If I Were the Devil ...

 

If I Were the Devil …

How you have 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.’ (Isaiah 14:12-14)

If I were the devil, I’d be ticked off seeing you reading a Christian book, thinking Godly thoughts and dreaming about heaven. If I were the devil, I'd get busy. I'd assemble my minions and demons into a strategy session and give them your picture and address. I'd review your weaknesses one by one – like how you love to be liked and hate to be wrong, and how cemeteries give you the creeps and darkness gives you the heebie-jeebies. I'd brief my staff on my past victories. Remember your bouts with doubt? I all but had you convinced that the Bible was a joke – you and your so-called faith in God's Word. I'd stealth my way into your mind. I'd dismantle you with questions like, How do you know, I mean, really know that Jesus rose from the dead? Or, Are you sure you really believe the gospel? Maybe, Isn't absolute truth yesterday's news? And the clincher, You, a child of God? Really? Who are you kidding?

I might direct you to one of my churches; one of my "feel good, you're good, everything's good" kind of churches. Half Hollywood, half pep talk. Glitz, lights and love, but no mention of Jesus. Nothing about sin, hell or forgiveness. I'd asphyxiate you with promises of pay raises and new cars. I'd perch myself on every corner of your world, clamoring for your attention. I'd flood you with e-mails, texts and to-do lists; entice you with shopping sprees and the newest styles. I’d burden you with deadlines and assignments. If I were the devil, I'd so distract you with possessions and problems that you'd never have time to read the Bible, especially the story about Jesus in the wilderness. (Matt. 4:1-11)

Remember that encounter? Jesus was fresh from the Jordan River. He’d just been baptized by John and affirmed by God with a dove and a voice saying, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22) He stepped out of the waters buoyed by God's blessing, yet began his public ministry, not by healing the sick or preaching a sermon, but by exposing Satan’s schemes. A perfect place to begin, really, because if I were the devil I'd blame evil on a broken political system, or a crippled economy, or the roll of the dice, or The Wicked Witch of the West for that matter. I'd want you to feel attacked by an ill-defined, nebulous force. After all, if you can't diagnose the source of your illness, how can you treat it?

If I were the devil, I'd keep my name out of it, too. But God doesn't let him get away with that by telling us his name. The Greek word for devil is diabolos, which shares a root with the verb diaballein, which means "to split;" think of double. The devil is a splitter, a divider and a wedge driver. He divided Adam and Eve from God in the garden and has every intent of doing the same to you. Blame all unrest on him. Don't fault the plunging economy or a career politician for your anxiety. They are simply instruments in Satan's tool kit. Satan is not absent from, or peripheral to God's story at all. In fact, he’s kind of at its center. The truth is, we can't understand God's narrative without understanding Satan's strategy since "the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

Nothing thrills Satan more than the current skepticism with which he’s viewed. When people deny his existence or chalk up his works to the ills of society, he rubs his hands with excitement because the more we doubt his existence, the more he can work without interference. Jesus didn't doubt the reality of the devil. The Savior strode into the badlands with the goal of unmasking Satan and made him the first stop on his itinerary. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matthew 4:1)

Does God do the same with us at times? Might the Spirit of God lead us into the wilderness? If I were the devil, I'd tell you, “No.” I’d want you to think that, on occasion, I can actually fool heaven; that I catch God napping. That I sneak in when he isn't looking and snatch his children out of his hand. I'd leave you sleeping with one eye open. But Scripture reveals otherwise. The next time you hear the phrase, "all hell broke loose," please correct the speaker. Hell doesn’t break loose. God uses Satan's temptation to strengthen us. Times of testing are actually times of training, purification and strength building. You can even "consider it pure joy . . . whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:2-3) God loves you too much to leave you undeveloped and immature. (Hebrews 12:10-11) Expect to be tested by the devil, so watch for his tricks. And you can know what to expect because "we are not ignorant of his schemes." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

When General George Patton counterattacked Field Marshal Rommel in World War II, Patton is reported to have shouted in the thick of battle, "I read your book, Rommel! I read your book!" Patton had studied Rommel's Infantry Attacks. He knew the German leader's strategy and planned his moves accordingly. We can know the same about the devil. We know Satan will attack our weak spots first.

For instance, forty days of fasting had left Jesus famished, so Satan began with the topic of food, i.e., bread. Jesus' stomach was empty, so Satan started there. Where are you empty? Are you hungry for attention, craving success, longing for intimacy? Be aware of your weaknesses. Bring them to God before Satan brings them to you. Satan will tell you to turn stones into bread. (Matthew 4:3) In other words, he will tell you to meet your own needs, take matters into your own hands, leave God out of the picture. Whereas Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), Satan says to work for it.

He’ll also question your identity; make Christians think they have to prove their position with rock-to-bread miracles. Clever. If Satan convinces us to trust our works over God's Word, he has us dangling from a broken limb. Our works will never hold us. Jesus didn't even sniff that bait. Three times he repeated, "It is written . . ."; "It is also written . . ."; "it is written . . ." (Matt. 4 vs. 4, 7, 10) In Jesus’ book, God's book was enough. He overcame temptation, not with special voices or supernatural signs, but by remembering and quoting Scripture. As a result, Satan regrouped and tried a different approach, and this one may surprise you because he told Jesus to show off in church.

"Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down.'" (verses 5-6) You see, testing isn't limited to the desert; it also occurs in the sanctuary. The two stood on the southeastern wall of the temple, more than a hundred feet above the Kidron Valley, and Satan told Jesus to jump into the arms of God. Jesus refused; not because he couldn't jump, and not because God wouldn't catch him.

He refused because he didn't have to prove anything to anyone, much less to the devil. And neither do you. Satan is going to tell you otherwise. In church, of all places, he will urge you to do tricks: impress others with your service, make a show of your faith, call attention to your good deeds. He loves to turn church assemblies into Las Vegas extravaganzas where people show off their abilities rather than boasting in God's. Don't be suckered.

Satan's last shot at Jesus started with a mountain climb. "The devil took him to a very high mountain." (verse 8) Another note out of Satan's playbook: promise them the heights. Promise the highest place, the first place, the peak, the pinnacle. The best, the most, the top. These are Satan's favorite words. The devil led Jesus higher and higher, hoping, I guess, that the thin air would confuse Jesus’ thinking. He "showed [Jesus] all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.'" (verses 8-9) Oops. Satan showed his cards. He wants worship. He wants you and me to tell him how great he is. He wants to author his own story in which he is the hero and God is an afterthought. He admitted as much. (Isaiah 14:13-14; see the text.)

Satan wants to take God's place, but God isn't moving. Satan covets the throne of heaven, but God isn't leaving. Satan wants to win you to his side, but God will never let you go. You have his Word. Even more, you have God's help. “For our high priest [Jesus] is able to understand our weaknesses. When he lived on earth, he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God's throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.” (Heb. 4:15-16) The last two Greek words of that verse are eukairon boetheian. Eukairos means "timely," or "seasonable," or "opportune." Boetheia is a compound of boe, "to shout," and theo, "to run." Nice combination. We shout, and God runs at the right moment. God places himself prior to our need, and just before we encounter that need, he gives us what we need.

You don't have to face Satan alone. You know his schemes. He will attack your weak spots first. He will tell you to meet your own needs. When you question your identity as a child of God, that’s Satan speaking. If you turn church into a talent show, now you know why. Even more, now you know what to do. Pray. We cannot do battle with Satan on our own. He’s a roaring lion, a fallen angel, an experienced fighter and an equipped soldier. He’s angry – angry because he knows that his time is short (Revelation 12:12), and that God's victory is certain.

The wonderful news for the Christian is that Christ reigns as our protector and provider. We are more than conquerors through him. (Romans 8:37) Arm yourself with God's Word and remember, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) Because if I were the devil, I wouldn't want you to know that, either.

Grace,

Randy

Diversity - A Mansion with Many Rooms

 

Diversity – A Mansion with Many Rooms

Diversity - a Mansion with Many Rooms - Audio/Visual 

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:38-40 – NLT)

John had a dilemma. He and the other disciples ran into someone who was doing a great work. The guy was casting out demons – something the disciples had trouble doing just a few verses earlier. This man was changing lives. And, what's more, he was giving the credit to God. He was doing it in the name of Christ. Everything about him was so right. Right results. Right heart. But there was just one problem – he was from the wrong group. So, the disciples did what any able-bodied religious person would do with someone from the wrong group: "We told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group."

John's not being cocky here. He genuinely wants to know if they did the right thing; he's confused. So are many people today. What do you do about good things done in another group? What do you do when you like the fruit but not the orchard? I am deeply appreciative of my heritage. It was through a small, Southern California Church of Christ that I came to know the Nazarene, the cross and the Word. The congregation wasn't a mega church, maybe two hundred on a good Sunday. Most of the families were like mine, middle class working types. It was a loving church. When our family was sick, members visited us. When we were absent, they called.

But through the years, my faith has been supplemented by people from other groups. A British Anglican by the name of C. S. Lewis put muscle in my faith. A Presbyterian, Frederick Buechner, taught me about God's passion. A Catholic, Brennan Manning, convinced me that Jesus is relentlessly tender. I think I'm a better husband and parent for having read James Dobson, and maybe a better communicator because I listened to preachers like Chuck Smith and J. Vernon McGee.

So, what do you do when you see great works done by folks from other groups? Not divisive acts, mind you. Not heretical teachings, but good works that give the glory to God? Well, go back to the conversation between Jesus and the disciples. But before you consider what Jesus said to John, pay particular attention to what he didn't say. Jesus didn’t say, "John, if the people are nice, they’re in." Generous gestures and benevolent acts aren’t necessarily a sign of a disciple. Just because a group is distributing toys at Christmas doesn't mean they’re Christians. Just because they’re feeding the hungry doesn’t mean they’re the honored ones of God.

Jesus doesn't issue a call for blind tolerance, any more than he endorses blanket rejection. If unanimity of opinion were necessary for fellowship, this would have been a great time for Jesus to say so. But he didn't. Jesus didn't hand John a book of rules and regulations by which to measure every candidate. Were such a checklist necessary, this would have been the perfect time to give him the list. But he didn't. Look at what Jesus did say: "Don’t stop him! No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me." (Vs. 39)

Jesus was impressed with the man's pure faith (". . . in my name"), and his powerful fruit (". . . who performs a miracle"). His answer offers us a crucial lesson on studied tolerance. How should you respond to a good heart from a different religious heritage? First, look at the fruit. Is it good? Is it healthy? Is he or she helping or hurting people? Production is more important than pedigree. The fruit is more important than the name of the vineyard. If the person is bearing fruit, be grateful. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit (see Matt. 7:17), so be thankful that God is at work in groups other than your own.

But also look at the faith. In whose name is the work done? Jesus was accepting of this man's work because it was done in the name of Christ. So, what does it mean to do something "in the name of Jesus"? It means you are under the authority of and empowered by that name. For instance, if I go to a car dealership and say I want a free car, the salespeople are going to laugh at me and then call law enforcement. If, however, I go with a letter written and signed by the owner of the dealership granting me a free car, then I drive off in a free car. Why? Because I am there under the authority of and empowered by the owner. The Master says examine the person's faith. If he or she has faith in Jesus and is empowered by God, grace says that's enough. And that’s an important point to remember.

There are some who do not work in God's name. They present a salvation of works rather than a salvation of grace. They’re not working in the name of God; the truth is, they don’t think they actually need God. They’re working under the banner of human-merit self-righteousness. And just as Paul was intolerant of self-salvation, we must be as well. But there are believers in many different heritages who cast their hope in God's firstborn Son and put their faith in the cross of Christ. If they, like you, trust Jesus to carry them to the Father's throne, don't we share a common Savior? If their trust, like yours, is in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ, aren't we covered by the same grace?

So, they don't have to be in my group? No, they don’t. They don't have to share my background? Nope. They don't have to see everything the way I do? Does anyone? What’s important is their fruit and their faith. Later, a much more tempered “son of thunder” would reduce it to this: "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God has God living inside, and that person lives in God." (1 John 4:15) Ironic. The one who challenged the simple answer of the Master eventually rendered the simplest answer himself. And it should be simple. Where there’s faith, repentance and a new birth, there is a Christian.

When I meet a man whose faith is in the cross and whose eyes are on the Savior, I meet a brother. Wasn't that Paul's approach? When he wrote to the church in Corinth, he addressed a body of Christians guilty of every sin from abusing the Lord's Supper to arguing over the Holy Spirit. But how does he address them? "I beg you, brothers and sisters." (1 Cor. 1:10) When the church in Rome was debating whether to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols, did Paul tell them to start two churches? You know, one for the meat-eaters and the other for the non-meat-eaters? No. He urged them instead by reminding them, "Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God." (Rom. 15:7)

Is God asking us to do anything more than what he’s already done? Hasn't he gone a long way in accepting us? If God can tolerate my mistakes, can't I tolerate the mistakes of others? If God allows me, with my foibles and failures, to call him Father, shouldn't I extend the same grace to others? In fact, who can offer grace except those who are securely in its grip. If God doesn't demand perfection, why should I? "They are God's servants," Paul reminds us, "not yours. They are responsible to him, not to you. Let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. And God is able to make them do as they should." (Rom. 14:4)

God's house is a grand house. And just as a mansion has many rooms, so God's kingdom has room for many opinions. But just as a house has only one foundation, God's kingdom has a common ground, too – the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

So, pray with me for the day when Jesus' prayer is answered. Pray with me for the day when the world is won because the church is one. Pray with me for the day when we can come out of our rooms and stand together to salute the owner of the house. A day when clusters cease, when cliques call it a day, and the chorus commences. A time when diversity is embraced, but not for diversity’s sake since, in a twist of irony, it becomes its own religion – making its disciples intolerant of the diverse.

Jesus' final prayer before the cross was for the unity of his followers. Do you think he would offer a prayer that couldn't be answered? Me either.

Grace,

Randy