Month: March 2022

Easter is coming up in a couple of weeks and that’s the inspiration for today’s verse from Romans 8:34 which says:

Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Easter gets me all fired up. It’s a little goofy but, like Ricky Bobby praying to baby Jesus laying in the manger, I like to envision certain things in my own way. Here’s how I like to picture Easter morning at the tomb:

But unlike the scene in this video, there were not two equally-matched fighters but instead one beautiful, perfect, infinitely strong competitor (Jesus) matched against a pitiful, deceiving weakling (the devil). But still, it’s fun to think about Michael Buffer in a tuxedo standing at the tomb belting out “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” as Jesus emerges.

Easter is the celebration of the culmination of God’s long plan to bring us as close as possible to Him in the simplest way possible. He made it like paint-by-numbers, 1-2-3, a-b-c. God, in the form of man (Jesus) bore 100% of all of our sins and all the sins of all who lived before and who will live after us, in order to offer us the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven. It is an open-hand gift and to possess the gift, we need to decide to accept it:

And the way we accept it is to claim Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. A google search of “what to say to accept Jesus as my savior” results in various simple prayers, all of which are 3-4 sentences, like:

“Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God and Savior of the world. I believe that you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I believe that through your sacrifice, I am a new person. Forgive me for my sin and fill me with your Spirit.”

Of course, if you really say those words sincerely, then that’s just the beginning of the journey. While you are saved solely through faith (accepting the gift), when you accept the gift your heart will be changed and you will want to serve Him by loving and serving others. The reason I bring this up is the same reason I picked our verse today – Jesus is our risen, living savior who is actively interceding for us in heaven.

In other words, He’s clocking in every day and renewing His commitment to us. As Easter approaches, this is a great time to ask ourselves if we’re clocking in for Him every day too.

Most people reading this likely have already said the simple prayer above, accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. But, even if that’s the case, it doesn’t hurt to repeat it and to reinforce our commitment. Everyone please take a minute to do that now. [take about a minute to say the prayer and meditate on it]

Ding ding!

Questions:

1. Does Easter get you fired up? Why or why not?
2. We are called to be “Easter People”, meaning celebrating the message of Easter at all times. What does being “Easter People” mean to you?
3. When we said the prayer of commitment today, were you moved in that moment? Did God put anything on your heart you would like to share?
4. We know Jesus is “clocking in” and interceding for us every day. What does it mean for us to clock in?
5. Following up on question 4, did today’s lesson inspire you to take action of any kind this coming week?

Last week, we discussed how we need to take the fight to the devil and do everything we can to irritate him. Importantly, we should stand strong knowing that God has a plan for us. He wants us to be confident, calm, and collected as we rest in his promises. That brings us to today’s verse which is from Jeremiah 29:11 which says,

“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

One example from last week’s lesson was Winston Churchill’s “ungentlemanly” war tactics with Germany and we discussed how we need to have the same take-it-to-the-enemy mindset with the devil. On the home front during WWII, the British posted three “Home Publicity” posters which included:

• Freedom is in Peril. Defend it with all your might.
• Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory
• Keep Calm and Carry On

The message was – 1) we are at war, 2) each individual’s commitment to the effort is important and 3) start with calmness, courage, cheerfulness, and a strong personal resolution.

In the same way, today we’re facing many uncertainties around the world and at home. Our minds naturally go to worst-case-scenarios, creating fear and anxiety. But, as always, the Bible provides hope and assurance in times like these.

Today’s  verse from the prophet Jeremiah was written to the exiled people of Judah who were taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. These exiles were facing far more horrific circumstances than any of us are likely to encounter in our lifetime. They went from being part of the proud and strong kingdom of Judah into slavery. But God wanted them to be at peace knowing that he had a plan to prosper them, not harm them, to give them hope and a future. And, He kept his promise to liberate them, bringing them back home and, as promised, prospering them.

No matter how difficult or troubling our circumstances, God wants us to first remain calm and focus our minds on Him. For me, the idea of sticking it to the devil and bringing a smile to God’s face is great motivation to remain calm and carry on……that is, carry on loving and glorifying God.

Questions:

1. Do you agree that one of the best things we can do to bring a smile to God’s face (and stick it to the devil) is to remain calm in turbulent times? Why or why not?
2. If God had a plan to prosper the people of Judah, why would He allow them to be taken into exile for 70 years? Why allow them to go through such a horrific experience?
3. Related to the last question, can you think of an example of how it might make sense for a parent to allow a child to face difficult circumstances?
4. If God’s promises are so clear in the Bible, why do we all struggle to react calmly and confidently (resting in God’s promises) during challenging times?
5. If your goal was to remain calm the next time you encountered an anxiety-producing situation, what is something you could do to prepare in advance?

It’s about time we all said, “forget you” (F-U) to the devil. It’s time we bring the fight right to the devil’s doorstep and crush him like the little evil twit that he is.

This is not a history lesson, but a quick story from history may provide some perspective. During his tenure as Prime Minister during World War II, Winston Churchill became increasingly impatient with the Germans as the war progressed. At first, he was committed to the idea of fighting a “gentlemanly” war but as he saw more and more of his civilian countrymen killed indiscriminately from aerial bombing, he eventually asked why the British should not take the same type of fight to the Germans. He became very angry that the enemy was brutalizing innocent non-combatants and laid plans to fight back in an ungentlemanly manner. This proved to be a decisive factor in the eventual defeat of the Germans.

Today, our biggest enemy is not the Russians or gas prices or COVID or supply shortages or a falling stock market. The enemy is today, as it has always been, the devil. That brings us to today’s scripture, which is from Ephesians 6:11-12:

Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.

Like Churchill, as I continue to see the news of the day, I get angrier and angrier that the devil is trying to trick us. He wants us to surrender to anxiety, worry, doubt, and distress. He wants to break our spirit and separate us further and further from our love for God and our love for people.

To be clear, the world is in turmoil, and there are reasons for concern. There are more reasons today than in recent memory to be stressed out and anxious. But this is exactly the time when we need to laser-focus on putting on the armor that God gives us so we can defend ourselves against the devil’s tricks.

Today we need to fight our version of an ungentlemanly war against the devil. We absolutely need to recognize that a lot is wrong, but we will not cower, we will not slink away, we will not cave in to the pressure. Instead, we’re coming off the top rope like Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka!

We’re claiming God’s promises. We’re putting on His armor and saying “no” to the tricks. We’re doing it for our family, for our loved ones, and for everyone around us. We’re doing it to take the fight to the devil and to glorify God by doing the exact opposite of what he devil hopes for.

Questions:

1. What are some of the devil’s tricks he uses to try to deceive us?
2. What does it mean to put on the armor of God?
3. In what areas do you personally need to put on the armor of God?
4. Call to action: What are you personally committed to doing this week to take the fight to the devil?

Below is a simple prayer to get us started and you can personalize it to your own experience:

God, this is a challenging time in the world and I come to You to claim your promises. Help me understand what it means for me personally to put on Your armor so I can defend myself against the devil’s tricks. I am particularly concerned about……, ……, and …… but please help me be settled and at peace as evil and disorder swirl around me. Help me to be a source of light and encouragement to everyone around me to give them a thirst to know You better. Show me how I can personally take the fight to the devil today and lift up & glorify Your beautiful and holy name in the process.