Month: June 2023

I awoke this morning thinking about my oldest brother, Luther, who was in WW2. He came home an alcoholic. I remember him saying on numerous occasions that he drank to forget all that he saw and did during the war. The trauma was called shell shock then, but today it is known as PTSD.

He would have times of sobriety, that generally would only last for a few weeks and then he would be back drinking again. He often said that he did not want to drink and live that way but seemingly could not overcome it. He was often in the hospital or jail because of it. Around 1971 he was in a veterans hospital, skin, and bones, and he could not eat anything because his stomach was one big ulcer. My father called a family prayer meeting at the church. After about an hour or so, he got up off his knees and said, ‘He is going to be alright, let’s go home.’

The next day one of my brothers talked to the chaplain at the VA hospital who said the night before (which happened to be at the time we were praying) he visited with my brother. He led Luther to Christ, as he genuinely repented, and as a result of that he not only got saved but delivered from alcohol, his stomach was healed and the next morning he ate a normal breakfast! In a matter of a few days, he came home from the hospital! Never to drink again. The Lord restored his family. He was able to keep a job and he lived for the Lord for about 27 years before dying in 1999!

Lots of people have addictions they deal with. It could be alcohol, other drugs, food, sex, movies, spending money excessively, etc. The struggle is real, but so is the victory! The apostle Paul knew something about struggling with the flesh. He said in Romans 7:15, “For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that do I.” Regardless of the addiction the victory is the same, it is found in our relationship and fellowship with Jesus Christ as our personal Lord! (Romans 7:25)

Don’t battle against your addictions alone, make Jesus your Lord, and His Spirit will live in you and give you the strength to say “no” to it and infuse you with God’s supernatural power to be an overcomer!

We are in a major identity crisis in our world today! We have males identifying themselves as females and females calling themselves males, and some of both genders identifying as cats or some other animal!

And the church has not escaped this either. For decades, and perhaps longer, we have had born-again individuals calling themselves ‘sinners’ when they have been forgiven and made new in Christ. And this can easily happen when one does not know who they are and what they possess in Christ.

The New Testament from Romans 1 – Revelation 1 reveals 168 things that the believer IS or POSSESSES in Christ! It is self-defeating or arrogant for a disciple of Jesus to call or speak about himself differently than what the Word of God says about him/her.

The book of Ephesians gives 42 of those things that we are or possess in Christ and they are given below. Read and re-read them until you actually start believing them! When you do, you will consciously and unconsciously start speaking them about yourself.

Ephesians 1

vs.3 blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

vs. 4 chosen in Him…that we should be holy and without blame.

vs.5 predestined to be adopted as sons of Jesus Christ.

vs. 6 He made us accepted in the Beloved.

vs. 7 We have redemption through His blood…the forgiveness of sins.

vs. 9 He has made known to us the mystery of His will.

vs. 11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance.

vs. 13 In whom, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit.

vs. 14 we are His purchased possession.

vs. 17 given the spirit of wisdom and revelation through knowing Him.

vs. 18 the eyes of our understanding being enlightened that we may know the hope of His calling…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

vs. 19 What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.

vs. 20 we are seated with Him above all principality and power, and might and dominion.

Ephesians 2

vs. 1 Made alive from trespasses and sins.

vs. 5 made us alive together with Christ.

vs. 6 raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

vs. 8 By grace you have been saved through faith.

vs. 10 We are His workmanship.

vs. 13 We have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

vs. 14 He is our peace who has made Jew and Gentile one in Christ… and broken down the wall of separation.

vs. 15 abolished in His flesh the law so He could create in Himself one new man from the two.

vs. 16 reconciled both to God through the Cross.

vs. 19 we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

vs. 20 we are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus as the cornerstone.

vs, 21 we are being fitted together and growing as a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 3

vs.6 we are fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the Gospel.

vs.10 the manifold wisdom of God to be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.

vs. 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

vs. 16. that He would grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.

vs.17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love…

vs.18 that you are able to comprehend with the saints the greatest of the love of Christ.

vs. 19 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

vvs. 20-21 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or thin, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever, and ever. Amen.