Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Spiritual Disciplines

Spiritual disciplines are an often neglected part of discipleship. I will highlight four in this article: prayer, fasting, alms giving, and service. It should be clearly understood that these disciplines do not earn or maintain for us a right standing with God. That comes by faith in Christ’s finished work, through which his right standing with God becomes our own.

Spiritual disciplines are God-given ways for us to connect with God’s heart in a greater way, which makes us more receptive to the indwelling Spirit’s voice and direction. The more we get in step with the Spirit, the more we grow and thrive as disciples.

Prayer

When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6  But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:5-6 (NLT)

Prayer is a lifeline with God. It can be broken down into four types of prayer: worship, thanksgiving, petition, and intercession.

Worship opens the door for us to get in sync with God’s heart and purposes. As we focus and delight in the Lord, we grow in faith and gain his perspective, which helps us pray in line with his will. When we do that, we can be assured that our prayers will be effective. (1 John 5:14-15)

Thanksgiving is closely aligned with worship. Whereas worship focuses on God’s person, character, power, and worthiness; thanksgiving is the way we consciously and deliberately remember and show our gratitude for his many mercies and blessings. Being thankful is perhaps the most important character quality a person can have. Developing a habit of thankfulness is a primary concern for growth as a disciple. (Philippians 4:6)

Every healthy relationship involves conversational give and take. If all we do is talk during prayer and ask God for things, we miss out on a most important element of petitionary prayer – listening to God. We all have needs and desires, but not all of them are God’s best for us. If we learn to delight in him first, he will fulfill our deepest longings. (Psalm 37:4)

Intercessory prayer is when we go to bat for someone else. God loves his people to take on a Spirit inspired prayer burden for other people and the things God wants and plans to do on the earth. Jesus continually makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25) and delights when we join him in that ministry.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

 

Fasting

And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17  But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18  Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18 (NLT)

Good things happen when we fast; even though, it may not always seem so initially. Fasting can be done in any number of ways, from complete abstinence from food and water to some more specific sort of fast, such as limiting oneself to liquids only. Fasts can be for any duration.

The important thing with fasting is to be led by the Spirit and use the fast to set aside time to focus on and listen to God through praying and reading the Scriptures.

Sometimes fasts are directed toward a specific purpose, such as asking God for direction at a particularly confusing, difficult, or important crossroad in life. At other times, we may fast simply to draw closer to God. Fasting shows that we value God more than food itself. It is a way for us to deny ourselves in order to pursue God. As with prayer, we do not gain or maintain our right standing with God through this discipline. It is a matter of the heart.

While fasting sometimes we clearly hear God’s voice. At other times, we may seem to receive nothing. We may receive a spiritual breakthrough that may be accompanied by spiritual warfare, as God opens a door for us that Satan seeks to block. Remember that Jesus encountered severe temptations just as he completed a long fast. After conquering those temptations, he launched his public ministry.

Alms Giving

Giving is a very important part of discipleship. Jesus warned his followers that we must give up all we have to be his disciple. (Luke 14:33) Tithing was an old covenant concept that continues to be practiced by many disciples today. Generally it is understood that tithing involves giving ten percent of our “increase” or income to God. Usually this is done through the local church. The idea is that the tithe is not ours to direct; so, we put it into the hands and under the authority of church leadership.

Alms giving is when we freely give beyond the tithe at our own discretion to whatever or whomever the Spirit directs.

Jesus advocated giving to the poor, as does the Bible in general. In the Sermon on the Mount, he elevated it to the same level as prayer and fasting.

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2  When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3  But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4 (NLT)

If we are going to be disciples after Jesus’ heart, we will ask the Spirit to develop in us a generosity toward the poor combined with wisdom in how to give without inadvertently causing more harm. (See When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.) God promises that the generous will receive abundant blessings in return.

Serving

Serving is one of the hallmarks of true discipleship. Jesus taught his followers to elevate servanthood to an exalted status in the kingdom of God.

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27  and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 (NLT)

I included serving as a spiritual discipline because serving does not come naturally to most of us. It must be cultivated and deliberately pursued. Growth as a disciple can be measured in terms of how willing we are to serve others. All ministry is service, and, when we serve others, Jesus taught us that we are actually serving him.

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40 (NLT)
Share this post...

Teaching Basic Life Skills

Due to the breakdown of the family and society in general, many people are not learning basic life skills at home or in school.

They arrive at our churches having never seen or experienced a biblical family structure, learned personal discipline, acquired some social skills, or known how to manage finances, a home, or a business.

Discipleship builds the whole person; so, remediating these deficiencies is important.

Every person is unique; so, I believe we should use a diagnostic and prescriptive approach for each individual. Over time it will become apparent to the disciple maker what areas needs to be shored up. Diagnosis can happen quickly by using precise questions and gradually over time by observation. Once we know what needs to be taught and demonstrated, we can begin the personal remediation process.

As with all discipleship, life change happens through personal devotion to God, interaction with others, sound teaching, and practical application with feedback.

Discipline is a huge key to success in life. When a disciple maker encounters a lack of this in a disciple, it should be addressed. Discipline can only be encouraged, not mandated, but those who show little or no interest or progress in this area disqualify themselves from further development and should not be allowed to absorb too much time from the disciple maker. Those who have never been part of a biblical family situation, with a loving father and mother both being present, should be invited to participate at some level in a healthy family dynamic. Those who grew up in broken families may never have seen a good marriage. They should be exposed to couples who have exemplary marriages. In addition, foundational teaching on the subject can be shared one-on-one or in groups.

The absence or ignorance of basic etiquette and social skills can hold people back in a big way and should be addressed by the mentor. The same is true when a lack of understanding of how to budget and handle finances rears its head, and likewise regarding skills in how to run a family or operate a business.

This aspect of discipleship can provide an avenue of service for those in the church who may not be motivated or gifted to teach the Bible, but who have a wealth of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom in practical matters.

Each person in the church is capable of being part of the discipleship making network of resources.

Share this post...

Developing Small Group Leaders

 

If churches choose to adopt a structure that is best for making people into disciples, they will use small groups extensively, which makes developing small group leaders a top priority.

Churches that make their Sunday morning services their priority will end up producing mostly spectators.

Whether we consciously realize it or not, those who attend such churches often come to see and hear a “show” or a production. Mega-churches make no bones about it. They realize how important is their Sunday production and allocate their best people and resources toward making it the best possible. Church members at such institutions will likely praise the worship, the sermon, or the various programs on offer. I remember hearing a big fan of such a church tell me that one can tell a good church by the quality of the sermon.

While a good sermon, worship, and programs are tremendous, the proper goal for churches should be to produce disciples who are becoming proficient in ministry and disciple making in their own right.

As a caveat, many event-focused churches do a great job in preaching the gospel and involve their people in worthwhile ministries. However, in production-focused churches, many do nothing more than attend the Sunday “show” and hopefully contribute financially. I think it goes without saying that the people who attend such churches like it that way, as do the church leaders; otherwise, they would structure things differently. The ostensible reason for doing church this way is to efficiently gather people to receive ministry from highly trained and gifted ministers.

If our goal, however, is to equip, develop, and launch people into ministry, small groups tend to provide a much better format. Every small group needs a leader, a host family, a worship leader, a Bible teacher, a kid’s minister, etc. If the group grows and splits into a second group, which should be the goal, double that number of leaders and ministers. The need to provide a show is non-existent. Generally the challenge is to find people who are willing to accept responsibility and grow in leadership and ministry skills, no matter what their current level of development.

At the small group level of church, when people begin to do something outside their previous comfort zone or ability, it is celebrated and encouraged, since growth is the goal, not a high level production.

Another benefit to small groups, if they are run properly, is that they involve everyone in discussing God’s Word together, worshiping, prayer, and interpersonal ministry, often around a fellowship meal. If groups are kept small enough, it is impossible to avoid getting to know people and being known, as we share our thoughts, needs, and cares honestly with one another.

Many prefer the anonymity of a larger church, which probably accounts to some degree for the popularity of the the traditional American church model. But why do attend church gatherings? Is it to spectate and go home, or do we want to grow as a disciple?

If a church believes that small groups provide the greatest opportunity to develop disciples; then, one of our greatest needs is to develop new leaders. Groups cannot multiply unless leaders do.

Apprenticeship is the best method to develop leaders in a disciple making church.

Time can be devoted to teaching basic concepts and principles in a one-on-one or classroom setting, but most of the useful training will happen by observation and by doing, especially when such is accompanied by feedback.

A streamlined way to maximize the apprenticeship process is for the church leader to meet weekly with an apprentice and current small group leaders to teach them the Bible lesson that all the small groups will use the following week.

Teaching teachers is a wonderful way to multiply ministry.

The small group leaders can be instructed to take what they learn and translate it into their own ministry style, without losing the essence of the message. Those top leaders who want to retain complete control over content will balk at allowing any deviation from the official script, but once again we must ask, “What is the goal?” Are we trying to duplicate the official church teaching or develop people who are capable ministers in their own right? In order to clarify, as parents, what is our goal? Do we want children who grow up to lead their own families, or do we want them to live at home forever under our leadership and decision making? Should we not have similar goals for those we disciple?

No matter what method we use to grow people as disciples, there will always be risk.

There will always be the danger of leaders taking the people and running off with them. There is the concern that they may distort the truth and lead people into error. There is the possibility that small group leaders might become spiritual bullies or lazy do nothings. The list goes on, but developing and launching people into ministry is always hazardous. Ask any parent. Even God’s kids often went astray, and he is the perfect parent. Jesus had a disciple go off the “rails,” so to speak. It is the nature of the world in which we live. We have no guarantees how things will turn out, but when we see a child or disciple develop into a loving, responsible adult or leader, it is well worth it.

Jesus said for us to go and make disciples, not stay and grow a church.

Share this post...

Hospitality

Hospitality is a defining mark of a disciple. In the time when the New Testament was written, there were no motel or restaurant chains. People depended more on the willingness of strangers to open their homes to provide hospitality. Peter wrote:

Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 1 Peter 4:9 (NLT)

Jesus made hospitality a measuring stick of our willingness to put his teachings into action.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. Matthew 25:34-35 (NLT)

Hospitality is a ministry skill and practice helps us to be more effective in our pursuit of fulfilling the Great Commission.

The first element of the Great Commission is the “GO.” We are not called to build structures to host all our outreach and evangelism efforts. We are not merely to invite people to come to a church meeting with us to listen to the preacher. That may be an “efficient” easy way to try to do evangelism, but Jesus asked us to pray for God to send out people with a shepherd’s heart who will leave the comforts of home and church to go into the ripe fields of our neighborhoods looking for those who need Jesus.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:36–38 (NKJV)

One aspect of the “going” part of the Great Commission can be best pursued by the minority of individuals who have powerful evangelistic pulpit ministries and can attract large crowds to hear gospel messages. Most disciples, however, do not have such a ministry gift and must rely on more down to earth methods to “catch” people for the kingdom of God. That is where hospitality comes into play.

Lifestyle evangelism is built on the premise that relationship building with our friends, neighbors, and coworkers is a gateway to reaching people, leading them to faith in Christ, and helping them become missional disciples in their own right.

There are no shortcuts in building relationships. Whereas, one can “button hole” a stranger in order to share a “one minute” version of the gospel, the kind of trust that allows us to speak to the deeper issues in a person’s life can only be built the old fashioned way – through making the effort to build a genuine relationship over time.

Most of us live in neighborhoods in which we probably don’t even know a great number of the residents.

How do we break through the  invisible barrier that has been erected against truly knowing one another? I believe it starts with a decision to be deliberately outgoing and hospitable.

Fortunately we do not have to be extroverts to be good at this. Most of us are mixtures of introversion and its opposite. We can learn to function effectively as an extrovert, even if we are not naturally internally motivated to engage and be with people. Our motivation springs from a commitment to the Great Commission and a compassion for people whom Jesus described as “harassed and helpless” and who have no Shepherd.

Making a decision to become more involved in our neighbor’s lives should result in our sending prayers to heaven on their behalf and making the effort to speak to them when we have the opportunity.

Here’s a thought: if we don’t talk with people, we will never get to know them or be able to share the gospel with them. Being an island to ourselves is antithetical to the Great Commission.

Once we begin to have conversations with people, we are going to learn all sorts of things about them, which can give us opportunities to pray for them and otherwise speak into their lives. It also gives us a chance to receive from them. Good relationships are always a give and take proposition. It is important for us to learn how to receive. There are not many things more off putting to a relationship than being a “know it all” who never needs any help. If there is no give and take, we don’t really have a relationship. We simply may be hunting for a gospel “trophy.” If we are properly motivated, we love people just regardless of how they respond to the gospel. Our goal is to love as unconditionally as God does. Otherwise, people will see right through us.

I put visitation next on the list.

Talk can be fairly cheap, but a visit speaks louder than words.

When our neighbors welcome us into their homes, they may begin to open up their lives to us on a whole new level. The favor can be returned by our inviting them into our homes, too, just for a visit, or perhaps for a meal.

Deeper relationships can often be built over shared meals. This allows us to enter the realm of biblical hospitality.

Showing hospitality has its own reward, but what if it results in our being able to help a neighbor experience God’s love through the gospel? How can that properly be valued? Making disciples is a big reason why we are here. We can experience the joy of opening our homes and lives to our neighbors, if we take the leap into being hospitable.

(A great resource on this topic is a book by Rosaria Butterfield entitled The Gospel Comes with a House Key.)

Share this post...

Train Disciples to Be Competent Counselors

Most of us think of counseling as belonging to the realm of trained professionals and church leaders, not a ministry to be done by the average disciple. But what does the Word of God say?

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. Romans 15:14 (NASB95)

The Greek word that is translated “admonish” is noutheteo, which means to admonish, exhort, or give instruction. While it is true that some people have deep problems that those who have experience and training can best help, the average disciple who has the Holy Spirit inside them and who has studied the Bible has the ability and responsibility to counsel others.

We all need periodic input from others in order to maintain an “even keel” in life. God made us to be dependent on him and interdependent on one another.

Most problems, including relational, financial, and marriage issues, can be solved by applying general life principles found in the Bible.

In other words, the key to a happy and fulfilled life is following Christ’s teachings with the help of the Holy Spirit. For example, marriage problems usually arise when one or both partners violate Christ’s teachings. Marriages are always better when both spouses seriously seek to live as true disciples.

All followers of Christ who apply themselves to the study of God’s Word and listen to the Holy Spirit are able to guide and advise others.

All disciples are competent to counsel, to admonish, and to instruct at some level.

We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5  It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (NLT)

Some of better at it than others, but all disciples can and should do it.

The most important counselors in the world are parents. They have the responsibility to disciple their children from birth forward to fear of God, follow Christ, love of people, and live responsibly as adults. During the child rearing process, parents are responsible to address and correct sinful and foolish behavior and teach their children principles for holy and wise living. If we do a good job, our children will acquire spiritual insight and practical skills that will help them be successful adults. Parents are able to use daily events and situations to instruct their offspring what it means to fear and serve the Lord and love and respect other people. No other counseling is so pervasive or as important as parenting.

If we expect the average follower of Christ to be able to parent, surely we are also competent to counsel one another in most things.

The best counselors seek to teach people how to go to God and the Bible for their answers. The goal of parenting is for children eventually to mature to the point where they do not need continual input from their parents. Because many people are lazy or insecure, they either do not want to go to the trouble to seek the Lord and read the Bible for themselves or they do not have confidence in their ability to make sound judgments.

Rather than simply tell people what to do or not to do, if we are going to help them grow, we should ask them to first go to God and the Bible for an answer.

We can then act as a “sounding board” for them, either confirming what they heard from God or showing them how they are mistaken. This way of doing things propels them into maturity and increases their confidence that they can make sound decisions with God’s help.

Just as a physician who is a good general practitioner knows when to refer a patient to a specialist, we must realize when people have problems that exceed our wisdom, experience, or faith level. For example, if a marriage is falling apart, the pastor or elders in a church should be consulted. If spouses are just struggling a bit, another believer or couple may be well able to handle it. If there are deeper and more serious mental, physical, or spiritual issues, It would be wise to consult church leadership. There is no shame in admitting we either do not know what to do or realize a particular situation is more properly in another person’s domain. We certainly do not want to compound problems by trying to help when we do not really know how.

The more that average disciples are willing to accept the responsibility for inputting in to other disciples’ lives, the healthier will be the body of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:14-16 (NLT)

Disciple-making churches teach and equip their people to be competent counselors.

Share this post...

Train Disciples to Cast Out Demons

In order to fulfill the Great Commission, disciples need to be competent to share the gospel and possess ministry skills. Disciple making churches believe that the five-fold (or ascension gift) ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher (Ephesians 4:11-12) exist to equip and launch the rest of the church into ministry, which includes competency in sharing the gospel, healing the sick, and casting out demons.

Jesus gave his followers authority to set people free from demonic oppression.

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7–8 (NKJV)

The Lord taught that casting out demons is one of the signs of the coming of God’s kingdom on earth.

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. Matthew 12:28 (NLT)

Although the Bible does not give us conclusive information on the origin and identity of demons, it makes it abundantly clear that they exist and pose a very real danger.

Any serious Bible-believing disciple must acknowledge that demons exist and come to terms with his or her responsibility to help people be released from their oppression.

Materialists usually dismiss the supernatural out of hand. Even those who profess to believe the Bible may find it “difficult to swallow” that people have demons. In Jesus’ day their were no asylums for those suffering various forms of insanity and torment. They had to be cared for by family or were simply abandoned, as in the case of the Gadarene demoniac. (Mark 5:1-20) Today we usually hide and medicate the most severely demonized. The less severely affected probably don’t even know what their problem is.

Demon oppression is misunderstood, thanks to how it is presented in the movies, lack of proper teaching, and our general fear and avoidance of the supernatural. Many conceive of demon oppression as “possession,” which is unfortunately how some versions of the Bible translate the Greek word daimonizomai.

To be biblically accurate, we should say that people are “demonized,” not possessed.

Possession infers ownership; whereas, demonization communicates the idea of being oppressed, which can take place at various levels.

Using the false notion of “possession,” some argue that it is not possible for a Christian to have a demon, since we are owned or “possessed” by God’s Spirit. When we properly translate the word as demonized, we see that believers can be demon oppressed, and, in fact, many are. (If you wish to read more about how people become demonized, click here.)

Once we believe that individuals can be and are demon oppressed, if we are to be effective at setting people free from them, it is important for us to be able to discern the presence of demons when we encounter them.

We should not assume that demons are behind almost every sin, sickness, and bondage issue, as some do. I think the Bible makes it clear that our main problem is our “flesh,” that part of us that is still connected to the Adamic body. The “flesh” cannot be saved or reformed. It only wants to oppose God.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:1–8 (NASB95)

This will be the case until we are raised from the dead and receive new spiritual bodies. Nevertheless, we are not in bondage to the “flesh.” We have the ability to “walk in the Spirit” and experience freedom. Many who profess Christ, however, still struggle mightily with the fleshly side of their being. Until they learn to walk in the Spirit, that will be their exprerience. If we try to cast out the “flesh,” we will fail, since that is an impossibility. If people think their “flesh” is a demon, they will be greatly discouraged to find that it did not leave when told to do so. That is why we need spiritual discernment to distinguish between the “flesh” and a demon. Demons must always obey our commands to leave. I never assume that demonization is the problem, unless it is blatantly obvious.

Unconfessed sin is another primary source of oppression, especially when it is bitterness or past involvement in the occult.

Jesus warned us that people who refuse to forgive will be turned over by God to “tormentors.” (Matthew 18:33-35) These are likely evil spirits. The quick way to be set free from them is to repent of holding offenses. (You can read more about this by clicking here. To learn more about how occult involvement opens doors to demon oppression, click here.)

Another source of oppression and bondage is what some people call generational sins or “curses.” These are sins that one can see being passed down family lines. One generation after another gets impacted by the consequences of sins committed by family members who lived before them. This is especially true when the successive generations involve themselves in the same sins, perpetuating the cycle. Although, demonization can be associated with generational devastation, the problem should first be addressed as its own issue. I have written extensively on this subject in my series on “Biblical Healing and Deliverance.” If you are interested in learning more, click here. Two other frequent sources of bondage are lies people believe and unhealed traumatic pain. Once again, you can read what I have written about this in the aforementioned series.

After we address these potential roots of oppression, we sometimes find that demons have attached themselves in areas where we have practiced sin, held on to bitterness, been involved in the occult, believed lies, experienced traumatic pain, or been victims of generational devastation handed down to us.

Thankfully, one of the gifts of the Spirit is discerning of spirits, which enables us to detect the presence of demonic spirits.

Diagnosing the presence of demons is the most challenging part of liberating people from them.

The Holy Spirit will help us in this area.

Once we detect a demon, I believe it is important to address how and why it gained entrance into the person’s life.

Demons cannot simply “hitch a ride” whenever they want. We generally have to open a “door” to give them entrance. Once a person repents and renounces whatever opened the door, it becomes a simple matter to cast out the evil spirit.

The authority of the risen Christ is the key to casting out demons.

When Jesus rose again, he completely defeated Satan and all demonic powers. He has given us his authority to speak in his name. When we command demons to leave, they must obey. The Holy Spirit will enforce our words. He is the power behind Christ’s authority. You can read more about the details of casting out demons, by clicking here.

Of all the ways people get into bondage, probably the easiest to deal with is demonization, IF we first deal with what opened the door to oppression.

This is why I advocate for a broad spectrum approach to setting people free from bondage in my Biblical Healing and Deliverance series. If we fail to shut the door to oppression by first dealing with unconfessed sin, bitterness, past occult involvement, unhealed traumatic pain, lies people believe, and generational devastation, we may cast demons out the front door, only to see them reenter through the back entrance. (Matthew 12:45) If we handle things properly, our simple command in Christ’s name will require demons to leave.

To properly train disciples to be effective in this ministry, it is important to teach them what is contained in this article and to demonstrate the ministry in their presence. Once they understand their authority in Christ and the other principles in this article, they are ready to operate in this ministry. I suggest having an experienced person be present to give counsel and feedback until the disciple becomes competent and confident to operate alone.

Share this post...

Chapter 88: Having Done All, Stand

Standing our ground is perhaps the most important aspect of spiritual warfare.

For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.  Ephesians 6:13 (NET)

Paul uses an analogy from ancient warfare when he wrote that we should put on spiritual armor by faith, which is described in the passage following the above verse. Even though he lists each piece of armor in Ephesians Chapter Six, we should not think of it as individual pieces acquired separately.

Every aspect of our armor comes as a package when we receive Christ.

We simply need to recognize what we have and consciously arm ourselves with the same. This is the same as “putting on Christ,” which is mentioned elsewhere. (Romans 13:14 and Galatians 3:27) We are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10), having all that we need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) In other words, God does not dispense grace or gifts piecemeal. Rather, he gives us all things in Christ.

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 (NKJV)

Understanding that Christ is our spiritual armor enables us to stand against the enemy.

Standing firm positions us to experience God’s fighting on our behalf. During Jehoshaphat’s rule, when Israel faced a vast horde of enemy soldiers, God instructed his people to trust completely in him.

You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’ ”  2 Chronicles 20:17 (NET)

Ultimately every battle is the Lord’s.

When David faced Goliath, he proclaimed (prophesied) that God would defeat the giant.

And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”  1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)

David had to fight, but he understood that really the battle was being waged by God himself, who gave David the victory. The rest of the army of Israel stood back in fear, but David stood firm in faith. His stand of faith resulted in his being willing to enter battle with the giant enemy warrior.

Standing firm results from our knowing that God is with us to give us the victory.

Somewhere along the line, David wrote the beautiful song we know as Psalm 23. Perhaps it was before his pivotal defeat of Goliath.

David understood that his strength was found in God’s presence.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4 (NASB95)

Moses was able to stand up against Pharaoh because he too knew that God was with him.

But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”  Exodus 3:11–12 (NLT)

It took a while for Moses to be convinced, but eventually he came to believe that God was indeed with him, which enabled him not only to confront Pharaoh but also to lead Israel for forty years through the desert.

If God is with us, it is enough for us to stand up against any force of evil and fulfill our calling.

Standing against the wiles and onslaught of the enemy also requires courage on our part. The devil seeks to convince us that God has abandoned us, and we are on our own.

Faith in God’s faithfulness allows us to shield our hearts against these lies.

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Ephesians 6:16 (NLT)

Jesus guaranteed that the enemy cannot ultimately harm 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 (NASB95)

But this promise does not preclude that we may suffer threats and harm to our physical bodies through persecution.

The tests and trials of life are used by Satan to make it appear that God cannot be trusted.

These contradictions to God’s benevolent promises to keep us from all evil, are tests of our ability to stand by faith in his faithfulness. Jesus withstood these contradictions, and so must we.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.  Hebrews 12:1–3 (NLT)

Sometimes God grants us a magnificent deliverance in answer to our faith. Other times he may allow us to suffer contradiction, giving us the opportunity to demonstrate our courage and faith in the face of adversity.

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.  Hebrews 11:32–40 (NASB95)

Whether we experience glorious victory over the things that challenge our faith, or God allows us to suffer contradiction, we must stand by faith.

When we make up our minds to give God thanks in every circumstance because we fully believe that he will work all things out for our good and his glory, we become overcomers by faith.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

Whether we receive the object of our faith in this life or not, we overcome because of our faith stance.

Such faith glorifies God because it is God-centered rather than man-centered.

Standing by faith is rooted in the conviction that God is loving, faithful, and always with us. Our part is to remind ourselves of these things by remembering to pray, study the Word of God, share the gospel with others, and worship. This allows us to be fully clad in God’s protective armor, which protects every part of our being from head to foot. As we learn to stand on the promises of God, his Word becomes a spiritual sword in our hands by which we can defend ourselves and inflict damage on the enemy of our souls.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—  Ephesians 6:14–18 (NKJV)

The belt of truth holds everything in place through our conviction that every word of God is true. The breastplate of righteousness guards our heart from the onslaught of condemnation. Our feet or walk with God is protected and strengthened as we fearlessly share our faith with others. Our faith acts as a shield to protect our hearts from Satan’s fiery darts of doubt and fear. The helmet of salvation guards our minds with the hope (firm conviction) of God’s complete faithfulness. Knowledge of God’s Word put into practice enables us to properly defend ourselves and even attack. Finally, prayer is how we stay in a proper attitude of complete reliance upon God for ourselves and others.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
Share this post...

Time to Tear Down the “High Place” of Heliocentrism

I believe we are in a time of reformation. God is exposing ways in which we followers of Christ have made accommodations to paganism so that we can repent.

High Places

When the Israelites conquered the land God promised to give them, he commanded them to destroy all forms of pagan worship to protect the people from their deceptive allure.

Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; Numbers 33:51–52 (NASB95)

High places were usually elevated locations where various forms of pagan worship took place. Elevation made people feel closer to God, whose throne is above the firmament. That is why he is often called the Most High. Prior to the construction of the temple of Solomon, God allowed himself to be worshiped at such high places. It was a traditional way to worship with which the people were quite familiar and comfortable.This was genuine worship of the true God, but was not meant to last beyond the building of the temple.

The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. 1 Kings 3:2 (NASB95)

After the construction of the temple, it alone was designated as the God’s authorized place of worship and sacrifice.

But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. 6 “There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 “There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you. 8 “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes; Deuteronomy 12:5–8 (NASB95)

It is important for us to understand that there are four aspects to God’s will – the right thing, the right way, the right people, and the right time.

The right thing was to worship God. The right way was at his authorized location. The right people were the priests and Levites, and the right time, with respect to the temple, was after it was built. We can do the right thing the wrong way, which makes it wrong. God has a right way to do things. Refusing to follow his prescribed way is sinful.

Worshiping God is a good thing, but to disobey him by doing so at high places instead of the temple was a sin.

Solomon dedicated the temple in grand fashion, but it did not take long for him to veer off course. David’s son unwisely and disobediently married foreign (non-Israelite and pagan) wives, who turned his heart away from an exclusive devotion to Yahweh. He consequently built unauthorized high places used to worship other gods.

The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. 2 Kings 23:13 (NASB95)

It is difficult for us to understand how someone so wise could do such a thing, but such is the allure and deception of sin. Even though very few of us feel a pull toward bowing down before a statue or other idol, we should not assume that we are immune to idolatry.

Today we have other forms of idolatry that are quite pervasive and highly esteemed by God’s people.

God is jealous for our exclusive devotion (James 4:5) and warned Israel that he would punish them unless they removed the high places.

For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images. 59 When God heard, He was filled with wrath And greatly abhorred Israel; Psalm 78:58–59 (NASB95)

I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. Leviticus 26:30 (NASB95)

Over the years, evil kings of Israel and Judah were noted for their worship of false gods and devotion to the high places. Even many of the so-called “good” kings of Judah, who loved God, failed to get rid of the high places. For example, Jehoshaphat, a godly man in many ways, was such a ruler.

He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. 1 Kings 22:43 (NASB95)

Why would otherwise devoted servants of God accommodate evil in this way? Were they ignorant? Did they view this transgression as a minor thing? Were they intimidated by the people who were greatly devoted to such unauthorized worship? We can only guess.

The Bible notes three kings who more fully obeyed God by eliminating the high places: Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah. These men had the courage to oppose the opposition of high-place-loving citizens in order to please God.

God is looking for wholehearted devotion from his people. Our Lord does not want us to accommodate anything that tends to corrupt that devotion.

Instead of looking for some sort of physical idol, today we should think in terms of allowing our hearts to become enamored with the ways of the world, which are hostile to the ways of God.

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? James 4:4–5 (NKJV)

Anything that the world loves should be immediately suspect in our eyes. The people of the world are devoted to that which is hostile to God because they are of the “flesh,” the old Adamic nature.

because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:7–8 (NASB95)

All of us who have been born again still have a connection to the flesh, as long as we live in these mortal bodies.

It is easy for us to be swayed into loving what the world loves, unless we have our guard up, understand the truth, and resist the pull. This is a very real danger.

Paul wrote…

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB95)

So what does this have to do with cosmology?

The High Place of Heliocentrism

For the first 5500 years since creation, most people believed the Bible’s version of cosmology. Christians up until the time of Copernicus had a geocentric view of the heavens and earth as described in Genesis Chapter One. Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton led a revolution that changed the way people look at the cosmos and all of life. They revolted against relying on God’s Word as the guide into greater understanding of our world. They believed that the pursuit of truth and “science” had to free itself from religion and, in particular, the Bible. From that time until the present, secular scientists generally scoff at anyone who uses the Bible to guide them in any sort of scientific inquiry.

The world rejoiced at this deliverance from being bound to God and his Word. The devil inspired Adam and Eve in the beginning to cast off the restraint of obedience to God’s words and launch out on a journey of self-discovery. Ever since then, this has been the default mode of humanity.

The world loves going its own way in contradiction to God and the Scripture. The sad thing is that, generally speaking, especially when it comes to cosmology, the church has gone along for the ride, seduced by the siren song that we can figure out things on our own, thank you. We don’t need the Bible to guide us.

Many, probably most at this point, well-intentioned Christians have gone along with the world and accepted the heliocentric lie. In fact, many are absolutely devoted to it to the extent that they will attack and belittle anyone who dares challenge it. This is confusing because generally they are devoted to Christ and have a love for God’s Word. Nevertheless, many unwisely give God credit for creating a false version of the cosmos.

Heliocentrism is an unauthorized and untrue version of God’s creation. To say that God made the cosmos after this fashion is unbiblical, untrue, and God-dishonoring.

We should never say that God did something that he did not do. As I see it, this is akin to worshiping God in an unauthorized high place. Both were outside the bounds of Scripture and dishonored God.

In a previous article, I showed that heliocentrism is rooted in the occult and is a form of sun worship.

I realize that this is a “hard pill to swallow” for those indoctrinated in modern astrophysics. We have been taught that the Big Bang expanding universe which contains our solar system is irrefutable science, but, sadly, it does not agree with what the Bible teaches.

This places us in a crisis of obedience. Will we accept what modern science teaches or what the Bible declares?

Adam and Eve failed their test in the garden when they believed the serpent’s lies above God’s truth. We dare not make the same mistake!

Rather than believing the biblical account of creation and the cosmos that is found in Genesis and elsewhere in the Scriptures, many Christians today have adopted the widely accepted Copernican-Newtonian view of the universe, which posits that the sun is central in our “Sol”-ar system. It is believed to be quite immense (400 times larger than the earth) and amazingly distant (93 million miles away). Most of us have simply accepted this version of reality without giving it much thought. If the sun were really that far away, would it even be visible to the naked eye? (Here is a link to evidence that it would not be.) NASA and modern astrophysicists are banking on our mindlessly accepting their theories.

This pagan philosophy holds that mighty “Sol” or “Helios” (another name for Satan) controls the earth, keeping it locked in an obedient orbit by means of a mysterious unproven force called universal gravitation. This theory has its roots in ancient hermeticism practiced in Egypt.

Modern astrophysicists declare that the earth is insignificant with respect to the sun and most of the other so-called “planets,” to say nothing of the immensity of the “universe.” Not surprisingly, we are taught that to think we on earth are something special is the height of ignorance and arrogance.

Nothing could be farther from what is presented in Genesis Chapter One, which states that God first created the earth, making it absolutely central.

On the fourth day he created the sun, moon, and stars, placing them in the immense crystalline structure called the firmament. Nothing is said about other so-called planets. God only made the earth, sun, moon, and the stars. You can read more about this in another article I wrote about the Genesis testimony. 

This means that the sun, for example, serves the earth, rather than the other way around. It also means that the sun runs a “circuit” around the earth (Psalm 19:6), rather than the earth revolving around the sun. Consequently, the sun is much smaller and much closer than we have been led to believe.

We must either believe the Bible and reject modern astrophysics or accept modern astrophysics and consign Genesis to the realm of scientifically meaningless “poetry.” However, once we start down the road of deciding which words of God are true and which can be safely disregarded, we are in dangerous territory.

There is nothing in the Genesis account that allows us to classify it as poetry, except our determination to cling to heliocentrism.

In my opinion, this is loving a pagan philosophy more that the Bible.

When Christians put their trust in the dictates and pronouncements of modern astrophysicists instead of in God’s Word, it is a form of idolatry.

Here is a simple syllogism.

  • If God’s Word is true and Jesus is the truth personified (John 14:6),
  • Then, any time we value and honor a lie over the truth (the Bible and Jesus), we commit idolatry.
  • Therefore, if we believe the lie of heliocentrism instead of God’s Word, it is idolatry.

If this line of reasoning is correct, and I believe it is, then many Christians are inadvertent idolators.

One of the high places destroyed by Josiah was devoted to the sun god.

He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the host of heaven. 2 Kings 23:5 (NASB95)

He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 2 Kings 23:11 (NASB95)

When Copernicus published his book that theorized that the sun was the focal point of supposed planetary orbits, he paid homage to the sun god.

When the United States supposedly sent astronauts to the moon, they named the entire mission after Apollo, the sun god. His horses and chariot were part of the mission logo. This is no accident. NASA’s origins were steeped in the occult, and nearly every mission or undertaking is named with pagan allusions. But that is another topic.

I realize that most of us Christians who ascribe to heliocentrism are not conscious idolators. In fact, we are repulsed by such an idea. Nevertheless, heliocentrists inadvertently honor Satan with their pagan beliefs. To claim that God created a heliocentric solar system is misguided at best. No artist would want credit for creating something that is totally contrary to his values and intent.

The Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1) Even Christian heliocentrists are able to glorify God when they consider the heavens, but they are doing so despite the godlessness connected with Big Bang cosmology. As I wrote elsewhere, the Big Bang – Heliocentric Worldview is essentially atheistic by design. Jesus said we can know a bad tree by the fruit it produces. It is no accident that most leading proponents of modern astrophysics are atheists.

The Genesis version of cosmology requires us to recognize the handiwork of God. There is no way that we live within the protection of the firmament unless God created it that way. It could never have happened via the chaos of an explosion. Just as surely as the turtle pictured on the left did not get on top of the fence post by himself, neither did the firmament create itself. It is extremely difficult to be an atheist when God’s true version of creation is recognized, and that is exactly why it is so important for the church to abandon pagan heliocentrism and embrace the truth. Biblical cosmology can help people turn to God. We need to be different from the world system. We need to stand for God’s truth. The world may laugh at us for holding to our conviction that the Bible is true, but perhaps they will respect us for being steadfast to what the Bible teaches.

I think the world laughs at us when we try to blend modern astrophysics with the Bible. They know it is a contradiction and an accommodation.

My prayer is that God will lift the veil of deception. May the Lord remove the “scales” from our eyes so that we can finally see the truth about his glorious creation and tear down the high place of heliocentrism. The good news is that the Bible is 100% trustworthy and true regarding everything it says, even cosmology. How gloriously comforting it is to know that God is looking down on us from his throne above the firmament. He is very near indeed. One day that firmament will be rolled back like a scroll, revealing Christ in all his glory. The entire earth, this terrestrial plane, shall see him all at once! Come, Lord Jesus!

Share this post...

Our Cosmology Affects Our Worldview

Our cosmology significantly affects our worldview.

Many do not realize that believing in a different version of the heavens and earth from what is presented in the Bible will skew our interpretation of creation and our way of looking at the various aspects of life connected to our worldview.

Our worldview determines how we view our origins, value, purpose, and destiny.

The biblical cosmology found in Genesis Chapter One and elsewhere in the Scripture reveals the truth about each of these things. The satanically inspired Big Bang theory of the “universe” inspires us to believe lies about God, creation, ourselves, our origins, purpose, value, and destiny.

The Big Bang – Heliocentric World View (BB-HWV) is evolutionary at its core.

It states that the universe created itself from a pinpoint through an inexplicable explosion through which incomprehensible energy and matter were released, expanding outward from the blast site, producing everything in the heavens and the earth, including life and humans. God is not in the picture, unless, as believers, we see him orchestrating these events and being the source of the energy and matter, for which atheists cannot account. This account of creation is diametrically opposed to what the Bible tells us.

Big Bang – Heliocentric World View
  • Origins – The chaos of an explosion produced order and complexity, which violates the law of entropy. There is nothing beyond material matter, which denies the spiritual side of things. Everything can be explained materialistically and “scientifically.” There is no room for God or the miraculous.
  • Value – Humans, being an accident of evolution, have no inherent value. What worth we might be given by others is measured by our productiveness and what we might contribute to the evolutionary process. If we negatively affect evolution or our “fragile ecosystem,” we become something to be eliminated. Human life can be snuffed out without concern. This thinking is behind abortion, euthanasia, genocide, etc.
  • Purpose – Humans exist only to experience a very brief physical life and continue the species through reproduction. This is the basis of the philosophy of existentialism: there is no reality beyond what we personally experience. This leads us to conclude that there is no such thing as “absolute truth.” Such phrases as “my truth” or “your truth” derive from this false belief. Consequently, the experience of being in power and having pleasure are life’s greatest purposes. This worldview produced such dismal outcomes as Nazism and Stalinism.
  • Destiny – There is nothing after physical life; therefore, we have no eternal purpose and no destiny beyond the grave. Therefore, we should strive to  experience every pleasure now, while we have the opportunity. There is no worry about facing the consequences of our actions when we stand in judgment before the Creator.

Denying that God is the Creator and refusing to glorify him is one of the worst sins possible. When a people do this, it causes the entire society to descend into the chaos of lawlessness and rebellion.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, Romans 1:28 (NASB95)
Biblical Worldview

Biblical cosmology recognizes that everything around us, the heavens and earth and all forms of life, were created in six days by God. Order sprang from God’s creative genius.

  • Origins – God is the Creator. Everything begins with him. We see the complexity of our being and glorify God. (Psalm 139:14) God is a spirit. The spiritual world existed before the material creation.
  • Value – Everything has value because it was made by God. Being the Creator, he alone has the right to assign value. For humans, being created in God’s image gives us incredible intrinsic value. After mankind’s fall from grace, Jesus shed his precious blood for us, telling us what our value is in God’s sight. We have no right to wantonly destroy what God made.
  • Purpose – God made everything with a divine purpose. We humans were made to know, love, enjoy, and serve God for eternity. Knowing God is the greatest thing in life.
  • Destiny – God’s wants to share his life and rule with people. That is why he made us and why he sent his son to die for our sins and rise again. When we put our trust and allegiance in Christ, our destiny is to co-rule with him forever while we revel in his glorious and loving presence.

The evolutionary BB-HWV dispenses with God and reduces humanity to a cosmic accident. Those who fully embrace it often become atheists, thus destroying their opportunity to share in God’s life and rule forever.

Those who embrace a biblical cosmology, recognize God’s handiwork in his creation and are led to seek and find him through Christ. They will more easily be able to glorify God as the Creator.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

 

Many Christians have adopted aspects of the Big Bang theory without realizing that it contradicts the clear teaching of Genesis and other passages of Scripture.

Our accommodation of a non-biblical explanation of the the cosmos hinders our ability to properly understand what God means for us to derive from viewing the heavens.

I have noticed that believers who ascribe to the modern astrophysics view of the “universe” conceive of heaven as being merely a “spiritual place somewhere out there,” rather than the physical location above the firmament which the Bible describes.

As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them. 26 Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. Ezekiel 1:25–26 (NLT)

I wrote another article about this, if you are interested in learning more.

Modern astrophysics also introduces a slew of extra-biblical ideas to confuse the mind and induce unwarranted fear – aliens, asteroids, solar flares, climate change, etc., as we supposedly hurtle through “outer space” at incredible speeds that nevertheless cannot be perceived in any way. This leaves us feeling small and insignificant, having to comfort ourselves with the belief that despite the vastness of the cosmos and our relative insignificance, God still cares about us and is present with us.

Biblical cosmology teaches that the earth is the center of God’s creation, protected by the firmament, and carefully watched over by the “Most High.”

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. Isaiah 40:22 (NKJV)
Share this post...

Knowing God Better, Life’s Greatest Blessing!

In the Old Testament on several occasions God revealed something about his character and nature by using a compound name for himself. What the Lord allows us to go through in life are opportunities for us to know him better. No matter what comes our way, God will work everything for good (Romans 8:28). If we seek him, every test and trial we face will be an opportunity for us to get to know him in a deeper way.

Knowing God better is the greatest blessing in life.

Jesus said:

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3 (NKJV)

If we approach life with this mindset, we will be overcomers by faith.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

We sometimes think that going through life without encountering difficulties is the best possible thing, but having no troubles may cause us to miss a chance to know God better.

God wants us to embrace difficulties as  opportunities to grow in faith.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2–4 (NLT)

Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful and most quoted passages in the Bible and reveals a lot about God and the gospel. It was inspired by the Spirit of God and written and sung by King David, who was an accomplished musician and poet. It has endured for three millennia and will continue forever because it is the unchangeable word of God. This short psalm is packed with revelation about God’s heart and nature. In it we find the first compound name of God that I will cover

The Lord Is My Shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1 (NLT) —

Here the Spirit revealed through David that God the Lord is our shepherd, who provides, guides, and protects. David called him Yahweh-rah, the Lord my shepherd.

If we know and rely upon him to be our shepherd, we always have everything we need.

Jesus is the ultimate Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep. (John 10:11) He did this to bring us back to the Father by providing forgiveness for our sins, setting us free from all that enslaves us, giving us life eternal through the Holy Spirit, and making us children of God through the new birth. Ultimately we will co-rule with Christ over his creation. This is what Jesus called “abundant life.” Once we come to know Jesus as our Shepherd, life will never be the same.

Another aspect of the shepherd ministry is reflected in another name of God, Yahweh-shamar, the Lord our Keeper.

The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore. Psalm 121:5–8 (NKJV)

Gospel Hint: If we encounter a person who feels lost, abandoned, fearful or who generally needs a “shepherd,” we should present Christ as the one they seek. He proved his love for us at the cross and his ability to take care of us at the resurrection.

The Lord Who Provides

Another Old Testament compound name for God was revealed to Abraham when God tested him regarding his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. At the last moment, when the angel restrained his hand from carrying out the deed, Abraham saw a ram caught in the thicket that he could sacrifice in Isaac’s stead. He named that place Yahweh-Jireh – the Lord who Provides. 

Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:14 (NASB95) —

In the hour of Abraham’s testing and obedience, God’s provision became apparent. When we truly get to know God, we discover that providing for his people is part of his nature. It is who he is. We should never doubt his kind intention to provide for our every need, especially when we step out in faith to obey him.

Gospel Hint: Is we find someone who is afraid that they will not have what they need, we should introduce Jesus the Good Shepherd and provider. He is our shepherd. We shall not lack. We can always count on God to provide. If we surrender our lives to him, he graciously extends his care to us.

The Lord Our Peace
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:2 (NLT) —

Green meadows and peaceful streams are part of God’s provision for his sheep – peace and rest. Jesus promised that he will give his disciples peace that passes natural understanding. God revealed himself to Gideon as Yahweh-shalom, the Lord who is our peace, on the day he commissioned him to fight for Israel against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.” 23 Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace... Judges 6:22–24 (NKJV)

Peace does not depend on our circumstances, but on God’s promises and his presence in our lives. 

Jesus said that he will give us peace in the midst of the storms we encounter in life.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 (NASB95) —

Peace is one of the defining characteristics of those who know God.

It is a fruit or result of God’s Spirit inhabiting and transforming us on the inside. The more we trust and rely on our Good Shepherd, the greater our peace.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7 (NASB95) —

Gospel Hint: When we encounter someone who is afraid, we should tell them about the Good Shepherd who relieves us of our fears and imparts peace that passes understanding. His perfect loves displaces or casts out fear.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 (NASB95)
The Lord Our Healer
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 (NASB95) —

One important ministry of the Good Shepherd is that he restores and heals our bodies and souls. When we are born again, God makes our spirits brand new, but our souls still need a lot of work.

The new birth is once for all, but the restoration of the soul takes a lifetime. This is part of Jesus’ ministry as healer.

Everywhere Jesus went he healed and restored people. He still does today, but now he uses his Spirit-filled people to accomplish the work.

Before we can help others, we need to experience his healing and restorative work in our own lives.

One of the compound names of God in the Old Testament is Yahweh-raphah, the Lord who heals.

and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 (NKJV)

Healing is part of God’s nature or character.

Under the Old Covenant, healing was promised to those who kept the law. Under the New Covenant, it is a benefit for those who put their faith and allegiance in Jesus, who perfectly kept the Law on our behalf. It is not something we have to wrestle from him.

It flows from his kind heart to hurting people.

Healing and deliverance from demonic oppression accompanied the preaching of the gospel in Jesus’ and the apostles’ day. Nothing has changed in God’s plan. God wants his people to experience his healing and restorative touch today, too. 

Gospel Hint: If we encounter someone who has physical, emotional, or spiritual pain or disease, we should offer to pray for them as we tell them that Jesus still heals. We never know what God may do.

The Lord Our Righteousness

Right paths and paths of righteousness are different phrases for essentially the same thing. God revealed himself as our righteousness in the Old Testament, the Lord our righteousness, Yahweh-tsidqenu.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ Jeremiah 23:6 (NASB95) —

When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, he provided a right relationship with God or “justification” for those who put their faith and allegiance in him. By taking our sins upon himself and exchanging our sin with his right standing with God, we became righteous before God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) We are not self-righteous, but righteous in Christ. Apart from him we have nothing.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

This imputation of right standing with God paved the way for our heavenly Father to reconcile us with him completely and adopt into his family through the new birth.

Now that we have right standing with God, he is working his righteousness into us on a daily basis. In other words, the Holy Spirit is transforming us on the inside so that we more and more think, speak, and act like Jesus. This allows us to “walk” as Jesus did in “paths of righteousness.” When we live like this it brings honor to God and blessings to us.

Gospel Hint: Sometimes we encounter people whose lives are a mess because of their sins and failures. We can introduce the Good Shepherd to them as the one who can restore them and set them on a path to blessings and success. It starts with their surrendering everything to Jesus the Lord and receiving all he has to offer, which is mainly himself and his right standing with the Father.

The Lord Who Is Always With Us
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NLT) —

We all go through a dark places. This can be very scary, especially when we feel alone. One of the most repeated promises in the Bible is “Do not fear. I am with you.” (Genesis 26:24, Deuteronomy 31:8, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 14:27, and John 6:20) God revealed himself in the Old Testament as the ever-present One, Yahweh-shammah.

All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE. Ezekiel 48:35 (NKJV)

Psalm 139 is another place where King David expressed his faith in the ever present one.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalm 139:7–12 (NKJV)

Jesus also is known as the One who is present in his name Emmanuel, God with us.

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ” Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

Our Lord also promised that the Holy Spirit, his executor here on earth and our helper, will always be with us.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; John 14:16 (NASB95)

The Spirit’s presence in our lives is a most precious gift.

Nothing compares. Because Jesus died and rose again, when we put our faith and allegiance in him, God comes to live inside us forever! We will never be alone again.

Gospel Hint: Abandonment is one of our greatest fears. Many people feel rejected and alone. Ultimately this is because our sin separated us from God. Jesus fixed this problem. All who put their faith and allegiance in him never need to be alone again.

The Lord Who Transforms Us
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

The rod and staff represent the shepherd’s commitment to protect and guide his sheep.

One of God’s compound names in the Old Testament is Yahweh-Mekoddishkem – The Lord who sanctifies you.

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. Exodus 31:13 (NKJV)

God is committed to transforming us into Christ’s image as we navigate this life with his help.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28–29 (NKJV)

God’s protection from savage wolves and his loving discipline are represented by the rod. His discipline protects us from continuing on sinful paths to our own destruction. God disciplines all his children because he loves them.

For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV)

Gospel Hint: God accepts us just as we are, but he doesn’t leave us in that condition. Most of us would like to be better than we are. Only God can get us there, as we learn to cooperate with the Spirit of God as he transforms us on the inside without condemning us for our many failures along the way. (John 5:24, Romans 8:1)

The Lord Our Banner
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5 (NLT)

God revealed himself in the Old Testament as Yahweh-nissi, the Lord our banner in battle.

And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; Exodus 17:15 (NKJV)

Sometimes we think that peace means that we have been delivered from the threat or presence of our enemies.

God, however, prepares a feast for us right in front of our enemies. He wants us to ignore the enemy and focus on him.

The Bible teaches us the the battle is the Lord’s.

And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NKJV)

God has already defeated Satan and his evil allies. All authority in heaven and earth has already been given to our Lord Jesus. Nothing can happen to us without the permission of our Lord, and he promises to work out everything, even the bad things, for our good. (Romans 8:28)

God wants us to learn how to stand against evil. 

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)

We do this by understanding that we are protected by God. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6)

Our enemies must go through God to get to us.

This does not mean that we will never encounter tests, trials, or danger, but God is always with us as we go through these things. He is our victory. Our faith makes us overcomers in everything.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

Gospel Hint: When we talk to people who are in the midst of some kind of spiritual battle, we can show them that God promises to be with us in the struggle and has already overcome the enemy. If we trust in him, he will give us peace in the midst of our warfare.

Conclusion

One of the most exciting things about being a follower of Christ is participating with him in helping others find freedom through our Lord and Savior! When Jesus launched his earthly ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61:1 and said that God’s Spirit rested upon him, anointing him for ministry.

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, Luke 4:18 (NLT)

The anointing, which represents the Spirit’s power and presence operating in and through us, is what we need to effectively minister to others.

God honors us by allowing us to participate with him in this ministry.

God is not stingy. He overflows with blessings and has more than enough for all those who trust in him. This ties into God’s being our Shepherd and provider. As we are blessed by God, we can pass these on to others.

Gospel Hint: Many people live outside of God’s blessings because they have never surrendered their lives to Jesus. The gospel promises God’s richest blessings upon all who trust and follow Jesus.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6 (NLT)

Instead of being hounded by the curse associated with sin, Jesus opened the door for us to be pursued relentlessly by God’s goodness and mercy as long as we live.

When we die, we have the promise of being with God forever.

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1–3 (NLT)

Gospel Hint: Jesus provides his followers with blessings here on earth and eternal life with him in heaven. Who would not want this?

Share this post...
Share this post...