"... [F]or they proceed from one evil to another, and they do not take Me into account..." (Jeremiah 9:3, HCSB).
"... If you do not stand firm in the faith, then you will not stand at all" (Isaiah 7:9, HCSB).
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (cf. Genesis 18:25).
"In fact, if the trumpet makes an unclear sound, who will prepare for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8, HCSB).
"What's wrong with the world? I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." --Edmund Burke
God ordained the institution of government to keep evil at bay, but there comes a time when those in the know have to stand up for what they believe either in civil disobedience or engaging in public discourse to disseminate the truth, as Francis Schaeffer said that there comes a time when this is not only a right but a duty! We see this today manifest in peaceful demonstrations and protests. But we must beware lest we assume that the government is always the problem or the solution, and the other extreme: "My country, right or wrong!"
If we don't stand for the faith we have, it's worth noting, and we don't really stand at all. If you won't stand for your faith, is it of value? And if faith weren't a challenge or difficulty, it would be worth little. We are representatives of God's righteousness as well as ambassadors of the kingdom of Christ. Ultimately, it matters whether we have a faith we can live with, or one we will fight or even die for! That's because infidels and the ignorant are seldom convinced by debate or argument and the faith we have is the faith we show!
Our do-goodery may win them over yet and perchance they may see Christ at work in us. But we must first become introspective like G. K. Chesterton was: "What 's wrong with the world? I am, sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton." He realized that true faith expresses itself and there's a difference between bogus faith or the mere profession of faith and the reality of faith. We must first know what our faith is and what we do believe and this is the weak link in the chain of uninformed believers: "Tell me your certainties, I have enough doubts of my own," said German famed playwright and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe over two centuries ago!
We need to end the doubting and commence to doubt our doubts and believe our faith, translating it into deeds, practicing what we preach, and preaching only what we practice. Then we become a fidei defensor or a defender of the faith! Note that there does come an opportunity and time in each person's life to prove what side he's on and to take a stand for right versus wrong and to fight the evil in the world: God did something about evil; He created you and me! This is the opportunity to throw down the gauntlet much like Martin Luther did on the door of the church at Wittenberg (All Saints Church) in 1517 with his Ninety-Five Theses to end the Dark Ages.
He knew what he was doing and this took grit and fortitude but crossed the Rubicon despite this: Challenging the entire establishment much the way that Jesus was an antiestablishment figure and upset the religious apple cart. He had the necessary dynamic for living and courage: He knew what he believed and much more importantly, like Paul in 2 Timothy 2:12, he knew in Whom he believed. Jeremiah was in a similar situation and was considered unpatriotic because he prophesied against Jerusalem and he said in Jeremiah 9:3 that "they refuse to stand up for the truth." Jerusalem had become unfaithful and was supposed to be a city on a hill, as it were. There's a limit to patriotism though: We don't put country above God!
Irish playwright and Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw noted pertinently that "no nation has survived the loss of its gods." And John Adams quipped that our Constitution "was made only for a religious and moral people." Yes, I want to mention in passing that we have many issues and causes in our society and have found many questions, but it's now time to search for the answers and that means we need visionaries who can rightly interpret the times and have a Christian worldview so that they are not deceived by the prevalent Secular Humanism and the newfangled Postmodernism that is creeping into our schools and institutions that are simply "anti-Christian," a sort of militant atheism that wages war on Christendom. That's why it's called a "Truth War."
All the other worldviews agree on this one point: They're all opposed to "dangerous" Christianity. But the only truths that are irrelevant are the Christian ones! And we must not let Christ be eradicated from the public square and open marketplace of ideas, even the social media but must fear not to exercise our First Amendment rights. There is no social gospel to preach but we do have a social commission to complete to be salt and light for social justice, as Cicero called Rome a city of light.
In sum, we are not to parade our righteousness, wear it on our sleeves, nor even to flaunt it, but we never should privatize it, being ready to stand up for Jesus and fly and declare our Christian colors, which means we are declaring war on the enemy, knowing that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one or wickedness and its "isms." (cf. 1 John 5:19). (Relevant is the saying that everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it!)
CAVEATS: WE ARE NOT CALLED TO USHER IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, NOR TO LEGISLATE "CHRISTIAN SHARIA LAW," NOR LEGISLATE OUR FAITH. Remember: The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke). Soli Deo Gloria!
To bridge the gap between so-called theologians and regular "students" of the Word and make polemics palatable. Contact me @ bloggerbro@outlook.com To search title keywords: title:example or label as label:example; or enter a keyword in search engine ATTN: SITE USING COOKIES!
About Me
- Karl Broberg
- I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.
Showing posts with label angelic conflict. Show all posts
Showing posts with label angelic conflict. Show all posts
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Monday, October 24, 2016
The Battle Is The Lord's
We are engaged in a mop-up effort to fight our vanquished foe, the devil, and despite his defeat, the battle has just begun for us as believers living on his turf. We must not remain ignorant of his deceitful schemes lest we are caught in his web. Note, nevertheless, our victory is assured, and we are fighting from the victory at the cross, not for victory--Satan's already in a no-win situation.
The tools of his trade are psychological warfare, mind-games, lies, propaganda, drugs, "education," and ignorance, et al. Satan knows our vulnerabilities and weaknesses and strikes at the most opportune time, often when we are on a spiritual high or in special need. He's always at work "seeking whom he may devour."
Our threefold enemy is the world-system, the carnal nature or flesh, and the devil and his legions. Note that our worst enemy is ourselves: "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" (This is quoted from the Pogo character by Walt Kelly.) We are also on Satan's hit list and are targets of his animosity and cruelty. What does Satan foster, but division, divisiveness, contention, and polarization? Remind you of someone? His main strategy is to divide and conquer, the opposite of the Spirit that unites us in Christ as one body.
The best strategy in warfare is to "know your enemy" according to Sun Tzu, in The Art of War. In warfare, the troops do not need to wonder why, but to do and die (from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade). There are casualties in every war, and that is why it's imperative to arm ourselves with the full armor of God--to fight a spiritual war with natural weapons is sure to defeat. The Word of God is our only offensive weapon and that is why it's important to stay in the Word and not to become negligent in the discipline. Job One is holding down the fort and taking back the turf that Satan has stolen as the god of this age, the prince of this world. Note that we are not to give the devil an opportunity or beachhead, and never to compromise with him. Our SOP (standard operating procedure) is to "watch and pray" that we enter not into temptation and to stay alert to his dirty tricks--remember, Jesus said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak [we're human and can fail in the flesh]."
One of the tactics he uses is to accuse us before the Father, but "there is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (cf. Romans 8:1). The only way to silence the devil is to fight with the Word just as Jesus did, saying, "It is written." Satan has no answer to it and must surrender or flee. We can rest assured that we are "more than conquerors" in Christ and our battle strategy is to "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." We are never to forget that we are on the winning side and our victory is assured because "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (cf. 1 John 4:4).
However, we have two natures, and the one we feed or cater to is the one that wins over and dominates--therefore sow to the Spirit, not the flesh! In the final analysis, we are to "rejoice that our names are written in heaven" and not to get a big head or sense of insecurity or inferiority, as we fight the devil with God on our side--we're in a win-win situation in the end, and there's no losing proposition at all in Christ! Soli Deo Gloria!
The tools of his trade are psychological warfare, mind-games, lies, propaganda, drugs, "education," and ignorance, et al. Satan knows our vulnerabilities and weaknesses and strikes at the most opportune time, often when we are on a spiritual high or in special need. He's always at work "seeking whom he may devour."
Our threefold enemy is the world-system, the carnal nature or flesh, and the devil and his legions. Note that our worst enemy is ourselves: "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" (This is quoted from the Pogo character by Walt Kelly.) We are also on Satan's hit list and are targets of his animosity and cruelty. What does Satan foster, but division, divisiveness, contention, and polarization? Remind you of someone? His main strategy is to divide and conquer, the opposite of the Spirit that unites us in Christ as one body.
The best strategy in warfare is to "know your enemy" according to Sun Tzu, in The Art of War. In warfare, the troops do not need to wonder why, but to do and die (from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade). There are casualties in every war, and that is why it's imperative to arm ourselves with the full armor of God--to fight a spiritual war with natural weapons is sure to defeat. The Word of God is our only offensive weapon and that is why it's important to stay in the Word and not to become negligent in the discipline. Job One is holding down the fort and taking back the turf that Satan has stolen as the god of this age, the prince of this world. Note that we are not to give the devil an opportunity or beachhead, and never to compromise with him. Our SOP (standard operating procedure) is to "watch and pray" that we enter not into temptation and to stay alert to his dirty tricks--remember, Jesus said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak [we're human and can fail in the flesh]."
One of the tactics he uses is to accuse us before the Father, but "there is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (cf. Romans 8:1). The only way to silence the devil is to fight with the Word just as Jesus did, saying, "It is written." Satan has no answer to it and must surrender or flee. We can rest assured that we are "more than conquerors" in Christ and our battle strategy is to "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." We are never to forget that we are on the winning side and our victory is assured because "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (cf. 1 John 4:4).
However, we have two natures, and the one we feed or cater to is the one that wins over and dominates--therefore sow to the Spirit, not the flesh! In the final analysis, we are to "rejoice that our names are written in heaven" and not to get a big head or sense of insecurity or inferiority, as we fight the devil with God on our side--we're in a win-win situation in the end, and there's no losing proposition at all in Christ! Soli Deo Gloria!
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
A Dead Heat
"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5, ESV).
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace" (Acts 20:24, NIV).
Are you Christ's competition? In God's economy: greatness is not how many serve you, but how many you serve; the way up is down; humility comes before honor; emptiness comes before fullness--we must confess with John the Baptist: "He must increase; I must decrease" (cf. John 3:30). You commence growth in spirituality once you become cognizant that it's not about you! Christ defeated Satan at the cross and the battle has been won to the chagrin of Satan, who thought he was winning when Christ went to Calvary.
God used the worst atrocity in history to bring about the devil's defeat (cf. Acts 4:28)--he stands defeated and we fight from victory, not for a victory--the battle is the Lord's. We all have individual races to run that comprise God's will for our lives and to gain its prize; however, we must compete according to the rules. The battle is won! Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus is the victor and we are in a mop-up effort to proclaim it to the world, notwithstanding Satan's resistance.
When we have completed the will and purpose of God, our time on earth is up and we go to meet our Maker (cf. Acts 13:36, ESV): "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption." Hebrews 12:1 (ESV) says, "And] let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." We all have different races and are to find God's will and plan for us. We are all to compete as an athlete who runs for a perishable crown or wreath, but ours is an imperishable one and it isn't a sprint, but a marathon. Jesus won and we are just members of the winning team. Our enemy is the world, the flesh, and the devil--not each other! We are our own worst enemy.
We all finish in a dead heat--there is no elite Christian who is above the others, though God is not unjust to withhold due reward for those who win their personal race and find God's will for their lives to do it. The rule of this world is "winner takes all." It's not "each man for himself" in a life ruled by the law of the jungle, but each of us looking out for each other's interest. "One for all and all for one!" We pray: "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory..." We are mere stewards of the riches of God and will be rewarded according to our faithfulness in these blessings. We are all members one of another of the same body, some being an eye, and some an ear, for example.
In God's economy, all believers are winners and are members of His royal family that will rule with Him in the Millennial Kingdom, and even judge the world and angels. You have a different race to run than I do, for instance; mine may be only a week long, while God expects you to endure a year to finish His will. Note that the race is not a sprint, or how fast we go, but how we endure and how faithful we are--God isn't looking for our achievements or success, but our obedience! As Mother Teresa of Calcutta (recipient of 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and now canonized) said, "God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness."
Christians are in an angelic conflict with the forces and authorities of darkness and the demonic realm, that we can only defeat by wearing the armor of God. There is plenty of rewards to go around and share with the members of the kingdom of God, and it all belongs to God; we are just stewards of the blessings of God and are here to demonstrate our faithfulness and worthiness of eternal reward. Nothing in this life is permanent--we have spiritual green cards and are only passing through, as our real citizenship is in heaven (per Philippians 3:20). We are stewards and God has leveled the playing field: "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof' (cf. Psalm 24:1).
There is no caste system in the body of Christ, for we are all royalty and equally members one of another--having different gifts, but the same Spirit. We are all on the same team as a family in Christ! When one part is honored, the whole body is honored. We must be careful that we are not competing with God; He is on our side and when we join Him we cannot lose the battle--which we fight in the name of the Lord with the full armor of God described in Ephesians 6:12ff. Soli Deo Gloria!
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace" (Acts 20:24, NIV).
Are you Christ's competition? In God's economy: greatness is not how many serve you, but how many you serve; the way up is down; humility comes before honor; emptiness comes before fullness--we must confess with John the Baptist: "He must increase; I must decrease" (cf. John 3:30). You commence growth in spirituality once you become cognizant that it's not about you! Christ defeated Satan at the cross and the battle has been won to the chagrin of Satan, who thought he was winning when Christ went to Calvary.
God used the worst atrocity in history to bring about the devil's defeat (cf. Acts 4:28)--he stands defeated and we fight from victory, not for a victory--the battle is the Lord's. We all have individual races to run that comprise God's will for our lives and to gain its prize; however, we must compete according to the rules. The battle is won! Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus is the victor and we are in a mop-up effort to proclaim it to the world, notwithstanding Satan's resistance.
When we have completed the will and purpose of God, our time on earth is up and we go to meet our Maker (cf. Acts 13:36, ESV): "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption." Hebrews 12:1 (ESV) says, "And] let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." We all have different races and are to find God's will and plan for us. We are all to compete as an athlete who runs for a perishable crown or wreath, but ours is an imperishable one and it isn't a sprint, but a marathon. Jesus won and we are just members of the winning team. Our enemy is the world, the flesh, and the devil--not each other! We are our own worst enemy.
We all finish in a dead heat--there is no elite Christian who is above the others, though God is not unjust to withhold due reward for those who win their personal race and find God's will for their lives to do it. The rule of this world is "winner takes all." It's not "each man for himself" in a life ruled by the law of the jungle, but each of us looking out for each other's interest. "One for all and all for one!" We pray: "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory..." We are mere stewards of the riches of God and will be rewarded according to our faithfulness in these blessings. We are all members one of another of the same body, some being an eye, and some an ear, for example.
In God's economy, all believers are winners and are members of His royal family that will rule with Him in the Millennial Kingdom, and even judge the world and angels. You have a different race to run than I do, for instance; mine may be only a week long, while God expects you to endure a year to finish His will. Note that the race is not a sprint, or how fast we go, but how we endure and how faithful we are--God isn't looking for our achievements or success, but our obedience! As Mother Teresa of Calcutta (recipient of 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and now canonized) said, "God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness."
Christians are in an angelic conflict with the forces and authorities of darkness and the demonic realm, that we can only defeat by wearing the armor of God. There is plenty of rewards to go around and share with the members of the kingdom of God, and it all belongs to God; we are just stewards of the blessings of God and are here to demonstrate our faithfulness and worthiness of eternal reward. Nothing in this life is permanent--we have spiritual green cards and are only passing through, as our real citizenship is in heaven (per Philippians 3:20). We are stewards and God has leveled the playing field: "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof' (cf. Psalm 24:1).
There is no caste system in the body of Christ, for we are all royalty and equally members one of another--having different gifts, but the same Spirit. We are all on the same team as a family in Christ! When one part is honored, the whole body is honored. We must be careful that we are not competing with God; He is on our side and when we join Him we cannot lose the battle--which we fight in the name of the Lord with the full armor of God described in Ephesians 6:12ff. Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Take Your Stand!...
Sometimes we may think the pastor has gone off the deep end, gone nuts, or seem crazy to use inflammatory words. This is a judgment call and, if he is, he may be under divine discipline if he is depressed (this is just a deduction)--just like what happened to Nebuchadnezzar when he went mad.
The Spirit of Truth resides in all believers but no one has a monopoly on the truth and anyone can make an error of judgment, especially if he is spiritually in authority. The fear of God is to hate evil and heresy is evil. I have found out from experience that God even loves crazy people, so we are not to be judgmental and think they are beyond hope.
"The fear of man brings a snare," declares Prov. 29:25. We should not be too timid to challenge the teaching in question. We don't want to choose the path of popularity or be a people-pleaser but seek God's approbation. This is not necessarily a bad thing but may be an opportunity: Seize the day! Luther referred to an "Anfectung" which is German for "attack" and, if we don't end up fighting Satan on his turf, it is because we are on the same side. His chief tactic is to divide and conquer and he uses brethren who sow discord (God hates this according to Prov. 6). If we have on our weapons gave us for angelic warfare, then we can take our stand ("take your stand" and "stand your ground" are from Eph. 6:13).
What if the pastor is teaching heresy or evil such as astrology and he has such power of his flock that they swallow it hook, line, and sinker? Do not compromise with evil and guard your teachings according to the Bible taking your stand. This is not just a matter of disagreeing, but whether you will tolerate evil in the church--the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Do you want to please God or men? I know that sounds like a lot to ask but I believe there is a price to pay in standing for the truth. I would not want to share a pulpit with someone who is teaching evil. What does evil have in common with good? It seems like this is a way of being unequally yoked. Sometimes we have to let the chips fall where they may.
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Remember, that the pastor is not your enemy because you disagree with him, but Satan is just using him and because you are invading his turf--the battle has just begun, but "the battle is the Lord's." I have been known to confront visiting preachers in my church and to let my pastor know where I stand but we agree to disagree. In the end, the truth will win out and sometimes the truth hurts; however, trust in it despite this. Where are the teachers of moral fiber who take their stands? In sum, sometimes we are our own worst enemy and we must heed the counsel of Scripture. Soli Deo Gloria!
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