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The Armor of God, part 3, The Breastplate of Righteousness

Sometimes we forget that the conflicts we face in life are primarily spiritual. People are not our real enemies, neither are the hardships of life. The real people and events that trouble us can actually be for our benefit —  if we win the true inner battle!

God has freely given us His love and grace in order that we can fully live today and also live eternally with Him. At the same time He allows our faith and love to be tested and refined in the same way heat refines and purifies gold and silver. During these times of testing and attacks from the enemy we are learning how to put on the armor that He has provided in order for us to stand in His love and grace, resisting the temptation to become bitter, resentful, and hard of heart.

In the soldier’s armor, the breastplate protects the vital organs, and most importantly the heart. While the brain is responsible for direction, it cannot survive without the heart which sends nourishment to every part of the entire body. Getting back to the spiritual analogy, we understand that in the Bible God has much to say about our hearts and minds in reference to our feelings, motives, thoughts and actions.

In fact, the heart has long been the word we use to describe the deepest part of who we are. Our hearts can determine our path in ways that our minds cannot. One can be very well educated and intelligent and use their abilities to hurt and destroy others. On the other hand, a person with a pure heart at any age and level of intelligence can be a great source of blessing and encouragement!

Soloman advised his son in the Proverbs to  4:23 to “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. ” NASU

So today we are looking at the means of protecting our hearts with the breastplate of righteousness. From the Scriptures we learn that people have often worked hard to obey God’s laws, but with impure motives. They even denied themselves food and other pleasures, giving away large sums of money to the temple, while inwardly they were without compassion and humility. Their greater desire was to appear holier than others. Instead they failed to truly honor God as He desired.

(Isaiah 58:1-6, Luke 21:1-4, Matthew 23:25-28, Luke 11:39-44)

Once Jesus confronted this attitude with the message God gave through the prophet Isaiah:

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,

BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. “

(Mark 7:6 NASU)

(Isaiah 29:13, Mark 7:6-8, Matthew 15:7-9)

When Jesus the Jewish Messiah appeared on the scene, He revealed a better way. Not only His teaching, but also His actions proved what the prophets, the Proverb and Psalm writers had said all along: we are not to trust in ourselves, but in God. The key to life and righteousness was to humble ourselves under God’s love and grace, believe in His righteousness and willingness to save us from ourselves.

The apostle Paul later explained in detail how Jesus died on the Cross for the sins of the whole world, and rose from the dead for our justification. Our part is to respond to what He has done for us.

Rom 10:8-11:

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” —  that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

NASB

If anyone who happens to be reading this desires a powerful and rewarding relationship with God in Christ, please consider these words. Think about your situation, the Spirit of God can take this moment of reflection and give you insight into this wonderful truth. You can be given the faith to believe in Him and the ab[...]

The Armor of God, part 2: The Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6:10-18:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. “(NIV)

Believers in Christ are faced with a spiritual battle. The weapons we are given are also spiritual. The apostle Paul instructs us first to have the Truth wrapped around our waist as a belt which also holds our outfit together enabling us to stand.

It is very important that we understand and and believe the truth. Now there are certain facts that are also true. It is a fact and true that on a clear day the sky is blue and the grass is green. But in the spiritual realm there is a higher truth that is often referred to in the Bible.

Jesus once said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) Not everyone believed Him when He made that statement. And yet, Christians are known to be people who believe in Him and in everything He said and did. A higher truth has been revealed unto them!

Jesus also said, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) But how do we explain to an observer why many have at times found themselves in prison for preaching the Gospel? Here there is a higher truth. Their bodies might be bound, but their minds and spirits continue to be free! On the other hand, millions who might be free to move about physically are often both emotionally and spiritually bound!

In the area of spiritual warfare we have a very powerful defensive weapon that protects us from fear, guilt, depression and defeat. Satan greatest power is the power of deception and lies. He can even take a fact and manipulate it to deceive us.

If he can trick us into thinking we are hopeless sinners, he will have succeeded in his plan.

It is a fact that all of us have sinned and have come short of God’s glory. But when the Holy Spirit exposes our sin, it is always for the purpose of delivering us from it. He will always point us to Jesus, His message, His love, His sacrifice on the Cross, and His victory over sin! We believe that He rose from the grave for our justification!

We also believe that our old life died with Him on the Cross, and our new life has come with His resurrection! We are new creations in Christ! We have been changed! All things are passed away and all things have become new! This is the higher Truth that enambles us to stand! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We who have believed in and have received Him have been given the priviledge of becoming the children of God, born from above, born of the Spirit, born of God! The fact is we are not perfect. We fail at times. But the Truth is our identity is found in Him. God calls us His children, His saints! Regardless of what our accuser tells us, this is who we really are! (John 1:12-13, 3:3-7).

His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God! (Romans 8:16).

When men sought a way to fly in airplanes, they did not in any way deny the existence of the law of gravity. In [...]

War and Peace

A great paradox as we live the life of faith in Jesus Christ is that of the existence of both war and peace. Because we have been forgiven and delivered from our past sinful lives we have peace with God and within ourselves. We have a wonderful sense of security and well-being in the knowledge of God’s love for us.

On the other hand, we are told that we have an enemy that would stop at nothing to destroy that peaceful relationship with God. He is very good at what he does, for he has been at it for quite a long time. He is sometimes called the devil or satan. The title devil comes from a Greek word that means slanderer, while satan is from a Hebrew word meaning opposer or adversary. Why our Lord permits this enemy to exist is known only to Him. It could be that we need the challenge for our spiritual growth. What ever the reason the fact remains, we have a powerful and cunning enemy.

As recipients of God’s love and grace we are given certain responsibilities to both protect ourselves and continue to bless and glorify our heavenly Father. We are warned by the apostles in their New Testament writings of the dangers our enemy presents and how to face them. The battle we face is commonly known as “spiritual warfare.”

In one sense we are already overcomers because the victory has already been won on our behalf by Christ. However, simple observation of Biblical history, church history, and present experience reveals that many sincere believers, whose salvation is secure in Christ, have fallen in their testimony for Christ.

My question for us all is, are we satisfied to have an eternal destiny in heaven secured, but uncaring for the testimony we have for Him now in this life? Do we not love Him such that we care enough to bring glory and honor to Him in this life? Should not our love for Him also extend to the rest of humanity, where many desperately need to see His love demonstrated by our living witness?

Here we come to the plan and purpose of our enemy.  It is to hinder the plan and purpose God has for us.

God’s plan from the beginning was for us to bear His image, to take responsibility for His creation and to be fruitful and to multiply, thereby increasing His glory in the earth. We do this by loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and by loving our neighbor as ourselves.

The simplest, most basic description of the enemy’s goal is to prevent us from loving God and one another.  He has several methods, but this will always be his goal. When we fail in love, we fall short of bringing God the glory he desires, and fail to live in full victory.

One of his very successful tricks is to convince us that if we have few bad habits, attend church regularly, and perform the correct rituals, we are doing just great. Then we might give little attention to the condition of our hearts. We can secretly harbor bitterness, jealousy, resentfulness, and even hate, without realizing that the devil has had his way with us!

Jesus exposed this trick when He distilled all of God’s laws into one principle: love. Love is the litmus test for true spirituality.

So even if the devil appeals to our human weaknesses, and tempts us to lust after things that harm us and others, the end result is the loss of love. Can a person who is obsessed with power, money, possessions have time to truly love God with all of his or her heart? Can a person who lusts after another’s spouse have truly loving thoughts for them and their families? Can someone who steals from  or murders another be living in love? How about the one who ridicules another individual because of their shape, size or skin color?

If we look around, it is not difficult to find confessing believers in Christ who have become distracted from the love of God in Christ, and have chased after things that bring not glory but shame to the name of Jesus.

So we are here to answer the higher call of God in Christ! We not only wan[...]

(Original radio broadcast from May 8, 1998)

Today we would like to discuss the singlemost important issue in your life and mine! Does this arouse your curiosity? Should any ordinary man make such bold statement? We would like to invite you to stay tuned, and answer this question for yourself!

It is becoming increasingly evident that we are heading into a time of great expansion for the Kingdom of God. Pressures from every side are moving against the people of God, and these pressures must of necessity force us out of our comfort zones. Passivity and complacency have captivated us for much too long, while our enemy has continued to thrive in this earth.

Our Great Commander and Chief is presently mobilizing His forces. The question we must ask ourselves today is, will we be in that number?

No effort will be made here to incite fear into your hearts, and none will be necessary. Many of you are already overcome with fear for the days that are upon us, but our only purpose is to instill hope! Our hope is found in only one place and one person. That person is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!

The crucial question of this hour is not if you should move into the country and hoard provisions, or invest your money in the gold market. If the Spirit of the Lord directs you to do certain things, by all means obey Him! But as I listen and observe the conversations of my fellow Christians, and even my own words, I am forced to ask this haunting question: Where do you and I stand in our relationship with Jesus Christ!

Many of us have been walking with the Lord for years and yet finding ourselves being shaken by daily events. We then begin to look to Christian leaders in church, and on the radio and TV, and these in turn point to specialists of every field. There are Christian psychologist, and counselors, doctors and scientists, all of whom have much wisdom and insight to offer us. But there is also the great danger of our ever learning, while never coming to the full knowledge of the Truth!

But what is the Truth? The question should rather be: Who is the Truth? Bible believing Christians have within their grasp the one greatest resource that has ever been given to mankind, but how we fail to avail ourselves of it! We have the most awesome and marvelous privilege of KNOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST intimately, but who has the time for that?

There are so many important projects to be involved in and works to accomplish! There are so many things to possess and pleasures to experience! There are so many problems to solve and answers to be sought! Who has the time to SEEK THE LORD?

Brothers and sisters, the present time, and every time, will always be the proper time to seek the Lord! Are any of us so familiar, so spiritually mature that we have actually outgrown our need to maintain an intimate relationship with Him? And what are we actually talking about, but finding our pleasure in and actually giving pleasure to the most awesome being in the universe! He is our Creator and Lord! He is our friend and lover! He has redeemed us from the curse, and brought us forth from the graveyard of fallen humanity! Why should we NOT desire Him! Why should we fail to seek Him first above all things — the One from Whom we draw our very breath and life?

May the Lord Jesus Christ use this entire broadcast today to draw us near unto Him! May we all receive a fresh revelation of His glory, which will fill us with an all-consuming desire and passion for Him!

If you are finding it difficult to love others — seek Him. If you are reluctant to give and sacrifice for His Kingdom — seek Him. If you lack the energy to even perform the simple and normal duties of life — seek Him!

If you are having trouble paying your bills — seek Him. If your children are giving you problems — seek Him. If your marriage is in danger — seek the Lord!

How can I suggest this course of action? Because I have found myself in each one of these situations,[...]

(Original radio broadcast from May 1,1998)

In Mat 24:14 We find these words of Jesus:

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

In Rom 1:16-17, Paul writes: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Many believe that a spiritual intensity is building as we approach the end of this century. Forgive me for not giving speculations of coming world events here. These are not the concerns that Jesus has laid on my heart. But I do believe that many are hearing from the Lord and receiving direction concerning His will for His people in this hour!

There has always been that prophetic element of Christ’s church and She has always been His Voice and witness in the earth. He will proclaim His counsels to mankind as He has always done!

This is a day to bear and proclaim His message to all! It is also a day to seek the Lord, and receive His counsel to us, both as individuals, and as His people world-wide! Let all of heaven and earth, Hear the Word of the Lord! And may we who are His own be already actively tuned in to what He is saying, while the voices of fools vainly attempt to drown out His earnest cry!

The people of God need a new hunger and thirst for His Creative Living Word! But how difficult it is becoming to receive their attention! Many are becoming more accustomed to hearing and understanding the wisdom of men, thus the wisdom of God appears difficult and even foolish to them!

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Cor 1:26-1 Cor 2:10)

This is a day to give an ear to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the church!

Jer 23:18: But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?

Jer 23:22: But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.

How often do God’s peopl[...]

I wrote this song a few years ago about my wonderful sweetheart Brenda!

For almost as long as I can remember, the “revelation of Jesus Christ,” has often been identified with the end of the world, or some other frightening event. We often hear that we are living in the last days which are foretold in the last book of the Bible, “The Revelation.”

Eventually I learned that the book of Revelation was in fact about the revelation which was first given to Jesus Christ, and in turn given to John who wrote it all down. The things that John recorded has fascinated many for two thousand years, but today I want to talk about the most fascinating subject of all, the revelation that Jesus Christ wants to reveal of Himself to us!

What we call the New Testament in the Bible witnesses to the fact that Jesus Christ came to a number of individuals and made Himself known unto them in a very special way. One of the first instances we read about was with the apostle Peter. One day Jesus was asking his disciples about who the people thought He was. They answered that some thought Jesus might be the reincarnation of John the Baptist, others Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. Then Jesus asked them, “who do YOU say that I am?”

The response is found in Matt 16:16-18:

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.'” (NASU)

Peter had received a revelation. Something was revealed to him or made plain that had previously been hidden. To the multitudes Jesus was someone special, like a prophet or teacher of spiritual and moral things. But God the Father in Heaven had given Peter a gift, that gift was the knowledge that Jesus was more than just a man! He was revealed to Peter to be the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!

In another instance, Peter, along with the brothers James and John, were given an additional glimpse into the glory of Christ.

The Transfiguration

Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9:27-36 describe this event. Some time after they went up into a high mountain it appeared to them as if His face and clothing became as brilliant as the sun. They were obviously confused and disoriented by this and were even frightened.

“a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matt 17:5 KJV)

Peter, in his second letter to believers wrote about this experience.

“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory,

‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’

And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” (2 Peter 1:16-18 KJV)

It would be impossible for us to fully comprehend the impact that simply knowing Jesus had on His disciples, but experiences like witnessing the transfiguration must have been even more life transforming! We are careful to not pit the knowledge of divine truth against supernatural experience, but it would be wise for us to have at least an equal appreciation of both. While many even thousands of hearts have often remained hardened after seeing sensational miracles and the power of God, others have testified to the change that specifically seeing the Lord more clearly had upon them.

Consider the prophet Isaiah, who had already been worshipping and serving God for some time, when a vision of Christ was given to Him. In it he saw the Lord “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.[...]

The story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt is well known. He was born a slave in Egypt himself, but was actually adopted and raised by Pharoah’s daughter. Eventually when he identified with his own people he was forced into the wilderness until called by God to return and deliver them.

With powerful signs and miracles he demonstrated to all of Egypt that his God, Yahweh was the superior god, and that He wanted them free to worship Him! So they began the long journey back to the land that God had promised to their ancestral father, Abraham.

Our story from the Bible begins in Numbers chapter 13, where 12 men were sent to spy out the land they were to possess as their own. The land of the Canaan was described before as “a land that flowed with milk and honey,” and after 40 days of exploration, the spies agreed: this place was truly rich in resources and to be desired. With great enthusiasm they brought back samples of pomegranates and figs, and a cluster of grapes so large it took two men to carry!

However…….

There was something else to report. Besides the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, they saw the sons of Anak. These people were so large and fearsome that some of the spies tried to warn the rest of Israel and persuade them to give up on the Promised Land.

Only two of them, Joshua and Caleb believed that they could take the land. The rest even exaggerated the threat. They claimed that they were like grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants, and that they saw themselves as grasshoppers also!

As fear began to spread throughout the camp, the majority of the peoople considered abandoning their quest and returning to Egypt!

“Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of Israelites, and Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the scouts who had searched the land, rent their clothes, and they said to all the company of Israelites,

‘The land through which we passed as scouts is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense and the shadow [of protection] is removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not.’ “

(Num 14:5-9 Amplified Bible)

Because those with faith were so outnumbered by the fearful, only Joshua and Caleb would live to see their people inherit the land we now call Israel. The rest died out during the next 40 years and a new generation was prepared to follow Joshua and Caleb back in. When they did go, in obedience to and with the help of their God, they were not devoured by any giants at all. As long as they were devoted to Yahweh, they were brave and victorious. Faith won out over fear!

Are there any “giants” in the land you hope to occupy? Are there obstacles in your path to fulfilling God’s purpose for you and your family, your church?

Are there giants of deception, temptation, fear, worry, discouragement, hatred and resentment that appear to be more than you can handle? Does our enemy, the devil seem so powerful that our cause is lost, that we are like tiny insects trying to defeat dinosaurs?

Jesus told His disciples that they could do nothing without Him. This is precisely true. So some feel that they are being humble and that others are arrogant to think that the Church of Jesus Christ could crash down the very gates of hell! The fact is that God is looking for those whose faith is not in themselves, but in His purpose and power. “With God ALL THINGS are possible!” (Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23, 10:27).

The 10 unbelieving spies were not commended for their humility. Neither should we commend ourselves for exalting our weaknesses, our sinfulness and our failures as opportunities for God’s Grace. He give[...]

Have you ever wondered, “What was I thinking?” Probably the craziest time in my life was my teen years. I had a wonderful Christian mother and was also surrounded by sincere believers in Christ. That, however did not stop me from doing stupid things, like shoplifting, vandalism and even breaking into a store to steal from others. By God’s grace, yes, HIS GRACE, I was eventually caught and punished. Several weeks of incarceration halted my life of crime, but it would not be until several years later that I would return to the wonderful life that Christ had planned for me.

To this day I do not understand how I could have hurt my mother so. How I could embarrass my family and shame myself after all the good things I had been taught and the examples I had seen?

This experience has taught me to be cautious of how I look at others. If God had not intervened for me through the justice system, through supportive family, friends and teachers, what direction my life might have taken? These are things for which I cannot take any credit.

However this cautiousness in itself does not satisfy my concerns for the situations we as a society, a community are in. If I look at a young person whose main activity in life is exploiting other young people by hooking them on addicting chemicals, or if I see the devastation that another young man causes through terrorism, yes, I can say, “there but by God’s grace go I.” Under the same circumstances of course, that could have been me. While this realization may help me, does it help anyone else?

People need compassion and empathy, but they also need the truth. They need direction, like the direction I received as a teen. I fear that in our day we like to take the easy way out. It can be very difficult to find the balance between compassion and lovingly telling the truth. We have to start somewhere. We cannot walk in everyone elses shoes, but we do all have some things in common. We have all sinned and have come short of the glory of God. We can all receive forgiveness and restoration through faith in the work that Jesus accomplished for us in His death and resurrection.

When I remember how obstinate and hard-headed I was as a teenager, I can understand how our youth might be motivated to do stupid things as well. At the same time, my hope is that they do not have to make the same mistakes. This may sound hard on my part, but if they do make these kinds of mistakes, I pray that God’s grace might provide for the helpful kind of discipline that I received back then!

Perhaps you could join with me in praying for the necessary wisdom to reach others with compassion and faith. These are so needed in our time.

Have you ever considered the difference between faith and presumption, or optimism and wishful thinking? While we understand that these words may represent differing concepts to many of us, we are fortunate to have the Biblical record as a common point of reference. While both optimists and pessimists might see the Bible as a powerful resource for reinforcing their views, we are those who hunger and thirst for living Truth in the Person of Jesus Christ! In Him alone can we possess a confidence that will see us through these troubled times!

In the life of Jesus we see a perfect portrait of the character, grace and love of God. In the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians we also find a powerful and eloquent ballad describing God’s love. Many of the heavenly attributes of God in Christ are put forth in the 13th chapter of this letter. No other treatment of this subject has so powerfully touched the lives of as many generations as this one, which no doubt sprang from Paul’s relationship with Christ Himself.

Optimists should rejoice to read such encouraging statements concerning the Love of our all-powerful God! In fact, His Love is our primary source of optimism! They will find much comfort in the fact that the Love of God in us “believes all things, and hopes all things,” but it is likely that wishful thinkers will cower from the adjacent statements that His Love in us also “suffers long, bearing all things and enduring all things.”

You see, Biblical, Christ-centered optimism is costly. It requires a price that many of our modern self-centered people are not willing to pay. They prefer a “new age” brand of faith that requires nothing of them. But the followers of the Lord of the Universe know their power springs from the laying down of their lives for others in His Name.

It appears easier and more appealing for some to make shallow confessions and affirmations that everything will work out all right. This could be merely cowardice clothed in presumption and wishful thinking. But Biblical optimism is active, and is always accompanied by the appropriate actions which are given by the direction of God Himself.

In the life of Jesus, our supreme example, we see a wonderful combination of faith, courage, and positive action. His optimism was based on His love, willingness and ability to do whatever necessary to bring about that positive result.

During the time of my writing this, an associate and I are working on a decorating project. I have the confidence that this job will be completed and that we will be rewarded for our efforts. We have the needed skills, resources, energy, time and willingness to do the work. But the main reason for my optimism is that WE ARE HERE NOW, doing the work! Likewise, the love of Christ is an active, positive, working force that is committed to the welfare of His loved ones.

Let us observe the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the most positive man that ever lived! Where did He get His limitless source of energy and determination? From the Heart of His Father, of course! Here is the one and only source of unconditional Love and power that all of us must draw from! It was from this Source that He obtained the positive ability to heal, save, and deliver the oppressed.

Jesus’ optimism did not forego the cross which He was born to bear, but it did see Him through to the glorious triumph which was also His destiny! For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, and rose again for our deliverance! Likewise all children of God should know that suffering according to the will of God will only secure our victory in Him! No amount of positive thinking will help us to avoid the distasteful aspects of His plan for us. Our optimism is based on the riches of His glory and grace — not on our present outward circumstances! He alone is our past, present and future victory! Our faith, hope, and confidence towards a final and joyful outcome can only be based [...]