Character

Satan’s Game Plan

Dr. Mike 2023 , , , ,

John 8:44

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…

You may not believe in a devil. You may not believe in conspiracies. But Jesus does. In both of these Scriptures, Jesus outlines the characteristics of someone who lives outside of God’s divine nature and is scheming to destroy humanity. He is the devil. God’s adversary.

If you want to personify a person who is anti-God, the devil is your role model. Satan (the chief devil) lives life opposing God. His behavior and fundamental approach to life produces chaos. Unlike God whose character demonstrates harmony and order, the devil is everything opposite HIM.

God’s divine nature is built on truth which allows freedom, trust, and relationships to bloom. Satan’s way distorts reality, causes doubts, and subversives unity between people.

The Bible outlines God’s macro plan to adopt a family into the inner circle of the Triune life. Satan understands God’s purpose and angerly seeks ways to prevent humanity from participating with HIM. In fact, the devil seeks people to associate with him in the destruction of God’s plan.

He (devil) persuades others to pattern their life after his character. He naturally lies without concern for others. His natural tendency causes confusion, removes fundamental stability, and produces fear in the hearts of the spiritual weak. The more he can keep people’s minds away from the Triune God, the easier his work is magnified.

He (devil) is a natural thief. He only knows how to steal. Work is an allergy he avoids. He cannot build anything of long-term value. He takes from others and justifies his motives. His policies deliberately destroy lives. Wherever he can eliminate a life, he targets. In his eyes, life is not precious but an object to eliminate.

He is evil personified. The opposite of God. He allows us to witness the difference between beauty and ugly, harmony and disorder, flourishment and poverty, joy and indifference, purpose and wandering, diligence and laziness, humility and pride, servant-leadership and tyranny, peace and war, fulfillment and emptiness, etc. Whatever is good, comes from God. Whatever is evil, is a byproduct of the devil’s intentions.

The Book of Revelation highlights Satan’s end. Until then, God’s plan for humanity allows Satan to roam the earth causing havoc. Yet when we realize his nature and game plan, we are able to compare the surpassing ways of Almighty God with the destructive tendencies of Satan. Yes, choosing God’s Way is easier when one can repeatedly compare the outcome of divine nature against the devil’s character under historical evidence. Maybe that is why God allows Satan to continue his torrid ways.

When you know the devil’s routine, you can more easily ignore him by living under the authority of Christ. When we allow Jesus to confront the devil’s work before us, they flee. But if one does not live under the authority of Christ, then they are fair game for Satan to unleash his devious wrath upon them. Be safe and allow the love and hope of Jesus Christ always lead you. Let the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) be your strong defense against the schemes of the devil to stand firm.

Remember, when history is completed, the evidence as prophesied in the last chapters of Revelation show God and humanity wins, Satan loses.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager, Faith-Integrator, Scribbler

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Appeasing the Crowd

Dr. Mike 2022 , , , , ,

Mark 15:15

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified. (ESV)

Do you need courage to stand up against the crowd?

When you know what is right and you give in to the noise and threats of others, you discover your slackness of character. Here Pilate weighed the consequences and found it politically easier to satisfy the crowd’s desire rather than do what is right. Why trouble yourself over one person’s life he may have thought? Don’t the power players teach you to carefully choose your fights? What do I have to gain if I choose to do what is right in this case? (He probably murmured to himself). 

Most likely, many of us have been there where the bully threatens one into submission. Rather than fight for what is right, we roll over and succumb to the more traveled road. Yet in hindsight, we know the best route would have been to stand up and face the evil rather than run from it.

Yes, it takes courage to face our adversaries. When we discover our lack, we shamefully accept the situation without putting up resistance. In the process we also discover a weakness of our humanity and quickly try to cover the matter up rather than expose our shortcomings to the world. The moment of truth has arrived.

Our Triune God knows our weaknesses. If we had the godly character in place, the matter would have been differently handled. But in that moment of truth, we discovered something lacking in ourselves and the real you is exposed.

Life is a learning process preparing you and I for eternity. Moments like this slap us in the face and wake us up to the matter. Either we change or we shall continue to repeat the situation over and over again until the pain becomes unbearable, and our lives become intolerable.

However, when we accept Jesus as Lord, HIS Spirit begins the process of living in you. You slowly take on the characteristics of your Creator. Yes, you were made in the image of God. You were also destined to live life like HE did when he visited planet some 2,000 years ago.

The Holy Spirit wants to fully empower you to reflect the strength and character of Jesus Christ. As you walk along with HIM, you will discover the power of faith, truth, and love. You will become embolden with HIS characteristics. Then one day, you will find yourself in a similar situation and you will boldly stand up to the truth, do what is right, and afterwards marvel at your conduct giving thanks to God. The circumstantial outcome may or may not be the same, but you will be at peace and fully prepared to handle the consequences just like your Teacher, Jesus Christ.

So, if you need courage to stand up against the crowd, you now know where to find it.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Christ-Centered Character

Dr. Mike 2021 , ,

Galatians 4:19

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…

The nucleus of a Christian life is Jesus Christ. He is the central core for all of life. When we acknowledge HIM as who he is, only then do we discover a path which leads toward fulfilling our human potential.

In business, we are trained to start with the end result in mind and then work backwards filling in all the steps necessary for its attainment. The same can be said about your life and mine.

In the above Scripture, the apostle Paul states the goal for each believer is to be made in the image of Jesus Christ from the inside-out. A process of having yours and mine attitude and character shaped into the very carbon copy of Jesus. Later in Chapter five he emphasizes the building material being the character attributes of the Holy Spirit being fully expressed through us. Paul compared the entire character-building process to childbirth.

C.S. Lewis in his writings like to define Christians as “little Christs”; like children being molded after their parents. A life-long process over time which ends with the son or daughter grown up with similar characteristics of their parent. The same is true of us believers.

When you start with the end of life, you will quickly acknowledge that we came with nothing into this world and we shall leave with no material possessions at the end. However, there is something we will take with us into the next phase of our lives – our soul.

The soul, which includes the entire bastion of one’s emotional attitudes, mental bank, and characteristic willpower, will one day be resurrected into a new body. Until then, like the new born child awaits in the womb of their mother being prepared for life outside of the womb, we likewise are being prepared in this life for a new adventure in the world tomorrow when we will be resurrected into eternity. The last chapters of the Bible showcase the new resurrected life we are currently being prepared to enter.

So, what does all this mean?

As a mother nurtures her begotten child, being careful to eat and drink healthy items which will assist in her child’s positive development, so must we the Church, nourish and feed believers until they mature into the image of Christ being formed in each one of us. Just as a responsible mother makes her primary purpose for nine laborious months doing everything in her power to give birth to a healthy baby, likewise the Church needs to do the same.

Yet, just as there are mothers who have failed to fulfill their responsibility, there are also believers who have failed to participate in the process. The end result are children of the faith who may be mature in the eyes of the world, but are yet babes in the eyes of God. One Pew research study showed that most Christians understanding of their faith stopped when they quick going to Sunday school in the 8th grade. In other words, their growth and understanding of God’s work stopped at the same time. Physically, they grew up, but spiritually they are still babies drinking milk.

If you are unsatisfied with your spiritual walk with the Lord, maybe its time to join a small group of believers who understand the importance of sharing life and growing together in preparation for eternity. More Jesus and less me is a motto used by one of the small groups I had the privilege to participate for a number of years. Like iron sharpens iron, so one believer sharpens another. Of all the church activities I have participated in, the small group is where I believe the work of the church comes more alive in helping Christ be formed in you.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved