Someone Stealing From You?

Today's Post  -

In these troubled times the news is full of stories of robbery. It reminds me of when I was a child and my best friend and I went to the store with my mother. There was always a carousel of little packaged games and toys by the checkouts. They were very inexpensive. Well, my friend who was about 7 (I was 4) told me we could have one of those toys. Then she told me that we should go to the car and play with them. We did just that.

Then my mother came to the car with her groceries. She asked us where we got the toys. I told her the truth. I didn’t realize we had stolen anything; I had just followed the lead of a friend. Because I didn’t realize it was stolen, I didn’t know to lie about it either. Of course my mother marched us into the store where I had to apologize to the store manager. I don’t remember anything else, but I will always remember learning the lesson. Stealing was wrong. I always could see my mother’s face and her grave disappointment. She loved me enough to tell me the truth and to insist I tell the truth as well. That lesson has served me well over the years.

We are children, each one of us. If we are born again through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are set into a very special place. We are born again into the family of God –we are joint heirs with Jesus – we are children of the Heavenly King. Because of this most favored status, given to us freely by nothing we have earned on our own – we have certain rights as the King’s child.

One of the greatest rights we have is that we no longer have to live like an unbeliever. The Word tells us how to live in Ephesians 4. Among the words are “let him who steals steal no more”. We are changed BY Christ because we are now IN Christ! Let us who used to _____________ do that no more! We don’t have to! Yay God!

Another wonderful “right” as a believer is that no one can steal things from us that are ours IN Christ! No one – absolutely no one – not even the devil himself – can steal your anointing, your calling, your standing, your position, your prayers, your faith, your gifts, your honor. All these things are yours by virtue of your position IN Christ!

God speaks to my heart: Who has been stealing from you? Where is your joy? Who has taken your peace? Who stole your trust in Me? I AM the one who has given you these rich and wonderful gifts – they are yours. But there is an enemy, and he whispers lies into your heart. Don’t let him take anything from you. He is a liar and the father of all lies. I AM the one who saved you, who keeps you, and who gives every good and perfect gift to you! I AM truth personified. I do nothing by secret, underhandedly, or through trickery. If you have lost anything that belongs to you because you are my child, I tell you today, TAKE IT BACK! You are IN ME and I AM IN YOU, so you don’t have to believe any of the lies that are being whispered into your mind and heart.

God has not left you defenseless against the thief who comes to kill steal and destroy. He has given you the whole armor of God, He has given you His promises, He has filled you with His Spirit, He has sealed you for the day of Redemption, He has covered you, redeemed you, and blessed you. Pick up the magnificent Word of God this morning and read the TRUTH.

Rejoice, beloved! God loves you (He gave His love to you) and He’s for you (His angels keep guard over you) and that’s what gives you strength and purpose against anyone who tried to steal your life IN Christ in the days ahead.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. AMP

John 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). AMP

John 1:16 For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. AMP

2 Corinthians 1:20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. NAS

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

Answer His Call for He Calls You in Love!

I got a strange phone call on my cell phone during the holidays. It was an unknown number and when I answered there was a recording explaining that my cell phone wasn’t set up for collect calls. It went on to explain how I could start getting collect calls. Well, of course I hung up.  Then, my curiosity being what it is, I went to the internet to see if I could figure out where the call came from.  Turns out it was from a detention center in a nearby state.  A call from a stranger in a strange place, trying to get someone to accept the charges.  In this case it was probably somebody trying to call home for the holidays but still it was a strange feeling.

The enemy of our soul likes to make calls on our life.  He wants to give us advice, get us upset, give us reason to be unforgiving, unkind, unholy and more.  He is constantly dialing our number, knowing our weaknesses, attempting to cause trouble or wreak havoc.  Not only does he desire to ruin us, tempt us, rob us, kill us; he always wants to charge us with every conceivable charge.  He wants us to pay! He will convince us, if he can, that we’ve been wronged, damaged, offended, left undefended and then when we believe him and act on the lies, he hangs up and leaves us to pick up the pieces alone.  His ultimate desire is to steal our birthright and leave us hanging on the line.

It’s time to learn the Father’s Voice and follow Him alone!  While we have an enemy, he is not our spouse, our kids, our neighbors, our friends, or anyone else.  He just uses whoever he can to ring up a wrong message and reverse the charges. Unless we know the Word of God and understand our Heavenly Father’s nature, we will be fooled into accepting the call and acting on it.

Oh beloved, there is a call on your life! Our Father in Heaven is calling you daily. He asks you to pick up the Word, eat of it and live by it.  How much He loves to have sweet fellowship with His children, but not just for the fellowship. It’s for your good and His glory as well! He will not leave you to your own devices, He won’t leave you undefended, He won’t walk away, make you pay or reverse the charges.  In fact, He took the charges for everything you’ll ever be charged with – past, present and future – and nailed a Paid In Full sign on the cross! You are free! Free to call upon Him as well! Free to be God’s child, free to make decisions that are based on His Word, His Love and His nature! 

The more you listen to the Lord’s calls, beloved, the less you will be tempted to take other calls! All of the Lord’s calls begin with “I love you”.  God loves you so much that He’s calling you to love Him, obey Him and live for Him daily.  He will take the hurtful calls, your crank calls, the damaging calls and turn them out for good because He says so! His Word is your trustworthy answer, His call is your trustworthy path and His care for you is the trustworthy way to know that He is all that matters! Now that’s a call worth taking!

Psalm 91:15  When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.

Isaiah 41:17 When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.

Zechariah 13:9  I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

2 Samuel 22:4  “I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

Philippians 3:14  I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Ephesians 1:18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called--His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.

I John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.