Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Satan Got Played
We watched as our pet cat carefully crept out onto the branch. She was careful and patient as she inched further out from the main trunk onto the limb where an unsuspecting bird was happily perched. You could almost feel the confidence our little feline possessed. No doubt, in her mind, the bird was already supper. She had successfully stalked and captured many birds in her time. Just a few more inches and then a pounce is all it would take.
So intent was she on her prey that she failed to calculate how quickly the branch she traversed was tapering. Her confidence caused her to throw caution to the wind. Her greed caused her to not count the cost. So, she took another step, then suddenly lurched, because the branch could no longer hold her weight. Up went the bird; down went the cat.
We laughed. Our cat should have known better. Even as a child I could see that walking out on such a small branch was a foolish move. But she couldn’t help herself. She was so cocky, she couldn’t see straight. She overplayed her hand and ended up thirty feet below - on her feet, but visibly shaken.
That reminds me of another stalker. A much more famous, sinister and destructive hunter. As Jesus traveled the earth doing good, Satan, like a roaring lion, did everything he could do to take Him out. What made him think he was any match for God in flesh is beyond reason, but the same willfulness and pride that got him demoted from heaven in the first place continued to drive him to more foolishness. You would think he would learn.
This time it played out like this: Satan found a disenfranchised disciple who disagreed with Jesus and the Bible, set out to do something about it. Satan inspired the now famous Judas Iscariot to turn against His Rabbi, who he had seen heal the sick and raise the dead. Go figure! Saint Luke records it like this: “Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them.” (Luke 22:3-4 NLT)
That betrayal led to Jesus’ arrest, several illegal trials and a wrongful, hideous execution. The politicians, the press and the mob all joined forces to silence the voice of Jesus. Satan was their inspiration and, evidently, he thought he was about to succeed in conquering God himself. But Satan lost big-time. Jesus was executed, but he rose again the third day, just as he had predicted.
Satan got played. He actually did the dirty work that set Jesus up so he could pay for the sins of all who would believe in Him. They were all played. Saint Paul reflected that, “the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.” (1 Corinthians 2:8 NLT)
In short, Satan helped orchestrate Jesus’ ultimate victory over death, hell and the grave. He should have known better. Looking back, even a child can see it was a foolish move. But Satan couldn’t help himself. He was so cocky, he couldn’t think straight. He overplayed his hand and ended up getting played. He is still getting played, as is the mob and much of the world system.
Thursday, October 03, 2019
Don't Run Away
A gaggle of reporters milled near the wrought iron gate of the famous Revere estate, wishing they had a way past the armed men who stood outside the guard shack. They could see down the long, tree-lined drive to the forty-room, limestone mansion, flanked by horse stables and a beautiful, red barn.
The world was eager to learn more about the state dinner that was about to take place. There had been a steady stream of caterers and party planners, but security wasn’t letting anyone else enter.
Suddenly, one of the reporters spotted a rather ordinary-looking pre-teen a few hundred feet east of the main drive, contentedly guiding his horse through a ravine where he urged the beautiful animal to leap over the fence and head across the road for a run in one of the many hayfields owned by this prestigious family. On a hunch the reporter sprinted down the road and called out to the boy. “Excuse me. I am a reporter from the People’s Press. Are you a friend of the family?”
The boy pulled back the reigns, bringing the horse to a halt and responded. “No, this is my place.”
“I don’t understand,” countered the reporter, “I thought Mr. Revere was childless.”
“It’s true, dad didn’t have any biological children,” the boy explained, “but I am now his son and all five hundred acres belong to me. I can hardly believe it myself, so every day I ride in a different direction, just to see everything that belongs to me.”
His interest peaked, the reporter continued. “If you weren’t born into this, how is it that you became part of the family? Were you adopted?”
“Yes,” said the boy with a wide smile.
Then as only the press can do, the reporter peppered him with invasive questions: “Why did he choose you? Do you have an unusually high IQ? Did you work for him? Are you especially skilled in farming? Are you from an influential family? Are you a distant relative?”
“I was one of a dozen street kids,” the boy patiently explained. “We had a boss who made us pick pockets for a living. One day the man who is now my father came to the basement of the warehouse we lived and told the lot of us that he wanted to adopt us. All but me and two of my buddies thought it was a hoax and disappeared onto the streets. Mr. Revere told us he wanted to adopt us – not knowing anything about us. We asked him what the catch was. He said he had a homestead but no children to share it with. So, we got in the limo and came home with him. That was a year ago. My two buddies didn’t last long. They didn’t like taking baths and getting up at a set time – too many rules. So, they ran away. Two months ago we went to a lawyer, signed some papers, and I legally changed my name.”
Having finished his story, the boy nudged his horse, and called over his shoulder, “It’s really pretty simple: I am part of the Revere family who owns this amazing estate because I was adopted, and I didn’t run away.”
Salvation is really that simple. No one earns it. We just take God up on His too-good-to-be-true offer, and He adopts us. It has nothing to do with our abilities, our heritage or our intelligence. We simply leave our old life by repenting, we take on his name by being baptized in Jesus name, and He fills us with his Spirit, giving us what we need to live as part of His family. All you have to do is let him adopt you - and not run away.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
