The Devil is a Liar (and a Loser)!

It’s not uncommon for people to identify “the enemy at the gate.” We need to know who “the other” is that threatens our way of life. For some that is a certain class of people; for others it is a political party or movement. Let there be no mistake: we have a real enemy who is waging a real war against us. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Paul seems to be very clear that the enemy is never human. In fact, it is human beings who are at stake in the war the enemy is waging. (It supports the enemy’s strategy when humans war against each other.) In another place Jesus taught, “The enemy . . . is the devil (Matthew 13:39). That settles the matter for me.

Our common enemy is clearly identified as the devil. Peter gave us insight into our enemy when he advised, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). While the enemy is real and the battle is real, this particular enemy has limited authority. He is “like a lion,” a lion who has already been defeated by the Lion of Judah. After Jesus won the victory over sin, the devil, hell and death, he declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to me” (Matthew 28:18). If Jesus has all authority, then the devil has no authority. Yet, he still likes to act like a lion, and his favorite strategy is a (toothless) roar. Even defeated the enemy has the ability to lie, intimidate and discourage. In fact, the #1 weapon used against us is deception.

“Deceive” comes from the (Greek planao) word that means “to cause to stray, to cause to wander, to lead aside from the right way; to lead into error, to be led aside from the path of truth and virtue (especially through ignorance).” Deception does not involve a clear lie but rather a clever twist of what would otherwise be considered true. Deception is a strategy designed to trick you into wandering from the Jesus way until eventually you find yourself defeated and lost. On several occasions Jesus warned his followers to be on the lookout for deception (see Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 24). Paul taught that the sin-nature everyone deals with (the enemy within) is itself a deceiver (Romans 7:11). Because of our tendency toward self-centeredness, it is possible to deceive ourselves (see 1 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 6:3; James 1:22, 26). In fact, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

The apostle warned of those who, having succumbed to deception, had become deceivers themselves. Consider these warnings about the possibility of deception:

·         “By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people” (Romans 16:18).

·         “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3).

·         “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 5:6).

·         “I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments” (Colossians 2:4).

·         “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

·         “Evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

·         “For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception” (Titus 1:10).

·         “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters” (James 1:16).

·         “I say this because many deceivers . . . have gone out into the world” (2 John 1:7).

If deception is the primary scheme of the enemy, it’s no wonder that Paul described our role in the battle as a matter of taking every thought captive. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). God has given us divine power to demolish strongholds. But where are these strongholds? Are they in the world? Are they in certain people groups? It’s clear that the strongholds that need to be demolished are in our minds. Sin and Satan have sought to twist our thoughts in a way that will cause us to wander and lead us astray. The battle of the mind, the warfare against deception, involves demolishing “arguments” and “pretensions.” We win the battle when we succeed in taking “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

The opposite of “deception” is “discernment.” This ability to rightly discern is possible only by and through the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 2:14; 11:29: Philippians 1:10). There’s no use us wasting time warring against people or institutions or cultures. The battle must be fought and won inside of our own heads. The tendency toward deception is a constant enemy that must be guarded against and overcome. And God will empower us to win that victory as we submit every thought to the Lordship of Jesus. 

"Wait for the Promise"

Several weeks ago I wrote some notes about “waiting” and the relationship between “waiting” and “hoping.” As those who “Believe!” We have the courage to wait because we have come to understand that “all things work together for the good of those who believe,” that “it’s all good.” And we know that nothing can separate us from God’s love. As a result, we are learning how to wait expectantly, even joyfully, knowing that God always has something good in mind for each of us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I’m very interested in the specific things we have been instructed to wait for. You’ll remember that when Jesus rose from the grave, “he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Jesus showed himself alive in a variety of interesting and convincing ways. He met them on the way to Emmaus, he repeatedly visited them in Jerusalem. He even followed them to the Sea of Galilee so he could feed them breakfast after a long night of fishing. In the end, according to Paul, Jesus revealed himself after the resurrection to as many as 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6). During those days the disciples had a lot of questions for Jesus (I know I would). For instance, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They still wondered about the nature of his Messianic mission. They had always assumed that the Messiah would restore the royal throne of David and lead the nation of Israel into a glorious future. They thought the kingdom of God was Jewish. The answer Jesus gave must have been frustrating: “It is not for you to know” (Acts 1:7). There was no good answer to their question because the question was beside the point.

Instead, Jesus gave his followers clear instructions: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). Luke’s Gospel records these instructions this way: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The had spent three years with Jesus – witnessed his powerful ministry and teaching, seen him crucified, and now had spent forty days catching a whole new vision of Jesus and his mission. They wanted more specific instructions. They wanted a plan, a timeline, achievable goals. And what did Jesus tell them to do? “Wait!” In this passage, the word translated “wait” (Greek kathizo) simply means to sit down or to settle down. Jesus is simply telling the disciples to not move - don’t try to figure everything out, sit still, settle down, and wait . . . wait for what? They were to wait for the gift promised by the Father; they were to wait until they had been “clothed with power from on high.” Jesus did not intend for his disciples to adopt a mission statement and then to go out in their own strength to accomplish it.

The fact is this: human beings are not building the church. Jesus is building his church! And the primary partner with Jesus is not human but is the Holy Spirit. As the new covenant instrument of the Kingdom of God, the church is not primarily a human institution but is rather a divine organism. Jesus intended that the Holy Spirit would take the lead in the church at every point. The human partners in the church were to be completely dependent on the divine energizing and the daily leading of God’s Spirit. That’s why Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The idea of “power” is interesting: It is a translation of the word (Greek dunamis) that is related to our word for dynamite. It is the dynamic of God’s Spirit working in and through yielded human vessels. But is it not a tame dynamic – it is divine dynamite. (God showing up and showing out.) If human wisdom and human energy are guiding the church than it is not really the church at all but is rather just another social entity, unable to bear the powerful witness of the Kingdom God intends for it.

No wonder the disciples were commanded to “wait.” If they were to move forward without waiting to be clothed with power, the end result would be a weak, ineffective human organization, a “church” in name only.

Today marks the birthday of the church. It was on this day, 1983 years ago, that 120 Jesus-followers, having faithfully, obediently waited for 10 days, received the promise of the Father. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:1-4). And the rest, as they say, is history. We too are waiting. Come, Holy Spirit!

"Not Mother?!"

At the risk of sounding “carnal” I want to admit that one of my favorite old movies is “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.” Steve Martin plays one of the scoundrels who is occasionally called on to act mentally challenged. In one of my favorite scenes he thinks he is about to meet his mother, only to discover it is his brother’s fiancé. His response – “Not mother?!” – is a very funny (but tragic) moment. Humor aside, it leads me to wonder how many people are looking for “mother” and not really finding her.

“Motherhood” is not just a biological phenomenon – it is primarily a relational quality. There are many godly women who have never had children, who have lost their children, or who are unable to have children. That does not mean they cannot exhibit the quality of motherhood and function as godly “mothers” in the community.

The Bible has a lot to say about mothers and the relational quality of motherhood:

·         “Mother” is an important position of influence. Eve was blessed to be the mother of all the living (Genesis 3:20). Sarah was called to be the mother of nations (Genesis 17:16). Every influential family or individual has had important “mother” in their lives.

·         “Mother” is a highly respected and honored place in the community. The Law warned about attacking one’s mother (Exodus 21:15, 17; Leviticus 19:3; 20:9; Deuteronomy 21:18-20; 27:16). The wisdom of Proverbs could also be quite strong in its condemnation of those who are a “curse” to their mothers (19:26; 20:20; 30:17). In fact, Jesus repeated this warning (Matthew 15:4). It seems as though God personally takes our responses to our mothers.

·         “Mother” was considered a place of leadership and authority. The prophetess and judge Deborah was considered “a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7). In fact, certain key cities were also called “a mother in Israel” (2 Samuel 20:19).

·         A “mother” was considered a teacher and a dispenser of wisdom in the community (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 31:1). Those who were wise learned to listen to the advice of their “mothers.”

·         A key element of motherhood is compassion and relational faithfulness (Isaiah 49:15). While fathers may seem distant relationally, mothers are always close by.

·         Motherhood is defined by an ability to comfort those who are in need (Isaiah 66:13). Emotional intelligence and empathy can usually be found in a “mother.”

A “mother” in the faith community called the “church” is anyone who does the will of God (Matthew 12:50). A godly woman who is a devoted follower of Jesus is a “mother” (Mark 3:34). One who hears God’s word and puts it into practice qualifies as a “mother” (Luke 8:21). Mary, the mother of Jesus, demonstrated godly qualities by pondering the truth of Jesus in her heart (Luke 2:51) and by pointing others to Jesus (John 2:5). Paul referred to Timothy’s mother and grandmother as examples of godly “mothers” (2 Timothy 1:5). Any godly, mature woman can function as a “mother” in the village of the church.

Even the apostle Paul had godly women who functioned as “mothers” in his life. The mother of Rufus was mentioned (Romans 16:13). Paul also referred to the “mothering” aspects of his relationships in the church (1 Thessalonians 2:7). In fact, he instructed all the older godly women in the church to function as mothers (1 Timothy 5:2).

I think we’ve all seen girls who gave birth to children but did not exhibit the character qualities of motherhood. It seems as though a so-called “mothering instinct” is not automatic. For that reason, it’s appropriate to raise those qualities the Bible refers to as “mothering.” To honor and appreciate those qualities in the mothers God has put in our lives, acknowledging that not everyone has been blessed with a godly mother. I personally have been blessed with an excellent, godly mother who is still a blessing every day of my wife. My children have been blessed with a wonderful mother who stands in the gap for them and their children many times a day. And my grandchildren know the love of a compassion, wise, faithful mother.

It’s also important to encourage those qualities in all our women, whether they have natural children or not. We need “mothers” in our faith village. So many children in our community need “mothers.” We need to give our “mothers” permission to bless the community in the unique ways only they are able to do. And we need to embrace the “mothers” God gives us, giving thanks every day for the wonderful blessing they are in our lives.

And so, from the bottom of our hearts, giving thanks to God, we gladly say – HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

"I Am Making Everything New!"

It’s amazing the difficulties we sometimes have trusting the Lord. While we’re usually too pious to admit it, there are times when we become afraid that God can’t be trusted to really watch out for us and take care of us, especially in a crisis or after a particularly traumatic experience. I remember an old Phillip Yancy book entitled, “Disappointment With God,” in which he explored the reality of our faith (or lack thereof). There are other times when our doubts and fears are a result of attempting to control our lives (or the lives of others), only to find that a life outside of the Lordship of Jesus is only filled with frustration and futility. During those times, we need to stop and remind ourselves that nothing is too difficult for God, and that he loves us with an everlasting love.

It’s important to remember that our first revelation of God is the Creator. When the Spirit of God moved, God simply spoke a word, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Light really had no option at that point in time – if God said, “Let there be,” it had to be! God brought everything into existence from non-existence, from nothing. It was simply the power of God’s word that resulted in creation. Whatever God wants God gets. All God has to do is speak a word, and it will come to pass. Our first expression of worship is, “Blessed be God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:19). The wisdom of Solomon was summarized in the words, “Remember your creator” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). When prophesying words of comfort to Israel Isaiah reminded them, “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (40:27-29). They thought the Lord wasn’t paying attention to their plight, that something had hidden their situation from God’s view. They needed to be reminded that the Lord is the Creator. “I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King” (Isaiah 43:15), and “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” (45:6-7). Even loyalty to human relationships was based on an understanding of God as Creator. “Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?” (Malachi 2:10; see also Matthew 19:4-5). Sin and idolatry begin by taking our eyes off of God as our Creator. “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen” (Romans 1:25). Even in difficulties, “those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19).

God can be trusted – all the time! God cannot only be trusted to exercise wise Lordship in our lives, God also promises to create new things in our lives. Preserving us in the context of the old may be great, but what about the possibility of God creating something entirely new, of God’s Spirit moving and God’s Word coming, bringing into existence out of nothing a new and beautiful thing. The prophets loved to reflect on the new things God was promising to create. “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). “The Lord will create a new thing on the earth” (Jeremiah 31:22). The apostle Paul thought of our life in Christ as a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old has gone! The new is here! It’s not just about preserving the old; it’s about imagining the new! In fact, Paul later said, “What counts in the new creation” (Galatians 6:15). The whole reason for Jesus coming into the world was clearly stated: “His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:15). Our “new self” in Christ “is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:10).

When Jesus revealed himself and his ultimate kingdom purpose to John on the Isle of Patmos he did so with these words: “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5). In that vision God said, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (21:3-4). We’ve read the end of the Book and we are clear that God wins, that Jesus has already won, and that you and I can only win. In fact, the only way we can lose is to throw in the towel, run off the field, and quit – only to discover that at some later point God sends one of his “angels” to show us the way back.

So rejoice! Let God give you a fresh vision of himself, “high and lifted up,” the Creator of all things, your Father and your Creator! He does all things well and he is making everything new – including you and me. We can rest in his love and trust that if we will stay close to him and listen to his voice, his new, good and beautiful thing will be accomplished in and through our lives. “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18). 

Seeing Is Believing

You know how much I love Christmas movies – any time of the year. I get out my “I Believe” button when watching Miracle on 34^th Street. I especially love the Tim Allen The Santa Clause series. In the first movie, Scott Calvin (SC) finds himself in Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. When Scott confesses his lack of belief, even in what he is seeing, the little elf Judy makes a profound statement: “Seeing isn’t believing; believing is seeing.” No matter how you say it, there is an interesting and important connection between seeing and believing. Frankly, it depends on what (or whom) you want to see and what you choose to believe.

For some, seeing is understanding; it is mastering the basic concepts and answering all the essential questions. Unfortunately, understanding can never lead to faith. The writer to the Hebrews stated it best: “By faith we understand” (11:3). Understanding does not open the door to faith; faith opens the door to understanding. Some things can never really be seen until certain things are believed.

So what is the relationship between seeing and believing? The Gospel of John gives us important insight into this question. According to John, it was Jesus who enabled people to see God (1:14, 18). John the Baptizer testified that he had personally seen and bore witness to the Lamb of God (1:34). When the first disciples approached Jesus and asked him where he was staying, Jesus simply replied, “Come and see” (1:39). After coming to Jesus he promised them, “You will see greater things” (1:50). The Samaritan woman’s testimony was very simple: “Come and see a man” (4:29).

On the other hand, Jesus rebuked the crowds for insisting on the need to see miraculous signs and wonders. “Unless you people see signs and wonders…you will never believe” (John 4:48). In fact, the ability to see depends on a person’s connection to God. Jesus told Nicodemus, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). It’s not possible to see unless you really want to see. And then real seeing begins by seeing Jesus. Before his crucifixion some Greeks came to the disciple Philip with a clear and simple request: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus” (John 12:21). They didn’t ask to see miracles; they didn’t ask to argue the fine points of philosophy and theology; they did not demand proofs of the existence of God or the nature of God’s Son. They simply asked to see Jesus. And that seeing made everything else possible.

The fact is simply this: Every human being is born spiritually blind. No one is able to see and no one is able to believe without experiencing a healing of their blindness. To be healed of blindness, a person must begin by acknowledging the need of healing, by admitting that he is blind. When a man born blind first encountered Jesus, he had no illusions about his blindness nor about his need for healing. When Jesus put mud on his eyes and instructed him to wash the mud off in the pool of Siloam, I’m sure the man and his friends could have questioned what kind of crazy person would do such a thing. No evidence could be produced demonstrating the logic of such a strategy. Yet, the man simply obeyed, and testified, “So then I went and washed, and then I could see” (John 9:11, 15). When the Pharisees refused to accept the testimony of their eyes, the blind mind gave them a very simple testimony of his experience of Jesus: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see” (9:25). Later, when the healed man encountered the healer, Jesus asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (9:35). Because of his personal experience of healing the man wanted to believe. He was not looking for reasons to justify his disbelief; he was looking for reasons to believe. “Tell me so that I may believe in him” (9:36). To which Jesus replied, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you” (9:37). This man had known he was blind and needed healing. When Jesus touched his eyes and enabled him to see, the man quickly believed and worshipped. “‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him” (9:38).

But the Pharisees still refused to see and believe. So Jesus had to talk to them about their blindness and their refusal to see their need to have their eyes opened. “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who [think they can] see will become blind” (9:39). But the Pharisees just took offense: “What? Are we blind too?” (9:40). “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (9:41).

So, seeing is believing. But seeing is impossible unless Jesus touches your eyes. And Jesus cannot touch your eyes unless you admit that you are blind. You have to admit that the most brilliant person in the world is unable to see Jesus and therefore, to believe. Your ability to believe will then open up a whole new world of seeing. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he promised, “If you believe, you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40). When some of the people found the teaching of Jesus difficult to believe, Jesus replied, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:17). In the end, faith is a choice; a decision to see Jesus, a choice to do God’s will, a choice to accept the authority of and obey whatever God shows you. Seeing is believing, and believing is seeing. But neither seeing nor believing is possible unless you know you’re blind and have a true desire to see Jesus and to worship him. God will then make sure your eyes are opened, and you will begin to see the glory of God.