A story of a fat and skinny demon
Two demons had a meeting; one demon was so weak, so feeble, and so skinny. There was probably one day left before it is no more. The other was so fat. The fat demon asked the skinny one “Oh dear, what happened to you? Look at you poor thing! Why are you this skinny?” The skinny demon said, “You know my boss gave me an impossible mission! He sent me to this Christian family. They pray powerfully. Before they eat, they always pray over their meal so I can’t eat any of their food! When they get into the car, they pray so powerfully that I have to run to save my life and I have to walk long long distance. Prayer, prayer everywhere they are and in everything they do! I have tried every scheme; there is nothing I can do to accomplish the mission. I am about to give up. When they go to bed, they powerfully pray and put on a wall of blazing fire so that I have to sleep outside in the cold. I am losing and I am afraid my boss will soon kill me!”
The fat demon listened and proudfully said, “As for me, when it comes to my assignment, the last thing this family can remember is prayer. When it is time to eat, this family does not pray so I freely partake in their food. When they drive, they do not pray so I go with them everywhere and when they are drunk, I even get to drive them. When they go to bed, they do not pray so I sleep with them. I pray that they do not change their Boss.” My brothers and sisters, this is a joke shared by my sister but there is something we can learn from it. Live a life of prayer. Pray and defeat all demons assigned against you!
After Hearing the Word of God – Why Are some not changed? Sunday Sermon – Blazing Holy Fire Church Mark 4: 3-8
The word of God is a powerful two edged sword. The word of God is meant to change us but why are some people not changing? Two people can go to the same church service, hear the same word. One person is moved and their life changed while the other person is not moved. Why? Why can one be moved and the other not? How is it possible that you can give the same gift to two people but only one comes back to give thanks? Why were 10 lepers healed but only one came back to give glory to God (Luke 17:11-19)? Why is the word of God not able to change some people?
When people hear the word and are not changed, this means that they have hardened hearts (Matthew 13:14-15) and are not spiritually awakened. Pray that the Lord takes the scales off of their eyes. Pray that they wake up. Bind the spirit of slumber and sleep. Ask God to break any spirits you discern upon them (there are many spirits intertwined like a web). A hardened heart is not acquired overnight, it happens through disobedience and rebellion to the word of God that they have welcomed like the normal.
In the physical realm, have you seen people who do not run from danger? Have you ever seen people who when they hear the sirens because of fire refuse to run for their lives? Those who see that danger is real and upon them will seek safety. If the Word of God is preached and people do not change, this means that in the spiritual realm they are deeply asleep and deceived.
People must realize on their own how dangerous sin is. They must realize that the wage of sin is death. People on their own have to come to realize that they cannot enter heaven with sin. That saying Lord and Lord will not save them, that they cannot enter heaven without changing. Changing is not when we get there, changing is now, before we stand before God. We must have a changed personality, characters and actions. The habits we develop here and there, handed down from tradition, and generations, we must destroy them if they do not match the Bible. We use the Word of God to correct the wrong we see in us.
In order for people to change, they have to come to realize on their own that there is a heaven and hell. On their own, they have come to realize that there is a way and a method to enter heaven in the same way there is protocol when you want to visit the White House. As believer, we have the responsibility to teach others how to enter heaven. This can be learned and this must be taught. There is no one else who can change us except ourselves. We cannot blame anyone else for not changing. In order to change, we have to be people who work hard and apply the word of God in our lives. There cannot be a change of heart if people do not apply the word of God. We cannot say that we tried it for three months and it is not working. We must do it until it works. We must apply the word of God all the days of our life. It is a way of life. When the Lord speaks to us, we cannot take it lightly. We cannot take Jesus like he is our cousin or our neighbor. His word must be feared. We cannot afford to ignore even one word that comes out of His mouth. The Lord does not open His mouth just to talk. We must fear and tremble when He talks.
Mark 4: 3-8 We see 4 groups /categories of people. Among them, only one group bears fruit! Why did the other 3 not bear fruit?
Group 1: Those who are beside the road.
Whenever God sees souls, he sows His seeds- He speaks His word. The people who are beside the road are the people who hear and do not change. Why do they not change though? Because they are not in, they are beside the road. They go to God for wrong reason. These are the ones who go to church for other interests other than God. These are the people who accompany others because it is their relatives; those who want to hang out and just visit and kill time because there is nothing else to do. People must go to church, not because of parents, not because of potluck, not because they have a single’s group, significant others etc. People must go to church or to prayer with the right heart. If anyone comes with the wrong motive, though they hear the word, it will not change them.
When you see these types of people, help them to understand the reason we seek God, why you holy dance, why you read the Bible. Satan is a devil who steals. He is not afraid to steal blessings, messages from such people who show up with the wrong motives. You know, God still speaks the truth even when people do not always listen. Teach them to pray because in prayer, God will open their eyes to see.
Group 2: People with no firm root: These are the people who hear the word and receive it with joy, shouting Amen in the flesh but don’t mean it. These are the ones who say “Lord, Lord…” but they have no firm root. They are the ones who neglect their salvation, who have a casual relationship with Jesus. These people need to be taught the value of the word of God. “for this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it (Hebrew 2:1). They must be taught to go deep in prayer, reading the word of God, applying the word of God and have a serious obedience and serious relationship with God.
These people need to be taught to not neglect their salvation but to keep a firm grip of the faith and of themselves. To hold fast the salvation, holding fast the beginning of assurance firm until the end. They must learn to discipline themselves for the purpose of godliness and guarding what has been entrusted to them. Hebrew 10:23. Teach them to understand that becoming a true believer is declaring war against satan. They need to be taught that warfare is part of the journey, that hard times will come but with hard times and warfare so shall be their victories and to remember the greater the warfare, the greater the Lord shows up.
Group 3: Those who pursue counterfeit lovers: What is your pursuit? What are you putting first? Jesus is the only one to pursue. This group of people has lovers other than God. The love of the world, partying, relationships, riches and the material things of this world they seek. These group of people need to be taught to seek what is eternal – what will not wear off. Help them by reminding them to seek first the kingdom of God and all else will follow. "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36