But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

Luke 24:29

Luke 24:29 gives clear picture of the disciples changing the course of the master. One cannot say that he was meant to stay so no change really occurred.

What they saw convinced them he intended to continue on his journey (vs 28). They, according to the writer, changed that. Luke was probably not there.

We can add to this pattern the Saviour’s amazement and turnaround when he saw the faith of the Syrophoenician woman who pleaded with him to rescue her child (Mark 7:26-29).

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

This is a powerful illustration of an insider trying to keep people away from the benefits of the group. Here we have to wonder why is it that people still think that only Christians or believers have the right to God’s gifts of healing and deliverance. It is a sucky and change-resistant attitude to maintain.

The case of Lydia illustrates the same thing. We must assume that the missionary team were not disposed to be the guest of a new convert. The new child of God changed their lodging plans.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Acts 16:15

Feeling too set to change. Think again. What heights have we attained that signal we are through growing or learning?

Demoniacs are usually people in the grasp of one or more of the fallen angels. If a demon takes over a human body we can be sure Christ was not living there. When people cling to opinions about Christ that do not appear in the apostolic witness – not only in the Bible – they are engaging in pure show, Pharisaism, and a  souped-up reality television kind of exercise, and it may be completely powered by demons.

We have seen that deception and seduction plays a role in enabling the believer’s assurance just as surely as they are the devil’s paintbrush and picture.   The dangers are part of the must-happens in the last days.  They have been around since the church was an infant.  However failure to cling to Yeshua’s faith is not merely disastrous, it is predicted and particularly for the last days.

Demoniac dominion

To some extent we have done a poor job of closing the door on demonic influences. This means that the fingerprint of the deceiver can be seen in every unofficial and official creed. The wine of Babylon – the energy devoted to keeping people barely alive and dependent on (an increasingly irrelevant) leadership is still a priority over equipping believers. The deceiver is busy as he has ever been.

And the dragon was energized against the woman, and went to make war with the woman’s remaining children who keep God’s commandments and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation of John 12:17

There are enough angels of the fallen kind to manipulate things so that the appearance leads to the conclusion that “it has to be God that’s doing that”. Of course they can predict things that are deep mysteries to the average mind.

People who have departed from the faith are typically not aware that they have done so.  That is the nature of deception and seduction.  Lazy and poorly informed leaders, even those with seemingly impeccable credentials as charismatic personalities, have shredded the truth of the gospel into hundreds of tiny bits of irrelevant demands. The template for identifying the departed is readily available.

Signs of the departed reality

• Forbidding people to marry; a certain symptom of tribalism
• Promote lies that resemble truth; acting out what they really are not
• Forbidding certain foods; ultimately denying God the thanksgiving he deserves and expects from the people who consume the forbidden foods

Television gives little education and entertainment that is of true value. Most of what we see is carefully staged performances. Life needs better foundations than the popular 20 minute soundbytes. It seems that 21st century media has adopted the 1st century Pharisees: covering up its inner corruption with public and loud displays of patriotism and passion for a useless and murderous imitation of life.