Opening the wrong doors

Jesus casting out demons

Years ago, at the very onset of the International Baptist Church, in one of Pastor Jon Good’ sermons regarding the Book of Acts and the origions of the early church, he mentioned that “every person who has been touched and transformed by the power of Jesus is actually a priest, you don’t have to go to seminary, you don’t have to wear a collar, but you are a priest”. The book of Peter says it the best. It says in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Of course, I am not claiming that formal studies and a theological degree are not important, they definitely are, and I don’t want to claim myself to be a pastor. I rather say I consider myself a servant of Christ. In fact, everything that I have accomplished so far I thank God for his mercy and the transformation He carried out in my life from being an unbeliver and **

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Luke 12:48 “But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

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Luke 8:33–37 “Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.”

Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”

Matthew 18:6–7 “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!”

Judges 6:25–32 “That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out …”

Acts 19:18–20 “And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”

Acts 19:18–20 “Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”

English Standard Version Chapter 18

Deuteronomy 18:10

10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer

because the whole interior design and architecture of the casino is really constructed and engineered,

Natasha Dow Schüll, author of Addiction by Design, has spent years studying how slot machines hold gamblers, spellbound, in an endless loop of play. She wanted to understand the culture of gambling in Las Vegas casinos, and especially the subculture of slot machines, because slot machines alone account for upwards of 70 to 80% of a typical casino's revenue.

It's almost like undergoing anesthesia, they want to feel absorbed by the machine.

She'll reveal how incremental upgrades to machines can lead to the gradient descent of mankind.

1. Floor and carpet never have right angles because what a right angle does is it stops you up, and puts you in the position of a decision maker, where you have to make a choice

2. Ceiling height is low to make you feel like you are in your own secluded, private room giving you the sense of shelter. People will feel anxious and exposed if their backs are open or if they're in a giant slot warehouse with a really high ceiling

She never imagined the addictive designs which she had first witnessed in Las Vegas would go bounding into Silicon Valley and reappear on virtually every every smartphone screen worldwide.

Example when people sin and like to be in closed, dark cubicles like

as we found in John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

and also in John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.””

Philippians 3:8 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Finally, we are called to stand strong and faithfull as indicated in Ephesians 6:10–20 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with…”