Many people picture the enemy on a throne, ruling all those who are condemned to Hell. That is not the case.
He doesn’t love fire. He doesn’t rule fire, and he will not ‘rule’ Hell.
Hell is his condemnation…
Hell is his punishment…
HELL WILL BE HIS PRISON, NOT HIS KINGDOM!
Hell is his future, along with those who reject God through our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Christ Jesus.
John 3:36 (NKJV)
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
The enemy doesn’t have the keys to the abyss. He does not control the intensity of the flames. He will not be the ruler of those who share his condemnation. He will be stripped of all power that was granted to him for a season.
Have you ever stopped to think about how many blessings you may have missed out on because you said either out loud or in your heart, “I CAN’T”?
Many people comfort themselves when something doesn’t work out by saying, “Well, it was never meant to be.” That may be true sometimes, but definitely not always. Consider this…
What if the man who was waiting at the Pool of Bathesda told Yeshua, I CAN’T when he was told to take up his bed and walk…
John 5:8-9 (NKJV)
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath.
…He would not have been healed.
What if the man who had been born blind said I CAN’T when Yeshua put clay made from spit on his eyes and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam…
John 9:6-8 (NKJV)
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was [a]blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
…He would not have received his sight.
What if the woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years (had spent all her money on physicians who could not help her) had said to herself when she heard that Jesus was coming through the crowd, “I CAN’T! It’s too many people. I won’t be able to get to Him”…
Luke 8:43-47 (NKJV)
43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter [a]and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, [b]and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
…She would not have been healed.
The Lord may not be telling you to take up your bed and walk. He may not be telling you to wash in the pool of Siloam. You may not be trying to get to Him in a crowd.
But, how many blessings have you missed out on because you said I CAN’T when He told you to…
FORGIVE…“I can’t forgive that!”
TURN THE OTHER CHEEK… “I can’t let them get away with that!”
GIVE… “I can’t give that preacher my money!”
HELP… “I can’t help that homeless person!”
SERVE… “I can’t, I don’t have time!”
PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMY… “I can’t, they hate me.”
Remember, the word CAN’T is the word CAN with a ‘KNOT’ tied at the end.
There are so many times in today’s society that those who claim to believe in God through Yeshua the Messiah try to justify their behavior or the behavior of someone they support even when it’s contrary to what the Lord said.
When we do this, we are expecting God to submit to our will rather than us submit to His.
Example, I remember a few years ago Sara Huckabee Sanders, when questioned about the President’s so-called ‘strong words’ said, we elected him because he is strong and “when he is struck he strikes back”. This in direct conflict with Yeshua’s command to ‘turn the other cheek’. He didn’t say ‘unless you’re the President’.
So many times we feel justified in retaliating against an enemy. But, the Lord made it clear we are to bless them and look for opportunities to do good to them.
Yeshua gave some very clear commands in Luke Chapter 6 and they apply to everyone. Notice that the word UNLESS doesn’t follow any of these statements…
Luke 6:27-36 (NKJV)
27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the onecheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold yourtunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, [a]hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
How many times do you try to put an ‘unless’ behind what God said?
BE BLESSTIFIED! 