The Bible is made up of two covenants called the Old Testament and the New Testament. "Testament" means "covenant". All of God's dealings with men have revolved around these two covenants. The entire redemptive plan of God hinges upon them. God established the first with Abraham, and the second covenant He established with Jesus. The word "covenant" comes from the Hebrew word "bawraw" which means "to cut". This suggests there is a flow of blood. Therefore both covenants were established with blood.
The Significance of the Blood Covenant
History tells us that primitive people from the beginning of time have practiced blood covenants in some form. They were common among the Indian tribes of America, and the custom is still practiced in many parts of the world today.
There are many reasons for a blood covenant. To those who practice it, there is no covenant more sacred. In a partnership, it is used to make sure that neither partner will take advantage of the other. Between friends, it is a symbol of love, devotion, and loyalty.
The covenant between Stanley and the chieftain
Henry Stanley, and explorer, went to search for David Livingstone, the first missionary to Africa, who overstayed his time in the jungles. Stanley's interpreter told him he need to cut a covenant with those hostile tribes for the sake of their own safety.
The chieftain of the tribe chose a substitute to represent him and Stanley chose his interpreter to be his substitute. These two substitutes came together before a priest who cut the wrist of each one just enough to drip a few drops of their blood into a glass of wine. The wine was stirred and the bloods mixed and both of them drank part of it, thereby both parties were sealed in a blood covenant. Stanley and the chieftain became blood brothers. The main significance was that what belongs to Stanley belongs to the chieftain and vice versa. It was a perpetual covenant that could not be broken.
God's Covenant with Adam and Eve
When God created Adam, he was a perfect being. He had a magnificent mind that enabled him to name every animal and also to remember their names. Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God. He walked with them in the cool of the day. They had perfect fellowship, and they knew God intimately.
But the serpent was lurking in the garden and he deceived Eve and she ate the fruit of the tree (of "knowing good and evil") in the midst of the garden and she also gave some to Adam (Gen. 3:1 - 6).
When Adam and his wife yielded to the snare of Satan, the Scripture says, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings" (Gen. 3:7, NKJV, emphasis added).
The fact that they even tried to make clothes for themselves showed that they realized their need of a covering.
I believe the instant they yielded to temptation they lost God's consciousness and gained self-consciousness. In other words, their spirits were "dead" and they were unable to relate to God and know Him intimately. They were led by their soul life - intellect, will and emotion (Refer to my earlier message, "The Spirit, Soul, and Body of Man"). They had run from the presence of God and had lost His glory. They were naked and ashamed, attempting to cover themselves with leaves.
Then God did something marvelous. He initiated the first blood sacrifice.
"Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them" (Gen. 3:21).
I believe the animal had just been slain and that the skins were still bloody when God used them to cover Adam and Eve. This was the first Blood Covenant, initiated by God, between Himself and man. Notice that God's first sacrifice covered Adam and Eve's sin with the blood of animanls. It did not take away their sin; but merely covered it up. As we will see, His final sacrifice takes away the sins of you and me with the blood of His only begotten Son.
God said, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Lev. 17:11).
The word "atonement" is Hebrew is "kaphar" which means "to cover". When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their close communion with God. But through the blood covenant, God was declaring that their sins were atone for. The blood one day (in the New Covenant) would bring back the fellowship and joy.
God's Covenant with Abraham
When God wanted to establish His covenant with man, He had to have a sacrifice to represent Him. God was (and is) a spirit being and so He needed somebody with two physical hands to take Him a sacrifice to be a substitute in His place.
He said to Abraham, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, ...." (Gen. 15:9).
Abraham did as God asked. Then God explained to Abraham how he was to enter into the blood covenant relationship with Him:
"This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of covenant between Me and you" (Gen. 17:10, 11).
The sign of the Abrahamic covenant was circumcision. Notice that God honored the covenant so that, even at his advanced age, Abraham was able to father a child named Isaac.
Abraham's Supreme Test
After the covenant was cut, God decided to test Abraham's allegiance to their covenant relationship.
God said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you" (Gen. 22:1, 2).
God was giving Abraham the supreme test - Whom did he love more, Isaac or God? The next verse said, "So Abraham arose early in the morning ..." - indicating that Abraham never batted an eye but immediately did what God told him to do. I believe when the blood covenant is in effect in your life, and when God tells you to do something, you don't hesitate. You do it immediately!
Abraham had total faith in God for God said, "For in Isaac your seed shall be called" (Gen. 21:12). He believed that "God was able to raise him up, even from the dead" (Heb. 11:19).
In the end, a ram was provided by God for the sacrifice instead of Isaac. God did not require Abraham to sacrifice his son, but He wanted Abraham to be willing to give Him his best.
Abraham was called the friend of God (James 2:23) because God had found a man who kept his Blood Covenant!
God's New Covenant with Jesus
When God cut the Old Covenant He told Abraham to take Him a sacrifice. Later when God was ready to cut the New Covenant, and again He needed a sacrifice - a lamb. John the Baptist said, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
The Old Covenant was sealed by the blood of Abraham and the sacrificial animal. The New Covenant is sealed "with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter 1:19).
The first Covenant was imperfect. It did not take away sin; it merely covered it up. It did not give new life; it only gave the promise of it. The Old Covenant was like a promissory note which Christ cashed in on the cross of Calvary!
Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant
God spoke of the promises the New Covenant as taking the place of the Old Covenant (Heb. 8:8 - 12).
".... then He (Jesus) said, 'Behold, I have come to do You will, O God.' He takes away the first that He may establish the second" (Heb. 10:9).
Hebrew 9 clearly says that Christ entered into Heaven to appear before God for us as our Friend. he did not have to offer Himself again and again as the Old Testament high priests did here on earth when they offered animal blood each year. Christ died once and for all, to put away the power of sin forever by dying for us.
Christ was God's Lamb, and through Him God cut an eternal covenant with the human race. Hanging on the cross, suspended between Heaven and earth, Jesus took on Himself all the sins of the world, all the sicknesses, all the diseases, all the sufferings and all the heartbreaks. He experienced the curse and the horror of all these dreadful things for us.
Paul said, "... God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:19).
The good news is not that God will reconcile us, but that He has already reconciled us unto Himself. This is the wonderful message God has given us through the Blood Covenant. When they stabbed Jesus in the side like a heifer, and the blood gushed out, God Himself was cutting an everlasting Covenant with the human race.
The New Covenant is in Jesus
The Old Covenant was in Abraham; the New Covenant is in Jesus. When Abraham was circumcised, he "mingled" his blood with the blood of God's representive - a heifer. Jesus shed His blood on the cross, "mingled" the human and the divine. What God did in the Old Covenant was for the sake of Abraham. What He does for us today, He does it for the sake of His Son Jesus.
It is important to understand that the New Covenant is not in us. It is in Jesus. You see, God did not cut the Covenant with you and me. He cut it with His Son Jesus. All we need to do is, by faith, enter into the Covenant that God cut with His Son! I entered into the Covenant by the circumcision of the heart. I was a lost man. I loved the world because I had an old man living inside me. When I accepted Jesus, I was circumcised in my heart and the old man was cut away!
Salvation actually means entering the New blood Covenant that God the Father made with His Son Jesus Christ. As with all Blood Covenants, this New Covenant demands two-way commitment. If I am a convenant man, God has the right to ask me for anything. And I have the equal right to ask God for anything in prayer. The only condition is that I have to pray according to His will. Under the Old Covenant Abraham was called the friend of God; under the New Covenant all true Christians are called children of God. God demanded the best from Abraham - his son Isaac; He is likely to demand the best from us! That is the price we all have to pay for we are His covenant people.
Understanding the Holy Communion
The Holy Communion is a reminder to the Lord's Covenant people the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord Jesus when God the Father cut the New Blood Covenant with Him. To understand this is of supreme impartance.
Paul said to the Church in Corinth, "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11:29, 30).
The writer of Hebrews said, "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace" (Heb. 10:29, NKJV, emphasis added).
Therefore, I believe only those who have been circumcised in the heart and those who are able to discern what Jesus had done for us through the Blood Covenant, should partake of the sacrament of the Holy Communion.
A Covenant of love
The Communion also emphasizes our covenant relationship with all of God's covenant people. When you take the communion, not only are you in loving covenant relationship with God but also you are in a loving covenant relationship with all your brothers and sisters in Christ who partake with you.
Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples (My covenant people), if you have love for one another" (John 13:34, 35, emphasis added).
Love is what the Blood Covenant is all about!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Spirit, Soul, and Body of Man
Before we begin our series of discussion on Spiritual Warfare it is important for us to have a good understanding of how the devil can send his evil spirit to oppress, obsess, and if possible, to possess mankind. And in order to understand how demons and evil spirits can affect mankind, we need to understand the difference between the spirit, soul and body of man. We also need to understand that if you are born again by the Spirit of God (regeneration), your spirit is quickened and made alive by God's Spirit so that demons and evil spirits cannot affect you spirit. They can only trouble your soul and your body, but your spirit will not be touched by the devil because God's Spirit is in you.
Rightly dividing Man
The Bible clearly indicates that God distinguishes the difference between the spirit, soul, and body of man. And yet you do not hear much sound preaching in the Local Church concerning this very importand subject.
Paul said, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23, NKJV, emphasis added).
Paul was writing to Christians in the Church at Thessalonica. This is of great significance because for the born-again Christian his spirit is born again or recreated by the Spirit of God. And so Paul hoped that these Christians would be found blameless at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ if they are able to divide the whole man.
The writer of Hebrews said, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, emphasis added).
It is easy to distinguish between the body and soul of man because that difference is obvious - the body is visible but the soul is invisible. It is difficult to distinguish between a man's soul and his spirit because both are invisible. But the writer of Hebrews tells us only the Word of God can divide between the soul and spirit of man just as it divides joints and marrow of our body.
As you read on you will discover that man is a spirit being; he has a soul and he lives in a body. Very briefly, these are the functions of the spirit, soul and body of man.
1. The spirit of man relates man to the spiritual realm. It give man the ability to know and relate to God (1 Cor. 2:11, 12). Someone said the spirit of man is God conscious. The function of the spirit of the regenerated man is threefold - intuitive knowledge, conscience and communion with God. These three terms will be explained later on.
2. The soul of man relates man to the intellectual and emotional realm. Someone said the soul of man is self conscious. The role of the soul in man is to relate his inner, spiritual being to his body - his outer flesh and blood being. In other words, the soul incarnates man's spiritual life in bodily (material) form and expression. The soul also has a thressfold function - the mind, will and emotions.
3. The body of man relates man to the physical realm. It relates to the world with the five senses. Someone said the body of man is world conscious. It is also the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Soul of Man
James said, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21, emphasis added).
James wrote his epistle to Christians - to people whose spirits had already been recreated when they were born again. But here James told these born-again believers that their souls were not born again yet; their souls would only be saved after they have the Word of God implanted (rooted or engrafted) in their souls. In other words, the Word of God engrated into the soul of man has the ability and power to change or "save" man's soul.
The saving of the Soul
According to James the implanted Word takes time to be rooted in the soul of man and therefore the saving of man's soul is an ongoing process throughout a person's walk with God.
The word "save" in James 1:21 comes from the Greek word "sozo" which also means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve and make whole. That means as you actively feed on God's Word, it saves, delivers, protects, heals, preserves, and makes whole your soul, which is one of your greatest defenses against Satan. That also means believers themselves have to do something about the saving of their own souls. This is confirmed by both Peter and Paul:
1. Peter wrote to Christians: "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, ..." (1 Peter 1:22, 23, emphasis added).
Notice that after having been born again, the soul (mind, will and emotion) of the Christian needs to be purified (saved, renewed, protected, healed, preserved, made well and made whole) through (by receiving and by doing) the Word of God. That is the responsibility of the Christian if he wants to stop Satan from making an inroad to him through his own unsaved soul. As he undergirds his soul with the Word, Satan won't have an open door of access to him.
The major way a believer closes the door to the devil is to get his mind renewed with the Word and by practising the Word.
2. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1, 2, emphasis added).
The mind is a function of a man's soul. The Christian mind needs to be renewed, renovated or to restored. The only way to have the mind renewed is to "present the body as a living sacrifice" to God. God wants submitted bodies and transformed minds. And it is our duty to do that. when our mind is renewed by the Word, our thinking is transformed. When our thinking is transformed, our decision and action are transformed. When our action is transformed we (our entire life) are transformed. The result is the revelation of the perfect will of God. No one knows the perfect will of God without the renewal of the mind. If our mind is not renewed then we are likely to be conformed to the world and as a result we open the door of access to Satan.
The Spirit of Man
The role for the human spirit, restored by the new birth and empowered by the Holy Spirit, is to exercise rule and direction over the soul and, through the soul, over the body. The spirit and soul are immaterial aspects of man: that is, we do not see either of them. We know them only as we experience their functioning. I know my soul, not because I can see it or touch it, but because I am aware of its functioning as mind, emotion and will, In other words, when I put these in action - I think, I feel and I decide, then I am living out of my soul.
God wants us to live out of our regenerated spirit because He wants us to be led by His Spirit as His sons (Romans 8:14). Our spirit, like the soul, also has three different distinct functions:
1. Intuitive knowledge
The first function of the human spirit is knowledge, but it is knowledge of a particular kind. It is direct knowledge that comes intuitively - not as the result of rational, deductive mental process. It is important that we do not confuse this intuitive knowledge with the product of the mind. The apostle Paul puts it clearly:
"For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? even so no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
The spiritual truth is, we understand with our mind (soul) but we know with our spirit. It is important to realize that our intuitive knowledge is not infallible because it is the human spirit that receive knowledge. Because we are finite and damaged by sin, we perceive knowledge imperfectly and often misinterpret what we perceived. The accuracy of our knowledge depends on how much we know God! Only Jesus knows God the Father perfectly.
2. Conscience
The second function of the human spirit is conscience. We are all familiar with its operation although we may not have recognized that it is not to be equated with the mind.
Paul said, "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled" (Titus 1:15, emphasis added).
Notice that conscience is not a product of the mind. Conscience also is not the voice of God, although the voice of God speaks to our conscience. Conscience has been created with the ability to "see" general moral truths such as honesty and faithfulness. Most people are willing to pay the price of keeping our promise even it is inconvenient to do so because of their conscience.
Understanding conscience
To understand how conscience functions, we must distinguish its form and its content:
1. Form of conscience
This is the same for everybody, regardless of race, sex, age, background or culture. It tells us when we are doing right and when we are doing wrong.
Paul said, "... who (Gentiles) show the work of the law written their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them ..." (Romans 2:15, emphasis added).
Notice that Paul spoke about people (Gentiles) who are not born again.
2. Content of conscience
This is the basis on which conscience makes its judgment. It tells us what is right and what is wrong. But this varies with culture, age, background and learning, so that one man's conscience may condemn him for something that another man's conscience is neutral about, or even approves.
The work of the Holy Spirit
Any troubled or defiled conscience will be dealt with when the Holy Spirit awakens (or quickens) the human spirit which brings conviction of sin that leads to repentance (Hebrews 10:19 - 22).
The conscience of the born-again Christian begins to bear witness, in the Holy Spirit, to the truth of God's Word.
Paul said, "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ..." (Romans 9:1, emphasis added).
3. Communion with the Lord
The third function of the human spirit is communion (communication) with Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
Worship is only effective if we communicate with the Lord in the Spirit because the Lord is Spirit - and we are also spirit being.
Not only do we communicate with God only with our spirit, but we communicate with one another in the same way. If I do not reach out in my spirit and somehow touch the other person's spirit, there is no real communication between us. I may transmit words and information, that may be understood, but in actual fact there is no real communication between us as persons.
A couple might have been married for years, but don't know how to communicate. It is not that they don't speak to each other. They might have said millions of words, but they failed to communicate; they failed to reach out to each other and touch each other in their spirits!
In our prayer and intercession, if we do not reach out to the people we are praying for in our spirit, there is no real communication and we are just "saying our prayer". And we failed to touch lives. On the other hand, if we reach out to others in our spirit there can be genuine communication even without words at all (Romans 8:26)!
The Body of Man
When you are born again by the Spirit of God, only your spirit is regenerated and redeemed. The new birth is a spiritual rebirth and not a "soulish" rebirth or a physical rebirth. There is no change in your soul or your body. If you were baldheaded before you were born again, you are still baldheaded now. You still sin sometimes when you are tempted. But, the difference is, after rebirth, you have the right spiritual man inside you to control your soul and your body. In other words, you still have your outward man (soul and body) to deal with. You have the power to suppress the desires of your fleshly carnal nature and the power to control your unredeemed soul throughout your Christian walk.
Paul said, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection lest, when I have preached to others I myself should become disqualified" (1 Cor. 9:27, emphasis added).
That means Paul didn't let his body do everything it wanted to do, but kept his body under the control and dominion of his recreated spirit. We should do likewise, because this is our major defense against Satan.
James said, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
When you submit your body to God and don't allow it to do things that are wrong, it's going to be a lot easier for you to resist the devil.
Rightly dividing Man
The Bible clearly indicates that God distinguishes the difference between the spirit, soul, and body of man. And yet you do not hear much sound preaching in the Local Church concerning this very importand subject.
Paul said, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23, NKJV, emphasis added).
Paul was writing to Christians in the Church at Thessalonica. This is of great significance because for the born-again Christian his spirit is born again or recreated by the Spirit of God. And so Paul hoped that these Christians would be found blameless at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ if they are able to divide the whole man.
The writer of Hebrews said, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, emphasis added).
It is easy to distinguish between the body and soul of man because that difference is obvious - the body is visible but the soul is invisible. It is difficult to distinguish between a man's soul and his spirit because both are invisible. But the writer of Hebrews tells us only the Word of God can divide between the soul and spirit of man just as it divides joints and marrow of our body.
As you read on you will discover that man is a spirit being; he has a soul and he lives in a body. Very briefly, these are the functions of the spirit, soul and body of man.
1. The spirit of man relates man to the spiritual realm. It give man the ability to know and relate to God (1 Cor. 2:11, 12). Someone said the spirit of man is God conscious. The function of the spirit of the regenerated man is threefold - intuitive knowledge, conscience and communion with God. These three terms will be explained later on.
2. The soul of man relates man to the intellectual and emotional realm. Someone said the soul of man is self conscious. The role of the soul in man is to relate his inner, spiritual being to his body - his outer flesh and blood being. In other words, the soul incarnates man's spiritual life in bodily (material) form and expression. The soul also has a thressfold function - the mind, will and emotions.
3. The body of man relates man to the physical realm. It relates to the world with the five senses. Someone said the body of man is world conscious. It is also the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Soul of Man
James said, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21, emphasis added).
James wrote his epistle to Christians - to people whose spirits had already been recreated when they were born again. But here James told these born-again believers that their souls were not born again yet; their souls would only be saved after they have the Word of God implanted (rooted or engrafted) in their souls. In other words, the Word of God engrated into the soul of man has the ability and power to change or "save" man's soul.
The saving of the Soul
According to James the implanted Word takes time to be rooted in the soul of man and therefore the saving of man's soul is an ongoing process throughout a person's walk with God.
The word "save" in James 1:21 comes from the Greek word "sozo" which also means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve and make whole. That means as you actively feed on God's Word, it saves, delivers, protects, heals, preserves, and makes whole your soul, which is one of your greatest defenses against Satan. That also means believers themselves have to do something about the saving of their own souls. This is confirmed by both Peter and Paul:
1. Peter wrote to Christians: "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, ..." (1 Peter 1:22, 23, emphasis added).
Notice that after having been born again, the soul (mind, will and emotion) of the Christian needs to be purified (saved, renewed, protected, healed, preserved, made well and made whole) through (by receiving and by doing) the Word of God. That is the responsibility of the Christian if he wants to stop Satan from making an inroad to him through his own unsaved soul. As he undergirds his soul with the Word, Satan won't have an open door of access to him.
The major way a believer closes the door to the devil is to get his mind renewed with the Word and by practising the Word.
2. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1, 2, emphasis added).
The mind is a function of a man's soul. The Christian mind needs to be renewed, renovated or to restored. The only way to have the mind renewed is to "present the body as a living sacrifice" to God. God wants submitted bodies and transformed minds. And it is our duty to do that. when our mind is renewed by the Word, our thinking is transformed. When our thinking is transformed, our decision and action are transformed. When our action is transformed we (our entire life) are transformed. The result is the revelation of the perfect will of God. No one knows the perfect will of God without the renewal of the mind. If our mind is not renewed then we are likely to be conformed to the world and as a result we open the door of access to Satan.
The Spirit of Man
The role for the human spirit, restored by the new birth and empowered by the Holy Spirit, is to exercise rule and direction over the soul and, through the soul, over the body. The spirit and soul are immaterial aspects of man: that is, we do not see either of them. We know them only as we experience their functioning. I know my soul, not because I can see it or touch it, but because I am aware of its functioning as mind, emotion and will, In other words, when I put these in action - I think, I feel and I decide, then I am living out of my soul.
God wants us to live out of our regenerated spirit because He wants us to be led by His Spirit as His sons (Romans 8:14). Our spirit, like the soul, also has three different distinct functions:
1. Intuitive knowledge
The first function of the human spirit is knowledge, but it is knowledge of a particular kind. It is direct knowledge that comes intuitively - not as the result of rational, deductive mental process. It is important that we do not confuse this intuitive knowledge with the product of the mind. The apostle Paul puts it clearly:
"For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? even so no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
The spiritual truth is, we understand with our mind (soul) but we know with our spirit. It is important to realize that our intuitive knowledge is not infallible because it is the human spirit that receive knowledge. Because we are finite and damaged by sin, we perceive knowledge imperfectly and often misinterpret what we perceived. The accuracy of our knowledge depends on how much we know God! Only Jesus knows God the Father perfectly.
2. Conscience
The second function of the human spirit is conscience. We are all familiar with its operation although we may not have recognized that it is not to be equated with the mind.
Paul said, "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled" (Titus 1:15, emphasis added).
Notice that conscience is not a product of the mind. Conscience also is not the voice of God, although the voice of God speaks to our conscience. Conscience has been created with the ability to "see" general moral truths such as honesty and faithfulness. Most people are willing to pay the price of keeping our promise even it is inconvenient to do so because of their conscience.
Understanding conscience
To understand how conscience functions, we must distinguish its form and its content:
1. Form of conscience
This is the same for everybody, regardless of race, sex, age, background or culture. It tells us when we are doing right and when we are doing wrong.
Paul said, "... who (Gentiles) show the work of the law written their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them ..." (Romans 2:15, emphasis added).
Notice that Paul spoke about people (Gentiles) who are not born again.
2. Content of conscience
This is the basis on which conscience makes its judgment. It tells us what is right and what is wrong. But this varies with culture, age, background and learning, so that one man's conscience may condemn him for something that another man's conscience is neutral about, or even approves.
The work of the Holy Spirit
Any troubled or defiled conscience will be dealt with when the Holy Spirit awakens (or quickens) the human spirit which brings conviction of sin that leads to repentance (Hebrews 10:19 - 22).
The conscience of the born-again Christian begins to bear witness, in the Holy Spirit, to the truth of God's Word.
Paul said, "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ..." (Romans 9:1, emphasis added).
3. Communion with the Lord
The third function of the human spirit is communion (communication) with Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
Worship is only effective if we communicate with the Lord in the Spirit because the Lord is Spirit - and we are also spirit being.
Not only do we communicate with God only with our spirit, but we communicate with one another in the same way. If I do not reach out in my spirit and somehow touch the other person's spirit, there is no real communication between us. I may transmit words and information, that may be understood, but in actual fact there is no real communication between us as persons.
A couple might have been married for years, but don't know how to communicate. It is not that they don't speak to each other. They might have said millions of words, but they failed to communicate; they failed to reach out to each other and touch each other in their spirits!
In our prayer and intercession, if we do not reach out to the people we are praying for in our spirit, there is no real communication and we are just "saying our prayer". And we failed to touch lives. On the other hand, if we reach out to others in our spirit there can be genuine communication even without words at all (Romans 8:26)!
The Body of Man
When you are born again by the Spirit of God, only your spirit is regenerated and redeemed. The new birth is a spiritual rebirth and not a "soulish" rebirth or a physical rebirth. There is no change in your soul or your body. If you were baldheaded before you were born again, you are still baldheaded now. You still sin sometimes when you are tempted. But, the difference is, after rebirth, you have the right spiritual man inside you to control your soul and your body. In other words, you still have your outward man (soul and body) to deal with. You have the power to suppress the desires of your fleshly carnal nature and the power to control your unredeemed soul throughout your Christian walk.
Paul said, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection lest, when I have preached to others I myself should become disqualified" (1 Cor. 9:27, emphasis added).
That means Paul didn't let his body do everything it wanted to do, but kept his body under the control and dominion of his recreated spirit. We should do likewise, because this is our major defense against Satan.
James said, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
When you submit your body to God and don't allow it to do things that are wrong, it's going to be a lot easier for you to resist the devil.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Understanding Revival
Revival is such a vast topic that our discussion needs to be in points form. We shall not discuss anything concerning those great "revivalists" in Church history. Books have been written about the ministries of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney and many others. Neither shall we discuss about the the "great" contemporary revivals (20th Century) - The Welsh Revival (Evan Roberts), Azusa Street (Charles Parham), the Church Renewal Movement, the Healing Revival, the Third Wave, the Charismatic and Pentecostal Movements and many others. We confine our discussion on the characteristics of revivals, the essence of revivals and the lessons learned from past revivals.
Revival is the Work of God
The psalmist said, "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You" (Ps. 85:6, NKJV)?
The word "revive" means "to cause to live". The psalmist cried out to God to recover His people from the condition as a state of death.
Prophet Habakkuk cried out to the Lord, "O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2).
Men can pray for a revival but we cannot cause a revival. Revival is the work of the Godhead - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. it is His prerogative and He sets the time, period and place!
The Move of the Holy Spirit
There is a great difference between preaching from a source of knowledge and preaching from a well of living water that flows from the throne of God.
That the Lord has chosen men to be His habitation must be one of the great marvels of the creation. But God has also chosen men to do His work, and He often uses just a single individual to ignite a new move of His Holy Spirit.
You don't advertise a fire
A true move of God is not fueled by money, organization or advertising. True revival only comes when the pillar of fire, that is the presence of God Himself, picks up and moves. To try to organize, promote or sell a move of God is profanity in its lowest form!
You can't plan a revival
Broken plans seem to be the hallmark of revivals. Revival is the plan of the Holy Spirit. This does not imply that leadership and organization are not needed in the Church. But when the Spirit is doing something new and fresh, the greatest gift is not knowing how to lead, but knowing how to follow.
Seek the wine, not the wineskin
There does not seem to be a single example in Church history where a wineskin of Church organization was built before the new wine of revival was given. Those who have tried to build the wineskin first have often found themselves out of step and unable to receive the new wine when it came. The Lord has never restricted Himself to move by any predetermined formula. There is one quality common to those who have been mightily used by the Holy Spirit - they were able to hear the sound of the Holy Spirit moving and were willing to move the way that He wanted them to move in a particular time and in a particular place.
The power and the desire of prayer
The first sign of revival is when Christians become aware of the power of prayer. Prayer meeting that had been drudgery before becomes the main attractions not only in the Local Church, but even for entire cities. Meetings swelled until overflowing, both with people and with the anointing. Meetings that are expected to be regular services, quickly become prayer meetings.
Saving of souls
The main focus of prayer for any revival is always for the lost. There can be no revival without soul-winning. Every Christian has a burning agony for the lost. There is no set pattern of strategy for the witnessing; it is simply born out of an overflowing joy and faith that can't be contained in those who know the Savior.
Learn how to carry the Ark
The Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence to the ancient nation of Israel. There are many great lessons in the Old Testament stories of the Ark concerning how we should, and should not, treat the presence of the Lord. When the Ark was treated as holy and was carried before them into battle, great and miraculous victories were won (Josh. 6:4 - 11). When the Ark was not treated as holy, but was used as a good luck charm, they lost the Ark and the battle and it was captured by their enemies (1 Sam. 4:1 - 11).
Pastors and Church leaders must know how to carry the "Ark" of God's presence. They must learn how to remain open and submitted to the Lord's leading and learn how not to offend the Spirit. Those who are used mightily in a revival must not say or do anything that might draw attention to themselves and draw people away from the Lord.
Essential conditions for revival
1. All sin must be confessed to God and repented of. If possible make restitution. The Church has to be cleansed - the Lord's bride must be without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:22 - 27), so there would be no room for compromise with sin. If there is anything in our lives about which there is even doubt as to whether it is good or evil - then cast it off!
2. There must be no "cloud" between the believer and God. Have you forgiven everyone? If not, don't expect forgiveness for your own sins. The Scripture is clear, we cannot be forgiven until we have forgiven others (Luke 6:37; 11:4). Unforgiveness separates us from God.
3. We must obey the Holy Spirit. Do what the Spirit prompts you to do. Prompt, implicit, unquestioning obedience to the Holy Spirit is required if we are going to be used by Him.
4. There must be public confessions of Christ as Savior. This is not just a one time incident after our salvation experience of water baptism. For the Christians it is a way of life. There is a difference between confession and profession. Do not be a professing Christian only!
Be sensitive to receive God's messengers
History tells us that many revivals failed to get started because men, overreacting to the selfishly ambitious men, rejected the messengers the Lord sent to them. It is right that we desire to see God receives all the glory, but this does not mean that men should not get any attention or recognition. One of the great ironies of Church history is that those who are the most zealous for seeing that men do not steal God's glory almost never experience a true move of God because they reject the messengers He sends to them. Paul was bold to defend his recognition as an apostle because he could not rightly minister to the Churches unless they recognized the purpose for which he had come to them (1 Cor. 9:1, 2; 2 Cor. 12:12, 13).
We must receive a prophet in the name of a prophet if we are going to receive a prophet's reward (Matt. 10:41). If we receive a prophet as just a brother, we will miss what God could have given us. The same is true of every ministry. We must receive a pastor as a pastor if we are going to receive the reward of his ministry. The same is true true of an apostle, an evangelist or a teacher. We must recognize the gift of God in the messenger to receive the gift that God is sending to us.
To receive the gift of God in another is to recognize the work and purpose of God in them. It takes humility to receive the message of God from another men, especially one that we have known for awhile. It is this humility that God is looking for so that He can trust us with His grace (James 4:6).
It is a natural tendency for the leadership to police the Local Church in order to ensure that others are not exalting themselves. In the eyes of the Lord this is a terribel form of spiritual pride and this often causes us to miss the grace of God by rejecting those that He has sent to us as His divine provision. The apostle Paul commended the Galations for reciving him "as an angel from God" even though his flesh was a trial to them (Gal 4:14).
There is a difference between properly honoring someone and worshipping him.
God uses men
Almost every great revival or move of God, in both Scripture and history, was ignited by a single individual. But none of the revivals were sustained by just one individual believer. There were many others that were used by God to prepare the nation for it, and others who fanned the flames throughout the nation. Notice that it was never the presence of a single individual which brought revival, but the presence of God!
The greatest vessel that the Lord uses is still an "earthen vessel". Once we behold the glory of the Lord the vessel losses our attention. Compared to the Lord Jesus, even the great apostle Paul was a mere man, an empty earthen vessel.
Revival affects the entire Body of Christ
The most significant result of a past revival was that all Church prejudices and denominational barriers completely collapsed as Pastors and believers of all demonminations worshipped the Lord together. The quarrels of local Christians were either forgotten or instantly healed.
One outstanding characteristic of a past revival was the confession of sin, and it swelled over from the unsaved to the saved, who were broken and humbled by the revelation of the cross of Christ. Bitterness and resentment became unthinkable, as they all were compelled to gaze upon the Lord's great mercy and love. This unity was not caused by persecution, but by the glory and presence of the Lord. This became a profound historic example of how all of our individual crowns will be cast to the feet of the Lamb when He enters His Church!
On the negative side, many Pastors and Church leaders quickly burned out by trying to do too much. Consequently, multitudes who were touched by the revival and had a genuine encounter with the Lord were lost again to the world because there were not enough workers to care for them, to help to raise them spiritually. It is hard to take the time to equip other workers and ministries in the heat of a revival. God needs workers who takes time to rest - to enter His rest.
Desperate prayer, supplication and intercession
Deep spiritual awakening or revival, whether in the Local Church or in the whole country, begins with desperate people. Hannah, the prophet Samuel's mother, is a good example of those whom God uses to give birth to His purposes. Hannah became so desperate for a son that she was willing to give that son back to the Lord after she received him. This kind of devotion never fails to move the Lord to respond to His people, and it is what He must see in His people before He can trust them with true revival. When we are willing to give everything that is born back to Him, for His glory, releasing control of it for Him to raise it as He sees fit, we are then ready for revival.
The Scripture has proven over and over that the Lord will answer the prayers of desperate Christians - Christians who are sick of the tired, weary, cold and mechanical and liveless Church "services"; Christians who are heartbroken over the deadness of the Church, over sinners who are eternally lost, and who are desperate about their own spiritual condition.
Prayer brings Brokenness
God cannot use a person who is not broken and completely surrendered to Him. When Jesus met Peter in his fishing boat, Peter had one reaction: He was convinced in his heart, he felt as if he was too sinful for Jesus to be in his boat with him. Having denied Jesus three times, he was broken by the grace and forgiveness of Christ in giving him the opportunity to preach the first sermon in the history of the Church. As a result of Peter's ministry, three thousand came to Christ at the Day of Pentecost. Peter was also used by Christ to open the spiritual door to the Gentile world. God was able to use Peter once he had been broken.
I realize that a lack of brokenness causes a person who is used by God to become proud and arrogant. However, when a man is broken, his heart resists pride. Therefore, he can be used by God to a great degree.
How does brokenness begin? When you come in contact with God in your time of prayer, the first thing you feel in your heart, as you enter into His divine presence, is a realization of your sin. No one can sense pride in the presence of the Holy God. Once you sense your lack of natural qualifications to be in His Holy Presence, you will begin to confess your sin and humble yourself before God. Your immediately reaction is one of brokenness. Brokenness and pride cannot coexist!
Amazingly, as you enter into the Presence, you will be made aware of reactions, attitudes and actions that you may have forgotten. Just as Peter could not bear to have Christ in his boat because of the recognition of his sins, so also, you become aware of your great need before His Holy Presence. The next natural reaction to the Presence is the desire to be forgiven of your sin and to be set free with confession.
Keeping our First Love
Our first love must be for the Lord Himself, and then for His purpose. People can want revival for many different reasons, some of them selfish. Parents who love each other more than they love their children will love their children more than other parents do. If we will love the Lord more than we love His purposes, we will then be able to love His purposes properly without making them idols.
I believe true evangelism and true revival is born out of deep love for the Lord, not just a love for the lost, though that is of course important. Similarly, true prayer and intercession is likewise founded upon a desire to be united with the Lord, not just an effort to get Him to do something for us!
The Lord sees only one Church
Scripture tells us that before the end of this age comes, the Church will be unified. The Lord is returning for a Bride, not a harem! The prayers of Jesus will be answered (John 17).
When the Lord looks down upon the earth He sees only one Church. The many divisions perpetrated upon the Church were divised in hell, not in heaven, and they will be overthrown before the end comes. We must have unity if we are going to be prepared for the great harvest that will mark the end of this age (Mark 13:39).
It is a basic Biblical and historic truth that God does not anoint division. No great revival or move of God has ever emerged from a divided Church!
Revival is the Work of God
The psalmist said, "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You" (Ps. 85:6, NKJV)?
The word "revive" means "to cause to live". The psalmist cried out to God to recover His people from the condition as a state of death.
Prophet Habakkuk cried out to the Lord, "O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2).
Men can pray for a revival but we cannot cause a revival. Revival is the work of the Godhead - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. it is His prerogative and He sets the time, period and place!
The Move of the Holy Spirit
There is a great difference between preaching from a source of knowledge and preaching from a well of living water that flows from the throne of God.
That the Lord has chosen men to be His habitation must be one of the great marvels of the creation. But God has also chosen men to do His work, and He often uses just a single individual to ignite a new move of His Holy Spirit.
You don't advertise a fire
A true move of God is not fueled by money, organization or advertising. True revival only comes when the pillar of fire, that is the presence of God Himself, picks up and moves. To try to organize, promote or sell a move of God is profanity in its lowest form!
You can't plan a revival
Broken plans seem to be the hallmark of revivals. Revival is the plan of the Holy Spirit. This does not imply that leadership and organization are not needed in the Church. But when the Spirit is doing something new and fresh, the greatest gift is not knowing how to lead, but knowing how to follow.
Seek the wine, not the wineskin
There does not seem to be a single example in Church history where a wineskin of Church organization was built before the new wine of revival was given. Those who have tried to build the wineskin first have often found themselves out of step and unable to receive the new wine when it came. The Lord has never restricted Himself to move by any predetermined formula. There is one quality common to those who have been mightily used by the Holy Spirit - they were able to hear the sound of the Holy Spirit moving and were willing to move the way that He wanted them to move in a particular time and in a particular place.
The power and the desire of prayer
The first sign of revival is when Christians become aware of the power of prayer. Prayer meeting that had been drudgery before becomes the main attractions not only in the Local Church, but even for entire cities. Meetings swelled until overflowing, both with people and with the anointing. Meetings that are expected to be regular services, quickly become prayer meetings.
Saving of souls
The main focus of prayer for any revival is always for the lost. There can be no revival without soul-winning. Every Christian has a burning agony for the lost. There is no set pattern of strategy for the witnessing; it is simply born out of an overflowing joy and faith that can't be contained in those who know the Savior.
Learn how to carry the Ark
The Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence to the ancient nation of Israel. There are many great lessons in the Old Testament stories of the Ark concerning how we should, and should not, treat the presence of the Lord. When the Ark was treated as holy and was carried before them into battle, great and miraculous victories were won (Josh. 6:4 - 11). When the Ark was not treated as holy, but was used as a good luck charm, they lost the Ark and the battle and it was captured by their enemies (1 Sam. 4:1 - 11).
Pastors and Church leaders must know how to carry the "Ark" of God's presence. They must learn how to remain open and submitted to the Lord's leading and learn how not to offend the Spirit. Those who are used mightily in a revival must not say or do anything that might draw attention to themselves and draw people away from the Lord.
Essential conditions for revival
1. All sin must be confessed to God and repented of. If possible make restitution. The Church has to be cleansed - the Lord's bride must be without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:22 - 27), so there would be no room for compromise with sin. If there is anything in our lives about which there is even doubt as to whether it is good or evil - then cast it off!
2. There must be no "cloud" between the believer and God. Have you forgiven everyone? If not, don't expect forgiveness for your own sins. The Scripture is clear, we cannot be forgiven until we have forgiven others (Luke 6:37; 11:4). Unforgiveness separates us from God.
3. We must obey the Holy Spirit. Do what the Spirit prompts you to do. Prompt, implicit, unquestioning obedience to the Holy Spirit is required if we are going to be used by Him.
4. There must be public confessions of Christ as Savior. This is not just a one time incident after our salvation experience of water baptism. For the Christians it is a way of life. There is a difference between confession and profession. Do not be a professing Christian only!
Be sensitive to receive God's messengers
History tells us that many revivals failed to get started because men, overreacting to the selfishly ambitious men, rejected the messengers the Lord sent to them. It is right that we desire to see God receives all the glory, but this does not mean that men should not get any attention or recognition. One of the great ironies of Church history is that those who are the most zealous for seeing that men do not steal God's glory almost never experience a true move of God because they reject the messengers He sends to them. Paul was bold to defend his recognition as an apostle because he could not rightly minister to the Churches unless they recognized the purpose for which he had come to them (1 Cor. 9:1, 2; 2 Cor. 12:12, 13).
We must receive a prophet in the name of a prophet if we are going to receive a prophet's reward (Matt. 10:41). If we receive a prophet as just a brother, we will miss what God could have given us. The same is true of every ministry. We must receive a pastor as a pastor if we are going to receive the reward of his ministry. The same is true true of an apostle, an evangelist or a teacher. We must recognize the gift of God in the messenger to receive the gift that God is sending to us.
To receive the gift of God in another is to recognize the work and purpose of God in them. It takes humility to receive the message of God from another men, especially one that we have known for awhile. It is this humility that God is looking for so that He can trust us with His grace (James 4:6).
It is a natural tendency for the leadership to police the Local Church in order to ensure that others are not exalting themselves. In the eyes of the Lord this is a terribel form of spiritual pride and this often causes us to miss the grace of God by rejecting those that He has sent to us as His divine provision. The apostle Paul commended the Galations for reciving him "as an angel from God" even though his flesh was a trial to them (Gal 4:14).
There is a difference between properly honoring someone and worshipping him.
God uses men
Almost every great revival or move of God, in both Scripture and history, was ignited by a single individual. But none of the revivals were sustained by just one individual believer. There were many others that were used by God to prepare the nation for it, and others who fanned the flames throughout the nation. Notice that it was never the presence of a single individual which brought revival, but the presence of God!
The greatest vessel that the Lord uses is still an "earthen vessel". Once we behold the glory of the Lord the vessel losses our attention. Compared to the Lord Jesus, even the great apostle Paul was a mere man, an empty earthen vessel.
Revival affects the entire Body of Christ
The most significant result of a past revival was that all Church prejudices and denominational barriers completely collapsed as Pastors and believers of all demonminations worshipped the Lord together. The quarrels of local Christians were either forgotten or instantly healed.
One outstanding characteristic of a past revival was the confession of sin, and it swelled over from the unsaved to the saved, who were broken and humbled by the revelation of the cross of Christ. Bitterness and resentment became unthinkable, as they all were compelled to gaze upon the Lord's great mercy and love. This unity was not caused by persecution, but by the glory and presence of the Lord. This became a profound historic example of how all of our individual crowns will be cast to the feet of the Lamb when He enters His Church!
On the negative side, many Pastors and Church leaders quickly burned out by trying to do too much. Consequently, multitudes who were touched by the revival and had a genuine encounter with the Lord were lost again to the world because there were not enough workers to care for them, to help to raise them spiritually. It is hard to take the time to equip other workers and ministries in the heat of a revival. God needs workers who takes time to rest - to enter His rest.
Desperate prayer, supplication and intercession
Deep spiritual awakening or revival, whether in the Local Church or in the whole country, begins with desperate people. Hannah, the prophet Samuel's mother, is a good example of those whom God uses to give birth to His purposes. Hannah became so desperate for a son that she was willing to give that son back to the Lord after she received him. This kind of devotion never fails to move the Lord to respond to His people, and it is what He must see in His people before He can trust them with true revival. When we are willing to give everything that is born back to Him, for His glory, releasing control of it for Him to raise it as He sees fit, we are then ready for revival.
The Scripture has proven over and over that the Lord will answer the prayers of desperate Christians - Christians who are sick of the tired, weary, cold and mechanical and liveless Church "services"; Christians who are heartbroken over the deadness of the Church, over sinners who are eternally lost, and who are desperate about their own spiritual condition.
Prayer brings Brokenness
God cannot use a person who is not broken and completely surrendered to Him. When Jesus met Peter in his fishing boat, Peter had one reaction: He was convinced in his heart, he felt as if he was too sinful for Jesus to be in his boat with him. Having denied Jesus three times, he was broken by the grace and forgiveness of Christ in giving him the opportunity to preach the first sermon in the history of the Church. As a result of Peter's ministry, three thousand came to Christ at the Day of Pentecost. Peter was also used by Christ to open the spiritual door to the Gentile world. God was able to use Peter once he had been broken.
I realize that a lack of brokenness causes a person who is used by God to become proud and arrogant. However, when a man is broken, his heart resists pride. Therefore, he can be used by God to a great degree.
How does brokenness begin? When you come in contact with God in your time of prayer, the first thing you feel in your heart, as you enter into His divine presence, is a realization of your sin. No one can sense pride in the presence of the Holy God. Once you sense your lack of natural qualifications to be in His Holy Presence, you will begin to confess your sin and humble yourself before God. Your immediately reaction is one of brokenness. Brokenness and pride cannot coexist!
Amazingly, as you enter into the Presence, you will be made aware of reactions, attitudes and actions that you may have forgotten. Just as Peter could not bear to have Christ in his boat because of the recognition of his sins, so also, you become aware of your great need before His Holy Presence. The next natural reaction to the Presence is the desire to be forgiven of your sin and to be set free with confession.
Keeping our First Love
Our first love must be for the Lord Himself, and then for His purpose. People can want revival for many different reasons, some of them selfish. Parents who love each other more than they love their children will love their children more than other parents do. If we will love the Lord more than we love His purposes, we will then be able to love His purposes properly without making them idols.
I believe true evangelism and true revival is born out of deep love for the Lord, not just a love for the lost, though that is of course important. Similarly, true prayer and intercession is likewise founded upon a desire to be united with the Lord, not just an effort to get Him to do something for us!
The Lord sees only one Church
Scripture tells us that before the end of this age comes, the Church will be unified. The Lord is returning for a Bride, not a harem! The prayers of Jesus will be answered (John 17).
When the Lord looks down upon the earth He sees only one Church. The many divisions perpetrated upon the Church were divised in hell, not in heaven, and they will be overthrown before the end comes. We must have unity if we are going to be prepared for the great harvest that will mark the end of this age (Mark 13:39).
It is a basic Biblical and historic truth that God does not anoint division. No great revival or move of God has ever emerged from a divided Church!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Satan's Dwelling Place
Some people just cannot comprehend that Satan still has a kingdom in the heavenly realm (or in the heavenly places). It is generally assumed that Satan is in hell or hades, a place of confinement for departed disobedient souls below the earth. But this can't be true because if that is so, it s not necessary for us to get involved in spiritual warfare.
Paul said, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12, NKJV, emphasis added).
By the use of several translations the above verse of Scripture says: "For our wrestling match is not against flesh and blood, not against persons with bodies, but against despotism, against wicked powers, against rulers with various areas and descending orders of authority, against the heavenlies".
Here are some statements of truth:
1. I use the term "wrestling match" because wrestling is the most intense of all forms of conflict between two opponents. Every part of the body, every skill, and every trick must be used for success. It is a total conflict.
2. Satan's dwelling place is in the heavenly places, in the heavenlies or somewhere in heaven.
3. Satan's kingdom is a hightly structured and well-organized kingdom with descending orders of authority with different rulers and sub-rulers responsible for different areas of their territories.
Jesus had brought healing to a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute by driving out the evil spirit (Matt. 12:22 - 28).
"And all the multitudes were amazed and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?' Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, 'This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the rulers of the demons" (Matt. 12:23, 24, NKJV).
Beelzebub means, literally, "lord of flies". It is a title of satan particularly as the ruler over demons because the demons are compared to the whole insect domain.
Further revelation of Satan's kingdom
In Matthew 12 Jesus responded to the accusation of Pharisees (V.24) in the following verses:
"But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand" (Matt. 12:25, 26)?
The above is a clear implication that, first, Satan has a kingdom. Second, it is not divided but highly organized. Third, it stands and has not yet been overthrown.
Revelation of God's Kingdom
Jesus continued, "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matt. 12:27, 28, emphasis added).
Jesus here mentioned another kingdom, the Kingdom of God. By the implication of verse 28, the ministry of driving out demons brings the forces of Satan's kingdom out into the open. The Kingdom of God is superior because demons are driven out under the authority of the Kingdom of God.
In the final analysis, there are two kingdoms or domains in opposition - the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.
Paul said, "... giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:12 - 14, emphasis added).
The phrase "power of darkness" indicates that Satan has authority and he is the ruler of a kingdom that the Bible recognizes. These two kingdoms are engaged in mortal warfare and the war is coming to its climax in our days as this age comes to a close.
Satan's Dwelling Place
Many Christians believe that Satan has been cast out of heaven long ago. But if that is true, how is that according to Ephesians 6:12 he still occupies a place in the heavenly realm? The two questions we seek to answer are - One, does Satan still have access to the presence of God? The other question is, where in the heavenly realm is Satan's dwelling place?
Satan had access to the presence of God
There are passages of Scripture that describe events that took place after the initial rebellion and casting out of Satan by God (Isaiah 14:12 - 15). These passages indicate that Satan still had access to the presence of God in heaven in the days of Job:
In the days of Job, when God's angels came to present themselves and report to the Lord, Satan was there among them:
"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it'" (Job 1:6, 7, NKJV, emphasis added).
Almost exactly the same incident was recorded again in Job 2:1, 2.
Here are some statements of truth:
1. These passages seem to indicate that God's angels (sons of God) did not identify Satan. I believe the reason being, Satan could transform himself as "an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14).
2. From the conversation between the Lord and Satan we realize that the only one who could identify Satan was the Lord.
3. The Lord did not immediately banish Satan from His Presence, but actually had a conversation with him.
Therefore, we know that in the time of Job, Satan still had access to the presence of God in heaven.
Satan still has access to the presence of God now
Now let us turn to the Book of Revelation which speaks of the future, in particular, concerning Satan's activities:
".... who (Satan, devil, dragon or serpent of old) accused them (God's people) before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they (God's people) overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Rev. 12:10, 11, emphasis added).
This passage of Scripture clearly indicates that Satan still has access to the presence of God - long after the original rebellion of Satan.
There are at least three heavens
From our discussion so far, we come to the conclusion that Satan does not dwell in the same heaven that God dwells even though he is allowed to come in the presence of the Almighty God. And so there must be more than one heaven. Satan had heen cast out from the heaven where God dwells but he will only be cast down from the heaven where he dwells at the end of the age (Rev. 12).
The Bible says clearly there are more than one heaven:
1. The first verse of the Bible says God created more than one heaven:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and earth" (Genesis 1:1, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Hebrew word for "heavens" is "shamayim" - the "im" is the plural ending.
2. Solomon, in his prayer to God before he built the temple, said, "But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him" (2 Chron. 2:6, emphasis added)?
The phrase, "heaven and the heaven of heavens" obviously indicates there are at least two heavens".
3. The psalmist says there are at least two heavens: "Praise Him, you heavens of heavens. And you waters above the heavens" (Ps. 148:4, emphasis added)!
4. Paul said, "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows - such a one was caught up in the third heaven" (2 cor. 12:2, emphasis added).
Common sense tells us that you cannot have a third heaven unless you have the first heaven and the second heaven. And so there are at least three heavens.
The three heavens identified
Paul said further, "... how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (Verse 4, emphasis added).
The man whom Paul was talking about was "caught up into Paradise". In Scripture the word "Paradise" speaks of the "presence of God". Therefore this man was caught up into the presence of God!
Notice that, on the cross, Jesus spoke to the repentant thief: "Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
When we read the above verse together with verses 2 and 4 in 2 Cor. 12, we come to the conclusion that the presence of God (or Paradise) is in the third heaven. And so the third heaven must be God's dwelling place!
Paul, referring to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, said: "He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things" (Eph. 4:10, emphasis added).
The above verse clearly confirms there are only three heavens because God is above all the heavens - meaning He is above the two lower heavens. Furthermore, in English, we can't use the word "all" where there are less than three - "one" is one; "two" is both.
What are the three heavens? I believe the first heaven is the visible and natural heaven with the sun, the moon, and the stars that we see with our eyes. The third heaven, we know from 2 Cor. 12, is God's dwelling place. It is the Paradise, the place of rest of the departed righteous. It is the place to which the man was caught up and heard God speaking words which could not be uttered.
So we are left with the second heaven. Logically and clearly, the second heaven must be somewhere between the first and the third heaven. Now, as we have seen earlier, Satan was cast out from the presence of God in the beginning of his rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12). He was cast out of the third heaven to the second heaven. Therefore, this second heaven is Satan's dwelling place or his area of operation. This is the place that Satan sets up his whole empire to oppose mankind's earthly empires! That is the reason why sometimes we find how hard it is to break through to God in our prayers. Like what Daniel experienced (Daniel 10), sometimes we believe that God instantly hears our prayers when we pray according to his will, and yet the answer tarries!
Paul said, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12, NKJV, emphasis added).
By the use of several translations the above verse of Scripture says: "For our wrestling match is not against flesh and blood, not against persons with bodies, but against despotism, against wicked powers, against rulers with various areas and descending orders of authority, against the heavenlies".
Here are some statements of truth:
1. I use the term "wrestling match" because wrestling is the most intense of all forms of conflict between two opponents. Every part of the body, every skill, and every trick must be used for success. It is a total conflict.
2. Satan's dwelling place is in the heavenly places, in the heavenlies or somewhere in heaven.
3. Satan's kingdom is a hightly structured and well-organized kingdom with descending orders of authority with different rulers and sub-rulers responsible for different areas of their territories.
Jesus had brought healing to a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute by driving out the evil spirit (Matt. 12:22 - 28).
"And all the multitudes were amazed and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?' Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, 'This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the rulers of the demons" (Matt. 12:23, 24, NKJV).
Beelzebub means, literally, "lord of flies". It is a title of satan particularly as the ruler over demons because the demons are compared to the whole insect domain.
Further revelation of Satan's kingdom
In Matthew 12 Jesus responded to the accusation of Pharisees (V.24) in the following verses:
"But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand" (Matt. 12:25, 26)?
The above is a clear implication that, first, Satan has a kingdom. Second, it is not divided but highly organized. Third, it stands and has not yet been overthrown.
Revelation of God's Kingdom
Jesus continued, "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matt. 12:27, 28, emphasis added).
Jesus here mentioned another kingdom, the Kingdom of God. By the implication of verse 28, the ministry of driving out demons brings the forces of Satan's kingdom out into the open. The Kingdom of God is superior because demons are driven out under the authority of the Kingdom of God.
In the final analysis, there are two kingdoms or domains in opposition - the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.
Paul said, "... giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:12 - 14, emphasis added).
The phrase "power of darkness" indicates that Satan has authority and he is the ruler of a kingdom that the Bible recognizes. These two kingdoms are engaged in mortal warfare and the war is coming to its climax in our days as this age comes to a close.
Satan's Dwelling Place
Many Christians believe that Satan has been cast out of heaven long ago. But if that is true, how is that according to Ephesians 6:12 he still occupies a place in the heavenly realm? The two questions we seek to answer are - One, does Satan still have access to the presence of God? The other question is, where in the heavenly realm is Satan's dwelling place?
Satan had access to the presence of God
There are passages of Scripture that describe events that took place after the initial rebellion and casting out of Satan by God (Isaiah 14:12 - 15). These passages indicate that Satan still had access to the presence of God in heaven in the days of Job:
In the days of Job, when God's angels came to present themselves and report to the Lord, Satan was there among them:
"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it'" (Job 1:6, 7, NKJV, emphasis added).
Almost exactly the same incident was recorded again in Job 2:1, 2.
Here are some statements of truth:
1. These passages seem to indicate that God's angels (sons of God) did not identify Satan. I believe the reason being, Satan could transform himself as "an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:14).
2. From the conversation between the Lord and Satan we realize that the only one who could identify Satan was the Lord.
3. The Lord did not immediately banish Satan from His Presence, but actually had a conversation with him.
Therefore, we know that in the time of Job, Satan still had access to the presence of God in heaven.
Satan still has access to the presence of God now
Now let us turn to the Book of Revelation which speaks of the future, in particular, concerning Satan's activities:
".... who (Satan, devil, dragon or serpent of old) accused them (God's people) before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they (God's people) overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Rev. 12:10, 11, emphasis added).
This passage of Scripture clearly indicates that Satan still has access to the presence of God - long after the original rebellion of Satan.
There are at least three heavens
From our discussion so far, we come to the conclusion that Satan does not dwell in the same heaven that God dwells even though he is allowed to come in the presence of the Almighty God. And so there must be more than one heaven. Satan had heen cast out from the heaven where God dwells but he will only be cast down from the heaven where he dwells at the end of the age (Rev. 12).
The Bible says clearly there are more than one heaven:
1. The first verse of the Bible says God created more than one heaven:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and earth" (Genesis 1:1, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Hebrew word for "heavens" is "shamayim" - the "im" is the plural ending.
2. Solomon, in his prayer to God before he built the temple, said, "But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him" (2 Chron. 2:6, emphasis added)?
The phrase, "heaven and the heaven of heavens" obviously indicates there are at least two heavens".
3. The psalmist says there are at least two heavens: "Praise Him, you heavens of heavens. And you waters above the heavens" (Ps. 148:4, emphasis added)!
4. Paul said, "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago - whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows - such a one was caught up in the third heaven" (2 cor. 12:2, emphasis added).
Common sense tells us that you cannot have a third heaven unless you have the first heaven and the second heaven. And so there are at least three heavens.
The three heavens identified
Paul said further, "... how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (Verse 4, emphasis added).
The man whom Paul was talking about was "caught up into Paradise". In Scripture the word "Paradise" speaks of the "presence of God". Therefore this man was caught up into the presence of God!
Notice that, on the cross, Jesus spoke to the repentant thief: "Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
When we read the above verse together with verses 2 and 4 in 2 Cor. 12, we come to the conclusion that the presence of God (or Paradise) is in the third heaven. And so the third heaven must be God's dwelling place!
Paul, referring to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, said: "He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things" (Eph. 4:10, emphasis added).
The above verse clearly confirms there are only three heavens because God is above all the heavens - meaning He is above the two lower heavens. Furthermore, in English, we can't use the word "all" where there are less than three - "one" is one; "two" is both.
What are the three heavens? I believe the first heaven is the visible and natural heaven with the sun, the moon, and the stars that we see with our eyes. The third heaven, we know from 2 Cor. 12, is God's dwelling place. It is the Paradise, the place of rest of the departed righteous. It is the place to which the man was caught up and heard God speaking words which could not be uttered.
So we are left with the second heaven. Logically and clearly, the second heaven must be somewhere between the first and the third heaven. Now, as we have seen earlier, Satan was cast out from the presence of God in the beginning of his rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12). He was cast out of the third heaven to the second heaven. Therefore, this second heaven is Satan's dwelling place or his area of operation. This is the place that Satan sets up his whole empire to oppose mankind's earthly empires! That is the reason why sometimes we find how hard it is to break through to God in our prayers. Like what Daniel experienced (Daniel 10), sometimes we believe that God instantly hears our prayers when we pray according to his will, and yet the answer tarries!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Army and the Bride
The Scripture revealed that the primary purpose and plan of God for His New Testament people is to be the Army of Christ and at the same time to be prepared as the Bride of Christ. When we are born again we become representatives of God's Kingdom here on earth. Whether we like it or not, we find ourselves involved in an all out war with an opposing kingdom. This opposing kingdom is Satan's kingdom, which is a highly organized kingdom of evil beings - persons without bodies. Therefore we are involved in a spiritual warfare.
This message is the introductory Spiritual Warfare message concerning the Church as Christ's Army and Christ's Bride. In the the forthcoming message, the Lord willing, we will discuss the following topics: The dwelling place of God and the dwelling place of Satan; the battle ground and Satan's authority; agressive warfare prayers; our spiritual weapons and how to launch the weapons. The Scripture is our only source of information and it is our responsibility to search for it. This information will help us to fight with certainty and to fight to win.
Paul said, "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air" (1 Cor. 9:26, NKJV).
Distinctive Pictures of Believers in Christ
Paul's epistle to the Ephesians reveals seven distinctive pictures of believers in Christ:
The Church - "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, ..." (Eph. 1:22, emphasis added).
The word "Church" comes from the Greek word "ekklesia" which means "an assembly" - A group of poeple called out by God to form a special group for a special purpose. The word "assembly" that appears in Acts 19:32, 39, 41, is used to described the riot in Ephesus.
The special responsibility given to this group of people is to serve Jesus Christ and to be prepared by Him to become the collective instrument of the Government which He will establish in the next age. Someone said that it is God's purpose to govern the nations through the Church.
The moment a person is regenerated and born agin by the Spirit of God he automatically becomes a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Therefore he needs not apply for membership. God expects him to come together with other believers in a local Church assembly for worship and fellowship on a regular basis. On the other hand, membership in a local Church has nothing to do with being recognized by God as a member of His Church. If a believer has been a member of a local Church for 20 year, but he is not born again, he has not entered the kingdom of God, and therefore he does not actually belong the the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Body - "... which (the Church) is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph 1:23, emphasis added).
Paul also said, in his other epistles that believers collectively are the Body of Christ:
"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (1 Cor. 12:27).
"And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18).
We, the Church are the Body of Christ. The function of the body is to do the will of the head. It is our head (Christ) that controls the movement and activities of our various body parts and their God-given functions and gifts. Therefore, as parts of His Body, we must do the will of the Head, our Lord. The body is crippled if any part goes out of alignment with the head. Therefore, the Church will be crippled if some Christians failed to do the will of God. I believe there are many crippled Local Churches that bear little or no fruit for God.
God's Workmanship - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10, emphasis added).
The Church is His workmanship, His created masterpiece. God has chosen to demonstrate His wisdom to the entire universe, including unbelievers and satanic beings, through us, as we do His good works!
"... to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ..." (Eph. 3:10, emphasis added).
God's Family - "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ..." (Eph. 2:21, 22, emphasis added).
We are not outsiders or strangers. We belong to God's family. This implies that as Christians we have horizontal and vertical relationships. We have God as our Father and we are brothers and sisters to one another. Someone said that you may choose your friends but you don't choose your family members. Therefore, whether we like one another or not we have to get along - for we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
God's Temple - "... in whom (Jesus Christ) the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:21, 22, emphasis added).
Paul also said, in his epistle to the Corinthians, that believers are the temple of God:
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" (1 Cor. 3:16, 17).
We are God's dwelling place. Someone said we don't go to Chruch, we are the Church. Where we are the Church is; where the Church is, God is. God's residential address is the Church - the true Church of Jesus Christ.
The Bride of Christ - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and withour blemish" (Eph. 5:25 - 27, emphasis added).
Here we use the principle of making inference because we can't find anywhere in the Scripture which indicates explicitly and directly that the Church is the Bride of Christ.
Paul said early, "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body" (Eph. 5:23).
The above verses indicate, without any doubt, that the relationship between the husband and the wife is similar to the relatioship between Christ and the Church - a relationship of intense love, total commitment and deep yearning for each other! We are one with Christ.
However it is important to note that Paul made it plain that only those Christians who have gone through a process of cleansing and sanctifying "with the washing of water by the word" (V. 26) will be in the condition necessary for their final presentation to Christ as His Bride. Therefore it is extremely important that Christians who want to be the Bride of Christ understand the Scripture thoroughly, knowing that there are many compromising preachers, teachers and pastors in the Church today. Instead preaching sound doctrine they are likely to preach "itching ear" and men-pleasing doctrines (2 Tim. 4:3). Those who listen to such preaching will not fulfill the condition for being the Bride of Christ.
The Bride of Christ will be the "Glorious Church" - "Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing ... Holy and without blemish" (V. 27).
The Army of God - "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10, 11).
Here again we need to make inferences. What kind of a person that puts on armor? The answer is, a soldier. We notice that the above passage is in the plural. Therefore it is written to Christians collectively and not individually. The name for collective group of soldiers is an army. The army speaks about being tough, manly, disciplined, courageous, standby in ranks and if necessary, each soldier lays down his life in the obedience to orders.
The Army and the Bride
I believe there is great significance in the fact that the two pictures of God's people, the Bride and the Army, were placed last in Paul's description of the seven pictures of God's people. This represents the end time emphasis of the Holy Spirit. This certainly concerns us as Christians in our involvement in Spiritual Warfare.
There is an apparent paradox in moving from being the Bride to being the Army. I can't think of any two things in the natural less like one another than a bride and a soldier, a member in the army. The nature of the bride is tender, yearning passionate, expectant, gentle and sweet. It is just the opposite to the the picture of the soldier.
It seems to me that the time has come when the Bride is being prepared by God to meet the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Army is being organized and disciplined and equipped also by God to go out and fight the great End-time spiritual conflict. I believe God is asking us to take on both these aspects. He is asking you and me to take on the nature and character of the Bride in our relationship to the Bridegroom. But He is also asking us to be very military minded and to be prepared to take up a soldier's life, and to accept the discipline, the hardship and the pressure of the military life. We are living in an exciting time in God's timetable!
I notice that there is only one verse in the entire Bible that interestingly combines these two beautiful pictures of God's people:
"Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners" (Song of Solomon 6:10, NKJV).
The Song of Solomon pictures Israel as God's betrothed Bride (Hosea 2:19, 20) and prophetically, the true Church as the Bride of Christ. As human life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of a man and a woman, so spiritual life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of God for His chosen people, and the love of Christ for His Church.
I believe Song of Solomon 6:10 depicts a very beautiful picture of the Bride. She is like the brightness in the morning after a long dark night. She comes forth with the brilliant and the beauty of the rising sun. She is as fair as the moon.
The unique function of the moon is to reflect the sun. Similarly, the function of the Church is to reflect the Sun of Righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ (Malachi 4:2). the moon is not constant, it vexes and vanes. So is the Church. In the Book of Acts we see the early Church as a full moon, reflected the whole nature and minintry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church had the ministries and gifts as those of Christ when He was in His humanity at the time of the twelve apostles. But, according to history and observation, the moon began to vane, and it became smaller and smaller reflected less and less of Christ. And then the moon was no longer there - The Church lost her function of reflecting the light of the sun. I believe that was during the Dark Ages! Then the moon began to appear again and reflected a little of Christ but it has been vexing and vaning. Many prophetic teachers tell us that at the close of this age, the "moon" of the Church will be full again with all the ministries and gifts restored and it will fully and accurately reflect the Sun of Righteousness again. But, one thing is certain - Jesus Himself said: "... the harvest is at the end of the age ..." (Matt. 13:39).
Whatever happens, the moon only depicts part of the picture of the Bride. But then the same verse also says that the Bride is as "clear as the sun". So, although the Church is as responsible as the moon as to reflect the sun, nevertheless the Church is also clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself - the Sun of Righteousness!
"For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).
The last part of the picture of the Bride is "... awesome as an army with banners". The banner speaks of victory. I am sure this is the picture that makes all the forces of evil tremble! The Bride is not called just to win a battle or two but to proclaim and administer the total victory of the War that her Bridegroom has already won on the cross!
I believe the Holy Spirit is challenging us, calling us to repentance, to humble ourselves before Him who sets before us God's objective. The Church is facing two options, to rise up and get involved in what God is doing or to carry on "sleeping", doing things our own way and left out of it. The Church today is assuming there is a revival coming, but you don't see many Christians in the prayer meeting! Church members, and even pastors, have little or no idea of what Spiritual Warfare involves. Many are "at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1).
Beloved, revival start in the hearts of individual Christians and starts from the hearts of pastors and Church leaders; starts with prayer burden with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is possible to go the heaven whan a Christian dies, but misses most of what God has for him while he lives. It is never the will of God for God's people to live out his earthly life, be a religious and churchy Christian who sits in the pews, and be an easy target for Satan! The Bride of Christ is called to be the Army of God and called to get involved in doing God's will - in Spiritual Warfare!
This message is the introductory Spiritual Warfare message concerning the Church as Christ's Army and Christ's Bride. In the the forthcoming message, the Lord willing, we will discuss the following topics: The dwelling place of God and the dwelling place of Satan; the battle ground and Satan's authority; agressive warfare prayers; our spiritual weapons and how to launch the weapons. The Scripture is our only source of information and it is our responsibility to search for it. This information will help us to fight with certainty and to fight to win.
Paul said, "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air" (1 Cor. 9:26, NKJV).
Distinctive Pictures of Believers in Christ
Paul's epistle to the Ephesians reveals seven distinctive pictures of believers in Christ:
The Church - "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, ..." (Eph. 1:22, emphasis added).
The word "Church" comes from the Greek word "ekklesia" which means "an assembly" - A group of poeple called out by God to form a special group for a special purpose. The word "assembly" that appears in Acts 19:32, 39, 41, is used to described the riot in Ephesus.
The special responsibility given to this group of people is to serve Jesus Christ and to be prepared by Him to become the collective instrument of the Government which He will establish in the next age. Someone said that it is God's purpose to govern the nations through the Church.
The moment a person is regenerated and born agin by the Spirit of God he automatically becomes a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Therefore he needs not apply for membership. God expects him to come together with other believers in a local Church assembly for worship and fellowship on a regular basis. On the other hand, membership in a local Church has nothing to do with being recognized by God as a member of His Church. If a believer has been a member of a local Church for 20 year, but he is not born again, he has not entered the kingdom of God, and therefore he does not actually belong the the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Body - "... which (the Church) is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph 1:23, emphasis added).
Paul also said, in his other epistles that believers collectively are the Body of Christ:
"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (1 Cor. 12:27).
"And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18).
We, the Church are the Body of Christ. The function of the body is to do the will of the head. It is our head (Christ) that controls the movement and activities of our various body parts and their God-given functions and gifts. Therefore, as parts of His Body, we must do the will of the Head, our Lord. The body is crippled if any part goes out of alignment with the head. Therefore, the Church will be crippled if some Christians failed to do the will of God. I believe there are many crippled Local Churches that bear little or no fruit for God.
God's Workmanship - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10, emphasis added).
The Church is His workmanship, His created masterpiece. God has chosen to demonstrate His wisdom to the entire universe, including unbelievers and satanic beings, through us, as we do His good works!
"... to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ..." (Eph. 3:10, emphasis added).
God's Family - "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ..." (Eph. 2:21, 22, emphasis added).
We are not outsiders or strangers. We belong to God's family. This implies that as Christians we have horizontal and vertical relationships. We have God as our Father and we are brothers and sisters to one another. Someone said that you may choose your friends but you don't choose your family members. Therefore, whether we like one another or not we have to get along - for we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
God's Temple - "... in whom (Jesus Christ) the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:21, 22, emphasis added).
Paul also said, in his epistle to the Corinthians, that believers are the temple of God:
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" (1 Cor. 3:16, 17).
We are God's dwelling place. Someone said we don't go to Chruch, we are the Church. Where we are the Church is; where the Church is, God is. God's residential address is the Church - the true Church of Jesus Christ.
The Bride of Christ - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and withour blemish" (Eph. 5:25 - 27, emphasis added).
Here we use the principle of making inference because we can't find anywhere in the Scripture which indicates explicitly and directly that the Church is the Bride of Christ.
Paul said early, "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body" (Eph. 5:23).
The above verses indicate, without any doubt, that the relationship between the husband and the wife is similar to the relatioship between Christ and the Church - a relationship of intense love, total commitment and deep yearning for each other! We are one with Christ.
However it is important to note that Paul made it plain that only those Christians who have gone through a process of cleansing and sanctifying "with the washing of water by the word" (V. 26) will be in the condition necessary for their final presentation to Christ as His Bride. Therefore it is extremely important that Christians who want to be the Bride of Christ understand the Scripture thoroughly, knowing that there are many compromising preachers, teachers and pastors in the Church today. Instead preaching sound doctrine they are likely to preach "itching ear" and men-pleasing doctrines (2 Tim. 4:3). Those who listen to such preaching will not fulfill the condition for being the Bride of Christ.
The Bride of Christ will be the "Glorious Church" - "Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing ... Holy and without blemish" (V. 27).
The Army of God - "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10, 11).
Here again we need to make inferences. What kind of a person that puts on armor? The answer is, a soldier. We notice that the above passage is in the plural. Therefore it is written to Christians collectively and not individually. The name for collective group of soldiers is an army. The army speaks about being tough, manly, disciplined, courageous, standby in ranks and if necessary, each soldier lays down his life in the obedience to orders.
The Army and the Bride
I believe there is great significance in the fact that the two pictures of God's people, the Bride and the Army, were placed last in Paul's description of the seven pictures of God's people. This represents the end time emphasis of the Holy Spirit. This certainly concerns us as Christians in our involvement in Spiritual Warfare.
There is an apparent paradox in moving from being the Bride to being the Army. I can't think of any two things in the natural less like one another than a bride and a soldier, a member in the army. The nature of the bride is tender, yearning passionate, expectant, gentle and sweet. It is just the opposite to the the picture of the soldier.
It seems to me that the time has come when the Bride is being prepared by God to meet the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Army is being organized and disciplined and equipped also by God to go out and fight the great End-time spiritual conflict. I believe God is asking us to take on both these aspects. He is asking you and me to take on the nature and character of the Bride in our relationship to the Bridegroom. But He is also asking us to be very military minded and to be prepared to take up a soldier's life, and to accept the discipline, the hardship and the pressure of the military life. We are living in an exciting time in God's timetable!
I notice that there is only one verse in the entire Bible that interestingly combines these two beautiful pictures of God's people:
"Who is she who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, awesome as an army with banners" (Song of Solomon 6:10, NKJV).
The Song of Solomon pictures Israel as God's betrothed Bride (Hosea 2:19, 20) and prophetically, the true Church as the Bride of Christ. As human life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of a man and a woman, so spiritual life finds its highest fulfillment in the love of God for His chosen people, and the love of Christ for His Church.
I believe Song of Solomon 6:10 depicts a very beautiful picture of the Bride. She is like the brightness in the morning after a long dark night. She comes forth with the brilliant and the beauty of the rising sun. She is as fair as the moon.
The unique function of the moon is to reflect the sun. Similarly, the function of the Church is to reflect the Sun of Righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ (Malachi 4:2). the moon is not constant, it vexes and vanes. So is the Church. In the Book of Acts we see the early Church as a full moon, reflected the whole nature and minintry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church had the ministries and gifts as those of Christ when He was in His humanity at the time of the twelve apostles. But, according to history and observation, the moon began to vane, and it became smaller and smaller reflected less and less of Christ. And then the moon was no longer there - The Church lost her function of reflecting the light of the sun. I believe that was during the Dark Ages! Then the moon began to appear again and reflected a little of Christ but it has been vexing and vaning. Many prophetic teachers tell us that at the close of this age, the "moon" of the Church will be full again with all the ministries and gifts restored and it will fully and accurately reflect the Sun of Righteousness again. But, one thing is certain - Jesus Himself said: "... the harvest is at the end of the age ..." (Matt. 13:39).
Whatever happens, the moon only depicts part of the picture of the Bride. But then the same verse also says that the Bride is as "clear as the sun". So, although the Church is as responsible as the moon as to reflect the sun, nevertheless the Church is also clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself - the Sun of Righteousness!
"For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).
The last part of the picture of the Bride is "... awesome as an army with banners". The banner speaks of victory. I am sure this is the picture that makes all the forces of evil tremble! The Bride is not called just to win a battle or two but to proclaim and administer the total victory of the War that her Bridegroom has already won on the cross!
I believe the Holy Spirit is challenging us, calling us to repentance, to humble ourselves before Him who sets before us God's objective. The Church is facing two options, to rise up and get involved in what God is doing or to carry on "sleeping", doing things our own way and left out of it. The Church today is assuming there is a revival coming, but you don't see many Christians in the prayer meeting! Church members, and even pastors, have little or no idea of what Spiritual Warfare involves. Many are "at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1).
Beloved, revival start in the hearts of individual Christians and starts from the hearts of pastors and Church leaders; starts with prayer burden with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is possible to go the heaven whan a Christian dies, but misses most of what God has for him while he lives. It is never the will of God for God's people to live out his earthly life, be a religious and churchy Christian who sits in the pews, and be an easy target for Satan! The Bride of Christ is called to be the Army of God and called to get involved in doing God's will - in Spiritual Warfare!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Authority of Satan
The Scripture indicates clearly that Satan has authority. But God is the Author of all authorities, even Satan's authority, is ultimately God's.
Paul said, "He (God) has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Col. 1:13, NKJV, emphasis added).
When a person is under the power of darkness he is under Satan's authority. Power speaks of authority. What God has done was that He has translated us from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of Christ - power of light.
God talked to Job concerning His power and Satan's authority (Job 41). He was telling Job that Satan, like Leviathan, the sea monster, is the king of those who has pride:
"He (Satan) beholds every high thing; he is king over all the children of pride" (Job 41:34).
All those who live in pride, in disobedience and rebellion against God automatically have Satan as their king and authomatically become members of his government system. Only the sovereign act of God's grace can deliver them and then translate them into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.
Satan's Strongholds and the Battle Field
Paul said, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ..." (2 Cor. 10:3 - 5, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Notice that everthing we do is "in God" or "through God" (KJV). We are always totally dependent upon God.
2. By using various translations of the Bible I discover Satan's strongholds consist of 5 things - arguments, imaginations, reasoning, knowledge and proud thoughts. Notice that these strongholds are in the realm of the mind. Therefore the battle field is the mind of humanity.
Satan builds his stronghold in the mind of people and he gets control certain areas of their mind so that they are no longer free to appreciate the truth of God, no longer free to love God and to love one another. They become unable to think rationally.
3. These verses are very similar to that which Paul said to the believers in Ephesus:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Paul gave the picture of the conflict that we are involed in, as a wrestling match. And this wresting match is not against persons with bodies. The most important thing to understand is that the problem is not human beings, but what is in the minds of human beings. We are dealing with spiritual forces in a spiritual wresting match.
Believers' Assignment
It is our responsibilities to cast down the strongholds in the minds of men and women and to release them from the deception and captivity of Satan, and to bring their minds into the captivity of obedience to Christ - that is our assignment. We are the only group of people here on earth can do the job because we have the spiritual weapons to intervene in the spirit realm. Physical military weapons like warplanes, warships, tanks and guns can't do the job because they can't be used in the spirit realm.
An important fact revealed by the Scripture is that when God's people had won in the spiritual realm they also won in battles and subsequently changed the course of history. In other words, what happens in the spiritual realm determines what follows in the natural - in the political scene, in the economical scene and in the social scene. The source of everything is in the spirit realm!
An important basic fact regarding Christ's Victory
In order to be effective in the battle we need to understand one basic Biblical principle. The great basic fact is this - Christ has already totally defeated Satan. He is not going to defeat him; He had defeated him more than two thousand years ago! Christ had defeated Satan by His death on the cross and by His resurrection. On the cross Jesus administered to Satan total, eternal, ineradicable defeat. Satan can never recover from that defeat. As believers we don't have to win the victory; we have to enter into a victory that has already been won. Satan's main objective ro tactic is to keep us ignorant of the fact that he was defeated once for all on the cross.
Paul said, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:13 - 15, emphasis added).
The above is an act of God the Father, through Jesus Christ His Son. Together with Jesus Chrsit God has not merely defeated Satan, but He has taken the spoils and and striped him with his weapons. Satan is now not merely a defeated foe, but also deprived of his weapons. We have the spiritual weapons, Satan doesn't. He has only got one "weapon" left and that is bluff. The only "weapon" Satan seeks to use against the human race is guilt. That is why Satan is called the "accuser of our brethren" (Rev. 12:10). Now, what does he want to achieve by his accusation? The answer is simple; he wants to prove us guilty. We have to establish that we are guilt but righteous. Therefore, the whole battle ultimately centers around the issues of guilt or righteousness!
In order to deliver us from our guilt and render us righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, God had to do two things - one in relation to our past and the other, in relation to our present. Each of these provisions of God is logically stated in their correct order in verses 13 and 14 of Chapter 2, Colossians. Let us look at each of these in some details.
The provision of God in relation to our past
Paul said, "... He has made (you) alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Col. 2:13).
On the basis of Christ's death, God can forgive because Christ has paid the due penalty for all our sins and therefore, God does not compromise His eternal justice by offering us pardon. All we have to do is to receive it. When all our sinful acts have been forgiven, that takes care of the past. There are no more shadows of guilt or condemnation that can follow us from the past. If you don't know this fact, then you are no match for Satan! Every time you seek God or serve God, Satan will remind you of the things from your past. Therefore you have to come to the place where you know by repentance, confession and turning from your sin and trusting in Christ, that those things have been finally and forever dealt with.
God declared through Isaiah: "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins" (Isaiah 43:25).
Let us remember that the devil has not right to remind us of what God determines to forget.
The provision of God in relation to our present
Paul said, "... having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary in us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Col. 2:14, emphasis added).
This deals with the Law of Moses. Through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, God had abrogated (set aside) the Law of Moses as a condition for achieving righteousness with God. In other words, we are no longer required to observe the Law of Moses in order to attain righteousness with God.
Paul also said, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4).
Through His death on the cross, Christ put an end to the Law as a means to achieve righteousness with God. We have been set free from the Law; we are no longer married to the Law, but we are married instead to the risen Christ!
What is our righteousness? Our faith is reckoned to us as righteousness. We must hold on to our faith, because if we have no faith, we have no righteousness. We are not accepted because we kept the Law; we are accepted because we believe. Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us when we believe. When we believe, God has not only clothed us with the garments of salvation, He has covered us with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
Paul said, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21, emphasis added).
Our righteousness is Christ's righteousness. On our own we have no righteousness. It is important to realize that when you have the righteousness of God the devil can't say anything against you! He can't accuse you.
It astonishes me that on the night of the Last Supper, when Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him, He didn't pray that he would not deny Him. He prayed that he would not lose his faith (Luke 22:32). I believe one thing you must not lose is you faith. Hold on to it and God will see you through and the devil can't touch you.
Now let us consider the Law of observing the Sabbath day. Further on in Colossians 2 Paul said: "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths" (Col. 2:17).
Observing the Sabbath day is in the 4th of the Ten Commandments. No one should judge us in respect to Sabbath day because God has abrogated the Law as a requirement to achieve righteousness with Him. Therefore we are not guilty every time we break it. God has to do this because every time we break it Satan would be there pointing his finger at us and make us feel guilty.
By the above two provisions of God, we have been set free from the accusation of Satan concerning our past and our present. God has made it possible for you and me to live without any sense of guilt whatever! Therefore we can face the devil and defeat him.
The same provisions of God are in Paul's Epistle to the Romans
It is interesting to note that, in general, Paul said about the same provisions of God in his epistle to the Romans. The first eight Chapters give a systematic building up of the kind of life that God wants us to live - by the power of the Holy Spirit. The eight Chapter is the concept of the Spirit filled life. It is the level on which God wants us to live. The previous seven Chapters are all essential to get there. When you have been through them, you can answer any question the devil has got about your righteousness.
Paul said in the beginning of Chapter eight: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).
Notice that you can't live in Chapter Eight if you live under condemnation. If you walk according to the flesh (in the soul or in the mind realm) you are likely to live under condemnation! The devil will accuse you day and night and make you feel guilty! Therefore, you and I must always walk in the Spirit.
The outworking of Christ's Victory
Paul said, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and throgh us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place" (2 Cor. 2:14, emphasis added).
The above is a tremendous verse because it starts with "always" and ends up in "every place". This means we are invited, by God, to join with Christ in His triumph at all times and in every place. We don't have to win the victory over Satan but we are offered the privilege of celebrating the triumph - We, the Church, are in the chariot of God with Christ by faith. Now, Christ has won the victory, Christ has gained the authority, but the responsibility to administer His victory and to exercise His authority has been placed upon us. And unless we do it, the actual benefits of His Victory are not manifested. If we don't do it the world will never know that Christ has won the victory!
The Great Commission
The Great Commission is Christ's Commission for us to go and exercise His Authority and thus demonstrate His Victory (Matt. 28:18, 19). But if you don't go, His Authority remains ineffective. In Mark 16, Jesus said, as we go He would demonstrate His Authority with five supernatural signs (Mark 16:17, 18).
Some Christians said that signs don't follow today. My understanding is that Jesus only ordains signs to follow those who go. And those who don't go has no right to claim the signs!
Paul said, "He (God) has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Col. 1:13, NKJV, emphasis added).
When a person is under the power of darkness he is under Satan's authority. Power speaks of authority. What God has done was that He has translated us from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of Christ - power of light.
God talked to Job concerning His power and Satan's authority (Job 41). He was telling Job that Satan, like Leviathan, the sea monster, is the king of those who has pride:
"He (Satan) beholds every high thing; he is king over all the children of pride" (Job 41:34).
All those who live in pride, in disobedience and rebellion against God automatically have Satan as their king and authomatically become members of his government system. Only the sovereign act of God's grace can deliver them and then translate them into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.
Satan's Strongholds and the Battle Field
Paul said, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ..." (2 Cor. 10:3 - 5, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Notice that everthing we do is "in God" or "through God" (KJV). We are always totally dependent upon God.
2. By using various translations of the Bible I discover Satan's strongholds consist of 5 things - arguments, imaginations, reasoning, knowledge and proud thoughts. Notice that these strongholds are in the realm of the mind. Therefore the battle field is the mind of humanity.
Satan builds his stronghold in the mind of people and he gets control certain areas of their mind so that they are no longer free to appreciate the truth of God, no longer free to love God and to love one another. They become unable to think rationally.
3. These verses are very similar to that which Paul said to the believers in Ephesus:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).
Paul gave the picture of the conflict that we are involed in, as a wrestling match. And this wresting match is not against persons with bodies. The most important thing to understand is that the problem is not human beings, but what is in the minds of human beings. We are dealing with spiritual forces in a spiritual wresting match.
Believers' Assignment
It is our responsibilities to cast down the strongholds in the minds of men and women and to release them from the deception and captivity of Satan, and to bring their minds into the captivity of obedience to Christ - that is our assignment. We are the only group of people here on earth can do the job because we have the spiritual weapons to intervene in the spirit realm. Physical military weapons like warplanes, warships, tanks and guns can't do the job because they can't be used in the spirit realm.
An important fact revealed by the Scripture is that when God's people had won in the spiritual realm they also won in battles and subsequently changed the course of history. In other words, what happens in the spiritual realm determines what follows in the natural - in the political scene, in the economical scene and in the social scene. The source of everything is in the spirit realm!
An important basic fact regarding Christ's Victory
In order to be effective in the battle we need to understand one basic Biblical principle. The great basic fact is this - Christ has already totally defeated Satan. He is not going to defeat him; He had defeated him more than two thousand years ago! Christ had defeated Satan by His death on the cross and by His resurrection. On the cross Jesus administered to Satan total, eternal, ineradicable defeat. Satan can never recover from that defeat. As believers we don't have to win the victory; we have to enter into a victory that has already been won. Satan's main objective ro tactic is to keep us ignorant of the fact that he was defeated once for all on the cross.
Paul said, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:13 - 15, emphasis added).
The above is an act of God the Father, through Jesus Christ His Son. Together with Jesus Chrsit God has not merely defeated Satan, but He has taken the spoils and and striped him with his weapons. Satan is now not merely a defeated foe, but also deprived of his weapons. We have the spiritual weapons, Satan doesn't. He has only got one "weapon" left and that is bluff. The only "weapon" Satan seeks to use against the human race is guilt. That is why Satan is called the "accuser of our brethren" (Rev. 12:10). Now, what does he want to achieve by his accusation? The answer is simple; he wants to prove us guilty. We have to establish that we are guilt but righteous. Therefore, the whole battle ultimately centers around the issues of guilt or righteousness!
In order to deliver us from our guilt and render us righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, God had to do two things - one in relation to our past and the other, in relation to our present. Each of these provisions of God is logically stated in their correct order in verses 13 and 14 of Chapter 2, Colossians. Let us look at each of these in some details.
The provision of God in relation to our past
Paul said, "... He has made (you) alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Col. 2:13).
On the basis of Christ's death, God can forgive because Christ has paid the due penalty for all our sins and therefore, God does not compromise His eternal justice by offering us pardon. All we have to do is to receive it. When all our sinful acts have been forgiven, that takes care of the past. There are no more shadows of guilt or condemnation that can follow us from the past. If you don't know this fact, then you are no match for Satan! Every time you seek God or serve God, Satan will remind you of the things from your past. Therefore you have to come to the place where you know by repentance, confession and turning from your sin and trusting in Christ, that those things have been finally and forever dealt with.
God declared through Isaiah: "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins" (Isaiah 43:25).
Let us remember that the devil has not right to remind us of what God determines to forget.
The provision of God in relation to our present
Paul said, "... having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary in us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Col. 2:14, emphasis added).
This deals with the Law of Moses. Through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, God had abrogated (set aside) the Law of Moses as a condition for achieving righteousness with God. In other words, we are no longer required to observe the Law of Moses in order to attain righteousness with God.
Paul also said, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4).
Through His death on the cross, Christ put an end to the Law as a means to achieve righteousness with God. We have been set free from the Law; we are no longer married to the Law, but we are married instead to the risen Christ!
What is our righteousness? Our faith is reckoned to us as righteousness. We must hold on to our faith, because if we have no faith, we have no righteousness. We are not accepted because we kept the Law; we are accepted because we believe. Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us when we believe. When we believe, God has not only clothed us with the garments of salvation, He has covered us with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
Paul said, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21, emphasis added).
Our righteousness is Christ's righteousness. On our own we have no righteousness. It is important to realize that when you have the righteousness of God the devil can't say anything against you! He can't accuse you.
It astonishes me that on the night of the Last Supper, when Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him, He didn't pray that he would not deny Him. He prayed that he would not lose his faith (Luke 22:32). I believe one thing you must not lose is you faith. Hold on to it and God will see you through and the devil can't touch you.
Now let us consider the Law of observing the Sabbath day. Further on in Colossians 2 Paul said: "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths" (Col. 2:17).
Observing the Sabbath day is in the 4th of the Ten Commandments. No one should judge us in respect to Sabbath day because God has abrogated the Law as a requirement to achieve righteousness with Him. Therefore we are not guilty every time we break it. God has to do this because every time we break it Satan would be there pointing his finger at us and make us feel guilty.
By the above two provisions of God, we have been set free from the accusation of Satan concerning our past and our present. God has made it possible for you and me to live without any sense of guilt whatever! Therefore we can face the devil and defeat him.
The same provisions of God are in Paul's Epistle to the Romans
It is interesting to note that, in general, Paul said about the same provisions of God in his epistle to the Romans. The first eight Chapters give a systematic building up of the kind of life that God wants us to live - by the power of the Holy Spirit. The eight Chapter is the concept of the Spirit filled life. It is the level on which God wants us to live. The previous seven Chapters are all essential to get there. When you have been through them, you can answer any question the devil has got about your righteousness.
Paul said in the beginning of Chapter eight: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).
Notice that you can't live in Chapter Eight if you live under condemnation. If you walk according to the flesh (in the soul or in the mind realm) you are likely to live under condemnation! The devil will accuse you day and night and make you feel guilty! Therefore, you and I must always walk in the Spirit.
The outworking of Christ's Victory
Paul said, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and throgh us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place" (2 Cor. 2:14, emphasis added).
The above is a tremendous verse because it starts with "always" and ends up in "every place". This means we are invited, by God, to join with Christ in His triumph at all times and in every place. We don't have to win the victory over Satan but we are offered the privilege of celebrating the triumph - We, the Church, are in the chariot of God with Christ by faith. Now, Christ has won the victory, Christ has gained the authority, but the responsibility to administer His victory and to exercise His authority has been placed upon us. And unless we do it, the actual benefits of His Victory are not manifested. If we don't do it the world will never know that Christ has won the victory!
The Great Commission
The Great Commission is Christ's Commission for us to go and exercise His Authority and thus demonstrate His Victory (Matt. 28:18, 19). But if you don't go, His Authority remains ineffective. In Mark 16, Jesus said, as we go He would demonstrate His Authority with five supernatural signs (Mark 16:17, 18).
Some Christians said that signs don't follow today. My understanding is that Jesus only ordains signs to follow those who go. And those who don't go has no right to claim the signs!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Aggressive and Authoritative Prayers
I believe the Holy Spirit is telling the Church to pray aggressively and authoritatively as we are approaching the close of this age. There are two specific forms of prayer which are expressions of aggressive praying. One is, "The prayer of binding and loosing" and the other is, "A specific directed, persistent prayer given by the Holy Spirit".
I am not suggesting that we can ever exhaust the possibilities of praying. Rather, these prayers we are about to discuss just begin to open the door, for there is more to be entered into in aggressive and authoritative prayers.
The Prayer of Binding and Loosing
Jesus said to Peter, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19, KJV, emphasis added).
By saying the above, Jesus had conferred to Peter the most tremendous spiritual authority, an authority to be exercised on earth but effective in heaven. Notice that in Matthew 18 Jesus gave the same promise, but this time it was given in the plural:
"Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:18 - 20, KJV, emphasis added).
One of the advantages of the King James translation of the Bible is that it preserves the distinction, in the second person, between singular and plural which does not exist in Modern English. Usually we say "you" whether we are talking to one person or to more than one person. But in the Elizabethan English they say "thou" to mean one and "ye" to mean more than one.
For instance, Jesus said to Peter at the Last Supper, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31, 32, KJV, emphasis added).
Notice that "thee", "thy" and "thou" are all singular.
Let us go back to Matt. 18:19 again. The Greek word for "agree" is "sumphoneo" which in English means, "in perfect harmony" or "in perfect accord with one another". It does not mean intellectual agreement, like in many of our Local Church prayer meetings, to pray for someone who is sick. It means harmony in the spirit. If you don't have harmony, don't waste your time in the prayer meeting. Your prayer will not be answered.
In my opinion, a more accurate translation for Matt. 18:20 is: "For where two or three have been led together into My Name, there am I in the midst of them". The word "led" speaks of a leader - the Holy Spirit.
Paul said, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14, NKJV).
So, Jesus was speaking about believers brought together by the Holy Spirit around the focus of the Name of Jesus - not in the basis of denomination or doctrine, but around the Person of Christ represented by His Name. Clearly, the exercising of the authority of binding and loosing depends on the leading of the Holy Spirit.
On the above basis alone, Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 18:18, KJV, emphasis added).
In Greek, the phrases "shall be bound" and "shall be loosed" are very emphatic. The tense used here in English is a perfect past participle and not a simple past. For example, if I say: "The door was closed yesterday" which is a simply past, I say nothing about the situation of the door today - opened or closed. But if I use the perfect participle I will say: "The door has been closed" which implies that the door is still closed now. In other words, the perfect past participle tells you something that happened in the past with continuing application right on into the present.
This was what Jesus actually put it in Matt. 18:18. - Very emphatic and very accurate with no room for any kind of alternative or dispute or doubt. Notice that there are actually two ways of looking at what Jesus said - one, emphasized on man's responsibility and the other, emphasized on God's sovereignty.
On man's responsibility
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be 'haven't been' bound in heaven". The moment you bind it on earth it is bound in heaven. In other words, your action is decisive. As you take action on earth its consequence is effective in heaven.
On God's sovereignty
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth will be there which has already been bound in heaven". This places all the emphasis on God's sovereignty. In other words, you can only bind on earth what has already been bound in heaven.
However, it is extremely important to note that in whichever way you choose to look at it, it still places upon us the responsibility to do it, because until it is done it is not effective. Actually it is the same truth with two different emphases. What I am trying to say is the fact that we have a much greater responsibility and authority than we are wiiling to face up to! God places the initiative to bind and loose on us and He just goes along with us.
The importance of binding and loosing
I have spent a lot of time and effort to explain the principle of binding and loosing because it is extremely important in spiritual warfare. Binding and loosing essentially cover any situation you can think of. Basically if you know how to bind and loose, there is no situation to which you do not have the answer. In those two verses (Matt. 18:18 and 19) God gave us all the authority that will ever be neeeded in warfare prayer.
The need of the right relationship
The whole essence of the matter is having the right relationship between God's people. The authority of binding and loosing is not given to those who are not in right relatioship. God has invited believers to share the Throne with Him:
Paul said, "... and raised up up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ..." (Eph. 2:6, NKJV).
God has got to take some elementary precaution because the heavenly realm is going to have problem if His people are not in right relation with one another.
Binding the Strongman
The following passages of Scripture spotlight the two kingdoms in conflict, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan:
Jesus said, "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils" (Luke 11:20 - 22, NKJV, emphasis added).
The strongman is the devil fully armed and Jesus is the One stronger than the devil. The devil guarded his goods kept in his palace and he was in peace thinking that no one could overcome him. But Jesus came upon him, and took from him his armor and his spoils. The devil is therefore an unarmed foe now. The armor is on our side.
There is a parallel passge in Matthew:
Jesus said, "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 good, unless he first binds the strong man? An then he will plunder his house" (Matthew 12:28, 29, emphasis added).
By comparing the two passages we learn that "The Spirit of God" is also "The finger of God". That means the Holy Spirit is our helper in binding the strongman. Jesus is the One who has defeated the devil (Colossians 2), but we still have our part to play to deal with the strongman because we have to administer his defeat. Matthew said specifically we have to enter the strongman's house and bind him.
I believe the Holy Spirit is seeking to show us that much of our prayers and activities, though good, are not fully effective until, in any given situation, we learn how to deal with the strongman.
Daniel 10 gives us a picture of strongmen that hindered Daniel's prayer. There were strongmen over the kingdoms of Persia and Greece. Before the answer to Daneil's prayer could come, these strongmen had to be overcome by Michael, God's archangel.
Strongmen are Satan's delegated representives to watch over Satan's interests in various places. I believe there are many levels of authority in Satan's kingdom. I also believe Satan has echelons of strongmen, not only over the major cities, but over areas of a city, smaller towns, villages and communities. Some cities have the strongman of gambling; other cities have the strongman of alchhol, strongman of homosexual, strongman of pornography, strongman of lawlessness and strongman of legalism and so on (You many wish to read my earlier message: "The Strongman").
The identification of these strongmen depends, to a large measure, on revelation; not Bible revelation but by direct Word of knowledge. If we can find the specific strongman and bind him we save ourselves a whole lot of hard work and frustration.
A specific directed persistent prayer given by the Holy Spirit
Let us take two pictures from the Old Testament:
1. The capture of Ai (Joshua 8)
Joshua 8 deals with the capture of the city of Ai by the children of Israel. In the previous chapter, they tried to capture it but failed because there was sin in the camp. Sin was dealt with and then God gave them the military strategy to take the city. In the middle of all the military operations God told Joshua to do something which had no military significant at all. He was to stretch out his spear directly toward Ai and God would give it to him (Joshua 8:18). Like a prayer, this action had spiritual significance. Verse 26 says that Joshua, laying hold of God's promise to give them Ai and claiming it until it was completely fulfilled.
To me, that outstretched spear is a beautiful picuture of a God given persistent unwavering directed prayer. Just like the psalmist David, Joshua knew that God never approved a partial victory:
"I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed" (Ps. 18:37).
2. Prophet Elisha and king Joash (2 Kings 13)
Elisha was a prophet in the Northern kingdom of Israel. The king over Israel at that time was Joash. Elisha was sick and was about to die.
"Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel come down to him, and wept over his face, and said, 'O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!'" (2 Kings 13:14, emphasis added).
Now, why did king Joash acknowledge Elisha as Israel's chariots and horsemen? In my opinion, the king acknowledged that the true spiritual protection of Israel was not in the army that the king commanded, but in the presence of the prophet in their midst! And now where would the protection be since the prophet, a symbol of chariots and horsemen, was about to leave them?
Elisha told the king to do something that was related to the military situation in Israel at that time. Israel was being threatened by a stronger power from the East - Syria. Before Elisha died he made a remarkable provision to deal with the threat of Syria against Israel. The provision was quite similar to the situation with Joshua except the weapon used was bow and arrow.
"Then he (Elisha) said to the king of Israel, 'Put your hand on the bow.' So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands" (2 Kings 13:16).
The above action signifies the anointing of Elisha had been transferred to the king through the prophet's hand. The next verse says, Elisha told the king to shoot the arrow to the directio of Syria and he shot. Then Elisha told the king to strike the ground five or six times until Syria was completely destroyed. But the king stopped too soon and though he defeated Syria, he did not completely destroy it.
The above picture is also a picture of a God given directed prayer. It tells us that military victory is directly dependent on spiritual forces. It tells us if you win the battle in the spiritual realm, it will be worked out in the military, the political, and the social or economical realm. That is the power of our aggressive and authoritative prayers.
I am not suggesting that we can ever exhaust the possibilities of praying. Rather, these prayers we are about to discuss just begin to open the door, for there is more to be entered into in aggressive and authoritative prayers.
The Prayer of Binding and Loosing
Jesus said to Peter, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19, KJV, emphasis added).
By saying the above, Jesus had conferred to Peter the most tremendous spiritual authority, an authority to be exercised on earth but effective in heaven. Notice that in Matthew 18 Jesus gave the same promise, but this time it was given in the plural:
"Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:18 - 20, KJV, emphasis added).
One of the advantages of the King James translation of the Bible is that it preserves the distinction, in the second person, between singular and plural which does not exist in Modern English. Usually we say "you" whether we are talking to one person or to more than one person. But in the Elizabethan English they say "thou" to mean one and "ye" to mean more than one.
For instance, Jesus said to Peter at the Last Supper, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31, 32, KJV, emphasis added).
Notice that "thee", "thy" and "thou" are all singular.
Let us go back to Matt. 18:19 again. The Greek word for "agree" is "sumphoneo" which in English means, "in perfect harmony" or "in perfect accord with one another". It does not mean intellectual agreement, like in many of our Local Church prayer meetings, to pray for someone who is sick. It means harmony in the spirit. If you don't have harmony, don't waste your time in the prayer meeting. Your prayer will not be answered.
In my opinion, a more accurate translation for Matt. 18:20 is: "For where two or three have been led together into My Name, there am I in the midst of them". The word "led" speaks of a leader - the Holy Spirit.
Paul said, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14, NKJV).
So, Jesus was speaking about believers brought together by the Holy Spirit around the focus of the Name of Jesus - not in the basis of denomination or doctrine, but around the Person of Christ represented by His Name. Clearly, the exercising of the authority of binding and loosing depends on the leading of the Holy Spirit.
On the above basis alone, Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 18:18, KJV, emphasis added).
In Greek, the phrases "shall be bound" and "shall be loosed" are very emphatic. The tense used here in English is a perfect past participle and not a simple past. For example, if I say: "The door was closed yesterday" which is a simply past, I say nothing about the situation of the door today - opened or closed. But if I use the perfect participle I will say: "The door has been closed" which implies that the door is still closed now. In other words, the perfect past participle tells you something that happened in the past with continuing application right on into the present.
This was what Jesus actually put it in Matt. 18:18. - Very emphatic and very accurate with no room for any kind of alternative or dispute or doubt. Notice that there are actually two ways of looking at what Jesus said - one, emphasized on man's responsibility and the other, emphasized on God's sovereignty.
On man's responsibility
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be 'haven't been' bound in heaven". The moment you bind it on earth it is bound in heaven. In other words, your action is decisive. As you take action on earth its consequence is effective in heaven.
On God's sovereignty
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth will be there which has already been bound in heaven". This places all the emphasis on God's sovereignty. In other words, you can only bind on earth what has already been bound in heaven.
However, it is extremely important to note that in whichever way you choose to look at it, it still places upon us the responsibility to do it, because until it is done it is not effective. Actually it is the same truth with two different emphases. What I am trying to say is the fact that we have a much greater responsibility and authority than we are wiiling to face up to! God places the initiative to bind and loose on us and He just goes along with us.
The importance of binding and loosing
I have spent a lot of time and effort to explain the principle of binding and loosing because it is extremely important in spiritual warfare. Binding and loosing essentially cover any situation you can think of. Basically if you know how to bind and loose, there is no situation to which you do not have the answer. In those two verses (Matt. 18:18 and 19) God gave us all the authority that will ever be neeeded in warfare prayer.
The need of the right relationship
The whole essence of the matter is having the right relationship between God's people. The authority of binding and loosing is not given to those who are not in right relatioship. God has invited believers to share the Throne with Him:
Paul said, "... and raised up up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ..." (Eph. 2:6, NKJV).
God has got to take some elementary precaution because the heavenly realm is going to have problem if His people are not in right relation with one another.
Binding the Strongman
The following passages of Scripture spotlight the two kingdoms in conflict, the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan:
Jesus said, "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils" (Luke 11:20 - 22, NKJV, emphasis added).
The strongman is the devil fully armed and Jesus is the One stronger than the devil. The devil guarded his goods kept in his palace and he was in peace thinking that no one could overcome him. But Jesus came upon him, and took from him his armor and his spoils. The devil is therefore an unarmed foe now. The armor is on our side.
There is a parallel passge in Matthew:
Jesus said, "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 good, unless he first binds the strong man? An then he will plunder his house" (Matthew 12:28, 29, emphasis added).
By comparing the two passages we learn that "The Spirit of God" is also "The finger of God". That means the Holy Spirit is our helper in binding the strongman. Jesus is the One who has defeated the devil (Colossians 2), but we still have our part to play to deal with the strongman because we have to administer his defeat. Matthew said specifically we have to enter the strongman's house and bind him.
I believe the Holy Spirit is seeking to show us that much of our prayers and activities, though good, are not fully effective until, in any given situation, we learn how to deal with the strongman.
Daniel 10 gives us a picture of strongmen that hindered Daniel's prayer. There were strongmen over the kingdoms of Persia and Greece. Before the answer to Daneil's prayer could come, these strongmen had to be overcome by Michael, God's archangel.
Strongmen are Satan's delegated representives to watch over Satan's interests in various places. I believe there are many levels of authority in Satan's kingdom. I also believe Satan has echelons of strongmen, not only over the major cities, but over areas of a city, smaller towns, villages and communities. Some cities have the strongman of gambling; other cities have the strongman of alchhol, strongman of homosexual, strongman of pornography, strongman of lawlessness and strongman of legalism and so on (You many wish to read my earlier message: "The Strongman").
The identification of these strongmen depends, to a large measure, on revelation; not Bible revelation but by direct Word of knowledge. If we can find the specific strongman and bind him we save ourselves a whole lot of hard work and frustration.
A specific directed persistent prayer given by the Holy Spirit
Let us take two pictures from the Old Testament:
1. The capture of Ai (Joshua 8)
Joshua 8 deals with the capture of the city of Ai by the children of Israel. In the previous chapter, they tried to capture it but failed because there was sin in the camp. Sin was dealt with and then God gave them the military strategy to take the city. In the middle of all the military operations God told Joshua to do something which had no military significant at all. He was to stretch out his spear directly toward Ai and God would give it to him (Joshua 8:18). Like a prayer, this action had spiritual significance. Verse 26 says that Joshua, laying hold of God's promise to give them Ai and claiming it until it was completely fulfilled.
To me, that outstretched spear is a beautiful picuture of a God given persistent unwavering directed prayer. Just like the psalmist David, Joshua knew that God never approved a partial victory:
"I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed" (Ps. 18:37).
2. Prophet Elisha and king Joash (2 Kings 13)
Elisha was a prophet in the Northern kingdom of Israel. The king over Israel at that time was Joash. Elisha was sick and was about to die.
"Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel come down to him, and wept over his face, and said, 'O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!'" (2 Kings 13:14, emphasis added).
Now, why did king Joash acknowledge Elisha as Israel's chariots and horsemen? In my opinion, the king acknowledged that the true spiritual protection of Israel was not in the army that the king commanded, but in the presence of the prophet in their midst! And now where would the protection be since the prophet, a symbol of chariots and horsemen, was about to leave them?
Elisha told the king to do something that was related to the military situation in Israel at that time. Israel was being threatened by a stronger power from the East - Syria. Before Elisha died he made a remarkable provision to deal with the threat of Syria against Israel. The provision was quite similar to the situation with Joshua except the weapon used was bow and arrow.
"Then he (Elisha) said to the king of Israel, 'Put your hand on the bow.' So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands" (2 Kings 13:16).
The above action signifies the anointing of Elisha had been transferred to the king through the prophet's hand. The next verse says, Elisha told the king to shoot the arrow to the directio of Syria and he shot. Then Elisha told the king to strike the ground five or six times until Syria was completely destroyed. But the king stopped too soon and though he defeated Syria, he did not completely destroy it.
The above picture is also a picture of a God given directed prayer. It tells us that military victory is directly dependent on spiritual forces. It tells us if you win the battle in the spiritual realm, it will be worked out in the military, the political, and the social or economical realm. That is the power of our aggressive and authoritative prayers.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The Primary Responsibilities of a Believer
The Scripture reveals that there are rival programs of God and of Satan at the close of this age. It s important to understand that the name Satan means, literally, the resister. This indicates one major aspect of Satan's character and activity is that he deliberately and systematically resists and opposes every aspect of God's grace and mercy toward the human race. Satan has established a rival spiritual kingdom where he rules over fallen angels in the heavenly realm and demons on earth.
God's objectives and Satan's objectives
At the close of this age God has two major objectives on earth in relation to the Church:
1. To reap earth's last great harvest of souls. There is to be a great harvest at the close of this age because Jesus said so.
Jesus said, ".... the harvest is the end of the age ...." (Matt. 13:39, NKJV).
2. To prepare the Church as a Bride for Christ who is the Bridegroom (Eph. 4:25 - 27).
At the same time Satan also has his two specific objectives on earth:
1. Seek to gain complete political control. In order to do this he has to find a man that will be an instrument whom he can use, whom he can raise up to a position of unique and supreme political power, so that through this man he can accomplish his purposes. This man in Scripture is called the antichrist.
2. Satan's final objective, through this man, is to receive universal worship. This has been his objective since he fell. He wanted to be equal with God and to receive the worship that is due to God only (Isaiah 14:13, 14).
In relation to these two purposes of Satan, Christ has committed to his disciples (believers) two responsibilities - Firstly, to restrain Satan's purposes on earth, and secondly, to cast down Satan's kingdom from the heavenly realm.
The power of the believer to restrain Satan
I prefer to use the word "believer" to the word "Christian" because the word "Christian" is so often misused today (Please refer to my earlier message, "Definition of being a Christian"). Notice that all the promises of God are only for believers.
Our key verse comes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount:
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matt. 5:13).
There are two important things that salt does, both of them are extremely relevant to our function as believers today - Firstly, it gives flavor to the food which otherwise lack, and secondly, it has the ability to restrain the process of corruption.
To give flavor to the earth
Food which by itself alone is unappetizing becomes tasty and acceptable when seasoned with salt. As believers, our function as little grains of salt is to give flavor to the earth. The one who enjoys this flavor is God. Our presence makes the earth acceptable to God. Our presence commends the earth to God's mercy. Without us, there would be nothing to make the earth acceptable to God. But because we are here, God continues to deal with the earth in grace and mercy rather than in wrath and judgment. It is our presence that makes the difference. Salt is sprinkled just a grain at a time - a grain here and a grain there. But each little grain has its particular function and purpose to give flavor to that particular area where it is sprinkled. We are responsible for the situation in which we live; we are responsible for the atmosphere around us.
Let us illustrate this principle of believers as salt of the earth with Biblical examples:
1. God's dealing with Abraham concerning Sodom (Gen. 18)
Lot, Abraham's nephew, lived in Sodom and so Abraham had a very special reason for being concerned that God would not bring judgment upon Sodom while Lord and his family were still there. Abraham then decided to talk to God.
Abraham questioned God, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked" (Gen. 18:23)?
Abraham knew that it is altogether out of the question that a just God would ever do that - God's judgment for the wickedness of the wicked should ever touch the righteous.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and made righteous by Him, judgment for the wickedness of the wicked should not come near you; it should not touch you; it should not even bring fear over you. Abraham saw this and God saw it too and went along with it. And so Abraham reduced, stage by stage, the number of righteous person from 50 to just 10 - just 10 little grains of salt that would make Sodom acceptable to God, so that He would not deal with it with wrath and with judgment.
2. Paul's voyage to Rome (Acts 27)
Paul had been brought for trial in Jerusalem and then on his way, in a ship, to Rome where he would be judged by Caesar. The ship ran into a terrible storm for 14 days and nights and the people together with Paul had given up hope of being saved (V. 20). At that point in time, the angel of God came and spoke to Paul and assured him that there would be no loss of life among them.
Paul said to them, "For there stood by me this night an angel of God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'" (Vs. 23, 24, emphasis added).
Notice the two good things Paul said about God - "I belong to Him and I serve Him". Every single person on the ship will be saved for Paul's sake. He had to be at Rome because that was God's program for him. Satan can hinder but he can never prevent the fulfillment of God's program. The presence of the true believer makes the difference. In the case of Paul, he was a grain of salt that changed the environment.
To restrain the process of corruption
In the days before refrigeration was made available, one main way of preserving things such as meat was to use salt. The process of corruption was already at work before the meat was salted. But the presence of salt restrains the forces of corruption to make the meat edible. This again is exactly what you and I are responsible to do. We are here to hold back the forces of corruption which is already at work in the world, until the purposes of God have been fulfilled. Then, corruption will come to its climax. This is very clearly stated in Scripture.
Paul said, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ..." (2 Thess. 2:3, emphasis added).
The two titles given to the antichrist are "man of sin" and "son of perdition". Paul reminded Christians that the antichrist cannot be manifested before "the falling away" (Greek word is apostasy) comes to the Church - until Christians turn away from the true faith of Jesus Christ. As long as the believers retain the true faith, the antichrist can't be revealed. Why? Because the believers, as grains of salt, are holding back the final manifestation of total corruption or degradation.
Satan knows that if he is going to manifest this man, he has got to produce an apostasy within the Church. In other words, the salt of the Church has got to lose its saltiness; it has got to cease to fulfill its function. When the Church has lost its saltiness, the way is opened for the manifestation of this final evil satanic ruler.
Let us look at Matt. 5:13 again where Jesus said, when the salt loses its saltiness it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot of men. That is precisely what Jesus said about a believer who does not believe. Men become the instruments of God's judgment upon the saltless, apostate Church. The only hope to avoid this is the return to the faith by the believer.
Let us illustrate this principle of restraining process of corruption with Biblical examples:
1. In the days of Noah
Jesus said, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man; ..." (Luke 17:26).
The Scripture reveals the condition of the world in the days of Noah. There were two features - Satanic supernatural intervention in the spiritual realm and the breakdown of moral character of men in the natural realm. But God had a restraining force at work in Noah and his family. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Seven days before the flood actually began, God withdrew Noah and his family into the Ark (Genesis 7). The restraining force represented by Noah was withdrawn. In those seven days, iniquities, godlessness and lawlessness came to their climax and followed by the judgment of the Flood.
2. At the close of this age
It is going to be the same at the close of this age. God's representatives will be withdrawn, and for a short period of time, lawlessness will be allowed to come to its climax, But it cannot happen until God's people, the Church, have been withdrawn because the Church is the salt of the earth and it has the restraining power.
Let me put it in another way. The Holy Spirit as the third Person of the Godhead, came to earth on the day of Pentecost and formed a Body of Christ. When the Body is matured and complete, the Holy Spirit will return to heaven, taking the Body of Christ with Him. And the Body becomes the Bride of Christ.
This will happen according to what Paul said, "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. And then the lawless one (the antichrist) will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:7, 8, emphasis added).
I believe Paul referred to the Holy Spirit as a Person within the Church of Jesus Christ when he mentioned "He". The Holy Spirit and the Church need to be taken out of the way before God's judgment is poured out without restrain just as it was in the Flood. it will be altogether inconsistent with God's dignity that the final manifestation of Satan's power and authority should take place when the third Person of the Godhead is still personally resident here on earth.
The power of the believers to cast down Satan's kingdom
We can only discuss this section briefly, but when we come to the topics of Spiritual Warfare and Spiritual Weapons we shall deal with it in greater details.
Jesus has committed to His disciples (believers) the power and authority to cast down Satan's kingdom from the heavenly realm. It is part of God's program for His people. We must understand that God has made possible for us to have total victory. God would never commit His people, deliberately, within His will, to a conflict which they could not win. In fact, on the cross, Jesus had already defeated Satan on our behalf -He won the victory for us and defeated our enemy. It is now our responsibility to demonstrate and administer the victory of Jesus.
Paul said, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and evey high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:3 - 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
For the purpose of this message, just think of "strongholds" as roadblocks, and we are given the spiritual weapons to pull down these roadblocks.
We must understand that in our Christian walk we encounter many roadblocks. We must also understand the fact that Satan opposes some of the things that God leaves us to do and we should receive it as a compliment. If it wasn't pretty good Satan wouldn't bother to oppose it. Actually one sure way to find out the will of God is to notice what Satan opposes because he opposes the will of God.
An illustration of spiritual stronghold or roadblock may be seen in Daniel's prayer (Daniel 10). Daniel was mourning for 21 days, and then come the answer. It was Daniel's prayer that got the angel through with the answer to his prayer. When Daneil started to pray on earth, heaven started to move. But the angel couldn't get through, because of the roadblock, until Daniel prayed through. A lesson learned is that the initiative is with us and not with heaven.
Revelation 12:7 - 11 relates how Satan's is going to be thrown out of heaven and we are the instruments God uses to do this job.
"And they (believers) overcame him (Satan) bey the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Rev. 12:11).
Notice that the final culmination Satan's casting down from heaven is attributed to the believers on earth. This is our responsibility. Angels can't do it because they don't have any testimony, but we do! There is one final phase which is the destruction of Satan's forces on earth and that is left to Jesus. Jesus will come from heaven and he will personally deal with the antichrist. But the casting down of Satan and his angels from heaven is the believers' responsibility.
God's objectives and Satan's objectives
At the close of this age God has two major objectives on earth in relation to the Church:
1. To reap earth's last great harvest of souls. There is to be a great harvest at the close of this age because Jesus said so.
Jesus said, ".... the harvest is the end of the age ...." (Matt. 13:39, NKJV).
2. To prepare the Church as a Bride for Christ who is the Bridegroom (Eph. 4:25 - 27).
At the same time Satan also has his two specific objectives on earth:
1. Seek to gain complete political control. In order to do this he has to find a man that will be an instrument whom he can use, whom he can raise up to a position of unique and supreme political power, so that through this man he can accomplish his purposes. This man in Scripture is called the antichrist.
2. Satan's final objective, through this man, is to receive universal worship. This has been his objective since he fell. He wanted to be equal with God and to receive the worship that is due to God only (Isaiah 14:13, 14).
In relation to these two purposes of Satan, Christ has committed to his disciples (believers) two responsibilities - Firstly, to restrain Satan's purposes on earth, and secondly, to cast down Satan's kingdom from the heavenly realm.
The power of the believer to restrain Satan
I prefer to use the word "believer" to the word "Christian" because the word "Christian" is so often misused today (Please refer to my earlier message, "Definition of being a Christian"). Notice that all the promises of God are only for believers.
Our key verse comes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount:
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matt. 5:13).
There are two important things that salt does, both of them are extremely relevant to our function as believers today - Firstly, it gives flavor to the food which otherwise lack, and secondly, it has the ability to restrain the process of corruption.
To give flavor to the earth
Food which by itself alone is unappetizing becomes tasty and acceptable when seasoned with salt. As believers, our function as little grains of salt is to give flavor to the earth. The one who enjoys this flavor is God. Our presence makes the earth acceptable to God. Our presence commends the earth to God's mercy. Without us, there would be nothing to make the earth acceptable to God. But because we are here, God continues to deal with the earth in grace and mercy rather than in wrath and judgment. It is our presence that makes the difference. Salt is sprinkled just a grain at a time - a grain here and a grain there. But each little grain has its particular function and purpose to give flavor to that particular area where it is sprinkled. We are responsible for the situation in which we live; we are responsible for the atmosphere around us.
Let us illustrate this principle of believers as salt of the earth with Biblical examples:
1. God's dealing with Abraham concerning Sodom (Gen. 18)
Lot, Abraham's nephew, lived in Sodom and so Abraham had a very special reason for being concerned that God would not bring judgment upon Sodom while Lord and his family were still there. Abraham then decided to talk to God.
Abraham questioned God, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked" (Gen. 18:23)?
Abraham knew that it is altogether out of the question that a just God would ever do that - God's judgment for the wickedness of the wicked should ever touch the righteous.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and made righteous by Him, judgment for the wickedness of the wicked should not come near you; it should not touch you; it should not even bring fear over you. Abraham saw this and God saw it too and went along with it. And so Abraham reduced, stage by stage, the number of righteous person from 50 to just 10 - just 10 little grains of salt that would make Sodom acceptable to God, so that He would not deal with it with wrath and with judgment.
2. Paul's voyage to Rome (Acts 27)
Paul had been brought for trial in Jerusalem and then on his way, in a ship, to Rome where he would be judged by Caesar. The ship ran into a terrible storm for 14 days and nights and the people together with Paul had given up hope of being saved (V. 20). At that point in time, the angel of God came and spoke to Paul and assured him that there would be no loss of life among them.
Paul said to them, "For there stood by me this night an angel of God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'" (Vs. 23, 24, emphasis added).
Notice the two good things Paul said about God - "I belong to Him and I serve Him". Every single person on the ship will be saved for Paul's sake. He had to be at Rome because that was God's program for him. Satan can hinder but he can never prevent the fulfillment of God's program. The presence of the true believer makes the difference. In the case of Paul, he was a grain of salt that changed the environment.
To restrain the process of corruption
In the days before refrigeration was made available, one main way of preserving things such as meat was to use salt. The process of corruption was already at work before the meat was salted. But the presence of salt restrains the forces of corruption to make the meat edible. This again is exactly what you and I are responsible to do. We are here to hold back the forces of corruption which is already at work in the world, until the purposes of God have been fulfilled. Then, corruption will come to its climax. This is very clearly stated in Scripture.
Paul said, "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ..." (2 Thess. 2:3, emphasis added).
The two titles given to the antichrist are "man of sin" and "son of perdition". Paul reminded Christians that the antichrist cannot be manifested before "the falling away" (Greek word is apostasy) comes to the Church - until Christians turn away from the true faith of Jesus Christ. As long as the believers retain the true faith, the antichrist can't be revealed. Why? Because the believers, as grains of salt, are holding back the final manifestation of total corruption or degradation.
Satan knows that if he is going to manifest this man, he has got to produce an apostasy within the Church. In other words, the salt of the Church has got to lose its saltiness; it has got to cease to fulfill its function. When the Church has lost its saltiness, the way is opened for the manifestation of this final evil satanic ruler.
Let us look at Matt. 5:13 again where Jesus said, when the salt loses its saltiness it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot of men. That is precisely what Jesus said about a believer who does not believe. Men become the instruments of God's judgment upon the saltless, apostate Church. The only hope to avoid this is the return to the faith by the believer.
Let us illustrate this principle of restraining process of corruption with Biblical examples:
1. In the days of Noah
Jesus said, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man; ..." (Luke 17:26).
The Scripture reveals the condition of the world in the days of Noah. There were two features - Satanic supernatural intervention in the spiritual realm and the breakdown of moral character of men in the natural realm. But God had a restraining force at work in Noah and his family. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Seven days before the flood actually began, God withdrew Noah and his family into the Ark (Genesis 7). The restraining force represented by Noah was withdrawn. In those seven days, iniquities, godlessness and lawlessness came to their climax and followed by the judgment of the Flood.
2. At the close of this age
It is going to be the same at the close of this age. God's representatives will be withdrawn, and for a short period of time, lawlessness will be allowed to come to its climax, But it cannot happen until God's people, the Church, have been withdrawn because the Church is the salt of the earth and it has the restraining power.
Let me put it in another way. The Holy Spirit as the third Person of the Godhead, came to earth on the day of Pentecost and formed a Body of Christ. When the Body is matured and complete, the Holy Spirit will return to heaven, taking the Body of Christ with Him. And the Body becomes the Bride of Christ.
This will happen according to what Paul said, "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. And then the lawless one (the antichrist) will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:7, 8, emphasis added).
I believe Paul referred to the Holy Spirit as a Person within the Church of Jesus Christ when he mentioned "He". The Holy Spirit and the Church need to be taken out of the way before God's judgment is poured out without restrain just as it was in the Flood. it will be altogether inconsistent with God's dignity that the final manifestation of Satan's power and authority should take place when the third Person of the Godhead is still personally resident here on earth.
The power of the believers to cast down Satan's kingdom
We can only discuss this section briefly, but when we come to the topics of Spiritual Warfare and Spiritual Weapons we shall deal with it in greater details.
Jesus has committed to His disciples (believers) the power and authority to cast down Satan's kingdom from the heavenly realm. It is part of God's program for His people. We must understand that God has made possible for us to have total victory. God would never commit His people, deliberately, within His will, to a conflict which they could not win. In fact, on the cross, Jesus had already defeated Satan on our behalf -He won the victory for us and defeated our enemy. It is now our responsibility to demonstrate and administer the victory of Jesus.
Paul said, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and evey high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:3 - 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
For the purpose of this message, just think of "strongholds" as roadblocks, and we are given the spiritual weapons to pull down these roadblocks.
We must understand that in our Christian walk we encounter many roadblocks. We must also understand the fact that Satan opposes some of the things that God leaves us to do and we should receive it as a compliment. If it wasn't pretty good Satan wouldn't bother to oppose it. Actually one sure way to find out the will of God is to notice what Satan opposes because he opposes the will of God.
An illustration of spiritual stronghold or roadblock may be seen in Daniel's prayer (Daniel 10). Daniel was mourning for 21 days, and then come the answer. It was Daniel's prayer that got the angel through with the answer to his prayer. When Daneil started to pray on earth, heaven started to move. But the angel couldn't get through, because of the roadblock, until Daniel prayed through. A lesson learned is that the initiative is with us and not with heaven.
Revelation 12:7 - 11 relates how Satan's is going to be thrown out of heaven and we are the instruments God uses to do this job.
"And they (believers) overcame him (Satan) bey the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Rev. 12:11).
Notice that the final culmination Satan's casting down from heaven is attributed to the believers on earth. This is our responsibility. Angels can't do it because they don't have any testimony, but we do! There is one final phase which is the destruction of Satan's forces on earth and that is left to Jesus. Jesus will come from heaven and he will personally deal with the antichrist. But the casting down of Satan and his angels from heaven is the believers' responsibility.
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