LifeLink Devotional

Friday, November 6, 2020

I am fascinated by the way our minds work.  I’m even more intrigued by the way the Holy Spirit directs our minds in order to teach us. This morning, after a restless night, I woke with a song on my mind. That song made me focus on a word. That word gave me insight into what Jesus said in John chapter eight. 

In 1955 the musical group The Platters released a hit song entitled THE GREAT PRETENDER. I thought about the word pretender in light of the conversation Jesus was having with people who said they believed in Him but were not listening to His words or obeying them. They were pretenders.

I also thought about the description Jesus gave of the devil in John 8, and realized that Satan is also a pretender.

“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:42-44 

But here’s what really caught my attention. The devil only pretends to be able to produce other pretenders. His very nature is lying. Everything he says is a lie. There is absolutely no truth in the devil. What he says only appeals to those are also pretenders. People who accept the lies of Satan as truth are themselves pretenders. Jesus said their will is in tune with the devil’s, but on the outside they want to appear like they understand the truth. Pretenders.

Unfortunately, we all all pretend at times. We put on the appearance of spiritual truth, when our will still desires the gratification of our flesh. We are pretenders when we say we love Jesus but then choose to pursue the love of the world.  We are pretenders when we say we have the love of of Jesus in us and then choose to ridicule and belittle others because they don’t agree with us. We are pretenders when we claim to know truth when it doesn’t accurately line up with the words of Jesus. We are pretenders when we seek to make a spiritual impression on people so they won’t get close to the true condition of our heart. Pretenders.

The Church of Jesus Christ must stop pretending. We must reject all input from the Great Pretender and we must choose to only listen to the words of Truth.

“Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”  John 8:47 

Are you a pretender?

Pastor John