Letter To A Friend

Dear friend. Your letter has encouraged me greatly. Thank you for these beautiful, heartfelt words. In some ways our lives are two steps forward...one step back. Stumble, stumble. In His eyes we are perfect and holy. But in our daily lives, we still struggle with the spiritual battle, forgetting that we cannot, of ourselves, deter the enemy. Only our faith in Christ, as we apply the armor of God, wins each battle. Wounds are to be expected in a battle, Arlene so we shouldn't be surprised when we drop our shield a bit and one of Satan's fiery darts hits its mark. Not to worry, they are not fatal!

Your friend always,

David

Faith Not Feelings

We live by faith and not by sight!  2 Cor. 5:7

Unlike any other book, the Bible is God's living, eternal Word, filled with absolute promises that enable us to live an extraordinary life with no fear. However, because we do have weak moments when we do feel afraid, we have only to call upon the Lord, to read His words and see His promises to bask in the peace and security He freely gives.

Regardless of our circumstances, He will never leave or forsake us. Not only that, He awaits for us at the door of our mansion in Heaven with a perfectly fitted robe of righteousness, washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Hallelujah!

At a meeting, the leader, when talking about our feelings said, “Feelings are neither right or wrong, they just are!” At first some of those present stood against his description but after considering what he said, they all agreed it was true. Feelings are part of who we are but when they cause misdirection, confusion, fear, or more negative responses, we know they are to be controlled. And only God can come to the rescue. He can replace negative feelings with His promises of care and eternal salvation.

            John 11:25-26  ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

            John 10:10-11  I came that [you] may have life, and have it abundantly. ¹¹"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

            1 Peter 1:3-5   ³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

            John 10:27-30  ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

            John 6:35-40  ³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. ³⁷ However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. ³⁹ And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

            1 John 4:4   ⁴ But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people (false teachers, spirit of the anti-christ), because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

            Romans 8:38  ³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

            2 Corinthians 5:17  ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

            Matthew 11:28-30  ²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

            The teenage boy told his father, “Dad, I don’t feel like mowing the lawn today.” To which his father replied, “Then I guess I don’t feel like feeding you dinner.”

Promises vs Feelings

 

God’s Biblical promises never change! In our world of confusion, deceit, fraud and disappointment, the ONLY absolute is God’s word. Many times we “feel” a negative emotion regarding our lives. To some, elusive success or fear of failure dog them, while to others misguided decisions bring negative feelings. Because those feelings are strong, they can override God's absolute word in our minds.

            The solution that never fails is diving into the Bible to right your sinking ship and restore your course to His settings. Satan roams the earth, looking to destroy and maim all who fall for his lies. However, satan's fiery darts will be deflected by your shield of faith if you choose to strap on the armor of God every day!

            1 Peter 5:8-9  Be clearheaded. Keep alert. Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith. Do so in the knowledge that your fellow believers are enduring the same suffering throughout the world.

            2 Corinthians 9:8  And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 

            Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

            Psalm 84:11-12  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. LORD Almighty, blessed are those who trust in you.

            We must take Him at His word! Believe what He has said to us. When you are discouraged, filled with doubt, cannot see how your life will ever work out--trust in His promises even though it seems impossible. Cast your negative, defeatist feelings aside, clamp on God's armor and hide His word in your heart.

            Psalm 119:11  I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.

            Psalm 23  The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need.

            Psalm 40:8  I delight to do Your will, my God; Your instruction resides within me.

            Ephesians 3:14-21  When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. ²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

            James 1:2-8  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

            Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. ¹¹Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. ¹²We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. ¹³So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. ¹⁵Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. ¹⁶Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit.¹⁸Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people.

            The power given to satan, is given by God. The life and death spiritual battle conducted in the unseen world is not between equals whereby we hope and pray that God wins. No. God is all-powerful and all-knowing but He has a time table that only He knows. Until Jesus returns, our lives will have struggles. However, we have read the final chapter and we know the outcome. We are victorious because of the blood of the Lamb. Just as that little scrawny sheep herder destroyed the gigantic Goliath, so we too can fight the good fight of our faith every day by seeking God first and walking in faith.

            Matthew 6:33  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.