God's Protection

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.

God is always with us, no matter what the circumstances. He is our protector, our sure defense.
No matter what danger or violence we face in life, He promises His presence and protection. Even when we feel the enemy’s flood is about to engulf us, with Jesus at our side, we will not be swept away.

When God pours out His anger upon the earth, those who are His will not be burned. God’s wrath will not consume us—even if that flame is the tip of a weapon or the head of a spear.

We are His and He and His promises are ours. Stand on what He says, even if the enemy shouts otherwise.

Lord Jesus, when my eyes see the enemy’s flood
and I smell burning flames set out to destroy me,
when I see the flash of weapons aimed at me,
may my eyes turn steadily You
as we walk through the danger together.
Thank You for Your constant care
and precious promises.

Jesus' Foot Soldiers

by sallyjadlow

I Timothy 1:18-19
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

Some more liberal churches no longer have songs like “Onward Christian Soldiers” in their hymnals. “Too militant,” they say. Contrary to their modern theology, we are foot soldiers sent into battle against the enemy by our Lord Jesus.

Like Timothy, we are to hold fast to the truth. some believe for a while, then walk away when things get tough, their faith is inconvenient, or when God doesn’t do things the way they thought He should.
When people walk away from the truth it’s only a matter of time until their lives are broken and shattered like a ship battered to pieces on the rocks.

Even though the apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, his son in the Lord, this message is for us today. We too, are sons and daughters of Paul through his many letters recorded for us in the New Testament.

Lord Jesus, may we pay close attention
to the wisdom our teacher, Paul
has carefully recorded for us so long ago,
yet so relevant for today.

Holy Spirit's Power

Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

After Jesus rose from His grave, He met with His disciples. He told them to wait in the city until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit.

He told them at that time they would receive power. They were to open themselves to the third person of the trinity—this promise of the Father (Luke 24:49).

This Spirit was to be their companion because Jesus was going to leave earth. They were to use this power to perform miracles like Jesus did and even greater ones because Jesus was going to the Father (John 14:12). This Spirit would help them walk a moral path and successfully resist the devil.
The promised Holy Spirit arrived and entered the disciples and about 3,000 others on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41).

This was a gift all believers. It is for us today. Repent of your sin, and ask God to baptize you in His Holy Spirit that you might be a powerful force for His kingdom.

Lord Jesus, forgive my sin, enter in
with Your Holy Spirit,
that I may be Your agent here on earth
until You return.

Deceivers

I John 2:20
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.

The apostle John writes this letter to believers to warn them of deceivers in their midst who he calls antichrists; ones who professed to be believers but who had gone away from them and the faith.
Those false believers said only a select few had on inside track to God through special knowledge. They were called Gnostics.

John tells the believers they have a special anointing given them by the Holy Spirit—the only anointing they will ever need. They are to stay closely connected to the Spirit and to each other through the truth of who Jesus is. He is the promised Messiah—the Christ. He is the only way to eternal life.

We have anti-christs today. They say there are many ways to salvation; that Jesus was a good teacher, but not the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world.

But we have access to the same Holy Spirit; the same anointing as the people in John’s day. May we ever listen to the Spirit and draw close to Him and one another in genuine faith in Christ as we see the day of the Lord draw near.

Lord Jesus, may we never forget who You are
and whose we are as we come to the end of this age.
May we long for Your appearing with each new day.

God our Refuge

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

The one true God is our refuge; our shelter from whatever storm we experience. He is our place of safety from any danger. He is mightier than all other forces that come against us. He is always available, no matter what trouble or distress we face.

When David wrote the Psalms, he intended them to be sung. Maybe he knew we remember things better if there is music attached to the words.

Modern-day advertisers know this. Think of all the TV ads connected to a song. Example: “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Oh what a relief it is.” Alka-Seltzer, right? I’m sure you can think of more.
You might want to try this method of memorization. It might come in handy when you need a quick scripture to do battle with the enemy of your soul.

Lord Jesus, thank You for your powerful word
You provided for us.
May we hide it in our hearts
that we may have it ever ready
when a need arises.