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2: The Condition of Man

As the Scriptures say, "No one is good— not even one. 11 No one has real understanding; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong. No one does good, not even one." Romans 3:10-12 (NLT)

The first thing we need to know is that human beings are in desperate need of a Savior. We are not just a little off track: we are totally lost. If we think we have a pretty good idea of how bad we are (without Christ), we have not yet seen ourselves as God sees us. We are rotten to the core and so skewed by sin so that we cannot save ourselves. Knowing this up front makes it easier later to appreciate God’s grace and to avoid the pitfalls of legalism. If you find this assessment of our condition offensive, you do not yet understand the nature of sin.

Sin is the attempt to live independently from God.

It started in the Garden of Eden, and today it takes many forms, from defiant atheism to moral attempts to live a “godly” or religious life without surrendering everything to God first. Murderers and self-righteous hypocrites all share the same basic problem – a determination to live without a humble reliance upon God. In fact, the most religious people in Israel, the Sanhedrin, Pharisees, priests, lawyers, and scribes, banded together to murder the Messiah. It was not the “criminal element” that put the Lord of Life to death.

Sometimes those of us who have been brought up from childhood in the church don’t know our own sinfulness as well as those of us who had a B.C. (before Christ) existence.

A danger for any long time Christian is losing touch with our need for mercy and grace.

We sometimes imagine that we are “beyond” all that because the Lord has helped us overcome some sins that formerly defeated us. There is nothing worse than a self-righteous Christian who looks down on others who are struggling with sin. Jesus had little tolerance for those with such an attitude.

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13  Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13 (NLT)

The good news is that God understands our hopeless condition and sent His Son to die for our sins. In addition, He sent His Holy Spirit to live a new kind of life through us.

One of the biggest secrets of the New Covenant is that God never expected us to live in a way that brings God glory all by ourselves. He sent his Spirit to live through us.

The gospel confirms our need for salvation, forgiveness and reconciliation to God accompanied by a complete overhaul from the inside out. It comes through repentance and faith in Christ. When we come to realize how much we need a Savior and the Holy Spirit’s help, we learn to be humble, which is a mark of a true disciple, as is a love and an appreciation for mercy.

How about us? Have we yet come to terms with our own sinfulness? Are we disillusioned with ourselves when we fail once again, imagining we are better than that? Are we prone to judge others whom we see as inferior to us, or do we extend to them the same mercy God has shown to us? Real Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

  • Did you have a B.C. stage of your life in which you were very much aware of your own sinfulness?
  • Did you come to Christ to be forgiven or for some other reason?
  • When did you first begin to realize that you are not a “good person”?
  • Do you still get discouraged when you see another example of your sinfulness? What does that say about you?

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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How to Identify and Escape from a Satanic Attack: Part 4 – Murder, Sickness, and Debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having the ability to distinguish good from evil in times of great deception is extremely important. Paul warned us that Satan has the ability to masquerade as an angel of light, and his lies can be very alluring. (2 Corinthians 11:3 and 2 Corinthians 11:14) That being said, once our eyes are opened to see the truth, it is quite easy to see the difference between what God provides and what Satan seeks to do to us.

Jesus described the enemy of our souls very succinctly.

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NLT)

In another place he added:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (ESV)

Putting all this together, we can state the following:

  1. Satan is a murderer, liar, thief, and destroyer.
  2. God is a life-giver, a truth speaker, generous, and a builder of what is good.

How do we practically apply these simple truths?

  • Any person or government that seeks the welfare of others is from God, but one that robs people is satanic. (repressive taxation, business suppressing policies)
  • A person or government that protects the sanctity of life and the unborn is from God, but one that encourages the murder of innocent children is from the devil. (abortion, increasing risk of death through forced vaccination, etc.)
  • A government that tells the truth to its people is from God, but one that lies continually is satanic. (censorship of the truth, misinformation, propaganda)
  • A government that ministers justice to its citizens, protects the innocent, and punishes evil doers is from God. One that promotes lawlessness and a two-tiered justice system to protect the rich and powerful but punish opposition is satanic.
  • A government that promotes peace and prosperity if from God, but one that promotes war and plunges its people into debt is from the devil.

Quite simply, life, truth, prosperity and freedom come from God, which sounds a lot like our Declaration of Independence, but death, lies, debt, and slavery come from the evil one.

You must serve only the LORD your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. 26  There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives. Exodus 23:25-26 (NLT)

Health comes from God, but sickness and death come from sin and the devil. Blessings and prosperity come from God, but Satan wishes to curse and impoverish us. Children are a blessing from the Lord, but Satan wants us to be childless; hence, the emphasis on birth control, abortion, and population control. God wants us to be healthy and enjoy life, but Satan wants us sick and miserable; hence, the emphasis on medicines and vaccines that actually make us sicker and reduce childbirth and fertility. God wants us to be debt free, but Satan wants us crushed and impoverished by a mountain of debt; hence, his servants have spent our nation into a hopeless debt situation.

Is there any good news? Absolutely! The Bible tells us that Jesus came to set the captives free! He came to heal the sick, raise the dead, and pay back a hopeless debt!

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, 19  and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)

Jesus said that he came that we might have an “abundant” life here on earth and live forever in heaven! He came to reveal to us just how incredible God’s love is. He came to change us on the inside so we can become more and more like God, loving others, telling the truth, and helping others find their freedom in God, too.

How can we experience what Jesus came to give us? It’s really very simple. All we have to do is recognize that we need help and turn to Jesus. God wants us to acknowledge that we are incapable of living without him. He wants us to return to the Author of Life so he can be our all in all – our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Hope.

If we give Jesus our trust and allegiance, he will give us all that he is. We will discover that he really is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and we will escape from the tyranny of the devil.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Why not make the exchange today? Give to God your sin and hopeless situation and receive all Jesus died to give to you. You might pray this simple prayer from your heart.

Jesus, I am weary of being subject to the devil. I have had enough of his lying, stealing, and murder. Forgive me for being allied to him and for the things I have done, thought, and said that have evidenced my rebellion against you, Lord. I ask you to forgive me for trying to live independently from you, Lord. I give you my life, and I receive your forgiveness. Thank you for giving me eternal life. Come, Holy Spirit, fill me to overflowing. Live your life through me. Empower and equip me to be a proper follower of Christ and his witness to others. Amen.
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1: The Call to Discipleship

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)

The Great Commission prioritizes making disciples. Discipleship is the process whereby the Lord trains and shapes his followers to be like Him in the way we think, speak, and act.

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:29 (NLT)

God is conforming his people into the image of His beloved Son. He uses the various pressures and challenges of life to teach us about Himself and about love. He is shaping us into bold witnesses He can use to spread the good news of salvation throughout the world. He is preparing us to rule and reign with Him for all eternity, and He is making us into a people who will bring glory to His name.

Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:21 (NLT)

God is working everywhere to draw men, women, and children to Himself. Some have said that there are many believers but few who are true disciples. If this is true, it is a product of “easy believism” and a watered-down gospel that does not call for our surrender to Jesus’ lordship. Every Christian is supposed to be on a pathway to total commitment to Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, many of us are still trying to decide if we would rather be comfortable or committed.

We cannot straddle the fence with one foot in the world and one in God’s Kingdom. Such a position makes us unfit for both. (Luke 9:62)

God is looking for people whom He can shape into a world conquering force.

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. Matthew 5:13 (NLT)

If we will count the cost and make the commitment, Jesus will show us the secrets of His Kingdom and reveal Himself to us as our Everything.

If we give ourselves to Christ as an investment, he will provide a return that far outweighs the sacrifice.

But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? Luke 14:28 (NLT)

As we go through this study, it is important that we apply the principles to our lives. God is after doers, not eternal considerers.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22 (NLT)

If we are among those who long to grow in our knowledge and obedience to our Lord, we should make it our practice to read, meditate, and obey what the Bible says, relying on God’s Spirit and grace to help. This is not a “works” or performance thing, however.

Whenever we seek to obey God’s Word by depending on His grace and Holy Spirit, He will always do His part. But only real disciples will do theirs.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

• Why is being conformed to Christ’s image usually not comfortable?
• Have you ever thought much about how our lives here on earth are preparing us for our destiny to rule and reign alongside our Lord?
• Can you think of areas of your life that that need to be more fully under the Lord’s rule?
• Why does the Lord tell us to count the cost? Is he encouraging some to give up the pursuit of discipleship?

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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Siren’s Song: Life without Responsibility

 

 

 

 

 

In Greek mythology siren’s were female-like creatures who lived on a rocky island. Their beautiful songs were irresistible and lured sailors too close to the island where they would wreck and perish. Homer wrote about them is the Odyssey.

Today we have another sort of siren calling out to our people inviting them to believe the lie that we can live without responsibility. Those who believe this deception will shipwreck their lives.

The United States began her journey as a nation following the hard fought war of independence. Its political leaders hammered out a Constitution and Bill of Rights that depended upon its people being resolute in their will to keep it intact. Our founders knew that it would only last as long as its people feared God and embraced personal responsibility. Once its citizens figured out that they could vote into office those who would use the government treasury for their constituents’ benefit, all would be lost. Once its people abandoned moral integrity, everything would fall apart. That is where we are today.

When God put Adam and Eve in the garden, he gave them two basic responsibilities – to be fruitful and multiply and to work and tend the garden. (Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 2:15) Having children is both pleasurable and painful. It carries with it the built in necessity of hard work to nurture, feed, protect, and train. Following God’s first command increases our responsibilities, but it also multiplies our joy and fulfillment. God’s blessings make us richer without adding any sorrow to our lives. There is no down side to embracing a life of responsibility. (Proverbs 10:22)

Today our government and conventional wisdom tell us that the planet is overpopulated, and we need to refrain from having more children. Does this sound like Satan to you?  He is always trying to negate God’s clear commands. To make this possible, many forms of contraception are available, and, when that is not used or fails, abortion is held out as the ultimate solution. That reminds me of Hitler’s ultimate solution – the gas chambers. Isn’t interesting that Satan’s solutions always involve killing innocent people? The deception is that we can defy Gods command to multiply and enjoy the pleasures of sex without any responsibility. Embracing such outright deception will crash our lives upon the rocks.

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)

God meant sex to be enjoyed between a man and a woman who are committed to one another for life. Obviously sex was created to produce children. The associated pleasure is part of the inducement to bring new lives into the world, but the little ones carry with them their own pleasures, as every new parent discovers. Sure, children add to our work load, too, but over the long haul, the pleasures outweigh the negatives, especially if we attain to old age when adult children bring their own little ones into the world. The choice not to have children may provide an escape from the work of rearing them, but in the long run it has quite a bit of sorrow and loss attached to it.

Marriage was also instituted because God said it is not good for us to be alone. (Genesis 2:18) Married sex heightens our mutual love, enjoyment, and satisfaction with our spouses. Today, however, people often choose to “hook up” without any long-term commitment. This provides temporary pleasure but long-term pain. Experiencing old age is difficult enough with our life partner by our side. Alone it can be excruciating.

Violating God’s way of doing things always shipwrecks us. Doing things his way is always best and most satisfying.

Our government, for whatever reason, encourages people to embrace life without responsibility. During the covid lock down, we were given government checks not to work. Many seem to have come to the conclusion that a work free life is a good thing, but it is not. God instituted work in the beginning. A job well done brings us a lot of satisfaction. Laziness destroys. (Proverbs 18:9)

People also try to discard the responsibility of using our God given abilities, but that also is a dead end. God put abilities and potential in each of us that must be developed, if we are to experience life at its fullest. Modern society tells us that we do not even have to accept how God created us. We can even change our genders at will, pretending to be someone and something we are not, which is the height of deception and irresponsibility.

When we try not to be who we really are or try to be something we are not, it shipwrecks our lives.

Our government tells us that we can attend college without having to pay for it. We can break laws without suffering the consequences. We can even illegally enter the country and be rewarded for it. All of this is a deception. Borrowing money without paying it back is theft. Breaking the law invites God’s justice, even if man fails in this regard. Even though many seem to be getting away with murder, so to speak, a day of reckoning is certainly coming.

It is impossible to live irresponsibly without eventually paying the piper.

Perhaps you fell for the siren’s song and now have regrets. Is there anything we can do? The answer is “yes!” God provided a way for us to recover from shipwreck, but it requires us to adopt a whole new way of thinking.

When Jason piloted his ship called the Argo, he brought along a musician named Orpheus. When the ship got in range of the sirens, Orpheus sang loud enough to drown out their song.

God wants us to embrace the truth of the Bible to offset the lure of deception this world offers.

Once we surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus, we must let God’s Word transform how we think. This is our only safety.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Once we escape the deception of the world system, we should try to help others do the same. Sharing what Jesus did to set us free, the gospel, is the first thing. Next we should teach others to follow God’s ways, which lead to life, instead of the way of the world, which leads to sorrow and death. Politically we should vote for those whose positions most closely mirror God’s ways and against those who spread deception and rebellion against God. That is our responsibility.

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The Origin and Collapse of Freedom

Any student of history understands that the United States of America was birthed by the idea that governments should promote liberty and justice for all, rather than for the elites only. It bubbled up in the turmoil produced by oppressive taxation and unjust laws coming from a long established and powerful monarchy in Great Britain that was accustomed to forcing its will on its subjects. The idea of having personal liberty to worship according to one’s own conscience, the right to own property, and no taxation without proper representative government, inspired men and women to risk all, even their lives, in the quest to obtain it via a revolution. I have been inspired personally by reading of the heroism, perseverance, and faith of those men and women. One cannot help but conclude that they won only because of divine intervention.

The question before us is this: is personal freedom an idea birthed by the mind of man via the Enlightenment, or did it come from God?

When God created Adam and placed him in the garden, he gave him tremendous freedom. The only restriction put upon Adam and, by extension, Eve was to avoid eating from one tree, the one that would give him the knowledge of good and evil. The reason God prohibited that one is because it would kill him. In other words, God only forbade that which would destroy Adam. He was free to eat and enjoy everything else.

This is an eternal principle: God’s heart is to give us freedom in all things except that which will harm us.

Satan afterward planted the idea in Eve’s mind that God only banned the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to withhold something good from her.

This is a satanic principle: the devil tells us that the thing that will destroy us really is something wonderful that God is keeping from us, sowing in us a desire for it. He also tricks us into believing that God cannot be trusted.

The serpent began his questioning by misrepresenting God altogether.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 (NLT)

This deliberate falsification of God’s position was the first recorded instance of the use of misinformation or propaganda to deceive. Jesus called Satan the “father of lies” in whom there is no truth. (John 8:44) Adam and Eve were newly created beings who did not have any inherent bias toward believing lies with which we were born. Nevertheless, the serpent’s lie proved to be irresistible to Eve. Satan also accused God of deliberately withholding something wonderful from Adam and Eve, the ability to be like God by knowing good and evil for themselves.

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6  The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:4-6 (NLT)

Why is being like God so alluring to us?

God created us to be dependent beings who can enjoy God and his creation with unbridled joy as long as we are satisfied with remaining in the condition he made us.

The only thing that could destroy all that was the attempt to be something more, to be like God himself. That is what brought Satan down, and he used the same lie to destroy God’s most wonderful creation called humanity, plunging all of us into slavery to sin, death, disease, demons, and all sorts of destructive behaviors and addictions. Adam and Eve exchanged the life and freedom God graciously gave to them in a foolish pursuit of godhood status.

The lesson we learn from this is that freedom comes from God. Oppression and slavery come from the devil. Anything that promotes true freedom originates in God. Everything that enslaves emanates from the evil one. No matter how falsely it may be represented to us, the fruit will be sorrow, regret, loss, and death.

When Jesus announced his mission at the beginning of his three-year public ministry, he made it clear that his goal was to liberate humanity.

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)

Jesus went about setting people free from sin, sickness, demonic oppression, and even death.

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 10:38 (NLT)

The Law, which previously had been put in place by God to reveal our need for a Savior, did its work by making it clear that no one could keep it. Anyone who seriously tries to keep God’s commands eventually concludes that doing so is impossible.

Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Galatians 3:23 (NLT)

Nevertheless, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day used to Law to bolster their position of power and prestige and keep those under them in bondage. When Jesus arrived on the scene, it became immediately clear that he posed a threat to the power of the Jewish leaders, which incited them to hatred and murder. Little did they know that God was using everything to break the bands of oppression off all those who eventually would put their faith and allegiance in the crucified and risen Lord.

After his ascension into heaven, Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit upon his followers, enabling them to carry out the mission to take the wonderful news of freedom from sin, death, demons, sickness, and bondage to the ends of the earth. Paul understood that the core of the gospel message is that Christ gave his life to bring us back into proper alignment with the Creator, the source of freedom and life.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)

The gospel truly proclaimed and understood will always produce freedom in its hearers. Those who pervert the gospel always do so to bring us into bondage.

Even that question came up only because of some so-called Christians there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. Galatians 2:4 (NLT)

Therefore, we are to resist any corruption of the gospel that promotes legalism and slavery. Satan has not stopped trying to pervert what is precious to God and us. He has not ceased telling lies. If he can corrupt our understanding of the most freeing message in the universe, he can bring us back into bondage.

Legalism is the attempt to be like God by thinking we are capable of earning our own way into God’s favor and blessing through our own efforts and establishing our own righteousness apart from God’s.

The gospel makes it clear that no one can do that. The way to freedom requires us to admit we are thoroughly dependent upon the graciousness of God, who freely gives us our right standing with him.

The issue at the heart of being free is whether or not we are willing to embrace our status as dependent beings who joyfully serve our Creator-Sustainer-Redeemer God. Freedom immediately collapses when we reject that status and pursue independence from him

The men and women who founded the United States would be astonished that we have allowed the government won through the spilling of their blood to become even more tyrannical than the British monarchy of the 18th century. How did this happen? I believe we got here by an incremental rejection of God’s rule in our individual lives and nationally. Every good thing is eventually corrupted, unless we steadfastly hold on to God and biblical truth. The idea of freedom to live according to God’s precepts was gradually turned into freedom to do whatever we might choose.

The paradox of liberty is that true freedom can only be experienced when we live as dependent beings in the pursuit of God’s glory. Anything else leads to bondage because it elevates self-will to godhood status.

Today our nation’s pledge of allegiance still affirms that we are one nation “under God,” and our money still declares, “In God We Trust;” but our leaders have enacted laws and policies that are thoroughly against God and contrary to his revealed will in the Bible.

The purpose of government, according the Bible, is to ensure justice and to promote the well-being of those who are governed.

For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4  The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. Romans 13:3-4 (NLT)

Any government which perverts justice and works against the well-being of its citizens has moved outside of its God-given mandate. In a very real sense, it is illegitimate because it falsely represents God.

The laws and policies put into place in response to Covid revealed just how far we have fallen from the constitutional republic bequeathed to us. The government, against all sound reason and true science, mandated that its citizens take an experimental “vaccine,” which harmful side effects are still being discovered. Citizens were denied access to worship, public transportation, medical care, and employment depending on whether or not they would bow the knee to a government mandate. This is the height of tyranny and anti-God. Our soldiers and many in law enforcement and the medical profession were forced to take this experimental jab or be ejected from serving their country. This is oppression pure and simple. The government is never supposed to coerce its citizens to violate their consciences. Such a government has transgressed God’s purpose for it and attempted to “be like God.” It has become “beastly” in its pursuit of the power and the authority that belongs only to God. (Revelation 13:1)

The question then arises: what is our responsibility in the matter? When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government our founding fathers set up, he famously replied, “a republic, if you can keep it.” History will eventually record if we were successful. If we are to preserve political liberty, we must first do everything to maintain spiritual liberty. Loving God, embracing truth, and serving God with a good conscience are essential. We must also pray. Ultimately, the battle is the Lord’s. He is greater than all human governments, and he promised in the Bible that his glory will fill the earth. (Habakkuk 2:14) If we pray for God’s will to be done and his glory enhanced, we will always be centered in his will. 

Next, we must be practical. As good citizens of the United States, we must do everything possible to reform our government and elect representatives who will govern with the fear of the Lord. At the very least, we should stay informed and use the right to vote in the upcoming election. Those who are inspired to become more involved politically need our support.

But none of this will mean very much unless we first become servants of the Lord Jesus.

We cannot do much for freedom until we come into alignment with the source of freedom.

Having done all, we must stand in our confidence that God ultimately is in control.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46:10 (NLT)
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The Hidden Message in Jacob’s Deception

Most Christians who know anything about the Bible are probably familiar with the account in Genesis when Jacob stole his brother Esau’s blessing by deceiving his father. (Genesis 27 – I recommend you read this chapter to familiarize yourself with the details.) Jacob has always been one of my favorite characters, not because I think he was a great guy, but because, if God can love and use him, there is hope for us all. He was a deceiver, a conniver, and a schemer. He was not overly courageous, nor a man of great faith; yet, God loved him and made him part of the chain that began with Abraham that launched a nation and ushered in the Messiah and the New Covenant.

What can we learn from Jacob’s deception? Most of what happened was anything but recommended behavior. God had previously spoken to Rebecca (Genesis 25:23) that Jacob would rule over his elder brother, Esau, but Isaac loved Esau better for very human reasons and planned to give him the double portion blessing that ordinarily would go to the elder brother. Apparently Isaac did not highly regard the previous prophecy about Jacob having the rule, maybe because women were not regarded as highly then by many, or maybe Rebecca had not told him, or maybe he did not greatly fear the Lord in this matter, if he did know about it. He went with his natural instincts instead. Rebecca, however, did remember what God had said, and she preferred Jacob over Esau. Instead of quietly approaching her husband to remind him of what God had already spoken, she determined to deceive her husband instead. Perhaps she knew that Isaac would not change his mind. We left in the dark. Regardless, nowhere does the Bible suggest that Rebecca illustrated the kind of behavior we should imitate. Rather, what happened serves as a cautionary tale. The results of her actions split the family apart, but it did accomplish God’s will to bless Jacob. (Romans 8:28 – God works all things together for good.)

One can feel the tension in the air as Jacob brought the delicious meal to his father that his mother had prepared. Since Isaac was blind, he had to rely on his senses of smell, touch, and hearing. Apparently he did not rely heavily on spiritual discernment. The voice was Jacob’s but because he was wearing Esau’s clothing, the deception worked. Despite his misgivings, Isaac gave the younger son the elder brother’s blessing. When Esau found out what happened, he was enraged and determined to kill his brother. So Jacob was sent far away to find a bride and his destiny. He never saw his mother again, but his great adventure had begun. He would one day return a humbled, wealthy, and changed man. Esau got over his rage and they were later reconciled. The story ends well.

One of the basic principles for understanding Scripture is that everything points to Jesus. (Luke 24:27) Such a pivotal story as the one we just summarized tells us much about Jesus and how we receive the blessings of the New Covenant. But the beauty is hidden from plain sight. Paul tells us to “clothe” ourselves with Christ. (Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4:24) Isaiah prophesied that the New Covenant would allow us to don “garments of salvation.” (Isaiah 61:10) The New Covenant reveals that when we put our faith and allegiance in Christ, Father God “imputes” or gives Christ’s right relationship with himself to us. This is called justification. The Spirit of the Son (the Holy Spirit) unites with our spirits, giving us the same relationship with Abba that Jesus has, minus the divinity, or course. (Romans 8:15-16)

In other words, the new birth gives us Christ’s clothes, so to speak. To refer back to the Jacob story, we receive the elder brother’s blessing because we are wearing his clothes. But in our case, the Father is not deceived. It was his plan all along, and Jesus is not resentful, as was Esau. He gladly distributes his never ending blessing.

So the next time you read Genesis 27, keep in mind the rest of the story. And if you have never asked the Father to clothe you with Christ’s righteous clothing, do so now. Do not miss out on the blessing.

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The Impotence of the Law

In Romans Chapter 7, Paul uses the analogy of marriage to shed light on our relationship with the Law.

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. Romans 7:4 (NASB)

Before the new birth, we were “married” to the Law. The Law is a demanding husband, who is always right in his criticisms, but who never lifts a finger to help us.

When it comes to being fruitful toward God, the Law is absolutely impotent.

Because of our inherited sin nature, the Law can never produce anything good in us. It only highlights our sinfulness and actually goads us to become more sinful because the more we try to be “perfect” by using our own resources, the more hopelessly we fail.

For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. Romans 7:5 (NASB)

Our relationship with the husband called the Law can only produce death; yet, the Law continually condemns our fruitlessness toward God. It is like an impotent husband criticizing his wife for not bearing children to him. It simply cannot happen. That is why our heavenly Father united us with his Son in his death.

When Christ died, so did we, which liberated us from our marriage to the Law.

Before his death, our Lord perfectly satisfied the requirements of the Law. His death satisfied God’s righteous judgment against us for breaking the Law. Since we were included in his death and resurrection, we benefit from his perfect righteousness and his perfect sacrifice.

Now that we have died with Christ, we can be married to Christ without violating God’s righteousness.

Jesus is the perfect husband through whom we can now bear fruit to God. This is because his Spirit lives in and through us, causing us both to will and to do God’s will.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

If we in frustration for our apparent lack of fruit toward God turn back to our own efforts to try to make it happen, we have fallen from grace and returned to an impotent husband. How foolish!

For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:19 (NLT)

Our love relationship with our Lord Jesus is the only way we will ever bear fruit to God. Never abandon him in a foolish quest to find another lover (the Law) who will never be able to satisfy our deep longings to be fruitful.

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Part 29 – What to Expect during a PPM Session

This is the 29th article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. You can access the rest of the articles by clicking here.

 

Many people are apprehensive prior to their first Personal Prayer Ministry session because they do not know what to expect. It is natural to fear the unknown, but thankfully we can trust Jesus to be kind, gracious, and patient with us. He is the safest person in the universe. Anyone who would voluntarily die for us is certainly not going to treat us poorly.

PPM likely is going to be different from any other kind of counseling or ministry you have ever received. The goal of PPM is to deliberately make room for Jesus to be the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6).

In order to accomplish this, we emphasize the following principles.

  • Relax. No one is under any pressure to “perform.” If nothing comes out of these sessions except that we spend time in prayer and listening to the Lord, it will be time well spent. However, it has been my experience that Jesus is far more interested and committed to our being set free than we are.
  • Turn off your analytical brain and listen. Many people have trained themselves to analyze everything. This goes back to the Garden of Eden and Adam’s first sin. We try to figure out the reasons for our bondage and how we can get free. While there is certainly a time and place for that, it is not during the listening portion of PPM. As we “wait upon the Lord,” we want to hear what Jesus has to say to us. His words and insights will set us free, not our analysis.
  • Don’t filter anything. This one is difficult for analysts. As we wait on the Lord, he often brings to mind memories of past events. It is important that we not filter out anything, thinking it is irrelevant. We don’t yet know what is relevant. You will be asked to share everything that comes to mind – the good, bad, ugly, silly, and the seemingly irreverent or irrelevant. The PPM minister will help decide what is or is not from the Lord and the meaning. This is important. The part you may be tempted to ignore could be critical. If you think something is not from the Lord, share it anyway. Your minister will help judge such things and determine what to do with it. Before ministry, we always pray that the only voice we will hear is from the Lord. We trust him to oversee the entire process.
  • Be open to the Lord communicating in various ways. We never know how Jesus may communicate with us. First of all, it is perfectly okay to get nothing at all. However, when all obstacles have been removed, it is usual for the Lord to speak often and clearly. He communicates through memories, visions, Bible verses, thoughts, impressions, feelings, and bodily sensations. Do not discount anything. Feelings of confusion must be felt, likewise pain, fear, etc. You will be expected to be an open book to share everything you are receiving. Remember, we are holistic beings, not mere intellects.

Opening Prayer

I begin every PPM session with prayer, covering the following points.

  • Acknowledge that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. We turn over the entire process to him. We ask him to direct every facet of the ministry.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh and be Christ’s administrator of the session. We pray that he will inspire us and enable us in every area.
  • We proclaim Christ’s victory and authority over every form of bondage. We declare his authority over every demon, bondage, lie, generational issue, and sickness. We command any evil spirit that may be somehow involved to be bound and silent, unless directed by Jesus to manifest in some way that will contribute to the deliverance. We command every voice but that of the Lord to be still.
  • We “clothe” ourselves with Christ’s authority and righteousness, recognizing that we have none of our own. Our competency and authority to minister come from Christ.
  • We invoke Father God’s presence and love to permeate everything.
  • We thank Jesus what we can safely trust him to direct and protect every aspect of the ministry. We can be as little children in our confidence that nothing weird or harmful will take place as we depend on his guidance and oversight. We will only hear the Shepherd’s voice.

Jesus Directed

Deciding where to begin is important. The application form will likely give us clues, but we will pray asking Jesus to show us where he wants to start. This will be a continuing practice throughout the ministry times. We will always be going back to Jesus in prayer making sure we are on the same track as he. Sometimes we may need to back up and go in a different direction. This normal and to be expected. We are seeking to follow him, not direct the show.

Many Faceted

Bondage usually has many tentacles, and we want to make sure we leave no stone unturned. During the course of ministry, we will be covering bitterness issues, generational devastation, traumatic inner pain, embedded lies, and demonization, not necessarily in any specific order. We want the Spirit to lead us, but we will do our best to cover everything.

Session Duration

Sessions usually go for around two hours or until it seems like a good time to stop. The number of sessions depends on the person, but you can expect at least three or four, but perhaps more.  I have seen things go quickly, but sometimes there is a lot of work to do. We usually know when we have done all we can do. Remember: no one gets completely set free prior to the resurrection. We will

Between Sessions

In the gap between PPM sessions, the Holy Spirit does not stop his ministry. You will be asked to keep a journal of your interactions and conversations with the Lord and bring it to the next session. One of the great benefits of receiving PPM is developing your ability to hear the Lord for yourself. One goal of PPM is to help you learn to receive directly from Jesus without needing someone else to help you; although, from time to time we probably can all benefit from getting some outside help.

Conclusion

I hope this series of articles has helped you better understand PPM. If after reading it, you wish to receive ministry, please contact me, and we can discuss it. I am also open to helping train others to do this ministry.

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Part 27: Safeguards for Those Receiving Personal Prayer Ministry

This is the 27th article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. If you want to read the associated articles, please click here.

 

Why being a part of a local church is so important if you are receiving PPM…

PPM should be considered as an adjunct of your local church’s ministry. By that, I mean that it should only be done with the knowledge and consent of your pastor. Of course, all of us are free to pursue ministry on our own, but if you are serious about maintaining a proper relationship with your pastor, you should inform him of what you are doing. He or she has a responsibility for your welfare and would want to know. On my part, I would consider counseling a member of another church without the pastor’s consent and blessing to be a breach of etiquette and trust.

The last thing I or any minister wants to do is go against the grain of the counsel and care you already may be receiving.

If you are not an active part of a local church, or are in a church where you do not fully trust or engage with its leadership, we need to talk further before continuing. Although I have done PPM with people not solidly connected with a local church, experience has taught me that it is far from ideal and probably will not produce the greatest results.

The local church will be in your life line after our PPM sessions are completed. It provides a loving atmosphere of support and counsel. The church (as a group of people following Jesus, not simply a building, formal organization, or denomination) is God’s invention for taking care of his sheep. Local churches have people called by God and committed to providing proper oversight and care for our souls. Also, people who are not under the care and protection of a local church usually do not make the best candidates for PPM, since what is often behind going it alone is either a deeply seated independence or wound from the church. PPM might help you get at the root of such a problem; so, I would not completely rule out the possibility of working with you. At some point, for the ministry to continue forward and to get the best long-term results, you would be strongly encouraged to connect with a local church.

Limited Confidentiality

Since we work with local church leadership, we reserve the right to share appropriately with that leadership, if need be.

This does not mean that we are in the habit of disclosing personal details of your history, but it does mean that if something comes up that local church leadership should know about, we will be free to inform them.

For example, if it comes out that sex abuse or other forms of abuse are taking place, the church leadership should know. Anything that would affect the church as a whole would be shared with church leadership. On a less serious level, if you are part of a good local church, whose leaders you love and trust, why would you not want them involved? The ideal situation is when the PPM minister can give the local church pastor a report of progress, with as much detail as would be a blessing. Details of past sins and abuse are not a blessing to share. Breakthroughs in healing are. When appropriate, sometimes the church pastor might sit in on the session. Everything would be done with the consent of the one receiving ministry. If you are not comfortable with your local church leadership knowing important aspects of your PPM sessions, this is probably not for you.

From our point of view as PPM ministers, we never want to be placed in a situation in which we know crucial information that could affect the health and well-being of the local church and not be able to share it. Therefore, before engaging in PPM, we require that you sign off on limited confidentiality.

Waiver of Liability

PPM is not “professional” counseling. It is a ministry of the church under the direction of the Holy Spirit in alignment with God’s Word. PPM ministers in good faith do the best they can and are not liable for the effects of the ministry.

If you want professional counseling by a board certified psychologist or psychiatrist, PPM is not for you. If you want Spirit-led ministry from a minister committed to adhering to the truths and principles in the Bible, we might be able to help.

Sometimes people receiving ministry actually take an initial emotional “downturn” as they begin to confront long suppressed pain and bitterness. This certainly is not usually the case, but can happen when dealing with buried traumatic inner hurts. It is possible, though not probable, that you may walk out of a PPM session with more questions and pain than you felt upon entering. This can happen when we fearlessly allow Jesus to enter into long buried pain and memories. It sometimes requires patience to get to the bottom of things. On a positive note, l have yet to see anyone experience long-term bad results from PPM. Once people get past any potential short-term pain and confusion, under a physician’s care if appropriate, the Lord will take you on to healing and deliverance, if you persevere. It takes courage to confront a painful past, which is why most never do. Even though most people do not experience anything very troubling or negative, we require a signed waiver of liability from everyone receiving ministry simply as a prudent course of action in a litigation happy culture.

The next article will discuss the application process.

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How to Maintain Our Spiritual Freedom

This is the 26th article in the series entitled Wonderful Counseling. You can access the rest of the articles by clicking here.

 

When Jesus sets us free from any kind of oppression, we have a responsibility to fight to keep that freedom.

Our Lord warned us that demons, which have been cast out, seek to reenter a person to bring them into worse bondage than before, which is the last thing any of us should want.

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44  "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45  "Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation." Matthew 12:43-45 (NASB)

We learn several things from the above passage.

  • Evil spirits find “rest” in human bodies, which motivate them to seek entrance.
  • We should expect “counter attacks” after we are set free.
  • We have a responsibility to fill our hearts and minds with thoughts, words, and songs related to the Lord so that there is no room for a demonic “re-infestation”.

Paul gave us a wonderful way to “inoculate” ourselves against demonization.

...be filled with the Spirit, 19  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20  always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; Ephesians 5:18-20 (NASB)

In other words, the best defense is often a great offense.

If we fill our minds, hearts,  mouths, and activities with God, there will be little room for the devil.

We should be careful to make no place for the devil. (Ephesians 4:27) We cannot afford to coddle sin. It is important for us to develop good habits, which include regular Bible reading and study, prayer, worship, fasting, and speaking God’s promises and truths out loud.

We also have a responsibility to put on the “spiritual armor” provided by God by faith.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Ephesians 6:10-18 (NASB)

Here are the main points.

  • We can only stand in the power of God’s might, truth, and authority, not our own.
  • Don’t be naive. God has a plan for your life, but the devil has plenty of schemes to bring us down.
  • Even though the weakness of the “flesh” is a real enemy that must be resisted, our ultimate battle is against spiritual wickedness, which requires us to use spiritual weapons.
  • We must know and stand upon the truth of our imputed righteousness in Christ. Condemnation is one of the most insidious weapons of the enemy. He will use it to try to destroy our peace and confidence in God. There is no condemnation in Christ. (Romans 8:1, John 5:24)
  • Being active in sharing our faith is actually one of our best weapons against the enemy.
  • Faith in God and his promises shields us from enemy attacks.
  • God’s truth also guards our minds from deception and fear.
  • The sword of the Spirit is God’s truth found in the Bible. We can do great damage to Satan’s kingdom by proclaiming God’s Word.
  • Prayer is an important defense against Satan’s strategies. As we submit to God in prayer, we can effectively resist the enemy.
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:6-8 (NASB)

God encourages the grace of humility as a defense against the devil. Peter proudly announced his unfailing loyalty to Jesus before denying him three times. Don’t let pride open the door to the devil.

God wants us to be ruthless in defending our freedom. We must cut off those things that try to bring us into bondage, rather than be double-minded about it.

"If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:30 (NASB)

This is a matter of our choice, as we rely on the motivation and power of the Holy Spirit to help us fight against evil.

Just as political liberty demands constant vigilance, it is a fight of faith to maintain our freedom in the spirit, too.

The are enslaving agents working relentlessly that must be warded off and defeated.

We also have to be vigilant against what the Bible calls the “flesh”. The “flesh” is that part of us still linked to the old creation in Adam because our bodies have not yet been resurrected. It lurks in the background, waiting for us to become tired, discouraged, disillusioned, or maybe overconfident; so, that it can try to rear its ugly head and lead us into sin. The flesh never reforms. It was crucified and rendered powerless to rule us by Christ, but we still can allow it to have power, if we like. This is a battle between flesh and spirit referred to by Paul.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB)

(You can read more about this subject by clicking here.)

This is not to say that we should be afraid that our slightest failure will result in demonization. However, we should not assume that reengaging in old sinful patterns will not result in our going into bondage again, either. We should have a wholesome fear of the Lord.

Maintaining short accounts with the Lord is always a good idea, too. We should make it a practice to quickly repent when we do sin, knowing that, no matter what, we always have access to the throne of grace to find help from God, especially in our time of need. Don’t fall for the lie that we must earn our way back to God.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NASB)

Finding a trusted and loving person with whom we can share our struggles can help immensely. This should be a person who will speak truthfully to us as a loving friend and confidant, with whom we can be honest about our struggles, defeats, and victories. This should be a person who will pray for us, ask us how we are doing, and be unafraid to ask pointed questions, and who will guard our confidences. Obviously, we should avoid using anyone who is a known gossip or who is so merciful that he or she would never confront. Except in the case of spouses, these persons should be of the same gender as we are.

To summarize, we should expect the devil to be a relentless enemy who will not easily give up. Be prepared for the battle and take proactive steps to defend what God has done to set us free. Always rely on God’s strength and power. Never allow condemnation to put a wedge between you and God. Keep short accounts and develop good spiritual habits. Put on God’s armor by faith and go on the offense.

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