From chapter one: A Witness of the Word, discussing the power and importance of the pure Word of God from multiple aspects.
I had to leave quickly, having promised another friend, Eve, I'd join her at a church she had just started attending. She had gone through many difficulties living a destructive life and wanted to encourage her in a healthier one.
Josh asked what church I would be going to, then expressed concerns when I told him. It was a Jehovah's Witness church. He told me they were different, that they are not Christians. I assured him not to worry, if it's not the Bible, it's not real and I had been walking out of churches for years with no regrets where the Bible was not taught.
When I got there everything seemed very stiff and formal. I kept an open mind however, being there in support of a friend. The sermon was decidedly different than that of the prior service I had attended, it was a dissertation of moral ideas with a few partial verses mixed in and misused. It was very much like listening to a college professor reading his thesis on a given subject before his students.
After service I spoke with my friend, telling her about the other church I attended earlier in the day. I expressed my concerns about the lack of scripture in the message and how the partial scriptures given were misused. I opened my Bible and showed her the scriptures mentioned an how they related to surrounding texts (which I could not have done, nor would I have noticed the discrepancies without personal knowledge from reading the whole Bible myself).
Then I explained how the other church read and explained the Bible. She remained unconvinced and am sorry to say continued on in a destructive life she would let no one help her out of, despite a growing number of close friends who became Christians and often offered help, love, guidance and gospel. Last I heard she had rejected all of her old friends, married into an abusive, drug filled relationship with a guy she had placed multiple restraining orders against, was wasting away in her drug use and her daughter was constantly running away and at odds receiving physical and suspected other abuse from her step-dad.
From chapter two: Your patient perseverance and power in prayer. I assume its content is self-evidently, if not its scope.
Prayer Warfare
Sometime my prayers are authoritative and combative, either for myself or others. Recently I was Thinking about the woman, Eve, I wrote of in the previous chapter, who had distanced herself from her friends to disappear into the depths of a tumultuous life.
I had dreamed about her many years ago, shortly before I had seen her last. In the dream she stood at a distance and turned away with a sense of knowing and accepted regret for her rejection of better, if not easier, choices. When she had turned away there appeared a demon about ten feet away, between us. It was about three and a half feet tall, standing with a malicious hunch; if it stood unnaturally strait it may have topped five and one quarter feet. It's appearance was much like a gremlin, from that old movie, but with a sinuous, muscular body, with taunt skin, smooth and black like glossy oil. It wore only a wicked, hungry grin and empty obsidian eyes, glinting with the depraved lust for the havoc it was turning to wreak as my lost friend abandoned the love and protection of her friends. Its name was Destroyer.
I will not venture to guess at the spiritual reality of the dream. The last report on the condition of her life by those who saw her last is reality enough.
These thoughts lead me to combative prayer for my friend, prayers of command. Naming Destroyer, I issued command in prayer, the Lord rebuke him. In a form of prayer I spoke at him in commands to depart from her life, made him aware I would continue to pray against him and issue commands through the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. I spoke the the identity of Christ as Son and sinless, the work of Christ as overcoming death, the authority of Christ over all creation, powers and principalities, the will of Christ that all would repent, be forgiven and live, and the power of Christ to forgive and sanctify and keep all who are His. I continued in many similar prayers and variations of prayers, expanding them to any demons affecting any of her family during my break at work, discontinuing my prayers to resume work with the promise to Destroyer and its fellow demons I would return in prayer to torment them out of her life. A promise I kept the next break, remembering Matthew 12:43-45 and continue to remember.
Even as you read this I ask you to join in and consider others in your life you may pray for in this way.
And as it is written that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against confessions of Christ by believers in faith we; therefore, are meant to attack. (Reference: Matthew 16:16-18) For no offensive is led by the charge of a gate. Hell is on its heels, trembling behind its defenses, and like Jericho, is read to crumble at our shout in faith of our God. Let us be about our Fathers business of declaring war on hell and emptying it of its occupants while they still have breath to live.
Possible post script attatchment: Answered Prayer, in it tentative entirety.
It is Sunday, November 13, 2011.
Having served as a teacher's aid for the five and six year old children during the early service I attended the later. Inside the sanctuary I saw a familiar face. I came down from the balcony to the ground floor, to the front of the church for a closer look, but wasn't sure, having not seen them in six years.
With worship starting I went back up top but occasionally noted the figure below. When she raised her hand in song I realized I had not been mistaken by the posture she held it in. During the intermission of introductory announcements to please keep your seats once the message had begun and to turn cell phones to silent to avoid distraction I made my way back down and excused my way to the center of the row my long absent friend Eve was seated.
After surprised hellos and hasty hugs I departed with a promise I would come finder her afterward and returned to my seat. The service ended and my friend got up and began moving toward the exit at the end of the first of two closing songs. Moving down to the lobby I met her with a hug, rehashing our surprise and offered an invitation for lunch to catch up, which she welcomed with pleasure.
Interrupting the thought, she told me she needed to find the red box, a near by usher directed her to one, indicating she could put her tithes and offerings in it (which is how our church accommodates offerings). “No,” she amended, “I raised my hand.”
“Oh!” the usher exclaimed with pleasure, “the red tent for new believers!” He motioned the direction as I escorted her to receive a Bible and prayer to receive Christ as her Lord and Savior.
Past our preliminary life updates, at lunch, Eve asked what I'd been up to. With a few sentences I caught her up-to-date with my continuance and progression of faith then mentioned in passing I was writing a book. Having asked what it was about I explained its basic premise and a the topic of its chapters than casually added: as a matter of fact, you're in it.
“Uh oh! Where am I at? The sinner chapter?
“No, the Word chapter.” I explained that one of the last times I had seen her was after we went to the Jehovah's Witness church and I was trying to explain the difference between their scriptures and the Bible, but didn't do a very good job, not knowing it well enough yet.
While speaking to her a thought was brewing in my mind, but seeming a little outlandish, but kept it in my heart. I went on to tell her that the last time I'd seen her she had rejected me and two other close friends of Christian faith continuing as a Jehovah's Witness, living a destructive and abusive life.
I paused for a few moments, and saw that she knew I was not condemning or accusing her. The thought pressed upon my mind, and as I considered her I believed she would receive what was on my heart, though to what end I did not know.
“I had a dream about you back then...”
“Really?..” She waited with a tone ready to receive words to consider.
“We stood facing each other at a distance and you turned to walk away. Between us was a small black figure...”
She interrupted with a sharp intake of breath, then lowered her hand. “I know where you're going with this! M, sorry,. Continue..” she gestured.
“There was a small black figure between us... it was like a gremlin, off the old movie...” I pause as if to ask of understanding.
“Ya, I remember.” A quick nod encouraged me to continue with anticipation.
“Its skin was black,” a sudden surge of emotion threatened to choke my words from me, “like obsidian. It had piercing blue eyes, and a glint of a smile.”
My tear silenced me for the space of a breath and thought I heard her ask what it had told me. Only able to hoarsely whisper through my emotion and tears, being reflected in her own eyes, I answered her. “It told me: 'She's mine now, and you can't stop me.”
“Its name was Destroyer,” I added, relieving the last of my struggle through the choking emotions.
Taking a moment to breath and collect her thought's she told me that she also had had dreams. There was a small dark figure behind her and a dark fog around it. “I couldn't tell if I was being chased by it or if it was following me. I thought it might have been me when I was a little girl and was following God, the ground was white where I was walking. I thought I was in heaven.”
At her mention of the fog I added other remembered details. “When we were standing, in the dream, it seemed like you were on a road or a bridge, there was a dark gray fog on either side of the road, giving me the impression of a bridge. There was fog around the figure, but not as much near him.”
“So what do you think it means?”
With our thought I spoke the only words I knew. “It's gone now, you're free to put your foot where you please. It's your choice now.”
Having recomposed ourselves I told her that about three months ago that dream came into my head, I figured there was a reason it came to mind so I started praying for her and against Destroyer. “Wow,” she said with a shake of her head, “the last three months have been... well, they've been hell.”
She went on to tell me that a friend had invited her to church several time and she'd been wanting to check it out, but always had something come up or she wouldn't hear the alarm or press the wrong button. She had prayed the night before telling God if He wanted her to go, to wake her up. Then before she went to bed she prayed to hear her alarm clock.
She didn't tell me whether she heard the alarm clock but God definitely answered her first prayer. She woke up at five in the morning “bright eyed and bushy tailed”, six hours before service started, and still was nine hours later.
Arriving at the church she prayed, if this was where God wanted her that she would feel comfortable and welcome, and help her connect with others in the church. She didn't know where to go and was surprised to have a greeter approach her and warmly introduce herself, pointing out the women’s bathroom and entrance to the sanctuary. She thanked her with a genuine gratitude and made her way inside, “impressed she had been acknowledged”. While she was looking around she was approached yet again. This greeter reached out, asking if she was new here. Eve responded in a light hearted manner: “why does it show?” With that she was assured by the kindness of a warm welcome.
She said message spoke directly into the current situation of her life, it was not until Pastor Levi Lusko told the people they could lower their hands after the invitation that she realized he was speaking to her, it having being raised unconsciously. When she went to the red booth to get her Bible she told the woman some of what was taking place in her life and asked for prayer. Providing more than had been asked for, the woman shared some of her life, relating to my friend and prayed for her.
And happened to run across an old friend for good measure
Reflecting upon her perception of the fog and the creature and mine, I have come to a tentative conclusion about their differences, which I do not expect to change. To her the figure was shrouded and mysterious, while her surroundings seemed clear and wonderful. I; however, could see the figure clearly, while the path she had chosen was surrounded but fog.
I believe my faith in Christ allowed me to see clearly while her faith in a false Christ blinded her eyes to the the deceiver and was caught up in his illusion. My belief is bolstered by the inflection on the word “thought”, when she said, “she thought she was in heaven”. Said as if to imply she had been disillusioned long ago of any such false notion.
You may notice two different accounts of eye color. The creature's eyes were black, but I met a man once who worked at a book store for the occult, Wicca and the like, who had a calm and steady void in his piercing, pale blue eyes. I felt, from the very first instant I saw the man he was entirely, contentedly and willfully demon possessed, and his were not a man's eyes at all.
I believe that my mind cross referenced the two in the moment.
I have felt it important to leave all prior references to Eve in tact and unaltered other than necessary spelling and grammar editing and revision to serve, what I believe, to be a Spirit inspired, living testament.
May the prayers your prayer for her at that time be heard by God as prayers for you own lost and wayward friends and loved ones, and as the prayers for the lost and wayward who are dear to the heart's of all others who had, are and will pray as you did. And with the same vast scope of prayer and power and ability of God please pray for Eve that she will continue steadfastly in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, even into eternity, and my the Lord not only hear these prayers as for our friends and loved ones and those of them who join us in this prayer, but may God hear these prayers of if prayed four our own behalf, for you, and for me also.
Not only do I trust the Lord to forgive my presumption to multiple a single prayer, by faith into millions or perhaps billions, I believe He favors it, delighting in our boast in His ability.
God bless you and be with you all, friend, family and loved ones alike. Amen.
