When The Enemy Attacks, We Say What God Says!

"Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father."(I John 2:22-24 NIV) 

Just as John wrote to the churches, reminding them of who they are in Christ and His promise of eternal life because the enemy was trying to lead them astray (v.26), so too, do I write. My daily writings are reminders to those who Believe and Know God for themselves and understand that our relationship with Him, is supposed to be an intimate, individual relationship that is binds us together by love.

We cannot claim to know and love one--Jesus or The Father--without loving the other since they are One--in purpose and intent--to provide us eternal life with them.

There is only one reason that I can think of that confuses people about the relationship between Jesus and The Father. Very simply put, misunderstanding or no comprehension of John's relationship with Jesus to know that what He tells us is God's Truth and not his own. God is a Spirit--and we who worship must worship Him in spirit and truth. He loves us so much He came down from in the likeness of flesh--called Himself Jesus (He told Mary what to name the baby), lived among men and understood temptation as we know it, yet did not sin. He didn't cave or give into sin and whenever the devil tried to tempt Him, He stood on The Word of The Father by reminding the devil, "It is written..." Now, I want people to note that when Jesus told the devil that it was written (He said what God said), He wasn't concerned with chapter and verse, but the content of the chapter and verse.

Sometimes people get so caught up with "quoting" chapter and verse they forget the intent of the content for which they're quoting. If a person has no understanding of the intent of the content, knowing the chapter and verse where it's found is pointless. The Word--purpose and intent of the content--should be so engrained in Believers that we can say what God says every time the enemy attempts to say anything to us. We are to be living letters--by our conduct and behavior and treatment of others--as to the intent and purpose of who God called us to be. We are His children--children of the Light, not the darkness, and it's time we acted like it by saying what Our Father says.

If we say what He says, people will be offended and convicted of sin for that is the purpose of The Word, along with encouraging us to live a life that pleases God. We do not have to trade barbs with either the unbelieving or those who claim to believe, but don't know The Word.

If they want to belittle us or demean us when we say what God says--tell them thanks and move on--shaking the dust from our feet. Some will hear us and some won't. We are not responsible for whether people receive what we say when we say what God says. They are. We are responsible for telling people what God says. And when we love others as we are told, we want others to know the truth and not be deceived by the enemy's lies.

Love, Pray, and Move Forward

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:44,45 NIV)

One of the reasons many of us never reach the heights of success that God has planned for us is because we get stuck--stuck in disappointments, by those who create problems for us, by inner-feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. We get stuck on getting revenge trying to avenge those situations over which we have no control and end up moving backward instead of forward. We get stuck trying to "make" people like us or pay attention to us, when they don't have to like us. We get stuck trying to control situations that are totally out of our control.

The solution to being "unstuck" in any situation--love those who love you, but love the ones who hate you as well. Pray for all--those you love and those you may not like, but you love. Keep loving and keep praying and all the while you're praying, keep moving forward. We have no control over people and what they do, but we do control what we do. We do not have to allow what others think of us-- to stop us. We do not have to allow what others do to us to hinder us. Pray--for wisdom and discernment--understand that your success is not contingent upon others liking you, but whether or not your plans are aligned with God's plans.

When people hate you--pray and smile at them. When they talk about you--pray and pray some more. When people attempt to misuse you--back away and pray for them and self. And all the while you're praying--keep moving forward, without holding onto the hurts and disappointments--keep going. Life happens and sometimes we just have to deal with it where we are. Cry, scream, get angry, but get over it quickly and move forward.

If you really want to make the enemy upset--keep smiling, keep loving, keep moving forward and never let set-backs cause you to stop moving in the direction that God has destined for you. Bless others when you need a blessing. Love others when you need to be loved. Encourage others when you need to be encouraged. Pray for others when you need someone to pray for you. And through it all--never lose sight of God's love or His plans for your life.

God knows and sees all--He will take care of us and those who have attempted to destroy us as well. He rains on the just and unjust, the righteous and the unrighteous--and all is accomplished by His design. Remember this--it takes a lot less effort and time to love than it does to hate. It is so easy to love others and so time-consuming to hate!