Monday, July 20, 2020

Living Our Guaranteed Hope

Monday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!


Living Our Guaranteed Hope

“…I saw the Lord always in my presence; for He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will live in hope…” Acts 2:25-26 Psalm 16:8-9 NASB

King David knew he could be wicked and weak in his flesh, as he prophetically spoke regarding his hope and the hope to come. The peace David experienced was made possible from the completeness of divine accommodation.

Let us shift our focus on what that means for us today. This prophecy is about the Lord, the coming Messiah. There are some fundamental principles that David ministers to us who live in a time “knowing” (John 1:14) what David could only know through prophesy.

First, David says, “…I saw the Lord always…” not just at the moment, but “constantly," David lived life in the presence of the Lord!

Secondly, we should draw comfort from knowing Jesus is at our “right hand” also. Biblically means the place of honor, dignity, and a present help always (Matthew 28:20). Christ, at our salvation, became our dignity, and He cloaked us with the honor fit for a king. No one ever should be able to rob us of the power at our "right hand."

The Lord’s control of our lives (Gal. 2:20) is our confidence to say, “I will not be shaken." The term "shaken" means to be disturbed or waver in our faith by worldly thinking or our circumstances. David did not say life events would not shake him; he said because of Christ, he would be steadfast.

Thirdly, David said seeing Jesus in the prophecy that it caused him to rejoice! True deliverance causes genuine praise!

Finally, David said his flesh would "live in hope." The hope he speaks of is the hope that comes from God that is guaranteed. God informs us that we "hope" differently than those without hope (1Thess. 4:13).

Our Hope lives us, let us live in our Hope today!

Prayer
Dear Lord, I praise you with all my being because You are my hope, my rock, my deliverer. You are forever with me.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
Write Pastor Milton at milton@agapaisolutions.com

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Sunday, July 19, 2020

You are my Steps

Sunday Morning! 😊

 

You are loved!

 

You Are My Steps

 

 “…for we walk by faith, not by sight…”  2 Corinthians 5:7

 

In our day to day walk with the Lord, many unrighteous opportunities to wander from the grip of God’s hand will be present.   The days are dark, and our present “cultural conditions” could hinder our ability to see our way in righteousness.  But the steady hand of the Lord extends security, comfort, and “shepherding” as our faith takes steps of love with God. 

 

In our faith, we must prepare to take the steps that God ordains (Ps. 37:23).   Faith is the source of our salvation (Ephesians 2:8) and our fellowship (1John 1:7) that moves the heart of God (Mark 11:21-23) so we must consistently feed our faith on the word of God. 

 

Hear the Spirit of God from King David, “…Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths, lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day…” (Psalm 25:3-5).

 

 David gets it!  He understands that the word of God and the “paths” of God go together.   God’s “paths” are God’s “ways” and it is truth that sets our instruction along the way.  

 

Note the verbs David uses, “make me know”, “teach me”, and lead me”.  This is a process of discipline that should govern all of God’s children.  This is known as progressive sanctification.

 

 In a time when there are so many lies of darkness in our homes, churches, and for sure the culture, disciplined walking by truth is paramount. As the Apostle Paul says, “…I discipline my body and make it my slave…” (1 Cor. 9:27).

 

 Without discipline the paths of God become blurred and exercising our faith suffers from disobedience.  Truly the blessings are already ordained as we please God by living out our faith before Him and the world (Ephesians 1:3) and it ultimately brings God glory (Isaiah 49:3). 

 

Walk strong, Saints, our God leads us, and His paths are clearly seen!

 

Prayer:  Dear Lord our God, in these troubling times of unrest, thank You that You direct my steps.  Help me to be faithful in my walk with You and forever hold Your hand. 

 

In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

Written by Pastor Milton Harding

You can reach Pastor Milton at milton@agapaisolutions.com

 

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Have a Worshipful Sunday! 😊

 

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Friday, July 17, 2020

July 17th

Friday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

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The Illusion of “Inclusion”

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:14-15

When the culture’s “broad brush” inclusion policy strokes mankind, God says, “wait, not so fast!” Being bound, partnering, and fellowshipping with non-believers is prohibited.

Be in the world but not of it! (John 17:9-11).

Yet God has taught us that there is no inclusion relative to darkness and light, righteousness and lawlessness, or believers and unbeliever. There is no common ground. The gospel is “inclusive” but only at, “whosoever will” (John 3:16).

Those who are saved are not expected to embrace the philosophy and ideology of the world (Col.2:8). God told Israel not to learn the “…ways of the nations…” (Jer. 10:1).

The partnership offered by the “cultural worldview” would have us abandon Godly discernment in how we love unbelievers. We can love those who are like minded and we are commanded to (John 13:34-35) but those in darkness we must love them with the gospel (Rom. 10:15).

The difference between the two groups is “fellowship” (1 John1:3,7). We are instructed not to “love” or fellowship (in union) with the world (1 John 2:15-17). Too often the church seems to err on the side of using the cultural definition of “inclusive” at all cost.

God commanded that His sanctuary be kept holy (Lev. 19:30). Yes, we were all “included” in John 3:16 but from there, true fellowship with God and one another is reserved for “true believers.

God knows what is best for His creation and He has commanded us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16) Who are you bound to? Who are you in partnership with?

How dark is your light? (Matt. 6:23)

Prayer: O God, my God, Your name is holy, Your ways are holy. Examine me and see if the light in me is dark. Examine my close relationships and reveal the error of my ways for you have called me too to be holy.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
Write Pastor Harding at milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 16th

Thursday morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




True Deliverance Produces Real Worship

And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” Exodus 3:12

Salvation is synonymous with deliverance.

God delivers us “at” our salvation, and He continues to deliver us “in” our salvation. When Moses was unsure of the mission God was sending him on, Moses asked who he was that he should go to Pharaoh?

As we all often do when faced with what seems to be an impossible God given task, Moses placed too much expectation on himself rather than on God. But God affirmed and comforted Moses by assuring him, “I will be with you.”

God promises us that He is with us always (Matthew 28:20). When serving God, we think it is up to us to figure “it” out in our own strength and doubt begins to grow.

Always remember when God gives us a task to do, He has already provided for the outcome. Our job is to just obey! When we are sent by God we cannot fail, we only fail when we go it alone. It is the power of God that works in us steadily (Phil.2:13).

Then God said to Moses, I will give you a sign, so you know I am sending you. What a major spiritual nugget God gave to Moses and His people as well as us today! God said you will “worship God at this mountain.” Whenever our God delivers us, worship should be spontaneous because we know in our spirit that God did it! The joy of the Lord then becomes a strength for us (Nehemiah 8:10).

So, as we reflect on our walk with the Lord, let us be reminded that He loves it when we shower Him with the praise and worship that He so rightfully deserves.

Prayer: Dear Lord of Heaven and Earth,
It is to you I yield my life. I am your willing vessel. Thank you that you have delivered me and that you continue to deliver me.
I worship You.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Extended Reading: Exodus 3:10-12

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
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July 15th

Wednesday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




The Urgency to Repent

“Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” Acts 3:19

The constant cry to God from Christians is for revival. Do we really understand what we are asking? If we can truly see God in these times of darkness, we will see that our prayers are being answered—His way (Isaiah 55:8).

The biblical flavor of “revive” is to spring forth, sprout up and grow green again! It is hard, I believe, to not understand the timing of this pandemic and ethnic unrest and the impact on the human spirit.

God does desire that we be revived. He loves His children too much to leave them wayward, in exile, in sin and away from Him.

Are you in any of those places right now?

Learning from Israel’s history, we will see God’s way of returning Israel to Himself (Rom. 15:13). Repeatedly when God wanted to get a repentant response from Israel because of disobedience, (as believers we have certainly been disobedient) God met rebellion with adversity but not before sending His prophets (His word) first (Amos 3:7).

This is what I hear the Lord saying to His church and to the whole world today, “…God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30).

If we are willing to see Him through the eyes of His grace and mercy and not only His wrath, God is giving each believer and the church especially, and the whole world a chance to “repent” (stop moving away from Him and turn to Him), “return” (for forgiveness), and be “refreshed” (spiritual exuberance) by the presence of the Lord.

I think we all agree we are in need of a refreshing and the cost is repentance!

Remember, you cannot revive a dead person.

Will you repent today?

Prayer:
Dear God, our Creator,
I come now with an honest heart. I need to repent because I have been in rebellion and away from you. I have been living for myself. Please grant me repentance according to Your word. Search me and receive me now that I might enjoy Your time of refreshing.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 14th

Tuesday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




Make Samaria a Must

Extended Reading: John 4:4-42

“…And He had to pass through Samaria...” John 4:4 (NASB)

The human and spiritual needs of man are all the same—human! Since the fall of man, the active stain of sin has tainted how we view and treat one another starting with Adam and Eve. When questioned about his own sin, Adam went from being pure in his thinking and behavior to being prideful and self-preserving towards Eve (Gen.3:9).

The so called “racism “in our land today must be rightly defined by God and not man. God calls it SIN! There is no resolute narrative to be had for racism that will unite men’s hearts, but God’s love guarantees unity between like-mindedness of those who belong to Him!
JESUS is His name! (Acts 4:12).

Jesus’ purposed in His heart to go to and through Samaria (John 4:4), not for racial reconciliation but for eternal salvation; not for just a woman but for a village! The ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19) must intentionally go through “racism” with the living water of eternal life that delivers and heals (1 Pet.2:24). “Systemic prejudice” (practicing preferential and partial treatment) and social injustices seen in society, are not new, and as Jesus did in Samaria, we too must go, through America and the world!

You cannot fix a sin problem with policies, laws, or movements, we must take the “Good News” of the “perfect law of liberty in Christ to a dying world (James 1:25)! Any nation consumed by a focus on “skin color”, white privilege, black lives matter, white supremacy, social injustices, etc. (1Cor. 3:19) must see the love of God in operation by those who know Him (John 13:34-35).

True believers must go into the divided, disconnected “Samaria” of home, church, community, state, nation, and the world being “light and salt”! We must light the path and preserve the way until hearts are drawn to Jesus, for He already said, “…if I be lifted up, from the earth, will draw all men to Myself…” John 12:32

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to prepare my heart to be intentional with your word and purpose as you guide me to and through my “Samarias”.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 13th

Monday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




A Set Mind Is Our Mindset

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2

The greatest hinderance to the body of Christ is the failure to have a “set mind” that is being rooted in Christ and the promises of God’s word. We become a stumbling block to the work of Jesus, ourselves, and others when we fulfill Satan’s priorities and not God’s.

This was evident when Jesus pointed it out to Peter, one of His own, falling into the trap of fleshly thinking and behavior (Matt. 16:23). Mindsets, be they heavenly or earthly, drive our behavior. One Old Testament believer I think exemplifies God’s expectations of a true believer was Ezra (Ezra 7:10). Ezra was a “student” of God’s word.

A true disciple is one whose mind is set intentionally on being taught, intentionally living what is taught and intentionally teaching what is taught.

Some key behaviors of Ezra’s walk were,

1) set his heart (mind) on studying the word. “Study” here means to seek and consult what God wanted,

2) to practice the word of God. This is where too many believers deceive themselves. We may get the knowledge of the word but fail to experience the supernatural work of truth exploding in our spirit. It is a hallmark of the progressive sanctification process (John 17:17), 3) to teach the word of God.

This phase is directly related to the call of the church today, “make disciples” (Matt. 28:19). We are to teach others the marvelous works of God from His word and from real time testimonial occurrences.

Teaching the word of God is not a classroom setting per se, but “washing with the water of the word (Eph. 5:26). We are to teach intellectually, interpersonally, and interactively with boldness and completely dependent on the Holy Spirit (Acts 14:3).

Brothers and sisters, I pray that you will take heed to the call to get your “mindset” right with God and that His mind be found in you, “…for we have the mind of Christ…” (1 Cor. 2:16).

Prayer: Dear Lord, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 12th

Sunday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

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The Call of the Gospel

“…knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction…” 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NASB)

The gospel of God retains all the power to accomplish the purpose of God. It is the key to the kingdom for all His saints! Jesus our Lord came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10). The gospel is more than just an invitation to enter heaven upon Jesus’ return, it is life for everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). It all works according to God’s plan.

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians explains this to the believers, those who had been chosen by God. The Apostle Paul gave thanks to God for the work of their faith, their labor of love and their steadfastness of hope in Christ. This is truly salvation in action being practiced by these believers.

God will do the same in us if we let Him. The practice of our faith draws great attention and protection from our heavenly Father. Paul then speaks to the genuineness of the gospel he presented to them, how it did not come to them in word only.

The gospel is supernatural it will become active in us beyond our intellectual grasping of it. Everything after that is done by the Holy Spirit at work in us (Phil 2:13). Paul further states that the gospel came in power, “dunamis” power, the moral excellence of the soul! It is this power that gives us the strength to stand firm in the faith (Eph. 6:10) and the strength to be transformed in our sanctification (Rom 12:2).

Finally, the gospel comes to us by the Holy Spirit who takes the word of God (John 16:12) and makes it come alive in us (Heb. 4:12)! The gospel comes with “full conviction”, a confidence in the promises of God an immovable assurance that God is able to finish what He started (Phil. 1:6). The gospel gives us the strength to be a witness in the midst or affliction and persecution.

So, you see, the gospel, the good news, Jesus Christ, is more than just inviting words, it is our life!

Have you experienced the call?

Prayer:
Dear Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. Father I thank you that I not only accepted Your invitation, but I am experiencing the full call of Your gospel. May my life be a pleasing sacrifice to You.

In Jesus, Name, Amen

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 10th

Friday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

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The Lord is My Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want…” Psalm 23:1

In this season of COVID 19, with societal unrest and the fear it drives, for those in the kingdom of God it should be different. King David intimately stated, “…I’ve been young, now I’m old and I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread...” (Psalm 37:25). If anyone knew God’s provisions David did! In Psalm 23, David speaks to God’s work of discipleship that prepares us to walk daily in the “valley” of day to day life.

In verses 1-3 of this Psalm, David speaks to the ongoing rudiments of what a loving relationship looks like between the Shepherd (Jesus) and His sheep (us). David says, “The Lord is my Shepherd…”

First, in the Shepherd-sheep relationship submission is a given, but it is also a discipline. David knows that Jesus governs his life. David makes it very personal, and we too must make it personal and intimate as Jesus leads us through the wilderness of uncertainty.

Verses 2 and 3 speak to our obedient submission to Jesus. We learn the disciplines of laying down (peace of heart) in green pastures (eating truth for our spirit) when calamity and chaos are the call of the culture.

Finally, we need to have a restored soul daily to help us endure the trials of cultural tensions. When we are led by someone else’s thinking or even worse, our own thinking we are headed for destruction. We need a soul renewed by truth (Col. 3:10) each day to walk the paths of righteousness as stated, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…” (2 Tim. 3:16).

David said he feared no evil, for God was with him. We too must know that God will never leave us, He takes each step with us. The “rod and staff” are symbolic of authority and strength. A prepared table in adversity, an anointed head in our thinking and a full cup for sustenance are all provided by God as we live truth.

Finally, David is well aware that God’s goodness and mercy will be a part of every disciple’s nature when we belong to Him.

What a comfort it is to know that the Lord is our Shepherd!

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the grace and mercy you provide so that we may live in You as Your shepherding care consumes us.

We thank You, In Jesus Name, Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 9th

Thursday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

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The Love of God

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

When we pause to think about the history of our universe, something greater (Psalm 24:1) than man must be sustaining all this life beyond man’s ability (Jer.10:23). It is impossible not to know that God exists. God says we are without excuse! (Rom. 1:20).

When we get our minds around that truth, think about what Jesus said when asked what law was the greatest. He said, love God, love yourself, love others (Matthew 22:37-39). God is love (1John 4:8) and all that He does for His creation is based out of His love. Biblical love is not the same as the love that the culture screams for. God’s love is an “unconditional” love. One that is faithful even when we are not.

Jesus tells us that the expression of our love for God is obedience to His word (John 14:21). The apostle John says, “…And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments…” (2 John 1:6). There is something about receiving instructions from the God of the universe on how He instructs us to love Him and one another. It is the love between His children that catches the world’s eye and gives us opportunity to love them by pointing the world to Christ.

You have often heard it said that love is a choice. Maybe in the culture that would be true, but in Christ love is a commandment, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34-35).

The level of instruction that places love as a commandment may speak to the potential hardness that a human heart can amass. Unconditional love (agape) is a taught love, it is not natural to the human nature. Without Christ we tend to be very “conditional” in our love relationships with mankind. God wants us to experience a level in love that directly addresses our current cultural woes. God’s love provides, social justice, human harmony, peace, and kindness (Gal. 5:22).

To experience the supernatural blessings of a loving God here is the formula— “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for loving us and for being our definition of love. Forgive us when we disobey You and withhold our love from You.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 8th

Wednesday morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




The Precision of Ordained Worship?

By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored. Leviticus 10:3 (NASB)

Worship is something that God does not take lightly. He is very particular. Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, offered “strange fire” before the Lord and it cost them their lives (Lev. 10:1). Same with us when we offer worship that is strange to what God has commanded. We may not die physically but there is an element of death that severs our true fellowship with God.

God, since the beginning of time, has been very precise about how He wants to be revered. Adam and Eve “traded the cool of the day” for a lie, Cain chose “unrepentance” over life. You see, worship is not something we “do” on Sunday morning, worship is something we “are” daily, and our overflow should occur on Sunday morning in our fellowship gatherings.

Being a former Chaplain in the NFL, I’ve seen many a team, after practicing all week what they plan to do, then on game day they are at an emotional peak to put it all on the line! Well, similarly but not the same, what might it be like if we arrived at church from practicing our worship of God in spirit and truth (John 4:24) during the week and find ourselves at a passionate peak to worship Him in His holiness!

The gospel of John tells us that God is the one who determines when He has been worshiped. He is the one who is seeking those who will worship Him (spirit and truth), using the standard of holiness to determine a pass or fail. Understanding this, should give us a heightened appreciation for the grace and mercy He extends us when we are not reverentially precise in our worship of Him.

God tells us our worship shall be holy and honoring. This can only be done internally in spirit and truth and expressed externally as holy and honoring!

Prayer: Dear Lord,
Forgive me, I repent and ask Your forgiveness, when my worship is rote, mindless, and unholy. Restore me with the discipline of Your love so that my worship pleases You. I praise Your holy name.

In Jesus Name Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 7th

Tuesday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




Where Are the True Disciples of Jesus Christ?

You did not choose Me but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. John 15:16 (NASB)

With the increase of homosexuality, hatred, and evil in our streets, coupled with the decline of biblical instruction and discipleship making in our churches (Matt. 28:19), the real problem deeply seeded in our culture today is there is no “testimony” of Jesus in the land. We were guaranteed by Jesus that not only would He build His church but that the gates of hell would not prevent it (Matt.16:18)!

I ask, “Where is the church”?

Godly lifestyles built on truth, should permeate every sector of our land giving off light and being salt. Whether a pandemic or national ethnic unrest, God will use these to draw us back to the mandate to “make disciples.” (Matt. 28:19).

There cannot be the millions of believers proclaiming Christ in the land and not push back the darkness with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God found in Jesus (2 Cor. 4:6)! If the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all testify, if the Law, the Prophets, and Scriptures testify, then where is the churches’ testimony?

Today, if you hear His voice and you are a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, will you testify?

If you are not will you repent?

Prayer: Dear Lord,
Thank You that you chose me to be Your student to follow you and to obey what you teach me. Lord of the times that You provided for me to testify and I did not, forgive me. Thank you that in You I have light and salt providing the way of life for myself and others. I pray that I glorify You with my life this day forward.
In Jesus Name Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 6th

Monday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




Consumed by Cultural Thinking?

We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 1 John 5:19 (NASB)

We live in a time when many voices fill the air. Voices of division, deception, and dominance. Whether it is racism, unhealthy political bantering, blatant sexual immorality, etc. they all crowd the airwaves (Eph. 2:2). It is imperative that as believers we not be taken captive (Col. 2:8).

The whole world system is under heavy influence from Satan. The airwaves of social media and the like are filled with antichrist ideology that has the goal of influencing and promoting sinful thinking and behavior. Without being grounded in the word of God and practicing it we can fall prey to whatever heavy wind of thought that blows.

Jesus our Lord, during a time of satanic tempting (Matt. 4:4), gave instructions that man shall not live by bread (sensual sustenance) alone but on every word (spiritual strength) that proceeds from God’s mouth. The word of God is the protection that Jesus prayed for when He asked the Father to “keep” us from the evil one (John 17:15).

Will we go through times of temptation as Jesus did? Yes, we will.

Will the enemy attempt to influence and sway our thinking unto sinning against God? Yes, he will.

But when we practice the righteousness from our thinking, the enemy cannot touch us (1 John 5:18). Jesus truly is our refuge our strong tower from cultural corruption.

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe” (Proverb 18:10).

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to keep my mind on You by renewing it daily on your word. Help me to capture thoughts that are corrupt and contrary to your nature. Forgive me when I do not honor You with my thinking, my words, or my deeds.

In Jesus Name Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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July 5th

Sunday Morning! ðŸ˜Š

You are loved!




In Love with Divine Lordship

“…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” 1 Peter 3:15 (NASB)

To fully embrace the love of Christ, we must understand God’s plan to make Him Savior and Lord. It was in my own walk early on, that this revelation changed my life drastically. Appropriating Christ as Lord of your soul is key to the salvation walk. Not only do you surrender at salvation, to receive eternal life, you must also surrender to the Lordship of Christ (John 13:14). In fact, you cannot receive Him as one and not the other. Savior and Lord is synonymous to “water and wet”, they come together! Lordship (1Cor. 11:3) is where we experience three vital properties in our relationship with Jesus Christ, submission, sanctification, and servanthood.

“Submission” is a willing self-subordination to fulfill the whole plan of God.

“Sanctification” is being set apart for God’s purpose only and happens at the moment of salvation and takes on a “progressive” (ongoing, daily) element as we walk with Him.

Finally, “Servanthood” which is loving acts done in power the of the Holy Spirit meeting the temporal and spiritual needs of others and leaving the results to God.

Serving is just a lifestyle of glorifying God (Isaiah 43:7). These three ingredients harmoniously work together under the Lordship of Christ and for the glory of God.

Have you allowed Jesus to be Lord of your whole life?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Creator of all things. Thank you for being Lord of my life. I acknowledge your authority in every area of my life. May you be glorified.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Written by Pastor Milton Harding
milton@agapaisolutions.com

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