Satan’s Power Of Transformation
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14
For the most part, people think of the Devil’s work as being something visibly horrifying. But this describes the end results, and misses the work itself.
Satan’s power of transformation is the ability to persuade man that that which is contrary to God’s Word is what is good, acceptable, and even perfect for him. This is what “deceit” is all about.
Because of this “power of transformation,” Satan succeeded in defeating Adam and Eve, thus overthrowing their power of dominion on earth and usurping his own, i.e., “the god of this world.” (2 Corinthians 4:4.)
We know Adam and Eve were not helpless victims. But Satan succeeded because they allowed him to convince them that they needed something else besides God’s way. After listening to Satan, Eve felt she had to partake of the forbidden fruit or she would lose out. At this point, God’s way seemed to be more “doctrinal dogma” and not enough of a ministry to her whole person, so she concluded that she must eat to be fulfilled. For Adam, since his wife ate, he felt like he just had to eat with her.
So, in their thinking, the pressure of their circumstances overrode God’s way. Although they knew very well what God’s Word said, under the pressure of their circumstances, their finite mind allowed them to take exception to God’s way. This proved to be the Devil’s work. His work was accomplished by getting Adam and Eve to think that they needed to go ahead and do that which God’s Word forbade. Everything that happened thereafter was just the result of the Devil’s work.
Never has there been a more perfect husband and wife, than was made in Adam and Eve. Adam was created in God’s image and Eve was Adam’s “prime rib.” But no matter how great a Christian one may be, the allowance for thinking that it is all right, better, and yea, even necessary that one must needs do differently than what God’s plan in His Word specifies, is giving the Devil all the room that he needs to do his work.
God’s Word reveals Satan’s transforming power to be the ability to convince man that it is good to be or do different than what God’s Word says. Once convinced, this allows God’s way to just slide to the level of insignificance in a person’s thinking. But when Satan achieves this, there is nothing to stand between man and utter ruin. Ask Adam and Eve. Ask the prophet of 1 Kings 13:14-32.
In answering the Devil’s work, Christ took the position, “…it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. To not be deceived and avoid falling for the Devil’s work, we must stand with God’s Word.
SHARING
Too Close To The Edge
“Because I have called, and ye have refused…” Proverbs 1:24a. Many are hearing God’s Word and are not answering, not responding. This is too close to the edge of: “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer.” Proverbs 1:28a.
Many say there are others ways, other truths, other lives that we should regard, rather than just believe in Jesus only. But this is too close to the edge of perishing because, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.
Many religions deny that a believer now has eternal life. They say you can only have eternal life in prospect. But this is too close to the edge. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:10-12. To not believe God’s record is too close to the edge. To call God a liar, is too close to the edge. To not have eternal life, is too close to the edge.
There are some who say they do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Divine, only begotten Son of God. But this is too close to the edge. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-3,14. “…they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23b. “…for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” John 8:24. THIS IS TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE!
There are some who say they do not believe that the Bible is God’s infallible, inspired Word. This is too close to the edge. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:20-21. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35. The miraculous work of having God’s Word delivered and preserved in written form is the work of the Holy Ghost. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable–see Matthew 12:31. THIS IS TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE! REPENT OR PERISH!
SHARINGA Poem By Judge Roy Moore
The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama. Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He has been stripped of his judgeship, and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama! The judge’s poem sums it up quite well:
America the beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims’ pride;
I’m glad they’ll never see.
Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.
Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine
choosing to indulge their lusts,
when God has said abstain.
From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God’s love
and a need to always pray.
We’ve kept God in our temples,
how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.
We’ve voted in a government
that’s rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges;
who throw reason out the door,
Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.
You think that God’s not angry,
that our land’s a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?
How are we to face our God,
from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?
If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:
Then God will hear from Heaven;
and forgive us of our sins,
He’ll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.
But, America the Beautiful,
If you don’t – then you will see,
A sad but Holy God
withdraw His hand from Thee.
–Judge Roy Moore
SHARINGThe Benefits Of Truth
There seems to be a fear existing in many hearts against reducing religious practice and position unto the Truth of God. This retreat from reason is the implication that there is no such thing as absolute truth–i.e., real truth cannot be known.
Some think that a real contention for God’s way only, and nothing more, nothing less, will surely end up in spiritual shipwreck. But this raises the question: Does the singularity of God’s truth enslave the mind, or does it fully liberate the mind by it’s perfect light? Does truth shackle the mind with impairing infirmity, or does it afford the ability of right reason?
Christ answered this in John 8:32—“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth of God’s Word converts man from darkness to the way of light. The truth manifests all things. The truth exposes the error of the false, as well as proves the right. The truth of God’s Word will set us free from the bondage of tradition, discord, false doctrines, and all manner of sinful error, if we desire and diligently seek it.
The careful study of God’s Word never results in a person becoming uneasy over the assertion of Divine will and way as set forth in the scripture. The blessed experience of obedience never makes one gun-shy about the singularity of God’s way. Rather, any and all communion with God and His Word just increases one’s appetite for and quickens one’s interest in, the way of God that differs from the ways of men.
From where, then, does faint heartedness arise when God’s messenger begins to drive down the center of the road with Bible doctrines? Uncomfortableness with the singularity of God’s way is due to the acceptance of and involvements with the ways that are not God’s way, but are rather man’s ways, claiming to have superseded the way of God. Some conclude God’s way is insufficient apart from the ways of men. They have allowed themselves to be so shanghaied by the plans and programs of man, that they know no satisfaction or fulfillment other than what they derive from these affiliations. While it is true that man’s programs bring fulfillment to self, while God’s plan operates on self denial, the programs of man cannot and will not lay up any treasure in heaven. They only distract from serving God, God’s way, thus depriving of many heavenly honors.
What commands your affection and interest? Do you believe in God’s way to the point of giving it exclusive truth status, thus making all other ways to be the presumptions of men? For every profession of faith in God’s Word, there needs be a shouldering of the responsibility to uphold and proclaim God’s way. To regard other ways, is to simply render the truth of God to be of non effect in our position.
SHARINGIsrael’s Right To Possess Canaan
“ZIONISM” = the plan to return to and develop Israel.
THE AUTHOR OF ZIONISM: “Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.” Zechariah 8:3,7,8
GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL DID NOT END WITH THEIR DESOLATION: Romans 11.
With their fall, came the Gentile age, Romans 11:11-12. With their return, the end of the Gentile age is thus signaled, Romans 11:25-27.
ISRAEL’S REGATHERING IS THE “LATTER RAIN” SPOKEN OF BY ZECHRIAH THE PROPHET, Zechariah 10:
Zechariah 10:1 – “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain….”
Zechariah 10:8 – “I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased.”
Zechariah 10:9 – “And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again.”
Zechariah 10:10 – “I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.”
ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO POSSESS CANAAN:
“In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates” – (Genesis 15:18.) “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:8.)
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16.)
God conveyed the “deed” to Canaan unto Christ through Abram, for an everlasting possession. Through the redemption that is in Christ for Israel, (Zechariah 10:8) they are made joint heirs with Christ of Canaan for an everlasting (non-cancelable) inheritance. Thus, there is no way for others outside this covenant to lay permanent claim to this land. This also explains why Israel will not be secure in this land, until they receive Christ at the close of the Tribulation Period – Zechariah 12:10 and Zechariah 14:1-11.
SHARING
