Resist The Devil!!!

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

I have often heard, “What can I do to fight the devil?”, or, “ That devil just won't leave me alone!”, and, “How can I get rid of this evil spirit that follows me around”?

 

Our Bible verse today answer those questions in a two step phase. First we must “submit” then we must “resist”.

 

I believe the first step is harder than the second. People just don't want to submit to anyone. Folks tend to think they know what's best and go about trying to have their own way. Well, early on I found out I didn't know it all. On my job I realized others could do it better and faster. In my marriage I recognized my wife's gifts I didn't have. In ministry God let me know real quick I was not very smart concerning my Bible and spiritual matters. Yes!, Christian friends, we must “submit” ourselves to God in every way.

 

The second step is so simple we tend to overlook it during a crisis with the devil. Some people try to talk to and reason with the devil. Devil wins every time. Some shallow Christians try to ignore or pretend its not the devil that is bothering them. Devil wins again. Then there are a few folks who will turn to their Bible for help. They find Jesus rebuking the devil, turning his back to the devil, and, ordering the devils to be gone. Jesus resisted the devil!

 

When the devil comes at me with temptation, I remind him of how and where I got saved. I try to tell him of my salvation experience. Suddenly, I find my self talking to my self. The devil has left the scene!!

 

THANK GOD FOR THE BLOOD OF JESUS THAT CLEANSE US FROM ALL SIN!

 

God Bless;
Walter D. Hill D. Min.

Love Your Enemies

by Skip Heitzig
Getting even feels good! That’s why people do it—vengeance temporarily gives them a sense of satisfaction, though it quickly dissipates into regret. Have you ever read one of those invoking psalms? You know, the ones where David called down God’s wrath on someone? “Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!” (Psalm 58:6). While it’s not my life verse, I confess I’ve invoked a curse upon” another on the road or over parking spaces from time to time.

But I’ve learned something else: As I truly pray for people, my heart begins to change. As I start asking God to bless them, my heart begins to soften and becomes more Christlike.One of the greatest virtues that separates Christianity from other belief systems is that we are taught not to avenge ourselves nor ignore our dissenters.
We are commanded to love our enemies.

This kind of response was virtually unheard of in antiquity. Human nature—then and now—is best summed up in the Old Testament law known as the lex talionis, which prescribed a restricted vengeance of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (see Exodus 21). Vengeance limited to fair restitution is one thing, but to bless instead?

Remember, there was a time when you were unlovely, when you rejected Him, when you failed to love others the way He does, and yet Jesus loved and died for you (see Romans 5:8).

While we will feel upset—in the car or the grocery line or in conversation—we can choose to show His compassion, His patience, His humility and tender-heartedness. In this way, we avoid the vanity of vengeance—by the sweetness, the kindness, the respect and wonder of His love. 

Prayer
Dear Lord, I confess that I have often acted on my anger and tried to punish other people for hurting me. Please forgive me and help me to love my enemies, trusting that You are more than able to defend me. Please also use me to reach others, regardless of how they treat me, with the Gospel. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God’s Vision in God’s Land

by Max Lucado

Joshua 21:45 says, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”  Joshua and his men went from dry land to the Promised Land, from manna to feasts, from arid deserts to fertile fields. They inherited their inheritance: the glory days of Israel. This is God’s vision for your life. You, at full throttle. You, as victor over the Jerichos and giants.

Paul describes it as a life in which “Christ’s love has the first and last word in everything we do” (2 Corinthians 5:14).  A life in which Paul says, “we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:16). A life defined by grace, refined by challenge, and aligned with a heavenly call. In God’s plan, in God’s land…God’s promises outweigh personal problems. Victory becomes a way of life! Your glory days await you!

From Glory Days

Sand in the Snake Oil

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 14:8 

Earlier this year you may have seen a Pew Research Center report that America is rapidly becoming less Christian and more atheistic. The number of adults claiming no religious affiliation increased to 56 million, an all-time high. Almost a third of those are self-described atheists.

Before you grow too discouraged over these trends, remember what the early church faced. The New Testament Christians were a small, despised minority, unpopular, opposed, and often persecuted. The government pressured them, and their culture looked down on them. They were reviled. But they were also resolved. These stalwarts held to their convictions and changed the world.

God’s people have always been yeast in the dough, salt in the wound, light in the darkness, and sand in the snake oil of secularism. There’s no silencing a Christian who, like Esther, is willing to speak the truth with the attitude, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). The apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
In Christ, we can uphold our convictions, whether in life or in death—whether anyone else does or not.

If I live, well, praise the Lord. If I die, well, praise the Lord. If I live or die, my only cry will be: Jesus in me, praise the Lord.
Ray Hildebrand

Editor's Note: Sorry about the past three days and no Devotionals... I got sidetracked with the October paper and my focus is now on printing two papers in October instead of one... Hope to get it all back together this weekend...
 

Reasons to Surrender

by Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As we learned yesterday, God tells us to surrender our lives to Him. This is no small task. All our plans, every desire we feel, each entitlement that once seemed our right—everything is put aside in order to make way for our King’s will. But perhaps you have wondered why God can ask this of us.

The Lord has every right to demand that we give Him our all. First, Scripture teaches us that He is sovereign—the King and Ruler over the entire universe. As a result, we are under His authority, whether we choose to submit or not. Next, through His death and resurrection, Jesus saved us from our sin and its consequences. Therefore, we are indebted to Him more than we could ever repay. And finally, He sustains us; we should consider each breath and heartbeat a gift from Him.

Undoubtedly, God is entitled to ask that we yield our life to Him. At the same time, surrender is in our best interest. The Father promises that following Him leads to hope and an established future. Psalm 31:19 states, “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You . . .” So, while He is the Almighty One with all authority to demand our life, He promises to care for us and to do what will benefit us most.

Are you willing to put yourself aside in order to follow Jesus? His way is best, and it offers hope, joy, and peace. We will not always like everything He chooses at the moment, but He promises to work all things for good. Will you trust God enough to hand the reins over to Him?

Repentance in the Believer’s Life

by Charles Stanley

Proverbs 28:13
Is repentance necessary in the believer’s life? Yes, and we can see this critical truth in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You may say, “The word repentance isn’t in that verse.” But let’s take a closer look.

Remember, “to repent” simply means to change your mind. For unbelievers, this refers to saving faith—that is, the decision to place trust in Jesus. But for Christians, repentance involves a change of heart with regard to behavior or attitude. We must make an ongoing decision to lead an obedient, Christlike life.

In 1 John, this choice is represented by the word confess, which originally had the sense of “agree with.” In other words, if you confess your wrongdoing to God, you are coming into agreement with Him about that sin and, in turn, disagreeing with your previous view. Here, confession isn’t a matter of salvation; rather, it means allowing the Father to continually reform your mind, molding you more and more into the image of His Son.

God absolutely hates sin. So if you agree with Him about sin, then you are changing your mind about the disobedience in your life. Thoughts, attitudes, and actions that once seemed perfectly natural will no longer fit with who you are. As God continues to work in your life, your mind will gradually reject old thought patterns, and you’ll more closely represent His way of thinking.

Is there sin in your life that has become too uncomfortable to bear? Confess the matter to God, and allow Him to change your mind about it today.

A Right View of Repentance

by Charles Stanley

Acts 2:37-39
Preaching the truth about Jesus Christ in Acts 2, Peter left thousands of listeners asking the same question: “What shall we do now?”

The apostle’s response is simple: “Repent, and . . . be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). As a result, 3,000 people were added to the new church that day (Acts 2:41).

Is this the message of most churches today? Does it seem strange that Peter said “repent” instead of “believe”? Actually, Scripture often uses these concepts interchangeably. You see, repentance and faith are really two sides of the same coin: Both are essential for salvation, and each is dependent upon the other.

In terms of salvation, you cannot separate faith and repentance—both happen simultaneously. In order to be saved, you must place faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and that faith decision requires a change of mind (repentance) about your way of life. Yet many people mistakenly believe they must change their way of living long before they can make a faith decision for the Savior. The truth is, repentance does not mean that we must completely change our ways and “clean ourselves up” so we can receive Christ as Lord.

If you’re holding off on a decision for Christ until you think you are “ready” or “worthy,” you’re waiting in vain. Jesus is ready to receive you right now. Only as a child of God will you find the power—His power—to truly become the person you were created to be.

Building Trust When Faith Wavers

by Charles Stanley

Mark 9:21-24

Since faith is the core of our Christian experience, the consequences of wavering faith are far-reaching. Vacillating trust can lead us to make wrong decisions. Sometimes, after praying for direction, we might receive an answer that leads us to think, I can’t do that. So, instead of asking God to strengthen our faith, we make excuses. We may choose to postpone our obedience—even indefinitely—in order to do something else we consider just as worthwhile. But partial obedience is still disobedience, and it leads to situations that can be dire.

When our faith falters, not only can it result in poor choices, but it also is costly. The Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert because the nation allowed unbelief to overtake their faith. Wavering trust can make us miss out on the blessings of God; it often proves detrimental to those we love as well.

Our confidence will also be affected by shifting faith. When we are spiritually unsteady, we can easily be shaken by little things—even insignificant matters. Instead of standing firm, we may find our confidence eroding. Then we become less willing to take the risks God is asking of us. Rather than acting with certainty, we question and doubt what we are hearing from the Lord. We may also find joy diminishing because our wavering faith has led us away from God’s will. The inner peace of God that we once enjoyed evaporates as our faith weakens.

No matter how unsteady our faith, God invites us to draw near so He can strengthen our trust in Him. When He does, accept His invitation and give Him the glory.

When Our Faith Wavers

by Charles Stanley

James 1:1-8
Faith is the heart of our Christian life. It is the means by which we are saved, receive forgiveness for our sins, enjoy a personal relationship with the Lord, and have the assurance of our salvation. By faith, we experience the peace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Bible also tells us that praying in confident trust “avails much” (James 5:16 NKJV). Yet our lives and especially our prayers tend to be characterized by doubts and wavering faith.

Our faith wavers when . . .

We apply human thinking to our circumstances. Sometimes God is going to require us to do something with which human reasoning disagrees (Isa. 55:9). 

We allow our feelings to overcome our faith. It could be a sense of unworthiness or inadequacy that trips us up. Fear of criticism or failure might cause us to doubt we can do what the Lord asks.

We fail to see God at work in our circumstances. Doubts creep in when we have asked Him to take action but nothing appears to be happening.

We have guilt over sin, past or present. We cannot operate with strong faith when we are under conviction of sin or dwelling on guilt over past wrongdoing.

We listen to the enemy’s lies. Satan is the father of lies, and his objective is to have us reject God’s truth and believe his deception instead.

Faith is defined as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). What is the condition of your faith? Do confidence and conviction describe you?

We Are All Sinners

It is important that we place ourselves in the same category as those we are witnessing. 

The Bible tells us clearly in Romans 3:10, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” In Romans 3:23, the Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Dr. Sumner Wemp used to say that, “We are all in the same boat. We’ve all done wrong.” 

When sharing the Gospel we do not want to be pointing our finger at those we are witnessing to, condemning them. It is important, however, that we make this point – that all of us are sinners. 

Your friend,
David Teis

God Is in Control

Proverbs 16:1, “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.”

Why do people worry? People worry and they freight because we forget the very simple truth that our God is in control of all things. We also forget that God cares about us and that His Word promises that He will work all things together for good.

It is very clear from this passage of Scripture that God knows what man is planning the preparations of the heart in man and the answer of his tongue. He not only knows what a man is planning to do, but He also knows what men are planning to say. We have no fears because God is in control. He even controls the wicked when it comes to their reaction to His righteous children.

Proverbs 16:2 tells us that man thinks he is clean. Man thinks that he is doing the right thing. “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes;”However the Bible says God weighs His Spirit. All we can do is look at our actions. The Bible tells us in 1 John 1:8 that even deceive ourselves into thinking we are righteous. That is why it is so important that we lay our actions against the Word of God.

The Bible tells that God knows our true heart. Our heart is deceitful above all things. God knows that man is spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:1 is very clear. God also knows the intent of man’s heart. If man is left to himself, he will come to no good.

The awesome thing is that God loves us. He loved us so much that He became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. He suffered, died, and paid the penalty of our sin. He was buried and then three days later rose from the dead and was seen by hundreds of people. If we receive Him, we become children of God. Then we can be used by Him to advance His kingdom. This is the only way we can do anything for Him.

Proverbs 16:3, tells us to commit our way unto the Lord. We will examine that verse next time.

Your friend,
David Teis

The power of your testimony of faith

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”  Mark 5:18-19

A defendant is sitting quietly in a courtroom as his life hangs in the balance. He knows he’s innocent, and only the testimony of the next witness can exonerate him. And if this witness testifies, he’ll no doubt be set free.

His lawyer stands up and tells the jury, “Ladies and gentlemen. I’m not going to call the next witness. Instead, I’m just going to tell you that what he has to say will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that my client is innocent of all charges.” The attorney sits down and rests his case.

That makes no sense at all, does it? Why wouldn’t he call his most powerful witness to give his testimony? Why would he simply trust the jury to believe his statement? A testimony is crucial here. You can state the truth, but an actual testimony is so much more powerful.

When it comes to sharing their testimonies of faith, many Christians are sinfully silent. But a testimony is the most powerful evangelism tool you have. Share your story of faith with others and let them know how God has changed your life… and can change theirs too!

MAKE YOUR TESTIMONY OF FAITH KNOWN TO THE LOST IN YOUR LIFE AND LET THEM KNOW HOW GOD CAN CHANGE THEIR LIVES TOO!


by Dr. Jack Graham, please visit www.jackgraham.org

Bows and Arrows

“Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Children …are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.” - (Psalm 127: 3 -4) In our culture today it is obvious that we do not have the values of God in many areas of the way we live. In this magnificent little psalm Solomon declares that children are a gift from God – we should be filled with joy when we realize we are going to be parents. Although millions of people do agree with God on this value, there are many millions who do not. That is painfully obvious as many, many millions of children are aborted every year simply because they are not wanted. In this beautiful psalm Solomon gives us an inspired metaphor. He writes that children are like arrows and their parents are like bows from which they are thrust out into life. This means that being parents is a solemn and serious responsibility. The way some young people are thrust into life makes me think of the poet who wrote: “I shot an arrow into the air; it fell to earth I know not where.” As David faced the giant Goliath, he said magnificent and wonderful things. The king was watching from the top of a hill. The king asked his general “Whose son is that young man?” When David reported to the king with Goliath’s head, the king asked the same question. It is as if he was saying to David “You are a beautiful arrow, but I want to meet the bow from which you were thrust into life.” If you are a parental ‘bow,’ rejoice and trust God to make you more than the best bow you can be.

How to Experience Christ's Peace

John 14:27-31

"My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Jesus spoke these amazing words just hours before His crucifixion. His peace isn’t dependent upon external circumstances, but rather, it transcends them. Although He gives His peace to every believer as a gift, our experience of it is related to our faith in the following truths:

• God is in control of everything. Without this assurance, the world is a scary place.
• He loves me and will see me through every circumstance, no matter how difficult or painful it may be.
• To have Christ’s peace, I must surrender my life to Him. When I hold onto my ways and plans, I’ll experience turmoil.
• I have a limited perspective and understanding of my circumstances and God’s purposes for allowing them. His goals for me are greater than my immediate comfort.
• The Lord promises to work all things out for my good. He is continually working to transform my character into Christ’s image.
• I must live in sync with God, walking in the Spirit and promptly confessing and repenting of sin.
• Scripture is my foundation for peace. It increases my trust in the Lord’s goodness, assures me that He keeps His promises, and reminds me of His sovereignty over every situation.

Sadly, many Christians live their whole lives without consistently experiencing this incomprehensible peace. Perhaps faith and submission are the most challenging issues. But only as we surrender control of our lives to Christ and trust in His plans for us will we discover tranquil rest for our souls.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley

The Source of Confidence

Psalm 33:12-22 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you. In what or in whom do you put your confidence? What gives you hope? What causes you to breathe a sigh of certainty? Too many people look in the wrong place for confidence. Some find comfort in the right political party, military muscle or economic strength. Personally, we strive for the right job or financial security. Let’s face it. We like to place our bets on strong, charismatic people and money. God laughs at our misguided assurance. Human strength, no matter how convincing or clever, is no match for God. He keeps his eye on those “whose hope is in his unfailing love.” At the end of the day he alone is our only Deliverer, our only Helper, our only Shield. The wise person waits in hope for the Lord. Father, I confess I am tempted to look to military strength, political leaders and money as sources of confidence. Forgive me. May I always put my trust in you alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Join us on The Journey at www.oneplace.com to listen to today’s broadcast. For more resources from Ron Moore, visit www.ronmoore.org.

Faith Sets the Bow

"And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud"   (Genesis 9:14).

Just now clouds are plentiful enough, but we are not afraid that the world will be destroyed by a deluge. We see the rainbow often enough to pre- vent our having any such fears. The covenant which the LORD made with Noah stands fast, and we have no doubts about it. Why, then, should we think that the clouds of' trouble, which now darken our sky, will end in our destruction? Let us dismiss such groundless and dishonoring fears.

Faith always sees the bow of covenant promise whenever sense sees the cloud of affliction. God has a bow with which He might shoot out His arrows of destruction. But see, it is turned upward! It is a bow without an arrow or a string; it is a bow hung out for show, no longer used for war. It is a bow of many colors, expressing joy and delight, and not a bow blood-red with slaughter or black with anger. Let us be of good courage. Never does God so darken our sky as to leave His covenant without a witness, and even if He did, we would trust Him since He cannot change or lie or in any other way fail to keep His covenant of peace. Until the waters go over the earth again, we shall have no reason for doubting our God.

Godly Living in an Ungodly Age

Titus 1

Our Founding Fathers created a governing framework based upon biblical principles. Slowly, we have changed from “one nation under God” to a group of people who no longer want Him to be involved.

Tragically, we’ve become, in numerous ways, an ungodly nation: many are driven by materialism and power; immorality and rebellion are prevalent; empty philosophy and false doctrine are widely acceptable. Underlying it all is a vocal decision to take God out of the nation’s “official business.”

Yet even in an unbelieving society, people can, as individuals, follow Jesus. But the world will continually disseminate faulty teachings, so believers must be discerning. Otherwise, erroneous messages can lead Christians to compromise their convictions. Then affections and priorities may change. Don’t let the world’s clamor make the Spirit’s voice less audible. Without His guidance, our minds become vulnerable to lies.

The Word of God is a compass that keeps us headed in the right direction—even in the midst of confusing messages all around. We need to be consistently filled with truth by reading, believing, meditating upon, and applying Scripture. God also tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). If our minds are focused upon Him, unholy beliefs will not be able to take root.

The Word is our guidebook. We will still face difficulty as we live in this imperfect world—it is a confusing, dark place that entices us but never fulfills our true longings. Yet God’s truth will bring confidence and boldness, and His Spirit will direct and strengthen, enabling us to live victoriously.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

Unity, Liberty, and Charity

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” - (John 17:20–21)

Have you ever noticed there are some people who like to fight? They like to argue, and they are unhappy when they are happy. So they find something to get worked up about, something new to debate. They love conflict. It’s a sad way to live.

When I was a younger Christian, I felt that it was my job to set everyone straight. I had been a Christian for about a year and had been reading the Bible and going to church almost every night of the week. I thought, I’m going to set everyone straight. That was the way I was.

I knew everything. I had the answer to every question. And if you held a view different from mine, then I was going to talk you out of it and into mine.

I don’t feel that way anymore. Obviously, I want everyone to believe in Jesus. But if you have a slightly different take on a theological truth than I do, I don’t feel that it is my job to convince you. I like this statement regarding believers: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” The word essentials refers to the most important theological doctrines like that of the Bible being the Word of God, Jesus Christ being the only way to the Father, and salvation coming through Christ and Christ alone. Those are the essentials. In essentials, unity. We don’t ever flex on essentials.

But in nonessentials, liberty. What are nonessentials? Things like the style of music. Some people like it loud. Some people like it quiet. Some people like a certain style. Some people like another style. These are secondary issues. We should never divide over them. In nonessentials, liberty.

Finally, in all things, charity, which is another word for love. Be loving.

Do you love conflict and do you want to set others straight? How much is charity a part of your approach?

Copyright © 2015 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org

A New Struggle

by Colin Smith

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

Christ gives his people a new heart and a new Spirit, but then he also gives us a new struggle. Don’t expect the road ahead to be easy.

That’s what we learn from both the story of David and the story of Jesus. After David was anointed he had to put up with Saul. What happened after the Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism?

The Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. He launched out into public ministry where he faced intense opposition and the relentless demands of the crowds. Then he goes to a cross where he suffers and dies in agony—no crown yet.

There was a great struggle between the day of Christ’s anointing and the day when he rose from the dead and ascended in power and glory to take his seat on the throne. The pattern for David was the pattern for Jesus, and the pattern for Jesus will be the pattern for us!

Christ gives you a new heart. He fills you with his Spirit. Then it’s back into the world with all its pressures and relentless demands – back to that difficult marriage, that secular school, that hostile environment. Why? To honor Christ there!

So Christ offers us a new heart, a new spirit, and a new struggle. Saul had none of them. David had all of them. Saul lived with a crown, and in the end he lost it. David lived without a crown, but in the end he gained it.

Which of these two would you rather be?   

[Based on the sermon series "A Tale of Two Kings"] 
For more resources by Colin Smith visit Unlocking the Bible, where you can request a free sample of LifeKEYS Daily devotional, listen to the radio program, or browse other gospel-centered, Christ-exalting resources. You can also follow Colin on Twitter.

Do You Scare Yourself?

by Paul Tripp

Are you scared of you? Some mornings I look in the mirror and scare myself, but there’s something much less comical and much more destructive that I should be afraid of. It’s the dark condition of my heart.
In Psalm 51, we encounter a man terrified of himself. David, after being confronted by the prophet Nathan, pens this phrase: “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” (Psalm 51:2-3, ESV) David doesn’t explicitly use the words, “I’m afraid of me,” but he employs a “trinitarian vocabulary” to express his fear.

1. Iniquity

Iniquity is moral uncleanness. We don’t become morally unclean because we commit acts of moral uncleanness. Rather, because we’re morally unclean from our beginning, we’re capable of committing morally unclean deeds.
The reason we think those vile thoughts and say those hurtful words and commit those violent actions is because we’re unclean in our soul. We ought to be terrified of our iniquity and the harm it can cause. It’s only when we recognize the depth of our uncleanness that we will reach out for purifying grace from the Divine Trinity and begin to experience personal change.

2. Sin

Sin means “missing the mark.” Select your most skilled archer, hand him the finest bow, and wait for the day with the most beneficial weather conditions. Even at the peak of human effort, the target is too far away for any archer to hit.
That’s our righteousness - on our best day, our deeds are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We ought to be terrified of our sin and the inability it causes. It’s only when we recognize the depth of our helplessness that we will reach out for empowering grace from the Divine Trinity and begin to experience personal change.

3. Transgression

Transgression is trespassing. It’s parking in the “No Parking” zone, even though you tell yourself you’re going to be in the store for just three minutes. You know the law has been established, but in that moment, you couldn’t care less.
When you yell at your spouse or child, when you browse the Internet for explicit content, or when you cheat someone, you’re not doing so out of ignorance. We ought to be afraid of our transgression and the boundaries it enables us to cross. It’s only when we recognize the depth of our rebellion that we will reach out for rescuing grace from the Divine Trinity and begin to experience personal change.

A Divine Trinity

This “terrible trinity” of words captures with power and clarity the dark and destructive nature of our hearts. Iniquity, sin, and transgression ought to produce fear in our soul and drive us to seek the help and hope that can only be found in the Divine Trinity.

We need a Father who will exercise sovereign power to establish a plan that will rescue us from us. We need a Son who will take our punishment and earn forgiveness on our behalf. We need a Spirit who will dwell within in us and empower us to do what we would not be otherwise able to do.

So yes, you should be scared of you, but you shouldn’t feel hopeless. You haven’t been left to the ravages of the “terrible trinity,” because you've been rescued by the power and love of a Divine Trinity.

Pray this with me: Thank you, Sovereign Father, for your unshakeable plan. Thank you, Sacrificial Son, for standing in our place. Thank you, Warrior Spirit, for your empowering presence. In you, Triune Lord, we really find help and hope for personal change.
God bless
Paul David Tripp

Step Toward Freedom

From Good Morning, Lord by Sheila Walsh

Today I will take a step toward freedom and away from the brokenness in my past. 

His father was a violent alcoholic who beat his family mem­bers every day. His mother’s paranoia made her no source of comfort. Furthermore, she tended to set the two brothers up in competition with each other. This young man realized that nothing he accomplished would ever be enough to please his parents. Even when he later gave his life to Christ, he still dealt with fear that was rooted in the pain of his childhood—but now he didn’t deal with it alone. Every time he sensed the beast of fear and shame approaching, he could invite the love of God into that dark place.

What kind of brokenness have you experienced? Whatever it is—how­ever irreparable the damage seems—you can do what my friend does and what I do: invite God’s light into that darkness. Ask God to flood every part of your wounded soul with his love and to shine his light into every dark corner. You can fall on your knees and take any crippling thoughts about your past or haunting fears for your future to God’s throne of grace. Although he does not guarantee us pain-free passage through this world, he does promise the companionship of Christ and a peace that passes understanding.

Light brings healing to wounds, comfort to fears, and guidance to confusion. In what specific ways has God—who is light—been any or all of those things to you?

Loneliness

by Max Lucado We’ll try anything to get rid of our loneliness. But should we? Should we be so quick to drop it? Could it be that loneliness is a gift? A gift from God? A friend turns away. The job goes bad. Your spouse didn’t understand. The church is dull. One by one he removes the options until all you have left is God. He would do that?  Hebrews 12:6 tells us, “The Lord disciplines those he loves.” If he must silence every voice, he will. He wants you to discover what David discovered and to be able to say what David said, “You are with me.” Loneliness. Could it be one of God’s finest gifts? Scripture says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” If a season of solitude is his way to teach you to hear his song, don’t you think it’s worth it? So do I. From Traveling Light

WHOSE RIGHTEOUSNESS?

By  Pastor Bob Hanna

Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:9
The apostle Paul defined Israel's self-imposed barrier to securing salvation: "They being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3). And Paul declares, regarding his own spiritual condition, as "not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3:9). "I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18).
The prophet Isaiah describes the condition of natural man: "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). And David stated, "In thy [God's] sight shall no man living be justified" (Psalms 143:2). It is clear that man, by his own efforts, cannot attain to righteousness. This state of affairs has been pondered since time immemorial. Job asked, "How should man be just with God?" (Job 9:2.) The answer can come only from God Himself. He sent His Son and " ... made Him to be sin for us, [Him] who knew no sin: THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM" (2 Corinthians 5:21). We, being saved by grace, are "in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us ... righteousness" (I Cor. 1:30).
That righteousness is attained by faith, and is the only way acceptable to God, has always been the one approach. "Even Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Galatians 3:6).

Look at What You Have

by Max Lucado   Linger too long in the stench of your hurt, and you’ll smell like the toxin you despise.  I spent too much of a summer sludging through sludge.  Oil field work is dirty at best.  But the dirtiest job of all?  Shoveling silt out of empty oil tanks. The foreman saved such jobs for the summer help.  Thanks boss!  My mom burned my work clothes.  The stink stuck!   Your hurts can do the same.  The better option?  Look at what you have.  Your hurts and pain took much, but Christ gave you more! Catalog His kindnesses.  Everything from sunsets to salvation—look at what you have.   Let Jesus be the friend you need.  Talk to Him.  Spare no detail.  Disclose your fear and describe your dread. Will your hurt disappear? Who knows?  And in a sense, does it matter? You have a friend for life. What could be better than that?   from Facing Your Giants

Judgment is Coming

So many are groaning about the increasing persecution of the churches and Christianity in our country in these Last Days. I would suggest to you the complacency in the pews have not only accepted but demanded the wimpishness in the pulpits coupled with false teaching and preaching even as prophesied to come by the Apostle Paul to his son in the faith Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3 & 4:

 

 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

I have been preaching that at every ordination service I have been invited to participate in for nearly thirty years.

 

                How many demand wimpy preaching that must not offend, where hearers feel they have been ill-used if the sermon goes over twenty minutes; runs past the noon hour, or effects their place in line at the local restaurant. How many have attended travesties called prayer meetings where one forgettable “Polly wants a cracker” general prayer is uttered for the sick and shut-in to be followed by ridiculous ill prepared talk about some Bible passage?

 

                Let me share with you the first prayer uttered in the Continental Congress of the United States by Jacob Duche’ the rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia at 9a.m. 7 September 1774:[i]

 

“O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle! 

 

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.”

 

                I submit to you that if we had more praying like that to begin our solemn assemblies in the House of God we would have less problems in the Nation today. But this was not even a church meeting but the conduct of the critical business of seeking the sort of freedom they believed God would have His people to possess. If the Presbyterian Church has men who prayed like that today perhaps it would not be turning against Israel and tolerating all manner of evil to be creeping in! But then they are but one of the religious bodies that have left their first love in America!

The Pure Word

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Proverbs 30:5)

 

When the inspired writer of Proverbs testified here that God’s Word was “pure,” he did not use the usual word for, say, moral purity or metallic purity. Instead, he asserted in effect that every word of God had been refined and purified, as it were in a spiritual furnace, so that any and all contaminants had been purged out, leaving only the pure element.

 

The same truth is found in the great psalm of the Scriptures (Psalm 119). “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140). David used the same word in another psalm, where it is translated “tried” in the sense of “tested for purity.” “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried. He is a buckler to all those that trust in him” (Psalm 18:30). The word for “buckler” in this verse is the same as for “shield” in our text. Thus, God equips with a perfect shield against the weapons of any foe, because “His way is perfect” and “every word” in Scripture has been made “pure” before the Spirit of God approved its use by the human writer.

 

This surely tells us that the human writer of Scripture (that is, Moses or David or John or whomever), with all his human proneness to mistakes or other inadequacies, was so controlled by the Holy Spirit that whatever he actually wrote had been purged of any such deficiencies. Thus, his final written text had been made perfectly “pure,” free from any defects. This control applies to “every word,” so that we can legitimately refer to the Scriptures as verbally inspired and inerrant throughout.

 

As the apostle Paul stressed, our spiritual armor in the battle against evil is “the shield of faith” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:16-17). HMM

Our Responsibility Has Eternal Consequences

Our Responsibility Has Eternal Consequences 

by Dr. Robert Jeffress

 

You wicked, lazy slave, . . . you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
—Matthew 25:26–28 (Not King James)

The first two servants in Jesus’ parable of the talents were faithful to obey what the master asked them to do. As a result, the master rewarded them with much.

 

Notice the response, though, of the third servant: “The one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours’” (vv. 24–25). Apparently this third slave forgot all about the master. He probably figured the master wasn’t coming back, so he started using his life as he wanted to use it. The master’s return caught him by surprise. So when the master came back, he panicked and all he could think to do was to make excuses about why he hadn’t obeyed the master’s command. He starts accusing the master. He says, “The reason I did this is because you are a cruel person. You sow where you do not own land. And you reap property that is not your own. That’s why I was lazy and did not do what you told me to do.” By the way, this is how unbelievers treat God. There are many people out there right now who profess to be believers, but as soon as their back is up against the wall, they start attacking the character of God. It simply reveals they never knew God to begin with. 

 

Notice how the master responds: “You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest” (vv. 26–27). Now I don’t think the master is admitting to what he was accused of. I think what he is saying to the third slave is this: “If you really thought I was cruel and unfair, then shouldn’t you have done what I asked you to do? Shouldn’t you at least have put my money in the bank where it would have earned interest every year? No, the problem is your wickedness and your laziness.” 

 

This verse reminds me of what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:19 about the Day of Judgment. He says that on that day, every mouth will be silenced and the whole world will be accountable to God. When the great judgment comes, no excuses will be acceptable in God’s eyes. And notice what the master said about this third slave. He said, “Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents” (v. 28).

 

That leads to the fourth principle. Our faithfulness in using our opportunities here on earth has eternal consequences. Why take away from the one who only had the one talent and give it to the one who had ten talents? Jesus said, “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away” (v. 29). 

 

Jesus doesn’t end this parable the way I would have ended it. You see, if I were to end this story, I would say something like, “He who has little in this life will have a great deal in the next life. And he who has a great deal in this life, will have very little in the next life.” Doesn’t that seem fairer to you? It doesn’t sound right to say, “He who has little will lose what he has in the next life. And he who has much will have more in the next life.”

 

But that’s exactly what Jesus is saying when it comes to opportunities for serving Him. If you have been faithful to use what God has given you in this life, then you will have even more in the next life. If you have been unfaithful to use what you have in this life, you will have even less in the next life.