When I was in early elementary school, my parents bought a World Book Encyclopedia. It came with a 1964 Year Book, a yearly supplement. Since I was a new reader, the pictures got most of my attention.
The year-book included an article about prehistoric life. There were detailed illustrations of animals of each "geologic period," and maps of what North America supposedly looked like during those times. I was enthralled, and I looked at it constantly.
Dinosaurs became my favorite things, and I collected everything I could find about them, from books to plastic toys, and even little porcelain statues. When I was in Fourth Grade (age ten), I was talked into running for Student Council Secretary, and my campaign slogan was -- dinosaurs. I used to love drawing, and dinosaurs were my go-to subject. The picture, above, is a re-creation I did with Photoshop to mimic the kind of things I used to make in school during art-time, and at my grandparents' house.
I became a strong believer in Darwin's Theory of (macro) Evolution, thanks to the encyclopedia, books from the library, visits to museums, lessons in school, science magazines, and especially television programs on PBS and the BBC. As far as I was concerned, it was a fact, and I knew I was right. When I was an adult, I remember going on a tour through Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, and there were a number of teenagers on the tour from a "church bus." When I overheard them remarking that the cave was probably a result of Noah's Flood, I remember feeling contempt for them.
When my own children were starting school, I became concerned I was not providing them with any religious knowledge, as my parents had done for me. We had been living overseas and as soon as we were back in Michigan I took my family to church.
I ended up having a Divine appointment with a pastor in a grocery store parking lot, and I told him I wanted to know God, but my belief in Evolution was holding me back. Reading the Bible and hearing him preach had taught me the Bible and Evolution were in conflict, and I was having trouble reconciling that.
Some time later, I was standing in my living room and all of a sudden I no longer believed in Evolution. It was just gone, and I remember laughing at how silly the whole notion had been. I began reading all kinds of things about Creation, and rebuttals to Evolution, and became a strong advocate in favor of the Bible. I wrote letters to the newspaper and argued with people about it, until I realized I was wasting my breath.
I now strongly believe that I had a demon, and it left me while I was standing in my living room. Why it left, I do not know. It may have been something I prayed, or it may have been an answer to a prayer by the pastor, or it may simply have been God's timing for me to move beyond it. I don't know, but I thank God it's gone. Since the thoughts started when I saw the 1964 Year Book, I strongly suspect I picked it up around that time. The whole book eventually went into the trash because I did not want it in the house, and I certainly did not want someone else to have similar problems.
God has certainly been looking after me throughout my life. When I was in Third Grade (age nine), I was reading a picture Bible on my bed and suddenly realized, "I believe this stuff!" Eventually, when I was 41 years old, I was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, and more recently, while in my late 50's, I was set free. It would have been nice if it had all happened at the same time, like it did for the Book-of-Acts Christians and like it is happening for many people today, but what happened to me was God's plan for me, and it prepared me for what He has in store. I cherish the experiences and the lessons they taught me.
One big lesson I have learned is we should not be contemptuous towards those who do not see things the way we do. I was contemptuous of the students who believed in Noah's Flood, but now I believe as they do, and that I was wrong. Was it my fault that I believed in Evolution? No. I was subjected to it, and it was something beyond my control. God knew that, and He rescued me. He set me free from a bunch of other things, too.
Jesus commands us to cast out demons*. Although the pastor who spoke with me taught me about repentance and encouraged me to get baptized, he had nothing to do with me receiving the Holy Spirit and he did not make sure I was delivered from spiritual baggage, as Jesus commands. Do I hold anything against him for that? Absolutely not. He was living and working in a tradition that only had parts of the New Covenant message, and it was not his fault he was raised and educated in those traditions. However, once he knows the truth, he is accountable to God -- but not to me. I hope he, and others who follow in those same traditions, can be humble enough to seek God on these matters and do what He leads them to do. As Paul said,
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (Romans 11:32 NIV)Jesus is building His Church, and he will soon bring us all into full knowledge of Him. Come, Lord Jesus!!!
All glory to God!
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*This is Biblical. To start with, the Old Testament talks about demons...
And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. (Leviticus 17:6-7 ESV)
They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. (Deuteronomy 32:17 ESV)
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons. (Psalm 106:37 ESV)The New Testament talks about demons a lot...
Jesus cast out demons: Matthew 4:24, Matthew 8:16, Matthew 8:23-34 / Mark 4:35-5:20 / Luke 8:22-39, Matthew 9:32-33, Matthew 12:22-23, Matthew 15:28, Matthew 17:18 / Mark 9:25-27, Mark 1:25-26, Mark 1:34, Mark 1:39, Mark 3:11, Mark 7:30, Luke 4:35, Luke 6:18, Luke 9:42, Luke 11:14, Luke 13:32, Luke 4:35, Luke 4:41.
The Twelve cast out demons, eventually: Matthew 10:8 / Mark 6:13 / Luke 9:1, Matthew 17:14-20 / Mark 9:14-29 (unsuccessfully), Mark 3:15.
The Seventy cast out demons: Luke 10:17.
Others cast out demons: Mark 9:38-40 / Luke 9:49-50.
Demons were cast out of some of Jesus' followers: Luke 8:2 / Mark 16:9.
The Book-of-Acts Christians cast out demons: Acts 5:16, Acts 8:7, Acts 16:18.
Even the disobedient cast out demons: Matthew 7:21-23.This is all Holy Scripture, and it is valid for us today. If we act on the Word of God and obey Jesus, we will see the same things.
Those who believe will cast out demons: Mark 16:17.
Religious people who opposed Jesus accused Him of casting out demons by the Devil: Matthew 9:34, Matthew 12:24, Mark 3:22, Luke 11:15.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 ESV).There is no Scripture that says casting out demons is not for today, although I am sure the Devil wants us to believe that because it would be better for him. Our job is to ignore Satan's lies and just cast him out. All authority has been given to Jesus, and that leaves no authority for Satan. None. We must do what Jesus tells us to do, which includes casting out demons...
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)Today, Western Christians cast out demons in Western countries. You can read about what I personally saw, and what happened to me, in some of my other posts, especially here and here. There are many examples on the Internet, both good and bad. Many charismatic churches and movements have been infiltrated by demonic spirits, false prophets and other lies, as predicted by the Bible. The same is also true for non-charismatic churches and movements. We should not totally run away from spiritual things just because some people are deceived. The Father is working, and he is doing so spiritually, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We just have to be discerning, and obey Jesus.
I knew things were not right with me, although I thought I was walking with God, and in many ways I was. I pleaded with God for understanding, just like the persistent widow in Luke 18, and he led me to the people he used to set me free. I now know those wonderful people as beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. You can read about it here. For the time being, those people are discipling me and showing me how to do things I either did not know how to do, or am weak at. Eventually, after learning from them, I will be off discipling others, as Jesus commanded.
If you know me, and would like to know more about these things, I would love to get together with you and show you. This is all I can think about, and it is all I want to do. I believe God is going to make it happen, and it is going to be amazing!
Blessings