Archive for the ‘Satan’ Category

It is never my fault. This time it was Eve!

Friday, April 26th, 2013

Temptation, April 26

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
”but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
”For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Genesis 3:1-7, www.solascriptura.com

Father, thank You for sharing this account of “original sin”. Some blame Eve for enticing her husband Adam to eat and some say Adam was responsible for being obedient, enticement or not.

You have taught us that it is from this point forward that all men are guilty of sin, born of the flesh; none, no not one, is perfect. You have taught us that it is only in Jesus’ perfect atonement that our sins are forgiven and our spirit is witnessed to by Your Spirit. Yes Father, we are no longer in the Garden of Eden, but You have told us of Your plan to restore the Garden of Eden, in heaven.

We now realize our sinful state and our need for redemption from our sin. If we have confessed our sin with a humble and contrite heart, and have asked You for forgiveness and cleansing, by the grace of God, salvation is promised. It is by Your grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, that we are saved.

Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, we need never lose the battle to sin again although perfection remains ahead of us. We seek to apprehend perfection but we find it is a race, all the way to the end. You remind us that is critical that we “finish well”. We pray for Your strength in us, constantly. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O.Box 302 Franklin, TN 37064

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What if the end is near…what can I do?

Sunday, March 24th, 2013

Mind of Christ, March 24

… since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:1-8, www.solascriptura.com

Father, when we read of Peter’s life, prior to the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, he was quite a problem, not in things of faith, but in things of temperament. We too are ill-tempered at times but here we read the words of a Spirit filled Peter, a perfect example of a changed heart and an example of what You can do in the life of a person.

Peter says we need to be armed with the mind of Christ that we should not live the rest of our lives filled with the lust of men but instead we should serve the will of God. We know that when we decide to follow You, some people will think we are foolish if not crazy. Strengthen us to withstand the ridicule, expressed or implied, of our acquaintances.

Peter teaches that You, Jesus, preached to those who died before You were crucified and resurrected, those whose death was a result of judgment as unto a physical man, but that in their resurrection those who have accepted Your Spirit will live forever. Your word tells us the end is near. We know that with You Father, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day.

Those who are suffering, especially, wait for Your redemption of their tired flesh but in any event, we who are able, must resolve to serve You this day and every day. Strengthen us to do so, we pray, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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A slave to sin…that would be a bad choice

Monday, July 9th, 2012

God’s Children, July 9

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:11, Galatians 4:6-7,  www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, we know the children are Yours but we also see that they, at some point, must stop thinking as a child. What is it, Jesus, to put away childish things? We can guess; we begin to choose, to seek the truth, to cope with sin and to make decisions about our relationship with You. We stop being hand fed and we begin to invest our lives in bearing fruit in the lives of others.

We know this earth is Satan’s domain and that You have given him great latitude to bring us and our children down. We are born into sin with hearts of flesh but Father, thank You for sending Jesus to us and teaching us that we can stop being a slave to sin. We are able to become Your children, heirs of Your kingdom. Help us not to waiver in our choice and to wholeheartedly seek a perfect, mature relationship with You, this day. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Which sins anger God the most?

Friday, July 6th, 2012

The Narrow Gate, July 6

…(they) worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,
backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:26-32, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Paul is not mincing words when he tells us what upsets You, what causes You to give up on those who choose to live their life pursuing things that You say are not fitting, not right.

What we notice Father, is that You place pride and disobedience in the same list as sexual immorality and murder and say the same penalty awaits all sinners. Father, we know that sin is sin and that all sin separates us from You. You have told us that You will not permit sin to come into Your presence.

How are we able to come into Your presence? It certainly is not as one who has never sinned. Regardless of the sins that we have committed, you tell us that our faith and belief in the redeeming act of Jesus, can, at our election, wipe away every sin, as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered against us again.

That is truly a miracle and none of us is worthy of such grace and mercy. Help us stop sinning and to claim a victory over sin by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in us, we pray. Amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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