The Christian and the Spirit World

Eph. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The spirit world is real, just as real as the physical world. If it were not our Lord would have not warned us about it and equipped us to deal with it through the Armour of God. There are usually two extremes to any matter and this one is no different. Some folks will either totally ignore the reality of the spiritual, or they will make more of it than is there.

False religion, folk lore, superstition, and Hollywood seem to amplify the spirit world to the point that it is out of God's control and beyond man's scope to be victorious through spiritual attack. Monsters, demons, ghosts, witchcraft all are magnified, sometimes to the point of being omnipotent and immortal...Jason and Freddie never die in the movies. What nonsense! In Scripture we find that our God is in control of everything, Satan loses, believers are victorious, heaven is eternal, and so is hell. The Bible admonishes us to not be afraid of sudden fear. The "boogie-man" is not going to get us.

However, we must respect the fact that the devil is real, he does have an influence on our life, and what we allow the world to place in our minds can have spiritual outcome that is anti-Christ. The spirit world is working 24/7 to defeat souls being saved, Christians living for God, Christ being honored and the Kingdom of our God increasing. Darkness can never have fellowship with light and there is no middle ground.

While we earnestly contend for the faith, let us be reminded that our true enemy is not flesh and blood, but the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places against which we stand having our loins gird about with truth.

What Are You For?

Rom. 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

The Bible makes it plain that God loves souls and He is for us. Not one single soul will go to hell because they were un-loved. The love of God should never be questioned. Some folks equate His love with His blessings. God can not bless one who rejects Jesus Christ, and God will not bless a disobedient child of God. But He still loves them. It would be very foolish for someone to say, “God, if you loved me you would do what I want, or give me what I want, or let me have my way.”

God has already proven His love by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God is for you, that is not in question...but what are we for?

There is an old adage that says, “If you will not stand for something, you will fall for anything.” That is what is wrong with the “can’t we just get along” crowd today. They do not believe anything...they say they do, but they don’t practice it. And the reason a vast majority of Christendom is not "for" anything is because they would have to be "against" something.

We ought to be for the Bible, but against man's philosophies. As the book of Isaiah reminds us, God's thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than ours. At times human thinking may coincide with the divine, but it is never to be totally trusted. Truth must always be chosen over error.

Years ago, I heard a popular and well known preacher say, "Every Christian ought to stand for something...even if it is Hershey bars."

If This Were My Last Day On Earth

It could be, you know. None of us knows exactly when our last moments shall be on this planet. It could be the grave, but I am hoping for the Rapture. I really would like to live long enough to see my grandson, James, graduate from high school. But God has a purpose in our lives and I am very content to follow His plan.

The Apostle Paul's last words in a letter to Timothy says, (2 Tim 4) 6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

I ask myself "What would be my last words to my wife? - my children and grandchildren? - my neighbors and friends?

The overwhelming fact about all this is that as far as I know now, this is my last day on earth!

The words in the book of James are words we all need to pay close attention to: (James 4) 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

My life is certainly a vapor. Today will be what I make of it. The best I can do it the right thing.

What I Do When I don't Understand God's Ways

(Job 3:11-13) Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? {12} Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? {13} For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

Sometimes I ask silly questions. Why did God deal with me this way? Why did God let this happen? Why is it necessary that I go through this? OK, so maybe they are not so silly, but the answer lies in the fact that God has a purpose when He works in our lives.

One thing that has always impressed me was the quick response Abraham had when God asked him to take Isaac to Mount Moriah. I am not so sure I would have responded so speedily. But I do try to be that way. Here are four things that I try to employ personally when I do not understand God's ways.

1. KNOW GOD. His ways are not ours, that is for sure. (Isa 55:8-9) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. {9} For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. God sees and knows what we do not. He has a goal for our lives and a plan to reach that goal. And His divine motives are always good.

2. TRUST GOD. (Isa 41:10) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. I can always trust that what He says is true whether I understand it or not. And I can trust that He is able to carry out His desire for me by His mighty power.

3. OBEY GOD. (Isa 48:18) O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: I should always obey God, regardless of the occasion or circumstance. Every adversity that I face is God's opportunity to show His gracious, mighty hand. From every great trial can come a great testimony if I am faithful to obey Him.

4. ASK GOD. (Isa 58:9) Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; If wisdom and understanding is to be found, it will come from God. (Jer 33:3) Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

God never puts more on me than I can bear (1 Cor 10:13), and nothing can separate me from His love (Rom 8:35-37). He's a wonderful Saviour to me.

FACING THE FUTURE WITH CERTAINTY

We live in uncertain and terrible days. 2 Tim. 3:1, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." But many have faced uncertainty in the past: Abraham, who went to war against kings and armies to save his nephew Lot; Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers; Esther, who put her life on the line to save her people from extinction; the three Hebrew young men, who refused to compromise their faith in Babylon; are all examples of believers living through uncertain times.

Let me suggest four factors which will strengthen our resolve to live faithfully through uncertainty:

1. ACCOUNT THAT GOD IS ABLE. Heb. 11:19, "Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from which also he received him in a figure." Is God really God? Is His Word really His Word? Will He keep it? If our answer is a resounding "Yes" to these questions, then we must remember that God has promised to provide, protect, and prosper His people if they will follow Him.

2. SEEK THE COUNSEL OF GOD. James 1:5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." God counsel on any matter is always right, available and immutable.

3. PURPOSE IN YOUR HEART. Prov. 23:6-7, "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats; For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee."  Daniel 1:8, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." A purpose set heart with do two things: a) it will sacrifice anything for the blessing of God, and b) it will set a high Godly standard for life and not settle for less.

4. REMAIN STEDFAST.  1 Cor. 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." Psa. 78:6-8, "That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God."  Remember, a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

During days of uncertainty, the best action is to stay with God and trust Him to bring you through.

The Curse of Getting What You Want

Psa. 106:15, "And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul."

I like to brag on God. He is a God Who hears and answers our prayers. He always knows what is best for us. He will say "No" when we are wrong and "Wait" when it is not time for the answer. The Lord likes to hear His children pray and will wait for the importunity of our asking.

However, there is an element of our prayer relationship which is little spoken of, and it is this. We can become so bull-headed about what we think we want, what we think we need, where we think we need to go, what we think we need to be doing, that God will say, "Well, that's just fine, you go on, Son and get what you think best, go where you will, do what you desire. You will not listen to Me, so now you must learn the hard way."

God dealt this way with the children of Israel in the wilderness, as per our text, and then later on when they desired a king, he let them have Saul.  They murmured so much in the wilderness that they would not listen to God and their carcasses fell there. Saul took their sons and daughters from them and made them his servants.

The desires of our heart must always be tempered by the delight we have in the Lord. God can send leanness into the soul.

BREAD

I like bread. I don't need the carbs or calories, but I like it. My mother's cornbread was always my favorite. I wish she were still with us today and she could take that old cast iron skillet out and cook some cornbread on top of the stove. O, my!

In John 6:35 Jesus told us that He is the bread of life. He had come down from heaven to be the provision of God. Just like physical bread, our spiritual bread must be bruised, crushed in the millstone. Isa. 28:28-29 Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

Then it must be baked in an oven.  Lev 2:4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

Finally, before we eat it, it is broken.  1 Cor 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

This is the miracle of the Bread of life which we have the privilege to enjoying, but at great sacrifice of the Saviour.

I like bread.

Struggling to Get to the Field

I was saddened today to learn that one of our missionary families (we have supported them for more than seven years) will not be on their field of service when I am scheduled to visit that country. I was so looking forward to visiting them and assisting them there, but because some churches have either lost or waned in their fervor for missions, the missionary must extend their time in the United States to raise additional support.

God has blessed our church over the years for the faithfulness of His people to give, pray for and support our missionaries. Personally, Mrs. Groves and I have been blessed through giving by the faith promise plan to missions. In fact, she is so convinced of it, she trusts God to supply an additional amount beyond our family promise so she might have something to give herself.

If your church supports missionaries, be sure to get involved financially, and prayerfully.

Lost Voice But Not The Song

One of the inevitables of growing old is that one's voice changes. Personally, my voice used to be much higher than it is today. But after preaching for forty years and racing toward the "sixty" mark, the voice I once had is now turned to gravel. Oh, I still have the volume and I believe, much of the stamina I had as a younger preacher. But the quality of the voice is gone.

Praise God, the song is still there! I find myself perusing through old song books and hymnals, remembering the worship and praise that came from joining my voice with others as we sang together in the congregation. One of my favorites says:

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His Word.

Just to rest upon His promise.

Just to know "thus saith the Lord."

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him.

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er.

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus,

O, for grace to trust Him more.

I find myself vocalizing those old refrains more and more these days. And it is sweet to know that the heart of the song writer still rings true today - even if it comes for a gravelly voice.

Sing it true!