The Power in the Blood

Scripture: Hebrews 9 v 14: "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Revelation 12 v 11: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

In Hebrews, the author, presumed to be Paul, is making a comparison between the blood sacrifices of sheep and bulls for cleansing of sin for the Jews, which had to be done annually, to the once off forever sacrifice of Jesus Christ that at one moment gave the entire human race the opportunity to be free of sin. 

He says that the Blood of Jesus frees our conscience from dead works. There are two ways to explain dead works. The first is doing things that ultimately lead to death. Suicide is a sin (thou shalt not kill) but slow forms of it like sleeping around and having unprotected sex could lead to HIV/AIDS, or other diseases; smoking can lead to cancer; recreational drugs can end in tragedy.  Seek peace rather than war, acknowledge that not everybody will agree with you.

Or dead works can refer to religious practices that have zero, or even negative, effect on your relationship with God. We do many religious things to try to please God or escape evil. Putting faith in a St. Christopher medal in your car or round your neck will not protect you. You are exalting this dead person above the living Jesus and denying His protection over you.  This also applies to medals of Mary and other saints, statues and icons of religious figures, including Jesus.  He must be real and alive in your heart in a personal relationship, which is far above plaster images on home made altars.

Another thing God shudders at is when we put on a special prayer voice to sound more spiritual. Would you put on an act like that for your Earthly dad? The Lord wants us to be real with Him, honest with ourselves and have a genuine relationship with the Trinity.  He needs no rituals, candles, images, fancy robes, rosaries, false traditions, or holy water.

Those are all dead works because they do not produce the life of Christ within you. They produce nothing in you but falseness. Almighty God allowed His Son to die a horrible death to pay a ransom to bring us home to Him. He cancelled every false thing and sin so He could enjoy our fellowship. He wants to hug you and love you and exclaim over you. He needs nothing but your love for Him in return.

Examine your faith in the light of simplicity. Get rid of everything that is unnecessary clutter in your relationship with Jesus. His Blood has made a way into the Throne Room for all of us to worship Him and have Communion with Him. Break bread and share it. Take the wine and all drink of it. Get rid of all the rigmarole around it. Just do it in remembrance of all Jesus did for us.

Discard all religious practices and fancy programs. Follow Jesus in simple, practical ways. Show love, respect, kindness and pleasure in those you encounter on your journey through life. Encourage people to enjoy God with you. Don't force or threaten but do tell them the truth about Him. Sin has bad consequences. You cannot heal a demon - it must be cast out. You cannot cast out a sickness - it must be healed. Jesus will show you the difference.

Demonic bondage is repetitive compulsive behaviour that you cannot control. It has triggers that set it off.  Many people who commit a crime or behave badly in public say "I don't know what came over me!"  They know they behaved out of character for their standards, they sense something weird occurred but cannot explain it and everyone says "poor damage control".  This is how real, living, ugly demons control human beings to break them down and ultimately destroy them.

Bitterness is a root of a tree full of bad fruit. Bitterness is a demon that produces addicts, alcoholics, cancer, heart problems, arthritis, murder, feuds and revenge. Break its power by asking forgiveness or forgiving those who have hurt you, and casting out that demon. By the blood of Jesus you will defeat Satan.

When you recognise that you are dealing with a demon call a pastor to help you pray correctly.  You have to bind that demon by saying it aloud:  "You spirit of Bitterness (or rage, anger, murder, suicide, rejection, rebellion, rape, alcohol, nicotine, crystal meth, witchcraft, false prophecy etc.) I bind you in Jesus' name!  I command you to leave Robert/Belinda or whoever right now and go where Jesus sends you.  Your power over this person or situation is broken by the power in the Blood of Jesus."

Never pray like this alone as demons play mind games on you.  Jesus sent the disciples out two by two for this reason.  They came back rejoicing saying, Even the demons are subject to us!  Jesus said don't rejoice over this but that your names are written in Heaven because I saw Satan fall from Heaven like lightning.  You must also be a born again Christian for Satan to recognise your authority or he will treat you like he did to the Sons of Sceva in Acts 19!

Acts 19 v 14 - 16: "And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?  And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded."

These demon spirits are real and affecting human behaviour today and in Western nations pooh-poohed as ludicrous in the face of science, psychology, psychiatry, medicine and sophisticated medication.  

Permitted and illegal drugs both fall under the name of pharmaceutical and pharmacology, and the Greek root of these words is translated as sorcery.  Sorcery, black magic, witchcraft are the domain of demons.  All drugs have side-effects that could lead to worse afflictions.  Do not be deceived by the standards of the world but put your faith in the power of the Blood of Jesus and in His name, because He still has the power to heal and deliver us from evil.

Prayer: Father God, You want us to be normal. We think You want us to dress up and look important and have fancy rituals to get your attention. You hate that kind of thing. Come as you are and I will receive you, is what You are saying right now. Father, take me as I am, no frills, and make me whatever You desire for me is our response.  Lord help me to set the captives free.  Let us apply (never plead) the Blood of the Lamb which is Your atomic bomb against all sin.  In Jesus' name. Amen.