The ministry of the Holy Spirit was given by Christ to deal with the negative side of life and the negative side of man who is a fallen being. The Holy Spirit came to.."reprove" man of sin and righteousness. The Bible says the goodness of God leads man to repentance or to a place where sinful man changes his mind and turns to a Saviour. What causes sinful man to change his mind? The work of the Holy Spirit in the human soul. God can break the human will of a fallen man and cause him to turn to Christ for forgiveness and Salvation. When the Jews heard Peter preach in Acts 2...their hearts were "pricked" because of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit that came through the Gospel message Peter was preaching. This is how the Holy Spirit deals with the negative side of life and the negative side of man. This is the power of ministry of the Spirit that comes from the Gospel Christ commanded us to preach. This is the power of God in Salvation that "breaks" the rebellious will of sinful man and puts him in a place of godly sorrow. The Bible teaches man is morally depraved and corrupt. Scriptures teach man is evil from is youth. A baby speaks lies after they grow up to and age of accountability. David said in sin his mother conceived him. Sin dominates a man before he repents and turns to Christ. The Holy Spirit was given not only to reprove the negative side of man but also to "regenerate" his make-up into a child of God.
Regeneration is the new birth. Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit that morally changes man into a new creature holy and right in the eyes of God. This spiritual experience follows the forgiveness of sins and gives man the power to do right in the presence of God. This new divine nature is greater than the old carnal nature because its given by the power God's Divine Grace. Divine Grace is the power of holiness and eternity given from Heaven from Christ. For this cause Christ died on the cross and the power of the Spirit of holiness that rose Christ from the grave is the same power of the Holy Spirit that gives man a desire to quit sinning with the ability to live holy and right. The work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is among the greatest of blessings that man can ever receive in this life. For this cause Christ died at Calvary and rose the third day.
The work of the Holy Spirit "testifies" Christ to the heart of man. This ministry comes by hearing the word of faith contained in the Gospel message. The Gospel allows the Spirit of Holiness to minister to hearts of all listeners. Faith comes by hearing the Gospel message. The Holy Spirit ministers "truth" to the heart. God draws men to Him through the the Gospel message. Simply put, "Throught the Gospel message the Holy Spirit shows man what he really is in light of the supremacy of Christ that is manifested in the preaching. As the Holy Spirit makes Christ known to the mind and thinking of a believer "death to self" is also revealed in light of Calvary.
In the first work of the Spirit upon sinful man God shows this person the guilt of sin and the necessity to find forgiveness that only comes because of what Christ did for that individual personally. In the work of the Holy Spirit that testifies Christ in the life of a believer man realizes what he really is in light of Christ. When realization finally sinks in... the beleiver will die to "all" that he is. The Spirit of God deals with the negative side of mans heart and shows him how to "crucify the Old Man".
Crucifixion of self takes place when man is melted to nothingness. When man accepts the fact that he is helpless and hopeless without Christ he will die to self. Death to self will take place. Crucifixion is the Holy Spirit's power and presence that makes Christ known to the negative part of the believer's heart that still tries to rule. Simply put, "When man sees who Christ is he will realize that he himself is nothing... without the power of a resurrected Christ". Death to self allows Christ to have complete control of your actions and character. This likewise is the sanctifying work of the baptism with the Holy Spirit in your heart and life. This work of the Holy Spirit is not a process...its an experience of renewal that follows death to the Old Adam.
All said and written above to say one thing, "It's the Spirit of God that causes repentance, conviction, regeneration, crucifixion to self, and sanctification". The ministry of the Holy Spirit is why Christ commanded us to preach the Gospel. The Gospel message allows the ministry of the Holy Spirit to deal with the negative side of life. Glory! That's why Christ sent the Spirit of Truth to make Him known! Glory! The world cannot receive Christ unless the Spirit of God breaks the will of a sinful man enough to turn this man to Christ.
John 14:17...Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
Glory! Let the name of Christ be known! The Spirit of God will testify Christ to their hearts. Tell the world about Christ! The power of the Holy Spirit is behind your preaching!
John 15:26... But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Friday, August 13, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Fellowship on the Internet and at the Upper Room last night
I realize I have been slighting this Blog for a while. One reason is because I've been blogging at ChristianBlog.com publicizing a message of truth that was left to us by Brother Lindsey before he passed. Most of those Blogs were about the Kingdom Message to Israel and were posted at both Blogs for future reference. Brother Lindsey left us so much learning material about the Bible that it takes vast time to put this all into order. God has blessed this writer with a system of writing, blogging, order to help other people study God's Word. That system I am publicizing over the Internet and I didn't develope it. It came from Brother Lindsey's vast archive of teaching material that was left behind for us. It's simply a systematic theology for those who desire to go the extra mile..studying God's Word. More info will be posted about this subject in the future. So please check out our future Blogs! Anyway here's whats been happening at our Church that God built...
Our Church in Williamsburg Ohio is such a blessing! Our fellowship is in the Spirit and based on love and unity. The crowd is getting bigger. The Word always comes forth and helps us grow our faith in Jesus. Jimmy Allen quoted scripture. Deanna memorized a verse and brought us a couple of songs learned at Vacation Bible School. Chasity had her glasses so she read our passage of Scripture. Casey Smith brought us some nice guitar music to meditate on Christ with. Our prayers went out to the one who answers them. It's just such a blessing to know God is behind us with great power and authority! Glory to His name!
Our Church in Williamsburg Ohio is such a blessing! Our fellowship is in the Spirit and based on love and unity. The crowd is getting bigger. The Word always comes forth and helps us grow our faith in Jesus. Jimmy Allen quoted scripture. Deanna memorized a verse and brought us a couple of songs learned at Vacation Bible School. Chasity had her glasses so she read our passage of Scripture. Casey Smith brought us some nice guitar music to meditate on Christ with. Our prayers went out to the one who answers them. It's just such a blessing to know God is behind us with great power and authority! Glory to His name!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Rightly dividing the Word of Truth
The Kingdom of Heaven message preached before the death of Christ must not be confused with the dispensation of Grace inaugurated after Christ's death.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were inspired by the Holy Spirit to record the historical account of Jesus' life and ministry. Their records reveal that Christ kept every precept of the Law of Moses. He was called a "Rabbi" because He taught the Law; He was without sin and He kept the Law perfectly. Therefore, we understand these events occurred during the dispensation of the first covenant.
Everything Christ did was according to the Law of Moses.
Made of a woman, made under Law...Gal 4:4...God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law
Circumcised according to the Law...Luke 2:21...And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS,
Mary offer sacrifice according to the Law...Luke 2:22-24...And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Jesus lived under Law, and taught the Law
Jesus preached Judaism, not Christianity!
Jesus dealt with the Law of Moses and the Kingdom promise to the Hebrew nation.
All of Jesus' sermons were preached to the Jew only, not the Gentile...John 4:22...for salvation is of the Jews.
Here's Matthew's record of Jesus' command to the 12,
Matt 10:5-7...These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Christ reconciled both Jew and Gentile into one body on the cross.
Eph 2:11-16...Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
The Church came into existence after Christ purchased it with His own blood and sat down at the right hand of the Father,
Acts 20:28...to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood
Your utmost attention is called to these facts so that you won't confuse the purpose of the authority given to the disciples to confirm the Messianic message. Misunderstanding this will lead to deception in your life. You may perhaps go out into the world commanding the Devil to step aside, taking a useless claim of authority over the Devil when he has no authority on earth. You may perhaps claim authority over the Devil and every problem of life that you face. Some never recognize the fact that the problems of life actually stem from the sin of Adam.
Remember, Adam lost power and authority to rule in earth, and since then, man has not regained complete dominion. Regardless of man's right standing with God he is unable to control the affairs of the world. Unpleasant things are going to happen to man and he will have no explanation for them. Man is unable to know why these things happen. If a man goes around attempting to exercise authority without having any authority; he is not only claiming something fictitious and contrary to the Word but also ignoring the true authority.
Many people ask, "What about the passage in Mark 16 that says?"
Mark 16:15-17...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe
Here the language of the Bible says that signs will follow the believer. Nothing is said about the believer having authority! It is the Gospel they believe that produces the signs, casting out Devils, healing the sick, and speaking with new tongues. These signs and wonders are produced when the Gospel is preached and believed. All these signs are going to follow if you are a believer, not because you commanded it saying, "In the name of Jesus".
In Mark we read about the fullness of our Lord's ascension as He works and confirms the Word with signs. Note how these signs follow the believer,
Mark 16:19-20...So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
The doctrine of "positive confession" which claims that every time a man confesses something he will receive it, is contrary to the Word of God! It is only during the future Kingdom that you can say to a mountain, "Be thou removed" and it shall come to pass.
Matt 21:21...ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
For believers today "to confess gain" is contrary to the Word of God. James states that rejoicing in this type of boasting is sinful. Why? It's a form of arrogance:
James 4:13-17...Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
For those who refuse to admit, or confess sickness, "This is not faith but foolishness". Read James where he states,
James 5:14...Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
It is true that during the Millennium, one can say to a mountain, "Be thou removed" and it will be, but we are not in the Millennium yet! Therefore to "confess" or "claim" things such as wealth or authority is wrong. In fact, any boasting of what we will do, have, or obtain is declared to be sinful in James 4:13-17.
Some even teach that merely to admit you have a problem is a "negative confession", a sign of weak faith. Ironically in truth, if we do not confess our need or weakness, we cannot Biblically receive the help and healing we do need.
James 5:16...Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
Once again, mountains can only be removed through speaking, after man regains control of the earth in the millennial reign of Christ. During that period of time, all man has to do is speak, and it will happen. People are going around today confessing various things without assurance and without certainty. Paul said,
2 Cor 4:13...as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Notice you first have to believe before you speak. The problem with many people is that they think they are going to "build their faith up" by speaking and confessing, and confessing and confessing. They go around confessing everything under the sun and still don't have one ounce of faith. Faith does not come by confession according to Romans.
Rom 10:17...So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
A believer does not receive things by confession. If he hasn't received it by faith, or in reality - he should not confess it. We only confess what we believe. You must believe first.
Since Romans 10:17 states that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God; it means that you don't confess Christ as your Savior, until He has saved you. If you have not been saved, then you don't go around confessing Jesus in order to believe. This is contrary to the language of the Bible. The modern day confession in order to have faith is contrary to the Scriptures!
It's important to know that when people claim "to take authority over the Devil", they miss Jesus. Man does not need any authority if he believes and knows Jesus has all authority. To accept any other authority is to focus faith on something, or someone else. This is dangerous. A believer must totally rely on the authority of Christ.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were inspired by the Holy Spirit to record the historical account of Jesus' life and ministry. Their records reveal that Christ kept every precept of the Law of Moses. He was called a "Rabbi" because He taught the Law; He was without sin and He kept the Law perfectly. Therefore, we understand these events occurred during the dispensation of the first covenant.
Everything Christ did was according to the Law of Moses.
Made of a woman, made under Law...Gal 4:4...God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law
Circumcised according to the Law...Luke 2:21...And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS,
Mary offer sacrifice according to the Law...Luke 2:22-24...And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Jesus lived under Law, and taught the Law
Jesus preached Judaism, not Christianity!
Jesus dealt with the Law of Moses and the Kingdom promise to the Hebrew nation.
All of Jesus' sermons were preached to the Jew only, not the Gentile...John 4:22...for salvation is of the Jews.
Here's Matthew's record of Jesus' command to the 12,
Matt 10:5-7...These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Christ reconciled both Jew and Gentile into one body on the cross.
Eph 2:11-16...Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
The Church came into existence after Christ purchased it with His own blood and sat down at the right hand of the Father,
Acts 20:28...to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood
Your utmost attention is called to these facts so that you won't confuse the purpose of the authority given to the disciples to confirm the Messianic message. Misunderstanding this will lead to deception in your life. You may perhaps go out into the world commanding the Devil to step aside, taking a useless claim of authority over the Devil when he has no authority on earth. You may perhaps claim authority over the Devil and every problem of life that you face. Some never recognize the fact that the problems of life actually stem from the sin of Adam.
Remember, Adam lost power and authority to rule in earth, and since then, man has not regained complete dominion. Regardless of man's right standing with God he is unable to control the affairs of the world. Unpleasant things are going to happen to man and he will have no explanation for them. Man is unable to know why these things happen. If a man goes around attempting to exercise authority without having any authority; he is not only claiming something fictitious and contrary to the Word but also ignoring the true authority.
Many people ask, "What about the passage in Mark 16 that says?"
Mark 16:15-17...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe
Here the language of the Bible says that signs will follow the believer. Nothing is said about the believer having authority! It is the Gospel they believe that produces the signs, casting out Devils, healing the sick, and speaking with new tongues. These signs and wonders are produced when the Gospel is preached and believed. All these signs are going to follow if you are a believer, not because you commanded it saying, "In the name of Jesus".
In Mark we read about the fullness of our Lord's ascension as He works and confirms the Word with signs. Note how these signs follow the believer,
Mark 16:19-20...So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
The doctrine of "positive confession" which claims that every time a man confesses something he will receive it, is contrary to the Word of God! It is only during the future Kingdom that you can say to a mountain, "Be thou removed" and it shall come to pass.
Matt 21:21...ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
For believers today "to confess gain" is contrary to the Word of God. James states that rejoicing in this type of boasting is sinful. Why? It's a form of arrogance:
James 4:13-17...Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
For those who refuse to admit, or confess sickness, "This is not faith but foolishness". Read James where he states,
James 5:14...Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
It is true that during the Millennium, one can say to a mountain, "Be thou removed" and it will be, but we are not in the Millennium yet! Therefore to "confess" or "claim" things such as wealth or authority is wrong. In fact, any boasting of what we will do, have, or obtain is declared to be sinful in James 4:13-17.
Some even teach that merely to admit you have a problem is a "negative confession", a sign of weak faith. Ironically in truth, if we do not confess our need or weakness, we cannot Biblically receive the help and healing we do need.
James 5:16...Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
Once again, mountains can only be removed through speaking, after man regains control of the earth in the millennial reign of Christ. During that period of time, all man has to do is speak, and it will happen. People are going around today confessing various things without assurance and without certainty. Paul said,
2 Cor 4:13...as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Notice you first have to believe before you speak. The problem with many people is that they think they are going to "build their faith up" by speaking and confessing, and confessing and confessing. They go around confessing everything under the sun and still don't have one ounce of faith. Faith does not come by confession according to Romans.
Rom 10:17...So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
A believer does not receive things by confession. If he hasn't received it by faith, or in reality - he should not confess it. We only confess what we believe. You must believe first.
Since Romans 10:17 states that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God; it means that you don't confess Christ as your Savior, until He has saved you. If you have not been saved, then you don't go around confessing Jesus in order to believe. This is contrary to the language of the Bible. The modern day confession in order to have faith is contrary to the Scriptures!
It's important to know that when people claim "to take authority over the Devil", they miss Jesus. Man does not need any authority if he believes and knows Jesus has all authority. To accept any other authority is to focus faith on something, or someone else. This is dangerous. A believer must totally rely on the authority of Christ.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Christ, our deliverer
Man's dominion over earth is to be restored at the second coming of Christ. All power of the enemy was defeated through the death of the son of God on the cross. Yes, Christ made an open show of the enemy and the powers of darkness. How, through His resurrection from the grave?
Col 2:15...And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
When the Messiah came He came to deliver Israel from Roman oppression. The Roman legions had made prisoners their servants. The people were led captive by the power of Rome. They once were slaves outside the Roman Empire. Now, they had become slaves to the Roman Empire. Likewise, Christ takes people that are slaves to sin and He leads them forth to become His sons. These believers now come under Christ's control, His authority, and His power.
Jesus Christ delivers us from the power of the enemy. He delivers us from the power of Satan, demons, and demonic forces of the world. The Holy Scripture does not say Christ is going to deliver us to the point where we will never get sick and never die. Christ's deliverance will not keep the wind from blowing or a tornado from destroying our home. Nor does this mean that our businesses cannot collapse; or the economic, political, and social structure of the world of which we live cannot fall apart. The Bible does not teach that. It does teach that Christ delivers us from the power of Satan and demonic forces that try to influence us to live selfishly, greedily, and with unholy hearts.
On the other hand, the doctrine that says that Satan is without power is unscriptural. The language of the Bible says:
1 Peter 5:8-9...Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Believers in Christ are to resist the Devil. The Bible goes on to say that the child of God wrestles with the power of darkness.
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
Why should we wrestle someone who cannot put up any resistance? Understand, Satan still has access to earth. He can use everything. If the Devil tempted the Son of God during his earthly ministry, he can tempt you. If he tried Jesus, he can try you. If Christ suffered, you are going to suffer.
The Apostles, among them Paul, did not deny Satan's ability. Paul said he was five times beaten with forty stripes save one. He was three times beaten with rods, once stoned, and three times shipwrecked. These are just a few of the many hardships he endured for the cause of Christ.
2 Cor 11:24-33...Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Paul suffered and did not say the battle was won at Calvary. Remember this - the obstacles of life are going to continue to come against us because Satan has the wicked under his control. He is the God of this age. He is the prince of the power of the air. He can use the things man lost control over. The child of God however, by faith in Christ, can defeat the Devil every day of his life.
1 John 4:4...greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Christ by His death on the cross established His right to rule and reign the earth in righteousness. When Christ comes back, He is going to establish an earthly, visible Kingdom. So many times people go around the country claiming to possess authority. This perhaps reflects a big ego. There are two things that are wrong with the religious teachers today.
1. They are giving the Devil more authority than he has.
2. They are claiming authority they don't have.
Jesus said in Matthew:
Matt 28:18...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
This should be accepted. Jesus has authority over every angel, archangel, seraphim, and over the countless beings God created in heaven. All these are subject to the King of Kings, and He has control over them all.
1 Peter 3:21-22...by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
God has control over all things on the earth. He controls the political, social, and economic affairs of life. The weather is even under His control. Any time he wants to use anything on earth, He can use it.
The weather...Matt 5:45...for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
God opened the bowels of the earth...Num 16:32-34...And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
God used David and one stone to render Goliath...1 Sam 17:50...So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
The Old Testament is full of accounts where God the Creator used His control of creation to bring both blessing and judgment.
In the Throne Room
All the power of Satan must submit to the authority of Christ because of His death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation. When we as believers trust Christ's authority, we have victory over all circumstances and conditions of life that Satan would use against us. When we come to the realization that through Christ's exaltation we can exercise His authority by faith, we indeed understand our position at the right hand of the Father.
Eph 2:4-6...But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
By His death on the cross, Christ has put under His feet all principalities, powers, and dominions. Everything is now under Christ's authority.
1 Cor 15:25...For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Christ now has all power in heaven and in earth but remember, Satan can still use the curse of the fall to torment us. Satan is like an "illegal alien" who has no authority to use on earth. For this reason, we should recognize our position in Jesus Christ who was not only crucified, and rose from the grave but, is alive with all authority over all things!
When we accept Christ's authority over all things, we have personal victory in our lives. If Christ has all authority in heaven and in earth - we do not need any authority. For example, if a man comes to my home that stands about six-foot seven inches tall and is trying to knock the door down; do you think I'm going to go out there and exercise my authority? Never! All that needs to be done is to call the police department. They in turn send a couple of policemen over, and take the man away. He is an intruder. The Devil is an intruder. Demons are also intruders. What should I do when they try to use anything on earth to torment me? By faith, I acknowledge my seat in the throne room and ask King Jesus to exercise authority over them! By the authority of Christ, they must go.
All Christ ever had to say to demons was "Go" and they left. According to James:
James 4:7...Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So, when demons attempt to try or test the child of God all you have to do is say, "Go". You do not even have to speak a verbal command to Satan. A lot of people get the impression they must chant certain prayers in order to have the power of God. That is not true. Others believe they must pray ten hours to have God exercise His authority on their behalf. This is not true. They say, "If I pray and pray and pray, I will drive God Almighty to exercise His power in my life". Of course no man can bribe God, nor make Him do anything.
If you want more power of God in your life, recognize what the Scripture says about the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit and; about your being seated in the Throne Room, raised to sit in heavenly places with Him. Realize that your position is in the Throne Room with Jesus where He has all power and authority. If you don't know that the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, all the prayers on earth are not going to make you more spiritual.
The idea of people going around the country claiming authority and at the same time trying to regiment people to pray, pray, pray, is resented by this writer. In an attempt to teach people how to pray, what to pray, how to testify, how to fast, when to fast, and how to cast out devils is all contrary to Scripture. The Bible clarifies how all this is Holy Spirit's work, in heart of a believer:
John 15:26-27...But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness
The Holy Spirit will cause you to pray if you live with a consciousness of the presence of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will cause you to fast if you live with a consciousness of the presence of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will even take you to the Throne Room where Christ is seated with all power and authority if you live in a consciousness of His presence. The Holy Spirit is here to take care of you for time and eternity if you know His presence, and that He is God. He is able to minister to any believer, all the power and authority that Christ has at the right hand of the Father, over heaven and earth.
The Bible says in Ephesians:
Eph 2:18...For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
By one Spirit, both Jew and Gentile have access to the Father. By the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we have a right to go into the Throne Room where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the privilege we have, to exercise Christ's authority over all the problems of life. Hallelujah!
Col 2:15...And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
When the Messiah came He came to deliver Israel from Roman oppression. The Roman legions had made prisoners their servants. The people were led captive by the power of Rome. They once were slaves outside the Roman Empire. Now, they had become slaves to the Roman Empire. Likewise, Christ takes people that are slaves to sin and He leads them forth to become His sons. These believers now come under Christ's control, His authority, and His power.
Jesus Christ delivers us from the power of the enemy. He delivers us from the power of Satan, demons, and demonic forces of the world. The Holy Scripture does not say Christ is going to deliver us to the point where we will never get sick and never die. Christ's deliverance will not keep the wind from blowing or a tornado from destroying our home. Nor does this mean that our businesses cannot collapse; or the economic, political, and social structure of the world of which we live cannot fall apart. The Bible does not teach that. It does teach that Christ delivers us from the power of Satan and demonic forces that try to influence us to live selfishly, greedily, and with unholy hearts.
On the other hand, the doctrine that says that Satan is without power is unscriptural. The language of the Bible says:
1 Peter 5:8-9...Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Believers in Christ are to resist the Devil. The Bible goes on to say that the child of God wrestles with the power of darkness.
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
Why should we wrestle someone who cannot put up any resistance? Understand, Satan still has access to earth. He can use everything. If the Devil tempted the Son of God during his earthly ministry, he can tempt you. If he tried Jesus, he can try you. If Christ suffered, you are going to suffer.
The Apostles, among them Paul, did not deny Satan's ability. Paul said he was five times beaten with forty stripes save one. He was three times beaten with rods, once stoned, and three times shipwrecked. These are just a few of the many hardships he endured for the cause of Christ.
2 Cor 11:24-33...Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
Paul suffered and did not say the battle was won at Calvary. Remember this - the obstacles of life are going to continue to come against us because Satan has the wicked under his control. He is the God of this age. He is the prince of the power of the air. He can use the things man lost control over. The child of God however, by faith in Christ, can defeat the Devil every day of his life.
1 John 4:4...greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Christ by His death on the cross established His right to rule and reign the earth in righteousness. When Christ comes back, He is going to establish an earthly, visible Kingdom. So many times people go around the country claiming to possess authority. This perhaps reflects a big ego. There are two things that are wrong with the religious teachers today.
1. They are giving the Devil more authority than he has.
2. They are claiming authority they don't have.
Jesus said in Matthew:
Matt 28:18...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
This should be accepted. Jesus has authority over every angel, archangel, seraphim, and over the countless beings God created in heaven. All these are subject to the King of Kings, and He has control over them all.
1 Peter 3:21-22...by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
God has control over all things on the earth. He controls the political, social, and economic affairs of life. The weather is even under His control. Any time he wants to use anything on earth, He can use it.
The weather...Matt 5:45...for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
God opened the bowels of the earth...Num 16:32-34...And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
God used David and one stone to render Goliath...1 Sam 17:50...So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
The Old Testament is full of accounts where God the Creator used His control of creation to bring both blessing and judgment.
In the Throne Room
All the power of Satan must submit to the authority of Christ because of His death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation. When we as believers trust Christ's authority, we have victory over all circumstances and conditions of life that Satan would use against us. When we come to the realization that through Christ's exaltation we can exercise His authority by faith, we indeed understand our position at the right hand of the Father.
Eph 2:4-6...But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
By His death on the cross, Christ has put under His feet all principalities, powers, and dominions. Everything is now under Christ's authority.
1 Cor 15:25...For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Christ now has all power in heaven and in earth but remember, Satan can still use the curse of the fall to torment us. Satan is like an "illegal alien" who has no authority to use on earth. For this reason, we should recognize our position in Jesus Christ who was not only crucified, and rose from the grave but, is alive with all authority over all things!
When we accept Christ's authority over all things, we have personal victory in our lives. If Christ has all authority in heaven and in earth - we do not need any authority. For example, if a man comes to my home that stands about six-foot seven inches tall and is trying to knock the door down; do you think I'm going to go out there and exercise my authority? Never! All that needs to be done is to call the police department. They in turn send a couple of policemen over, and take the man away. He is an intruder. The Devil is an intruder. Demons are also intruders. What should I do when they try to use anything on earth to torment me? By faith, I acknowledge my seat in the throne room and ask King Jesus to exercise authority over them! By the authority of Christ, they must go.
All Christ ever had to say to demons was "Go" and they left. According to James:
James 4:7...Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So, when demons attempt to try or test the child of God all you have to do is say, "Go". You do not even have to speak a verbal command to Satan. A lot of people get the impression they must chant certain prayers in order to have the power of God. That is not true. Others believe they must pray ten hours to have God exercise His authority on their behalf. This is not true. They say, "If I pray and pray and pray, I will drive God Almighty to exercise His power in my life". Of course no man can bribe God, nor make Him do anything.
If you want more power of God in your life, recognize what the Scripture says about the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit and; about your being seated in the Throne Room, raised to sit in heavenly places with Him. Realize that your position is in the Throne Room with Jesus where He has all power and authority. If you don't know that the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, all the prayers on earth are not going to make you more spiritual.
The idea of people going around the country claiming authority and at the same time trying to regiment people to pray, pray, pray, is resented by this writer. In an attempt to teach people how to pray, what to pray, how to testify, how to fast, when to fast, and how to cast out devils is all contrary to Scripture. The Bible clarifies how all this is Holy Spirit's work, in heart of a believer:
John 15:26-27...But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness
The Holy Spirit will cause you to pray if you live with a consciousness of the presence of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will cause you to fast if you live with a consciousness of the presence of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will even take you to the Throne Room where Christ is seated with all power and authority if you live in a consciousness of His presence. The Holy Spirit is here to take care of you for time and eternity if you know His presence, and that He is God. He is able to minister to any believer, all the power and authority that Christ has at the right hand of the Father, over heaven and earth.
The Bible says in Ephesians:
Eph 2:18...For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
By one Spirit, both Jew and Gentile have access to the Father. By the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we have a right to go into the Throne Room where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the privilege we have, to exercise Christ's authority over all the problems of life. Hallelujah!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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