“With my lips have I declared all the judgments [Hebrew, mishpât, act of deciding a legal case] of Thy mouth” (Psalm 119:13 KJV). No wonder our NT conception of the pharisees and their preoccupation with the Law — it was because the nature of the Law is legal. They merely had forgotten the real nature of the Law was to “love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). We need to beware of their same pitfall, since even the Apostolic Ephesian Church was already reprimanded for having “left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4). Cases decided in the Courts of Heaven will play out “in Earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). That is the crucial point. The verdicts of the Courts of Heaven are binding on us below. And, to our amazement, Jesus has covenanted, “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (18:18). As if we would be given status in the Courts of Heaven to present cases, which the Judge of All the Earth would consider binding upon all concerned. If an earthly, unjust judge would pass judgment for a widow crying out against her adversary in a human court, “Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?” (Luke 18:7). God’s judgments then are more than His complaints against humanity, but they represent our right to petition Him for redress for the injustices not simply of humanity against humanity, but of our Adversary’s unjust holding of the people of this world in spiritual ignorance and the Church in our ignorance of what the Messiah Jesus has come to accomplish. “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” (Isaiah 61:1-2). Father, cause us to walk in understanding of Your Law, that we would not stumble, where teachers more intelligent than ourselves have fallen, when they beheld with their eyes Your Son. Have mercy upon Israel, and have mercy upon us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Satan Our Adversary
Righteousness Solves the World’s Problems
Read story after story of investigative reporting, and it reveals the wrong actions of people in society, where untold damage takes place. When will we ever learn? Instead of attempting to only put out all the fires of the arsonist, catch the fire bug. Even better, deal with the fire of the human heart. Government attempts to use force to maintain society — as it must — but, right action or righteousness is primarily the domain of God dealing with the human heart. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 KJV). As much as we desire the miraculous to solve the problems of humanity, miracles do not necessarily fix the problem of our lack of understanding of how or why God wants the world to act. “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130). Righteousness is right action, and we still need miracles to survive the opposition our adversary, as a “roaring lion” (1Peter 5:8), who dearly opposes righteousness. LORD, You are our Righteousness. Only Your Spirit working in anyone can cause right action. Work righteousness in us here below that it may continue into Your heavenly presence. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Hastening or Hindering, Restraining or Unleashing
Hastening or hindering, the Almighty allows us much more than we imagine. Children can help parents accomplish their goals or get in the way. When we pray for the fulfillment of prophecy, we are hastening Christ’s Second Coming. “Looking for and hasting [literally, hastening] unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat” (2Peter 3:12 KJV). We may pray, “Thy kingdom come” (6:10) and promote His return. But, if we should discourage the faithful from seeking our Lord’s imminent appearing, then we are hindering the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. When Jesus promised, “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20), shouldn’t we hasten His return by praying, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (22:20)?
Restraining or unleashing, the LORD God seeks our comradeship in warfare. Allies can assist or delay final victory. Working with the Spirit of God, the godly, as the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), represent the greatest restraining influence in the world against the adversary, his Antichrist, lawlessness, anarchy, malevolence, utter disregard for life, property, and the morals of others. Not simply the influence noticed by the world, e.g., anti-abortion, anti-pornography, pro-family, but the freedom, prosperity, and peace enjoyed by all, results from the peace the LORD grants to the righteous. “And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace” (Jeremiah 29:7). Though Abraham’s concern was for the welfare of “just Lot” (2Peter 2:7), his intercession provided the Judge of All the Earth (Genesis 18:25) the sanction or approval to unleash His judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, after Lot was removed.
By contrast, the Great Removal of the Church at the Pre-Tribulational Rapture represents the LORD determining He had sufficient sanction to remove the Restraining Influence — the Spirit Indwelt Saints — from the world. “7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he [Holy Spirit] who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” (2Thessalonians 2:7-8 NASB). As an omnipresent influence, the Holy Spirit continues His function in the world, but the noticeable absence of the restraining influence of the raptured believers will be profound. The Almighty will be proceeding with His masterful end game in dealing with the earth.
LORD, You are sovereign in determining when You will return. We are humbled that You would seek our companionship, labor, and approval in what You choose to do. Grant to us an understanding heart that You may be even more greatly magnified, when You choose to rapture Your Church. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Is Satan Really The God Of This World?
As much as it might not sound right or feel good, Scripture labels satan as a god, but certainly not as Almighty God, the Creator of all. “In whom the god of this world [satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2Corinthians 4:4 KJV). Remember how Asaph described the heavenly scene? “God [Hebrew, elohim, singular] has taken His place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods [Hebrew, elohim, plural] He holds judgment” (Psalms 82:1 ESV). Jesus referred to Psalm 82:6-7 defending His claim to be the Son of God in John 10:34-36. But, Asaph noted, unlike the Almighty “like men you [the created, lesser gods or angels] shall die, and fall like any prince” (82:7). LORD, we worship You alone as the Almighty, the High and Lofty One That Inhabiteth Eternity. There is none like You. May we not be frightened by the god of this world. Preserve us from his devices. Give us of Your Word, that we may resist him, as Jesus did in the wilderness. There are “gods many and lords many” (1Corinthians 8:5 KJV), but only one Almighty. Establish Your throne in our hearts, and we look forward to You judging this wicked liar and usurper with his just deserts in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). Bring this to past. Return quickly, deliver Your people, and judge Your enemies. In Jesus’ almighty name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Michael Fought Against the Dragon (Revelation 12:7-8)
War will be fought in Heaven between Michael and the dragon. Michael, the archangel (Jude 1:9) designated as the ruler or prince of Israel (Daniel 12:1) will direct his forces against the dragon and his angels. One can only wonder what warfare between supernatural-angelic-beings-who-cannot-physically-die looks like. “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven” (Revelation 12:7-8 KJV). In the satan’s [literally, adversary] battle with Michael over the body of Moses, Michael won by uttering, “The LORD rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9) to the devil. Michael did not embellish his language with impious speech, even at the devil. “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing [Greek, blasphēmia, blasphemous, e.g., filthy swear words] accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9). For Michael, prevailing over the devil was delivering the Almighty’s judgment that the satan no longer had the right to place an accusation against the saints in the Courts of Heaven before the Divine Council. This has been his customary practice as witnessed by his accusation of Job (1:6-12; 2:1-7). Michael’s power in battle is his certainty: (1) of the Almighty’s ability to kill, then “cast into hell” (Luke 12:5), and (2) of the finality of the Second Death, where even “death and hell were cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14). LORD, may we be as bold as Michael, not fearing mortal death, because we have been given immortal life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
What’s Wrong With Hedonism?
To begin, what is hedonism? “HEE” + “duh” + “ni” + “zuhm” A devotion to pleasure or happiness as its highest good is hedonism. “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:19 KJV). As a created being, our purpose cannot be for the service of self as our highest pleasure, but the service of God. Not just philosophically but practically and functionally, we cannot seek pleasure simply for the sake of pleasure. Disciples do not seek merely the fulfillment of our senses, but the fulness of God. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Allow not the satan’s temptation to substitute your God given needs for your reason for existence. Only the Spirit of God can keep us safe. LORD, keep Your people as the apple of Your eye focused upon You, the apple of our eye. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Racing With the Lord
They say you are known by the friends you keep. Jesus said, “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14 KJV). Moses asked the Israelites, “Who is on the LORD’S side?” (Exodus 32:26). If we run with the LORD, then we side against the devil. If we are part of the Body of Christ’s Church, then we are on Christ’s Team against a common adversary, the devil. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). We need carefully to determine our allies or teammates — “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2Corinthians 6:14) — then, make sure they consider us teammates, as well. We need to strive together for the best interests of Christ’s Team. Christian families need their spouses and children to strive together as a team against the devil. Churches need to pull together as a team against the devil, or we will certainly pull ourselves apart. “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Romans 15:30). LORD, when You return for us, may our hand be on the plow working the fields and building Your kingdom. Amen and amen.
Winning in the Courts of Heaven (Part 3)
Winning our battle against the devil is more than a personal struggle or victory, but “joy shall be in heaven”(Luke 15:7 KJV) by God and His angels over the repenting of one sinner. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary [Greek, antidikos, opponent in a lawsuit] the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). People cry out for justice, for it is true that God is the Judge of All the Earth (Genesis 18:25) dispensing justice. Then, why so much injustice in the world? God’s justice demands “all things be done decently and in order” (1Corinthians 14:40). Why? God refuses to do wrong to make things right. “There is no unrighteousness in Him” (Psalm 92:15). When we fail to bring our petitions into the Courts of Heaven without clearing away our adversary the devil’s objections against our case, we prevent God the Judge ruling in our favor. Satan’s objections against Jōb illustrate this. “Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life” (Job 2:4).
We Need A Miracle 