Thursday 28 July 2011

The new matrix – the war we find ourselves in

So we find ourselves living in a war zone – in the spiritual realm.
The enemy might be defeated and the throne might rightfully belong to Jesus. But the enemy is not going to take defeat lying down. As Jesus is choosing not to bring his Kingdom in by force, the enemy has plenty of opportunity to continue to deceive man into believing that he is in fact still in charge. And continue to deceive us he does.
As long as he can persuade humanity that he is still in power, as long as he can persuade humanity to submit to him and to follow his patterns, as long he can persuade humanity to continue to listen to his lies, he is able to cling on to power. Every time we follow his pattern of lust for power, of greed, of jealousy, of self-centredness, we empower him. Every time we listen to his lies about God and about ourselves, we allow him the throne. Every time we listen to his lies, we allow him to keep us hostage. And so, as a whole, humanity still lives under his rule. He has no legal right to rule – that has been taken away from him. But while, as humans, we allow him to rule and allow him power, he refuses to back down from the throne, even though it is no longer rightfully his. The longer he can keep us believing he is still in power, the longer he is able to remain Prince of this World.
And yet, the truth is that he has no legal power over us, other than the power we allow him to have over us. Those whose allegiance is the Kingdom of God, those who have submitted to the King of Love and are thus citizens of God’s kingdom, are no longer legally under the power of the enemy.
So we find ourselves in the midst of a war, not against people, but against unseen powers and authorities in the spiritual realm. We find ourselves in a world where the enemy refuses to be ousted, where his patterns are still imprinted in the world all around us, where many of us choose to copy his patterns and choose to live turned away from God. We find ourselves in a world in which we have every opportunity to turn away from God again if we choose to listen to the enemy’s propaganda. Like rebels who swear allegiance to a different King, we find ourselves in a world that swears allegiance to the enemy of the Kingdom whose citizens we rightfully are. We find ourselves in a matrix which is dependent on our choices as to which kingdom we choose to empower – for now.
But the rightful King is coming. There will come a time when He will come in power and claim his throne. Then every knee will bow to him, every tongue will agree that truthfully, Jesus, the one who saved humanity from the enemy whether they recognise it or not, is King! He will establish his Kingdom forever, he will reign justly, there will be no more suffering and no more tears.
At that point God will dwell with man and man with God. Like a lover and his beloved become one when they marry, so God and man will become one, as was God’s intention and purpose right from the dawn of time.
“Hallelujah! For the Lord, our God, the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready”. (Revelations 19:7)

1 comment:

  1. Amen. Becky says you should be a preacher! Just because we are in missions we are not immune to the trappings of the enemy and his prowling nature. We have to remind ourselves daily to put him first and foremost in our lives and trust in his guidance, provision and wisdom as we seek to serve him.

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