Like A Dog Licking His Master's Hand

These Prime Time Devos are heard Monday through Friday at the radio station where I work. Right now, we have suspended our regular programming because we are in the midst of our Spring Fundraiser. The Prime Time Devos will return on Friday. In the meantime, I thought it would be interesting to repost the devos with the most hits through the years. Today's post has been the second most popular. And it comes from the account of Jesus' encounter with the Gaderene demoniac. Mr 5:6,7 “When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” The Greek word used for “worship,” here means to kiss like a dog licking his master's hand. Let that image set in your brain for awhile and understand the absolute power that Jesus the Son of the Most High God has over the devil and his demons, indeed, over all created things!. This kind of worship though isn't about voluntary adoration that flows toward God because of His great love toward us. This worship is forced. It is homage given grudgingly to a superior. It is the same kind of worship that is mentioned in Phil 2:10, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” This is the way it will be on the Last Day. Every knee will bow to Jesus. Those who have refused to bow in the here and now will be delivered to hell, but those who bow out of true admiration, love, and gratitude to Christ in the here and now, will be taken to heaven. The good news is, that as long as there is breath in your body, you still have time to surrender. Now you may say I will never bow my knee to Him! Really? Why then did not the Gadarene demoniac run the other way when he saw Jesus? Or why didn't he walk up to Jesus and spit in his eye? I'll tell you why, he had no choice. Jesus is Lord! He will be worshiped by all His creation. I suggest you deal with that fact while you still can.

The Second Shortest Verse in the Bible and Why It's Important To You

These Prime Time Devos are heard Monday through Friday at the radio station where I work. Right now, we have suspended our regular programming because we are in the midst of our Spring Fundraiser. The Prime Time Devos will return on Friday. In the meantime, I thought it would be interesting to repost the devos with the most hits through the years. Today's, by far has been the most popular: # 564 - Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 9:50 "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." I want to talk a little more about the connection between being salt and being a forsaker. In Luke 14:33,34 we read, "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” The connection is unmistakable. Furthermore, in Mt 5:13 Jesus said that His followers are the “salt of the earth,” We ARE the forsakers. The ones who have turned our backs on the ways of the world and turned our eyes toward Him. Everyone knows the shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” Do you know the second shortest verse? It's Lu 17:32 "Remember Lot's wife” Then verse 33 says, "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” Learn from Lot's wife in the matter of forsaking. She looked back! She was not willing to forsake the lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah and God turned her into a pillar of salt. How fitting a judgment. It's like He was saying, if you don't want to be salt, (a forsaker) I will make you salt (forsaken.) Lot's wife is a monument set before the eyes of all who refuse to forsake all and follow Jesus. He must be the most important thing in your life. Father, this is a battle we all face, help us to always keep Jesus number one in our lives.

This Little Light of Mine

# 388 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Sa 29:2, “And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. (1 Sam 29:2) I want to spend one more day on the concept of a rear guard. Do you want God to have your back? Then listen to what He says in Isa 58:8, “The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.” So how do we get there? First of all, the glory of the Lord is usually associated with an overpowering brightness, and in this portion of Isaiah, I think we can make the connection between God's glory and the fact that we are to be the “light of the world!” Listen to the connection beginning in Is 58:6, "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 THEN YOUR LIGHT SHALL BREAK FORTH LIKE MORNING, then, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; YOU SHALL CRY, AND HE WILL SAY, “HERE I AM.” "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then YOUR LIGHT SHALL DAWN IN DARKNESS, AND YOUR DARKNESS SHALL BE AS THE NOONDAY. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13 "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken." That's quite a long list, but it's what the Holy Spirit wants to work in each one of us because it is these things that reflect the very glory of God. Father, let Your light so shine through me!

God's Got Your Back Part 2

# 386 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 29:1,2, Then the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. (1 Sam 29:1,2) I want to spend some more time on what it means to “guard the rear.” In military strategy, the rear guard is called upon to engage the enemy and buy time for the retreating troops. It is the equivalent of saying, “I've got your back,” which is another way of saying, “I'll be there for you whenever you need me” Think of how differently we might live if we knew and believed that God promises to be there for us whenever we need Him. Such assurance would surely be a boost for the boldness of our Christian witness. By that I mean, that we would be more apt to follow after Jesus and His Word. God's Word is rife with instructions for living. It is teeming with blessings promised to those who will trust it and act upon it. Most of these instructions and promises fly in the face of worldly wisdom. Seeking God's kingdom first and His righteousness can seem a little risky, but our fear of obeying and trusting would greatly diminished if we knew God has our back! Well, He does! Listen to Isa 52:11,12, “Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the LORD. 12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Here God invites His people to depart from Babylon, a picture of sin, especially the sin of materialism. And He promises to lead the way out of our love affair with things, and he promises to protect our rear. He's got our back, He will be there for us when we need Him. Giving us what we need to be sustained. Father, thank You for this precious promise. Help me to seek You first and trust You for the rest. Help me to believe that You indeed have me covered.

God's Got Your Back

# 386 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 29:1,2, Then the Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. (1 Sam 29:1,2) The Holy Spirit takes us back to the preparations for the great battle between the Philistines and the Israelites. Here we get a picture of the huge army amassed by Achish, and what's this? David and his men have been assigned the rear guard. David has been given the responsibility of covering Achish' back. In military strategy, this is especially important not only for protecting the general, but if things go badly in battle, the rear guard is called upon to engage the enemy and buy time for the retreating troops. This responsibility given to David should remind us that God has our back! There are times in living out our Christian faith that we find ourselves in circumstances that appear very bleak. When that happens, God has given us a great example of this military strategy, that we may look to for encouragement and confidence. This example was given to us when Moses led the people out of Egypt. God led them to a place by the Red Sea, but Pharaoh had a change of heart and set out in hot pursuit of the Israelites. With darkness all around them, and nothing but the Red Sea in front of them, and Pharaoh's army closing in on them, the Israelites were trapped. It appeared that all was lost, but that's when God moved to the rear guard. We read about it in Ex 14:19,20, “And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.” Friend, know that even in your darkest hour, God has got your back. He is with you. He will keep the enemy at bay as long as you keep trusting Him. It is as the song says, God will make a way, where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me! Father, be with those today, who need that assurance that You have their back covered.

In the Shadows

# 385 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:21-25, “And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. 22 "Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way." 23 But he refused and said, "I will not eat." So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night. (1 Sam 28:21-25) The witch of En-Dor was likely not privy to the conversation between the familiar spirit and Saul, but she certainly was able to witness the effect that the conversation had on Saul. This man of great physical stature lay on a heap on the ground due to the combination of a lack of food and the terrifying word he had just received from God. This is not a good situation for the witch. The king of Israel, passed out on her floor after she had committed a crime worthy of the death penalty. This would not be a good thing come morning light. She needed to get the king out of her house! She then says, “look, I don't want any trouble here. I only did what you asked me to do, now please, grab a bite to eat and get out of here!” Saul, initially refuses, but his servants beg him to eat, (perhaps they sensed that they could be in trouble too for being partners in this ill-fated escapade.) The witch then brings out the celebratory fatted calf! This is now a joyous occasion for her, Saul is leaving...she is off the hook! Ever felt like that? Ever felt that you have sinned and gotten away with it? What a relief right? No one wants to be caught with their hand in the cookie jar. But let me ask you something, “What will you do the next time, or the time after that, or the time after that? How many bullets do you think you can dodge? Why not come to the one who witnesses all your sins anyway? Why not come to the only one who can forgive them? Why not come to the only one who can deliver you from your sins? Why not come to Jesus? Stop living in the fear of the shadows, come to the Light and live free on this day and forevermore! O God, deliver those who are living in the shadows. Set them free from fear through Jesus.

Are You Ready? You Can Be

# 384 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Sa 28:19,20, “Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines." 20 Then immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night. (1 Sam 28:19,20) God continues to speak to Saul through the familiar spirit who has taken on the form of Samuel. He tells Saul that the Philistines will conquer Israel in battle and the battle will cost Saul and his sons their lives. This news caused Saul to be dreadfully afraid. He was so afraid that he literally fell to the ground. What would that kind of news do to you today? What if God told you that tomorrow you were going to meet Him face to face? Most people would say, “well, I'm not concerned, basically, I've been a good person, I'm not as bad as some.” That may be true, but that is not the measuring stick that God uses. The Bible says, “Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect!” Only Jesus has met that standard, and therefore it is only those who have put on Christ through faith that will be able to stand before God! Friend, there is no more important business on earth than this matter of where will you spend eternity! We read in Ps 139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. (Only God knows the length of our days.) Heb 9:27 reminds us, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” (When those days are ended, our fate will be sealed. Are you ready? You can be.) 1Jo 5:13 says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW (my caps) that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Trust in the good works of Jesus Christ and not your own! Believe in the the Lord Jesus Christ and all that His life, death and resurrection accomplished and you can know for certain that you will pass judgment and have eternal life! Father, keep pursuing those who are not yet saved with your relentless grace.

You CAN Lose Your Salvation

# 383 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Sa 28:15-18 Now Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul answered, "I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do." 16 Then Samuel said: "Why then do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy? 17 "And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 "Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. ( 1 Sam 28:15-18) It is at this point that God exercises His Sovereignty in the situation. The familiar spirit becomes nothing but God's mouthpiece to Saul. Don't be surprised that God is able to do this. We read of Jesus' power over demons tongues in Mr 1:34, “Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.” And in Lu 10:17, we read, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." So why doesn't God put them under His control all the time? I have no answer for that question. But I do view these isolated examples in Scripture as further evidence that God is ultimately in control. Evil will not win out in the end. And it would be wise for us to listen to what God speaks to Saul through this familiar spirit. The Lord is capable of tearing the kingdom from us through our obstinate disobedience, which springs from a lack of true faith in Jesus Christ. We can lose our salvation! 1Ti 4:1says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,” God, help us to finish the race, guard us from deceiving spirits and let us continually look to Your truth, trusting Jesus to gain the final victory over death and the devil.

A Good Friday Thought

On this Good Friday, the Prime Time Devo is a repeat from the Gospel of Mark as we remember the price our Lord paid for our sins. It comes from: Mr 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" As the supernatural darkness comes to a close at 3 in the afternoon, Jesus cries out: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” During these 3 hours, Jesus was made sin for us, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, (2 Cor 5:21) and He became a curse for us: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" (Ga 3:13) God turned completely away from Jesus (forsook Him) because He embodied every sin that has been or will be committed. Jesus was forsaken because God is too holy to allow sin in His presence. Hab 1:13a says, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.” Think of it. Every single sin ever committed. That lie you told last week? Paid for. That adulterous glance at pornography? Covered. That abortion. On Jesus' tab. Because Jesus became forsaken, you and I are not forsaken. Because God looked away from Jesus, He will not look away from us. Is it any wonder then, that God insists that no one can come to Him except through His Son Jesus? Do you really think that God is going to allow some other way to heaven after what happened on Calvary? Repent and believe the gospel! Think differently about God and believe that full payment of sin was made on Calvary, then receive His free gift of forgiveness through faith in His Son. It's the only way! Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And now you know one of the reasons why.

There Will Be No Disturbing of the Peace

# 382 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:11-14, “Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" And he said, "Bring up Samuel for me." 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!" 13 And the king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What did you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth." 14 So he said to her, "What is his form?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle." And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down. ( 1 Sam 28:11-14) Saul has requested a séance with the medium. The King James version of the Bible puts Saul's request this way: “divine unto me a familiar spirit.” In other words, put me in contact with a spirit familiar with my situation. I don't for one minute believe that this was really Samuel. Samuel had passed away and was enjoying the absolute comfort and peace of resting in the bosom of Abraham spoken of by Jesus in Luke 16:25, “but now he (Lazarus the beggar, or in this case, Samuel) is comforted.” It would be a terrible thing to think that God would allow the comfort of His departed saints to be interrupted by seances! No this was a spirit who was familiar with Samuel and therefore familiar with Saul as well. This familiar spirit tipped off the witch of En-dor as to who she was really dealing with and she was frightened out of her wits because she felt she had just been caught practicing the dark arts and had signed her own death certificate. Saul assures her that he will not harm her and asks her to press on with the séance. Note that the familiar spirit uses it's power to disguise itself even as an angel of light ( 2Co 11:14b “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” and takes on the form of the beloved Samuel. This was so convincing that Saul falls to the ground and worships the familiar spirit.” My friend, do not toy with the supernatural in such a way. That dearly departed soul you want so much to contact in the here and now will have to wait. God loves them too much to disturb their comfort. Rather seek to finish the race in the faith and look forward to that great reunion when the Lord calls you home. Father, thank You for the promise of eternal comfort for those who die in the faith. Help us all to finish the race and be with You in Paradise. .

The Doctrine of Two Witnesses

# 381 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, "Please conduct a seance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you." 9 Then the woman said to him, "Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?" 10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." Saul, desperate for supernatural direction, decides to turn to a medium for advice. As we have seen, the practice of necromancy (calling up the spirits of the dead) is strictly forbidden by God, and availing oneself of their services is also forbidden. Le 19:31 says, “'Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.” It's interesting that Saul brings two men with him for his encounter with the witch of En-dor. Why would he bother to do that? One of the recurring themes found in Scripture is that a matter is established by at least two witnesses. It starts with the witnesses of the Trinity itself, (although God certainly doesn't need witnesses, He is not a man that He should lie, Num 23:19) and we see it on the fourth day of creation when God created the two great lights, “And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night,” (Gen 1:16) These two lights serve to remind us that nothing is hidden from God. Everything is witnessed by Him. And the use of two witnesses also shows up in the Book of Revelation (See Revelation 11) So from Genesis to Revelation we find mention of this doctrine of two witnesses often! These witnesses are God's method of establishing the truth of a matter among lying sinful men. These witnesses were necessary for Saul, because the witch of En-Dor would not tell him a thing without some sort of a guarantee. So Saul swore to her in the Name of the Lord and in earshot of these two men, that he would not rat on her and turn her in to face the death penalty. These two witnesses were for her protection and necessary for Saul to get the information he wanted from the medium. The doctrine of two witnesses is important for us in the church today, because it helps ensure justice in a matter. 2Co 13:1says, "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." Thank You Lord for providing this system of checks and balances for us today, as lying sinners....we need it!

The Unpluckable Hands of Jesus

# 380 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:7 “Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor." (1 Sam 28:7) Saul, gripped by fear because the Philistines have amassed their troops for an attack against him, has not heard from God and he panics. He decides to try anything that may work, even the forbidden dark arts. Oh how gleeful and quick to oblige is Satan when we panic. Let's see how this applies to our own lives today. Many times we find ourselves in tight situations. Circumstances come upon us and press in on all sides. It's going to happen, the question is how will you and I react? Will we patiently endure and hold to the promises of God's Word and allow the Lord to pull us through, or will we panic and bolt? The Bible tells us that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. If you've ever watched a nature film notice how the lion seeks a victim that panics and bolts from the protection of the herd.. Don't bolt beloved, it's what the devil wants you to do! Rather we should patiently wait for the Lord's deliverance in our situation. When you came to faith in Jesus, you were placed in the very hand of God, but this hand is an open hand it is not a clenched fist. There are no fences. You are free to leave that open hand at anytime. The devil will try anything he can, to get you to panic and leave that open hand of God's protection. Stay the course. Wait on the Lord, He will pull you through, and remember this promise from Jesus in Joh 10:28 “And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand.” Though the devil harasses you from every side, stay in the nail scarred unpluckable hands of Jesus. Father, thank You for this promise. Help me to overcome any fears I may have today, and let me rest in the knowledge that I am safe in Your hands.

We Have His Word and the Holy Spirit

# 379 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Sa 28:4-6, “Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. ( 1 Sam 28:4-6) Nothing like fear to draw us into the prayer closet. Saul is desperate here, but his prayers are not being answered. Sometimes we find ourselves in fearful situations and it seems to us, like Saul, that God is not answering our prayers. This dilemma occurs even though we have the distinct advantage of having been given the two things necessary for guidance. Namely God's Word and the Holy Spirit. We are the beneficiaries of what is mentioned in Isa 30:19-21: “For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. 20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left” We no longer need the toss of a coin, or special nocturnal visits by God or one of His representatives dressed in sackcloth. We have His Word! 2Ti 3:16 reminds us , “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” But even though we have His Word, we must learn to avail ourselves of it and be willing to respond to it! Ps 32:8,9 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. Father, thank You for Your Word, let us draw near to it daily and gladly receive Your instructions. As the Psalmist says, “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. (Ps 5:3)

Demonic Dummies

# 378 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Sa 28:3b, “And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. (1 Sam 28:3b) So far in this series on the occult, I have been looking at verses in the Old Testament. The only New Testament incident involving a “medium” type person is found in Acts 16:16-18, “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour.” The Greek word used here for divination means a gateway or a doorway. This girl was used as an entrance or a go-between, a medium if you will, for a demonic spirit. Mediums are also referred to in scripture as people with “familiar spirits,” and the Hebrew word for a “familiar spirit” means ventriloquist. In short she was the dummy in this demonic ventriloquist act. She was used by her earthly masters to contact a spirit who was familiar with the paying customer. May the reader and the listener take note. Demons are ever observing our actions and can reveal much about our lives through the person who has given themselves up to the dark side. In this sense, mediums are more legit than the world wants to give them credit for. Their observations about past events in your life are as reliable as the spirit (the demon) who is familiar with your activities. Nonetheless, they are evil. So think this through before you seek advice from the occult. If this is harmless activity, why did Paul seek to cast the demon out in the name of Jesus? It's not harmless! In fact it is dangerous! Why look to someone who works for the father of lies and can only comment on past activity and then use that information to try and paint a picture of your future? Why not turn to the One who is true and not only observes your actions, but also knows your heart? Why not turn to the One who holds your future in His nail scarred hands? Turn to Jesus, and if you want to become familiar with a spirit, let it be the Holy Spirit!

The Occult Part 4: Impatience and the Dark Arts

# 377 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:3b, “And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. (1 Sam 28:3b) Saul, sought to follow God's Law in removing mediums and spiritists from the land. This was an ongoing problem with the Israelites as their patience often wore thin in times of duress. Impatience is an age old problem and it's still with us today. Why? Why are we so prone to lose our patience and wander away from the God who loves us so much! (He loves you! Look at the cross?) Why are we so quick to seek answers for our circumstances and relief from our pain in all the wrong places? It is God's desire to walk us through our pain. It is His wish to reveal His will to us through His Word. Our biggest problem in this regard seems to be a lack of patience, which then spills over into a lack of trust. We want answers and we want relief now, and if we don't get it from God, well, then we'll get it from somewhere else. The problem is this relief is always short lived and it's end is “distress and darkness, and the gloom of anguish.” Listen to the prophet Isaiah, “ Is 8:19–22, - 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? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously, against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. And they will look to the earth, but behold distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. What is he saying here? In a nutshell, he is saying, when people are distressed and their souls are hungry, they have a tendency to speak against God and look to the heavens and the things of earth to satisfy. The end of these things are gloom, anguish, and utter darkness! Whatever situation you may find yourself in today....ride it out! Look to the Light of the world He alone can satisfy the hunger of your soul!. Joh 7:37b says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” Jesus, quench the thirst today of the parched soul.

The Occult Part 3: What In the World Is A Necromancer?

# 375 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:3b, “And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. (1 Sam 28:3b) Saul, sought to follow Levitical law in removing mediums and spiritists from the land. In Dt 18:10-14 we read, “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or daughter for an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord and because of these abominations, the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortunetellers and diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.” I know what you're thinking right now. “What in the world is a necromancer?” A necromancer is someone who seeks to conjure up the spirits of the dead in order to reveal the future or to influence the course of events. There are plenty of these charlatans around today and obviously have been with us even in biblical times. The necromancer joins all the others on this list who practice abominable things. These are all things that God specifically hates! They are things that He just will not allow His people to participate in. It was these practices and the practice of child sacrifice that caused God to uproot the Canaanites from the land and give it to the offspring of Abraham. This was the iniquity spoken of in Ge 15:16 "But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." This iniquity reached a point to where God judged the Amorites as unredeemable and commanded the Israelites to utterly destroy them. For our part, it would be wise to search the Scriptures for all things that God hates and if we are engaging in them, confess them as sin, receive His forgiveness, and then seek to turn from them, lest our hearts be completely hardened to the work of the Holy Spirit and we, like the Amorites, are judged as unredeemable. Here's a prayer that God will gladly hear and grant, “Father, may Your Holy Spirit grant me godly sorrow over my sins, forgive me, and keep me pliable in Your hands.

The Occult Part 2 (Church Discipline)

# 375 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Sa 28:3b, “And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. (1 Sam 28:3b) Saul, sought to follow Levitical law in removing mediums and spiritists from the land. In Lev 20:27 we read, “A man or woman who is a medium or a wizard shall surely be put to death.” The severity of the penalty should tell us how strongly God feels about practicing the “dark arts!” The church no longer has the authority to put anyone to death for any sin, capital punishment is left up to the state. However the church does have the authority, indeed, the responsibility to shun or excommunicate those who insist on continuing in their sin. The classic example of this procedure is the man who was committing sexual sin in the church at Corinth. The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Paul instructed the congregation thusly: “Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” ( 1 Cor 5:2) Of course the ultimate goal of this disciplinary action is the restoration of the sinner to a right relationship with God as we read in 1 Cor 5:5, “that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.” But there is also another reason for removing such unrepentant sinners from the congregation. As the Holy Spirit puts it in 1 Cor 5:6-8, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you really are unleavened. For Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Unrepentant sinners who are not dealt with have a negative impact on the congregation as a whole and among other things, they should not be allowed to participate (celebrate the feast) in the Lord's Supper. A word of caution hear. Don't turn these passages in 1 Corinthians into a license to hunt witches. Proceed with cautious grace using the process of restoration as laid out in Matthew 18. Remember the ultimate goal is always the reconciliation of the erring brother or sister. And never start this process without first removing the log from your own eye. Father, help us to rightly and graciously apply these truths.

The Occult Part 1

# 374 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:3b, “And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. (1 Sam 28:3b) I want to spend some time addressing the matter of dabbling in the occult. Judging from some of the Facebook posts I have seen, many Christians are unaware of what God's Word has to say about what is called the dark arts. My prayer is that you will find this information helpful, and that you will understand that these dark arts are not as innocuous as you might think. The Bible says in Ho 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.' “ let's pray that in the next few days the Holy Spirit will use His Word to build on our knowledge base, and cause us to think twice before we dabble in these things that are destructive to our spiritual well-being. Let's start in Lev 19:31, “Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.” here is a very simple, straightforward command from God. Don't look to mediums, wizards, and the like for guidance. Don't look them up on the internet. Don't call them on their hotlines. Don't make it your daily routine to look in the newspaper for your horoscope. Don't be engrossed by them on TV, and excuse yourself from those entertainment venues that feature the black arts. Or what part of “Do not turn. Do not seek, do we fail to understand? What should we do instead? I love the way God ends this verse. He says, “I am the Lord your God.” In other words, “Why turn to all these other places for your answers. I am your God, not Miss Cleo, not John Edward, not anyone else.” Jude 1:25 says, “To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. And Jesus speaking in Lu 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Why then should we seek guidance from the dead? Seek guidance from the risen and living Lord! Jesus alone is wise and His Word will never die! A little less time in the horoscope and a little more time in God's Word will go a long way. Father, thank You for the wisdom of Jesus and His Word.

Treasure His Unmerited Love

# 373 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:3b, “And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. (1 Sam 28:3b) What's up with that? Why had Saul kicked out all the Wiccans? Why did he disconnect all the psychic hotlines. Why were the horoscopes removed from the Judah Times? I think it's safe to say that he did it in an attempt to regain God's favor. It's the old, “I know, if I obey God, then He will love me” ploy. God had told the Israelites that they were to stay away from those who engage in the dark arts, they are an abomination to Him, and I'll talk more about that next time, but for now let's address this problem of misguided obedience. God is greatly pleased by our obedience when it is properly motivated. And proper motivation always begins with faith. Heb 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” With God-given faith as our starting point, we can agree with 1Jo 4:19, “ We love Him because He first loved us.” Our motivation then to love God, springs from the fact that He reaches out to us in grace, not that we seek to earn His love or attention by doing good works. This love then is demonstrated by a heart that treasures His words. Jesus said in Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.” the word, “keep” here, and in most other places in Scripture does not mean to obey. It means to put a hedge around something for the sake of protecting it because it's valuable to us. This is what we are to do with God's Word. Treasure it. Of course if we treasure it, we will be motivated to seek to obey it, and the motivation for such love is the fact that He first loved us! So yes, flee from the dark arts. Don't have anything to do with them, they are displeasing to the One who loves you, but don't do it to earn His favor, rather do it because you treasure His unmerited love for you. Father, help me to always be properly motivated in my service and obedience to You.

When God Is Silent

# 372 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 28:1-3a “Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, "You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men." 2 And David said to Achish, "Surely you know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever." 3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. ( 1 Sam 28:1-3a) Here's that phrase, “now it happened” again. Whenever you see that phrase, know that God is about to move. Something important is about to take place and the Sovereign God is about to set some things in motion. God's Day Planner has set this time in history to carry out his final judgment against Saul and put David in place as His anointed King. The Holy Spirit sets the stage for us in these first three verses. David has been given the responsibility of protecting Achish as Achish and the Philistines amass their armies for an assault on Israel. In these circumstances, David is about as far removed as one could be from assuming the leadership of Israel, yet God is about to pull it off, and we are going to have a ringside seat to see how these events will unfold. The first thing we need to be reminded of as the story unfolds is that Samuel is dead. The absence of Samuel, has left Israel and Saul without a prophetic voice, and with the Philistines amassing their armies against Saul, he was greatly afraid and was desperate for some kind of guidance. But the Lord did not give Saul an answer. He did not speak to Saul in dreams, through prophets, even the Urim was silent to Saul. (v6) This is a bad place to be. Perhaps you are there right now. Fear has gripped you due to circumstances in your life. You pray and pray and ask God for guidance and you do not hear one syllable. What to do? I wish I could give you a simple answer, but I can't. All I can recommend is that you continue to persevere in searching the Scriptures. Resolve not to seek answers through other means that God does not approve of. Father, I pray for those who are yearning for guidance. Grant them a word spoken from the Holy Spirit through your Holy Word, the Bible.

Keep Battling Sin

# 371 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 27:4-12, “And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more. 5 Then David said to Achish, "If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months. 8 And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. 9 Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish. 10 Then Achish would say, "Where have you made a raid today?" And David would say, "Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites." 11 David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, "Lest they should inform on us, saying, 'Thus David did.'" And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. 12 So Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever." David seeks relief from Saul with the arch-enemies of Israel, the Philistines. Achish is more than happy to oblige and even gives David a city of his own for his men and their families. David uses this city as a springboard to raid heathen territory and to clean up some of the enemies of the Israelites who had been “put to the ban” by God, years ago when the Israelites entered the promised land. The people whom David cut off were long before doomed to destruction. This episode should remind us that even when we enjoy a respite from the attacks of the evil one in our own lives, we should ever be seeking to eradicate the sin that so easily besets the church and us. Sin is eradicated, as we confess it, and put it under the blood of Jesus. 1 Jn 1”9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The devil may take a time out from his onslaught of accusations against us, but we must never take a time out when it comes to battling sin. Father, help me to not grow weary in my struggles against sin.

Give Me Faith To Have Faith

# 370 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 27:1-3, “And David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand." 2 Then David arose and went over with the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's widow. Trust in God and His Word is such a fragile thing. David, perhaps wearied from the chase, begins to ponder his situation from his view rather than God's perspective. The flesh would say, “why keep putting up with these harrowing circumstances, let me out of here!” David, like so many of us would do, has forgotten God's track record of miraculous deliverance, and has conveniently forgotten the words of the prophet Gad, spoken in 1Sa 22:5 telling him to stay in Judah. Now the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah." Stay David, God is not going to give you more than you can handle! Some of you right now are in situations where you are waiting for God to act on your behalf. You, like David are mulling over your options from the perspective of your flesh rather than God's perspective. It's a very real struggle and the truth is, you need some help with your faith. This is the time we need to come to Jesus like the father who struggled with believing that Jesus could deliver his son in Mr 9:24 and he cried, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” The father got it right. Even our faith to have faith comes from God! God! Help my lack of faith! The word “help” here comes from a word that means “to dig a ditch.” I get the picture of a ditch relieving pressure by diverting water flow. So as we struggle with the pressures of life, we pray God, dig a ditch that will allow Your grace to come to me and strengthen my faith. Give me faith to have faith. A good prayer to remember before we make hasty decisions on our own.