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

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.

Pieces - Writings for the Mystical Bride of Christ

Pieces - Writings for the Mystical Bride of Christ is a new book by my friend Greg Morris. You can download it by clicking the link below.

Pieces is a compilation of poems, words of wisdom and thoughts for the Bride of Christ. Who is the Bride? Well, you know who you are!

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

Pieces is great writing with deep insights that suit the times. It is also very different from the typical, straightforward Christian writing (including my own), as it ventures into the personal and poetic like the Psalms. 

The epilogue of the book contains unique insights into the event we call the rapture, when the Bridgegroom will come to rescue the Bride during a time of tribulation, yet before "a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will." (Matthew 24:21)

Download the book as a PDF file:

Pieces - Writings for the Mystical Body of Christ

Dream - Carried Safely All the Way to the Other Side

I seldom have prophetic dreams, but the Lord gave me an encouraging dream last August or September that I’ll share here.

First, a little personal background. As a child I lived in Gig Harbor, Washington, near the Narrows Bridge. I used to climb down the bluffs and play on the beach all the time. The bridge is large and green and stretches for a mile across the Puget Sound. The tidal currents flow swiftly through that area. 

DREAM

I parked my car on the top of the bluff near the Narrows Bridge on the Gig Harbor side and intended to go for a hike alone. As I started walking along a trail, two strong-looking men joined me, one on each side. They were jovial and friendly and I didn’t mind that they were there.

Suddenly the man on my right picked me up high and said something like, "I hope you're ready for this!" Then he stepped over the edge of the bluff. I looked straight down and saw the rocks on the beach at least 100 feet below where we would land. Though I understood the fall would kill me, I immediately felt a deep, abiding peace, the kind that only comes from Jesus. I knew in my heart it was going to be okay.

As we fell, an intense wind blew us sideways much faster than we were falling vertically. In fact, the wind carried us the entire mile across the sound and set us down gently on the beach on the other side. After the man set me down on the sand, I looked around and asked, “How did you know?” As in, how did he know the wind would carry us safely across?
End of dream.

INTERPRETATION

The men were angels. Whatever tribulation is coming in the days ahead, in the natural it would kill me. But I believe God will send his host (angels) to provide safe passage across, all the way to the other side. Praise God!

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!'

For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways. 
They will bear you up in their hands, 
That you do not strike your foot against a stone."
- Psalm 91:1-2, 11-12 

The Lord God Has Spoken to America - Part 1

Furnace of Judgment Will Birth Revival 

The Lord has been speaking to me lately about the church in America, its condition and the need to repent and seek the Lord. This is a somber topic. America as a nation has walked away from God's law. We can point to a thousand causes and symptoms, but the root cause is the church has failed in its mission to be salt (preservative) and light (radiance of God's truth, law and power) in the world. Now evil has gotten the upper hand.

However, the good news here is that revival is coming to America. Many souls will be saved and delivered into the kingdom of heaven. This will be an exciting time, but also heartrending and tragic, because this revival will come at the price of national judgment. God has decreed judgment on America, just like He did ancient Israel. Through the heat of that furnace many will come into the fold.

Ancient Israel and Modern America - Covenant Nations Alike 

America and ancient Israel are more alike that many realize. Like Israel, America as a nation was founded upon a dedication to Almighty God. A week before the inauguration of its first president George Washington, a newspaper in New York made the following announcement:

"[O]n the morning of the day on which our illustrious President will be invested with his office, the bells will ring at nine o’clock, when the people may go up to the house of God and in a solemn manner commit the new government, with its important train of consequences, to the holy protection and blessing of the Most high. An early hour is prudently fixed for this peculiar act of devotion and . . . is designed wholly for prayer."

 - The Daily Advertiser, New York, Thursday, April 23, 1789

After the ceremony, George Washington's first act as president was to lead the Vice President and members of Congress to Saint Paul's Chapel in Manhattan to pray and ask God's favor and blessing on the nation. In his first address to Congress, Washington acknowledged and thanked God for his hand in establishing the nation, humbly requested his blessings and issued this warning:

"We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained." - George Washington

Though these facts are ignored by revisionist history and Common Core education, I believe America at its founding entered into a covenant with God like the one set forth by Moses to Israel in Deuteronomy 28 and again by King Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8. The dedication in America seemed more organic and sprung up from a movement of the Spirit among the people. 

The end times watchman Steve Quayle has received a number of prophetic words over the last couple decades, which you can read on his website. A consistent theme I see is that God considers that America made a covenant with him and broke it:

"Hear oh land of the broken covenant for I have a controversy with America!"

"Oh Nation, poised for destruction, you have broken the covenant of life that I made with your forefathers and whom I blessed with a nation unlike any other in the history of the world. The penalty for idolatry has always been destruction, as the Fallen Ones and their followers can only produce death."
 
"Oh that the land your forefathers made with me in covenant would open their hearts and their eyes that they might see and incline their ears that they might hear. No longer will you watch destruction, death, and the horrors of war in distant lands as mothers hold their lifeless children or children their lifeless parents, but you will experience this firsthand."

 - Steve Quayle, excerpts from various prophetic words

The consequences expressed in these words are consistent with the curses in Deuteronomy 28:

"Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God." - Deuteronomy 28:1-2

"But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." - Deuteronomy 28:15

You can read the whole chapter to see the amazing list of blessings and terrible curses. If a nation under this divine covenant obeys God, it will be the most blessed in the world. Blessed in every way. But if it falls into unrepentant rebellion, it will be cursed in many ways and finally destroyed. What can we say about this? The Lord God generously rewards those who seek him and follow his ways. He is merciful and forgiving, and also holy and just. God will not allow a nation that claims his name to go on mocking and dishonoring him without consequence.

Without a doubt, America has been a blessed nation. It rose steadily over 150 years and became the world's greatest superpower after World War II. It had the largest economy, enjoyed peace and security, and sat atop the world. Its churches sent missionaries with the gospel around the world. But today, America has embraced bloodshed at home (abortion) and abroad (endless foreign wars), sexual perversion, injustice, massive deceptions, idolatry, hedonism and pride. Its churches - many of them anyway - have become feel-good religious clubs, devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit, friends with the world.

What comes next for America is already written in the Scriptures.

It is written in the book of Hosea, which I covered in a previous article: Punishment and Allure - The Message of Hosea for America Now

It is also written in the Old Testament book of Amos.

Message of Amos for America Now 

Amos was a prophet who ministered in ancient Israel, decades before the Northern Kingdom fell to Assyria and more than 150 years before Judah and Jerusalem fell to Babylon. Amos' messages were warnings of judgment and calls to repent and "seek the Lord that you may live." The words were written to the rebellious nation of Israel, but they also apply to America today.

"Thus says the Lord, 'For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke its punishment, because they rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept His statutes;
Their lies also have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. So I will send fire upon Judah and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.'" - Amos 2:4-5

America's punishment has been decreed from the heavenlies because it turned away and disobeyed the laws of God. The people are caught in a web of lies that leads them astray. Every day I am astonished at the magnitude of deception in this country and how few people care to question it. It is like they are asleep in a deep trance and simply accept what the perceived authorities tell them, whether institutions of government, religion, media, education or finance. (Big Brother does not love you; he enslaves and exploits you. Jesus loves you and sets you free.)

Judah and Jerusalem were destroyed with fire, and so will be America. "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong." - Revelation 18:8

Amos continues:

"Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: ^'You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.'" - Amos 3:1-2

Hear the word the Lord has spoken against the sons of America, a family He established through independence from England and by drawing its sons from every nation around the world. America was a covenant nation, a chosen nation, so this is personal for the Lord. He will punish America for her iniquities.

Now we come to prophetic warnings:

"Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? 

Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?

Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?

If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?

Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear?The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?" - Amos 3:3-8

The first six verses establish a pattern of cause-and-effect: One event signifies and leads to another. An appointment leads to a walk together. Catching prey inspires a lion to roar. A set trap leads to a captured bird. A trumpet blast causes the people in a city to tremble with concern. 

Here is the main message: Before executing his plans, the Lord God promised first to reveal them through his servants the prophets. Has the Lord spoken to America through prophesy? Yes, He has spoken in so many ways and through so many people! In Part 2 of this message, I will cover some of the people who have prophesied to America, warning of judgment to come and calling for repentance. I have already touched on this topic in a previous post: Modern End Times Prophecies - Dudumon, Quayle, Gruver, Leal, Kleck. Of course, take everything to the Lord for confirmation first. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will lead you into ALL TRUTH.

God has absolutely fulfilled his promise to prophesy to America before judging her, just like did for ancient Israel. However, many churchgoers have not received the messages, just like most Israelites ignored and mocked the warnings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Hosea, Amos, Obadiah, Habakkuk and so on. Some people say that prophesy is no longer an operating gift, but that is false. I covered this in a previous post: Turn on Your Spiritual Radar, Or Else. Others are simply caught up in the national trance and deception. What can we say about those who are not receiving and responding to the God's warnings and admonitions? Scripture says judgment comes first to the house of the Lord. God's supernatural protection is for those who abide in him (see Psalm 91) and share his heart about the sins and abominations in the land (see Ezekiel 9). This is why it is SO IMPORTANT TO WAKE UP AND HEED THE WARNINGS!

These are heavy messages, I know. Let's end on a note of hope with God's remedy:
 
"For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, 'Seek Me that you may live....

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you, just as you have said! Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts may be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."

 - Amos 4:4 and 4:14 

Click here to read Part 2 of this message.