30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 21 20-24 WATCH AND PRAY III 07 Luke 21 20 The message of God’s judgment
📖 Luke 21:20-24
*FRIEND OF GOD*
30May2021 - *The message of God’s judgment* - _Luke 21:20-24_ - WATCH AND PRAY III (07) – Bible reading: _Revelation 20:11-15_
The Lord is showing us from His word the ultimate outcome. Please read till the end to know the final outcome for the devil. This understanding gives us the confidence to do what is expected of us, as His church, in these end times.
_Luke 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near._
The work of the Holy Spirit in the end times is to be a restrainer and this work is explained to us by our Lord.
_John 16:8-11 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (9) of sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; (11) *of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged*._
We will now consider the third convicting work of the Holy Spirit, which is of judgement.
Jesus refers to the devil as the ruler of this world here in _John 16:11_ and also in _John 12:31_ and _14:30_
The ruler of this world has blinded the minds of people so that they do not believe. _II Corinthians 4:4 *whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe*, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them._
The mind is our understanding and our worldview. The mind is our inner eyes from which we view the world and by which we believe. As we have said earlier, our belief has been affected by our frame of reference, which is our mind. This is what the devil is controlling.
Not only has he blinded the minds of people individually, but he also has the whole world under his grip. The world system is in his control.
_I John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and *the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one*._
This is the terrible predicament in which the world is in and this is the reason for the church to work along with the Holy Spirit to remove the blindness from the minds of people.
To remove the blindness from the minds of people, we will need to confront the enemy, head-on, and call his bluff. He has been deceiving people. This lie of the devil has to be confronted by the church.
_Acts 26:18 *to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God*, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'_
Our task as the church is to release people from their blindness.
We are able to take up our task on the basis of what has happened to the devil, by Jesus, on the cross.
_Colossians 2:14-15 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (15) Having *disarmed principalities and powers*, He made a public spectacle of them, *triumphing over them in it*._
The devil has been accusing us before God saying that we do not meet His righteous requirement but Jesus has set that right, which we considered yesterday.
We must pronounce judgement on the devil by telling him directly, that he has been defeated by Jesus on the cross. When we confront him, he will flee.
This victory by Jesus over the devil has been given to the church. _Ephesians 3:10 *to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places*,_
This is how the Holy Spirit in bringing judgement to the ruler of this world, through the church.
_Ephesians 1:20-23 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) *far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church*, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all._
Men have to face judgement. _Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,_ _Revelation 1:7-8 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (8) "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."_
People need to be released from the bondage of the devil in order to stand before God, the Judge.
_Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death *He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage*._
When men stand before Jesus the judge, they will not be able to give excuses. Acts 17:30-31 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but *now commands all men everywhere to repent*, (31) because He has appointed a day on which *He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained*. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."_
We must prepare and warn people of the judgment.
_Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (13) The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. (14) Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire._
The devil himself will be judged. _Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever._
*Thought to ponder*
```Let us bring the message of God’s judgment to the world.```