Know Your Enemy

Know Your Enemy

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4

Focus Verses: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4  "If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.  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, who is the exact likeness of God."

Ever since God cast Satan out of heaven he has been trying to destroy God's greatest part of creation.  People are God's greatest creation.  Satan does not have unlimited power like God, but he does have certain abilities.  Paul says Satan is the god of this world.  When we look at the mess this world is in today, there is no doubt that Satan has something to do with this.  Satan will one day lose his power when Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom here on earth. 

But for now, Satan does his best to blind the minds of unbelievers from seeing and hearing the truth.  Satan has a deep hatred for God, and he will do anything possible to keep people from having a loving relationship with God.  The Bible also calls Satan the father of lies.  Satan has the ability to make lies look like truth.  This is where believers need to be careful.   Satan will try and get you to doubt something that you know by mixing truth with lies.  We can know what is truth if we will continue to read God's Word.  You can tell the difference between truth and error when you test it against God's Word the Bible. 

So let's be aware of who our enemy is.  The way to win this battle is to know God's Word as well as the tactics of the enemy.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Don't Cause Another to Stumble

Don't Cause Another to Stumble

Scripture Reading: Romans 14

Focus Verse: Romans 14:21  "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."

There are activities mentioned in the Bible that are clearly wrong.  You should not steal.  You should not commit adultery and so forth.  These activities are as clear to understand as easy as telling the difference between black and white.  We all know right from wrong.  But there are other activities that we would call gray areas where it is not as clear if an activity is right or wrong.  In doing something, we should question the possibility of causing a brother to stumble.

What if a believer in Christ drinks some alcohol?  There are at least two problems I see with you doing this.  First, the one who drinks has the potential of becoming an alcoholic.  Second, if a young person new in their faith sees a Christian drinking, so they feel it is okay for them to drink.  Then if they became addicted to alcohol, you would be responsible for that person living a wasted life.  They will have stumbled.

Therefore we would do well to choose our activities carefully.  You don't want to do anything that would bring criticism against yourself, the church or Christ.  What we do affects others.  We should not only be concerned with the opinion that God has of us, but we should also be concerned with the testimony of our lives.  Today let's examine our lives and see if there is anything that would cause another to stumble and fall.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

God is Concerned

God is Concerned

Scripture Reading:  Mark 8:27-38

Focus Verse: Mark 8:33  But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 

The Bible tells us that God is concerned with many things.  But what do you think concerns God the most?  The Lord is concerned that His will is done on earth just as it is in heaven.  This includes your obedience, making disciples to build His kingdom.  That is why it is important that we tell others about God's love for them.

God is concerned with the promises that He makes to us.  Does God hear our prayers?  Yes, that is one of His promises.  Sometime it may seem that God doesn't hear us.  But God always listens to us.  He sometimes doesn't answer our prayers the way we want.  Because He always knows what is best for us.

Peter thought that he knew what was best, even better than Jesus.  But Jesus told Peter, "You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.  So many times our human concerns get in the way of what God is concerned with.  Today let's make God's concerns our concerns.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Simeon Saw the Light

Simeon Saw the Light

Bible Reading: Luke 2

Focus verse: " Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Luke 2:28-32 NLT

Simeon, a righteous and devout man, was waiting for the promised messiah.  He recognized the Christ child as soon as he held him!  The Holy Spirit revealed the truth to him and he praised God.  God reveals truth through the Holy Spirit. 

I would not have come to understand the Gospel if the Holy Spirit hadn't revealed it in my soul.  When I considered Jesus, I was aware of my great need for Him.  He is the light.  Just as Simeon declared, "Jesus is the Light to reveal God to the nations".  Praise God for providing His Son for us!

Pray for God to reveal more of Jesus to you every day as you read the Bible and pray with Him.

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Jesus Came to Die

Jesus Came To Die

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20

Focus Verses: Luke 2:6-7   So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Certainly God sent Jesus to the earth for many reasons.  Jesus came to show us how we should live our lives.  He came to heal the sick of their physical problems.  But most importantly He came to heal us of our spiritual problem.  The only way He could heal us of our spiritual problem was to die.  At the birth of a new born baby we are not usually thinking about death.  We are thinking about the new life that has just come into the world. But God was thinking about death when He sent His Son to be born on earth.  You see there is no other way that our sin problem could be dealt with, except that a perfect person die to take the penalty that we deserve.  There was only one person that has lived a perfect life to pay that penalty, and His name is Jesus.  That was a very loving thing that God did for us.  We did not deserve such a gift that God has given us.  But He did this because He loved us so much.  God has offered you this great gift at this time of year we call Christmas.  But you cannot benefit from this gift unless you accept this gift from God.  If you haven't already, why not bow your head right now and accept God's gift by asking forgiveness of your sins and accept God's gift of salvation through Jesus.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Perseverance is Not a Sprint

Perseverance is Not a Sprint

Scripture Readings: Hebrews 12:1-3

Focus Verse: Luke 8:15  And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest good hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

There will be times in your life when you think, "I just can't go on." Maybe you are tired, have problems or poor health.  As you read the Bible you will see words like perseverance and endurance. The Bible compares this life to a race. The Christian life is like a long distance run, not a fast paced sprint. 

Perseverance will produce results.  Steady growth in God's word will give you understanding that you can apply to your life.  Life's struggles will make you stronger. Try not to view trials as obstacles, but as opportunities for spiritual growth. God will honor those who persevere. God will enable you to finish the race well.  Jesus will make our faith perfect.  Just don't quit. There is a reward waiting for you at the finish line.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Bobby's surgery update

Thanks for praying!  Dr. Postel, the surgeon, and Dr. Grewall said that the eye surgery went as expected.  There is a lot of damage to his retina and they were able to re-attach it to the eye wall.  He instilled oil to keep it in place and Bobby will need to keep his head in a downward position (looking at the floor direction) as much as possible for about a week. 

We are home and Bobby is resting.  Slight pain this evening and took some Tylenol.

Please pray for this recovery process to be smooth, for Bobby to have comfort and for God to knit his eye. 

Thanks so much for continuing to pray for us as we walk through this.
Bless you all,
Bobby & Page

PS. Enjoyed reading Romans 8 today.