Evil Began When Lucifer Turned On God, In Heaven
As an Archangel, and a free moral agent with a free will to choose, his free will chose to dethrone God and become God, himself. Of course, he lost that rebellion and was cast out of God's heaven, into the earth, and he brought his darkness with him (Isa.14:12-14). That is why Genesis 1:1 found the world "without form, void, and in darkness". Though, of course, he has always failed to unseat God, it is still his main desire. To that end he has employed every strategy, tool, and crisis at his disposal, including Governments and people, to strike down, with evil, everything and everyone close to God.
There has never been a time of "spiritual crisis", including all our nation's physical wars, since our Pilgrim Christian forefathers landed on these shores, that our nation was under a greater spiritual threat, than right now. As the Return of Christ draws near, Lucifer's hate and jealously seem to grow hotter and more formidable and his human zealots more determined.
The powers that be, the "Wickedness in high places" Eph.6:12, within the global kingdoms and power structures of the world, have never ceased to carry on Lucifer's continuing assault in what I call The Battle Of The Ages. Though they may not realize that their "New World Order" kingdom on earth ... is a subversive counterfeit of Christ's Millennial Kingdom. For that same reason, he, Lucifer, and those in bondage to him, attack the Bible, Christianity, God's people and freedom. Every Jew and Christian has witnessed the otherwise unexplainable hatred and action these powers of darkness have used in attacking God and His beloved people who are devoted to Him. In my 68 years of ministry, the "powers of darkness" (Eph.6:12) have steadily increased, against God and his people. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Today it is worse, at least in America, than it has ever been. During my long ministry, trying to serve our Lord, I have prayed thousands of times, as Jesus taught us, "Deliver us from evil". Every day when I hear the news, I am constrained to pray those words because evil is compounding itself and and constantly becoming a greater hazard to God's people and all things holy, in these last days.
As an Archangel, and a free moral agent with a free will to choose, his free will chose to dethrone God and become God, himself. Of course, he lost that rebellion and was cast out of God's heaven, into the earth, and he brought his darkness with him (Isa.14:12-14). That is why Genesis 1:1 found the world "without form, void, and in darkness". Though, of course, he has always failed to unseat God, it is still his main desire. To that end he has employed every strategy, tool, and crisis at his disposal, including Governments and people, to strike down, with evil, everything and everyone close to God.
There has never been a time of "spiritual crisis", including all our nation's physical wars, since our Pilgrim Christian forefathers landed on these shores, that our nation was under a greater spiritual threat, than right now. As the Return of Christ draws near, Lucifer's hate and jealously seem to grow hotter and more formidable and his human zealots more determined.
The powers that be, the "Wickedness in high places" Eph.6:12, within the global kingdoms and power structures of the world, have never ceased to carry on Lucifer's continuing assault in what I call The Battle Of The Ages. Though they may not realize that their "New World Order" kingdom on earth ... is a subversive counterfeit of Christ's Millennial Kingdom. For that same reason, he, Lucifer, and those in bondage to him, attack the Bible, Christianity, God's people and freedom. Every Jew and Christian has witnessed the otherwise unexplainable hatred and action these powers of darkness have used in attacking God and His beloved people who are devoted to Him. In my 68 years of ministry, the "powers of darkness" (Eph.6:12) have steadily increased, against God and his people. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Today it is worse, at least in America, than it has ever been. During my long ministry, trying to serve our Lord, I have prayed thousands of times, as Jesus taught us, "Deliver us from evil". Every day when I hear the news, I am constrained to pray those words because evil is compounding itself and and constantly becoming a greater hazard to God's people and all things holy, in these last days.
It is God's desire, and the reason for Jusus' death, to "deliver us from all evil", the guilt of it, the judgment of it and one day even the presence of it. But until then, our sinful, fleshly nature, is not only passed along, through the flesh, from parent to child, dating back to Adam and Eve, but is also each person's choice of will, before redemption. Our only deliverance and escape, from the guilt and penalty of sin, is by God's grace through our faith in His substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus, who died on the cross, in our place, for all of our sins, past, present and future. "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver is from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Gal.1:4.
My subject, "Deliver us from evil" is found in Christ's Model Prayer in Matt.6 & Lk.11. Most people call it the Lord's Prayer, but Jesus, when His disciples asked Him to "Teach us to pray", answered by saying, "When you pray, say .... forgive us our sins .... deliver us from evil....". That's not a full quote but I quote those three phrases to point out that Jesus was telling them how to pray not praying for himself. He said, "When you Pray". Then the prayer asks, "forgive us our sins", sins which Jesus did not have (Heb.4:15). And then, "deliver us from evil" which was no problem for Him but is for us. The word, "evil" here, in the Greek is "Poneros" (root of pornography) and is translated into 14 different words. Some as action verbs relating to evil doing, or as nouns referring to evil persons, places, or things. Poneros may be speaking of an evil we may do, an evil someone else may do to us, or a place where evil resides. That part of the "Model Prayer" is a plea to our heavenly Father to deliver us from the evil, the bad, the grievous, the lewdness, maliciousness or wickedness which may be used of Satan, his demons or his people to seduce us. Or, it may be in prayer to be delivered from entering into it or to be rescued out of it.
Our part, of such deliverance, is to avoid it at its first moment of appearance. 1 Thess.5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." That verse is not just another command to, "Abstain from fleshly lusts...." 1 Pet.2:11 - or "Abstain from pollutions of idols...." Acts 15:20.... - or "Abstain from fornication ...." 1 Thess.4:3. No, 1 Thess.5:22 commands us to, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." That predates the actual committing of sin, ...before the fact. Don't even look at it, listen to it, sniff it, taste it, fantasize of it, or go near it. Turn away at its first hint, thought, sound, smell or offer. "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John 2:16. We all face it everyday of our lives. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7.
My subject, "Deliver us from evil" is found in Christ's Model Prayer in Matt.6 & Lk.11. Most people call it the Lord's Prayer, but Jesus, when His disciples asked Him to "Teach us to pray", answered by saying, "When you pray, say .... forgive us our sins .... deliver us from evil....". That's not a full quote but I quote those three phrases to point out that Jesus was telling them how to pray not praying for himself. He said, "When you Pray". Then the prayer asks, "forgive us our sins", sins which Jesus did not have (Heb.4:15). And then, "deliver us from evil" which was no problem for Him but is for us. The word, "evil" here, in the Greek is "Poneros" (root of pornography) and is translated into 14 different words. Some as action verbs relating to evil doing, or as nouns referring to evil persons, places, or things. Poneros may be speaking of an evil we may do, an evil someone else may do to us, or a place where evil resides. That part of the "Model Prayer" is a plea to our heavenly Father to deliver us from the evil, the bad, the grievous, the lewdness, maliciousness or wickedness which may be used of Satan, his demons or his people to seduce us. Or, it may be in prayer to be delivered from entering into it or to be rescued out of it.
Our part, of such deliverance, is to avoid it at its first moment of appearance. 1 Thess.5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." That verse is not just another command to, "Abstain from fleshly lusts...." 1 Pet.2:11 - or "Abstain from pollutions of idols...." Acts 15:20.... - or "Abstain from fornication ...." 1 Thess.4:3. No, 1 Thess.5:22 commands us to, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." That predates the actual committing of sin, ...before the fact. Don't even look at it, listen to it, sniff it, taste it, fantasize of it, or go near it. Turn away at its first hint, thought, sound, smell or offer. "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John 2:16. We all face it everyday of our lives. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7.
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