Daily Devotional March 4th 2021: Get Thee Behind Me Satan - or the Good Feel Gospel Trap

As I look across the isles; the house is packed. They took every single seat. A Megachurch in Houston, TX. Two services on Sunday morning. 25,000 souls. $20.00 each for offerings and tithes? That's ½ Million Dollars, give or take. Their preacher is a feeble-looking man, always smiling. His soft voice and demeanor, his tear-jerking stories have most Christians sob. I am one of the 25,000, and I am visiting the famous church. I stay for the second service; I am so moved. Later, I am waiting to meet the harmless man. The moderate queue leads me past big bodyguards. Years later, I wonder why a man of God needed bodyguards. Was God not going before him? I am an operation professional on a business trip to Houston. I am a baby Christian, being sold a good-feel gospel. But it is a dangerous trap.

2 Corinthians 11:13 - 11:15
13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Matthew 10:34
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”

I ask, why is that church packed week after week? Because the preacher knows to talk about the good things in Christian life. He makes his flock feel wonderful. He helps them forget the strains of struggle in the world. He doesn't remind the men and women watching his church grand production that where sin abounds, death follows, that we need to repent of our sins. He doesn't preach sin and repentance. He doesn't remind people of the spiritual war that is waging on earth as it is in heaven. He operates as an agent of Satan - but there is nothing to see here, move on. Yet his message of peace has little to do with preparing the Christian for battle. Instead, he leads his sheep to the slaughter.

2 Timothy 3:2 - 3:5
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Those that consume spiritual milk but are not seeking meat for spiritual strength, therefore, remain weak. They are afraid to upset someone. Their argument is to not add to their burden when they come for prayer. They ask to keep the preaching light. But they forsake the Light. But we must never water down God's Word. Yes, we can bathe in God's boundless love. But have they not read their bible? Do they not know that God hates lukewarm, that Jesus spews out those who are. No, brothers and sisters; God's Word is not for us to stay feeble but to strengthen us. It is a double-edged sword. 

Revelation 3:13 - 3:16
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

No, I shall not preach the "everything-is-hunky-dory" message of the enemy. I shall not listen to people whose opinions are contrary to God's Word, because it would be the most sinful lie. 

Acts 4:18 - 4:21
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all [men] glorified God for that which was done.

If Christians get upset because of the truth, then their focus is not on God but on themselves. Those who are offended by the Truth that is the Lord have fallen into the snare of the enemy. But His Truth will save you. Take the rope of the Rescuer that is the Word of God as written, or be entangled with it by the enemy and perish. Which do you choose?

To those who insist on watering down God's Word and are speaking against worshipping the Lord first, I say:

Luke 4:8
“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.”

How to Pray

Only ever address our Heavenly Father, and pray in the name of Jesus.
Start by blessing God and worship Him.
Praise God before you ask for anything, because to Him belongs all glory.
Pray that Father God will open your eyes to His Truth,
Pray, that our Lord and Savior helps you decide that there should be less of you and more of Him.
Pray that the Lord will remove the blindfold from all our friends and loved ones, even our neighbors.
That we may be equipped to remain humble, weather temptation, and speak the truth in love. May the body of Christ stand for truth.

John 3:27 - 3:33
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I [must] decrease.
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

In Jesus' name
Amen

#Devotional #Scripture4TheDay #justice #gospel #sword #satan

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