[A]. Introduction

Satan is the enemy who sneaks into the field freshly sown to plant his seeds of destruction. He is the pernicious master of the tares. In recent months, if you watched some of the footage from Israel on the cruelty, barbarism, and complete hate and evil from Hamas, then you gain the slightest insight into what Satan is like. Our minds cannot understand such concentrated evil that belongs to the whole demon world. We can only see a fleeting glimpse, such as what Hamas stands for. In the parable of the tares, the enemy crept in at night.

Satan’s malicious work belongs to the night, to this world’s darkness. The world is night, and it is easy to slip these seeds of Satanism into what is thought of as good in the world, though none is good according to Romans 1.

Just a few days ago, I had the experience of the evil that lurks at night. I used to keep and breed finches, but it was so difficult to keep one breed of snake out of the aviaries. The brown tree snake (night tiger) is a cunning, aggressive sneak that is vicious among birds. It came at night. I have just recently done up the aviaries after 20 years of not having birds. I used a fine mesh wire and did everything for 4 months to make the aviaries snake-proof.

It wore me out, in fact, with so much to do. Just 3 weeks ago, I bought 2 pairs of tricolor finches at $100 a pair, and to my horror, a few days ago, three were missing. I found the culprit: a four-foot brown tree snake curled up in a nesting box. I was devastated and still am. It affected me. If that is not bad enough, a few hours ago, before sending these 12 Parts to RaptureReady, I saw another finch missing and then discovered another snake. My devastation continues. I have no idea how two of Satan’s agents got into the cage. The damage is done. That is how Satan works – the master of destruction, a worker of the darkness.

Take note of these verses – 2Corinthians 2:10-11 “But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also, for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan, FOR WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS SCHEMES.”

[B]. CHRISTIANS, ISRAEL AND GOVERNMENTS

That is a bold statement of Paul’s to say we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. How come? How can we have knowledge of them, of his schemes? The Bible reveals some of these schemes – the temptation of Eve reveals the power of the hidden lust in our old natures, though Eve did not have an old nature just then. A similar set of temptations was used with Jesus after 40 days fasting.

The parable of the house swept clean and then worse demons coming in tells us self-reformation and standing on our own merit will not work. Satan “owns the world” and uses the world against us. Everything, though, is in the permissive will of God. The devil makes sure the top position/s in every human organization are in his control. That is what he aims to do. When you institute the evil agenda from the top and let it filter down through evil people, it will take over. This is now true of all institutions. It is the way leaven works, but you must start at the top.

I saw that in education when still teaching. We saw appointments of people with set agendas to key positions, the agendas Government wanted. Then appointments were made by those instrumental people in key positions until all down the line, the evil schemes were completed (for example, the sexualization of children). That is just one of Satan’s schemes/devices – aim at the top!

When we look at the present world, we see almost every nation opposed to Israel. At the UN, maybe only 7 nations have supported Israel, and always all the rest side with Israel’s enemies or, like Australia, they abstain from support. For decades, Australia has never opposed a condemnation of Israel in the UN. That is what socialism/Marxism does – it HATES Israel.

I think American society is becoming corrupt; the leadership of the nation is corrupt – President, FBI, Judicial system (an outsider speaking, so maybe I can get away with saying that). Some may wonder why God has allowed the USA to continue and not fall into His judgment and disapproval. I have wondered that, and I think it might be because, over the years, the USA has been a solid friend of Israel – Genesis 12:3 “I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU and the one who curses you I will curse. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Don’t you think it is unusual that so much attention is placed on this small Middle East nation? Don’t be. To the Tribulation saints, Jesus is saying in Matthew 24:9, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you, and YOU WILL BE HATED BY ALL NATIONS on account of My name.” Satan leads the constant condemnation of Israel in the UN. He hates Israel all through history because the Redeemer was to come from Israel, and now the future King of the whole earth will return at the Second Coming. Satan hates that. He hates all God’s people, both the earthly people of God and the heavenly people of the Church.

I am convinced those who hate the Jews and Israel are inadequate in explaining their reasons for their hate. It is not a surprise. Those who are not with Christ are against Him. Demonic delusion is rampant. Those who oppose Israel are demonically moved to do so. They may not know why they feel that way themselves, but they are under the control of the puppet master. Those “do-gooders” who are marching with the Palestinians and the general Islamic rabble in the streets opposing our democracy and Israel and supporting terrorism, those not of Islam themselves but think they must march in support of them and in opposition to Israel, are sent there by Satan. We don’t split hairs here. You are either for or against Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Why should the State oppose and arrest Christians? It is another of Satan’s schemes. There is supposed to be a separation of Church and State, yet on the authority of the State, now Christians can be arrested for speaking or writing against homosexuality or being within 100 meters of an abortion clinic.

So many more restrictions are being placed on Christians and Jews. In Australia, recently, Jews were strongly advised by authorities to stay away from a number of places while Islamic supporters took to our streets to oppose our very own democracy and fill the area with anti-Semitic hate. Who is responsible for that? Well, it was the police and Government. Who controls the police and Government? Why it is Satan’s scheme, Satan’s evil devices. Division is what Satan always causes.

In considering Satan’s schemes (AV – “devices”), I quickly jotted down a number of examples, and I will now list them.

[1.] TARES OF SATAN HE HAS PLANTED

It is my opinion that the most incompetent, dangerous, and corrupt man to lead the Western world right now is the head of the United States. The free world at this point in time needs leadership, and this man betrays the office. Satan will attack at the top and from the top, and he does so there. What is even sadder is that a generally deluded nation voted the Democrats in. In fact, it is said that the United States is under Obama’s third term as President, and I think that is true, with Clinton as Vice-President. (This is now November 2023, just to set the dating). Don’t get me wrong; I am not suggesting the Republicans are Christians. It is outcome I speak of. I keep out of the American politics.

One huge worrying thing about every nation now is the reporting of the News, or is that the fake News? Satan is the prince and power of the air, and someone has said “of the airways,” as the majority of media outlets in the Western world are supportive of the left or keep the people ignorance of the truth. The people of the USA do not generally hear the happenings with Biden and his son and of the utter corruption from the FBI and the American judiciary, and so much more. Neither are these matters confined to the USA.

Why is that ignorance crowns the media? Education and information is deliverance, but suppression of information and of the facts, and the deliberate distortion of facts, is deluded blindness and is what Satan does and loves. Jesus declared this – John 8:31-32 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.” We know the truth of the gospel sets men free, but the false news and suppression of the truth from television, radio, newspapers, social media, and the internet will hold men in bondage.

I have seen many comments from Americans saying that they watch SkyNews Australia, also on YouTube (the subscription to it is free) to see what is actually happening in the USA. Satan knows when the truth is withheld, it means the gospel is bound. Always strive for the truth, and educate your families in the truth.

John 8:43-45 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and DOES NOT STAND IN THE TRUTH because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES. Because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.”

One of the subversive schemes of Satan is to withhold truth for his own lies. We know that. We are not ignorant of it.

[2.] SATAN CAUSES DIVISION, HATE, AND FACTIONS ALL OVER

One terrible scheme playing out right now in most Western democracies is the undermining of national security through mass migration of people who don’t, never will, and refuse to share the values and beliefs of our nations that have taken them in. It is not surprising to see great rallies against our nations’ cultures by the hordes of Islamic immigrants/invaders. It is leading to great divisions nationally, and governments seem incapable of fixing it; they worsen it by continued Islamic migration. In fact, it won’t be fixed but will lead to great problems as the Church age draws to a close. Added to this, the USA has another problem on the southern border: a disgraceful decision to destroy security by a man who certainly is not God’s own.

Satan divided heaven through pride and ambition, so he is a master at division. There is division, resultant hate, and factions in every aspect of mankind’s existence. Try to think of one area where division does not occur – family, marriage, church, workplace, sporting clubs, neighborhood, government (it is huge there)…. There is a saying, “Divide and conquer,” and Satan knows that very well. We must not succumb to that, for it is of the devil.

God knew how difficult it is for us in that area, so He wrote through Paul – Ephesians 4:1-3 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, ENTREAT YOU to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all HUMILITY AND GENTLENESS, with PATIENCE, showing FORBEARANCE to one another IN LOVE, being DILIGENT TO PRESERVE THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT in the bond of peace.”

We know the devil’s wiles, those devious and hellish schemes to destroy unity, so let us do what Paul just said.

[3.] THE RUINATION OF GOD’S SEXUALITY IS OF SATAN

The rise of the sexual revolution, perhaps beginning in the 1960s, is Satan’s means of corrupting the younger generations. Free love and infidelity remind one of some of the awful examples of licentiousness in the Old Testament. The corruption of all flesh is allied to the corruption of all eternal souls.

What happened at the time of Noah, God has withheld from us, but this is stated– Genesis 6:2 “that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.” Genesis 6:4 “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”

I won’t explore the various thoughts here, but something was not normal. Deviant sexuality was always part of paganism with its open orgy behavior and the cult prostitutes, male and female. As a nation becomes more pagan, then deviant sexual practices and behavior are more and more accepted and become widespread, and can I go as far as to say, encouraged.

The flower people and the hippies were seekers; they were seeking meaning in life and rejecting of commercialization and greed. The sexual expression they ascribed to was where they saw meaning.

The world has always had prostitution. I don’t condemn the prostitute, for Jesus did not, but reached out to help them. This example now is sordid for when one departs from the proper relationship between man and woman, then Satan embraces it.

Genesis 38:13-23 “And it was told to Tamar, ‘Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.’ So she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

“When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, ‘Here now, let me come in to you,’ for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, ‘What will you give me, that you may come in to me?’ He said, therefore, ‘I will send you a kid from the flock.’ She said, moreover, ‘Will you give a pledge until you send it?’ He said, ‘What pledge shall I give you?’ And she said, ‘Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ So he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments.

“When Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her, and he asked the men of her place, saying, ‘Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?’ But they said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’ So he returned to Judah, and said, ‘I did not find her, and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’ Then Judah said, ‘Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this kid, but you did not find her.'”

It is amazing that God did not push the sins of His own people away in a cupboard but opened them to the world. I reckon Judah did not want that on record. And what about David and Bathsheba? We don’t condemn the harlot, but we do condemn those who are sexualizing children under the corrupt education systems we have today. Balaam brought sexual corruption upon Israel. Legislators are doing it to our nations.

Satan destroys younger generations. Matthew 19:14 “But Jesus said, ‘Let the children alone and do not hinder them from coming to Me for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'” BUT Satan says, ‘I will take all steps to bring the children unto me.”

God instituted marriage and sexual relations within that – Satan says no and destroys it. God said marriage is between man and woman – Satan arranged his homosexual perverted “marriage.” If you think about it, in every avenue, the devil has overturned God’s stated order to corrupt and distort what God instituted.

ronaldf@aapt.net.au

 

In the movie “Wall Street,” the main character was a ruthless day trader named Gordon Gekko. Gekko coined the now infamous slogan, “Greed is Good.” Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.

Greed equals wickedness.

Some people will do anything for money, regardless of the consequences. The consequences are often tragic for anyone involved, including themselves.

Greed can be like a runaway train with no brakes and constantly picking up speed. If left unchecked, the inevitable result is to crash, burn, and destroy everything in its path, along with everyone on board.

Greed is a devouring monster. All those who worship this monster become like the monster.

Ephesians 6:12 says this: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Greed is one of the main tools of these wicked principalities and rulers of the darkness of this world.

Monsters come in many forms, and human-greed monsters are among the nastiest and ugliest.

The paradoxical nature of human life makes it possible to be beautiful and highly attractive outwardly and, at the same time, be a raging, devouring, exceedingly ugly, deceiving greed monster inwardly.

For the decent and honest people who are being devoured by greedy human monsters, the only encouraging news is, eventually, these monsters, lest they repent, will either crash and burn on the greed train or devour themselves.

If they somehow manage to escape justice in this life, they will receive precise justice at the White Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15).

In these modern times, greed monsters like the evil globalists control many large corporations of the national and international kind. Companies like Blackrock and Vanguard. Moms and Pops and smaller business owners are often gobbled up like snacks.

These corporate greed monsters have such insatiable appetites that they make Jabba the Hut look anorexic.

The spirit of greed far exceeds the spirit of need.

The greed of the few breeds the needs of the many (1 Timothy 6:10).

Money may be an inanimate object, but nonetheless, metaphorically speaking, money is multi-lingual and speaks the language of greed and corruption.

Greed is a lingo that has been understood by the “lovers of money” in every nation and language on earth throughout history.

From a military standpoint, Alexander the Great was brilliant in war strategy and truly deserved his title.

From the standpoint of common decency, however, Alexander was as greedy a man as ever lived. When he had finally conquered the entire known world of his time, he wept because there was no one left to conquer.

Many men throughout history were and are today as greedy and as ambitious as Alexander, perhaps just a little less brilliant. Some are close, though.

A few years back, there was a real estate tycoon who owned millions of acres of land, and when asked when he would be satisfied, he replied thusly, “When all of my land touches.” He wanted it all.

Robber-baron globalist John D. Rockefeller, as he approached the age of 90, was asked when he would retire. When would he, a multi-billionaire, have enough? His reply was, “Just a little more.”

Those whose hearts are infected with mega doses of greed can never get enough.

Greed and brilliance have no problem coexisting in a person’s heart, mind, and soul.

Greed and loving your neighbor as yourself, however, are completely and utterly incompatible.

There is nothing sinful about being prosperous as long as prosperity is achieved in an honest way, especially when compassion and generosity are your chief advisors.

But beware of greed, that subtle and insidious usurper.

Greed, corruption, and the lust for power. These are a few of Satan’s favorite things. Today in real time, we can see this being played out and lived out by relatively few individuals and on a planetary scale.

Massively greedy individuals, many of whose names are now quite familiar, elites who are not satisfied by the billions of dollars they already possess but rather driven, like Alexander or the real estate mogul, to have it all. All of the money and all of the power and control over everyone and everything. They are 0.0001% of the world’s population.

If these greedy monsters did not have prophecy to contend with, it seems plausible that, eventually, after they had subdued all of humanity and depopulated the earth in completion of their 2030 Agenda, their cooperation with each other would fracture. Their alliance of necessity would crumble. A time would come when they would fight each other for absolute power because their unbridled greed would drive them to it. It would be “last man standing.” It would likely end up similar to Frank Herbert’s Dune trilogy with the richest, most powerful family cabals, the ones with trillions of dollars, large nuclear arsenals, and access to space travel, having their own planets. That would, in turn, lead to intergalactic wars over solar systems and whole galaxies in their greed-fueled quests to rule the universe and achieve godlike status.

The same is true for all evil alliances of necessity and convenience. For example, the Ezekiel 38-39 alliance. The main players are Persia (Iran), Russia, and Turkey, with lots of help on the side from North Korea. If they ever achieved their goals as an alliance – which, according to Jesus, they won’t, but if they did – can anyone imagine Kim Jong-Un or Vladimir Putin bowing down to the Ayatollah under Sharia law? No way; once again, it would come down to “Last man Standing.” The main things any of them have in common are a wicked lust for power, massive amounts of greed, and a total unwillingness to recognize the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Even Iran and Turkey, which are both Muslim, though they might temporarily put their centuries-long feuds aside, would end up at odds, Iran being Shiite and Turkey being Sunni, because they both inherited the traits of that “wild donkey of a man” called Ismael.

If what they desire has to be obtained by way of flagrant greed, corruption, deception, and mass murder, then like their father Satan, they seem to be fine with that.

Fortunately for believers and unfortunately for the greed monsters, they do have prophecy to contend with. They will have God’s wrath upon them during the seven years of Tribulation. The wrath revealed in the Book of Revelation as described to John by Jesus Himself. At the end of the Tribulation, whatever plans any and all evil cabals have left will come to an abrupt end. Jesus will return to earth and see to it personally (Revelation 19:11-16).

One Word from Jesus has more power than all of their weapons and their arrogance combined. And it isn’t even close.

Jesus said to be merciful to the poor. Still, this side of the Tribulation, the wicked continue to gouge the poor, exploit them, and slowly strangle them with obscene levels of usury.

Greedy landlords, land brokers, and central bankers drive up the price of homes for sale or rent and call it fair market value.

Those who are driven into poverty or homelessness by unfairly high rents, high-interest rates, and excessive property taxes might call this practice economic ruthlessness.

Gougers of the poor rationalize their greed by portraying it as sound business principles.

What the poor say about the gougers is unprintable in a family-oriented publication.

Some justice is served in the here and now. Greed, being insatiable by nature, brings misery to those who practice it.

To those being exploited, however, it brings little comfort to know that the greed merchants are among the most miserable, godless, joyless, unhappiest, and loneliest people on the planet.

Jesus said to pray for those who persecute you and spitefully use you. It is not easy, but it will make us more like Him (Matthew 5:44).

The cries of the oppressed are heard by Almighty God. The wicked deeds of all oppressors, including usurers, will be remembered on judgment day.

The cries of the oppressed are a witness to the wicked deeds of the oppressors.

Wicked, greedy oppressors are free to repent, be forgiven, and change their ways. For those who continue to oppress, however, none, not even one, will escape justice.

When God’s justice is visited upon the wicked, each judgment will match each crime perfectly.

The greedy must be delusional and believe that they will escape justice. If they only knew what was in store at the White Throne Judgement, some might make every effort to overcome their insidious affliction with the evil mental and spiritual illness known as greed and thus turn their lives over to Jesus for healing and salvation.

Wickedness seems to impair a greedy individual’s ability to see the big picture.

The wicked prey upon the good. The good pray for the wicked.

The first natural thought of the oppressed is understandably that the wicked greed monsters would just drop dead or worse. To pray for them, however, is a higher calling (Luke 6:28).

Pray for the wicked greed monsters to repent and turn to the Lord for forgiveness, and at the same time, know this:

God hates greed and all wickedness, and “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.”

Spiritual strength and character are everlasting. Physical strength and worldly wealth and power are temporary and feeble by comparison.

As for those who might be tempted to consider Gordon Gekko to be some kind of fictional financial guru, here are some simple words of refutation:

Greed is not good. Greed is wicked and evil. This includes any, every, and all types and sizes of greed.

Generosity and blessing the less fortunate is very good, and the greatest good of all, and the greatest gift of all, is salvation.

If you do not already know the Lord but would like to, and because the Rapture could occur at any time, today would be the perfect day to invite Jesus into your life and into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior. Pray a sinner’s prayer of repentance:

Lord, I am sorry for all of the sin I have committed in my life and all of the sins I know I will commit in the future. I want to live my life for You, doing what is right and is pleasing to You. I need a Savior because I can never pay the debt on my own that my sin has incurred. Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross and shedding your blood to pay for my sin.

I accept that You did this for me, and I ask that You extend Your eternal grace to me. Lord, please transform my heart and my life in your image, write my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and seal me with the Holy Spirit.

I praise You for your love, your righteousness, and your infinite mercy. Thank You for forgiving me, and thank You for saving my soul.

If you prayed this prayer for the first time, you will be so glad that you did. Welcome to the eternal family of God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Your friend in Jesus, our most precious Lord and Savior,

Rick Segoine