The Hungry Hearts Bible Commentary

Ephesian 6:15 Shodding our Feet: Armor of God Nine

Ephesians 6:15 tells us that after we girt our loins with the TRUTH, and after we don the Breastplate of Righteousness, (God's, not ours) we are commanded to put on our foot gear.

We are not told to shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace....

Rather we are told to shod our feet with the "preparation of" the gospel of peace.

These are two completely different things.

Those who teach that we should shod our feet with the gospel of peace often misrepresent what this means and preach an unscriptural gospel of peace, love, and unity at the expense of contending for the faith. The Bible does not teach that, and Jesus never taught it. In fact, Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace but a sword...

When he comes the second time, he will bring peace, but only after he militarily defeats all of his enemies.

So what in the world does it mean to shod our feet with the "preparation of..." the gospel of peace?

Here it is in a nutshell:
Always "be prepared" to tell the good news of man's peace with God.

Are we always prepared to share Christ?

If we are not always prepared to tell the good news of man's peace with God, then there is a serious gap in our armor. That is the messages the angels were broadcasting the night Christ was born.

Glory to God! Peace on earth! Good Will to men!

The "peace" on earth they were referring to, is only available through Christ, who was born that night. Personal peace comes only through the good news of Messiah's death, his burial, and his resurrection. Only when we know Jesus personally, by being born again, can we hope to have peace with God. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ will also ultimately bring peace to the entire earth.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is the gospel. The good will the angels referred to, on the night Christ was born, is the demonstration of a love so powerful that God made a way to allow mankind (who had been a natural enemy of God ever since the Fall) to come close to Him, and to have peace with Him--again--through the blood of Jesus' cross (Colossians 1:20-22).

God's will towards all mankind is only good.

Shodding our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace is part of our armor and victory against a foe much stronger than we can ever hope to be apart from Christ and the supernatural weapons he gives us.

There are those who shamelessly ridicule soul winners as spiritually deficient and undeveloped as Christians. They are accused of being the lowest, most pathetic of all among the Body of Christ. But soul winning is a critical part of successful spiritual warfare and personal victory when under any kind of enemy attack. Aside from an evil desire to keep people from eternal life, no wonder the enemy fights so hard against soul winning.

The scriptures say, "They that win souls are wise." It is no coincidence that soul winning is listed among the top three pieces of the Armour of God. God arms us strategically. He is out to give us the greatest advantage possible.

By following his instructions, we not only get an edge over enemy maneuvers--we WIN.

Ephesian 6:15 Shodding our Feet: Armor of God Nine

Spiritual Wickedness in High Places: Armor of God Seven

The apostle Paul informs us that one of the enemies we fight against is, "Spiritual wickedness in high places."

Well what exactly does that mean?

To determine that and correctly identify this particular enemy, let's look at what the term "wickedness" means.

That's a given you say? Everyone knows what wickedness means! That may be true in a general sense, but how about in a specific biblical sense? Exactly what is it that the Biblical writer is trying to tell us about wickedness?

To find out what a Biblical word means, we can't go to Webster's Dictionary. We need a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (the original Strong's--not the new updated or the strongest Strong's), the Greek word translated "wickedness" in Ephesians 6:12 means: depravity, malice, plots, sins, hurtful, evil, degeneracy, calamitous, diseased, ill, guilt.

As if the above isn't enough, the root words the word "wickedness" is taken from mean: toil, anguish, starving, indigent.

This spiritual wickedness we fight against encompasses the entire spectrum of evil--anything that can be possibly be conceived of.

But what about the high places? What is this referring to?

The high places mean exactly that. The word translated "high," means: above, sky.

The scriptures reveal that evil spirits do indeed inhabit the high places (which include the sky--the earth's atmosphere and even the space surrounding this earth--possibly even this entire galaxy and beyond).

That is one of the reasons the "heavens" will need to be made new along with the earth.

The heaven that will be made new is the one that is corrupted by sin--this earth's atmosphere and the surrounding space that is presently inhabited by fallen angels--not the sinless Heaven God inhabits.

If we did not have God's promise that we are provided with powerful weapons with which to fight such powerful spiritual enemies, we would be miserable indeed.

Luke 10 commentary

1: After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place where he himself would come ^{Malachi/Isaiah} 2: Then he said to them The harvest truly is vast but the laborers are few Pray you therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth laborers into HIS harvest 3: Go your ways behold I send you forth as lambs^prey among wolves^{predators
[1]} 4: Carry neither wallet [2] nor [begger’s or provision] bag [3] nor [extra] shoes and greet no one [4] ^{1 Kings 13:1-24} along the way [5] 5: And into whatever household you enter first say Peace be to this home [6] ^{Num 6:24-26 John 14:27}6: And if the Children of Peace be there your peace shall rest upon it If not it shall turn to you again ^{Isaiah 54:10} ^Jer
16:5 7: And in the same house remain eating and drinking such things as they give [7] For the laborer is worthy of their hire Go not from house to house [8] 8: And into whatever city you enter and they receive you eat such things as are set before you 9: And heal the sick that are there and say to them The Kingdom of God is come near to you 10: But into whatever city you enter and they receive you not go your ways out into the streets of the same and say [9] 11: “Even the very dust of your city which clings to us we do wipe off against you Nevertheless you be sure of this that the kingdom of God has come near to you” ^{Proverbs 25:28} 12: And I say to you that it shall be more tolerable in that day [10] for Sodom than for that city 13: Woe unto you Chorazin! Woe unto you Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you they had a great while ago repented sitting in sackcloth and ashes 14: But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment ^{Revelation
20:11-15} than for you 15: And you Capernaum which are exalted to [the] heavens ^ouranou shall be thrust down to hades ^G86 16: They that hear you hear me And they that despise you despise me And they that despise me despise the one commissioning me [11] 17: And the seventy returned again with joy saying Lord even demons ^diamonions^G1140 are subject unto us through your name 18: And he said to them I beheld Satan as lightning [12] fall from Heaven ^{Isaiah 14:12-13} 19: Behold I give to you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the dynamis ^Mark
5:30 of the enemy ^{Matthew 17:19-21} and nothing shall by any means hurt you [13] 20: Nevertheless in this rejoice not that the spirits ^pnuemata are subject to you but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven 21: In that hour Jesus greatly rejoiced in the spirit ^pnuemati and said I thank you O Father Lord of Heaven and earth that you have hid these things from the wise and the learned [14] and has revealed them to babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in your sight 22: All was surrendered to me ^{The Son of Humanity} by ^hypo
G5259 my Father ^{The Godhead Luke 1:32-35} [15] and no one knows who the Son is but the Father and who the Father is but the Son and to whom the Son will reveal ^{The Father/The Godhead/YHWH} 23: And he turned himself toward his disciples and said privately Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see 24: For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them^{1
Peter 1:10-12}25: And behold a certain lawyer stood up and tested him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life 26: He asked him What is written in the law ^nomo/nomos how readest thou 27: And he answering said You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself 28: And he said to him You have answered right This do and you shall live 29: But he determined to justify himself said to Jesus And who is my neighbor [16] 30: And Jesus answering said A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing and wounded him and departed leaving him half dead 31: And by chance there came down a certain priest that way and when he saw him he passed by on the other side 32: And likewise a Levite when he was at the place came and looked on him and passed by on the other side 33: But a certain Samaritan as he journeyed came where he was and when he saw him he had compassion on him 34: And went to him and bound up his wounds pouring in oil and wine and set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him 35: And the next day when he departed he took out two pence and gave them to the host and said unto him Take care of him and whatever you spend more when I return I will repay you 36: Which now of these three do you think was neighbor to him that fell among the thieves 37: And he said He that shewed mercy on him Then said Jesus to him Go and you do the same 38: Now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her home 39: And she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word [17] 40: But Martha was distressed with much serving and came to him and said Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone command her therefore that she help me 41: And Jesus answered and said to her Martha Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things 42: But one thing is needful and Mary has chosen that excellent portion which shall not be taken away from her

[1] http://www.sheep101.info/flocking.html

[2] No wallet! Can you imagine? Jesus sent them forth with only the clothes on their backs and a cloak for cold weather and for at night.

[3] Christian ministries are among the biggest group of beggars on earth. Do they go anywhere without their beggar’s bag/offering plate? One notable minister who never asked for a penny was George Mueller. Cory Ten Boom eventually adopted Mueller’s method of going only to God with her financial needs.

[4] Stay focused on your task. Do not allow yourselves to be distracted or adversely influenced from your assignment. For this purpose, keep to yourselves until you arrive at your destination.

[5] See verse :1. Where Jesus gave the seventy advance directives as to which cities they were to go to. He sent them in pairs and instructed them not engage in conversation with anyone until they arrived at their destination.

[6] This is an authoritative peace bestowed on the seventy. They had the power both to give and withdraw it. When Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you…,” was he leaving that peace only to the ones he was speaking to at the time, or did he leave his peace to all his children—The Children of Peace?

[7] What? No expensive hotels or restaurants?

[8] Where the scriptures speak plainly, there is no need to wonder about what we should do, no need to pray about what we should do. This passage is for ministers of the gospel, for those sent forth by the Spirit of the Living God to bring the good news of humanity’s peace with our Creator through the sacrifice of Christ. When we travel for Jesus, we do not charge for accommodation, but rather accept food, shelter, and fellowship with the Children of Peace who invite us to stay in their homes. But what if their home is small, simple, with only plain food and accommodation, and during the course of our stay, we are invited by someone else to stay at their larger, fancier, home…with tastier and more abundant food? Jesus said, Don’t do it!

[9] Something needs to said here, about placing too much confidence in scholarship. Reference it yes. Generally respect it, yes. Do not readily discard it, when mistakes are found—and there are many—but do not automatically take anyone’s scholarship, definitions, or commentary as Holy Writ. One example of thinking and researching for ourselves is found in the Strong’s definition of the simple word, “say,” as used in Luke 10:10. The word is translated correctly but it is wrongly defined in the Strong’s Concordance, as shown on the Blue Letter Bible website. Bible students and researchers read there, that the Greek primary verb, eipon/eipate G2036 (the word appears in 51 different forms—usually translated as say or said) is used only in the definite past tense. As we see in Luke 10:10, this is not true. Jesus used this word while instructing his followers what to say in future statements. We should make the effort to clarify and accept or reject scholarly definitions as we seek to understand the truths of God’s Word. The vast resources contemporary Bible students have at their disposal is more comprehensive than at any time in history. But take care that we do not read our Bibles strictly through the lenses and filters of favorite teachers, scholars, or commentators.

[10] At the end of the 1000 years there will be one more resurrection and one more judgement. This is where the inhabitants of these cities will be judged. Jesus specifically mentions witnesses who rise up against them at this judgement, such as the Queen of Sheba (ancient Sheba was possibly located in Africa or in what is now modern Saudi Arabia). This will be the only judgment where a second death takes place. The reason those at The Great White Throne Judgment suffer death twice is, because after they have endured the agony of complete separation from the presence and power of God, after they have lost all hope of salvation when their physical life here on earth ended, their bodies will be raised for a final judgment. During this judgment, they will once again come into the presence and power of God—only to be cast from his presence…to die a second time (Revelation 20:12-14). Redemption: Bible Prophecy Simplified, One Way Press, 2008

[11] HIERARCHY IN THE GODHEAD? No! ALL of the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus in physical form. Jesus is fully God and fully human, not a half and half hybrid like the mythical Hercules. To atone for sin and defeat death, the living God, the Creator. The Most High, The Aleph-Tav ^Genesis
1:1/ Alpha-Omega ^{Revelation 1:8,11} , chose to became his creation. As the Creator, Jesus—The WORD ^{John 1:1}—is subordinate to no one. As a human, Jesus is an obedient Son.

[12] The symbol of Satan falling from Heaven, the lightening bolt, is commonly used among those involved in the occult. Some who own companies often apply it as logo’s, knowing full well what it means. Toy companies use it. Clothing companies use it. It is widely used in a great variety of products these days. Because of the occult meaning deliberately applied to the symbol of the lightening bolt, some believers choose not to associate themselves with it.

[13] When Jesus said “…nothing shall by any means hurt you,” he is referring to deliverance ministry. He is referring to the serpents, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy that will manifest through those they oppress. An example of this is the demoniacs that terrorized every one who came near them, except Jesus. Another example are the sons of Sceva, who did not know Jesus, yet tried to cast out devils in his name, and the devils, through one man, overcame all seven of them.

[14] The esteemed and highly educated religious leadership of Jesus’ day, did not perceive the time of their visitation. They roundly rejected him and looked down their noses at those personally chosen by him. Doesn’t that seem to hold true, even for today? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Worldly credentials do not qualify any to represent the Most High God in any area of service. In fact, many institutions of higher learning, including seminaries undermine the faith of those who seek degrees. The majority of those Jesus called and sent forth, did not possess degrees of higher learning. But when God calls, he equips, and God forbid that those in positions of authority, in 501c3 organizations among others, silence those God has called to be heard within his Body.

[15] When THE MOST HIGH became one of his human creations, the entire Godhead was involved in the conception of Jesus, not just the “first person of the Trinity,” of which there is no such thing as the first, second, or third person of the Godhead. Those are blasphemous hierarchical terms denoting order of existence, a procession of creation. If such were true, the chronological and hierarchical phrase, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, regulates the Holy Spirit to a subordinate position, when the false doctrine of the subordinate son clearly places Jesus last in the so-called hierarchy.

There is no hierarchy within the Godhead, and Jesus is not a created being, nor is he the “eternal” son. He did not become the Son, until he entered the Kosmos, when he was conceived by the Jewess, Miriam. That is called the incarnation. The incarnation happened when THE GOD became a man—IMMANUEL, THE GOD WITH US. This was foretold, explained, and declared ^{Psalm 2:7, John 1:1,14, 1:5-6, Hebrews 1:5-6}. YHWH ELOHIYM, The Godhead, became human when the Holy Spirit came upon Miriam, and she was over-shadowed by THE HIGHEST ^{Colossians 2:9}.

Prior to The Almighty’s incarnation as a human, Jesus existed in eternity as THE WORD. THE WORD was GOD, and Isaiah even called Jesus the Father.

Through some unfathomable miracle, Jehovah/YHWH became a human. Miriam was told her child would be called IMMANUEL—THE GOD With us. THE GOD is YHWH, the Godhead. The Holy Spirit came upon Miriam, and and the power of THE HIGHEST (YHWH/The Godhead) over-shadowed her, and that is why that Holy Thing that was born of her was called the Son of God ^{Luke 1:31-35}.

[16] This lawyer obviously had issues with prejudice. Among the Jews of Jesus’ day, Samaritans were considered fair game for discrimination, the lowest of the low as they were viewed as hybrid, “mongrel” Jews who had defected from traditional Judaism, so it was a Samaritan Jesus chose to illustrate neighborly kindness and God’s way of judging others by personal behavior and not by race or nationality. He also illustrated those who were considered the epitome of righteousness could actually be just the opposite. It is personal behavior and not position or title that makes one friend or foe. Our hearts and behavior are what matter to God, but if the behavior must come from a pure heart of love ^{Psalm 51:13-19}.

[17] The issue of Martha and Mary has long been characterized as a struggle between those who are spiritual—the Marys—and those who are not—the Martha’s. In one aspect this is correct, but the larger point, the elephant in the room, so to speak, is gender-role aspect of this story. This is huge, because without the gender-role aspect, Martha would have had no problem with what Mary was not doing. There would have been no point to make. Yet, this been completely ignored by Christian scholarship.

It is important to note that the nature of work is not the real divide between the Mary’s and the Martha’s. The real divide is the perception of what that work should be based on ones gender. The perception of what constitutes a woman’s “place” in ministry and society, was the driving force behind Martha’s complaint against her sister. This wrong perception harms both women and men. Many men excel in the kitchen, love it, and do not feel called in the least into traditional Christian ministry.

In this scene, we see a woman, stepping out of her “place” in society to sit with the men, learning at the feet of the master. And Martha found this extremely agitating. It is likely that Martha already had plenty of help in the kitchen, because that’s what women do. It is also likely that she simply resented the fact that Mary did not seem to be bothered in least that she wasn’t helping Martha and the other women “do what women do.”

This scenario continues to play out in Christian gatherings today, where men feel little or no pressure to do anything but enjoy the events, while cultural pressure is still brought to bear on women to “be in the kitchen,” cooking, cleaning, making sure everything runs smoothly for everyone else.

For some women, possibly even for most women, this is a labor of love. It comes naturally for them. They are good at it and enjoy it. It is truly a ministry for them. But for others, it is not the same. There are women who are called to sit at the master’s feet and their ministry falls into the category of what has always been considered the realm of men. It is interesting that, at this particular gathering, there is no record of the men complaining to Jesus about Mary’s presence at his feet.

It is also interesting, that though Jesus put down the idea of gender “roles” when he gently rebuked Martha for trying to take the “better thing” from her sister, Christian scholarship regulates this passage to strictly a women’s argument about spiritual women -Vs- not spiritual women. But there is no evidence that Martha was not a spiritual woman, only that she was totally sold out to the cultural norm of her day, that held men and women to strict gender-roles and unequal standards of behavior and morality. Jesus did not hold to these norms and bluntly said so.

Luke Chapter 9 Hungry Hearts Bible Translation HHBT

1: Then he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all daimonions^G1140 and to cure diseases 2: And he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick 3: And he said to them Take nothing for your journey neither staff [walking stick] nor scrip [wallet or backpack] neither bread neither money neither have two coats apiece 4: And whatever house you enter into there abide and from there depart 5: And whoever will not receive you when you go out of that city shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them 6: And they departed and went through the towns aggelos[1] of good news and healing every where 7: Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him and he was perplexed because that it was said of some that John was risen from the dead 8: And of some that Elijah had appeared and of others that one of the old prophets was risen again 9: And Herod said John have I beheaded but who is this of whom I hear such things And he desired to see him 10: And the apostles when they were returned told him all that they had done And he took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida 11: And the people when they knew it followed him and he received them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and healed them that had need of healing 12: And when the day began to wear away then came the twelve and said to him Send the multitude away that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge and get food for we are here in a desert place 13: But he said to them You give them to eat And they said We have no more but five loaves and two fishes except we should go and buy meat for all this people 14: For they were about five thousand men And he said to his disciples Make them sit down in rows [or groups] of fifty 15: And they did so and made them all sit down 16: Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes and looking up to heaven he blessed them and broke and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude 17: And they did eat and were all filled and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets 18: And it came to pass as he was alone praying his disciples were with him and he asked them saying Whom say the people that I am 19: They answering said John the Baptist but some say Elijah and others say that one of the old prophets is risen again 20: He said to them But whom say you that I am? Peter answering said The Christ of God 21: And he sharply [strictly] commanded them to tell no one that thing 22: Saying The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be slain and be raised the third day 23: And he said to them all If any one will come after me let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me 24: For whoever will save their life shall lose it but whoever will lose their life for my sake the same shall save it 25: For what is a person advantaged if they gain the whole world and lose themselves or be cast away 26: For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of them shall the Son of Anthropos^G444 be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory and in his Father's and the holy angels 27: But I tell you of a truth there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they behold the Royal Power [of the kingdom] of God 28: And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings he took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray 29: And as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was altered and his raiment became dazzling white flashing like lightning[2] 30: And behold there talked with him two men who were Moses and Elijah 31: Who appeared in splendor and spoke of his exodos^G1841 which he should accomplish at Jerusalem[3] 32: But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep and when they were awake they saw his glory also [that of] the two men that stood with him 33: And it came to pass as they departed from him Peter said unto Jesus Master it is good for us to be here and let us make three tabernacles one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah not realizing what he said 34: While he thus spoke there came a cloud and enveloped them [in a haze of brilliancy] and they feared as they entered into the cloud 35: And there came a voice out of the cloud saying This is my beloved Son listen to [and understand] him 36: And when the voice was past Jesus was found alone And they kept it close [to themselves] and told no one in those days any of those things which they had seen 37: And it came to pass that on the next day when they were come down from the hill much people met him 38: And behold a man of the company cried out saying Master I beg you look upon my son for he is my only child 39: And lo a spirit seizes him and he suddenly cries out and it convulses him that he foams again and bruising him hardly [with difficulty] departs from him 40: And I begged your disciples to cast him out and they could not 41: And Jesus answering said O faithless and perverse generation how long shall I be with you and endure you Bring your son here 42: And as he was yet coming the devil threw him down and [violently] convulsed him And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child and delivered him again to his father 43: And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did he said to his disciples 44: Let these sayings sink down into your ears for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men 45: But they understood not this saying for it was hid from them that they perceived it not and they feared to ask him of that saying 46: Then there arose a disputing among them which of them should be greatest 47: And Jesus perceiving the thoughts of their hearts took a child and set it by him 48: And said to them Whoever shall receive this child in my name receives me and whoever shall receive me receives him who sent me for they who live [as the] least among you each of these shall be great 49: And John answered and said Master we saw one casting out devils in your name and we forbade him because he follows not with us 50: And Jesus said to him Forbid him not for they who are not against us are for us 51: And it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem 52: And sent aggelos^G32 before his face and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him 53: And they did not receive him because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem^{John 4:20} 54: And when his disciples James and John saw this they said Lord would you like us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them even as Elijah did 55: And he turned and rebuked them and said You know not what manner of spirit you are of 56: For the Son of Anthropos[4] has not come to destroy the lives of anthropos^G444 but to save them And they went to another village 57: And it came to pass that as they departed on their journey a certain man said unto him Lord I will follow thee wherever you go 58: And Jesus said to him Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Anthropos^G444 has nowhere to lay his head 59: And he said to another Follow me But he said Lord allow me first to go and bury my father[5] 60: Jesus said to him Let the dead bury their dead but you go and preach the kingdom of God 61: And another also said Lord I will follow you but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house 62: And Jesus said to him No one having put their hands to the plow who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God

Special Features of the Scripture Text Portions of the HHBT

· The basis of this translation is the Received Text of the NT and the Ben Chayyim Masoretic text of the OT as found in the Original Strong’s Concordance and compared diligently with the work of respected scholars. The AV is followed where the language and sense of the original languages are clear to the modern reader.

· Where a Hebrew or Greek word would serve better than an attempt at translation, the original word is left untranslated, in italics, with the Strong’s Greek [G] or Hebrew [H] reference number notated beside it.

· Cross-references/study references are noted in line with the text

· There is no punctuation in the scripture text

· Brackets [ ] indicate alternate or commentary

List of Untranslated Words in this Chapter

· Aggelos G32 pronounced angelos: messenger, translated “angel” 179 times in the AV

· Anthropos G444 usually referring to a human being either female or male: Sometimes referring to angels who are always identified as males.

· Diamonions G1140 Evil Spirits

· Exodus G1841 Departure

[1] Strong’s G32 aggelos pronounced angelos translated “angel” 179 times in the AV

[2] Jesus’ Kingdom appearance and that of Moses and Elijah (this is the fulfillment of verse :27)

[3] Moses and Elijah are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the Lord of the whole earth in Zechariah 4:14. They are also the two Witnesses of Revelation 11:3-6

[4] G444 anthropos: a human being whether male or female. Jesus had a human mother but not a human father. So the English translation, Son of Man, is a reference to his humanity in general rather than the gender of his father.

[5] Take care of my father until his death

Truth: Armor of God Six

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with the TRUTH. If the foundation is weak, the entire structure is in danger of collapse, and Jesus made it clear that we were to build on a solid foundation. He, then, went on to tell us exactly what that foundation consists of.

We can find this foundation in Matthew 7:24-27.

A solid foundation is built by knowing Jesus who embodies the truth, and on hearing and doing the sayings of Jesus.

Where do we find the only recorded words of Jesus? In the Bible, and more specifically, in the four gospels.

At this point, some may already be questioning this, because only four of sixty six books contain sayings attributed directly to Jesus. If that is so, does that mean we stand against powerful spiritual wickedness and build our entire spiritual foundation on a mere fraction of the Bible?

The answer is, "absolutely not." It is crucial that the right foundation be laid--other wise, we imperil, not only, ourselves but those within our spheres of influence as well. Every word spoken by almighty God recorded in the scriptures can be considered a saying of Jesus, because all of scripture is God-breathed, and the scriptures record that Jesus Christ is the Creator--The Almighty Himself.

We find that in Colossians 1:16-17 (KJV). If you have a Bible that says otherwise--get rid of that butter-knife and get yourself a sword--you're going to need one. See also Isaiah 44:24.

The entire Bible is the Word of God, and it is that to which Jesus was referring when he said everyone who heard and did his sayings would be on safe and solid ground. So, in girding our lions with the truth, we must first become acquainted with the Word of God (Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them), and then be obedient to what it says.

Jesus claimed the Word of God was TRUTH (John 17:17). The Written Word of God is the only TRUTH. When Satan confronted Jesus with FACTS, Jesus countered facts with written TRUTH (He said, "It is written..."). Facts and TRUTH are not always synonymous (although sometimes they are, see Matthew chapter four).

What do we do if the facts of our situation contradict the truth of the written Word of God? The scriptures say it is always proper to trust in what the Word of God says and not in what our own limited and finite understanding tells us (Proverbs 3:5).

The Word of God (TRUTH) also says the scriptures need to be rightly divided (that means correctly discerned [2 Timothy 2:15]). Note that in 2 Timothy 2:15, The apostle calls the scriptures, "The Word of TRUTH." There is no other TRUTH than that which is written, and the prophet Isaiah said that if anyone tries to say differently, then there is NO LIGHT in them (Isaiah 8:20).

No matter what the enemy throws at us, no matter what situation we may find ourselves in, the Word of God is Truth we can stand on. There is always an answer to be found there. And only by standing in (hearing and doing) the Word of TRUTH, can victory be obtained.

That means we must first know Jesus personally, as He is the truth. And we must master a thorough understanding of what the Bible says (and what it does not say) by reading it for ourselves, not just by reading what someone else says about it.

Read the Bible every day--always picking up today where you left off yesterday. If you are just starting out, the Book of John is a good place to begin.

Rulers of the Darkness of this World: Armor of God Five

The word "darkness" in Ephesians 6:12 comes from a root word meaning shade or error. Another word to describe this darkness is obscurity.

Jesus said we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. The Rulers of the Darkness of this World are beings who are committed to keeping the people of this world in darkness/in error.

They accomplish this through outright lying (Satan is a liar and the father of it). They also work in more subtle ways by shading, manipulating, and obscuring the truth.

The Rulers of the Darkness of This World oppose all truth. Jesus is the Truth. His words are spirit and life. Therefore, the Rulers of the Darkness of This World are committed to opposing the truth of Jesus Christ on every level of understanding, using any method or person they can. There is an entire class of devils [fallen angels]--Powers--committed to this one thing. They are a formidable army with only one goal--that of keeping mankind in darkness concerning every truth that will save, set free, bring any blessing, healing, or relief to us whatsoever.

They bitterly hate us. And if they cannot keep us from eternal doom, they delight in causing us to suffer needlessly.

Needlessly, because so much of our suffering is needless. The scriptures say many are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The knowledge that is lacking is the knowledge revealed in the Word of God. The Truth. The Light.

The scriptures say, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Jesus said, "The Blind lead the blind, and they all fall into the ditch."

We have an enemy who is committed to keeping us in the shade, to obscuring the light, blinding from the truth, and to leading as many as possible into the ditch through error.

In His Word, God has revealed how we can prevent this from happening. Commit to reading his Word daily. And then be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.

Pages

Ephesian 6:15 Shodding our Feet: Armor of God Nine

Ephesian 6:15 Shodding our Feet: Armor of God Nine

Spiritual Wickedness in High Places: Armor of God Seven

Luke 10 commentary

Luke Chapter 9 Hungry Hearts Bible Translation HHBT

Truth: Armor of God Six

Rulers of the Darkness of this World: Armor of God Five