April 29, 2006                                    A Page from the Devil’s Playbook

May 15, 2006

*Note: I started this study in April, and have hesitated on publishing this because although I knew it helped me, I ended up going in a new direction with this I hadn't gone before. This study contains text which is blue,  from the book 1 Maccabees, one of the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha, included in the KJV 1611.  I pray God help his people to be aware and awake and praying, one for another.

The word "Pharisee" means, ironically, "set apart". I want to give you a little background here on who they were and how the Pharisees began. They began as a remnant of people who would not at the cost of their lives, forsake the law of God. These people were called by several names, one, the "Assideans" or "Hasideans" who were unwilling to compromise God's law, even to the death. After Darius was dethroned as king of the Persians and Medes, by Alexander, a Greek, he ruled much of the whole earth for about 12 years, having conquered so much of it the rest of it gave in to him. He permitted the Jews their religion, their laws of worship and sacrifice. They prospered under him. When he got sick and knew he was going to die, he gathered his closest most trusted servants, "such as were honorable, and had been brought up with him from his youth, and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive" quote from 1 Maccabees 1:6. (Apocrypha).

Now, just a note here, I had never considered the Apocrypha as something I had wanted to read, but while researching the Pharisees, and their awful beginnings, that is where it led. The word Apocrypha means “hidden” and is applied to writings where there is a question as to who wrote them, or whether the text is inspired or not. I have not read very much of these texts, and what I did seemed to be a historical account of the struggle of the Jews during the 400 years after Malichi before Jesus. This study concerns the book 1 Maccabees, which was included in the KJV 1611 Bible. The book relates the history of the Maccabean revolt against king Antiochus IV Ephiphanes during the second century BC. History reveals he was a very cruel man. I should also mention this book is considered as inspired by the Roman Catholic church and Greek Orthodox church, and is included in the Roman Catholic Bible. (Deuterocanonical). I am not going into any dispute over Catholic doctrine, but having read the Bible, and I’m learning to know the Lord for myself, I want no part of any religion that tells me I cannot go straight to the throne room of my heavenly Father who cleared the way for me to do so and invites me to come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb 4:16) but says rather I must go through a man who intercedes for me. There is one Advocate, and that is Christ Jesus the Lord, who shed his blood for my sins. I go to my Father through his name, because of the blood. Hallelujah! But, let’s move on here, and I pray you will bear with me, because this gets interesting or I wouldn't take time to go into it. I’m being brief here, for the sake of time and space, and there is a lot more information available, but I am trying to include what is pertinent to what I was studying. After Alexander died, his servants all ruled the kingdoms he gave them, and generations later, things had deteriorated so badly that people pretty well just did what they wanted to. There was a man who came on the scene named Antiochus IV Ephiphanes.

From day one, in the garden, the devil set out to deceive and destroy God’s creation. He did everything he could to break the fellowship of God and man. He caused Eve to question the command God had given them not to eat of the tree. He tries to cause people to doubt the accuracy and truthfulness of the Word of God. When believers suffer, he will lie and tell them it’s because of God being angry with them, because he’s unreasonable, unfair, if you just walk away from him and go back, it will get better. Did not Israel become convinced of this in the wilderness when God wanted them to enter into the promised land, the adversary was right there magnifying the giants in their minds, inciting them to fear. The people of Israel had suffered greatly. They had been attacked by their enemies, many had been killed. Their cities had been burned. They had suffered a great deal because of their rebellion against God. When you forsake the word and law of God, which is for your protection, and security, then you leave yourself very vulnerable.

They went to the king Antiochus (big mistake) and he gave them permission to leave the law and do as the heathen did. And they wildly embraced the customs and practices of the heathen. They forsook the holy covenant. Not all the people but many did, though.

Antiochus proceeds to conquer Egypt. On the heels of his completely smiting Egypt, he heads straight for Israel and Jerusalem.

Oh, folks, look where the enemy heads when he invades the city where God’s people live.

Remember, this is a warfare between Satan, the adversary of our souls, and the Lord Jesus Christ who has already defeated the old devil, who just can’t give up and admit defeat and since he can’t hurt the Lord, he turns to hurt those the Lord loves. He manipulates people into betraying their faith in the Lord, and walking away from him, and don’t you know it hurts the heart of God to see people behave so cavalierly about the things of God-when he paid such a high price that we might have abundant life, eternal life? That devil knows who God is, he has been there, in his presence. He knows how wonderful it is, and he’s so full of hate and malice and envy because he knows he’s doomed, and he’s trying to take as many down as he can with him.

He proudly enters the sanctuary of the Jewish temple, which had been rebuilt, starting with the return of the exiles from Babylon, under Ezra and Nehemiah. Apparently, it had been restored to its former beauty, because 1 Ma 1 gives a sickening description of how this Antiochus and his army invades the city of Jerusalem, marches proudly and defiantly into the temple, taking all the treasures of the temple, the gold and silver vessels, the hidden treasures he found, the candlesticks of light, the golden altar, and all its vessels, the crown, the golden ornaments before the temple, he pulled off. He took everything which represented gifts from and service to God. He took away the golden altar- oh, and an altar represents prayer and communion with God, doesn’t it? Isn’t that what you think of when hear the word altar? Prayer? Communication with our Father? Where you got saved? Where you found God? He took away the candlestick of light-the testimony, the light of truth in a dark and desperately wicked world. He took it away. He took the shewbread- which was a type of the Word of God- he gives seed to the sower who then ministers it to the sheep. Didn’t the Lord pray, “give us this day our daily bread?” That’s what the shewbread represents to me.

God has such great provision, he tried to show the people through physical illustrations along with the word from the prophets how he cared so much for them. He took everything into account. And when they forsook God, they left the door open and then enemy came in and stripped them bare.

Now the next few verses got to me, for they are horrifying. As I read this, what Daniel said and what Jesus said in Matthew 24, began to make so much more sense. And you have to remember-Daniel was talking about this-before it happened. By the time Jesus came, this had already happened. And he warned it was going to happen again. The following is an excerpt from 1 Maccabees 1 from the KJV that includes Apocrypha. As I read this, I felt horrified and dismayed, because this sounded so familiar, although I had never read it before. And it also sounds like something that could very easily happen again in our generation, where the antichrist spirit is thriving and spreading like wildfire in this world. Underlines are mine.

Remember things are heading toward a one world government now. Whose idea do you think it is that we all need to be one people? Remember the devil has a fake and tries to counterfeit everything God has and does and is. Jesus prayed we'd be one. But people can't seem to agree, even in the Christian faith-when he came he divided. He said he come to send division on the earth not peace.

He divides light from dark. Truth from error. But who is the one who is behind the pressure to conform to the world and be like it? Who is the one the young people are fighting that is inspiring the cruelty of peer pressure? It's sunk to an all new level of cruelty in our schools today. The malice in these kids' mouths comes straight from the devil. The governments that are preaching 'tolerance' for everything except Christ. They say we must tolerate the Muslims, the Bhuddists, the Wiccans, we must allow everyone their freedom of expression-but Government forbid that people pray in the name of Jesus Christ at a graduation or city council meeting, and even our military chaplains now are facing persecution. WHERE do you think that enmity, that bone deep hatred of Jesus Christ comes from? From the one Jesus Christ defeated, and made an open show of over 2000 years ago. (Col. 2:15) He has no power over anyone who belongs to Jesus Christ and believes in the Lord unless they are unwise enough to give it to him by believing his lies and doing as these people did, forsake the word and love of God.

How, you say, do you sacrifice to idols? Give them a place in your life. Give them things meant for God, like your time, your energy, your thoughts, your life, your children-instead of spending time with your children teaching them about God and bringing them to his house, and teaching them the scriptures, send them to the movie theaters to watch movies where HIS name and Commandments are blasphemed and broken. Let them spend hours playing violent video games which the enemy uses to negatively influence the minds of our children. Let them spend hours on the computer surfing the internet or listening to ungodly foul mouthed singers or rappers indoctrinating your kids with rebellion, anti-authority anti-Christ messages. Buy into the lie that it’s just a phase they’ll grow out of, and give the devil space to pollute their minds and spirits with the filth of the world. Let them spend time playing at people’s houses you aren’t very familiar with where they can hear and see God only knows what. When they start getting on your nerves and you just need some “space” instead of thanking God they are home and safe and not on a “missing child” poster, go tell them to watch TV. Then they can go watch the box the devil uses to pump junk into the minds and hearts of people. In the past year, I have really grown to loathe television. I have a four year old daughter who likes Dora the Explorer. They have even brought magic and witchcraft into Dora now, and I have been covering my daughter with prayer and trying to wean her off that junk, while asking God to forgive me for allowing it in the first place. It’s a battle when you are the only Christian in your home and the world has reigned there. As you grow and learn the ways of God you begin to see things that are wrong and his word working in you will change you. At times, it has caused arguments with my precious husband-but too much is at stake to back down. You have to behave and speak in love, but you have to be firm and sure. Steadfast. The Word of God working in your heart and life will cause you to stop doing things as it sanctifies and sets you apart from the world. So many of the cartoons now are full of violence, bad behavior and even bad words. Too many teach tolerance of things that are wrong. God grant us wisdom and understanding on how to guard our homes and children, for we are in need.

Forbid burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offerings in the temple. Today society is full of self-seeking, pleasure hungry, ambitious people who have been so spoiled and pampered they know nothing of sacrifice and offering their lives and time to God. When I read this, “leave their children uncircumcised” that sounds hard to understand. Why would it matter? Well, God is so precious and the Holy Ghost is the best Teacher I’ve ever had or ever could! I must pause a moment to thank him, and ask him to never let me take lightly the things he opens to my understanding. Oh, don’t take him for granted, seek him, we need him, saints!

Circumcision is the cutting away of flesh that is in the way, that can trap bacteria and cause infection in males in their genitals. Sensitive area, I know. But spiritually speaking, if you aren’t “spiritually circumcised” which is painful, too, let me tell you, then you are still trusting in your own ability to do things. You are trusting in your flesh, your thoughts and ways, and think you can do that and still please and serve God. Your flesh, your thoughts, your carnal ways will kill you. Period. They do not and will not listen to God. Your flesh wants no part of God. It has to be crucified. When they left their children uncircumcised, they would grow up ‘self-sufficient, proud, arrogant,’ and where does all that lead? Isn’t that what God kicked the devil out of heaven for?

Much of Ezekiel 28 describes the effects of being uncircumcised and how it leads to pride, arrogance and self-reliance. We have to depend totally on God for everything. I even need him to teach me how to worship him. How to pray. Everything. How to parent my children. How to be a good wife and mother. How to serve others, how to be kind. How to see, think, hear and understand. How to walk. How to dress and speak. With the law of kindness in my mouth. Not arrogance, not sarcasm, or scorn. See why the enemy wanted the children uncircumcised? Because he knows it’s not in men to direct their own paths and when they think they are wise enough to do so they end up destroying themselves.

Pride is something God hates and won’t tolerate in his children. Satan knows this. He knows it’s sin as far as God is concerned for people to trust in their flesh, rather than the love and help of God. Isaiah talks about this in chapter 30:1-7. Proverbs warns that pride goeth before a fall. The way of a man seems right in their own eyes but the end thereof is death. (Pro 16:18, Pro 14:12, 16:25.) Why does the devil want people to be proud and arrogant? To do things their own way?

Sure, he wants to get that word out of sight and out of mind. He will steal it from you anyway he can. Through distraction, pressure, fear, attacks of unbelief he will fire at you, those fiery darts that he shoots into the mind of a believer to try to cause them to doubt the promises of God. This wicked king targeted those who defied his law and the women who indeed had their children circumcised, he slew, and ordered the children hanged by their necks. There were some who would rather die than give in to the demands of the enemy. They loved God and would not betray him. I believe the martyrs will sit closest and be most honored in heaven. Next, the missionaries who sold out to God, I think. And praise the Lord for every one of them. What a great cloud of witnesses we have to be encouraged by.

Do you see what happens when you forsake God and try to make a deal to live with and like the world? Jesus warned us beforehand. This reads like a play by play book of the enemy that will happen again. Even now, it is this way in many parts of the world-like Sudan, Korea, China. There was a group of godly people who wanted no part of this "one world" system, and held to the law of God. They rose up and warred against the evil, and over the next several hundred years, the story of the Jews is full of battles, war, defeat, and slaughter. They won some and lost some. But there was always a remnant that held on to the law of God, and it was preserved, as much as the enemy tried to stamp it out and make them forget. And indeed by the time of Jesus, the Jews no longer spoke Hebrew, they spoke Aramaic. They mostly couldn't remember the language, except for the Pharisees who by then had deteriorated into a group of legalists, were power hungry, and proud and arrogant people. They considered themselves better than the common man of Israel. They loved prestige, attention, political gain, recognition and were vain. They were all about appearances. But they did not know God. They did not have love and compassion for the people, for the most part of them, at all. Perhaps Nicodemus did. Maybe a few others. But most of them were rigid authoritarian men. There is a religious spirit that is just as dangerous and deadly as the anti-christ spirit because they have one thing in common: they hate Christ. Religion will kill you, just as sure as pride will. The life of Christ is about humility, servitude, dependence on God. Religion is about pride, works, critical attitudes, harshness, self-reliance. I pray God help us all be awake, with our minds girded up with his truth, and in close fellowship with him, and laying aside the weights that beset us, forsaking the sins that would stop us, and trusting and following him totally. When he comes, all that is going to matter is does he know you? He doesn’t fellowship with any darkness at all so we must be full of his LIGHT. NONE OF THIS WORLD. We are in it but not to be part of it. He can teach us and show us how to do this. Daily. Trust him. Love him. Seek him. Depend on him. He will not fail you or forsake you.