All Authority

I was listening to Francis Chan online a couple nights ago while he was preaching at the Passion Conference in Atlanta to thousands of high school and college students, and he began his message by highlighting the importance of taking God literally. It seems that this is a somewhat common argument among different groups of people within the Christian community, and I believe that Francis' stance hit the nail on the head.

A new idea on Heaven and Hell has surfaced among a couple big name preachers, and they have begun to emphasis that a loving God couldn't possibly send anyone to hell... implying that they believe there is no hell.

"This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

The writer blatenly states that there will be a punishment for those who choose to not know God, and that punishment is eternal seperation from Him; being seperated from God is absolutely hell. When I think on the stories of the bible, I find it impossible to not take God at his exact words, because He has followed through with all that He has said. Follow me to Genesis 6...

Background: The earth had never experienced rain when God instructed Noah to build the ark... God was so angry at the human race that he was ready to wipe out every single living thing; every person, every animal and every plant. However, there was one man that was righteous and blameless and God went to him and told him exact instructions...

God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! - Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout the interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat- lower, middle and upper. Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat- you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal- a male and a female- into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals." So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

This is just one example of taking God literally. He said He was going to wipe out the whole earth with a flood, and instructed a simple-minded human being to create a boat that would protect his family and all the animals. Noah, who had never seen rain, was quick to move. He didn't try to manipulate and pick apart the things that the Lord had told him, or try to figure out exactly what he was supposed to do. He simply did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

Think about it...

We don't usually hear about God speaking audibly to us with instructions, not that he is incapable, or that he doesnt; but we do have the word of God before us, and we believe that it is living and active (Hebrews 4:12).

A few commands come quickly to my heart as I write this...

Speak up for the those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. - Proverbs 31:8

This scripture commands us to act out for others. It is our duty and our responsiblity to protect all who cannot fight on behalf of themselves- unborn babies, victims of domestic violence, women and children held captive in the sex trade... It means to literally use our voices to fight for them. It means to get out of our comfort zones and to make a scene - to go into the depths of hell on earth to snatch those babies out of the darkness.

I also believe it's important to take this scripture and apply it to our prayer lives. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, and the authority we have over Satan and his schemes. It is our duty and our responsibility to intercede on behalf of the men who are enslaved by evil and who keep the sex trade in business - the traffickers, the clients, and the government. We should be on our faces for these men; taking authority over the evil in our world and loosening the binds of satan.

"Then Jesus said to the disciples, 'Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've recieved it, it will be yours." - Mark 11:22

You can pray for anything.

"Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them." Luke 10:19

We have authority over all the power of the enemy.

He has given us distict instructions, people. To speak up, to give thanks in all circumstances, to walk humbly, to pray without ceasing, to rejoice always, to never repay evil with evil, to pray for those who hurt us, to flee from all evil...

It is time to take God literally... We have the authority to defeat any plot from the enemy. All sickness, disease, depression, bitterness, rage, anger, jealousy must go in the name of Jesus. Stop being afraid to ask God for what you need - from His very lips came these words, "You can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've recieved it, it will be yours."

He wasn't kidding.