The Demonic Part II - My Turn to Play

The last night I ministered in Brazil (See The Demonic Part I), wrapping up about 20 days of continuous meetings, pastor's luncheons, TV appearances, personal meetings, encouraging missionaries, and occasional street ministry, I was in the Monté Hebron church in Curitiba. The pastors there had been very instrumental in helping me put together this dizzying itinerary.

Their church had about 200 members, and many of them were there at the meeting. My friend and interpreter preached and ended with an alter call at which nearly 40 people got saved! I was asked to come to the platform and say a few words. The pastor's wife interpreted for me, and I began to minister individually. After about 20 minutes, we ended the meeting with an opportunity for folks to come forward to the alter for the laying on of hands, which is common in Brazil.

As I went down the line, we prayed for about 40 or 50 people. After 20 days and probably 18,000 one-on-one ministry encounters, you would have thought that I had "seen" it all... Before me stood a woman; very dark skinned, tall, a bit rotund, and dressed in a tropical bandanna and flowing blue dress. She said that she wanted to pray for me. I told her that was very kind, but now was not the time. (Something seemed a little odd.) But she was insistent, and so, I told her that if the pastor agreed, she could meet me after the meeting. She seemed a little agitated at that, and said, "I am going to pray for your protection, I see demons all around you they are every where, and you need prayer.

I turned to the pastor's wife and said, "just ask her if I can pray for her first?" She interpreted my request.

A bit unwillingly the woman replied, "if you must."

Again, I spoke to the interpreter and said, "please don't interpret this." Holding my palm towards the woman (I wasn't going to touch her in a million years.), I said in a stern voice. "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!" I heard a loud "snap," and she dropped to the floor so fast I jumped back so that she did not knock me over.

The pastor's wife turned to me, and in her very Brazilian accent she said, "Oh you must forgive me. I had a dream about someone coming to the meeting to curse you. I didn't know that this is the one."

Determined to be cautious, I looked to the floor for the woman, who was only moments ago, at my feet. She was gone in the time it took for the pastor's wife to say just two sentences. Even more puzzling to us, she was no where to be found in the auditorium. We inquired of the ushers and the pastor after the meeting and they said that they had not see such a woman leaving. Apparently, I was the only one that heard the sound as well; also odd.

Within a month of my return from Brazil, lots of things happened in my life. The devil had focused his sites on my weaknesses, my security and my family. All Hell broke loose at work, at home, and in church. To keep a long and painful story short, I lost everything. The devil plays for keeps, be certain of it.

In the midst of daily attacks, I kept up with friends from ministry school. They were my life line as wave after wave of darkness pursued me. I kept worship music playing 24/7 in my room, at work and in the car.

One night I decided to take a couple of the teens from youth group to a meeting about 2 hours away. It was at the home of one of my former classmates. When we arrived there was a paper sign on the door that read.

Welcome David, Aaron and Eva only. :o)

NO DEMONS ALLOWED!

Gone to get pizza, back in 10 minutes.

CB

We laughed, and let ourselves in.

We had a nice time of fellowship, some pizza and just stood in a circle praising the Lord. There were just 7 or 8 of us. We prayed for each other and drank of the Spirit. A friend, a former missionary to Malaysia, stopped in for a while to minister to us and enjoy the presence of God.

For some reason one of the girls was starting to have trouble. She sat in a chair in the kitchen crying. Folks crying in the presence of God is not surprising, but she seemed really upset. We simply let the worship music play laid hands on her. She fell from the chair to the floor.

One of the guys that came (not someone that I knew well) stood over her, and says "she's got demons." She began quaking and shaking on the floor and was very scared. I remember thinking "Oh man, I am not up for this. I am not qualified or experienced for this."

The gal that hosted the meeting took her to the couch in the den to comfort her. Concerned, I went see what was going on. I sat on the coffee table and started to speak with her and suddenly she sat bolt upright, and came at me, all in one motion. One gal grabbed her legs and I had to hold her down on the couch with my knee. Nearly shouting, CB said, "Come out in the name of Jesus!" "She is a child of God and you have no dominion over her." And as if you were standing on the sidewalk, you could feel the motion of each demon like a car whizzing past, as one after the other came out. And as the last one, of what seemed to be about 10 or 12, came out with the most sickening stench I have ever smelled in my life. It was nauseating. With one last convulsion, this poor girl went limp on the couch sobbing and asking God to forgive her for her sins.

After things calmed down, the most beautiful presence of the Lord came to the room, and we smelled frankincense. We worshipped on into the night before making the trek home. We sure had a lot to talk about.

For a little better understanding, be sure to read your Bible (see below), and The Demonic Part I.

Matthew 8:16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed ; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill .

Matthew 8:28 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29. And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God ? Have You come here to torment us before the time ?" 30. Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. 31. The demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."

32. And He said to them, "Go !" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. 33. The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus ; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.

Mark 1:32 When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed.

Luke 4:33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34."Let us alone ! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth ? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-the Holy One of God !" 35. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm.

Acts 19:13
But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14. Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16. And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.