THE ELEMENTS OF VICTORY – – Part III


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Ephesians 6:10-19 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” NASU

Now, as promised, let’s take a look at the Full Armor of God or as we might describe it, the Armor of the Believer which is given by God and administered by the Holy Spirit.  I trust that the Lord has begun to stir your heart as you see the warfare and that you have been provided “weapons” to defeat the enemy in your life!

THE ARMOR:

  1. Girdle of Truth.

Jesus is our Truth!  No, Jesus is the Truth!  This is an unmistakable declaration of Scripture as seen in John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” NKJV 

It is very important that you grasp the fact that this is a loin covering.  Why is that important?  The Loins – – Reproductive organs and organs that dispel waste.  As you appropriate truth you also dispel waste [falsehood, lies, deceit, deception, etc.] out of your life.  You appropriate truth to be ready to reproduce yourself in God and bring others into the Kingdom and Family of God!

Therefore, I appeal to you to invite Jesus to become your “Covering of Truth”.  Allow Him to be what He is – THE TRUTH!  To cover your life so that you can eliminate all spiritual waste and be ready to reproduce the Life of God!

  1. The Breastplate of Righteousness.

We find in Deuteronomy 12:23 – “…the blood is the life…” KJV This is true naturally and spiritually.  We have our vital spiritual vital organs covered with the Righteousness of God.

This is not struggling for Righteousness through any form of “legalism”.  It is resting in the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  He covers us!  So, I urge you to invite Jesus to become your “Covering of Righteousness”.  My prayer daily is, “Lord you gave me as a free gift, righteousness.  This righteousness is through the Blood of Jesus.  So, Lord I ask you to BE MY RIGHTEOUSNESS today and every day!” 

  1. The Gospel of Peace.

This is speaking of our “Spiritual Walk”.  Jesus lives on the inside in the innermost part of our being.  He lives in our heart of hearts and dwells in the part of us that makes us, us!  He is ready to enable us to walk after the spirit rather than after the flesh.  He is ready to adjust our walk to conform to His image and desire for our lives.  We can begin living a “Directed Life” in Jesus!

The good news is that when you have on this armor you are Never caught off guard and unprepared!  Jesus is Never unprepared!  This is not a pump yourself up or a crash course in positive thinking it is resting in the Righteousness, Peace, and Joy of the Holy Spirit!  It is being “Clothed in Jesus!” 

  1. The Shield of Faith.

I would suggest that this could be viewed as a door shaped shield in our lives.  Why do I say that?  Who is the door biblically speaking?  Jesus!  And I find the words of Paul in Galatians 2 to be most comforting and encouraging where he says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” KJV 

The New American Standard and the New King James render it faith in whereas the King James Version has it the faith of. It really doesn’t matter to me which, you prefer because both identify the foundation and basis of our faith to be JESUS!

This piece of armor has a specific purpose.  It is to quench or dispel the fiery darts or flaming arrows of the enemy.  This armor protects us from the schemes, devices, and strategies of the devil to bring us down and mortally wound us, spiritually.  What are some of those arrows or darts?

  1. Your sins are not really forgiven is a thought that the enemy likes to continually attempt to plant in our thinking.
  2. You are not really filled with the Spirit.
  3. You will never receive healing because of your past, your present, or some failure on your part.
  4. You will never prosper and will always struggle because God doesn’t really care about your well-being or situation.
  5. You will never be a winner before God or a conqueror in this life because you are only human fighting supernatural foes.

The Bible counters all those darts:

  1. I am saved for I have believed on Him – – [John 3:16]
  2. I am filled for I have repented and been baptized – – [Acts 2:28]
  3. I will be well. God does want me healed.  He is my healer – – [Exodus 15:26; 1 Peter 2:24]
  4. I will live in biblical prosperity. God does want me to prosper in the same proportion and depth that my soul prospers – – [3 John 2]
  5. I will be a conqueror because God says that I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ my Lord – – [Romans 8:37] 

You have a choice to make!  You can lift up the Shield of Faith and stop the fiery darts or flaming arrows of the enemy or allow them to come without any resistance.

Lest I weary you I will stop there and allow you time to digest this portion of our view of the Elements of Victory in Christ and this present spiritual warfare that we are engaged in.  

So, until tomorrow it is my prayer that God watch over you and guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus!  Blessings to you!

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THE ELEMENTS OF VICTORY – – Part II


Spiritual Blog - Victory

Ephesians 6:10-18 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” NASU

Now let’s move to the next essential element in this attempt to understand our part in the Victory that Jesus purchased and won at Calvary.

  1. THE CONDITIONING – – – “The Life of Prayer.”

The more I study Scripture the more I am convinced that we cannot become All that we can be and God wants us to be Until we learn the secret of Conditioning!

Prayer is the Christian’s “first order of business.”  This is the means whereby we not only get “fueled” for the journey but where we receive our marching orders for each day!

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” NKJV

It is imperative that we make the Kingdom of God first priority in our lives, the first look of our hearts, and pursuing the Kingdom our top priority in life.  The Scriptures declare that everything else falls into line when we do this!  Everything we need: Health, Strength to make it through the day, Wholesome Relationships, Money, Direction, and Wisdom, etc. all come through this venue.  All are a result of this action!

Truthfully, without prayer, we are like automobile engines without fuel!  We literally become nothing more than robots going through the motions of life rather than Living Life!

III.      THE CLOTHING – – – “The Whole Armor of God.”

It is most interesting to listen to what Jesus said in two separate passages concerning the Kingdom.  In Luke 12:32 – – Jesus says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” NKJV  Then, in Matthew 11:12-13 – – The Lord tells us, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” NKJV 

It does not take a great military mind to figure out that if we are going to have to take the Kingdom by force, we need something!

  1. We are COVERED by the Blood of Jesus.
  2. We are CONDITIONED through a Life of Prayer.
  3. But, if we are to engage the enemy in literal combat WE NEED ARMOR.

The Armor is to be worn daily!  Literally, “Put on (an action you take) the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand….”  If that is true then the converse is also true – “If we Do Not put on the whole armor we will not be able to stand.”

Dress for Success – – That is a phrase that has been bandied about for years in the business community and even the Church world it is a truth here.  If we are not Dressed right we will not be able to Fight Right!  This is incredibly important.  We need the Armor of God and I submit to you that Jesus wore it while on Earth!

Isaiah 59:15-18 – “…Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him. 17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak. 18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, Fury to His adversaries, Recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay.” NKJV

This is a prophetic word from Isaiah about Jesus.  He was the first to wear The Armor of God!  He did so as our example:

Philippians 2:7-8 – “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” NKJV

As a man, Jesus chose to be clothed with this armor of God both to live a life of victory and as our example and teacher!  We Need This Armor!  Additionally, not only was Jesus the first to wear the armor, He Is The Armor!

I want you to spend some time thinking about that last statement concerning Jesus being The Armor of God and allow the Holy Spirit to write it on the tablet of your heart.  I want this to begin to get in your spirit and become a part of your system, thinking, and your very being. So until tomorrow we will stop there and pick up with the Armor by looking at it and the function of the armor.  

Until we meet again on the morrow may God be gracious unto you and guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord!

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THE ELEMENTS OF VICTORY


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Ephesians 6:10-18 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” NASU

I have frequently voiced the warning and called attention to the fact that we are in a War spiritually.  It is a conflict that could easily carry over into the natural.  But, the fact that as believers we are in a war must be understood if we are to become all we can be in God and walk in total victory!  If the Church is to become the Glorious Church that Jesus declared He was building we Must realize that We Are In A War!  Knowing that brings several issue to the fore and must be considered.  We absolutely must know what our weapons are but there are three things in particular that I want to call your attention to here.  They are vital and without an understanding, on these points, we will Never reach our potential in God and enjoy the fullness of His Abundant Life!

  1. The Covering “The Blood of Jesus.”
  2. The Conditioning “The Life of Prayer.”
  3. The Clothing “The Armor of God.”

None of those can be omitted if we are to be successful in our spiritual warfare against the enemy of our souls!  So let’s consider them one at a time.

  1. THE COVERING – – – “The Blood of Jesus.”

Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives to death.”

Please consider two words that are essential here:  “Know” and “Do”.  It is not enough to know about the Blood of Jesus or about the devices of the devil, we must do something.  For example, You can “know” all about aspirin.  You can recite commercials, sing the jingles, quote the lines, and even know from past experience what happens to your headache when you take one or two.  However, unless you do something with that knowledge, nothing will happen.  It will do you absolutely no good with regard to a headache you are having.  If you are to get rid of that headache using the aspirin you have to get it down inside of you and allow it to become part of your system.  The same is true with Scripture quotation – – It must become internalized not just verbalized!

Isaiah 53:4-5 – “Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” NKJV

The Blood Sacrifice of Jesus has made it possible to be Saved, Healed, and Delivered!  That Blood Sacrifice has placed us in a position of peace and freedom from Guilt, Sorrow, and Affliction!  But, you must get this in your spirit that new life didn’t come by teaching alone.  It did not come by good deeds!  NO, it happened by The Blood of Jesus!  It is through the Blood of Jesus that the devil’s power has been broken and destroyed.  The devil has No Power over any part of our lives if we are In Christ because our lives are under the Atoning Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ!

Through the Blood of Jesus:

  1. We are FORGIVEN.
  2. Satan’s LEGAL HOLD over us is broken.
  3. We receive the very PRESENCE of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  4. We are made COMPLETE in Jesus.

 That is one element of the three vital elements involved in our rising to the Fullness that God desires for us in Christ on Planet Earth!

I will pause here today and pick up with “Element Number Two” tomorrow.  Hopefully, the Holy Spirit will begin to get this in your spirit today and tonight and then on the morrow we can move into the next element and grow even stronger and bolder in our efforts for the Kingdom of God.

Until tomorrow may the God of Peace guide you in His Peace and guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!  Blessings!

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THE PLACE TO START ALL DISCUSSIONS…


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Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God…” NKJV

From time to time I have people challenge something that I do and demand a specific biblical reference.  I refuse to get into contentious discussions and splitting hairs regarding things in life but try to answer objections and questions.  I was once a very good Pharisee, but the Holy Spirit convicted me of my legalism and since that time I have refused to live the life of a Pharisee and have my lists and sets of regulations that everyone must follow and that I can use to compare myself with them.  I usually go to the aforementioned passage and say this is where we must begin our discussion.

IN THE BEGINNING GOD!  He is the Alpha and the Omega.  He is the first and the last and truly everything in between.  He is the glue that holds it all together and without Him, we would not only, not be we would not be able to survive.  I like what Paul said 1 Corinthians 6:12 – “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” NKJV I realize the context of that passage but also believe the larger application covers life.  When Jesus was accosted by the legalist about his disciples eating grain on the Sabbath day His response can be seen in Mark 2:27-28 – “And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” NKJV

It is God’s desire that we Love Him supremely above all else and dedicate ourselves to pleasing Him and fulfilling His purpose for our lives in our generation.  We will never all agree on every point regarding holidays, feasts, celebrations, activities, dress, etc.  But, we can all agree that “In the beginning GOD…”  We can all agree that Jesus Is The Christ, the Son of the Living God.  We can agree that He came, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, gave His life on the Cross as payment for the sin of whosoever will accept His sacrifice, rose on the third day, and is ascended to heaven now making intercession for us.  We can agree that He promised to return and that where He is we will be with Him for eternity.

If we can agree on those things we have common ground for fellowship.  If we split hairs over a particular day, particular mode of dress, particular activity, etc. we will separate ourselves and destroy any basis of fellowship and thereby lose not only the benefit of our fellowship together we will demonstrate to the world that the Church is a divided sectarian group of ideologues and lose our effectiveness and appeal to them.

The Love of God shed abroad in our hearts should be our rule and our guide.  He should be most important not our pet doctrines or thoughts regarding a particular idea or event.  There are many things that others do and believe that I do not understand but we agree on the foundational principles and thereby I can accept them as my brother or sister in Christ.  It is those cases where someone denies Jesus as the Christ or denies God as the only true God that I find that there is no basis of fellowship.

We are entering the Holiday Season and while I don’t say “Happy Holidays” for Christmas I say, “Merry Christmas.”  I realize that some believers have a problem with even celebrating Christmas on December 25th each year.  I would suggest to you that it is not the day that is important as the reason for celebrating.  I celebrate to Honor Jesus and give thanks for Who He Is and What He Has Done!  I celebrate to Honor Jesus for my Salvation.  I really don’t care if He was born in October or July I do care that He Was Born!

Since I do not have a specific date given to me I use this one to give Him honor.  If that is a problem for you, then I am so sorry but ask that you please forgive me and not judge me a heretic or something worse as a result.  I won’t argue with you over it but will continue to honor the Lord by celebrating this day as recognition of The Fact Jesus Was Born!  Hopefully, you will be able to continue to love me and find our own way to honor His birth and I will love you and support you in that decision.

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

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THE PROBLEM OF THE WILL OF GOD…


Spiritual Blog - Will of God

Romans 12:1-2 – “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” NASU

The will of God is not a problem but becomes a problem for many as they seek to know it for their lives.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “How can I know God’s will for my life?”  Most of those asking are sincere and truly want to know the answer to the question but sadly most want a simple formula that will automatically tell them each time and in every situation what the will of God is in that particular moment.  I cannot give that!

However, I believe that Romans 12 gives us a clear picture of how to begin the process of Knowing the Will of God in or for our lives.  Let’s consider what the apostle tells the Roman believers regarding this matter and life in general:

  1. Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Paul is identifying a problem area that many have in finding the will of God in any particular situation.  They have not given themselves wholly to God.  He begins with the physical body because it is the house in which we live and is the part tempted and touched the most by sensual pleasures and appetites.  He identifies this as an act of spiritual worship.  He is addressing the need to bring the body in subjection to the Lord and treat it as the temple of the Lord.

  1. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

He moves to the mind because it is the area where our thought life occurs and out of our thoughts come actions and beliefs.  We are to change our way of thinking from that of our former self to our transformed self which is In Christ and begin to think the thoughts of Christ or think with the Holy Spirit being the guardian of our thoughts.  This will transfer our thoughts from, “what’s in it for me?” to “Thy will be done, Oh Lord.”  It will move us from an inward focus on Self to an upward focus on GOD and cause us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness In All Things!”

  1. This he advises will enable us to prove or “discern” – [dokimazo] what the will of God and walk in the confidence that that will is good, acceptable and perfect.

The apostle has led us down a path whereby, in prayer, we can set aside the things that distract and focus on the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit when He whispers, “this is the way, walk in it.”

I cannot nor can anyone give you a formula for “knowing the will of God” in every situation but I can suggest as does the apostle Paul a method by which you can clear the path to find the will of God more readily and clearly.  I would suggest that you take Romans 12:1-3 and meditate on it, muse on it, examine it, and allow it to get deep within your spirit and I believe that you will find that it opens the door to finding the will of God in whatever you are facing and the result will be an infusion of God’s Perfect Peace in your life as you walk out of your prayer closet into action.  You will be able to go into that action with confidence that you Are walking in the will of God.  There is no sweeter and more secure place than the confidence that you are Doing what God wants When God wants it.

May you walk into your day in the Peace of God that passes all understanding and be richly blessed! 

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GOD’S PROMISES ARE NOT IDLE WORDS…


Spiritual Blog - Promies

Isaiah 48:17-19 – “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.  18 “If only you had paid attention to My commandments!  Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 19 “Your descendants would have been like the sand, And your offspring like its grains; Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”  NASU

I know this was something that God said to Israel but as a child of God, I receive it unto myself as a promise to ALL WHO BELIEVE.  Consider what he says here:

  1. He Identifies Himself.

He is the LORD our God.  He is I AM THAT I AM.  This is coming from the Redeemer, the Bright Morning Star, the Alpha and Omega, and our Provider.  This is not just anyone speaking, It Is God!

  1. He Teaches Us To Profit.

Our financial and economic well-being is in His hands, not the government, not our position, not our intellect, not our beauty, and not in the arm of flesh.  Our source is God and He “teaches us to profit.”

  1. He Leads Us In The Way We Should Go.

His Word is a light to our pathway and a lamp to our feet.  We have the inner voice of the Holy Spirit that whispers softly and gently, “this is the way walk in it.”  We have His assurance that He will go before us and make the pathway straight.

  1. He Gives A Stern Warning That Carries a Promise.

Look at verse 18 – “If only you had paid attention to My Commandments” THEN…

  1. Your well-being would have been like a river. It still can be if we turn our hearts to Him and seek Him first above all else.
  2. Your Righteousness would have been like the waves of the sea. There is still hope if we “repent” and “return” to Him in total commitment.
  3. Your descendants would have been like the sand with the offspring as numerous as the grains of sand. Our posterity can be a living legacy of God’s mercy, grace, and goodness.
  4. Your name would never be cut off or destroyed from God’s presence. I will dwell in the House of the Lord Forever!

God does not make idle promises or idle threats.  He seeks our best and desires to bring us into fellowship with Him in order to enable us to walk in the Fullness of His Promises!

The sad reality is that too many fall prey to the gloom and doom that is prevalent in today’s society and look at what man can and is doing rather than what God can and is doing.  It’s not by might or power but by God’s Grace that we make it through.  That does not mean we do not stay active and engaged in what is happening around us, it simply means that we Never allow “fear” to overcome us.  We are people who Have Hope because of our God!  There are enemies who would destroy us and everything that we hold dear but we are More Than Conquerors through our LORD!

Therefore, as you face this day and the days that follow “reject” fear and “receive” the Promises of our LORD!  Take them to heart and rest in them.  Then when you stand against the onslaught of the wicked you do so with Complete Confidence knowing that God is backing you up!  If God is for us, what difference does it make who is against us? 

May God be with you as you go through this day and bring great peace and make your way prosperous as you seek Him and His Kingdom!  Blessings!

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JUST BE HONEST WITH GOD…


Spiritual Blog - Honest

Psalm 13:1 “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?”

Psalm 10:1 “Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I need you the most?”

Psalm 22: 2 “Every day I call to you, my God but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.”

I suspect it would be safe to say that each of us, have on occasion, entertained thoughts in our hearts that we were afraid to express to God, thinking that somehow by not saying them, He might not know what was in our hearts.  That falls apart as the Psalmist declared in Psalms 139:2 – “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you understand my thought from afar.” NASU Also, Jesus’ own words in Luke 8:17 – “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” NASU

It is my deep conviction that the only approach to our relationship with God is, to Be Completely Honest!  If you are angry with Him, you might as well express it, it’s in your heart and He already knows.  Harboring it inside and not giving it release can lead to a “root of bitterness” springing up and not only will you be defiled but others around.  It is like a poison that will ultimately spread and affect your relationship with God and others.  On the other hand, if you openly admit to God how you truly feel, He can and will address that and minister to you, where you are, and bring you into an abiding relationship with Him.

Sadly for ages, too many in the Church have become expert at “wearing masks”.  We put on our Sunday faces but the heart is still the same.  We fool many people much of the time but we can Never fool God any time.  This is borne out by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” NASU

If you are disappointed, the prayer you are praying has not been answered in a way that you desire, or tragedy has come to your dwelling and you are less than pleased with God – Be Hone and Tell Him what you feel!  He already knows and can only help you when you get totally honest with him!  As long as you hide behind a pretend righteousness you will only decline in your spiritual relationship.  However, when you become totally honest with God you will find that He is Immediately on the scene with His “Unconditional Love” and “Immeasurable Grace” to minister to you where you are, in the condition you are, and at the level of understanding, you have.

My earthly father loved me deeply, that is a truth about which I am 100% certain.  I never questioned that he loved me, although until I was fully grown, had come back from Vietnam, and entered the ministry did I hear him say, “Roy, I love you.”  I knew he did and though I longed to hear it from him, it was not the way he was brought up and for whatever reason, not the way he manifested his love.  Yet, the first two years of my life the doctors gave my parents virtually no hope that I would live to be a teenager.

They could not find what was wrong with me but I was sick and not getting better.  The range of possibilities of what was wrong covered a wide array of possible deadly diseases.  Through, dad’s keen observation of events and the divine guidance of God in our lives, dad observed that when we left the Pasadena area and went to East Texas for a couple of weeks I got better.  He went to the doctor and asked if there was a possible connection and the doctors advised that it was possible.

Dad sent my mother, me and my little sister to East Texas to my grandparents for a month and during that time I got much better so with his limited education, he quit the best job would ever hold in his lifetime Goodyear Rubber and moved to East Texas and for the rest of his life worked in much lesser jobs, but he sacrificed his job future for my life.

I always knew in my heart that was an act of great love.  So, sometimes when you do not see what you think God should be doing, if you will look to the Cross you will immediately realize that God’s love is Not in Question!  Our understanding is but not His Love or His Motives.  We need to trust that love and be Completely Honest with Him in all things.

Honesty brings a liberty that cannot be attained any other way.  In fact it was when we “confessed our sins with our mouths, and believed in our hearts” that God brought to us the New Birth.  No pretense, no wearing a mask, just open and honest admission of our condition and our failure to measure up.  It was the throwing of ourselves on the Mercy of God that brought us freedom spiritually.  Therefore, I urge you to Be Honest with the Lord and remember He already knows and His purpose is not to Judge and condemn you but to bring you to Redemption!

May God walk with you as you go through your day and bring you great peace!  Blessings!

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THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD IS NEVER IN QUESTION…


Spiritual Blog - Faithful

Deuteronomy 7:9-11 – “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. 11 “Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.” NASU 

1 Corinthians 1:9 – “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” NASU 

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. “  NASU

2 Timothy 2:13 – “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” NKJV

I cannot count the number of times I’ve had somebody ask me, “Why did God let this happen?”  At other times, I’ve been asked, “Why didn’t God do this or that for me?”  I had a preacher tell me once that there was a time in his life that he became so disillusioned and angry with the Lord over what he perceived to be a series of unanswered prayers in which he saw his father, his son, and a close friend die within a short span.  He said that he was yelling at God one day and took his Bible and threw it across the room and at that moment the Holy Spirit whispered to his heart, “Go ahead, let it all out, I still love you!”  It was in that moment he realized that although he could not explain why he suffered the loss he knew that each of them was safe in the Arms of God in Heaven and in a far better world than he was and as he repented a new joy flooded his heart.

I am fully confident that God will Never leave me nor will He Forsake me and will keep that which I have committed to Him for eternity.  I am confident that Jesus’ promise to Come Again was not an idle promise.  I believe that He truly is before the Throne of God making Intercession for you and me as I write.  I am confident that in His Father’s House are many Mansions, Rooms, or Dwelling Places (whichever you prefer) and that we Cand and Will spend eternity with Him there.  I am confident that God is a Covenant Keeping God who Never goes back on His word and Never misses an appointment!

I have failed others and God in my life and each time it broke my heart.  I always tell people, don’t get your eyes on me because I am human and subject to letting you down.  It won’t be intentional but still, I’m a flawed vessel and subject to failure.  I may disappoint you so, please never look to me Always look to Him!  I can only see the outward appearance He sees the thoughts and intent of the heart.  I can only see the beginning from the end but He can see the end from the beginning!  I am finite He is infinite!  I am weak but He is strong!

As you go through the remaining days of 2018 I encourage you to take stock of your life over the past year and ask the Lord to reveal any areas in which you can or need to make a renewed commitment to Him in.  I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to do a work of transformation in your heart that will cause you to walk more in tune with His desires and purposes in all areas of your life.  I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions but I do take stock of my life and consider the obvious kinks in my armor and the flaws in my walk and ask the Lord to help me walk in the Light of His Love more and more every day!

May God bless you as you go through your day!  It is my desire and prayer that the Lord grant, you Perfect Peace as your mind is fixed on Him!  I love you with the Love of the Lord and He loved you enough to die for you!

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THE BATTLE BEFORE THE BATTLE – – Conclusion


Spiritual Blog - Faith

Luke 21:26 – “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”  NKJV  [Please refer to the entire chapter]

 Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday and talk about tools to overcome fear.  The glaring question, if fear is such a problem, is “How do we overcome it?”  Let me give you one word that says it all and then expand on that – – T R U T H.  You overcome fear with truth!  Sounds simple, right?  Well, yes and no but here we go.

First, I believe that we MUST know “Who God Is”.  Also, we MUST know “What Jesus Has Done”.  The 1st Adam had dominion but lost it and the Last Adam (Jesus) won it back and brought to us redemption.  Let’s look at some Bible passages that hopefully will help us understand better.

Paul begins in Galatians 3 by talking about Witchcraft and its deceptive powers over the hearts and minds of people, even believers.  In [vv.6-9] we find that we become sons and daughters through “faith”.  In [vv. 13-14] we find that the Abrahamic Covenant is ours as believers through faith and our position as sons and daughters.  In [vv. 19-21] we learn that it is not set aside by The Law – [Sinatic Covenant].  And, in [vv. 25-29] we find that we are Heirs by faith through the Work of Christ Jesus our Lord!  I don’t know about you, but that makes my heart sing for joy!

 We are told in Galatians 5:1 – “It was for freedom that Christ set us free….”  Additionally, Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18-23 has to be considered.  “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the Glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”  WOW!

I hope you will take time to read Ephesians 2:11-16 and see that we are One Body through the Cross.  Then, in [vv. 19-22] that we are being “fitted and framed together” as a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.  The Body of Christ, individually, are being melded together to make up the true Body of Christ!  Tragically, we resist that “fitting” and “framing” because it is sometimes painful and the rough edges have to be knocked off for us to “fit perfectly” in the place He wants us to be.  Self must take a back seat to the Kingdom!  Paul informs us in Ephesians 3:6 that, “…the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers in Christ through the gospel.”  God’s Covenant Promises are ours and that alone should help us to battle All Fear!

Colossians 1:9-14 – “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins…. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” NKJV

We find in Colossians 2:9-10 that we are made “complete” in Him.  My question is “How Complete Is Complete?”  Verses 13-15 give us some powerful points that we cannot afford not to identify:

  1. We are alive together with Christ.
  2. He has canceled out our debt.
  3. He took it completely out of the way.
  4. And, He has disarmed the devil making a public display of him triumphing over him.

 Now, with that in mind where does “fear” have any place in our hearts or minds?  Colossians 2:19 is the key to understanding.  It is through our holding fast to the Head (Jesus) that the Body is nourished and knit together and grows and increases!  Please think about who you are In Christ!

Acts 3:19-21 – “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,   21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” NKJV

Couple that with the truth given us in Hebrews 8:6 that, through Jesus, we have a Better Covenant established on Better Promises.  If you really read the Abrahamic Covenant you will see some incredibly spectacular promises and the writer of Hebrews tells us that the New Covenant is even better than the Old!

HEAR ME CAREFULLY:

  1. Satan no longer has any legal claim on us or this Earth.
  2. Jesus totally stripped him of his authority.
  3. We do not have to “take it back”; Jesus already has so we need to learn to “Live in it.”
  4. Restoration is not you and I taking something back from the devil. No!  It is receiving what Jesus has already taken.  In fact, the Tabernacle is a picture of the Christian walk.  It identifies the process that first there is “birth” then “growth”. 

NOW, I want you to wrap your thinking around this truth that you cannot live in something that you do not know is Available!  Therefore, our task and responsibility are to Live In God’s Covenant and thereby do the work of God.  In that state, we can Take Back what has been lost and live in the fullness of God’s Covenant because Jesus already has won it for us!  Hallelujah!  Faith is seeing what God says, what God is, what God has done and saying, “Thank you” then, walking in the provision without fear or doubt!

I have said for years that as believers, our purpose is to manifest Jesus not just represent Him.  Too many in the Church are doing the latter when they should be doing the former.  I can hire an attorney to represent me, but he can never manifest me because he is not “of me”.  My children, to a degree, can manifest me because they are “of me” but they can also “represent me”.  We are “of Him” because we are “in Him” and we need to allow Him to Live His Life Through Us!  When we truly grasp that picture Fear will find no place to lodge in our hearts or minds!

May the Lord bless you richly is my prayer and enable you to walk in the fullness of His Promises and to do so WITH NO FEAR! 

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THE BATTLE BEFORE THE BATTLE – – Part III


Spiritual Blog - Fear

Luke 21:26 – “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” NASU

Picking up where we left off yesterday, let’s take the next step in defeating the “Spirit of Fear” and take another step toward walking in “Fearlessness.”   I want you to consider the “Seeds of Fear” with me for just a moment.  One of the first places I like to go when I discuss this is in Judges 7 and the story of Gideon.  Consider the account in a nutshell.  In Gideon’s situation we find the following:

Those with Gideon – 32,000.  Those with the Enemy – 135,000  (4 to 1) God said sorry Gideon you have too many with you let the fearful go home and 22,000 hit the road making it 10,000 to 135,000 making it (13.5 to 1).  How Lovely, Thanks, Lord!   Then God said, sorry still too many and when He was through Gideon had an army of 300 men.  Let’s see, that makes it 300 to 135,000 or (450 to 1).  How would you like those odds?  You wouldn’t “unless” your focus and confidence is in God!

This is where “Covenant Understanding” comes into play.  Gideon had “no fear” because he had “right focus”.  Remember the words of Joshua 23:10 – “One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.” NKJV Then we read in Leviticus 26:8 – “five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.” NASU  Still further we find God’s promise in Deuteronomy 28:7 – “The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways.” NASU  And, in Deuteronomy 32:30 – “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?” NASU  You see with God all things are possible!  If the Lord is for us then what does it matter who is against us?

We see things in the natural world that generate “fear” in the hearts of men.  The common theme of many movies is “fear” and “paranoia”.  We see “mass shootings” and “acts of terror”.  There is military and political unrest throughout the world and it intensifies almost daily.  The political propaganda is FEAR – – “Social Security, Medicare, Economy, etc.”  Also, we are seeing “natural disasters” throughout the world and frequently in unusual and unexpected places and regions of the country and world.  Yet in the midst of all this, we have a promise from Jesus.

Luke 12:32 – “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” NKJV

And we dare not forget the message to the Church at Smyrna and to us today.

Revelation 2:10 – “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” NKJV

The enemy is hard at work planting seeds of fear so we must be aware of his schemes and turn our hearts, minds, and focus upon and unto the Lord.  Let’s determine in our hearts to allow Him to be Lord of All in our lives.

We will stop there today and pick up tomorrow with a look at “How to overcome fear.”  May God be with you and keep you in “perfect peace” because your mind is stayed on Him.  Blessings!

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