Topic: Tricks Of The Devil II [Saturday 12, August 2017]
Memorise: Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. – Proverbs 23:3
Read: Luke 4:5-8 (KJV)
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 9; Ezekiel 23:22-34, Hymn: Sing hymn 7: O Jesus, I Have Promised
Open Heavens 12th August 2017 Message:
Today, we are considering another trick of the devil, which is trapping a person through inordinate desires. This tactic often takes the form of a sweet and generous offer used in sugar-coating a poisonous pill. Such offers can come as a gift, an appointment or a promise of greatness. The packaging of such offers is always tasteful, attractive and elegant, but inside lies destruction. The devil tried to play this trick on the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in today’s Bible reading. In many cases, no matter how much you try, you may not see anything wrong with the whole arrangement at the initial stage, but at the end of the day, you will find yourself entrapped to do the bidding of your “benefactor” against your wish. The rich and powerful of this world deploy this trick in getting what they want. They use the luxuries they can provide to entrap the less wealthy and vulnerable, who may feel obligated to do their bidding. Many victims of this scam have been disappointed, enslaved and some have even lost their lives. I enjoin Christian youths to be warned that those who are addicted to pleasure, who always have their eyes roving and seeking for a luxurious lifestyle, will easily be sucked in and entrapped by these wicked predators. The language of Satan and his agents is “All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them” (Luke 4:6). I pray that you will not be deceived or fall victim of such mean and wicked deceivers in the mighty Name of Jesus.
For diverse reasons, this particular trick of the devil is especially potent and effective in this generation more than any other time in the history of mankind. We are in a world where instant riches, riotous living, exhibition of immorality and the pursuit of extreme pleasure have become attractive to people. Now, wealth and fame derived from participation in vices (such as corruption, gambling and drug-trafficking) are being celebrated, even among some so-called Christians. Some attributes that used to be highly valued in society, such as integrity, diligence, moral principle and godliness, have become things of the past and are now looked down on. The younger generation seems to have a warped idea of what success really means. Consequently, predators are using the weapon of deception to entice vulnerable individuals into evil deeds, such as sexual gratification in exchange for favours, drug-related businesses, human trafficking, organised crime, internet fraud, and many others, promising quick money, political appointments, business opportunities, rapid job promotions etc. Is anyone promising you something in exchange for “nothing”? Ensure that you do not fall for any deceptive proposal of the devil. The rich and powerful do not give away their favours for free. They always ask for something in return, and their demand is usually much greater than their initial investment. If care is not taken, you may lose your own soul in the process. Don’t be carried away by any “delicious” offer, because it is really nothing but deceitful food laden with poison. You’ve been warned!
Prayer Point: Father, please keep me from ever falling for the tricks of the devil or becoming a victim of fraudsters.
