Life is a battle. A daily fight.  If you do not think so, you do not have a pulse!
 
God knows life is a fight. It helps me to know that my Heavenly Father knows life is a battle for His children. In the Bible, He shows us how to battle life’s battles and be victorious in Him.
 
Turn to I Samuel 17. Review the smashing victory of the shepherd boy David over the champion warrior of the Philistines Goliath.
 
I cannot help but get excited every time I read how God used David to slay Goliath. Talk about a colossal mismatch! Goliath was a nine-foot tall, seven-hundred-pound menacing, intimidating, boisterously loud, trash-talking enemy of God’s people.
 

• For forty days and nights, Saul and the Israeli army were paralyzed by fear.

 
Not shepherd boy David. Propelled by simple, sincere, strong faith, young David charged the giant with a slingshot, burying a stone in the forehead of the not-too-big-for-God giant. Then, he took Goliath’s own sword and relieved him of his head!
 
How did David win? David did not fight in the name of David, Saul, or Israel. He battled Goliath in the name of the Lord…and everyone knew when he decapitated Goliath and routed the Philistine army that there was a God in Israel to be reckoned with!
 
According to God’s Word through David, THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S. David’s fight was not between him and Goliath. The battle was all about God fighting through David to bring down the God-mocking Philistine giant.
 
 “And that all the assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” I Samuel17:47
 
·      Like David, when we trust in God to fight for us, we will slay our Goliath’s and win in Him!
           
I meet often with people, the majority being confessing Christians, who think the battle is theirs. They are frustrated, depressed, burned out, worn out, and tempted to throw in the proverbial towel. Why? Because they erringly think the fight is all about them.
 
In their estimation the battle is won or lost, according to their attitude, their ability, their cunning, their resources, their gifts, and their experiences. The only problem with this approach to life’s battles is that the battle is not ours. Even if it were, you and I do not have what it takes to win on our own.
 
If you and I try to fight for ourselves or fight to help God out, we will fail.
 
Satan, the devil, the evil one, is like Goliath. As a liar, deceiver, thief and murderer, his strategy is to convince us that we can manage life on our own and we do not need Almighty God to fight for us. Satan’s goal is to slay our soul. Keep us from walking by faith faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
From time to time, professing Christians have asked me “What does the devil want from me?” My family. My work. My prosperity. My health. My relationships. My church. What? My reply is “Satan wants you to stop believing in Jesus.”
 
·      Too often well-meaning Christians fall by the wayside because the spiritual war they are waging in their own power fails. Then they throw in the faith towel, giving up on God and His Word. 
 
   How To Battle In The Name of The Lord
 

• Surrender to Christ’s lordship in your life. Enlist in the Lord’s army. Be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (II Timothy 2:3-4)
• Daily put on the whole armor of God. Spiritually prepare yourself for battle every day. (Ephesians 6:10-20).
• Cast your cares, anxieties, burdens and fears upon the Lord. (I Peter 5:7).
• Rest in Jesus to lighten life’s load and to make the fight easier. (Matthew 11:28-30).
• Look to the Lord to bring the victory that you need in your life. (Zephaniah 3:14-20).
• Conquer the enemy with confidence in the One who loves you. (Romans 8:31-39).
• REJOICE IN and CELEBRATE THE VICTORIES you experience through faith in Christ! 

 
Ø  God fights for us when we acknowledge that the battle is His.
 
Ø  If you want the right victory, fight the right fight.
 
Fight the good fight of faith (I Timothy 6:6:12). Stand firm in faith in the One who has already won the war for you (I Corinthians 15:55-58). Never forget the battle and victory belongs to the Lord (Proverbs 21:31, Psalm 98:1).
 
My friend, whose battle are you fighting? Yours or the Lord’s?
 
A Word For Your Week: You will not be rattled when you battle in the name of the Lord!
 

​Gross immorality. Perverse sexual sin. Deplorable, despicable, unholy human behavior is polluting and crippling our culture, including segments of the church of Jesus Christ.
 

• Why? Because as a people have lost sight of a holy God who expects His people to live holy lives.

 
In our passage for this week, Peter exhorts and encourages Christians to live a holy life.
 
“But like the Holy One who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your behavior, because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” I Peter 1:15-16
 

• Our God requires that all who represent Him be holy because Hs is holy. Christians belong to God, bear His name and His likeness. You and I are to be holy because He is holy. It is as simple as that.

 
Holy and sanctified means being set apart for something sacred and special. Missionary statesman Oswald J. Sanders, when asked what it meant to be holy replied “Holiness is being like Mr. Jesus.”  As a Theological Seminary graduate and minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for four decades, that is the simplest and most profound definition of holiness I have ever heard.
 

• Being holy is being like Jesus.

 
So, what does it mean in 2024 to be a holy believer in Christ? It means what it has always meant. Christians have been separated from the world system and set apart to serve God and His kingdom while we live on the earth. The apostle John tells us in I John 2:15-17 how the unbelieving world operates.
 
“Do not love the world, or the things in the world; if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”
 
Lust of the flesh…. lust of the eyes…. and the boastful pride of life equals an unholy lifestyle. Unholy behavior is terribly temporal and will pass away. Holy behavior, being like Mr. Jesus, is eternal and will never pass away.
 

• News Bulletin: Christians are to be different from the unbelieving world that conducts its lifestyle based on pride and lust. If we profess Christ as our Lord and Savior, then our daily lives should reflect the character and conduct of Jesus Christ.

 
My brothers and sisters in the Lord, it really does matter what we look at, who and what we listen to, and what we take into our minds and bodies. God’s moral standards for holy conduct have been given in the Holy Bible to protect us from the dangerous evils and ultimate destruction of an unholy world.
 

• Holiness provides safe boundaries that protect and preserve our spiritual and moral lives.

 
It is high time for Bible-believing, Christ-centered, Holy Spirit empowered people to stop messing around with what God calls unholy.
 
Facts: Pornography is not holy. Fornication is unholy. Sexual affairs are not holy. Perversion is not holy. Pre-marital sex is not holy. Same sex marriage is unholy. Desecration and mutilation of the human body is unholy. Off-color, profane, perverse, blasphemous language is unholy. Secret sin is unholy. Lying to cover the truth is unholy.
 
Believe it or not, there are some who profess Christ as their Savior and Lord indulging in these unholy behaviors as you read this.  
 

• For some believers today, sad to say, the Lord Jesus Christ is no more than a BFF, best friend forever.

 
Jesus calls us His friends in John 15:14-15. He is our forever friend indeed. But first and foremost, as God’s only Son, Jesus is holy. Jesus shed His holy blood on a cruel cross so we could live a holy life in an unholy world.
 
Because of His sacrifice for your and my sin, Jesus deserves to be reverenced, adored and obeyed as the Holy One of God.
           
How To Live A Holy Life In An Unholy World
 

• Worship God as a holy God.                                 Isaiah 6:1-7, Revelation 4:8-11
• See yourself as a holy child of God.                Leviticus 11:44-45, I Peter 2:9-10
• Cleanse yourself from sinful behavior.                                         II Corinthians 7:1
• Flee from youthful lust (Flee means run!).                                II Timothy 2:21-22
• Separate yourself from unholy influences.                             II Corinthians 6:17-18
• Commit yourself to God’s standards for holy living.           I Thessalonians 4:1-8
• Choose to reject the world’s unholy standards.                               I John 2:15-17
• Be an example of a holy man or woman of God to the next generation.

 
Please ask yourself. What does my standard of holiness look like? Am I living a holy life in an unholy world? Or have I been deceived into compromising my convictions regarding what is holy?
 
If you are flirting with unholiness, please get alone with God. Sit in His holy presence. Search your heart with the light of His holy word. Make whatever adjustments to your lifestyle necessary to line your life up with His holy standards.
 
GOOD NEWS! You, yes you, are holy. You can live a holy lifestyle because you belong to a holy God. The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to live a holy life.
 
 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate says the Lord, and do not touch that which is unclean, and I will welcome you. I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”                      II Corinthians 6:17-18
 
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”                        II Corinthians 7:1
 
“Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”                                                                                 II Timothy 2:21-22
 
A Word For Your Week: Holy or unholy in an unholy world? You choose.

​I am speaking for myself and hopefully many others who feel the way I do.
I love my country.
I am a red, white, and blue patriot through and through. I proudly served in our military. I hold dear the Constitution of the United States, Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights that clearly lay out the freedoms and principles our nation has stood and fought for nearly two hundred and fifty years.
I am seventy years old. I have witnessed our nation soar to astronomical heights of glory as a bright light, a shining example to the world of how a Bible-based Christian nation can bless humanity. I have also witnessed a frightening, free falling, perilous, shameful ever-darkening descent into evil by a man-based, secular society that rejects the Word of God and all things holy, sacred, truthful, moral, pure and decent.
My spirit is saddened and deeply grieved as I peer across our moral landscape. Satan, enemy of our souls, is winning in many quarters.
I have asked the Lord what can I do to influence my country to return to its Judeo-Christian roots?
The Holy Spirit has directed me to continue to pray, intercede, stand in the gap for America as I have done for fifty years. I sense an urgency to be more fervent than ever before.
Two scriptures are and have been on my heart for the United States.
“If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14.
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for their salvation.” Romans 10:1.
Note the verses are for the restoration of a nation.
The II Chronicles scripture is conditional. IF man does his part, THEN God will do His part. The Lord is ready to hear, forgive, and heal our land. First, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways.
I believe Satan and hell trembles when Christians pray. Heaven goes to bat on behalf of those who pray.
Oswald Chambers wrote “The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer.”
Prayer should always be the Christian’s first resort, not the last. Intercession, standing in the gap for individuals and our nation is the most important thing you and I can do.
I am not calling for a prayer meeting. I am calling for individual Christians to intercede for our nation regularly with fervent faith for spiritual revival in our land.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for America every day as part of your daily devotions. Ask God to forgive us of our sins. Weep for precious souls who have lost their way. Pray for the Lord to watch over our nation and deliver us from opportunistic enemies who would take advantage of our moral weakness.
Stand in the gap for those who walk in spiritual darkness.
Pray that their blind eyes will be opened to see the light of Jesus Christ who is the Savior of the world. Ask God to heal the brokenness in our nation’s heart and restore America to love, serve and obey our Creator and Redeemer.
The church corporately must pray for the restoration of our nation. When is the last time your local church prayed for America? God’s people must fall to their knees and seek the Lord. There is tremendous power when believers gather to pray for each other and our nation. Never forget, where two or three are gathered, Jesus is there!
What To Pray For

• A repentant return to righteousness as revealed in the Bible.
• A recognition, reverence and obedience to Almighty God.
• Protection of the innocent and helpless from the womb to the tomb.
• Moral integrity to be the rule, not the exception, in our conduct.
• Return to sexual purity in our relationships according to biblical standards.
• Respect and support for lawful authority and law enforcement.
• Integrity, accountability, honesty and transparency at every level of leadership across our nation.
• Cessation of prejudice and hatred for others because they are different.
• The church of Jesus Christ to make winning lost souls its top priority.

Almighty God hears and answers our prayers. Faithful, fervent, expectant prayer in the name of Jesus really does change things!
Join with me daily to pray for the people of the United States of America to humble themselves and turn to the Lord.
For the sake of our people, our children, and our grandchildren pray fervently to the Lord to spare America and restore our nation.
Revival and renewal through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope.
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
 A Word For Your Week: Pray for America

​When I was in Sunday School a few years ago (how about six decades!) my teacher taught us a little song that went like this.
 

• This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine all the time.

 

• I will not let Satan poof it out, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

 
Ah, some of you are humming the song, aren’t you? You have matured too!
 
The point: I was taught that Christians are lights….and they should always shine. In Christ, you and I, are to shine all the time and never let Satan blow our light out.
 

• Full-time shining is what Christian living is all about.

 
In I Thessalonians 5:5-6 the apostle Paul writes that believers in Christ are “sons of light and sons of day.”
 
“For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do but let us be alert and sober.
 
Christians are not of the night or darkness. That is what Christ’s followers came out of. You and I are now light…. and should be light 24/7. That is why Paul exhorts us to behave better than some who sleep in the darkness instead of shining in the light of day. Christians are to be alert and sober, aware of darkness and always shining for Jesus Christ.
 

• Shining as lights for Jesus is full-time business.

 

• Our soul-weary, sin-sick world needs to see consistent Christian witnesses. Believers who are sober in spirit, alert to what is going on and shining brightly during spiritual darkness are the need of the hour.

 
There is no doubt we live in dark, perilous days (Read II Timothy 3:1-15). Spiritual darkness is getting darker and darker. This is biblical in light of end time scriptures. But I also know that light is greater than darkness. Light always dispels darkness. Darkness never dispels light.
 

• The only light that pushes back and prevails over the darkness of hell is the light of God that shines all the time. Think about it. Darkness does not turn off and on. Dark is dark. Light is light and should always be lit and shine!

 
If we are not of night or darkness, and our verse says we are not, then let us not go dark, but keep our light shining in dark places. Too many Christians have let Satan poof out their lights. Less and less lights are shining brightly on the high places pointing the way to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
           
Some professing Christians are like light switches. They turn their testimony and witness off and on like a switch on the wall.
 
ON when they want to be like Jesus, and OFF when they do not want to be like Him. When it is convenient or profitable to be a believer they TURN ON THE LIGHT, and when shining is inconvenient and not personally beneficial, they FLIP THE SWITCH OFF.
 
As a committed follower of Christ who cares deeply about winning the lost to the Lord, I have a real problem with on and off Christians. Jesus did not suffer, die, rise again, and fill us with the Holy Spirit so we could be part-time lights. Satan, sin, and death never take a day off. Neither should God’s redemptive people.
 

• The times demand that we believers take stock of our light and how we are shining for Christ. Believe me, God knows, Satan knows, the world knows, the church knows, and deep down inside we know if we are part-time or full-time lights.

 
Here are a few questions that might shed some light on our light.
 
Light Shining Questions
 
v Does your Christian light shine consistently no matter who you are with?
v Is your Christian light the same in public and private?
v Do you think it is all right to turn your Christian light off and on?
v How do you feel about on and off Christians whose lights shine inconsistently?
v What do you think the unbelieving world thinks about inconsistent Christians?
v When darkness comes, does your Christian light chase it away?
v Would people say that you are always shining brightly for Jesus Christ?
v Do you know anyone that is turned off by your on and off Christianity?
v Does your Christian light light the way for people to find and follow Christ?
v Does your light encourage other Christians to shine brighter for the Lord?
v My fellow Christian and friend, how is your spiritual light switch? Permanently ON? That is where it should be if you are serious about your Christian life and witness.
 
v Turn your light on and turn it up to BRIGHT! Then searching people, who are trying to find their way out of the darkness, will turn to the light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
v That is why Jesus leaves Christians here to shine and turn people from darkness to the marvelous light of God! So be it.
 
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”                                                         I Peter 2:10  
 
 “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”            I Thessalonians 5:8-9
 
A Word For Your Week: Shine full-time, not part-time
 

​We think that a few will not do.
 
Could it be that we have bought into the world system surrounding us that subtly dupes us into believing unless you have mega-dollars, large staffs, sprawling headquarters and campuses, massive networks, or vast numbers of “likes” and followers on Facebook and YouTube you cannot be successful?
 

• Sad to say, even some Christians and churches/ministries have accepted that “bigger is better and the bigger the better” if you want to accomplish something great for God.

 
Biblically, a bunch and big is not always better.
 
More and bigger is better can cause the average, little guy to wonder if he can ever accomplish anything significant with his solitary life. Comparing and competing with the big guys on the block can cause regular folks to struggle with feeling low self-esteem, useless and like a failure.
 
Big is good. But small can be good too. Zechariah 4:10 declares “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.” I love this scripture. It tells me to not feel bad about starting small.
 
I wonder if you and I should start small, think tall. Everything in life starts small! Absolutely nothing on earth begins big!
 
Jonathan, David’s friend and King Saul’s son, shows us what a few (just two) can do). “Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, ‘Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.”                  I Samuel 14:6
 
With confident and courageous faith, Jonathan and his armor bearer slipped into the enemy’s territory and took out their adversaries. The Lord “worked for them.” God Almighty was not restrained by “a few.” Two committed guys annihilated an army because The Lord was with just a few (two!).
 

• God does not have a minimum number He must have before He acts. Most often in the Word he used ONE, TWO OR A FEW!

 
Biblical Examples Of How A Few Will Do
 

• Abraham left his comfortable, wealthy family to seek the Promised Land.
• Moses singlehandedly delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt.
• Rahab, a prostitute, protected Joshua from his enemies.
• Noah, his family, a big old Ark and a zoo of smelly animals secured mankind another chance to obey God.
• Gideon and three hundred committed warriors conquered 100.000 adversaries.
• Daniel in a lion’s den turned a pagan king’s heart to the Lord.
• Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego’s fiery furnace experience taught an evil nation a faith lesson.
• Jonah, a wild ride in the belly of a whale brought a city to repent and serve the Living God.
• Elijah called holy fired down from heaven, consuming eight hundred prophets of Baal.
• A shepherd boy David slayed a gigantic Goliath with stones and a slingshot.
• Jesus spent three years with a small company of twelve disciples.
• An unnamed boy’s lunch of five loaves of bread and two fish fed thousands of hungry people.
• 120 Spirit-filled believers started the church at Pentecost, winning souls to Christ.
• Paul established churches in Europe and the Middle East on three missionary trips.
• John saw into heaven by the Holy Spirit and gave us Revelation.

 
There are many, many other examples in the Bible of a few men and women, who, banded together by strong, committed faith, turned the world they lived in upside down for the Kingdom of God.
 
My fellow followers of Jesus Christ, our current world needs to be turned right side up! Humanity is in great peril, facing God’s judgment, if we do not reach folks for the Gospel. People are dying in sin and headed for an eternal hell. The Bible says so.
 
Years ago, the United States Marine Corp’s advertising slogan was the Marines were looking for “A few good men.”
 
The Lord is constantly looking for a few good men and women to serve as good soldiers of Jesus Christ in the battle for souls.
 

• How about you? And a few. What if God is looking for you and a few to do something new and utterly amazing for His glory and the good of mankind?

 
Please be encouraged in the Lord. Get fired up! Report for duty. Sign up. When God is with us, we are never outnumbered. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
 

• To put it another way, if God is for us, everybody else might as well be!
• A few is me. A few is you. A few is us! With God we cannot be stopped!

 
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God.’   I Corinthians 1:27-29
 
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord.” Zechariah 4:6
 
A Word For Your Week: You, and possibly a few, are all God needs to do what He has called you to.
 

​The American people are being dumbed down.

• Dumbed down means everyone must be the same. No one is unique, special, important or significant. Everyone has to be equally plain old vanilla.

Being dumbed down means you don’t think for yourself. You drink the Kool-aid of someone who thinks for you. The elitists (the dumb downers) must think for you because they do not think you can think for yourself. In other words, they think you are stupid. So, they dumb and numb you down to keep you stupid.  

• Dumbed down people are mindless, non-thinking puppets whose every movement is controlled by the puppeteer.

People who have been duped and dumbed down blindly hop on whatever hyped-up, popular, trending, sensationalized band wagon passing through town, surrendering their personal freedom to choose for themselves. Those who are dumbed down are force fed whatever politically correct meal those in power positions whip up for their consumption in the dumbing down kitchen.
It is sad that increasing numbers of Americans are so deceived and dumbed down that they are riding on a stupid train that they have no clue where it is going. What is frightening is that individual people, contrary to all the “matter” hashtags out there, really do not matter anymore.  
Surrounded by a dumbing down culture, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I have good news for all of us who have no desire to be dumbed down.  

• God, according to His word in the Bible, never dumbs anybody down.

On the contrary, GOD CELEBRATES EACH PERSON! He empowers you and me as a unique person who has God-given potential to so something significant for the Kingdom of God and the good of humanity.
The Bible declares that every person is created in the image of Almighty God (Genesis 1:26-27).  “In His image” means likeness. You and I are like God, who is not dumbed down!  According to Psalm 139, you and I are one of a kind. “Fearfully and wonderfully” made, there will never be another one of us. You and I are not vanilla. More like 31 Flavors!
God saw us in our mother’s womb before we were there. Only God could do that! Every single day of our lives was planned out before we lived it. Amazing! David also assures us that God surrounds us. We cannot escape His holy presence (who would want to?).  God’s thoughts are innumerable toward us. He cannot get us off His mind! That is incredibly good for you and me. Psalm 139.   
And speaking of mind, I Corinthians 1: 14-16 states that believers in Christ have His mind. Having “the mind of Christ” means I can think God’s thoughts. I can think for myself as God’s son or daughter. Nobody gets to dumb me down by thinking less of me!
Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, came to lift people up, not dumb them down. John 10:10 says “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” An abundant life does not sound like dumbed down living to me! 

• Bottom line: you and I are not dummies in God’s eyes!

By faith we choose to believe, to think, to decide, to behave for ourselves. Feeding on God’s holy word, we reject being spoon fed by those who would have us to conform to an atheistic, anti-Christian culture.
How You Can Avoid Being Dumbed Down By Anyone

• Search the scripture. Know your Bible.  Meditate on God’s Word. Memorize the truth. Realize how special and precious you are in God’s eyes. Speak the Word over your life and loved ones.
• Affirm daily your uniqueness and significance in Christ. Never allow any man or system to conform you to their image. You are a child of the Living God! Rejoice in your relationship with the Lord every day.  
• Stop drinking the world’s Kool-aid. That’s right. Do not believe everything you see and hear in the media, read on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or whatever is out there. 
• Check out facts for yourself. Do not depend or rely upon biased, agenda-driven, sensational reporting of events that turn out to be more fiction than fact. 
• Compare what Satan and worldly men say with the holy Word of God. If it is not in the Word, it will dumb you down and numb you to the things of God.
• Resist the herd mentality. Keep your distance from emotionally charged feeding frenzies whipped up by someone who wants to control and enslave you.
• Never, never, never, I will say it again, never allow anyone to brainwash you. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, your entire life, body, spirit, and soul (mind, will and emotions) have been washed in the blood of the Lamb! This is the only “washing” you and I need.  

Only dummies who do not think for themselves can be dumbed down! 
Settle it now.  In Christ you and I are more than smart enough to resist being dumbed down.
A Word For Your Week:  Being dumbed down is never smart.  

We humans tend to look downward, not upward, when life crashes in.
 
If you do not believe this, just look around. These days, people from all walks of life are walking through their days with heads hanging down.
 
Life for many has turned topsy-turvy. People’s heads-down posture reflects the confusion and frustration they are feeling in their hearts. Tossed about by the winds of negative cultural, political and economic change beyond their control, many heads are spinning in disbelief. Disillusioned and discouraged with the way things are heading, discouraged people hang their heads in despair.
 

• Discouragement simply means lack of courage. When life’s challenges confront us head on and can overwhelm us, it is tempting to lose courage and hang our head down.

 

• But life gets hung up when our heads hang down.

 
I see a number of difficulties with head down living.
 
1.     Head down means I cannot see Jesus! The Lord is up, not down. His throne is in heaven, not on earth (see Isaiah 6:1-6, Romans 8:34, Philippians 2:9-11). We will not find Gods’ help by looking around, heads pointing to the ground.
 

• The up look is the outlook of victory!

 
2.      Head down means I cannot see where I am going. Proverbs 4:25-27 exhorts us to keep our eyes looking directly ahead. Why? Because the future is forward, in front of us. Head down means eyes are grounded. Dag Hammarskjold, former UN Secretary General said “Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find his right road.” 
 

• Head up means eyes are fixed on God’s next steps to success.

 
3.     Head down means I cannot keep a lookout for the enemy. Satan will bushwhack us when we are looking down instead of up. The devil delights in destroying people who hang their heads in discouragement and defeat.
 
It is a fact of battle: soldiers cannot fight off an enemy they cannot see. Neither can good soldiers of Jesus Christ crush Satan under their feet if they cannot see him. We can identify Satan and his deceptive strategy when our heads are in the up position.
 

• So, keep your head up. Always be on the alert. Wide awake in the Spirit. Scan the spiritual horizon for the enemy. When you spot the adversary of your soul, submit to God, resist the devil and the evil one will flee from you (James 4:7) 

 
4.      Head down means I cannot encourage someone else. How can I lift somebody up when my head is hanging down in discouragement? It is not possible to lift up others if we are not uplifted ourselves! There are people around you who need encouragement. Encouragement always chases away discouragement.
 

• Head up means you are encouraged. So, keep your head up. People need to see you looking up with the glory of God on your face!

           
Here is a heads-up for success in life: KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!!
 
Tough, challenging times call for courage. It takes spiritual and emotional “guts” to choose to keep our head up when our heart tells our head to hang down.
 
David declares in Psalm 28:7 “Lift up your heads, O Gates and be lifted up ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in!”                                                                
 
Our verse is a reference to the Temple gates and doors. When God comes to His holy house, He expects the gates and doors to be wide open. Gates are to be up, in proper position, and operational---open for the King of glory to enter.
 
The welcome mat is out when the gates are lifted up.
 
Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:18-20). Our Heavenly Father, Almighty God himself lives in us. You and I are to lift up our heads and open the doors of our heart for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to enter. When the King of glory indwells us, we are filled with divine glory that puts a smile on our face, a bounce in our step and a holy boldness in our daily life!
 
How To Keep Your Head Up When It Wants To Hang Down!
 
Ø  Dwell upon the truth that the resurrected Jesus is holding His head up high in heaven, not hanging it down on a cross.
Ø  Decide to live life head-up, not head down.
Ø  Determine to keep your head up no matter what is happening.
Ø  Discipline yourself to keep your head up when other’s heads are hanging down.
Ø  Dedicate yourself to helping others keep their heads up in tough times.
Ø  Delight that the devil is defeated when Christians hold their heads high in Christ.
Ø  Dance for joy knowing God helps those who keep their heads up!
 
Need some help holding your head up? Look to the Lord for help. “But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” Psalm 3:3. The Lord Himself will help you keep your head up and teach you how you can keep your head lifted up on your own.
 
My fellow Christian heads up! Look to Jesus. Expect Him to visit you with fresh power for victorious Christian living! Allow the Lord to renew your heart. Then keep your head up to meet life head on with faith and power in Jesus’ name.
 
 “And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only shall be above and you shall not be underneath, if you will listen to the commandments of the Lord your God which I charge you today, to observe them carefully.” Deuteronomy 28:13
 
A Word For Your Week:

One of the devil’s most insidious, effective offensive spiritual weapons is offense.
 

• When people become offended, love, unity, and peace fly out the window.

 
Jesus told us in Matthew 18:7 “stumbling blocks” (offense) would come. Sadly, offense is part of life.
 
“Woe To the world because of stumbling blocks, for it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; BUT WOE TO THAT MAN THROUGH WHOM THE STUMBLING BLOCK COMES!”
 
Did you catch what the Lord said? WOE! YES WOE! When Jesus says WOE, TIME TO LISTEN UP! The Lord’s word to those who offend, causing others to stumble, was WOE! In my itty-bitty brain WOE sounds like a huge NO!
 

• The Lord knows how damaging and destructive offense is to healthy and happy relationships.

 
Our scripture for this week directs us how to avoid the negative aspects of offense.
 
“Those who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.”   Psalm 119:165
 
The King James Version of our verse states “Great peace have they who love Thy law, and nothing shall offend them.”
 
What a clear word from the Lord. Those who love and live by God’s law will have great peace (on the inside) and NOTHING (zip, zero, nadda!) will offend (cause them to stumble). According to this truth, we can lead a life that is above offense.
 
Offended people stumble through life.
 
Bless their little offended hearts! They stumble from one offense to another to another. Their narrow, self-centered life resembles a rock pathway with each stone marked “This is how they offended me.” Living this way they never experience peace.
 
In my forty plus years of ministry as a Pastor, offended people are the most difficult to deal with in the church. They wear an invisible button that screams offend me and I will offend you. Sadly, in all my ministry, I never once could win an offended church member over to the side of love, forgiveness, reconciliation and a new beginning in relationships. Not one!
 
Humanly speaking, it is hard for all of us to not be offended when people offend us.
 
People living with a spirit of offense live by a lower law than the higher law of God’s love. People who refuse to be offended choose to love others and forgive them when an offense comes. They know that to harbor an offense in their hearts only reaps unrest, bitterness, and discord with others.
 

• Offense robs our spirit of the peace of God that passes all understanding.

 
When we live by God’s law, man’s breaking of it will not cause us to stumble. If we live by the higher law of God’s love, man’s lower law of offense will not disturb our peace nor steal our joy.
 
Observations About Offense
 

• Offense will come. It is an inescapable fact of living.
• Offense springs from a spirit of self-centeredness and personal insecurity.
• Easily offended people never experience inner peace.
• We rise above offense when we do not take it personally.
• Anybody can become offended. I CHOOSE TO BE OFFENDED OR NOT.
• Christ-like people choose love over offense.

 
Three Tips For Not Tripping Over Offense
 
1. Walk in God’s love. With His help, do your best not to offend others. Offense free living is a mark of maturity.
 
2. Walk in God’s love. Forgive those who offend you. Forgive. Forgive. And forgive again those who offend you. They will not like it when you return their offense with forgiveness and willingness to reconcile your relationship. Forgive anyway.
 
3. Walk in God’s love. Do not let offended people get to you. Some folks, bless their hearts, are professional offenders! Warm heart. Thick skin is the best defense against offense.
 
My friend do not be naïve. Offenses will come. If you want great peace, look to God’s Word. Then choose to not be offended…and do not be an offender!!!
 
Bottom line: Christlike living is not offended and does not offend. Pretty simple!
 
“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle.”                                                                                   Proverbs 18:19
 
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard our hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
                                                                                                             Philippians 4:6-7      
 
A Word For Your Week: If y

​Personal issues. Family matters. Financial pressures. Business or ministry stress. Sadly, many good-hearted, well-intentioned, hard-working people are desperately holding on to a thin thread of hope that their life situation will improve.
 
Sound familiar? I have been there, done that, and have burned the Tee shirts!
 
Our word for this week features a desperate, determined lady in the Bible who was hanging on to a thread of hope.
 
Her heart-touching story is recorded in Matthew 9:20-22 and Mark 5:25-34.
           
“And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I shall get well.” Matthew 9:20
 
Scenario: This precious lady suffered for twelve long years from a chronic medical condition. Doctors had no cure. She exhausted all her finances. Alone. Hurting. Penniless. Anxiously holding on to the rope of hope, she heard about Jesus.
 
She needed a miracle. She liked what she heard about the miracles Jesus was doing.
She believed if she just touched Christ’s clothes, she would be healed.
 
Hopeful and courageous, the desperate woman pushed through the surging crowd surrounding Jesus. She reached out with faith, touching the hem of Jesus’ garment. Immediately, Jesus felt healing power flow from Him. Upon identifying the woman, He said to her “Daughter, take courage, your faith has made you well.”  
 
Note: Her faith made her well. She acted on what she believed. Amazing! She convinced herself if I just touch His garment, I will be healed!
 
·       Her courageous faith challenges my faith to the core.
 
Maybe you can identify with this precious woman. You are facing a seemingly impossible situation. You have done all you know to do. Consulted with everyone you can. Sought out so-called experts. You have spent all the time, energy and resources you can afford. Exhausted and frustrated, you have nothing left to give. You are spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially bankrupt.
·       Hanging on by a thread.
 
 My friend, I know you are tired. Worn out. Stressed to the max. Throwing in the towel on your unresolved situation seems so desirable. You just want this to end. Come to a conclusion. Find closure to your adverse circumstances. Tossing the covers over your head, hoping the situation will go away, looks rather good!
 

• Hold on to your faith.

 
Holding On To Faith When Hanging On By A Thread
 

• Admit your helplessness. Surrender your struggle to the Lord. Release it. Let it go. Jesus knows what you are going through.
• Commit yourself to seek God’s help. Do whatever you have to do. Whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do, do it.
• Submit. Humble yourself to God’s healing, restoration and renewal.
• Reach out with faith. Simple. Childlike. Biblical trust in Jesus.
• Push through doubt. Shout down unbelief. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
• Touch the heart of Jesus. He is waiting to do a miracle for you!
• Leave your “thread” with the Lord. Do not look back. Your future is forward.
• Receive Christ’s solution to your problem. He knows what to do when we don’t.
• Rejoice in your victory over your thread of desperation! Shout His praises!!!
• Share your “miracle” with others who are looking for their miracle from Jesus.

 
Hurting? Hanging on? Hanging in there? Hoping? Maybe hoping against hope?
 

• If you are at the end of our rope, tie a knot, and hold on to faith.

 
My friend, push through pain. Do whatever you need to in order to come into the Lord’s presence. Do not let discouragement, doubt, fatigue, depression, despair, anyone or anything prevent or stop you from receiving the healing, restoring, renewing power of God.
           
Reach out to Jesus. Right now. Receive what you need from your Lord and Savior.
 

• When Jesus is around, healing and restoration is just a touch of faith away!

 
A Word For Your Week: Hang on to your faith when hanging on by a thread.

​As I am writing here in Tulsa the sky is azure blue and cloudless. The sun is shining brightly. New grass and vegetation carpet the landscape. Spring flowers are blooming. Bright red cardinals are singing their melodic song. Frisky squirrels are feasting on acorns. The temperature will be a perfect 72 degrees today! Picturesque day in Oklahoma!
But for the previous four days (April 25-28) the heavens were dark, dismal and dangerous in Tulsa and throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa. Severe weather paid an unwelcome visit to our neighborhoods.
Thunderstorm Warnings. Tornado Watches. Tornado Warnings. Flash Flood Warnings.
Local and national meteorologists logged overtime hours warning of the potentially life-threatening storms descending upon us from on high.
Massive, daunting, scary storms. Howling winds. One system after another after another inundated our city with record rainfall. Sheets of rain spawned flash flooding. Booming thunder and streaking lightning lit up the sky, interrupting sleep. Tornadoes lurked within the massive wall clouds rumbling over the plains. Animals hid in their hidey holes. Tulsans and Oklahomans took shelter and cover in their homes while the storms did their thing.
Sadly, lives were lost. People were injured. Property damage was inestimable. Thousands of people were displaced. Within a few short moments, the storm victim’s future changed in dramatic fashion. Folks are holding on to the rope of hope that there will be a better day as they begin to rebuild what was destroyed.
Thankfully, the wicked weather has passed. How different today is from yesterday.

• After a natural storm, we regroup. Venture outside. Assess damage. Clean up debris. Return to our “normal” lives. Then we reflect on the storms. Thinking about how we will prepare for the next one that rumbles over the rolling plains of the Midwest.

Storms.
In Mark 4: 35-41, Jesus and His disciples were caught in a sudden, dangerous storm on the Sea of Galilee.
“And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace (hush) be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” Mark 4: 38-39
Their boat was quickly filling up with water. Sinking looked like a real possibility. Peter thought they were going to perish. While Peter panicked, Jesus slept peacefully in the back of the boat.
Waves tossing the boat around rocked the Lord to sleep. Peter woke Jesus up, expressing his concern that they might perish. The Lord took command of the situation. He got up, rebuked the wind and sea with a “peace be still”….and the crisis ended. The wind died down, the sea was completely calm, and the disciples were amazed. “Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Jesus not only rebuked the wind and sea. He rebuked the disciples with “Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?” I believe Jesus expected Peter to rebuke the storm while the Master enjoyed His nap!

• I am also convinced Peter and the disciples were different men after the storm.

Who wouldn’t be having witnessed Jesus wake up from taking a few “ZZ’s” to calm the threatening waves with His word? During and after the storm, Jesus’ followers learned something about faith. How to trust in the Father when storms swirl around us. I am sure they also thought about not panicking again when storms blew into their lives!
Smack dab in the middle of a life-threatening storm, Jesus declared “Peace be still.” What do you think about His faith? How about your faith? Would you panic like Peter because of the waves or trust in the Father like Jesus did?
The point of the scenario on the Sea of Galilee: FAITH. Trust in God during a storm.

• Life’s spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, health and financial storms, like natural ones, come and go. Life storms have a life span.
• THEY TEST OUR FAITH IN JESUS! How you and I respond to them is a mark of our maturity in the Lord.

I believe that once a life storm has passed, there are numerous things we can reflect on regarding the storm.
Reflections After Life’s Storms

• We can give God praise and thanks for protecting and caring for us during the storm.
• We can learn life lessons from the storm. Especially lessons about faith.
• We can glean and gain wisdom from God.
• We can put our faith in Him to meet our every need as we rise above storms.
•  We can prepare ourselves for the next storm that will inevitably blow our way.
• We can share with others how we passed through the storm successfully.
• We can rejoice that storms do not last forever. Storm-less days do return!

Rubber meets the road. When storm clouds hover over your life, what will your Christian profession look and sound like? Will faith in God carry you through? How will your behavior in Christ mature through and after the storm? Will others watch you pass through life’s storms victoriously in Christ?
AFTER THE STORM is a comforting place to be when we know that we managed the storm well with faith in Jesus Christ.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight. II Corinthians 5:7
A Word For Your Week: Our attitude during and after a life storm is a predictor of how you and I will manage the next one.