I began my current Sermon Series, Lies People Believe, a week ago by looking briefly at Satan’s encounter with Eve and Adam in the Garden in Genesis Chapter 3. I described the 4-step process from “Deception to Bondage” identified there and in our own lives: (1) We listen to a lie, (2) We dwell on the lie, (3) We believe the lie and (4) We act on the lie. Dr. Del Tackett in The Truth Project video teaching series said “Every sin can be traced back to a lie,” that’s why it is crucial for each of us to know and live by The Truth – God’s Truth. A year ago a good friend of Robin’s, from our TU Wesley Foundation days, wrote a poem entitled “It Sure Looked Good.” Her name is Holly E. Westefeld. It seems most appropriate with our current study on the Cosmic Battle between Lies and Truth to share it with you today.

It sure looked good, when Eve first saw the fruit,
And tasted it; by serpent was beguiled.
She never meant creation to pollute
With sin and death, but Satan slyly smiled.

It sure looked good, when Lot selected land;
Near Sodom and Gomorrah he remained,
But things did not work out as he had planned,
When fire and brimstone on the cities rained.

It sure looked good, the lentil stew, that day,
When Esau came in tired from the kill;
So good, his birthright he would trade away.
Too high a price he paid to eat his fill.

It sure looked good, to one strong Nazirite,
Enamored of a heathen Philistine,
To share his secret strength; It cost his sight,
And strength, and then his life, revenge to glean.

It sure looked good, to God’s anointed king,
To spy upon Bathsheba’s evening bath.
Consumed by lust, which led to murdering,
The prophet, Nathan, soon pronounced God’s wrath.

It sure looked good, the offer Satan made,
To bow, and rule the kingdoms of the earth,
But Jesus knew ‘twas counterfeit, and bade
Him to depart. The offer had no worth.

It sure looked good, in Jesus’ parable,
A farmer, building bigger barns, desired.
To store his goods did not seem terrible,
But on that night his life would be required.

It sure looked good, when freedom from their cell
Was offered by an earthquake in the night,
But Paul and Silas would the gospel tell.
The jailer’s life and soul was their delight.

It sure looked good, his dream of destiny,
The power and the worship, his desire,
Which drove him on to worthless mutiny.
Oh reign he will, in never-ending fire.

It sure looked good. How many of us can relate to that? Satan is a deceiver, in fact He is The Deceiver, The Father of all lies. What lies has he been sending your way? The only way to counter a lie is with the Truth of Christ! Join us on Sundays and Wednesdays as we discover in every area of our lives - The One Who is the Truth!

Remember, God is good all the time! And all the time God is good! I love you with The Father’s Love!

Yours in Christ,
Mark