Thoughts for Life: #35 Blinding Three Billion Minds

C. Peter Wagner shares with us:
"As I write, 3 billion individuals
on Planet Earth do not yet know Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior.

And this doesn't even count millions of others who are Christian in name only but not in heart commitment.

My point is that Satan is getting away with a lot. But how does he do it? How does he blind 3 billion or more minds?

Obviously, Satan cannot do it by himself. Satan is not God, nor does he possess any of the attributes of God.

This means among other things that Satan is not omnipresent. He cannot be in all places at all times as God is. Satan can be in only one place at one time.

He may be able to get from one place to another very rapidly, but when he is there, he is still in only one place.

The only way I can imagine that Satan can effectively blind 3 billion minds is to delegate the responsibility. He maintains a hierarchy of demonic forces to carry out his purposes.

Exactly what that hierarchy is we may never know, but we do have some general indications.

Perhaps our clearest hint is found in Ephesians 6:12 where we are told that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against (1) principalities, (2) powers, (3) rules of the darkness of this age, and (4) spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

New Testament scholars cannot find a strict hierarchical order in Ephesians 6:12 since the same Greek terms are used with different meaning and interchangeably in other parts of Scripture.

And other terms such as 'thrones' and 'dominions' are added elsewhere. In other words, these categories are not as clear as generals, colonels, majors and captains would be to us.

What is clear, however, is that the terms do describe certain varieties of supernatural, demonic beings whose assignment is to implement 'the wiles of the devil' (Eph. :11).

These beings, and perhaps many other kinds who are under them and obey their instructions, are in charge of keeping lost people from being saved and for messing up their lives as much as possible while they are on earth."

(Google image and emphasis added)

Warfare Prayer

#35 Blinding Three Billion Minds
By C. Peter Wagner

(pgs. 62, 63) Regal Books

Mark I. Bubeck shares with us from his book The Satanic Revival "What an ugly, sinful wrong it is for me, my family and my fellow believers to treat Your holy Word so lightly when it has been made so available to us. Wash away our guilt, and create within believers' hearts a longing to know and read Your Word." (pg 221)

Pray with me:

Father, it is certain that we cannot, in
our own strength and wits defeat what
the devil plans, but remind us that Jesus did
already defeat him with His sacrifice on
Calvary.

With this knowledge, may we come against what we see is the
evil one's scheme to keep others around us from finding Jesus
as their personal Savior!

In Christ's name I pray. Amen.

Today’s Bible verse: Ps. 92:12 "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon."

Today’s quote: Bob Gass Ministries - "We dare not fool ourselves into thinking we can 'make things happen' without prayer. If a church isn't a praying church, it doesn't matter how well the pastor preaches or the choir sings, or how nice the building is. For it to succeed, Jesus said, 'My house shall be a house of prayer' " (Lk 19:46 NAS).

Some thoughts today: Cultivate an intimate relationship with God. Talk directly to Him. Cry out to Him and bring your heart to the right place. (Ps. 62:8) "pour out your heart before him."

- Get alone and tell God what's going on. He already knows, but wants you to get honest with Him about your need...

- We go through faith testing to see how we'll respond. Will we receive correction, advice, and a different way of doing things?

29th- Thursday’s post: #36 Seeing Our Cities as they Really Are
C. Peter Wagner

31st- Saturday's post: Age-appropriate Chores for Children
Maria Montessori

Feb.1st- Sunday evening's post: An Adventure in Prayer
Lucy Neeley Adams

3rd- Tuesday's post: #37 Biblical Examples - Daniel
C. Peter Wagner

A popular post: Christian Benefits Jean Oathout continues her thought of what's in it for you as a Christian.The following is a partial listing of the benefits:

1) The LORD loves us for who we are now, but once we've admitted we're a sinner, received the free gift of salvation offered us through Christ, and have been filled with His Spirit, GOD will give us complete, exclusive, all-sufficient LOVE for the rest of our lives.
(see John 14:27)

Samples of Jean's crafts

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Granny's Guide to Marriage in Verse

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