Am I Faithless and Perverse?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus said, when told about a boy with a demon, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?"  Luke 9:41  I used to think that He was rebuking His disciples for not being able to cast the unclean spirit out.  But He was addressing a whole generation of the nation of Israel, not just a few guys.  What do you think was bothering Him?  I got an insight on that today from our Old Testament passage in the OYB.

When I was pondering what to write today, the Holy Spirit said "Start with Jesus and go back."  So I did.  This is a good principle - I highly recommend it!

I'm quite certain that Jesus was disturbed because this was God's chosen people and they had become completely victimized by Satan.  If they had obeyed God's directions back when they were given the Promised Land, the ones we read today and have been reading, they would not have been in this predicament.  They were as bad off as the rest of the world, at least in the demonic oppression arena, when they should have been free from the evil one's torment.  But they did exactly what God had told them not to do: imitate the nations around them, especially when it came to spiritual practices.

“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you."  Deuteronomy 18: 9-14

When I was in college (long, long ago "in a faraway land"), I got caught up in the occult.  I promise you, when you do this stuff, or even dabble in it, you open up doors to demonic influence.  My salvation included a lot of necessary deliverance from evil spirits.  Some people go way too far in condemning every little thing, and they become as tormenting as the demons they're afraid of!  I'm not talking about witch-hunting or "finding a demon under every rock".  I'm serious, though, about not grieving the Spirit and not giving place to the abominations that God clearly hates. 

Unfortunately, our culture is full of evil practices, idol worship, and occult fascination and involvement.  "Pagan" is big these days.  I run into it a lot in the artistic circles I associate in (this is my mission field).  The Lord reminds me often not to let it influence me.  We are so surrounded by it that I think we (the Church in general) are becoming callous to it.  Be open to the correction of the Holy Spirit, and also of those who watch over you spiritually, such as your pastor, when they warn you of these things.  I'm not one of these, I am just a messenger (but if you hear His voice through me, listen).  As such, I'll name a couple of things as examples of what I feel are infiltrating influences that I know for a fact that some Christians are allowing in: vampire stuff and Harry Potter.  Sorry to meddle, but these images and ideas are from the devil; they should not be fun to a believer because they grieve the Holy Spirit.  This stuff is contamination; I think at best it is lowering your spiritual immune system, but probably much worse.  Please consider dealing with it! 

When our spirit is no longer grieved by what grieves the Holy Spirit (or we continue to ignore the grief) we are in great spiritual danger.  This troubles me because we are to be overcomers, and this means "conquerors".  Should we be conquered by the evil that Jesus died and rose again to conquer?  He delivered us from evil; we even pray "deliver us from evil".  Why do we play with it then?  We call it "entertainment"!  Wouldn't Jesus call it "faithless and perverse?"  This hurts, I know, but it needs to be said.  Believe me, I've heard it from Him more than once myself.

It is prophetic types, like me, who are most attracted (when not yielding to the Holy Spirit) to darkness, evil practices and occult spiritual power.  Even though they are called to be especially tuned-in to God's communications and purposes and to help train others this way, it is this type of person that is most likely to be influenced by satanic and occult things.  [This is why God gave instructions as to how to know a prophetic word was from Him or not. Deut. 18: 21-22, and many others]  This may seem strange and unbelievable to many, but if you are this type of person, or you are near someone who is, you will easily be able to observe what I am talking about.  Sadly, I have known people who are amazingly gifted prophetically who have gotten far too interested in what the devil is doing, so much so that they ended up following him instead of Christ Jesus.  Don't you be one of these!  And if you are a parent, and you have a child who is generally drawn to these things, pay attention, because you probably have a prophetically motivated/gifted child, and you will need to understand these things and learn how to raise them up in the Lord according to their gifts.

I praise God because Jesus conquered!  He completely trampled down the devil.  Jesus is Lord!! It is up to each of us individually to allow Jesus to be Lord in our own life.  When He is, He will increase His kingdom in us, and through us where He gives us authority.  These are dark and perilous times, and deceptions are rampant.  Since we are the Children of  Light, let us all live in the Light and shine His Light into the world.