2008 Daily Devotionals

Spiritual Man, Material World

Monday, December 29, 2008 by

Reference(s): Revelation 11:15-18

Scripture

15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15, NIV

The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” Revelation 11:18b, NIV

Observation

At some point in time, in history, the ‘kingdom of the world’ will become the kingdom of our Lord God and His Messiah-King.  At this same time, there will be full-out war in the spiritual realm and Satan will be kicked out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-12).  Satan will be given power and authority over every ethnic group.  Knowing his time is short (12:12), he will try his hardest to deceive and sway people everywhere, especially God’s people.  Finally, the hour of his judgment will come (14:7).  Then the dead will be judged, the saints will be rewarded and the destroyers will be destroyed (11:18).

Application

Astrology is a Satanic deception, but it has one thing right.  It is based on the belief that what happens in one dimension (outer space) affects another dimension (our space – my space).

The truth is, what happens in the ‘kingdom of the heavens’ precipitates much of what happens here on earth.  At the end of the ages, we come to the fulfillment of “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I need to be hooked into the realm where God rules.  I need to spend more time in the word, in meditation, in prayer, in worship, in solitude, in the Spirit.  By doing so, I will understand more about cause and effect, spiritual causes of natural effects.  By doing so, I will be taking part in the continuing mission of Jesus: “To destroy the works of the evil one.”

Prayer

Lord, I understand that I am a spirit-person housed in a material tent.  Help me not to be a material man with a shriveled, comatose, ineffective spirit, but rather to be a spiritual man who lives in you and through you in this material world.