When Jesus went to his death, Satan lost his hold on mankind.
In the movie Mel Gibson made a few years ago, when Jesus was crucified, he screamed. But Satan had a backup plan. He couldn’t stop Jesus from being crucified, so he tried to stop the gospel from being spread. Satan’s plan was and is to divide the church.
Did his plan work? Look at the history of the church both in the past and today, and what do you think? Different denominations thinking they have the answer, backstabbing, internal fights over power, arguing over everything, such as faith over works, eternal security, the lost 10 tribes, predestination, prosperity, and so on and so on.
To give you one example,when I was younger I tried various denominations after leaving Satan worship behind. A bishop approached me from a large Pentecostal denomination about being a pastor in Antioch. He asked me to call some of the local churches in the area about using their church for a service.
All I got from them was: What’s the bishop’s name, who is he under and what leader from the main headquarters does he follow?
Politics, not God’s word, runs a lot of these churches.
I could give you many more examples, but space does not allow me. Let me sum everything up and make my point. Satan was successful to a point, but God is still going forth. Isaiah 1:9 says, “Except the Lord of Hosts had left into us a very small remnant we should have been as Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”
Through church history, God has used a small remnant to carry the truth of the Gospel, despite misuse of scripture and political infighting. God and his word are stronger than Satan and his tricks. Apathy and finding a comfort zone seem to be the priority.
Whose side are you on in this warfare?
Unity against Satan
by Weeping 14 Replies latest jw friends
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Weeping
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AGuest
Dearest Weeping... may you have peace!
I understand where you are coming from and what you're trying to say. I would like to share with you a certain truth, however, in light of something you posted the other day: dear one, neither demons... OR our Adversary Satan... are to be feared OR respected. To the contrary, they are to be OPPOSED. Neither our Lord nor the Apostles feared or respected Satan or the demons... and those who claim to be joined to Christ by means of holy spirit KNOW that we are NOT to fear or respect them... in any way. Because it is OUR Lord who has been given ALL authority... over heaven AND earth... and certainly over the demons... as he demonstrated. Also, since he is the Prince of Princes, and Michael, a "foremost prince" and who, along with his angels, cast Satan and HIS angels OUT of the spirit realm... our Lord has authority over Satan.
Rather than give our Adversary and demons the "glory" that you ARE giving them by means of such proclamations ("Satan and the demons are to be feared and respected")... should we not be giving ALL glory... and thus "fear" and respect... to the Father and Son? Should we not respect the Father and the Son... which we do by LISTENING to and KISSING the Son... as the Father directed us? As for "fear", what fear should we have with respect to the Father OR the Son? Are we not to LOVEGod... with our WHOLE heart, soul, mind, and strength? And our neighbor as ourselves? And our enemies, even praying for them? Matthew 5:43-48 Would not those things manifest "perfect" love in us? And if so, does not PERFECT love... cast ALL fear... including fear of God... OUTSIDE? 1 John 4:17, 18
It does. Because "those in union with Christ... have NO condemnation"... and thus nothing TO fear. Romans 8:1
I "hear" you that you have searched and searched for God. I "hear" you that you have not found him in religion. At least, not in so-called "christianity." But that is because Christ, the Son of God and Holy One of Israel... who is the Holy Spirit... is not IN religion... or "christianity." He is the HEAD of the church. And as he is recorded to have said, "Where two or more are gathered in my name, THERE I AM also."
So, where would you find him? As he is also recorded to have said... "Where the carcass is... the flying, flesh-eating things (no, not "eagles" - those are birds, physical animals) will gather." What is the carcass? His body... which he gave on our behalf and so which we are to EAT. What/who are the flying, flesh-eating things? Spirit beings. Seraphs. Yes, they, too, eat of the "bread from heaven." Psalm 78:25; John 6:41, 48-51
So it is with the SPIRIT... and Truth (John 14:6; 10:7)... that we must worship God... and it is through His Son that we will find Him.
I know the WTBTS has done everything in its power to PREVENT you from eating the flesh of Christ, the True Vine and Tree of Life (John 14:6; 15:1), but that is because they are imposters and agents of our Adversary (Matthew 24:24). They "shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men." Why? Because THEY are not going in. Matthew 23:13
And they, along with others, have also bee instrumental in creating in you this fear of that Adversary and of demons. The TRUTH, however, is that neither our Adversary NOR the demons have ANY power... other than what you GIVE them... which you do by means of your fear. If, however, you OPPOSE them... they WILL flee from you. Yes, even you. I have done so and it works. Acts 16:16-18; James 4:7
So, I encourage you to leave off you fear and proclamations that turn attention the Adversary and demons... and grant them power over you... and those who might listen to you... and turn your gaze, instead, upon the Copper Serpent raised up by God: Christ. He is the ONLY one we need to look at and to; no other spirit matters, truly. Otherwise, not only will you continue to "die" from the "poison" of the "offspring of vipers" that have bitten you thus far... but you will be bitten again. And again. And again. John 3:14; Numbers 21:5-9; Matthew3:7; 12:34; 23:33; Genesis 3:15; Revelation 12:17
Again, I bid you peace... and ears to hear and get the SENSE of these things... if you so wish them.
Your servant, as I am servant to the Household of God, Israel, and all those who go with... and a slave of Christ,
SA
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bohm
I think the most important questions one should ask is 'Does my bishop ever listen to Coldplay? What does he do if Coldplay is on the radio? Has the pope ever listened to Coldplay?'.
I also think there is something satanic about bagels. First off, the are made of wheat. Jesus say he would seperate the wheat and the chaf. He never told us to seperate the wheat and the chaf and make a bun out of the wheat - i double checked my bible and it is NOT THERE! God said: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work", so it must obviously be the devil who want to take the 'wheat' and use it for an unchristian purpose.
Another thing about Bagels i find very unchristian is the hole in the middle - what is it doing there? What kind of person would put a hole in the middle of a bun? What did he use the dough for?
Think about it each day millions of americans put there tongue to a hole in a bun. a HOLE in a BUN! Clearly someone wish to make good americans think homosexual thoughts by this unchristian practise, and who could this be other than SATAN himself? Boy do i think he is happy, listening to coldplay and watching all those innocent bagel-eating christians marking themselves for eternal damnation each morning.
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Weeping
That's just silly, Bohm.
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thetrueone
Weeping, spirits and gods were creating out the imagination and ignorance of primitive men who lived a long time ago.
Instead of unifying against the bad god known in ancient mythology as Satan the Devil how about unifying yourself against all forms of
human ignorance and superstition. Applying rational and critical thinking skills to suggested ideologies relinquishes and benefits toward
a healthier psychology which also uplifts your social interactions with others.
Stand firm and solid for what is real not what is imaginative.
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bohm
weeping: I am sure you can agree with me that there ARE a number of people who are trying to push crack-pot theories involving satan onto unsuspecting people; people who claim to have been to hell and back and are just making it up, etc. These people will find Satan in everything, and aside from scaring their victims (and making some easy money from selling books and doing talks) it is hard to see what they accomplish in terms of promoting christian values.
At the end of the day, i think you should ask yourself if it really makes you a better, happier and more loving person to continue to read and speculate on how satan is found in various pretty innocent things.
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ziddina
I think the rest of us should just quietly tip-toe out of this thread and leave "Weeping" and "AGuest" in here together...
They seem to play 'nicely' together...
Zid
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AGuest
Something wrong with playing "nicely," dear Ziddina (peace to you!)... or doing anything "nicely"? Perhaps if more interacted with others "nicely" we wouldn't have so much dissention in the world. Personally, I like "nice," although I'm not always so. Far from it, actually, so it does take a bit of effort on my part.
With all of that said, I ask the others (may you, too, have peace!): why it is better to "ridicule" a persons fears... real as they are to them... than to give them a reason and/or method which they can understand and handle to move past them? We have such a HUMAN tendency to ridicule such things... regardless of the pain and paralyzation they cause others. Even to the point of causing additional pain. Yet, we pooh-pooh those with a sense of spirituality and say we know better how to love. But where is the "love" in that? I can't see it, unfortunately.
I can see the love, however, in empathizing with another, even speaking from a place of like-mindedness and knowledge, if one has such (as I did here), so as to lead another away from such harms and fear. And that is all I have tried to do here. Dear Weepings fears are real... even if they are only real to him/her (which I don't believe they are, but that's another thread, isn't it?). But they don't have to control... and I simply shared a way to stop that from happening.
Nothing wrong with being "nice," IMHO... if one can muster such up... and if doing so benefits another.
But that's just my $0.02. I'm sure dear Zid... or others... will have a full dollars worth to share.
Again, I bid you all peace. Truly.
A slave of Christ,
SA
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Darth plaugeis
Always stick with the underdog
my money is on Satan
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shamus100
Weeping,
Your gravatar looks like it's from Satan. Please change it at once and I'll communicate with you.
Or you can kiss the monkey and see what happens love. Kiss me!
