We often experience resistance and spiritual opposition as we seek to serve the Lord. This week as we were praying together on an international zoom call with our friends from the Global Gathering with David Demian, I had this discernment about spiritual law:
A major change in the history of science came when men began to realize that events did not occur in nature just by chance or by accident. Every effect must have a cause. The principle of cause and effect is the foundation of science.
In the same way, we understand that God has made the spiritual world as well as the natural world with principles of cause and effect. There is the law of “sin and death” —sin causes death. There is the opposite law of “spirit and life” —the Spirit of God gives life (Rom. 8:2).
Yeshua gave us keys that what we bind, forbid or close on earth will be bound or closed in heaven; what we loose, permit or open on earth will be loosed or opened in heaven (Matt. 16:19; 18:18). What we “sow,” we will reap (Gal. 6:7). When we give, we receive (Luke 6:38).
Newton’s third law of physics is that to every “action” there is an equal and opposite “reaction.” It seems to me that the same is true in the spiritual realm. To the degree that we push away the forces of evil and darkness, there is an equal and opposite reaction against us. Spiritual advance is accompanied by spiritual opposition.
In a strange way, since it is both equal and opposite, the opposition can help us to understand what the truth is. Right before Yeshua was crucified, the Roman soldiers mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” That response was exactly correct in the opposite direction (John 19:3).
Yeshua also taught us that the kingdom of God is like a woman giving birth. There are birthing pains and contractions. Yet those muscle contractions are pushing out the baby. When the baby is born, the difficulties are forgotten (John 16:21). The tribulations of the end times are the birth pangs of the coming of the kingdom of God on earth.
Yeshua also taught us that we should “know” the signs of the times (Matt. 16:3). A wind from the west, where the sea is, will bring rain. A wind from the south, where the desert is, will bring a dry spell. Just as there are simple causes and effects in the weather patterns, so should we discern what spiritual and moral influences will cause events to happen around us.
Many political, economic and even meteorological and seismological events are caused by spiritual actions behind the scenes (Matt. 24:7, 29; Rev. 8:2-5). Let’s become aware that there will be spiritual resistance to whatever we do that is “good.” Let’s become “proactive” in a prayerful and prophetic way to help advance God’s kingdom of light and love in this world. {eoa}
Asher Intrater is the founder and apostolic leader of Revive Israel Ministries and oversees Ahavat Yeshua congregation in Jerusalem and Tiferet Yeshua congregation in Tel Aviv. Asher was one of the founders of Tikkun International with Dan Juster and Eitan Shishkoff and serves on the board of the Messianic Alliance of Israel and Aglow International. He and his wife and full-time partner in ministry, Betty, have a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew and unity of the body of believers worldwide.
This article originally appeared at reviveisrael.org.
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