Portrait of Satan

So just what does Satan look like? The media gives him the appearance of a monster, with a head shaped like a goat. Artists have given him the form of a man with his own identifiable beard and with horns coming from his head. Cartoonists have portrayed him wearing a red suit with a pitchfork and a pointed tail. When you think of him, what picture do you get?

When the evil one came into the Garden of Eden, he was depicted as a serpent. Human aversion to snakes was unknown in the garden. It came later as the result of sin (Gen. 3:15). That “old serpent” who came to Eve appeared as one of God’s noblest creations. He was cunning and crafty and had the ability to speak. What danger could possibly come from a conversation with this amazing beast?

What harm could possibly come from Eve having a Bible discussion about what the Lord had said? Unaware of the dangers, she was taken captive by the cunning devices of Satan. We know, or at least should know, what she did not know. Paul said, “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” His ministers, those he used for his purposes, transformed themselves into ministers of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14-15). Things are not always as they seem.

So how does Satan appear to us? Perhaps he comes as an easy avenue to gain fortune through dishonest gain—remember those 30 pieces of silver! Perhaps as wine swirling so beautifully with it’s appealing aroma. Wine is still a mocker and must not be longingly looked upon (Prov. 20:1; 23:31). Perhaps he appears as a group of friends whose values are not the same as yours, but whose companionship coupled with the weight of peer pressure causes you to go along with them and lower your values. Perhaps he comes with a cup of coffee shared with an acquaintance as we tell them of our marital problems and they so sympathetically listen. Perhaps it comes as a “fun date” with someone you would never consider marrying and just decide to go out with them “just this one time.”

How does he appear to us? He appears in so many ways not mentioned above, but which are part of our daily lives. The point is this. If we only think of Satan as depicted by human wisdom, we will never see him! Is there any wonder Jesus urged that we pray we would not be led into temptation? Is there any wonder we are told to be sober and vigilant for that evil one who threatens us as a roaring lion? He comes in sheep’s clothing, yet we seemingly never look beyond the sheepskin.

Things are not always as they seem!

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The Lord is My Shepherd

Perhaps Psalm 23 is the most beloved passage in the entire Bible, yea, within all of literature. Certainly it is a passage that has gone into every corner of the globe. It is special because of what it conveys, what it produces and what it means to our lives. The infamous psalm begins with the words, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psa. 23:1). What fascinates me is that the author (David) was a shepherd himself. As we are historically introduced to him in First Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel is at the home of Jesse to anoint the next king. As he has viewed the seven oldest sons of Jesse, God reveals to him that He has chosen none of them. Samuel asks Jesse, “Are here all thy children?” Jesse responds, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep” (1 Sam. 16:11). In the next chapter, we again see him tending to the sheep of his father (cf. 1 Sam. 17:15-20). Before he prepares to fight Goliath, we gain an insight to his life and dangers of shepherding when he recalls to Saul the times when he protected the sheep from both a lion and a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Several passages thereafter will refer to God calling David from his role of shepherding to be king after Saul (cf. 2 Sam. 7:8; Psa. 78:70). Therefore, what is significant is that this excellent shepherd realized that he himself needed a shepherd, and thus proclaimed, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The same is true even within the church today.

Teachers should say, “The Lord is my teacher.” All teachers, no matter how resourceful or excellent their skills, need Jesus to be their Master Teacher! The role of teachers is vital within the church, and all teachers can look to Jesus as their Supreme Role Model, just as David did in the role of shepherding. Christ manifested humility through His teachings (Matt. 11:28-30), and teachers should develop humility by looking to Jesus. When He taught, he exuded love to His disciples (John 13:1-13; 15:13). In like manner, teachers ought to love their students! As a teacher, He was unselfish with His time (cf. Mark 6:34-36), and teachers ought to look to Him and see their need to be unselfish with their time. In addition, He understood the worth of a single student, taking the time to teach Nicodemus, Zacchaeus, the rich young ruler, the Samaritan woman at the well and such like. In like manner, teachers need not to overlook the worth of a single student as they view their role over their entire class. Just as Jesus incorporated epigrams, questions and answers, object lessons and parables to his students, teachers may incorporate a number of methods and illustrations within their teaching.

Preachers should say, “The Lord is my preacher.” I know that many preachers have their favorite preacher to whom they refer as “my preacher.” Maybe it was the preacher who was influential in their youth. Maybe it was the preacher who taught and/or baptized them. Maybe it was the preacher who helped mold and influence them through their teaching and training. Maybe it is simply an older preacher who provides a good role model for us. Yet, the point is this—all preachers look to another preacher and say, “That is my preacher!” In this way, preachers should ultimately look to Jesus and say, “The Lord is my preacher.” Indeed, He is the Master Preacher!  As our role model, He was impartial in His preaching. Mark records, “And the common people heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37). As our role model, He lived in perfect harmony with that which He preached (Acts 1:1; 1 Pet. 2:21-24). In like manner, preachers ought always to practice what they preach. As our role model, He knew the needs of the people to whom He preached (Matt. 19:21; Acts 1:24), and preachers need to recognize what the congregation needs.

Elders should say, “The Lord is my elder.” Since elders are given the role of overseeing and tending the flock (cf. Acts 20:28), the term “elder” is synonymous with the term “bishop” or “shepherd.” Thus, an inspired elder already made such a reference to this point at hand: “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Pet. 5:4). The Hebrew writer refers to Jesus as “that great shepherd of the sheep” (cf. Heb. 13:20). Therefore, all elders/shepherds should realize that they need an elder/shepherd themselves—the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ! In this way, they realize that they are not to become “lords over God’s heritage,” but rather serve as wonderful examples before the flock (cf. 1 Pet. 5:3). While elders carry a very serious responsibility, they humbly need to realize that Jesus provides a great role model for them as well.

All Christians may appreciate the same sentiment as David when he professed, “The Lord is my shepherd,” but may all who carry some special role within the church look to our Lord as our role model through our service to Him!

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I Do Not Do Broken Bones

We live in an age of specialists, and their presence complicates life. Who has not hear of the maid who proudly proclaims, “I do not do windows.” No longer can you just go to the doctor: you must find one who treats exactly what ails you. There are doctors who treat feet, those who work on the head, those who work on the nerves, and doctors who treat almost every part of the body. Believe it or not, such specialization has entered the realm of “faith healers.” Lewis Grizzard related an experience at one of the “healing” meetings he attended.

It seems that one of the faith healers (Ray Dodd Hembree) had come to his hometown, and a school teacher, Miss Inez Pickett, came to him with a kidney disorder. Following his prayer, she began to jump around the platform, rejoicing over her “cure.” She became so excited that she fell off the platform and broke her leg. When someone suggested that an ambulance be called, another remarked, “No need for that, just get Brother Dodd to heal her.” When they turned to him, his reply was, “I don’t do broken bones, just vital organs.” What a golden opportunity missed! One broken bone mended in the sight of the audience could be worth thousands of unseen kidney ailment cures.
What a contrast between modern “faith healers” and those of the first century: “All they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them” (Luke 4:40).

Why cannot men see such difference? Will they ever learn the difference between the counterfeit and the genuine?

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Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

After the apostle John (the apostle of love) summed up the nature of God by writing, “…God is love” (1 John 4:8), he declared, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Literally, the original text asserts, “Fear is not in love!” It has no existence whatsoever.

Let us begin to notice this powerful passage by defining some terms. Of course, the fear of which John speaks is not the fear that God commands—it is not the godly, reverential fear that is the beginning of wisdom (Psa. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10) or the beginning of our ultimate fulfillment as servants of God (Eccl. 12:13). In fact, the Psalmist declared, “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.” Rather, this fear that perfect love casts out is the terror and dread associated with wickedness, disobedience and rebellion against God (cf. Rom. 8:15). The love that John describes is the ultimate love that seeks the best of others—agape love. The term “perfect” originates from the Greek term telos, which refers to the conclusion or termination of an act and conveys a maturation process. The term “torment” is a faulty translation—the word literally refers to “punishment” [ASV, ESV & NASV] or penalty. In addition, because of the present tense of the verb, the punishment is presently ongoing. Thus, fear anticipates punishment even now!

Let us seek to put it all together. Because God supremely loved us, demonstrated by sending Jesus on our behalf (1 John 4:9-10), when we love one another, then we exhibit this same attribute of His deity. Love, of which God is the source, reaches its maturity when we love one another with the same love that God has for us! However, the love that God has for us is imperfect and incomplete unless we respond to that love by loving one another with the same type of love.

Consider a parallel. In James 2:22, James asked, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” In other words, just as the obedience of one brings his faith to maturity, the love that God has for us is of no benefit unless we draw from that love and allow it to dwell in us so that we love one another; by so doing, we bring the love of God to maturity in us.

In so doing, we understand that “perfect love casteth out fear.” The term “casteth out” is a strong expression. In fact, it literally means, “turneth out of doors.” In other words, God casts fear out of the very sphere of the fellowship of love. Thus, we do not have to be afraid when we stand in judgment before God. Why? We do not have to be afraid because we have come to partake of the nature of God—we actively love one another as God loves us. Therefore, we do not need to fear! We have the characteristic of God. Why should I be afraid of the judgment if I have the same type of love that God has? In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus gave the two greatest commandments, both of which hinge on love: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Finally, the apostle states that God demonstrated His love to us before we ever loved Him in return: “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). It is as Marvin Vincent records in his Word Studies of the New Testament, “All human love is preceded and generated by the love of God” (p. 362).

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One Thing to Do in 2012

Paul saw Christians as being athletes for Jesus. They were competing in the arena while they were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). They were individuals in a race which must be run according to rules (2 Tim. 2:5). They were fighters/boxers who were not just “punching into the air” but had precise blows planned for the enemy (1 Cor. 9:24). Like Paul, they intended to run the race and finish the course, knowing that a crown awaited them (2 Tim. 4:7).

As we look ahead for the new year consider how Paul described the Christian’s race and how it should be run. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on . . . one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”  (Phil. 3:12-14). Herein lies the key to a successful life and a successful new year.

The success in the race involves dealing with the past. We all struggle with the past. Some never overcome the guilt of past mistakes, but the godly live knowing the magnitude of the His grace and casting all those concerns on the One who cares for them (1 Pet. 5:7).

Others struggle with the successes of the past and are filled with pride. Paul did not see himself as one who had reached perfection (maturity). He who brought the gospel to Europe and throughout Asia Minor did not glory in what had been accomplished. How foolishly many glory in what they have done for Him today!

How do you deal with the past? With its mistakes and accomplishments? Two words answer the question—forget it!

The success in the race involves dealing with the future. How did Paul deal with the unknown future. Look at his words. “I press on.” He also uses the expression “reaching forward,” which in the original Greek indicates the forward lean a runner gives as he approaches the finish line! Such an effort demanded the supreme exertion of energy. The past means nothing and the entire focus is on the prize promised by the Lord. Jesus has run the race and has finished it! He is waiting at the finish line to crown us.

Your race involves dealing with 2012. All this church has ever accomplished is past. The race has not been finished! Let us work together as never before and reach that finish line together. “Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

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