Name the Lie; Insert the Truth

Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" - Matthew 4:7-10

James MacDonald writes the following regarding dealing with error:

C.S. Lewis once said that there are two equal and opposite errors that we can fall into regarding Satan and his demons. One is to act like they don't exist; the other is to be unduly and overly interested in them.

God has it on His heart to communicate Satan's reality. More than 250 separate times in the New Testament God tells us about the chief enemy of our souls. He says, Watch out for him. He's trying to get access into your life. This is his strategy.

You may say, "I just don't think Satan is trying to mess with me. This doesn't apply to me." If you are a follower of Christ, it does.

Second Corinthians 11:14 tells us that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. The devil is not going to show up in some red Halloween outfit with the pitchfork, horns, and pointy tail. He wants you to think he looks like a cartoon character because that is no threat to you. But you're not always going to recognize him or his work. When you're least aware, he may be chiseling away at your emotional and spiritual health.

Let's brainstorm for a moment on this "angel of light" concept. For one, his deception makes him appear the opposite of what he really is. That includes those on his payroll. Not everyone who claims they speak for God is from God. "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ," (2 Corinthians 11:13).

The battleground for spiritual warfare is in one word: truth. As an angel of light, Satan lies to God's people. The battle is going on right now in the mind of every person reading this.

We get victory by following Jesus' example in battling Satan. In Matthew 4, Satan tempted Christ with lies. Make these stones into bread... (v.3). Cast Yourself down from the temple... (v.6). In response to each taunt, Jesus named the lie and inserted the truth. Jesus said, you say this, but God says this.

Although Satan is powerful, he's a weakling when faced with Scripture. He's unimpressed with our incantations or the clever things we say, but he'll run from God's Word that lives and abides forever. It's God's truth that sets you free.

Here's the goal: when Satan lies to you about spiritual issues that undermine your confidence and security in Christ Jesus, name the lie and insert God's truth.

Since the devotional is e-mailed--I can't link directly to it. However, I did find the quote above in this pdf document on the Walk in the Word website.

If you're interested, sign-up for the Wisdom for Your Walk weekly devotional...I've enjoyed it.

The Sufficiency of the Scripture

Will You Marry Me?

Thirteen years ago today I asked Lois to marry me...obviously, she said, "Yes".

Eric and Jennifer Wiinanen and I drove down to Lawrence, KS on this date in 1996. I don't remember if they had a purpose other than "me" in going there or not. Hmmm...I'll have to ask the next time I see them.

Anyway...so we drove down to Lois' hometown and I surprised her at a special restaurant where she expected to meet her sister. From there we drove to a beautiful housing development where we walked the boardwalks, talked, and eventually I found the courage to ask the big question!

We've been together since 1992--and you'd think that by now we've have it all figured out. Truth is--we're still learning how to love one another. Sometimes when we've had one of those times when our love has been tested, I ask her if she'll marry me. I know it sounds a little weird--and I fess up to that. But I have a good reason.

I don't ask because I'm particularly insecure. Neither do I ask because sometime I expect her to change her mind and say, "No". 

I ask because I want Lois to always know that if I had to do it all over again...I'd still pick her. It's my little way of refreshing and renewing my decision to choose her and reject all others. Is it corny? Maybe. But do I mean it?? Every single time.

Earnest About the Great Work of Ministry

This morning, Dad and I enjoyed an encouraging conversation about Epaphroditus (see Philippians 2:25-30). I was spurred on by the reminder that he nearly worked himself to death for the cause of Christ's gospel.

Epaphroditus was one of those men that Horatius Bonar described as being "earnest about the great work of the ministry on which they had entered":

They felt their infinite responsibility as stewards of the mysteries of God, and shepherds appointed  by  the  Chief  Shepherd  to  gather  in and watch over  souls. They  lived  and laboured  and  preached  like  men  on  whose lips the immortality of thousands  hung. Everything they did and spoke bore the stamp of earnestness, and proclaimed to all with whom  they came  into contact  that  the matters about which they had been sent  to  speak were of infinite moment, admitting of no indifference, no postponement even for a day. 

Yet their fervour was not that of excitement; it was the steadfast but tranquil purpose of men who felt the urgency and weight of the cause entrusted to them, and who knew that necessity was laid upon  them, yea, woe was unto  them  if  they preached not  the gospel. They felt that,  as ministers  of  the gospel  they dared  not  act  otherwise;  they  dared not throw  less  than  their whole soul  into  the conflict;  they dared not  take their ease or  fold their arms; they dared not be indifferent to the issue when professing to lead on the hosts of the living God against the armies of the prince of darkness.

~From Horatius Bonar's True Revival and the Men God Uses (emphasis mine)

Word of the Day - Obdurate

Obdurate

1 a: stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing b: hardened in feelings

2: resistant to persuasion or softening influences

Once I had nothing but a heart of stone, and although through grace I now have a new and fleshy heart, much of my former obduracy remains. I am not affected by the death of Jesus as I ought to be; neither am I moved by the ruin of my fellow men, the wickedness of the times, the chastisement of my heavenly Father, and my own failures, as I should be. O that my heart would melt at the recital of my Saviour’s sufferings and death. Would to God I were rid of this nether millstone within me, this hateful body of death. Blessed be the name of the Lord, the disease is not incurable, the Saviour’s precious blood is the universal solvent, and me, even me, it will effectually soften, till my heart melts as wax before the fire.

~Spurgeon's Morning and Evening - April 28

O Thou In Whose Presence - Missing Verses

We sang this hymn at the chapel last Sunday evening. I believe the version in our hymnbook has 5 (maybe 6) verses. I appreciate the words--so I thought I'd share it here. 

When I looked for the lyrics online, I found that it has several more verses--11 total! Some of them seem to be referencing the themes from the Song of Solomon. Here are my favorites:

O Thou in whose presence my soul takes delight,

On whom in affliction I call,

My comfort by day, and my song in the night,

My hope, my salvation, my all.

This is my Belovèd; His form is divine;

His vestments shed odors around:

The locks of His head are as grapes on the vine,

When autumn with plenty is crowned.

The roses of Sharon, the lilies that grow

In vales, on the banks of the streams:

On His cheeks, all the beauties of excellence glow,

And His eyes are as quivers of beams.

His voice, as the sound of the dulcimer sweet,

Is heard through the shadows of death;

The cedars of Lebanon bow at His feet,

The air is perfumed with His breath.

His lips as a fountain of righteousness flow,

That waters the garden of grace,

From which their salvation the Gentiles shall know,

And bask in the smiles of His face.

Love sits on His eye-lids, and scatters delight

Through all the bright mansions on high;

Their faces the cherubim veil in His sight,

And tremble with fullness of joy.

He looks, and ten thousands of angels rejoice,

And myriads wait for His word;

He speaks, and eternity, filled with His voice,

Re-echoes the praise of her Lord.

Dear Shepherd, I hear and will follow Thy call;

I know the sweet sound of Thy voice.

Restore and defend me, for Thou art my All,

And in Thee I will ever rejoice.

~Joseph Swain

Real Manliness = Christ-Like Character

Phil Johnson over at the Pyromaniacs blog has been writing recently on true masculinity. I've appreciated his thoughts--especially this quote from the May 1 post:

Here's the thing: manliness is not about bravado, and it's not about boyishness. Going out into the woods with a bunch of other men, putting on war paint, making animal noises, telling scary stories around a campfire, and then working up a good cry might be good, visceral fun and all, but that has nothing to do with the biblical idea of manliness.

Real manliness is defined by Christlike character, and not just the Gentle-Jesus-meek-and-mild-style character, but the full-orbed fruit of the Spirit rounded out with strength, courage, conviction, strong passions, manly love, and a stout-hearted willingness to oppose error and fight for the truth—even to the point of laying down your life for the truth if necessary.

That's what Scripture portrays as authentic manliness, and it's the duty of every man in the church to be a model of that kind of manhood.