The Pastor's Pocket

Satan has been the arch enemy of heaven ever since he was thrown out of heaven after his rebellion against God.  Where did he go? He landed here on the earth. The devil has laid claim to this planet and its inhabitants, but Jesus still holds the “title deed title deed (Revelation 5:7).  In other words; Satan doesn’t even have the keys to his own house. The devil is called the “prince of this world” (John 12:31, Matthew 12:29).  He moves about on the earth, seeking whom he may devour  (I Peter 5:8).  When he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Satan offered Christ, “all the kingdoms of this world” if He would just fall down and worship him (Matthew 4:9). Jesus resisted that temptation and won that battle.   Many people are presently under Satan’s control (Acts 26:18, John 8:44).  Many are deceived by his influence and in bondage to his power.  This whole world system is under his domination (2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:2, 6:12). But I’ve got good news!  I’ve read the back of the Book (t

You must carefully choose who you will allow to become your close friends.  Why? Because we tend to become like the people we associate with on a regular basis.  Proverbs 13:20 says, “He that walketh with wise men, shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” The book of Proverbs has much to say about our associations, our relationships with people, and for good reason.  We can so easily be influenced by others. Take time today and read these verses in Proverbs 1:10, 1:15, 14:7, 22:24-25.   Building the right kind of friendships can prove beneficial to us. Becoming involved with the wrong crowd can prove harmful, even disastrous.  Remember the story in 2 Samuel 13:3; “Amnon had a friend”.  A friend named Jonadab, who led him to wickedness. As parents, monitor the friendships your children develop.  How many times have you witnessed good kids influenced by the wrong crowd?   In high school, I stayed clear of bad influences.  I played sports, basketball, baseball, track,

J esus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” In a spiritual sense, His Kingdom is already here in the hearts of all who know Christ as their Savior. But one day, in fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus will return from heaven and will set up His physical, literal Kingdom on this earth and will rule the whole earth forever in eternity.   Paul writes in Philippines 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven”. The word conversation means citizenship. The citizens of Philippi were under the authority of the Roman empire and were actually Roman citizens even though they didn’t actually live in Rome. They were colonized by the Romans and lived under Roman law even though they lived in Philippi. So, to the Christians living in Philippi, they understood well what Paul meant when he wrote about being citizens of heaven.   What does Philippians 3:20 mean to you and me? It means that as the people of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, we are an earthly colony of the Kingdom of Heaven. Far from our home (hea

For most of us, we remember suppertime as a good time. We remember Momma call out “supper’s ready”. We came running like pigs to the feeding trough. There are four suppers mentioned in the Bible that we will look at today.   Our first supper is found in Luke 14:16-23. This is the supper of salvation. Christ extends the invitation to simply “Come; for all things are now ready.” If you accept the invitation to this supper, you will be filled. If you make excuses, God will simply invite others.   The second supper is mentioned in I Corinthians 11. This is the Lord’s supper. The communion table for believers. If you have accepted the invitation to the first supper, you have a place at this table. It’s where we partake of the bread and the cup. We reflect on and remember the Lord’s sacrifice on our behalf.   The third supper is found in Revelation 19:9. It’s called the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” As Christians, we look forward to this banquet feast. It occurs sometime after we have been

Gratitude is powerful. Being thankful can create an atmosphere for miracles in our lives. Constant complaining can stifle God’s power. Remember in John 11 when Jesus raised Lazarus? Just before Lazarus was called forth from the grave, Jesus said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me” (verse 41b). He then cried out, “Lazarus, come forth” (verse 43). The atmosphere was saturated with power because of gratitude and a dead man walked out of his tomb.   In Daniel chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled about his dreams. Daniel thanked his God for His blessing, protection, and wisdom. God supernaturally helped him interpret the King’s dreams.   All through the Bible, we see the same pattern. When we praise God and thank Him, wonderful things happen. When we’re ungrateful, we stop the flow of favor and goodness that could have come our way. Express your gratitude to God, not just at Thanksgiving, but every day. You may be surprised how God will work in your life. Resist the urge

A bag of grapes, or a bag of marbles, what are we? I know what you’re thinking, what is this all about?   Paul describes the members of God’s church as a spiritual body interconnected and bound by the love and grace of God (1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4). The idea of true believers who are solitary saints, or spiritual hermits, isolated from other Christians and depriving themselves of fellowship and instruction found in the local church setting, is foreign to the Word of God. The scriptures teach us not only to believe in Christ as our Savior, but to belong to a local church where we can grow and become fruitful and productive for the Kingdom of God. Think of it this way; for the organs of your body to fulfill their purpose and function, they must be interconnected with the other parts of the body. If one of your organs is severed from your body, it will die. It cannot exist on its own and neither can you spiritually thrive in today’s world without being attached to a body of belie

How strong is your desire for the will of God – His purpose and plan for your life? The proof of your desire is what you are willing to pursue. What dominates your thoughts? What receives your time and attention? Psalm 37:4, “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”   In Mark chapter 5, the woman who was sick, wanted to be well. She pushed, she reached, and she received her miracle. In Mark chapter 10, the blind man really wanted to receive his sight. He cried out, and cried out again, from his desperation. He pursued and received his miracle.   Desires are like people. They are born, they grow, and they can die. We must learn to focus, to reach, to believe, and to embrace, the will of God. We demonstrate the strength of our desire to follow the Lord each day by what it is that we pursue. It never hurt