WHO IS YOUR CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN?

This week has been quite a week, hasn’t it? If you have watched the news at all this past week, you have seen multitudes in Egypt protesting and succeeding in driving their president, who many call a monarch or dictator, out of office. In truth, people all across the Middle East are revolting against oppressive government leaders. Those they once had confidence in have stolen from them. Not just their money, but their liberty, their dignity and their freedom.

Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. Each of you regardless of where you find yourself spiritually is welcome in this place. I received an email recently that showed me what chapter and verse was at the center of the Word of God (the Bible). Psalms 118:8. What an instructive scripture this is. Psalms 118:8 states:

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

You know, one of Israel’s biggest troubles as shown in the Old Testament was putting more confidence in their kings than in God. Even today man is no different. We put more confidence in men than our trust in the Lord. Well, it’s true, isn’t it? We listen to government leaders, college professors, doctors and yes even preachers more than we trust God and his Word.

It’s time to turn from our dependence on man who will always come short of what we need. Only God through his son Jesus can complete us. Many of us have come to Jesus, received his salvation, his love, mercy and grace only to defer his truth to what man has said to us. I don’t say this with any degree of pride. It is a sad thing that we as believers can be led astray so easily.

Remember when you first became a believer? All things seemed possible to you, didn’t they? We believed Jesus and what he said in Luke 18:27. Let’s read it together.

“And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Remember when a doctor would give you bad news and you knew even if the doctor couldn’t heal you, God could? Remember the times when your friends, teachers and even sometimes your family would say things are hopeless - you would rise up and in faith say things are not hopeless, God is with and for us. You would say as the psalmist said in Psalms 121:1-2:

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.”

The psalmist was looking up. All we need to do is look in the Bible for our help. Our trust in God must always be more than our confidence in man. Let me give you an example of trusting man over God. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and their neighboring churches. He was giving the instructions to Christians, or as I like to say, believers, the way to live and follow God. Ephesians 6:12 states:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

In plain old fashioned terms, Paul is telling all believers to beware of evil spirits, sometimes just known as demons. He is telling us here that we as believers are the targets of demonic forces, isn’t he? Now to be sure, Satan constantly uses humans to carry out his dirty work against us, but not always. Otherwise, we could just fight off the humans, right? No, my friends, Brother Paul is telling us in no uncertain terms demonic forces are being sent to destroy you and to draw you away from God. And remember, he is talking to believers. If you are a believer, he is also talking to you.

When is the last time you heard in church about demonic oppression and how to combat it? My guess is not very often. Many preachers do not even believe demons can enter in and oppress Christians. However, the Bible clearly shows that their teaching is false. God has given us the ability to cast out devils and he expects us to do just that. When you are wrestling against principalities, rulers of darkness (demons), against spiritual wickedness in high places, you better know how to cast them out. If you don’t, you better find someone who believes the Bible and knows about deliverance. Look, Jesus in Mark 16:17-20 gives us the instructions. Now, read it with me and decide for yourself whether you believe what Jesus has to say or what misguided or misinformed men say. In Mark 16:17-20 Jesus is speaking:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”

Notice that these are the last words Jesus spoke before he left the earth and notice these words were about believers. I would conclude they were very important words, wouldn’t you? Now there is a multitude of sermons in this scripture. But for today let’s zoom in on where Jesus said “In my name they shall cast out devils.” That, my friends, is how you wrestle with evil spirits. You win, they lose.

Why do churches today not teach this or even better, why do they not cast out devils in their church services? I don’t know the answer, ask them. I say, have more trust in God than confidence in men. The question might arise – Bro. Bob, how can I know if I have a demon or evil spirit (they are the same) oppressing me? My friend, let me put it this way. If you are born again, love God with all your heart, you hate sin yet find yourself not being able to stop a particular habit or sin even though you try with all your heart, you might be struggling with an evil spirit. You have a medical condition that doctors can’t cure. You are like the lady with the issue of blood, who went to doctors, spent all her money, but by faith was healed by Jesus. Now you do everything you know to do. You pray, people have prayed for you, yet no healing. Perhaps you are struggling with a spirit of infirmity. Many times in the Bible it shows Jesus casting out evil spirits and the people were healed.

Jesus did not tell us to cast out devils for no reason, my friends. I know this may be new to some of you. It may go against everything you have been taught in church. But, what does the Bible say and are you going to put your confidence in the teaching of men, or are you going to put your trust in God and his Word? I, as a preacher of the gospel, say put your trust in God.

Hang around folks. In future messages we will be teaching more on spiritual warfare which includes the casting out of devils. A tool God has given his children. Finally, you will be able to use it.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

A Special Prayer Request: Please pray urgently for a young girl in Georgia who has been diagnosed with scoliosis of the spine. We are asking God for a complete and total healing in Jesus' name, Amen.