Month: October 2021

29.d. “A secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory”

 

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

 1 Corinthians 2:7    But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

 Ephesians 3:3-10   how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.  When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,  which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.  This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

 Jeremiah 6:10    To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.

 Jeremiah 3:15   “‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

 1 Corinthians 2:6    Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.

In the Biblical sense, a mystery is not a riddle. It is a truth that can only be known by revelation and not by intuition. Now it can be known because it now has been revealed to His saints. There are aspects to God’s plan that were not clearly revealed until Jesus Christ. The mystery of salvation for all who would believe and trust in and rely on Jesus Christ. The mystery of God’s grace, mercy, and love reaching out to all mankind.  The mystery of the new birth and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The mystery of hope, joy, peace, courage, love, gentleness, kindness, patience, in all things at all times through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts ought to overflow with thankfulness and our lives are lived in such a way that in all things Jesus Christ is honored and glorified.

29.c. “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

 

1 Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

 Ephesians 2:1-2   And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience

 James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 Romans 8:7-8    For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

 Romans 5:9-10   Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Belonging to the race of Adam, we are born alienated from God. Then as individuals, we each choose to accept and embrace that alienation with our wicked works. God’s answer to the problem of alienation is reconciliation, initiated by His work on the cross (reconciled in the body of His flesh through death). In the work of reconciliation, God didn’t meet us halfway. God meets us all the way and invites us to accept it. This means that in Jesus we are no longer alienated. The difference between a believer and a non-believer isn’t merely forgiveness; there is a complete change of status. The desire to be saved means a desire to be made holy, blameless, and above reproach, not merely a desire to escape the fires of hell on our own terms. There ought to be a transformative change in us. Something that is  continually cultivated, nurtured, and persevered in. There ought to be a continual working, a persistence, in our desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all that we say, think, and do. Be steadfast and do not allow any worldly or fleshly desires move your feet down paths where Jesus Christ is not honored or glorified.  This transformative life never stops being transformed.  We continual to grow in our understanding and knowledge of the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ if that is truly the desire of our heart, mind, and soul.

29.b. “When Satan Comes Knocking”

 

From Pathway to Victory, Dr. Jeffress

If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
–John 8:31-32

Your mind is the devil’s playground–or perhaps more accurately, your mind is the spiritual battleground on which the invisible war for your soul is being waged. The choices you make every day, choices that shape your life and your destiny, all begin with a thought. So it is no surprise that when Paul discussed how we can win the spirit wars that every one of us is engaged in, he began by talking about how we can control our thoughts. In Ephesians 6:13-14, the apostle wrote, “Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth.” The New International Version translates that last phrase as “the belt of truth.”

In our culture, belts are secondary accessories. But for a Roman soldier, the belt was essential for tucking in his free-flowing tunic so that it would not trip him up during battle. That is the analogy Paul was using here. All of us have free-flowing thoughts that enter our minds–thoughts that, if we are not careful, can give the enemy an unfair advantage over us, or trip us up in our own walk with God. If we are going to be successful in defeating Satan’s plan to destroy us, we have to know what to do with the thoughts that come into our minds.

What kind of thoughts am I talking about? Last week we looked at four of Satan’s most lethal lies that he loves to implant in our consciousness. First there is the lie that we do not really have what we need to be happy in life. That lie promotes discontent. Second is the feeling that we have to take charge of our own lives if we want what is best. That leads to pride. Third, we talked about the lie that says, “I am all alone in this world.” That leads to fear. Finally, there is the lie that says, “I have been mistreated by God or by others.” That lie leads to bitterness.

Those may be four of Satan’s favorite lies, but there are a thousand other lies that Satan loves to use in his attacks on our minds. What are we to do when Satan’s lies come into our lives? We need to confront them with the belt of truth. This week I am going to share with you four practical ways that you can confront wrong thoughts with the belt of truth in your everyday life.

29.a. “And to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,”

 

Colossians 1:15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

 John 15:24   If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

 Hebrews 1:3    He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

 Psalms 102:25-27   Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,  but you are the same, and your years have no end.

 Isaiah 44:24   Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,

 Ephesians 3:9   and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,

How smart is mankind – So smart that they can explain away the need for a Creator and replace the Creator with a big bang. The foolishness of the thought that nothing can magically form over billions of years still amazes me how really smart people believe this to be true.  Any depth of comprehension and thought would tell us this is not possible and that there must be a Creator, someone who created it.  God created all there is from planets, stars, universes, galaxies, to atoms, DNA, life, mankind, angels, light, water, time, seasons, gravity, microbiology, chemistry, and how it all works both physically and chemically.  He created everything, all of it, there is nothing in the whole universe that was not created. Nothing existed before it was created by the Creator.  It is this same Creator who reached out to fallen mankind to redeem and save them, giving them the hope of eternal life with Him.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the [f]only begotten Son of God.  This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”  

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”

“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.”

“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes”

Worship the Creator and honor and glorify Him in all that you think, say, and do.  Be in awe and wonder about such grace, mercy, and love, freely given by the Creator. To reject the offer of eternal life from the Creator will plant you in eternal hell forever.  Come to Him, yield and surrender to Him, obey Him, trust Him, and live for Him alone.

29. “Open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light”

 

Colossians 1:13  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 Acts 26:18   to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

 Hebrews 2:14   Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

 Psalms 119:18    Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

 Isaiah 53:11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

 Acts 10:43   To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

 Acts 13:38-39    Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,  and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

 Psalms 130:3-4   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

“The domain of darkness”.  In the darkness, we truly do not see what is happening, though we might hear it.  We don’t perceive what may happen, leading us to fear.  We may get confused, angry, and anxious. In the darkness, a starving person does not see the tree with fruit on it which would give them hope and life.  In fact, they may even think what is close by is evil and something to be feared, when in fact it is what will save their life. Darkness can make us feel vulnerable and alone. Darkness can lead you to believe something is there that is not and something is not there that is.  If others are in darkness with us we may be lead to think this is what life is meant to be like. We do not clearly see but we certainly can hear and may even join in with whatever it is the group is doing.  We may not even know what it is or why they are doing it, but because everyone is doing it we perceive it to be alright to do. However, we may know exactly what we are doing and may believe that what we are doing in darkness can’t be seen, giving us the courage to do in darkness which would never be done in the light. Adultery, pornography, child abuse, lying, stealing……. would not be done in the light.  It is done when it is perceived to be in darkness and not exposed where others could readily see it.  

Without the Light of Jesus Christ, we are in darkness. We will do things in darkness and think it is alright. We may be given to fear, confusion, and anger because things around us seem out of control, without purpose and meaning. Without Jesus Christ, we live in darkness.  We live void of light and our actions, whatever they are, we perceive to be right and worth doing. God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save us from the darkness, Sin.  He came to bring light to the darkness and redeem, forgive, and transform those from darkness to light. Light will expose what is done in darkness in both thought and action. God’s Word is light to our souls. It exposes darkness “sin”. God’s Word does not stop with just exposing sin, it explains God’s grace, mercy, and love. It gives us the light of hope when all around us is darkness. It reveals to us that God is in control. It reveals to us that we are never alone. It promises and gives us courage, hope, and peace. God’s Word tells us that many choose darkness over the light and are choosing Hell over Heaven.  They reject the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who died for their sin and offers redemption, salvation, forgiveness for what they have done in darkness, and eternal life. 

Do you think your life is free from darkness – ask God to expose your thoughts, words, and actions to the light of His Word.

28.z. “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small”

Colossians 1:11  being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 Isaiah 45:24   “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him.

 Ephesians 3:16    that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

 Philippians 4:13     I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

 2 Corinthians 4:7  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

 Proverbs 24:10     If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

 2 Corinthians 6:4-6   but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities  beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;  by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;

 Hebrews 12:1-2   Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 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,

His strength is there to help us meet all of life’s challenges and to endure and overcome problems with circumstances (patience) and people (long-suffering) with joy. We find it easy to be patient and long-suffering when everything in our lives is free from trials and troubles. In other words, we think we will be patient and long-suffering when they invade our lives. We think we will be strong, steadfast, face it with courage, and will honor and glorify Jesus Christ through it, and then, Bam!! life happens and just the opposite happens.  Our greatest failure is trying to or thinking that we are facing the trial or trouble alone and in our own strength. When we do, subconsciously we may know it is beyond our ability, but still, we plod on trying to overcome it in our self-reliant way. We may even consciously concede to the fact that is beyond our ability, but we still try to rely on ourselves.  Why is that?  Sometimes it is because of our spiritual growth or lack thereof, living in sin, not having a desire to surrender it into God’s hands, shallow faith in God’s power, thinking that we are not worthy of God’s help, or a host of other reasons.  It is hard to yield to God’s power, strength, purpose, and plans.  It is hard to wait on the Lord.  Should it be?  All throughout our lives, we must continually grow in faith, hope, trust, reliance, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom. Learning to do this takes continual practice, surrender, and yielding.  It is with an intentional choice and desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do that we find learning applicable.  God’s Word becomes more than food for our souls.  It satisfies, fills, empowers, and we learn to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. How do we begin to apply this in our lives?  Commit and Discipline yourselves to be in His Word and then practice surrender, yielding, seeking, and waiting on the Lord.  Will we fail at times? Yes. However with continual practice, we will become more and more steadfast and resolute in our daily lives, and when trials and troubles fall upon us our natural reaction will be to place it in God’s control, power, purpose, and plans.

28.y. “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.”

 

Colossians 1:9  And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light

 Psalms 119:99   I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.

 James 3:17    But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

 Psalms 143:10    Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

 Romans 12:2     Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 Ephesians 5:17    Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 1 Peter 4:2    so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Spiritual ignorance is the constant source of error, instability, and sorrow. (Spurgeon)  Our Christian walk is based on our knowledge of God and our understanding of His will.  How are we to “bear fruit in every good work”, if we do not have knowledge and understanding in what is honoring, pleasing, and glorifying Jesus Christ? Neglect and complacency fill us with Ignorance and ignorance of knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding voids our lives of purpose, meaning, joy, power, courage, happiness, generosity, hope, and satisfaction. We think the spiritual things of God are for Pastors to understand and know and try to educate us in God’s will and purpose. Don’t misunderstand me.  Pastors can and do dive deep into spiritual things of God as they are led, fed, and grow in this understanding given to them by God. The problem is with us.  We leave the diving deep into God’s Word to them and expect our lives to have growth, meaning, purpose and bear the fruit of good works by nibbling on the breads crumbs of their prayerful study. We leave church with a crumb worth of knowledge and even less understanding, Sunday after Sunday, convincing ourselves we are good and pleasing to God. There is a feast before us in God’s Word.  Why would we choose to eat left over crumbs and lead spiritually starved lives? We seem to think being in spiritual starvation is natural.  If we had two mirrors, one worldly and one spiritually, would we see an overweight obese worldly person in the worldly mirror and a malnutrition, underweight, and starved reflection in the spiritual mirror?

How we choose to spend out time reflects our spiritual growth, maturity, knowledge, and understanding. We get to choose to eat and drink from the bountiful spiritual feast found in God’s Word.  When we seek and desire to eat from it, grow from it, get fulfilled from it, and be satisfied from it, we will begin to grow in spiritual knowledge and understanding, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, bearing fruit in good works, and honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ. 

28.x. “For all the nations of the world seek after these things”

 

Philippians 4:19  And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

 2 Samuel 22:7   “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.

 Micah 7:7  But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

 Deuteronomy 8:3-4   And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

 Psalms 112:5-9   It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.  For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.  He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.  His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.  He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.

 Luke 12:30-33  For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

 1 Timothy 6:17   As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

What we want and what we need are two separate thoughts. What we want can turn us toward what we need, or it can keep us away from what we need. If we want (desire, hope for, set one’s heart on, long for, crave, cry out for) redemption, salvation, forgiveness, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge of God’s mercy, grace, and love in Jesus Christ, our want is in line with what we need.  It is in this ever-growing and continually growing want that our need is fulfilled. Our lives become a light in the darkness.  Our thoughts, words, and actions repeatedly honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

If however, we want (desire, hope for, set one’s heart on, long for, crave, cry out for) things of this world our wants will not give us what we need.  These wants will lead us down paths of loneliness, selfishness, self-reliance, self-worth, proud, greedy, fear, anger, coveting, anxiousness, and confusion. We end up chasing after and wanting satisfaction and find neither. 

I think we get confused on wants and needs. The world will try to tell us what we need and if we acquire what it offers we will find our needs fulfilled.  It is a lie. What this world has to offer will never fill the void in our hearts and minds that only God can fill. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if we would truly wanted to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do? 

28.w. “From Truth for Life” daily devotional, Dr. Jeremiah

 

Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.
2 Timothy 4:10

Some of the Bible’s greatest warnings can only be uncovered through careful study. In reading the letters of Paul, we find the name Demas three times. When Paul was first imprisoned in Rome under house arrest (Acts 28:30), he wrote to the Colossians, saying, “Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you” (Colossians 4:14). He also wrote this to Philemon: “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers” (Philemon 1:23-24).

But just a few years later, when Paul was facing his second Roman imprisonment under far worse circumstances, Demas was nowhere to be found. In his final letter, Paul wrote, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10). What happened to Demas? Where did he go? No one knows. He is never mentioned again.

This will become a sign of the Last Days—as more and more apparent Christians fall away. Let’s guard ourselves and our hearts closely. Keep courage, and stay close to the Lord. Be a disciple, not a Demas.

28.v. From Pathway to Victory daily devotion

 

This devotion from Dr. Jeffress binds together with the devotion from Friday, yesterday.

Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
–Psalm 100:3

The lie that was the foundation for the first sin–and every sin since then–is this: “You do not have what you need to be happy.” Once you fall for that lie, you are susceptible to the second lie found in Genesis 3: “You are in control of your destiny.” When we believe that God has given us what we need to be happy in life, we determine that we need to take control of our own lives if we are truly going to be fulfilled.

That is exactly the lie that Satan next used against Eve. Look verse 5: “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan was saying to Eve what he says to so many of us: “The reason you do not have this particular thing you think you need is because God does not want you to experience happiness in life. If you want to be truly fulfilled, you need to take matters into your own hands.” Eve forgot that every good thing in her life–her idyllic home in the garden, her hunk of a husband–was a result of God’s grace. Somehow she deluded herself into thinking she was responsible for those things, so she said, “The next logical step for me to get what I really need is to move out from under the will of God and to start running things on my own.”

You see that same spirit of independence in the world today. Have you ever been to a high school or college graduation where someone read the poem “Invictus”? The last couple of lines say, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” No. The Word of God says we are not the masters of our fate or the captains of our soul. Psalm 100:3 says, “Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Yes, it appears every day that we make choices that determine our life and our destiny, but even these choices we seemingly make every day fall within the boundaries of the sovereign will of God for us. God is our Creator; He determines our fate.