Are you tormented for your faith?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
(Acts 16:16-18 (NIV))

Are you troubled by a nagging “spirit” that will not leave you alone? One that torments you day and night?

Paul was tormented by a slave girl who was possessed. The demon would not leave her alone, and, consequently, would not leave Paul alone. He recognized the work that God was using Paul to complete and he tried everything that he could to divert and distract Paul so that God’s purpose would not be completed.

We all face similar circumstances in our lives. There is something that will simply not leave us alone. Something that, if we let it, will distract us from God. Do not let anything distract you from earnestly seeking God! Do not let greed, ego, ambition, lust, power, envy, or anything else that the world has to offer stand between you and God. Paul continually walked away from this girl, but she followed him. Is sin following you like this slave girl followed Paul, tormenting you every step of the way?

Take a lesson from what Paul did. He called upon the name of Jesus to rebuke the tormentor. Paul’s faith was strong enough to rely on the name of Jesus to do what was promised!

Is yours?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Don’t lose sight of God’s grace and accept a lie

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
(Revelation 14:9-12 (NIV))

This may sound strange, but do you trust technology?

Perhaps I should word that question differently.

Do you trust technology to be used for good and truthful reasons?

It all comes down to a matter of trust in the motives and intentions of other people and in the unseen events in the physical and the spiritual realms.

Most of us like our cell phones with built-in GPS and the convenience of using credit or debit cards to make purchases. What would you think if a major electronics manufacturer introduced a device that would never leave your body and you could make purchases or be located by anyone no matter where you may be? Would you stand in a long line to buy this latest gadget?

What if you were forced to take this gadget?

Would you?

What is the difference?

Free will!

Do you freely accept it when it is promoted as the latest and greatest way to do things?

I want you to think about this concept and then think about who will be marking people on their forehead or on the hand. Satan is the father of all lies. What better way to get people to accept his “mark” than to “market” it as the latest and greatest way to track your medical history, to make purchases or to simply “streamline” your life? Just imagine the key marketing points. You will never have to worry about losing your wallet ever again. You will never have to worry about being robbed again. You will never have to worry about being somewhere and your medical history is not available in an emergency. You won’t have to worry about your loved ones, because you can always know where they are.

On the surface, all of this does have some market appeal, but to the wise consumer, it is filled with red flags that should alert someone to avoid this.

What does this mean to the Body of Christ?

We must test everything against God’s Word, no matter how beneficial it may seem. The old saying that “It’s too good to be true” is sound advice, especially when you consider the father of all lies. Satan wants to deceive you. He has a course of action. He wants to keep as many people as he possibly can from receiving the grace and mercy freely given through the Blood of Jesus.

Don’t lose sight of God’s grace and accept a lie.

Copyright 1998 – 2013 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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