And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

VICTORY – A PROVISION

Matthew 6:13, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.”

MATTHEW 6:9-13

A temptation can be a difficult situation or a pressure. Contrary to popular belief, God is not the source of our temptation (Jas. 1:13). When we are under pressure, it is important to realize that God is not trying to entrap us. Satan is called the tempter (Mt. 4:3; 1 Th. 3:5). Then why did Jesus instruct us to pray that the Father would not lead us into temptation? This was simply a request for guidance so that we could be delivered from evil.

Jesus himself was tempted by Satan (Mt. 4, Lk. 4). He trusted God fully for provision, protection, and…

A life filled with love for the Lord and for others is a fulfilling life

READ:Philippians 2:1-4

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of others. —Philippians 2:4

Harry Tupper is a fishing legend here in Idaho where I live. There’s a spot on Henry’s Lake over on the east side of the state that’s named for him: “Tupper’s Hole.”

The thing I remember most about Harry, aside from his rare ability to catch those huge Henry’s Lake trout, was his dog, Dingo. Now there was a dog! Dingo used to sit alongside Harry in his boat and watch intently while he fished. When the old fisherman hooked a trout, Dingo would bark furiously until the fish was netted and released.

Dingo’s enthusiasm taught me something: It’s better to get more excited about what others are doing than…

As we abide in Christ Jesus and allow His Word to reveal to us His will

John 15:7 says: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” As we abide in Jesus and allow His Word to reveal to us His will, then we have a foundation of faith. Our faith is not in what we presume, not in what we see, and not in religious practice, but it is in the Word of God. As we stay in Christ and let His Word dwell in us, then His Word fills us with faith. His Word is a revelation of His will; therefore, whatever we ask according to His Word we receive of the Father. Jesus gives us two great secrets to answered prayer.

First, we must be born again, and…

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me

The voice inside must always agree with God‘s Word.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Motives, ambitions and preconceived ideas, can make it difficult for us to recognize God’s voice. All these things can make us hear what we want to hear and not necessarily what God is telling us. It is important to remember, that the voice we hear inside, must always agree with God’s Word.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God is Absolute Truth

A Young Radical

“The Word Of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword….it exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Many years ago, I was speaking at a large university. A young radical student, who was the head of the Communist Party on campus, confronted me. He railed at me, because I was encouraging students to follow Christ.

Rather than argue, I invited him to come to our home for dinner. After dessert I said, “I want to read something to you from the Bible.” He reacted with obvious irritation. “I have read the Bible from cover to cover,” he exclaimed. “It’s a ridiculous book. It’s filled with contradictions, lies and myths.”

I replied, “If you don’t mind, I will read it anyway

Speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men
-Titus 3:2

Years ago when I was in college, I was a young man running as hard as I could away from God. I was angry – angry at life, angry from disappointments, and working very
hard to feed that empty feeling in my gut with whatever the world had to offer.

During that time, one conversation in particular affected me significantly. I’ll
never forget sitting across the table from a fellow student I’ll call Mike. The
words that poured out of my mouth that day certainly reflected my state of mind.
“I don’t get it,” I said, “the hypocrisy of it all. All these people claim to be
Christians, yet they treat each other worse than most atheists I know.” Mike just
sat there and sipped his coffee as…

Stained glass at St John the Baptist’s Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus’ description of himself “I am the Good Shepherd” (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, let the Word Of God come and abide in you

John 15:3 says: “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” The Bible also says in Psalm 119:9 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.” We live holy lives. We have been washed in the blood of Jesus. His Word – as we allow it to come in by…

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. —Psalm 90:12

We live in a society that’s overrun with warning labels. From disclaimers on pills, to “use-by” dates on soup cans, to danger signs on chain saws—warning labels draw our attention to impending hazards. Recently I received a box with a precious gift inside. The sender had attached a big red sticker to the package that said, fragile: handle with care. When I think about life and its fragility, I wonder if we shouldn’t all wear one of those red stickers.

It’s not a good idea to cruise through life thinking that we are invincible and that everything is going to be just fine—only to discover that we are far more fragile than we thought. It takes only a call from the doctor telling us that we have a life-threatening disease…

The Benefits Of Fasting

MATTHEW 6:16, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

MATTHEW 6:14-18

It was a Jewish custom to anoint one’s self with olive oil and in Jesus’ day it was apparently customary to anoint the heads of your guests, also (Lk. 7:46). At times ointment or perfumes were used in this personal anointing. A lack of having one’s head anointed was associated with mourning or sorrow.

Jesus is saying that there should be no external sign of fasting or sorrow, but it should be done secretly to the Lord to receive a full reward. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 7:5, that abstinence from the physical relationship in marriage for the purpose of fasting should not be done…

Marriage Day (Photo credit: Fikra)

Love Never Fails

Charity [or love] never faileth.
1 Corinthians 13:8a

God‘s plan for man and woman and for preserving Christian marriage
relationships, in particular, is summed up in a single chapter of the
Bible, 1 Corinthians . When God talks about love, He’s talking about
agape love, the God-kind of love. This love never fails, which means
that there’s no time and no place when it won’t work. A man and a woman
who are citing “irreconcilable differences” as their reason for getting
a divorce don’t have any Word to stand on.

Love suffers long. Real love isn’t a sweet concoction that loses its
power after the first taste or two. The love that anchors marriages for
a lifetime goes way beyond the temporary psychological and biochemical
thrill we call “falling in love.”

Real love doesn’t fade just because wrinkles begin to…

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Matthew 25:35-36

Hope Lives

 
She lay in the palm of my hand-two months old, weighing less than three pounds. We rushed her from the stick house where her mother and siblings lived, to a medical clinic recently stocked with supplies. Only a couple of months ago, her limbs were thin as reeds, but today they are chubby and strong. The black circles under her eyes are gone. She smiles! She laughs! She lives, praise God, she lives!

Satan did not claim that little girl. But there are so many others who still…

God‘s Love

God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Romans 5:5, NIV

Did you know that you are God’s special loved one? Why would He love you so? Maybe it’s because when you abide in Christ you are so saturated in Jesus that when God looks at you, He sees His own precious Son and envelopes you in His love for Jesus’ sake!

As you and I develop and grow in this love relationship with God, abiding with Him through meaningful prayer and Bible reading, getting to know Him on a deeper level as we live out what we say we believe, He fills us with Himself. And “God is love” (1 John 4:16, NKJV). As you and I are filled with God, we will be filled with His love, not only…

Be Your Brother’s Keeper

Obadiah 1:11

“In the day that you stood on the other side-In the day that strangers carried captive his forces, When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for Jerusalem–Even you were as one of them.”
NKJV

Apathy, detachment, disinterest, disregard… no matter what you call it, it’s not an option as a follower of Jesus. In the book of Obadiah, God proclaims judgment on Edom because they stood by and watched Israel be destroyed and taken into captivity. They saw their brother in need and did nothing. Contrast this to Jesus who was active in our redemption.

Philippians 2:7-8 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the…

Are you the faithful steward?

Luke 12:42 “And the Lord said “who then is that faithful & wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?”

God needs people whom He can work with to get His Will done here on earth. He needs someone who will be faithful and act on His Word. Someone who is alert to the move of the Holy Spirit, knows His Word and will be obedient to it. God needs people He can count on, whom He can trust over His household.

Are you the faithful steward?

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus…

4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Help for the Helpless

“Jesus asked him, ‘Do you want to be well?” -John 5:6

Jesus was walking through Jerusalem. Think New York City. That’s what Jerusalem
was – the metropolitan gathering spot. It was crowed with all kinds of people. Eventually,
Jesus passed by a pool called “Bethesda.” This pool was believed to have magical
powers. Many believed that when the waters were stirred, the first one to enter
the pool would be healed. So, hundreds of sick people were lying by this pool,
watching and waiting for their opportunity to be healed.

One man had been waiting 38 years for his miracle! He was a paralytic and he had

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled

Matthew 5:6

Healing begins when you do something. God’s help is near and always available, but it’s given to those who seek it. Healing starts when you take a step. God honours radical, risk-takingfaith.

When arks are built, lives are saved. When soldiers march, Jerichos tumble.

When staffs are raised, seas still open. When a lunch is shared, thousands are fed.

And when a garment is touched by the hand of an anemic woman in Galilee—Jesus stops!

He stops and responds.

Compared to God’s part, our part is minuscule—but necessary. We don’t have to do much, but we do have to do something! Faith with no effort is not faith at all!

Write a letter. Ask forgiveness.

Call a counsellor. Call a mom!

Visit a doctor. Be baptized.

Feed a hungry person.

In the Spirit on the Lord’s Day

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord,
which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. I, John,
who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called
Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:8-9
The Apostle John was between the ages of 93 and 97 when the angel came and gave him this prophecy. John was the only one of the disciples that
died a natural death, although religious leaders and authorities tried
to kill John in numerous ways, including throwing him in a vat of
boiling oil. They finally exiled him to the Isle of Patmos, essentially
a rock that served as an island for…