The Whole Field Of Battle Deception And Delusion

                                                When The Door Slams

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.                (2 Peter 2:1-3 NKJV)

            It is imperative that in the matters of religion we should not be mistaken or deceived, but should have the most correct, exact, and vivid impressions and opinions; because religion deals with such momentous subjects as God, the soul, and eternity. And if in these life-giving interests we are deceived, and our understanding and actions in response are wrong, the consequences will be weeping and eternally fatal. There is no other way of acceptance with God, no other refuge from the wrath to come; nor can we offer acceptable worship and service to the Most High, if our understanding of His character be false. For, remember, God cannot be deceived. 

            Think about this: The Bible says, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The Christian believer, by having the Holy Spirit within him, has power over all demons. When Jesus Christ sent His disciples out on their mission, He gave them authority and power over all demons, and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1).

            As a dragon the devil is full of cunning and ferocity. If he cannot achieve his purpose at once by power, he waits his time. He deludes, he deceives; in fact, he is the deceiver of the whole world. What a power of deception must reside in him, when under his influence a third of the stars of heaven fell, and myriads of men in all ages have worshipped demons and idols today! He was a liar from the beginning, and the father of lies.    

            After thousands of years of constant practice in deception he is much too cunning for us. If we think that we can match him by craft we are damn fools, for he knows vastly more than the wisest of human. To this cunning he adds great speed, so that he is quick to attack at any moment, darting down upon us like a hawk upon a poor chicken. He is not every-where present; but it is hard to say where he is not. He cannot be omnipresent; but yet, by that majestic craft of his, he so manages his armies of fallen ones that, just like a great general, he oversees the whole field of battle, and seems present at every point.

            No door can shut him out; no height of piety can rise beyond his reach. He meets us in all our weaknesses, and attack us from every point of the world. He comes upon us unawares, and gives us wounds which are not easily healed. But yet, powerful as this infernal spirit certainly must be, his power is defeated when we decide never to be at peace with him.

            Renewal: Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world (1 Peter 5:6-9 NKJV).        

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness                             

                                                       Never Rest Ministries

What Is The Object of Your Faith

                                                 When The Door Slams 

Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory.                                        (Romans 5:1-2 NCV)

            This remind me of a story about a man some years ago who was rolling a wheelbarrow back and forth across Niagara River on a tightrope. Thousands of people were shouting him on. He put a two-hundred-pound sack of dirt in the wheelbarrow and rolled it over, and then he rolled it back. Then he turned to the crowd and said, "How many of believe I can roll a man across? Everybody shouted! One man in the front was very excited about his professed belief. The man pointed to this excited professor and said, You're next!" You couldn't see the man for dust! He actually didn't believed it, he thought he believed it--but he was not willing to get in the wheelbarrow

           Just so with Christ. There are many people who say they believe on Him, who say they will follow Him. You know the story. They never have gotten into the wheelbarrow. They actually never have committed and surrendered themselves wholly, one hundred percent to Christ. 

            Think about this: There are many people who ask, "Well, how much faith does it take?" Jesus said only the faith as of "a grain of mustard seed." 

            Others ask, "What kind of faith?" It is not a matter of any special kind of faith. There is only one kind of faith really. It is the object of the faith that counts. What is the object of your faith? The object of your faith must be Christ. Not faith in ritual, not faith in sacrifices, not faith in morals, not faith in yourself--not faith in anything but Christ. 

            Affirmation: So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  ( Matthew 17:20-21 NKJV).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness

                                                    Never Rest Ministries             

                             

This World Is Filled With Self-Absorbed, Frightened, Weak-Mind Politician

                                        When The Door Slams

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.                         (1 peter 2:9-10 NIV)  

            Western society has been obsessed with the search for self. We have turned the age-old philosophical question about the meaning and purpose of life into a modern growth industry. Each fab with an intense following until something new comes along. 

            Popular literature ride the wave with best-selling titles that guarantee success with everything from making money to firming flabby thighs. This not-so-magnificent obsession to "find ourselves" has spawned a whole set of counterfeit values; we worship fame, success, materialism, and celebrity. We want to "live for success" as we "look out for number one," and we don't mind "winning through intimidation." 

            However, this "self" conscious world is wretched; beyond hope. Each new promise leads only to a frustrating paradox... A few decades of seemingly limitless wealthy people have succeeded only in sucking our culture dry, leaving it spiritually empty and economically weakened. Our world is filled with self-absorbed, frightened and hollow people.

            In the middle of these debilitating paradoxes of modern life, men and women search for some shred of meaning, some understanding of self. But the obsessive search leads only to the narcissistic destruction of what is so aggressively sought.

            Think about this: Whom do we blame? Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin (James 1:14-15). Is Satan always to blame when things go wrong in our lives? or are we sometimes responsible? On the one hand, the Bible makes it clear that Satan is real, and that he is ultimately behind all the evil that goes on in the world. Before he rebelled against God (long before the human race was created), the world was perfect; sin and evil didn't exist. But now we live in a fallen, twisted, sin-infested world--and Satan is the reason.

            But on the other hand, Satan is not all-powerful, nor does he directly cause every bad thing that happens to us. Sometimes we don't know the cause--but often we alone are responsible, because we have turned our backs on God and deliberately followed our own sinful desires instead of His will. When we do, we pay the consequences; as the Bible warn, "God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7).  

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                                 

This Is An Incredible Temptation To Be Like God

                                                 When The Door Slams

But The Lord said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.                                                                                         (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)       

            When we read the New Testament we see spiritual power. Never one time does Jesus promise it will be easy for His followers. As He called men to follow Him, Jesus did not talk about the golden streets and gates of pearl in the next life. Instead, Jesus talked about self-denial, about taking up a cross--not a pretty little gold cross that might be worn as an ornament, but a rough, blood-stained, death-dealing cross.    

            Though Christ did not promise protection from the hardships of life, He did promise His presence. Jesus said to His disciples, "Go and make followers of all people in the world"; also Jesus said, "I will be with you always." Instead of protection, He promises the power to face up to life and take it.

            Power is clearly expressed in everything our culture take seriously. Whether the power is technological, social, political, military, financial, administrative, religious, or personal, it is assumed to be the key, one way or another, to achievement, fulfillment, human destiny. Even when power's has the ability to corrupt and destroy is acknowledged, the acceptable remedy is power that can control power--which only compounds and complicates the condition.

            This is no new phenomenon peculiar to the twentieth century. Throughout history, the ways of change have been the ways of power, violent or nonviolent. Kingdom have risen and fallen, national boundaries have been altered or obliterated, races expanded or extinguished, cultures and societies built up or destroyed...by power. It is a fact as old as humanity itself. What an incredible temptation: to be like God, to enjoy God-power--man making himself God. 

            Think about this: The unique Christian insight comes at the point of definition and understanding of power. The world pictures force, brute strength, money, muscle, tanks, bombs, tyranny, and take advantage of--the list goes on and on. The Christian pictures the      cross. In the "foolishness" of the symbol of power the Christian senses a radically different kind of power. It is a new way of being "capable." A picture of this different definition would be Jesus standing in front of Plate. Pilate represents all the power of the great empire of Rome. Jesus appears to be one lonely, solitary, impotent man. It is clear through the eye of faith, however, that the real power is incarnate in This solitary figure.    

            Renewal: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.                                                            (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV)

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.   

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Hypocrites Look Good On The Outside But On The Inside Are Full Of Dead Men's Bones

                                                 When The Door Slams

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.    (Matthew 23:27-28 NIV)    

            Evil is real, and at one time or another most of us have wondered why God doesn't just reach down and stop it. Sometimes He does-but not always, and the Bible says evil is a mystery that we won't fully understand until we get to Heaven. In the meantime, God calls us to trust Him and have confidence in His love, no matter the circumstances. 

            Maybe someone you love has cancer, or just lost a job, or is dealing with a prodigal child, or....the list of the ways that evil intersects our daily life goes on and on. Bitterness and anger can result, but don't let those emotions drive a wedge between you and the Lord God. That gains you nothing, and in the long run will only destroy you. Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind 1 Peter 2:1.

            Unfortunately, sometimes those of us who call themselves Christians are the worst public notice for our faith. We keep sinning even after we name Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we often appear to others as insincere and hypocritical. And all too often we are.     

            Some of Jesus' strongest words were reserved for hypocrites-for people who claimed to believe in God, yet were insincere and only used their religion to try to impress others. Jesus called those people "whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones. But you are a chosen people ...that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light 1 Peter2:9. 

            Think about this: I have found that people who say, "You can't trust what the Bible says" often have never actually read it for themselves. Instead, they are only using this as an excuse to avoid the LORD. 

            The real issue for them isn't the trustworthiness of the Bible but their determination to keep God away. Deep down inside, they sense that if they took God seriously and gave their life to Christ Jesus, they would have to change their way of living-and they don't want to do that. Just pray for them. You can't change their heart and mind-but God can. Ask Him to awaken their need for Christ Jesus.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                                

There Is Usually A "Trail Of Bodies" In The Wake Of The Driven Person

                                        When The Door Slams

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? but he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."             (James 4:4-6 NIV) 

            Driven people often possess limited or undeveloped people skills. They are not noted for getting along well with others. They were not born without the capacity to get along with others, but projects are more important to them than people. Because their eyes are upon goals and objectives, they rarely take note of the people about them, unless they can be used for the fulfillment of one of the goals. And if others are not found to be useful, then they may be seen as obstacles or competitors when it comes to getting something done.  

            There is usually a "trail of bodies" in the wake of the driven person. Where once others praised him for his seemingly great leadership, there soon appears a steady increase in frustration and hostility, as they see that the driven person cares little about the health and growth of human beings. 

            It becomes apparent that there is a non-negotiable agenda, and it is supreme above all other things. Colleagues and subordinates in the orbit of the driven person slowly drop away, one after another, exhausted, exploited, and disillusioned. Of this person we are most likely to say, "He is miserable to work with. 

            Think about this: Therein lies the unexpected.... In almost every great organization, religious and secular, people of this sort can be found in key positions. Even through they carry with them the seeds of relational disaster, and to mourn for their sins is a natural outflow of poverty of the power of the Holy Spirit....But that's not always the case. Many deny their weakness. Many know they are wrong, yet pretend they are right. As a result, they never taste the sorrow of repentance from the Lord Jesus Christ.

            Affirmation: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV)  

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for his forgiveness.   

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                     

A Foolish Person Deceived Himself With Lies That Leads To Anger And Distrust

                                                When The Door Slams

Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He 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. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.                        (John 8:43-47 NIV) 

            A compulsive liar finds it impossible to tell the truth. God speaks clearly of the evil, the wickedness of falsely accusing another of giving untrue testimony, of lying or twisting and exaggerating so-called "facts" into misrepresenting the truth. We live in a day, during this last period of the twentieth century, of a wave of increased pressures to fabricated or deceive. In fact, falsifying the truth for gain has become a profession of its own!

            Selfish anger is the negative emotion we feel when a person or situation has failed and deceived our trust, blocked our goals, or fallen short of our expectations. It is what we feel when we have placed out trust, wants, and desires in someone else's. Then we become frustrated if those around us don't react the way we want them to and we don't get our way.

            Distrust, ridicule, abuse, fault finding, and so on are destructive forces. From one perspective they all stem from a critical, harmful negative spirit. As such, they are all tied together, but personally I have come to the conclusion that the number one cause of distrust in adults and children is the absence of unconditional parental love. This unconditional love from the parent almost always precedes self-acceptance...

            Think about this: The LORD does not say that hell-fire was prepared for human beings. For although all are sinners and guilty of eternal death, God nevertheless wanted to prevent this misery by giving His Son into death for us. And thereafter He revealed His good Word to us, so that we know what we are to do if we want to serve God and live to please Him. So our heavenly Father would very much like for us to be save and, therefore, has ordained for us, not eternal fire but heaven and eternal life.

            But we go despising the forgiveness of sins through Christ as a trifling treasure.... Moreover, we also take no delight in doing what God tells us to do in order to serve Him. Since, then, we degenerate to the very level of the devil and observe his will more than the Word of our Lord God, it must follow that we are obliged to share this judgment. We prepare this doom for ourselves.

            Petition: Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do -- living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.                                                                             (1 Peter 3:1-4 NIV).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness 

                                                            Never Rest Ministries