Walking With Jesus

What Is Your Clever Disguise?

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:20a NLT)

Ron Hutchcraft wrote in a recent devotional: “The pastor of a mega church in America was meeting one of the ladies in his church one time and he said, ‘What do you do?’ and she said, ‘Well, Pastor, I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ cleverly disguised as a machine operator.’ I love that! She said, “this is just my clever disguise, because who does a lost machine operator most likely to listen to? Another machine operator!” So, what’s your clever disguise? Your job? Your school activities? Your community position? What you do for fun, for recreation?

Far too often we think of our walk with Jesus as “personal,” but that can easily translate into nobody else’s business. If we’re not very careful, it becomes only what we are and do on Sunday. While I agree that knowing Jesus is very personal, it was never intended to be private. As a Christ-follower, we’re not containers in which the Holy Spirit is stored, we’re designed by God to be conduits through whom His Spirit can flow.

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How did you learn about Jesus? For me it was through another person. At that time, I was a student, so God used another student to speak with me about Jesus. It may sound strange, but when I was pastoring, I rarely told people that I was a pastor, unless they specifically asked. You know why? Because usually the first question they would ask was: “Oh, what church do you pastor?” And that became the theme of our conversation.

Being a follower of Jesus is far more about relationship than religion; it’s far more about personal transformation than indoctrination into a series of beliefs. My belief system has been developed through study and seeking to listen to the Holy Spirit regarding what is true, based on the authority of God’s written Word, not necessarily what the church I pastored, or attend is teaching. And I’m still learning. I’m a work in progress.

God has cleverly disguised you as whomever you are and whatever areas or arenas in which you find yourself. While you aren’t what you do, if you’re a follower of Jesus, He will speak in and through you by the quality of your work ethic, your attitude towards authority, your willingness to be flexible in how you interrelate with others, and to a very large degree, through your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

The language of God’s Ambassadors is “Jesus,” whether or not we ever mention His holy Name. If you’re a different person at work on Monday than you are in church on Sunday, there’s a problem. We have to ask ourselves – “who’s rubbing off on whom? Am I becoming more like my co-workers, people at the gym, at the coffee shop, where I hang out, etc. or are they becoming more like me?” Are they beginning to reflect my values or am I reflecting theirs?

And yes, of course, there’s got to be balance. You can’t shove Jesus down someone’s throat. You can be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good. Jesus is my life, but I have to be under His control, being sensitive to the people and places I am, taking my cues from the Holy Spirit, not from the people with whom I’m working, playing, visiting, etc.

We need to be careful about our language, humor, and attitudes regardless of our surroundings. To use language at work, home, or anyplace else that we wouldn’t use when speaking with someone at church should raise a huge red flag. To treat our spouses and kids differently at home than when we’re at church or around other “church” people should sound the proverbial alarm in our heart and mind.

An ambassador is a representative of their country of origin and should live in a way that would honor and accurately represent their country in whichever country they’re assigned. We’re ambassadors of the King of kings and Lord of lords. To act, speak, or live in a way that clouds or distorts who Jesus is or what His desires are for the person with whom we’re speaking, is a violation of a sacred trust God has given us as His child.

Our “clever disguise” is supposed to help us in better representing Jesus, not hiding from our responsibility to share His life and love with those in our spheres of influence who so desperately need Him.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why Are You Afraid?

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 NLT)

According to Pastor Rick Warren: “Fear is humanity’s most common problem.” While people fear different things, fear is common to virtually every human being in varying degrees.

While doing research I was surprised to see one study that ranked “Social Phobia” as the number one fear. What’s that? It’s fear of being in social situations, including, but certainly not limited to, public speaking. Another site listed “loneliness” as number one.

It caused me to wonder how many of these common fears were exacerbated by the confinement brought about by the Covid virus? I read recently that many young people are continuing to wear masks as a means of protecting themselves, not just from the virus, but socially. They can continue to hid behind their mask.

It reminded me of my “Prom” picture when I was in high school. It never failed. When I had a date and wanted to look my best, zits would appear on my face. What looked to others like a few small red spots, looked like a crop of tomatoes to me. But that’s part of the problem, isn’t it? We magnify our fears in our own mind. We do that with death.

It’s not just death that frightens people, it’s the act of dying. I have little fear of death. In my mind, the sooner I can be with Jesus, the better. What bothers me is the bridge to death. How long will it be? But when we think that way, we miss the point.

Jesus didn’t suffer and die simply to give us life after death. He died to give us life that begins the moment we accept His invitation to follow Him and join in His activity on this planet. The same Holy Spirit that becomes our moment-by-moment guide in this life, is the same Holy Spirit who will be with us every second leading up to our departure into the next life.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15: “Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

What’s the greatest threat of fear? It’s the control of our mind. For example, if I fear public speaking, do I have to be in front of a crowd in order to be afraid? If I fear heights or spiders or germs, do I have to be in the presence of those things in order to be afraid? No! Why not? Because the fear is in my mind, not my presence!

So, what’s the greatest antidote to fear? Change the way you think! But how?

You can only focus on one thing at a time, so, choose carefully what you allow in your mind. Paul writes in Philippians 4:8: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” But don’t stop there. Verse 9 says: “Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

What you think about comes about. If you bridle your thoughts, you give direction to your life. Our goal is to be so busy carrying out the will of God in our life, we won’t have any time to be afraid of anything, except our reverence for and devotion to, our heavenly Father.

Blessings, Ed 😊

What’s So Special About Jesus’ Resurrection?

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” (Romans 8:11 NLT)

Jesus wasn’t the only person in Scripture to come back from the grave, so what’s so special about His resurrection?

In Acts 26:8 Paul is giving his defense for being arrested for being a Jesus follower. He stands before King Agrippa, his sister Bernice, military officers, and prominent men of the city when he says: “Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?”

In John 5, early in His ministry, Jesus called God His Father, which His audience accurately understood that He was making Himself equal with God. Then in verses 28-29 He said: “Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.”

Why is that significant? Because Jesus was revealing what would be happening in the three days He was in the grave. He wasn’t just lying around waiting for Sunday, His Spirit never died. He was visiting Sheol, the place of the dead, as David prophesied in Psalm 16:10, while at the same time declaring Jesus’ resurrection. David wrote: “For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow Your Holy One to rot in the grave.”

A Piercing Light “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Ray Comfort in his book Faith Is For Weak People (page 70) wrote in reference to Jesus’ resurrection: “It was incredible, marvelous, and unique because of what it signified. It was more than a demonstration of the miraculous power of God; it was a confirmation of the approval of God. It was a statement that the redemption of lost sinners was indeed ‘finished’ (John 19:30), as Jesus said it was when He was still on the cross. His resurrection permanently turned on the light in the darkness, and the darkness fled at the speed of light.”

Unlike any person who ever lived or will live, Jesus died and rose again NEVER TO DIE AGAIN! Every other person who was brought back to life only lived to die again – UNTIL JESUS! Why is that such good news? Because death no longer holds any fear for those who are in Christ Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection led the way for every person who has placed their faith in Him, though their body will die, their spirit, the essence of who they are, will never die, but be united with Him forever.

Listen to the beautiful words of Charles Spurgeon speaking of Christ’s resurrection: “But it was more than a miracle of power, for all the attributes of God united their glory in the resurrection of Christ. God’s love came there, and opened those closed eyes; His delight *bejewelled those deadly wounds; His wisdom set in motion that pierced heart. Divine justice claimed His loosing from the grave, and mercy smiled as she lit up His face with an immortal smile. There and then did Jehovah make all His glory to pass before us, and He proclaimed the name of the Lord. If you ask where God’s glory most is seen, I will not point to creation, nor to providence, but to the raising of Jesus from the dead.”

Listen child of God! Death has lost its grip on you! Rejoice in God your Savior! Let the words of the author of Hebrews reverberate in your spirit when he wrote: “Because God’s children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”

HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR!

Blessings, Ed 😊

*“bejewelled” means “to cover or decorate with or as with jewels” (Websters)

Rescue Us From the Evil One

“Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13 NLT)

In yesterday’s post we looked at the role of demons – who they are and what their purpose is. Today, I want us to look at our God given strategy for defense against the forces of evil.

It would be Satan’s plan for us to cower in fear at the thought of him or his evil companions. We’re tempted to allow fear to cause us to see a demon behind every act of evil and waiting behind every tree to jump out and attack us. God’s perfect love casts out fear. Does that mean we should never be afraid?

There are times fear is a normal and acceptable response. If you see a tornado coming, fear should cause you to seek shelter. If you’re walking in the forest and come upon a poisonous snake or grizzly bear, keep your wits, but fear is an expected response.

However, we need not fear Satan or his demons if we’re cleansed by the precious blood of our Savior and filled with His Holy Spirit. To walk with Jesus is to walk in full confidence that He is ALWAYS with us; therefore, we have no need to fear evil. Does that mean we’ll never face circumstances that Satan has engineered?

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What about the people who are worshipping when a gunman opens fire? Is God not with them? Of course, He is, but who do you think is Satan’s primary target? Certainly, he wants to deceive everyone he can who is not a believer, but he’s also focused on oppressing or hindering any child of God he can.

That’s why Jesus taught us to pray: “And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Who do you think is doing the tempting? God will test us to build our faith, but He will never tempt us to do evil. Only Satan and his demons tempt us to do things that are contrary to God’s will.

Paul told us in Ephesians 6:11: “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” He outlines what that armor is in later verses but listen to what he writes about our enemy: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

A couple quick takeaways. First, under most circumstances your spouse is not your enemy. Your child is not the enemy. Your boss/coworker/employee(s) is not your enemy. That crazy reckless driver is not your enemy.

Second, your real enemy is “unseen, evil, authoritative, powerful,” in short, you can’t stand up to them alone! You are no match for Satan or his emissaries. He will defeat you every time. However, we have an “Advocate!” One who pleads our case with the Father. One who will take our side and stand strong in our defense. He is the Holy Spirit who, like the other members of the triune Godhead, has NEVER lost a battle. He is our Overcomer!

You need not fear in any situation as long as you’re trusting God to rescue you from the evil one. The minute you get cocky, believing you can handle Satan on your own, get ready to be defeated. Our only hope is Jesus. But HE IS A SURE HOPE! TRUST HIM!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Who or What Are Demons?

“Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.” (Matthew 10:1 NLT)

While this isn’t a common theme from many pulpits in America, the Lord has prompted me to address the subject of demons for a few reasons. But first, let me lay some groundwork. If you read the King James Version of the Bible, you will not find the term “demon.” The KJV prefers “unclean spirit” or “evil spirit.”

Unlike our all-powerful, omnipresent God, Satan is not omnipresent, nor is he all-powerful, which means he can only be in one place at a time, and he cannot make you do anything you’re not willing to do. However, he has millions of evil spirits or demons who do his devilish bidding. These are created beings who were cast out of heaven with Satan when he rebelled against God. They know their eternal home is in hell and their goal is to deceive as many humans as possible, and take them to hell with them.

Like Satan, they have no authority except that given to them by humans. They tremble at the name of Jesus and cannot possess a child of God. They can intimidate and oppress a believer, but they can never occupy a heart that’s filled with God’s Spirit.

Unlike Jesus, Satan will seek to send his demons into anyone who will believe his lies. Jesus is a gentleman and will not send His Spirit into anyone who is not willing to receive His invitation. He will not force Himself upon anyone who is resistant to His holy presence. Jesus is incapable of telling anything but the truth, Satan, on the other hand, is incapable of telling anything but lies, and will force himself, through his demons, upon anyone unprotected by God’s Spirit.

As Jesus is the embodiment of perfection, goodness, mercy, kindness, and love, Satan is full of evil, wickedness, debauchery, and the opposite of everything God is and does. Demons are no respecter of persons and will attack and possess anyone who doesn’t overtly resist them. They don’t care about age, race, gender, national origin, social or socio-economic status, religious or atheist. The only thing they want is power and control, resulting in forcing people to say, think, and do wicked and evil things.

Why is any of this important in 2022? Because I’m convinced that many of the evil things that are happening in our world today, including wars, famine, oppression, trafficking, slavery, mass shootings, and on and on, at their root is demonic activity.

We often ask when horrible things happen: “Who in their right mind would do such a thing?” Exactly! Even family and marital issues can result from demonic influence and interference. “But how?” you may ask. When we open ourselves to the occult, witches, palm readers, “spiritual” advisers, psychics, those who claim to communicate with the dead, etc. we open ourselves to demonic influence and possession.

There are those who seek to communicate with the spirits of people who have died through séance. And people are amazed by the information these mediums can give them. Pretty convincing, huh? Until you realize that God isn’t the only one who knows your family history. Satan isn’t all knowing, but he can learn a lot from a mind that is open to him, and he’s been around for generations.

One more observation. People who think that “believing in Jesus” is enough to get them to heaven need to read the verses throughout Jesus’ ministry when the demons would cry out to Him, referring to Him as the “Holy One of God.” Or James 2:19-20 when James writes: “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”

Demons are alive and well and as Satan’s angels are wreaking havoc in our world. We’ll look at this more closely in tomorrow’s post.

Blessings, Ed

Who Does the Dishes?

“Jesus replied, ‘You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.’” (John 13:7 NLT)

When I was first married, I was 21 and my bride was 19. I remember well my new wife’s first attempt at cooking dinner. She knew I liked macaroni and cheese, but when I entered the door to our little three-room apartment, I was literally gagging at the smell. But, as any loving husband would do, I tried it. It was awful.

In the kindest way I could I tried to explain to her that something must have gone really wrong and since the smell was horrible, amidst her tears, I set the macaroni and cheese on our little porch. I glanced out a few minutes later to see the local stray dog sniffing it, then turning and walking away. “Thank You, Lord!” The dog helped support my opinion, and our first crisis was averted.

Marriage is a partnership between two very imperfect people. Yet, God designed marriage to be, at least on some levels, the training ground for having a meaningful and purposeful walk with Him. How so? Jesus said in Matthew 20:28: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

How do we follow Jesus’ good example?

When we come to Jesus, as when we begin our life as a husband or wife, most of how we see and interpret what to do in those relationships is by hindsight. In marriage we mostly rely on what our parents did. Did dad take care of the car, fix the washing machine, hang the pictures, take out the trash, etc. Did mom cook, clean, sew, take primary care of the kids, etc. – the list will vary according to the routine of your parents.

But largely, what’s modeled by our parents becomes our expectation. The plot thickens because many newly weds today both have jobs, which complicates the roles they must assume. What’s my point?

When we begin our walk with Jesus, as we begin our new role as husband or wife, what if we focused more on what needs to be done and less on who should do it?

My goal in this season of my life is to serve my wife, family, and others as a means of serving and honoring my Savior. What does that mean? If dishes need to be washed, I’ll wash them. If I can help with cleaning, I’ll help. I’m good at warming things in the microwave and I make a killer peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but beyond that, I’m pretty useless in the kitchen.

My wife is excellent in the kitchen but because of her arthritic hands, she needs my help with some things. We share roles based on our strengths, personal preferences and what needs to be done. Now we’re striving to out serve one another.

Isn’t that the attitude we should have when serving our Savior? Remember, to serve others IS to serve Him; to put others first – beginning with our spouses and family – IS to put the Lord first. I’ve not always been a good husband, but by God’s grace, I’m getting better. I’ve not always been a good example as a follower of Jesus, but by His grace, I’m improving.

So, who does the dishes? Whoever gets to them first!

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Narrow Way to Life

“But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NLT)

Jesus IS the narrow way to life! Why? Because HE IS LIFE! In the writings of John in the New Testament, there are more than 75 references to the word “life,” most pointing to Jesus. For example, in 1 John 5:11-12 John writes: And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.”

A case could be made that every living creature on the planet is alive because of Jesus. How do I know that? Again, John 1:4 says: “The Word (Jesus) gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.” We’ve done the Lord a disservice by believing and making others believe He needs us. He’s God. He needs nothing!

John Stonestreet wrote: “Christians often say, ‘I’ve invited Jesus into my life,’ but the reality is that Jesus invites us into His life. His purpose. His restoring work in the world He created. To this life, His Life, we are invited to join Him in the work of making all things new.”

Some believe we have to give up everything in order to follow Jesus. I choose to believe we only have to give up one thing – our life. Why would I believe that? What are you taking with you into eternity? The only thing we have to give to God is the only thing that will last forever – our soul, our eternal being. The rest is going to be burned up anyway.

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How silly we are to hold on to that which is material, forfeiting that which is eternal. The early disciples responded to God’s invitation to drop whatever they were doing and follow Him. They wandered from village to village listening to Jesus teach and watching Him transform people’s lives. There were days they didn’t have enough food and they rarely knew where Jesus would lead them. But they followed anyway, and you and I are the better for it.

A. W. Tozer wrote: “God’s plan will continue on God’s schedule.” It did when Jesus was walking this earth and it does now, in preparation for the Lord’s return. The only question we have to answer, as it relates to Jesus, is – do we want life or some imitation?

Satan’s lies have deceived many and will continue to deceive until Jesus’ return. We, as Christ’s “hands and feet,” must hold out Jesus’ invitation to life to anyone willing to listen.

It’s ironic that responding positively to Jesus’ invitation doesn’t really deprive us of anything we need, because He becomes our everything. Charles H. Spurgeon wrote: “How comprehensive is the love of Jesus! There is no part of His people’s interests which He does not consider, and there is nothing which concerns their welfare which is not important to Him.”

The closer I get to Jesus, the greater my love for my wife, family, neighbors, friends, and those with whom I have contact from day to day. The greater measure of gratitude I have for all the Lord gives me, the more He showers me with His loving presence. Every day I marvel at how generously He has provided for me, yet how little I care about in comparison to my desire for Him.

Perhaps Helen H. Lemmel said it best in her chorus: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

One of the reasons the narrow way is difficult to find is because the only signage is us. And we’re so often consumed with ourselves we forget to share with those who need to see His light and love through us. It’s not enough for us to be beacons of light if our light isn’t illuminating Jesus.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Following Jesus

“Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’” (Matthew 4:19 NLT)

The verse above gives us the words Jesus used to call His first disciples – Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew, who were fishermen by trade. To some of His disciples, like Matthew, Jesus simply said “Follow Me.” What’s important for us to learn from this verse about following Jesus?

First, Jesus calls out to us. His Holy Spirit will create an unmistakable “tug” or “pull” on our heart. This could be at church or anyplace else. For several of the original twelve, they were working when Jesus called them. Others came through an invitation from a friend or relative. But please don’t misunderstand, an invitation to church doesn’t in and of itself comprise a call to follow Jesus. It took me a few months after I began to attend church before I became a Christ-follower, but some come to the Lord in another context, then find a church family with whom to worship and grow.

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Second, Jesus leads us, He doesn’t push us. To follow Jesus is a voluntary, volitional act of our will. Peter and Andrew, like every other Christ-follower since, recognized that Jesus was inviting them into a whole new way of life. Following Jesus isn’t something we add to our already busy life, it’s a decision to allow the Lord to reorient everything about our life. I’ve said before, it’s not necessarily WHAT we do – we can be a professional, blue collar, or homeless – unless it’s illegal and/or immoral, Jesus usually shifts our thinking about what we do and helps us understand who we’re really working for.

Notice Jesus said to fishermen, “I will make you fishers of people.” Why is that important? Becoming a follower of Christ may not mean you have to change careers or jobs like these fishermen did. The important thing is whatever kind of work you do, or did if you’re retired, the Lord will use the skills you have to equip you to be fruitful in reaching those in your spheres of influence, which will now become your new “mission field,” whether they are your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or those with whom you enjoy recreation.

At some point the Lord may lead you in a new direction, but initially what He most often does is change your attitude regarding your work. You no longer work for XYZ company, you work for Jesus. Your check may say “XYZ Company,” but Jesus is just using them to pay you. Jesus is your provider.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:5: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.” In our context it’s more appropriate to think of employer/employee relationships; however, if the concept of slavery in the context of following Jesus is offensive, you need to get over it. Three of the most prominent leaders in the early Church – Peter, James, and John – each of them began their letters in the Bible by identifying themselves as “a slave of Jesus Christ.”

Thirdly, He will “show us” (teach us) how to reach people in our spheres of influence. So many today believe going to church, serving, giving money, and living a respectable life is the sum total of what it means to follow Jesus. While those things are important, they were never intended to take the place of reaching our family and friends with the Good News of why Jesus came and what He accomplished on our behalf.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”

Here’s the truth: we tell people about what’s important to us. Who has a child and doesn’t tell anyone? Who gets a new job, new house, new car, etc. and doesn’t want to share the “good news?” There is no better news than to share “I once was blind, but now I see! I was headed to a Christless eternity, but now heaven will be my home when I leave this earth!”

Following Jesus is THE GREATEST PRIVILEGE AFFORDED MANKIND! There’s literally NOTHING that can compare with knowing, loving, and following Jesus!

Blessings, Ed 😊

Victory In Jesus

A Prayer by Sylvia Gunter

*NOTE: Though I’ve never used another person’s material for one of my posts, I’ve enjoyed reading Sylvia’s devotionals for years, and just thought this was too rich not to share. See below to access other devotionals by Sylvia. Used with permission.

You are the Name above all names, the Lord of heaven and earth, King of all kings, El Elyon-Most High God, Mighty Warrior, Captain of the Lord’s hosts. You are the Commander of the armies of heaven who has no equal, who cannot lose, and You are by our side.

All power is Yours, Sovereign God my Father. I confess Jesus as my Savior and Lord. I am in Christ, redeemed by His sacrifice on the cross, cleansed and clothed in His righteousness. I do not presume my safety. I step intentionally into the protection of the blood of the worthy Lamb of God. I plead the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ over all of my life, all my family, all possessions, my job or business, my ministry, and the people in my personal and spiritual jurisdiction. The blood of the spotless Lamb of God is my Shield of protection from the destructive intent of the enemy. Jesus has given me legitimate authority to tread on all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure me (Luke 10:19).

Because of the cross of Jesus, the devil has no place in me, no power, dominion, or authority over me. I overcome him by the victory of the blood of Jesus. He has no unsettled claims nor effectual assignments against me. I stand against every lie the deceiver ever told me. I take back all ground I ever gave him and close every door I ever opened to him, intentionally or in ignorance. I refuse his accusations and condemnation, because all my sins and guilt are nailed to the cross.

I refuse the enemy’s tactics of fear and intimidation. My weapons through God are mighty to pull down enemy strongholds. In the name of Jesus, in His authority, by His blood, according to His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit, I pull down every stronghold of the enemy in my life. I resist everything that exalts itself against knowing God and obeying His will.

We overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. I claim the perfect freedom of Jesus. I receive all the fullness of the Holy Spirit living in me. I yield all of myself to all of God. I plead, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in my life as it is in heaven this day. I stand in all the victory that is in Christ Jesus, in whose precious name I pray.

Amen.

Taken from For The Family © 1995 by Sylvia Gunter .
Click here to learn more and order a copy of the book.
An archive of past devotionals is available on the website.

Do You Love the Bible?

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey Your righteous regulations.” (Psalm 119:105-106 NLT)

If you don’t yet love the Bible, God’s written word, you likely don’t yet love its Author.

When I was in college, the only way to communicate with my girl friend who was five hours away, was pay telephone or snail mail. Stamps were cheaper than the telephone, so I wrote a lot of letters. But the joy and delight of my life; what I longed for more than almost anything else, was a letter from my girlfriend. I loved reading her letters.

Dr. David Jeremiah wrote recently in his devotional Turning Point (06-01-22): “The Bible, in a sense, is such a love letter—from God to us. Take the words of the psalmist: ‘The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.’ When children are born, they are ‘simple,’ or naïve, about life. Every parent’s goal is that their children transition from ‘simple’ to ‘wise’ through years of teaching by words and examples. The apostle Paul expands on this idea in 2 Timothy 3:14-17 where he says the ‘Scriptures…are able to make you wise for salvation.’ But it’s broader than just salvation. He says the Bible is for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Everything a godly parent wants for their child, God wants for us. The Bible is His love letter to us, a letter to be treasured.”

The Bible, in many ways and on many levels, is God’s love letter to His children. To not love “hearing” from our Father, to me, is a clear indication that we aren’t interested in what our Father has to say. That’s scary!

The primary way many believers “hear” from God is to listen to sermons or teachings. That can be dangerous. Sermons are interpretations of God’s infallible Word, by very fallible human beings. Essentially what is happening is we’re hearing what God said to them, not us. And please understand, I was a pastor for many years, and I did my best to be true to the Scriptures. I continually told my listeners to not take my word for how I was understanding what the Bible was saying but to check it out themselves. I believe the same applies to what I write in these posts.

In some ways, listening to what God said to someone else is like reading my friends “love letter” from his girlfriend. It may say some wonderful things, but I’m not the intended audience, so it leaves me wanting.

So, if you find yourself skipping reading the Bible on a regular basis, what should you do? Matthew Henry wrote: “The Bible is a letter God has sent to us; prayer is a letter we send to him.” Communication in the best sense, is a two-way process. Begin the process of speaking with God through prayer. Ask Him to give you a hunger for His Word.

Jesus is the key figure throughout the Bible, so if you love Him and are grateful for what He has done and is doing in your life, partner with someone you know and trust and who also loves Jesus, and read the Bible together. Start in the Gospel of John, and when finished with John, go back to Matthew, and read straight through the New Testament, including reading John again.

Read with pen and paper available and make note of words, phrases, or concepts that aren’t clear. Speak with your pastor or trusted Christian friend who is further along in their faith journey, about questions you have. But I have learned that the best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture. If you’re troubled by something you’ve read, make note of what and where it is, then keep reading. Many of my questions have been answered by other texts within the Bible.

Over time, buy a Concordance and some Bible software that will help you do word studies and enable you to cross reference verses quickly. I’ve used the Online Bible software for many years. It’s reasonably priced and is filled with helpful resources.

As always, if I can be of further help, email me at walkingwithjesus09@gmail.com.

The bottom line is – if you’re not hungering for what can only be found in the Bible, you’re likely not yet hungering to walk more closely with Jesus, the Bible’s Author. That, my friend, is a major “red flag.”

Blessings, Ed 😊