Demons Are Real

One of the controversies in religious circles today is about the existence of demons. When we read the Gospels, we can’t deny the reality of the demonic world. Theologian Donald Bloesch says, “Let us cease arguing about the existence of demons and concern ourselves with what the demons are actually doing.” Who are these demons? What do demons do on earth? What should be our response? Read Mark 3:1-12.

The demons Jesus encountered were evil spirits who occupy another world beyond the world in which we live. They impact our world, however, in powerful and destructive ways.

These evil spirits oppose God and His plan. They are committed in doing evil. Their opposition manifests itself by promoting false religion (1 Corinthians 10:14-19). They seek to stop the specific purpose of God for your life and your family’s life. They do this by being involved in the lives of individuals. Demons blind people to the truth of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). They oppress people (2 Corinthians 12:7). They can possess people who have not committed their lives to Jesus (Mark 5:1-15).

So, what should be our response to the reality of demons and the demon world? According to Ephesians 6:10-18, we need to use God’s power in our lives. We must stand in God’s protection by putting on the whole armor of God. This armor protects us from Satan’s most potent schemes and deceptions.

We must resist these demons through earnest prayer. Prayer keeps us dependent on God and not on our own power and intelligence. The strongest demons tremble to see the weakness Christians on their knees. – Marvin Williams

Freedom!

If you’ve seen the movie Braveheart, you’ll never forget the scene where William Wallace, under threat of execution unless he acknowledges the king, summons everything within him to shout a single word—“FREEDOM!” Liberty is one of the greatest privileges in the world.

The apostle Paul used the freedom of his Roman citizenship to great advantage, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to people of many cultures in the great cities of his time. Then it all came crashing down. Religious leaders who hated Paul’s teaching started a riot and he was falsely accused. After appealing to Caesar, the highest authority, Paul found himself in a jail in Rome.

For most of us, prison is the worst-case scenario for our lives. The independence and choices we cherish would be gone. Liberty would give way to limitation. Our future would be destroyed.

But for Paul, prison was simply another location in which to serve Jesus. Instead of becoming depressed by what he had lost, Paul enthusiastically embraced this new opportunity.

During two years of imprisonment in Rome, Paul was allowed to live in his own rented house where many people came to see him. “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:31). His letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon celebrate God’s goodness and the joy of knowing him.

If you’ve lost a cherished freedom, ask God to show you how this restriction can become an opportunity to know and serve him. Like Paul, you can discover that within any confinement your mind and spirit can be free to serve Jesus. –Dave McCasland

World-Changers

Wilbur Wright and his brother Orville were unlikely candidates to changed the world. They were interested in mechanics not academics and after a few years in the printing business they began renting, selling, and manufacturing bicycles. But their growing interest in aviation led them to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they made the word’s first flight in a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine 100 years ago.

At the time, hardly anyone noticed. Only five other people witnessed the flight. The Dayton Journal in their hometown ignored it and the only three newspapers that reported the story got the facts wrong. It’s obvious that no one at that time could foresee how much the airplane would alter our entire way of life.

Are you doing anything today that is likely to change the world? If you’re a follower of Jesus, your obedience to Him each day plants the seeds of the gospel, is “the power of god for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

The early followers of Jesus were accused of having “caused trouble all over the world” (Acts 17:6). One translation calls them-these that have turned the world upside down” (KJV). In Greek, this means “to stir up, excite, or unsettle.”

When our witness for Jesus stirs up the people around us, we should follow Paul’s example of focusing on Him, not ourselves. His goal was to show that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), who has the power to make people new when they turn to Him.

You are a world-changer if you follow Jesus and remain true to Him in every situation. You can’t imagine the far-reaching result of your daily obedience to the Lord. –Dave McCasland

Secret of Heaven

Joy is the gigantic secret of heaven. If we are silent about the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, the very stones will cry out! (Luke 19:40). Just as the crowds shouted praises when they saw Jesus, His presence in our lives should draw praise from our lips. Christian joy is the echo of God's life in us. So why does it sometimes seem that Christians are the most joyless people in the world? How can we unlock the treasure chest of Christian joy?

In Philippians 3:1-11, Paul gave us several wonderful truths about maintaining our joy, especially in the face of hardship. The first nugget of truth is to remind yourself who is the source of joy. The chapter begins with a cheerful command: "Rejoice in the Lord." This joy has its source beyond mere human joy, and therefore it is outside of us. Christian joy is a focused concentration on our relationship to and position in Jesus Christ, and it is maintained through the deliberate remembrance of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord.

Paul's encouragement to rejoice describes a settled state of mind characterized by peace and calmness. Joy is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of the sovereign Lord. Christians are not left to the mercy of fate and the outside forces of chance. Joy allows us to see beyond any particular circumstance to the One who stands above all human events and ultimately has control over them.

Christian joy is not a product of circumstance and events. If we experience failed relationships, financial reversals, trials and afflictions, sickness and death, we can still rejoice. Happiness happens because of our happenings, but joy is a choice we make through the Holy Spirit. - Marvin Williams

Behind the name of the word, GOD.

What attribute of God do I show by my life to be most important? This question really got me thinking of. So I got my bible and sat down on my personal computer and typed out the alphabet.

I tried to come up with a characteristic of God that begins with each letter of the alphabet, and a scripture bible verses that represents with it. This was a good exercise and it has turned into a profound act of christian worship.

Here are some of the words I got that characterize God whom I love and served.

• A - Almighty - Genesis 17:1; Psalm 89:8
• B - Beginning - Revelation 22:13
• C - Counselor - Isaiah 9:6
• D - Deliverer - Psalm 18:2
• E - Eternal - Jeremiah 10:10
• F- Father - John 30:10
• G- Gracious - Exodus 34:6
• H- Holy - 1 Peter 1:15-16
• I - Immortal - 1 Timothy 1:17
• J - Just - 1 John 1:9; Revelation 15:3
• K - King - 1 Timothy 6:15
• L - Loving - Psalm 25:10
• M - Maker - Ecclesiastes 11: 5
• N - Never- failing - Lamentations 3:22
• O - Omega - Revelation 1:8
• P - Powerful - Jeremiah 32:17
• R - Righteous - 1 John 2:1
• S - Saviour - 1 Timothy 4:10
• T - Trustworthy - 2 Samuel 7:28
• V - eVerlasting - Isaiah 40:28
  
• W - Worthy - Chronicles 16:25

Try this exercise:
Find a verse to support each word. And when you look over your list, thank God for those characteristics.

Next time, put a twist on it. Write out the alphabet again, only this time use words for the way God sees you.

What if you don't know God in those ways or don't know how He sees you? Let me encourage you to look for Him! The word of God says that if we seek Him, we'll find Him ( 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 15:2; Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13).

It's not as easy as ABC, but in time you will learn to know God's characteristics through His Word.