The War Over Reality
The Principle of Displacement
"Then war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels going forth to battle with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer" (Rev. 12:7-8 AMP). Notice the phrase, "there was no room . . . for them in heaven." The war against principalities involves displacement: Christ filling the spiritual territories once held by Satan.
This war in Heaven is difficult for us to comprehend. How do angels and demons, beings who do not die from wounds, wage war? With what do they do battle? And how do they conquer one another? Without exceeding the bounds of our knowledge, we can safely say this: All spiritual warfare is waged over one essential question: Who will control reality on earth, Heaven or hell?
When it comes to angelic and demonic warfare, the battle rests not in physical weaponry but in the power of agreement between mankind and the spirit realm. We read in Ephesians 6 (NKJV) that "principalities" and "powers" occupy the "heavenly places" (v. 12). But we read in Ephesians 1:10 that it is the Father’s expressed purpose to sum up all things in Christ, "things in the heavens and things on the earth." Ephesians 3:10 reveals God’s glorious plan, that "through the church" God has purposed to make known His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers "in the heavenly places." You see, as the body of Christ on earth agrees with its Head in Heaven, the Spirit of Christ Himself displaces the powers of darkness in the heavenly places.
In other words, when the church on earth is aggressive in its agreement with the will and Word of God, then the presence of God increases in the spiritual realm, proportionally displacing the influence of hell on earth. Shortly thereafter, manifesting in the world of men, we see revivals, healings and miracles. But when the church is passive, indifferent or carnal, the powers of hell increase their rule over the affairs of men: marriages break up, crime increases, and wantonness becomes unbridled. We must see that our prayers, attitudes, and agreement with God are an integral part of establishing the reality of the kingdom of God on earth!
The Devil Is a Master Illusionist
Satan is unmasked in Scripture as "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). His realm of operation is the spirit world that immediately surrounds and blankets the consciousness of mankind. This realm is known as the "heavenly places" in the Bible (Eph. 6:12). From this spiritual realm Satan works to corrupt and control the mind of man through illusions built from mankind’s carnal desires and fears. But the power of the lie is not merely the speaking of falsehoods, nor is it that this world is an illusion. The lie of the enemy appears most powerfully when men believe that this world, as it is, is the only world we can live in. The truth is, of course, that God is establishing His kingdom, and ultimately, every other reality will submit to and be ruled by that kingdom! (See Heb. 12:26-28; Rev. 11:15.)
The weapon God has given us to combat the lies of the enemy is the Word of God, which the Scriptures refer to as the "sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17). Jesus said His words "are spirit and are life" (John 6:63), which is to say that the substance or meaning in Christ’s words represents an actual reality: the living Spirit of the kingdom of God.
We should also recognize that the ancient Greeks, in whose language the New Testament was written, had no word for "reality." To them "truth" and "reality" were the same essence. If we seek to experience the true work of the Holy Spirit, we should understand that the Spirit has been sent to establish the reality of God’s kingdom in the lives of Jesus’ followers. Thus, as we become one with the Spirit of Truth, and as we fully embrace the Word of Truth, we are brought into the reality of God Himself!
This point is essential: in our war over who controls man’s world, the singular weapon God has given the church is His Spirit-empowered Word. The living Word of the Spirit is the truth.
Paul taught that spiritual warfare deals specifically with the "pulling down of strongholds." But what are those strongholds? They are lies the devil has sown into our thought-processes which, as we accepted and believed them, became reality to us. We do not fall in sin as much as we are seduced by it; every sin is cloaked in some measure of deception. But as these lies are uncovered and destroyed, as our thought-processes are freed from illusions, we will discover the blamelessness, perfection, and truth of Christ in us, the hope of glory (see Col. 1:27).
To be successful in life, therefore, we must know the Word of God. For all things come into being through the Word. Yes, it is the Word made alive in our hearts, germinated by our faith, that wins the war over reality.
The Principle of Displacement
"Then war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels going forth to battle with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer" (Rev. 12:7-8 AMP). Notice the phrase, "there was no room . . . for them in heaven." The war against principalities involves displacement: Christ filling the spiritual territories once held by Satan.
This war in Heaven is difficult for us to comprehend. How do angels and demons, beings who do not die from wounds, wage war? With what do they do battle? And how do they conquer one another? Without exceeding the bounds of our knowledge, we can safely say this: All spiritual warfare is waged over one essential question: Who will control reality on earth, Heaven or hell?
When it comes to angelic and demonic warfare, the battle rests not in physical weaponry but in the power of agreement between mankind and the spirit realm. We read in Ephesians 6 (NKJV) that "principalities" and "powers" occupy the "heavenly places" (v. 12). But we read in Ephesians 1:10 that it is the Father’s expressed purpose to sum up all things in Christ, "things in the heavens and things on the earth." Ephesians 3:10 reveals God’s glorious plan, that "through the church" God has purposed to make known His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers "in the heavenly places." You see, as the body of Christ on earth agrees with its Head in Heaven, the Spirit of Christ Himself displaces the powers of darkness in the heavenly places.
In other words, when the church on earth is aggressive in its agreement with the will and Word of God, then the presence of God increases in the spiritual realm, proportionally displacing the influence of hell on earth. Shortly thereafter, manifesting in the world of men, we see revivals, healings and miracles. But when the church is passive, indifferent or carnal, the powers of hell increase their rule over the affairs of men: marriages break up, crime increases, and wantonness becomes unbridled. We must see that our prayers, attitudes, and agreement with God are an integral part of establishing the reality of the kingdom of God on earth!
The Devil Is a Master Illusionist
Satan is unmasked in Scripture as "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). His realm of operation is the spirit world that immediately surrounds and blankets the consciousness of mankind. This realm is known as the "heavenly places" in the Bible (Eph. 6:12). From this spiritual realm Satan works to corrupt and control the mind of man through illusions built from mankind’s carnal desires and fears. But the power of the lie is not merely the speaking of falsehoods, nor is it that this world is an illusion. The lie of the enemy appears most powerfully when men believe that this world, as it is, is the only world we can live in. The truth is, of course, that God is establishing His kingdom, and ultimately, every other reality will submit to and be ruled by that kingdom! (See Heb. 12:26-28; Rev. 11:15.)
The weapon God has given us to combat the lies of the enemy is the Word of God, which the Scriptures refer to as the "sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17). Jesus said His words "are spirit and are life" (John 6:63), which is to say that the substance or meaning in Christ’s words represents an actual reality: the living Spirit of the kingdom of God.
We should also recognize that the ancient Greeks, in whose language the New Testament was written, had no word for "reality." To them "truth" and "reality" were the same essence. If we seek to experience the true work of the Holy Spirit, we should understand that the Spirit has been sent to establish the reality of God’s kingdom in the lives of Jesus’ followers. Thus, as we become one with the Spirit of Truth, and as we fully embrace the Word of Truth, we are brought into the reality of God Himself!
This point is essential: in our war over who controls man’s world, the singular weapon God has given the church is His Spirit-empowered Word. The living Word of the Spirit is the truth.
Paul taught that spiritual warfare deals specifically with the "pulling down of strongholds." But what are those strongholds? They are lies the devil has sown into our thought-processes which, as we accepted and believed them, became reality to us. We do not fall in sin as much as we are seduced by it; every sin is cloaked in some measure of deception. But as these lies are uncovered and destroyed, as our thought-processes are freed from illusions, we will discover the blamelessness, perfection, and truth of Christ in us, the hope of glory (see Col. 1:27).
To be successful in life, therefore, we must know the Word of God. For all things come into being through the Word. Yes, it is the Word made alive in our hearts, germinated by our faith, that wins the war over reality.
Tis So Sweet To Trust In JESUS
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”
O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”
Refrain
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Refrain
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
Refrain
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
Refrain
Daily Smile:
The best answer to the question asked in an interview, "Where do you see yourself in 5 years' time?"
"In the mirror as always"
Our Favorite Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Red Velvet Cake Photo
by Diana Rattray
This red velvet cake recipe is made with
butter, eggs, vanilla, red gel food coloring, cocoa, buttermilk, and
other ingredients. A favorite red velvet cake recipe with cooked
frosting, or use a cream cheese frosting for this popular cake.
Ingredients:
- 12 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 sticks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons red gel food coloring plus 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- .
- Cooked Frosting
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- milk or cream
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease and flour 3 8-inch round layer cake pans or 2 9-inch cake pans.
Cake: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat 1
minute longer. Beat in vanilla until blended. Combine cocoa, food
coloring, and 2 tablespoons water; beat into the egg creamed mixture.
Combine flour and salt. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk mixtures
to the batter, beating on low to medium speed. Combine soda and vinegar
in cup and add to cake batter.
Spoon batter evenly into the 3 cake pans; bake at 350° for 22 to 28
minutes. Cool on cake racks. Remove from pans and frost tops and sides.
Frosting: In a saucepan, whisk together the 1/3 cup flour and milk and cook, stirring, until thickened; cool in the refrigerator. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with mixer. Add flour and milk mixture a little at a time (make ahead of cake so that it has plenty of time to cool). Beat well, adding milk or cream as needed. Frost layers, sides, and top of cake.
Frosting: In a saucepan, whisk together the 1/3 cup flour and milk and cook, stirring, until thickened; cool in the refrigerator. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with mixer. Add flour and milk mixture a little at a time (make ahead of cake so that it has plenty of time to cool). Beat well, adding milk or cream as needed. Frost layers, sides, and top of cake.
In The News:
HHS Announces Changes to Contraceptive Mandate, But Proposal Met With Skepticism
The Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday proposed accommodations for religious groups concerning the controversial contraceptive mandate, but many religious and conservative organizations say the proposal does not go far enough, the Christian Post reports. Religious organizations have protested against the mandate ever since it was announced that they would have to offer employees insurance that provides access to birth control and abortifacient drugs. The current provision allows for a very narrow exemption for some religious groups, but Christian-owned companies like Hobby Lobby and schools like Wheaton College are not exempt and have filed lawsuits against the federal government. The new deal basically provides broader exclusions for religious organizations and tries to seek a middle ground between religious concerns and the goal of Obamacare to provide near-universal contraceptive coverage. But a number of conservative groups spoke out Friday against the new proposal, saying the accommodations did not directly address the concerns of those with a moral objection to the contraceptive mandate. "There must be no religious 'test' by the government as to who, and what type of entities, are entitled to a conscience," said Marjorie Dannenfelser of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List. "After over a year of litigation, our clients and many others like them were hoping for much, much more from the administration," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
U.S. Senate Shoots Down Bid to Halt Sales of F-16s, Tanks to Egypt
The U.S. Senate on Thursday defeated an amendment that aimed to prevent the Obama administration from transferring F-16 fighter jets and Abrams tanks to Egypt, CNSNews.com reports. A vote to block the measure proposed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) -- an amendment to the debt limit bill -- passed by a 79-19 vote. In a strongly worded floor statement, Paul questioned the wisdom of providing the advanced weaponry at a time when "many see Egypt descending into chaos." He based his argument on the Egyptian government's conduct, President Mohammed Morsi's radical Islamist views, and the possibility that the weapons could be used in a future conflict against Israel. "I think this is particularly unwise since Egypt is currently governed by a religious zealot, a religious zealot who said recently that Jews were 'bloodsuckers' and 'descendants of apes and pigs.' This doesn't sound like the kind of stable personality that we would be sending our most sophisticated weapons to." Egypt has received a total of 240 F-16s since a first order in 1980, the year after the Egypt-Israel peace agreement was signed. The 20 F-16s referred to by Paul were pledged in December 2009, when President Hosni Mubarak was still in power. Lockheed Martin was awarded the contract to build 16 F-16Cs and four F-16Ds, and the first four planes were delivered last week. In November 2011, General Dynamics Land Systems announced it had won a $395 million contract to produce 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits for Egypt, with deliveries due to begin in July 2013.
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