Author: Charlie Brignac

We love to listen to the world because the world always moves toward leniency relative to any wayward behavior.  The messages of the world do not convict us.  They only serve to make us comfortable.  When God speaks the truth, we must come in line with His words or we will become very uncomfortable.  The good news is that when we align ourselves with the Truth, we are comfortable for all eternity.  Listen to God for lasting comfort.

Where do good ideas come from?  They come from the source of all knowledge.  God, Our Father in heaven, inspires all ideas of value.  If we are not seeking God in every decision and in every effort we undertake, we are missing out on tapping into the greatest possible source of wisdom and creative spark.  Why not consider seeking favor for even the smallest project?  It might turn into the biggest thing you ever did.

We generally do not take the time to enjoy life to the fullest.  We are too busy doing earthly things to take the time to praise God in every breath we take, to exalt Him in every provision we enjoy and to worship Him through our every activity.  God’s presence surrounds us in every aspect of our lives.  Why go through life in a blur, missing the essence of our being that is only a higher thought away?  

When the flesh is weak, we put ourselves in a position of becoming weak spiritually.  When we are weak, we are more likely to succumb to the calling of our flesh.  It is during these time periods when Satan will successfully attack us.  

During times when we are hungry, angry, lustful or tired, we need to HALT and call on God for strength.   Only by drawing on His Spirit within us are we able to gain victory over Satan and the evil that the world has to offer.

Once we truly seek our personal satisfaction through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have leaped off of the proverbial “fence.”  We no longer can identify with the agenda that the world puts out and at the same time claim to be wholly sold out to Jesus.  When we move to the kingdom side of the fence, there is nothing that appears greener on the other side.  Our home is now the pasture of the Lamb of God.

Did you ever notice the love and joy that small children exhibit in all that they do?  They naturally reflect the love of God in their lives without the influence of the world affecting them.  They express absolute joy in even the smallest things.  

As we grow older, we lose sight of the purity of God in all things because we let the world overshadow the truth.  Once the world has overshadowed what we see, it is necessary for God to capture our attention before we can again see His glory in everything.  No wonder He calls us to be childlike.

When we submit our lives to God, we can expect that the devil will do his best to make us give up on our relationship with Our Lord.  God, Himself, will allow trials to test our faith in Him.  Through it all, we will learn perseverance.  Through perseverance, we will gain character.  It is through our new character that we are able to weather every storm.  Our faith assures us that God is near.

Jesus reigned on this earth as a servant king.   It was the power of His love that commanded His disciples to follow Him.  It was the example of His servanthood that gave the apostles their model of behavior.  

Jesus went to the Cross in service to all mankind.  He would not even defend Himself against false accusations.  He showed us that the value is in the service and not in the recognition.

The love of Jesus in our lives is what allows us to show the world what living for Christ is all about.  If we ever try to show the world how righteous we are in order to reveal Christ to them, we will fail.  There is nothing about us that is righteous.  It is Jesus in us that is righteous.  When we give Him the proper place in our lives, the world will see the light. 

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are cleansed of all of our filth in the sight of God.  On the other hand, Satan takes every opportunity to turn us away from Our Lord and back toward the filth that we left behind.  When we are sufficiently strengthened by the Spirit, we may be called to go back into the filth to find and rescue those hopelessly lost in the mire.