2 Peter 2:8-9 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
When Yeshua (Jesus) was attacked by Satan during His temptation in the wilderness, He countered every attack with the Word of God. But notice in Satan’s second attack – the enemy himself quoted the Scriptures, saying, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge over thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:6 was a quote from Psalm 91:11, but the phrase, “to keep thee in all thy ways” was absent from Satan’s quote).
If we learn anything from this, we will realize that Satan has knowledge and some understanding of Scripture, and that he will use the Word attempting to deceive us with it into wrong actions. This tactic goes back even as far as the Garden of Eden where the adversary twisted God’s word saying, “Did God really say you shall not eat from every tree in the garden?”
So it is today, that all around us we are hearing constant abuses, questions, and attacks against the truth and reliability of God’s Word. Did God really create the world…in six days? Did God really say that marriage consists of a union between a man and a woman? Is God really going to judge the world and destroy it with fire? Has God really defined absolute moral truth?
The enemy is constantly attempting to erode and destroy the foundational truths of God’s word using distortions, corruptions, half-truths, and modern “interpretations”, for he knows that “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)
Let’s not be deceived by these subtle ploys of Satan. If we agree to alter or dilute the Word of God to accommodate our circumstances or natural inclinations, we will end up exactly where that serpent wants us; in disobedience, sin, and sorrow. You know, Satan has been using religious language to tempt the saints since the beginning of time, even to the point of trying to persuade people that he doesn’t even exist. We must be discerning. If we want to live and walk in the truth we will believe God’s Word undiluted without compromise or private interpretation, seeking to understand it with the help of His Holy Spirit, Who is the only perfect interpreter. If we do, the enemy’s deceptions will fail, and we will be delivered from every temptation!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Writing daily devotions throughout the years I’ve often been asked the question, “How do I find the will of God?” There are probably many good scriptural approaches to answering this question; but I want to offer something very basic as you think about understanding the will of God. That is, simply, that you’ll know His will when you come to know the heart of God.
For the past few days we’ve been delving into the multiple meanings of “Amen”. While “Amen” is most commonly found at the end of prayers, the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) often used it at the beginning of a statement: “Truly, truly, I say unto you …” more accurately translated, “Amen, Amen, I say unto you…”
Murmuring or complaining is one of those sins that are overlooked. Sometimes we get so focused on the “big sins” such as murder and adultery that we overlook this sin — but the Lord doesn’t give this sin a free pass — quite the opposite. It’s a hidden killer! This sin unleashed a plague that killed thousands of Israelites! [Numbers 16]
The city of Laodicea was founded nearly three centuries before the birth of Christ. Built on a trade route, Laodicea was quite prosperous. The wealth of the city was legendary, as Jews who lived there sent 9 kilograms (20 lbs) of gold to the Temple in Jerusalem on a yearly basis according to historical records.
Laodicea was an idyllic city except for its lack of a water supply. It depended on water from an external source, the city of Hierapolis was located six miles to the north, the site of mineral hot springs which were used for medicinal purposes. These steaming hot waters were piped to Laodicea, arriving there… lukewarm, hence the metaphor in Yeshua’s warning to the Laodicean church.
The church at Laodicea received a stern warning in chapter 3 of John’s Revelation. We would do well to reflect on it.
The word “Laodicea” is a compound in the Greek; “Laos” which principally means “people”, and “dike”, defined as “principle or decision”. One rendering might read, “rule of the people”, or, in modern terms, “Democracy”. In the western world, we have an affection and even a deep commitment to Democracy. Yet this form of government, “rule of the people” is fatally flawed… because we are fatally flawed by our sin nature…
As we continue to probe the lessons from the salt covenant, we now inquire into our part in the covenant.