Deliver Us From Evil

Sin and Consequence

2012-01-17T05:04:00.000-08:00

There was an American game show on TV years ago, called Truth or Consequence. In this game, the contestant had to answer a trivia question that most people would not know the answer to. If they got it wrong, as most contestants usually would, then they had to play the second part of the game, since they did not tell the "truth." In the second part of the game, the contestant was required to perform the consequence. This was usually some stunt to entertain the audience.

Today I want to talk to you about sin and consequence. In other words, I want to try and show how sin has very serious consequences. Unlike the silly game show, when we sow sinful seeds through our words and actions, we most certainly reap the consequences for them. And the consequences are not to entertain you, God, or anyone else. They are unpleasant and sometimes deadly. This is the immutable law of sowing a reaping, just as when you plant seeds in the soil and eventually reap what you sowed.

The book of 2 Samuel is full of examples of sin and the consequences, even the domino effect it causes. Just take a look at the examples below and observe the progression from the initial action to the final outcome:

Abner’s Actions lead to his murder

Abner made Ishbosheth son of Saul to be King (2:8,9)
Abner and Joab decided to have the young men fight hand to hand (2:14)
There was a fierce battle that led to Abner’s defeat (2:17)
Asahel chased Abner and would not heed Abner’s warning to stop (2:18-22)
Abner killed Asahel (2:23)
King Ish-Bosheth accused Abner of sleeping with his father’s concubine (3:7)
Abner deserted Ish-Bosheth & went over to David in retaliation (3:8-11)
Joab murders Abner in revenge for killing his brother Asahel (3:26,27)
Ish-Bosheth & all Israel became alarmed at Abner’s death (4:1)
Seeing King Ish-Bosheth’s imminent downfall, 2 men murder him (4:5,6)

Michael’s contempt lead to her barrenness

David’s wife Michael despised him & spoke evil of his worship (6:16,20)
Michael never had any children to the day of her death (6:23)

Ammonite’s contempt for David lead to their defeat

David showed kindness to Hanun, son of his deceased Ammonite enemy (10:1-2)
Hanun King of the Ammonites responded to David’s kindness with contempt (10:3,4)
David and his men defeated the Ammonites (10:13-14; 11:1)

David’s Idleness leads to immorality, murder, rape, rebellion

Instead of going to war in the Spring, David walked on his roof (11:1-2)
David was tempted and fell into sexual immorality with Bathsheba (11:2-3)
Bathsheba got pregnant by David (11:5)
David tried to get Uriah to come home & sleep with his wife Bathsheba (11:6-13)
David murdered Uriah the Hittite, one of his mighty men (11:14-21; 23:39)
David took Bathsheba as his own wife (11:27)
After David murdered Uriah, the sword never departed from his house (12:9-10)
The Lord struck David’s child by Bathsheba’s and he died (12:15-18)
David’s son Amnon raped his step sister Tamar, Absalom’s sister (13:1,14)
Absalom retaliated against Amnon by killing him & going into exile (13:28,29)
Joab brings Absalom back from exile (14:1,21)
Absalom had himself appointed king while his father was still alive (15:7-14)
David’s son Absalom slept with his wives in broad daylight (12:11,12; 16:21,22)
Ahithophel advised King Absalom to attack his father David (17:1-6)
Since Absalom didn’t follow his advice, Ahithophel committed suicide (17:23)
Absalom pursued his own father in order to murder him (17:12-14)
Absalom’s beautiful head got caught in a tree during the battle (18:9)
Joab killed Absalom while he hung from a tree in midair by his head (18:14,15)
Absalom during his lifetime had built a monument to himself (18:18)
Absalom in his death was thrown into a pit and covered with a pile of rocks (18:17)
All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel helped the King return (19:40)
The men of Israel complained that the men of Judah brought the King over (19:41)
The men of Judah defended their actions (19:42)
The men of Israel accused the men of Judah of treating them with contempt (19:43)
The men of Judah responded even more harshly than the men of Israel (19:43)
Sheba, a Benjamite led Israel in rebellion against David (20:1)
David ordered Amasa to summon the troops of Judah to battle against Sheba (20:4)
Amasa took longer to summon the troops than the king had set for him (20:5)
Amasa was killed by David’s military commander, Joab (20:9-10)
Wicked Sheba’s head was cut off and thrown to Joab from the city wall (20:20-22)
Saul put to death the Gibeonites, whom the Israelites had sworn to spare (21:1,1)
Israel experienced a famine for three successive years (21:1)
The Gibeonites were avenged by killing 7 of Saul’s male descendants (21:5,6)
God answered prayer in behalf of the land of Israel (21:14)

David’s prideful census resulted in a deadly plague

David counted all the fighting men in Israel and Judah (24:1,2,8,9)
The Lord sent a plague on Israel, killing 70,000 people (24:10,15,16)
David offered up a sacrifice to the Lord (24:24,25)
The Lord answered prayer in behalf of the land and the plague stopped (24:25)

Putting it All Together
This book is full of murder and revenge, sexual immorality and the resulting rape and adultery in David’s family. It is a great illustration of how sin will always take you further than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay, it will keep you longer than you wanted to stay.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption..." (Gal 6:7-8a)

If you have realized one or more areas where you've been sowing to your sinful nature, there is only one solution. Only Jesus Christ and faith in Him can set you free. True and sincere repentance with contrition and tears will break the cycle of sin and the Lord will set you free. I'd like to encourage you to do that today.

You will still have temporary consequences to deal with, which could last the rest of your earthly life, but at least you can stop sowing to your own destruction and avoid eternal, fatal consequences. And if you faithfully follow the Lord the rest of your life, He will give you grace and peace. He will also enable you to sow to please the Holy Spirit, and then you can begin reaping the good consequences. "The one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." (Gal 6:8b).

Photo credit: The photo of sowing seeds is from Christinas View - Love Like Crazy

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He is based in Eastern Europe, where he is helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, and planting churches that multiply. www.dmiworld.org.

Hiding Place

2011-08-25T03:44:00.000-07:00

I recently watched the movie called the Hiding Place. I had previously listened to the audio book years ago, but this was even better. It's the story of Corrie Ten Boom. During the World War II, she and her Christian family used their home in Holland to shelter Jews from persecution by the Nazi Germans.

She and her family knew the risk of doing so was very great. But they operated out of love for God and others.

She went through horrific trials, including being thrown into a Nazi prison camp herself. I am very familiar with this, since my own father spent time in one, as a soldier in the US Army. He shared his story with me, which I have recorded in "The Journey of My Father." Fortunately for him and for Corrie, they were eventually set free from prison, but some of Corrie's family died there.

Her sister Betsy died in the prison camp, but Corrie was released shortly afterward. Following her release, she traveled to over 60 nations, bringing the message of Christ's love.

She told people what she had learned in the midst of her hellish trials, saying, “No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still. With Jesus, even in our darkest moments, the best remains and the very best is yet to be.”

Her home in Holland, which she used as a hiding place for Jews, is pictured here. They had false walls built, so that during the surprise inspections from the Nazi gestapo, they could hide the Jews from the soldiers.

In her eighties, after all she had been through, Corrie said, "Some questions remain. But they are not to be feared. Our Heavenly Father holds all things in His hands – even our questions."

Maybe you can relate with Corrie. Perhaps you are in a deep pit right now. Let me encourage you that no pit is so deep that God is not deeper still. Cry out to Jesus, and He will save you. In Him, you will find that the best is yet to come.

Many feel that the persecution of Jews and Christians under the Nazis and communists was just a precursor of what is going to happen in the very last days before Christ returns. If that is so, then we can receive encouragement from what the Ten Boom family went through.

And as Corrie said, we don't need to fear the questions we still have about why God allows such terrible things to happen to people. "Our Heavenly Father holds all things in His hands – even our questions." Our part is to trust Him, to love Him, and obey Him.

Many people ask the question, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" But what we forget is that bad things happen to God every hour of every day. He sees all the wickedness and evil in the world happening all the time. He sees the way people reject His love, curse His name, and hurt one another. Jesus said that whatever you do to one of the least of these brothers of His, you have done it to Him.

So these bad things happen to God, and yet He is patient. He is willing to forgive. He is not willing for any to perish. The key is that they repent of their sins, and ask God for forgiveness. I have never heard anyone ask the question, "Why do bad things happen to a good God?"

In His great love for the world, God acted by sending His Son to die for our sins, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. He was crucified in the most cruel way by the Romans, even though He never sinned or hurt anyone. He only went about doing good, healing the sick, and delivering all who were under the power of the devil. Yet today nobody is asking, "Why did such a bad thing happen to God's good Son?"

For the believer, Jesus Christ is our Hiding Place! As the psalmist wrote, "You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance." (Psa 32:7) The one who endured such suffering for us is now our shelter from all danger. He knows what is is to suffer. And He can be trusted to keep you through it all.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder and Executive Director of Doulos Missions International. He is based in Eastern Europe, where he is helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, and planting churches that multiply. www.dmiworld.org.

When All Means Fail -- Part II

2011-08-23T03:06:00.000-07:00

On April 27, 2011, David Wilkerson was killed in a tragic car accident. He was a beloved man of God, who impacted the world for Jesus in a powerful way.

It's amazing that in the blog he posted on the day he died, he had a word from the Lord for those going through the valley of the shadow of death. He had a word for those who felt like all means had failed. In that message, entitled "When All Means Fail," he said the Lord would say to those people, "You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident."

Of course, it's ironic how that relates to the car crash that took his life the same day. But it also relates to what you and I are going through today, and what we will go through in the future. David has left us with a great word of encouragement, so I would like to repost his April 27th devotional in its entirety. What follows is that post from his blog:

To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

End of David Wilkerson's post.

I hope that by reposting and sharing this word, it will be read by even more people and that you will be encouraged by it. This has been the second part of my own blog called "When All Means Fail -- Part I." You may also be interested in David's book, written in 1998, called "God's Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression." It is available in hard copy or online at the link I provided.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

When All Means Fail - Part I

2011-08-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

As I read the book of the prophet Habakkuk in the Bible recently, the Lord spoke to me through the first chapter. Let me share this with you in hopes that it will encourage you also.

Violence in the Land
Here is what the prophet saw in the land. He saw violence (Hab 1:2), injustice (Hab 1:3), destruction, strife and conflict (Hab 1:3). He saw the wicked hemming in the righteous (Hab 1:4). This was a heavy burden for Habbakuk, so he cried out to the Lord about it.

(Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.)

God uses wicked nations to bring judgment
The Lord answered his prayer, and here is what He showed him. God uses wicked nations to punish His people. He raised up the Babylonians, who were ruthless and impetuous people (Hab 1:6). They were bent on violence (Hab 1:9). They were a law to themselves (Hab 1:7). They swept across the earth and seized homes that belonged to others (Hab 1:6), and promoted their own honor (Hab 1:7). They gathered many prisoners (Hab 1:9). They scoffed at the rulers of the nations they invaded (Hab 1:10). No matter how strong their enemies’ defenses, they just laughed at them (Hab 1:10). They destroyed nations without mercy (Hab 1:17). They were godless and guilty men, whose own strength was their god (Hab 1:11). Therefore, they were feared and dreaded (Hab 1:7). The Lord appointed them to execute judgment and ordained them to punish (Hab 1:12). He stood silent while these treacherous and wicked people swallowed up other people, who were more righteous than they (Hab 1:13). This was utterly amazing and unbelievable to the prophet (Hab 1:5).

I see much the same thing happening today. God still uses wicked nations to punish His people. He raises up a nation of people who are ruthless and impetuous. They are bent on violence and a law to themselves. They sweep across the earth and seize homes that belong to others. They promote their own honor. They gather many prisoners. They scoff at the rulers of the nations they invade. No matter how strong their enemies’ defenses, they just laugh at them. They destroy nations without mercy. They are godless and guilty men, whose own strength is their god. Therefore, they are feared and dreaded. The Lord has appointed them to execute judgment and ordained them to punish. He stands silent while these treacherous and wicked people swallow up other people, who are more righteous than they. This is utterly amazing and unbelievable to the Lord’s people, who must stand by and watch it happen.

Cry out to the Lord for mercy
All we can do is repent of any known sin in our lives, pray for mercy (Hab 3:1) and ask the Lord to intervene. When Habakkuk complained to the Lord about this, here is the answer he received. The Lord gave him a revelation of the end times and told him to write it down, so that others could run with the message and proclaim it. He said that even though it seems to take a long time to come to pass, it would surely come to pass.

Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Hab 2:2-3)

As we wait, we will continue to see these things unfold. We will see the wicked ruler, who is puffed up. It will be obvious that his desires are not right (Hab 2:4). But the righteous will live by faith (Hab 2:4). Even Paul the apostle reiterated this in his letter to the Romans (Rom 1:17). We need to trust the Lord through all this and live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Make up your mind beforehand
If you are a disciple of Christ, you need to determine in your heart not to give up or give in. You need to make up your mind beforehand that you will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in your Savior, Jesus Christ, no matter what happens (Hab 3:18). In the day of calamity, you need to wait patiently for Him (Hab 3:16). Even if there is another Great Depression, wait for Him. Even if the trees do not bear fruit, the crops fail, the fields produce no food, and all the animals are dead, you need to determine to rejoice in the Lord (Hab 3:17). He is your strength (Hab 3:19)!

Surely the Lord will bring deliverance
The Lord Jesus surely comes to deliver and save His people (Hab 3:13). When He does, it will cause the earth to shake and the nations to tremble (Hab 3:6). He will crush the wicked leader of the land and strip him from head to toe (Hab 3:13). The tables will be turned on him (Hab 2:7). Those he plundered will plunder him (Hab 2:8).

Afterward, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). How do the waters cover the sea? The waters of the sea are deep and wide. That’s how the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will be. It will be a deep knowledge and it will be wide. All across the earth, people will know the Lord Jesus Christ in a deep, personal way.

Putting it All Together
Today the world we live in is much like the way it was in the day Habbakuk lived. We see violence in the land, bloodshed in the streets, injustice, strife, and destruction.

The economy has been terrible for years now, and in 2011 the analysts are saying that we could be going into a double dip recession. Others say that it is probably much worse than that. They say it is going to be another Great Depression that exceeds the severity of the 1929 Depression.

Maybe you are already feeling like all means have failed. Maybe you are frightened at the prospects of all this. If you are a disciple of Christ, I want to encourage you today to put your hope in God.

The place to begin is to repent of any known sin in your life. Cry out to the Lord for mercy. Then live by faith in Jesus Christ. Trust Him moment-by-moment and day-by-day. Make up your mind to rejoice in the Lord, regardless of what is happening around you. He is your strength.

Jesus is coming back soon! Wait for Him! He will surely bring deliverance. And the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, it is continued in Part Two on my next post. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. I invite you to access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

Overcoming the World

2011-06-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to look very far to see the injustices happening in the world today. All you have to do is read the news or look out your window. Most thinking people realize that there are plans being carried out by wickedness in high places on our economy, our environment, and many other areas.

I don’t deny these things are happening, and I realize that it can be wearisome trying to cope with these things, when you know about them and cannot do anything to stop them. In fact, some of you reading this blog right now may be in a place where evil plans are being carried out against the disciples of Jesus Christ, and you yourself may even be a target. So I’d like to encourage you with a few insights from the Word of God on overcoming the world.

Recognize it as oppression
The first thing to do is to recognize it as oppression. After all, that’s what it is! This is the easiest thing, in my opinion, because it is so obvious. But what does a disciple of Christ do under oppression? Pray! Just look at the Psalms and you will see how a child of God prays under the weight of oppression.

Asaph, the psalmist, prayed to the Lord: “Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place; They have set up their own standards for signs. It seems as if one had lifted up his axe in a forest of trees. And now all its carved work they smash with hatchet and hammers. They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.” (Psa 74:4-7)

He continued, “Let not the oppressed return dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name.” (Psa 74:21)

“Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die.” (Psa 79:11)

There was often a sense that God had forsaken them, as when Asaph prayed, “Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again?” (Psa 77:7) “O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears, And You have made them to drink tears in large measure. You make us an object of contention to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.” (Psa 80:4-6)

Look at the Israelites and how they cried out to God when they were under Egyptian bondage. And look what the Lord did in response to their cry. He said to Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.” (Exo 3:7). The Lord hears our cry in the midst of oppression. So the first thing to do is recognize it for what it is and cry out to the Lord about it.

Recognize God’s judgment
God sometimes uses oppression to bring judgment. Although oppression is not always God’s judgment, there are plenty of historical cases where it has, in fact, happened. For example, God did this when he allowed the Midianites, the Babylonians, and the Romans to oppress his people, the Israelites. We can see this in the book of Exodus, when they were under Egyptian bondage for four hundred years. We can see it in the book of Judges when the Israelites endured many repeated cycles of judgment in the form of oppression.

The Midianite oppression is an excellent example. The historical record of Scripture tells us, “Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.” (Jdg 6:1). So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD. Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian, that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel…” (Jdg 6:6-8). Later the Lord spoke to Gideon through an angel and called him to deliver Israel from the Midianite oppression.

Just as in this example, the same cycle was repeated all throughout the period of the judges. The cycle went like this: sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. They would walk in sin, as “every man did what was right in his own eyes,” and God’s people “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Then God, in His righteous judgment, would send their enemies to oppress them. Afterward they would cry out to God in repentance, and He would send a deliverer in the form of a judge. They would be set free from oppression, only to return once again later right back to their lifestyle of sin.

So as we see the oppression in the world today, we need to understand that this is sometimes a form of God’s judgment. We should cry out to Him in repentance. We should ask Him to deliver us from evil, as Jesus taught us to pray. (Mat 6:13).

But I want to be very clear that when disciples of Christ are persecuted, this is not usually God's judgment upon them. In fact, quite the contrary! If we are living a righteous life for Jesus Christ, then it is an honor to suffer disgrace for his name and for the sake of the gospel. Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Mat 5:11-12). As the apostle Paul wrote: "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2Ti 3:12). So this should be the normal experience for a believer.

Recognize our unseen opponent
The apostle Paul lived during the age of Roman oppression. Yet he did not focus on the evils being perpetrated by the Romans. None of his letters spoke about what the disciples of Christ needed to do in the natural to overcome the Roman oppression. On the contrary, he taught that our real enemy is not the one we can see. As he wrote to the Ephesians, “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.” (Eph 6:12)

Martin Luther, who faced persecution in the sixteenth century, also saw things the same way. He saw a flood of mortal ills prevailing in the world, and our ancient foe seeking to work us woe. He saw the world filled with devils that threaten to undo us. As he wrote in his lyrics to his famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”:

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

So it’s important to understand that our real enemy is not the people perpetrating the oppression or persecution. Our real enemy is the devil and his hordes of hell. And when Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them and triumphed over them by the cross (Col 2:15). He is a Mighty Fortress, a bulwark never failing.

Set your mind on things above
The Word always teaches us to keep our focus on Him, not the enemy. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col 3:1-4). We should encourage each other to do this, and remind each other, as Paul did, of the future glory that awaits the faithful. This was Paul’s message to the Corinthians when he wrote, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co 4:17-18). He taught them not to look at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen, because those are the things that last forever. No matter how bad the oppression or affliction may seem here on earth, it’s only temporary.

Again, our focus should always be on Christ, as we keep Him central. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:2-3). When your eyes are focused on something or someone, you are not distracted by anything else going on around you. If we’re focused on Jesus, we won’t be majoring in all the oppression going on in the world.

Instead, we should consider how He endured such terrible opposition against Himself from sinners. He endured it without growing weary or losing heart. In fact, throughout His entire earthly ministry, this is the way He walked. He never focused on the evil Romans, who were oppressing the Jews. Even though one of His own disciples was a zealot, focused on changing the political situation and overthrowing the Romans, Jesus did not approach life that way. He taught people to seek the kingdom of God, to enter the kingdom of God, to see the kingdom of God, and to grow in it, rather than focus on the oppressive kingdoms of this world.

And when He spoke to the authorities on earth, He did not try to bring them down or fight them in the natural with words or actions. In fact, when King Herod interrogated Jesus, the Lord didn’t say a word in response to his questions (Luke 23:9). Neither did He respond to the Roman Governor, Pilate, when asked about the many charges brought against Him by the Jews (Mt 24:14). Nor did he answer the chief priests and elders of the Jews while they were accusing him (Mt 27:12). When Jesus did speak to the authorities, He told them about His authority. He affirmed that He is the King of the Jews (Mt 27:11). And when Pilate tried to intimidate Jesus with his authority, Jesus told him that he would have no authority over Him unless it had been given to Pilate from above. So God does give authority to the rulers of the earth and there are times when He allows them to oppress His own children, just as they did to His Son Jesus. What a perfect example Jesus was for us when He was treated with hostility!

Pray for your enemies
Perhaps one of the greatest hallmarks of faith among those who have been persecuted for Christ is that they prayed for their enemies. We find this in many accounts of people persecuted for Christ in Eastern Europe and Russia, during the period of communist domination, in that they prayed for their cruel captors. This is how our Lord taught us to live: "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Mat 5:44-45).

This is how our King instructed us to cope with our oppressors – with love and prayer for them. So instead of complaining about the world leaders who are oppressing us, we should love them and pray for them.

Have endurance and patience
The Lord showed the apostle John what it would be liked in the last days under the oppression of the final world ruler, the anti-Christ. This is found in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation. It is difficult to read about this coming period when the world will be under the cruel domination of this ruthless dictator. Scripture tell us that “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” (Rev 13:7) Not only will he be given worldwide authority to rule, but also he will use that authority to make war with the saints and overcome them! And remember that, just as Jesus said to Pilate, he would not have this authority unless it was given to him from above.

And the part that is so difficult to comprehend is how all those who live upon the earth will worship him, except those whose names have been written in the book of life. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” (Rev 13:8)

During this period, some of the saints will be killed and others will be imprisoned. Scripture says, “If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.” (Rev 13:10). This means that some saints are destined for these things; therefore it will require that they have patience and endurance. Faithfulness will be necessary and they will need to trust in the Lord with all their hearts. Their very faith will be tried, but they should take heart, knowing that God is in control and the end will still come at the appointed time.

Take courage
Finally, Jesus warned us we would have trouble in this world. He said, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (Joh 16:33)

The Lord wants us to have peace in Him, even in the midst of the troubles we encounter. Because we know that He has overcome the world, we can be courageous and rest in Him. There’s no need to fret. This is the only way to experience the peace He intended for us. It’s a peace that’s found “in Him” – through our relationship with Him.

Putting it All Together
Living in this world, if we have our eyes open, we cannot help but see oppression and injustice, including at the very highest levels. Some oppression and injustice occurs in the economic sector, some in the political sector, some in the healthcare sector, some in the military, and still others in the environmental and religious sectors. There’s no sense in denying that it exists.

But to live an overcoming life, we should first recognize it as oppression, just as we find throughout the records of history. Oppression is nothing new to mankind. And just as God’s people did in days of old, we should cry out to God in prayer about it.

We should also learn to recognize God’s judgment when we see it. Sometimes God allows oppression to come as a form of judgment. In that case, we should take responsibility for our own sin and repent, asking God to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we do so, we can be sure He will be merciful and forgive, and then we should dedicate our lives to Him to live only for Him.

Let's remember that persecution against disciples of Christ is an honor and a blessing, because a great reward in heaven awaits those who suffer for His sake and for the sake of the gospel.

As disciples of Christ, we should recognize our unseen opponent in the world, seeking to work us woe and threatening to undo us. Remember that he is doomed, because Jesus Christ has triumphed over him by the cross, and the devil already stands condemned. Focus on Jesus Christ in the midst of it, not on the oppression itself. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. Look at the things that are unseen, not on the things that are seen, since the things you can see are only temporary and the unseen things are eternal. Keep Christ central in your life. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

Love your enemies and pray for those who despitefuly use you and persecute you. This will have the affect of changing the world from the inside out, one heart at a time.

Be strong and courageous, and walk in the peace that comes from knowing Jesus.

Finally, have endurance and patience to stand in the midst of it with the help of our Mighty Fortress, Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. The end will come at the appointed time. He will come soon and bring about justice. Then the righteous will shine like the stars in glory with Him. It will all be worth the wait!

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

What About Conspiracies?

2011-06-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have heard people many times ridicule or criticize those who believe in conspiracies. They label them as conspiracy theorists. Believing in conspiracies is not fashionable. It’s considered foolish, narrow-minded and ignorant. I agree that not everything is a conspiracy and we need to verify our facts before we start claiming that something is a conspiracy. Those who think everything is a conspiracy can border on being a bit paranoid.

And many times, the actual conspiracies are so complex, and the diabolical plans so cloaked in darkness, that they are only seen or understood in part. This is why the theories that seek to explain the conspiracies are themselves sometimes merely partial truths at best.

With that said, the Bible has much to say about conspiracies, so we should try to understand what it says and align ourselves with God’s Word.

Conspiracy Against Jesus Christ
The most famous conspiracy of all time is the one against God’s Son, Jesus Christ. King David foretold it prophetically when he wrote: “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, "Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!" (Psa 2:1-3). When rulers counsel together against someone, that’s a conspiracy. In this case, rulers counseled together against the Lord and His Anointed Son Jesus.

We can be certain that this passage refers to Jesus, because it is confirmed in the New Testament. Peter and John had been arrested for healing lame man who was more than 40 years old. Here’s the passage:

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.'”

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Act 4:23-31).

So the first apostles and the church of their day understood that this psalm of David referred to the conspiracy against Jesus Christ by the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They said the rulers met “to conspire against your holy servant Jesus.” And the same rulers who had conspired against Jesus were conspiring against the apostles. God confirmed their prayer by shaking the placed where they were gathered and filling them with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Himself predicted this conspiracy saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. "They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again."
(Mar 10:33-34).

Later on it happened just like Jesus said it would. There was a conspiracy among the Herodians and Pharisees to destroy Jesus. “The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.” (Mar 3:6). After Jesus cleansed the temple, he said that His Father’s house would be a house a prayer. “The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.” (Mar 11:18). “So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.” (Joh 11:53)

“When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.” (Luk 11:53-54)

In fact, He told a parable about a man who planted a vineyard. The man sent one slave after another to collect some of the fruit, but the vine growers beat each of them shamefully. In the end, they even beat and killed the son of the man who planted the vineyard. Jesus concluded by declaring that He Himself was the Stone the builders rejected. “And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away. Then they *sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement.” (Mar 12:12-13)

Jesus spoke openly to the conspirators about their plot to kill Him. "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.” (Joh 8:40).

Should We Be Naïve and Throw Caution to the Wind?
Once the conspiracy to kill Him had begun, He was cautious to stay away from the places where Jews were seeking to kill Him. “After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.” (Joh 7:1). While He was never afraid, He did use wisdom and kept Himself out of harms way until the time came for Him to be crucified.

He predicted that the apostles and prophets He would send after Him would also be persecuted as well. “For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute.’” (Luk 11:49).

"But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake.” (Luk 21:12). "But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name.” (Luk 21:16-17)

And knowing that this would happen, Jesus taught His disciples how to handle persecution. "So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves.”
(Luk 21:14). So we are not to defend ourselves.

But just as Jesus was cautious to stay away from cities where there were obvious threats against His life, He advised His disciples to do the same. "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next.” (Mat 10:23).

Should We Be Paranoid?
People are considered paranoid who go through life peering through the curtains or looking over their shoulder, always afraid that someone is going to kill them. Usually these people are plagued by an irrational fear of something that does not exist.

There are some people who are always calling everything a conspiracy. Is that how we should act? The Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying, "You are not to say, 'It is a conspiracy!' In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.”(Isa 8:12). Not everything that people say is a conspiracy is really a conspiracy.

But even if there is a legitimate threat to our lives, Jesus taught us not to fear the ones who threaten us. "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mat 10:28). Ultimately those who conspire evil plots can only kill the body. They cannot destroy body and soul. Only God can do this.

Jesus was not paranoid. As I already said, He used wisdom and stayed clear of the Judean region where they were plotting to kill Him. And God protected Him. But when the time came for Him to be crucified, He headed resolutely for Jerusalem, the heart of that dangerous place. “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luk 9:51, KJV)

And on the night He was betrayed, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray as usual. He did not hide in a secret place, but went to the same spot He usually went to. And when His betrayer came to turn Him over to those who plotted to take His life, He didn’t run. Instead He said, “Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" (Mat 26:45-46)

He did not try to escape. His disciples were prepared to defend Him with deadly force, but He refused to allow it. He could have called upon a legion of angels and the Father would have sent them to rescue Him, but He gave up that right. Instead he recognized that the time had come for his betrayal and He willingly accepted it. (Mat 26:52-56).

Like I mentioned, this conspiracy against Jesus is the most famous one of all time. Yet there are many others recorded in Scripture.

The Conspiracy Against the Apostle Paul
Just as Jesus predicted, His apostles were persecuted, too. There were conspiracies to take their lives. This happened to the apostle Paul. “While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.” (Act 21:31)

“And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging [Festus], requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way).” (Act 25:2-3).

People even tried to warn Paul not to go to Jerusalem where these threats awaited him. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (Act 21:11-13).

This was no surprise to Paul. The Lord had already been telling Paul that these things were going to happen. "And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” (Act 20:22-24). He was determined to fearlessly march right into the mouth of the lion.

Conspiracy Against Daniel
Most people who have read the Bible are familiar with the conspiracy against the prophet Daniel. “Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, ‘We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.’ Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him…” (Dan 6:4-6).

Conspiracy Against the Jews
In the Book of Esther, we find the plot to annihilate the Jews. Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot, which he had devised against the Jews.” (Est 8:3). She dealt very wisely in this situation and God averted the disaster to save His people.

Conspiracy Against Rulers
There are many conspiracies against rulers recorded in Scripture. Time does not allow us to mention each one in detail. But some of the better-known ones include the conspiracy against David when his son Absalom usurped the throne (2 Sam 15:12), the conspiracy against King Joash (2 King 12:20), and the conspiracy against King Pekah (2 King 15:30).

Conspiracy Against the Lord God
In fact God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah that there was a conspiracy against the Lord Himself. “Then the LORD said to me, "A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. “ (Jer 11:9). In this case, there was a conspiracy among the people to turn back to the iniquities of their ancestors and the people who refused to hear the Word of the Lord. They decided to break their covenant with God and go after other gods.

Post Biblical Conspiracies
Of course, many, well-known conspiracies have happened since the first century, and these are well documented. Many of these are recorded in Fox’s Book of Martyrs. There were the ten primitive ones against Christians under the Roman Caesars, Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and Severus.

In the fourth century, there was a great conspiracy against Christians in Persia that began under the emperor Sapores. According to John Fox, “George, the Arian bishop of Alexandria, under the authority of the emperor, began a persecution in that city and its environs, and carried it on with the most infernal severity. He was assisted in his diabolical malice by Catophonius, governor of Egypt; Sebastian, general of the Egyptian forces; Faustinus, the treasurer; and Heraclius, a Roman officer.” He goes on to write: “If a man, accused of being a Christian, made his escape, then his whole family were massacred, and his effects confiscated.”

Then there was the conspiracy under Julian the Apostate. Many people suffered from this conspiracy. Persecutions continued from the early part of the eighth, to near the conclusion of the tenth century. This was followed by the Papal conspiracies. Fox states that it was “a period when persecution, under the guise of Christianity, committed more enormities than ever disgraced the annals of paganism. Disregarding the maxims and the spirit of the Gospel, the papal Church, arming herself with the power of the sword, vexed the Church of God and wasted it for several centuries, a period most appropriately termed in history, the ‘dark ages.’”

We learn from Fox that “In the twelfth century, the first persecutions under the papacy began in Italy.” These were followed by the inquisitions of the thirteenth century. According to Fox, “Courts of Inquisition were now erected in several countries; but the Spanish Inquisition became the most powerful, and the most dreaded of any. Even the kings of Spain themselves, though arbitrary in all other respects, were taught to dread the power of the lords of the Inquisition; and the horrid cruelties they exercised compelled multitudes, who differed in opinion from the Roman Catholics, carefully to conceal their sentiments.”

Following the persecution of Martin Luther in the sixteenth century, the pope was so enraged at the reformer’s success that he conspired with the emperor of Germany against all Protestants. According to Fox, “The emperor undertook the extirpation of the Protestants, against whom, indeed, he was particularly enraged himself; and, for this purpose, a formidable army was raised in Germany, Spain, and Italy.” This was a very successful conspiracy. In fact, in the year 1732, over 30,000 Protestants were driven from Salzburg by the campaign. This conspiracy even spread to the Netherlands.

This conspiracy spread even to Great Britain and Ireland prior to the reign of Queen Mary I. Fox recounts: “For, in the said parliament, the king made this most blasphemous and cruel act, to be a law forever: that whatsoever they were that should read the Scriptures in the mother-tongue (which was then called ‘Wickliffe's learning’), they should forfeit land, cattle, body, life, and goods, from their heirs for ever, and so be condemned for heretics to God, enemies to the crown, and most arrant traitors to the land.” There were also terrible persecutions in Scotland during the reign of King Henry VIII. This continued in England during the reign of Queen Mary.

And we are all familiar with the conspiracy against Jews under the Nazi regime of Germany in the twentieth century, as well as the conspiracy again Christians and Jews during the communist era of the twentieth century in Eastern Europe, Russia, and China. In fact, the conspiracy against Christians continues to this day in places like China, India, Algeria, Uzbekistan, and North Korea.

Conspiracy of the Final World Ruler
A simple reading of the only prophetic book of the New Testament, the Apocalypse shows that the final world ruler will organize a conspiracy against the people of God. “There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” (Rev 13:5-7).

He will make war against the saints and overcome them. He will deceive the masses, he will perform signs and wonders, and he will demand worship from everyone. He will also make laws and establish an economic system that makes it possible to kill those who don’t conform to his system. “And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” (Rev 13:16-17)

Putting it All Together
Let’s face it – the Bible is full of examples of conspiracies. It’s quite obvious from the Bible that there have been conspiracies for thousands of years, and that they will continue until the end. We know that not everything people call a conspiracy is really a conspiracy, and we should be careful not to simply believe every theory that’s circulated, especially since some may only be partial truths. But if we have a biblical worldview, we will not deny or reject the possibility of a conspiracy, until we have done the research ourselves to verify the facts.

Even when we have verified there is, in fact, a conspiracy going on, we don’t need to fear those who can only kill the body. We should fear the One who can destroy both the body and the soul in hell. As Martin Luther wrote in his lyrics to his famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”:

Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

While we don’t need to fear what man can do to us, we do need to be wise as serpents yet gentle as doves. Jesus taught His own disciples that they should flee from any city where they were persecuted, rather than remain in harms way. But then they were to continue the Lord’s work in the next place.

Finally, based on the example and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should not focus on conspiracies or possible ones, but rather upon Jesus. We should simply decide ahead of time not to defend ourselves and know that God will be glorified by whatever happens to us.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

Contending as One Man

2011-04-07T02:18:00.000-07:00

Whether or not you realize it, we're at war. No matter how tranquil things may seem in the environment you can see, there's a very real battle going on in the unseen realm.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, our enemy is Satan and his evil hordes. The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "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." (Eph 6:12)

Armor of Light
He went on to describe to the Ephesians the protection that God has provided for us from these evil forces. It's called the armor of God. It's not made of steel or any other material substance. Rather it's spiritual armor. In His letter to the Romans, Paul calls it the "armor of light." (Rom 13:12).

I recall when kevlar body armor was still fairly new in the 1980's. When I was serving in the US Army infantry, we exchanged the old, steel pot helmets and Vietnam-era flack jackets for the new, kevlar helmets and vests. It was state-of-the-art technology designed to protect the body from projectiles like bullets and lead fragments. It was highly regarded in its ability to save lives from otherwise fatal wounds in combat. But what God has provided His people with is far more effective than kevlar. If you know anything about light, you know it travels at 186,000 miles per second, or 700 million miles an hour. So the armor of light is about as "high-speed" as it gets.

Every piece of armor is designed to ensure our safety by God, who is Light, and who cares about us more than anyone else in the Universe. He has provided the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, the shield of faith, and the gospel of peace. Every one of these is summed up in Jesus Christ. He is the Truth, He is our Righteousness, and He is the Living Word. The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ, how He died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead, so that we might live. He is our Peace, and our faith is in Him alone.

Shield of Faith
I'd like to focus for a moment on the shield of faith. The shield that a Roman soldier carried in the days of the apostle Paul was four feet high and two feet wide. It provided excellent individual protection from projectiles like arrows raining down from a city wall or from sword and spear thrusts from the enemy. But when soldiers overlapped their shields together, it formed a much larger wall of protection. In order to do this, they had to come together in close formation, standing shoulder-to-shoulder. This is known as the Roman phalanx. In this manner, the many stood as one man and formed a unit. This allowed them to contend together against their common enemy, as demonstrated in this video.

In fact, they even used an attack formation, called the testudo, in which the the soldiers behind the front line held their shields overhead (pictured above and left). This formed a complete canopy over the unit, protecting them from projectiles coming in from above, as demonstrated in this video. It was like a turtle shell. Or in another sense, it was an early prototype of the modern, armored tank.

This is a great illustration of how the Body of Christ should function. We need to come together and fight as one man, shoulder to shoulder. As Paul said to the Pilippians, "Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel." (Phil 1:27).

You see how he taught us to stand in one Spirit and strive together as one man? That's just like the phalanx and the testudo. When we unite in this fashion, overlapping our shields of faith, we form a light shield above and around us. Although you can't see it, the protection it offers is better than any battle armor known to man.

Putting it All Together
In the evil days we live in, we as disciples of Christ are under attack. Our enemy is dead serious, and he wants to take us out. Let's not forget who the real enemy is. It's not your husband or your wife. It's not your pastor or your neighbor. It's not your parents or your children. It's the devil and his forces of darkness.

To stand in this battle, we need to be clothed in the armor of light that God has provided. Let's daily put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, the shield of faith, and the gospel of peace. Every one of these pieces of armor is summed up in Jesus Christ. Make Him central in your life, and cloth yourself in Him.

But let's not forget that there are no Lone Rangers in the kingdom of God. We need to be united as one in Spirit, standing shoulder to shoulder, as we fight the battle. By overlapping our shields of faith, we will provide full coverage for one another. Then the Lord Jesus will be glorified and will make us victorious, delivering us from every evil attack.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

What Lurks in the Darkness?

2011-01-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

As we read God’s Word, we learn about the devil and the demons, concerning what they know, what kind of character they have, as well as how they think and act. We know that Satan and the demons are simply created beings, fallen angels.

We want to be excellent about what is good and innocent about what is evil. So we don’t want to be experts regarding demons. But to learn more about them, let’s take a look at some of the Scriptures that teach us:

Satan and demons know Who Jesus Is
In Luke’s gospel, he specifically noted that Jesus is the Son of God. (Luk 3:38). There was a clear confirmation of that when John baptized Jesus. At that time, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." (Luk 3:22)

This was no surprise to Satan and the demons. James teaches us that they know who Jesus is. “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” (Jam 2:19)

The demons are absolutely terrified of Jesus. We see this on the occasion when Jesus met the demoniac in the Gerasenes. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" (Mar 5:6-7). The demons were speaking through the man, calling Jesus the Son of the Most High God. And they knew He had the power to torment them, so they begged Him not to do so.

The demons said to Him on another occasion: "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" (Luk 4:34)

Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ. (Luk 4:41)

Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, "You are the Son of God!" (Mar 3:11)

So Satan and the demons absolutely know who Jesus is. And they know who God’s people are also.

But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" (Act 19:13-15). So clearly the demons and Satan not only recognize Jesus and know who He is, they also know about his servants, because Jesus lives in us!

Satan tempted Jesus to prove He is God’s Son
And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." (Mat 4:3)

Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and *said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" (Mat 4:5-6)

The devil wanted the Son of God to worship him. Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of this world and said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." (Mat 4:9). This was all just a continuation of Satan’s rebellion against God and his hatred for God. He will stoop to the lowest level and do the dirtiest, most evil things, even seeking to get God’s Son to worship him. He is filled with pride and dreams of having people worship him. His greatest joy would have been to see the Son of God do so.

Men challenged the Divinity of Christ
Just as the devil challenged Jesus to prove His divinity, men also did the same. The thief on the cross did this when he said, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Mat 27:40)

The demons do no want to give up their territory
In the case of the Gerasene demoniac that I mentioned earlier, the demons did not want to give up their territory. “And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country.” (Mar 5:10)

Satan and the demons come to kill steal and destroy
Satan is a thief and Jesus described His character well when He said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Joh 10:10)

Satan is the adversary of every true child of God. Like a wild predator beast, he’s always out looking for someone to devour. That’s why Peter warned us to watch out for Him. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Pe 5:8).

This is evident from the book of Job where Satan told God he had been roaming about the earth. The LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." (Job 1:7) And look at what his purpose was for roaming. He was not just enjoying the view or trying to add value to society! In the end, we know that Satan wanted to steal from Job. He was allowed by God to steal Job’s health and property. He wanted to get Job to curse God. He used Job’s wife to tempt him to do this. And he wanted to destroy Job. He was allowed by God to kill Job’s children and afflict Job with a horrible disease. But in the end, he was not allowed to take Job’s life. Satan was only allowed to do what God gave him permission to do. And although Job was a righteous man who lived a blameless life before God, the Lord used Satan to purify Job even more. In the end, God restored Job’s health and his wealth. The Lord gave much to Job, then He took it away. But in the end, God gave back to Job and He was abundantly blessed!

Satan loves death
He likes to make people become infatuated with death. Just like the demoniac who lived among the tombs. There was no one in those tombs except dead people. But Satan forced him to live there among them.

Satan likes to hurt people
Satan likes to hurt people, because they are made in God’s image. He takes pleasure in doing this, especially to those who know the Lord. Look at the woman who was bent over for 18 long years, because Satan had afflicted in her spine. This woman was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. Jesus said. "And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" (Luk 13:16). When Jesus laid His hands on her, she was made erect again and began glorifying God. (Luk 13:13)

Another example was the demon-possessed boy that suffered from convulsions. They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. "It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" (Mar 9:20-22). This poor boy could not stop the evil spirit from often throwing him into fire and water in an attempt to destroy him. Can you imagine being this boy’s father, walking through the marketplace with him, and as you are passing by an open fire, the boy has a convulsion and falls into the fire as though someone has pushed him. These people had to constantly rescue the boy from fire and water, so that he would not be destroyed. It must have been heart breaking. But Jesus cast out the demon and the boy was completely set free!

Satan likes to oppress people
The apostle Peter said, "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Act 10:38).

In the gospels we find that throngs of people came to hear Jesus “and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.” (Luk 6:18)

Satan likes to oppress people and cause them trouble. But Jesus alone has the power to heal all who are oppressed by the devil.

Satan and the demons are evil, some more so than others
Jesus described what happened when a person’s body is cleansed of a demon. If the person is not filled with the Holy Spirit afterward, the demon will seek to come back, but will be sure and bring reinforcements to help ensure he will not be kicked out again. "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." (Mat 12:45)

This shows us that demons are evil, but there are some unclean spirits who are much more evil than others. When they enter a person’s life, the state of that man is worse as a result of their presence.

Satan is a liar and murderer
One of his primary tactics is deception. Jesus said to the religious people who were attacking Him, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Joh 8:44). It’s pretty clear that Satan is a murderer and a liar.

Satan blinds people’s minds
The apostle Paul taught us that Satan is the god of this world. As such, he is in the business of brainwashing. He has blinded the minds of those who are perishing. Paul wrote: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2Co 4:4). The last thing Satan wants is for those who are perishing to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. So he is an expert at blinding their minds.

Satan leads people astray
Satan has been at work for thousands of years and he knows how to deceive people. Even believers need to be careful that they are not deceived also. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church saying, “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2Co 11:3).

Satan keeps people in fear
One of Satan’s tactics is to intimidate people. He loves fear and uses all means at his disposal to try and make people afraid. Perhaps at the root of every fear is the fear of death. This is sort of the mother of all fears. And when a person fears death, they will do all kinds of strange things, which lead them into bondage. The writer of Hebrews wrote that Jesus came to “free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (Heb 2:15) How wonderful that Jesus frees us from the fear of death and all the slavery that goes with it.

Satan must ask for permission from God
It’s important to understand and remember that Satan can only do what God allows him to do. He is like a dog on a leash. He can only go as far as the Lord will permit him to go. But he always needs to get permission first.

Take for example, the devil’s plan to sift the apostle Peter like wheat. This was a major attack on Peter, which resulted in him denying the Lord and feeling condemned afterward. But listen to what Jesus said. He told Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32). You see, Satan had to ask permission to do that to Peter, and God chose to allow it. But Jesus prayed that Peters faith would not fail as a result of it.

The same happened in Job’s life. Satan had to approach God and ask permission to do what he did to Job and his family. And before he could do anything, God had to allow it. So he is not free to do whatever he wants. He is a created being with limitations placed upon him by God.

The devil and demons submit to Christ's disciples
Once we are saved, we have the authority and power over darkness and demons, because Jesus lives in us! When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, He told them, "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give." (Mat 10:7-8)

After Jesus sent out the seventy disciples in pairs, they returned later with joy over their newly found power. In Luke's gospel we read: The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luk 10:17-20)

Jesus has given us authority to trample on serpents and scorpions. He has given us authority over all the power of the enemy! In fact, while the disciples were out carrying out their mission, Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash.

Just in case you're thinking this power and authority was only given to the twelve and the seventy, God's Word assures us it was given to all who believe in Jesus. "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;" (Mar 16:17). It's not in our own name or might that we do these things but in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Putting it All Together
Satan uses three main tactics in his dirty work – deception, temptation, and intimidation.

Satan and demons know Who Jesus is and they are terrified of Him. Satan hates Jesus and tempted Him to prove He is God’s Son, which was the height of disrespect. He does not want anyone to find Jesus, so he blinds people’s minds to keep them from seeing the Light of Christ. He’s a liar!

Satan is a murderer and has been from the beginning. He comes to kill, steal, and destroy. He and the demons love death and seek to get people infatuated with darkness and death. They like to hurt, oppress, and trouble people. When they enter a person’s life, the state of that man is worse as a result of their presence.

We also know that once the demons gain access to a territory, whether a geographical region or a person’s life, they do no want to give it up. They are evil and some of them are more so than others.

They lead people astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. That’s why we believers need to be on our guard, so that we ourselves are not led astray.

Whether or not you know Jesus, you may be hurt, oppressed, or troubled by the devil. Perhaps he has used his tactics to lead you astray and destroy you. But you don’t have to stay like that. It’s so wonderful that Jesus has come to save us from all this. He alone has the power to set us free from the oppression and bondage of the devil. And once we are saved, we have the authority and power over darkness and demons, because Jesus lives in us!

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

Piercing the Darkness

2010-11-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

There are so many things vying for people’s affection in today’s world. For example, there are television programs like American idol, videos, movies, clothing fashions, social networking sites like Facebook, chat rooms, discussion forums, video games, ipods, iphones, You Tube, cars, careers, houses, political power, sports, casinos and other forms of gambling, wealth, fame, popular music that does not glorify God, body building, health fanaticism, night clubs, travel, site seeing, and computers. If these do not win your affection, then there are other things to tempt you like pornography, sensuality, orgies, drugs, and alcohol. These all belong to this present world system. They may have a certain glitter, but not all that glitters is gold. It’s not as it seems to the naked eye, so if we want to understand the true nature of this world, we need to go to the Word of God. Let’s take a look and see what it says.

The Whole World Lies in the Power of the Evil One
The apostle John wrote: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1Jo 5:19). So we know the whole world lies under the power of the devil.

Satan is the Ruler of this World
Jesus said, "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (Joh 14:30)

The apostle Paul taught that satan is the god of this world: “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2Co 4:4)

The Devil Deceives the Whole World
In the Revelation, John wrote: “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (Rev 12:9). So we know the devil deceives the world.

Jesus Sends His Disciples into the World
Jesus prayed to the Father in heaven for His disciples: "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (Joh 17:18)

Those Who Follow Jesus are Not of the world
Jesus prayed to the Father for His disciples: "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (Joh 17:14-17).

The Disciples of Christ Struggle Against the World Forces
The apostle Paul taught that we are not struggling against mere flesh and blood. Our struggle is against the realm of darkness that rules this world. “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.” (Eph 6:12). Frank Peretti illustrates this very well in his novel called This Present Darkness and its sequel called Piercing the Darkness.

Disciples of Christ Must Not Love the World
The apostle John taught us not to love the world or the things of the world. He wrote: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1Jo 2:15). If we love these things, then the Father’s love is not in us.

The World is Full of Lust and Pride
John taught that the world is full of lust in pride, which do not come from the Father. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1Jo 2:16)

The World is Passing Away
John taught that the world is passing away. He wrote: “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1Jo 2:17).

The World Does Not Know God’s Children
John wrote: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” (1Jo 3:1). We learn from him that the world does not know God’s children.

The World Hates God's Children
John also taught that the world hates us, and it shouldn’t surprise is. “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.” (1Jo 3:13)

The Spirit of Antichrist is in the World
John taught that the spirit of antichrist is already in the world. “And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (1Jo 4:3).

John also wrote: “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (2Jo 1:7). One of the characteristics of this antichrist spirit is that it does not confess Jesus Christ.

Conversely, “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” (1Jo 4:2). We know that a spirit is from God if it confesses that Jesus Christ came in bodily form, in the flesh.

The Spirit of God in the Disciples of Christ is Greater
The fact is that even though the spirit of antichrist is in the world, it should not frighten God’s people. If you are from God, then Jesus Christ lives in you by the Holy Spirit. And He is greater than anyone in this world. John wrote: “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1Jo 4:4)

Disciples of Christ Overcome the World
As disciples of Christ, we overcome the world through our faith in Jesus. John wrote: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1Jo 5:4-5). If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, you overcome the world.

Gaining the Whole World and Losing Your Soul
Jesus said: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mat 16:26). It’s not much good if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul. It result in a total net loss, not a gain.

The Kingdom of the World will Become the Kingdom of our God
In the end, we know that the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our God. And He shall reign forever and ever. “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.’” (Rev 11:15)

The Gospel Shall Be Preached in the Whole World
Jesus said: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Mat 24:14). “And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mar 16:15)

So if you are a disciple of Christ, you ought to be proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to others in any way you can and helping others who are doing so also.

Disciples of Christ are the Light of the World
Jesus said to His disciples: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 5:14-16)

God's Children Separate from the World
The apostle Paul spoke to the church in Corinth, which was a worldly church. Here is what he wrote to them:

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’ Therefore, ‘come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2Co 6:14- 7:1)

So the same message Paul wrote to the Corinthian church 2,000 years ago is still valid today. God's people should be piercing the darkness, not having fellowship with it! God desires to dwell in His people and walk among us. But He requires that you come out from their midst and be separate. He requires that you touch nothing unclean. If you will do this, He will be a Father to you. This is His promise. So we should cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates the body and spirit. In a healthy and proper fear of God, we should seek perfect holiness in our lives.

Technology, Entertainment, & Worldly Pursuits
At the opening of this blog, I mentioned numerous things of the world like technology, entertainment, and worldly pursuits. I'll just say a word about that. That which may be permissible for you may not necessarily be beneficial to you. If you use the things of this world, be careful that you don't become engrossed by them. Those who buy something should live as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away. (1Co 7:30-31)

Don't become a slave to the things of this world through addiction. Whatever you are overcome by, you actually become enslaved by it. (2Pe 2:19)

As for immorality or any impurity or greed, we should not even have to say anything. These things must not even be named among God's people. No immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them. Be careful how you live your life, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

The words of the apostle Paul to the Ephesian church are still appropriate today:

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father." (Eph 5:1-20)

Putting it All Together
This world is full of pride and lust. There are many things to entice and seduce people. These are all part of the devil’s work. He’s a sinner and the ruler of the world right now. It all lies under his power. So the world is a very dark place under his leadership. He has deceived the whole world for thousands of years and used his deception to oppress people.

But disciples of Christ must not be fooled by his deception. Don’t love the world or anything in the world. It’s all passing away and does not come from the Father. If you love those things, the love of the Father is not in you. Even if you gain all those things, even the whole world, what would you profit from it if you lose your soul? It would profit you nothing, because you can’t take any of it with you when you die.

Don't become a slave to the things of this world through any kind of addiction. Those who use the world should do so as though they did not make full use of it, because the form of this world is passing away.

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them. Be careful how you live your life. Through Christ within you, you need to overcome the world. He’s greater than the one who is in the world. You overcome through your faith in Jesus.

And just as the world did not recognize Christ but hated Him, they don’t recognize His disciples either, but hate us, too. That shouldn’t surprise us. It shouldn’t stop us from doing what we’re here for either. We should not seek to please men but God.

Jesus has sent His disciples into the world to be a light for God’s glory. If you are a disciple of Christ, you are Light in the Lord; live as children of Light.

He has commanded us to proclaim the good news in all the world until He returns. One day soon, He will return and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God.

Let me encourage you to separate yourself from every unclean thing today, while there is still time.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Jesus?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

___________________________________________________

Even if it doesn’t happen like we expect

2010-11-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

Down through the ages, the devil has always sought to destroy God’s people. From the time that Cain murdered Abel this has been happening. History shows that God has continually delivered his people from evil. Yet at other times, we see bad things happen to the people of God and we do not understand. We need to go to God’s Word to gain wisdom and understanding about all this.

Delivered from the mouths of lions
When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, he was protected and no harm came to him.

Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions' den. When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?" Then Daniel spoke to the king, "O king, live forever! "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime." (Dan 6:19-22)

Delivered from mass murder
When Jesus was a baby, King Herod the Great had all the babies in Bethlehem killed in his attempt to rid the earth of the newborn Jewish King. Yet Joseph was warned of this and he fled to safety in Egypt.

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON." Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE." (Mat 2:13-18)

Guided back to Israel when it was safe
After Herod died, and it was safe again for Jesus, Joseph was guided by the Lord to return to Israel.

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead." So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. (Mat 2:19-21)

Delivered from danger
Yet even after Joseph brought Mary and Jesus back to Israel, he was supernaturally warned about Herod’s successor, his son Archelaus.

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene." (Mat 2:22-23)

We know from history books that the ten-year reign of Archelaus was a brutal one. Yet, once again, Jesus was protected from danger.

Delivered from assassination
One of the greatest examples of deliverance is when Jesus was protected from an angry crowd that tried to throw Him off a cliff. “And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way.” (Luk 4:28-30)

Beware of men
Jesus warned his disciples to beware of men, who would seek to put them to death. This same warning applies to every believer today.

"But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. "For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.” (Mat 10:17-23)

Even though we know that everyone who seeks to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, Jesus instructed us to flee from persecution. He said that when you are persecuted in one city, you should flee to the next. And this is what He Himself did when He was persecuted. He stayed away from areas where people were seeking His life, until the time came for Him to be glorified.

Do not fear men
Even though Jesus taught us to flee from persecution, He also taught us not to be afraid of men.

"Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. (Mat 10:26-31)

Some people will seek to save their lives but Jesus taught us not to do that.

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. (Mat 10:34-39)

He said that if we lose our life for His sake, we will find it. Yet most of us don’t think of that as deliverance. We don’t think of that as a successful ending. That’s why we need to have a radical change in our perspective, so that we can begin to see things the way God sees them.

Delivered from prison and death
In the book of Acts, we see numerous instances where God delivered His people from prison and death. In Acts 4:23, the apostles were delivered from prison. They were threatened by the rulers not to preach in Jesus name, but the apostles refused to stop. They knew they must obey the Lord.

Another time they were thrown into prison and an angel opened the prison gates and delivered them.

But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back, saying, "We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside." (Act 5:17-23)

At another time in Phillipi, Paul and Silas were put into prison for casting a demon out of a fortuneteller. Yet the Lord opened the doors and they were ultimately set free.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. (Act 16:25-26)

And when Paul was on a ship, being taken as a prisoner to the emperor in Rome, his ship was wrecked. Yet God delivered him and everyone on the ship from death. And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land. (Act 27:44)

When a crowd was seeking to kill the apostle Paul, the Lord sent Roman soldiers to rescue him.

While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. (Act 21:31-33)

Delivered from the fiery furnace
We know that during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, three Hebrew men refused to bow down to the idol the king had made. They were threatened with death, if they did not bow. The king swore to throw them into the fiery furnace.

Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. For this reason, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!" Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them. (Dan 3:21-27)

The three Hebrew men were delivered from the fiery furnace. And God promises His people He will do it for us, too.

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. (Isa 43:1-2)

His angels will guard you in all your ways
There are many pslams that speak of how the mighty hand of God protects His people from all harm. One of my favorites is Psalm 91. It says in part:

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. (Psa 91:2-11)

The destruction will not approach you. No evil will befall you. God promises angelic protection from all harm. You need to lay hold of these promises in your spirit, because they are certain. God does not lie.

Even if it doesn’t happen like we expect
God will always deliver His people who call upon the name of the Lord. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13). But it doesn’t always happen like we think it should. Just listen to the wisdom of the three Hebrew men before they were thrown into the fiery furnace.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Dan 3:16-18)

Do you see what they said? When they were faced with execution, they said the God we serve is able to deliver us and He will deliver us. But even if He does not, we won’t bow down to your idol. They feared God more than the King. They refused to give up. They refused to give in. They refused to give themselves over to evil. And God did deliver them as we have read. But they were prepared to die, rather than bow to the idol. They were prepared for the possibility that God might choose not to deliver them from the fiery furnace. This has to be our attitude as well.

We need to understand that God is not in our little box. He doesn’t always operate like we think He should.

It pleased the Lord to crush Him
A perfect example of this is in the life of Jesus. So many times people cannot understand why bad things happen to decent people. Yet look at what happened to Jesus. Isaiah prophesied of the sufferings Jesus would one day endure. And at one point, the prophet says, “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief.”(Isa 53:10). See, that’s the part we have a tough time understanding.

How could a loving God be pleased to crush His Son? In order to answer that, we need to understand God’s end goal. In the end, by crushing His Son, Jesus became a guilt offering for the many, including you and me. And in the end, God raised Jesus from the dead, seating Him at His own right hand. Jesus is on the throne of the universe and will rule and reign forever. So He has been very prosperous through all of this. But it happened after His earthly life ended. That’s the part we struggle to grasp. It’s hard to see how you can call it deliverance when the person’s earthly life comes to an end.

Beheaded for Christ
Aside from Jesus Christ, John the Baptist was the greatest man that ever lived until the day he died. "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Mat 11:11)

Yet he was thrown in prison and eventually beheaded by Herod upon his daughter’s request.

Having been prompted by her mother, she *said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. (Mat 14:8-10)

Killed with the sword
The same was true of the apostle John’s brother James. Herod later had him put to death with the sword. (Act 12:2).

Immediately after this, Herod had Peter arrested and planned to put him to the sword also. But God sent an angel to release him from prison.

So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he *said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." (Act 12:5-11)

So it boggles the mind how God so powerfully delivers some of His people from harm and then allows others to be left in prison and even suffer death.

Looking for a better country
Yet we’re not looking to make a permanent home here on this earth anyway. The country we are looking for is in heaven. We’re just pilgrims and strangers passing through this place. And even those who were delivered during their earthly lifetimes, life on earth eventually did end.

This was true for Peter. Even though he was delivered from prison and death, his earthly life eventually came to an end. Tradition tells us that he was crucified on a cross. And he felt he was not worthy to die the same way Jesus did, so they crucified him upside down.

The same was true of Paul. In spite of the many times God delivered him from danger, he ended up a prisoner until the end of his life. And tradition tells us that he was eventually executed as well.

Many godly people have been martyred for Christ. And as the writer of Hebrews said about them,

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. (Heb 11:37-38).

These people all had faith in God to deliver them, but while they were on earth, they did not receive what was promised. Foxes Book of Martyrs is full of stories of such people down through the ages from the days of the Roman Colosseum to the nineteenth century foreign missionaries tortured and killed in third world countries. This world was not worthy of them, and it was not their home. They were looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Heb 11:10)

The righteous are taken away to be spared from evil
The prophet Isaiah had a revelation from the Lord that helps put it all into perspective for us. He wrote:

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.

So the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. That’s deliverance! Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. You can’t get any better than that, if you have fulfilled God’s purpose for your life on earth.

Raised from the Dead
You see, even when a believer does die, that’s not the end. There is one day going to be a resurrection of the dead. The righteous will rise to eternal life and the unrighteous to eternal shame and contempt (Daniel 12:2).

And if Jesus wants to, He can even raise you from the dead before that. He has done so many times, such as with Lazarus. He had been dead for three days and his body had begun to stink. When his sister Martha spoke to Jesus she told him how she wished he had been there to heal Lazarus before he died. She was sure that Jesus could have delivered her brother from sickness, but she didn’t yet know of Jesus power to raise the dead.

Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus *said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha *said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (Joh 11:21-26)

If you believe in Jesus, you will live even if you die. And everyone who lives and believes in Jesus will never die. The one who has given his life to Jesus has already died. For the person who believes in Jesus, death no longer has any sting. It’s impossible to kill a disciple of Jesus Christ. You may kill the body and terminate the disciple’s human vital signs, but he is still alive.

Jesus *said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus *said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." (Joh 11:39-44)

Lazarus was delivered from the grave when Jesus raised him from the dead. And there are many other instances in Scripture where Jesus raised the dead. This is the biggest foe that man can face and Jesus has proven time and again that He has the power to deliver us from it. He has power over death, hell, and the grave. Yet even Lazarus eventually died again and is with Jesus now in heaven awaiting the resurrection of the dead.

Destiny
Some people do not believe in destiny. But we all have a purpose in life and all our days are written in God’s book before one of them comes to pass. The psalmist wrote:

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (Psa 139:16)

We need to rest in this knowledge that our lives are in God’s hands. During the last days when the antichrist rules the earth, he will be allowed to make war with the saints on earth and overcome them (Rev 13:7). And here is the admonition to those who have ears to hear:

Whoever has ears, let them hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people. (Rev 13:9-10)

So those saints who are destined for captivity will go into captivity. And those who are destined to be killed with the sword will be killed with the sword. That’s what God in His infinite wisdom and love has planned for them.

Putting it All Together
God is able to deliver us from any and every situation we encounter. There is nothing He can’t do. Yet ultimately it is up to Him how He wants to bring deliverance. For some people, they are delivered during their earthly lifetime. God does this in many wondrous ways, including through dreams, visions, miraculous protection, and the ministry of angels. But even these people eventually leave this world at some point once their purpose has been fulfilled.

For others, they are delivered by the Lord after their earthly life ends. And this is in no way inferior to any earthly deliverance. The Lord takes them away to spare them from evil. They receive a better country, a better body, and a better reward in the presence of the Lord, which lasts throughout eternity. If you believe in Jesus, you will live even if you die. And everyone who lives and believes in Jesus will never die.

We need to trust the Lord to do what He in His infinite wisdom deems best. So no matter what we may face in this life, we know that the Lord will deliver us one way or another, if we call upon His name. “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access a collection of my most popular blogs at "Writing for the Master."

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. Your first step is to repent and pray like this from a sincere heart:

HEAVENLY FATHER,
I have sinned against you.
I want forgiveness for all my sins.
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again.
Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
If you repented and prayed this sincerely from your heart, then you are a child of God. You have a relationship with the Lord. Now cultivate that relationship and produce the fruit of repentance. Like any other personal relationship, this one requires you to spend time with Him for it to grow more intimate. So spend time daily, seeking the Lord, calling upon Jesus name, repenting of any sin in your life, talking to Him and listening to His voice. Read His Word, the Bible, in order to see what God wants for your life and all the wonderful promises He has given you. As soon as possible, you need to tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus. Join with other loving believers who believe the Bible and preach the good news of salvation in Jesus alone, be water baptized, and find a place of service in that loving community. Be sure and share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and live faithfully for the Lord all your life.

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