E - F



E
I AM EXERCISING MY AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY
Luke 10:19

Have you ever seen movies or read books like Angel Wars, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Clone Wars, The Matrix, or The Lords of the Rings?

Stories like these make it so clear that the enemy is constantly on attack in an attempt to take what the good guys have. It’s the good guy’s role, in these stories, to battle and defeat the enemy thence become the hero.

The heroes in each of these stories are all quite different but at the same time have many similarities. Some may have been trained from a very young age, prepared for battle all their lives. They may have had parents, teachers, friends tell them stories of the enemy and taught them how and when to wield a sword or whatever their weapon of choice may have been. Others may have just fallen into the role of hero by stepping into the enemy’s camp by accident or because of lack of knowledge and understanding which put them in a situation where they were forced to learn how to battle the evil one. No matter how they got there, to be the hero, they had to battle the enemy.

Every battlefield is different but the enemy is always the same. He is the one who wants to take what you have. He wants to steal your joy, your peace, your purity, your blessings, your good grades, your job, your family and so on. His only objective is to steal, kill and destroy. This enemy, who hates you, is the devil.

Thank God we have a Hero, who is willing to train us, and His name is Jesus. He already fought the biggest battle for us when He died on the cross and then came back to life in all power a few days later. This awesome power is the power He has given to us to use in any battle we face in our everyday lives. Our training manual is called the Bible and it is full instruction on how and when to wield our sword.

I want to encourage you to open your Bible and read His Word, pray and ask for understanding on how to get through the battlefields that you face day to day. Ask how to handle the situations coming your way. If you ask and believe you will get and answer.

Whether you have grown up in Children’s Church knowing the Word of God since you were a baby, or whether you just got saved today it does not matter. The victory is still yours.

The hero in day to day battles is not always the strongest soldier. It is the well prepared soldier who gains victory. Victory is yours; victory is for the one who recognizes that there is an enemy, studies God’s Word and comes to understand that Jesus died to give you all power over this enemy. The battle you face is a practice session in combating the enemy by exercising His Word, His authority and His power coming out of your mouth.

In the midst of a battle a soldier can suffer some hurts, sorrows, losses, get knocked down and fall to his knees. But he does not stay down. He gets back up, shakes it off and stands in all authority given by God and says, “ENOUGH! I come against you, enemy, in the name of Jesus! You can not have what God has given to me so get off me and under my feet where you belong!”

Then you stand and give all glory to God.


Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Ephesians 6:10-13 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore 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.




F
I AM FORGIVEN
Colossians 1:13-14

Sometimes it is so very hard to forgive someone who has hurt you.
Isn’t it?

Anastasia, age 9
“I think that if you want to forgive someone who does something to you it is easy to forgive them the first time. But if they keep doing it then you know they are trying to push you down to make themselves go up and they just want to be mean and over you.

You still have to forgive them because God’s Word tells you to forgive your enemy. Even if it is your friend or someone in your family, you still have to forgive them. It is hard but you can do it.

And if they keep trying to hurt you, and don’t really mean it when they say, 'I’m sorry', just stay away from them. Forgive them anyway and let God handle it.”


God’s Word tells us to forgive others so we can be forgiven. There are so many stories in the Bible that show how great His mercy and forgiveness can be. The Bible says God sent Jesus to die on the cross for all of our sins and all we have to do is ask for forgiveness and it is ours. Just repent (turn away and don’t do it again) and confess our sins and we will be forgiven.

A simple prayer of forgiveness:
“God, please help me to forgive ( fill in the blank ) with all my heart. And please forgive me too and help me not to keep doing those things that hurt You or that hurt others and myself. Thank you for Your mercy and grace and most of all I thank You for Jesus who took all my sins on the cross and gave me forgiveness of all my sins. Now, I can truly say, I AM FORGIVEN. Amen.”


**God's Word says:
Colossians 1:13-14 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.

Micha 7:19 Once again you will show loving concern for us. You will completely wipe out the evil things we've done. You will throw all of our sins into the bottom of the sea

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.


**Act on it suggestions:
Putting the Word into action- James 1:22-24
Think of a person who has wronged or hurt you.....
Now, with all your heart and as the Holy Spirit leads you, use one of these ways to simply let them know, "I forgive you."

Text mesage: "I 4give U."
eMAIL: "I forgive you."
snail mail (USPS): write a very short letter expressing that you forgive them.
art/craft: bless them with a drawing, color a picture, or make a craft that comes from your heart. Give it as a gift of forgiveness.
Above all pray and ask God to lead you in HIS way of "HOW" to forgive like HE forgives.


No comments: