30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 24 50-53 THE BLESSING OF GOD 18 30May2022 Luke 24 50-51 Establishing the kingdom rule of God, on earth
📖 Luke 24:50-53
18 – 30May2022 – Establishing the kingdom rule of God, on earth - Luke 24:50-53 - THE BLESSING OF GOD - Bible reading: II Corinthians 10:3-6
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You have blessed us to have dominion and bring your kingdom rule on earth. We are to push out the enemy and establish Your rule. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
Luke 24:50-51 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. (51) Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
We continue to meditate on the creation blessing.
Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
We are focussing on the final aspect of the creation blessing, which is to have dominion. We have considered the role of the church to wage war and bring the rule of God’s kingdom here on earth. This is the spiritual warfare that the church must engage in, on an everyday basis.
II Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. (4) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, (5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (6) and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
The devil has several strong bastions that he has erected. People are caught in the spiritual, social, cultural, bio-physical, personal, financial, ethical, moral and political strongholds of the devil. These strongholds of the enemy are interconnected and they work as a net to keep people trapped.
In Jesus, we have been set free from these oppressive structures, set up by the enemy. We are still in this world but we are delivered from the grip of our foe.
I John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
This is the position that we must embrace and live out. We see a wonderful example of this stand, being put into effect by these three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. These young men were confronting a powerful stronghold of the devil, put in place by Emperor Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. (17) If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. (18) But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
The basis for this engagement against the enemy was the willingness of these three young men to lay down their lives for the sake of God’s rule here on earth. This is the bottom line for our engagement with the devil. The enemy will threaten us with dire consequences, and these are not empty threats. We must take these threats into cognisance and then tell the enemy, “I will not bow down to your evil rule here on earth. I will bring the rule of God. I AM WILLING TO LAY DOWN MY LIFE”.
What was the result of the confrontation with the enemy?
Daniel 3:28-30 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, " Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! (29) Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this." (30) Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego it was a promotion. God’s name was being lifted up and His rule was being brought into effect.
We must keep in mind that personal well being and promotions may not always be the case. We may have to encounter painful consequences for taking our stand against the enemy. Let us be certain, whether we are benefitted or we have to suffer loss, the structures of the enemy will be brought down and the rule of God’s kingdom will be established.
Hebrews 11:36-40 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. (37) They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— (38) of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. (39) And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, (40) God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Taking a stand for the kingdom rule will give us a good testimony before God but we may not see the result of God’s rule, in our lifetime. It is over generations that the result of waging war against the enemy will be fully realised. The church is one, laterally, as well as longitudinally, over time.
Thought to ponder
Have you considered that there could be a possibility, for you to lay down your life for the cause of Christ?