Me ~ Who is the enemy?
John ~ The enemy are the forces of evil in high places. Paul said that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against powers and authorities in high places. Human beings are simple taking marching orders from wicked and evil authorities in higher dimensions. We should and can even call them fallen angels.
Me ~ Are you saying that people here on earth are possessed by fallen angels as in evil spirits and are somehow using people like puppets, pulling strings to get what they want? And, do people know that they are being used?
John ~ They are not possessed but highly influenced. They have chosen to accept these orders. Yes, they know that they are being used. These people are Satanists. They are in the federal government, in the UN and in the Vatican and in many churches... running the banks. Basically, wherever there is power and money, you will find such people. That is how they stay there.
Me ~ Why is that?
John ~ Because, Satan is the god of this fallen world. To prove that, when Jesus was in the wilderness, Satan came to him and offered Jesus all the kingdoms and powers of this world and how was that possible? It was because again Satan is the ruler of this fallen world and can and did make that offer. This fallen world belongs to Satan.
Me ~ I agree and understand. Yet, many churches who claim that they are as well as their members Christians, seem to think that God is directing their life here and will provide them with wealth and health and all good things. Doesn't that seem like a contradiction to what you just stated? I mean, wouldn't it be Satan that is making the promises just as he promised Jesus.
John ~ I need to untangle this. There seem to be two messages. Those that are His, He will provide for us if we put His kingdom first. Yet, there are those that hold to a prosperity gospel that God does not want anything bad to happen to you only good things such as wealth and riches. So, the truth of the matter is that God says the He will take care and we should trust Him in all things and not focus our lives on gaining and holding onto material things. However, we will suffer loss and we will suffer pain and suffer at the hand of those who do not know Him. Ultimately, the problem is the definition of prosperity and wealth. It can mean money but it also means health and all the things that give us happiness here and now. However, they are not to be our objective in this world and could not be given this fallen world. Our joy comes from trusting and serving the Lord.
The problem with the prosperity gospel is that it puts prosperity first, we are not supposed to be focused on prosperity in this life but on our relationship with God... some will be good things and some will be bad things.
Me ~ Yes, I agree for the most part. However, I think that we differ a bit. I think that we have already been given everything we need in this world = The Blessed Hope Jesus Christ. If we want and ask for more aren't we being rebellious against God and in fact being anti-Christ. We are basically saying then that Jesus was not enough. Certainly, ultimately He is enough since this is still a fallen world and God's plan for this fallen world is its passing away 1 Cor7:13.
If anything good happens to us, good by our definition, then it could very well be from Satan since he rules this world. The only way to overcome him in his world is when 'good' things happen to us, we give thanks and praise to Jesus Christ.
John ~ Ok, but you are leaving out what Christ said, "When you don't ask for it, you won't get it". Jesus who is our Lord and Savior says "The Lord is our provision" for all we need. God would not give us a snake if we ask for a stone. Does this mean we will not suffer? Does this mean bad things will not happen. No. God promises He will get us safely into His Kingdom. There is no sin in asking God for the things we need. He clearly wants us to ask. We should take Him at his Word. The Bible says that if you don't get what you pray for, you ask amiss. We have to understand that not everything we ask for we will get. And, likely we will not get and that is because we live in a fallen world.
Me ~ Agree. Yet, many people will say "I think God wants me to have better". Isn't that like the illustrative story of when a man asks God to be rescued from a flood and, along comes a canoe. The man refuses because he expects a yacht. Couldn't God have gotten the man out with the canoe?
And, shouldn't we those who are children of God have the Kingdom within and we are thus able to move about doing the work of the Lord, preaching the Good News which is that Christ died for our sin and faith in Him will deliver us?
John ~ Does God say He wants us to have better. Yes, we trust Him to give us what we need. This is part of the trust. The story of the man who refused the canoe is not scriptural. It is dangerous for us to think that God wants us to take or have what little there is. We should be asking for His will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Let us understand that heaven is a place of perfection. There is no lack in heaven. If we want God's will to be done, we can ask for those things on earth. However, God does not always say yes. When we don't get what we ask for we should not be upset. God knows better than we do.
Me ~ Agree in that we are overcomers by saying that God's will be done, and by asking for all things excellent and or perfect of spirit for in that are all things we could ever want.
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