Bible Doctrine Series-Jehovah-Nissi

Jehovah-Nissi—“the Lord our banner” (Exodus 17:15). The Hebrew word Nissi comes from a root meaning “something lifted up, a token to be seen far off; in particular it is a banner set up on a high place in case of invasion, showing the people where to assemble.” Jehovah Nissi is the Lord My Banner. After the children of Israel left Egypt, a new situation emerged. Pharaoh and his army had come to take them back into captivity; the Lord, however, delivered them without their having to fight. They simply passed through the Red Sea to freedom; God fought their enemies as the people remained silent. There was nothing for them to do except cross over into the wilderness. The symbolism is of a slave crossing the line of demarcation from a state of being in bondage to the state of being free. There is no work involved—we are saved by grace, not by works (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Our part is to simply believe and receive the truth of the Gospel. When a person passes from death into life, he is delivered from the domain of darkness and is transferred into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13), but he, too, enters the wilderness spiritually. While there, he may find himself in situations where he is forced to learn to trust God to supply his physical needs and may choose to grumble and complain against God, as did the children of Israel. In the wilderness, a new crisis arose: Israel found them under attack by Amalek. This time there was not as hint of Moses telling the people to stand by and watch the salvation of the Lord; He would not fight for them as He did at the Red Sea. Instead, Moses instructed Joshua to pick some able-bodied men to defend them physically from Amalek. As Joshua fought against Amalek, Moses held up the staff of God in his hand. As he did, Israel prevailed in the battle. When Moses became tired and lowered the staff, Amalek prevailed. Victory was theirs only when the staff was raised; and the staff remained raised only when Aaron and Hur rallied round to support Moses as he held the staff. After Amalek’s defeat the Lord told Moses His plans: He would blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. How did Moses respond to the victory that had just been won? Exodus 17:15-16 tells us “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: For he said, because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” The NASB tells us that Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord is My Banner.” When Moses lifted high the staff of God, Israel prevailed because God was at work in the place where they had assembled. Today that is representative of us as we engage in our battles against the world, the flesh, and the devil. As long as we remain under the upheld banner of God, we will prevail—as did Moses and the children of Israel. Being a Christian does not automatically keep us under His banner. To remain under God’s banner, we must be practicing obedience. Disobedience destroys our fellowship with God which forces us to operate in our own resources. When we do, our rebellion allows the enemy to prevail. This is clearly seen in Numbers chapters 13-14. Moses had sent 12 spies to investigate the Promised Land. Although they were highly impressed with the land itself, only two of them—Caleb and Joshua—were willing to take possession of the land. The others gave such as negative report that the whole congregation was ready to stone any would-be conquerors, including Moses and Aaron. The Lord told Moses that everyone from age 20 and older who grumbled against God would die in the wilderness because of their unbelief. The next morning, however, Moses’ listeners acknowledged they had sinned but were now ready to forcefully conquer the land. Moses assured them the Lord would not go with them; they would be going up against the enemy under their own banner and in their own strength. Instead of listening to their leader, they went into battle and were defeated. Moses reviewed all that had happened in the lives of the children of Israel since Kasdesh-barnea, and their attitudes turned to one of bereavement. There is a lesion in this for us. If we want to be victorious over the world, the flesh and the devil, we must enter the battle under God’s direction and banner. It is there we will experience supernatural power to accomplish His desires. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Truth about Lies

By now, you can see the real power of the lies of the enemy. Lies are his greatest weapon. The degree of control he exercises over us is proportional to the lies we believe. The more lies we believe, the more the enemy will control and enslave and destroy us. The lies can come from anywhere: the attitudes and beliefs of society, what coworkers and friends say, our parents, even our own minds. Satan uses them all to try to defeat us. The solution is to know the truth about God and us, found in Scripture. A lie had enslaved John, a good father who loved the Lord. He was serving on the pastoral staff of a growing church. The Lord had blessed him with a wonderful wife, great children, and much fruit in his ministry. John's major problem was his weight. He had been grossly overweight since his preteen years. Many times he had joined various weight-loss plans and several times lost close to one hundred pounds. Within a short time after coming off a diet, though, he had always packed the weight back on. The strange thing was that John exercised tremendous discipline in all other areas of life. He maintained a rigorous spiritual life. He led in his ministry most effectively. His wife and children were happy and committed to their lives together. So why couldn't John control his eating habits? In counseling I asked the Lord to bring to John's conscious mind what lie the enemy was using to drive John to eat so out of control. The Spirit of God illumined John's mind and as we talked and prayed together, he recalled a traumatic event and saw quickly its relationship to his eating problem. "I was molested sexually by a teenage boy my parents kept for foster care. He would put a knife to my throat and molest me. Then he would threaten to kill me if I ever told anyone. This went on from the time I was six years old until I turned eight. At that time the foster boy turned eighteen and left our home." It's astonishing to me how many lies Satan fixes in the minds of Christian people. They often stem from abuse: physical, emotional, and spiritual. But what was the lie Satan used on John? He believed that when he lost weight he would become sexually vulnerable to men. Homosexuals would select him as a "closet gay" and do the same unspeakable acts to him that his foster boy had done years before. This overeating became his way to protect himself from future male sexual advances. this might strike you as strange-why would he think that?-but that's the power of a lie like this. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone but you! As the Lord revealed that this lie lay behind John's overeating, he gained new freedom over food. He told me, "The next morning I began to eat my 'normal size' breakfast. I was only able to finish half of it. The powerful desire to overeat was gone." Today, he continues to control the problem, and he has not experienced advances from gay men. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Dealing with Doubt

Please read Hebrews 6:13-20. Been having struggles with doubt lately? Starting to ask questions on issues about which you once made only declarations? Are you getting a little nervous about things like your assurance and God's reliability and life's inequities? How about that bastion of long standing belief, our hope. If you need some reassurance, some scriptural support to stabilize you these days, this passage is the perfect prescription. It is a firm reminder that our whole life and future rest on God's faithfulness, character, and very oath of assurance. Such confidence gives us an anchor of the soul which holds us tightly through the storm of doubt. Note some truth concerning doubt. First, there are times when doubts increase. There are times in all our lives when doubts increase, reproducing at a rapid rate. What causes those times? In my experience its been when things I believe should never happen, happen. When things I believe should happen, never happen. And when things I believe should happen now, happen later. As we proceed, let's keep two words in mind, faith and patience. Second, a Biblical example, Abraham. His life and example says to us "Persevere! Don't quit." This truth needs to be applied when we are forced to wait even when we want things to happen right away. Concerning Abraham, the clincher is that God took twenty five years to make that promise a reality (Romans 4:18). Even more remarkable than Abraham's lack of doubt is the fact that during his season of waiting he actively gave glory to God. Perhaps that part of Abraham's example needs to impact our behavior as much as anything else in his life. Third, Spiritual descendants, heirs of the promise. Through out the Bible there are examples of saints who trusted God. They, by example, teach us to trust God when things don't work out the way we think they should. Here is a theological fact. Just as man swears to guarantee a promise, so does God. This underscores two facts. God has a purpose in all of life and God guarantees the purpose with an oath. God is in control of the times and the seasons. Trusting God brings personal benefits. In trusting Him we are given strong encouragement, which is the opposite of discouragement. In Him we have a Refuge of Hope, this is the opposite of despair. Thus God is the Anchor of our soul, the very opposite of doubt. On the human side doubt says, "You see, you are alone." This is particularly true when we substitute human reasoning for Biblical Truth. Forth, when dealing with doubts, remember, it's one thing for us to admire and hold onto the example of Abraham. It's also easy for us to admire the wonderful text of God's Word that explains right responses to doubtful times. However the key to conquering doubt is responding properly when pressure is intense. During these time of intense pressure we are to remember that God cannot lie, We will not lose and Christ does not leave. Hebrews 6:15 says of Abraham, "And thus, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise." It's easy to read right over two key words, "Patiently waited." If we're honest with ourselves, we all must admit that we struggle with doubts from time to time. I trust this teaching will produce a greater understanding of God's perspective on doubt and through it your faith and trust will be strengthened. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Victory in The Spiritual Battles of Life

Please read Philippians 1:27-30 The Christian life is not a play ground, it's a battleground. If the Enemy can rob believers of their faith in Christ and His Word, then he can cripple and defeat the ministry of the Gospel. It is sad to hear people say "I don't care what you believe just so long as you live right." What we believe determines how we live, and wrong belief ultimately means a wrong life. Each local church is but one generation short of potential extinction. This is why Satan attacks our young people in particular. How can a group of Christians fight this enemy? We must use spiritual weapons, namely the Word of God and prayer. An army to be effective must fight together. There are three essentials for victory in the battle to contend for the faith. First, We must have staying power. We ought to learn the glory of the grind. God is more interested in what you are than what you do. The most important weapon against the enemy is the consistent life of believers. Paul is suggesting that we Christians are the citizens of heaven. While we are on earth we ought to behave like heaven's citizens. The Christian that practices the truth, and behaves what he believes is going to defeat the enemy. Consistency is rooted in Christ like character. A consistent walk produces Christ like character. Second, we need team work. The words "Striving together' gives us our English word athletics. Paul pictures the church as a team, and he reminds them that it is teamwork that wins victories. There was division in the church at Philippi. Satan always says "Divide and conquer." Two women were not getting along with each other. The people were taking sides. The enemy is always happy to see internal division in a local ministry. It is only as believers stand together that they can overcome the wicked one. Believers are to perform as a team of athletes. No one man teams, no glory hounds. Not everybody can be captain or quarterback. The team has to follow the rule book. There is one goal, that is to honor Christ and do His will. Third, we need fortitude. Paul says we are not to be alarmed by our opponents. In the above verses Paul gives us several encouragements that give confidence in the battle. These battles prove that we are saved. Many new believers have the idea that trusting Christ means the end of battles. In reality it means the beginning of new and bigger battles. Christ carefully taught the disciples this truth. The presence of conflict is a privilege and a gift. Another encouragement is that others are experiencing the same conflict. Satan wants us to think we are alone in the battle, that our difficulties are unique, such is not the case. Paul reminds the Philippians that he is going through the same difficulties they are experiencing hundreds of miles from Rome. Humans nature is the same. Satan and his hoard of demons are active everywhere. We all know that change in geography is usually no solution to spiritual problems. The silver lining in the battle comes in knowing that going through spiritual conflicts is one way we have to grow in Christ. During these times God gives us the strength we need to stand firm against the enemy. God's grace is always sufficient. The Philippians had seen Paul go through conflict when he was with them and they had witnessed his firmness in the Lord. The word conflict gives us or English word agony. When the enemy sees our God given confidence, it makes him fear. "You are writing a Gospel, A chapter each day, By the deeds that you do And the words that you say. Man read what you write Whether faithful or true; Just what is the Gospel According to you? Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Spots and Blemishes

"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" (II Peter 3:14). Spots and blemishes, we all have them, we don't necessarily appreciate them, we try to hid them, cover them, remove them or just put up with them. When we read about "Spots and blemishes" in the Bible its not talking about warts, moles, scars or liver spots. Its talking about the false teachers who were infiltrating Christianity. These Charlton's twisted the Scriptures "To their own destruction." These false teachers were deceived deceivers who did their best to lead others away from the truth. With this background Peter tells us to make very effort to avoid the shame of the false teachers. How do we do that? By dealing honestly with every personal sin and failure in our lives. Jesus had raised the question "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? He left the question hanging in the air, waiting for each hearer to answer in his own heart. I believe the answer to that question depends on us. The upshot of this Biblical passage is posed in the question, how will we be found when Jesus returns? Will our faith be firmly planted in God and His Promises? The coming of the Lord is a glorious event that should have a present effect upon our lives. The knowledge of the coming blessedness of the Lord should keep us in peace, without spot, and blameless. Peter is saying God's future promises should give us present power for holy living. The prospect of Jesus coming should motivate us to keep seeking Him, and as a result we will stay away from that which would distract us from Christian duty and would seek to disturb our soul. Peter is saying "Stay away from the faith killers". We are challenged with the question, how will He find us when He comes? Lets be found "Spotless, blameless and at peace with Him." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Secret of Joy

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4). The secret of joy in spite of circumstances is maintaining a single mind and the secret of joy in spite of people is maintaining a submissive mind. I remember an acrostic for JOY, Jesus first, Others next and Yourself last. This is a tall order to carry out consistently. Let this formula rule in your life and the fruit you bear (Galatians 5:22) will be supernatural joy. The idea of "Selfish ambition" is that of a mercenary, who does his work simple for money, without regard for the issues or any harm he may be doing. Everything he does is for the purpose of serving and pleasing self. This is the basic problem of an unregenerate man, he is wrapped up in himself and has no place in his life for God. Jesus contrasted empty conceit with eternal glory asking "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" (John 5:44). The idea of "Vain conceit" is searching for empty glory, driven by empty pride and personal vanity. "Vain conceit" has an appearance but lacks reality. It is a graphic description of the glory this world affords us which to the natural man appears beautiful and desirable, but which is literally empty of any good or any eternal value. We are talking about a highly exaggerated self-view. It is a passion for personal glory which contrasts sharply with humility. A good example of such a person was Diotrephes who "Loves to be first (he sought preeminence) among (the church and) does not accept what we say (his desire for preeminence led him to discount the doctrine taught by John)" (III John 1:9). To live for the empty glory of this day is a hollow pursuit at best. The sad truth is a man wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package. Rather than operate in the realm of selfish ambition we are to live in "Humility" or lowliness of mind. The Scriptural "Antidote" for selfish ambition is to view others as being better (held above) ourselves. Humility indicates the esteeming ones self as small or recognizing ones insufficiency but at the same time recognizing the powerful all sufficiency of God. This is the exact opposite of what our flesh nature desires to do. John Wesley observed that "Neither the Romans nor the Greeks had a word for humility." The very concept was so foreign and abhorrent to their way of thinking that they had no term to describe it. For several centuries after Christ walked the earth, pagan writers borrowed the term for humility and always used it derogatorily, frequently of Christians, because to them (the pagan writers) humility was a pitiable weakness. Humility is not thinking less of ourselves as much as it is not thinking of ourselves at all. True humility is not putting ourselves down but rather lifting others up. If we focus on lifting others up, putting ourselves down will take care of itself. Should we insist in exalting ourselves the Lord has promised to take care of our humiliation, for He promises to humble the proud. From personal experience I find this to be quite painful. There is a better way "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2). "You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (I Peter 5:5). In Colossians Paul condemns false humility where individuals in their midst were "Delighting in self-abasement." Their delighting in it means their supposed humility was nothing but ugly pride. It was like that of Uriah Heep, one of the most contemptible characters in English literature, who said, "I am well aware that I am the 'umblest person going." Chapter 16 of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. A modern psychological (industry) ploy is to attribute many personal and social problems to an individuals lack of self-esteem. The Scriptures, however, urge each of us to have other-esteem. Our real problem is self-centeredness and too much self-esteem. Paul urged us to be lowly-minded, not high-minded, seeing the good of others, not concerned with ourselves. How full is your joy bucket? The joy of the Lord keeps company with the humble. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Are You Despondent

Please open your Bible and read the entire 42Nd. Psalm. This will give you context for this writing. The Psalmist was clearly despondent. He cried out to God and he observed “By day the LORD directs his love (toward David), at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life" Psalm 42:8. David was aware of God's song being played in his heart by night. That night song worked itself out as a prayer to the Lord. Please read (42:7). As the author watches the melted snow gushing forth in waves from the mountain cataracts, he sees in this a picture of his own present situation as blow after blow descends upon him. But notice he does not say "these breakers and these waves have rolled over me." He says "your breakers and your waves . . . " This is very important, because he is affirming that the situation is not out of control or evidence of God's lack of concern—but rather that God is sovereignty (even if mysteriously) at work through these sufferings for an eventual outcome that will be good and vindicate his choice to go on trusting God (read 42:8). There is an old saying "Trouble talked about makes it double." Trouble talked about in the form of gossip and slander does make it increase. However when we talk to the Lord about our troubles (in prayer) they begin to take on new perspective. When we begin to see our trails through His eyes, then we can rejoice because He is in control and His purposes are being worked out in our lives. This is something the Bible teaches over and over again—the rhythm of trials followed by blessing (PS. 66:10-12; Lam. 3:21-36), suffering followed by hope (Rom. 5:3-5), "death" followed by "life" (2 Cor. 4:11). Read 1 Pet. 5:10. This is why David could say "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:11. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Spiritual Warfare in God's Kingdom

Please read Luke 24:36-53. The kingdom of God is the most significant metaphor of spiritual conflict in the Bible. There are several facets of the kingdom as presented in the New Testament. Kingdom legitimacy: Satan's claims to lordship of the universe are illegitimate-he is the liar (John 8:44), the thief (John 10:10), and the deceiver (Rev. 20:3,8,10) whose domain is darkness (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). His followers are like the wicked tenants (Matt. 21:33-44) whose actions show their true nature (Matt. 7:15-23). We have an assured victory: The prince of this world has been overcome (Luke 10:18; John 12:31),this is seen in the resurrection (I Cor. 15). We share in Christ's resurrection victory (Rom. 8:11; I Cor. 15:57) as over comers (Rev. 2:7). There is kingdom conflict on earth. That is because there are two kingdoms (Eph. 6:10-12), though the heavenly issue is settled (Rev. 12:7-9) with the final destruction of Satan and his hosts assured (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20; 9-15). Jesus is the stronger man who has bound Satan the strong man (Luke 11:14-22), and because of His victory, our standing against the enemy is possible. This is accomplished through prayerfully putting on spiritual armor (Eph. 6:13-19) and using divine weapons to tear down strongholds (II Cor. 10:3-5). We must learn how to fight the kingdom way, We are to overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21) as Jesus did on the cross (Col. 2:15); we can return curses with blessings (I Pet. 3:9) because we are to consider those curses as blessings (Matt. 5:3-10). True freedom is not doing whatever we want, but being able to fully obey Christ (John 8:31-37). As believers we are to become kingdom people: We are new creatures having new natures (II Cor. 5:17) who are enjoined to put on new clothing (Eph. 4:22-32); Col. 3:12-17) and set our thoughts on new things (Col. 3:1-11). We have freedom in Christ (John 8:31-37) to be pure in our obedience to Him (Phil. 2:15) rather than live in slavery to sin (Rom. 6:1-14). We are also corporately a new people who are aliens in this world (I Pet. 2:9-12). We are a kingdom family: We are adopted (Rom. 8:14) children of God (John 1:12; I John 3:1, 5:19) who can call Him "Daddy" (Rom. 8:15) and who share in the inheritance of His Son (Heb. 1:2; Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:26-4:7). Let's examine the growth of the kingdom. Men can reject the kingdom of God. Satan can snatch kingdom truths away from unprepared hearts (the sower; Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23) God is the one who brings kingdom growth (secret growth; Mark 4:26-29)do not despise the day of small things (the mustard seed; Matt. 13:31-33); the kingdom will permeate all (yeast; Matt. 13:34; Luke 13:20-21). The value of the kingdom. The kingdom is worth all we are (the hidden treasure; Matt. 13:44; the pearl of great price; Matt. 13:45). Kingdom purity: The world is a mixture of kingdoms; the King plants openly for good, his opponent in secret for evil (tares and wheat; Matt. 13;24-30, 38-43); in the end the pure will be sorted from the impure (the fishing net; Matt. 13:47-50); the kingdom belongs to those who walk in the will of the King (the sheep and the goats; Matt. 25:31-46). Kingdom responsibilities: We are to share with others what treasures we have concerning the kingdom of God (new and old treasures; Matt. 13:52); the one who does God's will is justified, not the one who pays lip service; (the two sons; Matt. 21:28-32); the kingdom belongs to those who produce its fruit (the tenants; Matt. 21:33-46); the kingdom belongs to those who respond to the invitation of the King the wedding banquet; Matt. 22:1-14); the kingdom belongs to those who use the resources that God gives them (the talents; Matt. 25:14-30). The heart of the King: God actively and successfully seeks out people who belong to Him; He rejoices when they are found (the lost sheep; Luke 15:3-7; the lost coin; Luke 15:8-10); God anxiously (and with the light on) awaits our return to Him-He initiates reconciliation before we admit our wrong. His grace is offered to even the most wicked person (the prodigal son or the waiting father; Luke 15:11-32). Kingdom values; kingdom priorities are not arranged on an earthly scale (the workers in the vineyard; Matt. 20:1-16); kingdom people act wisely in light of kingdom values (the shrewd manager; Luke 16:31-46). The above facts are necessary for kingdom living. As you can see spiritual warfare is an intricate part of our walk with the Lord. Paul wrote "fight the good fight." In Christ it is a good fight indeed.