January 3, 2025 Brethren Letter
Dear Brethren,
“Indian villagers fearful as MAN-EATING tiger remains on the prowl.”
Those words are not taken from the latest hit at the “box-office.” They are not found in any Philip Caputo novel either. That was an actual headline in the news several years ago. Here is some of the story, as published by the Associated Press…
She lies in wait while her victims are collecting firewood, or taking cattle to graze, or working in the fields. She has grabbed people in broad daylight, carrying them away silently into the forests or the sugarcane fields. By the time the victims are found, often little is left but a pair of shoes…
Over seven weeks she has traveled, almost completely unseen, for more than 120 miles. She has crossed villages, small towns and at least one highway.
A killer is stalking the villages of north India…
This tiger in India was real, a literal “man-eater,” stalking PEOPLE living in northern India. Several villagers lost their lives.
WE have a spiritual adversary that is even more dangerous than ANY tiger could ever be. Our adversary’s goal is not about devouring people physically. This adversary’s goal is to devour his prey spiritually. If he can achieve his goal, we could simply lose out forever in the Kingdom of God! “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (I Peter 5:8-9).
Here are a few other paragraphs from this article…
“She has turned into a man-eater,” said Vijay Pal Singh, whose neighbor, a 22-year-old farm laborer named Shiv Kumar Singh, was killed as he worked at the edge of a sugarcane field in January. In an area where nearly everyone works outside, this means life has been completely upended. “People are afraid to go into the field,” said Singh. “Everything has changed.”
While hunters are brought in to kill man-eating tigers every year or so in India, it has been decades since a tiger killed as many people as this one or stayed on the run so long.
She won’t stop now. She’ll keep killing,” said Samar Jeet Singh, a hunter with an aristocratic pedigree, a curled-up mustache and a high-powered heirloom rifle. For almost a month he has been tracking the female tiger, most recently through the forests and dried riverbeds near where she made her last kill, cutting down an elderly buffalo herder last week. Searchers found just part of one arm and one leg. The tiger left the buffalos unharmed.
When he finds her, he said, he will shoot her dead.
Thankfully, those men and women in India who died as the result of this tiger’s attack will live again in a future resurrection.
11) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
(12) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
(13) The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works (Revelation 20:11-13).
But, for us, if we succumb to Satan’s inevitable (and constant) attacks, and turn our backs on God’s Holy Spirit, the outcome will be far different. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). Yes, that is Satan’s goal, to destroy us through any means possible! Do not think for a moment that it is not!
Satan is very cunning, far more so than any physical tiger in India. However, God has given us SPIRITUAL ARMOR to wear! Do not start ANY day without it!
(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
(11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
(13) Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
(14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
(15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
(16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
(18) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Finally, I will close with part of an article written by Mr. LeRoy Neff in the Good News magazine of October 1959.
It is absolutely necessary that we recognize the works of Satan and his demons. Otherwise, HOW CAN WE FIGHT AGAINST THEM? Then, when we recognize that our warfare is with these unclean spirits, we should follow the examples and instructions given in the Bible. Christ commanded Satan to get behind Him (Matt. 16:23). Most of us are afraid of Satan and his demons and yet the exact opposite should be so! Notice James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.” Have you resisted Satan when he came against you? Or did you SHRINK BACK in fear, letting Satan win the victory?
God wants us to be victorious through His Spirit, and to be part of His Kingdom forever!
Please have a good Sabbath!
Your Brother in Christ,
Gary Liebold