Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

James 4:7 – ⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Do you have sin in your life that you want to get rid of and it’s just hard?

The fact that most of us fail to realize or take seriously is that there is a major spiritual war going on that we can’t physically see.

Satan is still the Prince of this world.  Jesus has gained victory over sin and death, but Satan still has plenty of power on this planet.  Any victory you can have over Satan comes from Jesus and His victory.

That is why we must SUBMIT ourselves to God.  We have no power without Him.  With Him however, we have all the power we need to defeat evil, sin, and Satan in our lives.

Now onto the title portion of our post.  Imagine if you have a bunch of macho football watching guys all hanging out.  In your house you have the greatest setup to watch football.  A high definition big screen with sound that puts you right into the action.  Also let’s pretend that these football watching fanatics have no ability to watch it unless they travel to somebody’s house to see it and they can go and watch it wherever they want.

Are they going to be at your house?

 You bet they are, as many as the place will fit and as long as they can have a decent seat.

How long will they stay?  As long as you have the games playing.  The better the games the more they enjoy them.

This analogy I wanted to play out for you works the same way in a sinful problem.  You see there are demons by the millions are over this earth and they work for Satan.  Each one of them is an evil disembodied spirit that has its own sins.  They are feeding off of you! 

If you are feeding them in your sin (whatever it may be), they are going to be there in full force.

Luke 11:24-26 – ²⁴“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

So we see here that a spirit wants to find rest and until he finds a sinful habitat, he doesn’t have rest.  So in this case it went out and found seven sprits more wicked than it was.  Where did they go?  Back into the same man.  What was the result?  The man is now worse off than before he cleaned up his life and gave the wicked spirit the boot in the first place.  

You’re already a fallen sinful human being that is fighting the flesh already.  This certainly doesn’t help the battle.  So what are we supposed to do?

We have to make the decision to die to ourselves and that sinful nature.  We have to let Jesus work in us and through us to get this victory.

Here’s another thing about that evil spirit or spirits.  If you aren’t feeding it, not only does it get bored with you, but as we read it gets restless.  It leaves because it needs to feed.  Don’t let it feed off of your sin any longer.  Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.

I remember thinking to myself, how can I say that I would die if someone put a gun to my head and asked me if I was a Christian, if I can’t even die to the stupid sins that I allow to affect my life. 

That’s when 2+2 came together for me, along with reading the life changing book from Chuck and Nancy Missler (The Kingdom, Power & Glory, the overcomers handbook).  I needed to:

1. Die to myself
2. Allow the spirit of God and Christ to work through me
3. Resist the Devil so he would flee from me

I’m telling you it has set me free on many things I couldn’t beat on my own.  If you want the mindset to beat a sin you have to take it on with all three of these.

When we accept Christ, what is supposed to change?

We are!

The Lord accepts us just as we are, but that’s not where we’re supposed to stay.  In fact it’s almost impossible to do.  You’re going to start moving.  So where are you going to start moving to?

Most of us when we accept the Lord have that high, because we have discovered the Love of Jesus.  To accept the Lord, for at least a time we say, “I’m a sinner and I need you to save me.”  

It’s a form of submitting.  What we don’t realize is submitting is how we need to continue in our walk and relationship with Him.

So we get saved and then it’s back to ME again.  Boy, am I glad I’m saved, well it’s time to go out and do the same things I’ve always done.  It’s time to go blend back in with the crowd.  What’s changed?

Should there be a change?

2 Corinthians 5:17 – ¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  KJV

Old things are passed away.  That’s a change.  Why do we need to change?

Psalms 94:11 – ¹¹The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.  KJV

Fallen man thinks about himself instead of the things of God.

So we need to die to that sinful part of ourselves.

Romans 6:1-7 – ¹ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

 ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Romans 6:11 – ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We need to die to our selfish wants, selfish desires, self, self, self, self. 

The new creature is to be Christ with skin on.  When we die to ourselves, He can come in and work through us.  If that’s not happening then we need to study the New Testament and adhered to what it says.  We are crucified with Christ.  We need to become a new creation.  Pray for the want to and the strength to do so.

John 14:23-24 – ²³Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

These two verses have many great things in them.  Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit in this portion of the chapter.  I want to concentrate on His words.

It basically says if we love Him, since we all qualify as anyone, we will obey His teaching.  What does the opposite of that mean? 

Does it mean….if we don’t obey Him…do we love Him?

I worry (and I don’t know this for a fact) that many people are in love with the idea of avoiding hell and inhabiting heaven.  Do they love the Real Living Jesus, because Jesus isn’t a personage or God that is whoever you want to make Him out to be?  He has standards.  They are the same as God the Father’s standards, since they are one.

John 10:30 – ³⁰I and the Father are one.”

So what are these standards?  Where are these teachings we need to obey if we really love Him?

They’re in God’s Word which is the Bible.

So if we don’t know the Bible or read the Bible, how can we obey Jesus?  If we don’t obey Jesus do we love Him?

Matthew 21:28-32 – ²⁸“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’  ²⁹” ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

 ³⁰“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

 ³¹“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
      “The first,” they answered.

   Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³²For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Once again many scriptures have multiple messages of gold in them.  That’s how God’s Word works and it’s one of the many things that makes it so incredible.  I want to concentrate on the obedience in the scripture, because had the elders and chief priests really have known and obeyed God’s Word, Jesus wouldn’t be telling them that the prostitutes and tax collectors were entering ahead of them.

Think about it.  Our savior is telling the holy men of that day that the prostitutes and tax collectors that repent and accept Him are entering before they were.  That was a serious blow to their egos.

How’s man today on obeying God’s teaching?  How’s the church doing regarding God’s teaching?

How are we doing in regards to Loving Jesus?  Is there anything more important?

Today is a new day to deny yourself and obey God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  It’s one sure fire way that we can show Jesus we love Him.  He’s says so Himself in His teaching.  Read it.

Sometimes I sit back and ask the Lord to give me a scripture to write about.  Wow it is amazing which one He speaks into my head and when I get there I am awed.

Philippians 3:8 –  ⁸What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

It is amazing at how much of the New Testament is to live for Christ first.  Yet we manage to try and get around that because it requires neglect of our own selfish wants.

Paul understood that everything else is rubbish because it all passes away.  Only that of Christ and God does not pass away.  Our number one goal in life should be what?

First to make sure we don’t spend eternity without our Loving Creator and God.  So we need to accept His Son’s sacrifice on the cross.

Is that it?  When I look at the church today (not all), that seems to be where it ends and then it’s all about me.

What can God do for me?  Where’s the closest prosperity teaching church in the area, because I don’t have small needs.  My God wants me to have it all.  What Bible are they reading?

The one I read says beware!  You can’t serve two masters!   Store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven where moth and rust don’t destroy and where thieves won’t break in to steal!   The idea of tearing down and building bigger barns is frowned upon in Luke 12.  It’s named the Parable of the Rich Fool.

The Bible indicates, first ask the Lord for forgiveness and accept the sacrifice of Jesus.  Second die to yourself and live for Him.  Live for your new Lord, Savior, and King.  And what?  You will have done what his Word has asked and indicated.  You will rule and reign with Christ and be rewarded.  That’s the Bible I read and it’s full of those words.

Here’s the good part.  The more you seek Jesus, the more find.  The more you find, the more love and understanding that comes in.  That’s the Light.  It changes your wants from me to He, a little more each day.  Oh were still fallen creatures with lots of issues, but we have a better understanding of why we are that way.  Also, we tap into His power so we can have more victory in Him.

Today is a new day to live for Christ first.  The past is the past.  How we finish the race is what we control from here.

When you want to get to know that loved one in your life, what do you do?

You hang around them.  You start to learn their likes, dislikes, and who they are. 

This is how we build a relationship.  If you have no time for your spouse or children, is that relationship strong?  If you are constantly ignoring them when they need you, or want to be with you, is that relationship strong?  If you took no time to know them at all, is there really even a relationship there?

Guess what?  Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit know everything about you. 

Oh that doesn’t bore them.  They love you and have more time for you than you will be able to ask for.  So in a relationship when two individuals are supposed to work on getting to know each other, who does that leave left between you and the Lord? 

Yep!  How much do we know the Lord?  How much time do we spend trying to get to know the Lord?  How much time to we give to the Lord regarding anything?

That’s how strong your relationship is with the Lord.

Here’s the good part.  The more you earnestly seek Him, the more you find Him.

Matthew 7:7-8 – ⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

If you’re doing it with a pure heart and really want to know your Lord, You’ll continue to find Him and know Him better. 

You know why?  Because He wants you to.  This starts out as a pretty one-sided deal.  He loves you from the very beginning and knows everything about you.  For you it requires E-F-F-O-R-T.  Do you think God cares about what effort you’re putting into your relationship with Him?  Yes He cares that much.

So while we’re doing things that won’t make any difference tomorrow, remember what we could be doing.  When we’re busy doing things that are contrary to what the Word of God says, get to know Him well enough that it bothers you that He don’t like that.

Relationship!  The Lord wants a Relationship with you!  Satan doesn’t want you to have a relationship with Him.  Want to be rebellious to Satan, improve your relationship with the Lord.

When this war is over, you don’t want to be on the wrong side.  Eternity is forever.

Hebrews 11:1 – ¹Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

How can you build your faith on something you can’t see?

By seeking the Truth!

John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you earnestly seek the truth and not your own desires you will find it.

Matthew 7:7-8 – ⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

God is right there for everyone.  He stands at the door and knocks.

Revelation 3:20 – Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Humans reject God by choice.  Humans choose God by choice.  Humans choose to serve God by choice.

That’s why we all will be held accountable someday.  Some at the Judgment Throne and others at the Bema Seat where we are rewarded for what we have or haven’t done.

Romans 10:17 – ¹⁷Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Those who diligently read the bible do not struggle with believing in the devil’s lies, such as evolution, or believing that the universe and life are all just a freak accidents.  Not one scientist would walk into a cave, see clear writing all over the walls and think it was all a freak accident.

However, the same group can look at the whole universe and say without skipping a beat that it is all just magic and a freak accident that life occurred.  The sun has to exist, the earth has to orbit at a safe distance, the moon has to pull with gravity from a certain distance, etc.  Gravity, that is something in its self, but they all want you to believe everything came from nothing.

Why?

Because they are proud people who don’t want to serve the living eternal God who created it all.

Why?

Because you can’t be the God of yourself you recognize the true one.  So they listen to seducing spirits that have one thing in common with them, they both don’t want to serve God.

Strengthening your faith will cause your relationship with the Lord to grow, as well as protect you from the lies of the evil one.

Isaiah 5:20 – ²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 

Who is good?

Mark 10:8 – “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 

Only God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (the Trinity) are good.  Who are the people attacking, that God would tell them, Whoa to those who say good is evil?

Those which are attacking Him and His Word!

What are they doing on the flip side?  They are leaning on their own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 

Proverbs 16:25 – There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. 

Mark 7:21-22 – ²¹For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²²greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 

In the last days men continue to get more evil as they lean on their own understanding.  Where does most of this understanding come from?  The spiritual unfriendly voices of the enemy.  Oh, they have no problem with you claiming ownership of these ideas after they are whispering them to you.  Actually I’m sure the demonic fallen angels are getting quite a kick out of it.

God’s Word is our two edged sword.  It is more powerful than any destructive weapon on the planet; we just don’t choose to believe that.

Stand for Good, which is God.  You’re going to be in the minority, especially in these last days.  However, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Matthew 5:10-12 –  ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.