Category: Protection of God

Mark of the Beast / Seal of the Saved

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 In studying Revelation and the mark of the beast, I am more appreciative of the truth of the seal that we believers have. Unlike the mark that worshippers of Antichrist will take (which in the Greek language, is a stamp, imprinted mark, brand, or carved image), the seal we have is the living third Person of the Trinity! We are sealed and secured by the Holy Spirit Himself living inside of us! The guarantee is that He will keep us through this life and through death in order to get us to Jesus and the heavenly reward we have in Him. The only “promise” that Satan makes through the mark of the beast is that one can buy and sell in that wicked economy. Food, however, will not prevent either the earthly or eternal wrath of God.

Thank you, Jesus, for securing our salvation and giving to us Your very Spirit as the promise!

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

“If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:9-10)

What a contrast. Wow.

– Shelli Prindle

Curing the Grasshopper Complex

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Grasshopper
The promise of God was clear. The faith to claim it was weak. Sound familiar?

God has made many precious promises to His people, but we rarely walk in the strength of sheer belief. We get stuck in the natural – what we can experience with our five senses – rather than clinging to the greater reality of the supernatural. After all, “what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (Hebrews 11:3, ESV). The obvious implication is that the invisible – the Word of God that created the universe – is infinitely more trustworthy than what was created. I can bank on God’s Word more than anything else in this vast collection of galaxies.

Enter grasshoppers. Yes, of all the unique illustrations to keep our faith on track, grasshoppers are easy to remember. Let’s explore what these little insects have to do with trusting in our mighty God.

The glorious promise God made to His people was repeated over and over to them. And it is an oath that we still wait to see unreservedly fulfilled at the return of Christ. Hear it succinctly in Exodus 6:7-8 (ESV, emphasis mine) in the response God gives to the Israelites regarding their desperate cry for deliverance from Egypt: “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.”

There you have it. Straightforward. Unequivocal. God’s people were to be not only brought into the Canaan land, but they were surely to take possession of it. In fact, when the Lord tells Moses to send spies into that enemy territory to observe the land of Canaan they are soon to inherit, He calls it the land “which I am giving to the people of Israel” (Numbers 13:2, ESV). We see unquestionably that the Creator, the Ruler of the universe, has given Canaan to His people. It’s a guarantee. Why then, the disbelief? The majority of the spies sent by Moses come back with this report: “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there” (Numbers 13:27-28, ESV, emphasis mine). Pretty negative assessment in light of the plain vow of God, right? They basically said, “The land is good like God said, but the enemies are strong and very tall like giants, and the cities are huge and well-protected. We don’t stand a chance.”

When Caleb, one of the spies and a man of faith, intervened by proclaiming, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30, ESV), the other spies quickly responded, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are … and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them” (Numbers 13:31, 33 ESV, emphasis mine). May we focus for a moment on that particular statement, because it summarizes much of my problem and yours in a memorable way? The bottom line was that God made a promise, and His people refused to see things from His true viewpoint instead of their own, skewed perspective. They felt so small and weak compared to the enemy (like grasshoppers to giants), and they, therefore, assumed that is how insignificant they also appeared to the enemy.

I often feel like a grasshopper – skittish and tiny – ready to jump at the step of a larger creature. And, sadly, I frequently assume that I really do seem like a grasshopper compared to the enemy of my soul. I know the promises of God, but I feel miniscule compared to the enormity of the problem in front of me. Do you?

Here is the answer for our “grasshopper complex.” When we ourselves feel like grasshoppers compared to the enemy – despite the clear promise of God – we need to be firmly reminded of who the grasshoppers really are – EVERYONE BUT GOD! Yep! Wrong perspective is feeling like a grasshopper compared to the difficulty standing in your way. Right perspective is understanding that everyone and everything shrinks to grasshopper status before God!

The Bible declares, “Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundation of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings prices to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.” (Isaiah 40:21-23, ESV, emphasis mine)

And there it is spelled out for us. It is wrong for me to feel like a grasshopper compared to my challenge or my enemy, because they are as grasshoppers too; it is right for me to feel like a grasshopper before God, because He is infinitely more strong than me. BUT, He is also infinitely more powerful than the problem and the enemy! The difference between me as a grasshopper and the enemy as a grasshopper is that THIS grasshopper has the promise of God on my side. I belong to Him, and He cares for me, and He cannot go against His own Word.

The unbelieving spies in the days of Moses never set foot in the Canaan Land. But the two who believed in the seeming impossible promise of God – the two who had the proper grasshopper perspective – they entered the land. No wonder it was called the “Promised Land.” It was reserved for those who would take God at His powerful, unseen – but real – Word. It belonged to the people who believed that they were only grasshoppers when compared to God, and not when compared to the enemy. It was given to people who believed that they were protected and empowered by a God at whose feet every enemy power and problem will jump away like jittery grasshoppers.

Will you claim the Promised Land with me? Can we please enter in?

47th Greatest Invention . . .

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Though the printing press was deemed the number one innovation since the invention of the wheel by The Atlantic magazine’s group of scientists, historians, and technologists; it was number 47 on the list that caught my eye. Don’t get me wrong, we as Christians understand God’s hand in the development of the printing press, for God chose to reveal Himself through a book! However, check out the succinct description of the 47th greatest breakthrough since the wheel according to The Atlantic: “The nail, second millennium B.C. ‘Extended lives by enabling people to have shelter.’ -Leslie Berlin”

Wow. The nail enabled people to have shelter. Though Leslie Berlin was probably thinking of the physical shelter nails help to provide when they are pounded into wood and concrete, my mind went immediately to the spiritual shelter we find because of the three nails used by Roman soldiers two thousand years ago. And actually, those three nails were in the “hands” of God the Father, who willingly sacrificed His Son so you and I might find shelter from the justly deserved wrath of a Holy God. The ultimate effect of my own sin cannot rain down upon me, because I am under the shelter of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on that old, rugged Cross.

The Atlantic says that nails “extended lives by enabling people to have shelter.” Again – no doubt – the extension refers to earthly years. Physical life could go on longer because our bodies were better protected from the elements, wild animals, and enemies. But we as children of God apprehend the measureless value of spiritual life. No matter the year or day of our physical demise, salvation ensures eternal life. As Peter so beautifully records, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable” (I Peter 1:23, ESV). The nails that pierced the body of Jesus on Mount Calvary have brought to us an endlessly extended life!

Just as those nails of long ago punctured the physical body of Jesus, they will also help bring to our physical bodies the new and glorified existence we shall enjoy forever and ever. I Thessalonians 3:20b-21 (ESV) proclaims, “We await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” The crucifixion of Jesus – aided by nails – ensures our safety in an incalculable and everlasting sense.

A thank you to The Atlantic for reminding us of the importance of nails. We take much for granted. And the biggest thank you to our God who gave humans the capacity to invent the nail, which He knew would be used to crucify His own Son. No doubt, God was thinking of sheltering us when He created trees and inspired the invention of nails.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'” (Psalm 91:1-2, ESV)

Reference: Fallows, James. “The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel.” The Atlantic. Nov 2013. 56-58.

The Swaying Roller Coaster’s Lesson In Trust

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Click, click, click, click, click. I stood in line for the roller coaster, hearing the steady beat of the large, oily chain that pulls the carts up the first hill of the track. As one cart slowly carried its excited riders to the apex, another cart zoomed around the sharp turns. As people flew down hills and around curves, I heard screams of thrill. I also carefully observed the vibrating beams and swaying poles of the ride. Of course, a coaster of such motions and speed must be designed to have “give.” The entire structure must be resilient – allowing for all the wild dynamics of the roller coaster experience.

As I waited beside the coaster for my own adventure – watching all these movements – I began to think of the extensive planning and calculation required to build such an edifice. No doubt, engineers work with necessary precision, being careful to employ the timeless truths of mathematics and physics. In fact, a visit to a website, library.thinkquest.org, highlighted what I had been pondering:

    Complicated engineering goes into construction of a modern roller coaster. A single coaster may cause its engineers and designers to produce thousands of layouts, plans and blueprints. Then, scale models are built from materials such as wood and Styrofoam. Designers must check and re-check the forces that are exerted on the cars, tracks, and most importantly, the passengers.

What amazes me about the whole concept of roller coasters is our willingness to ride them. Despite the screams of the people, the shaking of the beams, the swaying of the cables, the velocity of the carts, the steepness of the hills, the fallibility of human operators, the decay of metal and wood, or the room for human error in design and maintenance; we still wait in line for the thrill of the coaster! (Well, at least many of us do!)

For years and years we have trusted the mechanics of these monstrous structures. We place our well-being and our lives on the line each time we ride. We trust the designers and maintainers of the coasters. We believe they know what they are doing and do it well.

How much more should we trust the One who designed and maintains the world! Yes, there are times I step back and observe the swaying beams of life. I watch important parts of my world seem to shake. Oh, but these things are only part of the “give” God has built in for a universe tainted by sinfulness. The swaying is proof that He built our lives to last; God can handle our travels through the complicated “ups and downs” and “twists and turns” of life.

Do you hear the “click, click, click” of the old and oily chain about to pull you up a steep hill? Is the wind blowing through your hair as you descend at a speed that makes your stomach tingle? Do the sharp turns give the sensation you might careen off the track? It’s okay. Our sovereign God is the Ultimate Mind. He knows exactly how to build everything – and just as perfectly manage it. The world He created and your life that He so carefully designed have always been in His able hands.

We trust human ingenuity and mortal constancy every time we ride a roller coaster, automobile, or even an elevator. How much more should we trust divine design and God’s faithfulness as we ride through life?

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness: I will take you by the hand and keep you . . .” (Isaiah 42:5-6a, ESV)

For by him all things were created, . . . and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16a-17b, ESV)

IF YOUR MAN DOESN’T WIN: A Broad View of Politics and God’s Plan

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The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 13:1 (ESV), “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” He boldly added in verse seven, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Clearly, God’s plan is one that requires order and includes human government because of man’s sinful nature. We will not all keep reign over our own behavior, therefore, a higher human authority established by God must do so. Some people allow God’s principles to rule generally over their actions because they have relationship with God. Others throw off the thought of God and His authority and must be directed in behavior by outside influence rather than the Spirit of God in their hearts. This need for outside parameters when internal criteria are rejected is expressed beautifully in Psalm 32:8-9 (ESV),

    I [God] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

God’s desire is a man who willingly accepts God’s rule in His life. However, due to our fallen nature; God intervenes with human authority’s influence when we fail to restrain ourselves. Human government is a tool of God for a broken universe filled with broken people.

We must keep in mind that government consists of human beings and so is inherently fallible. God’s intention for authorities is clear and expressed in Romans 13:3-4 (ESV),

    For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

Generally, then, God intends authorities to promote good and punish evil. We know beyond the shadow of any doubt that this does not always happen. Without reference to myriad contemporary examples, think of the Apostle Paul’s personal experience. Though he writes very succinctly of government’s meaning, he was killed under the reign of Emperor Nero. He and Peter were martyred by authorities because they were Christians! In both of their lives, authorities acted perversely – in direct contradiction to God’s expressed purpose for government. Paul was not a fool, and he understood what we apprehend – that government fails at many points – just as people do.

Nonetheless, people of God understand the importance of government within its human limitations. It is both a creation and tool of a sovereign, unfailing God. As a created institution, it must align itself with God’s truth in order to fulfill its right aim. Government is not a stand-alone entity, and it is not the solution to the human dilemma. Jesus Christ stands alone as the Way to existence as God intended. No man, woman, or child will ever experience the right-working, soon-coming, perfected and re-made universe without first entering into a relationship with the Creator through Jesus Christ. The answer to human failure and misery is spiritual in nature. People need reformed on the inside – in the spirit. A right spirit in a woman gives her the power to live as she should, and that new heart can only come from God.

Good behavior, good laws, good decisions, good government, good families, good economic plans, good relationships, and good education – all these are the result of an inside job, if you will. A person is delivered first from his enslavement to sin’s power, and then he can act rightly on a more consistent basis. With the Holy Spirit of God abiding in his clean heart, a man can now act as one should whose goal is a right-working, God-glorifying universe (the ultimate goal of God!). Note the incredible thoughts of Charles Colson (2007),

    Today’s enthusiasm for political solutions to the moral problems of our culture arises from a distorted view of both politics and spirituality – too low a view of the power of a sovereign God and too high a view of the ability of man. The idea that human systems, reformed by Christian influence, pave the road to the Kingdom – or at least, to revival – has the same utopian ring that one finds in Marxist literature. It also ignores the consistent lesson of history that laws are most often reformed as a result of powerful spiritual movements. I know of no case where a spiritual movement was achieved by passing laws. (pp. 343-344)

Vital is our responsibilty to keep God’s order of things from being turned inside-out. Government is an important part of God’s plan; government is not the salvation of man. God is the Savior, and He is in the business of transforming people’s individual lives so they can help transform the world around them – including political systems.

Throughout history, governments and rulers have both succeeded and failed in their proper endeavor. We thank God for the privilege of observing His hand in the working of the government of the United States in many ways throughout the years. We think also of atrocities resulting from governmental rule – including our own political system. We often stand in speechless horror when we think of the sins committed and the misery wrought by political entities. Going directly to the Word of God, we have many examples. There is faithful Daniel who is tossed into a den of lions during the sixth century B.C. by decree of the Persian King Darius because Daniel refused to stop praying to His Savior. Daniel’s firm trust in God (his spiritual underpinning) resulted in his deliverance from the lions and a counter decree by King Darius charging citizens to reverence the God of Daniel.

There is the Apostle Paul, whose last years were spent often in prison under the authority of the Roman government. Nonetheless, faith in God grew as people witnessed the spiritual strength God gave to Paul despite the grave error and persecution of government. We see Paul gazing intently at his heavenly citizenship even as he walked this earth and sat in chains. The Word of God rang out with divine power despite – perhaps even because of – the evil committed by a government turned against its God-given intention. As he sat in a dungeon, chained to a Roman soldier, Paul wrote Philippians 1:12-14 (ESV),

    I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

The apostle saw God using this circumstance – this perversion of government – to God’s glory! Paul knew the only true answer for the human condition was found in salvation. If his imprisonment meant more souls could enter the greatest place to be a citizen – Heaven – then Paul counted persecution worth the cost. He no doubt prayed for His release and the turning in repentance of Roman authority, but he patiently waited on the greater plan of God while doing so. Paul lived rightly, honored human authority rightly, and prayed rightly; but he staked his life on a greater reality than this world’s system. Hear his amazing words written from prison in Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV),

    But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

In line with Paul’s words are those of Russell Kirk as quoted by Colson (2007),

    Christian faith may work wonders if it moves the minds and hearts of an increasing number of men and women. But if professed Christians forsake heaven as their destination and come to fancy that the state . . . may be converted into the terrestrial paradise – why they are less wise men than Marx.

Yes, Heaven is our destination. Its perfect justice and overwhelming beauty will be the result of God’s miracle in human hearts. Jesus died so we could live rightly. Note I Peter 2:24 (NIV), “[Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” In Heaven, we will finally live rightly without hindrance!

For now, our encumbrance is a sinful nature. That nature prohibits perfection in both individuals and institutions. But it does not prohibit the purpose of God! God is transcendent, existing outside the universe and independent of any institution. He is able to fulfill the truth of Ephesians 1:11 (ESV), “[God] works all things according to the counsel of his will.” All things. Not some. All. Everything. Without a wasted circumstance. Incredibly, He even works the result of every presidential election after the counsel of His own will!

We must pray continually. We must act righteously in a dark world. We must vote. We must promote the heart of God to a world in trouble. Ultimately, though, we must trust in God. We must put all our hope in an infinitely big God who saves people one at a time now and will save the entire world system one day for those who trust in Him. No matter who the president is, God is the ruler of every inch of reality. Put your hope in Him, and influence others to do the same. Tend to the spiritual matters of the heart, and political matters will fall into line – along with all other interests. For there is a King greater than all kings, and His name is Jesus. He was born in the days of evil King Herod (Matthew 2:1). God allowed even His own Son to endure governmental injustice. Though Herod sought to kill Jesus, Jesus lived on! The plan of God for our salvation endured. Herod died. God’s purpose continued. That is the way it will always be. Evil is vanquished; God’s goodness prevails. No matter what it ever appears in this imperfect world, the curse will one day be fully erased! (Revelation 22:3)

God’s man wins! His name is Jesus.

Reference:

Colson, C. (2007). God & Government: An Insider’s View on the Boundaries Between Faith & Politics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Autumn Reminders of an Eternal Kind

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‘For “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.”‘ – I Peter 1:24 (NIV – 1984)

Fall. It is a season that reminds us of endings. Once thriving leaves now drop from their branches bursting with color, but dying. Beautiful summer flowers have lost their grandeur and now succumb to hues of brown and gray. Colder temperatures flow in and bright, long days full of sunshine move out. We are inundated with change. We are regularly reminded of our helplessness to stop the flow of God’s creation. We are caught between summer and winter in the fleeting uniqueness of autumn. Though the season brings its own joy with fabulous scents and colors of orange, yellow, and red; we know it is the end of summer and the start of a period of dormancy and cold.

As we enjoy the changes of fall, let it remind us of a vital truth. I believe God intends for us to see with physical eyes something that points to a lasting, spiritual truth. When you look at a fallen leaf or disintegrating, summer flower; think this thought:

    “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” (I Peter 1:24, NIV, 1984)

Let crinkling leaves and fallen blossoms remind us of something God wants always at the base of our thinking – we are finite and fallen and soon to pass. Any glory we claim to have is as transitory as summer leaves. We live and we die. We seek to accomplish much, but in the end we disappear from this earth. We cannot prevent our own demise. We stand helpless before our “fall.” Except for one thing!

Notice the severe difference God highlights between people and His Word. People wither and fall as the grass. God’s Word stands forever! God’s Word never bends, stoops, or loses its glory. Its beauty never fades; it’s “color” never wanes. No season comes that stops God’s Word. It endures, and endures with full dignity – “standing,” as it were! No weather pattern knocks God’s Word down. No disease causes His Word to waste away. No disaster or tragedy causes His Word to twist or weaken. Through every change, through every heart break, through every earth-shattering event, through death itself; the Word of God stands!

I believe God purposefully showed us the drastic difference between our glory and His Word here in I Peter to remind us to stay focused on Him and not our own selves. I believe one of the reasons for autumn is to demonstrate through His creation an important reminder about human nature when compared to God. Our Lord graciously desires us to live with a constant awareness of our impermanent nature and His eternal nature. Of our failing attempts and His trustworthy ways. Of our sinfulness and His holiness. Of our dependence and His self-sufficiency. Of our need for His Word at the deepest and broadest levels.

You see, God reminds us at the end of I Peter 1:25 (NIV, 1984), “And this is the word that was preached to you.” This is no small or incidental statement! The Word that stands forever can be accepted into your own heart! The seed of God’s Word can be planted in your soul so that the death of you is certainly not the end of you!

God expresses this hope very succinctly in I Peter 1:22 (NIV, 1984), “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” Do you see it? We can be born again of an imperishable seed through God’s Word! When I put my hope for forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ, I am born of a seed that cannot be abolished – a seed that lasts forever and ever. The enduring Word of God gives me eternal, unbending life. Come seasons, winds, storms, difficulties, even death itself; but I will survive and live forever because the everlasting Word of God has been preached to me. And I have gladly and humbly accepted!

Standing Before Monsters

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Sometimes, in order to get to the promise, we have to stand before a monster. The path to the sacred and wonderful place God wants to take us is not one of least resistance. We gaze forward, and we see monsters looming on the horizon – circumstances, individuals, problems, and heartaches that appear too big for us to handle.

So it was for God’s people when He called them to take over the Promised Land. Just about to enter the fields of blessing, the Israelites were reminded of this life’s harsh realities. “Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the sons of Anak?'” (Deuteronomy 9:1-2, NASB) What a difficult thing to hear! God clearly explains that His own people are about to come face-to-face with mighty giants. The enemy is bigger than them and stronger than them. Not only so, but the reputation of the enemy is well-known across the land so that many ask, “Who can even survive and stand before these monstrous people?”

A similar question often rings in our own hearts. How can I survive the monsters in front of me? I see them. I hear them. I know that they are real. Others confirm that they are real. They are bigger than us. They are stronger than us. By all logical thinking, we are doomed. The job loss should ruin our finances. The illness should destroy us. The circumstantial setback is one from which we should not recover. The troubled relationship should ruin our family. The human enemy should do us harm. The burden should drive us to insanity. The grief should completely stifle us. The unanswered questions should keep us up at night.

But, they don’t. Even though the monsters are bigger than us, they are not bigger than our God! He is a “consuming fire.” Nothing will stand in His path against His will and be able to remain. He consumes the giants that would consume us! Listen to the resounding answer given to the threat of looming giants on the horizon, “Know therefore today that it is the LORD your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as the LORD has spoken to you” (Deuteronomy 9:3, NASB).

As you look longingly for the “land of promise,” what monsters stand on the border – threatening your demise? Does all common sense declare these giants are mightier than you? Do not fear. They are mightier than you, but they are absolutely helpless compared to God. He goes before you, defying all scary reports and difficult realities. He is a consuming fire, eliminating the monsters that cruelly threaten His people.

Child of God, you will enter into the promise of God for your life because you Lord is infinitely strong and wonderfully alive. He consumes what stand against His children – no matter how ominous the giants appear. We will stand before the monsters, but the consuming fire will lead the way.