Satan: The Enemy of God

Today, I had the Redemption ministry house guys all in the church building as we work together through a course on "How To Counsel Yourself". I love teaching this class because you can see the guys that "get it".

Their eyes light up. Their hope is clear. They ask questions and give answers with meaning a purpose. It is just great!

Today we talked about Satan and His ways. What a reminder of the evil that he can do to this old planet. Oh, how he hates God with a passion.

Some of his names:
Tempter (Matthew 4:5; 1 Thessalonians. 3:5)
Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24)
Enemy (Matthew 13:39)
Evil One (Matthew 13:19, 38; 1 John 2:13-14; 3:12, and 5:18)
Belial (Worthlessness) (2 Corinthians. 6:15)
Adversary (1 Peter 5:8)
Deceiver (Rev. 12:9)
Dragon (Rev. 12:3)
Father of Lies (John 8:44)
Murderer (John 8:44)


Where did he get his start? Why did he get twisted up?

Isaiah 14:12 “ How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart:
‘ I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.


But God...


In Ephesians 6:10-18


How do you win the battle with the Evil One? Dress in the armour of the LORD.


To dress is to BELIEVE. To FULLY Trust in. To ABIDE. To put all your confidence and faith in the finished work of Christ. To put not trust in your works or your skills.


The Armour:


The TRUTH: The truth is only God's Word. Everything is subject to this one divine revelation.

The RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD: Not our righteousness but God's. We are justified. Made right with the LORD God Almighty in a through only His Son, Jesus Christ.

The GOSPEL: We have nothing to say but what we have received. It is only Jesus the Christ and Him crucified.

The FAITH: I rest in Him. His work. His love. His victory. His obedience. His holiness. I believe!

The SALVATION: I am saved! I am saved! I am saved!. Thank God Almighty I am saved!

The WORD OF GOD: The Scriptures are God's words given to man. Trust them. Treat them as sacred because they are. Believe them! They will set you free!!

My Blog:A Love - Hate Relationship

I love blogging! I hate blogging today! I love blogging! I hate that I have no time today! I love blogging! You can the point...

My blogg is a great way for me to lay out some of the thoughts I'm having on any given day. The problem is getting to the page every day to lay out those thoughts for all to see. It is easier for me to have these thoughts than to write about them.

What keeps me going are the words of my friend, Paul Johnson. I remember once when he was my pastor and I told him after I didn't administrate something very well, "I'm just not a good administrator, Paul!" Looking for his approval and nod of agreement instead he said, "Alan, that's no excuse, learn it!" Ouch!

I remember reading at least 10 to 20 books on the subject so that I would learn how to care for people and things in a proper way. He was right, I was just trying to give an excuse.

So, today I am open for comments: If you think I should continue this blogg, let me know. If you are frustrated with my lack of consistency and think I should move on to other things, let me know that also.

Maybe nobody reads this thing anyway and I'm talking to myself????

Our Amazing God

It is just like God to keep doing things beyond what we could ask or think!

At the start of the year we asked the Lord for 29 baptisms. 29 new people who would be brought into the faith. 29 new families that would be healed and brought into the health of the gospel.

The amazing thing is that we have never see 29 people baptized in one year here at Royal Heights in over 18 years! We were and are asking God by faith. "LORD, lead us to the ones You have so chosen to taste Your goodness and mercy. Reveal to us, Your people, who You desire to bring to Yourself when we declare the great gospel message in their hearing. LORD God, redeem Your people, we pray!"

Today is the month of August and we are experiencing amazing works of God. We saw 25 people be baptized so far this year! Only God can cause the increase in His church. Only God can call the lost to be found. Only God can take the dead and raise them to His eternal glory. ONLY GOD!

Also this year we worked on our overall purpose or mission statement for the church. Our conclusion was the saying, "We exist as a church body to be On Mission with the Master!"

This last Sunday was a great confirmation to myself that the LORD was organizing and designing His work to His glory. Could I arrange to have the key mission's leader of the Southern Baptists churches throughout the world to speak to our people? Could I accomplish these things with and through my influence?

The answer is "NO!" I am powerless to influence this way personally BUT God...

This week, Dr. Jerry Rankin, the President of the Southern Baptist's International Mission Board preached to God's people here at Royal Heights!

Did God know he was coming to speak here? Did God know He was about to send a man whose whole life is missions? Did God know He would send the President of over 5,500 missionaries to encourage Royal Heights in her mission?

The answer is "YES!'

He moves the hearts of leaders as He so decides. He brings people and resources to reveal His glory and power. This is the LORD God's work and man is the benefactor of His great love.

Thank You, LORD! Thank You, that we never have to motivate You to reach our neighbours and our friends, for Your heart is as a Shepherd's, longing for the sheep to find her rest! Thank You, LORD!

To Be Set Free

We live and serve a Lord who is perfectly capable of healing all who come to Him. He is a LORD without limits. Strength that is beyond measure. All should run to Him.

Without a clear look at God we struggle with so much in our lives. God is a God of mercy and grace, wrath and Holiness, and love and truth. To know God is to know Life. We must take time to sit at His feet and learn.

Who is man that You are mindful of him? God is in love with mankind. He desires all to be saved. He expects us to turn from our sin and give our lives over to Him.

Our beliefs become the means of safety as they are converted to God's ways and mind. False beliefs are the chief reason why we do not function as we should when we have come to the Lord.

Humans are not made to "work", they are made to rest. They rest in God as He works through them. This is a truth that becomes difficult to grasp but once found the load become instantly light. God is at work in us to do His good pleasure.

God enemy is now our enemy. The Evil One hates the works of God and those who carry out His work. He is at war with us even if we don't know it. We must prepare to do battle.

The Lord's kingdom is reigning. Jesus' kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom. He is winning each person to Himself in love. Oh the power of His kingdom. He can conquer every man and every situation.

The Lord's people are His blessing. He has found them to be His holy Bride. The church is to live with the oneness of Christ in us. He gives His gifts to each one of us to display the glory of the Father.

When God's people are free, it is instant! When God's people "get it" they rejoice. When walk this truth out we experience God Himself! This life is the adventure we are privileged to have with LIFE!

Bless His Name!!

Is Fasting For Today?

Common views:
1. Quick fix for spiritual ailments, as if denying food will make up for the malnourishment of their soul.
2. Confusion. It seems good but I don’t know about it.

What is fasting?

Bible Greek word is "Nesteia means "not to eat"
Asitos means "without grain or food"
Hebrew word; Tsum means "to cover ones mouth"
Anah means "to afflict or humble oneself"
Essentially, "fasting is voluntarily denying the body something for a specific purpose." Food is not always the object denied.

Sleep is denied by King Darius,
Daniel 6:18
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep went from him.

Sexual relation for a brief period of time,
1 Corinthians 7:4-5
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. {5} Defraud ye not one the other, except with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Three distinct reasons for fasting:
1. To express sorrow.
2. As a sign of repentance.
3. To make a request of God.

What fasting is not.
It is not buttering up God so He will give us what we want. We receive what we ask for because we are in Christ and obey Him (1 John 3:22). Fasting is no escape from obedience.
Not to impress others.
Not a quick cure for spiritual ailments. Laziness in studying and digesting God’s Word always leads to leanness of soul.
Not a guarantee of obtaining a certain desire in prayer. Fasting never forces God’s hand.
Fasting is no substitute for God’s revealed Word and will never change His will. (Ex. It would be inappropriate to fast and see if God would have us marry an unbeliever.)
　
Why fast?
God places a high priority upon humility. Without it, we seek our own desires. Fasting helps us set aside our own needs and desires. It helps us become absorbed with the interests of others and the will of God.
James 4:6
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
If fasting produces that humility, good. Fasting lets us be aware of how dependant we are of God. It lets us see the seriousness of our situation.

How should we fast?

Know your motive and what we want to accomplish.
Fasting is not advisable to those in poor health.
Be secret about it.