Satan Brings Nothing But Death

This year hasn’t even gotten off the ground and a beloved pet of ours is gone. I had to take Mittens, our little black and white cat, to the vet this past Friday to be put to sleep. The agony of that experience still haunts me, and the pain is real.

I’ve had a lot of pets, cats and dogs but mostly cats, since I was a child, but I have never been as attached to any as I have Mittens. She lived four years and eight months, and during all that time she was my shadow (that is not an exaggeration). She and her sister Pepper have never been outside, so you can imagine the attachment, considering I’ve been retired five years and nine months.

I keep thinking about death and who is responsible for this curse on mankind. We all die. Some live many years and become old, while others’ lives are cut short, as in the case of my little friend, Mittens.

We have all faced death one way or another, whether through a pet, a family member or a friend. My wife and I have been there and so have all of you.

I realize that the fall of Adam and Eve brought death not just upon them, but upon us all. However, the real malefactor is Satan. He has brought so much heartache upon all of mankind, only God could fix it, and He did just that through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because Satan is consumed with so much pride, he temporarily ruined what God had created. Notice that I said “temporarily.”

Through Adam and Eve we listened to Satan and were sucked into his vacuum of evil. Death fell upon God’s creation. Because of the corrupted mind of Satan, everything dies. Wood rots. Metal rusts. Oceans are polluted. The ground is choked with weeds. Man and beast age and die. Actually, everything ages and eventually dies.

Death claims us all through, not only aging, but wars, sicknesses, pestilences, accidents, murders, and catastrophes of every kind. Everything that brings misery upon man and beast is the result of one fallen angel who we know as Satan (and by many other names).

Jesus said Satan is the father of all liars (John 8:44), but people still listen to him, just as Eve did many years ago. For example, God says that sex is to be between a man and a woman who are married to each other; i.e. husband and wife, male and female. Satan says all sex is permissible and brings joy, but what he fails to mention is that STDs, broken homes, rape, murder, slavery, divorces, abortions (more murder), etc. are just a few of the repercussions that follow.

It is amazing to me that many in our society actually worship this worthless angelic creature. Millions upon millions of people have already been led to hell because of this evil demon, and who knows how many more there will be before God closes the books. During this time of grief over Mittens, I wonder at the grief God must feel over these many lost souls.

It was no small matter for Jesus to offer Himself as the only way for this evil to be removed and complete happiness and joy to be reinstated for all eternity. Yet, most remain blinded by Satan’s lies and avoid the Truth at their own detriment.

If the death of a beloved pet can break our hearts, don’t you think God cares about us? Even more so, when we lose a family member, don’t you think God longs for us to have peace, real peace? If you recall Jesus wept over his friend Lazarus (John 11:35).

It deeply saddens me that Mittens is gone, and it angers me that one mighty angel has brought such misery to all of God’s creation. But then I think about the love God has for all His creation, and all that He has done to provide a future eternity absent of all tears.

Jesus sits in Heaven today reminding us all to look toward Calvary. Satan has brought nothing but death, but at the cross Jesus defeated death and gives life to all who will come to Him. Satan bruised Jesus’ heel (Genesis 3:15), but Jesus will one day crush Satan’s head (Romans 16:20). Satan thought the cross was his greatest victory, but instead it was his greatest loss. There is victory in the cross, but only for those who look beyond and see an empty tomb, and rest their faith in the Son of God.

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

In Joshua chapter one the children of Israel were preparing to enter the Promised Land, land God promised to Abraham, then Isaac and Jacob. The land was already theirs. God had given it to them, but they had to take possession of it. Forty years earlier their parents could have taken possession, but they instead wandered in the wilderness all that time because of their unbelief.

Notice also that Moses was not permitted to lead them into the land because of his disobedience, but there is also another reason. Moses was the Law giver. The law can only lead one to the edge of the Jordon, but it cannot take us through to the land beyond. The law is our schoolmaster leading us to Christ.

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:24-29)

The law is also an accuser. It says, “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a)

However, Jesus by His grace says, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b)

God provided a list of blessings for Israel if they would obey His law (Deuteronomy 28:1-14.) He also provided curses for disobeying His law (Deuteronomy 28:15-68.) That is the essence of the law. Obey and be blessed, but disobey and be cursed. If Israel had just obeyed, they could have avoided many curses that fell upon them.

I thank God often that I live in the age of grace. God’s grace can be seen in every age of course, but the point is, we are not under the law. (Romans 6:14-15; Galatians 5:18) We are under grace.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Who led Israel into the Promised Land? We all know that would be Joshua. Also, his Hebrew name is the same as Jesus’ Greek name, meaning “savior.” Joshua had to be the one to lead them through the Jordon River to the Promised Land, since he is a type of Christ. Only Jesus can lead us to the promised land of new birth in Him.

When Joshua led Israel through the Jordan River to the Promised Land God held the waters back as He did with the Red Sea when Moses took Israel through on dry ground. It was during the flood season at that time, so the Canaanites were shocked and very frightened by this great miracle of Israel’s God.

As the children of Israel were going from one river bank to the other side, the priest carrying the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan. When all had gone through, the priest carried the ark to shore and immediately the waters closed up.

When Joshua led them through the Jordon River, the Israelites were identified with Christ (the Ark) and the land they were entering. When a person today is born again in Jesus, that person is identified with Jesus and all the power of Heaven. Keep in mind that Canaan (this world) is not our promised land. Our home is in Heaven and our strength is in Jesus Christ, just as it was with Israel.

“For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 3:20 note is mine)

The Promised Land consists of 300,000 square miles (another source says 200,000). Israel has never inhabited more than 30,000 square miles at any one time from my understanding. Even today, they only inhabit 8,019 square miles and now I’ll work my way to the point I wish to make.

Israel owned the land at that time and they still do. All of the land, 300,000 square miles, was theirs for their enjoyment. All they had to do was trust God and obey Him. If they had done so, they could have enjoyed a land larger than the state of Texas, but instead they settled for a piece about the size of New Jersey.

Don’t you think we Christians, the Church, are a lot like Israel has been? Think about these two Scripture references in relationship to what I have discussed to this point.

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:16:21)

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

We have much more than 300,000 square miles of land that is ours. We have all of Heaven. We are children of Almighty God. We are co-heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). All the power and blessings of our Father are at our disposal.

God has made it so very easy and simple for us in the Church Age. We do not have to adhere to the law to receive blessings and avoid curses. Jesus took our curses upon Himself. He just requires that we trust Him with everything and follow Him.

After a visit with his close friend Henry Varley, Dwight L. Moody kept hearing the words, “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.” Later, while attending a service of Charles Spurgeon, he realized that it wasn’t Spurgeon preaching behind the pulpit; it was God speaking through him. Then he thought again about, “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him,” and realized that the quote says “a” man, not any particular man, but any man. He then said to himself, “Well, I will be that man.”

Mr. Moody was poor and untrained. He was not ordained, but he was committed to Jesus Christ. He reached two continents for Christ and that had not been accomplished since George Whitefield did so over 100 years earlier.

Perhaps we should ask ourselves, “What could God do with me to glorify His name if I would just be totally committed to Him? Can He use me? Would He use me?” The questions demand a “Yes!” answer.

The Israelites only took possession of about 10% of what they already owned. Through today, they have never enjoyed 90% of their land.

How much of what God has provided for us have we left unattended?

The law led us to Jesus. By faith, we walked through the Jordan with Him and are on the other side. We have been born again. We have been baptized by His Spirit and carry His name. We are identified with Him.

There is nothing Jesus cannot accomplish in one of His own who is totally committed to Him.

“The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.”

Most of us accomplish very little of the 100% that is ours. Jesus said of us, “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.” (Mark 4:8)

Every single Christian has the potential to produce 100% through Christ, but the potential is not in us. It is in Jesus, and He can accomplish much in those who are willing.

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html