Author: E. DeWayne Swann

 Isaiah 6

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

Part 2

 

Isaiah 6:

5 So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”   NKJV

1. V. 5-7 WE NEED TO SENSE WHAT ISAIAH SENSED

 

Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

 

1. V. 5 He Sensed His Own Condition – When Isaiah saw the Lord, he instantly realized that there were problems within his own heart. That is what happens when you get close to Him! Moving closer to God and seeing Him as He is, reveals the wickedness and sin in our own lives.

 

(Note: Isaiah probably thought all was well in his life until he saw the Lord in His glory and holiness. When he did, he was made aware of his own shortcomings! Until we see God and are confronted with out own condition before Him, we will remain haughty and proud, but when we come face to face with Who He is and what we are, it will produce humility and confession!)

 

(Ill. Isaiah did not cry out “Woe is my neighbor!”. He cried out “Woe is me!”

 

Until we are able to see our own failures and our need for repentance before the Lord, we will never come clean. And, the sooner we come clean with the Lord about our own condition, the sooner we will see our downtime start to turn up!)

 

The third thing that Isaiah saw was:

3. ISAIAH SAW GOD’S CLEANSING POWER.

And I praise God for this! Oh, if all we ever see is the weakness of our sin – the depravity of our hearts – without discovering the cleansing power of God, WHAT MISERABLE PEOPLE WE WILL BE. But He DOES have power to cleanse!

When Isaiah confessed his sin, God was faithful and just to forgive his sin and cleanse him from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips;Your iniquity is taken away,And your sin purged.”

A live coal – a burning coal – a coal that speaks of purification and cleansing – was brought by that seraphim from off the altar of sacrifice and touched to his lips. That altar that the live coal was taken from was the Altar of Burnt Offerings – it was the altar where the blood was shed. It was the place where the priests would kill those animals to pay for the sins of the people, because without the shedding of blood there is no remission (no cleansing) from sin –

 

Heb 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. NKJV

 

– God has declared it.

So you have a coal that has been touched by two things: BLOOD and FIRE. The blood speaks of cleansing from sin (only blood can wash away our sin), and the fire speaks of refining, purifying power. The blood washes away sin, the fire brings the refining of positive holiness.

When God saves you, what does He do? He applies to your life the cleansing power of the eternal blood of His Son, Jesus – that washes away the sins of your old life – and then He sets you in the way of a whole new life which is being refined by the workings of the Spirit of Holiness; we begin to live a life of positive righteousness. HE CALLS US RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF HIS SON, AND THEN HE MAKES US RIGHTEOUS THROUGH THE WORKING OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT – the FIRE of the Holy Ghost.

This is the power that ONLY GOD has in a life. Government agencies, social workers, psychiatrists, modern education; they can all try what they will, they cannot change the heart of man with all their programs of reform – THEY’RE POWERLESS! But God can come in a moment of time, and revolutionize a person, and make them a new creation!

[ILLUSTRATION:] I understand that the success rate for rehabilitating hard-line drug addicts is pitifully low. An independent government study was undertaken in the U.S. and found that the success rate of de-tox centres in getting people off drugs permanently (tested after 7 years) was just 2 – 9%. The more intensive rehabilitation centres were not much better – just 9 – 11%. But this independent government study found that “TEEN CHALLENGE” (an organization that is thoroughly Christian – founded by David Wilkerson in New York – you may remember the story “The Cross and the Switchblade”) had a success rate documented as being 86%. When the government researchers were asked what was the difference, they replied (in their words) that the ONLY thing they could put Teen Challenge’s success down to was “THE JESUS FACTOR” (the government’s own words!). Teen Challenge are making a difference because this is not a program based upon the wisdom of men, but on the power of God to transform a life. they’re not preaching rehabilitation; they’re preaching RADICAL REGENERATION. And they’re not prescribing substitute drugs; they’re prescribing a relationship with the Saviour Jesus Christ!

Isaiah saw God’s cleansing power. The seraphim applied the blood-soaked, fire-purifying coal from off the altar and Isaiah experienced the sweet, clean feeling of forgiveness and peace. Hallelujah! Oh, there’s nothing like it in all the world!

 

 

Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips;Your iniquity is taken away,And your sin purged.”

1. V. 6-7 He Sensed His Own Cleansing – Thank God, the Lord does not just point out our sins, He also provides a means for our cleansing! With Isaiah, it was an angel with a live coal from the altar. With us, it is the precious blood of Jesus, 1 John 1:7-10!

 

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

If we ever see Him as He is and we see ourselves as we are, then we will come before Him in humility and confess our sins.

 

(Note: The closer you get to Him, the worse you look! But, when that realization comes, and we deal with it in repentance before the Lord, we will experience His cleansing and we will be able to stand in His presence and receive all He has for us! Talk about a downtime turning up!)

Isaiah saw the Lord, Isaiah saw himself, Isaiah saw God’s cleansing power; then, the fourth and final thing he saw was:

4. ISAIAH SAW THE WORLD.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

A knowledge of God will make us good in all our relationships. Isaiah got in with God and he heard God’s heartbeat for a lost and dying people. He heard God’s summons for a messenger to reach out to them. God said: Whom shall I send, who will go for us? And immediately Isaiah says, HERE I AM, SEND ME!

Would God call a sinful man to preach His message? A man of unclean lips?!

YES !!!!

There are no other kind of people available to God! Yes, God calls sinners to go for Him. He has not committed His glorious gospel to sinless angels, but to fallen men.

But God sends them ONLY after they’ve been cleansed of their sins by His grace. The message of God must be spoken through purged lips. The work of God must be poured from clean vessels. YOUR PAST WILL NOT EXCLUDE YOU FROM BEING USED BY GOD: BUT HOW YOU’RE LIVING TODAY MIGHT!

 

Isaiah 6

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

Part 1

Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet

 

6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”   NKJV

In 1952 the sad word went forth from London . . . “THE KING IS DEAD”. King George VI had died in his sleep at the age of 56. He was somewhat of a private man, in comparison with others who’ve held the throne, but he was greatly respected and admired. His reign had carried him through the rigors of World War 2, the election of a socialist government, and the dissolution of much of the British Empire. His tired heart gave way. All across Britain, people flocked to churches to worship, to pray, and to seek comfort and hope.

In 1963, another shocking word was sent out across the world: “The President is dead”. It was unbelievable. JOHN F. KENNEDY, young, vibrant and dynamic, was cut down by an assassin’s bullet – a nation was plunged into grief. People flocked into churches in the greatest numbers since the announcement of the end of World War 2. Ministers changed their sermon texts and preached messages of healing and hope to the people of America.

December 7 1941… September 11 2001

About 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, the sad announcement was made, “THE KING IS DEAD”. King Uzziah, the eleventh King of Judah, had died. Crowned at the age of 16, he had reigned 52 years. Despite his failings, he was the greatest king since David.

The heart of Isaiah, the prophet, was broken. Uzziah was not only his king, he was also his friend. In his heartbreak, Isaiah made his way to the Temple to worship and to seek comfort and renewed faith.

When sorrow comes, when life presses you in, the best place to be found is in the House of the Lord. (We ought to ALWAYS be found in the House of the Lord! But especially when we’re facing the difficult seasons of life – there is an answer in God, there is hope in Him, if we will quickly turn to Him.)

When Isaiah went up to the House of the Lord, he learned that the king was dead . . . BUT THAT GOD WAS NOT DEAD! He was still upon His throne. Isaiah had lost his earthly king, whom he loved, but he caught a fresh glimpse of the King of Kings. He met with God in an encounter that radically changed his life.

Would you note with me, that Isaiah saw four things that I want to draw to your attention:

1. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD. Look for the Lord in bad times, and the good.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

 

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

 

Intro: Verse 1 mentions the death of King Uzziah. He was the tenth king of Judah and he was a very godly man. He was highly influenced by the prophet Zechariah and, unlike many of the other kings, he never totally departed from the worship of the true God. Under his influence, the southern kingdom attained power, wealth and success unlike any it had enjoyed since the days of Solomon. Made heady by his success as king and by his blessings from the Lord, Uzziah made the mistake of offering incense in the Temple, 2 Chron. 26. He was stricken with leprosy by the Lord for his disobedience to the Lord. He died in that leprous condition! Disobedience to the Lord is a serious thing!

 

     Well, evidently, Isaiah is disturbed by the death of the great king. After all, he had reigned for 52 years. His death signaled the end of a time of great prosperity and consistency. For Isaiah and the entire nation, it ushered in a time of uncertainty, change and doubt. Yet, for Isaiah, this is to be a time of rediscovery.

 

Apparently, Isaiah had his attention focused on Uzziah, but now that Uzziah is dead, his attention is redirected back to the Lord. What must have been a down time in the prophet’s life became an uptime. That which had help his attention was removed and Isaiah had a fresh encounter with God. What happened to Isaiah in this event spotlights for us what we need during the down times in our own lives.

     We all have down times in life! Those down times can grow us, or they can ruin us, which depends upon what has our attention. Let’s look into these familiar verses and think for a while on the thought What We Need In The Down Times Of Life. Learning what to do when life turns down will help us to get back up in short order.

 

 1-4 WE NEED TO SEE WHAT ISAIAH SAW

1. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD.
   
   Here is the greatest vision that anyone can ever have. To see the Lord! Let’s read about it together.

 

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

 

17. V. 1 He Saw God’s Position – Isaiah saw God in His sovereignty. An earthly king may have died, but the Lord still reigned. He saw the Lord in all His glory. And, it had a profound impact on the life of Isaiah. (Ill. When life seems to fall apart at the seams, we need to remember the God Who is in control of it all! What appears to be a tragedy to us may be the greatest thing that could happen in our lives. Ill. Job! Ill. Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17.)

 

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

 

2 Cor 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

 

We need to remember just Who is in control!

 

Isaiah 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

 

31. V. 2-3 He Saw God’s Personality – The angelic beings in the temple proclaimed the thrice holy nature of the God of Heaven. Even those sinless creatures were careful to honor the holiness and purity of the Lord. Notice that they covered their faces with their wings. They also proclaimed the glory of the Lord! Isaiah finally understood that Uzziah might have been a good king, but the Lord was a holy God and He and He alone deserved the glory for all of life! (Ill. We need to remember that God’s prime characteristic is His holiness! Our duty before the Lord is to honor His holy nature by living holy lives before Him. We are to recognize His right to glory by giving Him all the glory for everything in our lives, 1 Cor. 10:31.)

 

 1 Cor 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. NKJV

 

Isaiah learned that this thing was not about Uzziah or Isaiah, but it is all about God! He, and He alone deserves to be in the place of honor and glory!

Be careful not to assume the place that belongs to Him alone!

During the downtimes of life, we need to remember Who is working all things out of His holiness and for the glory of His Name, James 1:17!

 

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.   NKJV

 

 

Isaiah 6:4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

 

1. V. 4 He Saw God’s Presence – We are told that the “house was filled with smoke”. This was a symbol of the presence of God. You will notice that God’s “train” filled the temple! That speaks of His robe. God was the central figure in the Temple! Isaiah was reminded, rather forcefully, that Uzziah might be gone, but the Lord was still there! He had not been forsaken even during this downtime, but the Lord was still with Him in great glory!

 

We need to remember this truth as well! If we are saved, we are never alone, but even during the downtimes of life, we still have the presence of the lord with us at all times, Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5.

 

Last verse in Matthew.

Matt 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

NKJV

 

Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

 

Isaiah saw something of God’s nature and character – he caught a glimpse “through the curtain”, as it were. He saw something of the Lord as Moses described Him in

 

Ex 15:11 “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?  NKJV

 

 

The vision was of God high and lifted up upon His throne. He saw God as the central object of all praise, surrounded by heavenly courtiers- angelic beings – the seraphim.

What a vision! Oh, that we would all have such times of encounter with God. BUT, would you look with me, it seems that it was ONLY ISAIAH who saw the glorious vision. If others were seated around him there in the Temple, THEY had no such revelation. He doesn’t write “WE saw the Lord”, he says, “I saw the Lord”.

There is a sense in which our corporate worship is still very much made up of INDIVIDUALS who are worshipping. (Hopefully we are not “individualistic” in our worship, in the sense that we ignore or disregard others around us. We must be mindful of one another, and offer Him corporate adoration – BUT WE ARE STILL INDIVIDUALS as we do so!)

It IS possible for one person to be moved to tears, while the person beside them – on the same row of chairs – is UNMOVED. One repents, while another trusts in his own self-righteousness. One responds willingly – with a soft heart – to the claims of Christ, whilst another is desperately resisting the persuasion of the Holy Spirit.

Which one are you?

Are you going to set here, going through the motions of a cold, formal religion, satisfying your conscience that you’ve come?

 

Or are you meeting with God here? Are you opening up to the Lord as He knocks at the door of your heart?

Isaiah met with God, he had a revelation of the greatness of the Lord, and it changed his life forever. The same living Lord is here tonight to meet with WHOEVER will call upon His name. EARTHLY kings may come and go – but the King of Kings is alive forever more, and just as powerful as ever He has been, and just as willing to reveal Himself to men.

And listen, Isaiah didn’t get this revelation just because he was a prophet. He saw God because he had a soft, pliable heart, and a listening ear. Titles and offices don’t cut any ice with God!

2 Chron 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

 

The Old King James put it: “Them whose heart is PERFECT toward Him.”

That word “loyal” or “perfect” is the Hebrew word “SHALEM”, which means “completely devoted to”; and it’s related to the word “SHALOM”, which means “PEACE” or “stillness”.

So, the verse says that God’s eyes roam the whole earth looking for a heart that is disposed toward Him, devoted to Him, and still before Him. God looks for people to reveal Himself to who are listening and available.

Isaiah was listening, and ISAIAH SAW THE LORD. The second thing that Isaiah saw this day in the Temple was:
 

 

2. ISAIAH SAW HIMSELF.
   
   Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

Isaiah SAW HIMSELF as he had never quite seen himself before. He did not see himself in the way that one sees themself as they admire their own image in a mirror. No, no! He did not see himself as a good person, worthy of God’s commendation, and the praise of people. He didn’t think to himself, “WOW! I must be the best person here, because God has honored ONLY ME with a vision of Himself.” That was NOT his attitude at all.

Instead, he cried out: Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips!

AND THIS IS ALWAYS TRUE. The closer we get to God, the more clearly, we see our sins. The contrast between His holiness and our unholiness gives us a vivid awareness of just how very far short of God’s glory we truly fall.

The times when we DO feel we have made it – we’ve arrived – we’re knocking on the door of perfection – they’re the times that we’ve been neglecting to pray and worship and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

When Peter was CLOSEST to Jesus he said: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man. When John received the Revelation of Christ on the Island of Patmos, he wrote, I fell at His feet as though dead!

A lost sense of God brings a lost sense of sin. But a renewed sense of God brings a renewed awareness of our own sinfulness.

Isaiah saw himself in a whole new light.

Making the Most of Your Walk With God

Part 2

by

Making the Most of the Time We Have.

 

 

Psalm 1:4-6 (NKJV)
⁴ The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
⁶ For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Again,

2. LOOK INSIDE. What are you becoming? Vv.3,4

 

v.4 The ungodly are not so….

LOOK INSIDE…. WHAT ARE YOU BECOMING? Are you like a tree planted? Are you like the chaff that the wind blows away? You might fool people, but what’s inside will be revealed in given time.

 

3. LOOK AHEAD. How will you be judged? Vv. 5,6

There is a destiny we will all be a part of. Up ahead…. judgment day is coming!

(a) Will you be judged among the ungodly? The ungodly will not be able to stand on judgment day. V.5 the ungodly shall not stand They will not have a leg to stand on. They will not have an excuse to stand on. They’ve made all kinds of excuses why they can’t come to church; why they can’t be saved today; Excuses…Excuses…but on that day they will not be able to stand on any excuse. They won’t be able to stand on their own self-righteousness. They won’t be able to stand and look God in the eye.

In Heaven there will only be one congregation. V.5 “the congregation of the righteous” There will be no sinners in that congregation. Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats. There will be one pure, holy, godly congregation. The congregation of the redeemed; the congregation of the those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb! A Holy Congregation! If I wasn’t in that congregation…I would do business today with the Lord!

 

Look Ahead——-How will you be judged?

v.6 The Lord knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Jesus knows the way of the righteous. He knows His own. He knows their ways. It is the way of the cross. It is the way of repentance and faith in Christ. It is the ONLY way!

 

The ungodly has their own way. The way of their own. The way of do as you please. The way of the world. The way of self-righteousness. The way of works. The way of man-made religion.

Look ahead…. how will you be judged?

To make the most of your walk with God….it begins by godly influences. Godly influence will result in what you become on the inside…godly character. Godly character is what God is looking for…He’s looking for His own. Ungodly ways will not stand on judgment day.

A certain courthouse in Ohio stands in a unique location. Raindrops that fall on the northside of the building go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while those falling on the south side go into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. At precisely the point of the peak of the roof, just a gentle puff of wind can determine the destiny of many raindrops. It will make a difference of more than 2,000 miles as to their final destination. The spiritual application is clear. By the smallest deed or choice of words we might set in motion influences that could change the course of others’ lives here and now and could also affect their eternal destiny.

 

Our Daily Bread, June 12, 1994.

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

– Charles Reade

In a British cemetery:

Pause my friend, as you walk by

As you are now, so once was I

As I am now so you will be

Prepare my friend, to follow me.

A visitor added,

To follow you is not my intent

Until I know which way you went!

Destiny is determined not by chances but by choices.

 

 

Making the Most of Your Walk With God

Part 1

by

Making the Most of the Time We Have.

Time is precious. We really are not here on this earth for very long. We are like when you go to turn the light switch on, and the bulb is shot. One day it will eventually happen. So, how can we make the most of the time we have? We can make the most of the time we have left on earth by making the most of our walk with God. Many people live carelessly not giving much thought about their relationship with God. One day we will all have to stand before the Creator of this universe. The question that demands an answer is this: Will this God be your Heavenly Father who will receive you as a forgiven child? Or will this God be your Judge who will expel you to an eternal punishment?

 

To make the most of your walk with God, it is essential that you know Christ as your Lord and Savior. Apart from Christ there is no walk with God. Apart from Christ there is no saving relationship with God. To the person who is outside of God’s saving grace, I urge you to go to Jesus. He is ready to receive you. I pray you will find Jesus to be your Savior this very day.

 

To the child of God, I urge you to make the most of your walk with the Lord! Don’t be a careless Christian who lives day by day with no thought of a deeper walk with Christ. Don’t settle for a “I know-nothing; I feel-nothing; I want-nothing; I desire-nothing”.

I would seriously question whether I was a believer if I did not want to know more of Christ. I would seriously question my salvation if I did not feel and sense God’s presence from time to time. It’s not that our faith is based on feelings, but I should have some sense of God at work in my life. I would seriously question my salvation if I did not want anything at all from the Lord. I would seriously question where I stand with God if I did not desire anything of the Lord.

 

In Psalm 1we have a plea for a deeper, more solid, more productive walk with God.

The person who has a close walk with God is called Blessed!

So, how can we make the most of our walk with God? How can it become a blessed Walk?

 

To make the most of our walk with God, we will need to look carefully in three directions and answer three important questions.

 

1. LOOK AROUND. How are you being influenced? (vv.1,2)

 

Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV)
¹ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

There are only two possible ways we can be influenced. Either we are influenced with godly influence, or with ungodly influence. We need to look around and ask ourselves the question: How are we being influenced? We are surrounded by all kinds of influence. What are we allowing to influence us? To shape us? To mold us?

 

(a) The Ungodly Influence v.1 You don’t have to teach kids to be bad. They learn that quite well. We were by nature the children of wrath. We must be delivered from wrath. Thank God, in Christ, He has rescued us, and made us a child of God. Yet, we must beware of ungodly influences. It gets worse and worse. Note the stages of ungodliness:

 

(1) Walking in the counsel of the ungodly. Walk speaks of the direction we are going. Turn from ungodly counsel. Don’t go that direction. Some folks start each day by reading their horoscope. That’s the counsel they get each day. It’s ungodly counsel. Some people will consult some psychic they heard on TV. Some folks will listen to a “talk show” and get counsel on how to deal with everyday life. Some folks will buy a magazine just to read some ungodly counsel that’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.

When we go in the direction of worldly wisdom, and forsaking godly wisdom, we are under ungodly influences. The next step is…

 

(2) Standing in the way of sinners. After we go in the direction of seeking advice from the ungodly, we move from consulting the ungodly to identifying with the ungodly. Standing speaks of how we are now identifying with the way of sinners. We are not opposing their viewpoint; we are embracing what they say. At first, we walk to the ungodly to listen to what they say, now we don’t walk back to where we should be, we stand where they stand. We identify with their position. There’s only one position that’s worth having—-that’s God’s position. There’s only one viewpoint that’s worth having—that’s God’s viewpoint. Everything else must go to the TRASH CAN!!!

 

(3) Sitting in the seat of the scornful. Sitting speaks of a resting place. We have landed on a position that we feel very comfortable with. We first just walked around some ungodly counsel, then we began to stand around in ungodly counsel, finally we adopt it for our very own. We now sit down and take our seats. We sit in the seat of the scornful. SCOFFERS! MOCKERS! We now embrace ungodliness and scoff and mock at everything that is holy and godly.

 

We need to look around us and ask this question, how are we being influenced? Television has helped to make a nation of scoffers! Oh, but preacher, TV doesn’t influence me. Maybe it does, or maybe it doesn’t…. I do know this…. there are millions and millions of dollars spent on advertisement. Why? Advertising has influence on what kind of cereal you eat, what kind of toothpaste you buy, and what kind of truck you’ll drive. We are influenced by what we see on television.

Look around…How are you being influenced?

 

(b) Godly Influence v.2

The Blessed Man…the Person who makes much of His Walk with God will surround himself with godly influence. He does that by…

 

1- Delighting in the Word of God. How do you come to delight in God’s Word? It is because there was a time when you found delight in Jesus. SEE 1Peter 2:2,3 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” Your appetite for the Lord and His Word will become dull when you have tasted too much of this world. Get back in God’s Word and keep on allowing the Word of God to speak to you. Pray and ask the Lord to give you a hunger for His Word.

If we are to be exposed to godly influence, it will be found in the Bible.

 

2- Meditating on God’s Word.

 

It’s not enough to just read words from the Bible, but there must be some passages that we allow to get into our thinking and to shape our thoughts into the mind of Christ. I think of a verse in Romans….

Romans 12:2 “be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect, will of God.” This is more than just reading casually through the Bible. There are truths that must be internalized. There are some verses that must be memorized, or at least become so familiar that we know where they are in the Bible, and we can say the verse almost word by word.

How can we stay clean while in a world that influences us in the wrong way? Meditate on this verse….

Psalm 119:9 “wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Meditate on this verse John 15:3

 

“Now are you clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth”

 

WE CAN MAKE THE MOST OF OUR WALK WITH GOD BY MAKING MUCH OF HIS WORD!

2. LOOK INSIDE. What are you becoming? Vv.3,4

 

How we are influenced will reflect in what we become in character.

 

Look Inside your heart. Look inside where you really live. Ask yourself, “what kind of person am I becoming?”

 

The person who delights in God’s Word, and He, or She meditates on God’s Word will become like a tree planted by the rivers of water. You have found the source of true happiness. You are refreshed and nourished. It shows. It shows in three ways:

 

1- Fruitful. Bringeth forth his fruit in his season. You will be a fruitful person. What is a fruitful person? John Piper describes them this way, “They are refreshing and nourishing to be around. You go away from them fed. You go away strengthened. You go away with your taste for spiritual things awakened. Their words are healing and convicting and encouraging and deepening and enlightening. Being around them is like a meal.”

 

2- Durable. His leaf also shall not wither. The hot winds may blow, and the rain does not fall, this person is planted by the rivers of water. He is planted in God’s Word and while other people are withering away, he remains nourished, strong and vibrant in faith. Regardless of which way the winds blow, he is planted in the Word. He delights and meditates in the Word day and night. He is durable.

 

3—Prosperous. Whatsoever he does shall prosper.

Does that mean if you delight in God’s Word and meditate in God’s Word you will be like a tree….and you will prosper? Yes. What about Psalm 34:19

 

many are the afflictions of the righteous… You’ve got to see this one…Psalm 73

 

Psalm 73:3  “for I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked”

Psalm 73:12  “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.”

 

It looks like the wicked are the ones who are filthy rich. The good person is the one suffering. But don’t forget Psalm 73:17

 

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

God gave the writer some insight. You haven’t seen their end. Psalm 1:4 the ungodly are not so…the wind drives them away…. last 4 words of Psalm says the ungodly shall perish

 

In this world…. For the Believer…this is the only Hell you will see and experience.

For the unbeliever. This is the only Heaven they will ever know…

How to Prepare for Battle.

Part 4

 

Ephesians 6:18-20 (NKJV)

¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints– ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

 

Finally, Paul comes to the greatest weapon of all–and that is prayer. We note three things that he says about prayer.

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

(a) It must be constant. Our tendency is so often to pray only in the great crises of life; but it is from daily prayer that the Christian will find daily strength.

(b) It must be intense. Limp prayer never got a man anywhere. Prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God.

(c) It must be unselfish. The Jews had a saying, “Let a man unite himself with the community in his prayers.” I think that often our prayers are too much for ourselves and too little for others.

We must learn to pray as much for others and with others as for ourselves.

Finally, Paul asks for the prayers of his friends for himself.

And he asks not for comfort or for peace but that he may yet be allowed to proclaim God’s secret, that his love is for all men.

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

We do well to remember that ever Christian leader and every Christian preacher needs his people to uphold his hands in prayer.

 

Don’t have Empty Armor

Ephesians 6:18

now…

Realize the victory – this happens in our text!

 

1. 18 Once we are all suited up in our armor, we must realize it’s not about us and our skills or tools, but it’s all about the Lord…the battle is the Lord’s! This is not an excuse to not do our part and utilize the armor…we must work hard at it, like it’s up to us, but with the underlying knowledge that it’s all up to God!

 

A sword, a shield, a helmet and such are totally useless if we have no strength to fight with…and the Lord is our strength. We must rely on Him! The arm of flesh will fail us. I CANNOT do all things! Only thru Christ which strengthened me!

 

How old will I be when I finally master this? How many years must I be saved before I stop trying to live the life in my own strength? How many reminders do we need?

 

Dressing for success in the armor of the Lord is a daily occurrence, and so must be our reminders about where our strength comes from…so must be our battling in prayer a daily habit!

 

We need spiritual energy, strength, and power with which to fight.

 

Little David faced the giant without the armor…but with the Lord!

 

What good is the Sword in our hand if we don’t have the spiritual strength to wield it?

 

Our feet can look good in the shoes of the gospel, but if we have no spiritual strength to walk the walk then it doesn’t matter if we talk the talk. We are to run the race in those shoes, and that takes spiritual strength!

 

It’s one thing to know you have Christ’s righteousness found in the breastplate, but the real question is, does anyone else know you have it? They won’t if you don’t live it…and it takes spiritual strength to live it out loud!

 

Same thing with the girdle of truth. Knowing and doing are two different things. We know a lot of truth, but do we walk in truth, do we share truth? Not without God’s hand helping us!

 

What good is the helmet of salvation if the noggin inside it isn’t actively thinking, or is asleep? Having the mind of Christ takes real discipline that I don’t have…I must pray for that kind of power.

 

Prayer is where we get the strength to fight! The armor is shiny, but it’s an empty coat of mail that can only be filled with spiritual strength from the Lord!

 

Oh, that we would put even 5% of the effort that we put into trying to make things happen into praying for things to happen!

 

In Exodus 17 Joshua and the army is at war with Amalek. Joshua is in the valley with a sword, and Moses is up on the mountain above, interceding in prayer. Both were important, but which was most important? Both are necessary…but which is most necessary?

 

Prayerlessness is the ‘umbrella sin’ under which all my other sins stay dry and cozy.

 

It’s really difficult to continue in a sinful habit that I regularly talk to God about! It’s not too often that I will fall into a deception of Satan when I’m walking and talking with the Lord! And as for the temptation to do things in my own strength — why would I do that if I’m daily proving that there’s a better way…to pray first, and then work. Pray first, and then serve. Pray first, and then preach. Pray first, and then make a decision.

 

“Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.”

 

Prayer not only gives us the energy with which to fight, but it is also the means of communication with our Commander in Heaven. And communications with Central Command is vital in winning a battle.

 

The Christian life is much like a football game, because we need armor in this life, and we face a formidable foe, and we are at war. Football is just controlled violence!

 

The coach isn’t in the game but is vital to it. If he is cut out of the loop, the result will be chaos…but he also needs a leader on the field. He needs someone he can trust. He needs to relay messages back and forth, he needs signals.

 

Today we get to the line and call a lot of ‘audibles,’ which is cutting out the coach. How much success will we have in life if we bench our coach?

 

Communication is vital in the game of life!

 

In war, if we can undermine communications or knock them out, we can win the victory.

 

We’re so big on privacy now we even keep things private from God [as if we could!]

 

“Oh, what peace we often forfeit…”

 

The devil does all he can to keep us from having a time of prayer. And when we don’t pray, our energy wanes, and we have no strength to fight with. Our spiritual batteries need recharged, and we put a lot of emphasis on that happening in preaching services like this, where God talks to us, but that’s only half the battle, because God wants us to talk back!

 

Have communications been cut off between you and God? He isn’t the one who hung up!

 

“Stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone…the arm of flesh will fail you, you dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer…”

 

We need strength to fight with, so we’re not just empty armor decorating the castle wall…

 

Verse 18 has 4 ‘all’s: in it.

 

1. Praying always – pray regularly.

 

2. with all supplication in the Spirit – pray correctly.

 

3. with all perseverance – pray persistently.

 

4. for all saints – pray inclusively.

 

1. Pray regularly.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

 

This doesn’t mean 24 hrs. a day…that’s impossible, and we have other duties and need sleep, etc.

 

What this does mean is that our heavenly telephone should always be in service, and used often as a first plan of action, not our last resort.

 

We should never have to start a prayer with “Lord, we come into your presence…” because you never left His presence in the first place!

 

We should wake up to prayer, and before our feet hit the floor, recognize the One who has given us another day, and as we get up and begin, we should begin it with Him, and not just rush past Him into our day.

 

We have so much to accomplish that we MUST take time to pray. It’s time well spent, and since you can’t out-give God, do yourself a favor and take time to pray!

 

Traveling time is a great time to pray and worship.

 

You can pray for God to fill your armor to fight the battle of this day!

Thru the day, decisions will need to be made, challenges will arise, temptations will present themselves.

 

Walking with God means sharing life with Him, not just Sundays with Him.

 

We should seek Him even in small decisions, habitually.

 

When Joshua defeated Jericho, he and the people were filled with self-confidence, and didn’t seek the Lord against the little village of Ai…they would be a piece of cake, right? Only a small delegation was sent, and 36 men lost their lives!

 

Joshua got back on his knees, and God revealed the problem to him, and how to win that battle. And God would have revealed that before, just as he did after, and they wouldn’t have died!

 

God said not to make a peace treaty with the Gibeonites. They pretended to be someone else and deceived Joshua, and the Bible says…

 

Joshua 9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

 

When we fail to seek the Lord, we are headed for trouble!

 

Maybe you’ve driven that way as well. Not nodding off,  but zoning out mentally unless something happens to awake your attention.

 

When I think of praying without ceasing, I think it means on at least a subconscious level, you are always in a spirit of prayer, even if you don’t actually pray a prayer until something comes to your attention, which should be more often than not!

 

We do a variety of things all day, but are we cognizant of the fact that God is in the same room, and thinking of us, even when we haven’t been thinking of Him?

 

We need to experience God in life, not just in church!

 

1. Pray regularly…

 

2. Pray correctly.

 

The disciples never asked Jesus to teach them to preach, but to teach them to pray!

 

Most of us are still in pre-school in this matter, with a lot to learn.

 

We pray to the Father, thru the Spirit, in Jesus’ name.

 

“Our Father, which art in Heaven…” [not dear Jesus!]

 

But we pray in Jesus’ name because that’s the only basis by which we can be heard. He is our high priest, and allows us access to the Most Holy Place, the throne of grace!

 

And we pray in the Spirit, or thru the Spirit.

 

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

 

The Spirit helps to give us the words, and when there’s no words, prays the words without words from our heart with groanings which cannot be uttered!

 

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also help our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

 

The Spirit helps when we don’t know the right words to say to God. It also helps when we don’t know the will of God. We pray so much for our will…we should listen to the next verse…

 

Romans 8:27 And he that search the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

 

regularly, correctly…

 

3. Pray persistently.

 

We are below with the rope, and God is above, making the real sounds that go out over the earth.

 

Some Christians just give the bell an occasion jerk, but to really make things happen, you don’t let go until the job is done!

 

Jesus gave a couple of parables [Friend at Midnight / Unjust Judge] about not giving up praying until you get results, when it comes to things that you know are God’s will, such as a person being saved, or you getting victory over a sin. Now, when it’s our will, like Paul wanting a healing, you can let it rest if the Lord reveals you need to accept it.

 

George Mueller prayed 52 years for a man to be saved, and it happened after he died!

 

Our timing is not the same as God’s. Now, why would God delay an answer to prayer?

 

• patience – we live in an instant everything world. God wants us to wait on Him.

 

• purity – when God doesn’t grant an answer I know to be in His will, I must stop and examine my life. Are my prayers being heard, or is sin in the way?

 

Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

 

Is God pleased to bless me?

 

• promotion – sometimes God intends on granting our request, but only once we are spiritually mature enough to handle it and receive that answer. [Sometimes God says no, sometimes slow, sometimes go, and sometimes GROW!]

 

When a 4 year old asks for a shotgun, you may think ahead to the day when you will indeed give him one…but that day is not today!

 

regularly, correctly, persistently…

 

4. Pray inclusively.

 

We pray a lot about ourselves, but prayer is supposed to be about each other as well. You’re not the only one in this war. You may have it tough, but some have it tougher!

 

Samuel said to Israel, “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.” [1 Sam. 12:23]

 

I pray for you. Do you pray for me?

 

Did you know that the Church of Satan boasts that they actively pray and fast to Satan for the demise of Bible preachers? I think their prayers are being heard and answered!

Any success I have had here is because of prayer. The way to have more blessings is thru prayer. Sermon success is a direct result of prayer, not skill. The way I can stay in the ministry is not to feel confident that since I’ve done it many years so far that I always will…I need your prayers!

 

And there’s as many needs as hairs on heads in this room. Pray for each other, and your prayers for yourself may be affected as well!

 

The gnu is an African antelope. When its prey approaches, it drops to its knees. When close enough, it springs to attack from its knees.

 

We are Christian soldiers, and we can sharpen our skills and have the right tools and armor, but it all begins on our knees! Otherwise, it’s just empty armor.

 

 

THE FINAL BLESSING

Ephesians 6:21-24 (NKJV)

²¹ But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; ²² whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts. ²³ Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

 

 

Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will provide you with all information, that you too may know how things are going with me, how I do. That is the very reason that I sent him to you, that you may know my affairs and that he may encourage your hearts.

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love the Lord Jesus with a love which defies death.

 

As we have seen, the letter to the Ephesians was an encyclical letter and the bearer from church to church was Tychicus. Unlike most of his letters, Ephesians gives us no personal information about Paul, except that he was in prison; but Tychicus, as he went from church to church., would tell how Paul was faring and would convey a message of personal encouragement.

 

 

Paul finishes with a blessing and in it all the great words come again. The peace, which was a man’s highest good, the faith, which was complete resting in Christ, the grace which was the lovely free gift of God these things Paul calls down from God upon his friends. Above all he prays for love that they may know the love of God, that they may love men as God loves them, and that they may love Jesus Christ with an undying love.

How to Prepare for Battle.  Part 3

How to Fight and win against our enemy by

Utilizing our weaponry

 

One of the best newspaper cartoons of all time is Calvin and Hobbes. One day Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room early one morning. His mother is seated there in her favorite chair. She is sipping her morning coffee. She looks up at young Calvin. She is amused and amazed at how he is dressed. Calvin’s head is encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and is dragging on the floor. One hand is holding a flashlight and the other a baseball bat.

“What’s up today?” asks his mom.

“Nothing, so far,” answers Calvin.

“So far?” she questions.

“Well, you never know,” Calvin says, “Something could happen today.” Then Calvin marches off, “And if anything does, by golly, I’m going to be ready for it!”

Calvin’s mom looks out at the reading audience, and she says, “I need a suit like that!”

That’s the way many of us feel as we see the news and deal with life. Sometimes this world seems quite violent, and people seem to be at each other’s throats. A suit like that would help, so we can say with Calvin, “Whatever may come my way, I’m going to be ready for it! Bring it on!”

 

Where can we get a suit like that? Do they make a suite like that?

Utilize our weaponry – we have now looked at each article of Christian armor.

The devil is strong, but Christians are stronger through the Lord (Eph 6:11).

Ephesians 6:11 (NKJV) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

They have the protection needed to withstand his assaults. The devil tempts, but God provides a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13);

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

the devil tries to take advantage of people (2 Cor 2:11),

2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV) …lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

but he will flee if fought (James 4:7).

 James 4:7 (NKJV) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The devil should not be feared, for Jesus is more powerful than this deceiving prince of the demons (1 John 4:4).

1 John 4:4 (NKJV) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

Utilize our weaponry – we to have now looked at each article of Christian armor.

Ephesians 6:13-17 (NKJV)

¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

 

As Paul takes leave of his people, he thinks of the greatness of the struggle which lies before them.

Undoubtedly life was much more terrifying for the ancient people than it is for us today.

They believed implicitly in evil spirits, who filled the air and were determined to work men harm.

The words which Paul uses, powers, authorities, world-rulers, are all names for different classes of these evil spirits.

To him the whole universe was a battleground.

The Christian had not only to contend with the attacks of men; he had to contend with the attacks of spiritual forces which were fighting against God.

We may not take Paul’s actual language literally; but our experience will tell us that there is an active power of evil in the world.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said: “You know the Caledonian Railway Station in Edinburgh? One cold, east windy morning, I met Satan there.”

We do not know what actually befell Stevenson, but we recognize the experience; we have all felt the force of that evil influence which seeks to make us sin.

 

Paul suddenly sees a picture ready-made.

All this time he was chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier. Night and day soldiers were there to ensure that he would not escape.

Paul was literally an envoy in a chain. Now he was the kind of man who could get alongside anyone; and beyond doubt he had talked often to the soldiers who were compelled to be so near him.

 

As he writes, the soldier’s armor suggests a picture to him.

The Christian too has his armor; and part by part Paul takes the armor of the Roman soldier and translates it into Christian terms.

There is the belt of truth. It was the belt which girt in the soldier’s tunic and from which his sword hung, and which gave him freedom of movement. Others may guess and grope; the Christian moves freely and quickly because he knows the truth.

 

There is the breastplate of righteousness. When a man is clothed in righteousness, he is impregnable. Words are no defense against accusations, but a good life is. Once a man accused Plato of certain crimes. “Well then,” said Plato, “we must live in such a way as to prove that his accusations are a lie.” The only way to meet the accusations against Christianity is to show how good a Christian can be.

 

There are the sandals. Sandals were the sign of one equipped and ready to move. The sign of the Christian is that he is cagier to be on the way to share the gospel with others who have not heard it.

 

There is the shield. The word Paul uses are not that for the comparatively small round shield; it is that for the great oblong shield which the heavily armed warrior wore.

One of the most dangerous weapons in ancient warfare was the fiery dart. It was a dart tipped with tow dipped in pitch. The pitch-soaked tow was set alight, and the dart was thrown.

 

The great oblong shield was made of two sections of wood, glued together.

When the shield was presented to the dart, the dart sank into the wood and the flame was put out.

Faith can deal with the darts of temptation.

With Paul, faith is always complete trust in Christ. When we walk close with Christ, we are safe from temptation.

 

There is salvation for a helmet. Salvation is not something which looks back only.

The salvation which is in Christ gives us forgiveness for the sins of the past and strength to conquer sin in the days to come.

 

There is the sword; and the sword is the word of God. The word of God is at once our weapon of defense against sin and our weapon of attack against the sins of the world.

Cromwell’s Ironsides fought with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other. We can never win God’s battles without God’s book.

 

as in the book of Nehemiah.

 

Can’t live in the will of God living outside the Word of God.

How to Prepare for Battle, Part 2

We need to Know Our Enemy

 

Eph 6:10-24

 

1. Analyze the enemy – began by getting to know Satan and his tactics.

 

 

Ephesians 6:10-12 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² 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.

 

 

We need to Know Our Enemy

 

On 10 September 1813, after defeating the British fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie, Oliver Hazard Perry, commander of the American fleet, dispatched one of the most famous messages in military history to Maj. Gen. William Henry Harrison. It read: “Dear Gen’l: “WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND THEY ARE OURS.”, two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop. Yours with great respect and esteem. H. Perry.”

 

Who is our enemy?

 

DEVIL (accuser) – the main title for the fallen angelic being who is the supreme enemy of God and man. Satan is his name, and devil is what he is-the accuser or deceiver. The title “devil” appears 38 times in the KJV. In every case it is preceded by the article “the,” indicating a title rather than a name. The term comes from a Greek word that means “a false witness” or “malicious accuser.”

 

If you see “a devil” or “devils” it means demons.

 

Several descriptive phrases applied to the devil in the New Testament point out the nature of his wicked personality and the extent of his evil deeds.

 

The Wicked or Evil One (Matt 6:13; 13:19,38; 1 John 2:13).

This phrase depicts the devil’s fundamental nature.

 

Matthew 6:13 (NKJV)
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

He is the source of all evil and wickedness. While the KJV reads, “Deliver us from evil,” the NKJV more accurately reads, “Deliver us from the evil one.”

 

Matthew 13:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

 

Matthew 13:38-39 (NKJV)
³⁸ The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

He is in direct opposition to everything God is or all he wishes to do.

 

1 John 2:13 (NKJV)
¹³ I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.

 

Humanity needs this deliverance, for the devil “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

 

1 Peter 5:6-11 (NKJV)
⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

 

Enemy (Matt 13:25,28,39). The devil is man’s worst enemy.

This is one enemy Jesus does not want us to love.

He is an enemy of Christ, the church, and the gospel; and he is tireless in his efforts to uproot good and sow evil.

Matthew 13:25 (NKJV) but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

Matthew 13:28 (NKJV) He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’

Matthew 13:39 (NKJV) The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

 

Murderer (John 8:44). “He was a murderer from the beginning” are strong words from the lips of Jesus.

 

John 8:44 (NKJV) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

 

The devil killed Abel and the prophets, and he wanted to kill Jesus before His time (8:40).

 

John 8:40 (NKJV) But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

 

Deceiver (Rev 20:10).

Revelation 20:10 (NKJV) The devil, who deceived them, …

 

 

Starting with Eve, the devil has attempted to deceive every living soul. Evil men operating under the power of the evil one will continue to deceive.

2 Timothy 3:13 (NKJV) But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

 

Beelzebub, Prince of Demons (Matt 9:34; 12:24). The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because they claimed the miracles of Jesus were actually conducted by the devil.

The KJV and some other versions incorrectly translate “demons” as “devils.” There are many demons but only one devil.

His name is Beelzebub, the chief leader of the fallen angels known as demons.

 

Matthew 9:32-34 (NKJV)
³² As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. ³³ And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!” ³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

 

Ruler of This World (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Three times Jesus called the devil the “ruler of this world.”

 

John 12:31 (NKJV) Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

 

John 14:30 (NKJV) I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

 

John 16:8-11 (NKJV) And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

 

 

The devil offered the world to Jesus if He would worship him (Luke 4:5-7),

Luke 4:5-7 (NKJV)
⁵ Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷ Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”

but the Lord refused with these words, “Get behind me Satan” (4:8).

Luke 4:8 (NKJV) And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “

 

At Calvary God dealt a death blow to this world ruler. It is only a matter of time before God will win the final victory at the end of time.

 

1 John 3:8 (NKJV) He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Matthew 25:41 (NKJV) Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

 

Revelation 12:7-12 (NKJV)
⁷ And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
¹² Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

 

How to Prepare for Battle,

by putting on “The Whole Armor of God”

In the coming weeks we will look more in-depth at a more comprehensive breakdown of these verses in Ephesians 6:10-20. Our battel is not against Republicans, Democrats, Whites, Blacks, Latino, Asians, Men or Women. (Highly recommend the book by Andy Stanley “Not In It To Win It”) The battel is a spiritual one, and we need to FIGHT back and get ready for Battel! We as Christians know that the ultimate battel, we will be victorious. But we were warned by Christ Himself to prepare for a fight. And fight we must on every front.

 Luke 22:36-37 (NKJV)
³⁶ Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

Otherwards GET A WEAPON!!! Again, not just a physical but including a physical weapon, but also and most importantly a Spiritual defense and weapons as well!

 

Ephesians 6:10-20

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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.  13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.  NKJV

Per Charles Barclay commentary.

Paul suddenly sees a picture ready-made. All this time he was chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier. Night and day soldiers were there to ensure that he would not escape. Paul was literally an envoy in a chain. Now he was the kind of man who could get alongside anyone; and beyond doubt he had talked often to the soldiers who were compelled to be so near him. As he writes, the soldier’s armor suggests a picture to him. The Christian too has his armor; and part by part Paul takes the armor of the Roman soldier and translates it into Christian terms.

There is the belt of truth. It was the belt which girt in the soldier’s tunic and from which his sword hung and which gave him freedom of movement. Others may guess and grope; the Christian moves freely and quickly because he knows the truth.

There is the breastplate of righteousness. When a man is clothed in righteousness, he is impregnable. Words are no defense against accusations, but a good life is. Once a man accused Plato of certain crimes. “Well then,” said Plato, “we must live in such a way as to prove that his accusations are a lie.” The only way to meet the accusations against Christianity is to show how good a Christian can be.

There are the sandals. Sandals were the sign of one equipped and ready to move. The sign of the Christian is that he is cager to be on the way to share the gospel with others who have not heard it.

There is the shield. The word Paul uses is not that for the comparatively small round shield; it is that for the great oblong shield which the heavily armed warrior wore. One of the most dangerous weapons in ancient warfare was the fiery dart. It was a dart tipped with tow dipped in pitch. The pitch-soaked tow was set alight, and the dart was thrown. The great oblong shield was made of two sections of wood, glued together. When the shield was presented to the dart, the dart sank into the wood and the flame was put out. Faith can deal with the darts of temptation. With Paul, faith is always complete trust in Christ. When we walk close with Christ, we are safe from temptation.

There is salvation for a helmet. Salvation is not something which looks back only. The salvation which is in Christ gives us forgiveness for the sins of the past and strength to conquer sin in the days to come.

There is the sword; and the sword is the word of God. The word of God is at once our weapon of defense against sin and our weapon of attack against the sins of the world. Cromwell’s Ironsides fought with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other. We can never win God’s battles without God’s book.

Finally, Paul comes to the greatest weapon of all–and that is prayer. We note three things that he says about prayer.

(a) It must be constant. Our tendency is so often to pray only in the great crises of life; but it is from daily prayer that the Christian will find daily strength.

(b) It must be intense. Limp prayer never got a man anywhere. Prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God.

(c) It must be unselfish. The Jews had a saying, “Let a man unite himself with the community in his prayers.” I think that often our prayers are too much for ourselves and too little for others. We must learn to pray as much for others and with others as for ourselves.

Finally, Paul asks for the prayers of his friends for himself. And he asks not for comfort or for peace but that he may yet be allowed to proclaim God’s secret, that his love is for all men. We do well to remember that ever Christian leader and every Christian preacher needs his people to uphold his hands in prayer.

Next week we will start with; “We need to Know Our Enemy”

“A Magic Dime”

 

Before we left on the adventure up the Dusty, Rocky Road. Granddaddy would always give every one of us a dime.

A “Magic Dime”, I call it a magic dime because when we got to the store it would buy pretty much whatever we wanted, always a box of Cracker Jacks, then maybe a Coke, or a bag of chips, and 5 or 10 pieces of penny candy.  All that for his magic dime. Then we would go back to his house and enjoy what WE bought.

After every visit with them, as all 5 grand kids loaded up to come back home to Georgia, Granddaddy would give all of us another dime even my Mother and Dad got a dime. This dime wouldn’t buy in Georgia what the magic dime would buy in Alabama. Believe me when I tell you I tried. It just didn’t work the same here.

Off to the Big Apple Store we went, I gather up what I got with Granddaddy and I put my Coke, my Cracker Jacks, and my ten pieces of penny candy on the counter, the clerk rang up my stuff, and then said, “that will be thirty-five cents.” I set the dime down on the counter and reached for my things, except they were not mine, I hadn’t paid the full price yet, so I left with only the candy.

 

Years passed and as we matured, we found that the dime wouldn’t buy much unless we were with our Grandfather.  You see, our Granddaddy had an open account at the store and whatever we purchased with our magic dimes was put on his account.

See the magic wasn’t in the dime but in the presence of the one that had control of the account. Granddaddy. Are you getting where I am going with this?

Life is the same way; we think that WE pay our way here and there, when the whole time its God that supplies our needs.

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. NKJV

Luke 12:29 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. NKJV

Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it”.  NKJV

It’s all poured out from heaven.

It all comes from the one that controls the account. GOD. When I went on my own and try to spend my dime all I got was face value for a dime. But when I go with the one that has control of the account. More than what it’s worth was poured out.

 

After all, where did we get the first dime to start with. IT’S ALL HIS.

 

Remember the lesson of the dime. Give generously to the ones you love as our Grandfather did for his grandchildren and as our Heavenly Father gave so much more to us. It is with this in mind that you support your ministries and remember who gave you “The Dime”, and who carried you on that dusty rocky road?

 

The picture in the chapter page is an actual dime that I received from my Granddaddy.

Someone once said that a nickel is bigger than a dime but remember that the dime has more value. For me especially if it is from Granddaddy.

So, what are you doing with your “Magic Dime” that God has entrusted you with?

 

Dusty Roads, and Strong Shoulders

 

At times, I get reminiscent about my youth and simpler times in my life.

When I was just a child, two or three times a year my family would go to Fort Payne Alabama to visit my Grandmother and then up to Lookout Mountain to visit my step Grandparents there. My step Grandfather never showed any difference between me and his natural grandchildren, my brothers and my sister.

On every visit we (the grand kids) would go for a walk up the old dusty dirt road he lived on and go to the local store at the end of the road.

As we ventured down that dusty, rocky road I began to get tired, and the rocks were beginning to take its toll on my feet. So, Granddaddy threw me up on his shoulders. Granddaddy was one of the kindest and most humble people I had ever met, He was very trustworthy and very respected, a great mentor and role model to try to emulate as much as possible.

I was just 5 or 6 years old but I remember him carrying me on his shoulder, as if it were last week, I don’t recall ever saying anything about the walk, but he looked down and saw me struggling and up on his shoulders I went.

I wonder how often in our struggles without saying a word God just grabs us up and places us on his mighty shoulders, we go. The Bible says over and over how God guides and carries us:

Deuteronomy 33:12 Of Benjamin he said:

“The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.” NKJV

Psalms 17:5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip. NKJV

Psalms 119:117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually. NKJV

Psalms 139:10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.  NKJV

Again, that got me thinking about the nature of God.

 

The poem about footprints in the sand. How when there were only one set of tracks is when He carried us. I think that is what He wants to do the whole time. I truly believe that if there are ever two sets of tracks it’s when we are trying to do things on our own.

Now if Jesus is in my heart in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is in the Father, so how many tracks should we see?

Someone once likened God as a Father teaching a child how to ride a bike, How He runs along behind holding the bike and making sure that it doesn’t fall over, then when the time is right, He lets go and off we go on our own.

However, the more I read the scriptures, the more I believe that God does not want to ever let go,

He never intends for us to make it on our own,

He is always there and only when we try to do it on our own are we left to do just that, on our own.

Why would we want it on our own if we didn’t want to do something we shouldn’t be doing anyway?

I can make it on my own but it is so much easier to do it Gods way and stop pulling away, because He will let you leave, in Luke 15:1-7 we see in “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”, then Luke 15:8-10 we see “The Parable of the Lost Coin.”

 

Then, Luke 15:11 The story of “The Parable of the Lost Son” reads:

Luke 15:11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.  12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So, he divided to them his livelihood”.

 

The Father will let you go even though He knows that is not what is best for you, and as the saying goes:

 

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

As we see in this story.

13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

 

“Keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.”

 

17 But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”

 

“But when he came to himself,” when he realized that things were better off at home, and the rules were not that bad after all,

 

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

 

See the Father is looking for your return every day.

21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 

The sin is already forgiven!

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. NKJV

 

Treated the son as if he never left. Understand the fellowship may change with God, but the relationship never changes, if you are his child.

I believe He always carries us, if we let Him. We have seen that in “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”.

 

Luke 15:4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  NKJV

 

There are those shoulders again. So, happily He carries us.

Notice this even though I was on my Granddaddy’s shoulders, I was still on the dusty rocky road.

The circumstance didn’t change, where I was had not changed, my destination did not alter.

What changed was instead of me taking the steps it was Granddaddy,

Instead of me facing the rocky road, he took it on him.

Instead of my weight on my feet they are on his.

 

Remember who is carrying you! And that brings me to next weeks “The Magic Dime”