READ: JOHN
2:1-9
For quite
some time now, we have been examining how Satan deceives man and woman.
Specifically, we have examined the kinds of lies or propaganda used by him. The
understanding of the strategy used by the devil is very important. From the
book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, we see how Satan has used one method
or the other to lead men, omen, communities and nations astray. Satan has not
stopped doing this. Two major areas in which Satan leads his victims astray are
through the lures of anger and alcohol. Satan often tells people to get angry,
arguing that even Jesus got angry. Is it true? What kind of anger was it? The
first time Jesus Christ was angry was when people said He was using the spirit
of Satan. He told them that whoever offends the Holy Spirit would not be
forgiven. The second time was when He was angry with people buying and selling
in the house of God. He said the house of God should not be turned into a den
of thieves. When Jesus was being beaten, He did no get angry. He is meekness
personified. Who is a meek person? The meek is the one who makes use of his
strength to defend the weak. It is the proud who gets angry when personally
offended. If you are not proud you will know that you are nothing. Satan is a
liar. He is also a deceiver. He might tell you to take a little alcohol. He
would ask that if Jesus Christ does not want us to drink wine, why He changed
water to wine. Satan knows that we do not all understand the Greek language. The
word translated as wine here is grape juice. This does not intoxicate. Satan
would tell the ignorant that wine is wine. Alcoholic wine was not served at the
wedding that Jesus attended. Even if we do not understand Greek, the pots that
Jesus said they should fill with water could contain twenty gallons of water
each. We therefore have 120 gallons of water in six pots. Can we find 120
gallons of alcoholic wine at any marriage ceremony or a wedding carnival? Don’t
be deceived; anger and the lure of alcohol are strong enough to sweep you off
your feet, spiritually speaking. Remember, the devil is a deceiver. Don’t let
him deceive you.
MEMORIZE:
JOHN 2:15 –When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the
temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and
overturned the tables.
