2023AFC060520 – Let’s WIN this thing!
Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. For the past few weeks, we have had some difficulty with scheduled posts being publish as the scheduled time. Thanks to the extraordinary helpers who maintain the Moon Beam Network, we believe this problem has been resolved! Thank you Kukui-IT for everything you do!
2 Corinthians 13:11b – Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
¡Que la bendición esté siempre con ustedes y que Dios los bendiga, Amados! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Belovéd!) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
I am going to share with you some thoughts about what we’ve been through this year and especially about what is happening NOW. The Spirit of Evil, the Destroyer, the Ha-Satan – “Accuser” – is running the show. As a Nation, we are divided about whom or what is responsible. Is it race? Is it politics? Is it history? Is it really my fault? How could it possibly be your fault? Surely it must be OUR fault? Maybe you remember seeing this:
It seems to me that the way things are going, it really doesn’t matter where the fault originates because too few people genuinely care about justice for everyone. Justice for ME, that’s OK, but justice for YOU – fugetaboutit. It seems we do care a great deal about BLAME though. Why is that? I believe – and you may disagree – that it is because we are too tolerant of Injustice. If there is no viable, objective, indelible Truth, then how can there be anything even remotely resembling real Justice? And if there is no Justice, there surely can be no Mercy! Without Justice and Mercy, all we have is injustice and malice. Belovéd, that is what I see happening around the whole World this very day – injustice and malice perpetrated by earthlings who are controlled by demons. Demons!? Who believes in that stuff – other than Hollywood?
Belovéd, these are difficult times, perilous times, perplexing times. We know we are at war in multiple places and multiple levels. We see warfare waged on six of the seven continents. In some of these locations, evil clearly has the upper hand while in others the battles go better for one side or the other without any conclusive ending. And then there is the war behind these wars, the war of the Spirits. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Think of it, Beloved. Paul wrote those words roughly 1900 or so years ago! Who is in that battle now, and who has the upper hand? Let’s look at Scripture, and see if we can find some answers.
MBN members may recall a previous message describing the War we are in. I capitalize that word War to call attention to the fact that this War is different from what we usually think of as war. Recently we also published a four-part series on The Full Armor of God on Catholic365.com. This is a spiritual battle which continues to grow and no earthling anywhere is unaffected by this monstrous conflict between good and evil. Lucifer is grinning ear-to-ear, wringing his hands in gleeful anticipation, and taking full advantage of much of humanity’s denial of his existence. The Father of Lies, who himself is an angel of light (Lucifer), appears all round the world stirring up strife, anguish, terror, and war (small w). What are we to do about this Spiritual War? And how can we help stave off the spirits which ceaselessly assault us in every place? Does that sound like an exaggeration, like something from one of those demonically-based horror flicks? That is because we are being conditioned to accept Evil as truth. Let me ask you a couple of questions.
Do you believe in God? If you do, then you must also believe in Satan, our mutual enemy, because God is not a liar, so he would not warn us against him if he was not real. Do you believe in Angels? Then you must believe in demons, because Satan took with him many of the Holy Angels who joined him in his rebellion against God. Do you believe the souls of our Faithful and Obedient departed are with God? Then you must believe that the souls of the faithless and rebellious departed are with Satan. Do you believe the idea that Satan is not the personification of Evil, and that he is actually helping God? Are you among those who believe God is the source of all things, including what earthlings regard as good or evil? That obviates the existence of immutable Truth.
Think of all the people you know – not just the ones you hang out with – all the people in the news, all the people in the nations where war is happening right now, and all the people whose “spiritual ideologies” exclude any aspect of the reality of the Holy Trinity. Think also about all the people who could possibly be being paid to inflict anarchy on their communities. As citizens of the Republic of the United States of America, none of us should be working for the overthrow of the government. We are being conditioned not only to accept evil, but also to believe that our national goal should NOT be: ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Is there liberty and justice for all? No, there is not. Is fomenting hatred, division, mayhem, destruction, and brutality the pathway to Justice? Of course it is not! We are seeing around the world the result of a small percentage of the humanity on this planet determining to inflict the maximum amount of pain and suffering on the rest of humanity. Why are they doing that? They are doing that because we have allowed evil to displace Love. Whoever does not know Love does not know God, and whoever does not know God cannot know, or act in, Love.
Now [1] think of all the people who claim to know God, to serve Christ, but whose words and actions contradict everything they claim. Next, [2] think of all the people whose words match their lives, who can say with absolute certainty “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Lastly, [3] think of all the people who detest God and his People. Run a quick tally in your head. Which of these three groups is the smallest? Which of these three groups are most likely to become God’s allies when the battles intensify? Finally, if you know in your heart how to distinguish one group from the other, then you know how to “test the spirits.” In the end, we will all have to answer these questions, so it is best to answer them today and every day as we test the spirits we encounter. Paul refers to one of those spirits as the Spirit of the antichrist.
When we hear that word, we think of opposition – anti meaning against; but the Greek word/prefix ἀντί – anti – not only means “opposite of” but also “in place of.” The spirit of the antichrist is not only among us, it is often within us whenever we place anything or anyone above The Holy Trinity. Think of the vices that control portions of our lives – little idols we serve – like booze, nicotine, sex, violence, ego, hatred, indifference, envy, selfishness, greed, lust, gluttony … got the picture? When Christ is replaced by even just one these things, these spirits, we welcome the antichrist into our lives. Now this is not the fabulous charismatic world leader who will “solve” all the world’s problems, perform wondrous acts of great power, and set himself up as a god. No, this is the “evil that men do [which] lives after them.” It is our failure. But it is not our defeat! As we see, you who belong to God have already defeated this spirit, because the one who lives in you is far stronger than the anti-Christ in the world. (See 1 John 4:1-6 please do follow that link!) That is, if indeed He lives within you. (Again – please follow this → link to Romans 8:5-9)
The War is fought on multiple fronts. There is war in our flesh and against our flesh. There is war in our families and against the very foundation of families, holy matrimony. There is war in our minds as we quell the warning signals in our heart, our minds and our spirits and – in the name of tolerance and “good will” – we accept what we know is wrong, and reject what we know is right. Antichrist! Remember: It has been said that for evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing. (Rev. Charles F. Aked) And why do good men so often do nothing? We must ask ourselves, not others, for it is us, and only us, who can be held accountable for the good that we do as well as the good we do not do. “He who is in you” has conquered the World and all its evil; when we oppose or replace Him, we tip the scale of victory away toward the ever-advancing tide of evil that swells across the planet.
Test the spirits! 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.(See Jude 1:20-21) Forewarned is forearmed, and we are forewarned daily. Why do we fail to heed that warning? I said previously, “In the end, we will all have to answer these questions, so it is best to answer them today and every day as we test the spirits we encounter.” Here is a passage from Ephesians 6 (J. B. Phillips New Testament) that describes our responsibility, accountability, and God’s dependability:
Ephesians 6:13
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) ®
Be forewarned and forearmed in your spiritual conflict
10-18 In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground. Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women.
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
- B. Phillips, “The New Testament in Modern English”, 1962 edition by HarperCollins
Ephesians 6:13 in all English translations
Finally, Belovéd, reflect on the power in the Scripture selections that follow. We have Victory in Jesus! (↔ Music Link)
1 John 4:2-4 – 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Now, please use these links to give you more Power in this War!
Colossians 2:13-15
Luke 10:17-20
Romans 16:17-20
1 John 5:3-4 – 3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Our Faith is in the Lord – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – who made Heaven and Earth. Our Faith is the assurance of our Victory regardless of what the Accuser says or does to us through his subordinates.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
2023AFC060520 – Let’s WIN this thing!
Read it online here, please. And please, when you visit there, use one of the social media links at the bottom of the page to share this post. Thank you! And remember, we now have a READER VIEW available, so share this link or this email often. For the past few weeks, we have had some difficulty with scheduled posts being publish as the scheduled time. Thanks to the extraordinary helpers who maintain the Moon Beam Network, we believe this problem has been resolved! Thank you Kukui-IT for everything you do!
2 Corinthians 13:11b – Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
¡Que la bendición esté siempre con ustedes y que Dios los bendiga, Amados! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Belovéd!) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
I am going to share with you some thoughts about what we’ve been through this year and especially about what is happening NOW. The Spirit of Evil, the Destroyer, the Ha-Satan – “Accuser” – is running the show. As a Nation, we are divided about whom or what is responsible. Is it race? Is it politics? Is it history? Is it really my fault? How could it possibly be your fault? Surely it must be OUR fault? Maybe you remember seeing this:
It seems to me that the way things are going, it really doesn’t matter where the fault originates because too few people genuinely care about justice for everyone. Justice for ME, that’s OK, but justice for YOU – fugetaboutit. It seems we do care a great deal about BLAME though. Why is that? I believe – and you may disagree – that it is because we are too tolerant of Injustice. If there is no viable, objective, indelible Truth, then how can there be anything even remotely resembling real Justice? And if there is no Justice, there surely can be no Mercy! Without Justice and Mercy, all we have is injustice and malice. Belovéd, that is what I see happening around the whole World this very day – injustice and malice perpetrated by earthlings who are controlled by demons. Demons!? Who believes in that stuff – other than Hollywood?
Belovéd, these are difficult times, perilous times, perplexing times. We know we are at war in multiple places and multiple levels. We see warfare waged on six of the seven continents. In some of these locations, evil clearly has the upper hand while in others the battles go better for one side or the other without any conclusive ending. And then there is the war behind these wars, the war of the Spirits. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Think of it, Beloved. Paul wrote those words roughly 1900 or so years ago! Who is in that battle now, and who has the upper hand? Let’s look at Scripture, and see if we can find some answers.
MBN members may recall a previous message describing the War we are in. I capitalize that word War to call attention to the fact that this War is different from what we usually think of as war. Recently we also published a four-part series on The Full Armor of God on Catholic365.com. This is a spiritual battle which continues to grow and no earthling anywhere is unaffected by this monstrous conflict between good and evil. Lucifer is grinning ear-to-ear, wringing his hands in gleeful anticipation, and taking full advantage of much of humanity’s denial of his existence. The Father of Lies, who himself is an angel of light (Lucifer), appears all round the world stirring up strife, anguish, terror, and war (small w). What are we to do about this Spiritual War? And how can we help stave off the spirits which ceaselessly assault us in every place? Does that sound like an exaggeration, like something from one of those demonically-based horror flicks? That is because we are being conditioned to accept Evil as truth. Let me ask you a couple of questions.
Do you believe in God? If you do, then you must also believe in Satan, our mutual enemy, because God is not a liar, so he would not warn us against him if he was not real. Do you believe in Angels? Then you must believe in demons, because Satan took with him many of the Holy Angels who joined him in his rebellion against God. Do you believe the souls of our Faithful and Obedient departed are with God? Then you must believe that the souls of the faithless and rebellious departed are with Satan. Do you believe the idea that Satan is not the personification of Evil, and that he is actually helping God? Are you among those who believe God is the source of all things, including what earthlings regard as good or evil? That obviates the existence of immutable Truth.
Think of all the people you know – not just the ones you hang out with – all the people in the news, all the people in the nations where war is happening right now, and all the people whose “spiritual ideologies” exclude any aspect of the reality of the Holy Trinity. Think also about all the people who could possibly be being paid to inflict anarchy on their communities. As citizens of the Republic of the United States of America, none of us should be working for the overthrow of the government. We are being conditioned not only to accept evil, but also to believe that our national goal should NOT be: ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Is there liberty and justice for all? No, there is not. Is fomenting hatred, division, mayhem, destruction, and brutality the pathway to Justice? Of course it is not! We are seeing around the world the result of a small percentage of the humanity on this planet determining to inflict the maximum amount of pain and suffering on the rest of humanity. Why are they doing that? They are doing that because we have allowed evil to displace Love. Whoever does not know Love does not know God, and whoever does not know God cannot know, or act in, Love.
Now [1] think of all the people who claim to know God, to serve Christ, but whose words and actions contradict everything they claim. Next, [2] think of all the people whose words match their lives, who can say with absolute certainty “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Lastly, [3] think of all the people who detest God and his People. Run a quick tally in your head. Which of these three groups is the smallest? Which of these three groups are most likely to become God’s allies when the battles intensify? Finally, if you know in your heart how to distinguish one group from the other, then you know how to “test the spirits.” In the end, we will all have to answer these questions, so it is best to answer them today and every day as we test the spirits we encounter. Paul refers to one of those spirits as the Spirit of the antichrist.
When we hear that word, we think of opposition – anti meaning against; but the Greek word/prefix ἀντί – anti – not only means “opposite of” but also “in place of.” The spirit of the antichrist is not only among us, it is often within us whenever we place anything or anyone above The Holy Trinity. Think of the vices that control portions of our lives – little idols we serve – like booze, nicotine, sex, violence, ego, hatred, indifference, envy, selfishness, greed, lust, gluttony … got the picture? When Christ is replaced by even just one these things, these spirits, we welcome the antichrist into our lives. Now this is not the fabulous charismatic world leader who will “solve” all the world’s problems, perform wondrous acts of great power, and set himself up as a god. No, this is the “evil that men do [which] lives after them.” It is our failure. But it is not our defeat! As we see, you who belong to God have already defeated this spirit, because the one who lives in you is far stronger than the anti-Christ in the world. (See 1 John 4:1-6 please do follow that link!) That is, if indeed He lives within you. (Again – please follow this → link to Romans 8:5-9)
The War is fought on multiple fronts. There is war in our flesh and against our flesh. There is war in our families and against the very foundation of families, holy matrimony. There is war in our minds as we quell the warning signals in our heart, our minds and our spirits and – in the name of tolerance and “good will” – we accept what we know is wrong, and reject what we know is right. Antichrist! Remember: It has been said that for evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing. (Rev. Charles F. Aked) And why do good men so often do nothing? We must ask ourselves, not others, for it is us, and only us, who can be held accountable for the good that we do as well as the good we do not do. “He who is in you” has conquered the World and all its evil; when we oppose or replace Him, we tip the scale of victory away toward the ever-advancing tide of evil that swells across the planet.
Test the spirits! 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.(See Jude 1:20-21) Forewarned is forearmed, and we are forewarned daily. Why do we fail to heed that warning? I said previously, “In the end, we will all have to answer these questions, so it is best to answer them today and every day as we test the spirits we encounter.” Here is a passage from Ephesians 6 (J. B. Phillips New Testament) that describes our responsibility, accountability, and God’s dependability:
Ephesians 6:13
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) ®
Be forewarned and forearmed in your spiritual conflict
10-18 In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground. Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women.
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
- B. Phillips, “The New Testament in Modern English”, 1962 edition by HarperCollins
Ephesians 6:13 in all English translations
Finally, Belovéd, reflect on the power in the Scripture selections that follow. We have Victory in Jesus! (↔ Music Link)
1 John 4:2-4 – 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Now, please use these links to give you more Power in this War!
Colossians 2:13-15
Luke 10:17-20
Romans 16:17-20
1 John 5:3-4 – 3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Our Faith is in the Lord – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – who made Heaven and Earth. Our Faith is the assurance of our Victory regardless of what the Accuser says or does to us through his subordinates.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
