THE DEVIL IS AT WORK TODAY TO ROB US OF OUR IDENTITY AS CHILDREN OF GOD!

 WE ARE GOD'S HANDS AND FEET IN THE WORLD, GOD WANTS US TO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE BECAUSE GOD CARES ABOUT PEOPLE. GOD WANTS ALL HIS PEOPLE TO KNOW GOD'S JOY AND GOD'S PEACE AND GOD'S LOVE. GOD WANTS TO RESTORE GOODNESS FOR ALL CREATION. DON'T LET ANYTHING COME BEFORE GOD.

TODAY WE ARE SO DIVIDED BECAUSE MY ENEMY THE DEVIL HAS  BLINDED US FROM THE TRUTH THAT THE DEVIL IS THE SOURCE OF ALL EVIL. SO WHEN EVIL HAPPENS IN THE WORLD REMEMBER NOT TO BLAME EACH OTHER FOR WHAT DEVIL IS DOING.

 JESUS SAID: "NOW" IS THE TIME FOR JUDGEMENT ON THIS WORLD; "NOW" THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD WILL BE DRIVEN OUT."  (John 12:31) THE DEVIL IS DEFEATED, THE BATTLE HAS BEEN WON, GOD IS VICTORIOUS!

THE WORD OF GOD HAS POWER OVER THE DEVIL. WHEN JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL; JESUS ANSWERED "IT IS WRITTEN" THEN QUOTED THE WORD OF GOD. THE WRITTEN WORD HAS THE POWER TO DEFEAT THE DEVIL AND ALL HIS EVIL FORCES. I INVOKE THE WORD OF GOD IN THE WORLD TODAY BY SPEAKING THE WORD OUT OF MY MOUTH INTO MY HEART, BACK IN MY MOUTH INTO MY HEART. THIS IS A DIVINE CYCLE THAT POWERS GOD'S WORD.

CAN I GET AN AMEN FROM ALL WHO CALL ON GOD. AMEN!

"DO NOT REPAY ANYONE EVIL FOR EVIL. BE CAREFUL TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF EVERYBODY. IF IT IS POSSIBLE, AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU, LIVE AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE. DO NOT TAKE REVENGE, MY FRIENDS, BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD'S WRATH, FOR IT IS WRITTEN: "IT IS MINE TO AVENGE; I WILL REPAY," SAYS THE LORD. ON THE CONTRARY: "IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO DRINK. IN DOING THIS, YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD. "DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD! (Romans 12:17-21)

THE DEVIL IS MY ENEMY, BECAUSE I AM A CHILD OF GOD, DESERVING OF LOVE AND RESPECT. AND GOD WILL USE ME TO CHANGE THE WORLD. ALL I KNOW IS JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED, JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST I HAVE A RECONCILED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD "NOW" THIS PRESENT MOMENT.

LENT STARTED ON WEDNESDAY WHEN I RECEIVE THE CROSS MARKED ON MY FOREHEAD WITH ASHES. LENT IS OUR OPPORTUNE TIME TO RETURN TO THE GOD WHO RESCUES, TO RECEIVE THE GIFTS OF GOD'S GRACE, TO BELIEVE WITH THE HEART AND CONFESS WITH THE MOUTH THE WONDER OF GOD'S LOVE IN JESUS, AND TO RESIST TEMPTATION AT EVERY TURN. THIS IS NO SMALL PILGRIMAGE ON WHICH I HAVE JUST EMBARKED. IT IS A STRUGGLE JESUS KNEW. IT IS A STRUGGLE JESUS SHARES. THE NEARNESS OF THE LORD, IN BREAD AND WINE, WATER AND WORD, WILL UPHOLD AND SUSTAIN ME.

THE SERMON TODAY WAS ON LUKE 4:1-13. AFTER BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT JESUS IS LED IN THE WILDERNESS. THROUGH JESUS RESPONSES TO THE TEMPTATION OF THE DEVIL, JESUS DEFINES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CALLED "THE SON OF GOD."

"I AM A SON OF GOD." JUST AS JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL NOT TOWARDS SOMETHING BUT FROM SOMETHING, FROM  WHO AND WHOSE JESUS WAS. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. THE DEVIL WAS TRYING TO STEAL JESUS' IDENTITY. THE DEVIL TEMPTS ME IN THE SAME WAY FROM WHO AND WHOSE I AM, I AM A SON OF GOD AND THE DEVIL IS TRYING TO STEAL MY IDENTITY. WHEN I READ SCRIPTURE IT REMINDS ME OF MY IDENTITY, WHO I AM BEFORE GOD. I PUT MYSELF IN GOD'S STORY, I CLAIM MY IDENTITY THROUGH THE WORDS OF THE SCRIPTURES. NOT TO STAND UP TO THE DEVIL, BUT TO RESIST THE DEVIL WHO IS TEMPTING ME TO QUESTION MY IDENTITY.

THE DEVIL IS AT WORK TODAY TO ROB US OF OUR IDENTITY AS CHILDREN OF GOD. THROUGH OUR WORLDLY SYSTEM THE DEVIL TEMPTS US THAT WE NEED A CERTAIN THING TO BE WHOLE; THE NEW CAR OR NEW HOUSE OR NEW CLOTHES MATERIAL THINGS. AND THE DEVIL USES THE FEAR OF THE LACK OF THOSE THINGS TO DOUBT GOD'S LOVE FOR US. THE DEVIL SAYS IF YOU ARE REALLY GOD'S CHILDREN WHY IS GOD NOT BLESSING YOU WITH WHAT YOU WANT. DOES GOD REALLY LOVE YOU? WE ARE TEMPTED DAY BY DAY.

GOD'S LOVE REMINDS US OF WHO WE ARE AND WHOSE WE ARE. GOD LOVES US AND GOD IS WITH US AND GOD'S LOVE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ALL THE HATE IN THE WORLD. I AM A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD.

"BUT IF ANYONE OBEYS GOD'S WORD, GOD'S LOVE IS TRULY MADE COMPLETE IN HIM: WHOEVER CLAIMS TO LIVE IN GOD MUST WALK AS JESUS DID." (1 John 2:5-6)

"DEAR FRIEND, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE COMES FROM GOD. EVERYONE WHO LOVES HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD. WHOEVER DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE. THIS IS HOW GOD SHOWED HIS LOVE AMONG US: GOD SENT HIS ONE AND ONLY SON INTO THE WORLD THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH CHRIST. THIS IS LOVE: NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT GOD LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON AS AN ATONING SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS. DEAR FRIENDS, SINCE GOD SO LOVED US, WE ALSO OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD; BUT IF WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER, GOD LIVES IN US AND GOD'S LOVE IS MADE COMPLETE IN US.

WE KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN GOD AND GOD IN US, BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN US OF HIS SPIRIT. AND WE HAVE SEEN AND TESTIFY THAT THE FATHER HAS SENT HIS SON TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. IF ANYONE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, GOD LIVES IN HIM AND HE IN GOD. AND SO WE KNOW AND RELY ON THE LOVE GOD HAS FOR US. GOD IS LOVE. WHOEVER LIVES IN LOVE LIVES IN GOD, AND GOD IN HIM. IN THIS WAY, LOVE IS MADE COMPLETE AMONG US SO THAT WE WILL HAVE CONFIDENCE ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT, BECAUSE IN THIS WORLD WE ARE LIKE CHRIST." (1 John 4:7-17)

THE LOVE OF GOD IS GOING TO EMBRACE EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IN THE SOVEREIGN PREFERENCE OF GOD PERSON, WHICH IS FOR GOD'S SON. GOD PURPOSES THAT EVERY ONE OF US SHALL PARTICIPATE IN THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST AND STAND IN COMPLETE UNION WITH GOD HIMSELF, EVEN AS JESUS DID. FAITH IN GOD IS A TERRIFIC VENTURE IN THE DARK; WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS LOVE IN SPITE OF ALL THAT SEEMS TO CONTRADICT THAT TRUTH.PERFECTLY CONFIDENT IN GOD. 

THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS THAT WHEN THE SONS OF GOD ARE MANIFESTED AND EVERYTHING IS IN A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (EXPRESSED IN DEVOTION TO JESUS CHRIST.) ALL THE WILDNESS AND CONTRADICTION IN NATURE AND IN NATIONS WILL CEASE. THE LOVE OF GOD WILL BE THE GREAT REALITY.  (Quoted from Oswald Chambers-GOD IS LOVE)

I SWEAR THIS IS THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP ME GOD!

"YET A TIME IS COMING AND HAS "NOW" COME WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, FOR THEY ARE THE KIND OF WORSHIPERS THE FATHER SEEKS. GOD IS SPIRIT AND GOD'S WORSHIPERS MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH." (John 4:23-24)

TODAY THE WORLD HAS FALLEN FOR A LIE, AND IT IS MY ENEMY THE DEVIL WHO HAS DECEIVED THEM, BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS THE FATHER OF ALL LIES. GOD'S WORD OF TRUTH IS STRONGER THAN THE DEVIL'S LIES.