But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Galatians 4:4-6
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8:15
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. Deuteronomy 32:10
Ye are bought with a price; 1 Corinthians 7:23a
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; Isaiah 49:16a
I will love Thee, O Lord, my Strength.
The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my Strength, in Whom I will trust; my Buckler, and the Horn of my Salvation, and my High Tower. Psalm 18:1-2
But Thou, O Lord, art a Shield for me; my Glory, and the Lifter up of mine head. Psalm 3:3
Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11
Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:24
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Your Adversary, the Devil
Friday, June 16
10:30 a.m.
Traffic is light as I turn onto Knight Road. Earlier this morning God had directed me to write the blog, Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith, and now I need to get a few errands done. As I’m driving God’s Spirit suddenly reminds me of the words of 1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
I had just written how the Devil was the Father of Lies who blinds those who follow him lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the Devil obviously did not appreciate being exposed. The time for subtlety was long past. I was no longer blinded by his schemes and following him cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the danger I was in. I was, through God’s Spirit, encroaching on his domain and he wasn’t going to take it sitting down.
It didn’t take long for retaliation to begin. At our first stop my two youngest sons began to fight so incessantly, I had to turn around and go home. My boys fight occasionally, but it’s never been that bad that the only solution was to go home. The day didn’t get better. Everything that could possibly irritate, annoy and frustrate me happened. Later my husband came home and we quickly began fighting too. It was over something so insignificant I can’t for the life of me even remember what it was about! Discouraged and defeated I turned to God. He quickly reminded me of His word. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. James 4:7-8a
He then reminded me of the armour of God.
10:30 a.m.
Traffic is light as I turn onto Knight Road. Earlier this morning God had directed me to write the blog, Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith, and now I need to get a few errands done. As I’m driving God’s Spirit suddenly reminds me of the words of 1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
I had just written how the Devil was the Father of Lies who blinds those who follow him lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the Devil obviously did not appreciate being exposed. The time for subtlety was long past. I was no longer blinded by his schemes and following him cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the danger I was in. I was, through God’s Spirit, encroaching on his domain and he wasn’t going to take it sitting down.
It didn’t take long for retaliation to begin. At our first stop my two youngest sons began to fight so incessantly, I had to turn around and go home. My boys fight occasionally, but it’s never been that bad that the only solution was to go home. The day didn’t get better. Everything that could possibly irritate, annoy and frustrate me happened. Later my husband came home and we quickly began fighting too. It was over something so insignificant I can’t for the life of me even remember what it was about! Discouraged and defeated I turned to God. He quickly reminded me of His word. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. James 4:7-8a
He then reminded me of the armour of God.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Ephesians 6:10-18
One commentary explained it like this: “You are in a spiritual battle. If you are ignorant or ignore that fact, you probably aren’t winning the battle.” D. Guzik
“Even though Satan’s ultimate defeat is guaranteed, Christians must not take his works lightly. He wages a daily war for our hearts and minds.” B. Graham
“This is your armor from God to fight spiritual battles. In your own strength Satan is a formidable enemy; but when you are properly armed for spiritual warfare, you can stand against the devil’s schemes.” B. Graham
“While aware of Satan’s work we must be even more aware of the real source of Power: Jesus Christ. Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of lords.” B. Graham
One of Satan's tactics is to create division. "Divide and conquer" is a motto he came up with. Jesus knew this and instead prayed for unity among believers.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. John 17:20-21
Satan loves division. If he can divide us, we become easier targets.
Even within our own families when we fight and argue and disagree amongst each other, we quickly lose our unity and forget that we are on the same side.
Now when my children fight amongst each other I ask them: "Do you think the Devil is happy you are fighting?" Even very little children can quickly grasp that Satan loves it when they fight and call each other names and hurt each other. “That makes Satan happy? Well then I don’t want to do that!” was Justin’s quick response.
Be alert. Be wary. Know your enemy and his tricks.
Spurgeon explains it this way:
"TO BE A CHRISTIAN is to be a warrior. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is a battlefield. Neither must he reckon upon the friendship of the world; for that would be enmity against God. His occupation is war. As he puts on piece by piece of the panoply provided for him, he may wisely say to himself, "This warns me of danger; this prepares me for warfare; this prophesies opposition."
Difficulties meet us even in standing our ground; for the apostle, two or three times, bids us-"Stand." In the rush of the fight, men are apt to be carried off their legs. If they can keep their footing, they will be victorious; but if they are borne down by the rush of their adversaries, everything is lost. You are to put on the heavenly armor in order that you may stand; and you will need it to maintain the position in which your Captain has placed you. If even to stand requires all this care, judge ye what the warfare must be! The apostle also speaks of withstanding as well as standing. We are not merely to defend, but also to assail. It is not enough that you are not conquered; you have to conquer: and hence we find, that we are to take, not only a helmet to protect the head, but also a sword, with which to annoy the foe. Ours, therefore, is a stern conflict, standing and withstanding; and we shall want all the armor from the divine magazine, all the strength from the mighty God of Jacob." C. Spurgeon
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4
Friday, June 16, 2017
Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith
Did you know that the Devil is the father of lies? If you’ve never looked to Jesus for your salvation, the Devil is your father too. He will continue to deceive you with his lies until it is too late. It’s a scary thought isn’t it? To belong to the Devil.
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44b
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.2 Corinthians 4:4
God on the other hand is perfect. He is holy. He is the Father of lights. He never lies. He never changes. Through Jesus, God can be our Father too.
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath He said, and shall he not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil 1:2
The Devil wants us to believe that our salvation is somehow about us: our feelings, our emotions, our understanding of our misery (which is never enough), and our experiences.
Salvation is really all about Jesus.
Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Hebrews 12:2a
Jesus, the Son of God.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16-17
Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29
Jesus, the One who must be lifted up.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Jesus, the one who was wounded, bruised and chastised for our sins.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
The Devil wants to trip us up, confuse us, make us doubt we can be saved, and when we fall into his traps he is very pleased. The only way we can be free from his lies is by the truth.
Jesus is the Truth.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32
Make sure what you are believing is really the truth.
One lie Satan uses to immobilize us is the lie: What if I don’t feel my misery enough? Spurgeon uses the illustration of a house on fire to deal with this question. If your house is on fire should you wait for it to become fully involved before trying to escape it? Shouldn’t the smoke alarms going off be enough to rouse you from your sleep and look for a way of escape? Or the frantic calling of a loved one be enough to get you to look for a way of escape? Or the smell of smoke? Or even the smallest hint of fire?
Outside of Jesus we are all in grave danger. Our house is on fire, whether we fully grasp it yet or not! Outside of Jesus, God’s wrath cannot be satisfied.
For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
Outside of Jesus is eternal damnation, everlasting punishment, torment, worms that never die, and a fire that is never quenched.
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 2 Thes 1:8-9
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:45b-46
Life is temporary. We have no idea how much time we have left. Today might be our last day. We still have time to escape the torment of hell where the rich man ended up.
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, Luke 16;23a
Jesus could return at any moment.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thes 5:2-4
Shouldn’t we use the time God has given us wisely? The Bible says how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; Hebrews 2:3a
Are we really going to waste the time God has given us? As we read these warnings, will we harden our hearts?
Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Hebrews 3:15b
Today is the day of salvation. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7
Jesus must be our focus.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Only Jesus can save us from the wrath of God.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:8-9
Come to Jesus. He is our only hope and He promises to save all those who come to Him. All that The Father giveth unto Me will come unto me and he that comething unto Me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37
When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44b
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.2 Corinthians 4:4
God on the other hand is perfect. He is holy. He is the Father of lights. He never lies. He never changes. Through Jesus, God can be our Father too.
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath He said, and shall he not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil 1:2
The Devil wants us to believe that our salvation is somehow about us: our feelings, our emotions, our understanding of our misery (which is never enough), and our experiences.
Salvation is really all about Jesus.
Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Hebrews 12:2a
Jesus, the Son of God.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16-17
Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29
Jesus, the One who must be lifted up.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Jesus, the one who was wounded, bruised and chastised for our sins.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
The Devil wants to trip us up, confuse us, make us doubt we can be saved, and when we fall into his traps he is very pleased. The only way we can be free from his lies is by the truth.
Jesus is the Truth.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32
Make sure what you are believing is really the truth.
One lie Satan uses to immobilize us is the lie: What if I don’t feel my misery enough? Spurgeon uses the illustration of a house on fire to deal with this question. If your house is on fire should you wait for it to become fully involved before trying to escape it? Shouldn’t the smoke alarms going off be enough to rouse you from your sleep and look for a way of escape? Or the frantic calling of a loved one be enough to get you to look for a way of escape? Or the smell of smoke? Or even the smallest hint of fire?
Outside of Jesus we are all in grave danger. Our house is on fire, whether we fully grasp it yet or not! Outside of Jesus, God’s wrath cannot be satisfied.
For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
Outside of Jesus is eternal damnation, everlasting punishment, torment, worms that never die, and a fire that is never quenched.
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 2 Thes 1:8-9
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9:45b-46
Life is temporary. We have no idea how much time we have left. Today might be our last day. We still have time to escape the torment of hell where the rich man ended up.
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, Luke 16;23a
Jesus could return at any moment.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thes 5:2-4
Shouldn’t we use the time God has given us wisely? The Bible says how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; Hebrews 2:3a
Are we really going to waste the time God has given us? As we read these warnings, will we harden our hearts?
Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Hebrews 3:15b
Today is the day of salvation. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7
Jesus must be our focus.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Only Jesus can save us from the wrath of God.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:8-9
Come to Jesus. He is our only hope and He promises to save all those who come to Him. All that The Father giveth unto Me will come unto me and he that comething unto Me I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Truths To Live By:
Remember Who made us.
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. Gen 1:27
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Ecclesiasts 12:1
Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3
But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand. Isaiah 64:8
Our sin separates us from God.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
We need a Saviour, a Mediator.
For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; 1 Timothy 2:5
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Our only hope is Jesus.
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts16:31
When we believe in Him, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, Acts 2:4a
We must daily, consciously, abide in Christ and let His Spirit fill us.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring: Isaiah 44:3
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14
Abiding in Christ and being Spirit filled, gives us love, joy and peace regardless of our circumstances.
And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. Acts 13:52
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (Jesus) John 14:27
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. Gen 1:27
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Ecclesiasts 12:1
Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3
But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand. Isaiah 64:8
Our sin separates us from God.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
We need a Saviour, a Mediator.
For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; 1 Timothy 2:5
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Our only hope is Jesus.
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts16:31
When we believe in Him, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, Acts 2:4a
We must daily, consciously, abide in Christ and let His Spirit fill us.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring: Isaiah 44:3
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14
Abiding in Christ and being Spirit filled, gives us love, joy and peace regardless of our circumstances.
And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. Acts 13:52
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (Jesus) John 14:27
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