Overcome!

Overcome!

Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Rom. 12:21

We overcome darkness by releasing the light. Focusing, debating, judging, or analyzing what is evil does not cancel its impact. One tactic of the devil is to keep people so focused on the darkness that it becomes overwhelming. We abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good.

When we turn a light on in a dark room, we remove the darkness. When a room is lit and darkness tries to enter, it cannot remove the light. Wherever we are in this world, we are shining the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. It confronts what is not of the Lord and stirs conflicts because of the conviction the presence of the Lord brings. The light of the Lord exposes the hidden things and makes way for His touch.

When there are happenings that seem to edify evil, we do not hide our light under a bushel, but shine even brighter. We remove every bushel that fear creates and let faith arise as we shine. It’s then that our proclamation of who our God is must become even louder. Our praises increase and in the unity of the Spirit, we put the enemy to flight and overcome evil, from glory to glory! 

Pray to Obey

Pray to Obey

And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me. – Gen. 22:12.

Our willingness to obey the Lord, regardless of what He asked of us, matters on a moment-by-moment basis. It leads us to pray to obey. We are to take heed of the leading of the Holy Spirit consistently and faithfully in our fulfillment of God’s perfect will. It could be after years of preparing something one way that God brings another approach.

Abraham obeyed God’s directive to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice. After many steps of obedience along the way, he was told by the Angel of the Lord not to lay his hand on the lad or do anything to harm him. After all the steps Abraham walked, to stop could have appeared questionable and inconceivable. As our father of faith, he shows how we follow God with a childlike blind faith wholeheartedly.

Sometimes God leads us to do something, only to ask us to do the opposite at a moment’s notice. Are we willing to do whatever God asks of us? Even when it means letting go of what we hold dear? What if it means moving to unknown territories or getting out of our comfort zone? When we are eager to do God’s will, He leads us to do the unexpected. We pray to obey, from glory to glory! 

Finding Rest

Finding Rest

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. – Mat. 11:28-30

The difficulties she faced in a relationship weighed heavily on her heart. She struggled with not knowing why someone she considered a friend stopped talking to her. The battle in her mind hindered her focus and peace. She talked about it to a few people, sought counseling, and remained preoccupied. It lasted weeks until three words in a scripture jumped at her: “come unto Me!”

Our tendency is to reach for human help before going to the Lord. We look for experts to give us answers to our problems. Resources are valuable, but only after going to the Lord. The Lord uses various avenues to help us, and His instructions differ from person to person. We are to come to Him first, expecting His healing touch and trusting His Lordship.

What we encounter can become a heavy weight if we don’t go to the Lord first. One way we know to do so is when we feel heavily laden. Our Lord’s burden is light; His yoke is easy. He bore our weaknesses on the cross. He is alive today and invites us: “Come unto Me!” We go to the Lord first and find rest for our souls, from glory to glory! 

God Gives the Increase

God Gives the Increase

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. – 1 Cor. 3:7.

As believers, we are called to minister to one another, bringing comfort and edification. It is important to remember that we are only vessels. God is the one who gives the increase to whatever we plant or water. Sometimes people we minister to may look at us as though we were powerful. We must resist any word that tells us we are great or mighty. Only God is mighty and He alone gets all the honor, all the power, and all the glory!

An anointed word will always point to the Lord. He is the one doing the work. We can do nothing for God without the Holy Spirit. When He manifests, there is a drawing to Jesus, to His love and grace. Satan uses pride and self-glorification to lead people to deception. Protection from deception comes through submission to God.

It is as we submit ourselves to God that we can resist the enemy. The very act of submitting to God is what resists the enemy. We submit by surrendering our will and our way to the Lord, and walk in the spirit, knowing and trusting that it’s all about Him, His will, and His way. We yield ourselves to Him, and let Him be, from glory to glory! 

More or Less?

More or Less?

 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Rom. 12:3.

Are we better than someone else? More knowledgeable? More anointed? More loved? More holy? The moment we think we are “more” than others, we become less than who God calls us to be. Pride goes before a fall. As the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of the Lord, we become less, and He becomes more!

The self-righteous attitude says: I’m perfect and you’re not; I’m a true Christian and you’re not; I’m right, and you’re not. It places self on the throne and makes others less for them to be more. To confront others who have that attitude, we must pray for them and let the Lord minister to them as He ministers to us. We walk in forgiveness with others and ourselves.

We evaluate ourselves honestly and prayerfully. It’s Christ in us who is awesome, and we recognize Him in others. We are, above all, to walk in love, strengthen and encourage each other, even when it’s not reciprocated. As members of the Body of Christ, we all need and complement each other, from glory to glory! 

No Shame

No Shame

For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME. – Rom. 10:11

We will not be ashamed of our hope, faith, or confidence in God. God’s ways will be done. Whether we are going through a barren season, a dry season, or a challenging season; we can stand believing. Our walk of faith in the Lord will never be in vain. Our faith will not bring us shame, humiliation, or embarrassment. 

We believe Jesus is alive and working in all situations. We might not understand how, but we trust Him with the outcome. God is in control and trusting Him means to be at peace with not knowing what He is doing. Our adversary battles us so we can give up and fail, but God works on the exact opposite. He leads us to share the gospel, shine forth His glory, be stronger in Him, as winners in His name. 

Delays and battles do not diminish our fire for the things of the Kingdom; they fuel it… with passion and determination. We exhort, encourage, and edify one another, standing in a spirit of love. God appoints and anoints you for such a time as this. Instead of disappointments, let’s expect divine appointments,  from glory to glory!