GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY JULY 28, 2012.
PROVERB
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4.
PROMISE
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, and who walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128:1-2.
PRAISE
Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him. Psalm 147:1
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:5
July 29, 2012
Excuse: July 27, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY
JULY 27, 2012.
EXCUSE
DEFINITION:
Seek to lessen
the blame for a fault or offense; try to justify or defend.
SCRIPTURE:
“If I had not
come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse
for their sin.” John 15:22.
KNOWLEDGE AND
EXPERIENCE:
Jesus did not
mean in this verse, that we have written above, that if He had not come, they
would have been sinless. But He is saying that by His coming to this earth He
has made us aware of the severest and most deadly sin that one can commit. That
is rejecting and rebelling against God and His truth. The coming of Jesus to
this earth gave evidence to the truth of God. Once we have received knowledge
of the truth we are held accountable for what we do about it. Therefore, we
have no possible excuse for rejecting the good news of the gospel.
How many times
have you heard someone give an excuse for something not completed or not done? Children
always have an excuse when they are caught in doing wrong. The making of an excuse
for wrong actions isn’t limited to children. Adults are just as guilty. Most
excuses are given to justify laziness. We do not know how many times we have
heard the excuse that they just did not feel like doing what they should have done.
We use excuses
to justify our inaction. You have often heard, “I was just so busy that I could
not get around to doing it?”Most excuses are what we would call “lame.” They
are a lot like the child that tells his teacher that he cannot turn in his
homework because “the dog ate it.”
In John 15,
Jesus was teaching His disciples the gospel message and what to expect when
they would be the ones teaching others. Just as Jesus and His message were
rejected by many, He told them that they also would have their message rejected.
This is still true today. As believers we must continue to tell all those we
can, through our words and deeds, of Jesus love and plan of redemption, knowing
that at times our message will be rejected. Those who accept Jesus will be
saved, but those who reject Him will “have no excuse for their sin” when they
meet God.
In Luke 14:15-24
Jesus shares what is called the parable of the great supper. The master, the
parable says, invited most of his friends and neighbors to a great feast. They
all gave excuses as to why they could not come. All their excuses were weak and
had a smack of insincerity which made it evident that they did not want to
come. Jesus likened their excuses to all the excuses that are given when people
are invited to know Jesus as their Savior and they do not want to come to Him.
People come up
with many excuses as to why they cannot accept Jesus. Many just do not want to
change their ways. Others say they do not have to worry about it now as there
is plenty of time and want to wait till later in their lives. These are all
excuses that are not acceptable to our Lord. Everyone who rejects Jesus is
without excuse in God’s sight.
In Romans
1:18-20 the writer talks about the end-time judgment of men when the wrath of
God will come against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. At that time
it will be too late for excuses. He goes on to tell us that since the creation
of the world God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that all of us are without excuse.
God has revealed
Himself in His creation. In this universe we see His Intelligence, His beauty,
His power, and His provisions. Those who reject God have no excuse. Salvation
is available to all just for the asking and excuses such as not knowing or waiting until later are not
acceptable.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse
for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that
all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Lord
that You made Yourself known to us and have given us the choice to accept or
reject You. Thank You that my sins have been forgiven because I have accepted
You as my Savior.
Rejection: July 26, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JULY 26, 2012.
REJECTION
DEFINITION:
To cast out; to discard as unsatisfactory or useless; something or someone not wanted; to refuse to accept or admit.
SCRIPTURE:
“He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:11
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1 and Mark 15:34.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is one thing to be rejected by friends and associates, but quite different to be rejected by family. Any type of rejection hurts no matter where it comes from. Some rejection is brought on by one’s own actions, but for others it may be because of their beliefs or just because of jealousy. When a family rejects one of their own it is usually based on a major conflict between right and wrong. Rejection is painful because it results in separation and abandonment. Children who are abandoned feel the pain of rejection for a lifetime.
While Jesus lived here on this earth He experienced rejection along with the suffering of the world. Jesus truly knew the meaning of rejection. First, even his own people, the scripture says, rejected Him. Secondly, it was the rejection and abandonment of His Father that He knew He must experience when He took our sins upon Himself that brought Him to His knees in the garden of Gethsemane beseeching His Father to take that cup from Him.
We cannot begin to imagine the agony of the physical pain that Jesus endured as He hung on the cross. There is no more painful death than death by crucifixion. As horrible as the pain was, it was the rejection and abandonment of His Father that caused Jesus to cry out in agony, “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?” It is because Jesus went through that suffering of rejection by His Father that we do not have to endure the rejection of our heavenly Father for our sins.
“Why does nobody care?” was the question that rings so clear in my mind from a young girl living in a home our organization sponsored for children with cancer in Honduras. Our interpreter told us what the girl was saying but we really did not need an interpreter because it shown so clearly on her face.
There was no cancer medicine in the whole country to help these children with cancer. This young girl and her mother, sitting by her side, felt so rejected, desperate and so alone. Did anyone care? We tried to assure them that help was on the way but would it arrive on time to save her life?
Our organization did respond and soon there was medicine and even state of the art equipment to help assist children put their cancer into remission. Unfortunately the equipment and medicine did not arrive in time to save this young girl’s life, but thousands of children since have been helped because this one girl moved us to action. Her feeling of rejection was used by God to enable many other children in her country get the help they need.
All of us have days and times that we feel rejected. It may be because of a spouse, a parent, a child or a friend. When these moments of rejection come our way we must look to the Lord for special strength that only He can give. When we are feeling down cast, the only way to look is up. God understands how you feel because He knew rejection. We must learn to be positive in those moments of feeling unwanted. You must remember that at the lowest times of your life when you feel rejection that God loves you. When we come to Him with repentant hearts and in faith, believing in Him, He will never reject us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord, for the blessed assurance I have that You will never reject me because You have promised to never leave or forsake those who love and obey You. Thank You for suffering rejection on the cross to save me from my sins.
REJECTION
DEFINITION:
To cast out; to discard as unsatisfactory or useless; something or someone not wanted; to refuse to accept or admit.
SCRIPTURE:
“He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:11
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1 and Mark 15:34.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is one thing to be rejected by friends and associates, but quite different to be rejected by family. Any type of rejection hurts no matter where it comes from. Some rejection is brought on by one’s own actions, but for others it may be because of their beliefs or just because of jealousy. When a family rejects one of their own it is usually based on a major conflict between right and wrong. Rejection is painful because it results in separation and abandonment. Children who are abandoned feel the pain of rejection for a lifetime.
While Jesus lived here on this earth He experienced rejection along with the suffering of the world. Jesus truly knew the meaning of rejection. First, even his own people, the scripture says, rejected Him. Secondly, it was the rejection and abandonment of His Father that He knew He must experience when He took our sins upon Himself that brought Him to His knees in the garden of Gethsemane beseeching His Father to take that cup from Him.
We cannot begin to imagine the agony of the physical pain that Jesus endured as He hung on the cross. There is no more painful death than death by crucifixion. As horrible as the pain was, it was the rejection and abandonment of His Father that caused Jesus to cry out in agony, “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?” It is because Jesus went through that suffering of rejection by His Father that we do not have to endure the rejection of our heavenly Father for our sins.
“Why does nobody care?” was the question that rings so clear in my mind from a young girl living in a home our organization sponsored for children with cancer in Honduras. Our interpreter told us what the girl was saying but we really did not need an interpreter because it shown so clearly on her face.
There was no cancer medicine in the whole country to help these children with cancer. This young girl and her mother, sitting by her side, felt so rejected, desperate and so alone. Did anyone care? We tried to assure them that help was on the way but would it arrive on time to save her life?
Our organization did respond and soon there was medicine and even state of the art equipment to help assist children put their cancer into remission. Unfortunately the equipment and medicine did not arrive in time to save this young girl’s life, but thousands of children since have been helped because this one girl moved us to action. Her feeling of rejection was used by God to enable many other children in her country get the help they need.
All of us have days and times that we feel rejected. It may be because of a spouse, a parent, a child or a friend. When these moments of rejection come our way we must look to the Lord for special strength that only He can give. When we are feeling down cast, the only way to look is up. God understands how you feel because He knew rejection. We must learn to be positive in those moments of feeling unwanted. You must remember that at the lowest times of your life when you feel rejection that God loves you. When we come to Him with repentant hearts and in faith, believing in Him, He will never reject us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord, for the blessed assurance I have that You will never reject me because You have promised to never leave or forsake those who love and obey You. Thank You for suffering rejection on the cross to save me from my sins.
Gratitude: July 25, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 25, 2012.
GRATITUDE
DEFINITION:
The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful; appreciation for something received.
SCRIPTURE:
Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1: 21.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Here in America many people do not understand what the word gratitude really means. Many people we meet do not seem to be grateful for much in their lives. Possibly we are spoiled and expect much more than we have, or possibly, it is because of the so called “ME” generation that we live in. We have taken our prosperity for granted. We really do not know how blessed we are nor do we acknowledge the one who is the giver of all that we are blessed with. We think we are entitled to it.
The lack of gratitude is just part of man’s failure that affects our society. In Romans 1:22, Paul gets right to the root of the problem. The first point Paul makes is that it is not sufficient to just be aware that God exists. We must know God. To know God means to have an intimate relationship with Him that God has made possible by His gift of salvation.
When we know God, Paul tells us that, we are to glorify Him as God. This means that we are to acknowledge His sovereignty, His holiness, and His perfection and give Him the glory in all things. God is good and every good thing that we enjoy in life comes from God. We are not just to acknowledge this fact but we are to give God thanks for it. When we do not do these things our thinking becomes “futile and our foolish hearts become darkened.”
We in America have had so much given to us by God but we neglect to show Him the gratitude that He deserves. Often those who are less fortunate in life are the ones who show the most gratitude.
We visited in Manila Philippines a large garbage dump where over 100,000 people live. These dear people search through garbage scraps, dumped by the garbage trucks, for food and anything that can be salvaged and sold for money just for survival. They live in shacks that look like they will collapse with any wind.
We were walking on this dump being led by a missionary that we worked with. We came upon this lean-to shack with an open front and saw a little 10 year old girl sitting by a box, the only thing in the room, and on that box was a Sunday school daily vacation bible school picture booklet.
We were introduced to the little girl and soon we asked about the book. Her eyes lit up and she said that someone a year before had given her that book and she read through the pictures every day. She said that she had never had a gift before and this was the best thing she ever had. Her gratitude moved us to tears. This was one of the books we had sent several years prior in a large 40 foot sea container to missionaries. This girl was still showing her gratitude for what God had given her.
And we will never forget being in the church in Kenya when the offering was taken and we saw the box being passed around full of fruit, vegetables and even a chicken. These people were showing their gratitude to God for all they had by giving a portion of what little they did have back to Him.
Do you express your gratitude to God for all that He has given you? Do you express gratitude to your spouse, your children, your parents, your family or your friends for who they are? And do not forget that God expects us to show gratitude to Him for His blessings to us. How do you respond?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Lord, I acknowledge that You are the giver of every good thing that I have. Thank You for Your mercy and grace in saving me from my sins and giving me the greatest gift of all, eternal life. Thank You for all Your many blessings that You have given me.
GRATITUDE
DEFINITION:
The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful; appreciation for something received.
SCRIPTURE:
Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1: 21.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Here in America many people do not understand what the word gratitude really means. Many people we meet do not seem to be grateful for much in their lives. Possibly we are spoiled and expect much more than we have, or possibly, it is because of the so called “ME” generation that we live in. We have taken our prosperity for granted. We really do not know how blessed we are nor do we acknowledge the one who is the giver of all that we are blessed with. We think we are entitled to it.
The lack of gratitude is just part of man’s failure that affects our society. In Romans 1:22, Paul gets right to the root of the problem. The first point Paul makes is that it is not sufficient to just be aware that God exists. We must know God. To know God means to have an intimate relationship with Him that God has made possible by His gift of salvation.
When we know God, Paul tells us that, we are to glorify Him as God. This means that we are to acknowledge His sovereignty, His holiness, and His perfection and give Him the glory in all things. God is good and every good thing that we enjoy in life comes from God. We are not just to acknowledge this fact but we are to give God thanks for it. When we do not do these things our thinking becomes “futile and our foolish hearts become darkened.”
We in America have had so much given to us by God but we neglect to show Him the gratitude that He deserves. Often those who are less fortunate in life are the ones who show the most gratitude.
We visited in Manila Philippines a large garbage dump where over 100,000 people live. These dear people search through garbage scraps, dumped by the garbage trucks, for food and anything that can be salvaged and sold for money just for survival. They live in shacks that look like they will collapse with any wind.
We were walking on this dump being led by a missionary that we worked with. We came upon this lean-to shack with an open front and saw a little 10 year old girl sitting by a box, the only thing in the room, and on that box was a Sunday school daily vacation bible school picture booklet.
We were introduced to the little girl and soon we asked about the book. Her eyes lit up and she said that someone a year before had given her that book and she read through the pictures every day. She said that she had never had a gift before and this was the best thing she ever had. Her gratitude moved us to tears. This was one of the books we had sent several years prior in a large 40 foot sea container to missionaries. This girl was still showing her gratitude for what God had given her.
And we will never forget being in the church in Kenya when the offering was taken and we saw the box being passed around full of fruit, vegetables and even a chicken. These people were showing their gratitude to God for all they had by giving a portion of what little they did have back to Him.
Do you express your gratitude to God for all that He has given you? Do you express gratitude to your spouse, your children, your parents, your family or your friends for who they are? And do not forget that God expects us to show gratitude to Him for His blessings to us. How do you respond?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Lord, I acknowledge that You are the giver of every good thing that I have. Thank You for Your mercy and grace in saving me from my sins and giving me the greatest gift of all, eternal life. Thank You for all Your many blessings that You have given me.
Commitment: July 24, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JULY 24, 2012.
COMMITMENT
DEFINITION:
The act of committing, pledging or engaging oneself; a promise; obligation.
SCRIPTURE:
"Commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him only." I Samuel 7:3.
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
These two scripture verses give us three ways to look at the word commitment. First, we are to commit OURSELVES to the Lord. Secondly, we are to commit ALL THAT WE DO to the Lord daily. Thirdly, there is a reminder to us that when we commit sin we become a SLAVE TO SIN.
There are numerous times every day when a commitment to or for something is necessary. The most important commitment that one can make in a lifetime is a firm commitment to God. This is the first step in living a life that is pleasing to God. Making a commitment to God is more than going to church, reading the Bible or even praying. A commitment to God is having a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is what makes Christianity meaningful, unique and different than all other religions. As we develop a closer relationship with God, He will be able to work in and through us and then we can experience God's blessings.
Other commitments that are important to make in life is a commitment to your spouse, your family, your neighbors, your church, your school and your job. These commitments are vital for one to live a rewarding and fulfilled life. It means more than a promise. A commitment requires action.
Jesus told His disciples in Luke 14 what He meant by true commitment and it would come at a cost. He told them that nothing, even their love for their father or mother could take precedence over loyalty to Him. In order to follow Jesus as one of His disciples it was necessary for them to commit to put Jesus first in their lives above everything else. To be a faithful and true follower of Jesus today demands this same commitment.
The nation of Israel was the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, "to make him into a great nation." (Genesis 12:2) When God promised Moses that He would deliver the Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh, He reminded Moses that the Israelites were His "own people" (Genesis 6:7) and that He was their God. God's desire was that the Israelites commit themselves to loving and serving Him and keeping His commandments and then He would bring them safely to the "Promised Land." The Old Testament covers the history of Israel and vividly portrays how the times of commitment to God brought God's blessing of protection and victory and how disobedience brought suffering and defeat.
God is faithful and wants to bless us abundantly but we cannot expect Him to bless us when we are not committed to Him. The world offers many distractions that interfere with our commitment to the Lord. It takes conscious effort on our part to be faithful to keep our commitment to the Lord. The Lord deserves our full commitment, not a half-hearted one. II Chronicles 16:9 tells us, "The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." The Lord knows all about each one of us. We cannot hide anything from God anymore than Adam and Eve could hide their sin from God in the Garden of Eden. As the eyes of the Lord search the world today will He find you committed to Him and serving Him faithfully?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, I want to follow You and serve You. Enable me to stay strong in my faith. Shield me from Satan’s temptations so that I will not be drawn away from my commitment to love You and serve You and put You first in my life.
COMMITMENT
DEFINITION:
The act of committing, pledging or engaging oneself; a promise; obligation.
SCRIPTURE:
"Commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him only." I Samuel 7:3.
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
These two scripture verses give us three ways to look at the word commitment. First, we are to commit OURSELVES to the Lord. Secondly, we are to commit ALL THAT WE DO to the Lord daily. Thirdly, there is a reminder to us that when we commit sin we become a SLAVE TO SIN.
There are numerous times every day when a commitment to or for something is necessary. The most important commitment that one can make in a lifetime is a firm commitment to God. This is the first step in living a life that is pleasing to God. Making a commitment to God is more than going to church, reading the Bible or even praying. A commitment to God is having a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is what makes Christianity meaningful, unique and different than all other religions. As we develop a closer relationship with God, He will be able to work in and through us and then we can experience God's blessings.
Other commitments that are important to make in life is a commitment to your spouse, your family, your neighbors, your church, your school and your job. These commitments are vital for one to live a rewarding and fulfilled life. It means more than a promise. A commitment requires action.
Jesus told His disciples in Luke 14 what He meant by true commitment and it would come at a cost. He told them that nothing, even their love for their father or mother could take precedence over loyalty to Him. In order to follow Jesus as one of His disciples it was necessary for them to commit to put Jesus first in their lives above everything else. To be a faithful and true follower of Jesus today demands this same commitment.
The nation of Israel was the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, "to make him into a great nation." (Genesis 12:2) When God promised Moses that He would deliver the Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh, He reminded Moses that the Israelites were His "own people" (Genesis 6:7) and that He was their God. God's desire was that the Israelites commit themselves to loving and serving Him and keeping His commandments and then He would bring them safely to the "Promised Land." The Old Testament covers the history of Israel and vividly portrays how the times of commitment to God brought God's blessing of protection and victory and how disobedience brought suffering and defeat.
God is faithful and wants to bless us abundantly but we cannot expect Him to bless us when we are not committed to Him. The world offers many distractions that interfere with our commitment to the Lord. It takes conscious effort on our part to be faithful to keep our commitment to the Lord. The Lord deserves our full commitment, not a half-hearted one. II Chronicles 16:9 tells us, "The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." The Lord knows all about each one of us. We cannot hide anything from God anymore than Adam and Eve could hide their sin from God in the Garden of Eden. As the eyes of the Lord search the world today will He find you committed to Him and serving Him faithfully?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, I want to follow You and serve You. Enable me to stay strong in my faith. Shield me from Satan’s temptations so that I will not be drawn away from my commitment to love You and serve You and put You first in my life.
Deception: July 23, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 23, 2012.
DECEPTION
DEFINITION:
An act of fraud; misleading or misrepresentation; dishonesty; to lead astray; to cause to accept as true what is false.
SCRIPTURE:
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. II Corinthians 11: 3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many people are being deceived today by the evil in this world. Our world is filled with false ideologies that claim to provide a way to God. We want to remind you that Satan is the power in this world and he is actively working to deceive people, especially believers in Jesus. The spiritual warfare that Satan wages against us is based on deceit.
The apostle Paul was comparing, in the verse we put above, the dangers facing the Corinthian church to Eve’s deception by Satan. The danger the believers faced came from false teachers. Paul feared that the believers in Corinth would fall prey to satanic lies that were infiltering the church. Paul warned that the false prophets were Satan’s emissaries, a truth that he stated in verses 13-14: “For such men are false prophets, deceitful workmen, misguiding as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Paul wanted the believers to recognize the deception of these false teachers and cautioned them not to allow their false teaching to corrupt their minds and lead them astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
In the sixth century BC a Chinese general named Sun Tzu wrote “THE ART OF WAR.” This has been a guide for military thinking for centuries and is still referred to today in our military training programs. He developed in his book just one theme and that was “All warfare is based on deception.” He taught such things as, when you are ready to attack make it seem you are unable. He went on to teach that when we use our forces we must seem inactive. When we are able to attack we must seem inactive. When we are near we must make the enemy feel that we are far away and when we are far away we must make the enemy feel we are near.
These thoughts on military warfare written over 26 centuries ago can help believers today to understand the tactics of Satan, our spiritual enemy. Satan’s warfare against the truth of God’s message is based on deception. The very first sin was the result of the enemy’s deceit.
Jesus in His own words, describes Satan as a “murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
What is our defense as believers? There is only one defense and that is to saturate our hearts in the truth of God’s Word. Only the inspired Word of God can protect us from the deceptions of our enemy, the evil one.
God’s truth is not only the best but the only protection for us to fight off the evil actions and lies of Satan.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Father, we do know that Satan is very clever, deceptive and sly and we do not want to be tricked by him and his lies. Help me and my family to be able to discern his cunning methods and to daily fill our hearts and minds with Your truth.
DECEPTION
DEFINITION:
An act of fraud; misleading or misrepresentation; dishonesty; to lead astray; to cause to accept as true what is false.
SCRIPTURE:
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. II Corinthians 11: 3.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many people are being deceived today by the evil in this world. Our world is filled with false ideologies that claim to provide a way to God. We want to remind you that Satan is the power in this world and he is actively working to deceive people, especially believers in Jesus. The spiritual warfare that Satan wages against us is based on deceit.
The apostle Paul was comparing, in the verse we put above, the dangers facing the Corinthian church to Eve’s deception by Satan. The danger the believers faced came from false teachers. Paul feared that the believers in Corinth would fall prey to satanic lies that were infiltering the church. Paul warned that the false prophets were Satan’s emissaries, a truth that he stated in verses 13-14: “For such men are false prophets, deceitful workmen, misguiding as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
Paul wanted the believers to recognize the deception of these false teachers and cautioned them not to allow their false teaching to corrupt their minds and lead them astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
In the sixth century BC a Chinese general named Sun Tzu wrote “THE ART OF WAR.” This has been a guide for military thinking for centuries and is still referred to today in our military training programs. He developed in his book just one theme and that was “All warfare is based on deception.” He taught such things as, when you are ready to attack make it seem you are unable. He went on to teach that when we use our forces we must seem inactive. When we are able to attack we must seem inactive. When we are near we must make the enemy feel that we are far away and when we are far away we must make the enemy feel we are near.
These thoughts on military warfare written over 26 centuries ago can help believers today to understand the tactics of Satan, our spiritual enemy. Satan’s warfare against the truth of God’s message is based on deception. The very first sin was the result of the enemy’s deceit.
Jesus in His own words, describes Satan as a “murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
What is our defense as believers? There is only one defense and that is to saturate our hearts in the truth of God’s Word. Only the inspired Word of God can protect us from the deceptions of our enemy, the evil one.
God’s truth is not only the best but the only protection for us to fight off the evil actions and lies of Satan.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
PRAYER:
Father, we do know that Satan is very clever, deceptive and sly and we do not want to be tricked by him and his lies. Help me and my family to be able to discern his cunning methods and to daily fill our hearts and minds with Your truth.
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