Wednesday, 08 July 2009

• Not To Be Missed

  If you haven't been to Heather's blog, you should visit there frequently. She posts sermons and Bible studies from her pastor, Pastor Don - and so much more. (She has an amazing testimony too!) Even though I have been a member of G-d's family for nearly 35 years, I learn something each and every time I read her posts. She has given me permission to share this important lesson with you.
  
  

  Tactics of the devil by Callin

  Callin began by reading a devotional he received written by John McKinley called "Are you on board a cruise ship or a battle ship.  I asked Callin to forward it to me, so I am including it for your reading. From: JOHN MCKINLEY [mailto:jmckin2002@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 11:20 Subject: Cruise Ship or Battle Ship John told me he received this devotional from Are You Onboard A Cruise Ship or Battle Ship?” was actually featured in an e-Newsletter that I receive from Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living Ministry Are You Onboard A Cruise Ship or Battle Ship? A. W. Tozer wrote, "The idea that this world is a playground instead of a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of Christians...The 'worship' growing out of such a view of life is as far off center as the view itself - a sort of sanctified nightclub without the champagne and the dressed-up drunks." We could also say that for many men today Christian life is more a cruise ship rather than a battleship. Are you mostly interested in wanting your needs accommodated and having a comfortable experience? Or are you looking to be equipped for battle and deployed for action in enemy occupied territory? Cruise ships are created for the pleasure of those paying to sail with them. Everything on the ship is for comfort and emotional well being. There are lots of options for everything including what food you like, what shows you attend, and what activities you choose to do. The design of the ship is opulent and pleasing to the eyes. It seems everything shines and glimmers! Battleships on the other hand are built for mission, not for comfort. They are equipped with weapons of warfare. Every sailor knows why they are onboard and what their job is. There are places to sleep, shower and eat but the primary purpose of everything is to complete the mission.What ship are you on? ********************* Callin then continued by telling us that we are in a full blown war which is going around us 24/7.  God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (all present), but satan is not.  Our adversary is against the family of man, wanting to pull down what God loves, which is us. When we read the Bible we see it is full of people who fight adversaries in the physical and in the spiritual. We can learn how to battle by reading these accounts in the Bible. There is always an enemy trying to undermine the people of God.  We can get so caught up in worship that we forget to be vigilant. There are 4-D's that the devil uses: 1. Distraction 2. Deception 3. Disease - dis-ease (twisted emotionally, depression, fear, pain) 4. Devastation - financial, death, fear, torment, and it will bring you down. In trouble we get moved in the Spirit, and what the devil sees is what we are accustomed to be and do. In the book of Job the devil tried to create confusion, destroy life, and cause Job to reject God when things did not go well. DISTRACTION - is usually one that the enemy can put on us, all of us.  The more knowledgeable we are, the more sneaky the enemy is.  The devil can have a pretty face.  Even seemingly good activities can be a distraction.  We need to put God first, then satan can't attract us through others.  Satan will use what we give more attention, adoration and faith to than the Lord. How do we resist the devil?  THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE NAME OF JESUS, THE BLOOD OF JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD. The tools of the devil are the same, simple tools he has used since Adam and Eve: Pride Lust Greed Sex/lust - can become an addiction, drugs and power.  The devil does not change his tactics.  We see them in 1 John 2:16 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. We then read Matthew 4:1-11 to see the temptation of Jesus.  Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. The bread was the lust of the eyes, the pinnacle of the temple was the lust of the flesh, and theoffer of the kingdom was the pride of life.  Yet the Bible tells us in James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  We are in a battle, and satan strategically attacks. Genesis 3:1-8 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Here we see the three ploys of satan, the lust of the eyes (she saw the fruit) the pride of life (she wanted to be like God) and the lust of the flesh (touching and taking the fruit).  The 4-D's were in it all the way. Notice what happened when they disobeyed God, they ended up hiding from God.  God made a provision to cover  their nakedness. The devil tempted Jesus with the same things that he used to tempt Adam and Eve, but Jesus resisted the devil. 1 John 2:15-17 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. 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. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. As we abide with God we are given the down payment of things to come.  When we abide with God we are a threat to the evil one.  We bind it, we submit to the Spirit, and we overcome.  The difference in how successful we deal with the evil one is our perception and response to the battle. Nehemiah is an example of how to build walls and submit to God.  He submitted to God, prayed to God, and rebuilt the breeches in the walls.  The devil sent various attacks toward Nehemiah and he resisted through prayer, plans, and action. The gates to our temple (body) are our eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and touch (the five senses) These five senses are how the world gets into you.  Jesus succeeded in resisting the devil; Adam didn't. This has relevance to us because we are tempted every day in some manner, usually multiple times.  And satan's tactics do not change.  Man is created in the image of God, and we were given dominion by God, but satan seeks to take that dominion away from us.  Adam gave it away, Jesus reclaimed it.  It is up to us to maintain what Jesus won for us. We are commissioned to snatch others out from the fire.  Callin gave us an example of an ant farm.  How the ants do not know that we see them, we see them through the glass as they go about doing their business.  God sees all that we do and thing, and sees our heart. The devil sees us according to what we do.  He can't read our minds, but he hears our prayers, the prophesies spoken over us, what we do.  And he will send substitutes in our lives hoping to disturb, distract, or pull us away from God's best for us.  We often blame God and ask why does God allow this to happen?  God will permit it, but it is we and our behavior, actions, and thoughts that bring it onto ourselves. We are the TEMPLE OF GOD, and we are meant to have fellowship with God. In the Old Testament the Tabernacle was in the wilderness and traveled with the people. Then it was built more permanently in Jerusalem by Solomon.  Then the physical Tabernacle was destroyed in AD 70. After the death of Jesus, we became the Temple of God. In the tabernacle there is the outer court, the inner court and the holy of holies. We too have our outer appearance, the inner court (soul - mind, will, emotions) and the holy of holies (Spirit).  We often think that God does not see what we think but that is not true. Ezekiel 8:12-16 Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’” And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east. There are parts of us that are not seen by the public.  But that does not mean that this part is not observed by God and the enemy. God sees our Hearts and He knows all that we think and do, even if we think we do it in secret.  We need to be willing to be open, honest and truthful.  Jesus is the Lord.  We do not want to lie, backslide, or let someone believe a lie about ourselves.  Examine ourselves and work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. The enemy is there waiting for an opening which we give him if we are not being honest, open and truthful, and if we let our vigilance down.  We have to be attentive to the mater at hand. Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. All of the Bible - the 66 books, were written for our learning and our hope. John 17:16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. We are IN the world, not OF the world. The world hated Jesus and it will hate us as well.  God does not send evil into our lives. 1 Corinthians 10:11-14 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. Notice that this tells us that there is no temptation that overtakes us except those that are common to men or to the world.  And these are the ones mentioned in 1 John 2:16 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.  The three ploys of satan are what is common for us, and satan does not change his tactics - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. 1 Corinthians 14:45 And so it is written, "The first Adam became a living being."  The last Adam became a life giving spirit. Jesus is the last Adam John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. We will be doing even greater works than Jesus did on the earth, for Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to aid us.  We are to reign over death and the powers of darkness.  The prince of the power of the air and his lies have no hold over us. Jesus wants our entire life to be blessed.  Jesus comforts us as we seek to comfort others. I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July Weekend - this teaching is all about liberty, and we need to fight for our liberty from the enemy too. Heather

  
  
  

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