wordofgod

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

4 Schemes the Devil Uses Against God's Children

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Heb. 5:14)

The devil hates God and he also hates God's children and wants to destroy them. In 2 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul writes about how "the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning" (v. 3) and that "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (v. 14). Jesus tell us that the devil "'is a liar and the father of all lies'" (John 8:44). Satan is our adversary, and he "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).

The Bible teaches us about Satan’s schemes so that God's children won't be naive, easily taken captive by his lies. Here are four strategies the devil uses to wreak havoc in the lives of believers:

1. The devil tries to twist God's word.

Twisting God's word is one of the ways Satan uses to attack Christians. In Jesus' encounter with Satan in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11, the devil cites Psalm 91:11–12 to entice Jesus to jump off the roof of the temple to test God's love for his Son:

Then the devil took him to the holy city and 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 will command his angels concerning you,’" and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answers Satan right back with Scripture:

"Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Matt. 4:7; see also Deut. 6:16)

The devil also twisted God's words when he tempted Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-5), and Adam and Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit against God's clear command in Genesis 2:16-17. The result of this terrible rebellion was the fall of humanity from a right standing with God and a wretched curse upon the world.

Whether the twisting of God's word has to do with how we are to comport ourselves in intimate relationships, the spending our financial resources, our duties in church attendance, or our treatment of others, most of us have been told at some point by someone that the Bible doesn't really mean what it clearly states to be true; and we can be easily tempted to go along with this twisting, because believing the spinning of truth helps us justify the self-focused things we want to do instead of putting God first and obeying him.

Christians need to be equipped with God's word like Jesus was, so they can stand strong against the devil. Yet, knowing Scripture is not enough; Christians also need to know how to interpret Bible verses in their proper context to employ them effectively against all the devil's devices and avoid being deceived.

2. The devil schemes against God's children by attempting to distract them.

Following Jesus includes not committing sins, and it also includes doing what God commands us to do. In Ephesians 2:10 the apostle Paul writes,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

There are so many ways to be distracted from our duties: surfing the internet, watching TV, playing video games, and even sleeping are all things that aren't necessarily bad in themselves, but they can keep us from fulfilling our responsibilities. As Australian minister Campbell Markham points out:

But a young man who idles in front of a computer screen while a young family or an old couple struggles to maintain their garden is delinquent. For a young single man with strength in his arm and love in his heart can lift a mountain of burdens from the shoulders of his church family—and his own family. Why else did God bless you with those muscles and broad shoulders?

A young woman who whiles away her time in front of Netflix and Instagram while a mother with little ones struggles to wash her family's clothes should be ashamed. For a young single woman, having done her homework and household chores, can come with the wings of an angel to help a harassed young mom or a widow who now struggles to vacuum her carpets.

Resting and recreating are God's good gifts to us, but we must be wise in how we use the precious time God has given us on this earth. The devil wants us to neglect our responsibilities and image him instead of God.

3. As we fulfill our responsibilities, the devil tries to get us to worship the creation rather than the Creator.

Spouses are tempted to make idols of their husband or wife; parents are tempted to make idols of their children; workers are tempted to make idols of success and acclaim; and human beings are tempted to make idols of themselves.

The temptation to worship other people, the success of our children or ourselves, or something about ourselves about which we are proud is a daily struggle for God's children. Physical beauty, educational accomplishments, financial success, and humanitarian acts are all gifts from God, but they can be used by the devil to take our eyes off the sufficiency of Christ in all things—to get us to trust in our own attributes, accomplishments, and possessions instead of Christ alone.

4. The devil wants us to be paralyzed by fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Fear, uncertainty, doubt—turn on the news or go online anytime and you will get a flood of anxiety-producing information that will tempt you to take your eyes of God's provision in Christ. Christians don't have to fear God's just wrath because Jesus took the wrath they deserve upon himself on the cross, and believers have an eternal glorious future awaiting them with God and the saints. Christians don't have to be uncertain because they know from the Bible that God always keeps all his promises.

And Christians don't have to doubt God's word because it has stood the test of time, having been assaulted from all sides by the seemingly wise of this world and yet continuing to shine forth with the truth about God and his creation that we all need to hear. God desires his children to be filled not with fear but with the peace that comes from above (James 3:17)—the peace of God that guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).

God has promised that nothing shall separate his children from his love.

It shouldn’t surprise us that the devil is so adept at lying, for Jesus warns us about this:

"You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)

God's word tells us that the day is coming when the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire and "tormented day and night forever and ever" (Rev. 20:10), but for now believers need to "be sober-minded; watchful” because the devil seeks to devour them (1 Pet. 5:8).

Continue to be steadfast in reading God's word, praying to your heavenly Father, attending a faithful church, and fellowshipping with the saints. God does not mean for us to fight against the devil in our own strength. He is always faithful and has promised that nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39).

Le Ann Trees is managing editor of Beautiful Christian Life. This article is adapted from “4 Schemes the Devil Uses Against God’s Children” in BCL's October 2022 Newsletter: The Devil’s Schemes.

Recommended Book:

Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen; edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor

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Paul’s instructions to the Colossians

Today on the broadcast I will be talking aboutPaul’s instructions to the ColossiansColossians 4:2-6Col 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;Col 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:Col 4:4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man

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Paul’s instructions to the Colossians

Eternal Happiness

“God has planted eternity in the hearts of men.” Ecclesiastes 3:10, TLB

You will never be completely happy on earth, simply because you were not made for earth. Oh, you will have your moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments or even days of peace. But they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead.

By Max Lucado
From: Everyday Blessings

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://www.maxlucado.com/info/view/about_max_lucado/

Monday, May 1, 2023

Why It's Reasonable to Believe in Jesus' Resurrection

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

Editor’s Note: R. Scott Clark is professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary California. This article is adapted from Dr. Clark’s original post at heidelblog.net, which you can read here.

The resurrection is central to the Christian faith, as the apostle Paul tells us,

For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised: and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is meaningless; you are still in your sins. Then they also that have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. (1 Cor 15:16–19)

The Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified (Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33), that on the cross he died (Matt 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46), his body was removed from the cross by Roman soldiers and given to Joseph of Arimathea (Matt 27:58–69; Mark 15:43–45; Luke 23:52), that Joseph placed his body in a tomb (Matt 27:60; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53). This all occurred on a Friday (Luke 23:54). The tomb was covered with a large stone, in the shape of a disc, which was pushed down a groove with a slight ramp, and there it was marked by imprinting some clay with the royal seal and guarded with heavily-armed Roman soldiers (Matt 27:62–66; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53), who were most likely members of the Praetorian Guard (Matt 27:27; Mark 15:16). One of the five cohorts of the Praetorians was stationed in Jerusalem. As such they were either Roman or born in a well-established Roman colony and trained to high standards. On Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and others found his tomb empty (Matt 28:1–7; Mark 16:1–7; Luke 24:1–5).

The Empty Tomb

According to the biblical narratives, the empty tomb was seen by the Praetorians who had been assigned by Jewish authorities to guard it (Matt 28:4). They reported to Jewish authorities about the events associated with Jesus’s resurrection (Matt 28:11–15), who paid them hush money and promised to protect them from any reprisals from their superiors in the regional government. Of course, the lie fabricated by the authorities was implausible from the beginning. Even had the guards fallen asleep at the peril of their own lives—even modern soldiers face penalties for falling asleep when they are supposed to be standing watch—they would have been signing their death warrant by admitting it. Matthew, a former tax-collector who had connections in the local government, reports that the Jewish authorities accepted the soldiers’ account as true. I might once have been skeptical about the cover-up story, but as the years have gone on and as I have seen public authorities look straight at us and tell bald-faced lies, my skepticism has given way.

The empty tomb was also seen by Mary Magdalene, by Mary the mother of James, and by Salome (Matt 28:1–6; Mark 16:1–5; Luke 24:1–4). After the women notified the disciples, Peter and John (“the beloved disciple”) also visited the scene and saw the empty tomb with their own eyes (John 20:2–8). Indeed, were the story true about Jesus’ body having been stolen, we would have expected the scene to be helter-skelter. Instead, John says that they found the linen shroud in the tomb, along with the neatly folded face cloth in the arcosolium (the compartment in which Joseph laid Jesus’ body). The idea that a band of disciples sneaked in, silently pushed the heavy stone disc up the ramp, removed Jesus’ body, removed the linen shroud, and removed the face cloth—leaving it neatly folded in the compartment—without waking the soldiers begs belief.

The Risen Christ

The story told by the theological liberals—those who would deny the substance of the Christian faith by rewriting it and retaining its vocabulary—is that the disciples experienced the risen Christ subjectively. The biblical narratives will not permit this revisionist account. They demand to be treated as claims concerning objective historical fact. They would have us believe that Jesus was raised bodily from the grave and the disciples and 500 others (1 Cor 15:5–6) saw the risen Christ with their eyes. Luke, who claims to be a credible reporter of facts (Luke 1:1–4), wrote a sizable section of a chapter describing Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance to two disciples (Luke 24:13–49) on the road to Emmaus. Jesus gave them empirical evidence of the reality of his bodily resurrection. They saw him with their eyes (Luke 24:36–43; John 20:19–20) and both Mary Magdalene (John 20:17) and Thomas (John 20:24–29) touched him. He even ate with them (Luke 24:30, 41–42). Not only was he seen bodily by the 500, but also by the apostle James and, later on the road to Damascus, by the apostle Paul (Acts 9:1–9), an episode that was witnessed by several others.

Assessing The Evidence

As we know, in the age of the internet anyone can claim anything. We must be responsible, critical readers and thinkers. Whenever we are asked to believe something that we did not ourselves directly experience with our senses, we must ask whether the witnesses and reporters are credible. Read the gospels. Do the writers seem like sane, credible authors? Are they given to hyperbole or do they damage their credibility such that a reasonable person would rightly doubt their reliability when it comes to the resurrection narratives?

When I compare the canonical gospels with other ancient texts from the period, they stand up well. This exercise has focused on the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The gospels vary some in detail, and the differences are easily accounted for by their audiences. Luke was writing to a certain Theophilus, Matthew was writing for a Jewish audience, and Mark was probably writing for a Gentile Christian audience in Rome. Each of those groups of readers would have had slightly different questions and backgrounds. The narratives are complementary and cohere. They report unfavorably on themselves and upon their colleagues. In other words, were the stories fabricated, there would be no reason to include potentially embarrassing stories. For example, in the holy Qur’an the prophet is consistently portrayed heroically and as greater than other prior prophets. The realism of the gospels, by contrast, is striking.

Do the narratives contain clues that might signal that they are false? The Gnostic communities of the second century, a little less than a century after the death of Jesus, began to produce alternative Gospels and alternative Acts of the apostles, and so on. These are clearly competing, parallel accounts, in which figures other than the apostles and sometimes other than Jesus are the protagonists. But we find clues, which are more like dead giveaways, when reading these narratives critically. The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas has Jesus present in the second century, about a century after his death and resurrection. There are elements of the Martyrdom of Polycarp (c. AD 150s), which are probably later additions that differ starkly in tone and in character from the older narrative. These were added by well-meaning but unskilled redactors to give the narrative a little more excitement and emotional power.

The biblical gospel authors are talking about the same world that you and I inhabit. They are evidently in their right minds—they give no evidence to the contrary. Further, they published claims that would have easily been refuted by contemporaries had they been false. For example, the resurrection associated with the death of Jesus:

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt 27:51–54).

Matthew did not claim that people had visions in which the dead appeared, but rather that there was an earthquake at the time of Jesus’ death and that tombs were opened, and that people emerged resurrected and alive. Further, Matthew says that those who were raised went into the city and were seen. Either these things happened, or they did not. Does Matthew seem as though he is delusional? He has never struck me thus and I began reading him when I was a skeptical pagan. He seemed to me then as now—a sober man with an amazing story to tell.

Can we believe ancient texts? That is a large question to which the shorter answer is: Why not? Obviously, antiquity does not create truth, but unless we are willing to dismiss all historical narratives written before Modernity, we must trust these texts. To dismiss them all en masse would be the height of folly and arrogance. Thus, we have to sort through them. Some writers have proven to be more reliable and others less so. Compare Luke to any ancient historian (e.g., Herodotus, Thucydides et al.). Luke holds his own.

What about the supernatural? The Modern impulse to dismiss the resurrection narratives specifically and the gospels generally rests upon the assumption that we live in a closed universe and that reasonable, enlightened persons no longer believe in the supernatural. This is essentially a religious and not a historical objection. The historian is interested in what happened. It is not the historian’s business to say a priori what can or cannot happen. We know what usually happens, but we do not know what can happen. The guards at Jesus’ tomb did not expect an earthquake or an angel, and it terrified them. If on September 10, 2001, someone had told enlightened, critical Moderns that a group of men, armed with no more than box cutters, would succeed in an improbable plot to hijack jets and fly them into buildings, thus killing thousands and bringing the United States of America to a complete stand still and plunging much of the world into a two-decades-long war, they would have said that such a claim was bizarre at best. Yet, that is exactly what happened. As best we know, a single, deranged gunman shot President Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. Even more improbably, another gunman walked up to the assassin, who was surrounded by police and authorities, and shot him. These things seem so improbable that conspiracy theories flourish as alternative explanations.

Do we see resurrections today? No. Does this mean that earthquakes, angels, and resurrections are impossible? No, it does not. I cannot prove with empirical certainty that the bodily resurrection of Jesus happened. I need not. We have multiple, credible, eye-witness accounts of the sort that we trust regularly.

I am reliably informed that I was born (rather early as it turned out) in 1961 in a small town in Kansas. I was born so early that both my mother and I were imperiled. There just happened to be a physician visiting the town where I was born and my mother’s physician, who was not able to help her, sent for the visiting physician who saved both of us. I spent at least eight weeks in an isolate with round-the-clock nursing care until I was released from the hospital. I have no memory of it, of course, and there is only one living witness. The only other piece of evidence is a piece of paper purporting to be from the hospital. By some standards, it is a story that should not be believed because of the paucity of evidence. Empirical evidence is important and useful, but it is not the final standard of truth, or we shall quickly fall into skepticism, which is a cul-de-sac to be avoided. There is abundant oral tradition to justify my confidence about where and when I was born. The people who told me the story had nothing to gain by fabricating the story. The improbable elements in the narrative might only detract from the credibility of the story but it really happened that way.

Final Thoughts

History is messy. Most of world history happened before film and video. Even those are hardly infallible. They can be “deep-faked.” Many a riot has been started over the circulation of a misleading piece of video. We need to be more critical of that which we have come to accept as reliable (e.g., video) and more trusting of older, even ancient narratives.

It is not as if the choice is between Christianity and no religion. We all trust something. In that sense there are no absolutely irreligious people in the world. In the post-Christian world, religion has flourished, but it has not been Christianty alone. Islam flourishes. Neo-paganism flourishes. Even a hack fiction writer like L. Ron Hubbard (1911–86) was able to bamboozle people into creating a religion around his second-rate novels. Scientology—now there is a leap of faith. Mormonism is a leap of faith. Neo-paganism is a leap of faith. Superstition is a leap of faith.

Christianity, however, rests on eye-witness testimony and historical claims. They are extraordinary claims to be sure but claims nonetheless about what happened in history. ©R. Scott Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Related Articles:

R. Scott Clark is professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary California (Escondido, California) and the author of Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R, 2008).

This article by R. Scott Clark is adapted from “Why It Is Reasonable to Believe in Jesus’ Resurrection” at heidelblog.net.

Father,
In the midst of great spiritual darkness we seek Your light;

In the midst of abounding sin we seek Your righteousness;

In the midst of conflicting voices we seek Your truth;

In the midst of confusion and growing perplexity we seek Your wisdom;

In the midst of self-centeredness and personal gain we seek Your glory;

In the midst of insecurity and uncertainty we seek Your hope;

In the midst of difficulty and increasing needs we seek Your provision;

In the midst of illnesses and weakness we seek Your wholeness;

In the midst of worries and deepening restlessness we seek Your peace.

In the midst of selfishness and injustice we seek Your kingdom.

In the midst of ruined lives and broken spirits we seek Your healing;

In the midst of hurting hearts we seek Your love.

Thank You, Father, for your assurance that those who seek You will also find You.

by Roy Lessin
Used by Permission

What is Best?

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11.

There are many good things to do, many places to be, so many people to connect with that it’s hard to discern what is best among all the good that clamors for attention. As we try to manage the good we can forfeit the best and find ourselves unproductive and unfruitful, even in the midst of a schedule full of good things. How does one sort it all out? As always, God’s word gives us specific guidance in Philippians 1:9-11.

Discerning what is BEST leads to fruitful living that pleases God. The instruction is specific.

B- Be intentional about growing in your love for God. This will change the way you act.

E- Enlarge your knowledge of God and how He loves you. Learn about who Him. This will change the way you think.

S- Seek His Spirit to give you a depth of insight that surpasses your own. This will guide you in how to share His love.

T– Thank God at every turn in your day. That will keep your heart tuned to His grace and love and will overflow your life with a fruitfulness that will change not only you, but also the world around you.

Prayer: Father God, I do want to be able to discern what is best among the many things that call for my attention. Thank you for this instruction that Your love is the foundation of all I am and all I am called to do. Please help me to be intentional about focusing on Your love for me and on growing in my knowledge of who You are. By Your Spirit I ask that You change the way I think and act as I experience Your love in a greater way. Please give me divine insight in sharing Your love. Make my life fruitful in a way that reaches far beyond the list of all the good and busy things I can attend to. Give me Your wisdom to discern what is best as I seek to be changed by Your love and to share that love with my world. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Challenge: Take some time to ask yourself if the best is being forfeited by the good in your life? Talk it over with the Lord.

By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

wordofgod

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

4 Schemes the Devil Uses Against God's Children

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

1. The devil tries to twist God's word.

2. The devil schemes against God's children by attempting to distract them.

3. As we fulfill our responsibilities, the devil tries to get us to worship the creation rather than the Creator.

4. The devil wants us to be paralyzed by fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

God has promised that nothing shall separate his children from his love.

Related Articles:

Recommended Book:

Paul’s instructions to the Colossians

Paul’s instructions to the Colossians

Eternal Happiness

“God has planted eternity in the hearts of men.” Ecclesiastes 3:10, TLB

Further Reading

Monday, May 1, 2023

Why It's Reasonable to Believe in Jesus' Resurrection

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Beautiful Christian Life LLC may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through its links, at no cost to you.

The Empty Tomb

The Risen Christ

Assessing The Evidence

Final Thoughts

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Seeker

Further Reading

What is Best?

Further Reading

30 Ways to Love Christ in the Everyday Moments of Life

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