The Bait of Satan by John Bevere:
Apparently "The Bait of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense" by John Bevere is a Christian classic. I've known of it for quite some years but I was put off by the melodramatic title, and I wasn't much of a non-fiction reader then.
Does this book deserve its position in the hallowed halls where classics lie? Heck, yes! This is one of the most frustrating and brilliant books I've ever had the opportunity to read. It's brutal at times and challenges you greatly, but this book is very important.
As the title suggests "The Bait of Satan" is all about living free from offense, because that's one major stronghold the Enemy has in the lives of most people, Christians included. Offense leads to great bitterness, unforgiveness and sometimes a silencing of the conscience. Offense affects our relationship with God, our loved ones and the people around us. Very scary.
We can't truly love and trust Him and others, not until we let go of offense. Sometimes people wrong us, sometimes we feel they've wronged us. Other times we wrong them. It's a nasty relationship cycle that can only restored to good health by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Within, there are real life examples of where unforgiveness has created problems for people - spiritual, mental and physical. There are extrapolations of stories from God's Word, explorations that reveal the awesome scandal of God's grace. There are also teachings about how to let go of offense. We must learn to be quick to forgive and quick to repent. We can only do this in Christ's strength.
As a result of reading "The Bait of Satan" (and others) I'm learning to grow in intimacy with my Creator God. It's a scary journey at times, but totally worth it. I have one niggle. I don't like the use of the KJV (it's seriously out of date, guys).
Any way, I highly recommend this book to all people, but especially Christians. It really could change your life for the better.
9.5/10
