When I was growing up, a boy lived in my neighborhood who was an old-fashioned tattletale. If something went wrong—if somebody crowded him just a little too close while rushing for possession of a ball, if he didn’t get his turn exactly when he demanded it, if somebody said something derogatory—he would say, “I’m going to tell your mom and your dad.” Then he’d bolt down the Street at a dead run.

Every time he took off, the rest of us would always look at each other with knowing glances, and the most likely offender among us would take off at a mad dash as well. More often than not, I was the one making the high-speed run for home. Why? I knew that boy wasn’t headed for his house to tell his momma about the alleged crime. He was headed for my house to tell my momma about his complaint.

That meant I had a narrow chance to beat the tattletale home by taking a few shortcuts. I took risky leaps across my neighbors’ cherished flower beds and made split-second evasive movements to avoid the wary postman and the occasional dog loitering on the sidewalks and back porches. My strategy always took me on a course designed to place me at my back door just moments before the neighborhood tattletale reached my front door and rang our doorbell.

The tattletale’s goal was simple: he hoped he could run to my front porch and ring the doorbell before I ever showed up. The ultimate success for him was to gain access to the authority figure residing inside before I arrived. That way, he hoped to have him or her half convinced of my guilt by the time I got there—with a shocked (i.e., guilty) look on my face.

THE LOVING SON MY MOTHER ALWAYS PRAYED FOR

My goal was to reach the back door before my accuser could knock at the front door. The moment I exploded through the back door entrance reserved exclusively for family and the closest of family friends, I suddenly became the loving son my mother always prayed for. By the time Tattletale Johnny appeared at the front door and rang the doorbell, I was already in the secret place reserved solely for a mother’s son and daughter—the place to which he would never gain access in the Tenney home.

What does that have to do with changing our perspective or with God’s-eye view? Everything. There is someone the Bible calls “your adversary” and “the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night” Revelation 12:10 This tattletale of tattletales works at his job 24/7, and he has been perfecting his craft over multiple millennia. He is a liar and the father of lies, whose “native language” is untruth.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EVICTION

Satan knows the path to your Father’s front porch because it used to be the home address for him and his gang of losers too. He doesn’t live there anymore, though. The Scriptures describe his eviction in detail:

War broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer, So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Rev 12:7-9

What does this mean? It means the celestial tattletale is in the same predicament that Johnny Tattletale faced in my neighborhood. He doesn’t have any family privileges anymore. It means that he’s stuck outside the front screen door, the barrier designed to keep out pests, bugs, snakes, and used sin salesmen.

As for the back door, that is strictly reserved for family members in good standing with the Father of the house. The only thing he can do is to stand outside on the front porch of heaven and hope he can access the ear of God and accuse the brethren from the wrong side of the screen.

That sets up a great scenario for you and me to make a fool out of the devil! If you and I were in a meeting together, I would illustrate the scenario with two volunteers. Since we aren’t, I will describe the setting and allow you to paint the picture on the canvas of your mind.

To create the heaven’s porch of your mind, you may paint the portrait in full color with an unlimited store of imagery, or you may prefer the econo package featuring a simple raised stage.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT AND ABSOLUTELY GUILTY

Imagine that Satan the snitch has positioned himself barely three steps away from God’s front porch. You may position yourself anywhere—but most likely you will be standing at the site of a sin, mistake, failure, or disobedience for which you are absolutely guilty.

The devil is feeling anxious and hungry for a win. His sole goal is to gain access to the ear of your heavenly Father before you gain forgiveness. He caught you doing something or harboring unforgiveness. Now he has prepared an airtight brief guaranteed to win a guilty verdict and a conviction, and he’s ready for the fast dash to the front door of heaven’s porch. He hopes the justice of God will fall, and you will be turned over to him for torment.5 (It’s the torment that attracts him, not the justice.) Or at the least, he wants to embarrass your Father.

For your part, you know you were caught in the act. You have no defense and no intention of preparing one. God has provided something much better for you. Are you ready for the race down the block of life?

As the mock countdown begins, Satan digs in his clawed feet and envisions the moment he raps on heaven’s door—with the perfect accusation on his forked tongue. One, two, three. Demonic energy is released and dust flies as Satan surges toward heaven’s outer gates.

THREE WORDS SECURE YOUR SAFETY

What are you going to do? Will you bolt for the nearest church building, pastor’s house, or confessional? No, you have privileged access to the very heart of God. Your living Way is not limited to any geographical location or outer perimeter. Three words secure your safety: “God, forgive me!”

Since Satan is not a god or an all-knowing being, he has no idea that you are already talking heart to heart with your heavenly Father. He runs up to heaven’s porch door and hammers away in anxious anger. When the door swings open, he fearfully glances past his old enemies, Michael and Gabriel, the archangels of God, and shouts out his carefully framed indictment.

I just saw that one sin! I saw that no-account child of Yours do

something Your law says is worthy of death. Now there is a big

mess down there because of it all, and Your name has been defiled.

I claim my ancient right to bring accusation against this so called saint. He is guilty and I demand blood rights.

Is that You, God? Did You hear my claim? Surely You saw what be did.

Despite all the efforts of hell and its chief tenant, your simple prayers of repentance beat Satan’s accusation to the Father’s throne every time. Even before the fallen angel could scratch on the front door your brief prayer of repentance reached God’s ear faster than the speed of light via heart-to-heart dispatch.

WORSHIP TAKES YOU PLACES THE DEVIL CAN NEVER GO

Since you bear the family name, you have exclusive access to heaven through the back door of the blood of the Lamb. Jesus personally ripped the veil that used to divide imperfect people (that includes all of us) from our perfect God. Jesus did it so we could have instant access to divine forgiveness and grace. Worship allows you access to places where Satan is forbidden to go. It takes you places the devil can never go.

When Satan delivers his venomous accusation against you, the Lord says,

“Hold on, Just a minute. Let me check My records. They never lie, and they record every incident in heaven and on earth. Now who did you say it was? Tommy Tenney.. . Yes, his name is right here in the Book of Life. Now what did you say he did?”

“He said this, and he did that; and then he did the worst thing of all when he. .

“Let Me check,” says the Ancient of Days.

The Mediator, Christ Jesus the righteous, stands between the accuser and the accused and says, “No, he’s not guilty. This child of God is justified.” The response is instant and uncompromising. “You lying devil, you heard My Son. There is no record here of my child doing that! Don’t talk about my child like that; he wouldn’t do that.”

Do you know why there is no record? It isn’t because I’m innocent—I’m clearly guilty. It is because when I repent, an angel takes an ancient quill pen, dips it in the red blood of Calvary, and erases or blots out the record. That is why you can make such a fool out of the devil. The accusation business just hasn’t been the same since Jesus died and rose from the grave.

God’s Eyeview p. 86 -92, Tommy Tenney, From GodChasers.network, The Ministry of Tommy Tenney

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