Pleading the blood of Jesus
Last night Susan and I attended Freedom Fellowship, the church Highland planted in Abilene. One of the lay leaders, Gary Tucker, led us in an excellent study on Matthew 4 -- the temptations of Jesus.
One of the main verses we focused upon was verse 4:
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Gary repeatedly reminded us of two biblical truths: we are in a spiritual battle and the Lord loves us with an everlasting love. The more we studied how Jesus was relently bombarded by the devil's temptations, the more we could see how much we need to be on guard against the enemy.
Then Joe Almanza, Highland's community minister and the main leader at Freedom Fellowship, launched into a powerful mini-sermon on claiming the blood of Jesus over our families and other loved ones. He kept reminding us that as children of God, saved by the blood of Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. And how we need to claim the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and resist the enemy and come against the devil in the mighty name of Jesus. The more he preached, the more excited we got about the victory we have in Jesus Christ. Joe began to describe how effective prayer and fasting can be in drawing closer to the Lord and interceding for those who especially need our prayers. And he told stories of how God worked in amazing ways in response to times when he fasted and prayed for those being hammered by the devil.
Joe then asked if any of us would join him in fasting and praying for the next two days on behalf of a loved one we knew that has been straying away from Christ. Hands went up all around the table. We concluded our time together by gathering around each other and pleading the blood of Jesus over all those we knew who were being attacked by the enemy -- marriages, children, friends.
Several of us will be fasting and praying today and Friday. You might want to join us in some fasting and praying as you intercede for someone or in your life who especially needs deliverance/salvation/healing.Jesus gives us the power to overcome. He won the victory on the cross and was raised from the dead to confirm that power. Our God reigns! Today let's boldly claim the blood of Jesus!
To the praise of His glory.
Jim
posted by Jim Clark @ 1:29 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Today I think of how fasting makes me feel so weak and humble when compared to the suffering of my Savior while he walked on this earth. What minor discomfort I endure compared to the Cross of Jesus.
An old song that came into my head today is: "Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever, He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood."
Jim, thanks for your encouragement.
Victory in Jesus!
You're right, Terry. How can our one day, two day,one meal fast compare to what our Savior went through -- a 40 day fast. and then the agony of the cross.
And Elisabeth, thanks for the story about praising God during times of fasting and praying. In the middle of the night, when I couldn't sleep, I read a chapter of Something More by Catherine Marshall. Her husband, Peter, died suddenly at age 46. Later on she lost two grandchildren to death at infancy. And so she obviously wrestled with God, asking Him the "Why?" question. But what she heard from the Lord was, "Keep praising me. The understanding will come later." This chapter really made me think of how my reasoning about why God lets things happen, or why He doesn't seem to be answering my prayers, doesn't get me anywhere. And it becomes an idol. As Catherine says, the solution is surrendering to God everything -- including our desire to figure everything out -- and turn to Christ and worship Him.
Jim
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