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.

The Gospel Announces that God Will Forgive Those Who Believe

Peter concluded his gospel presentation to Cornelius by declaring that God offers to forgive our sins if we put our faith and allegiance in Jesus.

He [Jesus] is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.” Acts 10:43 (NLT)

Once we believe and confess that Jesus is the glorious Lord who is risen from the dead, God wants us to understand that he does not hold our past sins against us.

We may not have been the ones who actually drove the nails into his hands and feet, but we all have participated in the sin of turning our backs on God. He died for all of us because we all had an impossible debt to pay to God. Only he could settle accounts on our behalf, and he did!

After his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples:

...“Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48  You are witnesses of all these things. Luke 24:46-48 (NLT)

That is really good news!

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Have you ever seen a black swan?

If someone makes a claim that all swans are white, finding a black one would disprove the statement. I well remember my “black swan” moment. It came in a flash, a moment of realization that all my life the “establishment” had been lying to me!

From childhood I believed what was was taught and reinforced almost daily – that the earth is a rotating sphere that revolves around the sun and hurtles through space at incomprehensible and complex speeds under the control of the pull of “gravity” from multiple sources. We are rotating at around 1000 mph at the equator, traveling at 66,600 mph around the sun, moving at around half a million mph along with our solar system through the galaxy, and flying at an even faster speed through the larger universe due to residual expansion from the “Big Bang.” I likewise accepted that gravity, which is weak enough to allow me to move about freely on the earth, is also strong enough to hold trillions of gallons of water to the surface of our sphere, which is rotating so amazingly fast. 

I did not really think too much about the fact that no one is aware of this supposed motion. Nor did I consider that, if this rotational speed is true, airplanes must fly with reference to that rotational speed and calculate it when landing, taking off, and navigating. I also did not consider what is the supposed curvature of the earth. In fact, it had never occurred to me to test it. And this brings me to the black swan moment.

I do not think I will ever forget watching a clear demonstration that we can see much, much farther than we are supposed to see if the globe theory of the earth’s shape were actually true.

Earth Curvature Formula

Most people do not know how much the earth’s surface is supposed to curve. There are websites that calculate the required amount of curvature over distance using spherical trigonometry, such as the Earth Curvature Calculator. For simplicity’s sake, the following parabolic formula works well up to a distance of about 2000 miles. After that, there will be some slight discrepancies from the trig formula, but not enough to cause concern.

Easy Formula: The Earth's Predicted Curvature = 8 inches times the distance in mileage squared.

Here are some sample distances with the calculated required curvature, if the earth were indeed a globe. 8 inches equals .66 feet.

Distance Formula
 Expected Curvature
1 mile 8″X1X1 8 inches
2 miles 8″X2X2 32 inches
3 miles 8″X3X3 72 inches
4 miles 8’X4X4 10.66 feet
5 miles 8″X5X5 16.66 feet
10 miles 8″X10X10 66 feet
20 miles 8″X20X20 264 feet
100 miles 8″X100X100 6600 feet
Perspective vs Curvature

When objects move away from us, because of optical perspective related to shape of our eyes, they appear to disappear from their base up. Aristotle believed this was proof of the earth’s curvature. Bill Nye the Science Guy says the same thing, much to his shame, because he knows better. Thanks to the power of telescopes and zoom cameras, we can bring objects back into view that have disappeared due to perspective, all the way down to the hull in the water for boats. Of course, eventually everything disappears when moved far enough away, due to limitations of vision, air quality issues, and perspective.

There are many different empirical proofs that the earth does not curve, and I have placed several of them on the Resource Page connected to this series. I encourage you to check them out.  Below is a very short video demonstration to whet your curiosity. Below is some information about the author of the video.

Taboo Conspiracy (aka Ben) is happily married and a homeschooling father of four children (one more is on the way). He is currently a lawyer and an entrepreneur setting up a remarkable business in Las Vegas, Nevada where he currently resides. Ben has a bachelors degree, a Juris Doctorate, and a Masters…

In March 2015, Ben began his new life as a flat earther when he, with his Nikon P900, filmed his wife across a bay holding a mirror reflecting the sunlight at 6.3 miles distance (globe model “hidden” height of 12 feet). Defying the globe model, Ben’s wife placed the mirror into the water and Ben filmed the entire event 6.3 miles away. Since then, Ben and his patient wife have conducted many tests to demonstrate the flat and stationary earth and his YouTube channel (now called “Taboo Conspiracy ii”) has thereafter been devoted to sharing these and many more flat earth proofs with everyone.

Although a Bible-loving Christian, Ben’s flat earth conversion was based only on the substantial scientific, observable and repeatable, evidence of the flat earth. Ben only asks that you objectively test the flat earth and weigh the evidence yourself with an open mind – only then will you learn the hard truth – that we were all lied to and only together can humanity throw off this mental and physical tyranny.1

When I saw that it can be demonstrated that the formula for calculating the curve of the earth is wrong, it was my black swan moment. Instead of curving like a sphere, it is flat!

What a moment that was. I did not want to be a “flat earther,” but there it was. My life forever changed that day. My big mistake was assuming that, if I showed people this information, they would immediately arrive at the same conclusion as I. Was I ever wrong!

In my next article, I will share about my amazing knowledge of languages. I can speak at least one phrase in every known language, except Greek. Perhaps you would like to test me?

Go to series home page.
Footnote
1 https://flatearthconference.com/speakers/taboo-conspiracy/
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Introduction to Snippets of Truth

At the time of this writing, for about a year I have held a view of the earth and heavens that I believe corresponds to Genesis, rather than to the generally accepted position of modern astrophysics. This means that I am no longer a heliocentrist or believe that the earth is a rotating globe hurtling through space at enormous speeds in compound directions.

Some of my friends and family have come to believe as I, but others think I am “crazy” or deceived. Perhaps I have become an embarrassment to some. I have been mocked and a recipient of angry rebuttals and sly smiles. I mistakenly thought that my years as a Bible teacher would give me some credence, but I discovered that is often not true. It appears that this issue is a “sacred cow” that is best left undisturbed.

I began to wonder if this is a hill to die on or something to be left alone for a while. My relative silence may have been misinterpreted as a surrender to heliocentric “orthodoxy,” especially after what has been labeled “The Final Experiment,” but I have not changed my stance. I still hold firmly to what I believe the Bible teaches and have observed mountains of evidence to support my faith. Perhaps my stand will help others think again about what they believe and come to a knowledge of the truth.

I have come to believe that it is quite impossible to be a heliocentrist and accept the clear teachings about where we live that are found in Genesis and elsewhere in the Bible.

We must choose whether we will make the Biblical position our starting point in our quest for truth. If we begin with the generally accepted heliocentric model, as do most Christians, we will discover that we must reject a literal rendering of Genesis. Most do this in a way that might seem plausible but is nothing more than self-deception. I should know. I unwittingly did it for years. 

We make an end run around the truth by claiming that Genesis is not intended to be accepted as literally true. In other words, God told us a lie because he figured we were too ignorant to comprehend the truth. If this is so, it means that nothing in the Bible can be regarded as absolutely true, which is exactly what the devil wants us to conclude. We cannot have it both ways. The Bible cannot be true, but Genesis be untrue.

Nevertheless, most Christians seem to feel quite comfortable in doing this, while at the same time affirming that they believe that every word of the Bible is infallibly true. The devil must be laughing at our duplicity. How easy we are to fool.

If we decide that the Word of God the sole arbiter of truth, we will end up in an entirely different place.

We will question what is called “science” instead of the Bible. We will believe that the Bible means what it says and says what it means. If the sun was created on the fourth day, we understand that the Big Bang and heliocentrism is a lie. It really is that simple.

The reason that so many Christians have great difficulty accepting the biblical position is because we have been brainwashed since infancy to believe the heliocentric model. It takes great courage to go against what the masses accept as obviously true and settled science. No other stand for truth has cost me as much as this one, which indicates to me how important this truth is.

Many say that it makes no difference whether we believe in heliocentrism and the globe or in the biblical model. The only reason a person would say that is because they believe the biblical model is false. Once a person sees through the lie, it becomes clear how important this truth is.

One has to ask why this deception has been propagated for the last five hundred years. It is because it is a lie upon which hinges so many other deceptions. It hides the Creator who can more perfectly be known by comprehending his actual creation, not some imaginary distortion. It breeds other lies such as our relative insignificance in the vast universe. It makes man and the earth seem almost inconsequential, when the truth is that we are the center of God’s creation and purposes. It has led to many rejecting God’s existence altogether. It also sets the stage for us to believe that we are in constant danger from being obliterated by a random comet or asteroid, or of being invaded by aliens from “deep space.” Those who seek to enslave us want us to be afraid so they can convince us to surrender our freedoms to them.

Once we understand that we are in an enclosed environment overseen by the Most High God, the Creator, these fears disappear. Those who see the Creator in his creation are encouraged to know him, love him, and serve him. 

Adopting a biblical cosmology is perhaps one of the most important things we will ever do, aside from putting our faith and allegiance in Christ.

I encourage you to be willing to lay aside your long held presuppositions about the nature of the earth and heavens and open your heart to receive what the Bible teaches, even if it contradicts what we previously believed – especially if it does. If we ask the Holy Spirit to instruct us, I am sure he will. He promises to guide us into all truth.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, I ask you to guide me into the truth regarding the earth and the heavens. Amen.

Go to series home page.
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We Can Escape the Coming Judgment

Peter continued his gospel presentation to Cornelius by sharing that Jesus commanded his disciples, including us, to tell people he is coming back one day to judge every human being who has ever lived.

And he [Jesus] ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. Acts 10:42 (NLT)

It is not popular to tell people that Jesus will hold every human being who ever lived accountable to God for how we lived and whether we accepted him as the Lord, but it is the truth. Jesus is the only one through whom anyone can be saved and he is the Judge. Imagine standing before a powerful judge who has your back! That will be the case for all who declare allegiance to him!

The coming judgment at the end of time is not something invented by his followers years later to drum up converts. Jesus clearly taught this to his disciples and told them to preach it.

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. Matthew 16:27 (NLT)

Jesus is the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel the prophet centuries before (Daniel 7:14) who is the coming king and judge. Our Lord confirmed his identity as this divine being before the Sanhedrin the night before his crucifixion. 

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” Matthew 26:63–64 (NASB95)

Since we are all going to face him in judgment one day, isn’t it in our best interest to take advantage of his promise that we can escape condemnation by simply putting our faith and allegiance in him?

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB95)

I beg you to take advantage of God’s gracious offer. How heartbreaking it will be for anyone who refuses!

Prayer

Jesus, I ask you to forgive me for rebelliously living for myself. I surrender my life to you and declare that you are the risen Lord. Thank you for the promise of eternal life. Thank you that I no longer need to fear the last judgment. Help me to live for you and tell others about this glorious good news. Amen.

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Jesus Rose Bodily from the Dead

Peter continued his gospel presentation to Cornelius by testifying to being with Jesus after he rose bodily from the dead.

...They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, 40  but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 41  not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. Acts 10:39-41 (NLT)

The assertion that Jesus rose from the dead is the heart of the gospel because it confirmed that God accepted his sacrifice as the Lamb of God and made him Lord of lords.

who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:4 (NASB95)

But in Paul’s day, as now, people denied that the resurrection ever took place. He wrote:

But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13  For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14  And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15  And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16  And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17  And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:12-17 (NLT)

Jesus “ate and drank” with the apostles after his resurrection. He talked with them. He allowed them to touch him.

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 1 John 1:1 (NLT)

Admittedly his resurrection body is different from ours. He could walk through walls and appear or disappear. Nevertheless, it was a body. His bodily resurrection proved his claim to be the Messiah and Lord. It proved that Father God accepted his sacrifice for our sins. It validated Jesus’ promise that one day he will raise us up as well.

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40 (NASB95)

The gospel boldly declares that Jesus rose from the dead bodily, which was verified by eye witnesses. Those who believe this in their hearts and declare his lordship with their mouths will be saved.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NLT)
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Jesus’ Ministry Revealed His Identity as Messiah

When the apostle Peter preached the gospel to the Roman centurion named Cornelius, it was the very first time the good news was shared with non-Jews. Peter’s message included the following statement.

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.  Acts 10:39 (NLT)

Many Old Covenant scriptures predicted the ministry that the Messiah would have, especially the book of the prophet Isaiah. Below are some examples.

On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19 The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:18–19 (NASB95)

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. 6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. Isaiah 35:5–6 (NASB95)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; Isaiah 61:1 (NASB95)

Jesus referenced snippets from the above verses to reassure John the Baptist that he was indeed the Messiah of Israel.

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3  “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” 4  Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5  the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 6  And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’” Matthew 11:2-6 (NLT)

Everything Jesus did confirmed his identity as Messiah. The problem was that people expected something different. They thought the Messiah would come to liberate them from Roman oppression and restore political prominence to Israel.

Most did not understand God’s larger purpose – to redeem all mankind and liberate creation from the bondage brought upon it by Adam’s sin.

Jesus, the Messianic King, revealed the nature of God’s kingdom by liberating people from the tyranny of darkness and bringing them into God’s marvelous kingdom.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, Colossians 1:13 (NASB95)

A proper gospel presentation will show people how Jesus’ earthly ministry fulfilled Old Covenant prophecies and revealed that he is the Jewish Messiah whom God sent to save the whole world.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB95)
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Part 4: The Table Has Four Legs

A strong and stable table needs to have at least four legs. Remove one leg and the table will fall over, spilling all its contents on the floor. Shorten one or more legs, and the table will lean. Experiencing spiritual freedom depends on four essentials being in place in the believer’s life. Remove one, and the process gets short circuited and will produce less than desirable results. The four “legs,” so to speak, are the following:

  • Understanding, believing, and obeying God’s Truth found in the Bible,
  • Relying on the power of God’s Spirit in our lives,
  • Having a genuine fear of the Lord, and
  • Developing a heartfelt love for God.

Believing and Obeying God’s Truth Found in the Bible

Jesus told his disciples:

…“If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NET1)

To continue in Christ’s teaching means that we study, meditate upon, and obey. When we do this, freedom is an automatic by-product. Freedom, according to the Bible, is not doing what we please, but doing God’s will. Doing what we please, if it is out of line with God’s will, always leads to bondage. Sin always produces slavery. Obedience to God through the power of the Spirit always yields liberty.

Unless a person commits himself to learning, meditating upon, and obeying God’s Word, he or she will never experience true and lasting freedom.

Prayer and ministry from others may temporarily liberate us, but remaining free depends to a great extent upon our willingness to pursue God with all our hearts. If we do not commit to reading the Scriptures on a regular basis, we are not serious disciples. If we do not read the Bible devotionally, that is, asking the Spirit to show us what he wants us to get from our reading, we are missing out on something wonderful. If we do not ask God to help us to put his truth into practice, we are only playing at being Christ’s follower. We cannot be free while persisting in behavior that produces bondage and without embracing what God says will make us free.

Living by the Power of God’s Spirit

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NET1)

God’s Spirit is in complete unity with God’s Word, just as Jesus is one with the Holy Spirit. The Word of God was inspired by the Spirit of God. For the written word to have any transforming impact upon a person’s life, the Holy Spirit must “breathe” upon it to make it “come alive” via faith, causing it to become the Living Word for us.

The Holy Spirit causes information (the written Word) to become revelation (the Living Word) that produces life and transformation (the obeyed Word).

A person must know, trust, and rely upon the inner working of God’s Spirit to experience true freedom. The Spirit lives His life through us as we trust in His indwelling power. This is a huge secret of the Christian life.

The Fear of the Lord

Thirdly, for a person to experience freedom in Christ, he or she must have a deep and abiding fear of God. Proverbs says:

The fear of the Lord is like a life-giving fountain, to turn people from deadly snares. Proverbs 14:27 (NET1)

We can have understanding of God’s Word and the reality of the Spirit in our lives, but unless we fear God, there may be little heartfelt motivation to turn away from evil. Repentance means to “change our mind”. When this happens, we acknowledge that God is right and we are wrong. True repentance produces an emotional component of heartfelt sorrow and alarm, which motivates us to change.

For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 2 Corinthians 7:11 (NET1)

While we acknowledge that our heavenly Father’s love for us is unchanging, we also realize that this same love is what provokes him to discipline us as needed when we sin. Every small child who is truly loved by his or her natural father nevertheless sincerely fears that father’s discipline, if his father is doing his duty. So we should fear God not only because he will discipline us, but also because of the law of sowing and reaping. Sin has consequences, and all of them are bad. Without the fear of the Lord, sinners go on sinning.

The fear of the Lord is our motivation to depart from evil. Without it we will never be truly free.

It is important to realize that the fear of the Lord is a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We cannot gin it up on our own, but we can ask God to develop it in our lives. Wise people cherish the fear of the Lord. Foolish people do not really care.

A Heartfelt Love for God

The fourth leg of the table I mention here is perhaps the most important one. Fear is a good motivation to avoid evil and its consequences, but fear will not suffice as a proper motivation to serve God. Fear-based service is akin to slavery, and sometimes develops grudging obedience. But God has made us beloved sons (and daughters). His Spirit resides in us. We are one with Him, and consequently the Spirit of God’s Son motivates us to serve God out of a heartfelt love for him.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ) — if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:14-17 (NET1)

We are to serve God as a son serves his father, out of love, respect and a vision for the future. The son knows that one day he will inherit from his father; so, everything he does to build with his father will one day result in his own enrichment. So it is in God’s kingdom. God allows us to serve out of love and gratitude, out of our respect for Him, and because he has made us co-heirs with Christ.

Love is the only pure motivation to serve God.

Freedom always has a purpose. One reason the United States is in such trouble today is because we have separated freedom from its purpose and have used it to pursue sinful and selfish ends. The reason God brought us into his kingdom is so that we can serve him, bring glory to his name, be used as ambassadors of the gospel of freedom, and rule and reign with Him forever in the new creation. Unless we understand and embrace this heavenly purpose for our lives, we will be deficient in our motivation to serve God, with a resulting lack of freedom. All of this should motivate us to love him more and more.

If we desire to experience all the freedom that Jesus died to give us, we should carefully consider the four legs of the table. If one of them is missing or not very strong, ask God to do whatever is necessary to give us strength in that area. Our future depends on it. And be sure that God is more interested in helping us than we are in getting his help. He is waiting for us to ask and move toward him, expecting his participation.

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NET1)
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Part 3: The Basis of Our Freedom

This is the third article in a series entitled Spirit-Led Counseling.

We got ourselves into the current terrible situation by turning our backs on God, as I explained in my previous article, and we can only escape with God’s help. In fact, our deliverance, healing, and restoration depend entirely upon the graciousness or grace of God; although, we do have a part to play. Without his initiative and intervention, we would be hopelessly and eternally lost. Without his continual sustaining power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot keep ourselves free. But through him, we are able to experience all that Jesus died to provide for us.

Jesus came to restore us to God’s intended way of living in complete harmony and partnership with God. It is a gloriously freeing way to live!

All things begin, continue, and end with God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. It is crucial for us to understand that each Person of the triune Godhead contributes to what the Bible calls our “great salvation.” (Hebrews 2:3) Our heavenly Father, the first Person of the Godhead, is the One who has loved us from before the creation of the world and who planned our salvation before we ever took our first breath.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 4 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love. Ephesians 1:3-4 (NET1)

Abba Father is the kindest and most loving Person we will ever know.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you are saved! — 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NET1)

But He is also completely just, holy, and righteous, and our sin created a huge obstacle to our ever being able to enjoy the fellowship and intimacy that Father God originally planned for us to share with Him. We distanced ourselves from Abba through our sinful breach of his righteousness, as I described in my previous article. His desire to show mercy to us stood opposed to the requirements of his truth and righteousness. How could God’s righteous anger at our sin ever be reconciled with his tender mercies?

Abba’s amazing plan manifested wisdom which is beyond human. It is…

...the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NET1)

Abba’s solution was for His only begotten Son, the eternal Word of God, to become a human being and offer Himself as a perfect substitutionary sacrifice in our behalf.

Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We] saw his glory — the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John 1:14 (NET1) 

But when this priest [Jesus] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. Hebrews 10:12-14 (NET1)

In addition, by the genius of what theologians call “identification,” God caused us to participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, having placed us “in Christ”, in whom we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings.

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NET1)

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NET1)

To make the solution perfect, our heavenly Father sent His Holy Spirit to indwell each believer. God’s Spirit lives Christ’s life in and through everyone who is born again. He is the Great Helper and Enabler. He is our life and power source. He is the One who transforms us into the people God always wanted us to be. He is our guarantee that God will complete what he began.

Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NET1)

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (ESV)

Every great team has unity, clearly defined job descriptions, and superlative abilities. The Trinity is no exception. In fact, the very concept of team originates in God. The Father is the planner. The Son is the executor who carries out the Father’s plan. The Holy Spirit is the administrator who works behind the scenes to assure the success of Father’s plan and the Son’s execution of that plan. Another way to put it is that the Father chose us to be his very own. The Son died and rose again to ensure the outcome, and the Spirit draws us to faith in Christ through the Gospel and applies the benefits of the finished work of Christ to our lives, bringing the Father’s plan to fruition. This plan will be completed at the Second Coming of Christ, when we will experience the final installment of our great salvation, the resurrection from the dead.

Paul tells us that:

When all things are subjected to him [Abba Father], then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 (ESV)

God is our final destiny, the goal or end of salvation. To Him belongs all glory forever and ever.

It is extremely important to understand and believe that our salvation begins and ends with God.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NASB) 

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34  For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35  Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NASB)

Our salvation began with Father’s plan to bring us into his family. The conclusion will be when we receive our resurrected bodies and heavenly reward. The in-between, the time in which we now live, is also dependent on God’s graciousness; although, as I said before, we play a vital role. The coming of our Lord, his death, burial and resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit were all accomplished before we were born. None of us had any “say” in that plan or the accomplishment of it.

As Paul wrote,

So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. Romans 9:16 (NET1)

Our part arises when we hear the gospel and respond. If we are among those who believe, something happened in our hearts when we heard the gospel message. The Bible tells us that it was a result of the inner work of God’s Spirit combined with the outer call of the gospel that produced in us the desire to surrender our lives to Christ. Jesus made it clear that God is the initiator, not us.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 (NET1)

Yes, we indeed must make the choice to believe in and serve Christ, but the mystery of God is at work beneath the surface of things, so that we can all agree that God deserves all the glory.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NET1)

The reason I have gone to such great lengths to show God’s integral involvement with every aspect of our salvation is to give us a solid foundation for hope.

If our salvation rests on our shoulders and faithfulness and depends on our abilities, our will power, our holiness, or our goodness, we are in big trouble. But if our salvation rests upon the Father’s choice to love us, the Son’s finished work, and the power of the indwelling Spirit, we are in good shape.

If we are going to experience true freedom, we will need to come to terms with acknowledging and relying on the God who works through his freely given grace. We cannot approach him through our own goodness or performance. Likewise, neither our lack of goodness (apart from Christ) nor our poor performance thus far, is any deterrent to our being able to experience God’s ability to set us free. We come to God solely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness. We have none of our own. We must make it our goal to..

.. be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness — a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. Philippians 3:9 (NET1)

Only when we learn to rely on God’s love, kindness, righteousness, grace, power and authority can we experience all that Christ died and rose again to give us. We dare not short change ourselves and “frustrate the grace of God” by trying to save ourselves. It will never work and will only leave us confused and frustrated.

Jesus did not come to help the religious and the self-sufficient. He came to save sinners who acknowledge their spiritual poverty. (Matthew 5:3)

We must answer Christ’s call and come to Him with no pretended ability to save or liberate ourselves, but with full confidence that freedom can be experienced by grace alone. Jesus said:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry. Matthew 11:28-30 (NET1)

God’s promise is that when we learn to live by faith in the power of the Spirit, believing what the Bible says is true, we will be able to live in a way that brings glory to God.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

If we will make it your goal to rely on God’s grace, believe his truth, operate in Christ’s authority, and live by the power of the Spirit, we too can experience freedom in Christ. That is the basis of our freedom.

 

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Part 2: Understanding the Components of Bondage

I believe any sane person would agree that the world is in a seemingly hopeless situation. We cannot even agree on the nature or root of the main problem, and we fight over how to solve it, believing that the other side’s “solution” is actually making matters worse. Human “fixes” generally have side effects that introduce a whole new set of unintended consequences. Individuals, families, corporations, people groups, and nations pursue selfish agendas at the expense of the less fortunate and less powerful. Ignorance, poverty, sickness and disease ravage the human race. Wars, genocide, infanticide, and general inhumanity to others abound. Much evil is done by ignorant perhaps well meaning people, but the worst sort is done intentionally by the worst sort of people. Religions vie for “top dog” status, their adherents often being willing to kill and oppress “non-believers”. Prisons are filled with those who flaunt the laws of civilized society, and those who believe in Biblical values find themselves in a “Twilight Zone” world where what was considered vile a generation ago is now paraded and applauded as good and normal. How did we get here? Is there a way out, either corporately or individually?

The Bible teaches us that God created a world in which there was order and goodness. He placed the first couple in a ideal situation where all their needs were supplied with a minimum of work. They were commanded to increase and multiply. Those first humans enjoyed the privilege of walking and talking with God. They were naked and unashamed, apparently clothed with a sort of aura of glory. They “had it made”, but since they had nothing with which to compare their situation, they were prone to think something might be wrong. God gave them amazing freedom and only one prohibition: they were forbidden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God created us to be dependent beings who only need to know what God reveals to us. If we could be satisfied to know him, be with him, and depend on his continual grace and loving kindness, we would be happy and thrive.

You probably know the story. Satan cleverly deceived them into doubting God’s goodness and motives and to desire more than God had given them, which set them up to do the unthinkable. They did the one thing that could bring down the whole system of blessing and life. They turned away from God, choosing to try to live independently from him by relying on their own wits, discernment, and strength.

That rebellious act of disobedience set in motion what we see today. It opened the door to the horrific consequences of living apart from God and gave the keys of authority to our archenemy, Satan.

Instead of being under God’s protection, mankind was now victim and prey, contributing to his own demise by continuing to be deceived and cooperate with our new tyrannical master.

Romans 5:12-21 teaches us that Adam’s sin opened the door to death, condemnation, and the reign of sin in the human race. Let’s examine this in more detail.

God built within humanity the ability to procreate, that is, to reproduce after our own kind.

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28  God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB)

We are much more than physical beings. The Bible teaches that we are a unique and marvelous combination of spirit and flesh, the joining of which produces the soul (translated “living being”) and personality.

The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NET1)

Not only do we pass on our physical DNA when we have children, we also pass on spiritual “genetics” – the sin nature and proclivities toward evil that were “encoded” into Adam and Eve when they first transgressed. That sin nature has been passed to each successive generation since the Fall.

This inherited indwelling propensity to sin is the root of most of our problems.

This means that people who have never been born again by the Spirit of God have for their “default” mode to live counter to what produces goodness, life, and order. No one has to teach a baby how to be self-centered. It comes naturally. No two-year-old needs a course in how to be defiant. It comes naturally. No adult needs to learn how to be tempted to do all manner of evil things. It just comes with the package.

In addition to this huge problem is the additional compounding effect that sin has upon people, families, people groups and nations.

Just as a stone thrown into a perfectly calm pool causes ripples that spread outwardly and eventually destroy the tranquility of the entire pool, sin also has a ripple effect.

To get a better idea, imagine throwing two rocks into the pool simultaneously and watch what happens. The ripples will go to the edge of the pool and then rebound back causing an intersection with other ripples. Now throw several more rocks into the pool in different places, including a couple of really big ones. Now imagine that the number of rocks thrown into the pool increases geometrically in size and number. I hope you get the picture. Sin’s ripple effect eventually produces a turbulent, choppy, and disordered world where once there was serenity and peace.

When people are born, they come into this confusion that sin has created, fully equipped with a sin nature. They are impacted by sin from within and from without.

The sin within propels us to do our own part to contribute to the already existing mess. The impact of sin from the outside further exacerbates things, often doing incredible damage to our already marred personalities. It is as if, in many cases, that little ones are born into a virtual landslide of evil that carries them right over the cliff into the abyss.

For example, children from broken homes never get the chance to experience family life the way God intended. They have missing or broken pieces in their personalities and flawed ideas about how to be a man or woman, a husband or wife, or even a child. Think of the little girls and boys born into families where generations of sexual abuse and incest have been the norm. What are their chances of growing up with any sense of normalcy? What about the little babies born in war ravaged and poverty stricken areas of the world? What about those born into political and religious systems to resist and prohibit the true gospel from even being heard? What are their chances to experience the life that God desired for us at creation? The list of examples goes on. Some people call this progression of evil generational sin. Regardless of the label, it is real.

Individuals and families pass on problems and proclivities to their offspring without the intervention of God.

Things are actually much worse because there is also a being, who commands hoards of like-minded beings, who has a master plan and insatiable desire to ravage and destroy humanity. As you know, his biblical name is Satan.

The devil has a plan for your life – to kill, steal, and destroy you. He is a master deceiver, accuser, and intimidator. He does not play fair and uses any and all means to oppress and harm human beings.

When Adam sinned in the garden, the authority God gave to humans was effectively transferred to Satan. For centuries Satan has used his rule to drag multitudes into hell with him and make life here on earth intolerable for countless people. Although, Jesus dealt Satan a death blow on the cross, he is still being allowed to  deceive those who will listen to him. He is still leading people astray. He is still stealing, killing, and destroying, and, if you are a follower of Christ, he hates you and is working against you.

As a result of his activity and the inner workings of sin and our sin-impaired ability to think, we end up afflicting ourselves by choosing to believe lies which are a form of idolatry. They are more important to us than the Truth, whose name is Jesus. They propel us to disobedience and keep us locked up in spiritual prisons of our own making.

The Bible calls these self-inflicted inner prisons of lies “strongholds.”

I call them lie-based strongholds, and Paul teaches us that they keep us from knowing, believing, and acting upon the truth about God and life.

For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments 5 and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NET1)

These strongholds stand between us and the freedom that could be ours through Christ via the gospel. Notice that here for the first time I mention that there is a way out of this mess!

The gospel is all about Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, and what He did to accomplish our deliverance.

Satan operates in the milieu of the Lie. If we are going to get out of this quagmire of death and deception, we must allow God to tear down any lie-based strongholds that we have embraced. And, believe me, everyone has them.

Working in tandem with these deeply held lies, many people have experienced enormous hurts in their lives, which have deeply traumatized them and, in many cases, produced a fertile seedbed for growing lies about God.

For example, if a young girl was sexually abused by her grandfather over several years, as an adult she will most likely question the goodness of her heavenly Father. After all, could not He have prevented this horrible evil? And if He did not protect her then, how can she know that He is worthy of her trust now? So, we see that the pain inflicted by evil can easily set us up to believe lies about God, which in turn can block us from believing the truth which is able to set us free.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NET1)

The good news is that Jesus is the great Healer and is well able to heal those deeply wounded areas of our souls, but usually it requires us to pursue him for that healing.

Lastly, many individuals are harassed and oppressed by demons.

The Bible is unclear regarding the origin and exact nature of these malevolent beings, but makes it clear that they are real and, when relevant, their oppression must be removed for people to experience complete freedom. Jesus continually encountered and removed these pests from those to whom He ministered while He walked the roads of Israel.

you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:37-38 (NET1)

Demons gain access by various means. Often we open the door through participation in some sin, especially sexual sin and occult practices. Sometimes demons seem to be passed on through families, which somewhere along the line opened the door to them. Sometimes they gain access when people undergo trauma.

In other words, sometimes it is our own fault that we are demonized and sometimes we are victims of collateral damage resulting from the sins of others. The devil does not care. He will jump through any open door he can find.

Many are tormented today because of these creatures and don’t even know it.

You may have noticed that I began this paragraph describing the worldwide mess sin has produced and have concluded by focusing on the problems that individuals face. This is because I want you to see that people’s problems and issues are bigger than their own situation. However, the gospel focuses largely on the individual.

Jesus came to set the human race free one person at a time. When enough people experience the liberation found in Christ through the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, families, communities, and nations will be transformed.

The following articles in this series will be an attempt to explain how Jesus can and will set us free from every layer of bondage.

You can personally experience freedom in Christ, and you can move from being part of the problem to being part of the solution.

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Part 1: Introduction to Spirit-Led Counseling

This is the first article in a series entitled Spirit-Led Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry, Wonderful Counseling, and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit with human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

Almighty God sent his Son Jesus to the earth on a mission to set people free from the awful tyranny and hopelessness of sin and its consequences. Human bondage began when Adam and Eve opened the floodgates of evil by abandoning and betraying their Creator and Sustainer, having been duped by the lying serpent into suspecting that God was an untrustworthy liar. Their decision to make a go at living independently from God proved to be the downfall of the entire creation.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21 (ESV)

Adam and Eve separated themselves from the life of God when they sinned. They were still physically alive, but the death process had begun to work. Their spirits were cut off from the Holy Spirit, their minds and hearts were darkened, and their bodies began to die through what we call the aging process. Sickness – physical, societal, emotional, and spiritual – entered the picture. Satan’s promise of their becoming like God turned out to be a horrendous lie.

One of the things we learn from their fall is that we humans, even the newly created version, did not possess any innate immunity to Satan’s deception.

Now, because our minds have been darkened by sin, we are even more easily deceived by Satan’s lies.

As bad as that day was, it is important that we see that God offered hope to Adam and his offspring from the very beginning of his judgment upon our sin. God’s judgment included restoration, but, for that to happen, his Son would have to die and rise again.

When the Law was introduced later at Mt. Sinai, it exposed how deep our sinfulness is. It also brought us a new problem, what the Bible calls the “curse” of the Law, which is God’s judgment upon sin. The Law clearly defined sin and proves that we are incapable of overcoming it on our own. In our pride, this is a hard pill for us to swallow; yet, a necessary one, if we are to be open to God’s solution in the gospel.

Protection against evil spirits also was removed as a result of our rejecting God in the garden. Evil spirits take advantage of our defenselessness and oppress people mercilessly. The ripples of our lawlessness and rebellion escalated into a mad torrent of crashing waves of destruction and judgment. When Jesus arrived on the earth as a baby, things had been spiraling into a deepening darkness for centuries because generation after generation drank deeply from the poisoned cup of sin and deception.

After growing to manhood and patiently waiting thirty years for God’s appointed time, Jesus launched his public ministry with these words.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” Luke 4:18-21 (NET1)

The above passage is the closest thing to a “mission statement” that Jesus gave us. For the next three years, Jesus went about “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 NET1)

During his public ministry years Jesus made withdrawals upon a future deposit he would make into heaven’s bank.The authority and power to he used to heal, release people from demons, and forgive sins derived from what he would accomplish later through his death and resurrection.

Each time he set a person free, it drove the nails a little deeper into his hands and feet. Once he began to draw upon that future event called the crucifixion, there was no way out for him. He had to pay the price, having made himself a debtor to God’s system of justice, something he did obediently and without complaint. When he as the innocent Lamb of God gave himself over to death, he defeated Satan on our behalf, the one who had previously held the keys of bondage and death.

When our Lord rose from the dead, the power of sin, Satan, sickness, and death was effectively smashed. And yet we see people, even followers of Christ, still living in all sorts of sin and bondage. What gives?

God’s plan was always for his people to rule and reign alongside the Lord Jesus. After he ascended into heaven where he now sits at God the Father’s right hand, Jesus delegated his authority to us who represent him to the world. He has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us. Now those who make up the church have the privilege and responsibility to proclaim his message of redemption and reconciliation to the Father and to release people from what holds them prisoner.

Jesus’ mission statement is now our mission statement. What he did on the earth during the short period of his public ministry, we are to continue until he comes again to wrap things up.

The Great Commission involves more than simply telling people about what Jesus did for them and asking them to put their faith and allegiance in him as Lord and Savior.

Christ’s followers are to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom of God as well as proclaim the words of the Gospel.

Paul made it clear that the Good News is meant to be delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction … 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NET1)

God has given his church the authority, power, and the tools to accomplish this mission. In the following articles I will present an overview of the process I call Spirit-Led Counseling, which depends on the ongoing ministry of Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor. (Isaiah 9:6)

Spirit-Led Counseling integrates the truth of God’s Word, the presence, power, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the basic principles of repentance and faith to help people experience a growing freedom from sin and bitterness, deliverance from what I call lie-based strongholds, healing for inner hurts, and release from demonization, when needed.

I will do my best to base all of this solidly on God’s Word and give practical applications based on what I have seen work. I have watched God do some amazing things through this ministry, and I hope you will be encouraged that the Lord cares deeply about you and wants you to be free, too. The best revenge we can get on the devil for all he has done to us is to allow God to set us free and use us to help others walk free from his clutches.

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