Courage

But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below, Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.  The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’  Acts 2:14-21 NASB

With all that is going on in the world, seek Jesus Christ. It is vital to have Holy Spirit’s wisdom, discernment. The Bible records generations of people, some of whom understood what was going on in the spiritual world and followed God’s lead, and others who were asleep or missed His plan entirely. 

May we be people who seek God. Meet with God. Return to God. He is the only answer to everything that comes our way in life. Remain focused on Him. There is a colossal spiritual battle happening for the souls of every person, we need the indwelling of Holy Spirit. 

Romans 8:5-6 NASB For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

I pray we set our minds on God Jesus Christ Holy Spirit. As times get darker and we continue to live out what we see in the Bible concerning His return, we must rely on God’s will to know how to respond. When we hear of wars, natural disasters, pestilence, and famines will we be dumbfounded and anxious wondering what is happening, or will we know how to respond based on how God leads us in the spiritual realm? How can we know how to respond? We have to make sure we are hearing, seeing, and experiencing the pure presence of God and not any other spirit. 

From this moment on, how do we resist the enemy and it’s deception?

Repent, turn from idolatry, remove distractions, devote your time to God, spend time in His presence, look to Him for every response and reply, read His Bible, listen to His voice! 

Repent and speak His truths, repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness then forgive others with that same grace, speak His love and hope over your life and the community He has planted you in. If we do these things, there is no way we can miss the will of God and be led astray by the evil one. 

Luke 17:1-4 NASB He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Thank You Lord, You are here, moving among us, reaching down to mankind.  Calling us Your own. Jesus cares for us and knows our weaknesses and limitations that is why after His ascension, He sent Holy Spirit to empower every believer to choose God.  

My friend, nothing but God ever completely satisfies, we are the Heavenly Father’s creation, Him we will remain restless and in secret torment.

In the New Testament, on Pentecost, Scripture records that Holy Spirit filled the house where Jesus’ followers were sitting together. After experiencing the power of Holy Spirit—the fire of God, the communication of God—  Peter and the other apostles STOOD up. Holy Spirit brought them from a place of fear to a place of courage. 

In Ephesians 6, Paul advises the saints to take their stand against the devil’s schemes.  

Ephesians 6:10-13 NASB Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Throughout history, God’s call to those who serve Him has been to make and take a stand. When God spoke to Jeremiah, God said, “Get ready. Stand and say whatever I command you. Do not be terrified.” To Ezekiel, God said, “Son of man, stand up and I will speak to you.” Then, the Spirit of God came into Ezekiel and raised him to his feet. To Daniel, God said, “Consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you and stand up,” and Daniel stood up, trembling.

This world is filled with darkness and sin and this brings the curse of sickness in people’s spirits, souls, and physical bodies. Many people are wounded and terminally ill spiritually and they have nowhere to go to find rest and healing. Satan and his demons are busy doing their job in destroying, killing, and stealing lives. The devil’s main goal is to separate us from God and bring death to people before we can reconcile with God and choose Jesus. 

We must repent. We must return to God, stand with Him for the rest of days, hold tightly the hand of Jesus Christ while nations rage on God’s created earth.