Psalm 23:4c

When spying out the gear of a shepherd one would find a couple things that are essential to the task.  The rod and staff are often the stereotyped “tools of the trade” in the area of shepherding.  The Hebrew word for rod has many different facets.

For a king the rod is a scepter of authority

For a tree the rod is an offshoot of Life

For the tradesman the rod is a standard of measurement

All of these are perfectly fitting of Our Lord because all of these give so much insight to the character traits of our Lord, King, Creator, and Tree of Life. 

In this particular passage however, the word rod describes a club-like instrument often used by the shepherd to defend his flock.  When any danger threatened the beloved life of his flock the shepherd is diligent to defend, with rod in hand he will crush the bones of the enemy that preys on his possession.  We are the possession of the Good Shepherd, as His beloved flock the Lord is so diligent to defend us from the enemies that seek to prey on the peace, joy, love, and intimacy of our relationship with the Lord himself and those around us.  With the rod of His truth the Lord comes down and crushes the lies that this world, Satan and his demons, and the flesh try to deceive us with. 

 Some might ask “Well if that’s true; why is it that my circumstances have chewed me up and spit me out?”

The one problem that often leaves us wide open to attack is the sheep-like tendency we all have to stray from the truth of God’s word.  Like it says in Isaiah 53 “we all like sheep have gone astray” and so it is for us in life, we get distracted by that relationship that wasn’t so fruitful, we get derailed by that desire that was sinful, and we like sheep find ourselves straying off the path of righteousness right into dangerous territory. 

“What now?” You might ask

“I’ve walked off the path so many times and I’ve wandered so far that there’s no hope for me!”

Not True!

You see, the shepherd also carries a staff for situations such as these.  When sheep would get lost, straying a bit too far after this or that, the shepherd’s priority is to search out and rescue that which is lost.  He tracks the lost sheep down and skillfully cradles them with the staff, and lifts them from their trouble, carrying them back to safety. 

Perhaps that’s where you are today.

You’ve strayed off the path, lost your direction, and don’t think that returning is an option.

If so, then know this…the staff of His Holy Spirit will support you in your weakness and direct you safely back into His loving arms.

The rod of defense and the staff of direction are present in the hands of the Good Shepherd, and because His heart is one that loves us so radically and so deeply we have nothing to fear.  This truth was David’s comfort in his moments of delight and despair and so it will be for you as well. 

All you have to do is call out to the Shepherd.

Don’t worry.

He’s very familiar with your voice. (John 10)

Genesis 21:22-23

Abimelech and Phichol are presenting a deal to Abraham, but notice the manner in which they present.  Abimelech isn’t alone this time, his general is with him.  It almost seems like an intimidation tactic.  Peer pressure was just as present in the day of Abraham.  In addition to that we see them lay on the guilt so that they might manipulate Abraham to do things their way.  Abimelech asks Abraham to “swear by God that he would not deal falsely with him” in other words he was pulling out the dirty laundry, reminding Abraham of his failures so that Abraham would feel bad and do whatever Abimelech wanted.  And if that wasn’t enough he goes a step further in reminding Abraham of “how good and loyal” he has been to Abe even after Abraham lied.

This is exactly how the world works.  When looking for what they want they Intimidate, Accuse, and Intimidate.  Often this is how believers in Jesus Christ get into a compromising situation.  Friends from the past come around and start pulling out the dirty laundry, reminding of past mistakes, or how you might owe them something.

“Ever since you accepted Jesus you’re not fun anymore”

“After all I’ve done for you, this is the thanks I get?”

“Come on man, all the old gang is going to be there.” or “Everyone is doing it!”

In these following verses we see an awesome example of how to handle these situations.  Abraham truly portrays the work that God has been maturing in his character.  He doesn’t bend to their accusations, intimidations, or manipulations; Abraham stands firm in the identity he has in the Lord, He remembers the promises that God has told Him.

When in similar situations it’s our responsibility to do the same.

“I’ve been crucified with Christ; it’s no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When this world tries to strong arm you into compromise, or pin your back against the wall so that you dishonor the Lord, simply call on the Lord and remember His promises.  He will fight for you and defend you in your situation, because you’re His kid. 

When the prophet Zechariah had a glorious vision from the Lord, He saw Satan come and start accusing the nation of Israel (God’s children) of all the mistakes, screw-ups, and sins they had committed and how they were deserving of death and damnation. (Zechariah 3)  But God responds in the most beautiful way:

“And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan!  The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!  Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”"

Zechariah 3:2

God rebukes the accusations against those who are His own, His “Jerusalem”, or the ones that He has chosen.  In John 15 we are told that we didn’t choose God, but He chose us, meaning He desired to be with us, He made it possible for our redemption.  When Jesus died on the cross He initiated the reconstruction of a broken relationship between God and man.  By placing your faith in Jesus there is then nothing that can separate you from the truth of God’s love for you and His redemptive work over you. (Romans

So when the accusations fly, when the manipulations bend you backwards and the intimidations stand in your face…stand strong right back, because Jesus has your back! 

He’s for you and not against you and He’ll fight so that you can remain uncompromised.

Genesis 14:21-24

Now the King of Sodom enters the picture and starts wheeling and dealing Abram. This is another moment for Abram to prove his faith. He could have easily taken “the goods” from Sodom, in which case the king of Sodom might have taken credit for the blessing that Abram received from the Lord. As we’ve come to find out “the goods” that the king of Sodom offered are actually no good at all. This is the part that cracks me up, when being addressed by the King of Sodom, Abram doesn’t even acknowledge the guy until he’s done worshipping the Lord with Melchizedek. His first priority was to look to the Lord and worship before taking part in anything, an important example for us to follow. Abram responds to the enticing offer of the king of Sodom by telling him that he wants nothing to do with what Sodom has to offer, “From a thread to a sandal strap” (And people say New Yorkers are cut, dry, and to the point!) Abram didn’t want to be associated with the wicked reputation of the Men of Sodom (Genesis 13:12, 13).

Abram wasn’t being rude, he was being shrewd. He knew what was attached to the king of Sodom’s offer. He wasn’t condescending at all; he didn’t force his conviction and standards upon anyone else. He simply stood firm in what he knew God had instructed him to do. Raising his hand as a symbol of taking an oath, Abram basically takes the opportunity to share truth with the king about Yahweh, making a clear statement of who he was and where he stood.

Notice Abram didn’t stop the others from “taking their portion.” God gives us all conviction through The Word and via the Holy Spirit. We all know “the hand that makes us sin or the eye that causes us to stumble” and we must be obedient to chop off and pluck out the fleshy enticements of our lives. These things are different for everyone, I may struggle in one area where another brother might not. It is better to live maimed than to miss out on abiding with the Lord, others might not understand, and that’s okay, but we are responsible to not compromise the areas where God has directly instructed us to obey.

“Why burn your bridges?” You might ask.

Abram has already crossed the bridge into obedience to God, as he showed when he ignored the King of Sodom to first worship the Lord. He has no intention of returning to that old culture and lifestyle of the world. Abram sets a precedent that we all should follow, he wasn’t open to any negotiations of making provision for the flesh, there wasn’t any room for compromise…Abram committed himself to the Lord without apology or shame.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”Ephesians 2:1-10

As we live life in this world we will experience the wheeling and dealing of this world, but as Abram shows, it is possible to be in this world but not of this world.

“By faith he (Abram) dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents…for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God…because he judged Him faithful who had promised…These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”Hebrews 11:9-16

Enticing offers, alluring propositions, and “the goods” will come our way, but like Abram we must show our allegiance to God alone. If it’s not coming from the hand of the Lord, there’s probably some strings attached. And as we learned from Pinocchio, all strings really do is hold you down. Jumping through hoops and being lead by strings is Satan’s mode of operation. The Lord shows his love and grace with no strings attached, we don’t need to jump through hoops or be puppets, we have but to enjoy the free gift of salvation and respond in love to the One who gave it.

“Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.  Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”  He said, “I do not know.  Am I my brother’s keeper?”  And He said, “What have you done?  The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.  So now you are cursed from the earth…A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”" 

Genesis 4:8-12

The story continues with Cain and Abel in a field.  Most versions of the Bible state that Cain “talked” with Abel, the New Living Translation more closely represents what the Hebrew says, “Cain suggested to his brother, Abel, “Let’s go out into the fields.”"

The word “talked” in the Hebrew is “‘amar”, meaning “to speak in one’s heart with intention.”  This is similar to our English word “premeditate”.  Cain knew full well what he was going to do in that field.  As we read before, Cain was suffering from an anger problem (Gen.4:5).  He had a chip on his shoulder from the moment God accepted Abel’s offering and didn’t accept.  God saw the change in Cain and warned him, if He didn’t rule over his anger, it would rule over him.  Cain’s anger isn’t brought under control, and as we come to find out when anger goes unchecked it grows to sin, and sin leads to death. 

“Don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.  Think about it overnight and remain silent.  Offer proper sacrifices and trust in the Lord…Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.  You have put gladness in my heart…”

Psalm 4:4-5 (NLT)

Just after a coup led by his own son, King David penned the words above.  He had every right to be angry, but King David was a man after God’s own heart.  Here he advises what to do when anger threatens our countenance.  He says, “Offer proper sacrifices and trust in the Lord.”  If only Cain had listened when the Lord warned, If only he had decided to bring a proper offering and trust in the Lord instead of brewing in his anger and eventually becoming it’s prisoner.  He would have experienced “The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon him” and the chip on his shoulder that turned him into a murderer would have become gladness in his heart.  He wouldn’t have killed his own brother, he wouldn’t have brought a curse down upon himself, and he wouldn’t have ended up a vagabond, one who restlessly wanders.  That’s what anger does to our soul; it curses us with restlessness in our hearts, making us wander from the peace that the Lord desires us to have.    

How do we keep anger from controlling us?  By bringing a proper offering.

What is a proper offering? 

An offering is also known as “a sacrifice”.  It means to give something up, so we might free up our hands and receive something back from God.  The proper offering in the moment of anger is “the sacrifice of praise” (Heb.13:15, 16 Lev.7:12 Hos.14:2 Jer. 33:11).  With the sacrifice of your lips, you sing…offering up anger, and freeing yourself up to receive the Lord’s gladness. 

That’s the answer. 

When your blood starts to boil, and you’re about to explode…stop steaming, and start singing.  I’m not sure why it works…I’m not even sure how it works…the only thing I know for sure is that it works. 

Music and singing I believe is a gift from God Himself.  Whether you agree with me or not, studies show it does have significant effects on our attitude.  Emotions and Music are pen pals.  They communicate to each other and respond based upon what is communicated.  That’s why when King Saul was tormented in his soul he brought David in to sing and play the harp…and his spirit found rest.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying music is the “be all, end all”…that would be Jesus.  What I am saying however, is that when we purpose our hearts to really focus on God, genuinely trust in who He is, and sing about it out loud…something happens…you cannot be angry.  It’s just not possible.  When you make the sacrifice of praise, giving God your anger, you will always be freed up into a heart full of gladness.  You won’t always feel like doing it at the moment, it’s a discipline that is formed.  It takes work, and it is well worth it. 

We must be o’ so careful when anger threatens our hearts.  Anger itself is not a sin, however, it is a platform for sin, and depending on who stands on that platform (Jesus Christ or Satan) and holds the authority of that platform, will therein decide the outcome of our actions. 

“And “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.”  Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.”

Ephesians 4:26, 27 (NLT)

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

1 Peter 5:8-10

“Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

James 4:7, 8

Genesis 4:1-7

Chapter four opens with the beginning of the first family.  Adam “knew” his wife; the bible often uses this word to refer to sexual relations.  Adam and Eve were enjoying one of the blessings God intended for everyone who would come into the covenant of marriage. 

Now enter baby Cain.  His birth marks the beginning of God fulfilling His promises and curses given in chapter 3:15, 16.  The address began with the serpent and then the woman, finally ending with Adam.  In this address The Lord gives mention of the events to come; woman would give birth and:

 ”…enmity between your (the serpent) seed and her Seed (notice this “Seed” is capitalized); He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel”. 

This is often referred to as the “first gospel” due to these words.  The prophet Isaiah would later speak of this “Seed” as Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Is. 53, 7:14).  Jesus Christ’s heel was bruised when nailed to the cross as a temporary injury, and Satan “the serpent” would suffer the ultimate defeat in Christ’s resurrection. 

So as time passes, Adam and Eve are the parents of two boys.  One becomes a Shepherd, the other becomes a Farmer.  Like most brothers in the Bible we learn some valuable lessons from the way they respond to each other, and the Lord. 

“Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.  Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.  And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.”

Genesis 4:2-5

Here is the pivotal moment in the story.  The text tells us; “through the process of time” Cain and Abel come and present their respective offerings. 

The question I ask is, “Where did they get the idea to present offerings?” 

Up to this point there is no mention of formal sacrifices or offerings unto the Lord.  How did these two know to bring offerings?  Even more interesting is that the Bible is specific to mention Abel brought “the firstborn of his flock and their fat.”  These specific standards for sacrificial offerings weren’t installed until the time of Moses.  As we dig through the Bible it gives some more insight about this situation. 

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”

Hebrews 11:4

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him…”

Hebrews 11:6

“…how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard…So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Romans 10:14, 17

I believe during the “process of time” God pulled the brothers aside and instructed them on the “ins and outs” of this offering.  Normally when we zip through this portion of scripture we run the risk of writing the parts previous to the death of Abel as “not important”.  Leaving us to think God prefers a well prepared leg of lamb over fruits and veggies.  This is far from the truth.

I absolutely love caramel lattes.  I enjoy the wonderful mix of rich coffee flavor blended perfectly with caramel sauce goodness. (Stay away from the syrup pump thing, that stuff is fool’s gold!)  Now let’s imagine I was to walk into a cafe and order my usual pleasure in a cup.  I answer all their questions with answers like, “the biggest size you got!” and “yes, I want caramel on top”.  Then at the end of my order, the barista turns to me and looks at me and says, “I’ve got a better idea on how you should take your latte!”  Or even worse they say something like, “I heard all you had to say, but I’m just going to give you a chai tea latte.”  You better believe I’m not going to be okay with that!  It’s not that I have anything against chai tea lattes.  I’m sure a lot of nice people drink chai tea lattes.  My problem is with the way the order is being received and carried out. 

God’s focus was set deeper than the offering itself.  His pleasure was found in the measure of faith present in their hearts and the outworking of their faith to obey in the present circumstances.  In short, God’s pleasure was in Abel who had enough faith to believe God knew what He wanted and obeyed.  God’s problem wasn’t with fruits or veggies, or even Cain, His problem lied mainly with the way Cain lacked the faith to believe God knew what He was talking about, and then had the pride to think he could do what he wanted instead. 

When we bring our offering to the Lord, and God has asked for it in a certain way, it’s usually a pretty good idea to swallow your pride and recognize the fact that you don’t know better than God. 

Paul would tell the church in Corinth, “Our thoughts are not His thoughts, neither His ways our ways.” 

The pathway of pride always leads to the destination of sin, and as we’ll come to find out sin will always demand a bloody death. 

It’s when we approach the Lord saying, “This is what I want to do for you” that we begin to draw a line of distinction between our will and what God desires for us.  Those distinctions will eventually lead to destruction, and separation from the blessings God desires for us to enjoy when we abide with Him and His will. 

Genesis 3:6-24

Have you ever heard the phrase, “actions speak louder than words?”  Here in Chapter three we witness Adam and Eve telling God, “Get out of my life!”  Now if I was God, here is where I would have released a serious amount of whooping on Adam and Eve for their ungrateful, rebellious, and gnarly actions.  Think about it, after all God did for them, they just turn around and slap God in the face with their willful rebellion, and by their sinful actions they basically tell God all He had done for them wasn’t good enough. 

Here is where God sets Himself apart from all others, in His Holiness He doesn’t point fingers, raise His voice, or throw anyone in the hurt locker.  The only thing we see God do is be gracious and merciful.  I like that, God has shown Himself gracious and merciful since the beginning.  I’m not saying He let Adam and Eve off the hook.  There were consequences to their sin, I am simply pointing out that God’s character does not change. 

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

James 1:16, 17

“Are you kidding?” you ask.

“How is kicking Adam and Eve out of the garden gracious or merciful?” you might think.

“Sending them out from the garden was not so much punishment as it was protection.”

Jon Courson (Sermon on Genesis Chapter 3)

In verse 22 we read, “Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.  And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”-therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden…” (NKJV emphasis mine)

I usually run around 2-3 miles a day, now at 25 my body feels like it’s going to fall apart at the end of my time jogging.  Now that Adam and Eve have the knowledge of good and evil things have changed.  The bodies God gave them are no longer united in God’s perfection; their “earthly tents” will begin to decay due to the fact that they have rebelled against God.  Could you imagine if they ate of the tree of life and lived forever? Picture wrinkly, decrepit Adam walking around on His ten thousandth birthday.  That would be some serious arthritis.  God graciously protected them from making matters worse. 

Then we read the moment they took a bite they noticed they were naked.  They were ashamed and all of a sudden they didn’t want to be with God, and they hid themselves from God.  They tried to cover up with some fig leaves, but apparently the leaves couldn’t cover the shame they were now experiencing.  That is what sin does, it causes shame, and it makes us want to hide in embarrassment from the one who loves us.  We sin, we rebel, then all of a sudden we feel the weight of anxiety and shame come down on us.  We try our best to sew together some type of cover up for our sinful heredity; however it’s all in vain.  In the midst of the garden we find God in His great mercy calling for Adam.  He didn’t choose to give up on them; instead He chose to cover over them.  In His mercy He sacrificially kills an animal and makes for them some clothes to cover their shame and embarrassing nakedness.

And so we see a picture of what God planned to do ultimately for all of sinful humanity.  He would make the ultimate sacrifice for us by killing His Son.  Innocent and perfect, Christ covers over us with His atoning blood.  You see God isn’t in the business of guilt and shame, that is Satan’s line of work.  The devil desires to load us up with feelings of shame so that we spend the rest of our lives hiding from God.  

If you listen closely to the Bible instead of the lies of Satan, you might hear the same voice Adam and Eve heard in the cool of the day.  It’s God calling to you, looking for you, desiring to cover over your sin and bring you back to an awesome relationship with Him.  Will you accept what He has for you?

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”"

Romans 10:9-11

Genesis 1:28

As I read this verse one word stood out to me, “Subdue”.  In the midst of beautiful language like fruitful, and bless, and created, we find a word dripping with seemingly negative connotation. 

What is God saying? 

What is it God has against the earth? 

I think the more accurate question we should ask is, “Who is it on the earth that God has something against?”

The answer is Satan. 

The prophets Isaiah, and Ezekiel tell us about a rebellion that was launched by an archangel named “Lucifer” before the creation story as we know it.  The word Satan means “Adversary.”  While at first he was called “the Satan,” this later came to be used as a proper name for Lucifer.  Needless to say, his rebellion was snuffed out quicker than a candle in a wind storm.  He and one third of the angels that followed him were kicked out of heaven and fell to earth… and at that moment Hell hit earth. 

“Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
      ”You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
       You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering:
      The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
      The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
       “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.  You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”

Ezekiel 28:11-15

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,^[a] son of the morning!
      How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!  For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit…”

Isaiah 14:12-15

We read in Genesis 1:2 “The earth was “Tohuw va Bohuw”" literally translated, “without form and void” These words are also used by the Lord when speaking through the prophet Isaiah when recounting creation. 

Isaiah 45:18 says, “For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God,, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it “Bohuw” or “void”, Who “Tohuw” or “Formed” it to be inhabited…”

So what we have here is Genesis saying one thing, and Isaiah saying the exact opposite…or is He?

Believe it or not this isn’t a conflict in scripture.  I believe that God had already created the earth and then Lucifer launched his rebellion.  When he and his followers got booted, they hit the earth and then it became void and formless due to the presence of Satan, his minions, and their iniquity.  As we know from the fall of Adam and Eve, sin destroys.  That is why we read in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God “bara’” or literally “fashioned anew”. 

The earth now becomes the setting of a cosmic showdown between “The God of all” and “The god of this earth”.  We are the instruments God created to use as testimonies of His greatness.  We have the privilege to join the God of all creation in His eternal plan. 

This is why He tells us to go into the earth and subdue it.  To testify to the adversary that God is in control, that He is the ruler over all the earth, and to be a constant reminder that “He who is in us, is greater than he who is in this world” and that God is coming to establish His eternal kingdom.

How do we overcome the enemy who seemingly rules this world we live in? 

The answer is “Be fruitful and multiply”

Be fruitful:

 ”The fruit of the spirit is love…”

Galatians 5:22

Why doesn’t it say fruit(s)? 

Simply because the words to follow in this verse are the outworking of love.  Love however is not limited to just these out workings; Love is defined in the person of Jesus Christ. 

 ”Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away… And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:8, 13

Love is the single greatest tool in the hands, and heart of those who are looking to be a testimony of God.  1 John 3:16 tells us, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us…”  Unless we are abiding in intimate relationship with Jesus Christ our ability to subdue is impotent. 

So when you are tempted to be sarcastic, or say something cutting… just don’t do it.  James says, “The power of life and death in the tongue.”  What we speak to each other can potentially kill another person’s soul.  Does that love like Jesus?  No.  Whether you like it or not, you will play for one side or the other in this showdown between God and the devil.  Are you being a testimony of God to those around you or are you siding as an adversary against God with the way you conduct yourself?

And Multiply:

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.  Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying…” (Acts 5:42-6:1)

When was it that the number of the disciples was multiplying? 

When daily wherever they went, they taught and preached that Jesus was the Christ!

How is it that your kids and their friends will be disciples of Jesus?  When you take time daily to teach and preach that Jesus is the Christ.  I’m not saying run around like a freak and flap your lips at your family, the folks next door, or the guy working the counter at seven eleven. 

With your conduct

With your speech

With Love

You can preach and teach to everyone around that Jesus has loved you, that He has saved you from your sins, and made a change in your life…and that He has done the same for them.