Your Authority

Jesus said: "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19). Get a hold of this: you have been given delegated authority over the devil and his demons. They are under your feet. So you have the God given right to command them to take their hands off of your children (and your spouse and your friends). In fact Verse 20 reveals to us that these spirits are subject to us! Use your authority!!! ---Dan Downey

Like Peter

Of all of Jesus' disciples, the one who gets the worst rap is probably Peter. He made brash, bold declarations and then denied the Lord three times (Matthew 26: 69-75). Witness to the glory of the transfiguration of Christ, he wanted to make earthly dwellings for Him, Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:4); prompting a rebuke for God himself to be quiet and listen (v. 6).

So why then would Jesus look upon this uneducated fisherman who often engaged mouth before brain and declare that he would be the rock upon whom the church would be built (Matthew 16:18)? Because Peter knew exactly who Jesus was---You are the Christ, the Son of the living God---(Matthew 16:16). His declaration brought blessing from the Lord (v. 17) which should be a blessing and a lesson to us as well.

God isn't looking for the best and the brightest, rather He's looking for those who know and declare who the Lord is and seek Him with all they have. Has He found you?

He is in Control

I’ve gotten a true glimpse of the all-sufficiency of God’s
grace. When you don’t know what to do, don’t know what to say, don’t know what
literally the next day will bring, what a powerful truth it is to know that the
Creator of the Universe holds it all in his hands and he is working all things
for good. That’s right—all things for good. When I realize how desperate I am
for healing and restoration, the still small voice of the Spirit says, “Here I
am. I love you. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with
my righteous right hand. The Father loves you. He sent his only Son Jesus to
the cross to die for your sin. You are precious in his sight. You are a joint
heir with Christ. You are a partaker of the light. I came to give you abundant
life. I give you all power over the enemy who comes to kill, steal and destroy.
I am the truth and the life.”

Seek First

Several years ago, when I was nominated to be a deacon at Ogletown Baptist Church, I was asked to write a brief bio and provide my favorite scripture verse. What a difficult choice. So many terrific verses to choose from. Verses that strengthened me, verses that challenged me, verses that encouraged me. One kept coming back to me—Matthew 6:33---the one that I started this blog about.

I chose this verse several years ago because it spoke to me about where my priorities needed to be. It’s not just about putting God first. The word “seek” means to try to find or discover by searching or questioning. Nothing casual or passive here. The Kingdom of God is recognition that He is the creator of everything; the One who spoke the universe into existence. His righteousness is everything that is true, honorable, pure, lovely, commendable excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:7-9 tells us if we think on these things, the peace of God will be with us; the peace which passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. All things added to you means that by seeking Him first, He will provide everything we need to live a life that honors and glorifies Him.

Seeking Him first is often easier said than done. Our flesh, which desires to do things our way, gets in the way. Seeking Him first is a daily commitment to prayer, being in the Word and worshipping Him. In fact we need to recall the words on the old hymn “I need thee every hour”. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby; temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain; come quickly and abide, or life is vain. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will; and thy rich promises in me fulfill.