Power Over Evil

            What a wonderful sense of relief comes with our salvation in Jesus Christ.  And there are many and various reasons for this peace of mind.  In Christ we have redemption through His blood.  In Christ we have been reconciled to God.  In Christ we have been justified (declared “not guilty”) from our penalty of sin.  In Christ we have access to God’s throne where we can pour out our praise and requests to Him in prayer.  In Christ we have the motivation and power to overcome our sinful desires – which gives us the ability to stand against Satan and enjoy watching him flee from us (James 4:7).

            All throughout Jesus’ ministry, the gospel writers were proving His power over all of the things that stand against us in life (or those we allow to distract us from our goal of righteous living).  The miracles recorded in these accounts were designed to demonstrate God’s loving care by easily removing the things we think are impossible.

            One such instance involves Jesus casting out a legion of demons from a man who had obviously allowed them to take up residence in his body.  Notice in the account how the demons did their best to destroy the man’s body and life.  That is a natural result of when Satan and his forces are given room to work from within a person.  Jesus, just by His words, cast the demons out and brought a wonderful peace to the man who was once possessed.  And he was so grateful that he began to travel the countryside telling everyone his story and giving glory to God.

            It’s easy to forget the power we possess when things are going badly and the challenges of life become exhausting.  We allow ourselves to lose sight of God’s ever-abiding presence and begin fixating on the problems facing us.  That’s the time we need to take a time-out and remember God’s perfect track record written down for us in Scripture.  Turn to God and allow Him to empower you to cast out the “demons” that are tormenting you unnecessarily and regain the peace He desires for you to enjoy (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).  His grace is all you need.

            Can you trust Him to strengthen and empower you beyond the reach of Satan? 

            Do you have what it takes to persevere and live the life He has called you to? 

            Take a moment out of each day and let God bring you the kind of peace that passes all understanding.

Doug

Keeping Score

       One of the most frustrating things that I do in life is to compare myself, my talents and even everything I own to that of others.  What I usually find is that me and mine rarely measure up to what others have.  You know that, “The grass is always greener on the other side.”           

     Can you see what I get caught up in here?  I have a problem with “keeping score” on life.  I’m constantly comparing what I have and do with others of my choosing.  With some, I end up the winner.  With others, I come out the looser.  This scorekeeping on life usually ends up with the dual failures of arrogance (for the winners) and discouragement (for the losers).  Both are contrary to what God desires for our lives.   

     The biggest problem with keeping score on life is that there are forces and blessings out there that we can’t see.  God has things in place in our favor that we can’t comprehend.  And when we are caught up in keeping score on life, these countless blessings and talents and abilities usually end up not being counted or considered.  The score we get, then, is totally distorted (check out 2 Kings 6:16-17).

     One of the “scorekeepers” mentioned in the Bible is the prophet Elijah.  He told the prophets of Baal and Asherah that they numbered in the hundreds and he was "the only one" (1 Kings 18:22).  But Elijah’s score was wrong!  He had just heard from Obadiah that there were 100 prophets being hidden in caves (that makes 101 more than just himself).  He wasn‘t the only one!  And when Jezebel took out a contract on his life, the score seemed so stacked against him that he ran away and asked God to end it all.  Only after his encounter with the true nature of God did he find out that there were 7000 more faithful people that were right under his nose (1 Kings 19:18)! 

     Why didn’t Elijah notice these 7,101 others?  Why did he think that he was the “only one”?  Did he consider them unworthy because they weren't as openly standing for the truth as he was?  Or had he become so busy keeping score (with faulty data) that he fell victim to two of Satan’s weapons.  Scorekeepers are always in danger of (1) distorting the truth leading to arrogance and (2) cowering in fear due to being discouraged. 

     Do you know some “scorekeepers” in your life?  Are you one?  Has Satan had a field day causing you to be distracted and tempting you to distort the real score.  Just keep in mind two things when you are tempted to keep score in life.  (1) God is a scorekeeper too.  The good thing about that is that He knows the correct score and He always comes out on top, so stay on His team and don’t quit.  And (2) remember a quotation attributed to Andrew Jackson:  “One man with God is the majority.”  Consider that truth whenever you’re tempted to “keep score.”

Doug

Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord

Job was truly a remarkable man.  God even says so (Job 1:1, 8 & 2:3).  After losing every kind of blessing (including his health), he refused to whine, complain or blame God.  Even when his wife and friends turned against him.

The book of Job stands out among all of the biblical writings as much for what it says as for what it doesn’t say.  Job’s reply to the tragedies he endured is still relevant for us today – if we take his attitude to heart and imitate his example of faith (see 1:21).

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,”

We are dependent upon God for every need in life.

“And naked I shall depart.”

When we leave this life, we only take our integrity and character with us.

“The LORD gave”

Everything we have in this life is a gift and blessing; not a right – God owes us nothing!

“And the LORD has taken away;”

      Since everything belongs to Him, He has the right to do with it all as He pleases.

“Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

      Our relationship with God is to be our first priority in all things.

            The questions posed in this book still cause problems for us today.  Fortunately in the New Testament age we benefit from God’s answer to this issue.  Why do the righteous suffer?  Just look at Christ on the cross and see the suffering of the only really innocent person.  Can our troubles, trials and sufferings compare with what He endured at Calvary?  In His sufferings we see a God who cares so much for us that He willingly bore the whole stinking mass of human sin and suffering.  For it is in Jesus Christ that the greatest sufferings this world can experience (betrayal, torture and death) provide us with the ultimate blessings (forgiveness of sin and the gift of God’s continual presence - Acts 2:38).

            So the next time you’re tempted to blame God and ask, “Why”, remember His promise to be with you through it all.  And keep in mind the mansion He has prepared for you in the next life that will be free from all of the evils in this life.

Doug

No Broken Promises

            Don’t you hate it when people break their promises?  You get your hopes up and then they dash them to pieces by neglecting to do what they said they would.  It’s difficult to trust them afterwards. 

            God, of course, has never gone back on any of His promises.  This is what Joshua reminded the people of during his farewell address (Joshua 23:14).  Yet there was a time when one of our biblical heroes experienced what appeared to be a broken promise from God.

            The account is found in Genesis 22:1-18.  Abraham is told by God to offer his son Isaac as a burnt sacrifice to the LORD.  Now just wait a minute!  Since when did God allow human sacrifices?  And not only that, but His promise to Abraham was that he would become a great nation through Isaac.  How can this happen if Abraham kills him?

            What’s amazing to me is that Abraham obeyed God without raising any objections.  My first reaction would be to accuse God of breaking His promise.  But not Abraham.  Notice what Scripture says about this man’s faith:  “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death” (Hebrews 11:19).  Wow!  That thought would have never occurred to me.  What faith he had in God that he would have considered a drastic idea like resurrection.

            And now the lesson comes home to me.  How do I react whenever God requests that I give up something in order to rely more fully on Him?  Am I willing to give my children to Him?  Am I willing to give my marriage to Him?  Am I able to trust Him to carry me through life?   God has promised take care of my needs (Matthew 6:33-34) and that he will bring good results out of all the chaos I create (Romans 8:28).  But do I believe these promises?  Is my faith strong enough that I can truly trust them?          

            The answer to all of these questions is “Yes” in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).  And this will become clearer to me the more time I spend with Him.  It will become as apparent to me as it did to Abraham the closer I grow toward the One who has never failed on a promise.

Doug

The Power Satan Fears Most

     Man's basic desire down through history has been to try and make his "toys" and weapons bigger and better than before.  This is shown in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons.  The alien movies all show man's attempt to come up with a superior weapon that can defeat a technologically advanced enemy.  Desert Storm gave Americans a feeling of invincibility because of our bigger and better war machines.

     But in our spiritual war with Satan, our most powerful weapon against him is rarely used.  It's sad to see so many people defeated by money problems, job stress, fear of death, or physical and emotional health problems.  Satan has deceived so many into turning a blind eye to a superior power source that is right within reach.

     What is this weapon that Satan dreads?  The Spirit of God.  Living right inside every Christian (Romans 8: 9-11).  So, if God's spirit dwells inside us and Satan can't stand against it, why are so many of us defeated by the enemy? 

     Because God's people haven't given enough time, study and practice to get a proper understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.  And since our knowledge and perception of him is weak, so is our ability to stand against the devil. 

     Romans 8 has been called the great Spirit chapter of the Bible.  In these verses, the Apostle Paul provides an invaluable resource for encouraging each one of us to take advantage of the power that Satan fears the most - the Holy Spirit.  He's right at our fingertips.  When we let the Spirit lead us, He will take care of everything for us (26, 27).  The final result, says Paul, is complete and total victory (31-39).

     Now I can understand why Satan is working so hard to keep us from learning about this powerful weapon.  If we all took advantage of it, he would be out of business. 

     So is your God big enough to give you the victory?  He is if His Spirit lives in you and you trust Him to lead you.  Isn’t it time to learn more about the weapon Satan doesn't want you to know about?

Doug

The Joy of the LORD

            Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."                                                                                                                     Nehemiah 8:10

            The context of this passage above follows the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the renewal of The Covenant between Israel and God.  The Jews that returned from Babylonian exile were reacting to the teaching of the Law of God by Ezra the priest.  The people were weeping after learning what God required of them and knowing they were guilty of not obeying His law.  However, Nehemiah understood that, even though spiritual restoration begins with godly sorrow and repentance, it is necessary to leave the anguish and sadness of guilt behind and begin to rebuild your relationship with God by enjoying the relief that comes from being forgiven. 

In many Scriptures God appeals to His people to rejoice and to be joyful, happy and contented in this life (Psalm 4:7; 16:11; 30:11; 118:24; John 15:11; Romans 15:13; Philippians 4:4 just to name a few). This is especially so in the light of the forgiveness that is available now that Jesus has conquered sin through His sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead.  Yes, it is terrible that Jesus had to give His life to pay for our sin, but once baptized and saved, it is important to celebrate and reach out to others looking for the same relief. 

You can’t encourage others to come to Christ by moping about and constantly “kicking yourself” over past offenses (that God has now forgiven and forgotten).  You also can’t build a loving relationship with God through constant remorse and continually begging His forgiveness.  There comes a time when it is appropriate and essential to rejoice and celebrate your faith and salvation.  This joy helps you grow up (mature) into Christ.  This joy encourages sinners to desire to be saved and share a similar faith that you’re demonstrating.  This joy builds courage and confidence and contentment.  So, as Nehemiah declared, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Doug

Turn Your Righteousness Inward

            Many times in the pages of the Bible, God reminds His people that unless they have the proper attitude and spirit when practicing their religion, what they do is meaningless and vain.  In 1 Samuel 15:22 it says that He prefers obedience to sacrifice.  In Isaiah 1:16-17 He tells His people to wash themselves, do what is right, and seek justice.  In Micah 6:8 He states that what is required of us is to act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him.  Jesus said in Mark 12:28-34 that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your being and your neighbor as yourself.  When asked what works God is pleased with, Jesus answered that the work of God is to believe (faith) in the One He has sent (John 6:28-29).  And James says that true religion is seeing to the needs of those less fortunate while getting rid of sin and selfishness (James 1:26-27).

            So, then, Christianity isn’t as much what I do, as it is who I am - or who I am becoming.  My actions and good deeds are to flow from my faith and commitment to Christ (Romans 1:5).  I am saved by the grace of God, not by what I do, or how I worship, or how many sermons I preach, but by putting on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27) and turning my righteousness inward (imitating Him).

            I believe that this is what Jesus was trying to get Nicodemus to understand in John 3.  Jesus was challenging him to think on the spiritual level - to turn his righteousness inward.  The man had been trained to think on the physical level (as the Pharisees were fanatical about outward shows of religion).  But now that Jesus had arrived, it was necessary to turn those righteous rituals inward and begin applying spiritual thinking to everyday life.  Paul says in Colossians 3:1-4 that since Jesus has died and been raised and ascended to the Father, our thoughts and actions are to flow from the heart based on our faith in Him.

            Therefore, each of us must strive to control the destructive inner desires that weaken our faith and credibility and use every opportunity God provides to spread the message of Jesus through our words and our actions (1John 3:18).  Our reasons for loving and serving others are to be motivated by our faith in Christ.  Because God is pleased when He sees His children growing in Christ and loving one another, just as His servant John writes (3 John 4).

Doug