The Story of Satan – part 4

Posted: January 22, 2022 in Something to think about
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We have learned in the first 3 parts of this story that Satan has been very busy since he was cast out of heaven. He was there at the beginning disguised as the serpent that caused Adam and Eve or really, the entire human race, to fall into sin. We also learned that he is the god of this age which gives him authority over certain things like his fallen angels as well as the unrepentant human population. 

But, we also learned that he also has some very specific limitations on him as well. This includes the FACT that he is NOT omnipotent, which means he cannot read your mind. All of this plays right into the 4th installment of this series which talks about what Satan is up to currently. In other words…what is Satans strategy?

What is Satan doing right now?

In a nutshell, Satan is at war. He is presently at war against God and His people and just so we are clear, God’s people are you and me. His main purpose; is to try and draw you away from your loyalty to Christ. Literally, that is the main focus right now…how many people can he lead astray? And let me assure you…he is really good at his job which is why there is so much scripture to remind you to be on your guard.

But for those of you who are skeptical that Satan is at war…read this verse please:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 ESV

Have you ever heard of a guy named Job (pronounced jōb)? He has a very long book in the old testament inside the Bible that tells an interesting story about how Satan went and challenged God about Job by telling him that the only reason Job served Him was that he was blessed and had everything. As a result, God took on that challenge and allowed Satan to take away all of Jobs’s earthy possessions including his health, his family, his wealth…and yet ultimately, throughout the entire epic,  no matter what happened to him, Job would not curse God. It even drove Job to proclaim in 13:15…Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him…

Guys, realistically, not everyone is like Job with his unwavering commitment to his God through his adversity…which is why I write this to you.

Satan is your enemy and his strategy is that he wants you to fail and fall. That is why the Bible focuses so much scripture to inform us to protect our minds and NOT be led astray.

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Co 11:3 ESV

(For more information on this idea that you need to guard your thoughts, please read a previous blog on Ironman-Strength called, Guard your Mind, published in February of last year. This will better explain why Satan focuses his attack on your thoughts)

What is Satan’s goal for his non-stop attack on you and me?

His # 1 goal is, and always has been, to draw you and me into a sin and bondage relationship with him and this present world system. (Emphasis on the present). He wants to squash you like a bug. By the way, as the leader of your home, if you fall, so might your wife and family. That is why you must resist.

For some have already strayed after Satan. 1Ti 5:15 ESV

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life–to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 1Jo 5:16 ESV

What are we supposed to do to thwart this constant attack?

  1. As believers, we MUST RESIST and pray constantly for deliverance from Satan

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matt 6:13 ESV

Guys, in this instance, I cannot emphasize the importance of the word, “constantly”. This has never been a “one-and-done” type of defense against the enemy. It is a daily response (meaning a conscious effort using prayer) from you and what your intent is for that day to defend yourself and your family. Don’t forget that.

  1. YOU must be on the alert concerning his schemes and temptations

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 

Eph 6:11 ESV

If you recall, the very first paragraph mentioned to you in part one of The Story of Satan was about knowing your enemy. Be prepared and resist, because the attack is coming…you just need to know how you can defend yourself.

  1. Resist him through spiritual warfare

Guys…here are the famous verses that talk about putting on the armor of God. Although this looks like symbolism, it truly means putting on armor each day. If you don’t take this part seriously, you give the enemy a foot in the door so I recommend that you take just a second to read them.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Eph 13-18 ESV

  1. Remain firm in the faith

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1Pe 5:8-9 ESV

Guys, the book of Hebrews puts it this way:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb 11:1

I do hope that after reading part 4 you recognize you can’t do this yourself. There have been many who have tried and ALL have failed. And by the way, there is no such thing as trying to ride the fence and be in BOTH worlds at the same time. Jesus calls that being “lukewarm” and He says, ” I will spew you out of my mouth”.

Finally, guys, you and I have very specific resources in this fight against Satan and all of them only will work when we are plugged into Christ as repentant Christians. Without repentance, you are just another dude proclaiming you are a good person…which won’t get you into heaven.

We are getting close to the end…Part 5 is next-

Until next time guys

The Story of Satan – part 3

Posted: January 15, 2022 in Something to think about
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Satans Kingdom 

Let’s jump right back into this as we pick up from part 2 of the story of Satan. If you recall, we learned that Satan is the god of this age on earth and is the one responsible for bringing sin to the human race when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree. In part three, we are going to learn more about the Kingdom of Satan. Yes…you heard me, Satan has a Kingdom and that is highly organized and functional towards its purpose.

And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

Matthew 12:26 (Christ speaking)

To begin, it is EXTREMELY important that you recognize that Satan runs a highly systemized empire of evil. He is not a poor leader without a plan but rather…he has a focused destructive purpose and he is directing his entire empire towards his goal of winning against both God almighty…and you.

While he is the prince of this earth, Satan has authority over the following: 

Kingdom of the Air – in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [Eph 2:2 NIV]

The “air” in this verse refers to the invisible realm above the earth where Satan and his demons move and exist and this space is the location of the earth’s atmosphere or “air.” He can move anywhere he wants in and through this earth…The entire world is his domain…remember that.

Fallen Angels – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [Mat 25:41 NIV]

-Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. Rev 12:7 NIV

Guys…when Satan fell from grace out of heaven, I mentioned in part 1 that he brought a whole slew of fallen angels with him. Those angels are his demons and completely under his control. Without a doubt, they are a HUGE part of fulfilling his destructive purpose on earth. Remember that too.

Unrepentant Humanity  – Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. [Jhn 12:31 NIV]

…the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [Eph 2:2 NIV]

The people who absolutely resist God in all ways and will not repent. Those folks, whether consciously or not, are ruled and report to Satan.

The World –  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [2Co 4:4 ESV] 

As mentioned before, Satan has limited control over the earth at this time.

Things to know about Satan in his Kingdom

Satan has power: And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. Luk 4:6 NIV

Satan has a throne: I know where you live–where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city–where Satan lives. Rev 2:13 NIV

Guys, the WORST mistake you could ever make with knowing this is to underestimate this opponent. He does have certain powers but is completely limited by God. It is like he is a COO of a huge corporation with the only issue being…his ONLY business is yours and my destruction…and that is pretty much all he wants. 

Another set of important points to recognize is that Satan is NOT:

Omni-present – present everywhere at the same time.

Omnipotent –  having unlimited power; able to do anything

Omniscient – Knowing everything

What does this mean? Our biggest adversary cannot read your mind…Only God knows your thoughts.

Does that change anything knowing that particular point about our enemy?

Moreover, because Satan is limited in his power, much of his earthly activity is delegated to his demon horde who also have power. He has to use his team to tempt and defeat you as evidenced by the verses below-

-And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. Matt: 8:28 

-For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. Rev 16:14

Guys, let me leave you with this…If you think you have nothing to fear from this enemy, then he has you. 

He is extremely powerful and again, not to be underestimated. One more point to consider is that even though Satan knows the word of God (scripture) better than anyone on this earth, he still refuses to recognize that God wins in the end. He is 100% in denial about his own destruction.

Part 4 is next –

Until next time guys-

The Story of Satan – part 2

Posted: January 7, 2022 in Something to think about
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The Serpent

Ok, guys, we pick up this story from part 1 where we discussed who Satan is and where he came from. It always is such a crazy thing to realize how amazing an angel he was previously and yet, how far his pride caused him to fall…but we will get to that later.

If you didn’t know this already, Satan, who is also called the Serpent, was the one who caused the fall of the human race. Yes… the same guy…See the brief story below from the book of Genesis.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 

3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” 

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 

5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  [Gen 3:1-6 ESV] 

From that day on, lying, deception, and sin entered this world and the human race has never been the same. Can you imagine if Adam and Eve had resisted the temptation of the serpent? And what this world MIGHT have been like? That is a whole topic unto its own and one that will not be addressed by me.

What is Satan’s role right now?

We know that we are the children of God and that the whole world is in control of the evil one. 

1 John 5:19

Guys, we will NEVER adequately understand the New Testament unless we recognize its underlying conviction that Satan is the god of this world right now. Think about that for a second. Satan is the evil one and it is his power that controls this present evil age (EMPHASIS on the present). Now, I hope this is not the first time you are hearing this but if it is and you are skeptical, please read these verses I have stacked up below because the Bible does mention this JUST so we are all clear.

2 Co 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Gal 1:3-4 – Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Eph 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Heb 2:14 – ​​Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

1Pe 5:8 –  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

PLEASE understand that scripture does NOT teach that God is right now…in direct control of the ungodly world. 

I will clarify that the ungodly world I am speaking of would be sinful people, evil, cruelty, and injustice…all things we see around us every day. More importantly, it is imperative I stress the fact that in no way does God desire or cause all of the sufferings in this world, nor is everything that happens His perfect will.  Please think about that also.

What I can tell you is that the Bible does tell us that at this present time (Again…EMPHASIS on the present), the world is NOT under God’s dominion, but is currently in rebellion against God’s rule and is enslaved to Satan. God, for the time being, has limited His supreme power over this world…but I assure you, this is only temporary. This is what you and I see happening right now.

I know this is not the best news you have received today and I get that, but know this, because of this worldly condition I spoke about above…that is why Christ came to die. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV

…and why His plan was to reconcile the world to God 

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 

19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2Co 5:17-19 ESV

So the main points today are Satan was the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve, is the god of this age on earth, and is the one responsible for bringing sin to the human race when Adam and Eve sinned. There is more coming in future parts of this story on what Satan is doing presently.

More to come in Part 3-

Until next time guys-

The Story of Satan – part 1

Posted: January 3, 2022 in Something to think about
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Happy New Year Guys-

I know that I have mentioned in past blogs how important it is when preparing for a battle, to know your enemy. In the case of Satan, I believe that to be even more true because of how ruthless he is. I am sure many of you have heard of the famous Chinese General Sun Tzu who wrote the book, The Art of War. Well, in that famous book, Tzu had a quote where he said, “Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.”

That makes real sense because if you know your enemy, you can predict what they might do. In this case, the simple translation is, if you ignore your enemy, they can overcome you, but if you study them and have knowledge of them, it certainly improves your chances at victory. So, guys, that is the reason I wanted to write this small, 6-part series on The Story of Satan. Because hopefully, after reading, you will have a better understanding of what the Bible says about the evil one and what YOU need to do to prepare versus just what the world tells you.

My intent is to provide you with as much detail in my shorter blog format including many of the scripture references so you can review and decide for yourself what you think. This may not be obvious, but this 6-part series is just the cliff notes version of what the Bible actually says. There is a great deal more for you to explore and I highly recommend doing so if you find this even the least bit interesting. 

Why is this so important?

Because the Bible tells us that while Satan is the prince of this earth, more bad guys are coming and their job is to change your mind about God…and I do not want you to do that. I want you to be strong in your faith. The Bible says these people will preach so effectively that even the very elect…the so-called experts, will be deceived. Read this scripture below.

​​For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  Matthew 24:4

So I do hope you will read and learn about our common enemy in this series so that you can better prepare yourself for the future. Let’s get started-

Who is Satan and where did he come from?

First of all, his name, Satan: (Hebrew Meaning – Accuser/ Adversary)

The Bible has many other names for him including, the prince of the power of the air and god of this world but the King James Version of the Bible calls him Lucifer, which has a very unique meaning shown below.

Satan was a great and powerful angel who was created by God to be perfect and good. To say he was amazing in his beginning is an understatement. From a human perspective, he would not be like anything you or I have ever seen. He was a blaze of light, very powerful and he was appointed to be minister at the throne of God which meant he was very important in the hierarchy of heaven. 

BUT, even before the world began, meaning before the earth was created, Satan rebelled against God and became the chief antagonist to Him and all of humanity. Read this explanation verse from Ezekial:

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You [were] the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone [was] your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You [were] the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You [were] perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.

[Eze 28:12-15 NKJV] 

I know there is some symbolism in the Bible which makes some of these scriptures difficult to read and understand but the above verses describe Satan when he was created and frankly, how amazing he was. He was created, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty…and he was established on the holy mountain of God…and all of that went away when iniquity was found in you. What is iniquity? The dictionary categorizes it as; ​​immoral or gross injustice or wickedness. A wicked act; sin

The bottom line is that even while he sat on the mountain top, he rebelled against God and was cast down out of heaven.

The name Lucifer means:

Old English, from Latin, ‘light-bringing, morning star’, from lux, luc- ‘light’ + -fer ‘bearing’. Lucifer (sense 1) is by association with the ‘son of the morning’ (Isa. 14:12)

Here is a verse from Isaiah that describes the fall of Satan from heaven:

 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [How] you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! [Isa 14:12 NKJV]

Important facts to understand:

In his rebellion against God, Satan drew with him a multitude of lesser angels, who are identified, after their fall, with both demons or evil spirits. Satan and many of these lesser were exiled to earth and the atmosphere around it, and operate within this sphere under the permissive will of God.

To be more specific, Satans initial rebellion as I mentioned above, took with him literally a third of heavens angels as evidenced by scripture below;

His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.  [Rev 12:4 NKJV]

Again, more symbolism in the book of Revelation but this indicates that the stars are the angels that were banished to earth. Additionally, a part of this rebelling brood of angels are still bound in Hell while the rest of them are free to operative and exist under Satans dominion and control (more to come on this later)

Part 2 coming soon-

Read, Think, Pray.

That is all I am asking-

Until next time guys-

Business as Usual…

Posted: November 8, 2021 in Inspirational
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In my lifetime, starting with the Vietnam War and moving through contemporary wars like Desert Storm and the War in Afghanistan, there is one fact that has always amazed me; even though the United States was actively engaged in a war with US troops being deployed daily, and every night we were glued to the news to see what happened on that day… MY daily routine went on as usual. I still went to work and carried on with my family’s daily “normal” all the while battles were being waged by my country.  

In other words, compared to many of our own relatives not 80 years ago in WW2, when their lives were changed to warfare literally, overnight. That was when most everyone…and I mean everyone, was participating in something having to do with the war…YET, in my experience… in contemporary America…I was pretty much business as usual.

What is my point? To me, it is hard to believe something like a war could be happening but only for some of us. Now here is a crazy question; what if there was a war was happening on US soil? What if the State of California was attacked and the battle was waging there? Do you think the people in maybe Iowa or Tennessee would be business as usual? How close does the activity have to be for us to change from our routine and no longer be, business as usual?

Stay with me…

Let me be more specific to help clarify my point further. Do you remember Noah? He was the guy that built an Ark in the middle of his property for one reason; Because God told him to. If you recall, there wasn’t really a precedent for a building project like this because there had never been enough rain before…But Noah just obeyed. 

Every person who ever read this Bible passage has hypothesized that Noah’s neighbors probably thought he was out of his mind. They would see him every day just building away and could not figure out what he was doing. BUT then…there were the others that NEVER knew Noah and never knew what hit them. 

You see, Noah’s neighbors, like you and me, we’re all going about their daily routines. They were perceptive enough to notice something was happening because Noah was very busy…but they were unaware of what was REALLY happening…until the flood came…

They were Business as Usual too…

Here is how Christ described Noah’s neighbors in Matthew 24:

For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Guys, my point is simply this…you, me, your family, your boss, your gym partner…everyone on this planet is business as usual. That is what we do. Many of us are affected by COVID. This means how we work or not work is altered, but we always adapt and keep moving forward because we have to take care of our families, right?

Being, “Business as Usual” is not wrong unless you miss what the scripture above is saying; 

…so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

If we are so focused on JUST this life and only what we have to do, then, YES, you will be surprised on that day when He returns…and I don’t want that for you.

All I am saying is don’t forget to pay attention, to remember, to be aware… of what is going on around you, BE READY, don’t be JUST, Business as usual. Keep your eyes on the eternal prize for you and your family…

Honestly, I don’t have a calendar to update you when He is coming back because frankly, that would defeat the purpose don’t you think? The Bible is very clear that no one knows when Chris will return…only God. All I know is that I was guided to this passage as a reminder to you that (so will be the coming of the Son of Man) is written in His word and we MUST remember. 

As I’ve said, being busy isn’t a problem unless it causes you to forget what THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT TO REMEMBER IS…

HE IS COMING BACK…

Until next time guys-

Guard your Mind…

Posted: February 27, 2021 in Something to think about
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The older I get the more fascinated I am with the abilities of the human mind. It can take us places we have never been before just by thinking. Have you ever read a book about a place you have been to and you are immediately transported back and can see everything in vivid color? Or, just by using your imagination, you can visit places you have never been to. I just find that to be amazing… a full-color video for memories and thinking…all on board…

Keep in mind though that like most things on this earth, the enemy has warped it into something that can be really bad. The enemy provides things for you see that can cause your mind to drift into places it shouldn’t.

I will be blunt-

Did you know that you can have sex with a woman and never even have met her? All inside your mind. Of course you know this…and you know I am telling you the truth.

You have the choice to take your thoughts in any direction you want.

John MacArthur, the acclaimed pastor says it this way, “If you truly want to exercise self-control, you have to start by controlling your thoughts.”

I saw a quote the other day that resonates with this as well, ”your strongest muscle and worst enemy is your mind. Train it well.”

The Apostle Paul recognized this same issue and wrote about this in Phillippians 4:7b when he told us to “guard our hearts and our minds.”

Honestly, the best way for the enemy to attack you is through your thoughts. You are vulnerable there because you think you are alone. I wrote a post a few years ago called “God will Judge Men’s Secrets” after reading the verse, Romans 2:16 where it says just that. You and I will be judged on our secrets. The things we assumed were hidden.

My point is this, we need to protect ourselves by controlling our thoughts from going in the wrong direction. More importantly, don’t think that because your thoughts are personal and ONLY your thoughts, that no one knows. God knows and we will be held accountable. God will judge men’s secrets…your secrets and mine.

Finally, I am not leaving you without a solution. Paul gave us the answer, we just have to execute. It requires self-control and consistency, but it can be accomplished.

In verse 8 of Phillippians from above, Paul says this;

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,  whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.

The quote from above referred to your mind as a muscle. Paul is telling us to exercise your mind muscle by dwelling on good things and by resisting the temptation to dwell on the bad.

Stay in control…It is really up to you-

Until next time Guys-

Why do the Wicked Prosper?

Posted: February 20, 2021 in Devotional
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I read Psalm 73 the other day and found that I identified with the Psalmist who wrote it. He was struggling with a question that many of us have asked before; why do the wicked prosper? In other words, while Christians who follow the almighty God suffer, the wicked seemingly get more and more and more.

In this case, the writer admitted that he “envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” vs 3. They seem to be free with no burdens. They wear their pride around like a necklace for all to see but yet inside they are callous. “The evil conceits of their minds know no limits” vs 7b.

As their only pursuit in life is more stuff, they begin to speak with malice and arrogance essentially evolves into this idea that they know everything. “Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth” vs 9. All the while Christians struggle with suffering and working just to make ends meet and at the same time, seeing the worst of the worst continue to gain human glory.

As mentioned, the writer of this Psalm could not understand this idea that while our God is Sovereign and Just sometimes wicked people prosper. Even though he served God faithfully, it was easy to see how he became discouraged with his situation as he compared his difficulties with the ease of these people. Every day he was punished with this knowledge and just the act of trying to understand “why” was oppressive to him.

WHAT TO DO?

As he searched he learned 2 VERY important things that I want to share with you-

  1. He learned the fate of the wicked. 

“How suddenly they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!” Vs 19

God shows him that the fate of those who pursue this lifestyle is sudden death and one of pure terror. Jesus said it this way:

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 

Matthew 16:26

  1. He learns what the fate of the righteous will be.

Till I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny. Vs 17

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. Vs 25

When the writer enters the sanctuary of God, his perspective is changed completely. Yes, he learns what happens to the wicked but more importantly, the presence of God changes him. The presence of God is his reward for keeping his eye on the prize even though his eyes showed him things in life that were confusing. When he felt the presence of God, all of his discouragement and confusion left him and suddenly, none of it mattered anymore. Just being with God made everything in his life good.

But as for me, it is good to be near God, I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. Vs 28

BOTTOM LINE

Let the wicked prosper; our hope, treasure, and life is GOD himself – who is always with us.

Until next time guys…

Heavenly Deposits

Posted: December 26, 2020 in Heaven Bound
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I had the opportunity to spend some time with an old work friend who I hadn’t seen in a long time. At one point, we had worked together every day for two years but after I left that company, not so much anymore. But I had the chance to connect over some dinner so I took advantage of the chance to see him. As you can imagine, we talked about the usual work stuff and family stuff but somehow the topic bent toward him planning to win the lottery of all things. 

To be clear in MY mind, that topic was wasted mental energy because the chances of winning are not worth spending the time thinking about what you would do with all that money. But as I sat there and listened to my friend talk, I realized he had taken this lottery-planning topic to a whole new level. Honestly, the amount of detail he had already planned out was utterly amazing. He knew where he would invest, who he would give money to, and how much. He knew what upgrades he would make to his home, where he would take his first vacation, how he would quit his job, and the list went on and on. He even worked out a plan to help his kids pay off their student loans, and buy his parents, sister, and nephews new homes…and guys, I could keep going. I finally interrupted him and asked him why? Why would you invest so much of your time and brainpower on a topic that will most likely NEVER happen? 

He replied simply, “ah, but it could, and I want to be prepared”

“Prepared”, I thought. “Interesting concept.”

From your perspective, what does it take to be prepared for anything? Investing time, thought, and effort toward something helps you be prepared…However Christ told us to prepare by storing up for ourselves, treasures in Heaven…in other words, preparation for eternity…not preparation for a fictitious event, or for that matter, anything else here on earth.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt. 6:20-21

So what is a treasure in heaven? How can I have any connection with heaven while I am still here and living on this earth? 

Here is how I look at this; my friend was investing huge amounts of his time thinking about a fantasy event rather than thinking about how to make a difference now while he is here on earth. For example, how about spending more time with his kids, his wife, or both? What about focusing on or engaging with a particular subject that might make him better or even the people around him better? 

The way I see it, all of these suggestions are treasures that are being stored in heaven for him. It’s like making a deposit in a bank or maybe better yet, it’s an investment in your heavenly eternal future.

Jesus said, “How will they know me? By how YOU love one another”

Pretty simple actually. If we take the time to be kind to someone, anyone…when we aren’t required to do so…YES… it helps them, but believe it or not, that is a treasure YOU have stored in heaven. 

What you do here on earth matters for your eternal future.

You see…everything we store up in heaven is safe…forever. There are not any malware or viruses that can wipe out your deposits in Heaven. Christ said this in the verse above, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal.

NOTHING can destroy what you have stored there…It is safe for all eternity

My simple advice:

Why don’t we try to get out of our own way, focus on each other for a change, and watch what happens…

What I think you will find is a far happier group of family and friends because you aren’t 100% solely focused on yourself…or like my friend at the beginning of this post, who simply spent too much time planning for a fantasy event.

So as you begin to look and plan for this next year, 2021…my recommendation is to start making heavenly deposits sooner rather than later…

Honestly, your future depends on it…

Until next time Guys…

Are you a Grumbler?

Posted: December 20, 2020 in Tough Times
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We have all heard the word and maybe you even have first-hand experience working or living with a grumbler.

Websters defines Grumbling as: 

to complain or protest about something in a bad-tempered but typically muted way.

For us men; Grumbling is specifically mentioned in the Bible as something Christians need to work hard to avoid. Grumbling is dangerous because it creates unrest. Grumblers are what a boss I used to work for called, “people who punch holes in the boat”. Whether this is a work application or just a life application, grumbling ruins everything over time. 

In this past year of crazy COVID, I did a whole lot of grumbling, how about you? What does that say about me? Probably that I write this particular blog because I need to read and apply this one more than most of you…because when it comes to grumbling, I failed this year.

To me, when the Bible mentions a topic over and over, we need to pay attention; and Grumbling is mentioned numerous times. Now, just a few sentences into this blog do you find it hard to believe that the Bible even talks about grumbling? Why would grumbling matter to God? Easy…because as I said in the beginning, grumbling is a dealbreaker or as my wife would tell me, “I don’t really want to be around you when you grumble” Honestly, I don’t want to be around myself when I do that either…it is miserable.

When I started looking into this topic, I remembered reading about Moses as someone who had to deal with grumblers as he guided the Children of Israel across the desert. During those 40 years, he was constantly battling the grumblers who actually were not grumbling against Moses, they were grumbling against God…Which is really the point of this blog today.

MY grumbling, the Children of Israel’s grumbling, anybody’s grumbling, is truly AGAINST our God. AND, with a HUGE emphasis on this point…it ALSO makes everyone around you unhappy… 

Paul tells us that very fact in 1 Corin. 10:10

And don’t grumble as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. 11 These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction,z on whom the ends of the ages have come.

Destroyer? Wait, what? No one mentioned anything about a Destroyer. But actually, that’s not true because, as we just read, Paul informed us HOW big of a deal grumbling is to God…

Grumbling undermines anything and everything that is good. It basically says, “I don’t trust this plan or this person, and I need to make sure that everyone around me knows. Moreover, I really don’t think that God is capable of saving me or my family. Can you imagine what grumbling does to your children? I can tell you, it fundamentally provides them an example of how to walk away from God and just not trust or believe Him that He will work things out.

Yep…Grumbling does all that and MORE.

Guys, today I urge all of us, and certainly, myself included, to refocus on Christ and His saving salvation and start by just being thankful for that…THEN…Push Grumbling aside completely and look at your family and be thankful for that…

The pattern for removing grumbling is being thankful. You can’t grumble when you’re thankful…it is a scientific impossibility. OK…honestly, not sure about the science part but I do speak the truth. When you truly focus on the things in your life that you are thankful for (and they are there) you won’t feel the need to grumble anymore.

Guys, if you are like me, 2020 sucked and it is still sucking. But for me, even writing this, helps me remember that I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for and even though the future seems scary and I am unsure, we have a God who cares and asks us constantly to reach out to HIM for help.

Guys, I urge you today to take the first step…be thankful for ALL you have and no more grumbling-

Until next time guys-

Postscript: If you are specifically interested in the Destroyer I mentioned earlier, here are some scriptures for you to reference:

Exodus 12:23, Hebrews 11:28, 2 Kings 19:32-35

My many trips to Home Depot

Posted: December 13, 2020 in Just for Fun
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I wanted to change things up towards the lighter side with this post and I just couldn’t resist this article because I know we have ALL been there along our journey. I cannot take credit for this, and I have no idea who wrote it, but it just is so true…Enjoy.

Alright, so we have all been there at some point, you are in the middle of some kind of project around the house – mowing the lawn, putting up a new fence, painting the living room, or whatever. You are hot, sweaty, and covered in dirt or paint.  You have your old work clothes on,  Shorts with a hole in the crotch, an old T-shirt with a stain from who knows what, and an old pair of tennis shoes.  Right in the middle of this great home improvement project, you realize you need to run to Home Depot to get something to complete the job.  

Depending on your age you might do the following:

In your 20’s:

Stop what you are doing.  Shave, take a shower, blow-dry your hair, brush your teeth, floss, and put on clean clothes.  Check yourself in the mirror and flex.   Add a dab of your favorite cologne because you never know, you just might meet some hot chick while standing in the checkout lane or you went to school with the pretty girl running the register.

In your 30’s:

Stop what you are doing, put on clean shorts and a shirt.  Change shoes.   You married the hot chick so no need for much else. Wash your hands and comb your hair.  Check yourself in the mirror.  Still got it.  Add a shot of your favorite cologne to cover the smell.  The cute girl running the register is the kid sister to someone you went to school with.

In your 40’s:

Stop what you are doing.  Put on a sweatshirt that is long enough to cover the hole in the crotch of your shorts.  Put on different shoes and a hat.  Wash your hands.  Your bottle of Brute Cologne is almost empty so you don’t want to waste any of it on a trip to Home Depot.  Check yourself in the mirror and do more sucking in than flexing.  The spicy young thing running the register is your daughter’s age and you feel weird thinking she is pretty.

In your 50’s:

Stop what you are doing.  Put a hat on; wipe the dirt off your hands onto your shirt.  Change shoes because you don’t want to get dog crap in your new sports car.  Check yourself in the mirror and you swear not to wear that shirt anymore because it makes you look fat. The cutie running the register smiles when she sees you coming and you think you still have it.  Then you remember the hat you have on is from Buddy’s Bait & Beer Bar and it says, “I Got Worms.”

In your 60’s:

Stop what you are doing.  No need for a hat anymore.  Hose the dog crap off your shoes.  The mirror was shattered when you were in your 50’s.  You hope you have underwear on so nothing hangs out the hole in your pants.  The girl running the register may be cute, but you don’t have your glasses on so you aren’t sure.

In your 70’s:

Stop what you are doing.  Wait to go to Home Depot until the drugstore has your prescriptions ready, too. Don’t even notice the dog crap on your shoes. The young thing at the register smiles at you because you remind her of her grandfather.

I hope you enjoyed the humor of this article guys because the bottom line, we are all getting older but through the grace of God, even though our bodies aren’t what they used to be, we have huge reasons to be hopeful for the future. 

Jesus is alive and well and we must continue to tap into Him for Ironman Strength.

Until next time guys-

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