The Church is based in heaven where we Christians are seated with Christ. “Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 3: 10.
Over recent years Liverpool invited the puppets founded by the Royal de Luxe French Mechanical Marionette Theatre Company. Each puppet had people working the parts, they worked together in make the movements look natural, it was very well done and attracted thousands of people on the street, watched on TV and the internet.
Royal de Luxe operate from France that’s where their head office is based.
Our Christian base is in heaven, we are a heavenly people, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places. We bring our prayer requests to the throne of grace in heaven. Our names are written in heaven. Our gifts come from heaven, when Jesus ascended, he gave gifts to his believers and we are ambassadors of God’s kingdom. Ephesians 2: 6. 4: 10. 6: 20. Hebrews 4: 16. Luke 10: 20. 2 Corinthians 5: 20.
Royal de Luxe are invited to perform in cities around the globe, Liverpool was one of those locations.
Where Christians gather in towns or cities and form the body of Christ, the wisdom of God is working within and through us, so that the body functions in unity.
We are mindful of the ways of God through seeking God’s will in bringing the heavenly words and works of Christ to the places where we live and where we worship.
Royal de Luxe employ many people to operate their puppets. In the picture we can see men seated above and behind the head of the puppet on a scaffold, pulling the cords attached to the various bodily parts.
As members of the church, Christ’s body, we are all complete in Christ with every gift to fulfil every movement of the body with its’ gesture, and expression coming from the mind, heart and will of God.
To function as part of the body we are blessed with one or more prominent gifts: teaching the Bible, proclaiming and expounding the word, evangelists, pastors, prophets, heal, administration, musicians, helps, and numerous other gifts, all working together in the love of God. Ephesians 4: 11. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-31. RSV Bible
Jesus said to the churches recorded in Revelation “….And all the churches know that I am he who searches mind and heart.” Rev 2: 23 RSV Bible
Paul wrote, “And he who searches the hearts of men, knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8: 27. RSV Bible
Seeking God’s will to make Christ known.
“We have boldness and confidence of access to Jesus through our faith in him. Ephesians 3: 12. RSV Bible
Jesus intercedes before God the Father as we pray for the Lord our God’s fire to fall to bring people to faith in Christ.
“Jesus is able to save those who draw near to God, through him, since he lives to make intercession for them.” Romans 7: 23. RSV Bible
During the 10 weeks witnessing my faith, to strangers on the streets of Ramsbottom, asking for permission to intrude on people’s personal space was important, “Can you spare a few minutes to tell you about what the Church in Rammy are doing? We seek to do what pleases the Lord, so how we conduct ourselves is important as we are ambassadors of the Kingdom, God making his appeal through us. The Holy Spirit’s ministry had already prepared these encounters, and at the appointed time people respond to the gospel out of free choice.
Through faith we depend on the promise that rests on grace.
The promise, “Now to him by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” Taking hold of these words and applying them in faith in conversation with a person’s need. When someone asks for prayer before I pray, I like to share an event or situation that relates to them from the Bible. The reason why is because I believe the Holy Spirit acts on the living Word Jesus and the prayer then is powerfully answered by God. Ephesians 3: 20
One of the people I prayed for on the street I found out after meeting her again that she had been healed. Thank you, Lord.
“The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” Romans 8: 26 Isaiah 38: 14. 59: 11. RSV Bible
Prayers that are spoken in tongues, a language given by the Holy Spirit allows the Holy Spirit to converse with our Lord and Saviour God on our behalf. These prayers release our compassion for people who perhaps we are in fellowship with or in one to one ministry.
In a meeting where a word is given in tongues it is accompanied with an interpretation and that can help Christians who need reassurance of the Lord’s presence among his followers. Both gifts working together blesses everyone present.
The wider audience watching, observing the movements of the church are the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.
After God created 24 hours of alternating darkness and light, one of the angels asked him, “What are you going to do now?” God said, “I think I’m going to call it a day.”
Angels rejoiced at Jesus’ birth.
At Jesus’ birth the angels were heard by the shepherds praising God.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased.” Luke 2: 13. RSV Bible
Peter was referring to salvation in Jesus, when he stated that the angels desired to look into these things. 1 Peter 1: 12 RSV Bible
The angels were not privy to God’s plan of salvation in Christ. Peter acknowledged that the futile ways (original sin) inherited from their fathers could only be redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, who was destined before the foundation of the world to fulfil God’s plan of salvation.
“But with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are kept in God.” 1 Peter 1:18-21 RSV Bible.
Paul gave the same message as Peter.
Paul wrote, “To make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 3: 9, 10. RSV Bible
Paul testified that he had been given the ministry to the Gentiles. God had revealed to him what had been hidden, even from God’s and Satan’s angels God’s plan of salvation in Christ for all humanity.
Paul understood the Gentiles had no covenants or promises with God and were under the influence of the spirit of Satan the prince of the power of the air.
“And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” Ephesians 2: 1,2. RSV Bible
God’s wisdom
When the rebellion took place among the angels in heaven, Satan who led the rebellion didn’t know about God’s plan of salvation in Christ, it was hidden in God before the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1: 20. Ephesians 1: 4. Isaiah 14: 12. Ezekiel 28: 12-19. RSV Bible.
Jesus applied his heavenly victory over Satan.
When the 70 returned from their mission taking out the good news of the coming kingdom of God, on their return they shared with Jesus their success over Satan. “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.”
When Satan was cast out of heaven, his rebellion had been crushed, but not totally wiped out. These verses in Luke also reveal to us Jesus’ authority behind the victory in heaven.
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10: 17-20.
In his name they used his authority to get the victory over their spiritual enemy Satan. Ephesians 6: 12 RSV Bible
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and gave thanks to His Father Lord of heaven and the earth.
The legality of the cross.
3 “And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 having cancelled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2: 13-15. RSV Bible
The bond – Satan is responsible for sin and evil, he led Adam and Eve to sin in the garden of Eden. Afterwards God cast them out of the garden as they were now under bondage to Satan. Genesis 2: 17. 3: 5. Ephesians 6: 16. Hebrews 2: 14, 15. RSV Bible
The disarming of principalities and powers
When an army is defeated the weapons of warfare are taken from the soldiers, they are disarmed, but not totally destroyed. Regarding Satan and his army, they have been disarmed, but not wiped out, this has yet to take place. God in his justice when all legal aspects have been covered, Satan and his army will be totally wiped out. Revelation 20: 10. RSV Bible
The Church’s Victory led from God’s Base in Heaven
“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
It’s as we come to the cross to meet with God our redeemer and be set free from Satan’s bond.
Our baptism, (with or without water) in Christ frees us from the bond, Paul writes it has been ‘nailed to the cross’. Jesus baptism takes place when we respond through faith and repentance, we die to our sin with him on the cross and through God’s forgiveness we are raised up with Jesus in his resurrection.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16: 15-18. RSV Bible
I took my mum to be prayed for at Baptist Minister Harold Oldham’s home and she was healed of Parkinson disease.
I was with her when the doctor diagnosed her and at the hospital when they confirmed that she had Parkinson disease.
After she was healed the doctor changed his diagnosis to a nervous disorder.
What the Lord is saying through this blog?
Christians are called to focus on Jesus Christ and particularly on our spiritual home our base in heaven where Jesus won his great victory. Jesus empowers us through his kingdom presence within us. The church is the body of Christ with its many members, all are Christ centred and empowered with the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God our Father.
From heaven where we are seated with Jesus, to seek those things that are above in order to apply our gifts whenever we have the opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father, just as Jesus did on the earth.
We are equipped and empowered to make our stand against Satan’s principalities and powers, and we are called to make disciples here on earth.
The Lord strengthens us in our weaknesses.
Lord Jesus, help me to walk with you today, give me today something of your wisdom that was in your words; something of the love that was in your heart; something of the help that was on your hands. Give me today something of your patience with people, something of your ability to bear slights and insults and injuries without bitterness and without resentment; something of your ability to forgive. Help me to live in such a way today that others may know that I begin the day with you, so that, however dimly, others may see you in me. This I ask for your love’s sake. Amen
William Barclay ‘More Prayers for the Plain Man’.