All posts by Larry

Ready or Not

John 10:10a The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

Here is a hard truth that you might not be ready to receive. The devil is coming for you ready or not. You might just want to get yourself ready.

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Prince of the power of the air is a title for Satan. We have been promised eternal life but we are not there yet. We still live in this world and this world is full of evil. In order to survive the onslaught that the devil has for us, we need to be equipped.

Ephesians 6:12-18 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

The weapons of this war are: truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God and prayer. This is spiritual warfare and we must be trained in how to use these spiritual weapons because we were not spirit and it does not come to us naturally how to use them.

Cheating

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life

Keep here is the Hebrew word natsar which means to guard with fidelity.

Two days ago I asked you to guard your heart with fidelity. Yesterday I showed you how difficult that task can be. The Lord has good reason to ask us to do difficult things. It is for our own good that He asks these things of us.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

He asks this of us to guard our hearts with fidelity. We are asked to be faithful to Him and not to cheat on Him as others have cheated on us. When we sin we are cheating on our Lord who has asked us not to sin. We don’t always look at it that way but as I said yesterday, He took our sins. To sin now, after becoming betrothed to Him, is to lay yet another sin upon His sin scarred back. Another lash of punishment He took for us.

Do you look at your sins that way? I admit I didn’t for many years. It is painful to think that way. Think about how painful it is for Him?

Isaiah 43:24, 53:6 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

It should be painful to think about but it is meant to keep our hearts with all diligence, with fidelity.