“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6)
A lack of knowledge is destroying God’s people. However, God’s people are unaware they are being destroyed. Like most Christians, I lacked knowledge of God’s Word and repeatedly fell for the lies of this world. I was experiencing serious spiritual attacks and did not know the who, what, why, and how. A college degree meant nothing, and church was no refuge or a light in darkness. In fact, I learned about thirteen years ago that the church and the pastor were part of the problem. Though in bondage, I was unaware of the chains because I could not physically discern them. I walked in ignorance, which, contrary to popular belief, is not bliss. Many are walking around as one blind with their eyes wide shut but are ignorant of their condition. Knowledge is power, so if the lack of knowledge destroys, which knowledge will deliver us from destruction?
A Lot of Educated Fools in the World
Most of the “educated” may believe Hosea 4:6 does not apply to them. I mean, why would they, when the wicked world props them up and tells them how brilliant they are? This was on full display over the last two years. They paraded medical doctors/scientists on television and social media, while silencing non-MDs for having dissenting views. A common misconception is that the more education one has, the wiser they are, but I say what education are they referring to? Is it evolution, or us spinning around in space, or maybe science, technology, theology, or even philosophy? Is that the knowledge the Creator says will deliver us from captivity? None of that gives glory to the Most High, but man. One thing I know for sure is that there are a lot of educated fools in the world, and that common sense is not common.
I do not exclude pastors from that scripture either. Just because they attend seminary doesn’t make them any more knowledgeable to teach/preach and to lead God’s people. I never read that the Prophets got a Master’s Degree or Doctor of Divinity to carry out God’s instructions. In fact, they had something more precious that money cannot buy… A right relationship with the Almighty, which society does not value or even encourage today. In my experience, all the degrees/earthly knowledge means nothing if you lack spiritual/godly knowledge.
“Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” (Isaiah 5:13)
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
A Lack of Spiritual Knowledge is Detrimental
Spiritual knowledge is the test of it and the lack of it is what brings destruction. It is clear and undebatable if you believe in God’s Word. Ephesians 6:12 tells us to put on the whole armor of God, that we may stand against the wiles of the devil; and that 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. Paul admonishes us to put on our spiritual armor which implies we are in a spiritual war. Our fight, the challenges we face, though we are flesh, will always have a spiritual origin. To not understand that will be detrimental. Think of all the time, energy and resources we have spent fighting physically a condition that was spiritual. Satan and his demons sit back and observe laughing at our ignorance.
First Encounter with an Evil Spirit
I had just graduated from Marine Corps bootcamp in November 1993 and was in the best physical shape of my life. Within a month, my breathing went downhill, and I didn’t know why. In January 1994, while on leave from my Military Occupational School (MOS), they admitted me into the hospital and diagnosed me with pneumonia. My breathing wasn’t the same after that and later that year, they diagnosed me with bronchitis, which had worsened. After my military discharge in January 1995, I had my first encounter with an evil spirit. This demon disturbed me out of my sleep and literally blew in my face twice. By the end of January 1995, I found myself back in the hospital only this time, they diagnosed me with Bronchial Asthma. Nothing they prescribed, and I had been on them all, gave me relief.
No Physical Intervention Addressed My Condition
By 2005, I had moved to another state; but my breathing was only getting worse. By late 2006, I went to the doctors and after they ordered X-rays, they discovered my lungs were inflamed. Not knowing why or how, they ordered a lung biopsy in February 2007, which ruled out cancer, but they still did not know what was happening. They put me on steroids which they thought would address the inflammation. However, as I was packing on the pounds, my lungs and breathing were not getting better. After seeing a slight improvement in my X-rays, they stopped the steroids. After three months, they ran X-rays and called me at work to tell me my lungs appeared worse, and they wanted to re-start the steroids. I hung up the phone dejected, discouraged and I began to weep.
Prayer Changes Everything
My co-worker (a pastor’s wife), who shared an office with me, listened to my concerns. She closed the door and prayed for me. After praying, she mentioned how hot she had become, which was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a while. We got back to work. Now it was time to head home, and we took different trains back to our cars. At my stop there was this annoying incline I hated to walk up every evening to get to my car. My lungs really didn’t enjoy it because it made me feel like I was going to pass out. However, that evening, I navigated that incline like it was nothing! I didn’t realize it until I got to my car and I was so shocked, I said out loud, “Is that it!”. I was on cloud nine the rest of the evening, only it wouldn’t last..
A Lack of Knowledge Will Set You Backwards
Before going to sleep, I prayed that my healing would last. Later that night, an evil spirit disturbed me out of my sleep. The previous times, it had been shorter blows to the face, only this time, this demon meant business. It bound my hands and blew in my face with a purpose. I tried to hold my breath, only this devil was not stopping for air. It was one long, continuous breath. Obviously, I couldn’t do that, so I breathed. When I got up out of my bed, I knew that couldn’t be a good! I was right back where I started, on steroids. It wasn’t until late 2008 after I moved back home that the doctors stopped the steroids. My new doctors ordered X-rays, blood work, breathing tests, etc. to connect the dots.
Ignorance Can Cost You Everything
I went to my pastor for prayer, as I had done, but nothing happened, as usual. Sometime later, he referred me to an “evangelist” in the church. I called her and she told me about a “secret” prayer meeting and told me I would need a “spiritual bath”. She told me she would refer me to someone that had more power than she did. Something did not feel right, but I was ignorant of God’s Word and, despite my experiences, I still lacked spiritual knowledge. I went to this woman’s house that the so-called evangelist referred me to and she told me she was talking to a spirit that was telling her what to tell me. It wasn’t until years later that I put 2 and 2 together. I then attended the secret prayer meeting because my pastor told me it was o.k.
I was Used Because of a Lack of Knowledge
At the “secret” prayer meeting, other members of my church were in attendance, including a choir member and her entire family. The only lights that were used, were candles. They were signing psalms all in the dark. Next thing I know, this same woman the evangelist referred me to came up behind me and laid hands on me. Suddenly, I got lightheaded and dizzy. The next day, I went to this woman’s house for the spiritual bath. I told her when she laid hands on me, I got dizzy and lightheaded, what happened. She replied, “It was the spirit!”. “What spirit?” I asked, and her response was, “Oh, just the spirit”. Honestly, I should have run my behind out of that house, but I had the bath. I had to leave the clothes I came there in with her as she would burn them.
Perishing for My lack of Knowledge
Upon leaving this woman’s house, she tells me that my dreams would become more vivid. I was already a heavy dreamer, so I couldn’t imagine it being much worse. However, the enemy was all in my dreams more than he had been before. Years later, I understood that she and the so-called “evangelist” were witches, and the pastor was just as wicked for referring me. The “secret” prayer meeting was them initiating me into witchcraft and with that spiritual bath they made me a sacrifice. I wouldn’t be surprised if that witch had my clothing on an evil alter, projecting demons at me. I was perishing for my lack of knowledge and didn’t know it.
Trust Misplaced
In April 2009, the doctors told me I had lupus and they wanted to start chemotherapy. I called my friend, the pastor’s wife, that prayed for my healing previously, and she called her husband. We scheduled a prayer call “because where two or more are gathered in my name there am I in the midst” (Matthew 18:20). I left that call feeling optimistic, but then I let fear and family persuade me to go through with it. It remains one of biggest regrets of my life. I began six rounds of chemotherapy in May 2009 and finished November 2009. How about three months into the regimen, my X-rays showed no improvement, so they increased the dosage. By the end of the treatment, my lungs showed no improvement; So, the doctors told me they wanted to start me on oral chemo and prescribe an additional medication that could affect my eyes.
Obtaining Spiritual Knowledge, You Won’t Look Back
To make a long story short, in 2013, I ended up moving out of state again and started seeing a new doctor. She placed me on two medications for lupus and I stopped and started them between 2013 and 2015, and two inhalers for asthma that I could go nowhere without. In 2016, the Most High opened my eyes to the wickedness of this world and the deception being pulled over our eyes. I stopped all medications cold turkey in 2016 and I have not looked back. How strange it is that they tell us there is no cure to make us dependent on them for survival. As soon as I stopped taking their treatments, I didn’t need them. Their sorcery doesn’t work anymore, because I place my trust in God, not in man. Obtaining spiritual knowledge is power and the lack of it will bring destruction.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned..” (1 Corinthians 2:12-14)