Which List Is Ours? 

     Jewish leader Saul was a fierce opponent of those newcomers who called themselves Christians. Jesus, then in heaven, spoked to Saul while he was headed to Damascus...to arrest more Christians. He gave him the name Paul, who wrote many letters we now call books, in the Bible. Obviously, Paul was highly intelligent, among other attributes. 

     Paul's notable letter to the Romans, where some Christians were living, includes words describing Christianity, and twice as many describing the world...all in chapter 1.   

        Our Faith                                           Our World 

        Son of God                            foolish hearts   wrath   wickedness

        gospel    grace                                godless    lies   futility 

        faith    love                                 foolish     images   desire   

        peace    prayer                            impurity       created things    

        spiritual gifts   mercy                   shameful lust    indecent acts

        encouragement                             perversion   depraved minds

        wisdom   power of God                         greed      envy 

        salvation for Jew and Gentile          murder     strife     deceit    

        righteousness   divine nature           malice   gossip    slander 

                                                           insolent   arrogant   boastful

                                                             disobedient     senseless  

                                                                faithless    heartless  

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Two Airmen Down...Pause the War 

     A wounded U.S. weapons officer, a colonel, is back home on the mend after his jet crashed in Iran. The jet went down in a mountainous region, and Iranians offered a reward for capture. He avoided discovery for nearly two days. The first message rescuers received from him said, God is good. 

     The rescue search involved four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft. The plane's pilot was recovered several hours after the crash. 

Fertilizer Anyone? 

     Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted about one-third of the global fertilizer trade, a threat to food security and prices. Gulf Arab nations are major producers of the most commonly used fertilizer. They also export liquefied natural gas, a raw material for fertilizer production. 

     Farmers in the U.S. and Australia have switched to crops needing less urea, such as barley and soybeans, while planting less wheat, canola and corn. Like it or not, we do have a dog in this fight, along with the fight.

Remember Alcatraz? 

     One of the most secure prisons, in the water outside California, was closed in 1963. It now serves as a tourist attraction. 

     The White House has requested millions in the 2027 budget to reopen Alcatraz as a prison. Alcatraz cost three times more than any other federal prison. The funding request may not go through. Congress sets the budget, so the request functions as a suggestion. 

    Our request is that violent offenders are in prison, yes, and taught about heaven and hell. 

             Jimmy

Tomorrow: The good and the not in Rome

War with Satan and the Demons

     Our conclusion to a weeklong series. For individuals, our true enemy is not the Russians, Chinese, Iranians etc. Our lifelong enemy is in the spiritual world. 

     We began this series with Adam and Eve and how their relationship with God was destroyed by disobedience. They ate a bite of the forbidden fruit. Big deal? The result remains with the human race today. 

     Human relationship with God was destroyed. All of us entered the world with a sin nature. The Bible does not say Adam's sin and his guilt is imputed to the human race. "Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all men (and women) because all sinned." - Romans 5:12.  

     How do we escape this predicament? "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8:1-2. 

     And how does Jesus the Son of God do this? After three years of teaching and healing people, and raising the dead, Jesus allowed Roman soldiers outside Jerusalem to whip and crucify him. He paid for your sins and mine. And on the third day he appeared alive and well, showing his disciples his damaged hands and side. 

     He wants us not simply to believe but follow him. See the New Testament for details. 

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"The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to earth and his angels with him." - Revelation 12:9 

     "He (an angel) seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years." - Rev. 20:2. (the millennium to come) "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations...And the devil who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur." - Rev. 20:7-10. 

     Yes, we're in the New Testament, history of the first century A.D. and revelations to come. It concludes with the new heaven and new earth, and the new Jerusalem, in chapter 32. 

     Meanwhile, the apostle Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 2:11 to be careful that "Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." He adds, "Just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray."  

     Conclusion tomorrow

 More Demon Activity

     "The next day an evil spirit came forcefully upon Saul." - 1 Samuel 18:10

     "One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied. 'But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.' The Lord said to Satan, 'Very well then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself, do not lay a finger.'" - Job 1:6, 9, 11-12  

     "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel." - 1 Chronicles 21:1 

     "Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me?" - Isaiah 36:19-20    

     "Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. - Zechariah 3:1-2 

     What about Christians? Are they hated by Satan? There are at least 33 times in the New Testament where Satan or his fellow demons make themselves known. 

Tomorrow: Satanic influence in today's world

 Demons in the Torah 

     Jewish people value the first five books in the Old Testament...called the Torah. They know about the devil who appeared to Adam and Eve. And years later, in the fifth book, Deuteronomy chapter 32: 

     "They (God's people), sacrificed to demons, which are not God - gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear." This verse follows 40 years of teaching/preparation for entrance into the Promised Land. 

Commentary: "Behind the false gods and religions of this world are the spiritual powers of demons. Demons may act through their followers, even performing miracles."

     Later, around 1050 B.C., the Lord's people now settled, "God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem..."  

     In Psalm 106:37, "They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons." 

Commentary: "Those who served idols in OT times were dealing with demons, for behind all false religions are demonic manifestations, powers and influence. Likewise, when a believer in Christ adopts the world's ungodly customs and ways, he or she is in reality submitting to demonic influences."

Tomorrow: Still more Old Testament demons

Satan's Heavenly Name: Lucifer 

     Yesterday, Genesis chapter 3 introduced dishonest Satan, a key angel expelled from heaven along with many others. The Lord allowed him to test Adam and Eve, and he and they angered God, a lasting effect on our world. 

     The lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob led to the Jewish race. While kings and other leaders did their thing, Jewish prophets received God's teaching for future benefit. They revealed positives and negatives, and the future. One special revelation in Ezekiel chapter 28 tells us where the Devil came from. 

V 

     "The word of the Lord (in part) to Lucifer: You were a model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God (the serpent in Monday's blog). You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. So, I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God...in the future: All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end (not yet) and will be no more." 

     So that's the chief cause of world trouble. God hasn't thrown him into hell, yet. In fact, God uses Satan. He will imprison Satan during the millennium. At the end, He will allow him out to rally unbelievers. Then! Hell for all fallen angels and the remaining human unbelievers.

 Tomorrow: Any more Jewish commentary on satanic activity?