THIS WEEKS MESSAGE

RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE & JOY 
Part Two

Presented by Pastor John S. Torell from his home church
RESURRECTION LIFE OF JESUS CHURCH
Sacramento, California

Your responses and comments are always welcome.

This message is available on audio Cassette from our Book Store 

RLJ-590

7 December 1997

Let’s begin today’s message in the gospel of John chapter 14 verse 27. [We established last time God's law for peace and harmony in the body.] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

This is a law where Jesus said, "I'm going to give you my peace." The peace of God gives tranquility. It gives us a clear mind. It takes out all confusion. There is no fear. There's nothing disturbing, but the peace of God is so deep, so wonderful, so powerful, that actually the body will totally relax. This is when the body can actually be healed on a permanent basis.

Turn to John chapter 16 verse 33. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus said, "I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you and I will have tribulation." Jesus has overcome the world.

Turn to Romans chapter 5 verse 1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

All of us this week became aware of the tragedy that happened in Kentucky. This is where a group of students would gather every morning at their high school to pray. It was student sponsored, not by any adults. These students were deeply committed to Christ. The leader of the group was the son of a pastor of one of the churches in town. There was a boy that was heckling them for a longtime. He was 14 years old. The press had released that this boy had seen a certain movie that had been made about year ago. In this movie there was a massacre that happened in a school. For a year he and a friend talked about how they could have a massacre in their school. This young boy was not at peace. I do not know for sure, but it is possible that he came from a broken home. There's nothing more devastating for child than to have Mom and Dad breakup and divorce, and to have their home broken up. It devastates a child. This boy had agitated the prayer group for a longtime. They had something that he did not have. They had peace. He had turmoil. I also believe he became demonized and gave into the demonic forces. He killed a three young ladies, wounded some others. Unless God intervenes, one of these young ladies will be permanently paralyzed because of a severed spinal cord. This 14 year old boy will be tried in the courts as an adult. There's no death penalty. What a tragedy for a boy, who is only 14 years old, to know that you'll be locked be up for years and years, because of a stupid thing like this. He said after he had shot them that he cried out, "What have I done?" The world does not have peace. Jesus wants us to have His peace and to live in it.

Turn to Romans chapter 14 verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

This is my title of this message; Righteousness, Peace, and Joy. This is what God wants you to have. The devil is CONSTANTLY TRYING TO DESTROY THIS LAW OF PEACE!

Turn to John chapter 10 verse 10. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I want you to know something: the devil is constantly probing around us saying, "Give me your peace. Give it up and let me give you turmoil." Satan fights harder against this law of peace and harmony than

anything else on this earth. If we are not at peace, we will not evangelize. If we are not at peace, we will not be able to pray. We will not be able to function. We will be dysfunctional beings.

Let me tell you about some new weapons that have been developed in the last forty years. They are called EMP's, Electronic Magnetic Pulses. This is a weapon that can knock out radar, electricity, electric motors and computers. Our bodies also operate on electricity. If there is a high EMP surge, it destroys your body. You just go bonkers. Is this weapon available in this country? Yes! I encountered this weapon 15 years ago. I want to briefly share that with you. There were three ladies that had retired from the San Francisco area. They had bought a home close to the Foot Hill Farms; it was a nice little place. What they did not know was that the CIA had moved in next door and rented a house to do what is called experimentation. These ladies were bombarded every night at about 10:00. It would last through the night. It got so they could not sleep. They could not understand what had happened to themselves. They would become so agitated that they would walk around and feel that it was coming from that particular house. It finally became so bad that these ladies would get out there with pots and pans at 3:00 in the morning and hit them in their backyard in order to break something; what it was they did not know. It became so bad that the neighbors called the police. These ladies wound up in a mental clinic for 72 hours. They came to my church seeking help. I had never experienced anything like this before. I could not understand it. I prayed and ministered to them. I could not really help them. It was five to six years later that documentation was released that these were the things that our government was doing to our people. I said, "Now I understand how these ladies were driven batty." Satan is cruel. It ended up that they had to sell their house and I believe they are in a mental institution, totally fried. These were ladies that had lived a productive life. They were middle class. They were not lunatics. They were just average American women. They were selected to be experimented on and it destroyed their sanity. Satan does this every day with you and I.

Turn to First Peter chapter 5 verse 8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. [I want you to think about some numbers here today. Since 1945 to this day, if you go out and look upon the general population, you will find that more than 60 percent of all married couples, that got married after 1945, are today divorced. For a whole nation, where more than half of the married population is divorced and destroyed, it should make us think that something is wrong. If we then take another number; we know this: that every Sunday close to 50 million Americans, that is 25 percent of the population, attends a Christian church. We are having a destruction on a tremendous scale. Who was doing this? The devil! I do not want you to think that I am picking on divorced people. I feel that divorce is like a disease. It is a disease that destroys a couple. Where does that disease come from? It comes from the devil. Most young couples, when they married years ago, did not say we're going to try this out; if it doesn't work we can just forget it. They really tried, they had hopes and dreams of raising their children, and having good times with their grandchildren, living a wonderful life and it was scattered and shattered for them. If you checkout the pastors in the churches you will probably find the same percentage of divorces and remarriages. The casualties among the leadership among people is about the same. How can we defend ourselves against this?

Turn to James chapter 3 verse 14. [This is the term that I want you to understand. There is a term that is called demon food. Demons need "SPIRITUAL FOOD" to feed from in order to do their evil work. Here's an example: my wife told me about a month ago that we have a lot of black ants in the church kitchen and in other areas. You only have ants where there is food. I went into the kitchen the other day and checked it out. I noticed that the ants had a freeway near the wall. We have different fruit juices for the children on Sundays. These juices do get spilled. I found that there was juice left in cups that were left in the trash cans. Ants were crawling all over the place. We went out and bought some ant poison. We killed thousands of those little ants. A week later we had just as many ants again. So I decided we would remove the food supply. Then we could spray the ants and no new ones will come in. If you think it is hard enough to keep your house clean, think about a church where you have everyone in charge, but no workers. That means everyone wants to do something, but no one does anything. Demons need spiritual food to feed from, so they can do their evil work.] But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Let's think about something. I know that most of you that are here do not do this, but let's take an average Christian family. Here is dad and mother. They are home on Monday night, they had a wonderful time in church and they're going to relax. The father is saying, "Blessed to be thou, oh woman, to who are my wife." She says, "Blessed be you, oh great man of God, I really love you." They have the best language between them. The children are saying, "OH, blessed be our parents, who are so wonderful." The family wants to relax a little bit on Monday night. The father says, "Let's watch a little television." They start watching a program where there are some angry people. There is some swearing, divorcing, stabbing, killing, screaming, lying, and cheating, all in the name of entertainment. Father Christian is sitting with mother Christian, and son and daughter Christian, they’re watching this big brute saying, "I hate you woman I am going to divorce you." She says, "I hate you too." This is called family entertainment. This wonderful family suddenly are having demon food in their house. Demons are listening and they come in. They are saying, "That is a wonderful program. After this, we have the slaughter over at the butcher shop; after that, there is a horror movie, and a UFO program." This is entertainment. FOOD FOR DEMONS! This is what the Bible says, "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." How can the Holy Ghost, who is inside of us, sing, "Praise ye the Lord," when your eyes are watching someone being strangled? I don't think it can. I believe someone is going to leave and someone else is going to come in. I think the Holy Ghost is going to say, "I am going to take a station break." The demons are going to say, "We're going to come in because we have food here." Demons need spiritual food to feed from in order to do their evil work.

I have made a list of seven demon foods. You will not find them down at your local grocery store. You will be able to find them all at your local video store. The shelves are stocked full, or you can just turn on your television set.

1. A froward mouth. Turn to Proverbs chapter 6 verse 12. A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. [I went to the dictionary to find out what exactly this word means. Froward means not easily controlled, stubborn, willful, adverse unfavorable. In other words a nasty mouth. A naughty person or wicked man walks with a mouth that cannot be controlled. Praise God, that is not you and I. We can control our mouth.] He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; [I am sure you have seen this in your travels, where people give hand gestures to other motorists.]Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination under him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

In these verses we have a lot of demon food. Do you see that? If you look upon this, you may think that the people that are writing the scripts for the television sitcoms, and movie producers, have read this and are using this list of demon food in their script. What you and I have to do is this; we have to make sure that our mouth is not a forward mouth. That means you have to have Christ control your tongue. You that are married, those that are thinking about marriage, listen. I never seem to be amazed with the young couples that come to me who want to be married. They say, "We are so in love." I say, "Good!" They say, "We are not like anyone else. There's never been anyone like us before. We are so much in love. We're going to have a very special marriage. We do not need any marriage counseling. We know exactly what to do. We are so in love." I know that within six months I will have that same young couple in for counseling. Instead of holding hands, she is going to say, "He is nasty." He is going to say, "She will not obey me. When I throw my fist down, she refuses to obey me. Now pastor straighten her out. Give her the word. Wife submit to your husband; tell her." The Bible does say submit to your husband as to the Lord. If the husband is not into the Lord, how can the wife submit to her husband? If the husband says, "Woman, we're going to rob a bank. Here is a gun. Put this ski mask on, woman, we're going to go down and rob this bank." Is she going to say, "Well, I have to submit to my husband, so here we go." No, you only submit as long as that man is walking with Christ. You cannot be submissive otherwise. The problem is, no one wants to take responsibility. I learned this: at home the mouth goes. When we are with other people, we want to maintain our calm. We want to have a nice facade. We say, "Praise the Lord. Oh, yes, I have a little problem, but it is not a big problem. I can handle it. How are you doing? Praising God." Catch the same person at home a half hour later with their spouse or children and you'll find a different story. You'll find a person who is demanding things and shouting. That is how married couples talk, unless they have learned how to crucify their tongue on the altar. Why do they act like this? It is very simple. We're married: we're not going any place. I do not have to put in any effort; you know me anyway, so why should I try. I am ugly, so here's my ugliness. The marriage dies. The devil knows how to work us. If man would spend as much time on their marriage as they do on their hair, you would have a wonderful marriage. The same goes for the woman. Let us be honest; you might not tell it to the public, but us men, we stare at the mirror and see whether we are losing our hair. We have to protect our marriage. We have to protect the peace of God.

2. Backbiting, I do not have any backbiters here today. Praise God, they all decided to stay home. Turn to Psalms chapter 15 verse 1. [Do you know what I found out? We have asked God, "Why, Lord ,does this church have resistance." The Lord showed me that is because we have a lot of loose tongues in this church. This church is not bad compared to other churches. It is not perfect, either.] Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with this tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. [What is backbiting? Backbiting is a when you and I begin to talk about someone else. We may not mean to do it in a bad way, but we get irritated and agitated. What happens is when I have an encounter with someone in the church, and I'm upset, I do not talk to them directly; I talk to someone else. I begin to say that so and so is no good. I just run them down with my mouth. Here's what happens; you have a froward mouth and you open yourself up to demons. You give demon’s food. Then, when you meet that person, something is happening in the spiritual world. When you meet that person later on, you run them down with your mouth and cut them into pieces; something is destroyed in the spirit world. You try to put a smile on your face and say all the nice things. Praise the Lord. Inside something is broken. The relationship is not there. There is a broken holiness. Now there is demon food in the church. Listen closely, how can we worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, if we have been unkind to one another in words, and try to get together and pray to the Lord. There is no unity in spirit. Backbiting is a food that demons thrive upon.

Turn to Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 20. [Paul said this.] For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

[These are sins that are the hardest to root out of the church. Praise the Lord, we do not have anymore bank robbers here. Praise God, the adultery and the fornication are gone. These are the ugliness of the human soul. The ugliness, that is so destructive, is like a cancer. Yet we don't think about it. We can lead our tongues to just go and go. Then we say, "Let's pray now." We do not understand how much destruction we have done. Backbiting has to go.]

3. A Reprobate Mind. Turn to Romans chapter 1 verse 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, with wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedience to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: [A reprobate mind, a Christian can get this reprobate mind. Here's what happens. We do not see our own sins. We say, "Well, I'm doing pretty good." We do not see that there is sin in ourselves. In David Wilkerson's latest newsletter he deals with this particular problem. A reprobate mind has to go. It has to be eliminated.]

4. Murmuring. Turn to Numbers chapter 14 verse 26. [Not all people are easy to love. That is why God has us to love the unloving.] And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. [What is murmuring? Murmuring is when you are unhappy, dissatisfied, disgusted, but you do not dare to speak it out publicly to those that are in charge. So you murmur. God hears that, and God hates it. Here's what He said, "How long shall I Bear with his evil congregation.] Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: [How many times have we not murmured? Oh, I wish, so and so were not in church anymore. This happened some time ago before most of you were even coming here. We had a man that belonged to this church. He had been attending with his wife for about 6 or 7 months. He was doing really good, but he got into rebellion. After getting into rebellion, he went back unto drugs, just one time. Demons got into him. He picked up a little girl about ten years old from this church and took her to a motel room. He molested her for several hours and then dropped her off somewhere. My wife and I were called to pick her up in the middle of the night. We took her to the hospital and he was picked up by the police. The man repented and we worked with him. The week after this happened, after our Sunday morning service, someone went up to the wife. She was having a hard time coming back to church because of what had taken place, but she came anyway. She was confronted, and the message, to her was the ladies in this church do not want her presence here anymore. It was hard enough to have this kind of treatment and she cried bitterly all the way home. She never came back. I could not figure out why she was not coming anymore until it was revealed to me. Someone took upon their heart and their mouth to speak this terrible thing to her. Destroyed someone who was already wounded. Instead of trying to reach out to her, it was said, "Let me cut your throat. We don't want you here in this church." Murmuring! We can do so much damage. As a pastor looking out, I see many of you that have gone through deliverance. It is like I have to tell the people to be gentle with one another. Don't get a club and hit that person over the head. You might think they can take it, but inside they are very fragile. Be nice to one another. Do we all understand this? We have to be gentle with one another. When we murmur against someone, we are destroying someone’s life. Do you know what God said to Israel? Let's read verse 28. As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from 20 years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless you shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses, the shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the wilderness 40 years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. [Murmuring is unacceptable in God's kingdom. It is demon food.]

5. Rebellion. Turn to Isaiah chapter 30 verse 1. [These seven things we battle in our personal lives, we battle in the church, and we battle as a nation. They have to be routed out.] Woe to the rebellious children , saith Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. [Woe to rebellious children. What is a rebellious child?]

Turn to Numbers chapter 12 verse 1. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. [Here was their problem? Miriam and Aaron did not like it that Moses had married a black woman. They were upset. They rebelled and they spoke to one another.] And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the man which were upon the face of the earth.) And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, come out you three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. [I would say the pastor spends a lot of time talking to the people in the church that hurt each other. There is always something going on. Someone has hurt someone. It is a constant battle in all churches. Pastors, elders, and deacons have to get together to try and resolve problems, because people rebelled or were unkind. Someone stepped on someone’s toes. We need to learn that God is unhappy with this.] And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: an Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold she was leprous. [Here were two brothers and a sister, and they now realize that God was dealing with them.] Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my Lord, [Aaron realized now that Moses was the one called. He did not say brother. He called him Lord. He repented.] I beseech thee, lay not this sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. [Moses who had the mind of Christ didn't say, "Well Aaron, you should have thought about that before you started complaining. You made your bed, now sleep in it." Isn't that how some of us react when disaster falls upon someone? Moses’ heart was broken. Moses was more concerned about his relationship with God, and with his brother and sister, then to be vindicated. Never try to be vindicated. Let God vindicate you.] And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. [Moses cried out for his sister.] And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. And afterward the people removed from Hazetoth and pitched in the wilderness of Paran. [Rebellion. We cannot have it, it has to go.]

6. Complaining. Turn to the book of Jude verse 14. [This is something that I am battling with myself. It is so easy to not recognize it in ourselves. We do not recognize how blessed we are. We really do not have any problems and yet we complain at the drop of a hat.] And Enoch also, the seventh to Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember you the words which are spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. [Building ourselves up in the most holy faith.]

You and I can go into any hospital today, we will find people laying in the hospital beds saying this, "I will give anything to be able to get up and go to work." Monday morning when you do go to work, you complain that you have to be at your job. You should be saying, "Praise God that I have two legs to walk on. Praise God I have a job to go to. Praise God I have someplace to go to that I can earn some money. I'm going to be praising God, not complaining." We complain about everything. We want this, we want that, things are not good enough for us. We should be saying, "Thank you Lord for what I have." Praise God that I'm busy. There are a lot of people sitting in rest homes that have nothing to do but stare out the window and wish they had something to do. Praise God you have a brain, legs and feet, so that you can be busy. I want to be busy for the Lord, instead of having all the time I need, sitting in a wheelchair waiting for my meals and someone to put me in bed. My wife used to work in a convalescent home in Sweden. She told me that some of the personnel were not too nice. They would put some of the people in bed at 7 o'clock at night because they didn't want to bother with them. How would you like to be put to bed at 7:00 just because someone did not want to bothered with you? Praise the Lord, complaining has to go.

7. Slander. Slander is downright nasty stuff. Turn to Psalms chapter 31 verse 9. [Most of the time we do not have all the facts. I learned this; we do not have all the facts, but all we need are a couple words and we are ready to slander someone and cut them to pieces. We don't have all the facts. It doesn't make any difference; the tongue goes 90 miles an hour. Put your brain in gear before you start your tongue a moving.] Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed. I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to my acquaintances: they that did see me without fled from me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. [I will let you read the rest of the references in the Bible on slander. Slander is very destructive. Usually we do not think we are slandering someone, but when we do not have all the facts and are so quick to judge when we only have a little of the information, we say, "This is the way it is."]

This may be a hard sermon for some of you, but I really feel that God wants to fine tune us. We have asked, "Father God, why cannot we worship more and sing more unto You? Why God are these things happening?" I will tell you why. God showed it to me. We have demon food here. It has to be removed from all us, including myself. I am not above this. I struggle from time to time, because there are people that I like more than others. People can be very upsetting, and yet I have to minister to them. I cannot let my personal feelings show. I have to take it to God and say, "Dear God, give me grace."

We have a little animal in Sweden that is covered with a lot of needles. In America they are called hedgehogs. Those are hard to hug. If you have learned to stroke them in the right manner, you will not get the needles in your hand.

Turn to Galatians chapter 5 verse 15. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. [You that are married here today, apply that to your marriage. Walk in the spirit with your spouse. The next time there's a tense moment in your household, stop everything and cry out, "Jesus, Jesus help us." Do this instead of getting the club out.] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, Joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. [This is what you and I have to do, we have to crucify the flesh and say, "In the name of Jesus, I refuse to feed the demons. I'm not going to feed anymore demons. I'm going to get rid of my former mouth. I'm going to refuse to be a backbiter. I'm not going to have a reprobate mind. I'm not going to murmur any more. I'm not going to be into rebellion and I am not going to complain. I'm not going to slander. I'm going to walk in the Holy Spirit." You can do it, if you make up your mind! The Holy Ghost will give you the strength.]

Jesus did not purchase health on Calvary so that we may, from time to time, be healed INSTEAD THE PLAN OF GOD IS FOR THE BELIEVER TO WALK IN TOTAL HEALTH FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE ON THIS EARTH! Turn to Third John verse 2. [Most of the time we're looking for miracles to happen. A miracle is when you don't get sick. That is a miracle.] Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. [Unless your soul is prospering, your body cannot be healed and you will not be blessed financially. The soul comes first. The plan of God is for the believer to walk in total health for the rest of his earthly life. God wants you and I to walk in divine health. We would not have to pray for this, and that, we're to receive health every day, if we have no demons in us. Then the peace of God will be there in us.] Turn to Proverbs Chapter 16 verse 24. [The Bible is not a science book but it has truth all in it.] Pleasant words are as honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. [What do you have in your bones? The bone marrow. What is manufactured in your bone marrow? The red and white blood cells. Your immune system is in your bones. Sweet words spoken of the Holy Spirit brings health to the bones. Do you understand now the peace of God? When I have peace, my body is in harmony. As I shared with you last week, the brain sends out healing waves that God has made in your mind, and massages every cell, and every cell gets well. When they do not have peace the body suffers immensely.

Turn to Proverbs chapter 17 verse 22. A merry heart doeth us good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. [It destroys the blood. It destroys your immune system. Joy brings health. God wants us to have His peace.]

Turn to second Timothy chapter 1 verse 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Turn to Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 10. [God's Spiritual law of peace and harmony. Jesus said, "My peace unto you." Think about this; you and I have been wounded in life many times. Have you noticed that when we're wounded, we get tired, drained, we lose our strength, the joy is gone and to live is a struggle? What happens is, Satan comes in and steals our peace. How can we maintain our joy? If someone comes up to us that we really love, and they stab us with some nasty words, we have to forgive them, before they say anything. Don't look upon that person with contempt. Remember, there are demonic forces out there at work. What did Jesus say when they laid him on the cross, they took His precious hands and drove a huge rusty nail through his wrist? He did not curse them. He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Forgive them Lord." I have learned this, if I want the power of God, I have to live in forgiveness. I have to forgive them and say, "Father God, forgive them; they don't know what they are doing." I have people cursing me all the time. We have to guard ourselves. We need to say, "I'm not going to have my peace leave me."] Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [How do we do that? We do that by focusing on God. There are times when my wife and I say, "Father God, there's one thing we know, You love us. I know personally in my life there are people that love us. I cannot live on someone else's love. In order to survive I have to always be able to get a hold of God and say, "Abba, Father, I am going to hang onto Your love, because you will never let me down. You'll never disappoint me. You'll never stab me in the back. You are my heavenly Father. Father God, I will let myself down. Others will let me down, and there are times when I will let you down. Not because I want to, but because I am weak." We are sinful. There are times when our strength goes. We will hurt one another. We may not mean it. We must understand that we are clay. The only one that will never hurt us is our heavenly Father. If we know that, then Satan can never steal our peace. We're safe in our Father's arms. Then we can say the beautiful words, "I forgive; will you forgive me?" The love of God begins to flow like it has never flowed before. Then there is restoration.] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; [Do you know what I learned? Even your best friend at times will hurt you. Even if you have a wonderful marriage, at times your spouse will hurt you, your children will hurt you. We are clay. We are not perfect. We can say, "Jesus, now I need your peace." Guard your peace, Satin cannot take it from you.] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Turn to John Chapter 14 verse 27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. [The world gives and the world takes it back.] Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Do you know what you and I will do from time to time? We break promises. There might be a time when I will tell you that will be at your house, and I want to do this and that for you, and I have forgotten. I don't remember. I am sure this has happened to you at different times. You sit at your house waiting for someone to come and they never show up, and the devil tries to get you angry. Learn to forgive people before that starts. We are going to let each other down. There are times when we will forget. Jesus will never forget us, if we understand His peace. You may look upon it in this way: I am on my way to heaven, I know that someday I'm going to leave this earth and I'm going to have all the Angels come and say, "John, it is time to go home." I'm going to say, "Glory to God." I'm going to watch my body drop. There will be my body on the floor. The Angels will slip a white robe over my soul spirit man. I am going to be excited that day, because they are going to take me to the nearest heavenly shuttle. I am going to be gone, thinking and knowing that in a few moments that I will be with Jesus.

There was a pastor that said this at a funeral in Kentucky, it was broadcast on the news worldwide, "These girls were talking to God on earth, then they were talking to him face-to-face." If you can understand this, you can have the peace of God. If the car breaks down, big deal. We can always walk. My best friend did not show up. I forgive him. We can do what we were going to do another time. You had your family over for Thanksgiving and they broken a number of things in your house. Praise God anyway. If your dog chews up the chair, who cares; the chair can be fixed. Relationships need to be maintained. The relationship between the Lord and ourselves is worth more than a chewed up chair or a broken thing. Broken things can be fixed. A human beings can never be replaced. How wonderful it is to be able to say to Jesus, "I understand now that you gave me your peace, and you'll never take it from me." He will never take it away.

As we come to prayer today, I have a question ARE YOU USING THE ARMOR OF GOD, OR ARE YOU FEEDING DEMONS?

Think about what has been shared here today, then say, "Father God, do I have any demon food in the house? If I do, I want to get rid of it." You can pray right where you are. I receive a letter this week from a man in prison. It does not matter where you are. Say, "Father God, I want to repent. I want to get rid of all the seven demon foods that you mentioned today. I want to clear my house out. I want the Holy Ghost to come and spray the house, kill all the demons and chase them out. I want heavenly Raid sprayed in my place and then I want to praise God."

May God richly bless you is my prayer.