Let God Confuse Your Enemy - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) June 7, 2024

When God freed the Israelites from Egypt, He led them on a specific path. The Bible tells us that He had them use the desert road that led toward the Red Sea (Exodus 13:18). And yet, in Exodus 14:2, we are told He had them change direction and go backward.

If He knew the way He wanted them to take, why send them in the direction they had come from? Imagine a group of close to a million people - young and old - walking with their belongings through the desert sand. Why make things complicated for them?

The Bible explains God's reasoning in Exodus 14:3 - Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ Although Pharaoh would think the Israelites were lost, the real purpose of God's plan was to confuse Pharaoh. And not only to confuse him but also to make him feel pompous, stiff-necked, and overconfident so that he would hasten his attempt to recapture the Israelites. The end result was that Pharaoh believed in his intelligence and the might of his army. This led to them drowning in the Red Sea.

God is in the business of confusing your enemies. And when He applies this war strategy, it may be confusing to you too. The key, however, is to trust Him and remember His word in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 - But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

The Sovereign Lord knows how to use what appears foolish to confuse and destroy those who see themselves as wise. And when He is doing this in your life, submit to Him because His ways are higher than yours and so He knows better (Isaiah 55:8-9).

People will look at your situation and be confounded but so too will be the enemy. Oh, it will think it is having its way with you but just as it is on the edge of supposed success, God's endgame will result in the enemy's destruction and your victory, just as was the case for the Israelites who made it safely through the Red Sea.

So if you're in a tight spot that doesn't make sense and the Lord is calling you to do something that makes even less sense, obey. Remember the instruction from Job 22:21 - Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you" (ESV). Let God use the foolish things of this world to confound and destroy your enemy - satan - and its evil plans for your life.

Be sure to come back at Noon EST for fellowship. God bless you.

Are You Numb To Evil? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) June 4, 2024

Dear Christian, stop being desensitized to the evil around you. If you are a believer in Christ then you have been called to be the salt of the world (Luke 14:3). Salt holds back degradation. This is why, till this day, it is used to preserve food and other products from going bad.

You therefore cannot afford to be numb to the wickedness that grows day by day. Sure, the Bible taught that the world will become increasingly wicked and that darkness will grow (Matthew 24:6-8). But this is why Christ called those who believe in Him the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We are to act as an antidote of sorts. He also said in John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The purpose of light is to keep darkness at bay.

And to do this, you must not think that what the devil is doing to steal, to kill, and to destroy is normal. It is not someone else's problem. You cannot shrug your shoulders and never give it another thought.

You must become like those who were spared death in Ezekiel 9. These were individuals in Jerusalem who grieved and lamented over all the detestable things that were taking place in their city (Ezekiel 9:4). God had a mark placed on their foreheads and instructed His killing angels to leave them unharmed while they wiped out everyone else who worshiped other gods and practiced idolatry.

You also need to be like Lot. In 2 Peter 2:7-8, Apostle Peter said that Lot was "a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard).

Dear Believer, the works of satan should stir you to stand as an intercessor and pray. The fervent prayers of the righteous are effective and you should be putting that scripture into effect not just for yourself but for others as well (James 5:16). You should stand as a person who knows the word of God and the power of the Lord, wielding both against the works of satan (Mark 12:24).

You might look at your situation and think you don't have the time to pray about other people's issues. After all, you're struggling and you believe you need all your prayer time to focus on your own problems. That is a lie from the pit of hell and it is best to not agree with the devil because the Word states "Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you." (Job 22:21 ESV)

The devil wants you to think you need to only worry about yourself. The devil doesn't want you to be eager to do good to other people. It doesn't want you to share your testimony of God's power in your life. It doesn't want you to break the status quo - the belief that nobody can stand against the tide of evil washing over the world. However, God said in Ezekiel 22:30 - I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. This is what we have been called to be. You are to be the person God sees and because you bow before Him on behalf of others, He will show them mercy. The person who won't allow satan's desires to be fulfilled on your watch because you know that you have a responsibility to your descendants and future generations of believers to leave them a better legacy.

You should really want to be that person and you can't get there if you are not grieved by the wickedness that runs rampant in this world. You also can't be the salt or the light of this world if you are a part of spreading satan's evil through sin and failure to truly repent and start the walk toward a changed and godly life.

Make the right choice today.

Be sure to read the messages hyperlinked in today's post and learn more from the following:

1. Don't Ignore God's Knowledge

2. Obedience Is Wise

3. Topic: Intercession

The Opposition We Face - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) May 31, 2024

What does it mean to suffer as a Christian? The members of the early church had no confusion on this issue. They'd watched their fellow believers be stoned, whipped, and killed for following the teachings of Jesus. Several walked away from the practices of their forefathers to accept Jesus as their Messiah and this caused friction in their relationships with loved ones.

Today, many of us have had the blessing of growing up in families that believe in Christ. The level of commitment to His teachings may vary, but Christianity is not so foreign a concept that we've had to go into hiding and worry about attacks from individuals or officials.

Yet, many live in fear because they have chosen to go the way of Christ and His Father, Almighty God. Their choice has brought them problems in both the physical and spiritual realms.

In the physical, their friends may have given them space because they no longer have shared interests. Some family members may have lost patience with their newfound zeal for Bible study and teachings. Coworkers may avoid their desk for fear of being reminded to give Jesus a try.

The attacks in the spiritual realm are more intense. Confusing dreams that create terror upon waking, or incessant nagging fears and anxieties that make no sense. All could be indicators that the devil is fighting a person for turning to God and away from a lukewarm life that was once easily controlled by feelings and sin.

Nobody enjoys being attacked even if it is because they chose to believe in Jesus. And the Bible speaks to this issue. Jesus warned in Matthew 10:22 - You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. The reality is that we should anticipate opposition simply because we chose to be on God's side.

We are also told in 1 Peter 4:16 - However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. And we are not to be ashamed or saddened for suffering because we belong to Christ. Indeed, it is somewhat of a backhanded compliment. The opposition you face for opting to become God's child is an indicator that you made the right choice. It reveals that you are a threat to satan's kingdom and it is terrified.

Again, the issue here is that you face opposition from hell because you started to live for the Lord, not because your behavior has opened the door for the devil's harassment and persecution. The latter can happen when a Christian's life is filled with repeated sin habits, no repentance, and no intentional changes to their lifestyle so they can rule over sinful desires.

The wonderful thing is that despite all of this, God has grace & salvation available to rescue anyone out of satan's clutches. Whichever way the devil is opposing you and no matter how tough it seems, God has created the pathway to overcome hell's opposition. Call on the name of Jesus. His is the name above all names (Philippians 2:9). And at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Philippians 2:10). Just as was the case when Jairus called on Him, He's walking with you to bring you to the point of victory.

God has given you all you need for godly living (2 Peter 1:3). You just need to tap into the specific Kingdom Keys that will destroy the opposition you face. And remember, this opposition will work out for your good (Romans 8:28). Christ's disciples encouraged themselves in the face of opposition, saying, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

As a believer in this age and dispensation, you are no different. Stand firm in the face of opposition and watch God bring the Jericho walls down. Watch Him walk you through the seas and the fires, bringing you out unharmed (Isaiah 43:2). Watch God put the devil to shame so it loses all because it troubled you. The Lord God Almighty is faithful. He is fully responsible for all who enter harm's way because of Him. He's got you!