Submitting and Resisting

Today, the Lord has given me an insight that I trust will go a long way towards the goal of being on the offensive, and not on the defensive, against our adversary the devil who always seeks to both temp and condemn us constantly.

James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you".

I felt moved in my heart to look up the words submit and flee. The Greek word for submit is "Hupotasso". Among other aspects of the word which mean to make one's self subordinate to, under the control of, and in subjection to another, I found one other very interesting meaning. One usage is to arrange oneself under. From this, I get the idea of an organizational hierarchy or perhaps a military arrangement. The Old King James renders the one word "submit yourselves" which carries the idea of multiple people arranging themselves in a hierarchy of some sort.

The Greek word for "flee" is "pheugo". In fact, the entire phrase "he will flee" is all in that one word. When we read this verse, I think many of us have gotten the idea that the devil will just leave. However, the Greek word carries more meaning than that. It carries the idea of running away to seek safety, to escape danger, and to get out of harms way. I believe that this kind of flight carries an element of fear with it on the part of the devil!

So, what does all this mean? When we arrange ourselves under God's hierarchy of authority, the devil doesn't see us as much as he sees the Kingdom organization that we represent. He sees the authority of the organization we are a part of. Because he knows the power of God, he "high tails" it out of there! It's not just that he leaves. He leaves in fear and terror! Oh thank you Jesus! Isn't that awesome! We don't have to live on "barely get along street" when it comes to our dealings with the devil and his temptations! When we as the body of Christ are in unity and submitted to the headship of Christ, and the structure He puts in place in His church, we are in a place of protection and authority. Praise God!

Acts 19 describes some itinerant Jewish exorcists who barely escaped alive from a demon possessed man because they were not properly part of the recognized organization with power on earth - the church of Jesus Christ. The demon recognized the authorith of Jesus and Paul, but he knew these guys were just acting on their own (v.15). They were not themselves under authority and therefore had no authority to project over the demon. Saying "in the name of Jesus" was not enough. Jesus was not their Lord.

If we've not been in a place of being submitted to God, the previous verse answers how we can get back into that place of submission. v.6 Says, "But He gives more grace". If we have been adulterers and adulteresses as it talks about in v.5 - unfaithful to God - He gives more grace! If we've not been properly submitted to the authority structures in our lives. "He gives more grace". If we come to Him humbly, v.6 says He will give grace to us. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Perhaps spiritual warfare is less about engaging the enemy and more about engaging myself to submit fully to my Lord Jesus Christ?

Father, give us this day the humility to come before you and cast aside all rebellion, all anarchy. Thank you that you forgive us and give us grace as we submit to you. Thank you that you are quick to bring us back to a place of effectiveness as we walk in submission to you and exercise your authority over the devil. Thank you God that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). Amen.

It's Not My Destiny to Die in the Battle

Recently, my pastor at our new church has been doing a series of lectures on dealing with the giants in one's life. He's brought many wonderful truths from I Samuel 17 where David has his historic conflict with Goliath. He pointed out how Goliath even propelled David into his calling and was part of the process for growing David into the King he was destined to be.

I thank the Lord that His word is living and for making it alive in me. The Lord showed me a wonderful truth as I was meditating on this whole topic of Giants that we face in life. Before David had the encounter with Goliath in I Samuel 17, he had already been anointed as King in I Samuel 16. See verse 13.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward (I Samuel 16:13a).

At the point that God anointed David as King, it was his destiny to be King of Israel and to be a mighty man of God. His calling was confirmed when one of Saul's servants spoke of David being skilled with the harp - able to soothe Saul's mind from the influence of the evil spirit that was upon him. He said, "Look I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him" (I Samuel 16:18). God caused this servant to be able to see David for who he really was in God. David had not yet proven himself in war or done anything that most people would consider to be an act of valor - yet the man saw that "the LORD was with him". As "anointed" as he was, David was still out there with the sheep (I Samuel 16:19)!

Then comes the historic conflict in chapter 17. When he had heard of the words Goliath had been saying against the armies of God he spoke with boldness saying, "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the Living God?" (I Samuel 17:26b). Why was David so bold in his speech? We know about his history with God - the Lion and the bear (v.37). We also know that God was continually with him (I Samuel 16:18), but consider this. It was not David's destiny to die on the battle field at the hands of Goliath! God didn't anoint him as king only to die in a noble, yet foolish, attempt to take on this giant. David couldn't die out there. It was impossible. No weapon formed against him could prosper!

Similarly, you and I were not called to die on the battle field against our adversary the devil and the giants he has setup in our lives. God has only allowed the giants so they could be defeated and we could march around with their severed heads - proclaiming the faithfulness of God. God did not call us to die in our struggle against sin and the situations that try us. He did not bring us out of sin, out of Egypt, only to kill us in the desert. He who has started a good work in us will finish it (Philippians 1:6). I know the thoughts I think towards you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). He says, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). We already have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:57).

Finally, may I encourage you and encourage myself, as well, knowing that, "whatever is born of God overcomes the world (I John 5:4). Therefore, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome (Numbers 13:30b).

Well, You Know...It Rains on The Just and the Unjust

The Lord has been showing me that Matthew chapter 5 is one of the most misquoted and misunderstoon chapters of the Bible. I pray that this statement doesn't come across as prideful or uncarring. In fact, it is just the opposite in my heart. The enemy has done much to mischaracterize God and it is against this mischaracterization that I am writing now.

OK. Here it is. One of the quotations that I have heard many times in my life is, "Well you know it rains on the just and the unjust". That comment is usually said when something bad happens in your life. The comment is made to say that God let's good and bad happen to everyone without purpose or design. Now, I am not one to say that a Christian will never suffer and go through things. I think the persecutions and sufferings of the early Christian church make that pretty plain. However, the picture that is painted of God when we say, "It rains on the just and the unjust" is one of a God who gives no preference to His own and that he allows random events to hit everyone. Nothing could be further from the truth! The bibles says He knows the very hairs that are on our heads and He cares for us.

OK, so now let's look at this quotation in it's propper context - Matthew 5:43-47:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

Can you see it? This verse has nothing to do with explaining the good and bad that happens in our lives! It has everything to do with being like our Father in heaven who is good to all - even those who don't deserve it. I've heard the term "Common Grace" used to describe the general goodness that God shows to all who get to breathe His air, eat His food, sit on His earth, etc. Now, this isn't the grace of our Lord Jesus who saves us from the punishment of sin in Hell, but His general goodness to all. In any case, when we normally hear this verse partially quoted, it makes rain seem like a bad thing! All we have to do is ask some people from some of the more impoverished parts of the world. They wish they had the regular rainfall that many of us enjoy. Without rain, nothing grows. There is dryness. There is death. The curse is when it DOES NOT rain! Rain is a blessing! Rain is life. Without water, nothing lives!

So, the next time you hear someone misquote this verse, don't believe the evil report. God is good and He is using all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). You were not hit with a random event from a God who gives no consideration for His children. He has carefully planned out your days and He is bringing you into an ultimate good that only He can see from His vantage point. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows the thoughts that He thinks towards us and they are good. He has good plans for us - not a "willy nilly" distribution of blessings and calamity! God is good and not evil. He is not the author of evil in your life and mine. That credit belongs to the wicked one, Satan, the adversary or our souls. Let's stop pinning the responsibility for Satan's ills on God.

Be encouraged. "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom". - E.Mc.

Our Declaration of Independence

On July 4th, 1776 the thirteen American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. There were demonstrations of discontent and military skirmishes for more than a year leading up to the declaration, but the signing of the Declaration of Independence sparked an all out war. The colonies declared their freedom long before they experienced it's reality. They had to fight for seven long years for the independence they believed was theirs already. The last of the British troops did not leave the newly formed nation until November 25, 1783 - more than seven years later.

Here's something to think about. When we celebrate our independence as a nation, we date it back to 1776 and not 1783 when the war was over. In the minds of the eary fathers, freedom began when they declared it to be so - not when their enemy recognized it as well. During the war, the colonists considered themselves to be free and faught to attain the fullness of that freedom. The enemy, on the other hand, the British, maintained the exact opposite. They believed the colonies were not free and were under the dominion of the British empire.

As Christians, we have a Declaration of Independence as well. It is found in John 8:36. "If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." Despite the opposition we may get from enemy, despite the sin and evidence to the contary, if Christ says He has made us free, then we are free. Like the colonists who declared their independence, our enemy may declare an all out war against us once we start to embrace this truth. He knows that the truth has the power to make us free (John 8:32). Once he sees that "we hold these truths to be self evident..." he is going to increase his attacks to try to convince us to the contrary. Every assault of the British was intended to convince the new nation that they were in fact still colonists of the British empire.

The truth is that we are no longer under the dominion of sin. "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14). Dominion speaks of control and influence over another as a master to a slave. Sin does not have a right to exercise dominion over us because we have died to sin along with Christ (Romans 6:6). We are dead to the the imputation of guilt and condemnation of sin just as Christ died to the imputation of guilt and condemnation due us under the law (Romans 6:10-11). The dominion, continuing mastery and influence, of sin in our lives is a direct result of being under law (condemnation of the law) rather than grace. Romans 6:14 has two implicit statements in it. (1) Those who are dominated by sin are under law. (2) Those who are free from the domination of sin are under grace.

Had the early Americans not "reckoned" these things to be so, had they not clung to the belief that they were free, the enemy would have convinced them to give up the fight and there would be no new nation. They could have had a divine appointment from God, yet never realize all that God had for them because they were unable to believe. They would have been like the Isrealites who were not able to enter into the promises of God because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). They were free from the moment that God sent Moses to proclaim their freedom to Pharaoh, but they were not free in their minds. Even after miracoulosly crossing the Read Sea and leaving the Egyptian soldiers dead behind them, they longed to go back to Egypt - to slavery. The basic truth is this: Long before freedom can be enjoyed, it must be believed. If I do not believe I am free, I will turn back to the familiar, to the status quo with every oposition.

Christ has declared our freedom. The enemy will try to convince us otherwise, but let's make a choice to believe what He said. Let us enter into His rest through belief. If the Son has made us free, we are free indeed.

Why Abel's Sacrifice Was Better Than Cain's

Have you ever wondered why God respected Abel's offering, but did not respect Cain's offering (Genesis 4:4-5)? Often times we are taught that Abel had a good attitude when he gave and Cain did not or that Cain didn't give his best. However, this is reading into the text of God's word. There's nothing there that really says that. It may well have been, but that's not information that the Holy Spirit saw fit to provide. All we know is that Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground, as he was a farmer, and Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat (Genesis 4:3-4). The most we can say is that Abel gave of his first and best. However, I believe there's more to it than that.

Principle: The forgiveness of sin requires bloodhshed. "And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews 9.22). Remission just means fogiveness, aquital, release, or pardon. For God to remain a "just God" He has to execute judgement on sin. He can't just let it go. Blood must be shed. Innate in all of us is the idea that someone has to "pay" when there is an injustice. When Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel's parents, sinned God killed an animal (Genesis 3:21) to cover their nakedness - their sin. God allowed a temporary substitution, but blood still had to be shed. All of the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings prescribed for the temporary removal of sin required an animal to die in man's place. Thank offerings could be grain and wine, but anything related to removing sin required blood. Why?

Because Jesus was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Every time there was a death of an animal for man's sin, whether they knew it or not, they were looking forward to Jesus laying down his life for us all! Hebrews 9:12 says, "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. " Hebrews 10:1 tells us that those sacrifices were just shadows or images pointing to the once and for all perfect sacrifice of Jesus that would forever purge us of the condemnation, judgement, for sins. Those animal sacrifices were an ongoing reminder of sin. They never removed sin because they kept having to be offered over and over again (Hebrews 10:1-4).

Now back to Cain and Abel. Abel's sacrifice pointed to Jesus, Cain's sacrifice did not. Abel was looking by faith to that promised Seed who would bruise the serpents head at Calvary (Genesis 3:15). How do we know? Isn't that an aweful lot to suppose to be in Abel's head? Well, let's look at Hebrews 11:4 - "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks". How was it that he was righteous? Was he righteous because of his good works, his deeds? No. The word says, there is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10) and all our righteousness is as filth rags - literally a dirty sanitary napkin (Isaiah 64:6). By the deeds or works of the law, no flesh is justified (Romans 3:20). Abel was made righteous not by his works, but by his faith in the coming messiah! Amen! Still don't believe me? Look a litter further to Hebrews 11:7. It was by faith that Noah became the heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. An heir doesn't work for something. He just receives it because it was legally bestowed on him. The scriptures says a similar thing of Abraham who believed God (by faith) and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:22, Galatians 3:6). Abel did not look to his own works or effort for righteousness, but to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. He believed in the promised Seed and obeyed God's prescribed method for the removal of sin rather than his own way, his own effort.

Now, let's contrast Cain. Can was a "tiller of the ground", a farmer (Genesis 4:2). Now let's see what the last thing was that God said about the ground.

Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19).

Cain's offering, the fruit of the ground, didn't point to Jesus. It pointed to hard work, self effort, and little produce. Whether he knew it or not, his offering was reminiscent to God of righteousness by works by which we already know that no one is justified (Galatians 2:16). The works of the law (self-effort, self-righteousness) produce the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:18-21). The outward manifestation of being under law produces all the sins listed. In Cain's case, he manifested hatred and then murder when he killed his brother (Genesis 4:8). Self-effort under law, instead of looking to the cross of Jesus, breeds frustration for not measuring up and eventually manifests something bad as it did with Cain.

Friends, God doesn't want us to work for righteousness, he wants us to receive it by faith and then naturally produce the good fruit we desire (Galatians 5:22-23). He doesn't want us to toil by the sweat of our brow for what He would freely give. Our Lord says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthews 11:28). Let's rest in Him. Rest in the finished work of Jesus who has perfected us forever!

Jesus Releases Hunch-backs

In Luke 13:10-13 we read of Jesus's encounter with a woman who had a "spirit of infirmity" which afflicted her for eighteen long years.

Verse 11 says she was "bent over and could in no way raise herself up". Whether it was from pain or a literal bending of her spine, this woman was essentially a hunch-back. She was bent and deformed and she could not help herself. She could not straighten herself and raise herself up. Most of us, if we are honest, have had areas of our lives that have been bent and out of shape. We appear crooked to others. We have ways that are unsightly and deformed. Worse yet, no matter how hard we seem to try, we can't raise ourselves up. We can't do right, we can't line up. Like the woman with the spirit of infirmity, we want to walk upright, but we are unable to help ourselves.

Now let's look at what Jesus does for this woman in verse 12. First it says that "Jesus saw her". Wasn't that good news for her? Jesus saw her. He took notice of her and purposed in his heart to help this poor woman who was unable to help herself after eighteen years of trying. We too can take heart. Jesus sees us! Amen! In all of our mess, in all of our affliction, in all of our crooked ways - He sees us. He sees when we are bent, misaligned with His righteousness and He has purposed to help us! Next it says that "Jesus called her to Him". Jesus didn't condescend to her situation. He didn't lament with her. He said, "Come here because I am about to tell you something that is going to change your life forever!" He said "Woman you are loosed from your infirmity"! Now isn't it awesome that Jesus spoke in the past tense! The translators translated the Greek word "Apoluo" as loosed or freed - past tense. This woman was still as hunch-backed as when He first laid eyes on her, yet her healing and deliverance was as good as done in His mind. I looked up the meaning of the word "Apoluo" and I like one elaboration of the word in particular. It says, "to acquit one accused of a crime and set him at liberty". Sickness and demonic oppressions are just manifestations of being judged and condemned as sinners. This woman herself may not have sinned any more than the rest of humanity, but she was sill under the obligation of perfect adherence to the law and under the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 28, Galatians 3:10). This word Apoluo speaks of a release, a pardon from a sentence of the law. The same word is used of Barabbas who was released by Pilate instead of Jesus (Matthew 27). This woman's sickness was a sentence - not on her alone for her sins, but a curse that was in the earth to all who failed to keep the law. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). She was a captive. Praise be to God that Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives and to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18)! Jesus, who was totally innocent, took on all of our sin and guilt and was punished in our place. He was made to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (II Corinthians 5:21). That's why Jesus could grant this woman a release, a pardon - because He knew what He was going to do for her and it was as good as done in His mind. He had "set His face like a flint" to go through with the agony of the cross for us (Isaiah 50:7).

God wants you and me to know that whatever sins we have been found guilty of, whatever crooked ways still linger, we are pardoned. We are released. Our "apoluo" has been granted. In the natural, we may see ourselves sick and bent over still - broken, malfunctioning, but God says you are free. If the Son has made you free, you are free indeed (John 8:36). You see, this is the truth. The truth is that sinners who desire it have been given the free gift of righteousness. It's not something we have to work for. We are simply justified, made righteous by the unmerited grace of God apart from any works or effort of our own (Galatians 2:16). This is the simple truth. However, many of us, including myself, have not grasped this basic truth of the Gospel. The more we hear this truth, the more the truth makes us free (John 8:32). This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the power of God unto Salvation (Romans 1:16). A friend of mine teaches that the word "salvation" in the Greek mentioned in Romans 1:16 means in part being saved from the "molestation of sin" - from the molestation of the enemy. God has proclaimed our liberty from the molestation of sin!

This woman was a picture of those, who under the system of law, had no hope in the world. She could do nothing to help herself. She has been in this bent over condition for eighteen years. She was in a prison and being molested by an evil spirit responsible for her sickness and there was nothing she could do about it. She needed a savior. She needed someone to reach down and save her from her mess. Thank God for Jesus!

There's more to the story. In verse 13 it says that Jesus "laid his hands on her". The laying on of hands always involves a transfer of something. We see this in the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, the priest would lay his hands on the sacrificial animal and confess the sins of the people on it. A transfer took place. When Jesus laid hands on this woman, He secured her release by transferring all of her condemnation and judgement to Himself and transferring all of His righteousness to her. He had not yet gone to the cross, but it was as good as done. By His stripes she, and all of us, would be healed from the infirmity of sin and all the condemnations and judgement that go with it (Isaiah 53:5). When Jesus laid His hands on her, she "was made straight and glorified God" because she received the righteousness of God by faith (Romans 3:22). When you and I stop receiving the condemnation of the law and embrace the liberty, the pardon that is in Christ, our condemnation, our imprisonment is lifted, and the righteousness of Christ is transferred to us. For those who understand accounting, there is a debit to Jesus's sin account (though he never sinned) and there is a credit of righteousness to our account (though we did in fact sin). Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

Jesus sees your infirmity and mine. He knows we are bent. He knows we can't fix ourselves. He knows we are sick and need a physician. Praise be to God that He has already made a way out. He has already secured our release and our pardon. All we have to do is receive it by faith and we too can be straightened of every crooked and perverse way.

God bless all who read. - E.Mc.