Tag Archives: obedience

Spiritual Warfare In The Old Testament

Apologetics, , ,

SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Galatian Church syndrome reworked

One of the areas where the “Galatian Church syndrome” seems to have re-emerged, i.e. that the cross needs our help to be effective, is in the modern world-wide prayer movement in which altars, strongholds and powers over localities and countries are being “identified” and intercessors raised up to deal with these powerful spirits who hold people and nations captive.

There is no denying that such powers exist and that people are held captive to their deception but I question the way that the problem is dealt with by this movement. Is it Biblical?

What is “spiritual warfare”?

Let’s first examine what is meant by “spiritual warfare” in the understanding of today’s church and the way in which it is currently being handled.

In some parts of the church it is assumed that it is the responsibility of believers, and in particular a special group of believers called “intercessors” firstly to identify the “altars”, the idols, the specific powers and strongholds over towns, cities, regions and countries and the spirits operating in those areas that keep people in bondage. It is then their task to pray these demonic powers down, to break their power over towns, regions etc., so that the gospel will be effective. This requires a great deal of effort, denouncing and declaring until they are satisfied that the spiritual warfare has been effective.

It requires time and effort by specialised people who not only have to identify the particular spirits they have to deal with and spend time interceding, but they also have to go around training “ordinary” believers in the art of “spiritual warfare”.

Another area of “spiritual warfare” relates to curses in general and to “generational” curses in particular.

There is a belief among some believers that many of the trials and hardships that we experience are attacks of the devil. People are vulnerable for various reasons, some of which are identified as “curses”. If your father, for example, was involved in witchcraft, ungodly practices or, heaven forbid, Free Masonry, then you are vulnerable and anything that goes wrong in your life means that you are under a curse. You are a victim and you need someone who has a deliverance ministry to rescue you.

You may have sinned and now God is punishing you by allowing you to suffer adversity. You need “powerful prayers” to break the curse and get the devil off your back.  “Spiritual warfare” is, therefore, the task of the intercessor or the person with a deliverance ministry to deal with demons or strongholds over people or groups of people by “powerful” prayers invoking the name of Jesus, or carrying out rituals like prayer walks, praying on site, or discerning and pulling down strongholds, principalities and powers or breaking curses over individuals or families.

Examples from the Old Testament

Now let’s examine this model against the backdrop of the Scriptures; first the Old Testament which seems to be the pattern from where some of these practices come, and then the New Testament.

Abraham

As a brand new believer in Elohim, Abraham moved to the land of Canaan at God’s command, a land riddled with idolatry and wickedness. How did he cope with the situation?

As he moved from place to place in the land, he established a network of altars and worshipped the Lord God who had appeared to him in Ur. The writer of Genesis made sure that every reader was aware that the Canaanites were in the land (Genesis 12:6-9; 13:7). What was the implication? In spite of the fact that the Canaanites were evil and in charge, Abraham worshipped God publicly wherever he went.

After he had parted from Lot, God appeared to him with this promise:

“Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever… Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you. So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great tree of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.” Genesis 13:14-18 (NIV).

How did Abram respond? He believed God’s promise and worshipped Him.

The children of Israel

How did the Israelites respond when they received the report of the ten spies regarding the strength of the Canaanites in the Promised Land? Instead of listening to Joshua and Caleb, believing God’s promise and obeying His instructions, they were afraid of the Canaanites, complained about their leaders and wanted to return to Egypt. Instead of worshipping God, they rebelled because they thought it was up to them to win the battle.

“That night all the people of community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and whole assembly said to them, ‘If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ And they said to each other, ‘We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’” Numbers 14:1-4 (NIV).

They did not believe God’s promise, they grumbled and rebelled and eventually died in the desert. Their offspring were the ones who conquered the land through the power of God.

Elijah

Elijah was God’s prophet in Israel at a time when Ahab and Jezebel reigned in the northern kingdom. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. She brought with her the worship of Baal with its evil practices. God judged the nation with a severe famine. Elijah emerged from hiding from the murderous intention of King Ahab to challenge the prophets of Baal to a contest to determine who was God in Israel.

The story is well-known but what interests me is how Elijah handled his part in the contest. It was not his responsibility to deal with the power of Baal. He repaired the broken altar of the Lord, and created an impossible situation by dousing the sacrifice, the altar and the surrounding ground with water. Then he worshipped the Lord and prayed that God would reveal His power. The fire fell from heaven and consumed everything including the water. There was no contest because the power claimed by the prophets of Baal was a lie.

Conclusion

Even in the Old Testament the way in which spiritual warfare was conducted was to unmask the devil’s deception by believing God, obeying His word and worshipping Him.

This pattern is repeated over and over again in the Old Testament. Whenever Israel as a nation received God’s promise and worshipped Him, acting in obedience to His instruction, they were victorious. Three examples come to mind;

  1. The conquest of Jericho:

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See I have delivered Jericho into your hands along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men…Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams horns in front to the ark…On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse…’” Joshua 6: 1-5. (NIV).

They obeyed and Jericho fell.

  1. Victory of Judah and King Jehoshaphat over Moab and Ammon:

Jehoshaphat was faced with a coalition of fighting men from Moab and Ammon. He prayed to God in the presence of the people at the temple in Jerusalem. One of the Levites, Jahaziel, prophesied:

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17.

Jehoshaphat and all the people bowed in worship before the Lord. The next day, as the people went out to meet the enemy, Jehoshaphat encouraged them:

“’Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.’ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendour of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

                        ‘Give thanks to the Lord,

                        For His love endures forever.’”

2 Chronicles 20:20b-21.

We know the end of the story very well. God defeated the enemy and all they did was to gather the spoils. The outcome was amazing.

“The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of   the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for the Lord had given him rest on every side.” 2 Chronicles 20:29-30 (NIV).

  1. Hezekiah and the Assyrian threat

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was on the march. His predecessor, Shalmaneser, had already overrun Samaria and carried the Israelites into captivity. Now it was Judah’s turn. Hezekiah paid the tribute Sennacherib demanded but Sennacherib was bent on capturing Jerusalem. He sent officials to intimidate the king and the people of Jerusalem. He sent a threatening letter to Hezekiah via his messengers which Hezekiah took into the temple and spread out before the Lord. He worshipped the Lord and laid his case before Him.

God spoke through the prophet Isaiah in response, promising His miraculous deliverance without an arrow being shot. That night the angel of death passed over the Assyrian army camp and wiped out the entire army of 186,000 soldiers. Sennacherib withdrew and returned to Assyria where he was murdered by his two sons.

The common denominator in these victories was twofold; obedience to God and worship, the essence of spiritual warfare! They did what God told them to do and there was no contest.

To be continued…

Paul’s Desire – God’s Intention

Bible Study, , ,

PAUL’S DESIRE — GOD’S INTENTION

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last, by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to make you strong — that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Romans 1:8-12.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, took his job seriously. He has been commissioned by his Lord to take the good news to the world. That did not necessarily mean that it was his personal responsibility to preach to every Gentile in the world. That would have been impossible then, even if he had all the technology and all the facilities we have today.

Paul relied on God’s amazing strategy of multiplication. It was God’s plan that the church grow by multiplication, the same strategy that works in nature. In spite of the slow modes of transport then, people moved around from place to place, believers as well, and wherever they went, they spread the story of Jesus.

Some new churches began through the work of faithful men, for example, men like Epaphras, who started the church at Colossae. Other churches sprang up as ordinary believers witnessed to their faith in Jesus as they moved around. No one knows how the church at Rome began but nevertheless Paul felt responsible to visit the believers in Rome, to ensure that they were on the right track and to strengthen them in the face of persecution.

The city of Rome was the hub of the Roman Empire. Paul knew how influential the church there was and it was his task to ensure that they understood and believed the truth of the gospel.  Already the news of their faith had spread to the whole world. Paul would not exaggerate lest he be thought a liar. He rejoiced in their faith but he also prayed faithfully for them. They were in the firing line for both persecution and error.

Life for believers anywhere in the empire was an uphill battle. They were the targets of hostility from both Jews and Gentiles and the pernicious false teachings of self-proclaimed “apostles” who twisted the truth or added to it to make it more palatable. Part of Paul’s commission as an apostle was to interpret the events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and to teach the infant believers the truth that would steer them through the morass of false teachings.

This responsibility included the churches he did not personally found. The letter to the Roman church was born in his heart as he battled the Judaisers, Jewish “believers” who insisted that Gentiles first be circumcised before they could embrace Jesus as their Lord. Paul was enraged by any teaching that subtracted from the sufficiency of Jesus for salvation by adding rules and ritual to faith in Him.

The church in the province of Galatia, possibly more than one church group, was hounded by these false teachers and had been taken in by them. Paul wrote a heated and emotional letter to them, pleading with them not to throw away their salvation by adding the law to their faith in Christ. Even submitting to circumcision would disqualify them from receiving God’s grace in Christ.

Paul’s letter to the Romans is like Mount Everest in the mountain range of New Testament letters. Through it he paved the way for his intended visit to them by giving them a detailed explanation of justification by faith in Christ alone, no doubt flowing out of his hot defence of the gospel to the Galatian believers. He wanted to see them face-to-face, to connect with them, to fellowship with them and to share his heart with them in person. A letter was good but a personal visit was better.

He was submitted to the will of God, no matter how much he longed to go to Rome. Little did he know, when he penned his letter, that his visit to Rome would be sponsored by the Roman government and his accommodation provided at Rome’s expense right in Caesar’s palace, albeit as a prisoner chained to a Roman soldier! All the better because his witness would spread throughout the palace guard and infiltrate Rome from the very top.

Talk about a master plan! Paul may not have thought it up, but he certainly recognised it when it happened.

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” Philippians 1:12-14.

Acknowledgement

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

You Can’t Kill A Dead Man

Bible Study, , ,

YOU CAN’T KILL A DEAD MAN!

“‘What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change — this radical turn to God and everything it meant to everyday life — right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.

“‘It’s because of this “whole world” dimension that the Jews grabbed me in the Temple that day and tried to kill me. They want to keep God for themselves. But God has stood by me, just as He promised, and I’m standing here saying what I’ve been saying to anyone, whether king or child, who will listen. And everything I’m saying is completely in line with what the prophets and Moses said would happen. One, the Messiah must die; two, raised from the dead, He would be the first rays of God’s daylight shining on people far and near, people both godless and god-fearing.'” Acts 26:19-23 (The Message).

The same Jesus, who created the universe and sustains it by His powerful word, stood before Paul and awaited his decision! In that life-changing encounter, Paul was offered a package – to be opened one day at a time, containing good and bad. The choice was his. Would he accept it or walk away and never know what was inside or have the privilege of being a partner with the King of kings?

‘I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that.’ Paul decided to accept the package in toto.. It was his response to the “heavenly vision” that set him up for life he lived — danger and death staring him in the face every moment of every day. It’s no wonder he wrote, “I die daily.” Death was his daily companion on his road of obedience to his Master.

But it did not seem to trouble him unduly. His attitude was, “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Death to Paul meant nothing worse than relocation into the presence of his Lord. As far as he was concerned, he was already a dead man, and no-one can kill a dead man. When did he die? In that moment when he surrendered his life to the glorious risen Jesus he saw on the Damascus road.

It was his job to follow the vision wherever it led. Unfortunately for him, his obedience to the vision took him into “forbidden territory” — the Gentiles. These were people abhorrent to the Jews for a very strange reason. During their early history, instead of living as God had instructed them and worshipping Him only, so that their way of life would put their God on display, they persisted in following the disgusting idols of the surrounding nations.This eventually led to their exile in a foreign land.

This terrible experience turned them into isolationists who thought they were better than everyone else. They treated the Gentiles as though they were less than human, refusing to have anything to do with them. For Paul to take God’s message to the Gentiles was unthinkable. How could he! He must die for that!

Yet they had forgotten that their very own Scriptures had predicted that Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles and that all the nations would come to the Lord through Him. Paul’s package included the hardship he had to endure at the hands of his own people whose prejudice had blinded them to the true nature of their God.

It was for that very reason that he stood before Agrippa that day, not to make excuses for a profligate life or criminal activities, but to bear testimony to his obedience to a vision and a call he could not ignore. How unbearable it would have been had he not died to himself that day when he answered the call!

A Man After God’s Heart

Bible Study, , ,

A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART

“After several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came down to us. He went right up to Paul, took Paul’s belt and, in a dramatic gesture, tied himself up, hands and feet. He said, ‘This is what the Holy Spirit says. The Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up the man who owns this belt just like this, and hand him over to godless unbelievers.

“When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going to Jerusalem. But Paul wouldn’t budge. ‘Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backwards. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?'” Acts 21:10-13 (The Message).

What a perspective! What a man!

Every time Paul was warned not to go to Jerusalem by well-meaning but misguided people, his resolve to face whatever was coming as long as it was in his Master’s will grew stronger. Paul was more concerned about missing God’s plan for him than he was about any kind of abuse or suffering from fellow-Jews or Romans. Whatever his friends thought or wanted for him was inconsequential. He had a single-minded determination to see his obedience through to the end, no matter what.

Paul’s life-lessons had brought him to the point where he drew his joy and his strength from the wellspring of obedience to Jesus, not circumstances, success or fruitfulness. The union between him and Jesus, established decades ago on the road to Damascus, when his response to Him was a simple, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ had become stronger and less complicated the longer he walked the road with Him.

From Paul’s story in the New Testament and from David’s in the Old, we can draw this conclusion: which of His children bring God the most pleasure? Those who win the most souls for Jesus? Those who suffer the most for Him? Those who go to the remotest parts of the earth and give up the most for Him? None of these things count for anything. What pleases God the most is doing what He tells us to do!

It may be as simple as caring for an abused or retarded child. It may be as undramatic as giving a cup of water to a thirsty beggar. It may be as routine as staying at home and raising a family. It is not what we do that gains us Brownie points. God looks at our hearts. Obedience is the hallmark of the one who truly loves Jesus. “‘If you love me show it by doing what I’ve told you.'” John 14:15 (The Message).

This was God’s affirmation of David at the end of his life: “After removing Saul, He made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'” Acts 13:22 (NIV). That puts every single believer within reach of the same verdict. “A man/woman after my own heart!” Who would not want that written by the finger of God on his/her CV?

How is this achieved? By the lessons of confidence and trust we learn through the trials of life. God told Moses, ‘You can’t see my face, but I will show you my back.’ We cannot see where God is taking us but where can see where He has been and that will surely give us confidence to trust him for the future.

Jesus gave His disciples one simple instruction: ‘Follow me.’ From that flows every step of our journey with Him. We must beware of every person and every teaching that complicates that simple instruction. God’s verdict on us hangs on our obedience to that simple command!

The Gospel Goes To Africa

Christian Life, ,

THE GOSPEL GOES TO AFRICA

“Later God’s angel spoke to Philip, ‘At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.’ He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.” Acts 8:26-28 (The Message)

Another strategic setup for the spread of the gospel!

A black man from Africa, a man of considerable importance in his country, went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Why would he do that? Obviously he was not in favour of the animistic religion of his own people. He took the long and dangerous journey from Ethiopia, through the mountains and across the desert to worship the one true God of the Jews.

Not only that but he possessed a copy of the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and he was reading it as he travelled. One wonders where he got hold of a treasure like that. He could not buy one from the local bookshop! All this adds up to a man who was seeking God, and God knew about it.

Philip was God’s man; not Peter or John – they were still too clogged up with prejudice. They were willing to accept that God had given salvation and the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans but, after all, they did have some Jewish blood in them. But a black man from Africa! It would take too much time to convince them. By the time they got going he would be well on his way home.

Philip’s response was immediate. His obedience perfectly matched the timing of the traveller. No questions asked. No details required. Philip was learning a valuable lesson about walking in the Spirit. God did not need to give him a Google map for his journey. Just take the next step and you’ll know what to do.

He did what he was told; he went to the desolate road to Gaza and the only traveller he encountered was a man who was seeking God. Philip didn’t barge in. He was in the right place at the right time to do anything God wanted of him but he waited for the next instruction.

“The Spirit told Philip, ‘Climb into the chariot.’ Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?”” Acts 8:29-30 (The Message).

Philip had to think quickly. How could he get an invitation to join the man in the chariot? This guy would not be in the habit of picking up hitchhikers. With the wisdom of God, Philip asked the one question that would give him a place in the chariot, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ That made an immediate connection with the eunuch. “He answered, ‘How can I without some help?’ and invited Philip into the chariot with him.” Acts 8:31 (The Message).

This was a God-ordained and a God-orchestrated moment not only for this man but for his people and his continent and Philip was ready for it because of his simple obedience.

How do we know the potential in our obedience to the Lord in just being in the right place at the right time, or picking up the telephone at the right moment? God does not have to offer explanations or go into detail to connect us with people to whom He wants to make Himself known. He hears the cry of a seeking heart and manoeuvres someone into position to answer that call.

All He needs from us is a listening ear and a willing heart. He does the rest.