1-29-2022        Binding & Loosing

Matt. 18:18

Recently, Father brought my attention to the concept of binding and loosing and needless to say, I now have a much different view than what I had before.

Consider the verse

Truly, I tell you that whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

I always thought that this was binding (stopping) demonic activities and then allowing (loosing) God’s blessings to flow into someone’s life.  Binding – tying up that ole devil - and loosing – setting someone free from bondage to that devil and/or allowing God’s love to operate in their life.

Needless to say, this isn’t wrong, but Father took me a little deeper.

Father said to look at the verse: Matt. 18:18.  On the list Father gave me for scriptural meaning for numbers, “18” represents bondage or oppression.  I have no problem with why Matthew 18:18 speaks of binding and loosing.

I checked further (in Strong’s) and saw that “bind”, used in this passage, is deo (G1210) which means to bind, put in bonds, or knit, tie or wind.  The word used for loose is iuo (G3089) which  means to loosen, breakup, dissolve, melt, put off.

As I looked at these words and definitions, Father had me take note that deo carries the connotation of uniting two or more things.  We might want to become “deo” with God, that is become one with Him.  Maybe this is why Jesus says in verse 19 that if two agree on anything they have asked for, they shall have it.  Or, if they have become united on what they want – with the understanding that what they want is already in agreement with God (united) – It’s a comin’! 

Jesus also says that He is ONE with the Father and He desires that we be ONE with Him (John 17:21-23).  WE can see that we ‘bind’ with Father, through Jesus. The Holy Ghost is our ‘lifeline’. So if we bind Satan, what are we uniting him with (hopefully not us)?  Obviously not God, but we do want to prohibit the devil’s activities.  Yet, on the other hand, we DO want to bind with Jesus.  Yes?  So if we bind Satan, we send him somewhere else.  We bind him to a deserted place.  At least, anywhere where we aren’t.  Does he stay there?  Talking to the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus told them, that when a devil is cast out, he roams about looking for a place to ‘move into’.  Finding no place, he returns to the man from whom he had been cast out and seeing the ‘house’ has no protection (Jesus) he brings his buddies and moves back into the old ‘house making the man’s situation  worse off than before (Matt. 12:43-45).  That devil can come back where a person has not ‘fortified’ himself through the blood of Jesus.

Paul said that he was a servant to Jesus (Rom. 1:1).  The Greek word used here is duolos (G1401) which means servant but more like a slave or a ‘bondsman’.  A bondservant (H5650/5647, abad, abed) is one who works for another as a slave or, perhaps, could be even a worshipper (Lev. 25:39).  Nonetheless, a bondsman willingly serves another, usually to pay off a debt. 

So Paul was bound with Jesus.  Paul tells the Corinthians that being a servant of Christ, he is free (loosed, from the bond with the world), yet being ‘free’ in Christ Jesus, he is the Lord’s servant – a willing ‘subject (1 Corinth. 7:22), a bonded man. And going to abed a willing worshipper? (hopefully)

Then when we loose something (iuo) we are basically setting it free!  Free from whatever it may have been in bondage to or from what it may have been connected.  Loosing is freedom from whatever held it bondage.  When we confess our sin, we are ‘loosed’ from the bondage of that sin.  Free at last!  Let’s not forget Paul’s wrestling match.  Paul explains how our heart serves Jesus but our flesh still tries to do things contrary, yet through Jesus, we have victory (Rom.7:15-25, read the whole chapter – a lesson all by itself).

Once done, as with Paul, then we bind ourselves to our Lord Jesus!  Aren’t we then loosed or free from sin?  It no longer rules our lives – Jesus does!  So we are able to fight any attempt the enemy brings back towards us.

Have we thought how this works with ‘deliverance’?  First we bind the devil’s activities so he can’t fight back (Matt. 12:28).  Then we cast that ole devil out to do his ‘thing’ in a desert’ place (no people).  He roams the earth looking for someone else to ‘pick on’.  Then we help the individual bond with Jesus so should that devil comes back, he finds there is no room at the inn (Matt. 12:43-45). 

When we think of ‘binding’ we need to consider not just prohibiting something from working but also ‘uniting’ with something or someone.  ‘Loosing’ is untying or setting something free from that which it is bound.

So, binding and loosing can is not just prohibiting the devil from operating but to bond (unite) with Jesus and then be loosed (free) from sin?

Amen?

                      Bind (deo)                                                              Loosed (iuo) 

PS:  Father told me to come back and include this so someone doesn’t wind up like the vagabond Jews, sons of Sceva, who tried to cast out demons in Jesus name and got the butts kicked (Acts 19:13-16).  Why?  They didn’t know Jesus and thought they could just go through the motions.  Jesus told His disciples, when they couldn’t cast out a demon, this come by fasting and praying (Matt. 17:15-21).  And of course we CAN do all things through the name of Jesus (Col. 3:17) because we have a relationship with Him.  One doesn’t just activate  actions without the relationship.  Yes?    

 

1-15-2022           The Sardis/Philadelphia Effect

            

John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when he heard a voice which sounded like a trumpet.  And the voice said “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia …” (Rev. 1:10-11).  John saw one like the Son of man in the midst of seven golden candlesticks.  He was dressed down to His feet and wore a golden girdle about His chest.  The hairs of his head were like wool and white as snow and His eyes were like the flame of a fire. His feet were like fine brass burned in the furnace and His voice sounded like many waters.  He held seven stars in His right hand and a sharp, two-edged sword proceeded out of His mouth and His countenance (appearance) was very bright and shining (like the noonday sun).  And He said “Fear not, I am the first and the last.  I am He that lives and that was dead.  Behold, I am alive forever more, Amen.  And I have the keys of hell and death…” (Rev. 1:12-18).

John notes the encouragement given the first four churches (Rev. 2:1-29), but also the shortcomings for each.  The seventh church is reprimanded for being lukewarm but is also given a remedy for its condition (Rev. 3:14-18.

Let’s personalize the last two churches, Sardis and Philadelphia. 

Apparently Sardis (the 5^th church) was starting to falter.  They looked like they were alive but inside they were dying (spiritually).  They weren’t doing the works they could or should (expressing God’s love) so they needed to be watchful so they didn’t lose what they did have.  We need to remember our original commitment to our Lord (our salvation experience) and hold on, tightly, and if we have faltered, don’t lose what we have left.   But then, start rebuilding, drawing closer to our Lord.  We need to recognize our shortcomings and repent.  That is confess, repent and renounce, getting back on the right track and into proper alignment with Father.  For we should have made the decision to follow Jesus – again.  Then, as I said, continue growing towards Him.

The church may have gotten too comfortable and perhaps neglecting our relationship with the Lord (remember, I’m personalizing this).  We need to remember that when Jesus returns for us, He comes as a thief in the night, we don’t know the day nor the hour (1 Thess. 5:2).  There are those of us who have not forsaken Jesus so let us continue to walk with Him.  Because we have endured the enticements of the world (the enemy) so we shall be clothed in white, which reflects the purity of Jesus (and us), and because we have overcome the world, our names shall remain in the book of life and Jesus will confess us before the angels. (Rev. 3:1-6).  Also, because of our perseverance, we shall receive a crown of life (Rev. 2:10) as we reap the benefits of eternal fellowship with the Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen?

To the church of Philadelphia (the 6th church), this is He who is holy, true, who has the keys of David so He can open that which no man can shut or shut that which no man can open.  He knows all that we’ve done.  He has opened doors before us which no man can shut for we still have ‘some’ strength and are still keeping His Word and have not denied His name.  There are those who have seemed to be a part of the ‘church’, but have lied or those who have stood against our Lord, He will humble them before us and they will know that the living God (Creator of all things) has loved us.  Why?  Because we have kept His Word and endured hardships for His Name’s sake.  It is the Lord God who has kept us from the temptation which comes upon the world and which tries the hearts of all men.  The Lord bids us to come quickly and tightly hold on to that which He has given us so that no one may take our crown (of glory).  Those who overcome the enemy, He will make pillars in the temple of God and we shall no longer leave His presence.   He will write His name and the name of His city (which comes down from heaven) upon us and give us a new name (Rev. 3:7-13)

To be like the faithful of Philadelphia should be our goal.  That is, to keep God’s law in our heart and mind and to live in His love, here in this world.  As we do, He will help us resist our enemy and stand fast in the ways He (Jesus) has taught us.  As we do, our names remain in God’s (the Lamb’s) Book of Life (Phil. 4:3, Rev. 3:5, Rev. 21:27).  We will abide in/with Jesus, bathed in the glory of God, forever!

Even the Jews know that God has loved us with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3).  They also know the first and great commandment is to love God (Exod. 20:1-11, Luke 10:25-28). Jesus reminds us (in case we missed it) when He answers the question and expands our responsibility with not just loving God, but our neighbor as well (Matt.22:36-40, Mark 12:29-31).

Today’s passages remind me of the parable of the sower, how some seed fell by the wayside, some among thorns or on stony ground but other good ground.  Again, for us, the wayside, the Word never takes hold in our lives, in one ear and quickly out the other.  There is no commitment to God, on our part.  The stony ground and thorns reflect people who receive Jesus and come into the church.  However, one is not diligent to increase their heart to grow and improve their relationship with Father, (Rom. 12:2) and the other gets too wrapped up in the cares of this world he forgets who God is (Mark 4:18-19).  Both of these are in serious danger of walking away from God and losing what they do have (eternal security) despite having professed Jesus.  AND they are yet “in” the church.  And of course the good ground are those who cling to Jesus, learn to live in His love and let the world see the love of God working in our lives.  We develop a true relationship with our Lord and maintain it.

Not all who profess Jesus will enter into eternity.  They will say “Haven’t we done all these wonderful things in your name?”  They did these things for their own glory and never really took the time to get ‘to know’ Jesus.  So how does Jesus respond?  “I never knew you.  Depart from me, you who work iniquity.”

The church of Sardis is encouraged to strengthen their faith and make sure the life is up to God’s standard – living in love).  That is, basically, encouraged to get to “know” Jesus – personally and up close.  Because Philadelphia has done the best job of the seven, there is a lot of promises of things to come and encouragement to stay on track. 

Should we not follow the positive example of the “Sardis/Philadelphia Effect”?

Amen

 

1/1/2022  New Beginnings

 

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.  The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters.  Then God said “Let there be …” (Gen. 1:1-3)

January 1^st is the first day of the first month of a new year.  God began creating all things on the first, the first day of creation.  A new beginning for all things! 

At the end of six “days”, all things were good (Gen. 1:31). 

God is before anything was formed, everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2).  The Hebrew word used for everlasting is olawm (H5769) which is eternal, everlasting, always was (hidden parameters or unknown to us) (H5956).  He always was, is, and always will be.  We also need to remember that a day with the Lord is “as” a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:4).  ‘Yom’ (H3117) the Hebrew word for day, can mean a day (sunrise to sunset) or represent a non-specific amount of time.  The Greek word ‘Hos’ (G5613) is a comparative word, not saying that it is but is “like”.  Man, on the other hand, has a beginning (Gen. 1:26-28) and because of Adam and Eve being disobedient to the Word of the Lord we have an end “…and to dust you shall return (Gen. 3:1-19).  Because we are temporal, finite (have a beginning and an end) and God is infinite (no beginning, no end).  Who can truly say how long a day is with God.

I mention this to put things in perspective.  Man was created an eternal being, but through disobedience was given so many years to live on earth.  We know early man lived long.  Adam was 930 years old when he died (Gen. 5:5).  Presumably that was after he was booted out of Eden.  Noah live 950 years including the flood time (Gen. 9:29) and Methuselah lived 969 (Gen. 5: 27).  Moses lived 120 years (Deut. 34:7).  David became king of Israel at age 30 (2 Sam. 5:4) and died after reigning forty years (1 Chron. 29:28), so he was seventy years old when He died.  A whole lot less than Adam or Methuselah.  Basically, the farther man got from Eden, the shorter the lifespan. 

Unfortunately, man kept bouncing in and out of his relationship with Father Until God decided it was time make His appearance through Jesus. 

Jesus ushered in another “new beginning”.  Not only was He getting Israel (His 1^st love) back on the right track, but He was opening the door for the Gentiles to join in with eternal life so all would have the opportunity of life. 

Think about it. In the beginning, man lived in the blessings of God but, by and large, rejected that relationship.  Here, Jesus is again offering man the blessings of the Father, though He was going to Israel first.  Why?  Israel was originally intended to be God’s example of His love to the world, but, as a whole, they couldn’t keep their act together.  So through Jesus, Father was offering them that opportunity again (if you will).  Though the first Christians were Jews, too many rejected Him.  So the door was also now opened to the Gentiles.

Jesus offered eternal life to all who would receive Him and follow His lead.  His example.  Live in His love!  Now, understand any of those who sought and loved the Lord, (even before Jesus) were given the opportunity for life.

The new beginnings in the “New Testament” the disciples weren’t just bringing people into the “Way” (Jesus’) but helping them to live in the “Way”.  The Way?  Abiding in the love of Jesus Christ.  Learning how to love our brothers AND our neighbors.  The Jews knew ‘what to do’ and too many felt that ‘knowing’ was sufficient but knowing isn’t necessarily putting it into practice, nor does ‘just’ knowing get us into heaven.  Read the gospels.  Therein are the examples.

Jesus focused on faith and then putting that faith into action.  How many times did Jesus say “believe and you shall receive.” (Mark 11:24)  How many times did Jesus say “Just believe” (1 Thess. 2:13)?  The centurion believed Jesus could heal his servant just by speaking the word – even though they weren’t at his house (Matt. 8:5-10).  Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that they knew what to do, but their hearts were far from Him (Matt. 23:27-31).  The ‘religious’ of the Jews put on a good show but they only desired to better themselves!

Living in God’s love was not new.  Read Hebrews chapter eleven – God’s “hall of faith”.

So Jesus started a movement intended to draw people closer to Father.  To reconnect in a relationship Adam and Eve enjoyed in the beginning.  He could do this because Jesus IS Emmanuel, God is with us (Matt. 1:23).  His whole ministry was built on building that relationship with the Creator of all things.  Christianity was to be the ‘new’ banner carrier for eternal salvation.  Christianity was to show the world how to love as God loves.      

But, alas.  Just as the Jews, the Christian church eventually became ‘comfortable’ in what we had.  Somewhere between those early disciples and today, we’ve lost the fire, not for evangelism but for establishing new converts so that their house is built upon the rock – and not sinking sand (Matt. 7:24-27)’.  PTL!  (Praise The Lord), Over the centuries, Christians have become comfortable in their ‘sand castles   But what did they do after the salvation experience?  Did they get those ‘new souls’ into a grounded church where they could get nurtured in the love of God and grow strong, knowledgeable and faithful?  How many took the time to nurture any of these new souls, themselves?  How many churches are truly equipped to get souls off on the right foot?  Read some church history.  Over the years, some kings who “got saved” commanded that their subjects do likewise.  Not a personal relationship but personal obedience to the king’s decree.  There were a number of reasons why souls didn’t get grounded in Christ over the centuries.

Paul reminds us that we should do that which edifies the church (1 Corinth. 14:26).  Paul had to remind the Corinthians to always speak the truth in love that we may grow more Christ-like.  We are all members of one body (Christ is our head), building each other up in love that all might be edified.  We learn to put off those things we used to do and be renewed in the spirit of our mind.  Put on the new man, growing in righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:15-32) and be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving one another.  After all, Christ has forgiven us!  Right?

Look at the church today!  Has the church become a series of ‘closed’ social clubs?  Where is the focus?  Getting bodies into the church so we can boast about how ‘big’ our church is?  So we can brag about how much money we bring in?  So we can show off all the programs we have?  Look at us!  Ain’t we great?  Don’t get me wrong.  There’s nothing wrong with programs, people like to feel involved; offerings, there are expenses in operating a church; and a full church is necessary to the other two to work!  As long as souls are being nurtured and growing in God’s love, we are on the right track.  That’s “agape” love.  Doing things because they are the right thing to do. Doing things to help others whether we get recognized or not.  Doing things because we ‘really’ care about the growth in others. 

Just like the Jews of 2000 years ago, today’s church – despite the good things it does – has fallen off the track.  And just like the Jews, it’s because our hearts have wandered off.  Oooh!  Those mega-churches are doing everything right!  Those poor, ‘little’ churches should be doing better, where their …..?

Whether we realize it or not, Father has just closed out a ‘training period’ for His people.  That is, He has been raising up a cadre of Godly men and women who have, or still are learning to abide in God’s love.  Brothers and sisters who will be going out just as the early disciples did.  Not just winning souls for Christ, but helping them to live ‘in’ Him and not just ‘for’ Him. 

Jan. 1, 2015 began that seven year training period for those servants and now we are entering a second seven year period where what Father has been teaching will be put to use.  This “Spiritual Explosion” will be growing over the next several years moving into full bloom by mid-term of this season.

If we have been watching, parts of Africa and Asia have already seen early rumblings of the explosion and over the next several years it will spread out world-wide.  Have you been listening?  Many evangelists, prophets and ministers have also been talking about the “revival” here in the US.   All of Africa and Asia, along with Europe, the Americas and Australia will also be impacted. 

Will all these places become Christian over-night.  Sadly no, but the impact of God’s movement will be felt and the world will know God has and is moving!

This season we are just starting isn’t “just” a revival.  Father is going to impact lives, perhaps, as never before.  Jesus promised the disciples that they would to the works He did and greater (John 14:12).  I’m not sure exactly what different we can do other than heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils, but we can be rest assured there will be more of it.  Africa is an indication.

Will everyone give their heart to Jesus.  Jesus knows it won’t be so.  It wasn’t true in His day and even today, too many people are stuck in their own ruts.  Some will hear the word and it will go in one ear and out the other.  Because of a sand based foundation, some will endure for a while, but when trouble comes (and it will) they will turn away.  Others will get so wrapped up in their own thing, they will forget what Father has done for them and slip back into the ways of the world.  But Father is raising up those who will help those who truly desire Him to stand fast and resist anything and everything the enemy throws at them and stay true to our heavenly Father. (Matt. 13:1-23).

Who will be like the woman who would settle even for the crumbs falling from the master’s table (Matt. 15:22-28).  And yet I tell you that God’s sons and daughters will not have to settle for the crumbs.  Who will be like the Centurion who felt he was not worthy that Jesus should come to his home.  All Jesus would have to do is say the word and the soldier’s servant would be healed (Matt. 8:5-10)!

Jesus (and His early disciples) impressed upon us that as we believe, we will receive.  If we knock, the door will be opened (Matt. 7:7-8) and the indwelling Holy Ghost (John 14:17) will guide us and help us to say what is needed to be said (Luke 12:11-12).

Some reading this will come to realize that everyone has a part to take in this explosion.  Some bigger than others, but even if our ministry is ‘just’ one other person, we all have a part.

Who will be ready and willing to take part in this Spiritual Explosion?  Father will certainly enable us.

Amen