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Ephesians 6:17 says, "taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." This tells us that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, but how does the Christian transform his or her Bible into a sword? The word “Word” here is “rhema”, which means the spoken Word of God. Your Bible will become a sword, as you internalize in your mind and heart, and then speak that Word out of your mouth. When it comes to defeating your enemy, the devil, understand that the Word of God internalized must answer the accusations, lies and deception of the enemy. The devil, who is the father of lies, will tempt the believer with some half-truth or whole-lie to defeat and imprison us. The only way we can be prepared for those lies is through storing God’s Word in our hearts before we need it so it will be there when we need it. I recently read of a Christian young man whose band performed on a Caribbean cruise. One night his buddies tried to entice him into the ship’s bar, but Chad, whose mother was an alcoholic, had memorized verses from Proverbs about alcohol abuse. He explained to his friends that addiction ran in his family, then he had the courage to quote Scripture to them: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1) They replied, “Come on, Chad. Just one beer won’t hurt.” He replied, “At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper” (Proverbs 23:32). They accused him of rejecting their company, to which he said, “If sinners entice you, do not consent.” (Proverbs 1:10) “Leave him be,” he heard one of the young men say to the others. “He’s so full of Scripture we can’t do a thing with him!” Remember the promise found in Psalm 119:11, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against God.” John 14:26 also tells us that the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance the Word of God in our time of need. For the time spent, I have never found anything more valuable to my Christian walk than endeavoring to systematically store God’s word into my heart and into my mind. Dallas Willard agrees when he writes, “If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs.”[1] Chuck Swindoll has also written, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”[2] Billy Graham once said, “Like Joseph storing grain during the years of plenty to be used during the years of famine that lay ahead, may we store up the truths of God’s Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure.”[3] Lorne Sanny once shared why Scripture memory was so important in his life: “We don't always have our Bibles with us when we need deliverance, victory, guidance, or a truth to help others. But Scripture memory puts the Word in our hearts, food in our minds, a light on our path, a weapon in one hand and a tool in the other.” Take time to store your mind and heart with God’s Word, and pull them out the next time the enemy attacks. Primary Lies of the Devil (with the Scriptures that answer his accusations):[4]
Lies Specifically about Lust and Sex (with the Scriptures that answer these lies):
[1] Williard, Dallas, “Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person” in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7 [2] Swindoll, Charles, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61 [3] Graham, Billy, ‘Til Armageddon (Minneapolis: WorldWide, 1981), 9. [4] Compiled from multiple sources, but primarily “Lies and Truth” by: Fellowship Bible Church. This blogpost is taken from "Pathway to Power". Click below to order a copy: Sometimes we may think that we are holding onto God, but in reality, God is holding onto us. A man and his son were preparing to cross the street. Although there was some traffic, it wasn't too heavy. The father told the son to hold his hand. The little boy wrapped his chubby little fingers around one of his father’s fingers. As they began walking, the traffic started to get more intense. The father noticed this and decided to take extra precautions. Instead of allowing the child to hold his little finger, the father wrapped his big hand around the boy's hand and pulled him across the oncoming traffic to safety. When they reached the other side, the boy looked up and said, "I didn't let go, Daddy." You and I both know it wasn't the boy holding the dad's hand, but rather it was the dad holding the son's hand. God also says to His children, "I am keeping you." Peter writes about God’s keeping care for His children in 1 Peter 1:3-5. He writes, 1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. He's not only keeping the inheritance for you, he's also keeping you for the inheritance. Verse five says, "who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." He says, "You are kept." This describes the eternal security that each one of us has as a child of God. Psalm 37:23 says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. He delights in his way, though he may fall. He shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with his righteous hand." This verse reminds us that even if we stumble, God is always there to lift us up. 2 Timothy 1:12 also says, "… I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day." This verse reminds us that we can trust in God to take care of the things we entrust to Him. This story illustrates how God is holding us: “One day in 1932, 200 sailors were holding onto ropes attached to the dirigible, the USS Akron, as they attempted to moor the giant airship to a steel mast in San Diego. Suddenly, however, the dirigible shot straight up into the air. Some of the men hung onto the lines and were swept up with the ship, soon falling to the ground. Several were killed. After all the rest had fallen, one man kept hanging on. He could be seen as the dirigible soared high in the sky. People were screaming and fainting. They knew this sailor couldn't hold on much longer, and any minute he might fall back to the earth and certain death. But after an hour and forty-five minutes, when they were able to pull the dirigible back to its mooring, the sailor was still dangling from the airship. An ambulance was waiting to take him to the hospital, but he said he was all right. People asked him how he had held on for so long. He told them he had found he had about four feet of rope, so, while holding on with one hand, he tied the rope around his waist with the other, and the rope held him. He had just been swinging free the whole time!”[1] Today, you might feel like you are struggling, but it is important to remember that God is always with you. Instead of holding onto the rope, let the rope hold onto you. Imagine how it would feel to be confident and secure in knowing that your reservation is settled in heaven, that you have an inheritance, and that you are a child of the King. You are richer than you realize, and this knowledge can help you find hope in the future and power in the present. "Lord, when I feel like I am exhausted, and I can’t hold on any longer, please remind me that You are the One Who is holding me. Help me remember that I can rest in Your keeping care. You have me in the palm of Your hands, and You will keep me from falling. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” [1] https://www.facebook.com/180971748595555/posts/swinging-free-kenneth-e-hagin-finally-my-brethren-be-strong-in-the-lord-and-in-t/29924797241113 I appreciate restaurants that give you the option of making reservations. It keeps you from waiting for a long time to be seated. I've been to a couple of concerts and a couple of ball games where I had to have a ticket to get a seat. That ticket was a reservation for me. It didn't matter how packed everything was. It didn't matter how many people were thronging into the building. I had a ticket. Not only could I get into the venue, but I also had a specific seat. I could rest with confidence because my reservation was settled. Peter writes about the child of God’s inheritance being reserved and secure! He writes, 1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. He says that you have an inheritance, that you are an heir of the kingdom of God. You are a child of the King. No one could be richer. Think about the wealthiest people in this world. If they do not have Christ, they are vagabonds compared to your wealth as a child of God. Do you know what the word “reserved” means? In Greek, it conveys the idea that you are not reserving it yourself. God is reserving it FOR you. It is in the past tense, which means this reservation happened in the past. How could it have happened in the past if someone gave their life to Christ years after this verse was written? Because God stands outside of time. He saw when you would give your life to Him. He even saw that before you were born. God sees it all at a glance, and He says, “There was a time in the past when I gave you an inheritance, and I have reserved it since.” This phrase also conveys that it continues on until today and even into tomorrow. God is STILL reserving your inheritance. What does that do for today? You say, "Look how difficult my life is right now." This does not minimize your current difficulties. We're not talking about mere positive thinking. We are describing the reason for our hope in Jesus Christ. Why can we be hopeful when the days are dark?
You can “take heart” because you have an inheritance reserved in heaven for you, and that reservation will not go away. He says it's “undefiled,” “incorruptible,” and “will not fade away.” Isn’t that reassuring? Doesn’t that give the believer hope? No matter what may be going on today, Jesus said in John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled. If you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also." The reservation is for you, and God Himself has kept that reservation for you. "Father, thank You for my inheritance in Christ. You have reserved it for me, and it is mine. Lord, may I be reminded of this when the unexpected happens. I praise You that You know the end from the beginning. Nothing surprises You. I trust You, today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Hallinan, wrote an article on hope, in which he shared research done in the 1950s by Kurt Richter, professor at Johns Hopkins University. He wrote: In the 1950s, he conducted a gruesome experiment with domesticated and wild rats. He first took a dozen domesticated rats, put them into jars half-filled with water, and watched them drown. The idea was to measure the amount of time they swam before they gave up and went under. The first rat, Richter noted, swam around excitedly on the surface for a very short time, then dove to the bottom, where it began to swim around, nosing its way along the glass wall. It died two minutes later. Two more of the 12 domesticated rats died in much the same way. But, interestingly, the nine remaining rats did not succumb nearly so readily; they swam for days before they eventually gave up and died. Now came the wild rats, renowned for their swimming ability. The ones Richter used had been recently trapped and were fierce and aggressive. One by one, he dropped them into the water. And one by one, they surprised him: Within minutes of entering the water, all 34 died. “What kills these rats?” he wondered. “Why do all of the fierce, aggressive, wild rats die promptly on immersion and only a small number of the similarly treated, tame, domesticated rats?” The answer, in a word: hope. “The situation of these rats scarcely seems one demanding fight or flight—it is rather one of hopelessness,” he wrote. “[T]he rats are in a situation against which they have no defense … they seem literally to ‘give up.’” Richter then tweaked the experiment: He took other, similar rats and put them in the jar. Just before they were expected to die, however, he picked them up, held them a little while, and then put them back in the water. “In this way,” he wrote, “the rats quickly learn that the situation is not actually hopeless.” This small interlude made a huge difference. The rats that experienced a brief reprieve swam much longer and lasted much longer than the rats that were left alone. They also recovered almost immediately. When the rats learned that they were not doomed, that the situation was not lost, that there might be a helping hand at the ready—in short, when they had a reason to keep swimming—they did. They did not give up, and they did not go under. “After elimination of hopelessness,” wrote Richter, “the rats do not die.” There are obviously many differences between humans and rats. But one similarity stands out: We all need a reason to keep swimming.[1] We are looking at First Peter, where the writer is telling his audience to “keep swimming,” or “remain hopeful”. In the previous blog post, we looked at how Peter encouraged Christians to look at how big our God is. Peter does not complain but gives them a reason to “keep swimming” and lets them know that they can have hope for tomorrow. He writes, 1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Peter is writing to them in First Peter because the persecution is getting worse in Rome and will intensify in the colonies where they are living as well. In the first century, it was a dark time politically. Nero was on the throne, continuing the persecution of the Christian body. It was a dark time economically. 50% of the people in that society were enslaved. The Christian Church had both slaves and masters represented in their bodies. Peter is writing to people who are experiencing dark days, but he doesn't start with their problems. In this passage, Peter is encouraging Christians to look beyond their current circumstances and find hope in their new life through Jesus Christ. After he expresses praise to God, he describes the reason Christians can be hopeful. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says that God has given us new life and a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The reason for this hope is threefold: firstly, we have been born again and regenerated by the Holy Spirit; secondly, we have been begotten by God; and thirdly, we have the assurance of eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ. Have you ever wondered if you are truly a child of God? Well, let me ask you a question. How can you be sure that you were ever born? You might say that you have pictures of yourself as a baby, but how do you know those pictures aren't fake? You might say that your family members have told you that you were born at a certain time, but what if they were lying? You might even show a birth certificate, but what if that was forged? And even if you have prints of your baby feet, your feet are grown now and don't look the same. But the simple answer is that you are alive today, and that's all the proof you need that there was a time when you were born. Someone may ask the question, "how do I know that I'm born again?" In John 3:3, Jesus said that unless you're born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. To be “born again” means to receive God's life on the inside, to become a new creature in Christ. The old has passed away, and the new has come (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). But how do you know if you've truly received the life of God on the inside? How can you be sure that you've been born again, begotten by the Holy Spirit? Walking down an aisle, raising your hand, getting baptized, or signing a card are all outward signs of your faith, but they do not necessarily prove that you have been born again. You can do all of those things and still not experience the life of God on the inside. So, how do you know you're born again? It is because you have new life on the inside. You have been begotten by God. 1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin," but this does not mean that you will never sin again. The Greek tense of the word “sin” here expresses a lifestyle of sin. It means that you will not continue a lifestyle of sin. We all stumble and fall, but as believers, we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, and God is faithful to forgive us. The person who is lost has a lifestyle of sin. However, though a child of God may sin, it can be the exception to the rule. It is not the lifestyle of the believer. One young man was struggling with his salvation, questioning whether he was a Christian or not. When his godly father asked him how he felt about sin, the young man replied that he didn't want to sin. His father told him that this desire not to sin was a sign that he had experienced the life of God on the inside, making him a child of God. There are three reasons why we can rejoice and be confident in our faith. First, we have experienced new life within ourselves. Second, we have a living hope that gives us confidence and assurance. Third, we have a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day to prove that He is the Son of God and that He is able to forgive our sins. As a child of God, you have experienced a new birth, and nothing can change that. You also have a living hope that gives you confidence and assurance in your faith. And you serve a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who forgives your sins and gives you a destined home in heaven. So, no matter how bad things may get in this life, you can be optimistic about your tomorrow because you have a promised home in heaven. “Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to give me a living hope. I trust You for salvation, and I have been born again by the Holy Spirit. I pray You remind me of this hope as I go through my day. I pray that I remember the promised future I have in heaven with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.” [1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope, accessed 3/19/2024. Jay Wallace Hamilton once said, “When there’s no hope for the future, there’s no power in the present.” When we don't have something that we're longing for, or looking forward to, or seeing something that will change for the better, we don't have the power to make it today. The great need for today is hope. Robert Morgan once wrote, "In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells of his years trapped in the indescribable horrors of Auschwitz and Dachau. He was transported there like a despised animal, given two minutes to strip naked or be whipped, every hair was shaved from his body, and he was condemned to a living death. His father, mother, brother, and wife died in the camps or were sent to the gas ovens. His existence was full of cold, fear, starvation, pain, lice and vermin, dehumanization, exhaustion, and terror. "Frankl wrote that he was able to survive because he never lost the quality of hope. Those prisoners who lost faith in the future were doomed. When a prisoner lost hope, Frankl said, he let himself decline, becoming subject to mental and physical decay. He would die from the inside out. "Frankl said that this usually happened quite suddenly. One morning a prisoner would just refuse to get up. He wouldn’t get dressed or wash or go outside to the parade grounds. No amount of pleading by his fellow prisoners would help. No threatening by the captors would have any effect. Losing all hope, he had simply given up. He would lay there in his own excrement till he died. American soldiers later told Frankl that this behavior pattern existed also among prisoners of war, and was called 'give-up-itis.' "When a prisoner lost hope, said Frankl, 'he lost his spiritual hold.'”[1] Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Hallinan, wrote, “Last month, in Nashport, Ohio, a couple who held hands at breakfast every morning, even after 70 years of marriage, died 15 hours apart. The couple's eight children say the two had been inseparable since meeting as teenagers, once sharing the bottom of a bunk bed on a ferry rather than spending even one night apart. "We knew when one went, the other was going to go," their daughter told the local newspaper.”[2] In essence, they died because they had just given up hope. Is there something to hope? Can hope change your circumstances? Does the hope you have for tomorrow give you power to live in the present? Christians can experience hope even in dark circumstances. During the first century, the Christian community in Rome faced persecution. They were misunderstood, mistreated, and maligned for their Christian faith. As a result, these first-century Christians were cast out of Rome, and many found their way to Roman colonies throughout the known world at the time. The Christians had to start over in these new communities due to being displaced. In verse one, Peter calls these believers “pilgrims.” We might call them “refugees”. The Contemporary English Version says, “To God’s people who are scattered like foreigners.” Peter writes this book not to complain, but to give them courage and let them know that they can have hope for tomorrow. He writes, 1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. It's interesting that he doesn't start with their problems. He will talk about their sufferings later on in the book, but he starts with a note of praise. He says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." He wants them to look up and gain a different perspective, one of rejoicing. The word "blessed" in English means “fortunate, favored, and happy.” However, this word in Greek is entirely different. It's where we get the word "eulogy" from, which means to “speak well of someone.” Peter starts off by saying, "Let's have a great word for Jesus. Let's sing a song about our blessed God. Let's think and talk about something that God has done in our lives." This changes the perspective from our problems to God's power to solve them. We ought to rejoice no matter our circumstances. It could be dark in your life, but blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; God has done something great in our lives. It's changing our perspective. I haven't been to a Harvard football game, but I heard a humorous story about one of their games. The Harvard student section during football season oftentimes loses to state schools like Virginia Tech or Virginia, and when the opposing team scores a touchdown, the student section has come up with a chant that goes something like this: "That's all right, that's okay, you're going to work for us someday." These Harvard students realized that they may not beat other schools in football, but they may beat them in business. This is a reminder that no matter what you're facing, there's always a way to change your perspective. You may be ridiculed at work because you're the only Christian, or you may be married to an unbeliever who mischaracterizes your faith. You may have a target on your back in school because of your Christian convictions. Peter says, “Let’s lift up our eyes to God, Who remains on His throne! Let’s rejoice!” We should take the magnifying glass off of our problems and put it on a God who is big enough to solve them. This reminds me of Psalm 34:1-3, which says, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.” “Dear God, thank You for all Your blessings. Today, I magnify You. I exalt You. I bless Your name. Help me take the focus off of my problems. Thank You for Your power to help me through today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” [1] Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 449–450. [2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope, accessed 3/19/2024. |
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