“Let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal. 6:9b)

As opportunities to serve others come your way, don’t get tired of doing good deeds and helping them because eventually it will pay off! And, this is especially true for fellow Christians.

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Heb. 6:10)

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (2 Peter 4:10)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

It is difficult to escape all the negative and scary news stories hitting us from every possible direction! It’s all over the newspapers. It’s blasted from radio and TV. And it’s exploding all over the various forms of social-media. To listen to it you would think the world is completely falling apart at its seams, is under severe attack by radical extremists of every ilk (political and many other kinds), and that everything decent we hold dear is now turned upside down. What used to be called good is now being called bad and what used to be called bad is now being called good. It makes you want to run and hide from it all!

The Bible talks about it

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” (2 Tim. 3:1). It tells how everything will go from bad to worse and from much of what we are observing all around us, it certainly looks that way.

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:12-15)

And, Jesus had this to say about the last days!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” (John 26:33)

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Eph. 6:16  NIV)

All of us get under attack from the enemy from time to time. It is just a part of living in the world. It can come in the form of fear, worry, strong temptation, oppression, depression or as an all-out anxiety attack. But, you don’t have to put up with any of it!

The Bible says the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. (1 Peter 5:8). It tells us to “be alert and sober minded.” The next verse says, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (Eph. 5:9)

When any of these evil attacks happen to you, recognize them for what they are, “flaming arrows from the evil one.” Then, “take up the shield of faith” (use the Word of God) and then extinguish them!

Here’s what the Word of God says

·  “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” The enemy is the devil and he attacks our minds (our thoughts). “For 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.”  (Eph. 6:12)

·  Our fight is a spiritual one and must be fought with spiritual weapons. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God to the pulling down of strongholds.” (2 Cor. 10:4-5 NKJV)

·  God is in you and He is greater than Satan and his demonic forces! “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

·  God won’t allow the devil to attack you beyond what you can withstand. “There is no temptation (tests and trials brought by Satan) that can come upon you but such as is common to man (things in this natural, carnal world): but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (attacked by Satan with testing and trials) beyond what you can handle; but will with the temptation (at the same time) also make a way to escape, that you may be able to have victory over it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

·      God gives you power against the enemy. “Look, 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)

When the enemy attacks do this

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you….come close to God, and He will come close to you.” (James 4:7-8)

“Out of a man’s heart does he speak.” (Matt. 15:18) 

“A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Prov. 18:20-21)

I have a friend who hates very strongly anything that resembles the doctrine of “name it and claim it.” He calls it, “blab it and grab it.” And, yes, there has been a lot of abuse in this area among the body of believers.

Positive confession is different! 

But, there is much value to be gained from the “positive confession” of God’s Word. It has the power to reinforce His Word in your mind, and even to increase your faith! A simple definition of faith is this: Faith appropriates what God has already supplied in the spirit world. You align your way of thinking to God’s way of thinking until your way of thinking becomes like His way of thinking. Then, you will have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16)

 What you say is from the heart!

Jesus said: “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” (Luke 6:45)

As a follower of Jesus, you have a lot of positive confessions to boldly declare! Confess the following out loud to yourself!

MY POSITIVE CONFESSIONS

By faith…

·  I confess: That the devil has no control over my life, for “Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

·  I confess: That I have victory, for “God always causeth me to triumph in Christ Jesus.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

·  I confess: That I am free from bondage, for “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)

·  I confess: That I have wisdom, for “Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God.” (1 Corinthians 1:30)

·  I confess: “I can” for “I can do all things through Christ Jesus which strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

·  I confess: That I have faith, for “God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

·  I confess: I have no lack, for “My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

·  I confess: That I will not fear, for “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

·  I confess: That I have strength, for “The Lord is the strength of my life.” (Psalm 27:1). “The people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32)

·  I confess: That I am well, for “With His stripes I am healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus, “Himself took my infirmities and bare my sickness.” (Matthew 8:17)

·  I confess: That I won’t dwell on worries and frustrations, for I am “Casting all my cares upon Him, who cares for me.” (1 Peter 5:7). In Christ I am “care-free.”

·  I confess: That I am free from condemnation, for “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). I am in Christ; therefore, I am free from condemnation.

·  I confess: That I am free from loneliness, for Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20). “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

·  I confess: That I am free from curses or bad luck, for “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us…that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14)

·  I confess: That I am free from discontent because “I have learned, in whatsoever state (circumstances) I am, therein to be content.” (Philippians 4:11)

·  I confess: That I am now righteous in God’s sight, because “He has made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“…  stir up the gift of God, which is in you …” (2 Tim. 1:6)

If it is God who gives every believer spiritual gifts, including you, then what you do with those gifts is up to you.

God has given you control!

You have control over the gifts that God has given you! “The spirit of the prophet is controlled by the prophet.” (1 Cor. 14:32)

You must stir them up!

Usually, if you fail to stir any stir-able thing, it settles to the bottom and becomes thin and less usable and effective. The same can be said for any kind of gift, whether spiritual or otherwise, that God has given you. Without “stirring up” talents and special abilities, they will become dull, spiritual gifts will become weak or even become non-effective.

Fan them into flame

Instead of telling you to “stir up” your gifts, some translations say to “fan them into flame.” Either way, the idea is the same; you need to do something to keep them sharp and useful.

How do you do it?

You stir up (rekindle) your gifts by developing, refining, enhancing, and using them. In other words, you put them into use.

Do not neglect your gifts but be diligent in putting them to work!

 “Do not neglect your gift … Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” (1 Tim. 4:14-15 NIV)

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10)

This passage is all about asking, seeking and knocking, and God’s response which is, “He shall” answer to the affirmative.

In fact, it is a simple acrostics formula around the three-letter word ASK:

A – ask “and it shall be given”

S – seek “and you shall find”

K – knock “and it it shall be opened”

Yes! This means you! 

Notice that this promise is for “everyone,” and that certainly includes you!

And, understand that the primary reason believers fail to receive from God is simply this, they fail to ASK!

“You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2b)

So, ASK!

“After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:12 KJV)

What do you hear?

There’s a well-known story about an Indian young man who left his reservation home to visit a friend who lived in the big city. The streets were filled with vehicles of all sizes, and the noise of it was deafening.

As the two of them walked down the street, suddenly the young man from the reservation stopped, tapped his city friend on the shoulder and whispered, “Stand still for a moment. Do you hear what I hear?”

The city friend just smiled and said, “All I can hear are cars and horns and buses and traffic and the footsteps of many people. What do you hear?”

“There is a cricket somewhere nearby and I hear it chirping.” The city friend stopped and listened very carefully and then shook his head and said, “I think you are kidding yourself. There are no crickets here. And even if there were, how could you possibly hear them with all the noise on this street? So you still think you can hear a cricket?”

“Yes, I do,” said the Indian. “There is one chirping near us right now.” He walked ahead a few steps and then stood beside the brick wall of a house. An ivy vine was climbing up the side of the dwelling. He moved aside a few of its leaves and sure enough there was a cricket there which was chirping loudly.

Once the city boy saw the cricket, he also became aware of the sounds it was making. As he walked along, the city friend said to his Indian friend, “Naturally you were better able to hear the cricket. You Indians can hear better than we can.”

The Indian young man smiled and then shook his head and said, “I don’t agree with you. Indians can’t hear any better than white people can. Now watch and I’ll show you.”

So he reached into his pocket and took out a 50 cent piece and tossed it onto the pavement. The metallic sound of the coin hitting the sidewalk caused many a head to turn in the direction it came from. Then the Indian picked up the coin and put it back into his pocket, and the two young men kept walking along.

“Did you realize, my friend,” said the Indian, “that the ring of that 50 cent piece was no louder than the chirp of the cricket? And still many White people heard it and turned around. On the other hand, I was the only one who heard the cricket. The reason for that is not that an Indian can hear better than the white man. No. The reason is that we always hear very well the things we are accustomed to pay attention to.”

Learn to hear the voice of God

In a similar way, we must train ourselves to hear the voice of God. God sometimes talks to us in a gentle whisper. One translation says, “a still small voice.” But, in today’s loud world we live in, you could be drowning out His voice with all the noisy distraction! We rarely have silence anymore. We listen to music in our cars, plug sound into our ears, and watch screens (with sound) of all sizes and noise levels.

In order to hear God, you must set aside some time every day to read the Bible, talk to God (pray), and then listen!

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” (John 10:27)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3)

Every spiritual blessing in Christ

The word blessing in Ephesians 1:3 is a translation of the Greek word eulogy, and it means “to speak well of.” And, God has spoken well of you and He has pronounced good things for your benefit. The good things that God has decreed are beyond our ability to number, but we can outline a few by looking at the verses that follow the statement (Ephesians 1:4–13).

Good things for you from God

• God chose us. Ephesians 1:4 says that He has “chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.”

• God made us to be holy and without blame. God has chosen to make us holy and blameless, and all because of His love, His good pleasure, and His grace (verses 5–6).

• God extended His grace to us with salvation. This is even more amazing when we realize that He made that decision before sin even entered into the world. (Eph. 2:5)

• God adopted us as His children. (Eph. 1:5). Not only has God chosen us to be made holy, but He grants us full status as His children, with all the benefits thereof. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name.” When we believe the gospel, we receive full access to the Father, able to call out to Him as His children.

• God made us “accepted in the beloved.” (Eph. 1:6). The blood of Christ has taken away the guilt of our sins, and we stand before the Father as perfectly accepted.

• God gave us redemption through His blood. (Eph. 1:7). Redemption speaks of buying one’s freedom, paying a ransom. The price for our sins, the payment to buy us out of eternal condemnation, was fully paid by the blood of Christ. In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin, but we become slaves to God. Since we are bought and paid for by His blood, we have an obligation to glorify God in our body and spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:20).

• God gave us the forgiveness of sins. (Eph. 1:7). It is closely related to redemption, but looks at the other side of the coin. In paying the ransom for our sins, the debt of sin was canceled, and we were forgiven. We no longer have the burden of guilt for violating God’s holy laws.

• Knowing the mystery of His will. (Eph. 1:8–10). God has given us wisdom and insight through His Word and has shown us His desire to bring all things together to glorify Christ.

• The inheritance that is given to us through Christ. (Eph. 1:11). What is included in that inheritance? The riches of glory, the presence of God, the eternal home – these don’t even scratch the surface of all the blessings that belong to our inheritance.

• The sealing of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13). When we become God’s children, He places His mark of ownership on us, guaranteeing our eternal security. This is spoken of as the down-payment of our full redemption, to hold us until the day Christ brings us to Him.

How to get these blessings

These blessings are readily accessible to everyone who is in Christ Jesus. The way to be in Christ is to repent, or turn away from our sins (Acts 17:30), confessing to God that we are sinners (Proverbs 28:13; Romans 10:9). When we believe that Christ died to take our punishment and now lives to give us new life (1 Corinthians 15:3–4), He grants us forgiveness of sins and all the blessings that accompany that salvation.

“For we are co-workers in God’s service.” (1 Cor. 3:9a)

As God’s co-workers, be of good service

• Help your neighbors

“The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Gal. 5:14)

How? Get to know them. Begin with those who live on your street or block. When you see them in their yard, stop and say hello. As you get to know them, pay attention to their needs, and then pray for those needs. God’s Holy Spirit will prompt you about what to do when that kind of help is needed. Then do it!

• Help those who are lonely or needy

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matt. 25:40)

How? Visit your local rest home and ask to visit someone who never gets visitors. Become friends with them and become their regular visitor. Visit shut ins – people who can no longer physically get out, and may be lonely, or may need someone to get something from the store for them. Your pastor may be a good person to ask to refer you to someone.