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Here’s a Breaking News ALERT you won’t find on any news/media outlets these days: OUR GOD REIGNS!
“God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.” Psalm 47:8 Without doubt these are perilous and challenging days. Compassionate Christians everywhere are appropriately concerned about worldwide health pandemics and the hellish evil the devil has unmercifully unleashed upon nations, including the United States of America. Our world is on fire with hatred for fellow human beings. A spirit of fear, destruction and death roams the earth looking for victims to devour. Fueled by fear, the worldwide war on terror and racial/ethnic tensions have exploded into a fiery fury of panic that is paralyzing and petrifying people on every continent. News alert after alert has to do with what evil man is doing to man. The news is not good. People across the globe wonder if man will soon annihilate himself in a World War III scenario that is looming on the horizon of the human experience. As virulent viruses multiply, rockets are flying and people are dying, is there any hope? Is there anywhere to turn for help in this time of trouble? Yes there is. But it is not in the direction of the bad news of the news media. You and I find help and encouragement in discouraging times from the Good News found in the Word of God. With unmistakable clarity and an uplifting word of assurance, our scripture declares: GOD REIGNS AND HE IS AT HOME ON HIS HOLY THRONE! According to Webster reign means “to possess or exercise sovereign power, to be predominant or prevalent, to rule. The subject of our word reigns is God. The Almighty One is the One who possesses and exercises sovereign power that no man or nation can overrule. No earthly clan of man or any contingent of demons from hell can cross God’s border to ransack His Kingdom or kidnap His children. He is holy. His throne is holy. Nothing unholy can unseat His holiness. In other words, GOD RULES!!! Almighty God rules over the affairs of men and nations. He is in charge of His kingdom and universe. In times of terror and crisis, it is all too easy to think that man rules. Especially when evil men cross nation’s borders and slaughter innocent people. It happened in the Old Testament more than once. Remember the Midianites in Judges 6-8 who crossed Israel’s borders, devastated the people’s land and seemed to be in charge? They did not have the last word. God raised up Gideon as his deliverer and the Midianites were destroyed. Three hundred chosen warriors under “the valiant warrior’s” leadership slew 120,000 Midianites! Gideon gave God the glory for the miraculous victory over the menacing Midianites. God reigned and reined in the evil Midianites. Take heart Christian in these troubling times. Man does not rule over the affairs of men. God who made man does. He has a redemptive plan that is right on schedule. I have read the Book from cover to cover. As the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 21:6), God has the first and last word. That means He reigns! The people who acknowledge His Lordship will reign with Him forever! If your heart is tempted to grow faint these last days, stir up your faith in the God who reigns.
And most importantly of all JESUS CHRIST is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! (Revelation 19:11-16). Look again at what Paul says every human being will do one day. “Therefore, God also highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 Men’s knees will bow, not to men, but to Jesus Christ! Rise up Christian with great faith. Trust wholeheartedly in the God who reigns. God has always been in charge. The temporary rein of terror does not overthrow the permanent reign of God and His goodness to men. Pray for our lost and hurting world. Pray for protection of the innocent. Pray for wisdom for our world’s leaders. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (see Psalm 122:6). And remember that Jesus said all these things would happen (see Matthew 24:1-14) before He returns for the church. Thank you Heavenly Father that you rule and reign over our affairs! “The Lord will reign forever, Thy God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 146:10 “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice! Let the many islands be glad.” Psalm 97:2 A Word For Your Week: Stand strong as you stand alongside the GOD WHO REIGNS!
When I was a kid, I had a hideout. And so did many of you.
You know what I am talking about. That really cool secret retreat. Our secluded place we hoped no one else knew about. A tree house. A rickety barn or abandoned garage. Maybe a crawl space under the hallway staircase. A dimly lit closet or a dusty corner in the attic. A tent or a cardboard shack made from huge appliance boxes. You get the picture: your place of escape and solitude. Childhood hideouts serve several purposes. Being the little guy on the block, I hid out from neighborhood bullies! Me and my best friend also retreated there to ditch our siblings. It was awesome to sneak away from life to be alone and have a neat place all your own. In the safety of my hideout, I used to think about stuff, goof around, dream dreams, and plan things I wanted to do.
Our scripture today tells us that God believes in hiding places. Matter of fact, He believes in them so much, that HE IS ONE! God is our hiding place. A holy hideout if you will. When it is necessary to run and hide from something or someone, it is imperative that we run to something or someone. A safe, secure, strong place for us to run to when Satan is beating up on us. A consoling and comforting shelter from life’s spiritual and emotional storms. A refreshing and renewing spot to run when life is running us down. A familiar,” its okay my child” setting where we can catch our breath and take a break from the stresses and pressures of daily living. Everybody needs a hiding place. Good News: GOD IS IT. Note in our verse David’s unmistakable emphasis is on God. “Thou”, not us or men, but God is our “hiding place”, “my shield”, and He gives us “Thy Word”. When we need to hide, God Himself is our hideout. Two things should happen when we seek the Lord as our hiding place.
Like running to a neighbor’s house for shelter, we run to God and take up temporary residence with Him. And what a great address to visit! The God of heaven and earth! Note God is our shield. Shields protect from attack and danger. “Shields up” (from Star Trek days) provide a protective covering from the enemy’s weapons. Think about it. Who can get through to us when God is our shield? No person or power in heaven, on earth or in hell. Hallelujah!
2. When hiding in Christ, CONFIDE IN HIM. While David is sheltered and shielded, he waits for God’s Word. When resting in God’s protecting presence, we need to seek and receive His Word. Hiding means confiding in Him. To confide means to consult with the Lord and to listen to what He has to say. When we tell Him how we feel and what we need, He responds with His Word. Psalm 107:20 declares “God sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.” As we walk by faith in this world, you and I need God’s Word found in the Bible. While we hide in Him, the Word of God will minister to us, equip and encourage us for the next round of life.
A FACT OF LIFE: There are times when we simply need to run to the Lord and hide in Him. There is nothing wrong and everything right with running to hide in the Lord. He will cover us and protect us from what is hurting and creating pain in our hearts. Retreat often to your hideout in God. Let Him hide you out for a while. He is there to care for you and minister to your needs through His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Need a time out in your hideout with God? “Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, preserve my life from dread of the enemy.” Psalm 64:2 “Thou art my hiding place, Thou dost preserve me from trouble; Thou dost surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7 A Word For Your Week: When life crashes in, hide in HIM. Have you ever needed God to deliver you from a difficult life situation?
I have. As a matter of fact, many times over my sixty-nine years and counting life span I have needed to be rescued. There are spiritual forces, wicked people and stuff in life that you and I need delivered from. I have concluded and personally experienced that divine deliverance is the only way to go when I need delivered. If you study scripture found in God’s Word, the Bible, you will discover that God delivers from sin, iniquity, the evil one (Satan), from enemies, from calamities, disasters, tragedies, setbacks, illness…you name it. When God’s people need delivered, He delivers! God is a God of deliverances. Psalm 68:19-20 declares “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances, and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.” Please note the Psalmist acknowledges that, not only does God bear our burden and save us, He is also a God of deliverances, many deliverances. Not just a one time or a handful, but as many deliverances and rescues we may need throughout our earthly life. While writing this, I reflected on numerous times when God delivered me.
Deliverance was important to the Lord Jesus Christ. His first followers asked Him to teach them how to pray. Matthew 6:9-13 records what we call the Lord’s prayer. “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
The evil one lies and deceives, attempting to instill fear in our hearts if we are not on guard to his strategies to stop us from walking by faith and trusting God for our lives. You and I know what it feels like to think we are up against a wall in life, with no apparent way out of our situation. Exit signs are out of sight. An escape route is nowhere to be found. King David of Israel, a man after God’s own heart, was overtaken by enemies and his personal failures (Psalm 40:11-12). I have prayed like he prayed when I have been overwhelmed by enemies that I needed delivered from. “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; make haste, O Lord, to help me.” Psalm 40:13. You know what David is saying? Lord, I hope you will take pleasure in delivering me, and, by the way, would you please hurry up to help me? When it looks like it is all over and we will be defeated and destroyed, God comes with divine power to deliver! God Our Deliverer
Listen my friends, deliverance by men is a false deliverance. Psalms108:12 declares “Oh give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain.” Men can do very little, if anything, to deliver us. But Almighty God can deliver anyone from anything! His rescue is real rescue! Need delivered? Rescued? With courageous and confident faith, call upon the One who delivers and rescues. “I love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3 A Word For Your Week: Depend on God’s deliverance when you need it. Offense or Defense?
Sports fanatics and self-anointed, often pompous, over paid sports experts have debated ad nauseam whether offenses or defenses win athletic contests. As a college football fan, I really enjoy watching an explosive, high scoring offense. But I am of the persuasion that defenses can decide an athletic contest. Why? If the opposition cannot score, they cannot win! Our current, anti-Christian leaning culture, fueled by demonic influence, deception, falsehood, lies, evil strategies, hatred, chaos, and violence leaves every day folks thinking about security and how to defend themselves and their loved ones. Law enforcement officers, security systems, pepper spray, legal conceal carry of firearms provide some measure of defense against our evil world. The above will help us defend ourselves to a point. But is there someone or something that can defend us better than we could ever defend ourselves? Yes, there is. When God defends His people, Satan and his horde of demonic hellions cannot score! The devil can never win when the Lord is our defender. David writes in Psalm 28 that he was surrounded by evil. In verses 1-5 he vividly describes the attacks of evil men. After describing the pressure of persecution, he writes in verses 6-9: “Blessed be the Lord because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him and I am helped. Therefore, my heart exults; and with my song I shall thank Him. The Lord is their strength and He is A SAVING DEFENSE to His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Be their shepherd also and carry them forever.” Did you catch the phrase A SAVING DEFENSE? If jumped right off the page and hit a bullseye in my heart. Wow! God is a defender that saves His people from evil. When the enemy of our souls goes on offense, the Lord is right there to defend and save us from the evil one. Good news bulletin: today and everyday Christians always win in life because we have an invincible, impenetrable, immovable defender: ALMIGHTY GOD! This truth is worth shouting a Hallelujah or two to the Lord!!! The Apostle Paul understood that God was a saving defense, his defender when he stood before men who were trying to take his life for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Read his word of testimony in II Timothy 4:16-18. “At my first defense no one supported or stood with me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. BUT THE LORD STOOD WITH ME AND STRENGTHENED ME, in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I WAS DELIVERED OUT OF THE LION’S MOUTH. The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring me safely to the heavenly Kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Paul was completely, confidently and courageously persuaded that God stood with him before men to defend his life and ministry. No greater defense attorney than Jesus Christ! What an encouraging, comforting, strengthening word to young Timothy and all Christians. God stands with us, defending, supporting, protecting, sheltering, rescuing and delivering His servants who trust in Him! I say glory to that! My friend, when you feel defenseless, you are not. If you believe in and trust Jesus, He is always your defense and defender. The Lord does not go to sleep on His watch. Twenty-four seven He protects and defends those who love Him with A SAVING DEFENSE. According to God’s Word, I am personally convinced I win in Him because He is my “saving defense”. In my Christian life I have experienced often firsthand how God saved the day when evil tried to take me out. Thank you Lord for defending Steve Roll in the past, today and in the future! How about you? Do you look to the Lord or the world to defend you? Do you trust God or men to be your saving defense against the Evil one and evil men? Why not pray right now to confess your trust in God to defend you. Turn away from the world’s feeble and failing attempts at defending itself without God. Make a definite decision. Choose daily to trust the Lord as YOUR SAVING DEFENSE! You and I cannot lose life’s battles when God is our defender! “Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I take refuge in You.” Psalm 143:9 “Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.” Psalm 142:6 “In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; in Thy righteousness deliver me.” Psalm 31:1 “Let all who take refuge in Thee be glad. Let them sing for joy, and may you shelter (defend)them that those who love Your name may exalt in You.” Psalm 5:11 A Word For Your Week: Win big today in the game of faith with God as your defense. |
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