“The prince of this world comes, but he has nothing on me ”

More Ed opinion: The world offers a multitude of methods to deal with our thinking.  Philosophies, religions and physical mixtures are put forth to take care of or help relieve or enhance our felt needs. Some seem to work for some people for a time but looking at humanity in a general sense all these coping methods are abject, sensational  failures.

For me, hallelujah, God’s salvation through grace is the only way with supernatural power that lasts! It has some thing, the divine influence of God on the individual’s behalf, that nothing else has.  By God’s decree and for his “names sake “, his reputation in other words, he is committed and perfectly able to bring real and eternal freedom and rest and joy and love to the lives of each of those who are his.  He lifts his children up from the miry clay of our past, cleans us, and hides us in Christ. We continue in this world but are no longer of it.

Ed opinion:  listened to a mini concert of some old music from my era: John Denver, Elvis, Andy Williams, Beach boys, etc. Some of the lyrics and melodies got me thinking.

Thinking tenderly of all the emotions stirred up in my earlier years. Of all the comings and goings,  finding and seeking, courting and marrying, then living. All the mistakes, sins, failures, victories, and epiphanies that the music of our youth talked about then.  But now in my older years I can hear and recognize the feelings and the beliefs behind them.

Lord, give me the strength, courage and revelation to act on these new “understandings” in a godly way that I would now be wise in your sight.   I see the beauty and power and overwhelming benefit of “God’s way” in regard to healing and being free in our thought life. In every life there is mental “stuff”: strongholds, high places, pretentions, and arguments, that holds itself up against the knowledge of God.   Wealth and fame only increase the drama of the consequences if these issues are not resolved and brought into submission and disciplined according to the ways and word of God.

I am anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, I make my requests known to the Lord. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keeps my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 41: “I have chosen you and not cast you off. Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand .   For I the Lord,  your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “fear not, I am the one who helps you. “”

My heart is not troubled. My Lord has prepared a place for me and at the right time he will come again and take me to himself!  My Lord Jesus is in the father and the father is in him. I follow, feed on him, study and devour the word of my Lord Jesus, and he and the father love me and make their abode in me.

My Lord fills me with his peace. He gives it to me. His peace is not like the world’s peace. So my heart is not troubled and I am not afraid. I love my Lord and I rejoice because he is with the father. For the father is great, he is Almighty God, creator and ancient of days, Wow!

Blessed be the God and father of my Lord Jesus, the Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused me to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for me, who by God’s  Power is being guarded, through faith, for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this I rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, I am grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of my faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.   Though I have not seen him, I love him. I believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of my faith, the salvation of my soul.

I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer; he makes me tread on high places.

ed opinion: (note:  some of these phrases may have come from John MacArthur or John piper )

Here is the great objective foundation for the full assurance of hope: the forgiveness of sins is grounded, finally, not in my finite worth or work, but in the infinite worth of the righteousness of God, i.e.  God’s unswerving allegiance to uphold and vindicate the glory of his name. Take your stand on this. Base your life on this. Ground your hope in this.  Do that and you will be free from the futile mindset of the world; and you will never fall.  When God’s exaltation of God in Christ is your joy, it can never fail. God has and always will exalt Christ. “Behold his son in whom he is well pleased”.

Keep your eyes, your mind and your heart on the word, and the father and son will love you and come and make their abode with you.  Jesus, the Christ, lives in you and in your heart and the father leads you in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Thank you, Lord, for your rest. I take your yoke upon me and learn from you, for you are meek and lowly, and I find rest for my soul; for your yoke is easy and your burden is light .

I abide in you and your word abides in me. I keep your word in front of me. I watch your word like I would watch a channel marker. I live in the love you have for me -filled and anointed, guarded and guided.   Your joy is in me and I am full of the joy of the Lord. Thank you, Lord, that you chose me and appointed me that I should go and bear fruit; fruit that would last.

Thank you, father, for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, who proceeds from the father and bears witness about my Lord Jesus, and guides me into all truth. The Spirit of God declares things to come and glorifies the Lord Jesus and fills me with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Lord Jesus, I believe and I worship you as the Messiah. I have been bought by you. I am no longer my own. I belong to you. I hear your voice and I follow you.  You are my shepherd and I want for nothing. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and I dwell in the house of God forever.