This world is in a mess! The only hope it has is if more were to hear and heed what God’s Word says. That is the mission of this 27+ year ministry — to tell as many as possible!
I daily labor to reach the world with God’s truth. Three web-sites, a radio broadcast (WLVF – https://gospel903.com/), FREE daily devotions (available in 100+ different languages), the weekly Bible View church bulletin insert, Sunday school lessons, and social media postings (links only to my sites) are used to attempt to reach more with what the Bible teaches.
As with most attempts to reach others, this ministry has battled opposition aimed at halting the outreach. A large tech. company has caused the mass-e-mailing ministry (2,000+ recipients) to cease. Facebook has closed my account more than once and now it appears they are discrediting the biblical devotions, or is it censorship?
I am considering finding a company to again handle the mass e-mails (2,000+ in the past, 165 different countries) for those that request the daily devotions to be e-mailed to them. Although, I do not believe I can afford it, please pray that God will make His desire clear.
Thank you in advance. If we do not tell others about the Gospel, who will?
Learn more about this ministry.
In This Issue:
Where Did That “Spirit” Come From?
Can God Send An Evil Spirit?
Volume: 824 August 23, 2021
Theme: Which Spirit?
This world is in a mess! The only hope it has is if more were to hear and heed what God’s Word says. That is the mission of this 27+ year ministry — to tell as many as possible!
I daily labor to reach the world with God’s truth. Three web-sites, a radio broadcast (WLVF – https://gospel903.com/), FREE daily devotions (available in 100+ different languages), the weekly Bible View church bulletin insert, Sunday school lessons, and social media postings (links only to my sites) are used to attempt to reach more with what the Bible teaches.
As with most attempts to reach others, this ministry has battled opposition aimed at halting the outreach. A large tech. company has caused the mass-e-mailing ministry (2,000+ recipients) to cease. Facebook has closed my account more than once and now it appears they are discrediting the biblical devotions, or is it censorship?
I am considering finding a company to handle the mass e-mailed (2,000+ in the past, 165 different countries) for those that request the daily devotions be e-mailed to them. Although, I do not believe I can afford it, please pray that God will allow that outreach.
Thank you in advance. If we do not tell others about the Gospel, who will?
Learn more about this ministry.
Where Did That “Spirit” Come From?
Bill Brinkworth
“But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” Luke 9:55
Luke 9:55 should make us aware that there are different spirits in this world, and they are not all of God. In that chapter’s account, Jesus rebuked James and John. Although they thought they were protective of Jesus, He told them that the spirit doing the talking and tempting was not of God.
Christ similarly discerned that one time Peter was letting the wrong spirit direct his thinking (Matthew 16:23). A little knowledge of the different spirits described in the Bible can help us know if we are dealing with God or another force.
“But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Mat. 16:23
There are three sources of “spirits” in this world. The most commonly addressed spirit in the Bible is man’s nature and character. Hundreds of times, this spirit was addressed. The spirit of Jacob (Gen. 45:27), Elijah (II Kings. 2:15), and other people of the Bible were also mentioned.
“And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:” Gen. 45:27
Secondly, there is a spirit clearly of God. Sometimes it is referred to as “Spirit” with capital letters because it is a proper noun. It is God. Other names for His Spirit include the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of the Lord.
This Spirit from God can also work in a person’s life. These spirits can be recognized when a person is giving godly wisdom (Deut. 34:9). These influences may include a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18), a broken spirit (Ps. 51:17), an excellent spirit (Dan. 5:2), a spirit of grace (Zech. 12:10), a faithful spirit (II Cor. 4:13) and a spirit of meekness (I Cor. 4:21).
However, there are dangerous, demonic spirits of which we have to be wary. This is why Ephesians 6:23 warns of an unseen battle that is part of our everyday life.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph. 6:23
Some of these spirits that are certainly not of God and are of satanic origin include the spirits of:
- Destructiveness (Mark 9:20, 26)
- Disobedience (Ephesians 2:2)
- Evilness (Judges 9:23)
- Familiar spirits (Who wizards and witches speak to, and possibly people who believe they are talking to the dead.)
- Foulness (Mark 9:25)
- Jealously (Numb. 5:14)
- Judgment
- Lying
- Not talking (Mark 9:17)
- Perverseness
- Troubled or vexed spirit (Eccl. 4:4)
- Uncleanliness (Mark 1:23)
- Whoredoms (Hos. 5:4)
Knowing a little about these different spirits can help one discern the source of good or evil in their everyday life. This knowledge can help one know if the situation they are facing is of God, their flesh, or a force against God. Proper decision-making based on considering where the influence is coming from can help one make fewer mistakes.
“The devil has the power to suggest evil, but he was not given the power to compel you against your will.” — Cyril
Can God Send An Evil Spirit?
Bill Brinkworth
A question is often thought, can “bad things, especially evil, come from God?” In I Samuel 16:14, 16, 18:10, 19:9, the Word of God conveys an “evil spirit from God,” and the “LORD” was allowed to make Saul’s life miserable. This further confuses people of what God can do.
“Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.” I Samuel 16:16
“And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.” I Sam. 19:9 Also: I Sam. 18:10.
In over 100 verses, God is referred to as “Holy.” According to Noah Webster (American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828), “holy” is “… perfect in a moral sense… free from sin and sinful affections….” The Bible clarifies that He will never lie (Heb. 6:18). God is pure and holy.
“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Leviticus 11:44 Also: Lev. 11:45, I Peter 1:16.
The Bible also makes it clear that God will not tempt anyone with evil. So, if God does not sin or tempt anyone, how can an evil spirit come from God (I Sam. 16:16)? Is this a mistake in the KJV? No, it is not!
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” James 1:13
Later, in I Samuel, the question about God sending an evil spirit is answered. I Sam. 18:12 relates that God’s helping hand was withdrawn from Saul. Without God’s protecting intervention, an invading evil spirit was given the reins to cause havoc in Saul’s life.
“And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.” I Sam. 18:12 Also: I Sam. 16:14, I Sam. 28:15.
Matthew Henry also explains that God did not send an evil spirit to plague Saul.
“Here Saul made a terror to himself (I Sam. 16:14): The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. He, having forsaken God and his duty, God, in the way of righteous judgment, withdrew from him those assistances of the good Spirit with which he was directed, animated, and encouraged in his government and wars… This was the effect of his rejecting God and evidence of his being rejected by him. God took his mercy from Saul for when the Spirit of the Lord departs from us, all good goes. When men grieve and quench the Spirit, by willful sin, he departs and will not always strive. The consequence of this was that an evil spirit allowed by God troubled him. Those that drive the good Spirit away become prey to the evil spirit…” God is always in control, but he can allow evilness to have its way in one’s life.“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 Also: I Thes. 5:19.
When one grieves the Holy Spirit of God, salvation is not lost, but He will be silent, and the surrounding evilness will not be thwarted. God’s protection may be withdrawn.
Abimelech also experienced God’s wrath after his cruelty to the sons of Jerubbaal. Again, God’s guidance and protection were restrained, and an evil spirit took advantage of the opportunity and caused grief in Abimelech’s life.
“Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:” Judges 9:23
Although not because of sin, the hand of God allowed evil Satan to be used to test and eventually bless righteous Job. Again, it is seen that sometimes God gives the wicked one permission to cause havoc on a person. Ultimately, it is intended to strengthen the righteous, or should, as later Job was greatly blessed.
“Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land… 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.” Job 1:9-12
God is Holy and hates sin. He would never commit iniquity. Our God is the one power that can keep man from sin’s harm. However, at times, for His reasons, the Lord’s hand of protection can be withdrawn. The hating Satan and his evil “devils” may seize the opportunity to fill the void and lack of godly protection with temptation and sin.
“Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” Psalm 51:11
“If your ‘Holy Spirit’ just makes you run, dance, and holler in church but doesn’t help you live Holy, then it is not the Holy Spirit that is leading you. You have been deceived.” — Unknown