United Bible Societies (1983) Good New Bible: Today's English Version, American Bible Society, New York, ACTS 2:22-36.
"Listen to these words, fellow-Israelites! Jesus of Nazareth was a man whose divine authority was clearly proven to you by all the miracles and wonders which God performed through him. You yourselves know this, for it happened here among you. In accordance with his own plan God had already decided that Jesus would be handed over to you: and you killed him by letting sinful men crucify him. But God raised him from death, setting him free from its power, because it was impossible that death should hold him prisoner. For David said about him, 'I saw the Lord before me at all time; he is near me, and I will not be troubled. And so I am filled with gladness, and my words are full of joy. And I, mortal though I am, will rest assured in hope because you will not abandon me in the world of the dead; you will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave. You have shown me the paths that lead to life, and your presence will fill me with joy'. "My brothers, I must speak to you plainly about our famous ancestor King David. He died and was buried, and his grave is here with us to this very day. He was a prophet, and he knew what God had promised him: God had made a vow that he would make one of David's descendants a king, just a David was. David saw what God was going to do in the future, and so he spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah when he said, 'He was not abandoned in the world of the dead; his body did not rot in the grave.' God has raised this very Jesus from death and we are all witnesses to this fact. He has been raised to the righthand side of God, his Father, and has received from him the Holy Spirit, as he had promised. What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us. For it was not David who went up into heaven; rather he said, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit her at my right until I put your enemies as a footstool under your feet.' "All the people of Israel, then, are to know for sure that his Jesus, whom you crucified, is the one that God has made Lord and Messiah!"
From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in - we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!
(1John 1:1-4 The Message, The Bible in Contemporary Language. Numbered Edition 2005 p375)
Some Christians later disputed with me that the falling over from the laying on of hands was not scriptural and in itself demonic. Other non-Christians said it was just a form of hypnotism. The pastor explained to me that when people fall over it is purely the presence of God that makes them fall. He explained to me that it is not the falling over that is important but what is important is what the Holy Spirit does once they are lying down. I prayed to God to show me the truth regarding this matter and the Holy Spirit led me to John 18:3-6
So Judas, obtaining and taking charge of the band of soldiers and some guards (attendants) of the high priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was about to befall Him, went out to them and said, Whom are you seeking - Whom do you want? They answered Him, Jesus the Nazarene, Jesus said to them, I am He. Judas, who was betraying Him, was also standing with them. When Jesus said to them, I am He, they went backwards - drew back, lurched backward - and fell to the ground.
(Amplified Bible, 1984, p165)
Leviticus Chapter 18 lists many sexual sins of which homosexuality is just one. Others listed are various forms of incest, adultary and beastiality.
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination' (Leviticus 18:22 King James, 1983, p115).
If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them (Leviticus 20:13 King James, 1983, p117).
But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. (1 Timothy 1:8-11 King James, 1983, p1227).
But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord (Genesis 13:13 King James, 1983, p117).
Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. and they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally" (Genesis 19:4-5 King James, 1983, p19).
And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised for ever! Amen. Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts. In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing. Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit and malice. They gossip and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others. They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them. (Good New Bible: Today's English Version, 1983, American Bible Society, New York, Romans 1:24-32)
Do you not know that the unrighteous and wrong doers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived, (misled); neither the immoral and impure, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality, Nor cheats - swindlers and thieves; nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God. And such some of you were once. But you were washed clean [purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin]; and you were consecrated, (set apart, hallowed); and you were justified (pronounced righteous by trust) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the (Holy) Spirit of our God.
(The Amplified Bible, 1984, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 p253)But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (King James, 1983, Revelation 21:8 p1316)
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie. (King James, 1983, Revelation 22:14-150 p1317)
United Bible Societies (1983) Good New Bible: Today's English Version, American Bible Society, New York, 1 John 1:8-10.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. If we say that we have not sinned, we make God out to be a liar, and his word is not in us.
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according ot the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (King James, 1983, Ephesians 2:1-3 p1195)
Clare Weakley, 1977:137) In a vernacular translations of Wesley's Sermons Wealkey writes:
There are a few Christians whom God has released from temptation for a while. For a season, it may be weeks or months, God allows them to remain on a spiritual high, free from Satan's temptations.
So they went out and preached that people should repent. and they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. (King James, 1983, Mark 6:12-13 p1016)
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciple he said 'Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.' (King James, 1983, Matthew 10:8 p1016)
Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain that a great multitude met Him. Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child. "and behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out: it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and bruising him, it departs from him with great difficulty. "So I implored Your disciples to cast it out but they could not." then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here." and as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child , and gave him back to his father. (Luke 10:37-42
King James, 1983, p1050)
As a person is delivered it is important to be filled continuously with the Holy Spirit, and His fruits to also manifest in you, to prevent the demon from re-entering and again becoming a stronghold.
"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. "Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' and when he comes, he finds it swept, and put in order. "then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." (Matthew 12:43-45 King James, 1983, p986)
But when the Pharisees heard it they said, 'this fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them "every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. "And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? "And If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of god has come upon you. "Or else how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? and then he will plunder his house. "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him: but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:24-32 King James, 1983, p985)
Therefore if the Son Makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:36 King James, 1983, p1085)
There has befallen them the thing spoken of in the true proverb, The dog turns back to his own vomit, and the sow is washed only to wallow again in the mire. (2 Peter 2:22The Amplified Bible, 1984. NT p373)
As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly. (Proverbs 26:11 The Amplified Bible, 1984,
OT p737)
Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual - who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit - should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. (Galatians 6:1 The Amplified Bible, 1984, NT p1370)
Flee also youthful lusts: but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22 King James, 1983 p1234)
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 King James, 1983 p1264)
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13 King James, 1983)
Clare Weakley, 1977:86) In a vernacular translations of Wesley's Sermons Wealkey writes:
Cyprian, who wrote about the middle of the third century...particularly mentions the casting out of devils, which, says he, "either depart immediately or by degrees, according to the faith of the patient or the grace of him that works the cure."
Beloved, we are [even here and now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's chidren] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless). Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that s what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violation of God's law by transgression or neglect - being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will). You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever]. No one who abides in Him [who lives and remaines in communion with and in obedience to Him-deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him]. Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, livng a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous. [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]. No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitualy] practices sin for God's nature abides in him [His principe of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.
(1John 3:2-9 The Amplified Bible, 1984, NT p1466)
Pastor David and Amanda Patch
Brisbane Outreach Church
http://www.reachoutcitychurch.org