Music: "Just Be Held"

Meme: You Are Held

Provided by "Mindful Christianity"

Jesus Wants You To Know...

There is a deep, gaping hole within you that can be filled only by My peaceful Presence. People who don’t know Me try to fill that emptiness in many different ways, or they simply pretend it isn’t there. Even My children often fail to recognize the full extent of their need: at all times and in every situation. But recognizing your neediness is only half the battle. The other half is to believe I can - and will - supply all you need.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

The Lord be with all of you."

2 Thessalonians 3:16

"Jesus Today" by Sarah Young

Your Devine Armor

The apostle Paul knew a thing or two about spiritual warfare. As a missionary and church planter, he regularly faced intense opposition. Sometimes that even included jail.

And it was in jail, guarded by Roman soldiers, that Paul gave us one of the most powerful Scripture truths about overcoming Satan: the armor of God. Just as a soldier would never have thought of going to battle without armor, so we shouldn’t go through our day without being fully equipped.

The list, found in Ephesians 6, helps us understand what we need to be protected against attack and able to fight back. As you read this list, I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you, revealing any areas where your armor might be missing or need an upgrade.

The first piece of armor is the belt of truth (verse 14). Truth is essential, because what we believe - about ourselves, about God, about life - dictates how we will act. Our beliefs need to be grounded in the truth of God’s Word.

The second is the body armor (or breastplate) of God’s righteousness (verse 14). Body armor covers our heart and other vital organs, protecting us from deadly blows. Spiritually, that body armor is Jesus’ righteousness. We are protected from guilt and condemnation by his righteousness, not our own.

The third is the shoes of peace (verse 15). Peace gives us steady footing amid the chaos and unpredictability of life. No matter what we face, we can stand firm in the peace of God.

The fourth is the shield of faith (verse 16). Faith deflects lies and other attacks like a shield blocks fiery arrows from the enemy. Our trust in God protects us from Satan’s attempts to deceive, discourage, or derail us.

The fifth is the helmet of salvation (verse 17). Salvation covers our mind like a helmet protects a soldier’s head, guarding our thoughts with truth. The more we understand God’s love for us, shown through Jesus, the more our mental health can flourish.

The sixth is the sword of the Spirit (verse 17). This is God’s Word. In the same way that Jesus fought Satan’s temptations with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11), we also fight his lies and temptations with the truth of God’s Word.

Just like a soldier receiving his armor, Jesus equips us with his truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and power.

Are there any of these that you feel are missing or weak in your own life? Right now, tell that to God and ask for his help. The armor is his gift to you, and he is ready and willing to help you put it on.

Reflection Questions

1. Which of these articles of armor feels most present in my life today? How do I see them at work protecting me?
2. Which of these articles feels lacking or weak? What holes are in my armor? Am I believing any lies that are causing this, and if so, what truths from God’s Word can I use to quench those fiery arrows?
   
   Excerpt from "Understanding Spiritual Warfare" devotional by Dr. Mark Jones

Meme: Jesus Is...

Prayer: Conquering Fear

I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:4 (NKJV)

You did it, Lord! You have conquered fear and I will never be held in its clutches again. As long as I am with you, I can face anything. I am brave. I am an overcomer. Fear will no longer dictate my life. And even if I have to remind myself of these truths, every moment of every day, I will no longer allow myself to be its victim.

When I stand in the midst of the unknown, faith will be the posture of my heart, even if my legs are shaking. Step by step I will walk into a life of freedom and never look back. I will trust you and release my concerns into your hands. Instead of fearing the challenges, I will thank you for them - they remind me to continually look to you.

I choose a life of victory, where you have full control. I won't be afraid of the things I don't understand. You are here. You are faithful. I am free!

Excerpt from "Prayers On Fire" by Brenna Stockman

Music: "Still"

Are You Going To?

The Carnal Christian

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 – 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 D𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 T𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵?

The word “Christian” is used in many different contexts today. However, very few people understand what a “Carnal Christian” is all about. If we search, we will not find the phrase “Carnal Christian” in the Bible, but the Scripture does teach about being carnally minded and living out of our old sin nature or what we inherited as part of humanity. The biblical word translated “carnal” is also translated “flesh” and it denotes mere human nature or the earthly nature of mankind apart from divine influence, and therefore it is prone to sin and opposed to God. A Carnal Christian is a believer in Christ who is more influenced by their human or earthly nature rather than the nature of God. Scripture teaches that we have our treasure in an earthen vessel (2 Corinthians 4:7). An earthen vessel is made from dirt and Genesis 2:7 says that God formed Adam from the dust of the ground. We could then say we have what is ours as believers in Christ in a body of flesh or dirt. We are also told that when we come to Christ, we are a “new creation” (1 Corinthians 5:17). However, the new creation has to do with our spiritual life and is not a transformation of our old flesh or our carnal body. The issue then is what controls our treasure. Are we as Carnal Christians controlled by our carnal or fleshly sin nature or do we surrender to the new creation, which is empowered by the Spirit of God?

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 – 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱?

The Apostle Paul speaks about Carnal Christians in Romans 8:6-7 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-4. The characteristics spoken of in these passages are that the carnal or fleshly mind, which is human viewpoint, is enmity against God or is anti-God. It cannot please God, is unable to digest solid spiritual food, and is filled with strife, envy, and division. These are very unhealthy spiritual traits and the reality is that all believers are carnally minded at one time or another. It is a matter of growing up and becoming mature. That is a process that continues on a daily basis as we acknowledge our need of grace and submit to the process. We fully surrender to the LORD as He works through every situation in our lives to conform us to His image. So then, we know that a Carnal Christian is one who is characterized by inner mental attitudes that are not in agreement with God’s viewpoint and from our inner mental attitudes come our actions. We could then say that a Carnal Christian is one who does not focus upon God’s Word, does not see the necessity of obeying God, and does not experience the abundant peace and joy that is the believers if they submit to the power of the Spirit in their lives rather than being led by their old carnal nature (Galatians 5:16). A Carnal Christian is often very frustrated because the Spirit of God is faithful to us and convicts and convinces us that when we are operating out of our carnal flesh, we are not fulfilling God’s purpose for us. Our purpose as children of God is to bring glory to Him in all our choices and actions and so since we are not fulfilling our true spiritual purpose, we suffer self-inflicted misery.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 – 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱𝘆?

How can you be transformed from being a Carnal Christian to being a Spirit-led Christian? We find an answer in Romans 12:1-2 where we read that you can choose to submit your flesh or carnality as a living sacrifice or what that is set apart unto God and not be conformed or molded by the pressure of the world and the flesh. You can be transformed, which is a continual process, through allowing the Word of God to renew your mind so that we may prove or authenticate, to put to the test, what is the good and acceptable or fully agreeable and complete will of God. It is God’s will then for a Carnal Christian to mature and grow strong in their faith and walk of obedience. The ongoing process that takes a believer in Christ from a Carnal Christian or what Hebrews calls a “babe in Christ” to one who is engaged in maturing as a child of God is the choice to take in the solid food of the Word, which equips us as Christians to be able to discern or reason what is good and what is evil and what is good and what is better (Hebrews 5:13-14).

Provided by "All About God Ministries"

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"Most of your fear stems from pondering bad things that could happen - leaving Me out of that imaginary scenario. This is a very harmful practice; it is also an exercise in unreality. Although your future stretches all the way into eternity, there is not even one second when I will be absent from you. . . Whenever your mind wanders into the future, make the effort to include Me in that imagery. See Me helping you, strengthening you, encouraging you. Instead of being intimidated by tough times ahead, view them as adventures that you and I together can handle."

"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." - Deuteronomy 31:8 - "Jesus Lives" by Sarah Young

Perfect Peace Is Possible

𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢. Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

Looking to our feelings instead of Truth to steady our souls is dangerous ground.

I saw a vivid depiction of this several years ago when we remodeled our house. I invited a friend over and asked for his expert opinion. But when he started staring at the ceiling with a look of grave concern, I knew something was wrong. One of the major beams had been poorly repaired and wasn't able to provide enough support - a point proven by the sagging floor upstairs.

Seeing those broken boards barely hanging on, I felt like God was giving me a glimpse of the unstable places inside of me. It was a loving admonition to stop assessing His goodness based on how my life felt at any given moment.

Why? Because feelings are fragile props. Only Truth is solid, unchanging and stable. The beliefs we hold should hold us up even when life feels like it’s falling apart.

Which brings us to our key Bible passage for today. Isaiah 26 focuses on the strength God gives His people so they can accomplish His purposes.

First, we need to know that one of the keys to understanding Isaiah 24-27 is realizing that the prophet Isaiah was looking ahead to the end of all things. Isaiah knew while things may not look good right now, God promises us His plans are good. God is moving us toward that day when death will be swallowed up and He will wipe every tear from His people’s eyes (Isaiah 25:8). He has ordained our peace (Isaiah 26:12).

But we aren’t just promised peace in eternity. Isaiah tells us how we can experience and walk in strength and peace today:

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock” - Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV)

The Hebrew word for the phrase “stayed on” means “to brace, uphold, support.” In other words, those with minds fully braced, upheld and supported by trust in God and His Truth will be kept in perfect peace. This means an all-embracing peace. It comes from God, by the power of His indwelling Spirit, giving us the strength internally to face whatever comes our way externally.

This doesn’t mean that our circumstances will feel peaceful, that all our relationship troubles and hardships will suddenly get better, or that all the prayers we pray will suddenly get answered. But our minds can be steadied with God’s Truth instead of overrun with thoughts of fear, anxiety and worst-case scenarios.

The God who rescued David from Saul (1 Samuel 23), who split the Red Sea so the Israelites could safely pass through (Exodus 14), and who promised strength to His people through Isaiah is the same God you can trust with your life.

God is always doing more than you know, working toward a good you’ll one day rejoice in.

Dear Lord, help me to keep sight of Your goodness in the brokenness of this world. I realize I must keep my eyes fixed on You and the Truth of Your Word. Thank You for the peace You give me. I want my security to be found in You - my unchanging, undeniably good and unquestionably loving God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

- Lysa TerKeurst

Provided by “Proverbs 31 Ministries”