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Opposites Clash

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The saying goes that “opposites attract.” While that may be true in some aspects of male/female relationships, it does not apply in the ultimate fight of good against evil. In the battle between God and Satan, opposites definitely do NOT attract. They clash.

The Bible says that the acts of our sinful nature are obvious. They include sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy, envy, and the like. These are weapons Satan uses to perpetuate his evil agenda in our world. Now consider the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Bible defines them as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Christians are on Gods side in the spiritual battle. Our weapons are completely contrary to Satans. They clash with the enemys weapons. So I ask you today: Which weapons are you using? If you indulge your sinful nature day in and day out, you are not using the weapons from the Lord, for sure. And that means you are NOT a threat to the enemy!

Today, may you choose to stand boldly as Gods soldier, as Gods warrior, in the battle against evil. Engage in the spiritual battle for eternal souls. Because, the battle is real, the battle is on – its going on incessantly – and you and I are Gods servants to reach out to those who need Jesus. So, lets do it!

Freedom from Sins

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I have a friend in England named Jim Perry. Jim and his wife

Veronica are believers, and love the Lord Jesus. But it wasnt always that way.

Jim was into the occult for many years. At times he wanted to get out, but didnt know how. Jim was miserable, haunted by the things done at the satanic gatherings.

Then, Jim met Veronica, who was a serious follower of Jesus. Jim says that Veronica had a peace about her that he had been searching for for years.

So when Veronica invited Jim to hear me speak at a stadium in London, Jim accepted. That night, Jim heard about the forgiveness and love that Christ offers – even to the vilest offender as he called himself.

On his second visit, Jim decided to trust Jesus Christ as His Savior, and he finally received peace from God and liberation from demonic forces and perversions.

Jesus offers that same peace to you and me this Easter season. Because He rose from the grave and is alive today, He has the power to forgive and purify us and set us free. Theres no more guilt, no more shame.

Psalm 34:5 says “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered in shame.”

If youve never opened your heart to Christ, I hope that youll do it this Easter season. Remember, Jesus Chris is alive, and He offers you complete peace with God. Isnt that what youre searching for?

Seeing the Lord

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The Bible indicates that Mary Magdalene was a woman if ill repute. She had been demon possessed and had obviously done a lot of bad things. But when Jesus took the demons out of her, Mary believed in Him, and she was forgiven of all shed done.

Later on, after Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to Mary first, before any of the disciples. God gave Mary the privilege of being the first one to see Jesus alive. She was able to say, “Ive seen the Lord!”

Today, you may not be able to see God with your physical eyes as Mary Magdalene did, but you can see him with the eyes of your soul. If you will open your heart to Christ, youll be able to say, Ive seen the Lord. He came into my heart. He forgave my sins. Im at peace with God.

And the proof of it is the resurrection confirmed in my heart by Gods Holy Spirit. The Bible says that when Jesus rose from the dead, God was confirming that all our sins are forgiven by faith in Him.

Hebrews 10:10 says, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ.”

Its all based on the work of the cross. No one is good enough to enter the kingdom of God, because to enter it we have to be perfect. And the only way to be perfect is to be washed, as the Bible puts it, in the blood of Jesus Christ. Will you receive that cleansing today?

Building Community

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I remember the story of Keith Green. He was a highly influential American singer and songwriter from the 1970s. Before he gave his life to Jesus, though, he was heavily involved in drugs and eastern philosophies. But one night he was invited to a Bible study at a friends house.

The true fellowship in the group impressed Keith. He saw people full of joy and love as they studied the Word of God together. And thats where the Lord really began to tug at Keiths heart. Later he paraphrased Matthew 18 like this: “Its time to quit playing church and start being the Church.”

Keith was “burdened with reaching the lost, and broken with the true message of the Gospel.” And he had witnessed himself the power of community in reaching lives with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Living out the Gospel message in Christian unity is a powerful way to make an impact on our world. Psalm 133, you remember what it says… It says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

When you and I live together in the joy and peace that only comes from Jesus Christ, the world, like Keith, will sit up and take notice and our neighborhood will notice too. The world will pay attention when theres unity. Jesus said that in John 17 and Ive seen it to be true all over the world.

Once I was Blind

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In the Gospel of John, Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth. Immediately the disciples ask, “Lord, who sinned — he or his parents that he was born blind?” But Jesus replies, “Neither he nor his parents sinned, but this happened so the glory of God could be revealed.”

This passage is such a tremendous picture of how God works. He wants His glory to be revealed in us through our weaknesses. The blind man was weak, yet God showed His power by giving Him sight. Can you imagine the story this man had to tell? When people saw him, they couldn’t believe he was the same man who had been blind only a few hours before. His transformation was that miraculous!

When the man told the religious leaders what happened, they tried to get more information about Jesus. Yet because the man barely knew Jesus, all he could say was, “One thing I do know. Once I was blind, but now I can see.”

Each one of us has our own stories of how God has healed us from weaknesses — whether it’s addiction, fear, depression, or whatever. Like the blind man, we can tell people, “I was once afraid; now I’m at peace.” Or, “Once I was an addict; now I’m sober.” What a powerful way to witness for Jesus Christ!