The Acts of the Apostles 20

Subtitle: Run-in with the Law #2

Acts 5:17-32.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on October 9, 2022.

In today’s passage, the leaders of Israel are going to haul the apostles in because they continue to preach salvation and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus.

It is important to pay attention to the attitude of these men as they disobey earthly authorities in order to obey God.  Some people use the idea of obeying God rather than man as a moral cover for selfish reasons.  The fruit of their life bears out the message that they are simply using it as a license for immorality. 

May God help us to be led by the Holy Spirit, rather than man.  But, may we also understand that His plan is always to give a witness to all those who are watching, whether leaders or not.  This is a holy matter and we should be careful not to muddy the waters of what God wants to say to others.  If we attempt to use this as an excuse, we will one day stand before Him with no excuse.

Let’s get into the passage.

The apostles are imprisoned (vs. 17-21)

The first arrest of any of the apostles was at the beginning of chapter four.  Peter and John were arrested, questioned, threatened and then released.  Now we have a second arrest.

It is the high priest of Israel and his religious party, the Sadducees, are filled with indignation that these men continue to teach in the name of Jesus.  The word translated “indignation” is often translated as “zeal.”  It refers to the heat and passion to defend or pursue something.  In this case, they are going to defend their actions with Jesus, and pursue the goal of shutting up these disciples of Jesus.

We must always hold our passions in check before the Lord to determine whether they are motivated by righteousness and His Spirit, rather than by our own flesh and the world around us.

The phrase “they laid their hands on the apostles” simply means that they had them arrested, most likely by the temple guards.  It is most likely that all of the apostles are arrested this time since Luke made it clear in chapter four that it was only Peter and John.  He only says “apostles” in this chapter.

The apostles are held over night in the common prison.  However, God has different plans in mind.  He sends an angel to release them that night.  The angel simply “opens the doors,” with no mention of the guards in these verses.  In a bit, we will see in verse 23 that the guards are still outside the jailhouse and don’t know that anything has happened the next morning.  Most likely a spiritual sleepiness came over them because there is no mention of them being afraid and running away as in the case of the resurrection of Jesus.

Of course, angels don’t need keys.  In Acts 12, an angel will rescue Peter from prison and it basically says that the “chains fell off his hands,” and that a large iron gate opened “of its own accord.”  The word is the Greek term automate that has the idea that it opened by itself, without the intervention of something else.

Thus, the disciples found themselves freed late at night without the soldiers and the high priest knowing what had happened.

The angel then gives them a message from the Lord.  They are to go to the temple, and “speak to the people all the words of this life.”  It is most likely a reference to the eternal life that Jesus promised to his followers and those who believed upon him through their preaching.  However, we should not separate this eternal life from the here and now.  Christian believers already have the eternal life of Christ welling up in them like a spring.  The Christian life is itself an expression of God’s life flowing through us day by day, and will climax at the resurrection when this mortal flesh is overwhelmed by the power of God’s eternal life!

When it comes to angels, the bible is clear that angels are ministering spirits on behalf of those who are being saved (Hebrews 1:14).  Their work is generally unseen.  However, from time to time and as it suites God’s purposes, they operate in a way that enables people to see them, or recognize after the fact that they have been active.  We shouldn’t address them, pray to them, or try to direct them.  We pray to God and let Him decide how we should be helped!

The apostles then waited until the temple opened that morning.  They then boldly marched up onto the temple mount, no doubt setting up in Solomon’s Colonnade, and began to declare the words of life through faith in Jesus!  At this point their lives are totally surrendered to what Jesus has for them.  There is no discussion about what is wise and what is foolish.  If the Lord gives a command, then we need to obey.  May God help us to develop and walk in such courage.

There is a sense of humor that the apostles are preaching in the temple as the Sanhedrin is gathered in order to question them, and determine their fate.  God doesn’t always do things the same way.  These men are sprung from jail, whereas, Daniel was protected in it.  Others went on to be executed, and have their heads cut off.  We need to learn to trust Jesus, to exercise our faith in him no matter what may happen.

The apostles are on trial again (vs. 22-32)

As we see, they are going to be arrested again and brought before the council of Israel, but first, there is the question of where they are.  When the council sends for the apostles to be brought before them out of the prison, the officers cannot find them.  They go back to the council and report that everything looks like it should, officers are still guarding it, the doors are locked, and yet there are no apostles.  Wasn’t that nice of the angel to lock up after they left? 

This leaves the council wondering what was going on.

At this point, someone comes from the temple and reports that the apostles are preaching on the temple grounds!  Of course, this can’t be allowed to stand, so they are arrested again “without violence”, mainly because they were afraid that the people might stone them.

This is a common problem among those who stand in the place of the law.  The power to arrest is supposed to be done in service of righteousness, and doesn’t always require violence.  However, some men do require strong force to bring them into custody.  Yet, at the same time, power can go to people’s heads, even law enforcement officers.  Those giving arrest orders, and those carrying out the arrests, can completely overstep their proper authority when their ego gets over-involved.  Thus, you can lawlessly execute a lawful order, or even lawlessly execute a lawless order.

The apostles are set before the council and the high priest addresses them.  He reminds them that previously they had been commanded not to teach “in this name.”  Apparently, he doesn’t even want to say the name of Jesus.   Yet, they have gone out and filled Jerusalem with their teaching, and appear to be intent on making “us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Think about it this way.  A lawful execution of a wicked man is not murder.  This is what the leaders want to be the official narrative.  However, the apostles are saying that the execution was not valid and that God had overturned it through resurrection.  This means that the leaders are guilty of the blood of Jesus.  His blood is on their heads in the way of guilt.

Peter serves as the spokesman for the group and gives their answer.  You can compare this answer with the one that he gave last time in Acts 4:19-20.

In Acts 4, he used the verb “listen,” but here, it is “obey.”  Also, in chapter 4 it is put forward as a question for the council to decide upon, but now Peter makes a statement.  Here are both forms.  Chapter 4: “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!”  Chapter 5: “We must obey God rather than human beings!”    The question should never be, “What do men want me to do?”  Rather, it should always be about what God wants!

Peter then details what God has done and what He is doing just as he did in chapter 4.  God raised up Jesus whom they murdered by hanging.  Of course, the Romans did the killing, but it would not have happened without the rulers pushing it.  To add insult to injury, they chose hanging to be the form of death knowing that the Law of Moses claims that a man who hangs on a tree is cursed of God.

God then exalted Jesus to His right hand in order to make him two things.  First, it is in order to make him to be Prince.  The word prince is used here in the sense of the principal leader of a something and is synonymous with king.  This is connected to Daniel 9:25 where Messiah the Prince is prophesied to be executed.

Second, Jesus is raised to the right hand of the Father in order to make him to be Savior.  Remember that this term involves more than just dealing with sins.  It may better be translated as Deliverer- like the Judges of old.  Just as Israel needed a savior all those years ago, we too need a Savior today.  Praise God that He has already given us Jesus!

Jesus was also giving to Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.  That is a powerful statement.  How long had they gone as a society without repenting for their past and present sins?  It had been a long time.  Through Jesus God was granting them repentance.  I would that God would grant to the United States of America repentance and forgiveness of sins for it seems that we are bent on doubling down on our sins.

Peter declares again that the apostles are witnesses of all of these things.  They don’t just have two or three witnesses, but twelve!  On top of that, there are two classes of witnesses.  The apostles are the human witnesses, but the Holy Spirit bears witness as well by healing powerfully through the disciples.

Peter ends with the statement that God is giving the Holy Spirit to those who obey.  In a sense, this is put before them laden with potential.  If they simply dropped the ego and admitted they were wrong, then they too could participate in the blessed promise of the Holy Spirit.  Alas, it was not to be so.

May God help us to make the choice today.  We will either be a part of the remnant that is receiving the Spirit of God and moving forward into blessing or we will be part of the larger group that is receiving the judgment of God and moving forward into His wrath.  Choose this day whom you will serve!

Run-in audio

A Bondage by Our Own Hands

Romans 1:21-28,32; 13:1-2,4.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on July 4, 2021, Independence Day.

The Declaration of Independence of the United States was adopted by the Second Continental Congress at a meeting in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.  It is 245 years old today.  Of course, the British couldn’t have cared less about our declarations, and sent a large force to crush the rebellion, as they would say.

When you read the Declaration and the Constitution, ratified in 1788, you realize that these were not rebels who wanted rid of government so they could embrace anarchy.  These were not brigands who resented the rule of law.  Instead, these were men who were watching their society be reduced to bondage under a tyrannical despot.

We will talk more about this in a bit, but first, we must recognize that there is a bondage that is worse than political bondage, and it often is the source of the political bondage.

We are in a bondage of our own making

We cannot blame God for the mess we find ourselves in as a Republic.  It is the result of our choices and actions, both spiritually and politically.  We have crafted this fine mess by our own hands.

In Romans 1, Paul explains the bondage that comes upon those who cast off belief in God, and a fear of the Lord.  This is just as true today as it was with the original Gentile nations that came into being after The Tower of Babel judgment.  They quickly turned away from the God of heaven and towards created things, both material and immaterial. 

Have we not done the same thing, but in a more sophisticated way?  We have continually cast off a fear of the Lord, and even the belief that He exists.  This is the same God who has proven Himself over the millennia.  Socially, we are busy chasing Him further and further away from public visibility, and the halls of power.  The average person gives no heed to God and lives for their own pleasure, even many so-called Christians.

Paul then points to the fact that they then began to serve and worship created things more than the Creator.  The ancients interacted with fallen spiritual beings, and began to worship them.  They fashioned idols and performed rituals to localize the “deity’s” power in them.  Their whole purpose focused on being fruitful in every way.  They wanted to be fruitful with offspring, crops, and in military power.  They would do anything these fallen “gods” asked in order to have the good life.  All along, they were ignoring the One True God.

Is this not what we are doing today?  We may not fashion idols, but we have all manner of little trinkets that we spend our money on, thinking they will give us the good life.  We ignore the One True God, and Jesus Christ, His Anointed King.  Instead, we give honor and worth (worship) to things that are not gods, and wonder why things get so bad.

When people ignore God and value the creation over the top of Him, He gives them over to those things they are embracing.  In trying to be free from God, they end up being in bondage to the things they think will bring freedom. 

The same is true for us today.  This bondage that God has given us over to has manifested itself in all manner of problems in our society and our politics.  Our people have cast off true religion.  We sacrifice our babies at the altar of Planned Parenthood so that we can have the good life.  We sacrifice one another at the altar of business so that we can have the good life.  We sacrifice our sexuality and gender, in order to gain an ever-elusive satisfaction without the One True God.

Three times in Romans chapter one, Paul uses the phrase, “God gave them up,” or “God gave them over to” the evil things that they sought over the top of Him.  We cannot cast off the fear of God, and worship the things of this creation, without the judgment of God giving us over to those things.  In fact, Paul specifically states that we are given over to impure or sinful desires, vile passions, and a debased mind.  A debased mind is a mind that is without any value, or worth; it doesn’t work like it is supposed to any more.

This is where many people find themselves as individuals, and where we all find ourselves as a people that are collectively the United States of America, or better yet, “We the People of the United States.”

This brings up the issue of Romans 13.  Our founding fathers knew Romans 13 well, and they even believed that they were operating in full obedience to it.  So, let’s look at some of it.

We were not made for bondage

Some loyalists tried to make the case that it was sinful to rebel against King George of Great Britain.  However, the majority of the colonists understood that there was more to the Bible’s teaching on governance than Romans 13:1, and that Romans 13 makes it clear why God has ordained that there be human government.  It is “for the good of the people (verse 4).”

True government is to be a bane to those who would operate in wickedness against their neighbors, and a boon to those who lived righteously.  They were supposed to protect the good of the people.  Yet, King George was not doing this.  He was doing something that was itself a wickedness.  He was placing the people in bondage for his own purposes, and we were not made for bondage.

Though the Declaration of Independence is not the Law of the Land, it shows us the mindset and thinking of the founders.  Theirs was not a rebellious, ungodly mindset, but one that made its case before God and man.  Let’s look at their case, which doesn’t ignore Romans 13, but in fact, is based squarely upon it.

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

They go on to list a rationale for their declaration.  First, they see that it is self-evident that God made all men equal.  They did not mean equal in the sense that they had the same gifts, abilities, and inheritance.  Rather, they were all equal in the essence of their being.  No human is more or less valuable than another.  We are all created by God to be His image bearers, whether a king or a peasant.

Next, they stated that the Creator has endowed all men with unalienable rights.  Unalienable means that they can’t be separated from us.  Sure, tyrants can use force to obstruct our rights, but they didn’t give us those rights, and they have no authority to take them away.  They still belong to us as long as God is God!

Then, they point out that governments are instituted among men to secure those unalienable rights, deriving their power from the consent of the governed.  Romans 13 focuses on God raising up governments, but the Bible in its totality, shows that the power of a government is based as much upon the consent of those governed, because the government is supposed to be for their good!

The next point is that, if any form of government becomes destructive of the good of its people, the people have the right to alter, or abolish it in order to form a new government that will work properly.  The government was made for the people, not the people for the government.  Notice that these men are not pushing anarchy and lawlessness.

They then point out that prudence dictates that a government long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.  This kind of action shouldn’t be happening very often.

However, experience shows that people are more disposed to suffer than to right themselves by abolishing the forms of government that they are used to.  Most people will blame God and rail at the government for generations before they ever get around to thinking about abolishing a government.

Lastly is the statement, “But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”

The “but” is critical here.  They had experienced a long suffering, and were prudently responding to a long train of abuses that had only one design, to reduce them to absolute despotism.  It is not just a right, but a duty to throw off such a government.  Rights are things that we can choose to exercise or not, but duty is something you should never shirk.  If you do, you do so at your own peril.  The new guards were not federal bureaucrats.  The new guards started with the Articles of Confederation, which were replaced later by the Constitution.

They end the declaration by appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of their intentions.  Jesus Christ is the Supreme Judge of the Heavens and the Earth.  In short, if Jesus thought their endeavor was just, they are asking for His help.  If He thinks that their endeavor is unjust then He would stand against them and help Britain to subdue them.  Of course, we know how it went.

We find ourselves at a time where many people are gathering in groups and complaining about bondage.  Some are advocating anarchy, which is unbiblical and folly.  Some are advocating socialism, and ultimately communism, which is a false promise and folly as well.  Some are advocating armed resistance, pointing to the founding fathers as an example.

The problem is that we have something today that they didn’t.  We have a constitution that limits the federal and State governments.  Each of the States also have a constitution that limits them and the municipalities within their borders.  Yes, we may be being pressed into absolute despotism by an elite oligarchy.  However, what they are doing is illegal and unconstitutional.  They are not our king, or emperor.  They are our servants created by our constitution, by us, in order to secure our rights, not to enrich themselves out of the people’s treasury, which is full of “YOY’s” (You Owe Yourself) from the thieves we’ve hired.  We do not need armed resistance against our government.  Instead, we need to hold them accountable to the Constitution, for once!

How have they been able to pass unconstitutional laws and operate on lawless laws?  We have been asleep at the watch for several centuries now.  We have been apathetic to the duties that we have as a free people.  Yes, Congress, the Presidency, and the supreme Court are supposed to act on our behalf, but in the end, it is our job to watch them and hold them accountable to the Law when they won’t.

Over time, the federal level, state level, county level, and even city level politicians have created structures and mechanisms that rob the people’s treasury for their own benefit, and the benefit of those who are greasing their gears.  Yes, the government is a mess, but it is that way because we have been lazy, and ignorant.  We ourselves are a mess and have crafted this bondage we see.

What do we do?  It starts with repentance in the heart of each citizen in these United States.  As Christians, we should be leading the way because we are called by Christ to be living a daily walk of repentance already.  Stop being apathetic and ignorant, and start asking God to help you to see the duties and actions that demonstrate true repentance, that go beyond just showing up to vote (sad to say, too many don’t even do this).

Just as our country needs to return to living according to the Constitution, so Christians need to return to our spiritual Constitution, the New Testament.  Forget about how the lost are living.  The average Christian barely gives lip service to the duties of being a child of God who is spiritually free.  It is not enough to claim that the death of Jesus takes away your sin and yet keep choosing the same sin every day.

The duties of a free child of God begin with daily repentance.  Repentance always has two sides to it.  I am turning from the bad thing, and turning to what I should have been doing in the first place.  We must then become daily worshippers of God, praising Him, and calling out upon Him in prayer, instead of worshipping the things of this world.  Your life declares what is valuable to you. Is it really Jesus?  We must also quit being ignorant of God’s Word.  If you don’t know God’s Word then how can you bring Him honor?  These are the words of Life!  We must take our discipleship seriously.  In college, you would be asked to leave if you were always partying and never did the work while failing the tests.  Yet, many Christians float along as if they don’t have to lift a finger to become like Jesus.  Lastly, we must take the destiny of the lost seriously, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.  The good news is not just that he can absolve them of any guilt, but that He can lead them in living a life of freedom.  To modify Rousseau, “Man was made to be free, but everywhere he is in chains.”  Let us return to the New Testament life of Christ, and to a constitutional form of government in these United States of America!

Bondage audio

The End-Times Battle for Humanity

Mark 13:19-23; John 5:43; Revelation 13:5-8, 11-18.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on December 27, 2020.

Being that this is the last sermon of this year, I felt it appropriate to examine the end-times battle that God has warned us is coming in His word, the Bible.  It is the apex of the battle for the hearts and minds of humanity that has been going on ever since the fall of Satan from perfection into sin and destruction.

We know very little about that initial fall, though there are some hints here and there in Scripture.  By pure logic, he appears to be the first being to fall through self-deception.  All those who came behind him, both heavenly and earthly beings, have been deceived by him to some degree.

The Bible tells us that the critical victory in this battle was won by Jesus through the cross and his resurrection.  However, it will not be completed until Jesus comes back and kicks out the usurpers, again, both heavenly and earthly.  None of them deserve to rule over humanity, but Jesus alone is worthy to receive all power and rule.

If believers in Jesus are to resist the deceptions that are even now being cast before the world, then we will need to heed the warnings of Scripture, and recognize them as they materialize.  Thus, the big-picture in the Bible must be recognized on the ground in our own life, or we will be deceived.  Let’s look at our passages.

Jesus warns of The Great Tribulation

The passage in Mark that I have noted above comes at the end of a prophecy that Jesus gives concerning the period of time between his ascension into heaven and his return to earth.  Towards the end of this period, Jesus warns about the Great Tribulation.  Mark doesn’t use the word great like Matthew does, but the description is clear.  This will be the worst time of trouble that the earth has ever seen in the past and will ever see in the future.  It comes upon the world right before the Second Coming of Jesus.  What makes this troubling time so bad is that God stops restraining Satan’s evil plans, and pours out His wrath upon a world that would choose to follow The Beast and reject the message of the Lamb of God, Jesus.  Of course, I am using terms that the book of Revelation uses.

Jesus has already presented himself and his plan to the world.  Christians are his emissaries continuing to plead with a world that has heard, and to give a hearing to those who have not.  In a spiritual sense, Satan has been presenting his plan to the world as well.  Yet, The Great Tribulation is a time when a particular being called The Beast will rise up with a plan for the world that is satanic in origin.  John 5:43 reminds us that Jesus came representing God the Father and was rejected.  However, another (christ-figure) will come in his own name, and the people will receive him.  This is the overall state of the world.  We will reject that which is good and innocent, and embrace that which is evil and guilty.  Now, let’s go to Revelation 13.

The Beast’s plan

The groundwork for Satan’s final kingdom has been laid down over the millennia.  Every empire up to now has been prologue and perhaps trial runs, or war games that are done in preparation.  Satan knows that God is partially restraining him, but he also knows that the restraint will one day cease.  He is ready with his plan at all times.

However, it is worth taking a few moments to ask this question.  Does his plan really involve helping or saving humanity?  He continually deceives the world with the carrot of a path of salvation, a path of fixing the world, that does not depend upon the One True God.  His plan tells man that there is an alternate way that does not involve following the God who actually created all things that exist.

Satan loves to project himself as the light-bringer who is only seeking to free humans from the tyranny of God.  However, this is either a form of psychosis, or pure deception.  He either really thinks that he can make something better than God, or he knows that he can’t, but wants to “stick it” to God anyway.  It is highly doubtful that Satan actually wants to help mankind.  We are simply a means to an end, useful idiots in a megalomaniacal plan that will destroy all those who participate in it.

Regardless of the true intentions of this being, one thing is absolutely clear from Scripture and from history.  He cannot save humanity; or better, he is unable to save humanity.  He is impotent, and powerless to stop the coming judgment day for himself or humanity.  Thus, his plan is itself a dream world that can never truly be because it refuses to submit to reality, and the God who created it.  Perhaps, this is why we see so many revolting against reality and seeking to make their own imaginations real and consequence-free.

Scripture warns us continually against trusting evil, fallen spirits and their propaganda.  In the Old Testament, people were warned against seeking the wisdom, or the leading, of these spirits instead of God Himself.  Leviticus 19:31 says, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.”  I could quote many others.  It is generally presented as a loyalty issue in the Old Testament, but it does include a warning against deception.  Deuteronomy 11:16 says, “Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them…”

Ultimately, the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that Satan and his spiritual cohorts are deceivers.  In John 8:44, Jesus says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Evolutionists and modernists love to present religions as the attempt of ancient man to explain the cosmos so that he wouldn’t be afraid of the dark, the unknown.  This itself is a propaganda.  Religions all have a spiritual origin.  The false religions of the world and the twisting of true religion are all propaganda from evil spirits who are intent on separating mankind from its Creator.  The doctrines and teachings of demons are more prevalent today than ever before.  They have even infiltrated much of the Church, just as they had infiltrated the religion of Israel in the days of Jesus.  Christians today must wake up to the spiritual deception that comes through secular and religious sources.

The Beast of Revelation is not Satan, but a representative of Satan (see 13:1-4) that comes on the scene with a global kingdom in the last days.  The picture of the beast rising up from the waters is not what he actually looks like.  Rather, it is a symbolic picture of his character, and the attempts at such a global kingdom by Satan.  The origin and identity of this Beast is scattered throughout Revelation.  However, it is in Revelation 17:8 where we are told, “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit, and go into destruction.  And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”  This picture of beings coming out of the bottomless pit happens several times in Scripture.  In Revelation 20, Satan himself is captured, chained, and locked up in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years and then is released at the end of the millennial reign of Christ.  This makes it pretty clear that the bottomless pit is some kind of prison, or holding place, for spirit beings that God determines must be removed from His creation temporarily.

This is all tied to Revelation 9 and the sounding of the fifth trumpet.  An angel with a key to the bottomless pit comes down and releases a locust hoard whose king or ruler is called The Destroyer (Abaddon in Hebrew, Apollyon in Greek).  This is a key point in the end times.  These are not actual locusts.  However, the symbol of locusts describes the kind of voracious beings they are.  They are destroyers by nature and leave everything wasted in their wake.  Also, they are clearly spiritual beings who have been locked up in the bottomless pit for a long time (many connect these to the time before the flood).  The king and leader of these spiritual locusts is The Destroyer, which is another name for The Beast.  The beast is also a spiritual being that apparently tried to rule the earth in the past, and was judged, imprisoned, and will be released at the end of the age.  This evil, spiritual being will come out of this prison with a pent-up rage.  Yes, the world is going to embrace a global leader who is a psychotic prisoner of the spirit realm.

His plan requires: global political control of the nations (13:7), global religious control through worship (13:8,12), and global economic control through a mark of the beast (13:17).  It will be touted as guaranteed security and peace for the world, but will lead to anything but.  It will be tyranny over the masses of humanity.  It would be a boot in the face of humanity forever, if God allowed it to continue.  Those who reject this pledge of allegiance that is called the mark of the beast will be killed, and the world will buy the idea that it is for the sake of peace (they will be pictured as terrorists that are thwarting peace). 

The plan of Satan and his Beast will end up leading humanity down a path that is away from God’s.  God made mankind to be imagers of Him.  However, Satan plans to deconstruct the mark of God or image of God that is upon us.  The term “mark of the beast” can refer to a mark, but it can also refer to the fact that the taking of this thing marks us as something less than human.  Of course, it will be marketed as a means of becoming something greater than human, breaking free from our human shackles, but this itself is a lie, which I will come back to in a bit.

We see a dehumanizing plan throughout the world today in a variety of ways.  Our schools are wanting to teach our children that they are not bound by biological gender.  Their sexual preference need not be limited, but can be fluid.  We need not be accountable to our decisions because our technology allows us to have remake reality.  We can have abortions or sterilize ourselves in order to embrace sexual immorality.  In the end, we are being propagandized that reality itself is the enemy.  Our biology is the enemy.  We are being led down a path of hating the weakness and frailty of our humanity.  Instead of waiting for the Creator to make us immortal, we will make ourselves gods, which is the original lie that Satan told Eve.  “You will be like God.” 

Why is Satan so bent on teaching us to destroy our humanity and to make ourselves over in an image of our own making?  Is it just pure hatred against God and His Creation?  Or, is something else going on?  Hebrews 2:16 reminds us that God does not give help to angels, but does give help to the offspring of Abraham.  Of course, we are told elsewhere that all who put their faith in Jesus become his, and, by definition, also become the offspring of Abraham.  Redemption is not available for any beings, but humans.  Think about that for a moment.  Why would I make myself something other than human?  That would disqualify me from being redeemable.  It is a mark of a beast because, in taking it, we become something less than human.  Thus, Revelation 14:9 and the following verses warn.  Anyone who takes the mark will be doomed to the Lake of Fire, the second death, no option for redemption.  Yes, the plan of Satan is to dehumanize humanity and thus damn us forever.

The Lamb’s plan

The plan of Christ requires us to be patient, and to embrace our weakness.  We are to embrace our humanity as God created us instead of fighting against it.  We are to live in loyalty to Jesus and die with faith in him and his plan.  A plan in which Jesus will resurrect all who believe upon him to inherit immortality, and a place with him in a New Heavens and a New Earth.

Our weaknesses are not our problem.  Our problem is that we are deceived into thinking that they are the things that hold us back from greatness.  Our weakness is actually the greatest strength that we have.  It is our weakness that allows us to be forgiven, redeemed, and resurrected. 

Contrary to the motives of Satan and The Beast, Jesus has proven his intentions and ability.  At the cross, Jesus shows the depths that he is willing to go to in order to save us, and he does just that.  His resurrection proves to all time that he is the Lord of Life and is able to conquer death.  Even if Satan intended to try and give to humanity what God is offering, he cannot deliver.  Everything he would try would be a cheap imitation that leads to destruction in the end.  Only Jesus is both worthy and able to raise humanity up out of its weak state and put us into a state of strength that is even greater than that of the angels. 

What kind of heart do I have?  One that wants to follow a crushing beast so that I can feel strong and powerful for a brief amount of time?  Or, one that will follow a sacrificed lamb who trusts the plan of the Father, which feels weak and powerless to our flesh?  You see our hearts and the choices we make are demonstrating to God whether he should give us true strength or not.  Only those who can humble themselves and lean upon Him and His strength can receive the strength that He has offered us.

The Beast’s plan gets mankind to trade its freedom for security, but Jesus offers us true freedom, the freedom of the Sons of God.  True freedom cannot be found in fighting creation and its Creator, fighting our nature and nature’s God.  This only leads to self-tyranny, and ultimately to the tyranny of Satan as a useful idiot in his kingdom.  2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!”  This is a true freedom where I am no longer a prisoner to sin and my own fallen flesh.  It is a true freedom where I am no longer manipulable and easily duped through the baser desires of my flesh.  It is a freedom in which I break free from my human condition by trusting in the God who loves us with a steadfast love, and mercies that are new every morning!

The plan of the Lamb does not reject and despise our humanity, but instead it capitalizes on the very reality of our humanity, even embracing it and joining us in our humanity.  If we embrace our weakness and learn to lean upon God’s loving strength that He has promised to use on our behalf then we will rise triumphant in the end.

In the years ahead, depending on how much longer God allows this to go on, we will face a growing case that is being made for us to use technology to free ourselves from these human shackles.  It is a deception and a lie.  Even with our knowledge of DNA, we cannot genetically manipulate ourselves into godhood.  We cannot seize the reins of our evolution and lead ourselves to a place that we’ve never been and by a being who is anything but God.  No.  His plan will make us beasts, irredeemable, and destroyed in the end.  Trust the plan of God.  This may not sound scientific, but it is actually created by the One who created all that we seek to understand through science.  Think about that.

End-Times Battle audio

The Power & Authority of Jesus

Mark 5:1-20.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, July 21, 2019.

Many scientists do not believe there is such a thing as a spirit realm. They hold to a materialism world-view and they would not accept that a human has a true spirit, much less that there are spiritual entities other than human.  The basic line of thought is that ancient humans couldn’t explain disease and mental illness and so they came up with the idea of spirits, both good and bad (the bad being demons).  The problem with this is that is presents the false idea that we now understand everything about the human body and mind. 

As advanced as our technologies are, the human mind still presents a difficult puzzle to scientists.  There are clinically trained psychiatrists who have come to the conclusion that some cases that they have encountered cannot be explained by a problem within a person’s mind.  Things such as: the knowledge of individuals and things outside of the person’s ability (even very private things), speaking languages not learned or even encountered,  and especially aggravation at talk about and the person and work of Jesus.

Of course the opposite error does exist.  Some religious people treat all strange activity as demonic.  Many “exorcisms” gone awry have resulted in the death of people, and I am not just talking about within Christianity.  As believers in the One who is Truth, we must not cast aside the recognition that demons are real.  Yet, we also must not let fear rule our hearts and label every mental illness or strange sickness as demonic activity.

Today we will look at a passage that makes it clear that though demons do exist, they must flee before the power and authority of Jesus Christ.

A demon-possessed man approaches Jesus

Our story begins with a demon-possessed man that meets Jesus and his disciples at the shore as they get out of their boat.  We should remember that, at the end of chapter 4, Jesus and his disciples were boating across the Sea of Galilee from the Galilee region (NW part of the sea).  During this trip a huge storm occurred threatening to destroy the boat and them.  This story is what happened after that scene.  Another point to recognize is that all three synoptic gospels have these stories back to back.  They are integrally linked in the minds of the apostles.  This has caused some to see a supernatural aspect to the storm scene. 

The Scriptures do not state that this is the case.  However, it is quite possible.  In the story of Job, Satan is allowed to “touch” Job.  Of the several catastrophes that occur two seem to be natural disasters:  fire falls from heaven upon the sheep and shepherds, and a great wind destroys the house in which his adult children are feasting, killing them all.  Regardless of whether or not the above conjecture is correct, the message is the same.  Jesus is greater than anything that may come upon us in this life, whether natural or supernatural, period.

So, just where are they landing with their boat?  If you look at all three gospel accounts (Matthew 8, Mark 5, and Luke 8), you find a difference in the name of the area in which they land.  On top of this, there are also some textual differences within the manuscript evidence.  Is it the area of the Gadarenes, Gergasenes, or the Gerasenes?  It is most likely that these are variant terms of the same or overlapping areas.  The Gadara area would include all of the southern part of the Sea of Galilee.  So that gives us a rough estimate of where they were.

Immediately upon their beaching f the boat, they are met by the demon-possessed man.  This guy is in a terrible condition of which we are told about up front in the story.  Not all demon-possession manifests in a way that is so violent and socially adverse as this guy.  This man represents the “crazy person” picture of possession.  We are told initially that he has an unclean spirit, which is a synonym for a demon.  Notice that the term “demons” is used in verse 12.  He lived among the tombs rather than in a regular house of that time, most likely due to being driven out of town.  He was out of his mind crying out, cutting himself with stones and naked.  When it talks about crying out here, it is not talking about tears, but rather loud screams and words that may or may not have made sense.  The people of the area have often tried to restrain him with shackles and chains.  However, he would break these chains and tear off the shackles.

The strength he demonstrated could be called super-human.  However, it is unclear how much of the power is simply the demons pushing him to exert more energy than a person would normally push themselves.  Also, I’m sure the strength of the metals in that place and at that time are very weak compared to what we would have today.  However, we should also recognize that these people had restrained many others before.  This guy was unrestrainable in a day that knew how to restrain some pretty strong guys.  The overall picture is that this guy is a menace to the area and has been driven out of the city and into the tombs, or at least has gone there of his own accord.  Also, we see that he is a very tortured individual.  The demons are not his friends.  They have brought him to a horrible and low state.

The demons resist leaving the man

The writing of this scene is a bit choppy, but one can follow it.  It seems the man approaches Jesus and Jesus first commands the spirit to come out of the man.  It is then that the demon begins to speak.

Now we must deal with an unfortunate translation in verse 6.  The man is not worshipping Jesus as the English in the KJV, NKJV, and RSV states.  The word most of the time does mean to worship. However, at its base it means to prostrate one’s self before another as if to kiss their hand in obeisance.  Thus, the better picture is that the man has ran up and fallen down in front of Jesus, looking like a fiend (no clothing, cuts all over his body, not in his right mind, hair probably a knotted mess, etc.).  Jesus recognizes the unclean spirit and commands it to come out. 

At this point, the demon has some protests, or at least, a short dialogue takes place.  The first statement of the demon is really a question.  It essentially means what do you want with me, or why are you bothering me.  This area is not considered part of Israel at the time.  No Jew worth his salt would be caught dead there, and so, the people in this scene are most likely gentiles.  The question is on the order of asking why Jesus is “out of his territory.”  Secondly, the demon demonstrates the knowledge of who Jesus is.  He addresses him as Jesus, Son of the Most High God.  Notice that Jesus normally would not let demons talk, at least when he was in Israel.  However, here we see that Jesus interacts to some degree with the spirits.  Why would he do so here, but not in Israel?  When he was in Israel, Jesus didn’t want demons for his P. R. speakers.  I would think that here in this Gentile land the only Israelites are his disciples and they are already convinced that he is the Messiah.  These Gentiles are not thinking to themselves that Jesus could be the Messiah.  Most likely, they are not even aware of what that is.  Yet, Satan and his spirits knew exactly who Jesus was, but they did not know what he was there to do.

This demon asks Jesus if he is there to torment him.  Matthew 8 adds the phrase “before the time.”  So, what is this about?  The book of Revelation speaks of a time when Satan is to be cast into the bottomless pit.  Perhaps the demons will also have that fate.  Regardless, we know that all evil beings will be cast into the Lake of Fire when the New Heavens and the New Earth are created by God.

These spirits have clear knowledge of this coming judgment. However, they also seem to have the idea that it isn’t time yet for their judgment.  To them, Jesus is here early.  This adds to the fear of these demons.  What is he doing?  Is he throwing us into the bottomless pit/Lake of Fire early? 

Jesus asks the spirit what its name is and is told that it is “Legion.”  This is clearly not a proper name, but rather a nick-name, or better a nom de guerre.  He is possessed by many demons, whether that literally means thousands or not is irrelevant.  The demons protest that they do not want to be sent out of the region (vs. 10).  We are not told why.  Most likely they believe they have a sweet deal in this area and are able to have their way.

However, they suggest an alternative.  In their fear, they beg Jesus to give them leave to enter a herd of pigs that are nearby.  We are told that there are 2,000 pigs.  It is unclear why they ask this, and also why Jesus permits it.  It would probably be foolish to speculate too much.  However, several things are clear.  The spirits demonstrate the same violence and torment in the pigs as in the demoniac.  The pigs “go crazy” and stampede down the hill into the sea and drown.  Thus, the spirits are released into the area desperate to find another person to inhabit and have gotten away from Jesus.  Later, the disciples of Jesus would come back into this area and most likely have to deal with them again.

The people of the region are afraid

The swine-herders become the heralds of what happened.  We are not told into what city they go, but it is most likely a nearby small village.  Eventually a crowd from the area gathers at shore in order to see this spectacle.  Then the story is recounted for them about Jesus freeing the demon-possessed man and the death of the pigs.

Alongside of this story, is the reality of the man himself.  He is clearly the same man they had feared in the past, most likely with cuts still visible on parts of his body.  However, he is not ranting and stark raving naked.  He is fully clothed and in his right mind.  These evidences powerfully testify to these first century people, but it also powerfully testifies to us 21^st century people.  If our psychiatrists had an one ounce of the ability Jesus had, we would not see nearly as much mental illness in our society.  I am not saying all mental illness is the result of demonic possession.  It is often just the natural result of sin, both ours and that of others.  However, Jesus healed people as well as casting out demons.  We should learn from the only one who demonstrated mastery of both, instead of scoffing at the testimony of these eye-witnesses.

There are two responses recorded here.  The first is from the people of the region.  No doubt, they can appreciate the freeing of the demon-possessed man.  However, they also may see Jesus as just another spiritual threat.  If he is stronger than a legion of evil spirits than what would he do to them?  Also, the destruction of 2,000 pigs was a heavy economic hit.  Can we afford any more actions of such a man in our country?  Regardless of all their thoughts, they plead with Jesus to leave. 

It is easy to be fearful and afraid of spiritual things because we don’t understand them and can’t control them.  However, this is the point.  Evil spirits are fearful, but the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than them.  When we believe in Christ and have his Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we have nothing to fear from such spirits, even a legion of them. 

The Holy Spirit is pure and clean.  He does not control people, torment them, and abuse them.  He works gently and kindly within us to encourage us in the right direction.  He enables and empowers us as we act in faith and trust in God’s Word.  You have nothing to fear from the Holy Spirit, and, when He is living within you, you have nothing to fear from those evil spirits that roam this world looking for people to inhabit and torment.

The second response is that of the man, which is quite different from the people.  The man wants to follow Jesus and become one of his disciples.  However, Jesus gives him a different mission.  This Gentile man is not who God has to become an apostle in Israel.  Rather, he is to tell that Gentile region his story and how Jesus set him free from a legion of demons.  Imagine what it was like when a decade or two later the disciples of Jesus came into that area.  They would find many people open to the gospel because of what they had heard from this man years earlier.  His activity would be a kind of “pre-evangelism” that would prepare the inhabitants of the region to receive the Gospel later.

As we leave this story, I pray that, instead of being freaked out about spiritual things and pushing Jesus away, you will become excited about the one who has complete authority and power over all spiritual beings.  We need not fear the demons of darkness when the Lord of the Light has come. 

Power & Authority audio