The Devil’s Schemes

The Devil came to Eve and, through persuasive language and hypnotism, convinced her to eat the fruit that God had told Adam not to. She ate and handed it to Adam, who listened to her and also ate. And together, the Devil had stolen the most valuable possession from them, fellowship with God in the garden where sin had not entered, and death had not existed. It’s why the gospel was promised and is now here!

God’s Gift of Salvation

Jesus came in human flesh, to break the spell and curse against us of death, granting us the power of Himself to stand against the trickery and schemes of the Devil. It’s the gospel, the good news that a Savior has come, and our sins forgiven by His blood on the cross. We can have fellowship with Christ and a new existence, rising above the old life of sin and temptation, and be the person we could never be – a child of the King and our Heavenly Father! Jesus defeated the Devil on the cross and by His life on this earth, so we could have a new life and find meaning and purpose with the gifts He has given us.

Testimony – Meeting Christ Individually

For a long time, I was confused about the passion inside of me to sing that had been there since early childhood. I tried to fulfill myself by becoming a performing artist and songwriter after winning songwriting awards. But the Devil came to destroy me after I cried out one night, alone in my bedroom, to understand why everything was so meaningless. I had worked so hard to have a loving marriage with Leo and find purpose and fulfillment through singing and releasing my first solo album. But it meant nothing. I was tired, exhausted, and lonely, trying to raise three daughters with Leo traveling all the time. That’s when the Devil sent Chris, who became my music manager. Through my love for singing, it was a way to get close to me. Through my ignorance and lack of knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I became demon-possessed. But God turned everything around for His glory. “There’s no shadow of shame on our faces. No shadow of shame on the faces You save, Lord.”

I am a redeemed person, knowing Jesus and knowing He made me to sing and be His songwriter and produce music for His glory and the well-being of His body of believers. What the Devil meant for destruction, Jesus purposes for good.

Our Purpose and God’s Plan

I’ve always been the Lord’s songwriter but caught in the blindness of the Devil and the captivity of sin. I was unable to see the glory of Christ, who is the exact image of the invisible God, until God intervened and answered my prayer or cry to understand the meaning of life. When I came to the Lord, and He gave me new life in Him, I intended never to sing or play my guitar again. I threw away all my songs and music. It was because of my love for singing and through the avenue of songwriting and performing that the Devil had almost destroyed my life and led me to hell. But Jesus had other ideas. He showed me He wanted me to sing, and I was to write new songs of praise for Him. It gave the Lord Jesus pleasure, and it was His gift to me for the well-being of the church, His believers scattered all over the globe.

When I found Psalm 33:3, in the Bible – “Sing to Him a new song,” I gained confidence that writing songs for the Lord was what Jesus wanted. And songs came in abundance. And Jesus used them. First in the home, then in worship, and as I produced songs in my studio, places further than my eyes can see. And it continues from small beginnings to larger and more growth where I’ve traveled the oceans and sung to many tribes and tongues. But it’s intimate, personal, and without the whistles and bells of flashy lights and a grand stage.

Worship is not about the show.

It’s about the heart, and meeting Jesus, and growing in His love.

Worship is about knowing the truth, and leaving sin behind, and being transformed into His likeness. We are to grow, helping each other to the fullness and maturity of Christ, our Lord. We praise Him because He loves us and all that Jesus has done. But praise is also to teach a knowledge of Christ and of God’s Word. And it is important.

Grow, Teach, Be Enlightened

To grow, teach, and enlighten is the function of a songwriter –

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts,” Colossians 3:16 NIV.

The message of Christ must first dwell in us richly. And our songs must teach and encourage with all wisdom about Jesus as we sing with thankfulness. It can’t fall short of this. Yet, sadly, I believe it is. Many songwriters of the Word and of the Lord are not speaking even His name, the name of Jesus that the Father gave the Son on which all must call on to be saved. It’s the basics. However, the basics are missing when there is no power, and the songwriter’s agenda, as well as Christian fellowship and music, are lacking these essentials.

Jesus warned that His temple, which are the believers in Christ, must not turn His house into a marketplace. A marketplace isn’t a place designed to teach. Its purpose is to make money, and the two are mutually opposed. So, we must be careful how we use the gifts given by the Lord. First, we must come to Christ, the living cornerstone that holds the church and the Spiritual temple of God together. Second, we must use our gifts for the well-being and growth of His church, enlightening one another in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, the Son of God, until we are fully complete in Christ.

Let’s Be Careful

The Devil comes to offer us “too-good-to-be-true” promises to take the glory away from Christ and destroy us in the process. He is the thief, the destroyer, who comes to kill, steal, and destroy and stop us from finding our purpose and identity in God as His child through what Jesus has done. Jesus rose from the grave and took the power of death away from the Devil. One day, all people will stand before Christ and give an account of what they have done in this life. The Devil wants to keep you from your purpose of knowing Jesus and using your gifts for the well-being of others.

Jesus withstood all the temptations of the Devil who wanted Him to sin and break fellowship with the Father. But Jesus has now returned to the Father, in fellowship and full glory, holding all authority with the power to Judge the living and the dead. Do you think it is any different for us than for Adam and Eve in a world where the Devil still exists and roams looking for someone to destroy? The Devil was judged when Jesus was lifted on the cross and died for the sins of the world. But God hasn’t thrown Satan, that dragon of old, the Devil, into the lake of everlasting fire because He doesn’t want to judge people until they have come to the knowledge of the truth! Our Heavenly Father wants all to be saved, for the blinders of the Devil to be lifted, and for them to see their purpose and mission of Christ. So, we must be careful to do what God is willing us to do, regardless of the viewpoint of others.

Fulfillment

It wasn’t until I came to Christ that I truly discovered that I was made by God to be His songwriter and singer. Salvation is a gift from the Lord Jesus, and so is our purpose.

If you don’t feel fulfillment in your life but rather emptiness. Or, if you feel that anger, disappointments, and an absence of love dominate your life, then possibly you are lost. Allow Jesus to change you. Come to Him now in prayer and learn how to live and be used by God.