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What Is The Existence, Nature, Character, Work And Destiny Of The Devil – Spiritual Reading

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What Is The Existence, Nature, Character, Work And Destiny Of The Devil – Spiritual Reading.

1 John 3:8: “The Devil Sinneth.” The Bible doctrine concerning the Devil, his Existence, Nature, Character, Work and Destiny is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith, and is of vital importance. The teaching of the Bible on this subject is not a mere matter of theory or dogma. It is a matter of most practical every day importance.

Experience shows that if men are in error in regard to this subject, they are pretty sure to be in error on other questions that are fundamental. When men and women begin to question the existence of a personal Devil it is pretty sure that before long they will be questioning a good many other things regarding which a true child of God should have no questions. Doubt of the existence of a personal Devil is widespread to-day.

Many preachers in supposedly orthodox pulpits do not hesitate to say, “I do not believe in the existence of a personal Devil.” Denial of the existence of a personal Devil is one of the main points in the system which is so widespread to-day, and which is doing so much evil, that with considerable reason it has been called “The Devil’s Masterpiece”—Christian Science.

A well-known and popular pastor in this city some months ago proclaimed to his people that he was going to preach to them a gospel “without an atonement of blood, without an infallible Bible, without hell, and without a personal Devil.” If he does preach to them a system of doctrine without any of these he will preach some other system of doctrine than that which is contained in the book, which our Lord Jesus Christ has endorsed as the Word of God, i.e., the Bible.

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 

1 John 3:8

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 

John 8:44

Excerpt From – The Fundamental Doctrines Of The Christian Faith By Reuben Archer Torrey.

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What The Devil Does – How He Work’s And Manifest’s – Spiritual Reading

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What The Devil Does – How He Work’s And Manifest’s – Spiritual Reading.

 The Work of the Devil.

In the first place we are taught that the Devil tempts men to sin. We have a most striking illustration of this in his temptation of our Lord. We have in the Bible three accounts of this temptation.

We will look at Matthew’s account. Matt. 4:1-9: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (2) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. (3) And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the son of God, command that these stones become bread. (4) But he answered and said, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (5) Then the devil taketh him into the Holy City; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple. (6) And saith unto Him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, on their hands they shall bear thee up, lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. (7) Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, thou shalt not make trial of [the Lord thy God. (8) Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; (9) And He said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” 

Of course we have not time this morning to go into the whole question of our Lord’s temptation, but this much is certainly plain, that the Devil is represented as the tempter, tempting our Lord. If there is no personal Devil, as so many would have us believe, or if he is not the tempter, there would be absolutely no reason for bringing him into this account.

As the Devil tempted our Lord, so he tempts us to-day. And it is to be noticed that he does not tempt us merely to gross animal lusts and vile sins, but with subtle spiritual temptations, and above all he tempts us to doubt God’s Word.

It was with this form of temptation that he first assaulted our Lord. God had just said to the Lord Jesus at His baptism, “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22), and Satan came insinuating doubt of God’s Word by beginning his temptation with these words: “If thou art the Son of God,” and again further down in the temptation, he repeats the doubt, saying to the Lord Jesus again: “If thou art the Son of God.” 

In just the same way Satan began his assault upon Eve in the Garden of Eden, by insinuating a doubt of God’s Word and of God’s goodness. He began by saying: “Yea, hath God said. . . .?” (Gen. 3:2), and further on when Eve stated exactly what God had said, the Devil flatly contradicted and said: “Ye shall not surely die”(literally, Dying, thou shalt not die) when God had said: “Thou shalt surely die” (Dying, thou shalt die).

This is Satan’s favourite method of attack to-day. He gets us to doubt God’s Word. Satan’s most effective mode of work is by leading men into doubt and into error on fundamental points. The saloons and the gambling hells and the brothels are not the chief spheres of Satan’s activities, but the schools and colleges and theological seminaries where he is inducing men and women, and callow youths and maidens, to doubt the truth of God’s Word, and to reject the fundamental truths of God’s word and accept Satan’s errors in their place. Satan knows well; that, if he can get men to doubting God’s Word, it is easy to lead them into the vilest sins. False doctrine has been a more prolific source of the vilest sins than even the saloons.

But Satan not merely tempts men to sin by insinuating doubts of God’s Word, he also has his synagogues and ministers among men to do his work. Turn to Rev. 3:9: “Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” 

What I wish you to notice here are the words, “The synagogue of Satan.” In this case it was a Jewish synagogue, but now-a-days, it is often a so-called Christian church. In II Cor. 11:14, 15 we have an even more remarkable passage: “For even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. (15) It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 

Here we are told that Satan has his ministers. They do not advertise themselves as ministers of Satan, oftentimes they are not even conscious that they are; but they put themselves forward as “ministers of righteousness.” They advocate “ethical culture,” a system of salvation without atoning blood.

They are frequently men of very attractive personality and great intellectual brilliance and ability, but they are doing the Devil’s work. Satan is never so dangerous as when he “Fashioneth himself into an angel of light,” and no other ministers of his are so dangerous as the men and women of attractive personality and brilliant intellectual gifts who are undermining the faith of God’s children, or who are teaching various forms of seductive and alluring error, “Christian Science,” “New Thought,” “Theosophy,” “Occultism” (Spiritualism), and all that species of cults.

We have not time to speak here of Satan’s work as the author of sickness (Acts 10:38; Luke 13:16), and as the one who has the power of death (Heb. 2:14).

But we must also speak of another work of the Devil. It is set forth in II Cor. 4:3, 4, R. V.: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God should not dawn upon them.” 

We read here that it is the work of Satan to blind the minds of unbelievers in order “That the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.” It is evident then that the Devil is the author of false views, especially false views of the person of Christ. He is the author of Unitarianism, and the denial of the Deity of our Lord in all its forms. He so blinds the minds of men who submit to his blinding that the Divine “Glory of Christ,” “who is the very image of God,” is hidden from them.

This explains why it is that Unitarianism in all its various forms persists even after its folly has been so often exposed. Satan’s work along this line is to culminate at the appearing of the Anti-Christ, “Even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power, and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (II Thess. 2:9, 10, R. V.)

Excerpt From – The Fundamental Doctrines Of The Christian Faith By Reuben Archer Torrey. 

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A Tender Heart Is A Wakeful, Watchful Heart – Love, Family, And Relationship Quotes – John Bunyan

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A Tender Heart Is A Wakeful, Watchful Heart – Love, Family, And Relationship Quotes – John Bunyan.

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” 

– John Bunyan

“His love is what makes us live, love, sing, and praise forever.” 

– John Bunyan

“In times of affliction we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God.” 

– John Bunyan

“Love is the beauty and the strength of all societies and the great pleasure of our lives on earth.” 

– John Bunyan

“The heart, when broken, is like sweet gums and spices when beaten; for as such cast their fragrant scent into the nostrils of men, so the heart, when broken, casts its sweet smell into the nostrils of God.” 

– John Bunyan

“Hope has a thick skin and will endure many a blow; it will put on patience as a vestment and will endure all things (if they be of the right kind) for the joy that is set before it. Hence patience is called patience of hope,’ because it is hope that makes the soul exercise long-suffering under the cross until the time comes to enjoy the crown!” 

– John Bunyan

“I am content with what I have, little be it, or much.” 

– John Bunyan

“If we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a golden slipper on a gouty foot.”

 – John Bunyan

“Hope is never ill when faith is well.” 

– John Bunyan

“Dark clouds bring waters, when the bright bring none.” 

– John Bunyan

“He that forgets his friend is ungrateful to him; but he that forgets his Saviour is unmerciful to himself.”

 – John Bunyan

“He who bestows his goods upon the poor shall have as much again, and ten times more.” 

– John Bunyan

“Christian, let God’s distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear Him greatly. He has put His fear in your heart, and may not have given that blessing to your neighbor, perhaps not to your husband, your wife, your child, or your parent. Oh, what an obligation should this thought lay upon your heart to greatly fear the Lord! Remember also that this fear of the Lord is His treasure, a choice jewel, given only to favorites, and to those who are greatly beloved.” 

– John Bunyan

“You have chosen the roughest road, but it leads straight to the hilltops.”

 –  John Bunyan

“Great sins do draw out great grace; and where guilt is most terrible and fierce, there the mercy of God in Christ, when showed to the soul, appears most high and mighty.”  

– John Bunyan

“I love to hear my Lord spoken of, and wherever I have seen the print of His shoe in the earth, there have I coveted to put mine also.” 

– John Bunyan

“There was a castle called Doubting Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair.”

 – John Bunyan

“Now while they were thus drawing towards the gate, behold, a company of the heavenly host came to meet them; to whom it was said by the other two Shining Ones, These are the men that have loved our Lord when they were in the world, and that have left all for his holy name; and he hath sent us to fetch them, and we have brought them thus far on their desired journey, that they may go in and look their Redeemer in the face with joy. Then the heavenly host gave a great shout, saying, ‘Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” 

– John Bunyan

“Afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental, more knowing and profound, and so, more able to hold, to contain, and beat more.” 

– John Bunyan

“As your faith is, such your hope will be. Hope is never ill when faith is well, nor strong if faith be weak.” 

– John Bunyan

“Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think… It is wounding work, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving… Where there is grafting there will always be a cutting, the graft must be let in with a wound; to stick it onto the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart and back to back or there will be no sap from root to branch. And this, I say, must be done by a wound, by a cut.” 

– John Bunyan

“Great grace and small gifts are better than great gifts and no grace.”

 – John Bunyan

“It is said that in some countries trees will grow, but will bear no fruit because there is no winter there.” 

– John Bunyan

“Therefore if mine enemy hunger, let me feed him; if he thirst, let me give him drink. Now in order to do this, (1) We must see good in that, in which other men can see none. (2) We must pass by those injuries that other men would revenge. (3) We must show we have grace, and that we are made to bear what other men are not acquainted with. (4) Many of our graces are kept alive, by those very things that are the death of other men’s souls…. The devil, (they say) is good when he is pleased; but Christ and His saints, when displeased.”

 – John Bunyan

“The heart must be beaten or bruised, and then the sweet scent will come out.” 

– John Bunyan

“Sincerity carries the soul in all simplicity to open its heart to God.” 

– John Bunyan

“There hath not one tear dropped from thy tender eye against thy lusts, the love of this world, or for more communion with Jesus Christ, but as it is now in the bottle of God.” 

– John Bunyan

“I seek a place that can never be destroyed, one that is pure, and that fadeth not away, and it is laid up in heaven, and safe there, to be given, at the time appointed, to them that seek it with all their heart. Read it so, if you will, in my book.” 

– John Bunyan

“The more he cast away, the more he had.” 

– John Bunyan

“A tender heart is a wakeful, watchful heart. It watches against sin in the soul, sin in the family, sin in the calling, sin in spiritual duties and performances.” 

– John Bunyan

“I live because I am a Warrior and because I wish one day to be in the company of [She] for whom I have fought so hard.” 

– John Bunyan

“Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.”

 – John Bunyan

“Now, Mr. Great-heart was a strong man, so he was not afraid of a lion.”

 –  John Bunyan

“Talkative represents the man or woman who delights in talking about divine things but has only theoretical knowledge of such things. No actual personal heart experience correlates to the matters they love to discuss so eloquently. They are often highly esteemed by others, but those closest to them would quickly betray a life out-of-sync with their words. The mask fashioned by fluency with all subjects divine hides their real life.” 

– John Bunyan

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There Is A Time For Every Activity And Every Work – Work Bible Verses

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There Is A Time For Every Activity And Every Work – Work Bible Verses.

It’s labor day …. A day to celebrate workers and laborers in the USA and Canada.  When the Bible speaks of work, it is not necessarily speaking of a corporate job or a white collar engagement. The Bible is filled with many types of works we are encouraged to do.

Ministry, serving others, preaching, sharing the gospel, helping the less advantaged are all types of work. As can be witnessed by recent news trends the world is hurting and there is a lot of work for all of us to do to relieve the suffering of others.

From supporting the victims of the mudslides in Sierra Leone, to offering relief and other volunteer services to families in Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey, to sending aid and help to victims of floods in Benue state ,Nigeria and remembering the countless casualties in Nepal, India,  Bangladesh and Pakistan facing the catastrophes caused by the floods sweeping through Asia!

There is certainly no end to what we can do in offering compassion, kindness, empathy, encouragement, strength, physical labor, financial support etc. The Bible also clearly shows us that there is a lot of dignity and nobility in working. God is a worker and so is his son Jesus Christ. God encourages us to work diligently just like he does and promises to reward the works of our hands.

The scriptures show us that there are good works and evil works and the Lord who is the final judge will repay everyone according to their deeds. And just like we are encouraged to work wholesomely, God also commands and encourages us to rest from all the labor we engage in because he rested too! Enjoy the scriptures on work and labor!

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7

Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.

Proverbs 12:24

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

John 5:17

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

Psalms 127:1

That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

1 Timothy 4:10

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Genesis 2:2-3

Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

Exodus 34:21

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:

Ecclesiastes 4:9

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.

Ecclesiastes 5:18

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalms 128:1-2

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Revelation 22:12

No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.

Isaiah 65:22-23

For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:9

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Matthew 6:28-30

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:9-11

I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

John 4:38

The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

1 Corinthians 3:8

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Philippians 2:14-16

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:

Deuteronomy 30:9

He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.

Genesis 5:29

For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
5 O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

Psalms 92:4-5

For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Ecclesiastes 3:17

And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

2 Chronicles 31:21

Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

Ecclesiastes 7:13

The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Ruth 2:12

For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

Job 34:11

The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Deuteronomy 28:12

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalms 8:3-4

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

John 9:4

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalms 90:17

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. 23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. 24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

Psalms 104:22-24

My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

John 4:34

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

Psalms 111:3-4

The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

Proverbs 11:18

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

Isaiah 32:17-18

For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Mark 13:34

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

John 6:28-29

But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load.

Galatians 6:4-5

Each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 6:10-12

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