In The Center of God's Will

To be in the center of God's will is the happiest place on earth. This may include a single life, illness, persecution, a missionary position far from home, physical handicaps, an unhappy marriage, the death of a loved one, a challenging child, or any number of other negative circumstances, which occur in life. Yet, God's love is with us and in us through each moment of every day.

God has good plans for us, even through the negative atmosphere or issues we experience in our life (Jeremiah 29:11). He always works out even the most horrendous concerns for our good (Romans 8:28). The good news is that unless we fail to walk in God's will for our life, nothing will occur, which is not already part of His plan for us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19).

God encourages us to submit to His sanctifying work in our life (1 Thessalonians 4:3). This is how He endows us with what we need to perform His will as part of His family (Hebrews 13:21; Mark 3:34-35). He forms us into the image of Christ and gives us His Word to light up our path throughout our lifetime. He even gives His angels charge over us, so that we do not stumble or fall (Psalm 119:105; Psalm 91:11).

If we struggle to hear God's Holy Spirit, or to find His exact will in any situation, we can pause, give Him our focused attention and listen. If we ask, He promises to generously give us wisdom in every area of our life (James 1:5). By walking in God's Spirit we will silence Satan's lies and the foolish talk of ignorant people who disparage God and His people (Galatians 5:15-25; 1 Peter 2:15).

Prayer:

Father God, we put our entire trust in You with our whole heart. We refuse to listen to the vain imaginations of our mind or to rely on our human understanding in making decisions. We seek Your will for each moment of our day and we will stop, be still and wait on You for your direction for each activity, which You prompt us to do (Psalm 27:14; Psalm 46:10). We know that by seeking Your will instead of our own, we will walk on the right path throughout our life and we will please You with all of our thoughts, words and deeds (Psalm 27:11). 

Thought for the Day:

As the Holy Spirit transforms us by renewing our mind, we will be living proof of the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

- Romans 12:2

Good News for the Distressed

The Psalms is a great place to spend time when you are distressed or in trouble of any kind. Poor David and his friends, who contributed to the Psalms, experienced all of the negative emotions we are prone to today. They journaled their feelings and then usually ended up praising God before the Psalm is finished. What a great example to us.

There is no shame in having a bad day, experiencing emotional trouble in your heart or feeling stress (Psalm 25:17). We all experience negative thoughts and emotions, which are triggered by daily life. In addition to these current negative emotions, we also have emotional baggage from our past. In former experiences, we left segments of our true self along the road we have traveled.

Current incidents draw from the negative emotions we felt in these former traumatic conflicts. Names, places, colors, smells, topics of conversation or TV dramas, ornamental objects, etc. may all trigger memories from our past, which caused us pain or distress. All of that negative emotion comes to the surface and adds to our current emotions. 

Satan will plant a lie in each of these negative incidents. If we take time to explore these former experiences, we can resolve those conflicts and clean up some of our emotional baggage, which we accumulated over the years. This prevents these past events from influencing our future and controlling our current life. We put a stop to Satan's torment.

(Read these three free chapters and watch the videos:  http://theophostic.com/page13051343.aspx )

Prayer:

Father God, the devil is out to steal our joy, kill our ministry and destroy our relationships (John 10:10). We no longer need to give him permission or suffer from his torment. Help us to persevere in prayer with Your Spirit in a quiet, undisturbed place and time. Remind us to journal, so we have a way to vent our pent-up emotions. You will reveal to us the issues at the root of our feelings, and You will heal us with Your Word of Truth by Your Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

The Holy Spirit within us knows the exact time and place these trauma's occurred, and He will take us back to that memory, uncover Satan's lie and heal our emotions. This discontinues the current pain, which haunts us from the past.

Belief or Unbelief

 

 

Unbelief is the only sin, which prevents us from enjoying eternity in Heaven (Romans 11:20; Ephesians 3:18; Galatians 2:16). Therefore, God gives every person ever born a measure of faith to help us to believe in His redemptive work, and to claim our salvation through Christ (Romans 12:3). Then He gives us a portion of faith in order to function in the gifts He gives us through His Spirit (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Galatians 5:22-23).

If we depend on our human effort for our salvation, we fall short of God's glory; however, if we believe in and trust in Him who justifies the ungodly, God credits our faith toward our right standing with Him (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:5, 9:32). Our God justifies Jews and non-Jews alike (Romans 9:30). There is no one on this earth that He does not desire to reconcile to Himself (Romans 3:30).

Since this is true, why do so many good people refuse to believe? Some have never heard that Jesus loves them. Others fail to realize the manuscript evidence, which proves the Bible is true. People need to know that we find peace with God through our faith in the justification provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ through His crucifixion, death and resurrection (Romans 5:1).

He also gives us access to God's grace, so that we can rejoice in the hope of sharing in His glory (Romans 5:2). His Word is in our heart and in our mouth, in order to share it with those who also need salvation (Romans 10:8, 17, 1:18-32). We can present to them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is based upon the foundation of Biblical truth established by practical evidence and human history.

Prayer:

Father God, allow us to walk in the truth that we are crucified with Christ. Teach us what it means to live in this flesh by the faith of the Son of God, who loves us, when at the same time Christ lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Help us to stand firm in our faith and to walk by faith rather than to rely on our earthly senses (1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 1:24, 5:7). Remind us to examine ourselves to prove our faith and that Christ abides within us (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

Thought for the Day: Our faith does not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 2:5

 

Just the Way We Are

Living in fear of someone discovering our true identity often drives us just this side of insanity. We dread someone else realizing that we are just "not enough". Not pretty enough, not smart enough, not strong enough, not kind enough, not capable enough...not enough. Jesus came to give us good news. We all fall short of the glory of God.

There is no one good enough, not even one (Romans 3:10-12, 23). Even people with a high opinion of their self have issues with insecurity. We all have little nagging doubts, which corrode our confidence and whittle away at our self-esteem. We live under a cloud of negative self-talk. We hide behind superficial masks, in hopes that no one will ever uncover just how deficient we really are.

Once we come to Christ, we can stop pretending, stop striving to be good and throw our self on the mercy and grace of God instead. He accepts us just the way we are (Romans 5:8). We need no pretenses with Him. He loves us in spite of our failings. God is our Father who cares for us, nurtures us and provides for all of our needs: spiritually, physically and in our soul - our mind, choices and emotions.

Our Heavenly Daddy gives us a sense of security as we dwell in Him and He dwells in us. His love fills in the gaps in our self-esteem and changes our opinion about our deficiencies. We no longer need to fear life and its consequences, to listen to any negative self-talk or to believe anyone else's negative opinion of us. We are complete in Christ (Colossians 1:27, 2:10).

Prayer:

Father God, we drink from the living water of Your Word, which calms our soul and fills our spirit with godly character, Jesus' divine nature and the fruit of Your Holy Spirit (John 7:38; 2 Peter 1:3-4; Galatians 5:22-23). When fears creap in to cripple us and render us ineffective for You and for a productive life, we can run to Jesus, who is the Rock that is higher than we are (Psalm 61:2). He gives us power over these demonic attacks and He strengthens us to prolifically bloom where You plant us.

Thought for the Day:

God provides His people with a Sabbath rest from our weary labors; for when we enter God's rest, we stop spinning our wheels and trust Him to bless our lives with His fullness. - Hebrews 4:9-12

Living an Abundant Life

 

As long as we are human, Satan will try to tempt us to sin. The first thought, which infiltrates our mind, encouraging us to sin, is from the world, the flesh or the devil. The temporary temptation is not the sin; and we should not entertain any guilt for the number of times Satan tempts us. We are only responsible if we entertain those thoughts, even if we do not act on them (Matthew 5:28). When the first thought goes through your mind, let it go immediately.

Do not give the devil a place in your life by entertaining these notions, or letting them bear fruit in your thoughts, words or actions (Ephesians 4:27). Some temptation is greater than our resolve to live a pure life before God. If we do sin, however, Jesus is our advocate with the Father, and He is faithful and just and forgives every sin we confess (1 John 1:9). There is no penance, which we can perform to absolve us of sin; only the sacrifice of Christ on the cross can free us from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23).

The good news is that Christ in us is greater than anything Satan has to offer us (1 John 4:4). With each fall, we learn to walk straighter, with more spiritual purpose and humility. Selfishness is at the root of every sin. Sin is dead works, which deny the life of Christ within us. When the temptation comes, submit to God, resist the temptation and Satan has to flee from us (James 4:7). Christ always comes to our rescue, if we call on Him.

Our flesh may not have the power to resist sin, but Christ in us will resist through us (2 Thessalonians 3:3). We learn from our failings to take one step closer to total union with Christ each moment of the day (Galatians 2:20). Since we are dead, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), we no longer have any need to cater to our flesh or to give in to temptation (Galatians 5:24; Romans 7:5, 8:8-9). We soon learn to resist temptation, until sin no longer holds any value for us at all (2 Peter 2:9). We live an abundant life in Christ.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to take the power away from Satan and his demons (1 John 5:18). We will keep our eyes on Jesus and submit to the leading of Your Spirit in our life (Hebrews 12:2). Thank You for always providing a way of escape from every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Once Christ abides in us as our whole life, then sin does not interest us any more (Colossians 3:4). We are always kept by Your power (Hebrews 2:18; 1 Peter 1:5). For this, we thank You and give You all the praise, honor and glory.

Thought for the Day:

When we make no provision for the flesh, Satan cannot tempt us. - Galatians 5:16,25

 

Come to My Funeral

 

 

As we habitually die to our self-nature, we continually live in God’s presence, following the leading of His Spirit and walking in His will. Even if we live in the most perverse of circumstances, His life in us sustains us through it all. We focus on the spiritual, eternal aspects, which no one and no circumstance can steal from us. We have His guarantee that the world will pass away, but that if we live according to His will, we live with Him now and forever (1 John 2:17).

How many of us are truly willing to lay down our life every single day? John 13:38) The Good News is that Christ in us enables us to die to sin and to refuse to fulfill the deeds of our flesh, which rise up within us (Romans 8:13). All authority is givento Jesus, and He continually lives within every Born Again Believer (Matthew 28:18). He is our victory, and we live victoriously as we follow the leading of His Spirit moment by moment throughout our day.

Dying to our self is not a very popular concept today (1 Corinthians 15:31). We live for our self, and we wallow in the desires of the flesh. Therefore, to crucify our flesh is a foreign concept to most Christians today. We can expect nothing less from a society that purports the concept of, “If it feels good, do it.” There is every type of degradation and deprivation known to man permeating every facet of our society. It constantly bombards us.

Are you willing to join me at my funeral? We simply need to decide that we are willing to no longer promote our self, and instead to promote Christ and His Kingdom in the earth. His Word and His Spirit reveal to us His will for our life. His Spirit conforms us into His image (Romans 8:29). By His loving care for us, He proves to us that He is worthy of our trust and praise. He calls us to live joyfully, prayerfully and thankfully in ever situation (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Prayer:

Father God, once we separate our self from this world, and live for You, we learn to be content because You are always in us and with us (Philippians 4:12). We willingly lay down our life for You, just as You freely laid down Your life for us. Keep us in the center of Your will. Do not allow us to wander to the left or the right. Teach us to have faith in Your faithfulness and to empty our self of our own abilities and effort, so that we can enter into Your rest (Hebrews 4:10). Show us the works You established for us to accomplish before the foundation of the world, and help us to walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

God is in control; and He is working out all things, even the most perverse and negative circumstance, for our ultimate good. – Romans 8:28

Let Me Count the Ways

How much does God love us? Let me count the ways: We have nothing to leave at the foot of the cross, except our sin and self-righteousness. However, we take away with us His eternal life, which is full of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3).
 
He pours out His grace, mercy and faith on us, and we express a body, soul and spirit full of faith and praise back to Him. We no longer need to fear our disabilities, because Christ in us can do all things through us (Philippians 4:13). 

All doubt disappears once we realize that we can cast all of our cares on God, since He cares so much for us (1 Peter 5:7). God gives us the faith we need to surrender to His calling in our life (Romans 12:3). He is our rock, our defense and our protection (Psalm 18:2). 

He strengthens our life and gives us the courage to walk in His ways, even in the face of adversity (Psalm 27:1-3). He supplies every one of our needs exactly when we need it, even if we get impatient and lose hope (Philippians 4:19). 

He takes our fear and gives us power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). He liberally gives us wisdom to deal with every issue we face in life and provides us with His righteousness in exchange for our sin (James 1:5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:30). 

His Word is a light to our path and a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119: 105-109). He gives us hope, because we remember that his compassion never fails and his mercy is renewed every morning; He is good to everyone who seeks Him (Lamentations 3:21-25).

Although Satan runs about like a roaring lion, seeking people to devour, our God in us is greater than Satan who lives in this world (1 John 4:4). We are more than conquerors in all things through Christ, who loves us and gave Himself for us, and He allows us to lead others to His truth (Romans 8:31-37; 2 Corinthians 2:14).

He came into the world as the Light of men, and He brings us His Good News (Acts 2:14-21). He poured out His Spirit on us, and promises never to leave us or to forsake us (Acts 2:16-18; Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer:

Father God, Your grace, which brings us salvation, is available to every human ever born (Titus 2:11). I know each person must respond individually to this grace; and I pray that You will work out circumstances in their lives to bring them to the end of their self-reliance, so they will wholly surrender to You (1 Corinthians 6:19). 

Thank You for living in us; it is in You that we live and move and have our being (1 John 2:28; Colossians 1:27; Acts 17:24-28). We love You beyond words and look forward to praising You now and throughout eternity.

Thought for the Day:

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Experiencing God's Glory

We define God’s glory as His manifested presence, character and power. God revealed His glory in creation, and in His dealings with His people throughout the ages of time. God’s ultimate revelation of His glory is in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15). When the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, we beheld the glory of God (John 1:14). Jesus’ death and resurrection made God’s glory available to every authentic Believer (Matthew 27:51). If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).  

A life of sin separates us from God. He hides His face from all sin (Isaiah 59:2). However, God entices everyone to come to salvation through the Good News of Jesus Christ, so we can share in God’s glory (2 Thessalonians 2:14). When we repent of our sinful lifestyle and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to experience the fullness of God’s glory (2 Thessalonians 2:14). We can develop the habit of praying without ceasing by communing with Christ within us every waking moment of our day and night (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

The glory of God in Christ shines in us (Ephesians 5:14). However, we often get too busy to give God much of our time. We live in stress and unhappiness, wondering where God is in the midst of our pressured life. Would you want Jesus to visit some of the places you go to, to see what you look at, to hear what you listen to, or to be imposed upon by the people you spend most of your time with? God is justified when He punishes unrepentant sinners, because they condemn themselves by their unbelief (John 3:18).

Nevertheless, the Lord is compassionate and gracious to us all (John 3:16). He is slow to anger because of His abounding love and faithfulness. He loves the whole world and forgives the wickedness, rebellion and sin in anyone willing to ask for forgiveness (Exodus 34:6-7; John 3:16-17). Now is the time to stop this sin-filled lifestyle. Our circumstances have the ability to overwhelm us to the point of ill health. Once we choose to stop the merry-go-round of life and get off, then we can completely surrender to the will of God each moment of the day.

When we awaken from our sin-induced slumber, we are Born Again from the consequences of Adam’s sin, and from the death of a carnal lifestyle. When we allow Christ to remove the veil of sin from our eyes, we can see more clearly and reflect the glory of the Lord. His Spirit makes us more like Him and changes us into His glorious image over our lifetime (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is when we fully realize that Jesus lives in us, accompanies us throughout life and wants to live through us to further His Kingdom in the earth.

Christ in us gives us the opportunity to live in God’s presence continually (Psalm 105:4). Although our body is subjected to death because of Adam’s sin, the Spirit of God gives us eternal life because of the righteousness of Christ in us (Romans 8:10). Moses personally saw God’s glory; but Born Again Believers actually experience more of His glory than Moses did (Isaiah 60:1). All the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form dwells in Jesus (Colossians 2:9). Jesus is actually the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).  This same Christ lives in us by His Holy Spirit; therefore, the glory of God dwells in every authentic, Born Again Believer (Exodus 23:21; Isaiah 40:4; Colossians 1:27). 

Prayer:

Father God, You do not give us a spirit of fear, which keeps us in bondage. You give us Your Spirit of adoption, so we can live as Your children throughout eternity (Romans 8:16). You give us the right to address You as, “Abba, Father,” “Daddy God” (Romans 8:15). Thank You for making us joint-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Even if we are required to suffer with Christ, You planned it so that we will also share in His glory. This reduces the pain of our suffering in this earthly realm, because we realize that trials produce in us Your eternal glory (Romans 8:18).

Thought for the Day:

Even creation yearns for the manifestation of the sons of God, because creation knows it will be delivered from the bondage of corruption and from the curse of Adam’s sin, and it will be given glorious liberty with the children of God. - Romans 8:19, 21

God's Foreknowledge

Read: Psalm 139:15-16

“Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” – Psalm 119:73

God created each and every one of us with a purpose in mind. He wants to bless us and shower us with His love as we perform His will for our life. Jeremiah gives us a great picture of this truth. Before God formed him in his mother’s womb, God set him apart and appointed him as His prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5).

Paul made this same statement. He realized that God set him apart from birth and called him by His grace. God was pleased to reveal Jesus to Paul, so that Paul would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. No human being revealed this to Paul. God called Paul Himself (Galatians 1:15-16). God is not hindered by time, because He lives in eternity. He created life and He sees the past, present and future all at once without the restrictions of time. God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

Jesus existed before anything was created. He actually created everything – the visible and invisible things, as well as all the dominions and rulers and authorities. They were created through Him and for Him, and He holds everything together (Colossians 1:16-17). God chose us in Christ according to His foreknowledge, saved us by the blood of Jesus and sanctified us through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives (1 Peter 1:2, 20; Ephesians 1:4).

 

God knew before the foundation of the world who would believe in Him. Therefore, He predestined all Believers to become conformed to Christ’s image (Romans 8:29). Jesus was the firstborn, and we are co-heirs with Him and adopted into God’s family (John 3:16; Romans 8:17).

Those whom God predestined because of His foreknowledge, He also saved; and those He saved, He also sanctifies them throughout their lifetime; and those He sanctified, He will also glorify their body when they joined Him in heaven (Romans 8:30, Romans 11:2). By God’s set purpose and foreknowledge, He handed Jesus over to wicked men, who put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross (Acts 2:23). This was part of God’s plan before He even created the universe; because He knew mankind would need a Savior (Revelation 13:8; Acts 2:3).

Jesus also had foreknowledge of His death. He knew from the beginning of time and creation which of His apostles would believe in Him for salvation and who would betray him (John 6:64; 13:11). When Judas led the soldiers into the garden, Jesus willingly gave Himself over to them (John 18:4). He readily gave up His life, because Jesus came to seek the lost, to pay our sin debt and to save us for eternity (Luke 19:10).

The Lord keeps His promises to us. He is patient with us, calling us over and over again, because He does not want anyone to perish in eternal damnation, but for everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God also came to give us abundant life on this earth, as well as in the next life with Him (John 10:10).

Prayer:

Father God, You are like the wind. We cannot see the wind. It blows wherever it pleases. We hear its sound, but we cannot see where it comes from or where it is going; just its affects as it passes by (John 3:8). We are amazed at how You formed us in our mother’s womb. Your ways are far above our understanding. You are the Maker of all things (Ecclesiastes 11:5). We find comfort in Your foreknowledge and we thank You for including us in Christ’s Body

Thought for the Day:

God did not design mankind with a predisposition for belief or unbelief, but He had a foreknowledge of our choices (1 Peter 1:2; Acts 2:23; Romans 8:29).

Drifting from God

Read: Hebrews 10:35-36 

“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.” - Hebrews 2:1

God gave us His Spirit in order to enable us to do things for His Kingdom, which we could never do on our own. However, most of the time we look for seminary degrees and worldly credentials to help us accomplish what only the Spirit can do. We use the totality of our will power and endless hours of energy to try to achieve what is impossible to do without God authoring it. Then we get discouraged when we fail.

At times people feel like God is telling them to end their ministry in some area. The problem is that they take a leave of absence from ministry all together and sit back and do nothing. Then they eventually drift away from church and then from God all together. They fail to go on to the next area of service God has for them. Satan takes advantage of the situation and distracts them from God’s purpose in their lives. Then, they just quit serving God and totally neglect their spiritual life. They get caught up in the world and pursue carnal pleasures and activities, which do nothing for them or the Kingdom of God.

According to His power working within us, God is able to do immeasurably more through us than anything we could ever ask or even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). God takes the least in His Kingdom to accomplish the most. At times, He even chooses to reduce our resources in order for Him to get the glory. He makes something beautiful, even out of the ashes of our life (Isaiah 61:3). Jesus said that His food was to do the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30). That should be our attitude as well. We find abiding joy and peace only as we serve our Living Lord.

If we continue to believe the Truth of the Word of God and stand firmly in it, we will not drift away from the assurance we received at our Salvation. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and God appointed us as His servants to proclaim it to all who will hear the gospel and be saved (Colossian 1:23). We can remain confident in the Lord’s faithfulness, which brings with it great rewards. Patient endurance is what we need now, so that we will continue to do God's will. Then we will receive all that He has promised us (Hebrews 10:35-36). 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, do not allow us to drift toward evil or to take part in any acts of wickedness or the flesh. Do not allow us to share in the deceit of those who do drift away from Your Truth (Psalm 141:4). Teach us to walk in the power of Your Spirit moment by moment throughout the day and help us to bring You the glory and honor due your name.

Thought for the Day:

"For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.” – Hebrews 10:37

The Human Beings - Part Two of Three

What does it really means to be a Human Being? Read Part One of "The Human Beings" and then enjoy this excerpt from the full essay.  

IV. BE-ING  PARTAKERS

What is a partaker? Simply put, it is one who takes part. Have you ever run in a race, or tried out for a team?  You have to "qualify" first. You have to measure up. You have to be one of the best. Do you feel like you qualify to be in God's Kingdom?  Do you feel like one of the best? Most of you are saying, "No way!"  You are listening to all the negative comments that are left-over in your mind from childhood, from hurtful people in the present, or else you are listening to Satan’s lies. I have good news. Jesus already qualified you on the day you accepted Him as your Savior. You do not even have to try out!!!  You are already on His team.

Jesus laid down His own life on Calvary’s cruel cross to set us free from the bondage of sin, and to give us His glorious power. God delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood. There is no sin so extreme or ghastly that it cannot be forgiven. He forgives all of our sins. Our acceptance of the redemption given to us by Jesus’ death on Calvary’s cross qualifies us to take part in His family as well as His ministry on the earth (Colossians 1:12).

V.  BE-ING AWARE OF JESUS

Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. By Him and for Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible things. Even thrones, dominions, principalities and powers are under His dominion. He lived before all things were created, and in Him all things exist. He is the head of the body, His church. He always was and always will be, the firstborn who rose from the dead. He has the preeminence and is the fullness of all things. We dwell in Him and He lives in us. He reconciled all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:11-20).

At one time we were all alienated from God and enemies because of our unbelief; yet now, He has reconciled us in the body of His flesh through His death. In the end, He will present us to our Father - holy, blameless and above reproach in His sight (Colossians 1:21-22).  Christ reconciled us to Himself, and now He has given us the ministry of reconciliation to introduce others to Him.  Do not worry about the results. All He asks is that you tell others about what Jesus is doing for you and He will do the rest. Your life, your smile, your handshake, your listening ear may be all a person needs to bring him or her out of the kingdom of darkness and into the glorious light of the Kingdom of God.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we may not see the results of our ministry to other human beings right away. We may never know what happens to that person we talked to. We trust in Your promises that Your Word will never return to You without bearing fruit. We plant the seed or water the seed someone else already planted; then You give the increase.

Thought for the Day:

Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words. – St. Francis of Assisi

 

Public Enemy #1

Read: 1 Peter 5:8-9

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." – Ephesians 6:11

Today, so few people realize that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). This occurred when Adam and Eve surrendered their dominion over the earth to Satan (John 12:31, 14:31, 16:11; 1 John 5:19). He rules the world through deception and temptation (Matthew 4:8-9; Revelation 12:9). 

He transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He is the lawless one and the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; 8-10); a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44), the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4); a fallen angel (Revelation 9:1); the serpent of old (Revelation 12:9); the tempter (Matthew 4:3); the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16); the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2).

Satan is well versed in the art of deception. He magnifies minor inconveniences in a marriage until they grow to paramount proportions in a couple’s mind, which destroys the home. If that does not work, he sends seductive lovers to lure one of the mates away from the family. He also employs his obliging agitators to disrupt the unity in churches. He distracts Christians from God’s purpose for their day with disruptions and roadblocks. He lures unsuspecting victims into reckless behavior and immerses them in addictive vices, which ravage their life. 

As their future lies in ruin at his feet, he observes their demise with glee and celebrates.

We do not have to succumb to Satan’s trickery, however. Christ lives in every Believer and He is more powerful than Satan (1 John 4:4). Jesus defeated Satan by his crucifixion and resurrection (Genesis 3:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15: 57; Revelation 12:11). If we live by the Spirit of God, and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), we will not be so easily swayed by Satan’s wiles. 

God calls us to grow into maturity in the faith and to have discernment, so we are not blown here and there by every charlatan’s wind of teaching that sounds good to our carnal ears (Ephesians 4:14). He also exhorts us to be self-controlled and alert, to be aware that our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

We can resist Satan by standing firm in the faith and realizing that Christians all over the world are undergoing the same kind of temptations (1 Peter 5:9). James gives us a two-part piece of advice in dealing with Satan: 1. Submit yourselves to God. 2. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Paul warns us of the severity of the spiritual battle we face each day; but he gives us directions for how to prepare for the encounter.

First, he encourages us to be strong in the Lord and mighty in His power. He reminds us that we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers, mighty powers and evil spirits and authorities of the unseen spirit world. Then he instructs to put on every piece of God’s armor to be able to resist the enemy’s evil suggestions to us, and to stand firm in the battle against all the strategies of the devil (Ephesians 6:14-17).

The first piece of armor is to accept Jesus as our Savior. He is the Truth, and he is the belt that holds our lives together. Then, we put on the breastplate of holy living, which protects all the vital aspects of our life. We walk in peace, which comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This fully prepares us for the fight. In addition to all of these, we hold up the shield of faith in Christ to stop the fiery arrows of deception and temptation, which Satan shoots at us throughout the day. 

We put on the mind of Christ as our helmet. Finally, we take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; and we quote scripture to Satan when he tries to deceive us, just like Jesus did on the pinnacle of His temptation by the father of lies (John 8:44; Matthew 4:8-9).

Prayer:

O Lord Jesus, our spirit aches to see the day of Your return. We groan daily with the burdens of society and the depravity of our modern culture. We ask you to draw hearts to You and to give us opportunities to share the Good News with everyone we meet. Move by Your Spirit upon the earth and help us to make a difference in the world in which we life.

Thought for the Day:

The night of a godless society is nearly over; the day of Christ’s return is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. - Romans 13:12

The Glory of the Lord Will Rise Within Us

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:7-9

“Let him who glories, glory in the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians1:31

The body of every Born Again Believer is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19). When God moves in and dwells within us, we reflect His glory to the world around us (2 Corinthians 3:18). We were created for His glory and everything we do, even if it is as simple as what we eat and drink, is all done for the glory of God (Isaiah 43:7; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

The good news is that Jesus demolished our need to strive to be good by His death on the cross. Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and God’s exact representation (Hebrews 1:3). We actually died with Christ and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Our hope is in the glory of the Lord (Romans 5:2). When Christ, who is our life, appears to set up His Kingdom on the earth, then we also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4). As we live in unity with Him, and enter into His rest, His glory is manifested in us and through us (Isaiah 60:1; Luke 10:27; Acts 1:8).

Once we surrender our life to God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God moves in. He guides us and fills us with the fruit of His Spirit. As love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith permeate our personality, the glory of God is manifested through us (Galatians 5:22-23). Daily, we grow more like Christ by the transforming work of His power within us (Romans 8:30). Therefore, God’s glory grows more radiant in us as well.

We can do nothing to create these conditions in our life. If we try, there is a danger that people will label us as a hypocrite, because our flesh and spirit war against one another. Until the sanctifying process does its perfect work in us, we all slip out of the Spirit and into the flesh from time to time, especially if we try to live the Christian life in our own strength. We humans love delusion and we often seek false gods (Psalm 4:2). We veer off the straight and narrow road and join the masses on the wide road to destruction.

The remedy for this is to enter into God’s rest. In this place of peace, we cease from our striving (Hebrews 4:10-11). We focus instead on ministering from the perspective of our rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:3). We enter His rest simply by surrendering to the Holy Spirit within us. Then, God takes our negative thoughts and transforms them into the mind of Christ. Our behavior is influenced by our thoughts, so it too is renewed. We end up with a calm confidence in the power and position we have with Christ living within us, which is actually our hope of living in glory for eternity (Colossians 1:27).

 

When we live to the praise of our Father, everyone recognizes that His glory is manifested in and through us (Philippians 1:11). All of us, who had that veil of sin removed from our eyes through faith in Christ, can now see and reflect the glory of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord makes us more and more like Jesus each day, and we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18). As we surrender our will to God’s, draw near to Him and obey his calling on our life, we abound in and are filled with the fruits of our right standing with God. Now He can do more through us than we could ever manage on our own.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are the Word of God, and yet you became a human being and made Your home among us. You are full of unfailing love and faithfulness. We see Your glory revealed in our lives as the Spirit does His sanctifying work within us. May we always reflect Your glory as we fulfill Your purpose for us during our lifetime.

Thought for the Day:

“So if the old way of the law, which has been replaced by the Spirit, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new life through the Holy Spirit, which remains forever!” – 2 Corinthians 3:8





Thank you, Jean Frank, for the use of your photo.