The Blood and the Glory #1
Ephesians 5:27. One paraphrase translation says, "The church the Lord Jesus Christ comes to receive unto himself will not be a downtrodden, backslidden, weekend church, but will be filled with the glory of God."
I) I've heard men and women of God prophesy about the glory for years. In these prophecies, it included signs, wonders, and miracles would be found in the glory.
A) So many Bible prophecies have been filled that it's time for the glory of God to be poured out upon and manifested through the church.
1) But as we've been watching and waiting for it, we've seen something else happened, an increase in Satanic attacks.
2) Strife between brethren who preach the same message, homes broken up of the dedicated to the Lord and the ministry. Sin in the body of Christ like never before, we've seen God's faithful lose their lives in freak accidents.
B) Revelation 12:12.
1) Because the Devil's time is short, he has poured his wrath out upon the church and mankind.
2) The word "time" in Verse 12 literally means, "A limited and definite portion of time, a set time."
(a) Satan has only been given a limited time on earth.
C) Back when God first created Adam, he gave Adam a 6000-year lease on this earth, but Adam committed high treason and deliver his authority to Satan, Satan then became the God of this world.
1) When the set time of Adam's lease is over, Satan will be evicted and sent to the pit.
2) Satanic knows about his set time. Matthew 8:28-29.
(a) Satan's lease is about up and he's doing his most to come against the church and mankind.
D) Does that mean we are doomed? Go back to Revelation 12:12.
1) Now let's read Revelation 12:11. The blood, the blood of Jesus.
2) Kenneth Hagin tells a story of a missionary overcame the always-deadly sting of a venomous scorpion by saying, "I plead the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ against this scorpion sting."
(a) The natives watched the woman expecting her to die. When nothing happened to her most to them accepted Jesus.
3) Kenneth Hagin also added, "Every benefit and blessing we have in our redemption, including complete and total victory over Satan, is based on Jesus and his triumph over Satan at the cross. We have victory over Satan because of Jesus shed blood."
II) The old-timers in Pentecost understood a truth about the blood of Jesus. They would plead the blood of Jesus against the Devil. And that's scriptural.
A) God is not willing that we should be overcome even once. He always causes us to triumph in Christ.
1) God has given us a fantastic weapon to use, and that's the blood of Jesus.
2) Again (Revelation 12:11) says "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their testimony."
(a) Sin, temptation, sickness, disease and everything that comes from Satan is included in that.
(b) The blood of Jesus overcame him.
B) Now (Revelation 12:11) says we have overcome by the blood and the Word of their testimony. What was the Word of their testimony? The Word of God.
1) The Word of God in your mouth and faith in the blood of Jesus is an overcoming power.
2) No matter how the enemy comes, whether in discouragement, temptation, sickness, or any other way, he is overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of our testimony.
(a) At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a great outpouring of the spirit. The only thing that was noticeably different than from now was the emphasis on the blood of Jesus.
(i) It was upon their lives in prayer, practical use, sermons, and songs.
(b) Satan has tried to rob the church from the truth about the blood and its practical use.
3) The blood of Jesus is a primary weapon against the Devil, not to mention that it's through the blood of Jesus that we have access.
(a) Access to the promises, access to the move of the spirit with the gifts, access to the throne of God, and access to the glory.
III) Ephesians 4:27.
A) That means, he will have no place in our lives if we don't let him.
1) One-way we open the door to the enemy is obviously sin, whether in Word, deed, or thought.
2) Thank God for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin. (1st John 1:7).
3) 1st John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
B) Sin opens the door to the Devil, but the blood of Jesus closes that door.
1) The blood of Jesus closes the door to Satan's attacks.
C) But there is another door and its opening Satan uses to afflict even the innocent.
1) 1st Peter 5:8.
(a) The word "Vigilant" means, "Watch at all times."
(b) It means, "To keep your eyes open, See what you're doing or not doing."
2) If the blood of Jesus isn't applied to our lives we are opened prey for the attacks of the enemy.
(a) The 1st thing that we should do in the morning is to cry out for the blood of Jesus to be upon us and our loved ones.
(b) The last thing we should do before we go to sleep is to cry out for the protection of the blood of Jesus.
3) Can we really use our mouth to get the blood of Jesus to work in our lives? Is a scriptural to plead the blood of Jesus? Next week will begin to see why.