Devotion: Don't Grow Weary

Don’t be misled; remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it: a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!  If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death; but if he plants the good things of the Spirit, he will reap the everlasting life that the Holy Spirit gives him.  And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.  That’s why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers (Galatians 6:7-10 TLB).

Dear brothers, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help him back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong.  Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command.  If anyone thinks he is too great to stoop to this, he is fooling himself.  He is really a nobody.  Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else.  Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own.  For none of us is perfect (Galatians 6:1-5 TLB)!

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips (Colossians 3:8 NIV).  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4 NIV).

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19 NIV).  Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up (Romans 15:2 NIV).  So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (I Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6 NIV).  Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.  Let your moderation be known unto all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7).

So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection (I Corinthians 15:58 TLB).  But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31 TLB).  Do not be weary in doing good, always doing your best, for you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.  When you are happy, life is good; it is better when others are happy because of you.  Do your very best to inspire people.  Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up.

As always, we give thanks and glory to God for his wisdom and understanding.  We are so blessed to be able to share with you, those things that God has placed in our hearts.  We continue to pray that our commentary will be a blessing to each of you and that you will be the better for having read it.  If you are blessed by what has been provided, please feel free to share so that others may be blessed as well; for as freely as our Father has given this to us, we freely give so that others may share in the love and be blessed.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Jesus, Do You Really Know Him?

Not long ago we spoke of Paul’s assignment to inform others of the mystery of the gospel and to make clear, the good news of this gospel (Ephesians 6:19).  Paul wanted us to clearly understand that his knowledge in “the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:3-4) was by revelation from God, so that he could inform, proclaim fully, and make clear the truth concerning Jesus the Christ through the revelation of the mysteries, which were kept secret since the world began.  The one thing we found amazing was the fact that there were many untruths circulating around about the person of Jesus the Christ in Paul’s day as he was making clear the mystery of the gospel.  The problem for Paul was that there was another force going about preaching another gospel, different from the one that he was preaching.  In a letter to those believers at Corinth, he spoke of his concerns.

“I hope you will be patient with me as I keep on talking like a fool.  Do bear with me and let me say what is on my heart.  I am anxious for you with the deep concern of God himself—anxious that your love should be for Christ alone, just as a pure maiden saves her love for one man only, for the one who will be her husband.  But I am frightened, fearing that in some way you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to our Lord, just as Eve was deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden.  You seem so gullible: you believe whatever anyone tells you even if he is preaching about another Jesus than the one we preach, or a different spirit than the Holy Spirit you received, or shows you a different way to be saved.  You swallow it all” (II Corinthians 11:1-4 TLB).

In many ways, we have been led away from the simplicity that is in Christ.  The apostles preached a message that was pure, one of truth, one given by revelation of him who is truth.  They entrusted themselves to the approval of man’s sense of right and wrong in the sight of God (II Corinthians 4:1-6).  We are so confused, so influenced by the devil that we have lost that sense of right and wrong in the sight of God.  Do not take our word for it.  Just look around in the world today.  Churches are rewriting their own church doctrines, questioning their faith, changing their interpretations, reexamining their teachings, creating new precepts, and arguing over the word of God.  Institutions are splitting because of differences in beliefs, opinions, principles, and theologies.  Just as Eve was deceived by the devil in the Garden of Eden, we continue to allow him to deceive us.  We refuse to take control of our thoughts, control of our minds so that we can take the blinders off so that we can see the light which shines in our hearts that gives way to the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Satan has infiltrated the body of Christ and divided the kingdom (Mark 3:24-27).  He has entered the organization and has become part of it so much so that he is hard to recognize.  That one we believe to be him in disguise is usually not him but that one we believe to be a member of the body is actually him in disguise.  We have allowed him to get close to us and close to our hearts.  We have allowed him to come into our family and become a part of it.  We have allowed him into our house and have set a place at our table for him.  We have allowed him to influence whom we talk to, what we think of, what we say, what we believe in, and much more.

“But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion (opportunity) from them which desire occasion (opportunity) that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed (transforms himself) into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (II Corinthians 11:12-15).

We have allowed Satan in because he boasts that he is doing God’s work in just the same way we are.  We have allowed him to convince us that God has sent him.  We have allowed him to persuade us that he is Christ’s apostle.  We have allowed him to blind us to the truth that God never sent him at all.  He is a phony who has fooled us in so many ways.  And it should not be a surprise that he can transform himself into an angel of light.  His servants can also be transformed to appear like godly ministers.  You have been taught but by whom have you been taught and what have you been taught?  So many questions to ponder, so many questions to ask but the fear of being ostracized has driven us to accept, never publicly questioning, those things of tradition.  Somewhere in the quagmire of answers lies the truth about Jesus.  Are you willing to put away your fears, lay aside those traditional views, and seek the truth for yourself?  Are you more concerned about the opinions of man than you are in finding the truth about one you confess to believe in?  So, who is Jesus?  Are you sure that the Jesus that you believe in is one of fact?  Or is the one that you believe in, one of fiction?  Will you make the right choice?

We again give thanks to God for this avenue that he has given us to share his word through our commentary.  We continually pray that God’s grace will be upon you and that these devotionals will be a blessing to you.  If you are blessed by them, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Do Not Be Afraid

There are many spirits mentioned throughout scripture that have been associated with mankind, some of them good while others are bad.  Scripture clearly states that God gives us the good spirits and does not give us the others, yet we find those spirits, which we receive not from God, affecting or influencing our lives.  We hear of this war that we are all involved in, where “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12), and though we normally do not think of our opponents in these terms, could altering how we view them give us an advantage in this spiritual war that we are engaged in?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

As we mentioned, we do not normally think of our opponents in such terms, but could “the spirit of fear” be one of those evil opponents that we wrestle against?  We mentioned “the spirit of fear” because we know that it is one spirit that can cripple the mightiest of men and women, whenever it becomes dominant.  Since it appears that God did not give us “the spirit of fear,” it does appear that he did give us others instead.  It appears that we have been given the “the spirit of power” instead.  Along with this spirit, it appears that God also included “the spirit of love” and “the spirit of a sound mind.”

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.  When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15-16 NRSV).

It would appear that we have not received “the spirit of bondage or slavery” to be put back into fear like cringing, fearful slaves, but instead have received “the spirit of adoption,” whereby we have this deep inward conviction of having been adopted, as children, into the bosom of the family of the most high God.

What if these spirits are like the attributes we find in mankind itself?  What if the qualities or characteristics, good or bad that we find in mankind are actually spirits?  It would appear that God has given to us the good spirits like “the spirit of power,” “the spirit of love,” and “the spirit of a sound mind” to overcome the bad one like “the spirit of fear.”  If God has given us spirits to oppose those spirits that come against us in our struggles, then they could be considered weapons, but if we do not recognize them as weapons, then we cannot call upon them in our time of need.  While this is strictly our opinion, it is something we wanted to share as “food for thought” for those who have an ear to hear.  Maybe there is a deeper understanding of these spirits waiting is waiting on us to discover.

As always, we give thanks and glory to God for his wisdom and understanding.  We are so blessed to be able to share with you, those things that God has placed in our hearts.  We continue to pray that our inspirational message will be a blessing to each of you and that you will be the better for having read it.  If you are blessed by what has been provided, please feel free to share so that others may be blessed as well; for as freely as our Father has given this to us, we freely give so that others may share in the love and be blessed.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: To Become Like Jesus

Paul had an assignment to inform others of the mystery of the gospel.  He had to make clear without fear the good news of this gospel (Ephesians 6:19).  Paul asked those at Ephesus to pray for him that God may give him the right words so he could explain clearly to others what the mystery of the gospel was.  Although he was in prison in Rome at the time he wrote to the saints in Ephesus and the faithful in Jesus Christ, he asked that he might continue to open his mouth and speak boldly.  He had an assignment to make known the mystery; a hidden truth kept secret since the beginning of time but now revealed to the apostles and the prophets.

“As I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:3-4).  “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:  that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:3-4).

We see that the primary focus of these passages is “the mystery of Christ.”  Paul asked those at Colossae to pray that God would open for them a door of understanding by which they could tell the truth concerning the mysteries, the hidden truths, surrounding Christ.  Paul wanted the reader to clearly understand his knowledge in “the mystery of Christ” was by revelation from God, who gave Paul the wonderful privilege of telling everyone about his plan, endowing Paul with his power and special abilities to get the job done.  The task before Paul was to inform, to proclaim fully, and to make clear the truth concerning Jesus the Christ through the revelation of the mysteries, which were kept secret since the world began.  Since Paul was charged with making clear the truth concerning Jesus the Christ, then there must have been some untruths circulating in that day.  And the one thing that is so amazing is the fact that those same untruths continue to circulate today, nearly two thousand years after Paul made known the truth about Christ.

We visited other denominations in search of the facts, as they understood them that surrounded the Christ that they claimed to know.  We would like to share some of the interesting Bible-backed facts about Jesus Christ that some of those denominations shared with us.  Some believe him to be God himself, some believe him to be part of the three-in-one trilogy called the Trinity, and some believe him to be only a man.  Some believe him to be some combination of God and man, both one-hundred percent God and one-hundred percent man; or fifty percent God and fifty percent man; or some in between combination.  Some say he was just a myth, that he never existed, some say he has no beginning because he always existed, and others say he has always existed because he created the universe and all that we see, while some say he helped the Father with creation.

Some say he has a beginning but he was, at some point created before the universe.  Some say he had a beginning but not until he was brought forth, created in the womb of Mary.  Others say he existed from the beginning, asked God the Father to create him a body so he could come to earth, while some say he created himself a body so he could come to earth.  Some say God placed him in Mary’s womb.  Some claimed that God had spiritual sex with Mary to bring forth his son, and others make the claim that God raped Mary to bring forth his son.  Some say he is the only begotten son of God.  Some say he is the only son of God, while some say he, being the son, is the one true God.  Some say he was the king of the Jews, while others say he was no king at all.  Some say he was poor while others say he was rich.  Some say he was white, some say he was black, while others claim some other variation.  Some say he performed all kinds of miracles.  Some say he healed many people.  Some say he walked on the water, others claim he did not.  Some say he raised the dead.  Some say he raised himself from the dead.  Some say he died on the cross.  Some say he did not die on the cross.  Some say that he survived the cross, married, and fathered many children.

Many follow him as if he was some type of rock star.  Others do all within their power to avoid mentioning his name.  Many try to prove his existence by any means necessary while others do everything in their power to refute him.  There are books after books written about Jesus.  There are movies and documentaries made about Jesus.  There are websites created to support Jesus and sites created to invalidate him.  So much information that it is hard to decipher it to get to the truth about Jesus.  Many have their own ideas about him.  Some are on the far left, some on the far right with many somewhere in between.  And then there be those who were not even on the chart, so we could not begin to tell you where they were.  However, the most interesting thing we discovered on all of this was the fact that each group truly believed they had the truth and they had scriptures to back up their position.  With all of this, which one have you identified with?  Is the one that you have identified with, the true Christ?  Is the one that that you have identified with based on scriptural facts or theological fiction?  Are you sure?

May today’s inspirational message abundantly bless you and greatly inform you.  We pray that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by today’s message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Father's Faithfulness

There appears to be some question as to the love that God has for his creation.  So many believers, as well as many non-believers, have this impression that God, in some way, is completely responsible for all the bad that is seen the world through.  Many share the belief that God, whom some see as this unfair dictatorial deity, uses such events to either punish his creation, to teach his creation some type of lesson, or for some other kind of purpose only known to him.  However, the truth of the matter is that God, who is love, truly loves his creation and would never do anything to harm it.

“Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know him better.  But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love.  God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into this wicked world to bring to us eternal life through his death.  In this act we see what real love is: it is not our love for God but his love for us when he sent his Son to satisfy God’s anger against our sins.”

“Dear friends, since God loved us as much as that, we surely ought to love each other too.  For though we have never yet seen God, when we love each other God lives in us, and his love within us grows ever stronger.  And he has put his own Holy Spirit into our hearts as a proof to us that we are living with him and he with us.  And furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now tell all the world that God sent his Son to be their Savior.  Anyone who believes and says that Jesus is the Son of God has God living in him, and he is living with God.”

“We know how much God loves us because we have felt his love and because we believe him when he tells us that he loves us dearly.  God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.  And as we live with Christ, our love grows more perfect and complete; so we will not be ashamed and embarrassed at the day of judgment, but can face him with confidence and joy because he loves us and we love him too.”

“We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us.  If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us.  So you see, our love for him comes as a result of his loving us first.”

“If anyone says “I love God,” but keeps on hating his brother, he is a liar; for if he doesn’t love his brother who is right there in front of him, how can he love God whom he has never seen?  And God himself has said that one must love not only God but his brother too” (I John 4:7-21 TLB).

God is love and he loves you.  He has forgiven you of your darkest moments, during your darkest hours.  He has forgiven you of all of your failures and all of your shortcomings.  The truth is, there is nothing that you could have done that would change God’s love for you and nothing done that you cannot be forgiven of (Hebrews 8:10).  You just need to believe (John 3:16-18).  That is all that is required.  If your trust him, he will do the rest.  Won’t you give it a try?  His kind of love just might surprise you.

May today’s inspirational message abundantly bless you and greatly inform you.  We pray that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by today’s message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Get Out Of Your Cave

As we conclude, lets us open our mind and open our heart so that we may see and hear the truths that God is trying to reveal.  Because the Church has redefined “the sovereignty of God” to mean, “God is in total control and that nothing happens but that which the will of God allows to happen,” many believers and non-believers as well, have been led to believe that God is somehow responsible for all the tragedies that occur in the world.  They believe God is somehow responsible for the daily struggles that so many go through every day, such as depression, fear, worry, anxiety, confusion, doubt, discouragement, low self-esteem, poverty, sickness, and death.  They have been taught and truly believe that everyone suffers these things because this is “the will of God.”  That old cliché, “God will not put more on you than you can bear,” appears to fall in line with the teachings that God is responsible for the things that happen to us.  We must note that the Old Testament scriptures are more likely to be used to support this argument because the New Testament portrays God as a very willing healer and life giver.  Most people are familiar with the story of Job and how God has been portrayed in that story.  But more importantly, they are all familiar with one of the most often repeated statements that originated from that story by Job.

“…Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

Because of his losses, we know that Job spoke this statement, but it is very apparent, from the traditional teachings on the subject, that this very statement has been used to define God for many of us.  We still use parts, if not all of this statement today to comfort those who have suffered some type of loss.  However, God has a version of things that is just a little different from the one that we have been taught or the one that we have been led to accept based on this statement.

“For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn; he will never go back on his promises” (Romans 11:29 TLB).

According to this passage, God does not withdraw nor does he take back his gifts once he gives them and he never goes back on his promises.  And if by chance you did not know this, let us be the first to tell you, “life itself is a gift from God” (Genesis 2:7).  Since this be the case, then what Job said, his statement about what God has done is not the truth.  According to the scriptures, this is not something that God does.  However, the belief that God, the sovereign being that he is, would give something like life to his creation and then turn around and take back that same life has circled through the generations of mankind like the earth has circled the sun for almost as many years.

In the story of Job, we find four tragic events taking place on the same day, each included the loss of human life.  The disasters that befell Job’s family were of human interactions—the Sebeans (Job 1:15) and Chaldeans (Job 1:17)—and of natural sources—fire from the heavens (Job 1:16) and wind from the wilderness (Job 1:19), all completely orchestrated and controlled by the devil himself.  The devil’s ability to control those who are apparently loyal to him and operate at his bidding for his purposes and to carry out his plan should not be overlooked.  His ability to control the elements for his purposes should not be discounted either.  Physical pain, sicknesses, accidents, deaths and other tragedies comes from the devil (John 10:10) and not from God, the giver of good and perfect gifts (James 1:17).

The truth is that God gave dominion over his creation to mankind, placing him in charge of everything he had made as well as placing everything under his authority (Psalm 8:3-8).  And if God be true to his word, which we know that he is (Hebrews 6:18), then his gift of dominion over his creation can never be withdrawn by him nor will he go back on his word.  And though the devil was able to obtain this gift of dominion over God’s creation from mankind (Luke 4:5-6), it was Jesus who got back for us what Adam had freely given to the devil, our power, authority, and dominion (Matthew 28:18).  And this is why the children of God have the power to limit what the devil can do (Luke 19:10).

Please understand that we have only scratched the surface of a subject that is well-established in the traditional teachings of the Church.  The redefining of “the sovereignty of God” has impacted how man sees God, how man interacts with him, and has dictated how man relates to God.  But as you get out of your cave of darkness and venture from the stone age, traditional teachings about Old Testament, we pray that you will come to realize that God’s version of things, revealed through the New Testament shows that you matter to him more than you may know.  Understand that it would be impossible for us to cover everything that is available, so we tried to focus on a small area.  We hope that this has inspired you to continue to seek the truth, not only about “the sovereignty of God” but also “the true nature of the God.”

As always, we pray that today’s inspirational message will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW

Devotion: Tell Satan Where To Go

Let us continue our efforts to set the record straight about this misrepresentation surrounding “the sovereignty of God” perpetrated by the Church.  Again, the Church has redefined “the sovereignty of God” to mean, “God is in total control and that nothing happens but that which the will of God allows to happen.”  From our previous commentaries, we found that the devil, who is referred to as “the god of this world, the prince of this world, and the prince of the power of the air” (II Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31; John 14:30; Ephesians 2:2) is actually in control of this world’s system.  We also know that Adam delivered this control over to the devil (Luke 4:5-6).  The problem is that this misrepresentation has given many a false impression of God and has turned many away from God, all because they believe the redefined “sovereignty of God” definition.  We have even coined the phrase, “an act of God” to use whenever there is a tragedy, a disaster, or a catastrophic event that we cannot explain by any other means.

Because God is the creator of all things (Nehemiah 9:6), he is the supreme power or the reigning authority, matched by no other.  God is at the top, all by himself.  There is not one above him or on the same level as him.  There is no higher power or higher authority and none to equal him.  God has no competition.  This is the true definition of “the sovereignty of God.”

When man was created, God gave man authority or “dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28).  God told man to subdue the earth and have dominion over everything.  He was to reign over God’s creation.

“When I look up into the night skies and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you have made—I cannot understand how you can bother with mere puny man, to pay any attention to him!  And yet you have made him only a little lower than the angels and placed a crown of glory and honor upon his head.  You have put him in charge of everything you made; everything is put under his authority: all sheep and oxen, and wild animals too, the birds and fish, and all the life in the sea” (Psalm 8:3-8 TLB).

According to this psalm from David, God placed man in charge of everything he had made as well as placing everything under his authority.  Man was truly in charge of everything God had created.  However, when man sinned, he allowed sin to enter into the world and with that sin came death, which would eventually spread to all things.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

From that point forward, all mankind had a sin nature, becoming “slaves to sin” (John 8:34; Romans 6:20).  Now, the payment for this sin or “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  It is through sin that the devil has gained access to mankind and to the world’s system, because when Adam sinned, he actually gave the authority or dominion that God had given to him to the devil (Luke 4:5-6).  But all glory belongs to God because “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  Because Jesus was innocent of any sin, yet death came to him, he was able to claim back the authority or dominion that Adam had lost.  Remember the payment for sin was death, but in Jesus’ case, death claimed one who had not sinned.  Because of his obedience, Jesus actually reversed what Adam had done in the beginning when he sinned.  This is why it says in the scriptures, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:7).  In this case, “it” is in reference to God’s plan of redemption for mankind (Ephesians 1:9-11).  Jesus was able to get back for us what Adam had given to the devil, our authority and our dominion.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).

This power that Jesus is speaking of here is “the power, the authority, and the dominion” that was given originally to man by God.  Jesus got all of it back.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).  “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

Instead of there being limits to what God allows that devil to do, it is us, the children of God, who have the power to limit what the devil can do (Matthew 18:18, just to list one of many empowering passages).  But instead of using this power, we continually pray to God for help with our adversary, the devil (I Peter 5:8).  The problem is that God has already answered this prayer request, but the devil has hidden this truth from the world, so not many know the truth.  The truth is that the devil can do no more than we, the children of God allow him to do.  We are in control because Jesus got back what God had originally given us, “the power, the authority, and the dominion” over all of his creation.

As always, we pray that our inspirational message will abundantly bless you, greatly inform you, and that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by this message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW