Human nature without God is equal to living a step above the animals as mere men and women. You’re not led by the Lord in your everyday life, nor do you consider him in your decisions or behavior. The encouragement today is to be led by the Holy Spirit and not by your flesh (emotions, demonic motivations and influences) (Galatians 5:18). As we learn how to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives we embark on a journey conducive to our God-given calling, and purpose. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the true sons of God (Romans 8:14). We as Christians must walk by faith and not by sight in our everyday life, working the word of God as doers and not hearers only (James 1:22-25). Knowing who we are in Christ Jesus is knowing the authority we have over many things, especially demonic entities (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus defeated them all in hell and if we act on this truth, we can control the outcome of any situation. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your life.

Returning evil for evil can only lead to more evil. As Christians we are to bless others instead of tongue- lashing, and berating them, as a response to evil. We have been called to set the standard for the world. We are in the world but not here to represent the world by being a part of it (John 17:14-16). Our hearts are to bless others by praying for them when they flex on us. Love bares up under anything and everything that comes. It is ever ready to believe the best of every person (1 Corinthians 13:6-8). We must follow the Lord’s lead by overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21). It can be done once we’ve taken our rightful position in the kingdom of God. A soft word can turn away and deflate an evil situation (Proverbs 15:1). As we learn not to participate with the temptation of getting even with someone, or being reactionary to an offense, then we rise above the evil in this world. Having a new strategy in life to always be two steps ahead of evil and the person dispensing it comes by staying connected to God. Do not repay evil for evil. That’s like fighting on the devil’s turf under his rules, which can lead to destruction.

When God gives gifts to mankind it is without sorrow. In other words, He’s not requiring anything in return and He’s not a giver that tries taking back the gift or always throwing it in your face as if you owe him for it. That’s a gift with sorrow. Some people do that without a problem, and they’re very good at it. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Lord. The gifts the Lord gives His children are usually multi fold blessings. I’ve experienced the Lord’s goodness in this area and can say, He blesses us to be a blessing. And His gifts can also present themselves as a need-met, or long awaited answer to your prayers that can totally feel like a gift. The Lord gives gifts of provision, desires fulfilled, and material things as well. He is the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He does not change His mind, or His ways. We can finally count on someone to be the same every time we encounter them. Stability is hard to come by these days in relationships, finances, and everything else on planet earth. There won’t even be a shadow of turning with God.

The throne of grace is available to all who need extra everyday help for things to go more smoothly. The grace and favor of God does just that. It’s a behind the scenes supernatural energy coming from the Lord that moves unwanted and unnecessary circumstances and horrible situations. This is the grace of God. We did nothing to deserve it, and it comes more freely and quickly to the yielded heart to God’s ways. The grace and favor is already in place for us, we just need to make the necessary adjustments in life to walk in it regularly. As we approach the throne of grace with confidence, we will receive mercy and find grace to help in times of need. When there is unconfessed sin in your life, it’s not as easy to approach God because we feel conviction, condemnation, and intimidation from the wrong we’ve done. So come with repentance on your tongue and He’ll accept you in a heartbeat. God only wants us to realize we’ve done wrong and then we need to own it, fess up. After the Lord sees genuine repentance in your heart, you will have an open pipeline for mercy, grace, and favor.

Are you ashamed of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are, it’s probably why things aren’t going as well as they could while you’re supposedly trusting God for provisions and desires. Our faith must be hot for God (Revelation 3:16). When there is timidity, even cowardice concerning our faith, then “Houston, we have a problem”. Our faith fuels the power of the gospel in our everyday lives. Your witness for God, how He’s changed your life, should be indicative of your faith victories, and your behavior in life. To be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, the study of God’s word is vitally important (Joshua 1:8). Without faith it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). In order to lose the shamefulness and timid attitude concerning your faith, read the bible and ask God to help you understand what’s being read for clarity sake. I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. Help save someone else from eternal death and share the gospel with boldness.

The Way of A Fool

Only fools despise wisdom and instruction. To lock yourself mentally in a box of total ignorance of a better way is the way of a fool. The reverential fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Since the Lord is all knowing, our best source of knowledge should come from what He has to say. Knowledge without wisdom’s allocation can only lead to the results of a fool in the end. God has said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). As we begin to fear God, we will learn by revelation knowledge in accordance with and relation to His word. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness in His word (2 Peter 1:3). There’s no room for the fool’s attitude when you are busy about the Lord’s business. When you see a person or know of a person that doesn’t want to learn, or follow simple instructions, they are stuck in life from becoming more mature in general. They will drop to the lower nature of mankind as mere men and women; without God in the world, a fool’s paradise which leads to destruction.

Having all your children with you, and you know they are safe, is a blessing. If one of the children wandered off, a caring parent will proceed in going after them. Even though the parents have four other children, the one that wandered off is loved and cared for as much as the other four. Once that child has been found, the parents rejoice over that one child like he is the only child. This is how our heavenly Father cares about us. He has much more children than any human being. And the Lord loves us the same way He loves Jesus. That’s almost hard to believe because Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. God is love and cannot separate himself from who He is (1 John 4:8-9). He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to fix the sin problem (John 3:16). Each one of us is precious to God, and He is not willing to do without you in His life. If you wander off your God given course, He will come for you just in time before you reach harm’s way (some of us need harm’s way to reset our attitude and bad behavior). You may not even know how you wandered off, but it happens to us all sooner or later.

Whoever has ears to hear, let Him consider, and comprehend what is being spoken. Many times things said by people are not fully or even partially comprehended as intended. Our listening ability has been affected by the inundation of distractions. There are very specific instructions from the Lord concerning your life (Jeremiah 29:11). Our ability to hear God’s voice is vitally important. Whether it’s through His word He’s speaking to us, or by way of that still small voice in our hearts. God’s will, His word, and His voice are always in agreement, and can be understood through revelation knowledge studying the Bible, His word. One way or another God is speaking to everyone but everyone hasn’t learned how to hear. Once we slow down enough and are still long enough, we will find the Lord’s voice (Psalm 46:10). Then there’s always the question of once you know what the Lord is saying to you, will you obey, and then do it. That’s the difference between baby christians and maturing christians. Whoever has ears to hear, let him or her hear.

We christians have some amazing qualities that are beneficial to the world. We are the salt of the world, indicative of being preservatives for the Earth (Because of God’s presence in us, we help hold back the evil that’s almost completely dominating this planet). In today’s text we are going to speak of us being the light of the world. Because Jesus is the light that lights every person’s life, and the fact of Him dwelling in our hearts, we become that light for the world today (John 8:12). The light is indicative of life, direction, truth, and everything that is good in the world. The darkness has to do with you know what; all that pertains to death, all that leads to confusion, falsity, doubt, and everything in life that steers us to a bad lifestyle. We must understand who we are in Christ Jesus, and our purpose in the earth (Matthew 28:16-20). Bringing the gospel to every living soul is the great commission of the Lord to all His children. We are the light of the world and the light of life in us should not be hidden. We can dampen that light by disconnecting our fellowship with the Lord. Many times we disconnect because we are too busy to stop and spend time with Jesus. He is the light of life that fuels the light in us. Time to fill’er up and shine for Jesus so the world can see the truth.

A house divided against itself cannot stand. Whenever there’s internal discord, (the lack of agreement) the foundation of the house, or a person can’t stand against imminent danger victoriously. In the days of Jesus’ earth walk, He was persecuted for casting out demons. The Pharisees conspired against him saying he cast out devils by the power of Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24). Jesus went on to explain, a house divided against itself cannot stand. So how could Jesus cast out a demon with the help of another demonic entity. The religious leaders of the day were so locked under the law and demonic religious ways, they could not see or recognize the Savior of the world in their mist. Satan’s kingdom would not exist if his cohorts were not in agreement with his plan of killing, stealing, and destroying God’s creation, which includes us (John 10:19). So there’s no way Satan would be involved with getting evil spirits out of people when it is his goal to possess us. Religious leaders and followers are totally broken from the truth of God’s kingdom. A house divided against itself cannot stand.