What Do You See?

William Wilberforce,1759-1833, lived in London, England his whole life. He grew up in a culture that was much like ours (except worse.) Twenty-five percent of women in London were prostitutes. The average age was sixteen. Alcoholism was an accepted norm. Children, as young as six-years-old were forced to work ten or twelve hours in horrible and sometimes dangerous conditions. Public hangings and displays of animal cruelty were forms of entertainment for drunken crowds.  The slave trade was a very lucrative business in Wilberforce's culture.

But accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and God changed in his life. The most obvious change was Wilberforce's way he looked at everything. Suddenly he saw what he had been blind to before. He now saw things from God's viewpoint. He saw:

• God was real and that God loved everyone.
• The slave trade was not an economic necessity, it was horribly wicked.
• The idea of children working long hours, in awful was no longer acceptable.

For the first time in his life, Wilberforce was through God's eyes. But he was living in a culture where almost no one saw things this way. How you see things affects every area of your life! Do you see the prostitute as a wicked, immoral person or some one that God loves? Do you see the gang member as someone for whom Christ died? Do you see the poor a public nuisance  or someone who needs God's love expressed in a tanglabe way? 

Today, ask God to open your eyes to see the way He sees.

God's Math

Many, many years ago when I was in elementary school,  I was introduced to the subject of math. I soon discovered that math and I were not to become friends. Teachers first taught us how to add. Later we were taught subtraction. Granted teachers did their best but for some reason I could not grasp the concept. I remember them teaching subtraction. The idea was simple. If I had four apples and someone "took away" (subtracted) two apples, how many did I now have? Simple, right?

People today are still confused about math, God's math to be exact. With God's math, subtraction always comes before addition. People think they can just add Jesus to their lives without subtracting anything. Jesus becomes an "add-on" to their lives. Similar to when you order a new car. The salesman asks what options you want to "add-on" to the basic model.

Jesus did not come to earth to add an option to our lives. Jesus came to take away (subtract) our sins. John 1:29, Romans 11:27 , 1 John 3:5 So, before you accept (add) into your life, you must first ask Him to take away your sins. He takes away our sins when we confess and ask for forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Has Jesus taken away your sins? Have you asked Him to come into your life?

Your Enemy - Part Two

A couple of days ago, I blogged than we have an enemy (Satan) who hates us and wants to destroy us. 1Peter 5:8 We looked briefly that Satan has plans for our destruction. 2 Cor 2:11 Eph. 6:11 And last we saw that to defeat our enemy we must know him. Do not think I am glorifying Satan but he is an powerful adversary. 

Allow me to give you some brief facts about Satan and next blog we will begin to learn some of his tacticts:

• Satan is powerful but not ALL-Powerful. His power is limited. Each time Satan wanted to test Job, He had to go to God and get permission. And God, being the Supreme Power, gave permission but also limited him how far he could go.
• Satan is NOT everywhere. Only God is Omni-present. Satan is a created being and as such he is limited in where he can go. Though he does have demons everywhere.
• Satan is real. He is not an influence or a force. He is evil personified.
• Though Satan is powerful and we cannot face him in our own strength, we do not have to fear him. 1 John 4:4 tells "...the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
• Satan cannot read your mind and know your thoughts. However, he does know human nature and has had thousands of year to study us. He knows which "buttons" to push in your life but he doesn't know what you are thinking.

Your Enemy

Most of us would like to think that most people like us. Some of us will go to extremes to make sure people like us. But we all know it is impossible to be liked by everyone. We often forget that we are citizens of two worlds. Phil. 3:20 We must not forget that "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey but we spiritual beings on a human journey." {Steve Covey} As spiritual beings, we must we aware that there is an enemy that not only dislikes you but is committed to your destruction.  1 Peter 5:8 Of course, I am referring to Satan.

One of my favorite television shows is Criminal Minds. Each week a team of FBI profilers tries to solve crimes by "profiling" the perpetrator. The dictionary defines a profilers as  "someone with psychologial training who assists police investigations by identifying likely characteristis of the the perpetrator of a particulare crime."

By now, you are probably asking yourself "Where is he going with line of thought?" [Glad you asked!] Two thousand years ago a Chinese military expert wrote The Art of War. "Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." Good advice.

The Apostle Paul wrote "So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes" 2 Cor. 2:11 In the next few blogs, I want us to be 'familar' whith his evil schemes.