Pay Attention

Eternity

(Part 3)

I.                    PAY ATTENTION TO ETERNITY

1.     The Blessing of Death

1 Thessalonians 4:13

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

·         When you are in Christ Death is not a bad thing…it’s God’s Mercy.  Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints

·         The second death is what is bad

Revelations 20:14-15

¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

2.     Those who die in Christ will go to heaven

2 Corinthians  5:8

⁸ We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

3.     Jesus will Come Back

1 Thessalonians 4:16

¹⁶ For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

4.     When we are Raptured

1 Thessaloniansans 4:17

¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain [when Jesus returns] shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

5.     We will Receive New Bodies

1 Corinthians 15:51-57

“Behold I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”…

Philippians 3:19-21

²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

6.     The Battle of Armageddon

Psalm 2:1-8

¹ Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? ² The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ³ “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” ⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. ⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: ⁶       “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion….” ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ “

7.     Satan is bound for 1,000 years

Revelation 20:1-3

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³ and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.

8.     We will receive rewards for our faithfulness on earth

a.      Rewards in our body

Daniels 12:3

3Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament…like the stars forever and ever.

Matthew 13:43

43The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

                       

b.      Rewards in Heavenly Garments

Revelation 19:8

8To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Revelations 3:5

5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments

c.       Rewards in Authority to Reign

Revelations 5:10

10And have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelations 20:4

4I saw thrones, and they [the saints] sat on them, and judgment [decision-making] was committed to them…and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

d.      Rewards in Crowns

                   

2 Timothy 4:6-8  

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

James 1:12

12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved [found consistent], he will receive the crown of life…a promised to those who love Him.

e.       Rewards in Communion with Jesus

Revelations 3:12

12 I will write on him the name of My God…and I will write on him My new name.

f.        Rewards of Praise from God

1 Corinthians 4:5

5 The Lord comes who will…reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

1 Peter 1:7

⁷ that the genuineness [trial] of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 25:21

²¹ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

g.      Rewards of Heavenly gold, riches, and treasure

Matthew 6:20

20Lay up for yourselves treasures in heave

Luke 12:21,33

21 So is he who…is not rich toward God…33 Provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail.

9.     We reign on the earth for 1,000 years

Revelations 20:4

And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

10. The Final Test of Humanity

Revelations 20:7-10

⁷ Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. ⁹ They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11.The Great White Throne Judgment

Revelations 20:11-15

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things, which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

12.A New Heaven and New Earth

Revelations 21:1-4

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. ² Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God, Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

1 Corinthians  15:58

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Pay Attention!

Agreement

I.                    THIS IS OUR REALM

1.     We have been given Dominion

Genesis 1:26

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

2.     Humans Rule the Earth Realm

Psalm 115:14

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.

3.     Quantum Physics Discoveries

Quantum Physics is the study of the behavior of matter and energy.

Matter – Any substance, which has, mass and occupies space

Photons – Have no mass. They are not objects in a traditional sense. They don’t comprise matter at all – cannot exist in a stationary state.

Electrons and an Atoms are not always there as a particle.  They exist as a wave or like a cloud (It’s everywhere at once) until someone looks at it.  When the scientist looks at it is changes into a particle.

The scientist discovered that the attitude of the person looking at it affected what it changed into 

The state, beliefs, emotions, thoughts of the person interacting with the particles determines what they change into.

Your world is constantly changing into what your emotions, words thoughts, and feelings are dictating to them.

4.     God Reserves the Right to Be God When He Wants to.

Job 1:9-12

⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

Although things like this happen from time to time the general pattern is spirit beings need an invitation from a human to affect anything on this earth.

II.                  OUR AGREEMENT DEFINES OUR REALITY

1.     Salvation comes through agreement

Romans 10:8-12

⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

2.     Faith is simply an agreement

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

3.      Satan seeks rule through agreement

Genesis 3:1-7

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” ⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Matthew 16:21-23

²¹ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. ²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You! ²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

John 13:21-30

²¹ When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²² Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. ²³ Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. ²⁴ Simon Peter, therefore, motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.²⁵ Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷ Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. ²⁹ For some thought, because Judas had the moneybox, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.³⁰ having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.

4.     Agreements can become strongholds

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

III.               HOW TO DEAL WITH AGREEMENTS

1.     Diagnose Ungodly Agreements by the Word

Hebrews 4:12

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

2.     Discern Ungodly Agreements by Manifested Fruit

3.     Detect Ungodly Agreements by your Emotions

Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

4.     Follow these Steps For Breaking the Agreement

1.      Ask God to constantly show you all unrighteous agreements

2.      Recognize and admit you have agreed with a wrong source

3.      Rehearse what the Word or Truth says about that thing

4.      Verbally and mentally Break the Agreement

5.      Ask the Lord to remove it from you

6.      Begin Building Proper agreements in that area by rehearsing, decreeing and believing the truth.

Pay Attention!

Spiritual Warfare

Ephesian 6:10-13

¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (NLT)

I.                   SOME SITUATIONS HAVE DEMONIC ORIGIN

1.      Some unexplained restrictions

Luke 13:10-16

¹⁰ Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. ¹² But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” ¹³ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God. ¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

2.      Some Betrayals

John 13:21-27

²¹ When Jesus had said these things, He…testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” ²² Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke…²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷ Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

3.      Some Arguments

Matthew 16:13-23

¹³ Jesus… asked His disciples…“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” ¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it…²¹ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. ²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” ²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

4.      Some Lies

Acts 5:1-4

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession. ² And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

5.      Some Mental Illness

Matthew 17:14-18

¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour.

6.      Why Some People Don’t Get Saved

2 Timothy 2:25-26

“…if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

II.                LAWS OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE

1.     Satan is not stronger than God

Luke 10:17-18

¹⁷ Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” ¹⁸ And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Revelation 20:1-3

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³ and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.

2.     Jesus Conquered Satan on the Earth

Colossians 2:13-15

¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (NLT)

3.     In Christ, we Have Power over Satan

Ephesians 1:19-21

“…according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”

Ephesians 2:5-6

⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Luke 10:18-20

¹⁸ And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

4.     We must remove legal access

James 4:7

⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 4:26-27

²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil

5.     We can pray Against the Devil

Matthew 6:8-13

⁸ “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things, you have need of before you ask Him. ⁹ In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. ¹³ And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

6.     We can stop the Devil with our words

Matthew 8:28-32

²⁸ When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him, two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. ³¹ So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” ³² And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea and perished in the water.

Acts 16:16-19

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. ¹⁹ But when her masters saw that their

Bishop Kyle C. Searcy   www.anointedchurch.org