The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth
his life for the sheep.
John 10:10-11
… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8

1. Who has destroyed our perfect world? Who
destroyed the righteousness of our lives? Who
made men become sinful and evil? A thief called
satan!
And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that
thou hast done? And the woman said, THE SERPENT
BEGUILED ME, and I did eat.
Genesis 3:13

Adam and Eve were living happily in the Garden of Eden.
Adam was prosperous and never sick or unhappy with his work.
He would return from work whistling with joy. They did not
quarrel, there was no sickness, there was no funeral to attend and
there was no cemetery.
One day, a thief came to the garden in the form of a serpent.
The serpent started to talk to the woman who was relaxing in the
garden.
“Did God say you should not eat of this fruit?” the serpent
asked Eve.
“I think so,” the woman responded.
The serpent continued, “This is the best fruit. Take it and eat
it. God knows this is something sweet and He does not want you
to enjoy it.”
She took the fruit and ate it. Immediately, she was full of sin
and noticed that she was naked.
Then she went to her husband and offered the fruit to him. He
also ate and immediately became a sinner.
When God came to see them, Adam was hiding because he
had sinned.
God asked Eve, “What is this that you have done?”
From that day sin, curses, sickness and death came into the
world.
Adam was cursed to suffer on earth, to die and to be buried in
the ground because of his sin.
Eve was also cursed because of her sin.

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow
and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth
children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he
shall rule over thee.
Genesis 3:16
Adam and Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel
and so murder and death also came into the world.
One day, whilst visiting a church in Asia, I had the opportunity
to minister to a businessmen’s fellowship. I was picked up from
my hotel by a top businessman who was part of the fellowship.
As we drove to the church he told me how he had become a
regular church attendee.
“I used to do all sorts of things on Sunday mornings instead
of going to church. But something happened to me that changed
everything,” he told me.
He continued, “One Sunday morning, instead of going to
church, I went swimming in a river by a popular waterfall. I
was with many other people swimming under the waterfall when
suddenly a snake, which had been carried by the river and the
waterfall, fell on me. It was an extremely venomous viper and it
bit me. I was rushed to the hospital where I went into a coma and
was in intensive care for over six weeks, teetering between life
and death. The skin on half my body peeled off. I very nearly
died,” he told me. “Now, I am always in church on Sunday
mornings. I don’t go swimming on Sundays any more.”
I thought about this man and how his life almost ended through
one bite of a serpent. The bite of the serpent sent this man into a
critical condition, where he teetered between life and death.
This is exactly what has happened to mankind. One bite from
the serpent has changed everything. The entire human race has
been sent into emergency mode with many critical problems,
diseases, tragedies, calamities and sorrows.

Perhaps, this is the only explanation for the state of the
human race, which is constantly balancing itself between life and
extinction.

2. Who has destroyed the peace of the nations and
brought war and conflict to every corner of this earth?
A thief called satan!
And when the thousand years are expired, SATAN shall be
loosed out of his prison,
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, TO GATHER
THEM TOGETHER TO BATTLE: the number of whom
is as the sand of the sea.
Revelation 20:7-8

3. Who has destroyed and stolen the health of the human
race and brought sickness to this world? A thief called
satan!
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham,
WHOM SATAN HATH BOUND, lo, these eighteen years,
be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
Luke 13:16

4. Who has destroyed our prosperity and stolen our
riches? A thief called satan!
Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear
God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his
house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou
hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is
increased in the land.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath,
and he will curse thee to thy face.

And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in
thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So
Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen
were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the
Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they
have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I
only am escaped alone to tell thee.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and
said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned
up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I
only am escaped alone to tell thee.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and
said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon
the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the
servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped
alone to tell thee.
Job 1:9-12, 14-17

5. Who has destroyed our family lives? A thief called
satan!
And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in
thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So
Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and
said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking
wine in their eldest brother’s house:
And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness,
and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon
the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped
alone to tell thee.
Job 1:12, 18-19

6. Who has destroyed our peace of mind? A thief called
satan!
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the
abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn
in the flesh, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET
ME, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2 Corinthians 12:7

7. Unless you catch the thief who destroys and kills, he
will continue to destroy your life.
You will need help to catch the thief who is destroying you.
I once had a thief in the church who stole equipment, money,
mobile phones, food, and laptops. I knew that if the thief was
not caught, the stealing would continue and we would continue
to suffer. So I called a friend and asked if he could help me to
catch this thief and stop the suffering in the church. My friend
agreed to help me. After I caught the thief, our money was no
longer stolen.
There is a thief who has stolen your health and you must catch
him today. There is a thief who has stolen your peace of mind
and you must catch him today.
There is a thief who has stolen your money and you must
catch him today. There is a thief who wants to take you to hell
and you must catch him today.

8. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to catch
and destroy the thief who was destroying us.
Jesus did not descend into the earth with a parachute. He was
born of a virgin. Jesus Christ came to catch, stop and destroy the
thief.

… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he
might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8

9. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays His life down to
save the sheep.
Jesus Christ destroyed the power of the thief over us through
the cross and the blood that He shed for us.
Jesus gives us life through His blood that He shed on the
cross. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away our sins.
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood;
and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:22

10. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who takes away
our diseases and infirmities.
Middle eastern shepherds rub their sheep with oil so that
flies are driven away from the sheep. Jesus Christ, is the Good
Shepherd who rubs us with oil to keep the demons away from us.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:4-6