WANDA BERGERON
The Alabama Baptist
“The Bait of Satan” by John Bevere
I read this book while going through a Bible study that correlated to it. I had recently been offended by a family member and the Bible study could not have come at a better time for healing. I loved this book and think every Christian leader should read it.
The book is about offense, holding on to unforgiveness for the way others have treated us, and how Satan uses this to divide the Church and stop Christians from producing fruit. It’s an important topic in the Church and in the world and God certainly used this book to speak to me. Satan is sneaky and creeps in a little crack and starts with self-talk and self-pity. He wants to get us isolated like a sheep away from the flock as easy prey. We destroy ourselves by feeling sorry for ourselves and not moving into forgiveness and restoration.
I related to how the author used King David as an example when he was hunted by Saul. David, however, when given the opportunity did not kill Saul but just sliced off a piece of his robe. I did not quite agree with the author’s viewpoint on not being able to forgive. Bevere said if one cannot forgive it means a believer is not truly saved. We are saved by grace and faith and not by works or deeds. Once we are saved then we can read God’s Word, learn, grow and change. But salvation is a gift from God, not by anything we do or don’t do. Other than that I think this is a good book that can help many Christians that have been offended. We don’t have the right to hold bitterness in our hearts, no matter how much we’ve been wronged. We have all been offended at some time in our lives. It is important that we know how to handle offense and be free from it.
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