В Стария завет, Бог никога не е карал хората Си да Му служат. Разбира се, Бог желае Неговите хора да се страхуват от Него и да Му служат искрено и истинно и да премахнат другите богове от живота си, but God didn’t force them. The Lord gave His people the ability to choose to serve Him or other gods. God is still the same and ‘choose this day, whom you will serve’ still applies. God still gives people the choice to choose whom they want to serve. But people need to make a decision to serve God or other gods, they can’t serve both. Who do you choose to serve?
Choose this day, whom you will serve
Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Джошуа 24:14-15)
When Joshua was old and stricken in age and his time arrived to go the way of all the earth, he gathered the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel and their heads, съдии, and officers and they presented themselves before God.
Joshua spoke in the Name of the Lord about the mighty works of God and how God provided for them in the wilderness and kept His promises.
Joshua told the people to fear the Lord and serve Him only, in sincerity and in truth. He commanded them to put away the gods which their fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt.
But if it seemed evil to them to serve the Lord God, they had to choose that day, whom they wanted to serve; the gods of their fathers or the gods of the Amorites in whose country they lived.
The Israelites had three options to choose from whom to serve:
- They could serve God their Deliverer,
- They could serve the gods of their fathers
- Or they could serve the gods of the land they lived
Who are the other gods?
If God mentioned other gods and told His people they had a choice to follow and serve God or other gods then this means that there were other gods. Were they the true God; the Creator of the heavens and earth and all there is within? Не, they were false gods, imitators of the One true God.
They were not only the imaginations of people, but they were (и са) real in the spirit world. They revealed themselves to the people and the people transformed them through their hands into the natural realm into (видимо) idols and bowed down to them and served them.
В реалността, these gods were (и са) демони (fallen angels operating from the darkness). They are the principalities, сили, and rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord God
Joshua chose to serve the Lord God, their Deliver, with his house. Joshua didn’t want to serve the gods of his fathers (the gods of Egypt). Nor did Joshua want to serve the gods of the Amorites in whose land they lived.
Joshua chose to stay faithful to God and obey His words. He chose to do all that is written in the Book of Moses and not deviate from it.
The people also chose to serve the Lord. However, Joshua knew that they would leave God and serve other gods.
Joshua knew that they couldn’t remove the gods of their fathers and the gods of the land in which they dwelled from their lives.
Следователно, Joshua said, that they couldn’t serve the Lord. Since God is a holy God; He is a jealous God, and would not forgive their transgression nor their sins.
If they would forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, then God would turn and hurt and consume them, after He had done them good.
Despite Joshua’s words and prophetic insight, the people kept saying that they would serve the Lord and obey His voice (Джошуа 24).
But the words of Joshua came to pass. The people were not faithful to God but chose to serve the strange gods instead of serving the almighty God.
How could God’s people turn away from God and serve false gods?
You might wonder, how it is possible that after God delivered His people from the house of bondage and after all those great signs and miracles that were done by the living God, the preservation of God during their journey, the victories over their enemies, and receiving the blessings from God, the people turned away from God and turned to the strange gods of their fathers and the pagan people, who led them to sin and brought пакости (зло) в живота им? But it happened.
И това все още се случва. Even in the New Covenant, много хора, who chose to serve Jesus Christ and repented, but after their redemption they didn’t remove the gods of their fathers or their country, from their lives, or after a while they depart from the words of God and return to the gods of this world aka the poor worldly spirits (the beggarly elements of this world).
The devil and his army are still active today
The devil and his army (the principalities, сили, and rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places) that were present and active in the Old Covenant and deceived the people and led them astray into sin, are still active in the New Covenant.
Nothing has changed in the spirit world and the laws of God’s Kingdom. The only thing that has changed is the renewed covenant, the change of priesthood and kingship, и на restoration (изцеление) and position of man by faith in Christ and regeneration in Him.
The difference between then and now is, that in the Old Covenant, there was only one generation of people, а именно, паднал човек.
God’s people belonged to the generation of fallen man. Due to the fallen position of people, the people were subject to the powers and principalities of darkness.
Therefore God took His people by the hand to lead them out of Egypt and strove for them.
Но в Новия завет, those who believe and through regeneration in Christ have become a new creation, are reconciled with God and restored (излекуван) от падналото им състояние.
They no longer live in bondage under the rulership of the devil, грях, и смърт. They are no longer subject to the demonic powers, княжества, and rulers of darkness that reign through the flesh.
Through the dead of their flesh and the resurrection of their spirit from the dead in Christ, they are no longer controlled by them, but in Christ, те reign over them.
God has given power to become sons of God and to serve God
They have received all power from God to become sons of God (както мъже, така и жени) and to serve God and obey His words and commandments.
God gave them all power to live holy and righteous and to stand in the evil day, resist the devil and sin, отложете произведенията на плътта, and reveal the works of darkness and destroy them.
Обаче, the people decide, whom they want to serve and whose words to believe and obey.
Because as in the Old Covenant, God never forced His people to serve Him but gave them His words, предупреждения, and the result of the choice(s), the Lord God and His Son Jesus still don’t force people to serve Him.
Chose this day whom you will serve is still effective
Every person decides to serve God and His Son only and obey Гласът му and stay faithful to His Word and His commandments, which are written on the heart of the new man through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, or to serve other gods and return to the beggarly elements of the world (духовете на този свят) and trust upon the worldly wisdom and knowledge and provisions, and find joy, щастие, and peace in the (временно) things and pleasures of this world.
God gave His Word and revealed the truth and warned the people through His Word, but it’s up to the people what they decide to do.
Do they believe the words of God and do they consider His words as the truth? Do they live according to the words of God and take His warnings seriously or not? It’s up to the people to decide and to choose whom they will serve.
Who do you choose to serve?
You also make a choice whom you will serve. The choice you make shall have consequences for your life. This is something you should realize.
If you decide to serve Jesus and the Father, you can’t serve other gods. You can’t serve Jesus and the gods of your parents and family, nor the gods of the country you live.
You can’t serve Jesus and walk in darkness and live like the world. Since the light and darkness don’t go together.
If you decide to serve Jesus, then it’s not an addition to your old life, but a change of life.
The decision you make to serve Jesus means the death of your old life after the flesh and a new life after the Spirit in Him. (Прочетете също: Обрязването в Новия завет).
Исус каза, that as long as you love your life in the world, you can’t follow and serve Him.
Затова Исус каза, that you should пребройте разходите before you decide to serve Him (Матю 16:24-26, Знак 8:34-37, Лука 9:23-26; 14:28, 1 Джон 2:15-17).
When you have counted the cost and know what following Jesus means for your life in the world, only then can you make a conscious decision to follow Jesus and serve Him wholeheartedly, и останете верни на Него, and not commit (духовен) adultery with the world.
If you choose to serve Jesus, you shall not walk in darkness
If you choose to serve Jesus, and through regeneration in Him are transferred from the darkness into the light, you shall have nothing to do with the darkness and her gods.
Through the reconciliation with God, the transfer of kingdom, and the change of nature, you shall no longer want to walk in darkness and keep doing the works of the flesh (грях).
Because as He is in the light, you shall walk in the truth of God’s Word in the light and put off the works of the flesh and вършете праведни дела.
You shall break free from your culture and the gods of your parents and ancestors, and/or the gods of the country, you live, that leads to sin (неподчинение) and apostasy from God.
You’ll no longer submit to the poor beggarly spirits of this world that reign in the lives of the ungodly, които живеят в тъмнина. You shall no longer be led by them, as before your repentance, when you belonged to the world.
You shall no longer walk according to the prince of the power of the air that works in the lives of the children of disobedience, who don’t know God and walk in the lie in darkness and live in sin.
But you shall walk according to the Word and be led by the Holy Spirit and walk in the truth of God in the Light.
Следователно, when you choose to serve Jesus it may lead to the loss of (the relationship with) your father, Майка, брат(s), сестра(s), син(s), daughter(s), grandchild(Рен), in-laws, приятели, and acquaintances. (Прочетете също: Следването на Исус ще ви струва всичко!).
Serving Jesus can even lead to leaving the local church, where they’ve rejected Jesus (Словото) and allowed sin, и като резултат, са седнал в тъмнина.
The choice for Jesus means peace with God but enmity with the world
If you’re baptized in Christ and clothed with Christ and have peace with God, you have become an enemy of the world. Думата казва, that the world shall no longer love you but hate and reject you, Точно като Исус. That’s because you don’t belong to the world anymore but to God. Through the righteousness in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you testify that the works of the world are evil.
Следователно тези, who belong to the world and bear the fruit of death, което е грях, won’t or can’t be in your presence. Unless they hate their lives in darkness and works of the flesh (грях) and seek deliverance (Джон 7:7; 15:18-27; 16:8-11, 1 Джон 3:1, 13; 4:4-6)
You shall only serve the Lord
Махни се зад мен, Сатаната: тъй като е писано, Ще се покланяш на Господа твоя Бог, и само на Него ще служиш (Лука 4:8)
If you think that the devil shall leave you alone after you choose to serve Jesus, тогава грешите. For as long as you live, the devil shall not cease to tempt you to sin and win you back for his kingdom and pull you into the darkness.
He does this through the flesh, the things of the world and through the people, who are close to you and whom you love. Especially your unbelieving family members or family members, who say they believe and religiously go to church, but live like the world in darkness.
The devil shall do everything in his might to ensure that you leave God and His Word and compromise with the world (мрак) and works of the flesh and give in to the will, чувства, емоции, Страсти, и желания на плътта.
The flesh is his territory, but if your flesh has died in Christ and you no longer live, но Христос живее във вас и вие ходите след Духа, тогава мисията на владетеля на този свят, неговата армия, и онези, които принадлежат на света и живеят в грях в тъмнина, няма да успее.
Разпознаването на духовете
Следователно, важно е веднага щом се родите отново подновете ума си със Словото Божие. За да познаете истината и волята Божия.
Тогава ще се събудиш и ще разпознаеш лъжите и лукавите лукавства на дявола. И вместо да бъде измамен чрез неговите лъжи и лукаво лукавство и да се поддаде на неговите изкушения, ще се противопоставите на дявола и ще опровергаете лъжите му и ще отхвърлите лъжите му.
В силата на Светия Дух, ще устоите на всички изкушения на дявола и неговата армия. Няма да им се прекланяте и да им се поддавате чрез компромис.
всеки ден, вие решавате, комуто ще служиш: Исус Христос вашият Спасител, Доставете, and Lord and King of the Kingdom of Heaven, или дяволът, владетелят на света (мрак).
When do you serve the devil?
When do you serve the devil? You serve the devil by living like the world (as before your repentance and new birth) after the will, Страсти, and desires of the flesh and doing the works of the flesh.
Например, idolatry is a work of the devil (heathen religions, (Източен) philosophies and their rituals, окултизъм, и т.н.). Witchcraft is a work of the devil. Sorcery (магия) is a work of the devil.
Lying is a work of the devil. Развод is a work of the devil. Живеят заедно неомъжени and sexual relationships outside the marriage covenant or with someone of the same gender or with yourself are works of the devil.
Stealing, аборт, Евтаназия, (excessive) пиене, гняв, гняв, taking someone’s life or taking your own life, завист, алчност, раздори, ереси, И така нататък, are all works of the flesh controlled by the powers of darkness.
A child of God doesn’t do these works, but serves God and stays faithful to Jesus (Словото), and does what He says.
Whom you love, you will serve
If the love for Jesus Christ is greater than the love for yourself and the world, then you shall be able to serve Jesus and stand and stay faithful to Him and the Father. You shall not be tempted to sin and serve other gods through the flesh.
But if you still love the world and love the pleasures and things of this world and don’t want to put off the works of the flesh, then the Word has no place in you and you can’t serve Jesus.
You belong to the one you listen to and whose words you believe and obey. The one you listen to and obey is the one you love and serve.
"Бъди солта на земята"
