You might be asking yourself, where is my renewed confidence? I haven’t had any emotional surges, blinking lights, or aha moments. That’s ok. Let’s move forward.
What is my purpose of using the scriptures that speak of Satan being a liar, a deceiver, and an accuser? Consider this, what are the characteristics, the tenor, the tone of the verbal rhetoric that we are are plummeted with daily. People are adamant that their words are the truth, and the words of their opposition are full of lies, deceit, and accusations. This wisdom, thought process, evaluation is not from above, but from below. Their words and their thinking is earthly, sensual, and demonic causing confusion and every sort of evil thing just like the scriptures tell us (James 3:15-16).
In James 3:14, we are instructed that this wisdom and these kinds of words proceed from a heart with “bitter envy and self-seeking”. It is referencing the condition of our heart. I asked such a question earlier in one of my blogs, when is the condition of the heart of this nation? [please see an earlier blog entitled, ‘A Nation of POW’s, Part 4, ‘An Elephant in the Room (and it is not the Republican Party)} {go to livingwordsofencouragement.com}
Jeremiah wrote, Jeremiah 17:9,10, NKJV, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately (incurably sick) wicked, who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind (most secret part), even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doing.” [that’s sowing and reaping; what are we, as a nation, going to reap for our words and works?]
Let me regroup: Is the rhetoric that shouts out lies, deception, or accusations contentious or calming? Are things constantly being stirred up or is there peace? What results do we witness as a result of these inflammatory words? Are we witnessing righteousness or corruption?
Every day, we hear words that incite verbal fighting, bickering, quarreling, and constant accusations of lieing.
A few days ago, I was reading, “Daily Moment” with Pastor Jack Hayford. The devotional was entitled “Power of the Blood”. The devotional was based upon Revelation 12:11. It was this devotional that started me thinking in the direction that I have been pursuing in this current series. [I mentioned this in an earlier blog]
Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Quoting, Dr. Hayford, “Christian believers are involved in a conflict. Our enemy is called “The Serpent”, “The Devil”, “Satan” and the Accuser of our brethren. (Revelation 12:9-10). He began this conflict in the Garden of Eden and will continue until the Lord returns to reign.” The good news is that Satan, our enemy, is a defeated foe! Christ’s attoning death and resurrection accomplished his complete and final defeat. The Blood of Christ causes God’s people to prevail, because it answers all of the enemy”s accusations. Satan controls and defeats humankind through guilt and accusation. He is a blackmailer.”
As I have said many times before, I believe that as a nation, we are hostages of Satan’s rhetoric. I call it ‘Prisoner’s of Words’.
In this moment of being ‘shut in’, ‘shut down’ or whatever you choose to call it, I encourage you to create your own ‘shut in’ with the Lord and His Word. Turn off the television, turn away from the radio, set aside the electronic media, in short, focus on Christ alone. [ ‘Christ alone’, there’s a good Reformation theme] Let us wait in silence.
Let me encourage you to ask the Lord to search your heart. Like King David, ask the Lord (Psalm 139:23-24) to “Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
We are in trying times. The Lord is reaching out to His people longing for them to open up the doors of their hearts to Him. He wants to come in and fellowship with you. He desires to renew you, establish you, refresh you, and strength you for the times that are before us as believers. Ask the Lord to show you your heart. He wants to free you from the things of this world and realign you with Himself.
I invite you to read and meditate on Hebrews 12:1-28. Yes, it is a long passage of scripture; but I believe that it is the essence of what the Lord is doing in the Body of Christ at this time. We are in a time of preparation. Let us listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Let us tune our ears to the frequency of the Gospel of Grace; let us listen attentively to the Lord’s broadcast; and let us not only be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word.
TBC
Living Words of Encouragement 