Tag Archives: Devil

inadvertent

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

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accidentMy uncle used to work for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) as a civil engineer. Before he retired he moved into a position of public relations, doing things like holding town meetings to convince the citizens why a new highway should be built in their back yards, and testifying for the State in lawsuits pertaining to motor vehicle accidents on the roads and highways of Pennsylvania. I learned from him that the word “inadvertent” is a word that should never be used when taking a defensive position in a court of law, for that word carries the meaning of negligence. And for PennDOT to admit negligence nullifies their whole defense—they lose the case and fork over millions of dollars in settlement. As a defendant, PennDOT may have constructed some roads, or bridges, or intersections, etc., in such a way that the design attributed to an accident, but nothing about their design is ever done inadvertently! Thus, be careful in the words you choose, for one word can change everthing!

Question: Did God inadvertently place Adam in the Garden of Eden where the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil happened to be?

Answer: Absolutely not! Satan fell for the bait, got himself trapped in the flesh of man, and that flesh was taken to the cross by the Lord Jesus and judged by God, thus initiating the end of God’s enemy forever!

Hebrews 2:14—Since therefore the children have shared in blood and flesh, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death He might destroy him who has the might of death, that is, the devil,

“but”—No.1

01 Thursday Mar 2012

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In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, chapter 14, we catch a glimpse of the background of Satan, the fallen angel who is the source and embodiment of all evil. Verses 12-16 read, “How you have fallen from heaven, O Daystar, son of the dawn! How you have been hewn down to earth, You who made nations fall prostrate!/ But you, you said in your heart: I will ascend to heaven; Above the stars of God I will exalt my throne. And I will sit upon the mount of assembly In the uttermost parts of the north./ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High./ But you will be brought down to Sheol, To the uttermost parts of the pit./ Those who see you will gaze at you; They will ponder concerning you, asking, Is this the man who made the earth tremble, The one who shook kingdoms.” Five times did this Daystar (Lucifer) say “I will,” consummating with “I will make myself like the Most High.” As he intended to highly exalt himself, even to make himself like God, the divine answer sounded out with one word that changed everything—“BUT!” God seemed to say to Lucifer, “You intend to highly exalt yourself and to make yourself like Me, but, I say you will be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit!” After this statement was made by God, in the course of time He partook of blood and flesh like us “that through death He might destroy him who has the might of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). Indeed, the word of the Lord is the determining factor, and His word abides forever!

mutation

26 Monday Dec 2011

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DNA mutationThe microorganism that causes malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, has been called the million-murdering death, because that’s about how many people it kills each year. During World War II, the drug chloroquine was developed, which was very effective at killing malaria. But within 40 years the deadly bacteria had evolved resistance to chloroquine and rendered the drug useless in most cases. It turns out that a change in the amino acid sequence of a single protein encoded by the parasite’s DNA confers the drug resistance, and this change is caused by two primary mutations. Thus, because of mutation, the whole landscape has changed in the fight against malaria.

No doubt, of this story of malaria there are many applications to our Christian experience, and I can contribute more blog posts at a later date. For one, the apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that “Satan himself transfigures himself into an angel of light.” The devil is always changing his tactics in his attempt to destroy the believers in Christ and tear down the Body of Christ. As this age progresses on toward the second coming of Christ, Satan will mutate himself in more insidious forms “so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen” (Matthew 24:24).  May we who are Christians be fresh in our contact with the Lord and ever on guard against the stratagems of the devil!