Where Did Allah Come From?

Muslims worship a god by the name of Allah. They also give him ninety-nine other names. The question that naturally arises is who or what is this Allah? Where did the Muslims derive their ideas of Allah's nature and attributes?

Historical Source of Islam

Historians, linguists, and archeologists have dug into this question for over a century. Various archeological digs in Arabia and throughout the Middle East have uncovered the answer: Islam is a modern version of the ancient fertility religion of the moon god. Once this is grasped, the rise and history of Islam becomes clear.

The Arab conquests were made possible because the central powers in the Middle East had exhausted themselves in wars against each other. They were not able to fight off wave after wave of Arab armies which subdued entire nations with merciless slaughter, rape and plunder.

Conquering Armies

The Arabs destroyed some of the wonders of the ancient world such as the world famous library in Alexandria, Egypt, They destroyed many ancient churches and synagogues. Anthropologists have recorded how the Arabs destroyed the cultural heritage of any nation which fell under their sword.

Who were these Arabs? They obviously were not Christians because they destroyed churches and murdered priests wherever they went. Obviously, they were not Jews because they persecuted Jews without pity. This is seen today in their hatred of Israel and the many wars and acts of terrorism waged against Jews throughout the world.

If the Arab hordes which swept over the ancient world were not Christians or Jews, then what were they? They were pagans who worshipped a pagan god called Allah and followed pagan rites which were practiced in Arabia long before the religion of Islam evolved.

Islam Denies the Trinity

These facts of history reveal that Islam does not worship the same God worshipped by Christians. Why?

Christians worship one God in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But Islam denies the Holy Trinity and worships a different deity called Allah who is not a Father and who has no son.

Since the religion found in the Bible teaches the Trinity, then it does not take a Ph.D. to see that Islam did not come from the Bible. Thus it is not the religion of the biblical prophets, apostles or Jesus.

Pagan Origins

Islam's origins have been traced back by scholars to the ancient fertility religion of the worship of the moon god which was always the dominant religion of Arabia. The moon god was worshipped by praying toward Mecca several times a day, making an annual pilgrimage to the Kabah which was a temple of the moon god, running around the Kabah seven times, caressing an idol of a black stone set in the wall of the Kabah, running between two hills, making animal sacrifices, gathering on Fridays for prayers, giving alms to the poor, etc.. These were pagan rites practiced by the Arabs long before Muhammad was born.

The Crescent Moon

What religion today practices the pagan rites of the moon god? Islam! This explains why the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam. It is placed on top of mosques and minarets and displayed on hats, flags, rugs, amulets and even jewelry. Every time you see the Muslim symbol of a crescent moon, you are seeing the ancient symbol of the moon god.

Denial Not a Refuge

Does the average Muslim know that he is worshipping a moon god? No. Does he know why the crescent moon symbol sits on top of his mosque? No. Is he shocked and perhaps angered at these facts of history? Yes. But can mere denial or angry threats refute the fact that Islam is nothing more than a modern version of the ancient religion of the moon god Allah? No. The average Muslim has been kept in the dark by the Mullahs and Imams who would lose their power if the truth ever got out.

Why is Gay Marriage So Wrong?

Is same-sex marriage simply allowing another kind of couple to have the same benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. In God’s social system, obedience creates benefits; sin causes problems.

First of all, hetero-couples don’t need any help having children. Homo-couples need opposite sex donors. And if a doctor declines to help because of his faith he might be sued for “discrimination.”

Or, if the homo-couple decides to adopt, woe to any adoption agency that refuses to accommodate them. In Massachusetts, where same-sex marriages are legal, an adoption agency was told by the state that they must place children with homo-couples who were “married.” After a lengthy battle, they decided they would quit the adoption business altogether. Now, legitimate hetero-couples in Massachusetts no longer can get adoption help from this agency.

Two years ago, the Vatican banned Catholic agencies from placing children with homo-couples. San Francisco city council responded with a resolution condemning the church’s teaching as “hateful and discriminatory” showing “insensitivity and ignorance.” Catholic leaders countered with a suit that the resolution violated the Constitution’s prohibition of government hostility toward religion. That case is currently before the 9th Circuit court.

In the business world, a Christian photographer in New Mexico was fined for refusing to photograph a lesbian “commitment ceremony.” In Texas, a gardener was sued by a homosexual for refusing to do business with him. A printer in Canada was fined for refusing to print a job for a homosexual organization.

Ministries are also under attack. In Canada, Christian Horizons, a ministry to the developmentally disabled, was fined $23,000 for firing a female employee who was having an affair with another woman. Publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson are currently being sued by a homosexual. He claims that the bibles that they sell, which call homosexuality a sin, have caused him “emotional pain and mental instability.”

Pastor Harry Jackson, of Hope Christian Church in College Park, Maryland sees a move by homosexuals to pressure all Christian churches to “change the foundational beliefs,” and ordain openly gay ministers. Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Anglicans have already given in and ordained homosexuals causing a major rift in their denominations.

Their next goal is evangelicals. “Be prepared for things to get rough,” says Jackson. His church, along with T.D. Jakes’ Potter’s House, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, Willow Creek, and Saddleback, have all been visited by radical homosexual activists SoulForce and Equality Riders. So far the dialog and visits have been civil but these groups have demonstrated a willingness to even be arrested for disruptive behavior.

“Be prepared for things to get rough,”

As you can see, legalizing same-sex marriage has far greater implications than just joining two people in “holy matrimony.” The bottom line here is the fact that these people want to make it illegal to say that their behavior is sinful.

They are very skillful in using the media and the law to advance their agenda. Jackson says that education and religion are their next battlegrounds. California and other states already have laws forcing favorable teaching of “alternate lifestyles.” An elementary school in Pennsylvania has been forced to explain to their third graders why a fellow boy student now comes in girl’s clothing and is called by a girl’s name.

Unfortunately, even some “Bible believers” disagree with God that this “alternate lifestyle” is an abomination. But we have to believe that there are enough “decent people” left who will rise up in indignation if they only knew the truth: homo-marriage makes big problems for society.

Three Essential Doctrines of Christianity

The Bible itself reveals those doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith. They are 1) the Deity of Christ, 2) Salvation by Grace, and 3) the Resurrection of Christ. These are the doctrines the Bible says are necessary. Though there are many other important doctrines, these three are the only ones that are declared by Scripture to be essential. The truly regenerate may be ignorant to some extent of one or more of them at the beginning of his/her new life in Christ, but he will come to a proper understanding of these three issues as he studies the Word of God. A non-regenerate person, or a cultist (i.e., Mormon or Jehovah's Witness), will deny one or more of these essentials.
1. The Deity of Christ
A. Jesus is God in flesh (John 8:5 with Exodus 3:14). See also John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8
i. 1 John 4:2-3: "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
a. The above verse needs to be cross referenced with John 1:1,14 (also written by John) where he states that the Word was God and the Word became flesh.
b. 1 John 4:2-3 is saying that if you deny that Jesus is God in flesh then you are of the spirit of Antichrist.
ii. John 8:24, "I said, therefore, to you, that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins."
iii. Jesus said here that if you do not believe "that I am" you will die in your sins. In Greek I am is 'ego eimi,' which means ‘I am.' These are the same words used in John 8:58 where Jesus says "...before Abraham was, I am." He was claiming the divine title by quoting Exodus 3:14 in the Greek Septuagint. (The Septuagint was the Hebrew Old Testament translated into Greek.)
B. Jesus is the proper object of faith
i. It is not simply enough to have faith. Faith is only as valid as what it is put in. You must put your faith in the proper object. Cults have false objects of faith; therefore, their faith is useless--no matter how sincere they are.
ii. If you put your faith in a vacuum cleaner, then you will be in a lot of trouble on the day of judgment. You might have great faith, but so what? It is in something that can't save you.
C. The Doctrine of the deity of Christ includes:
i. The Trinity - There is one God who exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all coeternal, and of the same nature.
ii. Monotheism - There is only one God in all existence (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8). Mormons believe that many gods exist though they serve and worship only one. Therefore, they are polytheists which excludes them from the camp of Christianity.
D. The Hypostatic Union - That Jesus is both God and man.
i. The sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ - The sacrifice of Christ is completely sufficient to pay for the sins of the world
ii. As God - Jesus must be God to be able to offer a sacrifice of value greater than that of a mere man.
a. He had to die for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). Only God could do that.
iii. As man - Jesus must be man to be able to be a sacrifice for man.
a. As a man He can be the mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).
2. Salvation by Grace
A. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (EEph. 2:8-9, NIV).
B. "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (Gal. 5:4).
i. This verse and its context plainly teach that if you believe that you are saved by faith and works then you are not saved at all. This is a common error in the cults. Because they have a false Jesus, they have a false doctrine of salvation. (Read Rom. 3-5 and Gal. 3-5).
ii. you cannot add to the work of God. Gal. 2:21 says, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (NIV)
C. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Rom. 3:20).
i. "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).
ii. "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law" (Gal. 3:21).
3. The Resurrection of Christ
A. "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Cor. 15:14). "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17).
B. To deny the physical resurrection is to deny Jesus' work, sacrifice, and our resurrection.
C. These verses clearly state that if you say that Jesus did not rise from the dead (in the same body He died in -- John 2:19-21), then your faith is useless.
A comment on Gal. 1:8-9, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (NIV).
These two verses here in Galatians could be considered a fourth self declarative statement of the essentials. But, Gal. 1:8-9 is simply stating the necessity of believing the gospel message which, in its entirety, is that Jesus is God in flesh, who died for sins, rose from the dead, and freely gives the gift of eternal life to those who believe.
1 Cor. 15:1-4 defines what the gospel is: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (NIV).
Within these verses are the essentials: Christ is God in flesh (John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9); Salvation is received by faith (John 1:12; Rom. 10:9-10), therefore it is by grace; and the resurrection is mentioned in verse 4. Therefore, this gospel message automatically includes the essentials.

The Basics of Deliverance Ministry

The Basics of Deliverance Ministry

Now before you read this, I want to tell you that not all good ministers will follow these exact steps. It really doesn't matter as long as the person is being truly getting set free and is able to maintain their freedom afterwards. There are times when these rules need to be bent as the Holy Spirit leads the deliverance session. Sometimes demons must be cast out before the inner healing process can take place, for example. This is just to give you an idea of how I like to go about a typical deliverance process.
The most important part of the deliverance process is finding out what their bondages are, how the devil is operating in those bondages, and what we need to do in order to get them set free. Without that knowledge, we are going into the deliverance setting blindfolded. The Holy Spirit plays a very real and important role in this step of the process. I like to educate the person that I am ministering to for a few reasons. I can ask them questions all day long, but if I teach them how the basic areas of bondage work, they will be likely to recognize how that applies to their situation themselves. This allows both of us to better understand what is going on in their situation. I like to give them a basic understanding of soul ties, word curses (which they, their parents, others, etc. may have spoken over them), strongholds, emotional wounds, traumas, etc. Describing how these things work to the person will open their eyes to see how they need help dealing with those things in their own situation. Best of all, it helps the person I am ministering to feel very comfortable with both me and the process that I am taking them through. Of course, deliverance questionnaires are very helpful as well in these interviewing stage, and I encourage using them to uncover additional areas of bondage. Throughout the process, the Holy Spirit may be revealing or bringing to memory the things which need to be addressed. Throughout this step of the process, have a clipboard handy and make notes of anything that comes up which needs to be repented of, broken, strongholds torn down, traumas, emotional wounds, etc. It is always a good idea to ask the person about their family history to reveal possible generational bondages. If the person you are ministering to has a bondage to sexual perversion, and all of their siblings have the same bondage, then that's a good indication that you're dealing with a generational bondage.
The next step in the process is going through and begin breaking up legal grounds though repentance of sins (which opened the door to the enemy), renouncing ungodly vows, breaking soul ties, renouncing word curses, breaking generational curses, etc. During this stage, it is quite common to have alters (in cases of disassociation) as well as spirits surface and manifest, so be prepared to bind and cast if needed at this stage, but also be careful not to treat alters (hurt or wounded parts) as demons, as you can do even more damage to an already hurting part and lose it's trust (which is very important). Keep an eye out for the times when the spirits come up, for example, if a spirit surfaces while the person is breaking a soul tie, then you can be pretty sure that it is hanging onto that soul tie and is upset that you're breaking it. If you pay attention to what steps the person it taking when the spirits come up, it clues you into what kind of spirit you're dealing with. It is also helpful to stop once in a while and ask how the person feels, if they feel pressure, confusion, pain, etc., it can indicate a spirit that is manifesting. The person should also be able to tell when something has left them, as they usually feel lighter, happier, cleaner. Sometimes spirits can manifest and try to disrupt the process, and in such cases you might have to bind them and command the spirit(s) to go down while you speak and work with the person. You can always call that spirit back up later on and deal with it.
The next step that we must address at sometime here is behavioral issues. Some of these issues include self-hate, self-unforgiveness, false guilt, strongholds, unforgiveness, rejection (based on false identities), fabricated personalities (when a person becomes somebody they aren't to please or be accepted by others), etc. If the person has experienced traumas, it is important to lead them to a place of emotional healing. This is the Holy Spirit's job, but since He doesn't go where He isn't welcome, we can easily put up walls which will block His efforts to heal our wounds. These blocks can be in place through fear as a result of guilt, for example. This is why it is important to deal with any issues of guilt, fear, self-rejection, etc. The person needs to come to a place where they see themselves as who they are in Christ (what God's Word says about them), clean, forgiven, washed with the Blood, and they also need to see God as a loving and kind heavenly Father as opposed to a cruel and distant taskmaster. They also need to come to a place of forgiving those who have wronged or hurt them. Another important thing to do is bring them to a place of honoring their parents. Now for those who have suffered abuse and terrible childhoods, we are not asking them to honor their parents in things which are dishonorable. We honor our parents to the extent that they honor the Lord. If all we can do is thank God and give them honor for using them to bring us into this world, then it is important that they do just that, which makes it much easier to forgive them. There are a lot of issues that can be addressed in this step of the process, but it plays an irreplaceable role in getting the person set free and healed of emotional wounds, traumas, abuse, etc.
By now, you should have a legal pad full of notes, which clues you into what spirits that need to be bound and cast out. Taking authority in Jesus' name, you can begin to bind a spirit to all of it's kind in the person (this allows you to cast out an entire nest of demons instead of one at a time), and cast them out of every part (this covers the possibility of a related spirit hiding out in an alter).
This is of course a very rough and over simplified guide to the basic deliverance process that I choose to use in deliverance sessions. Other ministers will use different steps, or put things in different order, and that is perfectly acceptable as long as the person is being set free and is able to maintain their freedom afterwards. I also stay open to the Holy Spirit, because sometimes these steps need to be altered in order to effectively deal with the situation at hand. It also is helpful to give the person some post-deliverance advise, such as cautioning them about how demons can try to deceive you into thinking that they have returned, and what to do in such situations, etc.

Why Sexual Sin is so Devastating

3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? (2 Sam.chapter 11)

David’s sin with Bathsheba lead to him also killing her husband as well. David spoke his own punishment when the prophet Nathan confronted him concerning his sin. Nathan used a story about a wealthy man that stole a poor man’s lamb, while he had many sheep of his own. David said this man should suffer fourfold. David lost 4 sons! David and Bathsheba lost their illegitimate son, Amnon raped Tamar his sister, Absolom avenged his sister by killing Amnon, and David’s general Joab for trying to overthrow his father’s throne killed Absolom. David’s eldest son Adonijah was killed by order of Solomon because he sought to overthrow the chosen king (Solomon). All of this because David couldn’t control his libido. It was no accident David was standing on a rooftop at the time Bathsheba was cleansing herself ritually. He knew who Bathsheba was. His closest advisor was her grandfather, and her husband was one of his military leaders. The seed of lust was already there; Satan just put some water on it.

32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
32 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. (Prov. Chapter 6)

18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19 the way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
20 such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: (Proverbs chapter 30)

Adultery is very devastating because in affects not only the individuals involved, but also the innocent children, the church family if the adulterer’s are believers. If Satan can weaken the family structure in the home, then the church is also weakened.

26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbors, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.
27 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.
28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
29 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. (Ezekiel chapter 16)

The children of Israel were lured away from their relationship with the Lord by sexual sin. God constantly warned Israel not to intermarry and fornicate with the heathen nations around them. Sexual intercourse unites the parties involved emotionally; this is called a SOUL TIE. This is why married couples are not truly married until they have sexual intercourse; it is the consummation of the marriage. When sex takes place between unmarried people they are still emotionally tied to one another, this is why Israel backslid and followed the god’s of other nations.

17 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (I Cor. Chapter 6)

THE HISTORY OF SEXUAL SIN

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. (Genesis chapter 9)

When Jonah discovered the power of the fruit of the vine, he also became the first victim of sexual sin. For years people have indicted Ham as a bad son because he discovered his father’s nakedness. Granted he should have used more discretion by covering his father, but it was Noah who got drunk and allowed his nakedness to be on display. The real villain never gets identified by most people…this would be Canaan! Ham was not cursed by Noah, what would make a man CURSE his grandson! It had to have been something really awful. Let’s look at some other scripture.

15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!
16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. (Hab. Chapt.2)

Drunkenness often leads to sexual immorality, this is not something someone told me, and I’ve been there! A person’s inhibitions are lowered when drunk; will power goes out of the window. When I was a young unsaved airman back in the seventies, I would get so drunk I couldn’t remember what I did the night before. I believe Canaan was guilty of taking advantage of his grandfather’s drunkenness. Canaan is the father of Sodom and Gomorra. They were CANAANITES! I strongly believe Canaan was the first homosexual in the Bible.

The Canaanites were the most sexually deviant people of their time!

7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. (Exodus chapter 34)

Sexual sin’s pass through bloodlines because the demons that influence the perpetrators, never die! These vile spirits haunt families for years. Have you ever noticed how certain sins and habits are prevalent in certain families? Watch the Jerry Springer Show or some of the other trash talk shows and you will see my point. Example - Bubba is a drunken adulterer, Bubba’s daddy is a drunken adulterer, and Bubba’s grandfather is a drunken adulterer. My point, sin travels through generations. The only cure is Jesus Christ! The Lord Jesus Christ is the curse “reverser”. The power of God stops the demonic flow through families.

When I worked as a County Corrections Officer in Burlington County, New Jersey, I would often see the devastating effects of generation curses. I processed an inmate one summer evening that molested his daughters. Within six months of his incarceration, The Lord gave me opportunity to lead him to salvation. This individual had repented of his deeds and took full responsibility for his actions, but he shared something with me that sobered me on the subject of generation curses and sins. He told me his father molested him for nearly 3 years, and his father was also molested. This does not excuse an individual, but it helps us understand the demons behind the molestation that haunted this family, and that wrecked havoc in their lives. The fact that the jailed father accepted Christ and repented put a stop to this demonic onslaught. (Read Psalms 32, 38, and 51) Unconfessed sin makes us not only an emotional wreck, but can affect us physically as well.

Ps 38:1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
Ps 38:2 For your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down upon me.
Ps 38:3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
Ps 38:4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.

Ps 38:5 My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
Ps 38:6 I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
Ps 38:7 My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
Ps 38:8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.

Ps 38:9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
Ps 38:10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
Ps 38:11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds. NIV

When God Hides His Face

I titled this book “When God Hides His Face” because many humans feel like God abandoned them when tragedy strikes. People in grief do NOT need a sermon or a lecture. Just concentrate on listening to the words that are being shared with you. Resist the urge to preach and educate the grieving person. Women will generally vent verbally more than men, allow her to vent! Even if she is screaming and wailing…LET HER! Yes it may make YOU uncomfortable, but YOU are there to COMFORT HER! I have sat with grieving people and said very little, sometimes I simply hold their hand or give them a hug and simple prayer. Our presence means so much because times of grief are lonely times. When a person has lost a love one it is like losing a part of themselves. A woman loses her husband to cancer, but if he was the sole breadwinner she is also looking at possibly losing more. A man on disability loses his wife; he not only lost a wife but a caretaker. No two cases are the same and no two people handle grief the same way. Some people will seem to bounce back from a death swiftly while some carry their grief to their grave. The truth be told grief is never easy as we think it is.

What About Demon Possession?

Question: "What does the Bible say about demon possession / demonic possession?"

Answer: The Bible gives some examples of people being possessed or influenced by demons. From these we can find some symptoms of demonic influence as well as gain insights as to how a demon possesses someone. Here are some of biblical passages: Matthew 9:32-33; 12:22; 17:18; Mark 5:1-20; 7:26-30; Luke 4:33-36; Luke 22:3; Acts 16:16-18. In some of these passages, the demon possession causes physical ailments, such as inability to speak, epileptic symptoms, blindness, etc. In other cases, it causes the individual to do evil, Judas being the main example. In Acts 16:16-18 the spirit apparently gives a slave girl some ability to know things beyond her own learning. In the case of the demoniac of the Gadarenes who was possessed by a multitude of demons, he had superhuman strength, went around naked, and lived among the tombstones. King Saul, after rebelling against the LORD, was allowed to be troubled by an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14-15; 18:10-11; 19:9-10) with the apparent effect of a depressed mood and an increased desire and readiness to kill David.

Thus, there is a wide variety of possible symptoms of demon possession, such as a physical impairment that cannot be attributed to an actual physiological problem, personality changes such as major depression or uncharacteristic aggression, supernatural strength, a disregard for modesty or “normal” social interaction, and perhaps the ability to share information that one has no natural way of knowing. It is important to note that nearly all, if not all, of these characteristics may have other explanations, so it is important not to label every depressed person or epileptic individual as demon possessed. On the other hand, I think that in our western culture, we probably don’t take Satanic involvement in people’s lives seriously enough.

In addition to these physical or emotional distinctions, one can also look at spiritual attributes as showing demonic influence. These may include a refusal to forgive (2 Corinthians 2:10-11) and the belief in and spread of false doctrine, especially concerning Jesus Christ and His atoning work (2 Corinthians 11:3-4,13-15; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 1 John 4:1-3).

Concerning the involvement of demons in the lives of Christians, the apostle Peter is an illustration of the fact that a believer can be INFLUENCED by the devil (Matthew 16:23). Some refer to Christians who are under a STRONG demonic influence as being “demonized,” but never is there an example in Scripture of a believer in Christ being POSSESSED by a demon, and most theologians believe that a Christian CANNOT be possessed because he has the Holy Spirit abiding within (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

We are not told exactly how one opens himself up for possession. If Judas’ case is representative, he opened his heart to evil (in his case by his greed - John 12:6). So it may be possible that if one allows his heart to be ruled by some habitual sin...it becomes an invitation for a demon to enter in. From missionary experiences, demon possession also seems to be related to the worship of heathen idols and the possession of occult materials. Scripture repeatedly relates idol worship with the actual worship of demons (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37; 1 Corinthians 10:20), so it should not be surprising that involvement with those religions and practices associated with those religions could lead to demon possession.

Thus, it is my belief based on the above Scriptural passages as well as some of the experiences of missionaries that many people open their lives up to demon involvement through the embracing of some sin or through cultic involvement (both knowingly and unknowingly). Examples may include immorality; drug/alcohol abuse...as these alter one’s state of consciousness; rebellion; bitterness; transcendental meditation. In our western culture, we see an increase of eastern religious teachings under the guise of the new age movement.

There is something that must not be forgotten. Satan and his evil host cannot do anything the Lord does not allow them to do (Job 1,2). And this being the case, Satan, thinking he is accomplishing his own purposes, is actually accomplishing God’s good purposes...even as in the case of Judas’ betrayal. Some people develop an unhealthy fascination with the occult and demonic activity. This is unwise and unbiblical. If we pursue God with our lives and are clothing ourselves with His armor and relying upon His strength (not our own) (Ephesians 6:10-18), we have nothing to fear from the evil ones, for God rules over all!

What About Demons?

The subject of demons has mystified humanity for centuries. Every major religion has in their belief structure beings that embody evil. From the Judeo/Christian belief structure they are called demons or devils. The Muslim calls them Jinn. Humanist say they are a figment of our imagination. Whatever name you call them, they do exist! This booklet is based upon the Bible and it’s description of these evil spirits, or fallen angels.

Demons are disembodied spirits that were once angels that fell when Lucifer decided to rebel against God. Demons are mans enemy and are constantly seeking mans downfall. The Latin definition of “demon” is “Those that divide”. I really believe they seriously try to cause division in the church.

Often demons are portrayed as hideous creatures, Usually with fangs, forked tongues, bat-like wings, and serpentine features. I have never seen a creature that looked like that. I have seen on three occasions in my life shadow-like beings move swiftly before my eyes. Twice in church services, and once in my apartment. I will tell you about the encounter in my apartment first. I was in the Air Force for over 23 years, and I traveled a great deal. I was in Somalia for 3 weeks back in 1986. While in this oppressive country I brought back souvenirs. One of the items was a wall hanging of animal horns and another was a spear. When I got back home I hung them on the wall of my apartment. In addition to the African artifacts I had some Martial Art trophies and oriental wall hangings I got in Korea. Well to make a long story short, I felt strongly impressed by the Holy Spirit to take all of the material off of my walls one evening, I knew it was the Lord talking, but I decided to take a nap and do it later. I fell asleep on the couch and within the hour something gripped me in my sleep! I was choking and paralyzed. I tried to scream and I couldn’t. I knew this was a demonic attack! I eventually was able to scream JESUS! At that moment I was released, but that’s not all. I woke up immediately and saw a shadow like figure walk out of my living room and down the steps. I believe God allowed this to show me the seriousness of disobeying Him.

The other two times I saw similar manifestations were in church services, Once at a small Primitive Baptist church in southern New Jersey. I was in the pulpit praying before I had to preach and I had an eerie feeling come over me. The Lord let me know there was terrible sin in this church and to preach accordingly. I rose to walk to the podium and I saw this same shadow like figure flee down the stairs to the basement. Demons hate the Word of God! The other incident happened at a military chapel, in the same fashion the shadow like figure left through the rear door just as the praise service started. Demons hate the praises of God! In the chapel incident I was not the only one that saw it! Another brother saw it as well, so I didn’t feel like I was losing it.

Now from this point on I will share what the scriptures have to say on this subject. I share the personal experience to give you an idea of what we are dealing with. Chances are you will never see a demon. But that doesn’t mean they are not there trying to cause you destruction. Demons usually function in the dark and don’t want you to know they are real, but they are. Be encouraged saint of God, The Greater One lives in you!

The Real Deal on Prosperity

The fact is, these people can find only ONE verse that mentions "Prosperity" in the whole New Testament (-and it is of dubious help, as we shall see). And there are dozens and dozens of verses in opposition! But which one do they choose to quote again and again? Here it is in the King James version (-which is the only translation that helps them in any way): "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 2). Now, it is interesting to note what this word "prosper" really means in this verse. Renowned Greek scholar W.E. Vine says that it simply speaks of "the prosperity of physical and spiritual health." So it's not about MONEY at all!

And thus we find that in all the later translations, this meaning is made clear. For example, the NIV translation says: "I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 2). Isn't that interesting?

As I said, this is one of the ONLY VERSES that these Prosperity teachers quote in the entire New Testament. If they are honest, they will admit that most of the rest of the NT is squarely AGAINST THEM.

What I would encourage anyone to do, who wants to research this subject, is to get a Concordance and look up EVERY VERSE in the New Testament that contains these words: (1) Rich or Riches, (2) Money, (3) Poor, (4) Mammon (5) Possessions, (6) Treasure, (7) Sell or Sold, etc.

You will be absolutely amazed at how strong the NT Scriptures are on this subject. I did this exact search year ago, and was astonished at what I found.

When you look up the word 'Rich' you find Scriptures such as this: "Woe unto you that are rich! For you have received your consolation" (Lk 6:24) and "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Lk 18:24-25, NIV) and "People who want to GET RICH fall into temptation and a trap" (1 Tim 6:9) and "You rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you" (Ja 5:1). There are many more along similar lines. Go and look them up, and you will see!

We find that when Jesus was preaching kingdom principles he was very strong in this area. When the 'Rich young man' came to him, He told him: "SELL your possessions and give to the POOR, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Mt 19:21, NIV). He also told his own disciples to "SELL your possessions and give to the POOR" (Lk 12:33).

In my recent article on "Tithing" we discussed the whole issue of 'Giving' in the New Testament. The fact is, there is no "law" telling Christians to give 10%. In fact, what the NT makes clear is that EVERYTHING we have literally belongs to God. Many people claim that "All I have is God's" but they do not act like it! In the New Testament it is clear that it was EXPECTED for Christians to sell any spare possessions, land or houses, to give to their needy brothers and sisters - especially widows and orphans. They certainly weren't giving their money to wealthy preachers on TV! And neither were they giving it to erect a new church building on the corner! (-Such things did not exist). They were giving from their HEART - and while some of it went to support the ministry, MOST of it clearly went to feed and clothe the POOR. (See Acts 2:44-45, Acts 4:34-37).

Some people today want to go back to the Old Testament and use people like Solomon and Abraham as examples of RICH people to emulate. But what they fail to realize is that the Old Testament is a 'type' or a "SHADOW" of the New. (Col 2:16, Heb 10:1). The Old was a "physical" covenant, with a "physical" temple and rituals, etc. The "blessings" of God were also mostly PHYSICAL and material. But today we have a "spiritual" covenant - a "heart-based" covenant, with mostly SPIRITUAL blessings. That is why we should not seek Old Testament wealth today. -We live under a different covenant.

It is very obvious from the New Testament that there is NO SUCH THING as a 'Prosperity' gospel. In fact, it is the exact OPPOSITE. Jesus said, "Blessed are you who are POOR, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Lk 6:20). And James declared: "Has not God chosen those who are POOR in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" (Ja 2:5, NIV). Jesus clearly stated that you "CANNOT serve God and Mammon" (Mt 6:24) and yet it is obvious that many Christians today are trying to serve BOTH. The 'Prosperity' teaching clearly encourages this. It is a very dangerous and harmful fallacy.

The glaring hole in these false and perverted messages that tie your blessings and prosperity to how much money you give is that you have to give to the person delivering the message! They have set themselves up as God's trustee for your blessings and prosperity. I guess that means if you believe their message and choose to give your gift to some other work of God you won't receive the same blessings or be as prosperous.
The other glaring hole is what if you don't have anything to give? Does that mean you don't qualify for God's blessings? Does that mean you will never be prosperous? Does that mean you have no faith? I guess God doesn't love those who follow Jesus in India, or China, or Africa, or in most places on this planet where people have little if any material possessions. I guess that means a man or woman in Texas who loves Jesus and is serving Him each day but is living in a one-bedroom apartment and driving a 20-year-old car have no faith.
Here is the problem with these messages that are designed simply to raise money. They use some truth from God's Word but pervert that truth by tying it all to how much money you give. The Bible DOES teach us to have faith in all things, including our finances. The Bible DOES teach that God will bless us and prosper us as we are faithful, and that includes being faithful with our finances. The Bible also teaches us to be wise stewards of what God has entrusted to our care.
ALL we have is from God, He has simply given us stewardship over whatever resources we have during our brief journey through this life. GOD DOESN'T NEED OUR MONEY! We give to God as an act of worship. We give to God as an act of obedience. We give to give as an act of sacrifice. When you read the Bible, the giving of the tenth or "tithe" in the Old Testament was part of the Old Treatment Law. We are no longer under the Old Testament Law. 100%, not 10% of everything we have belongs to God. So when we give, we are simply giving back to God what is His already out of obedience and as an act of sacrifice and worship!
The Bible teaches us to give according to our ability to give. We are also taught to give cheerfully. Don't get so legalistic in your giving that you lose the joy of giving.
I counsel people all the time to sit down with God and decide how much you can give to His work each week. Agree with God and than be faithful to give that amount. As the Holy Sprit leads you, you may be led to give over and above that amount to those works of God He lays on your heart.
There will be times God challenges you to give sacrificially, as an act of faith. Again, God will prompt your heart on those occasions and those are the opportunities in life to really take a stand of faith and trust God. YOU DON'T MAKE THE SACRIFICE TO GIVE BY FAITH EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. YOU MAKE THE SACRIFICE TO GIVE BY FAITH TO SIMPLY BE OBEDIENT AND TO PLEASE GOD!

How the Early Church was Financed

How the Early Church was Financed

It should come as no surprise that the early congregations of Christianity were financed the same way the early Israelite society was financed—through a free-will offering, which according to Moses, was more than ample to provide that which was needed.
"Men and women, as many as were willing hearted, brought bracelets, and earrings, rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold ...the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord ... They brought yet unto him (Moses) free offerings every morning ... the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much." (Exodus 35:22, 29; 36:3,7)
When our Father’s people give according to His heart and do the work He has called us to do in His way, those offerings of the heart will be sufficient and more than sufficient. The keys are the willing heart and the proper work!
Church historians make it very clear, the early Christian congregations were not financed by tithing of any kind. Apparently tithing promoters do not read very much early Christian history. The Encyclopedia Britannica tells us that "The Christian Church depended at first on voluntary gifts from its members." Hasting’s Dictionary of the Apostolic Church says, "It is admitted universally that the payment of tithes or the tenths of possessions, for sacred purposes did not find a place within the Christian Church during the age covered by the apostles and their immediate successors." The Americana declares: "It (tithing) was not practiced in the early Christian Church." Even the Catholic Church, notorious for its many finance raising schemes, says in the New Catholic Encyclopedia: "The early Church had no tithing system ... it was not that no need of supporting the Church existed or was recognized, but rather that other means appeared to suffice."

The recently published Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary tells us that in "the New Testament, the words ‘tithe’ and ‘tithing’ appear only eight times (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42; Luke 18:12; Hebrews 7:5-6, 8-9). All of these passages refer to Old Testament usage and to current Jewish practice. Nowhere does the New Testament expressly command Christians to tithe."
It is ironic that the Roman Catholic Church, which brought many Old Testament traditions and rituals back into the church in modified forms, at first did not partake in usury, that is, in interest on money. They felt usury was un-Biblical because of passages such as Exodus 22:25; Lev. 25:35-37; Deut. 23:19-20; Nehe. 5:7,10; Ps. 15:5. To finance their building programs and wars, the popes and kings assigned Jews in their court to do that kind of "dirty work." That was perhaps one of the leading contributors to the Jewish people becoming prominent in banking, that is, through being the Christian’s money lenders.
Isn’t it interesting that those who quote the Old Testament to support tithing for Christians mysteriously avoid scriptures dealing with charging interest as being unlawful? These same tithe promoters usually have plenty of money stashed into all kinds of interest bearing bonds, savings accounts, etc. As a matter of fact, every time a bullet or bomb is dropped to kill someone, thousands of churches across America make a profit. How so, you might ask? Churches and denominational headquarters have billions of dollars which are invested in hundreds of different profit-making or interest-bearing ventures. Most churches invest in conservative mutual funds with portfolios composed of Blue Chip companies such as defense contractors. Some of these same conservative companies are even controlled by religious organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church. When these defense contractors, like McDonnell Douglas, sell their war machines to our government, the stockholders, thousands of which are churches, make a profit. War machines are made to kill people. The church invests in many companies that make all kinds of products that kill or are harmful to humanity. One would be shocked to find out how much Christian organizations earn from the world’s military industrial complex. (For more information on this subject write for the audiotape The Church is a Rich Prostitute.)

It was not until after Constantine (fourth century A.D.) made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire that the free-will offering was replaced with various forceful means of raising money. Constantine began a huge building program, constructing churches and renovating pagan temples for use in what would become Roman Catholicism. Prior to this time, believers did not need ornate buildings. After all, they knew that they were the true temple of God, not some buildings constructed in the very same form as the pagan temples only with some Biblical themes added to them. A study of the things Constantine and his mother did to pervert Christianity would be a very worthwhile study.
So, back to New Covenant financing. Matthew through Revelations is really full of Scriptures that deal with proper giving. There are really too many to put into such a small publication. But a few will suffice.
Throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New, the God of Christianity makes it clear that He is really not interested in our "offerings of sacrifice."
"Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Psalm 50:7-15)
"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise." (Psalm 51:16,17) "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure." (Hebrews 10:5,6; Psalm 40:6-8)


Our Father makes it abundantly clear that we have nothing that does not even now belong to Him already. Offering 10 per cent of His goods or 90 per cent of His goods or all of it, means nothing to Him. He knows it all belongs to Him. We are the ones who seem to have the problem of forgetting that. What He is really after is our sincere thankfulness, our gratefulness for what He has given us!
Every person knows in their heart that God does not need stained glass windows, steeples, plush carpet, gaudy looking crosses, and a host of others things "tithes" are used to purchase. He would probably prefer a bull to a steeple. At least He made the bull, he didn’t make nor authorize church leaders to make much of the "stuff" those tithes are spent on.
Let me ask you, "How did Jesus send out the disciples? Did He give them a Cadillac or an American Express Card in the name of the ministry like many modern American evangelists do today? No, He sent them out with nothing and they were provided for with all they needed as they went.
"Go your way; behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor script, nor shoes ... and in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give; for the labourer is worthy of his hire ..." (Luke 10:3,4,7)

Is "Seed Faith" Giving Scriptural?

2 Peter 2:1,”… but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”


What do you think it means to deny the Lord? Many would say that any person or group that doesn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God would be denying the Lord and that would be true enough. False religions like Islam and Hinduism would fall into this category. Most orthodox Christians would include the pseudo Christian cults like Jehovah’s Witness’, Mormons, and others of that ilk. And they would be correct but are these false teachers Peter is referring to here?

If you look closely you will see that Peter says these false teachers will be “among you”. Since he was writing to a group of born again, Spirit filled believers, we must conclude that he is not talking about the obvious false religions or even pseudo Christian cults. The false teachers he is speaking of will be found within the Body of Christ.

Now how do you suppose that false teachers will get away with denying the Lord among a group of believers?

The word denying as it is used here is the Greek word arneomai {ar-neh'-om-ahee}. It is the same word used in Titus 1:16, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him….” Used in these contexts, the word means to contradict.

So a teacher that contradicts the Lord is in fact denying Him. He may say that Jesus is Lord. He may speak right sounding words claiming to be born again and he may have the biggest Bible you’ve ever seen but if his works or teaching contradicts the words of Jesus he is denying Him.

For example, when Benny Hinn claimed in 1999 that Jesus would physically appear at one of his upcoming crusades, he was contradicting the specific words of the Lord Jesus.


Math 24:23 -26
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.


By making the claim that Jesus would physically appear at one of his crusades Hinn contradicted (denied) the words of the Lord and proved himself to be a false prophet and false teacher according to 2 Peter 2:1.

The so called principle of seed faith giving was first popularized by Oral Roberts almost 50 years ago. It proved to be so profitable to him that he essentially based his entire ministry on it. As with any other profitable venture others soon followed. Today it is used by virtually every “Faith” preacher, the majority of Christian television networks, and almost all TV preachers in general. It has even found its way into many mainstream and denominational churches.

How does seed faith giving work. It is loosely based (very loosely as we will see) on the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. Using the illustration of sowing seed, people are instructed that if they will give money to the church, the ministry, the TV network, the man of God, etc, God will multiply it back to them 30, 60, or 100 times more than they gave. In fact now days, about all you ever hear about is the 100 fold return. The 30 and 60 fold returns have pretty much been dropped altogether.

That’s a pretty good deal wouldn’t you say? Give God $1 and get back $100. Give God $100 and get back $10,000. Give God $10,000 and get back a cool million. And not only that, but you can also sow money and get back other things. Things like salvation for relatives, healing for incurable diseases, and deliverance from various demonic influences! That’s right; all you have to do is send your seed (meaning money) to the man of God!

Is this really what the parable of the sower is all about? What do you think? Let’s examine this important parable.

Luke 8:4-8 NASB
When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Jesus explains the parable

Luke 8:11 NASB
Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.

Now right here anybody with even a minimal level of reading comprehension should be able to see that this parable has nothing to do with money. The seed is the word of God. Even a brand new baby Christian should be able to look at this and say “I don’t think these fellows are teaching this correctly”


Let’s continue with Jesus’ explanation

Luke 8:12-15 NASB
Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

This parable is about what happens when the word of God is sown or revealed in the heart of a person. It may be the most important parable Jesus taught. Why do I say that? Because Jesus said this:

Mark 4:13
And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Jesus is saying that if you don’t understand this parable you won’t understand any of the parables he taught. This is a foundational teaching!

By misapplying the parable of the sower, these false teachers do great damage to God’s people. First, by falsely claiming that God works like some kind of cosmic slot machine, but the real damage is in the fact that believers are robbed of the true meaning of this teaching.

The parable of the sower is at work every time God’s Word is revealed to you. In fact it is at work right now in many of you who are reading this.

Chaplain Stevens