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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #1,059 March 16, 2004 Unseen The lakes and rivers are still frozen solid and there is still snow on the ground, but I know that Spring is coming! I know because the first pairs of Canadian Geese have returned from their winter vacation in the southland. I haven't seen a single goose yet, but I know they're here. Kathy has heard them for the past few mornings when she went out to leave for work. When Genni the wonder dog and I walked around the lake last night, there were unmistakable signs of fresh goose activity on the lake. I'm hoping to see them soon. The fact that something is unseen doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I've never seen gravity, but I've seen evidence of it. I've never seen air, but I know what it feels like to not have any. The vast majority of what exists is unseen. We don't see molecules, or their components. We don't see the billions of galaxies out there and their billions of planets, nor do we see all the space that separates them. If you'll excuse a bad play on words, sometimes we have to open our eyes to the unseen things around us. We live in a visible world, in the midst of an invisible world. That invisible world includes the spirit realm. There are things that happen in the realm of the spirit that most of us never see with our physical eyes. There are angels and demons all around us warring for the souls of people. Satan is real and he's out there. God is real and in control of it all even though we don't see Him. Satan and his minions are hard at work fighting the believer, fighting the work of the church, doing their evil best to thwart the plans of God. We might not see them, but we see their workings in the lives of people and circumstances around us. I can testify to the existence of Satan and demons. I have seen demons manifest and I have seen them cast out. I have been present when believers have been set free of demonic influences. Far more important than my testimony though is what the Word of God says on the subject. The Bible tells us that these invisible things are real. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Colossians 1:16 NIV Scripture tells us that we are in a war against them, and how to battle them. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV We needn't fear the enemy, but we must not make the mistake of believing or wanting to believe he doesn't exist. I've heard it said many times that the best trick Satan ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist and there's a lot of truth in that statement. Until next time, rejoice that we serve a God who is victorious over the evil one and his plans. Hallelu Yah (Praise God) Be blessed Kevin Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you. HELP FOR THE HURTING You don't have to be a Christian to see the impact of Satan in the world around us. We've all experienced evil. We've all been hurt by it and often been participants in it (willingly or unwillingly). It brings pain and suffering. It gives us hopelessness and despair. There is only one way to defeat his influences in our lives and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who has the power and the authority to crush Satan. It is Jesus who can set us free. It is Jesus who brings us love; hope; peace; joy; forgiveness and eternal life. Will you tell the devil to take a hike and get out of your life by asking Jesus to be Lord? You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart; admitting you need God's help; turning away from your sin and saying a prayer along the lines of the one below. There isn't any "magic" in the prayer, it's simply a way to open up to the gift that Jesus already bought for you with His very life. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it. He freely offers it to all who will accept it: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen
If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2003 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved
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