MENTORING LETTER 31

pamsheppard.com

HOW TO TRY THE SPIRITS PART 3

TEMPTED, TESTED, AND TRIED

Most Christians believe that the gift of discerning of spirits is predominately supernatural. In other words, those with this gift can actually see into and hear what is being spoken in the realm of the spirit. I wouldn't disagree with that. However, the enemy also deceives the spiritually gullible by designing spiritual scenarios and enactments similar to stage plays, with deceptive characters, images and voices, produced in order to align with the seer's preconceived faulty assumptions and misconceptions. Consequently, the power within the gift is to be able to recognize whether or not what you are seeing and hearing is for your good or is it for evil. If it is for your good, then it is from God. If its intent is to trip you up and cause you to

fall, then it is from the enemy. The movie, the Devil's Advocate, has some good examples in it. Consider the scene where the devil and his advocate are riding on the subway in NYC when the devil, as played by Al Pacino, sets his eyes on an hispanic male who becomes verbally aggressive. But Pacino stops him in his tracks when he speaks to him in Spanish and says, "your woman is at home right now, sleeping on your blue bed spread with your best friend Hector. If you get off the train now and go back home, you can catch them in the act." The man stood there, incredulous. As he was getting off the train, is was not difficult to imagine that he was headed home "to do some harm." This is an instance when the devil told him the truth for the man's destruction. For if he went home and killed his woman and his best friend, then he would spend the rest of his life incarcerated. Sometimes the religious demon assigned to you will tell you the truth for your own destruction. Where it comes to hearing and seeing into the spirit realm, human beings are certainly at a disadvantage. For example, psychics may see some things with great accuracy and yet, its what they have not seen or its how they have interpreted what they DO see that hinders them. For we all see through a glass darkly. Therefore, what I have come to know is that wisdom is a lot more important where it comes to discerning good from evil. Therefore, we must have wisdom when we try the spirits. Certainly, we are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Yet some of us continue to perish even WITH the knowledge because we have neither understanding of the knowledge nor the wisdom as to what to actually DO with the knowledge that we have obtained. The Lord Jesus Christ as a man did not know ALL things as evidenced by the fact that He often asked questions. It is important to realize that if the Lord was all knowing and seeing in the realm of the spirit at all times while incarnate , He could not be tempted. Satan tempts us because we don't have all of the answers, regardless of how spiritually gifted we are. This place called Earth is our testing ground because we don't know all the answers. As the Lord was sent into the world to be tried, tested and tempted, so are we. This is the most important knowlege that we must have when we try the spirits. Like Jesus, we were sent here to be tried, tested and tempted. In fact, the scriptures tell us that it was the Holy Spirit who actually led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. The temptation would not have been valid, if Jesus knew EVERYTHING Satan would say and do. So know this. We don't need to know EVERYTHING either. You just need to know God's will and Satan's tactics. Consider this. It was the Father Who instructed the Holy Ghost to lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the enemy. The Father also allowed Satan to arouse the hatred of the religious leaders and the betrayal of a close friend to actually put Jesus on that cross and "it pleased the Father to bruise Him." What carried Jesus through to the victory of the resurrection was that the Lord had the kind of discernment that enabled Him to recognize good from evil and He also knew the Father's will for Him. Not in any way swayed by the adoring crowds of Palm Sunday, Jesus picked up His cross and offered no defense when He was questioned by Pontius Piolot. Why? Because the Lord knew the Father's ultimate plan and the Lord Jesus did not deviate one iota from it. As a result, you and I are saved and the Father gave the Lord a Name that is above every other name. If you are born again, you will reign with Jesus and you will share in His judgment of the very fallen angels and demons who are assigned to deceive and tempt you now. So if you are to "overcome them," then you will have to travel the very same kind of path as did the Lord. You

will be tested, tempted and tried. With this knowledge as a basic assumption, you are on your way to being able to try the spirits in your own life. Here is the deal. Things will happen to you that look good, but they they are evil. And things will happen to you that look evil, but they are good in your particular situation. Here is a simple, true example. When I was pastoring, I had as a member a person who was a serious drug abuser who for the sake of discussion, I'll call "George". At this point in the testimony, George had been clean about 6 months and was an active churchgoer. No one in the church knew that George was an addict because George was too proud to share his weakness before them. George constantly prayed and talked about having a car. Yet, he never could seem to afford one. One day, a church member hired him to paint her house, and rather than pay him with money, she decided to pay George by giving him a car. So George got up in church and testified concerning "his wonderful blessing." I discerned immediately that this "gift" was a curse, sent from the devil to destroy him. A car in the hands of an alcoholic, chronic multi-substance abuser who is still struggling with his addiction is certainly NOT a blessing. However, since it came through the church, everyone assumed it was a blessing but me. I prayed against it. The woman who gave the gift was offended when I didn't praise her for her "great blessing." Anyway, it was a double demonic whammy. It turned out that the woman had problems with the title and couldn't give George the car. So she did something even worse. She put $1000 cash in George's hands. For years, George spent his entire monthly SSI check in ONE day on drugs. At this point in his recovery, I was handling his cash for him but in rebellion, the woman did not give the money to me because in pride, George didn't want the rest of the church to know that he was an addict. So immediately, George went on a binge. He ended up stabbing another woman and served 5 years in prison. Once released, George continued drinking and drugging for the next 15 years---until the man just got too old and too sick to abuse drugs any longer. Believe it or not, George is now 77 years old, is clean and sober, has a clean license and he is still praying for "a car." A car at this stage would be a death sentence for somebody!. Senility has set in and he doesn't need to be behind the wheel at this late date. George's case highlights another demonic tactic. The devil always has an alternative plan. He could not get this man behind the wheel drunk to kill himself or someone else, so instead, the enemy made use of the incident to fuel this man's addiction for two decades. The devil always has "a bull in the bush" and he is capable of killing two or more birds with one stone. Having a car today is certainly a blessing. However, as you can see from this particular example, not always. Now let us look at this from the opposite angle. Anyone would ordinarily consider that rejection is evil and "of the devil." It ain't necessarily so. Now I'll use myself as an example. I was born "rejected". Not that I was deprived of a family, friends, and the essential necessities of life. However, from an emotional perspective, I was not really accepted from the time I was a child because I was not pleasing to various "significant others," and I was by nature NOT a

people pleaser. However, rejection was one of the best things that ever happened to me on many levels. As a starter, I was rejected by my peers. So not being popular, I became an A student in school, went on to obtained a masters degree in my chosen field. That led to obtaining decent employment with an organization that afforded me the financial independence I now have as a retired person with an excellent pension. However, rejected in my career was a good thing because if I had been found pleasing and acceptable to those in authority, I would have overworked, gone against my own nature and become a "company person," and I would not be writing this newsletter right now. I could go on an on with this line of discernment from work, to family, to personal relationships---I am filled with blessings derived from rejection. Even more, from a spiritual perspective, there are too many benefits to account for that came as a result of rejection. In fact, "Come Out of Her God's People" is a testament of how I have been blessed by being rejected so I won't belabor it here. For those who are interested, I recommend the book to you. It can be purchased at www.pamsheppard.com/bookstore, Amazon, and several other book retailers. Suffice it to say for now, that if it were not for rejection, I would not be the author of all 6 books, nor would I be writing this newsletter. If it were not for rejection, at this very moment in time, I would be a blind pastor, leading a blind congregation, in a dead church. Therefore, I thank God for my blessing. For as I try the spirits, I come to understand that I have been rejected not so much because of who I am, but because of who Jesus IS, so as He wisely stated, I rejoice and I am exceedingly glad. So Beloved, you have your own cross to bear. If not, then I question whether or not you belong to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We must overcome as the Lord overcame if we are to share in His Throne and in His conquest. Jesus led the way. We must follow. Jesus passed through His hour and the power of darkness at Calvary yet to rise in victory. We pass through that same dark valley of the shadow of death. In order to pass through the darkness, we need the wisdom of God to comprehend it. For on the other side of the dark valley is victory. Anyone who has no victory over sin remains in the dark valley and you are food for the enemy. Client after client that I come in contact with are in the dark valley, not because they have sinned, but because they are consumed with a consciousness of sin. In other words, they have not been cleansed, washed in the blood of the Lamb with no condemnation in their minds or in their hearts. Its like having sex without an orgasm. If you never experienced being washed in the blood, not feeling like a sinner anymore, always worried about whether you committed the unpardonable sin, then Lord have mercy on you. You might as well be in the world doing your thing than to claim to be "in Christ" yet you always feel condemned. Know this, Dear Reader. Religious demons can counterfeit both sin and selfcondemnation. Consider a person who has never had real sexual pleasure, yet because she allowed a woman to fondle here breasts a few times years ago, the enemy has convinced her that she is a lesbian. A Pentecostal, holiness person, she is STILL being tormented by an incident that happened several years ago, yet she claims that she is saved. Whatever thoughts are accepted from evil spirits gives these beings both entry and power. When a believer knows the Cross and his position of death to sin, whenever sin is alive in your mind but you are not actually sinning, then those thoughts are not your own and they need to be cast down.

PAM'S BOOK CORNER

AN EXCERPT FROM "Come Out of Her, God's People."
When I look back over my adult life, I confess that I indeed was one of those self motivated, independent, fearless, ambitious achievers who appeared to be destined for fame and fortune either in the world or in the organized church. Yet somehow, unexpected roadblocks suddenly appeared that hindered my rise to either worldly superstardom or blocked my entrance into Christian megadom. Today I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for every roadblock, for if I had succeeded in my quest to become polished, pleasing and popular, not only would I have not been able to accomplish the mission that the Lord has chosen as my task, I would also be headed for hell in a roller coaster. Today I understand that those who plotted against me in my secular career and churchfolk who served as my stumbling blocks to elevation within the denomination were actually divine acts of grace and blessing imparted to me by the Holy Ghost. Thank you, Jesus!!!! Therefore, I bow my knee and my heart to the King of Kings, not giving place to vain imaginations of retribution and vengeance toward those who were mere tools in the Lords hand to block me for my own good. The Lord Jesus exalts whom He will exalt and abases whom He will abase. I thank Him with all of my heart that He allowed the devil to mock and abase me. My past in the religiosity of organized church is no different from my sinful past in the occult world inspired by the unseen hand of a religious fallen angel. It is all dung. Garbage. Filth. Excrement. ALL that appeared good was tainted both in the secular world and in the church. Just as I rejoiced that I was called out of the world in 1977, I also rejoice that I was put out of the condemned building of the organized church in 2004. My departure was both timely and on time. For I suspect that judgment began within the household of faith decades ago. Consequently, I believe that fallen angels have already risen out of the abyss and God Himself has released them to pour out the plagues. Soon the organized church is coming down like a house of cards. Those who do not have a love for the truth shall fall with Her. If I had known from decade to decade what the Lord was doing, I probably would have found rest and peace sooner than I did and not have knocked my head against so many spiritual brick walls or gone around so many hopeless circles. Actually, I did not fully catch on to what was happening until 3 years after I was led out. Progressively, the eyes of my understanding have been enlightened. Without a doubt, everything that the devil meant for evil and confusion has been used by the Holy Ghost to teach me how to walk in the spirit, lean on His everlasting arms, and allow my life with Jesus Christ of Nazareth to unfold. Completely unawares, I walked daily through the valley of the shadow of death while I thought I was safe behind church walls. Temptations and seductions were all around me. I was distracted and finally tempted by my own share of fleshly weaknesses. Like Peter, Satan tried

to sift me like wheat but the Lord prayed for me and my faith in Him has never failed me. Every false doctrine, charismatic teaching, sign and wonder has been removed from me, knocked down by God Himself. He knew what I didnt know. Through trial, tribulation and testing, it has been proven to me that my foundation is solidly built upon a Rock. That Rock is My Salvation. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is My Deliverer from the chaos, comfort and confusion of church.

A "TRY THE SPIRITS" TIP

"To obtain possession, and control of believers, who will not be attracted by sin, the deceiving spirits must first counterfeit the manifestation of the presence of God, so that under cover of this "presence," they can get their suggestions into the mind, and their counterfeits accepted without question. This is their first, and sometimes their long piece of labor.