Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity bring Fox News viewers their fresh takes on the top news of the day. #fox #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #news #breaking #foxnews #lauraingraham #ingraham #jessewatters #seanhannity #hannity #politics #political #politicalnews #government #mediaanalysis #conservative #tvnews #headlines
Fox News’ Matt Finn reports the latest on the assault against Ilhan Omar and Tom Homan’s deployment to Minneapolis as he works with local and state leaders to mitigate the unrest. The ‘Fox & Friends’ co-hosts also weigh in. #foxnews #politics #news #minnesota #us
Source: JUST IN: Homan gives PIVOTAL update after Walz, Frey meeting
“The Bible Recap,” hosted by Tara-Leigh Cobble, has made Apple’s Top 10 podcasts in all categories for the third year in a row.
New apps are constantly being created, so it’s important to monitor what your child downloads.
“The bad guy’s not just at the bus stop anymore. He has entrance right into your kid’s bedroom and hand-held cellphone device.” Sexual predators can target your children even when your child is in the room down the hall. And sexual predators aren’t the only problem. Cyber-bullying and exposures to sexually inappropriate content are additional concerns. Not everything in the app store is truly a helpful tool for the end user, unfortunately.
New apps are constantly being created, so it’s important to monitor what your child downloads. Mostly, it’s important to know what each and every app does, whether it has any benefits, and where they can expose your children to danger. Our focus here isn’t so much on the geocaching types of adventure apps (think Pokemon Go) where the dangers involve wandering without paying attention.
Mostly, we want to help parents become aware of the online tricks predators use. Here are some things to look for as you determine which apps you need to monitor, specifically the 9 most dangerous apps for kids today.
Photo credit: ©William Hook/Unsplash
SLIDE 1 OF 10
This app allows you to post secrets anonymously and also allows you to chat with other users in your geographic area.
Why It’s Dangerous: Many children are drawn to communicating with strangers, feeling that their secrets are safer with them than with their friends. This app is a perfect tool for ill-intentioned strangers looking to connect with young people because it allows you to exchange messages with people nearest to you (so anonymity can be easily lost).
Conversation starter for Whisper – Why would you tell your secrets to strangers? If you are struggling with something, will a stranger care or be able to help you? Do you think it would be safe to accept their help/friendship?
SLIDE 2 OF 10
All Yik Yak users are anonymous. They don’t create a profile or account, but they can post comments that are accessible to the nearest 500 people (within a 1-5 mile radius). A psychiatrist called this the most dangerous app he’d ever seen because it “can turn a school into a virtual chat room where everyone can post his or her comments, anonymously. Untruthful, mean, character-assassinating short messages are immediately seen by all users in a specific geographic area.”
Why It’s Dangerous: This app is causing problems in schools across the United States, with students maliciously slandering teacher, staff, and other students. In fact, several schools have now banned smart phones from campus because of this particular app.
Conversation starter for YikYak– What kind of things would a person want to post anonymously? How would you personally use this app? What would you post anonymously? Why?
SLIDE 3 OF 10
A free app-based alternative texting service that allows texts/pictures to be sent without being logged in the phone history. (Similar apps: Viber, WhatsApp, TextNow)
Why It’s Dangerous – Makes it easier for your child to talk to strangers without your knowledge since it bypasses the wireless providers’ short message services (SMS). Children also think they can “sext” without parents finding out. In addition, strangers can send your child a “friend request.”
Conversation starter for any app – Are you being safe with that app? Are you encouraging others or tearing them down? Are you being bullied? Are you putting out too much information about yourself? Is this an app that brings God glory?
SLIDE 4 OF 10
Allows you to capture an image or video and make it available to a recipient for a specific time. After that time limit is up, the picture/video automatically disappears forever…or so Snapchat claims. (Similar apps: Poke, Wire, and Wickr)
Why It’s Dangerous – Kids can receive (or send ) sexually inappropriate photos. This app also makes kids feel like they can “sext” or send inappropriate pictures without consequences because the image will self-destruct automatically. The truth is that nothing sent over the internet disappears. There are always ways to retrieve and capture those images.
Conversation starter for SnapChat – Why do you want to send pictures that disappear? Would you be okay with anyone seeing that pic?
SLIDE 5 OF 10
Allows users to watch and post six second videos.
Why It’s Dangerous –While many of the videos are harmless, porn videos do pop up into the feed, exposing your children to sexually explicit material. You can also easily search for/access porn videos on this app. Predators utilize this app to search for teens and find their location. Then they try to connect with them via other messaging apps.
SLIDE 6 OF 10
These apps allow you to video chat with strangers.
Why It’s Dangerous – Not only are users chatting with strangers, they could be chatting with a fake stranger. “Chat sites like Chatroulette and Omegle have done their best to produce systems that warns users when the people they are chatting to are potentially using fake webcam software, however developers still manage to slip under their radars with frequent updates.” So a fifty-year-old man could set up a fake webcam and use images from a 15-year-old boy that looks like a teen celebrity to convince your child to send inappropriate pictures or get information about your child’s location.
SLIDE 7 OF 10
Users post pictures and scroll through the images of other users. When they think someone is attractive they can “flag” the image. If that person has also “flagged” them in return, the app allows you to contact them.
Why It’s Dangerous – This app, and similar apps such as Down, Skout, Pure, and Blendr, are primarily used for hooking up.
SLIDE 8 OF 10
Hides other apps on your phone. You select which apps you would like to hide and their icons will no longer show up on your smartphone screen.
Why It’s Dangerous – If children have apps that they want to keep hidden from their parents, all they have to do is download this app and “poof,” their screen is clear of any questionable apps. So, if you see the poof app on their phone, you may want to ask them what they are hiding.
SLIDE 9 OF 10
Remember, your child’s safety is more important than their privacy. As a parent, you aren’t being nosy by checking their cell phone on a regular basis; you are being responsible. Perhaps your family could establish family media rules, such as having to check with a parent before downloading a new app or game. Having a common charging area so you can easily check phones could also be a good system for your family.
Also, take the time to explain to them (at an age-appropriate level) why you are asking them questions and checking their phone and privacy settings. Many children do not realize just how much information they are putting out there and how dangerous it can be.
Christian parents are called to instruct their children in biblical wisdom (Deuteronomy 6:6-8) and today that includes teaching them to apply biblical wisdom to media. Teaching your children how to choose appropriate apps and use them responsibly is vitally important in our media-saturated world.
SLIDE 10 OF 10
A wonderful tool to help guide you in the internet training process is available at Netsmartz.org. They have many resources for internet safety available, including resources for different ages. And it’s all available for free! You can use their videos for jumping-off points for discussion and incorporate biblical principles into your conversation. As Christians, we’re not simply training children to keep them out of trouble, but so they can grow in wisdom as well.
Felicia Alvarez lives in Southern California and loves avocados, sunshine, and serving her Savior. Currently, she teaches dance to over one hundred students and is working on her second book. Connect with Felicia on her blog or Facebook—she would love to hear from you.
https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/the-9-most-dangerous-apps-for-kids.html
Dr. Neil Shenvi has served as a research scientist at Yale and Duke, and has a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from UC-Berkeley. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and has a new book, ‘Post Woke.’
Tehran erupts overnight – massive protests against the Islamist regime. The people are still standing. After being bloodied and buried for a month, the people will not give up. The … Read more
The post Tehran Erupts – Massive Protests Overnight – Trump Says Large Armada Is Heading to Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
We live at a time when the pace of change is so rapid that it can be overwhelming at times. More change occurs in a single month than happened during most entire years when I was growing up. When I pull up the news each day, there is always a fresh serving of chaos awaiting me. Unfortunately, chaos is not good for the economy. The U.S. dollar is in the process of dying, debt levels are exploding all around us, more mass layoffs have been announced within the past 24 hours, and the cost of living crisis is absolutely crushing most Americans. Those that can look at the information that I am about to share with you and say “everything is fine” are simply not being rational. The following are 12 signposts that indicate that a monumental economic meltdown is now upon us…
#1 Consumer confidence just fell to the lowest level that we have seen in 12 years…
America’s economic mood deteriorated in January to its lowest level in more than a decade as consumers fretted about geopolitical tensions, affordability and President Donald Trump’s unrelenting trade war.
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for January, released Tuesday, declined 9.7 points to a reading of 84.5, the lowest since 2014, surpassing the lows of last year when Trump unveiled stiff tariffs and the depths of the pandemic recession in 2020.
January’s reading came in much lower than the 91.1 reading economists projected in a poll by data firm FactSet.
#2 One recent survey discovered that 56 percent of U.S. workers are experiencing serious financial strain…
Social media is rife with tearful videos of how hard it has become to make ends meet. Some 14% of workers can’t or struggle to pay their bills each month, PwC found. Another 42% pay their bills with little or nothing left over for savings. PwC says that’s more than half of the workforce experiencing financial strain in 2025.
“I have to work 40 hours a week just so I can have a place to live,” one woman said in one Instagram post. “Forty hours a week makes me $2000 a month and my rent is $1,660. So I work 40 hours a week so I can have a two-bedroom apartment and an extra $300 a month. Like, that doesn’t even cover my phone, internet, food.”
#3 According to the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, the percentage of the U.S. workforce that is “functionally unemployed” has risen to a whopping 25.2 percent…
Employment researchers are warning that the share of Americans who are only loosely attached to the labor force is on the rise, and that the true rate of unemployment may be far higher than official figures suggest.
According to a new report from the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP), 25.2 percent of the U.S. workforce could now be classified as “functionally unemployed”—meaning jobless, seeking but unable to secure full-time employment or earning “poverty-level wages.”
#4 It is being reported that 1,500 HR employees that work for Amazon are facing the axe…
Amazon is expected to cut more jobs within its human resources team by a significant margin.
According to Fortune, the e-commerce giant is preparing to lay off approximately 15% of its HR department — equivalent to around 1,500 of the 10,000 HR employees. It is currently unknown when the layoffs will take place, and how many jobs in the Puget Sound region are at risk.
#5 At one time, Pinterest was flying high. But now harder times are here and it intends to fire close to 15 percent of its entire workforce…
Pinterest said Tuesday it plans to lay off less than 15% of its workforce and cut back on office space as the company embraces artificial intelligence.
In a securities filing, Pinterest said it expects the cuts will be complete by the end of its third quarter in late September. Shares of Pinterest slid more than 9%.
#6 Nike just announced that it will be eliminating 775 jobs…
Nike is planning to cut nearly 800 jobs amid an automation push at the footwear and apparel giant’s distribution centers.
The company is cutting 775 jobs that will primarily impact jobs at the retailer’s distribution centers in Tennessee and Mississippi as the company looks to automate more of its supply chain. The news was first reported by CNBC, citing people familiar with the matter.
#7 Not to be outdone by any of the companies mentioned above, UPS plans to throw up to 30,000 employees into the streets this year…
United Parcel Service plans to cut up to 30,000 workers this year as it moves to cut costs, the delivery giant’s chief financial officer said Tuesday.
“In terms of semi-variable costs, we expect to reduce operational positions by up to 30,000,” UPS CFO Brian Dykes said during a company earnings call. “This will be accomplished through attrition, and we expect to offer a second voluntary separation program for full-time drivers.”
#8 The Washington Post is preparing for “big layoffs”, and that could include the entire sports department…
The Washington Post has been around for nearly 150 years and had a sports section for almost as long. But after years and years of declining revenue, it appears that big layoffs are coming – and the sports section could be gutted hardest of all.
According to Dylan Byers of Puck, “massive layoffs” are set to hit The Washington Post in the days to come with the foreign desk being hit hard. However, Byers noted that the sports desk is rumored to be getting “shuttered entirely.”
#9 The largest mall in San Francisco has been permanently closed even sooner than expected…
San Francisco’s beleaguered Westfield San Francisco Centre shopping mall closed its doors earlier than expected.
The city’s largest mall, which saw a string of retailers leave in recent months, closed on Saturday, two days ahead of schedule, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
A sign reading “closed until further notice” was posted at the front entrance of the once-bustling shopping center, the outlet reported.
#10 Pending home sales in the United States just fell “to the lowest level for any December on record”…
Pending home sales, which track the number of contracts signed in December, plunged by 9.3% seasonally adjusted from November, to the lowest level for any December on record in the data by the National Association of Realtors, which goes back to 2010. Compared to December 2010, during the Housing Bust, pending sales were down by 21.5%.
The market is now well into its fourth year of the collapse in transactions, and there has simply been no improvement.
#11 The U.S. dollar just declined for a fourth consecutive day, and it is now at the lowest level that we have seen in four months…
The U.S. dollar fell for a fourth straight day on Tuesday, slipping to a four-month low, as traders kept watch for possible coordinated currency intervention by U.S. and Japanese authorities and a Federal Reserve interest rate decision.
#12 If someone tries to convince you that the U.S. dollar is not dying, just show them this chart…
When the value of the U.S. dollar declines, the purchasing power of our money goes down.
Meanwhile, the price of silver is currently sitting at 110 dollars an ounce.
Many of us have been warning that all of this was coming, and now it is happening right in front of our eyes.
Our leaders have been making very bad decisions for decades, and now we are paying the price.
But if you think that things are bad now, just hold on tight, because things are going to get even more chaotic in the months ahead.
Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post 12 Signposts That Indicate That A Monumental Economic Meltdown Is Now Upon Us appeared first on The Economic Collapse.
Is Trump’s Gestapo getting on your nerves? Looking for ways to show support for undocumented Americans by standing up to federal law enforcement? You’re not alone. Rest assured, there are things you can do to show you’re part of the resistance.
The Babylon Bee has put together the following list of simple ways you can do today to resist ICE:
ICE won’t stand a chance if everyone joins together and follows the steps listed above. What are other ways someone can resist ICE? Share your suggestions in the comments.
Minnesota is the place to be!
https://babylonbee.com/news/want-to-resist-ice-here-are-12-things-you-can-do-today/
The total population of the United States has risen to 342 million, and most of them believe that they will live to a ripe old age. But as the world teeters on the brink of the unthinkable, scientists have just moved the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight than ever before. We are being warned to reverse course while we still can, but most of the population is not interested in such warnings. Instead, most of the population just continues to act as if the party is never going to end.
When I was born, about 200 million people were living in the United States. Adding approximately 140 million more people has fundamentally transformed our nation, and many areas of the country that were once sparsely populated are now quite crowded.
But now population growth has slowed down dramatically…
The United States population grew last year at one of the slowest rates in its history, according to new numbers released on Tuesday by the Census Bureau. The immigration numbers plunged by more than 50 percent from the previous year, under the aggressive anti-immigration policies of President Trump. And the birthrate continued its nearly two-decade long decline.
The nation’s population increased by about 1.8 million over the year, and stood at almost 342 million on July 1, the estimates say. That is a growth rate of about 0.5 percent, the lowest since 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic caused deaths to soar and borders to close, shutting the door to international migration. That year saw the slowest growth since the nation’s founding.
In recent years, immigration has been responsible for most of our population growth.
Of course with President Trump in the White House, the number of immigrants coming to the U.S. is way down, and that trend is expected to continue…
As Mr. Trump continues his term, immigration is expected to drop even further. If current trends continue, it will fall to about 321,000 for the year ending on June 30, according to a Census Bureau news release.
The other primary reason why population growth is slowing down is because U.S. families are simply having fewer children…
A sharp drop in the birthrate also contributed to the slowdown in population growth. The birthrate has been falling since the Great Recession in 2008, and new births outpaced deaths by only about 518,000 in the latest period. That is higher than during the peak of the Covid pandemic, when deaths were soaring, but it is still extremely low by historical standards.
This is a trend that stretches back for a long time.
U.S. women are not getting pregnant as frequently as they once did, and the number of abortions in this country has been going up every single year since Roe v. Wade was overturned. In fact, close to 100,000 abortions are now being performed in the United States each month…
The number of abortions reported nationwide has grown steadily since the Supreme Court returned jurisdiction of the procedure to the states, driven by a surge in mail-order pills.
The pro-choice Society of Family Planning estimates that the U.S. averaged nearly 99,000 abortions monthly during the first half of 2025, up roughly 4% from 2024.
The society found that 73% of abortions were performed at clinics, compared with 27% through telehealth prescriptions. That was up from less than 10% of pregnancy terminations through telehealth in the first six months of 2023.
At the same time that we are performing abortions on an industrial scale, we find ourselves closer to an apocalyptic global conflict than ever before.
On Tuesday, we learned that the Doomsday Clock is now the closest that it has ever been to midnight…
Humanity continues to move closer to catastrophe, scientists said Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The human race is at its closest point yet to destroying itself, according to the reset of the ominous but symbolic “Doomsday Clock.” The metaphorical clock now stands at 85 seconds to midnight after advancing four seconds since last year’s reset.
The clock is now the closest to midnight since its introduction in 1947. It is updated each year by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which organizes the assessment of how close we are to a self-inflicted end of humanity.
It was never even this close to midnight during the worst moments of the Cold War.
When this year’s announcement was made, the scientists that are responsible for the Doomsday Clock specifically mentioned the United States, Russia and China…
According to the Bulletin, “our current trajectory is unsustainable. National leaders – particularly those in the United States, Russia, and China – must take the lead in finding a path away from the brink. Citizens must insist they do so.”
How many years have I been warning about war with Russia and war with China?
In recent months we have deeply angered both of them by seizing international oil tankers, grabbing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, threatening to impose exceedingly high tariffs on both of them, and gathering an unprecedented amount of firepower in the Middle East to potentially attack their ally Iran.
If we go to war with Iran, it will do a massive amount of damage to our relationships with both Russia and China.
This will especially be true if unconventional weapons end up being used in that war.
Tensions in the region are sky high at this moment, and both sides are ready to pull the trigger.
A single wrong move could send missiles flying all over the place, and that is why the fact that a mystery explosion has just been reported in Iran is so alarming…
A military installation in Iran has been hit by a reported explosion amid claims Donald Trump has been considering a strike on the Islamic Republic. The cause of the blast remains unknown.
Open Source Intel, which identifies itself as a media monitoring service, reported an explosion on Tuesday at the Parchin “military complex”, citing journalist and Iranian political analyst Behnam Gholipour.
The unverified report of an explosion arrives during a period of escalating tensions in the Middle East, where a US aircraft carrier group has deployed to spearhead any American military action in response to Iran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests.
Once the missiles start flying, there will be no turning back.
If it was up to me, I would have set the Doomsday Clock even closer to midnight.
For decades, we have been warned about the horror of nuclear weapons.
I believe that we are living at a time when they will actually be used.
At the moment, the 342 million people that are living in this nation are working hard and trying to enjoy life.
But the truth is that the unthinkable is right around the corner, and the clock is ticking.
Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post The Fate Of 342 Million Americans Hangs In The Balance As The Clock Ticks Closer To Doomsday appeared first on End Of The American Dream.
“These alliances have been forming for decades, but they have accelerated dramatically in the period following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie was the founder of Turning Point USA, or TPUSA, which many discernment ministries and critics have identified as operating within a Christian Nationalist framework focused on political issues and advocacy. It also has a religious arm called TPUSA Faith. This organization has exploded with new chapters and conferences not only in the United States, but also around the world.”
(Amy Spreeman – Berean Research) I recently wrote about what is often presented as a newer expression within the visible Church titled, Christian Nationalism: Why You Should Ask Questions, a movement which has been forming some religious affiliations and partnerships that the Bible warns us ought not be.
Christian Nationalism is often described as falling along a spectrum, but when defined by its own leaders and theological advocates, it takes the focus off the mission of the Bride of Christ and places it elsewhere….
It’s a specific identity as well as a theological and political ideology that seeks to ‘bring the Kingdom of God to earth’ — language commonly used within dominionist and Kingdom Now circles — through coercive laws and cultural dominance to bring about a so-called Golden Age of Christian dominance before or (in a growing normalcy of cases) “so that” – Christ can return. Bringing Christ back as king of our political cause is the Dominionism’s end game.
This is NOT about patriotism, or voting and standing up for what’s right and against what’s wrong. We all should do this in obedience to God. Christian Nationalism is about control and coercion, which is opposite from spreading the Good News of the Gospel. View article →
Related
Guilty of Christian Nationalism? – Peter Jones TruthXchange
CRN has compiled a list of false teachers and several other professing Christians we’ve warned you about over the years. The list also contains those we must keep an eye on plus movements, organizations and “frauds, phonies and money-grubbing religious quacks” to mark and avoid as per Romans 16:17-18
Source: A Biblical Warning About TPUSA, Dominionism, and False Unity
For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. (1:7)
A second means for guarding against being ashamed of Christ is to consider our divine resources. The Greek verb (didōmi) behind has not given is in the aorist active indicative tense, showing past completed action. God already has provided for us the resources.
The Lord may withhold special help until we have special need. Jesus told the Twelve, “When they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matt. 10:19–20). But God provided everything we need for everyday faithful living and service when we first believed.
From a negative perspective, we can be sure that any spirit of timidity we might have is not from God. Both testaments speak of a fitting and proper fear of God, in the sense of awe and reverence. But deilia is a timid, cowardly, shameful fear that is generated by weak, selfish character. The Lord is never responsible for our cowardice, our lack of confidence, or our being shameful of Him. The noun deilia (timidity) is used only here in the New Testament and, unlike the more common term for fear (phobos), carries a generally negative meaning.
The resources we have from our heavenly Father are power and love and discipline. When we are vacillating and apprehensive, we can be sure it is because our focus is on ourselves and our own human resources rather than on the Lord and His available divine resources.
Dunamis (power) denotes great force, or energy, and is the term from which we get dynamic and dynamite. It also carries the connotation of effective, productive energy, rather than that which is raw and unbridled. God provides us with His power in order for us to be effective in His service. Paul did not pray that believers in Ephesus might be given divine power but that they might be aware of the divine power they already possessed. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,” he wrote, “so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:18–20). Through Christ we have the resource of God’s own supernatural power, the very power He used to raise Christ from the dead.
Although Old Testament saints were not indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the same degree of fullness that New Testament believers are (cf. John 14:17), they did have the resource of God’s Spirit providing divine help as they lived and served Him. They understood, as Zechariah declared to Zerubbabel, that their strength was not by human “ ‘might nor … power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6).
It is of utmost importance to understand that God does not provide His power for us to misappropriate for our own purposes. He provides His power to accomplish His purposes through us. When our trust is only in Him, and our desire is only to serve Him, He is both willing and “able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph. 3:20).
God also has given every believer the resource of His own divine love, which, like His power, we received at the time of our new birth. In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul exulted, “The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
The love we have from God is agapē, the volitional and selfless love that desires and works for the best interests of the one loved. It is not emotional and conditional, as philos love often is, and has nothing in common with erōs love, which is sensual and selfish. The love we have from God is constant. It does not share the ebb and flow or the unpredictability of those other loves. It is a self-denying grace that says to others, in effect, “I will give myself away on your behalf.” Directed back to God, from whom it came, it says, “I will give my life and everything I have to serve you.” It is the believer’s “love in the Spirit” (Col. 1:8), the divinely-bestowed love of the one who will “lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). It is the “sincere love of the brethren” by which we “fervently love one another from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22), the “perfect love [that] casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). It is the love that affirms without reservation or hesitation: “If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8). Above all, it is “the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:19).
Our spiritual lives are measured accurately by our love. If our first love is for self, our life will center on seeking our own welfare, our own objectives, our own comfort and success. We will not sacrifice ourselves for others or even for the Lord. But if we love with the love God provides, our life will center on pleasing Him and on seeking the welfare of others, especially other Christians. Godly love is the first fruit of the Spirit, and it is manifested when we “live by the Spirit [and] … walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22, 25).
Sōphronismos (discipline) has the literal meaning of a secure and sound mind, but it also carries the additional idea of a self-controlled, disciplined, and properly prioritized mind. God-given discipline allows believers to control every element of their lives, whether positive or negative. It allows them to experience success without becoming proud and to suffer failure without becoming bitter or hopeless. The disciplined life is the divinely ordered life, in which godly wisdom is applied to every situation.
In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul uses the verb form of the term, admonishing, “I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment [sōphrone], as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). In his first letter to Timothy (3:2) and in his letter to Titus (1:8; cf. 2:2), he used the adjective form to describe a key quality that should characterize overseers, namely, that of being prudent and sensible.
When we live by the godly discipline that our gracious Lord supplies, our priorities are placed in the right order, and every aspect of our lives is devoted to advancing the cause of Christ. Because of his Spirit-empowered discipline, Paul could say, “I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:26–27).
The great spiritual triumvirate of power, love, and discipline belong to every believer. These are not natural endowments. We are not born with them, and they cannot be learned in a classroom or developed from experience. They are not the result of heritage or environment or instruction. But all believers possess these marvelous, God-given endowments: power, to be effective in His service; love, to have the right attitude toward Him and others; and discipline, to focus and apply every part of our lives according to His will.
When those endowments are all present, marvelous results occur. No better statement affirming this reality can be found than in Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, to whom he said,
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:14–21; emphasis added)
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). 2 Timothy (pp. 17–20). Moody Press.
7 In order to strengthen the admonition, Paul adds to his acknowledgment of Timothy’s genuine faith a theological reason for stepping back into action. This reason (“for”; gar) is to be found in the recollection of a theology of the Holy Spirit. The language of this verse is very similar to Rom 8:15:
Rom 8:15—[For] the Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.2 Tim 1:7—For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.Although the texts are not identical, the latter text must be understood as a conscious echo of the earlier teaching about the Spirit. The text is reshaped to meet the present need. In this ministry context, Paul transposes the concern expressed in Romans for enslavement to the law (douleias) to timidity (deilias) in the face of opposition. But the intentional shift to a near homophone at the same time opens the door to another echo—this time of the command spoken by the Lord in the commissioning of Joshua:
Joshua 1:9—I have commanded thee; be strong and courageous, be not cowardly [deiliasēs] nor fearful, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (cf. 8:1).
The verbal echo, if present, is admittedly faint. But the tone, narrative setting and intention of the instructions create a plausible match. The effect would be to call on the image of Joshua, who in his commissioning was urged to be strong and courageous and not timid because God would be present. In the Pauline adaptation of the OT promise, Timothy, by virtue of the Spirit in him, can count on the same protective presence of God.
In the end, both the connection to Rom 8:15 and the present language itself make clear that it is God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, and qualities associated with this gift, that provides the reason Paul’s logic requires. First, the echoing of Romans reveals that the intended backdrop to this teaching is Paul’s fundamental teaching about the Spirit and Christian identity—possession of this gift ensures and confirms adoption into God’s family (Rom 8:14–17). Corresponding to this is the general description of the recipients of this gift as “us,” which is most probably a reference to all believers. Further, the qualities ascribed to the Spirit’s presence—“power, love, self-discipline”—are not the type we would normally limit to a discussion of church office or ministering gifts, though here they are applied to the task confronting Timothy. Consequently, as Paul initiates this opening exhortation concerning Timothy’s return to ministry, his basis is the fact that Timothy possesses the Spirit that God promised to give to his people.
The description of the Spirit consists of contrasting negative and positive qualities. Presumably, the negative trait that stands in contradiction to the Spirit, “timidity, or cowardice” does in some sense describe Timothy’s situation. The context implies that this weakness has revealed itself in a reluctance to stand openly for the gospel and for Paul, its imprisoned spokesman. While Timothy may have been predisposed to fearfulness (1 Cor 16:10), even a modest reconstruction of the turbulent church situation depicted in 1 and 2 Timothy gives enough reason for his reluctance. Opposition to Paul’s gospel and rejection of his authority are evident from the over-realized doctrine of the resurrection identified in 2:17–18. If the letter reflects the continuation and growth of problems with false teachers addressed by 1 Timothy, then it is not hard to imagine Timothy, feeling outnumbered and outmaneuvered with his own delegated authority in doubt, cowering in the face of threats and Paul’s declining reputation. “Timidity” parallels the following admonition “do not be ashamed” (v. 8). Timothy’s confidence and courage to stand for the gospel had received a hard blow.
In contrast, three positive qualities characterize the presence of the Holy Spirit. The first is “power.” This particular quality is central to this entire discussion of Timothy’s renewal for ministry (1:8, 12; 2:1). It is a basic characteristic of God (e.g. Josh 4:24; 5:14), and it is so intrinsic to the understanding of the Spirit that it is almost a tautology to speak, as Paul does here literally, of the “Spirit of power.” There is no need to narrow the meaning down to any particular manifestation of power in this passage; what is essential is to note the link between the supply of God’s power and the experience of sufficient boldness for ministry. In this context “power” is linked to witness and willingness to undergo suffering (1:8).
The second mark of the Spirit is “love” (1:13; 2:22; 3:10; see on 1 Tim 1:5). This is one of several components characteristic of authentic Christian existence as portrayed in these letters that Timothy is especially to pursue and exhibit. It often occurs alongside “faith,” identifying the observable dimension of Christianity as service to others done in the power of the Spirit (cf. Gal 5:6; 22–23; 1 Tim 2:15 note).
Third in the list is a quality that can be viewed from several perspectives as either “self-discipline,” “self-control,” “discretion,” “moderation,” or “prudence.” The word group to which this term belongs is also integral to the interpretation of the Christian life in these three letters, and it was a dominant feature in secular ethical thought (see 1 Tim 2:9 Excursus). It depicts the self-control over one’s actions and thoughts that prevents rash behavior and aids balanced assessment of situations. In this context, it would apply to Timothy’s appraisal of the situation of opposition and confrontation and allow him the clarity of thought necessary to trust in the invisible God despite the threats of very visible opponents.
Paul’s logic in vv. 6–7 seems to develop as follows. Reference to “the gift” conveyed in some sense to Timothy by the laying on of the apostle’s hands (v. 6) is interpreted, almost doctrinally with the allusion to Romans, in terms of the gift of Holy Spirit “given” by God to all believers at conversion (v. 7). The reflection/reminiscence seems to be of Timothy’s conversion (or of Paul’s confirmation of it) when he received the Holy Spirit and his commission to join the mission to the Gentiles. An additional allusion to the Joshua commissioning would reinforce the reminder of Spirit-power and courage. The present exhortation calls Timothy to renew his dependence upon the Spirit in him (v. 6), whose presence means “power” for the challenges of the task at hand (v. 7). This “power” will assume the manifestation appropriate for the situation.
Towner, P. H. (2006). The Letters to Timothy and Titus (pp. 460–463). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
But more important than that, most Christians fail to see their weakness in relation to God’s strength. Because of this failure, many Christians live a life of frustration and guilt. And God doesn’t sell frustration and guilt in his store…so if you have them, you didn’t get them from him.
Not too long ago a man came to see me who was one the most miserable looking individuals I have ever seen. As we talked I discovered he had made some very important promises to God. He had promised he would give his life wholly and completely to God. He had promised that at every opportunity he would be a faithful witness for Jesus. He had promised that in all of his actions he would be clean and pure. He had promised he would burn himself out.
Now those were laudable promises, and I am sure God heard them and was pleased. However, there was a problem. As this young man tried to live his life, as he got out into the grind of just keeping on keeping on, he found that no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t keep his promises. There had been times when he knew he should have witnessed for Christ, but on those occasions he had decided that silence was better and easier. He had not been absolutely pure and righteous. He had not really burned himself out for God—in fact, he had hardly gone near the flame. And now, he had failed so often, he came to tell me that he was giving the whole thing up.
There are thousands of Christians just like this man who have a strong desire to follow Christ wherever he should lead and yet want to give it up when they find they aren’t strong enough or good enough or spiritual enough. God has just demanded too much, they say, and the impossibility of the whole enterprise either makes for hypocrites or failures.
The root of the difficulty is this: Most of us feel that God can’t do without us—if we fail, God fails. That is one of the greatest lies ever perpetrated on the Christian community. Everything doesn’t depend on you, and the sooner each Christian learns that truth the better. One of the reasons Jesus formed the church was to make up the difference between what individuals ought to do and what they do.
Somewhere, perhaps from those of us who don’t make clear exactly what the Christian life involves, some new Christians (and some older ones too) have gotten the idea that when they become Christians they somehow become superhuman, and if they don’t see superhuman qualities in their lives they feel they must not really be Christians. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In his or her position of new life the Christian is, in fact, a completely new creature. There is now the power to do and will many things that were not possible before. However, that does not mean that all of a sudden the Christian is not human anymore. Spiritual depression, failure, hurt, and sin are still present in the Christian, and a feeling that none of these things should ever happen to a Christian only makes them seem even worse.
When you stick a Christian with a pin, she bleeds just like everyone else. If a Christian jumps off a ten-story building, he dies just like everyone else. Some Christians do have financial problems, family problems, and health problems. Time after time I have heard Christians say, “I thought I was a Christian, but I know now that I was just being idealistic.” In other words, they are saying, “I thought I was perfect, but now I know I’m not.” The danger is in equating being perfect with being Christian. If you have been doing that, I have some very good news for you: Christians are human too.
Listen to what one of the finest Christians who ever lived, the Apostle Paul, had to say about physical problems: “So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). What Paul is saying is that Christians are just as physically weak as other human beings.
The good news the Bible has for Christians who suffer from physical problems is that God knows and understands. No matter how much pain you suffer, no matter how tired you get, no matter how weak you are, God knows that you are an “earthen vessel” and he will love you and use you anyway. Catherine Booth said she could not remember a time in her life when she was without pain. Beethoven was the son of an alcoholic and became deaf at the age of twenty-eight. When Handel wrote the Messiah he was suffering from a paralyzed right side and right arm. Ignatius Loyola suffered from lifelong pain. Fanny Crosby was blind. And we could go on and on. The point is this: Your physical weakness is not a sign of God’s disfavor; it is what God has promised to help you overcome and use.
I believe God does perform miracles of healing in our time. Any pastor can give you incident after incident of God’s healing power. But to say that is a far cry from saying that God’s healing is given as a reward for goodness, piety, or spirituality. The Christian life is not a life of power without pressure. It is power under pressure. That includes the pressure of physical weakness. One of the great dangers involved in the resurgence of interest in spiritual healing in our time is the danger of those who aren’t healed feeling that the fault lies within themselves. That just isn’t true. Helen Keller said on one occasion that she thanked God for her handicaps because through them she had found herself, her work, and her God.
I don’t know what your physical problem is right now, or what it will be in the future. Sometimes God in his grace sees fit to provide healing—but sometimes he doesn’t. Whatever he does is best for you and should not cause guilt because his “grace is sufficient for you,” and his “power is made perfect in weakness.” Sickness can be God’s gift as much as health.
Christians are not only weak physically; they are still human in regard to sin. Now what I say here should not be misunderstood. I am not saying that sin is okay. I am not saying that because it is human to sin it is all right to sin. John and I have the same goal: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John 2:1-2).
Again let’s look at the words of the Apostle Paul: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:15-19).
And we say, “Now wait a minute, Paul. You’re supposed to be Paul, super-Christian. You are an apostle. You wrote much of the New Testament. You were the first Christian missionary. You certainly don’t mean you still had a problem with sin after all that. You certainly don’t mean you fell short of God’s demands.” If Paul were here I am sure he would say, “That’s exactly what I mean!”
One of Satan’s greatest tricks is to say to the Christian who has sinned, “Ah, you’ve done it again…after all that talking about being such a dedicated Christian. You aren’t any more a Christian than I am a Christian. How could you be a Christian and act as you do? You aren’t a Christian—you are a hypocrite.” And then the Christian says, “You know, you’re right. I’m not a Christian.” It’s a trap.
Let me give you the spiritual cycle in which many Christians live. They promise God that they will follow him no matter what, and they sincerely try—and fail. Then they say to themselves, “I have tried and failed, therefore I’m not worthy [which is precisely the point].” Then the Christian is hesitant to go before God because of the sin and becomes spiritually dead. But in the midst of the deadness, the Christian realizes he or she can’t live without God and goes to him and starts the whole process again. The good news of the Christian faith is that that kind of cycle is a lie. The Christian is the person who, more than anyone else, realizes his or her own imperfection and depends on Christ alone to make up for it. That kind of dependence removes guilt and provides power to overcome the sin.
There was a small college in the Midwest that used to advertise it was “seven miles from any known sin.” Would to God it were true! I would go there and live the rest of my life. But our sin isn’t so much outside us, is it? It is part of us, and that is why it hurts so much. God has provided the power to overcome the sin about which you are aware right now. The chances are that when you have, by his grace, overcome it, he will show you other sins with which you must deal. Dealing with sin is a lifelong process. Guilt over something that is a part of your nature isn’t necessary for the Christian. That’s the reason for the cross. There are just two kinds of people in this world—those who are sinners and don’t know it, and those who are sinners and know it and are trying to do something about it. The Christian is of the latter breed. It isn’t getting in the mud that is the worst part. (That’s part of being human.) It is staying there.
Christians are not only human physically and in regard to sin but they are also human spiritually. Listen again to the words of Paul: “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). Someone said to me recently, “Steve, since I became a Christian, I have never lost the sense of God’s presence.” That man was either a fool or a liar or both. Why? Because as the Bible says, we are earthen vessels. Because we are earthen vessels we sometimes live on the spiritual mountaintop, but sometimes must go through the valley of despair and darkness so that we might appreciate the mountaintop.
You are probably saying right now, “All right, I understand that my spiritual depression is normal, but that doesn’t help me much when I am going through it. What I want to know is what I can do about it. How can I get rid of it?” I will tell you: Praise God anyway. Continue with your prayer life anyway. Read the Scripture anyway. Serve and witness anyway. And don’t whine about how you have lost everything because you are going through a period of spiritual depression. You haven’t. You’re just human.
Physical weakness, spiritual weakness, and sin are a part of the Christian life because Christians are human too. But let me tell you something else. God’s strength is not dependent on your weakness. Aren’t you glad? Let’s look again at the words of the Apostle Paul: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:7-11).
I am very pessimistic about human nature. I call it realism (some would say cynicism), but I’ll tell you something. Whereas I may be pessimistic about man, I am extremely optimistic about God and what he can do with and through weak and sinful men and women who are willing to let him. That’s the only kind of people he has to work with. He knew that before he created us and called us unto himself. He requires only that we follow him. He knows we will fail physically, we will sin, and we are weak spiritually. If he is willing to allow us to follow him anyway, that should be enough. Nothing depends on our strength. If it did, God’s work would go undone. Nothing depends on our purity. If it did, we could forget about God ever doing anything in the world. Nothing depends on our spirituality. If it did, the Christian faith would be a farce. You are nothing and I am nothing outside of God’s grace. The world doesn’t rest on our shoulders; it rests on God’s shoulders. And aren’t you glad?
Adapted from Steve’s book Welcome to the Family.
The post Christians Are Human Too appeared first on Key Life.
Did you know that you were made to be holy! For we read in (Ephesians 1:4): “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight…” And again, we see this theme in (Leviticus 20:7-8): “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”
While we often don’t act holy, even as Christians, Christ’s imputed righteousness has placed us as believers in a holy and blameless position before God. And the reality is when we don’t act holy and live up to God’s standard of holiness we feel incomplete and guilty that we have let Christ down. R.C. Sproul shares an important insight here when he said: “We were made for holiness. And when we reject it, we suffer a deprivation—a deep-rooted sense of lostness and restlessness because we are out of sync with the nature for which we were made.”1
Since God is holy and our desire as Christians should be to daily become more like God, living a holy lifestyle should be something we yearn to fulfill. Thus, obedience to God’s commandments are not optional if we want to travel on the deeper road of holiness. So, the big question before us is how do we make becoming more obedient to the commands of God our way of life.
I know for me obedience becomes much easier when I am able to look at the commandments of God not just as my Christian duty, but as my Christian delight. In (Psalm 119) we see that the psalmist says in nine separate verses that God’s commandments are his delight. As an example, consider what we read in (Psalm 119:35): “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” Notice here that the psalmist finds delight in carrying out God’s commands.
I believe we too can make obedience to God delightful for several reasons. First, when we obey God we put a smile on His face because we are doing something that pleases our Lord. Second, we are guaranteed to find joy since joy is a byproduct of obedience to the word of God. Third, when we obey God’s commandments we are helping to advance God’s kingdom on earth and this brings with it a unique satisfaction all its own. And fourth, as we obey the Lord we manifest more holiness. And for me there is nothing more wonderful than becoming more holy and becoming more conformed to the image of Jesus.
While we were made for holiness, this doesn’t come automatically. Yes, like sanctification there is both a positional and progressive aspect to holiness. While we are positionally holy at the moment of salvation we will spend the rest of our lives in striving to become more holy in our outward behavior and our inward thoughts. But to me this challenge is not just a duty but a wonderful delight since pleasing my Savior is the passion of my life.
I pray that you begin this holiness journey from duty to delight – it just may revolutionize your walk with the Lord!
1 Inspirational Quotes by R. C. Sproul – page 35 (bibleportal.com)
The post Made for Holiness appeared first on Bible Apologetics – A DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
Source: Made for Holiness
In this comprehensive breakdown, we walk through the 4-Step Interpretive Process (Hermeneutics) that ensures you don’t twist Scripture. Using Romans 12:1-2 as our case study, we strip away presuppositions to find out what the text actually says to the original audience, and what it demands of us today.
A cold-case detective and a comedian sit down together to talk about God, evidence, and why the universe looks more like a crime scene than an accident. This video brings together J. Warner Wallace and Nazareth the Comedian for a unique mix of laughter and serious investigation into whether there are signs of a “Divine Intruder” behind everything we see.
In this conversation, you’ll hear:
How a homicide detective thinks about evidence “inside the room” (the universe) and whether it points to a cause “outside the room.”
Why logic, science, and philosophy all raise hard questions for a purely natural explanation of life, morality, consciousness, and the origin of the universe.
How humor and hope can coexist with hard-nosed investigation when talking about faith, doubt, and God’s existence.
📖 Go deeper into the case for a Divinely created universe:
God’s Crime Scene by J. Warner Wallace
http://amzn.to/2kAroVD
🎭 Watch more from Nazareth here:
Nazareth the Comedian on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/comediannazarethtv
by Mike Ratliff
1 O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee: my flesh longeth greatly after thee in a barren and dry land without water:
2 Thus I behold thee as in the Sanctuary, when I behold thy power and thy glory.
3 For thy loving-kindness is better than life: therefore my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I magnify thee all my life, and lift up mine hands in thy Name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips,
6 When I remember thee on my bed, and when I think upon thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been mine helper, therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul cleaveth unto thee: for thy right hand upholdeth me.
9 Therefore they that seek my soul to destroy it, they shall go into the lowest parts of the earth.
10 They shall cast him down with the edge of the sword, and they shall be a portion for foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God, and all that swear by him shall rejoice in him: for the mouth of them that speak lies, shall be stopped. Psalms 63 (1599 Geneva Bible)
In several prior posts I have revealed my besetting sin of despondency, melancholia, and depression as I grew up which continued until God saved me in my mid thirties. Even after He saved me, I fell into despair for short periods of time as I struggled in the fires of sanctification. My depression was an expression of dissatisfaction with my circumstances. The root of bitterness was growing in me and resentment was continually present as I dealt with the ups and downs of life. These are symptoms of a heart in bondage to pride. After I was saved I heard a sermon once where the preacher stated, “Depression is nothing more than an internal temper tantrum.” That really got my attention. Over the first several months after God saved me, I was battling my tendency to express resentment when things were not going to suit me. The difference between then and how I was when I was lost was amazing. Before, I almost relished my right to be depressed or cast down. However, after God touched my heart, I knew it was wrong. After I heard that sermon, the Holy Spirit cemented that knowledge to my consciousness so that when I started going down the path of least resistance into resentment, anger, despondency, depression or melancholia I would realize that I was being self-absorbed and committing a great sin of idolatry of the heart.
I continued to struggle with this until 2004. As the New Year dawned I was given the task of starting a new Sunday School class at our church for young adult couples. This class had never existed before. I had to step out on faith by contacting a large number of couples by mail and phone who I had never met before; inviting them to the new class which started on the second Sunday of January 2004. I started to despair as doubt started growing in my heart. I knew I could teach the class, but I was not in any way convinced that I was capable of starting this from scratch. This drove me to prayer, lots of prayer. A funny thing happened as I spent more and more time with my Lord in prayer. I started getting a taste for just being with Him. As the weeks turned into months the class really took off, but the thing that really impacted me the most was that it seemed to me that my relationship with God became deeper and deeper each week. By May I had quit watching TV as my major pastime. Instead, I was reading good Christian books and listening to Christian music. By August I was not only having a very effectual prayer time in the morning before going to work, I was having a two or three hour devotional time each evening until bedtime. It was as if I could not get enough of being fed at my Lord’s table and drinking from His cup.
It was about the second week of August that God did something remarkable one evening as I was in the midst of writing in my prayer journal. I suddenly could not stop weeping. My Joy overflowed into tears. I was so joyful that I was positive that God Himself had entered my prayer closet to take me home to be with Him. My heart seemed ready to burst. I thought that I had died and was now in the Spirit for eternity. Then He let me back down into reality very softly. I wept for a while, but I did not tell anyone what had happened. I continued to simply seek Him in prayer and His Word. The uncontrollable weeping and extreme Joy happened a few other times, but there was not one thing I could do to make it happen. I learned very quickly that it was something entirely out of my control. Since that time I have had a few more instances of that and always after I was climbing out of a pit of despair as I repented from some sin. As I would fall on my face before my Lord in gratitude I would experience a level of Joy that is really hard to describe.
In late September of 2004 I became convinced that God wanted me to write a book about my incredible year of prayer. As I prayed and researched it, I was sure that that was what I should do. I started the outline on my birthday, October 6. By the second week in November I was ready to start writing. I wrote one very long chapter and quit because it just seemed to be becoming circular. Also, there was all sorts of things I was referencing that I had not written about yet. So I quit writing a few days before Thanksgiving. My daughter came to visit for the holiday. As I drove her to the airport afterwards, we talked about the book. She convinced me to get back to it. I started over. I decided to start with my testimony then present the gospel and why it was necessary. After I had completed those chapters I started writing chapters based on my own revival and restoration experience over the previous 11 months. I finished the manuscript the last week in January 2005. I sent it to one publisher who politely told me that they would get back to me. I knew God wanted me to write the book, but I was also pretty sure that the process of researching and writing it had been so rewarding that even if no one ever read it, it was enough. Then in the first week in March, the publisher told me that they were going to publish my book. The title of that book is Walking the Walk by Faith.
Now, why did I go into all of that? I did not do it to get you to buy my book. No, I did it to show you what happens when we get serious about our relationship with God. When we deny ourselves and what our flesh wants and, instead, seek Him, His presence, His wisdom, His knowledge, His love, His peace, His joy–Him–simply because we love Him, adore Him, and can’t get enough of Him then HE WILL respond. HE WILL draw near to us because we have drawn near to Him. As I look back on that incredible year of 2004 I know I also struggled much of the time with situations or circumstances that were tough, but I was in prayer, worship and devotion so much that all that seemed as nothing. I became convinced that most Christians are selling God far short. They are simply being religious while their God is continually drawing them to become Holy and to seek His face and presence. Most do their own thing instead. I find that tragic.
American Christianity is spiritually anemic at best, while most is apostate religiosity. Our faith is not one that is based on experience, but those who walk close with God will experience Him. Instead, our faith is one of believing God and obeying Him by being Spirit-led. As we seek Him and His will so we can obey Him, we do so from a position of personal holiness. God cleanses us as we repent and walk in belief. As we do this, we are changed. Our unbelief is eradicated and replaced with a supernatural belief. We are walking by faith, not by sight. When we do this do you think that God will simply leave us alone because we don’t need Him anymore? Forget that! The closer we walk with Him the more we need Him. The more we need Him and seek Him, the more we walk by faith. The more we walk by faith the more we hunger and thirst for His righteousness and, more importantly, we hunger for Him simply because He is our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally. As we do this our love for Him will be all consuming. We will then find ourselves in pure worship, in spirit and truth.
I am convinced that God drew me into this understanding. He was the one drawing me to pray and seek His face as I studied His Word because I wanted to be close to Him and to know Him. Yes, we rejoice in the shadow of His wings, but it is a wonderful thing to realize that our worship is fully accepted by Him and is a pleasing aroma in His nostrils because we have become living sacrifices committed to His Glory Alone.
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Source: Joy in the Fellowship of God
The French poet and essayist Charles Baudelaire once said this: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Today most folks seem oblivious to the reality of spiritual evil, of the demonic, and so on. Sadly that includes some believers as well.
There are many thousands of books penned by Christians on the matters of Satan, spiritual warfare, the forces of darkness that we wrestle against, and so on. Two years ago I wrote a piece called “Top 50 Books on Angels, Demons, Satan and Spiritual Warfare”. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/02/21/top-50-books-on-angels-demons-satan-and-spiritual-warfare/
Here I just want to present a very brief selection of quotes on these topics. For every quote I feature here, another hundred could be proffered. But these give you a taste for the sorts of authors you might want to further pursue on these topics. All up I offer 25 quotes from 17 authors:
Catherine Booth
“Many do not recognize the fact as they ought, that Satan has got men fast asleep in sin and that it is his great device to keep them so. He does not care what we do if he can do that. We may sing songs about the sweet by and by, preach sermons and say prayers until doomsday, and he will never concern himself about us, if we don’t wake anybody up. But if we awake the sleeping sinner he will gnash on us with his teeth. This is our work – to wake people up.”
Thomas Brooks
“A humble soul being once in a great conflict with Satan said thus to him: ‘Satan, reason not with me—I am but weak. If thou hast anything to say, say it to Christ; He is my advocate, my strength, and my Redeemer, and He shall plead for me.’ A humble soul is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus, and this increases Satan’s hell.”
Stephen Charnock
“Frequently renew settled and holy resolutions. A soldier unresolved to fight may be easily defeated…The weakness of our graces, the strength of our temptations, and the diligence of our spiritual enemies, require strong resolutions.”
William Gurnall
“The Christian’s armor will rust, except it be furbished with the oil of prayer. What the key is to the watch, prayer is to our graces; it winds them up and sets them going.”
“Christian, take special care not to trust in the armour of God, but in the God of the armour.”
Abraham Kuyper
“If once the curtain were pulled back, and the spiritual world behind it came to view, it would expose to our spiritual vision a struggle so intense, so convulsive, sweeping everything within its range, that the fiercest battle fought on earth would seem, by comparison, a mere game. Not here, but up there – that is where the real conflict is engaged. Our earthly struggle drones in its backlash.”
C. S. Lewis
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
“One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe—a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin. The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living as part of the universe occupied by the rebel.”
“The devil loves ‘curing’ a small fault by giving you a great one.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“The Christian is not only interested in his own soul, he is also concerned about the whole state of the world. It is a libel on us to say that we are not interested in the state of the world. But we are not interested as the non-Christian man is interested. He is interested only politically, socially, and so on. We are interested as we see the world in the grip of the devil. We alone, as Christians, understand what is wrong with the world. We see `powers’ and `principalities’, `the rulers of the darkness of this world’, behind the visible and seen phenomena, and we see perplexed politicians trying to deal with the problems, and failing. We know they must fail because they do not see what is at the back of it all. We see it as the conflict between heaven and hell. So we have a concern about these things, we have a `mind’ for these things, a spiritual concern.”
Martin Luther
“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, I am not professing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ.”
J. I. Packer
“From the start you knew that you were saved to serve, and that indeed is what you spontaneously wanted to do. Soon you learned, however, that you were going to be opposed all the way. By becoming Christians you walked into a war, Satan’s war, against the triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
David Powlison
“Spiritual warfare is what happens when he enlists us in his cause and equips us to join his battle. It’s about light invading darkness. Often when people envision spiritual warfare, they think ‘I’m under attack’ and that is true. Satan does have his wily ways and he is out to get us. But we are also God’s invading army, and we are on the attack. We are bringing light into a dark world. The children of light, the army of light, the servants of light are on the offensive.”
Leonard Ravenhill
“To me it is a shocking commentary on present Christian feebleness that while, in the first century, 120 men could move from an upper-room closet and shake Jerusalem, nowadays 120 churches claiming a like experience of the Holy Spirit can be in one of our cities and yet that city at large hardly know they are there. In our spiritual warfare the churches must be shooting with dummy bullets. To change the figure, we must spiritually be running with empty freight cars.”
J. C. Ryle
“Be prepared for the enmity of the gates of hell. Put on the whole armour of God. The tower of David contains a thousand bucklers, all ready for the use of God’s people. The weapons of our warfare have been tried by millions of poor sinners like ourselves, and have never been found to fail.”
“This warfare, I am aware, is a thing of which many know nothing. Talk to them about it, and they are ready to set you down as a madman, an enthusiast, or a fool. And yet it is as real and true as any war the world has ever seen.”
“The saddest symptom about many so-called Christians is the utter absence of anything like conflict and fight against spiritual apathy in their Christianity. They eat, they drink, they dress, they work, they amuse themselves, they get money, they spend money, they go through a brief round of formal religious services once or twice every week. But of the great spiritual warfare – its watchings and strugglings, its agonies and anxieties, its battles and contests – of all things they appear to know nothing at all. Let us take care that this case is not our own.”
Francis Schaeffer
“The primary battle is a spiritual battle in the heavenlies. But this does not mean, therefore, that the battle we are in is otherworldly or outside of human history. It is a real spiritual battle, but it is equally a battle here on earth in our own country, our own communities, our places of work and our schools, and even our own homes. The spiritual battle has its counterpart in the visible world, in the minds of men and women, and in every area of human culture. In the realm of space and time the heavenly battle is fought on the stage of human history.”
Fulton J. Sheen
“The Antichrist will not be so called; otherwise he would have no followers. He will not wear red tights, nor vomit sulphur, nor carry a trident nor wave an arrowed tail as Mephistopheles in Faust. This masquerade has helped the Devil convince men that he does not exist. When no man recognizes, the more power he exercises. God has defined Himself as ‘I am Who am,’ and the Devil as ‘I am who am not.’ Nowhere in Sacred Scripture do we find warrant for the popular myth of the Devil as a buffoon who is dressed like the first ‘red.’ Rather is he described as an angel fallen from heaven, as ‘the Prince of this world,’ whose business it is to tell us that there is no other world.”
Richard Sibbes
“It is not merely knowledge that will bring to Heaven, for the devil has that; but it is knowledge sanctified, seizing upon the affections.”
“It is not so easy a matter to pray as men think. In regard of the unspiritualness of our nature compared with the duty itself in which we draw near to a holy God, we cannot endure to be separated from our lusts; and there is great rebellion in our hearts against everything that is good; and Satan also is our special enemy…. When we go to God by prayer, the devil knows we go to fetch strength against him, and therefore he opposes us all he can. But though some may mumble over a few prayers, yet (indeed) no man can pray as he ought, or in faith, that is not within the covenant of grace, nor without the Holy Ghost.”
Charles Spurgeon
“Where are you? You are in enemy country, a stranger and an alien. The world is not your friend. If it is, then you are not God’s friend, for whoever is the friend of the world is the enemy of God. Be certain that you will find enemies everywhere. When you sleep, remember that you are resting on the battlefield; when you travel, suspect an ambush in every hedge.”
“The trumpet still plays the notes of war. You cannot sit down and put the victory wreath on your head. You do not have a crown. You still must wear the helmet and carry the sword. You must watch, pray, and fight. Expect your last battle to be the most difficult, for the enemy’s fiercest charge is reserved for the end of the day.”
“The devil is not afraid of a dust-covered Bible!”
A.W. Tozer
“Show me an individual or a congregation committed to spiritual progress with the Lord, interested in what the Bible teaches about spiritual perfection and victory, and I will show you where there is strong and immediate defiance by the devil!”
[1887 words]
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In the Gospel of John, we read the English verb “to believe” fifty-four times in the English Standard Version. By contrast, the original Greek verb πιστεύω (pisteuō), which underlies and is commonly translated as forms of “believe,” occurs ninety-eight times in John’s Gospel. This is no small feature. Central to Jesus’ message as recorded by John is belief in him—belief that he is the Son of God, sent by God, so that many would believe in him and have eternal life.
Yet, in our age belief can be difficult. Doubts arise in our mind. Afflictions of this life especially challenge us at times and lead us to wonder: Is it all real? Did Jesus really live, die on a cross, rise from the dead on the third day, and ascend into heaven where he rules over all today? Nevertheless, even in Jesus’ day many did not believe, though they saw him and witnessed the signs he performed to prove that he was the Messiah sent by God to save his people.
It is at times like this when unbelief assaults us with questions, uncertainty, and hesitancy, that we should turn to the Gospel of John to hear Jesus call us to belief in him—to believe, with good reason, that he is our Lord and Savior, who gives eternal life to all who believe in him.
For example, John 3:16, which is one of the most commonly memorized verses in the Bible, reminds us of God’s love for whoever believes in Jesus and that, by believing, they should not perish but have eternal life. Hear the comfort of these words. Are you suffering and even facing the possibility of death sooner than later from disease or illness? Be comforted by the hope of eternal life—hope that is grounded in the Savior, Christ Jesus, who calls us to believe him when he promises the abundance of eternal life.
Later in John’s Gospel Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). He knows the troubles we bear in this life—suffering, afflictions, anxiety, doubts. Yet, like an imperative that makes things happen, he encouragingly tells us to believe in God and to believe in him. In fact, do you believe in Christ Jesus even a small amount? Take courage and know, as Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29) In other words, even our belief, though weak at times, is God’s gift to us.
Though the words of Jesus recorded in John’s Gospel call us to believe in him, Paul gives us further encouragement to believe in his letter to the Romans. The word of God in Romans 10:9 very clearly says,
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Believing in Jesus Christ is the way of salvation, and for good reason. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). To believe in Jesus is to come into the light—the Light of the world, who dispels darkness and grants eternal life to all who trust in him. So when doubts arise and you question, “Is it all really true?” remember the reason John wrote his gospel:
…so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
The post Believe in Jesus Christ appeared first on Beautiful Christian Life.
Source: Believe in Jesus Christ
Prayer, Scripture, silence and solitude, the fear of God, and gratitude—keep faith vibrant and enable believers to finish life’s race well.
The Washington Post recently ran an article titled “Five Essential Exercises for Aging Well.” It quickly zoomed to the top of their “Most Read” list. As a man in his sixties, I was one of the readers. The exercises included push-ups, dead lifts, pull-ups, squats and calf raises.
I was obviously familiar with all five. They were, fortunately, well within my reach. For the most part, they don’t require going to the gym or having special equipment. It was just a good reminder that these five are the most important for aging well.
But what of the essential exercises for aging well spiritually? And more to the point, finishing well? Meaning, those essential practices and disciplines, investments and workouts that will help ensure that you stay vibrant in faith and family, vocation and vision?
Consider these.
The breath of spiritual life is prayer. Physically, we can live 40 days without food and three days without water, but only seconds without breathing. Spiritually, we can do no better. A life without prayer cannot be spiritually alive, no matter what else may be present. It is, as Evelyn Underhill has written, “breathing the air of eternity.”
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