Month: December 2021

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Preparation for Fighting Spiritual Battles

Be strong and courageous

2Cor 10 How do we fight the battles of life? The world, led by our archenemy Satan, uses weapons of hate, deceit, physical and mental arguments. But, Paul reminds us that “For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,” [2 Cor 10:3] for these will fail.  Instead, we are to use the weapons Christ used and which Paul lists for us in the book of Ephesians.

The most important weapon is the truth of our Master. He is “the truth, the way and the life” instead of false ideas cloaked in truth. The breastplate of righteousness guards our heart and our minds from the lies and deception and the worries of this world. Are our feet shod with the gospel of peace?  The belt of truth is to cover the most sensitive part of our anatomy for it keeps us sexually pure. The helmet of salvation protects the truth we have memorized which transforms us by the renewing of our mind.  The sword of the Spirit anoints us and empowers us in contrast to the sword of lies, deceptive arguments, and false logic our enemy uses. 

Our duty is not to attack but to withstand Satan’s attacks and although our weapons are scorned by the world they are feared by demonic powers.

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Death and Eternal Life

Is heaven on your bucket list

2Cor 5 What if you knew that today or tomorrow you would be meeting God face to face? A precious friend whose elderly father is nearing his step into eternity waits for that last breath. As the friend waits, she recalls his life as a pastor and his work amongst the lost. She recalls his life as he taught her the scriptures she holds in her heart and shares with others. In this, we have this promise God has given to us. Ps 116:15 KJV tells us that “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

Paul also shared that we might be comforted. We now live in an earthly house, but one day that house will close, and it will be by God’s timing. Until then, know this truth: we have a heavenly home already prepared for us. “Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God” [2 Cor 5:5] We who are left here groan in our earthly house, but we too one day will see the glorious Christ waiting for us on the shore of the celestial city.

Victory is but a word, but victory in Jesus is a lifestyle.

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Death and Eternal Life

Is heaven on your bucket list

2Cor 5 What if you knew that today or tomorrow you would be meeting God face to face? A precious friend whose elderly father is nearing his step into eternity waits for that last breath. As the friend waits, she recalls his life as a pastor and his work amongst the lost. She recalls his life as he taught her the scriptures she holds in her heart and shares with others. In this, we have this promise God has given to us. Ps 116:15 KJV tells us that “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

Paul also shared that we might be comforted. We now live in an earthly house, but one day that house will close, and it will be by God’s timing. Until then, know this truth: we have a heavenly home already prepared for us. “Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God” [2 Cor 5:5] We who are left here groan in our earthly house, but we too one day will see the glorious Christ waiting for us on the shore of the celestial city.

Victory is but a word, but victory in Jesus is a lifestyle.

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Unbelievers vs. Believers

This is our prayer request

2Cor 1 to 4 Unbelievers have a veil over their minds and their hearts. They cannot understand nor comprehend who Jesus is. But when the Holy Spirit reveals Him, the veil is removed, and they see, understand, and clearly see Jesus. Paul explains it this way: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” [2Cor 4:4] The god of this age is, of course, Satan, who diabolically wants to keep unbelievers in his kingdom of darkness. But God’s light is greater than Satan’s darkness ” For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.” [2 Cor 4:6].

Today pray for those whose hearts are blind to the gospel and Jesus.

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The Gospel & The Resurrection

Victory in Jesus

1Cor 15 There is an old hymn titled “Victory in Jesus” which tells the gospel story. It tells us that the greatest gift that God has given to us. Paul reminded the Corinthians that it was Jesus in the flesh that lived, died, and was resurrected on the third day according to the scriptures. Without the resurrection, he was just a man like any of us, but because He was raised death has been extinguished. “The sting of death is sin, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! [1Cor 15:57]

It is because of His death and His resurrection that one day we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in the moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. This mortality will put on immortality for we are now being sewn into the beautiful tapestry of the image of the one who gave His life. It is because of this we can sing with the choirs of heaven, Victory in Jesus!

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The Holy Spirit and Christmas

The Holy Spirit is our gift

1Cor 12 It is December, and that means Christmas is coming! God gave us the best Christmas gift ever when He sent His Son Jesus. But, God also plans ahead and He had your name on a special gift; the Spirit to reside with you FOREVER AND EVER!

Jesus said: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” [Jn 14:16] He is our permanent teacher, not just on Christmas morning but FOREVER! and EVER! In addition, Jesus prayed that; ” But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.”  [Jn 14:26] And then in 1Cor 12, we read that the Spirit gives; better than Santa! He also distributes; not to just good boys and girls but to every saved believer as He wills. He works all these things for His glory and that we might edify others and especially the church. There may be a diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit who does all of this and more, and we are to receive each one gratefully. 

Since eternity the Spirit has been actively distributing gifts, and you are blessed to have received His gift, whether it be knowledge or wisdom or the gift of x, y, z as he gave to Daniel. 

Do you know your gift? Do others recognize that you have been anointed with the Holy Spirit? Are you grateful for the gifts He has given to you?

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The Gospel is NOT for sale!

The gospel is free

1Cor 9 to 11 Evidently the Corinthians had been challenging Paul regarding many different issues. Because of that, he plies them with question after question. Near the end of his defense of his apostleship, he challenged the Corinthians to see him in the role of a servant and steward so that he could offer the gospel free of charge. Is this how we see ourselves? God has given us a gift and it is this; we are His servants fitted with the gospel of peace to be proclaimed freely. The gospel is not for sale. It is a free gift from Christ.

The crux of Paul’s argument for the Corinthians comes from the teaching of Jesus to His disciples: “freely you received, freely give.” [Matt 10:8] or “you have been treated generously, so live generously.” [Matt 10:8 MSG]

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