“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV)
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 NKJV)
Today I am going to wrap up sharing what the Lord has been teaching me through the life of Job. I am extremely excited about what the Spirit is leading me to start sharing tomorrow. He has been completely revamping my understanding of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” I hope you have a seat belt that you can strap on (and maybe some dramamine). We are going to be moving into thought provoking, life changing revelation knowledge that has rocketed me into my own personal revival. But before we visit Paul, let’s finish up with Job.
Here is an interesting comparison of basic (yet life changing) practical theology:
Job: Basic Theology = Everything that happens in life is God’s will and under His direct control. Premise = God gives and God takes away. (Job 1:21) Result = Passive lifestyle of acceptance of “bad stuff.” Jesus: Basic Theology = Not everything that happens in life is God’s will or under His direct control. Premise = God gives, Satan takes away. (John 10:10) Result = Aggressive rejection of “bad stuff.”
I am going to follow Jesus’ example, and learn from Job’s experience. When Satan tempted Jesus, He never gave any thought to the possibility that God might somehow be the one behind His temptation. Unlike Job, Jesus was never afraid, He did not lack knowledge, and He blew away any and all traditions that could stand in the way of receiving everything that His Heavenly Father had for Him. He lived as a man who knew His rightful place in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as a child of the King of the Universe. Jesus never turned anyone away who came to Him for healing, deliverance, compassion, or anything else. He simply pulled on the resources of Heaven to meet every Earthly need and solve every Earthly problem. He not only knew, He demonstrated in all that He said and did, that God is a good God. His life and ministry gave clear testimony to “Good God, Bad Devil.”
Let’s conclude today’s lesson by praying the model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples (that includes you and me) to pray. Don’t pray it as a rote, religious, ritual, but ask the Holy Spirit to enliven every word. Ask Him to make it come alive in your heart, renew your, mind, and radically change how you see every aspect of your life. This is a Kingdom prayer. If you have made Jesus the Lord of your life then you are living in the Kingdom of Heaven now. Jesus said that the Kingdom is at hand today. It is in my heart. Here we go…
Dear Heavenly Father, I worship Your Holy Name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done in my life as it is in Heaven. Give me today my daily bread. And forgive my sins, as I forgive those who have sinned against me. And don’t lead me into temptation, but deliver me from evil and the evil one. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen
Lord, please teach us what you want us to learn from…
Eric’s Life Lesson # 72: “Time to turn over the apple cart.” Part 7: The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Really? (conclusion)