Schemes of Satan and Persecution-1

I thought I should really reflect what we will be studying on how Satan plans to destroy Jesus and ultimately His Church. So I decided to focus on his schemes which are many and the ‘church’ is woefully ignorant of all of them. This means the ‘church’ will be deceived and fall away from the living GOD.

John 7:1  After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. 7:2  Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. 

The Feast of Booths is in late September to early October. It is one of the three required Feasts, that is, all males must come to Jerusalem to participate in them.

7:3  Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. 

7:4  "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world." 

7:5  For not even His brothers were believing in Him. 

Jesus did have both sisters and brothers despite what the Church of Rome teaches. Now there comments are interesting. Jesus had been demonstrating His power over sickness with the royal official’s son, the man who had not walked in 38 years, and fed 5000 men plus women and children. Yet, his brothers were encouraging Him to show more and be very public in His signs and wonders. But, these same signs and wonders had not convinced them!

7:6  So Jesus *said to them, "My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. 7:7  "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. 7:8  "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come." 7:9  Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee. 

Jesus was in total control of His life and death. It was not His time, as He must die at Passover as the Passover Lamb of GOD. He is not the Easter Lamb of GOD. Also, some texts interpret this as His saying not yet. He did not lie and say He wasn’t going but eventually did go,

7:10  But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret. 

7:11  So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, "Where is He?" 7:12  There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, "He is a good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray." 

The Jews, the religious elite, were looking for Him, knowing that He would have to come to the feast as required. They were spreading lies about Him but the people couldn’t understand how He could be a false teacher.

7:13  Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews. 

This is one of the ways Satan, through organized religion, keeps the people in fear. They held the positions and had for centuries. They threatened many to ignore Jesus or worse yet, think evil of Him. Jesus was the problem, or so they said. Religion keeps people in bondage to its traditions and its laws, while ignoring GOD’s Laws.

Controlling the message and the media while silencing all who speak truth, keeps the sheep in the pens of the false shepherds. Only GOD’s Word can set us free from all the false teachings of false teachers. If you don’t know what God has said, Satan will tell you!

More signs, more miracles, and more wonders don’t by themselves produce saving faith.

More next Saturday.