Theme for 2018
WE ARE THE ARMY OF GOD &
WE ARE ARMED AND DANGEROUS!
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
This Week’s Thought – January 7, 2018
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37 (NKJV)
With whom do you need to communicate a firm answer of ‘no’? What opportunity is staring you in the face to which you know in your heart you have to say, ‘no’? Hesitation or delay only creates an expectation or insinuation of commitment. It is better to say ‘no’ early on, than to let silence send a message of ‘yes’. Learning to say ‘no’ comes with mature faith in Christ.
God’s plans for you in 2018 might require you to go deeper and further with fewer opportunities and fewer people, so that you are able to give them the quality time and attention they desire and deserve. If you halfheartedly say ‘yes’ without the conviction of truly caring, then you dilute your effectiveness and the overall success of the plan or goal. An active answer of ‘no’ is better than a passive ‘yes’.
Remember, even the Lord tells us ‘no’ sometimes, and it is for our own good; because He is in a much better position to understand what is best for us. You may not understand today why He shut a relational or career door, but in the days ahead it will become abundantly clear. Do not listen to Satan’s temptation to lead you to question where God has already said ‘no’ to you.
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’” (Genesis 3:1) The devil is a master at causing us to doubt what Jesus knows is best for us.
The better you are at trusting and obeying the Lord’s ‘no(s)’ the better equipped you are to say ‘no’, especially to some things or to some people that are distracting or diverting you away from the plans that God has for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) It is a faith journey that never ends until we are promoted to our eternal home in heaven. When you say ‘no’ to a nice attraction, you have the energy and emotional margin to say ‘yes’ to God’s best.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.” (Psalm 119:67)
Application: As you seek to know and follow the plan(s) that God has for you in the new year 2018, what weaponry do you need to use this week to ‘knock down the strongholds of human reasoning…to destroy false arguments and destroy every proud obstacle that keeps you from obeying God?’ Who needs to hear your loving ‘no’, and what ‘no’ do you need to accept from the Lord?
Words from the Master during your time of reflection this week: “Come to Me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed. A close walk with Me is a life of continual newness. Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year. Instead, seek My Face with an open mind, knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind. As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you. I know and understand you completely; My thoughts embrace you in everlasting Love. I also know the plans I have for you: plans to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Give yourself fully to this joyful adventure of increasing attentiveness to My Presence.” (Psalm 27:8; Romans 12:2; Jeremiah 29:11)
“And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.” Habakkuk 2:2-3 (MSG)
Yours in Christ, Pastor King