The Battlefield First Takes Place In Your Mind

                                                 When The Door Slams

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.   (Colossians 3:1-7 NKJV)  

            We have seen that there is a conflict taking place in the spirit realm-and that we are profoundly affected by that conflict.  An obedient Christian recognize a tug and pull between right and wrong, sometimes pictured by the red cartoon fellow with horns sitting on one shoulder and a halo-topped angel in white garb sitting on the other. This tragically trivializes double-minded the real source of evil and the extent of Satan's deceptions. After all, if it has all been done for us, as many claim, and we need to do nothing more than offer the "sinner's prayer," where is the struggle? Is there a battle to be fought or not?       

            The Apostle Paul recognized that we are in a life-and-death struggle, that there is a spiritual war we must fight. He explained to the evangelist Timothy that this battle would require genuine hardship and sacrifice. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:3-4).This does not settle with "there is nothing to do because Christ has done it all for you.

            The Lord God through His faithful servant Paul, reveals that in your battle against an unseen, crafty enemy, you need armor--not physical, but spiritual armor. Paul was often a prisoner in chains (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1; 6:20). But he clearly borrows from Isaiah 59:17. It is in this context that he writes, "finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:10-11).  

            The Devil is ruthless and goes around "like a roaring lion, seeking whom he my devour" (1 Peter 5:8). For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). We also read that "though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

            What are those strongholds that must be pulled? What must you fight against? You are to be "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (v.5). Clearly, according to Paul, it has not all been done for you. You must bring your innermost thoughts into captive obedience to Christ (v.6).

            Think about this: But James adds that if you resist the devil, he will retreat: "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:7-8). Both Peter and James give this advice in context of humbling yourself rather than being puffed up with pride--the root of Lucifer's downfall. Pride brings destruction to many. This is why Paul instructed Timothy not to ordain "a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fail into the same condemnation as the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6).

            Confession: When I sin against the LORD, I may be sure that my sin will find me out. (Numbers 32:23   

            Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

                                                        Never Rest Ministries         

                                                                                                            Warfare (3)

               

Satan, Who Deceives The Whole World

                                                 When The Door Slams

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.                                                             (Revelation 12:7-9 NKJV)

            It is our nature to believe that we are right, especially when it comes to religion. Yet, sheer logic tells us that all religions cannot be correct, unless we believe that God bows to us and lets us decide for ourselves how to worship Him. Consider the vast array of religious beliefs in our world, Including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Satanism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The last of these--the one claiming Christ's own name--is divided into Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestantism, along with other smaller sects. Ignoring the other divisions we find in Protestantism alone a tremendous number of different strains: Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Evangelical, Pentecostal, and other charismatic varieties, just to name a few. 

            The list of different ideas about how to worship God is almost endless! Some use icons or images in their worship, while others see this as a violation of the Second Commandment--or the First Commandment, since different denominations number them differently. Most observe the day the Roman emperor Constantine set aside as the day of worship, Sunday. Others observe the seventh-day Sabbath on Saturday. And many claim that all that salvation requires is a "decision"--a raised hand during an emotional altar call--while others notice a conflict between that idea and Jesus' own cautions about a "narrow" and "difficult" way (Matthew 7:13-14), involving instruction and discipline.  

            These differences only scratch the surface. "Christianity" in all its strains is currently the largest category of religion on earth. But how can it be in line with God if Satan has deceived the whole world? And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many (Matthew 24:3-5). 

            As we see, that is exactly what Satan has done. As we read in the book Revelation (12:9). Consider the magnitude of that claim: "who deceives the whole world." That widespread deception represents Satan's greatest advantage in his ongoing efforts to destroy mankind, you and me. Imagine--Satan has his ministers, and they do not come advertising that they are ministers of Satan. No, they appear as ministers of righteousness. Is this not deception and spiritual warfare of the highest level? 

            Think about this: A deceived person does not know that he or she is deceived. Could that be you? If Satan has deceived the whole world, as we read in Revelation 12:9, the vast majority of those we think of as "Christian" must be part of that deception. You cannot "come just as you are"--not according to Christ. His command is to repent, to change from what you are (Mark 1:14-15.

            Adoration: You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, The heaven of heavens, and all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You gave life to all that is in them, And the host of heaven worships You. (Nehemiah 9:6)   

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.     

                                                  Never Rest Ministries  

                

    

It Did Not Take Long For Spiritual Warfare To Show Up

                                                 When The Door Slams  

            He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence  (Colossians 1:15-18 NKJV). 

            Throughout the pages of the Bible, from beginning to end. Our introduction to Satan, the Adversary, or the Devil--is found in the book of Genesis. We read there that from the dust of the ground God created the first man, Adam, and afterward created Eve to be Adam's helper and wife. It did not take long for spiritual warfare to begin--and they lost their first battle. For now, suffice it to say that this was a battle over Whom to obey. 

            It is easy to dismiss the Genesis account as too fantastic to believe, as no more than a metaphorical story for children. After all, who among us has ever encountered a talking snake? Remember, however, neither Adam nor Eve had been around very long at that time. How would they know that a snake could talk? Of course, it was not the snake, but a powerful spirit speaking through the creature. 

            But where did that spirit come from? Who was this being who claimed God had lied to Adam? We must go back to the beginning for the answer. The beginning of history, according to the Bible, is not found in Genesis, but found in the opening verses of the gospel of John. There we find two Beings who are described as God. "In the beginning was the Word [Spokesman], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1-2). Later, John writes that " And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (v. 14). 

            Some people find this straightforward passage confusing due to pagan traditions handed down to them about the God of the Bible. But if we simply read it for what it says, and not through the lens of corrupt traditions, John's meaning becomes undeniably clear. There was God, who later became known as the Father; and there was the Word or Spokesman--also God--who later became known as the Son, Jesus Christ. 

            John 1:3 reveals another truth that many churchgoers are unaware of, though it lays out that truth in easy-to-understand terms: "All things were made through Him [the Word-Christ], and without Him nothing was made that was made." but what is contain in all things? The Apostle Paul explained this in detail to the early Church (Colossians 1:15-18 NKJV).       

            Think about this: Why do so few understand that the One we know as the God of the Old Testament, with whom the patriarchs spoke and interacted, is none other than the Word-the One who became Jesus Christ? Lest there be any doubt, Paul also explained: Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.   

                                                            Never Rest Ministries             (Part 1 of warfare)                          

Five Steps To Forgiveness

                                             When The Door Slams

"This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father" in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.              Matthew 6:9-15 NIV

            If you want to experience the happiness, relief, and well-being that come from the practice of forgiveness, remember these five steps: 

1.        Resist the temptation to be judgmental. Remember, only God knows all the circumstances. Leave the judging to Him.

2.        Learn to be compassionate. The best method is to use your imagination, put yourself in the other person's shoes, ask yourself whether the fault is entirely the other person's or whether there is some blame on your part that needs to be honestly faced. 

3.        Image the whole problem in terms of reconciliation. Visualize the broken relationship healed. See yourself free of the poisons of resentment and anger. Let your imagination suggest hopeful things you will accomplish with the increased energy that will come to you. 

4.        Pray for the person who has offended you. If this is difficult (and it will be), pray for God's grace to come into your heart to give you the strength to do it. Remind yourself that the act of forgiveness will benefit you more than the other person.

5.        End your prayer with the Lord's prayer. Give special thought and emphasis to the part that asks God to forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. 

            Think about this: Do these five things and you will be amazed at the healing power of forgiveness. If you let, it can change your life.

Related Bible Texts: Matthew 5:44; 6:9-15; Luke 6:28,27; Colossians 3:12-15.

            Affirmation: Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken (Psalm 61:1-2 NIV).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                Never Rest Ministries

                                       

Doubleminded Religious People Struggle To Break Cycles Of Self-Destructive Behavior

                                                 When The Door Slams 

So now it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing, for the will to do what is right is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good I desire to do, I do not do, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who does it, but sin that lives in me.                                        (Romans 7:17-20 MEV)

            Sometimes the changes we seek are more serious. Double Minded people struggle to break cycles of self-destructive behavior. Apostle Paul goes on to mention a host of evil spirits that come in once the mind becomes reprobate: sexual abuse, adultery, lies, binge eating, substance abuse, deceit, evil-minded, haters of God, disobedient, untrustworthy, backbiters, proud and being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality. Reprobate spirits and spirits of homosexuality and lesbianism, these are perversions and are under the judgment of God.

            Others see their marriage falling apart and long to change and grow to become the spouse they long to be, yet fall repeatedly into the same old pattern of angry conflict or withdrawal, accelerating their slide into bitterness. We wrestle to rise above our basest urges, sometimes finding success, but often falling back into old habits-too often descending even further than before. Even the Apostle Paul wrote, "I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice" (Romans 7:18-19).

            However, Paul understood in his struggles what so many today do not. He was engaged in spiritual warfare. Most religious people around us are double minded and has no idea of this reality. Religious people continue striving and struggling against power and temptations in complete ignorance of the spiritual magnitude of the battle they are waging. The self-help industry makes billions of dollars selling tricks and techniques--some helpful, some not so much--without acknowledging the spiritual aspect of the conflict we face. 

            But if we seek real change and real growth, we must embrace the truth that we are not simply fighting against bad habits and destructive patterns. We are engaging in spiritual warfare against a real enemy who seeks our destruction-not just in this life, but for eternity.

            Obedient to the LORD GOD will reveal the hidden spiritual world that few acknowledge--and fewer understand. Understanding the nature of the enemy and how he came to be is crucial if we are to comprehend the environment in which our battle take place. Once we recognize the enemy, we shift our focus to the fundamental actions we must take to achieve real victory. They are not the dramatic actions that many televangelists would sell you, but they are the true weapons of spiritual warfare that every obedient Christian needs. God, who will ultimately bring the victory--and how each of us can be a part of that victorious outcome.

            Think about this: Paul knew that he was involved in a war. He was not simply seeking a better life or healthier--his life had a God-ordained purpose, and he wrote about those unseen enemies fighting against any changes he sought to make.

            Affirmation: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12 NKJV).  

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                    Never Rest Ministries     
            

               

             

           

                               

You Praise The LORD But Serve The Devil

                                                 When The Door Slams

And when your children ask you, What does this ceremony mean to you? then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians. Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the lives stock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.                                                                                                      (Exodus 12:26-30 NIV) 

            The first Passover (in Exodus 12) is the story of two peoples and one choice. After more than four hundred years in Egypt, the children of Israel were clearly influenced by its culture and religions. Getting Israel out of Egypt took a few days, but getting Egypt out of Israel took forty years. 

            It was a seminal moment. There was a clear choice. Israel would obey or not. Her firstborn would live or die. They would find freedom or stay in slavery. They would go to the promised Land or choose Goshen. They chose wisely!

            We all face such moments. We must decide to go on to greater heights in God or stay where we are. In the moment, life, death, our future, and the fate of those we love all hang in the balance. Sadly, not everyone chooses wisely, they are double-minded. 

            The key to the story is simple. It was obedience. the way out of Egypt wasn't really the road to the Red Sea. It lay in obeying God. We do what God commands, or we don't. We leave the old life behind, or we don't. We cross the threshold of faith, or we don't. We live God's way, or we live the world's way. 

            They could not have crossed the Red Sea without first crossing the barrier of obedience. We will never see or experience the great things God has for us without this one simple act, doing what the Lord commands.

            Think about this: Start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6) is as true today as when Solomon wrote it several thousand years ago. Running one's eye down the columns of any concordance on the words obey, obedience, and obedient give some idea of the importance of these words in God's sight. "It is better to obey than to sacrifice. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat of sheep," Samuel told Saul. In order to properly hearken, which is the beginning of learning, one must be obedient.

            Affirmation: Who is wise? Let them realize these things. who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right, the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them. (Hosea 14:9 NIV)               

            Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries 

         

                                              

No Man Or Woman Can Be The Disciple Of Christ And Desire Fame

                                                When The Door Slams

Then the LORD said to me, "Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vison is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.* Wealth is treacherous, and arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied, In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples.                                                                                   (Habakkuk 2:2-5 NLT)

            For the scope of power lives from man to man, And not from man, O Lord, to thee. The man, then, who does right, and seeks no praise from men, while he merits nothing, shall be rewarded by his Father, and his reward will be right precious to him. 

            No man or woman can not be the disciple of Christ and desire fame. To desire fame is disgraceful; it is a slang devil greed. In the noble mind, it is the more of an infirmity. There is no aspiration in it--nothing but ambition. It is simply selfishness that would be proud if it could. Fame is the applause of many, and the judgment of the many is foolish; the greater the fame, the more is the foolishness that swells it, and the worse is the fools that thirst after it.

            Think about this: Aspiration is the sole escape from ambition. He who aspires--that is, his endeavor to rise above himself--neither lusts to be higher than his neighbor, nor seeks to put in his opinion. What light there is in him shines the more that he does nothing to be seen by men. He stands in the mist between the gulf and the glory of the LORD and looks upward. He loves not his own soul, but longs to be clean. 

            Confession: I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. (Jeremiah 33:8 NLT) 

 Ask  the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries  

When Something Is Reprobate, It Has Been Judged By God As Worthless

                                                 When The Door Slams

Who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them                                                                                                                             (Romans 1:32 NKJV)

                 

            What sins does Paul mention that are deserving of death? The answer is idolatry, homosexuality, and lesbianism. Now, I am not stating that every person involved in these sins should be put to death. Thank God for His mercy. There is salvation offered to all. Jesus died and shed His blood for sin. Those who repent and accept His sacrifice will receive, deliverance and forgiveness of sin.                                                                                                                                              However, the judgment of God will come to those who, through a hard unashamed heart, will not repent (Romans 2:5). Regardless of what the secular world or media try to tell us concerning idolatry, homosexuality and lesbianism, these are perversions and are under the judgment of God, because He knows your heart.                                              

            The JB Phillips calls them "disgraceful passions." Webster's definition of abomination is "extreme disgust and hatred, loathing." ....men with men working abomination. Loathe means "to dislike greatly and often with disgust or intolerance, to detest." 

            And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. (Romans 1:28 NKJV)  

            Reprobate spirits also operate with idolatry, homosexuality, lesbianism and perversion. The dictionary definition of reprobate is "rejected as worthless, morally abandoned, depraved." You will recall that the definition of Belial is "worthlessness." When something is reprobate, it has been judged by God as worthless and, therefore, rejected. The Revised Standard version says, "God gave them up to a base mind." The word base means "to be of little value." Synonyms include low and vile, meaning, "deserving contempt because of the absence of higher values. The Reprobate spirits and spirits of idolatry, homosexuality and lesbianism cursing men and women to commit vile acts, thus bringing the judgment of God. 

            Think about this: The apostle Paul goes on to mention a host of evil spirits that come in once the mind becomes reprobate: 

            Affirmation: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV)

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                            Never Rest Ministries 

                                                                         

            

A Doubleminded Man Or Woman Is Unstable, Deceitful In All They Do

                                                 When The Door Slams

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is doubleminded and unstable in all they do.                              (James 1:5-8 NIV) 

            My life, like yours, is full of a thousand demands. Sometimes I feel yanked this way and that way, spiritual off-balance. When I become unbalanced and wonder how it happened, the Bible offers this explanation: "Such a person is doubleminded and unstable in all they do." 

            Some women say yes to the Lord and no to the world. Others say yes to the world, but no to the Lord. The doubleminded woman says yes to everything! Consequently, she's continually off-balance, like a drunken high-wire artist, lurching dangerously along the wire, leaning first to this side, then to that. She's a cataclysmic fall just waiting to happen. 

            False prophets works with the spirit of doubleminded to seduce the servants of the Lord into fornication and idolatry. This dark spirit can manifest through false teachings and deception, these spirits has no shame or guilt works well with manipulation and intimidation. Again, the intent is to draw people away from the truth and cause them to go into error, causing demonic bondage and curses that bringing upon themself the judgment of God. 

          Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works (Revelation 2:22-23 NKJV). 

            This is the judgment of the Lord upon those who allowed themselves to be seduced by  doubleminded spirits. Fornication and adultery will always be judged by the Lord. We understand that marriage is under attack in America like never before. Divorce is no longer considered unacceptable--it is almost expected in the church. Deceitful is an evil, demonic spirit with no shame, no guilt and no repentance that draws people into whoredom and adultery. This will bring the judgment of God upon you.

            It is interesting to note that the only reference to Belial in the New Testament is found in 2 Corinthians 6:15: And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? Paul was dealing with the rampant carnality in the church of Corinth. The evil Belial works with the deceiving spirit of Jezebel to draw people into abominable sins, including sodomy, homosexuality, incest, rape and perversion of all kinds. 

            Think about this: The greatest threat to Jezebel's spirit has always been true servants of God. Those who preach the truth and maintain a standard of holiness are obstacles to the work of Jezebel. This spirit therefore attacks these men and women of God in order to move them out of the way, which will bring the judgment of God on them.

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him For His Forgiveness.

                                                Never Rest Ministries                            

We Are In Constant Danger Of Having The Temptation To Exchange Something Very Precious

                                                 When The Door Slams

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.                             (1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT)

            Oh, stupid Esau sells his birthright! "What good is my birthright to me now?"            (Genesis 25:29-34). The Point: We gain nothing by choosing the immediate over the significant. But what about me? What about you? What about us? "What is my mess of marital life?" How often do we ask this question of ourselves? It is important to verbalize the question. 

            We are in constant danger of having the temptation to exchange something very precious, a priceless reality-for indulging our sudden violent desires. The violent desire may be involved with greed for eating and drinking, passion for money or material things, letting loose our anger in action and abandoning reason, power giving in to depression without check, cursing God in despair or disappointment without even thinking of the trap which Satan set for Job and is setting for us, yielding to a sweeping sexual desire without waiting for the right framework. 

            The "mess of material things" that is dangerous to you and me in any temptation to give in to violent speech or action or choice of direction, based on the fulfillment of the "feel of power" the immediate moment which will demonstrate power to anyone watching...that we despise the promises of the Living God for our future.

            Time after time we have the opportunity for demonstrating the reality of our belief in the truth of truth, of our trust in God's promises. Time after time we can demonstrate by our responses and our choices that we really believe that no suffering for the present can be compared with the glories that are ahead of us in the plan of God.

            Think about this: God may allow His servant to succeed when He disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and is cast down by failure is still a carnal man. At best his fruit will have a worm in it.

            Affirmation: God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death (James 1:12-15).  

            Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                        Never Rest Ministries 

                         

Resurrection Is The Story Of Man, From Its Beginning To It Present

                                                 When The Door Slams

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died. It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God's peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. (Galatians 6:14-16 NLT)    

            Jesus laid both his teachings and himself on the cross. and answered the issue of "why?" History is nailed together! Literally it is! The story of man, from its beginning to its present, is so varied and disconnected that it had to be nailed together to give it continuity. Ever since the nail was driven, the human story reads more smoothly. Since then, there is a vital interrelatedness between its widely separated parts. Since then, we who choose to bear his cross know why we are on the planet. We have stared into the face of the Medusa and won. There is no "why" question for us. No wonder our lives are God's great Gloria! No wonder the apostle tells us, "Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). The cross answers emptiness with  peace in mind--harmony.

            Is it time to raise the cross in the middle of our lives? We must be careful before we answer. His cross will not coexist with our present way of life. We may not raise the cross yet ignore it in all our petty social involvements. Once we salute it momentarily we must serve it hourly for the rest of our lives. The cross is the supreme example of righteousness and can never belong to the person who will not show it supreme respect. 

            God has placed the cross in history. People have found contingency in that cross. Just as history's finest hour was the hour of Calvary, so our greatest moment will be that small quantum of time when we say with Paul, "The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). 

            Think about this: The crucifixion invites us to complete the cycle of human failure and   redemption. Each of us is created by God. Then, without exception, each of us moves away from the righteousness in which we were created. Then comes his invitation, issued by his cross, to return by way of Christ's sacrifice to fellowship with our Father and savor everlasting life.

            Affirmation: You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). 

            Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                       Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.  

                                                            Never Rest Ministries                   

Ignorant And Foolish People Are Watching Every Move You Make

                                                 When The Door Slam

If you explain these things to the brothers and sister, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives tales. Instead, Train yourself to be godly.             (1 Timothy 4:6-7 NLT)   

            It is important that you live your Christian faith sincerely, not just put on a show when you think people are watching. However, like it or not, people are watching you all the time and constantly judging whether you are living what you preach. This includes fellow believers and your own children. That's why Paul said, "Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity" (1Timothy 4:12). 

            Unbelievers are watching too-both the curious who are attracted to the Gospel and the antagonistic who are looking for an excuse to criticize the faith. Peter refers to them, saying, "It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you" (1 Peter 2:15). 

            Think about this: People are constantly watching true Christians. It can't be avoided. In fact, it's God's plan-one of His chief ways of letting the world see what the Gospel can do for a true believer. Jesus said that believers were the light of the world, a city set on a hilltop (raised up like a stage), where everyone could see them and think about them. 

            And people are especially watching you when you go through hardship, whether they are misfortunes, or illnesses, or persecution. Paul said, "God has displayed us...for we have been made a spectacle to the world" (1 Corinthians 4:9 NKJV). How you act when you are suffering communicates more effectively than a testimony.

            Affirmation: But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "Who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But have the mind of Christ.                                                             (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NKJV).     

           Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.         Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.   

                                                    Never Rest 

Ministries               

Out Of The Darkness, A Bright Light Shone

                                                 When The Door Slams

Why is life given to a man whose past is hidden, whom God has hedged in? I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water. For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I cannot relax or be still; I have no rest, for trouble comes.                                                     (Job 3:23-26 HCSB)  

            No one is exempt from tragedy or disappointment--God himself was not exempt. Jesus offered no immunity, no way out of the unfairness, but rather a way through it to the other side. Just as Good Friday demolished the instinctive belief that life is supposed to be fair, Resurrection Sunday followed with its startling clue to the riddle of the universe. Out of the darkness, a bright light shone. 

            The primal desire for fairness dies hard, and it should. Who among us does not sometimes yearn for more justice in this world here and now? Secretly, I yearn for a world "fault proof" against disappointment, a world where my Blogs page will always find acceptance and my body does not grow old and weak.....But if I stake my faith on such a fault-proof earth, my faith will let me down. Even the greatest of miracles do not resolve the problems of this earth: all people who find physical healing eventually die. 

            Think about this: We need more than miracles. We need a new heaven and a new earth, and until we have those, unfairness will not disappear.....The Cross of Christ may have overcome evil, but it did not overcome unfairness. For that, Resurrection is required. Someday, God will restore all physical healings to its proper place under His reign. Until then, it is a good thing to remember that we live out our day on Resurrection Saturday.                                     (Read: Mark 15:27-47; 16:1-20)

           Confession: When it was noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:33-34).                          

            Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                        Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                   Never Rest Minister

It Takes Great Faith To Believe That God Is With You

                                                 When The Door Slams

Because of my adversaries, show me Your way, LORD, and lead me on a level path. Do not give me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence. I am certain that I will see the LORD's goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait for the LORD.              (Psalm 27:11-14 HCSB)  

            There will be points in your life when you are utterly incapable of affecting the outcome of a situation you find yourself in. At times like this, you have no choice but to wait for the Lord and trust Him to act. Often, it then takes great faith to believe that God is with you, because He might seem very distant or He has turned away from you. This is why Isaiah said, "I will wait on the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him" (Isaiah 8:17 NKJV). 

            If you have sinned and disobeyed the Lord, chances are good that He actually has turned His face from you and is not listening to your prayers (Isaiah 59:1-2). But if you have sincerely repented, then there are no longer any issues between you, and you simply have to believe that God loves you and will act on your behalf.

            Think about this: This takes faith. You might go through a time of testing just like Job, who was convinced for several months that God was against him. During such lonely sojourns, you must trust God's Word, not your feelings, and believe that "the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him" (Psalm 103:17 KJV). 

            This can be a difficult time, and what will sustain you is the knowledge that God is good and He will eventually come through for you and resolve the situation.

            Confession: I had heard rumors about You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I take back my words and repent in dust and ashes (Job 42:5-6 HCSB).  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                    Never Rest Ministries              

Wherever The Light Is, The darkness Tries To Put It Out

                                                 When The Door Slams

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man' I put aside childish things. For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.                                                                                                                      (1 Corinthian 13:11-13 HCSB)

            What accounts for all the anger and horror in the world around us? Where are the angels? Can they come if we refuse to believe in them? What accounts for the darkness in human hearts as the world becomes more and more secular? Why are people turning to drugs for comfort rather than to the Light of Love? I don't know the answers to these questions. But I do know that wherever the light is, the darkness tries to snuff it out. 

            Perhaps all the terrible things that are happening are, indeed, a sign that the Spirit of Love is MIA, that more and more of us are turning to this ferocious power who pushes us into doing what we don't think we can do, who gives us courage we never dreamed we had. I take the devil and his crafty plans seriously indeed. One thing which we can count on the devil to do is to take the original good which God created, and try to make something ugly out of it. Sometimes he succeeds--though that does not make the original good any less good. There are people today who play with the powers of love, who take them trivially, who seek easy answers. 

            Think about this: There are no easy answers, but I think we need to be aware that if we deny the world beyond the world of technology and provable fact, we do to our own pitfall. "The miracles of Jesus were the ordinary works of His Father, wrought small and swift that we might take them in." 

            Affirmation: Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered                                           (Romans 8:35-36). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness     

                                                    Never Rest Ministries