PEOPLE ARE PORTALS — May 7, 2024
Having grown up during a time when space travel and such were prevalent – in the news, TV shows like Lost in Space and Star Trek – my thinking was shaped with those scientifically oriented programs. I watched as Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and I heard Neil Armstrong utter the words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The world was abuzz with this new development and venture. I mention this to portray the reasons for why my thoughts many times are expressed using science-fiction terms, such as ‘portals’. A portal is a point where something or someone may travel through to get from one place to another. Sometimes the term is shortened to the word ‘port’.
I have always messed around with electronic equipment. As a youngster that equipment was primarily the family stereo, then my own record playing 8-track recording machinery. I can’t tell you why I’ve always known and understood the flow of electrical things, like input and output and what plugs into where. I remember one time we had gone to Radio Shack and purchased a UHF converter for our television. I had it up and running while my dad was still reading the instructions. I suppose that’s simply part of my ‘bent’ (something that interests an individual). So, that’s why I easily see us (people) as portals – spiritually speaking.
A spiritual portal is a position where a spirit-being can access both the natural (physical) realm and the realm of the spirit where the unseen populace exists – like God, angels, and demons. Human beings are first and foremost spirit beings that live in a body. These physical bodies give us the right (license) to operate here on the earth since they were made from the earth: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). Mike Leach rendering: God made a body from the earth then placed of His spirit in it to give that body life. James Two says: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (Jas 2:26). Another way to say it is our physical body is our ‘earth-suit’.
God’s original intention for man was for mankind to give expression to the realm of the spirit in the earth. In other words, man was never intended to live life apart from the influence of God in their lives. Since God is a Spirit (John 4:24), man is also a spirit. Jehovah said in Genesis: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:26-27, underline mine for emphasis). Did you notice God said “according to Our likeness”? So, we not only look like God, but our substance (being) is like Him as well – we are spirit beings.
It is apparent that spirit beings cannot express in the earth without the cooperation of a physical body. This explains why Satan sought a serpent to be granted expression in the earth. He was already cast down from Heaven to the earth realm, but needed a body to contact (be given expression to) Eve in the Garden. Notice the dialog in Genesis Three: “So the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this’” (Gen. 3:14a). Apparently the serpent had granted Satan permission to manifest through their body to contact Eve, and God was upset with it. Ultimately it was Adam’s responsibility to kick the devil out – God’s intention was for the man: “to tend and keep” the Garden of Eden. It was Adam’s job to maintain the Garden.
Let’s take a little side-note here. When God instructs something, He expects it to be the Standard to conduct life by. In other words, when He says something (which, when He speaks His Words are not only instructional, but operational) and there arises a situation, or circumstance that appears contradictory to it, then it’s our responsibility to make things align with what He has instructed (the Bible calls them commandments). Jesus said: “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mat 16:19). I like how the Amplified Bible Classic Edition puts it: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.”
Did you get that? We, mankind, have the authority – right here on this planet – to enforce the directives that take place on Earth. Why? Because Man was given the mandate from God to do so. When Adam committed high treason by handing over to Satan his authority the earth became flooded with darkness; humans had been transferred to the influence of Lucifer and his demon cohorts. You’ll see this in Ephesians Two: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:1-2, underline mine). ‘According to the course of this world.’ One could put it this way: ‘according to the influence (or, flow) of this world.’ Did you notice it was ‘by the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience’? That’s because of the portal that we are. We were ordained to allow the spirit world to be given expression on this planet. The Apostle John wrote it this way in his first epistle: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1Jn 5:19).
This explains why so many ungodly circumstances are happening all around the world. Darkness is being allowed to express its ugly, hateful, hurtful nature seemingly unbridled all over the place. The Good News is Jesus has stripped the devil and all his ungodly purposes of their power and authority! He has given His authority to His Body – the church – to conduct the business of Heaven. Because we are those ‘portals’ that give the realm of the spirit expression it’s up to us to enforce what ‘camp’ gets to manifest – Light, or darkness.
PAUL’S THORN IN THE FLESH
I’ll give you my understanding of what the Lord said to Paul regarding his ‘thorn in the flesh’. In Second Corinthians he tells of the difficulties he faced daily: “in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often; From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one…besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches” (11:23-28 mostly). These trials (which, by the way), he referred to as “light afflictions” earlier in this same letter (4:17).
Then, as recorded in the Twelfth chapter: “lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2Co 12:7-9). Paul was a portal that was used by God to establish His Kingdom in the earth, calling himself a “worker together with God” (2Co 6:1). Two things I want to mention here: 1) the thorn in the flesh Paul spoke of. The phrase ‘thorn in the flesh’ was a colloquial expression of his time. He said it was a “messenger of Satan,” so we know it was a demon spirit dogging his life with trouble (the trouble he just enumerated in the previous chapter). I’m mentioning Paul’s ‘thorn’ because the devil uses difficulties to distract us from moving forward in the work of God. He can’t stop the work, but if he can somehow prevent us from cooperating with God then the work comes to a halt.
2) The next thing I’d like to bring out is that religion has taught that Jesus told Paul ‘No’ (implying there would be no help from Heaven in his situation). That theory was spawned from hell! Read what Jesus said to him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Here’s the Mike Leach rendering: ‘I’ve given you everything you could ever need to whip the tactics of the devil and put him in his place!’ [Now, we’ve gone back to the Garden – which is what Jesus accomplished for us through His death-burial-and Resurrection! – That’s what the ‘keys of the Kingdom’ are for!]
So, Jesus has opened the way for the influence of Heaven to affect the activities on the earth – through us, His church – His Portals! The activity we’re seeing going on around the world – especially the anti-Semitism – is to be addressed by the church! This planet and the precious people on it do not belong to the devil! God has issued His Great Commission to the Body of Christ to take care of business.
I can almost hear your thoughts: ‘Why doesn’t God do something about what’s happening?’ – He just did; He had me write this, He had you read it. We have what it takes! It’s a sobering thought, but we are going to be held responsible for the Last day revival and Great Awakening! Let’s get after it, family!