Our Strength Is In God

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Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Remember what the Lord said to Paul? Paul had pleaded with the Lord three times to remove the thorn. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness…”

John 15:5 is a verse we need to use as wallpaper on our heart walls. “…without Me you can do nothing.” Not one thing. When we acknowledge our dependence on the Lord, we walk under His canopy of grace.

I love David’s expression of love in Psalm 18:1-2. It says, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Our intimate communion with Him is the pathway for strength to gain victory over every temptation.

Resist Enticements

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James 1:13 says that God will never tempt us to evil. Verse 14-15 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James then wrote the key. Verse 16 says, “Do not be deceived…”

The enemy’s only pseudo power is through deception. Remember that God is All Powerful. 

That means, without exception, He alone has power. He has set His resurrection power within us. Ephesians 1:18 says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”

The only time His power is not active is when we step out in our flesh. At that point we are walking independent of God. That is exactly why the enemy lures us with his temptations. To get us to act in our fleshly will and ways. 

Spiritual Warfare 101 ~ Part Two

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1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith…” Ephesians 6:13 says to withstand. Strong’s definition: vigorously opposing, bravely resisting, standing face-to-face against an adversary, standing your ground.

Salvation is eternal. Philippians 1:28 says, “And not in anyway terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.”

Spiritual warfare is part of our progressive sanctification. It is God’s effective tool to strengthen our faith. It takes warfare to reveal the hidden chinks in our armor. Unresolved issues are chinks that the enemy targets. 

Within every believer is the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. We stand against a defeated foe. His power is deceptive temptations that entice us. We must bring truth into our hearts to stand and keep on standing.

Spiritual Warfare 101-Part One

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I was meditating on Colossians 1:16. It says, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” 

Just camp on this verse for a moment. All means everything without exception. Why would God create these adversaries for His purpose? No purpose of His can be thwarted. Job 42:2.

Ephesians 3:10 says that He uses His church to display His manifold wisdom before these wicked entities.

Paul wrote extensively about God’s armor. We are to use it to stand against the evil schemes of the enemy of our soul. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” His creation for His purposes.

God Watches Our Hearts~Part Three

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Philippians 1:27 says, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

God’s goal is that we represent Him in every aspect of our lives. David wrote Psalm 86. Verses 11-12 say, “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart…” David was asking the Lord to make him wholehearted and single minded. What an example for us.

James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” It is good to sit before the Lord and be real. He sees right through any act. He is looking for those whose heart is loyal to Him.

God Watches Our Hearts~Part Two

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Harboring an offense in our hearts makes us a stumbling block for others. How? I think Ecclesiastes 10:1 is a perfect answer. It says, “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”

We hurt and offend others when we attack them through our reactionary flesh. We say things that ought not to be said. We act in a way that does not exemplify the Lord. If you want to know what is hidden in your heart ~ ask the Lord to reveal it. He loves that prayer and is faithful to fulfill it.

Caution. The hidden offense will emerge in a very unexpected time. Proverbs 4:23. We won’t even know it happened until it displays itself. It is that quick. Not premeditated, but triggered in a moment because of something that was said, we were slighted, or our goal was blocked.

God Watches Our Hearts~Part One

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I love 2 Chronicles 16:9. It says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” In Philippians 1:8 Paul wrote, “For God is my witness…”

As I was thinking about this verse, my mind went back to Acts 24:16. Paul wrote, “…I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” He wrote to the folk in Philippi from his own example.

Philippians 1:10 Amplified says, “So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value (recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences), and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless (so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach) the day of Christ (not stumbling nor causing others to stumble).”

Praying With Joy ~ Part Two

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Philippians was written in AD 61. My heart  was captured as I thought about how much Paul loved the folks in Philippi. In verse 3 he said that he thanked the Lord every time he thought about them.

He joyfully prayed for them. Verse 5 clues us into the reason for that joy. It says, “For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.” At the least, we are talking about a nine year relationship, though apart physically.

Verse 7 says, “…I have you in my heart…” Verse 8 says, “For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.” Paul loved the Lord. He loved the folks in Philippi with the same love, because of their fellowship with him in the furtherance of the gospel. Verse 4 awakened a desire to explore praying for others with joy ~ fellowship through the gospel.

Praying With Joy ~ Part One

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I began my journey to meditate through Philippians. The Holy Spirit arrested me at verse four. It says, “Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.” This is why I love meditating through a book. He shows me things that were hidden before in my reading.

Let me ask you: do you pray with joy for the ones you pray for? I haven’t. I’m usually so intent on presenting others to the Lord with their dire needs. I went back to Acts 16:6-10. Paul and his team had intentions to go preach the  gospel in Asia. Forbidden. They tried to go to Bithynia. Not permitted.

Then, in a vision, Paul received the Macedonian call. You can read what happened in verses 11-15. As I looked at the map in the back of my Bible, Philippi was way at the tip of his journey. The time was dated as AD 49-52.

Praying In The Spirit ~ Part Three

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Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought…” That is why we need to be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s leading as we pray.

Part of spiritual warfare is standing in the gap as stated in Ezekiel 22:30. The enemy looks for ways to break through against us. Isaiah 7:6 says, “…let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them…” In context this was written about Judah, but we can apply it personally.

In Galatians 6:1 Paul wrote that we are to restore one caught in sin, “…in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” We don’t know when the person will be triggered to fall back into sin. The Holy Spirit does and He can alert us to pray in the moment of the need. Our part is to be attentive to His leading.