The Phil Files

As I look at the Lord’s Prayer, I am reminded that not only can I pray for deliverance, but I can also be partnered with God in answering someone else’s prayer for deliverance! In fact, that is part of the call God places on hearts when we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” I am saying to God, “Use me to do your work in my world!”

Evil does exist. For awhile, modern culture wanted to deny that there was evil or an evil one. But since we’ve learned more about the persecuted church and the high number of martyrs for Jesus in the last few decades and the brutality of genocide and ethnic cleansing, more and folks talk about evil in the world. For followers of Jesus, there has never been any doubt. On the same day, I was pointed to two different online resources that speak to the problem of evil. One deals with the conspiracy to kill Christians in Turkey: Martyrs Killed by Conspiracy. The other is a powerful video resource called Deon, that focuses upon a police officer in the skid row area of Los Angeles, California, who cares for the people he serves regardless of how they feel about him. One deals with the source of evil and it’s impact on the lives of believers: the other is about a believer who overcomes evil with good.

Let’s pray the Lord’s prayer and let’s follow Deion’s example: let’s overcome evil with good!

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.

Last Updated 9/14/08

Colossians #6: Dominating the Dominion – 9/28/08

Key Passages: Colossians 1:13-14; 2:13-15; 3:1-4

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

We have been rescued and brought into safety! What does that mean?

1. Brought from death to live (resurrection of Jesus is important!)
2. Brought into the Kingdom
3. Given forgiveness
4. Had canceled the whole way of works righteousness
5. Disarmed the powers

Focus will be on Jesus disarming the powers against us – spiritual powers and the power of the Law (and all law) to condemn us. (John 12:31-32; cf. Eph 2:1-10)

Focus of Daybreak will be on the power of Jesus to defeat the dark forces of Satan that stand against us. The center of this is the cross.

A. Communion Focus on the Victory Power of the cross

That’s the Power of the Cross
In Christ Alone
Mighty is the Power of the Cross

B. Time in the Word Focuses on “the powers” and Jesus power for us (e.g., John 12:31-32; Ephesians 2:1; 6:10-18; 1 John 4:4; cf. Acts 26:18; )

Our fascination and yet denial of the powers in popular culture — books, art, movies

The incredible victory Jesus won over the powers (Ephesians) & systems of laws (Galatians) that bound us and condemned us

Our opportunity to participate in Jesus’ victory over the powers & systems of laws that bound us and condemned us

Focus at Refresh will be similar, but done by Curt Cloniger through drama. We could get a couple of pieces of Cross-focused backgrounds to use for our Communion Time interspersed with some Scripture references to contextualize them.

Sundown focuses on the meaning of salvation – what Jesus has done for us: rescued, transferred, redeemed, forgave, made alive, qualified … that we find in Colossians. What do these mean? Mark 5 could be used to remind us of Satan’s desire to harm us and God’s power at work in us.

LIFE Group Questions (supplement the above Scripture readings with Ephesians 6:10-19 and Acts 19:13-30 and Mark 5 for the following discussions)

Why do you think we are fascinated with spiritual powers, but seem so reluctant to discuss them and our response to them in our spiritual discussions at church?

Are these evil forces real, or are they products of our own mistakes and fears?

As believers in Jesus, what answers do we have to the threat of spiritual attack from evil forces? What resources do we have to fight these spiritual forces?

How is a reliance on keeping Law a destructive spiritual power without grace? (cf. Romans 7:14-25)

Should we fear the spiritual powers?

I have a message from God in my heart
      concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
   There is no fear of God
      before their eyes.

   In their own eyes they flatter themselves
      too much to detect or hate their sin.
   The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
      they have ceased to be wise and to do good.
   Even on their beds they plot evil;
      they commit themselves to a sinful course
      and do not reject what is wrong.

   Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
      your faithfulness to the skies.
   Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
      your justice like the great deep.
      You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.
   How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
   People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
   They feast on the abundance of your house;
      you give them drink from your river of delights.
   For with you is the fountain of life;
      in your light we see light.

   Continue your love to those who know you,
      your righteousness to the upright in heart.
   May the foot of the proud not come against me,
      nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
   See how the evildoers lie fallen —
      thrown down, not able to rise!

\o/ — Comments Psalm 35: Continue your love to those who know you! — \o/

We could call this psalm the collision of two ways.

One way, the first way emphasized, is the way of the wicked. They continually do evil and plot to do more. Their way is wicked, vile, and arrogant. It is everything that God is not and love everything that God detests. The psalmist recognizes the truth about those who are wicked!

The other way, the way emphasized second, is the way of the LORD. Notice how God’s way is described: love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. Those who are the LORD’s people are blessed by these qualities of God and find delight in His presence — the light of God.

So what am I to make of this? How does this psalm intersect my life? I join the psalmist plea for God to be God. I also pledge to align my heart and my life with His character. Rather than being deceived by the temporary “success” of those who are evil, I remember the long faithfulness of God. Rather than being “co-opted” by the evil and deceptive shortcut ways of those who are false, I choose to trust that God will act in behalf of His people. I trust to see the defeat of the wicked even before the first steps of their defeat are visible, for I know that the LORD, and those who honor Him, will ultimately triumph.

So frequently, we hear the descriptive phrase “crime of opportunity” used to talk about a robbery or act of violence as if it almost happened by sheer luck or fate. Most “crimes of opportunity,” however, are carefully arranged situations where the criminals have planned what they are going to do, they are just waiting for the right person and situation to come along to do it.

Since Jesus faced down Satan in the wilderness in the time of temptation (Luke 4:1-12), the evil one has been “lying in the weeds” waiting for his great opportunity to assault the Master (Luke 4:13). All the talk of Satan, darkness, betrayal, temptation, repentance, and faithfulness in this chapter let’s us know this is the moment the evil one has waiting to happen. Judas has now become the devil’s co-conspirator in waiting and arranging for this moment to come:

//Inspiration: Luke 22:3a, 6
Then Satan entered in to Judas Iscariot … So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they [the religious leaders] could arrest him [Jesus] when the crowds weren’t around.

//Incarnation:
I must realize that evil and the powerful one behind evil are real, determined, cunning, and deadly. Paul warns early believers of this truth (Ephesians 6:10-12. I ignore this truth at my own peril. Satan lies in wait for the perfect moment to strike and bring me down. I must hear the message of this chapter and always be ready to resist him and also be ready to confess and return if I fall!

//Invitation:
O LORD God, strengthen me to withstand the inopportune attacks of Satan in my moments of weakness and vulnerability. Give me courage to admit my sins and failures of faithfulness. But, dear Father, bring the right people into my life that will keep on the path of your grace and power. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.