The Bible deals with a lot of tough (and sad!) topics, from the
entrance of sin in the book of Genesis to the laments of the prophets
in the Old Testament. But throughout Scripture, we also see glimpses
of joy—a level of pure happiness that transcends any words we would
try to use to describe it.
Sometimes this joy causes people to dance. Other times it leaves the
people in the story (and often the readers) speechless. All of the
time, the joy is in response to a gift from God. And at moments when
it is hard to find joy in the midst of our own daily lives and routines,
these passages in Scripture can serve as a reminder that God is good.
And that is cause for great joy.
1. Joseph is reunited with his brothers.
The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph—the favorite of
Jacob’s 12 sons. Although his father gave special treatment to
Joseph, his brothers resented the special treatment that Joseph
received. So they sold him as a slave and told their father that
Joseph was dead. But after many years Joseph and his brothers
were reunited. Joseph forgave his brothers, saved his whole family
from starvation during a famine and celebrated the joy of being
restored to his family.
Read the whole story in Genesis 43-45.
2. David dances before the Lord.
When the ark of the Covenant came to Jerusalem, there was a
celebration of harps, lyres and percussion instruments. People
sang and sacrifices were offered. But David also danced. He
danced jubilantly to celebrate the ark, which signified God’s
presence. His wife, Michal, criticized him for his display of joy,
but David told her that his dancing was to honor the Lord.
Read the whole story in 2 Samuel 6.
3. A father’s son returns home.
The story of the prodigal son is one of the most popular parables
in the New Testament. But don’t let the familiarity of the story
cause you to miss the joy of the father when his son returns. The
father literally runs to embrace his son. The father explains to his
older son, “We had to celebrate and be happy, because your
brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has
been found’” (Luke 15:32, GNTD). And that is a cause for real
joy.
Read the whole story in Luke 15.
4. The author of Revelation sees a new heaven and a new earth.
The book of Revelation was written to a church that knew pain and
persecution. So when the author finishes the book with a
description of what the kingdom of God will look like, there was
much cause for celebration. The author describes a place where
there will be no more grief or crying or pain. All this because
God’s home will be with his people. The waiting is over. The time
for joy has come.
Read the whole story in Revelation 21.
Friday 21 November 2014
4 PLACES TO FIND JOY IN THE BIBLE
Monday 17 November 2014
Masturbation and Mission
Masturbation is the experience of sexual orgasm produced by self-
stimulation. Virtually every man and almost as many women have tried
it. It is a regular practice of most single men.
One of the major forces preventing young people from obeying the call
of God into vocational Christian service is defeat in the area of lust. A
teenager hears a challenging call to throw himself into the cause of
world evangelization. He feels the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He
tastes the thrill of following the King of kings into battle. But he does
not obey because he is masturbating regularly. He feels guilty. He can
hardly imagine witnessing to a pretty girl about the eternal plight of
her soul, because he has so habitually looked at girls naked in his
imagination. So he feels unworthy and unable to obey the call of God.
Masturbation becomes the enemy of missions.
Is masturbation wrong? Let me address the issue mainly for men. I
cannot imagine sexual orgasm in the loins without sexual image in the
mind. I know there are nocturnal emissions, which I regard as innocent
and helpful, but I doubt that they are ever orgasmic apart from a
sexual dream that supplies the necessary image in the mind. Evidently
God has constituted the connection between sexual orgasm and sexual
thought in such a way that the force and pleasure of orgasm is
dependent on the thought or images in our minds.
Therefore in order to masturbate, it is necessary to get vivid and
exciting thoughts or images into the mind. This can be done by pure
imagination or by pictures or movies or stories or real persons. These
images always involve women as sexual objects. I use the word “object”
because in order for a women to be a true sexual “subject” in our
imagination she must in reality be one with whom we are experiencing
what we are imagining. This is not the case with masturbation.
So I vote no on masturbation. There may be other reasons why it is
wrong. For now I rest my vote on the inevitable sexual images which
accompany masturbation and which turn women into sexual objects. The
sexual thoughts that enable masturbation do not help any man to treat
women with greater respect. Therefore masturbation produces real and
legitimate guilt and stands in the way of obedience.
Three encouragements to single men:
You are not alone in the battle.
Periodic failure in this area no more disqualifies you from ministry
than periodic failures of impatience (which is also a sin).
Pursue the expulsive power of a new affection. I walked by a whole
section of “photography” books at the Walker Art Center last Thursday
empowered by the better pleasure of feeling Christ conquer the
temptation to look.
Saturday 15 November 2014
The power of Tithing
Is tithing a fundamental in this
“new insight” in TRUTH?
Is it only applicable in the biblical
sense?
Was it only practiced as a part of
Christ’s teaching?
Where are the origins? And how has
it evolved?
Does it apply to us?
A study of Prosperity and Affluence invariably includes the practice of
tithing. In most cases, it is taught with a dogmatism that is
unparalleled in the whole study of TRUTH. We want to deeply prove the
practice beyond the superficial, illogical and materialistic way it is
normally approached. Tithing is normally encouraged for all the wrong
reasons, a gross materialization of a beautiful spiritual law.
For those of you who wish to understand the historical origin and
answers to those questions; I have included here, some references
from Tithing in Bible (see below) , where Abraham gave a tithe of all he
had to Melchizedeck, King of Salem, who had blessed him. Today there
are whole religious denominations that require tithing of all their
adherents. Many other religious groups suggest it as a discipline. Let us
establish the point that tithing is an excellent practice that I strongly
recommend to anyone who is seeking to change their life from
indigence to affluence.
Truth students and/or those who study Bible know and often refer to
the classic reference of Malachi 3:10 (ASV) “Bring ye the whole tithe
into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and prove me
now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows
of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it.” Beautifully put, it is sheer poetry! Who can argue
with it? But, we should also examine the practice in the time of
Malachi.
Under Levitical law, the tithe was a form of taxation, a requirement; it
was not a love offering or charitable contribution at all. In theocratic
government, tithing had often been the method of creating revenues to
support the government. Since God is true ruler, it is easy to see that
the government treasury is the storehouse of the Lord.
In early Israel, under the leadership of Moses, twelve tribes were
managed by priests, and the system was supported by the tithe. There
was nothing voluntary about it. The Mosaic code was rigidly enforced,
and in some cases, infractions were punishable by death. This is the
biblical source where our contemporary practice of tithing was derived.
However, the tithe did not originate there. Some form of tithing was
practiced almost universally throughout the entire ancient world. We
find evidences of it in Babylonia, in Persia, in Egypt, in Rome, and
even in China.
Now without judging the merits of tithing, I find this line reasoning
illogical. Under their law, the Israelites were bound to many restrictive
observances. There are references to people actually being stoned to
death for nothing more than gathering wheat on the Sabbath,
(infraction of the fourth commandment). But we don’t put people to
death in modern times for playing golf on Sunday! But times have
changed, we say. Then why should the rigidity of the tithing observance
remain unchanged?
Jesus seemed to have made a career out of upgrading the laws and
practices of the Old Testament into the light and needs of
contemporary times. For instance, he said concerning many
commandments, “You have heard it said of old, but I say unto you …..”
He also said “I have come not to abolish them (the laws) but to fulfill
them.” (Mt. 5:17)
If you carefully examine the Ten Commandments , they would appear to
be a series of restrictive laws. However, a deeper look will reveal to you
underlying essence, that supportive framework for the spiritually
mature. Late Rev. Eric Butterworth’s tells us in his book Spiritual
Economics: “Infants may need playpens and children may need fences
to keep them from straying into danger.” But as people mature, there
must come a time when they put away childish things. He also, points
out that Jesus taught the law of consciousness, that one always has a
choice, though one must live with the effects of his or her choice. You
receive as you give, and if you would receive more, you can give more.
But you have complete freedom. (Page 196 in Book Spiritual Economics
by Rev. Eric Butterworth), see (Reference in Resources)
Books you find on tithing often display flashy dollar signs, suggesting
that tithing is a sure way to get rich quick. Some say that tithing is a
magic cure for all ills. But if prosperity and healing results from
tithing, it is manifested as the fulfilling of the law: As you give, so you
receive. The materialistic approach to tithing is so prevalent because of
its effectiveness. Giving is a fundamental spiritual law. You cannot live
without giving, as you cannot live without breathing. You inhale and
exhale naturally for breathing is a part of the vital process of life. No
one dictates how deep your breath should be, and so your giving and
tithing should also be a natural process.
Kahlil Gibran, in his classic work The Prophet says: "You give but little
when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that
you truly give…. Give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its
fragrance into space." What counts for you is how you deal with them in
consciousness. When you understand “who you really are” and “how our
world comes about”, then you begin to see things from the perspective
of the ever-present God-substance or the Source. You will be in the
creative flow of abundance which will bless your life with sustained
affluence and prosperity, and in turn, your energy will vibrate
prospering influence to lift the world. (Full Text of The Prophet by
Kahil Gibran)
Practice of Tithing in Bible
Quotes from the Bible on "Practice of Tithing" in Bible, from Genesis,
Malachi, and New Testament
The First Book of Moses, called Genesis 14:17 And the king of Sodom
went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of
Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh
(the same is the King's Vale). 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem
brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most
High, possessor of heaven and earth: 14:20 and blessed be God Most
High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him
a tenth of all.
The Fifth Book of Moses, called Deuteronomy 12:17 Thou mayest not eat
within thy gates the tithe of thy grain, or of thy new wine, or of thine
oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows
which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the heave-offering
of thy hand.
In Malachi 3:10 Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that
there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith
Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive
it.
Following Scriptures are found in New Testament, and beleived to
reflect Jesus the Christ's thoughts and teaching on Practice of Tithing
in Bible.
The Gospel According to St. Luke 6:38 give, and it shall be given unto
you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall
they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be
measured to you again.
The Gospel According to St. Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.
Here we have focused on subject of Practicing of Tithing in Bible, but
practice of tithing, which means acknowledgement for and to Source/
God/ Infinite have been practice throughout ages in many religious
belief system.
Click here to view - The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible
The American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible was first
published in 1901. It has earned the reputation of being the Rock of
Biblical Honesty. Although the English used in the ASV is somewhat
archaic, it isn't nearly as hard to understand as some passages of the
King James Version of nearly 3 centuries earlier. This translation of
the Holy Bible is in the public domain, since its copyright has expired.
You are encouraged to download, copy, publish, and use this translation
freely Click here to view – The World English Bible The World English
Bible is an update of the American Standard Version that is still in the
Public Domain, but uses more modern English.
Wednesday 12 November 2014
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Missing person: The Holy Spirit
Many people may have had an experience like
that of the little girl who heard the Holy Ghost
(as the Holy Spirit is sometimes called)
mentioned in church from time to time, but so
vaguely and infrequently she could only guess
what sort of ghost this might be. So one day, when she venture down
into the dark furnace room in the church's cellar, she decided with a
child's firm logic that this spooky place must be where the Holy Ghost
lurked.
The fact is, adult believers often act as if the Holy Spirit really was
hiding in the church cellar. They may know something about the Holy
Spirit, but they don't know Him personally or realize that He is God in
the same way the Son and the Father are God. When they read the
Bible, many people are surprised to find that the Holy Spirit was at the
very dawn of time: "The Spirit of God was moving over the surface of
the waters" ( Genesis1:2 ), and many are amazed to find out there are
approximately 100 references to the Holy Spirit throughout the Old and
New Testaments.
Nevertheless, the Spirit's role is fundamental both to creation and the
life of the believer. When a person comes to Jesus Christ, he receives
Christ into his heart. The Spirit of God comes and joins with the spirit
of the believer. This "indwelling Spirit" reproduces the life of Jesus in
the believer's life.
What, Then, Is The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowering for service that takes
place in the life of the Christian ( Acts 1:5,8 ). In it we are immersed in
the Spirit's life and power.
To illustrate, if we drank water from a glass, then the water would be
inside us. However, if we went to the beach and stepped into the ocean,
then we would be in the water. We receive, as it were, a drink of the
Holy Spirit when we are saved, but when we are baptized in the Spirit, it
is as if that initial drink becomes an ocean that completely surrounds
us.
Just as the indwelling Spirit that Christians receive when they are
saved reproduces the life of Jesus, so the outpoured, or baptizing,
Spirit reproduces the ministry of Jesus, including miracles and
healings.
Why Do We Need The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
We need a power beyond ourselves for service and ministry in Christ's
Kingdom.
When Jesus gave the Great Commission ( Matthew 28:19-20 ), He knew
that His disciples could not fulfill it in their own power. Therefore, He
had a special gift in store for them: It was His plan to give them the
same power that He had -- the power of the Spirit of God. So,
immediately after giving them the Great Commission, Jesus commanded
his disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father
promised, "which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized
with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
from now" (Acts 1:4-5 ). He further promised: "You shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth" ( Acts 1:8 ).
The disciples waited in Jerusalem as Jesus had commanded, and one
day when they were all together, "suddenly there came from heaven a
noise like a violent, rushing winds, and it filled the whole house where
they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire
distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And
they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance" ( Acts 2:3,4 ). Then
Peter explained to the crowd that gathered that they were seeing the
working of God's Spirit and told them about Jesus. The Christian church
began that day with the disciples and the three thousand people who
joined them as a result of the day's events.
We can undertake making disciples of all nations with some degree of
success without the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but when we do, we are
undertaking a supernatural task with limited power.
It is God's will -- it is His commandment -- that we be baptized, or
filled with the Holy Spirit: "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).
The knowledge and reality of the empowering Spirit enables us to
reproduce the works of Jesus.
When May I Receive The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
It can take place at the moment you confess faith in Christ, as in the
case of the first Gentile convert, Cornelius ( Acts 10:44-46 ; 11:15, 16);
but often it occurs some time after the salvation experience
(Acts 8:12-17 ).
Is There Anything To Fear?
Some people fear that if they ask for the baptism in the Holy Spirit,
what they experience won't be the authentic working of the Spirit. But
once they do ask for it, they are always glad they did. God doesn't
cause us to do anything we don't want to, and all His gifts are good
and perfect (James 1:17). Jesus said, "Now suppose one of you fathers
is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a
fish, will be? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a
scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:11-13 ). The baptism in the Holy
Spirit is an even better gift than any material gift you could receive,
and God wants you to have it because He loves you and wants the very
best for you.
What Should I Do Before Asking?
The Bible says that a wise man counts the cost before he begins to build
a tower ( Luke 14:28 ). This beautiful experience of the baptism in the
Holy Spirit is a free gift, but you must be willing to submit fully to God
to receive it.
Jesus will respond to a totally yielded vessel. He never asks anything of
you that you are incapable of giving, nor does He ever fail to give you
something greater in return when you do give your all. The joy He gives
through total obedience to Him far outweighs anything you could
possibly give up.
There is one more important consideration: In Acts 8, a man named
Simon, deeply involved in the occult, wanted to buy the gift of the Holy
Spirit. Peter sharply rebuked Simon, commanding him to repent.
Therefore, if you ever at any time had anything to do with the occult
(Ouija boards, fortune tellers, seances, horoscopes, ESP,
transcendental mediation, hypnotism, or other such practices), you
must renounce and turn away from all such sinful participation, and
you must ask for God's forgiveness and cleansing.
How Do I Receive The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
You only have to do two things.
First, once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and
Savior you just have to ask God to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. The
Bible says, "Ask, and it shall be given to you" (Luke 11:9 ).
Second, believe you have in fact received this gift from God. The
apostle Paul, writing to the Galatians, said, "Did you receive the Spirit
by the works of the law, or by hearing with faith?"
(Galatians 3:2 ). The answer, obviously, is faith. You have to believe that
if you ask, you will receive.
Pray this prayer if you sincerely desire to receive the baptism in God's
Holy Spirit:
"Heavenly Father, at this moment I come to You. I thank You that
Jesus saved me. I pray that the Holy Spirit might come upon me. Lord
Jesus, baptize me now in the Holy Spirit. I receive the baptism in the
Holy Spirit right now by faith in Your Word. May the anointing, the
glory, and the power of God come upon me and into my life right now.
May I be empowered for service from this day forward. Thank You,
Lord Jesus, for baptizing me in Your Holy Spirit. Amen."
Now, having asked and received, begin to practice the power of the
Spirit. An ideal place to begin is where the first apostles did, praising
God in a new language. To do this, begin praising God out loud in
whatever words come to you. Tell Him how much you love Him. Thank
Him, worship Him, and yield your voice to Him. Now let Him give you new
words of praise you never heard before. Praise Him with those words,
too. You'll find that thiscan be a very rewarding experience of
communication with God that will build up your faith. Continue to pray
to God each day in the language that the Holy Spirit has given you.
But this "prayer language" is just one of the gifts that God wants to
give you through the baptism in His Spirit.
The Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The apostle Paul told the Corinthians that the Holy Spirit would
manifest Himself among them in special gifts, of which speaking in
tongues was only one: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do
not want you to be unaware....To one is give the word of wisdom through
the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same
Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of
healing by the one Spirit, and to another the distinguishing of spirit, to
another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of
tongues" (I Corinthians 12:1,8-10).
Paul also wrote that the Holy Spirit produces "fruit" in the lives of
believers. These are virtues that demonstrate Jesus' righteousness in
the lives of His disciples: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-
control" ( Galatians 5:22 ).
So, in asking for the baptism in the Holy Spirit you are availing yourself
of these gifts for advancing God's Kingdom and allowing the Holy Spirit
to further cultivate in your life the fruit of righteousness -- two great
helps in living a life God can use mightily for His glory.
That's the way it is with God. God is offering the baptism in the Holy
Spirit to people who need only to reach out and receive it in order to be
on fire to fully serve Him.
Walking in the Spirit
By now you can see that the Holy Spirit is so much more than a shadowy
figure to pay lip-service to on Sunday morning. He can be with you and
in your to bring new life to your Christian walk. Likewise, the baptism in
the Holy Spirit is more than a single experience. It is a continual
dependence on the Spirit for guidance and strength in all
circumstances. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the
Spirit" ( Galatians 5:25 ).
The baptism in the Holy Spirit cannot be earned. You cannot become
"good enough" to receive it. It is a gift from God. It is not a "cure-
all" for your problems. But the same wonderful power that enabled
Jesus to open blind eyes, to command the elements of nature, and to
live a life pleasing to the Father during His ministry on earth is also
available to you. Ask, and it shall be given to you.
Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an
amazing change in your own life. Discover how you can find peace with
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Friday 7 November 2014
The power of prayer and fasting
"Fasting and prayer? Didn't those go
out of style decades ago?" The woman who said
this to me was a godly woman, a woman who had
been in the church all her life, and a woman
intent on obeying the Lord. She knew her Bible.
She was very serious in her questions.
Yet for some reason, she had concluded -- at
least subconsciously -- that fasting and prayer
were no longer intended for believers in today's
world.
The truth is, fasting and prayer are for today!
In fact, now more than ever!
The combination of fasting and praying is not a fad or a novelty
approach to spiritual discipline. Fasting and praying are not part of a
human-engineered method or plan. They are not the means to
manipulate a situation or to create a circumstance. Fasting and praying
are Bible-based disciplines that are appropriate for all believers of all
ages throughout all centuries in all parts of the world.
Through the years, I have learned that many people in the church
have never been taught about fasting and prayer, and many have
therefore never fasted and prayed. As a result, they don't know why
fasting and praying are important, what the Bible teaches about
fasting, or how to fast. To many, fasting sounds like drudgery -- or a
form of religious works. To others, fasting sounds extremely difficult.
People tend to stand in awe at reports of those who have fasted for
several weeks. When I hear about such fasts, I no doubt think what
they think: If I fasted that long, I'd die! I couldn't possibly do that!
Let me assure you at the outset of this book that I am not advocating
prolonged periods of fasting for every believer. A fast can be as short
as one meal. Neither do I advocate fasting and praying for the mere
sake of saying with self-righteousness, "I have fasted and prayed
about this." I do not advocate fasting so that the hungry in a foreign
nation might have the food you would have eaten that day -- which is
highly unlikely. I do not advocate fasting apart from prayer.
KEY REASONS TO FAST AND PRAY
I do, however, encourage every believer to fast and pray for two very
important reasons:
1. The Scriptures Teach Us to Fast and Pray
The Bible has a great deal to say about both fasting and praying,
including commands to fast and pray. The Bible also gives us examples
of people who fasted and prayed, using different types of fasts for
different reasons, all of which are very positive results. Jesus fasted
and prayed. Jesus' disciples fasted and prayed after the Resurrection.
Many of the Old Testament heroes and heroines of the faith fasted
and prayed. The followers of John the Baptist fasted and
prayed.Many people in the early church fasted and prayed. What the
Scriptures have taught us directly and by the examples of the saints is
surely something we are to do.
2. Fasting and Prayer Put You into the Best Possible Position for a
Breakthrough
That breakthrough might be in the realm of the spirit. It may be in the
realm of your emotions or personal habits. It may be in the realm of a
very practical area of life, such as a relationship or finances. What I
have seen repeatedly through the years-not only in the Scriptures but
in countless personal stories that others have told me -- is that periods
of fasting and prayer produce great spiritual results, many of which
fall into the realm of a breakthrough. What wasn't a reality . . .
suddenly was. What hadn't worked . . . suddenly did. The unwanted
situation or object that was there . . . suddenly wasn't there. The
relationship that was unloving . . . suddenly was loving. The job that
hadn't materialized . . . suddenly did.
The very simple and direct conclusions I draw are these: First, if the
Bible teaches us to do something, I want to do it. I want to obey the
Lord in every way that He commands me to obey Him. And second, if
fasting and praying are means to a breakthrough that God has for me,
I want to undertake those disciplines so I might experience that
breakthrough!
Every person I know needs a breakthrough in some area of his or her
life. I am no exception. I need breakthroughs all the time -- it may be
a breakthrough in understanding a situation, a breakthrough answer to
a problem, a breakthrough idea, a breakthrough insight, a breakthrough
in financial or material provision, a breakthrough in health. If you
have any need in your life, you need a breakthrough from God to meet
that need! Fasting and prayer break the yoke of bondage and bring
about a release of God's presence, power, and provision.
I certainly have seen this borne out in the course of my ministry.
When I was forty-two years old, I went to an Assemblies of God camp
in Alexandria,Minnesota, to speak for a women's retreat. The first two
days of the retreat went very well, and then I had one day in between
the first retreat and the second -- so many women had registered, the
camp could not host all of the women at the same time. I took that day
in this lovely place in Minnesota to enjoy the lakes and trees -- it was
a gorgeous environment -- and to fast and pray about God's will for
my life. I felt as if I was doing a lot of good things, but I also thought
I might miss God's best for me. I longed to hear from God and to
receive a revelation from Him about my life.
In that day of fasting and prayer, God spoke to me words from
Isaiah 11:9 : "I have called you to cover the earth with the Word."
Through the years, the Lord has confirmed that word to me a number
of times, but this was my initial call to take the message of God's Word
to the whole earth, and it came as the result of one day of prayer and
fasting.
The breakthrough that you may need in your life is a sense of God's
direction -- not only for today and tomorrow, but for the broad scope
of your life. If you long to know God's purpose for you on this earth, I
strongly encourage you to seek God in prayer and fasting.
THE PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL FASTING
There are two main overriding principles related to prayer and fasting
in the Bible.
First, biblical fasting is going without food. The noun translated "fast"
or "a fasting" is tsom in the Hebrew and nesteia in the Greek language.
It means the voluntary abstinence from food. The literal Hebrew
translation would be "not to eat." The literal Greek means "no food."
I know people who say they go without television or movies, and they
call these "fasting" times. I'm not opposed to that definition of
fasting-fasting does imply that we are giving up one thing in order to
replace it with something else, and in the Bible sense, specifically to
replace it with prayer. But in the main, I believe fasting has to do with
our abstaining from food. Second, biblical fasting is linked with serious
seasons of prayer. The more seriously we approach prayer and fasting,
the more serious the results we will experience.
I sometimes hear people say, "I'm giving up chocolate" and they regard
this as a type of fasting. I think this is a rather frivolous approach.
The first and foremost purpose of a biblical or spiritual fast is to get a
breakthrough on a particular matter that one lifts up to the Lord in
prayer. A spiritual fast involves our hearts and the way in which we
relate to and trust God. It relates to discerning and receiving strength
to follow through on what God might reveal to us about circumstances in
our lives or a direction we are to take.
I am not against people fasting in order to lose weight. Many people
fast to lose weight or maintain their weight.What I am opposed to is
making the losing of weight your primary goal in a season of spiritual
fasting and prayer. To have weight loss as a goal makes your fasting a
diet plan, not a time of genuine fasting and prayer. If losing weight is
your purpose in fasting, you will be missing out on the full reason for
fasting, and you likely will be concerned only with what you don't eat
rather than with what you are led to pray.
Now there's certainly an issue of food that is associated with many
seasons of prayer and fasting, and let me quickly add this: control of
eating is a valid reason to fast. The purpose is not the number of
pounds you might lose during a fast, but rather, trusting God to help
you regain mastery over food during a fast. Jesus said, "The spirit
is . . . willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). Fasting is a means
of bringing the flesh into submission to the Lord so He can strengthen
us in our mastery over our own selves. Fasting in the flesh makes us
stronger to stand against the temptations of the flesh. Those
temptations very often deal with food.
Abstaining from food is often God's way of showing that His desire for
us is that we regain mastery over all things associated with our flesh in
order to subdue our flesh and elevate our emphasis on spiritual
matters. God's promise is to help us as we overcome the flesh and put
all carnal temptations into subjection.
ABSTAINING FROM FOOD TO REGAIN MASTERY OF THE FLESH
We are wise to recognize that food was the enticement the devil used to
cause Eve and Adam to sin in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2 the
Lord God told Adam and Eve that they could eat freely of every tree
in the garden of Eden, "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17 ). God did not tell Adam and Eve to
refrain from touching a particular animal or smelling a particular
flower or swimming in a certain stream. He told them to refrain from
taking a particular fruit into their bodies-one type of fruit out of all
the many types He had made available to them.
God had given Adam and Eve authority over all things that He had
created-every bird, fish, beast of the field, and over "every herb
bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree,
in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for
meat" ( Gen. 1:29 ). God did not prohibit Adam and Eve from
interacting with any part of God's creation when He commanded them
to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, and subdue it-except for
this one tree and its fruit. They were not to eat of a particular
tree,what God described to them as the "tree of the knowledge of good
and evil."
Why did God set apart this one tree and its fruit? God was giving Adam
and Eve free will and the ability to make choices and decisions. Free
will isn't really free if a person has no choice.
Adam and Eve had a choice to make about this one tree. God told them
to abstain from eating from its fruit because He did not want His
beloved creation to have a knowledge of evil. He had already given
them a full knowledge of everything He called "good."He wanted to
spare them the heartache of knowing evil. That's true for us today as
Christians. God calls us to pursue only what is good. Paul wrote to the
Philippians: "Whatsoever things are true . . . honest . . . just . . .
pure . . . lovely . . . of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there
be any praise, think on these things" (Phil. 4:8 ). God desires only good
for His children. He tells us in His Word, "Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good" ( Rom. 12:21 ).
Even as God calls us away from evil and toward good,He gives us a
choice. So many of the problems we have in our world today are the
result of men and women making the wrong choices. They have
knowingly and unknowingly chosen what is evil.And the end result is the
same for us as it was for Adam and Eve: death and all forms of sin
that lead to death (see Rom. 6:23 ).
Let me point out to you two results from the disastrous choice that
Adam and Eve made about the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil.
1. Diverted Attention
First, Eve listened to what the devil had to say to her about the fruit
itself. The devil diverted her attention from whatever it was that Eve
was doing. He called her attention to the tree and its fruit. The Bible
tells us the devil came to her in the guise of a beautiful and subtle
serpent and said to her, "Hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every
tree of the garden?" ( Gen. 3:1 ). There's no indication that Eve had
given much thought to the tree before the devil asked her this question.
There's no record that she longed for it or had any curiosity about it.
She certainly didn't crave it, because she had never tasted it!
In many ways, the devil uses this same tactic today. He calls our
attention to how beautiful and refreshing certain foods and beverages
appear. It's difficult to go through a day without seeing enticing food
and beverage commercials on billboards, on television, and in
magazines. Foods are presented in the most tempting ways in stores,
restaurants, and on menus. The devil says the same thing to us he said
to Eve:"Has God really said you can't have a bite of this?"
A woman once said to me, "If there's a piece of pie in my house, it
calls out to me. It says to me, even in the middle of night, 'Eat me.
Come eat me.' I can't resist."
Now I'm certainly not linking the devil to a piece of pie, but I am saying
this: the devil will always call your attention repeatedly to the thing
that is harmful for you, but he will do it in a way that makes you feel
deprived if you don't indulge in eating, drinking, or partaking of what
is harmful. The implication of the devil is always: "This is so good. Has
God really said you can't have any of this good thing?"
Never forget that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil was the knowledge of good and evil. There was an element of good
in that fruit, not just evil. The devil told Eve specifically that the fruit
of the tree was "good for food, and that it was pleasant to the
eyes" ( Gen. 3:6 ). All Eve had to do was look to see that the fruit was
pleasant. She made a bad assumption, however, that what was visually
pleasant would also be "good for food." In that, the devil was very
wrong!
What about us? There's an element of good in foods and substances
that are ultimately bad for us, even if it's just the good appearance,
smell, or taste. Have you ever noticed how beautiful all the colored and
distinctly shaped bottles look in a bar? Those bottles always seem
lighted in just the right way to make them look very special, very
festive, very appealing. Many foods are pleasant to the eyes. Many
drinks are presented in ways that make them appear pleasing. We buy
into the lie that what is pleasing is also nutritious and beneficial.
Fasting calls us to turn away from food. Fasting calls us to redivert our
attention back to the things of God and His commandments. Fasting
calls us to face and overcome the devil's call: "Has God really said you
can't have this?" Fasting calls us to abstain from all things harmful
for us, and in most cases, from all food for a period of time. The
devil's insistent question is likely to become very loud in our minds as
we begin a fast: "Has God really said you can't eat? Not anything? Not
the things you love the most? Has God really called you to fast- to
abstain totally from this thing that you have labeled as 'good'?"
Our answer must be a firm "Yes! God has called me to fast. He has
called me to give my full attention to Him and to His commandments.
He has called me to obey Him fully in all things. And God has called me
to say no to you, devil!"
2. Temptations Toward False Benefits
Eve listened to what the devil had to say to her about the benefits of
eating what God had prohibited. The devil always points out the would-
be and usually short-term benefits of sin. Many substances that are
ultimately harmful for us taste good or feel good or bring pleasure. In
some cases, the partaking of the substance makes us feel like adults,
feel accepted by others, or feel more powerful and in greater control.
Some people say about certain foods and substances that they "give me
quick energy," "make me more alert," or "help me relax."
The devil told Eve that the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil would make her wise-she would be as a "god," knowing
good and evil.
In the short term, the devil was right. Eve suddenly had a knowledge
of evil. She really knew in her own experience as a human being that
evil existed. This was the first time in her life she had ever known the
contrast-up to that point, all things had been good.
What the devil failed to mention to Eve was the ultimate consequence
that God had associated with eating of this fruit: "You shall surely
die." The devil failed to mention any downside to her disobedience. In
fact, he dismissed God's consequences with a sarcastic question.
The devil comes at us the same way. The devil never tells us that
drinking alcohol can make a person an alcoholic. He never tells a
person that smoking cigarettes can cause him or her to have lung
cancer. He never tells a person that eating too much of the wrong foods
can lead to chronic illness and premature death. The devil points out
only short-term benefits, never long-term disasters.
When we fast, we are suddenly aware once again of what is good and
evil. We have a heightened awareness not only of God's goodness and
of God's commandments, but of the evil that abounds in the world
around us.
A man once said to me about fasting, "It seems that when I fast the
world seems much more black and white, at least for a period of time.
I see right and wrong much more clearly. I see good and bad, blessings
and cursings, benefits and negative consequences, what is godly and
what is ungodly. I am much more discerning about what lines up with
God's commandments and what falls into the category of 'man's
commands.'"
I asked him what happened after he stopped fasting. He laughed and
said, "I am still very clear on these things, but there's also a time
after I end fasting that the whole world seems more vivid and more
colorful than ever before. I can distinguish tastes again. The sky seems
bluer than before. The air seems crisper in the mountains. All of my
senses seem to be heightened toward what is God's creation-which is
always good- and what is man's invention-which very often has an
element of evil to it."
Those who fast often experience greater discernment of good and evil.
In fact, it seems to be a major by-product of fasting. God seems to
give us an opportunity as we fast to take a look again at our lives and
the world around us and to discern what is good and what is evil.
SHILOH 2014
I welcome you all to shiloh 2014 : tagged Heaven on Earth....expecting you all to be there. ...Jesus is King
How Jesus defeated satan on the cross
o help people gain a better understanding of what truly happened at
the Cross, I believe this writing does great justice to the topic: http://
www.heavensfamily.org/ss/discipleship-teaching-30/was-not-satan-
defeated-by-jesus-on-the-cross
If you know God's New Covenant Word, and you have walked with the
Holy Spirit for any length of time, there should be no doubt that Jesus
dealt Satan a MAJOR DEATHBLOW by his death, burial, and
resurrection. Yet dealing Satan a major deathblow is not the same as
annihilation , which is one reason why I believe the following writing has
great value. There are more reasons that than however ...
-- Norm Rasmussen, Founder, Precious Testimonies
MYTH #1: “In eternity past, God and Satan engaged in a great battle.
Today, the cosmic struggle still rages between them.”
This particular myth contradicts one of the most well-established,
fundamental truths about God that is revealed in Scripture—the truth
that He is all-powerful, or omnipotent, to use the theological term.
From cover to cover the Bible affirms God’s omnipotence.
On page one of the Bible we learn that God created everything. He
spoke the universe into existence. How much power did that require?
Whatever amount was necessary, God had it!
Has God’s power diminished since then, now that He has grown so much
older? No, Jesus told us that all things are possible with God (See: Matt.
19:26). Jeremiah affirmed that there is nothing too difficult for Him
(see Jer. 32:17). No person or force can stop Him from fulfilling His
plans (see 2 Chron. 20:6; Job 41:10; 42:2). Through Jeremiah God asks,
“For who is like Me....And who then...can stand against Me?” (Jer.
50:44). The answer is no one , not even Satan.
Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, the Holy Spirit said, “Do you not
know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator
of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired” (Is. 40:28).
Paul wrote that God is able to do “exceeding abundantly beyond all
that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20).
If God is truly all-powerful as the above-mentioned scriptures affirm,
then to say that God and Satan were - or are - in a battle is to imply
that He is not all-powerful. If God lost even a single round, was
slightly overcome by Satan even to a small degree, or had to struggle
against him for even a short time, then He is not all-powerful as He
declares Himself to be.
Christ’s Commentary on Satan’s Power
Jesus once said something concerning Satan’s fall from heaven that
will help us understand how much power Satan has in comparison to our
omnipotent God:
And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are
subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching
Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:17-18).
When Jesus sent out seventy of His disciples to preach and heal, they
returned exuberantly to report that even the demons were subject to
them in His name. They should not have been so surprised, however.
Jesus informed them that in His pre-incarnate state, He had witnessed
a very revealing demonstration of the Father’s supreme power over
Satan: When the all-powerful God decreed Satan’s expulsion from
heaven, Satan could not resist. Jesus chose the metaphor, like
lightning, to emphasize the speed with which Satan fell. He fell, not
like molasses, but like lightning. He didn’t fall like a leaf from a tree
or a rock from a cliff. Oh no. Satan was in heaven one second, and in
the next—BOOM!—he was gone!
If God can so quickly and easily expel Satan himself, it should have
been no surprise that His commissioned servants could also quickly and
easily expel demons.
Previously, those disciples possessed great respect for the horrible
power that demons exercised over their victims, but now they had
witnessed a far greater power, causing their joyful amazement. How
some of us need this same revelation. Too many Christians have a great
respect for the power of the devil and have not yet grasped that God’s
power is far, far, far greater. God is the Creator, and Satan is only a
creation.
Satan is no match for God. There is no comparison between God’s power
and Satan’s power. Satan cannot even struggle against God’s great
power, as Jesus so aptly put it.
The War That Never Was
As strange as it may seem to some of our ears, we need to understand
that God and Satan are not, have never been, and never will be in a
battle. Yes, they do have differing agendas, and perhaps it could be
cautiously said that they are in opposition. But when two parties are in
opposition to one another, and one is immensely more powerful than the
other, their conflicts are not considered battles. Could an earthworm
fight with an elephant? An earthworm might make a very feeble
attempt to oppose an elephant, but their contention could hardly be
described as a fight.
Satan, like that earthworm, made a feeble attempt to oppose One who
was immensely more powerful. His opposition was quickly dealt with, and
he was expelled from heaven “like lightning.” There was no battle—
there was only an expulsion.
If God is all-powerful, then Satan doesn’t have a ghost of a chance at
slightly hindering God from doing what He wants to do. And if God
does permit Satan to do something, ultimately it is only to accomplish
His own divine will. This truth will become abundantly clear as we
continue to examine the Scriptures in later chapters.
Obviously, God permitted Satan to make a choice regarding obedience
or disobedience, which is what we call free will. But the only reason
Satan possessed the authority to make a choice was because God gave
him that authority.
The Future Binding of Satan
God’s supreme authority over Satan was not only demonstrated in
eternity past, but will also be demonstrated in the future. We read in
Revelation that one solitary angel will bind Satan and incarcerate him
for a thousand years:
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the
abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon,
the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed
it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until
the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be
released for a short time. (Rev. 20:1-3)
This future incident could not be considered a battle between God and
Satan any more than Satan’s original expulsion from heaven could be
considered a battle between God and Satan. This unnamed angel will
simply lay hold of Satan and put him out of operation for a thousand
years. There is no mention of any skirmish.
Notice also that Satan will not have the power to break out of his prison
and will only be released when it suits God’s purposes (See: Rev.
20:7-9).
God could easily bind Satan right now if He desired. To say that He
could not is to say that He is not more powerful than Satan.
Then why doesn’t God put a stop to Satan right now? Simply because it
doesn’t suit His purposes at this time. There are reasons why God
permits Satan to function upon the earth, reasons which we will explore
in later chapters. 1
What About the Future “War in Heaven”?
If it is true that God and Satan are not, have never been, and never
will be in a battle, then why do we read in the book of Revelation of a
future war in heaven that involves Satan? That’s a good question, and
one that can be easily answered. Let’s first read about that future
heavenly war in Revelation 12:7-9:
And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with
the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were
not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in
heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who
is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was
thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
(Rev. 12:7-9)
If you will read the verses which immediately precede and follow those
quoted above, you will see that this incident of which John wrote is not
a description of Satan’s original expulsion from heaven, when he “fell
like lightning.” Rather, it is a description of a future expulsion.2 Other
scriptures indicate that Satan, even since his original expulsion, may
still have some limited access to God’s heaven (See: Job 1:6; 2:1; Zech.
3:1-2, Luke 22:31; Rev. 12:10).
Notice that this war will be between Michael and his angels and Satan
and his angels. God Himself is not mentioned as being involved in the
battle. If He were, the conflict could hardly be described as a war,
because God, being all-powerful, could easily squelch any opposition in
a flash of time as He has already proven.
Angels, including Michael, are not all-powerful, and thus their conflict
with Satan and his angels can be described as a war because there will
be some actual conflict for a portion of time. Still, they, being more
powerful, will overcome Satan and his hordes.
Why would God not become personally involved in this particular battle,
leaving it to His angels? I have no idea. Certainly God, being all-
knowing, knew that His angels could win the war, and so perhaps He
figured there was no need for Him to be involved personally. And I
suppose that if God did everything Himself, the angels would have
nothing to do!
I have no doubt that God could have easily and quickly annihilated the
wicked Canaanites in the days of Joshua, but He chose to give the
Israelites the task. What God could have done effortlessly in seconds
He required them to do, expending great efforts over a period of
months. Perhaps this was more pleasing to God as it required faith on
the part of the Israelites. Perhaps that is the reason He will not be
personally involved in that future war in heaven. The Bible, however,
does not tell us.
Just because there is going to be a war someday in heaven between
Michael and his angels and Satan and his angels is no reason for us to
think that God is not all-powerful—any more than Israel’s battles in
Canaan are reason for us to think that God is not all-powerful.
Remember, God’s angels are not all-powerful—God is.
Was Not Satan Defeated by Jesus on the Cross?
In regard to this first myth of God and Satan’s reputed battles, I
would like to conclude this chapter by considering the commonly-used
statement: Jesus defeated Satan on the cross.
In years past, I had often stated that Jesus defeated Satan on the
cross until I realized that what I was saying was not entirely biblical.
Scripture never actually states that Jesus defeated Satan on the cross.
Am I, perhaps, splitting theological hairs? No, there is good reason to
be so particular. When we say that Jesus defeated Satan, we make it
sound as if Jesus and Satan were in a battle, which implies that God is
not all-powerful and that Satan was not already under the complete
authority of God. That is why I no longer say that Jesus defeated
Satan on the Cross. There are more biblical ways of describing what
happened to Satan when Jesus gave His life on Calvary.
Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us: “Since then the children [that’s us, the
children of God] share in flesh and blood [that is, we have physical
bodies], He Himself [Jesus] likewise also partook of the same [a
physical body], that through death He might render powerless him who
had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who
through fear of death were subject to slavery all their
lives.” (emphasis added) .
Note that Jesus, through His death, rendered Satan powerless. To what
extent did He render Satan powerless? Obviously, Satan is not
completely powerless, or else the apostle John would never have written
that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19,
emphasis added). Neither would James and Peter have told us to resist
the devil, because if Satan had no power, there would be nothing for us
to resist (see James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9). Nor would Paul have written,
“And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom.
16:20)
If you overheard me say to someone, “I’m powerless,” you probably
wouldn’t conclude I meant that I was incapable of doing anything. You
would assume that I meant I was powerless to change a certain
situation, or that I had lost some jurisdiction over something I had
previously controlled. If you had heard the context of my comment, you
would probably know exactly what I meant. That is why it is so
important to read verses of the Bible within their context, otherwise,
we can wrongly interpret what God is trying to communicate to us.
We’ve already determined from other scriptures that Satan was not
rendered totally powerless or inoperable by Jesus’ death. Thus we need
to know in what area or to what extent Satan was rendered powerless.
Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us. It says that through His death, Jesus
rendered “powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the
devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject
to slavery all their lives” (emphasis added). Satan was rendered
powerless in regard to “the power of death.” What, exactly, does that
mean?
This question is answered by looking at what other parts of the New
Testament have to say about death.
Three Kinds of Death
Scripture makes reference to three kinds of death: spiritual death,
physical death , and the second death.
The second death (or eternal death) is referred to in Revelation 2:22;
20:6,14; 21:8, and is described as the time when unbelievers will be
thrown into the lake of fire.
Physical death occurs when a person’s spirit departs from his body,
and his body then ceases to function.
Scripture teaches that we are tri-partite in nature: spirit, soul, and
body (See: 1 Thes. 5:23). Our body is our physical person, the flesh and
bones and blood. Our soul is often considered to be our emotions,
intellect and will. Our spirit is referred to in Scripture as “the inward
man” (2 Cor. 4:16), or “the hidden man of the heart” (1 Pet. 3:4). In
both cases, the spirit is called a “man.” The spirit is a person who is
made of spiritual material, rather than physical material, just like
angels, for example. The spirit has been described by some as the “real
you.” Your spirit is eternal.
With this in mind we can better understand the third kind of death of
which the Bible speaks—spiritual death.
Being spiritually dead describes the condition of a human spirit which
has not been born again by the Holy Spirit. A spiritually dead person
has a spirit that is alienated from God, a spirit that possesses a sinful
nature, a spirit that is, to some degree, joined to Satan. Ephesians
2:1-3 paints for us a picture of the spiritually dead person:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly
walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of
the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of
disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our
flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Paul said the Ephesians Christians were dead in their trespasses and
sins. Obviously he was not referring to physical death because he was
writing to physically alive people. Therefore, he must have been saying
that they were dead, spiritually speaking.
What killed them, spiritually? It was their “trespasses and sins.”
Remember God told Adam that in the day he disobeyed, he would die
(see Gen. 2:17). God was not speaking of physical death, but spiritual
death, because Adam did not die physically on the day he ate the
forbidden fruit. Rather, he died spiritually that day, and did not die
physically until hundreds of years later.
Paul continued by saying that the Ephesians, as spiritually dead
people, had walked in (or practiced) those trespasses and sins,
following the “course of the world” (that is, doing what everyone else
was doing) and following “the prince of the power of the air.”
Who is “the prince of the power of the air”? He is Satan, who rules his
dark domain as commander-in-chief over other evil spirits who inhabit
the atmosphere. Those evil spirits are listed by various ranks in a later
chapter of Ephesians (See: Eph. 6:12).
Paul said that dark prince is a “spirit that is now working in the sons
of disobedience.” The expression, “sons of disobedience,” is just
another description for all unbelievers which emphasizes that their
nature is sinful. Paul later said that they “were by nature children of
wrath” (Eph. 2:3, emphasis added). Additionally, he said that Satan
was working in them.
The Devil for a Dad
Whether unsaved people realize it or not, they are following Satan and
are his subjects in the kingdom of darkness. They have his evil, selfish
nature residing in their spiritually dead spirits. Satan is actually their
spiritual lord and father. That is why Jesus once said to some unsaved
religious leaders: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do
the desires of your father” (John 8:44).
This is the bleak picture of the person who has not been born again! He
is walking through life spiritually dead, full of Satan’s nature, heading
for an inevitable physical death which he greatly fears; and, whether
he realizes it or not, he will one day experience the worst death of all,
eternal death, as he is cast into the lake of fire to suffer there
forever.
It is extremely important that we understand that spiritual, physical,
and eternal death are all manifestations of God’s wrath upon sinful
humanity, and that Satan has a part in all of it. Satan has been
permitted by God to rule over the kingdom of darkness and over all
those who “love the darkness” (John 3:19). In effect, God said to
Satan, “You may hold in captivity through your power those who are not
submitted to Me.” Satan became a subordinate instrument of God’s
wrath upon human rebels. Because all have sinned, all are under
Satan’s power, filled with his nature in their spirits and held captive to
do his will (see 2 Tim. 2:26 ).
The Ransom for Our Captivity
We can thank God, however, that He had mercy upon humanity, and
because of His mercy, no one has to remain in that pitiful condition!
Because Jesus’ substitutionary death satisfied the claims of divine
justice, all those who believe in Christ can escape from spiritual death
and Satan’s captivity because they are no longer under God’s wrath.
When we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into our spirit and
eradicates Satan’s nature from it, causing our spirit to be born again
(see John 3:1-16) and allowing us to become partakers of God’s divine
nature (See: 2 Pet. 1:4).
Now back to our original question. When the writer of Hebrews stated
that Jesus, through His death, rendered “powerless him who had the
power of death, that is, the devil,” he meant that the power of
spiritual death, which Satan holds over every unsaved person, has been
broken over all those who are “in Christ.” We are made spiritually alive
because of Christ; He has paid the penalty for our sins.
Moreover, because we are no longer spiritually dead and under Satan’s
dominion, we no longer have to fear physical death , since we know what
awaits us—a glorious inheritance in heaven. Some of us may even escape
physical death—if we are alive when Jesus returns (See: 1 Cor. 15:51; 1
Thes. 4:13-18).
Finally, because of Jesus, we have been delivered from suffering the
second death , being cast into the lake of fire.
Did Jesus defeat (In other words, destroy ) the devil on the cross? No,
He did not, because there was no battle between Jesus and Satan. Jesus
did, however, render Satan powerless in regard to Satan’s power over
spiritual death, by which he holds unsaved people captive in sin. Satan
still holds the power of spiritual death over unsaved people, but as far
as those who are in Christ are concerned, Satan is powerless over them.
This is why in Revelation 12:11, we read, “And they [the believers]
overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb.” It was
because Jesus shed His blood on the cross that we have overcome Satan .
The Disarming of the Powers
This also helps us understand Paul’s statement about the “disarming of
rulers and authorities” found in Colossians 2:13-15 :
And when you were [spiritually] dead in your transgressions...He made
you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees
against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the
way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers
and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed
over them through Him (emphasis added) .
Paul uses obvious metaphorical language in this passage. In the first
part, he compares our guilt to a “certificate of debt.” What we could
not pay was paid for us by Christ, who took our sin-debt to the cross.
There our account was paid in full.
In the second part, just as ancient kings stripped their defeated foes
of their weapons and triumphantly paraded them through their city
streets, so Christ’s death was a triumph over “rulers and authorities,”
the lower ranks of demons who rule over rebellious humans, holding
them captive.
Could we not say, based upon this passage, that Christ defeated Satan?
Perhaps, but with some qualification. We must keep in mind that, in this
passage, Paul was writing metaphorically. And every metaphor, whether
written or spoken, has a point where the similarities turn to
dissimilarities.
For example, if I say to my wife, “Your eyes are like pools,” I mean
that her eyes are deep, dark, blue, and inviting. But I mean nothing
more, because those are the only similarities between my wife’s eyes
and pools of water. I do not mean that fish swim in her eyes, or that
they freeze over in the winter, or that ducks might want to land on
them. Every metaphor is like that. It reaches a point where, if pushed
beyond the intended similarities, would darken understanding rather
then enlighten it, as metaphors are supposed to do. (This very thing is
often done by people trying to find some significance in every minor
detail of Jesus’ parables, when Jesus was usually only trying to make
one major point.)
In interpreting Paul’s metaphors in Colossians 2:13-15, we must be
equally cautious. Obviously, there wasn’t an actual “certificate of debt”
that had all our sins written on it that was nailed to the cross. That is,
however, symbolic of what Jesus accomplished.
Similarly, the demons who ruled over unsaved humanity were not
literally disarmed of their swords and shields and paraded publicly
through the streets by Jesus. The language Paul uses is symbolic of what
Jesus accomplished for us. We were held captive by those evil spirits. By
dying for our sins, however, Jesus released us from our captivity. Jesus
didn’t literally fight against those evil spirits and they were not at war
with Him. They, by God’s righteous permission, held us in their power all
of our lives. Their “armaments,” as it were, were pointed, not at
Christ, but at us . Jesus, however, “disarmed” them. They can’t keep us
captive any longer.
Let us not think that there was some age-long fight between Jesus and
Satan’s evil spirits, and finally, Jesus won the battle on the cross. If we
are going to say that Jesus defeated the devil, let us be certain we
understand that He defeated the devil for us, and not for Himself. He
didn’t need to overcome the devil for Himself.
In my front yard I once chased away a small dog who was terrifying my
baby daughter. I might say I defeated that little dog, but I hope you
understand that dog was never any threat to me, only to my daughter.
It was the same with Jesus and Satan. Jesus chased away a dog from us
that never bothered Him at all.
How did He chase away that Satan-dog? He did it by bearing the
punishment for our sins, thus releasing us from our guilt before God,
thus delivering us from God’s wrath, and thus the evil spirits whom God
righteously permits to enslave human rebels no longer had any right to
enslave us. Praise God for that!
Myth #2: “In eternity past, God and Satan engaged in a great battle.
Today, the cosmic struggle still rages between them.”
No, we can thank God that in eternity past Satan was expelled from
heaven without a fight. God will someday, through one powerful angel,
bind Satan and render him inoperable for a thousand years. In the
meantime, Satan’s power in holding people captive through spiritual
death has been broken over all those who are in Christ. Satan is no
longer our spiritual father and lord. God Himself is not, never has
been, and never will be in a battle with Satan. God is all-powerful.
Precious Testimonies Staff Note: We must be extremely cautious in the
conclusions we come to by reading this writing. We humans ARE in a
battle for our very souls! Though Christians are not to fear Satan ...
they aren't to be ignorant of his evil devices either. God would not
have given Christians spiritual weapons to use as is recorded in
Ephesians 6:10-18 if they weren't needed. Always remember that!
Also let us never lose awarenes of this awesome truth. It was by God's
LOVE for lost souls that He broke the power of spiritual death that
Satan had over humanity. It is by God's LOVE for redeemed lost souls
who hunger after truth and righteousness that He will shower His
kindness on ... for all eternity. - Norm Rasmussen
A Special Message: http://www.precious-testimonies.com/
Exhortations/f-j/HelpingShareTheMessageOfTheCross.htm
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you
know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from
God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain.
Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't ( He did! ). Are you
prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that
you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have
your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with
you ... please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God; to be at peace with God; to have your sins forgiven;
to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity; to make certain
that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here
to help understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What
you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will
spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is
the most important decision you'll ever make in this life.