Ruler of the World

Posted on by korgrocker

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.”
John 14:30-31 NLT

Our world is an evil and wicked place. There are wars and strife. Diseases and famine. Nations up against each other. Individuals trampling on others to better themselves. Corruption and political chaos. There seems to be no end to the problems in this world. But one thing is for sure, this is not God’s Kingdom. When Jesus referred to the “ruler of this world”, He was of course using one of the names or phrases given to the devil, the fallen angel cast out of Heaven. We read in Isaiah 14:12-14, “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High’”‭‭. The devil was cast out of Heaven due to his pride and rebellion against God, and the only place left for him was Planet Earth. But he doesn’t have unlimited power and can only be the “ruler of this world” within boundaries set by God. As Jesus said, “he has no power over me”.

Peter wrote, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We pilgrims need to be aware of a devil who hates Christians and everything we consider sacred. He will probe and prod, trying to find a weak link in our armour. Speaking of which, Paul wrote about how we should defend ourselves in Ephesians 6:11-12, “Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places“. There was Paul, chained between two Roman soldiers wearing their armour in his jail cell, and looking at what each of those defensive items were for. He wrote about the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith to stop fiery arrows, and the helmet of salvation. These were all defensive items, but Paul also wrote about an offensive weapon against which the devil has no defence – the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Five items for defence and one for offence.

Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days in the Palestinian wilderness, and three times Jesus replied using Scripture. We read what happened next in Luke 4:13, “When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came“. And afterwards we read, “Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power” (Luke 4:14a). We pilgrims can stand firm and fend off the devil’s attacks. But we need to be alert, covering our weak spots through God’s grace. The ruler of the world had no power over Jesus, who defeated him at Calvary. And the devil only has the power over us that we allow. God has given us all the solutions to the problem of the ruler of the world. In Ephesians 6:13, we read, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm“.

Dear Father God. Thank You for all the resources we need to stand firm against the attacks of the devil. Please help us in our hours of need. In Jesus’ name.Amen.


“The Devil Made Me Do It”

Posted on by korgrocker

“It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.”
John 13:2 NLT

Is “the devil made me do it” a valid excuse? It certainly wasn’t for Eve after the incident with the serpent. “Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” … Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you””(Genesis 3:13, 16)‭‭. Eve had to face into the consequences of her sin. But in her case, the desire to do something she wasn’t supposed to do was there, and the serpent acted as a catalyst to resolve the conflict in her mind. Eve wasn’t unique by any means, because how many times have we found ourselves in sin, having rationalised in our minds that the act of doing what we shouldn’t doesn’t really matter. The excuses and mental gyrations we go through to justify our sinful actions. “Just this once won’t really matter, after all everyone does it”. “I’m doing some research to find out more about this web site”. And so on. 

Regarding Judas, the reality was that he was already inclined to betray Jesus. We can only guess at a reason. Perhaps he was disappointed that Jesus wasn’t going to bring about the revolution in Israel that he thought He should. Perhaps he suspected that Jesus knew about his proclivity to steal from the common fund. The foot washing event that happened after supper might have been the vehicle that finally tipped Judas Iscariot over the edge, because soon after, he left the meeting to go and make arrangements to betray Jesus. But he wasn’t walking along one day and suddenly found that there was the devil or one of his representatives walking with him. The devil cannot make us do anything, but he is a master in finding our weak spots and leveraging them so that we fall into sin. In C S Lewis’ book “The Great Divorce”, there’s a fascinating account of a ghost complete with a little red demon, with tail and horns, sat on its shoulder, constantly whispering in its ear. So it is with the devil sometimes, it seems.

The action of Judas in his betrayal of Jesus started a chain of events that probably went far beyond what Judas was expecting. Perhaps he thought that he could force Jesus to become King and deal with the hated occupiers. But to look on and see what was happening over the next few hours wasn’t, or so some think, what Judas had in mind in his act of betrayal. We read what happened with Judas in Matthew 27:3-5, “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.” 

One day everyone will stand before God to give an account of their lives, and the excuse, “The devil made me do it” won’t wash with God. James wrote, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). John wrote, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, we have all the resources we need so that we are never tempted to say, “The devil made me do it”.

Dear Father God. Thank You for giving us Your Spirit, so that through Him we have the power to be overcomers. Amen.

The Father of Lies

Posted on by korgrocker

“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”
John 8:44-47 NLT

Jesus didn’t pull any punches. The Pharisees and others before Him consistently and continually refused to believe in Jesus, believe who He was and believe in His message. After explaining to them that they were spiritually deaf, Jesus changed tack and pointed out to them that because they were sinners who refused to accept God’s gift of grace, they were, by definition, children of the devil. They followed the devil’s lead by refusing to believe the truthful statements Jesus made, and because of that they didn’t belong to God. There was only one other place that they could be and that was one fathered by the devil.

Jesus had some strong, but truthful, words about the devil. He spoke the first lie, which we can read in Genesis 3:1-4, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman”. By believing in the devil’s lie “You won’t die”, the woman, Eve, followed by Adam and the rest of mankind, have all died.

So the scenario that developed in the Temple that day became a clash point between God and His truth, and the devil and his Pharisaical disciples. How often the devil has lied his way into the hearts of men and women who started off by believing God and ended up following a lie. We consider the cults and false religions, just for a start. The Pharisees took what God intended for their good and twisted it into a loveless religion of rules, convincing themselves in the process that their pedigree and adherence to following their rules and customs would be all that God required and would assure them of eternal life. A lie from the devil. It was no wonder that Jesus had some hard words for them, and it was so sad that even being in the presence of God’s Son was insufficient to overcome their lie-infused thinking.

Most people around us today are also saturated with the devil’s lies. It is a disease so prevalent that the devil truly has the title “Father of Lies” and “god of this age”. There is only one remedy, only one escape, only one way to God, and that is through believing in Jesus. Only He can lift us out of the gutter of sin. Psalm 40:2, “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along”. We pilgrims must constantly wash off us the dirt and dust of living in a world ruined by the devil and his lies. We do it by staying close to Jesus and His cross, keeping short accounts with our loving Heavenly Father. 

Father God. It is only from You that we can find the words of truth. Please help us to discern the devil’s lies, as we go about our daily lives. in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Real Father

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.””
John 8:37-41 NLT

The Pharisees and others in the Jewish crowd around Jesus in the Temple were convinced that they were descendants of Abraham and therefore they knew better than Jesus. They thought that they were on the moral high ground over this interloper, who was making claims that He was greater than Abraham. Jesus said that when He was with His Father in Heaven He was looking on as Abraham was prophesying about Him. God said to Abraham, “indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. Through your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have heard and obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:17-18 AMP). Some Bible translations take “seed” as being plural, meaning descendants, but others interpret “seed” as being singular, pointing to Jesus, the Messiah to come. So down the ages perhaps Abraham saw a glimpse of the Messiah, through Whom would come the salvation of the world.

Jesus rightly pointed out to the crowd that Abraham would never have wanted to kill the One whom he foresaw, so how could Abraham be the father of the Pharisees, who were fostering murder in their hearts. And therefore, as much as they stressed their heritage, there could only be one father of the Pharisees, and that was the devil himself. That made them illegitimate, something they protested vigorously. And once again they proclaimed that God was their true Father. So who was right? Who spoke the truth? We know from hindsight, and our own faith, the answer to that question, but in front of Jesus was a people who refused to accept what He said. I suppose if Jesus had said the words they wanted to hear, words that didn’t conflict with their world view and preconceived ideologies, then they would have accepted Him, but they had no room in their hearts for a counter-cultural message of truth from God’s Son.

The real father of the Pharisees could not have been Abraham, Jesus said. But bringing the same issue up to date, we have theologians and others who have interpreted the Bible to suit their own ends but to whom Jesus would direct the same message. Men and women who deny Biblical truths by saying that Jesus was just a good man, that His birth never came from a sinless conception, that many of His miraculous signs never really happened, and that His Resurrection was just Jesus recovering after swooning on the cross. Would these same people have argued with Jesus, if He came and stood among them, repeating once again His message that only those who believe in Him would receive eternal life? Would their real father emerge once again, driving the dissenting words that sought to destroy Jesus and His message? We pilgrims need to be constantly on our guards, lest we too get drawn into a position that seems plausible but pulls us towards a different father.

Dear Father God. We confess today that only You are our true Father. Only You have the grace to save us from the other father in this world. Amen.

Supernatural Beings

Posted on by korgrocker

“He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.”
2 Peter 2:10-11 NLT

We pilgrims have all met them. People who “scoff at supernatural beings” denying that anything spiritual actually exists. They deny there is such a thing as God or the devil. And they certainly deny angels exist. Their office bravado is delivered to impress their fellow workers with their boldness and courage. While they are at it, they deny the existence of anything ghostly or unexplained. The word “scoff” is a good one, as it captures their behaviour exactly. 

But the “supernatural beings” referred to by Peter seem to be fallen angels, or demons, because if they were the angels in Heaven, Peter would have said so. The evil angels are being held in a place called Tartarus, as we read in 2 Peter 2:4, “For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell [Tartarus], in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment“. Perhaps some of these fallen angels have been incarcerated, but others are still free to roam, as demons. But the meaning of 2 Peter 2:11 is not very clear, although there are several theories around.

Practically, however, what do we pilgrims think of angels and demons? Relevant to our everyday lives, or myths from a by-gone and more superstitious age? Because they are not in our faces every day, we perhaps neglect to consider them too seriously, but in days gone by the impact of the supernatural, and in particular, evil forces, had a negative impact on society. If something strange, or even tragic happened to someone in those days, then the blame game would have started, with spells and curses from malevolent spirits coming into the picture. The Bible is clear, however, and Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places“. The picture emerges of an unseen and powerful enemy who is out to get anyone who sides with God. 

We know from Revelation 12:7-9 that demons originated in Heaven, “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels“. Because there can be no sin in Heaven, the spiritual beings of angelic origin could no longer live there, so the only other place they could find was on earth, to the detriment of the human race. Peter warned us, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). 

We “scoff at spiritual beings” at our peril. There’s nothing the devil likes more than to find the people he  wants to destroy in denial. People who don’t think there is a devil or demons, are adopting a dangerous strategy. We are very familiar with God’s armour, as we read in Ephesians 6. We are well equipped for every demonic eventuality, and in the end we follow Peter’s advice, “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. … ” (1 Peter 5:9). Great advice to follow in this sad and bad world.

We pray to our Heavenly Father. He loves us. He cares for us. He wants the best for us. But the devil and his minions want the opposite. However, we have no reason to buckle under the enemy’s attack. We read in 1 John 4:4 “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world“. Victory is ours and when we find ourselves oppressed and struck down, we remember that we’re on the winning side, even if the circumstances around us say differently.

Dear Father God. We pray for Your love and presence to surround us like a cloak. Close to You there is nothing to be afraid of. Amen.

Stand Firm

Posted on by korgrocker

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT

We pilgrims are aware that the devil is on the prowl, and we are at our most vulnerable when we do something for God that is very visible in our families and communities. New Christians in particular are in the devil’s sights because, if he can, he will cause them so many problems that they give up almost straight away. Jesus taught about this in the parable of the sower, and, unusually, he explained it to His disciples. We read in Matthew 13:19-22, “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced”. Notice that there are three categories of person who succumbs to the devil’s ploys. There are those whose spiritual eyes are blinded, preventing them from understanding the Good News. There are those who hear and understand it, but lack the perseverance to press through any difficulties that come their way. And there are those who get caught up with living in a certain way and pursue wealth to support their lifestyles. All methods that the devil uses to ensure a believer won’t cause him any difficulties.

The devil is very subtle in the way he tempts people. Look at the way he drew Eve away into sin. We read the story in Genesis 3, but the key opener was “Did God really say …?”  The devil will work with our human nature to birth sin in our lives, and there is that desperately sad verse at the end of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The same applies today, with people who have no moral compass, who lack God’s presence in their lives, and go on to live a life, debased by the devil and his evil lies. Their own twisted logic is influenced and matured by the devil, who devours them and then uses them for his own wicked ways.

We are not on our own in matters of temptation. Peter wrote that the “family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering” that they were. To the early believers, a very real temptation was to alleviate the suffering by renouncing their new-found faith. But Peter’s answer was for them to “stand firm” and “be strong in [their] faith”. The Apostle Paul wrote some great practical instructions for the Ephesian church. We read what he said in Ephesians 6. “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). He explains in a little more detail some information about how the devil devours. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Peter used the illustration of the devil prowling around but he has a whole contingent of “mighty powers”, and “evil spirits” all doing his bidding. We pilgrims need to be on our guard and constantly alert to those weak spots where the devil will find us the most vulnerable. We mustn’t forget that around us are other fellow believers who are fighting the same battles. So we pray for them and get them to pray for us. And we ask the Bible Author to show us the resources we need to help us in times of need.

Dear Father God. We pray again for Your help in our lives. We cannot fight the devil on our own and we thank You for the resources You have given us. Amen.

Stay Alert

Posted on by korgrocker

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT

We may not like to think about this, but we pilgrims have an enemy. We may feel safe and secure in our Western societies, but look on in alarm at the wars and strife taking place in other parts of the world. As I write today, the war in Ukraine continues unabated, and the response by Israel to the Palestinian terror attacks is working out on the world stage, dominating the media. Even God’s chosen people, the Jews, are under attack and many of them fear for their lives. Who or what causes so much hatred and distrust between individuals and nations? Well, we have the answer in today’s verse – our “great enemy, the devil”. Peter wrote that he “prowls around like a roaring lion”, spreading evil and wickedness wherever he goes. The churches that Peter was writing to were themselves experiencing persecution of terrible proportions, and his encouragement contained both a warning and the means to combat it.

But firstly, we must consider who the devil is looking to devour. The devil is against anything to do with God. The devil was thrown out of Heaven for his pride and rebellion, and, because God is so much stronger then he is, he is having to make do with his next priority – God’s precious creation, mankind. So perhaps it would be a good place to start with who the devil is not devouring on Planet Earth. Obviously those people who deny the existence of the devil wouldn’t bother him. They are no threat to him at all. Then, anyone who hates the Jews, God’s chosen people, with their antisemitic language and behaviour, and acts of terrorism, won’t trouble him – in fact he is probably using this group to help him do the devouring. Then there are people who accept that he exists but who don’t cause him any difficulties because of disinterest or even acceptance. As I write this, it is coming up to the season of Halloween and the shops are full of scary outfits and pumpkins. The devil loves it because these people are just advertising his presence. And that leaves God’s children, the “born-again” believers who are willing and spiritually resourced to take the fight to the devil’s kingdom and tell people in his bondage about how to get free. That’s us pilgrims. As an aside, there are many Christians who don’t bother the devil very much at all. Christians who perhaps warm a pew in a church service on a Sunday every few weeks but do little else in God’s Kingdom. Hmmm…

When Jesus came to this world, He became a prime target for the devil. After all, if he could get the Son of God to sin then that would be a major coup. In Luke 4:1-2 we read, “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry”. Jesus was both human and divine, man and God, and the devil tried to tempt Him through His humanity. We can read the three subsequent temptations of Jesus in the next few verses in Luke 4. In Hebrews 4:15 we read, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin”. And that’s the point. I’m sure Jesus suffered many temptations in His short life here in this world, but he withstood them all and never sinned.

The devil will always find a point of weakness in us, and will try and exploit it if at all possible. But we pilgrims need to stand firm in our faith. We note that Jesus used Scripture verses to counter the devil’s accusations, and so must we, by making sure we are using the Bible well. It contains all the resources we need to be able to withstand the devouring tactics of the enemy.

Father God. We pray for Your protection from the attacks of the enemy and deliverance from evil. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Second Death (2)

Posted on by korgrocker

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.”‭‭
Revelation‬ ‭21:8‬ ‭NIVUK

“But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation‬ ‭21:8‬ ‭AMP‬‬

In the last blog we unpacked what God was saying about the cowardly and the unbelieving. And we now move onto to consider the “vile” and “the sexually immoral“. Other translations use words such as “corrupt”, “abominable” or “dirty-minded“. The Amplified version of Revelation 21:8 expands the meaning to include all those, “who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality”. 

Sexual immorality is often seen as a grey area, depending on, or influenced by, societal attitudes, liberal theologians, or just downright ignorance. Many have a “if it feels good just do it” attitude. Thankfully we have the God-view as recorded in the Bible. A good place to start is perhaps 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realise that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body.” Earlier in 1 Corinthians 6, we read this, “Don’t you realise that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality”. Some try and rationalise their behaviour by saying that society has changed since the First Century, and the restrictions and attitudes that were the norm then don’t apply today. The old philosopher, Solomon, writing in Ecclesiastes, noted, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new.” (‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:9-10). The Biblical teaching about sex, morality and ethics is just as valid today as it was two thousand years ago. 

Sadly today we have some of our churches and denominations embracing sexual attitudes and customs that are directly in contravention with Biblical teaching. “We have to move with the times”, they say, and in the process they consign themselves to obscurity and, ultimately, the fires of hell. And our political leaders are even introducing legislation that directly opposes the morals and practices that are deeply embedded in our Christian faith. God’s words to John in Revelation 21:8 make it very clear that those who choose to select the Scriptures they like and reject those that they don’t, thus trying to justify their sinful behaviour, will be heading for the second death. 

God also mentioned to John about the fate awaiting “murderers“. I can hear many breathing a sigh of relief because they have never murdered anyone. But before they adopt the moral high ground, Jesus too said a few words about murder. We read them in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” It’s not just the act but also the attitude, the thought, that constitutes murder. 

We pilgrims must always honestly and soberly assess what we are thinking and doing. It is so easy to get sucked into societal thinking and end up diluting the purity of our faith. Whether it is sexual temptations or murderous thoughts, we must be remember the warning Peter included in his first epistle, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8). We all have our weaknesses. We must bring all our thoughts and deeds under God’s spotlight and allow the Holy Spirit to help us “stand firm…” in our faith. 

Dear Father God. Again we thank You for reminding us of the things we must avoid. We thank You for Your grace and patience. Please help us to “Stay alert” as Peter advised. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Halloween and the Magic Arts

Posted on by korgrocker

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.’”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:8‬ ‭NIVUK

“But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelation‬ ‭21:8‬ ‭AMP‬‬

We’re going to look at Revelation 21:8 slightly out of verse order, because we’re at the end of October and this is Halloween, a day much celebrated in Western society, especially amongst children. God asked the Apostle John to write down some character traits that, if followed, would consign them “to the fiery lake of burning sulphur”. Amongst these, God mentioned “magic arts” but what are they? The Amplified version goes further, describing the “magic arts” practitioners as “sorcerers” and “occultists”, and as an aside He included the involvement of “intoxicating drugs”. 

We look at these words and wonder if they are still a problem in today’s society. After all, we don’t generally see women dressed in black cloaks decorated with embroidered stars and planets and wearing pointy hats, wandering around our shopping malls. But before we discount the role of the “sorcerers” and “occultists” in 21st Century Planet Earth, there are some things that should be making us think.  As I write this, Halloween is almost upon us. The celebrations are just a bit of fun, those in society will say. But what is Halloween all about, if not a manifestation of occultist practices? It has its roots in ancient Celtic and Druidic customs that include a celebration of the joining together of the spiritual and natural worlds. The early adherents of this custom thought that on Halloween, the spirits of people long dead, together with a motley selection of demons, goblins and the like, could pass from their world to ours. According to the tradition, the demonic forces had to be appeased with sacrifices or gifts of sweets, and if the Halloween celebrants could dress up in scary clothes, then all the better. So in today’s Halloween parties and customs, we are continuing the practice of celebrating and recognising the devil’s dark forces.

But that is not the only manifestation of “those who practise magic arts”. Behind the scenes there are spiritualist “churches” meeting down a dark alley, or in a back room somewhere, and engaged in practices such as contacting the spirits of the dead. We have seemingly innocuous horoscopes included with our newspapers. Magicians wow audiences with deceptions. The occult, involving the supernatural, paranormal, black magic and all, emerges in seances, fairs and even at church fetes or community galas with palm readers and fortune tellers. And there many other manifestations of “magic arts”.

The Bible is no stranger to tales of magic and communication with the dead. We have the occasions in the early chapters of Exodus where Pharaoh’s sorcerers mimicked some of Moses’ miracles. Or there was the time when King Saul tricked a medium to summon the spirit of Samuel from Hades – we can read about this in 1 Samuel 28. In the New Testament, there was the episode when Paul was harassed by a young slave girl who had a fortune telling spirit. Paul discerned that the spirit was a demon so he cast it out of her through the name of Jesus Christ. The narrative about this is in Acts 16. But in it all the actions of mediums and others, who practise the “magic arts“, is forbidden by God. We read in Leviticus 19:31, “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.”

We pilgrims have to be clear about the origins of the “magic arts”. The Apostle Paul warned his protégé, Timothy, about the dangers of the devil’s domain. We read in 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” Jesus spent a lot of His time, while He was here on earth, casting demons out of people. And He instructed His followers to do the same, as we read in Matthew 10:8, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”. Paul also wrote to the Corinthians with a warning, “… And I don’t want you to participate with demons. You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too.” (‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:20b-21). 

Whatever the date on the calendar, we pilgrims need to be careful and diligent, in discerning the works of the devil and his minions. What might seem to be an innocent occasion, dressed up in fun, may turn out to be a back door into the devil’s domain. Halloween celebrations, horoscopes and palm reading can all seem innocuous and problem free, even entertaining, but once we become sucked into the “magic arts” we will end up in danger of ticking God’s second death box. The devil knows where he will end up and he is determined to take as many with him as he can. 

Dear Father God. We are so grateful for Your love and care for each one of us, and for Your timely warning about the “magic arts”. Please help us to discern the times and follow Your ways alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Burning Lake

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulphur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Revelation‬ ‭20:10‬ ‭NLT

The armies of the earth have been destroyed by fire. A sad end to man’s rebellion. They will of course be present at the second resurrection, and the consequences of this we will see, in a future blog, that it will not end well for them. Fire will be with them for all eternity, not just for the brief moment when they, and their fellow soldiers, were incinerated. But in today’s verse we see that the devil is seized once again. He seems impervious to his own limitations, and his inability to avoid God’s judgement, even though he must have known it would come to this. Look at the sequence of events. He was thrown out of Heaven. He was defeated at Calvary. He was incarcerated in the bottomless pit. And now he has been assigned to his final home – the fiery lake of burning sulphur. And in his vision John saw that the devil would be tormented, along with the beast and his false prophet, forever. Without any rest or parole. But he can never claim he didn’t know what would happen to him.

The devil overreached himself. He thought, in his arrogance, that he could take God on and win. Have we pilgrims ever met anyone who is so full of themselves, apparently impervious to their own limitations? They think that they are someone when, in reality, they aren’t?  But isn’t it strange – we can see this character trait in others but not ourselves. The Apostle Paul reminded the Romans of this in Romans 12:3, “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us”. Paul said we should assess ourselves honestly, but how do we do that? One piece of Scripture that has helped me greatly on my pilgrimage through life is Ephesians 4:22-23,“throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes”. Personal deception is part of our old sinful lives. Through the renewing that comes through the Holy Spirit, we get the help we need to evaluate ourselves honestly. 

Jesus described hell as being dark, and full of wailing and gnashing of teeth. At the marriage feast He found that there was someone not wearing the right wedding clothes, and he was removed from the banquet. We read in Matthew 22:13, “Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”‭‭ Jesus gave a graphic description of the eternal regret that an unrepentant person will experience – in darkness and deep sorrow. But in John’s vision in Revelation 20, as we will see in a future blog, those whose names are not recorded in the Book of Life will be joining the devil, the beast and the false prophet in the lake of fire. Either way, though, eternal separation from God in a place of torment, shows how seriously God views sin and wickedness. We must view it the same way, particularly in our own lives. And pray for our loved ones, that they too will take advantage of God’s love in this season of His grace.

Dear Lord. In humble gratitude we thank You for your grace and love. Amen.