The enemy will try casting in seeds of unbelief

So, technically I'm doing this for my own good, but also for others good as well. There are a couple of folks who say they sit in the reformed camp (but really, it's more of a gnostic camp than anything) who have been sowing seeds of unbelief. In fact, what some of these folks have been saying is heretical. Satan and his messengers are crafty. They are liars and deceivers and they will do anything to deceive God's elect people.

Satan can and will do this to weak christians. He will try to do it (and often does) to strong christians. I'm convinced the tool that he uses most effectively is the bible itself. Don't get too bent out of shape when I say that, because it's true. Does anyone remember how Satan used SCRIPTURE when he tempted Jesus in Matthew 4? Let's not for an instant think he's not doing the same to christians today. Scripture is where God communicates Himself and His purposes to us. It's where we go to learn about the fountain, and drink from it. Because satan knows this, he will do anything he can to try and confuse us with scripture itself. So I'm going to give these people the benefit of the doubt. I do believe it's very likely they are believers. I believe it's also very likely that Satan has distorted their thinking with scripture. This can happen (and I would say it's inevitable that it will happen to all christians at least at some point in their life time).

Recently I've heard it stated by some people, that God created sin. The idea should make anyone gasp, but some people are arguing for this and they are dragging people into their misinterpretation and deception. The argument goes something like this. God created all things. Sin is a thing. God created sin.

Before I even get into the specifics, there is a reason why this argumentation is faulty. There are similar passages that use the words "all things". For example, the famous passage "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" If we take that passage literally to the T, I could distort it if I wanted to, to sound like this. "Jesus says I can do all things through Him. Becoming God is a thing. Jesus says all things are possible through Him. That means I can become GOD."
That's just ludicrous.

Scripture always interprets scripture. Romans 5:12 states that sin entered the world through one man. It doesn't say sin entered the world through God.

Well what about satan? What about the devil and his demons (or angels)? 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6, and Revelation 12 all seem to speak enough about what happened there. But if that still isn't enough, I'd like to introduce one more argument. You see, the reason why I'm writing this is because I am weak. I'm quick to disbelieve how God has revealed Himself. I'm sinful, and if given the opportunity, I will latch on to lies. It's been a temptation to believe this one.
What did Jesus do when Satan used scripture against Him? Jesus used scripture against Satan.

God said in Genesis 1:31 that everything he created is good. This is also mentioned again in 1 Timothy 4:4. Everything God created is good.

The word good in these passages does not necessarily mean morally pure (although it can.) These people will argue (and even rightfully so) that the word good here simply means God approved of his creation. It's like God saying, This is good! I approve! This argument is actually fine.

Habakkuk 1:13 says- Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor.

Sin is described as an unclean thing: a filthy thing in Isaiah 64:6. Foul and polluted are other words. If God's eyes are too pure to approve evil, then certainly they are too pure to create evil! He cannot look on wickedness with favor! And If God created Adam and Eve sinful: If God created Satan sinfully, He could not look upon his creation with approval! He could not look and say "This is beautiful!"

Now some of you may ask, why is there evil now? That's another question for another day.
Until that time, don't believe everything you hear. Stay in the word, and if Satan (or others) try to deceive you, be sure to fight fire with fire. Use scripture to fight the devil when he uses scripture against you.

I'm doing summer staff 09 (colonial pres). This is my second year, and I happen to be a good deal more excited this year. In fact, I remember typing a blog entry around this time last year stating that I wasn't all that excited and I wasn't sure why. Either way, the scale has tipped in the other direction for 09 and I'm "stoked" to serve. I happen to be the college aged summer staffer, which is certainly an exciting new adventure for Colonial and I both. Of course, this is more so an adventure revisted for Colonial. They've had college aged summer staffers in the past. Either way, it's been a while and I could not be more thrilled and the prospect.

There will be more to come on this later.