A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Tuesday, October
2, 2018
Message Summary: Our enemy's mission is "to steal and kill and destroy". But thankfully, Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly".
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).
In the mid-twentieth century mankind developed a type of weaponry unknown up until that period of history; weapons of mass destruction. Traditionally we have understood these weapons to be nuclear, chemical and biological. The distinction of these weapons is that they can kill people in mass and when used they rarely make a significant distinction between military and civilian.
However as technology increases we now have a more recently identified weapon of mass destruction known as an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). This weapon will bring the economy down very fast. Testifying before Congress, Peter Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, warned that a rogue state or terrorist could attack the United States with such a weapon that would kill 9 out of 10 Americans "through starvation, disease, and societal collapse". You can be certain that more weapons of mass destruction are being developed. That's the nature of sinful humanity.
When I consider that these types of weapons have been available my entire life it's amazing that with all the evil hands on them we haven't had a major earth-altering event. This is evidence to me of God's sovereign overarching control. It won't be over until God ordains it to be over!
Today let us consider four weapons of mass spiritual destruction that Satan has used from the very beginning. In fact these weapons can be seen in the Garden of Eden and all throughout Biblical and human history. It is essential that we identify these weapons and be on our guard.
Daily prayer:
Father, our hope plummets and our souls despair when we consider the first portion of John 10:10; "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy", for it describes our arch enemy whose sole mission is to take
anything and everything that is of importance and value from us. But
the gloom and despair is lifted as Jesus further tells His listeners, "but I have come to give life and give it more abundantly."
The thief takes, but You give, for You are the giver of life, giving
freely and abundantly, not only in this life but in the life to come.
Thank You for defeating the enemy of our soul that seeks to destroy
with his arsenal of distraction, denial, downplay and distortion. You
don't tear down but build us up for You are our Redeemer and Deliverer,
for which we are thankful. Amen.
It's
always uplifting to pass an Amish school and see the children out for
recess. It initially looks like a replica of Little House on the
Prairie but it's the real thing.
(Click
on photo to enlarge)
"Four
Weapons Of
Mass Spiritual Destruction"
Mass Spiritual Destruction"
Message Summary: Our enemy's mission is "to steal and kill and destroy". But thankfully, Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly".
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10).
In the mid-twentieth century mankind developed a type of weaponry unknown up until that period of history; weapons of mass destruction. Traditionally we have understood these weapons to be nuclear, chemical and biological. The distinction of these weapons is that they can kill people in mass and when used they rarely make a significant distinction between military and civilian.
However as technology increases we now have a more recently identified weapon of mass destruction known as an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). This weapon will bring the economy down very fast. Testifying before Congress, Peter Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, warned that a rogue state or terrorist could attack the United States with such a weapon that would kill 9 out of 10 Americans "through starvation, disease, and societal collapse". You can be certain that more weapons of mass destruction are being developed. That's the nature of sinful humanity.
When I consider that these types of weapons have been available my entire life it's amazing that with all the evil hands on them we haven't had a major earth-altering event. This is evidence to me of God's sovereign overarching control. It won't be over until God ordains it to be over!
Today let us consider four weapons of mass spiritual destruction that Satan has used from the very beginning. In fact these weapons can be seen in the Garden of Eden and all throughout Biblical and human history. It is essential that we identify these weapons and be on our guard.
- Satan uses the weapon of
mass distraction. He will cause us to
lose our focus on the things of eternal value with trinkets designed to get our
attention off the main goal. The apostle Paul
strived to keep this focus with the following resolve, "Therefore
we also have as our ambition, whether at
home or absent, to be pleasing to Him"
(2 Corinthians 5:9).
- Satan uses the weapon of
mass denial. In the garden he used this
weapon by informing Eve, "You surely will
not die!" (Genesis 3:4). He denied the
truthfulness of a direct statement from God
who had said, "but from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat from it you
will surely die" (Genesis 2:17).
- Satan uses the weapon of
mass downplay. Satan
will whisper and downplay, "It's not a big
deal". But so many
things in life that are not really a big deal,
when not nipped in the bud, can become a big
deal.
- Satan uses the weapon of
mass distortion. His cunning ways are
seen again in the Garden when he distorted
God's truth stating to Eve, "Indeed, has
God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree
of the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). But God actually said, "From any tree of the
garden you may eat freely; but from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat, for in the day that you eat from it
you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16,17).
The lesson here is that we must know God's Word
thoroughly so that we can guard ourselves against distorted
teachings that may even include an element of Scripture. Jesus showed mastery over this during His times of temptation.
Today's Bible text is a
reference to Satan. His mission is "to
steal and kill and destroy". But
thankfully, as many of you know, we only quoted
the first part of the verse. It goes on to
say, "I (Jesus) came that we may have
life, and have it abundantly".
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, our hope plummets and our souls despair when we consider the first portion of John 10:10; "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy", for it describes our arch enemy whose sole mission is to take
anything and everything that is of importance and value from us. But
the gloom and despair is lifted as Jesus further tells His listeners, "but I have come to give life and give it more abundantly."
The thief takes, but You give, for You are the giver of life, giving
freely and abundantly, not only in this life but in the life to come.
Thank You for defeating the enemy of our soul that seeks to destroy
with his arsenal of distraction, denial, downplay and distortion. You
don't tear down but build us up for You are our Redeemer and Deliverer,
for which we are thankful. Amen.
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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