Beware so-called experts. The dictionary says that an expert is a person with “special skill or knowledge in some particular field, a specialist; an authority.” Which brings me to an article I read this past week by a nationally-known, well-respected Christian pastor. I know this man personally. He’s a good man and has done great things for the Lord, in his areas of gifting. But for some reason he decided to weigh in on the topic of spiritual warfare and demons.
Much of what he said was excellent, and I agreed with 90% of what he said. But that 10% or so veered into an area in which he is not an expert. This successful pastor declared, “In 25 years of ministry I have only encountered five people who needed some kind of exorcism.” He went on to say that any casting out of demons should always be done in a “private setting.” So much for our nearly 8 million YouTube viewers who have been exposed to the gospel and power of Christ in scores of nations worldwide.
I have high regard for this man of God and thank the Lord for all the great places that his spiritual gifts have taken him. But I encounter more than 5 cases of exorcism on an average day, and 40,000 catalogued cases going back nearly 40 years, many hundreds of them documented on video, captured live and in action. Surely he can’t dismiss all of that summarily with his “expertise.” Christians in places of responsible leadership need to be cautious about using their spiritual gifts in those areas where they are NOT an expert. This pastor in question (and he’s not alone in this regard) has been used of the Lord to build thriving churches where thousands attend, something I haven’t been called to do. I don’t tell him how to grow a local congregation. He’s the expert at that. I wish that he, and others like him, would back off a little from offering their “expert” advice in areas about which they have little, if any, experience. Leave the credibility and necessity of deliverance and exorcism to those of us who are God-called experts, by Spirit-led experience and the grace of our common Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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An encouraging word: HE IS COMING
“Behold, He is coming!” That opening statement of Revelation 1:7 sums up what we need to know about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. There is much speculation among well-meaning Christians about when and how that will happen. Some have divided into so-called Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, and Post-Trib factions, depending on when they believe the rapture will take place. Some say it will be before the Millennium and some after. But whichever group you are part of theologically, one thing is certain. He is coming! In the words of the Nicene Creed “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.” Amen.
Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did® (Luke 4:18). You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.
