Devotions - Prayer
Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” Hebrews 4:16.
You don’t have to be hesitant or shy about coming to God for forgiveness. The Bible says, “Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most”.
At the throne of grace, you will not find scolding, punishment, or rejection. When we come to God with our sin, we receive his mercy, and we find his grace.
What’s the difference between mercy and grace?
- Mercy is forgiveness for all the things you’ve done in the past.
- Grace is the power to change in the future.
You need both.
- You need mercy for all the things you’ve done wrong in the past (forgiveness).
- And you need grace, the power to change, in the future. God says that when you come to him with honesty and humility, you will receive his forgiveness.
Let me tell you how not to get God’s forgiveness.
You don’t beg God. He wants to forgive you more than you want to be forgiven. You don’t have to beg.
You don’t bargain or bribe. “God, I’ll never do it again! I’ll live this kind of life. I’ll tithe 20 percent.” You don’t bargain. You don’t bribe. You don’t beg.
You just believe.
What do you believe? You believe God’s promise in Hebrews 4:16.
How do you do it? You just confess. Confession is not saying, “God, I’ll never do it again.” It’s saying, “You’re right, God. It was wrong. I was wrong.”
The Bible says in Romans 5:1,“Since we have been justified (that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God) by faith, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God … through our Lord Jesus Christ” .
What does it mean to be justified? It means “just as if you’d never sinned.”
Wouldn’t you like to have a heart that’s washed clean? No matter how deep the stain of your sin, God can take it out.
Lord, I confess and repent for not coming to You with all things. You are the way, the truth and the way. Help me daily to be in continuous prayer with you . Amen (see 1 Thes. 5:16-19)
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To walk with Christ is to walk in love.
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you…”Ephesians 5:1-2
Obedience To The “Heavenly Vision”
Acts 26:19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
What is heaven’s mission “It is to spread the Gospel”
John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Today people are non-stop in their daily lives, but are we really LIVING or EXISTING?
Life with each generation seems to become busier than ever, even with technology where we thought it would accomplish more with less, well, we all know where that has taken us!
If we lose “the heavenly vision” God has given us, we alone are responsible—not God.
We lose the vision because of our own lack of spiritual growth. We put down the Word of God and that is our start of backsliding.
If we do not apply our beliefs about God to the issues of everyday life, the vision God has given us will never be fulfilled.
The only way to be obedient to “the heavenly vision” is to give our best for His glory.
Jesus was never to busy.
It is essential that we live and “walk in the light” of God’s vision for us (1 John 1:7).
Personal Ambition and Pride must die.
We learn that we do not live to build up ourselves any longer.
***We live only to be an instrument of the working of Jesus Christ. And we must learn the truth which Jesus taught his own disciples when he was here in the flesh, “Without me you can do nothing…” (John 15:5b).
You can do what? “Nothing!” You may do a lot in the eyes of the world. What you do might be esteemed there.
**But in the eyes of God, without him it is nothing.
Lord, I pray that I will learn the lesson, and that I will be willing to be a person no longer holding onto control of the program myself but quite willing to follow where you lead, and to trust in your life in me to be all that it takes to do all that needs to be done. Yes and may I only boast of you and Your work through it all. Amen
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One thing will give you the victory: Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
**And faith is being satisfied in all that God is for us in Jesus Christ. (see Hebrews 11 the Faith Chapter)
John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that God’s Word was given to us “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
*That is God’s method of pruning us, and He doesn’t need the devil’s help.
*His word will make us “perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Joy changes everything, including our battle against evil.
One thing will give you the victory: Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
**And faith is a being satisfied in all that God is for us in Jesus Christ.
* You’ve got to stoke that engine every morning so that the evils that are clawing at you loose its fangs.
You can’t have me, I’ve seen Jesus this morning.
*Lust, you can’t have me.
*Greed, you can’t have me.
*Fear of man, you can’t have me.
*Bitterness and anger, you can’t have me.
Yes—I’ve seen Jesus this morning.
The battle against evil is transformed by the way you think.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Lord, I know I cannot progress spiritually as long as I hang on to bitterness and offenses of the past. I realize through Your word and experiences that when I refuse to let go of the past, I am sowing seeds of separation. Lord, I Choose today to forgive and release those who have hurt me. Thank You for Faith—Faith in You Jesus! Thank You for Freedom!Amen
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When our lives get so busy that we are not listening or responding to His gentle touch, He must take more aggressive measures to get our attention.
The soul is a “neutral” territory that can either be governed by our own thoughts, emotions, and desires, or else given over to the Lordship of Christ.
“For the one who sows to his own flesh shall form the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”Galatians 6:8
How and Where God Speaks
“The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, ‘Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.'” Ezekiel 3:22
When God wants to speak a very important word directly to us without interruption from the noise of our busy lives, he will take us “into the plain.”
The plain is a place of no distractions and no other persons. It is a place of silence. It can be a place of great need as it often fails to have the normal provisions we are accustomed to.
In modern times, it often means a separation from our normal activities such as jobs or families.
The plain can also be a place where we discover afresh that God’s hand has been on us all the time.
When we are so busy with life, we sometimes forget that God’s hand is still there, gently leading our path.
When our lives get so busy that we are not listening or responding to His gentle touch, He must take more aggressive measures to get our attention.
Thus, the plain is one of those appointed times of one-on-one communication with our heavenly Father.
Each day God calls us to our own mini-plain in order to speak to us through His Word and for us to hear.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:12).
David is also asking for help.
“Lord, give me this willing spirit,” he says, and God immediately gives it. Then it must be acted on.
That is the point. Do not wait for a feeling to come that you are forgiven. God has said you are forgiven. Do not wait for a feeling of power to possess you.
God has declared He has already given you the power. As you believe Him (and that is what faith is), you can do what you need to do and what God wants you to do.
A VISION WITHOUT ACTION IS ONLY A DELUSION!
Lord, thank You for giving me all that I need for both forgiveness and power through the Lord Jesus. Thank you for Your Voice and speaking to me. Amen.
Read MoreJohn 17:17 ” Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
In this prayer, Jesus prayed twice that the Father would keep His disciples from evil.
Then He reveals the way that God will accomplish this – through His Word, the holy scriptures.
*Anyone who desires to live for God, reject the devil, and reject the world’s system, must know God’s Word.
Hosea 4:6 My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me(lack of knowledge). Since you priests refuse to know me,
I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
We must study the scriptures, for they reveal the will of God for our actions and attitudes.
To be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, we must be filled with God’s Word.
God’s Word is His will! Those who are ignorant of God’s Word will be ignorant of God’s will.
Psalms 119:89 Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven.
The starting point for any Christian is understanding God’s will for his life. How can a person obtain such knowledge?
The first step is to desire it-be hungry.
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
*People ask the Lord for knowledge of His will but don’t receive it because they aren’t seeking with ALL THEIR HEART.
*No one who has ever sought the Lord with all his heart has ever been disappointed.
The Holy Spirit is the dispenser of God’s wisdom. It is through Him that we know the things God has revealed to us.
*One of the primary ministries of the Holy Spirit is to reveal God’s will to us.
There is no way we can walk worthy of the Lord and please Him if we don’t know His will.
Furthermore, we can’t be fruitful without the knowledge of His will.
God has provided all that we need to be successful and victorious in this life. Believe His Word.
I’ve always told myself that I want to do God’s will. But I have, for most times, been clueless about that ‘God’s will’.
1 Thess. 5:18 Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s WILL for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
“Be thankful in ALL circumstances”. Lord, help us to never grow beyond being thankful. Amen
Read More“Make Room for Jesus” Let Jesus be your “Centerpiece”!
The Good News is:
Jesus came to first proclaim good news to the spiritually hurting, that is to preach good news to US!!!
- Jesus came to Heal the broken-hearted.
- Jesus came to set people free who are bound by sin.
- Jesus came to open our spiritual eyes to our spiritual need.
- Jesus came to lift up those who are crushed by life.
- Jesus came to give us abundant life.
- Jesus came to lift us from physical realm of the senses to the spiritual realm to show us that there is more to life. Jesus came to give us His life for us(Mark 10:45)
Colossians 2: 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
*Christmas is about the love of God. God was willing to come down from heaven to die for us, it was the ultimate sacrifice.
Luke 2:7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
There was no room for the Lord who was born to die for us so that we might have full and complete forgiveness of sins through Him. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths which were used to bury the dead. It is sad that even still today people are still saying to HIM “No Room!”.
Christmas Choice
“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'” Luke 2:13-14.
Keeping “Christ” in Christmas is more than just a cliché. It is an intentional act of worship. It requires a heart of adoration, much like the angels had.
It’s Christmas——-the most wonderful time of the year to celebrate – The Christ Child who brought beauty into our broken world, light into our darkness, and peace for each day.
MERRRY CHRISTMAS! REMEMBER GOD’S AMAZING LOVE SHOWN THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST!
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This Christmas Eve, I ask—
1.”What would be your best gift of all to receive?”
After much thought about material things it finally came down to: “the need to needed” and the “assurance of God’s love” for me as well as my wife and family members. ” TO BE LOVED ” WOULD BE MY GREATEST GIFT to receive.
2. “What would be your best gift to give to Others?”
My goal in this –is to give my love I have received from the Lord to others and be bold this season to Lift Up JESUS and His unconditional love He has for all that ask. “TELL OTHERS I LOVE THEM”
So my grown-up Christmas list would have one simple wish. That every person would truly understand the outrageous grace gift that God offers to each one of us. All we have to do is open that gift in faith.
Christmas is when the gift came to earth wrapped in swaddling clothes.
I wish that everyone who hears the Gospel message would comprehend the one way love that God demonstrated. Instead of turning His back on sinners who deserved just that God chose to reach out to His creation with a radical plan for forgiveness. A plan that is unlike any other religion in history.
Man made religion always demands something to earn salvation.
God’s plan for redemption requires the lost to bring nothing to the table other than their sin and the need for salvation. Nothing.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This Christmas Serve your spouse, family and friends instead of waiting to be served by them. Everything starts with Love by responding in a Christ-like way.
Your- healthy relationships places focus on others and not yourself.
Father, open the eyes of my heart. I see that for that to happen there must be the bending of the knee, the imploring of the Spirit in prayer, so that truth becomes vital and compelling. Help me love my wife Laura and never treat her harshly. Help me Love from a Pure Heart Lord. Help me respond in a Christ-like way to love my children, Grandchildren, Family and friends. Amen
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God”(Philippians 1:9-11 NIV).
Think of somebody who irritates you — maybe somebody you’ve got a strained relationship with or who just rubs you the wrong way. Two questions for you:
- One, do you pray for that person?
- Or do you just complain and grumble and nag and nitpick?
If you prayed more, you’d have a lot less to grumble, complain, nag, an$d nitpick about. It’s your decision.
Does nagging work? No. Does prayer work? Yes.
So why do you do more of the thing that doesn’t work than the one that does?
Pastor Friend of mine always says: “It is better to Bless others then Blast them”.
Paul says in Philippians 1:4,“Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy”.
Paul didn’t just pray for people in his life. He prayed with joy!
- Positive praying is more effective than positive thinking. All the positive thinking in the world isn’t going to change your husband or your wife or your child or your friend or your situation.
- Positive thinking can change you, but it won’t change somebody else. But positive prayer can make a difference in someone else.
Do you want to know the quickest way to change a bad relationship to a good one? Start praying blessings for the other person! It will change you, and it can change the other person.
Paul even told us how to pray for others: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).
From these verses, we can learn to pray for the people in our lives in four ways:
- Pray that they will grow in love:“This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.”
- Pray that they will make wise choices: “… so that you may be able to discern what is best …”
- Pray that they will live with integrity: “… and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ …”
- Pray that they will become like Jesus: “… filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.”
Pray these for yourself and anyone else in your life, and watch how God turns around the relationship you thought was hopeless. Nothing is impossible with God! Amen
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…So that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Romans 6:6
Christian, why would you play with sin?
- Has it not cost you enough already?
- Burnt child, will you play with the fire? What! When you have already been between the jaws of the lion, will you step a second time into his den?
- Have you not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all your veins once, and will you play at the cobra’s den and put your hand in the dragon’s lair a second time?
- Did sin ever yield you real pleasure? Did you find solid satisfaction in it?
- If so, go back to your old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delights you. But inasmuch as sin never gave you what it promised to bestow but deluded you with lies, do not be snared by the old fowler: Be free, and let the memory of your enslavement prevent you from entering the net again!
It is contrary to the designs of eternal love, which are all focused on your purity and holiness; therefore do not run counter to the purposes of your Lord. 1 Thess. 4:4-5
Another thought should restrain you from sin. Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore do not be the serf and slave of sin.
There is still a higher argument: Each time you serve sin you are “crucifying once again the Son of God . . . and holding him up to contempt.”(hebrews 6:6)
Can you bear that thought? If you have fallen into any special sin during this day, it may be that your Master has sent this admonition this day to bring you back before you have wandered very far.
Turn to Jesus afresh. He has not forgotten His love for you; His grace is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come to His footstool, and you shall be reunited in His love; you will be set upon a rock again, and your goings shall be established. Because Jesus Loves You-He made You to bring Him Glory and in return we will have PEACE! Amen
Read 1 Thess. 5:16-19 and see God’s will for you!
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In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
One of the things that made people such dynamic Christians is the fact that they chose to see life from God’s perspective.
In the worst of situations, they find new insights to praise and thank God.
The Bible tells us that we are to give thanks in everything, the good things AND the bad things. In Psalm 50:23, God says, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.”
In the hard times, thanksgiving is difficult. It is definitely a sacrifice to thank God in our troubles, but it is so very necessary.
Thanksgiving honors God, and when you and I honor God, He honors us (1 Samuel 2:30).
How is your thanksgiving factor? Are you facing tough times? Have you been griping and complaining about the things in your life that are hard, lonely and frustrating? Jesus is there:
- He knows about it,
- He is over it, and
- He cares for you.
Without question, Jesus has a purpose in every trial and tribulation.
Start today to live a life of thanksgiving. If you will do it, your attitude will change, the people around you will be blessed, and Jesus Christ will be glorified and honored.
Thank You Jesus, Help me share this joy of thanksgiving this Holiday with all I encounter. Amen
Give THANKS ALWAYS! Ecclesiastes 7:14 “Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.”
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God’s Love gives us eyes to see Christ’s victory shining far above the earthly clouds of heartbreak and suffering.
“But being full of the Holy Spirit, he [Stephen] gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God…”Acts 7:55
Luke 12:48 ” But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”
This verse is one of the clearest references in scripture about varying degrees of God’s judgment according to the knowledge of the person who committed the sin.
The whole chapter of Leviticus 4 is written to deal with sins committed in ignorance.
Jesus said in John 9:41, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”
Also, Romans 5:13 says, “sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
Paul said, in 1 Timothy 1:13, that he obtained mercy because he had sinned “ignorantly in unbelief.”
The sin he was speaking of was blasphemy, which Jesus taught was unforgivable if done against the Holy Ghost.
Therefore, we see that ignorance in Paul’s case entitled him to a second chance.
If he would have continued to blaspheme after he saw the truth, he would surely have paid the price. see Hebrews 10:26
This is not to say that a person who doesn’t have a complete revelation of God’s will is innocent regardless of his actions.
Leviticus 5:17 makes it clear that an individual is still guilty even if he sins through ignorance.
Romans 1:18-20 reveals that there is an intuitive knowledge of God within every person to the degree that they even understand the Godhead. This same chapter goes on to explain that people have rejected and changed this truth, but that God did give it and they are without excuse.
No one will be able to stand before God on judgment day and say, “God is not fair.”
He has given every person who has ever lived, regardless of how remote or isolated they may have been, the opportunity to know Him.
Your response to your circumstances will determine whether you will be victorious or victimized. Be strong and courageous. Let Jesus lead you to victory. see 1 John 4:4
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
1John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Thank You Jesus for paying the price at the cross for us all. Help us give thanks daily for our Victory we have through You! Amen
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Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.”
The most powerful truths are revealed in the darkest times. In fact, pain intensifies our need for God and can be counted as a blessing.
God knows. God hears. God will breathe life into the right choices that we make.
How we respond to pits and pain is our choice.
- We can surrender to the darkness and create an identity that feels at home in a pit or we can embrace the pain and learn from it.
- We can settle for a life defined by pain or we can harness the power of our pain and use it for good.
- We can try to ignore the pain and hope it all goes away or we can face it and let God heal the broken places.
Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
You’re never going to become a friend of God in your spare time. You have to make knowing God your number one priority in life. read John 17:3.
Are you doing that? Are you seeking God with all your heart every day?
Remember: You are as close to God as you choose to be. You’re going to become a friend of God when you want to become a friend of God.
You can’t blame anybody else. You can’t blame your wife, your husband, your parents, or your kids. You are as close to God as you want to be. And if you feel far from God, guess who moved?
You didn’t make him the number one priority of your life.
Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege. And being known and being loved by God is our greatest pleasure.
I’ve noticed that you can tell what’s important to people by what they brag about.
- If their kids are most important, they brag about their kids.
- If their job is the most important thing in their life, they brag about their job.
- If travel and having experiences is most important, that’s what they talk about.
- If partying or buying new clothes is what you talk about most, guess what you value most?
- If playing videos is what you spend time on, guess what you value most?
- If talking about hobbies or sports all the time, guess what you value most?
- You brag about what you value most. see Jeremiah 9:23,
Why? Because that’s what life is all about. Knowing God is what matters most.
The God of the Universe loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. God shows no favoritism! Rom. 2:11.
Getting close to God will give you peace and perspective. Now that’s Good News! Amen
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My only comment is: Does Halloween bring glory to God? No! It glorifies the devil! Nuff said.
Read the verse below and ask yourself what and where are your treasures?
Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Is your heart after–Earthly wealth, flesh, or is your heart after spiritual wealth?
If after spiritual wealth, then your heart and desire will follow.
If isolated from the rest of God’s Word, there are some scriptures that could be interpreted to mean that having money or wealth is wrong.
*However there are other scriptures that speak of riches as a blessing.
**The harmony between these two apparently opposite positions is that money is neither good nor bad.
*It is the love of money that is the root of all evil, and many have committed the sin of loving money who don’t even have a dime.
1 Tim. 6: 10. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
The “Love of Things” (covetousness) is idolatry, and this is what Jesus is addressing.
Because it is so easy to lust after money and the things it can provide, the Lord established a system whereby prosperity is a by-product of putting God first.
As Matthew 6:33 states, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
We should no more reject the blessing of prosperity than we should covet it, which is idolatry.
The reason for not laying up treasures on this earth is so that we will not have our hearts drawn away from the things of God.
A key to success in the Kingdom of God is singleness of purpose. (Eternal Perspective).
We don’t have the capacity to do our best in two areas at the same time.
If we will simply put God and His Kingdom first in every area of our lives, He will add to us all the wealth that we NEED.
What is more valuable or important than knowing Him? (see John 17:3)
Father, I look to you for direction. You are the only one who has the way that will not fail. Teach me those ways so that your kingdom will grow and you will get the glory. Help me see too that: Every spending decision is a spiritual decision.
YES—KNOWING YOU IS OUR GREATEST TREASURE!!! Amen
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By John Piper
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
The more real Satan appears in our day, the more precious the victory of Christ will become to those who believe him.
The New Testament teaches that when Christ died and rose again Satan was defeated. A time of limited freedom is granted to him, but his power against God’s people is broken and his destruction is sure.
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
“[Christ] himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood], that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14)
“[God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15)
In other words the decisive blow was struck at Calvary. And one day, when Satan’s time of limited freedom is over, Revelation 20:10 says, “The devil . . . [will be] thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur . . . and will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
What does this mean for those of us who follow Jesus Christ?
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies!” (Romans 8:33)
“[Neither] angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39)
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
“They [the saints] have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11)
Therefore, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!” He has been defeated, and we have been given victory.
Our task now is to live in that victory and make Satan know his defeat.
Thank You Jesus! Help me live in that Victory each and every day. Amen
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We cannot show forth God’s Life and self-life at the same time.
“Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?” James 3:11
How do you walk in the Spirit?
The way you do this is through living by, conducting your actions according to, and following the leading of the Word of God as quickened to you by the Holy Spirit.
**The Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree perfectly because the Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the written Word of God.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
More specifically, how is it possible to obey 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and “give thanks in all circumstances,” especially if our circumstances are horrible?
What fuels thanksgiving when life seems to be one discouragement, disappointment, disease, disaster, and death after another?
There is only one way. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
Future Joy Fuels Your Thankful Endurance
Jesus was fueled by his belief in future grace. That’s what the author of Hebrews meant when he wrote that, Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
That’s where God wants your and my eyes: on the future joy he has promised us. ETERNITY
*You will have the free gift of complete forgiveness of all your sins extending into forever (Romans 6:23).
*You will have all your real needs provided while on earth (Philippians 4:19).
*God will complete the good work he began in you (Philippians 1:6).
*You will be raised from the dead and never, ever die again (1 Corinthians 15:52–53).
****That means someday soon you will see Jesus, be with him (2 Corinthians 5:8), and be like him (1 John 3:2).
*In that day you will know for the first time full, unpolluted joy (Psalm 16:11).
*You will be completely free from all corruption (Romans 8:21).
*You will have God forever (1 Peter 3:18) as your exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4).
And that’s just a small sampling!
The joy set before you is the same joy Jesus had set before him, because you are an heir of the kingdom with him (Romans 8:17).
So how can you give thanks in all circumstances?
There’s only one way: Jesus’ way.
*If the future joy Jesus promises (ETERNAL LIFE) is real and you believe him, there is no circumstance that can steal your thanksgiving.
May all your Holiday celebrations be soaked in Grace, Joy, Freedom and Love!
Thank You God for the ONE—JESUS! Amen
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