Hello everyone
As I’m writing this to you I am thanking God for the experiences of the last few weeks – there are many blessings that have punctuated this time, some of which has been very challenging for me – and for you, too. I have been reminded often about how wonderfully faithful our God is. He is never failing and acutely aware of each one of us and what we are feeling, no matter the time of day or night. Our Father never sleeps …
Some nights lately, it has taken me some time to fall asleep. Not because of worry or anxiety, or anything like that. Not at all. It has been because I have been very suddenly alert to God’s voice – before I dropped off to sleep He wanted to speak to me, or show me something. So, though my body may have been a bit tired my spirit was very alert – and wanting fellowship with the Father.
And, I have been shown many things …
As I mentioned a couple of updates back, God’s Spirit is moving in the spiritual realm to block the enemy from doing whatever he wants. Satan does not have free reign in this world – there are limits which God has set in place, boundaries which restrain him. Satan knows he does not have the power to do whatever he wants whenever he wants, though he will try to terrorise people into thinking the opposite. One of the rules in place for Satan is that he must ask permission to do any harm to God’s people. Remember his request to God concerning Job and the apostle Peter at the last supper? God may grant such a request, but even then there are limits to what Satan can do … and such testing refines us if we remain faithful to God in it all.
The Scriptures teach us how Satan was cast out of heaven and that a third of the angels fell with him. And, although his power is limited, he still has spiritual forces of darkness working with him. No one knows how many demons are at work in the world, but we do know from Scripture, there are quite a few – and they’re at work 24/7. We need to remember, especially in this current season, that though Satan’s threats may seem real and intimidating, he’s not all-powerful. He is not omnipotent, or omnipresent, or omniscient. Oh, he wants to be. He pretends to be. But the Bible tells us differently. There are things he’d prefer you didn’t know about him because it reveals his weaknesses. All this is not that we focus on what Satan is doing, but we do need to be aware of his tricks and schemes, and not fall for them. What we need to be doing is focusing on what God is doing and remember that he has set boundaries in place for Satan that cannot be violated.
But anything within those boundaries can take place and, as I said in Sunday’s message, sometimes these are permitted as tests and trials for God’s people. Whenever you are tested remember that Satan is not in control – God is. And so, in the testing, we do not give Satan any opportunity to exploit us with doubts or unbelief. No, we hold on in faith and hope as God perfects something in us.
Jesus overcame evil – all evil. The resurrection proved that. And we are participants in his divine nature (2Peter 1:3-4), by faith, and we overcome, too. Again, the apostle Peter …
1 Peter 1:6-7 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
There is a purpose in the testing and proving. Hang in there, God is at work.
FINAL WORD
Romans 8:31-39 “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God is my victory … and he is here!
You are loved so very, much.
Ps. Milton