SPIRIT BRAND

SPIRITUALITY for the 21st Century

There is an incredible desire in all of us to believe!  Often, we doubt because we cannot see…God’s doing, moving, and handiwork!  Our faith so much depends on feeling, touching, and seeing the hand of God operate in our lives.  We declare that believing is intricately tied to our sight.  We virtually want to see!

I’ll believe when I see!  For some reason, we feel as though our faith is solidified by simple sight!  To see is to believe!  Unfortunately, we have all seen, yet we refuse to believe.  Romans 1 declare that creation is God’s primary evidence of who He is and His glory!  Instead of worshipping the Creator, we refuse to believe in spite of seeing, and worship the creation instead.  How ridiculous of us to tie belief with sight!  We see and yet we become obstinant and disobedient. 

Tonight, while teaching in Revelations 20, there is a powerful verse that is often overlooked because it primarily speaks of Satan’s deception after Christ’s millenial reign.  Read this:   

⁷When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

I’ve italicized the text for emphasis…first let’s look at the context–1)  Christ is ruling during the millenium, 2) those who are living during this time have only His rule to experience, 3) it is a life of peace, contentment, and joy for a thousand years, 4) they see and live with Christ…but when Satan is released, they are deceived by their willful choice and decide to wage war against God and His people…and amazingly, “their number are like the sand of the seashore”–that means not a few, but a bunch of them that see and yet choose to be deceived and walk in rebellion!

Here’s the lesson in all of this:

1) Believing is not tied to seeing–you can see and still choose to not believe!

2)  Believing is not knowing–you can know (a mental assent) and still walk in disobedience!

3) Believing means committing!  Believe is an action word!  I believe, therefore, I will commit!

Unfortunately, some of you still want to see…an excuse to not commit to God and His ways…remember Revelations 19 and 20…that road will certainly lead to death!