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Summary
I think I preached the Gospel to a ghost in hell (Hades). She left this world of space and time and went home to Heaven. “Welcome home, Elise,” said Jesus, to which Elise replied, “I was lost.” “Lost.” This is why Scripture forbids necromancy (seeking direction from ghosts): They’re lost. I shared the story last week, and this is a continuation of that sermon.
We began this sermon with the local news story about the flying black shadow in the old church building that we used to rent — the one built upon an old Masonic cemetery. I haven’t shared that video before; it’s not the best advertisement for increasing church attendance. But we’re in a different building now, and although these things are frightening, I want us all to know that when we walk into our fears with Jesus (the Truth), He sets us free us from our fears that we might live in His joy. Perhaps the thing that we fear the most is ourselves.
If I were to assume the standard theological paradigm of the American Evangelical Church in which I was educated, I would be utterly lost in explaining our experiences in that old church building — and in explaining John chapter 8. I think I would be forced to conclude that all, or at least most of us, will “die in our sins” and be endlessly tortured by God, for even those that “believe in Jesus” are “of their father, the devil” and “not of God.” And so, I would hide my own heart from God, honor Him with my lips, but become an act, an appearance, a phantasm — a “phantasma” (Greek) — or an “ob” (Hebrew), a ghost… even before my body died.
Last week, we read John 8:21-47, and it raised at least three questions.
#3) Who or what is not of God? (John 8:47, “You are not of God,” said Jesus to the “Jews that had believed in him.”) Who is not of God? Nothing. God creates everything that’s anything with His Word. Evil must be a “nothing” that I perceive as a something, like a shadow.
#2) How could a person be “of God” and “not of God,” but of their “father, the devil”? (John 8:44) It helps to remember that “I” (spirit) have two “me’s” (selves) — a false self and a true self. “At one time, you were darkness,” writes Paul, “but now you are light in the Lord.”
#1) What does it mean to “die in your sin”? (John 8:21) It must be to take the life of Christ on the tree in a garden in an attempt to make the Good your own. It’s self-righteousness; it’s glorifying yourself. And that self is the nothing that I have made into a something and now perceive to be who it is that I am. And yet, it is who it is that I am not, and a prison for who it is that I am. According to Scripture, this has already happened. Perhaps ghosts won’t die, for they won’t admit that they’re dead? And the ghost that should concern us the most is our own.
This week, we also read John 8:48-59, and it raised more questions.
John 8:48-59: “The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’” (I don’t think Jesus was offended, for He isn’t proud.) “’I do not seek my own glory,’” answers Jesus. “‘There is One who seeks it.’” (In John 16, we learn that Jesus is glorified by giving His glory to us!) “’There is One who seeks it and he is the Judge’” (In John 5, Jesus told us that ‘The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son.’) “’Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word (Jesus is the Word), he will not see death into the age.’ The Jews said to Him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon!… Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?’… Jesus answered ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing… Your father Abraham (Jesus thinks that they have at least two fathers!) rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad…’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.’ So, they picked up stones to throw at him (I bet they were the same stones that they were going to throw at the woman caught in adultery), but Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple.”
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” That’s the seventh sign that is the substance. Jesus turns hearts of stone into living stones that come together and form a living temple. Perhaps Jesus “was hidden” within them like a Seed?
#4) What is death and Life? Jesus talks as if everyone’s dead, and yet some won’t die???
#5) What is judgment? Jesus talks as if no one judges, but everyone is getting judged???
#6) Why is He telling us? Jesus isn’t giving us anything to do???
#7) What can I do?
A little over a year after we learned about the Masons and prayed for Elise, a dark shadow reappeared in the old church building on Christmas Eve. Once again, Susan and I prayed. Before, we had bound a demonic spirit named “Secrets,” and this time many more spirits, including “Lucifer.” (I know this sounds crazy! I know we all don’t have the same experiences! You don’t have to believe me, but you can believe Scripture and the Word of God!)
Along with two other members of our prayer team, we were directed to a dark room in the basement of that old church building. We took communion, for the eternal covenant supersedes all other covenants, including those which people in secret societies make in order to glorify themselves. We then prayed a long-written prayer renouncing Masonic oaths, including a declaration that “Lucifer is god.” It is supposedly taken at the 33rd degree (I don’t imagine that all orders are the same, but that’s what we did.) And of course, we called on Jesus. He appeared next to Lucifer and a host of other demonic spirits, having been bound and placed in a box. I don’t see these things, but those with me who are so gifted do see these things.
At one point, my wife and our friends saw a circle of children surrounding a man holding a knife who had just sacrificed a goat and was threatening the children. Behind them stood their fathers in dark robes with their hands on their children’s shoulders. Over the span of an hour or so, I led us in prayer, and my wife and friends described what they were witnessing. Jesus appeared in the center of the circle, shrunk the box full of demons, put it in His pocket, put the goat back together, and brought it to life. The children went to Jesus, then turned, forgave their fathers, and led their fathers to Jesus. And as they did, the fathers, now stripped of the dark robes, grew young — and together with their children began to smile, laugh, and pet the goat. The dark basement turned into a party! I said, “Jesus, can they go home?” A door opened in the wall on the side of the basement. On the other side of the door were beautiful trees, hills, and sunshine. My wife laughed out loud and said, “I wish you could’ve seen it, Peter! They went through the door, and just before it closed, the goat ran after them bleating. It was so cute!”
#4) What is death? Death is attempting to glorify yourself and so trapping yourself alone in yourself — your false self, the product of the lie that you must save yourself: “Me-sus.” And what is life? Life is quite literally seeking someone else’s glory; it’s losing yourself and finding yourself in Je-sus (Yahweh is salvation). Life is the party in the middle of the room and the eternal reality on the other side of the door. The souls in the basement were dead, but they experienced the death of death — the second death which is eternal life. “I know that the father’s commandment is eternal life,” said Jesus the Word (John 12:50).
#5) What is the judgment? It’s not a decision that God has yet to make; it is the decision that is, in fact, God. God is Love. Eternal life is a communion of sacrificial Love. Love is the decision to glorify another. God is Love, and Jesus is the Word of Love. “I give my glory to no other,” says God in Isaiah. And yet, Isaiah hears the Seraphim say, “The whole earth is filled with the glory of God.” God is the glory that fills all things with Himself through His Word.
#6) Why is Jesus telling us this stuff? Maybe so that when it happens, we’ll be grateful. . . and join the party. I seem to always think that there’s something I must do, but first I need to know that I’m something that God has done. And maybe He’s doing it right now; He does everything with His Word. It is the Word that’s “living and active.” And the Word is a Seed. The Seed is planted in you as a Breath, “The Seed of the Woman,” like an egg. And He comes to you as a Word that is heard (“sperma” in Greek). When He “finds a place in you,” the curtain rips, and the glory of God begins to fill His temple — dark becomes Light, lies become Truth, sin becomes Grace, and you/we begin to live. All because of the Word.
After that day in the basement, it happened a few more times. The last time (that I’m aware of), my wife heard weeping behind a locked crawl-space door and a voice that said, “Leave me alone.” We had communion and prayed just outside that door. She saw figures cowering in the dark. Jesus appeared. My wife said, “Peter, they’re cowering in the darkness and won’t look up. He’s so bright, and they’re so ashamed.” So, as with Elise and as with the Masons in the basement, I began to tell them about Jesus. “He doesn’t condemn you. He adores you.” At one point, my wife said, “Peter, it’s so amazing — the moment they look up, they rise, go to Jesus, and then on through a door . . . But Peter, there are some that won’t look up.” After a time, Jesus said, “I’m leaving this door here for those that will still come.”
Later that day, we entered that crawl space and found bulletins from 1904, confirming things that were seen in the visions. Susan heard the Lord say, “Children of the desolate, you are desolate no longer,” and we realized that we were directly under the spot where I would stand and preach each Sunday morning. I’ve often looked out, seen very few faces, and thought to myself, “No one is listening.” But then, I’ve remembered the door under the floor and preached with conviction. “The gates of hell (Hades) will not prevail against my church,” said Jesus. It doesn’t matter what people think of me or if they attend “my church,” but it does matter that on that day, people look up.
Question #7) What can I do? In Christ, I can speak the Word that destroys “the work of the devil” and “makes all things new.” And so can you. It’s not a transaction, not a threat, not an argument; it is a statement of fact: “God is Salvation.” It forms a name: Jesus.
Jesus destroys “Me-sus,” and sets me free to join the Party. He gives up the ghost.
Question #1) What does it mean to die in your sin, “the sin of you all”? It doesn’t mean that some will be endlessly tortured by God, but it may mean that some will be trapped in themselves for a time. So, speak the Word — “Jesus” is the Ghost Buster.
“The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, for lo his doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.”