An inmate's struggle with darkness

[Guest]

Steve, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that your archived lectures are making a difference in ways you won’t even know until you get to "Glory land".


An inmates' struggle with darkness

A few months ago, an inmate asked me if I would do a series on spiritual warfare. As “luck” would have it, I was in the process of outlining Steve Gregg’s lectures on the topic so I agreed. Unfortunately, the inmate that asked me to do it got shipped out to another facility so he didn’t get to take part. But the other dozen or so regulars in my class were also eager to dive into the subject so we pressed on ahead with it anyways. I told them in advance to expect attacks while we go through this study. The last thing the enemy wants is for us to learn how to fight him.

Well, the attacks came. Marriages began failing, adulterous affairs were discovered, guys were getting sent to the hole (solitary confinement) for what turned out to be false accusations, more unexpected transfers, threats on their lives, and just a general sense of spiritual defeat was in the air. But everyone was enjoying the study and they were hungry for more.

There was great enthusiasm as we went through the spiritual offense and defense of the Christian life and I thought about skipping the rest because I really wanted to encourage them to focus on the basics of spiritual warfare. I was a little hesitant to teach the “Bondage and Deliverance” section because I didn’t want them to get too caught up on the extraordinary aspects of spiritual warfare and begin thinking everyone around them was demon-possessed. On the other hand, the only experience I’ve ever had with people that I strongly felt were demonized, have been in the prison environment. So I decided it might just be relevant and useful for them. Last Monday, God showed me just how relevant and useful that part of the series was to this environment.

A few weeks ago, a certain man (I’ll call him Kenny) came to the class for the first time on the very day we began the "Bondage and deliverance" part of the series. He was quiet, yet attentive. During the second session, he broke his silence when we broached the topic of the occult and it’s probable link to demonic bondage. He told the story of how his mother was pretty heavily into Wicca and how he got into it also. He shared some interesting (and disturbing) stories of his childhood and his mother’s dealings with witchcraft. He spoke of these crystals his mother made him carry around in his pocket so that she would know what he was doing at all times and he indicated that she did indeed know many things that she couldn’t have known by natural means. He had a tattoo on his arm he called a “watcher” (guardian) and explained how it was supposed to be his assigned “spirit” that protected him. When he had come to prison this last time, he felt and overwhelming sense of God’s presence that made him bow his knee and submit one evening in his cell. Everyone listened intently to his story and nobody seemed to have any reason to doubt the truthfulness of what he was sharing with us.

This last Monday, we wrapped up this portion of the series by talking about obtaining deliverance from demonic bondage. We were talking about renouncing ties to the occult and were going over the scripture in Acts 19 where the Ephesians burned all their magic books. Kenny, was sitting right next to me as we were discussing it and I noticed the lights beginning to go on in his head. He started talking about some books of his own (witchcraft books) that he needed to destroy when he got home. But he also began sharing about how his wife had often told him that he was like two people, kind of like Jekyl and Hyde. He described things he did in his alternate personality like purposely driving his car into a guardrail at 60mph and other bizarre things of that sort. But the clincher was that she told him that when he turned into this other person, his eyes actually would change color. As he was speaking, I began to become a little nervous that I might actually see a manifestation of this right there and then. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. He told us that he believes he was once demonized, but was delivered from that a little less than a year ago when he submitted his life over to Christ.

But Kenny would go on to share a very disturbing and heartbreaking story about his son (now 16). He told us how he tried to kill his step-mother (Kenny’s wife) when he was just ten years old by choking her with a towel. He told us of his son’s extremely violent fits and assaults on others. He told us that when his son was 14, he was able to pick Kenny up by the throat and lift him off the ground with one hand, almost choking him to death. It took 3 adults to get Kenny loose from his son’s grip.

Kenny is convinced that his son is demonized, and that he (Kenny) himself passed it on to him somehow. He explained to us how his mother (the witch) had pronounced a curse on Kenny’s son telling him he would be 10 times worse that Kenny ever was (I’m not sensing lot of love in this family). It would seem that this curse took hold.

Well, to make a long story short, we all prayed over Kenny and I counseled him to do whatever it takes to humbly reconcile with his son and re-gain the right to minister to him and be a father to him. If indeed he is under demonic bondage, he will need to be open to deliverance and he will need be able to trust Kenny’s sincerity, faith, and love. But most of all, he will need to be able to trust Jesus and in His healing power.

Kenny expressed to me that he recognized the divine appointment here. He came in on the first session of this part of the series and last week (which was our conclusion of the topic) was probably his last week in that facility. He had a court hearing this week and all indications were that he was going to be released. The timing couldn’t have been coincidental.

Anyway, I just wanted to praise God for His meeting this young man with precisely what he needed to give him hope and a sense of direction going forward. I also want to praise Him for revealing to the rest of us His purpose for this whole thing.

Praise you Father !!!!

[Guest]

Praise the Lord, Chris! Thanks for sharing that!

[Guest]

Chistopher,

That was an amazing story. Stories like this remind me that there is a spiritual battle going on, and as Christians we need to be there to minister and witness to the lost. I will pray for Kenny and his family, and ask God to bless your important work in the prisons.

Robin

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing Chris, that's inspiring and i'll pray for Kenny and his family.

[Guest]

thank you Christopher for sharing....

When you do this to the least of these my brethren you do as unto me...

[Guest]

Steve, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that your archived lectures are making a difference in ways you won’t even know until you get to "Glory land".


An inmates' struggle with darkness

A few months ago, an inmate asked me if I would do a series on spiritual warfare. As “luck” would have it, I was in the process of outlining Steve Gregg’s lectures on the topic so I agreed. Unfortunately, the inmate that asked me to do it got shipped out to another facility so he didn’t get to take part. But the other dozen or so regulars in my class were also eager to dive into the subject so we pressed on ahead with it anyways. I told them in advance to expect attacks while we go through this study. The last thing the enemy wants is for us to learn how to fight him.

Well, the attacks came. Marriages began failing, adulterous affairs were discovered, guys were getting sent to the hole (solitary confinement) for what turned out to be false accusations, more unexpected transfers, threats on their lives, and just a general sense of spiritual defeat was in the air. But everyone was enjoying the study and they were hungry for more.

There was great enthusiasm as we went through the spiritual offense and defense of the Christian life and I thought about skipping the rest because I really wanted to encourage them to focus on the basics of spiritual warfare. I was a little hesitant to teach the “Bondage and Deliverance” section because I didn’t want them to get too caught up on the extraordinary aspects of spiritual warfare and begin thinking everyone around them was demon-possessed. On the other hand, the only experience I’ve ever had with people that I strongly felt were demonized, have been in the prison environment. So I decided it might just be relevant and useful for them. Last Monday, God showed me just how relevant and useful that part of the series was to this environment.

A few weeks ago, a certain man (I’ll call him Kenny) came to the class for the first time on the very day we began the "Bondage and deliverance" part of the series. He was quiet, yet attentive. During the second session, he broke his silence when we broached the topic of the occult and it’s probable link to demonic bondage. He told the story of how his mother was pretty heavily into Wicca and how he got into it also. He shared some interesting (and disturbing) stories of his childhood and his mother’s dealings with witchcraft. He spoke of these crystals his mother made him carry around in his pocket so that she would know what he was doing at all times and he indicated that she did indeed know many things that she couldn’t have known by natural means. He had a tattoo on his arm he called a “watcher” (guardian) and explained how it was supposed to be his assigned “spirit” that protected him. When he had come to prison this last time, he felt and overwhelming sense of God’s presence that made him bow his knee and submit one evening in his cell. Everyone listened intently to his story and nobody seemed to have any reason to doubt the truthfulness of what he was sharing with us.

This last Monday, we wrapped up this portion of the series by talking about obtaining deliverance from demonic bondage. We were talking about renouncing ties to the occult and were going over the scripture in Acts 19 where the Ephesians burned all their magic books. Kenny, was sitting right next to me as we were discussing it and I noticed the lights beginning to go on in his head. He started talking about some books of his own (witchcraft books) that he needed to destroy when he got home. But he also began sharing about how his wife had often told him that he was like two people, kind of like Jekyl and Hyde. He described things he did in his alternate personality like purposely driving his car into a guardrail at 60mph and other bizarre things of that sort. But the clincher was that she told him that when he turned into this other person, his eyes actually would change color. As he was speaking, I began to become a little nervous that I might actually see a manifestation of this right there and then. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. He told us that he believes he was once demonized, but was delivered from that a little less than a year ago when he submitted his life over to Christ.

But Kenny would go on to share a very disturbing and heartbreaking story about his son (now 16). He told us how he tried to kill his step-mother (Kenny’s wife) when he was just ten years old by choking her with a towel. He told us of his son’s extremely violent fits and assaults on others. He told us that when his son was 14, he was able to pick Kenny up by the throat and lift him off the ground with one hand, almost choking him to death. It took 3 adults to get Kenny loose from his son’s grip.

Kenny is convinced that his son is demonized, and that he (Kenny) himself passed it on to him somehow. He explained to us how his mother (the witch) had pronounced a curse on Kenny’s son telling him he would be 10 times worse that Kenny ever was (I’m not sensing lot of love in this family). It would seem that this curse took hold.

Well, to make a long story short, we all prayed over Kenny and I counseled him to do whatever it takes to humbly reconcile with his son and re-gain the right to minister to him and be a father to him. If indeed he is under demonic bondage, he will need to be open to deliverance and he will need be able to trust Kenny’s sincerity, faith, and love. But most of all, he will need to be able to trust Jesus and in His healing power.

Kenny expressed to me that he recognized the divine appointment here. He came in on the first session of this part of the series and last week (which was our conclusion of the topic) was probably his last week in that facility. He had a court hearing this week and all indications were that he was going to be released. The timing couldn’t have been coincidental.

Anyway, I just wanted to praise God for His meeting this young man with precisely what he needed to give him hope and a sense of direction going forward. I also want to praise Him for revealing to the rest of us His purpose for this whole thing.

Praise you Father !!!!

Hey Chris,

Could you send me a copy of that outline on spiritual warfare through my email?

Thanks.

brody196@hotmail.com

[Guest]

Hello Christopher,

"Kenny's story" reminds me of two things in my life.

First, how God brought me out of my own past involvement with New Age spirituality, albeit over a period of a few years (it took some time). I don't want to share my story now but can relate to Kenny in that, deliverance from spiritual oppression and/or bondage may not happen instantaneously. One may surrender to the Lord at a specific time, join The Winning Team, and be truly "safe." Yet our battle is not against flesh and blood: The warfare continues on.

Secondly, after I came back to God (renouncing New Age, confessing the Lord Jesus), I got a job as a prison guard: I know what things are like in prison. You really sense spiritual warfare going on, even when things are "routine" and relatively calm (or as calm as things can get in a prison). I recall witnessing to inmates and convicts and always tried to get to know anyone I saw with a Bible (in as far as C.O.'s can get "personal" with them). The Bible makes for good relations in a prison, as every warden knows.

I still struggled with alcoholism, on & off, after I came back to God and while working in the prison. But in spite of that, I know for a fact that the Holy Spirit "surrounded" me mightily (leaving stories about that aside).

I will pray for Kenny and his family.
Thanks very much for sharing his story.
It reminds me of what God Almighty can do and has done in my life.

[Guest]

Hi Earl,

All the outlines of Steve's lectures that I made can be found here:

http://www.digitalministries.us/page9.html



Rick,

Thanks for sharing your story. As a matter of update, I haven't heard from "Kenny" in over a year, but the last development in his situation was that his son attempted to rape and murder "Kenny's" wife (not the boy's mother) and is now in prison for a long time. Prayers for his deliverance from this darkness are still needed I would guess.

[Guest]

Christopher,

I almost always look at the dates of posts but forgot this time, (:oops:)....

Thanks for sharing your story. As a matter of update, I haven't heard from "Kenny" in over a year, but the last development in his situation was that his son attempted to rape and murder "Kenny's" wife (not the boy's mother) and is now in prison for a long time. Prayers for his deliverance from this darkness are still needed I would guess.

I did share a bit of my story, which FBFF regulars know. That is, to the extent that I've told it. I made brief mention of it on TNP radio yesterday.

But, yes, "Kenny" and his son and family still need prayer: What with his son still in prison...and so on.

I've kept a "special prayer list" for just over a year.
A friend told me how he does it:
It's a stenographer's notepad.
The requests go on the left with the date.
The answers to prayer are logged in on the right with the date.

"Who I put on my list" are usually people who are involved in, or are struggling with, some type of substance abuse, other addictive and maladaptive behaviors, or are suffering from the effects. For example, I have a friend who's son is an alcoholic. I pray for her and her son (who also isn't a Christian). The list isn't limited to these sorts of things (by any means): It's just that I have a certain kind of "burden" for these kinds of folks...having "gone through it myself." Myself, and my family....
____________________

My testimony.
I share it often in person (sometimes coupled with witnessing) and occasionally in one or two chatrooms. I've considered posting it on the web (and possibly here or on my blog which I haven't even looked at since about February)!

In any event, "Kenny's Story" was a real blessing to me. Reading it led to further reflection about God's Greatness in my life...and my talking with a friend last evening about How Much God Has Done!

June 17, 2008,
God bless "Kenny," his son, wife, and you!