Delivered from Demons

 God created you. Your birth was planned and willed by God because he saw and loved you even before the creation of the world.

Regardless of whether the circumstances of your birth were favourable or not. God simply loves you.
No matter what you have done or what has been done to you. God simply loves you.

This creation is corrupted, but not completely ruined.

God has a cruel enemy who wants to poison and destroy all of God's works, and he has done a lot of damage, perhaps in your life as well.

No matter what has happened in your life, God has a plan to give you a good future.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:11 NKJV

I once saw a preacher from Brazil in a video recording. She told how she was dedicated to demons from birth because her whole family worshipped the devil.

As a small child, she was tormented by demons. She could not sleep without terrible nightmares.

At the age of twelve, she was possessed by demons that drove her to live on the streets as a prostitute. Gradually, she learnt to live her life as a witch with magical powers. She became known as a witch and Christians prayed for her.

She herself was cruel, but also terribly tormented. The devil is very cruel, even with his slaves. Her suffering became unbearable until she desperately sought help. She didn't know which spirit was stronger, the devil or God, but she prayed for help.

Jesus then visited her and she experienced a revelation, like in a video. She saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross, taking the punishment for her sin upon himself.

She converted to Jesus, but then her little daughter fell ill. The devils sought revenge and her daughter died, but she herself was forgiven and set free by Jesus.

Then God raised her up to give her testimony. Many prostitutes and occultists were converted. As a witch she was very dangerous, but as a Christian preacher she became a powerful weapon in God's hands.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NIV

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Rom 5:10 NIV

Your Angelic Bodyguard.

 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; Ps 91:11 NIV

Many Christians can sense the presence of the Lord and also the presence of demons, but when you talk about experiences with angels, they become very cautious or critical.

They are afraid of being deceived by devils in disguise.

They emphasise that it is necessary to distinguish between good and evil spirits. There are people who are quick to suspect or detect demonic activity but reluctant to recognise the activity or presence angels.

This is sometimes very understandable because many people in regions read books about angels. These books tell how one can seek a spiritual relationship with certain angels, how one can address prayers to these angels and receive special favours from these angels.

There are good Christians who rightly reject this unbiblical teaching, but then unfortunately do not want to hear about angels.

They don't even want to begin to celebrate the miraculous promises that speak to us of the constant presence and help of God's angels.

Elisha was not at all nervous or reserved about this.

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Ki 6:17 NIV

My daughter told me when she was eight years old that she had seen an angel.
I have a friend in Germany whose son also saw his guardian angel when he was 8 years old.

When I was preparing to visit Germany, a woman in our church prophetically said she saw a big angel standing behind me, and I believe this strong angel accompanied me in Germany.

This angel was not just to protect me, because I have my guardian angel like all followers of Jesus, but God had given me another angel to help me in His ministry.

God does this for all His children who do something for God where special miracle-working power is needed.

The Word of God promises that God will always stand by us and protect us through His unconquerable power.

And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:5 NLT

The Greek text tells us that God is guarding us with a garrison, or bodyguard, which refers to angels.

This verse from the Psalms has the same message.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Ps 34:7 NIV

I am always accompanied by angels and so are you if you follow Jesus and are active in His ministry by faith.

God does not abandon his children.
You should not be afraid of God's angels, and why should you not recognise and celebrate the presence of angels?

That is a gift from God.  

But someone will say that emphasising angels would distract us from worshipping God.

This can happen when our relationship with God is very weak and we seek other sensations.

But if we really love God but talk and think much more about demons than about God's angels, then we are making a very bad mistake.

And that is the situation with many charismatic Christians.
Just as in the story of Elisha, the participation of angels in our lives should be a great encouragement to us.

Gratitude Releases the Power of God

 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. Mt 8:28 NIV

In Mark and Luke, we read the same story, but only one demonised man is mentioned. Some might claim that this is proof that you can find errors in the Bible, but that is not the case.

Speaking of only one person in a situation does not mean that there were no others.

Why do Mark and Luke only focus on one of the possessed men?

Because this man played a dramatic role in Jesus' mission after his deliverance.

Jesus commanded the demons to leave both men.

The demons threw themselves from the men into a herd of pigs. The pigs were forced by the demons to throw themselves into the sea, where they drowned.

The pagan population were outraged and asked Jesus to leave their neighbourhood.

One of these men wanted to stay with Jesus, because after his deliverance he believed in Jesus, but Jesus sent him on a mission instead.

But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”

So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. Mk 5:19–20 NLT

His mission was not in vain, for when Jesus later returned to the area, he was received very favourably.

Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.

A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue.

Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!”
Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. Mk 7:31–36 NLT

One of the two possessed men in the account in Matthew's gospel responded with extreme gratitude and devotion, but we know nothing more about the other man.

Many receive miraculous healing and deliverance from Jesus even today. Perhaps you too. How do you respond to God's love and grace?