Gen_8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
I have not written here for a few weeks because life has just gotten in the way, it happens.
I decided on the passage from Genesis 8:21 to head up this article because of an experience I had this week which I am sure is from God.
So often, Christians have been guilty of focusing on Lucifer to the point that I have wondered if we have changed and begun to worship Satan instead of God. Silly statements like the "Devil made me do it", or "I was tempted by the Devil" just show a true misunderstanding of who the Devil is and what Jesus did for us.
I don't mean to say that there isn't a Devil, there is, and he is real, what I do mean to say is that the devil and his minions can not make you do anything, nor will they be able to tempt you if the temptation is not available in your heart.
So, you might say to me "then you think Jesus had sin in his heart since the devil did tempt him" and I would say "definitely NOT". Jesus's temptation was different, Lucifer was trying to destroy God, overthrown His Crown and God allowed it. Jesus won, just like He did on the cross and in the grave, He smashed the head of Satan even though Satan bruised His heel, Jesus won and the battle is over. Lucifer is defeated, period.
That being said, there are still countless battles going on, those battles are for the individuals heart.
The passage in Genesis is given after the flood and is the opening statement from God that we now call the Covenant of Noah. That statement is telling; it tells us about man's nature and the nature of sin. Sin originates in our hearts, period.
The book of Job teaches us that a man can be afflicted with a great deal of misfortune and can even get angry with God but still know he has not, nor will sin. Job was a truly upright man, a man of God, a man whose heart was set on God and pleasing Him. God honored Job for his steadfast devotion, a devotion to God.
I know this writing is a bit disjointed there is so much I want to say but don't have the time or room to say it here and now so I will close this by telling you what got me thinking along this line.
For most of a week I had suffered terrible nightmares, the kind that you can feel, taste and sense all that is happening in the dream. After the second night I had prayed that God protect my mind from Satan's influence, that prayer seemed unanswered as that night, nightmares returned. I didn't understand but knew God was trying to teach me something. Two more nights of the same prayer and the same result. Then I was talking to God about this situation and the above verse was brought to memory,..... now I understood I was praying for protection from the wrong thing, these nightmares were origionationing out of my own heart. That night they stopped and I have been free of them for three nights now.
Had I been using the inventory nightly I might have caught on more quickly. It is easy to rest on our spiritual butts when God has been blessing us richly, but, if God is in our hearts He won't let that situation last for long, He will discipline.
Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
May God Bless you and keep you
Les
I have not written here for a few weeks because life has just gotten in the way, it happens.
I decided on the passage from Genesis 8:21 to head up this article because of an experience I had this week which I am sure is from God.
So often, Christians have been guilty of focusing on Lucifer to the point that I have wondered if we have changed and begun to worship Satan instead of God. Silly statements like the "Devil made me do it", or "I was tempted by the Devil" just show a true misunderstanding of who the Devil is and what Jesus did for us.
I don't mean to say that there isn't a Devil, there is, and he is real, what I do mean to say is that the devil and his minions can not make you do anything, nor will they be able to tempt you if the temptation is not available in your heart.
So, you might say to me "then you think Jesus had sin in his heart since the devil did tempt him" and I would say "definitely NOT". Jesus's temptation was different, Lucifer was trying to destroy God, overthrown His Crown and God allowed it. Jesus won, just like He did on the cross and in the grave, He smashed the head of Satan even though Satan bruised His heel, Jesus won and the battle is over. Lucifer is defeated, period.
That being said, there are still countless battles going on, those battles are for the individuals heart.
The passage in Genesis is given after the flood and is the opening statement from God that we now call the Covenant of Noah. That statement is telling; it tells us about man's nature and the nature of sin. Sin originates in our hearts, period.
The book of Job teaches us that a man can be afflicted with a great deal of misfortune and can even get angry with God but still know he has not, nor will sin. Job was a truly upright man, a man of God, a man whose heart was set on God and pleasing Him. God honored Job for his steadfast devotion, a devotion to God.
I know this writing is a bit disjointed there is so much I want to say but don't have the time or room to say it here and now so I will close this by telling you what got me thinking along this line.
For most of a week I had suffered terrible nightmares, the kind that you can feel, taste and sense all that is happening in the dream. After the second night I had prayed that God protect my mind from Satan's influence, that prayer seemed unanswered as that night, nightmares returned. I didn't understand but knew God was trying to teach me something. Two more nights of the same prayer and the same result. Then I was talking to God about this situation and the above verse was brought to memory,..... now I understood I was praying for protection from the wrong thing, these nightmares were origionationing out of my own heart. That night they stopped and I have been free of them for three nights now.
Had I been using the inventory nightly I might have caught on more quickly. It is easy to rest on our spiritual butts when God has been blessing us richly, but, if God is in our hearts He won't let that situation last for long, He will discipline.
Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
May God Bless you and keep you
Les
RSS Feed
