The names “Satan” and “Devil”

The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.

Social-media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram have made slander a quick and easy blood sport for anyone with a smart phone or an Internet connection. American singer-songwriter Lizzo found herself on the receiving end of a defamation suit after tweeting the name, workplace, and photo of a food delivery person she claimed stole her food.

Billionaire Elon Musk engaged in an online spat with a British diver who helped rescue twelve boys and their coach from a cave in Thailand. Musk called the hero a “pedo guy” and allegedly referred to him as a “child rapist” in an off-the-record email to a journalist. The result of Musk’s accusations? You guessed it: a lawsuit.

And hip-hop star The Game chose to rant about his children’s former nanny to the rapper’s one million Instagram followers. In reply, the babysitter sued for an unspecified amount of money, claiming loss of employment, inability to work in her chosen field, and depression.

And so it goes. Despite ramped-up filtering efforts by social-media platforms, a subscriber’s flash of anger, or a simmering grudge, becomes public fodder in a matter of seconds. Equally troubling, the consequences of these viral accusations may be difficult, if not impossible, to arrest until they’ve run their course. 

How did people become so adept at slander? Practice. And a supernatural role model.

Continue reading →

The certainty of Jesus’ return

This is the first in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.

Although it’s been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus ascended into heaven, we should not lose heart that his coming in glory is delayed. If we trust in Jesus for salvation, we should wait confidently for his return to glorify us, purge the cosmos of sin and its stain, and create new heavens and a new earth. 

After all, Jesus promises, “I will come again” (John 14:3). 

One mission, two campaigns

It’s clear that Jesus understands his mission to earth. This mission consists of two major campaigns: first, as the Suffering Servant; second, as the conquering King.

 Jesus comes the first time as the Suffering Servant (Isa. 42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13 – 53:12). In his own words, he comes to lay down his life for his sheep (John 10:11, 15); to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45); to seek and to save the lost (Matt. 18:11 HCSB; Luke 19:10); to die and rise again (Mark 9:31). 

Through his miraculous conception in a virgin’s womb, the eternal Son of God adds sinless humanity to his deity. And he offers up that perfect life on the cross to satisfy the justice of God. 

Continue reading →

Satan as the dragon – conclusion

The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.

Read parts one, two, and three of “Satan as the dragon.”

The dragon and the beast from the earth (Rev. 13:11-18)

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. It also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. It deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it is permitted to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. It was permitted to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  And it makes everyone ​— ​small and great, rich and poor, free and slave ​— ​to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666 (emphasis added).

Revelation 13:11-18

We are now introduced to the second of two beasts: a beast from the earth, more often identified as the false prophet. He has two horns like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. Like the first beast, he is endowed with great authority and power, which he uses to compel people to worship the first beast while deceiving them with miraculous signs. He even gives life to an image of the first beast and causes those who refuse to worship the image to be killed. Finally, he restricts commerce so that only those who take a special mark on their right hands or foreheads, indicating their allegiance to the first beast, may buy and sell. 

Continue reading →

Dealing with Difficult Bible Passages

The apostle Paul warns the Galatians about those who have “fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). The writer of Hebrews says it’s “impossible to renew to repentance” those who have “fallen away” (Heb. 6:4-6). Yet, Jesus tells his followers he has granted us “eternal life,” and he assures us we will “never perish” (John 10:27-28). 

So, how do we deal with seeming contradictions in Scripture, especially with those difficult passages that challenge such comforting doctrines as eternal security?

Here are 10 guidelines that may prove helpful.

1. Embrace the truth of God’s Word. The Bible is inspired, or God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). God is the author of Scripture and the source of all truth. As such, his Word is inerrant, or without error in everything it addresses. It’s also infallible, or incapable of error, because God does not lie or make mistakes. We may take the Lord at his word, for he is completely reliable, truthful, and unchanging.

Continue reading →

Satan as the dragon – continued (3)

The following excerpt is taken from What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. Order your copy in print, Kindle, or Audible versions here.

We continue our examination of the dragon in the Book of Revelation.

The dragon and the beast from the sea (Rev. 12:18 – 13:10)

The dragon stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names. The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. One of its heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but its fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. They worshiped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against it?” (emphasis added).

Revelation 12:18 – 13:4

The word dragon in 12:18 does not appear in the Greek, so translators seek to identify the one standing on the sand of the sea either as “the dragon,” “he” (meaning the dragon), or “I” (referring to John). In any case, John sees a frightening beast rise out of the sea in Revelation 13:1-10. In verses 11-18, he sees a second beast rise from the earth. The dragon empowers both beasts. This is explicitly stated of the first beast and implied with respect to the second beast.

Continue reading →