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The devil seems so smart and huge, but what if I told you it was less than nothing? Would you believe it? What if I told you that satan lacked wisdom, would you believe me? The Bible states in Isaiah 41:24 - But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable. In this verse, the Lord was speaking about false gods and idols. These represent the devil and are just a few of the many faces it wears to scam individuals. Just as these false gods and idols are less than nothing, so is satan, and it is important for believers to remember this. The devil appears much grander than it is for the simple fact that it has spent time gaining expertise in its mandate, which is to steal, kill and destroy (Matthew 10:10). Believers have learned that the devil is crafty and has many devious means to cause humanity to fall short of the glory they are to give to the Lord (Romans 3:23). While these things may be true, we cannot forget the uneven exchange and why Jesus came to die - to make a mockery of all that 'expertise'. 1 John 3:8 - But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil (NLT). Through Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit, and He's the 'Secret Sauce' we need to remain the overcomers we are. Still not convinced that satan isn't that wise? Then why did it think it could use Job's experience to prove God a liar? All that happened was it got a zero return for investing in bothering God's servant. It didn't learn from that experience and tried to tempt Jesus right after He'd concluded a 40-day fast. Now, come on? Does that display wisdom? And the devil didn't stop there. It manipulated men, including Judas, of whom the Bible says satan entered him (Luke 22:3). These individuals pushed for Jesus's crucifixion and death. Had they, and the evil power behind them - satan - been wise, they would never have orchestrated Christ's death (1 Corinthians 2:8). Doing so led to the freedom of souls from hell and the free flow of the Holy Spirit in mankind. Just because satan has been doing evil for a very long time does not mean we are powerless against its schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). We have God's word, the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ, the Armor of God, and so much more. Our access to God means we receive strategy, true wisdom, and the glory of the Lord, to put the devil to shame in every situation that concerns us. Yes, satan lacks wisdom, but we don't, and we need to be intentional about walking in the Spirit of God so the enemy remains under our feet always. Luke 10:19 - I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. We serve the living God. The One who can do the impossible. He speaks, and it is done. The Almighty and All-Powerful One. In Him we have authority, and satan has none. The Lord will help us to remember our authority in Christ and the Godfidence we need to walk around with, knowing we are on the Lord's side, IJMN Amen. See you at Noon EST for fellowship, and between now and then, share your thoughts on today's message, share Christian music that praises God and uplifts your fellow believers. God bless you.​

I never watched 'The Passion of the Christ'. The movie came out in my Before Christ (BC) days, so unsurprisingly, I was uninterested in the subject, Jesus. I also didn't feel the need to devote over two hours of my time. Mind you, I had the markings of Christianity - I identified as a Christian, prayed regularly, and had a mini Bible in my bag at all times. Yet, I wasn't interested in learning about Jesus through the film or, frankly, through any other means. As the years passed, I saw outtakes from the movie illustrating the great degradation and trauma Jesus likely went through as He made His way to Calvary. As someone who now appreciates His sacrifice, I am very grateful that He died on that cross and went through all He suffered for my sake. He suffered injustice, nakedness, thirst, hunger, and abject poverty, so I never need to go through these things to become a child of God. A few months ago, some scripture got me thinking about the exchange that took place that day - a sinless man suffering and dying so sinful people, like myself, could walk free from the consequences of their iniquity. It was an uneven exchange because I paid no price for this freedom. Jesus bore the consequences of my sins so I could enjoy the fullness of life promised in John 10:10. He went through so much, and it all worked out in my favor. Not every believer has been so fortunate. The early church was targeted, and the cost of their faith was often death. Even now, many suffer discrimination and are massacred for believing in Jesus. God's word teaches that I must intercede for my fellow believers and, where legally possible, support their freedom to worship the Lord and live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 2:1-4). I also realize that I cannot take my freedom to do so for granted. ​It is striking that through this uneven exchange, I get to witness God's power via the Holy Spirit. I have been blessed to see God move in not only my life but increasingly in the lives of others. I have seen Him answer prayers, and He proves Himself more than able to do the impossible. All this is because of that uneven exchange from several millennia ago. An exchange that guarantees I, and countless other faithful, enjoy the privilege and benefits of a covenant with God that we didn't have to physically die for. Instead, the Lord wants us to let His Spirit help us die to sinful desires so we remain free from the product of sin - death in hell. As I walk with the Lord, He has revealed that there are burdens I've carried that were never His plan for my life. These are issues I wasn't meant to wrestle with, things that had to go for me to get closer to experiencing freedom in my mind, body, and spirit. He didn't create me to deal with the wounds of betrayal - my wrong choices led me into that trap. Certain types of grief were not to happen to me, and if I'd sought His wisdom, His word would have navigated me away from the events and persons that brought that into my life (Hosea 4:6). He didn't create me to be angry or petty - those were the wrong responses to the problems I'd faced. Problems He never intended for me to tackle. He helped me not hold on to guilt or shame, reminding me through His word that I was made to receive His love, compassion, and forgiveness. Always. For these changes to happen, I had to confront what Christ achieved on the cross, accept His sacrifice, and the resulting rewards. I am still learning and will likely continue learning for the rest of my life. That said, I now understand that, like myself, many who believe in Jesus don't fully understand what His sacrifice means. Hence, we are getting bogged down by certain situations that should never have been able to hold us. We've gotten used to shackles we weren't meant to wear, even seeing them as jewelry instead of what they are. We've ignored the distinction between God taking us on a challenging journey for our good, versus our sin keeping us from His best. We've forgotten that we might need to fast and pray for discernment because Jesus said certain issues will not be overcome without both (Matthew 17:21). We struggle to praise, forgetting it ushers us into God's presence where His perspective and freedom are available. And we dismiss intercession, spending to spread the gospel, and helping the needy, though doing so pleases the Lord and unlocks the closed spiritual doors. We have to acknowledge and take advantage of the uneven exchange made for our benefit. In so doing, God will usher us through experiences designed to grow us and prepare us for His plan for our lives. God's Spirit and His Word make these possible. May He help each of us to fully leverage the freedom purchased for us on Calvary's tree, IJMN, Amen. See you at Noon EST for fellowship.

In Matthew 5:22, Jesus taught the following, But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell (NIV). How many of us are 'guilty' of what He warned of? Have you been angry with a sibling? If not a sibling, have you been angry with anyone? Other Bible translations replace 'Raca' with the word 'idiot'. How many of us have used that term to refer to someone else? Or, even ourselves? What about the term 'fool'? Have we not used it more liberally than we should? The Lord wants His children to do better. He desires that we allow His Spirit and word to steer us toward what pleases Him. He wants us to turn away from the sins that create distance between us and Him. Such sin includes anger, which can control our actions, thoughts, and words. However, if we let the Spirit of the Lord direct us, a guard develops over our mouths so we are more wary of what we say and how we speak about others. We also learn to guard our hearts because whatever we allow to blossom there will come out of our mouths (Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 18:20-21). If we permit something bad to grow, the fruits will be obvious in the negative things we say. Jesus wants us to know that anger will bring God's judgment, so we cannot give it room to fester in us. If we do, we are sure to say or do something petty. Anger also increases the risk of insulting another human, and we are taught that the same mouth we use to praise God should not be used to curse in James 3:10. Keep in mind that the scripture doesn't say anger is permitted when someone irritates or even harms us. This is why we must be careful about what we say (and think). Our words can bring life, blessings, curses, and judgment (Proverbs 13:3). God will hold us accountable for every word that passes from our lips. And we can't make excuses for our anger, saying things like, "God's still working on me." Yes, we are all works in progress, but we should never justify our bad behavior. Instead, we must repent for being angry and forgive those whose behavior or words bring that out of us. Jesus said there is no limit to how often we must forgive others in Matthew 18:22. Proverbs 19:11 teaches that we will be rewarded with glory for overlooking the things people have done to offend us. Plus, given how often we plead for forgiveness, we should surely extend that same grace to others, even forgiving them before they apologize. If not, we risk not receiving God's mercy (Matthew 6:12; Matthew 18:21-35). Eliminating angry words from our lips is a good start, but not enough. Remember that we must discipline ourselves about what we think in our hearts as well. The Lord will help us to be cautious, and as we submit to His Spirit and His word, we will overcome anger and its consequences, IJN Amen. To learn more, please read  1. Careful what you say 2. Idle Words Block Blessings 3. Anger 4. On Fools 5. Careful what you say about yourself 6. Thou Shalt Not Be Petty 7. 1 Peter 2:17 8. Empty Words 9. Topic: How satan speaks 10. Don't Grumble & Don't Complain 11. Godly or Ungodly, You Choose 12. Are you a good or bad example? 13. On Grief & Freedom 14. The Shimei Lesson