November 26, 2023
Greetings and blessings to all of you. God has promised never to leave or forsake us, so no matter what the circumstance we find ourselves in; we can count on His help. Jesus promised that after His resurrection and ascension back to heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit to come live within everyone who trusts in the Savior's sacrifice. (John15:26) Next to salvation the most important gift of God to every one of his children is the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to deal with the world we live in and its unending conflict. We have three enemies the world, the flesh and the devil. They are combined to form a powerful foe that attempts to defeat and frustrate God’s plan and His purpose in the lives of God’s people. The world is at war with us that is {the spiritually minded Christian.} Intolerance is at odds with tolerance and human understanding. Dishonesty and truth are in conflict. Godlessness is at odds with righteousness. Today we are now being told to affirm behavior that is not of God and disdain what is of God. There is widespread deception in our land and our children are becoming its victims. There is a battle for control and influence over the minds of the children in our educational system but we need not fret because we have the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us to confront the instigators. However, some of us still feel comfortable having a “mind of worldliness” which is a materialistic sensual view of life which centers on the gratification of me, myself, and I; being completely blind to the things of the Spirit. God is pushed away and forgotten…even when the battle continues. We are in a Spiritual Warfare or a Cultural War. The Bible warns us that we are to: “love not the world neither the things that are in the world.” (I John 2:15) The Bible again warns us that “the friendship of the world is enmity with God.” (James 4:4) Thus we as believers we will and are facing daily conflict with the world but we are not to yield to the deceptions and foolishness of the world but to lean heavily on the Holy Spirit within. We cannot fight these battles in the energy of the flesh. Paul in Romans 7 figured that out. He said, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing hate…I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want but the evil I do not want is what I do.” So dear Christians live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. “Self Will” will only go so far then you will sin.
With the Love of Christ
First Lady Vivian C. Currie
Pastor ALC