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For Chariot Subscribers: Special
Christmas Sale through December 15th 50% Off All DVD Sets!! 25% Off Equipped to Love!! Brand
new series entitled Looking Up: Faith at Work in Tough Times
available now - 6 CD Series on 1 Peter Click here Would you consider Elijah Ministries in your giving this year? How
easy it would be to ask the question above from a selfish heart. I don't
doubt that the beast of self could motivate my request. However, I trust
my motivation is from the Lord when I ask you to consider joining hands
with me in this ministry of preaching the gospel to men and their families
all over the world. I believe that every life changed by the power of the
gospel through Elijah Ministries may be attributed to one thing: the grace
of God to men through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
I desire that those who give to
the ministry do so because they have received the grace of God through
Jesus Christ and want to participate in the advancing of the gospel so
that others may experience what they have experienced. As they participate
by giving and thus enabling me to be a channel of God's grace and gospel,
they also may have the future hope of participating in the blessing God
will give as the fruit is revealed on earth and in heaven. For your joy
and blessing I invite you to participate with me in Elijah Ministries. You
may join us by donating online at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate
or by sending a check to PO Box 377,
Bulverde, TX 78163. There are other ways to automate your participation. Please contact us at info@spiritofelijah.com.
Also, if you have friends who are
looking to invest in eternal fruit in the kingdom, please share with them
about the blessing you have received by being a part of Elijah Ministries. Battling the Beast of Self - 7 Characteristics of the Beast of Self 1.
The beast of self rose up
before the devil. 2.
The beast of self rose up out of the sea of man. 3.
The beast of self is deluded about its power and authority. 4.
The beast of self is deluded about its knowledge and perfection. 5.
The beast of self blasphemes God (proclaims himself as God). 6.
The beast of self acts like wild beasts which pursue their prey. 7.
The beast of self has its power and authority from Satan. 8.
The beast of self suffered a fatal head wound at the cross. 9.
The beast of self continues to live. 10.
The beast of self is worshipped and followed by the whole earth. 11.
To worship the beast of self is to worship Satan. 12.
The beast of self will reign in man until Jesus returns. 13.
The beast of self blasphemes the work of God in Christ. 14.
The beast of self blasphemes the church of Jesus Christ. 15.
The beast of self battles against the saints and overcomes them. 16.
The beast of self has been given universal authority over all of
mankind throughout all of history.
When we are suffering, it's
tempting to set our sights on those who are causing the suffering.
Certainly the saints of the seven churches of Asia Minor, who were the
recipients of The Revelation written
by the Apostle John, were tempted to do the same. Self under the authority
of Satan suggests that the battle is against people who hurt and revile
us. In this way bitterness, self-pity, self-protection, and a myriad of
other spiritually crippling thoughts and attitudes hinder the saints and
their antagonists from seeing the glory and power of Jesus Christ and the
gospel. If you are not informed about the battle against the beast of
self, a.k.a. pride, flesh, or original sin, you may be defeated from the
inside out. Thankfully, the Apostle John wrote of the battle with the
beast of self in The Revelation. In
past articles, we've considered the sixteen characteristics of self under
the influence of sin listed above. Here are some more. 17.
The beast of self is worshiped by all who dwell on earth except believers
in Jesus Christ.
All
who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been
written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb
who has been slain (Rev. 13:8).
You would think the Creator of
those who dwell on the earth would be the focus of worship by His
creatures, but the rise of sin within man short-circuited what should be
expected and reasonable. Instead, sin exchanges worship of the Creator for
worship of the creature. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans about man in
his natural state suppressing the truth about God. "For they exchanged the
truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than
the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen" (Rom. 1:25). Self became god in
the hearts of men and women from the moment Adam and Eve ignored the word
of God and spurned fellowship with God in order to grasp equality with God
for themselves. Therefore it is correct to write, "All who dwell on the
earth will worship him" for there has never been a human being descended
from the first Adam who has not chosen to gratify self to the exclusion of
the one true God.
Can it accurately be said of a
future ruler of a one world government that all who dwell on the earth
will worship him except believers in Jesus? I suggest the answer is, "No!"
Why? Because everyone is too selfish and independent to worship one man.
Never has a political leader been supported by 100% of the people.
It's impossible. For a leader to get into power he has to make promises to
people who will get him into power. However, in making promises to those
people he has to ignore others who feel slighted. History and logic teach
this reality. Worship
is the issue.
Perhaps we need to define "worship"
as used by the Apostle John. John used a word that conveyed the idea of
bowing down or prostrating one's self before the object of worship. We
might think of one paying homage or expressing one's dependence upon a
king or ruler. Is there anything more descriptive of man's attitude toward
self than this term "worship"?
Worship is what self demands. The
more religious the worship appears, the more deceitful and diabolical the
scheme. Millions of those who dwell on the earth whose names are not
written in the Lamb's book of life worship self by making their religion
all about self-righteousness or self-gratification. God warned His people
in the first of the Ten Commandments to not make an idol for SELF (Deut.
5:8). However, many people transgress the first commandment without even
recognizing it. What does it look like to worship self? Here are some
examples. •
When you are disappointed with others, you try to figure out a way
to change them. •
You get angry when offended. •
When others don't fit into your time schedule, you
are offended and
might complain. •
You talk about yourself and what you're doing instead of asking
others about themselves. •
You don't reach out to those who don't think like you or don't have
the same standards you have. •
You resist admitting your faults and weaknesses to others. •
When you are treated like a servant, you grumble and feel abused. •
When you are abused, you do not forgive. •
You get offended when you are inconvenienced or your agenda is
thwarted. •
You reject those who criticize you or don't agree with you. •
When faced with a problem, you try to figure out a solution without
prayer. •
You use people for your own advantage and to fulfill your
ambitions. •
You look at pornography. •
Your sexual relationship with your spouse is based on what you like
or don't like. •
Your decision to have children or not have children is based on
what is acceptable in your closest social circle.
What is the common denominator in
all of the actions above? SELF! Self is the object of worship and the
ultimate judge of what is good or bad, right or wrong, acceptable or
unacceptable. People who are self-focused easily blame others for their
problems. The members of the seven churches to which John wrote needed to
understand that their suffering wasn't about them,
but Satan's and self's animosity toward Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught about the
destructive nature of self-worship when He said, "There is nothing outside
the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which
proceed out of the man are what defile the man. That which proceeds out of
the man, that is what defiles the man. For
from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts,
fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and
wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and
foolishness" (Mark 7:15, 20-22). Why does a man do all of these things?
Selfishness in the heart of every man drives every possible evil.
Fulfilling the pleasures of self amounts to worship.
God intended man to
be fully satisfied when he looks to God for his satisfaction. When we look
to God as the source of our satisfaction, we are indeed worshiping God as
we were meant to worship Him. Self under the power of Satan and sin is
jealous of God as the object of man's worship, and that's the battle being
waged in the souls of men. Those
who have eternal life will not worship self.
All who dwell on
the earth will worship the beast-that's
what the original sin did to mankind-everyone
whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the
book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. John
gave glory to the Lamb who has been slain, Jesus Christ. Those who are His
do not worship the beast of
self. Although they may be overcome at times by selfishness such as
mentioned above because sin still indwells them, they will not worship
self by defending, rationalizing, or excusing such sin. The call of the
Lamb who was slain to those who are His was and is clear: "If anyone
wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and
follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). So they
do!
The Apostle John described a
subset of those who dwell on the earth who will not worship the beast.
That group of people belong to the Lamb from the foundation of the world.
This was John's way of saying what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians
(which by the way was where John co-labored with Paul for one and a half
years).
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy
and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His
will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on
us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:3-6).
Those who won't worship the beast
of self are those who have eternal life through the atoning death of Jesus
Christ. What is the importance of mentioning the sacrificial death of the
Lamb with worship of the beast? I strongly maintain that the central theme
of The Revelation is not an end
times scenario or series of events, but the gospel and the redemptive work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such was the primary theme in all of the New
Testament. John was saying that those who belong to Christ glory in the
cross of Christ. His companion, Paul, said it this way to the Galatians. "But
may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the
world" (Gal. 6:14). John's first readers would have been very familiar
with the teaching of the Apostle Paul in this regard, so it makes sense
that this was the common knowledge between the author and his readers. What
an encouragement!
Do you really think the first
readers of this section of The Revelation would have envisioned a ruler of a one-world
government when they have nothing else in their sacred writings or the
teachings of their apostles and elders to suggest it? What encouragement
was there if they knew they wouldn't be alive during that time in history?
However in contrast, can you imagine the encouragement it was to them to
grasp the truth that indeed, although they are oftentimes overcome by
selfishness, their hope and glory in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God, means they have eternal life? The contrast between those
who dwell on earth and those who belong to Christ certainly wouldn't have
been overlooked. They would rejoice that God has chosen them from the
foundation of the earth to be holy and blameless before Him! They would
rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory that they had redemption
through Jesus, the forgiveness of their sins of worshiping the beast of
self! 18.
Understanding these things requires the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
If
anyone has an ear, let him hear (Rev. 13:9).
Do you understand what John
wrote? Does your heart resonate with what I have been teaching as we've
gone through Revelation 13? If so, it should be of great encouragement to
you–the Holy Spirit has given you understanding of a spiritual reality.
To each of the churches in
Chapters 2-3 John wrote, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches." Whatever the interpretation of the verses in
Chapter Thirteen is, it requires the ministry of the Holy Spirit. That
means John was writing of spiritual things, not earthly things. This is
another reason to perhaps reconsider the idea that John had a ruler of a
one-world government in mind–that's an earthly reality which doesn't
require the work of the Holy Spirit for understanding. To speak of earthly
leaders and rulers of a one world government is exactly what earthly
people would imagine. It's the only world or dimension in which they
dwell.
However, these words weren't
written for those who dwell on the earth and think in earthly terms. It
was written to those who belong to Christ and have the Holy Spirit, and
thus have ears to hear. Because the saints have the Holy Spirit, they have
spiritual understanding. Consider what John heard Jesus teach. "To you
[the disciples] it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of God, but to the rest it is in
parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not
understand" (Luke 8:10).
As we all know, it is possible to
read these words and not understand them. The book of The
Revelation has been misunderstood for centuries. I'm not suggesting
that I'm the only one who has spiritual understanding of this book either.
Men whom I respect for their spiritual maturity have not come to the same
conclusions as I and others have regarding the interpretation of this
book. However, this doesn't eliminate the truth of what Jesus and the
Apostles taught about the Holy Spirit's ministry of unveiling spiritual
truth. Even as you read this article, perhaps you are reading ideas
regarding this chapter that you've never considered before. Your prayer
needs to be: Holy Spirit, are these ideas Your ideas? Are these ideas
clearly supported by the rest of Scripture? As I study, I can't trust my
own thoughts. I am seeking to submit my ideas to the teachings of Jesus
and the rest of the Apostles who had the greatest influence on John and
the members of the seven churches and show you how I've done that.
The Spirit's ministry is to
reveal the things of God–the eternal, spiritual, heavenly realities. In
the beginning of The Revelation John
wrote, "I was in the Spirit on
the Lord's day, and I heard..."
(1:10). In Rev. 4:2 he wrote, "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and
behold..." The Spirit enabled John to see Jesus' work on earth from a
spiritual, eternal perspective. "And he carried me away in the Spirit into
a wilderness; and I saw..." (17:3) and "He carried me away in the Spirit ...
and showed me the holy city..." (21:10). Jesus told John and the rest of
the disciples of this ministry of the Spirit before He died. "But the
Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things" (John 14:26).
The Apostle Paul taught about the
ministry of the Holy Spirit to the Corinthians.
For
to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all
things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a
man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of
God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know
the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in
words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining
spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he
cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised (1 Cor.
2:10-14).
The natural man doesn't have ears
to hear spiritual things because they are spiritually appraised, and that
is the Holy Spirit's gift and ministry. Understanding the universality of
sin and the fall requires the work of the Spirit of God in the heart of a
person. Although you may teach these facts to your children,
they won't have ears to hear with their hearts until the Holy Spirit
enables them to see the spiritual reality of it in their lives.
So the mysteries of God are
presented in parables so that God may get the glory in the lives of those
who do understand. The Spirit of God
is presenting a parable in Revelation 13! The mystery is the warfare
of Satan against Jesus Christ through the fall of man into sin, namely
waged through selfishness. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit was encouraging
the saints with the overcoming power of the work of Jesus Christ, the Lamb
of God, on behalf of those who are His. Do
you have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches?
Doesn't your heart leap with excitement to understand these spiritual
truths and the glorious redemptive work of Christ on the cross for you?! I
hope so. What was your heart's response if you thought this chapter was
about a man at the end of history who would rule a one world government
and persecute Christians? The contrast should be convincing enough to make
you want to reconsider what you have thought about this last book of the
Bible. One interpretation is Christ-centered and the other is
man-centered. One interpretation gives glory to Christ and the other
exalts a world ruler. One interpretation produces faith, hope, and love
whereas the other produces fear and anxiety.
Whether you jump on board with
this interpretation of Revelation 13 or not, I trust you agree that God has called
us to passionately live for Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who has been
slain, that we might no longer serve ourselves, but He who died for us.
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one
died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who
live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose
again on their behalf (2 Cor. 5:14-15)
The backbone of Elijah Ministries is the prayer team who pray diligently for God to turn the hearts of men to Himself, their wives, and their children. Before I leave to speak, I send out a prayer team invitation to those who will intercede for God to work for His glory in us as a team for the Kingdom. Not only is it a blessing to those whom I speak and myself; but it is also a reminder to the team about the direction of their own hearts. If you would like to enter into the labor together with me, you may go to my website and click on "Prayer Team". Has Norm's Chariot or other resources been an encouragement to you? As a nonprofit organization, Elijah Ministries needs support from people like you in order to function. If God has ministered to you through Elijah Ministries and Norm Wakefield, would you consider supporting the work? You can do so here. (Elijah Ministries is a tax-deductible 501c3 and is financially accountable to an overseeing board of 8 non-paid members from around the country.) The Chariot is also available as a podcast. You can automatically receive the Chariot each month in iTunes by subscribing here. (An RSS capable browser such as Internet Explorer 7 or Safari is required.)
If you
haven't visited our website, www.spiritofelijah.com,
please stop by sometime. You'll find: * Resources to equip you and your family * Previous Chariot articles * Norm's speaking schedule *
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I invite you to be a part of the
moving of the Spirit of Elijah in your church, community, and the world.
How?
1.
Send this article to other men or families that you know would
benefit from it. You might inform them of the previous articles
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2.
Share resources from the Spirit of Elijah Ministries with others.
If Equipping Men or Rising to the
Call have been a blessing to you, then you know it will be
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resources, or purchase a set or two as an investment in their lives. 3. Share with others what you have learned and put into practice in turning your heart to God, your wife, and your children. If God has done this in you, then He wants to affect others through you.
4.
Join the Elijah Ministries email prayer team and make
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Norm
Wakefield 11.10 To unsubscribe, click here.
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