Scripture: Acts 3 v 2 - 8: "And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."
Not long after the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost, Peter and John were approaching the Temple when a lame beggar called out to them for help. He got much more than he expected when they called on the name of Jesus and told him to get up and walk. And it happened, he was walking and leaping and praising God.
This alarmed the Pharisees, who had had Jesus put to death to stop this very thing from happening. Miracles attached to the name of Jesus were the very last event they wanted to hear about. How had these frightened apostles turned from lambs into lions so fast?
They arrested Peter and John and had them beaten then told them never to mention the name of this dead Jesus again. And these new lions stood up to them and said we choose to obey God rather than man, and declare the truth about Jesus.
A most ardent Pharisee called Saul was put in charge of stopping this "Way", which was what Christianity was known as in the beginning. He caused much havoc including observing the stoning to death of Stephen, the first martyr.
The he met his match while travelling to Damascus to cause more mayhem. Jesus stopped him and Saul became Paul. Going from destructive predator to lamb and then to lion in a short space of time. The boldness of the Apostles came from Jesus in their hearts showing them how to overcome the enemy.
In 2020 we have seen pillars of the faith do many mighty miracles over the centuries. The greater part of Christianity fell prey to being mixed with false doctrines, false worship and the arrogance of those who got away with it. However, there were many lambs who became lions and confronted evil, and were killed by the proud , rich, evil men who controlled the world.
We are entering a time when we must all become lions and allow Jesus within our hearts to rise up and confront evil. We do not know the secret plans of global controllers that are being stealthily implemented during this global lockdown. However, they do not know how strong the Lion of Judah really is and how He can turn the tables on them through our refusal to back down.
The Illuminati were given one instruction by Satan in the 18th century in exchange for vast wealth....... Wipe out the name of Jesus Christ by the year 2000! Guess what? Epic fail. If huge social media platforms are anything to go by, Jesus is by far the number one topic.
1 Corinthians 2 v 7 - 8: "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
The princes of this world are Satan and his demons. If they had known of God's plan to resurrect Jesus and allow Him to dwell in the heart of every believer, effectively turning each one from a timid lamb to a bold lion, Jesus would never have died. He will always outwit the enemy. He will let Satan play his games, thinking he is winning, until that moment when He uses a lion to step up and check mate the chess board.
When Satan confronts a Holy Spirit-filled believer all he sees is the Light. He cannot tell if its one of us or Jesus Himself. He will try bluff, intimidation, lies and whatever other tricks he has in his evil bag, but if we refuse to bow and back off, he is defeated. We don't need to go looking for him, he will try us all in sly ways so be alert and vigilant, be sober and prepared, and never give way.
Smith Wigglesworth was awakened one night by his bed being shaken. He opened his eyes to see Satan in all his glory trying to pick a fight. Smith said - O, its only you and turned over and went back to sleep. That's victory right there! Do not give that conman space to weave his lies around you. Shut him up and reject him. If you open that door by allowing conversation you may well be deceived.
If you are under temptation memorize this verse James 4 v 7: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.".
First, submit to God. Put yourself in His Hands and under His protection.
Second, resist the devil. Actively say no and refuse to be tempted.
Third, the devil will flee from you. He fears that which he cannot control. He is the original control freak. Anything or anyone controlling you, other than Jesus Himself, is coming from the devil. Drugs, alcohol, nicotine, sex, anger, bitterness, and so on are the control tools of Satan. Get wise and get out from under.
If Jesus is in your heart no matter if you feel like a lamb, when the time comes Jesus will let the Lion in you rise up to meet the challenge. He loves to see the enemy on the run. His warriors are ready to despatch them back to Hell.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, so many people have said they never knew the strength they had to resist danger and win. That is when vulnerable victims become victors and give You thanks and praise. Help us Lord at our moment of need. In Jesus' name. Amen.
