The Making of a Chaplain

By Pastors Don and Sharon Henning, D. Th

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 NLT

Published by Drs. Don & Sharon Henning, D.Th., BCC, BCTC

donchenning@cox.net.

loveneverfails1@cox.net

The following abbreviations are used to identify versions of the Bible used in these 15 Candidate volumes.

NIV Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from the New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers, Inc. Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530. All rights reserved.

NLT New Living Translation, Handbook of Bible Application Notes and Life Application Study Bible Notes are copyright 1996, used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Nouns and pronouns referring to deity are capitalized throughout the text of these 15 textbooks unless they are included within a direct quotation, in which case the original capitalization is retained.

The purpose of the 15 Candidate textbooks of The Making of a Chaplain is to teach and train Community Chaplains. The Chaplain is trained to minister to the needs of the community to which they have been assigned. They work in cooperation with local churches, civic organizations, government organizations, hospitals, rape crisis centers and others who give care to those in need. Chaplains will occupy and minister in every zip code in this nation.

We have tried to locate and secure permission for the inclusion of all copyright material in these 15 Candidate textbooks of The Making of a Chaplain. If any such acknowledgements have been inadvertently omitted, we would appreciate receiving the information so that proper credit may be given in any future printings.

Printed in the United States of America

CREATION Lesson 1

THE FALL Lesson 2

THE KINGDOM Lesson 3

KINGDOM LIVING Lesson 4

HEAVEN Lesson 5

JESUS Lessons 6 to 8

HOLY SPIRIT Lessons 9 to11

HOLY BIBLE Lessons 12 to14

LOVE Lessons 15 to 17

WORSHIP Lesson 18

PRAYER Lesson 19 & 20

TEN FOUNDATIONAL TEACHINGS

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
1 Corinthians 3:10-17 NLT

Lesson 1 – The God of Creation

The creation story teaches us much about God the Father, and about ourselves

Worship takes our minds off our problems and focuses them on God. Worship leads us from individual meditation to corporate worship. Worship causes us to consider and appreciate God’s character. Worship lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/794FwJUWhdY” title=”Worship Song by Hillsong United”]

PRAYER

Holy Spirit to teach ME and lead ME into all truth. give ME insight and understanding about GOD THE FATHER OF CREATION. WHeN I finish THIS lesson, permanently seal the truths YOU haVE revealed TO ME in MY spirit and soul.

I PRAY THIS IN JESUS NAME

THEME SCRIPTURE

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Gen. 1:1-2

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/uzkOUMacol0″ title=”God of Wonders – POWER – 13 min. Video by Eternal Productions”]

13 Min. video by Eternal Productions

The creation story teaches us much about God the Father, and about ourselves.

First, we learn about God the Father

1. He is creative

2. As the Creator, He is distinct from His creation

3. He is eternal and in control of the world.

We also learn about ourselves

1.Since God the Father chose to create us, we are valuable in his eyes

2. We are more important than the animals

Genesis 1:1 makes the simple statement that God created the heavens and the earth is one of the most challenging concepts confronting the modern mind. The vast galaxy we live in is spinning at the incredible speed of 490,000 miles an hour. But even at this breakneck speed, our galaxy still needs 200 million years to make one rotation. And there are over one billion other galaxies just like ours in the universe.

Some scientists say that the number of stars in creation is equal to all the grains of all the sands on all the beaches of the world. Yet this complex sea of spinning stars functions with remarkable order and efficiency. To say that the universe “just happened” or “evolved” requires more faith than to believe that God is behind these amazing statistics. God truly did create a wonderful universe.

God the Father did not need to create the universe; he chose to create it. Why? God is love, and love is best expressed toward something or someone else—so God created the world and people as an expression of his love. We should avoid reducing God’s creation to merely scientific terms. Remember that God created the universe because he loves us.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/sDi0SwUwONs” title=”8 min video by Eternal productions”]

8 Min. video by Eternal Productions

Just how did God the Father create the earth? This is still a subject of great debate. Some say that with a sudden explosion, the universe appeared. Others say God started the process and the universe evolved over billions of years. Almost every ancient religion has its own story to explain how the earth came to be. And almost every scientist has an opinion on the origin of the universe. But only the Bible shows one supreme God creating the earth out of His great love and giving all people a special place in it. We will never know all the answers to how God created the earth, but the Bible tells us that God did create it. That fact alone gives worth and dignity to all people.

Who created God the Father? To ask that question is to assume there was another creator before God. At some time, however, we are forced to stop asking that question and realize that there had to be something that has always existed. God is that infinite Being who has always been and who was created by no one. This is difficult to understand because finite minds cannot comprehend the infinite. For example, we can try to think of the highest number, but we can’t do it. Likewise, we must not limit the infinite God by our finite understanding.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/h4su7CBy5Ms” title=”10 min video by Eternal productions”]

10 Min. video by Eternal Productions

God the Father is revealed in the Bible as an infinite, eternal, self existent Being who is the First Cause of all that is. Never was there a moment when God did not exist. As Moses affirms, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Ps 90:2). In other words, God existed eternally and infinitely before creating the finite universe. He is above, independent of and prior to all that has been created in heaven and on earth (Col 1:16).

God the Father is revealed as a personal Being who created Adam and Eve “in His own image” (Ge 1:27). Because Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, they could respond to and have fellowship with God in a loving and personal way.

God the Father is also revealed as a moral Being who created everything good and therefore without sin. After God had finished creating and was surveying what he had made, he observed that it was “very good” (Ge 1:31). Since Adam and Eve were created in God’s image and likeness, they were also without sin. Sin entered human existence when Eve was tempted by the serpent, or Satan (Ro 5:12; Rev 12:9).

UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

God the Father is omnipresent, He is present everywhere at the same time. The psalmist states that no matter where we go, God is there (Ps 139:7-12; cf. Jer 23:23-24; Ac 17:27-28); God observes everything that we do.

God the Father is omniscient, He knows everything (Ps 139:1-6; 147:5). He knows not only our actions but also our very thoughts (1Sa 16:7; 1Ki 8:39; Ps 44:21; Jer 17:9-10). When the Bible speaks of God’s foreknowledge (Isa 42:9; Ac 2:23; 1Pe 1:2), it means that He knows all things possible as possible, all things certain as certain, all things contingent as contingent, all things future as future, all things past as past, all things foreordained as predestined certainties (cf.1Sa 23:10-13; Jer 38:17-20). Biblical fore knowledge does not entail philosophical determinism. God remains free to make decisions and alter His purposes in time and history, according to His own will and wisdom. In other words, God is not a prisoner of His own fore knowledge.

God is omnipotent, He is all-powerful and has ultimate authority over all things and all creatures (Ps 147:13-18; Jer 32:17; Mt 19:26; Lk 1:37). This doesn’t mean, however, that God uses all His power and authority at all times; for example God has the power to destroy all sin, but He has chosen not to do so until the end of history. In many cases, God limits his power, channeling it through His people (2Co 12:7-10); in these cases, His power is dependent on our degree of availability and submission to Him.

God is transcendent, He is different and independent from His creation (see Ex 24:9-18; Isa 6:1-3; 40:12-26; 55:8-9). His being and existence are infinitely greater and higher than the created order (1Ki 8:27; Isa 66:1-2; Ac 17:24-25). He dwells in perfect and pure existence, far above what he has made; He Himself is uncreated and exists apart from creation. Transcendence does not entail, however, that God is incapable of living among His people as their God. (Lev 26:11-12; Eze 37:27; 43:7; 2Co 6:16).

God is eternal, Hhe is from everlasting to everlasting (Ps 90:1-2; 102:12; Isa 57:15). There was never a time, either in the past or the future, when God did not or will not exist; He is not bound by human time (cf. Ps 90:4; 2Pe 3:8) and is, therefor best described as “I am” (cf. Ex 3:14; Jn 8:58).

God is unchangeable, there is no change in God’s attributes, in His perfections or in His purpose for humankind (Nu 23:19; Ps 102:26-28; Isa 41:4; Mal 3:6; Heb 1:11-12; Jas 1:17); this doesn’t mean, however, that God never alters His temporary purposes in response to the actions of humans. He may, for example, alter His intentions of judgment because of the sincere repentance of sinners (cf. Joh 3:6-10). Furthermore He remains free to respond to the needs of human beings and to the prayers of His people. The Bible often speaks of God changing His mind as a result of the diligent prayers of the righteous (e.g., Nu 14:1-20; 2Ki 20:2-6; Isa 38:2-6; Lk 18:1-8.

God is perfect and holy, He is completely without sin and absolutely righteous (Lev 11:44-45; Ps 85:13; 145:17; Mt 5:48). Adam and Eve were created without sin (cf. Ge 1:31) but with the capability of sinning. God, on the other hand, cannot sin (Nu 23:19; 2Ti 2:13; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18). His holiness also includes His dedication to carrying out His purposes and plan.

God is triune, He is one God (Dt 6:4; Isa 45:21; lCo 8:5-6; Eph 4:6; lTi 2:5), who has manifested Himself in three divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (e.g.,Mt 28:19; 2Co 13:14;1Pe 1:2). Each person is fully divine, equal with the other two; yet they are not three Gods, but one.

MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD THE FATHER

Many characteristics of the one true God, particularly His moral attributes, bear similarity to human qualities; however, His attributes all exist to a degree incomparably greater than they do in us. For example, even though both God and humans possess the ability to love, no human is able to love to the degree and intensity that God does. Moreover, it must be stressed that our ability to exercise these characteristics is related to our being created in God’s image (Ge 1:26-27); in other words, we are like Him, not He like us.

God is good (Ps 25:8; 106:1; Mk 10:18). All that God originally created was good, an extension of His own nature (Ge 1:4,10,12,18,21,25,31). He continues to be good to His creation by sustaining it on behalf of all His creatures (Ps 104:10-28; 145:9) He even provides for the ungodly (Mt 5:45; Ac 14:17). God is especially good to His people who call on Him in truth (Ps 145:18-20).

God is love (1Jn 4:8). His love is a selfless love that embraces the entire world of sinful humankind (Jn 3:16; Ro 5:8). The chief expression of that love was his sending of His only Son Jesus to die for sinners (1Jn 4:9-10). In addition, God has a special family love for those who through Jesus are reconciled to Him.

God is merciful and gracious (Ex 34:6; Dt 4:31; 2Ch 30:9; Ps 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13); he does not cut off and destroy humanity as our sins deserve (Ps 103:10), but offers forgiveness as a free gift to be received through faith in Jesus Christ (Ps 103:11- 2; Ro 6:23; lCo 1:3-4; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 2:11; 3:4-5).

God is compassionate (2Ki 13:23; Ps 86:15; 111:4). To be compassionate means to feel sorrow for someone else’s suffering, with a desire to help. Out of His compassion for humanity, God provided forgiveness and salvation (cf. Ps 78:38); likewise, Jesus, the Son of God, showed compassion for the crowds when He preached the gospel to the poor, proclaimed freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, and released the oppressed (Lk 4:18; cf. Mt 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mk 1:41)

God is patient and slow to anger (Ex 34:6; Nu 14:18; Ro 2:4; 1Ti 1:16). God first expressed this characteristic in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve’s sin, when He did not destroy the human race as He had a right to do (cf. Ge 2:16-17). God was also patient in the days of Noah, while the ark was being built (1Pe 3:20). And God is still patient with the sinful human race; He does not presently judge so as to destroy the world, because He is patiently giving everyone the opportunity to repent and be saved (2Pe 3:9).

God is truth (Dt 32:4; Ps 31:5; Isa 65:16; Jn 3:33). Jesus called Himself “the Truth” (Jn 14:6), and the Spirit is known as the “Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:17; cf. 1Jn 5:6). Because God is entirely trustworthy and true in all He says and does, His word is also described as truth (2Sa 7:28; Ps 119:43; Isa 45:19; Jn 17:17). In keeping with this fact, the Bible makes it plain that God does not tolerate lies or falsehood of any kind (Nu 23:19; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18).

God is faithful (Ex 34:6; Dt 7:9; Isa 49:7; La 3:23; Heb 10:23); God will do what he has revealed in his Word, carrying out both His promises and His warnings (Nu 14:32-35; 2Sa 7:28; Job 34:12; Ac 13:23,32-33) . God’s faithfulness should bring unspeakable comfort to believers and great fear of judgment to all who do not repent and believe in the Lord Jesus (Heb 6:4-8; 10:26-31).

Homework Questions (21 questions in Lesson 1)

1. How is Creation speaking to those who listen?
2. How is God’s power displayed in His creation of the Universe?
3. How many stars are in the Universe?
4. What is the size of the Universe?
5. Does the Bible confirm the facts of the Universe? How?
6. How much energy is in the Universe?
7. How does snow crystals and DNA show the wisdom of God

The Activity of Creation

How long did it take God to create the world?

There are two basic views about the days of creation:

(1) Each day was a literal 24-hour period;

(2) each day represents an indefinite period of time

(even millions of years).

The Bible does not say how long these time periods were. The real question, however, is not how long God took, but how He did it. God created the earth in an orderly fashion (He did not make plants before light), and He created men and women as unique beings capable of communication with Him. No other part of creation can claim that remarkable privilege. It is not important how long it took God to create the world, whether a few days or a few billion years, but that He created it just the way He wanted it.

Days of Creation

First Day Light (so there was light and darkness)

Second Day Sky and water (waters separated)

Third Day Land and seas (waters gathered); vegetation

Fourth Day Sun, moon, and stars (to govern the day and the night and to mark seasons, days and years)

Fifth Day Fish and birds (to fill the waters and the sky)

Sixth Day Animals (to fill the earth)Man and woman (to care for the earth and to commune with God)

Seventh Day God rested and declared all He had made to be very good

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/RKANLp_PgZM” url=”https://youtu.be/RKANLp_PgZM” title=”The Origin of God and Creation 15 min video by Pat Robertson CBN”]

15 Min. video by Pat Robertson CBN

God created all things in “the heavens and the earth”. The word “created” (Heb bara’) is used exclusively of an activity that only God can do. It means that at a specific, moment God called into existence matter and substance that had no prior existence.

The Bible describes God’s creation as formless, empty and covered with darkness

(Ge 1:2). At that time the universe and the world did not have the ordered form it has now. It was empty, barren of all living creatures and void of all light. After this initial stage, God created light to dispel the darkness (Ge 1:3-5), gave form to the universe (Ge 1:6-13) and filled the earth with living things (Ge 1:20-28).

The method God used in creation was the power of his word. Over and over it is stated, “And God said . . .” (Ge 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26). In other words, God spoke the heavens and the earth into being; before God’s creative word went forth, they had no prior existence (cf. Ps 33:6,9; 148:5; ISa. 48:13; Ro 4:17; Heb 11:3).

The entire Trinity, not just the Father, had a role in creation.

The Son Himself is the powerful Word through whom God created all things. In the prologue to John’s Gospel, Christ is revealed as the eternal Word of God (Jn 1:1). “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” Jn 1:3. Likewise, the apostle Paul affirms that by Christ “all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible . . . all things were created by Him and for Him” Col 1:16. Finally, the author of the letter to the Hebrews asserts emphatically that by His Son, God made the universe (Heb 1:2).

(b) Likewise, the Holy Spirit had an active role in the work of creation. He is the “power” and is pictured as “hovering” over the creation, preserving and preparing it for God’s further creative activity. The Hebrew word for “Spirit” (ruah) may also be translated as “wind” and “breath.” Thus, the psalmist affirms the role of the Spirit when he states: “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath [ruah] of his mouth” Ps 33:6. Also, the Holy Spirit continues to be involved in sustaining creation (Job 33:4; Ps 104:30).

THE PURPOSE AND GOAL OF CREATION

God the Father had specific reasons for creating the world.

God created the heavens and the earth as a manifestation of His glory, majesty and power. David says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Ps 19:1; cf. Ps 8:1). By looking at the entire created cosmos from the immense expanse of the created universe to the beauty and order of nature we cannot help but stand in awe of the majesty of the Lord God, our Creator.

God created the heavens and the earth in order to receive back the glory and honor due Him. All the elements of nature-e.g., sun and moon, trees of the forest, rain and snow, rivers and streams, hills and mountains, animals and birds–shout out praise to the God who made them (Ps 98:7-8; 148:1-10; Isa, 55:12). How much more God desires and expects to receive glory and praise from human beings!

God created the earth in order to provide a place where His purpose and goals for humankind might be fulfilled.

(a) God created Adam and Eve in His own image so that He could have a loving, personal relationship for all eternity. God designed humankind as a triune being (body, soul, spirit), possessing mind, emotion and will with which they can respond to Him freely as Lord and worship and serve Him out of faith, loyalty and gratitude.

(b) God so desired this intimate relationship with the human race that, when Satan succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve to rebel against and disobey God’s command, He promised to send a Savior to redeem humankind from sin’s consequences (see Ge 3:15,). In this way God would have a people for His own possession who would enjoy Him, glorify him, and live in righteousness and holiness before Him (Isa 60:21; 61:l-3; Eph 1:11-12; lPe 2:9).

(c) The culmination of God’s purpose in creation is recorded in the book of Revelation, where John describes the end of history with these words: “He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God” Rev 21:3.

How Did Life Begin?

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/WoBTLU_Edv8″ title=”10 min video by Lee Strobel, Case for a Creator”]

10 Min. video by Lee Strobel, CASE FOR A CREATOR

CREATION AND EVOLUTION

Evolution is the predominant view regarding the origin of life and the universe proposed in the scientific and educational community of the contemporary world. Bible-believing Christians should consider these four observations about evolution.

Evolution is a naturalistic effort to account for the origin and development of the Universe. This view begins with the assumption that there is no personal, divine Creator who made and fashioned the world; rather, everything came into existence by a series of chance happenings that occurred over billions of years. Proponents of evolution claim to have scientific data that support their hypothesis.

The teaching of evolution is not truly scientific. According to the scientific method, all conclusions must be based on indisputable evidence gathered from experiments that can be duplicated in any laboratory. However, no experiments have been or can be devised to test and substantiate theories about the origin of matter from some supposed “big bang” beginning or about the gradual development of living beings from their simplest to their most complex form. Consequently, evolution is a hypothesis without scientific “evidence”; therefore, to accept it one must have faith in a human theory. The faith of God’s people, in contrast, is in the Lord and in His inspired revelation, which states that He is the One who made all things out of nothing (Heb 11:3).

It is undeniable that change and development within various species of living things occur. For example, some varieties of species are becoming extinct; on the other hand, we occasionally see new strains forming within species. But there is no evidence, even in the geologic record, which supports the theory that one kind of living thing ever evolved from another kind. Rather, existing evidence supports the Bible’s declaration that God created each living creature “according to its kind”

(Ge 1:21,24-25).

Bible-believing Christians must also reject the theory called theistic evolution. This theory adopts most of the conclusions of naturalistic evolution, adding only that God started the evolutionary process. Such a theory denies the Biblical revelation that ascribes to God an active role in all aspects of creation. For example, every main verb in Genesis 1 has God as its subject, except for Ge 1:12 (which fulfills the command of God in v. 11) and the recurring phrase “there was evening, and there was morning,” God is not a passive supervisor of an evolutionary process; rather, He is the active Creator of all things (cf. Col 1:16).

Questions (continued)

8. How are we fearfully and wonderfully made?
9. Is evolution even possible? Explain Your Answer.
10. How much faith would it take to believe in the evolution process?

Truths about Humanity

Man is created in the image of God 1:26-27. Man is the last creative work of God in the creation story.

Man is the crown jewel of God’s creation. Why? Because he is created in the image of God.

What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

Emotional capacity to feel. God is an emotional God. Scientists tell us that all mammals have the capacity to feel.

Rational capacity to think. Reason. Draw conclusions from data.

Volitional capacity to choose. Conscience. Only humans have free will to choose.

Spiritual capacity to worship. Every human has a desire to worship. They worship their gods…money, career, relationships, football, hobby, their creator. Romans 1:21-23. The problem is that man has chosen to worship created things rather than his creator.

Questions(continued)

11. What does the truth about Humanity, reveal about the value of human life?
12. What does it mean that “eternity has been put in the heart of every
person” (Ecc. 3:11)?

13. What are some ways people worship created things rather than their creator?

MAN IS CREATED TO MIRROR GOD’S IMAGE

Creation exists for man.

God made man like Himself.

Man’s dominion over the world and filling the world is a display- an imaging forth- of God.

We were created to mirror God. The exalted status of man is to mirror God, not to become arrogant and autonomous. That is what happened at the fall. Man exists to reflect the glory of God to the world. Isaiah 43:7″ …whom I created for my glory.”

The world is not man centered, it is God centered. The result: very good. This is the key to understanding our purpose why we are here. Everything else flows out of this.

Glory of God__seen in Christ__reflected in us 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Questions (continued)

14. In what ways do we mirror God’s image to the world?

15. What happens when we do not fulfill our divinely appointed purpose?

GOD GAVE HUMANS THREE PRIMARY ROLES

To the man: ruler over the earth- Genesis 1:28, 2:15.

Man is given dominion or authority over the earth: subdue the earth, subdue the planet, care for the garden, and name the animals.

The God given desire in every man is to build something great, to compete, to win, to accept a challenge. Man is the builder, warrior, hunter, and provider. Every man has the desire to be king of his little kingdom. Our culture and sometimes the church destroys this in a man.

Questions (continued)

16. In what ways does our culture sabotage biblical manhood?

Manhood is in a state of confusion .

Our culture offers no compelling vision of manhood. look at sitcoms and how they portray men. There are few role models on how to be a man. So men are confused. They don’t know where to find out about manhood because we have left the word of God.

Confused men make major mistakes.

Confused men settle for less.

Questions (continued)

17. What can Christianity do to reclaim masculinity in our men?

To the woman: nurturer of the family Genesis 2:18-23.

The woman was created to provide a solution to man’s capacity to isolate. She was created to soften man and round out his rough edges. Woman has intrinsic compassion and nurturing qualities.

A woman defines herself more by her relationships than her accomplishments. Her role is a valuable role that is equally as important as man’s role. Our culture tries to downplay the importance of the female role in culture under the guise of equality. Of course men and women are equal, but they are created with unique characteristics and roles.

Questions (continued)

18. In what ways does our culture sabotage the beautiful feminine role that God put in the heart of a woman?

To both: biblical oneness- Genesis 1:28, 2:18-25.

They were naked- both physically and emotionally. Totally known and totally accepted.

Desire of every person is to be fully known and fully loved. We hide this behind macho bravado. The desire of a man is to love and protect his family; the desire of a woman is to love and nurture her family.

Questions (continued)

19. Why is biblical oneness so difficult to attain?

With these roles man received:

Authority Gen.1:28-31. God gave man the authority he needed to have dominion over the earth and fill it.

Responsibility Gen 2:15-17. God held man responsible for fulfilling his roles.

Application

Knowing my purpose defines my identity. My purpose is to mirror the image of God in everything I do. I’m not defined by what I do; I’m defined by my purpose. Being vs. doing. It is not performance based.

Questions (continued)

20. What are the signs that my identity is performance based instead of purpose driven?

Knowing my identity clarifies my roles. Identity must precede roles. If my roles become my identity, then… I become prideful if I succeed, or I become depressed if I don’t succeed. I feel like a failure.

Questions(continued)

21. What are some practical suggestions for how to keep my roles in life from becoming my identity?

SOURCE: Brad Small, EMBARK Ministries

SUMMARY OF KEY LESSON TRUTHS LEARNED IN LESSON 1

God the Father created the world and people for His glory and as an expression of His love.
God the Fatheris that infinite Being who has always been and who was created by no one.
Because Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, they could respond to and have fellowship with God in a loving and personal way.
God the Father is omnipresent, He is present everywhere at the same time.
God the Father is omniscient, He knows everything.
God the Fatheris omnipotent, He is all-powerful and has ultimate authority over all things and all creatures.
God the Fatheris transcendent, He is different and independent from his creation.
God the Fatheris eternal, He is from everlasting to everlasting.
God the Fatheris unchangeable, there is no change in God’s attributes, in His perfections or in His purpose for humankind.
God the Fatheris perfect and holy, He is completely without sin and absolutely righteous.
God the Fatheris triune, He is one God, who has manifested Himself in three divine persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God the Fatheris good. All that God originally created was good, an extension of His own nature.
God the Fatheris love. His love is a selfless love that embraces the entire world of sinful humankind.
God the Fatheris merciful and gracious; He does not cut off and destroy humanity as our sins deserve, but offers forgiveness as a free gift to be received through faith in Jesus Christ.
God the Fatheris patient and slow to anger. God first expressed this characteristic in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve’s sin, when He did not destroy the human race as He had a right to do.
God the Fatheris truth. Jesus called Himself “the Truth”, and the Spirit is known as the “Spirit of truth”.
God the Fatheris faithful. God will do what He has revealed in his Word, carrying out both his promises and His warnings.

Homework Continued

SELECT ONE OR MORE OF THE ABOVE TRUTHS AND WRITE 1 PARAGRAPH ON HOW YOU WILL APPLY THIS TRUTH OR TRUTHS IN YOUR SERVICE AS A CHAPLAIN.

PRAYER (speak out loud on my knees)

Thank you Father for creating me as an expression of your love. Thank you that you revealed yourself to me, thru the creation of this world. Thank you for opening my heart to see your many true attributes. Thank you for bringing me to a place of learning and then giving me a desire to never stop learning from You. Teach me all about You and your kingdom.

I want to experience you’re unconditional love for me every hour of the day. Thank you for training me to be a Chaplain Ambassador to your Kingdom.

I pray this in Jesus name.

CONFESSION (speak out loud on my knees)

I boldly confess that you are an Infinite Being who has always been and who was created by no one. You are eternal, unchangeable, perfect and holy, merciful and gracious, patient and slow to anger, the truth, faithful and you are love. You revealed your love for me by creating me in your image. Your love for me is unconditional. I will become a Chaplain Ambassador to your Kingdom.

I declare this by faith in Jesus name.

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE FOR YOU TO MEDITATE ON FOR 15 MINUTES

1. How are you going to explain creation to a person who believes in evolution? (try not to tell him what he believes is wrong, but tell him only what you believe and why you believe it)

2. Man is created in the image of God. What does that exactly mean to you?

3. God has given us an imagination. When you think about God the Father, how do you see Him

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Lesson 2 – The Fall

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden that challenged the course of the entire human race-the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. Metaphorically, these same two “trees” continue to challenge us. When we become Christians these challenges do not end-they may well increase. Many times we will have to choose between the fruit of these trees. Between them lies the focal point of the dichotomy between the kingdom of God and the present evil age.

Worship

Worship takes our minds off our problems and focuses them on God. Worship leads us from individual meditation to corporate worship. Worship causes us to consider and appreciate God’s character. Worship lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/6AV4I88odIA” title=”Worship Song by Chris Tomlin”]

PRAYER

Holy Spirit to teach ME and lead ME into all truth. give ME insight and understanding about THE fall of man. WHeN I finish THIS lesson, permanently seal the truths YOU haVE revealed TO ME in MY spirit and soul.

I PRAY THIS IN JESUS NAME

There Were Two Trees in The Garden

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/aIAEzOz3qsA” title=”12 Min Video by Brad Small – Dream City Church”]

12 Min. video by Brad Small, Dream City Church

The Tree of Life & The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil

Theme Scripture

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed.
And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground–trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.
In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.
The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.)
The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.
The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
GENESIS 2:8-17 NLT

Man and woman were created to be stewards of creation. Man represents to earth what God is to the Kingdom. He has dominion over creation. He is created in God’s image. Earth is a replica of the Kingdom. Man is king over the earth. What is true about God and the Kingdom should be true about man and the earth.

Genesis 2:7-9 describes life the way it was meant to be. Man became a living soul. His source was the spirit of life. His foundation was God. Adam and Eve could see in a way we cannot. The fruit on these trees was life and the knowledge of good and evil. They could see life; we cannot. They could see the physical and spiritual realities as one; they were one.

In Genesis 3:6 the Bible says the fruit was “pleasing to the eye.” That is the same phrase as what Moses saw at the burning bush. It is the sight of the material and the spiritual wrapped in one experience.

Genesis 3 reveals the problem Jesus came to solve. When they ate the fruit, they changed their source and their foundation. They exchanged life for knowledge. The life of God was exchanged for knowledge of good and evil. The foundation went from God to self. This changed their perception. They could no longer see the spiritual and material as one.

Because they disconnected from the source of life, they immediately felt profound emptiness and vulnerability. The question became “How do I feel alive?” Their first insight was the need for clothes.

This is the condition of humans today. The knowledge of evil lets me know something is wrong, but the knowledge of good can’t fix it. Satan attacks through good and evil. The knowledge of evil- you should have not done what you did. The knowledge of good- you need to try harder to do better.

Sin is death in us. Disconnected from our source. We try to return to the source through our own knowledge. All world religions do this. The solution is part of the problem. The knowledge of good (what I ought to do) is often the enemy of life.

The Solution.

The solution is Jesus Christ. We must return to our source of life. John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” Jesus is the source of life. Life will not be stopped. It flows through us. It is quantitative- you can have more or less of it. Where that life occurs is the Kingdom. When we are plugged back into the source we are in the Kingdom of God.

In Matthew 3:2, John says “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.” Repentance is the Greek word “metanoeo.” It means to “think differently afterwards.” This does not mean to change the content of what you are thinking; it means to change the process of the way you think. We change from thinking with knowledge of good and evil to think with our spirit and heart. The fruit of the new way of thinking is turning my life around (how we view repentance today).

The Kingdom of heaven is near- This is not a reference to time, it is a geographical reference. The Kingdom is within your reach. Jesus repeats the message in Matthew 4:17.

How do we see, because we want to see the way God sees. Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Adam and Eve had a way of seeing that we do not. When they looked at reality they could see both the physical and the spiritual as one. Why? Because maybe they were one with God. Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breath of life, and man became a living being. What made Adam see in a special way was his source God.

The Adam and Eve fell they changed their source and their foundation in a moment. Up to that time the source of God flowed to them, in them, and thru them. God was the source of all their thoughts, emotions, perceptions, mind and will that went to them, in them and thru them. The Spirit of God was their perceptual mechanism that allowed them to see the fruit of the tree with both spiritual and physical eyes.

The knowledge of good and evil is not life. It put Adam and Eve’s soul in charge of all in-put and life. The knowledge of good and evil could never replace aliveness. God was taken out of Adams soul and replaced with knowledge, so Adam now had to figure out from his knowledge hoe to feel alive again. His knowledge of good showed him he had to cover up his shameful body and hide from God.

Our knowledge evil lets us know when something is wrong. But our knowledge of good is not sufficient to change it. The way we try to return to our source (God) is thru knowledge. The knowledge of good is often the enemy of Life.

One example is the woman at the well in John 4. The questions we ask: What knowledge of good should I follow? What knowledge of evil should I avoid? These are the questions she asks Jesus. His response: I can give you living water. In other words, It is not about your ability to follow; it is about Jesus’ power to give life. Her knowledge told her life was found in a relationship with a man. So Jesus tells her to go get her source. Jesus is not condemning her. Jesus wants to show her where her real source comes from.

Jesus states in John 10:10 “the thief does not come except to steal, Kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have LIFE, and that they may have it more abundantly”.

Humans look for source of life in all sorts of things. Jesus came to reveal those things as false and give us real life. It is not good enough to have knowledge of the source. We must plug into the source. Satan has a short time on this earth where he rules this earth. He tries to keep everyone in bondage to the knowledge of good and evil. The earth was in decline until the coming of Jesus. He introduced life into a world of knowledge. This is the source of spiritual warfare.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/Uool1qHu9hI” title=”9 Min Video by Education for Eternity”]

9 Min. video by Education For Eternity

Jesus restores what has always been there. He restores us to what we were created to be. We receive life and He gives life. This is the Kingdom. Plug into the source instead of knowledge about the source. Repent- change the way you see. Jesus came to do for you what you can’t do for yourself. He changes you from the inside out. He is the power of God to you, in you, and through you. He changes the way you see.

SOURCE:Notes from the “Freedom” teaching at Dream City Church

Satan did not tempt Eve with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge just because of the Lord’s prohibition. He tempted her with it because the source of his power was rooted in that tree. Further more, the Lord did not implement this restriction just to test Adam and Eve; He prohibited the eating of its fruit because He knew that it was poison. When He instructed Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, He did not say “If you eat from that tree I’m going to kill you” but “In the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). It was not just man’s disobedience that brought death to the world; it was the fruit from this tree.

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is a powerful biblical model of the Law. As the apostle Paul declared, “The power of sin is the law” (1Corinthians 15:56). This is because it is through the Law that we derive our knowledge of good and evil. We may wonder how this knowledge brings death until we see the fruit. The knowledge of good and evil kills us by distracting us from the One who is the source of life: the Tree of Life-Jesus. The Tree of Knowledge causes us to focus our attention upon ourselves. The Law empowers sin, not just because it causes the evil in us to be revealed, but also because it spawns self-righteous “good.” By driving us either to corruption or self-righteousness, the Law inevitably leads us to death.

It is significant that the Tree of Knowledge is found in the center of the garden (see Genesis 3:3). Self-centeredness is the chief malady with which it afflicts us. After Adam and Eve ate its fruit, their first response was self-inspection, or self-centeredness. Before eating they had not even noticed their nakedness; their attention was on the Lord and the purposes for which He had created them, not themselves. After eating, the good and evil which they now understood forced them to measure themselves by it. There is no easier way to keep us from the Tree of Life than to have us focus our attention upon ourselves. This is what the Law accomplishes. Because of this Paul called it “the ministry of death” and the “ministry of condemnation” (II Corinthians 3:7, 9).

When we define the Tree of Knowledge as the Law, we are not referring only to the Law of Moses. We often think of the Old Testament as the Law and the New Testament as Grace, but this is not necessarily true. The Old Covenant is the Letter; the New Covenant is the Spirit. If we read the New Testament with an Old Covenant heart, it will just be law to us. We’ll still have dead religion with righteousness that is based on compliance with written commandments instead of a living relationship with God, our Savior.

The Lord said that He was going to send His Spirit to lead us into all truth. All truth is in Jesus, of whom the Spirit was sent to testify (see Ephesians 4:21). The Bible is a most precious and wonderful gift from the Lord to His people. Even so, the Bible was not meant to take the place of the Lord Himself, nor the Spirit whom He sent. The Bible is a means, not an end. Knowing the book of the Lord is not our primary goal, but rather to know the Lord of the book. As wonderful a gift as the Bible is, it is not God. If it supplants the place of the Lord in our life it has only become an idol. Many fall into the idolatry of worshiping the things of God in place of God Himself. The reason for this can be found in the allegory of these two important trees that were in the Garden. We see in Genesis 2:9 that the Tree of Life was also in the center of the Garden. Which of these trees will be the center of our life is a choice that each of us must make.

The many errors and divisions within the body of Christ are not due to fault in the Bible, but our misuse of it. Some of the laws and principles we have wrested from the New Testament rival anything that the Pharisees did to the Old Testament! This has caused us to try to measure our spirituality by how well we conform to the letter. True spirituality is not found in adapting to a form, but by the forming of Jesus within us. We must all choose between partaking of the law and partaking of Christ, but we cannot have both. This central truth is discussed at length in the book of Galatians and many other New Testament texts. Yet it seems that the application of this truth to our lives is frequently missed. This has been the cause of many devastating conflicts between individual believers and between churches, denominations and movements.

The Letter Kills

It was for a good reason that the Lord instructed us to judge men by their fruit. A parrot can be taught to say and do the right things. Satan, likewise, often comes as “an angel of light,” brazenly proclaiming the Scriptures. His work will often impressively conform to the letter, but only Jesus can bring forth the fruit that is LIFE. “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (II Corinthians 3:6). The serpent is still speaking from the midst of the Tree of Knowledge, compelling us to eat its fruit. We must learn to recognize this voice and reject it, regardless of how good the fruit on the tree looks.

One of the primary schemes of the devil is to turn the Bible into the Tree of Knowledge for us, instead of the Tree of Life. He is seeking to make it law to us rather than a revelation of Christ, in whom alone life is found. If we read the Scriptures by the Spirit they will testify of Jesus and will come to life. “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me” (John 5:39). The Spirit was sent to lead us to Him, in the Scriptures and in all aspects of our lives. Reading the Scriptures without the Spirit brings only the knowledge of good and evil, which actually brings death.

Satan can counterfeit form, but he can never counterfeit the Spirit’s fruit–which is Jesus, the Tree of Life. Man is able, to a certain degree for various self-centered and deceptive reasons, to change his outward behavior. Only the Spirit can change a man’s heart. Therefore, the Lord looks upon the hearts of men, and in them He is looking for the heart of His Son. The Lord is not just trying to get us to do certain things and not do others; He is trying to conform us to the image of Jesus.

The Lord’s first act of creation was to bring forth light. The very next thing He did was separate the light from darkness. There can be no cohabitation between light and darkness. When a person is re-created and born again, the Lord immediately begins to separate the light from the darkness in his life. Almost inevitably, usually in our zeal for Him, we try to take over this work and perform it by the only way we have ever known-through the knowledge of good and evil. This struggle between law and grace and between flesh and Spirit is the source of the inner discord afflicting most Christians. It is also the single greatest point of conflict between the truth that sets men free and the lies of the enemy that are meant to oppress them, bringing forth death rather than life.

On the third day of creation the Lord established a physical and spiritual law that was of critical importance. He ordered that trees would only bear fruit and produce seed after their own kind (see Genesis 1:11-12). The fruit of these two trees is to forever be separate and distinct, as the Lord Jesus also testified:“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6:43-44). Paul further stated: “whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). We cannot bring forth fruit that is life while we are partaking of the Tree of Knowledge. Likewise, if we are partaking of the Tree of Life we will not bring forth the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge–death. A tree can only produce fruit after its own kind.

Trees are sometimes symbolic of family lineages, which is where we derived the term “family tree.” As stated, these two trees in the Garden were, in a sense, a prophecy of the two lineages that would come forth in all of mankind. In order for Christ to come forth in man, His seed had to be sown in man. Likewise, in order for the “man of sin” to come forth in man, that seed also had to be sown in man. The fruit of a seed cannot be reaped unless it is first planted.

When Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge, they were destined to perpetuate the fruit of that tree; consequently, death spread to all their descendants. But God in His grace and mercy determined that He would redeem their mistake. He planted in man the seed that would again bring forth the Tree of Life in man-Jesus. Through Him true life would be restored to man. His seed is a spiritual seed, sown by the Holy Spirit. No flesh could beget Him, but all flesh could receive Him. The Lord promised the transgressing woman that a seed would come forth from her that would crush the head of the serpent that had deceived her (see Genesis 3: 15). In the first two sons born to the woman, we discern the seeds of each tree manifesting and starting to grow.

SOURCE: chapter 1 “There Were Two Trees In the Garden” by Rick Joyner, Morning Star Publication

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/1LO88jdNabs” title=”9 Min Video by Education for Eternity”]

9 Min. video by Education For Eternity

Satan’s Plan Against Us

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
Genesis 3:1

Disguised as a shrewd serpent, Satan came to tempt Eve. At one time, Satan had been a glorious angel. But in pride, he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. As a created being, Satan has definite limitations. Although he is trying to tempt everyone away from God, he will not be the final victor. In 3:14, 15, God promises that Satan will be crushed by one of the woman’s offspring, the Messiah.

²“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. ³“It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

⁴“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. ⁵“God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Genesis 3:2-5

Adam and Eve got what they wanted: an intimate knowledge of both good and evil. But they got it by doing evil, and the results were disastrous. Sometimes we have the illusion that freedom is doing anything we want. But God says that true freedom comes from obedience and knowing what not to do. The restrictions He gives us are for our good, helping us avoid evil. We have the freedom to walk in front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to be hit to realize it would be foolish to do so.

Don’t listen to Satan’s temptations. You don’t have to do evil to gain more experience and learn more about life.

Satan used a sincere motive to tempt Eve: “You will be like God.” It wasn’t wrong of Eve to want to be like God. To become more like God is humanity’s highest goal. It is what we are supposed to do. But Satan misled Eve concerning the right way to accomplish this goal. He told her that she could become more like God by defying God’s authority, by taking God’s place and deciding for herself what was best for her life. In effect, he told her to become her own god.

But to become like God is not the same as trying to become God. Rather, it is to reflect His characteristics and to recognize His authority over your life. Like Eve, we often have a worthy goal but try to achieve it in the wrong way. We act like a political candidate who pays off an election judge to be “voted” into office. When he does this, serving the people is no longer his highest goal.

Self-exaltation leads to rebellion against God. As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above Him. This is exactly what Satan wants us to do.

⁶The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. ⁷At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:6-7

Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life. Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then, he’s been busy getting people to sin. He even tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). But Jesus did not sin!

How could Eve have resisted temptation? By following the same guidelines we can follow. First, we must realize that being tempted is not a sin. We have not sinned until we give in to the temptation. Then, to resist temptation, we must:

1. Pray for strength to resist.
2. Run, sometimes literally.
3. Say no when confronted with what we know is wrong. James 1:12 tells of the blessings and rewards for those who don’t give in when tempted.

The serpent, Satan, tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He implied that God was strict, stingy, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share his knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her and, instead, focus on what God had forbidden. We fall into trouble, too, when we dwell on what God forbids rather than on the countless blessings and promises God has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself and what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank God. Then your doubts won’t lead you into sin.

Satan tried to make Eve think that sin is good, pleasant, and desirable. A knowledge of both good and evil seemed harmless to her. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good, at least for themselves. Our sins do not always appear ugly to us, and the pleasant sins are the hardest to avoid. So prepare yourself for the attractive temptations that may come your way. We cannot always prevent temptation, but there is always a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Use God’s Word and God’s people to help you stand against it.

Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by simply seeing something you want. Are you struggling with temptation because you have not learned that looking is the first step toward sin? You would win over temptation more often if you followed Paul’s advice to run from those things that produce evil thoughts (2 Timothy 2:22).

One of the realities of sin is that its effects spread. After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing. When we do something wrong, often we try to relieve our guilt by involving someone else. Like toxic waste spilled in a river, sin swiftly spreads. Recognize and confess your sin to God before you are tempted to pollute those around you.

⁸When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. ⁹Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” ≈
Genesis 3:6-7

After sinning, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment over their nakedness. Their guilty feelings made them try to hide from God. A guilty conscience is a warning signal God placed inside you that goes off when you’ve done wrong. The worst step you can take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause. That would be like using a painkiller but not treating the disease. Be glad those guilty feelings are there. They make you aware of your sin so you can ask God’s forgiveness and then correct your wrongdoing.

The thought of two humans covered with fig leaves trying to hide from the all-seeing, all-knowing God is humorous. How could they be so silly as to think they could actually hide? Yet we do the same, acting as though God doesn’t know what we’re doing. Have the courage to share all you do and think with him. And don’t try to hide—it can’t be done. Honesty will strengthen your relationship with God.

These verses (Gen.3:8-9) show God’s desire to have fellowship with us. They also show why we are afraid to have fellowship with Him. Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard Him approaching. God wanted to be with them, but because of their sin, they were afraid to show themselves. Sin had broken their close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours. But Jesus Christ, God’s Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with Him. God longs to be with us. He actively offers us His unconditional love. Our natural response is fear because we feel we can’t live up to His standards. But understanding that He loves us, regardless of our faults, can help remove that dread.

¹⁰He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

¹¹“Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

¹²The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

¹³Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” ≈
Genesis 3:6-7

Adam and Eve failed to heed God’s warning recorded in 2:16,17. They did not understand the reasons for His command, so they chose to act in another way that looked better to them. All of God’s commands are for our own good, but we may not always understand the reasons behind them. People who trust God will obey because God asks them to, whether or not they understand why God commands it.

When God asked Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent. How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else or circumstances. But God knows the truth, and He holds each of us responsible for what we do (see Gen. 3:14-19). Admit your wrong attitudes and actions and apologize to God. Don’t try to get away with sin by blaming someone else.

¹⁴Then the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.
Genesis 3:14

Adam and Eve chose their course of action (disobedience), and then God chose His. As a holy God, He could respond only in a way consistent with His perfect moral nature. He could not allow sin to go unchecked; He had to punish it. If the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin seem extreme, remember that their sin set in motion the world’s tendency toward disobeying God. That is why we sin today: Every human being ever born, with the exception of Jesus, has inherited the sinful nature of Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12-21). Adam and Eve’s punishment reflects how seriously God views sin of any kind.

¹⁵And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel.”
Genesis 3:15

Satan is our enemy. He will do anything he can to get us to follow his evil, deadly path. The phrase “you will strike His heel” refers to Satan’s repeated attempts to defeat Christ during His life on earth. “He will strike your head” foreshadows Satan’s defeat when Christ rose from the dead. A strike on the heel is not deadly, but a blow to the head is. Already God was revealing his plan to defeat Satan and offer salvation to the world through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Satan’s Plan Against Us

Doubt Makes you question God’s Word and his goodness.

Discouragement Makes you look at your problems rather than at God.

Diversion Makes the wrong things seem attractive so that you will want them more than the right things.

Defeat Makes you feel like a failure so that you don’t even try.

Delay Makes you put off doing something so that it never gets done.

¹⁶Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”

¹⁷And to the man He said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.¹⁸It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. ¹⁹By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
Genesis 3:16-19

Adam and Eve learned by painful experience that because God is holy and hates sin, He must punish sinners. The rest of the book of Genesis recounts painful stories of lives ruined as a result of the Fall. Disobedience is sin, and it breaks our fellowship with God. But, fortunately, when we disobey, God is willing to forgive us and to restore our relationship with Him.

Adam and Eve’s disobedience and fall from God’s gracious presence affected all creation, including the environment. Years ago people thought nothing of polluting streams with chemical wastes and garbage. This seemed so insignificant, so small. Now we know that just two or three parts per million of certain chemicals can damage human health. Sin in our lives is similar to pollution in streams. Even small amounts are deadly.

²⁰Then the man Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. ²¹And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

²²Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like Us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” ²³So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and He sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

²⁴After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:20-24

Life in the Garden of Eden was like living in heaven. Everything was perfect, and if Adam and Eve had obeyed God, they could have lived there forever. But after disobeying, Adam and Eve no longer deserved paradise, and God told them to leave. If they had continued to live in the garden and eat from the tree of life, they would have lived forever. But eternal life in a state of sin would mean forever trying to hide from God. Like Adam and Eve, all of us have sinned and are separated from fellowship with God. We do not have to stay separated, however. God is preparing a new earth as an eternal paradise for His people (see Revelation 21).

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5 Min. video by Education For Eternity

This is how Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God: (1) They became convinced their way was better than God’s; (2) they became self-conscious and hid; (3) they tried to excuse and defend themselves. To build a relationship with God we must reverse those steps: (1) We must drop our excuses and self-defenses; (2) we must stop trying to hide from God; (3) we must become convinced that God’s way is better than our way.

SOURCE: Life Application Study Bible Notes.

The Beginning of All Conflict Between Men

Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the LORD’s help, I have produced a man!” Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

“Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.
Genesis 4:1-8 NLT2

The ultimate conflict of man is the one that began with the first two brothers, and this began with the sacrifice. Cain brought the fruit of his own works, and Abel brought the blood from the sacrifice of the lamb. This remains the point of all the conflict that has unfolded, and that will soon culminate in the last battle.

“No man can see Jesus and not be drawn to Him, unless they are the sons of perdition that the enemy has completely taken over. There are many like this who will also be revealed. Those will only hate Jesus more, the more they see Him. Is that not how they reacted to Jesus when He walked the earth?

“The immature believe that if those who oppose could just see a miracle they would come to the Lord. The greater the works that Jesus did the more those who served evil hated Him. Before the nations come to the light they must see the conflict between the light and the darkness once again.”

“I had to stand against great evil in my time. The great evil in my time was built on religious zeal. The false prophets and teachers would cut themselves, beat themselves, and even sacrifice their own children out of zeal for the gods they served. These are the ones who think that God will only answer them when they have sacrificed enough. You are just beginning to face the same perverted religious zeal in your times. You must face it with the truth that God’s own sacrifice was enough, and He will answer us because of His sacrifice, not ours. “The harvest that is the end of this age is the time when all the seeds that have been sown come to full maturity. All that has been sown in man will now mature.

“You must do the same in your time that I did in my time—you must confront the false religions, the false worship, and all that is based on the works, sacrifices, and self-righteousness of men. You must confront it by standing on the works of God. The cross is your message. It is the banner that those who serve the Lord, and not just themselves, will gather under.”

“I have seen how self-sacrifice can lead to self-righteousness. I have watched it turn devoted followers of the Lord into those who cause divisions and oppose the Holy Spirit,”.

“Those who use religion for personal gain or position will be of special use to the enemy. There are those in high positions in religious institutions who love God, but it is a rare soul that can keep from being corrupted by religious systems. There is no greater transgression or corruption of heart than to use the things of God to draw worship or devotion to yourself. This was how Satan’s fall began, and it continues to be what causes the most destructive falls of all—the fall from a high position. The higher you are when you fall the more people that will be hurt by it. When you think that this cannot happen to you, then you are in the most danger.

“To guard your heart against this you must understand the message of Enoch. Those who are walking with God, who are seeing His glory, cannot bear the thought of doing something so profane as using the things of God to draw attention to themselves. Self-promotion is not possible for those who ‘are not,’ because they have lost themselves in Him. Self-promotion reveals a basic delusion. It would be like the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem thinking all the adulation was for it.

The same is true of churches, ministries, or any religious institution that builds on self-promotion for advancement. Those that have been built on self-promotion rather then the Holy Spirit will be some of the most deadly enemies of the truth in these times. Such advancement is opposite of the way of true discipleship and the way of the cross.

From the book THE PATH by Rick Joyner

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6 Min. video by Education For Eternity

THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF SATAN

by Brad Small

Satan is a fallen angel– (Ezekiel 28:11-19). Double meaning. The King of Tyre is Satan. Verse 13 – Satan was created by God. Satan was the greatest of the heavenly hosts, the most beautiful of all created beings. He was the guardian cherub. All creatures were created to give glory to God, but Satan wanted the glory for himself. Pride led to his fall. As a created being Satan is under God’s authority. He is in rebellion and has been defeated. See also Isaiah 14:12-15.

Questions (15 questions in Lesson 2)

1. Why is it important for us to understand Satan’s origin?

Satan is a liar – John 8:44. Satan is a liar and the father of lies. That is his nature and his tool to entrap us. He is the deceiver. What does this reveal to us about spiritual warfare?

Satan is the prince of this world – Ephesians 2:2. He is the ruler of the Kingdom of the air. The ruler of the disobedient. They are biblically the “world.” See also Luke 4:6.

2. In what way is Satan the ruler of this world?

3. Why is the world given to him?

Satan is crafty – Genesis 3:1.

The Scene in the Garden

The temptation – Genesis 3:1-6.

Satan deceives Eve. “Did God really say…” Satan planted doubt in her mind. Doubt God’s word, His promises, His protection, and His provision. Satan is the master of the half truth/half lie. Satan was right: their eyes would be opened, but he lied to them because they would die as a result of their choice. He is the master deceiver.

Satan appeals to her desires.	Luke 4:1-11	1John 2:16
1. Good for food	“turn stones into bread”	lust of the flesh
2. Pleasing to the eye	showed him all the kingdoms	lust of the eye
3. Desirable for wisdom	“jump off the temple	pride of life

4. How do you see those three desires being propagated in our culture today?

The sin – Genesis 3:7-13.

They lost their innocence. Their eyes were opened; opened to good and evil. They realized they were naked. They could have innocence and life or knowledge and death. They chose the latter. Read Gen. 3:22-24.

They lost their fellowship with God. There was a physical and spiritual separation. Notice God called to them, “Where are you?” God knew; He did It for their benefit.

“I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” Sin always leads to fear and hiding.

5. Why do we hide when we sin?

They lost their unity with each other. They blamed each other. Man blamed woman ; woman blamed Satan. Unity and oneness between them was now broken.

6. In what ways does Satan break relationships today?

The consequences – Genesis 3:14-24.

For Satan – cursed to defeat. This is the first reference to the cross. Satan can only bruise, he can not crush. The victory was one from the beginning of the world. “He will crush your head.”

For Eve – suffer in childbirth; suffer in marriage. The unity of marriage is broken. Marriage will now be hard. Her consequence is tied to her security.

For Adam – suffer in work. Work will be hard. God held Adam accountable. Both must now leave the garden and die. Eden represents heaven. Fellowship is broken with God. His consequence is tied to significance.

Lessons From the Fall

Understand how Satan operates.

Satan is a liar. That is his tool for trapping us. He knows the Bible very well. He is a master at the half truth/half lie. If we don’t know truth well, we will be deceived.

7. Explain how Satan uses deception to tempt you?

Satan manipulates our desires. He delivers pleasure up front followed by pain and destruction.

8. What does it mean that Satan delivers up front?

Satan uses two weapons to fight his war against us. He uses the lie to tempt. Then when we sin, he becomes the accuser. He tries to tie our sin to our identity.

9. Why does he try to tie our sin to our identity?

Satan has a plan for your life – total destruction. Suicide.

10. Do you believe this?

Understand how we respond to sin.

Hide. We deny, minimize, and rationalize. We run.

Blame. God’s answer: admit, confess. Counter intuitive to flesh.

11. Describe the cycle of hide and blame.

Understand how God responds to us.

Where are you? He comes looking for us ready to forgive and restore. Luke 15. God is not codependent. He has our best interest at heart. He uses consequences to grow us.

12. Why is it important to understand that God is looking for us long before we look for Him?

Understand how to fight the battle.

The word of God. The truth sets us free. It identifies the lies of the evil one. Jesus quoted scripture to fight off temptation.

13. How can we use scripture to fight temptation?

Prayer. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Community. Other believers that can walk faith with us.

14. How can we use community to help us win the battle of temptation?

Battle is won or lost in the mind – Romans 12:1-2.

15. Why is battle won or lost in the mind?

SOURCE: Brad Small, EMBARK Ministries

Reality Of Demons Or Unclean Spirits

The subject of demons is very real according to the Bible. The word demon is not found in Scripture, but it means evil spirit or devil. The word devil is used of Satan, the prince of demons (Matt. 9:34; 12:24). He is the chief evil spirit and the original source of evil in the universe. The Greek word for devil used in collection with Satan is diabolos, meaning adversary, false accuser, slanderer. It is translated “false accuser” and “slanderer” and is used of men in 1 Tim. 3:11; 2 Tim. 3:3; Titus 2:3. It is translated devil once when applied to Judas when he became an adversary of Christ (John 6:70). In thirty-four other places it is used of Satan as the chief adversary of God and man and is translated devil.

Only One Devil (Satan), but Many Demons

In the other seventy-six places where the words devil and devils are found, they refer to evil spirits or demons and the word is derived from two different Greek words diamonion and diamon, meaning evil spirits, devils, or adversaries of God and man. There is only one chief devil but there are many demons. The devil (Satan) has an angelic body and cannot enter bodily into anyone, but demons are disembodied spirits and do not seem to be able to operate in the material world except through possession of men and beasts who have bodies for them to operate through.

Summary of the Doctrine of Evil and Suffering

The origin of evil and suffering. Evil refers to anyone or anything that disrupts the harmony and unity of God’s good creation. Suffering refers to negative experiences that human beings interpret as evil. Understood in light of divine providence, suffering may not always be evil.

God is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in the world. God allows Satan to cause some evil and suffering, but Satan is not equal to God in power or authority. God allows human beings to misuse their freedom, causing some evil and suffering. The physical world is good as created by God, but disturbances in nature can produce human suffering.

Types of evil and suffering. The Bible distinguishes several types of evil and suffering. When God punishes sinners, suffering is deserved. Some suffering is innocent, a testing of the believer’s faith. God may allow Satan or human beings to be the direct causes of this type of suffering as in Job’s experience. Some suffering is innocent and redemptive. Jesus suffered vicariously for the sins of others.

God’s relation to evil and suffering. God punishes sinners. The suffering may occur in this life or after death. The suffering may be the direct action of God or the apparently natural consequence of an action. The Bible generally stresses individual responsibility for sins, but some passages highlight the social dimension of sin and punishment. Not all suffering can be explained as punishment for sin (Job; Eccl; Lk 13:1-5; Jn 9:1-5).

Providence is God’s guidance of history and nature according to His redemptive purpose. Evil is contrary to His will, but God can bring ultimate good out of temporary evil (Ge 50:20; Ro 8:28).

God is compassionate, identifying with human suffering. Like a parent, He grieves over the sinfulness of His children.

God responds to human suffering with both present and future help. In the present God may eliminate the suffering or provide divine strength and encouragement in the midst of the suffering (2 Co 12:7-10). In the future God will eliminate suffering for the righteous.

The Christian response to evil and suffering. Depending on the type of suffering, Christians should respond in various ways. If the suffering is punishment for sins, the sufferer should repent.

If suffering is a testing of faith or redemptive, Christians should endure it as part of the cost of commitment and rejoice. Christians should not retaliate against injustice or seek revenge.

Christians can express compassion and comfort to suffering people. Compassion is identification with the sufferer. Comfort includes anything that will help strengthen the sufferer, such as prayer and humanitarian actions.

Christians should be humble in relation to evil and suffering because human knowledge is limited in this life.

SUMMARY OF KEY LESSON TRUTHS LEARNED IN LESSON 2

Satan did not tempt Eve with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge just because of the Lord’s prohibition. He tempted her with it because the source of his power was rooted in that tree.
The One who is the source of life: the Tree of Life-Jesus.
Knowing the book of the Lord is not our primary goal, but rather to know the Lord of the book.
True spirituality is not found in adapting to a form, but by the forming of Jesus within us.
One of the primary schemes of the devil is to turn the Bible into the Tree of Knowledge for us, instead of the Tree of Life.
The Lord looks upon the hearts of men, and in them He is looking for the heart of His Son.
We cannot bring forth fruit that is life while we are partaking of the Tree of Knowledge. Likewise, if we are partaking of the Tree of Life we will not bring forth the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge–death. A tree can only produce fruit after its own kind.
At one time, Satan had been a glorious angel. But in pride, he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven.
Self-exaltation leads to rebellion against God. As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above Him.
Why does Satan tempt us? Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life.
Notice what Eve did: She looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is often lost at the first look.
How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else or circumstances. But God knows the truth, and He holds each of us responsible for what we do.
Satan is our enemy. He will do anything he can to get us to follow his evil, deadly path.
Satan is a liar. That is his tool for trapping us. He knows the Bible very well. He is a master at the half truth/half lie. If we don’t know truth well, we will be deceived.

Homework (Continued)

SELECT ONE OR MORE OF THE ABOVE TRUTHS AND WRITE 1 PARAGRAPH ON HOW YOU WILL APPLY THIS TRUTH OR TRUTHS IN YOUR SERVICE AS A CHAPLAIN.

PRAYER (speak out loud on my knees)

Thank you Father, for teaching me how the knowledge of good and evil is me believing that what I know and do will bring me closer to you (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), rather the truth of believing on having an intimate relationship with Jesus is the way back to you Father (the tree of life). Jesus stated in John 14: 6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except thru Me.”

Father you are compassionate, identifying with my suffering and like a parent, you grieve over my sinfulness. Which I ask for your forgiveness. I praise you who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts me. Jesus, you comfort me in all my troubles so I can comfort others. Thank you.

I pray this in Jesus name.

CONFESSION (speak out loud on my knees)

I confess that that evil is contrary to your will Father, and that you bring ultimate good out of temporary evil. I will no longer copy the behavior and customs of this world (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), but let Jesus (the tree of life) transform me into a new person by changing the way I think. Then I will learn to know Your will for me, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

You are the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the source of every mercy and is the one God who comforts me in all my troubles so I can comfort others.

I declare this by faith in Jesus name.

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE FOR YOU TO MEDITATE ON FOR 15 MINUTES

When did you first believe that there is the reality of demons or unclean spirits in the world we live in?
How did the compete understanding of the nature and power of the tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil effect you? Did you discovered what actually happened in the Garden to Adam and Eve? Explain.
How do you view and explain what sin is?

Lesson 3 – THE KINGDOM

When we become “born again”, we are born into a new country called The Kingdom of God.

This new country is totally different from the country we came from. It’s Leadership, Constitution, Laws, Keys, it’s Citizenship, Culture and Language are also completely different.

Worship

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PRAYER

Holy Spirit to teach ME and lead ME into all truth. give ME insight and understanding about THE kingdom. WHeN I finish THIS lesson, permanently seal the truths YOU haVE revealed TO ME in MY spirit and soul.

I PRAY THIS IN JESUS NAME

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

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What Is A Kingdom?

This lesson is about the Kingdom of God. At its most basic here are a couple of truths that one must start with when addressing the topic of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is the full expression of who God is. Read Hebrews 12:28-29. God is a consuming fire. This is a word picture that reveals a truth about God- God consumes whatever is not like Him.

Attributes of the Kingdom

God is love- This is who God is. He is the kind of love that cannot be changed by who you are or what you do. His love consumes all that is not love. That is the Kingdom.

God is complete power. He speaks things into existence. Love and power are two sides of the same coin. Jesus had compassion and then released power. Power and love overwhelm creation.

God is the God of peace- this is the attribute of God that moves in and overwhelms those things that are overwhelming you.

God is joy- He is filled with joy when viewing the totality of all He created.

God is righteous- righteousness. This is the blue print of how God designed things. When things are right (as they were created to be) they are righteous. We think of the law as prescriptive: this is how you should act. But the law is descriptive: here are how things are in a right functioning world. Before Genesis 1, the Kingdom was full of everything that makes things work.

God is life- the Kingdom is defined by life. There were never tears, sadness, sorrow, or fear in the Kingdom. The Kingdom is defined by life. Life existed before living things. God is the Spirit of all life, and He is the one that puts life in us (John 1:4, 10:10). When Jesus told stories about the Kingdom, He was not describing something on earth; He was describing the place ruled by God. The Kingdom is “the place I grew up.”

Back to the Beginning

One of the Kingdom parables is in Matthew 22:1-14. The Kingdom is like a wedding feast for the King’s son. The King has a bride for His son. This is part of the reason for creation. At the end of days, we will be the perfected bride of Christ ruling with Christ in the Kingdom.

Genesis 2:7-9 describes life the way it was meant to be. Man became a living soul. His source was the spirit of life. His foundation was God. Adam and Eve could see in a way we cannot. The fruit on these trees was life and the knowledge of good and evil. They could see life; we cannot. They could see the physical and spiritual realities as one; they were one.

In Genesis 3:6 the Bible says the fruit was “pleasing to the eye.” That is the same phrase as what Moses saw at the burning bush. It is the sight of the material and the spiritual wrapped in one experience.

Genesis 3 reveals the problem Jesus came to solve. When they ate the fruit, they changed their source and their foundation. They exchanged life for knowledge. The life of God was exchanged for knowledge of good and evil. The foundation went from God to self. This changed their perception. They could no longer see the spiritual and material as one.

Because they disconnected from the source of life, they immediately felt profound emptiness and vulnerability. The question became “How do I feel alive?” Their first insight was the need for clothes.

The Solution.

In Matthew 3:2, John says “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.” Repentance is the Greek word “metanoeo.” It means to “think differently afterwards.” This does not mean to change the content of what you are thinking; it means to change the process of the way you think. We change from thinking with knowledge of good and evil to think with our spirit and heart. The fruit of the new way of thinking is turning my life around (how we view repentance today).

The Kingdom of heaven is near- This is not a reference to time, it is a geographical reference. The Kingdom is within your reach. Jesus repeats the message in 4:17.

One example is in John 4. The questions we ask: What knowledge of good should I follow? What knowledge of evil should I avoid? These are the questions she asks Jesus. His response: I can give you living water. In other words, It is not about your ability to follow; it is about Jesus’ power to give life. Her knowledge told her life was found in a relationship with a man. So Jesus tells her to go get her source. Jesus is not condemning her. Jesus wants to show her where her real source comes from.

Two Parables

The Kingdom of heaven is like a radio station. A radio station is everywhere it is broadcast. For you to hear it, you must be plugged into the power source, tuned into the frequency, and turned up to hear. This is like the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of heaven is like an oven. An oven has an atmosphere- heat. Cookie dough does not decide to become a cookie. It happens as a result of the atmosphere of the oven. The Kingdom has an atmosphere. Our job is to get into the oven (seek first His Kingdom). He transforms what is in His presence. We all cook at different rates.

SOURCE: Brad Small, EMBARK Ministries

KEY LESSONS LEARNED IN LESSON 3

1. A kingdom is the sovereign rulership and governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his intent, and his purpose.

2. In the fullness of time, Jesus came to the earth and reestablished the Kingdom. Because only a king can establish a kingdom, this act alone reveals that Jesus Christ is the King.

3. Jesus said that His Kingdom was not of this world; He never said that it was not in this world.

4. Inside each of us is a latent kingdom consciousness striving for expression.

5. We all seek power over things and over circumstances, and that is what the Kingdom of Heaven promises.

6. A king is the central component of his kingdom.

7. A king is the ultimate and only source of authority in his kingdom.

8. The sovereignty of a king is inherent in his royal authority.

9. God’s sovereignty is absolute. He is completely self-determining.

SOURCE: the book “Kingdom Principles” by Myles Munroe

The Kingdom is the Full Expression of Who God Is:

GOD IS LOVE

GOD IS POWER

GOD IS PEACE

GOD IS JOY

GOD IS RIGHTEOUS

GOD IS LIFE

God consumes what ever is not like Him. Heb. 10:27

God is the King. He reigns over His Kingdom with all authority and power. The Kingdom of God by definition is where God reigns. This is not a place; it is an atmosphere or a condition. Luke 17:20-21 says the Kingdom of God is within us.

The Kingdom is not bound by space or time. John 1:1-5. Jesus has always existed. He is a part of the creation team and He is life. He defines what life is. Before the earth was formed the Kingdom of God existed. Before creation everything that is true about God simply is. The phrase “I AM” helps understand this truth.

The Kingdom Of God and Heaven

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” Genesis 1:26 NKJV

This statement documents the most important declaration ever made regarding mankind. It declares the motivation, nature, purpose, and mandate behind mankind’s creation. As this statement makes clear, dominion is the purpose for man’s creation and existence. The word “dominion” here translates the Hebrew word mamlakah, which can also be translated as “kingdom:’ “sovereign rule,” or “royal power:‘ In essence, mankind was created to have rulership over the earth.

The first thing man was given by his Creator was a “kingdom. This initial assignment and mandate of “kingdom” is the Creator’s primary purpose and motivation for His human creatures. Dominion sets the framework for all the desires, passions, and activities of mankind and is the key to his fulfillment and personal and corporate peace. It is also the foundation and source of his need to control and rule his environment and circumstances. It is this kingdom mandate that validates man’s desire for power. Power is natural to the human spirit.

Jesus Came to Earth Re-establish the Kingdom

THEME SCRIPTURE

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” Matt 4:17. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matt 5:3.

Jesus’ first announcement was the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. His solution to the malnourished and bankrupt human spirit was not a religion but the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, if you are spiritually poor, only the Kingdom will satisfy and fulfill your hunger. The Kingdom is God’s priority and must become our priority if we are to overcome the confusion of religions and the threat of self destruction.

Jesus’ message, assignment, passion, and purpose were not to establish a religion of rituals and rules but rather to reintroduce a kingdom.

Everything Jesus said and did, His prayers, teachings, healings, and miracles were focused on a kingdom, not a religion. Jesus was preoccupied with the Kingdom; it was His top priority, His heavenly mandate.

The Message Of the Bible

A careful and honest look at the biblical Script will reveal that the fundamental message of this greatly misunderstood Book is about a King and a Kingdom. The Bible is not primarily about a religion or rituals, but about the establishment of a kingdom rulership on this planet from the heavenly realm. It is about a divine project of governing earth from Heaven through mankind. In practical terms, the Bible is about a royal family mandated to colonize earth from Heaven.

The Kingdom Is the Government Of A King

What exactly is a kingdom” Very simply, a kingdom is the government of a king. More specifically, a kingdom is the sovereign rulership and governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his intent, and his purpose, manifesting a culture and society reflecting the king’s nature, values, and morals. A kingdom is the governing impact of a king’s will over a territory or domain, his influence over a people, and a government led by a king.

Therefore, the very heart of any kingdom is its king. This definition perfectly describes the relationship of God to the heavenly realm. Heaven exists because of the creative activity of God. Throughout its entire expanse, it is infused with His presence, character, and authority. There is no corner of heaven where His will is not accomplished. In every way God is the unrivaled and unequalled King of Heaven.

The same was true in the natural realm when God extended His Kingdom authority to the earth through the man and woman He created in His image and released to rule in His name. They rebelled against the King’s authority, however, and lost their rulership. Control of the earthly realm then passed temporarily to a demonic usurper until the day in the King’s sovereign plan when it would be restored to its rightful ruler.

The Kingdom Is Not A Christian Religion

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:20

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” Matt. 15:13

It seems clear from these words of Jesus that religion is one of the greatest obstacles to the Kingdom. Perhaps this may be cause for us all to take another look at the power of religion over our lives, culture, and society.

Christianity as a religion is well known, well established, well-studied, well researched, well recorded, and well distributed; but little or nothing is known about the Kingdom. This perpetuation of the Christian religion and its rituals, customs, and rites has left a great vacuum in the world that must and can be filled only by understanding the Kingdom.

RELIGION VERSUS KINGDOM

The power of religion lies in its ability to serve as a substitute for the Kingdom and thus hinder mankind from pursuing the genuine answer to his dilemma. My study of the nature of religion and how it impacts the process of man’s search for the Kingdom uncovered several significant truths:

Religion preoccupies man until he finds the Kingdom. Religion is what man choses until he finds the Kingdom.

Religion prepares man to leave earth; the Kingdom empowers man to dominate earth.

Religion focuses on Heaven; the Kingdom focuses on earth.

Religion is reaching up to God; the Kingdom is God coming down to man.

Religion wants to escape earth; the Kingdom impacts, influences and changes earth.

Religion seeks to take earth to Heaven; the Kingdom seeks to bring Heaven to earth.

Perhaps this is why Jesus addressed the religious leaders of His day so strongly when He said:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to …. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Matthew 23:13,15).

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:13).

Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition (Matthew 15:6b).

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Matthew 21:31b).

It seems clear from these words that religion is one of the greatest obstacles to the Kingdom. Perhaps this may be cause for us all to take another look at the power of religion over our lives, culture, and society.

BACK TO THE KINGDOM

Christianity as a religion is well known, well established, well-studied, well researched, well recorded, and well distributed; but little or nothing is known about the Kingdom. As a matter of fact, most of those trained in official institutions to understand the Christian faith and propagate its purported message graduate without ever taking a single course in Kingdom studies. Often, no such course is available. The result is that few so called ordained ministers and priests have any formal instruction at all in any Kingdom concept. Their priority is in propagating the Christian religion rather than the message and concepts of the Kingdom of God.

This perpetuation of the Christian religion and its rituals, customs, and rites has left a great vacuum in the world that must and can be filled only by understanding the Kingdom.

SOURCE: the book “Kingdom Principles” by Myles Munroe

Two Domains

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/9J2wiwUpurc” title=”15 minute video by Pat Robertson, The Secret Kingdom”]

Kingdom Principles

THE VISIBLE WORLD

The fear has become widespread that our society-and the world’s-is beyond repair. There is confusion everywhere. At times the confusion approaches chaos. It seems clear that we will slide further into chaos, the jungle of anarchy-“I’ve got mine; to heck with you”-“do unto others before they can do unto you”-“every man for himself.” Or we in desperation will yield to dictatorship. Which will it be?

It matters not that both of the prevailing philosophies of materialism have been proven corrupt and ineffective. Communism says materialism is the goal but that the state should control it. Capitalism strives for materialism , but the strong control it. Both move toward dictatorship, oligarchical or individual.

Eventually a strong man must be chosen as both systems fail unless we turn to the third choice that is available to us. What will we do?

THE INVISIBLE WORLD

Fortunately a Voice speaks steadily and clearly into the turmoil and dread of the day, a Voice that contradicts our finitude and limitation and restriction. It says, ” ‘But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

Obviously the words are those of Jesus, climaxing a teaching about food, clothing, shelter, and all the “things” needed for life. God, His heavenly Father, was able and eager to provide the necessities for happy, successful living on the planet Earth if the people merely turned to the right place, His kingdom.

His point immediately established a fact that the world has in large measure refused to consider the fact that an invisible world undergirds, surrounds, and interpenetrates the visible world in which we live. Indeed, it controls the visible world, for it is unrestricted, unlimited, infinite.

The problem of the world, and of many Christians, has not been simply refusing to acknowledge the possibility of such a kingdom, but failing to perceive that it exists right now, not in some far-off time or far-off place called heaven. This is so strange because Jesus spent virtually all of His earthly ministry telling people that the kingdom of God had come and then explaining its workings.

For reasons that are beyond our comprehension, even we Christians missed it as we soaked up the good news of salvation, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of the church, and the future millenium. In fact, it is embarrassing today, as we begin to glimpse the core of what Jesus was doing, to note that practically everything He said pertained to the “kingdom.” For example, His first utterance in His public ministry, according to Matthew, was: ” ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand .’ “

Each of the gospel writers said it similarly. “The time has come,” Jesus declared , in essence. “The kingdom is here, and I’ve come to open it to you and to show you how it works.”

His pattern recalls the days following the anointing of Saul as Israel’s first king when it became necessary for the prophet Samuel to teach how things should work: “Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD . . . .” Jesus did much the same, teaching His followers “the manner of the kingdom,“ but leaving it to others to put it in writing.

Many of us are now discovering this central purpose of our Lord, perceiving that the kingdom of God, though invisible, is right now nonetheless real, nonetheless powerful. We are much like the servant of Elisha who went outside the tent one morning and saw Syrian troops ready to close in on them from every side.

“We’re surrounded!” he yelled.

But Elisha calmly asked the Lord to open the young man’s eyes. Then he saw into the invisible world. Chariots of fire, the heavenly host, were everywhere about them, protecting Elisha. As the prophet had said, ” ‘. . . those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ “

Yes, the kingdom of God is here-now. And the message of the Bible is that we can and should look from this visible world, which is finite, into the invisible world, which is infinite. We should look from a world filled with impossibilities into one filled with possibilities.

We should do more than look, however, if we believe the Scriptures. We should enter. We should reach from the visible into the invisible and bring that secret kingdom into the visible through its principles-principles that can be adopted at this moment.

“The kingdom of God is like this . . . ,”Jesus said, in effect. “It operates this way. . . .” “If you want this, then do this . . . .” Over and over.

So real is this invisible world, that when Jesus comes to earth the second time things will be turned inside out-through a sort of skinning process, you might say-and the invisible will be come visible. The kingdom of God and its subjects will be manifested-unveiled. In the language of Paul’s letter to the Romans: “. . . the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” It “groans and suffers, “standing on tiptoe,” according to J. B. Phillips’ translation-as it yearns for that unveiling .

The apostles had a foretaste of the inside-out effect during their days with Jesus. First came a statement by the Lord that has puzzled many Bible readers through the centuries: ” ‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.’ “

A most marvelous event occurred six days later. We refer to it as the Transfiguration. Taking Peter, James, and John with Him, Jesus went to a high mountain.

And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus Himself alone. Matthew 17:2-6,8

The Lord became like lightning, shining white, and what had been invisible within Him became visible. The inside became the outside. The Law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) were fulfilled, and the Son of Man (Jesus) came visibly in His kingdom, in power and glory.

The disciples had a taste of what the kingdom will be at its manifestation. But what they saw at that moment had been resident in Jesus all the time. It had merely been invisible, but no less real and powerful. And that is what the Lord was telling His followers to lay hold of when He instructed them to seek the kingdom first so all of their needs would be met. “Reach into the invisible and apply it to the visible,” He said. ” ‘For all things are possible with God.’ “

The Unlimited World of Jesus

Almighty God has been warning for thousands of years that because of our foolishness we will face crises. We are face to face with nuclear terror, a massive energy shortage, an insoluble economic crisis, debilitating moral bankruptcy, and other impossible difficulties. But Jesus explained that we are limited in our ability to cope with such problems only because we insist on living according to the ways of a world that is limited.

In effect he has said, “That need not remain so. An unlimited world surrounds you.”

“You are finite; it is infinite.” “You are mortal; it is immortal.”

“You are filled with impossibilities; it is filled with possibilities.”

That was the world of Jesus, even when He came as a man to live on this finite earth. He was careful to say : ” ‘. . . the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ‘ “

The invisible world of His Father was Jesus’ world throughout His incarnation. It was a world where everything was beautiful. And He became upset when His disciples failed to follow His example.

Once, when they were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee on a boat journey Jesus had instructed them to make, a storm arose; and their mission was near failure as their little vessel was swamped and showed signs of sinking. They rushed to wake Him from a much-needed nap. He was visibly perplexed. Why hadn’t they been able to cope with the situation? They had failed to see into the invisible world where there were no impediments to the Lord’s mission, and they had allowed themselves to be limited by world conditions.

So Jesus Himself arose and spoke to the storm, calming it. He then asked a rather humbling question: ” ‘Why are you timid, you men of little faith’ “

They had refused to reach into the world of the possible. And Jesus was angry, frustrated by the unwillingness of those He loved to accept the truth of what He had told them. One cannot help but wonder about His frustration as His followers seem so impotent to overcome the visible world today.

SOURCE:” The Secret Kingdom” by Pat Robertson with Bob Slosser

HUMILITY

From the constitution of the kingdom of God, which so clearly reverses normal world thinking , we see that one virtue comes ahead of all others in the invisible realm. It is humility.

How can humility underlie happiness, prosperity, and fulfillment?

In my own case, the deep significance of this virtue unfolded in my constant search for wisdom from God. For, as we will see, wisdom and humility are thoroughly intertwined.

At one point, the following words sprang to life in my spirit: ” ‘. . . God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. The power of those words is devastating if you trace the logic. Not only does God help those with genuine humility, but also He actively opposes those who are proud.

Of course, the definition of humble that is easiest for most of us to grasp is that it is the opposite of proud. Most of us seem to know what pride is. God insists that we be the very opposite if we are to receive His favor and blessing; otherwise He is against us. Thus it became clear to me that if we desire to live in the kingdom of God, to receive God’s favor, we must make humility the number one virtue. It is foundational.

Jesus, the very Son of God, existing in the form of God, took on the likeness of man without diminishing His deity and “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” And His Father favored that humility in this manner. “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and be stowed on Him the name which is above every name . . . .” Phil. 2:8-9

The Old Testament prepares us for such a consequence with words like: “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD. Are riches, honor and life.”

Those humble before God, obedient and reverent toward Him and His will, are the victorious ones, the ones elevated to the rewards that the world scrambles after riches, honor, life. Just consider the competition, the greed, the worry, the abuse, the killing expended in the race for those benefits. People worldwide want (1) enough to live on, (2) recognition and approval of what they do, and (3) good health and long life. To the humble and obedient, these blessings come naturally.

The path of the proud is perfectly clear from Scripture, for without question pride is the greatest sin there is in the eyes of God. It thwarts His goodness toward man.

The proud man says, “I’ll do it my way. I’m sufficient. I can control my destiny. I’m the captain of my soul, the master of my fate.” There is nothing spiritually beggarly about him, nothing regretful about his inner condition, nothing hungering to be Godlike. In short, he lacks humility; and he receives nothing from the Lord, as we saw in discussing God’s nature. His rewards, which are from men, are like vapor; they vanish suddenly, imperceptibly. For the wisdom of the Scripture says, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

Where there is pride, there will always be a fall. It is inevitable. We see it all about us, on a large scale and on small. Nations and individuals are slipping. They become arrogant; they cut off advice from old and respected friends; they go alone, and they fall.

As we strive to look into the invisible world to see God, to hear what He is saying, it is essential that we always bear in mind that our knowledge of that world comes primarily through His disclosure. He must reveal. Otherwise, we cannot see. Recollection of that should keep us humble, even though our confidence rests in the fact that He said He would be found by those who diligently seek Him. The proud, however, cannot bring themselves to seek, for that requires coming in from a lower position; and they have been conditioned otherwise.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/uEsjPvMHHj8″ title=”The Crux of the Matter – 5 Minute video by Frances Chan”]

Holy Paradoxes

I trust it is abundantly clear that the constitution of the kingdom of God (the priorities of anyone who would experience the power and blessings of life there) is riddled with paradox. One can almost hear the Lord chuckle as the world looks in disbelief at what would appear to be anti-principles, in light of the way most people and nations conduct their affairs.

The world says hate your enemies. The kingdom says love your enemies.

The world says hit back. The kingdom says do good to those who mistreat you.

The world says hold onto your life at any cost. The kingdom says lose your life and you will find it.

The world says a young and beautiful body is essential. The kingdom says even a grain of wheat must die if it is to have life.

The world says push yourself to the top. The kingdom says serve if you want to lead.

The world says you are number one. The kingdom says many who are first will be last and the last first.

The world says acquire gold and silver. The kingdom says store up treasure in heaven if you would be rich.

The world says exploit the masses. The kingdom says do good to the poor.

Sadly, the church itself has often been a leader among those blinded to the paradoxes of the kingdom of God. So many times congregations have fled from the inner city, where they are so desperately needed, to comfortable suburbs, where they could luxuriate and not have to face the poor and their problems. Or they have served a political or social movement rather than the needy. Or they have embraced the management techniques of corporations rather than the government techniques of God. In short, they lost the sound of truth.

If we live for this world, if we seek to grasp it, then we will die to the kingdom. But if we lose ourselves in love and service for others, then we will find ourselves in the kingdom.

The temptations of worldly thinking are great, but they must be resisted even at the cost of appearing foolish by embracing truths that are paradoxical to conventional wisdom.

You see, one major paradox that we must accept as we try to change the world is this: The people of God are to live out the Beatitudes and the virtues of humility, wisdom, faith, hope, and love while at the same time becoming leaders.

” ‘You are the light of the world . . . ,”‘ Jesus said. In darkness, a light does not follow; it leads.

Yes, the humble, the disciplined, the wise, the faithful, the hopeful , the loving-they are to lead. That is a holy paradox. And how will it be brought to pass? The laws of the kingdom will show us.

SOURCE:” The Secret Kingdom” by Pat Robertson with Bob Slosser

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/wP7P6deuwYc” title=”Life in the Kingdom – Basic – 12 Min Video by Bob Hamp of Gateway Church”]

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN LESSON 3

What is the Kingdom of God? Explain in detail.
Where is the Kingdom of God? Explain in detail.
What is the Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven?
What were the two modern parables about what the Kingdom is like, that Brad Small spoke about in his video?
What details makes these modern parables more understandable in todays world?
What does the word repent mean from Brad Smalls video? Give a detailed explanation.
The Kingdom of God is the full expression of who God is. What are His character traits? How do they work in His Kingdom?
Why did Jesus have to come to the earth to reestablish the Kingdom?
Why is the Kingdom not a Christian Religion?
What controls the visible world we live in? In what ways does it control the visible world?
What part does humility play in the Kingdom?
What are the “Holy Paradoxes” of the world verses the Kingdom?
How will you put into your daily practice the lessons you learned this week?

PRAYER (speak out loud on my knees)

Thank you Father for sending Jesus to re-establish your Kingdom on the earth. Help me to seek you first in every thing I say and do. Thank you for not establishing a new religion, but sending me your kingdom in the person of Jesus Christ, thru whom I can have an intimate relationship with you our Father who is in heaven. I repent of mistaking your Kingdom as a Christian religion.

I pray this in Jesus name.

CONFESSION (speak out loud on my knees)

I confess that that the Father sent Jesus to re-establish His Kingdom on this earth. I will seek this Kingdom first in all I say or do. Your Kingdom, in the person of Jesus Christ, allows me to have a relationship with you Father God who is in heaven. I repent of mistaking your Kingdom as a Christian religion.

I declare this by faith in Jesus name.

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE FOR YOU TO MEDITATE ON FOR 15 MINUTES

Jesus is not a person in a religion, but the King of Kings in a Kingdom. How does this change your views on Christianity?
How do you view the invisible world of God The Father in heaven?
How is it possible to be strong in the Lord and still be humble before God?

Lesson 4 – KINGDOM LIVING

Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception.

Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness—righteous, holy, and true. Ephesians 4:22-24

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/Oz9aRt_HEGs” title=”Worship Song – We Believe by the Newsboys”]

PRAYER

Holy Spirit to teach ME and lead ME into all truth. give ME insight and understanding about kingdom living. WHeN I finish THIS lesson, permanently seal the truths YOU haVE revealed TO ME in MY spirit and soul.

I PRAY THIS IN JESUS NAME

LIFE IN THE KINGDOM 1

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/dlJn1p99ctI” title=”Life in the Kingdom Part 1 – 18 Min Video by Carissa Roderstorf, Dream City Church”]

Lesson 3 we talked about the Kingdom of God. And what it looks like when His Kingdom comes to Earth. The Kingdom of God is more than a place we go when we die. It’s an atmosphere…“The Kingdom of God is within you.”

One of the key concepts in lesson 3 was the two trees in the garden – the tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil and the Tree of Life. It’s so important that we understand what happened in the Garden of Eden because this is really where all of our problems began.

When Adam and Eve turned from the tree of life and ate instead from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – they essentially did was like unplugged from the source of life. It would be like taking an extension cord and plugging it into itself and hoping it would get power. They chose to become self-sufficient.

It’s not that knowledge is inherently evil- it just isn’t life. You and I cannot get enough right knowledge to get back single drop of what Adam and Eve lost that day.

The problem Jesus came to solve wasn’t about making bad people good, it was about making people who are dead and empty come alive.

The battle for your soul is not so much about Good vs. Evil as it is Life vs. Knowledge. Jesus said, I’ve come that you might have life. Not that you might behave better or follow the rules.

Sadly, we have made Christianity about moving people from the evil branch to the good branch. The problem is we’re in the wrong tree.

Our knowledge of good causes us to try and fix our emptiness without God.

And I would say the knowledge of good has caused more damage than evil. This is why Jesus always wrestled with the Pharisees.

So in terms of Freedom, the true change we’re after is changing our source. Is it knowledge that guides you or is it God’s spirit?

“Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

So in a practical sense, what does it mean to connect to the source?

Finished work of Jesus Christ. There’s nothing we can do to earn life. It’s a free gift given to us by grace through faith.

Continually connect to the source. Make time with Him a priority. We give him the best part of our day….

What does it look like? Bible study, prayer, worship

NOT A FORMULA

• You know how you can tell which tree you are most connected to?

Take a fruit inspection.

Galatians 5 tell us the fruits of the spirit are:

love – lack of compassion

joy – anger

peace – division and strife

patience – easily irritated

kindness – resentful, bitter

goodness – see the worst in people or situations

gentleness – critical

faithfulness – murmuring

self-control – do things in excess

When people operate out of the Tree of Knowledge it’s performance driven. And it’s never enough. When people operate out of the Tree of Life, it’s presence driven. And it’s always enough.

God doesn’t want us to do things for Him- but from Him. If we do things from a place where we are connected to the source, we bear fruit. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing.”

Now I want to talk about Life in the Kingdom – For those of us who choose to connect to the source… What is our response to God’s voice and His Kingdom?

I want to share 3 different aspects of Life in the Kingdom: What’s God’s part and what’s my part in Kingdom living?

One bondage we need to get free from is trying to do God’s part or trying to get God to do our part.

The good news is… His part is always the hard part. He is responsible for the impossible, miraculous, and the supernatural. Our part is simply agreement.

Much like salvation. GOD’S PART – Die on a cross —- OUR PART – Believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is the son of God.

3 ASPECTS OF LIFE IN THE KINGDOM AS THEY RELATE TO OUR FREEDOM: #1 LORDSHIP, #2 AUTHORITY, #3 SPIRITUAL WARFARE

LORDSHIP

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul writes, “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Spirit – The place where God dwells. The part of us that is born again.

Soul – Mind, will, emotions

Body – Houses the spirit and soul

Release of the Spirit – Watchman Nee calls man’s spirit the inner man. He calls man’s soul the outer man. And for the body he uses the term, the outermost man.

The Spirit is to govern the soul – The spirit through the soul would use the body to express God’s life and purpose.

The problem is our soul wants to govern our spirit. This is how Satan works – from the outside in. He wants our body and soul to keep our regenerated spirit in prison.

Until broken, the soul wants to be its own master. The independence of the soul must be broken.

After you become saved, the battleground is for your soul. Satan’s mission is for the hard core of your soul to remain intact.

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. – John 12:24

Lordship means surrendering our will to God.

Our will is found in our soul

Our will is our mechanism for deciding.

God says, “Surrender your will” For many of us, we respond by giving him certain parts of our lives but not our will. We give him our career choice or finances but withhold our relationships.

Instead of surrendering our will, we’ve actually exercised our will and strengthened what we won’t release.

The proper use of the human will is submission. Submission is giving Jesus the steering wheel of our lives.

Surrender and submission aren’t popular words. It sounds like bondage.

Surrendering to God doesn’t make us robots. It makes us who we’re created to be. The truth is you are being controlled by something whether you realize it or not.

Remember the Biblical definition of Freedom? “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom.” We can’t experience freedom if we only let him into certain areas of our lives.

And if there’s any area not surrendered, God knows.

Let me show you an example in the Bible…Rich Young Ruler – Mark 10:17 to 22:10.

He went away sad because His source was His money. Because he wouldn’t surrender in the one area of life, Jesus couldn’t connect him to the source of life. He had lordship problem.

Lordship

OUR PART – Surrender our will (Submit every area of our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ)

GOD’S PART – He puts His Spirit in us and guides us. (Makes us into the person we were created to be.)

It’s only when we’re ready to surrender lordship, we can truly begin life in the Kingdom.

SOURCE: Video Notes from Carissa Raderstorf, Dream City Church

CULTURE

WHAT IS CULTURE?

Culture encompasses many things. Once you understand the culture of a people, you understand the people. Everything that makes a nation a nation and a people a people is wrapped up in their culture. There are nine key components that make up the culture of a nation or kingdom. They are: Land, language, laws, symbols, constitution, moral code, shared values, customs, and social norms.

One day we discovered the Kingdom of Heaven. We were born again and became citizens of God’s Kingdom. And that’s where the challenge really began. After spending 20, 30 or 40 years in a certain medium that trained us to think a certain way, we suddenly find ourselves in a whole new culture a new growth medium with a whole lot of new things to learn and a whole lot of old things to unlearn. And therein lies the problem: How do we get rid of the old culture in our hearts and minds to live in the new one? That’s the universal challenge for every dual citizenship believer.

For you see, culture is also what lies at the very center of the great cosmic conflict between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. And earth is the battleground. The battle for earth is the battle for culture. And culture is the manifestation of the collective thinking of a people. In other words, whatever the people as a whole think collectively their beliefs, values, ideals, etc.becomes their culture. So whoever controls the minds or people controls the culture. In fact, whoever controls the minds will create the culture.

The Bible says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (see Prov. 23:7 KJV). This means that the way we think determines who we become. In this context, the heart is the mind. And the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of the heart. Therefore, the King of Heaven is battling for the minds of the creatures He created in His own image.

MANIFESTATIONS OF CULTURE

Culture manifests itself in a number of ways.

1. Values. Shared values are a defining characteristic of a culture and a nation. What we value reveals who we are. Our values reflect our character. Basically, a value is a belief or conviction that is considered worthy in and of itself by a person or group. It is a standard or ideal that regulates conduct or policy. Values also relate to one’s personal philosophy. Our values define our attitudes, behavior, and view of the world. If we want to learn how to live in the culture of the Kingdom, we must learn the values of the Kingdom. Jesus the King articulated His value system at the very beginning of His public ministry:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3 – 10).

This particular portion of Jesus’ teaching is commonly known as the “Beatitudes,” or “blessed sayings:’ from the Latin word beatus (blessed). We could even call them the “Beattitudes” because they describe the way Kingdom citizens should “be” in character, attitude, and behavior.

Values are extremely powerful and form the foundation for behavior. They guide the people of a nation in identifying what behavior is acceptable or unacceptable. Whether explicitly stated or unspoken yet recognized, values form the foundation of nations and profoundly shape the lives and daily experiences of their citizens. Society depends on certain values in order to function, such as cooperation and honesty. Businesses also depend for their function on such values as integrity, honor, fairness, and kindness.

2. Priorities. Culture manifests itself in the things we regard as most important. In other words, whatever we prioritize in life reveals our culture. If we prioritize the sanctity of marriage, our culture will reflect it with laws, customs, and social norms that strongly discourage and even penalize divorce, adultery, and other “marriage busters:’ Prioritizing the sanctity of human life will produce a culture that protects the elderly and the unborn and refuses to sanction the harvesting of human embryos for stem cell research.

Jesus got right to the heart of priorities when He said: So do not worry, saying “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:31 – 33).

3. Behaviors. The way we behave reveals our culture; it’s that simple.

4. Standards. The standards we apply in everyday life reveal whether we have a culture that indulges and encourages mediocrity or a culture that inspires excellence. Do we take pride in the appearance of our houses and churches and businesses and cities and streets? Do we place a high premium on quality in all things? Or are we satisfied with just enough to get by? Either way, our standards reflect our culture. In fact, our culture will never rise higher than our standards.

5. Celebration. Our culture is revealed in the things we celebrate as well as in the manner that we celebrate. Are holidays and other celebrations opportunities for fun and laughter and togetherness as families, or excuses for drunkenness and other kinds of excess?

6. Morality. The level of our moral conscience and consciousness reveals the level of our culture. Do we shrug our shoulders at adultery and other forms of infidelity? Do we turn a blind eye to pedophilia and other kinds of sexual abuse? Are we willing to “normalize” perversion in our society? Or are we committed to standing for, supporting, and promoting the highest standards of moral purity in every area?

7. Relationships. Who do we relate to? How do we relate to them? How do we treat people? How do we handle the destitute, those who are hurting, and those who are abused? What is our attitude toward the poor? There’s a culture in Heaven that is revealed when poverty is around. When people are hungry, the culture of Heaven feeds them. When they are thirsty, the culture of Heaven says, “I’ve got something for you to drink:’ Our culture is revealed in how well we take care of each other.

8. Ethics. Is honesty our best policy, or is honesty our only policy? If someone overpays us, do we keep the money or do we take it back? Kingdom ethics is always proactive. Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).This “rule” applies to every area of life.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy seven times” (Matthew 18:21 – 22).

In response to Peter’s question, Jesus pulled a number out of His hat to make His point. “Seventy seven times” is not a literal figure; it is seven times extended indefinitely. In other words, in Kingdom culture, forgiveness is ongoing. We forgive as often as necessary, just as we would hope to be forgiven as often as necessary. Again, we take our cue from our King as He has forgiven us, and keeps on forgiving us, so are we to do with others.

9. Social norms. Whatever is regarded as normal in our society reveals our culture. Is shacking up “normal”? Are out of wedlock pregnancies and births “normal”? Is cheating on taxes “normal”? Is corruption in government “normal”? Are honesty, integrity, and fidelity both at home and in the workplace “normal”? Is sexual purity “normal”?

What are the “norms” of the Kingdom of Heaven? Here are a few that Kingdom Ambassador Paul called “the fruit of the Spirit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

10. Dress. Culture also manifests itself in the way the people dress. How we dress speaks volumes about our values and ideals as well as how we feel about ourselves. All of these relate to culture. Of course, since Kingdom citizenship and Kingdom citizens are invisible, there is no such thing as a Kingdom “uniform” or prescribed manner of dress. But there is such a thing as a certain demeanor that Kingdom citizens are to carry themselves with that identifies them as children of the King. Simon Peter’s instructions to female citizens of the Kingdom applies equally in principle to every citizen:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:34).

11. Foods. Food has always been a cultural distinctive. Certain dishes, certain ingredients, and certain seasonings are associated with certain regions of the world or certain regions within nations. Curry is a distinctive of Indian cooking. Beans and rice are staples in Mexico. Hot dogs are undeniably American. In the Bahamas, it’s peas and rice, conch chowder, and guava duff.

As Kingdom citizens on earth we need food to strengthen and nourish our bodies, but we also need heavenly food to nourish our spirits. Jesus said: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4b).

At another time, He told His inner circle of followers: My food… is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work (John 4:34).

12. Permits. We reveal our culture by what we permit. Remember, what we bind on earth is bound in heaven, and what we loose on earth is loosed in heaven. If we “loose” lewdness and immorality, those things will characterize our culture. If we “loose” corruption and dishonesty, we will have a corrupt and dishonest culture. On the other hand, if we “loose” love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and the like, our culture will reflect these traits. As Kingdom citizens, we have the authority to bind and loose for the social, moral, and spiritual good of our fellowmen. This is why it is important for us to be involved in and to engage the popular culture and challenge it with the culture of Heaven.

13. Acceptance. Our culture is defined also by what we accept. More and more people who claim to be believers and even Kingdom citizens are buying into the popular culture to such a degree that by their language and lifestyle it is impossible to tell which Kingdom they belong to the kingdom of the world or the Kingdom of heaven. The more often we hear about new cultural, social, or moral ideas, the more accepting we become until eventually it’s not new to us anymore. We have accepted it, and now it has become a cultural norm. That’s why we need to be always alert and ever careful to evaluate all the new ideas and philosophies that come down the line. Some of them may be fine. But many, perhaps most, will be contrary to the culture and values and ideals of the Kingdom of Heaven. When this is the as Kingdom citizens we have the duty and responsibility to refuse to accept them.

14. Rejections. On the other hand, our culture manifests also in what we reject. Modern popular culture has reached the point where it rejects almost nothing. An attitude of “anything goes” prevails in many circles. Political correctness rules the day with its calculated and deliberate determination to be nice to everybody, avoid hurting anyone’s feelings, and refusing to take a stand by judging anything as evil, immoral, or improper. Today’s culture rejects the very idea of absolute standards; everything is relative. Kingdom culture, on the other hand, rejects relativism in favor of the absolute standard of the unchanging Word of God. If some things are right, then other things are wrong and must be rejected. Jesus said it this way:

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters (Matthew 12:30).

We can’t have it both ways. We can’t play both ends against the middle. There is right and there is wrong, and Kingdom citizens must reject the wrong and embrace the right.

15. Distinctions. Culture manifests also in our distinctions. What distinguishes us from other cultures? What makes the Kingdom culture distinctive from the culture of the world? I’m not talking about outward things like clothing or hairstyle as much as inner qualities of character, values, and norms. Paul said: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

16. Quality standards. And finally, culture manifests in our standards of quality. God never does anything halfway, and neither should His children. In everything we do, Kingdom citizens should always be on the cutting edge of excellence, leading the way for everyone else rather than following in the world’s wake. In Kingdom life we don’t have to be perfect in what we do because we are imperfect people, but that is no excuse to accept shabby work, half finished projects, or a just enough to get by attitude. Our King demands our best. And He deserves nothing less. For this very reason, it should be our joy to give our very best to the King… and to give it freely and willingly.

PRINCIPLES

1. Once you understand the culture of a people, you understand the people.

2. Culture is the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties by education, expert care, and training.

3. Culture is the enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training.

4. Culture is the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon man’s capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.

5. Culture is the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.

6. Culture is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize a company or corporation.

7. Culture means to grow in a prepared medium.

8. The battle for earth is the battle for culture.

SOURCE: the book “Kingdom Principles” by Myles Munroe

SPEAK GOD’S LANGUAGE OF FAITH

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/wS6j4YdL-ic” title=”Speak God’s Language of Faith – 9 Min. Video by Joseph Prince”]

KINGDOM LANGUAGE

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Mark 11:22-23 NIV

The kind of prayer that moves mountains is prayer for the fruitfulness of God’s kingdom. It would seem impossible to move a mountain into the sea, so Jesus used that picture to say that God can do anything. God will answer your prayers, but not as a result of your positive mental attitude. Other conditions must be met: (1) you must be a believer; (2) you must not hold a grudge against another person; (3) you must not pray with selfish motives; (4) your request must be for the good of God’s kingdom. To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request. If you focus only on your request, you will be left with nothing if your request is refused.

(Life Application Bible Notes)

Faith A Language

The language of faith is not an attempt to create a false reality.

Sometimes those who hear “faith” spoken think this is a kind of denial of reality Faith talk does not practice the art of denial, but it does speak confidently of what God has promised to do within the reality we face.

The language of faith cannot be reduced to a matter of simply speaking positively. It speaks God’s Word, weather it is positive or negative! Faith talk employs the promises of God, not just the good intentions of man. Positive speaking has plenty of value, but the language of faith accesses the throne of God.

Even though this lesson seeks to identify the certain sound of faith, there is danger in thinking that once identified, this faith language can be practiced apart from an energizing work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of faith and of grace, not “works.” He gives living faith its dynamism. Nothing is more shallow than the appearance of faith without its Holy Spirit-given substance.

The Power of the Tongue

Before contracts were written on paper, a binding legal agreement was a matter of words. What Scriptures could you use as a contract with God? What words would you speak to enter into that contract?

Learning the language of faith includes learning what not to say. What have you heard yourself or someone else say that should not have been said?

The Power of A Faith Language

When we are faced with a great need for ourselves, or for others, we should begin by humbly seeking to know God’s will in the matter. Praying for a miracle is welcoming a gift of the Holy Spirit to manifest. When His will is to work one, He will witness this to your heart. Than you can ask Him to perform the miracle that you know He wants to bring about.

Often, we may keep asking God to act, when, in fact, He calls us to employ His authority by our action with divinely empowered speech. Then we may declare that authority in Jesus’ name: we may command needed funds to come to us, command a storm to be stilled, command a demon to come out, command any affliction to leave, command a sickness to depart.

Speaking In Tongues, Our Heavenly Language

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. Rom. 8:26-27

As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don’t need to be afraid to come before him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you “in accordance with God’s will.” Then, when you bring your requests to God, trust that he will always do what is best.

And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. Acts 2:4

These people literally spoke in other languages — a miraculous attention-getter for the international crowd gathered in town for the feast. All the nationalities represented recognized their own languages being spoken. But more than miraculous speaking drew people’s attention; they saw the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The apostles continued to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit wherever they went.

(Life Application Bible Notes)

LIFE IN THE KINGDOM 2

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/-ZTYL_wwMmE” title=”Life in the Kingdom Part 2 19 Min. Video by Carissa Raderstorf, Dream City Church”]

KINGDOM AUTHORITY

2 Peter 2:3 says, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.”

Ephesians 2:6 – “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” As believers, you and I are seated with God in Heavenly places.

The truth is we’ve been given much more than we know how to use.

Power is the strength or ability to affect

Authority is delegated power

LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE BY ASKING A QUESTION. DOES A MAN HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO STOP A CAR? 4 tons of cement does, but not a man. What if that man is wearing a badge? He’s still the same man but the badge represents a power greater than himself. It represents the State of Arizona and the laws that back it up.

God has power. He has given us authority. Whether we use it or not is up to us.

Matt 28:18 – Jesus said, “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Luke 9:1-2 –“Jesus called the Twelve together, and gave them power & authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

NOTICE: Jesus didn’t tell them to pray & ask God to heal the sick. He told them to heal the sick!

Jesus never prayed, “Father, please heal this person!” Instead, Jesus spoke to the problem, He said things like, “…Rise, take up your mat and walk.”

The early church healed people in this same manner. In Acts 3:6, “…Peter said, Silver and gold I do not have; but what I do have I give you (delegated power): In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

Here’s the catch with delegated power – it only works if we exercise it.

This is often where we make mistakes… Sometimes we ask God to do things that He’s given us authority to do.

We want Him to change the atmosphere of our work environment or our home. And He’s saying, “I’ve given you authority to take over…” You represent the Kingdom in that place (Remember, it’s an atmosphere). You change the atmosphere.

Be a thermostat- not a thermometer

Authority

OUR PART – Hear God & obey (Take authority based on God’s word)

GOD’S PART – Fulfill the things he declares (Be the power backing it up.)

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

I want to focus in on a specific area of warfare: plugging into the source and hearing God.

Bottom line: Satan wants to talk to you about everything that happens. The worst moments of your life, Satan wants to interpret for you… but so does God.

Principle: Spiritual forces are empowered by human agreement.

Here’s something we need to understand about our enemy. Satan imitates everything God does. He’s not an original. He’s a created being. He twists every principle of God’s kingdom and uses it in his kingdom. He counterfeits everything
God does….

The essence of spiritual warfare can be summed up in one question: Which Kingdom are you going to agree with in the midst of your situation?

So here’s where the battle is lost or won. Which voice are you going to listen to in the middle of your struggles?

• Your child is on drugs and Satan wants to interpret it for you. “His life is ruined. She’s gonna drop out of school. He’s gonna get killed. You’re a failure as a parent.” BUT GOD says, “I know what you see. Let me tell you what I see.”

• Or your spouse leaves you… Satan’s right there. “He never loved you anyway. You had this coming. If God really loved you, this would never have happened. You’re gonna be alone for the rest of your life.” BUT GOD says, “I know it hurts. Let me talk to you about it. I knew this was coming. I’ve already made a way out.”

• You get a bad diagnosis, & Satan’s right there to interpret. “You know what this means” BUT GOD says, “I know what you heard. Let me tell you what I say.”

Spiritual Warfare

OUR PART – Agree with God’s voice

GOD’S PART – Fight our battles

Here’s the best part – When it comes to spiritual warfare, we always win. We simply don’t lose. That’s because Satan cannot fight against God. I’m not saying he can’t win. I’m saying he can’t fight because God is in charge of reality. God writes the rules.

Satan will attack us but he cannot win against a believer who listens to God’s voice, agrees, and obeys.

Every day we have a choice… We either agree and obey God’s voice or we agree with the enemy. Whichever kingdom we agree with; we empower on earth.

If you want to stay in bondage? Believe lies! Depressed, anxious, bitter

Do you want to be set free? Believe truth!

Truth is God’s perspective. Truth is the way things really are. Truth is not what the world says or what Satan says. It’s not how we want or wish things to be.

Truth sets us free.

SOURCE: Video Notes from Carissa Raderstorf, Dream City Church

Authoritycontinues

The value of our authority rests on the power that is behind that authority. God Himself is the power behind our authority!The devil and his forces are obliged to recognize our authority! The believer who thoroughly understands that the power of God is backing him can exercise his authority and face the enemy fearlessly.

First John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

“He that is in the world” is Satan, the god of this world and the head of principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world. But the power that’s in you is greater than the power that’s in the world, because the power that backs our authority is greater than that which backs our enemies. (“The Believer’s Authority” by Kenneth E. Hagin)

The Believers Authority

When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning! And I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice just because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered as citizens of heaven.” Luke 10:17-20 NLT

The disciples had seen tremendous results as they ministered in Jesus’ name and with his authority. They were elated by the victories they had witnessed, and Jesus shared their enthusiasm. He helped them get their priorities right, however, by reminding them of their most important victory — that their names were written in heaven. This honor was more important than any of their accomplishments. As we see God’s wonders at work in and through us, we should not lose sight of the greatest wonder of all — our heavenly citizenship. (Life Application Bible Notes)

Exercising Authority

Believers have authority over the devil. They can break the power of the devil if he raises his head anywhere in their own life or the lives of their immediate family or loved ones. They have authority there. They’ll be free from the enemy because they’ve got the right to exercise their authority over him.

That doesn’t mean, however, that they’ll go down the street casting the devil out of everyone they meet. It primarily means they will exercise authority over the devil in their own lives.

You’ve got to realize that you’ve got authority over your own household that you don’t have in my household. Spiritual authority is much like natural authority. For example, you don’t have authority over my money. You can’t tell me what to do with my money unless I give you permission to. You don’t have authority over my children.

You can make the devil desist in some of his maneuvers in somebody else’s life, but you can’t always cast him out, because you don’t have authority in that “household.” That’s one place we’ve missed it. Only through intercession can you exercise spiritual authority in somebody else s family.

The next reference Jesus gave me was James 4:7: “.. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (the understood subject of this sentence is “you”).

The believer has to have authority over the devil, or the Bible wouldn’t tell him to do something about the devil. This Scripture doesn’t say that the devil will flee from Jesus; it says he’ll flee from you!

Similarly, you don’t pray that Jesus will lay hands on the sick; you do it. Notice, too, that the hands are not in the Head; the hands are in the Body: “They… shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. “When you lay hands on the sick, you are exercising authority over the devil.

That authority is yours whether you feel like you’ve got it or not. Authority has nothing to do with feelings. But you must exercise it.

After that vision, and after Jesus gave me that verse from James, my spirit told me the word “flee” was significant. I looked it up in the dictionary and found one of the shades of meanings was “to run from as if in terror. “The devil will run from you in terror! Then I knew why the demon in my vision had begun to whimper and cry – he was terrified.

Since then I have seen other demons quake and quiver in fear as I exercised my God-given authority over them. They were not afraid of me, but of Jesus, whom I represent.

In the vision Jesus gave me another Scripture that tells us to do something about the devil. This third reference was from First Peter. Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter5:8). Your adversary means your opponent.

This is as far as a lot of people read. They say, “Oh, the devil’s after me!” They ask for prayer so the devil won’t get them – but the devil’s already got them if they talk that way. It’s too late to pray then.

What are we going to do about him: Roll over and play dead? Hide our head in the sand and hope he’ll disappear? No, thank God, notice what it says as we go on reading. The next verse reads, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions [tests and trials] are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” The American Standard Version says “your faith” instead of “the faith.” I like that better.

Jesus said to me in this vision, “Peter did not write this letter and tell Christians, ‘Now, word has come to me that God’s using our beloved Brother Paul in casting out devils, and he’s sending handkerchiefs or cloths, and the diseases are departing from people, and evil spirits are going out of them, so I would suggest that you write to Paul and get a handkerchief.’ “

No, instead of that, he told them to do something about the devil. Why? Because they’ve got authority over him. The Spirit of God through the Apostle Peter wouldn’t tell you to do something you couldn’t do. The reason you can do it is because every believer has the same authority Paul had in Jesus Christ. Peter didn’t tell us that only Paul could cast out devils or that Paul would resist the devil for us. (Why get Paul to do it when you can do it for yourself?)

The Weapons of Our Warfare

A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. Eph. 6:10-18 NLT

Authority over Demon Spirits Not Human Wills

Free Will Prevails. You’ve got to walk off and leave people when they want it that way. If people want to live in sin, they can. If they want to be free, they can be free. But as long as they don’t want to be free, neither Jesus nor anybody else can set them free.

You can’t go around promiscuously exercising authority over the devil in somebody else. You’ve got authority over your own life and with your own family. But you can’t cast the devil out of everyone you meet on the street, even if they do have the devil in them, because they have authority over their own lives. When people want help, that’s another matter.

SOURCE: “The Believer’s Authority” by Kenneth E. Hagin

THE KINGDOM’S PRINCIPLES

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/n46BNtl2NWA” title=”The Law of Greatness – 13 min. video The Secret Kingdom by Pat Robertson”]

THE LAW OF GREATNESS

All people desire to be great.

Because of human frailty, however, this can turn out badly, especially if we think in terms of comparison with others, for that usually spells pride.

But to think more deeply than that is possible. Pride is still a hazard , but one can set goals of accomplishing tasks rather than of performing better than someone else. It’s a fine line, but it exists.

Jesus, pointing to that line, spoke of the possibilities of greatness a purity of greatness, we might say. Indeed, He set forth a two-part principle that I have labeled the Law of Greatness. The world needs it desperately at this hour.

It is easy to forget that the people surrounding Jesus during His earthly ministry were just that-people. Plain, simple, ordinary people. They exhibited the frailties of all of us. For example, at one point, acting a bit like twentieth-.century kids quarreling over who’s the greatest shortstop in the American League, the disciples came to the Lord and asked, ” ‘Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ “

The answer was remarkable, flying in the face of everything we expect in our day.

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you , unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

At another time, they fell into a dispute over which of them was regarded as the greatest. They, like us, were very concerned about their status from time to time. But the Lord showed great patience with them.

And He said to them , “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. “

Every time the question arose, the answer was the same two pronged directive: If you want to be great, become like a child and become a servant. And that answer reverberates down through human experience to our day, yet so few of us grasp it. “Oh, that was OK for what He was doing then,” we say, “but He didn’t understand what it was going to be like in the modern world.”

Or we mumble something like, “That may be all right for church, but you’ll get killed in the real world.”

If you’re honest, you have to admit those remarks seem true as the twentieth century winds down. Knowledge has exploded all over the planet and even onto other planets; man is doing things never dreamed possible. Furthermore, we are in a life-and-death struggle for minds and bodies. Greatness will be measured by success in that explosion and struggle. A little child won’t stand a chance.

We all rationalize that way. And we are all in a mess as a result. We should look at what Jesus was showing us.

What is there about a little child that He wants us to copy? If they’re very little, they cry a lot and seem to be pretty much governed by what their stomachs tell them. If they have pain, they cry; if they’re wet, they cry. As they grow, they’re apt to be spoiled by their families. They may become extraordinarily self centered; they may whine a lot. In time, they may become unruly and undisciplined. All parents know the pattern. Is this what Jesus wanted us to be?

No, He had something else in mind. He spoke of three qualities that under normal circumstances predominate in little children: They are trusting. They are teachable. They are humble.

So, in short, Jesus said greatness begins with being trusting? being teachable, and being humble. The three traits go together not merely in children, but in adults as well. The trusting person puts away cynicism and skepticism, and becomes open. He doesn’t have to be right all the time. Then he is able to learn-from God, from people, from circumstances. He’ll listen; he’ll try new things. And that is the humble person.

Do you see the circle? Trust. Teachableness. Humility. They run from one to another, backward and forward. The businessman who becomes like a child in this regard will rise to greatness. So will the scientist. So will the minister.

A Difficult Concept

In the second episode we examined at the beginning of this chapter, Jesus added another criterion for greatness. Quite paradoxically, He said the secret of greatness is service. If you reflect on it, you see that it fits well with being childlike, but it begins to rub. It goes against the grain of society.

That is why we should be serious and careful on this subject. We are dealing with a law that turns everything upside down. Little children soon yearn to grow up so they can “be some body.” But Jesus says, “Be a child if you really want to be somebody.” Servants, meanwhile, usually hate their position, yearning to earn enough to have their own servants. But Jesus says, “No, become a servant if you wish to be truly great.”

This pushes us into a corner where we have to ask, “Do I really want this?” We should weigh it carefully, for the Lord said to count the cost of the things we set out to do.

It Is Needed Now

So a life principle emerges. Those who serve others-whether in religion , philanthrophy, education, science, art, government , or business-are the great ones. Indeed, the deeper the sacrifice or the broader the scope of service, the greater the individual becomes.

And rarely will our society award the status of greatness to those who lust for personal power and seek to exalt themselves. How often we hear applied to such persons the phrases “petty tyrant . . . little Caesar . . . self-seeking . . . ruthless . . . vain.” And though occasionally these people rise to prominence, they never touch greatness . Invariably the Law of Reciprocity brings them down.

Looking around us in the eighties, we would probably find a consensus that if ever greatness was needed in the world, it is now. We have few statesmen of international stature, for example. Instead of greatness of spirit, we find meanness. Our vision is dim.

We frankly need leadership at every level, especially in the international realm, as Armageddon looms closer with each passing day. We need men and women to lead our nation in taking on the responsibilities and the risks of serving other nations, helping them to achieve their potential, helping them with education, agriculture, and industry. We need to cast off paternalism and exploitation.

We need to dare to live the Beatitudes at this level, to be trusting, teachable, and humble, to discover perhaps for the first time in history how a man who is a servant can lead.

In addition to being spiritually and biblically sound, this course has a very practical result. The nation that does the most for others will be the one growing in greatness, the one other nation s, as customers, will turn to, the one whose products will sweep around the world. That nation will be exalted, elevated, enlarged as the Laws of Reciprocity and Use take hold.

As with nations, so with all of us.

SOURCE:” The Secret Kingdom” by Pat Robertson with Bob lSosser

THE LAW OF UNITY

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/rDCMAdRCI70″ title=”The Law of Unity – 14 min. video The Secret Kingdom by Pat Robertson”]

From the beginning of His revelation to mankind, God has held forth a difficult principle that flows naturally into and out of the concept of serving. Men have continually stumbled over it.

I call it the Law of Unity. It is simple to understand, and devastatingly difficult to obey. But it is essential. God has been trying to explain that to us for thousands of years.

Unity is central to the way the world works. Perhaps the most powerful illustration of that is found in God Himself, in the Bible’s account of creation. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . .”‘

This is the only part of the Creation where such language is used and, admittedly, we don’t know with great precision what the Lord was inspiring the writer to communicate. He probably was referring to the Godhead, the Trinity, when He spoke of “Us.” But He could have been speaking of the angelic court of God or perhaps even the multifaceted majesty of God. Regard less, there was some form of conversation involving more than one Person, and there was unity.

Although the passage presents many significant facts, this is the one we should see here: Within the Godhead (or the court of heaven) there was agreement and harmony. God moves in unity. Thus, the principle is first stated: Great creativity occurs where there is unity. God’s unfathomable power is released where there is harmony.

The early Genesis accounts add another piece of insight in this regard. After man had refused to obey God and live under His sovereignty, the half-truth of Satan, the liar and deceiver, came to pass: Adam and Eve became ” ‘like God.’ ” We are not able to comprehend the seriousness of that moment. It was history’s terrible tragedy. Man, the delight of God’s heart, had fallen. And we read these words: Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden.

Judgment flowed from unity. Just as the magnificent power of creation had sprung from the perfect harmony of heaven, so had the dreadful power of judgment and justice come from the awesome unity of the Almighty.

The examples are clear. God moves in unity. Harmony is central to the unleashing of God’s incredible power.

Furthermore, unity in the invisible world governs the visible world. If it works in heaven, it works on earth. ” ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. ‘ “

This operation of the Law of Unity on earth was the point of one of the Lord’s most-quoted statements: ”Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst. “

He was calling for agreement, but not merely for agreement’s sake. He was calling for unity. Since He would be in their midst when they gathered to consider some issue, they would be expected to agree with Him. Their unity would be an external manifestation of their internal agreement. Since He was there, He would bring them to harmony if they genuinely laid aside their own preconceptions and centered on Hirn . Then, and only then , would power flow, just as at the Creation.

For unity is the fountainhead of God’s creative power.

There is a multiplication factor in that unity too. We see it in a song of Moses spoken to all of Israel as he approached the end of his life. One standing on the Rock , he said, would chase a thousand of the enemy, while two would put ten thousand to flight.6 Unity does not cause a mere doubling or tripling of power; the progression explodes.

Unity With Diversity

It is important we understand that unity springing from the truth of the kingdom of God does not insist on, or even desire, uniformity. Lessons from the Bible about the unity of the God head make this abundantly clear. There is diversity even with the oneness of the Trinity.

We see this point in the lives of Christ’s disciples, too. They were unified in their quest; but they were a diverse lot, thoroughly nonconformist in several instances.

Paul the apostle taught on this in a spiritual lesson that has physical applications: Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all person s. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Variety is God’s way, he said, even invoking the Trinity to make the point-Spirit, Lord , God. Variety and diversity serve God’s purpose, working distinctively and pointedly to arrive at the common good. No, in families, businesses, churches, and nations, the Lord is not seeking a collection of robots. He is seeking people with varying personalities, talents, and styles who are unified in purpose and will work toward the common good.

Using His principles harmoniously, they can overcome the crises of our century.

Keenly aware of this the night before He was crucified, Jesus prayed to His Father in this manner: “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word ; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.”

He knew that the fulfillment of the purposes of God would require unity. Without it, there would be no flow of power to save the world and to perfect the people of God.

SOURCE:” The Secret Kingdom” by Pat Robertson with Bob lSosser

SUMMARY OF KEY LESSON TRUTHS LEARNED IN LESSON 4

The way we think, determines who we become.
What we value, reveals who we are.
Values are extremely powerful and form the foundation for behavior.
Whatever we prioritize in life reveals our culture.
Our culture is revealed in how well we take care of each other.
We reveal our culture by what we permit.
Once you understand the culture of a people, you understand the people.
To pray effectively, you need faith in God, not faith in the object of your request.
Praying for a miracle is welcoming a gift of the Holy Spirit to manifest. When His will is to work one, He will witness this to your heart. Than you can ask Him to perform the miracle that you know He wants to bring about.
What is authority? Authority is delegated power.
You’ve got to realize that you’ve got authority over your own household that you don’t have in my household.
If you want to be great, become like a child and become a servant.

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN LESSON 4

What are nine key components that make up the culture of a nation or kingdom?
What Are the nine actual components that make up our culture in the state of Arizona?
What Are the nine actual components that make up our culture in the Kingdom of God?
What are the four (4) conditions that should be met for God to answer our prayers. And where must your faith be to pray effectively?
Praying for a miracle is welcoming a gift of the Holy Spirit to manifest. What should happen first. Can you illustrate when this happened in your life or the life of someone you know.
The value of our authority rests on the power that is behind that authority. Please explain this statement in great detail.
Do you have authority over someone else’s household or the devil in somebody else. Also explain in great detail.
The disciples came to the Lord and asked, ” ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ ” Explain in your own words His answer.
Explain in detail what is meant by: “God moves in unity. Harmony is central to the unleashing of God’s incredible power.”
Explain in your own words what is meant by the statement: Unity with diversity.

PRAYER (speak out loud on my knees)

Father I thank you for giving me control over my thoughts. Now I can take controlof every thought and make it obedient to your ways. Thank you for giving me an understanding of the culture in your Kingdom and then changing my thoughts to agree with your ways.

Father I repent of not understanding the authority you have giving me. Now I will exercise that authority in my life everyday by speaking to any sickness and fears that try to enter my mind and body.

I pray this in Jesus name.

CONFESSION (speak out loud on my knees)

I confess that I have control over my thoughts, therefore I will capture every thought and make it obedient to you. I will also exercise the authority you have given me every day of my life by speaking to any sickness and fears that try to enter my mind and body. I have the Mind of Christ and my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

I declare this by faith in Jesus name.

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE FOR YOU TO ASK GOD AND THEN MEDITATE ON: (From Carissa Raderstorf Life in the Kingdom 2 video )

Is there an area of my life that you are not Lord?
Is there an area of my life that I have been agreeing with the wrong voice?
Lord what do you say about this area of my life?

Candidate Textbook

The Making of a Chaplain

CREATION Lesson 1

THE FALL Lesson 2

THE KINGDOM Lesson 3

KINGDOM LIVING Lesson 4

HEAVEN Lesson 5

JESUS Lessons 6 to 8

HOLY SPIRIT Lessons 9 to11

HOLY BIBLE Lessons 12 to14

LOVE Lessons 15 to 17

WORSHIP Lesson 18

PRAYER Lesson 19 & 20

TEN FOUNDATIONAL TEACHINGS

Lesson 1 – The God of Creation

PRAYER

THEME SCRIPTURE

UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD THE FATHER

Homework Questions (21 questions in Lesson 1)

The Activity of Creation

Days of Creation

THE PURPOSE AND GOAL OF CREATION

How Did Life Begin?

CREATION AND EVOLUTION

Questions (continued)

Truths about Humanity

MAN IS CREATED TO MIRROR GOD’S IMAGE

Questions (continued)

GOD GAVE HUMANS THREE PRIMARY ROLES

Questions (continued)

Manhood is in a state of confusion .

Questions (continued)

Questions (continued)

Questions (continued)

Questions (continued)

Questions(continued)

SUMMARY OF KEY LESSON TRUTHS LEARNED IN LESSON 1

Homework Continued

Lesson 2 – The Fall

Worship

PRAYER

There Were Two Trees in The Garden

Theme Scripture

The Solution.

Satan’s Plan Against Us

Satan’s Plan Against Us

The Beginning of All Conflict Between Men

THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF SATAN

Questions (15 questions in Lesson 2)

Lessons From the Fall

Reality Of Demons Or Unclean Spirits

Summary of the Doctrine of Evil and Suffering

SUMMARY OF KEY LESSON TRUTHS LEARNED IN LESSON 2

Homework (Continued)

Lesson 3 – THE KINGDOM

Worship

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

What Is A Kingdom?

The Kingdom Of God and Heaven

Jesus Came to Earth Re-establish the Kingdom

THEME SCRIPTURE

The Message Of the Bible

The Kingdom Is the Government Of A King

The Kingdom Is Not A Christian Religion

RELIGION VERSUS KINGDOM

BACK TO THE KINGDOM

Two Domains

Kingdom Principles

THE VISIBLE WORLD

THE INVISIBLE WORLD

The Unlimited World of Jesus

HUMILITY

Holy Paradoxes

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN LESSON 3

PRAYER (speak out loud on my knees)

CONFESSION (speak out loud on my knees)

Lesson 4 – KINGDOM LIVING

LIFE IN THE KINGDOM 1

CULTURE