How Powerful is Satan?

(This is a picture of Zack Follett)

Earlier this week the media bombarded Zack Follett, a linebacker for the Detroit Lions, for some comments he made towards the Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.  Basically, Follett chose his words very poorly and the media used it against him.  Instead of letting things blow over or owning up to it, Follett went a different rout.  He put out a homemade video where he tried to defend himself.  He did not stop there though.  He even took a shot back by claiming that Satan was attacking him through the media.

Was Satan really attacking Zack Follett specifically?  Zack obviously believed so.  Overall, people seem to have a greatly elevated and misunderstood view of Satan.  We develop several assumptions about him and his power that are not biblical.  So, just how powerful is Satan really?  In order to answer this question, let’s take a look at what the book of Job says.

Satan is Not Omnipresent (In All Places). In Job 1:7, we see that God asks Satan where he came from.  This question would not make sense if Satan was omnipresent.  Notice that both God and Satan refer to places in the singular tense.  Too often we have the impression that Satan is everywhere and is able to tempt almost everyone.  This is simply not true.  Zack Follet, and many people today, believe the devil attacks them specially.  Honestly, it is a bit self-centered to believe Satan is spending his fleeting time on us personally.  Nowhere in Scripture do we see Satan tempting many different people in many different locations.  So, if Satan can only attack one person at a time, who is he going to spend his time on?  It will be on the largest and most significant people he can influence.  In the end, Satan is not God.  He can only be at one place at a time, tempting one person at a time.  He is not omnipresent.

Satan is Not Omniscient (All-Knowing). In the discussion between Satan and God, we see that Satan had come to know, through experience, that God had placed a “hedge” around Job (Job 1:8-10).  See, we can assume that Satan had tried to tempt Job earlier and failed.  He came to know, through experience, that God was blessing Job’s life and that his influence was limited.  Once again, people today seem to have this conception that Satan knows everything about them.  He knows specifically what they are thinking and what their struggles are.  Satan is not a mind-reader.  Now, Satan has about 10,000 years of experience.  He knows what buttons to press and what people typically struggle with, but this does not make him omniscient.  The only way he can know what we personally struggle with is by experience and observation.  Again, Satan is not God.  He can only know what he learns from time, observation, and experience.  He is not omniscient.

Satan is Not Omnipotent (All-Powerful). During Satan’s discussion with God, it is interesting to see some of Satan’s limitations.  First, he had to check in with God (1:6).  He did not have the right go and do whatever he pleased.  Second, he was not able to get to Job (1:10).  Even though he tried, God was not allowing him to.  Third, God only allowed Satan to control things to a point (1:11-12).  God did not allow Satan to influence Job’s health.  What we just saw in these three points was that Satan’s power is limited.  He does not have power over everything in this world.  Only God has this.  Too often people believe a battle against Satan is impossible to win.  The Bible indicates that we can win against Satan (James 4:7).  From what we have seen in job, the old phrase, “The devil made me do it,” is something out of Satan’s realm of power.  Need we say it again?  Satan is not God.  Whatever power he has, God has allowed him to have it.  In the end, Satan is no match for God’s power, and he knows it.   Satan is not Omnipotent.

Satan is most definitely a fearsome enemy (1 Peter 5:8), but too often we think he has much more power than he really does.  When we believe Satan is more powerful that he actually is, it can make him harder to beat and resist in our minds.  Let’s not give Satan any more power.  Yes, Satan is a formidable adversary, but not an unbeatable one.  As we have said over and over, Satan is not God.  Unlike Satan, God IS omnipresent (in all-places), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipotent (all-powerful).

Let’s remember what God has said about battling sin and Satan:

• We can resist and beat Satan (1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7).
• God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).
• “Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:1).
• “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

So, how powerful is Satan?  His power is nothing compared to God’s.  As we go through this life battling Satan and sin, let’s not exaggerate Satan’s power, but remember the tremendous power we have in our corner; God.

Aye-Aye

What do you get when you mix the sailor’s term, “Aye-Aye,” and a lemur-looking animal?  To some, this may look like a sneak peak into a new “Madagascar” movie.  Sorry to disappoint.  “Aye-Aye” is simply the name of the little creature pictured above.  While a new “Madagascar” movie might be fun, this fury critter is also quite interesting.

The Aye-Aye may not be staring in the next “Madagascar” movie, but he is actually native to Madagascar.  Over the years, scientists have had a very difficult time classifying what type of animal this little guy is.  See, the Aye-Aye is sort of a mix between a monkey, a rodent, and a bat.  Seriously.  There is really no other animal quite like the Aye-Aye.  Here is why…

Its Ears: The Aye-Aye is equipped with rather large ears and an astonishing ability to distinguish sounds.  It’s hearing is so sensitive that it is able to pick up the slightest variation in pitch.  We will see why this is so remarkable in a minute.

Its Teeth: Scientists originally put the Aye-Aye in the rodent family because of his teeth.  Just like a rodent, the Aye-Aye’s teeth never stop growing (Buzzle.com).  His teeth are long, sharp and narrow.  They are not all that special by themselves, but how they are used is what makes them unique.  We will see why in just a moment.

Its Fingers: Take a look at the picture below.

No, this is not a distorted figure from some horror movie.  It’s just the Aye-Aye’s fingers.  As you will notice, several of its fingers are much longer than the others.  This is mostly for grip and mobility through the trees.  However, the Aye-Aye is equipped with one special finger that is long, narrow, and boney.  This finger is what makes this animal so remarkable.  While up in the trees, the Aye-Aye will begin tapping on the tree repetitively with that finger.  Sometimes it does this as fast as 8 times per second (animal.discovery.com).  What the Aye-Aye is doing is searching for grubs buried in the tree.  Since his hearing is so acute, he is almost able to “see” where the grub is in the tree simply by tapping on it (otherwise known as echolocation, like bats). He is able to move this finger independently from the others (a-z-Animals.com).  So, he can grip the tree and tap on it at the same time.  He will listen to the difference in sound with each tap and is able to zero in on his dinner.  The only thing left to do is get it.

This is when all of his specially equipped tools come into play.  Once he has located where the grub is, using his sensitive ears, he will begin using his sharp narrow teeth.  These teeth just so happen to be perfect for ripping open the tree.  Remember, his teeth are always growing, so they will never wear down.  Once the tree is opened up, he inserts that special bony finger into the hole and down the tunnel the grub has made.  Any other finger would simply not fit.  Then, since his fingers have claws on them, he finds the grub and drags it out.  Dinner time!

What a fascinating animal the Aye-Aye is.  He is monkey-like because of his mobility in the trees, yet rodent-like because of his teeth, and even bat-like because he uses echolocation to find food.  Every part of the Aye-Aye works together perfectly.  Each feature has clearly been crafted and specialized.  Like everything else in our world, the evidence seen in the Aye-Aye is telling of a Creator.  This little guy may not be too pleasant to look at, but when we look closely, the almighty Designer can be seen.  The pile of evidence for God and creation is already enormous, and the Aye-Aye simply adds to that stack.  Like most animals, the Aye-Aye puts evolution in an impossible situation.

The Aye-Aye is definitely a unique animal and points to the uniqueness of God.  There is simply nothing and no one like Him.  He deserves our worship, glory, and praise!

Sources:

• 
  http://animal.discovery.com/animals/life/aye-aye.html
  
• 
  http://a-z-animals.com/animals/aye-aye-/
  
• 
  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/aye-aye-facts.html
  

Walking and Texting

It was just an average day for Cathy Cruz Morrero.  She was simply walking through the Berkshire mall, just minding her own business.  It all started with one little text message.  She did what she has probably done many other times before.  She pulled out her phone and kept on walking as she tapped out a reply.  Cathy was intensely focused on this text message as she strolled through the mall.  Then it happened.  She took one step too many.  Cathy’s last step sent her plunging face first into the mall’s fountain.  Check it out:

To be honest, this probably could have been any one of us.  According to the Nielsen Company, 95 percent of American adults have cell phones.  Surely the vast majority of adults text as well. You might even have a “texting and walking” mishap yourself.  It is easy to get focused on something, like a text message, and lose all sense of our surroundings.  Obviously there were some aspects for Cathy that day which deserved a wee bit more attention, like the huge mall fountain for example.  Joking aside, this entire incident can be boiled down to one point, the wrong focus.  Cathy was so focused on her text message that she had no idea what was around her.

In Philippians 4, Paul was addressing two women with the wrong focus.  He is urging these two women to get along with each other, and for several others to help out in this.  One specific way he tells them to accomplish this is by “dwelling,” or focusing, on the following aspects: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).  These women had the wrong focus.  They were dwelling on the wrong things.  The solution was to shift their focus.

Where is our focus today?  What do we dwell on?  Many times our focus is exposed through our speech.  Do we talk all about ourselves?  Do we “dwell” on work?  Is our focus on sports?  Is our focus on something else like money, TV, video games, or music?  It is too easy to get focused on the worldly and trivial parts of this life.  The problem is, an improper spiritual focus leads to a most serious plunge into sin.

Luckily for Cathy, the only thing injured during her plunge was her pride.  It was so hurt, in fact, that she decided to take legal action against the people who put the video on the web.  She even appeared on “Good Morning America” to discuss her feelings.  It’s interesting what people will do to deflect the mistakes they make.

Using the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:12, we need to “take heed so that we do not fall.”  Or in other words, “Look out!”  Cathy took a dip in the fountain because of an improper focus.  It would be nice if a spiritual fall led us to a cool, wet, and relatively soft fountain.  The problem is, spiritual falls are the single most dangerous aspects of the life.  They can lead to the place of darkness, fire, and “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; 13:42).  Unlike Cathy, we can’t take legal action against God for our own mistakes of improper focus.  So, where is our focus?  Let’s make sure we are “dwelling” on the parts of life that are pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8-9).

…Oh, and make sure you watch where you’re going when you are texting as well.

Sick

Sickness has taken up a good deal of my time the last two weeks.  Thankfully, I haven’t been sick.  My little girl and my wife have been though.  They have had a very nasty bug which has lasted several days.  Their symptoms have included fever, headache, vomiting, upset stomach, loss of appetite, and other things.  When someone is sick, the symptoms make this fact very obvious.

Notice the discussion in Luke 5:30-32, “The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?’  And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’”  Jesus was not talking about those who are physically sick, but spiritually.  Just like with physical sickness, there are symptoms of spiritual sickness.  Here are a few symptoms of spiritual sickness:

• Sin.
• Apathy towards God and spiritual aspects.
• Lack of hunger and thirst (for righteousness).
• Increased materialism.
• Filthy speech (words and subjects).
• Lowering moral standards.
• Not praying.
• Not Bible reading.
• Not coming to worship.

When these are consistently present in our lives, they could serve as symptoms of spiritual sickness.  Let’s never become like the people in Isaiah who were “weighed down with iniquity” and had “abandoned the Lord” (Is 1:4-6).  Physical sickness is dangerous, but spiritual sickness is infinitely more serious.  If we do not take care of the physical sickness symptoms, they could lead to death.  If we do not take care of our spiritual sickness, it will lead to spiritual death (Romans 1:32; 6:16, 21-23).

John said in 3 John 2, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”  I also hope that our physical and spiritual health prospers.  Let’s make sure we address the spiritual sickness symptoms in our lives so they do not become eternal life threatening.  There is no better life than a healthy, thriving relationship with the Lord.

Volunteer Slaves

Outside of a particular blood-bank, a poster read, “Be a Volunteer Blood Donor.”  Just below those words, someone wrote,  “That’s the best kind.”

What a funny thought.  Certainly the best kind of blood “donor” would be someone who is actually willing to give blood, not forced to.  On the surface, this idea of a “volunteer donor” seems redundant, but in reality it may not be.  See, the thought behind this idea is about people who are actually willing to give their time and help out.  One could certainty be a donor and not “want” to do so.  A “volunteer donor” is someone who has a willingness to give this service.  Hopefully we will never have to force people to donate blood, but there are many other aspects of this life where people feel forced to do something.  Let’s explore this.

Throughout Scripture, we see the idea of being a slave/servant.  Mark 9:35 says, “…If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”  Jesus said to James and John, “…Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).  We also know that we are to be “slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:16-23).  Being a slave is key in Christianity.  It is not a stretch to assume that God wants His people to be slaves to Him and His commands.

Unfortunately, many people do not like the idea of being a “slave” to God.  What about us?  Do we ever feel like we are being “forced” to be a slave for Christ?  Do we ever feel like we “have” to go to church?  Do we ever feel like we “have” to talk to someone about Christ?  Do we ever feel like we “have” to obey a certain command?  Let’s be honest, sin can be fun.  This is why it is so appealing and hard to resist in the first place.  Do we ever feel like we are “forced” to give up these sins?   The bottom line is, we like to be in control. We like to make our own decisions.  We like to decide what we will and will not do.  We like to decide what is “right” and “wrong.”  Many of us may be slaves for Christ only because we feel we “have” to.

Here is one very important point to keep in mind:  Jesus didn’t “have” to die for your sins (Matthew 26:53-54; Philippians 2:6-8).  He was not “forced” to do this, He chose to (Romans 5:6-8).  This is why He came to us (Matthew 20:28; 2 Corinthians 8:9; etc).  He went through all of the pain and suffering because He so badly wanted to save us from our sins.  God also didn’t “have” to send His son.  He did so because of his love for us (John 3:16).  See, it’s not that we “have” to be a slave of Christ, but that we “get” to.  This is an incredible opportunity and blessing from God.  If Christ had not died for us, we would not even be talking about this.  Instead, we would be stuck in a much worse spiritual situation than we are in now.

It is one thing to be a slave for Christ because we “have” to, it is an entire different thing when we are a slave for Christ because we “want’ to.  Let’s do God’s commands because we “want” to and “get” to.  Let’s not just be slaves for Christ, let’s be “volunteer slaves” for Christ.  Why?  Because that’s the best kind.

A Disappointing Life

Donald McCullough compiled some interesting information on several famous men over the years.  As you will see, each of these men shared something in common.  They were all disappointed with their lives’ accomplishments.

• Alexander the Great conquered Persia, but broke down and wept because his troops were too exhausted to push on to India.
• Hugo Grotius, the father of modern international law, said at the last, “I have accomplished nothing worthwhile in my life.”
• John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the U.S.–not a Lincoln, perhaps, but a decent leader–wrote in his diary: “My life has been spent in vain and idle aspirations, and in ceaseless rejected prayers that something would be the result of my existence beneficial to my species.”
• Robert Louis Stevenson wrote words that continue to delight and enrich our lives, and yet what did he write for his epitaph? “Here lies one who meant well, who tried a little, and failed much.”
• Cecil Rhodes opened up Africa and established an empire, but what were his dying words? “So little done, so much to do.”

(SOURCE – “The Pitfalls of Positive Thinking”, Christian Times, September 6, 1985).

In reality, many of these men accomplished great things in their lives.  So, why were they so disappointed?  There are several reasons why this could be the case.  Maybe they felt like they could have tried harder.  Maybe they wished they could have done more during their lives.  Maybe they wish they did many things differently.  Beyond these, one reason is for sure.  They were disappointed because they all felt like their accomplishments were insignificant.  Despite remarkable feats, these men knew their influence only went so far.  Life would end, they would be forgotten, and all they did would stop at the grave unless someone continued it.  See, their accomplishments only affected this physical, temporary world.  Nothing eternally significant was done.  Truly this would be disappointing.

Are you disappointed in your life?  Do you feel like your accomplishments are shallow?  Maybe the problem lies in focusing on physical gain (Colossians.  No matter how many great, noble, and glorious things we do in this life, if all we do is succeed physically then we too will share in those men’s disappointment.  There is little benefit in physical accomplishments in this life (1 Timothy 4:7-8).  If we are disappointed in what we have done, then let’s consider shifting our focus to the spiritual, and eternally important, matters.  Let’s focus on saving ourselves, our family, and our friends.  There is truly nothing more significant and fulfilling in this life than knowing someone was changed in eternity.  If we want to life a fulfilling life, then let’s “Think Souls.”

The Church of Body Modification

(Picture of Ariana Lacono and her mother)

Earlier this year, a 14-year-old girl named Ariana Lacono was suspended from school.  She was not being rebellious or harmful to anyone though.  She was suspended simply because she had a nose piercing, and this violated the school’s dress code.  Now, most people would take the easy path in this situation and just take out the nose piercing, but not this family.  See, the reason this story became a headline is because they were claiming that the nose piercing was a way Ariana expresses her religion.  Now, I have heard of people getting a piercing as a physical reminder of what Christ has done, but this went to a whole different level.

As it turns out, this family is part of something called the “Church of Body Modification.”  Yes, you read that correctly.  This is a group of people who heavily support body modifications and are tying it in with religious practices.  So, Ariana was saying that her piercing is a part of her religion and should therefore be accepted by her school.  Sadly, this dispute was taken to the Federal Court and the ruling went in Ariana’s favor.

Most of us probably have never heard of this “church.”  I certainly had not.  Essentially this church believes that the body, mind, and soul are connected and are an integrated unit.  Therefore, if a person modifies his/her body, then the mind and soul will be modified as well.  To be quite honest, this “religion” is outrageous and, well, gross.  They support and endorse all types of body modification including all forms of cosmetic surgery, tattoos, piercings, tongue splitting, and body gauges (stretching the nose, ears, and other parts of the body with steadily larger objects).  From what I can tell, this church endorses, literally, any and all ways to change the body and to push the limits of the body (such as fire walking).

There are several points to consider in this situation: (1) They claim to be a religion and yet they do not seem to worship together, use any scripture, or believe anything in the Bible.  In fact, they support many grotesque and sinful practices.  (2) God wants us to be respectful of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 3:16).  Romans 12:1 states, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of god, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God….”  Certainly it is not “well-pleasing” to God when someone significantly changes, marks, scars, and damages what God created.  (3) People will do almost anything to get their way and get around the rules.  Apparently, some will even go so far as to make an entire religion about it.  It is sad that people are now using the label of “religion” to get around the rules and do what they want.  These people are using the “members of their body” for sin and self-gratification within their man made religion, but God has instructed us to present the members of our body as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13).  This religion seems like nothing more than a loophole and an excuse to change and mark up the body.

Our lives should be about living for Christ (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21).  It is not about modifying the beautiful way God created us, or pushing the limits of our bodies.  The Scripture says, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness…for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:9-10, 13).  Living and experiencing life physically is trivial in comparison to spiritual living (1 Timothy 4:8).  The real way to live and experience life is by putting the deeds of the body to death and living a spiritual life dedicated to Christ.

The Microscopic World

Our world is simply astonishing.  It is such a privilege to be able to look around at all of the beauty the Lord has surrounded us with.  There are enormous animals like elephants and whales.  There are huge mountains and bodies of water.  There are even planets and stars which are difficult to even comprehend their size.  All of this is wonderful to see.  However, there is so much that we cannot see.  If the world we can see with our own eyes tells of God’s glory, then the microscopic world is screaming of it.  Take a look at the following microscopic pictures from the “Small World Photomicrography Competition” (nikonsmallworld.com), and notice the incredible complexity and detail.

by Charles Krebs

- This is a picture of a wasp’s eye.  Notice how perfectly symmetrical each part of the eye is.  The detail of this picture is breathtaking (40x).

by Laurie Knight

- This is a picture of a mayfly’s eyes.  Again, notice the awesome detail, balance, and design of the eyes and head (10x).

by David Millard

- What we see in this picture is the egg of butterfly resting on the buds of a pink powder-puff plant (6x).

by Gregory Rouse

- This little creature is found in the ocean.  Notice the detail of each part of the legs and body (10x).

by John Hulsmas

- Very interesting picture of red seaweed.  It’s amazing how something can look one way from afar and like this close up (40x).

by Jonas King

- This is a picture of a mosquito’s heart (100x).

It is truly amazing how much detail God has put into this world.  So much detail in fact, that we would not even know of it if it were not for microscopic technology.  Despite these remarkable pictures, we know there is so much more happening that is not seen.  The eyes of the wasp and mayfly are awesome, and yet there are many other parts that make the eyes work in the first place.  The picture of the butterfly egg is interesting, and yet there is so much more happening inside of that tiny egg.

Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”  God took things which were nonexistent and made them into things we can see.  Within what we can see though, He made things that can only be seen through the microscope.  Why would God do something like this?  Surely it is to show God’s power and magnificence in every nook and cranny.  Truly there is design behind each and every part of this world.  Whether massive or microscopic, I am yet to find a part of this created world that does not point to God.