Reality of Evil/Necessity of Prayer
Evil.... real evil exists in our world today because Humanity exists. Evil, if left to fester and overwhelm may ignite violent wicked emotions that can evolve into a Cain and Abel scenario of death or a challenge of absalom to kill his father David and steal His throne, defeat and death for the victim and punishment of the perpetrator. Messiah Jesus, the Holy One of God, the Son of God, The Word who was in the beginning with God and was God, Jesus explained such evil in all mankind when He told the people assembled ..."For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” David: Prophet, Priest and King from the Old Testament realized mankinds predicament in Psalm 51:5 saying "I was brought forth in inquity and in sin my mother conceived me."
Jesus was sent into the world to save his people from their sins. A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, who can proclaim the Praises of him who called them from Darkness to life and from death To Life. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous...no not one. No one who understands, No one seeks after God. No one does good. No not one. For since by Man Came Death by man also came the resurrection from the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (Romans 3:10-14; 1 Cor. 15:21-22)
A great surge of evil intentions chains every sinew of a persons nature to its enslavement. (Romans 7:14-25) And left to seethe, untamed can burst forth in unimaginable works of evil. That seek, to devour, destroy, and kill. Some may try to rationalize evil thoughts to placate their wicked intentions. That their conclusion to their dilemma will satiate their pain and rid them of the said cause of their unbearable discomfort. It is the ultimate selfishness that plagues mankind that has brought the human race to its sad and dangerous situation we have to this day.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:1-3)
We are a society that seeks an immediate solution to what ails or troubles us. For many drugs seem to be the answer. Whether legal or illegal. Yet that may only obscure the deep hidden root of the anxiety that infects a troubled soul. Some drugs may even exacerbate a persons condition to the point of extreme violence upon those they believe are causing all their pain and discomfort. Doing more harm than good. Causing irreparable harm for all involved.
In the Bible we are warned that humankind has an enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. That all the world lies under the swary of this evil one. And are easilty enticed by his allurements. We should not be unaware of his devices. For he seeks to steal, kill and destroy. We are in a spiritual war against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Those who are Christians are told to clothe themselves with the whole armour of God. (Eph. 6:10-18)
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, (this truth is sincerity of mind and heart, removal of all guile and hypocrisy. You must practice what you preach. There must be truth in the inward parts. Ps. 51:6. Sincerity is a mighty weapon. Shout it from the rooftops..." One Way, One Truth, One Life." "the only Name by which one is saved!" Found only in Jesus Christ. And we do that with our lives. Sincerity is a mighty weapon. A sincere person is likely to be a blessing to all those whom he comes in contact with than is the hypocrite.)....
having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (spiritually the breastplate is the devout and holy life, moral decency, honesty, integrity, virtue. In 2 cor. 6:7 Paul places the great stress on the necessity of living lives worthy of the calling with which believers were called. When righteousness in conduct is present, what a mighty weapon for defense and offense it becomes.)....
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace ( The gospel --good news--Jesus promised to His followers "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."-Jesus offers peace when there may appear there is not peace.....
above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (Prominent of the weapons of a Roman solider was the shield for the protection of the body, especially the heart, lungs and other vital organs. Remember dear believer it was by God's grace you were saved though faith and not of yourselves, it was/is a gift of God. Your ability and desire to believe came from God Himself. And He bestows upon His chosen people the faith to survive a lost and fallen world of sin... God called you from darkness to life and from death to life. And He will never leave you nor forsake you......
Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (confidence) of things not seen. (Heb. 1:1)
And take the helmet of salvation, (the helmet provided the Roman solidier with protection for the head. It is a weapon of defense. It gives the Christian the protection that fortifies him with strenght to continue the fight, in the midst of hardship and persecution, for dear Christian we know that what God has begun in us, will be carried on to completion. Phil. 1:6.....
And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb. 4:12.....) Prayer is beseeching the Almighty, giving Him the praise he deserves, thanking Him for all he has done, and making requests for wisdom, knowledge, understanding and truth.
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—(soldiers for Christ handle the word of God, heed it, hide it in their hearts, and hold it forth among the nations. Any victory being won today either at home or abroad is the result of wielding of this sword. God is not dead!!! He lives and speaks through his message) The Apostle Paul says it so succinctly with the words "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thess. 5:17-19)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4-5) What Paul means is: there must be no decline in the regularity of the habit of "taking hold on God" in the midst of the circumstanses of life.
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (1 Cor. 6:1-2)
If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead hyou will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)
No comments:
Post a Comment