POWER AND AUTHORITY...Part One

"In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying "Be quiet and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm.  And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, "What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out!" Luke 4 33-36

What IS the message?

• Are there demonic spirits today?
• Do they control or indwell in people?
• How can we apply this in today's world?
• In our own lives?

J. Vernon McGee said in his commentary on this verse "We are living in a day when demonism has lifted its ugly head again, and Satan worship is a reality. Demons were working in the days of our LORD and they are working now.  Our LORD cast a demon out of an individual.  Even considering the use of drugs, it is difficult to explain some of the actions and awful crimes being committed unless the perpetrator is under the power and control of Satan."

Ephesians 6:12 says "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."

In mainstream churches we don't want to give Satan too much credit, so we tend to ignore him.  We talk about him, but we're not ready to acknowledge he is alive and well and pursuing us.

Peter said "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

So now we acknowledge that he is real, he prowls around us, he attacks us at every opportunity in so many ways.  What do we do?  How do we resist him, how do we make him leave us alone?

God has given us power and authority to not only resist but to ban Satan from our presence and our loved ones.  "The seventy returned with joy, saying "LORD, even the demons are subject to us in Your name" And He said to them "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.  "behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you." Luke 10:17-19

"what is this message? For He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out!"

The message is... we have the same power and authority! We NEVER have to be under the weight of Satan's attacks! We can rest well knowing we are VICTORIOUS in the battle!

How can we be victorious? How do we battle such a formidable foe?  How do we go up against the Prince of Darkness? How can we protect ourselves from the evil one?

More to come........

ONLY GOD

My friend, Nancy's grandson, is doing much better today.  It has been a long grueling week of ups and downs, joys and sadness.  Aidan did suffer a stroke shortly after birth and does have some brain damage.  The Dr's don't know exactly what that will look like as he grows, but we know that God knows and we're trusting Him for His best.

Today Aidan is off of sedation, today he is seizure free, today he is free of most tubes, today he is breathing on his own, today he sucked from a bottle, today he had his first bath. Today is a glorious day.  Glory to God in the Highest!!!

In 2004, my friends Sarah and Nancy led a Women's Conference in Solgohachia, Arkansas. I was privileged to travel with them.  The theme of the conference was "FAITH is the Victory!"  Nancy wrote this poem and I hope she doesn't mind that I share.

Only God....

Only God can take....

     The most paralyzing crisis of life,

        Apply grace in abundance,

            And turn it into a supernatural encounter

                With the Most High God.

Only God can.....

      -turn darkness into light

      -sorrow into joy

      -fear into faith

      -mourning into celebration

His grace....

      Gives wisdom to the inexperienced

      Gives rest for the weary

      Gives hope to the brokenhearted

      Gives mercy, new each morning

               Always on time

               And ever sufficient.

She has lived out this poem this week and she has stayed strong in the Lord.  She has been the light in the darkness and strength to the weary.  And at all time in all ways she has given Glory to the one to whom all honor is given, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together."  Psalm 34: 1 & 3

WAITING,TRUSTING AND HOPING

Today my dear friend waits in a hospital "waiting" room for test results and news on the condition of her newborn grandson.  Today she trusts in the One that created him and knit him together in his mother's womb. Today she hopes for the peace of the Lord that surpasses all understanding and His promises of holding her up with His mighty right hand.  

From "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, March 12.

WAITING, TRUSTING, AND HOPING are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain.  trusting is the central strand,because it is the response from My children that I desire the most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, is evidence that you really do trust Me.  If you mouth the words "I trust You" while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow.  Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven.  However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present.

    Because you are Mine, you don't just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust.  Keep your "antennae" out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence."

"so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters withing the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. "  Hebrews 6:18-20

BITS AND PIECES

A rainy cold March Saturday. What to do?  Clean the home office!  It is a disaster and has been for months.  I am not only a pack rat but also a procrastinator and this was one chore I put off for way too long!  The upside is 

1. I have found the top of my desk, it's oak!
2. I have finished some long overdue record keeping
3. I found bits and pieces of papers with handwritten words to share :)

 Here's what I found:

"When you come to the pivotal points in your life, listen for God's direction. Become acquainted with His voice so that you will be able to distinguish the difference between His voice and your head. By hearing and obeying Him you will move closer to the destination He has preset for you and you will receive His abundant favor and grace."    Anonymous

"Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue; God's voice is its most essential part.  Listening to God's voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine." Andrew Murray

" The Lord didn't promise that life would be easy, but He did promise to go with you every step of the way. " Hallmark Reflections

I still have some more clutter to go through.  Can't wait to see what other bits and pieces I will find.

Be Blessed today!

15 MINUTES!!

Excellent advice from Christian author, Emilie Barnes:

"When I was 20 years old, my daughter was six months old.  We then took in my brother's three children, and soon I became pregnant with our son. That gave us five children under five years old! My life was all  work.  I was always tired.  I was fragmented, confused and stressed out. One day, I read Proverbs 3:6 "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths"  I fell to my knees and prayed, "Please, God, direct my path.  I'm on overload. I have no time for me or anyone else. Help me put it all together and make it work to glorify you. Amen."

God not only heard my prayer, He honored it. I began a program that changed my life. I committed 15 minutes each day to quiet time with the Lord. I read His Word and prayed.  Next I committed 15 minutes each day to organizing our home, concentrating on things I never seemed to get done.  After 30 days the pattern was set.  God was directing my path.

Our home changed dramatically.  Finally, I could truly understand the meaning of acknowledging God in all my ways. That meant looking to Him for help and comfort in everything -- family, home finances, commitments and careers."

What a great plan!  I've had the 15 minutes (actually 30 minutes) of quiet time in my morning routine for over 10 years.  It's amazing how that time with the Lord sets the pace of the day.  Now I'm ready to add the 15 minutes of organizing my home, specifically my home office.  AUGH!!! It is out of control and overwhelming.  I'm sure with only 15 minutes a day, I can make a HUGE difference in a week.  I'm excited to see what it looks like next Sunday.  I know this blog would be more interesting with pictures, but I am not willing to share a picture of this room.  Maybe next week after 15 minutes a day :)

Encouraging you to keep on keeping on!