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The Conflict Between Two Kingdoms
- continued from page 9
• There is no room for defensive strategies. Jesus clearly assured his disciples that the powers of darkness (the organized spiritual kingdom of the devil) could not resist them, because he would give them his authority (the keys of His Kingdom) and they would be empowered to settle any spiritual issue on earth (to open and close/ allow and forbid/bind and lose) according to the will of their King (see Mt. 16:18).
The devil and his spiritual forces of evil (rulerships and authorities over this present darkness, demons, human agents and the like) cannot resist the advance of the church of Messiah. Each saint of the most high God is a Kingdom carrier, indwelt by the Holy Spirit who always destroys the kingdom of darkness. For he is the Spirit of Truth, and the father of lies cannot resist Truth, just as darkness is dissolved by Light.
Jesus is alive. He is reigning and he has already won. Yet, on earth he wants us to go and give everywhere to any human beings the opportunity to choose to be ruled by him and stand on his side, on the side of the winner.
God wants that individuals immersed in his Spirit to be the ones to carry out Jesus’ mission on earth until he comes back to physically reign the planet.
Therefore, to His glory, let’s act according to the received instruction, let’s advance with boldness against the powers of darkness and see Jesus ruling in the midst of his enemies (Ps. 110:2) during this earthly peak of the universal conflict.
The King lives! The King has won! Glory to the King! ✽ maurizio@cantonuovo.org
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Luke 22:24-30
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, - Galatians 5:22
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and [b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
- John 1:1-18
