ROMANS 8 THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: Part 1

The reason I call Romans chapter 8 the most important chapter in the New Testament is because this particular chapter address the dilemma that is brought up in chapter 7. This dilemma is a common problem that all Christian experience as they strive to live a life that pleases God and worthy of our calling in Christ.

Romans chapter 8 starts off with the word, “Therefore”. Whenever you see this word it is always referencing to what has just be said and in this case what was said in chapter 7. So what exactly is the dilemma expressed in chapter 7? Simply this:

Why Do I Still Struggle With Sinning Even Though I Have Given My Life To Christ As Lord? And I Feel Helpless To Do Anything About It!

Read what the Apostle Paul Actually Says,

“For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but i practice the evil that I do not want to do … What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Romans 7:18,19, 24

I think it is important to note that even the Apostle Paul struggled with desiring to do what is good but finding that he lacked the ability to do so. If this was a struggle with the Apostle Paul then surely all of us will struggle with it also.

This struggle is a common Christian experience. All of us more often than not finding ourselves doing things that we know we shouldn’t do. We feel helpless and hopeless. We hate ourselves for it! After another failure we look into the mirror and see our reflection with disgust. We are ashamed, embarrassed and wish we could go hide somewhere so no one can see us. But since we can’t go physically hide somewhere we instead we hide by putting on a pretense in front of others. We smile and pretend that all is going just perfectly with our spiritually lives in front of our Christian friends and family. And this is done all because we don’t want others to see the real spiritual condition of our lives.

But all this pretending only serves to perpetuate our failure and our struggle. We can’t fake our way out of this dilemma and as we have discovered over and over again we can’t force or will our way out of it. If we could we would have already done it.

WE’RE JUST NOT STRONG ENOUGH!

So what then is the alternative? If faking it doesn’t help and if our own personal strength fails us to live right, then what is the solution? That’s what chapter eight of Romans deals with. Chapter eight reveals God’s strategy for overcoming the power of sin in our lives and the way to live a life that is pleasing to God.

In the upcoming posts in this series of blogs we will unpack exactly what the Bible says about overcoming the power and influence of our sinful flesh and how to live a life that please God and worthy of our calling.

God's Evaluation Of The Message Of Health & Wealth False Teachers

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There is a teaching that has found its way into the church ever since the times of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy warned him against these preachers and a particular kind of teaching that was false but still was found very appealing to so many. Sadly, these same kind of teachers exists in our churches today and their false teaching is still attractive to many who are in our churches.

Listen to what the Bible says,

“If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interests in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, and constant disagreement among people who’s minds are depraved and deprived fo the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.” 1 Timothy 6:3-5 (CSB)

In this passage there are many descriptions of the kind of teaching that makes these preachers classified as a false teacher. Some of those descriptions are not being in agreement with the teaching of Jesus, doesn’t and doesn’t promote godliness. But there’s one particular teaching that is specifically identified and needs to be carefully considered. Why? Because it is destructive and still very much at play in the church of North America.

What is it? Simply this:

That Godliness Is A Way To Material Gain!

It is a teaching that says:

• if you act in a godly way God will reward you with wealth.

• That it is God’s will for all His people to be wealthy.

• If you don’t have wealth it is because you don’t have enough faith.

The Apostle Paul is very clear about this kind of teaching. Paul says it is false and comes from false teachers. He describes these teachers as being:

1. Conceited: They think more highly of themselves than they ought to.

2. Understands nothing: They not only lack truth but they lack the ability to discern truth.

3. Having unhealthy interests in disputes: They love conspiracy theories.

4. Argue over words. They like to take words and ascribe different definitions to them!

These Teachers Are The Source Of All Kinds Of Problems. Problems Like:

• Envy: These kind of teachers and the message they give lends itself to becoming envious of others and what they have.

• Quarrels: Literally fights. Fights breakout because of them and their message.

• Slander: They build themselves up by tearing other people down.

• Evil Suspicions: Always suspicious of people feeling that everyone is trying to take what they got.

• Disagreements with people: This evil suspicion doesn’t lend itself to living in harmony or agreement with others but instead causes arguments.

Two Basic Descriptions About These Teachers:

• The Are Depraved: Literally means the corruption of ones morals. The moral fiber of these teachers is corrupted and falling a part. They are morally bankrupt. They have no Godly values that guide them.

• They Are Deprived Of The Truth: To be deprived is to be severely denied something of importance. It is very much like that of neglecting a child of love, or clothing or food. It is a serious neglect. But in this case these teachers are deprived of what really is truth. There teaching holds no truth.

The Apostle Paul warns us to stay clear of these kinds of teachers. We are not to entertain their teaching. Ther motives are for their own person material gain. You’ll often hear them teach you that if you give to their ministry then God will reward your sacrifice with giving you a hundred fold return. In other words they are trying to tell you that if you give to them financially then God will make you rich.

The only we read of Jesus telling people to sell all that they have and give it away was to a rich young ruler found in Mark 10:17-27. But there’s a big difference from what Jesus did and what these health and wealth teachers teach! They teach for you to give them money. But Jesus taught that we should give what we have to the poor. You see Jesus doesn’t want our money and He doesn’t need our money. What does Jesus want:

HE WANTS YOU

4 REASON'S WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD KEEP OUT OF WORLDLY PURSUITS!

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As fully devoted followers of Christ we need to give careful attention to what things we pursue in life! Why? Because they can either help us grow in our devotion to Christ or hinder us. A Godly goal is a good thing but a worldly pursuit is not.

In this post I want to share with you 4 reasons why God’s people should at all cost avoid pursuing worldly goals and in particular keep themselves from getting entangled in the love of money. The Love of Money, by the way, according to the Bible is one particular way Christian quite often get caught up in the things of the world.

To accomplish I will be sharing 3 Pitfalls that come with choosing worldly goals and what happens to those who stumble into those pitfalls. These pitfall’s are found in 1 Timothy 6:9-10:

“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires. , which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” ((CSB)

These pitfalls are:

PITFALL #1:

It Makes You susceptible To Temptation: When our heart longs for the things of this world we become more vulnerable to the wiles and schemes of the devil. Temptations in and of themselves are not sins but they are the doorway that leads a person to sin. The primary reason a person commits a sin is because they have some kind of worldly desire they are trying to satisfy. And that unmet satisfaction cause people to look for its fulfillment in ways that God says is sinful. Therefore, the cure is not to continually fight off the temptation but to root out the evil and sinful desires and replace them with God honoring desires. So, if your sincere desire is to live a life that pleases God then you need to make sure that your hearts desires are on the things of Heaven and off the things of this world.

PITFALL #2:

It’s a trap that will ensnare you. Traps have been used throughout the ages by hunters who are want to catch unsuspecting animals. They are usually camouflage so the animal will not see it and step into it. And this is the way it is with the goals of this world and especially the love of money. The true intent of these longings are hidden and dressed up to look like things that are good. After all, what could be wrong with being rich if it allows me to give more money to help the poor? What’s wrong with having a nicer and bigger home for my family to live in? Shouldn’t they be able to live in a nice place? You see the issue isn’t what you can do with the money but what you are willing to do to get the money or your true motivation for getting the money.

PITFALL #3:

It Ignites Feelings That You Shouldn’t Have: The problem with the love of money or the desire to have the things of the world is that it doesn’t stay satisfied with the fulfillment of those desires. As a result of pursing them newer and more harmful desires start to grow. There are some feelings that we were never intended to have or experience. The “Love of Money” is described as a “root”. If temptation is the seed then the love of money (materialism) is the root that is form from that seed and it in turns grows into a blooming plant of all kinds of other evil and more harmful desires. If you think that you can control your love for money and keep it contained then you are only fooling yourself. The only way to keep yourself from growth of all kinds of evil in your life is to uproot the love of the world and replace it with a root that exclusively loves God.

Now let me share a little bit about what the end result will be if you fall into one or all of these pitfalls and fail to uproot and guard agains the love of this world and the pursuit of worldly goals. Quite simple it is exactly what the Bible says,

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10 (CSB)

2 End Results:

#1: Wandering From The Faith:

In Luke chapter 8 Jesus tells a parable about a person who went sowing seed on different types of ground and then He explains the spiritual significance for each group. Here’s how Jesus describes the seed that feel on the ground filled with thorns and thistles.

“As for the seed that fell among the thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life and produce no mature fruit.” Luke 8:14 (CSB)

This is quite a visible picture, from Jesus, on what happens to people who have their hearts set on the things of this world and not on Christ. The riches and pleasures of life of life choke out or we could also, are more valuable to people than Christ is, and as a result they walk away. Another way of saying it is that people who hear the Gospel of Christ and are excited with the forgiveness of sins that come from following Christ but once they hear that they need to leave everything (including their riches) in order to follow Christ, they walk away sad because they love their money more than they do Jesus.

#2: They Stab Themselves With Lots of Grief:

Notice that verse 10 uses the word pierce and not prick. Why? Because the word pierce suggest a knife or sword stabbing. It is a life threatening wound. It’s not a little poke that might draw some blood but a wound that in most cases lead to death.

Also, notice that this is a self-inflicted wound. This is something you caused yourself and not something someone did to you. You’re the one who sets you life goal, you are the one who decides who your heart will be devoted to. To choose the world over Christ is your chose and the result is a harm that you brought on yourself. It is avoidable if you choose wisely but it is also unavoidable if you don’t choose wisely.

So many people suffer horribly simply because they have chosen to go after the things of this world, to give their heart over to what this world says is important. The pain is real but the pain was and is avoidable.

By simply choosing to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength you will avoid all three of these pitfalls and the consequences that follow. So who will you give your heart to? Will it be God through Jesus Christ or will it be the world.

SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 5: Knowing Your Enemy

In the last post of this series SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE I wrote about Knowing Who’s Not Your Enemy. The reason for that post is because to often we think that people are our enemy and the cause for such terrible difficulties that we experience during spiritual warfare. But people are not our enemy. As we found out that those same people we used to believe were our enemy were in fact the ones we came to liberate. All people before they come to faith in Christ, according to the Bible, are lost, slaves to sin and blinded by Satan. And they are the reason why we are still in this world. Every time we share the Gospel with these people they have an opportunity to experience freedom in Christ. THEY’RE NOT OUR ENEMY - THEY ARE THE ONES WE’VE COME TO RESCUE!

However, we do have a very real and dangerous enemy and we should not take the threat lightly. We need to know of him and about him. The one we know about our enemy the better we can anticipate his what to expect from him, specially during spiritual warfare. Take a look at who the Bible describes is our enemy.

“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.” Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

According to William Barclay, the great New Testament theologian, this verse indicates that the Apostle Paul view our enemy as a very sophisticated and organized system of evil that Satan has constructed to rule this world. There are rulers, there are authorities, there are powers of darkness and there are spiritual forces from the heavenly realms. In verse 11 we read that our enemy is the devil who likes to scheme against us. In verse 16 we read that our enemy is the evil one who is shooting flaming arrows at us.

So who is our enemy? It is none other than Satan and his demonic forces that rule this world on a temporary basis. Satan and his forces are powerful and organized and they certainly do not like those who follow and obey Christ.

The Apostle Peter also identifies Satan as our enemy,

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

In this verse Peter emphasis that we should view Satan as a real and dangerous threat by admonishing us to stay alert and sober minded. And why? Because our enemy is always looking for an opportunity to catch us with our guard down so he may attack.

Peter describes the devil as that of a roaring lion seeking to devour his prey. There are two things I want you to mediate on about the devil.

• First, Satan is a powerful foe. The reason why we call lions the king of the jungle! And that’s because they are strong and able to over power most other animals. They are very high up on the food chain and don’t really cower from their opponents. Satan is the same! He is powerful and if not taken seriously can quick overpower us.

• Second, Satan is a predator. Lions prey on others animals. They don’t grow crops or produce their own food. They feed off of less powerful animals. Satan too is like a predator just waiting to ponce on an unsuspecting person and destroy them. Satan

Satan is not our friend. He is our enemy and he hates us. He does not have our best interest at heart. He will lie, cheat, and steal all to get you in a position where he can ponce on you.

Does the thought of Satan being your enemy cause you to worry at some level? Do you know of other brothers or sisters in Christ who seem to struggle with worry? Then check out this great new book on how you can join Christ on His mission without worry. Hit the link below to get more information:

CLICK HERE

Does Satan Engage In Identity Theft?

Now that’s a really good question!

Does he? And what do I mean when I say that?

Take a quick moment and watch to see if your identity in Christ has been stolen by Satan or not!

SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 4: Knowing Who's Not The Enemy

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“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.” Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

Part of suiting up or preparing for spiritual warfare is to know your enemy. It’s to know who they are so you can recognize them in battle; understand their tendencies and tactics so you are not caught off guard during an encounter with them; and to make sure you are not bringing the fight to the wrong person or group.

In Tom Cruise’s movie The Last Samurai Nathan Algren, a captain in the US Cavalry, has been tasked to prepare the Japanese army to fight again the Samurai led by their leader Katsumoto. While the Samurai are considered to be the enemy of Japan, Katsumoto and the rest of the Samurai believe there struggle is actually in service to Japan’s Emperor and their country. In two different scenes both Captain Algren and Katsumoto express the same attitude about preparing for battle. Both of them share that to prepare for battle against their new enemy they would have to get to know their enemy. So each of them in their own way studies there opponent and gets to know as much about them as possible. Why? To be prepared for when the battle begins, to know what to expect, and develop a strategy that will lead to victory.

This is exactly what the Apostle Paul is now saying in verse 12. He is sharing with the readers that we must know our enemy if we are to be successful and victorious in our struggle during spiritual warfare. To not know your enemy is the path to loss and failure. Successful boxers train with sparing partners who have many of the same tendencies and characters of the opponent they are to fight. Why? To prepared for when the real fight begins. Knowing your enemy is part of suiting up! It’s getting your mind prepared.

But First We Need To Know Who’s Not Our Enemy:

Isn’t interesting that the Apostle starts off telling us who isn’t army before he tells us who is our enemy? I think it’s because Paul knew that too often we have mistaken our enemy for someone who really isn’t our enemy at all. More harm has been done in the name of spiritual warfare because people had a wrong idea of who the enemy was. And as a result they wasted so much time, energy, resources and not to mention credibility with those who desperately need to know Jesus.

So, who’s not our enemy? Who are those we are not to consider our enemy? Read what Paul says:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, …”

Quite simply our enemy is not other people. You mother or father are not the enemy! Your spouse is not the enemy! Your employer or rude co-worker are not your enemy! Not even that obnoxious next door neighbor is your enemy! No person who has ever lived or is alive today is your enemy. When it comes to spiritual warfare. They might be the most unpleasant of individuals you have ever met but they still are not your enemy in spiritual warfare.

Although they may act like your enemy they are not. Then why do they act the way they do? To explain this lets break all of mankind down into two Biblical categories:

• First, there are people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. That would include anyone who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and surrendered over to the Christ’s Lordship. Regardless of that persons past, race, language, country of origin, or any other ways we try to separate ourselves from one another, if they have given their lives over to Jesus the Bibles says they are family. Through Christ all our previous differences have been torn down and we all have been brought together in Christ as one family in God. Other Christians, therefore, are not our enemy, they are family.

• Then, there are people who aren’t Followers of Christ. They have never surrendered to Christ by faith. They are still in opposition to God. If they are in opposition to God then why aren’t they our enemy. To answer that question lets look at how the Bible describes the unbelievers.

  They Are Blinded By Satan!

  “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corn 4:1-4 (NIV)

  Did you see that? The god of this age, Satan, has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they can’t see the light of the gospel. Who do unbelievers act the way they do? Why are they so opposed to God? Simple because they can’t see the truth and it is Satan who has blinded them.

  They Are Slaves To Sin!

  “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36 (NIV)

  The fact of the matter is that every unbeliever is in bondage, a slave to, chained to sin! Sin is their master and they belong to sin. A slave has to do what their master wants them to do. The master controls them and directs them. So when an unbeliever persecutes one of our brothers and sisters in Christ they are only doing what their master commands them to do.

  Now when you put both of these two images together when begin to see a very sad reality that should cause all of God’s people to not hate or consider unbelievers as the enemy. What’s that picture these two combined images create of an unbelievers. Simple this:

  Unbelievers who persecute God’s people do so because they are SLAVES TO SIN and being commanded to do so and they are BLINDED BY SATAN so they can’t even see that what they are doing is horrible and sadly, because of their blindness, they think they are doing what is right and good in the sight of God.

  Close your eyes for just a moment and begin to imagine some particular rude unbeliever you know but imagine them walking around in stocks and chains as a slave to sin and this big thick blindfold covering their eyes with Satan walking behind them whispering in their ears deceiving them into what to believe. Can you see it? Is that picture clear in your mind? Now wouldn’t you agree that image is just pitiful? But that’s how we all were before we to know Christ. And because it is such a pitiful sight it should well up in our hearts pity for them.

  I think this is why Stephen, one of the first deacons of the early church, as he was being pummeled with stones to his death for preaching Jesus and the Gospel could make this petition to the Lord on their behalf. Stephen said.

  “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60 (NIV)

  What? Are you kidding me? Did Stephen just really pray for God not to hold this particular sin of killing him against them? Yes, that is exactly what he did! And, why? Because Stephen knew that they were not his enemy!

  What Stephen at the moment of his death said is very much like what Christ said while hanging on the cross. Christ prayed for the His Father to forgive those who were killing him because they know not what they are doing. You see Jesus knew that those people who were killing them were actually people blinded by Satan and couldn’t see the truth of their actions. Jesus knew that in a very real sense the people who had him arrested, convicted, and nailed to the cross they were not his enemy. In fact they, along with us, are the ones whom He was dying for. They and us are the ones that Jesus and God the Father loves! While it may not appears so at first glance, they are the ones we have come to liberate from slavery to sin and the blindness of Satan. They are the ones needing salvation.

  The Apostle Paul knew this concept better than most other people, for he, at one time, was one of those murderers and Christian haters. He made it his life’s pursuit to seek out and arrest all who claim Christ as savior, that is until he was liberated from spiritual slavery and saw the truth for what it really was. And once he gave his life over to Christ, he became the very thing he once hated most, a Christ loving disciple maker! PEOPLE ARE OUR ENEMY! And we shouldn’t treat them as such. We should love them in spite of their sinfulness.

  Now that we have clearly identified who’s not our enemy the next post will identify who really is our enemy and what he is like.

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SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 3: The Necessity For Spiritual Armor

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

THE ADMONITION: Make Sure You’re Fully Suited Up For Spiritual Battle:

The Apostle Paul starts off in verse 11 with the admonition for us to ensure that we have been full suited up with our spiritual Armor. He’s not suggesting that we put on some of the armor or even most of the armor. No, the Apostle Paul is very clear. We are to make sure we are to put on every piece of our spiritual armor because without all of the pieces we leave ourselves vulnerable to the attacks of the demonic forces that we fight against.

To leave off even one piece of the armor is to create a chink in the armor thus exposing a vital area of our spiritual life to the devil and his attacks. Each piece of the armor is intended to protect a specific essential area of our spiritual life that is vital to our spiritual growth and vitality.

Next, I want you to take notice who’s armor we are to put on! We are not told to put on our own armor! In this verse the spiritual armor that we are to wear is identified as belonging to God. It is God’s armor we are to wear when entering into spiritual battle.

Why is this so important? Because, any king who is leading his soldier into battle will not only be fully suited up with his armor but will be fully suited up with the very best of armor! The materials used and the craftsmanship in making the armor will be the very best. Inferior materials and inferior craftsmanship will not be tolerated when it comes to the king. Why? Because, protecting the king and ensuring his safety is of the utmost importance.

In times past, there were situations, where two opposing kings each would select a champion to go fight each other. Just man against man. This soldier against soldier battle was done instead of the two armies battling it out. It was done in order to spare the loss of lots and lots of lives. The king of the champion that lost would then surrender to the king who’s champion won and he and the his subjects would become servants to the king of the champion.

There were times after a champion was selected that his king would then offer for him his armor to wear into the battle. Why the offer? Again, it was because the armor of the king is always the best armor made and offered the best protection the enemy. The kings offer to wear his armor was to give his champion the best possibility for victory.

That’s exactly what happened when David went out to fight Goliath. Take a look at 1 Samuel 17:37-39 says,

“… Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the Lord be with you.' ‘Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.” (NIV)

Out of all the soldiers in Israel not one of them was willing to go fight Goliath as Israel’s champion. They all were to afraid. But because of David strong faith in God, even though he was just shepherd boy, he was willing to make his stand against the giant. Even though he had no armor of his own, he was wiling to go. King Saul seeing both the courage and faith of this young man was then wiling to offer his very own armor for David to wear into battle. He wanted to give David the best fight chance possible to win. As it turned out David didn’t wear the armor because it was to big and he had not trained fighting with the armor. David knew he had a far better chance for victory if he used that which he knew best and not using something so unfamiliar.

Now here’s the point I am trying to make with all of this information.

Our Spiritual Armor Is God’s Armor

God is clothing us with the VERY BEST of Spiritual Armor, His armor, so that we are very well protected from the enemy. If this is God’s armor that He would wear into battle don’t you think it is made of the very best of material and the very best of skill crafted it?

THIS IS SO AMAZING! God isn’t sending us out to fight the enemy with whatever protection we can find! God has provided us the very best of protection. HIS ARMOR!

THE RATIONALE: So We Can Stand Against The Enemy:

Would I be to bold to say that the armor of God is even impregnable. I LOVE THAT WORD! This word “impregnable” is a powerful word and shouldn’t be used lightly.

Here’s what it means:

“unable to be defeated or destroyed”

When I say that wearing the Armor of God makes us impregnable I am saying that we cannot be defeated or destroyed during spiritual warfare and I believe that is exactly why the Apostle Paul told us to make sure that every piece of God’s Armor is put on! It is to ensure that we come out the victors in each and every spiritual warfare encounter.

THE ARMOR OF GOD MAKES US IMPREGNABLE TO SATAN.

Notice what Paul says immediately after his strong admonition to put on the full armor of God. He says,

“…so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Wearing the Armor of God allows us to stand against our enemy - not fall on our knees before our enemy. It gives us the ability to withstand the onslaught of Satan’s attack and be the one left standing when the attack is over.

Wearing the full of Armor of God doesn’t mean the battle is going to be easy or painless, it just means, when it’s all over and done, you’re left standing the victor. You might be beaten and battle worn but you will be the one left standing.

So, now can you see why it is a necessity and not just a suggestion when it comes to wearing the full Armor of God?

It’s The Difference Between Victory & Defeat

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SUITING UP FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE Part 2: Having The Strength For Being Victorious

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

After the word, “Finally” the following sentence indicate the one essential ingredient necessary for experiencing victory in spiritual warfare over Satanic attacks. This is not just a good suggestion that might be consider but essential element that necessary for overcoming the enemy during spiritual battle. Failure to utilize this ingredient is doomed to failure whereby you are defeated by the enemy. In other words, you can’t win over Satan unless you include this essential ingredient. THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED: ESSENTIAL!

What is this essential ingredient that is so necessary in gaining the victory ins spiritual warfare? It is strength! Our enemy, Satan, is a strong adversary and it is essential that we are stronger than him. Satan is a formidable adversary that requires us to be even more formidable. When a soldiers engages in hand to hand combat it is usually the one who is the strongest that prevails. So, it is imperative that we know that we have much greater strength than our enemy, Satan, if we are going to be victorious in overcoming him during our times of spiritual battles.

In this verse we are told that we need to gain our strength in two areas. I say two but to be honest they are both from the same thing. However, you can’t avail yourself to the second area unless you first receive the first area. What are these two areas of strength:

FIRST AREA OF STRENGTH: THE LORD JESUS HIMSELF.

What does the verse say,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord …”

The spiritual strength that allows us to experience victory in spiritual warfare comes from us being Strong “In The Lord”. There are two important things to notice from this sentence.

First, Our strength for overcoming spiritual warfare emanates from Christ himself. Christ is the source of the necessary powerful for gaining the victory in spiritual warfare. Listen to what the Apostle John says in 1 John 4:1-4,

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (NIV)

In this verse the Apostle John is talking about not believing every spirit but to test them to see if they are of God or not. Spiritual warfare has a lot to do with deception. Satan will use false prophets that sound real good but are not of God. John calls this the spirit of the anti-christ.

But then in verse four John makes three powerful points . These three points should provide hope to all of God children, especially those of His children who are intentionally engaging in the mission of our Lord. What does he say? He says,

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (vs. 4).

• First John says: That we who follow Christ are from God. Because of Christ;’s death, burial and resurrection and our faith in Him as Lord we now belong to God. God is our master and our Lord. Satan no longer has any claims over us. We have been bought back by God. We now belong to him.

  There’s an old gospel hymn I grew up singing. It’s called NOW I BELONG TO JESUS written by Billy Speer. Listen to the lyrics and let their message sink deep into your heart and soul.

  (v. 1) “Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
  From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
  He gave His life to ransom my soul;
  Now I belong to Him;

  (Chorus) Now I belong to Jesus,
  Jesus belongs to me,
  Not for the years of time alone,
  But for eternity.

  (v. 2) Once I was lost in sin's degradation,
  Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
  Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
  Now I belong to Him;

  (v. 3) Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
  Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
  His precious blood, He came to redeem,
  Now I belong to Him;

We truly are from God! Why? Because God bought us, owns us through the precious blood of Jesus when He died on the cross. Here’s a clear Biblical principle that we need to get very clear in our mind: Because Jesus bought and paid for us through his death on the cross, his burial and his resurrection from the grave, we now belong to him and as such everything we need, including the power to be victorious in spiritual warfare, is provided to us from him.

• Second John says: We have overcome them: Who’s the “them” he is talking about? It’s the evil spirits that it referred to just a few sentences earlier. Here’s a most important fact that we must understand in both our mind and our hearts. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection and through our faith in Christ as Lord, we have already become the victors. The war has already been won. While there still may be some individual skirmishers still going on the - the war has already been won. Because of Christ we no longer need to fear death, the grave or even sin. THE VICTORY HAS ALREADY BEEN WON BY CHRIST!

• Finally John says: The one who is in us is greater than the one who resides in the world. Through our faith in Christ, Christ baptized us into the Holy Spirit and now through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives Christ himself is living His life, not only in us but also through us. The strength we need to prevail in spiritual warfare is the same strength that Christ used to overcome Satan and now through the Holy Spirit Christ himself lives in us and Christ who has already defeated Satan can do it again but this time through us.

  There’s an amazing story of what happens when you try to engage in spiritual warfare without having Christ in your life. It’s found in Acts 19:11-20.

  There were seven sons of Sceva living in Ephesus during the time of the Apostle Paul and his missionary journey into Ephesus. These seven sons of Sceva had seen and heard about how the Apostle Paul healed the sick and casted out demons and, for whatever reason, wanted to do the same but didn’t have a personal relationship with Christ. Then one day these seven brothers found a demon possessed man and tried to command the demon to come out of him. Then the demon responded back to them,

  “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” (v. 15, 16 NIV)

  Here’s a lesson we can learn from this story. If you don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you don’t have the power to overcome in spiritual warfare.

  Did you read what the demon man said to those seven brothers right before he gave them pound down? He said, “… Jesus I know and Paul I know about …”

  Don’t let his statement escape you too quickly! He said that he knew Jesus. Of course he did. Demons are nothing more than fallen angels who followed Satan in the great rebellion. That demon had seen Jesus, the Son of God, before He was born of a virgin, in Heaven sharing the Glory of God the Father. This knew exactly who Jesus was and feared him.

  But then the possessed man said a second thing: I know about Paul. The Apostle Paul was on this demons radar. He knew about him, he had heard the spiritual rumors about Paul, probably from other demons and he also knew that he didn’t wanted to mess around with Paul because Paul was a born again, Spirit filled with the life of Christ being lived out through him. Though he had never personally encountered Paul, he knew he didn’t want to because of Jesus who lived in and through him. You see this demon knew that Paul had the power to defeat him because he had Christ living in him.

  But for these seven sons of Sceva this demon also knew that they were not Spirit filled and Christ didn’t live in them and as a result they had no fear of them. 7 to 1 meant nothing to that demon possessed man. Why? Because that demon knew that no mortal man could defeat him, only the person who is strong in the Lord by having the Lord himself living in and through him.

So if we are want to be victorious in spiritual warfare we first need to be strong in the Lord. Our walk with Christ needs to be strong; our prayer life needs to be strong in Christ; our desires and will need to be submitted to Christ.

SECOND AREA OF STRENGTH: IN CHRIST’S POWER!

Now we need to refine our focus to one specific area of being in Christ and that is to be also “In His (Christ’s) might power. In other words, we need to make sure that when it comes to spiritual warfare we are utilizing the power of Christ and not our own power.

Well then one has to ask themselves this very important question: If one is in Christ is it possible to attempt to do things (like spiritual warfare) in some other strength like our own?

And the answer to that question is an resounding

“ABSOLUTELY YES”!

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” Galatians 5:13-17 (NASB)

In these few verses in Galatians we see that it is not only possible for Christians to live a life of sinful desires but that it is something so probable that we are admonished to guard against it. Please understand, being tempted to live a life in the sinful flesh is part of spiritual warfare.

But there is a remedy to becoming over whelmed with spiritual warfare and that is to intentionally choose to live a life by the Holy Spirit, to be filled by the Holy Spirit, or to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. These verses are very clear, if we are walking in the Spirit we will not carry out the desires of the sinful flesh or another way of saying it is that we will not over overcome during spiritual warfare. We will be the victor!

Listen to what God says to Zerubbable through the prophet Zechaiah about the kind of power necessary to accomplish the Lord’s work and experience victory,

“So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LordAlmighty.” Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

The key to experiencing the strength that is necessary to being victorious in spiritual warfare is to first make sure you have a personal relationship with Christ and second is ensure that you are daily walking in the Spirit of God so that you are plugged in to the power source.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PART 1:

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Suiting Up For Spiritual Warfare: Part 1

At the end of the book of Ephesians the Apostle Paul begins to teach and instruct on spiritual warfare and the need for putting on the armor in order to have victory. Here’s what he says,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes …” Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)

The book of Ephesians was a letter sent to the church at Ephesus reminding them of all the things that Paul had taught them personally when he was with them. The teachings and instructions contained in this letter were the same teachings that Paul gave to all the new believers, in all the churches that he started. You see almost all these same teachings and in almost the same order Paul taught in the book of Colossians. We also see these same topics of instruction given not only by Paul but also by the Apostle Peter.

Obviously, these particular teachings were consider by Paul, Peter and actually all the rest of the Apostles as vital for the spiritual health and protection for the saints. In the Book of Acts, chapter two, where it says that the new believers devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching, it could very well be referring to these teaching and trainings we find in Ephesians, Colossians and 1 Peter.

But the very last teaching and instruction we find in Ephesians deals with spiritual warfare and suiting up with the armor necessary for gaining the victory. Verse 10 starts off with the word, “Finally”. In other words, Paul is wrapping up his letter and letting the readers know that this is the last topic he is going to teach on. After teaching about who Christ is, our salvation in Christ, living a life worthy of our call, how to treat our parent and kids; our husbands and wives; and our masters and our slaves Paul ends with this topic of spiritual warfare and the armor necessary for victory.

Why at the end? Why not at the beginning or the middle?

I believe it is because of the urgent importance of the subject dealing with spiritual attacks and how to handle them. Now don’t get me wrong I believe that all of the topics and lessons contained in the Ephesians are very important! If they weren’t I don’t believe that they would have been in the Bible to start with. The Bible tells us that all of the Bible is vitally important to the life and vitality of God’s people.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

Since all these topics are contained in the Bible - they are important and they are useful. They are useful in teaching us the truth, rebuking us when we do wrong, correcting us on how we are suppose to act, and how to live a life that is pleasing to God. So, please understand that all of scripture is important, useful and comes from God.

However, I do believe that some topics and instructions are more urgent than others. The word “Urgent” is an adjective that means:

• a state or situation requiring immediate action or attention.

• an action or an event done or arranged in response to a pressing or critical situation.

• a person or their manner earnest and persistent in response to a pressing situation.

Spiritual warfare by its very nature requires immediate action because of the critical situation that it creates and as a result should be the earnest and persistent response of every follower of Christ. The nature of spiritual warfare is a critical and pressing situation that should cause all of God’s people to take it seriously.

While other topics found in Ephesians are important and useful not all of them are urgent like those of spiritual warfare. And that’s why I believe that the Apostle Paul taught on it last. With spiritual warfare being the last thing the recipients would read insures that it is also the foremost thing they will remember.

Why would the Apostle Paul want to make spiritual warfare the foremost thing for people to remember? Because it could quite possibly be the first thing that a new believer experiences in their new life in Christ.

Think about it for just a moment. Do we really think that Satan is going to be alright with the fact that another one of his slaves has just been liberated by the Gospel and defected from his kingdom into the Kingdom of Heaven?

Of course not!

Satan hates it. He can’t stand it. Every time another persons surrenders their life over to the Lordship of Christ Satan has a little less rulership over this world. He is just a little bit closer to the total defeat he will eventually experience. And that’s just not acceptable to him! And, he’s going to fight back.

One of the first groups of people that spiritual warfare will come too are those new believers in Christ. Satan wants to make sure that even though they are free and their sins have been forgiven, they are going to suffer for their treason. He is going to hit them hard and fast. He may not own them anymore, they may now belong to Christ but Satan wants to neutralize their effectiveness in their service to Christ. And so he attacks them.

As a result of this reality the Apostle Paul knows that these new believers need to be quickly prepared for the spiritual attack that will be coming. And what better way to accomplish that than by making this topic the last thing they hear to ensure it’s the first thing they remember.

Another group of people that spiritual warfare will hit are those who are intentionally joining Christ on His mission of making more and more disciples. All Christians are called to follow Christ and where is Christ leading us?

• To a life on mission.

• To a life of making him more disciples!

• To a life of sharing the Gospel to those still held as slaves to sin and blinded by Satan.

In a very real sense every Christian is called by Jesus to be spiritual freedom fighters, liberating those held captive by Satan through the sharing of the Gospel of Christ. It’s not just what we do but in a very real sense it is who we are. It’s our purpose, reason and mission for living in this spiritually dark world.

And when Christians begin to take hold of this new identity and intentionally try to live it out, the demonic forces of this world will respond and fight back.

Why?

Because every time we share the Gospel with a lost person in this world we are picking a fight with Satan. That’s right, I did say, “WE ARE PICKING A FIGHT WITH SATAN!”

Let’s get real for just moment. Does anyone really think that Satan is going to be alright with us coming into his kingdom and liberating his slaves? Do we really think he is going to stand at the entrance of his spiritual concentration camps and yell out to us, “Come on in. It’s o.k. I’ll let you free my slaves.”

Of course not! That kind of thinking is absurd and naive.

The truth of the matter is that Satan is going to fight back. He is going to do what he did with Job and later Peter. He will go before God, present himself alongside the angels and ask permission to sift us like wheat with the intent to cause us to curse God to His face. Take a look at what the Bible says,

“… One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’ Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’ ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” Job 1:6-12 (NIV)

While there are a whole lot of great spiritual truths to learn from these few verse here are just two important lessons we need to learn today.

1. Satan will ask permission to attack us spiritually

2. God will give him permission to do it.

In other words Satan not only wants to spiritually attack us he is also willing to go before God to get permission to do it and God, at times, will grant him that permission.

Spiritual warfare is unavoidable from both God’s and Satan’s design and perspective. At this point let me reassure you that God and Satan have totally different intentions for wanting and allowing spiritual warfare in our lives. Real quickly we know that Satan wants it to use it to cause us to curse God to His face (destroy our faith) but God want to use it to make us stronger in our faith.

So yes, if you are going to be obedient to Christ by joining Him on His mission of making disciples then you are a target for spiritual attacks by Satan and the demonic kingdom.

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Time To Lace Up Your Spiritual Boots

In Ephesians 6 where it talks about putting on the full Armor of God and specifically to shod your feet with the readiness of the Gospel, notice it doesn’t say to put on the Gospel but to put on the readiness or preparedness of the Gospel. Or in my words, “Make sure you’re prepared to share the Gospel with those who need to hear it!

The Gospel isn’t something we put on but is something that God has put on us. We experience the effects of the Gospel as it transforms our lives and frees us from the guilt of our sin. But in this verse of Ephesians we are specifically told that we are to do something - not to allow something to be done to us. What is it? It is making sure that we as individual Christians are well prepared and ready to share the Gospel to anyone, in any place at any time.

Being prepared to share the Gospel is part of Spiritual Warfare. Have you ever thought about it in that way before? But it is and we should really start looking at being prepared to share the Good News as part of our spiritual warfare encounters. That why we get trained and train other disciples to do the same. Being trained to share the Gospel helps us to be more effective in spiritual warefare!

Sharing the Gospel is an act of Spiritual Warfare. It is us liberating those still enslaved to sin and blinded by Satan by the sharing of the Gospel to others. We are freedom fighters and the Gospel is the key that unlocks their chains and gives them freedom!

Do you really think that Satan is going to stand idly by and watch you free his slaves. Of course not! Satan will respond; he will fight back hard and with a vengeance. Satan can hardly stand it every time a sinner repents after hearing the Gospel.

Here’s another way to look at it; every time we share Gospel we are picking a fight with Satan.

TIME TO GET PREPARED!

Here’s a couple of books that will help you in getting ready and being prepared to share the Gospel.

The first one is called: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: A Journey Into Missional Living. It was written to encourage you, empower you and better equip you to share Jesus with others. Click the link below to get more information about that book!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON THIS GREAT BOOK!

The second book is called: LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY. Everyone has had worry about being a witness for Christ. This book will give you both Biblical principles and Biblical practices to rid your life from worry so you can share Jesus with peace of heart and mind. Click the link below to read up more on this powerful book!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY

4 Tactics Satan Uses To Stop A Missional Movement

Photo by Annette Batista Day on Unsplash

As it pertains to living life on mission with Christ and working to see Disciple Making/Church Planting Movements ignite here are 4 tactics that Satan will use to stop our efforts in their tracks. This is taking a look at Spiritual Warfare from the lens of being on mission with Jesus.

I. Satan Blinds The Minds Of The Unbeliever So The Can’t See The Truth Of The Gospel.

“And even if the Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Cor. 4:3-4 (NIV)

The Christian’s response to this satanic spiritual warfare tactic s to pray for God the Father to start drawing that specific blinded individual to come to Christ. The Bible tell us that no one comes to the Jesus unless the Father first draws them and all whom the Father draws will come.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him …” John 6:44 (NIV)

“All the Father gives me will come to me …” John 6:37

Since it’s God the Fathers to draw people, let us start praying that he will do it for specific people who are blinded by satan to have their blinders removed.

II. Satan Will Snatch The Word Of The Gospel Away Before The Unbeliever Can Believe.

The Parable Of The Sower:

“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds cam and ate it up … When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one come and snatches away what was sown.” Matthew 13:4,9 (NIV)

The condition for the snatching away of the seed, message of the Gospel, is a lack of understanding of what is being shared. Our response to this Satanic tactic is two fold: 1. Prayer. Pray for that the Holy Spirit will open the mind and heart of the unbeliever to understand and believe the truth of the Gospel. 2. Use a simple to understand Gospel presentation and don’t leave until that person fully understands what is being shared.

III. Satan Will Perform Deceptive Signs and Wonders To Deceive The Unbeliever.

“For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the the elect, if that were possible.” Matthew 24:24 (NIV)

At different time throughout the book of Acts we see counterfeit Christ’s, miracle workers, etc… trying to deceive people to believe their way (a satanic) way, is the right way.

A good response to this kind of satanic tactic is to focus on what God has personally done for you. Use your testimony inline with the Gospel to help people see that Jesus is what they need.

IV. Satan Will Use Other People To Hinder Unbelievers In Believing.

In Acts 13 we see over and over again how Satan used unbelievers following the Apostles to other towns to disrupt the work of the Lord. They will cause disturbances and get angry with God’s messengers.

A good response to these kinds of activities is to focus on the few who do believe and go undercover. Disciple them, strengthen them, and equip them. They then can go back into the community, without outside distractions, to keep the discipling process.

Let’s be aware of how Satan will try to stop us, hinder us or maybe even try to discourage us from our faithful service to Christ and His mission. If we know what to expect, we can begin to prepare for them in advance and not be caught off guard.

What Curtis Sergeant Has To Say About LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY!

Curtis Sergeant

I pretty excited to share that my new book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY has received a powerful recommendation/review from Curtis Sergeant.  

Here's little bit about Curtis which will explain why I am so honored to have his recommendation.  

Curtis has served our Lord in some very powerful positions.  Here are a few:

• He is the founder and lead trainer for MetaCamp. A group to train people to live out powerful missional lives. 

• He has served with E3 Partners as Director of Global Strategies and Vice President.  E3 Partners is a mission agency intended to ignite church planting movements all over the world. 

• Director Of Church Planting at Saddleback Community Church.

• Served with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention in the following positions: Associate Vice President For Global Strategy; Strategy Associate For East Asia; Global Strategy Coordinator & Church Planting Trainer; and Strategy Coordinator.  

This guy has served our Lord faithfully for the purpose of saturating our world with the Gospel of Jesus.  

Here's what he has to say about LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY:

"Jay's book follows a similar pattern to many of Paul's epistles, with the first half consisting of theology and principles and the second half being practical application.  The second half is culture-specific.  The first half is universal in application.  The first half is timely and much-needed in our day.  It provides a critically important perspective which has come to be alarmingly rare in recent years.  Its message is simple but not easy.  It directly confronts the idolatry of comfort and convenience in current expressions of Christianity.  It challenges us to live the abundant lives the Lord intends for us to live, the life of a disciple, the life of a servant rather than one who is to be served.  It is worth reading for one's own growth and passing on to the disciples we are making.  I recommend it." ~ Curtis Sergeant

It is my sincerest desire that this book helps God's people to shed the worry that plagues them to join Him on his mission of making disciples of the whole world.  

If you are a Follower of Christ and worry holds you back from joining Christ on His mission or holds you back from doing anything that you know God wants you to do, then it’s time to get rid of that worry and begin to live a worry free life. GET YOUR COPY OF THIS POWERFUL BOOK TODAY & LEARN HOW!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF THIS POWERFUL BOOK

Please feel free to share this message with you friends on Facebook & Twitter.  

WORRY THE DEBILITATING FACTOR FOR MISSIONAL LIVING

Photo by Fernando @cferdo on Unsplash

Christians all over the world experience unnecessary worry! They worry about health, they worry about finances, they worry about their children, they worry about being obedient to God, and the list could go on and on about the things that Christians worry about!

But for Christians who sincerely want to join Christ on His Great Commission, worry isn't only unnecessary but it is also debilitating! Why is i debilitating? Because is paralyzes you from doing the things that you really want to do or the things that you know you should do. I know of a person who decided not to graduate from college once they learned that they would required to take a speech class. You see they were worry and fearful over speaking in public and that worry crippled them from finishing school.

What's a follower of Christ to do? After all, isn't worry just a natural part of life, including a Christian's? Isn’t just something we need to accept as part of our life? Or, is it? Does God really want us to just deal with the fact that worry is a part of our life or is it part of God’s plan for you to live a worry free life now that you’ve come to faith in Jesus Christ?

I BELIEVE A WORRY FREE LIFE IS WHAT GOD’S WILL IS FOR OUR LIVES!

In the book LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY you will discover that worry isn't part of God's plan for His children and it will serve as your guide on how you can rid your life of it forever. Before I tell you what you will learn from this book, let me first tell you what this book is not!

• First, this is not a book containing five easy steps to a more fulfilling and peaceful life.

• Second, this book isn't a watered down Christian self-help book that contains a bunch of fluff with no real spiritual substance or meat.

• Third, this book not a “Name It & Claim It” book. On the contrary, the pages contained in this book are going to challenge you beyond your level of comfort!

As matter of fact, as you read this book you may begin to wonder if you really want to live that worry free life! The Biblical principles that you will learn will sound totally counter intuitive to all that you have come to know about living a life without worry. You will learn that a life without worry is a life of denial; You will learn that obtaining that life will require you to die to yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Christ. It is a life of total submission in mind, heart, and will to the will of the resurrected Jesus.

This book will provoke you! I am not writing this book as a comfort to you but more to challenge you! I want to provoke you to rethink why you’re worried, why you allow those worries to paralyze you from joining Christ on His mission, and why God still has you in this world.

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY will teach you six Biblical principles and five Biblical practices for living a life free of worry. These principles are taken from a famous quote from the great missionary, Hudson Taylor and exemplified through his life of service.

So, with this warning clearly given, read at your own risk!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRK

1 Major Stumbling Block To Sharing Jesus With Others!

Even in the life of Jesus there were stumbling blocks that tried to hinder him from accomplishing the mission that God the Father had sent him into the world to accomplish.  Watch this video to learn about 1 major stumbling block that Jesus encountered and how he dealt with it.  

Did you find this video helpful?  Then please share it with your Christian family and friends of Facebook and Twitter! 

Also, please take a few moments and leave us a comment on your thoughts about this subject!

The Importance Of Forgiving One Another

In order to shine the Light of Christ brightly in our part of this dark world we must learn to forgive one another.  Forgiveness is the proof that we really love and love is the proof that we really know Christ!  Watch this video and be encourage to forgive those that have hurt you.

Please share this video with your Christian family and friends on Facebook & Twitter to encourage them to live a more powerful missional life. 

5 Important Lesson About Anger!

Today we are going to learn about God’s Way For Dealing With Anger.  Our text is found in Genesis 4:1-15. 

"Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.  Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.  Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” But the Lord said to him, “Not so[e]; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

What Do We Learn About Anger:

1.  Anger can develop from a bad attitude.

“... The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” (v. 4,5)

The bad attitude that Cain had was jealousy. He was jealous that his younger brother had his sacrifice accepted by God when his wasn't.  There are all kinds of bad attitudes that we can develop but if left unchecked anger will quickly develop from it.

2.  God will always call us out on our anger.

“Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted ...” (v. 6, 7)

Don't think that your anger goes unnoticed by God!  He not only notices it but will also calls us out on it and warn us about it. 

3.  Not dealing with anger will lead to sin

“... But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it’s desires to have you.” (v. 7b)

Anger is a seed from which sin can be birthed.  When we are angry we make Godless choices.

Jesus during His Sermon On The Mount said, 

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” (v. 21,22)

4.  God will punish us for the sin that our anger caused us to do.

“Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,” he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brothers blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” (v. 9-12)

Don't think that you can use your anger as an excuse that God will accept for the sin you committed.  Anger is no defense for sinning in the sight of God.  Even though you were angry God will hold you accountable for the sin.

5.  Anger Can Be Mastered.

“... it’s desires to have you, but you must master it.” (v. 7b)

Every can learn to manage their anger so that it doesn't control them.  How many times have we been in a heated argument with a family member when all of a sudden the phone rings and instead of screaming and yelling when we answer the phone we change our tone and calmly say, "Hello, can I help you?"

You see we do have the ability to control our anger, it's just a matter of if we are willing to or not. 

4 Tricks Of Satan

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:11,

"Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil ..."  (NAS)

The word "schemes" in the Greek is the word "methodia" and literally means:

"To trick or lie with the purpose to deceive"

Satan's tactics in spiritual warfare are attempts to trick or lie to us with the aim of deceiving us to believe and do things that are contrary to God's will and way and once we have fallen to his deception we suffer the consequences of our choice. 

But here's the good news!  The scripture has identified for us Satan's schemes so that we are not unaware of them.  Today I am going to list 4 of those tricks and/or lies.

#1 TRICK/LIE:  SATAN IS CONCERNED ABOUT YOU

Read Matthew 4:1-4 and you see Satan trying to tempt Jesus to turn some rocks into bread. Satan is trying to sound concerned about Jesus being hungry.  His trick was that he was offering a solution for Jesus' suffering motivated by concern.

But Satan wasn't concerned about Christ. He was just pretending in order to trick Jesus so that Jesus would fall into his temptation.  

Satan's temptation to us will often come across as a compassionate solution to our problems or sufferings.  But don't fall for his trick. Once you yield and give in to Satan his true nature will come out and you will see that he doesn't really care for you at all.

#2 TRICK/LIE:  SATAN MISUSES THE BIBLE TO CONFUSE YOU

Read both Matthew 4:6 and Psalm 91:11-12 and you will discover that Satan was using scripture to tempt Jesus to once again sin.  But in his use of the scripture he actually misuses it by omitting a whole line from the verse in Psalms.  The line he omits is

" ... to keep you in all your ways ...".  

Which is a very important part to leave out. Why? Because God dispatches His angels to help us keep the ways of the Lord and not to sin against God.  

Satan knows the Bible! And he will misuse it to get you to believe that what is really a sinful act is a Biblical act.  IT'S NOT! DON'T BE FOOLED.  Know your Bible - study your Bible so you won't be fooled by Satan's misuse of it.

#3 TRICK/LIE:  SATAN CAN PROVIDE A SHORTCUT TO REACHING YOUR GOALS

The third temptation of Jesus by Satan is found in verse 8 of Matthew chapter 4 where he takes Jesus onto a high mountain to see all the kingdoms of this world and then offers them to him if Jesus would only bow down and worship him.  

What was Satan doing?  He was offering Jesus a shortcut.  Why was Jesus there?  To become King of all the earth!  God's plan was going to lead Jesus to the cross to accomplish that goal but Satan's plan was quicker, easier and less painful. 

Understand that Satan will often try to get you to see that his plan will accomplish the same goal that God has for your life but it will be quicker and again less painful.  You will be tempted to take it but don't be fooled.  IT IS A TRICK TO GET YOU TO SIN!

#4:  TRICK/LIE: SATAN DISTORTS WHAT GOD SAYS TO GET YOU TO DISTRUST GOD

Go to Genesis chapter 3 and read the temptations of Adam and Eve and what you will find is that Satan was trying to deceive them to believe that God really didn't have their best interests at heart and that God was trying to hold them back from being all they could be.  Satan said,  

"You won't die. God knows that on the day you eat of it you will become like God knowing good and evil." 

In other words Satan is saying that God is trying to control you with the fear of death and hold you back from becoming like Him.  Satan loves to trick people to believe that God doesn't really care about them so they won't trust God.  DON'T BELIEVE IT - IT'S A TRICK!

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6 Principles For Overcoming Temptations

Temptations isn't something you'll ever grow out of as a Follower in Christ. At least not during this life time.  Everyday, from the moment you get up until the time you lie your head back down to sleep you can be tempted to sin against God and people.  

Temptation in and of itself isn't a sin. According to the Bible Jesus was tempted but didn't sin! If the most perfect person who has ever lived but did so being tempted, we should expect that we too will be tempted.  The Bible does teaches that Christ's Followers can overcome temptation. We don't have to feel helpless and hopeless when it comes to temptation. Christ has made sure that we have all that we need to overcome it. 

So today we are going to look at 6 Biblical principles that will aid us in our ability to identify and overcome temptation.

#1:  Anticipate Temptations!

"Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Matthew 26:41 (NASB)

In this passage Jesus is warning Peter, James and John to be watching and praying as a strategy to overcome temptation.  Jesus says this the night he is to be arrested and while he is in the garden praying for his upcoming arrest. Jesus has already told Peter that before the rooster crows he will deny him three times.  An hour earlier Jesus had asked Peter, James and John to pray with him during this time of struggle but when Jesus comes back where he left them to pray he found them instead asleep.  Jesus was warning Peter that a time of temptation was headed his way and he needed to be prepared. That preparation was to watch and pray.

How often during the day are you looking around to see if you can see the activities of the enemy and ready to anticipate Satan's temptations?  If you're not anticipating that temptation will be coming how can you be ready for it when it does come?  In boxing there's a saying, "It's not the hardest punch that knocks you out but the punch you don't see coming."  Likewise, it's not the severest temptation that will make you fall but the temptation you see coming!  And why don't you see it coming? Because you weren't anticipating it!

#2:  Understand Where Temptations Will Attack You!

"But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived , it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death."  James 1:14-15 (NASB)

Where will temptations attack you?  Where you are weakest! Notice what that verse says! We are tempted when we are carried away by our own lusts.  I'm not carried away by someone else's lust. Satan will always attack us at our weakest point.  He is looking for the chink in our armor and when he finds it that's where he will attack.  If you have a weakness for gossiping - then Satan is going to give you temptation opportunities to to gossip!  If your weakness is in drugs then Satan is going to hit those triggers that will cause you to want to get some drugs.  It is in the area of your weakness Satan will tempt you to sin!

#3:  Cry Out To God!

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you and you will honor Me."  Psalm 50:15

What should you do in your day of trouble - in your day of temptation?  Call upon God! When we are being tempted and I mean right in the midst of temptation, we need to learn to cry out to God for help! We need to do it right then and there before Satan's temptation gets a strong hold on us.  

Did you hear God's promise? He says that if we cry out to him in our day of trouble HE WILL RESCUE US!  It's not a may rescue you; or you should be rescued but he said he will rescue you.  When we cry out for help, as His children, He will show up to help us. When God shows up to help us Satan flees and runs away.  Bam! You're Then Rescued!

#4: Find An Accountability Partner

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.  The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."  James 5:16 (NASB)

Who do you have that you can call when you are going through a really difficult temptation? What Godly person do you know you can trust will not only can keep your confidence but also pray for your deliverance? Having that kind of person in your life will make the temptation experiences less daunting.  Having someone you can call immediately when you are being tempted is such a great resource to getting through that time of testing.

#5:  Run! Don't Resist!

"A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil. But a fool is arrogant and careless."  Proverbs 14:16 (NASB)

Notice the wise man is the one who turns away from the evil or from the temptation to do evil.  He leaves the situation but the foolish man is the one who is arrogant and careless.  

First I want us to look at the foolish and arrogant person. Why are they foolish and arrogant? Because they think that they don't need any help to overcome temptation! They feel they can stand in the midst of the temptation and resist it.  Understand this the Bible never tells us to resist temptation.  It does say to resist Satan but never temptation.  Why? Because the longer you stand in the temptation situation telling yourself you're going to resist it the only thing you are thinking about is the temptation.  YOU CAN'T RESIST IT!  Instead you need to RUN FROM IT!

"I Thought about the wrong direction in which I was headed and turned around an came running back to you."  Ps. 119:59 (LB)

Once you realize that you are in tempting situation you need to run away from that situation. Don't walk! Don't saunter away! No! You need to RUN! Get yourself out of that situation! Get yourself away from that temptation as quickly as possible.  And where do you run to?  TO GOD! The best place to be to overcome temptation is in the presence of our Lord God! Why? Because that's one place Satan would never dare to try and tempt you.  God is your refuge of safety! He is the Rock of your salvation! He is your high and mighty tower where you can find safety for your soul.  

#6:  Look For God's Escape!

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."  1 Cor. 10:13 (NASB)

Did you read the part where the scripture says that God will always make sure that every temptation you experience there is a way of escape!  The question isn't whether there's a way to escape - the question is are we looking for the escape that God has promised!

Take a few moments and share a comment below and let's us know what you have found to be helpful in overcoming temptation!

How To Experience Freedom From Guilt

A survey in the UK found that 41% of the people said that they would enjoy everyday life more if they didn't feel guilty afterwards.  In other words, lots of people are actively engaged in activities that they feel guilty about after they are done and as a result the joy of life is stolen from them. 

A story is told of Noel Coward, the well known playwright, as a prank, once sent an identical anonymous letter to 10 notable men in London. The note said,

"We know what you have done. If you don't want to be exposed, leave town."  

Within six months, all 10 men that received the letter had moved!

Everyone Has Felt Guilt At One Time Or Another!

Why?  Because, other than Jesus, no one is perfect.  The Bible says that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. 

However, the Good News is that God wants to wipe your slate clean so you don't have to feel guilty anymore but instead experience God's total and complete forgiveness!  GOD WANTS TO:

• Give you a second chance.
• Help you start over again.

Listen to what Ephesians 1:7 says,

"In him we have redemption through the blood the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us wit hall wisdom and understanding."

And let's read Col 2:13-14,

" Where you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave us all our sins having canceled the written code, with its regulations that was against us and that stood opposed to us he took it alway, nailing it to the cross."

Here's what these two verse are says!  If you are in Christ God is not going to condemn you for your past mistakes because Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins and was resurrected back to life again to pay for your pardon.  ISN'T THAT ABSOLUTELY AMAZING?

There is absolutely no reason why any of us should suffer with a guilty conscience any longer over you past sins if you have come to Jesus and received His forgiveness and freedom from guilt.

IF YOU'RE IN CHRIST

Your Sins Are Forgiven!

Punishment For Your Sins Has Been Made!

Christ Is No Longer Holding Your Sins Against You!

CHRIST HAS FREED YOU FROM YOUR SINS!

How Do You Experience Freedom From Guilt?

By Accepting What Jesus' Did For You Through His Death, Burial & Resurrection! By place your faith in the resurrected Lord Jesus!

Remembering What It's Like To Live In Spiritual Darkness

To effectively live a powerful missional life Christians need to remember that those who are without Christ live in spiritual darkness.  This video is intended to remind us that people are still lost in darkness and to help look at people with new eyes!

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