The Devil is always busy to Deceive & lead us astray..- Note from Sunday meeting..11-15-20

 

Deception
The Devil causes us to believe things about God and ourselves that are not true. Since we always act out of what we believe, we must believe what is true. Scripture says that the devil is the father of all lies and a deceiver. He will appear as an angel of light. He will get us to do his bidding, making us think we are somehow serving God. We have the Word of God to lead us down the pathway of righteousness, to be a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet.

Discouragement.. It’s a hard road.. Is it not?

The devil has a way of causing us to question whether or not living for Christ is worth it. The Psalmist expresses this: "But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray. For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (Psalm 73:2-3).

There are times in life when troubles come our way, and we look at the godless and their lives seem to be trouble free. It is in these moments that we are tempted to question our faith, to question the life we live and whether or not living for Christ is worth what we must endure. The devil loves discouragement. He loves to get us on self-pity kicks, to take our focus off of Christ and to put our focus on ourselves.

When we are totally surrendered to the control of Jesus, we will not focus on ourselves, but rather on what it is God wants to do through whatever He has allowed to come into our lives. The difference is between an ego-centric life and a Christo-centric life.

The devil wants to devour us, like a roaring lion. But instead of giving into his tricks, his temptations, deceptions and discouragement, we are told to resist, steadfast in our faith.

Be tenacious

When we have humbled ourselves and found our strength in God, when we have learned the secret of dependence, and when we remain on our guard against the devil, we stand our ground. When we have learned to rely on God we truly can be independent. We can be free to live a God filled life. We can be free when our strength is given to us by Him… And we can follow in the example of Christ only if we are allowed to do so….

There is a direct relationship between a strong faith and the ability to live an overcoming life. Ephesians 6 tells us to take up the shield of faith, and having put on the whole armour of God we will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. And here in 1 Peter 5 we are told to resist the devil steadfastly in our faith.

When our faith is strong, when our confidence in God is unshaken, it is then, and then alone that we have turned the battle over to the Lord. As David stood before Goliath, in 1 Samuel 17,47 he said, The battle is the Lord's. In Exodus 14:14 as Moses and his people stood between the Red sea and the armies of Pharaoh, Moses told the Israelites, "The Lord will fight for; you must be quiet."

Throughout Scripture, whenever God's people stood firm in their faith, God came through. Whether it was Daniel in the lion's den, or Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, when people put their trust in God, He came through. Resist the devil and stand firm in your faith. God will come through for you. Don't give up. Don't give in to discouragement. Do not give the devil a foothold. Stand firm in your faith. And God will come through for you!

As you stand firm Be prepared…

Be prepared for the persecution that will come. Be prepared to pay the price… But be prepared also to experience the freedom and joy of serving God which will overcome all….



Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12, "All those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." As Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words to the early church, persecution of Christianity was spreading .Today we see resurgence in the world against all Christians regardless of faith…

In July of the year 64, Nero set a fire in Rome that devastated the city. Needing a scapegoat, he placed the blame on Christians. The result was that Christians were beaten, tortured, and many were killed. Some were thrown into the arena, where they were torn apart by wild beasts. Others were boiled in oil, or encased in wax and burned at the stake like candles. For the better part of three centuries Christians would be persecuted. Until in 313 the Roman emperor Constantine issued the edict of Milan, declaring religious freedom for all faiths, including Christians.

Perhaps there is no more pertinent message any church needs to hear today than this one: It may get worse before it gets better. I was visiting with a friend this week of a different denomination than myself.We were talking about culture, faith, and the state of Christianity in general. He said, "I think the best we can hope to do is to retard the spread of evil in our culture. We will not change this culture."

Our hope is in the triumphant return of Jesus to this earth. Our hope is in the eternal life He promises. This world is our home only for a time. We are pilgrims, strangers and sojourners in a sense. But it is our proving ground nonetheless. It is the life given to us by God that we may use it to do “good” and live by the example of Christ even if we will suffer for a while. He will be with us through the hard times. He does not guarantee that there will not be hard times.. We can be prepared and assured…

Be assured

Here we have the promise that as God accomplishes His purpose in us there are four things He will do. Notice the adjective Peter uses to describe God. He is the God of all grace, the God who shows unmerited favour toward us.

God loves us.

We may ask then why so many bad things happen to people in general but particularly to God’s people…. To the believers and to the faithful….We can be sure, even if you do not fully comprehend, that His purpose in allowing persecution and suffering is motivated by nothing other than perfect love for humanity. He is the God of all grace. He will have mercy on us. As we stand firm and resisting the devil, God will seek to:

A. Perfect us - To bring us to wholeness, nothing lacking, complete us in every way.

B. Confirm us - the idea here is to make us firm. Rather than being uncertain and weak, we will be resolute and determined in our faith.

C. Strengthen us - He will use the difficulties to make us stronger, to enable us to face anything He allows to come our way.

D. Establish us - the picture the Greek paints for us here is of a foundation that is not shaky but has settled and is firmly founded.

Like steel that is forged and hardened by the fire we will be purified by our lord should he see fit to help us in this way.. And our faith will get us through…

Paul did not view suffering for God as suffering for he knew that all is God’s will and he lived according to the will of God. The suffering of Jesus was purposeful as Jesus fulfilled the scriptures and paid the price for our sins to be washed away. Jesus set the example for all mankind, he carved the pathway but the choice is ours whether to walk the walk…Not just talk the talk…And so our life ,although temporary on this earth, is meaningful and significant also as we submit to God’s will and strive for the “Good” with all of our heart and mind…

What are you going through this morning? Maybe life hasn't turned out the way you planned. Perhaps the cares and burdens of life seem more than you can bear. Don't fight it. Let God use these things to humble you and cause you to depend upon Him. To count on his grace…

When we take our journey with Christ seriously, we then have found the secret that the apostle Paul is talking about, the secret of contentment, that inner happiness, that inner peace that money just cannot buy.

Philippians 4:11-13

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Do you ever feel restless in your spirit? Is there something you want, something you’re waiting for, or something you feel like you’ll never have? Contentment does not necessarily come easy, especially when there are circumstances in your life tempting you to want something better. Oh how our hearts love to covet … but Christ has given us the freedom to be content and live righteously. Incidently contentment in the lord does not mean complacency in our lives.. It means peace in our hearts… When we live in righteousness our lives will be happy and joy filled because it is a richness manifest from the inside….out… Not form but substance.. It is our solid foundation.. It is The rock upon which all other things should be built…..

Let us pray…

Oh Lord, You are my shepherd and I should not be in want,

but so often I struggle to be content and do want;

forgetting that you have graciously provided me with every spiritual blessing in Christ and everything I need for life and godliness.

Help me to be content in You with what You have given me each day…..

Keep my heart from being anxious for what I don’t have

and make me thankful for the numerous gifts that You have already given..

According to Your Word and steadfast love,

fill us with the joy and satisfaction of contentment in Christ. Give us peace in our hearts…

Help us learn to be content in any situation like Paul…

Bless all who are here today and their families. Help us all Lord in this bible study to learn and grow in thee. We are thankful for the love of family this morning both of blood and in Christ. Bless our fellowship and be a presence near to us…

We ask these thing in Jesus’ name..

Amen