Do you sometimes wake up in the morning with negative thoughts; negative thoughts about a bad experience, or someone who mistreated you, or a problem you have?

I believe that often times these thoughts are being placed in our heads by the enemy, trying to get our day started with a sour and defeated attitude.

I have a technique that I use to overcome these negative influences.

When I wake up with these negative thoughts, before I get out of bed, I first remember the words Jesus used in Matthew 16:23, when Peter comments about Jesus upcoming suffering and death. Jesus said, “get behind me satan.” Or the words Jesus used when tempted in the wilderness, He tells the devil “away with you satan”. This shows we recognize the deception and in Jesus’ name we are sending it away.

Second, In my mind I recite the common doxology,
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Alternatively, I remember David’s words in Psalm 118:24 “this is the day that The Lord Has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Finally I say a quick prayer, thank God for a new day, and ask for his guidance.

If you experience this negative ambush in the morning, give these techniques a try.

Dear Lord, protect us from the undermining influence of the devil, and help us live our lives as positive, cheerful, advocates for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you ever notice how some things are simple on the surface, but when you learn more about them, you find they are much more complex and sophisticated then they first appear. For example, we know we need to eat a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, protein, starch, fats… but why? If you learn more about nutrition you find out that our bodies break the foods down into different components and chemicals. Even deeper some of these chemicals and components are used to provide fuel, dissolve other nutrients, or support other functions in our bodies. So the simple concept of eat well and be healthy really is a very sophisticated science that we are still discovering.

In ways, Christianity is the same. On the surface, and most important, is our acceptance of God’s salvation by believing Jesus Christ saved us. However, the more we study and meditate (actively think about) the words in the Bible and what God is doing, we realize the complexity of it all. Why did Jesus Christ have to be sacrificed? Why do some people accept and others don’t? How does the Holy Spirit come into our hearts? What is a soul? What is our Spirit? The more we learn, the more we realize there is to learn.

In Mark 4:11 when his disciples asked what the parable of the sower and the seed meant, Jesus said, “You are permitted to know some truths about the Kingdom of God that are hidden to those outside the Kingdom.” and in verse 13, “But if you can’t understand this simple illustration, what will you do about all the others I am going to tell?”

Jesus will provide us the wisdom we need to understand, if we take the first step. In verse 24 Jesus tells his disciples and us, “And be sure to put into practice what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand what I tell you.”

Dear Lord, strengthen our faith and help us come to a deeper understanding of your word and your plans. Inspire us to use this understanding to do your will with our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

What is “the good life?” I suppose the details would be different for everyone, but I would argue that common to everyone’s definition would include being happy and content. I believe this is what God wants for us, and this is what he offers if we follow Him.

Even in difficult times and challenges, we can have peace when we put our trust in God.

Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.”

It is usually when we decide to do things that are opposed to God’s direction that we get ourselves in trouble and we loose our peace and joy. The “bad life” usually is a result of us making poor decisions that we know are wrong.

When we really trust and follow God we can do as Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

We all have dreams and goals for the future, but God’s “good life” is available right here and now if we believe.

Dear Lord, thank you for all we have and all you have done for us. Nothing compares to the gift we have of eternal life with you. Help us find the peace and contentment that comes from following and trusting you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today I write about the third of the three enemies in the catechism’s description of “lead us not into temptation” from the Lord’s Prayer; the Devil, the World, and our Sinful Nature.

There is a conflict in each Christians life. His or her human nature is in conflict with God’s will. Paul writes in Romans 8:7, “For the sinful nature is hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws and it never will.” This effect is so obvious to each of us in our own ways. Each of us have wrong desires that we must fight. Paul continues in verse 9 however, “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.” When we become Christian, the Holy Spirit comes at lives in us, which is what makes us want to do God’s will, even though Jesus tells us in Matthew 26:41, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

But Jesus is strong when we are weak, and he wants us to rely on him to help us overcome our sinful nature and do the right thing. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul says, “But he [Christ] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Dear Lord, as we pray in the Lord’s prayer, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Strengthen us to choose to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance rather that our sinful nature. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

We are covering the three enemies described in the catechism’s description of “lead us not into temptation” from the Lord’s Prayer. Those being, the Devil, the World, and our Sinful Nature. Yesterday’s message was about the Devil, today the World.

Why is the world our enemy? Because the priorities of the world are contrary to God’s will. 1 John 2:16 says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” NLT

We are here to serve and bring glory to God, but the World tempts us to serve and glorify ourselves. It is interesting too, how our marketers and advertisers have become expert in attracting us to those things of this world that draw us away from God and crowd him out of our time and attention. Tabloids, Gossip, Sports, Money, Toys, the list is endless; there are so many things in this world to entertain us. The world also condones and even promotes behaviors and activities that we all know in our hearts are wrong (“what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”).

The peer pressure to focus on these things is also powerful. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul writes, ” Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ.”

Ultimately the risk is, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul.”

Dear Lord, Help us avoid mis-prioritizing the things in this world over you and your will. Help us to recognize and reject those things in the world that are opposed to you and are drawing us toward destruction. Help us see and be thankful, to you, for the good things in this world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.