Archive for October, 2008
This blog was in the Christian Carnival at http://rodneyolsen.net/2008/10/christian-carnival-247.html
A little while ago I was invited to become part of an international ministry network. I visited their web site, and found information about the organization and its leaders, but nothing to indicate what they actually believed. When I enquired about this, I was told “We just preach the whole Gospel.”
Unfortunately, as I pointed out to them, the interpretation of what constitutes “the whole Gospel” varies widely. In a perfect Church, to say “we preach the whole Gospel” would be enough, but in a sadly divided, often backslidden and definitely far from perfect Church, I want a somewhat clearer definition of beliefs before I sign on the dotted line.
When Paul wrote about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the first item he mentioned was the belt of truth. This was for a very good reason. For a Roman soldier, the belt was not just the thing that held his toga up! His weapons hung on his belt, and it even had straps going over the shoulders so that his breastplate also hung on it. For us also, everything hangs on truth, both our weapons and our breastplate of righteousness.
Very simply, what we do, and how we live, depends on what we believe. If we believe that Jesus was just a good man, then we will never look to Him for salvation, because we know that no man, no matter how good, is able to save us. If we believe that satan does not exist, we will not be prepared to resist his attacks; on the other hand, if we believe that he is so big and powerful that we don’t stand a chance against him, then we will give up the fight before we even start.
Some time ago there was a popular song that said, “You and me baby ain’t nothing but mammals, so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel.” That song, and the sentiments it expressed, was a logical result of a belief in evolution.
What we believe matters, and defining what we believe matters. If we don’t define what we believe, we can never define what we don’t believe. If we don’t define that Jesus is God in the flesh, then we have no defence against those who say he was just a good man, or a prophet. If we don’t define that the Bible is the Word of God, we have no defence against those who say it only contains the word of God, which means by definition that some parts are not (and generally results in people discarding the bits they don’t like.)
We do not have the liberty – or the responsibility – to determine for ourselves what is truth. God has already presented it to us in His Word. What we need to do is to become so familiar with the Word that it becomes an integral part of our lives, so central to our thought processes that everything we do flows out of it.
Truth will then become the belt of our armor, holding up our weapons and supporting the righteousness that is ours in Christ.
Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com
Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com/armorofgod
There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph. 6:12Eph. 6:12
English: World English Bible - WEB
12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
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Often in our Christian walk we find people are opposed to us. They may ridicule us or ostracize us. They may thwart our plans and make our lives difficult. If we live in one of the countries where Christians are in a minority, they may do far worse, denying us employment or education, even throwing us into prison and killing us.
As we face that opposition, however mild or severe it may be, we need to understand that our primary problem is not the people, but the forces that lie behind them. Certainly, the people have a free will and have chosen to align themselves with those forces. But having made that choice, they are now captives. (What, you’ve never made a wrong choice in your life?)
What lies behind them is nothing less than the army of satan – an army which has its generals and commanders, and ranks right down to the lowest private (demon). This army is highly organized, mercilessly disciplined, and bent on just one thing: world domination. In the effort to achieve that end, its forces will manipulate and maneuver the people who are available to it to attack the people of God in every possible way.
The closer we get to the return of Jesus, the more active the forces of satan are in the world. I see it as I read the news from the persecuted church: more Christians are suffering torture, imprisonment and death for their faith today than have at any other time in church history.
If we try only to deal with the human side of the equation, we are only putting Band-aids on a cancer. The truth is, Jesus Christ defeated satan at the Cross. Satan continues to get away with his attack on God’s people only because we are silly enough to waste our time battling with people, instead of standing in the victory that Jesus has already won for us, taking up the Sword of the Spirit, and tearing down the demonic strongholds that are our real opponents.
Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com
Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://armorofgod.lynnbfowler.com
There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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”Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11Ephesians 6:11
English: World English Bible - WEB
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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Down through the ages, many people have used talismans to protect them from the forces of evil. Even the cross has at times been used as a talisman, with the wearer believing that just by putting it on she is protected from whatever may come against her.
Unfortunately, many people use these verses about the armour in the same way. They pray them glibly each morning, “putting on” the armour, and rest happy and comfortable in the thought that they are protected.
That is not what Paul was talking about. In telling us to “put on” the armour, he is not suggesting that we simply say a “lucky charm” prayer, but rather that we adopt a lifestyle that will truly enable us to stand against every attack of the enemy.
To put on the belt of truth is to have our lives girded, in every area, with both the eternal truth of the Word of God and the truthfulness of a child of God, created in the image of the God who is Truth.
To put on the breastplate of righteousness is to know that our heart is protected both because God has declared us to be righteous in Christ, and because His righteousness is being worked out in our lives.
To be shod with the Gospel of peace means to be able to walk safely in any area, secure in the knowledge that the Gospel has brought us both peace with God and the peace of God, and that we are upheld by the God who is Peace.
To take up the shield of faith is to meet every attack with faith in God’s faithfulness; a faith which has been soaked long in the water of the Word.
To take the helmet of salvation is to have our mind, our eyes, our ears and our mouth shielded by the totality of God’s salvation for every aspect of our lives, allowing nothing to enter that has not been filtered through that salvation.
To take the sword of the Spirit is to allow the Word of God to permeate our lives, so that we can use it to answer the devil’s temptations, just as Jesus did in the wilderness.
None of that is a quick, “lucky charm” prayer. It is a lifestyle, and it takes work.
Lord, teach us to live in Your armour, always fully clad and equipped to meet the worst that the enemy can throw at us.
Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com
Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://armorofgod.lynnbfowler.com
There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10Matthew 6:10
English: World English Bible - WEB
10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
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We all know these words so well. Many of us pray them every day – in some cases, several times a day – as part of what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. Yet I wonder whether we really think about what we are saying.
Jesus made it quite clear that He had come to establish a kingdom. His ministry was ushered in by John the Baptist, proclaiming “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matt 3:2Matt 3:2
English: World English Bible - WEB
2 “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
WP-Bible plugin), and Jesus began His own ministry with those same words (Matt 4:17Matt 4:17
English: World English Bible - WEB
17 From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
WP-Bible plugin). He was crucified, albeit mockingly, as “King of the Jews.” In between, He lived the lifestyle and taught the precepts of a Kingdom unlike any the world has ever seen.
What is a kingdom? Very simply, it is a group of people governed by a king. It is not subject to geographical boundaries, for wherever the people of the kingdom remain under the king’s government, there is the kingdom. It is only when the people of the kingdom submit themselves to a different government, that they cease to be part of the kingdom, and the kingdom ceases to be represented.
Jesus showed us clearly what the Kingdom of God is about in the second part of this verse: it is about God’s will. God’s Kingdom is a people who live according to God’s will. Every inhabitant of heaven lives perfectly according to God’s will in every area. That is the ideal, also, for this earth. The more closely God’s people here on earth live to that ideal, the more fully God’s Kingdom is established on earth.
So what is God’s will? It is not something arbitrary, outside of God Himself, but is tied to His character. God is holy, so His will is that His people should live in holiness. He is love, so His will is that His people should live in love. This much is obvious.
Perhaps it is not so obvious that Kingship is also part of God’s nature. Kingship is not something that was bestowed upon Him. He did not inherit it through a line of succession. Nor was He voted in to the position of King. To be King is part of His nature – if He were not King, He would not be God.
His Kingship was further enforced and established by Jesus victory at Calvary.
That means that He rules over everything. Every being, every power, every force in heaven, earth and hell must bow the knee before Him. What is the significance of that in the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth, for which Jesus commanded us to pray? Simply this: satan and all his forces are subject to God as King. They have been once and all defeated at the Cross. Every time we allow the enemy to prevail in any area of our lives or the lives of those around us, we are failing to establish God’s Kingdom in that situation.
If we want to know what the Kingdom of God should look like on earth, then we need only look at heaven. Is there injustice in heaven? Is there oppression? Poverty? Sickness? If not, then it has no place in the Kingdom on earth. We need to take up our spiritual weapons, and the authority that has been given to us in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and enforce the victory of Jesus over the spirit of injustice, oppression, poverty, sickness, and whatever else defies the rule of the King of kings.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com
Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://armorofgod.lynnbfowler.com
There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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A couple of days ago I was listening to a DVD lent to me by a friend. I won’t give the speaker’s name, but I was greatly disturbed by what he had to say.
Let me start by saying that, as long as he kept to the role of teacher, he was quite good. Unfortunately, he was not prepared to remain in that role, and kept trying to venture into the office of prophet: and every time he did, he became an accuser of the brethren.
In the two messages I watched (there were five more in the series, which I didn’t even bother with) he repeatedly named both individuals and organizations that he claimed were away from God. He did this giving very little reason for his judgments, and in the few cases where he did give explanations they frequently related to events in the individual’s life before he or she was born again.
Now I am the first to acknowledge that there are many things in the church today that are not according to the Word of God, and that should not be acceptable to the people of God. I am also the first to say that, in relation to the “revivals” of the last fifteen years or so, there has been much accompanying them that has not been of God. In fact, for a while I left the Pentecostal movement because of the excesses that came with the Toronto revival. And yes, I very definitely believe that we should be willing to expose false teaching and ungodly practice.
That does not, however, mean that we can write off entire movements as “not of God”. The fact that there are counterfeits and excesses may actually be evidence that the movement itself is of God – you can only counterfeit that which is real. (Ever seen a counterfeit $99 note? Nope – because there are no real $99 notes!)
Nor does it mean that we have the right to attack individuals. Something about “judge not lest you also be judged”! There is a great difference between saying that what someone is doing or teaching is wrong, and saying that the person himself is not of God or is unsaved.
What does this have to do with spiritual warfare? Simply this: the Word tells us that the devil is the accuser of the brethren. (Rev. 12:10Rev. 12:10
English: World English Bible - WEB
10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
WP-Bible plugin) When we accuse the brethren, we are standing on the devil’s side against the Body of Christ. We cannot be on both sides of the battle at once: either we are in God’s army, or we are in the devil’s.
Satan does his job as accuser very well. He really does not need the Body of Christ to help him with it. In our warfare we should be seeking to pull our brothers and sisters out of the devil’s clutches, not condemn them to hell with him. By all means, denounce ungodly practices and false teaching; but when it comes to our brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t tear them down – just pray for them that God will bring them into truth.
Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com
Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://armorofgod.lynnbfowler.com
There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
WP-Bible plugin)
The fledgling church had gathered in Jerusalem following the ascension of the Lord into heaven. Their first order of business was to appoint someone to stand with the twelve apostles, replacing Judas. Speaking to the assembled group, Peter told them that the one appointed had to be someone who had been with Jesus throughout the time of His earthly ministry, and that the purpose of the appointment was that he should be, with them, a witness to the resurrection of Christ.
Whilst this was specific to the appointment of the twelfth apostle, it is also applicable to us. We, living two thousand years after, cannot claim to have physically witnessed the great event of the resurrection. Yet our very existence as Christians is witness to it. Imagine if the Biblical account closed with the placing of Jesus’ body in the tomb! What we would have would be no more than a particularly sad, and particularly inspiring, martyrdom. Other than stirring our hearts, it would not have the power to change us. We would have no assurance that Christ’s death was in our place, or if it was that it had been acceptable to the Father. We would never have heard, either individually or corporately, those words, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” It would be like a man who won a victory over his enemy, but died before he could tell anyone about his triumph.
Fortunately, the Bible does not leave us at the cross, or even at the tomb. It takes us on to Easter morning, and from there to the ascension and Pentecost. We know that through His death Jesus bore all our sins, paid in full the price of our redemption, and defeated satan and all his hordes. We know it because the resurrection proves it. The resurrection tells us that our God is alive, and that we are safe to put our trust in Him.
So why is it that so many Christians live at the cross? Don’t get me wrong. The cross is and always will be central to our faith. I love all those old hymns – The Old Rugged Cross, Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross, Lead Me to Calvary – the ones we very rarely sing these days, even in churches where they sing hymns rather than choruses. Yet the cross is only half the story. The cross dealt with our death, but the resurrection assures us of life. Not only life, but a totally different dimension of life. After Jesus’ resurrection, He was recognizably the same person. But He was also recognizably different. He still had “flesh and bones”, but He could walk through walls.
When we live with an attitude that the best we can expect from our Christian life is an endless cycle of sin-repentance-forgiveness; when we accept regular rhythms of defeat and picking ourselves up to start again; when we regard powerlessness as normal; we are living on the wrong side of the resurrection. That’s bad for us, but it’s even worse for the world to which we are supposed to be witnesses of the resurrection.
That world is all-to-familiar with dead, powerless gods. They need to see that our God – the true God – is alive, victorious and powerful. They will only see it, as they see it in us.