How to Triumph over the Enemy

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!" 

Revelation 12:10-12

How do we triumph over the enemy? By the blood of the Lamb (accepting the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for our forgiveness and inviting Him to be Lord over our lives) and by the word of our testimony. (Telling all who will listen what Jesus has done for us). Let's not love our lives so much that we shrink from our calling and our purpose - to point others to the saving power of Jesus Christ!

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Will Satan be in Heaven with You?

 "I'm going to Heaven."

"How do you know?"

"Because I believe in God and I believe that Jesus is the Son of God."

"That's great, but that doesn't mean you're going to Heaven."

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." James 2:19

Satan believes in God. Satan knows that Jesus is the Son of God. Do you believe that Satan will be in Heaven?

It's not enough to believe in (acknowledge) God's existence. You must "believe" in the biblical sense of the word.

The Greek word used in the Bible for "believe" is "pisteuó".

pisteuó - to rely on, cling to, trust in, commit to

It's intimacy with, not just head knowledge.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

Are you relying on Him?

Clinging to Him? 

Trusting in Him?

Committed to Him?

Romans 10:9 says...

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

The word "Lord" means master, owner...
He calls the shots.
Everything is done to His liking.
His is in charge, not me.
I do things His way.

Is Jesus LORD of your life?

Do you dare to really believe?

How do you become a child of God?

The Bible answers that question clearly...

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—John 1:12

Two things - You must believe that Jesus is God and receive Him as LORD.

If you have never done that and you would like to become a Christ follower - a child of God, forgiven and going to Heaven, then take a moment right now to pray. Confess your sins and your need for a savior. Ask God to forgive you. Ask Jesus to be LORD over all your life.

If you did that - you have not stepped into the most incredible relationship of your life. I would love to hear about your decision. Please leave a comment below.


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A Walk Through Revelation - Part 11

photo courtesy COBRAsoft, rgbstock.com

An Open Door in Heaven

 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” ² At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³ And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. ⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”

I have to tell you - I read this several times and still can't completely wrap my mind around it. I can't imagine how John must have felt when he experienced this and then again as he wrote it down for us to read? I know that all scripture is given by the Holy Spirit, but as a writer, I can't imagine what John must have been thinking as he recorded what he had seen.

A door standing open in Heaven, a booming voice calling him to "come up here" - I'd have been terrified, but oh so curious to see what was beyond that open door. Interesting that there was an open door, because there is an open door in Heaven today.

John 10:7 says...

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. (NIV)

The King James version reads like this...

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. (KJV)

Many times throughout the New Testament, believers are referred to as sheep and Jesus as the Good Shepherd. When sheep are led into the corral (a place of complete safety) by their shepherd, they enter through the gate. In the verse above He refers to himself as the "gate" - the "door" for the sheep to enter in. (I found a really interesting answer to the question-What did Jesus mean when he said, "I am the door?" You can read it here - really, click on the link and read it- then come back here - it's amazing!)


In John 14:1-6, Jesus has an interesting conversation with his disciples...

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

It's very clear, here that Jesus is saying again that He is the way to Heaven, that He is the truth that leads to life (everlasting life in Heaven with Him).  That's what we believe, because that's what He said.

Many times Christians are labeled as narrow-minded because we believe that there is only one way to Heaven and that way is belief in Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death on a cross to pay for our sins. No other person, no other works, no other way, but Jesus.

Here's my stand on that - God is the Creator of Heaven, Mankind, Earth and all that is in it. He is GOD. He makes the rules. If He says Jesus is the only way, then Jesus is the ONLY way. Who are we to make up other ways or modify his Word??? How arrogant! How foolish!  Do we suppose that when we get to Heaven and say we should be let in because we believed in another way, that we did a lot of good works, that we were a good person, that we sincerely thought that another "god" was the way, that He will say, "Oh, okay, then come on in. I was wrong. There was another way. My bad."  Seriously?

Moving right along...

I won't even try to explain all the incredible things that John saw around the throne of God...because I can't, but I will say that if you are interested in seeing all that John saw for yourself, then Jesus is the only way through that open door in Heaven. 

Have you stepped through that door into a relationship with Him?
Do you want to do that?

If so-if you want to experience a life transforming relationship with the Savior-if you believe that Jesus came to pay the penalty for your sins, that He died that you might be forgiven and receive new life in Him-eternal life with Him in Heaven after you've left this life-if you're sincere about it, then take a minute to pray and ask Him to forgive you for your sins. Let Him know that you are stepping into a new relationship with Him. Ask him to lead you and guide you every day in this new journey. Allow Him to transform you from your old self into your new self.

It's not hard, there are no specific set of words you must say, just speak to Him from your heart. He hears you. He loves you and He is looking forward to a relationship with you.

Did you do it?
Did you just receive Jesus Christ as your Savior? As your open door into a new life here and eternity in Heaven with Him?

If so, then congratulation, you have just made the most important decision of your life. I rejoice that I have a new brother or sister in Christ. Please let me know through a comment that you just prayed and entered into a new relationship with Christ, for the Word says...

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

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Ah, Peace with God

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (New International Version) - Romans 5:1,2

Peace with God , can there be anything more wonderful than that? Just to know that everything between you and God is good. No sin separating, no disapproval coming from Heaven, no need to feel guilt or shame. What an awesome existence!

Top that with the fact that we did nothing to earn this blissful relationship with God. We couldn't do enough to earn it and yet, God extended His love and grace to bring us into his family - that's grace! In fact, that's the very definition of grace; unmerited, unearned favor.

Yes, God extends His grace to us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, yet not everyone reaches out to take it - to embrace all that has been done for us so that we might experience peace with God and the assured hope of eternal life spent with Him. Why? Why do those who've heard the story of God's plan of salvation reject it?

To some it seems too simple, surely we must do something to earn it - to pay for all the sin we've committed in our lives. For others, it may be a matter of pride, because in order to receive this salvation by grace we must first admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior. And others trip over the faith aspect of salvation. They won't believe anything they can't see, feel, touch or understand. Their intellect gets in the way of their spirit.

Oh, what peace we forfeit when, in our stubbornness we choose to reject the grace of God.

I implore you, my unseen friend...reach out to God in faith, for He's reaching out to you with grace. Accept the amazing gift of salvation that He's provided through His Son, seek His forgiveness, surrender your life and you will never regret it, because you will experience joy and peace like you've never known before.

His hand is extended to you. Will you reach out and take it?

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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)