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Overcoming Abandonment

This article is related to a series entitled Wonderful Counseling.

All bondage is based on a lie.

This goes back to the garden of Eden where Satan seduced Adam and Eve to open the door to bondage and death by believing multiple lies. Satan convinced them that God did not have their best interests at heart and that disobeying him would not result in death. You know the rest of the story. Ever since then Satan, whom Jesus called the “father of lies,” has been hard at work convincing each generation to believe lies instead of God’s truth, which is found in the Bible and in the person of Jesus the Messiah.

One of the most devastating and predominant lies comes under the general category of abandonment.

Adam and Eve abandoned God when they chose to follow the interloper instead of their Creator, which resulted in God’s casting them out of the garden, sentencing them to a life of hardship, and cutting them off from the source of eternal life. However, God never truly abandoned them. In words spoken to the serpent just after the exposing of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, God gave all of us the promise that one of Eve’s descendants would defeat Satan.

And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NLT)

This is the very first Bible verse related to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of that promise. The Hebrew word translated “strike” can also mean “bruise” or “crush.” Paul wrote thousands of years later that God’s people will play a part in Satan’s ultimate and utter defeat, when he penned these words: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:20 NLT) If I were translating the Genesis passage, I probably would word it thusly: “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Satan indeed struck Jesus at the cross, but that strike did not ultimately kill him. Instead God the Father raised him from the dead and gave him authority over all things, including Satan. Satan was defeated on the cross, but we are still in the middle of “mopping up” operations. God is using his people to finally and completely crush the devil.

The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” Psalm 110:1 (NLT)

We also learn from that Genesis verse that God has a line of people and Satan has one. God has separated out for himself people from the beginning of time.

God chose the ones who would belong to him before he created the world.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:3-5 (NLT)

This passage strikes a death blow at the lie-based stronghold named abandonment. It does not matter whether we have been abandoned by our parents, spouses, or anyone else. If we become followers of Christ, the Bible tells us that it was because God chose us, not because we chose him.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. John 6:44 (NLT)

No one has the innate spiritual ability to come to Christ without being drawn by the Father via his Holy Spirit. If you are a follower of Christ it is because God knew you and chose you to be his before he made the world. It means that he sent his Son to die for you and afterward sent his Spirit to draw you to Christ. He worked in you to open your heart to the gospel, resulting in your being able to properly respond in repentance and faith.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

Once we come to Christ by faith, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee that God will complete or finish what he began on Calvary.

And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14  The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)

Sometimes parents reject their own children. Often marriage partners become disillusioned or embittered with their spouses and abandon them.

God never becomes disillusioned with us because he knew all about us before he created and redeemed us.

There is nothing we may say or do that will catch him by surprise. When Jesus died for us, he saw us completely – the good, the bad, and the ugly, and he said a resounding “yes” to our heavenly Father’s choice of us to be in his eternal family.

Jesus will never reject or abandon those for whom he died.

Never will you hear our Lord say, “Oops, my bad. I made a mistake choosing you.” Instead he boldly declared the following words.

...those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)

If you are a person who continually battles with the inner belief that you will ultimately be rejected and abandoned by those you love, that stronghold is no doubt based on past experience with disloyal people. It is likely that you participated in the lie by preemptively abandoning others before they could do it to you. You have been deeply wounded, which set the stage for believing the lie that even God will abandon you. It is not true. God will never leave you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5)

I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:9-10 (NLT)
 
Prayer to Overcome Abandonment

Father God, I now realize that I have believed the lie that everyone I love and even you will eventually abandon me. Forgive me for thinking that you are like people who have rejected and left me. Thank you that you chose me to be your child before you created the world. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the penalty for my sins so that I could be reconciled to you. Thank you for sending your Spirit to work inside me to make me open to the gospel. Thank you for sending those persons who shared the good news about Jesus with me. Thank you for those you sent to pray for me and disciple me. Thank you that you sealed me with your Holy Spirit, which guarantees that you will complete in my life what you began when you will one day raise me from the dead to dwell with you forever. I now renounce the generational lie of abandonment. I repent for believing that lie and acting in accordance with it. I believe that you set me from from these things. Help me to show love and loyalty to you and others for the rest of my life. Amen.

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Finishing Well Is a Reason to Celebrate

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. Ecclesiastes 7:1 (ESV)

Births are universally celebrated, but we find it vastly more difficult to celebrate a death. Could this be because we fail to see things correctly? Solomon also said, “It is better to finish something than to start it.” (Eccl. 7:8 ETRV) Plenty of people start the Christian life with a bang, but soon fall off the rails. I have witnessed this many times in my fifty-one years of following Christ. Jesus even said this would happen in his parable of the sower. (Luke 8:5-15)

Finishing well is a mark of a faithful person, a sign of God’s keeping grace, and a reason to celebrate.

My father, Pete Beck, Jr., finished his race well, remaining active in ministry until the very end. He remained faithful to the Lord, his wife, his family, and the church, all by the grace of God. He had a love affair with God’s Word all his years as a disciple, especially toward the end when he knew he would soon see his Lord face to face.

Soldiers who have served in combat say that one cannot  know how he or she will do under the strain of the real thing until thrust into it. That is when we find out what we are made of. Some fold while others rise to the occasion. Likewise one must go through what life throws at us in order to know how God’s grace will enable us to handle it. Someone once said that worry is imagining the future without God. That is a terrible waste of the imagination. God always makes the difference. With him as our ever present Keeper, we can survive and even thrive through anything.

I have always been something of a late bloomer. Since my parents have been blessed with such long lives, I am also late to the experience of losing one of them, something many others had to endure much earlier in their lives. As a result, I did not know what it was like to lose someone so close, even though I have watched many others go through it, including my lovely wife. In my case, I can say that so far I have not experienced what I might call deep grief. That may come, but, for now, I feel moments of wistful sadness when I think he is no longer with us. And of course if feel deeply for my mother. She and my father had a true love affair for 71 years. But once we got through that traumatic day of watching him breathe his last, I have not been under any sort of heaviness.

Call me crazy if you like, but I feel a sense of joy. Dad is with Jesus now. He did not have to suffer for any extended amount of time. He did not go through a period of debilitation. He remained active until the end. He did not become a “burden” on my Mom. He died with grace and peace. He finished well and crossed over into eternity. He made it!

Paul wrote:

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8  And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NLT)

When Paul’s demise was fast approaching, he met with some disciples who were already mourning his soon expected departure. Paul mildly rebuked them, saying he was more than ready to give up this life as an act of allegiance to his Lord. (Acts 21:13) In another passage, he remarked that he would rather die and be with Jesus than continue living; but he knew his time had not yet come, and it was more profitable for God’s kingdom for him to remain and serve others. (Philippians 1:21-26)

God gave my father many more years than he ever expected, but eventually his time to depart from this earth arrived. It was finally more profitable for the kingdom of God for him to begin to enjoy face time with his Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Lord. That time is coming for all of us.

Even though death itself is not pretty, God carefully watches over us as we go through it. For us and those we love, it is a time of leaving what is familiar and beloved. For God it is a “precious” thing, the long awaited moment of our experiencing more fully the joys and realities of God and eternity.

Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones. Psalm 116:15 (NASB)

Jesus could not wait to return to his Father. (John 14:28) He told his disciples that they should be glad for him, but they, like us, saw things from their own perspective rather than God’s. We feel loss and sorrow, but God also wants us to see his side of things.

For God and us who believe, death is a homecoming, a commencement, and a triumph because of what it opens up to us.

Jesus said that his followers would actually never die.

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26  Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:25-26 (NLT)

We should fill in our own names in place of “Martha” in the last verse. Do we really believe?

The body expires, but our spirits seamlessly transition into God’s manifest presence. Can you imagine the unimpeded joy my father felt as his last breath was exhaled and his strong heart finally stopped beating? Joy inexpressible and full of glory!

Yes, I feel our family’s loss and will greatly miss our Dad, but I cannot mourn for him at this time or maybe ever. He is finally home! One day I expect him to be part of the throng who welcomes me.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV)
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The Last Three Things My Father Taught Me

My father, Pete Beck, Jr., taught me a lot over my 69 years, through teaching, correction, and example. The last three things he taught me came by example. I hope I will be able to follow in his footsteps in each of these three areas.

 
Live Fearlessly

Dad had weak lungs. Over his lifetime, I believe he had pneumonia three or four times. It seemed that whenever he caught a cold, it would end up in bronchitis. He had been diagnosed with mild COPD. In addition, he suffered from a bone marrow condition that lowered his hemoglobin levels and was 93 years old. He had just suffered a stroke and had survived carotid artery surgery. This combination of co-morbidities might incline some to “hole up” out of fear for the duration of Covid, but he and my Mom refused to live in fear. They did not deliberately expose themselves, but they continued to attend our small group meetings and other gatherings for the last two years and host events in their home occasionally, knowing that by doing so they ran the chance of being exposed. God kept them from that virus for two years until Omicron reared its ugly head. Even then they continued to live just as fearlessly as ever, even though Dad and Mom knew that catching it might kill Dad. Many in the church at large have caved to fear over the last two years, some churches even closing their doors for a while. Not my father.

He lived as he died – fearlessly by faith. This is the first lesson he taught me in his last days on earth.

Have the Courage of Your Convictions

Over the last two years, Dad and Mom thoroughly researched Covid and possible treatments. They decided in advance how they wanted to be treated, which went against the prevailing medical opinion. I personally happened to be in agreement with their viewpoint, but I did not convince them of anything. They independently arrived at their decision. When Dad contracted the virus, he stuck to his convictions, even when his condition deteriorated. I do not believe he ever wavered. This was impressive to me and taught me a great lesson.

King David wrote in the Psalms:

I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! Psalm 63:2-3 (NLT)

There are some things better than life, one of which is to live by faith and courage. The Bible says that some overcome sickness and death by faith, while others die in faith, never receiving in this life that for which they believed.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14  Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15  If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16  But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16 (NLT)

Faith brings glory to God, whether we get what we ask, live, or die. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Dad died in faith. I heard him testify that he was still trusting in God to heal him even when he was so weak he could hardly lift his head or turn himself in bed. That brought glory to God. When we continue to trust in the goodness of God despite everything going against us, it is a wonderful thing.

The second lesson my father taught me was that holding on to faith and the courage to live by our convictions is better than life itself.

Do Not Be Afraid of Death

At no point in his last days of suffering did I detect that he was afraid or panicking. He endured his sickness with grace, dignity, and without complaint. He must have known he was close to death. I could see it. I wondered how I would do taking care of him. Would I “lose it” if things took a turn for the worse. The answer is “no.” God gave us grace to care for him, just as God gave him grace to endure sickness and eventually to die. When we were called to the hospital to say good-bye, he was incoherent and laboring to breathe, but not looking fearful. When he finally passed, it was so peaceful that it imparted a sense of serenity to the entire process of dying.

The Bible says that Jesus endured death to set all of us free from the fear of it.

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15  Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NLT)

Over the years, I have counseled terminal patients to die in a way that brings glory to God. How we live and die is being watched by others.

We learned to live fearlessly and courageously by faith through Dad’s example, and we also learned how to die well by watching his exit. These are some of the greatest things he ever taught me, for which I am extremely grateful.

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The Measure of a Man: The Legacy of My Father

My father, affectionately called Papa Pete Beck, recently died at the amazing age of 93. He experienced a rich and full life, serving God for 51 of those years as a disciple and church leader. He left behind the love of his life and wife for 71 of those years, four sons, fourteen grandchildren, twenty great grandchildren, and two great-great grandsons, along with countless friends and partners in the ministry. Many regard him as a kind of legend. For us in the family he was Dad, granddad, or something similar. It is pretty difficult to be a legend among those who see you often and know you well, but he was highly respected and well-loved by his family.

I have been thinking about how to measure his life, not that any human being is truly capable of doing such a thing. What is his legacy? The first thing that comes to mind is his family. Secondly, perhaps, we should consider his many accomplishments.

What I would like to focus on in this short article is the idea that legacy can be measured by what those we mentored or fathered are able to accomplish after we are gone.

Moses did a lot in the forty years after he turned eighty. He confronted the most powerful ruler in the world and witnessed God’s power humble and eventually destroy that man in order to liberate God’s chosen people. He led Israel through the wilderness for forty long years and brought them to the brink of the Promised Land. As great as all that was, the one he appointed to take over after him accomplished even more. Joshua led God’s people to victory over the inhabitants of Canaan and oversaw the distribution of the land to the twelve tribes. Moses’ legacy has to be measured in terms of his own victories and those of his protege. If all Moses had done was bring them to the brink of the promise, he would have been somewhat of a failure.

What we accomplish through our heirs or disciples is just as meaningful, perhaps even more so, than what we personally achieve.

Another fine example of a disciple carrying on the legacy of his father in the faith is the Elijah – Elisha relationship. Elijah accomplished some amazing things during his stint as a major prophet in Israel, but he eventually came to a point when he was ready to call in quits. In a state of unbelief and despondency, God gave him three things to accomplish before his death, one of which was to pass on his ministry to a successor named Elisha. In addition, he was to anoint or appoint new kings over Syria and Israel.

Interestingly, his first step of obedience was to call Elisha to be his disciple. Elisha dropped everything to follow him and remained faithful to the very end of Elijah’s life, at which point he was granted his request to be given a “double portion” of Elijah’s anointing. Elisha was the one who anointed the two kings in Elijah’s stead. In addition, over his lifetime and in one case after his death, Elisha performed exactly twice as many miracles or signs than his mentor. Elijah accomplished more through his successor than he did through his own ministry. Elisha became an important part of the measure of Elijah’s life.

Jesus also accomplished and is accomplishing amazing things through his disciples. Jesus only spent three years in active ministry. He had no biological children who could be thought of as a legacy. Our Lord’s ministry is measured by what he accomplished through his death, resurrection, ascension in the heaven, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and his coming return as the glorious Son of Man to judge the living and the dead and subsequently rule over all creation. That might be enough, but our Lord’s purpose was always to include us. He has given birth to multitudes of disciples through the gospel, all of whom have become part of the family of God. Therefore, part of Jesus’ legacy is his heavenly family, which keeps growing. A third part of his legacy, which is also still going forward, is the ongoing ministry of the church, his disciples, whom he said would do even greater works than he was able to do in his lifetime. (John 14:12)

My father’s legacy will be proved and expanded through the ministry of those he left behind.

Now that he is gone, it is time for us who remain to pick up the baton and run with passion and endurance our leg of the race and eventually to pass that baton on to the next generation. That is the enduring legacy that will honor my father’s memory and bring glory to God.

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Why Am I Having Such a Hard Time Trusting God?

 

 

 

 

 

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

The Bible clearly teaches that God is looking for faith. Faith is closely allied with trust and is rooted in God. Boiled down to its basic components faith is the conviction that God’s character is impeccable, his promises sure, his power unlimited, his love beyond comprehension, and his wisdom boundless. Faith produces faithfulness, which can also be described as loyalty or allegiance.

People who are full of faith trust God and obey him through the most difficult and confusing situations because they are completely convinced that God is trustworthy. They trust God from the heart, even if the mind cannot comprehend the “why” of their situation.

I don’t often quote the Message Bible, but in this case I think it is very good.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Proverbs 3:5 (MSG)

Unbelief is the polar opposite of faith. Unbelief and its twin, doubt, have great difficulty trusting God because there is no assurance that God is deserves to be trusted. Will he keep his word and show love to us, or is he capricious? Does he even have the power and ability to keep his promises? Perhaps he is impotent.

Unbelief is a loud slap to the face of the Creator.

Faithless (disloyal) people have great difficulty when trials and tests come because they have no anchor. They are what the Bible calls “double minded,” wavering between two opinions. James says that such people are unstable in all their ways and cannot receive anything from God. (James 1:8)

The New Testament teaches us that no one is good enough, holy enough, or righteous enough to earn God’s favor and acceptance.

The only way we can please God, according to the Bible, is to trust him with all our hearts.

Specifically, we are invited to trust in the gospel, the good news that Jesus earned for us a right standing with God through his perfect life, death, and resurrection. God accepts the most imperfect people into his family when they decide to put their faith in Jesus. Conversely, when people refuse to trust him or believe the gospel, they throw away the one possibility of being accepted and blessed by God.

Unbelief is an extremely serious heart condition, which imperils our eternity.

Multitudes are afflicted with it. In fact, without the Holy Spirit’s intervention, it is the default condition of humanity. We were created to believe and depend on God. Everyone believes something, even if it is the conviction that there is nothing worth believing in. Without the Spirit’s help, however, we are programmed by sin to resist trusting in our Creator – Sustainer – Redeemer. What is the root of this condition of the heart? Is there a way out?

The Root of Unbelief

Unbelief is a plant that can only grow in the soil of a hardened heart.

Unbelief and doubt may seem to be rooted in the  mind, but the Bible teaches us that they really reside in the heart, which is the seat of our affections and being. When Jesus encountered unbelief in his disciples, this is what he said.

At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17  Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18  ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? Mark 8:16-18 (NLT)

Jesus, the one who created us, knows that the root of unbelief is a heart that has grown hard against God.

People call unbelief by nicer sounding names – realism, cynicism, science… but the underlying reality is that unbelief reveals a heart that is hard and easily repels the entrance of truth, revelation, and faith.

The Greek adjective in this verse is translated “hardened” or “calloused.” When we build up callouses on our feet or hands, we lose feeling in those areas. Calloused hearts have severe difficulty feeling proper emotions relating to God and detecting the gentle nudging of the Spirit.

Whatever the reason for our hardened heart – disappointment, disillusionment, traumatic pain, bitterness… – it is the poisonous ground that grows the one thing that is able to block God’s grace to us – unbelief.

He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” 55  Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56  All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” 57  And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58  And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:54-58 (NLT)

The reason that those people were deeply offended at Jesus is the same reason humans in general are deeply offended at God – pride. They thought Jesus had no right to assume such high and mighty notions about himself as being a distinguished prophet and teacher and, dare we say, Messiah. Imagine: they refused to acknowledge the Creator come in the flesh! Our unbelief is just as stark and offensive to God.

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10  He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11  He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:9-12 (NLT)

Rather than being drawn toward Jesus by the Spirit, they chose to reject him. This is what happens to people with a hard heart.

Pride robs us of being able to believe. It is offended by the requirement of acknowledging Christ’s lordship.

It takes humility to admit that we are created beings who only exist through the continuous sustaining power of God.

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 (NLT)

The hardened heart will not – cannot – bow to the Lord Jesus.

The Antidote

Jesus warned those with hardened hearts in his audience that their heart condition was blocking them from life.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. 15  For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ Matthew 13:14-15 (NLT)

The only antidote to a hardened heart is to turn to Jesus through a combination of the inner working of God’s Spirit coupled with our choice to surrender our offenses and pride to God.

The Bible uses the word “repentance” to describe this surrender. In the New Testament, it literally means to “change the mind.” Repentance takes place when we admit to ourselves and to God that we have been wrong and that God is right. It means we stop leaning on our own understanding of things and start accepting what God says in the Bible. It means we lay down our offense against God and admit we need him desperately. It acknowledges that we are spiritual paupers who have nothing to offer God except to trust him completely.

Maintaining a heart that is “soft” toward God is a lifelong challenge. We must learn to forgive readily and freely; otherwise, our hearts begin to grow hard. We must learn to obey God swiftly and completely, lest our hearts start to harden. It takes the Spirit of God’s assistance to get started on this discipleship journey, and it takes his continual help to complete it. But take heart, that is what Jesus sent him to be and to do. He is our Helper!

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17  that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NASB)

If we are having a hard time believing and trusting in God, we should acknowledge that we have a hard heart and ask forgiveness. We should ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we need to repent and to work in us to restore us to a place of trusting God from the heart.

Prayer

Jesus, I now understand that my doubt and unbelief come from a heart that has a problem with trusting and submitting to you. Please forgive me. Holy Spirit, show me any particular areas for which I need to repent. (Anything that comes to mind should now be confessed to God.) Work in me a deep seated ability to fully trust and surrender my life to Jesus. I depend on you. Amen.

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Signs of the Last Days: The Mystery of Lawlessness

 

 

 

 

 

There is a fierce form of lawlessness sweeping through America and around the world. We all know that this is not “normal,” but is it a sign that things are rapidly progressing toward what the Bible calls the Last Day? According to the Bible, there is a certain mystery behind evil. It lurks behind the scenes conspiring to destroy everything good. Its ultimate purpose is to try to overthrow and dishonor God and hurt those whom God loves. This is the height of insanity, but the devil has no wisdom.

The Holy Spirit used the apostle Paul to give us some valuable information about these times.

Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4  He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 5  Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6  And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7  For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8  Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 9  This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 (NLT)

Here is what we learn from this passage.

  • Mankind has been rebelling against God since the Garden of Eden. Inspired by Satan, the greatest rebel of all, the inhabitants of planet earth who do not know God are ramping up for one final push to dethrone the Creator. (Psalm 2:1-6)
  • A person will emerge who will be the very personification of rebellion. Some call him the antichrist. Paul called him the man of lawlessness. Mystery surrounds this person. He will be motivated and empowered by Satan to do his murderous mission to defame God and destroy God’s people.
  • Something has been (is?) holding him back, but, when that restraint is removed, all hell, literally, will break loose. Until then, evil is working in a hidden way behind the scenes.
  • After the man of lawlessness has his way for a season, our Lord Jesus will destroy him at his Second Coming. So much for Jesus being a pacifist! Logically, then, the man of lawlessness will be revealed at the very end of time.
  • The man of lawlessness will be able to deceive multitudes using “every kind of evil deception,” including counterfeit signs, wonders, and miracles. The only way to escape is by loving God’s truth as revealed in the Bible and confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This incredible level of deception will clearly distinguish between those who truly know and love Christ and those who are counterfeit believers, which Jesus called “tares” or weeds growing among the true wheat.

None of us know exactly where we are on God’s timeline, but we see a ramping up of deception, the likes of which most of us have never experienced. The coordination between government, Big Tech, the legacy media, Big Pharma, and the medical establishment is breathtakingly scary. The capitulation to tyranny of “elected” representatives in both parties is mind numbing. The power of the entrenched bureaucracy seems incapable of being removed, and the audacity of the way our current administration is trampling on our constitutional rights is almost unbelievable. And this is not happening only in the United States. Things are even worse in many other countries. Truly this is an evil initiative being orchestrated on a global scale. What will be the outcome?

One thing that is happening is that people are waking up to the reality of the enormity of evil in the world. This is a good thing. For decades most of us have lived under an illusion that things were generally going well and world was generally a fairly nice place, barring a few atrocities here and there. The 1950’s were the Leave to Beaver utopian years, but even then the mystery of lawlessness was hard at work behind the scenes bringing us to where we are today. The evil plans hatched decades or even centuries ago, shall we say millennia ago, are playing out today. We are seeing close up now what evil looks like. What is happening before our eyes confirms Jesus’ words.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (ESV)

The mystery of lawlessness has produced a fierce and lawless generation that sees nothing wrong with killing unborn babies, enforcing injections of experimental drugs on unwilling people, and all manner of sexual perversion, including pedophilia and sex trafficking of children. Modern “woke” district attorneys refuse to prosecute criminals but go after decent citizens who try to defend themselves against mobs. Certain groups get a pass when they burn down cities, while people of the wrong political persuasion are locked up as political prisoners without due process after being falsely accused. Those who pretend to be “tolerant” are actually only so toward those who participate in their own deviant behavior and sinister rush to totalitarian oppression. Paul warned us that these days would come.

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2  For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3  They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4  They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5  They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)

So What?

What does this have to do with me? Maybe you think you can be a neutral observer in the Last Days. That will not be possible. Either you will be on God’s side or the devil’s.

Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. Luke 11:23 (NLT)

If we do not make a strong decision to become a follower of Christ and stand for truth and righteousness, we will be swept off the cliff with all the other lemmings by the tsunami of deception that is enveloping the earth in the last days.

None of us knows if we are very close to the end or if this is simply another chapter along the way. Either way, God will triumph, and we want to be firmly on his side. The love of the truth, who is a Person named Jesus (John 14:6), is our only defense. We cannot be neutral or passive. We must take a stand. Now is the time to bow our knee to Christ and publicly declare that he is Lord of your life. Now is the time to embrace Truth. Do it today, before it is too late.

Prayer

Jesus, I see that things are progressing toward what the Bible calls the Last Days. You are coming back, just as you promised. I want to be ready. I want to know that I have nothing to fear at the Last Judgment. Thank you for dying for me so that my sins might be forgiven. I receive all that you died to give me – forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, justification, and sonship. Thank you for giving me eternal life and sending your Spirit to live in and through me. Thank you that now I can be your representative on planet earth, telling others about your amazing offer of life instead of death. I surrender myself to you as best I know how. You are my Lord. Help me to live in such a way that I will bring you glory. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, I now encourage you to join a Bible believing church that focuses on making disciples and proclaiming the gospel. Get water baptized as a public declaration of your allegiance to Christ and share your testimony often. I encourage you to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to be a strong witness for Jesus. Learn to worship and give thanks to God. Trust in him with all your heart. You will never be disappointed.

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The Key to Stress Free Living

 

 

 

 

 

 

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews listed repentance from dead works as one of the six foundational doctrines of Christ. (Hebrews 6:1 NASB)

Dead works can be defined as our human efforts to make ourselves look good in God’s and people’s eyes through our words and behavior.

People are unable to put themselves in a right standing with God (justify themselves) through human effort. The prophet Isaiah warned us that the attempt to do so is repulsive to God.

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Isaiah 64:6 (NASB)

Nevertheless, we deceive ourselves into thinking that we can make a few adjustments, try harder, and turn things around spiritually, not realizing that everything originating out of self is a dead work.

Anything that does not originate with God’s Spirit and derive from faith is a dead work.

Sin is much deeper than words, acts, and attitudes. It infects us to the core and is part of what we inherited from our forefathers due to the Fall. When we are born, we come into this world as little sin factories. No matter how hard we try to overcome this inherited condition, we will fail.

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. Romans 7:14 (NASB)

That which originates in our own human effort is called the “flesh,” as opposed to that which originates in God, which is called the Spirit.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63 (NASB)

Religion is mostly man’s attempt to gain and maintain a right relationship with God through human effort, which is a dead work. Religion approaches the sin problem and its resultant separation from God in one of two ways. It might deny there is a problem, as do Eastern religions which insist that both good and evil exist in God (Yin and Yang) and should not concern us. (e.g. Star Wars “the Force,” Buddhism, modern psychiatry, and various perversions of Christianity). This approach insists that God does not condemn anyone and salvation consists in coming to that realization. Basically, I’m okay and you’re okay. We don’t need a Savior because we are not separated from God. It is all an illusion, and Jesus died needlessly.

Those who deny that sin is a problem may gain a counterfeit and illusory form of peace, but will still have to account to God for their sinful condition and acts.

The other end of the spectrum is found in the Jewish Law of Moses. Under this system, by keeping God’s laws we gain access to God’s favor and blessing. This approach recognizes that sin is real, separates us from God, and causes death, but insists that we can work hard at keeping God’s commands and earn a right standing with God.

But the Apostle Paul explained that the purpose of the Law is to reveal our hopeless condition and the impossibility of gaining a right standing with God through keeping its requirements.

Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22  But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. Galatians 3:21-24 (NASB)

Those who fall for the deception that a right standing with God can be achieved through self-effort either become religious zealots and intolerant of those who fall short of their standards or demoralized when they finally come to end of their striving with the realization that it is a hopeless endeavor.

When we choose this second option, there is no possibility of rest for our souls because we can never be good enough to clear the bar of God’s perfect holiness.

That is why we need a Savior and repentance from all self-effort.

The Essence of Sin: The Self-Directed Life

At its core, sin originates in a mistrust of God. Satan induced Adam and Eve to doubt God’s goodness. The result was their attempt to become independent from him. Sin is a rebellious self-aggrandizing attempt to make our own decisions, run our own lives, and impose our own rules – to be little gods. Satan deceived Adam and Eve into thinking that they could throw off the Creator’s built in limitations on our lives and “be like God” – needing nothing.

Because of the generational aspect of sin, the allure of living a self-directed life pulls at the heart of every person and is the essence of sin.

Repentance and the God-Directed Life

The gospel calls people back into alignment with God’s original plan – living in harmony with God and his will.

Through faith in Christ, we can be forgiven of our rebellion and come back into God’s family and blessing. We can experience his life inside us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. But for this to happen, we must repent. Because of our pride, it is deeply humbling for us to admit our need for God and to obey him; nevertheless, it is the most rewarding way to live. We think that becoming servants of God will strip us of our dignity and freedom and deprive us of some of the things that bring delight to our lives. This is the lie that Satan set up with our first parents and still pulls at us today.

Jesus, the perfect God-man, lived the way God intended. In his own words:

...“I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. John 5:19 (NET1)

When Jesus calls people to repent and enter God’s kingdom, he challenges us to turn away from the vain attempt to direct our own lives and to embrace His rule.

Repentance requires us to stop playing God and to acknowledge the rightful ruler, Jesus the Lord.

The Gospel and Christ’s Lordship

Paul understood that Jesus is both Lord and Savior. He calls us to confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that he is the risen Savior – the Lamb of God.

The gospel challenges and invites us to repent (make Jesus Lord) and believe (receive salvation) – to surrender our “rights” and receive God’s blessings.

...because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NET1)

Confessing that Jesus is Lord is the most fundamental act of repentance. Doing so opens the door to receive all the benefits he died and rose to win for us. That begins a lifelong journey of daily surrender to God’s will.

The Restful Life

Attempting to direct our own lives creates stress that we were not designed to carry.

We do not have the wisdom, knowledge, or power to live self-directed lives. Repentance opens the door to life as God intended it to be. Jesus invites us to:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NET1)

Confessing that Jesus is the Lord is the gateway into the blessings he won for us on the cross, which include a life of rest by faith.

We are able to cease from religiously striving to be right with God when we accept that he won that privilege for us through his own perfect life.

So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10  For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. Hebrews 4:9-10 (NLT)

The Lordship of Christ is an absolutely crucial part of the Gospel, requiring us to repent from the self-directed life, which Paul calls the “flesh,” which God refuses to bless, since it is an abomination to him.

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13  for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body [repenting], you will live. 14  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:12-14 (NASB)

The only life that can receive the fullness of God’s blessing is the life that we live in cooperation with and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Surrender to Jesus the Lord is the narrow door through which Gospel blessings are accessed.

Application

If you have never made a conscious decision to surrender every aspect of your being to Jesus, now is the time. This will include the following: relationships, time, money, health, your future, security, provision, self-image and fulfillment – everything, even life itself. Do this and you will begin to experience true freedom and a new level of rest.

In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions. Luke 14:33 (NET1)

The Greek word translated “renounce” means to “say good-bye.” Say good-bye to everything that stands between you and a full surrender to Jesus. Say hello to the Spirit-led life and the rest that comes from being in a right relationship with God.

Prayer

Jesus, I am tired of trying to direct my own life. Please forgive me for living independently from you. I surrender myself and all I have to you. Thank you for forgiving my sins and including me in your forever family and blessings. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to live inside me. I look forward to seeing what you will do with my life. Have your way in me from this day forward. Amen.

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Faith in God’s Sovereignty, the Gateway to Peace

 

The longer I live, the simpler some things become, even though much of life will never completely be understood this side of heaven. By his wise design God has reserved many “secret things” for himself, which requires us to trust fully in him without always understanding the “whys.” This is the essence of faith.

When suffering enters a person’s life, it is only natural to wonder why. Why me? Why now? Did I do something wrong? Is God still in control? Does he still love me? Did he abandon me? Can I really trust him?

In the book of the Bible that bears his name, a man named Job asked these kinds of questions when God allowed his life to be wracked with physical pain and the emotional suffering of losing his family and fortune and even his good name. He and his friends believed that “bad” things did not happen to “good” people. If we keep the rules, we get blessed, right?

After chapters that recount his struggle to understand why God allowed him to suffer and his anger against what he believed was God’s injustice, eventually Job was granted what he asked for – an encounter with God. Face to face with his Creator, he became speechless. All his arguments dissipated. These were the first words he spoke.

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6  therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6 (ESV)

God never answered his questions or gave any sort of explanation for the suffering Job had endured. Instead our Lord revealed to Job his absolute sovereignty and greatness, and that was enough to ignite his faith and give him peace.

Faith in God’s Sovereignty, the Gateway to Peace

Why is it that faith in God’s sovereign power and wisdom is the gateway to peace? I know a man who went through a terrible ordeal with his wife, who had an advanced stage of cancer. Eventually she was healed and delivered from the cancer, but in the middle of the crisis, his testimony is that God spoke to his heart, saying, “I know about this.” Knowing that God knew gave him peace and revitalized his faith to believe for a healing. To the logical mind, this may not make sense; but, faith’s rationale is in the heart.

We don’t have to have all the answers. We simply need to know that God knows about our situation and has things under control.

Faith in God’s sovereignty means that we believe he ultimately controls everything and is working all things out for our good (Romans 8:28) and his glory (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). This is the foundation of our peace. This, by the way, presupposes that He loves us. Presuppositions really matter. We all have them; so, make sure yours are biblical and true.

When we choose to worship God in the midst of tribulation and suffering, we glorify the Lord by acknowledging his loving sovereignty over our lives. We follow in the footsteps of those men of faith of old, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when they stood before King Nebuchadnezzar. He threatened them with a fiery death unless they bowed down to the idol of his own glory and sovereignty, but they refused.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)

Those who firmly believe in God’s loving sovereignty over their lives will make seeking God’s glory their top priority,  whether it results in deliverance or death.

When this faith is coupled with the knowledge that God’s love for us is beyond comprehension, our peace is unshakeable.

For clarity’s sake, let me restate the above.

  1. If we determine to bring glory to God through our response to whatever life throws at us, then we don’t have to have any particular outcome, except that God be glorified. He can be glorified by delivering us from evil or by our going through suffering without wavering in faith. Either way, God and we “win.” (Philippians 1:20)
  2. If we add to our determination a confidence that God is sovereignly overseeing our affairs and is ultimately in control, it allows us to yield ourselves completely to his will. Nothing will happen to us that he does not allow. The devil cannot slip something in on us behind the Lord’s back. (Daniel 4:34-35)
  3. If we also know that he loves us beyond comprehension, we understand that we have nothing to fear. Perfect love casts out all fear. Paul wrote that no test or trial can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:37-39)
  4. None of the above should be interpreted to mean that we should passively accept attacks from the devil or do nothing to remedy our situation. Consigning ourselves to God’s will includes doing everything reasonable, as led by the Holy Spirit, to fight against evil and to work for our deliverance.

Now I will give you a bit of wisdom. When we desperately cling to the answer we want God to give us, it works against our peace. However, when we surrender ourselves to the sovereign God who loves us past comprehension and works all things for good in our lives, our peace is rock solid. As we stop demanding a certain answer from the Lord, our hearts can more easily hear what the Spirit is saying to us. When that happens, we can pray in line with God’s will in a specific way, all the while remaining at peace.

When we trust in God’s loving sovereignty and hold on to the Bible’s precious promises, while letting go of the fear that he will not work things out as we want, we will have peace beyond comprehension.

Application

So, how do we get started on our journey to peace? Here are some steps you and I can take.

  1. Surrender to the Lord Jesus. This means we let go of all “rights” to direct our own lives and make demands from God. Whoever heard of a slave making demands? We learn to give God the reins and relax as he drives.
  2. Worship God in all situations. We thank God even for the most difficult, confusing, and challenging things in our lives. We thank him not because those things are good in themselves, but because we believe that he will work them for good in his loving sovereignty. (Romans 8:28)
  3. Listen to the Spirit as we worship. This is anti-passivity, even though it does not seem like it. The Holy Spirit will give us insight as we worship. When this happens, we are to pray and act according to those specific instructions. Proclaim aloud what God tells you in your heart. Prophetic proclamation is a big part of the prayer of faith. It goes without saying that what the Spirit tells us will always agree with God’s written word in the Bible. We must put into practice what he tells us to do.
  4. Hang on to God as we wait for the answer. Faith immediately receives God’s promises and is willing to wait as long as it takes for the fulfillment. Biblical hope is the confident expectation that God will keep his promises, no matter how long we have to wait.
  5. Enjoy God’s Peace!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NASB)

 

If you want to read more about how to survive and thrive in the midst of life’s difficulties, you can purchase my book on the subject: Seeing God’s Smile When Life Is Difficult. It’s available on Amazon.

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The World’s Greatest Short Prayer

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36  And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37  For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38  And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.Luke 1:35-38 (ESV)

We honor Mary because she was willing to embrace God’s will for her life, even though it cost her immensely. She experienced the suffering associated with people, including her fiance at first, thinking she was a “loose” woman who got pregnant outside of marriage. The Roman Catholic Church added non-biblical status to Mary, claiming that she was born without a sin nature through what is called the Immaculate Conception. This would make her the equal of Jesus. The RCC also claims that she was taken directly up to heaven upon her death, which is called the Assumption. These erroneous doctrines make Mary a kind of super-human Mother of God, an undisguised attempt to elevate her into a type of deity on the par with Diana of the Ephesians, a pagan goddess. But in reality Mary was a simple girl whose life was intersected by a strange and fabulous call to be, not the Mother of God, but the mother of the human side of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah King. Jesus’ divine nature came directly from the Holy Spirit, who overshadowed Mary and conceived the God-Man in Mary’s womb.

Whenever we may be confronted by circumstances that are confusing or painful, or if God asks us to do something that seems strange and that will cost us, we are well to remember Mary’s simple yet profound response when this happened to her. “Let it be to me according to your word.” I encourage you to pray the following 10-word prayer. It may be the most life-impacting declaration you ever make.

Prayer

Jesus, you are my Lord. Glorify yourself through me. Amen!

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God: “I’ve Got This!”

 

 

 

 

 

In the weeks and months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, when it became increasingly apparent that the “fix” was in, I distinctly heard the Spirit of God speak to me one morning: “I’ve got this.” It brought rest to my heart, as you might imagine. However, I immediately I layered on top of that simple statement my expectations of what that meant, which is what we usually do when God speaks to us. We all tend to hear what we want to hear and project our hopes on to his words. Notwithstanding, I have hung on to those words for over a year now, confident that God indeed “has this,” but now that so much time has passed,

I realize that God’s version of being in control is quite different from mine.

Since his control is absolute, he is willing to let things play out far longer than I would. But then, he is God. This is a tremendous life lesson that all of us have to learn seemingly over and over again.

Since that morning, the Lord has spoken several other things to me that add layers to his first promise. Let me share those other messages with you, in the hope that it might encourage your heart, as it did mine.

The second thing I heard him tell me was this: “Let go and watch what I do.” This reminded me of a relevant Bible verse.

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 (NASB)

This, of course, is an extension of the first word, “I’ve got this,” with the added promise that God is going to glorify himself in the midst of what is taking place on the earth. It reminds us that he has much more at stake than the survival of our Republic. His plan for the entire earth is playing out. His glory shall indeed fill the earth. We can be sure of that.

Rather than worry or be anxious about things, we should “let go” and engage in faith-filled praise and worship because God has everything in hand and with the expectation that he is working all things for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)

The third thing I heard the Lord speak to my heart came one morning as I was praying for our nation with a sense of angst. “Lighten up. I have already done this.” It was a gentle rebuke for my forgetting that he has indeed “got this.” God has taught me over the years that one of the most powerful spiritual weapons at our disposal is praise.

Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds. 6  Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, 7  To execute vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples, 8  To bind their kings with chains And their nobles with fetters of iron, 9  To execute on them the judgment written; This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD! Psalm 149:5-9 (NASB)

I realize that many believers are very uncomfortable with the idea that we are to execute judgment in God’s behalf. Certainly, we must forgive our enemies, but we also have a call to stand with God in righteous judgment. That is one of the functions of the church – judgment tempered with mercy. The way we do this in the here and now is by offering our praise and worship to the God of judgment. The two-edged sword is the Word of God. (Hebrews 4:12) As we worship the Sovereign Lord and declare his lordship over all things, we in essence bind evil plans and people over to the will of God. As Jesus taught us to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,”

We are not to pray desperate prayers. Instead of pleading with God to do something, we are to stand in faith and declare that the victory is already won.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (ESV) 

And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 (ESV)

The fourth thing I heard him speak is elementary, but it bears repeating: “You have nothing to fear.” Fear is a natural response to the unknown, but it must be resisted. We are in the midst of a worldwide psy-op fear campaign designed to push people into abandoning sound judgment and doing irrational things. Fear impairs our decision making ability. The children of Israel made some pretty terrible choices in the desert because they were afraid of their enemies instead of trusting God. We are no different from them, except that we who believe have the Spirit of faith (2 Corinthians 4:13) living inside us. (A huge difference!) We have no excuse for fearing, except that we still live in these fleshly bodies and are subject to temptation. (You may with to read my previous article to get help in this area.)

God wants us to make the choice to fear not, because He has got things under control!

The fifth thing God spoke to me was the following: “You have no idea how powerful I am.” There are three basic reasons why we trust God. He is good. He keeps his Word, and he is powerful. In other words, he always does what he says. What he promises is always good, and nothing is able to thwart his plans. Plenty of well-meaning people make promises they cannot possibly keep, but never God. He always does what he says. Nothing is too difficult for him. Truly, we have no idea how powerful he is, this One who created the universe out of nothing.

As we praise and worship the Sovereign One, who loves us beyond comprehension and always does what he says because no one and nothing can possibly stop him, let’s encourage our hearts that God is truly in control!

All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’ Daniel 4:35 (NLT)

 

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