Satan's Lies & Breaking Covenant - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 22, 2022

We've learned that satan uses lies as a weapon to plant seeds of insecurity which have long-reaching consequences. Today, we examine how satan's deception causes us to break our covenant with God.

Satan whispers words that cause many to become insecure in themselves and unknowingly, in God. Say the devil tells a male Believer, "you're not good enough, and everyone knows it." It might take a while, but that man eventually believes this untruth and takes steps to ensure he's 'good enough'. Mr. Career aims to climb the corporate ladder, and decides working harder than others is the key to overcome the (supposed) questions about him. All that work leads to him spending less time with God, causes stress, and ill health. He might get a hefty pay raise in the process, but at the cost of burn out, less communion with the Lord, and the reality that he still believes he's not good enough.

Yet, Mr. Career rises up the corporate ladder and becomes convinced that his approach - work harder than everyone else - is a successful strategy. His attitude changes. He becomes mean and close relationships disintegrate. His coworkers quietly despise him but he sees that as confirmation he's doing just fine. Outwardly, his pride and arrogance increase. However, when alone, he battles with doubts and other negative thoughts.

What could this man have done differently? He should have called satan a liar (John 8:44). He should have declared he is made in the image of God and therefore good enough (Genesis 1:27). After all, He is God's masterpiece and thus fearfully and wonderfully made (Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 139:14). Furthermore, Mr. Career didn't need to rely on his might - working harder than others - because God promises to provide for His beloved even when they are asleep (Psalm 127:2). Therefore, this man could have trusted God to make all necessary provision arrive at the perfect time be it in his job or elsewhere. This provision would be spiritual and physical. This would include favor from a boss, wisdom to solve complex problems and more.

By failing to trust in God's faithful character, Mr. Career "broke faith". This means he didn't rely on the Lord to fight for him and work all things out for his good as promised in Jeremiah 29:11. This is a breaking of covenant with God because as a Believer, he'd committed to trust the Lord. Instead, however, he trusted in himself - his capacity to use his time and smarts (both of which are gifts from God in the first place) - to prove everyone wrong. All this because he believed a lie. A falsehood peddled by satan to ensnare Mr. Career into an ungodly cycle that could lead to rebellion against God's purposes for him, wickedness toward others, and ultimately, separation from God.

Many of us are Mr. Career, believing satan's lie and forgetting God created us for exploits. We think we need to be smarter, more beautiful, skinnier, richer, have a better network or some other strategy to achieve self-determined goals. We ignore the fact that God can do anything, after all, Moses only needed his staff to be the most powerful man in Egypt. Joseph was armed with dreams, which were enough to make him Prime Minister of Egypt. Esther fasted to gain favor before her king and The King of kings. All 'ordinary' people who became great because they relied on the Lord and not on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Of course, believers are expected to do good work and create great product. Even more so because they have the mind of Christ and can access the Creator of the Universe for all their needs (1 Corinthians 2:16). But, when we behave like Mr. Career, we ignore God's purpose for us. This results in failing to acknowledge God and breaking our covenant to honor, trust and submit to the Almighty.

We've talked about how important God takes covenants. He expects us not to break them, even if it hurts to do so. Fortunately for His children, He Himself has covenanted to forgive those who repent (1 John 1:9). As such, Mr. Career need only return to the Lord to be redeemed (Isaiah 44:22). It may take a while for him to grow in his faith but praise the Lord, he only needs to start with a mustard seeds-worth and God will build him up in faith over time.

May the Lord help us recognize our errors. May He help us to return to Him for redemption. May we seek His face for understanding on how to deal with the challenges satan throws our way to ensnare us. For the word says the Lord will always warn His children of what is to come (Psalm 81:8; Proverbs 3:32). Lord, we thank You and look forward to Your increased presence in our lives, IJMN, Amen.

See you all at Noon EST for fellowship.

Satan's Lies, Insecurity & Self Reliance - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) July 19, 2022

Satan is constantly peddling falsehoods to God's children. He's been doing it from the very beginning and his lies truly hurt Eve, Adam, and all of creation. He deceived Eve (who'd never been lied to and was unprepared), couching the falsehood so it sounded true. Eve and Adam then ate from the forbidden fruit and humans lost their invite to the Garden of Eden.

Millenia later, and satan continues to successfully lie to people. Everyday, he creates elaborate deceptions to trap people in false understanding and paradigms. Unfortunately, we don't realize how bad it is to believe even the smallest lie from satan. Nor do we realize how steep the consequences can be. Take, for example, what happened to the Israelites when the 12 spies returned from scoping out the Promised Land. Ten of them said their army couldn't enter the Promised Land because there were giants there. In Numbers 13:33 these ten said, we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. Only Caleb and Joshua believed God would give them the victory. God's response to the people's inability to trust Him was to give them 40 additional years in the wilderness to come to know Him better.

Who told those 10 spies they looked like grasshoppers and therefore would be easily defeated by the original inhabitants of the Promised Land? It was none other than satan. Because the father of lies (satan) convinced them they weren't strong enough, these men forgot how God parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and how God brought water out of a rock (Exodus 17). They also forgot how they'd defeated the Amalekite army by the grace and strength of the Lord (Exodus 17).

That's what the devil does. It gets into people's heads whispering lies that sound just true enough to not be questioned. That gives people memory loss and suddenly, everything God did for them previously is forgotten. Satan plants seeds of insecurity in individuals with one primarily objective - to make them doubt God's capacity. And when people doubt God - even a teeny bit - they forget that He is big enough to do all things. Insecurity can morph into impostor syndrome, self-doubt, body dysmorphia, and other unhealthy attitudes towards one's self and others. This then becomes a rejection of God's word in Psalm 139:14 that human beings are fearfully and wonderfully made and the person ignores that they are His "workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10). The devil wants everyone to forget what Jesus declared in Matthew 19:26 that "with God all things are possible" and the proclamation everyone should make, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13)

Satan's lies cause people to then feel they have to rely solely on themselves or other humans to achieve things. This in turn leads to the very self-reliance the Bible warns against in Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. And it gets much worse if you consider the curse contained in Jeremiah 17:5-6 - This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. Don't let the devil punk you into thinking these verses talk about trusting a man or someone else. You can be that very 'man', if you trust in yourself and not the God Almighty!

Last week, we asked ourselves how satan is keeping us from being godly people and we took time to consider what pressure points satan pushes in our lives. This week, we will look at how satan's lies cause us to think less of ourselves, others, and worse, of God. What lies did you believe about God? About yourself? About other people? Today, we're going to worship to enter the Lord's presence, pray for the needs of others, then call on God to help us reject and renounce satan's lies. Join me at 12 Noon for today's Praise & Pray (for others).

Satan is a Destroyer - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) July 15, 2022

Nowadays, many don't believe the devil exists. Some claim it is a figment of the imagination. A bogeyman. And this message keeps millions unaware of the destructive role satan plays in human lives. Not only are people blinded to the fact that satan exists but they then ignore the fact that through God, they have the power to keep it from wreaking havoc in their lives.

Thankfully, the Bible makes it clear that the devil is real and it came to steal, kill and destroy in John 10:10. God also immediately makes it clear that satan isn't in charge. He states, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Indeed God sent Jesus as the way to overcome satan's elaborate plans to ensnare people.

If, then, you believe satan exists and you believe the Bible's description of this enemy, please ask yourself - How do you stop satan from making you fail at this thing called a godly life? This is a life lived by a godly person who fears God and strives to live righteously in accordance with His word.

If you believe in God and have submitted to His authority, then there is a universal answer - don't take your eyes off the Lord. We previously discussed some helpful Kingdom Keys - turning to God in times of trouble, turning problems into prayer points, speaking the word of God over ourselves, and praising the Lord. These keys are also a few ways to keep your eyes on Him. Fasting (not to diet, but for spiritual strength) also helps to build your defenses against the traps the devil sets for people each and every day. This is because when you fast scripturally, you silence the desires of the flesh (which satan typically uses to tempt) and become closer to the Holy Spirit. Studying the Bible, listening to sermons, reading Christ-centered books and consuming Holy Spirit-led shows can also help to keep you aware of how to live your life day-to-day.

As you are implementing these Kingdom Keys, you also need to be aware that Satan knows all your weaknesses and pushes every pressure point to make sure you bow to them. And this leads to another question - what pressure point is satan pushing in your life?

To answer this question, you have to be deliberate and willing to be vulnerable before the Lord. Humble yourself and ask Him to peel back the layers and show how the devil is taking advantage of you. That same God who has said He is responsible for you will hold your hand and walk you out of every trap satan has set for you. He will ensure you are walking inside of His will and bless you for doing so. He will set a feast for you before satan itself so you enjoy His blessings and all the enemy can do is watch according to the promise of Psalm 23.

I pray you will make the time to ask yourself the questions above and have the Lord guide you, IJMN, Amen.

See you at Noon EST for P&P! God bless you!