Friday, July 30, 2010

All because of Adam

By deception, Satan caused the moral catastrophe called, "The Fall." The Fall infected all mankind with total moral depravity of which there is no cure outside of the blood of Jesus.

All tragic results of man losing the power to rule can be traced to the fall. It was the curse of the fall that brought sickness, sorrow, heartache, trouble, wars, famines, and earthquakes. All disasters of history are a result of the sin of Adam.

The sin of Adam has brought the curse upon the entire human family. The Bible states:

Rom 5:12...Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

In the Corinthian letter we read,

1 Cor 15:22...For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

As a result of Adam's sin, the earth is cursed with physical death. All the disasters and all the heartaches and all the trouble you have from the cradle to the grave are the result of Adam's transgression. The overflowing hospitals and insane asylums, the millions of people born crippled and deformed are all a result of the sin of Adam. Much of this tragedy has been incorrectly attributed to a direct attack of Satan and not to his, "past work" that caused the fall of man.

As a preacher, I did not understand why disasters occur, why wars occur, why so many people suffer in hospital beds, or why thousands of people are born deformed. Why would God allow that? "Without understanding the fall and without understanding the result of man's loss of dominion over the earth, I would have no answer." If you mistakenly attribute all suffering to the direct work of Satan in the present hour, you have concluded that Satan has complete "authority" over trouble, every disaster, and all evil problems that men face. You are automatically concluding these circumstances to be a direct attack of Satan and not a result of the curse of the fall.


The realm of Satan's authority

If you make the assumption that Satan stole man's authority and dominion "in the fall", you could also presume Christ came to "snatch" that authority from Satan and restore it to the believer.

If this were true, as some have claimed, then it would only take one believer exercising his "authority" to restore the entire planet to its former state of perfection.

The false doctrine of the "authority of the believer" has infiltrated the church world and been taught tirelessly, much to Satan's glee, as it has eventually overthrown the faith of countless zealous believers. When they were deceived, they lost sight of Him who has all authority and power in heaven and earth and their faith failed them.

The Scripture clearly teaches that the believer will not have this type of authority and dominion until Christ the Messiah reigns in Jerusalem during the Millennial Age.

Today we have a high priest, Jesus the Son of God, who has by Himself purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high where angels, authorities, and powers have been made subject to Him.

Heb 8:1...We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

1 Peter 3:22...who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

God the Father has made us partakers of the divine nature and delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear son.

2 Peter 1:4...that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Col 1:13...Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

When the true Gospel is preached, God will bear witness with signs, and wonders, and with divers miracles, and with gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will:

Heb 2:4...God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

There is no biblical account that tells us that Satan has ever had any "authority" on earth. He was trespassing in the Garden of Eden.

Many students believe the devil was an angel, but actually he was higher than an angel. Others have thought he was an archangel, but he was higher than an archangel. Some have thought he was a seraphim, but he was higher than a seraphim. Actually he was the highest order of created beings€the anointed Cherub.

Ezek 28:14...Thou art the anointed cherub

Man is not the greatest being ever created. In Psalms and Hebrews we read:

Heb 2:6-7...What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels;

Ps 8:4-5...what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Therefore, man does not have the power the angels have. He does not have the power archangels and the seraphim have. He certainly does not have the power that Satan has.*

*Take note! Although Satan has considerable power, it does not extend to ruling the visible earth.

Satan has more power than human beings by the nature of his order of creation. He has no God-given authority to use his power against man. He works through ignorance or deception. Satan's sphere of activity and power is expressed in Ephesians as being in the spiritual realm.

Eph 6:12...for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Remember that Satan can accuse the brethren before the throne of God and was allowed to bring disaster upon Job. Satan had to ask God's specific permission to bring disaster upon Job and his household because he, himself, had no authority on earth. So where did this erroneous concept originate that Satan has "authority" and controls the "keys" of all the things on earth? This is a Biblical error that grew out of 14th century mythology. There is no record that Satan has ever been in hell or had the keys to anything on earth. Jesus Christ has always had the keys of hell and death and always will have those keys.

Rev 1:18...I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

In the Scriptures, keys are use metaphorically to indicate authority. In this case we know Christ alone has authority over death and hell and the bodies and souls of men.

Christ raised three people from the dead as recorded:

1. Matt 9:23-26...and when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
2. Luke 7:12-16...there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all:

3. John 11:38-44...Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Jesus arose from the dead:

Rom 1:4...And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead

Jesus will destroy death in time:

1 Cor 15:26...The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

God is sovereign over all life, sovereign over death, and sovereign over hell. There is nothing that is not under His control. All evil that occurs is not the direct attack of Satan. More often, man's problems are the result of the curse of the fall. In the fullness of time, both the curse of the fall and the direct attack of Satan on the believer will cease to exist. If I did not believe that, I would get very discouraged in life. The God I serve has control over everything in time and in eternity and I believe that. Blessed be His name forever! He is sovereign over all of life Hallelujah!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The earth belongs to God

If you study the book of Genesis, you will find that God the Creator has authority over all things. He created man in His divine image. He created man to have authority on the earth. Man was given authority over all the affairs of earth. Man exercised that authority under God before the fall, but even then, the Creator retained ownership of the earth.

Gen 1:27-28...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth

The word "dominion" shows they were to rule the affairs of this life. This beautiful picture of dominion shows the ability of the creature that God created. God gave man the power to name every creature and every animal on earth. Adam even named Eve.

The record of the Bible proves that God turned earth over to man's dominion. Man had authority but it was delegated authority under God. This is exactly what is taught in Genesis:

Gen 1:26...and let them have dominion

This authority was lost when man sinned. The Scripture does not imply that man "surrendered" his authority to the Devil. Let's examine this often-misunderstood subject closely. *

*Does Satan have authority? How much authority does Satan have? What is Satan doing in the book of Genesis? What is he doing in the Garden of Eden? This mystery has not been fully revealed, but we do learn from the Holy Scriptures that Satan went up before the throne of God with the sons of God. This proves that Satan still had access to heaven and to the very presence of God.

Job 1:6...Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

We learn from the language of the Bible that Christ is our Advocate; that is our defender, or an attorney to plead our cause. Isaiah the Prophet and; the writer of the Hebrew letter both teach that Christ makes intercession for the sinner and saint.

Isa 53:12...because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Heb 7:25...Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

According to both records Christ ever lives to make intercession for humanity. In other words, the Devil is the prosecuting attorney, Jesus is my lawyer, and God the father is the judge. I have a good lawyer - He has never lost a case!

Satan's present-day position is one in which he is making accusations against us in the Throne Room just as he did in the day of Job. However, in the Revelation, which God gave to John, we read:

Rev 12:9-10...And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

This passage indicates that Satan's future position is to be cast out of Heaven to earth by God's Divine Judgment. During that Great tribulation period Satan no longer remains the accuser of the brethren. Take note that during that time Satan's authority on earth is still limited as the child of God overcomes him by faith in Christ and the word of their testimony:

Rev 12:11...And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

There are people today that contend that Satan is called, "the god of this world".

2 Cor 4:3-4...But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
The Greek translation of "world" in this passage is: AION, an age. The Greek language implies an age or period of time characterized by certain moral and spiritual characteristics.

Another frequently misunderstood passage is:

1 John 5:19...And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

The Greek language for world in the above passage is: KOSMOS, an evil world system. Unless the Greek is consulted, verses such as these may give another impression. The word world or kosmos is not physical earth... but an evil or corrupt system within the world we live in.

For those that advocate that Satan controls visible earth and that the earth is now under Satan's dominion since Adam surrendered it by the transgression in the Garden, this is a grave error! It has overtaken some and even perverted the faith of many!

Although this age or dispensation is subject to the influence of Satan and suffers from the curse of the fall: Scriptures clearly reveal the earth has never, and will never belong to Satan.

In the transgression, Adam rebelled against God. This brought spiritual death and loss of the divine nature. As a result, Adam lost authority and power to rule creation. God's power and authority was not diminished in the least bit. Nor, is there any scriptural evidence to support the idea that Satan assumed Adam's dominion. After all, the earth never belonged to Adam. Even though the earth was created for man, God retains ownership.

Ps 24:1...The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

When we search the Scriptures, we find that time and time again, the earth has been under the direct control of the Lord. God used the laws of nature to bring judgment upon godless men and women. Since the fall, earth has been the scene of tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Without divine intervention, man cannot be delivered from the effects of the fall. The fact that God has continued to intervene in the affairs of men and the earth prove He has not relinquished ownership or lost any power. For example look at the;

1. The flood
2. His Covenants with the Patriarchs
3. The plagues which fell on Egypt
4. Israel's deliverance by the Red Sea
5. The giving of Law
6. The word given to the Prophets
7. The redemptive work of Christ

All these only prove that the Almighty God is still on the throne. Amen! Glory!

Satan only controls the wicked and unholy spiritual influences of the world that we live in. The corrupt world system is under his control, not physical or visible earth.

1 John 5:19...And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Jesus possesses "all" authority

When Jesus appeared in the sea of time, He could give the Apostles authority because He possessed all authority in heaven and earth. Being very God and very man, He had all authority. He had authority in heaven and earth at the same time. He could have called 10,000 angels to come and deliver Him from soldiers leading Him to Pontius Pilate. He had authority to do so. He also exercised His authority on earth by commanding the winds to obey His voice. The sea then became calm. What a beautiful lesson! All He did was speak to the wind and storm and they obeyed him. He had control over all the natural laws of life. Not only did Jesus have authority over the laws of nature, He likewise could delegate His authority.

God permitted Satan to use laws of nature to bring a curse upon Job and his family. Jesus gave the Apostles power and authority over nature during His earthly ministry. The Scripture reveals that God allows Satan to manifest himself through earthly elements that are under the curse of the fall; only to the extent that we allow him to operate, whether through ignorance or deception.

Regardless of what tragedy befalls us, whether by a direct attack of Satan as in Job's case or as a result of the fall, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us:

Rom 8:37...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

The material things of earth are not demonic in themselves but demonic forces can use them. If the Devil can get your mind focused on earthly things, they will drive you mad. A diamond ring or a Rolls Royce can be just as demonic as a Ouija board or a crystal ball. The Devil and the demons can use these things if they can get your attention. A crystal ball is only demonic when you believe that demons can work through it. A Ouija board is only demonic when you believe it has amazing power within itself. When you believe the superstitious idea that the sun, the moon, and the stars govern your life, astrology becomes demonic. Satan and demons use everything on this material earth against humanity. Not because they have authority in their own right, but through deception.

Jesus Christ has authority over everything on earth. Jesus commanded the demons to leave and they left. Please note that all He had to do was speak to them and they went. In Matthew 8:32, Jesus simply told the devils that possessed two demoniacs coming out of the tombs, "Go" and they went. Why? Jesus possesses "all" authority!

Matt 8:29-32...And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.That was all He needed to say.

Jesus was God! Jesus is God now! Jesus has authority over every affliction and disease. Here's an example of Jesus' authority when He told blind Bartimeaus:

Mark 10:52...and Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Here's another example of Jesus' authority as He told the woman with an issue of blood who touched the hem of His garment:

Matt 9:22...and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Jesus possesses all authority! This is all that was necessary for Jesus who is and was very God.

In another account we find:

John 4:46-53...And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

That son began to amend the very moment that Christ spoke because Christ has authority over disease. Jesus said to the Pharisee:

Matt 9:6-7...But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.

This is the undeniable record of God's Word. Jesus possesses "all" authority.