Get Truth Get Life

KEY TEXT: Psalms 82:4 (NKJV) – “Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.”

Who are the wicked? A wicked person is anyone who disobeys God. Disobedience to God is the best way to partner with the Devil. The only way to form enmity with the Devil is by obeying God.

James 4:7 (KJV) – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” The only way the Devil will flee from you is by resisting him. How can you resist the Devil? I believe none of us has ever seen the Devil physically. Also, nobody besides Jesus has ever been tempted directly by Satan.

Satan, from time immemorial, has used different agents to execute his temptations and trials. He used a serpent to tempt Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Satan used Judas to betray Jesus (Luke 22). He used Herod to attempt to kill Jesus when He was born (Matthew 2). He uses different people. He often uses people who have highly excelled in their fields or have a high rank. He also uses people you cannot suspect.

Matthew 16:21-23 (KJV) – “²¹ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. ²² Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from Thee, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee. ²³ But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

Peter was a disciple of Jesus. He was a follower of Jesus. Peter was a Christian. As Jesus’ disciple, he assisted Christ in various ways in His ministry. He was one of Jesus’ closest followers. In the Bible, Jesus is often mentioned with Peter, James, and John. Before the death of Jesus and after the ascension of Christ to heaven, Peter was among the disciples of Jesus, who is mentioned most.

Peter even wrote two books of the Bible, First, and Second Peter. In Matthew 16:23, we see Jesus calling Peter Satan. Peter was not Satan, but Satan was using him to divert Jesus from His divine purpose. In Verse 22, Peter pauses as someone who sympathizes with Christ, having His best interests at heart. Christ told His disciples how He would be persecuted by the chief priests and scribes and how He would eventually get killed. Probably, Peter felt sorrowful about the situation and did not want Jesus to die. Jesus was his close friend, and he did not want Jesus to leave them. However, the work of saving the entire humanity for Christ was greater than staying alive with His followers.

Jesus wanted the whole human race to be saved, including His followers. Therefore, when Peter said this, He understood that hearkening to Peter would thwart Him from His primal purpose. “Sometimes the worst advice comes from people who love you, and they may give it out of the best of intentions.” – Pastor Randy Skeete. We should be able to discern such, and the best way to have correct discernment of righteous and evil counsels is through knowledge of the Word of God.

Proverbs 9:10 (KJV) – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.” The knowledge of God is understanding. Hosea 4:6 (KJV) – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me.”

2 Samuel 6:6-7 (KJV) – “And when they came to Nachon’s threshing-floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.”

What Peter tried to do was almost similar to what Uzzah tried. Uzzah had good intentions, just like Peter but his good intentions portrayed a lack of trust in God since God had commanded them that no one should touch the ark. This scenario can be compared to David’s mother or father or any of his close friends stopping him from going to battle with Goliath because they feared that Goliath would kill him. Luckily, they did not do that. If they had done that, they would have displayed a lack of trust in God.

Some of us put ourselves into the hands of the wicked by following advice that sounds well-intentioned but diverts us from the commandments of God. Someone can advise you to go to class or go for that business deal on Sabbath because they want you to pass your exams or get the money you need. That advice sounds well-intentioned but is contrary to God’s commandments. We need to work hand in hand with God and the heavenly host to free people from the hands of the wicked, and one way of freeing them is by giving them counsel that aligns with Biblical truth.

As we can see from the example of Peter, the wicked are not always people who are obviously evil. The wicked are also people who are not only church members but also people who hold high positions in the church. Some Bible scholars have done great harm to the Bible through false interpretations and commentaries. Some Bible translators completely diverted the original meaning of certain words in the Bible, which caused a great deal of damage to the Bible.

Matthew 24:24 (KJV) – “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

The Bible says the false prophets who will rise will deceive some of the very elect. They will succeed in deceiving some of the people who are highly educated and affluent. Therefore, the study of the Bible needs to be thorough. Do not just quickly brush through it. Conduct a thorough study so that you do not fall into the snares of Satan. After you have conducted that study, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, go and teach others so that you can free them from the hands of the wicked (with the power of God).

“Thus Christ gave His disciples their commission. He made full provision for the prosecution of the work, and took upon Himself the responsibility for its success. So long as they obeyed His word, and worked in connection with Him, they could not fail. Go to all nations, He bade them. Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe, but know that My presence will be there. Labor in faith and confidence, for the time will never come when I will forsake you.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 822.1, Ellen G. White.

“The Saviour’s commission to the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ to the end of time. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come are put in trust with the gospel. All who receive the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. For this work the church was established, and all who take upon themselves its sacred vows are thereby pledged to be co-workers with Christ.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 822.2, Ellen G. White.

The Bible calls us to free the poor from the hands of the wicked. The poor are not only materially poor people, but they are also spiritually poor people. Therefore, we should never shy off to preach truth to people who are not of the same faith or church. We can preach to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists among others. Most of us only preach to people of the same faith. One day I went for mission outreach, trying to invite people to church with friends, but a friend stated that we should not invite those who look like Muslims because we would bring conflict of religion.

As hard as it seems, Jesus calls us to go and preach to all nations (all people) and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). It is quite common when one is interacting with an Islamic person to hear them say things like ‘Inshallah,’ or ‘Alhamdulillah.’ Why do we shy off from our religion? Why can’t we do the same with them? Why do we shy from saying boldly that Saturday is the Sabbath when talking to our fellow Christian Sunday believers? You may be surprised that some of them do not know, and once they know, they may get converted immediately. We ought to free the spiritually poor from the hands of the wicked by preaching to them.

How do we preach to them? 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV) – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” We need to teach the Word of God with humility and respect. I sometimes see in various Christian groups on social media people arguing and insulting each other, trying to prove their religion is right. Your religion may be right, but harsh arguments and insults represent the Devil. They do not represent Jesus.

As a true Christian, when one opposes you harshly, do not answer them back harshly. Answer them softly. By doing that, the difference between you and them will be clear and distinct. Proverbs 15:1 (KJV) – “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” You will not convert someone when you respond to them harshly or insult them because pride cannot be answered with pride. The answer to pride is always humility.

Proverbs 15:2 (KJV) – “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” We should use our knowledge in the right way. This means that we should know when to say the truth and how to say it. Our goal should not be to appear intellectual or knowledgeable, or wise. Our goal should be to be God’s messengers to bring souls to conversion.

“The Jewish people had been made the depositaries of sacred truth; but Pharisaism had made them the most exclusive, the most bigoted, of all the human race. Everything about the priests and rulers—their dress, customs, ceremonies, traditions—made them unfit to be the light of the world. They looked upon themselves, the Jewish nation, as the world. But Christ commissioned His disciples to proclaim a faith and worship that would have in it nothing of caste or country, a faith that would be adapted to all peoples, all nations, all classes of men.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 819.4, Ellen G. White.

Evil people are everywhere. Sometimes they are in the form of some employers. If you have an evil employer, do their work faithfully and treat them respectfully. Who knows? They may get converted by the power of your example. Some employers practice demonic acts for their companies or organizations to be successful while some oppress their employees. One way of freeing the poor from the hands of such is by living in your purpose, especially if God has revealed to you what your purpose is.

When you pursue your purpose and open your business in line with that purpose, you will create more employment, and you will be able to free some people from the hands of the wicked. Those who are not allowed to keep the Sabbath by their employers, you will give them a conducive platform to keep the Sabbath since you are a Sabbath-believing Christian. Another way of freeing them from the hands of the wicked is by offering them higher pay in your company than they are being offered. Always aim for everyone to benefit, not just yourself.

Luke 1:57-59 (KJV) – “⁵⁷ Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. ⁵⁸ And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.”

Elisabeth’s friends and relatives tried to convince Elisabeth to call her child Zacharias. Elisabeth stuck by the name John because that is what God had commanded her. Sometimes the wicked come in the form of family members or relatives. Many people were oppressed by their families when they discovered the Sabbath truth and got converted to the Seventh-Day Adventist church. For such people, you should try to find ways of helping them even if it means welcoming them and giving them shelter in your homes.

The wicked sometimes come in the form of friends. Some people want to do what is right but sometimes cannot because of bad company. Some of them face that trouble because professed Christians have segregated themselves and do not want to mingle with them. One way of freeing them from the hands of the wicked is pulling them closer and being their friend. However, when being their ally, you should take the lead and not let them lead you lest they pull you down and drive you to temptation. Invite them for Bible study sessions, invite them to church, invite them to prayer cell fellowships. Send them video sermons and send them Christian books. You can also send them devotional articles like this one. If you do so, you will have given them the best gift because the Word of God is priceless.

A golden necklace has a price, and a diamond Rolex or Audemars Piguet or Jacob and Co. watch has a price. A Salvatore Ferragamo or Louis Vuitton, or Stefano Ricci shoe has a price. Range Rovers, Mercedes, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini’s, helicopters, and private jets have prices, but the Word of God is above them all because God’s Word is priceless.

“The angels of heaven are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. We know not now who they are; it is not yet made manifest who shall overcome, and share the inheritance of the saints in light; but angels of heaven are passing throughout the length and breadth of the earth, seeking to comfort the sorrowing, to protect the imperiled, to win the hearts of men to Christ. Not one is neglected or passed by. God is no respecter of persons, and He has an equal care for all the souls He has created.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 639.1, Ellen G. White.

“As you open your door to Christ’s needy and suffering ones, you are welcoming unseen angels. You invite the companionship of heavenly beings. They bring a sacred atmosphere of joy and peace. They come with praises upon their lips, and an answering strain is heard in heaven. Every deed of mercy makes music there. The Father from His throne numbers the unselfish workers among His most precious treasures.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 639.2, Ellen G. White.

GOD BLESS YOU.

Prayer

Dear God, free me from the hands of the wicked. Free my family from the hands of the wicked. Free my friends and enemies from the hands of the wicked. Give me the strength and the courage to be your messenger. Lord, show me one person in my circle who is under the influence of worldly or ungodly counsel, knowingly or unknowingly. Give me wisdom to reach out in love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Activity

Identify One Person

Think of a classmate, friend, family member, workmate, or even someone online who may be:

• Following wrong advice,
• Struggling spiritually,
• Drifting away from truth,
• Or afraid to obey God fully due to societal pressure.

Reach Out

• Send them one of the following:
  • A personal encouraging message aligned with God’s truth.
  • A link to a Bible-based sermon, article, or short devotional (like this one).
  • An invitation to attend a Bible study, prayer session, or fellowship group with you.
  • Or simply ask, “How can I pray for you today?”

Commit to Pray for Them Daily for 7 Days

• Write their name down and pray for them once a day. Ask God to break any chains holding them in deception or fear and to free them by the truth of His Word.

Author: Mark Alex   

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

Phone Number: +254710633247   

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-alex-0b87a9109/

PayPal: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com  

Revolut: revolut.me/markalex92