Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Some encouraging verses for today

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13"

"That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and He healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.” Matthew 8:16-17"

" Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4"
"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:10-18"

(I love that it's God's armor we put on, and that He is the one keeping us. Not some selfmade righteousness, not our own understanding of truth and reality, not our own weak faith, not our salvation, for Jesus name means God is salvation, and He alone has the power to save and He has promised to do so. We don't have to rely on any of our own weak abilities. He is the one fighting the battles and protecting us in spite of the worldly circumstances/troubles surrounding us. They are temporary, but a new kingdom was declared by Jesus, an everlasting kingdom full of the joys of the Lord. And I love that these amazing qualities/abilites, that are all really impossible if we tried to do them on our own,  are now something we can do and are instructed to do. Not by our own power, but by in His. In verse 10 we are told to be strong in His mighty power, not our own. That's so awesome!! We are told to put on truth, a truth that comes from Him, Jesus is the truth. The enemy is the father of lies, but lies are weak and their deceit is easily seen when placed against the truth. We must believe in His promises because He is the truth.  Righteousness, peace, and salvation, and faith are also from Jesus in us, He is in all ways protecting us from the enemy. Even our weapon in this battle is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Jesus is called the word of God and He will/has fought for us. Praise God for we are not alone, He has everything under control!! )

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