LEARNING DAILY

Leviticus 17:11, For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for your souls.

“There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood…!” in the past week I have given blood because of my yearly physical. A few days later, I was called back to give more blood so some additional tests could be made. I was sitting in the waiting room thinking about all the things the technician was able to discover about me from a small vial of blood. Of course, my mind began to wander as I considered the importance of the blood. The blood tests help doctors to check for certain diseases and various conditions a person might have. It also helps check the function of our organs and check how well any treatments might be working.

“Oxygen, the body’s most critical nutrient, is carried through the blood. The human body can live on when all other parts of the body fail, but when the heart stops, death is inevitable” (David Jeremiah Study Bible notes). In the book of Leviticus, God gave clear instructions regarding blood sacrifices for the atonement of sin. God is the One who made man and breathed life into him. When Adam sinned, God required a blood sacrifice for Adam’s sin to be forgiven. Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness (sin) with fig leaves; that was not sufficient to make atonement for their sin.

When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, God made clear that the forgiveness of sin was only through the blood sacrifice of animals. During their exodus, God gave clear instructions regarding what needed to be sacrificed, where and how the sacrifice was to be done, as well as who was to do it. All life is given by God and belongs to Him. Chapter 16 of the book of Leviticus is very significant in explaining this. Chapter 17 continues in explaining the sanctity of the blood and the laws regarding the sacrifice of the blood. “The laws were intended to ensure that the Israelites would not offer their sacrifices to demons. Failure to bring all sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle merited death or banishment, apparently because stopping short in this regard might lead to heretical acts” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). It is pretty obvious that any offering made that was not in line with God’s instructions was a serious offense causing severe punishment to follow.

All this was leading to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Atonement is the way one is made right with God. It is the forgiveness of sins through the death of Jesus on the cross “for it is the blood that makes atonement for your souls”. Atonement comes only through the blood shed by the proper sacrifice; it does not come through the blood plus anything else! For the people of Israel, the shedding of blood was a continual process. For Believers today Believing on the shed blood of Jesus Christ is a onetime event; one’s sins are immediately transferred to Him. Once saved, the Believer does not have to accept Jesus every time an altar call is given.

Without the shedding of blood there is no atonement. At the time of accepting Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to guide and keep Believers on the narrow way. The forgiveness of our sins gives the Believer access to the throne of God because peace has been made with Him through His Son!

I know this is basic Christianity. I could not help but think upon this with all the blood being drawn out of me.  I have been amazed at all the things the results are telling about me. I thank the Lord for the reminder about the importance of the blood He shed that I (and you) can have eternal life with Him in His kingdom.

Just got a notice from the South Texas Blood and Tissue. They say they need more blood to help someone else in need!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Mark 4:40-41, But he said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and sea obey Him!”

Remember the disciples are terrified by the storm that came up as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee and Jesus is asleep. They have listened to His teaching. They have witnessed Him heal people and make people whole by casting out demons. They walked with Him, listening to Him when no one else was around. Then the storm comes. Then the trials come. We look upon them and question where their faith is. Was there any question about their belief that Jesus was the Messiah? This storm must have been severe because many of them were experienced fisherman; even the experienced were very afraid.

The questions Jesus asked went straight to putting their faith into practice. Being with Jesus was great until the storm came, until they were tested. I wonder if the Lord was asking about their faith or their lack of acting on their faith when the storm came. Did He think they were to calm the storm or be faithful and trust that all would be okay because He was with them?

How do you, as a Believer, handle severe trials? Believers can read/study/meditate on God’s Word, pray continually, go to Church and be moved by a great Holy Spirit led service, but when trials come or the fear of something is great, great faith needs to come to comfort and encourage. Or does fear cause us to act like the disciples in their storm? Believer, there is going to come a time when your faith in Jesus is going to be tested by a great trial that is beyond your control.

Jesus wanted the faith of the disciples to be on what they had observed in Him as well as their knowledge. He wanted their faith to be centered in Him. He was in the boat with them, and He was not going to let it sink! He wanted them the place their faith in Him! The storms were opportunity for them to learn, to grasp the meaning of who He really is and put His love and grace deep into their heart. They needed more time.

Is that not the purpose of walking the narrow way with Jesus. When those severe storms or trial come to you, as a Believer, you will handle them best by having Jesus in the boat with you (walking the narrow way with Him). When you fix your eyes on the wind and the waves and the rain of the storm – that’s when the real trouble comes. As a Believer, Jesus is with you!

The amazement of the disciples to the calming of the storm is seen when they wondered who Jesus was that the wind and sea obey Him. Did they believe Jesus was the One who would lead them against Rome even at this time? But did the obedience of the wind and sea make them realize He was God Himself? That was something only God Himself could do.

It is not only knowledge that leads to faith; experiences faced, often in the form of trials, lead Believers to faith. That is not earned; it is a gift from God and comes as the Holy Spirit works in us. No matter what the storm is that one faces, remember that Jesus is with you. He is still calming the wind and the waves of the storms when they come to those who follow Him!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Mark 4:38, But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Jesus had just finished a day of teaching and, no doubt, healing many; Mark wrote in the first verse of chapter four that there was a great multitude of people. When they had gotten in the boat to cross the sea of Galilee there was no indication of a storm. But storms came up quickly on this body of water, I am told. Now a storm is raging around the disciples and Jesus. The disciples fear for their lives and Jesus is asleep. Finally, they wake Him up and ask, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

The disciples had witnessed Jesus perform many healings, cast out demons, and argue with religious leaders like no one else. They had not witnessed His power and authority over natural phenomenon. Now they did not know whether they would perish in this storm or not. Jesus is with them and He was asleep. They wake Him and I wonder what their expectation was. Did they want Him to join in their panic or was there another reason? “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Was this a question that challenges His love for them? Did they really think He would let them sink?

How quickly Believers are to question why God allowed something to happen to them. Believers do all they can to walk the narrow way; they trust and walk with Jesus, but the trials and storms come. If He had not been in the boat with them, perhaps the storm would have been easier to understand; but he was right in the boat with them! As Believers, do we not do as the disciples and wonder why things happen to us when we are doing the best we can to walk in obedience to Him?

Today, there have been many who have been affected by tornadoes, fire, heavy rain that has caused great flooding, and tropical storms on the coast. Extreme heat is forecasted across this country. There are indications that this is not going to stop. Believers and nonbelievers alike are affected by these natural conditions. I wonder how many wonder, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” At the same time, I have seen and heard people express great faith and confidence that God knows what is happening in their lives and He cares.

God has His purpose for all things; He desires to be glorified and He desires the good for His people. We look at life and what happens to us (and around us) in limited wisdom, at best. Notice the way Jesus rebuked His disciples. “Why are you fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” He did not belittle the danger they were in. He does not do this for Believers when they face their storms and trials. I do think the Lord Jesus wants Believers to place their trust in Him and His ability to meet our needs through all things. It is easy for me to sit here and write these things because I have not experienced flooding, fire, or terrible wind.

What I want to stress in this page of the blog is to be careful about reacting to the storms we face. Like the disciple had Jesus in the boat with them, all Believers have Him with them as they face difficulties that come while walking on the narrow way. Why don’t we consider that Jesus might be doing a greater work in us by walking with us in the times of trouble; perhaps, in these times our faith is being built, obedience is being strengthened or some other purpose is being accomplished in you that you would bring glory to Him. The disciples were amazed and marveled that the forces of nature obeyed Jesus. Their faith grew out of this storm. Believer, your faith grows when you face difficult situations and tribulation.

Are you facing a storm right now? If so, know the Lord Jesus Christ is right there with you. Cast your cares upon Him and see how He works out your situation for your good and His glory!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Ephesians 6:17, Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

The last of the armor of God being taught at NorthRock Church is the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God. Today’s speaker was Pastor Danny Rivers. He began by reminding the people, “when we are told to ‘stand firm’, we fight from the victory Jesus Christ has already won for us at the cross.” He continued, “Putting on God’s armor points to Jesus; we put on the spiritual armor when we pray” (Ephesians 6:18-20). We pick up this spiritual sword when we read/study/meditate on God’s Word! Granddaughter Audrey wrote in her notes, “Spiritual warfare is often very personal. The sword the soldier carried was more of a dagger meant to be used in close combat.”

How important is reading God’s Word? Deuteronomy 8:3 tells us, “He [God] humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Believers remain faithful and maintain their character (remember Joseph) when they walk the narrow way reading/studying/meditating on the Word of God. 2 Samuel 22:321 tells us, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless; …”. It is extremely necessary for the Believer to know the Word of God! The devil used the lie, “Did God really say?” The devil tries to get Believers to doubt God’s Word and to get Believers to believe it is not necessary to read the Word of God daily. That’s a lie and Believer do not believe it. Get into God’s Word so you can know the trick of the enemy when it comes!

Here is what happens when the Believer reads/studies/meditates on the Word daily. It begins to transform and guard your mind (Romans 12:2). It begins to help one walk more closely to Jesus on the narrow way. The Believer has a greater desire to become like Jesus and please Him in their speech and what they do each day. Hebrews 4:12 begins to become a greater reality in the Believer’s life.  “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” My dad was a meatcutter and I remember watching him sharpen his knife. He kept each knife he used very sharp to cut the various meat from the beef quarter and cut away the fatty tissue that surrounded the meat people wanted. The Bible is that sharp sword that cuts into those parts of the Believer that are hidden, hard to reach and may be difficult to distinguish in our lives. I’m writing about how God’s word distinguishes between the godly and ungodly in the life of the Believer. The Bible cuts away and separates Believers from the ungodly “stuff” so the things they think are selfless, spiritual deeds and acts, but, in reality, are selfish and ungodly.

God’s Word gives Believers the ability and power to learn and walk the will of God. When Believers believe the Word of God it begins to change them from the inside out. The Lord Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to His disciples and all who would believe in Him to teach them (us) all things (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit’s guidance is necessary for every Believer as they walk the narrow way because He strengthens and reinforces God’s Word. Believers are to pick up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God as they do spiritual warfare. The rest of the armor is for protection, but the sword is what we do battle with. Pastor Rivers referred to the battle we fight. Believers fight by speaking the Word when the enemy comes against them. When the devil says Believers can’t do something or when he tries to convince them they are lowly and unloved, or tells us to be fearful, Believers must use the Word of God, declaring what it says!

“The war is won but there are battles yet to be won” (from Audrey’s notes). Those battles are fought daily; we fight “not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the spiritual realm” (Ephesians 6:12). It is up to each Believer to put on the armor of God and to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Pastor Ed Newton spoke about the difference between good dreams and God dreams this weekend. The target statement on the Listener Guide was: “Your current reality is not your final destiny. Good dreams can go unfulfilled, but God’s dreams cannot be stopped.” It was an encouraging message for anyone who has a dream about serving God. Those good dreams that we have created in our mind that would help God out in what He wants done may not happen because the dream may have been created by our own thoughts and desires. But those dreams that God places in our minds are going to happen.

The dreams that God has given to His believers will happen. A God given desire is about “what He wants to do in and through us; it is not about us. God given dreams are about God” (Newton). Has God given you a dream that has not happened? Perhaps the timing has not been ready yet. Perhaps you have needed to be made ready for what He has for you to do. Perhaps the timing for the dream is not yet ready. Perhaps you need to come to the understanding that the dream is not for you but for someone or for everyone around you. Let me explain what Pastor Newton used as an example.

Joseph had dreams about his brothers and even his father bowing down to him. Of course that got him into great trouble with his brothers. The tipping point for them came when he showed up where they had their sheep wearing a coat of many colors showing their father’s favor. Joeseph was sold by them to Midianite travelers who sold him to Potiphar, who was the captain of Pharoah’s guard in Egypt. Joseph found favor with Potiphar and all was good until Potiphar’s wife tried to get him to “lie with her” (Listener Guide). Here is a key point for every Believer: “Joseph may have lost his coat of many colors, but he held on to his character – even when no one was watching” (Newton). Joseph made God the priority of his life. Because of the lie told by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph ended up in prison.

Once again Joseph found favor with the prison guards and soon was “put in charge of all the prisoners in the prison”. There he met Pharoah’s cupbearer and baker; he interpreted their dreams which eventually brought Joseph before Pharoah to interpret dreams he had. This brought him into a position in Pharoah’s court. Eventually, Joseph’s entire family came to Egypt and Joseph telling his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Do you see and understand that the process for a God-given dream may take time to be fulfilled? Because your “God-given dream” has not happened, it does not mean is will not. You may not have been prepared or possibly the timing was just not right. Joseph stayed faithful to God in every difficult situation he faced. God continued to prepare him to be second in command of Egypt. You may not be being prepared for a high position; stay faithful to God! Perhaps you are to just share this message of encouragement to someone today or tomorrow. Or perhaps, in God’s timing someone might speak to someone else about you which might fulfill the dream God has given to you. “You cannot short cut the process that God is working out for your destiny, to make you ready for what God has for you to do” (Newton). “There are good dreams that can go unfulfilled, but God’s dreams cannot be stopped” (Target statement for the message from the Listener Guide). Do not give up on God’s dream in your life. Stay faithful by making God the priority in your life! The God-given dream is not about you but for everyone else around you!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 16:24, Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

 We were watching the series “The Chosen” the other day and the character portraying Matthew said, “One thing I know I need to do when I wake up each day – follow Jesus and life takes care of itself”. Perhaps when the disciple Matthew wrote his account of Jesus’ life this is what he thought when he wrote the statement of Jesus above. It is not just a great line from a series; it is a thought Believers need to remember each day as they get out of bed. Today let’s be reminded of what it means to follow Jesus.

Jesus called His disciples by saying, “Follow Me.” The response was to get up, leave everything behind and follow Him. When one gives their life to Him to be saved by Him, He makes the same call. The believer begins to walk on a narrow way to be changed by Him, making him fit for the kingdom of God. Truly following Jesus means He has become everything to the one following Him. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” The statement to the disciples applies to each Believer today. To follow Christ means one has no other gods before Him; Believers place no one nor any thing before Him.

The disciples found that they had to leave everything behind. They could not follow Him half-way. it took time but they came to understand their need to be obedient to Him (as He was obedient to His Father in heaven). Their desire became to please Him, to glorify Him in all they did was because of being with Him. He showed them how to live what the Scriptures taught by showing them His grace, His compassion, His mercy, and His love. They began to apply the truths He taught them as they walked closely with Him.

As Believers continue to walk the narrow way, the Holy Spirit, our Helper and Guide, begins to change us as we apply the same truths of Scripture. We also begin to strive to be like Him in all aspects of our lives. The grace He has given Believers causes us to speak and do all things to glorify Him. Billy Graham has said that following Christ means, “first, to commit our lives to Jesus Christ, to make Him the master of our lives. Be obedient to Him because He knows what is best for each of us. See others through the eyes of Christ.”

To follow Jesus each Believer must follow and imitate Him. An important key to doing that is knowing as much about Him as possible. But, let me emphasize it’s not the knowledge in itself that is important – becoming like Christ is the end goal. Reading/studying/ meditating on the Word of God and doing it prayerfully and then being obedient to it is the how becoming like Christ happens.

Believers face quite a challenge in this world today. Faith has been challenged by all sorts of thoughts and the result of that is seen everywhere. It seems that the belief in the salvation of Jesus Christ is still important. But the importance of walking the narrow way and making Him the Lord of our life has been ignored. Deceptive and wrong teaching has greatly contributed to this. Faith grows as we walk with Jesus on the narrow way; walking the narrow way shows us the need to depend on Him instead of relying on our own limited wisdom and knowledge. To face the challenges of today’s evil world, the need to “follow Jesus” is a call each Believer must understand he/she cannot follow Him the way He desires without a day by day walk in obedience to Him allowing the Holy Spirit to produce in us the character of Jesus Christ.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Ephesians 3:14-19, For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

David Wilkerson wrote, “We often say that we live in a fallen world, a world that isn’t yet perfect and one in which Satan has influence. This isn’t what God wants. He longs for us to live fully in Him and to depend on Him. He pulls us toward Him with His Word and with the Holy Spirit.” I believe all Believers need to be reminded and to be “rooted and grounded in love”, “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge”.

Pau’s prayer begins with bowing before God, a gesture of humility. I suggest that you open your Bible and read Ephesians 3 in order to find out what Paul meant when he wrote “For this reason”. Paul asks God for a deep, spiritual strength for the people of Ephesus; he wants them to know how much God loves them. That happens as Believers allow the Holy Spirit to work from within them to establish His life within us. Guess where and when that happens – as we walk the narrow way allowing Him to change us and make us ready to enter into His eternal kingdom.

Paul prays Christ dwell in the hearts of the Believers in Ephesus; that is to be our prayer today. When one accepts Christ as Savior, He comes to dwell in our hearts. Believers are to put on the breastplate of righteousness every day to protect our heart and the helmet of salvation to protect our mind. We protect our heart and mind from the attacks of the enemy. We also do that by opening our heart to allow the Lord to guide all our thoughts and feelings, our dreams, and be our focus each day. Believers become rooted and grounded when Christ dwells within their heart through faith. The importance is shown by how Believers are then able to reach out to others due to the power and strength of Christ flowing through them.

The immensity of “being rooted and grounded in love” is described by Paul using four dimensions. David Jeremiah describes them in this way, “Its breadth reminds us that His arms reach around the globe. On the cross, Jesus’ hands were stretched out for the whole world. Its length reminds us that His love extends from eternity past to eternity future. It existed before the foundation of the world and will exist after this world’s end. Its depth reminds us that His love addresses the deepest needs of the human heart. God loves sinners no matter who they are, what they have done or where they have been. Its height reaches to the very throne of God. Out of love Jesus came down from heaven and lifts up to His level anyone who chooses to believe, because no one can climb up to His.”

It is when He comes into the hearts of the Believers, He settles down and takes up residence there filling them with His presence. It is then they truly walk the narrow way with Him and they begin to know just how deep and wide His love for them is (from Romans 8:38-39). That love is meant to keep each believer grounded and to grow in their maturity.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Luke 4:39; (Matthew 8:15; Mark 1:31), So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.

I am trying to read more slowly and really examine different events in the life of Jesus while He walked this earth. The verse today relates to Jesus healing the mother-in-law of Peter. You should have noticed that this account is found in Matthew’s and Mark’s writing as well. It is a short account of Peter and His wife asking Jesus to come to their house and attend to her mother who was sick with a “high fever”. Some bible scholars believe this might have been malaria because of where the house was located; whatever caused the fever, it was a serious illness.

What I find interesting in this verse is Jesus healing her and she immediately got up and served Jesus, her family, and whoever else was there. Jesus “rebuked the fever” and she was healed instantly and completely. The instantaneous and complete healing is significant because it shows a true miracle. Remember the Jewish traditions regarding touching someone who was sick or unclean and even the tradition that Jewish leaders were not to touch a woman. Matthew writes that Jesus did both; Jesus was not really concerned about Jewish traditions.

“Immediately she arose and served them.” Wouldn’t someone healed of a serious disease take at least some time to recover? Not this woman. She got up and started to serve Jesus and other guests that were there. Yes, in the ancient culture hospitality was very important; once she was healed, she immediately got up and went about treating her guests according to this culture. This healing was clearly a miracle!

 I wonder if there was conversation left out of these written accounts. I wonder if the mother-in-law of Peter asked what she needed to do for them? Or did she get up and begin to attend to duties involved in hospitality? I am sure she must have expressed her gratitude for being healed.  All we know is Jesus healed her and she immediately got up and began to serve; we only know is what the Holy Spirit led the writers to include.

Do you remember what you did when the Lord Jesus responded to your admission of sin by taking away your sins? When that happened, you were spiritually healed. What did you think or do? Even more importantly, every Believer has something he/she can be doing to serve the Lord. Not everyone will be preachers/teachers of God’s Word. Paul writes in Romans 12, God has given every Believer gifts that he/she can use to serve the Lord. He writes, “to be diligent in serving the Lord” by giving [not only of our finances but our time], by leading [according to the leading of the Holy Spirit], by showing mercy and giving to those around us in need, by rejoicing in hope, being fervent in prayer and having a heart that is open to reach out and embrace others. Not all of these things will be seen by others – the Lord will see however. May He grant us the grace to live our Christian testimony in a way that is real and practical each day! When Believers truly follow Jesus, walking the narrow way with Him, it will be reflected in our daily life and profession. Never think what you do to serve the Lord is too small or insignificant in His kingdom.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”  “At the very center of the Christian commitment to Christ is the mercy He has demonstrated for the Believer. What God has done for the Believer is the basis for everything he/she does for Him.” (David Jeremiah).

 

LEARNING DAILY

Ephesians 6:17, And take the helmet of salvation,

It is quite obvious that a helmet is worn to protect a person’s head from injury. As Paul is in prison, he is looking at the Roman soldier who is guarding him; that is probably the inspiration for writing about armor. He is no doubt comparing the need to protect the physical body to the Believer’s need to use spiritual armor to protect himself spiritually. The message this weekend was about how the helmet did several things for the soldier. According to Pastor Jonathon Moore the helmet not only protected his head, it made him easily identified who he was; the helmet had red horsehair on the top of the helmet (from granddaughter Audrey’s sermon notes).

For the Believer, “the helmet of salvation provides the Christian soldier with their identity and provides their safety in Christ. Salvation of your spirit is automatic (that is saying yes to Jesus Christ). Salvation of your soul takes work” (Pastor Moore). In the blog that is often referred to as walking on the narrow way with all its temptations and difficulties. Believers are to put on the helmet of salvation as they walk this narrow way with Jesus into eternal life in His kingdom. In other words, the Believer’s spirit is saved but their mind and flesh need to change (Moore).

The helmet of salvation changes the way Believers think (NorthRock notes).  However, the old self, the old nature, the old way things have been done, our old thoughts and our tongue need to be changed. Those old things continue to want to be part of the believer’s life, but they must be brought under control. Philippians 2:12 tells Believers to, “work out their salvation with fear and trembling”. Paul is not saying to work out their salvation but to walk the narrow in faith and trust in Jesus Christ; he is telling the Philippians and us to live out their faith by being obedient to God’s Word. This statement tells us to live in worship and respect for God at all times.

Proverbs 23:7 was also used by Pastor Moore to say it is in our thoughts (or our mind) that believers win or lose the battle for what we do. He said, “Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts.” Audrey wrote in her notes, “The foundation of our actions is our thoughts.” The question for Believers, then, is what do we do? The answer is found in putting on the helmet of salvation! Doing so helps us follow the instruction Paul gives in 2 Corinthians 10:5. “…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  The Believer’s thoughts need to be in obedience to God’s Word. Do you see the importance of reading/studying/ meditating on the Word of God?! Knowing God’s Word helps us to reject negative, immoral, evil thoughts and replace them with what God says.

I told you in the last page of the blog when sharing the message at CBC that there were similarities. Pastor Moore stated, “the helmet of salvation changes how I think about who I am. It helps me to know I am a child of God, part of his family and on my way to eternity in God’s kingdom!”  Putting on the helmet of salvation helps me to stop thinking about what others say about me and focus on what God thinks and says about me” (Moore). He said, Satan knows your name but calls you by your past. Jesus knows your sin but calls you by your potential.” If you belong to Christ, you are a new person; the old life is gone and a new life begins (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Pastor Moore’s last point is important. He said, “Putting on the helmet of salvation changes how I think about what I do.” Philippians 4:8-9 is certainly what every Believer ought to be doing, how we should be putting into practice the life we have in Jesus Christ. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. The things which you have learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Don’t forget to put on the helmet of salvation when you put on the rest of the armor and take up the shield of faith. It will help you put into practice the Word of God and protect your mind from all the trash the enemy wants to put in it.

 

LEARNING DAILY

2 Corinthians 10:4-5, For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

Every person reading this knows people who have been very concerned about what others think about them. Let’s be honest; at some time in your life that includes you, just like me. At some time, clothes have been worn because that is the style of the day. If a person does not begin every sentence with, “I mean…” – well what does that mean? People just need to be in line with what everyone else is doing. It seems the need to “fit in” or “doing what everyone else is doing” keeps people centered in what others think.

The message given at Community Bible Church by Dr. Ed Newton centered on people of God breaking away from this thought pattern and become centered in what God thinks and says about who we are. I am very surprised after listening to the service at NorthRock Church how similar the message was to what was given at CBC. I will expand on this in the next page of the blog regarding verse 5 above.

Back to the message at CBC. Pastor Newton said people sell themselves short when they are concerned more about what others say about them than what God says about them. He emphasized the need to remind ourselves of who God says I am. Do you remember the list of Bible verses about who God says you are a few pages ago in the blog? Why do we believe what others say about us when they say things that are contrary to what God says? Pastor asked the following questions. “What are you afraid of losing?” “What are you trying to hide?” “What are you trying to prove?”

Pastor pointed out how exhausting to live a life trying to prove something to people or to please or pacify people (from the Listener Guide). None of us have all the answers to life, but we sure try to be smarter or have greater experiences than who we are talking to. We work harder in order to be perfect in whatever we are doing. Pastor said, “Stop trying to prove your critics wrong and start trying to prove your Creator is right (regarding what He says about you).” He added, “Stop worrying about what others think about you and only worry about what God says about you!”

An example Pastor gave was when John baptized Jesus. Up to this point Jesus had performed no miracles, had given no sermons; yet when He came out of the water of baptism, God was “well pleased with His beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus had done nothing but be obedient to His heavenly Father and that pleased Him! “Believers do not earn the pleasure of God by doing something; God loves them because of their identity in Christ” (Newton reading Philippians 3:7). He also read Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Believers are to live their lives – not in arrogance – according to the way God desires. Do you want Him to choose you, to use you like He wants? Stop allowing others to tell you how to live your life and live it in the way it pleases your Father in heaven!

In the next page of the blog, you will see what Jonathon Moore, Pastor at NorthRock Church shares how putting on the helmet of salvation helps us do this!

 

LEARNING DAILY

My focus for the past few days is making sure God has the place in my heart (and yours) that He not only desires but deserves. The question is how to do this and make sure I keep Him there. I hope that the following verses with some comments will help me and whoever needs the encouragement to do so.

Matthew 22:37, Jesus said to Him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Jesus does not hesitate to answer a question asked Him about which is the greatest commandment. He answers directly from Deuteronomy 6:5. God wants every believer to place Him first and foremost in their heart and love Him with every part of their being. His answer includes our emotions, our actions, and our thoughts. Walking with Him on the narrow way is a daily commitment to loving Him and doing His will.

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.”

It is important to put this verse in the proper context in order to put God in the right place in our heart. This is not about an endless supply of material blessings being given to us; it is about God supplying our daily needs. It is about trusting our heavenly Father to provide because He loves us – even when we do not know where our next meal might come from. By putting God first, by seeking Him first, that we pursue righteousness. In Matthew 5:6 we are told we are blessed when we hunger and thirst after righteousness! The motives Believers have in seeking God matter! Walk the narrow way, living in accordance to biblical teaching, admit the wrongful thing done, thought, and said being thankful for His forgiveness and he will provide what is necessary to live for Him.

1 John 5:21, Little children, keep yourself from idols. Amen

This refers to what has been written in the last few pages of the blog. Idols may refer to people and/or things Believers place before God. It could include one’s work or any form of activity. Keep from idols and concentrate on walking the narrow way with the Lord following and obeying Him.

Follow Romans 11:36, For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen

Paul writes an important statement – all things belong to God. This world we live in, this universe is God’s. Believers are only living in it! Paul writes that everything in it comes from God; He is the source of everything and holds it all together. He continues in his writing that everything that exists is for God and His glory. That includes every Believer! Because of that He demands to have His rightful place in their heart giving Him glory through every aspect of their life.

I continue to be a work in progress!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 10:37-39, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”  Jesus

This reminds me of God telling Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. God wanted to know if Abraham was willing to put God and His Word before even his own son. I do not want to take these verses out of context. Jesus was telling His disciples that He had come to bring a sword that would divide the world, even down to the family unit. In this case people, even today, must choose whether they will follow Jesus or deny Him.

It is with this thought that I want to explain further what was begun in the last page of the blog. I love my family! But I have been guilty of doing what Abraham did – I have often put them ahead of God. As I look back over time (hindsight) I see where God has done things where I have had to decide if I was going to place Him ahead my family in my heart. When I chose to keep my family ahead of Him, He begun to do things where I was forced to do things to change me; that has led to these writings. Many of you will simply call this life changes. I have struggled to let go. What I have come to learn is Jesus is not saying I have to remove loved ones from my heart; I need to put Him ahead of them in my heart and in my allegiance! For many of you reading this, you may not understand how real this struggle is to me.

Know this: Jesus demands His rightful place in the hearts of Believers. Believers must love Him more than all others and live their lives walking the narrow way demonstrating this is true, especially when choices need to be made. Jesus did not say Believers could not love others; He said they should love Him more. In Matthew 22: 34-40, Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love Him with all our heart, souls and mind! The love Believers must have is to love Him and be obedient to Him before everyone and anything else. Jesus made it very clear to His disciples and all who want to follow Him today that those who refuse to follow Him first make them unworthy to be His disciples.

Jesus goes even further when He tells His disciples that refusing to take up one’s cross and follow Him are not worthy of following Him. He was reminding them of the custom of the Romans to make those sentenced to hang on a cross for their crimes, had to carry their cross to where they would be hung. This was an admission of the crimes they committed and carrying their cross was telling those who saw them the Romans had a right to execute them.

How does this relate to what Jesus was saying about picking up one’s cross to follow Him? He was telling His followers that they must be willing to put themselves to death – dying to self – in order to follow Him. Is that not what it means to walk the narrow way? Are we not as followers of Christ to let go of our own agendas, our own personal dreams, even our loved ones to follow Him? Is that not what Jesus meant when He said walking the narrow way was a difficult way? No one can call himself a follower of Jesus without doing so. Believers must be willing to die to self, place Jesus before their loved ones and anything else or they are not worthy of being His disciples.

Is the cost too high? My struggle has not been with following Jesus like He demands. My issue has been the struggle of knowing what that means. Honestly, I have misunderstood. I have also misunderstood how He has been dealing with me to understand I have tried to have family exist in my heart right alongside of Him, often before Him. Do not misunderstand, this is not me feeling sorry for me. It is about the clarity I am getting about what I have been trying to understand for so long. Jesus first! I am thankful for it!

I share this to encourage anyone reading it who may be dealing with some of the same issues. If it is just me, then praise God that He finally is getting through this hard head of mine! I am so thankful He never has given up on me!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Exodus 20:1-3, And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

Is it okay to be transparent today? Sometimes, writing my thoughts bring clarity to me and perhaps this writing can help one or two who reads this. I have been reading the autobiography of Charles Finney. At the same time, I have been using the writings of Charles Spurgeon as I read God’s Word. I have also begun reading J.I. Packer’s book, The Pursuit of God. What I have found is they all are pointing to the same thought, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Finney continually writes about the importance of time spent in prayer. The time he and others spent in prayer for revival and for God to change people’s hearts is significant, of extreme importance for what God did through Finney’s preaching. Prayer changes hard hearts to become able to hear and receive the Word of God. I need to spend more time in prayer, that’s for sure!

Spurgeon gets more teaching out of the parables Jesus taught than anyone I have ever read or any preacher I have listened to. For me, that is good since I enjoy learning and passing on what he has written in the blogs so readers can benefit from his writing. Not only do I need to pray more, I need to slow down in my reading time to get as much as possible from what God wants to say.

Then I read from Packer that God does not want to have any competition in my devotion. His example is from the teaching about Abraham being told to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Issac is the son through which God’s promises to Abraham would come. The problem was due to Abraham replacing God with Isaac in his heart. Sacrifice Isaac and that would remove him from the place in Abraham’s heart – where God desired to be. Not only do I need to pray more, need to slow down in my reading because there is so much to gain from God’s Word, I need to have God search my heart and let me know what is there that keeps me from placing God there—before everyone and everything else.

It was either Spurgeon or Packer that wrote, I cannot do any of this, God does it. It occurs as Believers grow and walk in faith with Jesus on the narrow way into eternity in His kingdom. Believers are on different parts of the narrow way. Some are just getting on it while others have been walking on it for different lengths of time. Jesus takes us further down the road as we are ready for it and that may mean different things for each individual Believer.

For me, it has meant that I truly examine what and who I have placed in my heart before God, as Abraham did Issac. As I have considered that, I can see why things and even people have been taken out of my life. Perhaps some of the anxieties I am experiencing is God helping me remove some of those people or things I have placed there. Perhaps, the need for spending more time in prayer is for putting God in the center of my heart where He desires, demands to be. Maybe closer attention to God’s Word will assure me that God can be trusted to take care of those people and things he wants me to remove from my heart.

I do not want to be misleading on this subject; let me expand on this in the next page of the blog.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Ephesians 6:16, In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The shield for a Roman soldier was made of layers of wood, wrapped in leather strips. Before battle the shield would be soaked in water to help extinguish the flaming arrows shot at them by the enemy.  Pastor Moore from NorthRock Church explained that the shield of faith had to be “taken up” when it was needed. The Roman soldier would not always have to carry it with him. This differed from the armor Paul had already said “needed to be put on”. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of peace were always needed to be “put on”.

I have written before that Believers are either in a battle, coming out of a battle, or about to enter a battle. Every good soldier better have taken up their shield in order to do battle. In a spiritual battle the shield of faith is extremely necessary to extinguish the fiery dart or arrows shot at the believer; “it is the first line of defense” (Moore).  

The notes from my granddaughter Audrey, state, “Acting in faith shields me”. Pastor Moore defined faith as stated in Hebrews 11:1. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Tozer has written, “Any faith that must be supported by the evidence of the senses is not real faith.” When Believers face trials or storms or the fiery arrows of the enemy, confidence must be placed in the One who creates or allows the storm to happen” (Audrey’s notes). Our “assurance” is found in what God says in His Word, by what we may not see. “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith needs to be in the right place. “Faith is a choice, feelings are circumstantial.” (Moore).  

Pastor Moore gave this warning: When the enemy realizes you are serious about your faith, you better pick up the shield of faith as protection from the flaming arrows to come. He said, “Faith must be received.” So then faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Faith is deposited in our lives by hearing good things” (Audrey’s notes). Believers build faith by hearing God led messages from the pulpit and from reading/studying/meditating on God’s Word. “Listening and watching ‘trash’ leads to doubt in our faith” (Moore).  I want my faith to be built up, to be strong when I must face the enemy – and that seems to be an every day occurrence!

Faith, like a muscle, must be exercised (Moore). James 2:17 explains that a believer’s faith must be accompanied by works. Believers must put their faith into action. Know God’s Word so when the enemy comes against you, you can say what God says in response. The enemy comes with lies, deception, subtly; knowing God’s Word is the Believer’s defense against these attacks. Surround yourself with other Believers who can help your faith grow, to help you keep focused on living for Jesus and walking the narrow way with Him. A Believer does not need to stand alone when in a battle. The shield of faith will not only protect you but will be made even stronger when you lift up your shield with other Believers.

Let me emphasize that you as a Believer best be in God’s Word in order for your faith to grow. Satan, your enemy, wants to attack you in every way he can. Take up the shield of faith, every day. It will protect you from the deceit coming at you each day. It will help you discern the lies that are being told to you each day.

Put on the belt of truth. Put on the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of peace! Then take up the shield of faith as you go into the battle.

 

LEARNING DAILY

1 Samuel 16:7, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as a man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

We have all done it; we have all looked at another person and made certain judgments about a person regarding their appearance, the way one walks or by something else we see. I helped open several large retail stores by being a part of the hiring process. There may have been hundreds of applications for the positions to be filled. Along with another person we would have a time established for applicants to bring in their applications. When they did, I made judgment piles where their application would be placed. One pile was called absolutely not, another was absolutely call for an interview, another was maybe. Appearance, confidence, swagger! I wonder how many really good people I missed by doing this!

Pastor Newton talked about the “labels” we place on others. He said, “labels are given to characterize and generalize people placed on them because of decisions made or not made”. The prophet Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse to anoint the person to become king after Saul. Once again, Samuel used the criteria used to anoint Saul as king over Israel. But God, told Samuel that this criteria would not work. The criteria God wanted used was to be found in the heart of the next king.

Pastor Newton used another example regarding David being judged by his appearance; he used the account of David facing the giant Goliath. David’s oldest brother accused him of being self-serving. King Saul told David, he was not capable of fighting Goliath – look at your size and then look at Goliath. Saul also told David that he was not the right fit; Saul’s armor was too big for David. These labels are from the Listener Guide. They were spoken to discount David and discourage him from doing battle with Goliath.

As we all know, those appearances, those judgments we make by a simple glance may not be correct. Did David’s brothers know what he had done to protect the flock of sheep he was watching over? Did they know He had fought a bear and a lion, killing them while protecting the sheep. Had they forgotten that Samuel had anointed David to be the next king of Israel? Saul may have thought that his armor would protect David, but it was too big. Besides David had the anointing of God upon him – that was all he needed to defeat the giant. “David’s weapon was God” (Newton).

It would be good for you to read 1 Samuel 16-17 for yourself. David did not allow his life to be determined by what others said about him. He knew that God had given him skills to do what He had for him to do. He had been prepared to fight a giant by using the skills God had given him as a shepherd. “David had been faithful in the little things, in the secret things, and in the sacred things” (Newton). No one had seen David being prepared to do God’s work when he was alone with the sheep. He was still faithful.  Because of that, the labels others had given him came off and he was used mightily by God.

Isn’t that the message Believers need to hear today! To be anointed means to be set apart for God’s use. Every Believer has been set apart to serve God. You do not need to be like any other Believer to be used by God; you just need to use what God has given you. You do not need to do anything to earn His love; you already have it because of your salvation and by walking on the narrow way into His kingdom. Do not allow anyone to tell you that you are anything different than who God says you are!

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 11:26, “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  Jesus

In the last page of the blog, I referred to a statement written by Charles Spurgeon, “a person cannot believe what he/she does not know”. In the verse above Jesus is talking to Martha about His ability to not only raise the dead “on the last day” but to raise Lazarus from the dead right now. Martha was acquainted with the teaching that there would be a resurrection; that did not give her comfort in this time of grief. Here Jesus is telling her she can find comfort in Him, right now.

When I read the question Jesus asked Martha, I had to stop and really consider it for a moment. “Do you believe this?” It goes a little further and makes one consider if Ihe/she believes what is read in God’s Word. Reading is an important step in knowing what is in the Word. Taking time to study it in detail to believe it is just as important. May I suggest that growing in what one believes comes from careful study and deciding if you believe what you have read and studied. Once the decision is made that you do believe, then one must act upon it. One must not rely on the preacher alone. One must not rely on the writing of a blog alone. Another person’s experience certainly encourages another in their walk on the narrow way. Nothing takes the place of experiencing God’s grace in their life.

In the book of Acts the Bereans were mentioned because they took time to study the Scriptures for themselves. Believers should be as dedicated to reading/studying/meditating on God’s Word as the Bereans. Read God’s Word for yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you. When reading ask yourself the question Jesus asked Martha. He taught her a very specific doctrine; He was the resurrection. He was the life. If one believes in Him, he will live even though he dies. Believe in Jesus and one will never die. “Do you believe this?”

Martha replied that she believed. She took Him at His word. There are difficult doctrines in the Bible. There are some things I read that are just contrary to my experience – just like Martha. If what Jesus said was true, why did Lazarus die? He believed in Him. Jesus had to ask her if she believed even though her experience did not line up with what He said.

That brings us to the question, “Do you believe this?” My next question is what is “this”? The answer is simply anything you might not understand, even find difficult to believe due to your experience. Jonah being swallowed by a great fish. Nicodemus not understanding about being born again. Three Hebrews in a fire but not harmed or even smelling like smoke. What does it mean to eat the flesh of Jesus and drink His blood? “This” is any doctrine or promise you might have trouble believing or understanding. It is those things we are called on to believe in faith by believing “all Scripture is God breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.

Do you believe Romans 8:28 that tells us “All things work for good to those who love God and are called to His purpose?” Do you believe Hebrews 13:5 which tells us, “The Lord will never leave or for sake you?”  Do you believe Psalm 37:4 which tells us, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart?”  Do you believe God will give you strength when you are tired? “Do you believe this?”

Settle and establish in your heart what you believe about God’s Word. Then know that God will do what He says He will do. It will be done according to what He has said, what He has established. May your faith be increased and may your walk on the narrow way be a little stronger.

 

LEARNING DAILY

2 Peter 3:17-18, You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I have always believed in the importance of knowledge. In every workplace I tried to help those around me and my students understand the need to learn, to understand the why and the what of the subject dealt with. When talking about life insurance, I tried to focus on the need. In retail, I tried to focus on why a product or an item should be placed in a certain spot. In the classroom, I tried to relate knowledge of the subject with its application. I believed that an individual could not apply a thought to life if he/she did not know what the thought meant. Can I say I am very concerned over what is being taught (and not being taught) in all levels of our educational system today!

That same thing can be applied to our faith; a person cannot believe what he/she does not know (Spurgeon). The verse above, written by Peter, that growing “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” is important. Why? Because doing so keeps us from falling to the deception and error of the wicked who are continually spewing their lies and deception! Believers must not be weak in their faith because they lack knowledge of the truths taught in God’s Word. They must not be ignorant and lazy about knowing just a little bit about Jesus Christ and what He taught.

All Believers are to “grow in grace”. Grace by definition is not earned. Growing in grace is to live under the grace Jesus Christ gives to us through faith in Him and that provides a great opportunity to grow spiritually; walking with Him daily on the narrow way is allowing Him to change Believers, to have a deeper faith because of greater knowledge of who He is. The closer Believers walk with Jesus, the more they grow in relationship with Him. That builds our faith to know Jesus walks with them through each and every situation they face. When faith is growing because our knowledge of Scriptures is clearer and the knowledge of Jesus being with us, would that not bring comfort in each situation being faced?

The Bible talks about Believers growing up, that they should be in the “meat” of the Word and no longer in the ‘milk” of the Word. In other words, Believers are to not just be content with the basics of Christianity. I must confess I am not liking the speed of which life is moving. I am far behind the technology of today; it seems to change daily. Change is difficult for me, even though I know it is good. Things I used to enjoy seem to disgust me. I used to enjoy politics; today I am disgusted by what I see! Evil is being called good and good is being called evil. I have decided to study the basics of Christian doctrine just to remind myself of the basic teachings found in God’s Word. That includes spending time reading the writings of some great teachers of God’s Word.

May I encourage each of you to find comfort in believing the truth as you find it in Jesus Christ who is the truth. Be encouraged to grow “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” by doing what is necessary to walk on the narrow way with Him. The time taken now will be worth it when you meet Jesus face to face in His eternal kingdom!

 

LEARNING DAILY

I said I would provide you what God says about every Believer, about you. I may have done this before but permit me to do so again as it is so important to be reminded from time to time. Satan is constantly at odds with those who walk on the narrow way – that is one of the reasons Jesus said it was a difficult way to walk. Satan is continually trying to get you to think less and less of yourself, discourage you and deceive you so you will not carry out the plans God has for you. Never lose sight of what the precious blood of Jesus has purchased for you. Pastor Newton spoke on the topic “Why not you?” this past weekend. When the enemy tries to convince you that you can’t do what God wants you to do remind him of who God says you are.

God says you are:

A child of God (Romans 8:16).

Redeemed from the hand of Satan (Psalm 107:2).

Forgiven (Colossians 1:13, 14).

Saved by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8).

Justified (Romans 5:1).

Sanctified (1 Corinthians 6:11).

A new creation (2 Corinthians 6:11).

A partaker of His divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13).

Delivered from the powers of darkness (Colossians 1:13).

Led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14).

Free from all bondage (John 8:36).

Kept in safety wherever you go (Psalm 91:11).

Getting all my needs met by Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Casting all my cares on Jesus (1 Peter 5:7).

Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).

Doing all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

An heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17).

Observing and doing the Lord’s Commandments (Deuteronomy 28:12).

Blessed in my coming in and blessed going out (Deuteronomy 28:6).

An heir of eternal Life (1 John 5:11,12).

Blessed with all spiritual Blessings (Ephesians1:3).

Healed by His stripes (1 Peter 2:24).

Exercising my authority over the enemy (Luke 10:19).

Above only and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13).

More than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

Establishing God’s Word here on earth (Matthew 16:19).

An overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).

Daily overcoming the devil (1 John 4:4).

Not moved by what I see (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Casting down vain imaginations (2 Corinthians 10:4,5).

Bringing every thought into captivity (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:1,2).

Reigning in life through Christ Jesus (Romans 5:17).

The righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

An imitator of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1).

The light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

Blessing the Lord at all times and continually praising the Lord with my mouth (Psalm 34:1).

I wish I could give credit from where I got this list; I do not have the author’s name. The list may not be comprehensive, but it is a beginning. Those who have confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, those walking the narrow way have all the promises (and more) listed in God’s Word as promises that belong to you. Use this list to speak over yourself, to remind you of His promise to you, especially when those trials come. “You are what God says you are; you can do what the Lord says you can do!” (from the author of this list).

 

LEARNING DAILY

Ephesians 6:15, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace,

The third piece of armor Paul writes about is the peace God gives us as Believers are involved with spiritual battle. Pastor Jim Piper, Executive Pastor at NorthRock Church, explained that war is all around us and war always has an objective behind it. In spiritual warfare the enemy, the devil, is trying to “recruit us to his side if the war”. He went on to say, “The devil is constantly whispering to our flesh with temptation and about every wrong, every sin we have committed”. He continued, “our flesh has bad habits and the devil uses those things against us”. Piper also gave us the remedy found in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

For the Roman soldier his sandals were very important. I am not one to go barefoot often; I cannot imagine doing battle barefoot. For me, shoes give the ability to go just about anywhere without fear of stepping on stones or thorns or anything that might do damage to my feet. Piper explained that the sandal had small “studs” in them in order to give the traction for the soldier to run into battle and not slip when engaged in the fight. The enemy not only is trying to recruit people, “he wants them to be stuck in their situation” instead of moving forward”. He does not want anyone to find peace with God so he tries to keep people focused on the difficulty of their situation, their misery, their hurt. It’s God’s peace that helps us to know He is in control of the situation, that He is handling it for us and we can move forward because of it.

The other aspect of the sandals that Piper pointed out is the thickness of it. He said it is thicker because the peace of God makes Believers tougher, better able to handle the attacks of the enemy and those people in the world who want to attack their beliefs and way they live. Nonbelievers do not understand the peace Believers have because of Jesus Christ living in them. They do not understand the desire of Believers to walk with Jesus on the narrow way into eternal life with Him. They do not understand the peace He gives when the world around them seems to be growing darker and more evil. They do not understand God not only loves people, but He will also judge those whose name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Believers have truth. Jesus Christ is Truth and that gives Believers peace with God! God hates sin and the sinful nature is at war with God. Walking on the narrow way is not easy because of the spiritual battle that rages against Believers each day. Romans 5:1 was one of the final points Pastor Piper brought out. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”. He said, “Because of that we can stand before God forgiven; because of Jesus, God is at peace with you.” I have written in my Bible, “Jesus glues together the broken pieces of my heart by His love, grace, and mercy even as I continue to mess up. God does not see me as a mess but as a saint.” The peace Believers have come because our status or standing before never has to come in question again. The Believer’s eternal salvation has been established once sin in their life has been confessed and Jesus Christ has been declared or professed to be one’s Savior and Lord. They are right before God! God has made peace with them through their declaration of faith and that peace can never be lost.

Have you put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of peace today?

 

LEARNING DAILY

Exodus 3:11, But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Dr. Ed Newton began a new series this past weekend that he will use throughout the summer.  “Why not you?” is the title of the sermon series. He gave some background to Moses’ upbringing and asked the question, “Why not you?”. Moses, as you know, was the son of the Hebrew slaves and baby boys were being killed at this time. The mother of Moses placed him in a basket made of reeds and floated him in the Nile River to be found by the daughter of Pharoah. Moses was raised in the court of Pharoah; he grew up an Egyptian, knowing the language, the walk, and knew Egyptian customs and knew his way around the Egyptian legal system. At age forty he had to run from the Egypt and eventually lived the next forty years as a shepherd. “The Egyptians would not look for him amongst the shepherds because of their disgust for them” (Newton). After another forty years, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and instructed him to go to Egypt to bring God’s people out of there.

Moses made excuses for why he could not do this, why he was not qualified. Why me? God answered him “Why not you?” “You are really quite qualified, as you grew up in Pharoah’s court” (Newton). Can’t you hear God tell Moses that growing up in Pharoah’s control was no accident. He had prepared Moses for forty years in Egypt to do just what He wanted him to do now. Newton went on to explain that every single Believer has been prepared for a lifetime to do a work for God. Every experience and the nature engrained in you has to do with whatever God has planned for you. Dr. Newton also mentioned that every Believer “needs to believe and receive what God says about you.” In the days ahead I will share what God says about you!

 Moses tried another excuse for not being the one to go to Egypt. He asked what he should say when the leaders of Israel asked who had sent him. In other words, Moses was asking “who are You?”. Dr. Newton said Moses was saying several things here. Moses knows who God is, but he does not know Him personally. He was also saying that he was not smart enough to tell people about Him. A few verses later Moses added the excuse that “he was not eloquent enough, that he was slow of speech and tongue”. Moses was saying “I will never be enough!’ (Newton). Dr. Newton went on to talk about God’s response. “I AM WHO I AM.” God told Moses He is the God who always was, always is, and always will be. He told Moses He would be with him and the God who told you to go is the answer! God told Moses that He would be his sufficiency.

I have felt like Moses. Haven’t you? There have been times when I know I needed to say or do something but did not know what to say nor what to do. Today, I was shopping for an anniversary card for my bride. I was in the card aisle and a woman was in tears speaking to her husband (and yes, I could not help hearing!). Evidently, her father had passed away not long ago, and the Father’s Day cards were right in front of her. Yes, she was not handling it well. I found my card and was leaving, and I had to walk past her. She made a comment about “blubbering in the card section”. What would you have said or done? I just said something about God taking care of her – yikes, how inadequate!

Let me share several more comments from the Listener Guide. God picked you. Your background brings you to the foreground. Your past has not disqualified you from being used by God to give an encouraging word, a listening and nonjudgemental ear, or something else to a person in need. You might want God to send someone else – but He is sending you because He has prepared you. He just needs you to be obedient with what He has already done, what He is doing now in your life.

Moses was obedient. He went and God was with him using signs and wonders so that Pharoah let the Hebrew people leave Egypt. What does He want to use you to do?