Our world is in chaos. That is no different than it has been since shortly after the world began. It was created with everything perfect. There was no chaos. There was no sin. When sin came into the world, everything changed; and no one is safe from the elements sin brought us.

The devil has been there from the time of Adam and Eve, and his presence has been visible throughout all generations. He is alive and working among us today, and he will continue his evil until the Lord comes again.

The devil is not a neutral player. He isn’t unbiased or impartial. He is all in, pushing sin to the front, and making it look as attractive as possible. We can see this in the Bible’s description of him. Revelation 12:9 refers to him as a dragon and a serpent. First Peter 5:8 calls him our adversary and compares him to a roaring lion, looking for prey. Paul refers to the devil as one who sets traps or snares for his victims (First Timothy 3:7). Paul also refers to him as a schemer in Ephesians 6:11.

If these passages are not enough to give us cause for concern, take a look at his handiwork. It began in Genesis and continues to this day. Sometimes he wins, but sometimes he loses.

In Genesis 3, the devil wasted no time in tempting the last of God’s creation, man and woman. He brought along his toolbox of tricks, and he skillfully presented them with desires that would tempt man throughout history. John would later refer to these as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Eve succumbed first, and then Adam. Both sinned, and both suffered the punishment for their sins.

One of their sons faced temptation in a different way. Cain offered a sacrifice to God, but it did not please God. He was angry because his brother received praise for his sacrifice, and he took his brother’s life. Pride was his downfall.

Genesis 6 relates the story of the great wickedness of man and that “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Noah and his family found favor with God, and they were saved from the demise of all that lived on the earth.

The story of Job gives us a picture of the devil’s daily activities. He came into the presence of the Lord, and the Lord asked him where he had been. Satan’s reply was, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Remember that passage in First Peter about the devil being a roaring lion seeking his prey? That is exactly what he was doing.

The Lord was proud of his servant Job, his righteousness and his ability to turn away from evil. But Satan wanted a chance to win him over, and he tried with every trick he had. He took away his children and his flocks and even struck him with boils. Then he left him with a hateful wife who wanted him to curse God and die. “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

John tells us that the devil entered into the heart of Judas Iscariot. Judas sold out to Jesus’ enemies and betrayed Him with a kiss (John 13:2).

There are many others, but the point is made. The devil is not a neutral player. He is active in finding just the right temptation to seduce us. He even tried this with Jesus in Matthew 4. He tempted Him, even using Scripture to persuade Him, but Jesus would not give in.

Because the devil is not a neutral player, we need what Paul describes as Christian armor. We need a full set of armor: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. We need prayer, offered often for our own strength and for the church.

We must be on guard all the time lest the devil sneak up on us and pull us away from the truth. Because he is not neutral, we cannot be neutral. We must be firm in our belief lest we too are led away.

Sandra Oliver

I had never thought about this before. Perhaps you have. If you add a ‘D’ to the word ‘evil’ you get the word ‘devil’! Evil is in the middle of his name. In truth, everything about the devil is evil!

The Bible, God’s Word, describes to us in detail who Satan is, his nature, and his acts! In short, what the devil wants is possession of every person’s heart, because if he has the heart he has the entire person.

The following verses about Satan give us a better understanding of our enemy, the great deceiver:

1.  The devil has been sinning from the beginning (1 John 3:8).
   2.  Satan’s downfall began with pride, being puffed up (1 Tim. 3:6).
   3.  The one who does what is sinful is of the devil (1 John 3:
   4.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work (1 John 3:8).
   5.  Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3).
   6.  He was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).
   7.  He does not hold to the truth, for there is no truth in him (John 8:44).
   8.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
   9.  Resist  the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7
   10. The devil uses things [desire for riches] and people [like Peter] to tempt us or present a stumbling block.  “Peter, You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:23; 1 Timothy 6:9).
   11.  “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
   12. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1).
   13.  The devil knows how to create doubt, “Satan said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1).
   14.  “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman” (Genesis 3:4)
   15.  The devil knows how to deceive with half-truths, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).
   16. The devil quotes scripture (Matthew 4:1-10).
   17.  “For 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).
   18. Putting on the full armor of God, will enable one to take a  stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11).
   19.  “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16)  Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).
   20. “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” But, God can use the thorn to sharpen us, and allow His strength to be seen in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:6-10).

    May we always remember that the devil has no control over us unless we allow Him to have the “reins.” So we should ask ourselves, does the devil have a spare room in our hearts? Or do we allow him to occasionally occupy our guest room there? If so, let us determine to evict him! To do so, let’s immerse ourselves in God’s word and grow in knowledge and wisdom. Let us guard our minds and hearts from any resemblance of evil, asking, “what would Jesus think?” or “am I thinking like the Lord?” And finally, let us focus and meditate on Jesus’ forgiveness, His grace and mercy, His promises, and His great love for each of us, which he revealed in His death, burial, and resurrection. Oh what boundless love has the Father and the Son!

Today’s Verse: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).

By Teresa Hampton

No matter how old you are, you’ve probably experienced a good bit of change. Leadership, lifestyle, law, and the latest thing seem to shift with the tides. Surely it affects our choices. Who can we trust? What should we invest in? Where do we stand? Perhaps our convictions become half-hearted as the skepticism creeps in. After all, what sounds good this year is often retracted next year.

Thank God for the kingdom He built and all the reasons we can put our complete faith in it!

• The church cannot be overtaken or destroyed (Dan. 2:44).
• The leadership hasn’t changed (Col. 1:18).
• The foundation is sure (1 Cor. 3:11).
• The church was planned by God (Eph. 3:8-11).

What a contrast to the fickle, transient empires of man! The Lord’s church was in the mind of God from the beginning and built by Christ on the foundation of Christ. We can invest our whole heart into the church because the church will last forever.

I can’t help but think that people all around us are craving that kind of surety and security. Let’s show them our confidence in Christ! Let’s tell them about the kingdom that invites them in as beloved citizens (Eph. 2:19).

“My kingdom is not of this world…”

(John 8:36)

By Kathy Pollard

we encourage you to visit our sister blog – https://www.lordletmegrow.com/freebiblestudy  

“To support the promotion of ethics…

I’m not watching Olympics, for sure, in this very busy season of living. In fact, I’m not watching any television at all. But just let me say I’m thankful that, when I played basketball in middle school on that little sixth grade team, I was not guarded by the boys in middle school, one of which was six-and-a-half feet tall in the sixth grade. I know that I am simple-minded in this analogy, but the very idea that the International Olympics Committee has bowed, in 2020 and, again, in 2024, to the absurdity that it’s okay to allow a biological man to participate in the athletic arena with women, is insanity on several levels. I am aware that there are chromosomal health issues that affect gender in the case that’s in the news currently. (https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxing/who-is-imane-khelif-algerian-boxer-facing-gender-outcry-had-modest-success-before-olympics/ar-BB1r5Nkl?ocid=BingNewsSerp) But Khelif’s  case is not the only one. This article is not about Khelif and Carina. While Khelif has reportedly never professed transgenderism (It is illegal in Khelif’s country and the birth certificate, in Khelif’s case, assigned the gender as female.) there are, of course, many cases of open transgenderism in Olympic history and in sporting competitions at various levels all over the USA and internationally, today. In those cases, the admission of men into athletic competitions with women is simply immoral.

Of course, anyone can go and read the official mission statement of the International Olympic Committee. Number ONE on the official mission statement of the International Olympic Committee states:

The IOC’s role is:

1. to encourage and support the promotion of ethics and good governance in sport as well as education of youth through sport and to dedicate its efforts to ensuring that, in sport, the spirit of fair play prevails and violence is banned;

When men are allowed to enter women’s sports arenas, that admission does not promote ethics. It discourages good governance in sport. It educates negatively. It violates the spirit of fair play. It encourages violence. In fact, what happens egregiously negates, in front of the world, every single tenet of the number one purpose of the Olympic committee. We will not successfully overcome the huge problem our schools and society face with bullying when this egregious brand of insanity is celebrated.  Bullying has been endorsed and honored in such competitions, on the Olympic level and in events in our communities.  In short, evil is celebrated as good.

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter!

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

and shrewd in their own sight! (Is. 5:20,21)

We will eventually lose our ability to litigate battery and assault against women when biology is a non-issue in courtroom cases; when whatever one proclaims and/or synthetically promotes, trumps truth.  We are rapidly headed there. Criminal minds can work that system to criminal advantage.

In an arena where “pride” is the word assigned to what is actually often bullying, and can include violence, the ability of women to participate in sports will quickly be eradicated.

It’s the Emperor and his new clothes again. How long will we celebrate what we actually know is not there? How long will we applaud when a woman can take, whether it be in swimming, cycling or any strength-trained sport, a proverbial beating from a man on an international stage or on a community ball field, and then we give the bully the medal because he gains the edge with God-given male strength?

My grandchildren are singing truth in their Genesis memorization this summer:

God made man in his own image. In the image of God he created him. Male and female, female and male—He created them.”

One day, every person celebrating the victories in sporting events  and everyone on the committees of such will be on their knees before the Almighty (Romans 14:11), who knows what is biologically behind the blows in every arena. He formed the secret parts:

I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

Wonderful are thy works;

And that my soul knoweth right well.

My frame was not hidden from thee,

When I was made in secret (Psalm 139:14,15)

And just one more thing. How in the round world can it be that the same people are loudly advocating for women’s rights while effectively eradicating the ability of biological women to participate in sports? It is inconsistent insanity.

Cindy Colley

Last Sunday morning, my 4^th and 5^th grade Bible class was studying the walk to Emmaus after the resurrection of Jesus. I was telling the children what they might have been discussing as they made the long trip home. I mentioned that the soldiers that were sent to guard the tomb of Jesus the night before had been sleeping and not watching. One of my students remarked, “the Bible has a lot of people sleeping instead of doing what they were supposed to do.” She was, of course, referring to two stories we have had this last year. It made me realize that she was right, and I began to think about other stories such as this one.

When Barak would not go into battle with Deborah’s help, Deborah agreed; but she let him know that the battle would be won by a woman. The battle between Barak and Sisera was determined by God. Sisera would be delivered into the hands of the Israelites, but not in the way Barak thought it would be.

The Lord confused Sisera in the battle, and he ran away from the conflict. While fleeing, he found the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, the Kenite. Here he thought he would be safe. So, he allowed Jael to give him something to drink, and he laid down to sleep. While he was sleeping, Jael drove a tent stake through his head.

God’s hand was, of course, in this story; but it just proves to us that staying awake might have provided a different outcome.

In the book of Jonah, Jonah decided to run away from God. God wanted him to go preach to the Ninevites, but he did not want to go. He boarded a ship, and we find him snoozing away when a storm hits. He should have been on his way to Nineveh! He was definitely asleep on the job.

When Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the Garden of Gethsemane, he asked them to watch with Him. Three times He went away from them to pray; and each time He returned; they were asleep. His only remark was, “Could ye not watch with me one hour” and “Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” Their job was to watch, but they gave in to their weariness; and they, too, were asleep on the job.

Then we come to the story we had last Sunday. The guards who were supposed to keep watch at the tomb slept through the earthquake, the appearance of the angel, the rolling back of the stone, the visit of the women, and the Lord’s exit from the tomb.

I realize that all of these incidents were part of God’s plan. I get that! But I also know that we find ourselves in similar situations, and we ignore them, cower away from them, or hide from them thinking they will go away.

There are those that hear the Gospel message and ignore it. Some know they are to worship God, yet they sleep through the service on Sunday (either at home or sitting in the building).  Rest is more important. Some see their fellowman in need and fail to respond. Sadly, we are sleeping on the job.

Romans 13:11 has our marching orders. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” We certainly don’t want to be found inactive in the Lord’s work when He comes again or calls us home.

Sandra Oliver

John 1:41 – “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is the Christ)”

Have you ever discovered something so exciting you couldn’t wait to share? I stumbled upon a massive fifteen-dollar dress sale at Macy’s and the first thing I did was call my friends, (while guarding the rack of course). The news was just too exciting to keep to myself.

In scripture, Andrew discovered something so great, the first thing he wanted to do was share the news.

“We have found the Messiah, the Christ,” Andrew announced to his brother.

It is noteworthy that Andrew proclaimed he had found the Christ. He did not say he found Jesus. Consider for a moment the boldness of Andrew’s unwavering statement. A safer option would have been for Andrew to wait and observe this man named Jesus and validate His claim as the Christ. But Andrew was so confident of his discovery, he ran to share the news.

I came to appreciate the vast distinction in the words, Jesus and Christ when I spent time in Saudi Arabia. The nation’s constitution being the Qur’an meant bringing a Bible, any religious materials, or religious icons into the country was strictly forbidden. In Saudi Arabia, uttering the word, Christ was considered blasphemy, but interestingly, speaking the name of Jesus was allowed because to the Saudi people, Jesus was considered a virtuous prophet, nothing more.

The distinction between Jesus and the Christ, is the distinction between a name and a title. Many years ago, I recall my father addressing my mother as the “Queen of our house.” Her name was Maxine, but her title was “Queen.” Likewise, His name was Jesus. His title was the Christ.

Jesus was the name used among the people with whom He walked through life. Tragically, for us to acknowledge Jesus, but not the Christ, is to miss the best part of the story: a story of incredible love, incredible sacrifice, and an incredible ending.

Jesus, the Christ chose to leave heaven and live a sinless life here on earth. He chose death on the cross. And He unequivocally rose from death, proving to be much more than a prophet. He was the Christ, the anointed, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. This beautiful story of the Christ is the very foundation of our faith. Sisters, this news is far better than any fifteen-dollar dress sale!  So, what are we waiting for? It is time to share the Good News!

Blessings in Christ,

Rita Cochrane

Words are coming at us from all directions every day, and much of it isn’t very life-giving, is it?

It reminds me of something Sheila Butt said:

“If you read your Bible in the morning, at least you’ll know you got to start your day with Truth!”

The Psalmist put it this way:

“The word of the Lord proves true” (Psalm 18:30).

When I was growing up in Florida, my dad had a weekly radio program called “Wonderful Words of Life.” The hymn by that same name was the intro and outro for the show. I still think of my dad’s voice when I hear that song. Every time the church meets, we’re exposed to wonderful words. Teaching, preaching, devotionals, invitations, and singing fill our hearts with “spirit and life” (John 6:63).

Notice how God describes His Word:

• “Your word is truth”- Jn. 17:17
• “My words will not pass away”- Mt. 24:35
• “the word of faith”- Rom. 10:8
• “the word of God is living and active”- Heb. 4:12
• “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable”- 2 Tim. 3:16
• it’s what we “live by”- Mt. 4:4
• “the living and abiding word of God”- 1 Pet. 1:23
• “the word of truth”- 2 Tim. 2:15

Every time we come together, it’s another opportunity to store all of that in our heart (Psalm 119:11). And oh how we need it!

“Give me life according to Your Word!”

(Psalm 119:25)

By Kathy Pollard

I doubt that Abraham had any idea when God promised him that He would make him a great nation that his people would be so many and so great a nation. When Joseph had his brothers, their families, and his aging father move to Egypt, he did it to reunite his family and give them a safe place to live.

As time passed, a new king came to the throne in Egypt, one that did not know Joseph. He looked over the nation of Israel and realized that they were “more and mightier” than the Egyptians. So, he devised a plan to make slaves of them. They built cities for him, and he made their lives hard.

It seemed that the more Pharaoh worked them, the more they multiplied. His answer to this problem was to have a talk with the Hebrew midwives. Two women, Shiphrah and Puah were charged with seeing that all boys born to the Hebrew women were killed. Girls were allowed to live.

Though the Scripture does not tell us, these two midwives were most likely not the only ones who served the women of Israel. They would have been expected to carry the message back to the other midwives.

“But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive” (Exodus 1:17). You can almost hear the discussion among these women as they devised a story for Pharaoh when he realized the baby boys were not being killed.

It probably didn’t take long for the king to notice and call for the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. His question was simple. “Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?” Their reply was also simple. They related that the Hebrew women were stronger than the Egyptian women, and they often delivered their babies before the midwives arrived. Pharaoh must have accepted this explanation, because they were evidently dismissed.

God’s response to them was to deal well with them. The people multiplied and grew stronger. So, Pharaoh ordered that “all his people” were to throw every boy born into the river, and every daughter was to be allowed to live.

Sometimes we think our place in life carries no opportunity for serving God. We tell ourselves that we are unimportant and not in a position to make a difference. What if Shiphrah and Puah had thought that? What would have happened to all the precious babies born into the families of the Hebrew people? What would have happened to the baby boy born to Amram and Jochebed?

Listening recently to a dear friend speaking to a group of ladies, she gave us some direction about serving God in unusual places. She said, “Pray for opportunities.” Don’t limit yourselves, but pray for God to open a door. Just be sure when He does, you walk through it.”

Serving God is not always about preaching, teaching, or being an elder or deacon. Sometimes it is about sending cards, inviting people to worship, preparing a meal, sitting with someone who is sick or lonely, or just listening. Serving God may come in the form of mowing grass for a neighbor, picking up someone’s children from school or ball practice, baking cookies with some little girls (or boys), offering assistance with groceries, or just opening a door for someone.

Serving God is about doing what needs to be done wherever you are, even in unusual circumstances. Sometimes it is about standing up for your beliefs, even when it might mean trouble for you. But just like Shiphrah and Puah, don’t be afraid to fear God and do as He has commanded.

Sandra Oliver