Satan's Image

In this keynote address of the 2009 Feast of Tabernacles, John Ritenbaugh, commenting upon the Steven Spielberg movie Munich (a movie depicting an event in which the Palestinians murdered Jewish athletes in 1972 at the Munich Olympic games), describes how . . .

Our human nature is pure vanity with a heart that is desperately deceitful and wicked, motivated by self-centeredness, a deadly combination for producing sin.

Anger and hostility, driven by self-centered competitive pride constitute Satan's spiritual mark that divides nations, ethnic groups, families, and the church.

Self-centeredness is the fountainhead of evil behavior found in our youth, carrying over into the infantile behaviors of our elected officials. The righteous find it increasingly difficult to prevail under these circumstances, but the mandate still stands . . .

The overriding issue of life is to whom we will give ourselves in obedience. Will it be ourselves, society, business, Satan or God?

The entire world is antagonistic to God because of the spirit generated by an unseen ruler. Our Christian duty is to stay awake and keep our guard up.

Salvation is not a one time event, but a continuous process—not just immunity from death, but a total transformation of our nature into a new creation.