2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We've been looking at the order of things in heaven, specifically the Scriptures like HE 1: 5-9, 13-14, which show that Christ is ranked higher than the angels. The reasons for this are outlined in JN 14: 30 and EPH 2: 1-3 by virtue of the power given Him by the Father. If there was ever any question of Christ's authority to judge and rule forever, it is answered clearly in DN 7: 13-14, his vision of God granting that authority to Christ.
Since the Scriptures have established Christ's clear authority, it shouldn't surprise those who read them daily that God had set him aside for a crucial task, that of carrying out His Will to separate the righteous from the unrighteous in His spiritual warfare against the devil and his followers. We know from the Scriptures I often cite about the pre-creation council in heaven [COL 1: 15-20 & 1 PET 1: 20-21] where the Father decides that Christ will be sent to earth and to give His life on the cross for us to have the chance at salvation, that wresting dominion over earth from Satan is a top priority of the Father's. He uses Christ to aid Him in this purpose. One of the most revealing passages about this in the Bible occurs in REV 5: 5, when John is told not to mourn because the Lion of Judah is capable of opening the scroll with the seven seals. That scroll represents dominion over earth, and His opening it unleashes the judgments that will, during the Tribulation, actually accomplish the job of separating the faithful from the unfaithful. Two citations in Matthew lend further understanding to this subject, MT 25: 31-32 and 41. "When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His royal throne, and the people of all the nations will be gathered before Him. Then He will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats...Then He will say to those on His left, 'Away from Me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels!'" The sheep on His right are the righteous, and the goats on the left are the unrighteous.
I plan to write about the subject of possession by an evil spirit in the future, but suffice it to say for now that people can abrogate their spiritual lives to the devil and his followers. It is a choice an individual makes at the time that he is brought to decide whether or not he will reject God. There aren't many dichotomies in life, but this is one of them. One either chooses to follow God or to reject Him. No matter how much rationalization that mankind attempts, one or the other choice must be made. It's like to old adage, "you can't be a little pregnant." I mention this because we have arrived at the time where we need to look at the consequences to anyone, man or angel, who makes the wrong choice. Satan and his angelic followers will not be the only ones who will end up in the lake of fire and sulfur. Anyone foolish enough to steadfastly reject God will join them there. We must remember that Satan may have walked into the Garden of Eden, but he slithered out [GN 3: 14-15].
REV 12: 7-8, "Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer." You'll remember that the archangel, Michael, is the guardian angel of Israel, the same one who needed Gabriel's help when he was fighting alone against the evil prince of Persia, which kept Gabriel from answering Daniel's mournful pleas for twenty-one days in DN 10: 13-14. We can see from REV 12: 7, that the prediction of God's pronouncement in the Protevangelium, GN 3: 15, that the serpent's head would be crushed will come true. My short description of the Bible, "God wins; Satan loses," is accurate. Our awesome God keeps His promises.
We are each brought to the decision of whether we will accept or reject God. Our Lord gives us a wealth of "combat intelligence" to equip us for spiritual warfare and to help us have discernment in making this decision. I know this seems elementary to reiterate these truths, but it must be done. When we are suffering and in pain, it is too easy for us to forget the big picture of God's reasons for allowing this and His will for us. We want to give into that suffering, but we must not! Satan, the "father of lies" [JN 8: 44] wants us to think that things will be better for us if we give in. He loves it when we fall heir to his deceptions and believe that the only reason that God is allowing us to suffer is that He wants to punish us. JOB was a man of faith who realized that he was not being punished, even when he didn't know for sure why God was allowing him to suffer. The truth was that Job's willingness to endure in faith was revealing God's glory. That is what we need to do in our lives too.
PRAYER: O Lord, You gave the words to David to utter for all of us, the recognition of Christ's holy authority. PS 2: 6-8, "'On Zion, My sacred hill,' He says, 'I have installed My King.' 'I will announce,' says the King what the Lord has declared. He said to Me: 'You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. As, and I will give You the all the nations; the whole earth will be Yours.'" In 2 SAM 7: 13, You promised David that one of his descendants will rule forever [Davidic covenant], and we take You at Your word. You are a promise-keeper, and Your word is wholly consistent. Not only have You given Christ authority, Dearest Father, but You have prepared and brought Him via the cross to Your heavenly altar to plead on behalf of us [HE 4: 15 & 8: 1-2]. It is by the authority that You have given Him that He will successfully carry out the task of defeating the dragon that is so anxious to lead us to destruction. We stand before You today as Your grateful and faithful servants. You have asked us to believe in Christ and to repent of our sins. We confess them and repent of them now! You have shown us through the Scriptures that we should hold tightly to our choice to trust and obey You, and You have given us the consequences of foolishness in giving into the pain and suffering the adversary and his followers cause. Your love, patience, forgiveness, and compassion are vital to our spiritual lives. We praise You for generously offering them. You command us to live "in Christ" and to be diligent about spreading the Gospel's saving words to others. We accept this task with joy. You have our eternal adoration and worship. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen
Tomorrow, I am led to begin discussing the contrast between Satan's and Christ's attitudes toward God. Even the name, Lucifer, is revealing in this. The attributes listed in today's prayer are only a few of the many that describe a Deity Whose whole existence seems to be based on His ability to love His creation. If personal experience is any teacher, I have found that by listening to God's teaching through Paul in RO 13: 9-10 and Christ's own words in JN 13: 34-35 brings great solace and satisfaction in one's life. These are the places where we are told to act with love toward both God and others. That isn't always easy, but it is always right. This is one way that we can mirror the approach that our Abba takes with us, and thus, come closer to Him. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn