THE

UNTOUCHABLE:

 cutting the hems of dirty garments

&

(observations from a sheep’s eye view)

 

Without fail, I am constantly reminded that I ought to be more careful when speaking about those who stand in places of ministry. I wholeheartedly agree, as long as those of whom I speak are definitely called to said offices. For example, if a man tells me that he’s a chef, but then cannot cook, we have a big problem. Those positions are holy because they belong to The Lord Jesus Christ Himself & He gifts men to occupy those places in His stead & according to His will. He chooses His Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors & Teachers (Ephesians 4:11) & no man positions himself thus without mandate (Hebrews 5:4). Paul said that The Lord counted him faithful, putting him into the ministry (1^st Timothy 1:12). He further instructed his son in the faith, ‘And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also’. (2^nd Timothy 2:2). Parts of The Church have placed the cart before the horse & have only set about finding able men, with little or no regard as to whether or not they’re faithful at all.

I & many others like me have been systematically warned not to touch The Lord’s anointed. Perhaps you have heard this fearsome admonition too. For many years it has been a successful scare tactic against those who are impertinent enough to question, criticise or even condemn the words & deeds of those who are seen as ministers of The Gospel. To be clear, Scripture tells us who & what a qualified minister of The Gospel is. The Lord Jesus was crystal clear about the difference between a shepherd & a hireling. The Apostle Paul was quite candid concerning the credentials for men called into eldership. The Apostle Peter admonishes those men to feed & shepherd God’s flock. The Apostle James warns that few should be teachers, because of the greater condemnation. From my reading of God’s Word, it is they who ought to be afraid. Not us.

 ²⁰And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; ²¹ He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, ²² Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm (1^st Chronicles 16:20-22).

¹³When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people; ¹⁴ He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; ¹⁵ Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm (Psalms 105:13-15).

Part of this argument is easily put to bed, or at least it should be for anyone who is able to read. Scripture makes it plain that Israel is the subject of the verses cited. This small detail is all too often neglected by those issuing warnings of mortal & eternal judgements upon those who dare to think, say or do anything contrary to their life or ministry. This reminds me of something. What is it? I’m scratching my head & rubbing my chin. Perhaps it will come back to me as we wade through this issue. To get to the cream in the biscuit & the crux of the argument, we have to go to 1^st Samuel 24 to 26. Please take the time to read these chapters. David was anointed. Saul was anointed. David was running. Saul was chasing. David was hiding. Saul was seeking. David was righteous. Saul was wrongteous. Please don’t email me, I know that wrongteous isn’t a real word. Saul’s life could have been taken in the cave at Engedi, in the most undignified of circumstances. David had clear motive & opportunity to do so. Yet he stayed his hand. He didn’t kill Saul. To be honest, I have no idea what I would have done, however, David us gives an object lesson.

Being right in & of itself, does not automatically give us any or all intrinsic rights; you cannot assassinate others, physically or otherwise. murder is against the law & hating one’s brother is tantamount to the same & against the law of Christ. We should heed this.

So, what sparked the flurry of protest from ministers who insisted on demanding that no one say a word against them, no matter their misdemeanours? Let’s see now. If memory serves me correctly, it was the fact that guilty parties were named & shamed publicly, nationally & globally. But what were these men degraded for? Heresies. Excesses. Lying. Cheating. Stealing. Fakery. Chicanery. Immorality. The list rolls on.

They are not minsters of The Gospel. They are enemies of the cross. They are deceitful workers.

Some issued cautions about sickness coming upon their critics. Some declared that their detractors may even die. One prominent, white suit wearing, jacket swinging bloke, cursed every man & every woman who spoke against his anointing & his ministry. Touchhhhhhhh notttttt The Lord’ssssssss anoinnnnnted. You have to have a full arm extended & a pointing finger for full effect. That definitely reminds me of something. What is it? Ah yes; it reminds me of witchcraft. Thank God for Scripture.

²As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come (Proverbs 26:2).

There is no biblical prohibition against believers speaking the truth about & naming those who would seek to lead The Church astray or calling out their heresies.

Those insecure individuals with their hurt feelings & bruised egos, who are spitting their dummies & endlessly crying into their milk, shouldn’t be trying to hide behind the skirts of their public ministries & false personas, while they cry foul. Like petulant children, they threaten to tell their daddy on us because he will curse, judge or kill anyone who comes against them.

Well, that is quite fitting because they are all of their father, the devil.

To claim that the phrase touch not The Lord’s anointed applies to them, is to admit that they are cast in the role of Saul. Who said that they were The Lord’s anointed? They did, of course. Well then, they can swallow this.

³⁸But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. ³⁹Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. ⁴⁰Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin. ⁴¹All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours. ⁴²Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. ⁴³Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle. ⁴⁴Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. ⁴⁵The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah (Psalms 89:38-45).

Surely, it has been said, not everyone out there is false. This is true. I think that there are definitely some who began right, with correct motives. Then with time, they were enlarged. Money came in. Notoriety followed. Book deals. Media exposure. They were everywhere. Pretty soon they were a brand. Then one day, they were no longer small in their own eyes, or anyone else’s for that matter (1^st Samuel 15:17). Crash. Bang. Wallop. From qualification to saulification.

By the time David was in a position to cut away part of Saul’s garment, it was already over & had been for some time. Samuel had anointed David as king, even though he didn’t occupy the throne. Saul, like many so called ministers & ministries today, was running on momentum. That small piece of material that David cut away from Saul’s clothing was a recapitulation & a reminder of the judgement to come. Read those verses from Psalms 89 again.

It is sad to think that there are some men who have been sacked by The Lord, without them even realising it.

This is the pitiful state of those who have nothing else to offer except gimmickry. No power. No wisdom. No truth. No anointing. Touch not The Lord’s anointed no longer reasonably applies to them, if it ever did. Saul rejected God’s Word & God rejected him (1^st Samuel 15:23). Samuel gave Saul both barrels for his disobedience & then finished the job that he had given to Saul; he killed Agag, king of the Amalekites. He hacked the heathen king to pieces & went his way. Saul went to his house as if it was business as usual. Don’t forget that this was not Samuel’s first rodeo. He had learned this lesson early, when he was young, as he ministered with Eli.

Remember the formidable words of The Lord Jesus, Who warned the Chief Priests & the Pharisees; ‘Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them’ (Matthew 21:42-45). Dread words indeed. 

²⁷And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. ²⁸And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou (1^st Samuel 15:27-28).

I don’t remember Saul sticking his finger in Samuel’s face & warning him off or cursing him. Samuel said some harsh things which were true, but didn’t put his hands on Saul. He didn’t touch him. He didn’t have to. We too cannot meet these despicable men in the car park for a crash course in Queensbury Rules. So what is our recourse? Identify them. Mark them. Avoid them. No doubt, we will continue to hear the words touch not The Lord’s anointed spouted by every Tom, Dick & Harry from time to time. Do not be afraid to frame the usual subjects & likely culprits in the light of Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:22). Paul said, ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them’ (Romans 16:17).

However, remember that there are men in the ministry who are called, appointed & anointed to the task of serving The Church & these men ought to be honoured, supported & obeyed. Also remember that throughout Scripture, those who were truly anointed, endured criticism, ridicule, persecution, torture, punishment & even death. First & foremost of course, there is The Lord Jesus Christ. He is our chief example. Are these modern day cry-babies better than Christ, the Apostles & the Prophets? I think not.

The simple message to all & sundry who are not sparing the flock, is this; you know who you are & you know what you’re doing. You may hide behind your facades, but some of us know the difference between fleece & fur. You wolves in sheep’s clothing. We have & will continue to touch you, day & night. Jeremiah said, ‘Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood’ (Jeremiah 48:10). Personally, I’m with Jezza & as Samuel said to Saul, so say I to those who consider themselves untouchable. stay; shut up; button it; stop; zip it; shush.

¹ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. ² And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. ³ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not (2^nd Peter 2:1-4).

²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. ³² And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:28-32).

 

 

 

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kingdom,

The power

& the glory:

 -5-

The believer’s

Connection Mission

commission

 

(based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

 

Almost everyone with whom I speak along these lines, will take me to Ephesians 6 as proof positive of the believer’s battle with demonic forces. ‘See’, they say, ‘..it’s right there in black & white’. Really? Folk have often told me that they make sure they put their armour on every day, which begs the question; why do you take it off? Because you’re saved, you have the helmet. Because you possess a Bible, you have the sword. Because you’re born again, you have imputed righteousness. Because you’ve believed The Gospel, you have the truth. Because you’re a witness, your feet are shod. Is Paul telling The Church that it needs to use these things to engage satan, or is he pointing to something that has been missed or completely ignored by purveyors of the lore of spiritual warfare? It’s quite a thing. So in conclusion, finally my brethren.

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:10-18).

I would recommend reading the entire book of Ephesians before diving into the end of chapter 6, because Paul is drawing a conclusion here. The epistle is about Christ & what He has done. The Apostle’s final words to The Church here, concern living our lives in a manner that reflects Christ & what He has done. This life cannot be lived without The Gospel & the armour of God represents the same. To put it on is to put on Christ. However, Paul’s words are not written in isolation & he takes his inspiration from The Holy Spirit, not the soldier standing over him. Paul knew The Scriptures; ‘And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. ¹⁷For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak’ (Isaiah 59:16-17).

We too must know The Scriptures; ‘Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1^st Thessalonians 5:5-9).

³Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: ⁴But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,..⁷By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, (2^nd Corinthians 6:3-4 & 7).

These Scriptures highlight the importance of the believer’s walk. What do these verses have to do with screaming in tongues, binding demons, pulling satan down from the heavenlies or rolling around on the floor, cackling like strangled Geese? Nothing. I’m sure that the devil laughed too. While The Church was distracted, doctrine was neglected. The broad apostolic admonition to live our lives before God & the world was largely ignored & in its place there was an addiction to experiences. In a very short period of time, The Lord was no longer at the centre of The Church’s attention; satan was.

¹²The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. (Romans 13:12).

Again, I saw people in meetings pretending to dress themselves in armour under the direction of certain teachers. To my shame, I did it too. However, that annoying voice that whispered in the back of my head, steadily made its way forward & increased its volume; what were we doing? The answer that filtered through was a logical one.

We are in Christ & seated with Him in heavenly places. We are members of His body. The feet are in the body. Therefore the powers of darkness are under our feet.

This positional truth has been over realised by some & the tentative connection to the life we live now, here on earth has been exploited from the sublime to the ridiculous. Didn’t Paul say that ‘…the God of peace shall bruise satan under your feet shortly.’? (Romans 16:20). Yes he said that, but notice that it is God who will do it. In securing redemption for mankind, The Lord Jesus has already bruised satan’s head (Genesis 3:15). Why is The Church attempting to give him a further kicking? Jesus Christ broke him. When we preach The Gospel & make disciples, we advance The Kingdom of God.

Modern teaching on spiritual warfare has nothing to do with christian living & everything to do with making a show of exercising power. It’s great at the time, within the four walls of a building. However, out on the street, on the job or at home, it is a different story altogether. It’s as if witnessing is boring. It’s old hat. It has to be spiced up somehow. What’s important is what Scripture says, what Jesus said & what the Apostles taught.

In their zeal to push their agenda, those who teach spiritual warfare forget that the instance in Daniel 10 is the only recorded example of such an event in either testament. These same people also fail to explain Daniel 7:11. I’m just saying. Jude speaks of Michael disputing with satan concerning the body of Moses (Jude 9), but this interaction isn’t recorded in Scripture. Am I saying that there is no structured hierarchy of the powers of darkness? No. I’m saying that our emphasis ought to align with God’s Word; the incident is descriptive, not prescriptive. Angels engaged dark forces (Revelation 12:7-9). Jesus defeated them. Now we The Church must warn every man & persuade every man (Colossians 1:28). Preach. The. Gospel! (2^nd Timothy 4:1-4)

However, this did not stop teachers building the doctrine of strategic level warfare. Suddenly, every nation, city, town, tree & bush had a demon assigned to it. Why stop there; why not houses, businesses,  churches, pulpits & pews? Suddenly there was binding & loosing in B&Q, warfare in Waitrose & pulling down strongholds in Poundland. All this while ignoring whole swathes of Scripture.

So many are busy attempting to do something that The Lord Jesus Christ has already done & very little, if anything of what He has actually asked them to do. Preach The Gospel!

³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ⁴ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2^nd Corinthians 10:3-5).

There is no mention of satan, his influence, his power or his kingdom. It is the battlefield of the mind & the supremacy of the subjugating authority of God’s word that are presented here. Again, this is  a matter of us living out our christian lives before God & before the world. How much we underestimate the power this carries. Satan has blinded the minds of those who do not believe & we carry the light of the glorious Gospel (2^nd Corinthians 4:4). In our mission of witness we swoop in & rescue those who turn to Christ. Preach The Gospel!

Am I saying that there is no power in the practises that we’ve looked at. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Again, What’s important is what Scripture says, what Jesus said & what the Apostles taught. The Bible tells us what to do. The Lord Jesus tells us what to do. Apostolic doctrine tells us what to do. Anything beyond that is both useless & harmful.

¹¹Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices (2^nd Corinthians 2:11).

²⁷Neither give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27).

⁸Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ⁹Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world (1^st Peter 5:8-9).

⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

¹⁴Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14)

⁸He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (1^st John 3:8).

¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death (Revelation 12:11).

The Church has been sold a duff bill of goods. It is a fantasy. It’s escapism. Why deal with real life when you can pretend you’re a stormtrooper? Stuff & nonsense. Repent. ‘..but Dave, the devil is holding onto my money, I’m sick & I don’t like what the government is doing!’. Get off your blessed assurance. Get a job. Do the overtime. Go and see your GP. Get out & vote. Submit yourself to godly leadership. Read your Bible. Wake up & walk in the light. C’mon now. As I have said before in another place; if you want dominion over something, consider conquering your sinful flesh. If you want power, opt to exercise godly self-control. If you want to be mighty, then humble yourselves under the hand of God. Deal with the issues in your heart & those between your ears. Preach The Gospel & do your part in fulfilling The Great Commission. His is The Kingdom. His is the Power. His is the Glory.

 

 

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

The kingdom,

The power

& the glory:

 

-4-

 

The believer’s

objection  Subjection

objective

 

(based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

 

In an uncharacteristic effort to be fair, I have been asked by some to bring some dimension to the comments that have been made thus far. The thrust of my observations have concerned spiritual warfare, or to be more precise, the way in which part of The Church has been led into it. ‘Surely..’, it has been said, ‘..you cannot make the simplistic sweeping blanket statements that you have & maintain an objective perspective; it isn’t all that bad, is it?’ Well, I’m more interested in a biblical perspective, objective or not. We are in the midst of a resurgence of the things I wrote about in articles one, two & three in this series. These issues have made a carefully crafted & subtly layered comeback, dressed up in prophetic monologue. It has been said that revival is coming & that we, The Church, have to usher it, in using the tools that God has given to us. Oo la la, how could we resist?

Revival. Revival. Revival. I’m surprised that some of these folks haven’t tried to raise Jonothan Edwards, George Whitfield, the Wesley brothers, John Wycliffe, Evan Roberts & Charles Finney from the dead, prop them up & wheel them out when they convene their special meetings. Once they’d drawn a large enough crowd, they would no doubt start a church, slap a sign on the front of the building & call it a revival centre. With great hymns, strong preaching & some creative theatrics, great things could be accomplished. Until then, we have to be content with darkened rooms, spotlights & smoke machines. Gold dust & angel feathers are optional.

The aforementioned men represent some of the leadership of the first, second & third great awakenings. There is always talk of a fourth & now a fifth, but that is debatable in my opinion. IN MY OPINION. However, we don’t need to reach that far back in time or history to examine the phenomena under discussion. There is plenty of evidence in living memory that can be scrutinised. Do you remember the so called Toronto blessing? Do you remember the so called Brownsville outpouring? Do you remember those highly popularised recordings of meetings at Rhema Bible Training Centre? I was in a charismatic word of faith church in London when these things snaked their way across the Atlantic to England. There were things heard & seen in those meetings that make my skin crawl to think of them now.

Previously we looked at the spiritual warfare spectacle principally as a movement, but it also has to be examined as an activity. When boiled down to its basic elements, the teaching most prevalent within The Church appears to run along the lines of how to fight the devil & win. However, if you were to take several steps back & view the larger picture, you may see something that ought to disturb you. We will come to this.

I believe that spiritual warfare, as taught by those we have discussed in this series, is an oxymoron, with the emphasis on moron.

God’s Word is not central to proceedings in this movement. Experience is. Sensuality is. These things are more exciting than sitting still under sound biblical teaching. Then, to add insult to injury, when favourite warfare passages are taught in their proper context & accompanied by an appropriate interpretation, it takes the fun out of it. We have forsaken what The Lord Jesus said. We have forgotten what the Apostles taught. All in favour of a spiritual freak show. It is a circus populated by all of the appropriate actors. Where are The Scriptures? I saw people pretending to load guns & then take careful aim & shoot demons down. Where are The Scriptures? I saw a lady shake so violently in the balcony of the church that she would have fallen over the side & dropped fifteen feet. Thankfully someone sat her down. Where are The Scriptures?

But it’s revival. Oh no it isn’t. How do I know? How can I be so sure? Because I took a healthy step back, looked at the picture & asked a simple question; where are The Scriptures? I tell you, The Holy Spirit was blamed for a whole host of unsavoury things that have nothing to do with Him.

Even a cursory perusal of the Bible passages cited as this movement’s mythology, ought to generate reasonable questions. However, when believers are not diligent in God’s Word they will have little or no discernment.

There you are in a service, dizzy with emotion, blinded by bright lights & pumped with enthusiastic expectation. After wading through worship, enduring the announcements & sowing seed in the offering, up steps the speaker. When they tell you that you have to ‘bind the strongman’, ‘loose the anointing’ or ‘bind the devil’, you just go with it. No need for your Bible. The letter kills, but The Spirit gives life. No need for discernment. The natural mind doesn’t receive the things of The Spirit. All of these things were said.

You wouldn’t want to miss the moving of The Spirit, would you? You wouldn’t want to grieve The Spirit by asking questions, would you? You wouldn’t want to be in unbelief by doubting, would you? No, you wouldn’t.

The preacher, much like the host of a popular gameshow, has to whip participants up into a mild frenzy. What fabulous prizes were up for grabs? Breaking generational curses? Directing angels? Changing your fortunes by rebuking satan over your finances? Commanding healing? All successfully accomplished from your lofty position. All of these things were said. Believers were led into a very dangerous place. Suddenly they thought that they were super humans in possession of super powers.

⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:4-6).

At this point I would make so bold as to tell you that you ought to stop, look & listen, if you are caught up in this movement & these activities. They will not bring revival. Remember the words of The Lord Jesus; ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen’. (Matthew 28:19-20).

Ah, I hear some object, when Jesus ascended He delegated His authority to The Church. Did He indeed? That would mean that The Church has all power in heaven & in earth now. Look at the state of the world. If this objection were true, then we have failed miserably. The power is His. He said so & He gave them authority to preach The Gospel & make disciples. Do not forget that The Gospel is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:14). Do not underestimate that power.

Paul tells us, ‘Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:7-12). The Lord Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead with His work undone. Neither did He ascend with the thought that it was now up to us to beat the enemy.

We have a Gospel to preach. Jesus said that He would build His Church & He ascended having defeated satan in achieving redemption! Who are you shouting at & what are you screaming for?

¹³Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: ¹⁴In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: ¹⁵Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ¹⁶For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. ¹⁹For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; ²⁰And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven (Colossians 1:13-20).

¹³And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; ¹⁴Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; ¹⁵And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:13-15).

Traditionally, we would be dragged from Daniel 10 to these verses in Colossians 1 & 2. This is done in order to try & establish the hierarchy of the kingdom of darkness. However, look again. These verses are amplifying the glorious accomplishment of Jesus Christ in Redemption. Paul isn’t referencing satan, apart from his defeat via the cross. We died with Christ, were buried with Christ, raised with Christ & are now seated with Christ, in heavenly places. None of us were actually there, but Paul shows The Church God’s eternal perspective. Who then, is the objective? Is it the devil, or is it The Lord Jesus Christ?

Those entities that some attempt to engage, fight against, pull down & bind are all conquered. It perplexes me that although Scripture says very little concerning satan, The Church has amplified him beyond all reasonableness. Yet even when Jesus is seen, resplendent in undisputed & undefeated supremacy, magnified & glorified, some still think that it’s about the devil, because of what they have been taught. Small wonder folk fall into error. They have no idea who they ought to be in subjection to.

Believers need to have an accurate portrait of Christ from The Scriptures & abandon tall tales, error & fables. While they’re at it, they should stop paying so much attention to the enemy’s shameless self-promotion. His image is a lie. Equally & more importantly, reject the popular but unbiblical notion that Jesus was doing battle with satan & his cohorts in hell, where He was eventually born again & resurrected. That is codswallop. That being said, there remains the most prevalent among several bones of contention, but we will come to this in our conclusion.

 

 

 

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