Tireless Battle against God’s glory.

TIRELESS BATTLE AGAINST GOD’S GLORY. 

John  11:45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.  11:46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.  

Beloved Brethren, don’t be surprised when you see or hear of people,  working tirelessly against aunt that brings glory to God.

You must always remember, as you choose to worship God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ,  so the devil has raised up people to war against them.

As you determine to fellowship with our Father and Jesus Christ His Son, so also the devil, the wicked one, is raising up, people to fight against them.

Revelation  17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Matthew  13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:  13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.  13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?  13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.  13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.  13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.  13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;  13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;  13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;  13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.  13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,  13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This was what made the raising of Lazarus, that made others to believe Jesus, made others to report Him to His adversaries. Listen to it again.

John  11:45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.  11:46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.  

John 11:47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.  11:48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.  11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,  11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.  11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;  11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.  11:53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

Then they resolved determinedly to put Him to death from that day.

Listen to other instances of the tireless resolve of satan and his human agents to fight against things that are bringing glory to God and Jesus Christ His Son.

1.

John  12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.  12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.  12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,  12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?  12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.  12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.  12:8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.  12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.  12:10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;  12:11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

2.

Matthew  21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,  21:2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.  21:3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.  21:4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,  21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.  21:6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,  21:7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.  21:8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.  21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  21:10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?  21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.  21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,  21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.  21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.  21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,  21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

3. Judas envied Jesus and betrayed Him.

Matthew  26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,  26:7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.  26:8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?  26:9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.  26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.  26:11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.  26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.  26:13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.  26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,  26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.  26:16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Matthew  27:17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?  27:18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

4.  Grieved because Jesus’s name was been preached.

Acts  4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,  4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.  4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.  4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.  4:5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,  4:6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.  4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?  4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,  4:9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;  4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.  4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.  4:15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,  4:16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.  4:17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.  4:18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.  4:21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.  4:22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

5. satan tireless persecution of saints.

Revelation  12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,  12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.  12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.  12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, pause. Where do you belong?

Are among those worshipping Him or those warring against Him?

Are you among those fighting Him or fellowshipping with Him?

How can you know where you belong?

Very very simple.  Your attitude to His words in the Bible will reveal that 

John  12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.  12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.  12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

You are with Him, when you receive His words in the Bible, wholeheartedly.

You are against Him, when you determinedly reject His words in the Bible.

This is the time to make amends, tomorrow might be too late.

Let us pray.