Jezebel, Ahab or Elijah?

Deuteronomy 32:34-35 (NKJV)

34 ‘Is this not laid up in store with Me,
Sealed up among My treasures?
35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.


     God puts it on my heart and until I share, I can't find peace.  Those moments, just before sleep are sometimes crazy.  This seems to be the time the Lord speaks to me the clearest.  I wake up in mid sentence and sometimes scripture.  I wasn't sleeping yet, but I heard the words, "Their foot will slip in due time."  I know God is about love and that is His main concern, but He talks to me about a lot of things and lately it is His anger.  God does say, "That's enough."  There is scripture to back this up and what comes next is not good.
     Immediately when I heard the words, I looked to see what time it was and it was 12:12.  The number 12 refers to government and the Lord is speaking about the government of the Church and the government of this nation.  He is angry.  He has warned and warned and warned.  He has shown me that many leaders are being controlled by demonic spirits and I have prayed their eyes would be open to truth, I have asked Him to forgive them, because they are not aware of the creatures who are controlling them, but God explained to me they are still making a choice.  Even when a demonic spirit is ruling us, we still know right from wrong.  We know we are lying when we tell a lie.  We know we are bullying when we allow our angry outbursts.  These leaders are not turning to God for help and He is the only One who can save them.  Pride, arrogance, control, manipulation, etc. etc.  God is done with it. 
     We should fear the Lord more than we fear the enemy.  He is in charge.  The spirit of religion, witchcraft, and Jezebel are ruling so much of the Church.  But what He has been talking to me about in the last couple days is the spirit of Ahab.  Those who sit back and let the control, the angry outbursts continue are just as guilty as the one who is demanding he knows how things need to be. 
     We are about to see some major churches fall.  We are about to see major leaders fall.  He is speaking more about the Church than national government in this area.  He needs the Church to be ready for new believers to walk in the door.  He is bringing them.  But the arrogance in the Church is chasing them back out the door.  Arrogance, like when a Jehovah's Witness walks through the door to check out this Christianity thing and the pastor makes a crack about JW's.  Where do you think that guy snuck off to?  Back to where he is accepted. 
     Nebuchadnezzar was cut down and driven crazy two live with the wild beasts because of his arrogance.  There is going to be some serious logging going on, because I see a lot of trees coming down.  Those who think it's all about them instead of God.  Those who see what is happening and are not doing anything.  Jezebel can only be taken out by a pastor.  Pastor's aren't doing anything.  Ahab's are giving her control and what is she doing?  She is out killing the one's who are telling the truth.  Why?  Because she knows it is the truth.  In the gut of the person under the spirit of Jezebel, they know the truth is being spoken and yet they choose to do it their own way.  I know of one pastor who has a spirit on him that has 7 arms and scales.  The scales represent pride.  When I asked God what the seven arms meant, He said it is an imitation of Him.  I don't totally understand this, but this person knows they are lying and manipulating and yet they believe they are hearing God.  Anger and confusion is a sure fire sign of who is in control of your thought life.  It's not God.
     My heart is hurting for the people being hurt, by these demonically influenced leaders.  I have comforted baby Christians who have been deeply wounded by these people,  Even though these leaders know something is wrong, they are too arrogant to reach out for help.  They speak words their actions don't support.  For instance, I heard a pastor say we don't need to be doing spiritual warfare, just give it to God, yet I know of a time this pastor brought a team to a house to drive out demons.  It was more than one time, so why doesn't his words back up his actions?  Actions and words don't line up.  He is under demonic influence of Jezebel and all those under his teaching, all those pastors under his authority are in danger.  We are in the last days and Jezebel is back stronger than ever.  Pray for the Elijah spirit to return and finally put that witch in her place.
     The Jezebel spirit can sit dormant in a person for years and when an old wound is reopened, all hell breaks loose as she comes out in a rage.  This is why forgiveness and the healing of old wounds is so important.
     Some of the signs you are under the spirit of jezebel
1. You refuse to admit guilt or wrongdoing
2. Lies - very well I might add
3. Talks in circles
4. Takes credit
5. Volunteers in many areas
6. Criticizes
7. Ignores people
8. Accuses others of being under the influence of Jezebel
9. Domineering
10. Vengeful
11. Acts religious
12. Knows it all
13. Demands forgiveness, but does not forgive
14. Puts words in other peoples mouth
15. Loves to Vent
16. Exaggerates
17. Independent
18. Withholds information
19. Likes to use the element of surprise
20. Commands attention

     There are many other signs.  I would suggest reading a good book on Jezebel.  "Confronting Jezebel" by Steve Sampson or "Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit" by John Paul Jackson.  If you have the spirit on you the first thing it will do is point toward someone else.  Before you read a book like this I would pray that God show you what you need to see and that he blind you from the rest.  We all have a degree of desire to control in us, so if anything touches you repent right away.  Repentance is the only way out of this.  We have to be brave and ask God to show us the truth.  His patience with people under this spirit is just about out.  This spirit loves to fill us with fear.  But, we have all the authority we need and moving closer to Jesus is the way.  If you are dealing with this spirit go straight to God and listen to Him.  Make sure it is Him by checking to see if His words line up with scripture. 
     The other night in a vision the Lord gave me a picture of a white wolf.  It was sitting with it's back to me and howling.  I asked the Lord what it meant.  I said to Him that white means pure.  Very clearly the Lord spoke to me and said, "It is still a wolf."  The fact that it was howling meant something too.  It represented the voice of a wicked person.  The Lord had me watch a movie where very likeable thieves were stealing jewelry and taking it to a jeweler and he would change it up so it wasn't recognizable.  Say they gave him a ring.  He would melt down the gold and reset the stone in a different ring.  He would say repeatedly, "It comes in dirty and it goes out clean."  The Lord said, "It is still stolen."  Even though the criminals were likeable they were still criminals.  We have to pray for discernment.  I have said it before and I will say it again, it is so necessary in these days we are living in.  If your spirit says something is wrong - listen!  Go to God and if you can't be sure you are hearing Him, go to a person away from those you know.  The enemy does not take over one persons life without taking a few around him.  If you rely on one person to tell you what is going on in the spiritual realm, you could be in deep trouble.  Go to someone who doesn't know those around you and ask them to pray with you.  Ask for words of knowledge and prophecy and then check them with God and scripture. 
     God is waiting for you.  He hears your prayers and He sees your tears.  Just this morning He had me read about Hezekiah and until this morning I had never heard of him.  It's a good read.  If you are not in God's will, and you are misleading or hurting His flock, He will take you out.  BUT, He will hear your cries of repentance if you are willing to repent.  He is listening.  Are you?
     We are born sinners, destined for hell.  As we look up out of the pit, there is Jesus and in His hand He is holding out the cross for us to grab hold of so He can lift us out.  But, it is our choice to grab on or to stay in the hell we are in.  If we are not living in His will, we are living in the will of Satan.
     I am going to sleep now and I will decide whether God wants this one posted in the morning.  Well, it's morning and I guess this is a go - I am praying for every person who reads this and needs to see the truth will see it.  That God opens eyes through this writing.  I am praying for you.  Jesus loves you.

Revelation 2:20-22

New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ²² So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

Free Will - Means to Make a Choice.

“You were saved when you believed in Jesus, but you were transformed when you realized He believed in you.” - Kris Vallotton


      So, you're a little girl about 14 years old and an angel appears in front of you.  "Even though you are a virgin, never touched by a man, you will conceive and give birth to the Son of God."  Yeah, okay, sounds good to me.  Really?  We think what God asks us to do is difficult?  Can you imagine what was going on in Mary's head as she stood there looking at this angel with his far out word of prophecy.  Do you think it may have crossed her mind, what everyone else is going to think about this?  Who will believe it?
     There are several stories in the Bible that must have brought up these same emotions.  Really God?  Is that you?  Moses standing at the sea, the army coming at him, wanting him dead and all these people looking to him to save them.  Did it go through his mind to drop the old walking stick and run?  Trusting that God is going to show up is not always easy. 
     We tend to think that our situations are unique, but you read in the bible long enough and you will find that story that resonates with your spirit.  That story that could be about you.  How many of our stories could have been written somewhere in between Abraham and Moses?  These people had to have the same doubts and questions we have.  We can't help but wonder what they went through in their hearts and minds, before they courageously said, "Yes, Lord.  I will trust You!"  and then He came through for them. 
     What about the ones who failed?  What about the ones, who lied, ran, took what they wanted?  I have found a common theme in most of those stories.  Let's start with David and Bathsheba.  David wanted what was not his.  He was a king with everything, but greed drove him to take another man's wife.  Well, another man's life.  His buddy Saul had the same affliction.  He was afraid, in all his greed, that David was going to take his kingdom and he wasn't about to stand back and give it up.  Greed and jealousy walk hand in hand.  When we want it all, we are not happy with those who have what we don't.  Jealousy.  A result of greed and jealousy is control.  Jezebel is the ultimate example of a control freak wanting it all.  The first thing she does is align herself with those she can use to get it all, those who will not fight her.  Control is easiest over the weak.  Who does she hate most?  Those who speak truth.  Truth is her enemy.  
     If we break this down a little bit, we see that jealousy and greed produced Satan.  He was a beautiful worshipping angel who decided he wanted to be the one worshipped.  Greed and jealousy were and continue to be behind every sin.  Me, me, me causes sin.  Sin could stand for Satan Is Narcissistic.  The cure for sin is submission to God.  If we are totally submitted to God, Jezebel/Satan will run from us.  Our authority is in our submission.
     Satan wants us to be rebellious toward God.  When we are rebels, we are serving Satan.  But our submission is our protection.  We have to give up total control.  Any time we try to control another person or situation we are not in God's will.  He has given all of us free will and to control someone is taking that gift that was given to them by God. 
     I know the things God asks us to do are very difficult at times.  We feel like that pregnant teen standing in the middle of the square, engaged to a man who we have never touched and judged by all who are standing there with stones in their hands.  But, what did God do?  He showed up.  He sent an angel to Joseph.  He always supplies us with the support we need either through other people, things, His word and/or Himself.  He will always lift us up when we obey.  Joseph married Mary, knowing she spoke truth.  Why?  Because God told him through an angel.  God will always confirm truth.  Through their obedience they were kept safe. 
     Sometimes I wish God would send an angel to tell me what is about to go down and how to handle it.  Maybe an email in black and white.  I have not been blessed in that way, but He has sent people to tell me I am on the right track, keep speaking truth, and don't take my eyes off Him.  He has sent books, scripture, and friends to confirm what I have heard.  You protect your integrity and I will protect your reputation.  He has told me this several times.  It's true.  He is.  The Lord is Truth and the Devil is a lie.  We have to choose who we will follow.  The sad part is there are so many who will not speak the truth (peace keepers) and what they don't realize is saying nothing is siding with the enemy.  They are making a choice who to follow, by not making a choice.  This is an Ahab spirit aligned with Jezebel and just as evil. 
     Truth is the only way.  Obedience to that truth is love.

“We need to understand that our circumstances never cause heart issues, they only reveal them.”

Kris Vallotton

 

The Dream

Ezekiel 34:7 (NIV)

7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:


     Obedience is not always easy.  But it is the only way.  This is one of those times.  It was a little over a month ago in the middle of the day, I was busy doing something, when a picture flashed through my mind.  It was a man's genitals.  Instantly I told God, "I don't know where that came from.  I'm sorry God."  Before I could say anymore He interrupted, "You made it sexual.  To me it is only a body part."  After a few seconds, I asked if He had put that in my head or was it the enemy.  He took responsibility.  I right away thought about how many times I had heard God does not give us sexual visions or dreams.  The Lord's answer to me was, "Remember Adam?  The fig leaf was his idea."  Okay, so is there a point to this little exercise?  Or are you just pointing out the differences between my thoughts and Yours, Lord?
     About a week later, I realized there was a lot more to it than I knew.  I woke up one morning totally disgusted by a dream I had.  I was busy rebuking evil spirits and begging God for forgiveness.  I'm sorry Lord, I know that was the enemy.  Or was it?  God??
     "That was from Me."
     "I don't believe it, Lord.  That was sick."
     "I wanted you to see how sick it really is."
     I started my day without talking about it any further.  This was not going to be talked about with anyone else either.  The old teaching of God does not give perverted dreams was far out weighing my trust that He was giving me a message.  There has to be something wrong here.  That had to be the enemy.  If it was You Lord, interpret the dream.  Tell me what it meant.
     First off He explained the man in the dream.  He was from the 70's with long brown hair swept to the side.  He wore a green T-shirt and jeans.  What was he doing?  He was raping sheep.  There was no nudity.  And even though I knew they represented the whole flock there were only two sheep.  Their faces were almost cartoonish as one's expression was disgust and the other's was confusion.  Explain this dream to me Lord. 
     "Man in his natural state is raping my flock.  Even though they know something is wrong, they continue to trust the shepherd."
     It was over the next few days and actually weeks that I would come back to the Lord and ask Him to explain more.  One day, out of the blue, the Lord asked me, "Why were there only two sheep?"
     I knew they represented the whole flock, but it was true, there were only two.  I immediately got the word division.  Some see it and they are disgusted and leave, while the others continue to trust.  This is dividing the Church.  Those who are leaving are left wandering, looking for a shepherd they can trust.  But now they are looking through fear.
     I asked the Lord for another word about what He wanted me to know.  I heard the word, "Wolf".  Well, obviously.  Not much of a clue.  Remembering the man was from the 70's I googled the 70's and as I read something stood out to me "Tom Wolfe"  He wrote an article called "The Me Decade and the Third Great Awakening" 
     Okay God, what does that mean?  The shepherds are in it for themselves.  Rape is about control.  Sex with an unwilling partner is about meeting your own needs and not caring how the other party feels or what they want.  The Me Decade! 
     There was one more important piece of the dream that I had forgotten about until this conversation with the Lord.  For one split second before the dream ended, I saw he did not have human genitalia.  He had a dogs.  First of all, that makes sense if he is a wolf.  Second, the Lord asked me what a dog means to me.  Well, it can mean a demonic spirit, but I also believe it can mean an unbeliever.  The Lord said, "He is doing it to them with his unbelief.  His unbelief is allowing the demonic to control him."
     Now what?  Now the anger comes.  Why?  Why is he doing this, but more importantly WHY are you telling me?  Why?  What do you want me to do about this?  Who is this shepherd?  The Lord said it is more than one.
     Why would He give me this dream?  I have prayed about it.  I have prayed for the leadership and pastors who are being deceived.  I have doubted it was God and finally asked for confirmation.  A word from the Lord should be backed up by scripture.  Ezekial 34 was the first scripture He gave me and then 2 Peter 2 and the list went on.  Because I do not know the Bible like I want to, I know it was really Him giving me scripture.
     This morning, again, I asked why He would give me this dream and why He would ask me to share it here.  He began by comparing a shepherd raping sheep to a child being molested.  Hmm.  Maybe this is because of my anger at the people who blindly follow.  I don't feel that anger anymore.  In fact since the dream, my heart has grown hugely for the flock.  I remember as a little girl knowing what was happening was wrong, but aren't we all supposed to trust adults?  He had told me at one time that I would be working with abusers.  Now I had to ask exactly what that meant. 
     The Lord has told me how angry he is.  Over and over he has explained to me how it upsets Him when He sends someone out to represent Him and they only think of themselves.  He has also shown me how His heart aches for these shepherds who are being deceived and greedy.  Who are wounded and it is through those wounds that they are being deceptive.  Exactly why the sexual abuser abuses, because they once were abused.  These shepherds were abused by religion, so they turn around and do the same.  Religion once controlled them, so now they will control religion.  The whole cycle is very sick.
     He also explained that without repentance those who harm a child, be it literal or spiritual will suffer.

Luke 17:2 (TLB)

^2-3 If he were thrown into the sea with a huge rock tied to his neck, he would be far better off than facing the punishment in store for those who harm these little children’s souls. I am warning you!
“Rebuke your brother if he sins, and forgive him if he is sorry.

     There is also scripture about responsibility.

1 Peter 5:2-3                    
Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

1 Timothy 3:1-16           
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

     Now, the flock is to respect and honor their leaders, but that's not what this dream was about.  We do have a responsibility to NOT put man above God.  I have done this.  It is not right.  Man will fail us and putting him on a pedestal does harm to both of you.
     We do have a responsibility to check all teachings with the bible.  ALL.  We cannot put our salvation in another person's lap.  It is our responsibility.  Even though the responsibility of being a shepherd is huge, he is only a messenger and we are to check the messages.  The enemy will twist the truth.  It does not have to be a bold faced lie to be deceptive.  It's okay to judge a shepherds behavior in fact we should be judging the shepherds behavior.  And we should give grace and mercy if he repents.
     A good shepherd will answer your questions when you ask him to prove himself.  I know this, because I am always asking the Shepherd of all Shepherds.  He loves to engage in conversation.


1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

14 Dear brothers, warn those who are lazy, comfort those who are frightened, take tender care of those who are weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Always keep on praying. 18 No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Guilt is okay for the Proud.

“If you want to fight hell and the power of darkness that seek to destroy the hearts of our daughters, I know a type of spiritual warfare that creates value in a daughter's spirit. It is called "Taking your Daughter out for tea" or "Going to Her Soccer Game", and it works in direct opposition to the agenda of hell and darkness that wants to destroy their lives.”
― Jim Anderson, Unmasked: Exposing the Cultural Sexual Assault


      My favorite subject - beating the enemy.  I was trying to sleep.  It was 1:30 in the morning and I could hear my friend downstairs on the phone.  She was doing battle.  On the phone she had a girl, a young girl who was being attacked by the enemy.  I in my selfish need for rest wanted her to be quiet doing it.  Yes, I still fight my selfishness.  But then she came up the stairs to my room, she was going to leave to do battle in person and wanted advice, wanted anything I had to give that would help her with this battle.  She asked me to go with her.  "No.  My God it's the middle of the night."  Yes, I am that selfish at times.  After she left my room and it was quiet, I heard the Lord.  Really?  Do you remember the nights you were under attack and alone.  The nights the dark spirits were dive bombing at you and you couldn't even think straight and how badly you wanted another human voice to say, "It's okay?"  The nights when the enemy could still shut out My voice? 
     I jumped up out of my bed and ran downstairs, "I'll go.  I will go.  Give me a minute to throw on clothes."
     It had been a while since I fought the enemy for someone else.  I clean my house of any ungodly spirits and fight personal attacks, but to go out and defend another, I have not done for quite awhile.  It was a 10 - 15 minute drive, so we prepared.  We asked God to go before us and prepare hearts, to give us direction and make his presence known.  This girl was very young and her aunt who was with her was not much older.  
     We did not leave there until after 5 am.  We found the aunt had a stronger spirit on her than the girl.  It still amazes me how this petite, beautiful little girl can look so innocent and then when you make eye contact, you see the enemy.  He is daring you.  I have found in my experience, the first and most important thing to do is lighten the mood.  We are all too serious when this doesn't have to be a big deal.  After lighthearted introduction didn't squash the fear of this thing manifesting in some scary way, the second most important thing to do is remind everyone who is in charge.  God's got this.  We have all authority and they only do to us, what we allow.  That's when you address the enemy.  You tell him how it's going to go down.  See, we don't allow manifesting.  He is not allowed to make a scene.  He leaves in a quiet little cough or a yawn and that is all he is allowed to do.  
     The Lord was talking to us.  He was telling us awesome things about these two girls.  How much He loves them, how precious they are to Him and what wonderful things He has planned for them.  Most of the warfare was done through explaining to these two daughters of the King, exactly who He sees when He looks at them.  It became obvious right away that these girls never felt heard.  We were there to listen.  They never felt like anyone cared what they had to say.  Their family had been beaten up by the enemy for several years through addiction, sexual abuse, witchcraft, etc. etc.  
     These girls weren't ready to let go of the familiar spirit they had lived with most of their lives, and if they aren't ready to let go, we can't force them.  But we did plant the seeds of love the Father had for them.  Quietly this fragile little girl who had been tormented by spirits her whole life whispered, "I want God to prove His existence to me."  By the look on her face, I believe she felt as though she were saying something wrong, but we prayed and we asked God, "Lord this little girl wants to know you.  Please show yourself, show her who You truly are."  I had to warn her to be prepared.  Pay attention to all that goes on around her, because He shows up in some awesome ways that leave you rubbing your eyes and asking yourself if that just happened. 
     It's so easy for society to believe in angels, because we want them to be around us.  It's not so easy for us to believe in demons because who wants them?  But they are real and some people are tormented before they are ever pushed from the womb.  They are scared into, beaten into believing there is something wrong with them.  But I take it as a compliment.  If the enemy isn't messing with you, you must not be living right. 
     Spiritual warfare is not only telling the enemy to go, it's more about inviting the Holy Spirit to come.  We want Him to take over our mind, body and soul so there is no room for the enemy.  We will be going back to pray for these girls again.  We will leave the seeds there to grow.  The hunger to know Jesus grows and the enemy will not like it. 
     The thing the Lord has been showing me lately is how these tormented girls are actually blessed.  When you have seen the dark side, it makes you run toward the light.  God has shown me lately how many people think that when this is over they have a ticket into heaven.  They think just because they believe, they are in.  Well, the enemy believes, he knows the bible inside and out and he isn't going to heaven.  It's not about believing, it's about following.  It's about getting out of bed at 1:30 because God sent you out.  It's about your own will being ignored and God's will being all that matters. 
     I watched a show the other night about a "deeply religious and devoted to Jesus family"  As I was watching the show I was totally blown away, but what they thought was okay.  The bible says that God will judge the unbeliever, but we are to judge our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are to point out their sin IF God tells us too.  As I watched this family talk of bikini waxing and sex in a very vulgar way, I could feel the Father's sadness, because this was being portrayed as acceptable behavior on television. 
     I asked the Lord what He wanted me to know about this.  What did He want me to do?  If I still fight selfishness, how do I know that I will be with Him for eternity?  We are supposed to obey, obeying is loving Him.  We are forgiven if we repent.  Repentance is not talked about enough.  The willingness to allow God to shine His light into our hearts and show us where we need to change is the answer.  To be totally 100% submitted.  When we rebel, we must repent.  But we are supposed to give grace?  He guides the humble and teaches them His ways (Psalm 25:9)

James 4:6

New International Version (NIV)

⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.

 

 

     To admit wrong, humble yourself and repent, change your ways, brings that grace He so much wants to give us.  He explained to me, why as a leader, as an example to others we must be healed, we must address our sin.  A church with infants as leaders is a place where the guilty can hide and feel safe from the condemnation of hell, but a church with leaders who have testimonies, true testimonies of how He brought them from sin to total redemption is a church with humble leaders who do not make those  who are still oppressed feel rejection.  We represent Christ and we can't do that if we give the message that sin is acceptable.  A sinful heart is changeable and striving for that is what brings us into a divine intimate relationship with our Lord and savior.  Denial of sin, refusal to change is rebellion, it is prideful and the Lord opposes those who do not humble themselves.  Someone who still drinks milk is not able to teach another how to chew meat.

     One thing the Lord had me tell these beautiful daughters of His, was that He knows exactly where they are at in their journey and given all that they have been up against He is pleased with them.  They have a lot to learn, they have a lot to realize about who they are in Him and the authority they have, but they are reaching, humbly reaching out to touch His robe.  That's all He wants. 

 

1 Corinthians 5 (NIV)

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,[a][b] so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”