 Okay, welcome. Welcome back everybody to our next class on problems of the soul. We were focusing on the causes of the problems that affect the soul. We looked at the first two causes. One we determined about wrong thoughts or wrong thinking patterns that creates problems in the soul. And we also, the second point that we looked at is the wrong words or wrong speaking or the words that we use that create problems in the soul and the need to counteract and limit these, these negative words and being able to speak what God says about us. Moving ahead, we'll be looking into the third pointer of what really causes problems in our soul and one. And the third focus is on sin, on engaging in continual and continual sin, something that is, that, that a person does engage in over and over again, deep seated sin. We see that sin affects and hurts the emotional person that we are. So take for, you know, scripture talks about that in, in, in many places it says in John chapter eight verse 34 that whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. And those who sin, Proverbs 6 32, does destroy his own soul. And in Proverbs 8 32, it's specifically bringing about one of the sinful acts of adultery. He who does so destroys his own soul. Proverbs 8 5 22 also says that our own inequities entrap the man. It entraps us. And you know, Peter gives us that warning and says abstain from those fleshly lusts that war against the soul. So whatever kind of sin, that deep seated sin has the ability not just to emotionally hurt us, but it also opens the door to the influence of, of, of, opens a demonic influence into our lives, you know, and some of the scriptures that we can refer to is in Ephesians 4 26 27, it says be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your rock, nor give place to the devil. So when we engage in that sin, we not only hurt our emotional selves, but we bring about an open open door for the influence of the enemy to work in our lives. Okay, because our bodies are meant to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. And this is something that God has given unto us. And we keep it sanctified. We keep it holy by the power of the Holy Spirit. But when we throw ourselves into fleshly lusts, fleshly attractions, what happens is that it was against the soul, it becomes, it becomes defiled. Right. And that opens a place for the enemy to start working in it, because we know that we have been bought with a price. And so we are called to glorify God, both in our bodies and in our spirits, because whatever we are and whatever we've been created, created is God. So sin, sin in itself can cause deep wound, deep emotional hurt. And also, it opens the door to the enemy to walk in. So when we, when we look at skins, sins, I'm sure there are many multiple examples that we can think of. Would, would somebody like to probably share or, you know, bring about some things, some examples of these continual deep sins that, that, that when we engage in creates this emotional struggles and emotional difficulty, any examples would someone like to, you know, just for us to engage in and to bring about, yes, lying. Okay, Kennedy says lying. Yes, when we continue to confabulate, even say, white lies, right, it opens the door for, for, for the enemy to work in as well as emotional hurts, wonderful. Any other examples, you can think of? Gossip, alright, lustful thoughts, absolutely any kinds of sins that engage our minds, right, that, that in itself opens the door to emotional hurt and pain. Yes, anything else? Any other continual deep seated sin? I'd say even unforgiveness, you know, when we, when we keep away from extending mercy to somebody else who we've been given a command to forgive and to release, we, you know, we know that unforgiveness can is, is a, is a cause of unanswered prayer. Right. And unforgiveness adds in bitterness and anger and jealousy and resentment. And that creates bitterness opens up the doorway for the enemy. Right. Okay. Corruption with money. Absolutely. Wonderful. Pride. Yes. Bitterness, envy, addictions. Yes, absolutely. So these are some of the well known examples. And to really clear ourselves and come into rightness with God, to renounce these sins, to renounce what we may be going through to help us. Now, and I think in, as we are talking about this, it's also important to take help, especially when there is an engagement in addictive behaviors, where yes, seeking forgiveness and repenting is absolutely the first step. Yet to be able to walk in that wholeness may require the support of people or support of a counselor or a pastor to help you walk in freedom of that, because there are certain also practical ways that we refuse to engage in those fleshly lust to abstain from those fleshly lust. So one is getting right in the Ina spirits. And there is also ways, maybe in our bodies, how is it that we, we can institute certain things or activities that will keep us away from engaging in those, those sinful addictions. Okay. So that's, that's the third point. The fourth one we are looking at is certain experiences or situational experiences, whether it be to do with trauma, to do with any kind of negative adverse experiences is something that can abs that hurts the individual. So a lot of experiences and, you know, we may not be able to give an encompassing list of what those experiences are. But you know, on the top of my mind, there are experiences of constant striding that happens within homes in the family or affects the emotional being of a person when there is constant negativity, when there is arguments, quarrels, physical violence, physical abuse, emotional abuses within the members of the home, a lack of peace, discord and disharmony within the environment at home is are some are some of the examples other other examples that that could probably you would see is when there are, you know, things like when people do go through traumatic events or traumatic, maybe catastrophes, they have experienced some form of a trauma in their personal lives or in the lives of others can definitely affect maybe the witness of an abuse or a witness of a murder, or all of those trauma experiences of trauma can can often cause emotional hurts. So these are just this is one part of how people go through these experiences. But we do also see that carrying hurts and wounds can become entry points or carrying hurts of hatred or unforgiveness or bitterness or anger towards somebody because of a traumatic event that has taken place can become like sin, and that in itself becomes an entry point for the influence of the demonic as well as for emotional hurts that that come about. So so these emotional problems not just have natural causes, but they can also be what we're attempting to show is that there can be even demonic causes for emotional problems. And to be able to address this is also necessary. So we even as we're speaking of this, you know, sometimes when we talk about demonic forces and influences, there is a tendency to feel afraid and there is a tendency to really not even approach it. But I think one thing we all need to remember is that those who have have had the saving grace of Jesus who've been saved by the blood of the lamb by by their relationship with Jesus know that everything is demonic spirits are and subject to us. And we have an authority over them because of Jesus. Okay, we stand in a in a position and in a place of authority and in a position because of who we are in him. Okay, so even as we discuss this, it is it's to know that God has given every weapon for us to to fight against these principalities and powers. And we need to be able to recognize these and address this as issues so that you know people can be free or we ourselves can be free and enjoy this wholeness in our lives. So to to know about its presence and to understand its presence to discern its presence is a good thing because it helps us to walk in freedom. So these kind of experiences not just cause emotional problems, but it could cause demonic influences as well. And that's what we are called to recognize. We walk in its freedom because of the authority and the power that that we have, you know, it has been given on to us, it has been endured on to us so that we can walk in freedom and in authority over everything that causes an oppression in our emotional lives. Okay, so that's the that's the next point. All right, the we go on to the to the fifth one, which is the involvement in occult and false religions. So we see that when when we do engage in anything to do with the spirit world that is outside of the Holy Spirit, it can when you engage with something in the spirit world, you are opening the door for its influence in your life. Okay, it's it's it's like, it's like, sorry, excuse me. It's like opening the door to the enemy to walk in. It's like, you know, you're, you're actually opening the your main gate to the enemy to walk in. So when we do engage in that, it brings about an opening, right? So as it says in 1st Corinthians 10 19 to 20, it says the idol is anything or that which is offered. What Paul's asking is, you know, what about idols that is offered? So it says the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, you know, and it says I do not want you to have any fellowship with the demons. So anything that takes away our allegiance from the true living God is something that that keeps us from from experiencing that that sense of wholeness. Again, we see in Deuteronomy 7 verses 25 to 26, it talks of how it is an abomination to have carved images or, you know, anything that takes the place of God. Because it says, you know, when you take it for yourselves, you will be ensnared by it, because it is an abomination to the Lord. So it says you shall utterly detest it utterly abhor it for it is something that is that is occurs to something that is not does not belong to the children of God. So we do see that sometimes there are these very strong connections between demonic occultic practices or occultic involvement and deep seated emotional problems and struggles. And, you know, I've heard of people saying that when they have engaged in, you know, in simple but yet occultic practices as part of college and as part of school, where, you know, calling on of spirits and looking up the, you know, horoscopes and calling on to find out the future that the sense of fear and dread that that and captures them can be so intense that they feel they're not able to function as a result of some of that or even certain practices, some occultic practices and occultic exercises begins to show that deep seated sense of emotional bondage, you know, where as if there is something that is caught on to the to the emotional part of it. So we do see and we understand in that demons or spirits, demonic spirits does attach itself to animate as well as inanimate things. And we know that demons are often associated with with the things that can be inanimate, whether it to be idols or whether it to be artifacts, whether it to be charms, they can they can inhabit that they can also inhabit places, maybe rooms and houses. And so what is important is to ensure that you keep away maybe getting rid of these kind of things and come to a place of cleansing the house, the home, the things inside so that there is no control that you have given over to that of the demonic influence and power and to be able to declare what God's word is. So detaching and, you know, abstaining and moving away from anything that has its roots in occultic and demonic practices is something that that helps to protect our emotional beings and our emotional souls. Okay. So that's that's the fifth point where involvement of occult and false religion can cause emotional struggles and emotional problems. The sixth point that we're looking at is commitments, ancestral commitments and practices. I think there's a question. Yes, Shri Kumar, would you like to bring forth your question? Yes, Master. Master, I just I just want to know when you were discussing on this occult and witchcraft thing. So I just want to know that in case if a marriage is affected with this of the occult and because of this reason, marriage is going through very painful circumstances and one of the spouse is not ready to change and struggling in their marriage for more than 25 years of their marriage and their family is broken and there is no peace in their marriage because of these things and so how can we counsel and and how long a person can be patiently wait because so many people said to wait, wait, wait, wait, wait and they have actually completed their 25 years of their wedding and and till this day there is no change and even though the people are like the one of the spouse is praying and you know they are dedicated and that person is dedicated his life for for God and praying for the transformation and deliverance of the spouse and it impacted in such a way that even you know their children got impacted the entire family were like even though they are small children but they are not staying together or they are in a different location. So in that case how can we you know give them a hope that this will restore after 25 years also we are not seeing any result and you know so many people prayed over them and nothing is happening in that case how can you how can we bring them out or how can you counsel them or what is the solution or is the divorce is a solution or telling them that okay you stay, stay, stay and because half of their age is already gone and half of their marriage is already gone so there is no more hope we are seeing now so in that case how you will you know how we will take this challenge. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Thank you. That's a excellent question. So I think I would want to bring it up to two scriptures now considering now let's suppose the kind of example that you've given off is let's say a man is the believing spouse and the wife is the unbelieving this is just an example I think something that scripture does it brings about a reference to this in in qurentines and in first qurentines just pulling up the worst just give me a minute yeah so first qurentines chapter 11 verse 3 it says that the head of every man is Christ and the head of the woman is man and the head of Christ is God so there is one there is a God appointed structure of authority in the world that that God works through which is respected even among the demons so when you look at the structure of a home the husband or the father is the spiritual gatekeeper or the watchman over that family and so he has the right and the responsibility to protect everything that is given in authority under him so the husband if in this case it is the husband should take the place of authority and declare that every kind of demonic force that are you know are forbidden are not permitted to influence their wife and their children so so that's the authority given to the husband or the father of the home now considering that let's say it's the reverse let's say it's the wife that is maybe a believer and maybe the husband isn't and is in part with with the occultic practices over here again 1st Corinthians chapter 7 verse 14 says okay I'll read that for you for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband otherwise your children would be unclean but now they are holy so what it's saying is that in this case where there is one spouse who's an unbeliever in the scripture it talks of how the believing spouse should and can exert spiritual influence over that unsaved spouse and it says that even the children come under the spiritual influence of the believing spouse so that's what scripture brings us to I know in practicality it gets very burdensome it gets very difficult a lot of time hope is lost but in in answer to the word a divorce or a separation in marriage is only at only in two reasons one is adultery and the second is abandonment and later on it says that if the unbelieving spouse decides to leave you know allow him to go or allow her to go they are no more you know it says in verse 15 I'm just going to read that out first Corinthians 7 verse 15 but if the unbeliever departs let him depart a brother or a sister is not on the bondage in such cases but God has called us to peace so it is God's desire that peace is maintained in the home even with the presence of things that may be contrary to one another one there is a believing spouse and there is an unbelieving spouse but as long as the unbelieving spouse wants to stay and continues you know it the believing spouse continues to hold that spiritual influence and engages in that spiritual influence but if there is a departing then allow it says you know the the unbelieving the believing spouse is not under bondage in such cases so even though I know it's difficult to be able to continue to encourage them into doing what God's word says is to to hold on and to keep exerting that influence and keep keep ensuring that they they speak they exert that influence over the things of the home is the answer that I would give you yes Shri Kumar I hope that answers one thing is that the both spouses are believers and the witchcraft made it one of the spouse came into a split personality where he's or that person is not okay with the other when it comes to the spouse so it's not okay with the spouse but with other person every time it is okay but he comes to a like a different nature it's like well he manifests into a different form and the deeper anger comes and so much less comes and so many things and and every time when they come together like you know they are actually staying in a different countries but when they come together for the vacation for this is the thing happening every time so as you said based on those words and you know there's so many people counsel them and said that no this is you know an unbelieving spouse can or a believing spouse can you know because of their faith your spouse can be get ready and because of that faith you know that person has waited waited waited now they have already finished their 25th no silver wedding they're already completing their test for the wedding now they have a confusion that whether to continue this marriage or not so that is why I ask you that in these cases how can you counsel so I believe that the one option which you gave to me that is also a part even though that is an you know it's an both are believers but one of the spouse is not ready to commit his you know heart completely true Jesus so so yes as you said it is very hard to to suggest the people yeah it is I think the first and foremost thing is to be able to live in peace because through the sanctifying believers spouse there is there is the opportunity for the unbelievers unbelieving spouse to to experience the love of God and the peace of God so yes we engage in and recommend that they live in peace I know but however not all situations are as simple as what we are talking about right yeah yeah so I understand that and you know to to seek God in in in all of that but I think being careful about what we recommend is also we have to be very wise in in the way that we do it because scripture has something very clear to say and of course to be in support of the believing spouse to help them through those those hard times is something that as a church we're also called to do because in my experience I do know many many couples where there is one believing spouse and when there is unbelieving spouse and it is it is a living hell every day to live in in a situation like that but to continue to encourage them of the living hope in Christ and to keep them hopeful and living in faith is as a mentor also that what we are called to do so living in peace and encouraging the affected spouse thank you pastor yeah okay right I think there's another question Christopher you've asked how often do you recommend we should cleanse a house in case trifle is occurring in a house can demons return after a house cleansing is done so I think I'd want to answer this in a couple of questions and let me just look at that scripture which is in Matthew where it talks about the return of the unclean spirit and I'll just take some I'll just read that it says in Matthew 12 so I'm at Matthew 12 43 to 45 okay so when an unclean spirit goes out of a man he goes through dry places seeking the rest and finding none then he says I will return to my house from which I came and when he comes he finds it empty swept and put an order then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first so shall it be so shall it also be with this wicked generation okay so to answer this question do I mean I be recommended to keep doing it over and over again you know the we need to understand that the blood of Christ and the salvation that Jesus has given us is something that he's given us once and for all so to cleanse the home of of the strife that has occurred in the house you know you you you do it once and then let's say at repeated times is coming to a place of repentance and a place of sanctification asking that God keeps it holy and you know the presence of the holy spirit dwells there and every time that that strife comes in you know asking the presence of the Holy Spirit to take control so it's not something that you have to ritualistically keep doing over and over again but to you know just like how you know you're cleaning your home and then you would do a maintenance right here and here and now you continue to maintain it so that maintenance happens when you fill fill it with the word of God we continue to ask the presence of the Holy Spirit to work through that that's that's what I mean just keeping it akin to what I'm saying as a maintenance to be able to ensure that it is well well maintained at all points of time I think what we need to keep in mind is you know as you ask this question can it return after the house is cleansed so yes that can happen especially when we're not in in a place where we've kept it maintained which would mean if there are what do you say sources of strife that are not being dealt with or there are certain causes of strife that is not being dealt with you know there is a chance that it can you know that that's what it says in that scripture you know I will I will go bring seven more spirits who are much more wicked than I am and and take possession of that place so if we aren't careful to to deal with whatever in this case since you've bought about the example of strife if we aren't careful to deal with the source of strife deal with the causal effect of strife we may be putting ourselves in a in an environment or in a situation where where further demons can can come about I'll give you another example so let's say someone who is who who's has an issue with addiction let's say of alcohol okay yes you renounce and you you come to a place of cleansing you know cleaned yourself up and and have gone back to a place of wholeness but what what happens is if you don't keep the mind and the soul renewed either through you know one is of course through through speaking of scripture and you know keeping yourself well fed in in the in the word also certain practical suggestions of ensuring that there aren't any liquor bottles in your in your home or you know you don't you don't put yourself in tempting situations of maybe going out for a party or not having a specific accountability partner in order for you to keep away from from the temptation of doing so you're not keeping your house well maintained that means we are keeping ourselves open for further demonic activity to take place so it is important it in one is yes it is cleansed one time is enough but then it needs to continuously needs to be maintained your your internal home or your external home continues needs to be maintained to ensure that there aren't other things that continues to be like a causal effect or sources of strife that you're not addressing because that in itself can open the door to a to again a host of other influences that can come by all right okay yeah so we'll move on to the next couple of points I'm on the sixth point and be aware of we will just complete the last two points that are there the sixth point is the ancestral commitments and practices so there could be generations that precede us maybe our parents and you know though our grandparents and our ancestors that could have made certain vows or dedications or commitments or even engaged in certain practices that could have been points of entry for demonic influences in the family and now these are possibilities maybe some things that we know some things that we don't know but in engaging in conversation with with our you know ancestors or with our parents or thing we do get to understand that there can be such commitments or dedications that have been made that can cause significant effects in our emotional persons okay but we do understand just like you know we had we had addressed this that when when we we experience salvation when we are born again when we are made a new creation we are made new and fresh in our own spirits okay and in our spirits we are made new we are made a new man and this needs to also be translated into our mind and our bodies but often our minds and our bodies are still the same it doesn't change at the point of salvation that is what the mind needs to be renewed and the flesh and our our physical selves our lusts or our fleshly carnal desires are those that needs to be crucified so what we are what what we are attempting to say is that when sanctification takes place you know immediately we spoke about I think that was in in the counseling class sorry yeah so there is an instant sanctification there is a justification that happens instantly that when we belong to the kingdom of God when we accept Jesus we are justified as if we did not sin but sanctification becomes progressive it is something that continues to happen we continue to being sanctified into righteousness so the cleansing and the deliverance needs to take take place in the area of the soul as well as in the areas of the body so when we're looking at demonic attachments in the in the part of the soul or the body it is something that can be passed on across generations and this is something we may need it is important for us to break and walk into the freedom and the redemption that has been given to us because of the completed work of of Jesus you know scripture shows us that and there are some of these references that are given to you in Colossians 1 12 to 14 it says he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love okay so we are moved away when we do believe in Christ we are moved from the powers of darkness into the kingdom of light or it's it says in first Peter 1 18 to 20 that we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold but we were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ and we see that you know even when we look at sin in in any form even if it is you know these ancestral kinds of bondages it is sin that has been passed on to all the sin of Adam has been passed on to us all but the scripture shows that you know just as one man sin just as just as one man sin entered the world referring to Adam and death through sin and because of that death spread through all because all have sin in the same way the life of Christ has been passed on to all those who have believed okay so generational bondages can our sinful patterns or lifestyle patterns that can be handed down to the two generations that that follow and it is important to have freedom and deliverance from that for those of you all who may be interested to understand and learn a little bit more of this there is the the book on breaking personal and generational bondages that's there on the apc website i shall put the link to it on the stream so you know taking some time to read through that to understand those personal bondages and generational curses that have been passed on to us as a result of what our ancestors have engaged in is important to know and important to renounce and be delivered by we will also be talking about a little bit more about healing and deliverance of those areas as we go but for a more in-depth study and i'll encourage you to read that book breaking personal and generational bondages okay and the last point that we are looking into is is the curses the curses that we speak over ourselves it can be word curses it can be things that is curses that have been spoken over by others either those who have authority over us or those who had influence over us and which we may have accepted eventually you know and we believe that about ourselves so just a couple of words about self-inflicted curses often and unknowingly you know a lot of our words could be the basis of those of these self-inflicted curses you know we may say certain things under extreme pressure or extreme anger hatred or hurt or disappointment and these saying these negative things about our body about the way we look about our emotions and things of puts a curse on us and these are called as self-inflicted curses that that hinders our ability to interact with others and enjoy what God has given for us in our lives and i just want to bring about some examples so that you know we're also aware of what are the nature of these self-inflicting curses like for example you know the curse that that what we say i will i will not be like my father or mother and that that is you know someone who may have been happy uh recollecting some memories of their childhood where they say i will not be like them you know kind of inflicting something over them or maybe examples like i will never have children and these are often said out very flippantly without any thought you know maybe for for someone who's been working with among children and or who's had a bad time working with children in a school or in a you know in a in a in a different kind of a setting where they bring about these kind inflicting these kind of curses or even saying things like you know my children are so horrible they're so terrible where parents often keep stating that their children are terrible that they may just you know they may just turn out to be terrible so being careful about what we what we say or maybe a victim of a of a sexual or a child sexual or a physical abuse someone who says you know i will i will uh never um allow myself to enjoy sex or enjoy a sexual intimacy with my spouse you know those kind of um in uh pronunciation set that one makes or um uh saying things like you know i hate men or i hate women or um i will never let someone get close to me maybe someone who's had a broken relationship inflicting that kind of curse or um um i will never uh you know those those pronunciations that that make brings about those those curses those words that one would speak over themselves can be an opening to certain emotional causes and and problems okay so today we we we looked at seven specific problems and we will we will stop here and take it on from take on the next of the the problems from the causes from next week we we highlighted on certain wrong thoughts and wrong thinking patterns that causes emotional problems we spoke about wrong words how the way that we speak towards ourselves and we we discussed about the need to counteract and limit these impacts we spoke about how deep seated sin um continual sin can hurt our emotional cells we spoke about situations negative experiences such as trauma or any kind of adverse situations that can affect our emotional person the involvement or in occultic practices the any kind of ancestral dedications or commitments or practices that were that was done by our forefathers can cause emotional pain and lastly we also spoke about how curses self-inflicted curses words that we speak over ourselves and others can influence us and eventually cause pain in our emotional persons all right is there would be any other question before we close I think there's Elisha says I asked about this in the mentoring session you okay great I'm so glad that we've been able to handle this in a in a much more deeper way so I would encourage those of you who would like to do some reading on ancestral bondages to read up the book which I shall put for you in the stream is there any question or any comment or any responses if not we can close um and I would request somebody to just close with a word of prayer would someone like to close with a word of prayer salome or rose georgia anybody some voices who we haven't heard in a while sure mangy please go ahead heavily father we thank you for thank you for your holiness lord and we thank you for your love and your your death and cross Lord Jesus that we died so we may be made wall may become we may find healing may find peace and joy and we are grateful Lord for giving us this opportunity to to learn and to be equipped Lord so that we may work in the fullness of your glory and as we learn about our emotions and about our doing and our thinking we pray to let your Holy Spirit come and take over our thoughts so that our action Lord be governed by your word and our thought to be thought of what you says about us about our identity in you and about about your promises your your word your glory your your healing your everything that's good about us and then everything that you said you promise you give it to us let ours be fixed on you so that whatever we do Jesus will be glory to you name we pray this in your mighty name in the name of Jesus amen amen amen thank you mangy thank you all for tuning for coming in today we will meet next week for class thank you God bless God bless thank you thank you mom