What Chuck Missler is talking about here, in this message, didn’t just start happening overnight.
God says in the Bible that, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…” Hosea 4:6
The loss of our liberties, as a people, began over 153 years ago, when the ACT of 1871 was illegally passed (over the Christmas holidays – press on link), when they put our organic Constitution and our Republic in mothballs, and illegally change our form of government from a Constitutional Republic into the de facto (all capital letters) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CORPORATION.”
At that time, we ceased to be a Constitutional Republic – of the People, by the People and for the People; and with this act of Congress the International banksters began to take away our liberties and made us, “We the People,” the collateral for the national debt.
Make no mistake, it’s going to take an act of God to save our nation, and that’s why our obedience and adherence to 2 Chronicles 7:14 is so important!
We are going to need a third Great Awakening in our nation, with grassroots repentance that turns our nation’s people back to God.
The last Great Awakening started back in 1730, when our Republic was first being formed.
Charles Spurgeon once said that,
“Prayer moves the arm that moves the world.
That God has of His own motion placed Himself under the law of prayer, and has obligated Himself to answer the prayers of men.
He has ordained prayer as a means whereby He will do things through men as they pray, which He would not otherwise do.”
We are facing a David and Goliath challenge in our nation today, and this National Great Awakening will begin the moment we each begin to allow this Holy Spirit Revival to begin in each one of our hearts, as we each, as individuals, humble ourselves and pray, turn from our wicked ways and seek God’s face!
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
Because of the Gospel message and Jesus’ propitious sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross, we now can have Peace and Hope for our future…
“God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
(C. S. Lewis)
Having proven that justification before God comes ONLY through faith, Paul now reveals the result of justification: peace with God.
What the first Adam lost in the Garden of Eden, the second Adam (Jesus) has restored.
Now any who seek peace with God may have it.
Read Romans 5:1-21
In Isaiah 53:5, we read,
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1).
The Bible tells us that when we confess our sins God takes our sins and puts it as far as the East is from the West (read Ps 103:1-12)
Jesus is the ONLY reason for our Hope!
Looking at the world from a human standpoint, it’s hard to have much hope about the future, but believers can rest in the hope we have in God, through Jesus Christ!
But the Apostle Paul goes on to tell us:
“If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor 15:19).
Putting it bluntly, unless the unbeliever repents and believes before death, or if they trust in Christ before His return, they have no chance to enter the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27).
Unless they trust in the King of the Kingdom, they cannot enter that Kingdom, but rather, they will enter the outer darkness, where the fire is not quenched, and the weeping and gnashing of teeth will be all they know…and for all time!
That will be a time of utter despair and separation from all those they loved and who believed.
It will be goodbye forever!
Right now, if you haven’t trusted in Christ, you have zero hope in this life or the life to come, “having no hope and without God in the world”
Acts 4:12 says,
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
His name is Jesus!
For the Christian, our hope in God the Son’s propitious sacrifice on Calvary cross is our ONLY salvation!
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) ____
Tuesday, July 2 The Spirit Filled Believers by Dick Mills
A CONSTANT HOPE
“Hope does not disappoint” — Romans 5:5)
You have always known that God was going to answer your prayers.
When you were unmarried, you knew that one day the Lord would bless you with a spouse and children.
When your family members were still unsaved, you knew that someday they would all come to know the Lord.
When your church was in need of revival, you knew that if you prayed with faith and patience, sooner or later that revival would break forth.
You even knew that you would eventually get that much needed and deserved promotion and raise at work.
You waited patiently to see these things (and other prayer requests) come to pass, because you had hope as an anchor for your soul (Heb. 6:19).
Hope is a good ingredient to have in our Christian character because it motivates us to keep going.
When my wife and I accidentally drove our car off a hill and landed at the bottom of a ravine, it was the walk back up the side of that hill that told me how strong hope really is.
I kept telling my wife while we were climbing, “Cars are only metal, glass, and rubber.
We can always get another car, or even do without one if we have to. But there is one thing we have that no one can take from us, and that is our hope and desire to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
Hope keeps spiritual desire alive. It motivates us every day to get up and give life another try.
It keeps us going when circumstances are screaming at us: “Give up! You’ll never make it, why try any longer?”
Source: The Spirit-Filled Believer’s Daily Devotional by Dick Mills ____
When confronted with mounting adversity, every believer must have resolute faith in God, a trust marked by an unshakable confidence…
Read Psalms 27:1-14
This was the experience of David as recorded in Psalm 27, a song of hope in the Lord.
This is the second of three consecutive psalms—Psalms 26, 27, and 28—in which David focused upon seeking the Lord in the house of God.
With triumphant confidence in God, he declared the blessing of being in the Lord’s house close to the manifestation of his presence and glory, even when surrounded by trouble.
When confronted with many enemies (vv. 2-3,12) in his day of trouble (v. 5), David sought God in the tabernacle (vv. 4-6) and found in the Lord great courage and strength.
Although God had not yet delivered him, he was confident that God’s help would surely come.
This “psalm of David” is a strong testimony of God’s promise to help and defend his people.
Also in Psalm 27, David sought to be close to God.
His number one desire was to live in the constant presence of God, seeking the Lord’s instruction, protection, and guidance.
God’s desire for all of us, who are his coveted children, is for us to have singleness of purpose—to know Him and abide with Him.
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) ____
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 Worthy Brief –
FACES REFLECT; REFLECT ON FACES, AND BEHOLD HIS BEAUTY!
Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.”
The Hebrew word for “face” is “panim”, (the Hebrew letters, peh-nun-yud-mem), literally “faces”, a plural word.
Normally, when we think about God, we focus only upon one of His “faces” at a time.
God is “love” – or He is “holy”– or He is “just”— or He’s a God of “wrath”. Yet, of course, ALL these “faces” are His at once; and so the word “panim” accurately reflects the truth of God’s multifaceted being.
As we get to know Him better we begin to appreciate the complexity of His nature and the fact that our focus on one “face” is a very limited view, since there’s so much more going on in His amazing “Personality”.
Now the same four Hebrew letters which form the word “face”, (peh-nun-yud-mem), also form the Hebrew word for “inside” or “interior”.
* This would seem to contradict the first meaning, “face”, since “face” is the external part of a person or thing, not the inside.
Yet here, as with many Hebrew words and concepts lies a deep truth, a paradox which expresses two sides of reality.
The “face” is intimately connected with the “interior”, and may accurately reveal the true “interior” of someone.
There’s even a science (or perhaps you might call it an art) of reading peoples’ true attitudes and character by looking carefully at their facial expressions.
So while we don’t “judge a book by its cover”, we may begin to know a person better by carefully looking at her face…because it is true that the face often says something real about the inside of a person. Yeshua (Jesus) said, “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” Inside and out, we’re connected.
And this is something God wants us to do with Him; to meditate, or gaze upon His “panim”, His “faces”, and so to receive from His interior depths.
Someday, we will see Him “face to face”, and begin to know Him in ways which are unimaginable. Yet it is possible, by His Spirit within us, to begin now.
God desires us to look deeper into who He is, even as we only look or meditate on one of His “faces”.
King David expressed his own unique desire in these words: “One thing I have asked from YHVH, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of YHVH all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the YHVH and to meditate in His temple.” God’s faces and His “interior” are one continuous eternal wonder. Let us spend time simply beholding Him!
* In Israel, the Ministry of the “Interior” is the first “face” you meet when interacting with the State on visa issues which determine your internal status in the Land.
In Hebrew it’s called the “Misrad HaPanim” (Office of the INTERIOR), literally, “Office of the Faces”!
Shabbat Shalom and have a great weekend!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (Baltimore, Maryland) ____
As Christians we have to learn the Rules of Engagement in spiritual warfare and how to write the checks, here on Earth, in order to access the authority and power granted to us in heaven, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
And we do this in the knowledge that our Faith in Christ always causes us to triumph in times of trouble.
Romans 5:1-21
How do we access this Authority and Power in Christ?
To start with, we do this in the knowledge that our Faith in Christ always causes us to triumph in times of trouble.
Our justification before God comes ONLY through faith, and in Romans 5, Paul now reveals the result of justification: peace with God.
What the first Adam lost in the Garden of Eden, the second Adam has restored.
Now any who seek peace with God may have it.
We are now at peace with God, which may differ from peaceful feelings such as calmness and tranquility.
Having peace with God means that we have been reconciled with Him.
No more hostility stands between us, no sin blocks our relationship with Him.
Peace with God is possible only because Jesus paid the price for our sins through his death on the cross.
Even in great tragedies, we can have God’s peace because of our confident hope in His promises (Philippians 4:7).
As Paul states clearly in 1 Corinthians 13:13, faith, hope, and love are at the heart of the Christian life.
Your relationship with God begins with faith, which helps you realize that you are delivered from your past by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Hope grows as you learn all that God has in mind for you; it gives you the promise of the future.
God’s love fills your life and gives you the ability to reach out and love others.
Paul states that, as believers, we now stand in a place of undeserved privilege.
Not only has God declared us not guilty, but He has also drawn us close to Himself.
Instead of being His enemies, we have become His friends—in fact, His own children (John 15:15; Galatians 4:5).
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) ____
Tuesday, June 18 cFaith Ministries
WE ACCESS POWER BY FAITH by Larry Ollison
We must access the power of the blood of Jesus by faith.
The Word of God tells us how we can access grace by faith.
Romans 5:1-2 says:
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace [shalom] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Rom. 5:1-2).
We have access to this power of God called grace by faith.
Grace is God’s willingness to let us use His ability to do what we can’t do on our own.
If you have something that plagues you, God will step in and do what needs to be done through you.
If you could do it on your own, you wouldn’t need God. But God is willing to allow you access to His power for everything you need to do.
The greatest scripture on grace is, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).
To paraphrase that scripture, it would be like saying, “I can do all things that God wants me to do through Christ who strengthens me to be able to do the things that I couldn’t do on my own.”
If I could do it on my own, I wouldn’t need grace.
Do you see the power in this statement?
We access this power called grace by faith.
That means you not only know the power of grace exists, but you access it by applying faith to it.
You must believe that God can do things through you that you formerly didn’t believe could be done.
You must believe grace is for you.
You start by believing God will do what He said He would do.
As you believe it, soon everything you say and do will be based on that belief.
That’s how you access grace.
Another power in the spirit realm we must understand and access is the covenant blood of Jesus.
As you learn about the blood and begin to act on all you know, then you must trust God enough to act on what you don’t completely understand.
For example, I know all I need to know about electricity.
I know that when I turn on the switch in a room, the light goes on or the light goes off, depending on which way I turn the switch.
However, I don’t have a clue about what makes the electricity run through the wires in the wall.
I know how it works, but I don’t understand why it works.
Just because I don’t understand it doesn’t mean I don’t use it.
When I walk into a room – it’s dark.
It would be foolish for me to get into an extended discussion or argument about the attributes of electricity.
I just need light in the room. So, even though I don’t fully understand everything there is to know about electricity, I flip the switch anyway, by faith, and then I walk in the light.
If it’s in the Word, believe it by faith.
Once you can do that, you will find that the blood will start doing things in your life just like it did in the lives of the people in the Bible.
When you start seeing what the blood did for the people in the Bible, it will bless your socks off.
And the first time you see it work for you, it will change your thinking. ____
We find many times in the Bible that God always seems to come at the 11th hour and 59th minute, but He is never late…
Consequently the enemy will pour on the pressure just before you get your breakthrough to try to get you to quit, but don’t quit – don’t ever quit!
Isaiah Chapter 55 Contemporary English Audio Drama (CEV)
In the above scripture, God invites His abandoned wife to return and be fertile.
This is a message to the Lost tribes of Israel – a message of restoration and Redemption; but it’s also a message for the church today.
The time of anger is over; compassion is the word of the day.
Judgment is past history. God will rebuild their city and establish peace and righteousness.
This will bring foreign nations scurrying to Israel as God calls people to seek Him while He may still be found.
Those who turn to God, forsaking their evil ways, will find free pardon and mercy.
Israel will escape captivity for God’s glory and honor.
The Spirit of God sends out the evangelistic invitation to Israel to return, and at the same time invites everyone everywhere to the gospel feast.
All that is necessary is a consciousness of need (thirst).
The blessings are the waters of the Holy Spirit, the wine of joy, and the milk of the good Word of God.
They are the free gift of grace, without money and price.
In its alienation from God, Israel has been wasting its energy and resources.
True satisfaction and lasting pleasure are found only in the Lord.
If Israel returns to the Lord, they will receive all the sure mercies promised to David in the everlasting covenant (see Psalm 89:3, 4, 28, 29).
These blessings are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus and in His glorious reign.
The Gentile nations, too, will share in the benefits of the kingdom, and there will be amicable relations between Israel and the nations.
The pathway of blessing lies in seeking the LORD and in forsaking sin.
Those who thus return to the Lord will find Him full of mercy and pardon.
“We ask for grace, only to find forgiveness already offered.
(How did you know I would sin?)
We ask for food, only to find provision already made.
(How did you know I would be hungry?)
We ask for guidance, only to find answers in God’s ancient story.
(How did you know what I would ask?)
God dwells in a different realm.
“The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
He occupies another dimension.
‘My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:8, 9 NCV).
Make special note of the word ‘like.’
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are they even like ours.
We aren’t even in the same neighborhood.
We’re thinking, Preserve the body; He’s thinking, Save the soul.
We dream of a pay raise.
He dreams of raising the dead.
We avoid pain and Seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace.
‘I’m going to live before I die,” we resolve.
‘Die, so you can live,’ He instructs.
We love what rusts. He loves what endures.
We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions.
We show our children the Nike star with the million-dollar smile and say, ‘Be like Mike.’
God points to the crucified carpenter with bloody lips and a torn side and says,
‘Be like Christ.’
Our thoughts are not like God’s thoughts. Our ways are not like His ways.
He has a different agenda. He dwells in a different dimension. He lives on another plane. And that plane is named in the first phrase of the Lord’s prayer,
‘Our Father in heaven.’
(From The Great House of God by Max Lucado)
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
—–
Sunday, June 16 Faith to Faith Devotional by Kenneth Copeland
HANG ON
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” — Isaiah 55:11
Did you know that the battleground for the problem you’re facing right now is in your mind and on your lips?
If you’ll hit the devil with the Word and cast the care of the situation over on God, you’ll win.
Let me warn you though, hanging on to the Word isn’t always easy.
The devil knows that if he doesn’t steal it from you, you’ll use it to enforce his defeat.
So don’t be surprised when he sends an evil spirit to exalt itself against the Word of God.
If you’re sick, he may begin to tell you, “You’re not healed.
You know that healing’s not for today.
Even if it were, it wouldn’t work for you.
It might work for someone else but not you.”
If he starts to tell you that kind of thing, don’t buy it!
Don’t start worrying around about it and thinking,
Oh my, I’m afraid I’m not going to get healed. I sure don’t feel healed.
Why, I’m probably going to just get worse and worse….
Remember this: It’s the Word that does the work, not the one holding on to it.
It’ll work for anyone who’ll put it to work. It’ll work for you just like it worked for Jesus when He walked the earth.
He told Satan, “It is written!”
No matter what the devil tries to tell you, refuse to let go of the Word.
Tell him what is written concerning your situation.
Let the Word fight its own fight. It’ll whip the devil every time. ____
God uses Abraham as an example of what true Faith looks like…
Romans 4:1-25 ESV – Dramatized
Faith: What the Gospel Requires…
Romans 4 serves as an illustration for the truth presented in Romans 3, culminating in verse 28:
“A man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”
To prove his point, Paul calls on the most revered figure in Judaism, Abraham, and demonstrates that Abraham was justified (declared righteous) by God on the basis of faith, not works.
The Example of Abraham’s Faith
Paul now proves that justification comes by faith—not works—by appealing to the famous OT example of Abraham.
If ever a man was righteous, it was Abraham. But how did he become righteous?
Was it by doing good works (like receiving the sacrament of circumcision, for example), or was it by unwavering faith in the promises of God?
The Bible says the patriarch believed God, and righteousness was credited or imputed to him on this basis (vv. 3 5 9 22).
Abraham was declared righteous simply by faith, even before he was circumcised (vv. 10–12).
The same is true for us today: whether we are circumcised or uncircumcised, if we believe in the crucified and risen Christ, God has promised that He will credit to us His righteousness by faith (vv. 23–25).
Abraham is a representative figure—the representative father of faith for all subsequent believers.
The Jews were proud to be descendants of Abraham.
Paul uses Abraham as a good example of someone who was saved by faith.
By emphasizing faith, Paul is not saying that God’s law is unimportant (4:13) but that it is impossible to be saved simply by obeying it.
When some people learn that they are saved by God through faith, they start to worry.
“Do I have enough faith?” they wonder.
“Is my faith strong enough to save me?”
These people miss the point.
It is Jesus Christ who saves us, not our feelings or actions, and He is strong enough to save us no matter how weak our faith is.
Jesus offers us salvation as a gift because He loves us, not because we have earned it through our powerful faith.
What, then, is the role of faith?
Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ and reaching out to accept his wonderful gift of salvation.
What can we do to get rid of guilt?
King David was guilty of terrible sins—adultery, murder, lying—and yet he experienced the joy of forgiveness.
We, too, can have this joy when we…
(1) quit denying our guilt and recognize that we have sinned,
(2) admit our guilt to God and ask for his forgiveness, and
(3) let go of our guilt and believe that God has forgiven us.
This can be difficult when a sin has taken root in our life over many years, when it is very serious, or when it involves others.
We must remember that Jesus is willing and able to forgive every sin.
In view of the tremendous price He paid on the cross, it is arrogant to think that there is any sin too great for Him to forgive.
Even though our faith is weak, our conscience is sensitive, and our memory haunts us, God’s Word declares that sins confessed are sins forgiven (1 John 1:9).
Circumcision was a sign to others and a personal seal or certification for the Jews that they were God’s special people.
Circumcision of all Jewish boys set apart the Jewish people from the nations that worshiped other gods; thus, it was a very important ceremony.
God gave the blessing and the command for this ceremony to Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14).
Paul’s point here is that the ritual of circumcision did not earn Abraham his acceptance by God; he had been blessed long before the circumcision ceremony was introduced.
Abraham found favor with God BY FAITH ALONE, before he was circumcised.
Genesis 12:1-3 tells of God’s call to Abraham when he was 75 years old; the circumcision ceremony was introduced when he was 99 (Genesis 17:1-14).
Ceremonies and rituals serve as reminders of our faith as well as instruct new or young believers, but we should not think that they give us any special merit before God.
They are outward signs and seals that demonstrate inner belief and trust.
The focus of our faith should be on Christ and His saving work, not on our own actions.
Paul explains that Abraham had pleased God through faith alone before he had ever heard about the rituals that would become so important to the Jewish people.
We, too, are saved by faith plus nothing.
It is not by loving God and doing good that we are saved; neither is it by faith plus love or by faith plus good deeds.
We are saved ONLY through faith in Christ, trusting Him to forgive ALL our sins.
The promise (or covenant) God gave Abraham stated that Abraham would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:2-4) and that the entire world would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3).
This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus was from Abraham’s line, and truly the whole world was blessed through Him.
Abraham never doubted that God would fulfill His promise.
Abraham’s life was marked by mistakes, sins, and failures as well as by wisdom and goodness, but he consistently trusted God.
His faith was strengthened by the obstacles he faced, and his life was an example of faith in action.
If he had looked only at his own resources for subduing Canaan and founding a nation, he would have given up in despair.
But Abraham looked to God, obeyed Him, and waited for God to fulfill His Word.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, an exchange takes place.
We give Him our sins, and He forgives us and makes us right with God (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).
There is NOTHING we can do to earn this.
Only through Christ can we be made right in God’s eyes.
What an incredible bargain this is for us!
But sadly, many still choose to pass up this gift to continue “enjoying” their sin.
Listen to what Max Lucado has to say on this subject…
For instance, consider Jesus’ response to Nicodemus in John 3.
Jesus makes no mention of Nicodemus’s VIP status, good intentions, or academic credentials, not because they don’t exist, but because, in Jesus’ algorithm, they don’t matter.
He simply issues this proclamation:
“No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (Jn 3:3).
Behold the Continental Divide of Scripture, the International Date Line of faith.
Nicodemus stands on one side, Jesus on the other, and Christ pulls no punches about their differences.
Nicodemus inhabits a land of good efforts, sincere gestures, and hard work.
Give God your best, his philosophy says, and God does the rest.
Jesus’ response?
Your best won’t do. Your works don’t work. Your finest efforts don’t mean squat.
Unless you are born again, you can’t even see what God is up to.
Nicodemus hesitates on behalf of us all. Born again?
“How can someone be born when they are old?” (Jn 3:4).
You must be kidding.
Put life in reverse? Rewind the tape? Start all over?
We can’t be born again.
Oh, but wouldn’t we like to?
A do-over. A try-again. A reload.
Broken hearts and missed opportunities bob in our wake.
A mulligan would be nice. Who wouldn’t cherish a second shot?
But who can pull it off?
Nicodemus scratches his chin and chuckles.
“Yeah, a graybeard like me gets a maternity-ward recall.”
Jesus doesn’t crack a smile.
“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (Jn 3:5).
About this time a gust of wind blows a few leaves through the still-open door.
Jesus picks one off the floor and holds it up.
God’s power works like that wind, Jesus explains.
Newborn hearts are born of heaven.
You can’t wish, earn, or create one.
New birth? Inconceivable. God handles the task, start to finish.
Nicodemus looks around the room at the followers.
Their blank expressions betray equal bewilderment.
Old Nick has no hook upon which to hang such thoughts.
He speaks self-fix. But Jesus speaks—indeed introduces—a different language.
Not works born of men and women, but a work done by God.
Picture yourself at a department store. On the shelf you see something you’ve wanted for years, but the price is still too high.
How would you feel if a caring friend or relative bought the item, wrapped it, and gave it to you?
We should each thank God for giving us a gift we could never afford.
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) ____
Friday, June 6 Faith Freedom in the Word
LIMITING GOD IN THE FAITH WALK by Kenneth E. Hagin
As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Rom. 4:17)
Let me give you some examples of God calling those things that be not as though they were.
Revelation 13:8 says,
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
The Bible speaks of Jesus as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
And yet, Jesus did not hang on the Cross until thousands of years later.
Ephesians 1:4 says,
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”
We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
We weren’t even born yet.
Well, was God lying when He said that?
No, He wasn’t.
Sin is disobeying God. And holiness is simply obeying and pleasing God in all things at all times.
One way to obey and to please God is to walk by faith.
Hebrews 11:6 says,
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
God is pleased when you call those things that be not as though they were.
This attitude honors God, because you are believing His Word without any outward evidence.
It also puts you in an attitude of faith to receive great things from God.
PRAYER CONFESSION: God is pleased when I walk by faith. God is pleased when I call those things that be not as though they were, because I am believing His Word without any outward evidence.
(Source: Health Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.) ____
Jesus demonstrates His authority after His Mt of Transfiguration experience…
When Jesus ascended into heaven He said “All power has been given to Me in Heaven and Earth, so that you guys can go out in My name and do the job I’ve called you to do!” (See Mat 28:18-20)
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic…
Mark 9:1-50
In Matthew 8-9, the King (Jesus) demonstrates His authority —
“The capacity to give ones attention to a sufferer is a very rare and difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle.
Nearly all those who think they have this capacity do not possess it.
Warmth of heart, impulsiveness, pity are not enough.” — Simone Weil
In these two chapters (8-9) we see Jesus demonstrate His authority.
Matthew balances this major theme with the theme of compassion.
The three miracles in chapter 8 show Jesus’ willingness to become unclean in order to make others clean.
His works of healing and forgiveness were signs that God’s kingdom was dawning.
The Transfiguration Transfiguration, Faith, and Servanthood: Lessons from Mark 9 Mark 9 portrays a paradox of faith – the divine glory of Jesus in the Transfiguration and the humble servanthood in His teachings. This chapter calls us to have faith in the divine power of Jesus and to demonstrate this faith through a humble and servant-hearted lifestyle.
Verses 1-13: The Transfiguration
Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John on a high mountain, appearing with Elijah and Moses in radiant glory. A voice from heaven identifies Jesus as God’s beloved Son.
Verses 14-29: The Boy with an Unclean Spirit
Jesus heals a boy with an unclean spirit, whose father expressed both faith and unbelief. The disciples’ inability to perform this healing highlights their lack of faith.
Verses 30-32: Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
In Capernaum, Jesus again predicts His death and resurrection, but the disciples do not understand and are afraid to ask Him about it.
Verses 33-37: Who is the Greatest?
Jesus teaches about the nature of true greatness by welcoming a child in His arms. He explains that to be first, one must be the very last and the servant of all.
Verses 38-50: Temptations to Sin
Jesus warns about causing others to sin and emphasizes the serious consequences of sin. He encourages the disciples to be at peace with each other.
In Mark 9, we encounter Jesus in His divine glory during the Transfiguration, experience the struggle between faith and unbelief in the story of a possessed boy, and learn about the nature of true greatness in Jesus’ teaching about servanthood.
This chapter balances the revelation of Jesus’ divine identity with His teaching on humility, presenting a profound understanding of Christ’s mission. ____
FOR YOUR JOURNEY by Max Lucado
9:1–38 Although he was neither rude nor arrogant, Jesus aggravated the teachers of the law when he exercised his privileges as Son of God.
When he forgave sins, mingled with sinners, raised the dead, and healed the sick, the teachers thought his actions were either inappropriate or unexplainable.
The kingdom of God had come. Jesus used his power over sickness and death to show his compassion for needy humanity.
As a true friend, he meets the needs we bring him.
He asks us to join his mission and reach out to those around us.
Tell me, why are these stories in the Bible?
Why are the Gospels full of such people? Such hopeless people?
Though their situations vary, their conditions don’t.
They are trapped. Estranged. Rejected. They have nowhere to turn.
On their lips, a desperate prayer. In their hearts, desolate dreams.
And in their hands, a broken rope.
But before their eyes a never-say-die Galilean who majors in stepping in when everyone else steps out.
Surprisingly simple, the actions of this Man.
Just words of mercy or touches of kindness.
Fingers on sightless eyes. A hand on a weary shoulder. Words for sad hearts all fulfilling the prophecy:
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isa 42:3).
Again I ask. Why are these portraits in the Bible?
Why did God leave us one tale after another of wounded lives being restored?
So we could be grateful for the past?
So we could look back with amazement at what Jesus did?
No. No. No. A thousand times no.
The purpose of these stories is not to tell us what Jesus did.
Their purpose is to tell us what Jesus does.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,” Paul penned, “so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Ro 15:4).
These are not just Sunday school stories.
Not romantic fables. Not somewhere-over-the-rainbow illusions.
They are historic moments in which a real God met real pain so we could answer the question,
“Where is God when I hurt?”
How does God react to dashed hopes?
Read the story of Jairus.
How does the Father feel about those who are ill?
Stand with him at the pool of Bethesda.
Do you long for God to speak to your lonely heart?
Then listen as he speaks to the Emmaus-bound disciples.
What is God’s word for the shameful?
Watch as his finger draws in the dirt of the Jerusalem courtyard.
He’s not doing it just for them. He’s doing it for me.
He’s doing it for you.
I know there used to be a stone in front of a tomb. And I do know it was moved.
And I also know that there are stones in your path. Stones that trip and stones that trap. Stones too big for you.
Please remember, the goal of these stories is not to help us look back with amazement, but forward with faith.
The God who spoke still speaks. The God who forgave still forgives. The God who came still comes.
He comes into our world. He comes into your world. He comes to do what you can’t.
He comes to move the stones you can’t budge.
Stones are no match for God. Not then and not now. He still moves stones.
Application Do you see Jesus as a close friend or far away?
Jesus desires to relate to us as a friend.
Talk with him. Tell him all of your needs.
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) _____
Tuesday, June 4 Heartlight Devotions
by Phil Ware
“What Jesus Did!” — Mark 9:7
[During the Transfiguration,] a cloud overshadowed [Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and the three apostles], and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” — Mark 9:7 NLT
Key Thought God makes himself very clear to the amazed followers of Jesus.
As important as Elijah and Moses had been to the Jewish people, among them stood one who is far superior — Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and their Lord.
They should listen to Jesus. Jesus is the supreme teacher, prophet, and hope for the world.
Jesus is God’s Messiah for His people and His ultimate message to humankind.
They and we must listen to Him!
Today’s Prayer Father, thank you for speaking to us fully and definitively through your Son — both while He was on earth and as He continues to provide guidance and strength for us now.
In these verses, Paul looked back upon his own heritage of faith, then reminded Timothy of the rich legacy he possessed as well.
Remembering this can impart courage and strengthen commitment to one’s duty and calling.
In his characteristic style, Paul next breaks into thanksgiving.
As we read this, we should remember that he was writing from a Roman dungeon.
He had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel and was now treated as a common criminal.
The Christian faith was being actively suppressed by the Roman government, and many believers had already been put to death.
In spite of all these adverse circumstances, Paul can begin his Letter to Timothy with the words, “I thank God!”
We don’t know when Paul and Timothy last parted, but it was probably when Paul was arrested and taken to Rome for his second imprisonment.
The tears they shed at parting revealed the depth of their relationship.
Timothy’s mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, were early Christian converts, possibly through Paul’s ministry in their home city, Lystra (Acts 16:1).
They had communicated their strong Christian faith to Timothy, even though his father was probably not a believer.
Don’t hide your light at home; our families are fertile fields for planting seeds of the gospel.
Let your parents, children, spouse, brothers, and sisters know of your faith in Jesus, and be sure they see Christ’s love, helpfulness, and joy in you.
At the time of his ordination, Timothy had received special gifts of the Spirit to enable him to serve the church (see 1 Timothy 4:14).
In telling Timothy to “stir up” those gifts, Paul was encouraging him to persevere.
Timothy did not need new revelations or new gifts; he needed the courage and self-discipline to hang on to the truth and to use the gifts he had already received (see 1:13, 14).
If Timothy would step out boldly in faith and proclaim the gospel once again, the Holy Spirit would go with him and give him power.
When you use the gifts God has given you, you will find that God will give you the power you need to accomplish whatever task He gives you.
Timothy was experiencing great opposition to his message and to himself as a leader.
His youth, his association with Paul, and his leadership had come under fire from believers and nonbelievers alike.
Paul urged him to be bold.
When we allow people to intimidate us, we neutralize our effectiveness for God.
The power of the Holy Spirit can help us overcome our fear so that we can continue to do God’s work.
In telling Timothy to “fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you,” Paul was encouraging him to persevere in exercising his special gifts and growing in his understanding of how to use them to serve others.
Timothy did not need new revelations or new gifts; he needed the courage and self-discipline to hang on to the truth and to use the gifts he had already received (see 2 Timothy 1:13-14).
If Timothy would step out boldly in faith and continue proclaiming the Good News, the Holy Spirit would go with him and give him power.
When you use the gifts God has given you, you will find that He will also give you the POWER you need to accomplish the tasks he has given you (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-31).
Clearly Timothy’s spiritual gift had been given to him when Paul and the elders had laid their hands on him and set him apart for ministry (see 1 Timothy 4:14).
God gives all Christians gifts to use to build up the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-31), and he gives special gifts to some through church leaders, who serve as His instruments.
Paul mentions three characteristics that effective Christian leaders need: power, love, and self-discipline.
Power does not refer to having a dynamic personality but to the boldness that comes from confidence in the gospel (Romans 1:16).
Love pairs care and concern with tenderhearted treatment of those we serve.
A good leader must have a cool head and keep a tight rein on his or her selfish desires.
These are available to us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.
Follow His leading each day so that your life will more fully exhibit these characteristics. (See Galatians 5:22-23 for a list of the by-products of the Holy Spirit living in us.)
In this time of mounting persecution, Timothy may have been afraid to continue preaching the Good News.
His fears were based on fact because believers were being arrested and executed.
Paul told Timothy to expect suffering—Timothy, like Paul, would indeed be jailed for preaching the Good News (Hebrews 13:23).
But Paul promised Timothy that God would give him strength and that he would be ready when it was his turn to suffer.
Even when we don’t face persecution, sharing our faith in Christ can be difficult.
Fortunately, we, like Paul and Timothy, can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us courage to testify without shame about our personal faith in Jesus Christ.
If we allow fear in our lives then we are given a foothold to the enemy in our lives!
Fear is a spirit that does not come from God, and we need to avoid it like the plague!
The spirit of fear may find a place by reason of one’s natural temperament, but it is not merely a human disposition; it is not from God; and it can immobilize and torment its victims, making them feel powerless and alone (1 John 4:18).
Indecision or wrong decisions are then made that could give place to bondage and great human suffering.
In the face of fear, we are to remember our calling from God (2 Tim. 1:6).
We have within us:
(1) the power of God, through the Holy Spirit, enabling us to no longer be victims (v. 7);
(2) the perfect love of God, poured into our lives through Jesus Christ and His abiding presence (Rom. 5:5); and
(3) the mind of Christ by which we can apply the ways of God in making “sound” choices (2 Tim. 1:7).
Applying this truth determines whether we overcome fear or are overcome by it (see 1 John 5:4).
Fear comes to either paralyze us or cause us to run in the opposite direction; but the Spirit of God comes to teach us how to face our fears in the power that God gives to us, that allows us to navigate through ALL the storms of life.
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) —–
In With the Faith, Out With the Fear… by Larry Ollison
Luke 12:32 says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Most of the time when I’ve heard teaching on this scripture, the emphasis is on how God takes pleasure in giving us the kingdom.
I agree that this is a great teaching. In fact, I often tell God, “Make Yourself happy!”
Let’s take a look at the command in the first part of this verse,
“Do not fear!”
Fear is not from God. Fear is from the devil.
As Christians we are commanded, “Do not fear.”
Once, after teaching a lesson on fear, a gentleman approached me and told me that it was impossible for him to live without fear.
When I asked him why, his response was,
“There is so much around me every day that looks like impending disaster, that I am in a constant state of worry.
You would be too, if you had to look at the circumstances I see daily.”
One of this man’s major problems in getting rid of fear is that he was not operating in faith.
Let me explain. Faith will eliminate fear.
Fear is based on what we see and what we hear.
Faith is based on what God says and what we believe.
If we truly believe God’s Word, then it would be impossible for fear to enter our minds or our hearts.
Psalm 34:19 says,
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”
Yes, we know that afflictions do come against the righteous of God.
However, our faith is not to be in the affliction, but in the deliverance.
Actually, our faith is in the Deliverer Himself.
If you know that God said He would deliver the righteous, and if you know that you are the righteous, and if you know that God doesn’t lie, then why in the world would you fear?
The only room that fear has to work in is the empty space where faith should be.
In with the faith and out with the fear!
Source: Life is in The Blood by Larry Ollison ____
Isaiah 52-53 brings to a climax the teaching about God’s servant.
God calls Jerusalem to wake up and be ready for His redemption.
No longer will peoples and nations blaspheme His name.
Instead, they will know that He is the only one who foretells historical events.
The messengers of good news, peace, and salvation are praised as they come to proclaim God’s victory over the nations.
He calls Israel to leave exile and return home under God’s protection.
Then God introduces anew His Servant who was so scarred and ugly that His appearance was appalling.
God promises to exalt Him.
The insignificant, rejected Servant knew human sorrow and suffering. But His suffering had purpose, because He bore punishment for our sins to bring us peace.
Every one of us strayed off like sheep, but God put our punishment on Him.
He endured it all without complaint.
He endured the death penalty even though He was innocent.
All of this fulfilled God’s purpose, making the Servant an offering to cover our guilt.
Death and burial do not complete the story. He will live anew and receive a magnificent portion from God.
Why?
Because he bore the sins of many and made intercession for transgressors.
When we consider all that Christ has done for us, what should be our reasonable response?
Paul answers that question in…
Romans 12:1-2 J.B. Phillips New Testament
We have seen God’s mercy and wisdom: how shall we respond?
1-2 With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him.
Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.
And so, let us put on the mind of Christ every day…
Philippians 2:1-11 New King James Version
Unity Through Humility 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
The Humbled and Exalted Christ
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 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.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) ____
Monday, May 27 Worthy Brief
LEARN SACRIFICIAL LOVE!
“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
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.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” — Isaiah 53:2-6
This pivotal passage of scripture, Isaiah 52 and continuing into Isaiah 53, profiles a suffering servant whom the nation of Israel would not recognize. The spiritual leaders of Yeshua’s (Jesus) day were blinded to the messianic passages which pointed to the messiah’s role as a humble servant and bearer of sins.
Expecting a conquering king who would vanquish the Romans and set up a restored Davidic kingdom, they completely missed and ultimately rejected the lowly servant that God sent, an unpretentious carpenter’s Son from a not-so-respectable town who was virtually unknown until He was about thirty.
Yeshua of Nazareth did perfectly fulfill God’s messianic qualifications even though He arrived in Jerusalem riding on a donkey and not a majestic horse. [Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:7]
One wonders what might have happened if he had been recognized and received, since He did come proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand.
Since it was absolutely necessary that the Son of God would die for sins to restore the spiritual plight of the entire world which was separated from God, before He could restore the Kingdom to Israel, Yeshua came preaching repentance and righteousness.
He drew large crowds, demonstrating His uniqueness among all of Israel’s prophets by performing many amazing miracles and signs by the power of the Spirit, and delivering unprecedented, authoritative teaching which surpassed everything that had ever been heard before.
Yet while His ministry was growing, so was His opposition, and His awareness that He was destined for suffering and death.
This suffering also surpassed anything we can begin to imagine as the iniquity of the entire world was laid upon Him and He bore it willingly.
Yeshua exemplified and revealed the profound connection between serving and suffering by becoming a suffering servant to all mankind.
Later testifying that there was no greater love than that a man lay down his life for his friend,
He made it clear that love, the deepest love, involves sacrifice.
We say that we want to be like Him.
If so, we will be learning and practicing a lifestyle of sacrifice, not caring who sees or knows what we are going through for His sake, because we really just want to make Him happy, because we love Him and are infinitely grateful and full of admiration for Him.
It’s true for most of us that we naturally seek the spotlight, and are hungry for attention.
But if we’re truly honest we must admit that the praise of men is a hopelessly futile addiction that we need deliverance from.
God’s praise is the best praise, and His pleasure in us, the only really lasting kind.
Yeshua pleased His Father by suffering for us. We can afford a little discomfort to make Him happy. Don’t you think?
Shabbat Shalom and have a blessed weekend!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (Baltimore, Maryland) ____
“When it is a question of our justification, we have to put away all thinking about the Law and our works, to embrace the mercy of God alone, and to turn our eyes away from ourselves and upon Jesus Christ alone.” — John Calvin
In Romans 6, Paul proved that grace is not a license to sin.
In chapter 7, he proves that law is not a synonym for sin.
To the contrary, law is a good thing as it reveals the sinfulness of the capacity that resides in every person.
Deliverance from the sinful condition that the law reveals is found in Jesus Christ.
Paul taught the Romans that the law could never guarantee eternal life.
He proved again that ONLY our faith in Jesus’ in His propitious sacrifice and shed blood on Calvary’s Cross could save us!
The Bible teaches us how sinful we are, but that only Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit can provides us the power for us to overcome sin.
In chapter 7, Paul shows that the law is powerless to save a sinner (7:7-14), someone who diligently keeps the law (7:15-22), or even the person with a new nature who has begun to follow Christ (7:23-25).
The sinner stands condemned by the law; the lawkeeper ultimately can’t live up to it; and the person with the new nature finds his or her obedience to the law sabotaged by the effects of the old nature.
Once again, Paul declares that salvation cannot be found by obeying the law.
No matter who we are, only Jesus Christ can set us free.
Paul uses marriage to illustrate our relationship to the law.
When a spouse dies, the law of marriage no longer applies.
Because we have died with Christ, the law can no longer condemn us.
Since we are united with Christ, his Spirit enables us to produce good fruit for God.
We now serve God, not by obeying a set of rules, but out of renewed hearts and minds that overflow with love for him.
When a person dies to the old life and now belongs to Christ, a new life begins.
Those who don’t follow Christ have only their own self-determination as their source of power.
By contrast, God becomes the center of a Christian’s life.
God supplies the power for the Christian’s daily living.
Believers find that their whole way of looking at the world changes when they come to know and depend on Jesus.
Some people try to earn their way to God by keeping a set of rules (obeying the Ten Commandments, attending church faithfully, or doing good deeds), but all they earn for their efforts is frustration and discouragement because they can never do any of those things perfectly.
However, Christ’s sacrifice has opened the way to God, and we can become his children simply by putting our faith in him.
No longer trying to reach God by keeping rules through our own efforts, we can become more and more like Jesus as we live for him day by day.
Let the Holy Spirit turn your eyes away from your own performance and toward Jesus.
He will free you to serve him out of love and gratitude.
This is “living in the Spirit.”
Keeping the rules, laws, and customs of Christianity doesn’t save us.
Even if we could keep our actions pure, we would still be doomed because our hearts and minds are perverse and rebellious.
Like Paul, we can find no relief in the synagogue or church until we look to Jesus Christ himself for our salvation—which he gives us freely.
When we do come to Jesus, we are flooded with relief and gratitude.
Will we keep the rules any better?
Most likely, but we will be motivated by love and gratitude, not by the desire to get God’s approval.
We will not be merely submitting to an external code, but we will willingly and lovingly seek to do God’s will from within.
God’s law makes people realize that they are sinners doomed to die, yet it offers no long-term remedy.
Sin is real, and it is dangerous.
Imagine a sunny day at the beach. You plunge into the surf; then you notice a sign on the pier:
No swimming. Sharks in water.
Your day is ruined.
Is it the sign’s fault?
Are you angry with the people who put it up?
The law is like the sign. It is essential, and we are grateful for it—but it doesn’t get rid of the sharks.
Sin deceives people by misusing the law.
The law is holy, expressing God’s nature and will for people and showing them how to love God and treat each other.
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent deceived Adam and Eve by taking their focus off the freedom God had given them and putting it on the one restriction God had made (Genesis 3).
Ever since then, we have all been rebels.
Sin looks good to us precisely because God has said it is wrong.
When we are tempted to rebel, we need to look at the law from a wider perspective—in the light of God’s grace and mercy.
If we focus on his great love for us, we will understand that he only restricts us from actions and attitudes that ultimately will harm us.
Paul shares three lessons that he learned in struggling with his sinful desires:
(1) Knowledge of the rules does not make it easier to obey them (7:9).
(2) Self-determination and self-improvement cannot change our hearts (7:15).
(3) Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (7:22-25).
Being born again happens in a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a LIFELONG process.
Paul compares Christian growth to a strenuous race or fight (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:7).
Thus, as Paul has been emphasizing since the beginning of this letter, no one in the world is innocent; no one deserves to be saved—not the pagan who doesn’t know God’s laws, nor the person who knows them and tries to keep them.
All of us must depend totally on what Jesus Christ has done for our salvation.
We cannot earn it by our good behavior.
This is more than the cry of one desperate man—it describes the experience of anyone struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help.
We must never underestimate the power of sin.
We must never attempt to fight it in our own strength.
Instead of trying to overcome sin with human willpower, we must take hold of the tremendous power of Christ that is available to us.
Satan manipulates and deceives.
As a crafty tempter, he arrogantly tried to tempt Jesus.
He succeeded with Adam and Eve, and he tries with us.
We have an amazing ability to make excuses, so be alert to temptation.
This is God’s provision for victory over sin:
He sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us power.
And when we fall, he lovingly reaches out to help us up.
We may say,
“The devil made me do it.”
Which sounds like a lame excuse, but there is some truth in it.
Without Jesus’ help, sin is stronger than we are, and sometimes we are unable to defend ourselves against its attacks.
That is why we should never try to stand up against sin on our own.
Jesus Christ, who has conquered sin once and for all, promises to fight by our side. If we look to him for help, we do not have to give in to sin.
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things) ____
Sunday, May 26 The Winning Walk by Dr Ed Young
IT’S EASY AND…
“For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.” — Romans 7:19
I don’t know about you, but when I became a Christian I said, “This is the easiest thing in the world.
What a deal!” I walked down the aisle of our country church, said “I believe in Jesus,” was baptized, and hence, my Christian life began.
I somehow had the idea that I could live just as I had been living, and when (not if!) I did something wrong, I could ask God to forgive me, and all would be well.
If I died prematurely, as a member of God’s family, I would most certainly go right to heaven.
I had this Christianity thing licked!
But then a Bible study teacher named Mr. Alexander exploded my ease.
He taught the Bible to us straight and clear.
He ran a shoe store, but he was an anointed teacher who made me realize that receiving Christ was easy, but living the Christian life was not.
In fact, many times it was downright hard.
Finally, as I began to study the word on my own, I came to the conclusion that the Christian life was not hard…it was impossible!
I could completely identify with Paul when he said he did what he did not wish to do, and did not do what he wished to do!
If Paul struggled, what hope was there for me?
Then I discovered I could not live the Christian life under my own power any more than I could get right with God on my own merit.
I began to understand the work of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
As He fills my life, He enables me to live and walk in victory.
So I came full circle.
The Christian life is easy. The Christian life is hard. The Christian life is impossible.
The empowered Christian life is exciting…and that power comes from the Holy Spirit Himself. ____
SB SALT AND LIGHT MINISTRIES 