defense – Praying Pint

Cast out fear, God is Greater

“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.”

‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”

John 7:13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

John 12:42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

Galatians 2:12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

2 Timothy 2:9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

Fear is something common to all man. Deep down or on the surface it is there. Fear takes root in the place where there is unknown outcomes. In our heart and mind we formulate what the possible future outcomes could be based on connecting the dots from past experiences or things we have heard or seen. From an early age we learn either to respect or fear natural affects of fire, gravity, snakes, bees, wild animals, water currents, speed, etc…. Some of these we have experienced and others we have heard of their affects on others. Sometimes we apply this same thought process to serving God and have fear based on only what is in our mind. When it comes to serving God, fear should be blanketed in trust and faith in Him. Trusting God is in control, He is more powerful than whatever I’m facing, He has promised to be our refuge, strength, and power. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He can do more than we ask and much more than be can imagine. Replace fear with Trust and Faith in Him alone who can overcome whatever is or is thought to be before us.

Bear you up

“ Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.”

“ For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;”

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalms 71:1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Isaiah 33:16 he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

Psalms 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

I read a review of this Psalm and share it with you. Let us ask for help, that we may disappoint the calculations of those who hate us, whether men or demons. It is a piteous spectacle when apparently prosperous careers” are overclouded, and age is overwhelmed in catastrophes which there is no time to overcome. But such is not God’s way with His loyal servants. His rivers do not end in swamps and marshes, but broaden and deepen till they kiss the mighty ocean. It is good for us to keep God our rock, refuge, power and might in both good times and times of trials allowing His perfect will, purpose and plan for our lives.

What is a Pure heart

” Who can say, I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?”

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Psalms 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Psalms 18:20 The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

Job 17:9 Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.

Isaiah 1:15-16 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,

Isaiah 33:15-16 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

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

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

Jeremiah 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil, that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Revelation 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Deuteronomy 4:19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

Acts 14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

1 Timothy 1:6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

How do we know what is “detestable and false”? How do we know if we are “double-minded”? What are we to consider “vain discussion”? How do we know what causes “defilement of body and spirit”? What does it mean to have a “pure heart”? How are we to “cleanse ourselves”? Whose names are “written in the Lambs book of life”? What does it mean to “draw near to God”? We can always ask these questions to others looking for answers and more than likely we will get as many different responses as the people we ask. The key to answering these questions is found in the source you are looking. How many times do we close our ears to what God is speaking to our heart – diluting away these convictions by listening to what our culture has deemed “OK”. We try to find answers that allows us set aside God’s leading. Answers that are sought Apart from God’s word will lead us away not closer to God. Many times God while reading or hear God’s word our heart will be convicted. We then can choose to listen with our heart and mind – drawing near to God because our heart’s desire is to humble serve, honor and obey Him. I wonder how many times rather than confess what God has been convicting us of, we choose to do something else good that will offset it. We create this ledger book in our mind of “Good and Bad”. This type of thinking allows us to stop thinking about it and falsely thinking our heart is pure or that we are cleansed. Is this why so many people do not continually read God’s word? How can we answer the questions above apart from His word – we can’t.