"He (the evil one) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the
truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native
language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44 NIV)
"I
(Jesus) am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6-7 NIV)
"The thief (the evil one) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus)
have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10 NIV)
We were totally oblivious to what was going on in the skies as we enjoyed the
Christmas festivities in Queenstown, but unbeknownst to us, a passenger on
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 tried to set off plastic explosives that had been
sewn into his underwear! (Who in their mind would like plastic in their
underwear! Yuck!!!)
We heard about the attempted attack a few days later, but we didn't think
anything of it. It wasn't until it was time to confirm our return flight that we
realized what kind of havoc this man had created to the travel industry!
When I called to confirm our flight home for January 2, the airline agent
brought me grim news: I could only take one carry-on item, and this filled with
only my most dire necessities. I was told in no uncertain terms that I could
bring neither my camera nor my medical equipment on the plane. His reasoning was
quite convincing: "Life is more important than cameras and medical equipment!"
To me, the news seemed like I had just been hit by a semi-truck! My medical and
photography equipment would not stand up to the jostling it would take in my
suitcases, and once back home, both would have to be replaced. This trip would
end up being a lot more expensive than expected!
I prayed for guidance, and I was immediately convicted to check the website for
Homeland Security. Here I discovered that it was true I could only bring one
carry-on with me with only the bare necessities, however it was also recommended
that cameras and medical equipment be brought as carry-ons as well! I had been
ill-advised by an agent who had made his OWN interpretation of the law!
The same is true with our fight with sin. We are being lied to! And what is even
worse is that we believe these lies, especially the ones we've been drawn into
in the past! All of our unhealthy obsessions and addictions will dominate us for
the rest of our lives if we don't see them for what they truly are: lies!
We face a choice each time we are tempted: to either give in or resist. "For in
my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a
prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." (Rom 7:22-23 NIV)
But do we notice how enticing these temptations are? Do we perceive how they
make us trembling to the core of our being as if we cannot live without them and
there is no way we will be able to resist them?
It's all a lie, because they originate from the father of lies, the evil one
himself (See the quote from above John 8:44).
"Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus
Christ our Lord!" (Rom 7:24-25 NIV)
Just like those who condemned Jesus to the cross, we are being deceived!
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34
NIV) What we are not aware of is that this battle is not about whether we give
in or not, but about who we believe! This battle is a battle of faith! Do we
give in, believing the evil one?
But if what he entices us with is true, why do we feel so miserable after giving
in? Were we really created to feel miserable?
But how can we survive without giving in?
That my friend, we will never know until we resist the evil one and start
believing the One "who will rescue me from this body of death." After that first
victory, we will realize that it was all a deception, a lie direct from hell. We
can live without this obsession. We can live without this constant defeat!
It's time we take our stand and put our money where our mouth is. Either we
believe in Jesus as the truth (John 14:6), or we believe in our hauntingly dire
circumstances! It's all a question of faith! Who do we put our faith in?
"We live by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor 5:7 NIV)
"The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20-21 NIV)
"The righteous will live by faith." (Gal 3:11 NIV)
But once we experience sweet victory, let's not think that the evil one will
leave us alone (See Luke 4:13: "He (the evil one) left him (Jesus) until an
opportune time." NIV) Instead of focusing on the problem, we need to start
focusing on the solution: Jesus the Christ, as He is the One "who will rescue me
from this body of death".
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition
from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your
struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your
blood." (Heb 12:2-4 NIV)
It's all a question of faith! Victory is obtained only by faith! Who do we
really believe in?
P. S. My camera, its lenses and my medical equipment, all arrived safely home.
Why? Because I decided to put my faith not in the airline agent, but in the
instructions given by Homeland Security.
We can check Heaven's Homeland Security guidelines as well. They are all clearly
indicated in God's Word, the Bible. After all, weren't we created with eternity
in mind?
Have a nice flight, and I'll meet you all beside the Tree of Life!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.