Bless the Lord, O My Soul

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

   And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

   And forget not all His benefits:

who forgives all your iniquity,

    who heals all your diseases.

—Psalms 103:1-3

 

In Psalms 103:1-2, David told his soul to bless the Lord. How can your soul bless the Lord? It certainly takes more than just saying, “Bless the Lord.” It refers to speaking our love to the Lord for all His benefits. This blesses the Lord. Remembering God’s goodness stirs our souls to bless Him, but we must tell our souls to “bless the Lord.”

 

While these two verses command us to bless the Lord and remember all His benefits, Psalms 103:3 describes two of the Lord’s benefits.  

Forgiveness of sins and healing are mentioned in Psalms 103:3. In the same way that all our sins are compensated for, all our sicknesses have been healed.

 

“He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

 

The Old Testament symbolism substituted animal blood for the actual sacrifice of the coming Son of God. But Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t symbolic. It was real. He offered His own blood (Leviticus 17:11, Deuteronomy 12:23) as a sacrifice for our sins.

 

Hebrews 9:12 emphasizes that Jesus entered the holy place once and obtained eternal redemption for us. We do not have a partial redemption; we have an eternal redemption. The Old Testament sacrifices covered sin until the next time the people sinned. Jesus’ sacrifice did not just cover our sins; His sacrifice wiped them out eternally. 

 

Chapter 9 of Hebrews contrasts the temporary results of the Old Testament sacrifices with the permanent results of Christ’s sacrifice. All of our sins have been atoned for. This is the point being made in chapter 9. Hebrews 9:25-28 contrasts the fact that the priests had to offer sacrifices continually under the Old Testament, but Jesus only did this once. We do not need to reapply His blood. One time cleanses us.

 

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (Hebrew 10:10,14).

 

We choose whether to believe in and partake of Christ’s perfect sacrifice. If we choose Him, we are sanctified and perfected forever through Christ’s one offering—once and for all. The lifeblood of Jesus has paid for every sin we make or will ever make. His redemption is forever. 

 

Psalm 103:3 says all your sicknesses have been healed—just like all your sins have been forgiven. The Lord would no more put sickness on you than He would cause you to sin.

 

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

 

Forgiveness and healing are both part of your redemption. You partake in forgiveness and healing through faith in Jesus’ perfect and finished work. 

 

Your soul has a reason to bless the Lord: Jesus has forgiven all your sins and healed all your diseases!

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/bless-the-lord-o-my-soul.html

 

Abundance for Every Good Work

 

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

—2 Corinthians 9:8

In chapter nine of 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks to the church about financial giving. He declares in 2 Corinthians 9:8 that God can make all grace abound toward them so they can trust His provision, enabling them to be generous. In Philippians 4:19, Paul also assures us that God will supply all needs according to His riches in glory. God’s grace is not just for salvation but also for empowering our daily lives. He supplies what we need to accomplish His work in this world. His provision is unlimited.

Notice that this verse does not say, “God will make all grace abound toward you.” This verse says that God is able and willing to supply every need of a cheerful giver, but this supply doesn’t just happen. There are conditions. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” 

2 Corinthians 9:8 dismisses the idea that God only supplies our bare needs. He is willing and able to make “all” grace abound toward us. “Charis” is the Greek word for “grace.” One derivative of “charis” is “charisma,” which translates as a “free gift” (Strong’s Concordance). Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines “charisma” as “a gift of grace, a gift involving grace on the part of God as the Donor.” God is our donor. He graces us with His provision so we can grace His work in the lives of others.

 

The word “abound” means “to be great in number or amount; to be fully supplied” (American Heritage Dictionary). Whatever hardships we face in this life, God’s grace “abounds” much more (Romans 5:20). The Lord desires that we are “fully supplied” and have “sufficiency in all things.” It is not God’s will for us to suffer financially. 

Deuteronomy 8:18 states, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

People who argue against financial wealth point to examples of people who have sought riches to fulfill their own lusts. They rightly say these people are selfish and corrupt because of their greed. God desires us to be prosperous not for our selfish ambitions but for His purposes.

Genesis 12:2 says, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.”

The intention of God’s prosperity is to bless us so that we can bless and help others. If we are unselfish with our prosperity, those blessings are wonderful. If we are selfish with our financial blessings, we degrade the grace with which His blessings were given to us.

2 Corinthians 9:8 describes abundant financial blessings in our lives, where we can “abound in every good work.” This means we should never be unable to give to any good cause. Satan has convinced many Christians that God wants them to always be poor, causing many good works to go unfunded. 

Money is not evil. It is our love of money, that is (1 Timothy 6:10). If you are always thinking about the amount of money you have—whether it is a lot or too little, you are thinking about the wrong thing. What money can do for you is your concern. You are thinking about yourself and your needs instead of others and their needs. If you are blessed in this life, God has blessed you to have an abundance for every good work. As a man thinks in His heart, He is (Proverbs 23:7). Believe Him for even more abundance so you can bless others as He has blessed you. 

God desires you to have an overflow of His blessings so He can overflow into the lives of others. He wants you to have His abundance for every good work, not just one or two. Never limit God. Never forget that He gives more grace to the humble (James 4:6). Believe Him and expect to be more blessed so you can be a greater blessing in His Kingdom. Favor others abundantly as God has favored you. 

  

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/abundance-for-every-good-work.htmls

A Cheerful Giver

  

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

—2 Corinthians 9:7

  

Paul instructs Christians to give as they "purpose in their hearts" and not from pressure. The verb "purpose" means "to intend or resolve" (The American Heritage Dictionary). When you "purpose" to do something, you resolve to do it. Those who give because of coercion don't please the Lord—no matter the amount of the gift or any flourish that comes with it. Reluctance in giving does not please God.

God loves those who give because they want to— joyfully and willingly. The benefit we receive from giving can be canceled by our motive. This is why many Christians have paid tithes but haven't seen the blessings God's Word promises (Mark 10:29-30, Luke 6:38). There is more to giving than just our actions. Our motive—what we purpose in our heart—is very important.

Paul instructs us not to give grudgingly. The Greek words "ek" and "lupe, which are translated as "grudgingly," mean "from, out," and "sadness" (Strong's Concordance). In the New Testament, the Greek word "lupe" was translated eleven times as "sorrow," twice as "heaviness," once as "grudgingly," once as "grievous," and once as "grief." Christians who give out of sorrow, hurt, grief, or resentment are not cheerful givers. Their gifts are not given in faith and do not please God. Without faith, you cannot please Him (Hebrews 11:6). 

We go through levels of giving that are similar to levels of growth in teaching children. First is the obedience level, where children are taught to do the right thing. Children are not apt to understand completely, but they need to learn positive patterns before their reasoning develops. In the same way, when believers first come to the Lord, they need to establish positive patterns of obedience.

Then, children begin to imitate their parents' actions. This is similar to being led by the Holy Spirit in giving. Just as a child's parent, the Holy Spirit becomes the believer's teacher and guide. Like the parent, the Holy Spirit wants the believer to follow His instruction in giving. Our giving, when led by the Holy Spirit, benefits both others and us.

Still, there is another level of giving Paul referred to in 2 Corinthians 9:8.

The crucial incentive for giving is to "purpose it in our hearts," as Paul described. This is similar to children who serve, not just out of obedience because of the fear of punishment or because they are motivated by what they have learned, but because their hearts have been changed to the extent that their greatest desire is to do what is right. Every parent longs for this in their child's life, and this is what the Lord longs to see in His child's life. 

If we only give when the Holy Spirit leads us to give, then that is equivalent to children who only say they love their parents when they are instructed to say it. Though there is a time for instruction, it is not the ultimate way. There need to be times when children just say they love their parents because that is what is in their hearts. Likewise, there need to be times when we give just because it is what it is in our hearts.

At times, the Holy Spirit may lead us to give a specific amount of money to help meet a need in another person's life or in our own life. However, it is also important to give just because we desire to. Christians who only follow the Holy Spirit's leading in their giving and do not purposely give out of their hearts miss the joy they can bring to the Lord through their unsolicited and cheerful giving.

Joyful giving comes out of the purpose and the motive of your heart. Keep sowing in your heart the gift Jesus has given you, and joy will be returned to you. You will give out of your heart as Jesus gave to you out of His. You will receive pressed down and running over out of the abundance of His grace.   

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/a-cheerful-giver.html

Bear Another's Burden

 

—Galatians 6:2-5

(2)Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (3) For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (4) But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. (5) For each one shall bear his own load.

*******

 

Jesus Christ summed up all of the Old Testament Law in His commandment to love God and others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Then He gave us an even greater command to love others as He has loved us (John 13:34). One way we love others as Jesus loved us is to bear their burdens as Jesus bore ours.

 

The Greek word “baraos,” translated as “burden” in Galatians 6:2, means “heaviness, weight, burden, trouble” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon). This burden is so heavy that a person will be overcome if he has no help in carrying it. This can be a sin (Galatians 6:1) or a situation in life. When we bear another’s burden, we fulfill Christ’s commandment to love. We should care beyond just seeing others hurt. As much as we can, we should lighten their load.

 

The Amplified Bible translates Galatians 6:3 as, “For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another’s load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.”

 

If we think we are too important to help others with their burdens, we are deceived about our own importance. This was one of the sins of the Pharisees. We are nothing within ourselves, and none of us has an excuse for not helping restore our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

 

Galatians 6:4 warns us that arrogance and pride will prevent us from helping others bear their burdens. A holier-than-thou attitude toward those who have sinned or are in deep trouble only shows our own vulnerability. 

 

“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” Jesus asked in Matthew 7:3-5. “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

 

In Galatians 6:4, Paul gives advice on dealing with the hypocrisy Jesus addressed. If we humbly and truthfully acknowledge our own weaknesses, we will be better equipped to help others with their burdens.

 

In Galatians 6:2, Paul said we were to bear each other’s burdens, and in Galatians 6:3-4, Paul threw out any objections someone might have against bearing someone’s burden. Then, in Galatians 6:5, Paul makes his closing argument: “For every man shall bear his own burden.” 

 

This is not the opposite of Galatians 6:2. In Galatians 6:5, Paul concludes that since we all have burdens, we should not hesitate to help others with theirs. Galatians 6:7 says that we reap what we sow, and James 2:13 says God doesn’t extend mercy to those who show no mercy. If we don’t help others, we won’t be helped. But if we help others, we will sow seeds for our upcoming needs in this life.

 

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

 

Our needs will be met according to how we help meet the needs of others.

 

 

 

Pursue Good

 

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 

—1 Thessalonians 5:15

 

 

Have you ever felt like striking back at someone who has hurt or failed you terribly? We are all tempted to be spiteful—particularly if someone has seriously disillusioned or injured us. But despite the evil done to us, we must follow what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:15.

 

Paul did not suggest this. It is clear that when he wrote, “See that none render evil for evil,” he was commanding the Thessalonian Christians to refrain from retaliation. The word “none” in this verse indicates that no matter what is done to him, no Christian should retaliate or seek payback from someone who has hurt or failed him. Even if someone has gravely wronged us, cruelty in return is intolerable.

 

Paul did not allow this command to stop here. He required something more. He told the Thessalonians they must “ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.” The word “ever” means constantly.” In other words, there is no instance we are allowed to waver in our commitment to “follow” that which is good. The Greek word for “follow” gives us a deeper meaning. In the Greek, “follow” is “dioko.” Strong’s Lexicon says it means “to chase and pursue something with intensity.” We are to earnestly press on and pursue that which is good with resolution and determination. 

 

“Good” means anything right, helpful, and beneficial. We are to pursue doing what is right. That is often difficult. Nevertheless, despite how hard it is, we should be committed to doing what is good and beneficial. We must constantly pursue good in response to evil at all costs. Pursuing good is rendering good in response to evil. It is blessing the one who has hurt us. 

 

“But I say to you,” Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

 

You may be tempted not to bless someone who has wronged you. However, remember, it is not your place to pay someone back or withhold a blessing when it is in your power to give it. We are to bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use us.

 

Paul also wrote we must pursue good “both among yourselves and to all men.” “Among yourselves” refers to the relationships that exist between believers. But we are not only to pursue good toward our fellow brethren. Paul also went on to say “to all men.” We are also to do good to those who are not Christians. Pursuing good in response to any evil is a powerful witness to the brethren and those who don’t know the Lord. We are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. Vengeance is the Lord’s. If there is any retribution, God needs to take care of it—not us. God calls us to redeem the lost—not wound them in return for the evil they have given us. It is the goodness of God that brings “all men” to repentance.

 

To do good to others who have hurt you will take your consistent, faithful commitment. You need the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to love and pray for those who persecute you. Submit yourself to God. Always resist the devil working to manipulate your hurt feelings and encouraging you to retaliate. He will flee, and God will empower you. Pledge yourself to render grace. Commit yourself to forgive as Christ forgave you. Promise to follow the Lord’s instruction not to render evil for evil but to pursue what is good. The Holy Spirit will stand with you to strengthen you in your obedience. Let God take care of the person who has rendered evil. Pursue good, and bless all men.

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/pursue-good.html

 

 

 

 

And When You Pray…

 

 

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (Matthew 6:5).

 

 

There is a lot of what we call prayer that is not. Some people, like the Pharisees Jesus was speaking of in this verse, pray in such a way as to prove their righteousness to others and God. They only prove their spiritual deficiency.

 

Jesus had to teach the people what prayer wasn’t before He taught them what it was (Matthew 6:5-13). To do this, Jesus had to oppose the religious ideas of His day concerning prayer. If He had not challenged these ideas, the people would have never been able to understand what He had to say. 

 

The same exists today. Just as the Pharisees Jesus confronted, prayer for many Christians has become a religious exercise instead of a time of shared intimacy with the Father. Some try to impress others and God with the depth of their faith. They pray, trying to manipulate God and get Him to move. Jesus showed in Matthew 6:5 that it was not the prayers themselves that were the problem but the motive behind them that was wrong.

 

God is more interested in your heart attitude. You may pray hard. You may pray moving prayers. You may exercise spiritual gifts and make an unbelievable sacrifice. But if your heart attitude is wrong, you won’t impress God. You won’t accomplish anything. Others may tell you how well you prayed or how holy you are, but their approval will be the only reward you receive.  

 

God desires honesty in your relationship with Him. You have nothing to hide from the Father and no need to impress Him. He knows right where you are—what in your life is good and what keeps you from Him. He wants you to surrender it all to Him. He desires you to come before Him in your time of need, trusting that when you pray His will, He hears you, and you will receive what you have asked. God is the Word and responds to His Word when you pray. He desires your good health and your soul and body to prosper. He wishes to keep nothing from you that is yours. You are His child, and He just wants you to receive His love and love Him in return. He doesn’t require any right words. He just needs your heart. 

 

In Corinthians 13:103, Paul writes: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

 

You can pray in tongues, prophesy, have great understanding and faith, give to the poor, and even lay down your life, but if you don’t have love, it profits you nothing. 

 

Are you willing to critically and objectively examine your prayer life? What is your honest evaluation of it? Are your prayers genuinely motivated by love? Does prayer profit you, or have you prayed and never experienced the results of your prayers? If not, are you believing God? Are you praising Him for His answer? Are you praying His Word? His Word is His will. If you have not received the healing you have prayed for or your life isn’t improving, perhaps you should look at your heart attitude.

 

When you come into prayer believing you have to prove yourself worthy enough to receive from God, you come to Him thinking there must be some perfect thing you must say or do right, or God will not see or hear you. God loved you first in Jesus. You don’t have to prove you are worthy of His answer. He has made you worthy of His answer. He doesn’t need you to pray beautifully perfect prayers to move Him. God has already moved for you in Jesus. He needs to hear you honestly speak to Him —without pretense or trying to find the perfect words. Just saying “Jesus” or groanings you can’t put into words is often enough.

 

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your unseen Father. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/and-when-you-pray.html

 

 

 

Undivided

 

 

Perhaps prayer isn’t about you finding God but instead realizing He’s already found you.

 

Life can jerk us in different directions, and prayer can seem like another way to search for God. However, prayer is not about searching harder; it’s about realizing that God has already made His home in you. This change in perspective can transform how you experience God.

 

When you realize God has already found you, you are not searching to discover “where” He is. You “know” where He is. He is in you. He wants you to “be still”—to stop your striving and its distractions—and “know” He is yours (Psalms 46:10). Right before Jesus gave His life so we could have a relationship with the Father, He prayed for us to be made perfect in one (John 17:23). Now we are joined to God through Jesus, and “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17). We are joined to the Father. We are one with Him. He has found us and wants us to know Him as He knows us. 

 

When you “know” the new person the Holy Spirit has created in you, you are at peace in God’s goodness. You come confidently before God in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16). His joy is your inner strength. You are not struggling to prove yourself to God. You know Jesus’ work has proved you. God’s spiritual lens is not on you. It is on Jesus and what He has accomplished on your behalf. Not living under the microscope gives you freedom in your relationship with your Father. When you are free in His presence, prayer is spending time with Him, being honest with Him about your failures, and Him being frank with you. When you are “one” with Him, prayer is praising Him, seeking and knowing His wisdom, resting in His strength, and trusting He is good. Prayer is coming to know this God who has found you and made His home in you. It is being undivided in Him. 

 

“Train me, God, to walk straight,” David wrote, “then I’ll follow your true path.
 Put me together, one heart and mind;
 then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear” (Psalm 86:11).

 

What a wonderful prayer! The Holy Spirit was given to us to accomplish exactly this: an undivided heart (John 14:26). Our prayer should be for our hearts to become one with the Lord. We are already one with Him in our born-again spirit (John 3:6, 1 Corinthians 6:17), but that oneness is conditional in our soul. When what we believe in our mind and heart agrees with what is true in our born-again spirit, we are “undivided” in Him. 

 

Do you realize God has already found you?  He knows your heart, and He wants you to know His heart. He desires you to know and love Him as He knows and loves you. Knowing the Lord, who has found you, begins when you seek to understand Him and the new life He has given you. Allowing the Word to transform your mind and heart makes you agree with the Father (Romans 12:2). You are “undivided.”

 

“Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed” (Psalms 85:10).

 

God had to punish sin to be just (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Otherwise, He would have been unjust. But mercy triumphs over justice (James 2:13). This problem was solved in Jesus. God the Father laid our punishment on Him (Isaiah 53:6), and now, through Jesus, we can receive God’s mercy (Ephesians 2:4-6). Therefore, mercy and truth have come together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. We are one with the Father through Jesus.

 

When your spirt and soul are “undivided,” you know the Father. He is in you, and you are in Him. Mercy and truth have met. Righteousness and peace have kissed. Prayer is kissing your Father’s face. It is loving, communing, and conversing with the One who lives within you and has given you His life. Prayer is knowing God is at home in you, and you are at home in Him.

 

 

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Authority in Jesus

(Luke 10:17-19)

 

Satan comes to oppress you.

 

Oppression is the use of authority in a cruel or unjust manner. Oppression weighs you down. It is brutal, unfair, relentless, severe, crushing, afflicting, insulting, and overpowering. The devil tries to destroy your life and keep you from becoming the person God created you to be. Satan tries to torment and control your emotions, actions, and reactions. Oppression, in all its evil manifestations, is a spiritual assault and must be dealt with at its source. It takes the authority and power of God.

 

Jesus sent out seventy disciples, who enthusiastically returned, declaring in Luke 10:17, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” The word “demons” in this verse comes from the Greek word “daimonion,” which describes evil spirits. Evil spirits attack with mental issues and physical infirmities.

 

The disciples said they discovered the demons were “subject” to them. The Greek word “hupotasso,” translated in this verse as “subject,” depicts a person who follows instruction and submits to someone who is over him. Likewise, you have authority designated to you by Jesus. When you speak in Jesus’ name, evil spirits recognize the authority Jesus has given you and submit to it. 

 

In Luke 10:18, Jesus said, “I saw Satan falling as lightning from heaven.” 

 

Jesus declared to the disciples, “You may be astonished by what you have experienced, but I have something to tell you! I saw the devil fall from heaven like lightning!” 

 

God told Lucifer, “Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God!” (Ezekiel 28:16). Isaiah 14:12 says, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!" 

 

Lucifer fell quickly when he was thrown out of heaven for blasphemy. He was gone from heaven as fast as a flash of lightning! Just after describing Lucifer’s fall, Jesus says in Luke 10:19 to the disciples, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

 

In Greek, “behold” is “idou,” which depicts astonishment. Jesus was eager to tell the disciples the authority He had given them. He said, “What I’m going to tell you is something to behold! I give you authority over all the power of the enemy!” 

 

This Greek word for “power” is the word “exousia.” It describes someone who has received delegated authority and power to achieve the delegator’s mission. Jesus said, “Disciples, I’m giving you authority. I’m calling you to move forward in my name, and when needed, you have the authority to tread on, trample, and crush the “serpents and scorpions” that come against you.

 

The word “serpents” comes from the Greek word “ophis,” which depicts a snake. In Scripture, “ophis” describes Satan when he strikes.

 

Jesus said to the disciples, and He says to you and me, “You have no need to fear the devil or any tactic he may use. I have given you the authority to move forward. If he gets in your way—if he attempts to steal, kill, or destroy, crush him. Have no fear of him striking you.” 

 

A scorpion stings. “Just start moving forward,” Jesus says, “and if the devil or any painful problem gets in your way—if anything comes to strike you or sting you, don’t worry. I have given you authority to move forward and to crush any serpent or scorpion you encounter.”

 

Jesus said, “I’ve given you authority over all the power of the enemy.” "Over” is the Greek word “epi,” which implies a position of advantage and control. Because Jesus has given us authority, we have the advantage and control over all the enemy's power. When the enemy tries to encroach on us, we don’t fear. We have authority, advantage, and control over him.

 

The word “enemy” in Luke 10:19 comes from the Greek word “ethnos" and describes one who is aggressively antagonistic, full of animosity and hatred, and determined to inflict injury. Jesus said, “Don’t worry about the devil. He may be determined to injure you, but I’ve given you authority over anything he will try to use against you.” 

 

Jesus began Luke 10:19 with “Behold!” Jesus also tells us, “The authority I’ve given you is astonishing!” My brother and sister in Christ, you have been given authority over all the works of the enemy! 

 

Are you tired of the enemy advancing on you, oppressing you, lying to you, stealing your peace and joy, stealing the Word from your heart, messing with your relationships, manipulating your emotions, attacking your mind and body, and conquering you? 

 

You don’t have to put up with the enemy’s tactics. Jesus has given you authority over his work. You come against him in the name of your Commander. Satan has no power over you. He is a defeated foe. You can tread on him and put him under your feet. Move forward in Jesus’ name. It is time to show the powers of hell who your Jesus is. 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/authority-in-jesus.html

 

Manifest Your Life in Me

 

 

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

—Mark 9:23

 

 

Have people ever told you what you are attempting to do is impossible? Have they quickly informed you of those who have tried and failed? Listening to this kind of negativity can destroy your faith in God’s plan for your life. 

 

What did Jesus say? “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). Jesus made it very plain: if we believe, all things are possible.

 

The Greek word for “possible” in this verse is “dunata,” which comes from “dunatos.”  This word expresses someone “able, powerful, mighty, and strong” (New Testament Greek Lexicon). “Dunatos” shares the same root word with “dunamis,” the Greek word for power. This is a dynamic, incredible strength or ability residing in something or someone. Our word “dynamite” is borrowed from this Greek word. This word reveals there is a dynamic power that makes a person competent for any task. When this dynamic power begins to operate in a person’s life, it doesn’t matter how useless or untrained that person is. This power motivates and makes him capable of achieving whatever God asks.

 

Jesus said all things are possible to the one who “believes.” The word “believe” is the Greek word “pisteuonti,” which comes from “pistis,” the Greek word for faith. This word reveals a person thoroughly convinced in what he believes. He has a present, living, and believing faith. He didn’t just believe in his past; he is a believer now. His faith is actively seizing hold of what God has promised. His faith is consistently and unwaveringly straining toward the goal before him (Philippians 3:12.14).

 

Faith is the catalyst that causes the impossible to become possible. When a person’s faith is motivated, God’s supernatural power enables that person to do what he usually would never be able to do. This is why Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Once faith is motivated and stays motivated, a person becomes enabled, empowered, and competent to do whatever God has called him to do. Mark 9:23 says that if this person believes, he can do the impossible!

 

When God calls you to move forward into something new and unfamiliar, you cannot allow fear and doubt to flood your mind. Instead, you must immediately renew your mind with God’s truth that you can do anything God asks. When God asks you to do something — regardless of how big or impossible it seems to your human reasoning — you must tell yourself that you can do it. 

 

Jesus made it very clear that we receive precisely what we believe. If I believe I can do the impossible, this verse says I can do it. But if I constantly doubt, I never will. A double-minded man will never receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7-8). It is up to me to bring my thinking into agreement with God’s Word. As I build up my faith for whatever my challenge, I experience God’s dynamic power that literally moves me into His supernatural realm where the impossible becomes possible!

 

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Lord, your Word says all things are possible to me if I believe. I am asking you to renew my mind to believe I can do anything you ask me to do. Help me understand that there is absolutely nothing impossible when I believe you. Forgive me for the times I have doubted and not believed you. I’m sorry I listened to others who talked me out of the victories you promised me. Holy Spirit, help me shut my ears to those who speak discouragement and failure to the dream you have given me. I believe anything is possible when you ask me to do it. I can do ALL things through you, Jesus. You strengthen me. I believe your Word and the vision you have placed in my heart is attainable. There is power in your Word and your Name! You can do abundantly more than I ask or think through your power at work in me. 

 

Reveal to me, Lord, where I have unbelief, and help me. I choose to believe you when I am tempted not to believe your Word. Forgive me for underestimating the faith you have given me. I will never underestimate it again! I will make sure that what I think and believe agrees with you. I put my faith in you, Jesus! I agree with Your Word and believe all things are possible! You have manifested your love toward me! Now manifest your life in me!  

 

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). 

 

 

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