Keep Vigilant Watch

In the process of moving from one house to another, my husband went back for yet another load of boxes. As he opened the house door, his arms encumbered with a teetering stack of our worldly treasures, he noticed a black racer snake paused just outside. In a flash, the racy reptile slipped between his feet and into the house.

Gently tossing the boxes into our vehicle, he hurried in hot pursuit of the sleek, slithering black ribbon. By this time the snake was scared out of his mind and his only thought was, “Get me out of here!” Through several rooms in the house, this awkward duo danced a duet, trying to outsmart one another.

Finally, with a stroke of genius, my husband opened the front door again and got behind the snake. The wary hunter paused for just a moment, eyeing up his options, then raced through the gaping opening in seconds and sought cover in the garden plants.

This detour in his plans and the adrenalin of his pursuit caused my husband to grab a drink of water and sit to rest in the only chair left in our house. Satan does this very thing in our lives. He lurks just outside the door to our soul – our mind, will and emotions, and waits for the narrowest opening to dart right in and cause havoc in our life.

He gives us a merry chase, taxing our spiritual power and exhausting our soul’s supply of energy. Without wisdom from above, he might get the upper hand; but if we seek God’s counsel, the Lord always shows us how to defeat the devil’s schemes (James 4:7). Even better, we can prevent his entrance by keeping a vigilant watch over the door to our soul (Proverbs 4:23).

Prayer:

Father God, if we wear the full armor You provided for us, polished and ready for battle, we can stand our ground, protected from the wily snares of the devil (Ephesians 6:13; 2 Timothy 2: 26). We have no need to fear, because Christ in us is greater than Satan and his hoard of demons (1 John 4:4). Jesus already won the victory over sin and death and His divinity abides in each one of us (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Thought for the Day:

As we submit to God, and resist the devil, he has to flee from us.

– James 4:7

The Great Divide

There is a great divide between Believers and unbelievers. We all share the same world, but we do not enjoy the same language or activities. Some who claim to be Christians not only live in the world, but are an integral part of its culture, goals and behavior. They praise Lord Calvert instead of Lord Jesus, and their behavior mars the name and character of Christ.

Where the Spirit of God dwells, there is no room for continual, habitual sin. He transforms each individual who truly surrenders to God. He gives us Holy Spirit make-overs and we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He leads us in the paths of righteousness for the sake of God’s name (Psalm 23:3). If God made no difference in your life, you are not Born Again.

I am not talking about a judgmental or “holier than thou” attitude. I am talking about not living like a hypocrite with one foot in the world and one foot in the church. Authentic, Born Again Believers have both feet firmly planted on the Rock of Christ. He makes a difference in us and we make a positive difference in the world around us.

That way, when our family and friends choose to reject us, we can be assured it is only because they feel the conviction of Christ in their life. They are puzzled and offended by the changes in our life, so they defend themselves and their behavior. The bright light of Christ in us irritates their choice to live in sin.

They attack us because they know in their heart that Jesus is the only way of salvation, and they are fighting God’s conviction of His truth. The Holy Spirit is working in their life, and we can pray that they will be humbled under the mighty hand of almighty God. This way, they too will enjoy His blessings, protection and provision just like we do.

Prayer:

Father God, we can revel in our relationship with You, not condemning others, but living in your peace before them. This way, they may see the difference, which You make in our life. You fill us with Your resurrection life. Though we are not perfect, the world around us cannot deny the change You make in our thoughts, actions and beliefs. We cling to, rely on and rest in You for our every need.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus took our shame and endured our pain to give us freedom in His life in us.

Moving Day

 

Moving from one home to another is a daunting task, even if you are young and energetic. Add a few years and an aging body and it can be almost impossible. This is when we rely on our friends and family for help, advice and back breaking labor. Even so, it seems that the more boxes we pack the more stuff there is to pack.

I always donate everything that is not absolutely necessary for my survival and enjoyment to a charity thrift store to prevent me from having to pack it.

On my most recent move the only things I could part with were four plastic pitchers and some old Tupperware. With all of the advice out there about plastics contributing to cancer in people, I bought glass instead. I would much rather be safe than sorry. I always pack all of my glass very carefully in mounds of towels and extra cardboard.

I did that with everything over a four month period; and yet, there was still occasion to take box after empty box back over to the former home to fill it up with even more “stuff!” I suppose pet supplies, gardening tools, along with the fact that I buy everything from medication to toiletries and cleaning supplies in bulk, had a great deal to do with that.

But, in the end, the job is complete, there is a new place for everything and everything is in its place. All is well with the world and I am back in my comfort zone. However, even when life settles down, there is always a hint of unrest in my soul, because my true home is in Heaven and my spirit so longs to go there, even now.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for giving citizenship in Heaven to anyone willing to humble their pride and submit their rebellion to you. You really do know so much more about how to succeed in this life than we do and your ways are always so much more perfect than our longest thought out plans. Remind us to seek You first in everything we do and say (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Thought for the Day:

Living in the Will of God is the happiest place on earth.

Our Solid Rock

 

Sometimes I feel like I am standing in quicksand on this earth. There is no solid footing around me, but just a sucking pit of decay. People in our neighborhood, workplace, the mall and the streets unleash the power of Satan into the world by living in sin. We reap the consequences of their sin, as well as our own (John 5:13). Sin gives Satan permission to work his evil, degradation and destruction in our life.

The antidote for this malaise is to walk away from sin and to live in holiness. God is faithful and He readily forgives a repentant heart (1 John 1:9). Righteous living releases the anointing of God in our life. It also prevents much of Satan’s influence in our world and his strongholds in our life. Christians may walk after the flesh in an occasional moment, but we do not walk in sin as a lifestyle (Galatians 5:16-25.)

Many people are under the false impression that sinners go to hell and good people go to heaven. In truth, authentic Born Again Believers go to heaven, and unbelievers condemn themselves to hell by their unbelief in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:18). Our eternal destination has nothing at all to do with our good works, but has everything to do with our total surrender to God.

We live a holy life because of our union with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We walk out of darkness and into the kingdom of light (Ephesians 5:8). The righteousness of Christ is our birthright as Born Again children of God. Christ is our whole life; a new life based on our relationship with Christ in us, our hope of eternal glory (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27, 3:3-4). Christ lives in us, giving us a victorious life on this earth.

Prayer:

Father God, You are our safe place in a world that often frightens us. Christ is the solid Rock beneath our feet. He gives breathing room to our soul (Psalm 62:1-2). We no longer fear the quicksand of life, but we trust in Christ who is our impenetrable fortress. We lack no good thing in this life. We find our help and our glory in You. We trust You absolutely and we lay down our life for You all day long.

Thought for the Day:

Let God build your life on the sold Rock of Jesus Christ. - Mt. 7:24-27

Falling Away from God

Many people reach a plateau in their walk with the Lord. The increasing highs, which transitioned us from sinner to saint, level off. We experience a dry time of struggle, questions and doubts. We attempt to substitute some facet of life in this world to mask or to try to improve this perceived loss in our life. Human success is very deceptive. It gives us a false sense of power and ability.

We stop patiently relying on God and we strike out on our own again. Like the Israelites we remember the provision of the world and forget the trials (Numbers 11:5). The prodigal son did this too. He ended up in the pigpen, until God humbled him enough for him to return to the Father’s house (Luke 15:17). Only the living water of life flowing from the throne of God can quench our interminable thirst (Revelations 22:1).


Satan sits by our ear and whispers convincing lies and doubts. Satan’s words have negative connotations. They tear down, discourage and condemn (1 Peter 5:8). Satan’s words bring bondage and criticism. However, we also have a spiritual ear, able to hear from God Himself (Matthew 11:15). Pay attention to the thoughts in your mind and change them to positive thoughts (Philippians 4:8).


God’s words are positive. Even His conviction brings repentance and does not make us feel despicable and dispirited. His words bring freedom to our soul and spirit. The closer to our deadline we get, the more our faith falters. God’s timing may be slower than we would like it to be, and we may get nervous and fearful. We forget that God always works out even the worse scenario for our ultimate benefit (Romans 8:28).


Prayer:
Father God, even when we view our future through a foggy window (1 Corinthians 13:12), and we have no idea why You are acting as You are, we can still trust You to give us the victory and to use us for Your purposes in the earth. Your Word is full of incidents where You used unconventional methods to bring about your desired results. We can always trust that no matter how bizarre the events get in our life, You are always there, right inside of us (Colossians 1:27), experiencing the trial right along with us.


Thought for the Day:
Remember God’s past victories in your life and draw faith from His provision and faithfulness for this new trial.

Death's Door to Heaven

Most people consider the day of our birth better than the day of our death; however, as Christians, the day of our death is better than the day of birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1). At birth, we begin the arduous journey in this life with all of its struggles and trials. As a child, unless we are born into an abusive family, we live in our own little world. Our imagination, our neighborhood or the woods are our playgrounds.

As we age, responsibility transfers from our parents to us. Without Christ, both life and death are daunting stages on this earth. We have little help in and no hope for our future. As authentic Christians, we have Christ within us, leading us to do the works, which God pre-ordained for us to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). God’s peace and joy envelop us. We eagerly anticipate death’s door to heaven.

A new heaven and earth will replace this current one (2 Peter 3:7-10). New Jerusalem will descend from Heaven. Jesus is building this 1500-mile cube city of God, which includes many levels of large rooms (John 14:1-4). An innumerable congregation from every nation, all the angels, the elders and even the living animals will gather at the throne to worship our Father God and His perfect Lamb (Revelation 7:9-11; Isaiah 11:6-9).

God will restore Paradise to humanity (Luke 23:43), a perfect environment with a pure crystal river of life proceeding from the throne and a tree of life producing twelve different fruit every month for the healing of the nations. Night is no longer necessary and God will be our continual light. We shall serve Him and reign with Him for all eternity (Revelation 7:16-17, 21:4-5, 22:1-5).

Prayer:

Father God, the dead in Christ are blessed, because we rest from earth’s toils and the result of our life follows us (Revelation 14:13). We reign in an immortal body with You in Your everlasting Kingdom (Daniel 7:18; 1 Corinthians 15:44). We help you to love and govern the nations, and we will come from the four corners of the earth to worship you for eternity (Revelation 7:9-11).

Thought for the Day:

The entire creation of God travails over the decay, which sin brought to this world, and it waits for the revelation of the Sons of God. 

- Romans 8:19-22; 1 Corinthians 13:22

Moving Those Mountains

It is so hard to overcome and to struggle through the issues we face in this world. We are forced out of our comfort zone and most of us despise change of any sort. The obstructive mountains loom before us. However, if we live in the moment, and not regret anything in the past or fear the unknown entities of the next moment, God will give us the grace to accomplish His will through each minute we live.

God’s Spirit abides in us and will not leave us for any reason (Deuteronomy 31:6). We can completely depend upon His mercy, grace, wisdom and strength to accomplish everything that is in His will for our life. If we strike out on our own without consulting God’s Will, that is just where we will remain – on our own. However, walking in the Spirit insures our success in every endeavor (Proverbs 3:5-6).

It is possible to live a joy-filled life, if we change the way we look at trials. They are actually an adventure in the Lord. If we look through our spiritual eyes of understanding, we will see His mighty hand removing every mountain that hinders us, even in the worst of situations, to give us a positive outcome (Romans 8:28). God works in us as we walk in the Spirit throughout the day. 

No one who waits for God’s direction will end up humiliated or defeated. Only those who refuse to walk in His Will shall experience shame and defeat. He shows His Saints His ways and He teaches us how to walk on His paths. We hope in Him every moment of every day (Psalm 25:3-5). We trust that His ultimate plan provides for our advantages. Our only true salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2:9).

Prayer:

Father God, when our soul – our thoughts, decisions and feelings – feel fearful and weary, if we remember to focus on You, to seek Your face and to pray, You will hear us from Your Holy Hill. We no longer cling to human reason and resources. We no longer forsake Your loving kindness by rejecting Your invitation to live in You. We live in thanksgiving for who You are and all You do for us throughout our life (Jonah 2:7-9).

Thought for the Day:

There is no one like Our God. He is mighty in power and we revere Him. He is the true and might King over every single nation for all time. – Jeremiah 10:6-7