Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11.
Solomon says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26); and there are hundreds of such to be found among professors of godliness. Says the apostle: “We are not ignorant of his [Satan’s] devices.” Oh, what art, what skill, what cunning, is exercised to lead the professed followers of Christ to a union with the world by seeking for happiness in the amusements of the world, under the delusion that some good is to be gained! And thus the unguarded walk right into the net, flattering themselves that there is no evil in the way….
How can I endure the thought that most of the youth in this age will come short of everlasting life! Oh, that the sound of instrumental music might cease and they no more while away so much precious time in pleasing their own fancy. Oh, that they would devote less time to dress and vain conversation, and send forth their earnest, agonizing prayers to God for a sound experience. There is great necessity for close self-examination in the light of God’s Word; let each one raise the inquiry: “Am I sound, or am I rotten at heart? Am I renewed in Christ, or am I still carnal at heart, with a new dress put on the outside?” Rein yourself up to the great tribunal, and in the light of God examine to see if there be any secret sin that you are cherishing, any idol that you have not sacrificed. Pray, yes, pray as you have never prayed before, that you may not be deluded by Satan’s devices…. Surely the foundation of your hope of everlasting life cannot be laid too sure…. While those around us may be vain and engaged in pleasure seeking and folly, our conversation is in heaven, whence we look for the Saviour; the soul is reaching out after God for pardon and peace, for righteousness and true holiness.
Expel sin from your hearts, for sin caused the death of the Son of God.
Jesus died, dear youth, not to save you in your sins, but from your sins.
The Faith I Live By p. 313
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Prayer Requests
—-I had my little 9 year old granddaughter at my house all weekend. She did not complain about hearing voices in her head anymore but she did complain about her house being haunted and she said she sees and hears demons in her hallway all the time walking towards her.. . . She said the lights go off and on in the hallway all by themselves and the doors open and close all by themselves. I told her that I would bring her 2 Bibles as soon as I can. One for her to sleep with and one for her backpack or to carry with her everywhere she goes. She is such a sweet and loving little girl and she loves singing christian songs and she loves Jesus. She is the only one in her immediate family who is a Christian or has any interest in God at all. It’s probably why she is the one being chosen to be harassed by these evil spirits. Although her little 5 year old sister with autism is very afraid of certain parts of the house now too and there are certain areas of the house that she will not go to. Please continue PRAYING for this situation that it will stop very soon! Connie
—-Please pray for the people of Nebraska as most of the state has been destroyed because of the flooding and dams and bridges breaking.
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Dear Friends,
Every once and awhile I get an email from someone who claims to be a high official in a country on the other side of the world. He says that he is looking for an honest person that can help her with a large sum of money and promises to give me 25% of the funds. Of course, I have to give them my bank account number for electronic transfer of funds.
It is easy to see that the e-mail is a scam. Each one is slightly different, but the person always says that someone has died leaving no heirs. There is always a large amount of money involved to tempt the receiver of the e-mail to try it just once. The writer always asks that we trust him and always promises great rewards. Of course there is no such money and no such person. The scammer is wanting our bank account number and all of our personal information so he can withdraw whatever we have and use the information to steal our identities.
How much like the devil’s temptations these e-mails are. He, too, promises wonderful things if we will only trust him. He, too, promises great rewards if we will cooperate with him. However, his promises are like “ropes of sand.” Jesus tells us that the devil “is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44 Peter warns us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8,9
Just as the evil one promised Eve that if she disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, she would become like God, so today he lures us into sin through promises geared to our particular likes. (Gen 3:1-15)
Just as Eve’s disobedience brought sin and woe to this planet, so allowing the devil even a little corner of our heart brings misery to us and to those we love. If we trust him, we will only have heartache and grief. We will find ourselves so entangled in his snare that we cannot escape.
Our Loving Saviour looks upon His erring children with pity and love, longing to rescue us from the evil one’s plots. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Ps 103:13 Praise God! He has provided a way to escape the devil’s entrapments. (1 Cor 10:13) Indeed, He, Himself, is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” John 14:6 Because of His great sacrifice for us, we can be assured of final victory in this great controversy between good and evil. “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Gen 3:15 He gave His life that we “may recover [ourselves] out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” 1 Tim 2:26
Now is the time to give our allegiance to our Great Redeemer. Now is the time to determine to serve the Great King and Creator of the Universe. “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Heb 3:15; Heb 2:3; 2 Cor 6:2
May we continually shut our ears to the evil one’s temptations by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Heb 12:2 May we “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph 6:11, 12 May we daily keep so close to our Dear Saviour that we will recognize the devil’s wiles.
Rose
The Device of Worldliness