There Ain't No High Like the Most High

For those of you who have a weakness like I do, you are not alone. What weakness am I speaking of? The stronghold of fear. I'm not afraid of death, or the dark or any usual things like that, but fear is sin no matter what form it comes in.

In Genesis 15:1 God spoke to Abram saying "Do not be AFRAID, Abram I am your Shield, your very great Reward."

Many times in scripture we see God saying "DO NOT FEAR" or "DO NOT BE AFRAID" (Gen. 26:24; 46:3; Luke1: 13,30). It seems to me that every time God calls someone in the Bible, He makes sure to mention the fact that they need NOT fear.

"God doesn’t bother telling people who are not afraid to 'not be afraid'...God doesn't waste words. Those God uses greatly seem to greatly battle fear. Therefore, we may battle fear, but must NOT let it win." Beth Moore

Did you get all that?? That is so huge! One of my greatest personal battles, when it comes to this walk with the Lord, is my fear. Fear that He will not use me. Oh, I know He CAN, but WILL HE? Why would He bother using me? I’m just Carrie, I don't have enough faith! I also struggle with the fear that He wants to use me, but that I am just not capable. It's a lie from the devil himself, but I know many believers who battle the same fears too.

There is a common acronym for Fear. FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL, or in reverse REAL EVIDENCE APPEARING FALSE. What does that mean? Exactly what is says. Satan can take what God does in and around your life that is REAL and make it seem false. God does HUGE things for us; we can't afford to forget those things. Our faith depends on us remembering that God is God and that He can do the things He says He can do. Not only that, but God has been God forever and DID all those wonderful things that He said He did. He is not only a God who can use us (even those of us with fear?), but He will use us despite our fear. Remember God's power is perfected in our weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9).

All of the great men and women of faith that God called and used for His own glory might have been afraid at times, though they did not let fear win. We tend to think that the people whom God uses are never afraid, or that the "capable" people are fearless. That is not true. They do fear, but they fear God more than they fear their fear. Beloved, we have to fear God more than we fear the task. We have to know that in the end the glory we bring to Him is worth the cost. My battle with fear has been long, but I am not afraid to say it, I am not afraid to battle it all the more, and I am willing to do what it takes to get through and believe that GOD is GOD and there is none like HIM. The only way to battle is to do what we are called to do and know that God is going to be faithful. This is what God spoke to me tonight, and if you battle these things too, take hope! There are many, who battle it too, but God says "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' That is why we say with confidence, 'the Lord is my helper; I will NOT be afraid. What can man do to me?'" Hebrews 13:5-6

When we believe God like Abraham did we get credit too? "...being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why it was 'credited to him as righteousness'. The words 'it was credited to him' WERE NOT WRITTEN FOR HIM ALONE, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in Him...." Romans 4:21-24 Beloved, that's a promise; God blesses us for believing Him and not giving way to our fears.

Know Your Enemy!

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

Before any war is started or any battle is fought, military minds come together and develop a strategy for victory. Military strategists develop the best possible plan and soldiers execute the plan. The plan on paper is called the strategy. The plan executed on the ground is called tactics. The soldiers execute the General’s plan and the General gets all of the credit.

Jesus Christ has already won the strategic battle in the angelic conflict. He won it at the Cross, proclaimed victory in Sheol, and is seated of the right hand of God. (EPH 4:9-10; COL 2:14-15) As believers enlisted by Jesus Christ we must fight the tactical battles everyday. In order to win the tactical battles, we must know and counter our enemy’s tactics. One of the Satan's tactics, according to Scripture, is Surveillance and Reconnaissance.

“Information is a negotiator's greatest weapon.” Victor Kiam

What is an Surveillance and Reconnaissance?

Surveillance is defined as the close observation of a person or group, especially one under suspicion; the act of observing or the condition of being observed; the collection, collation, analysis, and dissemination of data. A type of observational study that involves continuous monitoring of occurrences within a population.

Reconnaissance is an examination of a territory, or of an enemy's position, for the purpose of obtaining information necessary for directing military operations; a preparatory expedition. "Reconnaissance in force" is a demonstration or attack by a large force of troops for the purpose of discovering the position and strength of an enemy.

Satan is closely observing Christians with his army of fallen angles. These fallen angels are collecting information on our strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies and disseminating the compiled data back to Satan to devise a plan for attack. This is a continuous monitoring; you are being watched for the purpose of military operations. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Job 1:9-10 “Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.”

Satan knew about all of Job’s blessings. Satan knew about Job’s faith. Satan knew about Job’s family. Satan knew about Job’s family’s faith. Satan knew that God had a hedge of protection around Job. Satan knew Job!! He is also compiling information on you. He knows the strength your faith. He knows your tendencies. He knows your weaknesses. He knows you. There is a dossier on YOU! Be prepared! Use sound judgment! Be On the Alert!

“Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through the walls topped by barbed wire; it wafts across the electrified borders.” Ronald Regan

Prepared for Battle

Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (6:12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

This passage tells us that as Christians we are at war. This passage tells us exactly who it is we are not at war with (not against flesh and blood), and who we are at war with (see the word against; 5 times) and that they have a strategy.

“Stand Firm”
Stete is a Greek term for standing your ground, or holding your position. Roman military doctrine trained the Roman soldiers to occupy a piece of ground, stand firm and fight in that position, and win that piece of ground before advancing to capture another piece of ground.

“Schemes of the Devil”
Methodeias is where we get our word method or methodology. Satan has a method, a plan, a strategy and trains demons to carry it out as his foot soldiers. Satan is a brilliant and administrative genius, but his wisdom is evil and corrupt. (Ezekiel 28:12, 28:17) Satan has an organized rank structure of demonic soldiers as we will see in Ephesians 6:12.

“For our struggle”
Pale is a combat sports word from the Greek Games. It means to wrestle, or grapple in hand to hand combat. This is not an artillery battle, but an up close, in your face, hands on fight.
In military training you are taught hand-to-hand combat, but it should never be necessary. If at some point in the battle, you have to resort to hand-to-hand then something has gone drastically wrong. Hand to hand combat only becomes necessary if you are being overrun and have run out of ammo, now in order to save your life, you fight hand-to-hand with the enemy. Paul says that this is not the case here! This is to be expected! This is the Satanic Military Doctrine on fighting. Be prepared!

“Against”
Pros is used in the Greek meaning face to face. Like I just said, this is an up close, in your face fight. This is not a sniper battle. It’s a wrestling match.

Now we get into the rank and file of the satanic army of demons. They are organized not unlike the structure of authority in the church as well as the structure of authority in The United States Military.

“Rulers”
Archon is a word in Greek for one of the highest rulers. In the days of Athenian Democracy in Athens, archon was a title used for the president or preeminent decision maker. It can also be translated “thrones” which carries the idea of a position of authority. I see this as a position held by a number of demons that are empowered to implement the satanic doctrine of evil and oversee the execution of the satanic strategy and plan, in other words, a general.

“Powers”
Exousia implies a power of authority and of right that has great influence and privilege. Exousia is a power possessed by those whose will and commands must be obeyed by others. I see this as a commissioned officer that commands a battalion of demonic soldiers, in other words a commander.

“The world forces of this darkness”
Kosmocrator can be translated ruler or prince. As the prince is second in command to the King, so the NCO(Non Commissioned Officer) is second in command to the commissioned officer. The NCO is considered the backbone of the Army. He is responsible for training, instilling discipline, and hands on completion of the mission. I see the Kosmocrator as the backbone of the satanic army.

In Daniel 10:13, the term "prince of Persia" refers to a fallen angel, a demon, who was busy attacking the ruler of Persia. Gabriel was delayed in bringing a message to Daniel because he was in conflict with this kosmokrator demon. The archangel Michael came to help and released Gabriel to come to Daniel.In Dan. 10:20, the "prince of Grecia" is mentioned, referring to the demon in charge of mounting attacks against the ruler of Greece who was Alexander the Great at that time. Alexander was the son of King Phillip of Macedonia, founder of Philippi.

“Darkness”
Skotos from the Greek can be more clearly defined as a metaphor meaning the disrespect of divine things. Darkness is synonymous with Evil. Evil is the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) of the kosmocrator demon.

.
“Spiritual Forces of Wickedness”
Pneumatikos literally means spiritual hosts. There is no title of authority given to these demons. I see these as the foot soldiers or privates, so to speak. This is the enlisted core of demons. They are the lowest ranking of all demons.

From the Scripture interpreted from Ephesians 6:11-12 we can chart a structure of authority of the demon ranks in the army of Satan.
1. Satan (commander and chief)
2. The Doctrine of Evil
3. Archon (Rulers or Generals)
4. Exousia (powers or Commanders)
5. Kosmocrator (NCOs)
6. Pneumatikos (privates, foot soldiers, lower enlisted)

The most powerful enemy is one that is perceived not to exist. Satan is brilliant in his military strategy. He has perpetuated the perception that he is not real; therefore spiritual warfare is not real. Don’t buy into this propaganda of deception. The Word of God tells us that Satan is real, he has a strategy, he has an organized army, and they are ready to fight. Hopefully this devotion will help you realize that and get you back in the fight. Spiritual warfare is real!! I pray that you belive that, take it seriously, and train as a soldier trains for battle. Your Spiritual life on earth depends on it.

Captivating Thought

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

On my computer is a filter that intercepts my mail and supposedly catches spam and trash email before I open them up and waste time or subject myself to a virus.

Gods Word…Our brain filter. In our brain, we are responsible to be filtering our thoughts…before we act on them. This is the main place the battle to live the Christian way of life is won or lost. Winning this thought battle is a skill that can be learned and perfected, but you must first realize your potential in this area. I believe for the most part we have not been taught how it’s done and shown how to make practical application in our moment by moment life.

Thoughts precede actions. If you desire to get control over areas of sin in your life and body, you must first get control of your mind in these areas learning how to think like God would have you to think about them, then choosing to make your body follow your mind.

In my own personal mental battles, it is often back and forth for awhile, with me taking control then before I realize it …the battle is back on with the thoughts coming fast and furious. I take control again …then here they come again, and so on. Some people would say I need ridlin or prozac or something to settle my mind…but I believe just the opposite. These battles are valuable in that they continue to point out to me the weakness in my thinking that has not yet been perfected. That’s right, I said not yet and meant to as I take Philippians 2:5 seriously when it says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”.

Knowing your area. I firmly believe that our thoughts can be impacted negatively in a number of ways. We are all very, very different beings. What may be a challenge or battle for me may to you be a “no brainer” or not a challenge or temptation in the least. Knowing your area of weakness and then being willing to do something to take action about that weakness or battle is critical in learning how to “bring every thought into captivity". One of the keys is to be paying attention to what is going on around you and in your head at all times.

The Perfect Standard. Several years ago WWJD was the “in” thing and a lot of Christians had it on bracelets, shirts and bumper stickers but what was in their mind and on their tongue when that driver cut them off or someone at work mistreated them? The absolute perfect standard for our function today…is to be like Christ in His humanity. People tend to mystify Jesus Christ but I believe his life needs to be studied, understood and emulated to a lost and dying world around us who desperately need to see Him in living color through us, and it all starts with our minds and thoughts then to our actions. If Jesus Christ worked at your job, how would your company be different today? How much time would Jesus spend “surfing the net” versus casting the net? How much time would He spend fretting about someone else’s job performance versus working to please His Father regardless of what else was going on around Him?

People, this is how real we need to get to know Jesus Christ…to be able to know his character and know how he would act and react in every situation and then we need to be doing the same. Jesus said it best as to our responsibility to be doing this when he said to his disciples in John 20:21, Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

If I am truly His disciple, and I am, this is the standard by which I will be judged for all eternity…not based on my sin which has been settled on the cross by Him on my behalf but on my service and function to represent Him and His Heavenly Father moment by moment and thought by thought…not just Sunday morning from 9:30 to 11:37. Thanks for your time and your focus as I love you dearly and want the best for you in every way.

First Grace

Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

From the time that we are born into this world, we are taught that hard work pays off. As toddlers, we work at walking until we finally can walk on our own. This brings praise from our parents and we like praise. When we get a little older, we put a lot of time, energy, and practice into different activities to get the praise of people. Hard work also pays off in education, employment, marriage, and family, but hard work means absolutely nothing in Salvation.

It is hard for most people to understand the concept of grace because we have had to work for everything that we ever wanted in life, even the adoration and acceptance of our parents. When we transfer this way of thinking over into salvation and spirituality, we then try to work for salvation, adoration, and acceptance from God and reject the free gift of grace.

We don’t deserve grace, we can’t earn grace, we can’t lose grace, and we can’t buy grace; it is a gift from a loving God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”. Grace always comes first!! We are saved through faith, because of Grace. Grace always precedes salvation! God freely gives us grace, we receive grace by faith, and then we are saved. There is no work involved! Paul goes on to say that we are not saved as a result works, but that it is only God’s grace that saves us.

Why is it that so many people try to work for the acceptance of God? Notice in verse 10, Paul says that we are created for “good works”. Good works only come after salvation by grace through faith, never before. The word of God is inerrant, therefore, not even one word is out of place!! The Holy Spirit carefully directed Paul in the placement and order of his words so that there would be no confusion. It is always grace first, then faith, then salvation, and lastly good works. To change the order of God’s word, because we think that we have to somehow earn the love of God, is to completely and totally reject grace.

Gal 1:3 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"

Paul greets his hearers with the Greek and Jewish greetings of the day, grace and peace. It is no mistake that Paul uses "GRACE" first, followed by peace. What we have to understand, living in the church age, is that apart from grace there is no peace. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit that can only be produced in the life of a beliver who has been saved by grace through faith in the the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can work the rest of your life in order to find, produce, and sustain peace, but until you receive grace, it is futile. Grace comes first!!

2 Peter 3:18 "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Have you ever wondered why unbelievers don't understand the simplicity of God's word? It is because they don't understand and won't accept grace. It is impossible to gain knowledge of the WORD without the free gift of grace.

We have to ditch our false, work oriented perception that "God helps those who help themselves" and understand that God helps those who accept, understand, and appropriate GRACE!! It is never about what we have done, can do, or will do in order to gain the acceptance of God. It is always about what Christ did on the cross, and what God did by raising Him from the dead. Salvation is by grace through faith plus NOTHING!! Accept "grace by faith" and then you can "grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ", have "peace", and live the life for which you were created, a life of "good works." GRACE ALWAYS COMES FIRST!!!!!

Placing Value

1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

John is not speaking of the physical world, nor is he speaking about the inhabitants of the world. The “world” spoken of by John in this passage is the highly organized, seductive system that lures Christian’s away from the plan and purpose of God. "This world"then comes to mean a system of values that are in direct opposition to the values of God.

What truly has value in your life? That which you honestly value will become evident in where spend your time, energy, and money. Do we truly “value” the provision, security, stability, and relationship that God has to offer? Or do we seek the provision, stability, security, and relationship from the “things of this world”.

“If only I had more money, I could be happy.” “If only I had a job with a 401k, I could have security.” “If only I could win the lottery, I could provide for all of my family and friends.” If only I had a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife, then I could feel loved.” Do these statements sound familiar?

We live in a generation of self-indulgence. Material things are believed to give us worth, social status, happiness, security, stability, pleasure, etc. We love the world system because we believe that it will satisfy our souls. To love the world in this way is to rebel against the values and priorities of God. When we adopt the values of this world, we begin to consider ourselves more important than God. Our lives become all about self-satisfaction, self-glorification, self-recognition, and self-serving selfishness. This is the reason that John says, “the love of the Father is not in you”. The love of the Father is not in us because the love of self is in us and takes precedent. Depositing into and withdrawing out of the world system keeps us from amounting into anything for God and leaves us in Spiritual bankruptcy. On the other hand, depositing into and withdrawing out of the love of God gives us a never-ending abundance of Spiritual prosperity. It is paramount that we seek the love of God and break away from our love affair with "this world".

Wonderfully Abundant

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Is "it" a wonderful life? Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Last night was the night!!! My wife and I spent the evening at home in front of the fire watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” and yes, once again, at the end it got me. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I watch that movie at the end there will be a lump in my throat and moisture on my face.

I told her again last night, that the first time I ever saw "It's a Wonderful Life" was about 12 or so years ago in Memphis. Late on Christmas Eve, everyone else in the house had gone to bed and I was sitting in front of the fire watching tv when it came on. I think the reason it affected me so much the first time is because I watched it when I was in the pit of pressure financially with my business. We have gone through some tough times over the years, but that year was one of the worst.

Every year I get something different from watching it. I guess as I change and grow I can relate to that story on a different level, and this year was no different. If you watch it from a theological perspective, you will get to see most of the world’s view of God (a talking vapor of stars up in Heaven) , but that's not my view of my Heavenly Father. I also noticed this year for the first time there is absolutely not one reference to Jesus Christ anywhere in the film. This surprised me a little bit, as I had always thought of it as a “Christian movie”. After seeing it again yesterday, I believe that now I would classify it as a spiritual movie, but not a Christian movie.

I guess the big thing that struck me this year, in "living black and white”, was the realization that living life “abundantly” began for me in the same it began for Jimmy Stewart in the movie. When I realized that life was not about me, but about my impact on those around me through my ministry for Jesus Christ, I finally understood what Jesus meant by; "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly". I don't think Jimmy Stewart made it quite that far in the movie, but maybe next year I will once again see something differently when it comes on.

Jimmy Stewart in the movie was not a bad guy. He woke up and tried to do the “good” and "right" thing, but the driving force in his life was himself, what he wanted to do, and when he wanted to do it. Just like me for most of my life!! As the movie ends though, he finally sees that life isn't about him, but about his impact in the lives of others and his life changed.

What kind of impact do you and I want to have on others? Will your life be one that draws people to the cross of Jesus Christ and a desire for “abundant life”, or will we be one of the thousands of “Christian distractions” that are blocking people's view of the real living Jesus Christ? Will it be said of us today, “If that is Christianity , then I want no part” or will it be said, “Please help me to have the abundant life of Christ that I see in you”?

You and I with our choices and attitudes will make that decision moment by moment of everyday, and just like most things, this is a skill that you have to learn to use and then choose to use every moment of every day.

Study the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and then choose to live each moment in a way that reflects the joy and power available to you, because of your adoption into His family by your faith in Him and His work on the Cross on your behalf.

He, Jesus Christ, is not going to do it for you, but He will do it with you if you so choose.
Are you living the "abundant life"?

Mighty Warriors

2 Corinthians 10:3 “ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh”

My children love to annoy one another quite often. The other day my daughter felt like it was necessary to persistently annoy my son. He, on the other hand, was not a willing participant and quickly lost control of his emotions. His bad attitude resulted in his loss of certain privileges for the rest of the day. He, of course, proceeded to get extremely upset, and by that I mean he was ANGRY; really ANGRY! After his fit of anger, I spent about an hour talking to him (much to his dismay).

I explained to him that the reason I must discipline him is to train him. I went on to tell him that everyday we are in the battle of our lives, and the battle is lost or won with every step that we take. I do mean that literally. Every time we inhale or exhale, every word that proceeds from our mouth, every decision that we make, every thought that we think, every moment that we live on this earth, we have a choice. We can either speak, decide, think, choose, and walk in His (Jesus Christ's) way, or we can speak, decide, think, choose, and walk in our own way.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

I told my son that it is my job as a parent to train him for WARFARE, SPIRITUAL WARFARE. Because whether we believe it or not, we are “smack dab” in the middle of one. We, in every choice, choose to be on one side or the other. It comes down to choosing the Spirit or the Flesh (Galatians 5:16-26). Gal 5:17 “ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition (at war) to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” So often we, as Christians, end up fighting for the other side by being selfish. All choices made against God’s will always boil down to selfishness. I explained to him that we have to “loose” ourselves and let go of everything that we think that we have to be, do, and have, and replace that with what He would have us be, do, or have. All we have to do is give it all to him (Romans 12:1). It is so simple, but then again, so hard. (The hardest part is letting go of our self.)

Anyway, I wrapped up our talk, after several analogies, with this… God has called us to be Mighty Warriors! That is why we are here. He has given us a mission, to glorify Jesus Christ in all of the short days of our life while in this war zone called Earth. But, because of selfishness in the heat of the battle, we pull off His incorruptible armor (Ephesians 6:11) and put on our own old corruptible garb (the flesh). Without question, when we fight this battle in the energy of the flesh, we find ourselves either fighting for the wrong side,we become a POW (prisoner of war), or we become a casualty of war. In all three instances we become ineffective in our mission and lose that particular battle.

We need to put on the full armor of God and train effectively in order to "stand firm" and win every battle that takes place in this invisible war. We need to assist our fellow soldiers (Christians) when they themselves fall down and have become wounded. We need to rescue those who are POW's or are confused and fighting on the wrong side. My point is this… we are in a moment-by-moment, continuous battle. KNOW IT, TRAIN FOR IT, STRAP ON HIS ARMOR, STAND FIRM and FIGHT. If you fall, get wounded, confused, or captured I will be there for you because we are not only fellow Christians, we are fellow soldiers. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “ We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”

The Epitome of Humility

Philippians 2:3-8 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; (4) do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (5) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

A story is told of a missionary team that served in the jungles of South America. After many years the team came back to their home church in the United States in order to give a mission report and introduce the “Tribal Chief” whom they had trained to become the pastor for the tribe. During their visit, while doing some sightseeing, the missionaries took the Chief into a grocery store. As they walked through the store the Chief broke down and began crying. One of the missionaries was alarmed and asked him why he was crying. The Chief responded, “Only now am I realizing how much you gave up in order to bring the message of Christ to my tribe.”

This story reminds me of the documentary, “Beyond the Gates of Splendor”. It is the story of five missionary families who left the creature comforts of the United States, friends, and families to take the “Good News of Christ” to a people that did not know Him. In the process they paid an even greater price. Five of the men were killed after making contact with one of the most violent tribes in Ecuador. These men gave their lives so that someone else might know their Savior.

Even though both of these stories are touching, and we see the sacrifices that these missionaries made for Christ, neither can compare to the sacrifice that Christ made, in humble submission to the Father’s plan, when He left His abode in Heaven, and stooped to Earth in human form, to redeem mankind from the separation and bondage of sin. Jesus made Himself of “no reputation” in order to make atonement for our sins by His death on a cross. Jesus set the standard that these missionaries followed. There was nothing but selfless service in His attitude. He did it all for us to fulfill the plan of the Father.

In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul encouraged believers to be unified and serve each other in humility by following the example set forth by Jesus Christ. In order to understand Jesus Christ, we must first understand true, unreserved, selfless humility. Jesus Christ is the forerunner and epitome of humility. Before His incarnation, He was with God, was God, and was the creator of everything that was created (John 1:1-3). He then became a man in order to serve and save mankind (John 1:14). That is true humility. C.S. Lewis put it this way, “The Son of God became man in order for men to become sons of God.”

There is very little information in the Bible on Heaven, so it is impossible for our finite minds to comprehend an infinite God leaving Heaven, to become man in order to redeem man. The creator became the created. He left the eternal light of Heaven and came to the ever-increasing darkness of the earth to be the “true light that enlightens all men” (John 1:9). He left a perfect environment where He was worshiped and praised by angels, to live as man in a world infested with sin and death, only to be despised and killed by sinful man. Why? Because the Father’s plan was worth the sacrifice; you were worth the sacrifice.

Paul calls us to this same attitude of humility. Is the Father’s plan worth your sacrifice? Are you willing to submit to service so that Christ can be glorified?

Matthew 9:36-38 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. (37) Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. (38) "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

Are you moved with compassion to seed the fields of men with Gospel of Christ? Can you make yourself “of no reputation” so that the eternity of others becomes more important than your “here and now”? It takes an attitude of humility.

I will close this with a quote from the book Descending into Greatness: “Simply stated, the message of Philippians is this: If you want to be truly great then the direction you must go is down. You must descend into greatness. At the heart of this paradox is still another paradox: Greatness is not a measure of self-will, but rather self-abandonment. The more you lose the more you gain.”

Paul would never ask you to do something that he did not do himself. Paul had the attitude that was in Christ Jesus. An attitude of humility.

Philippians 3:7-10 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (8) More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (9) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, (10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”

With All Boldness

Mark 1:27 They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."

We all follow rules everyday. In almost everything we do in life there are rules and regulations. There are rules while driving. There are rules at work. There are national laws, state laws, and city laws. There are so many laws we are accountable for, that we don’t even know about. When I think about this it can sometimes become overwhelming.

I am not one that likes to break the rules or disobey the regulations that are expected of me. But even more than not wanting to break the rules, as a soldier I do not want to disobey a command. I don’t think I truly understood the severity of a command until I joined the Army. I have learned that when a command is given, it must be followed. Yeah sure, I might be concerned, scared, challenged or torn about the given command, but without hesitation, I follow the order.

The other day I went to a food court in the mall to have lunch. I sat down at a table to eat alone. There was a girl who appeared to be about 10 years old sitting at the table adjacent to me. Her mother was still in line ordering their food. Out of no where the girl turns to me and says “Hi”. I respond accordingly, being friendly. She turns around again and starts probing me for information. The girl wasn’t hesitant at all to turn and talk to a stranger. She wasn’t worried about the response that she would get when she sputtered those first few words. She just threw them out there. She wasn’t concerned at what the people at the surrounding tables thought about her naive questions. I walked away from that lunch challenged by a 10 year old girl, who had something to say and she was going to say it, no matter the result.

Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”

Why am I still scared, worried, ashamed, weak when it comes to sharing the Word with a stranger in public, at work, or out of my ministry “comfort zone”? I don’t let those feelings overcome my duty in the military to fulfill an order given to me. And yet in my heart I feel that I desire to pour my whole self into seeing others saved than I care about my employment responsibilities. That 10-year-old girl overcame the fears and doubts she must have had to talk to a stranger, and she was after useless information. I, on the other hand, walk around the streets with a burden that I need to share with people the Truth, that they might not know Jesus Christ. I look to Romans 1:16 where Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” What a testament of faith! I know there will be ups and downs in my spiritual walk, but there is nothing more in the desire of my heart than to serve Him and attest to His Truth. I need to overcome my superficial feelings that ultimately lead to a hindrance in spreading the Gospel. Hopefully this can be an encouragement to you for sharing Christ with others!!!

Run to Win

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

As a young boy I can remember seeing a movie at my grandparent’s church. In the movie a man had died and stood before a tribunal in Heaven. The man was asked several questions about the way that he lived his life. During the interrogation a huge movie screen lowered in front of him and all the bad things that he had ever done were shown back to him revealing his sinful past. This movie not only confused me, but also scared me to death. About two months ago I read a gospel tract that pretty much described the same thing. It seems that people are confused when it comes to the Judgment Seat of Christ, especially if they read the tracts or watch the movie that I watched.

What we have to understand first of all is that the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment are two separate events. The Judgment Seat of Christ is solely for believers and the Great White Throne is solely for unbelievers. The Judgment Seat of Christ takes place after the rapture of the Church and the Great White Throne will take place at the end of the Millennium.

In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul states that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…” The “we” that Paul is referring is everyone who has believed in the Person and work of Jesus Christ for salvation. (John 3:36) All believers must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, but according to John 3:18 if we believe in Jesus Christ then we will not be judged. John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” So why would we appear before the judgment seat if not for judgment? In order to answer this question we must examine the meaning of the phrase “judgment seat” in the Greek.

The word translated “judgment seat” in the English is the word BEMA in the Greek. In the world of the New Testament, the bema was a raised platform, usually mounted by steps, and used to make public pronouncements and to award prizes. In the Grecian games, the umpire or referee sat on a bema seat and from that seat he would watch a race between competitors. At the completion of the race, the first, second, and third place contestants would stand before the “bema seat” in order to be rewarded for running well. The reward for winning the race was a crown of woven olive branches called a stephanos. (1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.) The seat usually was not a judicial bench. In other words, this was not a seat where the losers of the race were chastised and criticized for their lackluster performance. The bema seat was a place from which rewards were gained or withheld; gained for running well or withheld for running poorly. Because so many people attach negativity to the phrase Judgment Seat, I prefer to call it the Reward Seat of Christ.

So now we understand that all believers must appear before the reward seat of Christ and will either gain or lose reward “according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Again, this statement can be confusing unless we look to the original language in which it was written. Remember that reward is gained or lost because of our performance. Our performance is either good (agathos) or bad (faulon). Agathos means ultimate good. The only time that our performance in the Christian Way of Life can be classified as agathos (ultimate good) is when it is done iby God. Agathos deeds are considered valuable, profitable, and worthwhile.

The antithesis of the agathos deed is any deed that is classified as faulon (bad). I don’t really like the translation “bad” here, because faulon actually means worthless. Faulon can mean any deed (whether classified good or bad by human standards) that is performed without God involved. Faulon deeds will not be rewarded at Bema (Reward) Seat of Christ because they are utterly worthless.

It seems to be pretty cut and dry. Rewards are received if God is working in and through you and lost if you are doing all the work. I leave you with a challenge from Paul: (1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.) Are you running to receive or lose reward at the Bema? Run to Win!! Run with God!!

The Inspiration of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Most Christians take for granted that the Bible that sits on their bookshelf, in their car, in the closet, or in the attic is the very breath of Almighty God. Do you believe that? The word theopneustos,written by Paul in the Greek language is translated "inspired" here, but actually means "God breathed". Even though the Bible was penned by 40 different authors, every one of them was guided under the inspiration and influence of God the Holy Spirit. Since God is absolute truth and cannot lie, that makes every jot and every tittle written in the Bible inerrant, infallible, and 100% reliable as truth from the very "breath of God". Why is it of the utmost importance that you understand this? Because the word of God is the supreme authority of life and faith and if one word is untrustworthy then the whole book is untrustworthy. As Christians we must have complete confidence in the Scriptures in order to live a life of faith by the word of God. If we believe in the death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus Christ then we also must believe that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish, or that Noah really did build an ark as the Scripture tells us. For us to question one word in Scripture is arrogance and will cause us to eventually question all Scripture. The word of God is "alive and active" but you must "live it" in order to "activate it". You cannot truly live by the word of God if you question it and therefore you will never unlock its power. Believe the Bible to be 100% truth, infalliable, inerrant, and inspired by God. Then, and only then, will it become profitable to equip you for the purpose and plan that God has for your life. Go get your Bible from the closet, car, bookshelf, or attic and realize that what you hold in your hand is the very "breath of God".