Thoughts on Romans - Day 29

                                               Romans 11:1-10
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: ³ “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? ⁴ And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
⁷ What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, ⁸ as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that could not see
    and ears that could not hear,
to this very day.”

⁹ And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
¹⁰ May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever."


                I tend to get discouraged in sharing the gospel thinking, "what's the use?" "No one gets it". It is easy to do in the Bible belt where everyone has been "vaccinated" to Christianity. They get "saved" around here at an early age at VBS, or revivals, or church camps, etc. Even the Gideons are allowed in the schools to pass out Bibles. At a young age, kids receive, like a vaccine, an inactive form of Christ quite often so that when the real thing comes along that affects the whole body, they fight it off. That's why, almost every time I witness to a single mom or a single girl wanting birth control , they tell me they are already saved and aren't convicted in the least about their behavior. I'm sure Paul had similar thoughts with the Jews. Here is God's chosen nation, the "saved" people, the "Old Testament Belt", and they just don't get it.

            Here is how Paul kept from being discouraged. He told himself, "there is a remnant - look for them". God always has a remnant otherwise His plans would be thwarted. Seth was a remnant. Noah was a remnant. Shem was a remnant. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, etc were remnants although pretty much on their own. Elijah felt alone and discouraged, like "what's the use?", but God knew of 7000 others who would join him. Paul would go to cities and they would all reject him but there would be a Lydia, or a Dorcas, or an Aquilla and Priscilla that would believe.

          Today, as I go about my life, like the sower and seed parable, I just need to keep casting the seed, the Word of God, and not worry about wasting it. Some will hit good soil. I just need to daily pray for faithfulness and that God will bring some remnant in my path and "un-blind" their hearts to the Good news of Jesus Christ.

           Lord, You are not into results or numbers but into obedience and faithfulness resulting from what is most important to You, a love relationship with me. Help me to love You so much and love people so much that I share with them not because I have to but because I want for them what I have found that is the greatest thing in life - You! Amen

Thoughts on Romans - Day 28

                                               Romans 10:14-21
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”

¹⁹ Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”

²⁰ And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”

²¹ But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people."

 

 

     Paul says that this message of salvation that we talked about yesterday which penetrates our hearts to convince us that we are headed in the wrong direction, which goes to our mouth crying out to God for salvation, that message is "Heard through the word about Christ". He even tries to illustrate his point by referencing 6 portions of scripture in this small passage. The Bible/scripture/word of God is essential for true conversion. Let me develop this.

 

       I was contemplating yesterday ,after discussing the whole process of salvation, why would the mind which is bent on meeting the lusts of the body, decide to change it's pattern of taking orders from the outside to receiving the Spirit and taking orders from the inside? What would make it give up control?

 

 

      Unfortunately, the first reason is- receiving a new master is initiated by the body. It's goal is pleasure. comfort, power, safety,etc. and when it hears about eternal life, Heaven, pleasures forevermore and the alternative is hell, it sends a message to the mind saying "Get that!" That is why tent revivals, Judgment House, Heavens Gates and Hells Flames drama, etc. get people to come forward. Now it is possible that God tricks our flesh into letting Him in and once in, the Holy Spirit starts working from the inside changing the mind but more likely is that He doesn't come in. However the good thing is that those people who "prayed the prayer" will now play the role for a little while and go to church, youth group, Bible studies, where they will hear the "word about Christ," "The good news",and that message , the Bible which comes in power (Heb.4:12) will convince them of their need for a savior and a new mind, heart, direction.

 

        The second reason is a little more noble but still not too different from the first. The mind decides that following the body's orders has not worked out beneficially. It has led to divorce, bankruptcy, jail, medical problems, etc. and the mind decides the body and its' lusts is not worth following. This is why the most effective time to witness to people is when they have hit rock bottom. They are ready for a new master. Unfortunately, this is still feeding the flesh in a way because the flesh wants a better life for itself. If these conversions aren't discipled, getting them into "the Word" which is powerful and alive and transforms, once situations get better, they will resume living from the outside in. This is why so many prison conversions don't take. This is why men whose wives left them for bad behavior, weep, go to Church, go to the pastor, "get saved", and then their wife comes back to them and 4 months later the wife realizes that  nothing has changed.

        This has led reformers to conclude that the only non-flesh initiated salvation must happen by the Spirit of God coming in prior to making a decision. Thus we are actually saved before we "pray the prayer". It is only through the Spirit that we can call out to God to save us. This certainly would explain why the soul, mind, heart would start taking orders from a new master but once again, as we have talked about last chapter, violates free will/choice which God deems so important that He put a tree in the garden and gave Lucifer a free will to choose creating a whole chain of events causing the death of His son which He knew would happen before He even created Lucifer or Adam and Eve.

     So where does that leave us? Well, I do believe God uses our self centeredness, as in points 1 and 2 to lead us to a place where our souls hear the word of God and genuinely repent as the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to penetrate through the flesh (body + soul). I also feel that as Christians live a Godly life as seen by non-Christians or as Christians reason intellectually with non-Christians, non-Christians will file this info in the back of their minds and when the Word of God penetrates their hearts, those examples or words spoken or kind deeds done to them will serve as adjuncts to convince their minds that they have been following the wrong master. It is not living Godly lives nor apologetics or reason that win lost people to the Lord, it is the Word of God through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. However, actions and words serve as the confirmation to the unbeliever that there is truth to the Word. As I think about this it is sort of like radiation therapy. The Bible acts like radiation waves. It penetrates past the outer body straight to the essential area. Just like there substances you can give to a person to make the tumor more sensitive to radiation, so the example of your life and the reasoning with them serve as potentiators to the Word of God as it hits their souls.

      Bottom line, how is this practical to me. First pray specifically for unbelievers. The Holy Spirit must enable their souls to hear the Word as it comes to them and I believe our prayers are instrumental in that. Number 2 is memorize or use the Bible when sharing the Gospel. It is more than just a collection of historical and eyewitness accounts. It is the living, powerful word of God that goes directly to people's souls. Number 3 attend a Church that preaches the Word. Number 4 support ministries that are focused on the Bible whether it is printing, translating, dispersing, or involved with discipling through Bible studies.

Thoughts on Romans - Day 27

                                    Romans 10:6-13
 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

      Where can you get saved? Seems like a silly question but people all over the world stumble over it. Some go on pilgrimages to the Holy land to find God. Some get baptized in the Jordan River. Some go to Mecca. Get this, some even go to Church or their pastor's house. Paul says that you can climb to the highest mountain (isn't that where they always find the holy man in the movies?) or you can try to find Him at the center of the Earth (wouldn't you find the other guy there?) or anywhere in between, but the fact of the matter is that God is omnipresent. If you are wanting to find Him, believe me, He is already all over you. All you have to do is reach out to Him. So many people have children that want to get saved and they wait until Church to bring them to the pastor. No! Pray with them right there. God is no more in the Church than He is in your child's bedroom.

      What do I mean by reaching out to Him? You talk to Him. That is part of Faith, to believe that when you are talking to thin air, you aren't crazy - there is One listening and loving it. The tongue is part of the body which is controlled by our sin nature. What we are doing is saying I used to use my tongue to get what I wanted to satisfy my lusts. Now I am surrendering my body to You to pursue what You want. That is why the tongue says "Jesus is Lord or master". The next part is your heart. I see that as the soul or seat of your mind, will, and emotions. In the past the body told the mind or soul to get it the lusts that it was craving and the heart or soul would figure out a safe way to get it done. Now the heart is convinced that it is sinful and Jesus died and rose from the dead and it tells the flesh that it is time for a change. It sends a message to the tongue (body) to cry out to God to take control and God listens. He sends His Holy Spirit inside to transform the mind which then transforms the body.

       It sounds complex but looks like this, "God I realize I am a sinner. I have been living for my own desires and now I want to live for You. I know my sins deserve death but I believe Your Son lived a sinless life and died the death I deserve. I believe that and cry out to You to save me. Put Your life inside of me and transform me from the inside out. Amen"  You don't have to go to Church or to a mountain or go to the abyss. Pray it wherever you are. God will hear and do it.

Thoughts on Romans - Day 26

                                              Romans 9:30-10:5
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. ³² Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,

    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. ² For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. ³ Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ⁴ Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

⁵ Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them"

     
         It is pretty cool, if you are receiving an award, let's say at the Grammys or Oscars, to thank "God". It makes you seem humble and since 95% of the world believes in some form of God, you relate to almost everyone. Some undiscerning people would even make you a role model as a "Christian" celebrity. The problem and the dividing line occurs when you start thanking "Jesus". That is the name that brings offense. That is the name that people stumble over. Why is that?

       Number 1 is because it is A stone In Zion. That means that there aren't many ways to be saved, only one. That means there aren't many places or periods of time that bring salvation. Jesus appeared in Zion, in history, and all mankind must go to a Jew who was born in Israel 0AD for salvation. Seems awfully narrow doesn't it? http://thoughtsfromtherightbrain.blogspot.com/2013/06/jesus-is-remedy.html

        Number 2 is that salvation is in a person not a doctrine, manual, book, or a list of things to do. This is what separates Christianity from all other religions. We don't work our way to God. Jesus didn't come to show us the way, He is the way. Therefore, when we thank Jesus instead of "God", or end our public prayers "in Jesus name" rather than "in Your name" we are saying, "I believe there is only one way to God and that is by saying I'm not good enough and I by faith exchange His righteousness for mine."  http://thoughtsfromtherightbrain.blogspot.com/2015/10/five-minute-devotionals-to-give-candles.html  But there is one more offensive statement that people are saying when they take the name of Jesus...

       Number 3, Jesus taught more on Hell than he did on Heaven. He said things something like, "I didn't come to condemn people, they are already condemned. I came to rescue people and save them from where they are already headed which is hell" (I always cringe at giving Jesus words He didn't exactly say but if you read the gospels I believe this is a fair summary) Therefore the offense of Jesus is not just that He is the only way and that you must humble yourself before Him, but lastly if you don't you will spend an eternity in Hell. Ouch! Very unpopular. Very polarizing. Very politically incorrect. Yet true.

       Jesus is the stumbling block. You either have to fall on Him or eventually He will fall on you. (Matt. 21:44) Which is it. There is no neutrality.

        Lord, thank you that You revealed this to me as truth many years ago. I admit, it is a hard and humbling truth to swallow but thank you that You have enabled me to humble myself before you and receive this free gift of Your righteousness, forgiveness of my sins, a relationship with You which began on this Earth and extends throughout eternity. Amen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SILf_qOxbLo

Thoughts on Romans - Day 25

                                                    Romans 9:17-29
Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
¹⁹ One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”²¹ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
²² What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? ²³ What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— ²⁴ even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵ As he says in Hosea:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
    and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”

²⁶ and,

“In the very place where it was said to them,
    ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,
    only the remnant will be saved.
²⁸ For the Lord will carry out
    his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”

²⁹ It is just as Isaiah said previously:

“Unless the Lord Almighty
    had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.”

          My experience with Reformed doctrine led me to this passage frequently. This is the passage used to defend double predestination - God creates some people for eternal glory and the rest for eternal wrath/damnation. (vs.22,23) I hate this doctrine and don't think it is consistent with God's character for two reasons. Number 1 is it takes away choice. God is into choice so much that He created Lucifer with the ability to choose. He also put a tree in the garden so Adam and Eve could choose, which cost Him His Son. If we are predestined for hell or heaven, neither group had a choice in the matter. The other thing I have been pondering lately as I teach Galatians in Sunday School is the Abrahamic vs. the Mosaic Covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant brought blessing, salvation by faith.(It was called Abraham's Bosom not Moses' Bosom) Why mess up a good thing by bringing the law into the mix? Because men were saved when God came and talked to them. There was nothing in place to drive man to seek God, thus the law and our sinfulness drove us to Him. If God didn't want everyone to be saved, He wouldn't have needed to add the Law. Number 2 is, God's mercy triumphs over His justice. Would creating people to spend an eternity being punished be merciful? That really wouldn't even be just. I, with my wife have brought 4 kids into the world. If any of them would reject Christ and spend an eternity in Hell, I would regret ever having brought them into this world. God would be guilty of bringing billions of people into the world to spend an eternity in Hell. That being said, if God did double predestine, all I can really say is "OK God, obviously I don't understand things and someday I will. If I am OK with unmerited favor maybe I have to be OK with unmerited punishment? Thanks for choosing me and sending Your Son to die for me. I'm eternally grateful." To reject God on the basis of something I don't understand is no different than skeptics rejecting the Bible because of miracles.

        In the midst of these tough passages we do get glimpses of God's grace to all mankind, not just His "chosen ones." In the previous passage we read about Esau. He had a choice but he chose to disregard the promises of God. (Heb.12:16). God didn't harden Pharoah's heart until Pharoah himself had hardened his heart many times(Ex. 8:15,32) Not only that but when they left Egypt, many of the  Egyptians went with the Israelites and became believers.(Ex.12:38,48). In verses 25,26 of Romans 9 we see Hosea saying that people who weren't "His people" will become "His people" and in 27-29 Isaiah says the opposite is true, too - just because you belong to the "chosen people" doesn't mean you necessarily are saved.

       What does all this mean to me? I worship a God who is not made up by man. If man made this religion up there would be no room for things beyond my comprehension. It would be spelled out clearer. You wouldn't need the Old Testament to interpret the New and vice versa. There wouldn't be debatable areas that will never be resolved, the writers would have seen to that - like The New World Jehovah's witness Bible would have been revised many times or like the Mormons would have installed an infallible priest to get new revelations to their scriptures to clarify things and keep up with the times.

        Lord, I am glad I worship Someone who is bigger than me. It is so nice to surrender control of my life to Someone who is so powerful that He controls the universe, my destiny, eternity, the future of the world, yet pledged His love to me. I feel so secure. Thank You!  Amen

Thoughts on Romans - Day 24

                                           Romans 9:1-16
I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, ⁴ the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. ⁵ Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
⁶ It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. ⁷ Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” ⁸ In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. ⁹ For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
¹⁰ Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. ¹¹ Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: ¹² not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
¹⁴ What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! ¹⁵ For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy

 

                     I was always confused when I would read in the gospels where Jesus would say that He came for the "lost sheep of Israel". How was a Jew "lost" in the Old Testament? Theirs is the adoption, patriarchs, the law, the glory of God revealed, the covenants, the temple worship, the prophetic promises, and the genetic line to Jesus. Were there some who just decided all this sacrifice stuff is "for the birds" and they just decided to be cultural Jews at best? Certainly there were some of those and I'm sure Jesus came for them. Even more so, however, would be those who were following Moses rather than Abraham - those trusting their following of the law for salvation rather than by faith believing, like Abraham, that God would send the deliverer that their sacrifices were only pointing to. Paul gives a hint to the fact that those are the "lost Jews" when he says that he wished that he could take the curse for them. Whenever we see the word 'curse' it usually points to the law because the law can only bring curse. Thus, these were people who were trying to be saved by works rather than by faith. These were the people that by their own effort like Abraham and Hagar or Esau pushing his way out first were trying to earn God's blessing.

 

      We today also have lost sheep of ______ (insert your town's name) They are people that have just given up on religion and have embraced secularism. Or they are people who do believe in God but have decided that the way to getting to Him is by being "good" (however their present society defines that). Do I have the same passion to see them find salvation in Christ by faith that Paul did? Not nearly! Paul is willing to spend an eternity in hell if he could trade his soul for theirs. Now that is hyperbole because he knows he can't but I wouldn't even consider that. I so rarely even plead for the souls of people in prayer. I pass up opportunities all day to tell people about Christ. I guess I would say I'm perfectly content and ecstatic that I am saved and my family,too, and that is good enough for me to my shame.

 

        Lord, give me the kind of love for people that You had that moved you to give Your Son for the lost. Give me the kind of love for the lost that Paul had that he would trade his eternal life for. Amen

                    

Thoughts on Romans - Day 23

                                         Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

              I probably watched a movie I shouldn't have last night, The Last Witch Hunter starring Vin Diesel. I guess I just like Vin Diesel in roles like Riddick where he is the sci-fi tough guy so even a rotten tomatoes score of 17 did not deter me. Plus my wife and sister -in-law were in the other room watching the Bachelor so Monday night is movie night for me. There were multiple bad messages in the movie such as there are good witches and if good and evil would work together we could make this world a better place. The one take away that relates to this passage was that Vin, when he killed the head evil witch was cursed with immortality - he could never die. Thus 800 years later, a now bald Vin Diesel, who in real life also never seems to age (as I have often said, the secret to not aging is look old at a young age) hunts bad witches and keeps the balance between good and evil. Since he can't die, he states that he is not afraid of anything. Even fear potions don't work on him.

 

            This passage is all about not being afraid. First of all, we have the Holy Spirit in us who is a down payment of eternal life. He will never leave us and therefore if we die we go straight to Heaven. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KZWTMT0V1Y We, like Vin are immortal so why fear??

 

           Secondly, no matter how I mess up, like watching bad movies, God loves me so much that He sent His Son to die for me. If He loves me that much is He going to change His mind and give up on me? I remember being in med school and it was so hard that I would fear every test. The one consolation I always had, though, was that I was told by students grades ahead of me that they never flunk anyone out. (not much consolation if you are a patient, huh?) They did such an intense screening process to get the best students and spent so much on training per student that they were committed to me graduating. They would lose money if I didn't succeed. Likewise, after God "spent" His only Son, He is all in with me. He will not give up on me. He is committed to my success which is more than just Heaven - it is becoming like His Son.

           Lastly, I have picked the winning side. God wins and I am on His team. Therefore, anyone that mocks me, accuses me, questions my Biblical view of life are just white noise - haters. Why listen to them or bow down to them or try to impress them? This is one of my pet peeves lately as we keep trying to change or dumb down the Bible to play to the haters so we can win them over by looking "intelligent" like them. Just feel bad for them as they have been duped by Satan. Love them, pray for them, reason with them but don't bow down to them. Don't change what you believe for them. There is an obscure passage in Jude where Satan and God are in a battle for Moses' soul. You can imagine Satan saying, "He struck the rock! He didn't get admitted to the promised land. He murdered an Egyptian and hid his body in the sand! I claim him." All the angel Michael said was "The Lord rebuke you" and took his soul to Abraham's bosom. God didn't even honor Satan with His presence. He sent one of His angels with a message saying, "He is mine" and didn't even give Satan an explanation. Why? Because He wins. And we win, too.

         Lord, deliver me from fear, anxiety, doubt and being ashamed. Help me stand boldly, confidently, compassionately, and humbly before a world duped by Satan. Amen