Jesus Restores What the Enemy Stole

Jesus restores everything the enemy took from me.

Every saint and follower of Christ has this same promise of spiritual restoration.

Before I met Jesus, this enemy stripped my identity bare.

Also, he exploited my good name, with my resources at stake.

Robbed. Bamboozled. Deceived.

Jesus Restores Stolen Identity

You see, information security failed, leaving me open to attack. So a crafty thief stole from me.

Taking what belonged to me, he drained me of my inheritance.

And he left me utterly bankrupt and exposed to the most common scam on the planet.

I became a victim of identity theft. Not the kind you hear about in the media. My identity in association with bank accounts and financial credit remained undamaged.

Also, no one robbed me of “who I am” by posing as me online, running up a money debt at my expense. These areas remain secure and not breached.

But a vile enemy sabotaged my identity. The thief who intends to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). And he robbed me of “who I am” by strategic lies in my mind and labels imposed on me by others.

Who is this enemy? Satan. The chief of thieves. And the evil one.

The Enemy Versus God

What Summer Teaches Us About Soul Care

Summer teaches us to care for our soul.

Summer invites us to linger longer on the front porch or back deck. A glass of iced tea or lemonade and we’re all set.

Summertime welcomes us to pause from the hectic pace. It beckons us to relax by the pool or in a cozy hammock.

Because we are often intentional to care for our bodies in summer. 

And we participate in outdoor activities, gather with friends and family, foster recreation, and plan time off work to travel and go on vacation.

Yet, sometimes caring for our soul falls off the radar. 

Still, in this slower rhythm of summer, the Lord also desires to teach us how to care for our soul. 

So here are 6 tips for S.U.M.M.E.R soul care. And they teach us how to care for our soul all year long.

S – Satisfy our soul with what only God provides: Summer Teaches Us

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9, ESV).

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish” (Jeremiah 31:25, ESV).

Like we long to vacation at the beach, hope to relax at a tropical resort, or desire to fill our summer with joyful activities, our soul longs for good things as well. The Lord wants us to slow down long enough to spend time in His presence. And let Him satisfy, fill, and replenish our soul with His goodness.

U – Understand the role Scripture plays in our soul’s wellness.

How We Love Others as Jesus With Skin

How did Jesus love others? How can we love others like Jesus with skin?

God calls us to imitate His Son, Jesus Christ. Christ set the example of how to love others in the most godly and practical ways. This is how we love others as Jesus with skin.

We are called to love. Because the Bible never commands us to like others. But God’s Word commands us to love people.

So we look to the Scriptures to see how Jesus loved well in the midst of His biggest critics, the religious leaders. 

These religious men falsely believed a holy life meant keeping every letter of the law and adding to the law their own interpretations and rules, instead of showing compassion to others.

Even today, ministry may focus on programs over people, rules over compassion and love. 

Since Jesus led the way of loving unconditionally and practically, He is our example.

(1.) Love with kindness: Jesus with skin

I like the adage, “Kindness goes a long way.” And this definition for a person who’s kind: Sympathetic, friendly, gentle, tenderhearted, generous. (YourDictionary)

When others see a kind smile, kindness in word or action, or they notice generosity and compassion in us, they see kindness in us. They see Jesus in us.

20 Scriptures to Celebrate Freedom

In America, we celebrate freedom this week. A day of freedom dating back to 1776.  

But freedom isn’t free. Instead, blood, sweat, and tears worked together in order for freedom to ring loud and clear across this great land of ours.

Further, not only is freedom not free, but it also must be maintained. 

You see, any country and people are at risk to lose the freedoms meant for our welfare. The freedoms we enjoy and hold dear. This can happen when government’s corrupt—no longer “for” the people and “by” the people. 

Another danger lurks nearby when our personal choices enslave us either physically (jail, addictions, etc.) or spiritually (sin, idols, etc.). Still, the physical and spiritual realms often intersect when it comes to freedom.

But Jesus’ blood on Calvary’s cross set me free.

At sixteen-years-old, the Lord set me free from sin and spiritual death, giving me eternal life—freedom worth celebrating.

Therefore, here’s a list of 20 Scriptures to help us celebrate freedom.

Celebrate Freedom in Jesus Christ

(1.)  “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1, ESV)

Who I am in the Great I AM

Sometimes I forget who I am in God Almighty, the Great I AM.

Because the enemy of our souls hopes we believe all the wrong affirmations. 

Those negative statements we often say and repeat to ourselves that damage our true identity.

But I’m learning to take my cue about who I am from the Great I AM.

So we need to remind our hearts of powerful “I am” affirmations to regain our true identity. 

I am loved.

If you’re anything like me, you grew up questioning if people really loved you. 

And—gulp—wondering if God loves you. 

Maybe these questions formed in various stages of our life. Or, the enemy still uses our uncertainty of love to haunt us in the present.

But the love of God is firm and certain. To believe and know the truth about His love, write out and pray these scriptures: 

• Love lays down His life for me. (John 15:13)
• Perfect love drives out my fear. (1 John 4:18)
• The Lord quiets me with His love, singing over me. (Zephaniah 3:17)
• God crowns me with steadfast love. (Psalm 103:4)
• God’s love stands firm forever. (Psalm 89:2)

Affirm: I am loved. This is who I am.

I am chosen.

Please choose me pounded in my chest. Our physical education teacher picked two team captains for the softball game. Back and forth, each captain chose students as team members. 

For God So Loved: Eternal Life in Jesus

For God so loved the world. This is one of the sweetest and most powerful phrases in the Bible and in all of time. God loved us (every person) so much, He provided eternal life in His Son.

But not everyone fully understands this wonderful gift. Before I understood my need for salvation and a Savior, I only knew a little about Jesus. 

And I desired to be loved—really and truly loved.

Also, I didn’t understand God’s story in sending Jesus, His Son, to die for me. 

Still, after Jesus saved me at sixteen, my story became a God story. 

First, the term saves carries the connotation of a rescue from something or someone. 

Second, we need a rescuer, the one who saves, the savior. 

According to the Bible, the gospel message is the foundation of these main essentials:

Jesus. The Savior who loves us and takes away the sins of the world.

Salvation. Eternal life provided through the bloodshed of Jesus.

Eternity. Spiritual life after this physical life in either heaven or hell.

So let’s look at a list of scriptures from the Bible that show us our need for salvation and how Jesus saves us because…for God so loved.

For God So Loved

(1.) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17 (ESV)

Prayer Draws Our Hearts Closer to God

Would we pray more if we knew how prayer draws our hearts closer to God?

Because communing with God through prayer helps us form a deeper relationship with Him.

And praying grows our intimacy with the heavenly Father as we learn more about His heart.

These are prayers of praise, repentance, releasing control, and more.

So join me in P.R.A.Y.E.R.

P – Praise a living and powerful God: Draws Our Hearts

Heavenly Father, I praise You. You alone are God and worthy of all glory. Splendor and majesty surround Your throne. I magnify Your holy and matchless name. I worship Your beauty. There is no god like my God. 

R – Repent of sin: actions, words, and thoughts

Lord, forgive me of my sins. Sometimes I say, think, or do things unpleasing to You. I ask You to give me a desire to repent often and quickly. And help me repent of any missteps against You and others. 

3 Ways We Own Our Responses to Others

What if we could gain more control of our responses? And what if we could really take ownership of how we respond to others?

Because when we own our response, we bless others through our self-control. 

Even though I was a communication major in college, I’ve messed up many times in how I’ve responded to others in various situations—big time.

What’s even harder is to take ownership of a not-so-good response.

To really own it and take responsibility for it.

Like apologizing for what we said or how we said it or both.

Blessed responses and ownership takes practice and guidance from God, but it can be done well.

Whether it’s with our spouses, children, extended family, friends or co-workers, we often respond in either inappropriate ways or at the inopportune time.

You know that saying, “Open mouth and insert foot?” I’ve been there before. Maybe you have, too.

We all have times we let our mouths run ahead of us. Or, we think we must say the first thing that pops into our head. Or, we assume we are right and the other person is clearly wrong. 

But we can’t physically see or determine what is going on behind the scenes—what underlying issues may contribute to the other person’s words and responses.

So let’s unpack three ways to own our responses. 

1. Realize we only control our responses.

We can’t control the words or responses of others; we can only control our response through help from the Holy Spirit.

Our God is Good and Holy and Loving and Just

Do you hear people separating how God is good from His holiness? Or celebrating His love but not His justice?

During college, I worked at a jewelry store in a local mall. So I learned the cuts and facets of diamonds and other gems.

The multi-faceted parts of these stones make each one brilliant and stunning.

In the same way, our heavenly Father bears many characteristics.

But we often only focus on the feel-good parts of His character. Like how our Father is good and loving, but not how He is also holy and just.

Yet, all the attributes of the Lord working together are what make Him God. Each fascinating facet of the Almighty makes His glory brilliant and stunning.

When we practice separating His goodness from His holiness or His love from His justice, we lose the full nature of our heavenly Father. 

In essence, we detach who He is from what He does. But the two are one and the same. 

Our God: Good and Holy

Good and loving and holy and just are not only who the Lord is, but also what He does! 

Your Life is Worth the Cross

If you were the only person on earth, Jesus would have come and died on the cross for you.

Because your life is worth the cross. 

Still, it’s easy to believe things that are not true.

Like God loves others but not me.

Or it’s hard to make the cross and empty tomb personal—Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead all for me. 

Say this quietly in your heart or out loud:

My life is worth the cross. 

This is how much God loves you and me.

Yes, Christ came for the whole world, but He also came for you.

Think about that, meditate on it in your heart. 

Let’s look at supporting scriptures.

(1.)  Jesus loved you so much, He died for you: Worth the Cross.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV) 

Read John 3:16 again, inserting your name in place of “world” to make it personal. 

1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us” (ESV).

God created love and demonstrated love on Calvary’s cross through His Son—a show-and-tell affection.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me and Your provision of grace through Your Son. Help me to believe and know it was for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(2.)  Jesus took on your sin and spilled His blood to redeem you.