Fighting Against And With The Word
6/11/16
There have been countless arguments concerning God and His Word over the millennia and sadly that trend shall not cease. Mankind is at center stage of this argument and while they speak the loudest against God, we fail to understand who is behind this disagreement and who is in control of everything that we know about life. It is God’s desire that all life come to Him and to live under His Covenant of eternal life. It should be all sufficient to know that God cannot change His ways or laws but we have strayed so much that we would rather believe the defeated enemy instead. God beckons us to return to His folds and that no matter what we have done in our past, He is faithful and just to forgive and to restore. But we must understand His Word and what it means for us to know what He is saying to His people.
How many of you have argued with your parents about a certain issue? I have to admit that there have been many times that I did and for the most part always came out the loser, and some of these arguments came after I had left behind my teenage years. Yeah, it upset me at the time but as the situation dimmed, the emotions drained and the scenario played out I found out that they were correct about things and that my arguments had been false and weak at best. It is easy for us to believe that we know everything there is to know when it comes to our lives and to our surroundings. On the other hand, it is difficult for us (our pride) to accept the fact that there are certain details about the argument that we do not know about that if allowed to occur could change our lives dramatically. It is this concept that we tend to hang on with God and how we “define” His Word as it is spoken and there is no question that we love to argue His content in order to please our personal views.
One of the most contested topics among the world's thinking today is that of the nation of Israel and her existence within the world. Just a few short decades ago, Israel won her right to claim itself as a sovereign nation. Immediately, the Arab nations began their assault on this tiny strip of land and through their numerous defeated efforts they do their best to destroy the nation that has been defined by God. It is not surprising that the mainstream media and all other faceted world organizations seek to condemn Israel for their existence, for they do represent a nation that is of God and through this foundation represent a total denial of worldly standards; yet it really fascinates me that the world democracies cry out against the only democracy in the Middle East, this can only mean that these crying democracies have a different leader than Israel.
Many governments state that Israel is a bully and demand them to stop all “aggressive” measures against their neighbors. It is a call that is heard daily and comes from many of the top leaders around the world as well. Some governments recognize that the military might of the Israeli defenses are far superior to others around them and some claim that Israel should fight fairly with their enemies and not be such a suppressive nation. These leaders have got one concept correct, the fight between Israel and her enemies is not a fair fight but it is a fight that they cannot do anything about because the decisive factor in this fight is God and there is nothing that any enemy against Israel can do to sustain such a relationship.
God’s Word states very clear that Israel was created by Him and that those who are for this nation shall be blessed in every measure accountable. Being a complete God, God also states that whoever votes against Israel in their stance for life and survival shall reap those rewards from the Lord Almighty as well. One cannot curse Israel without God hearing that voice and it is that voice that God recognizes each time it is raised. It is God’s Word that cannot be changed once it is spoken and it is His promise of protection over Israel that we need to understand shall never change. This is the first example that mankind should never fight against God’s Word because whoever does so shall lose every time. Be very careful and knowledgeable concerning the side that one chooses, for if you chose the incorrect side of God, be prepared for a rough ride ahead.
The Bible makes it very clear that once God has spoken something or even thought about it, that action cannot be changed nor can it be void in any shape or form. This example comes from the entire chapter of Isaiah 55 and accumulates with this truth in verse 11 when it states that the voice of God can produce nothing but truth and shall not return void on any level. It can only return in what He pleases and He can only be pleased when life is spoken and proclaimed for that is all He can give to creation. There is not one example of death that God can give in return, that was our choice to bring death and sorrow into our existence. This is a powerful proclamation that God makes here and one that sets into play what is at stake for if He cannot produce anything but life then there is a force out there that can only produce the opposite. Since God cannot compromise in ANY situation, this proves that someone out there does not wish for us to live in pure and eternal life, because any return beside life would be considered a void.
A prime example of God’s voice and how it cannot return void is given to us in the first chapter of the Bible when Genesis Chapter 1 starts by giving the definition of the creation of this world. In verse 3 of this chapter God speaks and light is given to a darkened place. This sole act should show that God represents everything that is good. When people or anything is present in darkness their abilities are limited and hindered because of the lack of light to see. Yes, our eyes can adjust to the darkness but if detailed information is needed about anything light must be administered in order for the truth to be revealed. With the proclamation in Genesis 1:3, it states that God wishes for all of His creation to share in the fair fight against the enemy that is all around our lives. God also demonstrates how important seeing is and how necessary a constant source of light be in order for us to survive. This is why it is so important that we understand and keep close to our heart the truth about light because it is the first source of life that God gave to us and it represents our only salvation against the darkness. It is stated in the New Testament that Jesus is the light of the world and in John 8:12 He proclaims this truth and presents to us the importance of light in our lives. There is no coincidence that God created light first and the claim that Jesus made in this verse about being the light to the world, for only light can start every life process and if it is not present all sustenance of life ceases.
This is the same Word that Isaiah 55 is referring to, the one that is spoken and everything falls immediately in its created place. It is the same Word that is proclaimed when God speaks into the creation of Israel and sets into motion her existence as a divine origin. Right from the beginning of our existence God has spoken things into being with simple and straight forward words, so why would we believe we have any groundwork to argue this commanded authority? It is not our job to find ways around God’s Word in order to pacify our whims and wants, but to study His words and to know their meaning and then apply them to the dying world with a pure and righteous heart.
Living in the Word of God is what God wants us to do and has always intended how our lives would be, not subject to a slave condition that the world can only offer. Fighting against the Word of God is exactly what our enemy wants so that he can ensure that we continue to suffer the world’s existence. It is through our choice of living that will prove to those around us what is most important about our life, God or the world. It must be declared that there is no way possible that the enemy shall ever out duel God so why fight for a losing cause? For when a person fights against God, all they are doing is proving God’s Word correct; think about that for a moment. It is through the heart that we either deem ourselves in a fight with the Word of God or if we are living through the Word of God. Yes, we may never fully understand every letter that God has provided for us but it would be a gross dereliction of our creation if we did not try our best to conform to His ways at all costs.
A question that the Church is ignoring is this: why is the world allowed to mock God and all of His servants with no reprisals in return? The Bible addresses this issue clearly in 1 Kings when the prophet Elijah is dealing – and dueling – with the prophets of Baal. God has shared with us this setting previously in a few articles but we must understand a truth here, one that the Church is not performing because she has voluntarily asked Satan to tie her hands. When one studies the story in 1 Kings Chapter 18, we are given a picture of how Elijah’s social society was set. It is obvious that the prophets of Baal believed they had the upper hand and used this belief to advance their agenda. It is also distinct that they were allowed to manipulate the children of God through their beliefs, a setting so clear today.
But what did God have to say about this act and dare that the prophets of Baal decreed? Elijah challenged them to a duel and Elijah was polite enough to allow them to demonstrate their abilities first. It was this act along with the words of Elijah that set the tone for God and His supernatural authority to show itself in a manner like no other. The prophets of Baal and their followers began to dance and sing with loud praises towards Baal, yet nothing was occurring with the sacrifices and altar that they had prepared. Elijah even stood up and yelled to them to sing and dance louder in case Baal was busy doing something else at the moment and that they needed to complete this louder act in order to grab his attention. The end result was that Baal never showed up and all of their natural and worldly efforts were left on the earth floor dried up and dead.
Then, God showed up immediately after Elijah began praying and He consumed not only the sacrifice that Elijah had prepared for Him but also the altar, the fuel for the sacrifice, the water, and even the dirt around the altar, totally consuming the area in a show that He alone is almighty and has complete authority over the children of Israel. It is this point where the Church has lost her capital “C” as Elijah so vividly and accurately demonstrated to the worldly prophets and it is also the point that God wants us to understand here in this article that the Church was not created to be mocked, to be placed in a corner and considered to be the problem of the world. If anything is to be mocked it is the prince of this world and the kingdom that he so desperately wants us to accept; just as Elijah did a long time ago.
It is this act by Elijah along with all of the other examples we have in the Bible that we need to study and understand what our job actually is in the world. I know that God has shared with us a number of examples to demonstrate this truth about our existence and mission but through the example of Elijah in 1 Kings 18 we have the complete example of the purpose and title of the message that God wants us to hear. God wants His Word to be fought with and not against. It is the world’s compendium to fight against God and it is our eternal enemy’s code to fight against his most hated adversary (God) and the creations God so wants to live with Him. It is the most important concept that we need to understand that if we are not fighting the world WITH the entire Word of God then we are automatically fighting AGAINST God WITH the world. There cannot be any mixing of God and the world and He makes these claims adamantly clear from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22.
Why do we allow our selfish and human pride to dictate so much of our lives that we quickly turn from God and embrace the ways of the world? If you wish to look at this example from another angle, then here you go. One can easily say that the example in 1 Kings is a warning to the people of Israel. Because Israel's beliefs had grown so much, enough to physically warrant a challenge to God and His authority of sacrifice, it is also factual that God’s actions served as a warning to them. Anytime God manifests Himself through fire it is a warning because e all know what fire does to objects when it is present. With a physical fire there is not much left of organic matter after the fire has ended and while this type of fire is only one kind that God can use, it makes its point to the people and should have opened their spirits back up to God.
When it comes to God’s children, He means business on ALL levels because He fully understands what is at stake when it comes to our existence. This nation and those others throughout history have had countless warnings from God to repent and to turn our hearts back to Him. But as the children of Israel so frequently demonstrated in the Old Testament, we have fallen away and voluntarily turned our hearts to the world and have shunned God for the sake of worldly acceptance. We can no longer afford to ignore these warnings for one day they shall stop and when they do – and through our blinded hearts – great tragedy shall come to our shores, both physically and spiritually.
We must grasp a truth here and it is this, God shall not come up to us and directly and verbally speak in a loud voice that rings over our entire nation saying “Repent, for what you are doing is wrong” or something along those lines. What God will do is project His heart into a few lives who are listening to Him that will stand boldly to proclaim what is ongoing and what God sees in that nation’s heart. Through these people, He will use to say that repentance is needed and for those in question to return to His ways. As with many examples in the Bible, God shall expose our sins to everyone around and will call us out through His holy, pure, and mighty way to whatever extent He deems cleansed.
God clearly states that He wants His children to make a bold stance against the world through His Word. The sad reality of this truth is that the Church has used her authority in a gross manner not abiding within the laws of God but through their made up constitutions that condemn without repentance. If you recall the acts of Jesus, He never once rebuked those who had a heart for learning about Him or His Father, but it was the ones who controlled the religious order of the day that He attacked, just as Elijah did with the prophets of Baal. Jesus continually showed people of their sins but loved them enough not only to tell them about their sins but to teach them not to continue in their current ways. How is this teaching them? Jesus understood the human heart enough to know that when people were hurting enough and when addressed in this state they would seek God according to their hearts and not their flesh. Jesus also knew the human well enough to know that once they had this desire that they would voluntarily seek God in their own manner as well AND change their ways to please God not themselves; then take the fight to the world with the Word of God.
Can the Church say that they are taking the fight to the world with the Word of God in their hearts? Not if they are honest! She has incorporated the world so much into her walls and weaved the world’s lusts into her heart so completely that all she can represent is a church, not God’s Church. And since we are being honest here, she probably does not even grasp the truth between the difference of being a church and being the Church. There are two kingdoms at war for your eternal placement! These two kingdoms can NEVER mix in any form, shape or movement! Any reference to the mixing of kingdoms of any kind is a direct, 100% lie from the pit of hell and should be rebuked immediately. The church should repent and reclaim the capital “C” in her name, for it is rightly hers to own and inhabit. Once this occurs she can again perform miracles as Elijah did when he called upon God to show the people His glory. Elijah knew what it meant to fight with the Word of God and that is exactly how God wants us to fight as well. It is a fight, it is a war whether you like it or not. There is nothing easy about this fight either, for your eternity is at stake.
So, what is the answer to the question of with what are you fighting with? Are you fighting with the world that automatically guarantees an alliance with our enemy or are you fighting alongside the Almighty Creator and His infinite amount of wisdom and purity against the world? It is through this gift of choice that brings this answer to a simple and clear conclusion. God shall never force His word into or onto our lives, it will always be our choice to accept Him or to reject Him. It is kind of difficult for us to acknowledge something about this process of choice, because whether we deem God as our Lord and Savior or not, the gift of our decision originates from Him and no matter which decision we make, He still calls us His own and longs to be with us every second of our lives.
DLB
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