Scripture
But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Reflection
What an awesome experience, to have the kingdom of God come upon us, the ultimate supernatural encounter! On the other hand, Jesus said this to the crowd after he had cast out a mute demon in a man. Even as people marveled that the mute has been healed, accusing voices also arose, saying that Jesus’ power came from Beelzebub who rules over demons rather than from God.
In my walk of faith through the years, I would sometimes think these thoughts: during Jesus’ ministry and showed himself to be the Son of God, how could anyone who witnessed the miracles or heard Jesus teach ever doubted who he says he is? On the other hand, if I were one of the witnesses, would I believe him? The thought of not recognizing God actually scares me. Fortunately I do believe, and even more so, I am grateful.
In a recent talk that SCF offered on the topic of spiritual warfare, Dean Sherman taught that the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power (1 Cor 4:20), and the kingdom of God “is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17) — as personified by Jesus himself! However, there are people who are in supernatural darkness because their minds have been blinded by the god of this age, and cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Cor 4:4). Those who don’t believe in God aren’t necessarily without knowledge; they are deceived to believe something else. This is why, Dean said, it is so important and necessary for believers to battle in the spiritual realm by praying for revelation, to push back the power of deception. We are to look upon the lost with compassion, just as Jesus had on us. We all have a friend or family member who has yet to accept Christ, so let it be an encouragement to us, that we can pray for the kingdom of God to come down, to give revelation that reveals His glory.
The link to Dean Sherman’s teaching on Spiritual Warfare (video via Zoom) is available by email: [email protected]
Thoughts for the day
- It’s not religion or doctrine, but a face to face encounter with the Almighty that will change a person. Who could you be praying for that needs this encounter?
- Look upon the lost with compassion – – does this change your approach of reaching out to the unsaved co-worker, neighbor, or loved one?
Prayer
