Hold On to Goodness

~~~ Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 ~~~ Psalm 9 ~~~ Luke 11:15-26 ~~~

...it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons...

The evil in our world today seems to be overpowering any good,

yet there are many people who still believe in God.

When Jesus was presented with evil spirits 

possessing the soul of a person he only need raise 

a single finger to cast away the evil.

A single finger contained enough power and goodness

to send the evil spirits fleeing in the opposite direction.

The crowds are jealous and in their jealousy they are confused.

They accuse Jesus of drawing his power directly from Satan.

To me this does not make any sense...

Why would you engage evil to get rid of evil?

Jesus demonstrated that his power was coming from God.

No other assistance was required.

Jesus is one with the Father there is no 

separation of power.

Therefore if God is all powerful 

then it follows that Jesus too is all powerful.

Evil spirits are no match for the power of God's goodness.

It is the pure goodness of God that makes it possible 

to make evil spirits turn away.

As long as this goodness from God remains fresh and alive

the evil spirits are hesitant to return.

It is possible for you to be an active participant

 in warding off the evil spirits.

One way is through your prayers.

Your daily prayers keep the goodness 

of God like a pool of spring water.

Spring waters are moving, bubbling, teaming with energy.

This is how your prayer life must be if you are to keep 

the evils spirits away from your soul.

Evil does not want to exert extra energy to soak up a soul.

Evil searches for those who are spiritually frail...

Evil comes into the unsuspecting soul.

Hold on to the 'finger of God'

that is truly all you need.

If you do find yourself in a battle with evil spirits

remember it just takes one finger of God

to bring you into his care.

We have never been promised by God

 that all evil would be erased from the world...

But we have been promised

 that he will always be there for us.

Take refuge in your prayer life;

for it is there that you will find the 'finger of God'.

Blessings of protection from all evil.

~~~Peace~~~

Turn Around

~~~ Jeremiah 7:23-28 ~~~ Psalm 95 ~~~ Luke 11:14-23 ~~~

They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.

The prophet Jeremiah paints a very grim picture
of those who have turned away from God...
away from the light.
It is the very hardness of their hearts
that gives them reason to turn from God's presence.

Our body language speaks volumes about how we are feeling
 and what we may be thinking.
As sinners we do not just casually turn our face from God
we turn our entire body the opposite direction.
Turning your body away from someone
 is a sign you wish to ignore them completely.
Little children use this posture all the time.

While we can physically turn away we can also turn away
through our emotions and our hearts.
Turning away, however, does render the person deaf.
We can hear voices coming from behind us.

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Sin plunges us into darkness deprived of the light of God's face,
but it does not close our ears.

What is causing you to turn your back on God?

Sometimes we turn our backs on issues out of fear
or in order to give ourselves a false sense of protection.

It is like burying your head in the sand...
We are ignoring our own participation in sin.
Jesus did not come down to Earth because
everyone else was committing sins;
he came because I was sinning and because
you were sinning.

Our language is filled with idioms,
but when it comes to our relationship with God
we must be open and honest.

We do not have time to remain hard hearted.
We do not have time to turn our backs on the Lord.
We do not have time to be stiff-necked and rigid.

We must relax ourselves into the hands
of God so that he can transform us.
God has great plans for you.
Will you cooperate with him?

If today you hear his voice, do not turn away.
If today you hear his voice run toward him.
!!!Turn around!!!
He is there to embrace you.

We are so Blessed there is no reason
to turn our backs on God.

Peace.

Fingerprinted by God

 

~~~ Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 ~~~ Psalm 9 ~~~ Luke 11:15-26 ~~~

 

The prophet Joel is preaching a time of mourning for everyone.
The priests are to proclaim to the people.
 Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;

Maybe the people will be more apt to listen if the 'ministers of the altar'
are delivering the message.
It is not a popular message...repent...the end is near.
Today we still have preachers and those who claim to be prophets
 delivering the very same message.
They use similar texts to support their claims. 

The truth is we will not know the day or the hour.
The better message is to be prepared every day.

 

 

But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons... 

 

 The finger of God administers justice.

 The finger of God is pointed at me and at you.
The finger of God marks us as his own.
He has left his finger print upon our heart.
It is through this unique finger print of God that we are also
given the grace to repent

 

No amount of public display of penance can disguise the heart.
It does not matter if you are wrapped in sack cloth
and covered in ashes. 

It is your heart that must be changed.
God gives us all that we need to change;
 if only we would ask him. 

 

If you ask God to touch his finger
once again upon your heart you can experience genuine repentance. 

Blessings come in always having the intention
 to be on God's side. 

What we exhibit externally must come from deep within. 

 The day of the Lord is coming;
let him come into your heart today.

The Finger of God

~~~ Galatians 3:7-14 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Luke 11: 15-26 ~~~

 

Brothers and sisters:
Realize that it is those who have faith
who are children of Abraham.

 

Jesus dies on the cross so that we might inherit

"...the blessing of Abraham..."

 

"...so that we (the Gentiles) might receive the promise

of the Spirit through faith."

 

Even today in our families certain beliefs and customs

are passed down from generation to generation.

So it is with faith.

 

Abraham had faith in God so unwavering

that he was willing to sacrifice his son, Issac.

The great faith of Abraham serves as a model for us.

I would encourage you to spend some time this year getting to know

what the Bible says about Abraham.

Without his great faith we might be a very different people.

 

Throughout our life we are shown examples of faith

from those who have gone before us.

These models of faith serve as the building blocks of our own faith.

We are encouraged to believe when we hear or read

of how others relied on their faith.

To learn how God was there for them.

 

Jesus gives another example of faith in the gospel today.

Yes he is one with the Father, but his actions while here on earth

came directly from his Father.

Do you think for one moment Jesus ever had any doubts?

Do you think he was surprised that he could drive out demons?

 

"...But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you."

 

The finger of God...

It only takes a small amount of faith to experience the power of God.

 

 

The finger of God has been at work within humanity throughout all of eternity.

It is the finger of God that touches causes faith to take root in our hearts.

It is the finger of God that touches our brokenness.

It is the finger of God that heals our wounds.

It is the finger of God that covers us with his mercy.

It is the finger of God spreads his love throughout the land.

 

Jesus became the visible extension of the finger of God.

Jesus touched, blessed, changed, multiplied, wrote in the sand,

and cast out demons with the power of the finger of God.

 

"...the Kingdom of God has come upon you..."

 

You have inherited the Kingdom of God

through the promises made to Abraham.

You have inherited the Kingdom of God

through the extreme faith of Abraham.

You are granted access to the Kingdom of God

by the touch of the 'finger of God'.

 

Michelangelo has a magnificent painting in the Sistine chapel

of the finger of God;

I am sure you have seen pictures of it many times.

 

The finger of God may be subtle and may even go unnoticed, but

it almost always touches the heart.

Lord, my heart is longing for your touch.