1 Peter 5:8-11 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7; Job 1:1-12 Matthew 6:7-13 Ephesians 1:15-21; Colossians 2:13-15; 1 John 3:8; 1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7-8; Ephesians 6:16 Defining the word STRATAGEM “A stratagem is any clever scheme – sometimes one that’s part of an overall strategy (i.e., a carefully worked out plan of action). The…
Question of the week:
In Exodus, chapters 19-20 we read that God Almighty inaugurated a covenant with Moses, which we know as the OLD COVENANT. This took place on top of Mount Sinai. WHEN was the NEW COVENANT inaugurated and with WHOM?
Question of the week:
When tempted by the devil to jump from the top of the temple to prove that he was the son of God, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16-17. This is an excerpt from Moses sermon to Israel AFTER they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. The “real-time” incident is recorded somewhere else in the Old Testament. WHERE can you find this story and WHAT was the real temptation Israel faced?
Most people in churches today are familiar with the story recorded in Genesis 1 -3 and some of them are going even further all the way to Genesis, chapter 12. But few understand that the recorded divine transgressions found in Genesis, chapter 3 and another described in Genesis, chapter 6 are part of a gigantic battle in the supernatural world that not only shapes human history, but has also been a major component of the ancient Israelites supernatural world view.
Without this supernatural world view, not much of the rest of the Bible makes sense. As a matter of fact, stripping the Bible of its supernatural world view leaves us to deal with spiritual bread crumbs. All we have left is a Bible from where we get some insight HOW TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE TODAY. HOW TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF TODAY AND HOW NOT TO BE LIVING LIKE OTHERS AROUND US DO. Such teaching can do a lot of good in the here and now, but misses the more important truth with eternity in mind.
Did you notice that the Gentile nations are not called GOD’S PEOPLE? Israel is the only nation that God calls HIS PEOPLE. WE will look at that a little later. This is important to understand. Why? Because the birth of Jesus Christ, God coming to this earth in human form, as a human being, is not just good news to individual people but also good news for individual nations.
During those 339 years, the people started to reject the God who created them and longed to communicate with other gods, spiritual beings God also created. Under the leadership of Nimrod, the name means REBELLION, the people started building a tower in the midst of a great city called Babylon, in defiance of God’s command to populate the earth. A gigantic battle took place in the spiritual realm against God’s purpose for the Adamic race.
The Apostle Paul is summarizing this battle in Romans, chapter One.
It is difficult to understand this battle between God Almighty and some of his spiritual beings which rebelled against him, until we read God’s response to the rebellion at Babel in Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (ESV) When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
Other translations say: When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.
Remember, all the other nations have been given over by God to lower spiritual beings to rule over them. These lover spiritual beings will rule the nations of the world with a corrupt administration and will wage war against God’s only nation on earth, ISRAEL. God started new with Abram. From now on He is known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jacob’s name will later the changed into ISRAEL.
The battle is intense, but the outcome is certain. Jesus came as a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel, was the great proclamation of Simeon as he was holding God’s son, Jesus Christ, in his arms.
The gigantic battle is still raging and will until Jesus will return the second time to this earth, this time not in the form of a Baby or a servant, but as the King of Kings and Lord or Lords to rule and reign in the spiritual as well as the physical world.
For the next five weeks we will take a very close look at the battle every Christian is involved in on a daily basis. We will look at what the Word of God says about these battles, and how God intents us to fight according to His will and His word.
In other words, it is possible for born again Christians, for genuine followers of Jesus Christ, to be victims of Satan, who ensnared us, who has taken us captive for one purpose, which is TO DO SATAN’S WILL. We all know that we as the children of the living God ought to DO GOD’S WILL and not Satan’s will. However, God’s word is warning us that Satan can take one of us captive at his will. In other words it is possible for a believer to come under the influence of a “tormenting spirit”.
James is saying that wisdom and understanding comes only from the Lord and from His word. If we claim to have that wisdom, then show it by good conduct. And if your conduct is not godly, not according to the Word of God, then someone has set a trap for you by making you believe a lie and you act on it. And by acting according to the lie, you by default will do SATAN’S WILL.
What is a stronghold? A stronghold is a person’s inherent qualities of mind and character.
Listen, all of us grew up in a home, some homes are better than others. As children we have heard and observed a million different actions and reactions from our parents, from our siblings, from our teachers, from our friends. All such observations have somehow shaped our mind and character. Especially our families and what they have done, how they lived, will influence our mind and character. Such influences have formed strongholds, patterns of thinking, which we will eventually act out.
Whatever your stronghold or strongholds may be, there is a solution to your problem.
These strongholds can be demolished, by taking your thoughts captive, prisoner. Before you act on what you think, ask yourself the question: WHAT DOES GOD’S WORD SAY ABOUT THAT BEHAVIOR? Do not enter into an argument with God. Paul commands to CAST DOWN THOSE ARGUMENTS AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
You must be prepared to fight godly, that is GOD’S WAY. You must come to God with a willing heart and to ask Him to destroy those strongholds in your life. The Lord wants you to break those strongholds by learning to think God’s way. Accept the Word of God as your only sure guide in all your decisions. Remember, the Word of God is sharper than any two edged sword and is a discerner of your very thoughts. When the Word exposes your pattern of thinking as opposite to God’s revelation, take those thoughts immediately captive and before long, your strongholds will be demolished. GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD.
Jerusalem was filled with people that came from all over the world to celebrate the Passover, the feast God commanded the Hebrews to keep every year as a reminder that it was He alone who brought them out of slavery, out of the Egyptian bondage.
They did not deserve to be delivered, and they certainly did not pay a ransom to the Egyptians to be delivered.
It was a picture of what God is doing for His people, because HE PROMISED LONG AGO, that the spiritual battle of the ages, a battle which started in heaven itself and eventually was introduced to God’s creation in this world, will be won by God Himself, Victory will be declared by God Himself, and the battle of all battles will be settled ones and for all.
That was Satan’s goal all along. TO BE LIKE GOD. That’s the goal of all those who run around the churches claiming to have the same power God has to command Satan and his fallen angels to do their bidding and to command God what to do. Well, all in THE NAME OF JESUS. It’s the battle of all battles.
God uses truth to conquer lies, Satan, the father of lies, uses deception to conceal the lies. Deception is the most powerful weapon Satan has in his arsenal.
When Jesus, willingly, went to the cross, to be crucified for our sins, He did what the Father long ago promised would happen:
The seed, which is Christ Jesus, will win the battle of all battles, not by conquering Satan, but by submitting to the Father’s will.
Revelation 1:1-8 1. God Reveals to us THE BATTLE OF TWO KINGDOMS Genesis 1:1-31 Genesis 3:1-5 John 8:44 John 10:10 Isaiah 14:12-15 Luke 10:18 Daniel 2:26-45 2. God Reveals to us the truth ABOUT JESUS CHRIST Revelation 1:1-8 Acts 1:9-11
The Apostle Paul is telling Timothy that spiritual fitness is much more profitable for all things, because we have the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. The goal of spiritual fitness, according to scripture, must be godliness. Let’s start with biblical fundamentals. You must begin with a new birth. Admitting that you are a sinner, turning to Jesus by faith alone, believing that He paid the price for your sin in full, and accept the free gift of salvation, which will make you a New Creation. We still retain our old nature, but no longer are we under its control.