Satan & Evil

Introduction:

Q+A - Answering YOUR questions>>

Doubt, Heaven, Joy, Bitterness, Glory, Fasting++

Enjoy personalizing to your circum. & needs… great part of planning (w HS)

Hope I can give you helpful look at HOW to study Bible as we go…

SO IMPORT. to cont. on your own!

Secret Bible-nerdy wish—2min prep, 5min message

LOTS Of script. today > warned!

Q#01: Why did Jesus curse the fig tree? What is the meaning behind it?

Fairly confusing on first read. Set it up, read txt, explain…

CONTEXT: Mk places this at tail of Trium. Entry!

Jesus honor’d, glori’d, prais’d as Son of Dav, Serv’t of YH; heavens praise!

Getting late; stayed w/ Laz, Mary, +Martha in Bethany TXT SAYS >

Mark 11:12–14 “The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry…

Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.”

Some Q’s : JC seems ticked! Why? Not the season… wasn’t fig-time! What’s going on?

Before we get to some those REAL Q’s, more to the story!

CONTEXT:

Our fig tree narrative breaks for… Jesus cleansing the temple in Jerusalem! (Mk 11:15-18.)

Jesus leaves the tree… heads into temple to whip some ppl, interrupt, sacr., yells, flips tables!

BTW, intentional proph. move on his part. Not out of control. (Lk: ppl came to him for ministry; Mk: ppl amazed)

Bc this story is the bread in this narr. sandwhich, also very important!!

Continue reading w/ vv.19 >>

Mark 11:19–21 “When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!””

Allright. Miraculous! That cleared everything up for you, right??

Maybe help: Israel is compared to fig tree mult. times in OT!

Ok, how ‘bout this fun >>

Fact: Fig trees only have leaves when fruit is growing. By the tree’s appearance, there should have been fruit on it!

See, JC was hungry, trusted the tree’s productivity based on its looks.

However, looks were deceiving and there was no growth, fruit, production…

“OK.… so how does that relate to the cleansing of temple??”

The priesthood & temple had a healthy outward appearance, but would ultimately be judged for their fruitlessness.

God’s servants were ‘just going through the motions’. Echoing many proph’c judg’ts over years, leaders of Isr. were more conc. with things other than YH; just doing what they were doing.

Sidenote: the word used for season here is ‘kairos’ or “appointed time”. Different word for harvest time or ripen time

Jesus’s arrival was the ordained time; the prophetic completion moment.

Like so many of Jesus’ parables, the workers of the temple missed the moment bc their eyes and hearts were not ready.

JC taught & revealed truth for 3+ yrs; still chose to reject/rebell against YH’s plan.

It’s way too easy to be a hypocrite today. May we repent and turn while we have breath in our lungs!

Before his arrest, Jesus even refers to the same temple officials as satan’s minions:

Luke 22:53 “This [arrest] is your hour—when darkness reigns.”” -Jesus

May we not be found working on satan’s side…

Speaking of the prince of darkness, I want to answer two Q’s today about >>

The Satan & Evil

Q#10: Where in the Bible does it say that Satan fell from heaven with 1/3 of the angels?

Heard this misconception all my life; spent most of life believing it. I am not alone!

Read to you basis of this idea - found in only 1 place Bible - listen carefully to timing issues.

Revelation 12:1–5 “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.”

Told you to listen carefully. Here are 3 things of note:

1. The child is clearly Jesus (Psalm 2). The woman is, there4 Israel. Dragon is Satan (clarified later)

This satanic confrontation does NOT take place in primordial pre-creation time - but at the incarnation.

3. No mention of the 1/3 ‘stars’/angels being corrupted; rather, defeated.

thrown to earth in BATTLE.

Ezekiel 28:11-18 paints a poetic picture of the fall of the original rebel, but instead places him IN Eden and, therefore, after the Creation week.

Ezekiel 28:11b–18 “…You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.… You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.”

The satan was not the only elohim to rebel against YhWH, but he was the first.

After the serpent in Eden, next spiritual rebels we see are ‘Sons of God’ in Gen 6.

Did the satan lead them to rebel? Probably, but text is silent on it.

Half of OT spent detailing the eradication of spir’l evil propagated by those Sons of God.

There is no biblical evidence for a numeric value (1/3) - or a description of his leading a rebellion.

Another question I received was this, >>

Q#02a: Why is Satan allowed time to exist and work against God?

Tough question. Difficult to ans. satisfactorily

A Q can’t fully understand, lest he speak dir. Not until glory…

Ultimately, the reason involves Free Will. “What is your choice?” Deuteronomy 30:19

In order to have perfect will, must have freedom! Comes with risk… ‘reckless’

Awesome: don’t want to be forced to love! Slave (chained up…?)

Not-awesome: God gave spiritual and human rulers ability to choose; can choose way of death!

The satan was once a SB who chose selfishness (death) over God’s Way and has comit’d life to get’g whole world to do same!

As spokesperson for YH, Moses set b4 ppl a choice; one similar to the first couple’s choice.

Deuteronomy 30:19 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”

Apost. Peter gives us this comforting reminder in his second letter…

2 Peter 3:8–9 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

1. God’s vantage pt. & His work are beyond our own…

2. His goal is to save as many as say ‘yes’, no matter how long it takes.

3. Remember: Will be a day when the satan’s scheming is NO MORE! Until then, admon’d to stay strong & let Jesus bring peace.

Q#02b: Why does ‘good’ always seem to be the underdog?

Worldly Influence

1 John 5:19 “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

The sin nature that’s in us so easily takes over our words & actions — takes WORK & grace to resist!

Work is challenging. Grace is free!

If we’re not staying true to JC, spending time with Him, ‘abiding (John)’, we’ll coast into gutter!

Matthew 7:13–14 ““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The easier-to-access path is worldliness.

There are SO many ways to be wicked; only ONE way to pursue good.

Worldly Opposition

2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”

Whether that’s persec. from the ENEMY or other humans, living like X comes with a cost assoc.!

Your enemy wants nothing more than to dissuade you from doing right: coming to church; 4giv. enemy; stand for justice; pursue peace in fam. (not dismiss or obsess, but correct), etc!

There is a spiritual enemy who opposes your doing right!

And we need reminders & maintenance!

I think, rather than ‘always the underdog’, it comes down to perspective. Here’s a solution >>

Fix your Eyes on Hope

If all you are seeing is evil getting the upper hand, you are choosing to only see the bad.

May be a sign of a difficult season; depression??

Thru any of those options…

Jesus is our Living Hope

The proof for the confidence we can have in this light is STILL alive!

Our patient hope for a bless’d future isn’t wishy-washy or naive… HE’s alive & powerful!

1 Peter 1:3–4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,”

This promise of new life is not affected by anything on earth: sealed in heaven.

“If salvation is not gained by moral perfection, then it cannot be lost by moral imperfection” -Dr.MSH

AP gives us a similar promise concerning X.

Romans 8:37–39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus gives us these promises — not that trial or difficulty or injustice wouldn’t happen in this world, but…

Matthew 28:18b, 20 “Then Jesus…said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me… 20 Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

Great promises given thruout his life & sealed by his death/res are that he’s always with you, Xian!

As long as time winds on, Jesus will never leave you.

Salvation Call…

As a follower of Jesus, we should >>

Take a Stand Against Darkness

Leave you with a personal charge & public one…

Sus out & Reinforce areas of Hypocrisy for Good!

Like the fig tree/temple from our opening… don’t put out healthy leaves to hid the lack of fruit inside

Find some1 2b real with; open up abt struggles; receive help

Talk to therapist/counselor! or your pastor! —confidential, private, important!

Implement strategies & blockades against repeat failures.

Counselor/Pastor can help you create plan

Pray pray pray pray! Read scripture! Worship Him in praise…

2. Use your Voice & your Prayers to Thwart Wickedness

John the revelator describes the victory over the satan’s systems:

Revelation 12:11 “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Blood of the lamb = salvation xp

Word of testimony = talking to others about what JC has done in you!

Pushes back (or makes fester) forces of evil!

Love Jesus more than your life!

Give him your everything… financ.; schedule; time; convers.;

As you and a pastor or friend or spouse discuss & figure out how to make changes & honor JC, begin to produce true frut — salv, peace, hope, etc.!

HE provides them; we walk in obed. in the fruit.