Isaiah 5:20-23

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!
Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
and deprive the innocent of his right!

Word Study on Woe
Hebrew word: הוֹי | Transliteration howy
Of threatening / Destruction
A prolonged form of הוֹ, which means sorrow.

My comment: We must be aware of what we consider good and bad, dark and light.  Everything that we consider good or bad must run it's validity through the Lord by confirming in the whole of the Scriptures.  We must not take one verse out of the whole Bible and claim it.  For example, the above on wine and alcohol could be read incorrectly.  If wine were evil, do you think Jesus would have turned the wedding water into wine?  Of course not!  This Scripture is about boasting in pouring heavy amounts of alcohol and wine down one's throat.  It's the same as money.  Money is not bad in itself as it is necessary to live. However, the love of money is what is idolatrous (raising itself above God).

1 Timothy 4:4
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Let's recall the 10 Commandments - The second commandment is "Do not make Idols"
Idols are anything that raises itself above God.  Therefore ANYTHING that you hold to a higher value than God is idolatrous and therefore wrong, bad, bitter, evil etc. 

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:15-23

Word Study: Fruit
Vines Expository Dictionary
metaphorically,  of works or deeds, "fruit" being the visible expression of power working inwardly and invisibly, the character of the "fruit" being evidence of the character of the power producing it, Mat 7:16. As the visible expressions of hidden lusts are the works of the flesh, so the invisible power of the Holy Spirit in those who are brought into living union with Christ
Galatians 5:22, the singular form suggesting the unity of the character of the Lord as reproduced in them, namely, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance," all in constrast with the confused and often mutually antagonistic "works of the flesh."

The "S"pirit is the Spirit of truth - Only comes from the workings of God, therefore obedience to God's voice.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

So how do we know we are hearing and obeying God's voice?

How do we hear God's voice.  

1. We listen to Him speaking to our heart/spirit  "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." Romans 8:16
2. We test every word that we hear by making sure it lines up with Scripture.   "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17
3. God did not mean for us to go through life alone.  We can confirm God's voice through a friend or pastor from church.  “God’s intent is that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.” Ephesians 3:10         

Notice how many times Jesus or one of his followers cast out a demon spirit with a simple command.  It is only mentioned once where I can find that it takes prayer to cast out a certain "kind" of demon.  What a simple way that the Lord gives us His authority to minister to others.  Have faith and command the enemy to leave.  And continue to resist at his trying to return.  
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Casting: ἐκβάλλω ekbállō, ek-bal'-lo; from G1537 and G906; to eject (literally or figuratively):—bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out).

Matthew 4:14
Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan!...

Luke 11:14
And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed.

Matthew 8:16
When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.

Mark 1:34
And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

Luke 4:41
Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.
Greek ἐπιτιμάω (epitimaō) - Rebuke in order to curb ones ferocity or violence - restrain - to keep one away from another

Mark 1:39
And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.

Luke 13:32
And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.'

Luke 4:35
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm.

Matthew 8:32 And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.

Mark 5:8
For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!'

Luke 8:29
For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. 
    Demons can drive someone to physically move away

Mark 9:25
When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again."

Mark 7:26
Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

Matthew 8:31
​The demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."

Matthew 9:33
After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
    Demons cause illness

Mark 16:9
Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.

Matthew 9:34
But the Pharisees were saying, "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons."
    Demons lie and deceive

Matthew 12:24
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."

Matthew 12:27
"If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

Mark 3:22
The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons."

Luke 11:15
But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

Luke 11:18-19
"If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. "And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges.

Matthew 12:26
"If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?

Luke 11:20
"But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Matthew 12:28
"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Acts 16:18
Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”

Mark 9:28
And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Conclusion:
When it will not leave with a command in the name of Jesus, then we must pray it out and ask Jesus to send it away.  
However, the majority of the time, a simple command in the name of Jesus Christ will force the demon away. We must use the authority Christ gave us if we are to minister fully in His power.  He expects us to drive out the demons.  

Mark 9:17-29
 “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”
Jesus says about not casting out the demon.

Let's not be faithless, let's do the work of the ministry that God has called us to.  The fullness of the ministry, which means to share the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out the demons -- all in his name.

Matthew 10:1And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
Mark 3:14-15
And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

Luke 10:17-20
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

We don't find joy in that authority of the demons, but we find joy in the gospel.  The authority over the demons is simply to minister to others, so they can live victorious Christian lives. 

1 Peter 1:22-25
​Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

What does it mean to be born again?  Just before John 3:16 (For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life), Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born of water and the Spirit.  Our human bodies are born of perishable seed just like the grass.  The grass is beautiful and has a glory that fades, just as our bodies die.  But you, being born again, of imperishable seed will live forever. So we put our hope in God's Word, not in earthly beauty.  

Matthew Henry's Commentary:
"The apostle having given an account of the excellency of the renewed spiritual man as born again, not of corruptible but incorruptible seed, he now sets before us the vanity of the natural man, taking him with all his ornaments and advantages about him: For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass; and nothing can make him a solid substantial being, but the being born again of the incorruptible seed, the word of God, which will transform him into a most excellent creature, whose glory will not fade like a flower, but shine like an angel; and this word is daily set before you in the preaching of the gospel."

Matthew 5:11
​“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 10:22
 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

John 15:18
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Read all of John 15:18-25 for more depth

When we claim the name of Christ through the whole of our lives, then you will be hated by others on many occasions.  This will look different in many predicaments.  The early church and in some countries today, this could mean jail or even death. In the US, it could mean slander or even plain avoidance of you. Don't feel guilty or compromise.  Paul didn't, and in fact he led some of the prison guards to faith in Christ.  Stand your ground for Jesus in every part of your life.  Take note of the Scripture in John, if you were of the world then they would love you.  Being of the world means taking God out of a certain area in your life.  In that area, the world will love you.  But in Matthew it says, "if you endure to the end, then you will be saved."  Stand your ground and know that it's because of Jesus that this is happening.  Stand firm, rejoice and know that your reward in heaven will be great (Matthew 5:11).

It's so important for us to speak scripture out loud.  This is my favorite verse to speak against the plans of the enemy, the devil.  

Isaiah 54:17
But in that coming day
no weapon turned against you will succeed.
You will silence every voice
raised up to accuse you.
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD;
their vindication will come from me.
I, the LORD, have spoken!

I am going to speak this Scripture out loud in every room of my home, covering my family with the words of God.  I'm going to say this:

“No weapon that has turned against my family will succeed.  God will silence EVERY voice raised up to accuse me and my family.  I am a child of God and He says that this is true for me and my family and He will defend me and my family.  This is true for me because God has said it and He will fight for me, because I believe it”

I'm choosing the word "silence".  The ESV says "refute".  Notice that "you", meaning "me, Sarah" will be the one doing the action.  And in turn, when "you" and "me" refute or silence the voices (the devils accusations) raised against us, then God will defend us.  

Refute: Hebrew word: רָשַׁע - rasha` (transliteration)
Used of the person who gains his cause, to simply Overcome

LEARN TO RELATE to others through MY Love rather than yours.  Your human love is ever so limited, full of flaws and manipulation.  My loving Presence, which always enfolds you, is available to bless others as well as you.  Instead of trying harder to help people through your own paltry supplies, become aware of My unlimited supply, which is accessible to you continually.  Let My Love envelop your outreach to other people.

Many of my precious children have fallen prey to burnout.  A better description of their condition might be "drainout".  Countless interactions with needy people have drained them, without their conscious awareness.  You are among these weary ones, who are like wounded soldiers needing R & R.  Take time to rest in the Love-Light of My Prescence.  I will gradually restore to you the energy that you have lost over the years.  Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and you will find rest for your souls.

                                                                    EXODUS 33:14; MATTHEW 11:28-20

Sent to me by Elise: Book by Sarah Young called "Jesus Calling"

Writings of Solomon - Life is striving after the wind​

Ecclesiastes 1:13-14
I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

I chose to seek deeper into the word "busy".
Hebrew word - `anah עָנָה (H6030)
Strong's Definition
to be occupied, be busied with, to be put down, become low, to be depressed, be downcast, to be afflicted, to stoop​, the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively

Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon
To bestow labor upon anything, to exercise oneself in any thing, till the ground, bring the earth into cultivation

Psalm 119:71-72
It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.
The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Same use of the word here (afflicted - `anah עָנָה (H6030)
To be afflicted, depressed, oppressed

Conclusion:
Life is striving after the wind with affliction, but it has pointed me to God's law and will.

Samuel’s (Old Testament prophet) words to King Saul (first king of Israel) - 1 Samuel 15:22-23

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
(Read full passage here)

Here Samuel is talking to Saul as the Lord had told him specific instructions in taking down the enemy for complete destruction.  But Saul did not completely destroy (did not obey) but rather took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen (the goods).  Saul’s response was that he took it for SACRIFICE to the Lord.  But Saul did not OBEY the voice of the Lord.  

Main Point: Obedience is better than sacrifice.
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Proverbs 3:21 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Psalm 40:6 and 8 -- Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you have opened.
burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
​I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”

Jesus says in Luke 6:46-49
 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”