God Is Our Fortress

Psalm 71:1-11 KJV

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.

By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

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The Lord has been with us and will continue with us to protect us from those who would come up against us. They may think that God is not with us and attack us mercilessly but we have every confidence that he is. He is our refuge and our fortress. In him alone do we trust. In him alone do we find peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Humbly Serve

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10 KJV)

When men and women think too highly of themselves they are bound to be exposed and with exposure they will find themselves naked, out in the cold. There is no sin that will not be uncovered. 

If you are to serve God and God's creation, then humble yourself and remember that you are a servant. You are not God. You are not better than the people that you serve. You are also not better than the people that you serve with.

As a retired pastor, a former substance abuse counselor, a former juvenile corrections counselor, and a former bartender; I've heard enough fake stories and confessions to know that those who lift themselves up over those who they are supposed to be serving or serving with; those who belittle and attack the character of others in order to win the favor of others do so only in order to justify their own sins. 

Know this: the only justification that is to be found for sin is the blood of Jesus. We are all sinners. It would be much wiser to humble yourself and follow in his footsteps rather than the ego which rules your life and attempts to control the lives of others. You think that you are free because you can attack others. No, you are not. You are a slave to sin and you will not succeed at lifting yourself up. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up." 

There is only one God and none of us are Him. Only He can lift you up out of the muck and mire you've gotten yourself engulfed in.

God bless each of us with tongues that do not falsely accuse others. May He bless each of us with tongues that will inspire peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J

His Steadfast Love

Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise.
⁴² Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me,
    for I trust in your word.
                                   (Psalm 119:41-42 NRSV)

It is always hurtful when we realize that someone we care about does not care in the least about us. It is in times like those that we remember the great love that our Lord has for us. His steadfast love shall sustain us. It keeps us from despair. 

It can be very tiring to be attacked by those we are called to serve. It is in times like those that we trust in his word and lean on his promises. There is nothing that humankind can do to us that the Lord does not know about. He will empower us to answer, with his word, those who would attack us. We do not have to trust in ourselves. The Lord is with us now and forever.

Rejoice, for our Lord loves us and has "....saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace." (2 Tim 1:8) Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Armor of God

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  (Eph 6:11-12 NRSV)

 

Sometimes, we forget that the battle is not against each other; but, against the spiritual forces that attack every one of us. We forget and when we forget we forget to pray even for our enemies that they might change (repent) and receive the peace of the Lord so that we all might live in peace; so that we all might live in the joy of His presence.

 

Yes, the evil one does manifest himself in humankind and we do find ourselves in conflicts and wars. To protect those who cannot protect themselves there are times that we must engage in physical warfare. But, even in those times the spiritual warfare must be paramount. We can never forget to wear the armor that the Lord has provided for us. We are, at all times and in places, to wear the belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, shoes to help us to go out and proclaim the gospel of peace, the shield of faith so that the evil one's arrows will be thwarted, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). 

Even as we venture forth wearing this armor we should always and in all places remember to pray. (Eph 6:14-18) Pray in the Spirit that we do the Lord's will and not our own. Pray that God is with us so that the battle will be won and the devil have no power over us or any whom God loves. 

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Our Fortress and Deliverer

I love you, Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and I have been saved from my enemies.

                                                     Psalm 18:1-3 NIV

I cannot even begin to count how many times the Lord has saved me from those who consider me their enemy. They have tried and some continue to try. But, they have never prevailed. The Lord is my deliverer and not just from this physical world; but, from the unseen realms of darkness that would attack all who love Him. 

We give Him thanks and praise because He has saved us from our own sinful natures by sending His only begotten Son to deliver us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. 

God's peace be with you all today and every day.

Pr. J

Be Careful; Vengeance Is God's

He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing—
may it be far from him.
He wore cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like water,
into his bones like oil.
May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around him.
May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil of me.
                                          (Psalm109:17-20 NIV)

Vengeance is the LORD's.  I have learned over the years that it is not my place to take vengeance on those who accuse me.  God will take care of me. He will take care of those who are falsely accused or accosted. He will take care of those who falsely accuse or unjustly attack others. No, I am not a pacifist. I definitely will defend others when they are attacked. There are times when we need to defend ourselves. There are times when we need to seek assistance from the law. However, there are also times, I think, that we should step back when it is we who are being attacked and let go and let God, as the saying goes.

Years ago when I was very young, I was selling insurance door to door.  At one home, a man, arrogant and full of deceit attempted to assault me.  I was pretty shaken, but I got away unharmed.  I wanted to press charges.  A co-worker, an older Christian man, talked me into not doing that. The man who had attempted to harm me was pretty wealthy and well known in the community.  I was a stranger.  He was a local politician. I was an insurance salesman. "Do nothing, he said. Who are the authorities going to believe? Let us pray together and leave the vengeance to God.  Let us pray that the evil he intended upon you return to him." So we did.

Did God answer our prayers?  You tell me.  The following week, while the man was at work, his  wife left him. With his new convertible filled with his precious electronics in the trunk, she and her boyfriend sped away from the house and wrecked his vehicle. It hit the newspapers. The car and the contents were totaled. His wife and her boyfriend were unharmed, but his ego was definitely done in. He was no longer the prideful man he had been the week before.

Sure, there are still days when I would like to take vengeance.  But, I learned that day, almost forty years ago, to leave vengeance to God. He will take care of me. He always has. Why would He not continue?

Remember, your curses against others are prayers. Prayers that just might return and turn upon you. Watch what comes out of your lips - prefer blessings to curses - as what you do to others may be done to you.

"He loved to pronounce a curse—may it come back on him." (vs 17)

God's blessings and peace - Pr. J

The Lord Prevails

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  2 Tim 4:17-19 NIV

As Christians; as followers of Jesus, our primary mission here on earth is to proclaim the Kingdom of God in Jesus the Christ. The devil doesn't care for that mission much. He will do anything and everything to thwart those attempts. He will attack individuals. He will attack congregations. He will attack entire communities and countries. But, the devil, with all of his minions, will not prevail. The Lord stands at our side and gives us strength so that through us the message might be fully proclaimed giving all people the opportunity to hear it and rejoice in the Lord our God to whom belongs all glory for ever and ever. 

The devil may attack us through many means. But, no matter what the means, the devil will not prevail. Do not fear. The Lord will rescue his children from every evil attack and bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom.

Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J