Crushing the Head of Satan - By Jill Martin Rische - http://www.olivetreeviews.org/
Note from Jan: My thanks to Jill Martin Rische for this article. She is part of the team here at Olive Tree Ministries and also the daughter of Dr. Walter Martin. Learn more at www.waltermartin.com
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The world woke the other day to the loss of one of its biggest stars: Robin Williams took his own life. From that moment until now, every excuse has been made for him and every speck of hope offered by people who simply cannot understand why.
Some say he accepted Christ, some say he was still questioning and searching -- always seeking and never finding. But this much we know: He was a funny, lonely, and often blasphemous man; a man people thought had everything. He was extraordinarily gifted -- a shy soul lost in alcoholism, drugs and pornography, who in his final moments believed he had nothing.
Why do people suffer? Why do we despair? The words of Jesus ring true throughout the centuries: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Every human born on this planet will experience pain but we are not alone in the fire; we can turn to Him when our hearts tell us there is no hope. The Bible, history, archaeology, eyewitness testimony -- all tell of a supernatural power -- a Being far greater than human frailty who can be reached through simple faith.
Day after day, as the insanity of earth breaks loose, He is there. When the pictures of Ebola victims follow us from home to work to restaurants and even into church via television, computers, and phones...He sees them, too.
He walks with the frail woman fleeing terrorists, and heals the brokenhearted. Christians facing genocide, trapped in a 21st Century microcosm of hate, hold to His promise: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
And still the human part of us struggles, even as Job struggled, with the eternal question of "Why?"
On a spiritual level we know that we live in a cursed creation, and the innocent will die along with the guilty. It has to do with the irreversible laws of sin and death, set into motion a very long time ago when Adam walked with God. He knew the loving Creator personally -- intimately -- but in that moment of final choice, rejected Him.
To all intents and purposes, Adam ended his life...yet, even then, the response was mercy.
When God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, He judged everything in the city, which meant that innocent children died along with the Sodomites. They lost their physical lives in these cities because they could not leave without their parents, but they did not lose their souls.
Jesus tells us that God has made provision for all the children, "Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)
Suffering and death will always touch everything on this earth. The only thing that saves us in this mess of a world is faith in a loving Father; faith that He is not a harsh taskmaster; faith that He is coming back for us. God is judging both the innocent and the guilty, and the Judge of the whole earth will do what is right. (Genesis 18:25)
When that great man of faith, George Muller, stood before 1000 orphans early one morning with nothing to eat for any of them, he bowed his head and thanked God for the food they were about to receive. Moments later, a knock came at the door and bread was delivered. Soon, milk arrived along with everything they needed for breakfast -- and God provided over and over again -- day after day, decade after decade.
Muller once wrote, "Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you." Our God is a loving Father who cares for us, and it is faith in Him that sees us through.
Voices from the very worst of the suffering today remind us that they put their hope in God. A young woman living a nightmare in Iraq tells the world that suffering has brought her closer to God; a missionary stricken with Ebola praises God from his sickbed; another thanks God for the opportunity to serve. This is the curse and the blessing of suffering.
From the beginning of time, God planned to rescue us. He informed Satan right from the start that he had lost: "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15) Satan strikes at our lowest point. He strikes at Jesus every time a new day dawns on this earth, but it is never a fatal blow.
In the end, Jesus crushes the head of Satan, and that is final.
Do not let your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you may be also. (John 14:1-3)
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