WHO ARE YOU GONNA BELIEVE?

Pastor Lynda MacDonald, Nova Scotia

 

Satan only has one plan –to distort God’s Word. If “the truth sets you free” then a lie places you in bondage. So who are you going to believe? The choice is one of two –either God or satan. The wisdom is in knowing who both are. What is each one up to and how does it benefit you?

 

So- let’s start by looking at who God is:

He is Creator. Genesis 1& 2 (Elohim)

He is our Shepherd.  Psalm 23:1 (Yehweh Rohi)

He is our Provider. Genesis 17: 1-2 (Yehweh Yireh)

He is our Healer. Exodus 15:26 (Yehweh Rophe)

He is our Banner. Exodus 17:15 (Yehweh Nissi)

He is our sanctifier. Lev 20:7 (Yehweh M’Kaddesh)

He is our Peace. Judges 6:24 (Yehweh Shalom)

He is our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:5-6 (Yehweh Tsidkenu)

He is always there for us. Ezekiel 48:35 (Yehweh Shammah)

 

These are just to name a few characteristics of God. All of these names describe a part of God’s nature that works on our behalf. God’s plan is found in John 3:16, “"For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.

 

Now- what do we know about satan? In Genesis 3, we are told that he is crafty. The definition of “crafty” is “deceitful”. In Ezekiel 28, we are told about how arrogant, violent, proud and corrupt he is. In John 10:10, Yeshua (Jesus) described satan’s game plan. “The thief (satan) comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they (us) might have life, life in its fullest measure.”

 

On one side, we have God whose very heart is to love and provide for us. The other side has enemy #1 whose purpose is our destruction. It does not take a “rocket scientist” to figure out the best side to be on.

 

Satan comes to kill our joy. He plans how to undermine our relationship with God. He seeks to lie and distort the truth, to trick us.

 

So- who are you going to believe? Who are you going to follow?

An army would rebel if they saw that their leader was out –not to win a war but to have his very soldiers die. Why would anyone follow such a leader? Only if they were tricked would anyone follow. We call it deception.

 

What can uncover such a devious plan? How can we everyday people become aware of such a disaster? We can read and know the game plan. It is clearly set out in God’s Word –the Bible.

 

A wise general will read the enemy’s game strategy in order to know the edge over the enemy. We need to do the same. Satan cannot create; he can only duplicate. What he has done in the past, he will repeat in the future. So, learn his ways! Know his strategy!

 

God loves us. Satan hates God. He cannot harm God but he can try to hurt him through us. When we become God’s children, we become the object of satan’s fury. We need to be aware of this and protect ourselves from becoming a pawn to the devil.

 

Knowing the Word is the only weapon. Ephesians 6; 13-18 is the perfect plan of defense.

 

“So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing. Therefore, stand! Have the belt of truth buckled around your waist, put on righteousness for a breastplate, and wear on your feet the readiness that comes from the Good News of shalom. Always carry the shield of trust, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. And take the helmet of deliverance; along with the sword given by the Spirit, that is, the Word of God; as you pray at all times, with all kinds of prayers and requests, in the Spirit, vigilantly and persistently, for all God's people.”

 

Isaiah 53 sums it all up. Our champion leader is God.

“Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of ADONAI revealed? For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us. People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness. Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him. In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed. We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on him the guilt of all of us. Or: and in fellowship with him.Though mistreated, he was submissive - he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to be slaughtered, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. After forcible arrest and sentencing, he was taken away; and none of his generation protested his being cut off from the land of the living for the crimes of my people, who deserved the punishment themselves. He was given a grave among the wicked; in his death he was with a rich man. Although he had done no violence and had said nothing deceptive, yet it pleased ADONAI to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering. If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand ADONAI's desire will be accomplished. After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction. "By his knowing [pain and sacrifice], my righteous servant makes many righteous; it is for their sins that he suffers. Therefore I will assign him a share with the great; he will divide the spoil with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death and being counted among the sinners, while actually bearing the sin of many and interceding for the offenders."

 

As a recent movie line went “Choose wisely”!