Category: Teaching Articles

The Bible says in Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

We are to meet (or, assemble) together as a body in regular church services. And, we should be doing it MORE as we see the last of the Last Days approaching. Now, is not the time to meet less, it is the time to assemble more often! Zoom will never replace church. It does NOT say, “Meet on-line as you see the day approaching.”

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build My church…” In 1 Corinthians 14:26, Paul said: “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” That is, the edifying, or building up, of the church. The context of this verse is that believers come together to meet as a church (verses 4, 23, and 28.) So this verse gives us a direct connection between coming together in an assembly and building up the church.

The New Testament speaks of believers coming together to meet, even in a time of persecution. Many had church meetings in their own houses due to this persecution. (Phil. 1:2, Acts 20:20, Romans 16:5, Col. 4:15, 1 Corinth. 6:19)

Acts 5:42 “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” We aren’t having daily services… yet; but under severe persecution, the early church did! If they needed regular church meetings, so do we! If they faced death, and imprisonment just to meet together, how much more should we stand for our right to do so?

Paul, when he was Saul, the chief persecutor of the early church, attacked church meetings, as in Acts 8:3, “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”

The early church had specific gathering places called “churches” as indicated in Acts 14:23, “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” They also specifically “gathered the church together,” as shown in Acts 14:27 “And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.”

In fact, the church is spoken of as a group in Acts 15:22, “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:” They were called a “company,” and when persecuted they “went to their own company” (Acts 4:23) and in Acts 15:22 they “to send chosen men of their own company.” It was obvious that we are talking about an organized group of people meeting together.

There were churches that met in cities, such as: 1 Corinthians 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:” In fact, in the Book of Revelation, when Jesus addressed the churches, it was by city, or province, as in Revelation 2:1, “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write…” The word “angel” here in Greek is the word “angelos,” which Strong’s Concordance says can mean “angel” as a spiritual being, or messenger, or by implication as the pastor of the church. My point here is that Jesus addressed specific churches, in specific cities or provinces. They were identifiable.

These churches have pastor, deacons, or Helps Ministers, and other organization. In Romans 16:1, “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant (“diaconos“, or deacon) of the church which is at Cenchrea:” Phebe was a woman who stood in the office of deacon (or, deaconess) in the church in the city of Cenchrea. And yes, unlike Southern Baptist churches that I was raised in, they DID have female deaconesses in that day!

In fact, Paul goes on to say in Romans 16:3 “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: (“helper” here is “sunergos” (soon-er-goes) in Greek, meaning “co-laborers” or, “fellow ministers”)

Rom 16:4, 5 “Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.” (This husband and wife of team of Priscilla and Aquila, were pastors of a church that met in their house.)

Why should we meet together? What is the purpose? In Proverbs 27:17 it says that “Iron sharpens iron.” Meeting together hones and “sharpens” each other as believers. And, we need to be “sharp” in these days, as perhaps, never before!

When David was being pursued by Saul, in 1 Samuel 23:16 “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” Jonathan meet with David to strengthen him, to encourage him in the Lord.

We “sharpen” each other with the double-edged sword of the Word of God. (Rev. 1:16, Rev. 2:12, Eph. 6:17) Sharing God’s Word with fellow believers, by teaching the Word of God, builds one another up!

One commentary says: “Returning to the analogy, if a knife is blunt, it still continues to be a knife, although it is less effective, less useful in service. Let us therefore be encouraged to spend more time together, exhorting, encouraging, praying, admonishing, sharing God’s Word, praying over God’s Word and the needs of our local church, that we become sharper, more cutting in the ministry that the Lord has assigned to each of us.”

Meeting together for the church should be a time of refreshing, of building one another up, of preparing for service. That is why we meet!

Acts 2:42–47 “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

Even in examples in the Old Testament, when people gathered together, it was to build each other up in the Lord.

Malachi 3:16-18 “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”

Compare this scripture with Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” It is clear that meeting together is not only something to be desired, but encouraged, it is pleasant and beneficial to our spiritual development as Christians!

Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

Think of it!  Jesus said He came so that WE could have the God kind of Life, and have it in abundance!  The God kind of life is nothing broken, nothing wanting, it is the kind of life that comes from “sozo,” which means, “saved, healed, delivered, protected and made whole, spirit, soul, body, financially and socially!”  It covers ALL of life, and all of Life comes from God!

John 1:3, 4 “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

The natural state of man is sad, and hopeless.  It is dark.  They understand this life only with their minds.

Ephesians 4:17-19  “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

They are “alienated from the life of God.”  And yet, Jesus said in His “Mission Statement” that “I am come that they may have life!”  This life is the salvation of the Lord!  This life will heal you, it will prosper you, it will promote you!  Once a person receives the free gift of salvation life, zoe life, from the Lord, everything changes!

Ephesians 4:20-24  “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

If we, as believers, get into the Word of God, one can “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

Romans 12:1-3  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

If we will not be conformed to the spirit of the world, but renew our mind to His Word, we can be transformed!  However, there are two sides to any coin.

The first part of John 10:10 says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”  The thief spoken of here is satan.  His mission statement is the opposite of Jesus’.  What do we see at work in our society today, with the Black Lives Matter rioters in major cities, and Antifa burning down businesses?  The specific organization called “Black Lives Matter” is a self-proclaimed Marxist organization, dedicated to destroying our nation.  Of course, lives of any color, or origin, do matter.  Life matters!  But, the devil has come to steal (that’s looting,) kill, that’s murder, and destroy (that’s what has happened to businesses, and buildings in our major cities.  It demonstrates that all this activity is borne of a spiritual force; the attack of satan!  There is a spiritual attack on our nation, designed by the devil, put forward by his minions.  And, unfortunately, it is affecting the minds of many, even in the church!  People’s understanding has been darkened, they have been given over to ignorance, they are past feeling and empathy, and have given themselves over to work lewdness, uncleanness, and greediness.  This is why they loot, this is why they destroy, this why they want to tear down our nation’s institutions as our nation was founded.

It is a spiritual problem.  And, it can only be answered with a spiritual solution!  We need to join Jesus’ mission to take the Life of God to the world!  Therefore, it is important to support life!  I am against abortion, for instance, not because it is a political issue, but because it is a LIFE issue!  I am against death in all forms, it is the last enemy to be conquered! (1 Corinthians 15:26)  I will not “buddy up” to my enemy, I will not consort with my enemy!

It is for this reason I so strongly support any action to upend the scourge of abortion in our nation.  I am OF Life, I am tied to Life, I am PRO-Life!  Jesus came to bring us Life, and that more abundantly.  I am on His side.  I will never be on the side of the enemy of Life!

We must fight this as a spiritual war, with love, with prayer, with the Word!  Sadly, too many in the church are being swayed by the enemy to embrace the side of death.  But we have not so learned Christ!  We have been taught by the Word, we need to put off any of our lingering old ideas, and prejudices, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind.  Then, we can think with the Mind of Christ! (1 Corinthians 2:16)  We can live in righteousness and true holiness… and, we can accept His mission to bring LIFE to the world!  Stay on mission!

This leads us to the double reference, in can definitely mean departing from the faith, or, it can mean an event looked forward to by the church, as in The Departure, or, the Rapture.  This is brought to light, as he opens his discourse with the preamble:

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him…” I bold it this way to show that he was talking about two separate events.  Jesus will return triumphant, no question!  However, there is a separate “gathering together” of the saints in the Rapture as well.  Two separate events.  One precedes the other.

Let’s see if this is not borne out.  He continues, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. “A teaching that he was confronting, was the false, deceptive teaching that the Day of Christ, or “Second Coming” was about to occur at any moment, with some even teaching it had already occurred! People were even circulating false letters, that seemed to be signed by Paul himself, to reinforce this false teaching!

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (The Second Coming) shall not come, except there come a falling away (The Departure) first, and [then] that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…” (The Anti-Christ).  In other words, we, the church, would depart in the Rapture well before the Anti-Christ would be revealed when he commits the “Abomination of Desolation” in the temple, revealing himself as the Anti-Christ by claiming that he is god.

Again, we see that thought continue with:

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (The Second Coming) shall not come, except there come a falling away (The Departure) first, and [then] that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (the Anti-Christ); who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (This event is described as the “Abomination of Desolation.”)  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.”  In that last part of the verse is the key!  The Amplified Version says, in the last part of the verse: “And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time].”  What is restraining the revelation of the Anti-Christ is the operation of the Holy Spirit through the church.   Once the Rapture occurs, and we, the salt, or preservative, of the earth (Matthew 5:13) are removed, only then will the Anti-Christ be publicly revealed.  (Salt was used at that time as a preservative, as they had no refrigeration.)

This in no way diminishes the fact that there WILL be an apostasy of the church!  Far from it!  However, it can be argued that this was not his main topic here in this portion of scripture.  He referred to it with word play, but he outright taught on it, and stated it clearly in 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…”  Note, DEPART, specifically, “from the faith.”  One, in Thessalonians, is “The Departure,’ while this verse in Timothy is, “DEPART from the faith;” the whole phrase!  They play on words being the mild inference of what we call “apostasy” because of the Greek word “apostasia” used in Thessalonians, while making the point of departure, yet speaking about the events, and timing, of those events in the Rapture, and Second Coming.

As one author and researcher, Dr. David R. Reagan, in his article, “2 Thessalonians 2:3 – Can the Rapture be Found in this Passage?” points out about the word “apostasia.” “The word is used in verb form a total of fifteen times in the New Testament, and only three of these have anything to do with a departure from the faith (Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1, and Hebrews 3:12). In other settings, the word is used for departing from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19), departing from ungodly men (1 Timothy 6:5), departing from the temple (Luke 2:27), departing from the body (2 Corinthians 12:8), and departing from persons (Acts 12:10 and Luke 4:13).”  So, in each case we need to see, from what, exactly, are we “departing?”  In one case it is from the earth (our Thessalonian reference) and one is “from the faith” in our reference from Timothy.

Dr. Reagan also states:

“But recently, my thinking about 2 Thessalonians 2:3 has changed — all because of an outstanding presentation on the subject that I heard Tommy Ice make at a conference where the two of us were speaking.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Tommy Ice, he is a Biblical scholar who graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary and who serves as the Director of the Pre-Trib Research Center (www.pre-trib.org).

Tommy pointed out that the Greek noun, apostasia, is used only twice in the New Testament. The other occurrence is in Acts 21:21 where it states that an accusation was made against Paul that he was ‘teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake [apostasia] Moses.’

The word is used in verb form a total of 15 times in the New Testament, and only three of these have anything to do with a departure from the faith (Luke 8:13, 1 Timothy 4:1, and Hebrews 3:12). In other settings, the word is used for departing from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19), departing from ungodly men (1 Timothy 6:5), departing from the temple (Luke 2:27), departing from the body (2 Corinthians 12:8), and departing from persons (Acts 12:10 and Luke 4:13).

This insight about the use and meaning of the word was certainly compelling, but the argument Tommy presented that was most convicting to me was his revelation that the first seven English translations of the Bible rendered the noun, apostasia, as either ‘departure’ or ‘departing.’ They were as follows:

1. The Wycliffe Bible (1384)
2. The Tyndale Bible (1526)
3. The Coverdale Bible (1535)
4. The Cranmer Bible (1539)
5. The Great Bible (1540)
6. The Beeches Bible (1576)
7. The Geneva Bible (1608)

Tommy also noted that the Bible used by the Western world from 400 AD to the 1500s — Jerome’s Latin translation known as ‘The Vulgate’ — rendered apostasia with the Latin word, discessio, which means ‘departure.’

The first translation of the word to mean apostasy in an English Bible did not occur until 1611 when the King James Version was issued. So, why did the King James translators introduce a completely new rendering of the word as ‘falling away’? The best guess is that they were taking a stab at the false teachings of Catholicism.

One other point Tommy Ice made that I thought was significant is that Paul used a definite article with the word apostasia. The significance of this is emphasized by Daniel Davey in a thesis he wrote for the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary:

‘Since the Greek language does not need an article to make the noun definite, it becomes clear that with the usage of the article, reference is being made to something in particular. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the word apostasia is prefaced by the definite article which means that Paul is pointing to a particular type of departure clearly known to the Thessalonian church.’

In light of this grammatical point, Tommy observed that ‘the use of the definite article would support the notion that Paul spoke of a clear, discernable notion.” And that notion he had already identified in verse 1 when he stated that he was writing about “our gathering together to Him [Jesus].’

This interpretation also corresponds to the point that Paul makes in verses 6 and 7 where he states that the man of lawlessness will not come until what ‘restrains’ him ‘is taken out of the way.’

And what it is that restrains evil in the world today? The Holy Spirit working through the Church.”

Of course, I need to emphasize that it is Church, the Body of Christ, that is removed in the Rapture, not, as some have tried to say, the Holy Spirit Himself!  Indeed, the Holy Spirit must be here on earth in operation to convict those that will come to the Lord even after we, as the Church, are gone!  We must be clear in our exegesis!

Now, with regard to the doctrine of a massive departure from the faith, or what we commonly call apostasy,

1Timothy 4:1  says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. “  Many Christians, unfortunately, will depart from the faith and follow after doctrines that are taught by those influenced by demonic activity.  These doctrines will include telling people that they are not to marry, others will involve strict vegetarianism, etc.  These doctrines are inspired by demon activity to change our focus, and get us away from the primary goal, that of winning the lost in these last of the Last Days!  Paul instructed his son in the faith, Timothy, to: “… put the brethren in remembrance of these things, [and] thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.”

In 2 Timothy 3: 1-9 Paul again brought up the time near the end to Timothy: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”

We are seeing these times clearly laid before us today, and we must be mindful of our own spiritual walk to fulfill what God has called us to do!

Daniel 11:32b tells us that, if we know God, we shall do exploits, or great and mighty feats. So by now you may be thinking, “Well, I know God. But I haven’t done great and mighty feats. God, where are the exploits?” Let’s look at that verse a little closer and see if we can find the exploits we desire to see.

First, it says the people who know their God are the ones who will do the exploits. To know God you must first be a born again child of the most high God. But even beyond that, to do exploits, you need to know the heart of God. You need to recognize that it is God’s will for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). You need to realize that it is His will for you and others to prosper and be in health (3 John 1:2). You need to know the heart of God.

OK, you are a child of God and you believe the scriptures that demonstrate God’s great love for us. I see your foot tapping and your mind saying, “still not seeing exploits.” So, let’s look at the second part of the verse, “shall be strong, and do exploits.” We, as people who know God, are to be strong and do exploits. No, we are not strong in and of ourselves. We do not have the ability in our own strength. Jesus made it clear that without Him we can do nothing. John 15:5 states, “I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” Any strength we have comes from Him. Notice that to bring forth fruit, or to do feats, we must abide in Him. If you live with someone you get to know them, don’t you? Abiding takes it to a whole other level. We are to live in constant contact and association with Him. Sounds like knowing to me. And this knowing provides the strength.

Let’s look at 2 Timothy 1:7 to see the power, or strength, available to us: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Here the word “power” comes from the Greek word “dunamis” which Strong’s Concordance tells us refers specifically to “miraculous power.” Whoa! We have this dunamis, or miracle working power, available to us. So, if we have the ability to do miraculous works, there must be something more hindering us.

What else does that verse say that God has given us? Love. God’s kind of love. Here the Greek word is “agape” which includes affection or benevolence. It is hard for man to fathom that kind of love. It is the kind of love that gives (1 John 3:16). God loved us so much He gave His only begotten son. How much more could He give? We are admonished to do the same: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1Jn 3:16). We are to act on that love.’

Could we really love that much? Yes! Assuredly, yes! Just as we do not have the strength in ourselves, but we do have the dunamis through Him, God gives us the love as well. Romans 5:5b assures us “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” It is the “agape” love of God that causes us to have compassion towards those in need. It motivates us to lay down our lives. It attunes us to the love of the Father towards those in need.

So, if we know God, we have the miracle working power available to us, and we have the love of God to motivate us, why are we still not doing those exploits? Our scripture verse has served us well so far. Let’s look at the remaining part: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”(2 Timothy 1:7) The phrase “sound mind” comes from the Greek word “sophronismos” which refers to discipline and self-control. Now, when we hear those words we think in terms of keeping our flesh under control. And they certainly do imply that. But notice that controlling your flesh can mean both restraining it from doing evil and encouraging it to do good. It is not all one-sided. God gave us the ability to decide what we will and will not do. No, that does not mean you can just decide to go to your local hospital and raise the dead or heal the patients. But if God prompts you to do something, say lay hands on the person in line at the grocery store, you choose whether you will act on that leading or not.

God will lead you to good works. He will prompt you to step out in the miraculous. He will provide the power to do great feats. He gives us the love to motivate us. And finally, He gives us the choice to act on that prompt, to release that power, to demonstrate that love. Remember, that we are the body of Christ in the earth (1 Corinth. 12:27). He will use our feet to take Him places, our hands to deliver His power, our voices to speak His Word to meet the needs of others.

If you are not seeing the exploits of God, it is not because you do not have the motivation or ability. Usually it is lack of knowledge of that ability, or fear of looking foolish. Notice the first part of the verse tells us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” Fear, or in this case “timidity,” occurs when you are unsure of something. God is telling us that we do not have to be unsure. We do not have to be afraid. He has given us what we need. Know Him and His heart. Know that you do have what it takes to step out in the miraculous. God gave you the power, the love, and the choice. What will you do with it?

Matthew 12:29, in the New King James Version says, “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” Here, Jesus is speaking of someone who is planning to steal from someone else’s house. If the person that lives in that house is physically strong, then obviously he will provide a greater challenge to the thief. In this case, the thief must first plan for a way to restrain the owner of the house, or bind him, so that he can steal from that house without incurring any resistance. This is what “binding” is about, that is, restraining a strong resistance to an effort.

Now it’s unusual that Jesus used this example to refer to us, as believers, in the role of a “thief.” Normally, we think of satan as the thief, because in fact, that is his normal method of operation. We are told in John 10:10 that it is the thief that comes to steal and to kill and to destroy, and Jesus is the one who has come to bring us life, and that more abundantly. And, that is certainly the case!

However, in this instance, WE are referred to as the thieves that are trying to break into someone’s home and pillage their belongings! Why is this? It is because Satan is called the “god” of this world in 2 Corinthians 4:4. You’ll notice that that’s with a small “g” not a capital “G!” When Adam committed high treason he gave his authority that he had over the earth to satan. Satan has no authority in and of himself, he only got it through Adam. His use of this authority, while legal in one sense, was arrived at through his unethical use of his ability to deceive. Satan wanted to exalt himself above God, and that’s why he was cast out of heaven; prior to that he operated as, essentially, a high-level spiritual being in God’s kingdom. This is before his fall, obviously; and he was, in fact, the leader of praise and worship in heaven! As hard as it might be for us to think of him today in that role, we can certainly can see why he likes to use music, and the music industry, to enslave many people to his way of thinking! This is, in fact, one of the many reasons we need to take heed what we hear, and how we hear it! (Mark 4:24 and Luke 8:18)

At any rate, satan’s operation today is based on the authority that he gained from Adam. That authority is not intrinsic in satan himself. Given the warped world system that he has set up over these thousands of years; as believers, we are aliens and strangers in this world, and in this world system. We are called on to “pillage his kingdom” to win souls for the Lord. In fact, we should be on the offensive, not the defensive, when it comes to this effort! When Jesus spoke in Matthew 16:18 about the gates of hell that will not prevail against the church, he wasn’t painting a picture of satan taking the gates and bashing us in the head with them! He was painting a picture of the church storming the gates of hell and pulling people out of that kingdom! That’s what we should be about in the world today! So, in that sense, we are the thieves in the parable that Jesus spoke of. As we break into his kingdom, that is, into satan’s kingdom, we should first bind satan as the “owner” of that house!

So, let’s look at the scripture in Matthew 12:29 again, “how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” The prayer of binding and loosing allows us to exercise authority over “the strong man,” in this case, satan himself. We do, after all, have authority over satan! We need to exercise this authority!

Luke 10:19 and 20 (NKJV) tells us “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

The word translated “authority” in verse 19 is literally “authority derived from position;” the Greek word here is “exousia,” meaning, “in the sense of ability, or privilege.” We can look at this as ability that is derived from the privilege of a position. Just as a traffic cop might hold out his hand to stop traffic; the drivers in the cars respect his position derived from the privilege the policeman has as an officer of the state. Obviously, that policeman, as a human being, does not have the physical power in his arm to stop multiple cars that might be bearing down on him; however, the drivers of those cars respect his authority and stop at his hand motion! In this case, as an example, his position of authority allows him to control forces beyond his natural ability. In much the same way, our authority as believers, and our position in Jesus as part of his body, gives us authority to stop the “dunamis” of the devil in the spiritual realm. I use the word “dunamis,” from the Greek, because that’s the word that Jesus used in this verse to express the “power” of the devil. The Greek word “dunamis” means, “force,” or “power; especially miraculous power.” So, whatever power might be a work in the spiritual realm that would come against us, we, as believers, can stop the operation of this power dead in its tracks!

Notice that it says, “over ALL the power of the enemy,” the word “ALL” used here means all that there is with nothing excluded! All power, is ALL power! We have authority over it all through the name of Jesus! This is the beauty of the power of binding and loosing given to us by Jesus in this kind of prayer!

Let’s consider the situation that Jesus spoke of, in that he said preparation must be made before plundering the strong man’s house. This implies planning in advance! You don’t just haphazardly make a sudden decision to break into the house and steal from the strong man’s home without first preparing and planning. Therefore, we need to make the decision in advance to pray and bind the strong man, in this case, satan, before pillaging his kingdom. In much the same way exercising this right of binding and loosing is not something you do haphazardly. We make a plan, and we carry out a plan! In all the great movies about intricate heists you see the planning and effort that goes into their plans to carry out the heist! I’m thinking of movies like “Oceans 11,” or old TV shows like “Leverage!” It is interesting and exciting to see the characters make a plan and then carry it out! In much the same way we need to be very deliberate in our plans to pillage the kingdom of satan and rescue souls from his fold. First, bind his power, then execute the plan!

The word binding is the Greek word “deo,” and means “to bind, tie, or fasten.” It means to bind or fasten with chains! It also means “to put under obligation, as in obligation of law.” Another definition is to “forbid, prohibit, or declare to be illicit.” This is the power of binding! Think of it as chaining satan and his forces down, putting him under the obligation of law, and forbidding or prohibiting his illicit activities in the earth! Think of that! That’s the authority that we have as believers!

We have far underutilized this authority because we haven’t understood the power of the prayer of binding and loosing! It is time for us as believers to exercise this authority over Satan and his operations in the earth. Don’t let the devil run over you when in fact, he is under your feet! As the old song says, “he’s under my feet… the devil is under my feet!”

Now, what about the “loosing” aspect of the prayer of binding and loosing? The word “loosing” in the Greek is “luo,” and it means “to loose any person or thing that is tied or fastened.” Another definition is, “to loose one that is bound, unbind, or release from bonds, to set free, discharge from prison, or let go.” It also carries with it the thought of declaring something unlawful. In fact, one definition is “to break up, demolish, destroy, or to dissolve something coherent into many parts therefore destroying it!” It also carries the thought of overthrowing, are doing away with, a power or authority. Think of it is overthrowing the government in a corrupt country. We can break up and destroy satan’s authority in his own kingdom! We can also loosen the bonds of those that are tied down and break them free of their bonds and discharge them from prison… letting them go! This is what loosing is about!

As we bind the power of the devil through the binding part of this prayer, we then loosen those that are under his authority and release them from prison! Why is this necessary? Because we are told that satan, often working through his demonic forces, has blinded the minds of those that would hear and receive the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ! (2 Corinthians 4:4) We can stop the activity of satan’s blinding the minds of people in the world!

As Christians, we often gripe and complain about what the world is saying, and what the world is doing. We get frustrated by people being deceived by the news media, newspapers, magazines, TV, etc. But, in fact, we can do something about it! We can preach the Truth of God’s Word and we can bind satan’s power and loose people from his authority through the prayer of binding and loosing!

We can also call upon our own spiritual forces that God has provided… by means of the angels, who are ministering spirits that hearken to the voice of the Word of God when we speak it! Hebrews 1:14 says that the angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation. That’s us! They are sent to minister FOR us! They do so by hearkening unto the Word of God that we preach, teach, and speak. The angels are out there listening to what YOU are saying! Don’t confuse them by speaking doubt and unbelief! Speak only the Word of God and what you desire to come to pass and they will go to work in the spiritual realm to make things happen!

As you can see, we have fallen far short of our ability, and our authority, to use the prayer of binding and loosing to change things for the better in our lives! We have this authority; we just need to use it! Let’s get down to business!

Consider with me… What is “trust?” The dictionary definition of trust is “firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character, of a person or thing.” What is it that inspires trust? It is knowing the one that you are trusting. You have to have that reliance on their integrity and knowledge of their character. Without that trust in their character you can’t have faith in them. That’s why you can’t have faith, true Bible faith, without knowing the God behind that faith! To say that you have faith without knowing God proves that you don’t understand what Bible faith really is! Unfortunately, there are a lot of people today that say they have faith, but don’t really know God. They only have a concept of faith; they don’t really know what faith is.

So, let’s get back to this idea of trust. In order to trust you have to know the true character of the person that you’re trusting. Now, of course, we know that God has deep, perfect character. He’s the very essence of true character! After all, He is God! So looking at who God is and what we know of Him from the Word of God, we can deeply trust His character. But, there are a lot of people today who, because they don’t know God, and they don’t understand His character, have no concept of this trust! In fact, they actually don’t trust God. This is because they’ve been taught, incorrectly, that God is the root of their problem. That He is, in effect, “out to get them.” Of course, this is not true! God only wants what’s best for us! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” I like what the Amplified Version of the Bible says for this verse: “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” Does this sound like a God who is “out to get us?” Not at all, in fact, this is indicative of a loving Heavenly Father who wants the very best for His children. In order to best understand God, and His character, perhaps the best example we can grasp is of a loving earthly father and his “only child.”

Many people say that children who are an “only child” are “spoiled.” Why do they say this? Because from the outside looking in, a person sees that a parent is fully committed to that child, perhaps to the point of indulgence. They are accused of giving that child anything and everything that they want! And, don’t get me wrong, that kind of situation, in the natural, can be taken to extremes! But, the fact is, that child is well cared for, and well provided for, because the parent in question is concerned only for that child, and wants to provide what is best for them. This kind of “indulgent love” may seem foreign to many people. But the doting care of a parent for a child is a good (albeit, simplified) example of how our Father God loves and cares for us as His children. This kind of God is a God we can trust and that we can rely on… and not fear evil from Him. That is the essence of this verse. Let’s consider it again, paraphasing: “I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, and they are thoughts and plans for your own good and personal welfare; for your peace, and never to do you evil… In fact my thoughts are to give you hope for your final outcome.” Consider this… this verse is talking about God’s thoughts. Thoughts are the root of actions. You don’t do something until you think about it, or consider it. Thoughts imply motives. You consider doing something… you take thought about doing something, long before you do it. At least you should!

So this gives us insight into this God in whom we trust. We can have full trust and assurance in God because His thoughts and motives toward us are only good. God is not out to hurt you! God is not out to “get” you! He’s not “the mean old man with a big stick” waiting to hit you over the head! In fact, He’s just the opposite! Tradition, and the teachings of the church, by and large, have led us to believe that God is mean to His children. In fact, some teach that God makes people sick. They teach that God puts people in car accidents. That God breaks people’s legs. Does this sound like a loving Heavenly Father? Does this sound like One whose motives are only good toward us? No! God has been lied about… He is not out to get you. He is, in fact, out to help you! Again, in order to trust you have to understand character. If you don’t know God’s character you can’t really trust Him. You can’t really know Him, and therefore, you can’t really have faith in Him. In order to have the kind of faith that we’re talking about, you have to have an intimate relationship with God. Otherwise, you are just giving Him “lip service.” Otherwise, you just have a concept. A mental image. Not a full, well developed picture of who God is at His core. Of what His character is like. To understand God you have to know Him. In the same way to understand me, Dr. Bill Bailey, you have to know me! You have to know me personally. It is not enough to just read something about me. You have to have a relationship with me in order to fully understand me, and understand my character. That’s why my closest friends, or my wife, Belinda, will know me and how I will react, and what I will say in a given situation, much better than a stranger. To know me well is to better understand me. In the same way, to know God intimately is to better understand His character… His desires, and His motives.

Trust is derived from knowledge at a deep, personal level. Trust is the essence of faith. We talk about “the faith of a little child.” My son, Benjamin, when he was very young, loved to jump off of the diving board into the deep end of the pool, even though he couldn’t swim at the time… because he knew that I, as his father, would always catch him. He would jump off that diving board with wild abandon! Sometimes he would even do it when my head was turned, or I wasn’t watching. He didn’t care. Because he knew daddy would always catch him! And, praise God, I did! I had to watch him closely! I caught him, and I protected him, because I loved him… and still do! But to see that open, simple, childlike trust, was an amazing lesson for me as an adult, and as a parent. That’s the kind of childlike trust and “wild abandon,” that we need to have as believers! We need to wholly trust in God! We need to have “wild abandon” in our faith! There’s a song by Steven Curtis Chapman in which he talks about stepping off into the deep water. That song is an excellent illustration of faith! The kind of faith that “takes a leap of faith!” That’s the kind of faith we need to have in our Father God.

But as I say, this kind of faith only comes from personal, intimate knowledge from a personal, close relationship. This is not a “Sunday morning” kind of faith. What do I mean by that? There are a lot of Christians that do show up in church on Sunday morning once a week to do their “religious duty” and then “get on with their lives” day in, and day out. That does not provide the kind of relationship that we’re talking about here. That’s merely a passing acquaintance. You don’t get to know someone by just being with them one hour, once a week! You can’t get to know God by only giving Him one hour, once a week. You live with your spouse every day and every night, all day and all night. You do everything with them. You talk to them all the time. You share your innermost thoughts and feelings. You know they care for you and you care for them. That’s relationship. That’s intimacy. And that’s what we’re talking about… that’s what you need to have with God! Once you get to know Him that well, and want to start sharing things with Him that often… that is what is called “prayer!” Not the formal “thee and thou” kind of prayer. I’m talking about the kind of prayer that says, “Hey, God I’ve got a question.” You may say, “Well, Dr. Bill, that’s awfully abrupt… That’s awfully informal!” That’s the point! We’re not talking about a formal, stilted relationship. We’re talking about a close, friendly, intimate relationship. The kind in which you “let your hair down,” and just be yourself! That’s what God’s looking for! He’s looking for fellowship with you. Now, that word “fellowship,” I know, is a “religious word” in some circles. Let’s put it this way; He’s looking for a friendship with you! Look at all the places that God called “mere humans” His friend… He said Abraham was His friend; Jesus said to the disciples, “I have called you friends.” (James 2:23; John 15:15) God is looking for a close relationship with His people and that’s what engenders this kind of trust; this kind of faith. It’s knowing God’s motives and knowing His care for us; knowing that He wants to bless you… knowing that He’s a Friend. That’s what brings faith deeply into your life and allows you to fully trust Him.

The point of this article is that you have to have this close daily relationship with God in order to operate in the life-changing, mountain-moving, kind of faith that we teach about here at Word of Faith Ministries! You can’t just have a passing knowledge of God and a passing knowledge of His Word… a one hour a week relationship, and operate in the kind of faith that we’ve been teaching about. If you try to operate in this kind of faith with this shallow relationship, you’ll only be frustrated, and you’ll say “that faith stuff” doesn’t work! No, “the faith stuff” does work… It’s your relationship that doesn’t work! Faith is trust and trust is earned. Earned trust comes from the intimate knowledge of a person’s character. And that’s how you’re going to develop in this life of faith! That is how you’re going to become successful in “walking out” all the great things that you have heard about a life of faith. You can live out all that you have heard that is available in faith teaching… but none of it will come about until you have this close personal relationship with God!

So my advice to you, if I were to take you aside, and take you “under my wing,” so to speak, and “mentor you” personally (which, between you and me, is exactly what I’m trying to do here on this website, and in these articles) is encourage you to seek for, and have, this kind of close, personal relationship with the Creator of the universe! A relationship with God Himself… because until you do, you’re not going to understand God… you’re not going to understand His Word, and you’re going to have misconceptions about Him. You’re going to be frustrated. But, once you have this kind of intimate, close relationship… once you know God the way you should, you will commit to Him and spend time with Him as a friend! Day in, and day out, you’ll find that the life of faith is really simple, childlike trust in our Father God who truly loves you and wants only the best for you!

Romans 10:8 – “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Verse 9 – That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Verse 10 – For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Verse 11 – For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

“Saved” here is a Greek word transliterated as “sozo“, (pronounced as “sode-zo“)
which means: “saved, delivered, healed, protected, and made whole: spirit, soul, body, financially, socially, and delivered from every temporal evil.”

Praise God! This is completely saved, totally free! So, to “miss Hell, and make Heaven” you need to:

A) Confess Jesus as your personal Lord (one in control or authority over your life) and,
B) Believe that God literally, actually raised Jesus up from the dead.

Two things… and then you are saved from Hell! This is a point to rejoice over, not lament! Because you are also freed in the “rotten here and now” NOT just freed in the “sweet by-and-by!” We are to live here in the earth “as the days of heaven upon the earth.” (Deut. 11:21) Jesus said to pray that “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10) Jesus would not ask us to pray contrary to God’s Will! God’s Will is that we have His Will here on earth the same way it is in heaven. Is there sickness in heaven? Is there poverty in Heaven? No! Why? It is not God’s Will! If it is that way in heaven, and we are to have days of heaven upon the earth, and pray that way… then salvation covers our earthly life as well!

Therefore, the “rotten here and now” should not be rotten! They should be blessed… and a blessing! Avoid Hell, embrace heaven! Even here upon the earth!

First, let’s find out how the words used in the scriptures for “blessing” are translated as in the Greek and Hebrew languages. I always like to start with defining our terms!

Greek:
eulogia
(yoo-log-ee’-ah)

From the same as G2127; fine speaking, that is, elegance of language; commendation (“eulogy,”) that is, (reverentially) adoration; religiously, benediction; by implication consecration; by extension benefit or largess: – blessing (a matter of) bounty (X -tifully), fair speech. (Strong’s Concordance)

Literally “eu” = “good” and “logia” “words,” so speaking “good words” over something or someone. Remember, words are containers of creative power!

Hebrew:
berakah
(ber-aw-kaw’)

From H1288; benediction; by implication prosperity: – blessing, liberal, pool, present. (Strong’s Concordance)

The implication of the Hebrew word for “blessing” is “prosperity!” We should not be surprised that financial prosperity is included in The Blessing!

Now, let’s look into the Word of God, and see what we can find out about “the blessing” and the “Bless-er,” that is, God Himself!

God is the “Bless-er”

Genesis 22:17 “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;”

God is, by His own nature, a bless-er… He desires to multiply and bless His children, just as an earhly, human father wants to bless his children and see his children grow and prosper! No good father wants evil for his children! And, God is not only a Good Father, He is the BEST Father!

Your Employer is Blessed for Your Sake – The Blessing is Tangible!

Genesis 39:5 “And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.”

You need to make a faith “stand” for this truth! Simply being an employee in your particular business, makes that business blessed! You need to actively believe for the blessing to overtake your company! Everyone, and everything, there is blessed because you are “the Blessed!” Allow The Blessing to increase and prosper your company, and all will begin to recognize that “something” has changed, the company is finding favor, and it will be because of your position in the company!

You MUST Choose The Blessing!

Deut. 11:26 “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
Deut. 11:27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
Deut. 11:28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”

Deut. 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Deut. 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Notice that choosing to live in, and recognize The Blessing is entirely up to YOU! You are the deciding factor! YOU have to actually stand and believe for what God has promised! If you aren’t living in the blessing, it is not The Bless-er’s (God’s) fault, it is entirely YOUR fault! God has said (with His Mouth, which contains creative power) that you are The Blessed! So, apply that Blessing to yourself by faith!

God Will Turn the Curses of Others to Blessing!

Deut. 23:4 “Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
Deut. 23:5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
Deut. 23:6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.”

So, you say that people at work, or maybe even at church, are against you? Your family, or friends, seem to have turned against you? Well, “shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?” (Romans 3:3) NO! People may actually be actively against you, they may even be “cursing” you by speaking against you and what you are purposefully believing for… BUT! Glory to God! God will “turn their curses into a blessing!” Whatever they may be saying that is evil against you will NOT deter your faith!

God Will Command The Blessing!

Deut. 28:8 “The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

Everything that you put your hand to, everything that you “attempt” in faith, will be Blessed! You will be blessed in your storehouses (bank accounts) and you will be blessed in your surroundings and circumstances! Hold fast to The Blessing!

This Blessing is NOW on Us (as Gentiles)

Gal. 3:14 “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Gal. 3:9 “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”

Hebrews 6:13 “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Hebrews 6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Hebrews 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

Aren’t you glad that The Blessing is not JUST reserved for the Jews? (Thank God that it is for them as well, but, it is also for us as Gentiles!) Don’t let anyone tell you, “Well, that is just for the Jews!” No, these scriptures tell us that The Blessing is for all of us that have been grafted in as well! (Romans 11:17-24) Say this, “I am of faith, therefore, I am blessed with faithful Abraham!”)

Note also that The Blessing is a multiplication… not just an addition. It is like the old, familiar story of taking a penny, doubling it every day… that is multiplication… not just addition! It is called an “exponential growth!” In short order you would have started with only a penny, but you would soon have millions of dollars in pennies! God’s Blessing is EXPONENTIAL!

God’s Blessing is ONLY Good… The Blessing Has NO Downside!

Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

There are a lot of people today that are rich in the natural, but in their family life, and personal life, they are destitute! God’s Blessings, and His Riches are ONLY GOOD… He adds NO sorrow with the Blessing! YOU CAN REST IN HIM and fully trust that He has only good and peace in store for you!

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

Tithers are Blessed!

Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

God Himself will rebuke satan for OUR sakes! We are The Blessed! In fact, ALL nations shall call us “The Blessed!” We are blessed by the Tither’s Blessing!

Maintain an Attitude of Blessing!

1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1 Peter 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
1 Peter 3:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Note the attitude that we, who inherit The Blessing, should have: compassionate, loving, full of pity (active concern,) courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or railing (griping and whining) but rather, we should be speaking words of Blessing toward others! We need to be lovers of life, and refrain from speaking contrary to the Word of God, we need to be rejecting evil, and doing good, we should be seeking peace with others! As Blessed people, we are those that can, and should, be helping others, not rejecting them and running them down!

We Are Blessed Spiritually!

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

We are Blessed in the spiritual realm, in our spiritual life, in our communion and times with the Lord! We should be experiencing the best in our spiritual life with God!

We Are Blessed Materially!

Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

God will “freely give us ALL things!” That covers material blessings! If it is not covered specifically, then, all still means “All!”

The Blessing Covers Life Here on Earth and in Heavenly Realms!

2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”

Notice that this pertains to life here on earth, as well as our spiritual state! Also, notice that this Blessing comes through the “knowledge” (Greek: “epignosis” – “full discernment” “revelation knowledge” “epi” = “above, or beyond” and “gnosis” = “body of knowledge.”) Therefore, “epignosis” is the knowledge above and beyond our natural body of knowledge, it is revealed knowledge! We receive these things by revealed knowledge of the Word of God, of His Plan for us individually as believers, and by receiving supernatural direction from Him!

Matthew 16:17 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

We need to receive revealed knowledge from God, and live in the Blessing He has bestowed upon us! The Blessing comes by revealed knowledge!

In Numbers 26:61, it says, “And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.” We are told that our God is a jealous God. (Deut. 4:24) He expects us to worship Him, in His Way, and not get pulled away by distractions of bad (that is, un-sound) doctrine. We are also told that the immature are often “carried about with every wind of doctrine.” Eph. 4:14, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” We have already spoken in past articles, of the fact that these “last of the last days” are perilous times. 2 Timothy 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” So, we must be ever more vigilent and serious about keeping the purity of the Word of God in our lives and in our worship!

There are many things afoot in the Body of Christ in these days that have no basis in Biblical history, doctrine, or fact. Some of these teachings come from cults, some come from other religions, but ALL are are from the devil! He is trying to draw believers away from sound doctrine. 2 Timothy 4:2-5 says, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” We are to preach the Word! We are to preach and teach “sound doctrine.” But, we are also told that there will be those that will not endure sound doctrine, but will be turned unto “fables.” What kind of fables? Well, look at what is happening in certain circles around the Body of Christ. There are various “revivals” that are occurring around the country today that are following doctrines that have no basis in scripture, they are not teaching sound doctrine. They endorse speaking with angels for guidance, and direction, and ask them (angels) directly for help. Angels are God’s “agents” to bring about His will, and they are called “ministering spirits” that are to function “for us.” (Hebrews 1:14) However, we are not to speak TO angels, we pray to God, and God will dispatch them to aid us as necessary. To pray to them, or invoke their (supposed) names instead of God’s is not scriptural! We are to pray to God, in Jesus’ Name! John 14:13, 14 says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” The Biblical pattern is to pray in Jesus’ Name to the Father God. Not to angels, not to people who have died, not to Mary, or John, or Peter… but to the Father God in Jesus’ Name! Notice the admonition in 2 Timothy 4:5, to “watch thou in all things.” To put it in more modern vernacular, “Watch out!”

This is just one of many examples, there are those that perform “magic tricks” in God’s name, producing feathers, gold dust, and other physical manifestations that are not Biblical. Show me a case, just one in the Bible, where Paul during his travels, for instance, manifested gold dust to prove his own piety, or demonstrate supernatural power! Or, where he spoke and feathers appeared. Can’t find it? That’s because it is not in there! However, there are followers of Jewish mysticism (the Kaballah) that speak of it, and there are some so called Charismatic “revivals” that involve this kind of “strange fire.” What are these things to believers that are determined to do what God has commanded and preach the Word and teach sound doctrine? They are distractions. They are flashy and look and sound “different” and interesting… but they are not what God wants us interested in. He wants us to be true to His Word. He wants us to follow sound doctrine.

I remember a time when a very well known pastor of a large church had a speaker come and speak at his church. This speaker was a lady that was drawing large crowds and getting invited to many large Charismatic churches, no doubt with very large offerings as well! People flocked to see her produce feathers! “Wow, ooooh, ahhh!” People, Jesus said, seek signs. (Luke 11:29) But not for the right reasons. Anyway, this pastor invited the lady to speak. After the service many were asked, “What did she teach?” No one could remember what she said, but they were all talking about the “supernatural manifestations!” Another minister that attended this same service, which was broadcast via satellite to hundreds of other churches, videotaped the lady as she ministered. He was able to show that she was pulling the feathers out of pockets sewn in her her sleeves. A simple “sleight of hand” trick. Her “ministry” was disgraced. She got fewer and fewer invitations after that. In another incident, a minister had the “gold dust” that was “supernaturally” manifested examined, and it turned out to be iron pyrite dust… so, in fact, it wasn’t even real gold! You would think God would manifest real gold! The bottom line is… the ministry of God is not a show… it is not entertainment! We are to preach the pure Word of God, not “perform!”

A minister does not “perform tricks” and spectacular acts to elevate themselves! Most often these folks are seen to be, and often proclaim themselves, as “more spiritual” than others… after all, they are specially “touched of God.” Now, don’t get me wrong, there are unique, special anointings. But, those that God uses in special anointings know that it is NOT them, it is God that does the work! As Peter said, “Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” (Acts 3:13) It is not YOUR personal power that is involved in ministry. In fact, personal power, and seeking such, is the hallmark of the occult! It is not that you are more “spiritual” or “holy!” I believe that this scripture is, in fact, recorded in God’s Word to show us this truth! It wasn’t Peter’s own power, or holiness, or spirituality, that caused special healings to happen in his presence. Acts 5:15, 16, “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” What did the work? Jesus told them to preach the Word, and as Mark 16:20 says, “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” The Lord worked WITH them… confirming the Word they preached with signs following. What kinds of signs? Gold dust? Feathers? Using “angel’s names?” No! The sick were healed, demons were cast out, the lame were made whole, and the blind saw! Those are God’s kind of signs! And, they didn’t need weird manifestations or paper “barf bags” to do it! They simply preached the uncompromised Word of Faith, and God performed the work! They acted on the Word, and the Word worked!

Why bring these things to your attention? Because as we are told in the Word, in Eph. 4:14-24: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Brethen, it is time to be grown-ups! Not to be easily distracted… not seeking “strange fire!” We are to “watch out!” Watch out for these things and avoid them! Rom 16:17, 18 says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and AVOID them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; (we could say “their own self interests”) and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Preach and teach only the purity of God’s Word!