1 Peter

The Battle

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

The battle is invisible

and it is fierce

 

Unseen

but real

 

This fight

affects you

 

And if your eyes were opened

to the unseen reality

 

You would fall to your knees

before the God of Angel Armies

 

You would know that darkness

wants to take you down

 

You would know that angels

are protectors and fighters

 

strong and valiant

 

And you would know that demons

are liars and destroyers

 

Purveyors of

defeat

stress

division

lies

death

and fear

 

And know this –

 

if you have not surrendered to King Jesus,

you WILL lose this fight

 

You are defenseless without Him

 

If you DO know Him

and believe Him

 

Don’t forget your battle gear

 

Take up your Sword!

the Word of God to combat lies and deception

 

Take up your shield!

which is your faith in Almighty God

 

Put on your helmet!

the salvation of your precious soul

 

Lace up your shoes!

that come with the Peace only He can give

 

Strap on your belt!

of Truth, lies dispelled

 

Hold up that shield!

God’s armor of righteousness for you

 

Don’t underestimate your enemy

or

God’s army

 

Get in that battle

and hold onto the One who holds victory

 

for you

 

– Susie Stewart

 

We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places.

– Ephesians 6:12 (VOICE)

 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

– James 4:7 (NLT)

 

For though we walk in the world, we do not fight according to this world’s rules of warfare. The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth.

– 2 Corinthians 10:3,4 (VOICE)

 

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

– 1 Peter 5:8,9 (NLT)

 

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

– Ephesians 6:13-17 (NLT)

 

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.

– Deuteronomy 3:22 (NIV)

 

Artwork by Arik Stewart from his childhood

 

 

Gripping Eternity

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I’m holding tightly, Lord,

to eternity

 

and I’m holding loosely

everything here where I am

 

…at least I’m trying to

 

Life here can be hard

and disappointing

and painful at times

 

but knowing there is perfect

and beautiful

 

and everlasting, never-ending love

 

beyond

and forever

 

makes me want to hold tight

and to savor the thought

 

of peaceful and vibrant heaven

and of forever with You,

my beautiful Savior 

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Set your heart not on riches, but on goodness, Christ-likeness, faith, love, patience and humility. Fight the worthwhile battle of the faith, keep your grip on that life eternal to which you have been called, and to which you boldly professed your loyalty before many witnesses.

– 1 Timothy 6:11,12 (PHILLIPS)

 

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.

– 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

 

My heavenly guide brought me to the river of pure living waters, shimmering as brilliantly as crystal. It flowed out from the throne of God and of the Lamb,  flowing down the middle and dividing the street of the holy city. On each bank of the river stood the tree of life, firmly planted, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and producing its sweet crop every month throughout the year. And the soothing leaves that grew on the tree of life provided precious healing for the nations.

<<<Fed by a crystal clear river is the tree of life. In the beginning, Adam and Eve were prevented from eating from the tree once they were expelled from the garden of Eden. Divine creatures and a flaming sword then stood guard at the entrance to the garden (Genesis 3:24). Now the tree of life returns to the story, a single tree situated on both sides of the river. No one is denied access to its luscious fruit and healing leaves.>>>
No one or nothing will labor under any curse any longer. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will sit prominently in the city. God’s servants will continually serve and worship Him. They will be able to look upon His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. Darkness will never again fall on this city. They will not require the light of a lamp or of the sun because the Lord God will be their illumination. By His light, they will reign throughout the ages.

– Revelation 22:1-5 (VOICE)  

 

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

– 1 Peter 1:3,4 (NLT)

 

I would not give one moment of heaven for all the joy and riches of the world even if it lasted for thousands and thousands of years. 

– Martin Luther

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Tug-O-War

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I’m in a tug-o-war,

a fierce competition

 

Only, it’s not a game,

but a battle

 

On the one side,

pulling me one direction,

is my longing for God,

my heaven-ward focus

 

And on the other,

the pull of the world

of distraction

of selfishness

 

And I feel that pull

that tug

that struggle

 

every.  single.  day

 

It’s not a horizontal battle

but a vertical tug o war

 

upward

and downward

 

and I want You, God,

yet….

 

I am pulled

by so much

 

electronics

my own thoughts

busyness

the enemy

 

the list goes on and on

 

But

in the middle

of that taut rope

is a tied piece of ribbon

 

and I see that red cloth

as

my choices

my focus

my will

 

It is me taking my thoughts captive

to make them obedient to Christ

 

or me allowing defeat thoughts

to overtake my hours

 

It is me choosing prayer

over mindless hours of screen time

 

or me letting entertainment

step on creative, full living

 

It is me deliberately serving

and honoring my King

 

or me procrastinating

what He has asked me to do

 

Choices bringing my ribbon

ever upward

or yanking me downward

 

And I see that the anchor

of the heaven-ward side

is God Himself

 

always drawing me in

and looking for my eyes to fix on Him

not on the competition

 

and I decide which side

I want to be pulling on

for my own soul

and because I am called to more

than downward

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

– 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG)

 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

– Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

– James 4:7 (NLT)

 

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

– 1 John 4:4 (NLT)

 

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT)

 

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does.

– 1 Peter 5:8-11 (MSG)

 

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

 

Online photo

 

Today

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love and cherish

those you love and cherish

today

 

All the things

you’d like to say

say today

 

For tomorrow isn’t promised

 

And life is richer

deeper

lovelier

and more profound

if you choose today

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another.

– James 4:14 (VOICE)

 

Most of all, love each other steadily and unselfishly, because love makes up for many faults.

– 1 Peter 4:8 (VOICE)

 

Let love prevail in your life, words, and actions.

– 1 Corinthians 16:14 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Andy Stewart

He Hears

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

You and I live in a loud world.  To get someone’s attention is no easy task.  He must be willing to set everything aside to listen:  turn down the radio, turn away from the monitor, turn that corner of the page and set down the book.  When someone is willing to silence everything else so he can hear us clearly, it is a privilege.  A rare privilege indeed.

You can talk to God because God listens.  Your voice matters in heaven.  He takes you very seriously.  When you enter His presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice.  No need to fear that you will be ignored.  Even if you stammer of stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God – and He listens.  He listens to the painful plea of the elderly in the rest home.  He listens to the gruff confession of the death-row inmate.  When the alcoholic begs for mercy, when the spouse seeks guidance, when the businessman steps off the street into the chapel, God listens.

Intently.  Carefully.  The prayers are honored as precious jewels.  Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord.  “The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God.”  Incredible.  Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.

…your prayers move God to change the world.  You may not understand the mystery of prayer.  You don’t need to.  But this much is clear:  Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth.  What an amazing thought!

– Max Lucado

 

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

– Revelation 8:3-5 (NIV)

 

For the eyes of the Lord are [looking favorably] upon the righteous (the upright), And His ears are attentive to their prayer (eager to answer), But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil.

– 1 Peter 3:12 (AMP)

 

Photo by Wade Callison

 

Let Go of Control

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

 

A curious and continuous pursuit of our good God opens doors for us to experience all possibility beyond what we could imagine for ourselves.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m picking what is good for my life, then it’s probably going to feel good, look good, taste good, smell good, and be visibly good to anyone who sees it.

But the truth is, even some of the things that have looked “bad” from the outside have turned out to be good for me.

Because, while the currency of God’s goodness looks different from my own, it is infinitely more valuable.

Hard things make us dig deep within ourselves to find strength we didn’t know we had.

Loss teaches us to appreciate blessings that surround us.

And while I don’t want to minimize the depth of any pain and the years it can take to overcome the brokenness we experience in this life, there is good to be found, even in the hard and even through the bad.

As we embrace a curious faith, we exchange the currency of our control for the wealth of God’s possibility.

Maybe sometimes we do think we can control the way things go. To some extent we have the capacity to define our own paths and make decisions that shape the way we live.

We can direct behaviors and events, but when we allow that thinking to rule the way we live, we also lose the capacity to be curious about things unknown and outside of our own plans, outside of our limited view.

Control robs us of curiosity and puts a ceiling on our allowance of God’s possibility in our lives. Because after all, you can’t be curious about something you control.

I’ve heard it said, “Blessed are the curious … for they shall have adventures.” And, friend, when we try to control our lives, we miss out on the adventure of faith.

 

Release control…

be curious, and rediscover hope in the God of possibility.

– Logan Wolfram

 

Anxiety is a funny thing. We hoard up worries the way we hoard money and material goods. In some eras and cultures, people live hand-to-mouth and rely on each growing season to make it another year. I’m grateful not to live in a culture like that, yet I realize we’ve lost a certain perspective it fosters: our eyes no longer look to God to provide for daily needs. Instead, we take bread for granted and borrow trouble ahead of schedule, focusing on the adequacies and inadequacies of our insurance policies and savings accounts. We have so much less to worry about but worry about so much more! We get distracted by the constant barrage of media headlines about random violence, obscure medical anomalies, aberrant weather patterns, and the economic downturn. Suddenly, we’re a mess, worrying about our health and safety and families and careers and possessions. How can we possibly feel secure?

The answer is simple and yet such a hard thing to do: give up control and trust in the Lord with all my heart. God says over and over again to trust Him with fears and anxieties.

– Sharri Bockheim Steen

 

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

– 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

 

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

– Philippians 4:5-7 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Discipline

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

A child disciplined

in love

cries

but knows

that love cares about the child

love cares about the sin

love cares about refining

and loves cares about humbling

so the child

will be lifted up

in honor.

– Susie Stewart

 

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

 

 

For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.

– Hebrews 12:6 (NLT)

 

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.

– 1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)

 

For the Lord corrects those He loves,
just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights.

– Proverbs 3:12 (NLT)

 

I know, O Lord, that your regulations are fair;
You disciplined me because I needed it.

– Psalm 119:75 (NLT)

 

I correct and discipline everyone I love. Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act.

– Revelation 3:19 (GW)

 

God is interested in developing your character. At times He lets you proceed, but He will never let you go too far without discipline to bring you back. In your relationship with God, He may let you make a wrong decision. Then the Spirit of God causes you to recognize that it is not God’s will. He guides you back to the right path.

– Henry Blackaby

 

Love precedes discipline.

– John Owen

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Foundation

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What is your foundation, friend?

 

At the bottom of everything in your life

what is your security

your strength

your purpose

your reason to live?

 

Maybe all you know

is to believe in your self.

 

And what happens when you fail?

Every self does.

 

Is your foundation crumbling?

Or is your foundation secure?

 

Because the only foundation

that will not crumble in the end

is Rock

 

My Rock is Jesus

 

He will not fail

He will not crumble

 

And because I am secure in Him

in His Truth

in His Word

in His Love

 

when I fail

I know He won’t

 

And we all need a foundation

 

for the walls we build

the walls of knowledge

of good works

of family

of purpose

 

will fall

without The Foundation

 

What a gift,

my Foundation

in Him

– Susie Stewart

 

Those people who are listening to Me, those people who hear what I say and live according to My teachings—you are like a wise man who built his house on a rock, on a firm foundation.  When storms hit, rain pounded down and waters rose, levies broke and winds beat all the walls of that house. But the house did not fall because it was built upon rock.  Those of you who are listening and do not hear—you are like a fool who builds a house on sand.  When a storm comes to his house, what will happen? The rain will fall, the waters will rise, the wind will blow, and his house will collapse with a great crash.

– Matthew 7:24-27 (VOICE)

 

Therefore the Lord God says this, “Listen carefully, I am laying in Zion a Stone, a tested Stone, A precious Cornerstone for the [secure] foundation, firmly placed. He who believes [who trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone] will not be disturbed or give way [in sudden panic].

– Isaiah 28:16 (AMP)

 

Come to Him [the risen Lord] as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God.  You [believers], like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

– 1 Peter 2:4-6 (AMP)

 

Jesus Christ is the Stone on which other stones for the building must be laid. It can be only Christ.

– 1 Corinthians 3:11 (NLV

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Your Mind

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Our thoughts are just as important to God as our actions, and are known to God as clearly as our actions.

Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount that God’s commands are intended not only to regulate outward conduct, but inner disposition as well.  It is not enough that we do not kill;  we must also not hate.  It is not enough that we do not commit adultery;  we must not even entertain lustful looks and thoughts.

Just as we must learn to bring the appetites of our bodies under control, so we must also learn to bring our thought lives under obedience to Jesus Christ.

The bible indicates that our thought lives ultimately determine our character.  Holiness begins in our minds and works out to our actions.  This being true, what we allow to enter our minds is critically important.

– Jerry Bridges

 

O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.

– Psalm 139:1-4(NLT)

 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

– Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV)

 

…people judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

– 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

 

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

– Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

 

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

– Romans 12:3 (NLT)

 

…let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes

– Ephesians 4:23 (NLT)

 

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

– 1 Peter 1:14 9 (MSG)

 

The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos.

– AW Tozer

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Peace

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

Perfect peace comes from God.  It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit for the Believer, and it comes even in the storm if our hearts and minds are set on Him.

– Susie Stewart

 

The labor of self-love is a heavy one indeed. Think whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightingly of you. As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal, how can you hope to find inward peace.

– AW Tozer

 

True faith, by a mighty effort of the will, fixes its gaze on our Divine Helper, and there finds it possible and wise to lose its fears. It is madness to say, “I will not be afraid;” it is wisdom and peace to say, “I will trust and not be afraid.”

– Alexander MacLaren

 

Now may the Lord Himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

– 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

 

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

– John 16:33 (AMP)

 

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

– Isaiah 26:3 (AMP)

 

Walk away from the evil things in the world—just leave them behind, and do what is right, and always seek peace and pursue it.

– 1 Peter 3:11 (VOICE)

 

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,…

– Galatians 5:22 (NLT)

 

A mind focused on the flesh is doomed to death, but a mind focused on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace.

– Romans 8:6 (VOICE)

 

For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won’t walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.” The God who has compassion on you says so.

– Isaiah 54:10 (MSG)

 

If our minds are stayed upon God, His peace will rule the affairs entertained by our minds. If, on the other hand, we allow our minds to dwell on the cares of this world, God’s peace will be far from our thoughts.

– Woodrow Kroll

 

Photo by Susie Stewart