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When Jesus walked the earth, He trained disciples to share His word wherever they were sent. He empowered them to cast out demons, heal the sick, cure diseases and tell everyone that the Kingdom of God was upon them (Luke 9:1-2). Luke 10 tells us He sent out 72 disciples and when they returned, they rejoiced, telling Him that demons submitted to them at the very mention of His name. Instead of joining them in their jubilation, Jesus corrected them. Luke 10:20 - However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
If I had been one of those disciples who'd seen the power of God flowing as they did, I too would have been overjoyed to know that I was capable of doing such in Jesus's name. And yet, we know that was not what the Savior wanted. He wanted them to not focus on the power but on what that power represents - that God had deemed them worthy to be included on a list in heaven.
Just as those disciples needed to refocus, so do we. If we truly believe in Jesus and are His disciple today, we need to ask ourselves, are our names written on heavenly lists?
The answer to this question is only known to God. Nevertheless, because of His revealed nature and word, we know He wants us to be on those lists. The people on these lists enjoy certain privileges that other do not. For instance, when they proclaim His Son's name into any situation, the devil and its demons must fall back. All the power of the Almighty backs up such individuals. No matter the circumstances, He will show up to favor them.
God said as much in Malachi 3. There, He'd spoken to His remnant in Jerusalem and instructed them to stop withholding their tithes and offering. Those who feared the Lord gathered and agreed to change. These people pleased Him so He ordered the angels to write a scroll of rememberance with their names on it (Malachi 3:16). Malachi 3:17-18 - “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
And we should want to move in that reality because that is what God desires for us. Hebrews 11:6 states that He is a rewarder of them who eagerly seek Him. When we do this, our names get added to heavenly lists. This goes beyond saying we are Christians. It is about being a Christian in every facet of our lives. We must therefore voraciously consume His word, fervently stand in the gap for others, give Him our worship, fast per Isaiah 58, and listen to the Holy Spirit as He changes us to become more rooted in Christ.
Therefore, let us pray to be a vessel through whom the gifts and the power of God flow for His glory. And as we do so, we shall cry out to Him to make us the sort of person whose names are in the books of heaven. Today, we shall ask God to show us how to become those whose eternal spirits will reside forever with Him. We shall allow Him to teach us how to live, yield to His direction, obey His commands, and be ever mindful that this world is not our home. The lists of this world are inconsequential. Heaven is all that matters.
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Fear is a complex concept for us Christians to understand. We are told not to be afraid, but how is it possible not to worry? Is all fear from satan? And how does fear affect our spiritual walk?
God gave us a fear response, and it is a healthy one. For instance, it is why we jump when there's an explosion. It keeps us from sticking our hands into a flame. This type of fear helps us understand when danger is present and to avoid it.
However, there is the fear that satan tries to saddle us with. This kind of fear does not help people. Instead, it causes us to forget that God is King over our lives and will work things out for us. It is specifically crafted to rob us of our faith as was the case when the evil messengers came with bad news for Jairus.
Such fear can be camouflaged as rationality. It influences a believer to forget that there is healing in God's word (Proverbs 4:20-22). Or, a child of God, thinking they are unqualified for a promotion, will not pray on the matter. They'll forget that God does not operate by the rules of man (Isaiah 55:9).
Conquering fear requires knowing the word of God and that's where the problem is. Believers don't read anymore! So many of us want to depend on what a pastor says at the pulpit or in a book, but the truth is we have to read the Bible and know the word of the Lord for ourselves. When we know His word, we know His promises, we know His warnings, and we know what to say to resist satan and its lies.
We need God's word for everything. The Bible is our manual for life. Without it, we will be afraid of the very things God placed under our dominion (Luke 10:19). We also will not see our prayers answered because our lack of knowledge will allow fear to destroy our faith. James 1:6 states, "When you ask for something, don't have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea" (GWT).
If we fear God and God alone, we'll understand that He will answer when we call, never leaving us at the mercy of our enemies. Fearing anything else, frankly, makes no sense. He has all the power and He loves us. Plus, when we know God's word more, scriptures will bloom in our hearts and minds, causing fear to shrink back.
Many do not believe they have enough faith, but the Lord has given each one a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). We therefore have to apply that faith, remembering that a mustard-seed amount is enough to do great things (Luke 17:6). As we put the faith we have to work in the situations that confront us, our relationship with God deepens and our faith increases. Our resilience strengthens for the next challenge that comes our way, and the cycle of godly growth continues.
We cannot successfully serve as God's weapons against the kingdom of hell if we try to skip the faith training we need. Often, we don't want to deal with the suffering and struggle that comes with it, so we step out of God's plan and timing to do our own thing.
In reality, we need to let God have His way with us. We need to submit to His training. We must allow Him to build us up to become the vessels of honor He created us to be. If not, we will become trapped in cages of fear that debilitate us and make us useless for His kingdom purpose on earth.
(Originally posted August 17, 2021)
To learn more, please click the hyperlinks included in the message. God bless you.