Okay, judging from the title of this blog I know some of you may be thinking what in the world is Bishop Chipp doing? You may even be thinking, “Whoh! – is this preacher “cussing?” Please be assured I am not cussing! In fact, I was raised thinking if you ever said the word “butt” you cursed. If I ever stepped “out-of” line as a child and said someone got their butt kicked in front of my parents, you can bet my own butt – well, uh – let’s just say my own butt suffered! Even to this day when I read my bible (King James Version), I have a hard time saying out loud the word “ass” even though it is used in reference to a donkey. Now that we have that settled let’s move on.
I was just sitting here in my home watching the T.V. guide channel to see if there was anything I wanted to watch when I noticed that the T.V. guide channel itself was playing a reality type show called “Punk’d.” I want to say up front that I am not judging this show as good or bad! In fact, I have watched it before and have found it to be somewhat humorous at times and sometimes stressful! I know it’s purpose is just to entertain. But as I sit here today, my spirit is flooded with spiritual insight in regards to this reality show. So please allow me to make spiritual application here.
The dictionary defines the word “punk” as: 1. a slang word for a rough violent person who engages in destructive actions. 2. an inexperienced youth(ex.- he is just a young punk!). 3. to be weak in spirit or health/strength. To be ” punk’d” means someone took advantage of you, often by deception, and left you looking like a fool! Again, I know the reality show that sparked this blog posting is only intended as light-hearted fun and entertainment. But please know that there is a devil in this world who wants to make this statement about your life – ” you been Punk’d!” I want you to know the devil is not trying to punk you just for fun or entertainment. He is trying to destroy your life and destiny through deception!
The title of this posting is “P.u.n.k.’ d.” It is an acronym for ” People undermined not knowing it‘s the devil.” That’s right, the devil wants to punk you! He wants to set you up for failure and defeat. Satan (the devil) wants to undermine your life. He wants to undermine your destiny in God. To undermine means: 1. to lessen or deplete the energy or strength of. 2. to damage, destroy, or defeat by sabotage. That word ‘sabotage’ is important. It means there is a deliberate and underhanded effort to defeat or do harm to an endeavor. The bible says the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Some people don’t even believe there is a devil. If they do believe the devil exists, they don’t realize (or sometimes forget) that the devil has strategies and tactics to defeat,damage, and destroy their lives. That is why the bible also tells us to not be ignorant of his(the devil’s) devices, otherwise the devil will have and take advantage of us.
Keep in mind I am only using the reality show “Punk’d” to make spiritual application. But like the reality show the devil will set you up! He will orchestrate situations and circumstances to embarrass you and destroy your testimony. He will bring about some stress in your life which is intended to bring out a certain response from you. That is, reveal some character flaw in you. The devil loves to get people to take a certain (un-biblical) stand on an issue and then pull the rug out from under them! Like the reality show, the devil will also use strangers, friends and even relatives through his evil influence to “punk” you! I know the devil is a defeated foe. Our Lord and Savior Jesus has already defeated him for us! This is why he uses deception to ‘punk’ us! My intention is not to magnify the devil. My intention is that we would not be ignorant of the devil’s schemes giving him an advantage to ‘punk’ us!
Often, while we are busy blaming others, blowing up like a toad-frog with anger and making excuses, it has been the devil working all along! Listen folks, the devil will ‘punk’ you in your marriage, money, business and in any area he can. He will have you thinking people who love you hate you and people who hate you love you. He will make it appear as though people who are for you are against you and people who are against you are for you! He will use your own pride, selfishness and desires against you! He will even use your own gifts and talents against you because of some un-confessed or un-recognized character flaw in your life.
So what’s the answer to the devil’s desire to “punk” you? First, we must make sure we are in right relationship with God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Then we must make sure we are in proper fellowship with God! That is, truly walking with God on a daily basis. In other words, we are not in a back-slidden state! Next, we must constantly hear, read and study the word of God (The Bible) so we will not be ignorant of the devil’s schemes. Finally, we must be sober (straightforward in character; characterized by self-control; reasonable; rational), vigilant in prayer and resist the temptations of the devil.
In short, I’m encouraging you to be fore-warned of the devil’s schemes, be wise from the word of God, and have a discerning spirit and attitude in life. Please note it is not my intention to make you paranoid and start seeing demons behind every bush! Once again, this is not about magnifying the devil. If anyone is a “punk” it’s the devil! But even punks can do a lot of damage if we don’t excercise our authority over them. The bible teaches that the spirit we know now as the devil was kicked out of heaven, fell to earth,began to wreak havoc on God’s people and was ultimately behind the evil influences that motivated people to crucify our Lord and Savior Jesus. But the bible also tells us that God knew the devil’s plan and used it to bring salvation to the world. In fact, the bible says that if the princes of this world (spiritual and otherwise) had known the wisdom and plan of salvation God had for humanity, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory! If this blog was written just after Jesus was crucified, one might say ” devil – you just got Punk’d ! “