Effective ministry requires power through the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. The faith of our brothers in Kenya is shining forth in those who are willing to do the Word of God. Let us seek to be filled (or to be refilled) so that we might see God’s will be done in each of our lives and in our midst as the Body of Christ.
God’s promises are to those who believe. Only by basking in God’s love and grace can you walk in His commandments with joy. You must spend time in His presence to bask in His love, and silence all the voices of the world to sit at His feet. Then you will serve in His kingdom with joy. God has promised to bring you to maturity. Don’t despair; He will give you the power you need.
We celebrate the advent of Christ at this time of year; but Jesus is no longer a baby in a manger, or even in the tomb; but He is seated at the right hand of God the Father and will judge the people of the earth. If we are to receive the gift of Christmas, then we must know our God and humble ourselves to His will. Christmas is every day for those who have Christ in their hearts.
The gift of Christmas was Jesus coming to provide forgiveness for our sins. Because of His sacrifice, God has removed our sins from us, never to be remembered again. But do we show the same love and mercy to our fellow man? If you will not forgive, then you become like the Devil, the accuser of the brethren. Let us pursue forgiveness as God pursued us and gave us every opportunity to repent and be forgiven.
Obedience separates us from the worldly people. But obedience must originate from the heart. If you are disobedient in one area, you are disobedient. God wants to bless you, but He will not if you don’t obey. We are not under the Law unless we step out from under the Law of Liberty and start making our own rules. Doing good things from the wrong motive is disobedience.
We must not dance around sin. Whenever it comes up in our midst, we must expose it and rebuke it; we must love our brothers and sisters enough to give them opportunity to repent. It isn’t enough to confess and cry and show remorse; if you don’t change your behavior and your attitude, then you are still in sin, you have only worldly sorrow unto death, not godly sorrow unto life.
Few of us will be deceived by outright temptations to sin, but by the subtle “little foxes” like gossip and meddling. We seem to think we may entertain “acceptable sins”, but God hates all sin; there is no distinction with Him. If we are to remain in the light, then we must bring all this darkness to the light by reproving anyone who speaks gossip in our presence. That is how we keep the unity of the Holy Spirit in our fellowship.
God’s church is in unity. We are commanded to preserve that unity by remaining full of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace. In this unity, God has put boundaries on how we relate to each other, especially to members of the opposite sex. We need each other to finish this race; we don’t need to be tripped up by lust or improper emotional attachments. Nor do we need to “murder” each other in gossip. Let’s keep the slate clean with each other so that unity can remain.
We are not called to give our opinions; we are called to obey. If you are not humble, then you cannot obey, because you are operating under earthly, demonic, wisdom. Every aspect of life is addressed by the Word of God, and it all comes down to this: humble yourself and do it God’s way. That is how a Christian acts toward himself and others. We speak words of edification, not words of death, and we require those around us to do the same.
We say we have the armor of God, but how can that be if you will not control your tongue? If you “murder” your brother with gossip and critical talk, you are in danger of hell. Who will stand up in the midst of “the group” and say, “This is not edifying. This is sin. We need to repent.” If you allow your friends to live in darkness, then you hate them because you love only yourself and your flesh.
Prayer in the armor of God must be in faith, earnestness, and purity. God is near, for He is in us; we must just get ourselves out of the way. In no other faith is the deity called Father, Friend, or Husband. Our intimate relationship with our God gives us confidence to pray in faith, and receive answers. But prayer is not thinking, it is declaring with our mouths the promises and goodness of our God. Let’s abide in Him, so that what we ask is given unto us.
The Armor of God is preparation to pray. But we cannot pray effectually if we are not walking in the Spirit and putting down the flesh through fasting and repentance. The first thing we do when we pray is search our hearts for unconfessed sin. Then we must persevere in prayer because there are battles in the spirit realm that can hinder the answer. Align your prayers with God’s will, and you will see them answered.
The imminent return of the Lord is one of the great catalysts for Christian service. Knowing that He could return at any moment spurs us to holiness and to reach the lost. When we consider that “blessed hope”, the Rapture of the Church, we want to ensure that we are ready to meet Him. It is no wonder that Satan wants to convince people against this truth.
You cannot put on the armor of God without humility; it will not fit. We cannot do our part to thwart Satan’s plans unless we are full of the Holy Spirit. We must be thankful and humble to do so and to win souls in the short time we have left to work. However much time you spend in prayer, it is not enough if you are not “doing greater works than these.”
The armor of God is prayer armor. The battle is in the spirit realm, which is the realm of prayer. As the Helmet of Salvation protects us from the doubts Satan brings, the Shield of Faith stops the “Accuser of the Brethren” from bringing condemnation, because we believe God’s Word more than our own feelings. We must stop praying for natural things, and pray in the will of God.
