Why is Your Spirit Cast Down? ~ Raul Ries

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
Psalm 42:5

It is said that the Devil once decided to go out of his business and he offered his tools for sale. They were attractively displayed: Trickery, Hatred, Jealousy, Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, and many other evil tools, each marked with a price. But in the center was a wedge-shaped, much worn tool priced higher than all the others. “What is that?” Satan was asked. “That is Discouragement,” he replied. “But why so costly?” “Because it can do my evil work better than all other tools. With it I can make the lives of many folks of no value. I can make then just lie down and ‘give up’ and become useless and they don’t even know I am the one who uses it”

Thought for the Day:

“If Satan’s arsenal of weapons were restricted to a single one, it would be discouragement.”

--C.S. Lewis

Achieving Victory ~ Mark Balmer

Based on “What Satan Doesn’t Want You to Know” by Pastor Mark Balmer;

11/7-8/09, Message #MB395; Daily Devotional #6 - “Achieving Victory”

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Throughout the teachings at CCM we are often reminded that, as Christ followers, we are actively engaged in spiritual warfare. The world has taught us that only the things we do in the physical world constitute sin and require penalty. After all, it would seem odd if a person were fined for thinking about stealing or jailed for wishing to do physical harm to some person. Jesus cares about our physical well being and needs, but we need to remember that Jesus is mostly concerned with our minds and hearts. Though the enemy has been defeated by Jesus our Savior, we still must overcome the thoughts of our “natural man” and instead seek “the mind of Christ.”

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Jesus gives us a tremendous example of how to achieve victory by applying Scripture. After forty days of fasting in the desert, Jesus is tempted by the devil himself. When tempted by the devil, Jesus did not answer, “Well, I believe…” or “I was taught…” but instead, directly quotes the Word of God to rebuke him. We see that Jesus has such knowledge and authority of the Scripture that He is even able to quote Scripture to correct the devil’s misuse of it. (Matthew 4:7). As Christ followers, we must take in the Word daily so that when the time comes we can refer to it rather than fall into the snare of rationalizing sin and trying to accommodate it in our daily thinking. If we know that we have been falling short in a particular area, we should seek Scripture to help us in the fight. For example, if I know that I am short of patience with a particular person, I may mediate on and memorize the verse, A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.(Proverbs 15:1) If you are feeling tempted, you could arm yourself with the verse Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) This way when faced with a snare we can be quick to recite Scripture to combat it.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Christ followers must remember that the spiritual battle is a marathon and not a sprint. Just like the body requires nourishment, our minds and heart need the Word daily to ensure that we are not overtaken. Most coaches will practice via repetition so that in a game setting the body can react without conscious thought. We must seek to immerse our minds in Scripture so that when we are challenged we can react with authority and achieve the victory we seek. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

Cultivating (Additional Reading): Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 10:5

Contrasting Consequences of Accessing Grace through Faith ~ Bob Hoekstra

Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. (Hebrews 11:35)

This verse serves as a transition from enjoyed blessings to endured difficulties. Both were experienced by depending upon the Lord. Herein, we see contrasting consequences of accessing grace through faith. The blessings we may anticipate. The difficulties may seem to us "unusual."

Even the blessing of resurrected loved ones is not surprising to be found in the history of God's people, since we serve a God of resurrection power. Elijah understood this. Consequently, he did not balk when he knew that the Lord wanted him to be an instrument of resurrection. This miracle of God's grace would occur in the home of a widow who was supplying food for the prophet. "The son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him" (1 Kings 17:17). This faithful widow was distressed and perplexed. "So she said to Elijah, 'What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?'" (1 King 17:18). In most situations, prayer would have been appropriately offered for the strength and comfort of the remaining family. However, Elijah was led to cry out to the Lord for the boy. "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him" (1 Kings 17:21). The Lord confirmed that this was His will by raising the deceased son. "Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived" (1 Kings 17:22).

This miraculous blessing was brought forth by faith in God. Yet, faith in the Lord does not always result in such temporal blessings, as the contrasting conclusion to our verse documents. "And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection." Living by faith is the general context of this chapter ("By faith…By faith…By faith"—Hebrews 11:3, 4, 5). It is also the immediate context of our verse ("who through faith"—Hebrews 11:33). These "others [who] were tortured" were also living by faith. Their faith in God would work for them an eternal blessing, to be enjoyed at the final resurrection of the righteous.

We can embrace this same outlook. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Meanwhile, we can be learning to live by resurrection power: "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection" (Philippians 3:10).

Lord God of Resurrection, I cry out to You to revive the dead or dying areas of my own life. I also look to You for the sustaining strength I need in times of suffering. Teach me to live daily by the power of Your resurrection, Amen.

Cooperating With the Holy Spirit ~ Rick Warren

"Let the Spirit change your way of thinking" (Ephesians 4:23 CEV).

Throughout the Bible we see an important truth illustrated over and over: the Holy Spirit releases his power the moment you take a step of faith.

When Joshua was faced with an impassible barrier, the floodwaters of the Jordan River receded only after the leaders stepped into the rushing current in obedience and faith. Obedience unlocks God’s power.

God waits for you to act first. Don’t wait to feel powerful or confident. Move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings. This is how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and it is how your character develops.

The Bible compares spiritual growth to a seed, a building, and a child growing up. Each metaphor requires active participation: seeds must be planted and cultivated, buildings must be built—they don’t just appear—and children must eat and exercise to grow.

While effort has nothing to do with your salvation, it has much to do with your spiritual growth. At least eight times in the New Testament we are told to “make every effort” in our growth toward becoming like Jesus (Luke 13:24 NIV, Romans 14:19 NIV, Ephesians 4:3 NIV, 2 Timothy 2:15 NCV, Hebrews 4:11 NIV, Hebrews 12:14 NIV, 2 Peter 3:14 NIV).

You don’t just sit around and wait for it to happen.

Paul explains in Ephesians 4:22-24 our three responsibilities in becoming like Christ.

First, we must choose to let go of old ways of acting. “Everything . . . connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it” (Ephesians 4:22 MSG).

Second, we must change the way we think. “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking” (Ephesians 4:23 CEV). The Bible says we are “transformed” by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

The Greek word for transformed, metamorphosis (used in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18), is used today to describe the amazing change a caterpillar goes through in becoming a butterfly. It is a beautiful picture of what happens to us spiritually when we allow God to direct our thoughts: we are changed from the inside out, we become more beautiful, and we are set free to soar to new heights.

Third, we must put on the character of Christ by developing new, godly habits. Your character is essentially the sum of your habits; it is how you habitually act. The Bible says, “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24 NIV).

Weep For The Captives! ~ Kay Arthur

Jeremiah, Part 1 (Return To Me)

Program 39 – Weep For The Captives!

When you look at people that are turning their back on God, that are walking away from Him, that are going deeper and deeper into a captivity, a sin that holds them in bondage, when you look at them, how do you feel about them? God says you are to weep. Weep for those that are taken captive because they don’t have to be in that situation if they will just let God be God. Life, as I’ve said this week, can be wearying. It can get to you.

And yet, Precious One, if you know the Lord, it is life. It is not death; it is freedom. It is not captivity. And what we are going to see as we look at Jeremiah chapter 22, God has a throne of justice and righteousness. We are going to see how important that is. We’re going to see what happens to people when they do not listen to God, when they do not act according to His justice, according to His righteousness.

I was telling the crew as we were cutting this program, I said, “I left out an illustration.” And I wanted to give you the illustration. And you know what? It’s the program, so I’m going to go back and I’m going to tell on myself, okay? Do you remember when Jeremiah was so distressed, and how he didn’t want to speak anymore for the Lord? And yet, how there was a fire burning in his bones, and how he comes to this point of exultation and he’s praising the Lord? (See Jeremiah 20:7-13)

And then the next thing you see right after verse 13 it says, “Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one from the…evil doers.” (Jeremiah 20:13) God has delivered me; praise the Lord! It’s hard, it’s rough, but God has delivered me. Then he turns around and in the next breath he says, “Cursed be the day when I was born; let [not that] day…be blessed when my mother bore me! Cursed be the man who brought the news….” (Jeremiah 20:14-15)

I’ve had a heavy, heavy schedule. I mean, I have been going day and night. And we’ve just finished an executive briefing, and so I’ve been with people that have come in and a lot of our international leaders are here from Eurasia, our Portuguese ministry, and our Ambassadors at Large, and everything. And it has been wonderful! And we’ve been sharing, and we’ve all been teaching and everything, but it was over on Sunday.

And then I had guests at my house. And I just loved having the fellowship and everything, but when they left I had had it. I was so tired I couldn’t see straight. I thought, “I’ve got to get into bed.” So at four o’clock in the afternoon, I get into bed.

I want to have time with my granddaughter at our house and my son because his wife is dead. Her mother is ah deceased. And so I just want to be family. So at six-thirty, I wake-up, and I want to have time with them. And that’s the only thing that gets me out of bed. I am hurting. My body hurts. And I go in and I call my son, and he says, “Mother, we’re chilling out at home, and I just don’t want to come over right now. This is a good day for us.”

So I said, “Okay.”And I thought, “Phew! Don’t have to do that.” It sounds bad, doesn’t it? Go in there and my husband says, “What are we having for dinner?” And I thought, “I don’t want to cook you dinner. I don’t want to take care of you. I just want to go back to bed.”

You get weary. You get weary. And listen, I understand. And you know what? I got him dinner. I got it on the table, but I didn’t want to sit down and eat with him. I wasn’t hungry; I just wanted to go to bed. And I turned around and I looked at him, and I said, “I am so sorry, but I want you to know I feel so irritable right now. I just need to go and be by myself.”

We get this way and it comes on us. And it, in a sense, can overtake us if we don’t continue to walk by the Spirit. But you know what? We do have the Spirit. We do have the knowledge of God. We do have the strength. And it was my knowledge of God that restrained me from just blowing it.

But, Precious One, listen to me, you look at the people out there in the world and those are people that don’t know God. Those are people that are not interested in God. And sometimes we look at those evil doers and we envy them. And we think, “Hey! They’ve got it made.”

And what we don’t realize is that they are going into captivity, into the captivity of sin, into the results of sin. So as we look, I’ve told on myself. And I don’t know if you’ve been there, if you’ve done that, but I will tell you the thing that restrains me, and sends me to bed when I’m irritable, ’cause I got back in bed. But the thing that restrains me is knowing God, and knowing my end, and knowing what God is all about.

I want us to go to Jeremiah chapter 22. Now remember in 21 it’s like a change in the book. And in 21, we saw him talking about the time of Zedekiah. We know in the days of Zedekiah that’s the final siege of Jerusalem. Those people are going to die by sword and famine and pestilence. Others are going to be carried into Babylon, Pashhur and others, and they’re going to die there. Others are going to settle down, and they’re going to live, but it’s not good. It’s all brought about because the house of David did not administer justice every morning.

And so now in Jeremiah chapter 22, and I’ve already read to you, the Word of the Lord that comes as he goes down to the king of Judah and there speaks his word. And this is what he says, “„… “Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah…,”‟” verse 2, of chapter 22, “„“…who sits on David‟s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. Thus says the LORD, „Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan…the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.‟‟‟” (Jeremiah 22:2-3)

And this is what we read yesterday. “„“„For if you men will indeed perform this thing…,‟”‟” (Jeremiah 22:4) If you will do justice if you will do righteousness, if you will not mistreat or do violence to the orphan, or the widow, or the stranger, “„“„…then [your] kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David‟s palace on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,‟ declares the LORD, „that this house will become a desolation.‟‟‟” (Jeremiah 22:4-5) But if you will not obey these words, did you hear that? If you will not obey these words, this house will become a desolation. “For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: „You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon….‟” (Jeremiah 22:6)

Gilead is beautiful. The summit of Lebanon is high and glorious. He says, “„…Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness, like cities which are not inhabited. For I will set apart…,‟” now listen carefully, “„…destroyers against you, each with his weapons…,‟” he says, “„…and they will cut down your choicest cedars and [they will] throw them [in] the fire. (Jeremiah 22:6-7) Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, “Why has the LORD done thus to this…city? „Then they will answer, “Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and [they] bowed down to other gods and served them.”‟” (Jeremiah 22:8-9) He says, “Do not weep…or mourn….” (Jeremiah 22:10) Don’t weep for the dead. Don’t mourn for him, for Josiah, he’s the king that died. “…But weep continually for the one who goes away; for he will never return or see his native land.” (Jeremiah 22:10)

Now who is he talking about? He says don’t weep for Josiah. He was a good king. He lived righteously. Yes, he is dead, but he is the righteous dead. Weep for the one who was going to go away. Weep for his son. Weep for Shallum. And then he says, “For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, „He will never return there; but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again.‟” (Jeremiah 22:11-12) He says, “„Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice….‟” (Jeremiah 22:13)

Now what he does is he switches to another king, another king that is going to be taken captive, another king that is going to be dealt with. Why? Because, listen this king was taken captive by sin and the captivity to sin. The fact that he would not turn to God, the fact that he would not listen to God, the fact that he would not administer justice is also going to take him into captivity.

Precious One, and we’re going to discuss this in the next segment of this program. But Precious Ones, listen to me. You may grow tired. You may grow weary. You may grow irritable. But know this, if you belong to the Lord you have a future and you have a hope so rejoice, don’t weep. Yes, you go through the groans, but you don’t weep because the end is good. We’ll talk about it in just a minute. Welcome back, Beloved. And as we talk about weeping for people that are in captivity, we’ve got to know, so many times when I have a friend and their husband dies, their child dies, one of the things that I remind them of is Psalm 116, verse 15. “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of [His holy ones] His godly ones.”(Psalms 116:15) That’s precious. But to continue into captivity, and to live without the knowledge of God that is hell. That is hell here on earth, and that is hell for all the future.

Well, now what’s happening in Jeremiah chapter 22? He’s got a message for the kings. And that is that he wants them to administer justice. He wants them to administer righteousness. And then he tells them, “This is who I want you to weep for. I don’t want you to weep for good king, Josiah. I want you to weep for his sons, because his sons were evil and they did not administer justice and righteousness, then his sons ended up in captivity.

Let’s look at it. And what I want us to do now is, we have looked all the way down through Jeremiah chapter 22, and we have come to verse 10 where he tells us, “Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him…,” he’s talking about Josiah, “…But weep continually for the one who goes away; for he will never return or see his native land. For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went…from this place, „He will never return there; but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again.‟” (Jeremiah 22:10-12)

I want us to pause, and I want us to go to 2 Kings chapter 23. And I want to do is, I want to put us into historical context because the historical context that you see now is going to carry you through the rest of the book of Jeremiah. Now if you were downloading your free study guide and you’ve never done this. And you say, “One more week, and you’re at the end of part one.” Yeah, but do you know what follows part one? Part two.

So get with it and go to“preceptsforlife.com,”“preceptsforlife.com,” because when you do, we have a list for you of the historical events so that you can put everything in place. So go to 2 Kings. You know, those of you that have been studying with us. We’ve gone through the whole Old Testament up to this point in time except for Psalms and Proverbs, but we’ve gone chronologically. And when you study the prophets and you’ve read Kings. And you see what’s going on in Chronicles it all fits together.

Okay, so this is what I want you to understand: The enemy is outside the gate. The enemy from the south; Egypt. The enemy from the north and Israel is under the judgment of God. And so you read in 2 Kings chapter 23, talks about the days of Josiah. And it says, “Before him….” (2 Kings 23:25) talking about Josiah, now remember, Josiah is reigning. And in the eighteenth year of his reign, they find the Word of God that is lost in the house of God. He humbles himself; he tears his clothes. He weeps before God and he calls the nation to make a covenant to serve God.

And it says in verse 25, “Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all of his heart and with all of his soul and with all his might, according to…the law of Moses; nor did any…arise after him.” (2 Kings 23:25) So no king arose after him to sit on the throne of David like Josiah.

Well, you compare this with Jeremiah chapter 22, in verse 15 and 16 and this is what you learn about him. Now I’m jumping, and we’ll get there tomorrow in this part of 2 Kings. But in Jeremiah chapter 22, in verse 15, he is speaking to Jehoaikim. And he says, “„Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness…?” (Jeremiah 22:15) He’s talking about his father Josiah. “„…then it was well with him. He pled the cause of the afflicted and the needy; then it was well [with him]. Is [this] not…what it means to know Me?‟ declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 22:15-16)

To walk in justice and righteousness, to plead the cause of the needy, that’s what you need to do now in our society when everybody’s hurting and when people are falling apart and the economy is falling apart and people are suffering. You and I need to be God’s arm of compassion. It’s not the government that’s supposed to take care of them, it is us. It is the people in justice and righteousness. So this was the days of Josiah, but go back to 2 Kings chapter 23, verse 26, “However, the LORD did not turn [away] the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah….” Why? “…Because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him.” (2 Kings 23:26)

Now Manasseh was the great grandfather of Josiah. And God promised during Josiah’s life that there would be peace, but after Josiah dies then God is going to have to judge them. “[And] the LORD said, „I will remove Judah…from My sight, as I have removed Israel…I will cast off Jerusalem, [the] city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I [have] said, “My name [will] be there.”‟ Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?” (2 Kings 23:27-29)

Now catch this, and we’re going to pick this up tomorrow, “In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt…,” this is Neco the II, king of Egypt, “…went up to the king of Assyria…,” look at your map, “…to the river Euphrates. And King Josiah went to meet him, and when Pharaoh Neco saw him he killed him at Megiddo.” (2 Kings 23:29)

So Josiah dies. And God says, “Don’t weep for Josiah. Weep for the one that is taken from his land that will never see it again.” Remember we read that in verse 30 of 2 Kings it says, “His servants drove his body in a chariot from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.” (2 Kings 23:30) And what is another name for Jehohaz?

Well, you want to go back to Jeremiah chapter 22. And there in Jeremiah chapter 22, verse 11 that’s Shallum. And what do you see is, this is the one that we are to weep for. Not the one that lived righteously and died, but the one that lives unrighteously, and is taken into captivity.

God’s lesson for you is to do righteousness, to do justice, to live righteously for Him even when you’re irritable and grumpy because you have a future and a hope.