Is tribulation burdening us?
In this current Spiritual climate that we are facing, more and more of the flock of JESUS seem to be under attack. Are YOU?
A long time ago a wise preacher at a church I was attending, told the Church that if the enemy of the Saints is not attacking you, then it is because you are no threat to him, therefore what does it matter if we are being attacked. It simply means that we have the devil scared. It means that we are on the right track.
It is a very valuable thing to be in the Family of GOD. When we made JESUS the LORD of our lives not many of us understood exactly what it meant for our futures. Some Preachers may have assured us that it meant we will live forever, but everyone is going to live forever, even the ungodly. The ungodly are going to live forever in the Lake of Fire, in the fire that never consumes. But we who are in CHRIST JESUS are going to live forever in the presence of our LORD and KING, in the presence of our GOD.
So what does it truly mean to become a CHRIST-ian? It means to be a follower of the CHRIST. To do the things that our CHRIST did, to walk as HE walked, to say as HE said, to Love as HE Loves, and to follow the example that HE has set for all of us to follow.
It means that just as HE became a target for satan, so too will we, just as HE paid the price for others, so too will we. Look at this scripture.
(John 15:20) Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Our LORD has told us here that we are to expect persecution, something that most Evangelists refrain from telling the unsaved when they are making Alter Calls, but it is a truth that we, who choose to walk with our LORD must face up to. As they persecuted HIM so too must we face persecution. But wait, there is the good news coming.
Our LORD is NOT a sadist, HE does not expect us to live a life of misery and torment, after all HE didn't. HE lived HIS life right up until the start of HIS Ministry as a competent carpenter in a small village. At that stage of HIS life there is no record of HIM ever being attacked or tormented, BUT, when HE started to walk the life of Ministry then there were several attacks on HIS life, as well as the temptations brought about by satan as seen in Matthew Chapter 4, verse 1 through 11.
It is interesting to see in the Book of Matthew that before JESUS went to be Baptised in the Jordan by John the Baptist HE was not in Ministry, that didn't start until Matthew 4:12. At the end of Matthew chapter three we see that JESUS went to be baptised, this was a necessary step in HIS life. As the eldest son in a family of the line of Judah, JESUS was entitled and expected to become a Rabbi. One of the first steps in becoming that Rabbi is to be set apart for Ministry. This was fulfilled by the Baptism by John.
As soon as JESUS was baptised (set apart for Ministry) then HE was recognised by the devil. So it is with us.
When we step out to walk the life of a Christian the devil recognises that there is a distinct possibility that we will follow in the footsteps of JESUS and that is a risk that he doesn't want to take. Therefore he will do everything that he can to stop us from reaching our potential in CHRIST JESUS.
It is said above that the good news is coming, and here it is. JESUS knows that we will have persecution, HE says so in John 16:33. There HE also says an amazing thing, HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD.
(John 16:33) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Do you notice something in this passage? JESUS says that in this WORLD we will have tribulation, then HE goes on to say that HE has already overcome this WORLD. We know that HE has overcame sin and death, but how many of us fully realise that HE has also overcome the WORLD.
The world and all of its components are what the devil uses against us, for example, sickness comes from the world. As we go about our daily lives it is done in the world; germs, viruses, bacteria and all kind of things that make us sick are found in that same world. "BUT JESUS", as a friend of mine likes to say, But JESUS has overcome the world, therefore with sickness being of the world, sickness is also overcome.
Persecution comes against the Church, and against us, from the world. This is that same world that JESUS has told us that HE has overcome.
The point that I am desperately trying to make here is that the devil lives in the spirit realm but works in the physical realm. It is that physical realm that we call "The World". It is that worldly physical realm that JESUS has overcome.
As stated earlier so many Christians are now going through quite a lot of persecution, sickness, financial troubles, family troubles and the like, but take heart, JESUS has overcome the world.
Because JESUS has overcome the world, HE has also overcome the devil, then this makes it extremely possible for us to get the victory over the attacks that are coming against us. This is because it is not our victory that will defeat the enemy that is attacking us, but the victory of the one who has already won the war. That was done at Calvary.
By Faith we apply the victory of JESUS to our own situations. We are not cheating by doing this, instead this is the strategy that our LORD wants us to use against the devil. To explain why this is so let us peruse some biblical facts.
(1) It was JESUS that has overcome the world and it is the world that brings disease and death against us, as seen earlier, it is the world that hates us. (2) We did not defeat the enemy at Calvary , JESUS did. (3) Because it was JESUS that won the victory and it is JESUS who is the head over us (HIS Body), therefore, the victory of the head is the victory of the body as well. (4) As we apply the victory of our LORD to our situation then the Glory for our successes, (which in reality are JESUS' victories) the Glory goes to our FATHER GOD through HIS SON JESUS.
Why is this? Simple, The FATHER sent (gave) JESUS to die for us and through JESUS willingness to go to the Cross HE was the one who defeated sin and sickness etc. In that way the Glory of our victories lifts off us and goes right up the chain of command to where it belongs, with GOD.
So how do we apply the victory of the Cross to our situations?
As stated above it is through Faith that we apply HIS victory to our problems, but in order to do this we need to recognise some things.
Revelation chapter one describes the vision that the Apostle John had in or of, Heaven. In this vision HE saw our LORD standing amongst the seven candlesticks, but look at what we are told in verse 16 of that chapter. Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
The chapter goes on to explain that the candlesticks represent the Churches (Calvary Assembly therefore would have its own candlestick); the stars in the hand of the LORD are the Angels over those Churches (therefore Calvary Assembly has its own Angel watching over it), but look at what comes out of the mouth of our LORD, a sharp two edged sword.
In Eph 6:17 we are told that the sword of the SPIRIT is the word of GOD, (Ephesians 6:17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Also in Matthew chapter 4, verses 1 through 10 we see where JESUS shows us the example of bringing the sword out of our mouths as HE used the Word of GOD to cut down the enemy. (It is written).
In 1 Peter 2:21 we see, (1 Peter 2:21) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
JESUS became an example for us that we should do as HE has done, HE used the two edged Sword to cut down the opposition to HIS Ministry, also to HIS very life, (The devil tempted JESUS to commit suicide by jumping down from the high pinnacle of the Temple, the devil claimed that the Angels would protect HIM less HE dash HIS foot against a stone (Matt 4:6)).
However, JESUS used the Word of GOD to cut the devil down so that the Redemption plan of GOD would not be foiled. So too, does our LORD expect that as tribulation comes against us, we will do likewise and cut the enemy down with the Word of GOD out of our mouths.
HE DID IT, HE EXPECTS THAT WE WILL DO IT TO.
GO IN HIS VICTORY TO ACHIEVE YOUR OWN VICTORIES.
With lots of Love
Don Phillips
31/03/2019