Binding the strongman

Matthew 12:29

Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Binding the strongman

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Mark 3:27

No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.

Matthew 12:29

Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Luke 11:21-22

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

In Luke, Jesus is rebutting his accusers. He has just cast a demon out of a man that was unable to speak. Some of those surrounding began to question how this happened. Some supposed that Jesus was in league with Satan. They held the opinion that His power came from the devil. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, answered them thusly:

How can a house divided against itself stand? Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. Every house divided against itself will fall. You suppose that I have done this by the power of Beelzebub. If I have, by the power of Beelzebub have cast out demons, by what power do your sons cast out demons? If I, by the finger of God have done this, then the Kingdom of God is come to you today. (Luke 11.17-20 paraphrased)

He then talks about the strongman of the house.

Satan is the strongman. Never underestimate the power of the devil. It is very dangerous and very foolish to set at naught the power of an enemy. To do so would cause one to enter a battle under-armed, under-equipped, and under-prepared.

Ephesians 2.2 tells us that he is the “..prince of the power of the air..”

Revelation tells us he is a destroying angel and the accuser of the brethren.

John tells us that he is a liar and the father of lies. He is a murderer from the beginning.

God is the creator. Satan is the un-creator. Where God is peace, he is chaos. Where God is harmony, he is discord. Where God is a builder, he is a destroyer.

He is THE rebel. He is the seed of every rebellious thought and deed. He is the root of every lie. He is the instigator of every ‘juicy piece of gossip.’

His goal is the destruction of the created image of God, wherever he may find it (in our lives,) and to bring about the fall of Christdom.

His influence reached every trace of humanity. Right now, billions are held captive to his will.

He is the most powerful foe you will ever encounter. Every earthly tyrant, every terrorist, and every dictator pales in comparison to him. He is evil in its purest form.

From his entrance into the Garden of Eden until today, he has sought the same goal. He does not waiver from his task. He does not hesitate. He welcomes a challenge and he loves to see the righteous fall.

To keep his subjects in line, or to lure freed men and women back into his fold, he uses every evil tool or weapon at his disposal without hesitation, care, or concern. He uses bullying, coercing, and seducing.

Some speak lightly of temptation and their ability to resist it. They may be its earliest victims.

The Jews took Hitler lightly in the beginning. Most refused to believe or accept the motivation of his appeal. They refused to see the foundation of hatred and the evil upon which he was building his house. Much too late they realized the tyranny of Nazism.

One of the greatest mistakes a Christian can make is to take Satan lightly.

He is the strongman of the house.

He is armed. He is the keeper of the palace. (Luke 11.21)

Man’s heart was a palace once. It is a palace still, but for many, that palace is now broken and in ruins, and over these ruins, Satan rules and reigns.

Ezekiel 8.8-12

8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.

10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.

11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.

12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

What a powerful picture of the captive heart.

In the chambers of imagery, there is lust, adultery, theft, murder, hatred, deceit, pride and haughtiness, rebellion and self will, and every other evil work. The chambers of imagery, where we think we hide our evil deeds, are dark and foreboding. It is a black room, with black windows, shrouded by black curtains. Here, the wicked think they hide their deeds from God himself. The LORD seeth us not;

In a natural house, we build in windows to allow the natural light to cleanse the room. There is little more appealing in a house than a room bathed in natural sunlight. Everything seems brighter. Everything seems cleaner. It is a room of hope. It is a room of joy. It is a room of peace. It is a room of comfort.

But these chambers of imagery are far from this. The Word tells us that men love darkness because their deeds are evil. In this cheder maskiyth, they thought they were hidden from God. They thought the darkened windows and walls tainted of the evil within, shielded them from the eyes of Jehovah. In this inner most parlor (cheder) of their dark imaginings (maskiyth) they felt at ease.

What a picture of the broken and ruined palace of God’s creation.

What a vivid and stark portrayal of the heart broken by sin and ruled by Satan.

He keeps his palace.

Whereas, we as Children of God, are the presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, inhabited by God’s Spirit, there are those walking with us, working with us, living with us, shopping with us, eating with us, talking with us, that use the façade of flesh to cover the darkened cheder maskiyth that is ruled over by Satan. Matthew tells us that we are sent out as sheep among the wolves.

In Genesis, “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually .” He saw into those darkened chambers of imagery. He saw beyond the façade. He saw beyond the darkened windows. He saw beyond the veil of respectability. He saw the darkened rooms filled with the incense of evil.

I think of the child’s game of ‘peep-eye’. Here, you would cover the eyes of a very young child, and then ask them where they went, as if by obscuring their ability to see; we have rendered them unable to be seen as well. It is a game we have played with all of my grandchildren. They believe, for a time, that if they can’t see me, then I must not be able to see them. We perpetuate this belief for the sake of the game. However, there is no time, and no place, that God cannot see you and your deeds.

Men and women today think they hide the evil in their hearts. They have pushed it down so far out of sight that they thing others cannot see it. Others cannot perceive it. I may not know the seed that rules one’s life. I may never see the seed that pushes one’s actions. I may never comprehend the driving force behind the deeds of some people. Rest assured; God sees that seed. No matter how deeply it is buried. No matter how much they try to cover it, it is revealed to God. All the black paint Sherwin-Williams has will not hide the contents of a heart from the eyes of God.

He keeps his palace.

2 Corinthians 4:4

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Blinded – tuphloo – to obscure

There is an old spiritual hymn that say, “Men were walking darkness, just couldn’t see the light.” This is how Satan keeps those that are his. He keeps them in the darkness. Is it any wonder they grasp at every near-doctrine and almost-theology that presents itself?

There were the clouds of incense from the censers. There were the blackened windows. There were the images of evil portrayed on the chamber walls. Looking from inside his heart, this is the scene the sinner views. These are the images which shape his/her thinking. These are the influences in their lives. Satan has blackened the windows so no light of hope can enter. No exit can be seen. All around them are the images of evil. They are constantly before their eyes.

The incense is a sacrifice. It was costly in that day. It was part of the offering of sacrifice to God. In Ezekiel, the seventy elders (leaders of families or tribe) were burning their incense within the temple of their heart. They offered sacrifice to the god that lives in the flesh. (In the flesh is no good thing.)

In the days of Noah, the Word tells us that men’s minds were on evil continually. The Devil parades the portraits of the abominations on the walls of their hearts. A cloud of evil obscures the goodness of God. He tells mankind that God does not see and that God has forsaken the earth. How insidious he is. For those that would do evil, he tells them God does not see, therefore there is no recompense for their evil. For those that would seek hope, he tells them God is not looking. He tells them that God has forsaken this earthly house of the strongman. Is there any wonder suicide is rampant and increasing today? Satan has tried to extinguish the hope of the multitudes. “There is no hope,” he says, “God is not watching.”

“The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth …”

Satan is the master manipulator of mankind. Dig deeply into the roots of every foul or heinous deed and you will find him. He is there pushing. He is there prodding.

“His goods are at peace.”

What are Satan’s goods? They are the faculties, the affections, and the feelings of his prisoners.

We can claim all the independence we choose to claim, but every one of us is going to offer oblation to someone, be it to God or to the flesh. No man can serve two masters. It tells us emphatically, that we will serve one or the other. Those to whom we yield our member, we are the servants thereof. Every one of us yields to the influence of the flesh (sinful nature) or to God (holy nature). We will ultimately yield to the stronger in our lives. Romans 6.16 tells us, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Satan uses his goods for his work and service. The end of which is destruction and ruin. Even the seeming good fortune of those of his followers is designed to bring about their ruin. The Psalm of Asaph states that he was envious of the wicked when he saw how they lived. He was envious of their seeming freedom and unrestricted gain. Then he went to the sanctuary of the Lord and saw their end.

Isaiah 49.24-25

“Shall the prey be taken away from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?”

We were justly captured. We were legal captives in the house of the strongman. From Eden, mankind was the lawful captive of Satan. When Adam and Eve sinned, we all became captives to Sin. By one man, we all were captured.

“But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”

The song says, “If I hold my peace and let the Lord fight my battles, victory, victory shall be mine.”

Strongman though he be, there is one stronger than he.

“.. to bruise his head ..”

There was one raised in the house of the strongman that will bruise his head. The battle for the house began in the Garden of Eden. In the judgment of Adam and Eve was a prophecy. The seed of a woman (Jesus) will crush the head of the rebellious one (Satan,) while he would lay in wait for the weakest part (heel) of God. The weakness of God is that the power of God suffers the most when it must pass through the confines of our human limitations of faith and belief. This is why a child can move God so easily. They do not yet have all the knowledge to doubt.

On the mountain, Satan attacked the weakest part of God, his humanity. While some will use our humanity as an occasion and excuse to sin, it is no excuse. We must cling to the power of God and not to the arms of flesh.

Jesus is come that we may have life, and having it, that we may have it more abundantly. He is come:

· To heal and deliver

· To save to the uttermost

· To bind the strongman

Jesus came, lived, walked, worked, healed and delivered.

· He preached good tidings to the meek.

· He bound up the brokenhearted

· He proclaimed liberty to the captive

· He opened the prison to them that were bound

· He opened blinded eyes

· He opened deaf ears

· He caused the lame to walk

· He raised the dead

Jesus broke the strongholds of the Devil.

· Satan was the bearer of bad news

· He was the breaker of hearts

· He was the captor of the weak

· He blinded men’s eyes

· He covered men’s ears

· He crippled humanity

· He brought death

The battle was on. The war was in full force. The Devil pulled every weapon he had. On every front, in every corner, in every place, the battle was fought.

Satan rebelled in Heaven and was cast out. In the Garden, he attacked God’s creation. All throughout the Bible he has attacked the children of God. On the mountain, he attacked Jesus with temptations. In Gethsemane, he raised up in Jesus’ humanity.

In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed; His humanity didn’t want to die, but divinity said, “We must be stronger, stronger than the strongman.” Then, on a lonely hill called Calvary, with a spear and three nails, the strongman of the house unwittingly released the greatest weapon ever against sin, the blood of Jesus Christ.

· It flows to every corner of the house

· It washes away sin, bondage, darkness, and captivity

· It pours into the chambers of the heart

This blood binds the strongman. The outflow reached to every man and woman.

Bring to him, the stronger, the broken ruins of your heart.

If you are in captivity, we may not be able to move out of the house, but I know a stronger one. The sword of His Spirit immediately breaks the chains of imprisonment. The shackles fall away. The windows fly open. Light fills the house. The chambers are filled with blood. It cast down every imagining.

He has spoiled the house of the strongman.

“.. No weapon formed against us will prosper ..”

The Devil has been unable to stem the flow from the portals of Calvary, but he has blinded the minds of men and women with the darkness of depression, oppression, and possession.

Tell me your greatest battle. Tell me your greatest foe.

Jesus faced them all on the mountain, in the garden, in the courts, on the hill, and on the cross, in the face of the strongman.

He was and is stronger.

I do not know what habit holds you captive. I do not know what lie or what fear keeps you shackled. However, I do know one that can bind the strongman.

If you have a need, He is the answer.

We live in the house of the strongman, but the sinless, spotless blood of Jesus Christ constrains him.

We can live free in the house of the strongman.

Turn from your ways.

Open the chambers of your heart and allow the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world to flow in. Let Jesus in your cheder maskiyth and let Him bind the strongman.

Come the stronger one. Come to Jesus.

The Measure

Romans 12:3

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

“The Measure”

The measure, the writer said. He didn’t say, “some measure” or “a measure.” He specified that it was ‘the’ measure. Why is this important?

Have you ever heard someone say that they wished they had as much faith as someone else?

Have you ever heard someone talk about the amount of faith another person has as if it were a great amount?

I want to look at the measure of faith.

The book of Romans tells us that God, who is no respecter of persons, gave to every man, the measure of faith.

How much faith did God give to Peter?

How much faith did God give to John?

How much faith did God give to Aunt Clarabell?

How much faith did God give to you?

Metron: an apparently primary word; a measure ("metre"), literally or figuratively; by implication a limited portion (degree):

Pistis: persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:

Let us step back a couple scriptures:

Rom 12:1-2

1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Here is Paul in his letter to the church at Rome, extolling them to present themselves as living sacrifices.

I remember reading a story about a little girl that was very sick. She was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance to recover appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. He hesitated only for a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save my sister.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in the bed next to his sister and smiled, as all did, seeing the color return to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked in a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood. Even thinking this, he did it anyway. He was willing to be the sacrifice.

How do we present ourselves as a living sacrifice? How do we resist conforming? How do we renew our minds? He said it in the next verse. How do you do all those things? I am going to give you a measure.

Peter, the Apostle, was a fisherman. In the book of John, there was a time after the death of Jesus, that Peter and some of the rest were fishing on the sea of Tiberias. They cast their nets all night and didn’t catch one fish. The morning arrives to find Jesus on the shore. The disciples didn’t know it was him. He asked them if they had any meat. When they replied that they did not, even after a night of toiling, He instructed them to cast their nets on the right side of the ship. They did, and could nearly not haul the nets into the boats for the catch was so great. The followers told Peter that it was the Lord on the shore. Peter, in all his brashness, wrapped his coat around himself, and jumped into the sea to swim to his Lord.

The rest of the disciples followed (in the boat) and came to shore, finding a fire with fish lying thereon and bread. Jesus told them to bring the fishes they had caught and invited them to come and dine. The fishes they had caught came to one hundred fifty-three fishes. Let me assure you, this was a great thing to them. They were fishermen by trade. How did they support their families? How did they provide the necessities? How did they feed themselves? They did all of this by the fish they caught. This was one giant payday.

Allow me to suppose what might have been going on with Peter when Jesus began His questions.

Peter was counting fish. It is like people today counting hours or weeks. “If I work forty hours this week, I will be able to pay the mortgage.” Each one of those fish was part of something else. “These ten fish will let me pay for the repairs on the fishing boat.” “These twenty fish will provide meat and vegetables for all next month.” I can almost see Peter grouping the fish in piles according to needs in his mind.

“Peter, do you love me more than all of these?”

“51 .. 52 .. 53 .. 54 ..Yes, Lord, you know I love you”

“Feed my lambs”

“Peter, do you love me more than all of these?”

“79 .. 80 .. 81 .. 82 .. Yes, Lord, you know I love you>”

“Feed my sheep”

“Peter, do you love me more than all of these?”

“117 .. 118 .. 119 .. (Man, why does he keep asking me that question) .. Yes, Lord, you know all things. You know I love you.”

“Feed my sheep.”

What was Jesus asking?

He was questioning Peter to get him to understand that, regardless of how many or how few fish he had, his faith and trust had to be in God. He had a work for Peter. That work was going to require faith. That faith had to be there when there were 153 fish and when there were none.

What faith did Peter have? Peter had the measure of faith. You have the measure of faith.

Every one of us has the same number of muscles. Yet, Shane Hamman set a US record lifting 435 pounds in a snatch and jerk weight lifting event, while other men with the same amount of muscles (like me) can only lift 195 pounds. What is the difference?

Does Shane have a greater number of muscles?

The difference is that Shane has exercised his muscles. He has increased their mass by repetitive exercises that push them to the limit on a regular basis. He has, by his exercise regimen, extended the limits of his muscularity.

Hebrews 11 talks about what we call the heroes of faith. It states:

By faith, Enoch ..

By faith, Noah ..

By faith, Abraham ..

By faith, Sara ..

By faith, Isaac ..

By faith, Jacob ..

By faith, Joseph ..

By faith, Moses ..

And so forth and so on. In each of these expositions about the acts of one based on faith, the word is ‘pistis’. It is the same faith that we were given.

We know that the trying of our faith works patience. We know that we are to add to our faith virtue. We know that we are to hold fast to the profession of our faith.

In the book of Luke, the seventh chapter, there is a record of a centurion with a sick servant.

Luke 7:1-9

1. Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

2. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

3. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

4. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

5. For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

6. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

7. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

8. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

9. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith , no, not in Israel.

The word for faith is our old friend ‘pistis’. The word for ‘so great’ is ‘tosoutos’ meaning “as large” He did not have more than the measure. He had the same faith muscle. He had exercised his faith. His faith was grown in strength.

In Luke 17, the apostles said to Jesus, “Lord, increase our faith.” The word they used implied a desire to have more faith laid alongside the faith they had. They wanted more than the measure given to every man. Jesus’ response to them was that if they had faith as a grain of mustard seed, they could say to this sycamore tree to be plucked up and be planted in the sea, and it would be so. He told them there was nothing wrong with the amount of faith they had. In all of this passage and anywhere else I have read in His word, I have found nowhere where the measure of faith was added to, in the light of getting more than the original measure. In Matthew, he tells his followers that if they had faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, they could say to the mountain, ‘be moved’ and it would be moved.

The measure of a mustard seed:

I have heard it said that: “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed. “

Jesus refers to a mustard seed. It is the smallest of seeds. Yet, it grows into incredible sizes. Many are those that share the blessing of the measure of one mustard seed.

Do you understand it? You have all the faith you need. Already!

It is the measure of faith which allows us to believe in the grace of God.

How do we ‘beef up’ our faith? How do we ‘grow’ it?

We grow it by exercising it. We grow it by using it.

When David came to the place where he would face goliath, he told of how a lion and a bear tried to take his father’s sheep. He told of how he wrestled the lamb from the mouth of the lion and slew it. He told of how he saved the sheep. Each time, he took the experience and added it to his faith. He tucked it under his belt and went on to face the next challenge. It was not an untested, untried boy that stood on the battlefield that day. It was not an inexperienced challenger that rose up to meet goliath. Rather, it was a faith exerciser. It was a faith grower. It was a faith builder.

You must be a faith builder. You must be a faith grower.

The book of Romans tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God. When we read or listen to the words of God, we exercise our faith. When we hear how God delivered Daniel form a den of lions, we grow our faith. When we read how God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites walked across on dry ground, we grow our faith. When we read about all the miracles and provisions provided by God, we grow our faith.

In my opinion, and you can discard this or listen, people today, know that God can do all these things. The doubt comes in the will. God can, but will He?

I think this is one of the greatest battles a Child of God faces. We read, and we know He can. We hear, and we know He can. We see, and we know He can.

Will He?

What does His Word say?

Luke 4:18-20

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Why did he come? He came to preach the gospel to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted; to preach deliverance to captives; to recover the sight of the blind, to liberate the bruised; and to preach the acceptable year.

What is His will toward us? He wants us to have life and have it more abundantly.

What is His will toward the sick? If there is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church. Let them pray over them anointing them with oil. The prayer of faith (what faith?) shall save the sick.

He can.

When no-one else can, He can.

When no-one else is able, He can.

He will.

When you ask in faith, He will

When you have a need, He will.

He gave you the measure.

In the desert, on the way to the Land of Promise, he gave the Children of Israel daily manna. Every day, He gave them enough for the day. On the day before the Sabbath, He gave them twice as much, as they were not to gather on the Sabbath. If they tried to gather too much manna and save it, it withered away. Every day, He gave them a measure. Every day, it was enough.

Interestingly, the word manna simply means “what”.

When the Children of Israel saw it for the first time, they asked “What?”

Manna was what.

God provides the what.

Through His measure, given to us, whatever we need, we can have enough.

How is your measure today?

Waiting in the Wings

Exodus 25:20-22

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

“Waiting in the Wings”

While I was in high school so many years ago, I acted in one of the schools two annual productions. It was here I had my first real dealings with the theater and certain terms and terminology. One of these terms in particular, I want to talk about now. It is here we gain a phrase used throughout the entire world.

The ‘wings’ are the areas off to the sides of the stage that are hidden from the audience. There are great deals of things that transpire in the wings. It is in the wings that the stage hands wait of the next scene change. It is in the wings that the actors make costume changes for different scenes.

However, one of the most known uses for the term, waiting in the wings’ has to do with the understudy. The star of the play has an understudy. The understudy knows every line of the stars performance. The understudy knows all the cues. The understudy is ready to step in at a moment’s notice to stand in for the star if he or she is unable to perform for any reason. In a large production there are many understudies.

The understudy is waiting. He or she is waiting for that moment that they are needed. They stand, sometimes impatiently, in the wings. They know the part. They know the lines. They know the cues. They know the stage directions. They are prepared. As the star says their lines, you can see the understudy mouthing the same lines.

Today, this phrase encompasses a much wider arena than the area of the stage. It does, however, have the same connotation. Someone has worked, out of sight, just waiting for their opportunity to get into the spotlight. It may be a stage production. It might be a business meeting. It could be job opportunity. Whatever it may be, there is usually someone waiting in the wings to step in at a moment’s notice.

In the scripture, with which we started, it talks about the Mercy Seat which sat upon the Ark of the Covenant. These are vital pieces of the furniture of the Holy of Holies, a place within the Holy Place within the Tabernacle. It is interesting to note, that all the articles of furniture in the Tabernacle were given very specific measurements. We know the height, width and depth of nearly all of the pieces. There is one that is not specified. We know that the length of the Mercy Seat was two and a half cubits. We are told the breadth of the Mercy Seat is one and a half cubits. The height of the Mercy Seat is never divulged. This is because there is no end to the mercies of God toward His people.

We are told the there were to be cherubims on each end of the mercy seat that were to face each other with their wings extended toward each other. Their wings would cover the mercy seat. It was here, in the midst of these wings, that God said He would meet with man and commune with him.

Here we have this picture, of God, waiting in the wings, to commune with mankind, through the office of the priest. When man needed instruction, God was waiting in the wings. When man needed forgiveness, God was waiting in the wings.

I know that the mercies of God were extended continually over His people. They lived within the divine providence of God. He blessed them continually. He gave them rain, and great harvests. He made them a fertile people to multiply as He had commanded and replenish the earth. These blessings were ever with them as long as they were faithful. There was no need to come to the mercy seat to meet with God to obtain these. These were the ever present blessings which God gave to His people, simply because they were His people. There were times when the priest was commanded to come to the Holy of Holies. There were regular sacrifices. The Scripture tells us that the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies only once a year and then only with the blood of the sacrifice.

I was talking with God once when I asked Him about people that always seemed to struggle. It seemed that they served God but still did not get ahead.

(I am not a ‘prosperity’ preacher per say, but I do believe God provides for His own.) Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” I am not a seed preacher. I do not preach Christ as a monetary investment. Do not send me your $100 or $1000 seed money thinking that by doing so God now owes you some monumental return on your investment.

1 Timothy 6:5 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” The Scripture tells us those that teach godliness is a way to make gains are destitute of the truth.

John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” God is still looking for those that come to Him worshipping in the spirit and in truth. He is not looking for men and women to invest in His business. He is looking for true spirit worship without ulterior motive. He is looking for a broken and contrite heart.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus says that He is the truth. I have yet to find in his word where He ever says, “I am the investment.”

John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” It is the truth that will free us. The word used in the original text is ‘eleutheroo’. It means ‘to liberate’, to exempt from moral, ceremonial or mortal liability. It is to be free and not just free, but free indeed. John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Therefore, since Jesus is the truth, and we must worship God in spirit and truth, and it is this truth, or this knowledge of this truth that is going to set us free, and those that preach godliness as gain are destitute of the truth, this ‘investment’ ministry does not set us free, but pulls us deeper into the bondage of works based ministries. If I am not blessed enough, it is because I have not done enough works. The blessings of God are not based or founded in our works.

The parables of the talents bear this out even farther in as much as the reward was not based on the works but on the faithfulness to the work of the Master.

I said all that to get to this: I see people that appear to faithfully serve God struggle in life. (I say ‘appear’ as I can only see the surface of one’s life. I cannot see the workings of the heart or the mover of their spirit.) I asked God about this. I told God that I knew He was able to give exceeding abundantly above all we are able to ask or think. David said that he was young and now is old, and he has never seen the righteous forsaken nor His seed to beg bread. This speaks volumes to the keeping and blessing power of God. So, I did question God as to why it seemed that people struggled so much when abundant blessing were there for them.

God spoke to me and told me that people didn’t have the blessing and provisions provided because they forget or neglect to ask.

In Old Testament days, the priest could come once a year and stand in the presence of God. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil separating the Holy of Holies was rent in two. The separation between God and man was destroyed. In as much as, previously, sin could not stand in the presence of the holiness of God without being destroyed, grace now stood between God and His creation. Now, we can go to God directly. The blood of goats and lambs has been replaced by the blood of a perfect lamb. One great atoning sacrifice covering the sins of all men. God is in His place, waiting for mankind to come to Him. The invitation has been given. It has been repeated in innumerable sermons, in countless Bible Studies, in incalculable conversations since that day.

God says ‘Come.”

When your strength is not sufficient, He is waiting in the wings.

When your courage is not sustaining, He is waiting in the wings.

When your walk falters, He is still waiting.

When the night is long and dark, He is ever nearby, waiting.

When you do not have the words, He is waiting.

There have been numerous times portrayed in the Word where God was waiting at the place where He would meet the needs of man and man was not there.

In Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”

God came to the garden in what appeared to be a regular time and regular place. He expected that He would find Adam and Eve waiting as usual. However, this time, something was different. God was in his place, but man had moved. The Scriptures imply that this was a customary time of communing between God and man. This was the normal place of worship. In the past, God and man met here. They communed.

Something was different today; from any other day that God came to spend time with His creation. God was in His place, waiting, and man was hiding in shame. I wonder if the first revelation that came to Adam and Eve was the revelation of the magnitude of the act they had done. Their first knowledge of good and evil was the realization of their sin. They saw that they were naked and sewed aprons of fig leaves to cover themselves. Even this, an act of self righteousness, was not enough to bring them into the presence of God. Their best efforts still kept them away from the place where God would be waiting.

How many times has mankind fallen short of the mark and tried to sew together aprons of excuses to cover their shame? How often do we try to hide behind an apron of self justification? God is waiting to bless us. God is waiting to talk with us. God is in the place where we regularly meet him, and we are busy sewing together aprons of self righteousness.

God is in His place. Where are you?

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8.38-39 (NIV)

Satan uses all the devices at his disposal to hinder and destroy the creation of God. The scripture tells us that those that do not gather, scatter. There is no middle ‘doing nothing’ ground. You are either living for God or living for the devil.

God is the creator.

Satan is the un-creator..

A lie is the un-creation of truth. (God is truth.)

A murder is the un-creation of life. (He is come that we might have life.)

Ridicule is the un-creation of praise.

Pride is the un-creation of humility.

Envy is the un-creation of contentedness.

Lust is the un-creation of purity.

Blasphemy is the un-creation of glorifying.

Everything that God embraces, Satan hates. Everything God tries to build, Satan tried to destroy. Every purpose that God has, Satan proposes the opposite.

Neither life nor death; neither angels nor demons; neither the present nor the future; neither height nor depth; no powers; nothing else in creation; can separate us from the love of God. Why is it then, that there are times we do not feel that love? Why are there times when we feel we are walking through the desert alone? Why do trials and tests obscure the love we should know is always there?

We neglect or forget to go to God. We forget that He is waiting in the wings. He is waiting for us to put the problem in His hands.

We are busy sewing together aprons of fig leaves and he is in the garden waiting.

We are overcome by the magnitude of our ‘forgiven but not forgotten’ sins that we think we are not worthy to ask anything of God. This is a ploy of the enemy. We are not worthy. If we could make ourselves worthy, then Calvary was in vain.

We are hiding and God is waiting.

We are trying our own devices and God is holding the answer.

God is waiting.

Elijah put it out there. “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” (I Kings 18.21)

Stop waiting.

Start deciding.

Make up your mind.

Trust God.

Trust man.

Choose one.

Remember, there is no middle ground.

Jesus said that you will either work for Him or against Him.

Will you keep Him waiting?

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” Isaiah 55.6

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. (Proverbs 1.25-27)

God said, you ignored my voice and you would not follow my leading. You kept me in the wings while you did it your way. As the result of your efforts, things got worse. Calamity, fear, desolation and destruction come as result. Distress and anguish come to you. Because you kept me at arm’s length, now, I will laugh at your efforts and your recompense.

God is waiting.

What will you do?

Trading Tyrannies

John 14:15

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

“Trading tyrannies “

There are a myriad of smaller third world countries ruled by tyrants. These tyrants are continually opposed and sometimes deposed by the next tyrant to rule. While the leaders change, that does not affect the citizenry at large. They have simply traded tyrannies. They are still in bondage. Every up and coming dictator appeals to the people to support him and his changes. They promise freedom and change. They promise a better life for all. However, when they come to power, the force required to reach the throne is the same force required the keep it. Therefore, nothing changes to the common man. They are still in bondage. They are still controlled by a fearful force. The simplest aspects of their lives are controlled by the whim and will of the newest tyrant.

The scripture tells us that too whom we yield our members, we are the servants of. We are all born into sin. Our flesh is the servant of sin. The author of sin is Satan. When we yield to sin, we are the servants of Satan. He is a tyrant. While we are servants to him, we are in bondage to his tyranny. Even the simplest aspects of our lives are controlled by his force. We are driven by his will and desire. We are headed to his destination. Yet, there is one that seeks to free us. There is one that seeks to deliver us. He offers us a freedom we cannot understand.

The freedom God offers, is not a freedom to do as you will, per say. It is a freedom to do as you will in they you can choose to follow God and His commandments or you can choose to return to or stay in the bondage of Satan. There is a time in your life where you are offered this choice. The choice is to begin anew in the service of a loving, benevolent, caring God or remain in the service of a selfish, lying, cheating, deceiving tyrant. God offers you this choice, freely.

You can find the place where this choice is made is as varied as the people that make the choice.

Some come to the choice as a child. Others come to it as adults.

Some come to this choice during a trying time. Some come to it in peaceful times.

Some come to the choice at a church. Some come to it at home.

Some are led to the choice by friends. Some are led to the choice by strangers.

Some hear the call loud and booming. Some hear the call as a whisper.

There is no precise way it has to happen. There is no exact place it must happen. There is no concise time for it to take place.

Each choice, to stay or begin anew, requires the following of a spirit. We can choose to follow a spirit of freedom or a spirit of bondage. It really doesn’t seem like a very hard choice. We might even call it a ‘no brainer.’

However, in his efforts to keep that which is his, Satan uses trickery to accomplish his goal. He disguises his bondage as freedom and God’s freedom as bondage. His freedom to do as you will is not doing your will at all. It is the will he has led you to believe is your own, but it is controlled by fashion, friends, peer pressure, society, and general human rebellion. He paints the church as a prison with bars of do’s and don’ts. He will give you a litany of the things you “can’t” do anymore. He focuses your attention of the things you have to ‘give up.’

Let me be straight up with you. There are commandments in serving God. There are rules of conduct. There are expectations of Godly conduct. There are things you cannot do. There are things you are required to do. In this, there is the merest glimmer of truth in Satan’s advertising.

There are rules like, “love the Lord thy God will all thy soul, mind, and strength,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”

When Jesus was traveling and preaching, He was asked, in an effort to trap him, which was the greatest of the Ten Commandments. His response was to boil the commandments down into two basic commandments. The first was to love the Lord with all you have. The second was to love everyone else as you love yourself. If we can just learn these two, we do very well.

If we love others as we love ourselves, think of the world in which we would live. There would be no wars. There would be no crime. There would be no poverty. There would be no child abuse or spouse abuse. There would be no racism. There would be no tyranny. There would be no need to be afraid. There would be no health care crisis. There would be no greed or avarice. There would be no malice.

What a utopia we would have.

I recall a dream someone supposedly had and reported. In the dream, this person went to Hell. In Hell there was a table spread with all manner of food. Every delicious food to be imagined was there. The people around the table had a six-foot spoon tied to one hand and the other hand tied behind their backs. They were all starving. They could not get the food to their mouths. All the food they could want and they were unable to eat it.

Then the dream continued and the person went to Heaven. In Heaven there was a table spread with all manner of food. Every delicious food to be imagined was there. The people around the table had a six-foot spoon tied to one hand and the other hand tied behind their backs. Everyone was healthy and full. When the dreamer asked what the difference was between the two, as both people in both places were subject to the same conditions, they discovered that in Heaven, they fed each other. Every man met the needs of the others around him.

If we could live by the Godly principles written in His Word, we would live in just such a utopia.

The problem comes, when those in the church world grab hold of the idea of the flesh world. I cannot worship with you, because you do not wear the same color uniform that I wear. I cannot fellowship with you anywhere because you do not read the same books as me, you do not listen to the same music as me, you do not dress the same as me, and you do not live the same as me. We are asking sinners to trade tyrannies. We are asking them to leave one form of bondage for another.

I am not dismissing the commandments of God. I am not saying there are no rules in serving God. I am not claiming there are no ‘thou shalts’ and ‘thou shalt nots’ in the service of God. God does have expectations. Many of these expectations are as written in stone just as the original Ten Commandments were written. The Word tells us that He now writes His laws on the tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3.3)

It is the right of every Pastor to shepherd the flock that God entrusted into his care, as he feels God instructs him. It is his right as an undershepherd to lead the sheep as he is led by the Spirit of God. He will use his God given authority to set a standard based on biblical principles. Those he uses in the ministry and function of the church must agree to live by this standard. This is his/her line in the sand. Anyone can come and worship. Any person can come and stand in the congregation and lift hands to God in praise and worship. There should be no restraint in who is welcome to offer praise in the place of the congregation. However, to lead in worship or praise, a standard must be abided by. To minister in word or deed, there must be an agreement to adhere to a standard. There must be a reasonable expectation of action for membership. This should not, however, in any way prevent anyone from worshiping or praising God freely.

Our general membership standard must be Biblically teachable. It must adhere to God’s Word. It should produce freedom.

In Deuteronomy, the Word gives provisions for those that through mismanagement or other reasons have lost their inheritance and have sold themselves as servants to pay a debt. At the end of the six year period, the master must free them. In the seventh year, they are to be freed. However, if the servant chooses, he or she may remain with the master. If that is the choice, they are taken to the door post and an awl is thrust through their ear. This piercing signifies their willingness to remain a servant past the seventh year wherein they would normally receive their freedom. Their servitude becomes one of choice rather than debt.

We are not trading tyrannies.

We are not trading bondages.

We are accepting freedoms terms.

If you will be free, these things you must do ..

As we get closer and closer to God, more and more flesh will be peeled away. More and more of our Adamic nature will be stripped away. Paul said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3.30) Although it is not our motivation, there is nothing you will give up for God that He does not bless you manifold times more in return.

Some Christians get caught up in telling people what they are doing that will send them to Hell. We need to spend the more time on telling them what they need to do to go to Heaven. I am a firm believer in the old-time Hell fire and brimstone sermons. My father, a great pastor, told me that it is more important to preach sermons that make people cry than to preach sermons that make them shout. Both have their place. Neither will ever replace the need for the other.

If you can scare people in, the devil can scare them right back out.

If you love them in, he cannot love them back out.

2 Timothy 1:7-8

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear ; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

The word for fear is 'deilia' which means 'timidity'. It is derived from deilos and deos which means dread or fearful. God has not given us the spirit of living under tyranny. When a person lives under tyrannical rule, they become fearful and timid. They are afraid of everything. They trust no one. They suspect everyone. Their fear guides their thoughts and actions. This is the rule from under which God wants to deliver us. He wants to take away our spirit of timidity. He wants to relieve us of our fearfulness. The first things that Adam experienced when he sinned were shame and fear. When God came in the cool of the day into the midst of the garden and called for him, he said, “I was afraid .. and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3.10)

God has given us a spirit of power. He has given us ‘dunamis’. This is a force of miraculous power. It is the power to do great and mighty works. It dispels timidity. It empowers the powerless. It gives strength to the weak. It gives courage to the fearful. It gives liberty to the captive. It gives hope to the hopeless. It gives freedom to the prisoner. It is the power of God unto salvation.

Satan is a power taker. God is a power giver.

Satan is an imprisoner. God is a liberator.

Satan is a discourager. God is an encourager.

Satan is a heart breaker. God is a heart mender.

Satan is the destroyer of hope. God is the hope of the world.

We are not trading tyrannies.

God has given us a spirit of a Love. He has given us the spirit of ‘agape’. He has given us the example and spirit of a sacrificial love. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13.35) “Greater love hath no man than this that a man would lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) While we were yet enemies of the cross, Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. This is the love that gives without expectation of return.

In John 21, Jesus has a discourse with Peter where three times He asks Peter if he loves him. Three times Peter tells Jesus that he does in fact love Him. A closer look at this conversation reveals some interesting facts. In the original text, (Greek) the words used for love in the conversation differ. Jesus asks Peter if he loves (agape) Him. Peter replies that he loves (phileo) Him. The second time is the same as the first. Finally, the third times Jesus asks Peter if he loves (phileo) Him, and Peter responds that he does (phileo) Him.

Jesus asks Peter if he has a sacrificial love for Him. Peter responds that he does have affection for Jesus.

When Jesus tells his disciple how they will be identified, it was through the sacrificial love they would have for and toward each other. The world is replete with ‘I will love you if you love me’ types of love. God’s love is far and above love like that.

We are not trading tyrannies.

Satan’s love is destructive. God’s love is constructive.

Satan’s love is conditional. God’s love is unconditional.

Satan’s love is fleeting. God’s love is everlasting.

Satan’s love is binding. God’s love is freeing.

We are not trading tyrannies.

God has given us a spirit of a sound mind. The word is ‘sophronizo’ which means to make of sound mind, to discipline or correct. God wants to teach us. God wants to disciple us. God wants to give us knowledge and wisdom. He is not afraid of the truth. He is not afraid of revelation. He is not afraid of scrutiny. He is not afraid of logic. His truth will stand when all others fail. His Word will outlast all its detractors. We need not fear the knowledge of the world. True knowledge will align with the truth of God’s Word. We are not carried about by every wind of doctrine. We are built on a firm foundation. Jesus is the chief cornerstone of our building.

The word used refers to a disciplined life. This ties the terms disciple and discipline together. The word tells us who he loves, he chastises. We can readily understand that we discipline our children out of love. We train them. We teach them a respect for proper authority. We take no pleasure in the act of discipline but understand the far reaching ramifications of not doing so. Disciples are created by discipline. Tyrants use force and discipline to break their foes and followers. Christ uses discipline to build up His followers. The rod of His correction is a blessing. “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24 NIV)

Satan’s freedom is not freedom at all.

God’s bondage is not bondage at all.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)

We are not trading tyrannies.

In the story of Aladdin and the magic lamp, the evil Grand Vizier in his efforts to gain the magic lamp, goes through the town in disguise, crying out “New lamps for old.”

Christ stands at the edge of your life. There is no deception in His claim, as He calls out, “New lives for old.”

He offers you a new life.

He offers you a new spirit.

He offers you a new power.

He offers you a new love.

He offers you a new mind.

We are not trading tyrannies.