| Author |
Message |
Riverfonz
Registered user
Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 1713
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 9:43 pm: |     |
Grace,
Just stick to the Bible alone. These other influences that are making you question your new walk in the Lord are not from God. Faith is founded on fact--not feelings. The more facts from God's Word that you have, the better off you will be. The Holy Spirit will continue to impress these truths on your heart. I know of no Biblical proof that Satan can answer prayers, and I don't think that is possible.
Stan |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1309
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 9:44 pm: | |
quote:"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
11"Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?
12"Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?
13"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:10-13 NASB.)
Jeremy
(Message edited by Jeremy on May 28, 2006) |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1310
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 9:55 pm: | |
Grace,
If people prayed to God but Satan answered the prayers for Him, then God would not be God--Satan would be god. And that is how EGW has it. But that is blasphemy--there is absolutely no need to fear such an evil prophet. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).
Jeremy
(Message edited by admin on May 28, 2006) |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 4061
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 10:14 pm: | |
Grace, I think the Bible doesn't specifically say "Satan does not answer our prayers" because it tells us far more powerful facts which lead to many comforting conclusions, only one of which is that Satan can't answer our prayers.
First, when we belong to Jesus, we know His voice, and nothing can snatch us out of His hand or His Father's hand (John 10:27-30). If Satan could sneak in and answer our prayers, we could be deceived and snatched out of our security. Further, when we belong to Jesus, we KNOW His voice. No nay-saying can deny that we KNOW Him and His voice. He confirms Himself to us.
Second, when we belong to Jesus we are sealed by His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). God Himself lives in us. In the parable of the evil spirit who left a man and comes back, finding the "house" swept clean and unoccupied, the spirit moves back in with seven others, and the end of the man is worse than the beginning. (Matthew 12:43-45) If the man had re-occupied himself with the Holy Spirit, not just swept it clean, the evil spirit couldn't have come back in. When we are born from above, the Holy Spirit indwells us. While Satan can harrass us and tempt us, he cannot take the place of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and pose as God to us. God Himself is in us and protects us from deception.
Third, because we belong to Jesus and are filled with His Spirit, the "Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words canot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Romans 8:26-27).
When you have submitted yourself to God, you have no need to fear Satan answering your prayers. God the Spirit lives in you and intercedes with the Father on your behalf when you don't even kinow what to pray. Before we are born again and made alive in Him, this wonderful intercession is not ours because we are not indwelt by the Spirit. But God Himself takes responsibility for keeping us in Christ, and He makes sure that the help and strength we need is available to us.
Satan cannot answer our prayers when we are indwelt by God. God is not weak nor does He trick us. He doesn't move to a new compartment and leave His throne vacant for Satan to deceive us. Satan cannot overpower God nor can he claim us when we have been reborn. God has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).
When the doubts and accusations come, go to the Bible and ask God to strengthen you with His Spirit and truth. He is absolutely faithful.
Colleen |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1311
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 10:34 pm: | |
Grace,
Here are some additional passages which will hopefully be helpful to you:
quote:"When He [Jesus Christ] had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." (Colossians 2:15 NASB.)
"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Hebrews 2:14-15 NASB.)
"The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.'
18And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
19'Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.
20'Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.'" (Luke 10:17-20 NASB.)
And remember, Satan is just one of many demons (fallen angels)--and he has been rendered powerless by Christ's death for us.
Jeremy |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 4062
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 10:47 pm: | |
Jeremy, thanks for the wonderful texts.
Colleen |
Randyg
Registered user
Username: Randyg
Post Number: 190
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 11:58 pm: | |
Grace, I too have been warned by a dear SDA pastor friend that I better be careful of what "spirit " I was listening to, and he hoped that I wasn't listening to those who have already fallen.
I find it quite ironic that speaking about, or have the manifestations (peace, love, joy, assurance) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that your Spirituality all of a sudden becomes suspect and for not. Again, there is something wrong with that picture.
Stan, Jeremy and Colleen, thank-you for refuting this error by pointing us back to the Bible, and providing some great supportive Bible texts.
Peace, Randy |
Snowboardingmom
Registered user
Username: Snowboardingmom
Post Number: 98
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 29, 2006 - 6:51 am: | |
Thanks Stan, Jeremy, Colleen, and Randy for the texts and encouragement.
You're right Randy about something being wrong with that picture...
I was laying awake thinking last night that the "warnings" do show a messed up picture of both God and Satan: If things are good, it must be from the devil to decieve us. If things are bad, it must be God punishing us.
Logically, in my head I know it doesn't make sense, but at the same time sometimes these things are so "familiar" to me that it starts getting me confused and stuff. And then I try and go to the Bible and find I have a hard time reading through texts without filtering it with a bunch of "maybe it means this" questions. There is so much to unlearn.
Thanks for helping clarify things again. |
Riverfonz
Registered user
Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 1715
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 29, 2006 - 12:46 pm: | |
Grace,
You are absolutely right. There is so much to unlearn when processing out of Adventism. Your journey is very similar to what mine was. I would also stay awake at night trying to process all this. All of our understanding of the Bible was seen thru the eyes of Ellen White, and the teachings that were ingrained in us in the catechism process in the schools.
When we are confronted with the implications of the true gospel, and truly born again, then the scales start to come off our eyes and then we can see the glorious freedom of walking in the light of the gospel. After tasting of this joy and freedom, I doubt any of us would want to go back to the old ways of living our Christian life in fear, worrying whether we were going to pass the Investigative Judgment or not.
Also, common in this processing out time, we will hear our relatives and former pastors continuing to put doubts in our minds, but that is why concentrating on reading the Bible--especially the books of John, 1John, and the Pauline epistles. The Holy Spirit will continue to affirm the truth of His Word, and you will be given greater assurance that indeed we are walking in the truth and light of the gospel.
Stan |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1312
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 29, 2006 - 1:11 pm: | |
Randy, you make a great point. In that EGW quote above, she says that in the "unholy influence" from Satan, there was "no sweet love, joy and peace."
So therefore, even according to EGW, those things cannot be the result of Satan's influence.
Indeed, they are the fruit of the Holy Spirit!
Jeremy |
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