Territorial

Wars have been fought over it. People have been arrested, tortured, and killed over it. There have been periods in history I cannot believe even happened because of it. People marking their spiritual territory.

Through the ages there have been people who firmly believe that “it is my way or the highway.” I have run across this with my blog page. One man commented on a post that I was going straight to hell for referencing other Bibles besides the King James. He then included a five page documentation “clearly” pointing out the error of my ways. He let me know that I had better straighten up and do it right in the future. (I thank God for the delete button!) (Fun fact, the KJV was finished in 1611, and it contains several mistranslations; especially in the Old Testament where the knowledge of Hebrew and cognate languages was uncertain at that time.)

Another man commented that I was evil and going to hell for using The Message in a post. Delete.

Recently I had a young woman verbalize her displeasure about my post You’re not the boss of me.

In this post I state that satan is acting like a little toddler who demands his way, and throws temper tantrums when he does not get what he wants. In doing so, I was trying to get people to think out of the box, while at the same time, letting the reader know that satan has already lost. People give him way too much power over and in their lives. As a created being, he is not on the same level as the all powerful, all knowing God. The devil is just a wannabe, who thought he was just like God and could take over heaven, and look where that landed him, thrown out of heaven, and ultimately into the fiery pit of hell for all eternity.

As a created being, satan is not God. God is omniscient. He has infinite awareness, understanding and insight. He knows out thoughts. The devil does not. No where in the Bible does it say that satan can read our minds. But he has been observing humans and human nature since the Garden of Eden. So he and his demons have a fairly good idea of how we will react to temptation. So they can usually guess with a high degree of accuracy what we might be thinking.

This young woman further commented that she could not find anywhere in the Bible where satan was ever a baby. I told her she was correct and I was using that as a means to get my point across. She then came back at me firmly telling me that I had better not do that. That I was discounting the power of satan, that he goes around like a lion seeking whom he may devour. Once again, people give satan way too much power and authority over their thoughts and lives. He can seek like a lion all he wants, but I have already won, and he has been devoured, thanks to the blood of Jesus.

She also un-followed my blog, which is fine. I am going to do what I believe Holy Spirit is telling me to post. I pray as I am writing them, I pray as I hit the publish button, that it will go to the person who needs to see this message, and that it will get them to think about God on a deeper level.

I do not care what people think of me, only what God thinks of me. He is the only One who has the final say in my life. Part of my inheritance as a servant of God, is I have been given the authority to condemn and refute every negative and accusing word spoken against me, and know my vindication will come from God. (See Isa. 54:17) I just hit delete, don’t give it another thought, and turn it over to God.

People are entitled to their opinions, and can speak their minds. It is just a shame when it gets to the point where instead of loving their fellow man, they feel the need to condemn and shame them into thinking its their way, or else. I will not be moved from what I know. There have been many folks who also would not be moved from what they knew, and they were willing to die for it.

I have a friend who was getting married at the beginning of May. Her cousin, who is a pastor was to conduct the ceremony. A few days before the big day, he let her know he could not do it. I joked with her and said I could go online and get my certificate to perform her wedding. On one site I saw it would only take about ten minutes and I’d be a “minister.” Across the bottom of the web page, were the symbols of numerous religions. I guess that meant if I got my certificate, I could perform religious ceremonies in any of them.

Religions have been fighting for centuries. For one example, just think Spanish Inquisition. As we live in a fallen world, there are those who feed and live on hate. It saddens me when they feel the need to force their opinion down my throat. “If you don’t go to my church, or believe how I do, you are less than.” Here’s where I pretend I have an actual delete button, and I get rid on the negative comments. My blog is about encouraging people to get to know the love of Jesus, and want it in their life in a much bigger way.

I appreciate someone who can have an actual discussion, without ranting and telling me I just bought a one way ticket to hell. I know where I am spending eternity, so rant away.

I’ve mentioned I use about ten different Bibles. I like getting a broad view of a single verse. It expands my knowledge and helps me grasp what the intent of the verse might be. I like the Passion Translation, because it is vibrant, and well, passionate about the Word of God. I also love the footnotes which have taken me deeper into God’s Word. I’ve heard the negative stories about the author, and realize none of us are perfect. We are all just doing our best to get the message of Jesus to as many people as we can, in the time we have left.

In the introduction to the Passion, the author states, “The Word of God doesn’t change. Bible translations are both a gift and a problem. They give us the words of God spoke through his servants, but words can become very poor containers for revelation—they leak! Over time words change from one generation to the next to the next. Meaning is influenced by culture, background, and a thousand other details. There is no such thing as a truly literal translation of the Bible, for there is not an equivalent language that perfectly conveys the meaning of the biblical text except as it is understood in the original cultural and linguistic setting.”

What it comes down to is, we need to be wise the the schemes of satan and his demons, without giving them power they do not have. They want us to live in fear of them, because then it takes away the ultimate power we have been given in Jesus. That is why I have been speaking and declaring Bible verses out loud. I want satan to hear my thoughts, as I speak God’s Word. Because as I mentioned in a previous post, God is actively watching over His Word so He can fulfill and perform it, when I put Him in remembrance of it. I will speak, out loud, the language of faith as I trust God to fulfill His promises to me. I will not live in fear of an opponent who has already lost. The lies of satan whispered in my ear are just his sad attempt to keep me from doing what is God’s will is for my life. Delete.

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