DELIVER US FROM EVIL
July 10th, 2014
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen… (2 Timothy 4:18 ESV).The popular cultural and societal notion is “there really is no evil” in this world. Even those in the liberal mainlines churches refuse to come to terms that there is a devil – Satan – who is the accuser of the saints seeks to kill, steal and destroy. The atheist and the liberal deny the existence of evil for a simple reason. That reason is, to accept the existence of evil, one has to accept the existence of Good….and Who is Good? God is good!Those who are under the oppression of evil know it exists. They know it in the Christian towns of the Islamic Middle Eastern Countries, in Pakistan, throughout Africa where hordes are rampaging through Christian countries. The persecuted know that evil is not just those who suffered under Stalin, Hitler, Castro, Mao and Pol Pot.
To deny the existence of evil, and blame “society, or capitalism or democracy”, is easier than recognizing that our own sin opens us up to be brought down and put in spiritual bondage by evil. This sort of thinking prevents many from coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and it remains an obstacle to most professing Christians, who accept the defeat of the devil. Both sets of people are outside of the Victory which God, through Christ, provides in the following:
BUSINESS MEN IN CHRIST – Your all local, all volunteer Christian men’s ministry (Springfield/Decatur) invites everyone to a free Christian music and drama concert this coming Saturday June 21 at the Auburn Village Square. The Square is at the corner of 5th and Madison off Route 104 in the center of town and is open to all. There will be a couple surprise appearances – “Batman” and even “Bumble B”!