Friday, September 9, 2022

Orange Moon Friday, September 9, 2022 "Encouraged"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

               "Encouraged"


     The consistently encouraged believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is synonymous with the consistently trusting and obeying believer.

    "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7).
   "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:2-3).

   Salvation in the Lord Jesus provides such an abundance of God's presence, power, and purpose - "all things that pertain to life and godliness" - the only thing our spiritual enemies can do is seek to distract and discourage us from the grace that results in faith and faithfulness.  This they do persistently, cunningly, and often successfully.  Thus, we must consistently, wisely, and effectively heed the counsel of Jude: 

   "Building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 1:20-21).  

   Spiritual, worldly, and fleshly entities and influences ever seek to tear down the Christian's confidence in God and His assurances for both this life and the next.  The enemy of our souls knows better than do we ourselves that in the Lord Jesus, we possess infinitely more than we require of resources whereby we may overcome devilish challenges and temptations.  He also knows the power of hearts encouraged in Christ, bearing the wounds and scars of 2,000 years suffered through defeats at the hands of the Savior and His strengthened, joyful people.  Thus, he seeks to divert us from "the power that worketh in us" whereby "God is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).

    We must not allow our enemy to succeed.  We must join David, who long ago and even before the advent of the Lord Jesus, "encouraged himself in the Lord his God" (I Samuel 30:6).  Yes, we do well to get our spiritual dander up and "fight the good fight of faith" (I Timothy 6:12).  Somebody seeks to cast our hearts down in this day, and may already have won skirmishes despite the overwhelming advantages we possess of "all things that pertain to life and godliness."  Let us therefore look to "the Captain of our salvation," whose presence, power, and persistence known and embraced will lead to an encouraged heart, and thus, a trusting and faithful heart (Hebrews 2:10).  Satan and his minions have no weapons that can fell the believer consistently refreshed by the assurance of "so great salvation," bestowed and administered by so great a Savior (Hebrews 2:3).

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
(Hebrews 12:2-3)

Weekly Memory Verse    
   "The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way."
(Psalm 25:9)
























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