IN HERE NOT OF HERE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

John 17:15

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one...

Jesus prayed hard for us.

He knew and continues to know that this world is a tricky place for His followers. He knew there are pretty trappings around every corner; temptations and trials at every turn. He knew the battle with our flesh was a tough one. He experienced it!

Hebrews 4:15

…He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin.

That is why He prayed for us. He knew the WORLD was brutal and that the enemy was relentless. Remember Jesus faced off with Him one on one; took his best shots. But NO SIN!

Warren Wiersbe correctly observed, “Because the world is deceptive, it is dangerous.” Jesus knew this, we must know it too! It doesn’t do us any good to hide our heads in the sand hoping that the world “will go away”,that the temptations will give us a day off. Don’t ever forget, the enemy wakes up right along with us each day and His intentions are TRULY as Wiersbe put it, dangerous!

John 10:10

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy

So it is important for all of us to recognize each and every day that while we are IN this world, we don’t need to be OF it! We can’t go running from the world and fear its mess but rather remember that we are empowered by GOD to wade into it and make a difference!

We can!

1 John 4:4

…He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

Decide today to guard against the trappings of worldliness. Don’t be paralyzed by it. Instead focus your mind and efforts on those things that are above and not below!

Colossians 3:1

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is…

You catch that? “where Christ is”.

And what is He doing? Praying for you!

So let's pray too!

Lord, this world is a crazy place, and I have many opportunities to stray from You. Help me turn to obey You! Let me keep Christ in my heart and in my sights and let me put the enemy where he belongs: far away from me!

Help me to do my best "in here" without becoming "of here".

In Jesus, Amen

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney