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[without changing the color of your spots!] by Michelle
In this illustration we review a couple of scenarios and examine a few instances in which You as the Devil (condensed to YouDev) - are influencing the world. This essay concludes with an exclusive interview.
Part 1The Craft of DeceitAct 1: Scene 1 (Leaving the local church) Susie: Hey Jane, your daughter's looking radiant today. That's an absolutely wonderful makeup job you did on her... Jane: Oh I just helped out a little - you know - with the finer points. Susie ( plus YouDev): Oh don't be so modest. She looks absolutely stunning. You should consider opening a beauty and jewelry salon as I'm sure all of our church members would give you lots of business and support... Jane: It's funny you should mention that - I was considering that very same prospect - just yesterday, actually. Susie ( plus YouDev): Yeah! You can have all of our church members looking good for the glory of God. Jane: Susie, you're absolutely right. I must make a serious go of this... Youdev: (Heh, heh, heh...) 1 Timothy 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Act 1: Scene 2 (Walking out of church) Larry ( plus YouDev): Hey Dave, when are you going to get yourself a new car man? I just purchased the new MX-8 Turbo. I got a really good deal too. Dave: Yeah, I've been thinking about that. I'm upgrading to the TXi-10. It's the sports car of tomorrow, you know - and it comes with loads of extra features. Larry ( plus YouDev): Yeah, I know. My brother got one last week. You should come and check it out. He's moving in to his brand new mansion overlooking the lake. Dave: Yeah, I've been seriously thinking about packing up and moving out there myself - in a few months time. Larry: That's really fantastic man. Youdev: (Heh, heh... way to go, Dave)
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Proverbs 11:4 ¶Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
Proverbs 11:28 ¶He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
Proverbs 13:7 ¶There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
Act 1: Scene 3 (Exiting the church) Shanice: Hey I heard about Mr Wilson treating you badly at the grocery store. That guy simply has no manners whatsoever. Amy: It's fine. Perhaps he was just having a bad day. Shanice( plus YouDev): You know what. I think we need to get everyone in the congregation to boycott his shop. That will certainly teach him to be more courteous in future! Amy: Oh no, that's really not necessary. I've already forgiven and forgotten the whole incident... YouDev: (Darn, what the hell is wrong with you woman? Wait, there's ol' Jim over there...) Jim ( plus YouDev): Hi Amy. Nice to see you again. How ever have you been? Amy: Oh, just fine. It's really nice to see you here today Jim. We've missed you. Jim ( plus YouDev): Hey, I heard about Mr Wilson giving you a hard time at the store. I'm gonna head over there and straighten him out - I'll certainly give him a piece of my mind, don't you worry! Amy: Oh Jim, you're so brave - you're such a gentleman. YouDev: (Heh, heh, heh...) Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Act 1: Scene 4 Liz: Hey Sarah, are you coming to the party on Saturday afternoon? A lot of the people from our church will be there. Sarah: Oh no, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it. I'm going down to the shelter - we having a big drive to help feed the poor and the needy this Saturday. Liz ( plus YouDev): Oh c'mon Sarah - you always being such a goody-goody, always doing some charitable work. You must take time off to kick back and relax... Sarah: Well... they kind of need me there - they're depending on me. Liz ( plus YouDev): Oh don't be such a dry stick - don't you know that Jesus said the poor will always be with us? Sarah: Well... I suppose you do have a point. They could manage without me for once - what time did you say that party was? YouDev: (Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh...)
Luke 14:12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 22:9 ¶He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Mark 14:6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Psalms 41:1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
Part 2The Direct versus the Subtle approachThe devil tags along to a heavenly parliamentary meeting: Job 1:6 ¶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. So God enquires as to what the dude's been up to. Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. Mmmm?? So God says: 'Give it a go' and Satan says: 'Let me at him'. Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. The Direct Approach Job 1:13 ¶And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. The probability of all of this happening to one person all at the same time in such quick succession is astronomical, so it's pretty obvious to everyone that there's something of a supernatural nature going on here. Job 1:20 ¶Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Quite the hero! Although the direct approach appears to have completely failed to obtain the desired outcome, it does set the stage for a more insidious, subtle attack. The Subtle Approach The devil trudges along to yet another heavenly parliamentary meeting. Job 2:1 ¶Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 ¶So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. Here the devil slams Job with an affliction that customarily appears to signify that he has been cursed by God. Job's wife offers some practical and seemingly sensible advice: Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Job's friends come to comfort him but end up getting stuck on the idea that Job must have somehow stuffed up in order for all of these calamities to have befallen him. They suspect that his unexampled troubles are judgments for some crimes which he had veiled under his professions of godliness. Job 2:11 ¶Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. After much suffering, and having to pray on behalf of his friends, Job's trials finally end and his situation is restored: Job 42:7 ¶And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. 10 ¶And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. And the people said: Job 42:11 Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
Part 3Interview with the DevilYouDev: Oooooooh! I'm so thrilled! The devil has agreed to an exclusive interview with me! This is such a momentous occasion! I'm so excited, I'm beside myself - oh, I'm extremely honored! Youdev: (Shaking hands) This is such an honour. I'm such a hu-u-u-u-u-ge fan... Devil: Why thank you. It's such a pleasure to be here. YouDev: (Settling down) I'm simply going to jump right in and get down to the critical issue of anonymity - how crucial is it really to remain unseen and obscure in practicing your craft? Devil: Good opening question. It is of the utmost importance to remain out of sight and obscure - I cannot stress that enough. It absolutely ensures that no one can point fingers at you and thus - you cannot receive or be the target of their blame. YouDev: What have you found is the most effective way to apply your art? Devil: It always works best by means of proxy actions and proxy battles - maintaining influence, while remaining completely anonymous. YouDev: ...but you don't get any of the credit for all of your handiwork? Isn't that frustrating? Devil: Oh, don't be so daft. You don't need the credit - who cares about credit - forget about it. No, fame and esteem are a silly human trait. Concentrate on the bigger picture - as long as you get to be in control, all else is quite frankly, irrelevant. YouDev: Do you not feel that in the story of Job you were given just a little bit too much exposure? Speaking generally - give us some of your thoughts or comments on that. Devil: Perhaps - but that circumstance was entirely different. The potential reward far outweighed the risk involved. Gosh! - And I still managed to dodge the blame... YouDev: Yes, indeed... In any case, I don't think too many people pay too much attention to that little tale, so there's not too much for you to worry about. Moving on - how important is it to get phrases like 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness' and 'God helps those who help themselves' out there; phrases which do not actually appear in the bible? Devil: It does have a fair degree of importance in that it ensures - most especially from the listener's perspective - that the Scriptures can be broken.
James 2:2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Psalms 72:12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
Job 8:20 ¶Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
John 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? YouDev: In terms of exercising your craft: what would the ideal scenario be? Devil: The ideal situation is one in which you get the whole thing to run by itself - you know - on automatic, so that you can admire your handiwork - you know - kick back, relax and watch all of the collateral damage pile up. You can always jump in to tweak the system and spice things up with a little action, if it starts to get dull:
TV Executive Producer ( plus Devil): Our ratings are falling like crazy. We definitely need some more gore and violence in our upcoming tv shows...
Corporate Executive ( plus Devil): Our cigarette sales are dropping phenomenally - why aren't we more aggressively targeting third world markets?
Satellite Company Executive ( plus Devil): Why are we still running this Christian Network channel off our satellite services? I've got an adult channel offering three times as much for that slot!
Devil: DON'T! Keep out of sight! If you have to appear to someone, then for God sakes at least pop up as something else - an animal, a snake, a person... something, anything - don't ever appear as yourself. Youdev : Thank you so much for your valuable time and what most certainly is sure to prove to be some truly timely advice. It's been an absolute pleasure. Devil: Oh no, I assure you, the pleasure has been all mine. And remember, if you ever need any additional advice whatsoever - be sure to call me up. Youdev: Yeah... well I would - but you don't exist! Devil: You catch on fast kid.
Devil: Same thing we do every day, Demony. Try to hoodwink the world!
Demony: Ahhhhh... I feel a song coming on:
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. John 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Few choose to respond Doug Batchelor, AmazingFacts.org
by Michelle
The Generation4 Brand
Who said the truth will set you free? Joe Crews Classic Radio Sermons
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