The Mongoose Project is a blog and online dialogue which focuses on strategies for victory in the life of the Spirit and covers elements of divine wisdom, strategies and spiritual warfare in this regard—particularly as related to victory over the Enemy.
This is not the kind of thing that I would particularly have wanted to undertake, but as I see so many of us “warriors” under attack and almost taken out of “the Race,” and myself having been battled so intensely, I think this focus is needed for those in the heat of the battle.
The attempt is to balanced here, yet forthright and accurate, yet without “hype” or inflammatory rhetoric in these regards.
Our Adversary is not our friend. We must approach him with the appropriate battlements. He is always approaching us; may we not be caught unawares.
Why A Mongoose?
“The Indian Mongoose (in particular, cf. Wikipedia) and others are popularly used to fight and kill venomous snakes, including cobras. They can do this because of their agility and cunning, and their thick coat.”
We are instructed to we “wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves” in one respect—yet like the mongoose which controls the snake population in some regard, we also are to “tread on serpents and scorpions” and have been given authority over all the power of the enemy.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Don't Be Taken Advantage Of
SATAN'S DEVICES
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices, 2CO 2:11.
The apostle Paul herein teaches a very important principle! COL 2:8 warns us, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men..." So where do we learn to know Satan's devises? God's Word teaches Satan's crafty beguiling trickery, and we are responsible to search Scripture, so "...we are not ignorant of his devices."
God's Word teaches the basic principles of detecting the devils methods of deceit and attack, and how we may combat him. We must never forget that the devil in GENESIS 3, is still the same devil today. He never changes, though he is now armed with centuries of practice. If he was able to lay his ambush before man in perfection, how much more now in man's maimed condition!
If Adam and Eve could not withstand Satan in their perfection, think how we need to "be strong in the Lord [Jesus Christ], and in the power of his might," who is our armour, to withstand Satan now, EPH 6:10-18.
Our study of Satan's designs must be two-fold: first how he draws us into sin, and secondly how he troubles us for the sin he has drawn us into.
First, how does he draw us into sin? How did he draw Eve there? He picked a suitable object with which to pose his temptation--the tree. As soon as Satan was able to engage Eve into a dialogue about his object of temptation, her eyes were fixed upon that tree with evil desires. Then she saw, "That the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise," GEN 3:6.
Before a man is drawn into sin, he must behold the object: and then when his heart embraces it, he becomes Satan's victim of that sin. Jesus said in MAT 5:28, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Satan's first device is to place mental objects before the minds eyes, and then focus his conversation, i.e., the thoughts and lusts of our hearts, around that object.
Oh, beloved, how often our hearts can be engaged in the holiest devotions while our souls are soaring aloft in the presence of our lovely Lord, enjoying a little heaven on earth when Satan raises his ugly head. In just such a time Satan will place some mental object before our minds eyes to derail our heavenly communion. Oh, how we wonder why such an object should interrupt such a blessed communion with our Lord; the devil has designed a scheme! That is one of his devises.
How must we come against such crafty devises? The great question is if you want to entertain him. Entertaining those thoughts is entering into a dialogue with the devil. JAM 4:7-8 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."
When Scripture speaks about our conversation, it means that which traffics our minds as well as that which proceeds from our mouth. JAM 3:13-18 says, "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, [i.e., by letting it traffic your mind], glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."
Whenever Satan strikes up such a conversation in our hearts through, "...bitter envying and strife;" the only escape is to stop entertaining this dialogue with the devil and turn our eyes unto our blessed Redeemer. "Forgive...it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." We must take our eyes off the object of Satan's devises and turn them unto the faith of Jesus Christ. As He hung upon the cross He said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do, LUK 23:34." Amen.
Thy purchased people, gracious Lamb,
Thou never canst forget;
The piercing nails have wrote their name
Upon thy hand and feet.
Satan, in vain, with rage assails
Thy dear peculiar ones;
For them thy righteousness avails;
For them thy blood atones.
Vainly against the sheep he strives,
And wars with the Most High;
Their glorious Head for ever lives,
Nor can his members die.
Jesus shall his elect avenge,
Nor from his own remove;
Nor cancel his decree, nor change
His everlasting love.
from gospelchapel.com
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices, 2CO 2:11.
The apostle Paul herein teaches a very important principle! COL 2:8 warns us, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men..." So where do we learn to know Satan's devises? God's Word teaches Satan's crafty beguiling trickery, and we are responsible to search Scripture, so "...we are not ignorant of his devices."
God's Word teaches the basic principles of detecting the devils methods of deceit and attack, and how we may combat him. We must never forget that the devil in GENESIS 3, is still the same devil today. He never changes, though he is now armed with centuries of practice. If he was able to lay his ambush before man in perfection, how much more now in man's maimed condition!
If Adam and Eve could not withstand Satan in their perfection, think how we need to "be strong in the Lord [Jesus Christ], and in the power of his might," who is our armour, to withstand Satan now, EPH 6:10-18.
Our study of Satan's designs must be two-fold: first how he draws us into sin, and secondly how he troubles us for the sin he has drawn us into.
First, how does he draw us into sin? How did he draw Eve there? He picked a suitable object with which to pose his temptation--the tree. As soon as Satan was able to engage Eve into a dialogue about his object of temptation, her eyes were fixed upon that tree with evil desires. Then she saw, "That the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise," GEN 3:6.
Before a man is drawn into sin, he must behold the object: and then when his heart embraces it, he becomes Satan's victim of that sin. Jesus said in MAT 5:28, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Satan's first device is to place mental objects before the minds eyes, and then focus his conversation, i.e., the thoughts and lusts of our hearts, around that object.
Oh, beloved, how often our hearts can be engaged in the holiest devotions while our souls are soaring aloft in the presence of our lovely Lord, enjoying a little heaven on earth when Satan raises his ugly head. In just such a time Satan will place some mental object before our minds eyes to derail our heavenly communion. Oh, how we wonder why such an object should interrupt such a blessed communion with our Lord; the devil has designed a scheme! That is one of his devises.
How must we come against such crafty devises? The great question is if you want to entertain him. Entertaining those thoughts is entering into a dialogue with the devil. JAM 4:7-8 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."
When Scripture speaks about our conversation, it means that which traffics our minds as well as that which proceeds from our mouth. JAM 3:13-18 says, "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, [i.e., by letting it traffic your mind], glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."
Whenever Satan strikes up such a conversation in our hearts through, "...bitter envying and strife;" the only escape is to stop entertaining this dialogue with the devil and turn our eyes unto our blessed Redeemer. "Forgive...it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." We must take our eyes off the object of Satan's devises and turn them unto the faith of Jesus Christ. As He hung upon the cross He said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do, LUK 23:34." Amen.
Thy purchased people, gracious Lamb,
Thou never canst forget;
The piercing nails have wrote their name
Upon thy hand and feet.
Satan, in vain, with rage assails
Thy dear peculiar ones;
For them thy righteousness avails;
For them thy blood atones.
Vainly against the sheep he strives,
And wars with the Most High;
Their glorious Head for ever lives,
Nor can his members die.
Jesus shall his elect avenge,
Nor from his own remove;
Nor cancel his decree, nor change
His everlasting love.
from gospelchapel.com
THE LOVE OF MANY WILL GROW COLD
A Prophetic Warning in a Message from Christine Darg
Follow Christine on Twitter
What is the distinguishing mark of a follower of Jesus?
LOVE-- "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13: 35)
Yet Jesus also warned us that an End-time sign would be the lack of love. In his Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:12, Yeshua foretold the pervasive attitude that's in the earth now,--"Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
The Revised Version renders this verse: "The love of THE many shall wax cold." And the New Revised is even more explicit, "MOST men's love will grow cold." The literal meaning is not just an indefinite number of "many," but "THE many," -- in other words, the majority of people will be cold and heartless.
Recently I've been mediating on the reason for lovelessness, "because iniquity shall abound." Why would the abundance of iniquity dampen love?
The word translated "iniquity" is "anomia," or "lawlessness." "Because iniquity -- anomia -- LAWLESSNESS -- shall abound, the love of THE MANY shall wax cold." When people no longer regard God's law, when they rebell against God's law and disregard God's ways, love goes out the window because of the tensions, chaos and pressures of lawlessness.
Suddenly there are fires to put out on every side-- our governments are in trouble; Israel is in constant danger; families are being beseiged; economies are tottering on the point of collapse; the weather is freakish. The birthpangs of Messiah are in the earth-- constant crises, spiralling tensions-- and thus we're in great temptation of absorbing all this stress.
In Matthew 24, the Lord not only warns us that the love of THE MANY will grow cold, but He also describes how the lack of love will manifest in His own household. He prophesied the state of his household at that time, when the Master returns. Jesus outlined three specific aspects of love growing cold among the brethren. Notice please that the people in his household are likened to a "wicked servant" when....
(1) They say, "My Lord delayeth his coming."
(2) They begin smiting their fellow-servants.
(3) They eat and drink with the drunken.
My friends, please be warned that these three wicked trends of the Lord's "evil servant" are to be guarded against in the last days! Let's examine them again:
(1) Are you saying, "My Lord delays his coming"? A distinguishing mark of a true believer, which is increasingly mocked by the world and by members of the Church, is a "Rapture Ready" attitude and joyful anticipation of the Lord's coming at any moment--Maranatha! I've noticed that many believers who used to say they were looking forward to the Rapture seem to be "stuck in" and comfortable with this world and even say they want to live through the Tribulation for various and sundry reasons. It has become a popular viewpoint among many evangelicals not to believe in the Rapture, to argue that the Lord's coming will be delayed. Surely this in itself is one of the most striking signs of the end!
(2) "And shall begin to smite his fellowservants." Love is to be our distinguishing mark, yet I notice that many professing believers are becoming increasingly bitter, harsh, petty, critical, touchy, childish, accusative, abusive, sharp in their remarks, rejoicing when someone falls, backstabbing, hateful, spiteful. Yet the Lord said the world will know we are His disciples if we love one another! Messiah's brethren are to be the world's most big-hearted people-- nothing should offend us. Are you worn down by coping with bitter, ugly-spirited "believers" who are absolute drains? Or are you behaving in this manner? We need to examine our attitudes.
(3) "And to eat and drink with the drunken." This speaks of loving the world and becoming intoxicated, stupefied, with this world. In many nations we have so much prosperity that this is a very real and present danger and a temptation to become lazy, "evil servants."
Indeed, the Lord Himself finishes this discourse in Matthew 24: 50-51, with a warning: "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Beloved, "Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching."
Lord, help us to return to our first Love and truly to love one another in these difficult days of lawlessness!
Follow Christine on Twitter
What is the distinguishing mark of a follower of Jesus?
LOVE-- "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13: 35)
Yet Jesus also warned us that an End-time sign would be the lack of love. In his Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:12, Yeshua foretold the pervasive attitude that's in the earth now,--"Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
The Revised Version renders this verse: "The love of THE many shall wax cold." And the New Revised is even more explicit, "MOST men's love will grow cold." The literal meaning is not just an indefinite number of "many," but "THE many," -- in other words, the majority of people will be cold and heartless.
Recently I've been mediating on the reason for lovelessness, "because iniquity shall abound." Why would the abundance of iniquity dampen love?
The word translated "iniquity" is "anomia," or "lawlessness." "Because iniquity -- anomia -- LAWLESSNESS -- shall abound, the love of THE MANY shall wax cold." When people no longer regard God's law, when they rebell against God's law and disregard God's ways, love goes out the window because of the tensions, chaos and pressures of lawlessness.
Suddenly there are fires to put out on every side-- our governments are in trouble; Israel is in constant danger; families are being beseiged; economies are tottering on the point of collapse; the weather is freakish. The birthpangs of Messiah are in the earth-- constant crises, spiralling tensions-- and thus we're in great temptation of absorbing all this stress.
In Matthew 24, the Lord not only warns us that the love of THE MANY will grow cold, but He also describes how the lack of love will manifest in His own household. He prophesied the state of his household at that time, when the Master returns. Jesus outlined three specific aspects of love growing cold among the brethren. Notice please that the people in his household are likened to a "wicked servant" when....
(1) They say, "My Lord delayeth his coming."
(2) They begin smiting their fellow-servants.
(3) They eat and drink with the drunken.
My friends, please be warned that these three wicked trends of the Lord's "evil servant" are to be guarded against in the last days! Let's examine them again:
(1) Are you saying, "My Lord delays his coming"? A distinguishing mark of a true believer, which is increasingly mocked by the world and by members of the Church, is a "Rapture Ready" attitude and joyful anticipation of the Lord's coming at any moment--Maranatha! I've noticed that many believers who used to say they were looking forward to the Rapture seem to be "stuck in" and comfortable with this world and even say they want to live through the Tribulation for various and sundry reasons. It has become a popular viewpoint among many evangelicals not to believe in the Rapture, to argue that the Lord's coming will be delayed. Surely this in itself is one of the most striking signs of the end!
(2) "And shall begin to smite his fellowservants." Love is to be our distinguishing mark, yet I notice that many professing believers are becoming increasingly bitter, harsh, petty, critical, touchy, childish, accusative, abusive, sharp in their remarks, rejoicing when someone falls, backstabbing, hateful, spiteful. Yet the Lord said the world will know we are His disciples if we love one another! Messiah's brethren are to be the world's most big-hearted people-- nothing should offend us. Are you worn down by coping with bitter, ugly-spirited "believers" who are absolute drains? Or are you behaving in this manner? We need to examine our attitudes.
(3) "And to eat and drink with the drunken." This speaks of loving the world and becoming intoxicated, stupefied, with this world. In many nations we have so much prosperity that this is a very real and present danger and a temptation to become lazy, "evil servants."
Indeed, the Lord Himself finishes this discourse in Matthew 24: 50-51, with a warning: "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Beloved, "Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching."
Lord, help us to return to our first Love and truly to love one another in these difficult days of lawlessness!
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