Any Christian believer who thinks his salvation solely depends on exercising his free will and making the right choice to response to the Gospel message knows very little about the God of the Bible. He also knows very little about the sovereignty of God and the fallen nature of the unsaved person. It is very unfortunate whenever you raise the question of predestination and free will Christians would ask whether you are a Calvinist or an Armenian, or whether you hold the "reformed" view or the "non-reformed" view. My question is - why should Christians be divided because of different man's views?
The only reliable source of truth comes from God alone and never from man, even from the most Godly and most well-informed man. But this does not mean that we should give up discussing things that are known to be controversial altogether. With the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God we have sufficient revelation knowledge and understanding regarding God's Choice and man's choice and other related topics.
Things I don't know and things I do know
By way of introduction here are some statements concerning some of the things that I don't know and some of the things that I do know:
1. We all belong to the Adamic race and the entire Adamic race were born with a sin nature. We are fallen creatures. But Adam and Eve were not created fallen. They were created perfect with a perfect ability to exercise free will and to choose what was good. Yet they chose to sin. I don't know why they chose to sin and I have not found anyone yet who does know why.
2. I know God is sovereign. The Nelson's Bible Dictionary defines the sovereignty of God as - A theological term which refers to the unlimited power of God, who had sovereign control over the affairs and history of the world. Allow me to put it in simple layman term because I hate theological definitions, and I never understand them. What I understand is, God can do all things and will do what He likes, when He likes without having to explain to anyone and without having to ask anyone's permission.
3. I know God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Rev. 22:13). Therefore God being God everything begins and ends with God's, including His Choice. God's Choice is primary and man's choice secondary. Anyone who thinks his choice overrules God's Choice is a very proud person. He thinks he is above God.
4. I know God's plan for salvation is complete and is meant for everyone (John 3:16). But I have no idea why God saves some but not all. I don't doubt for a moment that God has the power to save all, but I know that He does not choose to save all. One thing I do know; if it pleases God to save some and not all, there is nothing wrong with that. God is not under obligation to save anybody. If He chooses to save some that is no way obligates Him to save the rest.
The Choice of the Natural Man
One thing the natural man (unconverted man) cannot choose and will not choose is Christ. In fact he is not capable of choosing Christ by himself. The natural inclination of the natural man is to keep on running away from Christ. After the Fall, Adam and Eve and all sinners after them became fugitive and turn their backs on God. Don't believe anyone who tells you, "So and so is not a Christian, but he is searching". An unbeliever never seeks after God. It is the job of Christians to help unbelievers to seek God.
What do the natural man seeks after? They are seeking happiness, peace of mind, relief from guilt, a meaningful life, and a host of other things that we know only God can give them. In other words, they are seeking the benefits of God. The natural man's sin is precisely this - He wants the benefits of God without God Himself!
Let us consider two important statements made by Jesus Himself:
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44, NKJV, emphasis added).
"Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (John 6:65, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. In the context the word "can" comes from the Greek word "dunamai" which means "having the ability", "possible" or "having the power". It does not mean "permission".
2. The word "draws" comes from the Greek word "helkuo" which means "to drag".
3. The natural man cannot choose to come to Jesus on his own steam without some kind of help from God. The Helper is the Holy Spirit (John 16:8, 9).
4. The word "granted" implies that God must choose him first and then drags him to Jesus.
A Major problem of the fallen man
It is important to realize that the fallen man is flesh (carnal) because of spiritual death - his spirit is dead and needs to be quicken by the Holy Spirit. And his dead spirit is unable to control his fleshly mind.
Paul said, "The fleshly mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you" (Romans 8:7 - 9, emphasis added).
The crucial word here is "if". What distinguishes those who are in the flesh from those who are not is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Only those who are born again have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which enables him to please God by choosing Christ. As long as he remains in the flesh, unregenerated, he will never choose Christ.
The Principle of Divine Election
The Scripture reveals that the Church as well as individual Christian believer, just like Israel, is the products of "divine election" which simply means "God's choice". The principle of divine election says Israel is not Israel because the Jews chose God but because God chose them. Similarly we are Christians not because we chose God but because God chose us. Salvation depends on the decision God has already made. Any decision we make is merely a response to the decision which God has already made. Furthermore, He made that decision before He created the world. In other words, our will to choose Christ is merely a response to God's choice for us.
God's principle of divine election is revealed by the following passages of Scripture:
1. Paul said, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He Justified, these He also glorified" (Romans 8:29, 30, NKJV, emphasis added).
Someone called this the "Golden Chain of Salvation".
2. Paul said, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:3 - 5, emphasis added).
3. Peter's greeting to the Jewish believers (the elect) in the midst of persecution.
".... to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; ..." (1 Peter 1:1, 2, NKJV, emphasis added).
A Major problem of predestination
It is one thing to contemplate God's gracious plan of salvation for the elect. But what about those who are not elect? Are they also predestined? Does God destine some unfortunate people to hell?
I believe totally in the doctrine of predestination because the Scripture says so. But I do not believe God is so unjust in such a way as to predestine anyone to hell. To understand this we have to look at God's sovereignty from a different perspective.
We have seen that all natural (unregenerated) men are guilty of sin in the sight of God. But God sovereignly decides to give mercy to some of them and give justice to the rest. In other words, the saved get mercy and the unsaved get justice. Nobody gets injustice. We must understand that all fallen or natural men do not deserve mercy but deserve justice. God is nover obligated to be merciful to sinners but by God's grace some sinners (the elect) get mercy. But the non-elect get justice.
For example God gave mercy to Jacob in a way He did not give it to Esau. He gave it to Peter in a way He did not give it to Judas. We must learn to praise God both in His mercy and in His justice. When He executes His Justice He is doing nothing wrong. He is executing His justice according to His righteousness.
God, in His mercy, intervenes in the lives of the elect to insure their salvation. The rest of mankind God leaves to themselves. He does not create unbelief in their hearts. The unbelief is already there. He does not have to cause them to sin. They sin by their own choices! They have evil inclination in their hearts. But by His common grace God restarins evil in the world. He restrains evil in individual fallen men in order to restrain evil in the world. He even restrains the appearance of the Anti-Christ until the fullness of time (2 Thess. 2:6, 7).
Judas was a fallen man with evil inclination in his heart. He was not a poor innocent victim of divine manipulation. He was not a righteous man whom God forced to betray Christ and then punished for the betrayal. Judas betrayed Christ because Judas wanted thirty pieces of silver.
It is true that God uses the evil inclination and evil intention of fallen men to bring about His own redemptive purposes. Without Judas there is no Cross for Jesus. Without the Cross there is no redemption. It clearly shows God's redemptive triumph over evil. Other similar examples are Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, both fallen men with evil intention. God did not blemish His own righteousness by creating fresh evil in their hearts. He established His own righteousness by punishing the evil that was already there in them.
Another problem concerning predestination
Peter said, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV, emphasis added).
At first glance, a question comes to mind quite naturally - "If it is not the will of God to elect everyone unto salvation, how can the Bible then say that God is not willing that any should perish?"
The answer is that the above passage of Scripute does not say anything about the sovereign Will of God. In its context, the word "willing" in Greek is "boulomai" which means "be disposed" or "intend". Therefore the phrase "not willing that any should perish" should read, "(God) does not desire or wish or intend that any should perish". In other words, God does not take delight in the death of the unrepentant sinner. His desire is that all should come to Christ.
Conclusion
Let us echo what the apostle Paul said:
"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unseachable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:33, 36, NKJV).
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Strongmen
Before we pray for deliverance with the intention of casting out demons from a person it is important to identify the strongman and other demons of lower authority in that person. This calls for the gift of discerment of the spirits.
What is a strongman? Jesus described it perfectly in Matthew 12. The Pharisees were accusing Jesus for casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.
Jesus said, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ... But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house" (Matt. 12:26, 28, 29, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The reign of Satan over people and the reign of God are in opposition. If God expels Satan from his dominion over people then His reign has come. So when we are casting out demons the Kingdom of God is upon us. We are then battling in that Kingdom and under the power of God's Kingdom against Satan's kingdom.
2. Satan would often put a strongman in a person to control that person. He is the chief demon and under him there are other demons with descending order of authority. When you begin to pray for people you will find demons will come out, but the strongman might be hiding at the bottom of the heap. He will push out other demons one or many at a time instead of coming out himself. Therefore until you get to the strongman the person is not delivered.
Prominent Strongmen over cities and Churches
It is beyond the scope of this message to deal with all known strongmen in the Bible. There are three prominent Strongmen that can be easily identified - these are Jezebel, anti-Christ and Death and Hade (come in a pair).
1. Jezebel
Jezebel is the name of two women in the Bible. One is the wife of Ahab, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31) and the other is a self-claimed prophetess of Thyatira (Rev. 2:20). The description of both of these women, which is quite similar, gives us a picture of the Strongman Jezebel. She represents idolatry and withchcraft. The pagan world referred her as the queen of heaven and they worshipped her since time immemorial.
Jezebel, the Strongman over a city
Jezebel was the Strongman over Babylon. She was the evil power behind Babylon. God's people were put captive in Babylon for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11) under the hands of Jezebel because of their disobedience.
Isaiah spoke to her, "Therefor hear this now, you who are given to pleasure, who dwell securely, who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children'; but these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness because of the multitide of your sorceries, for the great abundance of your enchantments" (Isaiah 47:8, 9, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Jezebel was proud and arrogant. She said, "I am, and there is no one else besides me" and therefore claimed herself to be God.
2. Jezebel was the queen behind all sorceries, witchcraft, domination, idolatry, adultery, fornication, astrology, fortune telling, soothe-saying and stargazing and the like.
3. Jezebel's days were numbered and she would receive judgment from God.
Jezebel, the Strongman over the Church
Jesus commanded an angel to write to the Church in Thyatira:
"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and heart. and I will give to each one of you according to your works" (Rev. 20 - 23, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Jezebel will dwell in the Church if we allow her.
2. Jezebel is a false prophetess and she will seduce Church leaders and causes them to commit sexual immorality (both physical and spiritual). And God hates all forms of sexual immorality.
3. Believers who commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols are children of Jezebel.
4. God gives time for Jezebel and her children to repent.
5. God searches the minds and hearts of Churchgoers and if they are children of Jezebel with the spirit of Jezebel He will pronounce judgment on them. They will be judged together with the Strongman Jezebel unless they repent.
Jezebel, the mother of harlot and abomination
Many Bible teachers, the moment they read about the harlot spirit of Babylon as described in Rev. 17, they will tell you that is the spirit in the Catholic Church. In my opinion it refers to any Church that opens its door to the Jezebel spirit similar to the Church in Thyatira.
Revelation 18 describes the judgment of Jezebel and God's people are urged to come out of her:
"Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues, for her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Rev. 18:4, 5).
2. The Anti-Christ
The term "Anti-Christ" in Scripture does not mean someone who is against Christ but means someone who takes the place of Christ. He is a false Christ.
Paul said, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for the Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God. ... And now you know what is restraining, that he may revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ..." (2 Thess. 2:3 - 7, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The anti-Christ is the man of sin or the son of perdition.
2. The anti-Christ opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God.
3. The Holy Spirit is restraining the anti-Christ and his appearance. He will only be revealed after the true Church, together with the Holy Spirit, is taken away by God.
4. But the spirit of the anti-Christ, which is the spirit of lawlessness, is already at work in the world as well as in some Churches. When you see any form of lawlessness anywhere, you can be sure that anti-Christ, the Strongman, is at work.
The spirit of Lawlessness
You cand find the Strongman (evil spirit) of lawlessness and his children of lawlessness almost everywhere. The Strongman is at work in political scenes, in terrorism, in suicide bombing, in senseless killing, in gang rape, in mass murder, in break-in of properties, in rock concert and you name it. Children of lawlessness are at work in any form of blasphemy, in suicide, in corrupt communication, in outburst of wrath, in curses, all forms of rebellion, in wickedness, in rejection, in selfish ambition, in corruptive practices, in strive, and the list goes on.
An example of spirit of lawlessness at work in the Church is when you see a Pastor committing suicide. In my opinion committing suicide, which is same as the killing of self, is the most serious sin. Repentance is not available for the person who commits suicide simply because a dead person cannot repent!
3. Death and Hades
The common way is to look at death as a state or condition. It is the cessation of life, the experience which results in the separation of the spirit from the body. Since the Fall everyone experiences spiritual death as well as physical death.
The New Testament Scripture reveals that Death and Hades are actually persons:
John saw a vision of the forth horseman, "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him" (Rev. 6:8).
It is obvious from this account that both Death and Hades are persons. Only a person could sit on a horse, and only another person could follow along with the first one.
I believe both Death and Hades are Strongmen or dark angels, but they have different "ministries". Death claims the spirit of every unrighteous person that is separated from his body when he dies. Hades receives him from Death and conduct him to the realm of the departed spirit from which he receives his name - that is Hades.
Just like the other two strongmen, Death and Hades also have children of lower ranks. Among the children of Death and Hades that cause harm to Christians and non-Christians are seen in curses, frequent accidents, succession of deaths in the family, a tendency to miscarry or related female problems, incurable diseases like AIDS and certain types of cancer, repeated or chronic sicknesses, drug addiction, plaques and the list goes on.
The destiny of Death and Hades is depicted by John as he gave us a picture of the final resurrection of the dead:
"The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each on according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:13, 14).
It is interseting to realize that Jesus Himself says we can avoid seeing Death:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death" (John 8:51, JKJV, emphasis added).
In other words, the condition for not seeing death is to obey and be doer of His Word and to follow all the commands in the Bible. In my opinion anyone who compromises the truth of God's Word in order to please men is excluded.
Notice that Jesus does not say here that the believer will not experience physical death. He says that the believer will not "see death" - "death" as a Strongman.
Jesus maens that the spirit of the true believer (who keeps His Word), on departing from the body, will never come under the dominion of these two Strongmen, Death and Hades. Rather, like Lazarus the beggar (Luke 16:19 - 31) whose departed spirit was met by God's angels and by them escorted to Paradise. In fact, the destiny of the spirit of the true born again believer is into the presence of Jesus and God immidiately in his physical death.
What is a strongman? Jesus described it perfectly in Matthew 12. The Pharisees were accusing Jesus for casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.
Jesus said, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ... But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house" (Matt. 12:26, 28, 29, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The reign of Satan over people and the reign of God are in opposition. If God expels Satan from his dominion over people then His reign has come. So when we are casting out demons the Kingdom of God is upon us. We are then battling in that Kingdom and under the power of God's Kingdom against Satan's kingdom.
2. Satan would often put a strongman in a person to control that person. He is the chief demon and under him there are other demons with descending order of authority. When you begin to pray for people you will find demons will come out, but the strongman might be hiding at the bottom of the heap. He will push out other demons one or many at a time instead of coming out himself. Therefore until you get to the strongman the person is not delivered.
Prominent Strongmen over cities and Churches
It is beyond the scope of this message to deal with all known strongmen in the Bible. There are three prominent Strongmen that can be easily identified - these are Jezebel, anti-Christ and Death and Hade (come in a pair).
1. Jezebel
Jezebel is the name of two women in the Bible. One is the wife of Ahab, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31) and the other is a self-claimed prophetess of Thyatira (Rev. 2:20). The description of both of these women, which is quite similar, gives us a picture of the Strongman Jezebel. She represents idolatry and withchcraft. The pagan world referred her as the queen of heaven and they worshipped her since time immemorial.
Jezebel, the Strongman over a city
Jezebel was the Strongman over Babylon. She was the evil power behind Babylon. God's people were put captive in Babylon for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11) under the hands of Jezebel because of their disobedience.
Isaiah spoke to her, "Therefor hear this now, you who are given to pleasure, who dwell securely, who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children'; but these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness because of the multitide of your sorceries, for the great abundance of your enchantments" (Isaiah 47:8, 9, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Jezebel was proud and arrogant. She said, "I am, and there is no one else besides me" and therefore claimed herself to be God.
2. Jezebel was the queen behind all sorceries, witchcraft, domination, idolatry, adultery, fornication, astrology, fortune telling, soothe-saying and stargazing and the like.
3. Jezebel's days were numbered and she would receive judgment from God.
Jezebel, the Strongman over the Church
Jesus commanded an angel to write to the Church in Thyatira:
"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and heart. and I will give to each one of you according to your works" (Rev. 20 - 23, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Jezebel will dwell in the Church if we allow her.
2. Jezebel is a false prophetess and she will seduce Church leaders and causes them to commit sexual immorality (both physical and spiritual). And God hates all forms of sexual immorality.
3. Believers who commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols are children of Jezebel.
4. God gives time for Jezebel and her children to repent.
5. God searches the minds and hearts of Churchgoers and if they are children of Jezebel with the spirit of Jezebel He will pronounce judgment on them. They will be judged together with the Strongman Jezebel unless they repent.
Jezebel, the mother of harlot and abomination
Many Bible teachers, the moment they read about the harlot spirit of Babylon as described in Rev. 17, they will tell you that is the spirit in the Catholic Church. In my opinion it refers to any Church that opens its door to the Jezebel spirit similar to the Church in Thyatira.
Revelation 18 describes the judgment of Jezebel and God's people are urged to come out of her:
"Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues, for her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Rev. 18:4, 5).
2. The Anti-Christ
The term "Anti-Christ" in Scripture does not mean someone who is against Christ but means someone who takes the place of Christ. He is a false Christ.
Paul said, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for the Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God. ... And now you know what is restraining, that he may revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ..." (2 Thess. 2:3 - 7, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The anti-Christ is the man of sin or the son of perdition.
2. The anti-Christ opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God.
3. The Holy Spirit is restraining the anti-Christ and his appearance. He will only be revealed after the true Church, together with the Holy Spirit, is taken away by God.
4. But the spirit of the anti-Christ, which is the spirit of lawlessness, is already at work in the world as well as in some Churches. When you see any form of lawlessness anywhere, you can be sure that anti-Christ, the Strongman, is at work.
The spirit of Lawlessness
You cand find the Strongman (evil spirit) of lawlessness and his children of lawlessness almost everywhere. The Strongman is at work in political scenes, in terrorism, in suicide bombing, in senseless killing, in gang rape, in mass murder, in break-in of properties, in rock concert and you name it. Children of lawlessness are at work in any form of blasphemy, in suicide, in corrupt communication, in outburst of wrath, in curses, all forms of rebellion, in wickedness, in rejection, in selfish ambition, in corruptive practices, in strive, and the list goes on.
An example of spirit of lawlessness at work in the Church is when you see a Pastor committing suicide. In my opinion committing suicide, which is same as the killing of self, is the most serious sin. Repentance is not available for the person who commits suicide simply because a dead person cannot repent!
3. Death and Hades
The common way is to look at death as a state or condition. It is the cessation of life, the experience which results in the separation of the spirit from the body. Since the Fall everyone experiences spiritual death as well as physical death.
The New Testament Scripture reveals that Death and Hades are actually persons:
John saw a vision of the forth horseman, "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him" (Rev. 6:8).
It is obvious from this account that both Death and Hades are persons. Only a person could sit on a horse, and only another person could follow along with the first one.
I believe both Death and Hades are Strongmen or dark angels, but they have different "ministries". Death claims the spirit of every unrighteous person that is separated from his body when he dies. Hades receives him from Death and conduct him to the realm of the departed spirit from which he receives his name - that is Hades.
Just like the other two strongmen, Death and Hades also have children of lower ranks. Among the children of Death and Hades that cause harm to Christians and non-Christians are seen in curses, frequent accidents, succession of deaths in the family, a tendency to miscarry or related female problems, incurable diseases like AIDS and certain types of cancer, repeated or chronic sicknesses, drug addiction, plaques and the list goes on.
The destiny of Death and Hades is depicted by John as he gave us a picture of the final resurrection of the dead:
"The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each on according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:13, 14).
It is interseting to realize that Jesus Himself says we can avoid seeing Death:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death" (John 8:51, JKJV, emphasis added).
In other words, the condition for not seeing death is to obey and be doer of His Word and to follow all the commands in the Bible. In my opinion anyone who compromises the truth of God's Word in order to please men is excluded.
Notice that Jesus does not say here that the believer will not experience physical death. He says that the believer will not "see death" - "death" as a Strongman.
Jesus maens that the spirit of the true believer (who keeps His Word), on departing from the body, will never come under the dominion of these two Strongmen, Death and Hades. Rather, like Lazarus the beggar (Luke 16:19 - 31) whose departed spirit was met by God's angels and by them escorted to Paradise. In fact, the destiny of the spirit of the true born again believer is into the presence of Jesus and God immidiately in his physical death.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Deliverance from Demons
In my opinion the so-called "deliverance ministry" that is commonly referred to by many Christians is not scriptural. It is solely based on human experience and not firmly grounded in the Word of God. The word "ministry" suggests a person is gifted by God to serve in a particular area of need in the Church.
Having said that, however, "deliverance" among Christians and in the Christian Church is scriptural except that you cannot call it as a ministry gift. If you are a Christian, healing and deliverance belong to you. But you need to realize that the word "deliverance" does not just mean deliverance from demons. It means set free from anything that would try to bind you as a Christian believer. It is our redemptive right to be set free from Satan's dominion. Jesus Christ bought and paid for your redemption on the Cross of Calvary and that redemption includes deliverance from any satanic bondage in the whole person - spirit, soul and body. Healing and deliverance from demons are part of our covenant rights when we accept Jesus as our Savior (Matt. 8:17; Luke 10:19; 1 Peter 2:24).
Jesus and His disciples
It is interesting to realize that Jesus never once sent His disciples out to preach the gospel without also telling them to cast our demons.
Jesus said to the twelve when He sent them out to preach:
".... and as you go, preach, saying, 'the Kingdom of heaven is at hand'. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:7, 8, NKJV).
It is true that the above refers to Jesus sending out the 12 disciples only. But Luke recorded Jesus also sent out seventy others (Luke 10:1).
"Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject ot us in Your name'. And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven'" (Luke 10:17, 18, emphasis added).
Notice that it is the Name of Jesus that demons are subject to. Demons are cast out because there is authority in the name of Jesus.
If you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ then you are expected to cast out demons as you go out to preach the gospel to fulfill the Great Commission.
Jesus said to His disciples, "And these signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons; ..." (Mark 16:17).
The implication is that if you do not cast out demons in His name then you are either not a true disciple or you are an unbelieving believer! We must understand that casting out of demons is part of your Christian walk.
Christians and demons
An important fact is, Christians can and do have demons! A demon is a spirit being without a body and he is looking for a body in live in. The body he is looking for can be a Christian or a non-Christian body. What we are talking about is a person having a demon and not possessed by a demonic spirit. There is a big difference here. Confusion arises because in the King James Version of the Bible the word "possess" and the phrase "possessed by" are being usesd in the area of demon activities. Possession means ownership. A Christian cannot be owned by the Holy Spirit and the demonic spirit at the same time. The correct translation is "a man is having a demon".
Why do Christians have demons?
The likelihood of Christians having demons depends on how much they have surrendered their life to Jesus. If there has been absolute repentance at the time of salvation, and Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, occupied every recess in the inner depths of their heart, together with an absolute renunciation of all sin, then there is little or no demon activity.
Solomon said, "The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart" (Proverbs 20:27).
The Lord is searching the inner depths of our heart or belly. But many of us still have little secret areas within our heart that is not released to Him. This gives Satan the legal right to sit in there. The fact is, if we are not wholly unto God we are partly unto Satan.
I believe the greatest entry point for demon power is sexual immorality.
Paul said, ".... he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For 'the two,' He says, 'shall become one flesh'. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (1 Cor. 6:16, 17).
When people have sex outside of marriage spirits pass between their bodies. It is therefore conceivable that they will have the spirit of fornication or adultery still in them even though they have given their life to the Lord. Sometimes these unclean spirits follow Christians who have been in past sexual immorality and they usually become oppressed unless they are fully delivered and set free with the spirits cast out.
Our Battle and our real enemies
Paul said, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12, NKJV).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Our real enemies or opponents are not physical but spiritual opponents.
2. These spiritual opponents have descending order of authority - Principalities (despotisms), evil powers, master spirits at this present age of darkness and spirit forces of wickedness.
3. Our battle ground is at the heavenly or supernatural realm or sphere.
Dealing with spirit forces of wickedness
The Lord willing, I plan to deal with Spiritual battle in greater details in other future messages. In the meantime let us consider our spiritual opponent of the lowest order of authority - spirit forces of wickedness. Take as an example, a situaltion when people (believers or non-believers) are unkind toward us and saying things against us.
Our natural inclination is to use our mind to deal with their mind whereas in fact it is the evil spirit forces in them that is attacking us. These spirit forces might have affected their mind and give them unkind words to say to us. We must not respond to their mind when in fact we are dealing with the spirit forces within them. That is why we need the gift of discernment of the spirits (1 Cor. 12:10) in the Church.
When somebody hates you and speaks spitefully against you, your first reaction is to defend yourself, Jesus did not do that but instead He said:
".... bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ..." (Matt. 5:44).
In other words, your are to use God's love to deal with that person. The demon power in that person cannot handle God's love. So when you are praying for someone who has hurt you, you are actually using the weapon of God's love to fight against the spirit in that person. The result is, the evil spirit is thrown into confusion and you will begin to win the battle. But if you begin to react because that person is speaking against you, you are doing exactly what the demons want you to do. The more you fight in the natural the less chance you have in victory in the spiritual. When the spiritual is won the natural will be won also! The fact is that Satan's kingdom is controlled by fear but God has a parallel kingdom controlled by love.
John said, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18).
So do not fear the person who hates you and says unkind things to you. Instead fear God and use God's love to deal with that person.
Demons over Christian Churches
Satan loves religion, including religious ritual and religious forms of worship. The greatest way in which Satan operates over the Christian Churches is through the spirit of sectarianism. For a long time the Catholic Churches claimed they are the right ones and then the Protestant Churches claimed likewise. Then there is the problem of denomination barrier. Then there is the division between the Calvinists and the Armenians - division between those who believe in predistination and those who believe in freewill. If we dwell on these differences we become tools for Satan and his evil spirits.
The fact is that there is not a single Local Church that has no carnality in it, criticism in it, fighting in it, argument in it, split in it and problem in it. The only way to resolve these problems and divisions is through God's love.
In the beginning of the Charismatic movement there was a great division between Spirit-filled Christians and non-spirit filled Christians. In the beginning of our Spiritual life Satan will show us we are better that the people around us; that we have more knowledge and more wisdom; that we speak in tongues and cast out demons. The greatest problem in the Charismatic renewal has been the lack of God's love shown by those who became born-again and baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Bible Colleges and Seminaries and their deceptive teaching
A renowned Bible teacher, who is with the Lord now, once said, "Many Bible Seminaries are breeding grounds of unbelief and strongholds of Satan. Many students enter the Seminaries with a measure of Biblical faith but have their faith totally shipwrecked after graduation"?
The Devil did a marvelous work in these seminaries. Some theologians who teach in these seminaries are proclaimed atheists who studied the Bible using their intellect, and form their own theology using their own wisdom. Students of these seminaries are told, among other ungodly things, that demons do not exist; you do not cast out demons or heal the sick and divine healing is not for today - all ceased to exist and died with the 12 apostles! They totally ignored Mark 16 and failed to understand the power of the early Church. They even failed to understand that casting out of demons and healing the sick is part and parcel of our Christian walk. No wonder our Churches lack power.
Conclusion
Many contemporary Churches are busy implementing Church-growth, Church development and revival programs. My question is, why do we need Church growth program? What we need is the Holy Ghost program. All we need is to emulate the early Church - lay hands on the sick, cast out demons and set captives free. When such power is seen and manifested in your Church, people will come and very soon you will need a much bigger Church building. When some smart experts on Church-growth come to offer their services to your Church, ask them do they cast out demons, do they heal the sick. Also ask them how many miracles do they see every week in their own Church. If they cannot give you a satisfactory answer they are wasting your time!
Having said that, however, "deliverance" among Christians and in the Christian Church is scriptural except that you cannot call it as a ministry gift. If you are a Christian, healing and deliverance belong to you. But you need to realize that the word "deliverance" does not just mean deliverance from demons. It means set free from anything that would try to bind you as a Christian believer. It is our redemptive right to be set free from Satan's dominion. Jesus Christ bought and paid for your redemption on the Cross of Calvary and that redemption includes deliverance from any satanic bondage in the whole person - spirit, soul and body. Healing and deliverance from demons are part of our covenant rights when we accept Jesus as our Savior (Matt. 8:17; Luke 10:19; 1 Peter 2:24).
Jesus and His disciples
It is interesting to realize that Jesus never once sent His disciples out to preach the gospel without also telling them to cast our demons.
Jesus said to the twelve when He sent them out to preach:
".... and as you go, preach, saying, 'the Kingdom of heaven is at hand'. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:7, 8, NKJV).
It is true that the above refers to Jesus sending out the 12 disciples only. But Luke recorded Jesus also sent out seventy others (Luke 10:1).
"Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject ot us in Your name'. And He said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven'" (Luke 10:17, 18, emphasis added).
Notice that it is the Name of Jesus that demons are subject to. Demons are cast out because there is authority in the name of Jesus.
If you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ then you are expected to cast out demons as you go out to preach the gospel to fulfill the Great Commission.
Jesus said to His disciples, "And these signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons; ..." (Mark 16:17).
The implication is that if you do not cast out demons in His name then you are either not a true disciple or you are an unbelieving believer! We must understand that casting out of demons is part of your Christian walk.
Christians and demons
An important fact is, Christians can and do have demons! A demon is a spirit being without a body and he is looking for a body in live in. The body he is looking for can be a Christian or a non-Christian body. What we are talking about is a person having a demon and not possessed by a demonic spirit. There is a big difference here. Confusion arises because in the King James Version of the Bible the word "possess" and the phrase "possessed by" are being usesd in the area of demon activities. Possession means ownership. A Christian cannot be owned by the Holy Spirit and the demonic spirit at the same time. The correct translation is "a man is having a demon".
Why do Christians have demons?
The likelihood of Christians having demons depends on how much they have surrendered their life to Jesus. If there has been absolute repentance at the time of salvation, and Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, occupied every recess in the inner depths of their heart, together with an absolute renunciation of all sin, then there is little or no demon activity.
Solomon said, "The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart" (Proverbs 20:27).
The Lord is searching the inner depths of our heart or belly. But many of us still have little secret areas within our heart that is not released to Him. This gives Satan the legal right to sit in there. The fact is, if we are not wholly unto God we are partly unto Satan.
I believe the greatest entry point for demon power is sexual immorality.
Paul said, ".... he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For 'the two,' He says, 'shall become one flesh'. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (1 Cor. 6:16, 17).
When people have sex outside of marriage spirits pass between their bodies. It is therefore conceivable that they will have the spirit of fornication or adultery still in them even though they have given their life to the Lord. Sometimes these unclean spirits follow Christians who have been in past sexual immorality and they usually become oppressed unless they are fully delivered and set free with the spirits cast out.
Our Battle and our real enemies
Paul said, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12, NKJV).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Our real enemies or opponents are not physical but spiritual opponents.
2. These spiritual opponents have descending order of authority - Principalities (despotisms), evil powers, master spirits at this present age of darkness and spirit forces of wickedness.
3. Our battle ground is at the heavenly or supernatural realm or sphere.
Dealing with spirit forces of wickedness
The Lord willing, I plan to deal with Spiritual battle in greater details in other future messages. In the meantime let us consider our spiritual opponent of the lowest order of authority - spirit forces of wickedness. Take as an example, a situaltion when people (believers or non-believers) are unkind toward us and saying things against us.
Our natural inclination is to use our mind to deal with their mind whereas in fact it is the evil spirit forces in them that is attacking us. These spirit forces might have affected their mind and give them unkind words to say to us. We must not respond to their mind when in fact we are dealing with the spirit forces within them. That is why we need the gift of discernment of the spirits (1 Cor. 12:10) in the Church.
When somebody hates you and speaks spitefully against you, your first reaction is to defend yourself, Jesus did not do that but instead He said:
".... bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ..." (Matt. 5:44).
In other words, your are to use God's love to deal with that person. The demon power in that person cannot handle God's love. So when you are praying for someone who has hurt you, you are actually using the weapon of God's love to fight against the spirit in that person. The result is, the evil spirit is thrown into confusion and you will begin to win the battle. But if you begin to react because that person is speaking against you, you are doing exactly what the demons want you to do. The more you fight in the natural the less chance you have in victory in the spiritual. When the spiritual is won the natural will be won also! The fact is that Satan's kingdom is controlled by fear but God has a parallel kingdom controlled by love.
John said, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18).
So do not fear the person who hates you and says unkind things to you. Instead fear God and use God's love to deal with that person.
Demons over Christian Churches
Satan loves religion, including religious ritual and religious forms of worship. The greatest way in which Satan operates over the Christian Churches is through the spirit of sectarianism. For a long time the Catholic Churches claimed they are the right ones and then the Protestant Churches claimed likewise. Then there is the problem of denomination barrier. Then there is the division between the Calvinists and the Armenians - division between those who believe in predistination and those who believe in freewill. If we dwell on these differences we become tools for Satan and his evil spirits.
The fact is that there is not a single Local Church that has no carnality in it, criticism in it, fighting in it, argument in it, split in it and problem in it. The only way to resolve these problems and divisions is through God's love.
In the beginning of the Charismatic movement there was a great division between Spirit-filled Christians and non-spirit filled Christians. In the beginning of our Spiritual life Satan will show us we are better that the people around us; that we have more knowledge and more wisdom; that we speak in tongues and cast out demons. The greatest problem in the Charismatic renewal has been the lack of God's love shown by those who became born-again and baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Bible Colleges and Seminaries and their deceptive teaching
A renowned Bible teacher, who is with the Lord now, once said, "Many Bible Seminaries are breeding grounds of unbelief and strongholds of Satan. Many students enter the Seminaries with a measure of Biblical faith but have their faith totally shipwrecked after graduation"?
The Devil did a marvelous work in these seminaries. Some theologians who teach in these seminaries are proclaimed atheists who studied the Bible using their intellect, and form their own theology using their own wisdom. Students of these seminaries are told, among other ungodly things, that demons do not exist; you do not cast out demons or heal the sick and divine healing is not for today - all ceased to exist and died with the 12 apostles! They totally ignored Mark 16 and failed to understand the power of the early Church. They even failed to understand that casting out of demons and healing the sick is part and parcel of our Christian walk. No wonder our Churches lack power.
Conclusion
Many contemporary Churches are busy implementing Church-growth, Church development and revival programs. My question is, why do we need Church growth program? What we need is the Holy Ghost program. All we need is to emulate the early Church - lay hands on the sick, cast out demons and set captives free. When such power is seen and manifested in your Church, people will come and very soon you will need a much bigger Church building. When some smart experts on Church-growth come to offer their services to your Church, ask them do they cast out demons, do they heal the sick. Also ask them how many miracles do they see every week in their own Church. If they cannot give you a satisfactory answer they are wasting your time!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Possessing Our Inheritance
As mentioned in my message last week the people of God, both the children of Israel and Christian believers, went through three transit points on their pilgrimage journeys to possess their inheritance in Christ. The purpose of the transit points is to mature us so that we are ready to fight battles and possess our God given inheritance. God is not impressed with our inheritance but He is impressed with our possession. The fact is what we have in possession right now is only a small portion of what God expected us to inherit.
God said to His Son Jesus Christ through the psalmist:
"Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession" (Ps. 2:8, NKJV).
Our full possession in Christ is the "ends of the earth" - until what Paul said is fulfilled:
"At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10, 11).
Until that day you and I dare not rest!
The Battle of Jericho and the Battle of Ai
The children of Israel had enough time spent on transit and God wanted them to move on to do battles in order to possess their inheritance. We, as children of God must also move on and come into our inheritance in Christ. But before that there are a few lessens to be learned from the Battle of Jericho and the Battle of Ai. In these two battles the Lord did wonders amount the children of Israel and at the same time the Lord demanded total obedience from them before victory could be realized.
The Battle of Jericho
Before the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan to do battle against Jericho Joshua said to them, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Joshua 3:5).
God is saying the same thing to us before we get involve in spiritual warfare. In our particular context, and in the particular period of time "sanctification" means we need to develop Christ-like character only the Fruit of the Holy Spirit can bring. We have been talking so much of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which speak about God's power. Now it is time for us to ask God to begin to stamp the character of His Son in each one of us.
Until today the Battle of Jericho continues to be a source of pride to the Jews. And we today in the Christian Church are still talking about it and identify spiritual warfare as "bringing down the walls of Jericho". We must learn how to make intercession effectively in spiritual battle. Just mouth-prayer, asking God to bless this and that will not do. We need to change our "shopping lists" prayer in our Church prayer meetings to more aggreesive intercessary prayer. The Devil is laughing at our "pea-shooter" prayer.
God gave clear specific instruction on how to deal with Jericho. In fact God had already given Jericho to the children of Israel (Joshua 6:2). All they needed to do was to obey Him in marching around Jericho (Joshua 6:2 - 16). When God said move they moved and when He said shout they shouted. God Himself did it all and there were no human casualty - amazing!
God also gave specific instruction to the children of Israel not to take of the devoted or accursed things (Joshua 6:18). We were not told what those accursed things were. It could be little idols or amulets made out of metal or precious stones.
The Battle of Ai
After the Battle of Jericho the children of Israel were overconfident. Instead of seeking God first they became presumptuous and made their own decision. They said, "Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thounsand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few" (Joshua 7:3).
Tragically and painfully 36 men were killed in the battle (Joshua 7:5) and God declared "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them" (Joshua 7:11).
The problem was Achan from the tribe of Judah was identified as someone taken some accursed things from Jericho, and he was brought to the valley of Achor where he was stoned. In those days God dealt with His people severely. No one can come against the enemies with sin in the camp (Joshua 7:13).
We have sin in our camp (the Church) too and let us pray that God will not deal with us in this particular way. But He certainly dealt severely with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1 - 11). We can't play around with sin! That is why we need to sanctify ourselves. That is why we need to emphasize the Fruit of the Spirit, holiness and Christ-like character. But if we do fall we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:1, 2).
God is saying to us today, a single defeat does not mean it is finished. We must move on and keep moving on because God is on our side. But we must remember to do things His way and never be presumptuous.
Paul said, "If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules" (2 Tim. 2:5, NKJV).
After the children of Israel had purified themselves and got rid of the accursed things God gave them victory over Ai and they were permitted to take some of the spoil (Joshua 8:2).
Then every where the children of Israel went there were victories. "So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war" (Joshua 11:23).
Inheritance and Possession
God promised the children of Israel the land of Canaan as their inheritance. But their inheritance at the time of Joshua was not matched by possession and Joshua was getting old.
God said to Joshua, "You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed" (Joshua 13:1).
But the children of Israel had grown fat and became complacent and got tired of fighting even though God had already promised them victory. They were quiet happy with the land they had possessed so far.
Are our Churches also getting fat? Hope all the man-made charismatic food will not store up fat. We need spiritual muscles to go out and fight battles! We have forgotten to sanctify ourselves and we allow the world to come in the Church. Christians are beginning to love worldly values and worldly methods. The qualification for elders and pastors is no more a spiritual one. Therefore very few elders and pastors are true spiritual leaders.
Three things began to erode into the spiritual life of the people of God:
1. In alliance with heathens. "You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them" (Deut. 7:2).
2. Unequally yoked to marriages. "Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son" (Deut. 7:3).
3. Involvement in idolatry. "You shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire" (Deut. 7:5).
Recipients of God's Special Blessings
In every move of God's Spirit there are those who received special blessings from God. The reason was not because God has favorites but because He was (and still is) the rewarder of those who diligently seek to please Him (Heb. 11:6).
I found one person and three tribes among the children of Israel in Joshua's time who were recipients of God's special blessings.
1. A man called Caleb (Joshua 14)
Caleb received special blessings because he wholly followed the Lord (Joshua 14:9). He believed the Lord is greater than any giants. He had a different spirit, not an independent spirit, but the Spirit of the Living God. He looked after God's interest and God looked after his and rewarded him with strength and long life (Joshua 14:11, 12).
"With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation" (Ps. 91:16).
"My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you" (Pro. 3:1, 2).
Caleb was 85 years old when he received his inheritance. But he was as strong as the day that Moses sent him out to be one of the 12 spies (Joshua 14:11).
In my opinion if you want similar special inheritance of Caleb you need to do two things - You must follow the God fully and make sure you have a different spirit from the world which brings fear.
2. The tribes of Simeon and Judah (Joshua 19)
The tribes of Simeon and Judah were the recipients of special blessings:
"The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people" (Joshua 19:9).
It was without doubt the tribe of Judah was the tribe that received special blessings. It was the tribe of Judah from which our Lord Jesus Christ came and from which king David came (according to the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke). Jesus was referred to as the Son of David.
Jesus is the Keeper of the people of God and He is never idle:
"He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Ps. 121:3, 4).
Jesus is the Great High Priest who "always lives to make intercession for" you and I (Heb. 7:25).
The tribe of Simeon inherited special blessings because they received the same special blessings as the tribe of Judah.
3. The tribe of Levi
The tribe of Levi, from which the priesthood came, received the most special blessing. They received no inheritance like other tribes but the Lord Himself was their inheritance.
"The priests, the Levites - all the tribe of Levi - shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them" (Deut. 18:1, 2, emphasis added).
The Bible tells us that you and I are priests (Rev. 1:6; Rev. 5:10) and we are together in the Body of Christ, a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:50) and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). But we do not belong to the tribe of Levi. We are of a vey special tribe if Jesus is truly our Lord and we live in Him.
According to the writer of Hebrews the Levitical priesthood was never perfect because it was a priesthood under the Law (heb. 7:11). Jesus, the great High Priest, on the other hand is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek and His Priesthood is unchangeable (Heb. 7:20 - 24).
Because we live in Jesus we are kings and priests of the same order as Him in the Kingdom of God. At the moment we are His representatives on earth!
The priests from the tribe of Levi were the custodians of the sacred flame (the Shekinah Glory) of God. In the Tabernacle of Moses only Aaron (the high priest) and priests were allowed to minister in the altar of incense. The fire at the brazen altar was divinely let by the Glory of God on the day of dedication. Coals were taken from the brazen altar by Aaron to light the golden altar of incense. In the holy of holies, where only the high priest could enter once a year, was lighted by the very Glory of God. The brightness was called the Shekinah.
God lighted the fire in the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). You and I are now custadians of this sacred flame which is burning in each one of us in the Person of the eternal Holy Spirit of God! The Spirit of Christ in us brings regeneration and transformation in the inner man and stamps upon each one of us the character and marks of Jesus Christ. When we go out and bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world we are spreading God's life and God's light to the unbelieving world.
"... that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ..." (Eph. 1:18).
Our calling as the Body of Christ is to receive His full inheritance!
God said to His Son Jesus Christ through the psalmist:
"Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession" (Ps. 2:8, NKJV).
Our full possession in Christ is the "ends of the earth" - until what Paul said is fulfilled:
"At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10, 11).
Until that day you and I dare not rest!
The Battle of Jericho and the Battle of Ai
The children of Israel had enough time spent on transit and God wanted them to move on to do battles in order to possess their inheritance. We, as children of God must also move on and come into our inheritance in Christ. But before that there are a few lessens to be learned from the Battle of Jericho and the Battle of Ai. In these two battles the Lord did wonders amount the children of Israel and at the same time the Lord demanded total obedience from them before victory could be realized.
The Battle of Jericho
Before the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan to do battle against Jericho Joshua said to them, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Joshua 3:5).
God is saying the same thing to us before we get involve in spiritual warfare. In our particular context, and in the particular period of time "sanctification" means we need to develop Christ-like character only the Fruit of the Holy Spirit can bring. We have been talking so much of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit which speak about God's power. Now it is time for us to ask God to begin to stamp the character of His Son in each one of us.
Until today the Battle of Jericho continues to be a source of pride to the Jews. And we today in the Christian Church are still talking about it and identify spiritual warfare as "bringing down the walls of Jericho". We must learn how to make intercession effectively in spiritual battle. Just mouth-prayer, asking God to bless this and that will not do. We need to change our "shopping lists" prayer in our Church prayer meetings to more aggreesive intercessary prayer. The Devil is laughing at our "pea-shooter" prayer.
God gave clear specific instruction on how to deal with Jericho. In fact God had already given Jericho to the children of Israel (Joshua 6:2). All they needed to do was to obey Him in marching around Jericho (Joshua 6:2 - 16). When God said move they moved and when He said shout they shouted. God Himself did it all and there were no human casualty - amazing!
God also gave specific instruction to the children of Israel not to take of the devoted or accursed things (Joshua 6:18). We were not told what those accursed things were. It could be little idols or amulets made out of metal or precious stones.
The Battle of Ai
After the Battle of Jericho the children of Israel were overconfident. Instead of seeking God first they became presumptuous and made their own decision. They said, "Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thounsand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few" (Joshua 7:3).
Tragically and painfully 36 men were killed in the battle (Joshua 7:5) and God declared "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them" (Joshua 7:11).
The problem was Achan from the tribe of Judah was identified as someone taken some accursed things from Jericho, and he was brought to the valley of Achor where he was stoned. In those days God dealt with His people severely. No one can come against the enemies with sin in the camp (Joshua 7:13).
We have sin in our camp (the Church) too and let us pray that God will not deal with us in this particular way. But He certainly dealt severely with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1 - 11). We can't play around with sin! That is why we need to sanctify ourselves. That is why we need to emphasize the Fruit of the Spirit, holiness and Christ-like character. But if we do fall we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:1, 2).
God is saying to us today, a single defeat does not mean it is finished. We must move on and keep moving on because God is on our side. But we must remember to do things His way and never be presumptuous.
Paul said, "If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules" (2 Tim. 2:5, NKJV).
After the children of Israel had purified themselves and got rid of the accursed things God gave them victory over Ai and they were permitted to take some of the spoil (Joshua 8:2).
Then every where the children of Israel went there were victories. "So Joshua took the whole land according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war" (Joshua 11:23).
Inheritance and Possession
God promised the children of Israel the land of Canaan as their inheritance. But their inheritance at the time of Joshua was not matched by possession and Joshua was getting old.
God said to Joshua, "You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed" (Joshua 13:1).
But the children of Israel had grown fat and became complacent and got tired of fighting even though God had already promised them victory. They were quiet happy with the land they had possessed so far.
Are our Churches also getting fat? Hope all the man-made charismatic food will not store up fat. We need spiritual muscles to go out and fight battles! We have forgotten to sanctify ourselves and we allow the world to come in the Church. Christians are beginning to love worldly values and worldly methods. The qualification for elders and pastors is no more a spiritual one. Therefore very few elders and pastors are true spiritual leaders.
Three things began to erode into the spiritual life of the people of God:
1. In alliance with heathens. "You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them" (Deut. 7:2).
2. Unequally yoked to marriages. "Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son" (Deut. 7:3).
3. Involvement in idolatry. "You shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire" (Deut. 7:5).
Recipients of God's Special Blessings
In every move of God's Spirit there are those who received special blessings from God. The reason was not because God has favorites but because He was (and still is) the rewarder of those who diligently seek to please Him (Heb. 11:6).
I found one person and three tribes among the children of Israel in Joshua's time who were recipients of God's special blessings.
1. A man called Caleb (Joshua 14)
Caleb received special blessings because he wholly followed the Lord (Joshua 14:9). He believed the Lord is greater than any giants. He had a different spirit, not an independent spirit, but the Spirit of the Living God. He looked after God's interest and God looked after his and rewarded him with strength and long life (Joshua 14:11, 12).
"With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation" (Ps. 91:16).
"My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you" (Pro. 3:1, 2).
Caleb was 85 years old when he received his inheritance. But he was as strong as the day that Moses sent him out to be one of the 12 spies (Joshua 14:11).
In my opinion if you want similar special inheritance of Caleb you need to do two things - You must follow the God fully and make sure you have a different spirit from the world which brings fear.
2. The tribes of Simeon and Judah (Joshua 19)
The tribes of Simeon and Judah were the recipients of special blessings:
"The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people" (Joshua 19:9).
It was without doubt the tribe of Judah was the tribe that received special blessings. It was the tribe of Judah from which our Lord Jesus Christ came and from which king David came (according to the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke). Jesus was referred to as the Son of David.
Jesus is the Keeper of the people of God and He is never idle:
"He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Ps. 121:3, 4).
Jesus is the Great High Priest who "always lives to make intercession for" you and I (Heb. 7:25).
The tribe of Simeon inherited special blessings because they received the same special blessings as the tribe of Judah.
3. The tribe of Levi
The tribe of Levi, from which the priesthood came, received the most special blessing. They received no inheritance like other tribes but the Lord Himself was their inheritance.
"The priests, the Levites - all the tribe of Levi - shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and His portion. Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance, as He said to them" (Deut. 18:1, 2, emphasis added).
The Bible tells us that you and I are priests (Rev. 1:6; Rev. 5:10) and we are together in the Body of Christ, a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:50) and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). But we do not belong to the tribe of Levi. We are of a vey special tribe if Jesus is truly our Lord and we live in Him.
According to the writer of Hebrews the Levitical priesthood was never perfect because it was a priesthood under the Law (heb. 7:11). Jesus, the great High Priest, on the other hand is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek and His Priesthood is unchangeable (Heb. 7:20 - 24).
Because we live in Jesus we are kings and priests of the same order as Him in the Kingdom of God. At the moment we are His representatives on earth!
The priests from the tribe of Levi were the custodians of the sacred flame (the Shekinah Glory) of God. In the Tabernacle of Moses only Aaron (the high priest) and priests were allowed to minister in the altar of incense. The fire at the brazen altar was divinely let by the Glory of God on the day of dedication. Coals were taken from the brazen altar by Aaron to light the golden altar of incense. In the holy of holies, where only the high priest could enter once a year, was lighted by the very Glory of God. The brightness was called the Shekinah.
God lighted the fire in the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). You and I are now custadians of this sacred flame which is burning in each one of us in the Person of the eternal Holy Spirit of God! The Spirit of Christ in us brings regeneration and transformation in the inner man and stamps upon each one of us the character and marks of Jesus Christ. When we go out and bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world we are spreading God's life and God's light to the unbelieving world.
"... that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ..." (Eph. 1:18).
Our calling as the Body of Christ is to receive His full inheritance!
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