JRM Sison Chapter - November 8, 2009

“Behind Enemy Lines” is a movie that portrays every soldier’s nightmare; to be trapped inside enemy territory. Although the movie was made for entertainment, its message was very real and clear. It depicts a desperate person wanting to come back home; a person trapped with nowhere else to go.

What if you were the soldier? What will you do? Will you continue to be the soldier of your country? Will your pledge of allegiance remain true to your king? Or will you change your allegiance and begin to compromise with your enemy?
These are questions that are sometimes unanswerable unless you are placed in that particular situation. There are no true answers to this unless experience will allow it.

But will you believe that we, as Christians, are living “behind enemy lines”? Do you believe that we are inside enemy territory?
     ·     2 Cor 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
     ·     John 14:30 - Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
These two verses tell us that Satan is the god and prince of this world. As Christians, we belong to God. Therefore, our citizenship is not in this world but in heaven. God is Satan’s nemesis. Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, we became Satan’s nemesis. Since we are living in the world where Satan is god and prince, we live “behind enemy lines”.

The Fall of Man

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said? … - Gen 3:1

The war between God and Satan began with Satan’s pride. Satan wanted to be worshipped. When Satan couldn’t defeat God, he changed his tactics and moved the battlefield here on earth. He couldn’t defeat God therefore he began his devious plan to destroy man, who was created in the image and likeness of God. He couldn’t confront Adam directly; he knew that Adam had the strength to defy and defeat the enemy because of Adam’s relationship with God. Therefore, Satan diverted his tactics and began his attack on Adam’s weakness; his wife, Eve. But Satan knew that Eve wouldn’t fall that easily. He made an effective strategy that will ensure the downfall of mankind:
     ·     He became subtle.
     ·     He made friends with Eve.
     ·     He studied her likes and dislikes.
     ·     He brought out her weakness.
     ·     He made her doubt the words of God.

Eve, at first, was not affected by the words of Satan. But she was tempted by the fruit of the tree;
     ·     She saw that the fruit is good for FOOD.
     ·     She saw that the fruit was PLEASANT to the EYES.
     ·     She saw that the fruit will make her WISE, just like God (as Satan had told her).
She was tempted yet she hadn’t sinned. When she ate the fruit AND gave it to her husband, Adam, and he did eat, they sinned. Thus, Satan was triumphant. He won the battle easily. He destroyed the relationship between God and man; and he used God’s own words (perverted for Satan’s use) for that relationship to be destroyed; the fall of man started by perverting the very words of God.

The Fall of Christianity

Today, Satan saw that the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son couldn’t be reverted. He couldn’t stop Christians to proclaim the gospel; he couldn’t stop people to receive Jesus Christ as their God and Saviour. He couldn’t just take away what has been given. He couldn’t attack Christians directly (just as he couldn’t attack Adam). But Satan is persistent; he wanted man to worship him. He knew that he couldn’t stop man to go to church. He knew that he couldn’t stop man to go to prayer meetings. But there is one thing that he can do; the same thing he did with Eve:
     ·     He became subtle.
     ·     He made friends with Christians.
     ·     He studied their likes and dislikes.
     ·     He brought out their weaknesses.
     ·     He made them doubt the words of God.
Impossible, you might say but true. Satan is the most subtle among the entire beast. He is the greatest deceiver of all. He is the father of lies (John 8:44). You see, he can’t stop a speeding train at once but he sure can slow it down and even put it to a complete stop; even make it go back the way it came. Satan can’t stop Christians doing what they’re doing for the Lord at once; but he sure can slow them down and even put them to a complete stop; even make them go back the way they were before.

Satan’s Deception: False Bibles

I am a great advocate of the Perfect Bible. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God and His Truth is within the Perfect Bible; the King James Bible or the Authorized Version of 1611. Note that we are living “behind enemy lines” and yet the god and prince of this world is afraid of us. He knows that whatever he do to us and the church, we won’t sway with our faith. But we are living “behind enemy lines”; he will surely deceive us by offering what he has; his lies and perversions. Jehovah’s Witnesses fell victim for his subtleness; they believed on the perverted New World Translation (NWT); John 1:1 declares Jesus Christ as a god and not God; NWT made Jesus as only man and denied His deity. Iglesia Ni Cristo’s faith also fell down with their perverted Today’s English Version; John 1:1 declares that Jesus Christ is only the same as God and not God, creating confusion about His deity. Satan begins to celebrate his triumph. He even made different versions that even Evangelical Christians began to believe in.
If you don’t believe me, try browsing your Bible in 1 John 5:7. My Bible states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” All other versions don’t include this verse. They chopped down verse 8 and split it into two verses (7 and 8). And this verse is our proof of the Tri-unity of our God. How about the New King James Version? Another perversion where the footnotes declare that 1 John 5:7 is not in the original MSS (manuscripts)! The NKJV is the most poisonous of all the perverted Bibles or what we call Bible per-versions.

You want more proof? The Bible per-versions declared that Jesus is God’s servant and not His Son (Acts 3:13, 26)! What can I say?! It is in plain sight yet most Christians ignore this fact! They say, “It’s so hard to read the archaic words of the KJV”; “I can’t stand the thee’s, thou’s and thine’s”; “The newer versions (NIV, most especially) made it easier for the common man to understand God’s words (or Satan’s words!).” Who said being a Christian will be easy?! The Bible per-versions did! They made punishment in hell easy by changing it with either Sheol (means the abode of the dead) or Hades (means the underworld kingdom inhabited by the souls of the dead)! Talk about a change of heart! It is very clear that Satan is tricking good and honest Christians into powerless and immature ones. They start with a right beginning using the KJV and ended up with a nightmare using the Bible per-versions.

Shepherds, God is Warning You!!!

⁷ Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
⁸ As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
⁹ Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
¹⁰ Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. - Ezek 34:7-10

Note that God cares for His flock. Jesus stated in Matthew 4:4 that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. It is very important to know that Jesus gave us commands to keep His words and to feed His sheep. But how can we feed the sheep that is entrusted to us?

     Find Out - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). These two verses teach us to find out what to feed our sheep. Like a shepherd that gives the right food for the flock, the same thing must we do. As shepherds we must give them healthy food with lot of nutrients. As shepherds we must make sure that the flock will be fat and beautiful and not malnourished. Different sheep needs different attention and food. Some may eat more and some less. Some may eat other things while others stick to what they are used to eat. That is why as a servant of God, we must study to rightly divide the word of truth.

     Examine - Prove all things; hold fast that which is good (1 Thess 5:21). Not everything you see, hear and touch is what it seems. You have to prove that it represents what it says. Close examination on what you are studying must always be prioritized. Never conclude a thing or subject without proving it. Remember that we have to feed the flock good food and not beautiful food. The sheep needs proper nutrients and not proper decorations. Prove all things and uphold what is good.

     Enlighten - ¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matt 28:19-20). But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). How can you enlighten a person if you are not a good witness? Being a witness means you are the right man for the job of witnessing. Thus, a good witness can be a good teacher. And by being a good witness and teacher, you can enlighten your flock. Enlightenment in the sense that they will be aware of the things that they are doing because it will all be done Biblically!

     Defend - If a man love me, he will keep my words (John 14:23). As shepherds, we have to defend His Perfect Book. We have to keep His words not only in our hearts but also in our lives. To keep is to store, to maintain and to secure. If you keep His words, you have to defend it at all cost! This will be the gauge of our love for Christ.

Brethren, are you trapped “behind enemy lines”? Find out the truth that the enemy is powerless against you. Examine the things that come along your way and notice how the Lord had given you priority because you found out the truth. Enlighten the brethren to strengthen the family of God within your community. And lastly, defend your faith and God’s Perfect Word; if you truly love Jesus, you will surely keep His words…