He Can! He ReallyCan!

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, ²¹ unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3.20-21

This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. I come to it often. Have you ever thought that you had a problem that was SO big, even God couldn’t handle it? It is easy to allow Satan to blind us to the truth of these verses. Look carefully at what Paul tells us: God is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think … ” In your wildest imagination, there isn’t anything that you can dream up that is beyond God’s ability to handle. So, why do we allow Satan to make us think that he’s got us in his grip and there is nothing we can do about it? This God we serve is far greater than Satan will ever be. AND our helper is within us. Observe: “according to the power that worketh in us … ” Just remember that power is of no avail if you never tap into it.

Now, what is the purpose of all this truth? The purpose is simple … God is to be glorified in and through us and He accomplishes that by being the One who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. This glory is to be reflected in the church body. Others in the body of Christ need to see that we are overcomers. That gives them hope to believe that they, too, can be overcomers. Don’t let Satan trick you today into thinking he’s “got you” right where he wants you. Just remember, you have a God who is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that (you) ask or think”. Just my thoughts …

Try It! You’ll Like It!

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3.16

Do you ever think about why you do some of the things you do? I believe this verse gives us some insight into how we can live a life that will always glorify God. It is VITALLY important to remember the truth contained in this verse.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God … ” Wow – that’s a game changer. My body – your body – as a child of God, is THE temple of God. It is where God CHOOSES to live. What am I doing to make the place where He lives bring glory to Him? Is He just an occupant, or does He have total control of the place where He lives? Amazingly, that is up to me. I determine who is in control of my life. Since I am in control, how often do I think about WHO controls my life?

Now, the controlling element of life is given in this next phrase: “ … the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.” THINK about that phrase. Meditate on that phrase. Ask God to help you appropriate the genuine significance of that phrase. God has placed inside you a part of Himself that will never leave you. That is both frightening and comforting. It is frightening because there is nothing that I will ever do that He does not witness. Comforting because there will never be a time when He is not with me and WILLING to be in control when I choose to allow it. So, it makes perfectly good sense to me to give the Holy Spirit permission to be in control of my life all day every day. That is not a once-for-all decision. I may need to do it many times a day. But the outcome is worth it. Try it! You’ll like it! Just my thoughts …

Are You There Yet?

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12.9

Are you there yet? “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities … ” Me neither. Paul’s challenge to us here is a powerful one. And the ability to glory in our infirmities is wrapped up in Paul’s first statement: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” I believe we think about grace far too little. God grants us grace every day for every situation we face. He grants it in abundance and without limit. Do you see the word “sufficient”? That means that we will ALWAYS have enough. Whether or not we claim the grace God provides is our fault, not His. HIS strength is made PERFECT in OUR weakness. How is that possible? We get out of the way and allow God’s strength to be manifest in our lives so that we are overcomers, not victims.

Look at this last phrase: “…  that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Has anyone ever said to you, “How in the world are you able to put up with ___________ (you will in the blank)? I could never handle that”? When the power of Christ rests upon us, it is HIS power at work that the world is seeing, not our own. It is easy to give God the glory when we realize that God is doing His work in us, for His glory. Don’t miss the simple truths here: His grace is enough, His strength is enough, and His power will get us through whatever we face. Just my thoughts …

Watch What You Embrace!

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4.23

How do we keep our hearts? Why is it important to keep our hearts? What happens if we DON’T keep our hearts? These are significant questions. I believe we keep our hearts by guarding what we allow to dwell there. Once again, let’s remind ourselves that we cannot keep Satan from making suggestions to us about how to live and what to think, but we do not HAVE to embrace or accept what he suggests. We need to remind ourselves of the words of James when he tells us these words in James 4.7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We either submit to God or we submit to the devil.

Why is it important to keep our hearts? Solomon answers that question for us: “for out of it (the heart) are the issues of life.” The only things that can come out of our heart are the things that we have allowed to reside there. If I want to glorify God on a daily basis, then I must see to it that He fills my heart with His thoughts and I allow His Spirit to guide me for today. If we want our lives to be a continual influence on this lost world, then our hearts MUST be guarded and guided by God’s Holy Spirit.

Finally, what happens if we DON’T keep our hearts? We allow Satan to invade our lives and that will affect every element of our daily life. He will control our thoughts, our words, our attitudes, our actions and our reactions. I don’t think that is what any of us really wants. So, let’s take Solomon’s advice and keep our hearts with ALL diligence, realizing that it is from our hearts that the issues of life will flow. Just my thoughts …

Let It Shine!

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1.5

This world is a dark place to live. I don’t think any of us would deny that. When there is darkness, you need light to make a contrast. The verse preceding this one tells us: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” When Jesus Christ was born, He brought a light into this world that had never been seen before. It was the light of hope, of eternal life, of heaven, and an eternity with God the Father. The world struggled to understand it than and the world is still struggling to understand it now. The reason for the struggle is given in John 3.19: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” Evil people do not like to have their deeds revealed for all to see, because their deeds are evil. Why do you think most robberies occur at night?

This phrase. “the darkness comprehended it not” speaks volumes to us even today. When you and I have opportunity to share the message of Christ with someone, we hope they are willing to receive it. It is rare when people hear the gospel for them not to respond to it in a positive way, but it does happen. Sometimes we must simply plant the seed and allow the Holy Spirit to let it do its work in the heart of the sinner. When someone doe finally recognize that Jesus is the light of the world and their light too, hope springs eternal. That is the thing for which we must pray to happen in the hearts of sinners with whom we share the gospel – each and every time. Just my thoughts …

He Is Enough!

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40.29

Can you remember the last time you felt like saying, “I can’t go another step. I am worn out.”? Most of us have been there a few times in our lives. Yet, even in that circumstance, life still seems to want more from us. God understands that. “He giveth power to the faint … ” It is good to know that He CARES. He isn’t just sitting in a rocking chair up in heaven watching us struggle through each day and thinking, “I wonder if he/she needs me to help him/her?” No, He is watching with a careful eye and knows the moment we start to go into lockdown mode. He doesn’t WONDER what to do next. “He giveth power to the faint … ” When we need Him, that’s us!

“… to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” “I’m going to wait until he asks.” Is that what you think God would do? Not me! I visualize Him watching my every step and the very moment I am in desperate need, He is there. God doesn’t want His children stumbling through life, wondering where their heavenly father is. He wants us to realize, “ … to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” That is the loving, compassionate response of a loving Heavenly Father. Take with you today the promise that your Heavenly Father will give power to you when you are faint and will increase your strength when you need Him too. Just my thoughts …

Perfect Father!

“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” Psalm 103.13

Another translation reads: “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” When you think of a father figure, not all of us have good memories of a father who may have been abusive. But when we think of God as our Heavenly Father, He is the PERFECT father figure. So this phrase speaks volumes to us: “As a father shows compassion to his children …  ” When John was on the Isle of Patmos, we read these words: “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,” (Revelation 1.9-10) I envision God coming to John and saying, “John, I want to spend time with you …” Those are words of compassion. God did not want John feeling like he was all alone. He said He heard behind him a great voice … the voice of God.

“ … the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Just a reminder that fearing God is standing in awe of WHO He is and being amazed that He is choosing to love you and spend time with you. I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father chooses to have compassion on me. Sometimes I feel so “out of sorts” with the world that I hardly know how to behave. God says, “I’ve got this. trust me.” That comforts me greatly. Let’s walk today in the knowledge of our Perfect Heavenly Father’s compassion extended to us. Just my thoughts …

The Lord IS Good …

“The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Nahum 1.7

Nahum keeps it simple: (1) the Lord is good, (2) the Lord is a strong hold in the day of trouble, and (3) the Lord knows those that trust in Him. Let’s take a closer look at his thoughts. “The Lord is good … ” We may be tempted at times to draw some other conclusion, but our view of God must always be that He is good. You may think, “Well, some of the things that happen in my life aren’t good.” Don’t confuse what God ALLOWS to happen and what God CAUSES to happen in our lives. It is foolish to think we can go through life and nothing bad will ever happen to us because we are God’s child. Satan isn’t going to let that happen. At the same time, we must remember the words of Romans 8.28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Let’s learn to always give God the benefit of the doubt.

Next we see that God is our strong hold in the day of trouble. When trouble comes into your life, do you find yourself “clinging to God” or do you see yourself as being “held” by God? As your stronghold, God is always going to hold us securely, no matter what the circumstance is. That simple thought along is enough to sustain us when we encounter a tough time.

Now, what does this next phrase mean? “ … he knoweth them that trust in him.” God KNOWS those who are actually trusting in Him and those who are simply going through the motions of trusting Him. Those who are trusting Him find a sense of peace in the fiercest storm, because they know WHO their stronghold is. These three phrases from the pen of Nahum are a great encouragement to me. I pray they are for you as well. Just my thoughts …

Suffering? Really?

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” 1 Peter 4.16

Suffering is not a popular subject for most people. We don’t like to talk about it and we especially don’t like to have to experience it. But we all know that it is a part of life. So, when Peter writes these words, we need to realize they are significant, even if they do seem a little puzzling.

This first phrase is important to remember: “ … if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed … ” It is amazing how many people think that if they are suffering, God is somehow punishing them for something they have done wrong. And thus, they are ashamed. But suffering is not always connected with wrongdoing on our part. I believe suffering exists simply because we live in a fallen world.

The key part of this verse is the second phrase: “ … let him glorify God on this behalf.” How do we glorify God in our suffering? First of all, we don’t whine about it. I’ve been thinking about creating a pin to wear that says, “Thou shalt not whine!” I could probably sell a lot of them. Secondly, we look for ways to give God the glory for trusting us with this matter of suffering – whatever it is. You say, “That doesn’t make sense.” It makes sense when we realize that our singular purpose in life is to glorify God. That means we are to glorify Him in EVERY experience. There is a difference between enjoying our suffering and glorifying God in our suffering. It is the latter that is our responsibility. Just my thoughts …

Critical Thinking!

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4.8

Proverbs 23.7 says: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” Our thinking controls every facet of our lives. Paul’s words here are not just something to fill space on a page. They are words of great truth. Perhaps it would be good to ask, “Do we have any control over what we think?” The answer is a resounding “yes.”

Right now, we are living through a situation in our world where there are so many differing opinions about everything, we have to choose what we THINK about each one of them. It is so easy to listen to the opinions of others find ourselves confused about everything. This makes Paul’s words all that more valuable.

Whatsoever things are (1) true, (2) honest, (3) just, (4) pure, (5) lovely, and (6) of good report, these are to be the kinds of thoughts that control our thought processes. Her is how Paul qualifies these topics: “ … if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I hope that each of us can see the critical importance of controlling our thought life. Let’s pursue that which has virtue and that which is worthy of our praise. Just my thoughts …