Shalom
Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." 1 Samuel 15:22-23
And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:18-20
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
Dr. Pat Holiday in her article “Overcoming Spiritual Darkness From His Word” writes:
America is becoming more pagan and heathen every day. These spirits are daily replacing our beloved Jesus and Christian faith. The marks of paganism are idol worship, rituals, strange religious and they are prevailing. Ignorance concerning God and spiritual darkness are the distinctive features of paganism, (Eph. 4:18).
This brand of paganism is causing inhuman acts, Barbarous behaviors, "do whatever feels good spirit.” It's a spirit of lawlessness is pervasive in the Church today. We find indulgences of the animal appetites, (Eph. 4:19).
Even some Christians are into lustful living, free love and perversions. There is a lack of respect for womanhood, such as cursing, smoking, and drinking. Christians are seeking for "Bible teachers" to teach them the Word of God instead of seeking God and reading the Bible. Many have created Christian Star idols. Countless of these Christian stars have needed to be taught the Word of God themselves. People are ignoring His Bible and refusing His true message revealing Jesus as the center of the Word.
The world is professing that Jesus is dead! Unfortunately they ignore the reality of the spiritual being called the Devil. He no longer flees from Christians, he has joined them. He attacks them from within the church and outside of the Church. They still desire to remain spiritually blinded to his tactics.
“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” KJV
The Apostle Timothy said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15). "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil," (Eph. 6:11). The Apostle Peter added, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith," (1 Pet. 5: 8,9). Then James places a cap on the power of the Saints with the results when you do the Word of God. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you," (Jam. 4:7).
One of the most tormenting dilemmas we face today is discovering peace of mind. The Bible speaks of God's promises of love, joy, peace, abundant life, and hope. Harassing evil spirits are driving many Christians to search for God's promises to be fulfilled through the power of man-manufactured psychology and New Age Religion. Christians must return to the basics of the Bible by living for Jesus Christ and living in the scope of the challenges as shown in the Word. Let secular people search for answers to the problems in the man-made knowledge of psychology and the New Age but Christians should seek a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul warned, "But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For it he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom, we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Cor. 11: 3-4).
God who is good, powerful and mighty and a God of victory, through the overcoming life of Jesus Christ, wants to see the manifestation of real power in the life of His sons and daughters, total and complete victory over all things as well as wholeness and Shalom with nothing lacking or missing. Grace can be defined as God’s riches at Christ’ expense. The word "Peace" or “Shalom” and its cognates appear over 400 times in scripture and is often translated - welfare, good health, prosperity, favor, rest whole, finished, restitution or repay and perfect.
Apostle Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:2-3 we have been given grace, peace and power through and in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We have no excuse for not being whole or more than a conqueror (Romans 8:31-37) for God wants His people whole body, soul and spirit and victorious and prospering in all things and He has the power to make it so and has also given them the power to make it so!
Dr. Larry Ollison in his article “The Hidden Power of Shalom” states
There was a lady that Jesus healed who had an issue of blood. In other words, she had a female problem. She had this problem all of her life. However, she knew that if she could touch Jesus, she would be healed.
All through the New Testament the people Jesus touched got healed. There was something about the point of contact. But the scripture doesn’t just say she only had a female problem, she had two problems. Usually we don’t hear about the other problem she had. Here’s what the other problem was. She had spent all of her money on physicians and was financially broke.
When she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was healed. Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” He felt the power go out of Him. The power for what? The power for healing. He felt that power (virtue) go out. His disciples said, “What do you mean who touched You? We’ve got thousand of people pressing in on You? They are pressing all around us and You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus knew that somebody had touched Him that had faith.
If you need to touch God, you can press in at a church, but you may not be pressing in with faith. There were many people pressing into the presence of Jesus, but only one woman pressed in with faith. Jesus turned and looked at her. She pulled back and Jesus said, “Woman, your faith has made you well.” Then He made a statement often overlooked. He said, “Shalom.”
Shalom is a Hebrew word that sometimes we think just means “hello.” But it means much more than that. In Hebrew when you say shalom, what you mean is completeness. In other words, there is nothing incomplete.
Have you ever felt a little incomplete? Shalom means completeness and wholeness in all areas. To prove it means all areas, the definition of shalom breaks down even further into peace and health. Some think shalom just means peace, but it means so much more. There is a certain kind of peace you can have by getting your bills paid, having a car, having payments caught up on the house and enough food to eat. There is a certain kind of peace that the world has, but Jesus said, “I have come to give you peace (shalom), different than what the world has.” The peace from Jesus is completeness, wholeness, health and prosperity.
What is the difference between health and healing? Healing requires a victory. Health is living in victory. There is no need in shalom. Shalom is walking in victory.
“Beloved, I would that you would prosper and be in good health.” (3 John 1:2) God’s perfect will is for us to walk in health and to be free from the need of healing. He wants us to walk in shalom.
When Jesus turned and looked at the woman who had an issue of blood and a financial problem, He said to her, “Shalom!” He didn’t say, “Shalom – almost.” He didn’t say, “One half shalom.” When Jesus said, “Shalom,” He knew the impact of that word. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I do know this. When Jesus said, “Shalom,” the lady was healed physically and restored financially. That’s shalom!
Shalom is completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, perfectness, harmony, the absence of agitation and the absence of discord.
It’s to job of demons not only to steal and destroy but to ensure there is no Shalom but rather the opposite including strife, contention, turmoil, envy, self seeking, confusion and every evil thing (James 3:11-18). Many Christians are totally unaware of the reality of the subliminal world of demons. They are invisible to the natural eye but they are real! And the Bible says that my people perish for a lack of knowledge. Multitudes are tormented because people choose to ignore the power to cast out devils which Jesus gave to His sons and daughters.
Jesus had great compassion for the possessed. He used His power to free them. Then the first assignments that He gave His followers were empowerment to cast out devils. But not every problem is because of demons. Some problems come from the person's willful sin life. The scriptural answer to the sins of the flesh is complete surrender to Jesus, (Rom. 6: 6-11). If the problem is caused by the person's submission to the sins of the flesh, then counsel must direct that person to commitment to the Lord, His Word and abstain from sin. If it is a demon, then we must cast it out. “The things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you,” (Phil. 4:9).
One of the great reasons for the absence of “Peace” or “Shalom” in the life of Christians is not only stubbornness and rebellion, not heeding to the voice of God, but not dealing with “serpents and scorpions.”
David Eellis in his book Sovereign God For Us and Through Us [iii] writes”
The Lord divides these demons into two categories: “serpents and scorpions.” Serpents, whose venom is in their heads, are mind-deceiving demons.It was the serpent that deceived Eve by offering the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen.3:5,6). There are forbidden knowledge gifts that Satan bestows on his deceivers that sometimes mimic true gifts.
There are many serpent spirits at work in the church today deceiving many with “doctrines of demons,” as Paul shared in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. Serpent spirits are manifest as false directions, doctrines, prophecies, and leadership to name a few.(2 Cor.11:13) For such men are false apostles (Greek: “one sent forth”), deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. (14) And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel (Greek: “messenger”) of light (truth). (15) It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
The word “angel” in Greek is angelos, and is sometimes translated “messenger” when describing ministers who are sent by God or other ministers (Lk.7:24,27; 9:52). It is obvious that there are men who have infiltrated the ranks of ministers who are sent by Satan through their own ego and religious organizations. Both Jesus and Paul taught that these ministers were in the majority ( Jn.10:8; 2 Cor.2:17).
Serpent spirits can also be mind-corrupting such as lust, greed, anger, bitterness, lying, sexual perversion, alcoholism, Idolatry, and uncleanness. Luke 8:35 shows insanity in various forms to be demonic. I was ministering to a group of elderly once when I was impressed to command a spirit out of a very sullen-looking woman with Alzheimer’s. After I commanded the spirit to come out, her countenance changed and she smiled and said very intelligibly, “Thank you very much, I needed that.” Most were shocked because they had never heard her speak. I knew then that Alzheimer’s can be a demon.
There is indication that “spirits of infirmity” (Lk.13:11) are serpent spirits. When the Israelites sinned, God sent fiery serpents to bite them, and they were dying. The serpent bite clearly inflicted physical sickness through poison. When Moses prayed to the Lord for them, He had them make a brass serpent on a pole, and when they looked on it they were healed (Num.21:4-9). The serpent on the pole was said to be Christ ( Jn.3:14) who became sin for us (2 Cor.5:21) and bore the curse of the serpent (Gal.3:13) so we could be healed (1 Pet.2:24).The serpent on the pole has been hijacked by the medical establishment to symbolize their healing business.
Some sicknesses proven from the text of the New Testament to be caused by demons are crippled (Lk.13:11); dumb (Mt.12:22);blind and dumb (Mt.9:32,33;Lk.11:14);dumb and deaf (Mk.9:25); vexed with sickness (Mt.15:22,28); epileptic (Mt.17:15,18); and healed of evil spirits (Lk.8:2,36,42; Acts 10:38). There are other healings in the New Testament that appear to be deliverances which I did not list here. Beside these, I have seen cancers, coughs, rashes, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, insomnia, chronic pains, AIDS, restlessness, and many I do not recall that responded to deliverance. I am sure in the combined experience of Christians the list is longer. Some say these have natural causes. Almost all demons manifest natural causes.
The second category Jesus gave was scorpion spirits. The Greek word for “scorpion” is scorpios which means “scatter” or “to penetrate and put to flight.” Scorpion spirits of fear, depression, manic depression, paranoia, worry, anxiety, suicide,guilt, condemnation, and dementia to name a few, penetrate the mind and cause one to flee from an enemy that they should be chasing.A scorpion’s venom is in its tail just as a hornet.The hornet can put a large man to flight through fear. God sent the “hornet” to drive out the enemy from before the Israelites through fear (Dt.7:20; Josh.24:12; Ex.23:27,28). Jesus taught that he had already bound the strong man (Satan and his demons) and divided the spoils of his house (Lk.11:20-23).Concerning these spoils, Jesus said, “He that gathereth not with me scattereth.” The Greek word for “scattereth” here is scorpizo. If we are not gathering the spoils of Satan’s house, the lost, for God’s kingdom, we will be running from scorpion spirits. We must be vessels of God’s sovereignty to conquer them and set the captives free.
A commonly taught false doctrine is that Christians cannot have demons. When Jesus sent His disciples to “cast out demons,” He told them, “…Go not into [any] way of the Gentiles (lost), and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt.10:5,6). He did not send them to those who did not have a covenant with God, but rather only to those that did. In the New Testament, it is the Christians that have covenant promises of deliverance, healing, and provision, not the world. (Col.1:13) Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.
Since we have the promises of deliverance, we can use them for ourselves and those coming to Christ. (2 Cor.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Believers are to cleanse self which is synonymous with soul (compare Mt.16:26 with Lk.9:25) of both flesh and spirit, meaning evil spirits. Paul warned Christians not to “receive a different spirit” (2 Cor.11:4). Also we are told, “neither give place (Greek: “region”) to the devil” (Epe.4:27). Simply, we are not to give any territory in ourselves to the devil or his minions.
(Lk.13:11) And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up. (16) And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo,[these] eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath? The condition for deliverance was a child of Abraham, and such are the Christians. (Gal.3:7) Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham.
Jesus said that He was only sent to the house of Israel. When asked by a Canaanite woman to cast a spirit of infirmity out of her daughter, Jesus said, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs” (Mt.15:22-28). From this we can see that the children of God have a covenant right to their Father’s bread of deliverance and healing, not the lost. Since Jesus was beginning a New Testament and because of this woman’s faith, He accounted her as righteous (Gal.3:6), granting her request
David Eellis in his book Sovereign God For Us and Through Us [iv] also writes” Binding and Loosing What?
Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (forbid) on earth shall be bound (forbidden) in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (permit) on earth shall be loosed (permitted) in heaven (Mt.18:18).
Faith permits the sovereignty of God to be manifest through the body of Christ and forbids the devil. Jesus’ condition for receiving His benefits are plain: “As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee” and “According to your faith be it done unto you” and “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” As we believe, God’s benefits will be given.
Unbelief forbids God’s benefits because He has made a condition and He cannot lie. Unbelief permits the devil to continue administering the curse. (Mk.6:5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Even Jesus was forbidden to do mighty works for those who would not believe. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly forbidding or permitting by our thoughts, words, and actions. Since all authority in heaven and earth was given to Jesus and He in turn delegated it to His disciples, where does the devil get his authority? He gets it from our unbelief, words, and disobedience.
(Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them,God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. Adding to or taking from God’s Word permits the curse by the devil and forbids God’s blessings for us or through us. This is by God’s design to motivate us to come back into agreement with Him. Adam fell out of agreement with God and fell under the curse, and God ordained that we would come back into agreement with Him to come out from under the curse.In no way does our disagreement hinder God’s sovereignty. It only stops us from cooperating with Him in it and being a vessel for it. (Lk.19:40) …If these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out. Jesus made it clear that God would find a vessel to use. The only question is will that be you?
We must agree with God’s Word in our speech, without adding to or subtracting from, to receive or to administer His benefits. In Hebrews 3:1, Jesus is called the “High Priest of our confession.” Confession here is the Greek word homologeo meaning “to speak the same.” In other words, Jesus offers before the Father our vocal agreement with His Word. We make an offering of our confession through Jesus to the Father. (Heb.13:15) Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession (speak the same) to his name. Both the Greek and Hebrew words for “name” in Scripture mean “character and authority.” If we want the benefits of God consistently, we must continually speak in agreement with the character and authority of Jesus Who is the Word. If we disagree with the character and authority of God’s Word, Jesus will deny us the benefits of those promises. Jesus said, (Mt.10:32) Every one therefore who shall confess me (speak the same as me) before men, him will I also confess (speak the same) before my Father who is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
True believers speak in agreement with the Word and receive Christ’s mediation for them to receive its benefits. Many wonder why they do not receive what the Bible promises,while in their mind and actions they disagree with it. (Rom.10:10)For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Notice that salvation comes when we believe and speak in agreement with it. Many do not know what the fullness of salvation is. “Salvation” here is the Greek word soteria which means “everything that the soter or ‘savior’ provided.” We once asked a Greek man what soteria meant. He said, “It means all my needs provided for like a little baby.” The verb of soteria is sozo. This Greek word is translated “saved” when speaking of salvation of the soul (Lk.7:50). It is translated “made whole”when speaking of healing (Lk.8:48; Jas.5:15) and deliverance from demon possession (Lk.8:36). It is translated “save” when speaking of salvation from adverse circumstances (Mt.8:25;Jude 1:5). Salvation covers all of the benefits that Christ paid for.
We see here that it is not enough to believe only with the heart to have God’s benefits. If a person has faith, it will come out of their mouth. (2 Cor.4:13) But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed,and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak. As you can see, faith without works is dead. It is clear that Jesus mediates between the Father and us if our faith is proven in our words.
(Lk.12:8) And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: (9) but he that denieth me in the presence ofmen shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
It is imperative that we say before men what God says in order for these same words to be given to the angels to bring to pass. If we confess the promises of the Word, Jesus gives authority to the angels to administer to us the benefits of God’s salvation. (Heb.1:14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation? The angels only have authority to administer our salvation when we become the “voice of His Word.” (Ps.103:20) Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that are mighty in strength, that fulfill his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. When the angels hear the Word through us, they have authority from Jesus to fulfill it. When we speak unbelief, fear, and anxiety, we are speaking negative faith, or faith in the curse. This gives authority to the demons to administer the curse.
EXTRACT FROM Our Wonderful Redeemer
http://walthope.tripod.com/redeemer.htm
http://walthope.wordpress.com
Then Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." 1 Samuel 15:22-23
And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:18-20
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
Dr. Pat Holiday in her article “Overcoming Spiritual Darkness From His Word” writes:
America is becoming more pagan and heathen every day. These spirits are daily replacing our beloved Jesus and Christian faith. The marks of paganism are idol worship, rituals, strange religious and they are prevailing. Ignorance concerning God and spiritual darkness are the distinctive features of paganism, (Eph. 4:18).
This brand of paganism is causing inhuman acts, Barbarous behaviors, "do whatever feels good spirit.” It's a spirit of lawlessness is pervasive in the Church today. We find indulgences of the animal appetites, (Eph. 4:19).
Even some Christians are into lustful living, free love and perversions. There is a lack of respect for womanhood, such as cursing, smoking, and drinking. Christians are seeking for "Bible teachers" to teach them the Word of God instead of seeking God and reading the Bible. Many have created Christian Star idols. Countless of these Christian stars have needed to be taught the Word of God themselves. People are ignoring His Bible and refusing His true message revealing Jesus as the center of the Word.
The world is professing that Jesus is dead! Unfortunately they ignore the reality of the spiritual being called the Devil. He no longer flees from Christians, he has joined them. He attacks them from within the church and outside of the Church. They still desire to remain spiritually blinded to his tactics.
“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” KJV
The Apostle Timothy said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15). "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil," (Eph. 6:11). The Apostle Peter added, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith," (1 Pet. 5: 8,9). Then James places a cap on the power of the Saints with the results when you do the Word of God. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you," (Jam. 4:7).
One of the most tormenting dilemmas we face today is discovering peace of mind. The Bible speaks of God's promises of love, joy, peace, abundant life, and hope. Harassing evil spirits are driving many Christians to search for God's promises to be fulfilled through the power of man-manufactured psychology and New Age Religion. Christians must return to the basics of the Bible by living for Jesus Christ and living in the scope of the challenges as shown in the Word. Let secular people search for answers to the problems in the man-made knowledge of psychology and the New Age but Christians should seek a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul warned, "But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For it he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom, we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Cor. 11: 3-4).
God who is good, powerful and mighty and a God of victory, through the overcoming life of Jesus Christ, wants to see the manifestation of real power in the life of His sons and daughters, total and complete victory over all things as well as wholeness and Shalom with nothing lacking or missing. Grace can be defined as God’s riches at Christ’ expense. The word "Peace" or “Shalom” and its cognates appear over 400 times in scripture and is often translated - welfare, good health, prosperity, favor, rest whole, finished, restitution or repay and perfect.
Apostle Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:2-3 we have been given grace, peace and power through and in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We have no excuse for not being whole or more than a conqueror (Romans 8:31-37) for God wants His people whole body, soul and spirit and victorious and prospering in all things and He has the power to make it so and has also given them the power to make it so!
Dr. Larry Ollison in his article “The Hidden Power of Shalom” states
There was a lady that Jesus healed who had an issue of blood. In other words, she had a female problem. She had this problem all of her life. However, she knew that if she could touch Jesus, she would be healed.
All through the New Testament the people Jesus touched got healed. There was something about the point of contact. But the scripture doesn’t just say she only had a female problem, she had two problems. Usually we don’t hear about the other problem she had. Here’s what the other problem was. She had spent all of her money on physicians and was financially broke.
When she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was healed. Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” He felt the power go out of Him. The power for what? The power for healing. He felt that power (virtue) go out. His disciples said, “What do you mean who touched You? We’ve got thousand of people pressing in on You? They are pressing all around us and You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus knew that somebody had touched Him that had faith.
If you need to touch God, you can press in at a church, but you may not be pressing in with faith. There were many people pressing into the presence of Jesus, but only one woman pressed in with faith. Jesus turned and looked at her. She pulled back and Jesus said, “Woman, your faith has made you well.” Then He made a statement often overlooked. He said, “Shalom.”
Shalom is a Hebrew word that sometimes we think just means “hello.” But it means much more than that. In Hebrew when you say shalom, what you mean is completeness. In other words, there is nothing incomplete.
Have you ever felt a little incomplete? Shalom means completeness and wholeness in all areas. To prove it means all areas, the definition of shalom breaks down even further into peace and health. Some think shalom just means peace, but it means so much more. There is a certain kind of peace you can have by getting your bills paid, having a car, having payments caught up on the house and enough food to eat. There is a certain kind of peace that the world has, but Jesus said, “I have come to give you peace (shalom), different than what the world has.” The peace from Jesus is completeness, wholeness, health and prosperity.
What is the difference between health and healing? Healing requires a victory. Health is living in victory. There is no need in shalom. Shalom is walking in victory.
“Beloved, I would that you would prosper and be in good health.” (3 John 1:2) God’s perfect will is for us to walk in health and to be free from the need of healing. He wants us to walk in shalom.
When Jesus turned and looked at the woman who had an issue of blood and a financial problem, He said to her, “Shalom!” He didn’t say, “Shalom – almost.” He didn’t say, “One half shalom.” When Jesus said, “Shalom,” He knew the impact of that word. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I do know this. When Jesus said, “Shalom,” the lady was healed physically and restored financially. That’s shalom!
Shalom is completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, perfectness, harmony, the absence of agitation and the absence of discord.
It’s to job of demons not only to steal and destroy but to ensure there is no Shalom but rather the opposite including strife, contention, turmoil, envy, self seeking, confusion and every evil thing (James 3:11-18). Many Christians are totally unaware of the reality of the subliminal world of demons. They are invisible to the natural eye but they are real! And the Bible says that my people perish for a lack of knowledge. Multitudes are tormented because people choose to ignore the power to cast out devils which Jesus gave to His sons and daughters.
Jesus had great compassion for the possessed. He used His power to free them. Then the first assignments that He gave His followers were empowerment to cast out devils. But not every problem is because of demons. Some problems come from the person's willful sin life. The scriptural answer to the sins of the flesh is complete surrender to Jesus, (Rom. 6: 6-11). If the problem is caused by the person's submission to the sins of the flesh, then counsel must direct that person to commitment to the Lord, His Word and abstain from sin. If it is a demon, then we must cast it out. “The things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you,” (Phil. 4:9).
One of the great reasons for the absence of “Peace” or “Shalom” in the life of Christians is not only stubbornness and rebellion, not heeding to the voice of God, but not dealing with “serpents and scorpions.”
David Eellis in his book Sovereign God For Us and Through Us [iii] writes”
The Lord divides these demons into two categories: “serpents and scorpions.” Serpents, whose venom is in their heads, are mind-deceiving demons.It was the serpent that deceived Eve by offering the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen.3:5,6). There are forbidden knowledge gifts that Satan bestows on his deceivers that sometimes mimic true gifts.
There are many serpent spirits at work in the church today deceiving many with “doctrines of demons,” as Paul shared in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. Serpent spirits are manifest as false directions, doctrines, prophecies, and leadership to name a few.(2 Cor.11:13) For such men are false apostles (Greek: “one sent forth”), deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. (14) And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel (Greek: “messenger”) of light (truth). (15) It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
The word “angel” in Greek is angelos, and is sometimes translated “messenger” when describing ministers who are sent by God or other ministers (Lk.7:24,27; 9:52). It is obvious that there are men who have infiltrated the ranks of ministers who are sent by Satan through their own ego and religious organizations. Both Jesus and Paul taught that these ministers were in the majority ( Jn.10:8; 2 Cor.2:17).
Serpent spirits can also be mind-corrupting such as lust, greed, anger, bitterness, lying, sexual perversion, alcoholism, Idolatry, and uncleanness. Luke 8:35 shows insanity in various forms to be demonic. I was ministering to a group of elderly once when I was impressed to command a spirit out of a very sullen-looking woman with Alzheimer’s. After I commanded the spirit to come out, her countenance changed and she smiled and said very intelligibly, “Thank you very much, I needed that.” Most were shocked because they had never heard her speak. I knew then that Alzheimer’s can be a demon.
There is indication that “spirits of infirmity” (Lk.13:11) are serpent spirits. When the Israelites sinned, God sent fiery serpents to bite them, and they were dying. The serpent bite clearly inflicted physical sickness through poison. When Moses prayed to the Lord for them, He had them make a brass serpent on a pole, and when they looked on it they were healed (Num.21:4-9). The serpent on the pole was said to be Christ ( Jn.3:14) who became sin for us (2 Cor.5:21) and bore the curse of the serpent (Gal.3:13) so we could be healed (1 Pet.2:24).The serpent on the pole has been hijacked by the medical establishment to symbolize their healing business.
Some sicknesses proven from the text of the New Testament to be caused by demons are crippled (Lk.13:11); dumb (Mt.12:22);blind and dumb (Mt.9:32,33;Lk.11:14);dumb and deaf (Mk.9:25); vexed with sickness (Mt.15:22,28); epileptic (Mt.17:15,18); and healed of evil spirits (Lk.8:2,36,42; Acts 10:38). There are other healings in the New Testament that appear to be deliverances which I did not list here. Beside these, I have seen cancers, coughs, rashes, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, insomnia, chronic pains, AIDS, restlessness, and many I do not recall that responded to deliverance. I am sure in the combined experience of Christians the list is longer. Some say these have natural causes. Almost all demons manifest natural causes.
The second category Jesus gave was scorpion spirits. The Greek word for “scorpion” is scorpios which means “scatter” or “to penetrate and put to flight.” Scorpion spirits of fear, depression, manic depression, paranoia, worry, anxiety, suicide,guilt, condemnation, and dementia to name a few, penetrate the mind and cause one to flee from an enemy that they should be chasing.A scorpion’s venom is in its tail just as a hornet.The hornet can put a large man to flight through fear. God sent the “hornet” to drive out the enemy from before the Israelites through fear (Dt.7:20; Josh.24:12; Ex.23:27,28). Jesus taught that he had already bound the strong man (Satan and his demons) and divided the spoils of his house (Lk.11:20-23).Concerning these spoils, Jesus said, “He that gathereth not with me scattereth.” The Greek word for “scattereth” here is scorpizo. If we are not gathering the spoils of Satan’s house, the lost, for God’s kingdom, we will be running from scorpion spirits. We must be vessels of God’s sovereignty to conquer them and set the captives free.
A commonly taught false doctrine is that Christians cannot have demons. When Jesus sent His disciples to “cast out demons,” He told them, “…Go not into [any] way of the Gentiles (lost), and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt.10:5,6). He did not send them to those who did not have a covenant with God, but rather only to those that did. In the New Testament, it is the Christians that have covenant promises of deliverance, healing, and provision, not the world. (Col.1:13) Who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.
Since we have the promises of deliverance, we can use them for ourselves and those coming to Christ. (2 Cor.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Believers are to cleanse self which is synonymous with soul (compare Mt.16:26 with Lk.9:25) of both flesh and spirit, meaning evil spirits. Paul warned Christians not to “receive a different spirit” (2 Cor.11:4). Also we are told, “neither give place (Greek: “region”) to the devil” (Epe.4:27). Simply, we are not to give any territory in ourselves to the devil or his minions.
(Lk.13:11) And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up. (16) And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo,[these] eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath? The condition for deliverance was a child of Abraham, and such are the Christians. (Gal.3:7) Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham.
Jesus said that He was only sent to the house of Israel. When asked by a Canaanite woman to cast a spirit of infirmity out of her daughter, Jesus said, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs” (Mt.15:22-28). From this we can see that the children of God have a covenant right to their Father’s bread of deliverance and healing, not the lost. Since Jesus was beginning a New Testament and because of this woman’s faith, He accounted her as righteous (Gal.3:6), granting her request
David Eellis in his book Sovereign God For Us and Through Us [iv] also writes” Binding and Loosing What?
Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind (forbid) on earth shall be bound (forbidden) in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose (permit) on earth shall be loosed (permitted) in heaven (Mt.18:18).
Faith permits the sovereignty of God to be manifest through the body of Christ and forbids the devil. Jesus’ condition for receiving His benefits are plain: “As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee” and “According to your faith be it done unto you” and “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” As we believe, God’s benefits will be given.
Unbelief forbids God’s benefits because He has made a condition and He cannot lie. Unbelief permits the devil to continue administering the curse. (Mk.6:5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Even Jesus was forbidden to do mighty works for those who would not believe. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly forbidding or permitting by our thoughts, words, and actions. Since all authority in heaven and earth was given to Jesus and He in turn delegated it to His disciples, where does the devil get his authority? He gets it from our unbelief, words, and disobedience.
(Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them,God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. Adding to or taking from God’s Word permits the curse by the devil and forbids God’s blessings for us or through us. This is by God’s design to motivate us to come back into agreement with Him. Adam fell out of agreement with God and fell under the curse, and God ordained that we would come back into agreement with Him to come out from under the curse.In no way does our disagreement hinder God’s sovereignty. It only stops us from cooperating with Him in it and being a vessel for it. (Lk.19:40) …If these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out. Jesus made it clear that God would find a vessel to use. The only question is will that be you?
We must agree with God’s Word in our speech, without adding to or subtracting from, to receive or to administer His benefits. In Hebrews 3:1, Jesus is called the “High Priest of our confession.” Confession here is the Greek word homologeo meaning “to speak the same.” In other words, Jesus offers before the Father our vocal agreement with His Word. We make an offering of our confession through Jesus to the Father. (Heb.13:15) Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession (speak the same) to his name. Both the Greek and Hebrew words for “name” in Scripture mean “character and authority.” If we want the benefits of God consistently, we must continually speak in agreement with the character and authority of Jesus Who is the Word. If we disagree with the character and authority of God’s Word, Jesus will deny us the benefits of those promises. Jesus said, (Mt.10:32) Every one therefore who shall confess me (speak the same as me) before men, him will I also confess (speak the same) before my Father who is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
True believers speak in agreement with the Word and receive Christ’s mediation for them to receive its benefits. Many wonder why they do not receive what the Bible promises,while in their mind and actions they disagree with it. (Rom.10:10)For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Notice that salvation comes when we believe and speak in agreement with it. Many do not know what the fullness of salvation is. “Salvation” here is the Greek word soteria which means “everything that the soter or ‘savior’ provided.” We once asked a Greek man what soteria meant. He said, “It means all my needs provided for like a little baby.” The verb of soteria is sozo. This Greek word is translated “saved” when speaking of salvation of the soul (Lk.7:50). It is translated “made whole”when speaking of healing (Lk.8:48; Jas.5:15) and deliverance from demon possession (Lk.8:36). It is translated “save” when speaking of salvation from adverse circumstances (Mt.8:25;Jude 1:5). Salvation covers all of the benefits that Christ paid for.
We see here that it is not enough to believe only with the heart to have God’s benefits. If a person has faith, it will come out of their mouth. (2 Cor.4:13) But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed,and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak. As you can see, faith without works is dead. It is clear that Jesus mediates between the Father and us if our faith is proven in our words.
(Lk.12:8) And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: (9) but he that denieth me in the presence ofmen shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
It is imperative that we say before men what God says in order for these same words to be given to the angels to bring to pass. If we confess the promises of the Word, Jesus gives authority to the angels to administer to us the benefits of God’s salvation. (Heb.1:14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation? The angels only have authority to administer our salvation when we become the “voice of His Word.” (Ps.103:20) Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that are mighty in strength, that fulfill his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. When the angels hear the Word through us, they have authority from Jesus to fulfill it. When we speak unbelief, fear, and anxiety, we are speaking negative faith, or faith in the curse. This gives authority to the demons to administer the curse.
EXTRACT FROM Our Wonderful Redeemer
http://walthope.tripod.com/redeemer.htm
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