For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Life today is in a society where the god of this world has placed erroneous boundaries for that which is considered to be "natural" or "normal." The world system at large holds onto that which is opposed to the character and nature of God.

On any given day, the information that I hear from the world system stands is stark opposition to the eternal Truth of the inerrant and infallible Word of God.  God's program for my biblical thought control is simply that I bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  My mind must rely entirely on the Holy Word of God.  My trials, however difficult they may seem, serve to remind me of the individual need for personal salvation and subsequent obedience.

Christ has won the war with the god of this world, and Jesus Christ is Lord.  In the everyday events of practical living, however, the battle still rages on in my life.  It is imperative that I obey the Scriptures if I am to know practical victory...my hope in the spiritual battle of this day is knowing that it is not my battle, but the Lord's.  For that reason, I need not fear.  The Lord Himself fights the battles for me to the extent that I am simply obedient to His Word.

It is as I remember His faithfulness in the past, in the light of His promised faithfulness for the future, that i am able to fight the good fight of faith in the present. My consistent effort of faith in actions involves the personal sacrifice of submission (OBEDIENCE) to God and service (MINISTRY) to men.

I must be faithful to the Word of God, regardless of my feelings. I must be consistent in my personal utilization of the Scriptures to reprove, rebuke, and exhort others with doctrinal accuracy and personal patience. When I have been faithful in this, i will be able to say, as did Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." When I live to glorify God,, i will be able to face my home-going with joy and confidence as I anticipate the words of my Lord, "well done, thou good and faithful servant."

                        
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When I think about the grace of God, my mind goes to its two faceted aspect.  Of course, there is the wonderful grace of God at salvation, as well as the precious grace of God in trials.

What is the application of God's grace in each of the two aspects? I think it's important first to look at the two arenas of spiritual life. One, being the event of salvation, or spiritual birth. The other, being the process of sanctification, or spiritual growth.

In salvation, God's grace is seen in the long-used acrostic of God's Riches At Christ's Expense.   It is all of God, in that there is nothing my sinful heart can ever do to redeem myself from my estranged state. But God so loved the world, that He sent Christ to pay for my sins. In this way, both justice and mercy were executed. It is God's grace that saves, through faith, giving a clear picture of Christ in me, my hope of glory, to the world. (Colossians 1:27)

In sanctification, God's grace is seen as in the acrostic of God's Resources At Crisis Encounters.  As various life difficulties are encountered, God has taught me, in James 1, that I can count it all joy with the knowledge that the trying of my faith works patience. It is as I draw near to God, James goes on to say in chapter 4, that God draws near to me. It is as I, in my impatience, snuggle close to His heart, that His divine attribute of patience begins to be seen in the character of my life. It is as I  recognize and reverence the reality of His Sovereignty over the difficult things, that I will rest totally and completely on the inalterable fact that His ways are perfect, that His thoughts of me are for peace, not evil. (Psalm 18:30, Jeremiah 29:11).   The joy of the Lord will be my strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and when the world questions my  "ability" to manage great trials, I can give a reason of the hope that lies within me, and thus glorify God. (1 Peter 3:15).

And so, as an obedient, growing believer, my life engages both the saving and the sustaining grace of God. The saving grace was at the event of salvation; the sustaining grace is available on a repetitive and continuing basis every moment of every day.

I know that Paul, in a very difficult circumstance of life, according to 2 Corinthians12:9, sought relief and removal of the trial.  God's response to that request was the promise that His grace would be sufficient for every need, and that His strength would be made perfect in Paul's weakness.  Paul's response rings loud and clear in the verses that follow.  It was simply "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

How marvelous, the GRACE of God!


                               (C) 1992, 2014 N. A. Collins
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What do I do when ......I can't seem to trust God because I don't understand what He is doing? Actually, Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches me to trust in the Lord with all my heart, without understanding.  If I clearly grasp Isaiah 55, I will realize that God thoughts and ways are above my thoughts and ways.  He is infinite in wisdom and power.  He is eternal in plan and purpose. He is sovereign, and His way is perfect. Therefore, how can I trust the Lord?  I love to look at Psalm 37:3-7, and follow the descriptive action words that I can implement in order to fully TRUST the Lord.  I have taken each of the 5 verbs, and used a synonym that begins with the first five letters of the word T.R.U.S.T.

1.  In verse 3, the action word is"trust."

    T      Take the gift of salvation  (Conversion)

Having been created by God for His glory (Rev 4:11), my sins have separated me from the original fellowship with man and God in the garden of Eden prior to disobedience (Isaiah 59:2).  But God demonstrated His love by sending His Son to pay the penalty for my sin. I accept that payment, by a prayer of repentance and faith (Acts 20:21). He wraps me in the robes of Christ's righteousness (Isa. 61:10) and makes me a new creation in Him.

               
2.  In verse 4, the action word is "delight."

     R        Rejoice in Jesus alone.  (Meditation)

God has placed a new song of joy and praise in my mouth (Psalm 40:3).  He, the God of hope gives me peace and joy (Romans 15:13).  He is my sun and shield, giving grace and glory (Psalm 84:11). He has promised me that His very thoughts toward me are of peace (Jeremiah 84:11).

               What reasons for joy!!

3.  In verse 5, the action word is "commit."

     U         Unleash your life    (Submission)

The awesome realization that my times are in God's hands changes my entire outlook on the future (Psalm 31:15).  He has formed me, and has power over me, Therefore my commitment is unto Him, alone (Romans 9:20-21).  As I forget the things of the past, reaching forth to the things which are before, i am able to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14).  Then, and only then, will I pray the prayer of Christ in the Garden, and using the 'nevertheless' principle, yield my will to the will of the Father (Luke 23:42).

4.  In verse 7a, the action word is "rest."

     S        Sacrificially Submit / Serve (Application)

I know positional peace with God, having been justified by faith    (Romans 5:1), therefore His practical peace that passes all understanding abides in my heart (Philippians 4:7).  My purpose in living is to enjoy the believer's rest of obedience to God and service to others (Matthew 22:37-39).  My steps are defined and determined by the "righteous rails" of the Scriptures (Psalm 119:133), and the light of Christ shines forth so that others glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

5.  In verse 7b, the action word is "wait."

     T          Total responsibility on God  (Confidence)

Understanding that my sovereign Lord is is always working out the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11), I am personally responsible and accountable simply to please Him in all that I do, with implicit confidence in His perfect ways (Romans 14:12). 

                 

                                           (C) 1992, 2014 N. A. Collins
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I have had many occasions that have arisen where questions are asked that pose difficulty in giving an accurate, biblical, honest, and yet sensitive answer. Psalm 139:130 is clear that the Word of God giveth light.  1 Peter 3:15 teaches me that as I more and more am sanctified in that truth, I will know how to answer every man. Therefore, from God's perspective, and in a compassionate consideration of those posing the questions, I want to look at some of those human question and their biblical answers.  I will address one question each week over the
next few weeks.

What Do I say When I am asked the question "Why would God allow this to happen?"

Ephesians 1:11 teaches me that God works all things after the counsel of His will.  Thus, His
Sovereignty from eternity past throughout eternity future covers absolutely each and every    
single aspect of my life.  I may not fully understand His allowance or ordinance of any given
circumstance, but I can fully know His heart, in that His greatest desire is the conformity of His blood-bought children to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

     -  Are my reactions to challenging situations of the flesh or of the Spirit? 
     -  Is my basic life focus one of self-gratification or God-glorification? 
     -  Are my words spoken primarily for self-glory or to exalt Christ and edify others?

In every situation, God will use those difficulties that cannot be handled from human resources to draw me to Himself.  It is by HIS strength that I am able to reflect HIS joy.  My former reactions of irritation or anger will progressively be transformed by the indwelling Spirit of God in that I begin to follow the admonition of James by being swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.  Additionally, I will comprehend the heart of God, taught in Galatians 6:2, as I bear the burdens of others, thus fulfilling the law of Christ.  Both those who have never trusted Christ, as well as those who have, should see an accurate demonstration of the grace of God at work.

My basic life focus will begin to be far more about about sacrificially obeying God and serving others than
meeting my own selfish wants and desires.  Others will see and know the spirit of Christ in my dealings with
them, and they will be drawn to Him, rather than to me, in both salvation and spiritual growth.

My words will be ones that consistently exalt the character and nature of Christ, as well as edify and build up fellow-believers.  In endeavors of evangelism to unbelievers, there will be both clarity and sensitivity in evangelism.

So...in the light of these Truths, what a joy to receive God's answer to the question!

                                         (C) 2014 N. A. Collins
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