Greetings from the Chaplain’s Office at JPS

Happy Wednesday! 

I am writing this between phone calls.  I am not sure how long I can write at a time, so if it sounds a bit jagged, my prayer will be that my beloved editor can make some sense of it and you may receive meaning from it. 

Prayer:  “Lord, I put on the whole armor of God,  I take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  I plead the blood, resist the devil, and claim the victory in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

“You are of God little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1 John 4: 4

This verse brings back a memory to me.  A very long time ago I used to watch the Oral Roberts program. I would only watch for about the first 15 minutes.  The music was pretty good, but my memory is that this verse was their opening song each week.  I can still here it as they sang it each week. 

Scripture teaches us all about God, Satan, holy angels and fallen angels.  The author of my meditations says that “The Christian Life is not a playground, but a battleground.”  Scripture tells us that Satan was an angel who tried to overthrow God and was cast down from heaven with about a third of all of the heavenly angels.  Satan is not an omnipresent being because Satan works through all of those fallen angels.  Satan works on us through the sin of theft.  Satan tries to steal our joy, our faith and our peace.  The greatest thing Satan tries to steal from us is God’s purpose for our lives. 

The gospels tell us of Jesus facing his own demons and defeating Satan’s power in His own life and in the lives of others.  I think it is interesting that the demons all knew who Jesus was and Jesus called them by name and told them to “Get the heck out of Dodge!”  Without any resistance, the demons bailed. 

We, too, can resist the power of Satan.  We can use the tools God gave us in Jesus to not only resist Satan, but to defeat him.  First, we put on the whole armor of God claiming that through the blood of Jesus we can overcome, claiming the name of Jesus as there is no power greater, claiming the Word of God because “it is written” and giving praise and exalting the name of Jesus.  Against that armor, Satan’s arrows cannot penetrate!!!  Satan may be strong, but he is not more powerful than the One who lives in us!

Take joy in the journey.  Wear comfortable shoes. (I am wearing my crocs tonight!) Get some sleep.  Count your blessings and say your prayers.  Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com     

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe and I believe God.