BARRETT’S BELIEF IN GOD Is a Virtue Not a Liability

 

 

 

In 2017, when Amy Coney Barrett testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her qualifications to be confirmed as a U.S. District Judge, Senator Dianne Feinstein took umbrage. Feinstein found Barrett’s Catholicism particularly offensive, saying, “The dogma lives loudly within you.” To Feinstein, who opposed Barrett’s nomination, the Catholic nominee’s religious beliefs were depicted as being misplaced and offensive, something unsuitable for an appellate court judge nominee.

 

Many cried foul about Feinstein’s assertion, saying the Senator was making a religious test for confirmation, which is unconstitutional. They did their very best to defend Barrett. Their strategy was to mitigate the damage caused by Feinstein, saying that Barrett’s belief system would not be detrimental in her judicial  rulings. In their defense of Barrett, her advocates apologized for her belief system. Although their intent was noble, I believe they were sending Americans the wrong message. What they were doing was pursuing the wrong strategy.

 

Instead of apologizing, asking forgiveness for Barrett’s belief system, her supporters should have championed them back in 2017, just as we should be championing them now. In an era of nihilism, where the Rule of Law is constantly under attack, we need men and women of conviction to stand strong for theism in the Supreme Court.

 

In 2020, the virtues of government are being consistently proclaimed by educational leaders, the media, and those in the world of sports and entertainment as being all-important and omni-powerful. This makes having a Justice with a rock-solid worldview that is founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic essential. Amy Barrett has these core convictions and the intestinal fortitude to stand strongly for them.

 

Any jurist Joe Biden would pick certainly would not. His nominees would have no religious conviction at all. Dianne Feinstein certainly doesn’t ascribe to the Judeo-Christian worldview either, despite her Jewish heritage.

 

We need more jurists like Barrett who are constrained by a fundamental sense of right and wrong, of Good and Evil. To have no convictions leaves one adrift in a sea of bewildering issues. This means a judge appointed by Biden would be unable to adjudicate wisely.

 

That Barrett is constrained by her belief in God is a good thing. It will make her a better Supreme Court Justice. This is why we should champion her Catholicism loudly and repeatedly. As an Evangelical, I would never apologize for my beliefs, nor should she apologize for hers. This is why I support Barrett’s nomination without reservation.

 

—Jack Watts

 

MY PRAYER: When Verbally Wounded by Another

MY PRAYER: Father,

The wounds from my mistreatment run deep,

Creating anger, frustration, and an overwhelming

Sense of worthlessness that

Enervates every area of my life.

With my mouth, I refuse to admit

That this is how I see my situation,

But in the deep recesses of my mind,

I wonder if the castigation of my abusers is correct.

Maybe my life doesn’t have much value, after all,

Precisely as I have been told.

When my exploitation occurred,

I was angrier with You

Than with those who abused me.

Because of the forcefulness of their vitriol,

I believed they spoke the truth,

Which was certainly what they indicated.

But then, I began to think about things differently.

In my woundedness, it hadn’t occurred to me

That Your Son was also abused—just like me—

By hateful, self-righteous religious leaders.

You permitted His abuse—just like You permitted mine.

What Christ’s abusers meant for evil,

You meant for good, redeeming Mankind through his death.

Without the suffering of Your Son, all would be lost.

Thank You for allowing such a tragedy to occur,

On my behalf, as well as on the behalf of others.

Father, can You make my life have similar worth?

Can You use my abuse for something that

Has value for others as well as for me?

Can You turn my pain and my weakness into strength?

Can You take my life, which has been shattered,

And make it joyful and purposeful once again?

Amen.

—Jack Watts

https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Religious-Abuse-Spiritual-Freedom-ebook/dp/B0043RSJBI/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=86ZXNX20QA4NA6W3JSC0

HOW WILL WE Respond to God’s Authority?

 

 

 

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: The central issue throughout the ages is how believers respond to God’s authority. Would they be willing to submit to Him or not? The question is always the same; it never changes. The only variable is what our response happens to be.

Satan refused to submit to God’s authority and was forever separated from the Almighty’s presence. Adam and Eve also rejected God’s authority and faced permanent estrangement. Because of their actions, those of us who were born of their seed, which is all of us except for Christ, have also been alienated, but we are not without hope.

This is what the Good News is all about. Christ, fully God and fully Man, paid the price to end our estrangement from God. Because Satan doesn’t have such a provision, he hates Mankind and wants to keep as many of us separated from God as possible. Having been defeated and cast out of God’s presence in Heaven, Satan continues his fight against God’s children on earth.

After the Fall of Man, Satan has many new targets for his warfare. “ So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 12:17, NAS).

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0HYHW4355MSTDHF348D9

LEARN HOW to Align Your Thinking with God’s Will

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: My purpose is to alert you to the deceptions that influence your life, deceptions that—if left unchecked—will rob you of your happiness, joy, and peace, all of which are your birthright as a Christian.

I want to help you to learn how to align your thinking with God’s thinking. This requires you to discard your materialistic worldview in favor of His perspective, which is eternal and spiritual. Changing your belief system does not mean you must become mystical, but it does mean you must alter your way of thinking dramatically.

This is specifically what we are encouraged to do in Romans 12. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:3, NAS).

To be the man or woman God redeemed you to be, your basic assumptions about life need to be transformed. This is what renewing your mind is all about. For most of us, our current thought process is counterproductive to our fulfillment. As a result, we are incapable of creating the fruit of the Spirit, which God intended for us to produce.

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4MBDCY7B11ZMKAQ7W6PT

MY PRAYER FOR AMERICA

Father,

As we bow our knees to You today,

Seeking Your will and none other,

Radical elements within our society—

Those who mock Your children and Your Name—

Chide us, telling us we are being un-American

For desiring that our nation follow our Constitution

And the traditional values of our illustrious forefathers,

Embracing the values that have stood the test of time.

Instead, they want us to renounce all that we love and cherish

To produce a globalist society that repudiates You

And everything we believe and hold dear, but this will never happen.

Their damnable goal for Your children never come to fruition.

Seeking courage and clarity is why we come before You today.

Father, strengthen us with Your Holy Spirit, and provide us

With the will and the fortitude we need to stand firmly against those

Who want to change the traditional values of the American people.

Unite us in purpose as we vigorously defy the vicious onslaught

Of the unrighteous. Embolden us to be valiant and victorious,

As we do everything within our considerable power to preserve

This great nation that You have established and blessed

With abundance since our glorious founding centuries ago.

We ask all of this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, amen.

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CHX6YFATXDMKMNW7SJES

MY PRAYER: When I Have Been Mistreated

 

 

 

MY PRAYER: Father,

I do not simply believe I have been mistreated,

I know I have been mistreated, and You know

I have been wronged as well.

I’ve told You what happened repeatedly.

Everybody in my life knows my story.

Now that it has been a while since my wounding,

All of my friends seem to have progressed

With their lives—everybody, except for me.

I remain stuck in my debilitating mindset,

Which has not changed appreciably,

Despite the passage of so much time.

It’s infuriating and unfair that I am the only one

Who continues to experience so much pain.

Those who used, misused, and discarded me

Should be the ones to suffer, but they haven’t.

At least, I can’t tell that they have.

I’m the one who continues to churn my anger,

Languishing in resentment and bitter despair,

Refusing to move forward with my life.

I know I’m not hurting my abusers—not one bit.

I’m only hurting myself, and those around me.

It’s not fair. It’s not fair at all,

But I can no longer live the way that I have been.

 

I don’t want to waste my future nursing bitterness,

Rehashing my drama repeatedly in my mind,

But it’s going to be difficult to put it aside.

I didn’t realize I had drifted so far from You.

I didn’t consider how willful I had become,

But now I do. It becomes clearer to me each day.

I have blamed others for my plight for so long,

That resentment seems normal—even comfortable.

This frightens me for what lies ahead in life.

Show me how to find my way back to You.

Because, without Your active, healing guidance,

My life will never again amount to anything of value,

Amen.

 

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: When Our Thinking Becomes Distorted

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: Our thinking is so far off base from where it needs to be that we have difficulty discerning the truth, especially when it comes to accepting the reality that Satan exerts influence in nearly every aspect of our lives.

 

For example, using yourself as an example, how would you describe your Christ consciousness?

 

•Would you say it’s substantial, average, minimal, or even less than that?

 

•Does Christ consciousness impact your day-to-day life, or does it simply reside in the back of your mind?

 

•What do you think is the level of Christ consciousness among your Christian friends?

 

•With them, is Christ consciousness significant, hit-or-miss, or of very little consequence?

 

•Is there any evidence of Christ awareness in your routine interactions with your friends, or is it just a quiet, unspoken assumption that exists between you?

 

•Are the beliefs and assumptions of your friends similar to yours, or do you simply assume that they are?

 

When asked, most believers will admit their Christ consciousness is marginal most of the time. We love the Lord. That’s a given, but most of us don’t think about Him very much or that often—not in our day-to-day lives, anyway.

 

For us, the enlightened believers of the twenty-first century, being focused on Christ is reserved for a few special times in the week and not much more than that. We go about our daily routine, rarely giving Christ a second thought.

 

—Jack Watts

 

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DXTD9T7Y9KM8057RSH01

MY PRAYER: Accepting God’s Will in Its Entirety

MY PRAYER: Father,

As the years progress,

I often hear people talk

About how much they trust You,

But their proclamations seem less sincere

Than the promises of a fickle lover.

Lacking tangibility and depth,

Their affirmations, which flow mellifluously

From their self-serving lips,

Have selfish and egotistical motives,

Which are devoid of worthwhile substance.

Their loyalty has not been forged

By adversity nor weathered by hardship.

Their trust seems shallow and simplistic,

Rather than strong, resilient, and steadfast.

Believing that whining and demanding

Will gain Your favor, rather than being authentic,

They come before You with hearts

That are petulant, peevish, proud, and pompous.

Lacking gratitude, they are arrogantly self-righteous.

I understand their perspective completely,

Having spent decades of my life

Coming before You in precisely

The same self-serving, self-centered way—

Never understanding, never conceding

That You know what is best for me.

I acknowledge my effrontery and selfishness.

I have foolishly thought that my way

Was better than Yours, but I was mistaken.

I have wanted my will over Yours, believing that

When You refused to grant my demands,

You were being distant and detached—

Unloving, uncaring, rigid, and unconcerned.

How foolish I have been, Father; how foolish.

You do know what is best for me.

After years of perusing such frivolity,

I now understand the error of my ways.

I wish I had recognized this sooner,

But I lacked the maturity or discernment to do so.

Now, as wisdom settles deep within me,

I bow me knee and acknowledge the truth:

You give and take away,

You give and take away,

You give and take away,

Blessed be Your name,

Amen.

—Jack Watts

https://www.amazon.com/Feet-Clay-Story-Redemption-Twisted-ebook/dp/B072BWS9Z3/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=V71XWP07YTQMYY5NTX42

WE HAVE ALL Been Deceived by the Enemy

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: We have all been deceived—not just some of us, each and every one of us. In fact, most have been so completely fooled that we don’t even realize what has happened to us. Candidly, isn’t this is a pretty good definition for deception?

Both Christians and non-Christians share in this deception. It’s universal—an inherent characteristic of Man’s fallen nature, and it originates from the Great Deceiver. The effects of our collective deception can be seen more easily in the lives of some than in others. Nevertheless, each of us carries the mark of the Great Deceiver and his allies, the deceiving spirits. There is no circumventing this.

Because we are born-again believers, we like to believe we have either escaped satanic deception or at least been spared from much of its destructive impact, but such thoughts are wishful thinking. In fact, this kind of fanciful thinking is part of Satan’s deception.

If you were to poll a sample of Christians—even mature ones with significant biblical acuity—I suspect most would be unwilling to admit their lives have been plagued by any type of demonic deception. Many would deny it vehemently, while the ones who are capable of admitting its impact probably would underestimate the enormity of its impact.

To admit something this abhorrent runs contrary to the grain of our core spiritual beliefs, especially in this generation. For a Christian to admit Satan has any influence over his or her thinking runs so counter to our basic beliefs that most are unwilling to even consider that such a possibility exists.

Acknowledging something this horrifying is simply unacceptable, but our unwillingness to admit that it actually exists makes it much easier for us to be deceived by Satan.

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=W0FGPWA33SYMQCCT4FH8

MY PRAYER: I Choose to Follow God’s Will

MY PRAYER: Father,

You have created me to have a free will,

And I am so grateful that You have.

Because of this, I have the capacity to choose

The kind of human being I want to be.

Having been born with a sinful nature,

I know what I am capable of being,

And exactly how rebellious my heart can be.

But I also know that You have redeemed me,

Because of what Christ accomplished on the cross.

Now, I have the option to walk in Your ways,

Rather than be lost in my sin and depravity.

Father, I want to have the mind of Christ—

To be obedient to Your will and not to the Sons of Rebellion

Who want to destroy me by robbing me of my joy,

Killing the love I have in my heart for You.

Do not allow them to tear down my bountiful future.

Instead, allow me to have the courage to examine my heart

And to change whatever is needed to be a better person.

I ask this in Christ’s precious name,

Amen

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Search-Reality-Renewing-Your-Mind-ebook/dp/B00X54ZWJW/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QM20DTH70J70FSK082XG

YOU CAN RECOVER from Religious Abuse

COMMON SENSE: In the United States, there are recovery groups for alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, overeaters, overspenders, and numerous other subgroups with unique recovery needs. All are needed, but there is another group which also requires help: those who have been abused by organized religion—primarily by religious leaders in positions of trust.

With these abused people in mind, Recovering from Religious Abuse has been developed. Helping people like you to recover is my purpose—my only purpose.

Each of the following ninety-one readings, which lead you through the “11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom,” have been developed to help those who have suffered—or continue to suffer—from religious exploitation. There are millions of you—people who have been used, abused, and discarded—dismissed contemptuously by those you trusted completely, suffering shame and low self-esteem in the process.

Most of you are bitter and resentful. You may even be hostile. If you are, that’s okay. We accept you right where you are—without reservation or condemnation. Having been wronged in the past, you may have discarded your belief in God, or perhaps you’ve put Him on the back burner.

It’s easy to understand how this could happen, but it’s also self-defeating behavior. God is a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. It’s like saying, “I’ll get even with You; I’ll hurt me.” Obviously, this isn’t a good idea, but it’s what millions have done.

If it’s what you’ve been doing, you don’t have to continue. You can make a change. There’s a way out that works, and Recovering from Religious Abuse can help you find your way back to wholeness—back to emotional and spiritual wellness. That’s why we’re here. We want to help you recover. We want to help you become the best person you can possibly be. We want to show you how to free yourself from bitterness, resentment, shame, and other debilitating emotions, all of which lead to an unfulfilled life.

If you’re angry with God, it’s not surprising. Most abused people are—whether they are willing to admit it or not. It’s not unexpected; it’s predictable. But remember, Christ also was abused by religious leaders—just like you have been. He was accused falsely; then He was slandered, beaten, and murdered. Obviously, He understands how you feel—precisely how you feel. When you think about it, He never had much use for self-righteous religious leaders either, did He?

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Religious-Abuse-Spiritual-Freedom-ebook/dp/B0043RSJBI/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0W7VHJ09HG590X26BXSS

FALWELL’S DISGRACE & EXPOSURE Will Hurt Many

COMMON SENSE: There will be a great deal written about the fall of Jerry Falwell Jr., and none of it will be pretty. In Lynchburg, the lives of many will be irreversibly altered—not destroyed but altered. I’m not guessing about this. I know exactly what will happen. It’s why I wrote, “Recovering from Religious Abuse,” which Simon & Schuster published.

These are the people I’m concerned about, not Falwell and his wife. I know about what will happen because Jim and Tammy Bakker were my clients the day the scandal broke about Jim’s affair. I saw what happened to the lives of those who worked for PTL. The same thing will happen to those who work at Liberty. I also wrote a novel about this, “Feet of Clay.” Here’s an excerpt from it:

FEET OF CLAY: As I think about my situation, it reminds me of a commercial that aired many years ago. It hit the mark perfectly with its witty, profound message. Slightly dark, satirical, and irreverent, the commercial was thought provoking, while also being entertaining.

It starts with half-a-dozen clean-cut, all-American grade-schoolers announcing to us, the listening audience, what they want to be when they grow up—what their lifetime goals and aspirations are. Expecting them to say they want to become doctors, teachers, engineers, or professional athletes, I was surprised by what they actually said. One nine-year-old girl proudly announced: “When I grow up, I want to be the office gossip.” A ten-year-old followed with boyish bravado, “When I grow up, I want to be a brownnoser.” The other kids made similar ignominious assertions. It was hysterical. I can’t remember the product these kids were peddling, but I grinned from ear-to-ear each time I watched the commercial.

The satire was obvious. Nobody sets his or her career goal to be cowardly, devious, or ingratiating. Nor does anyone want to end up being a brownnoser. When young people enter the workplace, they have praiseworthy, high-minded goals. You can see it in their eyes when they graduate from high school and college. During nearly every commencement ceremony, those graduating listen to a successful businessman or politician pontificate about how the current generation has the unique ability to change the world, making it a better place for each of us, while at the same time, accumulating substantial wealth to enjoy “the good life.”

During commencement, when you look from one smiling face to the next, you can see hope radiating from these young people. Coupled with their enthusiastic smiles, each graduate anticipates the future, believing he or she will produce noble, praiseworthy accomplishments. They are convinced their dreams will soon become a reality. All that is required to achieve their dream is hard work—performed honestly and honorably.

Unfortunately, for most, that’s all it ever becomes—a dream. Reality is far different than what they believe it will be, making the commercial as poignant as it was funny. The “real world” produces far more brownnosers than men and women who stand by their convictions—especially if negative consequences are certain to follow.

This is no surprise; but if this dichotomy is true in the world of politics and business, the difference between aspirations and reality is even more pronounced for those who choose to serve Christ by working for ministries. Nearly all who pursue this path—the road less traveled—do so for altruistic reasons, sacrificing material gain as part of their noble calling. It just goes with the territory. They decide that fulfilling their dreams can best be accomplished by working for the Lord, which is a praiseworthy ambition.

Serving Christ, however, also means being employed by the ministries, mega-churches, and publishers that champion His name. This is where a huge disconnect occurs. Working for Christian leaders has little resemblance to what most envision life would be like serving the Lord. It’s different—worlds apart really—but not in a healthy way.

The stars of Christendom—those whose faces and voices are easily recognized by millions—bear little resemblance to the biblical version of Christ or the principles He taught. Somewhere along the way, the career path for many who have been “chosen to lead” takes a sharp turn from the biblical standard, producing an entitled mentality, elitist behavior, and a consumptive lifestyle most would consider antithetical to the desires of a servant of God. It was a lifestyle Benny enjoyed regularly and one Dett convinced himself he should possess as well.

There is a story behind all of this that needs to be told, but my purpose is more than just to curse the darkness. Rather, I intend to offer hope to the millions who have been used, abused, and discarded—all in the name of God.

To accomplish this, I will need to tell you a good bit about who I am. Like everybody, my story begins the day I was born. From day one, my challenge was about whether to accept authority or to challenge it—whether to speak out against abusiveness or simply keep my mouth shut. Obviously, I’ve landed on the side of speaking my mind, but becoming that person has required a lifetime of battling adversity.

—Jack Watts

RECOVERING FROM RELIGIOUS ABUSE: https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Religious-Abuse-Spiritual-Freedom-ebook/dp/B0043RSJBI/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_11?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZXHGXH3QECFH3N815WPK

FEET OF CLAY: https://www.amazon.com/Feet-Clay-Story-Redemption-Twisted-ebook/dp/B072BWS9Z3/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_11?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7NV721613B5ZY4HJ1XBG

SATAN: Here Is How His Deceptions Influence Us

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: Although we don’t like to think we would ever respond to Satan in an affirmative way, if we were being scrupulously honest with ourselves, after reading the following list, we will have to admit that we possess some of Satan’s attitudinal characteristics. His mind-set served as the basis for his rebellion against God. Before his rebellion, this was his state of mind:

 

•Satan Was Discontent: He did not recognize the value of what God had done for him. Instead, Satan was fixated on what he wanted to achieve. Most of us share Satan’s attitude. At times, life can be very unpleasant. The only way we can keep from murmuring against God is by maintaining a contemplative attitude about all that He has done for us. We must be consistently mindful and grateful that He sought us out and invited us to be a child of His. No matter what the condition or situation of your life happens to be, or how unfulfilled you might be, nothing should ever be powerful enough to outweigh your thankfulness for His salvation. Without it, you would be eternally lost.

 

•Satan Focused on Himself: Often, we respond to pain, misfortune, and being emotionally wounded with an attitude of self-pity. In times like these, we think, “It’s all about me.” We become self-absorbed, self-serving, emotional sponges. We may not wish ill upon others, but all that really matters is our own situation, regardless of what that might be. When hard times come, like Satan, we concentrate on ourselves to the exclusion of almost everything else, and it costs us—just as it did him.

 

•Satan Believed He Deserved More: According to the Scriptures, Satan wanted to place his throne above all the stars in Heaven, which is a reference to the other angels. He wanted to be like God. Incidentally, “like” is the same word God used to describe making Man in His image. Reflecting on his self-importance, Satan concluded that being the most powerful angel was not enough for him. He wanted all the angels to serve him. Do you ever wonder how long he contemplated rebellion before he acted upon it? If you think about your own life, do you see any parallels with Satan’s thinking? The longer we think about what we “should have,” the more likely it becomes that we will act in a way to obtain it—even if it is means rebelling against God.

 

•Satan Believed God Was Not Fair. Prior to choosing his own path, Satan convinced himself that God was unfair. Once he convinced himself of this, what followed became inevitable. Candidly, don’t we do the same thing all the time? At one time or another, nearly all Christians become resentful toward God because of some perceived unfairness. This is not a healthy place to be. The longer you think God is unfair, the more you embrace the thoughts of Satan. This should be a sobering thought for all of us.

 

•Satan Refused to Accept God’s Authority. How often do you operate on the theory that it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission? In spiritual matters, most of us do this repeatedly. It’s an indicator we are harboring rebelliousness in our hearts—just like Satan did. It means there are areas in our lives that we refuse to submit to God’s authority.

 

—Jack Watts

 

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E5HHZK54Q1T8TWZPMVZ5

We Have an Adversary Who Wants to Destroy Us

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: In Satan’s earlier existence, he was in the presence of God. He was beautiful, brilliant, and powerful. His role was to reflect God’s glory, but Satan was not a mechanical robot. He had the ability to choose, and he made the choice to rebel against God. Satan’s goal was to abrogate authority for himself, rather than be content with the authority God had bestowed upon him.

In the Bible, Satan’s attitude was, “I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” (Isaiah 14:13b, ASV). When this happened, Satan was thrown out of Heaven, along with the angels who joined in his rebellion. From that point forward, Lucifer and the fallen angels—one third of the heavenly host—have been irretrievably lost.

“And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in Heaven” (Revelation 12:7-8, ASV).

Satan and his rebellious demons, including some very powerful principalities and ruling angels, were forever alienated from God. There is no provision for Satan and the other evil spirits to find redemption. That possibility does not exist, and Satan knows that it doesn’t. Consequently, he and his rebelling cohorts have no purpose other than to express their wickedness before being dispatched to Hell—the place created to be their final destination. It is important to note that God did not engage in the war against Satan and his demons. Instead, He relied on His loyal angels to carry out His will.

Now, it’s our turn, as God calls upon us to carry out the victory Christ has already achieved. We do this in our lives, in our families, and as citizens in our nation. This is our battleground.

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BGYJZMNDD90TZDTK8K4S

WE CAN Have the Mind of Christ

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN: Being a Christian is one thing, but actually thinking like Christ is another. Because it is beyond our grasp, we pass over the idea, as well as the relevant Scriptural passages that support it. It’s as if they have no application to our lives.

We want to change and to be better than we are, but rarely do we experience any meaningful results from our good intentions. All we seem to be capable of achieving is one baby step after another. We change a little here and a little there, but we never make the progress that is clearly stated in the New Testament as being the norm for mature men and women in Christ.

People in the Bible are saints. We are not. Consequently, we never consider that these biblical characters were ordinary people like us, with one exception. They chose to take God at His word.

Thinking about your own life, hasn’t this been your experience? Does the truth of what I have written so far sting you? If you are being completely honest with yourself, you will probably admit this is exactly how you feel and precisely what you believe. This means Satan’s plan for your life is working as effectively as God’s plan. Although this is true, most Christians have difficulty accepting this reality.

—Jack Watts

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Ashamed-Light-Deceived-ebook/dp/B07FZM4VYP/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XEVWYQHE84GRQXDP348N