Category Archives: Satan

All Powerful / King of All, Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Miracles, Miracles, Obeying God, Spiritual Warfare

Responding to Yeshua: Lessons from Demons, Townspeople, and the Transformed

There are quite a few scriptures in the Bible that show us directly how demons and people act when confronted by Yeshua and His miracles. These encounters are worth reflecting on prayerfully.

In Mark 5, we have the opportunity to observe demons, a man who had demons cast out, and some pig farmers and townspeople all react when confronted with the glory of Yeshua and His power. All of their reactions still have relevance for us today as we reflect on our own responses to Yeshua in our lives.

Mark 5:1-20

The Gerasene Demoniac

1They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

14Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Many people become complacent in their search for Yeshua by simply stopping at “I know Yeshua is real” or “I believe Yeshua is Son of God”.  Take caution if this is your attitude, because so do the demons. The demons actually immediately recognized Yeshua immediately and knew who He was and knew of His power. They asked permission to not be cast away entirely. They were constrained by His power. In fact, the first thing they did was bring the man to bow down before Yeshua. I would say this is a great deal more respectful than many people act when confronted with Yeshua, and these are demons who oppose Him!

Simply acknowledging the reality that Jesus is God is not enough. We must surrender to Him as Lord of our life and seek after Him. We must put our faith in Him, which will be reflected in our change in behavior and attitude toward all we do in life. We start to live as He lived instead of how we have been living as part of the world. Let us not be complacent to simply acknowledge the historical person of Jesus.

Let us now consider the response of the people in the story to the actions of Yeshua. The man who had been demon-possessed was forever changed. He knew what it was that Yeshua had done for him and wanted to follow Him. More importantly, he submitted to Yeshua, choosing to obey what Yeshua called him to do instead of pursuing his own desires… even though they were good desires to follow Yeshua. This man likely had great impact remaining amongst those that knew his history and could see the transformational change in him. Yeshua knew where he wanted this man to be and what he wanted him to do in proclaiming the good news of Messiah.

The reaction of the herdsmen and the people who return with them from the city is clearly disappointing. In truth, their reaction is perhaps worse than that of the demons. They see an undeniable miracle take place and all they can do is react in fear and self interest and ask Yeshua to leave. What a lost opportunity for them. However, take note that Yeshua did not hold a grudge… He actually used the man who was possessed by demons to remain in region and proclaim the word to help these people. Yeshua loves them even though they fear Him.

Prayerfully reflect, “How do you react to the instructions of God? to the prompting of the Holy Spirit?

Do you, like the demons, acknowledge the power of Yeshua, but refuse to submit to Him as a faithful servant? Are you like the townspeople, so uncomfortable with the presence of God that you look past His miracles and focus on your own desires and interests?

Or rather, do you listen carefully and obey His instructions even if it conflicts with your desires, as the man who was demon-possessed demonstrated?

When we obey God instead of our own desires, then truly God can use us for His glory! Others around you should be able to see that you are different, that God has changed you. You are a light and should no longer “blend in” with those around you.

If you find yourself reasoning… “but the man was cured of demon possession… of course he was transformed and excited… how does this apply to my life”… then consider that truly each and every one of us is a sinful being who is due punishment for our sin. The punishment for sin is death. Only through Yeshua’s death on the cross for our sins and  our genuine submission to Him, seeking forgiveness, shall any of us be delivered from death to everlasting life with God. All of us are corrupted by sin and headed for eternal suffering in hell if not for the actions of Yeshua. In effect, Yeshua has rescued all of us in similar fashion to what we read about in Mark 5. Do we respond in like manner to the man who was demon-possessed? We should be laser-focused on Yeshua and seeking to follow Him and obey Him in all aspects of our lives.

Be prepared that many will reject or resist this transformation in you as they reject God, Himself. Stand up for God anyway and proclaim the good news of Messiah! God may use you as a vehicle to save others by leading them to Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for sending Messiah to make a way for me to be reconciled to You. Please help me to embrace You through Yeshua, even when You ask me to do something other than what I want to do. Let me not be absorbed in my own desires and self interest. Let Your glory be shown through me to others. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Demons, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Live in Contrast to the World While Following Jesus

Many of us who follow Jesus will at one time or another be essentially mocked or called out as “out of our senses”.  The world struggles to understand how true disciples of Christ think and act. To follow in the example of Christ is very different from much of their worldview.

I can think of several examples simply ranging from declaring Jesus as God to giving generously while seeking nothing in return. Just declaring evolution as the false doctrine it is may be sufficient to evoke these kinds of responses. In fact, I remember one event where someone generously bought dinner for a large group at a restaurant which was unexpected. Rather than simply saying “thank you” and recognizing the person was “giving generously”, some actually mocked him as crazy for spending money that way. The world does not understand the followers of Jesus.

But take heart, Jesus experienced similar reactions. It may well be a good indicator that you are living apart from the world’s way. After going up to the mountain to appoint the twelve disciples, Jesus returned home to quite an uproar. The crowd gathered such that they could not even eat a meal. People said Jesus had lost His senses or was  possessed.

Mark 3:20-27

      20And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25“If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26“If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27“But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

Jesus certainly has a way of summarizing the issue.  How absurd that someone would say He is possessed by demons because He casts out demons! If Satan is the strong man in this scenario, then one greater than He must be present to “bind him” and cast out the demons.

Do not be discouraged when others do not understand the motivations and actions you exemplify in your life. Test to ensure that you are in line with Jesus Christ by studying and applying scripture. If that is right, keep on marching forward whether or not they think you may be crazy. Pray for God to help you be a light and draw others to Him through Christ.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Healer, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Spiritual Warfare

Faith in God Amidst Unanswered Prayers for Healing

Jesus did not come to heal every physical sickness or cast out every demon. This is sometimes difficult for people to accept. If they see others healed, but not the person they hope for, they often choose to dismiss that it was really God helping to heal others.

“Why would God heal some but not others?

We do not know that answer. There are many aspects worth highlighting. Faith is required. People came to Jesus, rather than waiting for Him to come to them. Jesus came to spread the truth of the gospel and lead people to right relationship with God by teaching and living the commands of God recorded in the Old Testament and to die as sacrifice for all of our sins so we could all have a chance to go to be reconciled to God regardless of our past sins and separation from Him. He did not come to heal every sickness and cast out every demon.

Let us take a simple example in Mark 1. He heals many and casts out demons. But he leaves while there are still yet others to be healed and set free. Why? Jesus tells us in verse 38.

Mark 1:29-39

Crowds Healed

      29And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 31And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

      32When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

      35In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. 36Simon and his companions searched for Him; 37they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” 39And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.

Jesus came to preach truth to many, not to heal everyone in one location. Miracles and healing were a helpful part of His ministry to demonstrate who He was to those around Him.

For any of you who may be angry, sad or confused about why someone you love was not healed… take heart. You can trust in our heavenly Father and in His plans and His decisions. We are to come to the Father through Jesus. We can petition Him with our needs and desires. Then we are to trust Him in His decisions, even when we disagree or do not understand… as a small child must trust his or her parents even when they say “no”.

Pray for God to help you with any hurt you are still dealing with in this area. Seek others you trust to pray with you. Reflect on all the signs and miracles God has given us that He is God and we can trust Him. Follow in the example of Jesus to come to the Father.

To study more teachings about prayer, consider our teachings:

You can also review our category of devotions about Learning to Pray Effectively.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Put on God’s Armor to Stand Firm Against the Devil

Paul provides us with important guidance about the reality of spiritual warfare.  Often Christians dismiss spiritual warfare and focus only on the things we can see and touch. This is acting “carnally minded” and not “spiritually minded”. We are warned against this in Romans 8:5-6.  This leaves us vulnerable to Satan’s attacks.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Some key points upon which to reflect:

  • Our strength comes from the Lord, not ourselves
  • The devil is real and he has strategies he uses to lie, cheat and destroy. He will use more than one strategy against us.
  • Warfare does not always take place in the physical world, sometimes it is in the spiritual world. Consider the book of Job.
  • Just putting on one or two pieces of the armor of God is not enough, we need to put on all of them.
  • Prayer and a relationship with Jesus are necessary! Jesus tells us to pray daily and to pray specifically to not let us yield to temptation, and to be rescued from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13
  • We are to stay alert and pray for others in addition to ourselves.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, show me how to be spiritually minded. Help me to focus on Your word and be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). Show me how with Your wisdom and discernment. I will submit to You and resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7) in Yeshua’s name! Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Blessed, Holy / Set Apart, Interceding for Others, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Learning To Pray Effectively, Satan, Seeking God, Spiritual Warfare

Yeshua’s Prayer for His Disciples… Important Insight on How to Pray

I found Yeshua’s prayer in John 17 for His disciples very moving. I encourage each of us to read it and apply the key points He highlights to our own prayer life for ourselves, our loved ones, and other followers of Christ.

Yeshua came to the Father in prayer for His disciples as He prepared to leave. We can learn much by reviewing and considering His words.

John 17:13-21

The Disciples in the World

     13“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.16“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19“For their sakes, I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

      20“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

  • Yeshua wanted His disciples to have His joy made full in themselves
  • He gave us the instructions of YHWH to make our joy full. We can rightly conclude He intended for us to obey them, not just be aware of them.
  • Those who follow Yeshua, like Yeshua, are not “of the world”. The world will hate and reject us, usually more so as we stand and live more boldly for Christ. This does not mean every person will hate us, but one need only look around at newspapers for national and world events to see that followers of Christ are persecuted in varying degrees depending on where they are in the world. (I do not mean people who claim Christ and live like the world… the devil and the world love these folks.)
  • We need the Father’s help to protect us from Satan. Yes, he is a real adversary.
  • Sanctify means to be set apart as holy. Yeshua asks YHWH to make us holy through truth, or the word. Again, we can reasonably conclude He intends for us to live according to the word rather than the same way the world lives.
  • Here, Yeshua specifically calls out that He is praying not just for this specific group of men, but for all who believe in Him.
  • His desire is for us as His followers to be united. We can see this is not the case throughout the world. This can seem difficult at times because we are not called to accept false teaching, but we are called to unity. Many disagree on the true application of scripture creating division. We should allow room for debate where scripture permits, but some teachings are heretical and dangerous and need to be rejected. (e.g. The teaching that everyone who claims Yeshua in name pleases the Lord and goes to heaven even if they are without repentance and do not change their lives to match His instruction.)

I encourage you to pray and reflect on these verses as well as incorporate them into your own prayer life. Ask the Father to enlighten you on their full meaning and application for your life. Pray this prayer for your children or loved ones as well as other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Core Teaching, Learning To Pray Effectively, Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare – the Battle Is Real

The most basic rule of warfare is perhaps that if you don’t realize or accept there is an enemy moving against you, you will most probably lose. If you don’t fight back with an effective strategy, you will lose even if you take on the enemy. If you don’t properly identify your enemy, you will develop the wrong strategy.

In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul provides us important guidance about the reality of spiritual warfare. Too often Christians dismiss spiritual warfare and focus only on the things we can see and touch. This leaves us vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. If we do not recognize the true enemy, we will struggle to win against him.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Some key points upon which to reflect:

  • Our strength comes from the Lord, not ourselves
  • The devil is real and he has strategies he uses to lie, cheat and destroy. He will use more than one strategy against us.
  • Warfare does not always take place in physical world, sometimes it is in the spiritual world. Consider the book of Job.
  • Just putting on one or two pieces of the armor of God is not enough, we need to put on all of them.
  • Prayer and a relationship with Jesus is necessary! Jesus tells us to pray daily and to pray specifically to not let us yield to temptation, and to be rescued from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13
  • We are to stay alert and pray for others in addition to ourselves. Pray for those preach the gospel that they would preach boldly!

Let’s explore what it really means to put on the full armor of God.

Truth can simply be defined as the real facts about something. Surprisingly the world today proposes that truth is relative when it comes to God or how we live… “True for you but not for me”, etc. This is no more accurate than saying “If I do not believe in gravity, I will not fall off a ladder.” Gravity is true whether or not I believe in or accept it. God lovingly and in great detail shares truth in the Bible and reveals it in the world around us. There is absolute truth.

Righteousness is characterized by living consistently with God’s standards of morality, justice, virtue, etc. As God’s standard is Himself, it is a lofty bar. We will never achieve it to perfection but He is the standard and reference point none the less. We should keep our eyes on Jesus and seek help from the Holy Spirit to keep changing to be more like Him.

The peace that comes from knowing the good news is not a promise that we will avoid conflicts and trials, but rather an affirmation that when we have relationship with Jesus Christ we know He is with us in this life and that we have eternal life on the other side of this world. We can have peace through the mightiest storms.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1. In this context Paul reminds us that we must trust in God even when we are under attack by Satan. Just because we can not recognize how God is working in the situation does not mean that He is not there. We can be confident He is with us.

Salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequence, which is death. It is not enough to know or acknowledge Jesus Christ. Even Satan and his demons do that. By asking and accepting Jesus into our lives and repenting from our sinful ways we receive salvation through grace.

The sword of the spirit, or word of God, is what Jesus Himself used to defeat Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1-11. We must know the word of God before the attack comes just as a soldier must train and be prepared before he goes to battle.

To be effective we must understand and use all of this equipment daily. It ceases to become “something we do” and becomes “how we do everything” in our lives.

Remember to heed Paul’s warning and guidance for prayer. The battle is not ours alone, but the Lord’s!

18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me focus on the real enemy, Satan, rather than thinking of others in the physical as my enemy. Thank You for Your guidance and power to resist him. Help us as Your people in the application of putting on the full armor as You instruct. Let not the enemy divide Your people, but rather bring us together to resist him and glorify Your name. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Greed, Miracles, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News

Prepare for Adventure and Drama When You Truly Preach the Word to Lost

Most of us who submit our lives to Yeshua and, out of obedience, boldly proclaim the gospel to others do so with nothing whatsoever to gain personally. We are moved by obedience to Messiah and out of love for our fellow man to help them find freedom in Yeshua… freedom from sin and freedom from the penalty of death for their sin. It is helpful at times to remember that those who reject our Messiah have many different motives. Often times they are not even willing to open their eyes and consider the miracles around them which declare the truth and the glory of God.

As we read in Acts 19, we start with a documented list of powerful miracles taking place which glorify YHWH. The word of the LORD was prevailing and growing mightily. With that backdrop, we also come across a variety of responses. Some try to use the name of Yeshua without having the relationship with Him and they are overcome by a demon possessed man. They tried by their own power. Contrast that to verse 11 where we see emphasis that God was performing the miracles through the hands of Paul. It was not Paul. We also see those who would profit by making idols come full force against those bringing the truth of Yeshua as Messiah. They seem to completely overlook the miracles and focus solely on their own short term financial benefit. They miss the bigger picture. There are many like these still today. Many come against Messiah for selfish reasons or try to use His name for their own glory and honor.

Acts 19:11-41

Miracles at Ephesus

      11God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

      21Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

      23About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 26“You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. 27“Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”

      28When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. 32So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? 36“So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37“For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38“So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39“But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. 40“For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41After saying this he dismissed the assembly.

Consider for a moment the “extraordinary miracles” that were taking place in the name of Jesus Christ. They were public spectacles and not private events. Word of Jesus was spreading and people were believing. There were many who responded and believed. However, there were some who were motivated by greed and others who joined in without even understanding why they were rioting… they just allowed themselves to be caught up in the moment and come against the Christians for no particular reason other than seeing others act that way.

They made no rational appeal or argument against Jesus. They were only concerned to shout for their false beliefs and not listen to any other views… even in the face of “extraordinary miracles”! They were blind and could not see… or would not see.

We see these same responses from many today. When we proclaim the truth many will come against us… but many will accept Yeshua as Lord. We must take courage and proclaim Him boldly despite opposition. We must take what measured steps we can to protect ourselves while relying on God to help us, but we must never be silenced from sharing the truth of Messiah.

Reason does not always win out… and in this particular scripture there was a man who calmed the crowds. It does not always work out that way, but we must place our trust in God and go about His business anyway.  We can try to adjust our strategy to communicate the gospel and how we respond to people by understanding their motivations. It was probably wise for the believers to keep Paul from going to the riot. We do not know, but perhaps they would not have been so easily calmed if they had Paul in their midst.

Truly we can also be thankful to God when we live in a society in which there is some semblance of court system to sort out conflict in a way that avoids mob rule and riots. We should actively involve ourselves in government when we can in order to protect that protection where we have it or to fight to get those rights where we do not have them.

At all times, however, we should pray for God to help us in proclaiming the gospel and responding to both receptive and hostile audiences… whether we face crowds of 5000 or a single person. Do not expect people to act rationally and listen to reason and evidence of Yeshua as Messiah, even when presented with miracles. Many will hear and be moved to learn more, but also many will resist and fight to hold on to what they already believe, for a variety of reasons that can actually be quite narrow and selfish.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please protect and encourage those who share the truth about Your word. Thank You for miracles that You perform at times to help glorify Your name and spread the word. Please help prepare people to hear Your word and receive it. Amen. 

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Fortune Telling, Greed, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News

If You Are to Serve God, Prepare for Adventure

For those who truly commit themselves to live for God and serve Him, prepare for adventure. There is no greater purpose than to answer Yeshua’s commands and share the good news of the gospel with all the world. For everyone who receives the truth, a soul is saved from eternal damnation and heaven rejoices. It changes lives in this world and after death for eternity. But when we set out on a journey to serve God, we will encounter a great many things along the way.

The contrast within Acts 16 is striking as Paul and Silas are on their missionary journey. They find Lydia who rejoices, her household is baptized, and she invites Paul to stay in her household. Shortly after that, they encounter an entirely different response from another.

Acts 16:14-21

  14A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

      16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

      19But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

The level of greed demonstrated by the slave girl’s masters is astounding, though not uncommon. They care nothing for her, but get very angry at those who set her free… it costs them future profit. Never mind her life, in their mind. Paul demonstrates the power of God in setting the slave girl free, yet the men do not even pause to consider Paul’s message, but rather immediately erupt in anger and drag Paul and Silas away for prosecution.

The same message and messengers that brought Lydia to saving faith in Christ also evoked great anger in others because of their own personal greed.

If we are to offer up our lives to God as His servants, genuinely, then we will open ourselves up to face much hardship and yet also joy beyond measure. Ultimately joy in serving our glorious Lord Jesus Christ wins out! I encourage each of you to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others publicly and without apology. Live out God’s commands so that others will see the Light through your life, even though they want to reject Jesus and slander you.

1 Peter 2:12  12Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Prayerfully consider who is already in your life that you feel God encouraging you to share your faith with. Take a step of faith and tell others the difference that Jesus has made in your life… you might make some angry, but others you will be saving from eternal suffering. Ask Yahweh to open their hearts to receive the message.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please show me who in my life You are preparing to hear Your message of good news about Yeshua. Give me clarity and courage and opportunity to share the word with them. Help protect me from those who would react harshly to the truth of Your message. Amen. 

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Study the Word

Spiritual Warfare and the Power of Scripture

The greatest trick the devil ever played is convincing the world he does not exist. Most people today, even Christians, overlook the very real existence of Satan and do not anticipate or prepare for his temptations and traps which can separate us from God and wreck our lives.

Matthew 4:1-11 seems like a quick series of verses and may be easy to overlook as a simplistic view that Jesus will triumph over the devil, but it is much more elegant than that. Jesus is communicating a key message regarding strategy that the devil employs. Let those who have ears hear…

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’

Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’

Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

 

Some key points to the devil’s strategy?

  • Satan does not start by introducing himself as the devil. Sometimes he comes disguised as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 7:14)
  • Satan comes when we are weak and alone.
  • Satan twists and misuses scripture. Yes he knows it well.
  • Satan offers us an easy way, instead of God’s way.
  • Satan lies, promising what sounds good but separates us from God.
  • Satan comes more than once.

So how do we resist the devil? God could have just flicked the devil away if He wanted to.  I believe Jesus was showing us how to prepare.

  • Jesus prepared Himself before the temptation came.
  • Jesus committed Himself ahead of time to serve God.
  • Jesus recognized and accepted He would be confronted by Satan.
  • Jesus studied the scripture meticulously; not just a quick surface read. He recognized lies even though they were cloaked in scripture.
  • Jesus had the courage and self-discipline to stand up to the devil when the temptation came.
Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Jesus (hearing from God), Learning To Pray Effectively, Satan

How we pray matters!

In Matthew 6:9-13, our Messiah teaches us how to pray.

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”

Yeshua laid out a very clear way to lead us in our prayer life with God. How we pray and why we pray matter to God!

We start by focusing on God. Reflect on who He is and what He wants us to do. All too often we launch directly into a list of our wants, needs, or troubles. Yeshua tells us first to focus on God. This helps to put in perspective our issues and His ability to lead us through them. It honors Him and shows respect. Our prayer is not all about us, but about our relationship with Him.

Then Yeshua calls us to ask for “our daily bread”. He does not say ask for our next week or year… or do not ask at all for anything. He wants us to talk to Him daily. We should make sure to set this time aside and not let it get crowded out.

“Forgive us our debts…” as we forgive others. Yeshua calls us not only to repent and ask for forgiveness but also to forgive others. Don’t hold a grudge. Bitterness hurts most the one who holds it, not the one to whom it is directed. Scripture says we will be forgiven as we forgive others. Keep that in mind!

“Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil…” Yes, there really is a devil and there really are evil people and evil desires we must avoid and sometimes overcome. Jesus is warning us that we should lean on God for help in this area daily.

“For Yours is the kingdom…” We close where we started, with focus on God instead of us.

Learn more by reading Learning How to Pray Effectively.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.