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Via the dawn of the Internet the Churches of God can no longer control the rush forward of information about church issues. The Internet has been a forceful sting in the wall up of the COG. It is what contributed to the lively dissipation of the WCG later than all the changes were coming down the line. Details flowed too freely and too fast for someone in "power" to control it.
It's now outstanding twenty existence concluding and the COG's are stationary monstrous to control information. Endure a be seen at Doug Winnail and his belief that Satan is similar to someone that dares questions LCG be in charge of, doctrines or beliefs. Club little they don't consider it a lot of what Jesus held and did, they convinced love to announce out his name later than it is advantageous to be recycled as a blade. Armstrongism is all about the alarm clock limitation.
SATAN'S Become quiet DEVICES: The Natural life of Unleavened Bread are a time for self-examination-to attentively slice up the motives in our own instant (1 Corinthians 11:29-32). Are we devotedly determined by God's Core or by the attitudes of this world? Despondently, as soon as months or numberless existence in the Cathedral of God, we can stationary be snared by Satan's policy (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11)-without even realizing what is inside. Satan-who is the appellant of the brethren and the root of uncertainties, divisions and riot versus authority-can cleverly trace doctrine and attitudes hip our minds (Ephesians 2:2) that annoy us to close down, complain, and section decisions, deeds and policies of those re us and outstanding us in the Subject of Christ. In the function of we see that Satan tempted Christ (Matthew 4:1-10) and next stirred Peter to sharply blame Christ (Matthew 16:22-23), we necessity fulfilled that we are not exempt to Satan's policy. Jesus held that someone who criticizes, pours scorn on, or harbors awake versus others is actually culpable of spiritual butcher (Matthew 5:21-22). At this time of day, we want to "ask ourselves" if we stand the individual and diffidence of Jesus Christ to bolster others high than ourselves (Philippians 2:1-8). If we reprimand, close down and leap apprehension and constituent by way of others, we stand been snared by a goal of the "appellant of our brethren" (Statement 12:10). Let's all torture yourself to be real Philadelphia Christians who accept love and ahead treaty and endorse with others in the Cathedral of God. That is what God is looking for in us at this time (James 3:17-18).
Grip a worthwhile Sabbath and Form Blessed Day zest,Douglas S. Winnail
First, it is important for us to remember that Satan is not omnipresent - he cannot be in more than one place at a time. Only God is everywhere, only God knows everything, while Satan must rely on his army of demons to do his bidding. Can Satan and/or his demons read our minds? Scripture does not say specifically whether or not Satan can read our minds. The Bible does teach us that Satan indeed is very powerful. Likely he was the highest of all the fallen angels, as he was persuasive enough to convince one third of the angels to join him in his rebellion (Revelation 12:4). Even after his fall from heaven, not even Michael the archangel dared to confront him without the Lord's help (Jude 9). Satan is the "the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Ephesians 2:2b). Believers are exhorted "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7b).The Bible gives us no reason to believe Satan and his demons can read our minds. Clearly that would take a measure of omnipresence and omniscience, which they do not have. However, Satan and his demons have been observing and tempting human beings for thousands of years. In addition, they can overhear our speech when we talk to others (and to ourselves!). Surely they have learned a few things about us over the years. Even without the ability to know our thoughts, they can probably make a well-educated guess as to what we are thinking, and then attempt to use it to their advantage. That is why we are commanded to "Submit yourselves, then, to God" (James 4:7a), before we are told to "Resist the devil" (James 4:7b).
Credit: way-of-witch.blogspot.com
Satan has the biggest ego in all the universe, bar none. In the sometime distant past, the bible does not say when, Satan decided he could do a better job than God. He is accused of the following:
"How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-15 ESV).
This famous passage is called the 'Five I Wills' of Satan. Most people think the phrase 'you have been cast down to the earth' means satan was cast out of heaven back then and barred from re-entering. But it is not so. He was cast down from his position as guardian cherub (Ezekiel 28:14) but Job 1:6 shows us that satan and his rebelling angels still had access to heaven. They still do today.
Satan's final fall and exile from heaven will occur in Revelation 12, when there is "War in Heaven."
"Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" (Rev 12:7-12).
Scholars believe that event is what triggers the Great Tribulation, the turning point halfway through the 7-year period of judgment on earth. Satan's fury at his loss of access to heaven will be unleashed against the Jews and then the Christians. (Rev 12:13, 17)
I'd like to tie Rev 12 to two other verses that are prophesied to occur during the Tribulation. Just food for interpretive thought. First, Luke 21:26 KJV- "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." The phrase "fainting" in the Greek means "to leave off breathing, to die." The "with fear" is Greek for a word that means "panic flight, fear, the causing of fear, terror." The powers of heaven being shaken, the Greek word for "shaken "means "cast down". (SOURCE)
So men will have instant heart attacks and be fleeing in terror when they see something coming down from heaven. What? What is it that they are seeing which causes such panic and hear-attack inducing terror? Meteors? Asteroids? UFOs?
I'd like to think that it is the Revelation verse that they are seeing. It is my belief that when Satan and his angels are cast down, they no longer hide who they are. Satan and the full-on evil angels reveal themselves visibly and no one will be unawares any longer. Imagine seeing multitudes of evil angels and satan himself falling from heaven and appearing on earth- visibly.
We are visited by angels constantly. They are present upon the earth, the good angels and the bad angels. Most of the time, we are not aware of them, though. Hebrews 13:2 says we have entertained them unawares. Abraham entertained angels unaware, didn't he? And Gideon. And Minoah. And the evil angels too, are on the earth, but if they appeared to us as they are, with their evil showing, we would reject them. So satan, despite having a big ego, is perfectly content to allow us to think he is a tiny man with a funny tail and pitchfork and his rebellious, powerful, and highly intelligent minions are cute little cherubs falling asleep after dinner. Satan is content to let "you "think he is not powerful, while all the while "himself "thinking he is the most powerful, even more than God.
"
Who would be afraid of this "guy?
Sistine Madonna detail, Raphael. Aw, aren't they cute.
Rosso Fiorentino "Two cherubs reading,
detail from Madonna and Child with Saints". So cuddly.
They don't look like they could do much, do they?
Yet, if my interpretation of Luke 21:26 is correct, that it is speaking of the powers of heaven falling to earth when men see the actual satan and the evil angels invading earth, men die on the spot. Add to that this verse, the second one I believe ties in:
"And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth." (Rev 9:1-3). "Illustration is of the trumpets and the locusts from the abyss, Matthias Scheits"
The evil is raining down from above and hurtling up from below. I don't know if they both happen at the same time, but either way, it will be a time of shock and death.
Am I exaggerating? Let's see how the shepherds reacted when a holy angel, bringing good news and helps, visited them.
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." (Luke 2:9)
How about Zechariah's reaction when an angel visited him?
Zechariah and the angel.
Gillem van der Gouwen. 1728
"When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear." (Luke 1:12)
How about Mary?
"Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be." (Luke 1:29)
Cornelius?
"He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" Cornelius stared at him in fear..." (Acts10:3-4a)
In all these cases it is AN angel of the Lord, which means a holy angel, not THE angel of the Lord, which means Jesus. And they all were terrified. To calm the person they were about to speak to, they first said, "Fear not."
If people are terrified when seeing a holy angel obedient to God and here to help us, how do we think the people in the Tribulation will react when the "evil "angels are unleashed? Their hearts will fail them for fear.
Ron Graham explains the Genesis 6 verses about the unholy angels, HERE. Patrick Heron explains the entrance of the unholy angels upon the earth further, below. He gives the book of Enoch more authority than I give to it, but he does do a good job leading us through the present day common misinterpretations of Genesis 6. So does Mr Graham. Check them out if you'd like to explore this idea further.
We are blessed to know Jesus as Savior, Priest, Advocate and Friend. We know that if we are visited by an unholy angel that we can appeal to Jesus for protection. He is ALL POWER and in Him we have nothing to fear.
"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah." (Psalm 46:7).
"The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:9)
But those who refuse Jesus's pardon on this side of the rapture will be faced with seeing these things some upon the earth after the rapture. Please repent now. Repent means to be aware that we are unholy, having sin in us. We can never be with Jesus as long as sin is in us and not addressed. If we repent, He will forgive all that sin and adopt us into His extended family.
From Matthew 12:22-30,
22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"
24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."
25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29"Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.
30"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
So Christ has announced that with His arrival into the world, the Kingdom of God has come. But He also makes it very clear that "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined." So the Kingdom of God MUST NOT be divided against itself. The success of the Gospel depends on having One Church, rather than many churches vying to be the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Credit: alchemy-and-alchemists.blogspot.com
