Spiritual

THANKSGIVING IS FOR GIVING THANKS….


Spiritual Blog - Thanksgiving

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” NASU

             Please forgive me but I am somewhat ignoring the entire context of this text to make a statement.  In verse eighteen we read, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   In EVERYTHING….. Give THANKS…. This is identified as God’s will!

Most of us will refer to the Pilgrims as initiating the ‘Feast of Thanksgiving’ but according to much documentation in history they only did this the first year and did not systematically repeat it annually.  However some of the more religious of the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving with ‘prayer and fasting’ not ‘feasting’.  I am aware of seven other nations that have an annual and National Day of Thanksgiving – Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Korea, Liberia, and Switzerland.  I do not know the extent or festivities of each of those only that they have designated a particular day nationally.  In 1777 when General Washington and the troops in incredibly horrible weather en route to Valley Forge stopped in an open filed to celebrate the 1st Thanksgiving of the new United States of America and in 1789 he declared November 26th as a national day of ‘Thanksgiving and Prayer.’  During the 1800’s the presidential Day of Thanksgiving ceased and in 1863 Abraham Lincoln resumed the practice.  It was not until 1941 that FDR established the 4th Thursday in November as the National Thanksgiving Day and now Colleges and the NFL have made it the National Day of Football Tailgate Parties.  (I say that tongue in cheek)

Although I am somewhat put off and have been for a long time with the commercialization of various holidays and believe that true ‘Thanksgiving’ should certainly not be relegated to one particular day but every day I still appreciate a National Day of Thanksgiving.  In my formative years, it was a day in which the family gathered and enjoyed each other while feasting.  I dare say we did not express enough thanks for what we had but I do believe that we recognized that without the hand of God we would not have had the bounty we had.  Love was never lacking in our home and that made this time of the year especially rewarding for me and I very much miss the family gatherings that we had while Dad and Mother were alive.  Our home in East Texas was a home of love and I treasure those memories.  Today, with the incredibly busy schedules that most have and the fragmentation of families it becomes more and more difficult to establish a tradition and have unique family gathers as in days gone by.  Yet, all of us can and should be THANKFUL for what we have for we could have much less even if we now have much less than we did in the not too distant past.

I am ‘thankful’ for my relationship with God.  I am ‘thankful’ for my family.  I am ‘thankful’ for my health although I am not absent of some medical and physical problems overall, to the best of my knowledge, I am healthy with the exception of my knee.  My wife is battling cancer but we are THANKFUL for God’s Provisions!  I am ‘thankful’ for friends.  I am ‘thankful’ for my country and the freedoms that we have and enjoy yet today.  In short, I AM THANKFUL and will express that to God today but choose not to limit my Giving of Thanks to Thanksgiving Day and know that you share my sentiment.  If you are sick, wounded, lonely, or facing dire times economically I pray that God grant you a miracle and that His presence will grace your home or abode in a powerful way today enabling you to look above and beyond your difficulties to His Awesomeness.

            God bless you as you celebrate this Day of Thanksgiving!

 

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STRESS – PRESSURE – PEACE….


Spiritual Blog - Stress

Psalms 46 – – Please read.

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NASU

 

I would venture to say that there are more people suffering under the heavy burden of ‘Stress & Pressure’ today than in any other generation.  More and more are finding ‘physical, emotional, and spiritual’ disorder in their lives because of the unbelievably face paced, the pressure-packed way of living that is the norm in our present world.  STRESS & PRESSURE are two common, constant companions of many in the church and in the world.

A number of years ago I saw something in a Children’s Book that was too close to reality for comfort but hilarious at the same time.  The book was by Judith Viorst entitled, “Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”  The account was:

“Alexander [7 or 8] had one of those days!  Nothing goes right.  He has back-to-back-to-back disappointments and tragedies like no one can believe.  His day is one continuous predicament after another.  In short, he cannot win for losing!  When he awoke in the morning he found that he had gone to sleep with gum in his mouth and now it was in his hair.  When he got out of bed he tripped on his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running.  So he declared, “I can tell it is going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!”

After a terrible day at school, a horrible visit to the dentist, a no-good stop at the shoe store, Alexander slumped in his chair at the dinner table and his troubles continue to mount.  He looked at the offering of food and there were lima beans and he hated lima beans, there was kissing on television and he hated kissing, his bath was too hot, he got soap in his eyes, his marble went down the tub drain, and he had to wear his railroad train pajamas to be and he hated those pajamas.  His Mickey Mouse nightlight burned out and he bit his tongue getting into bed.  The cat wanted to sleep with his brother not him so he once again concludes – “This has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!” 

             Most of us have been there!  Humans are really strange creatures.  Have you ever wondered why we run or hurry about when we get lost?  Instead of regrouping and finding our way our senses tend to run in all directions, and we ‘hurry, worry, and bury!’  What we need to do is STOP and allow the Holy Spirit to take control and restore order to our lives.  We need to relearn that GOD is GOD!

STRESS is a result of taking more on ourselves than God intended.  In a sense, we play God in the matter.  Dr. Thomas Homes of Washington University has done research into the problem of stress and published his findings in terms of “Life Changing Units”.  He gave them on a scale of 100 points.  Death of a spouse = 100 units.  Divorce = 73 units.  Pregnancy = 40 units.  Remodeling a home = 25 units, and Christmas = 12 units.  The conclusion was that from a strictly human viewpoint, no person in his own strength could handle 300 or more units in a 12 month period without suffering ‘physically’ or ‘emotionally’ and I add ‘spiritually’ during the next 2 years!

In truth, if we are crippled by stress we cannot be very useful to God, ourselves, or anyone else.  If we are crippled by stress we cannot enjoy the simple pleasures of life.  So it is imperative that we learn “God’s Secrets of Handling Stress.”  You cannot avoid stress but you can avoid being crippled by it.  As Paul says in Philippians 4:6 – “Be anxious for nothing….”  The converse of that is “Be content and at peace in everything.”

I want to deal more with this on another occasion but until then may God help you to rise above the chains of stress and rejoice!  Blessings as you go through your day!

 

 

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IT ALL BEINGS WITH GOD AND ENDS WITH GOD….


Spiritual Blog - Beginning

Gen 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” NASU

Rev 22:20 – “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” NASU

 

The Bible in Genesis Chapter One begins with GOD and Revelation Chapter Twenty-Two ends with GOD and everything between those two chapters is filled with GOD.  The Bible as one of my grandsons described it is ‘The God Book.’  It introduces Him and reveals Him to mankind.  The Bible is more than a good book it is the ‘Life Manual’ that people keep saying we did not get when we became parents.  It is a ‘Road Map’ to guide us along the journey of life.  It is God’s Word and as John declared, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word Was God.” 

Can you imagine working at a job that was filled with unknown elements and situations and never reading the handbook?  Can you imagine someone being tasked with disarming a bomb but never studying the schematics of bombs?  Can you imagine a surgeon preparing to perform a major surgery but never having studied human anatomy?  Why is it then that so many Christians feel no compulsion to read or study God’s Word?

I had a preacher tell me one time tell me, “I don’t read the Bible much because I found a place where I can order sermons each week so I don’t have to study.”  Several words came to mind including – “Hireling!”  I have lived from preaching the gospel but always refused to preach the gospel for money.  In the times I’ve been in itinerant ministry I’d have people ask, “What is your fee?”  I do not have a fee.  I do not even ask people pay my expenses.  If they offer to defray my expenses that is nice but if God directs me to accept an invitation I trust Him to supply the need.

I can recall an individual saying once after he had completed one semester of Bible school that he had all the theology he needed and now needed to focus on other aspects of the ministry.  I thought you will never have all the theology or Bible training you need if you live to be 100 and continue preaching the entire time.  Learning is a never ending process and when you realize that God is INFINITE how would a FINITE mind ever fully comprehend Him?  One of the reasons the Bible never grows old is that in the pages of that Book we continually learn more and more about the LIVING GOD who is boundless.

You have at your disposal one of the most valuable items you will ever find and in it are revelations and treasures beyond anything you could possibly comprehend so do not fail to avail yourself to it.  I have no prescription as to how much you read but suggest that you read and study that Book which begins with GOD and ends with GOD and between is saturated with GOD.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

 

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CONTEXT or PROOF TEXT???


Spiritual Blog - Proof

2 Timothy 2:15 – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” NASU

             Sadly, it seems too many people use Bible passages as ‘proof texts’ rather than seeking the ‘context’ of what God’s Word is declaring.  Too many times there is an effort to find scripture as a ‘proof text’ to support our particular view or doctrine rather than seeking to find God’s ‘context’ and ‘truth’.  I was told early in my Christian walk and acknowledgment of a call from God for preaching ministry:  “Son there are three parts to a sermon, the text, the text, and the text.  ALWAYS preach the text, the whole text, and nothing but the text, so help you, God.”  It was funny but the point was driven home and I have always wanted to know the ‘whole context’ of any particular verse, not the ‘rabbit trail’ that many use verses for.

Additionally, I have contended for decades to believers everywhere that in the West we read the Bible with a western mentality.  The Bible was written to a Middle Eastern culture so it is not just valuable but critical that we learn the customs and illustrations of that culture and particularly in the time in which it was written.  I’ve learned some incredible things using that pathway that otherwise I would have completely missed concerning what was actually being said.  I have also taught everyone who will listen that you do not interpret the Bible based on any singular passage but in light of every other passage in the Bible.  Unfortunately, none of us truly know or can have instant recall of every scripture in the Bible so our learning is continual or should be.  My theology, doctrine, and beliefs have changed over the years to some degree as I’ve learned and become more fully aware of scriptural connections in the Bible.  I won’t go into all that, that is not the point the point is that we ‘know in part’ and as we ‘know more’ we should modify what we believe to ‘concur’ with Scripture rather than use scripture to ‘validate’ what we have decided is the truth.  We should seek the CONTEXT not the PROOF TEXT for that is nothing more than a PRETEXT.

Much Bible Prophecy that is being taught ignores the rule of placing the text in the context of its original setting and context.  I have used the phrase, ‘to me this means…’ and almost immediately will say, “But that does not mean that is the accurate interpretation of the verse and as I grow in knowledge I may modify my interpretation….”  I try to encourage people not to be so closed minded and dogmatic that they refuse to hear something that run contrary to what they have believed.  I remember asking ‘why?’ many times in my early church experience.  Especially when someone would tell me, ‘We don’t do this or that.’  I would generally ask WHY?  Many times I would be told, “Well we just don’t.”  They could tell me what they DID NOT BELIEVE better than they could tell me what they DID BELIEVE and that was troubling for me.  I am not terribly interested in what people DO NOT BELIEVE but I am very interested in what someone DOES BELIEVE.  From the basis of what they believe we can move toward truth and put their knowledge with mine and both of us are stretched, challenged, and expanded hopefully.

So, my caution is NEVER use the Bible as a PROOF TEXT to support something you believe without absolutely determining the CONTEXT and in the context rightly handle the Word of Truth.  If you seek the ‘context’ you will find yourself with fewer problems in defending what you believe than if you simply use ‘proof texts’. 

            May the Lord be with you as you go through your day!

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THE BATTLE BEFORE THE BATTLE… [Part III]


Spiritual Blog - Faith

Luke 21:7-36…  Key Verse: 26 – FEAR.

Hopefully, we have stirred your interest and challenged you to delve into the Word of God and discover His beautiful truths and promises.  I believe that everyone can easily and readily acknowledge that The Seeds of Fear Are Everywhere Apparent today.  Let me walk through some events in Scripture and then speak of our modern era.

In the Book of Judges, we find the account of Gideon’s deliverance of Israel.  He began out-numbered 4:1 and God said, “Hold on Gideon, you have too much help.”  What?  He sent 22,000 of his 32,000 home and the odd jumped from 4:1 to 13.5:1 and God said, “Still too many.”  I can only imagine what Gideon and those with him thought.  When the dust settled God left Gideon with 300 men making the odds about 450:1 and opened the door wide to FEAR of epic proportions.  But, rather than going in Fear they went in Faith because their focus was God not their ability or the odds.

In Joshua 23:10 we have Covenant Understanding where there is NO FEAR because there is RIGHT FOCUS.  “One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, JUST AS HE PROMISED.”  That’s Covenant!  How about Leviticus 26:8, “Five you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand.”  WOW!  Sign me up!  Remember Deuteronomy 28:7, “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they shall come out against you one way and shall flee before you seven ways.”  Then in 32:30 we read, “How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight UNLESS their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up?”  IT IS GOD, not US.  With God, all things are possible and if the LORD be for us who can be against us and what difference would it make who is against us.

When we consider various conditions existing in our world today we see some common threads that reveal what the objective of the devil is – FEAR.  The movies coming out of Hollywood are setting us up and bombarding us with the Seeds of Fear.  The mass shootings and terrorism are allowing Fear to grip the hearts of many.  The military unrest in the world is causing the same kind of fears we had in the 50’s and 60’s where we feared a nuclear war at any time.  The political propaganda campaigns are designed to cause people to FEAR.  The natural disasters are cause for many to live in a constant state of Fear.  The devil knows that if he can make us FEAR he can control us and manipulate us.  But, Luke 12:32 reminds us of a powerful promise that should banish fear, “Fear not little flock for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”  Jesus’ message to the Church in Smyrna in Revelation was DO NOT FEAR.

How do we overcome FEAR?  The most powerful tool to dispel fear is TRUTH.  Jesus said, “You shall know the TRUTH and the truth will make you free.”  Pilate asked, “What is Truth?” and Jesus said in other places, “Father, thy Word is Truth.”  Jesus also said, “I am the Way the TRUTH, and the Life.”  So, we dispel fear by Knowing God, knowing Who God is and what Jesus did on the Cross for us.  The first Adam lost dominion and the second Adam won it back and purchased it with His Blood.

In Galatians 3, Paul warned about falling under the spell of “witchcraft” in verses 6-9 as he brought to the forefront of their minds the Promises of God to Abraham.  In verses 13-14, he reminds us that the Abrahamic Covenant belongs to believers of all ages.  In verses 19-21, he argues that the Abrahamic Covenant was not set aside by the Sinaitic Covenant and in verses 25-29 he informs us that we are HEIRS BY FAITH to the Covenant and Promises of God.  In Galatians 5:1, Paul tells us that we are free and that “it was for Freedom that Christ has set us free…”  In Ephesians 1:18-23, Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened and we would KNOW the Hope of His Calling and what the riches of His Glory in our inheritance is.

In Ephesians 2, Paul powerfully informs us that we are ONE BODY in Christ Jesus and as the One New Man we are partakers of His Promises and are being fitted and framed together into HIS CHURCH.  In Ephesians 3 he reminds us that we are fellow heirs and partakers of the Promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.  In Colossians 1 & 2 we discover that through Jesus we are delivered from the devil and transferred into God’s kingdom, partakers of His grace and covenant and MADE COMPLETE IN HIM.  I have to ask “How Complete is Complete?

In Colossians 2:19 we find a Key to Understanding, “And holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied [never paths, supply routes] and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”  From Jesus through fellow believers we are supplied with His Power and Provision and as we KNOW who we are in Him and what He has done in and for us FEAR CANNOT SURVIVE!  It is there that we can enter into the Wonderful World of Covenant and become all that God wants us to be!  Faith is seeing what God says, what God is, what God has done and simply saying, “Thank You” and then walking in the Provision without Fear!

God bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him. 

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THE BATTLE BEFORE THE BATTLE… [Part II]


Spiritual Blog - Faith

Luke 21:7-36…  Key Verse: 26 – FEAR.

Last time we began laying a foundation for understanding and consideration of Covenant.  Today, we will pick up where we left off and continue.  The Problem, as we saw last time is rooted in FEAR and that demands a question be asked and answered.  How do we control something we cannot control, in the natural?  I don’t mean to be confusing but if you go back to the beginning, to the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Adam you realize that we participated in Adam’s sin, the Cosmic Rebellion.  No, we were not there but through the inherent doom that came upon the race through sin we are participants through Disobedience.  It was in the Fall that man became the Center of his Universe. 

The snake came to Adam and Eve and suggested, “you shall be as God…”  Simply, Adam & Eve fired God as God and installed self on the throne of their lives and we do the same in our rejection Him.  That was and is the Ultimate Rebellion.  Romans 6:16 informs us “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”   By Disobeying God, they obeyed the devil and through that act became his slaves.  The Dominion was lost.  Spiritual Authority was lost.  Power was lost.  Relationship was lost and Covenant was lost.  In that sense, man was born-again backward.  It was not simply eating the fruit of the tree that plunged the race into depravity but DISOBEDIENCE.  It could have been a bridge over a stream that God said, “Don’t Cross”.  It was DISOBEDIENCE!

I would never lessen the reality that the devil is a supernatural being and we are natural beings, therefore when he, as with Job, brings things into our path, in our natural strength we are no match for him.  It is there that FEAR rushes in like a flood.  As long as we occupy the throne of our lives we are a target for Fear.  However, if our focus is God and on God – FEAR IS BANISHED! 

There are two approaches or ways to handle Fear.  In Psalm 56:3, David said, “When I am afraid I put my Trust in Thee…”  Isaiah said in Isaiah 12:2, “Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid…”  Both are good, but which is better?  Would that not be to TRUST first and not fear rather than FEAR first and then trust.  Both bring us to a place of victory but one eliminates some of the pain.  Jesus promised and assured us in Luke 12:32, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for our Father has chosen to gladly give you the Kingdom.”  The writer of Hebrews declared in 13:6, “…so that we can confidently say, The Lord is My Helper, I will not be afraid.  What shall man do to me?”  John said in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”  The Psalmist, in 27:1-3, spoke of God and His promises, power and purpose in life and how that assures us so that fear cannot grip us.  Likewise, in Psalm 31:13-14, 20 does the same.  The writer of Proverbs challenges us in 1:33, “But he who listens to me shall live, and shall be at ease from the dread of evil.”  The Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of power and love and discipline (soundness of mind).”   One of the most powerful challenges with regard to Trust and Fear is in Proverbs 10:24, “What the wicked fears will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted.”

I am not speaking of a momentary bout with FEAR but becoming FEARFUL and thereby becoming wicked.  We need to remember that it is a “Spirit of Fear.”   I love Hebrews 12:14, where the writer speaking of the work of Christ on the Cross said, “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render POWERLESS (unemploy) him who HAD (past tense) the power of death, that is, the devil.”  HALLELUJAH!  Then in verse 15 he says, “and might deliver those who through FEAR OF DEATH were subject to slavery all their lives.”  There are two groups of people on earth.  Those enslaved by the Fear of Death and those who have been delivered.  Which are you?  Isaiah 8:12 urges, “…you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.” WHY?  We have Hope in Christ.  We have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.  We are BORN AGAIN and our names are Written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  WE ARE SAVED and have become New Creations in Christ Jesus!

FEAR is rampant in our world and Jesus spoke of the end times in Luke 21 and warned that men’s hearts would fail them from fear, and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world…  If we are to overcome Fear, understand Covenant, and become ALL that God wants us to be we MUST learn the method and means of overcoming FEAR.

I will pause here and pick up next time and hopefully, we can discover how to dispel Fear in our lives and walk in full victory in Christ Jesus.  God bless you richly on this wonderful day!

 

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THE BATTLE BEFORE THE BATTLE…


Spiritual Blog - Battle

Luke 21:7-36…  Key Verse: 26 – FEAR.

             I believe in Covenant in every dimension of life.  I believe in Covenant Relationships, Covenant Marriage, Covenant Business, and Covenant with God.  The Bible is filled with various Covenants and aspects of Covenants and it would be impossible to conduct a cursory reading of Scripture and not see Covenant, the blessing, and curse thereof.  If Covenant is such a major part of Scripture surely it is important enough for us to consider and pursue, in our walk with God.

However, it is my contention that before we can look at Covenant, which is a 12-18-month study at a minimum but in reality, is a lifetime adventure and journey.  Covenant is far too great a topic to tackle in a short devotional so my hope is to whet your appetite and encourage you to become a diligent student of the Word of God in this an all areas.  Covenant is at the Heart of God for His people and KEY to our BECOMING what He is coming back for, a GLORIOUS CHURCH, without spot or wrinkle, walking in the fullness of His Victory.  We are COMPLETE in Him and without Him, we can do nothing.  It is Christ IN US that is the Hope of Glory.  If through understanding God’s Covenant(s) we can better understand God and more fully enter His Rest, is it not something that is worthy of our consideration?

In considering Covenant it is imperative that we have an understanding of what HAS happened, what IS happening, WHO we are, and the TIME(s) in which we live.  We are in, what I would call, “The Battle Before the Battle.”  I believe we are living in the most exciting and crucial time in human history, not because of politics but because of God’s timetable and Covenant(s).  If we are to be effective soldiers of the Cross we must learn to redeem the time and know the time of our visitation.

I suggest that no matter what stage you are at in your spiritual development, this is important for you personally. If you are a “babe” in Christ, a “seasoned” theologian, or a “fully matured” man or woman in Christ Covenant is important because you CANNOT WALK in the fullness of God’s Covenant and Purpose if you do not understand both the Covenant and the Foundation of that Covenant.  I do not have time to go into the elementary principles of basic Christianity but God wants us to BE ALL WE CAN BE in Him.  I know that is the U.S. Army’s slogan but it belonged to God before the Army and the Army cannot make you ALL that God wants you to be, so this is far more important to grasp and understand.

In Matthew 10:26-28, Jesus instructed His disciples regarding their mission and ministry.  He gave them authority and power and warned them of the dangers and problems that lay ahead.  He told them where the danger would come from as well as how to respond to it.  Discerning the Times is part of God’s personal covenant with each of us.  In verse 36, He said, “And a man’s enemies will be members of his own household.”  The word “household” originates from the word “oy-kos” which means family (kin) and could include the spiritual family as well as the natural.  He warns that if there is No Covenant there will be no loyalty.

We learn, in Scripture, that one of if not the greatest weapon of the devil is the creation of DOUBT.  However, if we dig deeper we learn that doubt is the by-product of the real problem and that is FEAR.  The fearful make irrational decisions.  They can only see the problem (real or perceived).  They can only see the danger or potential danger, not the solution.  FEAR creates a sense of hopelessness and convinces the heart and mind that the situation is hopeless and from that fear springs the plant of Doubt.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to walk in Faith and Fear at the same time.

Faith has Hope but Fear is Hopeless.  

           Faith has Vision but Fear is Blind.   

            Faith Trusts but Fear Doubts.

            Faith has Joy but Fear is overflowing with Depression

            Faith has Patience but Fear is Impatient

            Faith produces Life but Fear produces Death.

             Therefore, the opposite of FAITH is not DOUBT but FEAR.  Doubt is only a by-product of Fear and Fear springs from Wrong Focus.  Fear comes when we view or face something that we perceive to be bigger than we are and is beyond our control.  Most things are, but if our Focus is God and His Promises or Covenant(s) then Fear is banished and Hope springs eternal in our hearts.  The Psalmist said it powerfully, “I will look unto the hills from which comes my help.  My help comes from the Lord.”  (Psalm 121).

I realize that what I have said thus far does not seem to address Covenant or understanding of Covenant, so I ask you bear with me.  I’m talking about the Battle Before the Battle and Before we can truly and fully move into Covenant.  So, I ask that you hold this though and join me in the next devotional as we address the Problem of Fear and how we can regain control or move into the Power of the Holy Spirit enabling us to walk out of Fear and Doubt into Faith and Hope.

May the Lord richly bless you and make this day prosperous and profitable for you!

 

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THE PROMISE IS AND IS NOT…


Spiritual Blog - Promises

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  NASU

             I’ve heard people quote this passage as say, “God will make everything good.”  That is not what that says if you examine it carefully.  It does not say that EVERYTHING is going to be good but that EVERYTHING will be used (good and bad) to work together for your good.  Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people and the goodness or badness of an event in one’s life does not reflect their piety or lack thereof.

The Promise is – “God will cause all things to WORK TOGETHER for good to those who love Him, those called according to His purpose.”  The Promise is not – “All things will be good.”  I am reminded of Joseph in the Bible when his jealous brothers sold him into slavery and he ended up in Egypt.  He went from managing Potiphar’s house to prison and then ascended to a place of rulership in that land.  His words to his brothers when they came and bowed before him was, “You meant it for evil but God meant it (or took it and worked everything together) for good.”  His words were similar to Mordecai to Queen Esther, “Who knows if you have been brought into the Kingdom for such a time as this.”  The events of life, for the believer, may be bad individually but God takes them and blends those experience and events with all the other events and experiences to produce the finished product that is GOOD.  His Promise is not to take every bad thing in life and make it good but to use it to produce, for you, GOOD.  You are the finished product He is interested in not just the individual events or encounters in life.

I’ve used the illustration many times of baking a chocolate cake from scratch.  In that process, you have the baking chocolate (bitter), baking soda, flour, butter, eggs, sugar, milk, etc.  Some of those are good and some, if eaten alone, would not be very tasty.  The baker takes the individual ingredients and blends them together into a mixture.  The eggs are beaten, whipped together into the flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, etc. In life, we often feel we are being BEATEN by events but that beating or blending is melding every experience into a mix that can produce the finished product.  Then, once everything is blended it is poured into a baking pan and placed in the oven had heated for a specified period of time.  In life, we not only experience the blending which feels like a beating but once we are sufficiently beaten and blended we are placed in the oven of life and the heat is turned up.  It is here that the complaints of most of us reach a crescendo and some even become angry with God over the plight they are experiencing.  But, in baking, once the mix is cooked or heated for a specified time it is taken out of the oven and the wonderfully moist and tasty chocolate cake is produced.  The baker then puts on the icing and serves that tasty morsel to the delight of chocolate lovers.  In life, when God pulls us out of the oven he puts the icing on the cake through the Holy Spirit and produces a life that is drawing and appealing to the seekers of Life and Truth.  He takes the good and the bad in our lives blending them into a mix that produces the finished product.

I have stood before families to tell them of the loss of a child, a home, or something terrible and I would never have said to them THIS IS GOOD.  I told them that God has not forgotten or forsaken them and that He takes the bad things of life and blends them with the good causing them to WORK TOGETHER for our good.  He is focused on the FINISHED PRODUCT, not the individual experience.  I recently watched a TV show with my wife and in the show a young boy had cancer and he told the doctor he was not afraid to die.  The doctor asked if it was because he believed he would go to heaven and the boy said, “No it is because I believe I won’t.  If I believe in heaven I’d have to believe in God and then I’d have to believe God gave me cancer.”  God did not give him cancer.  His family was struggling with their child facing a health death sentence and they could see nothing good in this nor should they.  It would be ludicrous, in my mind to blame God for the disease in light of the Bible’s revelation that Jesus bore the stripes in His body for our healing.  The Bible says in James 1:17, that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”  If God is the one putting disease on people then why would Jesus bear the stripes for healing, give power over the powers of hell to His followers to heal, and say in Mark 16, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” 

Jesus was accused of healing through the power of the devil and He said asked how Satan could cast out Satan,  He declared that He was working against the powers of darkness in His act of healing.  Cancer, disease, loss of job, home, family, etc. are not good things but GOD can and will meld the experiences of life into a mix to produce a finished product that is GOOD.  It is not the individual parts but the finished product that is the focus.  Every experience in life has brought us to the place we are today and made us what we are.  If we recognize and believe that God will take ALL THINGS and cause them to work together for our good we can face the good and the bad we a quiet contentment and confidence.  NO, we are not to passively accept everything that happens and say, “Well, it’s God’s will.”  The devil wants to destroy you, not God.  The devil wants to hurt you, not God.  The devil brings temptation to you, not God.  The devil seeks to get you to turn your back on God, not God.  Fight the good fight of faith and resist the devil and the Bible says HE WILL FLEE from you.  The converse is also true if we do not resist the devil HE WILL NOT FLEE from us.

You are not what you will be.  You are more than you once were.  You can be more than you are.  Cooperate with God and look for what He is doing in your life and rejoice.  He has never failed and He will never fail.

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

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CAN WE STOP THE THIEF??? (Continued)


Spiritual Blog - STop Thief

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  NASU

Picking up where we left off and attempting to put it in a package, let me remind you of what we’ve discussed.  The devil operates a two-pronged assault on the Church and believers.  He uses Deception and Fear.  It is imperative that we know the Word of God and God’s Law so that when something is stolen we can go to the Court of Heaven and seek retribution and restoration.  Also, the devil uses what I call PERCEPTION DECEPTION.  Through perception, he deceives and does his dirty work because we do not understand we have authority over him and he is illegally trespassing on God’s Property.  Additionally, the Thief of John 10:10 is not the devil but according to the context are the False Teachers, Prophets, and Shepherds that are not warning us of the Wolf (the devil).  Rather than telling us of our authority, they are telling us of the devil’s power.  I am not saying they are doing so with malice but more likely through misguided perception and deception.

So, what do we need to do to enforce the Victory of Calvary and Live the Abundant Life that Jesus came to give?  Where is the real battle?  I suggest that it is in the mind.  No, I am not teaching mind over matter or anything of the sort but, “As a man thinks in his heart…” and the “Power of a Renewed Mind.”  As long as we THINK the devil is all powerful and THINK we do not have power and authority over him, he will operate.  James 4:7 tells us to RESIST the devil and he will flee.  The converse is also true if we DO NOT RESIST, he will not flee.  So, what do we do?

We need a Renewed Mind and have a Change of Thinking.  Too many suffer from a defeatist human mentality.  We need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He RENEWS our minds and TRANSFORMS us.  We need the mind that was in Christ Jesus in us and learn to think God’s thoughts and think with God’s mind.  What is it that God cannot do?  The God of the Impossible lives in and operates through us.

Secondly, we need a Transformed Walk.  As we begin to walk in His likeness and in His footsteps imitating Him we are transformed from Glory to Glory.  As we walk in His Presence and experience His power others begin to SEE the Gospel we proclaim demonstrated in life and rather than being words and theory it is a reality.  It is in that condition and position that we MANIFEST Christ through the Power of the Holy Spirit.

I am convinced that the world understands something that too often we in the church have failed to grasp.  The world understands that when you give something recognition and attention, you give it strength.  One of the ways Psychologist treat depression is by getting the patient’s mind off that which is depressing them.  They tell them to act as if they are not depressed and as they act out of a state of good mental health the depression begins to weaken.  Ceasing to give recognition and attention to depression weakens it.  But if that patient continues to declare, “I’m so depressed, I’m so depressed.  Why am I so depressed?” They do not defeat depression but empower it.

In John 16:8-11 – “And when He (Holy Spirit) is come, He will reprove (convince) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  Of sin, because they believe not on Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; of Judgment, because the prince of this world is JUDGED.”   The word Judged means to “separate or put asunder” and to Put asunder means to “break in pieces.”  Therefore, the prince of this world (the devil) is broken into pieces by the Power of the Holy Spirit through the Victory of the Cross.  THE DEVIL HAS BEEN DEFEATED! 

I have learned that some people are more comfortable with a strong devil than they are with a defeated one.  WHY?  Because if the devil is super strong and they are weak and frail, THEN when they mess up they can blame it on the devil.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard believers request or pray that God would get the devil off their backs.  If we have authority over all the power of the enemy and we can resist the devil and he has to flee – WHY ARE WE PRAYING AND NOT TAKING CHARGE?

I long for the Church to begin living and walking in Radical Christianity which is Normal Biblical Christianity and REALIZE Who we are in Christ, REALIZE the Power of our LORD, and REALIZE the enemy is a defeated foe.  God is not building an army of babies but warriors who will trust Him and are willing to exercise the power and authority of His Word and enforce the Victory He won at the Cross.  He wants Mighty Men and Women who will boldly launch out into the deep and BE what God has called them to be.  What has He called you to do or be?  GET TO IT AND DO IT…  You have the Commission, the Authority, and the Power through Him!

God bless you as you Stand in the Gap and make up the hedge.

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CAN WE STOP THE THIEF??? (Continued)


Spiritual Blog - Stop Theif

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  NASU

One of the problems we have in dealing with the devil is PERCEPTION DECEPTION.  That is an effective strategy used against us.  He seeks to get us to PERCEIVE him as a vicious, roaring lion with great power and to be greatly feared.  1 Peter 5:8 informs us of a great truth, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, AS a roaring line, walketh about, seeking whom he MAY devour.”    I hope you caught the two words I emphasized, “as” and “may.”  The only true power the devil has is to manifest himself, in your mind in images or created perception.  He presents untrue and deceptive images of his grandeur, power, strength, and fierceness.   Please understand, I am not telling you to ignore him or turn your back on him or brazenly say, “Take your best shot, devil.”  NO!  What began as a snake in the Garden of Eden has grown into a dragon in Revelation.  Don’t you find that amazing?  How did he grow that much?  Let me shake up your world – WE DID IT! 

How did we enable the devil to morph into such an imposing figure?  One of the ways is that in the Church we have spent an enormous amount of time telling him, ourselves, and others how strong he is.  In that sense, we have given him his power.  Jesus defeated Him and we are in Christ and Christ in us is the Hope of Glory, so why have we elevated the devil to a perch he does not deserve and should not have?  In Mark 11:23, Jesus speaks about our SPEAKING to the problem and in that emphasized the power of our words in life.  What I’m saying is that in our preaching, teaching, talking, and thinking we have created that perception and he is getting as much mileage out of it as possible.

In a very real sense, we have ignored truths such as Luke 10:19 which informed us that we have been given authority over the devil and Romans 16:20, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”  I assert that it is high time that the Body of Christ REALIZE who and whose we are and begin to Defuse, Defang, and Defeat the Defeated devil.  We need to stand up and say to the thief – STOP!  Devil, you have no authority here and you have been defeated by the one who lives in me, so I have authority over you!  The Bible says in James 4:7 that we are to RESIST the devil and he will flee.  The converse is also true if we DO NOT RESIST he will not flee.

I sense an urging from the Spirit of God for us to EXPOSE DECEPTION and I want to focus on one of the devil’s major deceptions and hopefully arm you with the truth so you can be free.  He is a master manipulator and manipulates Scripture, twisting it for his purposes.  He tried with Jesus and he assuredly does so with us.  If we have the Eyes of our Understanding Enlightened we will not fall prey to his deceptive tactics.

Let’s consider John 10:10 our text verse, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  What is the Deception that I am referring to?  Let me present it this way, “Who is this Scripture referring to?”  I am serious, if this is referring to the devil then he does have the power to Steal, Kill, and Destroy and he is a Roaring Lion!  I know that will take a bit of explaining but when Christians speak of the devil in that way, he receives power and is able to operate in deception and STEALS.  If we believe he has power over us, he is able to exercise power over us illegally.  If we believe he has the power to steal, he steals.  If we believe he has the power to kill, he kills.

I must press on lest I lose you and you reject any possibility of what I’m saying and if I am right, you can receive something that will liberate you!  Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”  No, I am not teaching you can say anything and have it regardless of what God says.  What I want you to see is that if we read the entire text and context of John 10:10 you realize that this passage is dealing with THE FALSE Teachers, Prophets, and Shepherds who were among the sheep.  It was those FALSE Teachers, Prophets, and Shepherds who were Killing, Stealing, and Destroying.  I know that is challenging but stay with me.  If you look closely you will find that the devil is not described as a thief in this passage but a WOLF.  The wolf that the hireling is supposed to be guarding against and warning the sheep.  Too often those who should be warning us of the danger and telling us of our power and authority have been of his power.  I do not believe that was malicious but misguided and is the result of deception and perception.

We need to consider the Word of God and stop giving the devil power he does not legitimately have and assume the power and authority that God has given us.  We need to be liberated from the FEAR of Death and the FEAR of the devil.  In Hebrews 1:14-15 we read, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that HAD the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through FEAR OF DEATH were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”  (Emphasis mine).  The Power of Death has been taken from the devil and we are supposed to enforce the Victory of the Cross and Resist Him and He MUST flee from us.

The only thing the devil can steal from you in his own power is THE WORD OF GOD and when he does he takes the rest of your belongings with him.  If he can steal the Word of God from you he has defeated you.  If you live in the Word of God – You Live in Power.  If you live in the Word of God – You rule not the devil.  If you live in the World – You Live in Defeat rather than Victory.  If you live in the World – You Serve and he Rules. 

I want to address this just a bit more so we will take it up next time and wrap it up in a package and tie a bow on it and hopefully, all of us will walk forth in Victory in Jesus.   God bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him.

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