John Bevere - Bait of Satan Devotional Suppliment

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to this devotional supplement, which is a part of this tenth anniversary edition of John Beveres book The Bait of Satan. This devotional guide is written for you to use in your devotional time. It will help you to probe more deeply into Bible truths related to the book, enabling you to resist taking up offense, and to repent of and get rid of offenses that may have impacted you in the past. We want to help you discover Gods plan for handling offenses.

Each daily devotional segment is structured to:

Help you to encounter Gods Word.

Provide you with assigned reading pages in The Bait of Satan.

Reveal life-giving principles for developing healthy, loving, and offense-free relationships.

Aid you in being set free from the bondage of past offenses.

We pray that this devotional supplement will be an effective tool for equipping you to discover Gods truths for resisting the bait of Satanoffensesin your relationships with God, self, family, church, friends, work associates, and even those who think of themselves as your enemies.

ME, OFFENDED?

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare [entrapment] of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:24-26, emphasis added

[Read pages 5-7.]

Anyone who has trapped animals knows that a trap needs two things to be successful: It must be hidden in the hope that an animal will stumble upon it, and it must be baited to lure the animal into the traps deadly jaws.

Many people are unable to function properly in God's purpose and calling for their lives because of the wounds, hurts, and offenses in their lives.

Satan, the enemy of our souls, incorporates both of these strategies as he lays out his most deceptive and deadly traps. They are both hidden and baited. Along with his cohorts,

Satan is not as blatant as many believe. He is subtle and delights in deception. He is shrewd in his operation, cunning, and crafty.

One of his most deceptive and insidious kinds of bait is something every Christian has encounteredoffense. But if we pick it up, consume it, and feed on it in our hearts, then we become offended.

Offended people produce much fruit.

In the following list of the fruit of offense, circle the feelings you have experienced when offended in the past:

Hurt Anger Outrage

Jealousy Envy Resentment

Strife Bitterness Hatred

Many people are unable to function properly in Gods purpose and calling for their lives because of the wounds, hurts, and offenses in their lives. They are handicapped and hindered from fulfilling their potential. Most often, hurt from a fellow believer causes them to say with David, For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng (Ps. 55:12-14).

List (with 1 being the closest, and 5 being the most distant relationship) the names of five people who have offended you:

1. _

2. _

3. _

4. _

5. _

Offended people hurt, and their understanding is darkened. They begin to judge others by assumption, appearance, and hearsay. In this devotional supplement, we will uncover Gods way to avoid Satans bait of offense and overcome any past offenses that still bind us.

WRITE A PRAYER...

Asking God for His help and wisdom to avoid the bait of Satan.

THE HEART'S TRUE CONDITION

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6-7

[Read pages 7-11.]

One way the enemy keeps a person in an offended state is to keep the offense hidden and cloaked with pride.

Pride will keep you from admitting your true condition. Pride causes you to view yourself as a victim. Because you believe you were treated unjustly, you hold back forgiveness. Though your hearts true condition is hidden from you, it is not hidden from God. Being mistreated does not give you permission to hold on to an offense. Two wrongs do not make a right.

Pure gold is refined in fire (Rev. 3:18). When gold is mixed with other metals, it becomes hard, less pliable, and more corrosive. As it goes through the fire, the other metals (dross) are burned away, and the gold becomes pure and pliable.

Being mistreated does not give you permission to hold on to an offense. Two wrongs do not make a right.

The same is true of our hearts. The more our hearts are hardened by pride and sin as we hold on to offenses, the more resistant to God we become. God desires to purify our hearts.

Read 1 Peter 1:6-7, and then summarize how God purifies us:

God refines us with afflictions, trials, and tribulations, the heat of which separates impurities such as unforgiveness, anger, envy, and jealousy, and allows the character of God (purity and holiness) to grow in our lives.

Think about your own life. What are the impurities in your heart that are hindering the character of God from growing in your life?

Jesus said that our ability to see correctly is a key to being freed from deception. Often when we are offended, we see ourselves as victims and blame those who have hurt us. We justify all the negative feelings we have as they surface. Sometimes we even resent those who remind us of others who have hurt us. Jesus counseled, Anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see (Rev. 3:18).

WRITE A PRAYER...

Repenting of blaming others and asking the Lord to give you eyes to see the condition of your heart.

MASSIVE OFFENSE

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good , for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:8-9

[Read pages 13-16.]

Most agree the return of Jesus will be soon. It is useless to try to pinpoint the actual day of His return. Only the Father knows that. But Jesus said we would know the season, and it is now! Never before have we seen such prophetic fulfillment in the church, in Israel, and in nature. Jesus said that one of the signs of His return was that many will be offendednot a few, not some, but many. Are you or the people you know easily offended?

I have come to realize that whenever I give love, I am sowing to the Spirit and will eventually reap a harvest of love.

Put an x on the line to indicate your level of offense for each statement: Church people seem to be easily offended.

If you found yourself putting x s more often to the left of center, then you too are observing how easily people seem to get offended in this season. But a believer, filled with Gods love, sows His love and refuses to take the bait of offense.