Which is Worse?

Which is Worse?

3/1/17

This topic poses a question that has already been answered for we know that if boundaries are put into place then crossed and at some point tried to be reset, times could become interesting.  But what occurs when those reset boundaries are allowed to be crossed again; a phenomenon that many of us face each day but fail to understand the deep implications that these examples provide.  What starts out as a basic process becomes an internal combustion process that will explode into a powerful energy source for future gains.  God is in the restoration business a process of resetting boundaries for our won protection yet our eyes are so focused on worldly freedoms we ignore His warnings and proceed with the combustion process.

All of us who are parents have allowed some type of leniency to our children when they do things wrong.  This line of acceptance can be a fine one and one that needs to be managed properly or the control of the child will become a prominent issue.  I remember when I was a kid that some of the things that I did wrong I would receive a deserved punishment and as I grew in age those punishment standards stayed and were appropriate of good parenting.  These types of situations were strictly voluntary on my part for I was a willing participant in each of those wrongdoings.  I was never beaten or severely punished for anything but when I deserved punishment for crossing the boundaries of the rules of the house, I could count on finding out and learning about those crossings within a short period of time.

It did not take me long to figure out another setting that I wanted to avoid as well and that was one that occurred when I crossed over a boundary that I had already been in trouble for at some point in time earlier.  I must admit that there were a few times in my younger years that I did re-cross boundaries that I had penetrated earlier and once again my parents were quick to remind me of such previous and present crossings.  No, they did not beat me or inflict gross negligence on my person but they were a tad sterner in their advisements and restrictions due to this blatant disregard for their rules.  What my parents understood but I did not is that when a boundary is crossed and nothing is done about it, this action only fuels my curiosity of how much more I can get away with.  Added to this equation would be when I crossed a known boundary again and did not receive any correction for my actions, a process that would further install a rebellious pattern that could prove deadly if continued.

Why is this topic such a dangerous prospect in today’s world?  It is because the basic societal family unit has been shredded into an unidentifiable component that is now the definition of how society functions.  The vast majority of children who are present in today’s society have been subject to breakup families who do not have the example of a complete upbringing.  It is tough to hide behind such a setting for only division can rule if unity is not understood amongst all parties involved.  Boundaries in schools have been breached through the blatant disregard for teachers which represent an authority figure of said children.  When the child or student reaches the point that he/she does not have to listen to the teacher, their home examples shine brightly and thus conclude the normal pattern of what is appropriate today. 

So far God has only touched on a few examples of how boundaries are crossed and why their presence is important to understand but what occurs when boundaries are reset and then allowed to be re-crossed through the blessing of authorities?  While the procedures of crossing boundaries are dangerous in themselves we find that if one continues to define boundaries, reset them and then cross them voluntarily again provides the most dangerous of episodes that a person or nation can encounter.  As mentioned above even the Bible gives us examples of how this principle works and when one fully understands this truth they will come to recognize that the process of boundaries is a Kingdom principle and one that can provide eternity for those involved.

The passage of scripture that God is going to use here is a fascinating one and it too falls into the category of boundaries that I had never thought about before.  But when one looks at this passage it is clear that Jesus recognized boundaries and did His best to teach His followers of this principle through this example.  The passage that is being used here is Matthew 12: 43-45 which states as follows: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.  Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”

I have heard this passage used many times in my life from many different pulpits and Sunday School rooms and I must admit that each time I have heard this passage used it has dealt concerning the issue of the spirits alone, with the exception of my father who also dealt with the place of the house as a part as well.  While both issues being taught here are correct there is another part of this passage that we need to understand and it is the definition of a boundary and Jesus states very clear here about this boundary and it is in the form of the house of the man.  And it is through this passage that Jesus gives us a clear indication that Kingdom has lines and that we are a direct measurement of Kingdom.

The first portion of verse 43 of this chapter states that an unclean spirit is forced to leave a man.  This means that a power that is greater than the spirit has come into contact with such spirit and demanded through its authority for that spirit to leave its dwelling place.  This means that an evil spirit was thrown out of a defined place because a man is representative of a place and in this case, the man represents a boundary.  This boundary has been defined and it carried with it an unclean being which was allowed to exist, a part of that boundary definition but the spirit was at some point thrown out or one can refer to this action as a resetting of that boundary.  But this spirit is not dead and it even seems like it is not injured for the Bible says that it begins to wander around searching for another place to inhabit but comes up empty.  It is this point that we must understand that even spirits cannot enter where doors that they recognize do not exist, this means that an inhabitable spirit can only enter into a place where it is welcome but at the same time is subject to an authority that can tell it to leave.

After the spirit leaves the man it continues its journey looking for another place to dwell but according to God’s Word, it does not find any rest or place of refuge.  Now, when someone is not satisfied with their current position it is easy to spot because they are usually nervous, uptight and constantly looking for answers and fixes to the immediate situation, they are never settled and eventually they will try returning to their ways, whether it is with the old person and situation or with something similar in content.  It is this picture that Jesus is painting about what the spirit kingdom does and how it has its own boundaries that it functions within and when it finds a receptive place it will stay as long as it is welcome.  It will not leave voluntarily for if it did then Matthew Chapter 12:25-26 would be considered a lie.

Right at this juncture in Scripture presents a HUGE issue that we must consider the focal point of this passage and the point where we today are following the exact same pattern to which Jesus was referring.  The next portion of this passage refers to the spirit returning to its house and the actual word used in verse 44 is “my” house.  This means that the spirit had legal rights to that place of inhabitance which entitles it to be there, or it serves as a boundary.  The spirit finds that the house is empty, swept and garnished according to the words of Jesus.  The original Greek words here refer to a relaxed and arranged to a selfish order which is truly indicative of our societal requirements today.  This characteristic of the house accurately describes the characteristic of the spirit that was allowed to inhabit the house in the previous verse which once again provides us with a complete picture of what lies in our societal hearts today.

Verse 45 of Matthew Chapter 12 finishes the setting with what occurs when we allow that same spirit to return and if we do not replace our emptiness with God and it gives us the true account of what occurs when we allow reset boundaries to be crossed.  Verse 45 begins with the phrase that says the spirit goes back into the house with seven of its buddies along with him.  It is a human trait to make sure that we upscale everything as time goes along and the spirit realm operates in the same manner.  Jesus is very specific here when He states that the spirit will bring in with it seven others with it.  What is more intriguing is that with this specific number there is a specific boundary set as well for the spirits that the original one brings in are more wicked than the original, another pattern (boundary) that is followed.

What makes this more dangerous is that the buddies that the original spirit will bring in do not have to be welcomed into the house, by legal rights through the original owner, they will be allowed to dwell in that house and in this case Jesus is speaking about a person.  There is a reason why God sets boundaries for His children and it is through this passage of Scripture that gives us a detailed example as to why He sets boundaries and the importance of boundaries.  The last portion of the passage states the final condition of the man when it says that the man is now worse off than he was before because he now has more spirits that inhabit his life which have legal rights to be there.  If not taken care of properly, these invitees and their original door of opportunity shall consider this place of residence as a permanent fixture and until the ultimate authority arrives, shall not have any intentions of leaving.

What does this setting have to do with our society and the world today?  Everything!  It is defining the exact setting of 1 Samuel Chapter 8, 1 Kings Chapter 16 and Matthew Chapter 12 and it puts into motion exactly where we are at, the only exception is that we have not directly capitulated to the setting in Matthew as of this moment but we are proclaiming its setting before it arrives.  Whether one likes it or not the President of the United States is who he is and nothing can change this physical election.  But what we do not understand is which election has actually occurred and because of the results of this other election, we have no idea of what we are fighting either.  The president is doing what he said he was going to do and reset boundaries that have been obliterated by past presidencies.  This is a given and it will b done no matter how many people disagree with it.  But this is NOT the concerning point here it is the origin of the source that is concerning.

In the passage of Scripture used here God wants us to understand that there is an underlying spirit that harbors our house and while Jesus is speaking about an individual this concept is applied to a nation because a nation is made up of individuals.  It is good to have boundaries and it is good to test those boundaries by measuring them on occasion, but to cross them, reset them and cross them again provides nothing but disaster on all levels.  Jesus tells us that if we allow evil or unclean spirits into our lives and then brush them out yet allow them back into our lives again our situation will not be the same or better but worse than previously.  One of our major problems is that we have allowed our enemy to shun the truth about what is correct from our hearts and we now have trouble even identifying what is good and what is bad.

It is through the last sentence of the previous paragraph that God bases His analysis concerning our nation.  In other words, we have become so lax in our identification processes of what is good and what is bad that we have stopped asking or looking at what is coming into our lives and are assuming that everything is ok.  What makes this setting so dangerous is that one day those inclusions shall demand their residence be accounted for and take their toll on our lives.  We must remember that if a spirit that resides within our hearts is not happy we cannot be happy physically either.  We need to understand that God placed this president in our lives for a reason and that through this reason we need to settle down and understand exactly what is going on.  A famous (infamous) cry is that progress never goes backward, that is a lie from the pit of hell!  It is necessary for our lives to hit a reset button now and then for safety and quality issues, both physically and spiritually.

It is the fool who says that progress never stops or goes backward and failing to understand that taking a look around and understanding that the fast paced lives can produce holes and gaps that could allow the enemy into our lands, both physically and spiritually.  If a person, group, or nation does not believe that a competitor or enemy will not take advantage of these types of gaps they should not be in a place of leadership, for a competitor or enemy would not be doing their job if they did not seize this opportunity.

To our dismay, the Church has also complied with this boundary resetting and then re-crossing as well scenario and because of this action, it has placed her in a very precarious position.  She has become so lukewarm and indifferent to the truth of God’s Word that she will now defend her worldly position rather than what separation God desires of her heart from the world.  This is due to the fact that she has failed to recognize and understand the spiritual truth of Matthew Chapter 12 and to realize that this scene plays out every day not only on an individual level but national and spiritual levels as well.  This passage describes exactly what occurs when we set boundaries then do not fill the clean spaces with God and His Kingdom for the enemy shall return to claim what is his and at the same time fortify his holdings with his eviler buddies.  Place this spirit into what is ongoing now and it becomes evidently clear and imperative that we do not allow the evil spirits to infiltrate and cross over the rest boundaries again because if and when we do our lives as a nation shall be changed forever.  It is time for this nation to recognize our sins against our Creator and Establisher, repent, then turn back to God we shall soon see the evidence of our grave mistake from the inside out.

DLB