How Easily Satan Fascinates and Captivates Us

     I know there will be some who will dismiss the topic of my blog today as unworthy of their time or attention.  But this subject has come up in conversations with fellow Christians and across my news feeds a number of times, so I guess the Holy Spirit wants me to talk about it.  At the very least, I want to give a personal warning in case this deceptive distraction has entered your physical or spiritual territory.

     I am talking about Pokemon, the role-playing card game that has recently gained new popularity among kids and adults.  I know that there will be those who say it is an innocent game; we have nothing to fear from it, and the new version of Pokemon GO is nothing more than a creative mobile app designed as "a location-based and augmented reality game; that it promotes physical activity and helps local businesses grow."  Are you kidding me?  First of all, if you are willing to accept that description without looking into it any further, then I'm more than a little worried about your ability to discern the schemes of the Enemy in this technological world.

Harmless little creatures that inhabit a virtual world? Or something far more ominous in nature?

     I will also say that the intricacies of the game are too far-reaching and complicated to present them in their entirety on this post.  Suffice it to say, that I want you to get an idea of just how satan can work within this game and its alternate universe in order to get us to mimic his strategies and schemes, and to walk outside the path God would have us follow.

     First of all, Pokemon is a shortened version of the Japanese name "Pocket Monster", and Pokemon are supposed to be "monsters" that have special powers and share the world with humans.  Did that get your attention?  If not, here is a very simple explanation [by promoters] of how the game works:  "Pokemon are creatures inspired by plants, animals and various other things. Each one has different attributes, skills and quirks; they also can evolve into newer, stronger Pokemon with some training. In Pokemon GO, the ultimate goal is to capture them — all 151 of them — to add to your personal collection.  Doing so makes you a Pokemon master."  Here's how I interpret that explanation ... Pokemon are inspired by spirits, demons or gods (all false), and among their various "quirks" or "abilities" listed are scorching, stomping, poison, mimicry, stealth, use of claws and biting, reading minds, teleportation, inducing headaches, high intelligence, consumes people's dreams, hypnosis, confusion... oh, yeah, they also evolve into more powerful entities, too.  
     In short, the idea of the game is to have players learn how to collect as many Pokemon as possible, train them, and use them against other people's Pokemon by invoking the various abilities of each Pokemon creature.  Does that sound eerily familiar to the assignments that the devil gives to his demons?  And now that the game has developed a mobile app, it is playing into this world's obsession with technology.  After establishing a game account, the player creates an avatar by selecting a hair, skin, and eye color; style; and outfit.  Isn't that just a little bit creepy?   You are in essence, creating an alter of yourself, and it is outside the realm in which you were created by God.  Actually, you have now become the Creator of yourself, so to speak; your own god.  (Sounds like the temptation in the Garden of Eden, doesn't it?) So now you have millions who are preoccupied with their alternative self (avatars), and who are forever trying to gain more power.  Yes, it is a subtle implication, but does not the Bible say, Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made  (Genesis 3:1).

     And here is another aspect that should concern you:  When a player encounters a Pokemon, they may view it on their phone either in augmented reality (AR) mode or with a live rendered, generic background.  AR mode uses the camera and gyroscope on the player's mobile device to display an image of a Pokemon as though it were in the real world.  Think this might be acclimating people to interact with spirits in this physical world?

     BUT, unlike other installments in the Pokemon series, players in Pokemon GO do not battle wild Pokemon (any Pokemon that are not currently owned by a Pokemon Trainer) to capture them. During an encounter with a wild Pokemon, the player may throw a Poke Ball at it by flicking it from the bottom of the screen up toward the Pokemon. If the Pokemon is successfully caught, it will come under the ownership of the player.  That certainly suggests bondage and domination to me.  I could go and on about the rules and the innuendos of the game, but I hope you're starting to get the picture.

     If not, let me give you one more piece of information before sharing some of the consequences of playing the game.  Pokemon GO was developed by Niantic Inc. and is funded by Nintendo. However, the original Pokemon franchise was developed by Wizards of the Coast, who gave the world the occult games, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and MAGIC THE GATHERING. Pokemon comes from a long line of anti-Christian, occult, and evolutionary development. I know there will still be those (and that includes the Christians who are advertising their Churches as Pokemon locations) who will say that "it is only a game".  But it is a role-playing game and involves fantasy and elements of magic and potions.  That is definitely something the Bible warns us against!
     Besides that, look at the thousands of hours people are spending on their phones playing Pokemon GO; (the app has been downloaded over 15,000,000 times in its first week in the U.S.).  The word "idolatry" comes to mind.  And here we are in the Last Days running around trying to capture mythical and virtual demons, when we should be focusing on our mission to save souls.  Who do you think we're pleasing -- God or satan?
     Finally, there are the stories of men walking off cliffs while playing the game; crashing cars into trees; armed robbers luring victims to isolated locations; and perverts and pedophiles preying upon inattentive targets.  But perhaps the most disturbing story I have heard is of a Russian woman in Moscow who claims that a giant Pokemon raped her after she fell asleep while playing the game.  Police and her husband dismissed her complaint, suggesting she see a psychiatrist.  But the woman insisted that the Pokemon GO app on her phone could still detect the same virtual character's presence on her bed, and that there are too many Pokemon at her place and even the dog can sense them. She says the dog barks whenever she plays Pokemon GO.  (Any of you who have dogs will likely be able to attest to their extra sensory perception).
     So, now you've read the entire spectrum of how Pokemon GO influences one's life --- from a harmless mobile app that helps you get some exercise; to testing your ability to capture and train virtual "creatures" (spirits?) with occult powers; to these monsters allegedly raping a player.  Think it's all too ridiculous to be true, or that I'm stretching the truth?  Yes, it seems like I'm describing something "out of this world".  Guess what?  IT IS!  Throughout mankind's history, satan has found a way to infiltrate our world by tempting our impressionable minds and flesh with his ideas and his supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, and phenomena.
     Pokemon GO just a harmless mobile app?  Do you not think that satan can draw us away from God by working through technology and with humans who develop occult-influenced games?  If those game designers are not as focused on the Lord and His truth (as we all should be), satan, through his demon hosts, can somehow raise thoughts and questions in our minds that lead to creating things that honor him instead of the True God of the Universe.  Then from that designer's human mind to ours, the Enemy uses external temptations (a mobile app) by which he seeks to control or influence our minds through what we see, read, hear... and play.  This is simply how he works through this world system over which he rules.  So you can dismiss my assessment of this game if you like, but I am willing to say that it is just one more spiritual weapon that the god of this world is using to deceive us and lead us away from God.  Consider this:  Doesn't the game of Pokemon Go sound a whole like the Bible verse that says, Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour?

Acts 13:10            "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you never stop perverting [making crooked] the straight paths of the Lord?" 

Head Knowledge versus the Power of God

     My spirit senses it; and my flesh is beginning to see it.  There is an awakening within the modern Body of Believers towards an understanding that Deliverance through the Power of Jesus is possible. That does not mean that it is universally accepted, or perceived, or practiced in the same manner -- if at all -- by those who are convinced of this truth.  In fact, one must be careful to discern if the work of Deliverance and the power behind it is really from Jesus; if it is according to the will of God and if it is validated and confirmed by Scripture.  It is a relatively new concept for today's Christian and we differ on so many levels of our theology, that it's no wonder we cannot come to a consensus on whether Deliverance is possible or needed.
     Think about it ... the modern Church covers a broad spectrum when it comes to how we conduct our faith.  Pentecostals are on one end of that spectrum; they represent the "event" character of the Church, desiring to display the power of God, and the experience of the Spirit within us.  They actually gather with the express purpose of expressing the Church in action.   Then you have the mainstream, structured, Conservative denominations who are more interested in head knowledge and doctrine.  They are conscious of themselves as representing a Body dedicated to proclaiming the Word, and worshipping God, with community and fellowship in unity as their guideposts.  But if we are to follow Jesus's example, then we need to embrace both knowledge and power to set the captives free.  So, it seems to me that this "either/or" dynamic has greatly diminished the modern Church's ability to do the works of Jesus, and to do them even greater, as He said we would (John 14:12).

     That got me to thinking ... the First Century Church was the closest to experiencing the works of Jesus.  They either saw Him in action themselves, or heard testimony of those who did. The power of God was evident in the miracles, signs, and wonders that Jesus performed.  They saw Him heal a blind man, and a deaf and dumb man.  He turned water into wine and He raised Lazarus from the dead, among other deeds.  Plus, He spent a great deal of His time disseminating knowledge, both from the ancient scrolls of the prophets and in parables He taught.
     Then add this immediate encounter with Jesus to the rich history of the nation of Israel.  The Jews present during the years Jesus was on earth knew very well the acts of power shown their forefathers -- the parting of the Red Sea; the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai; the ten plagues of Egypt; God's presence in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night; His power to stop the moon and sun in Joshua, Chapter 10; the widow's son that was raised from the dead in 1 Kings 17, and many more.  The power of God was part of their heritage, both in historical knowledge and actual experience.
    But take our 21st Century Church.   We are told that the purpose of miracles in the Bible were to authenticate the performer of the miracles; to show that they had authority from God -- therefore,  miracles are no longer necessary, as the message of Jesus and His apostles has already been attested to and accurately recorded in the Scriptures.  I have to disagree, in the sense that I believe the purpose of the miracles was to attest to the power of God and as evidence of His presence.  Jesus made it very clear that He was doing the Father's will in the performance of each miracle, and that it was important that we pray for His will to be done.
     So, if the Church no longer believes in miracles, what good is knowing God’s will, if we don’t exercise the power to perform it?  As Nancy Missler at Koinonia House explains so well, it is His power that enables us to do what His Word demands.  So it is necessary to have both the knowledge of God's will and the power to carry it out! We must apply both to be effective servants in His Kingdom here on earth.
     It's time that the 21st Century Church comes out of its comfortable doctrine-infused state and begins practicing what it is to be a Christian!  We feel safe and secure in our salvation, and we don't bother to recall the times the power of God has delivered us from evil.  We have no heart and spirit appreciation for all His acts of rescue or His miracles in our lives; our intimate history with Him may be remembered today, but it's gone tomorrow.  Therefore our knowledge of Him is not experience-based as it was in the Early Church or ancient Israel.  It's head knowledge -- what we've managed to memorize in our catechism/sunday school classes or whatever our doctrine/vision/purpose statement is for our particular denomination.

God's Power is as real today as it was 2000 years ago!

     It's one thing to KNOW that God is the Source of all Power.  It's another thing to EXPERIENCE that Power working through you!  It's time we come to the full revelation of God's plan for us ... Christ is our example of God's power working in a man.  He lived His entire life depending upon this power.  The Holy Spirit empowered Him to do all His miraculous acts and, of course, the Resurrection was the supreme display of that power.  The purpose of Christ’s incarnation was to nullify the power of the devil -- and by utilizing God's power -- to free those held in bondage.
     The Lord first passed along this Resurrection Power to His disciples in order that they might accomplish the work He called them to do.  Then, on the Day of Pentecost, He passed this same life-giving power on to all who would believe in Him.  He intended for God's power to be present in His disciples until He returns; to be present to nullify the power of the devil... and He intended for us to use it!  The state of our culture and the world today is ample evidence that we have decided that being born again is enough to be a disciple of Christ -- that the knowledge of Christ is all we need.  But a true Disciple of our Lord is one who participates with the Holy Spirit, recognizes the power of God within them, and uses it to overcome the schemes of the Enemy.  The power of God is meant to be active -- to be used, shared, and partaken of.  Let's move beyond our head knowledge of God and start building our own history of the power of God in our lives!

Ephesians 1:18-19   "And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people), and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength..."



   

How Are You Programmed?

     I hope you agree with me that we live in a very blessed time.  As bleak and unpromising as the future of this world and its cultures appear, I am extremely excited to see God increasingly unveiling His knowledge in more and more rapid surges of revelation.  I mean, we have access to podcasts and books and in-depth studies of Scripture by men and women who are making it their life's work to cast aside man-made religious doctrines in order to fully understand what God says and wants from His people.

     For instance, the truly discerning believers of Christ know that the Bible is a supernatural book; that it is, at its foundation, a book about the Hebrew people and their relationship with YHWH.  We have the benefit of learning from scholars who are studying the Hebrew language to give us a much broader and fuller understanding of Scripture than the Greek-to-English translations have afforded us.  We have the opportunity to learn and question the research of scholars and teachers who are not willing to accept man's traditions as superior to the Word, and are seeking to come closer to God and to possess the facts of His Truth.  That is called KNOWLEDGE.  And the interpretation of that Truth is what we know as UNDERSTANDING.  The application of that Truth is called WISDOM.
     Now, before you go and give me any kind of praise for this explanation, I must give credit where credit is due.  I am going to present a new understanding that I have been gleaning and formulating about our spirituality from one of those young men who is truly a blessing to this generation.  Dan Duval is among a group of young and bold and faithful disciples of Christ (including Justen Faull, Russ Dizdar, Michael Heiser) who have not only immersed themselves in studying the Greek and Hebrew Bibles for greater insight into God, but have gone where the Church is either too afraid or too unenlightened to venture -- spiritual warfare, deliverance and healing, satanic ritual abuse, and the application of Jesus's Power and Authority through us, His commissioned followers.  But they have also taken advantage of the internet, social media, and technology -- tools that satan has successfully used to lure our younger generation and society into spiritual bondage -- and they all have ministries whose goals are to bring more souls into the Kingdom of God.  They have successful podcasts, blogs, books, videos, and even online church services that are reaching multitudes for Christ.  And their work is all done to glorify God from a Scriptural foundation and according to the dictates of His Word!
     All that being said, Dan Duval has written a couple of books that incorporate an idea that is opening up a new understanding of Scripture for me everyday.  It concerns the matters of our heart, and I literally have a more expansive vision of the Word, and am seeing the application of this new understanding as I read old, familiar verses.  I know I can't express all of it in one blog post, so I hope you will continue to follow me as I try to explain how Scripture has opened up to me.
     To begin with, I approached this subject of the heart in a post on the Parable of the Sower, and that is really where I began to see how central our hearts are to the application of our faith, and how important it was to Jesus that we understand that.  I also wrote about how the conditions of our hearts affect everything we think, say, and do in this post.  But Dan Duval has pointed me to further examples in Scripture and I am beginning to see how I have glossed over these verses, without seeing how fundamental they are to my Christian walk.  So, I am going to try to lay out the process I am undergoing and share with you these new facts of God's Truth.
     First, we need to gain an understanding of just how the heart plays into God's creation of Man.  I am not a scholarly person, so please excuse me if this seems elementary, but it is the steps I have taken to enter into the higher and deeper dimensions of God...  We all know that the completion of His creation is evidenced in our spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).  We're pretty clear on what constitutes our spirit and our body, but we need to understand that our soul consists of our mind, will, and emotions.  So where does the heart fit into all this?
     If we understand that the heart is kind of a gateway, or entry point, from our soul to our spirit, then we can see that it plays a very important part in how we act out our faith.  Think of it as a processing plant between our soul and spirit -- the spirit feeds spiritual information into the heart, and the soul feeds carnal information into our hearts (from our minds, our emotions, and our life experiences, or will).  The heart then processes all that information, and sends information out that shapes the activity of both the soul and spirit based on the belief system that is operating in us.  In this way, whatever the heart is convinced of, shapes the person's reality.  This is what is meant when Scripture tells us, "as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).  (Join me on Sunday as I show how this played out in the life of Ananais and his wife Sapphira in the Book of Acts).
     As we contemplate the heart, it is vital that we understand that the collection of all the information coming from our soul and our spirit into our heart, is what makes up, or forms, our worldview.  So, if you have no relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, you will not have much spiritual knowledge flowing into your heart; only the carnal knowledge coming from your thoughts and how the world affects you through your experiences ... so you will likely have a secular, humanist worldview.  On the other hand, if you are saved, and have a personal relationship with Jesus, then that knowledge will mix with your fleshly thoughts, your feelings and what the world throws at you, to bring you into some form of spiritual or Biblical worldview.  If you are of the latter persuasion, then how you respond to this life on earth will be determined by how your heart processes that mixture of information.  In other words, what are the "thoughts of your heart"?  And can they be changed  or programmed to respond in one direction or another?
     Dan Duval exposits that there are three main ways to program the heart.  The programming is dependent on which kingdom has created the program (or, as I understand it, who wields the most influence in your heart).  Who sits on the throne of the kingdom of your heart -- God, man, or the Prince of Darkness?  Although we have three kinds of kingdoms in operation here, there are really only two agendas -- the Christ agenda for the redemption of mankind and the antichrist agenda that denies Jesus is Lord.  There is no middle ground, and no other alternative.  The kingdoms that we set up for ourselves (both in the heart and in the world) either further the Christ agenda by submitting to it, or stand in its way by resisting it.
     So how are our hearts programmed by each of these kingdom sources?  Again, Mr. Duval presents an interesting paradigm.... In the Kingdom of God, our hearts are programmed through revelation.  God's revelations of Himself yield a love-based paradigm, in which we think and act like God thinks and acts.  In the Kingdom of Men, our hearts are programmed through repetition, which becomes tradition.  This is the difference between religion and relationship.  We will think and act like our forefathers thought and acted.  We see that in the centuries old doctrines of our churches.  And in the Kingdom of Darkness, our hearts are programmed through trauma, which opens doors for bondage and satan's lies, which generates fear.  We begin to think and act according to the lies he whispers and the way he acts.
     I don't want to overwhelm you with a difficult concept, but I hope you can see that there is a war for our hearts.  The spirit and the soul are in a perpetual battle for the thoughts of our hearts.  For us Christians, while the spirit is attempting to program the heart according to the truths of God and His kingdom, the soul is attempting to program the heart according to the experiences of our lives.  That is why the Bible tells us that we must continually renew our minds with the Word of God.  Our minds are such a strong component of our soul that we will serve what we yield ourselves to, and what we yield to will become the primary influence upon our hearts.  So what we think greatly affects our hearts and how we ultimately act.  That's why the Bible tells us to take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.
     I think the best example I can show you of how we, as humans, must program our hearts is found in the first chapter of the Book of Daniel.  I have read and studied this inspiring book with my Home Church group, but am reading it again as I make my way through the Bible ... one more time.  In Daniel 1:8, the King James version reads, But Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank...  The Amplified version reads, But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile (taint, dishonor) himself with the [a]king’s finest food or with the wine which the king drank...
     Can you see this concept of programming our hearts played out in Daniel's faithful act?  Can you see the struggle within his heart -- how he had to process the information coming from his spirit with the information coming from his mind, emotions, and will?  Daniel knew that the king's food would have been sacrificed to pagan gods; and he knows that because his name has been changed from Daniel ("God is my Judge") to Belteshazzar ("The pagan god Bel will protect my life"), if he participates in eating the king's food, he will be giving the impression that he agreed to follow the pagan practices.  This is where Daniel "purposed his heart" according to the belief system of the Kingdom that lived within his heart.  Daniel's heart was programmed by the Kingdom of God, so he acted and thought like God, and out of his love for God, he chose not to compromise.  He made up his mind; "for as he thinks, so in his heart, is he".  Do you see just how powerful our minds can be in overwhelming our hearts?
     I challenge you to look up all the verses in the Bible about the heart.  I believe that, like me, you will find new inspiration and revelation as to how important the state of our heart is to our faith and our salvation journey.  And I think you will discover just how important renewing our mind is to programming our hearts.  Also, I believe that you will find new meaning in verses like this:  "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me"  (Psalm 51:10); and this one:  "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart"  (Hebrews 4:12).
     Finally, I will be showing you with my Scripture choice on Sunday, how the Enemy targets the heart to influence us and take us captive, filling it with his deception and wickedness.   But when our heart is circumcised with the love and commands of the Lord, everything that flows out of it is for the glory of God's Kingdom.  Stay tuned!

Proverbs 4:23    "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life."
   
   

   
 

The Rulers Of This Present Darkness

     Once again, the weekend finds me needing to break the pattern of blog posts.  The deaths of innocent people on the French Riviera, along with the martial law and military coup declared in Turkey compel me to make a short statement about how I view these world events.
     First of all, the fact that the Muslim murderer in Nice followed nearly step-by-step instructions posted on an Isis terrorist website, is evidence that this was a terrorist attack.  Secondly, I am writing this on Friday afternoon, and the news regarding the coup in Turkey is fluid; by the time this commentary posts on Saturday morning, more details will be known.  At first glance, it seems that the military is attempting to remove the President of Turkey, Recep Erdogan, and reestablish what they are calling "the rule of law and human rights".  Sounds good ... but then late last night the coup was declared "unsuccessful", and this morning's news states that civilians reclaimed Turkey from their own military after President Erdogan urged them to "keep on owning the streets".  We will have to wait to see how this all shakes out.
     Now, those opinions are based on my physical worldview. My Biblical worldview is another thing.  It has become increasingly clearer to me as I make the effort to study the multi-dimensional implications of Biblical history, that the actions of nations and their leaders are really spiritually dictated and determined.

     Take the familiar account in Daniel 10, when a heavenly messenger (likely the angel Gabriel)  explains to the prophet Daniel why he is so late in answering his prayer summons.  Gabriel tells Daniel he was on the way, "But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia."  It is well understood by Biblical scholars that the prince of Persia is a reference to an evil spiritual entity that wielded authority over the ancient kingdom of Persia. And Michael is the archangel in charge of protecting Israel.
     Throughout the Bible we see nations and their leaders affecting what happens to the nation of Israel and God's chosen people.  But the Word also tells us that many times, it is God who is in control and using those leaders and nations as instruments of not only His blessings and discipline, but His severe Judgment.  In Habakkuk, Chapter 1, God relates His intention to raise up Babylon, a “ruthless” and “dreaded” nation, to achieve His purpose.  Keep in mind that God did not create the ruthlessness of Babylon, but He uses it and controls it to bring about His ultimate Glory.  Follow me one more step, and you see in Ezekiel, Chapter 28, an amazing description of satan as the Prince of Tyrus.  Then in Romans 13, we have Paul telling us that " the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."
     Can you begin to see that these world events are not simply the random acts of bad people?  Can you discern that Satan is using his rulers and powers and spirits of wickedness to cause this present darkness we are seeing come upon the world?  We cannot hope to dispel such evil by human means.  We must pray and partner with God to battle the spiritual forces that are behind these nations and leaders.  The Prince of Persia in the Book of Daniel was not a flesh and blood man who was fighting with the angel Michael.  I believe he was one of the angels who fell with Lucifer, and had been given the nation of Persia to rule from the spiritual realm on behalf of satan.
     Without question, I believe that every nation on earth has been given such a ruler by satan, a prince to try and control the destiny of that nation, and move into the "win" column for the devil.  It is up to us to pray and ask God to send His heavenly armies, with angelic leaders like Michael, to thwart the enemy's plans.  As of this morning, the prince of France and the prince of Turkey are gloating over the chaos they are causing.  Let's be like Daniel ... the Bible said that he "mourned" what he was seeing happening in his world, and he began to pray.  It seemed like ages before he got an answer, and it was the angel Gabriel who told him,  "From the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words."
     Don't waste another minute trying to figure all this out yourself ... we need to appeal to God with fervent prayer and ask for Him to respond.  And then have the faith of Daniel, knowing that He will!

Colossians 2:15    "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross."

When Will We Take Back Our Dominion?

     This topic of dominion is not only a contested subject matter, but a confusing one for most Christians.  By definition, Dominion means sovereignty or control.  And in today's post I want to discuss the dominion of the earth, and who owns it?  Who controls the earth -- God, man, or the devil?
     The Bible addresses this question from the very beginning.  In Genesis 1:26, we read Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (ESV).  Other translations of the Bible substitute the words complete authority or rule for the word dominion.  But you get the idea -- God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, during the creation process, transferred their authority or dominionship of what They created over to man.

     We have further affirmation of this understanding from Psalm 115:16, which says The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, But the earth He has given to the children of men.  Seems pretty cut and dried to me!  Adam and Eve had dominion of the world until Satan convinced them to hand it over to him through his clever deception.  But here's the thing ... Psalm 115:16 says that God HAS given the earth to the children of men; it does not say God HAD given the earth to the children of men.  I believe Dominionship of the earth is a right we can take back, and we can cancel that agreement made way back in the Garden of Eden.  Follow my thoughts for just a moment ...
    Remember how satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness and took Him up on the high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in one moment of time?  And what did the devil say to Him?  All this authority (dominion; sovereignty; control) I will give You, and their glory, for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  It wasn't God who delivered the authority or dominion of the earth to the devil, it was Man!
     And since that time, there has been a long battle for authority over the earth.  But here is what Christians need to understand:  that battle, which began in the Garden was finished at the empty tomb.  Jesus, as God in the flesh, came to take that authority back and fulfilled His purpose with His death on the Cross!  And with the victory of His resurrection, our Lord assigned His authority back over to us!  Doesn't Scripture record Jesus saying,  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."  And doesn't Scripture further say, For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority?  In other words, Jesus, having received all authority and power, in turn, delegates that authority to His Believers.  It is part of our "fullness" in Him!  And that authority is not to be used at our own will or for our own pleasure.  We are to submit ourselves to the authority of Jesus and be used by Him as He wills.  So having the authority of Jesus within us in the form of the Holy Spirit, we are to model ourselves after Jesus and do as He did -- obey the will of the Father in all things, knowing that we are exercising His authority and power.
     But can you discern that even to this day, the Enemy actually gets the children of men to continue to give up their authority -- even though Jesus took that authority back and fulfilled His purpose (and the will of the Father) with His death on the Cross, and then passed that authority on to us, His Believers.  Why is it so hard for us to understand that as co-heirs with Christ, the devil has no authority over us?  Why do we continue to let him whisper lies to us and render us powerless?
     Yes, man surrendered his dominion through Adam, but Jesus took it back by restoring our relationship with God through faith in Him.  In that process, our dominion on earth was also restored. We don't have to bow down to satan and suffer his slings and arrows.  After Christ's victory on the Cross, we regained our authority on earth (through Him) and we were designed to rule and reign right now -- not wait until the Millennial Kingdom or the new Heaven and Earth.  Reigning with Christ now requires acknowledging Jesus's authority in our life and His transference of that authority and power to those who follow and obey Him.  Sadly, most Christians have been deceived by the devil into thinking he still has authority over them.  It is those who don't know Jesus as their Savior who don't have the power or knowledge to dispute his lying tongue.  Those who know our Lord should know their position in God's Kingdom and be able to effectively battle the enemy and call his bluff.  We need to start exercising the authority and dominion that are rightfully ours.  Yeshua paid a heavy price to regain them and return them to us.  Let us honor and glorify Him by fulfilling our identity in Christ.

Revelation 5:10     And You have made us to be a kingdom [of royal subjects] and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.

The Lure Of The Supernatural: Where The Church Has Failed Our Youth

     I'm going to make a little detour in today's post and write about something that my spirit is just screaming about.  I remarked in an earlier post that we, in the modern Body of Christ, who are called "The Church", have a difficult time admitting the existence of the unseen world.  What goes on in the spiritual realm is largely unknown to us, and frankly, is considered both borderline heresy and scary -- if we allow ourselves to consider it at all.
     But here's what that blindness has accomplished... it has given satan the opportunity to lure our kids (both Christian and secular) into that invisible realm without any sound Scriptural discernment to avoid the perils.  Through the fantastically rapid advancement of technology and the entertainment industry, our kids have been inundated with videos, movies, and computer games that invite them to interact with the spirit world.  They are enticed with the offers of secret powers, unabashed freedom, and out-of-this world (literally) adventure -- all without the rules and control that they are told are part of Christianity.
     Kids raised in the Church are kept innocent (and ignorant) of the truth about the supernatural and spiritual realm and how it is interwoven throughout the Bible.  The world shows them creative images of magic, spiritual powers, and the ability to interact with cosmic creatures, but the Church says nary a word of Paul and Isaiah being taken out of their bodies and visiting the spiritual realms as a spirit being.  They are also not taught that Jesus was tempted by satan, just as they are, and was shown "other worlds" where He was promised power, fame, and riches.  But with each temptation, Jesus knew how to fight back ... with the Word of God.  And seeing that he could not defeat Jesus, the devil left him.  We, and our kids, have that same ability to defeat the enemy by speaking the Word and calling on the Name of Jesus.  But, sadly, this generation of youth are unaware that they are opening themselves to satanic attacks by seeking these diversions, and they haven't a clue how to fight back.
     In effect, modern Christianity is largely seen as impotent and "boring" by our youth, while the spiritual realm is portrayed as daring, heroic and superhuman.  With this diminishment of the Authority and Power of Jesus and God, our kids begin to question and compare their perception of one-dimensional Bible characters with the larger-than-life, multi-dimensional, heroic figures they see every day on their computer and movie screens.  And they are opening themselves up to the dangers of the dark side and "spiritual forces of wickedness" that Paul tells us are very real.
     Case in point:  A dear friend's discerning son came home from the movie theater this past weekend and said, "Mom, you have to see the trailer for the new movie, Dr. Strange".  After watching it, she called my husband and me, and we were astonished at what this movie is showing our kids --- but not at all surprised.
     Here is a synopsis of the movie plot:  The movie is a spin-off of the Marvel Comics character, Dr. Strange.  It is the 14th movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, (MCU) and distributed by Walt Disney Studios (that should be your first clue that it is not an "innocent" family movie).  I also found it disconcerting that MCU was referred to as an American movie franchise and shared fictional universe that is centered on a series of superhero films.  So, keep in mind that not only is Dr. Strange going to be presented as a superhero (meaning, "good guy"), but the movie promotes the idea of a "fictional universe" with events, and often elements, that differ from the real world.  It can also be indistinguishable from the world in which we live, thereby suggesting that there is nothing to fear in this invisible universe, and it is interchangeable with our world, and accessible.
     But back to the plot:  Doctor Strange was an egotistical but very brilliant surgeon. After a car accident destroys his hands and hinders his ability to perform surgery, he searches the globe for a way to repair them and encounters the Ancient One. After becoming one of the old Sorcerer Supreme's students, he becomes a practitioner of both the mystical arts as well as martial arts. Along with knowing many powerful spells, he has a costume with two mystical objects - the Cloak of Levitation (gives its wearer the ability to levitate and fly) and Eye of Agamotto that gives him added powers (inspired by the All Seeing Eye of the false god Buddha). Strange is aided along the way by his friend and servant to the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong, and a large assortment of mystical objects. He takes up residence in a mansion called the Sanctum Sanctorum, located in New York City. Later, Strange takes the title of Sorcerer Supreme.
     I could write volumes about the personification of Dr. Strange by the creator of his comic book character, Steve Ditko, but I think you get the picture.  What was alarming to me was the rather casual way Ditko referred to the character as being involved in black magic, as having become the host to a dangerous demon in New Avengers, and as the leader of the Black Priests.  Ditko's Dr. Strange is also described as the right-hand man of Doctor Doom, who has become the ruler and god of this world.  And did you get it that Ditko even has the audacity to call the New York townhouse where Strange lives, Sanctum Santorum, which is the name for the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Temple.  Another part of the Dr. Strange legend involves a plot line where, as the Ancient One's disciple, Strange encounters the entity Nightmare, and other mystical foes before meeting Dormammu, a warlord from an alternate dimension called the "Dark Dimension". Are you getting the picture?  And do you see the mockery being made of the Bible?  This guy is bad news, yet he is portrayed as a super hero, and our kids are eating it up because they do not have the spiritual eyes to see the deception.

     This movie is only the tip of the iceberg in regards to the deception being spoon-fed to our kids.   Dr. Strange openly, and enthusiastically, encourages the "hidden world of magic," and includes alternate dimensions like the Astral Plane.  What is that, you might be asking?  The Astral Plane is the "realm of minds" that only telepaths and magic users are able to visit.  Since the Dr. Strange character was created in 1963, Strange has used astral projection to travel outside his body and engage enemies in this strange dimension.  And I can assure you that kids in your community are seeking to do the same thing!
     Do not think they are "unchurched" or "lost" kids, either.  Our kids who grew up in Sunday School  are just as fascinated with astral projection and black magic; and they are engaging in it.  But what horrifies me is that they haven't a clue what force is behind these exciting new adventures.  They don't know what is waiting for them out in "the parallel universe".  These entities are powerful and they are real -- and they are very, very dark.
     If all this scares you, it should.  We have a generation of youth that is actively seeking to engage with the dark side, but they do not see that it endangers their immortal souls.  It is not make-believe, nor mere fantasy.  It is waiting to seduce them and attract them with promises of excitement; the potential for expanding their minds and consciousness; and the suggestion of obtaining greater knowledge than that of the Christian God.  Is it too late to save them from this false message of enlightenment?  I pray not, but right now, the Enemy's box office hype is drawing them like sheep to the slaughter.  If only they were as excited to flock to supernatural Scripture like the following ....

2 Corinthians 12:3-4     "And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which man is not permitted to speak [words too sacred to tell]."