The Nineteenth Epistle
Cast Them Out.
DATELINE: Sunday, March 11, 2001.
By Rev. James R. Bingham
Special to corndancer.com
Posted from Memphis, Tennessee
Galatians 6:4-5
4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5. For every man shall bear his own burden.
It is not often that we engage ourselves in a clearly defined battle with adverse spirits. Most of the time we are plagued with misfortune, mishaps, foul-ups and foilings without really knowing the cause. Even so, the wise men of the struggle tells us, we are either part of the problem or part of the solution.
That's good, but I detect some difficulty in dealing with only a "part" of a situation. We need to be able to identify and effectively deal with the etiology, the cause of conditions and situations.
Yes, cause and effect. That's the ticket! For every cause, there must be an effect — but even that fundamental tenet of philosophy presents logical difficulties when we delve into the deepest of life's problems. By the time our eyes are opened to the harsh reality of whatever plight besets us, we realize that we are already enmeshed in the effect, effect upon effect, woe upon woe, with no clue about the root cause of it all.
By the time we realize our dilemma, the cause of it is so deeply hidden in a maze of events that sometimes we have to seek help from an expert or an authority. Prayerfully, the expert is capable of unraveling our entangled web to expose the cause of our plight.
Who Made Your Bed
And How Long Will You Lie in It?
It is not uncommon for men and women, who are fully engaged in dealing with their own worries, to say to a person under duress, "You made your bed, now lie in it!" Well, that's not very Christ-like, is it?
In one of the epistles attributed to him, Paul writes in Galatians 6:1: Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Why does a Christian need to be spiritual and meek?
I'm glad you asked that question. It is quite necessary to approach the problems of this world from a position of strength. You can't fight someone with the weapons they choose for battle. If you decide to do battle, then go about it in the way you know best. Select your weapons from the armory that God builds for you.
Actions Contrary to Peace
Are Roused by Spiritual Forces.
Men and women do not act contrary to peace because they have determined there should be no peace. They are trapped on the wrong region of a battlefield, where denizens rally daily against the peaceful champions of harmony, fellowship, and love.
We don't argue, get upset, and react in retaliation because we feel that we should abrogate the laws of civility.
We wrangle and contend because of spiritual forces greater than ourselves, forces who employ us as weapons to destroy decency and harmony among men. The forces work toward our demise.
Paul said we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness and rulers of darkness in high places.
Did you know that angels, principalities, powers, and dominions are identified as creatures with purpose? The Bible says so in Romans 8:38-39:
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Employ a Special Type of Weapon
Forged and Powered by God.
The creatures called out by Paul are not creatures of this world. We can't see them in the flesh. They are spiritual beings, who seek to invade flesh. Listen. The forces that work toward our demise must be approached according to a well-defined spiritual pattern. We must use a special type of weapon against them, one forged by God and powered by His spiritual strength.
I call it the power of the overcomer, the strength of overcoming.
I beseech you: Do not look at Everyman or Everywoman as the problem, the enemy, the force to battle against. Everyman is being used by unseen powers. Don't go against the flesh and blood. Go against the source. Root out and destroy the root cause in the spirit. By doing so, you will give strength to your brothers and sisters caught up in the struggle. Prayerfully, you will help God deliver them from the evil forces. Through the Lord you will have taken the enemy's weapon from him and dashed it to the soil.
Did I hear someone say "Praise The Lord?"
We are empowered by Jesus to help one another as we travel through this life. One weapon at our command is restoration through meekness, which follows the pattern of Christ when he walked the earth. Galatians 6:2: Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. It's a Biblical truth echoed by the poplar song, "Lean On Me," by Bill Withers.
We cannot overcome through our will alone. We are not the one who does a great work. We act as conduits for the power of God.
There's Only One Saviour.
It's Not You.
We should not fall into the trap of going too far along the path of another's restoration. We can't do all the work for a person in need. It's impossible. Don't think that you are another's savior along this path of life. Paul said in Galatians 6:3: For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
What a horrible state of mind is the ability to lie to oneself. In some circles it's the well-known state of denial. It's a stumbling block, an impediment to progress, a cloud over one's vision of reality, an outright deception. Who wants to live under deception?
Consider the mother or father who does everything a daughter or son asks of them. What good is the enabler? What does too much support do to a child's ability to perform with confidence in a world where their parents can't pave the way? You know the answer.
Paul says in Galatians 6:4: But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Every man must be given the opportunity to shoulder his responsibilities and prove himself as capable. Only then can he rightfully rejoice in the Lord, in full knowledge that he has fought a good fight, that he gave his all. For every man shall bear his own burden, Paul writes in Galatians 6:5.
How Should We Approach Doctrines
Beyond the Pale of Our Own?
Lately I've been deep in study of Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the theology he espouses. I've read testimony from Rev. Walter Fauntroy, the former U.S. Congressman from Washington, D.C. I've heard Pastor T. L. Barrett of Chicago reference the works of Rev. Moon in a light very different from the usual surface illumination of the mainstream press.
The American Family Coalition, chaired by Rev. Fauntroy, and The American Clergy Leadership Conference, whose executive director is Levi Daugherty, are effectively presenting evidence of the ability of this man, who has been a major player for some time now. President Ronald Reagan lauded the Washington Times (owned by Rev. Moon) as the first newspaper he would read each morning. The former president was in favor of the Times' journalistic approach in chronicling the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Rev. Moon is teaching some good stuff. Should we listen? Why not? If we harbor some doubt about the direction and doctrine of our faith, then why not search elsewhere? Conversely, if we are certain of the direction and doctrine of our faith, then why not think about other views? In my opinion, we should be able to communicate with anyone whose teachings work for the good of mankind.
How many of you are able to sit and listen to espousers of the doctrine of Islam? How have you been affected by Million Man Marches? Of course you understand that Christianity and Islam are different faiths. Nevertheless, members of both spiritual disciplines should be able to communicate with one another. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Galatians 6:6.
Remember the saying, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time." We can even fool ourselves into thinking we are righteous while we continue to backslide over to the other side every now and then.
What Goes Around Comes Around.
God's law is direct and clear. We call it the law of Karma, or Comuh: What goes around comes around.
If you pretend to be concerned about a brother, if you position yourself as a true helper to your neighbor, but in fact you are taunting their demons, then you are making life worse for them instead of helping.
Listen. If you want to do a great work and help solve the problems of this world, if you are ready to become a demon fighter, then I have some advice for you. Don't go around talking about your demons. Don't taunt them. Cast them out!
If you keep talking about your demons, introducing them to everybody, you keep them alive and threatening. Cast them out!
Don't Allow the Enemy
To Whip You with Your Own Weapon.
If you keep complaining about how the devil is on your back, you will put the devil on an additional back. Don't do that. It's the devil's job to ride on your back, but — in the name of Jesus! — you can cast him aside and cast the demons out! If you give them strength and allow them to co-opt your weapon, they will use it against you. You will have allowed the enemy to whip you with your own weapon.
Claim the victory. The enemy has been judged (John 16:7) and is doomed be our footstool.
Do you think God is reigning in heaven, saying, "Yeah, I know he's complaining and not doing well right now, but he keeps saying he wants to do right. His face tells me so."
Do you think God looks upon us in that way? No, my friends in the struggle. God knows our hearts. It is one thing to deceive yourself, but it is another, far more serious offense to trifle with God's law. Galatians 6:7: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap....
Principalities, powers, spiritual wickedness, and rulers of darkness in high places cause the problems. God provides the solution! Let's go after the cause. Don't talk about the enemy. Don't taunt the enemy. Cast the enemy out! Now.
Give God Some Praise!!!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Rev. Bingham
can be reached by E-mail at
jamesrbingham@juno.com.
His phone number in Memphis is
901.785.5691.