by George Runyan | Mar 2, 2019 | Devotional, George Runyan
Many of God’s people have struggled in life, even experiencing devastation because of a lack of knowledge concerning the spiritual warfare in which we are to be engaged. Jesus has defeated Satan and all of his minions. However, the churches responsibility is to clean up with the help of the Holy Spirit the mess that the kingdom of darkness has made on the earth. God purposed that His redeemed people would finish the work with the help of the Holy Spirit through intercession, proclamation, and demonstration of the Good News of triumph over the kingdom of darkness, by setting captives free, and discipling the nations until the whole earth is full of the glory of the Lord. Habakkuk declared:For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.Habakkuk 2:14 NKJV The Enemies We FaceKnow Your EnemyThree major enemies are identified in the Bible: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Each of these enemies attempts to exert power upon us to be conformed to something other than the will of God. I say upon us because it is a spiritual battle we must fight every day. Our whole being (spirit, soul, and body) is involved in this battle. Remember, the Bible establishes God’s will for the believer’s life and teaches us how to conduct ourselves. It is powerful because biblical instruction comes from the Holy Spirit who lives in us and empowers us to apply God’s Word in our daily lives. We are to be filled with His Holy Spirit and live out Christ’s life here on earth in everything that we say and do.As we walk out the new life that Christ has given to us through His overcoming power, we will experience resistance every day from the world, the flesh, and the devil. This is an inescapable battle that every believer will face. The believer lives in a world of conflict, a world filled with vain philosophies and fleshly desires, and the unseen world in which principalities and demonic powers exist. The believer, in corporate relationship with Christ’s body, is called and mandated to deal with the enemies of the righteousness of Christ. Even as Christ overcame, we, too, overcome through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Just as Jesus did, we must learn obedience through the things we suffer:Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.Hebrews 5:8 NASB
by George Runyan | Mar 1, 2019 | Devotional, George Runyan
As individual believers we must embrace three principles of truth in order to win the battle over evil and overcome darkness. They are: know your enemy, the life of Christ in you, and your relationship in His corporate body. In this chapter we will learn about knowing the enemies we face. In chapters two, three, and four we will study the life of Christ that dwells in us. In chapter five we will learn the importance of the corporate body of Christ and our relationship to warfare. Hosea wrote:My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. Hosea 4:6 NKJVThis was a severe statement to Israel as they faced the destructive forces of their enemies. It is also instructive to us in understanding how important knowledge of the Lord is with regards to our ability to battle the spiritual enemies that we face daily.Many of God’s people have struggled in life, even experiencing devastation because of a lack of knowledge concerning the spiritual warfare in which we are to be engaged. Jesus has defeated Satan and all of his minions. However, the churches responsibility is to clean up with the help of the Holy Spirit the mess that the kingdom of darkness has made on the earth. God purposed that His redeemed people would finish the work with the help of the Holy Spirit through intercession, proclamation, and demonstration of the Good News of triumph over the kingdom of darkness, by setting captives free, and discipling the nations until the whole earth is full of the glory of the Lord. Habakkuk declared:For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 NKJV
by George Runyan | Feb 28, 2019 | Devotional, George Runyan
We live in an evil day, but the enemy’s time is short. His complete defeat is near. Jesus judged him in His victory on the cross. Jesus overcame Satan in the power of His resurrection, “the genesis” of which began in hell itself! Jesus commissioned the church with the assignment of cleaning up the mess with the help of the Holy Spirit. As His servants, we are to declare to the world the freedom that Christ has made possible from the kingdom of darkness. The Holy Spirit makes available to every believer the overcoming power necessary to live above the system of the world: “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’” (Acts 2:40 NKJV).We are to believe the words of Jesus as given to His first disciples. We are to be prepared to be persecuted for His name’s sake. We are to be filled with His Holy Spirit and stand firm, resisting in the evil day. We must earnestly pray: “Lord, grant me grace to stand and not stumble. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit every day. Use me to demonstrate Your overcoming life in the power of Your Holy Spirit and lead others to the victory You have purchased.”
by George Runyan | Feb 27, 2019 | Devotional, George Runyan
The foundation is made up of the apostles and prophets: “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,” (Ephesians 2:20 NKJV).The prophets mentioned in this verse are the Old Testament prophets who pointed to the Messiah, the Christ, the King of all creation, who was standing in the midst of those men declaring the Kingdom of God and the defeat of the kingdom of darkness. In Matthew 16:19 Jesus declares that these men will receive the “keys of the kingdom” which will open the door to a whole new beginning for the human race. They will have authority that comes from heaven to “bind and loose” both in the heavenly and earthly realms. Those keys are:MESSIAH’S PRESENT REIGN: Jesus is already seated on His eternal throne. He is above all principalities and powers (Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 2:15). The nations are already His (Psalm 8).THE HOUSE HE IS BUILDING: this house is the work of the Spirit through living stones built together for the dwelling place of God. It is the house that God promised David in 2 Samuel 7.A WHOLE NEW GOVERNMENT: Jesus’ enthronement brought a new government from Jerusalem above (Galatians 4:26). Jesus judged the government of apostate Israel and removed it. He established His Kingdom government on the earth. That government consists of a five-fold gifting of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or elders, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). This government was established to govern Israel (Galatians 6:16). It also consists of a kingdom of priests made up of believers. Jesus Himself being the High Priest (1 Peter 2:5-9).THE MANDATE that both Adam and Israel of the Old Testament failed to fulfill: which was to deal with evil and to build a godly community upon righteousness and justice that the nations would desire to come and receive their King.Many of God’s people stumble when affliction and persecution come into their lives because they have not read, or they have not believed the words of Jesus Christ. Jesus wants to keep us from stumbling. We must accept His Word and be filled with His Holy Spirit in order to not stumble but to stand firm. Paul expressed it this way: “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,” (Ephesians 6:13–14 NASB).We live in an evil day, but the enemy’s time is short. His complete defeat is near. Jesus judged him in His victory on the cross. Jesus overcame Satan in the power of His resurrection, “the genesis” of which began in hell itself! Jesus commissioned the church with the assignment of cleaning up the mess with the help of the Holy Spirit. As His servants, we are to declare to the world the freedom that Christ has made possible from the kingdom of darkness. The Holy Spirit makes available to every believer the overcoming power necessary to live above the system of the world: “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’” (Acts 2:40 NKJV).We are to believe the words of Jesus as given to His first disciples. We are to be prepared to be persecuted for His name’s sake. We are to be filled with His Holy Spirit and stand firm, resisting in the evil day. We must earnestly pray: “Lord, grant me grace to stand and not stumble. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit every day. Use me to demonstrate Your overcoming life in the power of Your Holy Spirit and lead others to the victory You have purchased.”
by George Runyan | Feb 26, 2019 | Devotional, George Runyan
PERSPECTIVE: That You Might Not Stumble
These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.
John 16:1 NASB
It should be of no surprise that the world hates true believers. The systems of the world are against everything that God has established. The three major systems of the world that resist God’s plans and purposes are:
Government, which is driven by ego and pride to control people.
Economic, which is driven by greed and separates classes of people.
Religion, which seeks to oppress the masses through fear and domination.
God the Father has His plan called The Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is ruled by a benevolent Father through both His Son who is full of grace and truth, and the Holy Spirit from whom flows righteousness, peace, and joy: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NKJV) and “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17 NKJV).
What a contrast between the Kingdom of God, full of grace and truth, and the world’s systems dominated by the kingdom of darkness controlled by the devil (also called Satan, Lucifer, and the enemy). Jesus defeated those systems through His overcoming life. He sent His Holy Spirit to overcome those systems through us as “Spirit-filled” and “Spirit-led” believers. The world will persecute us just as they persecuted Jesus and the early church. Jesus warned His disciples about persecution concerning the times in which they lived. The disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, squared off against the powers of hell manifested through the systems of men and overcame even unto death. His Word of truth rings true in our day as well: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Revelation 1:18 NKJV).
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17–18 NKJV).
Christ Jesus told Peter about the authority he would receive: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18–19 NKJV).
The Rock which Jesus Christ spoke of was Himself. He is the “the Chief Cornerstone” of the house which God had promised David that He would build for him. The apostles that the Father had given to Jesus and everything that the prophets spoke in the Old Testament concerning the Christ would become part of the foundation of that house. The foundation is made up of the apostles and prophets: “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,” (Ephesians 2:20 NKJV).
