Friday, March 11, 2016

Satan's Authority vs. Our Power in Christ


Readers of this blog know it covers controversial or "conspiracy" topics and end times prophesies. Some may object because the material seems too crazy or too disturbing, or don't see how it pertains to them.

I want to address that and explain why we MUST understand these things and prepare for what's coming.

Scripture tells us the whole world lies in the power of Satan:

"We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." - 1 John 5:19

When Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil, He was taken to a high mountain and shown all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Satan offered these kingdoms to him if Jesus would worship him.

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Go, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."'" - Matthew 4:10

Please note that Jesus did not say Satan lacked the power to give these kingdoms. Instead, Jesus said our worship and allegiance belongs to God alone. The devil exercises great influence over this world in its present form. Its kingdoms and institutions, including finance, commerce, education, media, even science and technology, are in his grip and carry out many of his agendas. Satan is the father of lies. He deceives, distracts and makes evil appear good. This world is enmeshed in his lies, so many layers of deception, and we are all ensnared by it to a degree. Is it really surprising that mainstream society is kept in the dark about critical topics like aliens (fallen angels), giants, DNA manipulation, climate engineering, the nature of Islam, the coming financial collapse, and deception in corporate media

Jesus said the truth sets us free. To the degree that we can expose these lies and act upon the truth, we can throw off the chains, be who God created us to be and do his work.

But Satan did not win his power on earth by right or authority. He won it by deception and manipulation. He cheated. You see, God gave dominion of the earth to mankind:

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'"

"God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" - Genesis 1:26, 28

The Lord is a covenant God who keeps his word. He is a God of order who establishes dominions and authorities. God also respects the authorities He establishes. Even after the rebellion of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden and subsequent curses, God did not take away mankind's dominion over the earth. We still have it:

"The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, 
But the earth He has given to the sons of men."
- Psalm 115:16

Satan, before he led an angelic rebellion against God, was a beautiful and powerful cherub, a high order angelic being. No doubt in earlier ages God bestowed on him  authorities and dominions as well. When Satan fell, he and his minions were cursed and run out of the third heaven, the realm of God's throne. These rebel angels were demoted to second heaven, where they continue to exist and exercise certain powers and authorities until the final judgment day. This why the Apostle Paul wrote:
  
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12

To project power on earth, Satan must co-opt the agreement of men. Through deception, Satan manipulates people to be his agents, not only to do his will but also to act as spiritual gateways through which Satan and his minions project power and even manifest their presence on earth. They must do this because the dominion of earth belongs to men.

Yet because so many men and women yield to Satan, the Scriptures are able to say, "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one."

This is key: God also respects mankind's dominion of earth and chooses to carry out his agenda through men and women who yield to him. We who are born again and belong to Christ are God's front-line agents on earth, his warriors in this spiritual battle space.

This is why Jesus taught us to pray:

"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." - Matthew 6:10

Through our prayer and faith, God's will and purposes are accomplished on the earth. His people are the ones through whom God projects his power here. And a mighty power that is! It is a great honor. This is why prayer and submission are so important. While God sends his angelic host to protect and serve mankind, the redeemed of mankind are God's front line on earth.

It gets even more amazing. Christ's death and resurrection were the coup de grace, the decisive blow to Satan and his minions:

"When He [God] had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him [Christ]." - Colossians 2:15


They were disarmed and paraded through the heavens, like defeated foes. Jesus Christ's authority and power are supreme.

Not only that, but Jesus shares his authority with us:

"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you." - Luke 10:19

This is the power God has given to us! What do we have to fear from serpents and scorpions, from what Satan and his minions will try to inflict upon the earth in his final throes and last days? We have been given authority over ALL the power of the enemy.

Not only do we already have Christ's authority, but we already have his every blessing in the heavenly realms:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." - Ephesians 1:3

We already have it! It's sitting there waiting for us to pray it through. By faith, according to God's will, we pray his blessings and exercise Christ's authority on earth.

"For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power." - 1 Corinthians 4:20

But if Christians are enmeshed and immobilized by the deceptions of Satan, if we don't draw near to our Lord and know his will, if we don't understand who our enemy is and what his schemes are, if we don't understand the contours of the battlefield or the power we have in Christ, how can we be effective agents in the end times spiritual battle that is upon us? The stakes extend beyond this short life and into eternity.

Many sit on the sidelines, distracted by the worries and pleasures of the world, unaware of the war raging around us. Satan knows his days are short and is preparing for his final assault. It is so important for Christians to awaken, perceive reality accurately, put on the full armor of God and take up a sword.

My older daughter recently asked some questions about the spiritual realm, some of which may seem scary. But I finished by saying, "We are on the winning team, and we have the most power." She smiled at that thought.

"Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." - Daniel 12:3

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Always Go to the Source, Jesus


In my testimony (see links on sidebar), I wrote about how I struggled with my faith for many years before reaching a breakthrough during a time of great personal loss, including the loss of my marriage, job and church community.

One insight I gained through this ordeal was a greater understanding of the difference between TRUTH (Jesus), truth with a lower-case t, and church doctrines. This absolutely liberated my faith and I believe it will do the same for others who are trapped by a spirit of religion  

Jesus Christ, the TRUTH and the WORD

The philosopher asks, "What is truth? How can we know truth?" Truth is an accurate presentation of reality. Truth reflects what is. The opposite of truth is falsehood or deception, which reflects what is not. Satan is the author of deception.

Jesus said He is the TRUTH:

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" - John 14:6

Jesus contains and radiates all TRUTH. The truth about God, life, humanity, salvation, heaven, hell, and everything else.

Jesus is also the foremost WORD (expression) of God the Father:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." - John 1:1-4


When God speaks a word, it becomes reality. As in Genesis 1:3: "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." Before God spoke into existence the earth, the heavenly realms, mankind, angels or anything else, He spoke Jesus Christ, the first and foremost WORD of God, the only begotten God.

By Jesus Christ, all things were created and in him all things hold together. He is also the head of the church, of the "called-out ones":

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything." - Colossians 1:15-18 

Jesus is THE TRUTH and THE WORD of God. To know God and to know the truth, one must know Jesus Christ.

The Bible, the truth about the TRUTH

The Bible is the inspired word of God, the truth about the TRUTH (Jesus), as stated in this verse:

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." - 2 Timothy 3:16

When the Apostle Paul wrote those words, he mainly was referring to the Old Testament because the New Testament canon was not yet established. The New Testament is inspired as well, but I want to affirm the importance of the Old Testament because some pastors and churches minimize it or give it a position of secondary importance, as if God or his standards of righteousness and justice changed between the Old and New Testaments. This is not true - God never changes - and his standards of righteousness are a reflection of who He is. The Old Testament is the foundation of the Christian faith, and the New Testament builds on that foundation. The writers of the New Testament quoted the Old Testament as Scripture.

Next, I want to draw some important distinctions. First, the words on the page in your Bible are the truth about the TRUTH and the word about the WORD (Jesus). In that sense, they are a degree removed from the Source. While reading the Bible is the best way to learn about God, that alone does not mean a person knows Jesus. What we know must be combined with faith (trust) in God:

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6

In Jesus' day, the scribes and Pharisees knew the Bible very well, but they denied Christ and persecuted him and his followers. They were religious hypocrites. Isn't it ironic that Jesus picked as his disciples men who were mainly blue collar workers like fishermen, not the scribes and Pharisees who thought they already knew everything about the Bible and God

The spirit of religion, the leaven of the Pharisees, is a very toxic and deceptive force.

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." - Mathew 23:13

Second, all true understanding of the Scriptures comes from the Holy Spirit who enlightens our spirits, hearts and minds. It does not come from the minds of men or from intelligence, education or institutional status. There's nothing wrong with being smart or educated or holding a position, and we can certainly make good use of these blessings, but we shouldn't make the Pharisees' mistake of thinking they mean a person knows God. Sadly, it has become the norm in many circles to look up to people with seminary degrees, MDivs and PhDs, as if they are gurus who know God better than others. This too is ironic because the Bible tells us not to do that:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding. 

In all your ways acknowledge Him, 
And He will make your paths straight."
- Proverbs 3:5-6

In John 16:13, Jesus said:

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." - John 16:13

Jesus said the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. To discern any and all spiritual truth, we must learn to hear the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Jesus said the Spirit will disclose to us what is to come, information about the future. In other words, by the Spirit we will prophesy. What amazing riches we have in Christ. 

"'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.'

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit;
for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 

Finally, I want to quote this wonderful passage from Jeremiah:

 "'But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the Lord, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'" - Jeremiah 31:33-34 

In this age of the Spirit, God puts his law directly in our hearts. We don't need to have experts to teach us because we all know the Lord personally and directly! Of course, we can and should learn from others, but always looking to the Spirit to confirm whether what anyone says is true.

Church Doctrines Are Men's Interpretations of the truth about the Truth

Church doctrines are men's interpretations of the truth about the TRUTH. At this point, we  are two degrees removed from the Source. Church doctrines may or may not be accurate. However, putting faith in them blindly means we are not trusting God, nor are we trusting our own understanding. Rather, we are putting faith in other men's understanding. This is faith in man, but man cannot save. We must go directly to the Source, to the WORD, to the TRUTH (Jesus).

Go to the Source, Know the Lord

In one of the most profound statements in Scripture, Jesus said:

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand."

- John 10:27-28  

Jesus said his sheep, the true children of God, hear his voice. They hear him speak directly and personally to their hearts. Jesus is not a cold, stone Buddha statue that says nothing. Our God is the Living God who Speaks. Jesus knows and loves each of us individually; we follow him; and He gives us eternal life. So the mark of a true child of God is one who hears his Shepherd's voice and follows him (i.e. does what he says). We have fellowship in a body of believers, but we never allow religious institutions or priests or pastors to stand between us and our Shepherd.

Another profound statement in Scriptures affirms how we know we belong to him:

"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." - Romans 8:16


God's Spirit testifies to our spirit that we belong to him. We hear his voice and perceive it in our hearts. It's not about praying a prayer or going to the altar at an evangelism crusade, though that might be the point of rebirth for an individual. We know we are his if God's Spirit confirms it in our heart.

Always go to the Source, who is Jesus. Know the Lord. Believe in THE TRUTH.