Satan Can Really Tell Some Big Ones!

“He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning,

not holding to the truth,
for there is no truth in him.

When he lies,

he speaks his native language,
for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

John 8:44 NIV

First of all let me say that Satan is a very huge part of this real world! In fact God is allowing him to be the ruler of this world temporarily! “…now the prince of this world will be driven out.” John 12:31b In addition, Satan and his forces are out in full force throughout the heavenly realms.

Today it occurs to me that if I am going to counter Satan’s lies I must know what those lies are. I am the type of person that I want to know what something looks like in the real world. I need examples! As I sip my coffee and type this morning I am trying to identify some of the deceptive lies that Satan is deceiving the world with today. Maybe you have also heard them.

There is no God.

If one does not believe that God exists that person’s mind is closed. All I can do for that person is pray that God will reveal himself to that individual.

God is a loving God and will not punish sin and that good people go to heaven.

If one believes that God exists but that He is such a loving God that he would never punish sin, then that person may also feel that they do not need God.

There is no hell or that only really bad people go to hell.

If a person does not believe in hell then of course, that person doesn’t believe that he needs a plan of escape from hell.

The Bible is just another book or that the Bible is partially true.

If a person doesn’t believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word to humanity and that it is totally and completely true, then that person has disqualified God’s truth. When I hear someone say that they do not believe the Bible, I wonder if they have ever read the Bible. A person who has never read the Bible would hardly be qualified to make such a statement. I would suggest that if one does not believe the Bible then they should read it from cover to cover and make an extensive study before they make such a profound statement against the Bible!

There are many ways to God

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

On the slim to none chance that those who have the above mentioned beliefs are right, then as a believer I have nothing to loose. No God. No punishment. No Truth to learn. On the other hand, if those of us who believe in the living God are right, those who choose not to believe in God have everything to loose. They will never experience God’s forgiveness. They will never have a blessed personal relationship with God. They will miss out on God’s eternal rewards and fellowship with him. They will however, experience total separation from God and eternal punishment. So today I’m wondering why anyone would choose to take that chance.

Questions:

Do you believe any of Satan’s lies regarding God, life after death, the Bible, or alternate ways to get into heaven?

If so, how do you convince yourself that there is no risk in believing the lies?

If you are a believer are there any other lies that Satan is whispering to you?

Could he be saying that you’re not good enough for God to love? Could he be saying that God is angry with you because you never seem to get it right?

Have you “nailed” Satan for the liar he is?

Prayer:

Dear God,

I thank you that in your Word you have identified Satan as a liar so that I may not be deceived by him. God help me to be alert to his cunning, deceiving lies. When I am faced with a lie of Satan help me to cast Satan behind me by telling him, through the power of your son’s name, to “get lost – take a hike,” and then seek your Holy Spirit to be my strength and your Word to be my truth.

In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Our Help in Trouble

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

Psalm 59:16 NIV

Sometimes my life is hard and I find myself in the midst of a struggle. My crisis could be relational, financial, physical, mental or even spiritual. There are times that I may experience multiple struggles at the same time. One thing I know for sure is that life is uncertain. All of our lives can change on a dime!

If you have not experienced loss, grief, sorrow, fear, disappointment, financial struggles, sickness, or relational problems, just hang in there. You will. If you think that you are the only person with problems you may be a little self absorbed. If you think that someone else has the perfect life, it may be that you do not know that person well enough to know what he or she is going through. I’m quite certain that I am very normal. The fact is that I should not expect to escape multiple opportunities to struggle, become bitter, angry, and fearful because of all the curves that life has the potential to throw at me.

I have often wondered why it seems I have been doomed to experience so much trouble. Sometimes my trouble has been caused by my own bad choices. There have been other times when I have been wounded by another person’s actions. A few times life has just happened and I have lost a loved one to death. There have been times when my husband has been out of work and we have watched our dreams fall apart.

In addition to all of those opportunities for trouble I have learned that there are many other circumstances in life that are completely out of my control. I may get a bad doctor’s report, or disaster may strike my home as the result of a storm, or there is an accident that involves someone I love.

It is having Jesus Christ in my life that helps me in the midst of all my trouble he is the one that gets me through the hard times and difficult circumstances in life. It is all the disappointments, pain and sorrow in my life that gives me all the more reason that I need to follow close behind Jesus in this life. It is what calls me to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from him his ways, so that I might be better prepared for the times when the rug gets pulled out from under me or I get the wind knocked out of me.

There have been so many times in my life that I did not meet Jesus regularly in the garden of my heart. I have always paid a big price for avoiding the garden. I have many times procrastinated going to the garden, and there have been other times that I have totally missed my appointment with the Master Gardner because of my busy schedule.

Then it happens! I get my socks knocked off and that sends my bare feet madly running into the garden screaming and crying for help! Sometimes I’m angry or afraid. Other times I have had my heart trampled on. I have always found that when I am in desperate need of help, seeking Jesus in the garden of my heart is the perfect place to go.

Questions:

What difficulty are you faced with right now?

Are you still trying to work your problems out in your own strength?

Have you considered going to the garden?

Are you waiting for things to get so bad that you go screaming into the garden?

What could be gained by going to the garden before your emotions get totally out of control?

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Help me to see the garden as a safe place of refuge. Help me learn to go to the garden and seek you and your ways. Help me to use this time to prepare my heart for any difficulty that lies ahead. When tragedy strikes help me not to procrastinate or avoid coming straight to you. I know my help comes from you alone.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

Blessed and Privileged

“Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 2:12b NIV

This morning I am reflecting on the thought that when God calls a person and reveals his truth to that individual, that person is truly blessed and privileged.

It always makes me sad to realize that there are individuals who simply do not believe in God and others who believe that there is a God, yet have zero desire to know him. Some people acknowledge that he is “out there” but feel he is unapproachable. Others fear him and still others dismiss him. Satan has provided people with so much wrong information that it is no small wonder that anyone comes to God. Simply put, Satan has deceived and lied to all of humanity big time!

In light of those dark facts there is still cause for great celebration and joy. The simple truth is that God is greater than Satan. Love and power are two attributes that sets God apart from Satan. Not only does God love us – he lavishly loves us!

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1a NIV

Today I am so glad that Jesus loves me lavishly and he never leaves me. Jesus is always in the depths of my heart’s garden waiting for me to meet him there. I confess that some days I am so busy that I don’t get to the garden. Other days I am so overcome with sadness and grief and I cannot get up the strength to walk into the garden. Sometimes I am so mad and angry I don’t even want to go to the garden. Yet the fact remains, Jesus Christ is already patiently sitting on a bench waiting for me to show up! I am indeed privileged and blessed to have Jesus Christ in my life. I readily admit that there are obstacles that will try to keep me out of the garden, but I must learn to identify them. I have great need to be in the presence of Jesus and I must continue to frequently go to the garden to receive his love and instruction. Spending time with Jesus is both a blessing and a privilege!

Questions:

If you have accepted Jesus Christ, do you feel blessed and privileged to have been called by him?

Can you identify any of the obstacles that hinder you from entering the garden of your heart?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you for calling me to yourself. There are some days that I just can’t help but ask why me? Why have I been so privileged and blessed? God why are you so good to me? I know the answer is simple. It is because you love me. God please help others to know that they too are loved by you. I pray that the knowledge of your lavish love for me will cause me to seek to identify the obstacles in my life that hinder my relationship with you. Help me to recognize feelings and emotions that keep me so self indulged that I cannot get past my circumstance and come to you in the garden. God, help me to remember what a privilege and a blessing it is to be able to spend time with you, the God of the universe.

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.

If Only I Had a Green Thumb!

“Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines;

though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food,

...yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The sovereign Lord is my strength!”

Habakkuk 3:17-19a NIV

I love to garden. During the winter months I find myself surrounded by my garden books and seed catalogs. I begin sketching out flower beds and dreaming about what I am going to plant in the spring.

I have to admit that at times I get frustrated because my thumb is not as green as I wish it to be. For me it is a year by year experiment, always wondering which flowers will flourish and which ones will be a disappointment. Sometimes I plant and the results are absolutely beautiful! The plant that I have lovingly cared for is all I could have imagined and hoped for. When the plant blooms it is a vision of delight! Other times my efforts are destroyed by lack of rain, weeds, pestilence, poor soil, wrong light exposure, not enough nutrients, or the deer invite themselves to dine in my garden. I must confess that sometimes sheer neglect on my part has left me with nothing but a dead plant!

Today I am reflecting on the fact that all of my efforts to put my life in perfect order seem to always fail. My thumb is never green enough to produce a perfect garden of inner beauty and my self efforts are never enough to produce a sinless life. I have come to realize that just like neglecting a real garden it is also possible to neglect my spiritual garden. When this occurs, the once vibrant plants of love and grace will end up dying from neglect.

As I think about the imperfections of my garden, I am reminded that a very long time ago God desired that humanity live in a perfect garden. On the day that sin entered the garden that God had planted in Eden life fell from its perfect condition to an imperfect condition. Because sin entered the world, the perfect life ended and trouble began. Today I am reminded that there will always be times in my life when things are not so good. The fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines. There will be times when my crops will fail and my garden will be parched and ugly. But I know that God is only a prayer away. The Master Gardner always stands ready to breathe his forgiveness and grace into my life causing it once again to flourish.

I know perfectly well that life has not always been fair and there have been many times when life has dealt me some hard blows. I admit that sometimes I don’t feel much like rejoicing. Yet I know that I can always have at least one reason to rejoice.

Because of sin, Adam and Eve were cast from the garden. Unfortunately, all of humanity was banned from the garden as well. But now, God has provided a way for us to be restored. God sent his son, Jesus to redeem all of us. If you have not done so already, God wants you to invite Jesus Christ to come into your life and in a very personal way Jesus wants to make your heart his home. Because of this, I always have reason for rejoicing no matter what my circumstances may be. I hope you have accepted Jesus Christ, because if you have, this is your reason for rejoicing too!

Questions:

Where do you sense difficulty or failure creeping into your life?

Has Jesus Christ become you personal Savior?

If so, are you rejoicing that God has given you a second chance to be with him forever?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you that you have provided a way that I may come back into your presence. Help me to choose to not give in to despair during the difficult times of my life, but rather to give you my challenges. Please turn my sorrow into rejoicing because of the second chance that you have given me.

In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

The Garden of My Heart

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

I am hopelessly in love with every flower that God ever created. I love the colors, the textures, the intricate design, and the fragrance of each flower. I find warmth in the bold red, purple, orange and hot pink petals. I experience a calm peace when I look at the cool blue, lavender and delicate pink flowers. I feel happy and cheerful when I see the sunny yellow blooms. I savor the purity of the white beauties and I find rest in the lushness and textures of green foliage. Even the gray foliage is soothing and mysteriously beautiful.

My love of flowers often leads me to a florist or a garden center. I also love to visit a beautiful estate or botanical garden. When spring arrives I have to hold my purse strings tight because I want to take every homeless plant home to live with me! That’s why imagining my heart as a garden where I can meet with God is a beautiful picture in my mind. The garden of my heart is the place where I can meet God and we can spend amazing time together.

Today I am deeply moved when I realize that within the garden of my heart God is planting his values. He is working to establish deep roots of godly character within me. He is pruning and pinching back vines so that I might bare his fruit. He is tilling the soil of my heart and supplying the nutrients of love and grace that I will need to overcome difficult days that are sure to be ahead. In addition, he is sending showers of blessings to refresh me on a daily basis. Jesus is teaching me that when I partner with him, the Master Gardner, he will bring into bloom beautiful flowers in my heart’s garden that will be a reflection his character in my life. My prayer is that Jesus will be the very fragrance of grace in my life. That he will use, as he chooses, all of the beautiful flowers that he has planted in my heart’s garden to emit his beauty to all those he places in my life.

There is also a warning to be heeded. This warning is that the responsibilities of life can pull me away from the garden. When this happens my spiritual garden will suffer from neglect. Every day going to the garden and spending time with Jesus, the Master Gardner, is a necessary choice that I must continue to make.

Questions:

What part of nature do you love?

Do you use nature to connect with God? If so how?

Can you imagine your heart being a garden where you can meet with God?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Help me to connect with you this day through something beautiful that you have created. May I feel your presence and be in awe of your amazing love which is displayed in creation. Help me to know that you care for all of the minute details of my life just like you do in all creation. I only have to look at a flower or a beautiful butterfly to know that you are indeed a God of detail. Thank you for caring about every detail of my life. God I pray that you will give me a desire to meet you often in the garden of my heart.

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.

Simple Obedience

“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land...”

Isaiah 1:19 NIV

As I begin a new year I am contemplating resolutions vs. real change. I believe God is impressed with real change rather than a resolve to hopefully change.

At the beginning of 2009 our minister spoke on simple obedience. That message has been tugging at my heart ever since last January. I began to search my heart regarding where I might be avoiding simple obedience.

For me it wasn’t that I was stubbornly refusing to be obedient; but that I was procrastinating doing something that God had put on my heart. Part of the procrastination came because I wasn’t sure what to do or how to accomplish the task.

Over the past years of my life my friends and family have said, Paula, you should write. I really could not see myself writing a book. Yet writing was something that I enjoyed and came quite naturally for me. I had already written miscellaneous Bible study teaching materials, and a small devotional book. In addition, I had filled many journals and I had written hundreds of notes on the backs of church bulletins, scraps of paper, note cards, shopping receipts, and sometimes a paper napkin had to suffice! Ideas would pop into my head and I just had to immediately write them down. I had no real purpose in doing what I did, I just did it!

God began to speak to me about all that I had written in addition to all of my scatterings of notes! One day out of the blue, my husband, Joe suggested that I use the internet to write. I still was not sure how to go about this and then I discovered blogs!

In my feeble attempt to write I was faced with many challenges. I started and I stopped. I had time and I didn’t have time. I had an office to write in and then I lost my office. I also wrestled with the thought that perhaps I really didn’t have anything to say. I was fearful. I wanted all of the answers before I could begin. The blog idea continued to poke at me. Again, through another sermon God showed me that if I had been given spiritual truth it was my responsibility to pass it on. Finally, God gave me some ideas regarding time management skills. He also impressed upon me that it was OK not to know all of the answers in order to begin the project, nor did I need to know what the end result would be. I then began the simple act of obedience as I began to write.

I do not have a clue as to what God will do with my obedience. Maybe someone will read my blog and be encouraged. Maybe someone else will read my words and decide to invite Jesus Christ into their life. Yet maybe another person will be mentored through the words I write. Perhaps no one will read it. Maybe others will read it and hate it! Regardless of the results, I am free of the outcome. I am however, bound to simple obedience, and God will determine the usefulness.

Questions:

Is God asking something of you?

What is God asking?

Are you being simply obedient?

What is keeping you from being obedient?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Help me to be obedient regarding what it is that you are asking me to do. It may be as simple as passing on a bag of hand me downs to another family, making a meal for a friend, or writing a note of encouragement to another person. It may be stepping up in service at church, or giving more of my resources. Or it may be the matter of adjusting my schedule to make more time for you. It may be going on a mission trip, opening my home for Bible study, or writing a blog. It may be the task of being nicer to my spouse or forgiving an offender. No matter what it is that you are calling me to do, please help me to be simply obedient to your call!

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.