew 10] says on the Day of Judgment, it will be more bearable for Sodom than for towns where the people will not receive or listen to the Gospel of the Kingdom! The cities of Sodom did not get the opportunity to hear about the Kingdom or see the works of the Kingdom displayed. Today, Christians DO have that opportunity! And I know the frustration of trying to share the Kingdom message and its works with people I think are worthy, and having it rejected. But when I see the judgment that is coming against those who refuse what Jesus commanded, it breaks my heart.
     And if you doubt the truth of this warning, Jesus makes it again in Matthew 11:20-24! He warns the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they witnessed the mighty works of the Kingdom of God, yet they refused to repent -- which is refusing to change the way they think and "see" and "enter" the Kingdom of God which was being presented right before their eyes. Again, He tells them it will be more bearable for the evil towns of Tyre and Sidon, and more tolerable for the land of Sodom, than for these cities who were blessed with confirmation of the Kingdom.
     But now, I have to ask ... is it any different for us today? Won't be held to the same standards as Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum? Won't the same judgement be issued for those who have seen evidence of the miracles of healing, and the casting out of demons, yet refuse to step into the Kingdom and continue the works of Jesus as He commands in the Great Commission? Yes, we have the benefit of Salvation, but Jesus commanded more. He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. He didn't stress Salvation as our goal. We can't even see or perceive or understand the Kingdom without Salvation, so it is the essential first step. He tells us to seek the Kingdom first! Salvation is a given at that point. There is more to our purpose, and it is to advance the Kingdom through the works He did and to share the Good News that these works are part of the Kingdom; restoring us back to our original state of dominion. 
     It is time we take these warnings in Matthew 10 and 11 to heart. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We are not exempt from the judgments He decreed over the people in the Book of Matthew. I pray that a holy fire of revelation and faith in the promises of the Kingdom of God will sweep our land. We have much need of repentance and an acceptance of the Message of the Kingdom. We need to not only hear it and receive it, but do it! It is time to preach it, teach it, equip and train! 

John 12:48        If you reject Me and refuse to follow My words, you already have a judge. The message of truth I have given you will rise up to judge you at the Day of Judgment.