Category: spiritual warfare

A Naughty Tongue! #4

Sunday, July 12, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

Considering the entire Bible, we recognize two factions—creatures on God’s side, and everyone else on Satan’s team. Moreover, all communication originates from one or the other. That is, the tongue or speaking organ will reflect God’s truth or Satan’s lie. Notice that prominent dichotomy in the following classic Bible passage.

Matthew chapter 12: “[31] Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. [32] And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. [33] Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. [34] O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. [35] A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. [36] But I say unto you, That every idle [useless, worthless] word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. [37] For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

The two kinds of speech—good and evil—are likened unto “fruit” stemming from trees. Of course, that “tree” is the heart (verses 34,35). A corrupt heart produces evil words; a good heart yields good words. Read verse 24. Israel’s apostate religious leaders had just wrongly accused Jesus of cooperating with Satan. Their evil words leveled against Him, or groundless slander, exposes their heart as corrupt or unbelieving. Christ thus labels them “vipers” (verse 34), for they mimic their spiritual father Satan, the serpent (Revelation 12:9). Listen as sinful man’s “naughty tongue” articulates more filthiness….

A Naughty Tongue! #3

Saturday, July 11, 2020

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue” (Proverbs 17:4 KJV).

In today’s world of widespread social media, “wicked doer,” “false lips,” “liar,” and “naughty tongue” are all appropriate nouns!

The Lord Jesus had some harsh words for Israel’s apostate religious leaders: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Satan is a “liar,” and “the father of [a lie].” As Lucifer, he once had God’s truth. Then, he willfully forsook it in favor of deceit.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Did you see the lies he told? Lucifer, a mere creature, believed he should be worshipped as God, and that all creation should follow his will instead of the Creator’s will. This transformed him into Satan—Hebrew for “the Adversary”—and God promptly removed him from the third heaven.

Ezekiel chapter 28, verses 1 and 2, now: “The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:….” Read verses 11-19. Satan is working through this human political ruler, which loops to the future. Indeed, God’s Adversary “converted” man to his side in the Garden of Eden, and man has been speaking his spiritual father’s lies ever since….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What about a six-year Tribulation?”

Turn Not from It! #8

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:7 KJV).

Dear readers, let us learn this vital lesson from ancient Israel’s history.

Second Peter chapter 2: “[1] But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. [2] And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. [3] And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” Whether Old Testament Israel, future Israel, or even the present time, Satan’s preachers always labor!

As today’s Scripture indicates, spiritual prosperity is achieved only when we follow the doctrinal path Almighty God has laid out for us. Israel would suffer tremendously if she drifted from the Law of Moses. Once Joshua died, the Jews waxed worse and worse. The Old Testament record abounds with a myriad of resultant tragedies—civil wars, collapse of family, droughts and famines, Gentile oppression, plagues and diseases, poverty, death, and so on. All these unfortunate situations were because Israel failed to maintain sound Bible doctrine.

Romans chapter 16: “[17] Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. [18] For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Here is the Holy Spirit’s warning to us the Church the Body of Christ. People will use false doctrine to split local churches and cause saints to stumble. Their main perversion is stressing Law and ignoring Grace (Romans 6:14,15). Mixing God’s Word and will for us, with God’s Word and will for Israel, is sure to bring spiritual ruin. Therefore, follow Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. Turn not from the rightly divided Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)!

Turn Not from It! #7

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:7 KJV).

Dear readers, let us learn this vital lesson from ancient Israel’s history.

Go now to Deuteronomy chapter 13: “[1] If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, [2] And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; [3] Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

“[4] Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. [5] And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust [throw, force!] thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.”

Whatever Satan used to deceive Israel long ago would certainly be profitable to him today: he still uses counterfeit (false) teaching to distract and divide God’s people. In Deuteronomy, the LORD warned Israel not to be led astray by any “miracle worker.” Even if an “inexplicable” or “supernatural” demonstration was involved, the underlying thought itself was a lie, so that teacher or preacher was to be executed by stoning! He or she was “seducing” Israel, drawing the nation away from God’s revelation to the Jews (see verse 5). Even now, such individuals still seek to “turn [us] away from the LORD [our] God.” Brethren, we should therefore be wary….

Turn Not from It! #6

Monday, July 6, 2020

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:7 KJV).

Dear readers, let us learn this vital lesson from ancient Israel’s history.

Consider the warnings the Holy Spirit through Paul issued to the church leaders of Ephesus. Acts chapter 20: “[28] Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. [29] For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. [30] Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. [31] Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. [32] And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace [!], which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”

The most spiritually lethal aspect of Satan’s policy of evil concerns religious perversion. Individuals—whether willingly or inadvertently makes no difference—continuously entice us to abandon the Message of Grace because they favor the Law!! Church leaders should thus guard their congregations by stressing grace teaching. Sadly, as Paul pointed out, those very people are usually the ones guilty of introducing and disseminating the heresy! Furthermore, multitudes within the churches are eagerly deceived and ruined thereby.

Second Timothy chapter 4: “[1] I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; [2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. [3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; [4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Let us “take heed” too….

Turn Not from It! #5

Sunday, July 5, 2020

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:7 KJV).

Dear readers, let us learn this vital lesson from ancient Israel’s history.

Return to 2 Timothy chapter 1 to see the ruin, and the warning to avoid it: “[13] Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. [14] That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. [15] This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.” The Apostle Paul admonished young Pastor Timothy “hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me.” Timothy was not to drift from the doctrine he learned from Paul.

Furthermore, he ordered Timothy: “that good thing which was committed unto thee [deposit of sound doctrine] keep [guard] by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” What if Timothy disobeyed these instructions? He would be like the rest of the Christians in Turkey. “All they which are in Asia be turned away from me.” They released grace principles so as to grip legalistic ones! Two false teachers, Phygellus and Hermogenes, were leading these saints away from Pauline doctrine and encouraging them to follow the Mosaic Law.

Chapter 2 of 2 Timothy: “[14] Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [16] But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; [18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.”

Failing to recognize the special dispensation given to Paul, we “concerning the truth have erred,” having turned to the right or left….

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Turn Not from It! #4

Friday, July 3, 2020

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:7 KJV).

Dear readers, let us learn this vital lesson from ancient Israel’s history.

The LORD through Moses taught Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 17: “[14] When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; [15] Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother…. [18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: [19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: [20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.”

Israel’s kings were to make a copy of God’s Word, and study that copy of the Law of Moses. Doing so would save them and their nation from spiritual destruction. King Josiah of Judah is described in 2 Kings 22:2 thusly: “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” Unfortunately, this could not be said of all Jewish kings. Like the Body of Christ, they overwhelmingly turned aside to the right and to the left….

NOTE: We interrupt this devotionals arc for one day in order to present a special study.

Turn Not from It! #3

Thursday, July 2, 2020

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:7 KJV).

Dear readers, let us learn this vital lesson from ancient Israel’s history.

“All churches believe roughly the same.” “One religion is as good as another.” “Doctrine does not matter.” “It makes no difference what Bible translation we use.” Such pervasive myths they are! When JEHOVAH God commanded Israel to obey His Word, He likened it to them following a path from which they should never deviate. To introduce just one scintilla of false teaching would be to veer off course—to the left hand or right. The Holy Spirit had inspired, had spoken forth, the Mosaic Law. Accordingly, Israel was to not drift from it. Alas, Israel had a lackadaisical attitude—like the Body of Christ today. They were loose in their beliefs… until they were finally free from God’s control entirely!

Titus chapter 1 again: “[10] For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision [Jews]: [11] Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. [12] One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. [13] This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; [14] Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.”

We, the Body of Christ, were cautioned in Paul’s epistles to carefully adhere to sound doctrine. There are more evil schools of thought in the world than good, more false teaching than truth. Yet, little spiritual discernment is the norm today. For 2,000 years, we have spent most of our time swerving doctrinally—left and right, here a denomination and there a denomination—than we have staying on the course of Pauline teaching. We have allowed lost people, under the guise of “scholarship,” to take leading positions in our Bible colleges and churches. No wonder we see such spiritual confusion and ruin amongst ourselves!

Let us depart neither right nor left….

A Lost Generation! #10

Thursday, June 11, 2020

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

What this “lost” generation needs is to be found!

Although desperately needed, societal reform will not result from mere external changes. Remove all weapons from every hand, and incarcerate all people everywhere, and humanity will still manage to destroy itself. It is a spiritual matter, not simply physical. Man must receive a new nature, a new heart, and that only happens in Christ. Thus, a clear Gospel message must be preached and believed.

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again…. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15,17).

People do not get along with each other because they are naturally sinners (James 4:1), and sinners are naturally selfish (they “live unto themselves”). If, however, they believe the Gospel of the Grace of God, then they are placed “in Christ,” and become a “new creature,” possessing a new identity. They assume Jesus Christ’s identity, thereby able to think and act like Him—selflessly, seeking another’s benefit (Philippians 2:5-8). “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). He died for us, unselfishly! Now, His love for us can work in us, and we thus love and serve others.

Make no mistake, worldwide societal revival will come when Christ returns: “And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations” (Isaiah 25:7). One day, God’s light will illuminate the whole world currently in Satan’s darkness. Until then, brethren, we preach the Gospel of Grace, brightly shining forth to call sinners out of this present evil world!

A Lost Generation! #9

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

What this “lost” generation needs is to be found!

Concerning the nation Israel after Jesus Christ finished His earthly ministry and His 12 Apostles undertook their ministry under the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter chapter 2: “[9] But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; [10] Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” No longer was Israel “lost!”

As touching formerly pagan Gentiles, now members of the Church the Body of Christ, the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 2: “[1] And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; [2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. [4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” No longer were these Gentiles “lost!”

Provided each “lost” generation of every moment in human history believes God’s Word to and about it, it can be a found generation. Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….