To bloom wherever you are planted brings together worship and geography, just as God intended. Indeed, He has determined the specific times and places where we live and is not far from any one of us. (Acts 17:24-28) We worship God everywhere, but specifically in the place He has put us. There, our roots grow deep and in time we produce fruit. This is also where we are the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness.
Out with the old, in with the new. Thankfully, that was not God’s idea for humanity, or the baby might have been thrown out with the bath water! The Good News does not throw out the Old but transforms it through a personal, passionate relationship with God’s Son. “I came to fulfill the Law, not abolish it,” Jesus said. (Matt. 5:17) So, we must discern and proceed carefully. How we help others transition from Old Testament (OT) living to New Testament (NT) living can have long-lasting implications.
What “pot of gold” at the end of a rainbow would you treasure, if there were such a thing? Most likely it would be different from mine. Treasure to me might not be the same to you. And that’s okay. God designed us that way. Satan detests God’s creativity and keeps stirring his black pot with much intention to strip us of our uniqueness.
Throughout the ages, mankind has been fascinated by God’s glory. We’ve meditated upon it. Marveled at it. Sought after it. Prophesied about it. Moses even saw it. (Well, only part of it.) God’s glory is powerful and transformative. This is why Satan is so determined to keep our minds blinded from it. (2 Cor. 4:4)
With so many ways of communicating today, filtering through all the noise can be challenging. And exhausting. We can easily miss God’s signals to us. The ruler of the kingdom of the air, Satan, seeks to block, confuse and scramble communication in order to hinder us from hearing and following God well. (Eph. 2:2) So, we must tune in and sharpen our listening and discerning skills.
When things are not as they seem, it’s easy to jump to the wrong conclusions and make mistakes. Believe me, I’ve made my fair share of them! At first glance, our discernment of a situation may not be the most accurate. We need to give it time. To dig deeper into the meaning of things.
Nothing deepens our walk with Christ like suffering does. That’s not a comforting thought, I know, but it’s true for all of us. Even Christ. We gain spiritual substance through suffering. Our tests and trials purify us. The Apostle Paul described it as ‘gold being refined by fire.” (I Pet. 1:6-7) Depending on how we respond to trials, our faith will either blaze or smolder.
Do you know that you are God’s treasure, and He comes searching for you? If not, it’s time you do. This is what makes Christianity different from any other religion. E. Stanley Jones said it this way: “Religion is man’s search upward for God, and the Gospel is God’s search downward for man.” Please grasp this: we don’t find God, He finds us. If our enemy can convince you otherwise, then you’re already defeated spiritually, striving throughout life in your own strength.
One thing we know about God: He is not boring! From rainbows and flowers to landscapes and thumbprints, God’s heart for creativity is undeniable. Open wide your eyes. Look around you. His glory is displayed everywhere. Just imagine on that Day when all the nations march into the New Jerusalem. It will be a much grander parade than we’ve seen at the Olympics. Kings and nations will shine in their own splendor, revealing Jesus as their Messiah. (Rev. 21:22-26) There is no wonder, then, why the enemy seeks to strip us and our cultures of all God-given uniqueness and beauty.
Let’s face it. Yes and no answers might be hard to swallow at times, but at least they’re answers. What’s worse is when there’s no answer, no explanation, no reasoning, and you’re left with seemingly nothing. Would you agree? Mystery can leave us wondering and wandering. This is when spiritual warfare can come into play.
Maybe you’re surrounded by contradictory messages and feel like throwing your hands up. I know the feeling. Oftentimes spiritual battles are over wisdom. In James 3, this type of battlefront is revealed. There are two kinds of wisdom — one that’s heavenly, the other that’s worldly — and each comes from a different source. While heavenly wisdom produces the Kingdom of God in our midst, earthly, unspiritual and demonic wisdom opposes it. It’s important that we can discern between the two.
Ever gathered with others thinking it was for one reason, only to discover it was really for another? I have. One quick way to discern the origin of a spiritual battle is to ask, “Who is receiving the glory or praise?” God or mankind? It’s good to assess the motive behind our gatherings.
If humility is what keeps us from missing God, then pride is what keeps us from seeing Him. Are you seeing God? If not, look deep inside. Sin itself is a part of our spiritual battle, as God ‘opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.’ (James 4:6) Knowingly or unknowingly, through pride we give the devil access and hinder the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
“Mr. Frodo, I wonder what kind of tale we have fallen into?” Frodo’s traveling companion, young Sam, in The Lord of the Rings Series asked an important question. Can you relate? I’ve walked into rooms or cities and instantly felt a shift – a darkness and heaviness and knew something was taking place spiritually that wasn’t good.
The Last will be first is one of those many counterintuitive statements about the Kingdom of God, just like the greatest leader among you is the servant. God’s invitation to His end-time Kingdom Feast is secured for all nations through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. A place at the table has been prepared for everyone who understands this Good News and chooses to come to His great banquet. (Luke 14:16-24)
In God’s Kingdom, there is only one King but many followers. These followers are both Jew and Gentile from all the nations. Perhaps one of the best definitions of the church is given to us by Howard A. Synder from his book The Community of the King. He said we are most rightly identified as followers of Christ.
When we enter another’s story, we begin to understand each other’s way of life. It is at this level that the Apostle Paul focused his efforts among the non-Jewish nations. Paul said it was not only his privilege to share the Gospel but also his life with others. (I Thess. 2:8) Too often we tend to emphasize teaching and training over serving and learning. Yet, it is in serving and learning that breakthroughs will come.
How is our witness for Christ? It’s important we know because this is why we were created. The passage in Acts 1:8 gives us our marching orders to be witnesses for Christ wherever we are in the world. It is this very area that the most intense spiritual warfare will take place. In the end, either we will be a witness for Jesus, another spirit or our own beliefs.
To walk in the favor of God and man is to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Jesus is the original apostle or ‘sent one’ from God. (Heb. 3:1) God’s favor for ‘sent ones’ is multiplied by the ‘spirit of adoption.’ It says of Jesus that He grew in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52) Finding favor with people is being approved by them. This positions us with acceptance and influence at spiritual and heart levels.
Apostles are those who are sent by God. It’s important, then, to consider the ‘spirit in which we go and are sent.’ Are we bearing witness to the life and presence of Christ wherever we go? Our lives will be a witness; the question is a ‘witness for whom?’ We want people to receive and be impacted by the spirit of Christ in all that we do.
Darkness flees in the very presence of light. John the Baptist knew this. He was a messenger of Jesus who ‘was not the light but a witness to that light.’ Jesus is the light of the world, and only His light overcomes darkness. (John 1:5) So, the essence of spiritual warfare is ‘bearing witness to the light of Christ.’ (John 8:12)
God has hidden His Son among the nations. His light is casting shadows in places where the revelation of Christ is yet to unfold. Do you see the shadows of Christ among your people? As Jesus is ‘lifted up’ He will draw all nations unto Himself. (John 12:32) The Good News is Jesus. He is the light of the world. (Luke 2:29-32)
Eat, drink and be merry! There’s truth in this phrase. How we dine impacts relationships with God and others. The Apostle Paul said our dining with others should not cause relational barriers for people or people groups to encounter Jesus. In the Old Testament (OT) food was an issue, but in the New Testament (NT) the significance of dietary laws has changed and allows us to encounter all people at the table.
It’s interesting, Jesus as the Messiah, though single, was called the Everlasting Father. This is because He was full of ‘apostolic passion.’ The father heart of God for the nations is one that is dominated by love. God views life and all nations as a father. One who protects, provides and disciplines. Apostolic passion is what you’re willing to suffer for so that others and specifically the neglected will come to know their God as father. Simply put: a ‘sent one’ is being like a ‘father.’
Are you on the Lord’s side? That’s the most important question to ask in spiritual warfare. When the Israelites went into the Promised Land, they encountered an angel with a drawn sword at Jericho. “Are you for us or against us?” they asked the angel. The angel responded, “Neither. I am the Commander of the Lord’s army. Take off your shoes for you are standing upon holy ground.” (Joshua 5:13-15) It doesn’t matter who’s on your side, if you’re not on God’s.
The Apostle Paul exhorted the Romans to know God’s goodness and severity. (Rom. 11:22) These are His ‘twin natures,’ and it’s important we understand both. Young Lucy in the Narnia series was learning this. She asked Mr. Beaver, “Is Aslan safe?” Mr. Beaver answered, “No, he’s the king and a lion; of course, he’s not safe, but he’s good!” Paul says being trained in discerning good and evil matures us. This is crucial in spiritual warfare. Choosing wrongly can lead to wandering, drifting, diminishing, depleting -- a withering lifestyle that ultimately destructs.
How well is your tongue tamed? The art of language helps us understand spiritual truths. So, our speech is important. Our words can determine whether we are aligned with the Kingdom of Light or the kingdom of darkness. Though small, our tongue carries within it the power of life and death, blessing and cursing. (Prov. 18:21)
Though much warring begins in the mind, God’s battle strategy is to engage the heart. “Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov. 4:23) The issues of life come from the heart – the place where God’s truth aims. Oftentimes, Jesus hid His truth within stories to be understood at a later time. The enemy, on the otherhand, wants you to lose your own story altogether which is destructive and disorienting.
While battles rage around our identity, great fury is unleashed over our testimony. The two are intricately connected. The history of our encounters with God becomes the expression of our identity in Christ. Both our witness for Christ and our identity in Christ form the solid foundation of our faith. We become His living stones. (I Peter 2:4-5)
If entering a new year or realm feels daunting, take heart! God has already gone before you. There is no better foundation for going somewhere new than this truth: God is behind you, God is before you. Just as Abram was met by the high priest Melechizedek in the Promised Land, so Jesus awaits you in yours. But, expect opposition, as you move forward into the new, engaging people and territories that are rightfully the Lord’s.