DAVID AND GOLIATH: THE SPIRIT OF FAITH AND THE SPIRIT OF FEAR – CHAPTER 41
“STRONG DELUSION” IS THE MATURE CROP OF SATAN’S VERY FRUITFUL LIES
07-31-05
Sorry, you must have Windows Media Player 9 or higher. This is a large file which may take a few seconds to start Click here, or scroll down for the diagram (John 8:43,44) Why do ye not understand my speech [tongue]? even because ye cannot hear [receive] my word [logos; “The seed is the word (logos) of God” Luke 8:11]. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do [i.e. lawlessness]. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 1. lusts = Gk: a longing (espec. for what is forbidden): desire, lust (after) /// to set the heart upon, i.e. long for: covet, desire, lust (after) /// passion (as if breathing hard). 2. murderer = Dictionary: 1. Law. the unlawful killing of another human being with malice (evil intent) and aforethought (premeditation). HE WAS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING, BY LYING (Gen 2:15-17) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it [serve: worship] and to keep it [guard, protect]. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 1. (2 Pet 3:8) But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [Psa 90:4; Adam lived 930 years, Methuselah lived 969 years] THE FIRST LIE (SEED) WAS SOWN BY SATAN, THE FATHER OF LIES USING A PHYSICAL BODY (Gen 3:1-6) Now the serpent [snake] was more subtle [cunning (usually in a bad sense): crafty] than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die [44 words vs. yea or nay: Mat 5:37]. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil [but not discerning the difference between good and evil – the serpent didn’t tell her that]. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [lust], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [lust], she took of the fruit thereof [i.e. she believed the lie], and did eat [thereby ingesting the worldly seeds of evil and the worldly seeds of good vs. remaining Holy (separated from the defiling world) and walking with God], and gave also unto her husband with her [i.e. manslaughter (unlawful)]; and he did eat [i.e. suicide (unlawful)]. 1. “Ye shall not surely die” = the first biblical seed of a “lie” sown into the heart of mankind (the childbearer) which rapidly strengthened (feeding upon lust, lust, lust), and grew into the mature fruit of “strong delusion.” Biblical growth principal: seed = fruit “after his kind” Gen 1:11,12,21,24,25. 2. (Luke 13:18,19)[A reverse parallel picture of the tree of “strong delusion,” i.e. the kingdom of Satan]. Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain [kernal] of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great [strong] tree; and the fowls of the air [Luke 8:5,12 = demons] lodged in the branches of it. 3. (2 Th 2:8-12) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him [the physical body, of which the following are types: “the serpent” Gen 3:1, “Goliath” 1 Sam 17:4, “antichrist” 1 John 2:18, “the beast” Rev 13:1], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion [a straying from orthodoxy or piety: deceit, to deceive, delusion, error], that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 4. “Strong delusion” is the matured crop of fruit produced from the evil seeds of lies that have been sown into your heart by sowers. The sower may know that his seed is lies (Satan and his demons: 2 Cor 11:13-15), or he may not know that his seed is lies (deceived ministers: 2 Cor 11:13-15). Nevertheless, the sown seed is lies and both the sower of the lies and believing hearer of the lies shall be judged accordingly. THE OPPOSITE OF STRONG DELUSION IS STRONG TRUTH, i.e. THE HOLY SPIRIT SPIRITS HAVE DISCERNMENT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL The serpent said “ye shall be as gods ['elohiym; the supreme God: angels], knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5). Why are Satan and his demons thoroughly evil but not redeemable? Satan and his demons, fallen angels all, are eternal evil spirits who were at one time godly spirits (Lucifer) who could discern the difference between good and evil. They have not forgotten. But because of the unlawful idolatry of their pride (the first commandment broken: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exo 20:3 & Isa 14:11-17), they have become eternally fixed in that unlawful state of PRIDE by prioritizing or preferring themselves above and before God. DISCERNMENT IS A SPIRITUAL ABILITY (and you can’t have it unless you are born again) Mankind commences temporal life on this earth thoroughly evil and with a spirit dead to God. However, unlike the fallen angels, mankind is redeemable. Why? Because we have each been born with a dead spirit and therefore we do not possess the innate spiritual ability or capability necessary to discern between good and evil. Adam and Eve were “living souls” (Gen 2:7) and not spirits. With humans, God decides to give our dead spirit eternal life (enlightenment, regeneration) positionally (an immediate and irrevocable occurrence) at the time in our life-span of His choosing, and to whomsoever He has willed from the foundation of the world. God quickens our dead spirit. One aspect of the born again life that God gives us may be defined as that spiritual ability to discern between good and evil which we call the Holy Spirit, i.e. His Spirit, and upon our physical death “the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Eccl 12:7). After giving us His Spirit, God redeems us experientially (a life-long process) by drawing us ever closer to Him, through the exercise of our spiritual discernment. In our experiential case (vs. the angels), spiritual discernment is the progressive enlightenment or the progressive revelation of the Holy Spirit. What did King Solomon ask God for? Discernment, i.e. more Holy Spirit, more Light. (1 Kings 3:9). 1. (1 Ki 3:9) Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad [evil]: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 2. (Heb 5:13,14) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use [habit, practice] have their senses [perceptions, i.e. judgment] exercised [practiced, trained] to discern both good and evil. SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT IS THE ONLY ANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF STRONG DELUSION (who teaches us discernment?) (Acts 17:10-12) And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness [willingness] of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 1. (John 16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear [i.e. the words of Jesus (logos) Christ (rhema): John 1:14], that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 2. (1 John 2:27) But the anointing [(fig.) the spec. endowment ("chrism") of the Holy Spirit] which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. SUMMATION: THE SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT = THE HOLY SPIRIT (1 Cor 2:12-14) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man [unaved, not born again] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Amen Last Chapter Table Of Contents Next Chapter Click here to download a printable version of this message
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(John 8:43,44) Why do ye not understand my speech [tongue]? even because ye cannot hear [receive] my word [logos; “The seed is the word (logos) of God” Luke 8:11]. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do [i.e. lawlessness]. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
1. lusts = Gk: a longing (espec. for what is forbidden): desire, lust (after) /// to set the heart upon, i.e. long for: covet, desire, lust (after) /// passion (as if breathing hard).
2. murderer = Dictionary: 1. Law. the unlawful killing of another human being with malice (evil intent) and aforethought (premeditation).
(Gen 2:15-17) And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it [serve: worship] and to keep it [guard, protect]. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
1. (2 Pet 3:8) But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [Psa 90:4; Adam lived 930 years, Methuselah lived 969 years]
USING A PHYSICAL BODY
(Gen 3:1-6) Now the serpent [snake] was more subtle [cunning (usually in a bad sense): crafty] than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die [44 words vs. yea or nay: Mat 5:37]. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil [but not discerning the difference between good and evil – the serpent didn’t tell her that]. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [lust], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [lust], she took of the fruit thereof [i.e. she believed the lie], and did eat [thereby ingesting the worldly seeds of evil and the worldly seeds of good vs. remaining Holy (separated from the defiling world) and walking with God], and gave also unto her husband with her [i.e. manslaughter (unlawful)]; and he did eat [i.e. suicide (unlawful)].
1. “Ye shall not surely die” = the first biblical seed of a “lie” sown into the heart of mankind (the childbearer) which rapidly strengthened (feeding upon lust, lust, lust), and grew into the mature fruit of “strong delusion.” Biblical growth principal: seed = fruit “after his kind” Gen 1:11,12,21,24,25.
2. (Luke 13:18,19)[A reverse parallel picture of the tree of “strong delusion,” i.e. the kingdom of Satan]. Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain [kernal] of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great [strong] tree; and the fowls of the air [Luke 8:5,12 = demons] lodged in the branches of it.
3. (2 Th 2:8-12) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him [the physical body, of which the following are types: “the serpent” Gen 3:1, “Goliath” 1 Sam 17:4, “antichrist” 1 John 2:18, “the beast” Rev 13:1], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion [a straying from orthodoxy or piety: deceit, to deceive, delusion, error], that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
4. “Strong delusion” is the matured crop of fruit produced from the evil seeds of lies that have been sown into your heart by sowers. The sower may know that his seed is lies (Satan and his demons: 2 Cor 11:13-15), or he may not know that his seed is lies (deceived ministers: 2 Cor 11:13-15). Nevertheless, the sown seed is lies and both the sower of the lies and believing hearer of the lies shall be judged accordingly.
THE OPPOSITE OF STRONG DELUSION IS STRONG TRUTH, i.e. THE HOLY SPIRIT
SPIRITS HAVE DISCERNMENT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
The serpent said “ye shall be as gods ['elohiym; the supreme God: angels], knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5). Why are Satan and his demons thoroughly evil but not redeemable? Satan and his demons, fallen angels all, are eternal evil spirits who were at one time godly spirits (Lucifer) who could discern the difference between good and evil. They have not forgotten. But because of the unlawful idolatry of their pride (the first commandment broken: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exo 20:3 & Isa 14:11-17), they have become eternally fixed in that unlawful state of PRIDE by prioritizing or preferring themselves above and before God.
DISCERNMENT IS A SPIRITUAL ABILITY
(and you can’t have it unless you are born again)
Mankind commences temporal life on this earth thoroughly evil and with a spirit dead to God. However, unlike the fallen angels, mankind is redeemable. Why? Because we have each been born with a dead spirit and therefore we do not possess the innate spiritual ability or capability necessary to discern between good and evil. Adam and Eve were “living souls” (Gen 2:7) and not spirits. With humans, God decides to give our dead spirit eternal life (enlightenment, regeneration) positionally (an immediate and irrevocable occurrence) at the time in our life-span of His choosing, and to whomsoever He has willed from the foundation of the world. God quickens our dead spirit. One aspect of the born again life that God gives us may be defined as that spiritual ability to discern between good and evil which we call the Holy Spirit, i.e. His Spirit, and upon our physical death “the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Eccl 12:7). After giving us His Spirit, God redeems us experientially (a life-long process) by drawing us ever closer to Him, through the exercise of our spiritual discernment. In our experiential case (vs. the angels), spiritual discernment is the progressive enlightenment or the progressive revelation of the Holy Spirit. What did King Solomon ask God for? Discernment, i.e. more Holy Spirit, more Light. (1 Kings 3:9).
1. (1 Ki 3:9) Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad [evil]: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
2. (Heb 5:13,14) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use [habit, practice] have their senses [perceptions, i.e. judgment] exercised [practiced, trained] to discern both good and evil.
SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT IS THE ONLY ANTIDOTE TO THE POISON OF STRONG DELUSION
(who teaches us discernment?)
(Acts 17:10-12) And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness [willingness] of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
1. (John 16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear [i.e. the words of Jesus (logos) Christ (rhema): John 1:14], that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
2. (1 John 2:27) But the anointing [(fig.) the spec. endowment ("chrism") of the Holy Spirit] which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
SUMMATION: THE SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT = THE HOLY SPIRIT
(1 Cor 2:12-14) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man [unaved, not born again] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Amen
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