Mark 1:10
And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
Sometimes language, or choice of words, do not do a passage justice. I understand that translating from one language to another causes some concepts to get lost or changed. The verse above was part of our teaching last night at the Bible study.
The word that I do not like in that passage is "Parting" in reference to the heavens being opened. When I think of something parting, especially the heavens, I see clouds rolling back. I think of curtains parting. But the truth is, the event that took place was much more powerful than the word "Parting" implies.
Here is how the Mark 1:10 verse reads in the Amplified Bible.
And when He came up out of the water, at once he (John) saw the heavens TORN open and the Holy Spirit like a dove coming down (to enter) into Him.
The heavens didn't just part....
They were torn open.
The were ripped apart.
Why is that such a big deal?
Because the domain of our enemy, Satan, had been laid hold of by God. He ripped it into and sent His Holy Spirit down into our time and space.
That which Satan had sought to hide behind, his control and kingdom of lies and deception, had now been laid hold of by the hands of God, and was ripped open.
God had declared war.
A beach head had now been established and the ultimate communicator had been sent through the opening.
God's Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus.
Satan now knew that the one he'd been searching for ever since Genesis 3:15 was not here alive on planet earth.
In a word.........God declared war on Satan and sin.
And there came a voice out from within heaven, 'You are my Beloved Son. In You I am well pleased."
God put Satan on notice that the Messiah...
The Christ......
The Deliverer was now present.
As it states in I John 3:8, The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo, destroy, loosen and dissolve the works the devil has done.
Such is why I am so passionate about God's ability to destroy addiction.
addiction and all the destruction it brings is a work of the devil.
When God ripped open the heavens, addiction was put on notice that it no longer had complete control of humanity.
You may be thinking, "Michael, have you fell down and hit your head? Look around at how many are existing in addiction. See how many lives have been taken by it.
What's your point?
Such is the very reason that I say we are in a war.
That is why I do what I do. To see people saved, by God's power, from the hell of addiction, which left unchecked, will lead people to an eternity of hell.
We combat this work of the devil by two things....
The truth of God...
And
The love of God...
Such will penetrate the hardest, darkest heart that is bound up by sin/addiction.
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in, trusts in, clings to, relies on Him, shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
That my friend is a promise from God.
God on you...
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