" CONTROL "

Good Morning to you and I'd like to wish you a good day in the Lord.

This week the Lord has put "Control" on my heart. Many of us at times may feel that we have absolutely no control over certain aspects of our lives. Me, I'm still learning to let the Lord lead and control my life. In this life I believe that we all must take a definite stand for the Lord, showing our Spiritual Leadership.

Men, it is vital that you are the Strongman in your household. The way we live shows others the strength of our commitment to serving the Father. God is always in ultimate control, and therefore we must remind ourselves that God owns the cities and He knows the future of every nation. GOD IS IN CONTROL. In and through Him we will gain the victory.

You must choose what will control you, and yes there will come a time when you have to choose who or what will control you. The choice is yours. Will it be God, your own limited personality, or another imperfect substitute? Once you have chosen to be controlled by God's Spirit, reaffirm your choice everyday. People who attempt to control others may be quick witted, manipulate others for their own benefit, unwilling to admit wrongdoing. Those who set out to use people will eventually find themselves used, God's plan cannot be blocked.

Although God permits Satan to work in our world, God is still in control. Jesus, because He is God, has power over Satan; Jesus is able to drive out demons and end their terrible work in people's lives. One day Satan will be bound forever. We are freed from sin's control. The power and penalty of sin died with Christ on the cross. Our " Old Self, " Our sinful nature, died once and for all, so we are freed from its power. The " Body Of Sin " is not the human body, but our rebellious sin-loving nature inherited from Adam. Though our body willingly cooperates with our sinful nature, we must not regard the body as evil. It is the sin in us that is evil. And it is this power of sin at work in our body that is defeated. Through faith in Christ we stand acquitted, " Not Guilty " before God. We do not need to live under sin's power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots- We will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ.

Until next Time...
 Jim