Adam and Eve resided in the Garden of Eden, and it was here that they daily communed with God. God instructed Adam, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17-18). For an unknown period of time, Adam and Eve obeyed this command, but one day a serpent who was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made approached Eve and said, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Unfortunately, as they continued their conversation, the serpent deceived Eve, and she and Adam, who was with her, disobeyed God’s instruction.
This serpent who came into the first home continues to speak and cause havoc in this world. It is the responsibility of believers to recognize his ploys and not succumber to them. To help you better understand this cunning beast, I will share some of the natural characteristics of a serpent and needful spiritual application.
1. The cylindrical structure of the serpent’s body allows it unlimited access to hiding places; it can crawl in and out of cracks.
Spiritual application -The serpent can be found everywhere; it can move into places you thought were shut. What doors have you left open; close them. Where are the cracks, fortify and seal all openings.
2. Serpents can move about rapidly and soundlessly.
Spiritual application – The serpent will not announce its presence, but it will be where you are before you realize it. Don’t be slothful in the things pertaining to godliness. When God says, “Go,” don’t hesitate.
3. Serpents can ascend into high places, and their external body patterns allow them to blend into the environment, so their presences are undetected.
Spiritual application – The serpent seeks to be around leadership and will carry itself in a manner that leads people to believe it is a partner and not an enemy.
4. Serpent’s eyes are always open, and they have a wide field of vision.
Spiritual application – While you are sleeping, the serpent remains awake, planning your demise. It is looking beyond you; wake up, be sober, and watchful. Ask God to help you see beyond the immediate, expand your sight, and give you eagle-eye vision.
5 Serpents swallow their victims whole, alive, and head first.
Spiritual applications – The serpent doesn’t wait for you to die; it comes after you while you are fully functioning. It devours your head first, the part of the body that controls your mind, hearing, sight, and appetite.
6. Serpents will eat whatever is available
Spiritual application – Young or old, sick or healthy if accessible, you will appear appetizing to the serpent.
7. Serpents are cold-blooded
Spiritual application – The serpent is not interested in your feelings; It does not care that you are suffering or struggling. Its goal is to kill, steal and destroy you. Don’t expect sympathy or empathy from the serpent.
I pray the above has given you food for thought, will assist you in your warfare, and help you recognize when the serpent is present. May we all be able to say, like Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us; we are not ignorant of his devices.
So often, in this life, we neglect to speak what we know, but instead, we allow opposing thoughts to occupy our minds. Unfortunately, this is not a new occurrence, for we can read about it happening in the Garden of Eden. According to the Word, the cunning serpent met with Eve and cast doubt about God’s directive to her and Adam. At first, Eve repeated to the serpent what God said, but after the serpent spoke lies and innuendos to her rather than speak again what she knew God said, she allowed herself to be deceived and enter into rebellion. From that time on, humans had to decide whether they would speak what the Word said or speak the words of the imposter.
In this world, the only thing that will last and stand the test of time is the Word of God. He said, “So shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (Isaiah 55:11) and “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). Keeping these two scriptures in mind, we can boldly declare what God said in every situation in life, especially when we are confronted with erroneous words, philosophies, and deception. To help us, the Bible shares examples that we need to follow, and here are a few of them.
On the way to a mount in the land of Moriah, unbeknownst to what was about to transpire, Isaac asked Abraham about the sacrifice. Abraham replied, “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8a). Abraham had faith in God, so he spoke his faith to his son.
After Joseph had been presented to Pharaoh to interpret his dream, Joseph told Pharaoh, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41:16). Joseph knew that he needed God to download the interpretation of Pharoah’s dream in him.
When the twelve spies returned from spying out the land of Canaan, ten of them gave an evil, disheartening report, but Caleb said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13: 30). From past experiences, Caleb knew that they would be victorious with God on Israel’s side.
As he walked toward Goliath, David told him. “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:45- 47). David had faced a bear and a lion and was victorious; hence he had no fear facing Goliath, and he boldly declared that to him.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood before the king who was going to throw them into the fiery furnace, they said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Daniels 3:16-18). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were staunch believers, and the possibility of a death sentence did not alter their belief.
And lastly, Jesus our most excellent example when confronted by the devil in the wilderness three times he told the devil, ‘It is written….” (Matthew 4:4,7,10), Jesus did not lose focus of His assignment on earth; thus, He let the devil know that He knew the Word and He was going to adhere to it.
All the above persons spoke what they knew. They did not allow the enemy’s tactics or emissaries to hinder them from speaking the truth. They believed and stood firm, which is what I am recommending in this blog. Know the Word and say it, for when you do, you will turn your situation around.
This blog is for those who feel hopeless, have become weary, and feel like giving up. I want to encourage you as we proceed in 2022. I want to share with you that which the Holy Spirit has impressed into my spirit for you and me.
It is crucial that when we pray, we pray according to the Word. The Word informs us that this world in which we live will get more tumultuous as the time of the rapture draws nigh; therefore, our prayers should focus on the strength believers need to work and stand amid chaos, confusion, and division. Also, the mind of Christ is required to direct our prayers for God’s will to be done on the earth.
Like most of you, I want trouble to cease; however, that is not to be. My assurance and consolation amid all that is happening is God is with me. With His abiding presence in my life, I cast aside the Spirit of Fear and Lethargy, roll up my sleeves and do the work God has for me.
When God created Adam and placed him in the Garden in Eden, He spoke these words to him, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” God knew the enemy was lurking in the garden. He knew his plan for the occupants, so he instructed them to subdue and have dominion. These are action words that require humans to do something. They were not supposed to accept the deceptive words of those around them but rather defeat, conquer, extinguish, get the better of, overpower, be in charge, and govern with sovereign authority.
From reading the Bible, we know Adam and Eve forfeited their place, thusly allowing Satan to seize control. The good news is that Jesus came and redeemed us, and He gave us power over our enemies. Daily we must enter into warfare, fighting sometimes and resisting others times, for the enemy is relentless in his plan of destruction for us. Furthermore, he uses all kinds of people and methods to accomplish his goal; however, we must declare, like Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” So, roll up your sleeves and get back to work defeating the enemy.
Let me begin this blog with the definition of deception and manipulation.
Deception = the action of deceiving someone, a trick or scheme used to get what you want, a misleading falsehood, misrepresentation.
Manipulation = the skillful handling, controlling, or using of something or someone.
A believer should not want these two words connected to their name, and I believe these two words speak to a person’s trust in God. If a believer has confidence in the Word of God operating in their life and the plan of God for them, all that is needed from them is to yield and follow God’s directives.
The scriptures share many incidents where these negative actions can be seen, and usually, people suffer from them. Such is seen in the stories of Jacob, and Abram and Sarai.
Before the birth of Jacob, God spoke to his mother Rebekah and said, “Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). So, born first, God destined Esau to serve his twin brother Jacob, who was born after him. Jacob didn’t need to use manipulation to get his brother’s birthright and deception on his father Isaac to get the blessing bestowed on the firstborn. God’s plan of blessing and headship for Jacob’s life would have occurred without his interference. If Jacob had not used these methods, he would have continued to live in his native land, but instead, he needed to leave home because of his actions. Because the saying, “What you sow, you reap,” is true, Jacob reaped deception at the hands of Laban, his father-in-law, while he was in Padanaram. Plus, even after twenty years, he returned home fearing his brother Esau’s wrath, which did not happen because Esau had forgiven him.
Another story of manipulation is that of Abram and Sarai. God had told Abram that he would produce an heir. When years passed, and no child was born to their union Sarai used manipulation and got Abram to have sex with handmaid Hagar. After Hagar became pregnant, the relationship between Sarai and her was destroyed, and Sarai lived to regret her actions.
These are just two examples of deception and manipulation, and the bible is filled with many more. If we are wise, we can learn from the mistakes of others that it is damaging to the person being deceived and manipulated, and it holds consequences for the perpetrator. Additionally, these two actions are fruits of the Spirit of Divination which should not be found operating in the lives of believers, and most of all, God is not pleased when they are working in us. Therefore, I encourage you to pray against them functioning in you and boldly declare, “Deception nor manipulation needed.”
Eternity: infinite or unending time, a state to which time has no application; timelessness, endless life after death, period of time that seems very long, especially on account of being tedious or annoying.
As we experience the increasing perilous times which Jesus forecasted in Matthew 24, I believe the next great event for believers will occur sooner than later. That great event is described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” I personally do not believe this will occur ten or twenty years from now, but instead, I feel it is imminent.
I am excited about meeting Jesus in the air and journeying with Him to heaven where we will be while the tribulation happens on earth, but I am also concerned about the fate of unbelievers who have not come into the full knowledge of Jesus Christ and for those who have heard the gospel but rejected the salvation message. I am concerned about the increasing number of old and young individuals who are committing suicide and being whirled into eternity without being divinely connected.
I believe people are making poor decisions because of a lack of knowledge concerning eternity, kingdom reigning, and life beyond this present world. If people understood that every person who ever lived on this earth would enter into eternity either in bliss or in damnation, I pray they would choose to follow Jesus. I don’t believe most people would prefer to be tormented and in pain with no expiration date.
If you are reading this blog and don’t understand how you live your life now will affect your eternal future, please feel free to reach out to me to assist you with vital information. But for now, if you realize you were headed in the wrong direction and want to change, say this simple prayer, “Jesus, come in and be the Lord of my life. I realize I need you, and I want you to direct me and fill me with your Spirit. Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayer.
God bless you and now connect with fellow believers so that you will grow and learn about God and His son Jesus.
As King David prepares for battle, he assesses the people, divides them into three groups, and places Joab, Abishai, and Ittai as captains over them. Usually, King David went to the battle with his troops; however, knowing Absalom’s main goal was to kill his father, the people advised him to stay behind, to which he acquiesced and stayed at his dwelling. As the army departed, all the people heard King David say to his captains Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. “
In the woods of Ephraim, the battle spread out on the countryside, and between King David’s army and the dense forest, twenty thousand men of the opposing army were slain. Unfortunately for him, while riding on his mule and passing under an oak tree, Absalom’s hair got caught in the branches, and he was suspended in the air as his mule moved on. This was seen by someone who told Joab. Joab responded, “And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.” The man replied, “Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.”
Not lingering in conversation, Joab departed from the man, found Absalom, and thrust three darts through Absalom’s heart. Ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, stabbed him with their swords, then cast his body in a pit, and covered it with a heap of stones. Accomplishing his plan of killing and burying Absalom, Joab blew the trumpet, which stopped the king’s army from fighting and pursuing their opponents, allowing the surviving opponents to return to their abode.
Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, who was at the battle, requested permission from Joab to go to the king with the news of the battle, but Joab stopped him. Zadok kept asking to go, and finally, Joab granted his request. Meanwhile, Joab had dispatched a Cushite to the king with the battle news. Ahimaaz arrived first, but he could not give King David any specifics about the battle. When the Cushite came, he told the king, “The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.” This news devastated the king, and he went into his chambers crying and saying, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” So, chapter 18 shared the demise of Absalom and ended with the despair of King David over the death of another son whom he loved.
Also, revealed in this chapter, Absalom had three sons who commentaries believed died in infancy; therefore, he built a monument in Jerusalem to preserve his name and for his burial. Nevertheless, all of his planning was for naught with his unexpected dishonorable death.
For the last time in this series, I once again suggest for more details, read chapter 18. Now here are the final spiritual nuggets that I obtained from this chapter:
A good leader knows their responsibility.
God does not need a large army to be victorious.
There are people around you that know your worth.
Some will esteem you higher than themselves.
True friends will protect you from danger.
As a leader, it is good to accept the wise counsel of others.
Be willing to forgive the treachery of your enemy.
Parents’ warm feelings for their children are sometimes not reciprocated.
Negligent parents often turn a blind eye toward their children’s negative behavior.
Those who respect authority will follow instructions.
Disregarding the plan of God can be fatal.
Be careful that the object you prize does not cause your death.
Not honoring your parents can cause your life to be shortened.
Honor and respect are not given to the wicked.
Having no sympathy for your plight will cause people to act negatively toward you.
People that have their own agenda will disregard the words of the leader.
Some acts are done for the kingdom and not the king.
When you refuse to punish your children for wrong behavior, others will willingly do it for you.
Despite how bad a child may be, their parents still love them.
A loving father can overlook the treasonous behavior of their child.
Good news to some is bad news to others
God forgave King David for the sins he committed over Bathsheba; however, God also judged him. David had to reap the consequences of what he sowed, and it played out in his family. God used King David’s negligence in disciplining his sons as a method to chastise him. Up to 2 Samuel 18, three of his sons had died, and the last son to die caused not only King David problems but brought internal strife to the nation with a war. The outcome of sinful acts can result in generational disaster.
Finally, I close this Absalom series with this one thought. A person with the Spirit of Absalom will plot to overthrow leadership, but, in the end, it brings about their own destruction.
In 2 Samuel 12:9 -12, God gave Nathan the prophet this message to give to King David, “Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” Unfortunately for King David, these prophetic words continue to be unfolded in his life, as I will share in this blog.
2 Samuel 15 ends with David speedily evacuating the city of Jerusalem and his son Absalom entering it without any opposition. Chapter 16 opens with King David, who is on the run, meeting Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, who brought him some food provisions and asses for the king’s household to ride on since they had been journeying on foot. When asked the whereabouts of Mephibosheth, Ziba answered, “Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.” King David assumes Ziba is telling the truth and unwisely responds by giving him Mephibosheth’s entire property.
Next, King David encountered Shimei, the son of Gera from the family of Saul who was cursing and casting dust, threw stones at King David and his company, saying, “Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.” His remarks made Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, angry, and he asked permission from King David to kill Shimei for his disrespectfulness. However, King David would not release him to do it in case God prompted Shimei to curse him. Additionally, King David believed if his son was treating him treacherously, then those not related to him could do the same. In the end, David trusted God to vindicate him of any false accusations.
Having passed thru the brook of Kidron, Mount Olive, and Bahurim, the weary King David and those with him were able to refresh themselves. Meanwhile, Absalom, his followers, and Ahithophel were settling in Jerusalem. Hushai, the Archite, came to Absalom and did obeisance, which caused Absalom to question his previous allegiance to King David. Hushai gave Absalom this response which was acceptable to him, “Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.”
Lastly, Ahithophel, whose counsel was considered valuable, told Absalom to publicly have sexual relationships with his father’s concubines, which he did. Both men understood that this act would signal the people that Absalom had taken over the rulership of his father’s kingdom. Also, it would be abhorrent to his father and make reconciliation between them impossible.
For more details than the summary I provided, I recommend reading chapter 16. Now here are some truths (spiritual nuggets) that I gained from this chapter:
- Always check out the information you hear before making a rash decision.
- Appearances can be deceiving.
- People that you employ will sometimes make false accusations about you.
- A greedy untrustworthy servant will steal from his master.
- A thief will give away that which does not belong to him.
- People will hold grudges against you when they feel you have offended their family members.
- When you are down, your adversaries will say bad things about you.
- While you are walking thru your valley, there will be those on the mountain unsympathetically looking down on you.
- If you bring charges against someone, make sure they are legitimate.
- No matter the circumstance, don’t curse or abuse leadership.
- Realize some painful events that you experience in life are caused by your choices.
- Those around you often share in your experiences, both good and bad.
- Feeling self-deprecation can open the door for abuse from others.
- When men revile, you remain gracious toward them.
- God vindicates the innocent.
- Let vengeance be from God.
- It is God who determines your destiny.
- God will refresh you in enemy territory.
- A deceiver can also be deceived.
- Why expect others to be loyal when you are not?
- Those you trust to give you sound counsel may not do so.
- Our children will make the same mistakes that we did in our lifetime.
- Down thru the ages, women have been sexually abused by men in power.
- The fulfillment of some prophecies can be painful.
Also, continuing in the same fashion of my last blog, I will share from chapter 16 some key characteristics of those who exhibit an Absalom spirit:
- Those with the Spirit of Absalom will knowingly break the laws of God.
- Those with the Spirit of Absalom will disrespect leadership openly.
- Though practicing deception themselves, those with the Spirit of Absalom can also be deceived.
- Those with the Spirit of Absalom are willing to do whatever promotes their position.
- align themselves with whoever promotes their cause.
- Those with the Spirit of Absalom are willing to accept whoever exalts them.
I pray this blog has been insightful and directional for you, and if you have not read the other blogs in this series, you can find them in the archive.
2 Samuel 15 reveals that Absalom had planned a coup for he wanted the people’s loyalty and allegiance to be transferred from his father to him. Apparently, he felt he was the heir apparent, and he did not want to wait until the death of King David; so, here is what he did. First, to impress his countrymen, he had an entourage of fifty men run before him when he was traveling. Then to steal the hearts of the people, he rose early and stood by the city gate where judicial matters were handled to intercept individuals that were coming to the king to hear their case. He planted the idea in their minds that he would have provided a better judgment for them if he was in charge, and at the end of their encounter, Absalom embraced and kissed them. This strategic behavior of Absalom went on for multiple years until he was ready for the coup.
Absalom asked King David for permission to go to Hebron under the pretense he was carrying out a vow he made to God while in Geshur. Meantime he sent out secret messages to the tribes of Israel saying, “As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.” Additionally, Absalom called Ahithophel the Gilonite, King David’s counselor, and two hundred unsuspecting men from Jerusalem to accompany him to Hebron.
Word reaches King David that there was a conspiracy underway against him. He gathered his household and evacuated Jerusalem along with his six hundred Gittites guards and his personal bodyguards of Cherethites and Pelethites. King David did this to keep Jerusalem safe and escape being captured by Absalom. Left to keep the palace were ten of King David’s concubines.
The Levites, Zadok, and Abiathar, the priests followed King David with the ark of the covenant; however, King David had them return to Jerusalem with the responsibility of protecting the ark and an assignment of reporting to him the plans of Absalom. Also, Ittai the Gittite came to David and refused to be deterred by him, so he, his men, their families joined King David’s company.
David and all the people with him proceeded up the Mount of Olives, covering their heads and weeping. Upon arrival, King David worshipped God and persuaded Hushai the Archite to go to Jerusalem and become a secret agent for him by pledging allegiance to Absalom. He was to work at defeating the counsel of Ahithophel, who had defected to Absalom, and forward vital information to Abiathar and Zadok concerning Absalom’s movement. They would then send this information to the king by their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan. Chapter 15 ends with Absalom coming into Jerusalem.
As I have done in the previous blogs, I recommend reading chapter 15 to obtain more details than the summary I provided. Now here are some truths (spiritual nuggets) that I gained from this chapter:
- A true friend and faithful followers will stick with you and find it difficult to leave you.
- In life, you will have people that will walk with you through dangerous terrain.
- Sometimes you are abandoned by the people in whom you invested much.
- When a person you trusted betrays you, it is heartbreaking.
- A wise person knows how to be a tactician while experiencing difficulty.
- A true leader cares about the welfare of others.
- When in foreign territory, trust God to bring you home safely.
- Pray for God’s intervention in your time of trouble.
- When people respect you, they will follow your instructions.
- No matter your circumstance, worship is vital.
- God sends solutions amid your worship.
Also, continuing in the same fashion of my last blog, I want to share from chapter fifteen some key characteristics of those who exhibit an Absalom spirit:
- While you are resting, this spirit is plotting.
- They seek to promote themselves and desire the praises of men.
- They seek to win the attention and affection of people.
- They are a conniver, flatterer, deceiver, pretender, and liar.
- Though they are not, they appear sincere to the unexpectant.
- They will mesmerize and endear themselves to people.
- They belittle leadership.
- They want leadership positions, and they view others as incompetent.
- They seek to judge people’s problems.
- They manipulate people’s emotions.
- They will question the leader’s ability to lead and make sound judgments.
- They will use innocent people to promote their agenda.
- Eventually, they will show his true colors.
- This spirit thinks of himself more highly than he ought.
- They will cause disloyalty, discontentment, and division among the people..
I pray this information is helpful and that the Spirit of Absalom will not be found in you.
The Teacher's Pick 