ABOUT  TEMPTATIONS (Part 1)

The devil is wicked. No, scratch that.

The devil is VERY wicked.

He has no iota of good in him. When he looks at a man, all his thoughts are geared towards hurting, destroying, and bringing that man down.

I say this because one day I was thinking about the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. It’s on oft-repeated tale about the Master’s wife trying to seduce a dedicated slave. The Bible says, “She kept begging Joseph DAY AFTER DAY, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her”.  Gen 39:10 (CEV).

Why Joseph? He was not the only man in that large house. Potiphar doubtlessly had other male slaves in that house who would be more than happy to oblige her, so why would she keep insisting to sleep with Joseph?

I was somewhat bothered about this until one day it occurred to me that, though there were dozens of male slaves in that house, only Joseph had a throne in his DESTINY! Joseph may have been a slave, but sitting inside him was the ruler of Egypt! Potiphar’s wife may not have been able to know this, but the devil inside her that was instigating her lust definitely knew.

If she had said to Joseph, “Come lie with me, no one will ever know”, she would have been absolutely right. NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW!

Potiphar wouldn’t know

The slaves wouldn’t know

The Egyptians wouldn’t know

And yes, YOU AND I too wouldn’t know

She was right, Joseph’s destiny would have closed up there and then and his bones would be part of the sands of Egypt today.

The glorious story of Joseph moving from slavery to being the de facto ruler of Egypt that we read about would never have occurred and we probably would never have known anything about him, at least that was the plan.

The devil is very wicked.

“Don't give the devil any opportunity to work”. Eph 4:27 (GW)

“So place yourselves under God's authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you”. Jas 4:7 (GW)

“Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil's strategies.” Eph 6:11 (GW)

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.  (1Co 15:57)

“Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ”.  (2Co 2:14)

AMEN.

We’ll continue on these thoughts tomorrow.

More Blessings Await you today, you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.

GREG ELKAN

SPECIAL TOPIC: EUGENE PETERSON WARNED US, 13 YEARS EARLIER

(Excerpt from my Book, "Believers Ask")

Have you heard of ‘The Secret’?

If you’ve a Christian and a member of the Pentecostal movement and have never heard of ‘The Secret’, you will definitely feel left out of something BIG. And ‘The Secret’ is big – Hollywood-blockbuster big; New-York-Times-best-seller big.

‘The Secret’ is a film consisting of a series of interviews designed to demonstrate that everything one wants or needs can be satisfied by believing in an outcome, repeatedly thinking about it, and maintaining positive emotional states to “attract” the desired outcome. In a nutshell, it’s the “Law of Attraction” in video format. As a movie, it raked in over 65 million dollars at the box office (not bad for a movie that cost $3.5 million to produce). As a book, it has sold millions of copies and comes in various forms: cassette, CD, Kindle, etc. it even has a version for teenagers. Oprah Winfrey championed it in two of her shows and said its principles were what she lived her life by.

Impressed? You should be. ‘The Secret’ comes packaged with its own endorsement. Not only is it presented by well-known personalities who are bestselling authors in their own right; but it claims that this “Secret” is the principle that renowned icons of our human history lived by: Plato, Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Hugo, Beethoven, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, the list goes on.

How did I know all this? Well, I was forced to. While I admit to being curious by nature, my curiosity didn’t get me into all this; the hype did. Everyone seemed to be talking about it. And pastors (some unwittingly, some flagrantly) endorsed the movie and the spinoff book from their pulpits.

I decided I had to know what this “secret” was all about. I finally got the book; and found myself stuck – on page 1!

There was something odd about what was being spoken. I couldn’t put my finger on it yet. However, it just didn’t fit. Then all of a sudden, three things struck me:

1.       The title, “THE SECRET”, promises to let the reader in on some hidden knowledge that others do not have access to: a promise that was once promised about two millennia ago by the GNOSTICS.

[Gnosticism was an esoteric religious movement that flourished during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD and presented a major challenge to orthodox Christianity. Most Gnostic sects professed Christianity, but their beliefs sharply diverged from those of the majority of Christians in the early church. The term gnosticism is derived from the Greek word gnosis (“revealed knowledge”). To its adherents, Gnosticism promised a secret knowledge of the divine realm.

(source: Microsoft^® Encarta^® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)]

2.     The presentation was all too smooth and too Dan-Brownish to me and rang too familiar with the Da-Vinci Code brouhaha and all the “Lost Gospels” drama 10 years ago: Dan Brown’s source materials were, of course, the discredited “Gospels” of 200+ A.D. – written by the GNOSTICS.

3.    Finally, with shock, I realised that this type of presumptuous claim of possession of some special knowledge was exactly the problems the Apostolic writers tackled with in their days. Specifically Paul (in Colossians), John (in 1 John), and Jude.

And surprise, surprise, those claims were being made then by, well, GNOSTICS.

I quickly discovered that this material wasn’t a secret at all; at least not to Bible students. Mark Earley, President of Prison Fellowship, summed up ‘The Secret’ in just four words: “New Book, Old Lie”.

I put these observations of mine to a brother in my church who I found reading the book and he attacked me for being ignorant. He said the authors of the book were well-versed and well-learned and even know the Bible much more than I would ever know. I remember particularly pointing out to him that it was stuff like these that made Paul write to the Colossian church in the 1st century A.D. But he would have none of it and I let him be.

So you would understand my shock and amazement two days ago when I read Colossians chapter 2 from The Message Bible. The Message is a Bible translation by Eugene Peterson that is notorious for its extreme idiomatic and dynamic equivalent paraphrasing of the original Greek and Hebrew texts. (You need to read Genesis 1:1 in that version to see what I mean). Well, I was reading Colossians 2 in the Message version and this is what I found in verses 2 - 4. (Emphases are mine).

“I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on CHRIST, God’s great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery AND NOWHERE ELSE. And we’ve been shown the mystery! I’M TELLING YOU THIS BECAUSE I DON’T WANT ANYONE LEADING YOU OFF ON SOME WILD-GOOSE CHASE, after other so-called mysteries, OR “THE SECRET”.

Yes, you read it correctly; he put THE SECRET in quotation marks.

Colossians was translated by Eugene Peterson in 1993.

“The Secret”, by Rhonda Byrne, was released in 2006 – 13 years later.

SELAH.

Greg Elkan

THE WORD FOR TODAY

A TALE OF FOUR GROUNDS (Part 4)

 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.” Mark 4:3 (easy-to-read).

Today, we’ll conclude our study of the Four Grounds in Jesus’ The Parable of the Sower.

“And he spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow...

But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” - Matthew 13:3-89

Ground 4 – It’s All In The Heart

Finally we meet them at last, the elite group; the special group of hearts that didn’t just receive the word but kept it up to fruition.

I’ve always wondered about this group even as a child when I first heard the story in Sunday School. How are they different? They must really have something special about them. But when I grew up and studied Our Lord’s words myself, I saw that the secret to their success was not that complicated.

Let’s look at the 3 factors of being a “good ground” from the 3 synoptic gospels:

Factor 1: UNDERSTANDING

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it, (Mt 13: 23)

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understands, (Pr 4:7).

When we receive the word, we need to take time to know and comprehend that word: meditate over it, weigh the implications, etc.

In 1 chronicle 17 after God gave David a profound promise that David’s throne would last FOREVER! David didn’t jump out to go tell the  remaining members of Saul’s family the good (bad?) news.  

We see that he responded by taking the promise directly back to God (it originally came through a prophet); he "SAT DOWN" and talked to God about the details of that Promise he had just received. At a point he was even actually holding God to His words (vs. 25,26). 

Understanding the details of the promise is very important.

Factor 2 :ACCEPTANCE

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and RECEIVE it,  (Mk4: 20)

It’s not enough to comprehend what God has shown you; you must also acknowledge or accept it. In the Old Testament, when God gave a prophet a vision, He sometimes began with the phrase, “What do you see?” He said it 7 times – thrice to Jeremiah and twice each to Amos and Zechariah (Jer 1:11,13; 24:3; Am 7:8, 8:2, Zech 4:2, 5:2). Of course God knew what they were seeing, but He needed them to acknowledge it for the vision to be effective. 

When you get a vision, check to see if you actually BUY it, (that’s what receiving means). Without faith, it is impossible to please God . 

Do you know what it means to have a dynasty that lasts forever? (David)

Do you know what it means to have a baby as a virgin, and not just any baby but the Messiah? (Mary)

We read their stories and simply move on, but when God gives us our own FANTASTIC promise, we let it slip because we want to be “Realistic”.

Have you accepted the promise?

Factor 3: PATIENCE

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit WITH PATIENCE. (Lk 8:15)

The literal Greek rendition means “In patience”; as if that is where you put the seed in.

“There is no other way for real fruit to come. Mushrooms spring up overnight, but they are usually poisonous. The best fruits require time, cultivation, patience”. (A.T. Robertson)

Heb 6:12  That you be not slothful, but followers of them who THROUGH FAITH AND PATIENCE INHERIT THE PROMISES.

Heb 10:36  For you have need of PATIENCE, that, after you have done the will of God, YOU MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE.

Jas 1:4  But LET PATIENCE HAVE HER PERFECT WORK, that you may be perfect and entire, LACKING IN NOTHING.

Jas 5:7  Behold, THE FARMER waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has LONG PATIENCE for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

We'll close the series with these 2 verses:

But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their  wildest dreams.  Mk 4:20 (MSG).

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:5,6).

AMEN.

More Blessings Await you today, you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.

Greg Elkan

THE WORD FOR TODAY

A TALE OF FOUR GROUNDS (Part 3)

 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.” Mark 4:3 (easy-to-read).

Greetings Brethren.

We’re still on the Four Grounds in Jesus’ The Parable of the Sower.

 “And he spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow...

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold

Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” - Matthew 13:3-89

Ground 3 – A Believer Must Not Have More Than One ‘W’

No, we’re not talking about polygamy.

“The seed planted among thornbushes is another person who hears the WORD. But the WORRIES of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can't produce anything.  – Matthew 13:22 (GW)

This third group are the most spiritually advanced so far. They have received the word and have acknowledged it as from God. They have also allowed the word to take root in their heart. The seed, which is the word of God, has been embedded into their heart and any day now the fruit will pop out.

However, our Christian life is not lived in a vacuum, unfortunately.

Oh don’t we all yearn for the day when our personal ‘Quiet Time’ in the morning will be unending. We’ll be able to just sit solely at the Master’s feet, enjoying sweet fellowship and communion with our Saviour; talking to Him and Him talking to us; singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...

KNOCK! KNOCK! On the door...

(Sigh!) Alas, Reality calls.

There are bills to pay, children to feed, spouses to acknowledge, and if you’re a minister, scriptures to be study (ironic, innit?)

Yes, we live in a real world, and actually, that’s how God wants it. When the Christ was transfigured on the mount, (Lk 9:29-36), Peter asked that they made shelters and remained there; but Jesus was talking about going down to fulfil His destiny.

There’s nothing wrong with the things we do outside of the Prayer Closet. Practically, we must need spend more time outside of it than in.

Nevertheless, what our passage is talking about is what someone called, “An anxious and immoderate care of the things of this present life”.

Jesus laid great emphasis on His Sermon on the Mount about this type of worry; but before he talked about worry, He prefaced with:

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.  (Mat 6:24).

In the context of our parable, the application is simple: “you cannot have the Word (the seed) and Worry (the thorns ) at the same time”: A Believer Must Not Have More Than One ‘W’.

Let’s conclude today’s thoughts with

4 Things To Note About The Thorns:

1. THE THORNS WERE ALREADY THERE BEFORE THE WORD CAME

The Bible said, “He also that received seed AMONG THE THORNS” 

Thant means the land was not properly cleared and seeded.

2. THE BELIEVER ALLOWED THE THORNS TO GROW AS WELL AS THE WORD.

Jesus said, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?  (Mat 6:31)

Paul says, “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  (Phil. 4:6)

Peter says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.  (1 Pt 5:7)

Don’t allow the thorns to choke the word.

3. THE THORNS AND THE WORD ARE SIMILAR

Both require nourishment, or they will die out.

The thorn grows by worrying.

The word grows by meditation.

And as Pastor Rick Warren once pointed out, “IF YOU KNOW HOW TO WORRY, THEN YOU KNOW HOW TO MEDITATE”

Do you see it now? They both feed on the same thing. But thorns don’t need skills to be cultivated, just like you do not need discipline to worry: it comes naturally.  So, make more effort to consciously ponder on what God has said as opposed to all the waves of worry the devil throws at you.

4. THE THORNS, ALSO, DO NOT LIVE IN A VACUUM 

The thorns are there to choke the Word out. So anytime you catch yourself worrying, ask yourself, “What Word has God placed in my spirit that this ‘thorn’ is trying to choke out?”

That way, you’ll give the devil the unpleasant task of constantly reminding you that it’s time to meditate on God’s word.  

AMEN.

More Blessings Await you today, you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.

Greg Elkan

THE WORD FOR TODAY

A TALE OF FOUR GROUNDS (Part 2)

 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.” Mark 4:3 (easy-to-read).

Today, We’ll continue with our reflections on Jesus’s “The Parable of the Sower.”

 “And he spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow...

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and immediately they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away...

But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who has ears to hear, let him hear.” - Matthew 13:3-89

Yesterday, we found out that “Nothing Ever Happens at the Wayside”. The people in the second group of today will tell you that they are not that dumb. They’re cool, they’re hip. The word of God has come, and their hands are in the air. Oh yeah...

Ground 2 – “Let’s ROCK and Roll-on”

The members of this group are luckier than the first in that they hear and actually acknowledge the Word as being from God. God may have given them a revelation, or a man of God might have prophesied into their life, or their pastor may have proclaimed that they’d be living in THEIR OWN houses before the end of the year, etc. and they RECEIVE it.

They’re naturally excited, they believe and shout a loud “Amen!” to it.

The devil cannot steal it anymore, it has been acknowledge as from God.  Jesus says that they receive the word with joy, but (oops) they have NO ROOTS.

No foundation. No basis. No ground. The word ‘root’ signifies depth. Many people like shallow manifestations, the so-called believe-and-receive miracles. They’re ever too ready to affirm every (and sometimes contradictory) statement they hear from a pulpit.

Now let’s assume God Himself appears to them during their Quiet Time and says, “I’ll make you so prosperous that banks will start lending from you!” How do these group of people react? (Ground 1 people will probably say that “it thundered” (see John 12:29)); but this group will jump and run around the room in excitement that they have finally received a direct word from God. They’ll pray in tongues for one hour and then rush out – forgetting that they’ve not picked up anything from God, (not least the money itself).

They expect a check of 33 billion dollars to fall on their laps two days after the promise; (BTW, 30 billion is for the “lending”, the extra 3 billion is for the shopping list they drew up after the promise was given).

They have no instruction, they have no plan, they have no understanding of the character of the God that’s about to bless them, no comprehension of what He’s said in His word concerning prosperity, no appreciation of His purpose for their life and the resources to be endowed on them, no conception of the TIME PLAN, no NOTHING!

In short, they have “NO ROOTS”.

If God tells a young man that He’s going to make him stand before kings, that doesn’t mean the man should just stand there, smirking around like someone who’s in on some juicy secret. No, he’s supposed to get his acts together: include that statement in his daily Faith confessions, pray regularly about it to keep it in his head and to battle spiritual forces (that have already started planning how to oppose him), study to show himself approved, polish his language, read up on public speaking, etc.  (We probably all know of people who have stood before kings either literally or metaphorically who we see make a mess of the opportunity).

Our Lord explains what happened to the seed in this category:

“And what about the seed that fell on ROCKy ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and quickly and gladly ACCEPT it.

But they do not let the teaching go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. AS SOON AS TROUBLE OR PERSECUTION COMES BECAUSE OF THE TEACHING THEY ACCEPTED, THEY GIVE UP. – Matthew 13:20-21 (ERV)

Practically speaking, no bank will approach you for a loan if your net worth is less than 9-figures, in dollars. However, you should realize that, as long as that word is from God, the Devil will automatically start seeing you as a billionaire and will mount “BILLIONAIRE” type of attacks on you, (even if you’re penniless right now).

THINK ABOUT IT

Think about any specific promise that you received from God, either directly, through prophecy, ‘word of knowledge’, scriptural revelation, etc. Now think about how your life seems to be experiencing just the exact opposite.

Did God lie?

Was that man of God dubious?

Were you self-deluded?

Or is evidence that the Devil is fighting tooth and nail to stop that word from coming to pass?

Are you David, anointed to be king, yet now a renegade soldier?

Are you Moses, a prince of Egypt destined to deliver your people, yet finding yourself a fugitive from Pharaoh?

Or are you Jeremiah? Called to be a “Prophet to the nations”, yet you spend most of your time at the bottom of a dry well or in prison?

Don’t be a ROCKy Christian, don’t be OFFENDED, it’s just the World/Satan telling you they take that word from God to you seriously, (even if you don’t).

AMEN.

More Blessings Await you today, you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.

Greg Elkan