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CURRENT RADIO SERIES The Power of Prayer   CURRENT TV SERIES LifeWorks

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”     --Genesis 3:1 From the beginning of time we find Satan actively at work doing what he does best…deceive and destroy.  Make no mistake, Satan is real and he’s out to destroy you and your faith. In fact, Satan is the ultimate terrorist…the terrorist of your soul! I find it fascinating that many people blame God when tragedies occur. They say, “Why would God allow this to happen to us,” or “Where was God when this happened? Doesn’t He care?” But these questions omit the fact that Satan and his evil work are real.  And that he is still active today deceiving and destroying. Evil is real, and Satan is the author of every bit of it. That’s why he shows up when he sees an opportunity to trip you up. Have you ever noticed that many temptations seem to just come out of nowhere? Everything is going well, and suddenly you’re faced with an incredibly tough temptation to sin. That’s because Satan is an opportunist. He knows your strengths and weaknesses, and knows exactly where to hit you…and the kind of evil suggestions that will tempt you most. So be careful to not blame God for your struggles, because they come from our adversary, the devil. Instead of blaming God for the temptation, you need to turn to Him for the strength to resist the devil.   Our world wants to blame God for evil—but we know who is really to blame. Your calling as a believer is to stand in Christ strength against the devil’s temptations and to not allow him the victory in your life today. Satan knows your strengths and weaknesses; do you?

Ignoring What Really Matters

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”
Luke 11:42–44
In Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the following conversation takes place between Alice and the Cheshire Cat that describes how our effort in life can be wasted. “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. “So long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation. “Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
It is easy for us to find that our lives are filled with activity, but not with productivity. We can find that our focus drifts from one thing to the next, and we look only at what is before us rather than having clear goals and destinations in mind. The truly important things in life are often drowned out by the clamor of the urgent, and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves spending all our time and energy on things that are of very little true significance. The Pharisees counted out the tiniest leaves in their herb gardens to be sure they were tithing in accordance with the law, yet at the same time they ignored the things that were eternal. As a result, Jesus condemned them for their lack of proper priorities.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If you avoid the trap of focusing on things that don’t matter, your life will be much more productive.