Understanding The Root Of Your Child’s Misbehavior
Often, children act out because they are used to getting attention through bad behavior. Dr. Kevin Leman offers advice to help parents transform their childs behavior. He discusses the benefits of allowing your kids to learn from real-life consequences and describes the importance of understanding your childs temperament based on his birth order.
Does God Love Satan
She was persistent. Hung around. Waited after the service was over. And then she asked, Does God love Satan?
Almost 40 years serving Jesus and his wonderful people, but never heard that one.Its a good question, one of those enigmatic inquiries that demands more than an elevator reply.
When I asked a ministry colleague this morning the same question, there came a quick No. But then, a pause. Well and some uncertainty persisted.
My answer goes something like this. Scripture tells us that everything that God created was good, in fact very good. Elsewhere we are told that Gods mercy is over all that He has made
When God the Son brought all created things into being , included was the company of angelic beings. Biblical interpreters suggest that the prophet Isaiah, in describing the Satan inspired and empowered King of Babylon, also spoke about the creation and fall of an angelic being named the Day Star, Son of the Dawn . The designation Lucifer comes from the Latin of those names. If Isaiahs description of the King of Babylons heart attitude was a recapitulation of what went on in Lucifers angelic heart, this beautiful angel sinned against God and was cast out of Gods presence.
Quite a question, no doubt coming from a heart that heard on Sunday that no one can be too far away from God but that God wont hear and respond. Unfortunately, the evil opposer, Satan, is unredeemable, according to Scripture.
Loving Your Spouse Through The Seasons Of Marriage
Debra Fileta has identified the four seasons of marriage that correspond with our natural seasons spring , summer , fall , and winter . In this interview, she will help couples better understand the four seasons of healthy relationships, what to expect during each one, and how to carefully navigate them for a stronger marriage.
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What The Devil Prince Of Darkness Is Misunderstood Says Ucla Professor
He’s not the enemy of God, his name really isn’t Lucifer and he isn’t even evil. And as far as leading Adam and Eve astray, that was a bad rap stemming from a case of mistaken identity.
“There’s little or no evidence in the Bible for most of the characteristics and deeds commonly attributed to Satan,” insists a UCLA professor with four decades in what he describes as “the devil business.”
In “Satan: A Biography” , Henry Ansgar Kelly puts forth the most comprehensive case ever made for sympathy for the devil, arguing that the Bible actually provides a kinder, gentler version of the infamous antagonist than typically thought.
“A strict reading of the Bible shows Satan to be less like Darth Vader and more and more like an overzealous prosecutor,” said Kelly, a UCLA professor emeritus of English and the former director of the university’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. “He’s not so much the proud and angry figure who turns away from God as a Joseph McCarthy or J. Edgar Hoover. Satan’s basic intention is to uncover wrongdoing and treachery, however overzealous and unscrupulous the means. But he’s still part of God’s administration.”
The view runs in opposition to the beliefs held by many Christians and others about key religious concepts like original sin and the nature of good and evil.
“It was at that time that I started my campaign to rehabilitate the devil to deliver him from evil, as it were,” Kelly said.
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Etymology Of The Devil
Lets first start off with understanding this entity by looking at the etymology of the word devil. In looking at the origin of the word, we can break it into its Greek origin diaballein which further breaks down into dia meaning across, and bellein which means to throw. All in all, it means to slander, attack, or to throw across. This Greek word eventually evolved into the word diabolos which means accuser or slanderer as well.
This is important to keep in mind because names typically have a meaning and hence a purpose. This is something we can see further within the Bible as we examine his origin, characteristics, and overall duty.
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What Do Demons Do
Jumping back to Johns description of the dragon in Revelation 12 who threw a third of the stars of heaven to earth, we recall that these stars are fallen angels who chose to submit to Satans rule rather than Gods. Prior to their fall, the fallen angels would have shared all the common characteristics of Gods faithful angels however, upon joining Satans rebel army, demons perverted their created purpose. They knew God as their Creator, but they defied His authority. They were given boundaries, but they did not keep their proper domain. They were ordained to be Gods messengers, but they chose to obstruct His message instead. Equipped with our investigation of faithful angels, let us seek to understand the dark world of demons and their efforts to intervene in the affairs of mankind.
Within the world of demons, there are two categories. Ill refer to them as fallen and imprisoned and fallen and free.
Lucifers Fall From Heaven
The Bible gives us this information about the devil before his fall
- Named Lucifer, which means star of the morning
- Held a high-ranking position in the angelic host
- Had exquisite beauty and great wisdom
- Given a position of great power and influence
You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of GodYou 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, O 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 earth I made a spectacle of you before kings .
Cherubim are depicted in Scripture as powerful and majestic angelic creatures who surround Gods throne. And Lucifer had once been a guardian cherub. Ironically, after Adam and Eve succumbed to the devils temptations, disobeyed God, and were expelled from Eden, God sent cherubim to guard Eden .
Since Lucifer had been the model of perfection, what sort of sin led to his fall? His heart became proud because of his incredible beauty. Lucifer allowed his perfection to be the cause of his corruption.
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Bible Verses About Satan As Deceiver
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed after these things he must be released for a short time.
that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lieI will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
The Master Of Disguise
Satan is a master of disguise and that there are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ but even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. so not everyone that stands behind a pulpit is a minister of God. They might appear as an angel of light but their message is one of darkness for they never preach about the blood of the Lamb, the need for repentance, living in holiness, sanctification, fleeing sexual immorality, confession of sin, and other such essentials of the faith. The angel of light ministers preach another gospel that God wants you to be happy, prosperous, and healthy but that is rarely the case for the Christian because Jesus said that we must 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 so the mega churches that have the masses or the many, may be headed down the wrong path the path that leads to destruction.
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Paradise Lost: The Devil As An Adonis
Many modern audiences are used to seeing Satan as a chiseled, handsome man, such as in the 2016 Netflix series “Lucifer”. This incarnation of the devil first appeared in the 17th century. In 1667, John Milton published his epic poem “Paradise Lost,” which tells the story of Satan’s expulsion from heaven and his temptation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. According to Nancy Rosenfield’s book “The Human Satan in Seventeenth-Century Literature” , Milton shows Satan as “a heroic military leader,” who is “the most attractive of the satanic characters of 17th century literature.”
In the 18th and early 19th century, there was a revival of interest in “Paradise Lost.” Artist William Blake found Milton’s character of Satan so compelling that he produced several illustrations to accompany a version of “Paradise Lost” in which a nude Satan is shown as a handsome, god-like figure, with entirely human features.
Masquerading As Servants Of Christ
The devil had an attitude of wanting to be like God and hence made him copy certain things that God did such as performing signs, miracles, and wonders as an example. This is a concern to have because if we ourselves are not equipped with Gods Word as a standard to distinguish which words and actions come from Him, then we can easily be deceived by the devil himself.
As stated in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, the devil disguises himself as an angel of light. This is why when he deceives, it may not be that easy to recognize him and his works through people who belong to him. They make themselves seem like servants of righteousness instead. Its not the picture we may have originally envisioned compared to the beginning in thinking about his appearance.
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Mr And Mrs Guy And Amber Lia And Mrs Jean Daly
Amber Lia is a work-at-home mom, blogger, public speaker, and co-author of two best-selling books. Her husband, Guy, is a former TV, feature film, and VFX development and production executive who has worked on popular TV shows and films. Guy and Amber own Storehouse Media Group, a faith- and family-friendly TV and film production company based in Los Angeles,
The New Answers Book 2
People complain about The New Answers Book. They say that its so good at giving short, substantive answers that they want more. Well, we listened! In The New Answers Book 2 youll find 31 more great answers to big questions for the Christian life. Many view the original New Answers Book as an essential tool for modern discipleship. Both of these books answer such questions as: Can natural processes explain the origin of life? Can creationists be real scientists? Where did Cain get his wife? Is evolution a religion? and more!
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Sharing Your Faith With Grace And Purpose
You can confidently and lovingly share your faithyou just need to learn some new tactics to do so! In this Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast, apologist Greg Koukl outlines the Columbo tactic of asking questions, the self-defeating argument tactic to find holes in your opponents arguments, and other specific methods for engaging in faith-building conversations with others. Greg pulls from his over 30 years of experience debating atheists and agnostics to help you share your faith with grace and truth.
The Devils Work Today
Its a pretty gruesome thing to process in understanding a little better how the devil carries out his work let alone what he really looks like according to the Bible. The thing is, this still affects us today because as we even see in the book of Revelation such as Revelation 12:9 or Revelation 20:2 for example, we see that the spirit of the devil still exists and leads the whole world astray. God will ultimately reign and defeat the devil, but we need to ask ourselves whether we will remain as part of the world led astray or those who will not.
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Who Is Satan In The Bible
The name Satan means adversary in Hebrew. There is only one passage in the Bible where the name is translated to Lucifer, which in Latin means light bringer and that is in Isaiah 14. He is known as the god of this age, prince of this world, and the father of lies.
He is a created being. He is not the equal opposite of God or Christ. He was a created angel, whose sin of pride warranted his being cast down from heaven. He fell, as did the angels who followed him into rebellion.
1. Job 1:7 The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the Lord, From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.
2. Daniel 8:10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them.
3. Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
4. John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
5. John 14:30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
6. John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
God Did Not Create The Devil As We Know Him
When God created the world, we are told that God examined it and declared that it was good . This means that even the angelic world did not have evil angels or demons in it at that time. But by the time of Genesis chapter three, we find that Satan, in the form of a serpent, was tempting Eve to sin. Therefore, sometime between the events of Genesis chapter one and Genesis chapter three, there must have been a rebellion in the angelic world, with many angels turning against God and becoming evil. This rebellion was led by Satan himself.
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What Satan And Demons Look Like
So Satan is a cherub angel. What do cherubs look like? If you could actually see an angel, they would frighten you. They are not the chubby little angelic and winged baby-looking creatures you see pictured so often. In fact, not all angels have wings. But a cherub, in particular Satan, could be enormous in size, power, and strength however Satan is likely the most powerful of all beings that God has ever created in the universe. Some angels had wing spans of 8 feet long and under each of their four wings there were what looked like the hands of a man . Satan is probably no exception. The angels Ezekiel saw not only had four wings but they also had four faces ! Imagine how frightened Ezekiel was when he was recording this in Ezekiel chapter ten.
The Fall Of Lucifer In The Bible
What is the rationale for the conclusion that these latter verses refer to the fall of Lucifer? Whereas the first ten verses in this chapter speak about the ruler of Tyre , the discussion moves to the king of Tyre starting in verse 11. Many scholars believe that though there was a human ruler of Tyre, the real king of Tyre was Satan, for it was he who was ultimately at work in this anti-God city and it was he who worked through the human ruler of the city.
Some have suggested that these verses may actually be dealing with a human king of Tyre who was empowered by Satan. Perhaps the historic king of Tyre was a tool of Satan, possibly even indwelt by him. In describing this king, Ezekiel also gives us glimpses of the superhuman creature, Satan, who was using, if not indwelling, him.
Now, there are things that are true of this king thatat least ultimatelycan not be said to be true of human beings. For example, the king is portrayed as having a different nature from man he had a different position from man he was in a different realm from man he received a different judgment from man and the superlatives used to describe him dont seem to fit that of a normal human being .
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