God Uses Satan for His Purposes

 

The devil cheated Adam and Eve out of their dominion over the earth by his deception, manipulation and lies. This was part of God's eternal design. What Satan plans to use to harm us, God means for our good (Genesis 50:20).

Satan also schemed in his heart to destroy Jesus and to protect his place as the god of this world. Yet, Jesus went to the cross with joy in His heart as He focused on the glory awaiting Him in Heaven (Hebrews 12:2).

We live life with this same joy in our own hearts, regardless of our circumstances, looking forward to sitting together with Christ and serving Him for eternity (1 Corinthians 4:9-13; 2 Corinthians 6:8 10; Ephesians 1:21, 2:4-6).

There is no need for us to spend time fighting Satan. We draw near to God, resist the devil and he must flee from us (James 4:7). Satan has no authority of his own. He can only do the bidding of our Father God.

For example, Jesus, the Lamb of God, who is opening the seal, bowl and trumpet judgments during the Great Tribulation, directs the plans and purposes of the anti-Christ (Revelation 5:2-10).

God uses Satan for His eternal purpose on the earth. He gives Satan the power to employ sin's temptation to draw hearts away from God, which were never sold out to Him in the first place.

These people sit on the fence, giving lip-service to God and serving and giving to God's Kingdom; but they are just going through the motions (Mathew 7:22). They were never truly converted in their spirit.

When we totally surrender our will to God in salvation, His Spirit enters our spirit. He directs our every thought, word and deed. We actually become the love of Christ to the world of lost humanity around us (John 2:12-14; Exodus 33:13).

Prayer:

Father God, as authentic Believers, we submit to You, then resist the devil, and he has to flee from us (James 4:7). This does not mean our tribulation in life will end, but that You love us and make us more than conquerors through every trial (Romans 8:37). We can trust in You through everything that we experience in life, because You care for us (1 Peter 5:7).

You even make all of our paths straight because of our enemies (Psalm 27:11; Zechariah 4:7). Jesus is exalted in us as we overcome life's hurdles. He makes us His joint heirs by His power within us (1 John 3:2; Ephesians 3:6). We find our true self, hidden with Christ in You (Colossians 3:3). Help us to respond to You when You call us out of sin into Your glorious life (1 Peter 2:9).

Thought for the Day:

Problems are simply opportunities for God to prove Himself strong on our behalf; we find out what He is doing in every situation and then join Him.

Surviving Human Relationships

Human relationships are usually based on feelings, which draw us together. However, feelings may also sever the association, because of a lack of communication and personal issues of inadequacy. We mentally interject words and thoughts into a conversation, which are not there, and act accordingly. We feel unloved, rejected and misunderstood. Then, we just give up.

God wants to reprogram our thoughts, which are currently based on lies from the devil ( www.theophostic.com ), with His own words, which tell us the truth about our worth and our victory in Christ. God chose us before the foundation of the world, so we have no need to feel inadequate (Isaiah 43:10). There is not one issue in life, which can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39).

God builds us up (Acts 20:32), when people put us down. His right hand supports us (Psalm 63:8), when others reject us. He provides for us (Philippians 4:19), when Satan tries to steal from us, and kill and destroy us (John 10:10). When we are afraid, He redeems us and calls us by our name, because we are His (Isaiah 43:1). He loves us and considers us as precious in His sight (Isaiah 43:4).

God engraves us on the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). He gives us sure footing regardless of the situation we are living through (Habakkuk 3:19). God chose us as a holy, royal priesthood. We are His special possession. We praise Him, because He called us out of darkness and brought us into the world of His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Authentic Christian relationships survive the plagues of the world, and the flesh and the devil, which attempt to drive a wedge between two people. There are no issues in a marriage, which justify divorce. A time of separation can free us from the circumstances of the moment and give God time to work out reconciliation between both parties.

Prayer:

Father God, we love you. You are our strength, our rock, our fortress and our deliverer. You are our source of salvation and our stronghold in times of trouble. We take refuge in You. We call on You, who are worthy of praise, and You save us from those who would bring us harm (Psalm 18:1-3). We give You all the praise that is worthy of Your name. Thank You for keeping us as the apple of Your eye (Psalm 17:8).

Thought for the Day:

We can rest secure in God, because He shields us all day long and carries us on His shoulders. - Deuteronomy 33:12

To Apprehend Christ

 

Every person alive, no matter how good their behavior, deserves to go to hell. That may sound harsh, but it is our ultimate destination. Our load of sin is too heavy for us. We can never atone for it by ourself. That is why God became a man. The Word became flesh (John 1:14). He is our substitute, our sacrificial Lamb, who paid for the sin of the whole world.

Unfortunately, many people are too smart for their own good. They see no need for a substitute to die in our place. People cannot reconcile in their mind how Jesus can be God, and yet commune with the Father as a man all at the same time. Have you ever talked to yourself? Had a conversation with yourself, asked yourself a question or tried to give yourself some advice?

One man can be a son, a father and a grandfather – three persons in one man. Even so, the Trinity is made up of the Father, the Son and the Spirit, working together in three separate aspects of one Holy God. This holy God demands justice and restitution for sin. In the natural realm, we pay the penalty when we break the law. In the spiritual, Jesus wants to pay your penalty for breaking God’s law (James 2:10; Galatians 5:3).

If we die in unbelief, then we pay our own penalty in hell for eternity (John 3:16-18). Our body goes to the grave, but our soul – our thoughts , desires and feelings – goes to hell. However, if we surrender to Jesus, believing that he is the God in the flesh, then the angels will carry our soul to heaven with our Born Again Spirit.

Once Jesus returns to the earth, the soul of both Believers and unbelievers will unite with our own immortal body. Can you imagine eternal torment in a body that will never die? That is what happens to those who do not repent of their sin and trust Jesus for salvation. Those who do repent and surrender to Jesus will live with our immortal Trinity forever.

In the meantime, Jesus dwells in our Born Again spirit. If we are willing to walk after His Spirit instead of according to the depravity of our fleshly, carnal nature, He will not only atone for our sin, but also live His perfect life in and through us (Galatians 4:16,25). Jesus lived His own life for the glory and honor of His Father (John 4:34). Now, He lives His life through us for His glory, as we have faith in His faithfulness.

Prayer:

Father God, we are willing to perfectly trust in Jesus to not only pay the penalty of our sins, but also to live in and through us by Your Holy Spirit (Luke 22:42). We willingly lay down our self-life in order to live the life You prepared for us before we were even born (Ephesians 2:10). Thank You for loving us so much.

Thought for the Day:

Accept Christ in all of His fullness, and allow Him to live and move and have His being in you both now and forevermore. – Acts 17:28