Archives: Episode

You Are Not Alone

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been living through a confusing and stress-filled period of time, which has taken a toll on many of us. Sometimes we may feel quite alone. After all, this is the end game of those who are pushing for social isolation. God did not create us to be alone. He created us primarily for himself and also for one another. After creating Adam, he said that it was not good for him to be alone. This truth still stands, even for hermits.

Sin isolates us from God and each other. So does fear. Christmas is the annual celebration of the coming of Emmanuel – God with Us. There is no greater truth in the Bible than the amazing good news that, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we need no longer be alone. Emmanuel has made it possible for us to not only know God and his forgiveness, but to experience what it is like to have him actually live inside us! (John 14:17)

Jesus promised his disciples that he would not leave us as orphans (John 14:18), or, as Paul described it – “without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12).

Without Christ people are hopelessly alone, but with him we are never left on our own.

God’s answer to Moses’ fear was that he would be with him. (Exodus 3:12) King David knew this glorious truth, too (Psalm 23:4), as did the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 41:10). When the disciples were afraid in the midst of the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus comforted them with these words:

...“It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:20 (ESV)

I prefer the translator’s note in the New Living Translation: “Do not be afraid. The I AM is here.” Jesus, the perfect representation of the Great I AM, the Creator-Sustainer-Redeemer-Righteous Judge and King, transcends all that seeks to attack and intimidate us.

Every fear must bow the knee to Jesus.

King David put it wonderfully.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Psalm 56:3-4 (ESV)

We all feel fear from time to time. When this happens, we must choose to put our trust and confidence in God. When we do this, fear must go. It is often a battle, but it is one we can and must win.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 (ESV)

We let our hearts be afraid when we forget that the Great I Am is with us. With him at our side and inside of us, we truly have nothing to fear.

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Does the Government Own Us?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presuppositions must always be considered when engaging in debate. The things we consider “self-evident” may or may not actually be true. Our founding fathers considered that it is self-evident that our freedoms originate in God, but increasingly modern people do not believe this fundamental truth, largely because they do not believe in God. Instead, perhaps without thinking it through, many accept that freedoms issue from the state.

The state, by nature, always tries to assume that everything derives from it, belongs to it, and must serve it. In other words, it tries to be God.

Take, for example, private property. If you “own” any, you might assume that it belongs to you, but actually it does not. If you want to find out who actually owns it, try not paying your property taxes. Regarding children, you might think that they belong to the parents, but in reality the state maintains the “right” to take children away from their parents whenever it believes it is in a child’s (the state’s) best interest. In many cases, it is right to do this, but sometimes the system becomes corrupt and serves political interests instead of insuring the welfare of children. The state’s overreach also has played out on many fronts when it comes to Covid.

Our forefathers did not trust government. That is why they built numerous safeguards into our Constitution. Sadly, however, every system eventually gets “played” by conniving people, and that has happened to us as a nation. Our freedoms have been used against us, and currently we are in a situation where our constitutional and God-given freedoms are being routinely stripped by people in government who dare us to do anything about it.

Here is a passage that addresses the fundamental issue of ownership.

Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. 16  And they *sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. 17  "Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?" 18  But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19  "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. 20  And He *said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21  They *said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He *said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." 22  And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away. Matthew 22:15-22 (NASB)

The presupposition behind taxation is that the government has authority over us. No one “under” us will ever be able to tax us. In Jesus’ day, the Romans imposed heavy taxes upon subjugated people groups, which were often exacerbated by greedy middle men who acted as tax collectors. These taxes were punitive in nature and served to drive home the second class nature of the citizenry under Roman rule. The Jewish leaders attempted to catch Jesus in a trap. Either he would acknowledge the Romans’ right to impose such taxes, incurring the resentment of the common people, or he would get himself in trouble with the Roman authorities. Jesus, however, managed to answer their question in a way that surprised everyone. Instead of focusing on the issue of taxation, Jesus addressed the underlying presuppositions: whose identity do we bear and who owns us?

Caesar’s likeness had been stamped on Roman coinage, which made it clear that he basically owned the money, giving Rome the authority to collect taxes. People, however, bear the stamp of God’s image, meaning that they belong to him, not to the state. Whenever the state acts as if it owns people, it transgresses the limitations put upon it by God.

Today we have a clear cut example of such tyranny. Mandates requiring people to be injected with an experimental gene therapy against their will, which may permanently alter our God-given immune systems, assume that we belong to the state rather than to God. The “good” of the many is said to nullify our basic freedom of choice under God. For people such as I, refusing the jab is an issue of conscience as well as good sense. In this case, we cannot submit to a tyrannical state without violating our conscience by tampering with what God has committed into our care. (I acknowledge that many god-fearing people consider receiving the jab a good thing. I am not addressing such people in this article.)

When the state tries to overrule our conscience, it has overstepped its authority and should not be obeyed in that area.

In every other area, where it operates within its God-given boundaries, it should be obeyed, however. (Romans 13:1 and Acts 5:29) Jesus died to set us free to serve God. To voluntarily surrender to an overstepping government is to come into bondage.

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NASB)

Jesus gave up his life to deliver us from satanic tyranny. It is sadly and dangerously irresponsible to willingly submit to it again.

Never doubt for a moment that the state ultimately wants to own and control you. It is the beast rising out of the waters in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 13:1), whose antagonism against God will not be stopped until Christ ultimately destroys it at his Second Coming.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war...  14  And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15  From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS...."  19  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20  And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. Revelation 19:11-20 (NASB)

Stand firm.

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Prayer for God’s Intervention in Government and the Public Arena

Lord, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud. 9 Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me. 10 Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can’t escape. 11 Don’t let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent. 12 But I know the Lord will help those they persecute; he will give justice to the poor. 13 Surely righteous people are praising your name; the godly will live in your presence. Psalms 140:7-13 (NLT)

King David, a man who knew and understood God’s heart, was not timid about asking for God to intervene in behalf of God’s people and for the sake of righteousness.

While it is very important for us to realize that sometimes God allows his people to suffer at the hands of tyrannical rulers, it is never a good thing for evil to triumph.

When we pray for divine judgment, it is vital that we temper our prayers with mercy because we all need it. We should always be careful to forgive and pray “for” our enemies that they might be saved. In addition, we can and should pray according to basic principles of righteousness, asking God to intervene in behalf of his people against wickedness in government and in the public arena. Only God knows who among our enemies is capable of repenting and who is not. Let him be the final arbiter of justice and mercy.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for my government, as Paul commanded us. I pray that you will work through our leaders to provide just government to our nation. Lord, you are sovereign in power and overflowing in mercy. You know that evil people are scheming and working to accomplish their plans at the expense of those who love your name because they hate you and your rule.

Do not let their evil plans succeed. Work things so that their plans turn out to be a blessing for your people and for your glory instead. Let the plans of evil people backfire. Do something creative and entirely unexpected by the perpetrators of evil. Let truth prevail and liars be exposed. Uncover the hidden things of darkness so that truth wins.

In the midst of your judgments, have mercy on us and all those who are willing to repent. Open our enemies’ hearts to believe the Gospel. Strengthen those of your people who are suffering persecution for your sake around the world. Have mercy on the persecutors. Bring justice to the poor and oppressed. Let your people always be praising you, no matter what. Amen.

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Prayer When I Am Afraid

Fear is both natural and spiritual. Natural fear is a built in response to danger put into us by the Creator. It alerts us and prepares us to fight or take flight, so to speak. Spiritual fear is something different. Instead of working to our advantage, it works to destroy us.

Spiritual fear is the opposite of faith.

In fact, it works to destroy faith, propel us to take actions that will harm us, or simply weakens us, so that we sink into hopelessness, despondency, and despair. We have all felt fear. Some of us may be feeling fearful at this moment. Here are some insights that will help you. The prayer will come at the end.

Learning to Be Still

Fear churns up the soul, creating panic and motivating us to do something rash or to give up and do nothing at all. This might be called believing we are powerless.

The opposite of fear is quiet confidence in God. 

When we are afraid, one of the best things we can do is become still in God’s presence, reminding ourselves of who he is, what he has promised, how he has helped us in the past, and how much we can trust him to faithful now and in the future.

A great example from the Bible is when King Jehoshaphat was afraid when a huge army came against his kingdom.

Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4  So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD’s help. 5  Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the LORD. 6  He prayed, “O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! 7  O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? 8  Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. 9  They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’ 10  “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. 11  Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. 12  O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” 2 Chronicles 20:3-12 (NLT)

God spoke through Jahaziel the prophet in response to the king’s prayer with these reassuring and faith building words.

He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16  Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. 17  But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!” 18  Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD. 2 Chronicles 20:15-18 (NLT)

Jehoshaphat’s response was as important as the prophecy.

God’s promises make no difference in our lives if we do not believe them.

Being still before God opens our hearts to be able to hear his voice, and when we hear him, we make the choice to believe him or not.

Faith in God’s promises and character is the antidote to fear.

And, yes, God did just as he said he would by defeating Judah’s enemies without the king’s army even having to fight. What will God do for us?

Be Still Because I Will…

The psalmist succinctly states this powerful truth.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Psalm 46:10-11 (ESV)

We can have peace because God is good and will keep his promises.

He will glorify himself. He is our fortress in times of trouble!

Now this is not to say that he will not require us to do something. Faith takes whatever action is necessary. It is never passive. As we listen to God, he will instruct us what to do.

Prayer

Lord, I am afraid and need your help. Your word says that you rule over all things, and I believe it. You are Lord over me and my circumstances. I believe Romans 8:28, that you are working all things out for my good and your glory. I now choose to quiet my soul in your presence, O God, and ask you to speak to my heart, so that I can be encouraged in my faith. I claim what Isaiah the prophet said so long ago:

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2 (ESV)

I rebuke and renounce fear. You have given me the Spirit of faith, not fear. (2 Corinthians 4:13 and 2 Timothy 1:7) I ask you to remove all fear from my heart. Cause praise and faith to well up inside me. I give you thanks because you are faithful and true. You are loving and powerful. You will never abandon me. Holy Spirit be my Helper and Comforter! Thank you, Lord, for working this situation for my good. I thank you in advance. Now I wait to see how you will do it. Amen.

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Overcoming Past Occult Involvement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people may need to overcome obstacles before receiving the baptism in the Spirit. My previous article in this series illustrated how to conquer the strongholds of traditions of men and passivity. This article looks at how to get past a potentially severe blockage which can be erected in our lives due to past occult involvement. If you have ever been an occult practitioner of any sort, consulted such a person, or even dabbled in things you thought were harmless, such as a Ouija board, you should read this article and take the necessary steps to extricate yourself.

… I do not want you to be partners with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:20b  (NET)

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul warned those early disciples not to participate with demons in any way. In the modern world many do not even believe that such malevolent beings as demons exist, but anyone who takes the Bible seriously cannot afford to dismiss them. The Bible does not tell us much about their origin, but we do know that they are evil spirits which desire to inhabit human bodies and oppress anyone they can.

 

The Greek word that describes the activity of demons is “daimonidzomai,” which simply means to demonize.

Some translators of the Bible unfortunately used the English word “possess,” which carries all altogether different meaning of ownership and complete control. Using this poor translation as their basis, some argue that it is impossible for Christians, who belong to God and in whom dwells the Holy Spirit, to be possessed, owned, or completely taken over by an evil spirit. I agree wholeheartedly with that logic, but I insist that it is possible for believers in Christ to be demonized or oppressed by evil spirits. I have seen too many examples to think otherwise. Believers in Christ belong to God but can be oppressed by the devil. I think we all agree with that.

Our theology must be congruent with the clear teachings of the Bible without contradicting what we all know is true about life.

Oppression can take many forms, ranging from mild to severe. While demons, or anything or anyone else for that matter, cannot block the Holy Spirit, in his kindness and wisdom God may require us to properly distance ourselves from the demonic before he allows us to move forward with him. God is properly “jealous” in the sense that he refuses to “cohabit” with evil.

You unfaithful people! Don't you know that love for this {evil} world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God. 5  Do you think this passage means nothing? It says, “The Spirit that lives in us wants us to be his own.” James 4:4-5 (GW)

Demons do not care how they gain access to people. They will take advantage of any doors we open to them, even when we do it unknowingly.

In fact, innocent people are often exposed to demonization by the actions of others, as in the case when adults introduce young children to sin, especially sexual sin and occult practices, such as witchcraft.

Why is occult involvement such a hindrance? I suppose it is because through it we open ourselves up to Satan’s power when we involve ourselves in his world and sometimes even invite demons to inhabit our bodies, which were created to house the Holy Spirit. It is an affront to God when we turn to demons for help, instead of relying upon him.

Martha and I were once ministering to a young woman who was not able to get a breakthrough when it came to speaking in tongues, even though she had repeatedly asked to receive the baptism in the Spirit. I asked her if she had ever been involved in the occult. She replied that she formerly had practiced witchcraft. I then inquired if she had ever renounced that, and she said, no. She did not know that she even needed to do so.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. Proverbs 28:13 (NASB)

We led her in a prayer of repentance in which she renounced her past involvement with witchcraft. Immediately she told us that she felt as if an anvil were pressing down upon her chest. Suddenly the pressure lifted, and she began speaking in tongues. God waited for her to confess the sin and get rid of the demon, which had been oppressing her, before he gave her his marvelous gift.

Some of the occult activities you may need to renounce include the following: seances, Ouija board, fortune telling, tarot cards, witchcraft, astrology, etc. If you have in any way dabbled or immersed yourself in anything connected with the kingdom of darkness, you should repent and verbally renounce those things. Ask for and receive God’s forgiveness through Christ’s blood. Then command any attached spirits of darkness to depart in Jesus name. They must obey that command.

We carry Christ’s authority which is backed up by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. We speak the words and the Spirit of God enforces them.

It is vital that we understand and believe that evil spirits have no option but to obey a command to leave when we properly repent and use Christ’s authority. We need never find ourselves in a power struggle with a demon. It is always a truth and authority issue. Their power was destroyed at Calvary when Jesus rose from the dead.

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

Once we remove any “platform” or “hook” a demon may have used to oppress us through repentance and renouncing, it is an easy matter to break their grip using the authority of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is the Enforcer of Christ’s victory and his authority. He comes to our aid when we do our part. Once we properly distance ourselves from the occult, we will be ready to receive the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit.

 

Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. Click here to order.

I have also written more extensively on how to be set free from demons. Click here if you are interested.
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Overcoming the Traditions of Men & Passivity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because of receiving bad information in the past, many people must overcome obstacles before receiving the baptism in the Spirit. My previous article in this series illustrated how to conquer fear and legalism. This one looks at two more common hindrances and shows how to get past them.

 

Traditions of Men

Religious groups tend to form their own culture and traditions over time. Non-denominational churches often begin as a sort of protest against dead formality and ritual, but over the years such churches develop their own set ways of doing things. This is part of what it means to be human and is not necessarily a bad thing.

If our traditions stand between us and the our apprehension of the truth and our reception of God’s promises, however, they are evil and must be set aside.

Jesus confronted dead religious traditions quite often, thereby incurring the wrath of the establishment. Once traditions are set, they assume a stature as if God himself set them up. Some churches, such as Roman Catholicism, officially elevate church tradition to the status of scripture. More evangelical churches would never openly say such a thing, but in actuality they sometimes put their traditional interpretation of scripture over the truth. Once again, this is a human propensity. For those steeped in the traditions of men, the old and established way of doing things always seems better.

Jesus warned against following our traditions when they nullify the clear intent of God’s Word.

And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4  "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' 5  "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," 6  he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7  "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8  'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 9  'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'" Matthew 15:3-9 (NASB)

When it comes to the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the only thing that matters is what the scriptures say, not what our church traditions may teach. Just as in Jesus’ day, sometimes it requires great courage to resist and overcome time honored traditions in order to serve the Lord.

Passivity

There is a time for “waiting upon God,” which describes our having the attitude of being surrendered to God’s will for our lives and honoring him as the initiator. Waiting on God is a function of our understanding the danger of operating independently from the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

However, once we know what his will for us is and are confident that now is the time for us to act, passivity becomes a sin.

Nothing substitutes for acting in faith, not even prayer or worship. If our mother asked us to clean our rooms, when we were young children, she would not be happy to find out we never did it because we were praying instead. There is a time for every purpose under heaven.

Jesus instructed his first disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Spirit, but this was because their first experience of this extraordinary gift from God had to take place on the exact day of Pentecost, perfectly fulfilling God’s eternal purpose for that Old Covenant feast. They waited and prayed for days in the upper room, but when the day of Pentecost finally arrived, the Spirit was powerfully poured out.

Since then, every day is Pentecost. There is no longer any need to wait. We can receive instantly.

In addition, we should not expect the Holy Spirit to somehow take control of us, as if God superimposes himself over our desires and will. In his goodness and love, God expects and encourages us to partner with him. The Spirit, who dwells within us, also comes alongside us allowing us to participate with him in ministry. He lets us know the things that God has freely given to us, which includes the baptism in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:12)

Our role is to ask for and receive God’s blessings. If we do not ask, why should we expect to receive? If we have asked, what is stopping us from actively receiving?

It is true that sometimes God blesses those who do not seek or ask, but almost always he wants our participation, especially when we know the truth. Therefore, we should not be passive when it comes to the baptism in the Spirit. Remember: faith acts as if God’s Word is true… because it is.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8  "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 (NASB)

 

 

Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. Click here to find out more.
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Freedom from Fear of Death

The gospel has the ability to provide freedom from the fear of death.

The last enemy God will destroy will be death.

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26  The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 (ESV)

Death may also be the last fear we will face head on in this journey called life. Death lurks in the background of every moment, waiting for its time. The picture of the Grim Reaper knocking at our door tells the story. Adam and Eve opened the door to this enemy when they chose to disobey God, giving Satan permission to invade all our lives. The wages of sin is death, and God will not be mocked. We all will reap our wages because we all are sinners. Should we be afraid of death or should we regard it as a natural part of life, as unavoidable as taxes and as inconsequential as the sun coming up in the morning?

Death is unnatural, and God calls it an enemy. Our Lord never intended for us to experience death.

Mercifully, God did not walk away from us when we turned our backs on him. He determined from the outset to defeat Satan and death on our behalf.

He promised us that one of Eve’s children would crush the head of the serpent, but at great cost to himself. The serpent would bite his heel.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

Overcoming this enemy came at a great price, the death of God’s only Son. Jesus defeated death by dying and rising again.

Death could not be avoided. Jesus faced, experienced, and conquered it through the cross and the resurrection.

Many people live as if they never expect to die, pushing out of their minds their inevitable demise, as if not thinking about it will make it go away. King Solomon warned us:

None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked. Ecclesiastes 8:8 (NLT)

Since we cannot avoid death, we should prepare for it.

That is why people make the effort to write wills and take other steps to make ready for the inevitable. It is more important that we prepare ourselves spiritually. Amos the prophet spoke this ancient warning to Israel, which applies to us today: “Prepare to meet your God in judgment.” (Amos 4:12)

Death is God’s judgment against sin, but there will follow another judgment on the other side of death.

Jesus warned us that we should fear that and prepare for it.

Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4–5 (NLT)

If we do not face the fear of death and conquer it, it will capture us.

Thankfully, Jesus has done all the heavy lifting on our behalf.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15  and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV)

When Jesus died on our behalf, the Bible says that we were included in that death.

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15  and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NASB)

For all of this to make sense, we must realize that there are two deaths, a physical one and a spiritual one.

All must die physically because God’s beautiful creation is under judgment for Adam’s sin. In addition, those who do not put their faith and allegiance in Christ will experience what the Bible calls the “second death,” which is an eternal spiritual death apart from God’s presence, who is the source and sustainer of life.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14-15 (ESV)

Jesus promised that all who put their faith and allegiance in him will never experience the second death.

Paul taught that God has removed us from the domain of darkness and death and transferred us into his kingdom of light and life. (Colossians 1:13) Jesus confirmed this truth, as recorded below.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

Later Jesus explained himself in more detail to one of his followers named Martha following his friend Lazarus’ death.

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26  Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:25-26 (NLT)

Here Jesus promised that life continues after death, spiritually and eventually physically in the resurrection.

Our Lord made the glorious promise that believers will never experience the eternal second death. We who trust in him will never die, not really. We simply transition from earth to heaven when the body expires.

Those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ are united with him spiritually (1 Corinthians 6:17). Therefore, wherever Jesus is, so are we. Colossians tells us that Christ is seated on God’s throne in heaven, which is where we are likewise seated. (Colossians 3:1-3. See also Ephesians 2:6.) This means that, just as Christ told us in John 5:24, we have already passed from death to life. We are already in God’s presence in heaven in the Spirit.

When we believers die, we do not spiritually die or go anywhere. I believe that we simply “wake up” in heaven, where we have been spiritually all along.

Our bodies may die and decompose, but the spiritual part of us never dies. One day the body will be raised in a glorious new form that will no longer be subject to death.

For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40 (NLT)

In John 11:26, Jesus asked Martha if she believed his words. Now we must ask ourselves the same question. The gospel provides the antidote to the fear of death, but will we believe and receive it? Those who do are delivered from their slavery to the fear of death. Hallelujah!

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Overcoming Fear & Legalism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people may need to overcome some obstacles before receiving the baptism in the Spirit. My previous article in this series illustrates how to overcome ignorance. This one looks at two additional hindrances and shows how to get past them.

 

Fear

Fear is often a subset of ignorance. We often fear and reject what we do not understand.

Advances in knowledge and understanding are often met with stiff resistance. The Anabaptists were put to death by Protestants and Catholics alike for practicing believer (adult) baptism, as opposed to the practice of infant baptism, which had been the acceptable mode in the church for centuries. Infant baptism was considered to be the means for children to enter the church, similar to infant circumcision in the Old Covenant. It was part of the sacramental system, which teaches that grace is communicated through the sacraments, rather than through the direct personal work of God’s Spirit. If a child were not properly baptized and should die, it was feared that he or she would be consigned to either hell or a place called limbo, a kind of shadowy unbiblical ghost-like existence away from God’s presence. Through sacramentalism the church maintained an iron grip upon the people, who believed they had no direct access to God. Only the priests, another Old Covenant construct that was improperly transferred to the church, were able to minister the sacraments. This rendered the common people (the laity) dependent on men instead of God. When the Anabaptists introduced the radically new practice of believer baptism, it upset this long established tradition and belief system, bringing incredible wrath upon its practitioners. Today much of the church, including the part with which I associate myself, accepts believer baptism as the normal way of doing things, but not then. The rest of the church accepts or least tolerates the practice today. God restored this long lost truth regarding water baptism to the church during the Reformation. Since the early 20th  century the Lord of the harvest has been restoring truth about the baptism in the Spirit.

Truth is usually resisted at first, but wins out in the end.

Today many are afraid of the baptism and gifts of the Spirit because they seem unfamiliar and strange. Their church leaders may have never taught them about these things, or, even more sadly,  may have taught them lies based on man-made theology and traditions. Jesus warned us about using doctrines of men to block obedience to God’s Word.

And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7  'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' 8  "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." 9  He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. Mark 7:6-9 (NASB)

The Jewish leaders feared Jesus, because they did not understand him and feared what he would do. Their idea of the Messiah did not mesh with who he really was and is. They were afraid he would upset their traditional way of handling things; therefore, they hated and rejected him, eventually putting him to death. Satan always resists the advancement of truth. He fears the truth and the power of God, and instills that fear into his followers. If you have allowed fear to stand in the way of your receiving God’s blessing of the baptism and gifts of the Spirit, be careful that you are not following the traditions of men or simply allowing your fear of the unknown to block you from God’s best.

Satan cannot stop God from blessing you, but your fear and unbelief can.

Repent and ask God to remove fear and open your heart to him and his truth.

Legalism

Legalism is a man made attempt to gain or maintain a right standing with God through our own efforts, instead of believing and receiving what Jesus did for us.

Regarding the baptism of the Spirit, legalism shows up in our thinking that we are not yet good enough or holy enough to receive this remarkable gift.

We may think that we must clean up our lives or overcome some particular sin first. It may be that we do need to repent of a sin prior to receiving from God, but that can be done instantly.

Legalism wants us to delay things until we feel that we are good enough.

That will never happen. We will never be good enough on our own. Jesus made us worthy to receive all God’s blessings and love.

The baptism in the Spirit is designed to be one of the first experiences a new believer has with God.

The Holy Spirit comes into our lives to make us more like Jesus. He will take care of remaking us in Christ’s image, which is a lifelong endeavor. First things first! Now simply receive God’s blessings. Later we can cooperate with the Spirit in the transformation process. Now we need to simply open our hearts to God and receive his blessings by faith.

The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Galatians 3:2 (NET)

Both fear and legalism indicate that we do not yet fully trust God. Isn’t time we let go of these two things and simply receive his wonderful blessings?

Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. Click here to find out more.
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Feeling Hopeless? Try This.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopelessness shrivels the soul and saps our vitality and joy in living. If things get dark enough, we may be tempted to give up entirely. Suicide is the last decision made by some who conclude that death is preferable to continuing on without hope. There are many ways to commit suicide that don’t involve actively ending our physical lives. We can self-medicate and “check out” with drugs, alcohol, sex, sports, entertainment, etc. We can withdraw into a hollow shell of our true identity, alienating ourselves from those who love and can help us. Some people become angry and lash out. People who have no hope can be very dangerous. What do they have to lose?

Have you ever been in what seemed to be a hopeless situation? Is that where you are right now, or maybe you know someone who is despairing? If so, this article can help.

The Origin of Hopelessness

When Adam and Eve sinned, they alienated the human race from the life of God and gave the keys of authority and dominion on the earth to Satan. Since then, the devil, who is the father of lies, has stolen, killed, and destroyed, keeping untold millions in a dark prison of hopelessness.

But even though Adam and Eve rejected God’s rule in their lives, the Lord did not abandon them or us their descendants. In that time of seeming hopelessness, God injected hope into the human story by promising that someone in Eve’s line would rise up to defeat Satan.

The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.  15  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 (ESV)

When Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph, the Son of God infiltrated a hopeless and dying planet full of spiritually dead people infected with a terminal disease called sin. He came as the fulfillment of the promise God made to Eve in the Garden of Eden. The light of hope was finally dawning on humanity!

the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. Matthew 4:16 (ESV)

Jesus understood that his mission was to liberate the prisoners of hopelessness.

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,  18    “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 liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,  19    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  20  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  21  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:17-21 (ESV)

Jesus came to lay down his life for those who had no hope. He surrendered to the hopelessness of death, but, when he rose again, he lit a torch of hope that burns brightly to this day.

All who put their faith in him, will always have hope, no matter how bleak things may get because Emmanuel, God with Us, is alive eternally.

The Gospel is a beacon of hope to those in darkness. We who follow Christ, are messengers of hope to those around us, who live in darkness still.

For those of you readers who may not yet know Jesus, the Restorer of Hope, today is your day to finally surrender your heart and hopelessness to the only one who can help you. What is stopping you? Don’t be like the Jews who could not and would not acknowledge his right to rule.

Once we surrender to the God of Hope, hopelessness will be finally and forever extinguished!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 (ESV)

Or perhaps you are already a follower of Christ, but you have slipped in your faith. All you need to do is repent and once again declare your resolve to fully trust Jesus in every situation.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I repent for living a self-directed life all these years. I now surrender to you as best as I am able. Holy Spirit help me to do this! I acknowledge your right to rule my life, and I receive all the blessings you died to give me – hope, forgiveness, eternal life, the Holy Spirit, and the privilege of being your child! I exchange my hopelessness for the joy of trusting you. Thank you that you rule over all things and are working all things in my life for good. I now know that you are the God of good endings. Hopelessness has no place in my life. Amen!

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Don’t Let Disappointment Ruin Your Life

 

Everyone experiences disappointment. When we set our hearts on something, and it fails to materialize, it does something to our hearts, where faith lives.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 (NASB)

The reason we are disappointed is because our expectations are not fulfilled. The higher our expectations, the greater the possibility of disappointment. Some try to avoid disappointment by lowering expectations. This is not a good idea because our God is the God of hope. (Romans 15:13)

Hope is the ability to continue to maintain the high expectation that God will fulfill his promises, no matter how long it may take.

Many people claim to have faith because they have pushed the fulfillment of God’s promise into the indefinite future. It is a kind of reverse version of evolutionary thinking. Evolution claims that the complexity of life randomly developed from chaos over eons of time. If enough time is allowed, all things are possible, even the impossible. “Future” faith believes that “one day” God will keep his promises, but not right now. This is the kind of faith Martha had when her brother Lazarus died. Jesus was going to raise her brother from the dead “now,” but her faith was limited to the distant unforeseeable future. (John 11:23-27)

Restricting the fulfillment of God’s promises to the distant future allows us to avoid exercising our faith in the here and now, which can lull us into thinking we have faith when we do not.

Faith receives “right now” the promises of God, even if the fulfillment is yet to come.

Hope depends on “now” faith. It cannot exist by itself. Hope is stretched out faith. “Now” faith knows that God has already answered our prayer, but it is willing to wait for the manifestation of that answer, no matter now long it takes. It maintains an attitude of expectancy during the waiting period. This is very important.

If we have no sense of expectancy, we probably lack faith.

Rather than lower of expectations, which is another way of saying we do not believe, a better way to ward off the debilitating effect of disappointment is to submit our expectations to God.

My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. 6  He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7  On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Psalm 62:5-7 (NASB)

King David wrote this when he patiently waited for God to keep the promise to make him king. Saul was trying to kill him. Things looked bleak, but David refused to cave in to unbelief and hopelessness or grow hard and bitter. If those things are allowed to happen, disappointment becomes toxic and will likely ruin our lives. If we place our hopes and dreams in God’s hands, waiting patiently for him to fulfill his promises, we will be able to guard our hearts.

The life of Joseph provides us with one of the best biblical examples of properly handling disappointment. He began life with many advantages. His father loved and God favored him. He received a couple of amazing dreams that fueled an expectation of coming greatness. But his brothers’ jealous hatred caused his life to take a sharp turn into disappointment. He was betrayed, sold as a slave, falsely accused, imprisoned, and forgotten for years. In the midst of those disappointments, he kept his faith in God and refused to succumb to unbelief, hopelessness, self-pity, or bitterness. Eventually, after much waiting and suffering, God fulfilled everything and he was elevated to a very high position in Egypt’s government and was restored to his family.

The Psalms provide an interesting insight into his experience.

Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character. Psalm 105:19 (NLT)

God allows us to encounter disappointments in life to test and develop our character.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

If we rely on God during difficulties, the Bible says we will not be disappointed. That is good news.

Our disappointments can become appointments with God. If we turn to God, we will discover that his grace is enough.

God will help us refashion our expectations without sacrificing our faith. Then our expectations will match his plan for our lives. He will use our disappointments to develop Christ-like character in us. We can learn to glorify God in the midst of difficulties rather than slide into unbelief, self-pity, or bitterness. The choice is ours.

Prayer

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:5 (NLT)

Lord God, please forgive me for becoming disheartened and disappointed when my expectations are unmet. Help me instead to keep my eyes upon you. You promise that if we trust in you we will never be disappointed. Help me, Holy Spirit, to live by faith in your faithfulness, no matter how things turn out in the short run. Amen.

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