Sword of the Spirit – This Day #1190

Posted on April 17, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1190

“This Day”

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” – Luke 23:39-43

Have you ever planned a birthday or other type of anniversary celebration and researched the date for interesting events or facts that occurred on that date in history?  I was searching for the events of April 7 and discovered that some historians believe that this day in 30 A.D. is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified.

While the actual date of Christ’s crucifixion is debated, the Truth of God’s Word tells us that the day that Christ died is the same day that one of the criminals crucified alongside of Jesus received salvation and went to be with Him in paradise.

The sobering truth is that this day, today, may be our last on earth.  The reality of this truth is starkly evident to the people of Ukraine as well as people throughout the world being subjected to war, riots, violence, and acts of terrorism. Those of us living in seemingly relative safety need to wake up to this reality.

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. – Matthew 25:13

Far too many of us Christian and Non-Christian alike, live as if there will always be a tomorrow.  We behave as if there will be no accountability for our reckless lifestyle.  Jesus taught a parable about the man who was planning to build more barns to store the wealth of his crops and how he planned to live in luxury as if his tomorrows would never end.  Jesus called that man a fool because that very night that man was destined to die.

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” – Luke 12:16-21

This day in history – today – this hour – this moment can be a profound moment affecting you for eternity.  Jesus taught that He could return at any time and cautioned us to always be ready.  Are you ready today, this day?

If you are unsure about your eternal future, I encourage you to seriously consider the true meaning of this Easter season. God loves you, me, and all of humankind so much that He came in the person of Jesus Christ to bear the just punishment for our sins.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. – John 3:16; Luke 19:10

The rebuke of the thief to the one who railed against Jesus is a valid rebuke to us today: “Do you not fear God?”

Likewise, his simple prayer and statement of faith: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” changed his eternal destiny and it can change yours also.

May the Holy Spirit draw you to Jesus to receive eternal life through Him.

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Therefore … let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – 1 John 5:11; Hebrews 12:1-2

May this day be the day in your history where your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

May you have a blessed Easter holiday!

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Sword of the Spirit – Choke #1189

Posted on April 10, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1189

“Choke”

but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. – Mark 4:19

‘Encore mort’ (dead again) said the small boy as he presented the lifeless baby chick to his mother.  This story is told about my father-in-law when he was a small child in rural Vermont in the early 1900’s.  He was fascinated with the baby chickens and would pick them up.  As they fluttered and squirmed, he would squeeze tighter to keep control of them, strangling them in the process.

I think about this story whenever I read the Parable of the Sower and how the love of this world and for the things of this world choke the life out of our relationships – first with our spiritual relationship with The Father, and then with our family and other relationships in this life.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15

Satan knows all too well the weakness of our flesh and how to tempt us, capitalizing on our weaknesses.

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. – 1 John 2:16

The pride of life encompasses all that is of this world. It is linked with and drives the lust of our flesh and eyes. It makes us arrogant and boastful thinking that we are in control of our destiny and have no need for God or salvation through His Son, Jesus. It makes us selfish and controlling.

How many of us choke the life out of our relationships by trying to control them too tightly? Husbands and wives strangle the life out of their marriage when they attempt to control each other. Parents stifle their children’s spirit and uniqueness as well as their ability to function independently when they attempt to control their lives well into their teen years and beyond.

Managers and leaders can stifle their organization’s creative spirit and stunt the growth of their company or worse yet, kill it by trying to control it tightly. Nations war against nations because of the pride of life and the lust for the things of this world and for power and control as is evidenced by what is happening in Ukraine today.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. – Proverbs 4:23

May you guard your heart against the deceitfulness of the things of this world.

May the Holy Spirit show you the relationships that you are choking because of your selfish desire to control them. May He direct and empower you to correct and repair these relationships.

May the desires of your heart stem from the love of the Father and not from your love of the world.

Pray for the people and nation of Ukraine that the Lord will go before them to defeat the enemy that seeks to do them harm. Pray that the Lord will comfort, protect, provide, and restore them to Him and as a nation.

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Sword of the Spirit – Shall We Go Up? #1188

Posted on April 3, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1188

“Shall We Go Up”

David inquired of the Lord… – 2 Samuel 5:23

David sought the Lord’s direction when the Philistines first gathered for war in the Valley of Rephaim and the Lord blessed Israel and David had a decisive victory.

The Philistines came against him a second time in the same valley and David again asked God if he should go up and fight them. This time the Lord told him ‘No’ and to wait until the Lord had gone before him to strike down the enemy. Once again, God gave David a great victory over the Philistines.

…He said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” – 2 Samuel 5:23-24

It would have been easy for David to place his confidence in the fact of his first victory and to impulsively confront the Philistines a second time without first seeking the Lord’s direction. Instead, David did not lean on his own understanding but continually came to the Lord in prayer for direction.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

When we experience success in our life pursuits, we are in danger of beginning to rely on our abilities and skills and fail to acknowledge God as the author of our success. This is a recipe for pridefulness, and it will ultimately result in sure failure.

And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today – Deuteronomy 8:10-11

The word translated “forget” from the original Hebrew text in this passage carries the meaning to abandon, ignore, or neglect. It means to stop remembering. If you reflect on your life walk with the Lord, do you notice that the times when you were more fervently in prayer were the times when you were in the greatest trials and difficulties? Spurgeon describes it this way:

The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining-pot of prosperity. – Charles Spurgeon

May you maintain your fervor and passion for the Lord always – in prosperity as well as in difficult times. May your heart not become lukewarm or cold.

…So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. – Revelation 3:15-17

May you guard your heart against the success and prosperity of this world.

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! – 1 Chronicles 16:11

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Sword of the Spirit – He Goes Before Me #1187

Posted on March 27, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1187

“He Goes Before Me”

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.  – Deuteronomy 31:8

What lies ahead of you? Are you on the cusp of a transition in your life? Retirement? Graduation? Starting a new job or career change?

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. – Psalm 139:5 (NLT)

Perhaps you are about to undergo major surgery or chemotherapy and you are unsure of what lies ahead of you?

The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you – Deuteronomy 1:30

During a recent church service, Jason Upton ministered in testimony and song. In the preface to his testimony, Jason talks about how we are taught that God is omnipresent, and that He is the God of the past, present and future.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8

He then makes a statement that God is present in our future where we are not yet present ourselves. That struck a chord in my spirit as I had always conceptualized God’s omnipresence as being present everywhere in the ‘now’. I had not truly considered the fact that He is beyond our time construct. God is eternal and His presence is already in our future—working for our good—where we are not yet present ourselves.

The following is a link to the church service. Jason Upton’s testimony begins at 45 minutes. I encourage you to listen to his song and testimony. It will be a blessing to you.

Exodus | The Call: Losing Yourself | Doug Sauder – YouTube

What mountain or obstacle is ahead of you? Have faith that God is already there making a way for you.

I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron – Isaiah 45:2

Jesus went before us to the cross to pay the price for our sins.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace – Ephesians 1:7

Jesus went before us to the grave and was resurrected and ascended into heaven so that we also through faith in Him may have eternal life.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. – 1 Corinthians 15:20

Jesus has gone before us into heaven. He is preparing a place for us and will return for us.

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. – Hebrews 9:24

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. – John 14:1-3

May you look to the future and what lies ahead of you through eyes of faith, understanding and knowing that your Father has gone before you and is already present where you are not yet present. He is working all things for your good.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

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Sword of the Spirit – Palpable Christianity #1186

Posted on March 20, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1186

“Palpable Christianity”

For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. – Exodus 40:38

The presence of the Lord was palpable to the Israelites during the Exodus. Something is palpable when it is tangible, noticeable and manifest and this was certainly the case with the pillar of cloud and fire.

Moses had a special relationship with the Lord, meeting and speaking with Him on the mountain and in the tent of meeting. The fact that he had been in God’s presence would make his face glow which was tangible evidence to the people that he had been with the Lord.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai…Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God… – Exodus 34:29-35

Later we see how the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit provided tangible evidence of the presence of God in their lives to those around them.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13

What about you and me today? How palpable is our Christianity to the world around us? Do our actions cause others to say, ‘They have been with Jesus’ or do our actions cause them to say ‘Hypocrites!’ because our actions are not in alignment with our stated Christian values and beliefs?

For some who desire to walk a compromised path with one foot in the world and the other in Christianity it is easier for them to ‘hide’ their profession of faith when in the worldly contexts of life. This is not the way that Jesus wants us to be.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:14-16

Walking a compromised path is a snare not only to ourselves but also to others. Jesus was quite blunt and scathing in His statements about being a stumbling block to others. Can you imagine how Peter felt when Jesus told him he was a stumbling block to Him?

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” – Matthew 16:23

If we do not strive for integrity in our Christian lifestyle, what example are we setting for others, especially for children? Jesus expressed woe to those who cause children to sin.

…whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! – Matthew 18:5-7

We are called to palpable Christianity. As born-again Christians we have the manifest presence of Christ in us. Our faces may not glow, but our lifestyle – our day-to-day actions – speak louder than any words we may preach. For some people we are the only ‘bible’ they may read.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? – 1 Corinthians 6:19

I know that this is a challenging word. It challenged Peter and he overcame the weakness of his flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit. We too can overcome the fleshes desire to compromise with the world by the same Spirit of God.

May you be a palpable Christian. May those you meet through divine encounters and throughout your daily life recognize the presence of Jesus in you and give glory to the Father.

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Sword of the Spirit – Deny, Live, and Look #1185

Posted on March 16, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1185

“Deny, Live, and Look”

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ – Titus 2:11-13

What is grace? The classic definition is that grace is the free, unmerited favor of God. The operative words are ‘free’ and ‘unmerited’. Grace does not come from our works. We cannot earn it or be good enough or righteous enough for God to owe it to us. Grace comes to us by faith and even that faith came as a gift to us from God.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. – Ephesians 4:7; Romans 12:3

Let us examine our reference Scripture.

We are saved by Grace: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people…

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— Ephesians 2:4-5

Grace teaches us to deny our flesh: training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Matthew 16:24

Grace teaches us how to live: live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

Having been saved by grace, we are then justified and sanctified by grace in this life preparing us for eternity with Him.

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith… – Romans 3:24-25

Grace teaches to wait in anticipation and look forward to Christ’s appearing. It is by God’s Grace that we will be glorified with Him:  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

May you have a teachable spirit and an obedient heart so that you may learn by the grace of God to deny ungodliness, live a self-controlled life, and look forward to eternity with our Lord, Jesus.

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Sword of the Spirit – Tent Of Meeting #1184

Posted on March 6, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1184

“Tent of Meeting”

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. – Exodus 25:8

Our Father God desires to have fellowship with us. His love for us is infinite and immeasurable. Under the old covenant, God established a Tent of Meeting where His presence was signified by the pillar of cloud and there He would meet with Moses.

Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. – Exodus 33:7-9

Under the new covenant through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the ‘tent of meeting’ is now in us through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. There is no longer an ‘outside of camp’ separation.

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. – John 14:23; 1 John 3:24

The temple curtain was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross for our sins opening the door for intimate fellowship with our Triune God.

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. – Matthew 27:50-51

Do you desire fellowship with God as much as He desires fellowship with you?

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:8

Does habitual sin separate you from your tent of meeting with God? Sin will make our hearts grow cold and the guilt we feel works to make us feel distanced from God. Know this: God has not distanced Himself from you. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins once and for all and it is a lie from the enemy of your soul that tells you that you are too far gone to return to Him.

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. – Joel 2:13

May you know that your tent of meeting with God is within you and that His Holy Spirit dwells in you to guide you and bring fellowship with the Father.

May your daily walk be a walk of continual fellowship, intimacy, and dialog with God in your ‘tent of meeting’ with Him.

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Sword of the Spirit – God Given Ability #1183

Posted on February 27, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1183

“God Given Ability”

You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill …See, I have called by name Bezalel … and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship – Exodus 28:3; Exodus 31:2-3

My working life has spanned six decades. I started out looking for a job, any job, to simply earn income. Then came career choices – what to study; what to specialize in and so on. The objective was to earn maximum income doing what I liked to do. I subscribed to the false philosophy that the one who dies with the most toys wins.

Then I met Jesus and He changed my perspective.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… You are serving the Lord Christ. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? – Colossians 3:23,24; Matthew 16:26

From that point forward I came to realize that all that I am, all my abilities and skills were not the result of chance genetics, study, and college degrees. All that shaped me was by God’s grace and from Him. My abilities and talents are gifts from God and activated by His Holy Spirit for His purposes and for His glory. I became a steward of God’s varied grace.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: – 1 Peter 4:10

Can I submit to you that the gifts of the Spirit do not stop with the gifts of prophecy, speaking in tongues etc.?

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Plumbers, surgeons, carpenters, nurses, janitors, engineers, technicians, singers, dancers, teachers – you name the career field and its abilities are all God-given and to be used for His glory and to fulfill His purposes. No matter what our hands are doing, they are the hands of God reaching out to bless others.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. – Romans 12:4-8

I am about to embark on yet another, perhaps my last, career change. As I wrote my business planning roadmap: Vision, Mission, Purpose etc. I reflected on how different this one was compared to the early plans before I came to know Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I now seek to serve Him by serving others in His Name and for His glory. Unlike past corporations that I have worked for, I now work for God as the ultimate CEO with unlimited resources to provide my needs.

Are you at a career choice junction? Are you trying to decide what educational field of study to pursue? Do you have gifts and talents that bless others? How will you use them?

Recognize first and foremost that your gifts, talents, ‘your shape’ if you will, is from God and according to His perfect plan for you – and for others whose lives you will touch.

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. – Isaiah 64:8

Prayerfully analyze your motives driving your choices. Are you seeking first the mammon of this world, money, power, prestige? Our primary motive is to seek Him and His will. All that we need for living in this world He will faithfully provide.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  – Matthew 6:33; John 15:5; Philippians 4:13

Be blessed and enjoy the journey, walking with Christ.

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Sword of the Spirit – Perfect in Christ #1182

Posted on February 20, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1182

“Perfect In Christ”

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. – Colossians 1:28 (NKJV)

Perfect, fully mature, complete. This is Jesus and it is how God the Father sees us in Christ.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. – Romans 8:29-30

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are born-again by the Spirit and are saved from the penalty of our sin – a price paid in full by Jesus on the cross. We are also justified – it is ‘just as if I had never sinned’ in God’s eyes.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law…the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. … – Romans 3:21-25

We are saved and justified yet we remain imperfect sinners now.

So, I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. – Romans 7:21-23

The enemy uses this internal spiritual war to spread propaganda lies seeking to plant seeds of doubt about our eternal salvation. He wants to trip us up, cause us to give up and return to a life of willful sin.

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul,“There is no salvation for him in God.” But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. – Psalm 3:1-3

Take heart my Christian brothers and sisters and in the Name of Jesus tell the lying enemy to leave because the Truth of the Living Word of God says that Jesus will not lose you.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day. – John 6:37-39

Furthermore, our Father guarantees our inheritance of glorified eternal life with Him by giving us His Holy Spirit to guide us and sanctify us in this life on earth.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. – Ephesians 1:13-14

We may feel imperfect now, but through faith and trust in Jesus we know that we are made perfect in Him.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:12-14

God has a perfect plan for your perfection. He has provided all you need from the grace and faith to believe in Jesus for salvation and justification through the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit’s perfecting process until He calls us home to be with Him, glorified in Christ.

None of this saving and perfecting process is by our own works. It is all by the grace of God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

Trust in God. Trust in His plan and process. Know that you are already perfect in His eyes and do not let the enemy plant seeds of doubt. Let the Holy Spirit guide and correct your way as you walk with Jesus daily.

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:48

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Sword of the Spirit – Teach Me Your Paths #1181

Posted on February 6, 2022 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1181

“Teach Me Your Paths”

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. – Psalm 25:4

Consider for a moment the enormity of all the decisions you have made in your lifetime. Some were good, others resulted in failure. Some were made in haste with worldly thinking and others were entered into through an unceasing prayer atmosphere.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As we grow in maturity in our Christian walk, we should be increasingly attuned and obedient to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – John 14:26 – Psalm 119:105

God speaks to us – teaches us – in various ways, even in our sleep.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. – Psalm 16:7; 32:8

Do you have a teachable spirit? Oftentimes we have a preconceived idea as to which path we want to take and how we will get there. We ask the Lord for direction while what we are really doing is asking Him to put His stamp of approval on our worldly plans. When the Lord directs us in a different direction, we are in danger of rejecting His teaching and going our own way.

Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction.- Luke 6:46 – Isaiah 55:8 – Jeremiah 32:33

What crossroad are you currently facing? What major life decision is before you? Do not act in haste but take the decision before the Lord in an atmosphere of prayer.

  1. Pray continually. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the ministry aspects of the decision vs. its worldly attraction.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way – Proverbs 14:8 – James 1:5

Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. – Psalm 25:12

  • Pray for a teachable, trusting, and obedient spirit.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

  • Seek biblically based counsel. The Lord sometimes speaks to us through the Body of Christ.

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. – Proverbs 19:20; 15:22

  • With spiritual discernment weigh all the counsel with Scripture and what you hear God speaking to your heart and commit your decision and path to the Lord. Give it to Him for His glory.

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. – Proverbs 16:3

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. – Isaiah 48:17

May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)

May the Holy Spirit teach you and guide you in all your life decisions as you walk with Him along the perfect path and plan He has for you.

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