the woman, the child and the dragon

Unfortunately, “as the shoppers rush home with their treasures”, thinking they have done a noble deed, usually motivated out of love and kindness, the most significant event the world has ever witnessed remains hidden behind the glitzy decorated tree. It continues to amaze me and repulse me how much emphasis is placed on the need to buy the perfect gift for loved ones and sometimes even those who don’t really care about us. Many feel the need to rush out and spend money on trivial things simply because it’s “that time of year”. All the while, the greatest gift is always perfect, available, and free! Why has gift giving become such a major event? Why do so many feel the need to spend dollars they don’t have for stuff that is often not needed, appreciated, nor valued? Jesus taught in Matthew 6:20 “...lay up treasures in heaven.....for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I can’t help but think that the greedy consumerist mentality is a genius distraction from the true enemy we are engaged in battle against. We have an adversary who is relentless in his pursuit to separate us from the Lord and His truth thereby pulling us down into eternal destruction. I love the Bible and I love this time of year when emphasis is placed on the birth of Jesus, when God becoming man, lived among His creation. This divinely unique event distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. But it does not end there. God in the flesh, Immanuel, Jesus the Messiah, had to be born in the flesh in order that He might bear the cross on our behalf, the payment for the debt our sins, His death. By His own power He resurrected from the dead! As the risen savior He now has supreme authority over all creation, all things and that includes power over satan and his forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Since the garden of Eden, satan has been on the prowl attempting to destroy the “seed” . “The dragon stood before the woman....so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.” Rev12:4 . What a hideous creature. He failed. Jesus reigns! “And she gave birth to a son....who is to rule over all the nations with a rod of iron...” Rev12:5. Jesus forever reigns on His throne victorious and glorious. The devil has been thrown down, to the earth, and is enraged. All he can do now is wage war against the children of God. “And when the dragon saw he was thrown down to the earth he persecuted the woman...” Rev12:13 “And the dragon.... went off to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Rev12:17. While are people fighting over TV’s and computer games in the checkout lines, our adversary laughs, knowing that they fail to understand the only strategic plan of action that defeats him. That plan begins with living a life by faith in Jesus and obedience to His word. It includes being a disciple of Jesus who is appalled at the wickedness of this world and it’s perversions of the truth. His disciples have access to an armor that never fails, a powerful advocate dwelling inside and the heavenly Father who is always ready to hear our prayers. Our Salvation is from heaven. Our Power is in Jesus. Our Glory is in our God. 

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