What DID Jesus do?
We've all seen the "What would Jesus do".....this is from a devotion that asks for evidence so we can be sure how to live our lives.
We all struggle and need help to know where to turn and what to do.
I awoke a couple of days ago with the word "bitterness" on my mind....Couldn't make it "fit" into anything until this morning. Ahhhh moment for me!
Have heard..."Adversity will make you either bitter or better"....
I need this as much and more than any.
Hope you get something usefull from it.
Love,
Nancy:l
Friday, March 2, 2007
Authority Over Demons
In the synagogue there was a man that had an evil spirit from
the devil inside him. The man shouted with a loud voice,
"Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come
here to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!" But
Jesus warned the evil spirit to stop. Jesus said, "Be quiet!
Come out of the man!" The evil spirit threw the man down on
the ground before all the people. Then the evil spirit left
the man and did not hurt him. The people were amazed. They
said to each other, "What does this mean? With authority and
power he (Jesus) commands evil spirits and they come out."
And so the news about Jesus spread to every place in the
whole area.
-- Luke 4:33-37 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus' authority -- his personal power and integrity and the strength
of his words -- extended over Satan and the demonic world. Demons knew
who Jesus was, yet they had no control or power over him. He had power
over them. His command cast them out. So many of us today struggle with
Satan because we've given him a foothold in our lives through
deception, harbored bitterness, lust, or some other "secret" sin. Jesus
still has power over Satan and the demonic world. His authority is
superior. As we confront those difficult footholds and strongholds
we've let Satan build in our lives because of our sinfulness, we must
bring Jesus' authority to bear. That means, first, confessing our sin
openly to God in Jesus' name and, second, asking for our sin to be
forgiven. Third, we need to not hold that sin secret just to ourselves,
but confess our struggle to a strong believer (This often needs to be
someone of our same gender.) and ask him or her to hold us accountable
and encourage us. We also need to pray in the name of Jesus for
deliverance from that sin and power to resist its temptation, asking
for the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us. Finally, we need to
stay away from evil and keep our hearts exposed to what is pure rather
than flirting with the evil that has captured us. Does this work? Well,
it's not a recipe or a mathematical formula. Our hearts have to seek
after the Lord, trusting that he does have the power to deliver us. For
most believers over the centuries, this is the path to victory. That
path can be yours, as well!
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, remove all the power of deception that the Devil has in my life
and help me confront the areas of my weakness, stubbornness, rebellion,
and sin so that my heart, soul, and body can be completely yielded to
your direction. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
We've all seen the "What would Jesus do".....this is from a devotion that asks for evidence so we can be sure how to live our lives.
We all struggle and need help to know where to turn and what to do.
I awoke a couple of days ago with the word "bitterness" on my mind....Couldn't make it "fit" into anything until this morning. Ahhhh moment for me!
Have heard..."Adversity will make you either bitter or better"....I need this as much and more than any.
Hope you get something usefull from it.
Love,
Nancy:l
Friday, March 2, 2007
Authority Over Demons
In the synagogue there was a man that had an evil spirit from
the devil inside him. The man shouted with a loud voice,
"Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come
here to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!" But
Jesus warned the evil spirit to stop. Jesus said, "Be quiet!
Come out of the man!" The evil spirit threw the man down on
the ground before all the people. Then the evil spirit left
the man and did not hurt him. The people were amazed. They
said to each other, "What does this mean? With authority and
power he (Jesus) commands evil spirits and they come out."
And so the news about Jesus spread to every place in the
whole area.
-- Luke 4:33-37 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus' authority -- his personal power and integrity and the strength
of his words -- extended over Satan and the demonic world. Demons knew
who Jesus was, yet they had no control or power over him. He had power
over them. His command cast them out. So many of us today struggle with
Satan because we've given him a foothold in our lives through
deception, harbored bitterness, lust, or some other "secret" sin. Jesus
still has power over Satan and the demonic world. His authority is
superior. As we confront those difficult footholds and strongholds
we've let Satan build in our lives because of our sinfulness, we must
bring Jesus' authority to bear. That means, first, confessing our sin
openly to God in Jesus' name and, second, asking for our sin to be
forgiven. Third, we need to not hold that sin secret just to ourselves,
but confess our struggle to a strong believer (This often needs to be
someone of our same gender.) and ask him or her to hold us accountable
and encourage us. We also need to pray in the name of Jesus for
deliverance from that sin and power to resist its temptation, asking
for the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us. Finally, we need to
stay away from evil and keep our hearts exposed to what is pure rather
than flirting with the evil that has captured us. Does this work? Well,
it's not a recipe or a mathematical formula. Our hearts have to seek
after the Lord, trusting that he does have the power to deliver us. For
most believers over the centuries, this is the path to victory. That
path can be yours, as well!
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Father, remove all the power of deception that the Devil has in my life
and help me confront the areas of my weakness, stubbornness, rebellion,
and sin so that my heart, soul, and body can be completely yielded to
your direction. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Control the Mind
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