Flip

““If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Flip

As I read the passage this morning, I was taken aback by the dire consequences that one would face if trying to entice a follower of the Lord to worship other gods. Thanks be to God, that we now have the grace afforded us through the Lord Jesus, for if we did not, there would be bodies stacked high.

Followers of Jesus are strangers in this world, for we are sojourners, passing through, and our citizenship is in heaven. Because of this we are in the minority, and rules of this world are counter to those under God, for just as the children of Israel were instructed to put to death those who sought to entice, so too the world will one day seek to put to death those who insist on following the Lord Jesus.

““And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Revelation 2:8-10 NKJV

The script will be flipped, for this world that we live in belongs to the prince and power of the air.

The children of Israel are a type and shadow of the Christian, for we are the spiritual members of the household of God. While the children of Israel were instructed to kill those who sought to lead God’s people astray, we are called to practice Biblical separation, where we fellowship only with those who have the same beliefs.

We know that the world is pressing in, for each day there are new examples of the effort to impose the culture on those who belong to God. The efforts will increase over time, for bible tells us that the wicked will wax worse and worse, but we must hold fast to the Gospel and the word of God.

“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
II Timothy 3:13-17 NKJV

The drive to cause the follower of Jesus to move to other gods is coming from all corners of our world, as even previously renowned teachers with famous names have sought to “unhitch” the Bible from the faith, seeking to proclaim the resurrection with no regard to record of it in the word.

It is like they want what Jesus did, without who Jesus is.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
John 1:1-5 NKJV

The light shines into darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. We are entering into a time of profound darkness, where even those who were previously steadfast, have begun to drift toward other gods.

Brothers and sisters, let us draw close to the things that we know, for we have been given the word of God and, those of us who are born again, have been given the Holy Spirit. Jesus has provided us His Helper to assist us in understanding what He has taught us.

My people, let us put to death those things in our flesh that serve as enticements to follow other gods. Let us banish our lusts and appetites, opting for the things of God. May it be apparent in how we live, for as we have yielded to the Lord, we we present the fruit of the Spirit. Likewise, of we fail it will also be apparent for we will not be ones walking in the Spirit but the flesh.

“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:17-21 NKJV

These are the earmarks of the world that we are living in, for all who follow the prince and power of the air have been consumed by sin.

Let us demonstrate a faithful walk with the Lord, showing the fruit of the Spirit in abundance.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV

In the coming days, weeks and months, there will be great temptations to fight fire with fire, but we must be mindful, for in the heat of conflict, we can be drawn toward our more base selves, thus giving the enemy the victory.

Let us walk in this world fully aware that we are surrounded by those who have been ensnared by the devil, but also those the Lord desires to save. May we walk circumspectly, marking the nuance of every step, for we have been called to spread the Gospel.

Let us also proceed with love, for we have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, which the world does not have.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
I Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV

Let us be mindful that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but that we are in a spiritual battle, where the evil one is using those the Lord desires to save as missiles of flesh and blood. Let us not destroy, but let us be endowed with the armor the Lord has provided.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”
Ephesians 6:12-18 NKJV

I urge you to pray for each other in these perilous times, for the enemy will be relentless for he knows that his time is short.

THE PRAYER CHAIR IS OPEN! Send me your requests!

#prayfortheharvest

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#prayforthepeaceofIsrael

#praythatthegospelspreadeverywhere

https://www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm