Jesus would never call His creation “the enemy within”. He saves that for the real enemy Satan. He used His power to heal the broken parts of humanity that only He could reach. Jesus places Holy Spirit within us and we are guided in His truth… this is true power.
God is LOVE!
Luke 8:46–48
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”The New King James Version
The woman might have feared that Jesus would be angry, since she did not ask permission—especially if touching Jesus made Him ceremonially unclean. Alternatively, her trembling may simply indicate an appropriate level of awe and reverence at the display of Jesus’ healing power. Faithlife Study Bible
It took great courage for her to seek out Jesus. Note that her action was not criticized, but commended. The NKJV Study Bible
Luke 7:50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Luke 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Revelation 1:11-18
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
Jesus is the beginning and He is the end of time as we know it. Revelation tells of the compilation of seven letters to be sent to the seven Churches (assemblies) in Asia. Jesus, the Son of man, stood in the midst of the Jews. He will come in judgement to those who refused Him at His first coming. They pierced the very heart of God.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The word of God cuts to the heart and soul of mankind. It is sharper than a two edged sword to divide the thoughts and intents of mankind.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus, the Word of God, was made flesh and dwelt among His creation!
Psalms 2:4-5
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
God laughs at the rejection He knows that we are mere men. How foolish we are. We have been so blessed in America to have the religious freedoms that we so take for granted. Carla
We may not even realize it, but the lies of the world can become the lens through which we view our lives and can get mixed in with our fundamental beliefs, including what we believe about God. Even though times and cultures change, Satan is still using the same old formula to try to trap us: lies that cause destruction.
The enemy wants you to believe that God isn't good, holy or just. He wants you to believe that Jesus' sacrifice wasn't enough to save you and that you must somehow atone for yourself. He wants you to believe that you cannot effectively share the gospel with your friends and neighbors.
But the enemy is a liar.
Dear God, thank You that in a world full of chaos, you remain constant and true. Help me to discern truth from lies, and help me keep my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). I don't want to live my life for what's temporary but for what is eternal. Help me to store the treasure of Your Word in my heart to carry Truth with me wherever I go. In Jesus' name, amen. First5
In the light of eternity, we’re here for a very short time, really. We’re here for one thing, ultimately: to learn how to love, because God is love. Love is our origin, love is our ground, and love is our destiny. James Finley
Why our inner unrest? Is it our preoccupation with distraction?
It is as if we believe that we live from some kind of deficiency. As if we’re not where we “should be”, or even wish to be.
And inside, (this is my confession), I rage against…
--my fragile (broken) nature and inelegant humanity,
--my inability to savor the very ordinary (and yes, messy) moments,
--my feeling "at the mercy of" circumstances,
--my not “achieving” wholeness (like it’s a game to win).
This isn’t new. Several hundred years ago Pascal wrote, "By means of a diversion we can avoid our own company 24 hours a day." But it's not just diversion. It's a kind of itch. A relentless hankering, and pursuit of something always elusive. As if life is always just beyond where we are Now.
When we see only scarcity, we let anger or blame have its way. We feel raw and at the mercy of. “Fear narrows the little entrance of our heart,” wrote Thomas Merton. “It shrinks up our capacity to love. It freezes up our power to give ourselves.”
So. Today, let us dig for that treasure “at home”.
Let us pause, and in gratitude savor gladness.
Let us allow that treasure spill to those around us, in listening, standing with, empathy, kindness and inclusion. Sabbath Moments
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