Teachings from India (13)
Matthew 16:18 is a declaration of war: "Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." Building the church is a declaration of war because it involves a transfer of power. The responsibility for this transfer of power belongs to the church, and she has been given the keys of the Kingdom to effect it.
It is the business of the chuch to destroy the gates of hell and to bring about the Kingdom. When Jesus cast out demons, he could say that the Kingdom of God had come among them (Matthew 12:28-30). There are different levels of hierarchy among the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:10). According to 1 John 5:19, the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. The strongman is territorial, and we are to bind him and plunder his goods (the people and the land).
The primary battleground is in our minds. According to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, there are strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments, proud obstacles that keep people from knowing God. These strongholds in the mind are our mindset, ideologies and traditions, logic and worldview. We fight these things with spiritual weopons that include the Word, the armor mentioned in Ephesians 6, and truth and righteousness.
In a nation like India, there are many idols. Demons are invited to inhabit the idols when they are installed. It takes binding the spirit behind the idol to loose the people who are in bondage to that idol.
Jeremiah 10:11 says "Say this to those who worship other gods: “Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.” This is a powerful verse to use in dealing with idols.
Church is like school: best done in the home by you and not someone else doing things in front of 30 people in lines of chairs.
Posted by: Daniel Bright | 01/22/2010 at 11:39 AM
I'm looking forward to, "What is true worship? – The Royal Priesthood"
Posted by: Marty Nickel | 01/24/2010 at 09:28 PM