I’m not asking anyone to believe all this “information” that I share here daily with you in these ‘studies’ or ‘devotionals’ or whatever you want to call them.

I’m just asking that you would be willing to examine them for yourself to see if what I am sharing here is true or not. That’s what they did in the early days of the church when they heard ‘new’ teachings. (Acts 17:11)

And it’s not that what I’m sharing here is ‘new’, either. I only say that because what I do here, for the most part is just bring so much scripture to our attention that seems to have been ‘lost’ or ‘hidden’. At best, we may have read many of these verses before and are somewhat ‘familiar’ with them but maybe they never really made much sense to us because they just did not ‘fit’ with the way we had always seen and believed. And that poses a problem.

There are two things man tends to do with scripture, with the help of an unseen ‘entity’. We either tend to over simplify God’s word, reducing it to a few nice catchy sound bites that can produce a false sense of comfort and security; or, we make it so much more complex and difficult to understand to the point we only trust people who are really smart and intellectual and are proficient in ancient languages so they can tell us what it all means. And this too, poses a problem.

Here's why: Jesus said when it comes to ‘truth’ from God’s word and things pertaining to His kingdom, that these things are ‘hidden from the wise and the prudent and “revealed” to the babes’. (Luke 10:21)

“Babes” would be something akin to new converts or ‘baby-disciples’ who have come to Jesus with ALL...of their hearts, unconditionally. And these truths I speak of are the ‘mysteries’ of the kingdom which is how Jesus described it there in Matt. 13:11.

What did He (Jesus) tell those Pharisees in John 5 was preventing them from ‘finding life’ they were searching the scriptures for? It was their unwillingness to....’come to Him’ in order that they might have ‘life’. (39-40)

If you don’t come to Him with all your heart, ‘no strings attached’, then the book of ‘mysteries’ remains closed to you. I know...I know...that sounds so conspiratorial and ‘unicorn-ish’. But again, all I can do is point out these verse for you to look up for yourself and allow God to make it real to you.

I’ve made the case, from scripture, over and over again explaining what our ‘spiritual condition’ was prior to, coming to Jesus with all our hearts.-

We were dead in sins and trespasses, controlled and influenced by this ‘unseen entity’ that the Bible clearly tells us is demonic in nature. (Eph. 2:1-3; Acts 26:18).

This ‘god of the world’, who John explains controls and influences this whole world (1 John 5:19), actually is able to ‘blind the minds of those who are perishing...from seeing the light of the gospel’. (2 Cor. 4:3-4) The passage here actually describes it as having a ’veil’ over our ability to ‘see’. But...But...But...we know that when one ‘turns to the Lord...the veil is removed or taken away’. (2 Cor. 3:15-16). It is then, at this point...our ‘eyes our opened’ and Jesus begins to ‘reveal truth’ to us...from the scriptures. (Luke 24:32,45; Acts 26:18)

But you have to turn to Him first. Period.

And here’s the encouraging part...there is not a demon in hell who can prevent a person’s heart from turning to, and running to Jesus with all their heart. Don’t believe me? Go read about that demoniac who lived like a crazed mad-man in the Gadarenes, controlled by ‘thousands’ of demons. Yet, when he saw Jesus from afar, “he ran and worshipped Him’. (Mark 5:1-6). And the next thing we read, when all the townsfolk came out to see what was happening in their neck of the woods...they found this man ‘sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.” (15-16)

I know...this talk of demonic influence makes us uneasy and ‘afraid’ at times. I wonder who or what is behind all that? Why I’m sure yesterday’s post, there towards the end, had some of you scratching your head...still not quite sure. I get it. I understand. But...just stick to the word and if ...there is anything to all this...God will confirm it to you. I promise.

I’m not here to argue and debate and squabble over all this. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I am just convinced that it would be to your ‘eternal’ benefit to spend some time though reading and studying from YOUR Bible to see if there is anything to this. This I know: I would hate for anyone in my ‘sphere of influence or hearing’ to be able to tell God...”I’ve never heard any of this before”.

Take a look at 2 Timothy where Paul was writing and encouraging young Timothy to avoid ‘foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing they generate strife.” (2:23). He was encouraged to not ‘quarrel, be gentle to all, able to teach, be patient, and...in humility try to correct those who are in opposition’ to the things he was sharing with them. (24).

Now please underline this next part in your Bible: It was with the hope...that “God would lead them to repentance so that...they may know truth.” (vs.25 and Rom. 2:4)

Again, please note: What has to happen before we can ‘know truth’? We have to ‘repent’ or ‘turn’...to Jesus with all our hearts.

Now...it gets even more insightful. Take a look at vs. 26 there for once they have turned (repented)...and come to ‘know truth’...(what does ‘truth do according to Jesus in John 8:32?) ... they just might ‘come to their senses... Stop right there.

What was the condition of that demoniac in Mark 5 after he had run to Jesus and was ‘set free’? Did we not read that he was in his ‘right mind’? I also find it interesting that in the story of the prodigal son, when the wayward younger brother had hit rock bottom...the scripture reads...”and when he came to his senses...he turned and repented” (Luke 15:17). Oh...and lots of good things awaited him when he did return to his father. ;- ). Why, we are told in that parable that the father saw him from afar...and ran to him. I would hope that would encourage you today. :- )

But back to that last statement in our passage in 2 Timothy 2...after we repent and turn...and know the truth...and come to our senses... We can ‘escape’...the snare or the trap or the bondage of the devil...having been taken ‘captive by him to do his will.’

Who...has taken men captive? Also, you might jot down Jeremiah 13:17 and look up to see there who ‘gets taken captive’? And that leads to another study for later as to ‘how do God’s people get taken captive’? And when held ‘captive by the devil’, what do those ‘captives’ do, according to that last line in 2 Tim. 2:26? They do ‘whose’ will? I don’t believe it said we are busy doing ‘God’s will’ there, either. Oh, and why would that even matter? Well, you might recall what Jesus told us in Matt. 7:21 that “not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter God’s kingdom, but he that ‘does the will of the Father’ in heaven.”

Since we are on this topic, why not flip back to John 8:44 and read what Jesus told a bunch of those religious ‘know-it-alls’ that had God’s word ‘chained to a pulpit’ (so to speak) – He accused them of being sons of the devil because they wanted...to fulfill the desires of their father, the devil. His words, not mine.

Sure sounds like being taken captive by the devil can sure make one’s life difficult and challenging, at best...if not insufferably miserable.

But wait...there’s ‘good news’. Jesus came to set the captives free. (Luke 4:18; John 8:36). And you can be free indeed. You just have to come to Him with your whole heart. No strings attached. Want to bask in and be a recipient of His unconditional love? Just come to Him... unconditionally.

Oh, and once you do...IF...you do? You’ll want to learn quickly how to avoid being taken ‘captive’ again. Yeah...that’s a thing. It can happen. And you’ll end up in even a much more worse condition, according to Jesus. And yes, ‘demons’ are involved as well. (Matt. 12:43-45)

Join me tomorrow?