Not Against Flesh and Blood….. Ephesians 6:12

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

When I was growing up the words of Paul in Ephesians 6:12 were generally valued for the second half of the sentence. That is, our struggles were considered to be against the Devil or demons who might trip us up as we tried to live for Jesus.

More recently I have come to appreciate the first half of the teaching. That is, we are not in a physical war of sword fights, cuts, and bruises, but one of power struggle against rulers and authorities who plan life without God.

In more practical terms it means we ought to struggle against people in positions of power who lord it over those beneath them, taking advantage by treating them unfairly or squelching their freedoms to grow in faith.

Put in different terms again, to say our fight is against rulers and authorities means there are times when we should stand up for what is right, to defend the widow and orphan and immigrant, and not allow powerful leaders to run rough shod over anyone.

Do you see the misuse of power around you at work? Do you see it in your neighborhood? What might you do to give voice to those under the thumb of meanies? How might you help ‘the least of these’ so you can love as Jesus called us to?

God, help me understand that You want me to be a change agent for what’s right and good at work and around my neighborhood. May I be a voice for the people who feel powerless to help themselves. Amen.

Action Point:
Step in to situations where you can make wrong situations right. Or, if you are the one lording it over others, stop and ask how you might seek peace and justice with the other.

For Updates, Advert placement, Online music promo, Publicity, Publishing of Articles etc….Contact: PRIENBLOG™
Facebook: http://www.fb.me/prienblog
Twitter: @prienblog
✉ princeprien@gmail.com
✉ prien57@yahoo.com
Phone: 08052063461

THE REMEDY: God’s Steadfast Love….Psalm 138:8 (NRSV).

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me: your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever” Psalm 138:8 (NRSV).

Most of us have sung, “Jesus loves me this I know,” and recited “For God so loved the world,” since we were children. Yet, we often doubt God’s love. Why is that?

We have three mistaken notions about God’s love:

If God loves me He will protect me from painful experiences. But this is not what Jesus promised. He said, “in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). God uses every experience the good and the bad for good in our lives. He is more interested in the eternal than in the temporal—in our Christ-likeness than in our comfort.

I don’t deserve God’s love. I haven’t done enough to earn His love. The Bible says, we are loved not for what we achieve, but for who we are!  We are God’s beautiful creation, children of God, and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). God loves us the same on good days as on bad days. He is lovingly working out His good purpose in our lives, and for that to happen,  we need to have all kinds of experiences, even the difficult ones.

But I don’t feel God’s love. Feelings are not reliable. They vary with the weather, a good night’s sleep, or what’s happening in our lives.

Feelings follow thinking. What we fill our minds with will determine our feelings. That’s why it’s so important to dwell on God’s word. By doing so, we tune our hearts to receive God’s love.

Our hearts may not be receptive to God’s love. We’re like a pebble in a bubbling stream unable to absorb the water. We need to tune our hearts to receive God’s love. David writes, “But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

” (Psalm 103:17)  By fearing the LORD and obeying His commandments, we are not earning God’s love. We are tuning our hearts to be receptive to God’s love. We are turning them God-ward so He can make His love real to us.

Dear God, thank You that You love me always. I want to tune my heart to receive Your love.

For Updates, Advert placement, Online music promo, Publicity, Publishing of Articles etc….Contact: PRIENBLOG™
Facebook: http://www.fb.me/prienblog
Twitter: @prienblog
✉ princeprien@gmail.com
✉ prien57@yahoo.com
Phone: 08052063461

SERMON: God is Working, Regardless of How You Feel…. Hebrews 2:1 (TEV)

“That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away“. Hebrews 2:1 (TEV)

As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process –

Believe God is working in your life even when you don’t feel it. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement. The Bible says, “Everything on earth has its own time and its own season.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CEV)

There are seasons in your spiritual life, too. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth (springtime) followed by a period of stabilizing and testing (fall and winter).

What about those problems, habits, and hurts you would like miraculously removed? It’s fine to pray for a miracle, but don’t be disappointed if the answer comes through a gradual change. Over time, a slow, steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles. Over time, a little sprout can turn into a giant redwood tree towering 350 feet tall.

Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. This is not a diary of events, but a record of what you are learning. Write down the insights and life lessons God teaches you about him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. Record these so you can review and remember them and pass them on to the next generation (Psalm 102:18;
2 Timothy 3:14)

The reason we must relearn lessons is that we forget them. Reviewing your spiritual journal regularly can spare you a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache.

The Bible says, “It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.”
Hebrews 2:1 (Msg)

For Updates, Advert placement, Online music promo, Publicity, Publishing of Articles etc….Contact: PRIENBLOG™
Facebook: http://www.fb.me/prienblog
Twitter: @prienblog
✉ princeprien@gmail.com
✉ prien57@yahoo.com
Phone: 08052063461

THE REMEDY: The Kingdom of Heaven…..Matthew 5:10

“Happy are those who are persecuted because they are good, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” Matthew 5:10

Have you ever been persecuted because of your faith in Christ? If so, how did you respond?

While Francis Xavier was preaching one day in one of the cities of Japan, a man walked up to him as if he had something to say to him privately. As the missionary leaned closer to hear what he had to say, the man spat on his face.

Without a word or the least sign of annoyance, Xavier pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face. Then he went on with his important message as if nothing had happened. The scorn of the audience was turned to admiration.

The most learned doctor of the city happened to be present.

“A law which teaches men such virtue, inspires them with such courage, and gives them such complete mastery over themselves,” he said, “could not but be from God.”

Supernatural power and enablement by God’s Holy Spirit make that kind of behavior possible for every believer. Furthermore, that kind of behavior probably will do more to attract and influence an unbelieving world than words ever can.

With Christ as our example, love as our motive, and humility as our covering, let us depend on God’s Holy Spirit for the wisdom and strength required to respond to mistreatment in a Christ-like way. Then, and only then, are we in a position to reflect honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:7-12

Today’s Action Point:

Mindful that millions of Christians have died as martyrs getting the message of God’s good news through to men, and remembering that all who live godly lives in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, I will not shrink from whatever the Lord may have in store for me today as His witness.

Drawing upon the supernatural resources of God, I will demonstrate by my words and witness that I belong to Christ. “Happy are those who are persecuted because they are good, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” Matthew 5:10.

<

p class=”post-sig”>For Updates, Advert placement, Online music promo, Publicity, Publishing of Articles etc….Contact: PRIENBLOG™
Facebook: http://www.fb.me/prienblog
Twitter: @prienblog
✉ princeprien@gmail.com
✉ prien57@yahoo.com
Phone: 08052063461

THE REMEDY: Who Are You Looking For ?……John 20:18

“I have seen the Lord!” John 20:18

She was confused, grief-stricken and unutterably weary.

Perhaps going to the garden tomb where Jesus’ body had been taken would ease some of the turmoil in her mind and heart, but finding it empty on that dark morning only increased her roiling emotions.

She had run to her sorrowing faith community to relate the shattering news, but they didn’t believe her story – “her words seemed like nonsense.”

She returns to the only place she knows, the place where she last saw Jesus if only his bleeding, broken body. With tears flowing she stoops to look inside the tomb. Maybe her first impression had been wrong. Maybe his body was still there and she could express her devotion with costly burial spices.

In the bleak, dim light of dawn, she glimpses two men dressed in white who ask what seems the most simplistic of questions: “Why are you crying?” Her answer reveals a heart broken beyond repair: “They have taken my Lord away.”

Surely words pronounced by seraphic figures should be enough to assuage her sorrow, but she needed more. Turning around, perhaps ready to leave this place of despair, she sees a man. He repeats the angels’ question but asks one more of his own, one that pierces to her soul: ”Who is it you are looking for?”

Down through the ages the same question is whispered to every human at one time or another. While we often try to silence its sound with the pursuit of self-fulfillment, activity or relationships, God relentlessly repeats the gentle words, “Who is it you are looking for?”

The Bible says that it was when Mary turned to the man whose voice she heard that she recognized him as her loved and loving Savior. She now had no problem convincing her friends of her experience. Her testimony, “I have seen the Lord” activated their own response and rings down through the centuries.

Are you looking for something, for someone? The simple act of turning finally to the one who loves you enough to understand your broken heart and see your flowing tears can be the beginning of new life. His words are the most profound ever spoken: “I am the good shepherd.  I have come to give you life. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

For Updates, Advert placement, Online music promo, Publicity, Publishing of Articles etc….Contact: PRIENBLOG™
Facebook: http://www.fb.me/prienblog
Twitter: @prienblog
✉ princeprien@gmail.com
✉ prien57@yahoo.com
Phone: 08052063461