John 10:1-18

I will refer to this text passage without listing it verbatim.  I encourage you to read it as we examine the principle of defeating the devil and stopping the thief in our lives, spiritually.  We can live higher than what we do, most of the time, because of what Jesus has done and done in us, for us, and does through us.

God has made provision for us to defeat the devil.  Jesus declared that He came, according to 1 John 3:8, to “destroy the works of the devil.”  In 1 John 4:7 we are informed that “as He is, so are we in this world.”  Also, in John 14:12, our LORD declared, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.”  Then in Luke 10:19 Jesus declared, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”  That is part of our Promise and Provision “in this world!”  We won’t need that power in heaven, there won’t be in devils there.

We need, no we must become what I call Word Conditioned.  In John 15:7 we read, “If you abide in Me (Jesus), and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  If we make that a reality in our lives and become saturated with God’s Word and His Spirit, we will cease being deceived by the thief.  We will begin to exercise authority and dominion over the devil and utilize our weapons of warfare that are mighty in God.

We need the Eyes of our Understanding opened.  We also need to grasp the principle of The Law of Retribution as described and detailed in Exodus 22:1-9.  The thief had to restore in multiples.  Today’s laws do not make that requirement, but they should.  The retribution was from double to 7 times, depending on the item and the situation.  No need for jail time, because the thief virtually had to go to work for the person from whom they stole until the debt was paid. 

In human courts, there are times when it is unlawful for a person to defend their own property.  In some states, in America, if a thief is injured in your home, you must pay for his medical expenses.  That is ludicrous!  Usually, there is no recourse for you in recovering the loss you suffered.  That is tragic!

But, in God’s Court, there is a place for retribution and recovery.  That makes knowing the Laws of God incredibly important, especially in spiritual matters.  We have been armed with weapons of warfare that are Mighty through God to the Pulling Down of Strongholds.  Two factors are vital:  We must know the Law and we must catch the thief.

The devil’s strategy is what I call Perception Deception.  He wants us to perceive that he is all-powerful and thereby deceive us into believing that there is nothing we can do about his lawlessness.  The only power that the devil truly has is deception!  You may not agree, but if you examine scripture you will find I am right.  I am not suggesting that you taunt him, turn you back on him, or say something as foolish as, “Take your best shot!”  If you study, you will find that what began as a snake in the garden is a dragon in Revelation.

I have a question: “How did he grow so much?”  Let me oversimplify it by saying, We did it!  How? Through deception.  I remember in testimony services in church people would stand and virtually praise the devil by talking about what all he was doing to them.  He sounded as if he was all-powerful, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  He is not! 

The LORD quickened me years ago, to stop preaching about the devil’s power and talk about his defeat. I was challenged to begin exposing the deception.  The church has been giving illegitimate power to the devil for decades if not centuries.  Instead of preaching about our power over the devil we have heard about the devil’s power.  If you believe the devil has the authority and power to kill you, he will.  If you believe that he has the power and authority to rob you, he will.  If you believe he has the power and authority to destroy you, he will.  He will do to us whatever we allow him to do.  It is time for us to believe God not the devil and defeat fear.

Hebrews 1:14-15 reveals a truth that too often we seem to miss.  Read it and note this truth: the devil had the power of death, but Jesus came and defeated him, now he has no power and is not one to be feared.  I suggest that the only thing the devil can steal from you in his own power is “The Word of God.”  However, if he achieves that goal, then he takes everything else too.  The real battle is in our minds and that is why we need for Jesus to be the LORD of our Minds.

I hope this has challenged you to find out what God says, believe what God says, and begin to practice what God says!  We are more than conquerors through Jesus!  We overwhelmingly conquer through Jesus.  We are the head, not the tail.  We are victorious not defeated.  Live victoriously, as He is in his present world!

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

John 10:1-18

I am not going to insert all eighteen verses in the short devotional but urge you to read those words of our LORD regarding the criminality of the devil toward the Body of Christ.  There are several things that bother me greatly in this life.  I become angry each time I witness the ravages of the devil on mankind, both in the natural and in the spiritual.  It produces incredible angst in my heart that, too often, we in the Body of Christ, are either unable or unwilling to assume and appropriate our Rightful Inheritance in Christ.  It bothers me that, too frequently, we live beneath the Promises and become battered by the works of darkness.

In the natural, it is a great irritant to see theft.  It is doubly disturbing when I see God’s people having their heritage and promises stolen from them.  But what bothers me, even more, is the blasé attitude, deception, and willingness of God’s people to accept that as the norm.  It is not, and we should never be willing to passively allow the enemy of our souls to steal from us without a fight.

I want to address several things in this devotional.  We have been ‘lied to.’  That’s right, lied to! Tragically, sometimes that deception has come at the hands of well-meaning preachers who have relegated the Promises and the Power of God to bygone eras.  We have too frequently been ‘ripped off’ spiritually, physically, and economically.  The devil, in various ways, has ‘lied to’ the Church and we have, like Adam & Eve bought into his deception.  I’m here to exposes those lies!

The Devil has launched a two-pronged attack on the Body of Christ.  One arm of that attack has been Deception.  I am convinced that the devil loves it when we adopt the victim mentality.  He rejoices when we blame our circumstances, environment, the times, the system we live in, our gender, or our race or ethnicity.  If he can manipulate us into turning our focus in the wrong direction, he has achieved a major victory, because he makes us impotent spiritually.  When we focus wrongly we act wrongly and fail to detect and identify the real thief and appropriate God’s Promises.

Ephesians 6:12 reveals that our struggle is not with flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness.  It is high time that God’s people realized that they have been stolen from.  It is time that we recognize who the real thief is and begin to reclaim all our lost possessions.  Finally, it is imperative that we press the case to the reception of Full Restoration. 

The second prong of the attack of the enemy is Fear.  That is one of the major tools used by the deceiver.  Tragically, too often the church has played into his hands.  How?  One of the most prolific examples is in our Preaching and Testimonies.  We have publicized and proclaimed that the devil is strong, mighty, and at times, it appears that some give him a spiritual power equal to God.  THAT IS A LIE OF HELL!  He is not, never has been, and never will be.  He is a Created Being not Omnipotent.

He does have power and is not to be taken lightly, but his power is limited, and Jesus stripped him of all authority at the Cross and in the Resurrection.  Jesus has given us authority over all the power the devil has.  We are more than conquerors through Jesus.  That is either true totally or not at all.

The devil must operate through deception to have any success.  If he can plant a seed of fear in our hearts he gains an edge.  An edge that we give him through our deception and fear.  God has provided for us to ‘defeat’ the devil.  But, for that to happen we must become Word Conditioned and we must allow Jesus to be the Lord of our Minds.  We have incredibly mighty weapons of warfare and we have the assured promise of the Bible that Jesus is the Same past, present, and future.  Therefore, why do we not exercise the power and authority the Bible declares we have? 

I encourage you to turn to the Bible and whatever it declares that Jesus did, know that if He did it then, He is still doing it and still capable of doing it now!  He said, that the works He did we would do and even greater works because He has gone to the Father.  We have the Power of the Holy Spirit so let’s pull down strongholds and resist the devil. 

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

Psalm 103:1-5 – “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;  3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;  4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” NASB

Often when I am around other believers the topic will turn to Praise and how important and valuable it is. Unfortunately, too often we make it an option rather than an essential in our walk.  For some, it is a part of the Sunday morning ritual rather than a cornerstone of our daily life.  It is relegated to a brief time during the Sunday service rather than a fixture in life.  That strips it of much of its power and benefit and robs the individual of an endeavor that God has offered to lift us into His presence in a more pronounced and powerful manner.

Praise is a natural and normal part of life.  In fact, it is only considered abnormal or in need of restriction when it is associated with Religious Gatherings.  Manufacturers praise their products.  Parents praise their children.  Men praise their automobiles.  Women praise their hairdressers or wardrobes.  Children praise, sportswriters and coaches praise.  Politicians praise, preachers praise.  If you think about it, life is filled with praise of one kind or another.  It is normal and natural.  It is ingrained into our nature to spontaneously give praise to whatever or whomever we value.  Therefore, if God is among the things we value it is normal and natural to release our inner being in praise to Him!

It is not because God needs our praise but because we need to offer Him praise.  We need to hear our selves praise Him. There is a release in our spirits that is incredibly powerful as we do.  Something happens inside of our innermost being in the activity of praise!

Let me give you an example in the natural.  The crowd at a football game would, virtually if not literally, go crazy were they not allowed to express themselves when their team scored a touchdown.  The team did not need the praise to score they scored before the crowd began praising.  It was the spectators who benefited by clapping, yelling, standing, waving their hands, hats, and/or banners.  Yet, when it comes to religious gatherings that is sometimes forbidden and frowned upon as being inappropriate!  Did you ever question how a touchdown is more deserving of an outward demonstration of appreciation than God?

I’ve noticed that it is the humblest of souls, the most balanced and open-minded that praise the most and the cranky, malcontented praise the least.  Praise seems to be inner health made audible.  The very word Hallelujah demands an outward demonstration of praise.  Hallel – praise.  Oou – Our.  Jah – God.  Praise is an expression of inner health, but it wasn’t inner health that caused the crowd to praise at the ballgame.  There was an outward stimulus!  The praise was in direct proportion to the stimuli.  That is another reason why the more we talk about Jesus, focus on Him, His person and work the easier it is to Praise Him!

Praise,for most people much of the time, does not flow easily.  It is something that has to be pressed into because most people begin in the outer court.  The temporal is so large in our thinking and living that Praise and entering into the inner court requires an act of our will.  It is when we instruct our flesh to come to attention and determine that we will praise the Lord!  We make the choice to rejoice and enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  We have to allow the Holy Spirit to help us bridge the gap between the heavenly and the earthly realms and this is accomplished through Praise!

If we could grasp the truth that Praise brings pleasure to the heart of God, it would dramatically affect how we view it.  We read in Psalm 149:41 – “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people.”  Psalm 104:1 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”  In Revelation 4:11 – “Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive Glory and Honor, and Power: For thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Then in Ephesians 1:12 we read that we are to be the Praise of God’s Glory!  I want you to understand that God literally derives pleasure, gratification, and enjoyment out of our praise.  Imagine that, we can do something that brings pleasure to God not to mention what it produces within our inner being.

I urge you to allow Praise to become a normal natural part of your daily relationship with God!   Blessings as you go through your day!

Proverbs 12:25-28 – “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. 26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray. 27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession. 28 In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.” NKJV

Proverbs offer a plethora of wisdom that too often we read for quantity rather than quality and skim over some incredibly powerful words of wisdom.  I have been guilty and I’m reasonably sure that most of you have as well.  The Spirit of the Lord has been challenging me more and more to cease doing that and carefully muse upon each word, sentence, and paragraph as I read and study the scripture.  It has proven to be a dynamic endeavor and I’ve gleaned more from passages that I formerly only gave a cursory reading to.

The words of wisdom, found in these four verses, are an example of the wealth of pearls to be found in the Book of Proverbs.  Each could be examined solitarily but I will highlight them and allow you to do further study and examination to find that which the Lord would speak to your heart from these treasures.

• Anxiety in the heart produces depression contrasted to a good word bringing a vivacious spirit.

When we allow anxiety, fear, or worry to take a dominant place in our thinking the result will be depression but if we give or receive a ‘good word’ from God’s word we will find that our spirits soar and become alive with excitement and anticipation.  Depression arises from an ‘inward focus’ or a ‘focus on self’ but the spirit soars when the focus is on God.

• Careful selection of friends or those you come into an alliance with is critical because those of ill repute and walk in wickedness will bring you down.

The old saying ‘birds of a feather flock together, and a little leaven leavens the entire lump’ is surely applicable and factual.  I’ve known young people who became so infatuated with a member of the opposite sex that they wanted to immediately marry them.  They thought and declared that they could and would affect a positive and godly change in the other person only to find that the reverse was true and endured a miserable relationship.  It is important to surround yourself with people who demonstrate a positive faith and character.

• The contrast between laziness and diligence.

The translation of this word to ‘roast’, in verse 27 is a most interesting one.  The Hebrew word is ‘charak’ and comes from the primitive root – ‘to braid, entangle, snare, or catch in a net.’  Some translations render it as ‘the slothful man will not secure (keep in his net) what he takes in hunting’.  He will let whatever he gains slip from his hands through a lack of effort and attention.  Laziness produces lack and diligence produces abundance or adequate provision at the minimum.

• Righteousness leads to life whereas unrighteousness leads to death.

No wonder Jesus said, ‘Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few will find it.’  The path of least resistance is almost never the best way to go.  The pathway to destruction is broad and wide with few visible obstacles but the pathway to life is filled with obstructions placed there by the evil one in an attempt to discourage and shipwreck our journey.

I am quite sure that as you read these and give them thought the Holy Spirit will highlight some areas for you to delve deeper into and embark on a journey to implement them into your life. 

Therefore, as you immerse yourself in God’s truth I bid you a good day and pray God’s blessings upon you!

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”  NASB

I had a person tell me, some years ago, that they didn’t let their co-workers know they were Christians because they feared discrimination in the workplace.  I’ve known a number of people in my Christian walk who are what I call Secret Christians because they don’t want the people they work with or do business with to know about their faith.  I am concerned that is more prevalent than most think.

The problem I have with that is it falls dangerously close to what Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 regarding denying Him before men.  While those individuals I allude to did not actually deny Jesus they demonstrated a certain shame and fear of others knowing about their belief in Him. 

That puts them in the position and condition that prevents them from fulfilling the Lord’s Commission to “Go into all the world…”  In their minds, it frees them from the watchful eye of those observing their behavior and words.  It creates an environment where they could easily lapse into activity or conversation that would not be becoming for a believer without those around them questioning their relationship or Christianity. 

Some have even told me that by doing this they escaped the possibility of becoming a stumbling block to others.  My response was, Really?  They do fall into the category that Jesus described in Mark 8:38 where He said that if we are ashamed of him in this wicked generation, He will be ashamed of us in the Day of Judgment.

If I am ashamed of Jesus and hide my faith, that causes me to wonder if I have faith!  I am not trying to be the judge of others and will leave that to God, but can anyone be comfortable being a Secret Christian?  Jesus told us not to fear those who could destroy the body and in that destroy our livelihood on earth but to fear Him that could destroy the soul.  He also asked pointedly, “What would a man give in exchange for his soul? What would be the profit of gaining the whole world and losing the soul?”  Obviously, there would only be earthly and temporary gain but eternal loss.

I am not suggesting that you must be out on the streets, knocking on every door you see and giving a specific witness verbally to everyone you meet. That might not be God’s desire, but you can and should always give a silent visual witness by your life, words, and deeds.  You can be and should be ready always to give an answer to every man for the reason of the hope that is within you.  You do not have to and should not wear your Christianity on your sleeve and become obnoxious in trying to convert and witness to everyone. 

Some you meet are not ready, will not receive the Gospel message and your aggressive evangelism might only push them further away rather than bring them near.  Listen to the voice inside and follow your heart but Always manifest the ‘Life of Christ’ and the ‘Character of Jesus’ in your life.  You will be surprised how many people ask about what it is that makes you different.  Some will ridicule but many will come inquiringly and hungrily wanting more than what they have and have seen in others and even churches.  You are letters known and read of men!

As you go through life, go with pride that you are a follower of Jesus!  I did not say being proud, but being proud of your relationship with Jesus!   Know that as you manifest Him others will see, and some will respond favorably to His nudging and tugging of their heartstrings.  

May God’s richest blessings be upon you as you go through your day!

Matthew 28:20 – “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” NASB

In the context of this statement, Jesus issued what we call ‘The Great Commission.’ He identified that He had All Authority in heaven and on earth.  He commanded them to “GO” and make disciples of all nations.  He instructed them to baptize and teach them to observe All His Commandments!  It was at the conclusion of that assignment for them and us that He gave this most powerful promise – “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Throughout my Christian walk, I have taken this promise of Jesus as one of my Foundation Stones. It is a Rock upon which I stand and take comfort.  No matter what the assignment, how difficult the task, how large the opposition, or how dangerous the endeavor, I know that I know that He is Going to be With Me Always! 

If He is with me what do I have to fear?  If He is with me what can be too difficult?  If He is with me there is no reason to shy away from any assignment.  The obstacles and opposition are simply possibilities and opportunities for God to demonstrate His incredible power and love.  If I become a casualty in the flesh that is a small thing compared to His eternal purpose.  It would only mean I get promoted earlier than others around me and get to the heavenly party earlier than I would have expected.  That is most assuredly a comfort to me.

He is not with me some of the time, or for a short time, He is with me to the End of the Age!  That means as long as I am on this planet, He is With Me!  As long as I occupy this tabernacle of flesh, He is With Me!  As long as I breathe life naturally, He is With Me!  Each step I take, each difficulty I encounter, each victory I experience He is There!  He is With Me!

My friend, you are not alone!  All mankind could forsake you and you can still know that He is with you!  So, as you go through this day and the rest of your life go in the confidence and comfort that He is With You and He will not Forsake You!  As long as you are here, He is Wherever You Are!  Hallelujah!

It is my prayer that as you go through your day go in the grace, peace, power, and comfort of the Lord! 

May the Blessings of the LORD be upon you bountifully! 

2 Timothy 2:1-2 – “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” NASB

As we continue our consideration of Spiritual Warfare, the preparation and the establishing of leaders in the Church, we must look at the Heart! In this passage especially if you take the full context you will find some incredibly powerful truths regarding leadership, service, and life.

I have observed that one of the best ways to test a person’s character and determine if they are truly a servant having Jesus’ Heart is to let them know you recognize the call of God on their lives and then give them a task such as:  Janitor, Chair set-up detail, Greeter, Usher, or something of the like.  Let him who would be the greatest among you be servant of all.  Then watch them and listen to them.

THE KEY IS THE HEART:

Qualification is not enough!  Faithfulness is the critical element!  This message and ministry is to be committed to faithful men who shall be able….  The word Able – [he-ka-nos] speaks of sufficiency.  ‘Who is sufficient…’  Simply, those faithful people who may not be qualified right now but because of their heart will become Sufficient. Whatever God has called you to do He will make you sufficient if you are faithful!

God does not come looking at our Qualifications. Those come from Him anyway!  He comes looking at our Hearts!  Ministry (real ministry) does not being in the pulpit or on the platform – – it begins in Service!  Faithful Service!

In truth, none of us are really qualified.  God does not call us because of our natural talents.  He calls us because of our Hearts!  If a person’s heart is right and willing to be taught, this ‘faithful’ person can become More Than He Is Now!

All of us have been burned or hurt in life.  All of us have a call on our lives. All of us need a close covenant of committed friends. All of us need to be a part of a covenant community.  All of Us! For you and me to stand in our commitment to Christ we must establish a Covenant Relationship with God.  For our families to stand and not become fragmented and destroyed we need to develop a Covenant Relationship in that family order.  For the Fellowship or local Church to stand and possess the land there must be committed covenant relationships established within that body. 

We are facing a Spiritual War in today’s world. We must be prepared, we must be Committed to Him and Faithful to His Purposes. We have God’s Promises.  Now as we more fully understand His purposes and receive His power we must be united in a Covenant Family and always stand Faithful!

God bless you as you go through your day!

2 Timothy – 2:1-2 – “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  NASB

Over the past couple of days, we have considered some aspects of what Paul was telling his son in the faith, Timothy.  The charge was for Timothy to find, teach, train, and impart that which was in his heart, received from the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul.  This was critical to the founding and grounding of the New Testament Church. 

There are Three Critical Areas in which Faithfulness is Key:

1. Faithfulness to God is Absolutely Essential.
2. Faithfulness in Relationships is Vital.
3. Faithfulness in Service is Indispensable.

FAITHFULNESS TO GOD.

This needs little explanation or discussion as most would readily acknowledge the need and essentialness of this.  However, if we are genuinely faithful to God it will be manifest in the other areas or dimensions as well.

FAITHFULNESS IN RELATIONSHIPS.

This is an area that most Christians do not work on and need to give attention to!  Remember Timothy’s mistake or potential mistake – ‘Choosing people who were possibly qualified and influential but Unfaithful! ’

FAITHFULNESS IN SERVICE.

Is absolutely indispensable!  We must learn to be Servants. We must learn and become willing to do what is asked when it is asked and how it is asked even when the flesh rises up and resists or the ego says that is beneath me.  Even when your ego raises its ugly head and declares that is not using my gifts or abilities to the fullest.  Even when you feel that you are not appreciated and recognized as you should be.

God’s way is to first make the man then He releases the ministry.  Tragically, the Church has gotten the cart before the horse too often.  We recognize gifts, charisma, talent, and ability and immediately Send Forth into ministry! 

PERSONAL TESTIMONY.

I was released wrongly but God taught me the necessity of Serving and Servanthood. I was almost immediately sent out because people could see the hand of God on me and God gifted me with passion and ability to convey the message so the response was Go Out!  I should have been sitting and being nurtured but within weeks after my conversion, I was sent out.  I saw in Bible College and have observed it in my 50 years of ministry.

When God calls a person or uses them in some degree or measure of success and instills a vision in their hearts along with His promise are noticeable. As a result, they have the mistaken idea that they immediately should be released to pursue that vision but they are not ready.

• They are overcome with the Vision.
• They expect to be Recognized.
• They become more Spiritual than anyone.
• They make sure everyone knows they are Anointed, Appointed, Called, and Commissioned.
• They demonstrate an inability or unwillingness to listen to others without a Critical Attitude believing in their hearts they could do a better job or they just know better.

They have not learned one of the key traits for Leadership or Servanthood. If we do not learn how to Serve we are not qualified to Lead!

God bless you as you go through your day!