A Foolish Thought

"I laid it out for them and brought it to three main points; don't make any provision for the flesh, neither give place to the devil and don't even give the appearance of evil."

There are a lot of people who call themselves Christians that are living no different than the world. It is for this reason that our witness is not as strong as it should be as a whole. I would imagine the confusion in some one's mind who is not a Christian when someone tells them they should get saved but their lifestyle doesn't show any contrast to the rest of the world. Why get saved if you are no different in lifestyle or priorities or anything else for that matter?

Some have tried to justify this. "I am a Christian but I...[insert vice here]". What a foolish thought. Excusing the action won't justify it by any means. It just shows that there is no repentance from dead works. 

It seems to me that Jesus died so we could be made alive. We are raised up with Him. So that means we no longer act like a dead man with dead works. Our lives should reflect the life of Christ. The Bible calls us a peculiar people. We should be weird to the world. We are also told in the word that when we don't jump in to the flood of dissipation with the people of this world that they will wonder at us. 

In my quote from last year's journal it outlines how we do this. Make no provision for the flesh, give no place to the devil and don't even give the appearance of evil. 

To make no provision for the flesh means if you know something will cause you to stumble stay away from it. If social media turns into a gossip fest every time you are on it you should delete your account. It sounds so harsh but Jesus said if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out. Imagine doing that for a second. Pretty tough to think about right. But if you had the choice of pulling out your eye with your own hands or deleting an account I think I know what you would choose. 

Giving no place to the devil takes being on guard. We should have our armor on, swords up and shields out. When the thoughts start to come we speak the word and let our faith extinguish the flaming arrows the devil is shooting at us. The Bible says to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. You have the authority of Jesus to cast the devil out. Don't give him an inch because he will take a mile. 

Finally we are not to give even the appearance of evil. One translation of the verse I got this from says don't give any hint of evil. I know it is counter culture and I will be criticized for being legalistic or religious but I don't care. There are things that we, speaking of Christians as a whole in America and maybe in some other places in the world, that hint at evil. We need to wake up and realize that there are places that are known for being centers of evil things taking place. Not only that but our freedom in Christ could cause someone to turn away from the gospel, How would we feel if we knew someone went to hell because we wouldn't give up a non-essential thing in our life? 

I know this post may seem like an Internet rant if you don't know me but really it is a passionate cry for all of us Christians to be who we say we are. I love the Body of Christ and it is my passion and purpose to equip believers for life and service. If you look over your life and there are some areas that you are defending while reading this post you may want to take a fresh look at them. Ask someone you can trust to shoot straight with you how they view what it is you are thinking about. Ask a believer and then ask a non-believer. You may be surprised what you hear. 

When we get this down I believe we will have a greater and more effective witness for Jesus. It is so important that much of what is written to the church in the Bible centers around topics like this. You will find that in doing these things you will experience a greater blessing from God as well. The reason I know that is because God blesses obedience. You can't go wrong following the will of God. It isn't always easy but it is good!

What other scriptures help us in these areas? Have you experiences a greater witness or blessing when you decided to break from the world and live according to what God says? 

Day 249 - Where Power Comes From

"First time in our twelve years in the building we had no power during church service."

Last year at our Women's Conference the power went out right as they were going to start the message. Wouldn't you know that when God is about to do something big that the devil comes and tries to pull the plug. The awesome thing is that it didn't phase us at all. We went into high gear and got a portable power generator and small sound system together and still had church. They even had all the ladies turn on their cell phone lights and sing "This little light of mine". God 1 - Devil - 0. 

You don't have to be delayed or defeated by the devil. If he tries to pull the plug on you just keep after it. Go into high gear and do what you were doing a different way. Sing a song while you're at it. The devil is a liar and cannot stop the work of God. Remind the devil he is a defeated foe and is under your feet. You have the victory in Jesus!

If you are a Christian then you have the Spirit of God inside of you. The greatest power of the universe is resident within! No opposition or enemy can stand in your way. 

Have you ever experienced a time where you knew God was about to do something big and it was met with resistance? How can we prepare for opposition? 

Day 215 - Your Hour Is Up

"On the way to church the sky was beautiful. At one point the sun was beaming through in several directions shooting rays brightly to the earth through dark massive clouds."

When Jesus was confronted by the chief priests the temple guard and the elders who had come out to take Him, He said, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness." There was a time when the devil had authority on the earth. The devil usurped authority and took the dominion from man when Adam and Eve rebelled in the garden of Eden. It was under that power and authority that Jesus came and lived under the law. He fulfilled the requirement of the law and when He was crucified His blood was shed in innocence. He was guilty of no sin, not one. Jesus qualified to be our sacrifice. When He raised from the dead He took the keys of the kingdom back from the devil. Authority and power was restored rightfully to Him. 

I know this is deep but let me make it simple. Because of what Jesus has done darkness has no power. There is no rule or authority above His. It is all under His control. You never have to be afraid of the devil. You don't have to fear tomorrow. No matter how dark it may seem remember that light always overcomes. In blackest deepest darkest space the tiniest light could illuminate the space. Jesus is on the throne victorious. 

If that wasn't enough He has now given the church His authority and power. If you have been born again into the kingdom of God then you have the authority and power of God. All you have to do to enforce that authority is speak in the name of Jesus. We are ambassadors of Christ. We speak on His behalf now. So if any forces of darkness try to come against us we can bring them under subjection to the Word of God. You have to know it and declare it. 

Clouds may hide the light for a time but the brightness of the sun will soon shine through. 

How does this understanding effect your life? What scriptures do you use when confronted with darkness?

Day 203 - The Devil's Grip

"From the Word: Exodus 8:28 Pharaoh tells Moses that the children of Israel can go worship but he says not to go too far away. Not too far from his reach and their bondage. He will give a little if he doesn't lose his grip. Sin and the devil alike will allow us to go to church and worship The Lord if we don't go too far into Christianity. If we don't get radical and forsake the way of the world the devil is ok with us attending church, praying and even reading the Bible as long as they don't lose their grip on us. With God it is not so. There is no compromise. He tells us to go neither to the right or to the left and the way is narrow. We are to fix our eyes, our hearts and our minds and have one focal point; Jesus."

I don't think I need to say much more than that. Anyone who has struggled with sin knows the devil doesn't give up easily. He wants to dominate our lives and keep us in bondage. The Bible lays out two things for us to do in order to send the devil packing: 1. Submit to God. 2. Resist the devil. It sounds easy but when faced with temptation it seems like it is the hardest thing to do. The good news is that God has given us the power of His Spirit to do what He asks of us.

You don't have to stay in bondage to sin. God has freed those that have been born again from the devil's control. You simply need to submit to God and resist the devil and the devil will flee.

Have you been born again? If not click here. What are your thoughts on Exodus 8:28, sin and bondage? 

Day 145 - Giant Killers

"It is interesting to note that in 2 Sam 21:15-22 that the servants of David are noted for their mighty acts. As servants and close relatives to the king they now are carrying on the legacy of being giant killers. The sons or the giant and the brother of the giant are at war with Israel and David is no longer with them physically in battle. That doesn't stop the victory. In the same way we know that Jesus has defeated the devil and has now placed in our care to be the giant slayers. We now take out the enemy."

If you are a Christian then you are a giant killer. The devil fears you but he won't ever tell you that. He will just lie and act like he has the upper hand. All you have to do is remind him that Jesus slew the giant (sin, death, the devil) and send whatever demon is trying to come against you running scared. 

It is so simple in the Bible. We are to humble ourselves before the Lord which means we just depend on Him. We submit to God, resist the devil and the devil will flee. Just like when the army of the Philistines fled from David when he slew Goliath ...did you get that?! A whole army running from a good looking red headed boy?! Why? Because he was a giant killer. Now you are too. 

It doesn't matter if a whole army or the hoards of Hell come against you with God on the inside you will send them running. Lift up His name and proclaim His victory and you slay your share of giants.