In The Lord Strong

Our culture is currently in love with superhero movies.  All superheroes have one thing in common, . . . they all have an archenemy that they are fighting against including characters like Lex Luther (Super Man), The Joker (Batman), Red Skull (Captain America), Mandarin (Iron Man), Thunderbolt Ross (The Hulk), and Loki (Thor).  Archenemies are typically arrogant, greedy, and ultimately, for some diabolical reason, want to rule the entire universe.  Archenemies are opposed to what is good and right with no care or concern for anyone who might resist or stand against them.  That’s why we love superheroes, they fight against evil and do everything in their strength to stand for what is right and defend peace.

Archenemies are not just for imaginary superheroes.  All of humanity has a very real archenemy.  Who is the archenemy that we need to defend ourselves against?

READ:  Ephesians 6:10-20

In the Lord strong is our dependence on God to STAND FIRM in our BATTLE against the DEVIL!  Humanity’s archenemy is the devil or satan. DEVIL = A spiritual being who arrogantly OPPOSES God by trying to destroy PEACE with His creation (especially HUMANITY).  1 Peter 5:8 says, “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  Deceptively, satan doesn’t appear in a form that is as ferocious as he really is, 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light”.  From the very beginning the devil has been making efforts to create antagonism between us and God (Gen. 3:1).  While the devil has been allowed to have some power, God has provided us with everything we need to confidently stand firm against the devil’s schemes.  How do we stand firm against the devil?

We stand firm against the devil by putting on the whole ARMOR of God (Eph. 6:11-17) – All superheroes have a special skill, weapon, or armor that helps them in battle against their archenemy. Captain America’s shield, Iron Man’s suit, Thor’s Hammer, Spiderman’s webs, Hawkeye’s bow and arrow, etc.  Without this equipment it would be dangerous for a superhero to do battle against their archenemy.  We too are defenseless against the devil’s attacks unless we take with us the spiritual armor and weapons that God has given to us.  A few of the armor and weapons we must put on to stand firm against the devil include “truth”, “righteousness”, the “gospel”, “faith”, “salvation”, and the “word of God”!  These are powerful spiritual tools necessary to, as James 4:7 says, “resist the devil, and he will flee from you”.  The devil is powerless against these weapons and armor, therefore, we should make effort to take them with us all the time, everywhere we go.

We stand firm against the devil by PRAYING at all times (Eph. 6:18-19) – It’s pretty obvious in the Avenger’s movies that all of the superheroes have a high tech device in their ear that allows all of them to be in communication with one another.  Communication together is an important part of them coordinating their efforts against their enemies.  After listing all the spiritual armor and weapons, Paul instructs those who are strong in the Lord to be, “praying at all times”.  Prayer is a believer’s unique ability to communicate with God and receive guidance and direction from Him.  We are not only to pray for ourselves, but for others as well, as we individually and collectively fight together against the devil.  God is fully aware of the activity of the devil and can give us important tactical information about how to defend ourselves and others against his attacks. Without prayer, we are disconnected from the Lord who is our greatest source of strength and might!

CONCLUSION
The devil’s evil schemes have eternally destroyed innumerable human lives since the beginning of creation!  We are the target of his attacks today.  That is why Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, in order that, “He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14)”.  We must not allow ourselves or anyone we know to be the victim of the devil’s diabolical efforts to destroy us.  We must “armor up” every day and be strong in the Lord!  Are you standing firm in the Lord or are you vulnerable to the devil’s attack? 

Gospel Strong

Sharing the gospel is intimidating.  The first time I can remember really being challenged and being convicted to share the gospel was the summer of 1992 when I was 18 years old and started working as a counselor at East Iowa Bible Camp.  During our counselor training the camp dean told us that part of our responsibility was to share the gospel with each and every child that was in our cabin.  So, every week of the summer I had a one-on-one meeting with 6-8 kids with the whole purpose of sharing the gospel with them.  I remember being extremely anxious before every one of those meetings, but God gave me strength I needed every time even though I didn’t feel like I was able to do it!

No matter how weak we might feel communicating the gospel, we need gain the strength from somewhere to be able to do it. Where do we get the strength to share the gospel with others?

READ:  2 Timothy 4:9-18

Gospel strong is God’s presence within us giving us the ABILITY to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!  The word “strengthened” from the greek word δυναμις can also be translated “power”.  A couple of other prominent places where δυναμις and the sharing the gospel are linked together include Acts 1:8 where Jesus says, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” and Romans 1:16 where Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”.  Plain and simple, God supplies all the power necessary to proclaim the gospel.  God supplies us with the power to be a witness and He is the power behind what we say.  That means that all God really needs is our obedience and our vocal chords!  If we will speak the words of the gospel to another, God will do the rest.  What is the gospel?  The message that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose 3 days later in order to pay the penalty for sin and grant believers eternal salvation.  How does God’s presence help our ability to proclaim the message gospel?

The Lord is WITH us as we proclaim the message of the gospel (2 Tim. 4:17a) – When someone “stands beside” us it means they are with us in whatever way is necessary to provide encouragement and support for us.  It is the Lord who “stood by” Paul in His efforts to proclaim the message of the gospel.  Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “All authority in heaven and no earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, . . . And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”.  Jesus Christ Himself has promised that He will stand beside us and be a powerful personal presence with us in our efforts to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!  In the midst of anxiety, fear, intimidation, and persecutions we can have calm, courage, and boldness knowing that God is with us.

The Lord proclaims the message of the gospel THROUGH us (2 Tim. 4:17b) – A megaphone is an electronic device that reduplicates and amplifies someone’s voice.  Our role in sharing the gospel is like a megaphone.  We are not the source of the message, God is the source off the message, and He communicates His message powerfully “through” us.  We are a simply a tool God uses to direct the gospel toward specific people.  Here’s the convicting part, people will not hear God’s voice if we keep our voice “muted”.  The only way for God’s message to get communicated through us is if “unmute” our voice and are willing and ready to share the gospel when we sense God “pulling the trigger” in our lives to speak.

CONCLUSION
God wants to communicate the message of the good news of Jesus Christ to someone within hearing range of we who are His megaphones.  God has intentionally pointed our lives in the direction of specific people so that when He pulls the trigger and speaks they can hear Him.  It is at those moments that we need God’s strength to “unmute” our voice and be ready to speak the message of the gospel!  Who in your life is God leading you to be gospel strong!?!

Harmony Strong

Arm wrestling reveals the difference in strength between two individuals.  In 2001 our youth group went on a mission trip and one of the traditional evening activities was an arm wrestling contest.  I decided to give it a try just to have some fun and won several of my first round competitions.  My third opponent was a 5’3” 225lb football player who had arms that were about 3 times the size of mine.  As soon as I sat down at the table I started joking with him thinking this was the end of my competition.  To my surprise, when we were told, “go” my arm was not thrown through the table, in fact, I held my own and eventually ended up winning!  In almost every arm wrestling match one person is always stronger and one person is weaker.

This is true of our faith as well!  If we compared any two individuals we would discover that one is stronger in their faith and one is weaker in their faith.  Those who are stronger in their faith have an obligation not to boast and brag, but rather to help those who are weaker become stronger.  How do those who are strong in their faith help those who are weak in their faith become stronger?

READ:  Romans 15:1-6

Harmony strong is the effort to be UNIFIED with others by BUILDING others up!  The word harmony basically means to “think the same thing”.  Paul talks about what it means to be harmony strong in Ephesians 4:11-13 when he says, “He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  According to these verses harmony strong is the collective Christlikeness of believers.  The process of building one another up does not end until we all, strong and weak, are equal in our Christlikeness.  What are some ways we build others up in order to be more unified in Christlikeness?

We build others up by BEARING with their FAILINGS (Romans 15:1) – In order for children to learn certain skills, parents must not be impatient or get frustrated with their weaknesses.  There have been several times I included my children in a building project and quickly gave up on them simply because they were not strong enough to drive a nail with a hammer.  Rather than judge another’s relative weakness, we are told to “bear” with their “failings”.  The word “bear” means to “lift” or to “carry the weight of something”.  The proper way for me to teach my children to drive a nail is to use my strength to hammer a nail with them until they develop their own strength to do it.  Paul said in Galatians 6:1-2, “if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.  Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”.  It is in moments of others’ weakness that we are to use our strength to gently restore and build their faith back up.  We must not be quick to get frustrated with the moral failings of others, remembering that we may need others to bear with us when we have failed!

We build others up by doing what is PLEASING to them (Romans 15:2-3) – Jesus Christ did not use His strength in life for the purpose of pleasing Himself, but rather for the purpose of pleasing others.  Jesus always spoke and did things unselfishly that would give pleasure to others (Phil. 2:3-8).  In order to experience harmony with others we must be willing to speak and do things, “for (their) good” and to, “build (them) up”.  The hardest thing about pleasing others is that it almost always involves a personal sacrifice requiring us to unselfishly give up something we want with the personal happiness of someone else in mind.

CONCLUSION
The word harmony is used to describe the beautiful sound created when a combination of different musical notes are sung or played together at the same time.  Romans 15:6 says we are to harmonize with others until together with, “one voice (we) glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  Harmony strong is beautiful music to God’s ears!  Are you glorifying God by harmonizing together in one voice with others?

Contentment Strong

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” . . . this phrase is used to describe our dissatisfaction with what we have.  It’s not just the grass that’s greener, it’s the house that’s bigger, it’s the car that’s faster, it’s the clothes that are more stylish, it’s the iPod that’s a newer generation, it’s the friends that are more popular, it’s the girlfriend that’s prettier, it’s the boyfriend that’s more handsome, it’s the jumpshot that’s more accurate, it’s the skin that’s clearer, it’s the muscles that are stronger, it’s the grade point average that’s higher, it’s the parent’s that are cooler and not so strict, etc.  Get the picture?  It really doesn’t matter what it is, dissatisfaction simply an attitude that if we don’t have it, we want it!

God warned against dissatisfaction in Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21 when He said, “you shall not covet”.  Covetousness is simply a desire or longing for something.  When we look over someone else’s “fence” we are not to desire or long for the things that they possess.  Covetousness is a sin that destroys our happiness and joy.  What type of strength do we need in order to resist dissatisfaction and covetousness?

READ:  Philippians 4:11-13

The strength we need to resist covetousness is contentment.  Contentment strong is being SATISFIED in God and in need of NOTHING else to bring us joy!  To “be content” means to be “self-sufficient” or “independent of external circumstances”.  In contrast to dissatisfaction and covetousness, contentment is an attiude we are all capable of attaining.  How do we gain contentment?

Contentment is a SECRET that is LEARNED (Phil. 4:11) – There is a whole universe of things available for us to learn.  We can learn to read, write, and do math in the classroom.  We can learn to play a sport on the court or playing field.  We can learn to drive behind the wheel of a car.  Until we learn these things and unlock the secret of being able to do it, we will never enjoy the benefits of learning how to do it.  Paul says that contentment is a “secret” that can be “learned”.  If we are unwilling to learn we will continue to be miserably dissatisfied and commit the sin of covetousness.  Contentment is a secret only those willing to learn will enjoy the benefits of.

Contentment does not change with our SITUATION or CIRCUMSTANCE (Phil. 4:12) – We cannot control whether it is hot or cold outside, but we can choose to enjoy the season.  In the winter, when it is cold, we can build snowmen or go sledding.  In the summer, when it is hot, we can go to the pool or the beach.  Paul says that contentment is possible no matter what our “situation” and “circumstance” is in life.  One secret of being content is knowing the difference between things we need and things we want.  1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content”.  A simple way we resist the temptation of dissatisfaction is to always be grateful for the basic necessities in life and expect nothing more.

Contentment requires strength that comes from GOD (Phil. 4:13) –  Philippians 4:13 is a very popular verse that is often used as a blank check from God that He will give us strength to do anything and everything we put our minds to in life.  In reality, Philippians 4:13 is a promise from God to give us “strength” to “do” all that is necessary to remain satisfied whether we find ourselves in circumstances where we are lacking or in abundance.  When we are dissatisfied we must remember that God supplies the strength we need to be content.

CONCLUSION
Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “Keep yourself free from love of money, and be content with what you have for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”  Contentment is possible when we are convinced that the God of the universe will never leave us nor forsake us.  John Piper said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”. Contentment is believing with all confidence that God is enough!  Is God ENOUGH in your life?

Faith Strong

I remember at a very young age looking forward to being married and having children.  I was fully convinced that God was going to provide me with a wife and family someday.  During high school my heart was open to having a girlfriend . . . but there never seemed to be anyone.  When I went to Bible College I was pretty sure that’s where I would meet this girl . . . but she did not show up there either.  After graduating from college I moved to Atlanta, Illinois population 1,600 and I thought, “where in the world am I going to meet a girl now?”  I’ll be honest, I was pretty discouraged.  I doubted that God was going to be able to live up to the desire that he had put in my heart.  Three months after I graduated college on August 9th I met my wife Marianne.  For many years I had faith that God was going to fulfill the promise of providing me with a beautiful godly wife . . . and he did!  Every day, for almost 17 years now, I’ve been able to see the purpose God had for us being together.

Too many of us are quick to lose our faith in God’s plans for our lives.  It’s impossible at times to see how God is going to accomplish His purpose in our lives.  And that’s exactly how God plans it!  He uses insurmountable human circumstances that require us to have strong faith.  What does it mean to have a strong faith?

READ:  Romans 4:13-25

Faith strong is being FULLY CONVINCED that God is able to do what He PROMISES!  Abraham was a man who was strong in his faith.  By faith, Abraham left his home country to go to a land he did not know.  By faith, Abraham believed that God was going to make a great nation from His offspring and give him a land.  By faith, Abraham believed his very own son would be his heir even though he had no children and was 99 years old.  By faith, Abraham offered his son Isaac as an offering out of obedience to God (Genesis 12:1-25:11; Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19).  In spite of these insurmountable circumstances, Abraham’s faith was not on his own strength or abilities, it was in GOD! What is it that causes us to either have weak faith or strong faith?

Our faith WEAKENS when we focus on our human LIMITATIONS and CIRCUMSTANCES (Rom. 4:19-20a) – When I was a freshman in high school I sang a solo at a vocal competition.  I made it through one song, but half way through my second song I forgot the lyrics and stopped singing.  I left the room embarrassed and in tears.  I never sang a solo again.  I’ve never allowed God to use this ability in my life because I am scared of my own inability.  In spite of Abraham’s physical body being “as good as dead” and Sarah’s womb being “barren”, he believed that he would be the father of many nations because of Him who “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist”!  Weak faith is the result of NOT trusting or forgetting that God is able to do anything He wants in our life.  Weak faith makes us feel defeated and hopeless because we are wrongly focused on our inadequacy and weakness.

Our faith grows STRONGER when we focus on the ABILITY and PROMISES of God (Rom. 4:20b-21) – The most intimidating aspect of God calling me into ministry was knowing that I would be required to do a lot of public speaking.  This was a major fear for me to say the least.  And yet, every time, from sharing a devotion with elementary school children when I was 16, until today, God has always reminded me, “David, it’s not your strength, it’s my strength”.  Focusing on God’s ability and strength helped me overcome my fear.  Abraham’s faith grew as he “gave glory to God” and was “convinced that God was able to do what He had promised”.  Strong faith is the result of trusting that God is able to do things that we consider impossible.  Strong faith gives us confidence to be obedient to God when we feel incapable and weak.

CONCLUSION
Romans 4:24 says, “righteousness . . . is counted to us who believe in (God) who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord.”  Just as Abraham was considered righteous by God as a result of his strong faith, we too are considered righteous as a result of our strong faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead.  Do you have a strong faith that God raised Jesus from the dead so that you can be counted righteous?

Weakness Strong

Weakness is NOT a good thing, right?  No one wants to be recognized for being weak.  Being recognized for weakness would be like winning a trophy for placing last in a race.  Being recognized for weakness would be like having a weight lifting competition to see who was the biggest weakling.  Being recognized for weakness would be like having a National Honor Society for those with a GPA under 1.  “Congratulations, you are a loser, you didn’t do it, your lack of hard work paid off!”  Recognizing weakness does not happen.  Weakness is not something to be celebrated, it is laughed at and ridiculed.  Weakness is not something to be proud of, it is embarrassing and hidden.  Thinking of weakness as a good thing just doesn’t make a lot of sense.  Why?

If strength is the ability to accomplish something than weakness is the INABILITY to accomplish something.  Who wants to admit that they are UNABLE do something?  My greatest moments of frustration in life are when I am unable to do something simple like . . . get a zip lock bag closed, get the automatic van door shut, or not burn something in the microwave.  Weakness tends to produce frustration, anger, disappointment, shame, and fear in our lives.  Without a source of strength outside of ourselves we will likely spend a lifetime trying to hide or eliminate our weaknesses.  This will be an exhausting effort because no one is infinitely strong.  So, is weakness all that bad?  Is there an area of life where weakness is a good thing?

READ:  2 Corinthians 12:5b-10

Our WEAKNESSES are opportunities for God to display His STRENGTH!   1 Corinthians 1:25 says, “the weakness of God is stronger than men.”  God at His weakest is stronger than man at his strongest. No matter how strong we are or think we might be, we are still weak in comparison to God.  We must not allow the strengths that we do have to get in the way of recognizing our weakness and desperate need for God’s strength in our lives.  Why is it important to recognize our weakness before God?

Weakness keeps us from being CONCEITED and BOASTFUL (2 Cor. 12:5b, 7-9) – There was a story in the news recently about a high school girls basketball player from Wisconsin who fell, slid on the wood floor, and was impaled in the stomach by a large “splinter”.  Ouch!  Even a small splinter or a thorn stuck in our skin is painful and if it is not removed becomes a constant irritation.  Paul had an abundance of reasons to be proud (1 Cor. 11:5-6, 17-30) and so he was given a, “thorn in the flesh” in order to “keep him from becoming conceited”.  Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a humbling reminder that it was not his strength, but God’s that allowed him to accomplish the apostolic task that he had been assigned (2 Cor. 10:13-18).  Recognizing our weakness prevents us from becoming “conceited” or “boastful”.  We must be careful not to arrogantly promote ourselves with our own strength but in the weakness of humility fulfill the assignment given to us by God.  Our weakness keeps us from being deceived into thinking that we accomplish anything with our own strength.

Weakness allows the PERFECT POWER of GOD to rest upon us (2 Cor. 12:9-10) – One of the most important and powerful prayers we can pray to God is, “Lord, I can’t do this, I am weak and I need your strength.”  We are too weak to resist temptation.  We are too weak to unconditionally love our friends and family.  We are too weak to be joyful when life is hard.  At the moment we recognize our weakness and inability, God promises that His “grace” and “perfect power” are available through Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”  God isn’t looking for strong powerful people to accomplish His will, He is looking for those who recognize their weakness so He can put HIS power and strength on display in our lives!  When we are weak, that is when God is strong.

CONCLUSION
Romans 5:6 says, “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”  Before we even recognized the weakness of sin in our lives that separated us from God, Christ died on the cross in order to accomplish what we would never be able to accomplish with our own strength.  Have you found the strength of forgiveness knowing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you?

Love Strong

What is important to us is pretty obvious.  Anyone who knows me well knows that the St Louis Cardinals are important to me.  I am constantly keeping up with the team online (even in the offseason), I enjoy talking with other Cardinal fans about the team, I wear Cardinal paraphernalia, I watch games frequently on television, I go to Busch Stadium to watch games, every once in a while I’ll even try to convince someone else to become a Cardinal fan.  The St Louis Cardinals occupy a lot of my thinking, my interest, my conversations, my time, and my money.  There are not too many areas of my life that the St Louis Cardinals don’t occupy.

It’s pretty simple, whatever occupies our life is what is important to us.  There are an abundance of things that can be important to us.  For some, a specific relationship is important.  For some, money and possessions are important.  For some, video games are important.  These things might be important to us but a question we need to consider is . . . What is the MOST IMPORTANT thing in our lives?

READ:  Mark 12:28-34

LOVING God is the most IMPORTANT way we can use the STRENGTH of our lives!  Strength is the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual ability to accomplish something.  Although we have little strength compared to God, the most important way we can use the strength we do have is to, “love the Lord (our) God with . . . all our strength”.  Loving God is having a strong desire to relate with Him and be with Him.  Loving and relating with God is to be the top priority in our lives. 1 John 4:19 says, “we love because He first loved us.”  Our strength to love comes from the fact that we have been loved by God.  How are we to love God?

Loving God is something we do with ALL of our strength (Mk. 12:30) – All means all and that’s all that all means.  To give our all means to give 100% and not hold anything back.  A good athlete leaves it all out on the court.  A good student gives all of their attention to a teacher.  Anyone who wants to be a part of the Kingdom of God gives all of their life’s strength to loving the Lord.  Loving God with “all” our strength means that there is no amount of our life’s strength left for anything other than loving God.  Yes and no.  Yes, we use all of our strength to love God.  No, it doesn’t mean we don’t do anything else in life.  Instead now, whatever we do, anything and everything we do in life, no matter what it is, we do as an expression of our love for God.  

Loving God is more than RELIGIOUS RITUAL, it is a RELATIONSHIP (Mk. 12:33) – Loving God through religious ritual is compartmentalizing our relationship with Him into a measurable list of do’s and don’ts.  The scribe who asked Jesus this profound question about the most important commandment agreed that loving God was “much more” important than any ritualistic “burnt offering” or “sacrifice” he could offer to God.  In contrast, we love God through relationship in a few specific ways 1) 1 John 4:21 says, “whoever loves God must also love His brother.”  2) 1 John 5:3 says, “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.  And His commandments are not burdensome.”  Obedience and loving others are God’s love language.  If we can do these two things we will fulfill all the commandments of the law (Romans 13:8-10).

CONCLUSION
We make the mistake of thinking that loving the Lord with all of our strength is like going to the gym, putting as much weight on the bar as is possible for us to lift, and maxing out all of our spiritual muscle at one powerful moment.  When in reality, loving the Lord with all of our strength means, putting down the heavy weight and using our spiritual muscle to obediently lift the “weight of life” in everything that we do each and every day with our thoughts, words, and actions.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Loving the Lord with all our strength is not as exhausting as we make it out to be.  It means coming to Christ and letting Him do all the lifting for you!  How much of your life’s strength are you using to love God?