Our Chaos-Filled Culture

I hope you're in the mood to really challenge your mind and faith today. Because the subject of Chaos in our culture points to an ancient understanding that alleges to pre-date the Bible! In fact, it is directly implicated in the first two verses of Genesis. And that's the best place to start sharing my train of thought. Genesis 1:1-2 are usually read without any real attention because we Western thinkers aren't interested in the etymology of words. But here's how they read in the English Standard Version of the Bible ... In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Now consider the Living Bible's version of those same two verses ... When God began  creating the heavens and the earth, the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors. Furthermore, the Amplified version translates "without form and void", and "shapeless, chaotic mass" as formless and void or a waste and emptiness. Why am I spending so much time writing about the particular words chosen to describe the primordial earth? Because I want you to understand that with chaos there is no order; no accepted existence of authority; no rule or system of law [or regulation]. And who does that directly connect to? Chaos is a demonic tool of our Enemy to sow separation from God and His purpose for all men.

It is important to make these distinctions so that it becomes abundantly clear when I make the statement "In the six days of Creation, God made order out of Chaos." When we can understand that the earth had no discernible form, and was void [which is defined as a vacuum, emptiness, a chasm, a pit, and an abyss), then we get the idea that it truly was a "chaotic mass" and open to all the darkness of Satan, which includes distortion, mayhem, upheaval, deception, and confusion.

But the concept of Chaos is not exclusive to the Bible. In fact, my research shows that in the history of the religions of the world, the idea of the spirit of Khaos (spelled with a "K" in ancient history) was very much accepted. I was actually shocked to find that some believed Khaos was the child of deities that existed before God in both age and power! Obviously, these would be pagan deities and religions, but that doesn't mean their idea of what constituted Chaos wasn't incorporated into those ancient cultures -- and has survived thousands of years to still exist in our culture today.

See if you can detect some of these ancient pagan deities in our modern world as I share Khaos's "family tree" and geneology ... Khaos was believed to have given birth to many primordial deities who would later rule specific concepts of Creation. The most well known being Tartarus (Abyss), Eros (Love), Erebus (Darkness), Nyx (Night) and Gaia (Mother Earth). Gaia then brought forth Ouranos, the starry heavens and her male equal, to be her companion. With him she gave birth to the Titans and some of the other primordial deities.

But as we have seen in our own Biblical accounts, created beings can become corrupted and seek after their own glory. So, whether or not we can believe in the existence of an ancient deity called Khaos, we can certainly see that the essence or spirit of chaos is alive and well in our current cultural climate. The alarming rise of crime in our nation is a result of Chaos. The situation on our southern border is a picture of total Chaos. Our economy is in free fall, which is causing Chaos in the food, energy, and real estate sectors. And there is an ancient writing that quotes the primordial Khaos as declaring, "I am the darkness behind the stars, I existed billions of years before even the first spark of Creation was lit. God could not destroy me and neither can you". That is a very frightening and direct threat!

Sadly, the cultural reality of Chaos as complete disorder, confusion and turmoil is now making itself known among our children. And I believe it is because they possess the one thing that puts the fear of God into Chaos ... their innocence. And that innocence has made them a target for the demonic spirit of Chaos. An innocent child exhibits the very image of God ... His goodness, His innate truth, the offer of hope and trust to a heart that has not yet been corrupted. An innocent child represents the stark contrast between Harmony and Chaos, and when a culture has submitted itself to the insidious tactics of Evil and moral decay, then those that possess the spirit of Chaos must destroy that innocence. And so, we see the proliferation of ideologies like gender confusion and drag queen story hours into our culture as a means to destroy the innocence and identity of our most vulnerable. 

The spirit of Chaos seeks to cancel and nullify all moral principles. It seeks to promote the freedom to commit licentious acts on the grounds of self-discovery. It seeks to destroy a child's natural desire for purity and God. It is the state of our culture that tries to wean that out of our innocent children. It has been a long road since the beginning of the world that Chaos has traveled to get to this point in time in our culture ... shame on us for letting it get this far and jeopardizing the souls of God's innocent children! Pray that we can break this stronghold and restore moral decency and integrity for the sake of our innocent children and the generations to come.

#spiritofchaos #morality #protectthechildren #Godschildren #protecttheinnocent

Matthew 18:6    But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Identity Theft In the Spiritual Realms

Many are familiar with the Scripture of John 10:10 ... The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness (The Living Bible). We identify the thief as Satan, God and man's Enemy; and Jesus as the one who gives purpose to our lives. Now let's take a serious look at this from the perspective of our God-given identity.

We can all agree that in this modern age of technology, Identity Theft has serious and damaging ramifications. It happens when someone steals your personal information to commit fraud or deception. In the temporal world, it usually results in economic loss for the victim. But can you see the truth of applying the concept of Identity Theft to John 10:10? The devil comes to steal our God-given identity; to kill the life designed for us; and to destroy our purpose for being born. And he does it by defrauding [or cheating] us out of our inheritance through his deception and lies about who we are. The result is that so many Christians have no idea who they really are! When the devil is able to steal your true identity and give you a false one, you are not living the life you were meant to, and certainly not in the fullness you were designed to be living it!

So, let's pull back a little and look at the bigger picture from God's perspective. Just like the prophet Jeremiah, God knew us before He formed us in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5). Each one of us has a unique design, created by God, Himself, for a purpose all our own, to be executed in a remarkable and unmatched life. As the Bible tells us in Palm 139, we are marvelously made; sculpted from nothing into something; with all the stages of our life spread out before Him, and the days of our lives prepared before we'd even lived one day. God had a plan for each of us when He created us!

The devil knows we are made to glorify God! And he is jealous, wanting that glory for himself! So, he has a plan of his own; to lie and deceive us by stealing that identity so that we cannot carry out our purpose, glorify God, and receive the fullness of our inheritance. And here is the biggest deception of all ... the value of our identity is ultimately based on whose we are -- not on the particular design or the success of how we execute our life. We are valued by God because of the price Jesus was willing to pay for our redemption. And once we recognize that, we are free to step into our destiny and purpose as God designed it.  

How full and fruitful would our lives be if we understood this dynamic? What if we understood that we each have an authentic and true identity woven into our DNA, and could recognize that the devil is real in this realm and looking to pull a dirty veil over our eyes so that we see a warped, corrupted view of ourselves? It's also important to know that the Enemy deceives us not only in this physical world by tempting us to sin, [or others to sin against us], but he is able to send spiritual rulers, authorities, and forces of wickedness from the spiritual realms to bring fraudulent charges against us by attacking our souls and spirits. 

If we never know the gifts and roles God has ordained for us, then it's going to be hard to fit the puzzle pieces of our lives together to form a comprehensive picture of who we are. If we don't have the true, pure, accurate and legitimate knowledge and understanding of who we were made to be, then we can imagine how easily we are going to get off-track and go down the wrong paths in life, and never receive that abundant and full life Jesus came to give us! Can you see just how valuable our Identity is to us, and why it is such a prize worth plundering for Satan? If we never live in our true Identity, we will never become a threat to his kingdom of darkness. And while, as Christians, we are still ensured our place in Heaven, we will not be able to disciple and lead others to their genuine Identities. 

We need to realize that Satan not only steals our Identities, he replaces them with counterfeit, false ones! He keeps us in bondage to his lies about who we are, and we are unable to fulfill our destinies in expanding the dominion of God's Kingdom on earth. And the impact of Identity Theft is felt for generations! It not only affects families, but entire societies, cultures, and nations. It infiltrates the earthly realms and the heavenly dimensions. It is felt in the spiritual atmosphere and we see a general degradation of both the material and spiritual lives of all humans. 

The world tells us how to protect ourselves from the consequences of Identity Theft: protect accounts with strong passwords; avoid public wi-fi; don't share your information with unfamiliar sources. And, as co-heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of God, we need to understand that it is our responsibility to secure and protect our God-given Identities, as well. We are all created and designed for unique and specific purposes. It is important that we understand that Satan is looking for ways to invite sin into our lives that will disrupt that path God has written on our heavenly scroll. 

Unfortunately, the Church has abandoned its responsibility to make this knowledge a part of every Christian's journey with the Lord. From the time we receive Christ as our Savior, we need to be equipped and trained in how to protect the new creation we have become. There should be intentional efforts to teach us how to put on our spiritual armor; to learn how to discern the difference in the voices of God and Satan; to be tutored in the various ways to defeat the devil's demons; and being taught how to build deep relationships with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in order to receive supernatural strategies to triumph over all the Enemy's attempts to steal, kill, and destroy all that we are meant to be. Our identity as God's unique creation is the most precious thing we possess. When we walk this earth in that Truth, we will execute the good works for the Kingdom that are our destiny. We are then truly able to glorify God and point to the excellencies of His Holy Character and Nature. Isn't that how we would all wish to spend our time on this planet?

#spiritualidentitytheft #satancomestosteal #identityinchrist  #christianidentity

Ephesians 2:10    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 

Halloween: the Veil Grows Thin (Redux)

The title of this post is the same as one I wrote in 2015, and is a continuation of the forewarning I have given since 2014 about celebrating Halloween. I find it perplexing that so many Christians find no harm in celebrating this occultic holiday. [And trying to soften its connection to the occult by holding "Trunk or Treat" events on the same night doesn't eliminate the association with its pagan origins]. 

It also amazes me the extent to which our culture is willing to ignore the warnings about Halloween which have been extended by such noted men as Pastor David L. Brown, PhD (President of Logos Consortium, and developer of Logos Research Pages) and the late esteemed Bible Teacher Chuck Missler, and backed up by Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan and the religion of Satanism. To a man, they all agree that the celebration of Halloween finds its roots in the ancient Celtic pagan celebration of Samhain [pronounced "sow-in"]. Chuck Missler wrote, "The Celtic people engaged in what we’d now call the occultic arts. They worshipped nature, ascribing to it supernatural qualities ... The Celts were the trunk from which Halloween grew. The priestly class of the Celts [the Druids] believed that on the last day of the old year, Samhain, the lord of darkness and death gathered the souls of the evil dead that had been condemned and forced them to enter the bodies of animals. It was believed that he would then decide which animal form they would take for the next year. The souls of the good dead were reincarnated as humans. The Druids also believed that the punishments suffered by the evil dead would be lightened by sacrifices, prayers, and gifts to the lord of death".  

Missler continues, "The Celtic worshipers attempted to placate Samhain because of his power over the souls of the dead. On Halloween, it was believed that the separation between the realms of the living and the dead grew thin, and those who had died during the preceding twelve months were permitted by Samhain to cross over. Whether good or evil, they were permitted to visit their former places of habitation for a few hours, to associate once again with their families. It was on these occasions that ancient fire festivals were celebrated on local hilltops. The Celts would build giant bonfires to frighten away the evil spirits. Because the souls of the dead were supposed to visit their homes that day, the annual festival acquired a sinister significance. The Celts believed that ghosts, witches, goblins, fairies, and demons of all kinds roamed about. Evil or frustrated ghosts were supposed to play tricks on humans to cause supernatural manifestations. The Celts were determined to handle the supernatural powers, and as part of the celebration, the people would don grotesque masks and danced around the bonfires to scare away those wandering evil spirits. In some cases, food was placed out for the dead to make them feel welcome. We begin to understand how those traditions reached across the ages to the celebration of the holiday today". 

Sadly, too many will dismiss the connection of our nation's most commercially successful holiday with the ancient pagan festivals as exaggeration and overly religious rhetoric. But all too clearly, Halloween has become an acceptable opportunity for witches and satanists to introduce demonic beliefs and rituals. Pastor David Brown shares his reasons for alarm concerning Halloween: "I can tell you that many children get their first exposure to occult activities at Halloween. I have received communications from all over the United States testifying to that fact. In one school district a “real” Witch was brought in and told the children of the wonderful world of witchcraft including teaching them how to cast a spell. Another group of teens went on a school sponsored Halloween field trip and visited a channeler, which is nothing but a spirit medium who practices necromancy. [Leviticus 19:31 is still valid for today's Christians]".

Pastor Brown shared another example: "Last year I got a call from an alarmed parent. They had discovered their daughter’s diary and what they read blew them out of the water. She and several of her teenage friends were planning on being baptized into witchcraft on Halloween. Obviously this was not her first contact with witchcraft, but she and her friends had been reading occult material from the school library and decided Halloween would be a good time to form their own coven".

Ex-Satanist [and now Evangelist and Author] John Ramirez shares how he was trained to be a satanic cult (Santeria and Spiritualist) high ranking priest in New York City—casting powerful witchcraft spells and controlling entire regions. He relates that during Halloween night, Satanists and occultists summon spirit guides to help them hone their magic powers. Others meet in covens and chant curses on people and areas within their territory. When Ramirez was still a warlock, he celebrated Halloween with people and literal demons alike.
He also prayed to the devil and offered animal sacrifices [to appease the demon gods] in return for favors. But perhaps the most chilling quote Ramirez offers comes from Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan: "I am glad Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year".

You see, that's exactly how Satan and the demonic view our celebration and observance of Halloween. They love that we give so much attention to "normalizing" their occult practices. Although there is an obvious attempt to mainstream these practices as legitimate "religions", we must never lose sight of the fact that modern day witches and satanists still worship demon gods and goddesses, cast spells, practice bizarre and immoral sexual rituals, and certain individuals and groups offer animal and human sacrifices. Both our prison and military systems are seeing increasing numbers of people worshiping as part of pagan/occult "faiths". 

Here's something else to consider: Have you ever considered the proliferation of movies such as "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Halloween", the "Friday the 13th" series, the "Saw" franchise, or the glamorization of vampires in the "Twilight" series and cult favorite "True Blood"?  The proliferation of horror-themed shows on TV these days is truly alarming. Have you ever wondered if they were pure fiction -- or if they were created by someone with real knowledge of such terror?  Are you concerned at all that these kinds of spectacles are desensitizing our kids by their glorification of violence, death, mutilation and gore; and setting them up for the acceptance of real-life satanic rituals?  

I know there are some people who will dismiss the warnings about the possible demonic implications of Halloween. But I think that we do that at the risk of our children. The celebration of Halloween can be an effective tool to lure them into the occult and/or to become victims of satanic rituals. I am just thinking of the number of young women, in the last two weeks, whose faces have appeared on my TV screen as they are reported as missing. If you think that is a coincidence, then I would suggest we are naive as a society. And current headlines have certainly shown us that evil and wickedness are on the rise; with more and more lurid stories of bizarre and sadistic murders and rituals happening almost every day. I pray for the protection of our children on the most unholy of nights on Halloween!

In the end, it is up to you to decide what you think about this accepted and increasingly popular holiday. But for me, I know the power that the Enemy wishes to use against us, and I will not only be on guard Halloween night, but will be praying for protection and authority for all those threatened by the attacks of his followers. Let me leave you with these chilling words from a high priestess of the Church of Satan:  "As a child drawn to darker passions from birth, I always delighted in the fear and fantasies of Halloween. It gives even the most mundane people the opportunity to taste wickedness for one night. They have a chance to dance with the Devil, either stumbling, tittering and nervous in the arms of the Black Prince, or boldly, ravenously sharing in the sensual excesses and fright of others on this magical, unholy night. Now, birth and death have, for me, become inextricably interwoven into this day." 

#halloween #dangersofhalloween #demonicinfluenceofhalloween #halloweenanddemons

Sources for this post are as follows: 

https://www.john15.rocks/john-ramirez-former-satanist-warns-christians-dont-celebrate-halloween/ 

https://khouse.org/articles/2021/1421/

http://logosresourcepages.org/2020/05/01/the-harm-of-halloween/

1 Corinthians 10:21   You can’t drink from the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t feast at the table of the Lord and feast [participate] at the table of demons.

The Importance of Heeding Biblical Prophecy

 

If like me and my husband, you are a Christian who is discerning the current season that the world is experiencing, then you are tuned in to the warning signs that Jesus and the Bible give us about what the world will look like before His return. To be honest, it amazes me that there might be Christians who, out of fear or unwillingness, are unable to consider the Bible's prophecies about the "End Times". Many are concentrating on looking at the Victory that will be ours as this Age comes to an end. And believe me, my hope lies in that glorious event, too! But I also believe it is important to take the whole counsel of God if we are to live out our lives with a Biblical worldview. And the Bible tells us mankind will have to endure some hard times before the King of the Universe appears on the scene. 

That brings me to the premise of this blog post. I do not want any follower of Jesus to live in fear about what may be coming upon us in the near future. Neither do I want them to live in ignorance and be unprepared for the days of darkness that the Bible prophecies. So before we broach the events that we might expect to experience, and why it's important to know what's coming, I would like to establish the importance of prophecy in the Bible. 

The minor prophet, Amos, recorded this from the Lord ... "For the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets". Amos establishes that God uses hand-picked men to deliver His message of warnings of judgment , as well as the message of the hope of victory -- and He does nothing without instructing His prophets to share the news. The words they spoke were inspired by God, therefore we should listen. By warning of God's judgment upon sinful people and their ways, God's goal is that "all should come to repentance", be forgiven, and step into their purpose for His Kingdom on earth. 

Prophecy also gives us the clear message that God always wins in the end. As we contemplate the results of the sin that engulfed the world "in the days of Noah", as well as the defeat of the nations of Israel and Judah, it might not look like those events scored in the win column. But with each prophecy of judgment that God inspired, He also included a message of hope; an encouraging word that pointed to His ultimate victory, according to His plan. And when the will of God changes the direction of a person or a nation [and even the world] from utter destruction, [and the people repent], it is an expression of His love. By paying attention to the Biblical prophecies, we can see the "big picture" of God's heart, and what might be a scary scenario can be seen in a perspective to help us endure and persevere. If God's Judgment results in repentance, which is changing the way we think from our own selfish desires to God's perspective, we have the opportunity to see His love for us through the entire course of events.

So, now that we have a better understanding of why prophecy is important and its purpose, I want to return to the significance of the prophecies of the End Times in the Bible. Jesus, Himself, tells us in Matthew 24:37-39 that the people were living their lives as normal before God sent the Flood in judgment of their evil ways... "they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man". We know that God promised He would not judge the world with another Flood, but Jesus prophecies that another judgment will come when the world is in the same condition "as it was in the days of Noah", and this will happen at the time of His Return. 

How will we know when the times we live in meet that criteria? According to Genesis 6, in the days of Noah, "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". The earth was covered with widespread violence. Now, that might seem like too general and vague a statement to compare Noah's day with ours ... but is it? None of us can deny the violence we have seen in the streets for the past couple of years, and it's gone from mob violence to personal brutality and savagery... and it's spreading. But it's not just the violence that matches what the prophets warned about.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, the Apostle Paul says, "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power". I know that you might think that is too vague, as well, but there is not one of those attributes that doesn't fit our culture today! So, we cannot dismiss it as an authentic warning. 

And there are the many, many prophecies that foretell the End Times season throughout the Bible. Here are just a few that should have our spirits sitting up and taking notice: 1) "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short" (Matthew 24:21-22). Because of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, and biological weapons, mankind is capable of wiping out everyone on the face of the earth ... no human being would survive. Those abilities make our generation a candidate for the End Times.

2) "But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4). Up until about 100 years ago or so, few people traveled beyond their own communities, but now with the advent of automobiles, trains, airplanes, and spacecraft, man can literally travel across the world and even into the universe. And the internet has made the exponential increase of knowledge beyond anything we could have imagined just 50 years ago. 

3) "And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth" (Revelation 6:8). Who can deny that the last two-and-a-half years have seen unprecedented Death? War and conflict are evident not only in Ukraine and Russia, but threaten to spill over into another World War. Famine is being predicted across the globe as food shortages are our new reality. Pestilence ... do I need to say more? ... with new strains being predicted for this winter. And the wild beasts of the earth are certainly characterized by the random and brutal acts of men who are clearly devoid of any human empathy. Their consciences are seared, making them no different than a beast of the earth.

4) "Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children" (Isaiah 66:8). Israel became a nation on May, 14, 1948, and Jews, who have been dispersed across the world for over 1500 years, have been regathering in their homeland.   

5) "Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the palace shall stand where it used to be" (Jeremiah 30:18). Since 1948, the ancient city of Jerusalem, and the holy dwelling place of YHWH, has been rebuilt on the old ruins, exactly as foretold. 

6) "... nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts" (Revelation 9:21). Murders, sexual immorality, and theft are readily seen in the crime wave we are experiencing; the transgender movement; and the loss of the value of our dollar through inflation. The word "sorceries" is English for the Greek word "pharmakeia ", and the deaths from the fentanyl crisis in this nation alone is astronomical.

7) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons..." (1 Timothy 4:1). It is quite apparent that witchcraft and the occult have taken a hold on the cultures of the world. Renewed worship of pagan gods has increased, and people reject the sound doctrine of God in search of ways that satisfy their own lusts. 

By now, you can see that it is not just wishful thinking that we are closing in on the triumphant return of Jesus. And that's how I choose to see the End Times, rather than stay focused on the destructive events that precede His Second Coming. But that doesn't mean I ignore them, or the prophetic word that warns us to be awake and vigilant. It is a tough path to walk... many Christians would prefer we don't talk about the "negative", and only focus on the "positive". But the Bible tells us that we have to go through the unsettling days before we get to the joyous days of God's glory. And I do not want anyone to fall away from their faith because these days come upon them unexpectedly!

I know that many, if not all, of these few prophecies I have cited have been happening for centuries. But, I think if you will consider them carefully, we are the only generation that has seen these events come together at the same time. And there are so many more prophecies throughout the Bible [from Genesis to Revelation] that seem to point to our generation. Please don't look upon them with fear, but rather with joy, hope, and expectation. We may be about to be reunited with our Heavenly Father, who ordained us for a time "such as this". If you haven't yet, repent of your sins, and place all your trust in the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ! God will never leave us, and we have an eternal home awaiting us. Let the prophecies of the Bible enrich your prayer life and hear the voice of God as He warns you and encourages you!

#endtimes #endtimesprophecy  #bibleprophecy  #comeslikeathief

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6   For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Time To Get Serious About Spiritual Warfare!

The topic of this post may seem repetitive... I have often sounded the trumpet about our need to recognize that Spiritual Warfare is real, and it is the Christian's duty and responsibility. And it's time to blow the shofar again! It is my earnest desire that we join forces as God's Ekklesia on earth and be ready to battle in the spirit, preparing the way for Jesus's return. I believe He is mounted and ready to ride, but until He receives that order from His Father, we must stand steadfast and unwavering in our spiritual armor, ready to defend the Faith and the earth as we await His arrival.

It's been over 8 years since I began writing about the importance of Christians engaging in Spiritual Warfare, and while many are more aware of what it is today, not enough are actively engaged in practicing it. How do I know? It's as simple as taking a look at the state of the world. All one has to do is look at a sampling of news headlines over the last few days and weeks ... Luciferian Transhumanism vs God's Creation; NY Governor Claims God Is On the Side of Abortion; Violent Crime Surges Across US After Police Retreat; 12,000 Fentanyl Pills Disguised As Candy Seized at LAX; Every Nation May Soon Be Overwhelmed as Energy Crisis Brings Death and Destruction This Winter; Ex-Satanist Warns of Halloween's 'One-Night Stand' With the Devil... I could go on and on; the number of violent attacks against individuals on our streets and in our cities is truly frightening. One cannot tune in to the TV without seeing another innocent victim of pure Evil.

So, what is the answer to this Evil? Very simply, it is that mankind is in a spiritual war with God's Enemy. But the understanding of this concept precludes that one comprehends and accepts that not only does God exist, but that Satan is real; and that he employs a multitude of devices and forces, in his position as "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is important that 1) we recognize it is our duty to fight against this Enemy; 2) the four important areas of Satan's influence; and 3) we have a power stronger than his.  

Part of Satan's influence is that both the Unsaved and Christian could be presented with his power and influence through old movies like The Exorcist, Amityville Horror, and The Shining. But, it's been nearly 50 years since those movies shocked the sensibilities of "normal" people, and now one can hardly find a TV show or movie that doesn't exploit death and evil! And evil monsters like Jeffrey Dahmer and other serial killers are celebrated, as their lives are glamorized onscreen.  The number of popular musical artists who claim to be "possessed" by demons is nothing new (Lady Gaga and Katy Perry come to mind). Yet most of today's Christians are not engaged in battling against this evil because it's become so commonplace and/or they've never been taught that they are to be engaged in such a battle, nor know how to go about it.  "Onward, Christian Soldier" is nearly a lost conviction.  (Please don't think I am confusing Spiritual Warfare with the Crusades. Those were human military campaigns, sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church, for a variety of religious, economic, and political reasons -- and I don't have a problem calling into question the part that Satan played in their execution).

But most of the Body of Christ doesn't want anything to do with Spiritual Warfare. They are fearful of the Enemy [if they are even willing to consider that he is real] and simply pray for Jesus to protect them. But I remember the day I understood the concept that, as Christians, we have a job to do as part of this End Times generation. We have been given authority over Satan; we were created to rule over the enemy -- not the other way around. So, that sounds like pretty good "church-y" theology, right? And you might be thinking, what does this have to do with the headlines of the day, or the lyrics to some popular song? Well, they are all representative of who we are battling, according to our go-to Scripture on Spiritual Warfare, Ephesians 6:12:  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is imperative that you understand the true meanings of these four forces of Satan.  The Greek meaning of the word for PRINCIPALITIES describes things in a series, such as leaders, rulers, and judges; it signifies rank and organization.  This informs us that the Satanic kingdom is highly organized, and Satan is at the head of this kingdom; and there is a rank of ruling spirits under him that are subject to him and assigned over areas such as nations and cities.  (When you consider some of the decisions of the world's rulers and look at their actions, it is not hard to imagine that they are "under the influence".)

Remember the reason the angel was delayed with bringing God's message to Daniel?  It was because he was engaged in battle with "the prince of the kingdom of Persia".  We must grasp the reality that Satan, as the Enemy of God, can have a powerful effect on the leaders of nations, states and cities.  It is necessary that we realize that our spiritual warfare not only includes our individual lives, but communities, our nation, and the world!  This is not just some Biblical folklore, folks!  Kings, and Presidents, and Shahs, and Imams can all be leading at the behest of Satanic Principalities. And they derive their POWER from their spiritual leader, Satan. That's the second force that we battle.

The Greek meaning of the word, Power, implies "authority", and tells us that the demons Satan has placed over various areas and territories have been given the power and authority to carry out whatever orders they've been assigned... Satan's orders that result in deception, control, and destruction. 

BUT, as we take our positions for battle, we need to understand that we have even greater authority; the authority of the Name of Jesus. Our authority lies in the power of That Name, and demonic entities are forced to yield to the authority of the Name of Jesus. Both my husband and I can personally testify to the power that the utterance of that Name has against a demonic force. Sadly, the Church has this same power and authority, (through the Name), that was given to it initially, by Jesus, Himself; yet, for various reasons, they either have lost the knowledge that it is at their disposal, or simply choose to disbelief it.  

Here is what every Christian needs to know ... We don't have to pray and wait for God to come to our rescue! Through our Salvation and our baptism in the Holy Spirit, God has provided us with the necessary weapons to engage in spiritual warfare and actually become a formidable and mighty Church; a force of our own to be reckoned with! Yet, here we sit, bemoaning the terrible state of our lives and the world! We can no longer afford to be ignorant of the forces coming against us, nor of the power we have to defeat them!

The third force in our spiritual battle is the RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD.  When Adam fell through sin, Satan usurped his dominion over the world, but he is nonetheless a defeated foe of our Lord.  The Devil is really just a trespasser in this world, and he has no legal rights over us Christians. Our debt has been paid by the Blood of Christ, and we belong to Him. 

So, if he's doomed to defeat, why does Satan still seek to rule this world, and why has he gained such success through his "rulers"? It is simple: the Church has not recognized or risen up in the power and authority given it. It's time that we use our spiritual weapons and strength, and take the offensive to the Enemy! But the Church and Believers have to recognize that this battle cannot be won politically or socially ... we cannot change things by getting out the vote, or accepting new social paradigms. Yes, it's important to vote, and we should strive to grow and improve our social standards, but I see the picture so much bigger than those surface issues. God is bigger than politics and social convention! And if we don't start seeing Satan's agenda and strategies in these areas, then we will continue to find ourselves battling and losing ground.

Finally, the fourth force that we battle is SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. Obviously, the key here, is "wickedness".  In the Greek, that word means "depravity; malice; plots".  That can encompass all kinds of spiritual battles against pornography, the occult, "Black masses", or even a babysitter, teacher, or parent who has allowed a spirit of sexual addiction to rule their impulses. The point is that we have very real spiritual enemies.  They are the enemies of both God and man.  And while we Christians have the promise of victory in heaven, we still can be afflicted and tormented here on earth. The key to our victory in this realm is to use our authority as it has been given us. 

All the mayhem and chaos we see in the world is not going to go away. I see so much more division and evil than when I first began writing on this topic. We can no longer compromise with the Enemy. Our very existence relies on us getting in the fight! The disorder and turmoil is a result of the battle between spiritual forces in the heavenly realms and those upon this earth. We have so much more coming against us now ... demonic forces that want to indoctrinate our children in godless ways; forces that want to integrate our God-given DNA with machines; forces that are destroying our food supply and corrupting our medical system. These are desperate times, and we MUST understand that we have been given the authority (through the power of Jesus's Blood) to bind the inferior power of the Devil, and to set free those he has made captive. Yes, in the end we have Victory in Christ! But there are a lot of people who are going to be sacrificed if we don't step into our own power and authority. We can no longer hesitate. We need to be exercising that authority NOW! 

#spiritualwarfare #christiansbattleinthespirit  #spiritualbattles #godvssatan

2 Corinthians 10:3-4    "For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons.  For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,"  
     

 

 

 

 

 

What Is The Foundation Upon Which Your Faith Is Built?

I want to express some thoughts I had after reading an interesting article on CharismaMag.com, titled "Are You Building for the Storm"? This isn't going to be a post detailing the upheaval in the world, or prophesying a doomsday scenario. But rather, I want to share a different message; one I've been contemplating since I was struck by a passage that the writer of the article quoted from Matthew 7:24-27. In these verses, Jesus makes the following statement: “All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won’t collapse, for it is built on rock. But those who hear my instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash".

Keep in mind that this passage is at the end of a long discourse by Jesus in what is known as His Sermon on the Mount, which actually covers Chapters 5-7 in Matthew. These three chapters appear to comprise Jesus's first official sermon, and are what He is referring to as "My instructions" in Matthew 7:24. He teaches the people who have gathered to hear Him about the Blessings of those who surrender to Him (the Beatitudes), and that He came to Fulfill the Law and to usher in the Kingdom of God on earth. That means He is going to change their perspective as He offers moral teachings on Anger, Lust, Divorce, and Oaths. He instructs the people that they should abandon an "eye for an eye" theology, and instead, love their enemies. He teaches on the importance of giving to the needy, and shows them how to properly pray to their Father in Heaven. He counsels them on fasting, and to lay up their treasures in Heaven, rather than trying to earn them here on earth. Jesus tries to show them the futility of worry and anxiety, for their Father knows what they need. Seek after the Kingdom and God's righteousness and all their needs will be met. Finally, He winds down His sermon by showing them what an intimate relationship with the Father looks like ... He educates the crowd on the concept of judging others; of the Father's heart to give the righteous what we ask for. He then gives a series of warnings: be intentional to follow the narrow path through the gate to Heaven for the gate that is wide leads to destruction. He advises that the people be able to discern those who are deceitful, and to recognize those who bear good fruit for God's Kingdom. Because the starkest warning is yet to come ... there are those who think they are walking that narrow path towards their heavenly inheritance, but He will deny them, saying, "I never knew you"!

AND THEN comes the last portion of His sermon; the passage that I quoted from Matthew 7:24-27. Jesus makes it clear that everyone who was paying attention to these lessons He was teaching, and followed the instructions, were wise. He or she would be like a man who built his house on the solid foundation of rock. Now, we know that Jesus is our rock and the foundation of our faith, but for just a moment, let's consider why it is literally sound judgment to build a house upon real, actual rock. I consulted a site that gave 5 reasons why rock is your best choice for a foundation.

The primary purpose of your house's foundation is to hold your house up, even when the ground below it changes. A rock foundation provides the better support than sand, which tends to shift. Secondly, a rock foundation resists movement. Forces in the natural world are always working against your foundation, and rock can resist the weight of those forces by transferring the load to the rock that surrounds the home. Sand will easily be displaced, causing cracks in the foundation. Thirdly, a good solid rock foundation will insulate your home to keep it comfortable in the heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter. Sand easily allows tree roots to grow into the soil below the foundation, allowing water and moisture to seep into the foundation, resulting in eventual structural damage. And finally, a good foundation made of rock will keep your home from being infiltrated by bugs and creatures that can threaten the integrity of your structure. Sand just invites that kind of penetration.

So, Jesus, being a carpenter, knows the implications He is making about the solidness of the foundation of a structure. And if He is the rock, and the structure is our body; our life; our ministry, our purpose, then can you see that in order for us to stand, our strength and foundation must be found in His support; His ability to help us resist the weight of spiritual forces coming against us; allowing Him to insulate us and guard us against those powers that seek to infiltrate our faith and cause it to disintegrate? If our faith is built on anything else it will not stand the pressures of this world. Neither your identity in this world; nor money and material things; neither jobs nor status; physical appearance; technology; religion; family; or fame can build your faith strong enough to withstand the outside pressure of serious illnesses like cancer; or comfort you at the loss of a loved one; or support you when you feel isolated and alone behind enemy lines.

So, what do you build your foundation of faith upon? If it's anything but Jesus, then it is shifting sand, and you will find yourself on uneven ground. The rain and the wind and the floods --- the storms of life --- will leave you unsettled and destabilized. A foundation of Jesus, the solid rock upon which our faith is built, will sustain, strengthen, and support us through the tempests of life. I can't imagine the fear, worry, and anxiety of trying to wage war against the forces that come against us in this world if Jesus is not our foundation! I ask you to take a moment and do a self-check. Have you allowed anything or anyone else to dethrone Jesus as the foundation of your faith? Do you rely on anything or anyone else to be the power and authority of your faith? Jesus, Himself, tells us that when those storms come, if we do not build our structure's foundation on the rock, then we can expect that it will immediately fall, and the ruin and destruction of our structure of faith will be great. But we, who know Jesus as the living stone, precious and holy, will weather the storms that come against us. We will endure, overcome, and resist in confidence and boldness. The truth is this: we will not be shaken when we can proclaim Jesus is our only rock, our salvation, and our fortress!

#jesusisourrock #foundationofourfaith #uponthisrock #jesus #rockofages

1 Samuel 2:2    There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides You; there is no rock like our God.

 

 

Sermon On The Mount ... From A Different Perspective

I love how the Lord continues to peel back layers of His Word that reveal new understandings of what He is teaching us about His character; about what He has purposed for our lives; and the reality of what the Kingdom really looks like. He allows me to build upon each new revelation -- not discarding the old understanding, but expanding it to include new perspectives, as He moves me to a new position and a fresh frame of reference.

This time it came through my intense study of The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the valiant Lutheran pastor who lived in Germany during the Third Reich, and who took seriously Jesus' call to "take up your cross". Bonhoeffer was fearlessly outspoken against Hitler's Nazi regime and he paid the cost as a martyr for Christ. His book, The Cost of Discipleship, has proven to compliment Scripture in both Truth and Spirit, and caused me to examine familiar Biblical concepts with new eyes and a renewed heart.

For example, the Beatitudes, a portion of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, have long been a subject of study for me. Ever since 20 years ago, when I sat in a Sunday School class and the teacher [who was also a pastor at the church] admitted that the Beatitudes have long been a struggle for the Church to explain, I was determined that I would make a sincere effort to comprehend their meaning. After all, how could such an important theological standard of the Church be a mystery or enigma?

My first "aha" moment came when I came to believe that the Sermon on the Mount was presented in the context of being the Constitution, if you will, of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is speaking to a multitude of people, including His Disciples, telling the crowd that the Ten Commandments serve as the Law on earth, but there is a higher concept of the Torah that portrays all that God expects and provides for those who yield to Him. And when we understand that Jesus is speaking to Jews, who greatly revere the Law and Scriptures, one can only imagine what they are thinking! Jesus is speaking of a new paradigm of faith! Jesus reveals that God offers promises of power to fulfill all that He asks of us. In this important Sermon, Jesus puts the emphasis on the inward transformation of our hearts by the grace of God, rather than the outward duty to obey the Law. Jesus is telling all of us that God's Kingdom is available to those who will learn His ways and offer ourselves to Him in full surrender.

And this is where another layer of the Bible has been revealed to me. In light of the previous blog post regarding Discipleship, I now see that to be a Disciple of Christ involves being separated from the world; giving up all we have in the world as we surrender to His will to follow Him, fully and radically. And now I recognize in a chapter of The Cost of Discipleship, that there is another layer ready to be unveiled. Pastor Bonhoeffer paints this picture of Matthew 5:1-12 ... it includes Jesus on the mountain, the multitudes, and the disciples. As he so eloquently explains, The people see Jesus with His Disciples, a group of men who used to be just like them. The Disciples see the people, from whom they've just come. And now they identify as the elect people of God. BUT Jesus sees His Disciples! 

As was established in the previous post, these men have separated from the world; they are isolated with their Master, the Good Shepherd, who has come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They left their homes and families to follow Him, and that's what now makes them different from their fellow Jews. As Bonhoeffer writes, "Now they are living in want, and privation, the poorest of the poor, the sorest afflicted, and the hungriest of the hungry. They have only Him, and with Him they have nothing, literally nothing in the world, but everything with and through God". [NOTE: We Christians in the 21st Century, profess that we live and experience "everything with and through God", yet very few are living in want, poor, afflicted, hungry, or have fully surrendered ALL to Him. Would He recognize us as His Disciples, if He came back today?]

It is from that perspective that I now understand that when Jesus delivers His sermon on the side of that mountain, He is holding up His Disciples to the crowd as men who have rightly answered the call of God. He calls them Blessed in the hearing of every man, woman, and child in attendance that day. That word "Blessed" had profound meaning to the multitudes of Jews who were gathered there that day. In the Jewish culture, blessed means an increase. It's an increase of God's Presence and His Favor. It is the experiential knowledge of God [as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] moving in His power and strength to destroy our enemies and overcome our human reasoning and insufficiency. And Jesus is about to bestow that recognition on the Twelve, in the midst of the multitude.

The crowd now stands as a witness that these men are to receive the promises of God to Israel because they have obeyed the call of Jesus. And now that same promise is offered to the crowd, as heirs of the promise. Will the crowd understand that He is about to show them the stature of the Disciples before God? Will they believe in Jesus and surrender their all to follow Him? In His Sermon, He shows the crowd how these men, who until recently, had been just like them, now share in a new and distinct way of life... Theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. In that day, just as today, wealth was measured by your place in society; what you owned, your position of power, your status and influence. But Jesus points to the Twelve, who have no possessions, no homes, no power [either spiritual or material]. They have lost all they ever had, for His sake. Now they are poor in the spirit [of what poverty looks like]; poor in the ways the world defines poor, but they are rich in the promises that they will one day see the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus calls them blessed. They are what the heirs of the kingdom look like!

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Jesus is now widening the gulf between His Disciples and the rest of the crowd. As the Twelve embrace His call on their lives, they begin to mourn for the world -- they mourn for all that the world idolizes and covets; for its fate, and for the judgment that is coming upon it. And that renders them strangers to the world. Their only comfort -- but what an astounding consolation it is! -- comes from the Comforter, Himself. They are beginning to see that their true home is not the world, but with their crucified Lord, and they look forward to spending eternity with Him!

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. In the ancient world, to be powerless and marginalized was to be weak and defeated. Yet the 12 Disciples would renounce their own rights for the sake of Jesus Christ. They would hold their peace when confronted; endure all hostility and violence; yield ground when men drove them out of the city square. They claim no citizen's rights for themselves. And this goes against all human tendencies or dispositions. Yet, Jesus says, They will inherit the earth. They will take the message of Christ across the globe, and it will spread until Jesus returns, renewing the earth, and the meek [who look like these Disciples] will possess it.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. As the Disciples continue on their journey with Jesus and begin to understand what He is teaching them, they are privileged to discern the righteousness that Jesus calls them to, and they can distinguish it from the sin of the world. They actually renounce the thought of their own righteousness because the example of Jesus as perfect righteousness reminds them they are still of the world. But they hunger for the day that He promises; the day when the earth will experience forgiveness of all sin, when both they and the world will be renewed, and the day when the fullness of the Kingdom is experienced as Jesus fulfills the Law and the prophecies. At this time they hunger and thirst for the Messianic Kingdom, even as Jesus offers Himself as their bread of life and living water.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Before the crowd, Jesus honors His Disciples by calling them merciful. These twelve men, who had not much to begin with, were willing to give up everything else they had to follow Jesus. And as they learn from Him, they are now willing to give up the last of their personal dignity and honor. Like Jesus, they are learning to identify with the downtrodden and the outcasts. They will actually seek them out in order to give them mercy and comfort. They recognize that Jesus chose them out of His own mercy for them; for they were among the wretched sinners of the world when He called them. And because of that awareness, they are now able to offer mercy to others. They believe that one day, in His Mercy, God will clothe them in honor and dignity as His heirs. Yes, blessed are those that are merciful, because they walk in the image of the Merciful One, Jesus Christ.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Jesus makes sure the crowd understands that it is the condition of their hearts that He is interested in. He seeks those whose hearts are pure because they have surrendered to Him. Among the multitudes that are present, only the Disciples fit that description. Because these Twelve left everything and everyone in their lives to follow Jesus in an almost child-like trust, their hearts are open to relying solely on Jesus. They no longer look to the world to fulfill their desires and plans, but are focused solely on Him as their Answer. They stand in stark contrast to everyone else that was present that day. Others sought Jesus for a day as a temporary "fix", but the Disciples were wholly committed to a life focused on becoming more like Him. Their hearts were being purified, and Jesus announces that they will have the privilege of seeing God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. This must have been a hard pill to swallow for the Jews in attendance that day; and I imagine a difficult truth to walk out for the Disciples, as well. As Jews, theirs was a history of domination by various empires, and they were now under the thumb of Roman rule. They longed for the fulfillment of the prophecy that God would send the Messiah to overcome and defeat their enemies. Yet here is Jesus, training the Disciples [and telling the crowd] that even in the midst of subjugation they can have peace in Him. And not only that, but they are to seek peace and make peace -- even in the midst of violence against them. Jesus has been teaching His Disciples that He was sent to reconcile men back to a relationship with their God. And God wants to establish His Kingdom on earth through peaceful means. That is in stark contrast to the world and a message that even the Disciples struggle to accept. But they have been called to partner with Jesus in establishing this reconciliation in peace. By that partnership, God will know them as His sons, just as Jesus is the Son of God.

Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Now, the Jews are no strangers to persecution; it has been their lot for centuries. Jesus is holding up the Twelve before the crowd as examples of those who are blessed and will know the increase of God's Presence and Favor; who will know His power and strength to overcome their Enemies. BUT, this is about persecution for the sake of righteousness. Persecution comes not for God's righteousness, but the suffering they will endure in pursuit of a just cause. Their message and works will offend the world because they deny them their idols. The Disciples' very confession of Jesus's Name is enough to bring oppression and hostility from any and all who stand in opposition to the Kingdom. But Jesus establishes that they will not only be Blessed, but will receive the Kingdom of Heaven... making them equals to the poor in spirit. 

It is not lost on me that the last Blessing Jesus gives His followers is the one of persecution. It points back to Him. It will be their testimony as the poor and suffering, the meek and merciful, the sympathetic and tolerant, that brings them into authentic fellowship with Jesus. Like Jesus, they will appear as strangers to the world. And although Jesus calls them Blessed, the world will call for their removal from the world. But they will follow Jesus all the way to the Cross, and then on to the Kingdom of Heaven! 

This is a perspective that gives me clarity and courage. If I am to be hopeful of walking out my time on earth as a Disciple of Christ, then Jesus has set out a clear path. To receive His blessing of living out eternity in the Presence and Favor of Almighty God in His Kingdom of Heaven, I must live my life as a stranger to this world. But He also makes it clear [in perhaps one of the most famous sermons in history] that I can meet none of His requirements out of my own behavior. It is the call and promise of Jesus alone that makes it possible! 

I would love to know how many of those present on the mountain that day grasped the gravity of His message. How many looked at the Disciples and thought, "They look and sound like me, but there's something different about them. This celebrated teacher, Jesus, is so attractive to me, yet He talks of things these 12 men will endure -- things I don't want to experience. What about Him makes it all worthwhile for them? He offers nothing that this world values, yet promises a future with God in a heavenly kingdom. Do I dare take the chance and give up all I have and know for a promise I can't see"? My friends, that's the same question we are presented with today! 

This perspective on the Beatitudes is sobering and straightforward. But it is just as consequential today as it was 2000 years ago when a multitude of Jewish men, women, and children gathered to hear this Famed Teacher who drew crowds from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. He had the capacity to change their lives for eternity. How many left that day transformed? How many will allow Him to transform them today? 

#sermononthemount #thebeatitudes #blessedarethepoor #jesusdisciples #thetwelvedisciples

Matthew 19:28    Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, in the renewal [that is, the Messianic restoration and regeneration of all things] when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you [who have followed Me, becoming My disciples] will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Call Of A Disciple

 

If you profess to believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, how do you describe yourself to others? Do you identify as a Christian? And what does that name mean within your relationship with the Godhead? For awhile now, I have referred to myself as an obedient follower of Christ; with the confession that being "obedient" can sometimes be a struggle in my flesh. But is that the term Jesus uses to describe those who will ultimately believe and follow Him? It seems to me that, in the Bible, it is the term Disciple that best describes those who will champion His cause. [And a side note of interest, the word Christian is what the enemies of the new faith in Jesus called His followers].

I find it interesting that Jesus defines what makes a Disciple only a handful of times, and He is very specific as to what it entails. But there's no mistaking that if you choose to use that term yourself, you better understand the cost. And here is something that the Lord has recently revealed as I continue on my journey to get closer to Him ... I don't get to voluntarily decide that I am going to be a Disciple. He calls me. It is He that makes the decision, just as He did in the Bible when He approached Peter, John, Andrew, Matthew and each of His Disciples. He calls us individually according to His will, AND it is His choice, not ours. It is only if we are willing to pay the cost, that we can truly be counted as His Disciple. And that cost is steep; more expensive and costly than the majority of Christians can even contemplate. That is why not many qualify to be called His true Disciples. 

That might be an offensive statement to those who identify as Christians. But have you ever sat down and seriously read the description that Jesus gives of what it takes to be His Disciple? He lays it out pretty clearly in Luke 14:26-33: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, He cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple... So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple." Who among us could easily say, "Yes, Lord, I'm willing to do that! I will despise and separate myself from all those I love, and who love me, and live a life totally dedicated to You! And I declare that I will sacrifice all I have and all I am, including my life, to follow You! I am willing to break ties with everyone and everything in my life to focus solely on serving You!"? Those are difficult promises to make! Yet, He demands exactly that if you are going to call yourself His Disciple. But how many of us loosely apply that term to ourselves?

I think Jesus was referring to most self-described Disciples in the middle of that passage [in verses 28-32] when He says ... "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." If we're honest, there aren't many of us who would answer Jesus's call to be His Disciple without hesitation, not taking the time to first measure what it's going to cost us. We would have to make sure we had all we needed to pull it off, because we sure wouldn't want to be embarrassed if we said, yes, and then realized we hadn't measured all it would cost and what we would need. And like the king in Jesus's example, we wouldn't want to agree to be His Disciple and then realize that the forces coming against us are going to be greater in power than we have the ability to defend ourselves; we only want to commit if we are assured of winning our battle. And like the rich young ruler in Mark 10, we might decide to wait until the lifestyle of a Disciple is more convenient for us.

You see, the call of Jesus to be His Disciple is costly, indeed. And I don't think there are many who understand that it is, first and foremost, a life lived in separation and isolation from the world and all that we hold dear in it ... our families; our status in society [and yes, in the Church]; our jobs and careers; our very lives. And here is an astounding realization that is new to my understanding of true Discipleship ... IF it is Jesus's will to call us, and IF we accept His will, it is because He determined that it would be so! There was no way that Peter, John, Andrew, Bartholomew, James [son of Zebedee], Jude, Matthew, James [son of Alpheus], Philip, Simon the Zealot, Thomas, or even Judas were going to be able to say No! Jesus had now come into the midst of their lives, and their relationships with their immediate world had been infringed upon; He now stood in opposition to all they clung to. And once we accept His call, all those relationships are forever and profoundly changed.

Our relationships are no longer the result of our direct contact with our loved ones or people in the world. Christ stands between us and them, and what we perceived before Him was just an illusion. Everything and everyone is now a redefined reality through Him. He separates us from the world and we must come to Him as an individual and alone, allowing Him to reconstitute and restore those relationships through His preeminence in our lives. And the good news is that while Jesus separates us from the world and it's natural relationships, He also establishes new fellowship between us and others. He makes a way for us to connect through Him; a way that began in solitude and separation, but now unites in shared love and purpose to glorify the One who called us. 

I wish I could truly imagine all the thoughts and emotions those first Disciples experienced as they answered Jesus's call. We know for certain that Peter was married, because Jesus healed his mother-in-law. And according to Clement, Bishop of Rome in the late 1st Century, "Peter and Philip begat children, and Philip gave his daughters in marriage". So the first Disciples sacrificed families and gave up their material things to live a life of solitude as they followed Christ to the Cross, and then took His message to the world. And lest we forget, Jesus made it clear that to be His Disciple meant that the persecution He suffered would come to them as well. Nothing has changed in this 21st Century. We don't get to escape the cost!  

Everything that has made our lives easier and more prosperous doesn't eliminate the price we will pay to be His Disciple. Are we willing to make the ultimate sacrifice? If we are called to be Disciples, it is a very real possibility. The persecution He endured came to every one of His faithful Twelve, accept for John. It will be a part of our walk with Him. too. But we can celebrate that He also told them that by their love for each other and the fruit they bore, they would be proven to be His Disciples. Oh, what a glorious calling! And I believe that it is Jesus's will that each one of us be His true Disciple! 

Be separate from the world, but united in Him! Cast off all the world has to offer and cling to what we have in our relationship with our Master! The road He has called us to is fraught with extraordinary change, and that frightens some people. But we are assured that everything we have surrendered will be returned to us a hundredfold! There is no greater honor than to be called as a true Disciple of Jesus... are you ready to answer Him without hesitation? The world needs you!

#discipleofjesus #discipleship #jesusdisciple #calledtobeadisciple

Luke 14:26-27   If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.