Month: December 2022 (Page 2 of 4)

As tensions increase around the world, the word “Armageddon” is being used to describe the coming days. Even President Biden used this term recently. But as followers of Jesus we need to be clear on what this term means. It comes from the book of Revelation: “Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16).

This verse appears after the sixth bowl containing God’s wrath was poured out on the earth: “Bowl six is the last punishment, bringing death to them [the unrepentant]. Satan’s purpose is to assert his power; God’s is to prosecute his justice. The result is the same: Armageddon (Rev. 16:16  Bible Speaks Today). When ‘the great day of God Almighty’ comes, the powers of this world will find themselves suddenly confronted by their rejected Lord. That battle will be the last” (16:14 BST).

We need to be sure we’re on the right side of that great, coming battle.  In Luke 10, Jesus is accused of driving out demons “by Beelzebub, the prince of demons” (Luke 10:14). Jesus had shown the power of the Spirit of God to be greater than the spirit of evil. The strong man (Satan) is the evil power who guards his own house. But Jesus is more powerful, being able to bring about a successful coup.  

The Message gives this description of Jesus, the Stronger Man: “When a strong man, armed to the teeth, stands guard in his front yard, his property is safe and sound. But what if a stronger man comes along with superior weapons?  Then he’s beaten at his own game, the arsenal that gave him such confidence hauled off, and his precious possessions plundered” (Luke 11:21-22 MSG).

We also have these fateful words: “This is war, and there is no neutral ground.  If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse” (Luke 11:23 MSG).  The challenge for each of us is to be continually evaluating our priorities as we try to follow Him in a day of intensifying conflict between good and evil. There is no neutral ground. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  However, Jesus clearly tells us, “…If I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you” (Luke 11: 20 NLT). 

In this same context Jesus warns about being alert and on guard: “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest.  But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’  So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and clean.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there.  And so that person is worse off than before” (Luke 11:24-26 NLT).  

Could it be that spiritually we are “worse off than before” as a nation?  Has the enemy of our souls tempted us to become negligent in our own spiritual lives?  I plead with the men reading this blog:  be fully aware of the fight we are in.  It is on the surface very complex and confusing.  But underneath it’s simply the continuing battle of the ages; between evil and good – the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God.

You might not like to be reminded of this battle.  If so, you have already become captive to the forces of darkness.  Remember: we are at war. We need to choose what is right – and then fight. 

I recently watched a video of protesters at UW-Madison demonstrating against the campus appearance of a conservative commentator. The video shows students surrounding and shouting down a young man reading aloud from the Scriptures. One protester used his teeth to shred ripped-out pages of the Bible, while spitting on pages on the ground.  It also showed a woman with red-dyed hair shoving pages from a torn-up Bible into her mouth. It was a vivid demonstration of contempt for the Word of God. 

When I saw protesters eating pages of Scripture, I thought of the prophets. Both Ezekiel (2:9-3:3) and Jeremiah (15:16) were told to eat the word of God – and for both it was a much more positive experience.  Ezekiel said, “So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth” (3:3).  Jeremiah explained, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (15:16).

Conversely, John was commanded in Revelation 10:9-11 to eat a little scroll provided by an angel. Unlike the prophets, the Word became sour for John. “It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.”  The Word can have both positive and negative effects on those who take it in.  For these protesters, it was definitely negative.  The distaste for God’s Word was demonstrated right before our eyes as protesters were literally eating the Bible with disdain.  What can we learn from all this?

First, there is often contempt for the message of the Bible.  Satan, the father of lies, will do all he can to discredit, distort and falsify the teachings of Scripture.  These young protesters believed the lie. Jesus warned about the devil: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies’ (John 8:44).  Scripture reveals Satan to be a contemptuous liar.  

Secondly, the simple practice of reading Scripture aloud in public has power. Those who are so strongly opposed to its message were enraged at the public declaration of simple words of truth.  Jesus told Pilate, “…For this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37).  Paul warned, “The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars” (I Tim. 4:1 – Message).  

Thirdly, proclaiming truth brings to light the untruths of the enemy.  Through the Word of truth, Satan is exposed as a deceiver.  The enemy traffics in half-truths in our nation’s popular narrative.  Just enough truth to be harmless is his preferred approach.  We are warned, “You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching but will fill up on spiritual junk food – catchy opinions that tickle their fancy” (II Tim. 4:3 – Message). 

Fourthly, the enemy spreads his message very effectively through popular media.  I heard one commentator describe propaganda in two sentences:  “First, you are told what you want to hear.  Then you are told what to believe.”  Peter warned, “You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires” (II Peter 3:3).  These impressionable students were scoffing at the Good News of Jesus.   

Lord, help us to reach out with compassion to those who show contempt for you and your Word.