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The god of this world

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (KJV)

The apostle Paul calls Satan the god of this world. Satan is not the god of the physical planet called earth but he is a god to those who obey him.

Jesus said,

“I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil . They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17:14-16 (KJV)

My biggest battles have been with the systems of this world. It’s political, economic and social systems. A good part of my life has been spent in debt to credits cards, personal loans, car notes, house note, and insurance bills. Right now, my car insurance is $340.00 a month because I live in a city that demands its drivers to carry unlimited liability. The car theft is high and so all the residence have to pay extra money to cover the losses of the insurance companies.

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The world’s system loves to classified and place people into categories based on one’s net worth. They assign numbers to every individual such as social security number, credit score, drivers license numbers, and bank account numbers. These numbers are used for the purpose of control and manipulation.

I can say as of April 2021, I am debt free. My journey has been one of breaking the stronghold of the enemy out of my life. I got into debt because I didn’t know that there was a choice to do anything else. I listened to the voice of the world tell me there wasn’t much hope for my future because of the color of my skin. I was told who to vote for, who to follow, how to think about racial injustice. The world was programmed to think in a certain way which put people at a disadvantage.

I came into 2020 $11,000 in mortgage debt. By September of that year, my mortgage was paid in full ahead of time. I came into 2021 with one debt left; $10,000 dollars in credit card debt. By April of 2021, by god’s grace, my credit card balance was paid in full.

We are in the world but not of it. We don’t have to be limited by social security benefits. We let the world tell us how to think about provision. It’s time to break that yoke!

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” Colossians 1:12-13 (KJV)

A new covenant

The nations came into the covenant promises through the ministry of the apostles. The Gentiles nations did not have the benefit of 4000 years of walking with God in covenant. When I got saved, I knew absolutely nothing about covenant, inheritance, blood sacrifice, priesthood and yet every one of those things figured strongly into my salvation.

When Jesus told his disciples, don’t be like the Gentiles (Matthew 6:32), he was talking to people who knew and was taught the covenant from birth. They were taught about how God sustained their forefathers in the wilderness for forty years. As a Gentile, those things were a foreign concept to me.

Jesus said to go teach all nations

“And Jesus came unto them and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: TEACHING THEM to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)

We have been delivered from the power of darkness. We are in the world but not of it.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separated, saith the Lord, and though not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)

People are yoking ourselves to the world through

-Fellowship

-Communion

-Concord

-Agreement

This yoking of people together comes through binding contracts. Some contracts are necessary others are for convenience.

God says, be separated from them. Come out of them and don’t touch the unclean thing. In Luke 16:9 & 11, Jesus calls mammon unrighteousness. He said, they that trust in it, it is hard for them to get into the kingdom of God (Mark 10:24).

We have to do the hard work of entering into his rest (Hebrews 4:11); the hard work of seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

The judgment is coming

Come OUT!

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4 (KJV)

In Revelation 18:

-They shall bewail her, (verse 19)

-Her judgment will come in one hour, (verse 10)

-For no one buys their merchandise anymore, (verse 11)

-The things you desired, lusted for are departed from you, (verse 14)

-For great wealth will vanish in one hour, (verse 17)

From my notes

I found this note in my writings:

“There is coming a time when men shall go into deep depression because they cannot make money. They cannot get enough of it. Then the revelation will become golden, ‘God provide seed to sowers, bread for our food. He multiplies my seed sower and he increases the fruit of our righteousness. They will see Isaiah 55:8-13 come to pass!”

“You are bought with a price; be not servants to men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” 2 Corinthians 9:15. Compare Isaiah 55:18-13 to 2 Corinthians 9:7-13, you clearly see that God rewards those who trust in him!

The god of this world blinds the minds of them who do not believe. What is in your hands?

Mammon

Photo by David McBee on Pexels.com

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

The worship of Mammon

Mammon is an idol worshipped by millions and millions of people all over the world. There is a cult build around this figure. Cult being defined as “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.” (Oxford language dictionary Online)

Jesus said you cannot serve God and mammon.

The temptation

There are two classic temptations included in the word of God. The original temptation in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3:1-7 and the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13

God’s original plan for Adam and his wife was to dress and keep the garden of Eden within the Seventh Day of creation, God’s own Sabbath rest. They were to sacrifice the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as the act of worship.

Adam and his wife were created to be a part of a worship system.

It was never God’s will for them to know good or evil. God wanted them to experience the blessings of his Sabbath rest.

The temptation to Eve was threefold:

“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.” Genesis 3:5 (KJV)

  1. Their eyes would be opened! Opened how? To another reality! There eyes were opened and they knew they were naked. So they made provisions for hemselves
  2. They shall be as gods, to chose their own destiny.
  3. They would know good and evil. They are in the position to be judges of right and wrong.

What did they do wrong? Threefold

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her: and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6

  1. She saw the tree was good for food or provision
  2. It was pleasant to the eyes. It looked good.
  3. A tree to be desired to make one wise. She saw that the tree could make her wise

She ate the fruit and turned and gave it to her husband and he ate the fruit too! That is the story of humanity. In my years of serving as a volunteer chaplain in the Wayne County Jail and Dickerson Detention Facility, I saw common thread running through those who became addicted to drugs. Somebody introduced them to weed, crack cocain, alcohol, gambling, etc…

Jesus temptation was threefold:

  1. Satan said to Jesus, If you be the Son of God turn this stone into bread.
  2. Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and set him down and said, if you be the Son of God cast yourself down for it is written he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways
  3. Satan show him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said, If you worship me all shall yours.

In all three challenges, Jesus refused to be lead by those temptations. He also refused to move outside of the will of God. He refused to initiate an act independently of God.

Satan says, ‘worship me and the world shall be yours’

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9 (KJV)

Jesus said,

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:10 (KJV)

Two things:

  1. Worship exclusively belongs to God and nobody else. He and he alone designates what is worship and how it is administered.
  2. Jesus said, Him only shalt you serve

God is calling man back into his Sabbath rest. He gave the promise of Sabbath rest to Adam. He gave it to Israel through the covenant he established through the ministry of Moses. He renewed the promise of Sabbath rest during the ministry of King David. He extends to all mankind his promise of Sabbath rest throught the ministry of Jesus Christ!

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. LET US LABOUR therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:9-11 (KJV)

The valley of indecision

People are stuck in the valley of indecision between faith in God and trust in Mammon.

When Jesus was ministering to his disciples in Matthew 6:24-34, he was ministrying to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, a people who knew covenant promises. They knew the works of God and the faithfulness of God. They had about 2000 years of history walking in covenant. The Jewish people knew the covenant promises of the kingdom of God!

The Gentiles only knew or knows citizenship or constitutional rights of their nations. This includes the political and economic system of your nation. I had to learn that my covenant rigths superedes my constitutional right.

The Gentiles nations came to faith in Christ in the second half of the Bible, the New Testament.

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:18-19 (KJV)

I encourage you to read the entire Bible but it is important to read and know the first three chapters of the book of Genesis; St. John chapter 3, and the last three chapters of the book of Revelation. These seven chapters will give you a good working foundation to understanding the will of God.

As a believer, you can be stuck in citizenship/constitutional rights. You can be limited by the economic system of your country or you can labor to enter into the eternal promise of the LORD’s sabbath rest.

Jesus said,

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek🙂 for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. BUT SEEK YE FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:31-34 (KJV)

You cannot serve God and mammon! What is in your hands?

The Golden Calf

The most surprising thing about the golden calf was people’s willingness to credit it as their savior.

Nothing much has changed. The golden calf has become a brass bull, as one of the beloved symbols of Wall Street. Those who worship “The Bull” are leading many into the abyss of financial destruction.

We know destruction is coming, and as I wrote previously, God warns his people to go out of her. Great wealth is going to vanish in a flash of a moment.

Creation was designed to be a worship system. It had a sacrifice in the garden of Eden. Adam was put there to maintain that system.

It is going to be that way for all eternity.

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1

Why is there an image of a Lamb on the throne of God? Because it is the sacrifice that God chose.

If you go to Revelation 5, which is a revelation of the throne room.

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Revelation 5:6

The battle plans have already been laid out. No man could open this book, but one, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, Jesus prevailed to open the book.

The revelation of the Lamb of God, God’s sacrifice has been sent into the earth in all of its fullness.

The alliance of the Queen of heaven is going to make war with the Lamb,

“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of Lords, and Kings of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:13-14

What about the Golden Calf

“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were un their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a craving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose to play.” Exodus 32:1-6

Look at the following dynamics

They forgot

They said to their leader, “make us gods which shall go before us.”

The leader said, “break off your golden earrings which are in the ears of your wife and children.” Does this sound familiar? We mortgage our future for a momentary sense of peace.

The leader says, “give them to me”

Notice the activities of the hands: The leader receives the gold from them. He fashions it with a craving tool. He makes it into a molten calf and builds an altar to it.

The leader makes a proclamation, “Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.”

The people rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Again notice the works of the hands.

God says to Moses, go down to the people for they have corrupted themselves. They forgot that God had delivered from years of bondage in Egypt. They forgot the miracles that God did for them.

God sustained three million people in the wilderness for forty years. Now the true purpose for the gold came up later. Moses asked the people to give toward the construction of a tabernacle. God wanted to be in the midst of his people. He designated the tribe of Levi as temple priests who were to offer up daily sacrifices that he chose.

You might say this sounds dumb. But God built the original tabernacle of which the tabernacle of Moses was patterned after it, Hebrews 8:2 (KJV)

“Now of these things which we have spoken this is the sum; We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Again,

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” Hebrews 3:4 (KJV)

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” Revelation 22:3-4

The sacrifice and his servants shall serve him. They shall see his face and his name shall be in the forefront of their thoughts.

The golden calf followed the children of Israel

Fast forward to the days of King Solomon. King Solomon followed the successful ministry of his father, King David. The first half of Solomon’s reign over Israel was very successful. He builds the first temple. It was a time of great success for the nation.

But 1 Kings 11:1-13, tells us King Solomon loved many strange women. God said, do not go unto the nations, for they will turn your hearts unto their gods.

Solomon went after the Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians

After Milcom, the abominations of the Ammonites

“Then did Solomon build an high place Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.” Kings 11:7-8 (KJV)

King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 mistresses. All these burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

The nation ends up rebelling against Solomon’s heir apparent. The people accused Solomon of taking their inheritance through excessive taxes to consume upon his extravagant lifestyle. Solomon’s son decides to make the people’s burden heavier than his father’s. They appoint and leader to be over them.

This new king decides to build two golden calves to distract the people from true worship.

“And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereunto the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

He made a house of high places

He made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not the sons of Levi

He ordained a feast

“… So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel…” 1 Kings 12:32 (JKV)

“…ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.” 1 Kings 12:33 (KJV)

What are you burning incense too?

What is in your hands?

Who are you following?

“Spiritual wickedness in high places”

I found this video on TikTok and this person gives a good explanation of what goes on behind the scenes out of the public eye.

Sometimes it is not readily evident that you are dealing with spiritual wickedness until you become a victim of their evil practices. They are the proverbial wolves in sheep clothing.

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPd6hsgF9/