"We know that we are children of God, but the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." I John 5:21-22

 The Kingdom of God, Jesus told Pilate, is not of this world. Our life in the LORD is one of near constant struggle because we have an enemy, and he is assaulting our minds with lies. Though indeed Christ won the battle on the cross, and sealed it with resurrection, the world is yet under the influence of the devil. He knows that he has been evicted, but as long as men don't know this, and claim God's promises, Satan's marching orders are delayed. 

We are watching the fall of Western culture these days. Traditional values are openly mocked on college campuses. Main stream media outlets follow their lead. To our amazement, some want to redefine gender to suit their preferences. Nothing is absolutely true, except of course, that there is no absolute truth! We in the Church are watching all this, but from whence does it come, and is there hope?

Hebrews 2:8 tells us that though indeed everything has legally been put under Christ's feet, this is not yet visible to everyone. Satan no longer owns this world but he has not yet been cast down to Earth (Revelation 12:10). Thus, effectively, from the second Heaven, he controls what is going on in the world. He is however an usurper. He has no legal ground to stand on. The gates of Hell are vulnerable to the church's army. Sadly, few in the church know this, though. We believe his lies, and the accusations he makes against us stick. He is a thief, a liar and a murderer. 

But is there hope? There is always hope. Without hope, we would not be able to live even a minute. "Let there be hope on earth, and let it begin with me" to paraphrase the old song. Though the prince of this world is not yet cast down, we don't need to listen to him. Instead, we can "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). We are given five defensive weapons, and one offensive weapon to fight that deceiving spirit. The helmet of salvation covers our minds, so we can cling to what is true, and spit out the rest. The shield of faith stands in front of us to quench the fiery lies he spits at us. The breastplate of righteousness covers our new heart, and grants us the confidence we need to petition Father. The shoes of the gospel of peace put a barrier between us and the world. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God that assures us that we can stand against the lies of the evil one. Finally, the belt of truth pulls it altogether.

Watermelon test

 “O Taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

(Psalms 34:8, NASB20)

One of the joys of Summer is buying your first watermelon. Usually these arrive at Costco sometime in May, but often are not as sweet as those grown later in the year. So, if you buy one in May, you just don't know what to expect. Some say if the yellow spot, where the melon rested on its side, is large and well defined, you've got a good one. But here's the thing: Unless you slice it open and taste it, there's just no way to know. You pays your money, and you takes your chances!

the Bible speaks much about the Name of the LORD. In the ancient near East, a name was much more than a moniker by which a person was called. Your name in that culture is the essence of your character. Poor Nabal. His name means "vile person" and that surely is what he was. David had treated him well, but when he needed help, Nabal refused. So his name really was spot on. But not so the LORD. "The Name of the LORD is a strong tower, the righteous run into it, and are saved" (Proverbs 18:10). Strong in character. Reliable. Immoveable. Those who trust in His Name will never be put to shame, Isaiah 49:23. 

So the LORD challenges us. Try Him. Test Him. Taste Him. He is all that He claims to be. Well, that doesn't seem so hard, does it? When there is no turmoil blowing in, sure enough. But that is not life here on earth. We all know this. Most often we find ourselves going from the frying pan into the frier, from one trial to another. SOS. The LORD calls to us, "Come to me all ye that are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). The promise is sure. He will never leave us or forsake us. But like Peter, with wind and waves swirling, we must get out of the boat and COME! 

Faith without works is dead, writes the apostle James. It's just not true faith. If we believe, we will take steps that demonstrate we believe, or our faith is a mere theory, unreliable and moved by the slightest challenge. So just what might a life that truly believes look like? How can we tell? We might say we believe, but until we are tested, we just don't know. Maybe the melon is sweet, maybe not. Taking rest in Him is the surest thing we can do, but such trust cannot be passive. We don't yet live in the sweet bye and bye, but as believers in the LORD, that is our true position. 

Perhaps a man has heard a word from the LORD asking him to make a major move. He might say, "Yes LORD I will go", but like the first son in Jesus' parable, he never does go, and proves that he does not really believe. Our faith does not live in a vacuum. We also have an enemy who wants us to fall back, and be destroyed. Like Peter, he would sift us like wheat. When cne does a word study on Faith, I have found that over 80 percent of the time, it's in the context of being challenged. So how then to obtain true faith, one that will not falter when "sorrows like sea bellows roll"? This faith comes from hearing, from a heart that is actually listening to His Word. We ask not for bread alone, but for revelation. In beholding Him, we become like Him, 2 Corinthians 3:18. This is not passive. This is not theory. St John tells us that we already are God's kids, I John 3:2. But when we see Him, we shall be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. We dare not go to war without a weapon. The Word of the LORD will form us into mighty warriors, but this character is gained in the prayer closet, in that garden, early in the morning when "the dew is still on the roses". This is how the LORD transforms us from fickle to faithful. There is no other way, saints. Let us then go on to know the LORD. His going forth "Is as certain as the dawn". Only then will we be ready for the trial that is ahead.