Acts 26:25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
On September 05, a 14 year old girl poured some flammable liquid on a 15 year old girl in school and then lit her on fire. The victim is currently in hospital in Edmonton being treated for the burns she received. No doubt she will have scarring for the rest of her life. She will also have fears to overcome. Hopefully both of the girls will have access to someone who can tell them the truth. We know the aggressor is unsaved. We do not know the spiritual nature of the victim.
The crown wants the aggressor tried and then sentenced as an adult. The government states that the crime is so great that it needs greater punishment. The defence is trying to suggest that the aggressor is not responsible for her actions. They are trying to suggest the the person has a mental disorder. Apparently the aggressor was hearing voices.
We know that when Jesus was on this earth, there were people possessed with devils. He cast them out. I believe the devils are still busy today, but their activity is being ignored by many. We dismiss it as mental disability rather than at best oppression by devils and at worst, being possessed by devils.
I am not suggesting that every person who has mental problems is possessed or obsessed by devils. However, there are people who have problems that go far deeper than a quick mental assessment. We know that Muslim criminals are often accused of having a mental disorder, rather than acknowledging the satanic nature of that philosophy.
We know that in the Bible those possessed of devils were tormented in different ways. I believe the same thing is happening today. There are things that people are subjecting themselves to that can definitely encourage the invitation for devils to affect people. Rock music is one avenue of inviting devils into your life. Of course the drug culture is also involved in that. Yoga and other forms of activity that encourage meditation that is contrary to Biblical meditation, also invite devils to become involved in a person’s life. The Ouija board was quite popular when I was a young person. I do not know if it is still being used, but there are many things that people “play” with that are not innocent.
Those who are saved need to love others. Loving others is to speak the truth. It is offering THE solution to the need. The solution is salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. That is not a simplistic solution. Certainly there is a need for medical doctors. However, we are seeing that medical doctors are trained in evolutionary thought. When we read history, we discover that there have been “medical” solutions tried on people in the past that were not good. Most doctors are blind and accept irrational teachings. We know that as we have come partially through the Wuhan virus debacle. There are a few doctors who rejected the government mandates and they have suffered at the hands of the officials. Not all of those doctors are saved, but they at least have not accepted the lies of the system on this issue. Those who are saved need to do personal research and pray for wisdom if they face medical issues. We can not blindly trust the doctor to do what is best for us.
God is still God. He is still greater than the devil. In order to serve Him, we must know Him and we must submit to His will in all things.
Back to the tragic case of the two girls, the courts have for a long time suggested that criminals are not responsible for their actions. If it is not the mental state, then it is some other outside force that has affected them and caused them to do what they did. That being the case, we cannot hold the person responsible. We need to pamper the criminal and let the victim suffer and maybe even be re-victimized.
The Bible teaches that the guilty person needs to be held accountable for their actions. They need to be shown the real solution to their sin problem. Sin has consequences.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The judicial system of our country is not helping the criminals with their lenient and quite frankly, often absurd ideas. They are protecting the criminal and thus encouraging the criminal to remain in bondage.
Jesus showed us that when He casts out a devil, the affected person is changed.
Mark 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
God is still capable of changing the repentant sinner into a saint. As we see in the Bible, ungodly people will be quite amazed by the power of God. The Charismatics of our time have corrupted the truth and they are demonstrating the power of Satan and trying to claim it is the power of God. The truth needs to be told.
There are still consequences for the crimes committed. Getting saved does not wash away the need for punishment for sins committed. The repentant thief on the cross still died on his cross. However, he had a home in heaven. He was not able to prove his salvation to others. He needed to pay the consequences for his crime. However, he would spend eternity in heaven. He was forgiven by God and that is what counts. He would not have continued his criminal activity if he was able to live beyond that day.
In our study in I Corinthians, we have already been reminded that the “natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God.” The natural man cannot fathom a true spiritual entity. Some may even suggest some type of “other worldly” activity, but they do not understand the true nature of the spiritual realm. They reject the truth and they also reject the danger of the devil.
We want to be careful not to suggest there is a ‘devil behind every tree’, idea. Paul reminds us in II Corinthians 4:
II Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Those who are saved have been given life and that includes having our eyes open to the facts. We need to guard against being personally involved in things that are of the devil and we need to seek to help others to know the truth by telling them the truth.
We pray that through that tragic situation with those two girls, the families affected will take a serious look at life. They will need some godly people who truly have the love of God in their hearts, to help them to see things as they truly are. One of the important steps that should take place is removing the children from the public school system. That system is poison. True Christians should understand that. Many young people are being thrown to the wolves and the wolves are happy to devour them.
Let us, those who are saved, pray for wisdom and boldness to be able to be a blessing to those around us.
Pastor Bartel
