My Question on Social Media

My Question on Social Media



My question on social media was this: “What are some things we do that ‘give place to the devil?’” I was pleased that several people responded, and I’ll give some of those shortly. 

https://www.facebook.com/connie.wohlford/posts/2651768951526931

First let’s consider what it means to “give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4: 27 NKJV).

Various Bible translations say: 

·         “nor give place to the devil.” NKJV

·         “and do not give the devil a foothold.” NIV

·         “and give no opportunity to the devil.” ESV

·         “and do not give the devil an opportunity.” NASB

·         “Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.” MSG

In Ephesians 4, Paul gives practical instructions to the Body of Christ—equipping the saints—on how to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Ephesians 4:1b NKJV).


Much sound advice is given throughout Paul’s epistle. As I read, I was drawn to verse 27, and asked myself, “What do I tend to do or not do that gives place to the devil?”


Though Paul wrote it with regard to handling anger, I wanted to consider it regarding life in general. 


To see it in the context Paul intended, look at verses 25-27: “Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. ‘Be angry and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”


Boy oh boy, when we’re mad, its often hard not to give the devil a foothold through our thoughts, our speech, or our actions.


“The Greek word for place (topos) emphasized that believers can actually give ground in their lives to satanic control.” * 


Please ask yourself what are ways in which you give the devil a piece of your territory—a foothold—a crack in the door. 

For me, there are several situations where I’m vulnerable in this area. Just to name a couple: when I’m hurt or offended, or when I see someone taken advantage of. In such instances I need to guard my heart and watch my mouth. (Proverbs 4:23-27) 

Proverbs 4:23-27 NIV  <>  ²³Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ²⁴Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. ²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. ²⁶Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. ²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

In the comment section below, feel free to give some of your own responses to my question.


Here are some of the answers I got from my social media question:


Kate - Hang around when people are gossiping or being rude, watching movies, media, or ads that make us question God's goodness or provision, not staying with a Sunday school class or home group for encouragement and accountability.


Johnny – For when you are angry you give a mighty foothold for the devil


Cheryle - Believe his lies. When we give in to anger or being offended or bitterness or unforgiveness...


Nancy - Self-pity and complaining.


Ellen – Gossiping.


Robert – Careless talk   


Leila – Concentrating on temporal things more than spiritual things


Odessa - No longer having the fear of the Lord. That is the beginning of wisdom and understanding and departing from evil. To do otherwise is giving a place to the devil.


Andrea - Holding on to bitterness and offense is a huge way! The root word of offense comes from the word for bait inside of a trap. If we let offense take root in our heart it will open up to all kinds of other problems where the enemy can build a stronghold.


Cheryl – Not putting on the Armor of God.


Shirley – being out of obedience.



When I posted the question a couple of days ago, it was not my intention to gather blog material, but the responses were so good I decided to share them here. Hope you found them helpful and encouraging. After all, iron sharpens iron. (Proverbs 27:17)  


Thanks for stopping by. Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford

*Spirit Filled Life Bible – New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN; commentary, page 1793

So, what’s holiness got to do with it?

So, what’s holiness got to do with it?            



God takes holiness seriously.

Preparations had gone on for weeks and weeks and the time had come.

It was the very first of the priestly ministry of Aaron and his two sons, Nadab and Abihu. God had given specific instructions. The young priests and their garments were precisely prepared and consecrated with anointing oil. The tabernacle was complete, consecrated, and anointed. The congregation had gathered.


It was time. But something went terribly wrong.


According to Leviticus 10:1-2 NKJV, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censor and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” WOW!


God is serious about holiness. 
Notice that key word, profane. God does not take kindly to anyone profaning what He calls holy. Let’s repeat that: God does not take kindly to anyone profaning what He calls holy. The word profane literally means strange or unauthorized. It is calling common or using in a common way something which God calls holy.

Image from Pinterest

Here are some examples: His name (Isaiah 57:15). “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies You” (Leviticus 22:32 NKJV). When someone misuses the name of God, Jesus, or Holy Spirit they are profaning the name of Jehovah God—i.e., profanity. The tithe (Leviticus 27:30-33). When someone uses the tithe for anything other than God’s Kingdom, they’re calling common something God declares holy.  


God is serious about holiness. The occurrence with Nadab and Abihu has always troubled me, but God is God and He is sovereign. He knew what was best at that moment in time. 


In His mercy, we currently live in what many call “the age of grace.” Thankfully, God does not consume us with fire when we profane a thing He has declared to be holy. I would have certainly been zapped a long time ago.  But we should be on notice that God sees our infractions yet stands ready to forgive when we repent. With the shedding of His innocent blood, Jesus took the punishment we deserve for all our sins. Thank You, Jesus!


I appreciate the grace period offered at our public library. If I don’t return a book by the due date, I have a few days of grace which allow me to get it there without penalty. If I don’t get the book there before the end of the grace period, then I must pay up. No one knows the day nor the hour when this cosmic grace period we’re living in will end (Matthew 25:13). When it does end, people will need to pay up. It is urgent to be ready for that day (John 12:47).


After establishing the church in Thessalonica, Paul had been away for a while. He was pleased when Timothy brought back a good report of the growing faith and love of the young ministry, despite affliction and persecution.  Paul sent a letter of encouragement back to the Thessalonians, encouraging them to “stand fast in the Lord” and exhorting them to remain moral and pure, especially regarding sexual behavior (1 Thessalonians 3:8; 4:1-8).


Paul wrote, “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 NKJV). “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8).


Paul encourages us to be blameless in holiness. In rejecting this call of God, we are rejecting God. I think we’d all agree that without God’s Spirit is us, we cannot be holy, as Paul reminds us at the end of verse 8. Holiness is a minute by minute relationship with our Creator. It is what separates us from the world and worldliness. Holiness is putting on the robe of Christ’s righteousness and standing firm in faith. 


Being holy is choosing to be set apart from cares, distractions, ways of our flesh, and the world’s systems. Instead, we need to walk out and be dedicated to the sacred purpose* of God’s divine call on the life of each of us. I like that term, sacred purpose. The purpose God created each of us for is a sacred thing. We can be confident that His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9) and the outcome will be a life of fullness in joy, hope, peace, and love—a life that leaves a powerful legacy of eternal value for those following behind.


Yes, the call to holiness is a tall order for any human being but the power of holiness brings cosmic results in terms of Eternity. Can you think of someone who influenced you because they lived out the sacred purpose God called them to? Now, think of someone who is coming behind you—who is being influenced by you as you walk out the sacred purpose—the holiness—to which God has called you.


I often remind myself of James’ words, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b NKJV). If I want my prayers to avail much, then I need to be mindful of the call to holiness and live righteously. I did not say perfectly. I fall short more than I want to admit but God knows my heart and sees my efforts. And I’m so grateful for the Holy Spirit helping me.  


Will you pray with me? Holy Father, You know me well, even my every thought and each beat of my heart. Please help me to live holy before You. Sometimes it’s hard and I falter, doing things I don’t want to do and know I shouldn’t do. But Lord, you always stand ready to forgive me when I come to the place of repentance. Thank You. And thank You for Your Holy Spirit in me, putting a check in my spirit, correcting me, encouraging me, and helping me. You’re so full of love and grace. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.


©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

*sacred purpose – I really like this term.  Spirit-Filled Life Bible; Thomas Nelson Publishing; 1991; Word Wealth for Leviticus 19:2; page 171

LOVE: The Perfect Bond of Unity

LOVE: The Perfect Bond of Unity  

The Apostle Paul deeply loved and had great concern for other followers of Jesus in the fledgling first-century church. He wrote many letters of encouragement and instruction to those who were young in the faith.

In Paul’s letter to the house church in Colossae he reminded the members of their life-changing experience in Christ Jesus when he said, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV).

He then exhorts them to rid themselves of sins and vices unbecoming of Jesus and His character. The next few verses list several “do nots” and then he transitions to point out some Christ-like virtues, we should strive to attain.

Paul had been informed of issues which were causing division among the members. He had addressed some of those matters earlier in his letter. Now in Colossians Chapter 3, he was speaking about personal relationships among the believers.

Have you seen or experienced disagreements or personality clashes within your church fellowship? I dare say that if the congregation was made up of human beings, your answer is, “Yes.”  

Photo by Connie Wohlford

Paul gave some directives to help elevate all the members and to bring the unity desired by God Himself. Paul wrote, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15 NKJV).

In another version, verse 14 states: “And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14 NASV).

God’s command for us to love is paramount in His cosmic plan for Mankind. 

When asked for the greatest commandment, Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ’This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31 NKJV).

Why did Paul say that love is above all other things? It’s because love is the bond of perfection. It is the bond of unity.

Bond is a strong word used to describe one thing being fused to another—thus joined securely. To love one another in this way is to be joined together unconditionally. This agap̵é love is spiritual and selfless, sacrificial and unconditional. 

It is through the grace given by the Holy Spirit that a person can have this kind of love and this is why the world (those who are not in Christ) does not understand it.

The word, unity, in Greek, is defined, “perfect, one who reaches a goal. Perfection or perfectness, completeness.”¹

So, can you see how agap̵é love among the members of a church fellowship, and among followers of Jesus in the body of Christ as a whole, can be such a force—a bond—that unifies and perfects?

Let’s ponder this love that is put into our hearts by God and imagine how it really could bring unity in the body of Christ. Would the church represent Christ well? Would the church attract more non-Christians? Would this church accomplish great things in the building up of the body of Christ? I believe we would agree that the answer to each of these questions would be a resounding, “Yes!”

As we grow in Christ-likeness we will grow in His kind of love for others.

Please join with me in prayer:

Lord God, I ask that You help me to love like Jesus loves. Even when I don’t see eye to eye with my brothers and sisters, help me to give way to Your Spirit to override my personal feelings and allow agapé love to spring up out of my heart—love that is genuine and unconditional. In this, I am doing my part to nurture the perfect bond of unity in the body of Christ. Thank You, Father, for the power of Your grace working in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

©Copyright 2019 Connie Wohlford

__________________________________

1. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, 2008, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN, page 2290.

A Priest and A Sacrifice <> 1 Peter 2:4-5

A Priest and A Sacrifice                                

1 Peter 2:4-5

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5 NKJV).

In my last post, the focus was verse 4, identifying us as living stones in God’s Kingdom. Today we’ll focus on verse 5.

As living stones in God’s house, we are consecrated by Christ’s blood as holy

priests (Revelation 5:9-10), to offer up sacrifices acceptable to God. This brings us to Paul’s letter to the Romans, which says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV).          

Paul declared that we are to give our bodies as living sacrifices in service to God and proceeds to explain how this can be accomplished. After all, it’s a big deal—a big commitment—a big sacrifice for a person to give his or her whole self away. 

 

In verse 2 he explains how we can actually make it happen.

1- Do not be conformed to this world. We must not allow the ways of the world to influence and shape us.

2- Instead, we each must be transformed into God’s design for us. When we got born-again we made a choice to follow Christ Jesus. God has a great life-plan for each of us. With the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit He wants to direct our paths and mold us into His own creations. It’s our choice whether or not to let Him have His way.

3- The transformation God wants for each of us can only come about through the renewing of our minds. No matter how good a person is or thinks he or she is, we each must know this: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways declared the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8 NKJV).

How can we renew our minds? The best place to begin this process is with prayer, asking God to help. Also, reading, meditating on, and systematic study of God’s Word, the Bible. We need to continue to stay connected to God on a daily basis. Renewing our minds continuously helps keep the pipeline to the Throne Room unclogged with the cares of this world and distractions and traps Satan will try to throw our way.

When praying, we can ask God to help us stay focused on Him and His Word. Daily quality time in God’s Word is vital. This is not just reading a devotional. There is certainly a place for meaningful devotionals but real devotion to getting to know the Living God and His Son—our Savior—Jesus Christ is essential to renewing our minds. We want to mature into followers of Christ who are Christ-like (1 Corinthians 11:1) and who have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

4- So that we “may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2c). Paul concludes this thought with the important concept of proving out—that is discerning—God’s will is good for us; that it is acceptable according to God for our benefit; and that it is perfect and complete in facilitating the abundant life God desires and has ordained for each of us.

The word prove in Scripture means to test, discern, examine, try out, (Strong’s* #1381). Thayer** describes prove as putting to the proof. As we walk out God’s calling, according to the transformation we’ve experienced through our renewed minds, we will prove that God’s will for us is indeed good, acceptable, to Him and perfect for our individual well-being.

So, we’ve learned from Romans 11 what it means to offer up an acceptable spiritual sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ. Notice that both Paul and Peter stress that it is through Jesus Christ we approach God with these sacrifices. Christ is our Mediator, through which our transformation and the knowledge of God’s will takes place.

Only through Jesus.

When we receive Jesus as our Savior—get born-again—God then bestows upon us the right and privilege of having Jesus stand in the gap for us. Through His crucifixion, some 2000 years ago, He took the punishment we deserved for our sin. He became our Mediator—the One who settled-up with Father God on our behalf. He continues to stand in the gap and we need to be mindful of that truth every day of our lives.

What are examples of acceptable sacrifices we offer up to God? Here are some practical examples: 1- Praise—glorifying God with our lips in awe and gratitude.  2- My self—like my thought life, my eyes (what I look at), my feet (where they take me), my hands (what they do and touch), and my talents. We could go on and on. 3- My time. 4- My finances. 5- My love and affections to God and other people.

With knowledge of God and His Word, along with help from the Holy Spirit we can offer up pleasing sacrifices which are welcome and acceptable to God.

Let’s pray. Holy Father, thank you for choosing me to be a living stone in your Kingdom. I do want to sacrifice to You pleasing things and I want to be a living sacrifice, Honoring Your sacrifice for me. Thank You for showing me and helping me glorify You with my life in this way. Through Jesus and in the glorious name of Jesus I pray—Amen.

Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2018 Connie Wohlford