Video Bible Lesson - A Living Hope by Dr. Charles Stanley

A Living Hope

 by Dr. Charles Stanley

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

1/10/2020

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Get Back, Satan! 5 Tips for Using Scripture as Defense

• Alicia Purdy
• In case you haven’t already noticed or experienced it for yourself, here's a bit of wisdom I’ve gathered along my journey of faith in the Lord: The life of a Christian is not an easy one!
  It’s not like we weren’t warned, however. Jesus said in John 15:18-19 “But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, the world therefore hates you. He also said in John 16:33, “…in this world you will have tribulation.” Jesus knew trouble would be part of the Christian experience from beginning to end. And how much more true on some days than others!
  Compound human troubles with those created from the spiritual turmoil in darkness trying to influence, manipulate, convince, prompt, and lie to all of humanity and, well, time for an altar call! Jesus, anyone?
  The spiritual powers at work are directly tied to the sin and darkness of humanity, so while it’s easy to look at someone and want to watch the earth open up and swallow them, the real fight is against Satan and his angels. Thank God He did not leave us alone to fight on our own! We have weapons and they are created specifically for fighting spiritual battles against spiritual enemies.

  We wrestle not against flesh and blood (even if we want to).

  You’ve probably read Ephesians 6:12: “For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

It’s so easy to look at the people coming against us and want to lash out at them, but it’s the demonic, spiritual forces at play in, around, and even through them that we must battle. Like 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” And because your enemy is fighting to the death, you must as well.

Battles hit us in many forms: Someone you love is on drugs or is an alcoholic. You lost your job. One of your kids or your spouse or your parent is gravely ill. You’ve been injured in a car accident. You have to make an impossible decision. You’ve been cheated on, or served with divorce papers. You have a devastating health diagnosis. Someone hates you, or has stabbed you in the back or is trying to constantly bring you down. You have a loved one heading off to war. There’s a domestic violence situation.

You feel helpless, hopeless, despairing, angry, hurt, afraid, desperate, sick, betrayed, unloved, frustrated, anxious, and worse. What do you do now?

The Word of God goes forth and does not return empty.

Remember, in the life of a Christian, the battle is always spiritual. At any moment, Satan seeks to do you harm. Job, the oldest book in the Bible, notes that Satan roams around the earth, up and down and all around. What do you think he’s doing? He’s looking for people he can devour so he can then use them to turn and devour you (1 Peter 5:8)!

As a follower of Jesus, you have absolutely no need to truly fear Satan. Satan traffics in darkness, so you stay in the light. When he tries to get to you, turn and fight using the weapons God gave you – His Word, worship, prayer and even other Christians!

One of the most powerful verses in the Bible is in Isaiah 55:11 which says, “…so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

In Jeremiah 1:12 the Lord says He watches over His Word to see it performed. Speak the Word over your situation! There is true power there! When we agree with God’s Word and refuse to speak against it or disagree with it, we speak faith into existence.

So, the fight of your life is raging in your face, what do you do? Speak the Word!

Here are five tips for using the Word of God to push back and win the war against Satan in your situation:

1. Use fighting words.

Satan hates you, and all of humanity, because you bear the image of God. Your very existence is an unending reminder that God is everywhere and that you are part of God’s winning strategy to destroy Satan. This is why he attacks Christians so violently – because if he can get you to stop fighting, his job is that much easier! Speak faith.

Read: Psalm 18 — This powerful Psalm is battle worship! This is the song of a man whose enemies were bearing down hard and his way out was to remind himself of the mighty, saving power of God and to cry out to His greatness. When you’re in a battle season, print it and read it aloud so Satan can hear it!

Personalize your declaration: “The Lord lives! And blessed be my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me and subdues the people under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You lift me up above those who rise up against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore, I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name.” (Psalm 18:46-49)

2. Own your truth.

One of the things Satan will go after in battle is your identity in Christ. He wants to convince you that you are something apart from what God created you to be, or disconnect you from God by getting you to doubt that He is who He says He is.

Read: Romans 8:31-39— Remember, God is who He said He is, and you are who He says you are. You were made to walk with Him, to overcome Satan, and to live a life of victory. It is possible to win, but you have to know who you are fighting, why you are fighting, and how to fight with the weapons you were given.

Personalize your declaration: “…in all these things [I am more than a conqueror] through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

3. Speak supernatural power statements.

It’s important while battling the enemy to speak strong words, God’s Word, because he’s not afraid of you, but he is afraid of God, who resides in you, and protects you. This is why we call upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13). He sends His angels to set up camp around you. (Psalm 34:17) and you’re never alone. (Hebrews 13:5-6) Hard times will come. Confusing times. Frustrating times. Times of fear and despair. You can’t control that, but you can control your response.

You are not a victim unless you choose to be. Satan will lie to you and try to convince you you’ve lost, and that it’s over, but if you will use the Word of God as your sword, and continue on in the fight without giving up, it’s not over until God says it’s over! For how long? As long as it takes to win!

“Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

Read: Psalm 118:5-18 — This Psalm is victorious, powerful, declarative and filled with images of the victory of the Lord – for you! Customize this word for yourself or a loved one, and every time a demonic thought comes in, command it out, in Jesus’ name. Shout your Word to yourself, and the enemy, and to the Lord. Your faith is the first evidence of your miracle!

Personalize your declaration: The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord is valiant. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord is valiant.” I shall not die, but I shall live and declare the works of the Lord. (Psalm 118:15-18)

4. Know your enemy.

Satan likes people to think he’s a great mystery and that he can keep us on our toes by stirring up fear and doubt. Fear that maybe he really is all powerful. Doubt that God can defeat him. But remember he’s a liar!

Every, single thing that you ever think or speak that goes against even one word of God’s Word is a lie. God’s Word is the only source of truth in existence and if you have doubt in it, Satan has already gained more ground in the battle.

How can you identify the works of Satan? Know your Word! Go deep into the Word for your situation. The Holy Spirit will quicken His Word to you and it’ll be another weapon in the fight.

You have the power, authority and obligation to cast down imaginations and “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” But you must be able to identify 1) what things constitute the “knowledge of God” and 2) what things are exalting themselves above that knowledge: imagination, fear, anger, doubt, trauma, bad memories, guilt, shame, unforgiveness, bitterness, worry and more.

Remember, If God didn’t give it to you to bless you, Satan is probably using it to hurt you. Cast it down, in Jesus’ name!

Read: Revelation 12:1-12 — Today, remind yourself (and Satan) of the ultimate fate he will suffer. The lie is that he cannot be defeated. The truth is, he already has been defeated. We tend to look around and see all hell breaking loose and we start to doubt God and believe Satan, and our natural experiences. Read this chapter and glimpse how it all will end. God will have the ultimate victory!

Personalize your declaration: Matthew 18:18 says, “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” And, Luke 10:19 says: “Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you.” So declare it: Nothing by any means shall hurt me, I have power over the enemy!

5. Fight to the death.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:8, “If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for the battle?” Let Satan know you’re coming for him! No more defensive positions. It’s time to attack! Remember the battles you’re in are spiritual. You can’t control the choices that other people make, but you can choose how you respond to them.

God will fight for, in, and through you in the battle for His victory. If He promised life and health and peace – and you’re walking in the light with Him – then those promises are yours and He’ll help you grab hold of them. Maybe the fight will be until your very last day on earth, but don’t give up! He is your deliverer. God’s Word is true and still in effect from now into eternity.

Read: 1 Timothy 6:11-12 — take up the challenge to “flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.”

Personalize your declaration: declare Ephesians 6:10-13 over your fight, by saying “I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. I will put on the whole armor of God that I may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, I take up the whole armor of God that I may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

You are in a fight that can be won. John 10:10 reminds us that he wants “kill, steal and destroy,” but don’t believe the lie that he will win. God’s Word is the most powerful thing in heaven and on earth. Believe it, use it, and keep fighting. God has the victory!

God Is Our Loving Father

God Is Our Loving Father

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 15:11-24

Humanity tends to project its own faulty habits onto God. This is especially true regarding the nature of His love. We think we must barter, plead, or try hard to earn the Lord's favor. But as the prodigal son learned, the Father's love is unconditional.

The wayward son expected his father's love to be diminished. Therefore, he went home hoping for a place among the family servants. Imagine the boy's delight when Dad greeted him with a hug and a celebration. His actions certainly didn't merit an outpouring of affection, but Jesus' parable is all about a Father who doesn't give people what they deserve.

A love based on conduct would keep people guessing, Have I done enough? Instead, God cares for you simply because you're you, and He expects nothing in return. Consider the prodigal's life after his homecoming party. He didn't move into the servants' quarters and get to work. He was reinstated to his place as the second son of a wealthy man, with all of the privilege that entails. In the same way, believers are the Lord's cherished children (2 Cor. 6:18). When God looks at His loved ones, He doesn't focus upon past failures, faults, or sin. He sees the heirs to His kingdom—men and women who love Him and desire to spend eternity in His presence.

No matter how far we may wander from the Lord's perfect will for our lives, we are always welcome back. The Bible teaches that God's love cannot be lost, regardless of sin or poor decisions (though we may have to live with the consequences). Our Father's arms are always open. 

When Our Lonely Places Become Sacred Spaces ( somebody needs this)

When Our Lonely Places Become Sacred Spaces
ALICIA BRUXVOORT

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 (NIV)

I wasn’t alone, but I’d never felt lonelier.

Swallowing a lump of tears, I coaxed my lips into an upward turn. Then I willed myself to focus on the friend who sat across from me as she told a laugh-out-loud story about her son’s first date. I giggled at all the right times and hoped she wouldn’t notice the laughter never reached my eyes.

I love this friend. We’ve been sharing unfiltered life for years. We've prayed one another through the throes of potty-training and the woes of driver's education, through the highs and lows of marriage and the peaks and pits of faith.

But on that day in the coffee shop, even the comfortable conversation of a dear friend couldn᾿t cut through the loneliness that shrouded my heart. In fact, the lilt of laughter and the knowing nods merely magnified the ache inside.

Even my closest friends couldn’t truly understand the season of disappointment I was walking through.

Those who knew me best weren’t oblivious to my heartache. They acknowledged my grief and did their best to walk with me through the discouragement. They created safe spaces for vulnerability and never mocked my tears. But even when my trusted people were present and available, my heart often felt detached and unreachable.

My friends could cover me in prayer, but they couldn’t understand my hurt. They could acknowledge my disappointment, but they couldn’t erase my ache. They could make space for my sadness, but they couldn’t change my circumstances.

Loneliness strikes when we’re left alone in our struggles, but it also shows up when our struggles leave us feeling alone.

We continued to chat until our coffee cups were drained, then my friend pulled a wrinkled wad of paper from her pocket.

“I’m not sure if this will mean anything to you,” she said with a shrug. “But when I read this verse this morning, I felt like I was supposed to share it …”

When I got home from the coffee shop, I curled up on the couch with my well-worn Bible and a fresh stream of tears. I unfolded the crumpled piece of paper my friend had given me and looked up the verse she’d scribbled in hurried scrawl.

It wasn’t a soul-boosting psalm or a spirit-soaring promise. It was just a string of eight words tucked in the middle of a Gospel I’d read dozens of times.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

At first glance, it seemed like an odd verse to share. But as I spoke the words aloud, I found comfort in their tender truth — Jesus knows the lonely places, too.

However, along with that wisp of comfort came a wave of conviction. Luke 5:16 reveals that Jesus didn’t just know the lonely places; He willingly chose to go to the lonely places.

It was in the lonely places where Jesus sought intimacy with His Father instead of the empathy of others.

And in our lonely places, God invites us to do the same.

We may want someone to step into our struggles and feel our pain, but God invites us to step into His presence and find peace.

We may look for comfort from the friends around us, but God offers consolation through His Spirit within us.

We may long for someone to listen and understand, but God invites us to be heard and known.

It’s not easy to trust God in our disappointments or sit with Him in our struggles. But as I follow my Savior’s example, I’m learning that what looks like a lonely place in our eyes is often just a sacred space in disguise. 

And when we seek Him in those places where no one else can go, we find Him waiting with a hope that no one else can offer.

Dear Jesus, I want to find You in my lonely places. Give me courage to seek You in my struggles, and open my eyes to recognize Your presence in my pain. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 107:35, “Yet He transforms a dry, lonely desert into pools of living water, parched ground into lively springs.” (VOICE)

Romans 5:5, “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (MEV)

Follow God’s Plan, Not Your Own

Follow God’s Plan, Not Your Own
By: Kristine Brown

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts,’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Had we made a huge mistake? We’d prayed about this job opportunity. We’d sought wise counsel from a trusted friend. Then we prayed some more. After two trips to the hospital with our newborn and six weeks of sleepless nights, it looked like this open door for a different job was an answer to prayer. Not only would it bring us close to our home church again, we’d also have friends and relatives around to help out. We could finally breathe a little easier. But after loading up the family and hauling everything we owned 700 miles to our new home, we never expected to face this.

The start-up company that offered my husband the job closed its doors. This turn of events hit hard, leaving us with the uncertainty of unemployment while providing for a new baby. It caused me to question: how could we have been so sure this was God’s will? If He really brought us here, why would this happen? I wondered whether or not I even knew how to follow God’s plan. But through our experience, I discovered life-changing truths in God’s Word to help me understand His plan for my life, and how to follow it with confidence.

When you ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, trust He will.

Sometimes we will not hear God’s audible voice offering the direction we seek. In the quiet waiting, it’s easy to let our minds wander into a whirlwind of questions and concerns. When this happens, we need to remember the moment we invited Jesus Christ into our lives. Because of His deep love for us, He sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter and Guide. John 16:30 says,“The Spirit will guide you into all truth.” So even if I don’t have a definite answer, I can trust that the Spirit in me provides what I need to make any decision with clarity and a steadfast heart.

Instead of making it complicated, focus on the simplicity of God’s will.

God’s Word offers simple steps to follow for those who seek His will. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. These three actions will cast aside all the distraction of our runaway thoughts. When we bring our focus back to the simplicity of God’s will for us, we suddenly lose the urgency of having to decide right now. Our focus becomes how we live our lives for God, not how He answers our prayers.

Know God’s plan may go against what makes sense to us.

Instead of giving time and energy to the what-ifs, we can remind ourselves that an unsure outcome opens the door for God to be glorified in our situation. And isn’t that what we desire most? God amazes me again and again with His faithfulness through circumstances that seem impossible. During our 10 months with no income, we never missed a meal. Our family had a place to live, our needs were met, and loved ones who surrounded and supported us. God works in ways so that we cannot find comfort in our own works. We don’t need to worry about how it will all work out; we only need to trust God through it all.

Understand even the bad stuff may be part of the plan.

The familiar words in Jeremiah 29:11 bring us a sense of anticipation. When we hear that phrase,“I know the plans I have for you,” we smile with hope for the adventure ahead. But what about when the next step isn’t so exciting? What about those times when anticipation is replaced with dread for what’s to come? We may not feel excited through life’s darkest times, and that’s okay. God doesn’t expect us to fake a smile when we’re facing trials and turmoil, but He does offer us His presence for peace and comfort. He also promises this.“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8:28).

Remember that God’s plan has a greater purpose.

My family’s next step resulted in an extended time of trusting God on a deeper level than before. Each day I had to redirect my thoughts back to God. I purposed to give thanks and find joy in everyday moments instead of dwelling on our situation. Keeping my mind stayed on God drew me into a closer relationship with Him. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT).

At the end of our unemployment journey, God provided a new job even better than the one before. It involved another move, but from our experience we learned to walk through that door with newfound assurance. We may never know if we made the right decision for our family that fateful day, but we continue to see God’s promises fulfilled.

Ephesians 1:11 reminds us God’s plan has a greater purpose than what we see.“...  for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” When we show God our willingness to trust Him in every situation, we become a part of that greater purpose.

A Prayer for When You Don’t Measure Up

A Prayer for When You Don’t Measure Up
By Renee Swope

“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” - 2 Corinthians 10:12b

Do you ever compare yourself to other people and feel like you don’t quite measure up? Maybe you feel like you’re not as smart, pretty, fun, organized or as good at _______ as they are.

It’s so easy to think that if we had more or knew more, we’d be secure. But the truth is, even people who “have it all” still struggle with feelings of insecurity. The Bible opens with the story of a woman who had everything, but it still wasn’t enough (Genesis 2).

God had established Eve’s worth as His child and the crown of His creation. He also supplied Eve with every woman’s desire: intimacy, beauty, security, significance and purpose. Yet Satan conjured up feelings of insecurity by luring Eve’s eyes off what she had and on to what she didn’t have.

The enemy’s whispers tempted Eve to try to “be” more and “have” more by seeking significance apart from God’s provision. He convinced her something was missing in her life and that the forbidden fruit would make her be “like God.” It was a foolish comparison. All comparisons are.

Comparison will always leave us feeling like we don’t measure up. We can try to do more and be more, yet it’s never enough.

So, the next time we’re tempted to use the measuring stick of comparison — let’s commit to measure UP by focusing upward on Christ and who we are in HIM!

Lord, thank You that in Christ I’m chosen, holy and dearly loved. When I’m tempted to measure myself according to the world’s standards or my foolish comparisons, help me recognize Satan’s lies, refuse his temptations and rely on Your truth about me instead. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.