| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net Martin Luther said: “many temptations have been my masters in divinity”. Every temptation is an opportunity to do good (or not). Are temptations to you, stepping stones or stumbling blocks? You see, Satan uses these to destroy you, while God uses the very same things to grow or perfect you. It may be easier for us to deal with if we recognize where these “attacks” come from. Everyone believes in God according to Romans 1:20. I personally don’t believe in atheists. So let's skip that for now and talk about Satan. Lots of people don’t believe he exists. He likes it that way. Lots of professing Christians say there is no devil or no hell, yet the Bible talks about hell seven times for every one time heaven is mentioned. It’s a real place, and Satan is real. He is called “the god of this world” in 2nd Cor. 4:4. In Eph. chapter 2 he is called the prince of the power of the air. When Jesus contended with him after a forty day fast, Satan offered him the whole world; past present and future, if He would but bow to him and the penetrating thing to me is what Jesus did Not say. He didn’t say it wasn’t his to give, or that he had not that authority, Jesus rather quoted scripture and yielded not. You see, Satan is in charge of this world for a season; if you don’t believe me, just turn on the news. But he isn’t happy. As nice as this world is, do you realize he was sent here as a punishment? This brings us to you. What are you to Satan? The Bible says “he roams about as a lion seeking to devour whom he will”. If you are not a Christian, he “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”. 2nd Cor. 4:4. If you are a Christian, he wants to destroy your witness–your credibility, so that you cannot reach others for the glory of God, and to the benefit of those who might be saved. Two things are true. 1) You cannot imagine how much God loves you, and 2) you cannot imagine how much Satan hates you. Satan and his hosts rebelled against God, and were cast out. Man rebelled against God and He sent His Son to pay the penalty for mans sin. Get the picture? I hear young people say they would rather rule with Satan in hell, than be subject to God in heaven. If God is no respecter of persons, how do they think this is going to come about. First of all, he will be in no position to promote anyone as he will be in the same lake of fire as everyone there, and second he wouldn’t if he could. He hates you because God loves you. Back to temptation. There are four steps Satan used on Adam and Eve, Jesus and uses on you today. 1st, He identifies a desire in you. These come from within, not without. James 4:1-2. 2nd, Doubt. "What did God really Say?" Heb. 3:12. 3rd, Deception. Most folks believe Satan can only do bad, and God can only do good; yet 2nd Cor 11:14 tells us not to be surprised when “Satan himself can appear as an angel of light, and so can his hosts”. How would you (if you were pure evil), make the world at large believe you were good? And 4th, Disobedience. James 1:13-15. Geraldine was Wrong (let me know if you get that reference). You will-this day-have the opportunity to be a good witness for God or a bad. God Bless. |
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