Were all animals made clean? What about the unclean animals shown to Peter in a vision? Here is a straightforward Bible answer, giving the New Testament teaching. This subject is important to your health and well being!
AFTER thousands of years of human experience on earth it seems there still is nothing people know less about than food.
Observe a little baby. It seems to think that anything and everything its little chubby hands can get into its mouth is good to eat — and everything baby gets his hands on goes straight to his mouth! How often must young parents take things away, and try to teach the lovely little bundle of humanity that everything one’s hands can touch is not necessarily good for the digestion!
We’re Just Grown-up BABIES!
Well, one might wonder if any of us has grown up! Most of us adults still seem to think that anything we can stuff in our mouths is good for food. About the only difference between us and the baby is that baby puts into his mouth whatever looks good, and we employ the sense of taste in deciding what goes into our mouths.
Your stomach is your fuel tank. Your automobile’s fuel tank is its stomach. You wouldn’t think of pouring just any old thing that will pour into the "stomach" of your car. You know that your car was not made to consume and "digest" fuel oil, water, milk, or kerosene.
Yes, we are very careful what we "feed" our automobile — and totally careless and indifferent about what we feed ourselves and our children!
What happens to the food you eat? In the stomach the digestive process takes place. And, once digested — if you have eaten fit and digestible food — a portion of the essential minerals, vitamins, and carbon — the life-giving properties in the food — filter through the intestinal lining into the blood stream to replenish and build up decaying cells, to provide energy, body warmth, good health.
Your body is WONDERFULLY MADE! It is the most wonderful mechanism in the world.
But, just as you must use the right kind of gasoline in the gas tank and the right kind of oils and greases in the other parts of your car or impair its performance, so you must put the right kind of food into the most delicate mechanism of all, your body.
If you tried to oil a fine watch with axle grease you wouldn’t expect the watch to keep good time.
And when you put into your stomach all kinds of foul things which the Great Architect who designed your human mechanism never intended, you foul up your body and bring on sickness, disease, aches, pains, a dulled and clogged-up mind, inefficiency and inability — and you commit suicide on the installment plan by actually shortening your life!
The God who designed, created, and made your body has revealed some essential basic knowledge about what meats will keep that body functioning in tip-top shape. Why does humanity refuse His instructions?
You Are Eating POISON!
You don’t eat every plant that grows out of the ground. Some things that grow are POISON, not food.
But did you know there are many kinds of poisons? Potassium cyanide will kill you very quickly. Some poisons will result in death within a few hours or a few days. But very few seem to know there are other poisons people mistakenly eat as foods which result in premature death after continuous usage for, say, ten, or thirty, or fifty years. The only difference between these poisons we falsely call foods and potassium cyanide is the relative number of minutes, hours, or years it takes to accomplish its mission. Just as every plant that God caused to grow out of the ground was not designed for food, so it is with animal flesh. Some will say, "Well, if swine’s flesh isn’t supposed to be eaten as food, what did God create swine for?" You might as well ask, what did God create weeds and poison vines for? Everything may have been created for a purpose, but not everything for the purpose of eating. Now some believe that in the original Creation — in the Garden of Eden — God did not intend any animal flesh to be eaten. God’s revelation on that point is vague, and many have argued it both ways. However, God has revealed that certain animal meats are to be eaten as food now, in this age, and Jesus who came to set us an example did eat flesh as well as vegetables and fruits, and so do I.
What the Great Architect of Your Stomach Instructs
When the first written revelation of God came to man through Moses, God instructed man as to which kinds of animal flesh man ought or ought not to eat. You will find this list in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. This is a basic law — a revelation from God to man about which kinds of flesh will properly digest and assimilate in the human system, and which will not. It is not a part of God’s great SPIRITUAL LAW, summed up in the Ten Commandments. Neither is it part of the ceremonial, ritualistic, or sacrificial laws later abolished at the crucifixion of Christ.
It is necessary to recognize that God is the author of all law, and there are countless laws in motion. There are laws of physics and chemistry. You know of the law of gravity. There is the great immutable SPIRITUAL law to regulate man’s relationship to God and to fellowmen — the law of LOVE — the Ten Commandments. God gave His nation Israel civil statutes and judgments — NATIONAL laws for the conduct of the national government. Israel was also His Church, under the Old Covenant. And for the dispensation then present God gave Israel rituals and ceremonial laws for the conduct of religious services, laws relating to typical and temporary sacrifices, meat and drink offerings — temporary SUBSTITUTES for Christ and the Holy Spirit. Those laws, of course, ended when the Reality came.
Physical, as Well as Spiritual Sin
And then, we must realize, THERE ARE PHYSICAL LAWS WORKING IN OUR BODIES, REGULATING OUR HEALTH. This MEAT question has to do with these laws.
I know of men who make a hobby of bitterly accusing others of SIN for eating pork, oysters, and clams.
Let us get this straight and clear!
We usually speak of SIN in its spiritual aspect. That is the aspect in which it usually is considered in the New Testament. The Bible definition of it is this: "Sin is the transgression of the law."
The penalty for violation of that spiritual law is DEATH — not the first, or physical death, but the second, or spiritual and ETERNAL death in the "lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14).
Now the eating of wrong food is not a transgression of this spiritual law, and is not a sin in this sense. To violate the physical laws of health brings the penalty of disease, disability, pain, sickness, and sometimes the first death. It is not necessarily spiritual sin.
That is what Jesus made plain, as recorded in Mark 7:14-23. Here Jesus was speaking of spiritual defilement, not physical health. Not that which enters into a man’s mouth, but the evil that comes OUT OF HIS HEART, defiles the man SPIRITUALLY. What defiles the MAN — and He is speaking of defiling the MAN, not injuring the body — is transgression of the Ten Commandments — evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, blasphemy (verses 21-22). These things have to do with the SPIRITUAL Law, and not with the physical laws of health. Specifically, He was referring to a possible particle of dirt which might get on the food from dirty and unwashed hands — He was not here speaking of clean or unclean meats at all. But He was speaking of SPIRITUAL defilements, not physical health.
No Change in Structure of Animal Flesh at Cross
The animals whose flesh properly digests and nourishes the human body were so MADE IN THE ORIGINAL CREATION. No change was ever made in the structure of men’s bodies at the time of the flood, or at the time of Jesus’ death, or any other time. Neither did God make some sudden change in the structure of animal flesh, so that what once was unfit for food will now digest properly and supply the body’s needs.
The unclean animals were UNCLEAN BEFORE THE FLOOD.
Notice, before the Flood, Noah took into the ark of the CLEAN animals, to be eaten for food, by SEVENS; but of the unclean, of which he was not to eat during the Flood, by TWOs — only enough to preserve their lives. The inference is inescapable that the additional clean animals were taken aboard to be eaten for food while Noah and his family were in the ark.
Prior to the flood, clean animals were usually offered as sacrifices. Those who ate the sacrifices often partook of the animal flesh, but vegetables were the main constituent of diet. After the flood, God gave Noah not merely the green herb — vegetables — as the major part of diet, but of every type of living creature — clean animals, clean fish, clean fowl. (Genesis 9:3 and Leviticus 11).
This verse does not say that every living, breathing creature is clean and fit to eat, but that "as the green herb have I given you all things." God did not give poisonous herbs as food. He gave man the healthful herbs. Man can determine which herbs are healthful, but man cannot by himself determine what flesh foods are harmful. That is why God had to determine for us in His Word which meats are clean. Since the flood, every clean, healthful, nonpoisonous type of animal life is good for food — just as God gave us the healthful, nonpoisonous herbs.
This does not give us permission to do as we please!
Not Ceremonial Law
The instruction in the eleventh chapter of Leviticus, then, is not some ritualistic regulation for the Mosaic period only. Why do so many people have the idea that God is some great unfair monster who imposes foolish hardships on His people? Whatever God instructs us is for OUR GOOD, not some nonsensical restriction for one period to be changed around some different way for other people of a different period.
Swine flesh — pork, ham, bacon, sausage, etc. — is simply NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. The same is true with oysters, lobsters, clams, crabs, shrimp, crawfish, dogs, snakes, rats, and skunks.
The only seafood fit for food are fish having both fins and scales. Halibut has both and is clean. Catfish is a skin fish — unclean.
It’s all a matter of what we have become accustomed to doing. It seems strange and horrifying to hear that some Orientals eat mice as a delicacy. But many Orientals are horrified to hear that we eat nasty, slimy, filthy oysters! But some human grown-ups, like little babies, will eat anything they can get their hands on and stuff into their mouths.
At so-called "quality" grocery stores in large towns and cities, specializing in rare delicacies, you can purchase "delicious" canned rattlesnake — if you care for it.
So far as I am concerned, you may have my portion if you wish to try it. I do not care to eat it for the same reason I do not eat slugs, skunks, cats, or eels — for the same reason I do not eat poison ivy or weeds. Yes, and for the same reason I do not put fuel oil mixed with sand in the gas tank of my car!
The day will come when the learned (so-called) doctors will at last learn that eating greasy hog flesh and other unfit "foods" has been a prime cause of cancer and other deadly diseases.
What about Peter’s Vision?
But what about the sheet of unclean animals shown to the Apostle Peter in a vision? Did this vision change the entire composition of all unclean animals, or of the human apparatus, so that these unfit things suddenly become nourishing food?
NOT AT ALL!
The purpose of this vision was NOT to change God’s food and health laws which have been inexorably in motion from the beginning, but to show Peter "that I should not call any MAN COMMON OR UNCLEAN" (Acts 10:28). Why? Because the Jews had been taught to regard Gentiles like unclean animals — to have nothing to do with them.
It is time you fully understood this vision. It may well affect your health, happiness and eternal life. Open your Bible to the tenth chapter of Acts.
Notice that Cornelius was an Italian soldier — an uncircumcised Italian — a Gentile by race. To the strict Jews, he was to be regarded as an unclean man. But God looks on the heart. Cornelius gave "much alms" to the Jewish people (verse 2). God remembered his alms and revealed in a vision that he should send some of his servants to Joppa to contact Peter.
In verse 9, we find Peter was also a man of prayer. While praying on a housetop, Peter became very hungry. Just before noon Peter fell into a trance. In vision he saw heaven opened and a sheet was let down to the earth. This sheet contained "all manner of four- footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air" (verse 12).
Notice this carefully. This sheet contained every type of animal imaginable, including wild animals — lions, tigers, hyenas, monkeys, skunks. And creeping things — snakes and lizards, vermin and spiders. And fowl, like vultures and crows and eagles.
Peter was shocked by the sight of all these creatures. Then, of all things, God commanded Peter to kill and eat of these creatures. What did Peter say? "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean" (Acts 10:14).
Peter had lived day and night with Jesus for over three years. He certainly understood from Jesus’ teaching that there were some creatures which are simply not fit for human food. That is why that when this vision came ten years after the rituals and ceremonies were abolished at the cross, Peter refused to eat. He knew that God’s law of clean and unclean meats was still in full force and effect!
Now notice what the voice from heaven told Peter when he refused to eat "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (verse 15). It does NOT say that what God cleansed were these revolting unclean reptiles, fowl and wild animals. It does say that what God cleansed is not to be called common! But WHAT did God cleanse?
What God Really Cleansed
In this vision which Peter saw, the voice from heaven spoke three times, then the sheet was received up into heaven again. And what did Peter do? "Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean" (verse 17). He did not immediately assume, like so many people, that God suddenly changed His laws ten years after the crucifixion.
Now notice what happened: "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, ‘Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them’." (verses 19-20).
The voice from heaven in the vision spoke unto Peter three times because three gentile men — two servants and a soldier (verse 7) — were at that moment on their way to see him! Peter went with them to see Cornelius. This is when Peter understood the vision! He confessed in verse 28, ". . God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean."
Now Peter understood! WHY don’t all the "popular" preachers understand? Maybe it’s because they are afraid of offending their congregations and losing their salaries! "What God cleansed were not those unclean animals, but those Gentile men, formerly regarded as unclean by the Jews.
Those unclean animals in Peter’s vision were used to symbolize the Gentile races of men. The Jews had been forbidden to associate with them because of their abominable practices. But now this wall of spiritual separation had been broken down, and salvation was extended to the Gentiles. Peter finally realized that this was the meaning of the vision and said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (verses 34-35).
Yes, to be accepted with God, we must fear Him and work righteousness. What is righteousness? ". . . All thy commandments are righteousness" (Psalm 119:172). And among those commandments are the laws which tell us which kinds of flesh are clean and which are unclean!
Would You Eat Skunks and Rats?
But suppose God had been trying to tell Peter — and us — that he should eat all the things contained in the sheet that was let down in vision. Would you eat those "creeping things" — lizards, snakes, spiders? Would you eat skunks and hyenas? Of course you wouldn’t! Why? Because you have your own law of what you think is clean and unclean!
Common sense tells us that God did not intend for us to eat every creature. But we just aren’t willing to let our Creator tell us which meats will give us lasting health and strength, and which ones are injurious to our bodies, and will eventually bring on more sickness and disease. It is time we let God tell us what is clean and what is unclean instead of using our faulty human reason!
Some people, however, still want to argue with God! One text they will bring up is found in I Timothy 4:1-5. Read it carefully.
Notice that these "doctrines of devils" include ". . . commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving. . ." By whom? "Of them which believe and know the truth." What is truth? Christ said, "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17). Then the Bible itself reveals the TRUTH concerning which meats are good for food. We should not refuse to eat any food which, according to truth, God created to be eaten with thanksgiving. But this does NOT mean that all meats are healthful and fit for the human body!
Notice that the false doctrine is commanding to abstain from meats which are thankfully received by those who believe and know the truth — who know God’s Word. But God’s Word — the Holy Bible — tells us that there are some meats which are "unclean," and are not to be received with thanksgiving!
Now consider what verses 4 and 5 tell us: "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is SANCTIFIED by the word of God and prayer." What does it mean to be SANCTIFIED by the Word of God and prayer?
"Sanctify" is a word meaning to make holy, or set apart for a right use or purpose — to set apart as fit for human food.
Now which meats has God sanctified for human food? The only passages in all the Bible showing which meats GOD SANCTIFIED are found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. Here you find that it is the "clean" — healthful — meats which are good for food. These are the only meats that can be received with thanksgiving and prayer!
There is not a single scripture showing that God ever set apart as fit for food any unclean creatures — snails, oysters, clams, snakes, octopuses, eels, horses or swine! Yet people eat these creatures without realizing the harm they are doing to their bodies.
Paul Instructs Vegetarians
Paul’s letter to the saints at Rome is often quoted as supposed proof that any kind of flesh food is good to eat. But is this what Paul really taught?
Turn to the beginning of the 14th chapter of Romans. Notice what the apostle is writing: "Him that is WEAK in the faith receive ye" — don’t dispute with him and sit in judgment on him because of his weak understanding of the faith. Paul continues, "For one believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak, eateth herbs [vegetables only]," Romans 14:1-2.
Of whom is Paul writing? Of those who were VEGETARIANS, as well as those who believed in eating both flesh foods and vegetables.
Paul was confronted with the same problem that we encounter today in carrying the gospel to the world. You would be surprised at the number of people who do not eat MEAT or even any animal products — milk, butter, cheese, eggs. Some have meatless days or days on which they will eat fish only. These are all people who, because they are WEAK in the faith, abstain from those clean meats which God originally SANCTIFIED or set apart in His Word for man’s physical nourishment.
The question confronting Paul was not that Christians at Rome contended that all unclean animals had now been cleansed by God — the common false assumption of today — but the real issue, according to verse two, was over the vegetarian belief held by some that NO MEATS whatsoever should be eaten!
Paul was straightening out the brethren on this matter, telling them that none of those clean meats which had been created by God to be received with thanksgiving should be refused. He pointed out to them, however, that it would be wrong for the vegetarians to eat meat if they had doubts about it, thereby defiling their weak consciences. For he wrote, ". . . happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:22-23).
We must follow what God has revealed to us to be right ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD. This does not mean that our consciences always tell us what is right — not at all. We have to continually study to learn what is right and wrong. But God thinks more highly of a vegetarian who might sincerely and conscientiously deny himself the clean meats, because he does not know the full truth, than He does a person who would do the right thing according to the letter, but who really believes in his heart that he is doing wrong.
So "to him" — the vegetarian — "that esteemeth anything to be common, to him" — the vegetarian — "it is common." That is, it seems so to him. But it is not common in fact, nor to us, for we know that ALL clean meats are good for food.
That is why Paul wrote: "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing common of itself" (Romans 14:14).
Notice that in this verse Paul used, according to the margin of the King James Version, the Greek word for "common," not the Greek word for "unclean." Why?
"Common" Does Not Mean "Unclean"
Many have carelessly assumed that Paul is writing about unclean meats in this 14th chapter of Romans. He is not! He is writing about the difference between vegetarians who regard that clean meats are common, and those who know that clean meats are of themselves not common.
In the Greek there are two different words used which are often carelessly translated "unclean" or "common." Notice that in Acts 10:14 BOTH OF THESE WORDS are used. The Bible does not repeat itself foolishly. Therefore these two words mean entirely different things.
The Greek word for "unclean" is akarthatos. It means unclean and impure BY NATURE. The Greek word for "common" is koinos, which means polluted THROUGH EXTERNAL MISUSE. (See any of the Lexicons.)
Paul used the Greek word for "common" throughout Romans 14:14. He did not use the Greek word for "unclean." In other words, Paul knew that no clean foods which God has sanctified are by nature polluted, but vegetarians who were WEAK in the faith — WEAK in understanding God’s Word — thought meats should not be eaten. To such a vegetarian — "to him," not to others — that meat seemed to be polluted. HIS CONSCIENCE defiled the meat for him; he would become upset if he were to eat meat. But that does not make the meat polluted in fact or for everybody else.
Notice Paul’s conclusion: "For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure," that is, all things that God sanctified and gave us to eat are clean — "but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth . . ." (verses 20 and 21).
Paul is not recommending eating unclean meats! Quite the opposite. He is recommending not eating any meat at all in the presence of a vegetarian brother if he is offended!
When Is "Clean" Meat "Common"?
The only circumstance in which clean meats are ever common or polluted is when the clean animals have died of themselves or when the blood has not been properly drained. That is why the apostles and elders who gathered at Jerusalem forbade the use of meat from strangled animals and meat with the blood in it (Acts 15:20). This is New Testament teaching for today!
Such animal flesh was called "common" because it could be given to strangers or aliens in Old Testament times if those people wanted to eat it. They were the common and polluted people — the Gentiles — not the chosen and clean people, Israel (Deuteronomy 14:21).
In New Testament times, clean meat offered to idols was prohibited if it had been polluted by strangulation or if the blood were remaining in it. Otherwise the meat was permitted to be eaten if it did not offend anyone.
Paul devoted the entire 8th and 10th chapters of I Corinthians to instructions on not raising the question of meats offered to idols. "But if any man say unto you, ‘This is offered in sacrifice unto idols,’ eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake" (I Corinthians 10:28). In other words, if clean meats offered to idols were not polluted, you could eat of them unless it offended someone. Under those circumstances the meat became common, not to you, but to the other person who raised the question about idols. Notice: "Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other" (verse 29).
That is why Paul said in Romans, "But to him that esteemeth any thing to be common, to him it is common" (Romans 14:14).
Prophecy for the Future
What does the Bible say the people would be doing today? Notice. "They that eat SWINE’S FLESH" — that is what most people are doing today — "and the abomination, and the mouse, SHALL BE CONSUMED TOGETHER" — in the wrath of God — "saith the Lord" (Isaiah 66:17).
This is the fate of those who lust after the foods which God forbids you to eat because those meats will harm you. This is the fate of those "whose God is their belly"! (Philippians 3:19).
Is it any wonder today, that with all our supposed scientific knowledge, we have more doctor bills, more sickness than ever before in the history of the world? It is time we returned to God and began to obey His laws. He is our Creator. He made us. He and He alone knows what our bodies were made to utilize as good, healthful foods. He set the laws in motion regulating clean and unclean meats. It is time we began to obey them as Jesus and the apostles did!
Two other points to be briefly mentioned. God condemns also the eating of animal FAT, or BLOOD (Leviticus 3:17, 7:23; etc.). Butter, olive oil, and some vegetable oils and shortenings are all right, but animal fat should be cut off before eating meat. Hamburger is not good because it is mixed with much fat. Lard should never be used. These things will wreck any stomach in time.
It may not be spiritual sin to eat unclean meats. Yet, if one deliberately does it out of lust of appetite, that breaks the tenth command and becomes sin. But in all events, wrong food injures the body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It defiles the BODY, if not the man, and if we defile our bodies, God will destroy us (I Corinthians 3: 17).
— written by Herbert W. Armstrong
Thursday, December 27, 2007
SCIENTIFIC VIEW of THE HOG
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by: J.H. KELLOGG, M.D.
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Many believe it matters not what people eat, thinking everything is sanctified by their prayers. We have reason to believe God made NO MISTAKE when He declared the hog to be UNCLEAN FOR FOOD. See Leviticus 11th. chapter.
Gaze over in that, sty, my pork-eating friend. See the contented brute quietly reposing in the augmented filth of his own ordure! Look a little sharper and scrutinize his skin. Is it smooth and healthy? Not exactly. So obscured is it by tetter and scurf and mange that you almost expect to see the rotten mass drop off as the grunting creature rubs against any projecting corner which may furnish him a convenient scratching place. Stir up the beast, and make him show his gait. See how he rolls along, a mass of fat. If he were human, he would be expected to drop off any day of heart disease or some other cause. And so he will unless the butcher forstalls nature by a day or two.
The Hog a Scrofulous Sewer System For Its Extreme Filth
But we have not half examined our hog yet. Climb over into tht sty, and take a nearer view of the animal that is destined to delight your pa!ate. Make him straighten out his forelegs. Do you see the open sore or issue a few inches above his foot on the inner side? And do you say it is a mere accidental abrasion? Find the same on the other leg; it is a. wise and wonderful privision of nature. Grasp the leg high up, and press downward; now you see its utility, as a mass of corruption pours out. That opening is the outlet of a sewer--yes, a scrofulous sewer; and hence the offensive matter which discharges from it. Shou!d you fill a syringe with some colored injecting fluid, you would, be able to trace all through the body of the animal little pipes communicating with it. What must be the condition of any animal so FOUL as to require a regular system of drainage to convey away its teeming filth? Sometimes the outlet gets closed by accumulation of external filth. Then the scrofulous stream ceases to flow and the animal quickly sickens and dies unless the parts are cleansed.
What dainty morsel these same feet and legs make! What a delicious flavor they have, 'as every epicure asserts! Do you suppose the corruption with which they are saturated has any influence upon their taste and healthfulness?
A Scientific Description of Lard as an Extract of a Diseased Carcass
Look at the inside of this delicious beast! just under the skin we find from two to six inches of fat covering a large portion of the body. What is this?
"Lard," says one; "animal oil," "an excellent thing for consumptives." Lard, animal oil, very truly; and, we will add, as synonyms: disease, scrofula, torpid liver. Where did all that fat come from? It is not natural, for fat is deposited in large quantities only to keep the body warm in winter. This fat is much more than is necessary for that purpose. It is disease. So gross have been the habits of the animal that its liver, lungs, kidneys and intestines have been unable to carry away the impurities. And even the extensive system of sewerage already described was insufficient to purge so vile a body of the debris which abounds in every organ and saturates every tissue. Consequently, this flood of disease, which made the blood a black, turbid current, was crowded out of the veins and arteries into the tissues, and there accumulated as fat.
Lard, then, is nothing more than extract of a diseased carcass.
Observe the glands which lie about the neck. Instead of being of their ordinary size, and composed of the usual gland structure, we find them large masses of scrofulous tissue.
Large Numbers of Tubercles Are Found in The Lungs of The Hog
Examine the LUNGS. If the hog is more than a few months old, you may find large numbers of tubercles. If he is much more than a year old, you will probably find a portion of the lung consolidated. Yet this fifth, diseased mass is cooked as a delicious morsel. If the animal had escaped the butcher's knife a few years, he would have died of tuberculosis consumption.
The Liver of the Hog is Likely Full of Rotten Abcesses Which Develop Millions of Tapeworms.
Cut in the animal's LIVER. In seventy-five cases out of a hundred you will find it filled with abscesses. In a yet larger percentage will be found the same diseased products which seem to infest every organ, tissue and structure. Yet these rotten, diseased, scrofulous livers are eaten and relished by thousands.
Look again at the diseased LIVER. Upon closer inspection we discover numberless little sacs, or cysts, about the size of a hemp seed. As soon as they are taken into the stomach, the gastric juice dissolves the membranous sac, and liberates a minute animal, furnished with a head and four suckers, which attaches itself to the wall of the intestine, and begins to grow. In a short time it produces an addition to its body, which is attached like a joint behind. Soon a duplicate of this is produced, and then another and another, until a body three or four rods length is formed. This is a TAPEWORM.
Pork-Eating Causes Tapeworm as Here Described, Also Blindness, Hydatids, Etc.
The embryonic worms consist of a pair of hooklets so shaped that a twisting motion will cause them to penetrate the tissue after the fashion of a corkscrew. Countless numbers of these may be taken into the system since a single tapeworm has been found to contain more than two million eggs. By the boring motion referred to, the parasites penetrate into every part of the body. Piercing the walls of the blood vessels they are swept along in the life current, thus finding their way even to the most delicate structures of the human system. They have been found in all the organs of the body, even in the brain and the organs of vision not escaping.
When developed in the eye, they occasion blindness. When lodged in the lungs, or other organs, they interfere with their proper function. In the liver, a serious and often fatal discase, known as hydatids. is occasioned by the extraordinary development of the cysts, which are originally not larger than a pea, but by excessive growth assume enormous proportions.
Chicago Academy of Medicine Proves That Pork Often Contains Deadly Trichinae Parasites Causing Death
Assist your eyesight by a good microscope, and you will be convinced that you have only just caught a glimpse of the enormous filthiness of the loathsome pig. Take a thin slice of lean flesh, adjust the eye-piece, and look. If you are fortunate, you will find hundreds of voracious little animals, each coiled up in its little cell, waiting to emerge and begin its work of devastation. A gentleman in Louisville has made extensive researches upon this subject, and asserts that trichinae may be found in one hog out of ten. A committee appointed by the Chicago Academy of Medicine to investigate this subject reported that they found at the various packing houses in the city one hog in fifty infested with trichinae.
A Brief Description of The Trichina and Its Terrible Danger
The Trichina is enclosed in a little cyst or sac, which, when taken into the stomach, is dissolved by the gastric juice. The parasite, set at liberty, penetrates the walls of the stomach and gradually works its way throughout the whole muscular system. It possesses the power of propagating its species with wonderful rapidity; so that a person once infested is almost certain to die a lingering death of excruciating agony. In Helstadt, Prussia, 103 persons were infected, and 20 of them died within a month.
It Is Quite Certain That Pork-Eating Causes Many Cancers, and Other Fatal and Terrible Diseases.
It is not known how many deaths are due to this cause, for many persons die of unknown diseases. In some of its stages trichinosis resembles some other diseases, and is often attributed to other than its true cause.
Is it not proved that the hog is nothing better than an animated mass of physical defilement? -Froni The Bible Friend.
by: J.H. KELLOGG, M.D.
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Many believe it matters not what people eat, thinking everything is sanctified by their prayers. We have reason to believe God made NO MISTAKE when He declared the hog to be UNCLEAN FOR FOOD. See Leviticus 11th. chapter.
Gaze over in that, sty, my pork-eating friend. See the contented brute quietly reposing in the augmented filth of his own ordure! Look a little sharper and scrutinize his skin. Is it smooth and healthy? Not exactly. So obscured is it by tetter and scurf and mange that you almost expect to see the rotten mass drop off as the grunting creature rubs against any projecting corner which may furnish him a convenient scratching place. Stir up the beast, and make him show his gait. See how he rolls along, a mass of fat. If he were human, he would be expected to drop off any day of heart disease or some other cause. And so he will unless the butcher forstalls nature by a day or two.
The Hog a Scrofulous Sewer System For Its Extreme Filth
But we have not half examined our hog yet. Climb over into tht sty, and take a nearer view of the animal that is destined to delight your pa!ate. Make him straighten out his forelegs. Do you see the open sore or issue a few inches above his foot on the inner side? And do you say it is a mere accidental abrasion? Find the same on the other leg; it is a. wise and wonderful privision of nature. Grasp the leg high up, and press downward; now you see its utility, as a mass of corruption pours out. That opening is the outlet of a sewer--yes, a scrofulous sewer; and hence the offensive matter which discharges from it. Shou!d you fill a syringe with some colored injecting fluid, you would, be able to trace all through the body of the animal little pipes communicating with it. What must be the condition of any animal so FOUL as to require a regular system of drainage to convey away its teeming filth? Sometimes the outlet gets closed by accumulation of external filth. Then the scrofulous stream ceases to flow and the animal quickly sickens and dies unless the parts are cleansed.
What dainty morsel these same feet and legs make! What a delicious flavor they have, 'as every epicure asserts! Do you suppose the corruption with which they are saturated has any influence upon their taste and healthfulness?
A Scientific Description of Lard as an Extract of a Diseased Carcass
Look at the inside of this delicious beast! just under the skin we find from two to six inches of fat covering a large portion of the body. What is this?
"Lard," says one; "animal oil," "an excellent thing for consumptives." Lard, animal oil, very truly; and, we will add, as synonyms: disease, scrofula, torpid liver. Where did all that fat come from? It is not natural, for fat is deposited in large quantities only to keep the body warm in winter. This fat is much more than is necessary for that purpose. It is disease. So gross have been the habits of the animal that its liver, lungs, kidneys and intestines have been unable to carry away the impurities. And even the extensive system of sewerage already described was insufficient to purge so vile a body of the debris which abounds in every organ and saturates every tissue. Consequently, this flood of disease, which made the blood a black, turbid current, was crowded out of the veins and arteries into the tissues, and there accumulated as fat.
Lard, then, is nothing more than extract of a diseased carcass.
Observe the glands which lie about the neck. Instead of being of their ordinary size, and composed of the usual gland structure, we find them large masses of scrofulous tissue.
Large Numbers of Tubercles Are Found in The Lungs of The Hog
Examine the LUNGS. If the hog is more than a few months old, you may find large numbers of tubercles. If he is much more than a year old, you will probably find a portion of the lung consolidated. Yet this fifth, diseased mass is cooked as a delicious morsel. If the animal had escaped the butcher's knife a few years, he would have died of tuberculosis consumption.
The Liver of the Hog is Likely Full of Rotten Abcesses Which Develop Millions of Tapeworms.
Cut in the animal's LIVER. In seventy-five cases out of a hundred you will find it filled with abscesses. In a yet larger percentage will be found the same diseased products which seem to infest every organ, tissue and structure. Yet these rotten, diseased, scrofulous livers are eaten and relished by thousands.
Look again at the diseased LIVER. Upon closer inspection we discover numberless little sacs, or cysts, about the size of a hemp seed. As soon as they are taken into the stomach, the gastric juice dissolves the membranous sac, and liberates a minute animal, furnished with a head and four suckers, which attaches itself to the wall of the intestine, and begins to grow. In a short time it produces an addition to its body, which is attached like a joint behind. Soon a duplicate of this is produced, and then another and another, until a body three or four rods length is formed. This is a TAPEWORM.
Pork-Eating Causes Tapeworm as Here Described, Also Blindness, Hydatids, Etc.
The embryonic worms consist of a pair of hooklets so shaped that a twisting motion will cause them to penetrate the tissue after the fashion of a corkscrew. Countless numbers of these may be taken into the system since a single tapeworm has been found to contain more than two million eggs. By the boring motion referred to, the parasites penetrate into every part of the body. Piercing the walls of the blood vessels they are swept along in the life current, thus finding their way even to the most delicate structures of the human system. They have been found in all the organs of the body, even in the brain and the organs of vision not escaping.
When developed in the eye, they occasion blindness. When lodged in the lungs, or other organs, they interfere with their proper function. In the liver, a serious and often fatal discase, known as hydatids. is occasioned by the extraordinary development of the cysts, which are originally not larger than a pea, but by excessive growth assume enormous proportions.
Chicago Academy of Medicine Proves That Pork Often Contains Deadly Trichinae Parasites Causing Death
Assist your eyesight by a good microscope, and you will be convinced that you have only just caught a glimpse of the enormous filthiness of the loathsome pig. Take a thin slice of lean flesh, adjust the eye-piece, and look. If you are fortunate, you will find hundreds of voracious little animals, each coiled up in its little cell, waiting to emerge and begin its work of devastation. A gentleman in Louisville has made extensive researches upon this subject, and asserts that trichinae may be found in one hog out of ten. A committee appointed by the Chicago Academy of Medicine to investigate this subject reported that they found at the various packing houses in the city one hog in fifty infested with trichinae.
A Brief Description of The Trichina and Its Terrible Danger
The Trichina is enclosed in a little cyst or sac, which, when taken into the stomach, is dissolved by the gastric juice. The parasite, set at liberty, penetrates the walls of the stomach and gradually works its way throughout the whole muscular system. It possesses the power of propagating its species with wonderful rapidity; so that a person once infested is almost certain to die a lingering death of excruciating agony. In Helstadt, Prussia, 103 persons were infected, and 20 of them died within a month.
It Is Quite Certain That Pork-Eating Causes Many Cancers, and Other Fatal and Terrible Diseases.
It is not known how many deaths are due to this cause, for many persons die of unknown diseases. In some of its stages trichinosis resembles some other diseases, and is often attributed to other than its true cause.
Is it not proved that the hog is nothing better than an animated mass of physical defilement? -Froni The Bible Friend.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
ARE YOU IGNORANT OF SATAN'S DEVICES?
You have a desperate fight on your hands. Satan is your sworn adversary, obsessively working to exterminate you! You must learn to recognize your enemy and expose his tactics. Here's how you can successfully recognize, combat and thwart Satan.
We live in a rapidly changing world. Each day brings out another advocate of a new morality or understanding coupled with the rejection of the established ideals and principles. The truths of yesterday are the jokes and myths of today.
The world is polluted with an avalanche of contradictory information, conflicting ideas and opposing opinions. Confusion abounds. People are perplexed and frustrated. Is this the way God designed the world ? No, God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33) but Satan the devil is — and God warns us not to be ignorant of his devices (II Cor. 2:11).
Before God opened our minds, most of us thought "Satan and his demons" were the superstitious figments of primitive imaginations. Even today, many in God's Church are still unwittingly duped by the years of materialistic propaganda absorbed from our pseudo-sophisticated society. Brethren, we tend to discount the terrifying reality of Satan — and he is quick to take advantage.
Satan Is Real
The myth that Satan does not exist was maliciously foisted off on a gullible populace by Satan himself. He knew that man would easily swallow any doctrine exalting man himself as the most supreme being. Satan has deceived much of the world into believing that he is a fictional character. Not only does this facilitate Satan's work but it also gives him a perverted chuckle.
Satan realizes that every puny, insignificant human being — "stupid and ugly" — has been given the opportunity to literally become God while he — "brilliant and beautiful" — will be banished forever. Twisted and vindictively malicious, Satan is thus desperately striving to destroy all men — it is his all-encompassing, compulsive passion !
Who would Satan most like to destroy? Some ignorant child in Asia? Some Bantu in Africa? Some politician in Europe ? No, brethren — it's us — you! Our eternal destruction is Satan's most fervent goal — because we will be the firstfruits in God's Family, qualifying for the high ranking jobs for all eternity.
As we draw nearer to Christ's return, Satan will apply even more pressure "for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:12). Satan is going to bolster his churches with great wonders — his ministers will be able to perform tremendous miracles. God warns us that we could fall prey to Satan's tricks — we can be swept away from life! "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24).
Ponder the power of Satan and his multiple millions of demons: spirit, immortal, invisible, supernatural, indestructible, mobile, potent, able to manipulate objects, events, animals, people. And what about us ? — physical, mortal, visible, natural, fragile, sedentary, weak, able to manipulate nothing. Sitting ducks!
Surrounded by Lions
Project yourself into the African jungle. You are alone. Lions are prowling about on all sides. Their ferociously hungry snarls pierce the jungle night. Your eyes are blindfolded, your ears are stopped, your hands are bound. As you timorously shuffle forward, a foreboding realization possesses you: at any instant, without any warning, a lion could pounre on you and dismember your utterly helpless body! Your pulse has become rapid, your breaths are shallow and quick, your wobbly knees are ready to buckle; cold sweat beads along your forehead and moistens your palms, your mouth has dried out and your tongue now sticks to your palate. Brethren, this is neither melodramatic nor simple-minded. We are as a blind, deaf, bound body — helplessly vulnerable to Satan. God Almighty warns us that "the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). Do you fear that scripture? Do you act as though you believe it? Or do you nonchalantly go about your daily routine, relegating "Satan" to exhortative sermons and speculative bull sessions? Don't you believe God? You had better — your salvation depends upon it!
Many of us have assumed that our only battle is against our own human nature. Satan is naively discarded. "He is the deceiver of the world — not God's Church" is how we like to reason. We couldn't be more wrong. Paul was writing to God's Church when he admonished: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places" (Eph. 6:12).
Satan and human nature work hand-in-hand; they are kindred spirits. God patterned man's mind after the mind of Satan — saturating it with vanity, rebellion, covetousness, jealousy, selfishness. Satan knows every facet and nuance of human nature — and can subtly exploit it.
But We Can Fight Back
Now, let's not immediately jump to the opposite extreme and clench our teeth, stoop over in a corner and brace ourselves for imminent destruction. Surely God has not created and then called us merely to be the "game" for Satan's hunt. Would our loving Father give Satan complete freedom and absolute authority to do whatever his perverted mind desires? Of course not.
But Satan can gain control over your life! That's entirely up to you whether you will let him.
Notice the word "MAY" in I Peter 3:8. Satan seeks whom he may devour. Who may Satan devour? This is an important question — may he devour you? That is your most important question.
We can best know who Satan may devour by first learning who Satan can not devour. "But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (I John 5:18). The wicked one (Satan) cannot touch a begotten son of God (you) who "KEEPETH HIMSELF."
Do you get the point?
Can you believe this absolute guarantee from your Creator? God states that Satan cannot even touch us — so long as we "keep ourselves." If we do not "keep ourselves" — if we are not vigilant and sincerely dedicated to God — if we "open ourselves," then Satan will have his cherished opportunity to devour us.
Satan cannot attack any converted individual unless that individual "opens himself." Ephesians 4:27 warns us: "neither give place to the devil," or in other words, don't give Satan an opportunity or a "base of operations" to launch his attack. Remember how Fidel Castro used his "base of operations" in the Cuban mountains to conquer the entire country? It's the same with Satan. Even the smallest "base of operations" is sufficient to give him the wedge to pry us away from eternal life. Satan will search our minds to find any opening — to ferret out any "loophole" in our character by which he can take advantage of us. Once he finds the weak spot — and he only needs one — his work begins. Satan broods over our weaknesses like a mother hen over her young — protecting, encouraging and nourishing them.
In His mercy, God has given us ample ammunition to ward off Satan's attacks. But we must do the fighting. We are told to "keep ourselves" not giving Satan his coveted "base of operations." But how does Satan establish his "outpost of death" in our minds? He has many "devices" and we must unmask and expose them.
Sin and Satan
You have heard that God hates sin but loves the sinners. Well, Satan is diametrically the opposite — he hates the sinner but loves the sin! Satan is the personified embodiment of all sin. Therefore every one of our sins becomes an "outpost of Satan's mind" intruding into our mind (which must now be Christ's mind). "He that com-mitteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning" (I John 3:8). As we harbor that sin, Satan establishes and solidifies an effective base of operations for expanding his corrupting influence — and this outpost does not remain idle! The longer any sin is left festering in our lives, Satan's base of operations becomes progressively more fortified, more powerful and more active. The longer we wait to eliminate the sin, the harder it will become to destroy these outposts of Satan in our minds.
We are not trying to cleverly develop some cute analogy. This is reality! God tells us that every time we're disobedient, Satan's spirit "works" in us — it is actually invigorated by our sin. (Eph. 2:2, last part). Every time we disobey God — whether it be in the letter or in our minds — we open ourselves to Satan.
Do you realize that Satan may not want you to continuously sin. All he requests is that you conscientiously harbor one consistent sin — no matter how small. Satan is perfectly happy to let you delude yourself into believing that you are obeying God by keeping the Sabbath, not eating unclean foods, disciplining your children, etc. He knows that if you habitually protect just one sin, you might as well be breaking every commandment of God's Law; you are guilty of all (James 2:10) and you will be exterminated. This would make Satan extremely happy. Ponder that!
Satan's Favorite Sins
Although any sin opens you to the wiles of Satan, there are certain varieties of sin that are particularly attractive to him. Satan surely rejoices in all sin, but he is especially fond of those sins of which he himself is guilty: lying, an unforgiving nature, being discouraged, self-righteousness, accusing the brethren.
When we even start to consider to commit such sins, a beacon radiates out from us, heralding an open invitation for Satanic incursions. Satan is quite personally familiar with these sins; he enjoys working with them and has had much experience.
Will your gullible human nature fall prey to Satan? God is warning! Hear and fear!
Let's carefully examine each of "Satan's favorite sins" — and learn how we can avoid them in our daily lives. Remember, brethren, this is neither an academic exercise nor some pseudo-spiritual sentimentality. Your eternal life — as a vibrant member of God's Family — is at stake. These words mean nothing in themselves — nor do the scriptures. It is the attitude of your mind which is critical. Meditate about these sins. On every point, level the accusing finger at yourself. Realize that to some degree you are guilty — and "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12).
Lying
Human nature hates the truth. Lying is a reflex as natural as self-preservation. We are constantly striving to present ourselves in the best possible light, so "naturally" we must "shade" the truth.
What is a lie? Is it solely the pronouncement of a false statement? No! The most diabolical "lies" are actually 100 percent true! Did you realize that?
Whenever you slant the truth, that's a lie. Whenever you hold back part of the truth to make yourself look better, even though what you actually do say is precisely true, you are guilty of lying.
Has a minister ever had to extract the whole truth from you — or have you always freely told him everything, starting with your most obnoxious sins ? Be honest! Do you attempt to feed your minister "bits and pieces" of the story, hoping to satisfy him before the entire rancid truth would have to embarrassingly come out? Or have you even connived to subtly change the subject on ministerial visits in order to alleviate the pressure generated from the possible exposure of sin?
Brethren, let's not deceive ourselves: these "half truths" are malicious, fiendish lies — hurting no one but you. When you lie, you are literally giving your mind over to Satan, transforming yourself into a child of the devil. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
An Unforgiving Nature
II Corinthians 2:11 directly warns us: "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not [must not be] ignorant of his devices." Let's not pull this verse out of context and only apply it generally. What is Paul specifically cautioning us about?
The first part of II Corinthians 2 explains why Paul had written that extremely corrective letter, now called I Corinthians. Recall in I Corinthians 5, Paul commands them to put the fornicator out of the Church. Well, it worked — disfellowship brought this man to Godly repentance. But some of the Corinthians refused to forgive him and would not allow him back into the Church. Paul instructed the Corinthians that an unforgiving attitude — maintaining grudges and rehashing old sins — was fertile ground for Satan's inroads.
What about you? Do you find it hard to forgive and forget sin? When you see "that certain person" in Church, do his old sins immediately flash into your mind? Does your unforgiveness of sin taint your attitude toward that individual? God longs to utterly blot out even the faintest memory of our sins (Psalm 103:11-12). Are you more "just" than God?
Brethren, when we rehash and harp on the bygone sins of another, we are not punishing that person — he has been totally forgiven by God — but we are severely damaging ourselves, opening our minds to Satan.
Human nature is sick: it forgets what it should remember and remembers what it should forget. Just think about this: for every sin and grudge that you forgive and forget, another avenue of possible demoniacal advancement into your mind is blocked.
Discouragement
We are always affected by what we see. When severe personal trials close in on us, we quickly become disheartened and dismayed. Paul knew that the discouragement resulting from afflictions and tribulations laid the groundwork for the tempter to tempt us. (I Thes. 3:3-5.)
We are commanded to live by faith (Romans 1:17). Faith ignores the "around." The worse the trial, the greater the potential for developing faith. Brethren, don't give Satan an opening by becoming discouraged by trials. Rather, give thanks to God for this golden opportunity to enlarge your faith. Prove this approach by putting it to the test. (I Thes. 5:21; Luke 14:19; Mai. 3:10.) It really works.
Self-Righteousness
Self-righteousness is perhaps the most cunningly insidious of all sins. It's real easy for thieves, prostitutes or Sabbath-breakers to emotionally and intellectually acknowledge their sins. But the ie//-righteous — by definition — do not even recognize the existence of their sins — and therefore come perilously close to eternal death.
The Book of Job was included in the Bible to teach us the lesson of self-righteousness. Job, in his heart, accused God of both being wrong and dealing unfairly with him. "I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he [God] findeth occasions against me, he count-eth me for his enemy" (Job 33:9-10).
Job felt more righteous than God. Have you ever accused God and felt He had dealt with you unfairly? Perhaps you did not outwardly sin with your lips (Job 2:10), but yet did sin in your heart by feeling bitter and resentful toward God because of some circumstance (which you probably caused yourself).
There is another common type of self-righteousness. The individual so infected, smugly thinks that he diligently searched for, and found God's Truth. Apparently he has never read Romans 9:16: "It is obviously not a question of human will or human effort, but of divine mercy" (Phillips translation). He also feels condescendingly proud that he gave up "a lot" to come into God's Church, perhaps a lucrative job, friends, relatives, etc., not realizing that all he gave up was death-driving sin! Obviously Philip-pians 3:8 has escaped his study: "For his sake I did in actual fact suffer the loss of everything, but I consider it [all] useless rubbish [dung] compared with being able to win Christ. (Phillips translation.) This self-righteous individual now exudes the air of self-confident self-satisfaction because of his supposed ability to keep God's Laws. Sadly, both Isaiah 64:6: "All our righteousnesses are as filthy [menstru-ous] rags" and Romans 10:3: "They do not know God's righteousness, and all the while they are going about trying to prove their own righteousness" (Phillips translation) are applied to others.
The self-righteous are not alone; they have a great champion — consoling, sympathizing, encouraging and sustaining them 7N their self-righteousness. Most — if not all — of the recalcitrants, about to be cast into the Lake of Fire, will be sneeringly self-righteous, condemning God for His inhumane ruthlessness — just as their father Satan has always done.
Accusing the Brethren
Have you ever wondered why a particular individual was still attending Church? You "knew" (we won't ask how) that he or she had been committing some obvious sins. "Was God blind?" you wondered. "Why hasn't God punished that person?"
Weren't you despising the riches of God's goodness and longsuffering ? Didn't you realize that the goodness of God leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4)? We love to judge others — especially those in God's Church. Somehow, we feel that when a brother stumbles, our status rises! In actual fact just the opposite is true (I Cor. 12:26). We are commanded "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1) and then warned: "For at whatever point you condemn others you automatically condemn yourself" (Rom. 2:1 — Phillips translation). Now, "Judge not" does not mean that we can never tell whether or not something is a sin. A man selling cars on the Sabbath is obviously sinning — that's a fact, not a "judgment." "Judge not" means don't impute motives, don't malign the underlying attitude, don't condemn. Only God can look on the heart, and pass that final judgment, condemnation.
All too many of us are quick to question the sincerity, the intent, or even the conversion of others in God's Church at the slightest provocation. We never fail to give ourselves all the benefits of any doubt. Let's give a little bit to each other also.
Satan reaches the apex of his hysterical gloating when the brethren of God's Church accuse each other. Satan himself is busy accusing the brethren day and night before God. "The Accuser of the Brethren" is actually one of Satan's names (Rev. 12:10)! So, when begotten sons of God criticize and condemn one another, Satan is overjoyed — nothing could satisfy him more, nothing is so in tune with his thinking!
You can be sure that he immediately rushes up to God (Job 1:6) and yells: "Look God, you condemn me for my supposed 'accusing of the brethren' — but observe that your own so-called sons are heatedly engaged in hurling vicious invective back and forth — explain, if you can." Brethren, how do you think our loving Father feels when we accuse each other?
Satan is very clever. If you have uncovered certain scurrilous information about another member of God's Church and then used it to "judge" him (imputing evil motivations), Satan will subsequently enable you to receive additional dirty information; he will station you in just the "right place." The more you judge the brethren, the more filthy opportunities will be given to you; the closer your mind draws to Satan's mind, the greater his control over you.
Accusing the brethren is the fastest way to open yourself to Satan. Don't risk learning this fact the hard way — by experience!
Fight Back
Our God is not a negative God. He goes beyond telling us what not to do and instructs us what we should do in order to thwart Satan's devices. He doesn't leave us bound, blind and helpless against Satan's evil devices.
In this regard, Ephesians 4:21-32 is an excellent section for study. The key verse (for the present purpose) is verse 27: "Neither give place to the devil." The other eleven verses explain exactly how this can be successfully accomplished. We must "put off" the old man (verse 22) by "putting on" the new (converted) man (verse 23); this shows that an active process is involved, energy must be expended. We put away lying by speaking the truth (verse 25). Our anger must be God-oriented, called into action when another (not self) is hurt.
Verse 28 admonishes a repentant thief to go completely in the opposite direction: work hard and then give to the poor. The application of this principle is a strategic weapon in our epic encounter with Satan: whatever your character flaw, overcome it by driving yourself to do the exact opposite.
Don't just read these words, nod your head and say, "that sure is right; I hope Mr. So and So does this." Ephesians 4 is for all of us. Right now, list your own major character flail's and determine specifically how you can go the opposite way.
Gossip — or rotten, corrupt communication (verse 29) — is another fine way to give Satan a base of operations. Gossip is not only the spreading of false information about other people. It may be 100 percent true — but it is always unauthorized, consistently derogatory and viciously cutting. Gossip is the most underhanded technique for accusing the brethren. Sounds all too familiar!
But how do we know whether some specific information is indeed "gossip"? The latter part of verse 29 gives the basic "rule of thumb": speak only "that which is good to edify profitably, that it may minister grace unto the hearers [which God can use to help other people — Phillips]." Whenever you feel the "urge" to tell, pass on, or listen to some questionable material, ask yourself: "Would God use this information to help other people?" If you can't positively answer "yes" — j or get it I Ephesians 4:30 states: "And grieve not the Holy Spirit." Here is an all-encompassing method for counteracting Satan. But how do we "grieve not" God's Spirit? Let's see. God's Spirit does not pull or coerce; it leads and suggests by triggering thoughts in our minds. This constantly happens to everyone in God's Church. Whenever we ignore these triggered suggestions, and proceed to carry out our pre-arranged actions, we grieve God's Spirit — and do indeed give place to Satan.
Finally, verses 31-32 inform us how to quickly eliminate all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice: "Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
God's Armor
Ephesians 6:11-18 is the classic section describing our defenses against Satan's kingdom. God exhorts us to "put on" (verse 11) and "take" (verse 13) "the whole armour of God" so that we will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Notice three points. 1) "Putting on" and "taking" are both active processes. We must consciously struggle to wholeheartedly do our part. 2) We need the whole armor of God, nothing less than full protection is necessary to repel Satan, since he will exploit any and every weakness. 3) We have no alternative but to stand against Satan; we dare not turn and run, or we will surely be slaughtered.
The two most essential parts of armor are the movable pieces — the defensive shield and the offensive sword. Our shield is faith: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the darts of the wicked [one]." (Eph. 6:16.) The wicked one is Satan. What are his fiery darts? They may come in various guises and forms from persecution and tribulation to discouragement and despondency. But so long as we have the faith of Christ (Gal.2:16) as our shield, Satan's fiery darts will be rendered harmless.
The sword is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal, the sword is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). Military strategists have long agreed that the best defense is a powerfully sudden offense. In any situation, at any time, when we are threatened, tried, or tempted, a blistering offensive thrust of the appropriate scriptures will irrevocably turn the tide. In each of the three recorded Satanic temptations of Christ (Matt. 4), the immediate counterattack of the opportune verses stopped Satan cold.
God promises to bring the appropriate areas of scripture to mind in time of need (Matt. 10:19-20). However, God will not do our work for us; wc must do what we can do: continuously study the Bible, diligently building up our scriptural vocabulary and understanding.
Finally, Ephesians 6:18 shows us how to integrate and vivify all the divergent pieces of armor into one, vibrantly cogent, united team: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (in accordance with God's will).
Satan's Sorest Spot
We have seen that the easiest way to open oneself to Satan is to engage in the same repugnant mental contortions which permeate Satan's mind: lying, un forgiveness, discouragement, self-righteousness, accusation. Conversely, it stands to reason that the surest method of completely thwarting Satan is to immerse oneself in whatever activity or work is most repulsively hostile to Satan — the very antithesis of his desires.
That work is God's Work!
Satan hates God's Work with an immeasurable, seething, fiendish disgust. Indeed, he has two good reasons: 1) God's Work is heralding the triumphal return of Jesus Christ to take the kingdoms of this world away from Satan; 2) God's Work is proclaiming the mystery of God — that every person can qualify to become God, far overshadowing Satan.
Here then is the best way to decimate and disintegrate Satan's attempts to penetrate your mental defenses. Participate in God's Work! Throw your whole being into God's Work.
How? Get off yourself. Get on to God's Work. This was the prevailing theme set by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in his long years in the service of God.
When you pray, how much time do you devote to God's Work — the plans, progress, income, top leaders, ministers, foreign offices, departments, broadcasts, co-workers, magazines, and on and on ? Are you spending more efforts on your own personally petty "spiritual problems"? Surely don't ignore your problems, but put them where they belong — after God's Work.
Are the financial dilemmas of the Work your personal worry? Do you financially sacrifice as a consistent rule, or only "when you can" or "when you feel like it"? The whole issue is really very simple: "Who comes first, you or God?"
Satan is very interested in your day-to-day answer to this question. He knows that it is utterly impossible to even confront a mind solidly committed to God's Work, much less puncture it.
Yes, we have an arch-enemy, but if we are wholeheartedly committed to God's Work, Satan will have no choice but to "tuck his tail in" and, in a frustrated spasm, slink away.
Let's paraphrase James 4:7: Dedicate yourselves therefore to God's Work; this will effectively resist the devil and he will flee from you!
by Dean R. Wilson and Robert Kuhn Good News Magazine July 1969
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Brought to you as a Study Resource by the
Church of God Faithful Flock
We live in a rapidly changing world. Each day brings out another advocate of a new morality or understanding coupled with the rejection of the established ideals and principles. The truths of yesterday are the jokes and myths of today.
The world is polluted with an avalanche of contradictory information, conflicting ideas and opposing opinions. Confusion abounds. People are perplexed and frustrated. Is this the way God designed the world ? No, God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33) but Satan the devil is — and God warns us not to be ignorant of his devices (II Cor. 2:11).
Before God opened our minds, most of us thought "Satan and his demons" were the superstitious figments of primitive imaginations. Even today, many in God's Church are still unwittingly duped by the years of materialistic propaganda absorbed from our pseudo-sophisticated society. Brethren, we tend to discount the terrifying reality of Satan — and he is quick to take advantage.
Satan Is Real
The myth that Satan does not exist was maliciously foisted off on a gullible populace by Satan himself. He knew that man would easily swallow any doctrine exalting man himself as the most supreme being. Satan has deceived much of the world into believing that he is a fictional character. Not only does this facilitate Satan's work but it also gives him a perverted chuckle.
Satan realizes that every puny, insignificant human being — "stupid and ugly" — has been given the opportunity to literally become God while he — "brilliant and beautiful" — will be banished forever. Twisted and vindictively malicious, Satan is thus desperately striving to destroy all men — it is his all-encompassing, compulsive passion !
Who would Satan most like to destroy? Some ignorant child in Asia? Some Bantu in Africa? Some politician in Europe ? No, brethren — it's us — you! Our eternal destruction is Satan's most fervent goal — because we will be the firstfruits in God's Family, qualifying for the high ranking jobs for all eternity.
As we draw nearer to Christ's return, Satan will apply even more pressure "for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:12). Satan is going to bolster his churches with great wonders — his ministers will be able to perform tremendous miracles. God warns us that we could fall prey to Satan's tricks — we can be swept away from life! "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24).
Ponder the power of Satan and his multiple millions of demons: spirit, immortal, invisible, supernatural, indestructible, mobile, potent, able to manipulate objects, events, animals, people. And what about us ? — physical, mortal, visible, natural, fragile, sedentary, weak, able to manipulate nothing. Sitting ducks!
Surrounded by Lions
Project yourself into the African jungle. You are alone. Lions are prowling about on all sides. Their ferociously hungry snarls pierce the jungle night. Your eyes are blindfolded, your ears are stopped, your hands are bound. As you timorously shuffle forward, a foreboding realization possesses you: at any instant, without any warning, a lion could pounre on you and dismember your utterly helpless body! Your pulse has become rapid, your breaths are shallow and quick, your wobbly knees are ready to buckle; cold sweat beads along your forehead and moistens your palms, your mouth has dried out and your tongue now sticks to your palate. Brethren, this is neither melodramatic nor simple-minded. We are as a blind, deaf, bound body — helplessly vulnerable to Satan. God Almighty warns us that "the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). Do you fear that scripture? Do you act as though you believe it? Or do you nonchalantly go about your daily routine, relegating "Satan" to exhortative sermons and speculative bull sessions? Don't you believe God? You had better — your salvation depends upon it!
Many of us have assumed that our only battle is against our own human nature. Satan is naively discarded. "He is the deceiver of the world — not God's Church" is how we like to reason. We couldn't be more wrong. Paul was writing to God's Church when he admonished: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places" (Eph. 6:12).
Satan and human nature work hand-in-hand; they are kindred spirits. God patterned man's mind after the mind of Satan — saturating it with vanity, rebellion, covetousness, jealousy, selfishness. Satan knows every facet and nuance of human nature — and can subtly exploit it.
But We Can Fight Back
Now, let's not immediately jump to the opposite extreme and clench our teeth, stoop over in a corner and brace ourselves for imminent destruction. Surely God has not created and then called us merely to be the "game" for Satan's hunt. Would our loving Father give Satan complete freedom and absolute authority to do whatever his perverted mind desires? Of course not.
But Satan can gain control over your life! That's entirely up to you whether you will let him.
Notice the word "MAY" in I Peter 3:8. Satan seeks whom he may devour. Who may Satan devour? This is an important question — may he devour you? That is your most important question.
We can best know who Satan may devour by first learning who Satan can not devour. "But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (I John 5:18). The wicked one (Satan) cannot touch a begotten son of God (you) who "KEEPETH HIMSELF."
Do you get the point?
Can you believe this absolute guarantee from your Creator? God states that Satan cannot even touch us — so long as we "keep ourselves." If we do not "keep ourselves" — if we are not vigilant and sincerely dedicated to God — if we "open ourselves," then Satan will have his cherished opportunity to devour us.
Satan cannot attack any converted individual unless that individual "opens himself." Ephesians 4:27 warns us: "neither give place to the devil," or in other words, don't give Satan an opportunity or a "base of operations" to launch his attack. Remember how Fidel Castro used his "base of operations" in the Cuban mountains to conquer the entire country? It's the same with Satan. Even the smallest "base of operations" is sufficient to give him the wedge to pry us away from eternal life. Satan will search our minds to find any opening — to ferret out any "loophole" in our character by which he can take advantage of us. Once he finds the weak spot — and he only needs one — his work begins. Satan broods over our weaknesses like a mother hen over her young — protecting, encouraging and nourishing them.
In His mercy, God has given us ample ammunition to ward off Satan's attacks. But we must do the fighting. We are told to "keep ourselves" not giving Satan his coveted "base of operations." But how does Satan establish his "outpost of death" in our minds? He has many "devices" and we must unmask and expose them.
Sin and Satan
You have heard that God hates sin but loves the sinners. Well, Satan is diametrically the opposite — he hates the sinner but loves the sin! Satan is the personified embodiment of all sin. Therefore every one of our sins becomes an "outpost of Satan's mind" intruding into our mind (which must now be Christ's mind). "He that com-mitteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning" (I John 3:8). As we harbor that sin, Satan establishes and solidifies an effective base of operations for expanding his corrupting influence — and this outpost does not remain idle! The longer any sin is left festering in our lives, Satan's base of operations becomes progressively more fortified, more powerful and more active. The longer we wait to eliminate the sin, the harder it will become to destroy these outposts of Satan in our minds.
We are not trying to cleverly develop some cute analogy. This is reality! God tells us that every time we're disobedient, Satan's spirit "works" in us — it is actually invigorated by our sin. (Eph. 2:2, last part). Every time we disobey God — whether it be in the letter or in our minds — we open ourselves to Satan.
Do you realize that Satan may not want you to continuously sin. All he requests is that you conscientiously harbor one consistent sin — no matter how small. Satan is perfectly happy to let you delude yourself into believing that you are obeying God by keeping the Sabbath, not eating unclean foods, disciplining your children, etc. He knows that if you habitually protect just one sin, you might as well be breaking every commandment of God's Law; you are guilty of all (James 2:10) and you will be exterminated. This would make Satan extremely happy. Ponder that!
Satan's Favorite Sins
Although any sin opens you to the wiles of Satan, there are certain varieties of sin that are particularly attractive to him. Satan surely rejoices in all sin, but he is especially fond of those sins of which he himself is guilty: lying, an unforgiving nature, being discouraged, self-righteousness, accusing the brethren.
When we even start to consider to commit such sins, a beacon radiates out from us, heralding an open invitation for Satanic incursions. Satan is quite personally familiar with these sins; he enjoys working with them and has had much experience.
Will your gullible human nature fall prey to Satan? God is warning! Hear and fear!
Let's carefully examine each of "Satan's favorite sins" — and learn how we can avoid them in our daily lives. Remember, brethren, this is neither an academic exercise nor some pseudo-spiritual sentimentality. Your eternal life — as a vibrant member of God's Family — is at stake. These words mean nothing in themselves — nor do the scriptures. It is the attitude of your mind which is critical. Meditate about these sins. On every point, level the accusing finger at yourself. Realize that to some degree you are guilty — and "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12).
Lying
Human nature hates the truth. Lying is a reflex as natural as self-preservation. We are constantly striving to present ourselves in the best possible light, so "naturally" we must "shade" the truth.
What is a lie? Is it solely the pronouncement of a false statement? No! The most diabolical "lies" are actually 100 percent true! Did you realize that?
Whenever you slant the truth, that's a lie. Whenever you hold back part of the truth to make yourself look better, even though what you actually do say is precisely true, you are guilty of lying.
Has a minister ever had to extract the whole truth from you — or have you always freely told him everything, starting with your most obnoxious sins ? Be honest! Do you attempt to feed your minister "bits and pieces" of the story, hoping to satisfy him before the entire rancid truth would have to embarrassingly come out? Or have you even connived to subtly change the subject on ministerial visits in order to alleviate the pressure generated from the possible exposure of sin?
Brethren, let's not deceive ourselves: these "half truths" are malicious, fiendish lies — hurting no one but you. When you lie, you are literally giving your mind over to Satan, transforming yourself into a child of the devil. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
An Unforgiving Nature
II Corinthians 2:11 directly warns us: "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not [must not be] ignorant of his devices." Let's not pull this verse out of context and only apply it generally. What is Paul specifically cautioning us about?
The first part of II Corinthians 2 explains why Paul had written that extremely corrective letter, now called I Corinthians. Recall in I Corinthians 5, Paul commands them to put the fornicator out of the Church. Well, it worked — disfellowship brought this man to Godly repentance. But some of the Corinthians refused to forgive him and would not allow him back into the Church. Paul instructed the Corinthians that an unforgiving attitude — maintaining grudges and rehashing old sins — was fertile ground for Satan's inroads.
What about you? Do you find it hard to forgive and forget sin? When you see "that certain person" in Church, do his old sins immediately flash into your mind? Does your unforgiveness of sin taint your attitude toward that individual? God longs to utterly blot out even the faintest memory of our sins (Psalm 103:11-12). Are you more "just" than God?
Brethren, when we rehash and harp on the bygone sins of another, we are not punishing that person — he has been totally forgiven by God — but we are severely damaging ourselves, opening our minds to Satan.
Human nature is sick: it forgets what it should remember and remembers what it should forget. Just think about this: for every sin and grudge that you forgive and forget, another avenue of possible demoniacal advancement into your mind is blocked.
Discouragement
We are always affected by what we see. When severe personal trials close in on us, we quickly become disheartened and dismayed. Paul knew that the discouragement resulting from afflictions and tribulations laid the groundwork for the tempter to tempt us. (I Thes. 3:3-5.)
We are commanded to live by faith (Romans 1:17). Faith ignores the "around." The worse the trial, the greater the potential for developing faith. Brethren, don't give Satan an opening by becoming discouraged by trials. Rather, give thanks to God for this golden opportunity to enlarge your faith. Prove this approach by putting it to the test. (I Thes. 5:21; Luke 14:19; Mai. 3:10.) It really works.
Self-Righteousness
Self-righteousness is perhaps the most cunningly insidious of all sins. It's real easy for thieves, prostitutes or Sabbath-breakers to emotionally and intellectually acknowledge their sins. But the ie//-righteous — by definition — do not even recognize the existence of their sins — and therefore come perilously close to eternal death.
The Book of Job was included in the Bible to teach us the lesson of self-righteousness. Job, in his heart, accused God of both being wrong and dealing unfairly with him. "I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he [God] findeth occasions against me, he count-eth me for his enemy" (Job 33:9-10).
Job felt more righteous than God. Have you ever accused God and felt He had dealt with you unfairly? Perhaps you did not outwardly sin with your lips (Job 2:10), but yet did sin in your heart by feeling bitter and resentful toward God because of some circumstance (which you probably caused yourself).
There is another common type of self-righteousness. The individual so infected, smugly thinks that he diligently searched for, and found God's Truth. Apparently he has never read Romans 9:16: "It is obviously not a question of human will or human effort, but of divine mercy" (Phillips translation). He also feels condescendingly proud that he gave up "a lot" to come into God's Church, perhaps a lucrative job, friends, relatives, etc., not realizing that all he gave up was death-driving sin! Obviously Philip-pians 3:8 has escaped his study: "For his sake I did in actual fact suffer the loss of everything, but I consider it [all] useless rubbish [dung] compared with being able to win Christ. (Phillips translation.) This self-righteous individual now exudes the air of self-confident self-satisfaction because of his supposed ability to keep God's Laws. Sadly, both Isaiah 64:6: "All our righteousnesses are as filthy [menstru-ous] rags" and Romans 10:3: "They do not know God's righteousness, and all the while they are going about trying to prove their own righteousness" (Phillips translation) are applied to others.
The self-righteous are not alone; they have a great champion — consoling, sympathizing, encouraging and sustaining them 7N their self-righteousness. Most — if not all — of the recalcitrants, about to be cast into the Lake of Fire, will be sneeringly self-righteous, condemning God for His inhumane ruthlessness — just as their father Satan has always done.
Accusing the Brethren
Have you ever wondered why a particular individual was still attending Church? You "knew" (we won't ask how) that he or she had been committing some obvious sins. "Was God blind?" you wondered. "Why hasn't God punished that person?"
Weren't you despising the riches of God's goodness and longsuffering ? Didn't you realize that the goodness of God leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4)? We love to judge others — especially those in God's Church. Somehow, we feel that when a brother stumbles, our status rises! In actual fact just the opposite is true (I Cor. 12:26). We are commanded "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1) and then warned: "For at whatever point you condemn others you automatically condemn yourself" (Rom. 2:1 — Phillips translation). Now, "Judge not" does not mean that we can never tell whether or not something is a sin. A man selling cars on the Sabbath is obviously sinning — that's a fact, not a "judgment." "Judge not" means don't impute motives, don't malign the underlying attitude, don't condemn. Only God can look on the heart, and pass that final judgment, condemnation.
All too many of us are quick to question the sincerity, the intent, or even the conversion of others in God's Church at the slightest provocation. We never fail to give ourselves all the benefits of any doubt. Let's give a little bit to each other also.
Satan reaches the apex of his hysterical gloating when the brethren of God's Church accuse each other. Satan himself is busy accusing the brethren day and night before God. "The Accuser of the Brethren" is actually one of Satan's names (Rev. 12:10)! So, when begotten sons of God criticize and condemn one another, Satan is overjoyed — nothing could satisfy him more, nothing is so in tune with his thinking!
You can be sure that he immediately rushes up to God (Job 1:6) and yells: "Look God, you condemn me for my supposed 'accusing of the brethren' — but observe that your own so-called sons are heatedly engaged in hurling vicious invective back and forth — explain, if you can." Brethren, how do you think our loving Father feels when we accuse each other?
Satan is very clever. If you have uncovered certain scurrilous information about another member of God's Church and then used it to "judge" him (imputing evil motivations), Satan will subsequently enable you to receive additional dirty information; he will station you in just the "right place." The more you judge the brethren, the more filthy opportunities will be given to you; the closer your mind draws to Satan's mind, the greater his control over you.
Accusing the brethren is the fastest way to open yourself to Satan. Don't risk learning this fact the hard way — by experience!
Fight Back
Our God is not a negative God. He goes beyond telling us what not to do and instructs us what we should do in order to thwart Satan's devices. He doesn't leave us bound, blind and helpless against Satan's evil devices.
In this regard, Ephesians 4:21-32 is an excellent section for study. The key verse (for the present purpose) is verse 27: "Neither give place to the devil." The other eleven verses explain exactly how this can be successfully accomplished. We must "put off" the old man (verse 22) by "putting on" the new (converted) man (verse 23); this shows that an active process is involved, energy must be expended. We put away lying by speaking the truth (verse 25). Our anger must be God-oriented, called into action when another (not self) is hurt.
Verse 28 admonishes a repentant thief to go completely in the opposite direction: work hard and then give to the poor. The application of this principle is a strategic weapon in our epic encounter with Satan: whatever your character flaw, overcome it by driving yourself to do the exact opposite.
Don't just read these words, nod your head and say, "that sure is right; I hope Mr. So and So does this." Ephesians 4 is for all of us. Right now, list your own major character flail's and determine specifically how you can go the opposite way.
Gossip — or rotten, corrupt communication (verse 29) — is another fine way to give Satan a base of operations. Gossip is not only the spreading of false information about other people. It may be 100 percent true — but it is always unauthorized, consistently derogatory and viciously cutting. Gossip is the most underhanded technique for accusing the brethren. Sounds all too familiar!
But how do we know whether some specific information is indeed "gossip"? The latter part of verse 29 gives the basic "rule of thumb": speak only "that which is good to edify profitably, that it may minister grace unto the hearers [which God can use to help other people — Phillips]." Whenever you feel the "urge" to tell, pass on, or listen to some questionable material, ask yourself: "Would God use this information to help other people?" If you can't positively answer "yes" — j or get it I Ephesians 4:30 states: "And grieve not the Holy Spirit." Here is an all-encompassing method for counteracting Satan. But how do we "grieve not" God's Spirit? Let's see. God's Spirit does not pull or coerce; it leads and suggests by triggering thoughts in our minds. This constantly happens to everyone in God's Church. Whenever we ignore these triggered suggestions, and proceed to carry out our pre-arranged actions, we grieve God's Spirit — and do indeed give place to Satan.
Finally, verses 31-32 inform us how to quickly eliminate all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice: "Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
God's Armor
Ephesians 6:11-18 is the classic section describing our defenses against Satan's kingdom. God exhorts us to "put on" (verse 11) and "take" (verse 13) "the whole armour of God" so that we will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Notice three points. 1) "Putting on" and "taking" are both active processes. We must consciously struggle to wholeheartedly do our part. 2) We need the whole armor of God, nothing less than full protection is necessary to repel Satan, since he will exploit any and every weakness. 3) We have no alternative but to stand against Satan; we dare not turn and run, or we will surely be slaughtered.
The two most essential parts of armor are the movable pieces — the defensive shield and the offensive sword. Our shield is faith: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the darts of the wicked [one]." (Eph. 6:16.) The wicked one is Satan. What are his fiery darts? They may come in various guises and forms from persecution and tribulation to discouragement and despondency. But so long as we have the faith of Christ (Gal.2:16) as our shield, Satan's fiery darts will be rendered harmless.
The sword is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal, the sword is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). Military strategists have long agreed that the best defense is a powerfully sudden offense. In any situation, at any time, when we are threatened, tried, or tempted, a blistering offensive thrust of the appropriate scriptures will irrevocably turn the tide. In each of the three recorded Satanic temptations of Christ (Matt. 4), the immediate counterattack of the opportune verses stopped Satan cold.
God promises to bring the appropriate areas of scripture to mind in time of need (Matt. 10:19-20). However, God will not do our work for us; wc must do what we can do: continuously study the Bible, diligently building up our scriptural vocabulary and understanding.
Finally, Ephesians 6:18 shows us how to integrate and vivify all the divergent pieces of armor into one, vibrantly cogent, united team: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (in accordance with God's will).
Satan's Sorest Spot
We have seen that the easiest way to open oneself to Satan is to engage in the same repugnant mental contortions which permeate Satan's mind: lying, un forgiveness, discouragement, self-righteousness, accusation. Conversely, it stands to reason that the surest method of completely thwarting Satan is to immerse oneself in whatever activity or work is most repulsively hostile to Satan — the very antithesis of his desires.
That work is God's Work!
Satan hates God's Work with an immeasurable, seething, fiendish disgust. Indeed, he has two good reasons: 1) God's Work is heralding the triumphal return of Jesus Christ to take the kingdoms of this world away from Satan; 2) God's Work is proclaiming the mystery of God — that every person can qualify to become God, far overshadowing Satan.
Here then is the best way to decimate and disintegrate Satan's attempts to penetrate your mental defenses. Participate in God's Work! Throw your whole being into God's Work.
How? Get off yourself. Get on to God's Work. This was the prevailing theme set by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in his long years in the service of God.
When you pray, how much time do you devote to God's Work — the plans, progress, income, top leaders, ministers, foreign offices, departments, broadcasts, co-workers, magazines, and on and on ? Are you spending more efforts on your own personally petty "spiritual problems"? Surely don't ignore your problems, but put them where they belong — after God's Work.
Are the financial dilemmas of the Work your personal worry? Do you financially sacrifice as a consistent rule, or only "when you can" or "when you feel like it"? The whole issue is really very simple: "Who comes first, you or God?"
Satan is very interested in your day-to-day answer to this question. He knows that it is utterly impossible to even confront a mind solidly committed to God's Work, much less puncture it.
Yes, we have an arch-enemy, but if we are wholeheartedly committed to God's Work, Satan will have no choice but to "tuck his tail in" and, in a frustrated spasm, slink away.
Let's paraphrase James 4:7: Dedicate yourselves therefore to God's Work; this will effectively resist the devil and he will flee from you!
by Dean R. Wilson and Robert Kuhn Good News Magazine July 1969
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brought to you as a Study Resource by the
Church of God Faithful Flock
ARE YOU IGNORANT OF SATAN'S DEVICES?
You have a desperate fight on your hands. Satan is your sworn adversary, obsessively working to exterminate you! You must learn to recognize your enemy and expose his tactics. Here's how you can successfully recognize, combat and thwart Satan.
We live in a rapidly changing world. Each day brings out another advocate of a new morality or understanding coupled with the rejection of the established ideals and principles. The truths of yesterday are the jokes and myths of today.
The world is polluted with an avalanche of contradictory information, conflicting ideas and opposing opinions. Confusion abounds. People are perplexed and frustrated. Is this the way God designed the world ? No, God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33) but Satan the devil is — and God warns us not to be ignorant of his devices (II Cor. 2:11).
Before God opened our minds, most of us thought "Satan and his demons" were the superstitious figments of primitive imaginations. Even today, many in God's Church are still unwittingly duped by the years of materialistic propaganda absorbed from our pseudo-sophisticated society. Brethren, we tend to discount the terrifying reality of Satan — and he is quick to take advantage.
Satan Is Real
The myth that Satan does not exist was maliciously foisted off on a gullible populace by Satan himself. He knew that man would easily swallow any doctrine exalting man himself as the most supreme being. Satan has deceived much of the world into believing that he is a fictional character. Not only does this facilitate Satan's work but it also gives him a perverted chuckle.
Satan realizes that every puny, insignificant human being — "stupid and ugly" — has been given the opportunity to literally become God while he — "brilliant and beautiful" — will be banished forever. Twisted and vindictively malicious, Satan is thus desperately striving to destroy all men — it is his all-encompassing, compulsive passion !
Who would Satan most like to destroy? Some ignorant child in Asia? Some Bantu in Africa? Some politician in Europe ? No, brethren — it's us — you! Our eternal destruction is Satan's most fervent goal — because we will be the firstfruits in God's Family, qualifying for the high ranking jobs for all eternity.
As we draw nearer to Christ's return, Satan will apply even more pressure "for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:12). Satan is going to bolster his churches with great wonders — his ministers will be able to perform tremendous miracles. God warns us that we could fall prey to Satan's tricks — we can be swept away from life! "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24).
Ponder the power of Satan and his multiple millions of demons: spirit, immortal, invisible, supernatural, indestructible, mobile, potent, able to manipulate objects, events, animals, people. And what about us ? — physical, mortal, visible, natural, fragile, sedentary, weak, able to manipulate nothing. Sitting ducks!
Surrounded by Lions
Project yourself into the African jungle. You are alone. Lions are prowling about on all sides. Their ferociously hungry snarls pierce the jungle night. Your eyes are blindfolded, your ears are stopped, your hands are bound. As you timorously shuffle forward, a foreboding realization possesses you: at any instant, without any warning, a lion could pounre on you and dismember your utterly helpless body! Your pulse has become rapid, your breaths are shallow and quick, your wobbly knees are ready to buckle; cold sweat beads along your forehead and moistens your palms, your mouth has dried out and your tongue now sticks to your palate. Brethren, this is neither melodramatic nor simple-minded. We are as a blind, deaf, bound body — helplessly vulnerable to Satan. God Almighty warns us that "the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). Do you fear that scripture? Do you act as though you believe it? Or do you nonchalantly go about your daily routine, relegating "Satan" to exhortative sermons and speculative bull sessions? Don't you believe God? You had better — your salvation depends upon it!
Many of us have assumed that our only battle is against our own human nature. Satan is naively discarded. "He is the deceiver of the world — not God's Church" is how we like to reason. We couldn't be more wrong. Paul was writing to God's Church when he admonished: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places" (Eph. 6:12).
Satan and human nature work hand-in-hand; they are kindred spirits. God patterned man's mind after the mind of Satan — saturating it with vanity, rebellion, covetousness, jealousy, selfishness. Satan knows every facet and nuance of human nature — and can subtly exploit it.
But We Can Fight Back
Now, let's not immediately jump to the opposite extreme and clench our teeth, stoop over in a corner and brace ourselves for imminent destruction. Surely God has not created and then called us merely to be the "game" for Satan's hunt. Would our loving Father give Satan complete freedom and absolute authority to do whatever his perverted mind desires? Of course not.
But Satan can gain control over your life! That's entirely up to you whether you will let him.
Notice the word "MAY" in I Peter 3:8. Satan seeks whom he may devour. Who may Satan devour? This is an important question — may he devour you? That is your most important question.
We can best know who Satan may devour by first learning who Satan can not devour. "But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (I John 5:18). The wicked one (Satan) cannot touch a begotten son of God (you) who "KEEPETH HIMSELF."
Do you get the point?
Can you believe this absolute guarantee from your Creator? God states that Satan cannot even touch us — so long as we "keep ourselves." If we do not "keep ourselves" — if we are not vigilant and sincerely dedicated to God — if we "open ourselves," then Satan will have his cherished opportunity to devour us.
Satan cannot attack any converted individual unless that individual "opens himself." Ephesians 4:27 warns us: "neither give place to the devil," or in other words, don't give Satan an opportunity or a "base of operations" to launch his attack. Remember how Fidel Castro used his "base of operations" in the Cuban mountains to conquer the entire country? It's the same with Satan. Even the smallest "base of operations" is sufficient to give him the wedge to pry us away from eternal life. Satan will search our minds to find any opening — to ferret out any "loophole" in our character by which he can take advantage of us. Once he finds the weak spot — and he only needs one — his work begins. Satan broods over our weaknesses like a mother hen over her young — protecting, encouraging and nourishing them.
In His mercy, God has given us ample ammunition to ward off Satan's attacks. But we must do the fighting. We are told to "keep ourselves" not giving Satan his coveted "base of operations." But how does Satan establish his "outpost of death" in our minds? He has many "devices" and we must unmask and expose them.
Sin and Satan
You have heard that God hates sin but loves the sinners. Well, Satan is diametrically the opposite — he hates the sinner but loves the sin! Satan is the personified embodiment of all sin. Therefore every one of our sins becomes an "outpost of Satan's mind" intruding into our mind (which must now be Christ's mind). "He that com-mitteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning" (I John 3:8). As we harbor that sin, Satan establishes and solidifies an effective base of operations for expanding his corrupting influence — and this outpost does not remain idle! The longer any sin is left festering in our lives, Satan's base of operations becomes progressively more fortified, more powerful and more active. The longer we wait to eliminate the sin, the harder it will become to destroy these outposts of Satan in our minds.
We are not trying to cleverly develop some cute analogy. This is reality! God tells us that every time we're disobedient, Satan's spirit "works" in us — it is actually invigorated by our sin. (Eph. 2:2, last part). Every time we disobey God — whether it be in the letter or in our minds — we open ourselves to Satan.
Do you realize that Satan may not want you to continuously sin. All he requests is that you conscientiously harbor one consistent sin — no matter how small. Satan is perfectly happy to let you delude yourself into believing that you are obeying God by keeping the Sabbath, not eating unclean foods, disciplining your children, etc. He knows that if you habitually protect just one sin, you might as well be breaking every commandment of God's Law; you are guilty of all (James 2:10) and you will be exterminated. This would make Satan extremely happy. Ponder that!
Satan's Favorite Sins
Although any sin opens you to the wiles of Satan, there are certain varieties of sin that are particularly attractive to him. Satan surely rejoices in all sin, but he is especially fond of those sins of which he himself is guilty: lying, an unforgiving nature, being discouraged, self-righteousness, accusing the brethren.
When we even start to consider to commit such sins, a beacon radiates out from us, heralding an open invitation for Satanic incursions. Satan is quite personally familiar with these sins; he enjoys working with them and has had much experience.
Will your gullible human nature fall prey to Satan? God is warning! Hear and fear!
Let's carefully examine each of "Satan's favorite sins" — and learn how we can avoid them in our daily lives. Remember, brethren, this is neither an academic exercise nor some pseudo-spiritual sentimentality. Your eternal life — as a vibrant member of God's Family — is at stake. These words mean nothing in themselves — nor do the scriptures. It is the attitude of your mind which is critical. Meditate about these sins. On every point, level the accusing finger at yourself. Realize that to some degree you are guilty — and "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12).
Lying
Human nature hates the truth. Lying is a reflex as natural as self-preservation. We are constantly striving to present ourselves in the best possible light, so "naturally" we must "shade" the truth.
What is a lie? Is it solely the pronouncement of a false statement? No! The most diabolical "lies" are actually 100 percent true! Did you realize that?
Whenever you slant the truth, that's a lie. Whenever you hold back part of the truth to make yourself look better, even though what you actually do say is precisely true, you are guilty of lying.
Has a minister ever had to extract the whole truth from you — or have you always freely told him everything, starting with your most obnoxious sins ? Be honest! Do you attempt to feed your minister "bits and pieces" of the story, hoping to satisfy him before the entire rancid truth would have to embarrassingly come out? Or have you even connived to subtly change the subject on ministerial visits in order to alleviate the pressure generated from the possible exposure of sin?
Brethren, let's not deceive ourselves: these "half truths" are malicious, fiendish lies — hurting no one but you. When you lie, you are literally giving your mind over to Satan, transforming yourself into a child of the devil. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
An Unforgiving Nature
II Corinthians 2:11 directly warns us: "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not [must not be] ignorant of his devices." Let's not pull this verse out of context and only apply it generally. What is Paul specifically cautioning us about?
The first part of II Corinthians 2 explains why Paul had written that extremely corrective letter, now called I Corinthians. Recall in I Corinthians 5, Paul commands them to put the fornicator out of the Church. Well, it worked — disfellowship brought this man to Godly repentance. But some of the Corinthians refused to forgive him and would not allow him back into the Church. Paul instructed the Corinthians that an unforgiving attitude — maintaining grudges and rehashing old sins — was fertile ground for Satan's inroads.
What about you? Do you find it hard to forgive and forget sin? When you see "that certain person" in Church, do his old sins immediately flash into your mind? Does your unforgiveness of sin taint your attitude toward that individual? God longs to utterly blot out even the faintest memory of our sins (Psalm 103:11-12). Are you more "just" than God?
Brethren, when we rehash and harp on the bygone sins of another, we are not punishing that person — he has been totally forgiven by God — but we are severely damaging ourselves, opening our minds to Satan.
Human nature is sick: it forgets what it should remember and remembers what it should forget. Just think about this: for every sin and grudge that you forgive and forget, another avenue of possible demoniacal advancement into your mind is blocked.
Discouragement
We are always affected by what we see. When severe personal trials close in on us, we quickly become disheartened and dismayed. Paul knew that the discouragement resulting from afflictions and tribulations laid the groundwork for the tempter to tempt us. (I Thes. 3:3-5.)
We are commanded to live by faith (Romans 1:17). Faith ignores the "around." The worse the trial, the greater the potential for developing faith. Brethren, don't give Satan an opening by becoming discouraged by trials. Rather, give thanks to God for this golden opportunity to enlarge your faith. Prove this approach by putting it to the test. (I Thes. 5:21; Luke 14:19; Mai. 3:10.) It really works.
Self-Righteousness
Self-righteousness is perhaps the most cunningly insidious of all sins. It's real easy for thieves, prostitutes or Sabbath-breakers to emotionally and intellectually acknowledge their sins. But the ie//-righteous — by definition — do not even recognize the existence of their sins — and therefore come perilously close to eternal death.
The Book of Job was included in the Bible to teach us the lesson of self-righteousness. Job, in his heart, accused God of both being wrong and dealing unfairly with him. "I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he [God] findeth occasions against me, he count-eth me for his enemy" (Job 33:9-10).
Job felt more righteous than God. Have you ever accused God and felt He had dealt with you unfairly? Perhaps you did not outwardly sin with your lips (Job 2:10), but yet did sin in your heart by feeling bitter and resentful toward God because of some circumstance (which you probably caused yourself).
There is another common type of self-righteousness. The individual so infected, smugly thinks that he diligently searched for, and found God's Truth. Apparently he has never read Romans 9:16: "It is obviously not a question of human will or human effort, but of divine mercy" (Phillips translation). He also feels condescendingly proud that he gave up "a lot" to come into God's Church, perhaps a lucrative job, friends, relatives, etc., not realizing that all he gave up was death-driving sin! Obviously Philip-pians 3:8 has escaped his study: "For his sake I did in actual fact suffer the loss of everything, but I consider it [all] useless rubbish [dung] compared with being able to win Christ. (Phillips translation.) This self-righteous individual now exudes the air of self-confident self-satisfaction because of his supposed ability to keep God's Laws. Sadly, both Isaiah 64:6: "All our righteousnesses are as filthy [menstru-ous] rags" and Romans 10:3: "They do not know God's righteousness, and all the while they are going about trying to prove their own righteousness" (Phillips translation) are applied to others.
The self-righteous are not alone; they have a great champion — consoling, sympathizing, encouraging and sustaining them 7N their self-righteousness. Most — if not all — of the recalcitrants, about to be cast into the Lake of Fire, will be sneeringly self-righteous, condemning God for His inhumane ruthlessness — just as their father Satan has always done.
Accusing the Brethren
Have you ever wondered why a particular individual was still attending Church? You "knew" (we won't ask how) that he or she had been committing some obvious sins. "Was God blind?" you wondered. "Why hasn't God punished that person?"
Weren't you despising the riches of God's goodness and longsuffering ? Didn't you realize that the goodness of God leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4)? We love to judge others — especially those in God's Church. Somehow, we feel that when a brother stumbles, our status rises! In actual fact just the opposite is true (I Cor. 12:26). We are commanded "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1) and then warned: "For at whatever point you condemn others you automatically condemn yourself" (Rom. 2:1 — Phillips translation). Now, "Judge not" does not mean that we can never tell whether or not something is a sin. A man selling cars on the Sabbath is obviously sinning — that's a fact, not a "judgment." "Judge not" means don't impute motives, don't malign the underlying attitude, don't condemn. Only God can look on the heart, and pass that final judgment, condemnation.
All too many of us are quick to question the sincerity, the intent, or even the conversion of others in God's Church at the slightest provocation. We never fail to give ourselves all the benefits of any doubt. Let's give a little bit to each other also.
Satan reaches the apex of his hysterical gloating when the brethren of God's Church accuse each other. Satan himself is busy accusing the brethren day and night before God. "The Accuser of the Brethren" is actually one of Satan's names (Rev. 12:10)! So, when begotten sons of God criticize and condemn one another, Satan is overjoyed — nothing could satisfy him more, nothing is so in tune with his thinking!
You can be sure that he immediately rushes up to God (Job 1:6) and yells: "Look God, you condemn me for my supposed 'accusing of the brethren' — but observe that your own so-called sons are heatedly engaged in hurling vicious invective back and forth — explain, if you can." Brethren, how do you think our loving Father feels when we accuse each other?
Satan is very clever. If you have uncovered certain scurrilous information about another member of God's Church and then used it to "judge" him (imputing evil motivations), Satan will subsequently enable you to receive additional dirty information; he will station you in just the "right place." The more you judge the brethren, the more filthy opportunities will be given to you; the closer your mind draws to Satan's mind, the greater his control over you.
Accusing the brethren is the fastest way to open yourself to Satan. Don't risk learning this fact the hard way — by experience!
Fight Back
Our God is not a negative God. He goes beyond telling us what not to do and instructs us what we should do in order to thwart Satan's devices. He doesn't leave us bound, blind and helpless against Satan's evil devices.
In this regard, Ephesians 4:21-32 is an excellent section for study. The key verse (for the present purpose) is verse 27: "Neither give place to the devil." The other eleven verses explain exactly how this can be successfully accomplished. We must "put off" the old man (verse 22) by "putting on" the new (converted) man (verse 23); this shows that an active process is involved, energy must be expended. We put away lying by speaking the truth (verse 25). Our anger must be God-oriented, called into action when another (not self) is hurt.
Verse 28 admonishes a repentant thief to go completely in the opposite direction: work hard and then give to the poor. The application of this principle is a strategic weapon in our epic encounter with Satan: whatever your character flaw, overcome it by driving yourself to do the exact opposite.
Don't just read these words, nod your head and say, "that sure is right; I hope Mr. So and So does this." Ephesians 4 is for all of us. Right now, list your own major character flail's and determine specifically how you can go the opposite way.
Gossip — or rotten, corrupt communication (verse 29) — is another fine way to give Satan a base of operations. Gossip is not only the spreading of false information about other people. It may be 100 percent true — but it is always unauthorized, consistently derogatory and viciously cutting. Gossip is the most underhanded technique for accusing the brethren. Sounds all too familiar!
But how do we know whether some specific information is indeed "gossip"? The latter part of verse 29 gives the basic "rule of thumb": speak only "that which is good to edify profitably, that it may minister grace unto the hearers [which God can use to help other people — Phillips]." Whenever you feel the "urge" to tell, pass on, or listen to some questionable material, ask yourself: "Would God use this information to help other people?" If you can't positively answer "yes" — j or get it I Ephesians 4:30 states: "And grieve not the Holy Spirit." Here is an all-encompassing method for counteracting Satan. But how do we "grieve not" God's Spirit? Let's see. God's Spirit does not pull or coerce; it leads and suggests by triggering thoughts in our minds. This constantly happens to everyone in God's Church. Whenever we ignore these triggered suggestions, and proceed to carry out our pre-arranged actions, we grieve God's Spirit — and do indeed give place to Satan.
Finally, verses 31-32 inform us how to quickly eliminate all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice: "Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
God's Armor
Ephesians 6:11-18 is the classic section describing our defenses against Satan's kingdom. God exhorts us to "put on" (verse 11) and "take" (verse 13) "the whole armour of God" so that we will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Notice three points. 1) "Putting on" and "taking" are both active processes. We must consciously struggle to wholeheartedly do our part. 2) We need the whole armor of God, nothing less than full protection is necessary to repel Satan, since he will exploit any and every weakness. 3) We have no alternative but to stand against Satan; we dare not turn and run, or we will surely be slaughtered.
The two most essential parts of armor are the movable pieces — the defensive shield and the offensive sword. Our shield is faith: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the darts of the wicked [one]." (Eph. 6:16.) The wicked one is Satan. What are his fiery darts? They may come in various guises and forms from persecution and tribulation to discouragement and despondency. But so long as we have the faith of Christ (Gal.2:16) as our shield, Satan's fiery darts will be rendered harmless.
The sword is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal, the sword is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). Military strategists have long agreed that the best defense is a powerfully sudden offense. In any situation, at any time, when we are threatened, tried, or tempted, a blistering offensive thrust of the appropriate scriptures will irrevocably turn the tide. In each of the three recorded Satanic temptations of Christ (Matt. 4), the immediate counterattack of the opportune verses stopped Satan cold.
God promises to bring the appropriate areas of scripture to mind in time of need (Matt. 10:19-20). However, God will not do our work for us; wc must do what we can do: continuously study the Bible, diligently building up our scriptural vocabulary and understanding.
Finally, Ephesians 6:18 shows us how to integrate and vivify all the divergent pieces of armor into one, vibrantly cogent, united team: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (in accordance with God's will).
Satan's Sorest Spot
We have seen that the easiest way to open oneself to Satan is to engage in the same repugnant mental contortions which permeate Satan's mind: lying, un forgiveness, discouragement, self-righteousness, accusation. Conversely, it stands to reason that the surest method of completely thwarting Satan is to immerse oneself in whatever activity or work is most repulsively hostile to Satan — the very antithesis of his desires.
That work is God's Work!
Satan hates God's Work with an immeasurable, seething, fiendish disgust. Indeed, he has two good reasons: 1) God's Work is heralding the triumphal return of Jesus Christ to take the kingdoms of this world away from Satan; 2) God's Work is proclaiming the mystery of God — that every person can qualify to become God, far overshadowing Satan.
Here then is the best way to decimate and disintegrate Satan's attempts to penetrate your mental defenses. Participate in God's Work! Throw your whole being into God's Work.
How? Get off yourself. Get on to God's Work. This was the prevailing theme set by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in his long years in the service of God.
When you pray, how much time do you devote to God's Work — the plans, progress, income, top leaders, ministers, foreign offices, departments, broadcasts, co-workers, magazines, and on and on ? Are you spending more efforts on your own personally petty "spiritual problems"? Surely don't ignore your problems, but put them where they belong — after God's Work.
Are the financial dilemmas of the Work your personal worry? Do you financially sacrifice as a consistent rule, or only "when you can" or "when you feel like it"? The whole issue is really very simple: "Who comes first, you or God?"
Satan is very interested in your day-to-day answer to this question. He knows that it is utterly impossible to even confront a mind solidly committed to God's Work, much less puncture it.
Yes, we have an arch-enemy, but if we are wholeheartedly committed to God's Work, Satan will have no choice but to "tuck his tail in" and, in a frustrated spasm, slink away.
Let's paraphrase James 4:7: Dedicate yourselves therefore to God's Work; this will effectively resist the devil and he will flee from you!
by Dean R. Wilson and Robert Kuhn Good News Magazine July 1969
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Brought to you as a Study Resource by the
Church of God Faithful Flock
We live in a rapidly changing world. Each day brings out another advocate of a new morality or understanding coupled with the rejection of the established ideals and principles. The truths of yesterday are the jokes and myths of today.
The world is polluted with an avalanche of contradictory information, conflicting ideas and opposing opinions. Confusion abounds. People are perplexed and frustrated. Is this the way God designed the world ? No, God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33) but Satan the devil is — and God warns us not to be ignorant of his devices (II Cor. 2:11).
Before God opened our minds, most of us thought "Satan and his demons" were the superstitious figments of primitive imaginations. Even today, many in God's Church are still unwittingly duped by the years of materialistic propaganda absorbed from our pseudo-sophisticated society. Brethren, we tend to discount the terrifying reality of Satan — and he is quick to take advantage.
Satan Is Real
The myth that Satan does not exist was maliciously foisted off on a gullible populace by Satan himself. He knew that man would easily swallow any doctrine exalting man himself as the most supreme being. Satan has deceived much of the world into believing that he is a fictional character. Not only does this facilitate Satan's work but it also gives him a perverted chuckle.
Satan realizes that every puny, insignificant human being — "stupid and ugly" — has been given the opportunity to literally become God while he — "brilliant and beautiful" — will be banished forever. Twisted and vindictively malicious, Satan is thus desperately striving to destroy all men — it is his all-encompassing, compulsive passion !
Who would Satan most like to destroy? Some ignorant child in Asia? Some Bantu in Africa? Some politician in Europe ? No, brethren — it's us — you! Our eternal destruction is Satan's most fervent goal — because we will be the firstfruits in God's Family, qualifying for the high ranking jobs for all eternity.
As we draw nearer to Christ's return, Satan will apply even more pressure "for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:12). Satan is going to bolster his churches with great wonders — his ministers will be able to perform tremendous miracles. God warns us that we could fall prey to Satan's tricks — we can be swept away from life! "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24).
Ponder the power of Satan and his multiple millions of demons: spirit, immortal, invisible, supernatural, indestructible, mobile, potent, able to manipulate objects, events, animals, people. And what about us ? — physical, mortal, visible, natural, fragile, sedentary, weak, able to manipulate nothing. Sitting ducks!
Surrounded by Lions
Project yourself into the African jungle. You are alone. Lions are prowling about on all sides. Their ferociously hungry snarls pierce the jungle night. Your eyes are blindfolded, your ears are stopped, your hands are bound. As you timorously shuffle forward, a foreboding realization possesses you: at any instant, without any warning, a lion could pounre on you and dismember your utterly helpless body! Your pulse has become rapid, your breaths are shallow and quick, your wobbly knees are ready to buckle; cold sweat beads along your forehead and moistens your palms, your mouth has dried out and your tongue now sticks to your palate. Brethren, this is neither melodramatic nor simple-minded. We are as a blind, deaf, bound body — helplessly vulnerable to Satan. God Almighty warns us that "the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (I Peter 5:8). Do you fear that scripture? Do you act as though you believe it? Or do you nonchalantly go about your daily routine, relegating "Satan" to exhortative sermons and speculative bull sessions? Don't you believe God? You had better — your salvation depends upon it!
Many of us have assumed that our only battle is against our own human nature. Satan is naively discarded. "He is the deceiver of the world — not God's Church" is how we like to reason. We couldn't be more wrong. Paul was writing to God's Church when he admonished: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [wicked spirits] in high places" (Eph. 6:12).
Satan and human nature work hand-in-hand; they are kindred spirits. God patterned man's mind after the mind of Satan — saturating it with vanity, rebellion, covetousness, jealousy, selfishness. Satan knows every facet and nuance of human nature — and can subtly exploit it.
But We Can Fight Back
Now, let's not immediately jump to the opposite extreme and clench our teeth, stoop over in a corner and brace ourselves for imminent destruction. Surely God has not created and then called us merely to be the "game" for Satan's hunt. Would our loving Father give Satan complete freedom and absolute authority to do whatever his perverted mind desires? Of course not.
But Satan can gain control over your life! That's entirely up to you whether you will let him.
Notice the word "MAY" in I Peter 3:8. Satan seeks whom he may devour. Who may Satan devour? This is an important question — may he devour you? That is your most important question.
We can best know who Satan may devour by first learning who Satan can not devour. "But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (I John 5:18). The wicked one (Satan) cannot touch a begotten son of God (you) who "KEEPETH HIMSELF."
Do you get the point?
Can you believe this absolute guarantee from your Creator? God states that Satan cannot even touch us — so long as we "keep ourselves." If we do not "keep ourselves" — if we are not vigilant and sincerely dedicated to God — if we "open ourselves," then Satan will have his cherished opportunity to devour us.
Satan cannot attack any converted individual unless that individual "opens himself." Ephesians 4:27 warns us: "neither give place to the devil," or in other words, don't give Satan an opportunity or a "base of operations" to launch his attack. Remember how Fidel Castro used his "base of operations" in the Cuban mountains to conquer the entire country? It's the same with Satan. Even the smallest "base of operations" is sufficient to give him the wedge to pry us away from eternal life. Satan will search our minds to find any opening — to ferret out any "loophole" in our character by which he can take advantage of us. Once he finds the weak spot — and he only needs one — his work begins. Satan broods over our weaknesses like a mother hen over her young — protecting, encouraging and nourishing them.
In His mercy, God has given us ample ammunition to ward off Satan's attacks. But we must do the fighting. We are told to "keep ourselves" not giving Satan his coveted "base of operations." But how does Satan establish his "outpost of death" in our minds? He has many "devices" and we must unmask and expose them.
Sin and Satan
You have heard that God hates sin but loves the sinners. Well, Satan is diametrically the opposite — he hates the sinner but loves the sin! Satan is the personified embodiment of all sin. Therefore every one of our sins becomes an "outpost of Satan's mind" intruding into our mind (which must now be Christ's mind). "He that com-mitteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning" (I John 3:8). As we harbor that sin, Satan establishes and solidifies an effective base of operations for expanding his corrupting influence — and this outpost does not remain idle! The longer any sin is left festering in our lives, Satan's base of operations becomes progressively more fortified, more powerful and more active. The longer we wait to eliminate the sin, the harder it will become to destroy these outposts of Satan in our minds.
We are not trying to cleverly develop some cute analogy. This is reality! God tells us that every time we're disobedient, Satan's spirit "works" in us — it is actually invigorated by our sin. (Eph. 2:2, last part). Every time we disobey God — whether it be in the letter or in our minds — we open ourselves to Satan.
Do you realize that Satan may not want you to continuously sin. All he requests is that you conscientiously harbor one consistent sin — no matter how small. Satan is perfectly happy to let you delude yourself into believing that you are obeying God by keeping the Sabbath, not eating unclean foods, disciplining your children, etc. He knows that if you habitually protect just one sin, you might as well be breaking every commandment of God's Law; you are guilty of all (James 2:10) and you will be exterminated. This would make Satan extremely happy. Ponder that!
Satan's Favorite Sins
Although any sin opens you to the wiles of Satan, there are certain varieties of sin that are particularly attractive to him. Satan surely rejoices in all sin, but he is especially fond of those sins of which he himself is guilty: lying, an unforgiving nature, being discouraged, self-righteousness, accusing the brethren.
When we even start to consider to commit such sins, a beacon radiates out from us, heralding an open invitation for Satanic incursions. Satan is quite personally familiar with these sins; he enjoys working with them and has had much experience.
Will your gullible human nature fall prey to Satan? God is warning! Hear and fear!
Let's carefully examine each of "Satan's favorite sins" — and learn how we can avoid them in our daily lives. Remember, brethren, this is neither an academic exercise nor some pseudo-spiritual sentimentality. Your eternal life — as a vibrant member of God's Family — is at stake. These words mean nothing in themselves — nor do the scriptures. It is the attitude of your mind which is critical. Meditate about these sins. On every point, level the accusing finger at yourself. Realize that to some degree you are guilty — and "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12).
Lying
Human nature hates the truth. Lying is a reflex as natural as self-preservation. We are constantly striving to present ourselves in the best possible light, so "naturally" we must "shade" the truth.
What is a lie? Is it solely the pronouncement of a false statement? No! The most diabolical "lies" are actually 100 percent true! Did you realize that?
Whenever you slant the truth, that's a lie. Whenever you hold back part of the truth to make yourself look better, even though what you actually do say is precisely true, you are guilty of lying.
Has a minister ever had to extract the whole truth from you — or have you always freely told him everything, starting with your most obnoxious sins ? Be honest! Do you attempt to feed your minister "bits and pieces" of the story, hoping to satisfy him before the entire rancid truth would have to embarrassingly come out? Or have you even connived to subtly change the subject on ministerial visits in order to alleviate the pressure generated from the possible exposure of sin?
Brethren, let's not deceive ourselves: these "half truths" are malicious, fiendish lies — hurting no one but you. When you lie, you are literally giving your mind over to Satan, transforming yourself into a child of the devil. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
An Unforgiving Nature
II Corinthians 2:11 directly warns us: "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not [must not be] ignorant of his devices." Let's not pull this verse out of context and only apply it generally. What is Paul specifically cautioning us about?
The first part of II Corinthians 2 explains why Paul had written that extremely corrective letter, now called I Corinthians. Recall in I Corinthians 5, Paul commands them to put the fornicator out of the Church. Well, it worked — disfellowship brought this man to Godly repentance. But some of the Corinthians refused to forgive him and would not allow him back into the Church. Paul instructed the Corinthians that an unforgiving attitude — maintaining grudges and rehashing old sins — was fertile ground for Satan's inroads.
What about you? Do you find it hard to forgive and forget sin? When you see "that certain person" in Church, do his old sins immediately flash into your mind? Does your unforgiveness of sin taint your attitude toward that individual? God longs to utterly blot out even the faintest memory of our sins (Psalm 103:11-12). Are you more "just" than God?
Brethren, when we rehash and harp on the bygone sins of another, we are not punishing that person — he has been totally forgiven by God — but we are severely damaging ourselves, opening our minds to Satan.
Human nature is sick: it forgets what it should remember and remembers what it should forget. Just think about this: for every sin and grudge that you forgive and forget, another avenue of possible demoniacal advancement into your mind is blocked.
Discouragement
We are always affected by what we see. When severe personal trials close in on us, we quickly become disheartened and dismayed. Paul knew that the discouragement resulting from afflictions and tribulations laid the groundwork for the tempter to tempt us. (I Thes. 3:3-5.)
We are commanded to live by faith (Romans 1:17). Faith ignores the "around." The worse the trial, the greater the potential for developing faith. Brethren, don't give Satan an opening by becoming discouraged by trials. Rather, give thanks to God for this golden opportunity to enlarge your faith. Prove this approach by putting it to the test. (I Thes. 5:21; Luke 14:19; Mai. 3:10.) It really works.
Self-Righteousness
Self-righteousness is perhaps the most cunningly insidious of all sins. It's real easy for thieves, prostitutes or Sabbath-breakers to emotionally and intellectually acknowledge their sins. But the ie//-righteous — by definition — do not even recognize the existence of their sins — and therefore come perilously close to eternal death.
The Book of Job was included in the Bible to teach us the lesson of self-righteousness. Job, in his heart, accused God of both being wrong and dealing unfairly with him. "I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. Behold, he [God] findeth occasions against me, he count-eth me for his enemy" (Job 33:9-10).
Job felt more righteous than God. Have you ever accused God and felt He had dealt with you unfairly? Perhaps you did not outwardly sin with your lips (Job 2:10), but yet did sin in your heart by feeling bitter and resentful toward God because of some circumstance (which you probably caused yourself).
There is another common type of self-righteousness. The individual so infected, smugly thinks that he diligently searched for, and found God's Truth. Apparently he has never read Romans 9:16: "It is obviously not a question of human will or human effort, but of divine mercy" (Phillips translation). He also feels condescendingly proud that he gave up "a lot" to come into God's Church, perhaps a lucrative job, friends, relatives, etc., not realizing that all he gave up was death-driving sin! Obviously Philip-pians 3:8 has escaped his study: "For his sake I did in actual fact suffer the loss of everything, but I consider it [all] useless rubbish [dung] compared with being able to win Christ. (Phillips translation.) This self-righteous individual now exudes the air of self-confident self-satisfaction because of his supposed ability to keep God's Laws. Sadly, both Isaiah 64:6: "All our righteousnesses are as filthy [menstru-ous] rags" and Romans 10:3: "They do not know God's righteousness, and all the while they are going about trying to prove their own righteousness" (Phillips translation) are applied to others.
The self-righteous are not alone; they have a great champion — consoling, sympathizing, encouraging and sustaining them 7N their self-righteousness. Most — if not all — of the recalcitrants, about to be cast into the Lake of Fire, will be sneeringly self-righteous, condemning God for His inhumane ruthlessness — just as their father Satan has always done.
Accusing the Brethren
Have you ever wondered why a particular individual was still attending Church? You "knew" (we won't ask how) that he or she had been committing some obvious sins. "Was God blind?" you wondered. "Why hasn't God punished that person?"
Weren't you despising the riches of God's goodness and longsuffering ? Didn't you realize that the goodness of God leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4)? We love to judge others — especially those in God's Church. Somehow, we feel that when a brother stumbles, our status rises! In actual fact just the opposite is true (I Cor. 12:26). We are commanded "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1) and then warned: "For at whatever point you condemn others you automatically condemn yourself" (Rom. 2:1 — Phillips translation). Now, "Judge not" does not mean that we can never tell whether or not something is a sin. A man selling cars on the Sabbath is obviously sinning — that's a fact, not a "judgment." "Judge not" means don't impute motives, don't malign the underlying attitude, don't condemn. Only God can look on the heart, and pass that final judgment, condemnation.
All too many of us are quick to question the sincerity, the intent, or even the conversion of others in God's Church at the slightest provocation. We never fail to give ourselves all the benefits of any doubt. Let's give a little bit to each other also.
Satan reaches the apex of his hysterical gloating when the brethren of God's Church accuse each other. Satan himself is busy accusing the brethren day and night before God. "The Accuser of the Brethren" is actually one of Satan's names (Rev. 12:10)! So, when begotten sons of God criticize and condemn one another, Satan is overjoyed — nothing could satisfy him more, nothing is so in tune with his thinking!
You can be sure that he immediately rushes up to God (Job 1:6) and yells: "Look God, you condemn me for my supposed 'accusing of the brethren' — but observe that your own so-called sons are heatedly engaged in hurling vicious invective back and forth — explain, if you can." Brethren, how do you think our loving Father feels when we accuse each other?
Satan is very clever. If you have uncovered certain scurrilous information about another member of God's Church and then used it to "judge" him (imputing evil motivations), Satan will subsequently enable you to receive additional dirty information; he will station you in just the "right place." The more you judge the brethren, the more filthy opportunities will be given to you; the closer your mind draws to Satan's mind, the greater his control over you.
Accusing the brethren is the fastest way to open yourself to Satan. Don't risk learning this fact the hard way — by experience!
Fight Back
Our God is not a negative God. He goes beyond telling us what not to do and instructs us what we should do in order to thwart Satan's devices. He doesn't leave us bound, blind and helpless against Satan's evil devices.
In this regard, Ephesians 4:21-32 is an excellent section for study. The key verse (for the present purpose) is verse 27: "Neither give place to the devil." The other eleven verses explain exactly how this can be successfully accomplished. We must "put off" the old man (verse 22) by "putting on" the new (converted) man (verse 23); this shows that an active process is involved, energy must be expended. We put away lying by speaking the truth (verse 25). Our anger must be God-oriented, called into action when another (not self) is hurt.
Verse 28 admonishes a repentant thief to go completely in the opposite direction: work hard and then give to the poor. The application of this principle is a strategic weapon in our epic encounter with Satan: whatever your character flaw, overcome it by driving yourself to do the exact opposite.
Don't just read these words, nod your head and say, "that sure is right; I hope Mr. So and So does this." Ephesians 4 is for all of us. Right now, list your own major character flail's and determine specifically how you can go the opposite way.
Gossip — or rotten, corrupt communication (verse 29) — is another fine way to give Satan a base of operations. Gossip is not only the spreading of false information about other people. It may be 100 percent true — but it is always unauthorized, consistently derogatory and viciously cutting. Gossip is the most underhanded technique for accusing the brethren. Sounds all too familiar!
But how do we know whether some specific information is indeed "gossip"? The latter part of verse 29 gives the basic "rule of thumb": speak only "that which is good to edify profitably, that it may minister grace unto the hearers [which God can use to help other people — Phillips]." Whenever you feel the "urge" to tell, pass on, or listen to some questionable material, ask yourself: "Would God use this information to help other people?" If you can't positively answer "yes" — j or get it I Ephesians 4:30 states: "And grieve not the Holy Spirit." Here is an all-encompassing method for counteracting Satan. But how do we "grieve not" God's Spirit? Let's see. God's Spirit does not pull or coerce; it leads and suggests by triggering thoughts in our minds. This constantly happens to everyone in God's Church. Whenever we ignore these triggered suggestions, and proceed to carry out our pre-arranged actions, we grieve God's Spirit — and do indeed give place to Satan.
Finally, verses 31-32 inform us how to quickly eliminate all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice: "Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
God's Armor
Ephesians 6:11-18 is the classic section describing our defenses against Satan's kingdom. God exhorts us to "put on" (verse 11) and "take" (verse 13) "the whole armour of God" so that we will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Notice three points. 1) "Putting on" and "taking" are both active processes. We must consciously struggle to wholeheartedly do our part. 2) We need the whole armor of God, nothing less than full protection is necessary to repel Satan, since he will exploit any and every weakness. 3) We have no alternative but to stand against Satan; we dare not turn and run, or we will surely be slaughtered.
The two most essential parts of armor are the movable pieces — the defensive shield and the offensive sword. Our shield is faith: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the darts of the wicked [one]." (Eph. 6:16.) The wicked one is Satan. What are his fiery darts? They may come in various guises and forms from persecution and tribulation to discouragement and despondency. But so long as we have the faith of Christ (Gal.2:16) as our shield, Satan's fiery darts will be rendered harmless.
The sword is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal, the sword is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). Military strategists have long agreed that the best defense is a powerfully sudden offense. In any situation, at any time, when we are threatened, tried, or tempted, a blistering offensive thrust of the appropriate scriptures will irrevocably turn the tide. In each of the three recorded Satanic temptations of Christ (Matt. 4), the immediate counterattack of the opportune verses stopped Satan cold.
God promises to bring the appropriate areas of scripture to mind in time of need (Matt. 10:19-20). However, God will not do our work for us; wc must do what we can do: continuously study the Bible, diligently building up our scriptural vocabulary and understanding.
Finally, Ephesians 6:18 shows us how to integrate and vivify all the divergent pieces of armor into one, vibrantly cogent, united team: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (in accordance with God's will).
Satan's Sorest Spot
We have seen that the easiest way to open oneself to Satan is to engage in the same repugnant mental contortions which permeate Satan's mind: lying, un forgiveness, discouragement, self-righteousness, accusation. Conversely, it stands to reason that the surest method of completely thwarting Satan is to immerse oneself in whatever activity or work is most repulsively hostile to Satan — the very antithesis of his desires.
That work is God's Work!
Satan hates God's Work with an immeasurable, seething, fiendish disgust. Indeed, he has two good reasons: 1) God's Work is heralding the triumphal return of Jesus Christ to take the kingdoms of this world away from Satan; 2) God's Work is proclaiming the mystery of God — that every person can qualify to become God, far overshadowing Satan.
Here then is the best way to decimate and disintegrate Satan's attempts to penetrate your mental defenses. Participate in God's Work! Throw your whole being into God's Work.
How? Get off yourself. Get on to God's Work. This was the prevailing theme set by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in his long years in the service of God.
When you pray, how much time do you devote to God's Work — the plans, progress, income, top leaders, ministers, foreign offices, departments, broadcasts, co-workers, magazines, and on and on ? Are you spending more efforts on your own personally petty "spiritual problems"? Surely don't ignore your problems, but put them where they belong — after God's Work.
Are the financial dilemmas of the Work your personal worry? Do you financially sacrifice as a consistent rule, or only "when you can" or "when you feel like it"? The whole issue is really very simple: "Who comes first, you or God?"
Satan is very interested in your day-to-day answer to this question. He knows that it is utterly impossible to even confront a mind solidly committed to God's Work, much less puncture it.
Yes, we have an arch-enemy, but if we are wholeheartedly committed to God's Work, Satan will have no choice but to "tuck his tail in" and, in a frustrated spasm, slink away.
Let's paraphrase James 4:7: Dedicate yourselves therefore to God's Work; this will effectively resist the devil and he will flee from you!
by Dean R. Wilson and Robert Kuhn Good News Magazine July 1969
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Brought to you as a Study Resource by the
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Friday, December 7, 2007
You Can Have Living Faith!
How can you know God is intervening to help you? What should you be looking for? How can you do your part? Here are answers to these questions of daily need and eternal import.
by Herbert W. Armstrong
page 8 Good News April 1980
Some time ago a young man came from some distance to see me. He had written two or three times asking me to pray for his healing of an affliction caused by an accident, and each time I had prayed for him and sent him an anointed cloth, according to the example set by the apostle Paul (Acts 19:11-12).
"I came to see you," he said, "to ask you to pray for me again. I simply can't understand why I wasn't healed."
"Oh, weren't you healed?" I asked. "How do you know you weren't?"
"Why, I still have this nervousness. I still FEEL it".
"Is that how you KNOW?" I asked.
"Of course," he replied.
Well, there was his trouble.
Priceless knowledge
What would it be worth to you if I could tell you exactly how you could always pray to God for every need, for help and deliverance from every trouble and always get the answer? If I could show you a way to always KNOW you are going to actually get what you ask of God?
I can tell you that. I have found the way, myself. Of course, in some cases, like that of this young man, where I have interceded for others and asked God to do something for them, they have failed to receive the answer while, on the other hand, many others have received the answer I asked for them.
But as of the moment I write, there is not one thing I have had to rely upon God for and ask Him for in prayer, for myself and family or this wonderful Work of His, which He has committed to me, that has not been answered.
I remember how my first wife Loma and I had to depend upon God for just about everything.
Once I had to ask God for a dime. We had to have it immediately. Believe it or not, in less than two minutes God sent it to our house.
At another time I had to ask God to send us $50,000 by a certain date - for the Work - and He sent it.
Once, more than 35 years ago, I remember, before retiring at night, asking God to remove some painful canker sores inside my mouth. When I awoke, they were gone.
Once we had to ask God to heal my wife of four or five serious afflictions, which had come upon her simultaneously - quinsy with lockjaw, blood poison from a rose thorn, a dog bite and two serious internal ailments. Her condition was so critical doctors did not expect her to live another 24 hours. She was completely healed of all these things instantly!
When our youngest son was 2 years and 4 months old he still could not talk. Either from birth or as a result of a fall, something obstructed his speech. When we became sure of the fact of the affliction, we asked God to heal him and let him talk, and the very next day he was beginning to talk, and in a week he was speaking whole sentences like any boy his age.
God answers every need
I have had to ask God to deliver us and His Work, from enemies. I have asked Him for understanding of His will, and His Word. I have had to ask for wisdom where I had none, and for guidance. I have been at my wit's end in desperate trouble and cried out to God for deliverance. God has answered every time. Never once has there been a failure to get the answer.
Once when we were returning from Europe, we found ourselves in a hurricane in the middle of the Atlantic. When it became known that we were in great danger - and no life boat could have been launched in those angry 65-foot waves - I went to my cabin and earnestly asked God to calm the storm. In two or three hours the sea was calm again.
You can get the same results - if you will be willing to learn what I have had to learn, and to do what God has shown me I have to do.
If money could buy you the absolute GUARANTEE that you would always get whatever you ask of God - ALWAYS receive the answer to your prayers, how much would this magic be worth? You'd be willing to pay a great deal for it, wouldn't you? Ah, but this is something far too precious to be purchased with money. The richest man on earth does not have enough money to buy it. Yet you can have it, if you'll pay the price of conforming to God's terms and conditions.
Another young man, almost like a son to me, could not understand why God refused to heal him. He told me he had read in our office many letters from people who have been miraculously healed of many ailments and diseases after I had prayed for them and just sent them anointed pieces of cloth.
I had also prayed for this young man, at least three times or more. Yet he knew God had refused to heal him. He couldn't understand why - was much discouraged. And how did he know? Why, by the EVIDENCE - he could still FEEL the affliction and that PROVED God had not healed him.
I had no difficulty at all in seeing at once why these two fine, earnest, young men were not healed.
Know God's conditions
Before you ask God for anything, you must first know whether it is His will. He tells us His will in the Bible. He has made us hundreds of definite PROMISES and He absolutely GUARANTEES He will keep them! Among them He has promised to supply every NEED - not desire or want, but every NEED. He has promised to give us wisdom, to deliver us from every affliction, trouble or temptation, to fight our enemies for us and deliver us from their power, to guide and direct us in making right and wise decisions. He has promised to heal us when we are sick.
Those are a few of the things we KNOW it is God's will to do for us - things for which we may ask and be sure we shall get the answer! But THERE ARE CONDITIONS! It is like a contract or agreement. God promises to always do these things for us, IF we do just two things He demands of us! And an uncle of mine once impressed on me, so indelibly I shall never forget, that that little two-letter word IF is the biggest word in the English language. That great big little IF is the obstruction that stands between you and getting the answer from God!
First, you must OBEY. "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing IN HIS SIGHT" (I John 3:22). Second, you must BELIEVE, "According to your faith be it unto you" (Matt. 9:29).
Now these two young men were both sincere fellows who had surrendered to God, who sought to know His will and to keep His commandments and live HIS WAY through His power and strength. And both of them had sincerely SUPPOSED that they had FAITH.
But, like at least 99 out of every 100 earnest, surrendered Christians, they have not fully realized just what faith is or how to exercise it.
The Bible definition of SIN is this, "Sin is the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4).
The Bible definition of FAITH is this, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). God PROMISES to heal you when you are sick. You follow His instruction, you call for the elders of the church, they pray over you the prayer of faith, anointing you with oil and God PROMISES that when this is done, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the LORD SHALL RAISE HIM UP" (Jas. 5:14-15).
What is evidence?
Now these two young men confronted me with the fact God had not done as He had promised. How did they know - what evidence convinced them God had not done what He promised? Why, their EVIDENCE, in both cases, was that they could FEEL the pain, the nervousness, the weakness. They could see they were not healed. There was the EVIDENCE that God had not healed them.
But once again, what is FAITH? Faith is the EVIDENCE of healing that is NOT SEEN - or felt! It is impossible for God to lie. Impossible for God to break His promise. Do you believe that?
"Oh, yes, of course," you answer - or do you, now?
I know these two young men thought they had faith. As a matter of fact, at the time I prayed for them, undoubtedly they both believed. At the time, that is. Yes, they did have faith - at the time!
But what they did not realize about FAITH is that faith must not waver. It must abide. It must remain constant - unwavering! It must ENDURE - it must CONTINUE! Through James, God instructs us to ask "in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord" (Jas. 1:6-7).
Yes, these young men really did believe - at the time! But they did not come to the real TEST of their faith until the devil presented his evidence, a few days later. When, after a few days, they could still FEEL and SEE they were not healed, then Satan was presenting his evidence to their minds! It was evidence they could FEEL and SEE!
And at just that point these young men took their eyes off Jesus - off God's PROMISE - they looked at the MATERIAL, SENSUAL evidence, and right then and there, without realizing what was taking place in their minds, they WAVERED in their belief in God's promise. Instead of BELIEVING God's evidence, which is FAITH in what they certainly did not yet FEEL or SEE, they just simply could not doubt the material evidence of the human flesh and the senses of feel and sight! What they felt and saw therefore convinced them THEY WERE NOT HEALED!
God determines when
They began to ask, "Why didn't God heal me?" and their faith was then gone. Yes, they wavered, and God says, "Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."
So here is the lesson you must learn - the lesson of faith - if you would get answers to your prayers. First, search the Bible to see whether God has PROMISED to DO what you ask but REMEMBER, God nowhere promises WHEN or HOW He will do it!
That's the thing to remember! Never forget it! God has not promised He will do it instantly, or when you expect or how you expect. ALL He has promised is to DO IT! He does things in His own time. And sometimes I have found God is not in so great a hurry as we. And God works in mysterious ways to perform His wonders - not in the ways nor at the time we expect.
It is sufficient for you that GOD HAS PROMISED! Take it to Him, claim His promise, ask Him to do what He has promised and then leave it in His hands - RELY ON HIM - trust Him, serene and unshaken in the definite assurance it is now in GOD'S HANDS, and HE HAS PROMISED and He will attend to it without fail.
He may perform what He has promised instantaneously. Or, He may not. He may TEST YOUR FAITH and permit Satan to tempt you with his physical, sensual evidence to see if you will doubt God's Word.
If it is healing you have asked, and two or three days go by and you do not yet see the answer, but rather still feel the pain or affliction, DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT! Jesus promised that the SIGN shall FOLLOW. It will if you remain steadfast and unwavering in LEAVING IT IN GOD'S HANDS. Meet this TEST of faith by disbelieving what you feel and see and instead BELIEVING God's promise! God can't lie. Faith is merely believing that what God has promised He will do (Rom. 4:21). Faith is your assurance of what you are still hoping for - your evidence of what is not yet visible - what you cannot yet feel.
Always remember that appearances, circumstances, evidences of the physical senses, have absolutely NOTHING to do with the performance of a miracle by God.
Faith not physical
Several years ago every physical evidence literally shouted at us that there was absolutely NOTHING that could save Ambassador College and this Work of God. Nothing could have APPEARED more impossible. The amount of money we had to have was just too great. No such sums ever had come to us in so short a time. But I knew God had PROMISED to provide every need and PROMISED He would not drop the Work He had begun - had PROMISED to deliver His servants out of every trouble - and I knew these promises of God were stronger than all appearances, or all things seen, heard or felt!
No matter how impossible it appeared, I knew God's PROMISES were stronger and mightier than appearances or circumstances. I knew that and believed it implicitly. I couldn't see HOW it was possible for God to do it - but I didn't need to see how. Others said, "I can't see how it's possible" - and quit believing - not all others, for some believed as I did.
Meanwhile, I did everything in my power to do my part. I was literal "on my toes," alert, tense, trying to overlook nothing - and all the while wondering whether God would use ANY of the lines of activity I was employing or provide the need some altogether different way. Well, the way He did it was totally unexpected - BUT HE DID IT! That's all that matters, isn't it? I didn't do it, HE DID IT! He kept His promise - HE ALWAYS DOES!
The fate of Ambassador College and its first piece of property was at stake. Our income then averaged $500 per day. We thought we needed $35,000. Actually it turned out we needed $50,000.
Suddenly one day $3,000 came in. Next day and each day for 17 days $3,000 (average) was received every day. By the due date the entire $50,000 had been sent in.
In my personal experience, we have seen the answer come instantaneously, and we have had to endure the trial of faith and be patient. While God instantly healed my wife in the instance mentioned above and has done it also at other times, while He immediately sent that dime, there have been other times when some member of our family was healed only after we endured the test of faith and where the supplying of financial need seemed long delayed. God often tries our patience. But He has never failed me, and He never will fail YOU - if you will obey, and can BELIEVE, unwavering!
If the answer seems delayed in coming, remember, "the trying your faith worketh PATIENCE!" (Jas.1:3). And the development of PATIENCE is one of the purposes of your existence! So if God puts you to the test and TRIES your faith, rejoice and praise Him for using this experience to create in you more enduring faith, greater PATIENCE - two high points of holy CHARACTER! Instead of grumbling, see the loving hand of God in it and be thankful!
If God has PROMISED, that's all you need! If God delays, HE HAS A REASON! It's only a delay, not a refusal. So TRUST HIM! Keep on trusting Him. BE PATIENT! The answer is SURE! Arise from your bed of doubt and WALK the walk of FAITH!
by Herbert W. Armstrong
page 8 Good News April 1980
Some time ago a young man came from some distance to see me. He had written two or three times asking me to pray for his healing of an affliction caused by an accident, and each time I had prayed for him and sent him an anointed cloth, according to the example set by the apostle Paul (Acts 19:11-12).
"I came to see you," he said, "to ask you to pray for me again. I simply can't understand why I wasn't healed."
"Oh, weren't you healed?" I asked. "How do you know you weren't?"
"Why, I still have this nervousness. I still FEEL it".
"Is that how you KNOW?" I asked.
"Of course," he replied.
Well, there was his trouble.
Priceless knowledge
What would it be worth to you if I could tell you exactly how you could always pray to God for every need, for help and deliverance from every trouble and always get the answer? If I could show you a way to always KNOW you are going to actually get what you ask of God?
I can tell you that. I have found the way, myself. Of course, in some cases, like that of this young man, where I have interceded for others and asked God to do something for them, they have failed to receive the answer while, on the other hand, many others have received the answer I asked for them.
But as of the moment I write, there is not one thing I have had to rely upon God for and ask Him for in prayer, for myself and family or this wonderful Work of His, which He has committed to me, that has not been answered.
I remember how my first wife Loma and I had to depend upon God for just about everything.
Once I had to ask God for a dime. We had to have it immediately. Believe it or not, in less than two minutes God sent it to our house.
At another time I had to ask God to send us $50,000 by a certain date - for the Work - and He sent it.
Once, more than 35 years ago, I remember, before retiring at night, asking God to remove some painful canker sores inside my mouth. When I awoke, they were gone.
Once we had to ask God to heal my wife of four or five serious afflictions, which had come upon her simultaneously - quinsy with lockjaw, blood poison from a rose thorn, a dog bite and two serious internal ailments. Her condition was so critical doctors did not expect her to live another 24 hours. She was completely healed of all these things instantly!
When our youngest son was 2 years and 4 months old he still could not talk. Either from birth or as a result of a fall, something obstructed his speech. When we became sure of the fact of the affliction, we asked God to heal him and let him talk, and the very next day he was beginning to talk, and in a week he was speaking whole sentences like any boy his age.
God answers every need
I have had to ask God to deliver us and His Work, from enemies. I have asked Him for understanding of His will, and His Word. I have had to ask for wisdom where I had none, and for guidance. I have been at my wit's end in desperate trouble and cried out to God for deliverance. God has answered every time. Never once has there been a failure to get the answer.
Once when we were returning from Europe, we found ourselves in a hurricane in the middle of the Atlantic. When it became known that we were in great danger - and no life boat could have been launched in those angry 65-foot waves - I went to my cabin and earnestly asked God to calm the storm. In two or three hours the sea was calm again.
You can get the same results - if you will be willing to learn what I have had to learn, and to do what God has shown me I have to do.
If money could buy you the absolute GUARANTEE that you would always get whatever you ask of God - ALWAYS receive the answer to your prayers, how much would this magic be worth? You'd be willing to pay a great deal for it, wouldn't you? Ah, but this is something far too precious to be purchased with money. The richest man on earth does not have enough money to buy it. Yet you can have it, if you'll pay the price of conforming to God's terms and conditions.
Another young man, almost like a son to me, could not understand why God refused to heal him. He told me he had read in our office many letters from people who have been miraculously healed of many ailments and diseases after I had prayed for them and just sent them anointed pieces of cloth.
I had also prayed for this young man, at least three times or more. Yet he knew God had refused to heal him. He couldn't understand why - was much discouraged. And how did he know? Why, by the EVIDENCE - he could still FEEL the affliction and that PROVED God had not healed him.
I had no difficulty at all in seeing at once why these two fine, earnest, young men were not healed.
Know God's conditions
Before you ask God for anything, you must first know whether it is His will. He tells us His will in the Bible. He has made us hundreds of definite PROMISES and He absolutely GUARANTEES He will keep them! Among them He has promised to supply every NEED - not desire or want, but every NEED. He has promised to give us wisdom, to deliver us from every affliction, trouble or temptation, to fight our enemies for us and deliver us from their power, to guide and direct us in making right and wise decisions. He has promised to heal us when we are sick.
Those are a few of the things we KNOW it is God's will to do for us - things for which we may ask and be sure we shall get the answer! But THERE ARE CONDITIONS! It is like a contract or agreement. God promises to always do these things for us, IF we do just two things He demands of us! And an uncle of mine once impressed on me, so indelibly I shall never forget, that that little two-letter word IF is the biggest word in the English language. That great big little IF is the obstruction that stands between you and getting the answer from God!
First, you must OBEY. "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing IN HIS SIGHT" (I John 3:22). Second, you must BELIEVE, "According to your faith be it unto you" (Matt. 9:29).
Now these two young men were both sincere fellows who had surrendered to God, who sought to know His will and to keep His commandments and live HIS WAY through His power and strength. And both of them had sincerely SUPPOSED that they had FAITH.
But, like at least 99 out of every 100 earnest, surrendered Christians, they have not fully realized just what faith is or how to exercise it.
The Bible definition of SIN is this, "Sin is the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4).
The Bible definition of FAITH is this, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). God PROMISES to heal you when you are sick. You follow His instruction, you call for the elders of the church, they pray over you the prayer of faith, anointing you with oil and God PROMISES that when this is done, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the LORD SHALL RAISE HIM UP" (Jas. 5:14-15).
What is evidence?
Now these two young men confronted me with the fact God had not done as He had promised. How did they know - what evidence convinced them God had not done what He promised? Why, their EVIDENCE, in both cases, was that they could FEEL the pain, the nervousness, the weakness. They could see they were not healed. There was the EVIDENCE that God had not healed them.
But once again, what is FAITH? Faith is the EVIDENCE of healing that is NOT SEEN - or felt! It is impossible for God to lie. Impossible for God to break His promise. Do you believe that?
"Oh, yes, of course," you answer - or do you, now?
I know these two young men thought they had faith. As a matter of fact, at the time I prayed for them, undoubtedly they both believed. At the time, that is. Yes, they did have faith - at the time!
But what they did not realize about FAITH is that faith must not waver. It must abide. It must remain constant - unwavering! It must ENDURE - it must CONTINUE! Through James, God instructs us to ask "in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord" (Jas. 1:6-7).
Yes, these young men really did believe - at the time! But they did not come to the real TEST of their faith until the devil presented his evidence, a few days later. When, after a few days, they could still FEEL and SEE they were not healed, then Satan was presenting his evidence to their minds! It was evidence they could FEEL and SEE!
And at just that point these young men took their eyes off Jesus - off God's PROMISE - they looked at the MATERIAL, SENSUAL evidence, and right then and there, without realizing what was taking place in their minds, they WAVERED in their belief in God's promise. Instead of BELIEVING God's evidence, which is FAITH in what they certainly did not yet FEEL or SEE, they just simply could not doubt the material evidence of the human flesh and the senses of feel and sight! What they felt and saw therefore convinced them THEY WERE NOT HEALED!
God determines when
They began to ask, "Why didn't God heal me?" and their faith was then gone. Yes, they wavered, and God says, "Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."
So here is the lesson you must learn - the lesson of faith - if you would get answers to your prayers. First, search the Bible to see whether God has PROMISED to DO what you ask but REMEMBER, God nowhere promises WHEN or HOW He will do it!
That's the thing to remember! Never forget it! God has not promised He will do it instantly, or when you expect or how you expect. ALL He has promised is to DO IT! He does things in His own time. And sometimes I have found God is not in so great a hurry as we. And God works in mysterious ways to perform His wonders - not in the ways nor at the time we expect.
It is sufficient for you that GOD HAS PROMISED! Take it to Him, claim His promise, ask Him to do what He has promised and then leave it in His hands - RELY ON HIM - trust Him, serene and unshaken in the definite assurance it is now in GOD'S HANDS, and HE HAS PROMISED and He will attend to it without fail.
He may perform what He has promised instantaneously. Or, He may not. He may TEST YOUR FAITH and permit Satan to tempt you with his physical, sensual evidence to see if you will doubt God's Word.
If it is healing you have asked, and two or three days go by and you do not yet see the answer, but rather still feel the pain or affliction, DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT! Jesus promised that the SIGN shall FOLLOW. It will if you remain steadfast and unwavering in LEAVING IT IN GOD'S HANDS. Meet this TEST of faith by disbelieving what you feel and see and instead BELIEVING God's promise! God can't lie. Faith is merely believing that what God has promised He will do (Rom. 4:21). Faith is your assurance of what you are still hoping for - your evidence of what is not yet visible - what you cannot yet feel.
Always remember that appearances, circumstances, evidences of the physical senses, have absolutely NOTHING to do with the performance of a miracle by God.
Faith not physical
Several years ago every physical evidence literally shouted at us that there was absolutely NOTHING that could save Ambassador College and this Work of God. Nothing could have APPEARED more impossible. The amount of money we had to have was just too great. No such sums ever had come to us in so short a time. But I knew God had PROMISED to provide every need and PROMISED He would not drop the Work He had begun - had PROMISED to deliver His servants out of every trouble - and I knew these promises of God were stronger than all appearances, or all things seen, heard or felt!
No matter how impossible it appeared, I knew God's PROMISES were stronger and mightier than appearances or circumstances. I knew that and believed it implicitly. I couldn't see HOW it was possible for God to do it - but I didn't need to see how. Others said, "I can't see how it's possible" - and quit believing - not all others, for some believed as I did.
Meanwhile, I did everything in my power to do my part. I was literal "on my toes," alert, tense, trying to overlook nothing - and all the while wondering whether God would use ANY of the lines of activity I was employing or provide the need some altogether different way. Well, the way He did it was totally unexpected - BUT HE DID IT! That's all that matters, isn't it? I didn't do it, HE DID IT! He kept His promise - HE ALWAYS DOES!
The fate of Ambassador College and its first piece of property was at stake. Our income then averaged $500 per day. We thought we needed $35,000. Actually it turned out we needed $50,000.
Suddenly one day $3,000 came in. Next day and each day for 17 days $3,000 (average) was received every day. By the due date the entire $50,000 had been sent in.
In my personal experience, we have seen the answer come instantaneously, and we have had to endure the trial of faith and be patient. While God instantly healed my wife in the instance mentioned above and has done it also at other times, while He immediately sent that dime, there have been other times when some member of our family was healed only after we endured the test of faith and where the supplying of financial need seemed long delayed. God often tries our patience. But He has never failed me, and He never will fail YOU - if you will obey, and can BELIEVE, unwavering!
If the answer seems delayed in coming, remember, "the trying your faith worketh PATIENCE!" (Jas.1:3). And the development of PATIENCE is one of the purposes of your existence! So if God puts you to the test and TRIES your faith, rejoice and praise Him for using this experience to create in you more enduring faith, greater PATIENCE - two high points of holy CHARACTER! Instead of grumbling, see the loving hand of God in it and be thankful!
If God has PROMISED, that's all you need! If God delays, HE HAS A REASON! It's only a delay, not a refusal. So TRUST HIM! Keep on trusting Him. BE PATIENT! The answer is SURE! Arise from your bed of doubt and WALK the walk of FAITH!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Behemoth
The Plain Truth
March, 1964
THE BIBLE ANSWERS Short Questions FROM OUR READERS
What is the mysterious animal called "behemoth" in Job 40:15-24?
Could this terrible beast be the hippopotamus we know today, as
some commentators assume? Or some other creature?
You'll be shocked when you see the SCIENTIFIC confirmation
of what has been in God's Word for over 3500 years!
In 1911 a British scientist was astounded when he found a
few HUGE bones from what appeared to be an enormous type of
rhinoceros. The bones were of such GIANT size they even dwarfed
an elephant's bones! He named the animal "Baluchitherium" (ba
loo" chithee' ri um).
Eleven years later, another scientist this time an American,
was elated when he found three partial skeletons of
"Baluchitherium". The skeletal remains were hurried to New York
where they were assembled. The results were nothing short of
amazing!
The huge creature was confirmed to be an extinct, gigantic,
apparently hornless rhinoceros! -- a creature which fits the
picture given of the Biblical "behemoth" mentioned in Job! Let us
notice the startling comparison between the now-extinct
"Baluchitherium" and the enigmatic creature of Job 40:15-24 which
has perplexed Biblical scholars for ages.
Begin with Job 40:15: "Behold now behemoth, which I made
with thee: he eateth grass like an ox." What does this tell us?
First, as recent articles in "The Plain Truth" have
graphically shown, God made a distinct creation of plants,
including grass, and animals for the benefit and pleasure of man.
The warm-blooded animals and the grasses and herbs were FIRST
made when man was made -- about 6000 years ago (Gen. 1:24-25).
Evolutionists have always been puzzled at the fact that this kind
of vegetation appeared so late in geological history.
Now notice again Job 40:15: "Behold now behemoth, WHICH I
MADE WITH THEE ...." Here is an animal God made when man was
made. Behemoth did not exist in the pre-Adamic world which was
filled with giant dinosaurs and other types of strange creatures.
Behemoth was an UNIQUE animal created WITH MAN -- and for a
purpose, as we shall see later!
Continuing in Job 40:15: "... he {behemoth} eateth GRASS as
an ox." Grass, remember, did NOT exist on the earth before the
beginning of man's world (Genesis 1:11-12).
The Bible therefore makes it clear from the very beginning
of its description of behemoth that behemoth could be only an
animal God created WITH MAN -- an animal which ate grass! This
rules out the possibility that behemoth could have been from the
pre-Adamic world.
Now notice a most important part of the description of this
exciting animal: "He is THE CHIEF OF THE WAYS OF GOD: HE {alone}
THAT MADE HIM CAN MAKE HIS SWORD TO APPROACH UNTO HIM" (Job
40:19).
This plain statement from the Bible rules out the guesses of
men that behemoth is the hippopotamus, the elephant, or other
creatures men HAVE taken into captivity or killed. God Himself
plainly tells us that only HE HIMSELF could conquer this animal!
Because behemoth was the "chief of the ways of God," it is
obvious that it was the LARGEST and STRONGEST land animal God
made for man's world. The scientific discovery of fossil
"Baluchitherium" fits all these characteristics, as well as the
other characteristics, as well as the other characteristics of
this unique animal as described in Job 40:15-24.
Notice the amazing confirmation that the giant rhinoceros
"Baluchitherium" was "the chief of the ways of God." It's
described in a modern book on fossil animals: "In an age when a
hippopotamus is big and the elephant a giant, "Baluchitherium"
seems ALMOST UNREAL. His head was about 5 FEET LONG, yet it was
absurdly small upon his gigantic body, which stood 18 FEET HIGH
at the shoulder and was very deep" ("The Fossil Book", Fenton,
page 406).
Another author reveals the fact that "Baluchitherium" was
"at least 25 FEET LONG" ("Historical Geology", Dunbar page 413).
"It was the LARGEST OF ALL LAND MAMMALS" ("Time, Life, and
Man", Stirton, page 325).
Not only was it the largest of all known land mammals, but
"very probably, like the huge sauropod dinosaurs among the
reptiles, IT REPRESENTS ABOUT THE MAXIMUM SIZE TO WHICH A
LAND-LIVING MAMMAL CAN DEVELOP" ("The Illustrated Library of the
Natural Sciences", article "Giants of the Past," by Colbert, Vol.
II, page 1192).
His great legs, longer than those of elephants and living
rhinoceroses, also gave him the RECORD FOR SPEED among both of
these groups, living or extinct" ("The Wonder Books", Janssen &
Cole, page 324).
But, there is yet more proof!
Notice again the inspired Biblical account of "behemoth."
Job 40:18 informs us: "His bones are as strong pieces of BRASS;
his bones are like BARS OF IRON." These facts are upheld by the
findings of "Baluchitherium": "'Baluchitherium', as it was
called, had HUGE POSTLIKE LIMBS ..." ("Time, Life, and Man",
Stirton, page 325).
-------------------
PHOTO CAPTION: Imagine meeting face-to-face the largest and
strongest of all land mammals God ever created! This type of
animal is called "behemoth," in the Hebrew (Job 40:15-24).
Scientists, upon discovering the bones of this animal, named it
"Baluchitherium". This awesome creature existed both before and
for sometime after Noah's Flood. It is now extinct.
-------------------
His truly LARGE tail (notice the picture of
"Baluchitherium", as supplied with this article), is aptly
described "like a cedar" (Job 40:17). The Biblical description of
a large tail would also DISPROVE the erroneous ideas of some
Bible scholars that behemoth is an elephant or a hippopotamus (as
some modern Bible versions translate the original Hebrew word for
"behemoth is an elephant or a hippopotamus" (as some modern Bible
versions translate the original Hebrew word for "behemoth" in Job
40:15). The hippopotamus has only a short tail -- about a foot
long. The elephant has a weak, slender hog-like tail. Neither has
a tail to fit the description of behemoth as given in the book of
Job. "Baluchitherium", with a thicker tail about eight feet long,
is the only known giant animal that approaches the description.
Even the habitat of the rhinoceros family -- determined by
observing the modern rhinoceros -- fits the description of
behemoth's surroundings. Compare the following description from
"The Encyclopaedia Britannica" with the Bible's account in Job
40:15-24.
"{Rhinoceroses} feed on HERBAGE, SHRUBS and LEAVES OF TREES,
and like so many large animals which inhabit hot countries, SLEEP
THE GREATER PART OF THE DAY, and are most active in the cool of
the evening or even during the night. Some are found in more or
less open plains, while others inhabit swampy districts" (article
"Rhinoceros," Vol. 23, p. 243, 11th edition).
Check any encyclopaedia for more information about the
habits and habitats of modern-day rhinoceroses and you will see
how the now-extinct giant kind of rhinoceros known as
"Baluchitherium" aptly fits all the characteristics mentioned in
Job 40:15-24!
Why did God make this unique animal? Why did God use it as a
SPECIFIC lesson to learn! In his SELF-righteousness Job had to be
brought low (Job 32:1). He had to be shown he was not so great
after all!
God used this largest of all land mammals to hammer home the
fact that Job really wasn't so supreme after all! How do you
think weak Job felt when he contemplated this animal? How would
YOU feel if suddenly this 18-foot-high monster began to charge at
YOU? Wouldn't you feel might small? Of course you would!
God had created this monster to humble those like Job who
let personal achievements swell their vanity. No wonder Job was
forced to admit: "Wherefore I ABHOR MYSELF, and REPENT in dust
and ashes" (Job 42:6).
God put this account in the Bible FOR A REASON! God wants
YOU to realize YOUR INsignificance! That's the REAL lesson for us
today!
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