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Jesus in HD 150: Lightning Strike

Jesus in HD 150: Lightning Strike

Last updated on: March 18, 2016 at 9:55 am by Christian Podcast Central

Jesus in HD 150: Lightning Strike 2016-03-18T09:55:00-08:00 Christian Podcast Central

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You and I are embroiled in a cosmic collision of good and evil, a spiritual war that is taking place in real time, in the present tense, on a scale of epic proportions.
As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, there can be no doubt in any thinking person’s mind that this war is real, and that it has a profound affect upon our world and our lives.

Even an atheist who denounces the existence of God as a delusion, the reality of Satan as a myth, and the authority of Scripture as a collection of fairy tales, cannot deny that operating in our world today is a force for righteousness and a force for unrighteousness, and the daily-if-not-hourly collision of the two.

This is how the Apostle Paul described this to the Christ-followers in Ephesus: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” Words that are downright sobering, if not outright chilling. But words that are equally revealing and encouraging.

Sobering and chilling because who are we to stand firm against an unseen enemy like that? Specifically, the Devil and his many demons?

Revealing because this does indeed describe exactly what we are witnessing in our world on a daily basis.

Encouraging because as Paul made clear in Ephesians 6, as Jesus made equally clear and His 70 messengers indeed experienced here in Luke 10, this war is eminently winnable.

Indeed, as you will soon hear, this war has Already.Been.Won.
We are less than 6 months from the crucifixion. Jesus will spend these final days visiting every town and village in the South of the Land: Judea and Perea. In anticipation of His visits, Jesus sent out 70 emissaries to prepare the way.

He sent them out as gentle lambs in the midst of ferocious wolves, an unmistakable allusion to the hostile spiritual climate they were about to enter. This was but the latest skirmish in an ongoing spiritual war.

The battle lines were drawn. The harvest was ready. Even as they stood on the cusp of the Crucifixion, there was a godly remnant primed and ready to hear and receive their message: God’s peace could be theirs. So off they went, on a several-weeks’ excursion into enemy territory, all to bring God’s message of peace to the tormented souls just trying to survive day-by-day.

Back to Jesus they finally returned, in order to give Him their reports and to debrief their experiences. Which is where we join the narrative here in Luke 10:17

Luke 10:18-19
New International Version (NIV)
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

Jesus’ response underscore a most valuable spiritual principal. This I what Jesus said in response.

Luke 10:18-19
New International Version (NIV)
I saw Satan fall from lightning from heaven. Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

I means Satan is a defeated foe, meaning he may win a few battles, he may score a few victories but he has already lost the war. He is not being defeated he Is defeated.

Meaning that in the words of Peter we can be alert, we can be of sober mind. Peter wrote your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Satan is a defeated foe, meaning that in the words of James, humble yourselves before God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. He has tremendous power over us. We have that power over him. Submit yourselves, humble yourselves before God and he will flee from you.

Photo: avclub

Satan is a defeated foe, meaning in the words of Dewey if you’ll permit, Satan can not touch you unless, you give him permission.

Jesus said “I saw Satan fall from lightning from heaven. Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

That could be better translated to “I was watching when Satan fell.” Do you get the difference? Jesus was in the room. He saw it in real time; he was there watching on site when Lucifer fell from heaven.

Isaiah 14:13
American King James Version
For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Satan’s boast was I will rule the earth, I will be the god above every god and I will rule the world. Every god will bow down to me, every angel will bow down to me and every person on the planet will bow down to me.

Who in the world did Lucifer think he was? Almighty God, that’s who. Amazing.

No this magnificent malefactor is know by a number of names. No longer is he the shining one, no longer is Lucifer or morning star. He fell so far, so fast that Jesus described it at lightning. He has a number of different designations not of which are complimentary. He is most often called the devil, diabolas, diabolical, the name means slanderer, one who slanders God. He is called the destroyer in revelation, meaning he destroys everything he touches. He destroys countries, he destroys families, he destroys people, he would love to destroy you. Prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. He is called the accuser of our brothers, meaning that he delights rubbing our nose in past sins. Never letting us move past it, never letting us forget and he delights in doing others to do the same.

Which brings us back to my opening statements.

Do you really think he meant you and I can pick up serpents and scorpions and not get hurt? There are some groups that believe that, and they are now dead. Is that what Jesus meant? Obviously not, in what form did the devil appear in Genesis 3, a serpent. In what form will the devil appear in Revelation 9:10, as a scorpion.

Meaning from start to finish encompassing every name of Satan, any metaphor you use to describe him. Satan cannot hurt you. Well is that really true? I date to say I have been hurt by the devil and his operations on earth. Haven’t you? I certain hurts when we have to stand by and watch him hurt someone we love.

Simply stated Jesus went to hell for your place and mine. The devil as much as he would like to, cannot drag you down there. It is just for Satan to be cast into the lake of fire, because Jesus never became an angel to die for Satan’s sins. But he did become human and he did die for you.

Jesus will never abandon us. So the devil can inflict his pain, it may even appear that he ultimately wins the war over your soul or that of someone you love. But once a Christ follower always a Christ follower and even though he may will some battles he will never win the battle over your soul. Your names are written in heaven Jesus said, you are safe and secure there. Because Jesus died for you, he did not die for Lucifer, he did not die for the demons. He did die for you.

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