One night a thief broke into a house he thought was abandoned. As he walked then the darkened house with a flashlight he heard a voice from the kitchen that said, “Jesus is watching you.’ He stopped and said, “who’s there?” There was no answer so he thought he must have imagined it. But after he took a few more steps, the voice said again, “Jesus is watching you.” He decided to walk toward the voice, just before he entered the kitchen, he heard it again, “Jesus is watching you.” He swung the flashlight up and saw a parrot talking in a cage. The parrot said, Jesus is watching you.” The their turned flipped on the kitchen light and said, “Why you’re just a dumb bird.” The he looked in the corner of the room and seen a huge Rottweiler couching. And the parrot said “Get him Jesus.”
You might think it’s strange that Jesus would compare Himself to a thief. Of course, Jesus isn’t identifying with the sin of stealing. But just a good thief (that’s a oxymoron).that tries to sneak in quickly and quietly and escape with His people. That’s an accurate description of how Jesus will rapture His church.
We should all be living as if Jesus was crucified yesterday; raised from the dead this morning, and is coming back this afternoon.
1 Thessalonians 5: 1-4 tells us, “But concerning the times and the seasons, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come to then, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.
We should know these 4 things
1. Jesus will return, But we don’t know the exact day.
Can you imagine a thief sending you a text or email saying, “Just wanted to know that I’m coming to rob your house tonight.” Of course not. Thief’s don’t announce when they’re coming. They sneak in and out.
When I was growing up my Dad used to do military funerals when a soldier or veteran would pass away. My father would keep all the guns in his closet. One night when no one was home the house was broken into and all the M16 rifles were stolen. He was very upset because they trusted him with these rifles. For a long time there would be someone home, or a neighbor would be watching the house.
Jesus told us to keep watch, because you don’t know on what day the Lord will come. We need to understand, if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not let the house be broken into. So we must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him (Matthew 24:42-44),
There have been times throughout history when many people expected Jesus to return. We use the Gregorian calendar now, but when the Julian calendar turned from year 999 to the year 1000, people expected Jesus to come for a new millennium, the same was true in the year 2000. People were on their best behavior, In the year 1000 history says that worldly goods were sold and money was given to the poor. Prisoners were set free, and many traveled to Israel to wait for Jesus’s return,
In the second and third chapter of Revelation, Jesus gives messages to the 7 churches, which represent all churches of all time. When He wrote to the church at Philadelphia, He says, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I also will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Revelation3:10).
In Luke 17 Jesus compares His return to a couple of Old Testament events. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the dat Noah entered the ark. Then the flood cane and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and suffer rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son Of Man is revealed (Luke 17:26-30).
The most ambitious project I ever taken on was to change myself, and my perspective of the world.
It required me to look at myself and recognize that no one was there for me, and if I didn’t change I was going to go on being miserable. But changing the way I lived and perceived things was not going to be an easy task.
It required a combination of self-awareness, consistent action, forgiving myself and those who hurt me, and a whole lot of patience. I had to focus on small, inactive habits, and those things don’t happen overnight.
“You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy. In Your right hand there are pleasures forever more” -Psalm 16:11
Real confidence is rare. Most people play it cool. It’s easy to straighten our shoulders, arch our backs, stick out our chests, and talk tough. For most of us, the emotional confidence and security of our souls are hard to find.
It’s not a surprise that all of us are sinners, and we are surrounded by sinners, in a fallen world. How can any of us truly experience the deep peace and joy of authentic confidence in a world that wears masks of security?
David shows us a significant path from fear to confidence, from instability to security, from anxiety to authenticity. His lasting joy begins with the plea in Psalm 16:1
“Preserve me, God, for I take refuge in You.”
Then amazingly verse by verse, he declares with confidence, “ I will not be shaken” in verse 8.
There is so safer place to hide than the arms of God.
David has a change of heart. Realizing who God is for us can transform everything.
What we believe about God can be life and death for us today. It can make all the difference if, we like David, know God to be our reliable Savior, He should become our greatest treasure.
A reliable Savior
God saves us from harm by being both our safest refuge and our trusted counselor. There is no safer place to hide in the arms of the omnipotent God. Psalm 16:7 says, “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel.” Not only does He protect us, He provides wisdom from within through the leading of His Holy Spirit.
God can save us from the fears that threaten us, and guards us by intervening to guard us from harm’s way, and guides us out of trouble. Knowing God as our savior, both as refuge and counselor inspires confidence that, what ever comes our way is a resource beyond compare. He is not only our Savior, He is sovereign.
Sovereign Lord
David says in Psalm 16:5, “The Lord assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure.” Whether we are drawing straws, rolling the dice, or seeking our next breath, whatever happens to us is from God. He rules over our lives, not just in the big picture, but in all the little details.
When life is difficult it might not seem comforting that He is in control. But if we know ourselves to be God’s, and let God be ours, then this knowledge can become stabilizing. It doesn’t mean that we will not walk through pain or defeat, but it does mean that we are assured the final victory. It doesn’t even mean we will win every battle, but it means we will win the war.
God is not only our reliable Savior and sovereign Lord, but He is our greatest treasure. David says, in Psalm 16:6, “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance.” David is rejoicing in the sovereignty of God and that leads to embracing Him as the greatest treasure.
Greatest Treasure
David says in Psalm 16:2, “You are my Lord, I have no good apart from you.” God is the ultimate good. He is the foundation of the river of all delight. All other hoods are truly good only when they are in Him. Apart from Him, all other good things will prove empty in the end.
But what does David mean in the next verse, verse 2, “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” How can all David’s be in other people, and God still be his greatest treasure?
David does not say that he delights in God’s people rather than in God, but that people who reject his God give him no pleasure. Godless people living in godless ways, do not meet with his approval and admiration. He is to captivated by God not to see the folly in godless living. because he enjoys God as supreme as well. His love for God spills over in love for those who love God. His love for those who love God doesn’t compete with his love for God, rather it complements it. Delight in others is an extensive of his delight in God.
True Solid Joy
David closes with assurance. Having begun with a plea for God to preserve him, he finishes in confidence and hope. He has moved from a place of anxiety to awe, from pleading to praising. His troubles now basked in the glory of God.
“My heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices, my flesh also dwells secure. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life, in Your presence there is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” Psalm 16:9-11
As solid as David’s confidence is, ours can be even more solid today, Jesus took came in the flesh, and lived without spot of wrinkle, and bore our curse on the cross, and God did not abandon His soul to Sheol, the place of the dead. God’s raised Jesus us to complete His conquest of Satan and rip the doors off there hinges from the inside. In Jesus’s victory over the grave, we are freed from our fear of death.
“Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing Him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” -Hebrews 2:14-15.
Jesus is now seated at His Father’s right hand, He is the final destination on the path of life. H is our fullness of joy. In Him are pleasures evermore.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t see the point in being someone else for a day. I would just return to being myself after the day is over. God made me who I am someone who is caring, meaningful, and usually have interesting perspectives on things. I am curious, adaptable, and sometimes witty.
I embrace my individuality and uniqueness, that’s who God made me, so why would I choose to be anyone else, even for a day.
There are three fundamentals qualities we have to possess to enjoy and fulfill the mandate God gave us here on earth
Self-Control, Self-Discipline And Sound Mind
These are interconnected traits that describe a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. They enable us to live with stability, wisdom, and purpose rather than fear. These represent the Holy Spirit’s influence that allows tempered emotions, wise choices, and controlled desires.
Without self-control, we are destructive not only to ourselves but to God’s purpose for our lives. Without self-discipline, we remain defeated by all kinds of circumstances. And without a sound-mind, we are invaded by things that cause us to be unstable in our convictions.
Self-Control
Being self-controlled is the very foundation for living a life of righteousness and selflessness that reflects Jesus and brings glory to God. We have the power to bring sin under control when we have self-control. But without self-control, sin controls us.
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” -Proverbs 25:28.
A city without walls simply means we are exposed to any kind of sin, lies, manipulation, fear, sexual immorality, pretence, and anger. Basically, anything can come through our thoughts, control our actions, shape our habits, and form our character.
The problem with sin is that it wants to grow. Whenever sin is given a doorway, it is not satisfied with being a little secret, sin grows and ultimately destroys whatever thing it inhabits. Like a thief, it comes to “steal, kill, and destroy us” (John 10:10). Lack of self-control will destroy marriage, career, relationships, and our lives.
Without self-control, we can destroy in one day, what took us years to build. We are the ones who bring a threat to every heroic thing we’ve done.
Psychology defines self-control as “The ability to manage one’s impulses, emotions, and behaviors to achieve long-term goals. Self-control serves as an executive function necessary for individual goal attainment.”
Biblically, self-control is not only an ability to impose restrictions and boundaries on ourselves to achieve end goals, but it’s a “fruit of the Spirit” that produces the glory of God. The difference here is that self-control is not something that comes from our desire to achieve something, but it is a virtue that emanates from our spirit. Self control is something we do as a result of the person in the presence of the Holy Spirit inour live lives. This means a self control is an act of our spirit over our flesh, which is evidence of the active presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
In fact, self control is a spiritual practice that keeps us grounded in our godly nature. Self control is not what we do to get somewhere in life, but something we do to remain where we are in God -righteous and holy.
As human beings we are habitual beings, we live better when we have established habits. Good habits, benefit, and power, our well-being, inspire our development, and inspire success in our lives. On the other hand, bad habits caused us our time, rope, help, and money And deprive us of the life. God intended us to have through his redemption.
If we want to change how things are in our lives, we need to change our habits, change how we spend our time in the comfort that we have cremated through our old habits and replace them with new habits.
Self-Discipline
We can turn our spiritual convictions into habits, with self-discipline and repetition. Subjecting our bodies to strict rules to gain control of the key. Our willingness to suffer temporary pain, being inconvenienced, and delaying gratification to experience joy and freedom in our spirits is what matters most. In other words, make our bodies a slave to our spiritual convictions so that our spirit can be free to worship, serve, and live for God.
Self-discipline is the steady determination to keep going come hell or high water. Discipline is what makes us choose to do what ought to be done, when flesh tells us to do what we want. Self-discipline is not optional it’s a virtue, and sometimes we have a hard time choosing it. But if we practice it every day it becomes a desire that helps us grow and become more Christlike. The best thing we can do is to cultivate it. It is by discipline that we take hold of the means of grace of God has provided for our spiritual flourishing.
Thankfully God has given us the source of discipline by giving us His Holy Spirit. This means He has given us the power to actually be self-disciplined. But, it needs to be cultivated.
We need self-discipline in order to achieve anything of significance.
Sound Mind
A sound mind is a right judgment of things based on the Word of God. Having a sound mind is to have and maintain God’s perspective of oneself and our surroundings. It is to have an elevated outlook informed by God’s Word and inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is not something that comes naturally to us as humans. The Bible warns us that in the world we will have many troubles but it goes on to say in John 16:33, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” God is the One who gives us a sound mind but it is up to us to keep it.
“For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind” -2 Timothy 1:17 (KJV).
A sound mind is interpreted as self-control, self-discipline, and good judgment. I believe that Paul was saying to Timothy, do not be intimidated but rely on the Holy Spirit who gives power, love, and a stable mind.
We don’t have a sound mind when our mental framework is subject to fear, past trauma, and low self-esteem. A good example of this is what happened during COVID. People were going crazy, because of the fear that the government, and main mainstream media were telling people. Now the same thing I’d happening with some who are fighting laws that have been on the books for a few hundred years, thinking it’s something new. When we respond to our circumstances, opportunities, and challenges through clouded emotions such as fear, instead of self-control and correct interpretation of things based on the view of the Spirit which leads to calmness and confidence in God it can lead to disaster.
A sound mind isn’t something that just happens to us by default. We need to be self-disciplined and in control of our thoughts and imagination. The Bible asks us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and seek things that are above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).
“Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is good, well pleasing, and perfect will of God” -Romans 12:2.
“If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God“ -Colossians 3:1.
The ability to control our thoughts is very important in maintaining and enjoying liberty in Jesus.
God has given us so much through His promises and blessing through His Son, but we do not get to fully experience them because of the lifestyle we subject ourselves to. We are already free, but that freedom depends on our lifestyle, we can undermine or uphold our freedom by how we think and conduct ourselves. It all begins with our thoughts.
No matter what life throws at us if we maintain a sound mind and keep in mind Jesus and all He has done for us, we can trust that God works for our good (Romans 8:28). A sound mind is a gift from, God, never surrender it to any circumstance or situation in life.
The life we are called to live is a life of warfare. We are in a constant battle to subdue the desires of the flesh, (Galatians 5:19-21) and to reject every opinion/imagination that is against God in our lives (2 Corinthians 10:4-6
The way to win this battle is by “walking in the Spirit”
“So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” -Galatians 5:16
There is no benefit in the flesh, no matter how much we go out of our way to satisfy it. Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life.”
I pray that we gain back control of our minds, and have dominion over our flesh. And our habits come from our convictions, and we are fruitful and effective in our knowledge of Jesus and a life worthy of the calling we have received. Amen
Banning words is ineffective, counterproductive, and fosters self-censorship, and fails to change underlying behaviors or prejudices. In many cases it makes people feel stigmatized rather than encouraging genuine communication. Just because you ban a word doesn’t do anything to change a person’s behavior or how they feel. That being said, word have a profound, tangible power to encourage, heal, and build up, or to destroy, discourage, and cause emotional or spiritual death. Choosing our words carefully because we all have to deal with the consequences of those words.
Lying is trivialized in society, but scripture reminds us that there are profound implications. Proverbs 26:38 tells us, “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”
Lying may be considered a harmless act or a necessary evil. Yet, the Bible consistently teaches that lying lips have spiritual consequences. It affects our relationship with God, others, and us.
Here are a few ways it is going against God:
Lying is a sin against God
The ninth commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” It is written in Exodus 20:16, and Deuteronomy 5:20.
Lying is contrary to the nature of God, who is truth, and is associated with Satan, who is called the “father of lies.
2. Lying is an abomination
Proverbs 12:12 says, “The wicked covet the catch of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit.”
The wicked crave dishonest gains, while the righteous, are rooted in integrity. The wicked envy the illicit, “stolen” gains of other evil people and desire to catch prey just as they do. They are never truly satisfied and often rely on traps or schemes to get what they want.
Lying or wickedness stems from an internal emptiness, chasing external temporary things.
I learned from a very early age that if I wanted people to think I had a “normal” childhood, I would have to cover up, my pain and suffering, the emptiness I felt inside, I used to justify it by thinking no one would believe me anyway. The issue wasn’t lying to hide my past, it was because it caused me to believe I could lie for my gain too. It turned into a vicious cycle of lying, and then trying to remember each one, lying leads to more sin. It was a disaster that just led to depression and more hurt.
3. Lying destroys trust
Truth is the foundation of healthy relationships. Lies breed suspicion and division making any hope of reconciliation difficult.
4. Lying injures others
Lying can ruin reputations and cause emotional and sometimes financial harm. Proverbs 25:18 tells us, “A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.“
5. The personal consequences of lying
Proverbs 19:9 tells us, A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.”
Thankfully Jesus gave us a way to escape the consequences of lying when He died on the cross.
We can ask for forgiveness (repent) and commit to truthfulness, even when it’s difficult.
Lying may seem like a small sin, but its consequences are severe, both spiritually and relationally. As followers of Jesus, we are called to walk in truth.
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” -Colossians 3:9-10
God’s grace is sufficient for us, and His truth can set us free. Living as children of light, and glorifying God with our words and actions will lead us down the right path.
Boundaries have become a buzzword the last few years. I watched a short on YouTube the other day. Where a man was going through a neighborhood asking if he could come in and use their shower. Would you have let him in?
The person who best demonstrated boundaries was Jesus. He had clear boundaries with people in His life, and throughout the Bible we can see why boundaries are important, and even which boundaries are important.
God sets boundaries for us.
The most obvious way the Bible puts boundaries on display is almost so obvious that it’s easy to miss. God set the world in motion with boundaries. There is a law or a rule that the world follows. In the beginning, God started creating boundaries.
Genesis 1:3-4 states, “And God said, let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”
He set boundaries for day and night, and for land and water. Boundaries taught people God’s holiness. There is a moral boundaries people God’s righteousness. Social and civil boundaries taught us the value of all in the nation (or at least it should).
Later in scripture, God governed His people and showed us how boundaries are meant to protect us and invite us into healthy relationships with Him, and with one another.
God’s Word gives us clarity by showing us the boundaries that He has provided as protection for women, children, and all in society. In the law, God provides those boundaries for Israel as a community. The ceremonial boundaries taught them God’s holiness. The moral boundaries taught them God’s righteousness. The social and civil boundaries taught them the value of all in the nation.
Jesus clearly demonstrated boundaries throughout His life on earth. He often set boundaries by showing us that He needed to go be alone at times. Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Some conversations are meant to happen between us and God.
Others happen with trusted friends, but Jesus was cautious with His relational boundaries. He had varying levels of trust with different people. He also didn’t just give anything to anyone who asked.
There seems to be a culture of shame around saying “no” and wondering if it’s unkind or unloving to set boundaries with people. However, the Son of God wasn’t just a “yes” man. He was intentional in everything He did.
When Jesus had heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days (John 11:6) and showed up when He could. He didn’t let some of His friends demand that He go back on His boundary and change His mind, even in a time of crisis. This account is taught in so many ways, but what I noticed was how intense and personal the conflict was.
If I really need a friend, I would be upset if they didn’t show up for me. But Jesus honored His boundary. Instead, He came when He could. He didn’t apologize for His boundaries. He set boundaries lovingly and intentionally, and we have the freedom to do as well.
When we set boundaries we become more Christlike. We sense that the Holy Spirit convicts us as we pursue lives with greater holiness. We stop watching the television show, we cringe at certain language or at comments that are full of mindsets that don’t reflect the heart of God. We sense a need to spend less time with certain people, and we start to care more deeply for those who God reveals His heart for to us.
Romans 8:5-6 tells us, “Those who live according to the flesh have their mind set on what the flesh desires. But those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
As followers of Jesus, we need to set new boundaries to put in place our own actions and thoughts. We are told to think about in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -think about such things.”
God set up boundaries, Jesus modeled those boundaries for us throughout His life, and we are encouraged to continue setting relational and personal boundaries to pursue a life governed by the Spirit.
Life has a way of giving us challenges to overcome. While I cannot foretell the future, I’m sure something will arise. But, I know how to deal with the anxiety that comes along with it. Simply telling ourselves we shouldn’t worry we’re facing won’t make it go away.
But thankfully the Bible gives us specific cures for the anxieties that come from facing challenges, and that is to trust God and turn our anxiety and worries over to Him. God is stronger than us, and His ways are not our ways and He offers to take our burden we often carry on our backs.
Wishing challenges and the worry that comes from them won’t solve them. Sometimes we have to live on a day-by-day basis, and even moment by moment. When we give our challenges (burden) to God, we can allow Him to guide us through them.
My advice for me as a teenager would have to be to not get on drugs to numb my pain, but find other ways to cope with my home life. Study hard and prepare for college instead of wasting my life away.
One thing I’ve learned is that every choice we make can determine our path in life. Whether good or bad choices there are consequences. Think things through and pray for God’s guidance before a choice is made.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” -John 10:10
If Satan can still kill and destroy, how do we overcome him? He can steal the word and God promises right out of your head, leaving us with no way to fight. He can cause tragic situations to happen and even kill us. He can destroy relationships and the things that we cherish. What can we do?
We can turn to Jesus and love God with our hearts, minds and strength. Then those things that Satan can do become less of a problem. God‘s abundant and full love overflows within us and gives us the ability to withstand Satan‘s battles.
Here are things Satan cannot do:
Make us sin
It’s our own lusts, desires, and selfish wants that make sin appealing enough to cause us to step into it. Then those things more we justify our desires and wants, the more we will want to sin in order to get them.
James 1:13-15
Our free will causes us to sin. Satan cannot make us do anything. Satan may place a bad idea in front of us, but it’s our fault if we step into it. Sometimes, we only see the full consequences after we fall.
2. Make us fear death
We don’t know our length of Time on this earth, and we don’t know how our end will come about. Fear of death seems natural, there may be pain and suffering involved. There will be pain from losing the good things on earth that we will all miss. And there will probably be regret regarding the times I didn’t live as loving and good stewards.
But those negative ships will only happen in the process of death, not afterwards. The sting of death is gone because of Jesus. He will wipe away our tears, and we will be in a place of warmth and love that we cannot fathom now.
3. Take our Stamina
God will always give us the power to withstand temptation when we ask Him. But we need to remember to pray and ask God for strength.
There can be sometimes we think that we are standing strong when we’re only standing in our own pride and determination. And we will soon fall. But when we lean on God and His strength, He is faithful to help us to walk right on by any temptations that threaten us.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
4. Pester Us After We Resist
Satan can whisper that we deserve better, he can invite us to get what we want the quickest, easiest way possible. He can even make lies sounds truthful.
But once our mind is made up that we’re going to do it, God‘s way, Jesus will give us the power to follow through with the commitment, and Satan has to flee.
James 4:7
5. Control Us
Once we accept Jesus into our hearts, Satan cannot control us anymore. But he can still pester us before we resist him in any given situation. Satan can still whisper lies that sound true. But he never has control over us.
When we allow God into our souls. Jesus locks the door behind Satan. We have to say yes to Satan‘s whispers, lies, and temptations in order for him to have any power over our lives. Unfortunately, we can still agree with those lies, in a particular moment. And even stepped in the wrong direction. But we can retreat, repent, and head back to the One that our souls really love.
6. Be everywhere at once
Satan cannot be everywhere at once. He can only roam around.
Job 2:2
He is not omnipresent, like God. The Lord fills the heavens and earth.
Jeremiah 23-24
We can never flee from God’s presence -day or night. God is there when we rejoice and worship Him. He is even there when we are in trouble, regretful, or desperately needing help and cry out to God.
Typically, Satan does not show up during those times when we are rejoicing or are desperately in need of help. He doesn’t like it when we rejoice, but he loves it when we grumble. And he is glad when we desperately need help, that is his goal to get us into trouble.
7. Anything without God’s permission
God has to permit Satan for him to take anything away. He had to ask for permission to take away everything that Job had.
Job 1:12
Even though Satan does rule the earth for the time being. He does so under tight reign.
God has to allow Satan’s tragedies and temptations. God also gives him limitations to those temptations and tragedies. God only gives him permission when He can bring something good out of it.
Genesis 50:20
8. Steal our faith
Job lost everything: friends, kids, wife, status, and health, but he never lost his faith in God. Sure, he had a lot of questions. He also didn’t understand why God had allowed such things. But he stayed faithful to God.
We can put on the armor of God daily.
Ephesians 6:13-18
We are protected by the belt of truth, as well as God‘s righteousness. Shoes of peace cover our feet and help us share the good news. The shield of faith stopped the arrows of lies that come at us. A helmet of salvation gives us confidence to go forward. And God‘s word gives us the ammunition. Then we can stand firm against Satan’s schemes.
9. Commandeer our future
We may be fighting in the great battle of good vs evil. But we are able to hold our ground because God is on our side. God gives us eternal life, and we will never perish. Problems will arrive in our lives, but as long as we are with God in the long run, they will seem small.
No one can smash us away from God’s love, including Satan, because our Father in heaven is more powerful than anyone or anything. His hand will hold us securely.
John 10:28-29
10. Win
Many battles will be fought by Satan on this earth comma just like the Confederate army won some battles in the U.S Civil War. In the end, however, God will win the war. The authority of Jesus will prevail by the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 12:11
The blood of the Lamb creates testimonies of all the people that surrender to Jesus. Every single time that we step away from temptation, a testimony to God’s power is formed. Each time we retreat from stepping into sin, repent, and go back to God, another testimony is forged. And, every time we go through a tragic situation with our faith in God,s goodness intact, another testimony spring forth.
Satan is defeated by rock-solid testimonies of God’s love and grace.
Small-talk bores me. I used to think small talk had a secret rulebook that everyone had but me. You smile, you ask, you answer, you repeat. Then I feel my attention drift after a few minutes. My mind would start scanning the room looking for a deeper topic.
Ever since I can remember I have always had a desire for deeper connections. Because of my social anxiety growing up, I shied away from people, I was taught everyone judged me, so I better keep my mouth shut.
As a result I my focus has become choosing authentic deep conversations over the constant exhausting content of small talk. While I know some small talk is vital, I don’t like to just banter words back and forth and get nowhere.
From Pity to Praise 