evil

The Many Disguises of the Devil

~ godisnotlikeyou ~ 2 Comments

Have you noticed how subtle the devil can be in your life?

He never attacks straight on. He’s too clever for that. It’s always sideways or from the back.

He offered Eve an apple in exchange for Paradise. (Maybe God gave us apples to eat as a reminder?) apples2

He comes camouflaged as a sheep, but if you look closely, you’ll see the razor-sharp teeth of a wolf waiting to pounce and devour.

He shines bright as an angel of light. He’s prepared to take you on sublime flights of mystical fantasy, but does that light speak of Jesus as your only source of satisfaction and peace?

The devil paints sin in spellbinding colors. He minimizes the horrors of following God-substitutes by suggesting ways to inflate your potential, live your dreams, and squeeze all the gusto out of life.

What he fails to disclose is that all his ways lead to the four D’s:

  • disappointment
  • discouragement
  • death

In contrast, God and his love for you in Christ is the answer to all your needs. His kingdom is Paradise on earth, and the new heavens and the new earth he promises to send will be Paradise throughout eternity.

He is all your heart’s desire whether you are single or married or divorced. He is the perfect Parent, Spouse, and Friend.

He is your identity because he has placed you in Christ. You don’t need another. Now you’re free to love your neighbor by serving him through your calling in life as firefighter, nurse, garbage collector, teacher, or artist.

Next time you find yourself under attack, say this:

“Devil, if you can’t do better than that, kiss my backside. I have no time for you now.” – Martin Luther

Talk to me.

messychristians@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sin Boldly

~ godisnotlikeyou ~ 2 Comments

Martin Luther said,

“God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for He is victorious over sin, death, and the world.”

Christ is for sinners, for people like you and me who have no appetite for God, who prefer ourselves over any other being in the universe, who have a real inclination toward evil, who are rebels, traitors, willful deviants, and who do not want to change. Those are the people Christ goes after.

This predicament is not only in an individual life but it’s universal in scope. Only sinners live on this planet. There are no other kinds of people. No matter what country people live in, or what culture they belong to, their ultimate need is not psychological or emotional, political or economic, or even their alienation from one another. Their true need is to be delivered from God’s judgment and curse. And they are going to be judged on the merits of their own righteousness–or lack thereof–or the righteousness of Another.

This is what makes Christ so relevant to every generation, every culture, and every race.