Sunday, November 29, 2015

The Anchor

This morning we are going to take a journey together and discover what it means to be covered by the grace of God. Grace is not an insurance policy but rathergrace is an assurance policy backed by God with benefits that are out of this world. Talk about being “in good hands”!

To begin our journey today we are going to enjoy a brief review of history. In order to truly appreciate where we are today and what we have it is often necessary take a look at where we came from and what we lacked in that place.

The Anchor
Gtcotr/ss112915
Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul …
According to my personal calculations, of which I spent years laboring in diligent studies, Adam was created by the hand of God approximately 6000 years ago on the millennia scale. Everything was wonderful until Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered into the world. Sin separated man from God and everything began to decay under the curse of sin. In spite of all of this God promised Adam that one day He would send a Savior.

Sin grew like an ill-sown seed in the world to the point where the attentions and affections of mankind were continually wicked and man refused to acknowledge God who had created him. Sin dominated the world and its inhabitants. When God would no longer put up with the evil intentions of the world He searched and found only one follower in all the earth. His name was Noah; he was a preacher ofrighteousness.

About 1656 years after God created Adam, which was about 2340 years Before Christ, God brought a great flood upon the earth and destroyed every living creature in which there was the breath of life except Noah and those who accompanied him on the Ark, which Noah had spent his life building for the salvation of his family.

Even though the Ark could temporarily save mankind from mortal death it could not save man’s immortal soul from the eternal pains of hell that awaitedAs the flood waters receded, sin was found still alive on planet earth and still powerful in the lives of man. Mankind needed a Savior. 

Approximately 2000 years after creation, which was also about 2000 years Before Christ, a hinge point in history, God made a covenant with a descendant of Noah named Abraham. God told Abraham about His plan to save mankind. For the next 2000 years the plan of God unfolded in the lives of the descendants of Abraham according to the covenant promise.

2000 years ago all of mankind was still living subject to the curse of sin which had ruled since the time of Adam. God’s promise and plan to send a Savior came about as predicted by the prophets in the little town of Bethlehem while shepherds watched their flocks in the fields. 

Although 4000 years may have seemed like a long time for mortal man to wait for a Savior, it was just a blip on the screen of eternity. One thing history teaches us about God is that: God plays the long game and God plays to win! Jesus was born at just the right time in the just right place and for the right reason. The promise was fulfilled when God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son fora world that was lost in sin.

Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death and was raised to life again on the third day victorious over sin, death, hell and the grave. He has always had a plan for your life!

For the past 2000 years every person who has believed in and called upon the name of Jesus has been Born Again and reconciled to God. We believe in Jesus because of the faith given to us by God. This faith in Jesus has set us free from the curse of sin forever. What else can your faith in Jesus Christ do for you? The Apostle Paulwrote to the Christian declaring:

Romans 5
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1. Peace (That passes all understanding: With God/Family/Others)
2. Access To Grace (The unmerited favor and ability to stand & rejoice)
3. Hope (Hope for my family; finances; future … the anchor of my soul)
6  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Even though the Ark could temporarily save mankind from mortal death it could not save man’s immortal soul from the eternal pains of hell that awaitedAs the flood waters receded, sin was found still alive on planet earth and still powerful in the lives of man. Mankind needed a Savior. 

Approximately 2000 years after creation, which was also about 2000 years Before Christ, a hinge point in history, God made a covenant with a descendant of Noah named Abraham. God told Abraham about His plan to save mankind. For the next 2000 years the plan of God unfolded in the lives of the descendants of Abraham according to the covenant promise.

2000 years ago all of mankind was still living subject to the curse of sin which had ruled since the time of Adam. God’s promise and plan to send a Savior came about as predicted by the prophets in the little town of Bethlehem while shepherds watched their flocks in the fields. 

Although 4000 years may have seemed like a long time for mortal man to wait for a Savior, it was just a blip on the screen of eternity. One thing history teaches us about God is that: God plays the long game and God plays to win! Jesus was born at just the right time in the just right place and for the right reason. The promise was fulfilled when God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son fora world that was lost in sin.

Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death and was raised to life again on the third day victorious over sin, death, hell and the grave. He has always had a plan for your life!

For the past 2000 years every person who has believed in and called upon the name of Jesus has been Born Again and reconciled to God. We believe in Jesus because of the faith given to us by God. This faith in Jesus has set us free from the curse of sin forever. What else can your faith in Jesus Christ do for you? The Apostle Paulwrote to the Christian declaring:

Romans 5
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1. Peace (That passes all understanding: With God/Family/Others)
2. Access To Grace (The unmerited favor and ability to stand & rejoice)
3. Hope (Hope for my family; finances; future … the anchor of my soul)
6  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ung

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Thanksgiving

Gtcotr/ss112215

Today we begin a very special week in the United States. Sunday being the first day of the Thanksgiving Holiday week provides us with both the opportunity and the obligation to shine a light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ on our nation and thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on America.

I’ve read that more than 700 million pounds of turkey will be consumed this Thursday in the celebration of this year’s Thanksgiving Holiday. Families will gather and a cornucopia of fruits, vegetables and desserts will dress the tables of homes everywhere and will be served to fill the hearts and stomachs of men, women, boys and girls, rich and poor alike, given out to soldiers serving on foreign fields, first responders in cities across our nation, as well as prison guards and inmates, in hospitals and homeless shelters. Thanksgiving is a celebration meant for all to enjoy.

Most of us know enough American history to remember the Pilgrims and their Mayflower voyage from England to New England late in the year 1620. We probably recall that they weren’t well prepared and that more than half of them died within a few months of the landing they made at Plymouth, Massachusetts from the bitter cold of that first winter.

Such losses could make anyone wonder if they had made the right choice. Was it the best decision for them and their families and the future? Why did they come? All reasonable questions.

The Pilgrims, much like the far majority of the settlers of that era including the French Huguenots and the Puritans, made their decision to come to America motivated by what they believed was the call of God on their lives. Their only hopes were to establish a world where they could worship God without fear of politically backed religious persecution and become a witness for Christ to their new world.

Although it was not an easy undertaking and its costs were great, nonetheless they succeeded and by the fall of 1621 they realized that God had indeed sent them and abundantly blessed them and that He deserved Thanksgiving. The rest is history …

Today we are going to read three portions of scripture. One will come from the Prophet Isaiah. This prophecy provides a link to its past and its future, as well as to our past and our future. We will connect this prophecy in Isaiah first to a passage in the book of Exodus at the point where God had just parted the Red Sea and the Children of Israel had crossed over on dry ground while their enemies were swallowed up and drowned by the waves.

The second portion of Scripture connected to the verses in Isaiah will be found in the New Testament Gospel of John. It is a passage detailing Jesus on one of His several visits to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Let’s look at these two passages now before we read from Isaiah’s prophecy to begin our Thanksgiving week.

Exodus 15
1  Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!
2  The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
  
What a picture of deliverance … The LORD has become my salvation! Keep that in mind. Next we read from a passage in the Gospel of:

John 7
2  Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.

If you aren’t familiar with the Feast of Tabernacles you may wish to read a little about it from Leviticus 23 and Numbers 29. This feast is celebrated in the fall of each year, just after the harvest has been gathered in. It begins and ends with a holiday and includes seven days of feasting and public celebrations. The feast remembers all that God did for the Children of Israel in the wilderness - including the fact that God dwelled with them in a Tabernacle while they lived in tents as well. The Hebrew prime root word for tabernacle means to cover and protect … like a tent or a shelter covers.

This feast began right after the Day of Atonement when sins were covered.

14  Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

Note: This is a good place to say that both Jesus and I believe in a mid-week Church service where the Word of God is taught … just sayin …

So, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, He goes into the Temple and teaches the Word of God at mid-week, and then on the last day, day 8, the last holi-day, a Sabbath in which no one worked but all attended a special celebration, Jesus stands up in the crowd, calls attention to Himself and makes a bold public declaration:

37  On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38  "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
39  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive …

Everyone in attendance that day knew exactly to what Jesus was referring. You see, although not prescribed by Moses it was nonetheless the deeply held tradition and custom of the Jews to draw water from the pool of Siloam near the Temple in Jerusalem and to pour it out at the Feast to symbolize the prophecy given centuries earlier by Isaiah concerning the coming Messiah. It was commonly said that if a person had never seen the joy associated with the drawing of this water that they had never seen joy!  

The Feast of Tabernacles was a fun feast and everyone was caught up in the joy of its celebration. Let’s look at the Messianic prophecy from Isaiah.

Isaiah 12
1 ¶  And in that day you will say: "O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
2  Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ’For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’"
3  Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
4 ¶  And in that day you will say: "Praise the LORD, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted.
5  Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.
6  Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!"

2  Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ’For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’"

Verse 2 is taken in reference from Exodus 15 and the deliverance experienced by the Children of Israel … the song of Moses …

Verse 3 connects this prophecy to its future and the time when Jesus Christ would become the wellspring of life for all who would come to Him.

3  Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.

This prophecy foretells of a day when eternal life would be freely offered for all who call upon the name of the Lord … it’s as simple and easy as drawing water from a well of salvation. Today is that day!

You know what the Hebrew word is that is translated Salvation in this prophecy? --- It’s the Hebrew word: “Yshuw’ah

Jesus saves! Just like some of you were saved today and many more will be in the coming weeks and months ahead …

And for that we are so thankful!

May the God of grace bless you and keep you and may you trust in the Lord and not be afraid. I pray that you will praise the Lord and declare His deeds among all people and that this coming Thursday you will make mention of His name and be Thankful!


Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Sunday Circles - Prayer and Thanksgiving

Sunday Circles
        Building Your Family With Friends
Church On The Rock
Gtcotr/sc112215

Prayer
Hymn: Give Thanks Unto the Lord
Memory Verse: Psalms 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High.

Lesson: Prayer and Thanksgiving
Scripture Reference: Philippians 4:6  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 
Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: Don’t Worry About Anything
Question: What are some things people commonly worry about?
Follow Up Question: What are some ways worrying can negatively affect a person?
Conclusion: We can change nothing by worrying about it. Many times the verbalization of our worries sounds as if we are complaining while doing nothing to fix our problem. Worry can make us physically, mentally, and spiritually sick. Perhaps these are the reasons God continually encourages us to not worry about anything.

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle: Pray About Everything, Telling God What You Want
Question: When should we turn to prayer for help?
Follow Up Question: For what things can we ask God?
Conclusion: God encourages us to talk to Him about everything and tell Him what we want. He is our Father and we are His children. This is a picture of the relationship He wants to have with us. You can ask God for anything.

Pastor remarks and intro of third principle

Third Principle: Thank God for All He Has Done
Question: Why is it important to give God thanks?
Follow Up Question: What are some things for which you are thankful?
Conclusion: God watches over us as His dear children. Our heavenly Father always knows what is best. Even when we may not get everything we want, nonetheless, we should be thankful for God’s superintending providence. So, don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

Pastor closing remarks

·        Connect Cards, Offering and Prayer, Memory Verse

·        Pre-Praise & Worship Prayer will be hosted in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will begin in just a few minutes.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Journey to Victory

Gtcotr/ss111515

Paris Attack – Friday, November 13, 2015
  As of the writing of these notes:
·        129 dead
·        near 350 wounded; of those 99 are in critical condition and another 177 in serious condition --- today there is a new reality in Europe
·        Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, claimed responsibility
·        Perpetrated in the wake of the downing of the Russian passenger plane last week in the Sinai claimed by ISIS killing more than 200 men, women and children in a senseless attack on innocent lives
·        At the very best, these events are only the beginning of sorrows

Our hearts go out to these families and friends of the victims and our prayers go up to our Heavenly Father Who alone is the answer.

You see: There are some things only God can do … our God deals in the impossible. What things are impossible with man are yet possible with God.
·        The Christian’s part is to pray; and to rest in the finished work of God; while all along getting ready to take their next step with God.
·        God’s part is to do what only He can do …

(Added Note of Personal Testimony: A little over 20 years ago Brenda and I were visiting the Old City of Jerusalem and found ourselves in the middle of what seemed to be an angry mob of thousands of people crowding through the narrow city streets in the Arab Quarter, all shouting and pushing towards the Temple Mount and past the erected barricades. We were shoulder to shoulder, front to back, crammed together as a mass of moving people being carried along without knowing which way to turn or how to remove ourselves from the mix. People were pouring in from every inlet and we could feel the momentum building. I had a tight grip on Brenda’s wrist and held her close to me without which we would have been separated and perhaps trampled several times. Looking like American tourists we certainly stuck out in this crowd.

Through all the noise and shoving she called to me and asked what we were going to do. I told her to pray and not to worry; everything was going to be ok. I was speaking in faith. I prayed too – a simple and earnest prayer, “God, help us.” At that moment I saw a tall gray haired man about 40 to 50 feet up ahead turn and look me in the eyes with a calm smile and he lifted his hand and said, “Follow me”. I can still remember what he looked like enough that if I saw him today I believe I would know him. He started off and I pulled Brenda through the crowd and followed him. This testimony does not tell as impacting as it was - but it still tells great. He continued walking about 40 to 50 feet ahead and turned down one side street and then another and it seemed as if we weren’t hindered at all in following him even though I continued to keep a tight grip on Brenda as we weaved ourselves through the still moving crowd.

I saw this man with the kind confidence make the last turn and when we went around that corner we were immediately out in the open just outside of the Damascus Gate in that large open area you have seen on TV with steps leading up to the street. No more crowd, no more concern. There were a few people mingling about and I could easily see for 100 feet in every direction but the man we had followed was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly we had been delivered from that mob and the dangers it presented in an instant miracle response to prayer. We both felt the relief and knew that God had sent an angel on assignment to meet our need. By the way, that wasn’t the first nor the last time we have seen the hand of God deliver us by angelic intervention. Yesterday after I had finished my studies Brenda told me that she often thinks about that day in streets of the Old City of Jerusalem. So, I took another look at this my sermon notes, which were already written and inserted this story without changing anything else. I think it is a fitting testimony on this morning’s journey to victory.)

Acts 12 NKJV
5  Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
6  And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.
7  Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands.
8  Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me."
9  So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10  When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11  And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

It is always best in every situation to:
1.  Pray
a.   Both Peter and the Church received miracles that night
b.   Prayer for yourself and for others makes the difference
c.   Prayer turns things over to God
2.  Rest in the Finished Work of God
a.   When it is out of your hands, it is out of your hands
b.   Turning it over to God does not equal giving up
c.   We are told to be anxious for nothing - Philippians 4:6
d.   We are encouraged to trust in the Lord – Proverbs 3:5
e.   There is a peace that passes all understanding - Philippians 4:7
f.    Colossians 3:15 tells us to let the peace of God rule in our heart
g.   He who has entered into God’s rest has ceased from his own works – Hebrews 4:10
3.  Get Ready to Take Your Next Step with God

Peter woke up and found that he was already in the middle of a miracle but it was a miracle which would demand his participation … he needed to get ready to step into his miracle. Get up, get fully and properly dressed, put his coat on, (it was early spring and cool outside at nighttime … prepared for what he was going to encounter), and follow the angel.

God demands that we participate in our miracle …

The leadership of the Lord can come through a dream, a vision, an angel on assignment, a word of encouragement, an inspired moment or simply an open door. We need to be ready to take that step …

There is a difference between what we can do about any situation and what God can do about that situation.

There is a difference between us trying to handle our problems with the skills and knowledge and experience we have and turning our problems over to God. The difference is success!

The Born Again Christian has an advantage that no other person on the planet has … we have the help and the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is our choice to participate …

John 14  NKJV
15  "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
16  "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — 
17  "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
18  "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19  "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
20  "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
21  "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
26  "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
27  "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

The Holy Spirit will teach us and guide us into all truth.
·        We must give God the opportunity to lead us
o   Even though God is involved in our lives on a daily basis
o   God gets more actively and more acutely involved by way of personal invitation
o   God is not afraid of your problem
o   Pray!
·        We must give God time to work
o   While we are giving God time we may as well be at peace
o   There are some things we can do and some things we cannot do … but we can always find our peace in Jesus
·        We must give God credit for knowing what He is doing – that’s called “Trust”

God knows exactly what to do for you, your family, the situations you face at work and your future. Give God a chance to do what only He can do … Involve God through by praying and turning your life and these situations over to Him. Then … give Him time to work while you trust Him and His eternal plan. Then get yourself mentally and spiritually ready to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit on your Journey to Victory.





Sunday Circles - Give Thanks Unto the Lord

Sunday Circles
        Building Your Family With Friends
Church On The Rock
Gtcotr/sc111515

Prayer
Hymn: Give Thanks Unto the Lord
Memory Verse: Psalms 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High.

Lesson: The Tabernacle
The tabernacle was comprised of three well defined areas, each one with its own purpose. These areas afforded a progressive approach to God and teach us how we should come before Him.

Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: The Outer Court
Scripture Reference: Psalms 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
The gates of the outer court were opened to anyone who wished to bring a sacrifice or offering to God.
This is the place where sins were covered and relationship restored.
Everyone was welcome, priests and parishioner, saint and sinner alike to make their petitions to God.
The approach to the outer court was made with thanksgiving, both in their heart and with outward expression.
Most people only ever experienced the outer court of the Tabernacle.
Question: To what can we liken our outer court experience in our lives today?
Follow Up Question: Why do you imagine that the outer court was the first and by far the largest court and experience in the Tabernacle?
Conclusion: Everyone is welcome to come to the altar of forgiveness and present themselves before God and partake of the blood of The Lamb. We should remember that both our approach to God and the petitions and offerings we bring, should be bathed with thanksgiving.

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle: The Inner Court
Scripture Reference:   Psalms 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
While everyone was welcomed into the outer court, only the servants of the Lord could enter the inner court.
While the outer court was a place of God serving man, the inner court was a place where man served God.
Having passed through the open gates and the large outer courts, the Levites would wash themselves and enter the Holy place to offer their prayers of intercession upon the altar of incense.
This smaller room was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
While the outer court was entered with thanksgiving, this Holy Place was accessed with praise.
Question: What are some differing aspects of thanksgiving and praise?
Follow Up Question: Discuss the difference between God serving man and man serving God.  
Conclusion: While we thank God for all He has done, even when we did not know Him, love Him, or serve Him, we also have opportunity to step closer in faith and praise Him for what He will yet do. It is in this praise that we commit ourselves in service to Him.


Pastor remarks and intro of third principle

Third Principle: Holy of Holies
Scripture Reference:   Psalms 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
This was the smallest room in the Tabernacle and the most holy place on the planet.
It contained the Ark of the Covenant, which held and manifested the presence, the power, and the glory of almighty God.
In Old Testament times, the only person who could enter this room was the High Priest, and then only once per year on the Day of Atonement.
If the priest himself was not pure in heart and right before God, he would die immediately.
For this reason, a rope was tied to him and bells attached to his robe so that he could be retrieved if necessary.
Upon the death of Jesus, the curtain to the Holy of Holies, which had separated man from God, was torn and the way opened for whosoever would come and worship almighty God and bless His name.
Question: What must it have been like to have been excluded from serving God and unwelcomed in His presence?
Follow Up Question: What is it like to now be welcomed in His presence so that you may boldly approach the throne of grace any time you wish?
Conclusion: It is a marvelous thing to enter the presence of God and it should be done with great worship, reverence, and respect. Our approach to God has not changed. We begin with a heart of thanksgiving for all He has done and continue drawing closer by offering ourselves in praise for what He will yet do and, ultimately, find ourselves at His feet worshipping Him for who He is. Thanksgiving, praise, and worship …

Pastor closing remarks

·        Connect Cards, Offering and Prayer, Memory Verse

·        Pre-Praise & Worship Prayer will be hosted in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will begin in just a few minutes.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Diabolos

Gtcotr/ss110815

One of the most destructive behaviors known to mankind is slander.

I do not say this because I am about to be slandered any more than the rest of you who are listening today, but rather because slander is such a powerful tool of satan and is most often used in his attempts to derail both the work and the will of God.

The devil cannot destroy anything including your marriage, your family, your financial strength, your Church, your community, your school or your nation, unless he can find at least one person to work with him.

And furthermore, the devil cannot rob you of your love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility or self control unless he can get you to work with him.

Today we are going to learn how to stop the devil in his tracks and render him incapable of causing any more trouble through you.

In order to accomplish this we must:
1.   Learn to recognize the devil and understand his goals.
2.   Then we must create a habit of resistance and overcome his temptations.

First Lesson: The Top Seven Primary Goals of the Devil
·        The number one goal of the devil is to separate
·        The top seven areas of separation are listed in priority …
·        The Devil Wants to Separate You from:
1.   God
2.   Your Parents
3.   Your Family
4.   Your Spouse
5.   Your Children
6.   Your Church
7.   Your Calling

How is the devil going to try and accomplish these separations?
·        Remember the devil can do nothing unless he finds someone and leads them or deceives them into siding with and working for him.
·        The devil will most often attempt to accomplish his goals of separation through the power of slander.
·        It has been his primary tool of choice since the very beginning.

Notice in Genesis 3
1  Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ’You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?"
2  And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3  "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ’You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’"
4  Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
5  "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

The devil’s goal was to separate Eve from God and from her husband and from the future God had planned for her. What tactic did the devil use? He slandered God.

According to the dictionary slander is the act of saying something false or malicious that damages somebody’s reputation.

However according to God slander occurs when one person accuses, defames, infers or otherwise creates suspicion or doubt about the reputation or character of another person. This slander has nothing to do with how the listener perceives but rather is based on the actions of the representative of the devil. When it’s said, when it’s inferred, it’s slander. Some of these acts have been better labeled in more familiar terms as:
·        Gossip (Idle conversation about others)
·        Being Busybodies (Nosy; Overly opinionated about others)
·        Tale Bearing (Telling things you have no business sharing)
·        Tattle Telling (Stirring strife or trying to get others in trouble)
·        Hearsay (Sharing second hand stories)
·        Starting or Repeating Rumors (Perpetuating unfounded information)

I realize that someone might imagine I have used the terms “Slanderer” and “Devil” interchangeably today. Hmmm … perhaps we should turn now to the New Testament Gospel of John:

John 6:70  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

John 8:44  “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

The Greek word translated “devil” is “diabolos

We don’t want the devil in our lives or to control our lives nor do we want to be found working as a representative of the devil in some attempt to separate people from God, their family, Church or calling. Nonetheless, the devil cannot do his work unless he can find someone who will work with him and he is trying his best to recruit you to work for him every day …

1 Timothy 3:11  Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers , temperate, faithful in all things.

The Greek word “diabolos” has in its root meaning “to accuse, slander or defame”. Satan is even called “the accuser of the brethren in Revelation 12:10. Revelation 12:9 calls him diabolos …

2 Timothy 3:3  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers , without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

Titus 2:3  the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers , not given to much wine, teachers of good things — 

What can we do to insure we aren’t deceived, tricked or otherwise led astray and begin working for the devil? The devil is not only trying to get you to slander others … he is trying to get others to slander you!

1 Peter 5
8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Everyone experiences the same temptations to separate others and to be separated from others.

James 4:7  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

I want to encourage each of us during this special family holiday season to be especially sensitive to the goals and deceptions of the devil and to not allow any gossip, no tale bearing, tattling or stirring the pot, not one critical or judgmental remark, and no repeating hearsay or rumors which could in anyway tempt the listener to think one negative thought about or lose any respect for another family member, a friend or even those old enemies who are usually roasted for family dinner. May you have the strength and presence of mind to resist every attempt of the devil to make you negative or to be drawn into conversations which promote his goals.

Let’s renew our pledge to submit ourselves, and especially our tongues and attitudes … even the rolling of our eyes, to God this holiday season and resist “diabolos.” Let’s commit ourselves to respect God and respect others whom God has placed in our lives.

And, if you hear any slander being spoken … resist commenting and stand fast in the faith knowing that God is not in the slandering business and neither are we!

Happy Holidays … and by that I mean Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!


Let’s pray and commit ourselves and this season to God!