Tag: Satan

Don’t forget who the real enemy is

Back after 911, there was a particularly intense period when anyone of Asian or middle eastern appearance was at risk from backlash.  Not only did people conflate the attack by Islamist extremists with an attack from all Muslims but also people who were not even Muslims but rather Sikhs and Hindus were conflated with the… Continue reading Don’t forget who the real enemy is

The Challenge (Genesis 3)

At this point, all looks well. God has created a good creation, fit for purpose. Humans live in that Creation, enjoying a garden paradise under God’s rule and blessing. They are responsible for caring for and ruling over creation. Then things start to go wrong The Enemy The Serpent’s cunning (v1). The snake is introduced… Continue reading The Challenge (Genesis 3)

Why did God test Adam with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?

“If God knew that Adam would fail the test and eat from the Tree, then wasn’t it unfair of him to set the test in the first place?” This is one of the questions we often get asked. The simple and short answer is “ He didn’t set a test” at least not in the… Continue reading Why did God test Adam with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Stones and Serpents

I don’t want to make too big a deal out of this but I was fascinated when looking at Jesus teaching on prayer to spot one of those little but intriguing connections. In Matthew 4, Jesus goes into the Wilderness where he fasts for 40 days and nights and experiences testing from Satan.  Satan basically… Continue reading Stones and Serpents

Justice and Salvation (2 Peter 2:4-10)

Introduction Last time, we saw that we have to be on the look out for false teachers.  However we also saw that despite their sneakiness and arrogance, false teachers cannot avoid God’s judgement. However, how can we be sure that they will receive justice and how can we be certain that in the meantime and… Continue reading Justice and Salvation (2 Peter 2:4-10)