How can I influence the world by the Life and power of Christ, if my mind is filled with the things of this world? I am not of this world. I am from above. The everlasting God is my Father. His Kingdom is within me. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I do not love the things of this world. But my affections are set on things above ~ above the distant stars and galaxies, above the Universe; where Christ is seated with God. His Eternal Word lives in me. I have the mind of Christ. I have the Spirit of Christ. I am His, and He is mine. To know Him, and to do His will, is all my delight.
The mind of Christ cannot be comprehended by the 'natural man.' The things of God must be spiritually discerned. But that is only possible to those who have been "born again," made alive in the spirit by, and joined together with, the Spirit of God.
Eighty-four people were killed in Nice, France, several days ago. Awful. But what about the One-Hundred Twenty-Five THOUSAND (125,000) unborn children that were slaughtered in the womb, on that very same day? And another 125,000 the day after that. And another 125,000 the next day. And yet another 125,000 that were killed, today. And tomorrow, another 125,000. As many unborn babies died last year alone, as there were people who died in all the years of WWII combined. Almost 25,000,000 unborn (many of which were actually born) have been killed already this year (source: here).
Things are not always as they seem in this world. The recent carnage in Orlando, Florida. Some have suggested that it was all staged. Maybe. Maybe not. But do you know for sure, beyond all doubt? Do you know who brought down the World Trade Towers (the 'Twin Towers') in New York city, a decade and a half ago?
Neither do I. Nor do you.
Who ever heard of "preppers," until a few years ago? What on earth spawned such a phenomenon as that? Martial law, of course. Well, not exactly martial law, but the threat of that. Along with the threat of worldwide economic collapse. Kind of like what BrExit did to collapse the world stock markets. Oh, they took a hit, alright. Three days later, business was better than ever. If I had had money to gamble, I would have made a fortune off of BrExit.
Then, two or three days ago, came some really exciting news ~ for many in the 'West.' Turkey, it appeared, had been taken over by the military. The days of Islamic supremacism were over. Possibly. But things are not always as they seem. Twice within the past couple of weeks, if I'd had money to gamble, I would now be a very rich man. When I heard news of the supposed coup d'etat in Turkey, my heart wept ~ for those whom I suspected would soon pay with their lives for that evil ruse.
Someone called me, today. "Did you hear about the shootings in Louisiana?" "Yes," I replied. "Where do you think all of this is leading?" the caller asked.
I'll tell you where it's all leading, I replied. It's leading to more and more fear, anxiety, suspicion, hatred, and division. Precisely what the devil wants. He is a fearmonger. That's his speciality.
But what about what God wants? Does God want nothing? Where is God, in all of these goings on?
"Do you remember when Peter walked on the water?" I asked. "What happened when he took his eyes off of Jesus?" He immediately began to sink. But he cried out to the Lord (who was within arm's reach of Peter!); and Jesus caught Peter, lifted him up, and said to Peter: Why did you doubt?
"Did you ever stop to consider," I continued, "that Peter walked on the water with Jesus all the way back to the boat?" If I had been the one out there walking on the water with Jesus, I would not have been in a big hurry to get back in the boat. "You guys row on to the shore: me and Jesus are going to walk there!" I would have danced on the waves! I would have kneeled down at Jesus's feet, with my hands and face in the water, and worshipped Him. I would have taken off running across the Sea of Galilee~ Who knows? Maybe, Peter did something like that. There's a lot of very interesting stuff that is left out of the Bible...on purpose.
What's my point? Peter sank when he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to think about the storm ~ and the impossibility of his situation. So do we, sink, when we yield to the temptation to look away from Jesus and to look at the storms around us instead. But that's the devil's game. It's his speciality.
We know what the devil wants. He fills the world with his boastings and threatenings every day. The airwaves are flooded with bad news, by the devil's announcers. We think we have a pretty good idea of what's coming in the world. At least, we have a 'gut feeling' that 'something' ~ big (and bad) ~ is about to happen.
And all the while we act as if God is...uh...waiting...uh...to...umm...do...something.
We know what the devil wants. And it seems that we're rather willing to accept that the devil is going to have his way. Things are bad alright. But, oh, you just wait; they're going to get a lot worse. The devil's raging!
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.... Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. (Revelation 12:9-12)
Hey, Hey, Hey! Wait a minute. The Bible says that when the devil is "cast out into the earth," that's the time for the saints' rejoicing! When the devil is cast out into the earth ~ then is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ!
Do you know what I believe? I believe that war in heaven is going on right now! Do you suppose that the saints are fighting so hard on earth, while the saints in glory are sipping lattes on Crystal Sea beach? No sir! I believe the devil and his angels are getting trashed in the heavens! Yeah, it's going to be really bad for folks on earth ~ who refuse to bow their knees to Christ. But I'm not one of them.
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people. (Isaiah 51:9-16)
I tell you, Brother, Sister, you need to read the above passage over and over, until you understand what God is saying. "Who do you think you are?" God (rhetorically) asked. "You're afraid of man, and you fear continually every day" ~ why? "because of the fury of the oppressor." "Well, where is his fury?" God wants to know. "I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea;" remember that?
"Therefore...". I love that word, "therefore." Therefore ~ because the "arm of the LORD" has awakened and put on strength ~ therefore, the redeemed of the LORD shall...obtain gladness and joy! "I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand," says the Lord. To what end? So that the devil can run roughshod over our heads and trample us in the dirt?
We know what the devil wants. We hear about it all the day long. Enough of that! I want to know what God wants!! Does God want nothing? I assure you, that is definitely the wrong question to ask. We should rather be searching and asking ourselves whether we have any godly desires at all!
"What do YOU want?" I can almost hear Father say. "What do YOU want ~ enough to seek Me for it?" "You have not because you ask not." If we REALLY wanted Revival, we know where to go to find it. And we really do know what it takes, to receive from God.
I rebuke the devil and his lies. He will not prevail. I don't listen to CNN or Fox News. Or Coast-to-Coast. Or TBN. Or K-LOVE. I don't read the New York Times or Christianity Today. Charisma magazine may be useful to light a fire ~ in the barbecue grill. But I'm not going to spend my money to find out.
I've got a Bible. It's full of the words of life. It is the power of God unto salvation, unto every one that believes it. And I believe it. It tells me the important news before the news ever happens. And it tells me the truth about the news, when it does happen.
What does God want? He told me what He wants:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
Turn off the TV. Better yet, throw it in the creek. (Don't set it by the road for someone else to take it and be poisoned by it.) Radio? Ditch it. Internet? Good and bad. Way more bad than good. Be very, very careful.
Church, get your eyes and your thoughts on Christ and on the Word of God. Seek to be filled with His Spirit, and clothed with His righteousness. And pray ~ like the life of everyone you know and love ~ and multitudes whom you don't yet know, but want to see them saved, depends upon your prayers. Pray, like it's the most glorious, powerful, wonderful thing in the world that you can do. Because, it is.
It's not what the devil wants, that matters. But only what God wants matters. And God wants to work in and through ordinary (according to the world's standard), heavenly-minded, Blood-washed, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing folks like you and me. We're getting ready to see the glory of God revealed like we've never seen before. And I don't want anyone to miss it.
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