He Is Not

"It was not that the devil was there in power and authority, but that Jesus was."

A SERMON is not an argument. Prayer is not a war. The Word is our sword, but it is not a dagger to use against people. Prophecy is not a weapon against political opponents (1 Corinthians 14:3). It is not a warning of God's pending wrath.

To preach love in anger is all kinds of wrong. To limit love to the loveable defeats the point. To speak the Word to renew the mind and "pull down strongholds" while hating someone is un-Jesus. We're so busy staring in the mirror while denying the image staring back at us that I get discouraged. What good are these posts from God's Spirit, my Papa, if you just keep doing what looks good to you? Being frank, I can't watch much preaching because so much of it is the flesh. And as I've said, the Spirit saying nothing doesn't mean He endorses it.

Here's where I draw a line between me and "them" because I won't call names, and there’ll be no smirk and a laugh. This isn't a joke. It is everything to me right now.

Stop putting the devil and other devils back on a fear podium. Stop trafficking in them through your comments. That story you told about "her" and what she did and “how she is” is exactly what they say to those they oppress. "You know what you were thinking just now. Christians don’t think like that." "You should just accept your shortcomings … mental problems … age." "You have no faith." And chances are they deliberately spoke to him or her to make them think it was their thought when it didn’t come from the person at all. They lie and scheme and plot trickery. Nonstop and without silence.

You did the same, chatting with others.

Jesus ate with sinners. The “church” got angry and accused Him of wrongdoing. Jesus’ reply was they’d criticized John the Baptizer for just the opposite thing (Luke 7:33-34). People sang Jesus’ praises as He entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, an event their prophet had prophesied (Zechariah 9:9), but they got angry and plotted His downfall. They encouraged the people to change their “Hosanna!” to “Crucify!” and had released an actual murderer instead. They paid Judas for his betrayal then refused to take the money back because it was “dirty.” The dirt was in their hearts, it was inward from their thoughts, their meditations, their words, and not from what they ate nor how they dressed (Matthew 15:18).

Christ – Father, Son, and Spirit – was not afraid. He faced Satan himself with the Holy Spirit there in completeness, something we will never have to do, and put him in his place. It was not that the devil was there in power and authority, but that Jesus was. The devil lied about what he had, what he could do, and that he would do anything helpful at all. Jesus, on the other hand, spoke the truth, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)” John 1:1. Jesus is the Word. “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Matthew 4:7).” Revelation 1:8. Jesus is the Lord thy God. “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve (Matthew 4:10).” John 14:30, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

It is Him, Jesus Christ, whom we worship and serve, and His commandment was to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, to DO GOOD, and if our coat is required of us to also give our shirt (Mark 5:40. If they ask us to go one mile, we offer to go two. We do MORE THAN ENOUGH because He is MORE THAN ENOUGH. He died for His enemies and now calls them friends. They stand in His presence and marvel they were there. Why wouldn’t they? He is the reason for praying. He is why we preach the Word. To help people see His goodness, His love for them, and to give them a chance to choose Him and be with Him. All other reasons we come up with are selfish.

He is not.

“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” (1 John 3:14)

Photo by Eddie & Carolina Stigson on Unsplash


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com