Names Written in Heaven
Luke
{10:17} And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
{10:18} And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
{10:19} Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
*
The disciples knew how real devils were-- they were thrilled that the devils would listen to them through the name of Jesus. Devils, evil spirits, Satan, they are all subject unto Jesus and Jesus only. Only one that is with Jesus can cast out devils. Jesus told them that He saw Satan as lightening falling from heaven. He witnessed Satan being cast out of heaven. Amazing! He is so real and we need to believe in the reality of Satan, of evil. If we dismiss the reality of Satan we are dismissing Christ Himself! People have to wake up! WAKE UP! He's real! He's not some fabrication of someone's overactive and warped imagination.
You are Christ's or you are Satan's, there is no middle ground. You can't hold onto Satan and Christ. You can be caught up by Satan and as soon as you cry out to Christ he will save you from Satan, and it's a choice you'll need to make often because Satan will not stop trying to get you back. He never stops. He'll plot and plan, he'll even step aside and let you glory in Christ in fact the seemingly happier you in Christ the better. Having your life all caught up in Christ serves Satan's plans when he sits back and plots to attack you and steal you back. The higher you are the harder you'll fall and the harder you fall the more wounded you'll be and the more wounded you are the longer it will take you to heal- that's if you ever recover because Satan glories in being able to wound mortally. The longer he can keep you down and keep you from the healing source the happier he is, if he can keep you away from full surrender to the Healer then you're counted as his and he glories in stealing you from Christ's love.
This is REAL!
I want to scream it, I want to shout it, SATAN IS REAL!
Satan is real and he's either working in you or Christ is, that middle ground doesn't exist.
James
{4:7} Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
{4:8} Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Resist the devil.
RESIST the DEVIL!
John
{11:9} Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
{11:10} But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
Do you stumble? We have to walk in the light, we have to have light, the light of Christ in us. We have to draw nigh to God and He'll draw nigh to us. God's not going to force Himself on us. God's not going to push the darkness out of those unwilling to let go of the darkness inside themselves. There has to be a willingness, a surrender, and acceptance.
None of that means a person will be perfect, or that the desire to do evil things will disappear instantly.
The initial surrender and the first Christian walk can be so glorious and as a soldier in Christ's army the battles you face seem very surmountable with Christ at our sides, we feel all but invincible, our walk with Christ is secure and nothing will tear us apart from our Lord and Savior. It's amazing and beautiful if that walk continues on that way but more often than not there will come a time when you are suddenly ripped from that secure place and nothing seems as it was. The hope, the love you felt seems to have disappeared. You even feel God has abandoned you to Satan as the assaults become overpowering. You fall over and over into temptation and the more you fall the more wretched you feel and the further and further out to the sea of sin you go until the safety shore of Christ is out of sight completely and there you are left at sea to flounder- to sink or swim. So maybe you sink but Christ never stops throwing out lifelines even to the deepest part of the sea. Satan will do all he can to keep your eyes focused on the deep, dark sea surrounding you so that every time you might glimpse a lifeline you turn your back on it because you're not ready to swim out of Satan's sea.
Yes, I'm using metaphors but Satan is so real! REAL! And you know what? YOU'll NEVER DEFEAT HIM, but guess what? CHRIST DID! Cling to Christ, cling to Him and find victory.
Christ Himself told the disciples not to rejoice in defeating devils, but rejoice in what??
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We aren't to rejoice because we defeat any devils but rejoice because our names are written in heaven. The victory is in Jesus! Our rejoicing is in Jesus.
Every victory can be thought of in two ways- Rejoicing over those you've defeated, or rejoicing rather that you won. They are different. Think about it... if you focus on the fact you beat your opponents your happiness is based on their pain, their loss, their defeat. If you focus on the fact you won for the sake of winning without glorying and rejoicing in those you've defeated how much better is it? There are poor sports - those who take defeat badly, and there are poor winners - those who focus on beating their opponents and do not win graciously at all. A true winner is one who wins and shares the victory with all.
Christ didn't want His disciples rejoicing in beating Satan, but in the fact they won eternal life. Rejoicing in Christ!
Victory in Christ!
Hope in Christ!
Faith- the substance of things hoped for- the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1
Keep hope in Christ alive.
By His mercy and grace, in His everlasting love.
Amen.
5/23/10
Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Pursue peace.
We pursue a lot of things in life. We are filled with wants and desires, filled with things we believe we need. We pursue people we believe we want to have a part of our lives, we pursue jobs we want to have, we pursue educations, we pursue activities that inspire us and give us enjoyment. Today you could be pursuing a nice quiet evening striving to make all the distractions of our life disappear. Our lives are full of pursuits some that are short lived and others that take years to fulfill. There are some pursuits that are life long. Pursuing peace is a life long pursuit. Our world strives for world peace and yet knows that it is all but impossible with all the on going conflicts. Does believing it is impossible stop the pursuit? No. In our lives we need to pursue peace. God wants us to depart from evil, to do good, to seek peace, and pursue it. If we're pursuing peace we are keeping ourselves from seeking contension, from arguing, from being disruptive.
May God help us all to pursue peace in our lives and let it extend to those all around us. As Satan strives to cause upsets in any way He can we need to pursue peace, remember the armor of God-- feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of PEACE.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we pursue His peace.
In Christ's love now and forever.
Amen.
5/23/11
Mat 7:13,14
Enter ye in at the strait gate
for wide is the gate
and broad is the way
that leadeth to destruction
and many there be which go in thereat
Because strait is the gate
and narrow is the way
which leadeth unto life
and few there be that find it.
The straight and narrow. You hear that saying from time to time and this is where is comes from. When you're on the straight and narrow it means you are behaving, you're not involved in anything corrupt. You're playing it honestly and above board, not deceptively and underhanded.
Everyone should want to enter in at that strait gate, yes? The strait gate leads to LIFE, the wide broad gate that isn't strait leads to DESTRUCTION.
Where will most people go though? Through the wide gate and they'll do so knowing it leads to destruction. These are NOT gates that are impossible to find, perhaps hard to find because life will throw at you all sorts of enticements towards the wide gate, but NOT impossible.
The metaphorical gates are the way we conduct our lives from day to day, everyday. The gates lead to the path we are on and we know the path of the world, the path of the flesh, the path of Satan is the one MOST take. It's the EASY path the wide gate offers us. The very hard path is offered only through the narrow gate.
Why do you suppose Jesus is telling us all this? Seriously, why? Our Savior isn't sugar-coating the life of one who chooses to follow Him. Our Savior isn't painting the picture of a carefree, easy existence if we day after day decide to be His. We are NOT offered ANY worldly pleasure. We are NOT offered ANY worldly gain. We are NOT offered an easy life at all in any way. We are not promised smiles. We are NOT promised a life of ease free of situations that can bring us anxiety, worry, stress, pain, anguish, heartache, desperation, mental exhaustion, depression. We are promised a FIREY refining furnace.
Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Psa 66:10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Psa 66:11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
Psa 66:12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ
A fiery furnace.
Life spent in a fiery furnace. Just imagine it…living life in the fire of one trial after another. We really DON'T have to really imagine it do we? We live it, it's called life and though even those on the wide, broad path leading to destruction suffer along with us and are ready to jump up and say they suffer too, there is a big difference in the suffering. Some suffer and use the suffering to promote self. Some suffer and use the suffering to bemoan their fates. Some suffer and let it harden them. Some suffer and it causes them to become more unrefined. One who is being refined by Christ allows the suffering to reshape them, to purify them. We make choices all the time, every single day we are making new choices, following old choices, but we are constantly in a state of choosing. It's true. Constantly in a state of choice. We are be given choices all day long even on our days off, in fact probably more so then. We usually make the choice, do the choosing without even thinking too overly much about it. Then there are things we agonize over deciding. It's the all day long choosing that makes up our lives and a Christ follower will strive to make their choices based on what they believe is God's will. They'll read the Bible- God's word, they'll pray, they'll try to live their lives in a way pleasing to God- as much as any human being can. Those following Christ will hold onto Him tightly knowing it is HIS righteousness that saves them as they live in the fiery furnace.
The narrow way, the straight way that only a few are going to find is all Christ's way. The self-sacrifice we must possess by His grace and power is the only way we will find that narrow path. Clinging to Christ during all facets of our life is a must, He'll bring us through the strait gate.
Read this again--
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Every single day we face adversities- even on our best days. Some of our best days bring with them the toughest choices, the furnace can be burning hotly right around the corner from the happiest days we experience. Choices… we choose which gate to enter. And we Have to remember the widest, easiest, gate is that of destruction so YES we should rejoice as we suffer- if only we can truly remember during that suffering that we should rejoice in Christ, not in ourselves or our seeming ability to survive the trial on our own, but rejoice in Christ for all the strength to endure we know He alone can give us.
Trials will come and go.
Choices will constantly be made.
Living for the glory of Christ our Savior is all we can seek to do.
In His love!
Amen.
{10:17} And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
{10:18} And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
{10:19} Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
*
The disciples knew how real devils were-- they were thrilled that the devils would listen to them through the name of Jesus. Devils, evil spirits, Satan, they are all subject unto Jesus and Jesus only. Only one that is with Jesus can cast out devils. Jesus told them that He saw Satan as lightening falling from heaven. He witnessed Satan being cast out of heaven. Amazing! He is so real and we need to believe in the reality of Satan, of evil. If we dismiss the reality of Satan we are dismissing Christ Himself! People have to wake up! WAKE UP! He's real! He's not some fabrication of someone's overactive and warped imagination.
You are Christ's or you are Satan's, there is no middle ground. You can't hold onto Satan and Christ. You can be caught up by Satan and as soon as you cry out to Christ he will save you from Satan, and it's a choice you'll need to make often because Satan will not stop trying to get you back. He never stops. He'll plot and plan, he'll even step aside and let you glory in Christ in fact the seemingly happier you in Christ the better. Having your life all caught up in Christ serves Satan's plans when he sits back and plots to attack you and steal you back. The higher you are the harder you'll fall and the harder you fall the more wounded you'll be and the more wounded you are the longer it will take you to heal- that's if you ever recover because Satan glories in being able to wound mortally. The longer he can keep you down and keep you from the healing source the happier he is, if he can keep you away from full surrender to the Healer then you're counted as his and he glories in stealing you from Christ's love.
This is REAL!
I want to scream it, I want to shout it, SATAN IS REAL!
Satan is real and he's either working in you or Christ is, that middle ground doesn't exist.
James
{4:7} Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
{4:8} Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Resist the devil.
RESIST the DEVIL!
John
{11:9} Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
{11:10} But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
Do you stumble? We have to walk in the light, we have to have light, the light of Christ in us. We have to draw nigh to God and He'll draw nigh to us. God's not going to force Himself on us. God's not going to push the darkness out of those unwilling to let go of the darkness inside themselves. There has to be a willingness, a surrender, and acceptance.
None of that means a person will be perfect, or that the desire to do evil things will disappear instantly.
The initial surrender and the first Christian walk can be so glorious and as a soldier in Christ's army the battles you face seem very surmountable with Christ at our sides, we feel all but invincible, our walk with Christ is secure and nothing will tear us apart from our Lord and Savior. It's amazing and beautiful if that walk continues on that way but more often than not there will come a time when you are suddenly ripped from that secure place and nothing seems as it was. The hope, the love you felt seems to have disappeared. You even feel God has abandoned you to Satan as the assaults become overpowering. You fall over and over into temptation and the more you fall the more wretched you feel and the further and further out to the sea of sin you go until the safety shore of Christ is out of sight completely and there you are left at sea to flounder- to sink or swim. So maybe you sink but Christ never stops throwing out lifelines even to the deepest part of the sea. Satan will do all he can to keep your eyes focused on the deep, dark sea surrounding you so that every time you might glimpse a lifeline you turn your back on it because you're not ready to swim out of Satan's sea.
Yes, I'm using metaphors but Satan is so real! REAL! And you know what? YOU'll NEVER DEFEAT HIM, but guess what? CHRIST DID! Cling to Christ, cling to Him and find victory.
Christ Himself told the disciples not to rejoice in defeating devils, but rejoice in what??
{10:20} Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We aren't to rejoice because we defeat any devils but rejoice because our names are written in heaven. The victory is in Jesus! Our rejoicing is in Jesus.
Every victory can be thought of in two ways- Rejoicing over those you've defeated, or rejoicing rather that you won. They are different. Think about it... if you focus on the fact you beat your opponents your happiness is based on their pain, their loss, their defeat. If you focus on the fact you won for the sake of winning without glorying and rejoicing in those you've defeated how much better is it? There are poor sports - those who take defeat badly, and there are poor winners - those who focus on beating their opponents and do not win graciously at all. A true winner is one who wins and shares the victory with all.
Christ didn't want His disciples rejoicing in beating Satan, but in the fact they won eternal life. Rejoicing in Christ!
Victory in Christ!
Hope in Christ!
Faith- the substance of things hoped for- the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1
Keep hope in Christ alive.
By His mercy and grace, in His everlasting love.
Amen.
5/23/10
Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Pursue peace.
We pursue a lot of things in life. We are filled with wants and desires, filled with things we believe we need. We pursue people we believe we want to have a part of our lives, we pursue jobs we want to have, we pursue educations, we pursue activities that inspire us and give us enjoyment. Today you could be pursuing a nice quiet evening striving to make all the distractions of our life disappear. Our lives are full of pursuits some that are short lived and others that take years to fulfill. There are some pursuits that are life long. Pursuing peace is a life long pursuit. Our world strives for world peace and yet knows that it is all but impossible with all the on going conflicts. Does believing it is impossible stop the pursuit? No. In our lives we need to pursue peace. God wants us to depart from evil, to do good, to seek peace, and pursue it. If we're pursuing peace we are keeping ourselves from seeking contension, from arguing, from being disruptive.
May God help us all to pursue peace in our lives and let it extend to those all around us. As Satan strives to cause upsets in any way He can we need to pursue peace, remember the armor of God-- feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of PEACE.
By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we pursue His peace.
In Christ's love now and forever.
Amen.
5/23/11
Mat 7:13,14
Enter ye in at the strait gate
for wide is the gate
and broad is the way
that leadeth to destruction
and many there be which go in thereat
Because strait is the gate
and narrow is the way
which leadeth unto life
and few there be that find it.
The straight and narrow. You hear that saying from time to time and this is where is comes from. When you're on the straight and narrow it means you are behaving, you're not involved in anything corrupt. You're playing it honestly and above board, not deceptively and underhanded.
Everyone should want to enter in at that strait gate, yes? The strait gate leads to LIFE, the wide broad gate that isn't strait leads to DESTRUCTION.
Where will most people go though? Through the wide gate and they'll do so knowing it leads to destruction. These are NOT gates that are impossible to find, perhaps hard to find because life will throw at you all sorts of enticements towards the wide gate, but NOT impossible.
The metaphorical gates are the way we conduct our lives from day to day, everyday. The gates lead to the path we are on and we know the path of the world, the path of the flesh, the path of Satan is the one MOST take. It's the EASY path the wide gate offers us. The very hard path is offered only through the narrow gate.
Why do you suppose Jesus is telling us all this? Seriously, why? Our Savior isn't sugar-coating the life of one who chooses to follow Him. Our Savior isn't painting the picture of a carefree, easy existence if we day after day decide to be His. We are NOT offered ANY worldly pleasure. We are NOT offered ANY worldly gain. We are NOT offered an easy life at all in any way. We are not promised smiles. We are NOT promised a life of ease free of situations that can bring us anxiety, worry, stress, pain, anguish, heartache, desperation, mental exhaustion, depression. We are promised a FIREY refining furnace.
Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Psa 66:10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
Psa 66:11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
Psa 66:12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ
A fiery furnace.
Life spent in a fiery furnace. Just imagine it…living life in the fire of one trial after another. We really DON'T have to really imagine it do we? We live it, it's called life and though even those on the wide, broad path leading to destruction suffer along with us and are ready to jump up and say they suffer too, there is a big difference in the suffering. Some suffer and use the suffering to promote self. Some suffer and use the suffering to bemoan their fates. Some suffer and let it harden them. Some suffer and it causes them to become more unrefined. One who is being refined by Christ allows the suffering to reshape them, to purify them. We make choices all the time, every single day we are making new choices, following old choices, but we are constantly in a state of choosing. It's true. Constantly in a state of choice. We are be given choices all day long even on our days off, in fact probably more so then. We usually make the choice, do the choosing without even thinking too overly much about it. Then there are things we agonize over deciding. It's the all day long choosing that makes up our lives and a Christ follower will strive to make their choices based on what they believe is God's will. They'll read the Bible- God's word, they'll pray, they'll try to live their lives in a way pleasing to God- as much as any human being can. Those following Christ will hold onto Him tightly knowing it is HIS righteousness that saves them as they live in the fiery furnace.
The narrow way, the straight way that only a few are going to find is all Christ's way. The self-sacrifice we must possess by His grace and power is the only way we will find that narrow path. Clinging to Christ during all facets of our life is a must, He'll bring us through the strait gate.
Read this again--
1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Every single day we face adversities- even on our best days. Some of our best days bring with them the toughest choices, the furnace can be burning hotly right around the corner from the happiest days we experience. Choices… we choose which gate to enter. And we Have to remember the widest, easiest, gate is that of destruction so YES we should rejoice as we suffer- if only we can truly remember during that suffering that we should rejoice in Christ, not in ourselves or our seeming ability to survive the trial on our own, but rejoice in Christ for all the strength to endure we know He alone can give us.
Trials will come and go.
Choices will constantly be made.
Living for the glory of Christ our Savior is all we can seek to do.
In His love!
Amen.