THE WILL OF GOD

8 30 12 The Will of God  

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture: 1 John 2:17 (NIV) The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Note: Knowing the will of God is something that most Christians, those who are growing in the knowledge of God, would like to know. We know that revealing the will of God is a work of the Holy Spirit. If you are like me you pray often for God’s will to be revealed. This makes it sound as though God’s will is lost or hidden or cannot be known, but this is not the case. God’s will is visible and ever present and is revealed in His Holy Word, the Bible. Today, I would like for us to look at some of the things that are clearly revealed in the Bible to be the will of God.

1. God’s will is for all mankind to be saved, not wanting anyone to perish. The apostle Peter wrote in his letter 2 Peter 3:9 that even though it may seem that the Lord is slow in keeping his promise what he is really doing is exercising great patience and compassion so humanity will have adequate time to hear the gospel message. He wants everyone to hear the gospel, the life-saving message of Christ, because he doesn’t want anyone to be spiritually lost.  God’s desire is for all of mankind to be saved and for them to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4).

2. God’s will is for all mankind to be filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is the spirit-filled man or woman who worships God in spirit and in truth, the way that is pleasing to him. It is the spirit-filled man or woman who studies the word of God and is taught by the Holy Spirit. It is the spirit-filled man or woman whose singing and praise is pleasing to God. They are not just singing words. They affirm God’s truths through song and worship Him with gratitude in their hearts to God. Without the Spirit there is no acceptable worship, praise, or understanding the things of God.     

3. God’s will is for all mankind to be sanctified. Sanctification is our willingness to be dedicated to holy service to God and God alone. Our sanctification should be obvious to those who live around us. The sanctified individual will do the will of God and avoid anything that is evil, unholy or is not the will of God. The sanctified rely on the Holy Spirit’s teaching to equip and lead them into a life of transformation, a deep personal knowing relationship with Christ, a transformation that results in their becoming like him. (Rom 12:2)   

4. God’s will is for mankind to suffer if need be because of living a righteous life. Those who live in the will of God will be persecuted for their faith. Anyone who lives a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer, because they stand in opposition to the evil and ungodly lifestyles of those who are lost. Jesus was persecuted and ultimately put to death because he lived the “will of God.” If the world hated him it will hate us who are striving to live a righteous life in Christ. (1 Pet 3:17; 2 Tim 3:12).

5. It is God’s will for us to give thanks in all circumstances. We are to be joyful always and live in a continual state of prayer. (1 Thess 5:16-18) We often confuse the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness comes from things but true joy comes from a relationship, a relationship we have with God. You cannot have joy without Jesus. It is the joy of knowing Christ that enables us to give thanks in all circumstances; “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Ro 8:28; see also Jn 15:10-11).

The five things listed above are just a few of the things that are the “will of God” for all people. A believer having knowledge of these five things should have more than enough to work with to keep them growing and actively involved in their faith. Don’t struggle in prayer for God to reveal his will to you, instead go to the Scripture, study the word, and the will of God will be revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

If you are not interesting in receiving these devotionals please let me know and I will remove you from the list. I hope you enjoy them and that they encourage you to faithfulness. david

MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

8 29 12 My Grace is Sufficient  

      

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV) To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Note: What kind of life would we be living if it consisted of only blessings? It didn’t work for Adam and Eve and I doubt seriously it would work for us. The burdens we face in life are important in perfecting our faith. If they were not, God would not allow them. The best example of suffering is Jesus Christ but today I want us to look at a good New Testament example of suffering, the apostle Paul. I want us to see how God allowed Satan to torment him with a thorn in his flesh, a thorn that was so painfully debilitating that on three occasions Paul asked the Lord to take the torment away. Each time God’s response to Paul was, “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul shares this struggle of his with the Corinthians in retrospect. Now, because of God grace and power, he is able to share with them the blessing that was his due to God not answering his prayer in the way he wanted. God knew what was best for Paul to keep him from being defeated by the attacks of Satan. God’s answer to Paul is seen in His provision of grace and power. He changed Paul’s weakness into strength. He was able to boast in his weakness because when he was at his weakest Jesus Christ demonstrated His greatest display of power in Paul’s life.

How was God’s greatest display of power shown to Paul? His weakness and the struggles that accompanied it developed within him Godly character. Paul shared this truth with the church at Rome, writing in Romans 5:3-5 that he was able to rejoice in his sufferings, because he knew that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. He continued to write, hope did not disappoint me, because God has poured out his love into my heart by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given me.

Paul would never have been able to accomplish what he did for the Lord if he had not had to go through the trials and difficulties, the thorn in his flesh he had to live with. His life is a showcase of suffering, perseverance, and God’s transforming power. God’s character became Paul’s character. Everything that God allowed Paul to go through, all of the battles, challenges, and struggles, resulted in Paul having a deep loving relationship with Christ. Late in his life he spoke from a dungeon cell in Philippi of his eagerness to prove himself worthy to courageously face his impending death. He wanted Christ to be exalted in his body whether he lived or died. He made a powerful statement that reflected his deep commitment and love for Christ, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21) That my friends, is the evidence of God’s all-sufficient grace and power in Paul’s life.

Word from the Lord:  Beloved, I take no pleasure in your suffering and discomfort but know this; I will be faithful to you in the midst of it. I will supply grace on top of grace; grace that is greater than all the evil that the enemy can bring against you. Out of all the trials and difficulties you face I will bring a blessing and turn your tears into joy and gladness. I am working all things together for good because you love me and I love you with an everlasting love.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

LIVING HOPE

8 28 12 Living Hope             

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture:  Isa 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Note: Everyone has hopes, some big, some small, but we all hope for something. Worldly hope and biblical hope are not the same. A quick illustration will help you understand the difference. Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale Florida started a program called Evangelism Explosion to be used as an outreach program. I don’t have the space available to go into much detail about it but one of the questions the people being visited were asked follows: “If you were to die tonight would you go to heaven?”  The overwhelming answer to this question was, “I hope so.” This question was followed by an equally important one.  “If you died and go to heaven and are standing at the gate and Saint Peter asks you why he should let you in, how would you answer?” Most replied with answers like the following: “I’ve tried to live a good life, I’ve tried to be honest, I’ve tried to be a good husband/wife, I’ve tried to be a good neighbor, I live by the “golden rule.” All of these answers are expressions of their hope, the hope they have in being acceptable to God and being allowed entrance into heaven at their death. Their hope is in themselves and in their goodness, what they have done. This is worldly hope and worldly hope at best is no hope at all.

So what is Biblical hope? Using the same illustration, how would a believer answer the same two questions?  Question one: “If you were to die tonight would you go to heaven?”  Their answer would be, “yes.” The second question: “If you died and go to heaven and are standing at the gate and Saint Peter asks you why he should let you in, how would you answer?” Their answer would be, “Because I’m trusting in Jesus Christ and him alone for my salvation.”

Biblical hope is in the Lord not in self. Biblical hope is my hope because I have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I have Biblical hope because I have entrusted my life totally and completely to God. Biblical hope means that I have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; I know him and he knows me. God’s Word tells me that if I confess with my mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead, I will be saved. For it is with my heart that I believe and am justified, and it is with my mouth that I have confessed and am saved (Ron10” 9-10). That’s Biblical hope! It’s all about Him and not about me.

Because of my confession and belief in Jesus, who is my hope, when I do pass from this life, I will enter into heaven and eternal life with Christ. That is why Biblical hope is a living hope. The same eternal life that belongs to Jesus Christ is my eternal life. He died so that I could live. By faith I died with Christ and by faith I will live with him. I do not have to “hope” I will do enough good to get into heaven; that is impossible. I am a sinner. But hallelujah I am a sinner saved by grace. Christ has paid the price for my salvation and my hope is in Him and Him alone.

One last contrast between worldly hope and biblical hope: worldly hope is placed in man; biblical hope is placed in God. My hope for you is that you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ and He is your living hope.

Word from the Lord:  Beloved, I know you have many questions about dying, about life. Don’t listen to those around you who do not know me. Remember my words, they are truth and they are life. My Son, Jesus, died and on the third day came forth from the grave to live again. When you place your faith in him as Lord and Savior you become a part of his resurrection life. The grave could not hold my Son and it will not hold you. You will die physically but you will live eternally. These promises of mine spoken by my Spirit to your spirit will give you a living hope and peace that passes all understanding. You are mine and I have your name written in the palm of my hand. I love you.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

 

POVERTY OF SPIRIT

 8 27 12 A Poverty of Spirit        

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture:  1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)  The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The following is an interesting e-mail received from Mike Evans of the "Jerusalem Prayer Team." 

He wrote:  Many years ago in Rome, Mother Teresa prayed with me for the children of Jerusalem. I said to her, “It must be difficult living in Calcutta, one of the poorest cities in the world, and with such terrible suffering.” She looked at me with sparkling eyes and said, “Where? Calcutta?” She said, “I don’t live there.” I was amazed when she said, “I live in the city of joy, but I’m going to the poorest country in the world tomorrow—America. It suffers from a poverty of spirit. Pray for me.” 

Note:  When you think of America what comes to your mind? The freedoms that we enjoy, the high standard of living, the wonderful medical care, land of opportunity. I doubt if you or I had been asked what is the poorest country in the world, the one suffering from the greatest poverty of spirit, we would not have guessed the United States of America. But when you stop and think about the statement made by Mother Teresa, looking at the things going on around us, examining the state of our nation and the state of the Church, she may not be wrong in her judgment. So, how about it? Do you think America suffers from a poverty of spirit?  

First of all what does “poverty of spirit” mean? I take it to mean the spiritual condition of its people. After all a tree, a river, mountains, cities, for that matter anything that is not human cannot possess a spirit. So if America has a poverty (lack of, deficiency, shortage) of spirit it would be a reference to the spiritual condition of those who are its citizens. But what gauge do we use to reach our conclusions? There’s only one gauge to use…the Bible. It’s the only book or source available to mankind that reveals what it means to be spiritual or non-spiritual, growing strong in the spirit or becoming weak in the spirit; flourishing spiritually or being spiritually impoverished. It’s the only book that reveals the source of our spirituality if we are in fact spiritual beings.

How does the Bible describe a spiritual or non-spiritual man or woman?  

The Bible normally divides humanity into three categories.

Category 1. The lost or unsaved: Those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ and have not been spiritually renewed, transformed or “born again” (Jn 3:3-7).  An individual who has not been born again is still controlled by his natural instincts, resistant to God’s call and openly in conflict with anything that has to do with God. They live according to the dictates of the flesh, setting their minds on the things of the flesh rather than the things of the Spirit. They are carnally minded and enemies of God, attempting to have all references to God removed from society. There is absolutely nothing they do in their carnal state that is pleasing to God and if they remain carnal in their thinking they will be eternally separated for God and his righteousness when they die.(Ro 8:5-8).

Category 2. The redeemed or saved: This is the individual who has accepted God's forgiveness made available to them through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. They are spiritually renewed ( born again) through their personal faith placed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Because they have been born again they are a new creation in Christ, indwelt and empowered by the Spirit of God. As new creations in Christ, they are spiritually minded rather than worldly minded. They not only understand the truths of God’s Word they want to live out His Word becoming like Christ.  (Ro 8:9-11).  They willingly put to death the old man or woman, choosing to live by the Holy Spirit’s guidance (Ro 8:4-17; Gal 5:16-26).  They want to live in such a way as to glorify God in their witness and testimony, serving Christ and relying on him to empower them and enabling them to resist ungodly and destructive desires and the influence of sin (Ro 8:13-14).

Category 3. The carnal christian: This group consists of individuals who confessed Christ but continue to follow the ways of the world while claiming to be Christian. This group may marginally follow Christ but their lifestyle reflects the ways of the world more than those of Christ. This characteristic is clearly seen in their unwillingness to submit their will to God’s will. As an old saying goes: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you.” They try to live with one foot in heaven and the other in the world. They are trying to serve two masters, God and Satan. Their lives are characterizes by compromise. They think they are in control of their lives but in reality they are allowing Satan to sit on the throne of their hearts and mistakenly think that their worldly, progressive views are acceptable and approved by Christ. They think calling themselves a Christian and attending church will result in their being approved by God and at death they will go to heaven. God knows your heart. The Bible is very clear about how you are to live as a true believer. (Ro 8:12-14).

Warnings to worldly or carnal Christians:

(a) Worldly Christians must realize that they are in danger of losing their faith if they are unwilling to turn from all that displeases God (Ro 6:14-16; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 2 Cor 11:3; Gal 6:7-9; Ja 1:12-16)  

(b) They must learn from the tragic example of the Israelites, whom God destroyed because of their rebellion against him (1Cor 10:5-12).

(c) They must understand that it is impossible to fully participate in God’s plans and purposes while giving in to the influences of Satan, the world and their own sinful nature (Mt 6:24; 1Cor 10:21).

(d) They must separate and walk in a different path than those in the world (2Cor 6:14-18). By accepting the help and power of the Holy Spirit, they can purify themselves “from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2Cor 7:1). (Fire Bible)

Word from the Lord:  Beloved, don’t be deceived. I will not be mocked. No one will make a fool of me. Men will reap what they sow. There are many who claim to be a part of my family, to be born again, filled with my Holy Spirit, but they bear the fruit of ungodliness, evidence of their fallen sinful nature. They are fooling themselves and showing disrespect for me. They have willingly allowed themselves to be deceived in this way but my Word is clear: such people will not receive eternal life. They will reap what they sow and the fruit of the carnal Christian’s life is death and destruction (Gal 5: 19-21).

  

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

IF I WERE THE DEVIL

8 23 12 Paul Harvey If I Were the Devil Gal 5 19 21

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture:  Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV) ¹⁹ The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul Harvey If I Were the Devil

If I were the devil...

If I were the prince of darkness I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness, and I’d have a third of its real estate and four fifths of its population. But I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree: thee.

So I’d set about however necessary, to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first. I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, “Do as you please.” To the young I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince them that man created God, instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is square. And the old I would teach to pray after me, “our father which art in Washington...”

And then I’d get organized: I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies, and vice-versa. I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
If I were the devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves; churches at war with themselves; and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellect, but neglect to discipline emotions; just let those run wild, until before you knew it you’d have to have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing; I’d have judges promoting pornography. Soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls—and church money.

If I were the devil I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg, and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the devil I’d take from those who have, and give to those who want it, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And what’ll you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich.
I would caution against extremes, and hard work, and patriotism, and moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old fashioned—that swinging is more fun. That what you see on TV is the way to be. And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure.

In other words, if I were the devil I would just keep on doing what he is doing. Paul Harvey, March 16, 1993

Note:  Notice the date 1993. It certainly looks like Paul Harvey got it right and for the lost of the world his comments seem to be very accurate. Go back and read the article again and in your mind compare it to what you see going on around you today, what you see on the local television stations and reading in the local newspapers. What do you think?

What Paul Harvey's article does not address is the victory of those who are in Christ and the battle that they are waging and winning. To view the events going on around us through the eyes of Christ should be reassuring. It means that the prophecies and the Words of Christ are being fulfilled in exactly the way in which Jesus said they would. So rather than being in despair our spirits are rejoicing because we know that Jesus Christ is coming soon.

Today I seek to encourage you in the same way the apostle Paul sought to encourage the Galatian Christians. I encourage you to live by the Spirit, seeking to glorify God; enabling you to win the battle over the flesh and its desire to gratify its sinful nature.

I encourage you to stay in the Word. More importantly "live by the Word.” When you do you will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of what is going on around you, you can inexperience the joy of your salvation and the peace that is yours in Christ. In the midst of the turmoil you can show the fruit of the Spirit, patience, extending kindness, goodness, and gentleness to others, especially to your brothers and sisters in the faith. While the world is out of control the Holy Spirit's power in you enables you to be self-controlled. To bear fruit in the midst of trials and tribulations is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence and your faithfulness to Christ; you choose to walk and live by faith rather than by sight. Your life, the way you live is evidence to all that you belong to Jesus Christ having crucified your sinful nature with its passions and desires.

One of the great blessings that is yours is to see the way you respond to the events going on around you; the way in which you are grieved in your spirit in the same way the Holy Spirit is grieved. This response should be evidence to you that you are a new creation in Christ Jesus. Your new mind, your new way of thinking, is becoming more and more like the mind of Christ. This is a marvelous blessing. It shows Jesus Christ as being faithful in bringing about the change in you, conforming you to his image. This is his ultimate plan and purpose for your life. I hope having knowledge of this truth causes you to say a big, "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord."

Word from the Lord:  

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

TWO WOLVES

8 22 12 Two Wolves          

  

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture:  John 6:27 (NIV)  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

John 6:35 (NIV) Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Note:  Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people: My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The Other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: Which wolf wins?

The old Cherokee simply replied, the one you feed.

As believers there is a great battle going on inside of us as well. It's a battle between the old self and the new self. The old self is worldly, the new self is spiritual. The one you feed is the one who wins the battle. The old self grew strong on its worldly diet, a diet of envy, anger, jealousy, greed, arrogance, resentment, false pride and ego. It was a diet that led to ungodliness, evil and sinful behavior. It was a diet that eventually would result in death. The diet of the new self is a spiritual diet. It's a diet that will make the new man strong in their faith and ultimately result in eternal life. It's a diet that is based on the seven "I am" statements made by Jesus Christ found recorded in the gospel of John. These seven "I am" statements are spiritual bread and spiritual drink for those who hunger and thirst for an intimate relationship with Christ. These statements start in John 6:35 and if believed by faith, will be the bread and drink of life that will satisfy our spiritual needs.

1.     John 6:35; 51 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

2.      John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

3.      John 10:9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.

4.     John 10:11; 14 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--

5.     John 11:25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

6.     John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

7.     John 15:1; 5 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

These seven statements make a seven course meal that will keep us strong and healthy in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Which wolf do you feed?

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

DOTTIE MAE:THE RESULT OF AN ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

8 21 12  Dottie Mae, the result of an ultimate sacrifice.     

     

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture:   Romans 5:6-8 (NIV) ⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Yesterday's devotion was about living a sacrificial life. I received the following illustration a month or so ago and wanted to share it with you today. It deals with a sacrifice made in behalf of another and is a wonderful illustration of love. The article has been edited and given the following title by me. david

Dottie Mae, the result of an ultimate sacrifice.

Life’s message is often, “I've got good news and bad news.” Although that expression is often a fact of life for many of us, for Stacie Crimm it was a definite reality. Stacie Crimm didn’t get to share much time with her infant daughter, Dottie Mae — she’d made the ultimate sacrifice to give the little girl life.

Crimm, a 41-year-old single mother, received the grim diagnosis of terminal head and neck cancer just months after her little girl was conceived. Jubilation, then heartbreak: Crimm never thought she’d have a child. Doctors had told her she wouldn’t be able to conceive. So it was a glorious shock when she discovered she was pregnant. But the jubilation was short-lived. Crimm began to experience terrifying symptoms: crippling headaches, tunnel vision and tremors that shook her entire body. She went to the doctor and got the devastating diagnosis: head and neck cancer.

Crimm had a chance at survival — if she chose to undergo chemotherapy. But that would have put her growing baby in danger. She called her brother to let him know that she’d decided that the risk to her daughter was too great. “She said, ‘If I have to make a decision, you know what that’s going to be.” 

Crimm did her best to hang on so her little girl would have life.  But the cancer was aggressive, and in August, Crimm collapsed in her home. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a C-section to deliver her little girl — 10 weeks premature and weighing just 2 pounds.

The baby was sent to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, in a different building from where Crimm was. NICU nurses couldn’t imagine that a mother who had given so much would never have a chance to see and hold her baby. They put little Dottie Mae in an incubator and wheeled her over to the unit where her mother lay dying.

They placed the little girl on her mother’s chest. Crimm watched her daughter for a few seconds and then she “lifted up her hands and just held her and just looked at her and smiled.” Crimm’s brother remembers the bittersweet moment when his sister held her child. “I felt like it was probably the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life,” Ray Phillips told Matt Lauer on the TODAY Show. “I don’t think I’ll ever see anything that beautiful again.”

Cancer took Stacie Crimm’s life three days after she gave birth to her daughter, Dottie Mae.

Dottie Mae is now living with Ray Phillips, his wife Jennifer, and their six children, just as Crimm requested. She didn’t have many special instructions on how she wanted her daughter to be raised, but she did have big plans for her little girl. (Linda Carroll is a regular contributor to msnbc.com and TODAY.com. She is co-author of the new book "The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic” © 2012 NBCNews.com)

Note: Stacie Crimm is a wonderful example of an individual who joins thousands of others who over the centuries have done the same thing; unselfishly giving their lives in order to protect or to save another person. Without any question Stacie's act of love was a great sacrifice, but every human sacrifice falls short of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made in behalf of sinful man. Stacie Crimm loved her unborn child and was willing to die so her baby would have a chance at life. Jesus loves all of mankind so much He was willing to die so that each one would have a chance for true life, both here on earth and for eternity. Without the death of Christ there would be no second chance. His willingness to die for each one of us demonstrated the great depth of his love.

Word from the Lord: Beloved, the death of my son resulted in your redemption. You were redeemed from out of a wicked and evil people and washed clean by the blood of his sacrifice. His blood was able to purify a people for himself, a people eager to live a life of doing good and being a blessing in the lives of others. He has called you for such a time as this; go in his power, resting in his strength, and seek his face in all you do and he will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you, do not be afraid and do not be discourage.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

LIVING SACRIFICE

8 20 12 Living Sacrifice Ro 12 1 2         

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Note: Paul reveals to us the type of sacrifice that God wants us to make to him; he wants us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice…not a dead one! Paul doesn’t say this is a command of God that we must do but it is something that God would be pleased with. Paul urges us to consider what sacrifice we should give to God in light of his mercy and grace. Have you ever stopped to do this yourself, to reflect upon the difference that Jesus Christ has made in your life? What Paul is really asking us to do is to reflect on why we live the way we will the way we live? Are we living in a way that would please God or attempting to please ourselves?

How we live reveals to us and to others whether or not we are living as a living sacrifice. The bad thing about living sacrifices is they tend to crawl off the altar! To live as a living sacrifice would mean we are living a life of devotion to God. A life characterized by loving him above all else. We would be living by his standards rather than the standards of the world or the standards of my own choosing. We would try to honor him in all we do and say. Our heart’s desire would be to please Him. We would be willing to separate ourselves from all activities that would cause us to doubt God’s Word or his Way or be a stumbling block. To live as a living sacrifice would be to choose the way of the Holy Spirit, submitting ourselves to his leading. When we are pressured to conform “to the pattern” of this world we must rely on the Holy Spirit to help us resist the temptation. Things change. We will have to give up some things, but what we gain is life, abundant life.

To successfully live as a living sacrifice requires our minds to be continually renewed and transformed into God’s way of thinking. The Holy Spirit will be our teacher and guide, giving meaning and understanding to the word of God and how it applies to our lives. This will keep our vision, our values, our plans, how we live and act, acceptable to God.   

Word from the Lord:  Beloved, the more sacrificial your life is lived, the more Christ-like you become. It means you’re being molded into the image of my son. This is my divine purpose for you. One of the great sacrificial ways you will be called to live is to unconditionally love those among you who are hateful and attempting to destroy you. You don’t’ have to like them, but you do have to love them in Christ. It’s not easy and the cost may be great but this is what it means to live as a living sacrifice. The love of Jesus is not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something but to give everything of himself to those who were the object of his love. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

If you are not interesting in receiving these devotionals please let me know and I will remove you from the list. I hope you enjoy them and that they encourage you to faithfulness. david

UNITY

8 17 12 UNITY                 

Don’t forget to pray. 

Scripture: Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV) ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Note: One of the greatest weapons Satan uses against the church is the weapon of disunity. It’s an effective weapon because it is the natural tendency of most people. We all like to have it “our way” but this tendency promotes self and will always lead to disunity. When you are really into promoting self you have little interest in the views or opinions of others and selfishness unchecked leads to self-centeredness; self-centeredness lends itself to a desire to be self-sufficient and self-sufficiency will keep you from acknowledging your deepest need for a Savior. Selfishness is a prideful position and is the opposite of humility which is a characteristic of God. So to act selfishly is to act ungodly. In fact self-centeredness is an attempt by the ungodly to make Christ less than who he really is, the one and only Savior of the world. People act selfishly in order to justify self. 

Whenever you get a group of selfish, self-centered people together you will always have disunity. Our text implies that we as believers are to make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit. There is only one way to do this, we are to submit our will to the way the Holy Spirit and the way of the Holy Spirit will always point to Christ. True unity will never be found in any religion, movement, government, group of individuals or family; it is only found in the body of faith, the Church (the body of believers). 

True unity is seen in the lives of those who have answered the call of Christ and been born again. One of the more obvious ways Spiritual unity is seen in the lives of believers is in the way they respond to the call of God. God’s call is always to obedience, which will lead to peace with others in the body of Christ and as much as possible with those outside the faith. Believers see the source of their unity as Christ and see it as a work of the Spirit. Any success they enjoy is not seen as individual accomplishments but as a result of their oneness “in Christ” with other believers.

In John 17:21 Jesus prayed that his followers would become one as he and the Father were one. This is an essential truth of the Christian faith. The unity of the Spirit is possible only through our willingness to first make peace with God through his Son. Jesus is the unifier of all creation through his death on the cross for the sins of mankind. Our text reveals the importance of unity in the family of God. Notice how often the word “one” is used: one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. The body of Christ cannot be divided and continue to be the body of Christ. Any attempt to add to any of these things mentioned above is apostasy. Apostasy will always lead to worldliness and worldliness will always lead to disunity. Disunity will always lead to death, not only now but for all eternity.

I think all of us would agree that we live in a world and in a nation that is more fragmented than at any time in its history. I cannot remember a time in my life when as a nation we have shown such vile racial hatred and disdain for one another, as we do today. The sad part about this statement is it seems there are few among us who are doing what needs to be done for healing to take place in our land. Instead, it seems most are fanning the flames of discord and hatred which is motivated by their selfishness, self-centeredness and a love of self.

Word from the Lord: Beloved, whenever you give yourself over to an attitude of disunity you are giving yourself over to an authority that is not of me. The authority may be secular or religious but if it does not agree with my Word it is an authority that will ultimately be judged and will go down in flames. My unity is seen in the example given to you in Christ, he is one in me and I am one in him. To submit to any other authority is to cut yourself off from the source of life that is available only in Jesus Christ. To experience the unity of the Spirit you must submit yourselves to Jesus Christ as the Lord of Lords and follow him, submitting yourselves to the Word that became flesh, Jesus Christ my Son. Outside of him, outside of me there is no unity and we love you and desire to be one with you.  

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you! 

ANXIETY, PEACE, PRAYER, PRACTICE

8 16 12 Anxiety, Peace, Prayer, Practice  

Life verse shared by Dan Linstedt. Thanks Dan.

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-9 (NIV) ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Note:  Is it possible to live without anxiety or worrying? It seems that it would be impossible. There are too many things going on in life that offer us the opportunity to be anxious and to worry. We are anxious about our families,  our jobs, our health and our relationships. It seems that there is very little about life that doesn’t cause us to be anxious or to worry. The apostle Paul in our text for today reveals an important truth. The way to deal with anxiety is to pray. In other words Paul’s advice is to turn our anxiety, our worries, into prayers. Do you want to be anxious less often? Then pray more often. Whenever you become anxious and start to worry, stop and pray. How can this possibly help us to be less anxious? Consider the following suggestions:

(1)   When we pray we take our minds off the difficulties that have caused our anxiety and focus instead on the power of God to deal with the challenges that have caused our anxieties. God has made each and every one of us a promise, his grace will be sufficient and he will “work all things together for good to those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

(2)   When we pray we are affirming our faith in God’s faithfulness to do whatever needs to be done that will strengthen us and “grow us up in the faith.” The trials and tribulations of life that cause our anxiety will actually cause us to have greater faith in the sufficiency of Jesus Christ and his love for us. Our faith will be strengthened (1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 6:25-34).

(3)   When we pray we release those things that cause our anxiety and concerns to God. When we do, we find that God will replace those things with his peace. God’s peace is a peace that is supernatural in origin and is unlike anything that the world can offer. It is “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, (and) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). This peace of God is available to all believers at all times. It is not based on feelings or our present situations but on the loving relationship we have with God. God’s peace in us is based on the confidence we have in Jesus Christ to meet every need and challenge we encounter in life.

(4)   As we pray the Holy Spirit will remind us that even though there are things in life that can cause us to be greatly trouble, there is nothing that can ever separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35).

(5)   When we pray and ask God for his help we are casting our burdens, our anxieties on him, because we know he loves us. Our concerns are his concerns.

Once we have turned our anxieties into prayers there is an additional step that is necessary. We are to replace our anxious thoughts with thoughts that are true, decent, right, pure, lovely, and admirable (Phil 4:8). These are the thoughts that exalt God and result in praise and honor to Christ. Why is this important?  What we put into our minds determines what comes out of our hearts. As believers we are to think of those things that are pure and right. If we do, God’s peace is ours. Much of our anxiety is a result of what we put into our minds; the things we see, read and watch. When you stop and consider all the clamoring going on around us, how much of it meets God’s standards of purity…of holiness? To have less anxiety in our lives the things we are reading and watching need to be spiritually nourishing things. We need to ask God to help us examine what we are putting into our minds and to give us a fresh hunger for the things that lead us to right-living. Paul follows his challenge to us, “think about such things” by an equally important challenge;” “put it (those things) into practice, and the God of peace will be with you.” Not only will spiritually healthy thoughts lead to a healthy you, they will also enable you to bear the fruit of Christlikeness. Remember dear friends it is not enough to hear the Word but we must do the Word. Walk your talk.

Word from the Lord: “Beloved, don’t fret and worry, instead pray. Let your anxieties shape the petitions you place before me. Speak them and then release them to me and as you do know that I am working on a solution in your behalf. After you have petitioned me fill your mind with my promises and let my Word replace your worries and fears. I can turn the worst into the best for you; the ugly into beauty; giving you reason to worship and praise me. I am God and I can make all things work together for your good.”  

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

If you are not interesting in receiving these devotionals please let me know and I will remove you from the list. I hope you enjoy them and that they encourage you to faithfulness. david

LISTENING

8 15 12 Listening  

Scripture: John 10:14-17 (NIV) ¹⁴ "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again.

Note: “My sheep know me: …my sheep listen to my voice.”

Do you hear the voice of the Shepherd? If you spend time in His Word, the Bible, you hear his voice each time you open the pages and start to read. It is truly amazing that many individuals who have been Christians for years don’t understand this. God speaks. We hear his voice in our spirit, using our spiritual ears, as we read the Bible. The more we read the more sensitive we become to his voice. Even in the midst of the clamoring voices and noise going on around us in this world, we can hear his voice clearly because he has given us special ears to hear. God speaks and his Word contains important messages for his followers. We need to stay alert, be sensitive to his voice, and be willing to submit our will to his.

While it is not God speaking in the following story I think it is a good illustration of how He communicates to his followers in the midst of a group of people that are oblivious to a message that is he is clearly speaking.  

Gary Preston writes: Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story, perhaps made-up, about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clacked away. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.

The young man completed his form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. Why had this man been so bold? They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the young man who went into the office would be reprimanded for his presumption and summarily disqualified for the job.

Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the inner office escorted by the interviewer, who announced to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this young man."

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and then one spoke up, "Wait a minute--I don’t understand. He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair."

The employer responded, "All the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: `If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. So the job is his." [In Character Forged from Conflict by Gary Preston Logos Bible Software. Printed in Leadership Journal]

God doesn’t speak in Morse code but he does speak a spiritual language only those who have been born again can hear and understand. He speaks in the midst of the cursing, anger and shrill cries of the lost. They hear the language they understand because it appeals to their flesh and their fallen nature. At one time we were like them and it is only by the grace of God that we can now hear. Pray for the lost of the world those who do not know Christ. They cannot hear the voice of the Shepherd and they have not experienced the love he has for them. They are confused and bound by sin, many thinking they are living the good life. Pray that God can penetrate their darkened minds enabling them to hear his invitation. Pray that they will respond to him and be brought into His marvelous light, the light of His salvation.

Word from the Lord:  “Beloved, I have revealed my mind to you in my Son. I sent the Holy Spirit to you to guide you into all truth. When you were born-again you became a spirit being fully able to hear and understand my voice as I speak to you through my Word. You have the mind of Christ and can understand my will for you. When I speak I reveal my will for you and want you to evaluate the things going on around you from my perspective and then to adopt my values loving what I love and hating what I hate. Listen closely. I am doing a new work in you each day that you walk in faith. My purpose is to make you holy and one day to have you stand in my presence in the perfection of my Son, Jesus Christ.” (I Cor 2:14-16)   

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

SPIRITUAL ARMOR Part 4

8 14 12 Spiritual Armor Part 4  

Don’t forget to pray.  

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Note: We continue with our study about the Spiritual Armor God provides to the believer. Today we will look at the last piece of God’s Armor listed in our text. Please continue to keep in mind, this study is about a spiritual battle being waged within us and around us. The battle is not about the “things of this world” but a battle about your heart and your soul.

The last piece of spiritual equipment available to us is prayer. Verse 18 reveals to us that we are to      “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” To be faithful to Jesus Christ requires supernatural power and provision. This power and provision is ours through prayer. We often think of prayer as the way in which we make our needs known to God but God is omniscient, he already knows our needs. What he really wants us to do is to make sure the need we are praying about is in accordance with his will. Although there is no specific formula to prayer they are several conditions that we must meet in order for our prayers to be answered. 

1. Our faith in God must be steadfast. When we pray we must believe and exercise faith that God hears our prayers and has the power to answer them. We must also believe that when we pray God will answer our prayers in the best way possible. (Mark 11:24) 

2. We are to make our prayers in Jesus’ name. We are pray in the power and the authority of His Name. A power he has made available to us through the Holy Spirit and the authority he has given us as children of God. Jesus is God. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. When we pray in Jesus’s name we are praying believing God loves his children and wants to respond to our needs and requests. All answers to prayer will always be in our best interest.

3. We must always pray in agreement with God’s will for our prayers to be answered. There is only one way to know God’s desires, plans and purposes for his creation; the Bible. When we know God’s heart and his will, his plan and purpose as revealed in the word of God, we can pray with confidence and know that God not only hears us but will answer our prayers. 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.” Any prayer we pray that is based on the promises of God will be answered; we may not know exactly when or how, but it will be answered. This confidence is especially ours when we pray for victory over our enemy, Satan. God wants us to be victorious in our journey of faith.

4. We must pray according to God’s will. For our prayers to be effective, we must be living in God’s will. To live in accordance with God’s will is to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). The apostle John who was deeply loved by Jesus wrote the following in 1 John 3:21b-22 “…we have anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.” Loving God, submitting our will to his, following his commands and striving to please him in all we do and say is necessary for receiving answers to our prayers. God wants to have a personal relationship with us. He will do His part; but we must do our part.

We are to live our lives in a continuous attitude of prayer; this means we are to pray often, asking the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us. The moment we are tempted or feel we are under attack, we are to pray, pray for strength, wisdom and the power necessary to overcome all temptations. Temptation is not a sin but what we do with temptation can result in sin. We are not only to pray for ourselves, we are to pray for one another and if need be join them in their spiritual battles as they seek to defeat the enemy that is coming against them.

Word from the Lord: “Beloved, pray persistently and be alert to all that is going on around you. The enemy is seeking every opportunity made available to him to attack you and destroy your faith. My Holy Spirit will guard your heart and will alert you when the attacks come. Don’t drop your guard, be spiritually sensitive, stay in my Word and more importantly, live it out. Don’t forget to pray for others. Many today from all over the world will lose their life rather than renounce their faith. Pray for them to have a powerful witness before those who are unsaved, those who do not know Me. Pray that their unshakable faith that resulted in their loss of life will be a strong witness to the unsaved and that countless numbers will come to faith by confessing Me as their Lord and Savior.”

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

SPIRITUAL ARMOR Part 3

8 13 12 Spiritual Armor Part 3  

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Note: We continue with part 3 of our study about the Spiritual Armor God provides to the believer. Today we will look at the next two pieces of God’s Armor. Remember, there is a spiritual battle being waged within us and around us and the battle is not about the “things of this world” but a battle for the hearts and souls of mankind.

 ·         ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Notice there are two pieces of equipment in this verse of Scripture that we are to put on, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

 Salvation is a result of God’s grace and accomplishes our deliverance, deliverance from being held captive by sin. Salvation is individual in nature. Deliverance from our old self is accomplished through our new birth in the spirit when we become a new creation in Christ Jesus. The helmet of salvation is there to protect the mind where the greatest attacks of Satan occur. Satan is the author of lies and confusion and will do everything in his power to cause us to doubt the word of God. The only weapon available to us is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. It is so important to read the word and make it a part of our lives. The Sword of the Spirit is a supernatural weapon available only to a child of God. We use the Word of God as a defense against the enemy but also as our offensive weapon as we reclaim the territory that Satan occupies within our hearts and minds. We must rid our minds of the lies that the world (Satan) has been telling us and replace them with the truth of God’s word in order to be victorious. God’s enemies are our enemies and for a Christian to be fully equipped and ready to do battle, we must know and place our faith in the Word of God. When the attack of Satan comes we are to respond in the same way that Jesus responded, He quoted Scripture (Luke 4:1-13). We must abide in His Word, living out what we say we believe. This is the best way to overcome the attacks of the enemy. God’s Word is powerful and is able to defeat our enemies and deliver us in victory to the glory and honor of Jesus Christ.  

Word from the Lord: “Child of God the Christian life is an ongoing struggle of good against evil. It requires perseverance and hardship. Living our lives faithfully is the best defense against those who distort the truth and call the Bible into question. You are not only to deliver the truth; you are to live the truth. Living the truth is evidence of your personal relationship with my Son and your willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit. Put on the full armor of God dear ones, you can never stand victoriously against the attacks of Satan unless you are fully clothed in the armor I have made available to you.”

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!

SPIRITUAL ARMOR Part 2

8 10 12 Spiritual Armor Part 2  

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Yesterday we looked at the belt of truth. Today we will look at the next three pieces of God’s Armor for the protection of His saints (that’s you). This battle being waged within us and around us is not about the things of this world but a battle for the hearts and souls of mankind. But praise the Lord, we are not alone; all the forces of heaven are on our side. Remember, Jesus said, “in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33)!

• 14b with the breastplate of righteousness in place. There is only one type of “righteousness” that has been made known to mankind, the righteousness of Christ. His righteousness becomes our righteousness when we confess Jesus Christ as Lord. We show the righteousness of Christ by the way in which we live. It should be obvious to all around us that we are striving to live for Christ in everything we do. Righteousness is a desire of the heart and is a work of the Holy Spirit. It becomes ours as we submit ourselves to the will of the Spirit. Living righteously is a result of our new nature, our being born again and is seen in how we treat others regardless of how we are treated. Living righteously as a follower of God will always be an affront to the ungodly. It was the righteousness of Christ and his message of salvation that led to his crucifixion. Satan rejoiced in the unrighteous, godless behavior of mankind when they crucified Christ. He thought they had finally done away with this promised seed; but little did he know that the ultimate victory over sin and death came as a result of the death of Christ. Satan’s rejoicing was premature. He is a defeated foe. While Satan rejoiced heaven celebrated. Had Jesus not died there would have been no resurrection, no redemption, no forgiveness, and no life eternal. Instead of victory, Satan’s defeat was assured; the King of Righteousness will rule and reign for eternity. Right standing with God is now possible to all through the death of Jesus on the cross. The breastplate of righteousness we put on by faith can protect the heart of a child of God because they are under his protective care.


• 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. The peace we have available to us is the peace of God’s presence. There can be no peace without Christ. We may have periods of calm, but true inner peace will never be ours outside of Christ. But in Christ his peace is our peace, even in the midst of the most difficult battles. The gospel is our “good news.” When believed it takes care of man’s greatest fear, the fear of death. When there is no fear of death there is peace. It is our inner peace and lack of fear that enables us to share Jesus with others and encourage them to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. To share the gospel is to be an agent of peace. Once the peace of Christ is experienced we begin to understand why the Bible refers to the peace of Christ as the peace that passes all understanding. Spiritual battles may continually rage around us but the peace of Christ sustains us.

• 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The shield of faith is our ultimate protection. It is centered in the Word of God and the promises that God has made us. By faith we believe God and it’s through faith that God will deliver us. Faith can extinguish all of the evil lies that Satan hurls our way. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, when our faith is in Christ.

Word from the Lord: “Child of God the Christian life is an ongoing struggle of good against evil. It requires perseverance and hardship. Living our lives faithfully is the best defense against those who distort the truth and call the Bible into question. You are not only to deliver the truth; you are to live the truth. Living the truth is evidence of your personal relationship with my Son and your willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit. Put on the full armor of God dear ones so you can stand victoriously against the attacks of Satan, clothed in the whole armor of God.”

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!