The Truth About The Father of Lies

I'm not sure why this came into my head, but maybe it is a word for someone.

Father - n. any male ancestor, especially the founder of a race, family, or line; progenitor. (www.dictionary.com)

God is our Heavenly Father. That means that we are His children and we are made in His image. It means we inherit His power and glory, and he wants to take care of us. God's Word is Truth and he wants us to know the Truth. God's power is not dependent on us. He will always have supreme power whether or not we do, but because He loves us as children, He bestows it on us if we ask. God is everywhere and all we have to do is call out to Him.

Satan is the "Father of Lies." That means from the first lie that he spoke into existence in the Garden of Eden, all subsequent lies are in his image. Satan fancies himself as high as God, but he isn't. He's a fake god. Therefore his lies are fake versions of the truth. Satan's power is great and so is the power of his lies; however, the power of lies IS dependent on us. Without our belief, he and his lies are powerless. Satan is not omni-present, so he has to rely on his seed to do his work for him.

Here are some more thoughts:

1. Satan is far stronger than humans, but his might is totally incomparable to God's.
2. Satan is limited. He doesn't have time or the ability to attack everyone personally.
3. God is not limited. He can care for everyone at any time, anywhere.
4. It only takes faith the size of a mustard seed to bring demonic oppression crashing down.
5. God never speaks guilt or disappointment into your life.
6. Satan doesn't want you to accomplish anything, so he uses his lies to tell you that you can't or makes you feel foolish for trying.
7. Satan doesn't want you to be loved, so his lies tell you that you can't be, or else they make you look for love in the wrong ways.
8. If a person speaks evil into your life, he/she is buying into a lie. Therefore you need to pray for him/her, not hate.
9. If you feel oppressed, thank God that you are His child and that you have the victory.

The Highest Form of Non-Theist Love: Love of Body

Dennis McCallum, in a sermon on Thessalonians, said, "The ultimate statement of love that a non-theist can make is 'I love your body.'" I believe that statement is true, and I believe there is much at stake in the reality of that statement.

If a person is a non-theist (atheist, agnostic, or other variety), he or she must believe that there is no reason for anyone to exist, that everyone is the result of a mistake, that nothing in anyone is eternal, and that existence ends when a person dies. There is no soul because there is no evolutionary reason to have one. Period. Any wavering on that fact and the believer is not a true non-theist. Therefore, the concept of love can be only for the here and now. "I love your body" at its most shallow means casual sexuality and at its deepest means, "I love your existence." Even if an atheist loves someone for who he/she is on the inside, it is still just the body. Even if an atheist loves someone for the kindness he/she shows, it's still just the body. Even loving someone for being "as messed up as I am" is still loving him/her for the body.  A person's mind, personality, viewpoints. To an atheist, these can only be connected to the body. There is no sacrifice to this love except masochism. There is no commitment without ulterior motive. There is no security except Stockholm syndrome. To acknowledge the soul is to acknowledge an existence that is higher and deeper than this plane on which we live. A non-theist cannot love anything more than the flesh and blood of another person. 

I hope that breaks your heart as it does mine.

I hope every human, theist or not, can see what is at stake with this kind of love. There is something in all our hearts that yearns to be loved for more than just our mortal coil. We may have no problem giving that kind of shallow love, but we definitely hate receiving it. We may accept and commit with liberality every sin and form of debauchery this world has to offer, but we always hate betrayal. Loving someone for his/her mere present existence is the very epitome of betrayal because it is love that doesn't last. Our bodies decay. Our minds change. Our kindness is inconsistent. Our messy lives will eventually repel the ones who were attracted. If these are the only reasons for which we are loved, then we will not be loved forever. 

If love isn't meant to last, then why do we want so badly for it to last?

There is a God and He loves you. Forever.