Ephesians 6:10-13 says that we are in the middle of a spiritual battle. We have been equipped with the armor of God to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Despite the darkness of this fallen world, God has an over-arching plan and a purpose.
In order to turn to the Lord, a man and woman of God must humble themself. We are powerless against the powers of darkness unless our power is in the Lord. God’s battle plan is different from the world’s. Jesus said, “love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Pray for them who persecute you and despitefully use you.” Be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.
When Jesus and the disciples spoke the good news of the gospel in Luke 9, the people rejected the message. The disciples asked Jesus, “Shall we call down fire from heaven to consume them like Elijah did?” Jesus said, “you dont know what you’re asking. I came not to condemn the world, but to save it.”
The first of the beatitudes in Matthew 5 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” This is counter-intuitive to the world’s logic. The world values riches acquired through self-sufficiency and self-reliance. However, humility is the first of the beatitudes ... the Lord’s blessed beautiful attitudes. In order to approach a holy God, we must first forsake our sinful pride. We must approach His throne of grace with empty hands, because we truly have nothing to offer a just and holy God. Only when we’re poor in spirit can He fill us with the power of His Holy Spirit.
The second beatitude says, “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” God gave us His word and His spirit to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. The apostle Paul said, “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” When we ask the Lord to open the eyes or our spiritual understanding, He will show us that despite the afflictions and storms of life, our prayer is not “deliver me from the storm,” but rather, “deliver me through the storm.” Despite the sin, deception and distractions, panic, pandemic and pandemonium in the world around us, Jesus said, blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Our comfort is not of this world but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “come unto me all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Without the Lord, we will be crushed under the weight of the world. However in His strength we can bear up under the pressure. The Lord is our fortress and our strong tower. In the shadow of the Almighty there is refuge from the storm. The devil picks off sheep who stray far from the Good Shepherd. There is safety and protection in the presence of Jesus Christ. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
The third beatitude says, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” The prerequisites for hungering and thirsting after righteousness are the first two beatitudes: humility and mourning for the sins we have committed against the Lord. Hungering and thirsting after righteousness is “an acquired taste.” When we approach our Lord with a broken heart of humility and mourning, He, by His mercy and grace, will give us a hunger and thirst for His righteousness. Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing.” The love of God keeps us humble. Love seeks not her own, is not boastful or proud, is not puffed up, keeps no record of wrongs done.
In Philippians 2, Paul said by revelation, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” The attitude of Christ was not to be served, but to serve. He humbled himself and took upon himself the form of a servant and became obedient to his Father, even unto the death on the cross. He was shamefully humiliated and he suffered and died, taking upon Himself the shameful punishment that we deserved for our sin. This is amazing grace ... in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect innocent sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Desperation and destitution are often blessings in disguise. They humble us to the place that we come to realize, “all I need is thee.” God has called us together as a the people of God, so that we can walk together in the ministry and fellowship of brothers and sisters who are pursuing the Lord Jesus Christ. As members of the body of Christ, we’ve been called to liberty in Him. The liberty is not an occasion to sin, but to serve God by following Christ’s example ... to humbly serve one another in love, so that together we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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