The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

                                                                    Daniel 7:13-14

 

March 29, 2024

 

The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven
 there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days
 and was presented before him.  And to him was given dominion
 and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages
 should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
 which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

I am sure you have heard someone say timing is everything. Amazingly, this week we are celebrating the Rison Lord.  Yes, He is Risen indeed.  

Do you recall John’s vision in Revelation Chapter 5, where no one was able to open the Scroll with the Seven seals, no one in heaven or earth, and John began to weep, till an elder said Do not weep, the Lamb will open the seal.  And the Scroll was given to the Lamb, and this is what happened; 

“Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,  saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”  And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Many years stood between these two visions, but it was about the same happening, it has not taken place yet, but keep looking to the Eastern Sky, He coming back.  Soon very Soon.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

The Ancient of Days Reigns

 

Daniel 7:9-12

 

March 28, 2024

 

The Ancient of Days Reigns

 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

“I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.  As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

John's vision in Revelation talks of two beasts. The first beast is a symbolic picture of the Antichrist, and the dragon is Satan (cf. Revelation 12:9).  And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Note: Satan fell from Heaven, and the angels who followed him in the rebellion.)

The second Beast in Revelation is who I believe Daniel is referring to.  I believe that is the false Prophet.  Revelation 13:11-18, “Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon.  It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.  It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,  and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.  And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.  Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,  so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.  This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666”

Yesterday, we said it would be a hard time for those of us who would not worship the Beast, but it comes down to whom do you believe and trust, and whom do you fear?  Many fear what man can do, but how they will be confronted with the man of lawlessness, who opposes all that is holy, and puts himself out as God.

You must pray for those who will go through the Tribulations, and this is the reason found in Revelation 14:9-11. ^“And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

 From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

Note: We have had many Antichrists since Jesus left Earth to sit at the right hand of the Father.  But the old Serpent will be the one referred to in Revelation.

 

Does God’s Love Supersede or Void His Requirement?

 Does God’s Love Supersede or Void His Requirement?

 

Let’s begin in the book of 1 John 4:8, - But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:16 - So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

 

Those two Scriptures make clear that God is Love, and if we do not love, we are not abiding in God.

 

We also find in the book of John in chapter 3 that mankind needed love. Yes, they needed something greater than goats, bulls, and doves as an atonement for sin.  For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.  That shows us a need, and John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

 

In three verses, we have the answer to our question. Yes, God is love, and we need His love, and without it, we cannot abide in love.  But He also is just, and rejection of His gift of His Son to pay for your and my sin brings about His condemnation. 

 

Does God require His Church to put Love for the Lawless above all of His Commandments we are to live by?

 

We find this in Romans 13:1-2, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”  When the government violates God’s command, (no worship service or call a special day to honor Homosexuality), at that point, we the Church, are to take a stand as Peter and the apostille did in Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” 

Our Lord Jesus was very clear on who you should render to in Mathew 22:21, 
They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”  It all goes back to a question asked of Jesus, how can I be acceptable to God?  Matthew 22:35-39, ^“And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Now as one who has taught and been taught the Truth of Scripture, I have some bad news, It is impossible for you to love in the Entergy of the flesh.  It requires God to do it all for you, but that comes with abiding in Him.

Yes, we are called to Love, but also to Stand Firm on Honoring what God honors.  Let me close this with two verses for each of us to ponder; 1 John 3:4, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”  And 1 John 2:4, “Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

When God shows Himself in Your Life

 Daniel 6:14-28

 

March 26, 2024

 

 

When God shows Himself in Your Life

Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.  Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”  And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.  Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.  As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”  Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also, before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God.  And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.  I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.  He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”  So, this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

When a leader knows he has been had by those who are to be his counselors.  A Wise leader tries to correct. Can you see the best minds in his kingdom have had this foreigner, a Jew, in charge of them, and they were envious, jealous, and conspired to not just get him fired, but killed.   And I bet once the king signs the document, they claim victory.

But God, yes, Daniel was a man who feared and loved God, and God showed grace to that man.  What looked at the moment as a victory for them not only backfired but caused the loss of life of all of them and their families.

We know God showed up and saved Daniel, but something great happened: Darius became a believer in the God of Daniel.

Do you know the God Daniel served?  Look at Romans 10:9-10. It is about declaring and believing “Jesus is Lord,” and that God raised Him from the dead; you have this promise: you will be saved.  Yes, you will spend eternity with Jesus, and He will send His Holy Spirit to dwell within you.  The old man is dead; you are a new creation in Christ.

From the Back Porch, 

Bob Rice

 

Daniel and the Lions' Den

                                                                    Daniel 6:1-13

 

March 25, 2024

 

Daniel and the Lions' Den

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account so that the king might suffer no loss.  Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.  Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.  Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!  All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors, and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.  Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”  Therefore, King Darius signed the document and injunction.

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house, where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.  Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.  Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”  Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

 

Are you glad we do not use lion’s dens as a form of punishment for people who break the rules?  Many of us in the USA have seen evil people who have schemed to remove a man or woman from office by lies. It happens often, just ask President Donald Trump.  

 

What was the source of this evil act that these men planned against Daniel?  Jealousy, based on fear and hate, he was not one of them; he had values and was honest, and they were sure he would honor his God over the king’s command.

 

We are approaching Easter, a time we celebrate our Lord’s victory over death and the grave.  For He has risen indeed and is sitting at the right hand of our Father, He is the one that Daniel loved and feared, not man.  Evil men were used because of fear and hate to have Jesus nailed to the Cross, so why should we be surprised at the actions of evil men in 2024?  And the jealousy we are seeing today at President Trump stems from the same source, the one that has come to kill, steal, and destroy, found in John 10:10, and the thief is none other than the devil.

 

My prayer is not that God will save President Trump because no fault can be found in him, but that our Nation was not built on jealousy, lies, and hate, but on truth and justice for all.  And if evil can destroy one who has served our nation, our nation has no future.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

  

Daniel 5:8-31

 

March 29,2024

 

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah.  I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.  Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.  But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now, if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.  O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.  And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.  But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.  He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.  And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,  but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.  And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.  This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;  Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 

Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.  And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Daniel has always been one of my heroes; it would be very hard to find a Daniel in 2024.  Daniel feared God, and Daniel trusted God with everything, including his life.  We do not have Scripture to tell us why Daniel did not leave with the other exiles.  In that he was a man under the total authority of God, it is my belief he was kept to be God’s voice to a king who had the power to have him killed.  As stated, Daniel knew whom he served and that his God was able to keep the hungry lions from harming him; what could a pagan king do, unless it was God’s will?

 

Few men have that much faith and fear of God, that they stand and say like Daniel's three friends said to Nebuchadnezzar, “our God can save us, but even if He does not, we will not worship your God.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Handwriting on the Wall

  

Daniel 5:1-12

 

March 19, 2024

 

The Handwriting on the Wall

King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.  Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.  Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.  They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Immediately, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.  Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.  The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”  Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.  Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.  There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.  In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

 

When God’s hand writes on the walls of your heart, whom do you seek to make clear the meaning of the words?  For me, it was back in my thirties, and I like King Belshazzar tried to use what God had set aside for His Temple, and use it.  I was being used by God in a movement called “The Lay Witness Mission.”  As one of many who were picked to lead, my job was to pray and ask God to show me whom to ask to go as witnesses of what He had done for them.

 

We would be invited by a pastor to a local Church and spend Friday, through Sunday in the home of the member, and our lay people would share both in the home and lead out in small groups and some gave testimony in the main services, Unlike King Belshazzar I knew and worship the I Am, the God of heaven and Earth.  The God who is three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  

 

But like the king's dad, I got full of myself and the praise of men, and I allowed lust and pride to enter my heart.  I did not see a human hand write on a wall, but I had God's Spirit send men who most told me what a low life I was, and I was fully aware of that.  I went to see a man whom I had read and was sure would give me wise counsel.  He told me to ignore what others were saying and follow my heart.  For some reason, I knew his words were empty and much later read in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  I became aware that the man had left his wife and was having a relationship with a lady.  One can never be too careful about whom they seek counsel.

This and the conviction of Scripture began the writing on the walls of my heart, and God sent me to my Daniel, his name was Ted Anderson, a lawyer, a wise and quiet man, who, like me, knew and had a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  He was used to allow me to see into the future what my foolish heart was leading me to, not peace or joy, but loss of everything I valued and needed.

Do you have a Daniel that loves God and you enough to tell you the Truth?

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

                                                                     Daniel 4:34-37

 

March 18, 2024

 

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
And he does according to his will among the host of heaven  and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

At the same time, my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

This morning was a cloudy day It was early morning and Jan and I once more were amazed at the Majesty of our God as the beauty of the sunrise.  Jan was overcome with how God had blessed us to have such a view of His handwork.  

I asked her if she could go back in her mind to a time when a young couple was living in a 12X60 trailer in Oden, Texas, on 5.5 acres.  And I ask, did you dream of someday living in a home like this with the resources God has provided?  Her answer was no.

I went on to say that we never planned on this, but we did plan on being used by God in our understanding of a servant to our Master relationship.  We planned to keep the very nice home we lived in, in Spring, Texas, and go to volunteer at the Billy Graham Training Center, The Cove, in Asheville, NC.  Did I say that was our plan, but it was not God’s?

A friend whom I had gone to High School with and had not seen for 40 years worked for a very large oil company as a Vice President, and I called on him to try to get more of their business.  He invited Jan and me to come to his open house, where he said I would see many people from our time in Corpus Christi.  And that was all God’s doing; the call did not get me more business, but it did change our plans to God’s.  It reminded me once more that my ways or not His way, and that His thoughts are higher than mine by billions.

As His servants, we have been provided a beautiful home, resources, friends, and neighbors we love, but the greatest gift is a personal relationship with Jesus. 

When we lived in Spring, Texas, for a period, I became proud of all that I had accomplished. I did not have to eat grass like the king, but I came to a very clear understanding, like Nebuchadnezzar, of this truth.

“. . . my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”  Let me close with this: God loves you, and He desires that you know His Son, not just about Him, but seek Him, for He is not far from you.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

Note: Few men can acquire the power and wealth of Nebuchadnezzar, and not become full of themselves.  Power and wealth often bring about pride, and that puts a man in the camp with the enemy.

 

Can Satan tell the Truth?

 ]

Can Satan tell the Truth?

 

Can Satan, the evil one, the devil, tell the truth?  Now that is a very interesting thought, in that we live in a world that does not talk much about this created being.  If he knows the truth, and I believe that can be proven, then does he ever tell the truth?  How did he become Satan? Was he always evil? Does he have a plan that includes you and me?

 

In the book of Genesis 3:14, we see a serpent talking and tempting Eve.  What was it about? It was about “Truth”, God had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, all others were ok.  But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God said, “For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  So, the serpent shows up, and he is not called Lucifer, nor the devil, nor is he called Satan.  But he has the character of the devil.  What does he say to Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?  Eve tells the serpent what God has said, and this is his reply, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  Did they die? 1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”  Also, look at Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”  That is the first account in Scripture of something evil tempting man.  As I stated earlier, the serpent had the attributes of Satan, and we will see more of this.  To make any other claim would be to add to Scripture, and God has made clear the danger of doing so.

 

Satan does show up in the book of Job. We do not know the author, but we can know God breathed it and put it on paper through a man.  Many scholars regard it as the oldest book in the Bible.  Job 1:6 states the following: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.” What happens when Satan shows up in heaven, God asks him what he has been up to.  The conversation goes like this: “The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’  Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”  And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.”  And you know the rest of the story, Satan asks God, “Does Job fear God for no reason?”  So, God gave Satan the ok to mess with all of Job’s stuff, but not to touch Job.  I hope you got that part; Satan had to get permission to mess with Job.

 

My desire to make clear that Satan or the devil comes at us with many schemes, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”  Paul is warning you and me to be on guard of men who would add to God’s written word, men who take liberties with the Scriptures; in verses 13-14, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”  Do you like to read the end of the book to see how it is all going to come out; God has given us that, but he has also told us more about this enemy of ours in Revelation 20:2, “And he sized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, …” Then what, what did he call Satan, that ancient serpent, the one that was in the Garden with Eve.  He was not Lucifer; he was that ancient serpent, and God called him the devil and Satan.  Does God have a plan for Satan, you better believe it, and it is stated in Revelation 20:10, “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  

 

In the book of John 12:31, Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”  Who is Jesus referring to as the ruler of this world?  In John 14:30, Jesus also refers to the ruler of this world.  Satan either has or will be given the power to control the “Man of Lawlessness”, I believe that is referring to the Anti-Christ.  This will only happen after the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of Truth,” is removed from the earth, or the body of Christ is removed.  Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:7, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.  Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”  Look at verse 9, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”

 

Many want to tell us that Satan is a paper tiger, but in Hebrews 2:14, it is written, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”  Jesus came to destroy the one who has the power of death, and he tells us that the being is the devil.  The good news is that Satan no longer has that power; it was removed at the cross.  In John 18:37, Jesus tells us why he came into the world, and that was to bear witness to the truth.  We have all read that truth will set us free, and that’s what Jesus did. Look at 1 John 3:8-9, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.  No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed (Jesus) abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning.”  How long has he been sinning, from the beginning?

 

What about man’s authority?  In the book of beginning, Genesis 1:28, “ This authority was given to Adam in the beginning.  No one knows how long it was before Adam and Eve sinned, but after they sinned, their role changed.  You can read what God said to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:16-19.  I know that man was no longer in fellowship with God; his desire became for self, and God said he chose a new father, the devil.

 

Does Satan have authority over this world?  He has made this claim; he made it to the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 4:5-6, “And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you, I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.”  What did Jesus do? Remember, Jesus is truth; He does not just know the truth, Jesus is truth. This was Jesus' reply: “It is written, ‘you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”  Jesus did not tell Satan he was a liar, and that the earth was under man’s authority. The real temptation may have been the return of this authority, which was delivered to Satan, without a cross.  We do know that it is not written that God gave Satan authority over the earth, but it is implied that Adam delivered this authority to Satan.

 

I would be negligent if I did not state the following: the Scripture states; there are only two types of people on this earth, those who have God as their Father and those who have the devil as their Father.  John 8:42-44, Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here.  I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.  Why do you not understand what I say?  It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  I am sure you just got the answer to the title question.  Satan is a liar; he has nothing to do with truth.  Who is “Truth”, the God-man, Jesus?

 

You and I and all who have lived since Adam have needed to be set free from the control of Satan.  Paul is on trial before King Agrippa, and he is telling the king what happened to him on his journey to Damascus.  He is explaining how he was going with the authority and commission of the chief priests to persecute Christians.  He is telling how he met Jesus on that road and how he was converted from a killer of Christians to a follower of Christ.  In the book of Acts 26:15-16 and 18, And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’  And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.  But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which I will appear to you, verse 18, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”   

  

Satan may be a paper tiger to some, but he has done a great job of blinding the minds of unbelievers.  Look with me at 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  So, he is the reason many are blinded to the gospel, and he is also an adversary of everyone who claims the name of Jesus Christ.  Look how he challenges the ones who are in Christ.  You and I are told to put on the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  And once more, we are told to take up the whole armor of God so that we will be able to stand.  I do not know about you, but that does not sound like I’m in a fair fight.  The Scriptures are very clear that this battle is against rulers. Question: Who are they, and who do they rule?  Against the authorities, once more, what authorities and who do they have authority over?  If Satan is just a paper tiger with a big bark and no bite, what and who are these cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places?  We'd better get dressed in the armor that God has given us for this battle.  It is armor for the unseen world, and it is armor for the seen also.  You cannot see the armor, but the demons and Satan can. You cannot see the armor, but the angels and the Lord Jesus Christ can.  Get dressed each morning for this cosmic battle; it is real, and if you are in Christ, you have the right to this armor.

 

The authority that was lost or given to Satan at the fall has been returned to Christ.  But it is His authority, not yours.  The Scriptures state the following in John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  It requires all men to come to this truth; without it, the only father they have is the devil.  But to those who have believed and received the gift of forgiveness of sins by faith in God’s only Son, and by the blood he shed for their sins, they only have authority as they abide in Christ.  The New Testament, from beginning to end, tells us we must abide in Christ. He has given us all we need to live life, for He is life, and He is our life.  But we must abide, look at John 15:4, “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in me.”  When we enter into Christ, we get all He has to give; we cannot get more, and He has given us Himself.

 

The Christian life is not about your authority but about your choices!  I am reading “The Rest of the Gospel by Dan Stone and David Gregory, and it is an excellent book on letting Jesus live the Christian life in you.  He is the only one who can live it.  The following quote from page 161, “But God purposely created us with the possibility of choice, and we reap the results of our choice.  We never escape that, then or now.   In God’s love, He lets us choose.  He says, “If you want to go the way of the world, go.  If that’s where your love and affection are, you go.  But you’ll reap what you have chosen.”

Does that mean all is not of grace? No.  God does do it all.  Only He can live the life.  And only he can work in us, enabling us to be willing cooperators with Him.  But He has left us a role.  Our role is availability.  We are available to the Lord to live His life through us.  What Mary said to the angel Gabriel applies to every believer: “Behold, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).  That’s availability.  Mary was willing.  God was the one who did it.

Our availability releases God’s ability.  So, we trust the Lord to do it through us.”

 

My prayer is that this is a clear account of who Satan is.  What authority and power has he been given?  And only we who have bowed our knees to the Lord Jesus Christ recognize that all authority is in Christ.  Never forget that the choices you make determine what you reap.

 

From our Back Porch,

 

 

Bob Rice