Bind and Loose

What did Jesus mean when He talked about binding and loosing?

Binding and loosing is a Jewish legal phrase giving authority to someone to determine whether something is allowed or forbidden.

Jesus uses the phrase in Matthew 16:19 when talking to Peter, but within hearing of the other apostles. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Jesus was telling Peter that he would have the right to enter the kingdom of heaven himself. The keys symbolized general authority. Preaching the gospel would be the way to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers and shut it against unbelievers. Peter, preaching at Pentecost in Acts 2:14–40, opened those doors. Jesus intended Peter and the other apostles to continue His ministry of bringing the kingdom of God to earth by preaching the gospel. All Christians have a part in this effort, as we are taught to pray in Matthew 6:9–10. We are also included in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20.

Diving deeper into the Greek words and verb tenses in Jesus' words to Peter, we find that what Peter is given authority to do does not originate with him. The verbs used clearly communicate that whatever Peter binds or loosens on earth has already been bound or loosened in heaven (see Matthew 16:19 as above, and 18:18 where Jesus teaches about church discipline).

Peter was not given authority to admit people into God's kingdom or to choose what he wanted to allow and disallow. Rather, Jesus gave authority to Peter and the other apostles to correctly interpret God's message and to share it with others.

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So called Prophets and Apostles

 So called Prophets and Apostles.

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Before you call yourself a prophets/ Apostles do you know that the prophet Isaiah was cut in half for the GOSPEL we are enjoying today...

Before you call yourself a Apostle, do you know that Apostles John was thrown into a pot of boiling oil, for the same GOSPEL Apostle Peter was crucified upside down and that is how the early Christian had died...

They died without building a big church but they won souls for JESUS..

Today there are many who make themselves apostles, prophet, bishop, pastor but do not know the value of that name.

Nobody wants to die for the GOSPEL today. I keep asking, are these people really servants of God or of themselves?

So never think your calling is a way to make money. Remember your calling is for GOD is winning souls, not just making money or to get wealth that many people do nowadays!!!

Win souls!!!

HOW TO SPOT A DEMON IN YOUR LIFE

HOW TO SPOT A DEMON – FEW SIGNS

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Deliverance is a controversial topic in our culture today. However, it shouldn’t be. There are many clear examples in the Bible where Jesus practiced deliverance – the boy that was seizing (Mark 9:17-29), the man in the tombs (Mark 5), and even the man who was sitting in the synagogue (Luke 4:33). And if that weren’t enough, Jesus said deliverance would be a sign that followed everyone who believes (Mark 16:17-18).

The Bible talks about the gift of discerning of spirits. The enemy has many people held in bondage today; knowing how to spot a demon will help you break free and in return set other captives free.

Let’s dive right in.S

Signs Demons are Intruding:

1. Attacks in your dreams.

The enemy is after your peace. One of the ways he attacks Christians is through sleep. Sexual dreams, eating in the dream, seeing death, or having a dead relative visit – all of these are examples of demonic activity infiltrating your sleep.

Matthew 13:25 demonstrates a clear example by saying, “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds…”. The enemy is after your peace because when you can’t sleep you’re restless, and it affects your productivity in the Kingdom of God. 

2. Mental oppression.

You must understand that Satan intrudes the mind. The mind is the battlefield. The biggest challenge for Christians is understanding that those thoughts are NOT your own. 

When you notice thoughts/emotions that are controlling, negative, and very persistent, you must declare war against them. Any thought of unforgiveness, loneliness, self-destruction, or sense of “I can’t control it” are all clear indications, you might have company. The Bible is clear that we were given a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). If you don’t remove the root cause, your mind will be infected. Remove the demon.

3. Controlling negative emotions.

Depression, anxiety, heaviness, rejection, resentment, unforgiveness, disappointment, loneliness, misery, depression, self-destruction, suicide are all potential signs of demonic activity and presence. The Bible says that these feelings are not from God:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified (Isaiah 61:3).

4. An intense desires for defiled things.

Demons eat a defiled diet. It’s natural for them to crave what is unholy and impure. If you struggle with things like weed, alcohol, drugs, or strong lustful thoughts, it might be an indicator something inside is causing you to crave that.

These demons mainly manifest in addictions or sins that people can’t stop falling into. This is usually followed by shame, feelings of hate, and an inability to forgive oneself.

5. You can’t tame your tongue.  

One of the signs you are filled with the Holy Spirit is that you speak in tongues; one of the ways you can tell you’re filled with demons – an impure mouth.

Oftentimes, a clear indicator is when someone has uncontrollable bursts of rage, they can’t stop cursing, gossiping, or blaspheming.

6. Sexual perversion.

Any desire for illicit sex, masturbation, a desire to commit adultery, or any form of sexual perversion can be an indicator of demonic influence.

7. Your current involvement in the occult.

Any spirituality that is not rooted in the Holy Spirit is demonic.CLICK TO TWEET

Any spirituality that is not rooted in the Holy Spirit is demonic. Dabbling in any sort of divination, tarot cards, astrology, meditation, yoga, and things of that sort, are all clear open doors for demonic presence.

8. False religions.

The Bible shows us in John 14:6 the words of Jesus, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” False religions open you up to the demonic.

Religion is anything that says there are many ways to heaven. Jesus is the ONLY way.CLICK TO TWEET

9. Chronical sickness.

The Bible shows us clear examples where sickness was the result of a demonic presence. For example, Peter’s mom; Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her. Another example is the boy that had epilepsy. After rebuking it, the spirit left him and the boy was made well. Constant, repeated sickness can be a sign of a demon.

10. Compulsive behavior. 

When you have constant and sudden urges of rage or hostility, this can also be a sign of demons. Saul, in the Bible, experienced these torments and would later be repentant of his rage (1 Samuel 18).

11. Extreme restlessness in a spiritual enviorment.

Many times people can spend hours at a time scrolling through Instagram or binge-watching on Netflix, but when it comes to spiritual matters things change. If you notice extreme tiredness when reading the Bible, praying, fasting, or during worship, this could be evidence of demons.

When a Christian gets strengthened, demons get expelled, so the demons will do anything they can to prevent that.

12. A compulsive desire to hurt the body. 

Mark chapter 5 talks about a man who was possessed by an evil spirit; he would cut himself with stones. Although the Bible states he had demons, it’s also clear that they were unable to stop him from running to the feet of Jesus. His thoughts were influenced, but He made a willful choice to run to Jesus (Mark 5:2). It is important to note that any thought of self-harm or suicide is influenced by demons.

13. Hearing voices.

Another clear indicator is if you are hearing voices – especially if they refer to themselves as “us” and not singular, or if speak in the third person.

14. Paranormal experiences.

Lastly, any supernatural activity like the disappearance of objects, strange things moving in your home, or other strange manifestations can be clear evidence that demons are influencing your surroundings.

What Now?

Romans 8:14 says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Take time to notice the things you constantly led to. Whatever you are filled with will lead you.

If you’ve noticed any of these signs in your life, you need to sever any tie the enemy has and pray against every demon influencing your life. Command the evil spirit to lose its grip over your life. Be desperate for deliverance and believe in the delivering power of Jesus Christ.

If you’re interested in knowing how to do self-deliverance, read my blog called: 8 Ways To Be Self Deliver

TEST YOUR LIFE BASED ON THE ABOVE AND THEN CHECK ANY SINS  IF YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE।

SUBMIT TO LORD RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FEOM YOU...GBU

Blind leading to blind !

Many of the familiar expressions we use today originated in the Bible. One such idiom, “the blind leading the blind,” comes from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 15:14: “Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit” (see also Luke 6:39).

As Jesus traveled around ministering in Galilee, He attracted crowds from places near and far, including Jerusalem—the authoritative center of Judaism at the time. The Gospel of Matthew records a scene in which a group of Pharisees and scribes travel from Jerusalem to confront Jesus. These religious leaders were the representatives of Judaism in that day. They were entrusted with studying the Scriptures and guiding God’s people in the ways of the Lord.

Without a doubt, these Jewish leaders were receiving reports of miracles and unconventional activities surrounding Jesus’ ministry. They became alarmed that their many regulations, laws, and age-old “traditions of the elders” (Matthew 15:2, ESV) were not being kept. Specifically, they had come to question why Jesus’ disciples were breaking the tradition of ceremonial handwashing before meals. According to their procedures—which, in reality, were human-made regulations and not part of God’s Word—Jesus and His disciples were behaving in a way that made them ritually unclean. These so-called spiritual leaders had elevated their legalistic traditions to the point of equality with the commands of God in Scripture, a transgression Jesus was now compelled to confront.

Leading up to His description of the religious leaders as blind leaders of the blind, Jesus pointed out how the Pharisees had broken God’s commandments (Matthew 15:3–9). First, He established their hypocrisy—they regularly broke the laws of God while demanding that others follow their human-made traditions. They displayed outward piety but lacked true devotion to God and His Word in their hearts. They were rebellious toward God and blind to their spiritual emptiness.

In Matthew 15:10–14, Jesus returns to their question about handwashing. Instead of addressing the Pharisees and scribes directly, He shared a parable with the crowd. The teaching upended the Pharisee’s tradition, revealing that it’s not what is outside of a person that causes defilement. What makes a person unclean, Jesus taught, originates from inside the individual: “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them” (verse 11). Christ wasn’t refuting the idea that people can become unacceptable before God, only how it happens. Handwashing can’t make a person clean if his or her heart is tarnished. And the human heart can be deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

Employing a second parable, Jesus calls the Pharisees “blind guides” (Matthew 15:14). He repeats this characterization in Matthew 23:16: “Woe to you, blind guides!” And again in verse 24: “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

When Jesus said of the Pharisees, “The blind lead the blind,” He was emphasizing the foolishness of the situation. Only a person who can see ought to lead a blind person. To be a successful guide to others, one must be able to see where he or she is going. If the blind lead the blind, those leaders are arrogant, overconfident, and in serious denial about their own sightless condition. Jesus knew this was true of the scribes and Pharisees who had come to confront Him. “Guide for the blind” was a common title for Jewish teachers of that day (Romans 2:19). Jesus wasn’t about to let His detractors continue claiming this title when, in truth, they needed someone to lead them.

After Christ called the Pharisees “blind leaders of the blind,” He said to “leave them” in Matthew 15:14. By this, He meant for His disciples to ignore the Pharisees, to let them alone and not to try to please them. These religious leaders thought they were experts in God’s law, but they were blind and ignorant of the law’s true meaning. Christ revealed that they were contradicting the very laws they claimed to understand. Instead of leading their students along the right path that leads to life, they were guiding themselves and their followers straight to disaster: “Both will fall into a pit.”

Christ’s parable of the blind leading the blind is just as relevant today as in Jesus’ day. The tendency to elevate human interpretation of Scripture and tradition to a place of equal authority with God’s Word is a blindness that has afflicted people of every generation. The inclination Jesus confronted in the Pharisees is no different from the legalistic traditions and unwritten rules that many churches, denominations, spiritual leaders, and individual believers try to enforce today.

When we allow human rules and regulations to take priority over God’s laws, we lead people astray from “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3, NKJV). If we become blind leaders of the blind, we heap God’s judgment on ourselves: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (Matthew 23:13; see also Matthew 18:6).

We must be careful not to let arrogance and denial blind us to our spiritual condition. We must make sure that our vision is clear enough to guide others in their spiritual walk. Likewise, we do well to choose our leaders wisely, being careful not to follow blind guides who will lead us away from the straight and narrow path of God’s Word.

Parable of unforgiving/unmerciful Servant

 Parable of u forgiving/ unmerciful Servant

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We find the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant only in Matthew 18:23-35. The Apostle Peter had asked how many times one should forgive, "Till seven times?" and Jesus answered, "Not seven times but seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22). The context of this passage is Jesus teaching His disciples about the "kingdom of heaven." We can take some very important principles from this parable and apply them to our lives today.

The servant whose lord forgave him much, ten thousand talents, equivalent to several millions of dollars, was unwilling to forgive another servant who owed him a hundred denarii. A denarius was a day’s wage and was worth approximately sixteen cents. Therefore, compared to what the first servant was forgiven, this was a very small amount. The principle here is, "the one forgiven much should forgive much." In other words, the principle of forgiveness is that grace or forgiveness to another is without limit. The disciples are not to count the number of times they forgive. Rather, as the parable teaches, they are to forgive much because God has forgiven much.

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus is presenting a new principle that is similar to the basis of the forgiveness command for believers found in Ephesians 4:32, "And be ye kind to one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." Jesus is teaching His disciples pre-cross, and therefore in the pre-church age, but the basis for forgiveness is the same. Because God has forgiven us, we are to forgive each other. Therefore, because we have received much grace, "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8), we are commanded to give that same grace to others. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the first servant’s debt was forgiven, and he was not required to repay until his unforgiving nature was discovered. In contrast, our sin debt was paid in full by Christ and is the only basis for God’s forgiveness. We cannot repay our debt to God or earn our salvation. It is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Therefore, in the Parable of the Unforgiving / Unmerciful / Unjust Servant, Jesus is teaching His disciples, and us by extension, that forgiveness should be in like proportion to the amount forgiven. The first servant had been forgiven all, and he then should have forgiven all. In like manner, a child of God by faith through Christ has had all sins forgiven. Therefore, when someone offends or sins against us we should be willing to forgive him from a heart of gratitude for the grace to which we ourselves are debtors.

The parable of unjust man (luke 16:1-13)

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13)

The Parable of the Unjust Steward can be found in Luke 16:1–13. The text can be broken down into two parts: the parable (verses 1–8) and the application (verses 9–13). Luke 16:1 identifies that Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but there is a suggestion that His audience is mixed—disciples and Pharisees. Luke 16:14 states that the Pharisees “heard all these things and ridiculed [Jesus].” We also see in verse 1 that Jesus “also” said to the disciples; the “also” would suggest that this parable is connected to the previous three in Luke 15 and that the audience was a mixed crowd of disciples and Pharisees.

It is important to know to whom Jesus is addressing this parable. The parable is for the benefit of the disciples, but there is also a not-so-subtle critique of the Pharisees, as was evident in Luke 15. Verse 14 is Luke’s commentary on the motivation of the Pharisees, and in verse 15 we see our Lord condemn their motives. And what was the Pharisees’ motivation? They were those who were “lovers of money” and who “justify themselves before men” and who exalted that which was an “abomination before God.”

With that as a backdrop, let’s look at the parable. It’s a fairly simple, if somewhat unorthodox, parable from Jesus. The story is simple, but the setting is unusual. In most of Jesus’ parables, the protagonist is either representative of God, Christ, or some other positive character. In this parable the characters are all wicked—the steward and the man whose possessions he manages are both unsavory characters. This should alert us to the fact that Jesus is not exhorting us to emulate the behavior of the characters but is trying to expound on a larger principle.

The parable begins with a rich man calling his steward before him to inform him that he will be relieving him of his duties for mismanaging his master’s resources. A steward is a person who manages the resources of another. The steward had authority over all of the master’s resources and could transact business in his name. This requires the utmost level of trust in the steward. Now, it may not be apparent at this point in the parable (but is made more evident later on), but the master is probably not aware of the steward’s dishonesty. The steward is being released for apparent mismanagement, not fraud. This explains why he is able to conduct a few more transactions before he is released and why he is not immediately tossed out on the street or executed.

The steward, realizing that he will soon be without a job, makes some shrewd deals behind his master’s back by reducing the debt owed by several of the master’s debtors in exchange for shelter when he is eventually put out. When the master becomes aware of what the wicked servant had done, he commends him for his “shrewdness.”

In His application of the story in the remaining verses, Jesus begins by saying, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). Jesus is drawing a contrast between the “sons of the world” (i.e., unbelievers) and the “sons of light” (believers). Unbelievers are wiser in the things of this world than believers are about the things of the world to come. The unjust steward, once he knew he was about to be put out, maneuvered to collect some quick cash, cheat his master (who more than likely was cheating his customers), and make friends of his master’s debtors—who would then be obligated to care for him once he lost his job.

What does this have to do with believers being wise about the life to come? Let’s look at verse 9: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Jesus is encouraging His followers to be generous with their wealth in this life so that in the life to come their new friends will receive them “into eternal dwellings.” This is similar to Jesus’ teaching on wealth in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus exhorts His followers to lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21).

The term unrighteous (or worldly) wealth seems to strike readers the wrong way. But Jesus is not saying that believers should gain wealth unrighteously and then be generous with it. “Unrighteous” in reference to wealth can refer to 1) the means in acquiring wealth; 2) the way in which one desires to use the wealth; or 3) the corrupting influence wealth can have that often leads people to commit unrighteous acts. Given the way in which Jesus employs the term, the third explanation seems the most likely. Wealth is not inherently evil, but the love of money can lead to all sorts of sin (1 Timothy 6:10).

So, the principle that Jesus is trying to convey is one of a just steward rather than an unjust one. The unjust steward saw his master’s resources as a means for his own personal enjoyment and advancement. Conversely, Jesus wants His followers to be just, righteous stewards. If we understand the principle that everything we own is a gift from God, then we realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards. As such, we are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s goals. In this specific case, we are to be generous with our wealth and use it for the benefit of others.

Jesus then goes on to expand in verses 10–13 the principle given in verse 9. If one is faithful in “little” (i.e., “unrighteous” wealth), then one will be faithful in much. Similarly, if one is dishonest in little, he will also be dishonest in much. If we can’t be faithful with earthly wealth, which isn’t even ours to begin with, then how can we be entrusted with “true riches”? The “true riches” here is referring to stewardship and responsibility in God’s kingdom along with all the accompanying heavenly rewards.

The climax of Jesus’ application is verse 13: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (see also Matthew 6:24). If God is our Master, then our wealth will be at His disposal. In other words, the faithful and just steward whose Master is God will employ that wealth in building up the kingdom of God.

Spiritual Oxygen

Spiritual Oxygen: 

Are You Getting it? scenery mountain spiritual oxygen, Home Bible Studies and more Spiritual Oxygen:

 Are You Getting it?

“Breathe in…breathe out…. You do it 12-14 times a minute without thinking”, 

Breathing is a miracle we don’t stop to think about very much. We just do it. It keeps us alive. In the same amazing way God has given us as Christians a way to “breathe spiritually” for our spiritual well-being. Spiritual breathing, like physical breathing, is a process of exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure. It can become a way of life.

But the average Christian does not understand this concept and as a result lives on a spiritual roller coaster, controlling his or her own,  life resulting in frustration. On our own we may at times have a fresh start in life only to lose it again – negative thoughts, angry words, slammed doors…… How could this change?

It could change by learning and applying the concept of spiritual breathing, which is like physical breathing in that:

You “exhale” by confessing your sins as soon as you become aware of it, and claim God’s forgiveness…. And then……You “inhale” by asking the Holy Spirit to once again control and empower you to help you from returning to that sin.

Usually we don’t give much thought to our physical breathing. But spiritual breathing is something that requires conscious action – a readiness to “exhale”, or confess our sin, and to “inhale”, or trust God to fill us with his Holy Spirit.

Don’t wait to exhale. Be quick to confess. We can pause and confess our sin as soon as we entertain a sinful thought, speak an ugly word, or act on evil desires. “Spiritual exhaling” is agreeing with God about our sin, whether in thought or deed, thanking Him for his forgiveness, and expressing a willingness to change our attitudes and actions. The Practise of breathing spiritually aids in developing a God-consciousness, which in turn serves to keep the revived heart spiritually focused and less susceptible to continual sinning.

To inhale spiritually is to claim and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. How do you do that? When you first received Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit immediately enters your life and he never leaves – John 1:12; Colossians 2:9-10; John 14:16-17. Though all born-again Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not all are continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. When the negative circumstances of life crowd in and we take control of the reigns of our life, we push pack, or crowd out the Holy Spirit, when really we should, “Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit” – Ephesians 5:18.

 “It is a continuous, conscious choice I make to walk in the Holy Spirit’s power. Repentance isn’t a one-time thing; it’s giving my life over to God and asking Him to direct my decisions on moment-by-moment basis. Though spiritual breathing is a conscious thing, the more I choose to do it, the more it becomes second nature.”

Are you ready to ask the Holy Spirit to direct your life? Why not pray this simple prayer right now and by faith invite God to fill you with His Spirit:

Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you by directing my own life. I thank you that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.

If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.

 YES! I prayed this prayer

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