Being Oppressed

In Acts chapter 10, Peter spoke by THE SPIRIT:

34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Being oppressed means to exercise harsh control over one, to use one’s power against one.  The devil will use the anything we allow to keep us in bondage.  There is power in our tongue and if we are constantly declaring whatever is contrary to The Word, we have given the devil power to operate in our life.  The devil is a harsh taskmaster to say the least.

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 John chapter 2:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Lust and pride will keep us in bondage to the devil.  Pride trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates Divine Laws and human rights.  It trusts in the stability of earthly things.  If you live long enough, you will see the fallacy of worldly stability.  Your world can get shattered without notice!

Jesus exposed flesh and pride with the Truth.  The religious leaders who were well versed in the Old Testament Laws were among the worst to walk in lust and pride.  Their traditions promoted their worldliness.  They could not see the need to change and it is not much different today.

People develop a bias to their current level of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom which they use to judge others.  They judge themselves by their intentions but judge everyone else by their actions.  Our fruit reveals what is in our heart so we should look at our own fruit.  Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 3:

11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.

15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Is my fruit wood, hay, and/or straw or does it consist of gold, silver, and precious stones?  Is my fruit everlasting or of a worldly, temporary nature?  My foundation must be Jesus Christ, not anyone else.  This is why I consistently implore you to keep your focus on Jesus Christ and His Words.  We must not allow ourselves to lose our passion for Christ and become diluted by the world’s rhetoric and reasoning.  Let us no longer be oppressed by the devil.

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