Good day to you, friends and family.  Read on or click through for the weekly chronicles of Bartimaeus Baptist Temple.

I hope you enjoyed last Sunday as much as I did.  We were still missing a few, but since we have our bus back we were able to pick up others we haven’t seen since the accident.  Linda encouraged us by continuing her focus on legacy with the story of C.S. Lewis.  I spoke about our scripture sweet tooth and showed how at least one of our favorites can in fact be taken as comfort to us even though it was spoken in the context of a message to the exiled nation of Israel.  You can find both talks on our podcast.

This Sunday, I’m going to speak of the devil.  I really don’t like to do that.  If our understanding of his origin is correct, he wanted God’s glory for himself and that’s how all the trouble started, so I don’t like to give him any opportunity that may feed that pride.  However, the Bible does have plenty to say of him, and we are in danger if we remain ignorant of his devices. (1 Peter 5:8-10)

On the other hand, we can go wrong in the other direction, focusing to much attention on him and taking our eyes off of the only One with the power to defeat him.  C.S. Lewis, writing in The Screwtape Letters, puts it this way.

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or magician with the same delight”

So, we’ll speak of the devil, but we’ll learn that he only has so much power as we will give him and as god will let him have.  We should not ignore him, but neither should we fear him.  The power within us is far greater!  Do not dare to play with him as a child might foolishly handle a viper, but do be aware of his power to strike if we are not vigilant against him.

Don’t let him trick you out of a blessing!  Come and join us this Sunday.

Love y’all!

Larry