Illustrated Message Overview with Marjorie

We start today’s Illustrated Message by reading from The Holy War in Chapter 4, page 26 paragraph 5, ending on the last paragraph on page 27. To download a copy of the book, click on the link at the top of this website page. Again, we encourage you to read this portion as we did at church so that you’ll be able to understand this message. As we do in all the messages, we’ll only use excerpts of the book in today’s message, even though we read all of the above mentioned in the church service.

We left off in the last reading, where “Diabolus, sent for Lord Understanding and Mr. Conscience, and clapped them both in prison as the ringleaders of this astonishing affray in Mansoul.” You may be locked up today in some sort of prison, be it literal or figuratively, for your belief in and preaching of the Holy Bible that has awakened the consciences of those around you who were asleep in sin. For some, it was a rude awakening with no desire for repentance in the city of Mansoul, for others it was a peaceful enlightenment that was followed up with an immediate desire to make things right with God. However, in the town of Mansoul the majority ruled in favour of serving Diabolus rather than King Shaddai, a story that is all so true even today as the majority of souls after having heard the Gospel preached, have chosen to serve satan rather than God. It’s called the broad and wide road that leads to destruction.

The Holy War:

“But let us return again to our story. The captains, when they left the gate, and returned to the camp, called a council of war to decide on further courses of action. Some said, ‘Let us go up soon and fall on the city’; but most thought that it would be better to give them another chance to yield. And the reason they gave was this, that as far as they could see, the city of Mansoul was more inclined to give up than before. ‘And if’, they said, ‘that is true, we should not be too hard on them; for we might make them unwilling to respond to our summons.’”

It looks like the subject in what we read, would be mercy, merciful when you’re presenting the gospel no matter how much unbelief your facing, by self-willed ambition or the self-centered will of the individual that you’re preaching the gospel to, be merciful.

2 Peter 3:9 Amplified Bible says; “9 The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Self-will and unbelief in God are great enemies of the prophetic, whether it be prophesying God’s word, or prophesying in the Spirit by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they are the greatest enemies. When you’re prophesying to unbelieving and self-willed individuals who are enemies of God, they are also enemies of the prophet. But the Lord is not slack with enemies of the cross, He doesn’t delay. He doesn’t interfere with their selfish will or selfish ambition, but let’s them decide freely. It doesn’t contradict His word because it says as we read that,  The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient...”. It is a voluntary act on a persons part, God doesn’t interfere with that.

The majority of those in the city of Mansoul are backslidden from God, and are as those in the Old Testament to who God sent many prophets to warn them of judgments to come, and their need to repent and return to Him with all their heart. But the problem is not with God, but rather with the heart of man being desperately wicked and unable to keep the whole Law of God, no matter how hard they try, for if they stumble at one point, they are guilty of breaking the whole Law of God. This is why under the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were needed to make atonement for sins only, a temporary covering and not the removal of sins.  

James 2:8-10 Amplified Bible says; “8 If, however, you are [really] fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself [that is, if you have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit]” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality [prejudice, favouritism], you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as offenders. 10 For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of [breaking] all of it.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10 Amplified Bible says; “9 The heart is deceitful above all things And it is [a]extremely sick; Who can understand it fully and know its secret motives? 10  “I, the Lord, search and examine the mind, I test the heart, To give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”

This is the state of the city of Mansoul, and this is the state of a persons soul prior to salvation, for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 9:22 Amplified Bible says; “22 In fact under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment].”

That’s why under under the Old Testament, if a man sinned, according to the Levitical Laws he had to offer up whatever animal was required in order to make atonement for that or those sins. A covering for the sin, not a removal of it. The removal of sin came later when Jesus died for the sins of the world when His blood was shed. Under the Old Testament, when the saints died (if they were holy), they went to Abraham’s bosom in Paradise, not to heaven. It was only when Jesus died on the cross, His blood shed, that their sins were removed and were then granted access to heaven. These saints had to wait for the last and final sacrifice of their Messiah to take them out of Abraham’s bosom and go to heaven.

The Holy War:

“They agreed with this advice, and called a trumpeter. They put words in his mouth, gave him a set time, and bid him ‘God-speed’. Well, not many hours passed before the trumpeter completed his journey. Coming up to the wall of the city, he steered his course to Ear-gate, and there sounded aloud, as he was ordered. Those who were inside came out to see what the matter was, so the trumpeter made this speech as follows:

‘Hard-hearted and deplorable city of Mansoul, how long will you love your sinful, sinful, simplicity? (Proverbs 1:22) And fools, how long will you delight in your scorning? Did you not refuse the offers of peace and deliverance? Will you refuse the golden offer of Shaddai, and trust in the lies and falsehoods of Diabolus? Consider when Shaddai has conquered you. Do you think that the memory of your behaviour towards him will bring you peace and comfort, or that by using defiant language you will make him as afraid as a grasshopper? Does he plead with you because he is afraid of you? Do you think you are stronger than he is? Do you not look into the heavens and behold the stars, and see how high they are? Can you stop the sun from running its course, and hinder the moon from giving its light? Can you count the number of the stars, or stop the rain coming from heaven? Can you call the waters of the sea and cause them to cover the face of the ground? Can you bring down every one who is proud and bind their faces in secret? ‘Yet these are some of the works of our King, in whose name we come up today to call you to accept his authority. In his name, therefore, I summon you again to yield up yourselves to his captains.”

When you study the Old Testament, it’s clear that Jesus is prophesied about from the time of the creation of mankind and throughout it until the fulfillment of His birth, death and resurrection which was the final sacrifice for all, that did not merely bring atonement that was a temporary covering for sins, but rather the complete removal of sins. So it seems like no matter how many prophets were sent, as it was with the captains to the city of Mansoul, those following God’s laws were the minority, and the majority served satan and his host of fallen angels that fell with him.

A good example of a prophet speaking about Jesus can be read in the following verses.  

Isaiah 53 Amplified Bible talks about The Suffering Servant; “1 Who has believed [confidently trusted in, relied on, and adhered to] our message [of salvation]? And to whom [if not us] has the arm and infinite power of the Lord been revealed?  

2 For He [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender shoot (plant), And like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majestic splendour That we would look at Him, Nor [handsome] appearance that we would [a]be attracted to Him.  

3  He was despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief;
And like One from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him. 4  But [in fact] He has borne our griefs,
And He has carried our sorrows and pains; Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken, Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him].
5  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, each one, to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] To fall on Him [instead of us]. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth [to complain or defend Himself]; Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before her shearers, So He did not open His mouth.  

8  [b]After oppression and judgment He was taken away; And [c]as for His generation [His contemporaries], who [among them] concerned himself with the fact That He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death] For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due? 9  His grave was assigned with the wicked, But He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.  

10  Yet the Lord was [d]willing To crush Him, [e]causing Him to suffer; If [f]He would give Himself as a guilt offering [an atonement for sin], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, And the will (good pleasure) of the Lord shall succeed and prosper in His hand.  

11 As a result of the [g]anguish of His soul, He shall see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge [of what He has accomplished] the Righteous One, My Servant, shall justify the many [making them righteous—upright before God, in right standing with Him], For He shall bear [the responsibility for] their sins. 12  Therefore, I will divide and give Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], And He shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because He [willingly] poured out His life to death, And was counted among the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore and took away the sin of many, And interceded [with the Father] for the transgressors.”

We must remember that this prophesy was coming from someone, (Isaiah), in the Old Testament, who didn’t know him personally. He was prophesying about the Messiah, Jesus. There were probably over 700 years between Isaiah and Jesus!  There were many prophesies in the Old Testament about Jesus’ coming. Even though we’re at the point in this book, The Holy War, where Jesus will be introduced soon, it’s good to remember that Jesus was prophesied about and was not a last minute panic decision on God’s part to solve the world’s problems, it was foretold by the prophets besides Isaiah. God didn’t hide His intentions about redemption in a dark room or covered by jar. No, it was a bright light shining forth by prophets whom God chose even before Jesus was born. This was the hope and future of mankind.

The Holy War:

At this summons, the citizens of Man soul seemed at a loss, and did not know what to reply. Therefore, Diabolus appeared straight away and took up the task himself.  This is how he began; but he was directing his speech to the citizens of Mansoul: ‘Gentlemen, and my faithful subjects, if it is true what this herald said concerning the greatness of their King, his terror will always keep you in bondage, and you will come to regret it. Yes; how can you now, even though he is at a distance, bear to think of such a mighty one? And if not while at a distance, how will you bear to be in his presence? I, your prince, am familiar with you, and you may play with me as you would with a grasshopper. Consider, therefore, what is good for you, and remember the protection I have given you. ‘Furthermore, if it is all true what this man said, how is it that the subjects of Shaddai are made into slaves wherever they come? None in the universe are so unhappy as those who are trampled down. ‘Consider this, my Mansoul. If only you were as loath to leave me as I am loath to leave you! And consider, I say, while the ball is still at your foot. You possess liberty, if you know how to use it. Yes; you have a king too, if you know how to love and obey him.’

After this speech, the city of Mansoul again hardened her heart against the captains of Shaddai. The thought of his greatness did not overcome them so much, and the thought of his holiness did not drive them into despair. So, after a short consultation, those of the party of Diabolus sent their word through the trumpeter: that on their part, they were determined to remain loyal to their king and never yield to Shaddai. So it was in vain to present them with any further summons, for they had rather die in this place than yield. And now things seemed quite black, with Mansoul out of reach or call.”

Where it says; “if it is true what this herald said concerning the greatness of their King, his terror will always keep you in bondage,..” in other words it could be said, ‘if it’s true what Isaiah said, it’s going to keep you in bondage under judgment.’ You see how applicable this is for today.  

The devil, Diabolus, is a liar and he wants to be your lord today. He does not want you to believe what the prophets have said but wants your loyal servitude. The devil always sows unbelief in God’s word and His prophets, to get you and your self-centered will. He wants your will and doesn't want you to surrender it to Almighty God, King Shaddai.

There seems to be a theme throughout the The Holy War, that Diabolus is always depicting King Shaddai as a dictator that keeps His people in bondage and strikes terror into those who disobey His laws of doom and gloom. The devil is a master deceiver at convincing people that what God calls evil is really good, and what God calls good is really evil. How many people today believe that lie due to circumstances that they’re facing?

Isaiah 5:20 Amplified Bible says the following; “20  Woe (judgment is coming) to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Whoever does this can’t help but receive judgment from God. Even in the New Testament and the day in which we live, you can’t call what God has declared good – as evil and not expect His judgment, and you can’t call what God has declared evil – as good and not expect judgment.

Revelation 22:18-19 Amplified Bible; “18 I testify and warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [its predictions, consolations, and admonitions]: if anyone adds [anything] to them, God will add to him the plagues (afflictions, calamities) which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from or distorts the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away [from that one] his share from the tree of life and from the holy city (new Jerusalem), which are written in this book.”

I’m quite amazed at the amount of adding to and taking away from the Bible that is done by so-called Christians, who call good evil and evil good by teaching false doctrines of demons to accommodate a lifestyle of sinning.

2 Peter 2:1-3 Amplified Bible talks about The Rise of False Prophets; “2 But [in those days] false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will subtly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false arguments and twisted doctrine. Their sentence [of condemnation which God has decreed] from a time long ago is not idle [but is still in force], and their destruction and deepening misery is not asleep [but is on its way].”

You can’t escape God’s judgment. You can be an unbeliever in God all you want but you won’t escape His judgment. You can be the most selfish, ambitious person in the world toward the things of God and yet not escape His judgment. As merciful as He is, you won’t escape His judgment.

I would encourage you to read all of 2 Peter 2, it clearly shows that just as the devil deceived Mansoul under the Old Testament covenant, he’s continuing under the New Testament that is still being written today.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Amplified Bible; “13 For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds.”

Their end will correspond with their deeds, or in other words, you will know them by their fruit. There are a lot of Christians today who won’t attend a church that operates in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, teaching the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and are calling what God has declared in His Bible to be good, evil. Even if they are not saying it out loud, their end result will correspond with their deeds of not attending your church, and the masquerade of being servants of righteousness goes on undetected. A person doesn’t have to say a thing because their action of not going to your church says it all. It will all be revealed to light though at the judgment. Remember, the thoughts, intentions of the heart and every idle word will be judged by Jesus.

The Holy War:

To this speech of the noble Captain Conviction, they, as one man, consented, and agreed that a petition should immediately be drawn up and sent by a suitable man to Shaddai with speed. The contents of the petition ran as follows:

‘Most gracious and glorious King, Lord of the best world, and builder of the city of Mansoul, we have, dread Sovereign, at your command, put our lives at risk, and at your bidding made war on the famous city of Mansoul. When we went up against it, and as was our orders, we first offered conditions of peace to her. But they, great King, despised our counsel and would not listen to our reproof. (Matthew 22:5; Proverbs 1:25-30; Zechariah 7:11-13) They shut their gates and kept us out of the city. They also mounted their guns, and came out against us, and did what damage they could. But we pursued them with alarm upon alarm, paying out such retribution as they deserved, and we also bombarded the city.

‘Diabolus, Incredulity, and Willbewill are our greatest enemies. We are now in our quarters, but we still assault and distress the city.

This sounds like ministry. It sounds like preaching and prophesying to someone who refuses to hear and in turn they assault and bombard you with their mouth and other ways. It seems like the Captains are at their wit ends, with no place else to turn, for the hearts of the citizens of Mansoul appear to be desperately wicked, although in their minds they are convinced that they are good servants of Diabolus and the servants of Shaddai are the real evil ones. That is how deceptive it gets.  

There may be those who are in your sphere of ministry who honestly believe you’re the evil one and they’re the good one. You may be at your wits end wondering if it’s even worthwhile to preach, if it’s worth it to pray for them, is it worth it to pray for your enemies and enemies of the ministry. We know Jesus commands us to, so that in and of itself makes it worth it. But when you’re in the heat of the battle, at your wits end and the devil is sowing all kinds of lies trying to keep you from ministry, you must hold fast to the Word of God which is truth. You can only imagine the call of God on some of the prophets when they were called, knowing what had happened to the prophet before them and the prophet before them...what they had to endure. Yet God was calling them just as He’s calling many today, He doesn’t want you to look at the past of other ministries or other prophets, He wants you to simply step into the call and election to be faithful at all times and every situation, even when it doesn’t look or feel good.

Matthew 22:1-14 New King James Version, talks about the Parable of the Wedding Feast ; “And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them [a]spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, [b]take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

This parable sounds like the Captains calling out to the city of Mansoul, yet they were not willing to surrender and yield. So other servants, prophets, captains, preachers, teachers, evangelists were sent, yet the city of Mansoul made light of it, just like today.

Are you like many from the time of creation until now, saying or doing the following? “’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them [a]spitefully, and killed them.  

Are you like the one without the wedding garment?13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, [b]take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

You can’t reject the call of God while alive and expect not to be rejected on the day of judgment after death. Obeying God’s call determines who He chooses to attend the Wedding Supper of Lamb. It predicates on your obedience. To reject His call, sets you up for Him to reject you upon your death.

Revelation 19:7-9 Amplified Bible;“7 Let us rejoice and shout for joy! Let us give Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [at last] and His bride (the redeemed) has prepared herself.” 8 She has been permitted to dress in fine linen, dazzling white and clean—for the fine linen signifies the righteous acts of the saints[the ethical conduct, personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character of believers]. 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write, ‘[a]Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the [b]Lamb.’” And he said to me [further], “These are the true and exact words of God.”

This shows you what you’ll miss out on and why you’ll get thrown into outer darkness, when you’re found without the wedding garment on, when you’re found out that you’re not born again of the Spirit, when you’re found out that you rejected what you need for salvation. The bride is the church, and the groom is Jesus.

It seems like unbelief in God and His word and the selfish ambitious will of man, are the greatest enemies of the prophet. No matter what the prophet says, they don’t believe. Selfish ambition has their will for themselves only and not for God. Prophet after prophet after prophet speaking the word, rejection after rejection after rejection of that word. There will be a marriage supper held by Jesus Christ and unless you’re born of the Holy Spirit and obey God’s commands for your life, you’ll not be able to attend, there will be those who will be thrown out because they don’t have the wedding garment on. 

Regardless of how many prophets have spoken to them it will not change their outcome because of unbelief in His word, adding to His word, taking away from His word, calling that which is evil, good and good, evil.

Proverbs 1:25-30 Amplified Bible says; “25  And you treated all my counsel as nothing And would not accept my reprimand, 26  I also will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread and panic come, 27  When your dread and panic come like a storm, And your disaster comes like a whirlwind, When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution]. 28 “Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer; They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me, 29  Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect], 30  They would not accept my counsel, And they spurned all my rebuke.”

When people reject what the prophets say, they do not believe the word of God when it was spoken, when they add and take away from the word of God, disaster will come.

Zechariah 7:11-13 Amplified Bible; “11 But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears. 12 They made their hearts [hard] like flint, so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts;”

Even as the city of Mansoul has rejected the word of the Captains, who represent the prophets, so have many today rejected the prophets, preachers, teachers, evangelists, pastors, the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit convicting them of sin so that they don’t perish and they come to repentance. There has been a continual stubborn, self-will of unbelief of what’s being said that has put them in that place of judgment. God didn’t put them there, but their own selfish ambitious will, and unbelieving heart that has put them there. A ‘will’ like that, will rule you out an eternity in heaven if you don’t submit to God and believe what He says. Diabolus, the devil, can’t give you eternal life. You’ll live eternally but not in heaven under his rule, but in hell where the worm doesn’t die and the fire doesn’t go out. But you can spend eternity in heaven and attend the marriage supper of the Lamb because you have the wedding garment on if you’re obedient and submitted to Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 13:58, Jesus said this; “And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.”

Unbelief is a strategy of the devil and Jesus hates it and He could not do much because of it. So like it said in the story today,  ‘Diabolus, Incredulity, and Willbewill are our greatest enemies. Hence the title of the message today; Satan, Unbelief and Self-will ~The Prophets Greatest Enemies,  and are still the worst enemies of the church.

We start today’s Illustrated Message by reading from The Holy War in Chapter 4, page 25 the second paragraph ending on the fourth paragraph on page 26. To download a copy of the book, click on the link at the top of this website page. Again, we encourage you to read this portion as we did at church so that you’ll be able to understand this message.

We pick up today focusing on old Incredulity who is flipping out, has blown a gasket because of the message and response of King Shaddai’s Captains regarding the terms of agreement that they had offered to the Town of Mansoul.

The Holy War;

“When old Incredulity heard this speech, he cried out, ‘Treason! treason! To your arms, to your arms, loyal friends of Diabolus in Mansoul!’  

Understanding replied, ‘Sir, you may put whatever meaning you wish on my words; but I am sure that the captains of such a high Lord as theirs, deserved better treatment at your hands.’

Then said old Incredulity, ‘This is no better. Sir’, he continued, ‘what I said was on behalf

of my prince, his government, and the good of the people, who, by your illegal actions,

have started this mutiny against us.’”

Understanding of God’s word found in His Holy Bible, is a direct threat to the kingdom of darkness, satan and his fallen angels, for it’s one thing to carry a sword (the Bible), it’s another thing to understand how to use it in spiritual battle. A lot of Christians are not even aware that the Bible they carry to church is a sword, and for the most part, have little or no understanding of how use it as a sword. That’s a form of spiritual ignorance for the believer.  

Hebrews 4:12 Amplified Bible says; “12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

It’s not just a book with words, it’s living and active. It’s a spiritual sword.

2 Timothy 2:15 Amplified Bible says; “15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified Bible says; “16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

You’re to be outfitted with the Word of God, the spiritual sword.

The citizens of Mansoul were no threat to Diabolus until they gained understanding of God’s word of redemption for their backslidden souls, the words of Shaddai that promised them a future and a hope of salvation.

So a good question to ask yourself today, do I have understanding of how to use God’s word as a sword for spiritual warfare, or do I carry a Bible (sword), that sits unopened on a shelf all week, just to maintain a good Christian religious image in public? Some may have the huge family edition Bible, others a small pocket Bible, but both are spiritual and are lethal against the kingdom of darkness.

So long as satan can keep a person ignorant, without understanding of the Bible, they remain lukewarm, neither hot or cold for God, and not even backslidden from God, for they were never front-slidden towards God.

Old Incredulity (unbelief), likes it when Christians thru lack of knowledge of God’s word, become like the frog in the pot that does not even know it’s being gradually cooked as the heat is slowly turned up. It has all the opportunities to jump out and escape but ends up being gradually cooked. It’s like leaven leavening the whole lump, a little sin leavening your whole life.

Revelation 3:15-17 Amplified Bible says; “15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are [a]neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were [b]cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need],”

The Holy War:

“Then the old Recorder, whose name was Mr. Conscience, said, ‘Sir, you ought not to reply in this way to what Lord Understanding has said. It is plain enough that he spoke the truth, and that you are an enemy of Mansoul. You stand convicted, then, by your evil and fancy language, of bringing grief by the hand of the captains. Indeed, you have done great damage to Mansoul. Had you accepted the conditions offered, the sound of the trumpet and the alarm of war would now have ceased around the city of Mansoul. But that dreadful noise continues; and the lack of wisdom in your speech is the cause of it.’”

A description of Mr. Understanding taken from CurioSmith says this;  

“The Lord Mayor for Shaddai's Mansoul and Immanuel's Mansoul.[3]
 

"The Lord Mayor, Mr. Understanding.—The Understanding is the lord and umpire of the soul, holding the intellectual mastery over man. This power, having once a far-seeing eye, a quick perception, an understanding heart, and a lordly counsel, is now degraded, darkened, and imprisoned, “having the understanding darkened,” Ephesians 4:18."[2]

Compiled by Charles J. Doe, Labels: Mayor (Lord), Understanding (Mr.)”

Ephesians 4:17-19 Amplified Bible says; “17 So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls], 18 for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart.”

Ephesians 4:17-32 is a worthwhile read in your own study's that gives understanding about what the Christian walk is supposed to be and what it’s not to be.

Satan wants to remove all record of the Holy Bible from the lives of both believers and unbelievers, so that their consciousness of sin remains dormant, asleep, with no understanding or accountability to God’s word. It’s a form of spiritual ignorance that is bliss, in that in their minds it removes the knowledge of God’s judgment out of their lives for the present.  

The town of Mansoul is no longer in a state of spiritual ignorance due to Mr Understanding boldly awakening Mr Conscience.     

Taken again from CurioSmith, here is a definition of Mr. Recorder.

“Mr. Conscience is the Recorder for Shaddai's Mansoul.[3]
 

"Mr. Recorder whose name was Mr. Conscience is the memory of the heart, the moral memory of man, the recorder of the soul. This ruling power of Mansoul, having consented to the entrance of DIABOLUS, must now reap as it hath sown. The Fall has more than doubled the work of Conscience; for it has now not only to remember the height of glory from whence it has fallen, but also to preserve the records of its present degradation. Conscience is the detector of the heart, the ready-reckoner of the soul. A man’s conscience is his very self; he may escape from others, but he can never escape from himself. Men would banish Conscience to a far-off land, but he cleaves all the more closely to them still; they would drown it in the deep, but only to find that many waters cannot quench it; they would intoxicate it with the wine-cup, but only to be bound again in stronger bondage; they would bury the dead out of their sight, but the dead past will not be buried, but ever rises again in a daily resurrection, washed up on the wave of thought, exhumed from the grave of forgetfulness, by the unresting power of this inward monitor. Conscience is the undying exercise of memory here, and will be the immortality of remembrance hereafter."[2] Compiled by Charles J. Doe Labels: Conscience (Mr.), Recorder (Mr.)”

The Holy War;

Then old Incredulity replied, ‘Sir, as I live, I will carry your words to Diabolus, and you will have an answer from him. Meanwhile, we will look to the good of the city, and not ask advice from you.’

Understanding replied, ‘Sir, both you and your prince are foreigners to Mansoul, and not citizens. And who can tell that, having brought us into greater dangers, and when you see that the only way to safety for yourselves is by means of flight, you will leave us to look after yourselves, or set us on fire and disappear in the smoke or in the light of our burning, and so leave us to our ruin?’

‘Sir’, said Incredulity, ‘you forget that you are under a governor, and that you ought to

behave like a subject. Know that when my Lord the king hears of this day’s work, he will

give you little thanks for your labour.’”

What it comes down to, is that a person can only find true bliss thru understanding the knowledge of the Holy Bible, and believing and obeying what is written in it. As it said above, both satan (Diabolus) and unbelief (Incredulity) in what is written the Holy Bible, are foreigners in a man’s soul and should not be permitted to stay, they need to be evicted from within and replaced by believing in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  

The definition of ‘bliss’, from The American Heritage Dictionary says this; “1. extreme happiness; ecstasy; 2. The ecstasy of salvation; spiritual joy, 3. blithesomeness; gladness; the highest degree of happiness; blessedness; exalted felicity; heavenly joy.”

Matthew 6:24 Amplified Bible says; “24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].”

Jesus knows that man cannot serve two masters, either they make a choice to serve Him by becoming born again or continue in sin by serving satan, who is the god of this world.

The Holy War:

“Now, while these gentlemen were arguing, down from the walls and gates of the city came to Lord Willbewill, Mr. Prejudice, old Ill-Pause, and several of the newly appointed aldermen and burgesses, and they asked the reason for the hubbub and tumult. With that, everyone began to tell his own tale so that nothing could be heard clearly. Then silence was called for, and that old fox Incredulity began to speak. ‘My Lord’, said he, ‘here are a couple of crusty old gentlemen that have, as a fruit of their bad disposition, and, I fear, through the advice of Mr. Discontent, gathered this company against me today, and have attempted to stir up the city into acts of rebellion against our prince.’ Then all the followers of Diabolus who were present stood up and confirmed these things to be true.”

The whole battle within Mansoul, looks like a demon-possessed person, demons stirring it up, fighting within the soul causing contention, strife, disputes, confusion etc.

Mr Understanding and Mr Recorder are labelled as crusty old gentlemen with a bad disposition by the old fox Incredulity. So if you’re looking for a cheer-leading section from the world while you’re believing in the Holy Bible and serving God with a clear conscience, it’s unrealistic thinking. Even the ‘amen’ corners in church are not to be trusted because the Bible also says in Luke 6:26; “Woe to you when all the people speak well of you and praise you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”

You can ‘amen’ me today, and bad-mouth me tomorrow. You can be in agreement with me today, and not be in agreement with me tomorrow. If you’re looking for affirmation from the world as a preacher, it’s unrealistic as we’ll read the following verses that reveal that.

2 Timothy 3:12 Amplified Bible says; “12 Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith].”

Can you imagine being hunted and persecuted for your faith?

Philippians 1:29 Amplified Bible says; “29 For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake, not only to believe and confidently trust in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,”

Matthew 10:22 Amplified Bible; “22 And you will be hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name, but it is the one who has patiently persevered and endured to the end who will be saved.”

Luke 6:22 Amplified Bible; “22 Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people hate you, and exclude you [from their fellowship], and insult you, and scorn your name as evil because of [your association with] the Son of Man.”

John 15:20 Amplified Bible; “20 Remember [and continue to remember] that I told you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

These are just a few scriptures, there are numerous ones that emphasize the same thing. If you want to see who the real crusty old gentlemen are, just boldly declare in a non-friendship, evangelistic way, your belief in all that is written in the Holy Bible verbatim at the next secular event you’re at, be it work, school, sports, etc. Guaranteed, you’ll see a few demonic manifestations where similar spiritual warfare is taking place as it is in the town of Mansoul.

This is why we have to keep in perspective that when we do preach, we have authority in Jesus’ name over the demons that are manifesting. It says so in Luke 10:19 Amplified Bible; “19 Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on [a]serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.”

Mark 16:16-18 Amplified Bible says; “16 He who has believed [in Me] and has been baptized will be saved [from the penalty of God’s wrath and judgment]; but he who has not believed will be condemned. 17 These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.”

So the title of the message, Spiritual Ignorance is Bliss, not only applies to the unbeliever but to the believer, however you want to apply it. Ask yourself today, does it apply to me? Are you walking in spiritual ignorance where you’ve chosen to not hear what the word of God has to say? Have you chosen to turn a deaf ear to what the word has to say about certain situations in your life? You can do that as a Christian – you just ‘turn it off’. You don’t read certain sections of the Bible so you can maintain what’s called, ‘spiritual ignorance’, continuing in the ‘bliss’ you’re in so that you can avoid any uncomfortable thoughts about God’s judgment.  

If you’re an adulterer, you avoid scriptures about adultery, because you can’t continue in spiritual ignorance if you meditate on scriptures that bring to light the sin of adultery. Do you turn a deaf ear to the word so you can continue in the ‘bliss’ of the sin where there is no condemnation and there’s no possible judgment for what you’re doing, or you’re living a life of duality? The list goes on and on.  

Examine your heart today and see if you’re operating in spiritual ignorance towards God’s word. It would be a good idea to not turn a deaf ear to God’s word, but to repent and allow God’s word to be turned up in your life. That’s where the true spiritual bliss is, there is no ignorance in it, there’s true peace because there’s no judgment because you’re hearing the word and obeying it. That’s true spiritual bliss, because you have knowledge and understanding of God’s word and are not turning a deaf ear to it. You’re making room for the Word, meditating in it day and night, reading scriptures that apply to the sin you’re struggling with. That’s spiritual bliss in that there is no judgment because you’re making a genuine attempt to meditate in the word and to use that word as a weapon against the kingdom of darkness because you have the understanding to fight with the sword, the Bible.

That’s what makes the word of God our sword. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 2:4-5; “ 4 The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,”

This is the authority you have when you have understanding of God’s word. So the Bible that sits on your shelf that is covered in dust, needs to be dusted off and needs to be read throughout the week, not just packed around as a ‘fashion statement’ on a Sunday – being a fashionista.

Read the Bible, meditate in it, quote the Bible when the devil is tempting you, submit yourself unto God’s word and the devil must flee, resist the devil and he must flee according to James 4:7. That, is true bliss. There is no ignorance in the knowledge of God’s word, when you meditate on it day and night, 24/7. When you do this, it comes out when you need it. You have a timely word for every situation you’re in, you’re able to deliver God’s word with authority, like a sword against the kingdom of darkness when you’re being tempted. Spiritual ignorance may be bliss, but it doesn’t make it right or righteous.

We start today’s Illustrated Message by reading from The Holy War in Chapter 4, page 24, to the first  paragraph on page 25. To download a copy of the book, click on the link at the top of this website page. Again, we encourage you to read this portion as we did at church so that you’ll be able to understand this message.

The Holy War:

“Now, Diabolus was awaiting the return of the Lord Mayor for he had heard that he had been negotiating. So, when he came into the state room, he greeted him with, ‘Welcome! How did it go today?’ So Lord Incredulity, with a low bow, informed him of the whole matter, saying, ‘This is what the captains of Shaddai said to me, and this is what I replied.’

When Diabolus heard this, he was very glad, and said, ‘My Lord Mayor, my faithful Incredulity! I have proved your loyalty more than ten times over, and never yet found you to be false. I promise you, when we get over this trouble, I will advance you to a  place of honour, a place far higher than that of Lord Mayor of Mansoul. I will make you my deputy; and, next to me, you will have all the nations under your hand. Yes; you will have power over them, so that they will not resist you; nor will any of our people walk at liberty unless they are content to walk under your sway.’”

What ‘sway’ is Diabolus talking about? It’s unbelief. That’s how the he wants you to walk today, in a sway of unbelief, unbelief in God’s word, unbelief in what He wrote, unbelief in His prophets in what they spoke, unbelief in signs, wonders and miracles that follow the preaching of the word, unbelief in the gifts of the Holy Spirit...the list goes on and on. I’m amazed to see how easy it easy for Christians to believe in salvation, but they don’t believe in miracles, they don’t believe in healing power etc. They believe in salvation yet don’t believe in signs, wonders and miracles, the casting out of devils, in tongues and interpretation of tongues.

It’s important to keep in mind that Lord Mayor, who’s name is Mr Incredulity, represents unbelief that is spoken into the Ear-gate of the Town of Mansoul in various ways to keep them in a state of fear, doubt and unbelief towards King Shaddai and His plan of salvation for them.  

The website, Curiosmith, says the following about Lord Incredulity.

The second Diabolonian Mayor, after Lord Lustings.[3]

"Once the spirit of defense and of defiance of the soul—openly avows his hatred of the King, and his still unaltered and unalterable determination to serve DIABOLUS, his master. So long as this principle remains, it continues to be a spiritual hindrance to the soul. Unbelief does not yield obedience to Christ, and will not change or reform its nature. It is well, therefore, it should be destroyed.

Incredulity is the spirit of direct antagonism against the law of God; and to the last it chooses to serve Satan, and to abide under the standard of the Evil One. Incredulity seeks to gain dominion over the mind’s of men, sometimes inducing them to imagine that it is a manly thing to doubt and disbelieve. This spirit in man is a chief agent of Satan; and how essential it is to the continuance of his dominion here, will appear by and by. Meanwhile, Incredulity lacks not words of bold and brazen confidence, to justify its measure of evil influence over the human mind."[2] Compiled by Charles J. Doe Labels: Incredulity (Lord), Mayor (Lord)"

Hebrews 3:12 Amplified Bible talks about the peril of unbelief; “12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving [a]heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.”

Some questions to ask yourself today are; am I walking in fear, doubt and unbelief of God’s plan of salvation for my life? Do I have a wicked, unbelieving heart which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart that turns away from the living God?  

Hebrews 3:12, is addressing brothers and sisters, believers in Christ, Christians.  Lord Mayor found favour with Diabolus simply because he was a sower of unbelief in God. So what are you sowing into the ear-gates of both unbelievers, and believers, is it faith and understanding of God’s spoken word, or is it fear, doubt and unbelief of Gods spoken word? What are you sowing today?

The Holy War:  

“But now, though the Lord Mayor and Diabolus were in agreement, this rebuff to the brave captains pushed Mansoul into a state of mutiny. For while old Incredulity went into the castle to congratulate his Lord with what had passed, the old Lord Mayor, who was there before Diabolus came to the city — that is, Lord Understanding — and the old Recorder, Mr. Conscience, when they heard what had passed at Ear-gate, they gathered some of the citizens together (for you must know that they were not allowed to be present at any debate in case they went over to the captains; but, I say, they got wind of what had happened there, and were very concerned about it).”

All of a sudden within Mansoul, the conscience is getting stirred, understanding of God’s word is getting stirred and is awakening the conscience that is asleep in sin. Lord Understanding and Mr Recorder, also known as Mr Conscience, were replaced by Lord Incredulity and Mr Forget-good, but as we just read they may have been replaced but obviously never gave themselves over to Diabolus. So long as the devil can keep both believers and unbelievers in a state of not understanding God’s word, their conscience’s remains asleep, with no alarm to wake them up to what’s really going on with the state of their soul. Lord Understanding and Mr Recorder are giving the town of Mansoul a wake-up call, that is causing their conscience to awaken to the reality of how far they have backslid from God in sin.

2 Corinthians 4:1-4 Amplified Bible says; “4 Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy [from God, granting us salvation, opportunities, and blessings], we do not get discouraged nor lose our motivation. 2 But we have renounced the disgraceful things hidden because of shame; not walking in trickery or adulterating the word of God, but by stating the truth [openly and plainly], we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing; 4 among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  

The Holy War:

“The crowd, now possessed with the conviction of the harm old Incredulity had  done them, began to run back and forth, and into every corner of the streets of Mansoul. They began to mutter, then to talk openly, and after a while, they cried as they ran, ‘Oh, the brave captains of Shaddai! If only we were under the government of the captains, and of Shaddai their King!’ When the Lord Mayor was told that Mansoul was in an uproar, he came down to quieten the people, thinking that he would calm them down with the gravity and dignity of his appearance. But when they saw him, they came running to him, and would have doubtless have done him a mischief had he not taken refuge in his house.”

The spirit of unbelief should not be allowed to have any place in a Christian’s life, but the reality is that their actions will determine whether they are truly born again of God. We know that those in the Town of Mansoul are not born again yet, and it’s good too keep this in perspective when reading the Holy War. But at the same time I can’t help but see today in Christian churches two types of people groups; those believers who are truly born again and those that are not born again, those who understand God’s word and live it out with a clear conscience, and those who have no consciousness of sin.

1 John 3:6-10 Amplified Bible says; “6 No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him. 7 Little children (believers, dear ones), do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who practices righteousness [the one who strives to live a consistently honorable life—in private as well as in public—and to conform to God’s precepts] is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because [a]God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly identified: anyone who does not practice righteousness [who does not seek God’s will in thought, action, and purpose] is not of God, nor is the one who does not [unselfishly] [b]love his [believing] brother.”

The Holy War:

“However, they beat on his door, and would have pulled his house down about his ears if they could; but the place was too strong, so they failed in that. Plucking up courage, he addressed the people out of a window with these words: ‘Gentlemen, why is there such an uproar today?’  

Then Lord Understanding replied, ‘It is because you and your master have not  acted rightly towards the captains of Shaddai. For you are at fault in three things. First, you would not let Mr. Conscience and myself listen to your speech. Second, you offered such terms of peace to the captains that they were bound to be rejected, which meant that their Shaddai would have been prince in name only, and Mansoul would have still been able to carry on living in all its excesses and conceit before him. So, in consequence, Diabolus would still be king, and Shaddai king only in title. Third, after the captains had offered us favourable conditions, and promised to receive us in mercy, you undid everything with your unreasonable, ill-timed, and ungodly speech.’”

There are a lot of professing Christian’s that have accepted Jesus in name only, but not as their Lord and as a result have no understanding of God’s word and have no conscience of sins to be repented of. They have their own terms and conditions of following Jesus, when Jesus says specifically says to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him. 2 Timothy 3:5 says; “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.”

In essence, they may bear the name of a Christian, but don’t want to conform themselves to the image of Christ. That’s why the title of this message; Brand-Name Christianity: Jesus is Lord by Name Only. That’s what the town of Mansoul was realizing. Lord Understanding and Mr Conscience knew what they had to do to serve King Shaddai and it was only on His terms, not Mansoul’s terms.

When a believer truly wants to serve God, they don’t allow unbelief, (Incredulity), in God’s word to have any place in their lives, but rather they meditate day and night in it.

Joshua 1:8 Amplified Bible says; 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be [a]successful.”

Psalm 1 Amplified Bible says this about the contrast of the righteous and the wicked;  

“1 [a]Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of [b]scoffers (ridiculers). 2  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]. 4  The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so, But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away. 5  Therefore the wicked will not stand [unpunished] in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows and fully approves the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked shall perish.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified Bible says; “16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the [a]man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Unbelief, in BibleHub, says this; “Definition and Nature: Unbelief, in a biblical context, refers to the lack of faith or trust in God and His promises. It is often characterized by doubt, skepticism, or outright rejection of divine truth. Unbelief is not merely an intellectual stance but a spiritual condition that affects one's relationship with God. " 

God, throughout the Old Testament rebuked the children of Israel for their unbelief. Numbers 14:11 says; “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?’”

Jesus in the New Testament over and over rebuked His own disciples and religious leaders for their unbelief. Matthew 13:58 says; “He didn’t do many might works there because of their unbelief.”  

Mark 16:14 says; “Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen.”

We read this verse earlier in Hebrews 3:12 Amplified Bible where it talks about the peril of unbelief; “12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving [a]heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.”

Examine your heart today to see if you have a wicked, unbelieving heart which is turning you away from the living God. Be wary of a ‘Mr Incredulity’, (unbelief), speaking into your ear-gate today. Don’t be a Christian in name only by denying the power of Christ.

Click to read the prophecy from today's service.

Message 18 – May 3rd, 2026

We start today’s Illustrated Message by reading from The Holy War in Chapter 3 page 22 the last paragraph ending on page 24 the second paragraph. To download a copy of the book, click on the link at the top of this website page.

The Holy War:

“Now, the officials in the city had planted on the tower over Ear-gate two great guns: one was called High-Mind, and the other Heady. They had great trust in the power of these guns for they had been cast in the castle in Diabolus’ foundry by Mr. Puff-Up. Nasty pieces of equipment they were! But so vigilant and watchful were the captains that when they saw them, and when they were shot at, the shells passed their ears with a bang but 23 did them no harm. The citizens used these two guns only to greatly annoy the camp of Shaddai and guard the gate. But they had not much reason to boast of them, as we shall see.”

Have you ever met individuals who in their pride, boast of their evil lifestyles every time they are around you, to provoke you, with the intention not necessarily to harm you, but rather taunt and tempt you to join them in their sin? Mr. Puff-Up’s weapons of war were High-Mindedness and Headyness, that were the very attributes which Lucifer acted out prior to his fall from heaven to earth and clearly illustrates the term, “pride comes before a fall”. It must be noted that these two ‘guns’, didn’t necessarily represent the pride that all humans deal with, but were of the upper echelons of society; the intellectuals, the academia's, the scholarlies, the philosophical’s, the technocratic’s or the cultured ones. Even today, we see these elites, teaching in the highest Universities around the world, their ungodly and atheistic points of view which influence the masses. These too are found in the major media organizations influencing their viewership to believe whatever they say, disseminating their own agenda, narrative and lies.

Proverbs 16:18 Amplified Bible says; “18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”

The fall of Lucifer is recorded in Isaiah 14:12-14 Amplified Bible, “12 How you have fallen from heaven, O [a]star of the morning [light-bringer], son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, You who have weakened the nations [king of Babylon]! 13 But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly In the remote parts of the north. 14  ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

You can’t help but see how many, ‘I will’s’, that Lucifer said. As Christians, we have to preach the full gospel, God’s plan of salvation, for those who believe in Jesus and receive Him as Lord and God’s plan of condemnation for those who don’t believe in Jesus and reject His Lordship for their lives. This is why it’s so important to continually preach into the ear-gates of those who are proud, regardless of their highmindedness, because the word of God will not return void, and on the day of Judgement, a person cannot say they never heard the Gospel that offered them eternal life in Heaven.

Mark 16:15-16 Amplified Bible says; “15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 He who has believed [in Me] and has been baptized will be saved [from the penalty of God’s wrath and judgment]; but he who has not believed will be condemned.”

The Holy War:

Those in the camp also did valiant deeds, letting fly just as fast at the city and at Ear-gate; for they saw that unless they could break open Ear-gate it would be in vain to batter the walls. Now, the King’s captains had brought with them several slings and two or three battering-rams. With their slings, therefore, they battered the people’s houses in the city, and with their rams they sought to break open Ear-gate.

2 Timothy 4:2 Amplified Bible; “2 preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching.”

There will be times that a Christian will simply have to keep preaching, regardless if it seems to be falling on what appears to be deaf ears and there is no fruit to be seen, because the word of God does not return void. The word of God does not change, it does not conform to man nor violate his will, but it simply causes him or her to reason right from wrong whether they want to or not, and gives them an opportunity to obey or not obey His word. So when someone hears the gospel and rejects it, it does not mean that it returned void, because according to God’s word the individual still stands condemned and separated from God in hell for eternity, and nothing can change that except their willingness to repent and become born again.

Isaiah 55:10-11 Amplified Bible says “10 For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, Making it bear and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11  So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

Hebrews 4:12 Amplified Bible says; “12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The Holy War:

“The camp and the city had several skirmishes and brisk encounters, while the captains with their engines made many brave attempts to break open or beat down the  tower that stood over Ear-gate, and so make their entrance. But Mansoul resisted so strongly through the rage of Diabolus, the valour of Lord Willbewill, and the conduct of old Incredulity the Mayor, and Mr. Forget-Good the Recorder, that the charge and expense of that summer’s war, on the King’s side, seemed to be quite heavy; but they saw the advantage in returning to Mansoul.”

When the Gospel is preached, the devil, Diabolus, rages in a person, causing them to not understand what is being said and are not able or willing to believe the good news and totally forget what they heard. When a person is high-minded and heady, it’s hard for them to hear the Gospel, because their minds are not on things above in heavenly places, but are on things below where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. This is all the more reason to bind the god of this world, that is blinding them from understanding the Gospel when it is preached.  

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 Amplified Bible; “3 But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing; 4 among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

In Matthew 6:19-21 Amplified Bible, Jesus says; “19 Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.”

The Holy War:

"The King’s captains, when they marched from the court to come against Mansoul to war, as they travelled, they happened to meet three young fellows who decided to enlist as soldiers: good men they were in appearance, men of courage and skill. Their names were Mr. Tradition, Mr. Human-Wisdom, and Mr. Man’s-Invention. So they came up to the captains and offered their service to Shaddai. The captains then told them of their mission, and advised them not to act rashly. But the young men told them that they had considered the thing beforehand, and hearing they were on the march, came with the express purpose of meeting them to be enlisted under their Excellencies. Then as they appeared to be men of courage, Captain Boanerges enlisted them in his company, and away they went to the war."

Colossians 2:8 Amplified Bible says; “8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the [a]elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ.”

CURIOSMITH.com, says the following about Mr. Tradition;

"Mr. TRADITION.—There is no absolute necessity that Tradition should serve the purposes of Satan. “Tradition” means “handing down;” and surely its office might be exercised in the transmission of that which is good. Indeed, Tradition was first employed in this service. Once there was no written Word; for many centuries the truth was indebted to Tradition for handing down the Word of God from generation to generation. But soon did Tradition fall into the rear, and by and by it was taken prisoner by Satan, and pressed into his service; so that, in the day of Christ, men did 'make void the law of God through their tradition.'"[2] Compiled by Charles J. Doe”

The Apostle Paul talks about the wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 Amplified Bible; “18 For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are  perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God. 19 For it is written and forever remains written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the philosophy of the philosophers], And the cleverness of the clever [who do not know Me] I will nullify.” 20 Where is the wise man (philosopher)? Where is the scribe (scholar)? Where is the debater (logician, orator) of this age? Has God not exposed the foolishness of this world’s wisdom? 21 For since the world through all its [earthly] wisdom failed to recognize God, God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the [a]foolishness of the message preached [regarding salvation] to save those who believe [in Christ and welcome Him as Savior].”

CURIOSMITH.COM, says this about Mr. Human-Wisdom;

"Mr. HUMAN-WISDOM.—Once man was wise; and in that day his wisdom was his protection. And Human Wisdom might have continued as a defense of Divine truth upon the earth. Yet this, too, did soon fall into the rear; and, having been taken prisoner, has ever since been under the hand of Satan. The Apostle said in his day, that “the world by wisdom knew not God;” and that “not many wise men after the flesh” had God called. Yea, and even in the present day of light and knowledge, do we not too often find human wisdom and earthly science engaged in the service of Satan, and, through the cunning device of the devil, turned against the truth?"[2] Compiled by Charles J. Doe”

Romans 1:21-23 Amplified Bible says; “21 For even though [a]they knew God [as the Creator], they did not [b]honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation]. On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for [c]an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles.”

CURIOSMITH.com says this about Mr. Man’s-Invention;

"Mr. MAN’S-INVENTION.—The inventive capacity of man was once for the promotion of being engaged in the service of God. But this principle also became a coward, and was taken prisoner. “God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions,” Ecclesiastes 7:29. It is man’s invention that has brought forth false doctrine, false worship, and errors in faith and practice."[2] Compiled by Charles J. Doe” 

Tradition, Human-Wisdom and Inventions of Man, grieve the Holy Spirits work in a persons life when their own selfish will takes them captive by holding on to traditional human wisdom that leads them to invent doctrines of demons to there own destruction. A good example of this can be found in those who call themselves Christians and don’t attend Church, but rather set up for themselves Christian fellowship on a weekly basis without any pastoral leadership, and call it attending church. It’s all rooted in traditional human wisdom and doctrines of devils that has no Biblical foundation, and if you were to take a good look at their lives outside of what they call church fellowship, the same disrespect they have for pastoral leadership is carried over into secular settings that requires any accountability to leadership in their lives.

The Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Amplified Bible by saying; “3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].”

They don’t respect what Jesus clearly laid out in church tenants and doctrines, church structure and leadership about gathering together; if they have no pastor, therefore they reject the rest also of apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers, (Ephesians 4:11).

Holy War

“Now, at the start of the war, in one of the briskest skirmishes, so it was that a company of Lord Willbewill’s men emerged from the portal of the city and fell on the rear of Captain Boanerges’ men where these three fellows happened to be. They took them prisoner and carried them away into the city where they were not detained long before it was noised about the streets of the city that three notable prisoners had been captured by Lord Willbewill’s men, and brought in from the camp of Shaddai.”

It’s interesting to see how quickly and easily these three men were captured by Lord Willbewill.

It would be good if you call yourself a Christian, to examine your life to see if you have willingly been captured by traditional human wisdom and doctrines of demons.  

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Amplified Bible says; “13 For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds.”

1 Timothy 6:3-5 Amplified Bible says; “3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine and teaching which is in agreement with godliness (personal integrity, upright behavior), 4 he is conceited and woefully ignorant [understanding nothing]. He has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, which produces envy, quarrels, verbal abuse, evil suspicions, 5 and perpetual friction between men who are corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, who think that godliness is a source of profit [a lucrative, money-making business—withdraw from them].”

Withdraw from them! In today’s super sensitive, self-seeking woke driven worldly agenda that has crept into the church, nobody wants to withdraw from anybody because it is seen as not being loving and kind. We must realize that the Apostle Paul, Timothy and the rest of the disciples and early church ...saw it all, just as we’re seeing all these things being laid bare today in the church. Paul didn’t mince his words, he said...withdraw from them!

The Holy War;

“Then Diabolus called for Willbewill to know what had happened. So he asked him, and he replied. Then the giant sent for the prisoners; and, when they arrived, he demanded their names, where they had come from, and what they were doing in the camp of Shaddai. So they told him. Then he sent them back to prison. Not many days after, he sent for them again and asked them if they would be willing to serve him against their former captains. They told him that they did not so much live by religion as by fate and fortune; and that since his lordship was willing to entertain them, they would be willing to serve him.”

It’s easy for those who operate in traditional human wisdom and doctrines of demons to be lead by fate and fortune, and this is why we see so many today who call themselves Christian but fortune and fate eventually reveals who they are really serving and whatever will be will be their will, hence, Lord Willbewill. True Christians reject Lord Willbewill, and they live a crucified life that’s dead to what worldly fate and fortune would try to dictate for their lives and they speak Gods word against whatever is not God’s will for their lives. They submit themselves to God’s will and they resist the devil and he flees. That’s the difference. You don’t have to accept everything that comes your way as, ‘your fate’. Your life is not to revolve around whether you have fortune or not, because for me to live is Christ and die is gain. It’s ok to die to your own will today. You don’t have to accept fate and fortune as a direction, you can reject it, Christian, and if you’re not rejecting it, there’s a question mark as to whether or not you’re truly born again.

Romans 12:2 Amplified Bible says; “2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be [a]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”

Christian, that is what you want, you don’t want anything short of that. Fate and fortune does not dictate who you serve.

1 Corinthians 10:13 Amplified Bible says; “13 No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy]”

James 1:12-16 Amplified Bible says; “12 Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). 15 Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death. 16 Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters.”

The Holy War

Now, while this was going on, there was one Captain Anything who was doing great deeds in the city of Mansoul. To this Captain Anything Diabolus send these men with a note telling him to take them into his company. This is what he wrote in his letter:  

‘Captain Anything, my dear man. The three men who are the bearers of this letter have a desire to serve me in the war. Nor is there anyone better to send them to than you. Receive them, therefore, in my name; and, as needs must, make use of them against Shaddai and his men. Farewell.’

So they went, and he received them, and made them sergeants. But he made Mr. Man’s- Invention his arms-bearer. Enough of this; let us now return to the camp.”

It’s not surprising to see that Mr. Man’s-Invention becomes Captain Anything’s arms-bearer, being as he is an inventor of false doctrines that promotes indifferentism.

A basic dictionary definition of indifferentism is as a noun from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition;

1. The belief that all religions are of equal validity.
2. State of indifference; lack of interest or earnestness; especially, a systematic apathy regarding what is true or false in religion or philosophy; agnosticism.
   Similar: agnosticism
3. Same as Identism.
    

CURIOSMITH.COM, says this about Captain Anything;

"Captain ANYTHING still survives, to capture fresh prisoners and to conduct new recruits to battle. Under the standard of “indifferentism” more souls are lost than, perhaps, under the more definite systematic forms of error.
 

When the soul, fighting the good fight, gains the upper hand, the hidden things of darkness are more and more brought to light, and put to open shame. The spirit of indifference, for example, is one of the first to be thus dealt with, as involving serious danger to the soul. Religion is a definite, decisive thing, and cannot consist with a careless, reckless, indifferent tone of mind. It generally happens that any religion means no religion. The soul that has been much and deeply exercised in doubt, and has resisted and fought against it, and overcome it, Will all the more highly prize the truth when it has ascertained it, and will scarcely be disposed to entertain that spirit of indolent indifference that sees and makes no distinction between truth and error. Hence, with the disciplined soul, MR. ANYTHING finds no place."[2] Compiled by Charles J. Doe.”

It’s good to examine your life and see if you’re operating in indifferentism. You may not directly be indifferent, but indirectly by not proclaiming Jesus to be the only way in secular settings is playing to that indifferent spirit. You do it in church, you preach Jesus to be the only way in church, but in secular settings you become tight lipped and become ‘all inclusive’. Maybe you haven’t been bold to say that Jesus is the only way to heaven. That’s playing into the indifferentism spirit. You can’t humanize the gospel and try to rationalize it.  It’s not acceptable to do that. Jesus even says in Mark 8:38; “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

John 14:6 Amplified Bible 6 Jesus said to him, “[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Acts 4:11-12 Amplified Bible says; “11 This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the [a]chief Cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”

If you’re ashamed to say that Jesus is the only way in secular, family, work, sport settings etc., it’s unacceptable. Proclaim that Jesus is the only way, regardless of rebuttal and persecution.  Don’t let any of the characters and people that we read about today, rob you of your faith in Jesus alone.

We are starting to read in The Holy War at the bottom of page 17, paragraph 6, thru page 21 paragraph 3. To download a copy of the book, click on the link at the top of this website page. Please read this portion of the book, as we did at church today, to greater understand this message.

A spiritual intervention needs to be made in order to save a man’s soul. I’m sure there are a few souls in your life that could use a spiritual intervention from a fellow Christian, intervention to those who are backslidding.

The Holy War says;

“Then the captains and other field-officers called a council of war to consider what else needed to be done to win the city of Mansoul. After a spirited and thorough debate about the contents of their orders, they decided to give the city one more chance to respond to another summons by the hand of the trumpeter already mentioned. ‘But, if they are refused again’, they declared, ‘and the city continues to resist’, they instructed the trumpeter to tell the city that they would use all means to force them to submit to King Shaddai. (Luke 14:23)”

Jesus, in Luke 14:16-24 Amplified Bible, shares the parable of the dinner feast; “16 But Jesus said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many guests; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is ready now.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have purchased a piece of land and I have to go out and see it; please consider me excused.’ 19 Another one said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have [recently] married a wife, and for that reason I am unable to come.’ 21 So the servant came back and reported this to his master. Then [his master,] the head of the household, became angry [at the rejections of his invitation] and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.’ 22 And the servant [after returning] said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled [with guests]. 24 For I tell you, not one of those who were invited [and declined] will taste my dinner.”

The people that declined the offer to dine with the man, are like many Christians today, who have so many excuses to not attend church, and be fed the word of God. If you notice in verse 24, that the guests who declined will not even taste the dinner, no leftovers, nothing. Their seat at the table is replaced by the poor, disabled, blind, lame and those who were compelled to come in from the highways and hedges.

We live in such a religious privileged world that has Christians deceived to think that they can reject the fellowship of church, so long as they are reading the Bible, listening to preachers on various media platforms and supporting them with tithes and offerings.  

As ministers of the Gospel, there will be times that God will call you to spiritually intervene in a persons life and take authority over the demonic spirit realm that has them so backslidden from God that they can not even see that if they were to die, they would not be able to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven outlined in Revelations 19:6-10. Some may say that it sounds extreme, but is it? It’s something to think about.

In the natural realm, the backslider has given themselves over to the kingdom of darkness, and eventually allows the leaven (sin), to leaven the whole lump (their lives), without them really knowing it. It’s called becoming spiritually deaf and dumb to the word of God, and they are not able to hear any more what the Bible has to say and are not able to speak it with conviction, and this is why they need spiritual intervention.

The Holy War continues,

“‘But, if they are refused again’, they declared, ‘and the city continues to resist’, they instructed the trumpeter to tell the city that they would use all means to force them to submit to King Shaddai. (Luke 14:23).”

James 5:19-20 Amplified Bible says; “19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and falls into error and [another] one turns him back [to God], 20 let the [latter] one know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and cover a multitude of sins [that is, obtain the pardon of the many sins committed by the one who has been restored].”

Hebrews 2:1-4 New King James Version says; “2 Therefore we must give [a]the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just [b]reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts[c] of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”  

Jesus says in Matthew 18:18-20 Amplified Bible; “18 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth [a]shall have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth [b]shall have [already] been loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you, that if two [c]believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”

In this action of binding and loosing, you’re coming into agreement with heaven, because there it’s already been said, done, and performed.

The Holy War:

“So Captain Boanerges ordered his trumpeter to go up to Ear-gate again, and, in the name of the great King Shaddai, to blow hard and summon the people to come down without delay to Ear-gate, and there listen to the King’s most noble captains. So the trumpeter went, and did as he was commanded. He went up to Ear-gate and blew his trumpet, and issued a third summons to the city of Mansoul. (Isaiah 58:1) The Captain also told him to say that if they still resisted, the captains of his Prince would come with a mighty force upon them and compel them to obey.  

Then up stood Lord Willbewill who was governor of the city (this Willbewill was the apostate I mentioned before), and keeper of the gates of Mansoul. He, then, with proud and impudent words, demanded to know something about the trumpeter, who he was, where he came from, and why he was making so hideous a noise at the gate, and speaking such insufferable words against the city of Mansoul.”

Lord Willbewill is a type and shadow of an apostate believer, who guards what is said at the Ear-gate of the city of Mansoul, so that the residents of Mansoul are kept in the kingdom of darkness and not able to even come to the knowledge the truth.

The Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Amplified Bible; “3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].”

1 Timothy 4:1-3 Amplified Bible, Paul also says this about Apostasy; “4 But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning], 3 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from [certain kinds of] foods which God has created to be gratefully shared by those who believe and have [a clear] knowledge of the truth.”

Galatians 1:6-9 Amplified Bible, Paul warns about the perversion of the Gospel;“6 I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel; 7 which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] [a]some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not]. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we [originally] preached to you, let him be condemned to destruction! 9 As we have said before, so I now say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from that which you received [from us], let him be condemned to destruction!”

I believe one of the greatest apostate teachings, is that a person can be a genuine born again Christian and not attend and be committed to a church body of believers. So when you meet someone who calls themselves a Christian and they don’t attend any Church body, their will is not to do the Lord’s will for their lives, but rather their own will, and like Lord Willbewill, they have exchanged the truth for lies that condemns their soul. I don’t believe you can be a genuine Christian and abstain from Christian fellowship.  It’s not that you’re a Christian that is backslidden, but you were never a Christian. There is a religious façade, an appearance of being a Christian, but I don’t believe that the apostate position that you’re in will grant you entrance into the kingdom of heaven, therefore it shows that you’re not born again. You say, that is so extreme, is it? Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about Christians who are in the hospital, care homes, communist nations where persecution is intense, although even in those cases they still go underground to meet, but to those who are able to attend church but don’t.

If you’re truly born again; your desire is to be with the body of Christ, your desire is to be in fellowship, your desire is to be breaking bread and having the Lord’s Supper with your brothers and sisters in Christ and not hating them, your desire is to share with your brothers and sisters in Christ if they are lacking, your desire is to tithe and give offerings, your desire is to function in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit, your desire is to pray for the sick, cast out demons, speak in other tongues, your desire is to worship together, your desire is to evangelize the lost, your desire is to read the Bible and be fed by it, you’re not to turn a deaf ear to your brethren, so if this isn’t you, then examine your heart today and repent of your sins and receive Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.

The Holy War says;

“The trumpeter replied, ‘I am a servant of the most noble captain, Captain Boanerges, general of the forces of the great King Shaddai, against whom both you and the whole city of Mansoul have rebelled, and lifted up the heel. But my master, the captain, has a special message to the city, and to you, as one of its leaders. Listen, Mansoul, to what I have to say in peace; if not, you must take the consequences.’

Then said Lord Willbewill, ‘I will carry your words to my king, and he will know what to say.’

But the trumpeter quickly answered, ‘Our message is not to the giant Diabolus but to the miserable city of Mansoul. Nor do we care what answer he makes, nor any of his crew. We have been sent to this city to recover her from his cruel tyranny, and to persuade her to submit as she did in former times to the most excellent King Shaddai.’ Then said Lord Willbewill, ‘I will take your message to the city.’”

It must be clear, the trumpeter was not talking to Lord Willbewill or Diabolus for that matter, but to Mansoul directly. This is why spiritual intervention on the demons that control a persons life is the only way their souls can be possibly saved, because their wills (Willbewill), are yielded to the kingdom of darkness, therefore the kingdom of darkness has to be removed by force in order for them to repent and be restored to God and do His will for their lives. I’m not talking about apostates, as these in Mansoul are backslidden. You may say, isn’t that the work of the Holy Spirit? Yes it is, but it’s also a work that you, as a Christian, need to do in prayer, intercession, binding the devil in the life of someone who has been bound by him, casting the devil out of their lives so they can hear what the Holy Spirit has to say.

The Holy War continues;  

“The trumpeter replied, ‘Sir, do not deceive us, lest, in so doing, you deceive yourselves even more.’ He added, ‘For we are determined, that if you do not submit peaceably, then we will make war against you and bring you under by force. And concerning the truth of what I say, this will be a sign for you — you will see a black flag, with hot burning thunderbolts on it, set up on the mount tomorrow as a token of your defiance against your prince, and of our determination to hand you over to your rightful Lord and King.’’’

Remember that Lord Willbewill was the apostate, who was assigned by Diabolus to guard the Ear-gate of Mansoul, to prevent Mansoul from becoming born again, saved, delivered, and being repentant.

Apostate teachers and their lies need to be exposed and brought to the light of God’s word found in the Holy Bible, and this why it’s so important to not only preach about it, but also take authority over the lying spirits that are trying to deceive, rob, kill and destroy a persons soul for eternity. This is why in this section of The Holy War, the Captains have no interest in hearing what Diabolus has to say, but are focused on the citizens of Mansoul’s response only.  

Apostate teachers and followers of apostate teaching are simply not born again, never-mind backslidden.

When doing a spiritual intervention, it’s important to have no interest in what the devil has to say, don’t give him any room to speak his lies, but rather bind his powers over the persons soul, so that person can hear clearly what the Holy Spirit is saying to them.

Here is a fantastic example of how Jesus handled the devil in Mark 1:25 Amplified Bible; “25 Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet (muzzled, silenced), and come out of him!”

Luke 4:35 Amplified Bible gives another example; “35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent(muzzled, gagged) and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown the man down among them, he came out of him without injuring him in any way.”

Mark 1:34 Amplified Bible says; “34 And Jesus healed many who were suffering with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him [recognizing Him as the Son of God].”

The devil recognizes the Son of God in you today, Christian. Expect him to manifest and speak, but you don’t have to tolerate or allow him to speak. Tell him to be quiet. You have the authority today that Christ gave you over the devil, he doesn’t have authority over you.

The Holy War continues;

“Then the giant said to the captain (for Diabolus had also come down), ‘Mr. Captain, you have boldly summoned Mansoul at least four times to subject herself to your King, whose authority I do not accept; nor will I dispute that now. I ask, therefore, what is the reason of all this disturbance, if only you could see yourselves for what you are?’

Then Captain Boanerges who owned the black colours, and whose escutcheon was three burning thunderbolts, taking no notice of the giant or his speech, addressed himself to the city of Mansoul: ‘Be it known to you, unhappy and rebellious Mansoul, that the most gracious King, the great King Shaddai my Master has sent me to you with this commission’ (and he showed the city his large seal) ‘to reduce you to obedience to him. He has ordered me, if you yield to my summons, to treat you as my friends or brothers. But he has also bid me tell you that, if, after my summons to submit, you still stand firm and rebel, then we will take you by force.”

Captain Conviction, Captain Judgment and Captain Execution also deliver in their own manner of character that mirrors the meaning of their names, the message from King Shaddai.

It’s important to keep in perspective that these Captains are a type and shadow of God’s Old Testament prophets and the citizens of Mansoul are backslidden Old Testament saints who God is trying to deliver out from under the devil’s authority.

The big difference today, is that Jesus has given us in His name and all authority over the devil, to deliver not only unbelievers, but also backslidden Christians out of the kingdom of darkness.

In Luke 9:1 Amplified Bible, it says; “9 Now Jesus called together the twelve [disciples] and gave them [the right to exercise] power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.”

Luke 10:19 Amplified Bible; “19 Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on [a]serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.”

Matthew 10:1 Amplified Bible says; “10 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority and power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.”

The Holy War continues:

“The city of Mansoul refused to heed the plain speeches of these four noble captains. Yet their sound did have an effect, though their force could not break the gate open. In short, the city desired time to prepare their answer to these demands. The captains then told them that, if they would throw out to them Ill-Pause who was in the city, they might reward him according to his works. That would give them time to consider. But if they refused to cast him over the wall of Mansoul, then they would have no time left; ‘for,’ they said, ‘we know that as long as Ill-Pause draws breath in Mansoul, all wise counsel will be overturned, and nothing but harm will result.’”

Here’s a good blog from Heather Barot where you can read about Ill-pause;  

“The name of Ill-Pause
 

Ill-Pause is a mere Mr and not a Lord, so Ill Pause does not survive the conversion process. (see p 107). He makes a “low congee” (or bow) to Diabolus so must be of much inferior rank to Diabolus, and is a chattel or slave.
 

The word “pause” means a hesitation or break in the flow of speech. Ill-Pause is the personal demon who makes a soul hesitate to come to Christ for salvation. We could call Ill-Pause “Mr Procrastination”, or “Mr Put-It-Off”. He says to every Christian enquirer “Wait until you are old before you become a Christian. Enjoy your young life, make money and become a success, THEN when you are old and about to die repent of your sin and ask for forgiveness and salvation.  

Ill-pause is Satan’s orator.
 

The first reference to Ill-pause is on p 10. “Nor took he (Diabolus) any with him, but one Ill-pause, who was his orator in all difficult matters”. This is re-affirmed on p 12 with “Then stood forth that he, Mr. Ill-pause that Diabolus brought with him, who was his orator”. Ill-pause has “stinking breath” which causes the death of Lord Innocency (p 13). The words of Ill-pause are poison, and the fall results from his words as seen in the previous quote from p 14. The fall resulted in sin and guilt entering the world. It can be taken as read that Ill-pause is a liar.”  

Don’t allow Mr. Ill-pause to delay you from making Jesus Lord of your life.