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CrossTalk
'…we preach Christ crucified.'
Choices
by David Takefe
“I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment, so that you will be able to choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame on the Day of Christ. Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 GNT
Thank you for joining me for part 2 of this study. Last week we saw that anyone who aims at keeping the world out of his life must pay attention to three aspects of his journey in the Faith: His choices, His values, and the Hope. We also learnt that Satan cannot succeed in bringing back into our lives what Christ Jesus has set us free from, without first attempting to tamper with our choices, corrupt our values or blur our vision of the hope.
In continuing this study, we will be focusing on the power of choices. We have mentioned already that satan must first tamper with our choices in order to successfully bring his stuff into our lives and into our relationships. What we mean by “tamper with” is to exert a corrupt or secret influence upon someone. A fact worthy of note is that your daily choices or what you choose is the authority for something to happen to you or for something to come in to your life.
We will be looking closely at this through the prayer of Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:9-11(GNT). Let’s read our study text again:
“I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment, so that you will be able to choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame on the Day of Christ. Your lives will be filled with the truly good qualities which only Jesus Christ can produce, for the glory and praise of God.”
Take note of the phrase, “…so that you will be able to choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame on the Day of Christ.”
Did you notice the connection between the quality of your life and what you choose?: “…choose what is best. Then you will be free from all impurity and blame…”
As an adverb, the word “then” shows us the consequence of choosing what is best. Here is the point: THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE IS TIED TO YOUR DAILY CHOICES.
Your future is in your daily choices. This is because life, whether you know it or not, is a series of choices. Life does not happen by chance; what you choose affect what your experience will be ultimately. Your everyday choices, big or small, whether you are aware of them or not, are the prophecies of your future.
Let’s put what we have said so far a bit differently: your day-to-day choices will ultimately take your life somewhere. The fact is, many people are not thinking about where their choices are taking them, and whether they want to go there.
Where are your choices taking you right now?
Where are your choices taking you in your marriage?
Where are your choices taking you in your relationship with your children?
Where are your choices taking you in your personal health?
Where are your choices taking you financially?
Where are your choices taking you in the ministry and assignment God has given you?
Are your choices taking you where you want to go? Are your choices taking you where God wants you to go?
Your future is in your choices!
The Bible talks about Rueben in 1 Chronicles 5:11. We are told that “…his birth right was given to the sons of Joseph because (take not of his choice) he defiled his father’s bed.”
Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, contracted leprosy instead of receiving a double portion of Elisha’s anointing, because of his greed for money; money that was rejected by his master.
Concerning Judas Iscariot, the bible says, “…may another take his place…” Yes, his place; it was his. But he lost it to another because of his choice.
But concerning women like Ruth, Easter, and Rahab, men like Joseph, Moses and Jesus, they all steered their future in the direction of God’s will by choosing well. The point is, YOUR FUTURE IS IN YOUR DAILY CHOICES. The quality of your life and relationships is in the choices you make daily.
Gain or pain,
Fame or shame,
Gladness or sadness,…
It’s going to depend on your daily choices!
But there is good news! When it comes to choices in life, we are not helpless creatures. While God does not tamper with our freedom to choose, as a caring Father, he has laid down principles that can guide us in ensuring that we make well place decisions or choose what is best.
Sometime back, while researching this topic, someone helped me to see these life-changing principles form the book of 1 Corinthians—four very important questions that must be asked before we make a choice in life, big or small. Pay close attention to the bible passages following the questions.
Question #1: Is it helpful—spiritually, mentally, emotionally?
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.” —1 Corinthians 6:12a
Question #2: Will I be brought under it’s control?
“I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.—1 Corinthians 6:12b
Question #3: Will it hurt anyone?
“Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” —1 Corinthians 8:13
Question #4: Will it glorify God?
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” —1 Corinthians 10:31
In conclusion, let’s take one more look at Apostles Paul’s prayer as recorded in our study passage.
“I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment, so that you will be able to choose what is best….”
Notice what he says will enable you to choose what is best—Love. Genuine love for God, and for your neighbor will guide your choices. Genuine love aims at glorifying God. True love will always seek to bless is neighbor, both friend and foe. The absence of love in your heart will weaken your capacity to choose what God wants for you and for all those in your life. True love operates from the center of God’s will. Thus Apostle Paul concentrated his prayer on this aspect—that love will keep on growing more and more. A love that is based on the knowledge of who God is and perfect judgment.
Again, your daily choices is the authority or license for something to enter your life. Let love guide you!
Prayer: Precious Father, king of creation, God of all flesh, I ascribe greatness to Your Name. Thank You for showing me our to honor You with my choices. I ask that love will grow more and more in my heart, a love that is full of knowledge and wise insight, releasing in me the power to choose always what You want—Your good, perfect and acceptable Will. Lord may my life be full of true goodness, produced by the power that Jesus gives to the glory and praise of Your Name. Amen!
Choices, Values, and the Hope
by David Takefe
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:24-27
Sometime ago, I read somewhere that the Dutch boast that God made the world, but the Dutch made Holland. I also read that this is because practically half of the land area was recovered from the sea. To keep the land separated from the ocean, a network of dikes were constructed at many different points for controlling or holding back the water. But it is said that, even with the very impressive network of embankments, water unavoidably ooze gradually through the protection walls. To help this obviously dangerous situation, pumps and canals were constructed to redirect water out. Supposing that the encroaching water were allowed to stay, Holland would be at risk of eventually sinking and becoming submerged.
What is true for Holland, in a sense, is also true for the Christian. Employing the language of Scriptures, the Christian, although not of the world, is in the world. And the world finds ways of seeping insidiously into our lives. The world tries to move from outside and around us to inside us, hence the admonition of Apostle Paul to the Roman believers, “...be not conformed to this world…”
We therefore need to set up barriers to protect us from the relentless pressure of this present evil world to make us conform to its standards. Now let’s take a look at Moses, and learn from his life, principles that will ensure that the world does not eventually seep into our lives—our relationships, our marriages, our churches, the way we do business, etc—to the point that we start looking like the world instead of Christ, who Himself is the pattern-son.
In our study text, the phrase— “…Moses,…refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter”—indicates that, although Moses was in Egypt, ‘Egypt’ was not in him. The world around him stayed out despite the alluring wealth and glamour of Egypt. Is this the case for many of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ? Have we been able to keep the world out of our lives?
Our bible text tells us three important things about Moses:
1. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God.
2. He valued disgrace for the sake of Christ more than the treasures of Egypt.
3. He looked ahead to his reward.
Let’s simplify the above mentioned points. We see
(a) His choice
(b) His values
(c) His hope
Anyone who aims at keeping all that the world is and all that it offers out of his life must pay attention to three aspect of his journey in the Faith: His choices, His values, and the Hope.
Satan cannot succeed in bringing back into our lives what Christ Jesus has set us free from through faith in Him, without first attempting to tamper with our choices, corrupt our values or blur our vision of the hope. The areas of your life where you feel pain, shame and regret are probably areas where you made an ungodly choice, or failed to uphold right values, and had forgotten the hope—the reward of the crown of life—promised by our Lord to all who are faithful.
I feel strongly that God has asked me to speak to you about these three aspects of your walk as a Christian: choices, values, and the hope. I encourage you to stick with me in the next few days as we look into what the bible says concerning these vital areas of the Christian walk.
Prayers: Heavenly Father, I thank You for delivering me from the power of sin and satan. Through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, my ransom was eternally paid and my sins forgiven. Lord, how wonderful it is to know that not only are my past sins forgiven, they are also forgotten. For You said, ‘…their iniquities will I remember no more.’ Father thank You! Your name be praised for ever! I will never go back, away from You; this is my pledge. Therefore, I ask You to fill me with spiritual insight and understanding, so that I will be able to honor You with my choices as I run this holy race set before me. In Jesus Christ name, Amen!
Jesus Loves His Wife
“And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.” Matthew 9:19
If you are looking for a Biblical definition of what is a disciple, Matthew 9:19 is a good place to begin. We are told that Jesus arose and followed a certain ruler who had just asked Him to come heal his daughter. Notice the phrase, “…and so did is disciples.” In a nutshell, a disciple is one who does what Jesus does. Not one who has only believed and attends a good church. Not one who owns a leather-bound King James Version of the Bible. But ONE WHO DOES WHAT JESUS DOES. An imitator of Christ!
We can say therefore that no one can claim to be a disciple of Christ who is not living like Him.
One truth about Christ is that He loves is wife—the Church. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
Reading our text (Matthew 9:19) into what Apostle Paul says in this passage, we can say, “…and so did His disciples…” Jesus loves His wife, so will His disciples. Why will they? Because a disciple is one who does what Jesus does. For a disciple, loving his/her spouse is not optional. For a disciple of Christ the incentive to love his/her spouse is not that the husband/wife has deserved it, but that that is what his Master does.
The point where we fail to be true disciples of Christ, is the point where our marriages actually fractures leading to pain and disappointments. Oswald Chambers once said, “If I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers.” We can say, if you allow any turning away from following God in your marriage, everyone around you suffers. For the believer, the pursuit of true discipleship is what will guarantee the success of marriage.
Now ask your self, “Does my marriage and how I treat my spouse show that I am a disciple of Christ.”
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I thank You for showing me how to live in my marriage. I see now that I must strive to first become Your Disciple, and not just a husband/wife. I surrender now to You; please live Your life through me in my marriage. I want You to love my spouse through me. Teach me how to deny self and walk as You always. In Jesus name I ask. Amen!
The Trap of Being Offended
“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” Matthew 24:10 NKJV
One day, as Jesus departed the temple area and was going on His way, His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the buildings of the temple, pointing them out to Him. “Do you see all these?” Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Not quite the response they expected, considering that they only wanted to comment on how beautiful the Temple was. So, while He was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
In verse 4 of Matthew 24, Jesus’ first words in response to their questions were, “Take heed…” This means “be careful…” But why will He start with a caution for His disciples? I believe that this was because He wanted to point out to them something that was of greater importance than knowing the times and signs of endtime, apocalyptic prophecies. Knowing when endtime predictions will be fulfilled and the accompanying signs is good, but more important than that is the state of our hearts in relation to all the things that shall be happening around us in these last days. So, it was the state of the hearts of His disciples and how they must conduct themselves that He, Jesus, began to address first, before telling them when this—the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem—will take place, and what will be the sign of His coming.
As He progressed in His discuss, He then says to His disciples: “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matthew 24:10 KJV). With this Jesus was warning that as we near the end of the age many will be offended to the degree that they will turn away from Him and break fellowship with their brethren or friends.
First, what is the meaning of offense? The word for offend in the Greek is skandalizo {skan-dal-id’-zo}. It is from this word we get the English word “scandalize.” Skandalizo (Greek) means
(1) To cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.
(2) To cause to fall away from the faith.
(3) To be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority.
(4) To cause one to judge unfavorably or unjustly of another.
(5) To cause one to feel displeasure at a thing; to make indignant or passive.
In Matthew 18:7 Jesus pointed out that “…it must needs be that offenses come.” Offenses are inevitable! There will always be something to cause people to be offended, is the message of Christ. Someday, somehow, somewhere, a situation will arise or someone will come along that will cause you an offense in the light of the earlier definitions of Skandalizo . Jesus is saying that this is the world we live in—a world that causes people to stumble or be offended.
The real message in Jesus’ statement is not the inevitability of offenses, but what the outcome of offenses in our lives will be. Will offenses give rise to a process of betrayal in us or will true love cause us to restrain offenses from becoming betrayals? Let’s read again the statement of Christ in Matthew 24:10: “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” A close look at this passage of Scriptures reveals a very vital truth: the root cause of betrayal is offense. While offenses must come, Christ is warning us against a potential risk that offenses pose to everyone with an offended heart—betrayal. When you become offended, unless you check your feelings and thoughts, forgive, and move on, you will set in motion a betrayal process which ends in hatred and broken fellowship. The word for hate in the Greek is mis-eh’-o. From a primary word “misos” (hatred) and it means to detest (especially to persecute); by extension to love less.
The Greek word for betray is par-ad-id’-o-mee which means “to surrender, yield up, give up (over) or transmit.” Usually, this giving up of one another is with the intent to persecute the one who caused the offense. All of a sudden, that close friend becomes a foe, treasured memories are intentionally expunged from our minds, and then secrets entrusted to each other are now “broadcast openly” or “put on air” as weapons for settling scores and justifying our anger. Whether the offense is coming from our parents, spouses, friends or church leaders, offense in the heart leads to malicious talking about those who offended us, exposing their weaknesses and sins. Jesus said this process leads to hate—people begin to love less and break fellowship.
Now, it’s important for us not to miss the point in the message of our Lord: offenses must come, but we must restrain offenses from becoming betrayals.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come to You with humility. I acknowledge the authority of Your word over my life. Please help me to treat all my offenders from a gracious helpful spirit, rather than from a spirit that is bitter and critical. Help me Lord not to let offenses remain in my heart leading to betrayals, but to quickly and thoroughly forgive everyone who may offend me. May I put first the fellowship and unity of the brethren above all my personal interests. I pray this in Jesus’ Name.!
No Longer Helpless!
“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” Romans 7:19-20
“…the good that I would I do not…”
“…the evil which I would not, that I do…”
These statements depict a life of struggle and defeat in relation to sin. Paul went on to explain that “For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not.” That is to say, ‘even when I decide on doing good, the power or capacity to carry it out is lacking in me.’ In short, this man was helpless to sin’s demands.
This was the state of every man born of a woman—we were all slaves to sin and whatever sin wanted was what we did.
A short story will illustrate the point. A scorpion and a frog wanted to cross a river. The scorpion asked the frog, ‘Please take me on your back while you swim across the river.’ The frog replied, ‘I’m afraid you’ll sting me.’ The scorpion said, ‘If I sting you, we’ll both drown.’ So the frog let the scorpion get on his back and started swimming across the river. In the middle, the scorpion stings the frog and they both start to go under. The surprised frog said, ‘How could you? You are going to drown too.’ The scorpion replied, ‘I can’t help it. It’s my nature.’
Like the scorpion, we could not say no to sin. In Romans 5:6, the Scriptures reveal that we were without strength—helpless—thus needing Christ to die for the ungodly.
The question is, why was this so? What made us helpless? How come we could not defeat sin and say no to its demands on us? The apostle Paul provides the answer: “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” Romans 7:20. Take note of the phrase, “…it is no more I that do it…” He is saying that he is not responsible, he is not the real culprit. There is something else responsible for this consistent life of defeat. “…It is no more I that do it…” Paul says, “…but sin that dwelleth in me.” The real culprit is sin.
In this treatise of Paul to the Romans, the term Sin is referring to the Sin Nature we inherited from Adam. Apostle Paul was hinting that this sin nature was what made us helpless—powerless—to sin’s demands. Thus the real trouble was what was working inside us—the old nature of sin.
We were at the mercy of sin, and whatever our corrupt nature wanted us to do, that we did for we were servants—slaves—of sin. Like the scorpion, we sinned because we could not help it. The reason was because, in Adam, we were infected with an incurable sin-disease.
If there was a way to destroy what made the scorpion to sting, then he would be able to resist the urge to sting whenever it arose in it. This God did for us through Christ’s death.
Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Did you get that? Our old man—what made us helpless to sin—is crucified, put to death, with Him!
Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you..” That is, sin no longer has power to tell you what to do because what was helping it from inside has been destroyed on the cross. In verse 6, Paul started with the phrase, “…knowing this…” In other words, to experience the accomplishment of the cross, we must truly know with deep convictions that the sin nature has been done away with in Christ.
In a nutshell, we are no longer helpless to sin. No more slaves to unrighteousness. Don’t let the devil make you believe that you still sin because you can’t help it. That is a lie—a big fat lie! The Bible says, in Christ Jesus, we have been made free from sin (Romans 6:18).
So, shout it out loud—I am no longer helpless!
Prayer: Lord I thank You for delivering me from the power of sin. I know now that through Christ the sin nature I inherited from Adam has been put to death. I am now free to serve You in righteousness. I rejoice at this definite work of deliverance from sin through Christ’s death. Amen!
Put on The Armor of Light
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand:let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” Romans 13:12
Let us devote one more study to why the Christian must put on this new set of clothes—the amour of God. In our text, Paul describes it as the amour of light. If we understand that God is light (1John1: 5), then the armor of light is the armor of God.
We have already mentioned that the power to withstand the diabolic assaults of the devil only comes from putting on the whole armor of God. The areas of defeats in our lives as Christians happen because we do not put on the whole amour God has provided.
Let’s read again our text: The night is far spent, the day is at hand:let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Take note of the word therefore. In this text the word therefore means because of that. If we replace the word therefore with the the phrase because of that, it reads thus: The night is far spent, the day is at hand:let us, because of that, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Question: why should we put on the armor of God? From our text, we should because “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” What day? The day of Christ’s return and reign on earth. The expression at hand is the Bible’s way of saying it is near.
Thus, the Apostle Paul is saying to us that because we are now living in the last days of history, we must ensure that we are putting on the armor of light. Concerning the last days, the Bible has this to say: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come (2 Timothy 3:1).
The word perilous means difficult, dangerous, furious and fierce. This is both spiritually and physically. As the day of Christ approaches, our adversary—the devil—will intensify his assault on the Church. His aim is to make the Bride of Christ lose her love for her Groom. Also concerning this period, our Lord said, “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:22).
If the Christian is going to be able to take a stand during these last days, then he must put on the armor of Light—for therein lies the power to overcome all obstacles and to stand your ground. It is therefor time to get dressed—to put on the armor of light. These are the last days!
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, I recognize that these are the last days, may I find my strength in the power of Your might. May the grace to stand be mine through Your Spirit. Help me not to live carelessly, help me to live circumspectly in the days ahead, to live for the honour of Your name. Amen.
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Dressed for the Occassion
“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not 
having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:11-14
Reading through Matthew chapter 22, I have often wondered why the King, seeing there a man which had not a wedding garment, asked his servants to take him away, whereas the man was there on the King’s invitation. After thinking deeply I came to this conclusion: the occasion required that the guests had on a particular dress code. It’s only logical to conclude that each person was instructed, and perhaps empowered too, in view of the right garment for the occasion. The King clearly knew what dress code he wanted for the ceremony, and because it was so important to him, he was not ready to comprise on what his guests had on in the wedding. In a nutshell, he wanted his guests to be properly dressed for the occasion.
What is the lesson in this parable? The lesson is that the Christian must ensure he is putting on the right clothing. In our last study, we pointed out that by electing to use the phrase ‘put on’, Paul was saying that we should get dressed up. But in this case we are not dressing up for a wedding, we are to dress up for a wrestling—For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). In other words, dress up for war.
The dress code for the Christian is revealed in Ephesians 6:14-17:
-The belt of truth
-The breastplate of righteousness.
-The shoes of peace
-The helmet of salvation
-The sword of the spirit
-The shield of faith
Last week we mentioned that the power to ‘stand in the evil day’ is available to the Christian only when he is putting on the amor of God. It’s time to ask yourself, are you putting on the right clothing? Are you dressed for the occasion?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, again I thank Thee for making provision for me to stand in the evil day. Please enlighten me as to the true meaning of the spiritual weapons I am to put on according Ephesians 6:11. I recognize that the power to withstand the wiles of the devil comes only from You, I pray that I might learn the secret of leaning totally on Thee. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Time to Get Dressed
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11
The Apostle Paul invented some of the most beautiful and most insightful expressions in The New Testament. Expressions like In Him, In Christ, Through Him, were some of his favorites. In our text, take note of the expression “put on.” This expression was also one of the frequently used in his epistles and it is one that carries deep meaning.
Here are some examples of how Paul used the phrase:
“…put on Christ.” Galatians 3:27
“…put on the new man.” Ephesians 4:24
“Put on…bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” Colossians 3:12
“… put on charity,…” Colossians 3:14
“…put on the armour of light…” Romans 13:12
“…put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ…” Romans 13:14
In our study text, the instruction is to ‘put on the whole amor of God.’ What does the expression ‘put on’ signify in Paul’s writings?
The phrase ‘put on’ is taken from the Greek word ENDUO, which conveys the idea of sinking into a garment. That is, to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively). In a sense Paul was saying we should DRESS UP, WEAR A NEW SET OF CLOTHES. And the clothing he is referring to is the armor of God.
Something else about the expression ‘put on’ is the way or tense in which Paul used it. Paul used the imperative tense. This means that he was not making a suggestion, but rather, he was issuing a very strong and authoritative command. The mood of the verb used expresses a crucial command, as in come here! What this means is that what Paul is asking us to do is essential and urgent—leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal, rather to take some kind of immediate action in obeying the instruction.
Why is it so imperative that the Christian puts on the armor of God? Let’s read the text again: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Take note of the phrase, “…that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” In other words, without putting on the amor of God, the Christian will lack the ability to stand against the assaults of the devil. Without these spiritual weaponry the Christian stands no chance in spiritual warfare.
Paul repeats this point in verse 13 of Ephesians 6: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
The power to ‘stand in the evil day’ is available to the Christian only when he is putting on the amor of God. In 1 Corinthians 10:12 the Scripture says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” The way the Christian can ‘take heed’ is to ‘put on the whole amor of God.’
Do you really want to stand in the evil day? Then get dressed, put on the whole amor of God.
Let us Pray: Precious Father, I recognize that You have made provision for me to stand in the evil day. I ask You for true insight on how to put on the whole amor You have made available to us through Christ. In Jesus Name. Amen!
CrossTalk 