About deliverance

What is the truth about deliverance ministries and what does it mean .Is “name it and claim” it really true? This has become very controversial in modern Christianity with some people radically both supporting and opposing things like deliverance ministries and the prosperity Gospel.So what does scripture say on this matter and let us begin with the cessationist viewpoint and is it held by scripture.By cessationist we mean those that believe that spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues or faith healing died out with the original apostles and disciples.

1 Corinthians 13

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

This says nothing about the gifts of the spirit passing away right after the early Church.This could refer to a time in the future of great apostasy or maybe the end times but it says nothing of any era where spiritual gifts will cease forever.

2 Corinthians 12

 ¹² I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. ¹³ How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

So it says the Apostolic Church had signs and wonders but it never says other Churches did not.

Hebrews 1:1-2

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

This is talking about the transition from the Old Testament or the Nevi’im of Tanakh prophets to the era of Messiah Jesus.This says nothing at all about the gifts of the spirit leaving with the early Church but the passing of the baton from the Hebrew prophets of old to the New Covenant of our Mashiach Yeshua/Jesus!

Can we agree that cessationism is false and not based on scripture?

The main argument at least these days that spirit filled or the Pentecostal ministers is that people do not receive deliverance because they wavered in their faith when asking God. This may not be the case in my opinion and what I am saying used to be taught often in spirit filled ministries 50 years ago but not so much any longer.

The most obvious reason that people do not get deliverance is living in continued sin .Of course all people sin but more serious sin like continuing sexual behaviors that are wrong or drug or any time of substance abuse.Or current occult activities like astrology or even yoga maybe.Any current sin will hamper your relationship with God.

The next thing is unrepented passed sin or any sin you committed in your past that is not repented .It is true the cross fully resolves your eternity but to get all Gods blessings for yourself repenting sin is good.

The next is sort of like the first but gets more complicated.Not repenting and denouncing past involvement with the occult and witchcraft both by you and your ancestors.Now this issue we will deal with in greater depth because it is more complex.

Let us start with Exodus 22:17

מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה

This is phrased in the feminine and says “Do not let a sorceress to live”

the word m’khasheifah comes from the word keshef meaning magik or witchcraft.I would say this means one who casts spells or does incantations and is not a diviner or fortune tellers.So kesef is what we in the modern world would call witchcraft.I don’t take this verse to mean to kill or even harm a witch but it shoes the seriousness of the sin.

Here now is Leviticus 19:31

לא אַל־תִּפְנ֤וּ אֶל־הָֽאֹבֹת֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים אַל־תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ לְטָמְאָ֣ה בָהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֹ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם

Do not turn to (literally ancestors ha’ovot ) mediums (speaking to the dead) and to (literally known ones ) familiar spirits or seek after them to be defiled by then I the Lord your God (states).

This is talking about trying to contact dead spirits by seance or Ouija board or whatever people may use to contact the dead or even try to summon a demon.

Here is Deuteronomy 18:9-13

⁹ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. ¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. ¹³ You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

I did not do the Hebrew because we have already discussed word meanings but the above should be obvious.

It is clear that any spell casting, divination or seeking the dead or summoning a spirit or demon is strictly forbidden.All witchcraft or any sorcery or magik of any time is a serious sin.

Here is Exodus 20:4-5

You shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth.

5You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous (or jealous) God, Who visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons, upon the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me,

When you enter the realm of the occult you leave the one and true God and to engage in witchcraft or any other forbidden practice stated above is idol worship.This brings a curse upon the person along with their future offspring.People often believe that being saved that all your curses from your sin and your ancestors are removed.It is true the cross solves your eternity and yes saves you and gives eternal life.However in this life though removing curses and receiving all of God’s blessings is your responsibility .This is accomplished by denouncing all your past occult practices along with denouncing those of your ancestors and this is the key that unlocks your blessings.

So how do we know this? The best scripture to show this reality would be the thief on the cross.He received eternal life then and there by professing Jesus as Lord but he still had to die.This proves salvation itself does not solve all your earthly problems.

So you ask in a modern world what pragmatically is witchcraft?

It can be formal occult religion with spell casting or bowing to gold statues or contacting spirits for advice.

It can also be certain music or poetry or even certain clothes and this can get very abstract for sure.Or secret societies that restrict the general public and teach secret knowledge.Eastern religions like Buddhism or Hinduism or even practicing yoga can be occult.Mormanism or other false Christianity’s or any type of Gnosticism or mind control or subtle attempts at controlling people’s thinking.Heavy metal music or psychedelic rock music and some Rap music also or witchy poetry are all things to keep in mind.

If you are having problems with getting deliverance you want want to consider getting old curses off of you.Let me give you an analogy ok.

The deliverance you want is like getting to the other side of the river and you want to build a boat but you can’t build a boat because you have a broken arm.so often people have curses that must me removed before the next curse can be removed.So you need to heal the fractured arm before you can build the boat and this analogy is so true of why so many Christians struggle with getting God’s blessings.One may have to get a few curses removed before deliverance is possible.We have learned about klipot in other articles and how they are shells on our soul that filter out the light of God.So when the curses are removed we see God’s light with better clarity.

I wish past sin and occult repentance was taught more today as opposed to if you do not get the blessing it is because you wavered in faith when asking.So let me give a practical example from a video I saw.A woman came to a minister several times asking for healing but she never received it and she did not why.So the minister asked is there anything you have not told me? So she then confessed she had an abortion at age 16 and she then on the spot received healing,true story (names not given for obvious privacy).

I will close with a prayer for curse removal:

All those who hung on the tree are cursed (Deuteronomy 21:23) and I thank you Jesus for being a curse when you hung on the tree so we can be removed of the curse and receive your blessings.

If I have been cursed by someone or have been cursed by the sins of my ancestors I forgive them.And if I brought a curse on myself I repent any sin known or unknown.

I denounce all contact with Satan,witchcraft or any secret society and I promise to destroy all objects that represent them.

Now Lord God in the name of Jesus I ask to be removed of all curses and receive your blessing.

Amen