Security in an Insecure World

There are so many unknown entities and insecurities in life today. Our world’s governmental and financial situation is predicted to eventually fall like a house of cards. This news certainly does not inspire confidence in our future. However, for authentic Born Again Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ there is no fluctuation in our joy and peace or in our hope for the future (Romans 8:28).

We may find our self in a simpler lifestyle, without modern conveniences and money, but the Lord of All always cares for us. It usually takes most people years to mature to the point of learning to praise God in all things, especially in the negative aspects of life. However, when we finally realize that all things will ultimately work out for our good (Romans 8:28), then it is so much easier to go with God’s flow.


We are citizens of Heaven, because we are born of God (Philippians 3:20). God hides us with Christ in Himself to keep us always safe (Colossians 3:1-4). We rejoice throughout every new adventure with Him, and we look for His miracles couched in the circumstances. We confidently know that He will complete the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). He gives us the desire, the energy and the ability to do His will for our life (Philippians 2:12-13).  


Sinners attempt to justify their existence; however, their soul knows without a doubt that sin separates them from God. They use defensive tactics to keep other people or their conscience from condemning them, but they know the truth no matter how much they try to deny it. Jesus eradicates this dichotomous struggle from the Believer’s life (Romans 8:31-39). He sets us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).


Prayer:

Father God, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, Satan can no longer harm us (1 John 5:18). Our security in this life starts with the lack of condemnation, which comes from a sinful lifestyle, but is eliminated by Jesus’ death (Romans 8:1). Thank You for setting us free from the Law of Sin and Death by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). Help us to live our life cleansed by Jesus’ blood, led by Your Spirit and right in the center of Your will for us, which is the happiest place on earth (Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

When we call on the Lord and come to Him in prayer, He always listens to us; however, we only find Him when we seek Him with all of our heart. – Jeremiah 29:12-13

The Lord Fights for Us

Serving God has its perks! When we yoke up with Him, He helps us to carry our load of burdens. His gentle love gives rest to our soul (Matthew 11:29). When we sincerely call on Him, He is near to us. He fulfills our righteous desires, because we respect Him. He hears us in our distress and saves us. He preserves everyone who will love Him and keep His commandments (Psalm 145:18-20; John 14:15). God is so good to us, that we live life with songs of praise bubbling up from our heart (Psalm 13:6).

God provides us with peaceful dwelling places, secure homes and undisturbed places of rest. Even if our physical home is destroyed, we abide in Christ, who is our Rock. If we live in Christ and He dwells in us with all of His fullness (Colossians 3:3), we are never shaken (Isaiah 32:18; Psalm 62:6). We avoid the way of the wicked, the sinner and the mocker, and we walk in God’s ways and find total rest for our soul (Psalm 1:1; Jeremiah 6:16). God listens to us, hears our concerns and defends us (Joshua 10:14).


Jesus made peace with God for us, by shedding His blood on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20). As we turn from evil and pursue good, the eyes of the Lord are on us and He pays attention to our prayers (1 Peter 2:10-12). The Lord is our Warrior and He fights for us in every battle we encounter throughout life (Exodus 15:3). He goes before us and makes the way safe for us (Deuteronomy 1:30). He works against those who wish to harm us and He fights for our safety (Joshua 23:3).


God’s fullness dwells in Jesus and He reconciled all things to Himself through Christ. Therefore, let us set aside times throughout the day where we focus totally on God. Tune out the noise of life and focus just on Him. When we do, we hear His voice and we learn of His character. We have no need to fear, because God Himself fights for us (Deuteronomy 3:22). Soon, we find our self communing with the Lord every moment of the day and enjoying His fullness in our life.


Prayer:

Father God, when we were lost in our sin and deprivation, you made us alive with you in Christ. We were dead in sin, but You forgave all of our transgressions and cancelled the debt we owed for them by nailing them to the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). This gives us a great cause to rejoice; because our salvation, even though refined by the fire of trials, is more precious to us than worldly riches, which will perish. We give You glory, honor and praise now, as well as at the revelation of King Jesus in Your perfect timing (1 Peter 1:6-7). Help us to maintain a loving, reciprocal relationship with You all day long.

Thought for the Day:

The LORD always fights for us and He stills our weary, troubled soul.  – Exodus 14:14

 

The Indwelling Spirit

 

When we reach the place of trust in Christ alone, we enter the rest offered to us by God in His Promised Land. We enjoy plentiful provision and we lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). Our life no longer has deprivation or turmoil. As we follow the Holy Spirit’s direction, we win every battle and experience complete victory. Through our union with Christ, we accomplish everything He calls us to do (Ephesians 2:10), because He works through us in His strength (Matthew 19:26).

We could never provide any of this for our self. There is, however, a chance that we might fall short of entering into this rest of God because of our unbelief (Hebrews 4:1,11). Entering God’s rest takes a life of total surrender, as well as faith in God’s faithfulness. God’s first step is to bring us out of the world, and then to bring us to salvation through His work of redemption in our life. He fills us with His Spirit’s anointing and power.

Many Christians stop short of entering God’s rest by concentrating only on His elementary truths, so they never reaching spiritual maturity (Hebrews 6:1). God calls us to lay at the altar everything, which would separate us from Him, and then to embrace each Word of His Truth. He calls us to seek first His Kingdom, as He provides us with everything we need (Matthew 6:33). God’s Spirit conforms us into the likeness of Christ and we reflect His glory, which is full of grace and truth (John 1:14,17). 

As we surrender to God’s goodness and power, we give up all for Him. We walk in His love. Like Jesus, we return love for hatred and blessing for cursing (Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14). We can only accomplish this as we maintain fellowship with Christ throughout our day. We cannot enjoy God’s presence at the same time we indulge in the sins of this world. God’s indwelling Spirit transforms us into the humility and holiness of Christ along with all of His spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Prayer,

Almighty Father God, living for You in every moment of our day, we enjoy the greatest fulfillment available to us in this life. Yet, we often flee from times of aloneness with You in order to seek the momentary pleasures of this world. However, once we submit to You, the power of Your Spirit fills us and draws us to holiness and contentment with all that You provide for us. Your Spirit gives us both the power and the anointing to live in Your will for our life.

Thought for the Day:

There is no strain in living life for God according to His precepts, because it is indeed freeing to throw off the shackles of corruption.

 

The Bondage of Satan's Lies

Satan stealthily infiltrates every area of our life from the time of our birth. He feeds us his lies; and we gradually believe them, until they actually sound like wisdom. They cause us to deny God’s truth and call it the lie. We are so used to Satan’s fabrication, it starts to feel right and true to us. We buy into his scams and yield to his subtle manipulation. We have no idea how ridiculous we sound when we profess his propaganda and defend his deception.

Even many in the evangelical church toy with Satan’s fraud. They compromise their faith in Christ by walking on the fence between righteousness and sin. They soothe their conscience by making excuses for their behavior and accusing well-meaning brethren of judging them. They decide that they are too busy between work and hobbies to give much time to God. Their whole focus is on work, fun and relaxation.


Some people battle voices in their head, as well as heavy condemnation for their carnal behavior and lack of spiritual dedication. They fear they are mentally disturbed or are having an emotional breakdown. They have no moral fiber or physical stamina. They do not comprehend the spiritual battle for their soul going on in and around them. Their discernment is lacking and they see church as nothing more than a duty to perform for an hour a week.


They live under the heavy weight of temptation, compromise and sinful thoughts and behaviors. They neglect Bible devotion and use every excuse not to assemble with God’s Saints. Their prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back, mocking their lack of spirituality until they abandon communication with God. Some also have rocky interpersonal relationships with their family and peers. They even reap from the sin they sow, so something horrible happens to them (John 5:14).


Prayer:

Father God, you call each person alive to consistently abide in Christ. You give us all the opportunity to live a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life and to have the discernment to walk free of Satan’s deception. Your Christ in us bears much fruit in and through our lives. He frees us from the negative fruit of a life dedicated to Satan. You deliver us from fear, depression, anger, bitterness, anxiety, loneliness, addictions, disorders and other results of sin, which dictate our thoughts and behavior. We are indeed free in Christ (John 8:36).

Thought for the Day:
God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
– 1 John 1:5

Inspired, Motivated and Fulfilled

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, gives us His spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can fully know Him. He enlightens the eyes of our heart, so we may experience our hope in His calling for us. We have many riches in the glorious inheritance He prepared for His Saints. He showers every authentic, Born Again Believer with the incomparable greatness of His mighty power (Ephesians 1:17-19).

 

Jesus did not leave us as orphans when He returned to His glory in Heaven. Although He is with our Father, He also dwells in us and He promised to return for us in the future (Acts 1:11). Even though the world does not see Jesus anymore, authentic Believers will see Him, because He abides in us (Galatians 2:20). When He ascended to Heaven, Jesus asked our Father God to give us His Spirit as our advocate (John 14:26). His Spirit is our guarantee that we will live with God for eternity (Ephesians 1:14).

 

God only gives His Spirit to those who love Him. The Spirit keeps and guides us through every day of our life. He helps us and lives in us forever. Those who are not Born Again cannot accept God’s Spirit. They do not believe in His existence, so they cannot know Him intimately like we do. God’s Spirit delivers us from our self, and helps us to love God by conforming us to the image of Christ and helping us to keep God’s commandments (John 14:15-21; Romans 8:29).

 

God and His Christ loved us while we were still sinners, and Jesus promises that He will show Himself to those who love Him (John 14:21). We do not work for God in our flesh, but we are filled with His Spirit and do only those works, which He pre-ordained for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). God fills us as we follow His Spirit’s direction. Communing with our Father keeps us inspired, motivated and fulfilled, as we walk in the Spirit and live in God’s will each moment of our day (Galatians 5:16-25).

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for not leaving us as orphans in this world (John 14:18), but for giving us Your presence and Your Spirit to love, guide and comfort us always. We rely on You to keep us in submission to Your will, so that we can live a victorious life in Your grace and mercy. Thank You for communing with us in our spirit as we pray. Keep us ever mindful that you are near to those who love You (Psalm 91:14).

 

Thought for the Day:

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. - James 4:10

 

 

The Majesty of God

Authentic children of God have a clear understanding of the satisfaction, significance, security and true success that comes to those who wait on God. A life in Christ brings deep fulfillment, peace, joy and unity with our triune God. Only as we follow God’s will for our life, can we actually, effectively reach His goals for us, because God works in us for His infinite pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). The ways of God are beyond human comprehension, so we rely on His Spirit who is our guide.

God invisibly works in our life, leading us by His Spirit as we seek Him first, and acknowledge His will in everything we think, feel, say and do (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s Spirit turns the ordinary events of life into extraordinary feats, which no human being could ever orchestrate. God uses the homemaker, the car mechanic and the door-to-door salesman as much as the world famous evangelist. The kitchen table, the soccer game and the boardroom are God’s pulpit.

God brings His grace and peace into every moment of our life as we keep our focus on Him (Isaiah 26:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2). He gives us His cavernous compassion and caring comfort for every aspect of our life; and He teaches us, by first hand experience, how to comfort others whom He brings into our life. As the family of God, we share in each other’s suffering, and we also share in one another’s joys (2 Corinthians 1:3-7), and we all set our hope on Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).

God calls His children to spread the sweet aroma of the wondrous blessings, which God has in store for us, to anyone who will give us time from their day. These people are perishing in their sin and shame, filled with conceit and satisfied in their rebellion and pride. They will certainly spend an eternity in the flames of hell, if we fail to offer them God’s gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). The time is short. Let us be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

Prayer:

Father God, we trust in Your wisdom when we see the growing depravity, unrest and insecurity in the world around us. We devote every fiber of our being for Your use in every aspect of the life You have given us (Ephesians 2:10). You are the God who spoke creation into existence, and You are the God who healed the woman with a life-long illness (Genesis 1; Luke 8:43-48). You give Your children cause to rejoice at the prayers You answer as the result of us calling on You every moment of our life.

Thought for the Day:

God cares about every aspect of our life and brings His majesty into every moment of our day.

 

 

God Did That!

God created the heavens and the earth. I know some of you do not believe me, but the gas, which caused the “big bang” had to come from some place. There has to be a Supreme Architect to create all of this finite order and to sustain life as we know it over all of these years.

For instance, take the orbits on the more than 170 billion galaxies in the observable universe alone. Galaxies are organized into a hierarchy, known as galaxy groups and clusters, which, in turn, usually form larger superclusters. Galaxies range from dwarfs, with as few as ten million stars, to giants with one hundred trillion stars, each perfectly orbiting their galaxy's own sun, or center of mass. God did that.

God did not create a tree, a bush, a plant or a flower. He created an astronomical number of trees, bushes, plants and flowers. He did not simply create one type of each tree, bush, plant or flower, but He created thousands of species of most of them. Take the Palm Tree, for instance. There are 2600 currently known species of Palm Trees. God did that.

No one can say for sure how many species of sea shells God created. Let’s just look at the total number of living bivalve species, which is 9,200. These species are placed within 1,260 genera and 106 families. Marine bivalves represent about 8,000 species, combined in four subclasses and 99 families with 1,100 genera. The largest known salt water and brachish marine families are Veneridae, with more than 680 species, the Tellinidae and Lucinidae, each with over 500 species. The freshwater bivalves include seven families, the largest of which is the Unionidae with about 700 species. Wow, God did that.

Now, look at human beings. He could have created a bunch of blonde, blue eyed humans with no variation in size, shape, color or sex; but what would be the fun of that. There are no two human beings exactly alike. Even twins have slight variations, which allow their parents to tell them apart! God did that.

Prayer:

Father God, You are an astronomical God, who reigns with power, wisdom and majesty. Heaven is Your throne and the earth is Your footstool (Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:48-49; Matthew 5:34-35). Even from your throne in heaven, You observe us in our finite lives, through You infinite power and love (Psalm 11:4). Although You are high and almighty, You still live in union with the one who is repentant and humble. You revive the spirit of the lowly and contrite (Isaiah 57:15). You fill the heavens and the earth and we love You with all of our being (Jeremiah 23:24).

Thought for the Day:

If God can do this and so much more, don’t you think it is possible to trust Him with your life?

 

 

Many thanks to Wikipedia for the facts and figures in this post.

Spiritual Pursuits

Most people never give much attention to spiritual pursuits, and they allow the requirements of life to push and pull them through their day. Denying their flesh never enters their mind and they cater to their glutinous habits in every area of life. They even resist all opportunities to deny their self or to pursue spirituality. Disillusioned with life, they permit bitterness to defile them. They harbor unforgiveness towards others, as well as toward their self.

There are a multitude of distractions in today’s world, which keep us from pursuing a deeper walk in Christ. The world, the flesh and the devil do everything in their powers to sidetrack us from a holy walk of obedience. Trivial pursuits, negative emotions, misplaced priorities, worldly ambition, work-related burdens, school demands, fleshly temptations and family obligations all require our time and energy and pull us away from God. God has a solution to this dilemma.

He sent the Holy Spirit to help us to draw near to Him, so we can resist the devil and his demons until they flee from us (James 4:7). The Spirit also directs us to evade disruptions. He helps us to plan the minutes of our day to accomplish the works God created for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Once we allow the Sprit to guide us, the temptations of sin no longer appeal to us (Galatians 5:16-25). God’s Spirit enables us to walk in holiness and to make a difference for Christ in the world.

Our righteousness is based on Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s cross, not on our own effort to win His favor (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23). We do not use self-effort to reach holiness, but we are Spirit-led through each moment of our day (Titus 3:5). We live in victory over sin and death and in the hope of our resurrection with Christ from the dead (1 John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; 1 Peter 1:3). We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we are no longer satisfied with the mediocre life of sin and deprivation.

Prayer:

Father God, we commune with You in our spirit, and we walk by the direction of Your Spirit each moment of our day. We find our self reaping rewards of fulfillment and satisfaction because our schedule works like clockwork. We experience a freedom that we never had when we lived by the dictates of our fleshly, carnal nature. Remind us how much You love us and help us to make You the top priority of our day.

Thought for the Day:

We never please God more than when we make Him our priority and follow the leading of His Spirit moment by moment throughout our day.